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Miniatures Adventure => Future Wars => Topic started by: Modhail on May 26, 2010, 07:48:54 PM

Title: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Modhail on May 26, 2010, 07:48:54 PM
Well, I managed to stave off "Real Life" for long enough to get some hobby time in...

I've started on a few Japanese kits I received:
(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h213/Modhail/WIP/Battletech/HPIM3324.jpg)
Yeah, had Battletech on the brain a bit recently....

The kits are an alleged 1/100 scale, but they are functional enough for 20mm-1/72nd figures and vehicles. I'm thinking of using them for small combined-arms skirmishes. 1 or 2 Mech's a side, supported by a couple of squads of infantry, maybe a light vehicle or 2.
Fairly small skirmishes.
Odd thing is, I haven't played Battletech for nearly 10 years, I don't even know if I still like the game! I like the concept and setting though. If worse comes to worse, I can always hack together some beer-and-pretzel style rules...

Now I still need to source some decent 20mm Sci-fi infantry. Ideally including some that can double as Clan Elementals.
Does anyone have suggestions?
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Onebigriver on May 26, 2010, 07:52:52 PM
Might suit your needs:

http://www.wargamessupplydump.co.uk/20mm.htm

Who makes the kits?

Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Modhail on May 26, 2010, 08:08:46 PM
Thanks! Do you know if their Colonial Rangers infantry is similar to the jetbike crew?

The kits are from Bandai, the action figure is from Revoltech. I got them both via Hobby Link Japan (http://www.hlj.com/). Just do a search on "Destroid" to vind the kits, and "Dougram" for the action figure.
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Love_the_Lash on May 26, 2010, 08:20:46 PM
Must be something in the air I just bought 5 of the old exo squad / robotech toys to form the basis of a couple of inner sphere lances. Would be very interested to hear what the height of the warhammer and longbow is so I can work out if they are compatible or not.

Am pondering also picking up http://khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/ttc1003.jpg from Khurasan Miniatures because that just screams inner sphere don't you think?

Keep on posting pics!

Chrissy
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Modhail on May 26, 2010, 08:43:19 PM
It could very well be...For me it was triggered by the announcement that Mechwarrior 4 would be distributed for free, and the background buzz about the concept trailer for Mechwarrior 5/Reboot.

The Warhammer is 11.5 cm to the top of his "hunchback", 13 to the top of his missile rack. The Longbow is 12 cm to the top of his scanner "head". The Griffin is a smidge oversized at 12 cm. How large are the Exo-squad/Robotech models?


That model looks quite nice! Size seems about right for a medium mech indeed.
I wonder if their Federal Marine Powerarmour is large enough to serve as 20mm Elementals/Battle armour...
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Love_the_Lash on May 26, 2010, 09:09:10 PM
Will let you know when it arrives!
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Modhail on May 26, 2010, 09:23:24 PM
Thanks!

Had a bit of a root round, and maybe (if you're using 20mm infantry) these might work as Battle Armour stand-ins? http://www.gtns.co.uk/store1/commerce.cgi (http://www.gtns.co.uk/store1/commerce.cgi), look for V15-79A  and V15-79B.
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Tacgnol on May 26, 2010, 09:28:24 PM
Big-scale Battletech is always a winner- I'll be monitoring this thread with interest.  :D
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: steders on May 27, 2010, 08:06:34 AM
Big battletech is great fun, can I point you to this thread
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=16206.0 (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=16206.0)
If anyone has any good suggestions for Clan stuff in 20mm I'd certainly be pleased!
The only stuff I can think of is either the Robotech Gluags (which I already have a few of) or some of the Kryomek walkers
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: steders on May 27, 2010, 08:13:38 AM
Oh yeah, for clan elementals I had thought of using Ground zero games NSL power armour. Their figures are 25mm so they actually look pretty good next to 20mm stuff, I can take a photo if you want.
What figures are you thinking of using for your infantry?
Edit: I've picked up several boxes of these
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1390 (http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1390)
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1389 (http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1389)
To use for normal infantry with some tripod mounted guns for laser teams. Although they are plastic, it is not Airfix type plastic and they do actually 'take' paint.
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Modhail on May 27, 2010, 06:48:19 PM
Thanks!

Steders, your stuff looks great! Nice fix for the buildings too.

For infantry, I'm thinking of just getting 20mm figs. Just take a random mix of WWII to moderns, and paint them in non-typical colours. (DAK in jungle colours, modern Brits in flat grey, etc.) I believe I still have some 20mm SHQ DAK lying around.

Haven't solved the Clan issue myself, actually. There's a fair bit of papercraft mechs around the internet. I may just use those as templates for plasticard scratchbuilds? If it isn't more work than it's worth that is...
I'll try and find some links if you're interested?
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: steders on May 28, 2010, 07:59:42 AM
Definately
I've got a few of these
http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN37109 (http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN37109)
I thought about adding missile pods to the shoulders and changing the guns to give me a vulture and a Madcat. Not sure how much of a mess I would make though, so I haven't tried yet.
Have you thought about rules, I've been using Future war commander with modifications, works pretty well.
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Love_the_Lash on May 28, 2010, 11:49:23 AM
Unless you have a few of those I'd be inclined just to use them as unseen Marauders (which I have a real soft spot for).

Chrissy
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: steders on May 28, 2010, 12:24:28 PM
Ive got 4, I might just build and paint them 'as is' and proxy them as omni mechs.
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Viper on May 28, 2010, 03:19:59 PM
I really wish there was more in the way of larger scale battletech stuff.

The tiny CBT miniatures just don't do much for me.
Very sad that the armorcast 28mm scale Madcat and Vulture are hard/impossible to get hold of these days.

Oh how fun playing BT with 2 lances of 28mm mechs would be.

Still there's always the museum scale pieces I guess. I'm not sure how big they are 4-5 inches tall maybe.
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: steders on May 28, 2010, 04:41:08 PM

Still there's always the museum scale pieces I guess. I'm not sure how big they are 4-5 inches tall maybe.
I don't think they are quite that big. Some people on the Battletech boards do 1/200 scale games and I'm sure the museum stuff gets used for that.
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: steders on May 28, 2010, 04:56:43 PM
This is a good thread using the Clicky Mechs, the bloke has done some great paintjobs. Well worth having a poke around looking for large scale stuff.
http://www.classicbattletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,43919.msg1065917.html#msg1065917 (http://www.classicbattletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,43919.msg1065917.html#msg1065917)
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: lostpict on May 28, 2010, 06:26:26 PM
I do 25mm Battle Tech with the Ral Partha Battletroops and the Joyride Mechs using StarGrunt II:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9975128@N05/sets/72157624067971254/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9975128@N05/sets/72157624067971254/)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9975128@N05/sets/72157624043792940/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9975128@N05/sets/72157624043792940/)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9975128@N05/sets/72157602126225247/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9975128@N05/sets/72157602126225247/)

Hope to pick up some of the Armorcast Mechs one of these days.

Lost Pict
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Love_the_Lash on May 28, 2010, 08:38:11 PM
Have been pondering for scratchbuilds Old Crow do some nice packs of gun barrels: http://www.oldcrowmodels.co.uk/25turrets.htm
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Isamu on May 28, 2010, 10:22:57 PM
This is a good thread using the Clicky Mechs, the bloke has done some great paintjobs. Well worth having a poke around looking for large scale stuff.
http://www.classicbattletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,43919.msg1065917.html#msg1065917 (http://www.classicbattletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,43919.msg1065917.html#msg1065917)

This is just such an impressive force. I wish I had one of the old Warhammer, Marauder or my favorite Rifleman. Just to be precise the scale is N-Gauge (1/160), which is 10mm and not 15mm. 15mm vehicles are just way to big. 1/3 bigger is getting noticed and I tried with my Old Crow 15mm compared to the Clicky Mechs.

And it seems 10mm is a perfect size for Mechs, since CAV and Heavy Gear are also in 10mm.

Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: abhorsen950 on May 28, 2010, 10:27:44 PM
You've certainly got my interest.
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Modhail on May 29, 2010, 09:44:28 AM
Okay, time to play catch-up...

The links for the papercraft stuff:
http://www.mechwarrior3.org/wforum/viewforum.php?f=38 (http://www.mechwarrior3.org/wforum/viewforum.php?f=38) Lots to be found here...
http://www.filefront.com/user/shiftdel41 (http://www.filefront.com/user/shiftdel41)
http://www.mediafire.com/BLaaR (http://www.mediafire.com/BLaaR)

Viper, I have the same with the regular mini's. Nice, but tiny. They just don't scream "Big Stompy Roboy" to me.
The Museum scale mini's are about 3" tall, so comparable with the clicky mechs I think. The models I use are nearly twice that size.
Playing with 28mm scaled mechs would be great, but you'd need quite a bit of area to play in.
Still, there are people going even bigger: http://www.in2my.net/mechnut/ (http://www.in2my.net/mechnut/) and http://www.eagletransporter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2558 (http://www.eagletransporter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2558) (I found his homesite a while back, but the PC crashed before I could bookmark...  >:()

Lostpict: Nice game! Looks good. And pretty close to the approach I was thinking about. No big mobs of mechs, but just a few supported/opposed by infantry and vehicles.

Haven't had time to do more on these mechs, but I should be able to get some paint on this sunday.
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Isamu on May 29, 2010, 12:00:43 PM
Nice paper work indeed.

And here some more information links:

http://www.lordsofthebattlefield.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=210 (http://www.lordsofthebattlefield.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=210)

http://www.lordsofthebattlefield.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=209 (http://www.lordsofthebattlefield.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=209)




Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Love_the_Lash on June 02, 2010, 10:26:48 PM
My brace of 'Robotech / Exo Squad' figures arrived today all in their 3" glory (proper measurements to follow as it's now late). Am quite chuffed with them even if I fear I may upset collectors by... painting them!

Incidentally can anyone help me with the size of the DP9 Sagittarius Strider (see link for piccys) http://homebrewgamer.blogspot.com/2009/12/sagittarius-strider-from-dp9.html I think it might make a good substitute mech.

edit... The Robotech / Exo Squad ones I have are about 3" tall. Are the dark age ones really that size???
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: steders on June 03, 2010, 11:32:01 AM
I do 25mm Battle Tech with the Ral Partha Battletroops and the Joyride Mechs using StarGrunt II:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9975128@N05/sets/72157624067971254/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9975128@N05/sets/72157624067971254/)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9975128@N05/sets/72157624043792940/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9975128@N05/sets/72157624043792940/)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9975128@N05/sets/72157602126225247/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9975128@N05/sets/72157602126225247/)

Hope to pick up some of the Armorcast Mechs one of these days.

Lost Pict
Wish I'd found one of the Joyride madcats, I still think it would of been too big for 1/72 gaming though. Nice setup
Title: Re: Battletech, the XL edition
Post by: Isamu on June 03, 2010, 12:07:45 PM
My brace of 'Robotech / Exo Squad' figures arrived today all in their 3" glory (proper measurements to follow as it's now late). Am quite chuffed with them even if I fear I may upset collectors by... painting them!

Incidentally can anyone help me with the size of the DP9 Sagittarius Strider (see link for piccys) http://homebrewgamer.blogspot.com/2009/12/sagittarius-strider-from-dp9.html I think it might make a good substitute mech.

edit... The Robotech / Exo Squad ones I have are about 3" tall. Are the dark age ones really that size???

The Base is a 60mm-Base and the size should just as high as a small Mech like the DA Osiris. It's not as big as a Zeus any other heavy Mech. Normally I put my DA Mechs on 50mm Bases. This are no accurate dates, but still I hope it helps anyway.