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Miniatures Adventure => Future Wars => Topic started by: AKULA on October 03, 2010, 08:08:04 PM

Title: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: AKULA on October 03, 2010, 08:08:04 PM
Apologies for committing the cardinal sin of crossposting (i've stuck the photos in the events section as well), but hopefully you will agree that the photos are worth it!

Bungle and I, ran a participation game for Hasslefree, yesterday & today, at the Old Glory show in Derby, using their range of aliens, zombies, hazmats and adventurers.

We ran 5 games over the two days, with a total of 32 players - and the game got a "Highly Commended" from the Show Organisers - the following photos are obviously just a summary.

Players had 2 objectives: - 1) Survive an hour, and, 2) Exit the table through a door at the other end of the lab complex.  They could improve their chances by a trip to the Armoury, to equip themselves with automatic weapons and body armour, or by visiting the lab, and undergoing a mutation to improve their close combat ability.

Rules were a variant of my skirmish rules - AR:SE - given the nature of the game (more Half-Life/Resident Evil, rather than just purely zombies), i've called them "Half AR:SE'd"...... ;)  Will stick them on my blog when i get a minute, if anyone wants them.

(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/AKULADEEP/P1050092.jpg)

(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/AKULADEEP/P1050094.jpg)

(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/AKULADEEP/P1050096.jpg)

(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/AKULADEEP/P1050093.jpg)

(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/AKULADEEP/P1050098.jpg)

(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/AKULADEEP/P1050100.jpg)

(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/AKULADEEP/P1050102.jpg)

(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/AKULADEEP/P1050095.jpg)

(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/AKULADEEP/P1050103.jpg)

(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/AKULADEEP/P1050097.jpg)

Adventurers were painted by Ben Brownlie, Aliens/Hazmats by Kev White, Bungle made the terrain, I just turned up and told people to roll some dice.

All of the minis shown can be purchased from Hasslefree:

http://www.hasslefreeminiatures.co.uk/catalog.php

 8)
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Gluteus Maximus on October 03, 2010, 08:15:18 PM
That looks like it was great fun and well deserves the award! Great figures, beautifully painted and on a very well-made game board.

Shame I was at work, as I'd loved to have seen it in person.

Oh well....

...i've called them "Half AR:SE'd"...... ;) 

Nearly missed that little gem  lol lol
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: TheMightyFlip on October 03, 2010, 09:10:41 PM
Same game that was at Salute?

Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: AKULA on October 03, 2010, 10:19:42 PM
Same game that was at Salute?



Yup, but different scenarios - we played hour long games against the clock, in one direction (rather than from one end of the board, to the other, and back again).
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: artshiraz on October 03, 2010, 10:31:15 PM
Greetings


my.. I do own a lot of the minis shown here.. but not nearly as well painted ;-) This looks like it was great fun.
I was wondering two things though:
1. who makes the scenery? (For example in pic 2 the weapon lockers)
2. where did you get those clear bases? I want some too  :D

thanks for sharing
Jo
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: AKULA on October 03, 2010, 10:47:29 PM
1. who makes the scenery? (For example in pic 2 the weapon lockers)

Mostly from here:

http://www.antenocitisworkshop.com/gbu0-catshow/scifiscenery.html

and here

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Fenris-Games_W0QQsspagenameZMEQ3aFQ3aSTQQtZkm



2. where did you get those clear bases? I want some too  :D

Ian from Fenris Games did them as a special, but if you ask him nicely (and have some cash) he might make some more.

His email address is on his main site, below:

http://www.fenrisgames.com/contactus.html
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Captain Blood on October 03, 2010, 10:52:59 PM
Great figures and nicely painted, Akula. I like the clear bases too. Just right for the hi-tech look  8)
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: soulman on October 03, 2010, 11:36:29 PM
Two things that was lovely to see...

1. figures looked good and nice paint jobs
2. The clear bases brought the figures to life... First time i  seem them, and in my mind the only bases figures should here.. stunning

Thank you
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Will Bailie on October 04, 2010, 12:46:51 AM
Fantastic painting!  My immediate impression on seeing the first photo was, "why is someone posting photos of real people on LAF?"  I needed to look a second time to realise that they were miniatures!
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: warrenss2 on October 04, 2010, 02:37:56 AM
How in the hell can someone named "Gluteus Maximus" even come close to "almost" missing a pun like "Half AR:SE'd"?!?!?!?  lol

Just joking!!  ;)

Nice minis, Akula! Righteous paint job.

I like the bases too. I would have gone that route if I had known about them before using fender washers on the 300+ miniatures I have.

Was it hard to glue Mutant Joe securely to that base?

I like the "step-up" changes/mutations that happened with Joe and Grant. Oh, and Tony looks pretty serious going from hotdog/golf club to battle vest and two BMF guns!  :o  I see a few others too after re-looking at the pics. Cool!
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: pixelgeek on October 04, 2010, 02:51:06 AM
Ian from Fenris Games did them as a special, but if you ask him nicely (and have some cash) he might make some more.

Did you use PVA glue to attach the figures?
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Scorpio on October 04, 2010, 03:17:57 AM
Oh, wow.

I am remarkably jealous of everything involved here.
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Centaur_Seducer on October 04, 2010, 05:32:20 AM
Looks like it was a blast, and the scenario tweak of surviving one hour will be "borrowed" for my zombie project ;)
Thanks for sharing Akula! Got any reports from the actual scenario? Like, how many did survive?
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: kidterminal on October 04, 2010, 07:26:04 AM
Great stuff. How did the mutant characters work out? And where do you get those clear bases?

Rob
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: oxiana on October 04, 2010, 09:26:27 AM
Superb. Those Hasslefree figures are just such great sculpts.

The clear bases idea sounds a bit odd, but these work spectacularly well here.
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: AKULA on October 04, 2010, 09:32:25 AM
I can't claim any credit for the painting - Adventurers were painted by Ben Brownlie, and the aliens/hazmats by Kev White.

Minis are either pegged, and glued, or just glued on using superglue - a couple needed to be reglued over the course of the weekend due to rough handling, but the rest were completely fine.  i'm going to be doing the same for my next couple of projects - a pin vice drill is a good investment (c£3 from a model shop).

Mutants basically had a +3 in close combat (which will only make sense if you've played AR:SE before now) making them pretty lethal for fighting, but still vulnerable to gunfire.

Overall out of 5 games we had 22 players playing adventurers (the other 10 were hazmat teams) - i think about 5 or 6 made it out of the complex, a couple of which would have died if they'd lost the initative as they were hottly pursued by 2 teams of hazmats.  A small number were gunned down by the hazmat teams, and about half were still alive, but still in the complex at the end of the game (games were limited to an hour to keep it interesting, but give people a reasonable chance of not being slaughtered).

The more observant will notice i've already mentioned where the clear bases comes from.....  ;)
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Hammers on October 04, 2010, 09:50:09 AM
Looks great Akula. A game I'd like to participate in.
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Mark Plant on October 04, 2010, 10:25:54 AM
I've investigated clear bases before, and I'm considering putting my SF stuff onto them.

Do you find that at certain angles they become mirrors though? That was my experience when I saw it done with minis. A really off-putting effect when you sit down at the table. Or are they somehow not so smooth that they do that?
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Ulu Elsomalien on October 04, 2010, 11:48:58 AM
Very nice pics. :o Could you post some more here or on your blog ? Especially some "before" and "after" lab/armoury trip pictures.
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Bungle on October 04, 2010, 12:12:29 PM
Bases were almost invisible from above when playing, I suppose at an angle with bright lighting they may be highly reflective.

The bases stood up well.... I think 4 figures came detached in 3 days of participation games.. with some especially rough handling from kids playing with them.

Line up the figure pegs with the hole and a dab or two of superglue and they were fine for the next game.

I think there are more figures with the odd chip despite varnish, than came off bases. So they are pretty robust.

It was an idea I first saw used with OHP sheets as bases for a 3 Musketeers game both inside and outside buildings. Someone suggested it, and Fenris games took it that step further, and it has worked very well.

We just need manufacturers to make figures with a peg on the feet rather than tabs and it would save loads of hassle.

Ben Brownlies figure painting is excellent.  :-*
It was nice to see Kevs painting.... which i think were all quick jobs  :o

The terrain hadn't been touched since Salute, it is mainly my work with some last minute rush job help from Hetz and Useless Gonzo.


If you want to take part it will be at FIASCO on SUNDAY 31st OCTOBER 2010 in Leeds

I believe it is at Savilles Hall (http://www.savileshall.co.uk/page.php?id=1) which are the conference facilities opposite Royal Armouries Museum... so why not visit the show and Museum


Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: bigmanfran on October 04, 2010, 01:17:37 PM
Stunning work. :o
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: aircav on October 04, 2010, 02:05:18 PM
Fantastic  :D :D :D :-* :-* :-*
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: uti long smile on October 04, 2010, 02:48:03 PM
Cracking stuff!
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: abhorsen950 on October 04, 2010, 03:44:04 PM
Excellent, each mini as stunning as the last and the tables excellent.
Hope you guys had fun

Steve
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: supervike on October 04, 2010, 05:17:33 PM
If someone said 'clear bases' I'd imagine they wouldn't work


But they do.. And well!
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: pixelgeek on October 04, 2010, 05:49:44 PM
Minis are either pegged, and glued, or just glued on using superglue

And you didn't have any problems with the glue frosting the bases?
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: supervike on October 04, 2010, 05:56:27 PM


Ian from Fenris Games did them as a special, but if you ask him nicely (and have some cash) he might make some more.

His email address is on his main site, below:

http://www.fenrisgames.com/contactus.html

Regarding the Clear Bases:

Ian has them in his EBAY store already, no need to ask nicely! (although it's just good manners.... ;D)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/25mm-clear-acrylic-bases-laser-cut-/150453446684?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item2307b9681c
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Arlequín on October 04, 2010, 06:05:17 PM
Thoroughly impressed with the layout and figs, especially liking the clear bases too!  :)
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: AKULA on October 04, 2010, 06:36:38 PM
And you didn't have any problems with the glue frosting the bases?

Nope - just make sure the glue goes into the hole you drill with a pin vice.

 :D
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Doomsdave on October 04, 2010, 06:45:26 PM
Brilliant.  I'm especially fond of the Hello Kitty shirt on the one female.  Great looking game.
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: AKULA on October 04, 2010, 07:51:07 PM
Thanks - it was fun to run!

Next outing is at FIASCO at the end of the month

 :)
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Commander Vyper on October 04, 2010, 08:13:06 PM
Nicey nicey, as it was at salute, shame I ddin't get chance to play.

The Commander
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Delaney on October 05, 2010, 10:52:00 AM
Heh, my clear bases showed up last week and I have been itching to do my hasslefree mob up like this!

Did superglue cloud the plastic, or will araldyte be better?
Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: AKULA on October 05, 2010, 11:44:35 AM
And you didn't have any problems with the glue frosting the bases?
Nope - just make sure the glue goes into the hole you drill with a pin vice.

Heh, my clear bases showed up last week and I have been itching to do my hasslefree mob up like this!

Did superglue cloud the plastic, or will araldyte be better?

Keep up!

 ;) :)

Title: Re: The Breaching of Complex Alpha
Post by: Whiskyrat on October 05, 2010, 06:29:32 PM
Brilliant looking game.  :-*