Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Future Wars => Topic started by: Michka on 22 June 2012, 04:30:36 PM
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This is the oldest miniatures project I have. I've been buying and painting Leading Edge minis for longer then anything else. Earlier this year I finally painted the last Leading Edge Aliens miniature that I owned. When you get to the end of a project you're faced with a dilemma. What now. Rational people just enjoy what they have, and play some games. I am not a rational person. My other options were to strip the minis and start from scratch, start buying more minis at exorbitant prices, or modify and improve the minis. I chose to improve my minis.
This fall I ran a Colonial Marines game that was lots of fun. After the game I noticed, not for the first time mind you, that the washers on the bottoms of the figures were getting dinged up. This seems to happen pretty regularly, and I wanted to do something about it. Here is an example of the old basing system.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/2ndUSMCshoot003_crop.jpg)
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/2ndUSMCshoot006_crop.jpg)
I decided to cut out slotta-bases and form them around the integral bases mounted to the figures.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/2ndUSMCshoot010_crop.jpg)
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/2ndUSMCshoot012_crop.jpg)
This system worked, but it was tedious. I had to cut the shape of the integral base out of a slotta-base, mount it to a washer hidden inside the slotta, and putty around the integral base so it matched the surface. The results looked OK on the Aliens, but not so good on the Colonial Marines. That's when I decided to bite the bullet and start cutting the integral bases off the Marines. I went through at least four different base paint schemes before landing on the one I'm using now. It's the same base painting I do for my Judge Dredd figures, but without the pavement markings. Here's what I've finished so far...
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/2ndUSMCshoot017_crop.jpg)
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/2ndUSMCshoot019_crop.jpg)
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/2ndUSMCshoot023_crop.jpg)
This is just the tip of the iceberg. So far I have twelve Colonial Marines based the way I want them. I have to figure out what I'll be doing with the Aliens, because cutting them off the bases isn't going to happen. Most of them have tails that are directly sculpted to the base. They also have spindly little feet that would break way too often. I'll probably continue using the slotta-base method I'm using right now, but I need to come up with a good paint scheme for the bases. Any ideas would be appreciated.
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Did the same for my WEG stuff, tedious but worth it. Fenris games do do recessed 'standard 25mm rounds, would mean then that you only have to file/dremmel the bases a little at the bottom, then use a filler or scenic scatter to go over the gaps.
A diamond jewellers saw is your friend too, as are very sharp clippers on old high lead content minis....knife and butter spring to mind.
Good luck with it
The Commander
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Fantastic paint on those minis!! Great character.
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I think the minis themselves show their age pretty badly, I'm not a fan, however your PJs help them shine a tad more.
I don't like what you're doing with the bases, I prefer them either properly based (i.e texture them or something like the deck bases seen elsewhere,) or all black as in the second set.
However, what matters is that you're happy with them, and if that is the case then just keep on truckin'
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Did the same for my WEG stuff, tedious but worth it. Fenris games do do recessed 'standard 25mm rounds, would mean then that you only have to file/dremmel the bases a little at the bottom, then use a filler or scenic scatter to go over the gaps.
The Commander
Oh I know about your WEG bases Commander. That's where I got the idea from. I saw a Stormtrooper with a slotta-base cut out around his integral base and I thought "That just might solve my Aliens basing problem".
Fantastic paint on those minis!! Great character.
Thank you so much. I love these figures, even if they are from an era long gone by.
I think the minis themselves show their age pretty badly, I'm not a fan, however your PJs help them shine a tad more.
I don't like what you're doing with the bases, I prefer them either properly based (i.e texture them or something like the deck bases seen elsewhere,) or all black as in the second set.
However, what matters is that you're happy with them, and if that is the case then just keep on truckin'
I don't know what to say. Like I said, I like the miniatures. They aren't perfect, but they have style. Your comment about not using proper bases had me a little steamed. Not that you didn't like them. I can live with that. It's the idea that there's a right way to do bases and a wrong way to do bases. ???
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I think they look great but the base-edges look tatty/unfinished. You either need to paint the edges in a single colour or carry the top paint all the way down the sides to the table-top, rather than stopping.
I am not a fan of the miniatures but your painting is good :)
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I don't know what to say. Like I said, I like the miniatures. They aren't perfect, but they have style. Your comment about not using proper bases had me a little steamed. Not that you didn't like them. I can live with that. It's the idea that there's a right way to do bases and a wrong way to do bases. ???
You're right, my apologies Michka, I expressed myself badly.
Inso expressed it better, but like I said, the important thing is that you're happy with them.
I just think that after the spiffy PJs, the bases deserve a little more attention.
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Sorry for being so whiny. Now that it's been brought to my attention I can see what you mean. I've been using this painting style for my Judge Dredd project, and the sides aren't a problem with the hex shaped bases. The round bases don't work the same , yet my eye wasn't seeing the problem till it was pointed out. I hope the darker rim around the sides takes care of the problem. It also might help that I'm not so close with these photos.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/SPACE1999ANDUSMCFORCYPHAN009_crop.jpg)
If anyone is curious, the backdrop is terrain from my Space:1999 project.
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The bases look much better now :) .
There isn't a right or wrong way of doing bases... they just have to look right.
I always do mine with sand on top, painted light brown and with a black rim. Everyone tells me they are boring and some people tell me to paint the rim brown to match the base.
I ignore them because that is how I do my bases :) .
As long as they look finished, I am happy.
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I got some more stuff to show off. First off I have some more marines. The middle three are Hasslefrees. The one on the right side is Vasquez, painted up as Martha Washington from Frank Miller's comic series Give Me Liberty.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/2ndUSMCandPowerLoader008_crop.jpg)
And then I have some pictures of the Power Loader. It's a Leading Edge miniature, so there are bound to be some problems. My biggest issue is the roll cage. It's way too thick. You can't tell, but I did paint Ripley in there. Eventually I might have to replace the cage with some bent wire.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/2ndUSMCandPowerLoader006_crop.jpg)
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/2ndUSMCandPowerLoader005_crop.jpg)
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/2ndUSMCandPowerLoader004_crop.jpg)
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Nice update.Good to see them all together too.Like the look of the scenery.
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(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USMCandColonyWIP024_crop.jpg)
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USMCandColonyWIP020_crop.jpg)
Pictures of my first piece of terrain for my colony. I plan to make many more. The idea is to make wall sections that will link together to form a colony, but can also stand alone as individual terrain elements should I not finish the project. That happens sometimes. The first photo is of the corridor side and the second photo is the interior side.
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That looks great. What a fanatstic idea :o
Have you thought about casting the separate sides before you put them together?
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Nice,
Even built up you could make facade silicon moulds and cast up, don't miss the opportunity to make life easier for yourself and potentially others.
Lovely.
The Commander
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I got the first piece of terrain painted. I'm not happy with the support struts, so I might be ripping those off and replacing them. The back side needs some iconography as well.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/painterUSCMterrain1003_crop.jpg)
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/painterUSCMterrain1005_crop.jpg)
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I have some new wall sections. Actually I have a completely different way of making the wall sections, thanks to my wife.
When I showed my lovely wife the first wall section she said it looks nice, but what was the shelf for. Then I showed the piece to a friend, who also asked what the shelf was for. He went further on to ask if I was going to find scale vases to put on the shelf. Both my wife and my friend weren't even trying to be funny when they said it. At that point I knew I had a serious design problem. It was also at that point that I discovered I'd put the struts in the wrong spots if I wanted to repeat the pattern on additional wall sections. So I spent time redesigning the general shape and layout of the walls, and here's what I got...
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USCMTerrainWIP3004_crop.jpg)
Front side, also known as the corridor walls.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USCMTerrainWIP3008_crop.jpg)
Back side, also known as the interior.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USCMTerrainWIP3006_crop.jpg)
And here is a WIP shot of all the walls I'm working on right now. The second long wall is mostly done. I just have to finish the back side and add some small details to the front. I've only just started the basic structures for the two corner pieces. Once those are done it'll be time to start making doors and a large floor piece for everything to sit on.
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The walls are looking great! :-* :-*
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Again please tell me your casting theses???!??!??!?! Waste not too
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Sorry Commander. In the time it would take me to learn how to cast these pieces I can have many, many more built.
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Excellent work; though now I'm wondering why they don't need shelves in the future ...
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Wow, a lot of hard work went into constructing those walls!
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Beautifully done! :-*
I'm always envious of people with plasticard skills - I'm terrible at working with it.
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lovely card work
8)
I was going to go down this route, but am now saving up for Fenris Games tiles, as he has walls on the way as well.
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Great job! I like the 'wall MK1' better than the original.
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Sorry Commander. In the time it would take me to learn how to cast these pieces I can have many, many more built.
What about contacting Fenris Games?
They are going to release their own set of sci-fi walls, but perhaps they may be interested in purchasing these from you and cast them up. Worth a try, in my opinion.
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Thank you for all the great comments. I'm having a ton of fun with this project. I finished painting the replacement first wall last night.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USCMterrain4003_crop.jpg)
Corridor side
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USCMterrain4005_crop.jpg)
Interior side
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USCMterrain4008_crop.jpg)
And a shot from the end.
What about contacting Fenris Games? They are going to release their own set of sci-fi walls, but perhaps they may be interested in purchasing these from you and cast them up. Worth a try, in my opinion.
I'd have to not paint one of the walls if I wanted to get it cast, and I don't want to do that. I'm a 'strike while the iron's hot' kind of guy. If I wait too long to paint the pieces, this project will sit in a box and never get done. That's what happened to my plasticard Enterprise bridge, and my wife is still giving me grief over that.
Besides, I've seen the work Fenris does, and I ain't in that category. That stuff is amazing.
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Would have suited Anisty's range much more as very similar construction. Great shame, and lovely pj btw.
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Fantastic Stuff!! Very inspiring.
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Both the construction and painting on the walls is top notch. The redesign is a big improvement too, much more visually interesting.
Fantastic work on a fantastic project (that most of us have a version of sitting unfinished in a box somewhere...).
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I agree on getting those cast! Design them on the Ainsty 3cm grid and they would fit perfectly with the existing floors! Have a word with Andy :)
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I agree on getting those cast! Design them on the Ainsty 3cm grid and they would fit perfectly with the existing floors! Have a word with Andy :)
That was my point, will compliment Andy's stuff completely and push those of us who simply lack time to sometimes even breath, to realise at least one incomplete project. ;)
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That was my point, will compliment Andy's stuff completely and push those of us who simply lack time to sometimes even breath, to realise at least one incomplete project. ;)
Hands up if you have an incomplete Aliens project... :)
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Yup, I have got one of those.. :)
Slowly moving the right way though.
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Yep!
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Me too. Oh wait, that's what I'm working on.
Thank you for all the great posts. Maybe you're right. I should contact Ainsty about these.
Does anyone know what happened to Braz's project? He was my biggest inspiration for this project.
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I'm really tired, so I'll just post the photos and get back to descriptions later, if needed.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USCMterrain6017_crop.jpg)
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USCMterrain6018_crop.jpg)
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USCMterrain6022_crop.jpg)
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Oh, that's just lovely that is! :-*
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I don't want to look any more, it's too Damn good not to be cast up.... please contact Andy. and get this in motion, please
;)
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ummm... Wow?
Those are gorgeous. Really super.
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Made me want to get back to my Aliens project asap. :-*
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Made me want to get back to my Aliens project asap. :-*
Please do. I just got done reading your Colonial Marines review again last night, and it made me want to buy more miniatures. I think that's fair.
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Oh! That looks cracking!! :o
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Excellent. And with that oxblood colour scheme, the interior designer has cleverly avoided all the stains showing!
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just :o !!
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Beautiful!
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Please do. I just got done reading your Colonial Marines review again last night, and it made me want to buy more miniatures. I think that's fair.
Warms me to the bottom of my heart, that does!
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SO very cool i just want to start a bug hunt now!!! :)
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I ran an Aliens game this weekend at Cyphan, a science fiction convention in Chicago. Here's a short after-action report for the game, with lots of pictures.
The marines have been sent in to investigate a lose of contact with the colonists on PK-336. After having a look around the colony they find P.D.T. signals coming from the nearby mines. As they are leaving the colony to get into their APC they spot movement.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/CyphanandAliensscreensshots090.jpg)
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/CyphanandAliensscreensshots093.jpg)
The marines are jumped as soon as they exit the colony.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/CyphanandAliensscreensshots091.jpg)
A wrecked tanker truck is caught in the crossfire, and explodes, creating a lake of fire in their path.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/CyphanandAliensscreensshots095.jpg)
The marines are overrun and the fighting does not go well.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/CyphanandAliensscreensshots100.jpg)
One of the smart gunners makes a run for it.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/CyphanandAliensscreensshots102.jpg)
The corporal also make a run for it. He doesn't make it however, because one of the troopers launches a grenade attack that takes out six Aliens near him. The multi-directional acid shower he receives insures that nothing was left. Our not-so-heroic smart gunner is just outside the acid splash, and actually survives.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/CyphanandAliensscreensshots104.jpg)
At this point the only surviving marines are the two smart gunners. The first gunner has made it to the APC, he's suffering the serious acid burns and nearly dead. He barely got the door closed. The second smart gunner makes his run across the board. He runs through the lake of fire, as did every other marine.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/CyphanandAliensscreensshots105.jpg)
The second marine actually makes it to the APC, deciding to "T.J. Hooker-It". He chucks his gun and climbs on top of the vehicle as it roles away for the massacre.
The buildings are terrain pieces from the HALO DVD game that I modified with plasticard. The tanker truck and semi are cheap toys tarted up like the buildings. The APC is a Galoob toy that I puttied up and re-painted. The silver hatches at the corners are milk caps with plasticard inserts. The hatches are hot spots, where new aliens arrive on the board. I'm using the Savage Worlds rules to run the game, but the hot spots rule from Ambush Alley/Force on Force.
I just forgot to put an 'f' in the word 'modified'. I think it's time for bed.
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Very cool AAR! Great to see this stuff in action.
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To give you an idea of the carnage in Michka's game, those white poker chips in the pictures represent the acid splash from an alien that has been dispatched by the marines. There were half a dozen more of the beasties that were taken out by incinerators and thus not marked by the chips....
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Absoultely awesome! I have some 15mm stuff lying around I must do something with... What rules do you use? I was planning on adapting Mongoose's Battlefield Evolution...
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What rules do you use?
I am also interested in that.
Very cool stuff indeed.
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I'm using the Savage Worlds rules to run the game, but the hot spots rule from Ambush Alley/Force on Force.
;)
Excellent looking game. Nice to see the new terrain pieces playing a part too. Looking forward to more. :D
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;)
Excellent looking game. Nice to see the new terrain pieces playing a part too. Looking forward to more. :D
Opps ::)
Thank you
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Brag time.
Forgive me if I break my arm patting myself on the back, but I'm feeling some pride right now. I'd originally hoped to have more of my colony sections ready for the con this weekend. By the beginning of last week I could tell that wasn't going to happen. I was having a minor panic, because in the game description I'd said the scenario would take place in a colony. At the last moment I got the idea of placing the action in a series of out-buildings situated between the colony lock and the APC. I already had three building modified, painted and ready to go, but that was nowhere near enough to cover a 2 foot by 2 foot board. On Wednesday night I furiously modified more of the building pieces from the HALO DVD boardgame with Plasticard so I could have them at least primed for the game. On Thursday night, fueled by panic, I painted all six of the new buildings in a streaky wet brush technique. I liked the look so much I had to repaint the original three green buildings. With time to spare I cut out the oil slick to put under the tanker truck. That's just a piece of Plasticard, cut to shape, sprayed black and gloss coated. (As you can tell, I love working with Plasticard.) I still had a couple hours before I needed to sleep, so I painted the two vehicles too. So my grand total for that one night of painting was nine buildings, two vehicles and an oil slick. I still want to go back and add details to the buildings, but for a rush job I'm head over heels.
Oh, one more thing and I'll stop being so self congratulatory. I don't use decals on my models. The numbers on the corridor corners and all the caution tape on the corridor sections is hand painted. I really hate working with decals. I don't think I've ever gotten them to work right.
OK, done bragging now.
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Brag time.
Forgive me if I break my arm patting myself on the back, but I'm feeling some pride right now. I'd originally hoped to have more of my colony sections ready for the con this weekend. By the beginning of last week I could tell that wasn't going to happen. I was having a minor panic, because in the game description I'd said the scenario would take place in a colony. At the last moment I got the idea of placing the action in a series of out-buildings situated between the colony lock and the APC. I already had three building modified, painted and ready to go, but that was nowhere near enough to cover a 2 foot by 2 foot board. On Wednesday night I furiously modified more of the building pieces from the HALO DVD boardgame with Plasticard so I could have them at least primed for the game. On Thursday night, fueled by panic, I painted all six of the new buildings in a streaky wet brush technique. I liked the look so much I had to repaint the original three green buildings. With time to spare I cut out the oil slick to put under the tanker truck. That's just a piece of Plasticard, cut to shape, sprayed black and gloss coated. (As you can tell, I love working with Plasticard.) I still had a couple hours before I needed to sleep, so I painted the two vehicles too. So my grand total for that one night of painting was nine buildings, two vehicles and an oil slick. I still want to go back and add details to the buildings, but for a rush job I'm head over heels.
Oh, one more thing and I'll stop being so self congratulatory. I don't use decals on my models. The numbers on the corridor corners and all the caution tape on the corridor sections is hand painted. I really hate working with decals. I don't think I've ever gotten them to work right.
OK, done bragging now.
:o :o :o :o
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Yup amazing what you can pull out of your hat when you're up against it. Good job.
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I realized I hadn't taken any close up photos of my APC and Aliens yet, so here they are. The APC I use when gaming is a Galoob toy. I've filled the seams and re-painted it so it matches the look of my miniatures. In the second photo you can see the main advantage of having a toy. The turrets still move. The hatch on the side slides open, and the tires even roll. I'd usually disable the wheels, but on this toy the wheels are held in place pretty good. This doesn't stop my players from running it around the board while muttering "Vroom-vroom" though.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USCMAliensandAPC002_crop.jpg)
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USCMAliensandAPC003_crop.jpg)
This next photo is of a 1/72 scale APC resin model I picked up many, many moons ago, parked in front of the Galoob toy.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USCMAliensandAPC006_crop.jpg)
And lastly, here is a photo of all 27 Aliens I've re-based so far. I still have quite a few more to re-base but I've been busy making terrain lately.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/USCMAliensandAPC010_crop.jpg)
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Good Grief!!! It's been three weeks since I updated this thread. I finished the third and forth corner sections as well as the intersection floor. Here goes...
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/ComiconandAliensTerrain7014_crop.jpg)
And here's a picture with the wall and corners removed from one side, to show how the wall sections sit on the floor pieces. I didn't want to attach the walls to the floor so they would be easier to store.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/ComiconandAliensTerrain7019_crop.jpg)
The light gray board the corridor is sitting on is 24" by 24". Originally this was going to be the size I was aiming for. That plan has changed. Considering I haven't even made wall sections with door yet I'm going to need a longer board. Said walls with doors are currently in the planning stage. I started working on another wall section this week, but I've been distracted by another project.
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Looking good!
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This thread was one of the reasons for me to join LAF. I am really impressed of the quality of your work. Amazing what people can do with plastic sheets and dedication. I was wondering how you made the floor tiles? Or are those resin pieces of some sort?
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He makes the floor tiles out of plastic sheet, though I'll let him explain exactly how he does it....
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This thread was one of the reasons for me to join LAF. I am really impressed of the quality of your work. Amazing what people can do with plastic sheets and dedication. I was wondering how you made the floor tiles? Or are those resin pieces of some sort?
Thank you for the compliment. That made my day. For the floors I use Evergreen Plasticard that has these raised strips running down the length of it. It's referred to as Metal Siding. I use the .080 inch stuff for the main floor pieces and the .060 inch for the gutters that running down the sides perpendicular to the main floor squares. I use narrow strips of plastic to divide the main sections into squares. Originally I was going to run the strips down the edges to divide the gutters from the main floor but that seemed unnecessary.
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I was looking up those Evergreen metal siding profiles. Can you recommend a good source to get those from in larger quantities? Preferable in located in EU?
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I have been looking for a thread like this.
I would love to get into Aliens and have researched Leading edge "WOW expensive"
You really have a great collection and I love all the scenery you have made.
I am so jealous right now. How long have you been at this project?
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I was looking up those Evergreen metal siding profiles. Can you recommend a good source to get those from in larger quantities? Preferable in located in EU?
Unfortunately my source of Evergreen sheets is my local gaming store, and I buy the stuff one or two sheets at a time. I don't want to buy too much or the project starts looking too big and I run away in fear. Then I come back to it a year later and can't figure out where I left off, which leads to frustration and I think about running away again. That's why I have an Enterprise Bridge and a Main Mission set sitting downstairs waiting till I'm inspired again. Sad but true. Sorry I can't help with that.
I am so jealous right now. How long have you been at this project?
I've been working on the corridor set since June. I've been collecting the Leading Edge stuff since 1995 or thereabouts. Before Aliens showed up in theaters my buddy Mike told us about this script he found at a con that was supposed to be the sequel to Alien. One of Mike's favorite movies is Alien, so he picked up as many Alien goodies as he could. Turns out the script he had was a rough draft of the movie. When the novelization came out we all read it before the movie arrived. So by the time to movie actually showed up we were all expecting a lot. With such high expectations there was no way this movie wouldn't disappoint us. Turns out we were wrong. I believe we started playing an RPG based on the film in two weeks. The first RPG I ever ran was a Colonial Marines game. The guys even liked it.
Sorry for the way too long answer. I guess you could say I'm slightly obsessed.
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ooo - it's lovely :)
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Turns out the script he had was a rough draft of the movie.
I'd almost forgotten about that script. lol I'm pretty sure it's still in the basement somewhere.
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Real quick update. I'll start off with a couple of photos.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/AliensRebase002_crop.jpg)
There are a few of the Leading Edge Aliens that just don't work as gaming miniatures. When I started my re-basing project I left all the difficult bases for last. Well now I'm nearing the end and I have to figure out what to do. One of the most annoying is the stalking Alien. The miniature is attached to a 36mm long integral base. The pose isn't so bad but the big chunk of lead base under him makes it really hard to add a washer. For the stalking alien I cut off the base and pinned him to the new slotta-base by the foot and knee. This left one of his hands sticking out over the edge of the base. I figured out that if you trim the hand down enough you could bend it so it looks like the alien is holding onto the edge of the base. I was so pleased with the results that I started in on the second on right away. After doing the second one I'm not in such a hurry to finish the third. I also have to reattach the tail to the third stalker. It was broken off during the game that inspired the whole re-basing project.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/AliensRebase2005_crop.jpg)
The second annoying one is the crouching Alien. The biggest problem here is the sheer size of his base. I just had to use a bigger slotta-base for this one. I'd be more annoyed but this sculpt is pretty cool. I only have two of this one, so he gets to be special.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/AliensRebase2003_crop_crop.jpg)
Now I have to figure out what to do with the surf board Alien.
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Now I have to figure out what to do with the surf board Alien.
I think he looks nice as is. I left a couple of Horrorclix Aliens like that. Sure, they look a bit daft if used outdoors in games, but they work a treat in Space Hulk etc.
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Real quick update. I'll start off with a couple of photos.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/AliensRebase002_crop.jpg)
The Alien version of 'Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock' never did go well!!!
"Hiss......someone has to stop picking Spock!!.....hiss!"
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More eye-candy! :o Nice work. I am currently painting up my first four Marines. Good to see progress on this thread, it keeps me busy to finish my own stuff.
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Very, very nice Michka!
@Andym lol lol lol
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The Alien version of 'Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock' never did go well!!!
"Hiss......someone has to stop picking Spock!!.....hiss!"
Thank you. That was my first big laugh of the morning.
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For the "surfboard Alien", perhaps attach him to a clip that hooks over any wall section and have him represent those weird wall-runners I remember from Ailen 3? (A pretty dire flick, though one I love for the "company meeting" scene in the cafeteria...)
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The Alien version of 'Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock' never did go well!!!
"Hiss......someone has to stop picking Spock!!.....hiss!"
Oh, the perils of a hive mind.
Great work on everything, Michka. Really amazing. I have a few of these WEG Aliens figures and they are a sweet find in this day and age (despite, admittedly, being sculpted to 80's standards)
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For the "surfboard Alien", perhaps attach him to a clip that hooks over any wall section and have him represent those weird wall-runners I remember from Ailen 3? (A pretty dire flick, though one I love for the "company meeting" scene in the cafeteria...)
I think I keep him the way he is and just sink the integral base into a slotta base. He is the only one of this sculpt I still have. I must have gotten rid of the other one I had, because I know I had at least two sets of each of the Alien Warrior box sets. I might have thrown it away back in my youth when these figures seemed much easier to find. I just got a chill when I wrote that.
I have a few of these WEG Aliens figures and they are a sweet find in this day and age (despite, admittedly, being sculpted to 80's standards)
I really love these guys. I know someone could make much nicer ones in this day and age, but I like the size of these. I can use them with Star grunt figures and WEG Star Wars minis without them towering over them, yet will still work with most modern figures.
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I finished re-basing some old Copplestone and Grenadier Future Wars troops that I use for an Op Force in my Colonial Marines RPG games. Since I'm running a continuing campaign that I want the characters to live through, they need to have something to fight other then Aliens and Predators. This first photo is two sets of FW8 Assault Troopers. They've been cut off their integral bases and pinned to the new slotta-bases.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/AliensOpForceandCar005_crop.jpg)
Next is a photo of some old Grenadier Future Wars figures that I had for many, many moons. I believe these miniatures are now sold by EM4, but don't quote me on that.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/AliensOpForceandCar007_crop.jpg)
and here is a shot of the whole bunch of them.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/AliensOpForceandCar002_crop.jpg)
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Nice, I like them :-*
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I had another chance to run a Savage Worlds Aliens game at the local gaming convention, Rock Con. For this con I decided to improve my building terrain a bit, along with making a shuttle landing pad and some Stalward Bug Field generators, originally from Starship Troopers. The scenario was an eliminate the target mission that goes wrong. (Is there such a thing as a mission that doesn't go wrong in the Aliens universe?) The Marines are sent in to take out a group of religious fanatics who've taken over a listening outpost. Said fanatics want to use the outpost's powerful transmitters to broadcast their message across the network. Why these guys thought a listening outpost would have powerful transmitters was never discovered. The problem is this group worships the Alien, a concept right out of the first Aliens comic book series. Unfortunately the Marines didn't know this at the time.
OK, I'll start with some pictures of the terrain. The first shot is of the whole set up.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/MichkasRockCon2012004_crop.jpg)
Next we have a closer shot of the outpost itself. The blue post set just outside the base piece is a force wall generator. I wanted the Marines to work to get at the fanatics. That didn't work so well.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/MichkasRockCon2012008_crop.jpg)
And here is the shuttle landing pad. This was meant to be their best chance for an escape. Turns out it was a great place to put the sniper too. The giant caterpillar was sitting in my jungle trees box. My wife decided it would look nice on the shuttle pad. He moved to the base of the pad by the time the game started.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/MichkasRockCon2012009_crop.jpg)
So our Marines are headed to the outpost when they hit a mine, which flips the APC over, leaving them without a ride home.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/MichkasRockCon2012018_crop.jpg)
My plan was for them to attack the base, wiping out the fanatics before the main event happened. My players decided to be smarter then that. Instead they set up a sniper team on the shuttle pad. Then they approached the base carefully.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/MichkasRockCon2012014_crop.jpg)
The fanatics spotted them right away. (After all they did trip a mine nearby.) I had placed four hatches on the outskirts of the base. These were supposed to be how the Aliens arrived, but the players decided to use them as access to the base. An obvious plan that somehow completely escaped me until they did it. (The lesson here is I need to spend more time thinking about my scenarios and less time painting terrain.) Of course as soon as the Marines start poking around at the hatches they find loads of Aliens milling around in the undercity. At this point the Aliens start coming out of the hatches. The game mechanic for this is a roll of a D6. If the number comes up 2 through 5 a group of Aliens arrive at that hatch at the beginning of that turn. If I roll a 1 there's no Aliens. If I roll a 6 Aliens come out of two different hatches on opposite sides of the base. This is the same rule I used in the other game I posted.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/MichkasRockCon2012016_crop.jpg)
As soon as the Marines realize the Aliens are coming out of the hatches they start welding the things shut. They get the first hatch sealed right away. When they seal a hatch they stop Aliens from coming out of that hatch. By now the fanatics have dropped the force wall and are starting to shoot at the Marines. Of course this means the Aliens can now cross the base, and get at the tasty fanatics, which is what they did.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/MichkasRockCon2012019_crop.jpg)
Eventually the Marines got all of the hatches closed. At this point they took a couple moments to check out the base. That's when the comm-tech discovered the cryo-sleep chambers in one of the buildings, along with an unpleasant surprise that dropped from the ceiling.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/MichkasRockCon2012023_crop.jpg)
The Sargent decided to take pity on the poor comm-tech...
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/MichkasRockCon2012026_crop.jpg)
... by dropping a grenade on his head.
(http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x480/Michka5000/MichkasRockCon2012028_crop.jpg)
Which of course killed the last Aliens of the game. This ended up being one of the least deadly games of Colonial Marines I've even run. The only guy to get killed was the comm-tech. The Sargent should have died earlier, but I gave him a last minute chance to live. When I get around to running this again I'll have to change a few things. The most important thing is my players all had fun. I had eight really cool guys who really got into the spirit of the thing.
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Looks like the game was a lot of fun. Great table & figures.
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very nice table and figures, also i love the fact that i am not the only one hit by the p.c.(player characters)group finding a hole in your scenario to bulldoze your plot.still nice game :)
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Hey, I know its been a while since you have posted this, but what make are those Cryo-chambers? (oh, and thanks for the fantastic AAR!) :)
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Sgt. I think they are from Scotia Grendel in the UK:
http://www.scotiagrendel.com/Products/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=227_220&products_id=2736
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Excellent. Thanks!
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Very nice project, the walls are superb, I have a lot of the Leading Edge Aliens stuff but I decided to do this same project in 15mm.
I have all, well 95% of the figures painted and need to make a start on a colony complex, cant decide to do it all in a few large pieces or in space hulk style corridor sections?
I like what you have done, very nice...
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viper - if you opt for the latter, have a look at the new terrain that Fenris Games are producing as its ideal (they will be adding walls to go with the tile sections they already make).
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Thanks Akula...
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Amazing job ... I really like it ... I've been lurking on ebay for some leading edge aliens for my next diorama project but in a months time I managed to purchase just one of them ... they are really rare to find and I really envy you :)
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This is a really nice thread with lots of inspiration. Where did you get that shuttle?
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This is a really nice thread with lots of inspiration. Where did you get that shuttle?
The shuttle is a 2001 Moonbus model from Moebius. I wanted mine to be a heavily used version so I did a whole lot of weathering. The usual way this is seem is bright white, as you would expect from the movie 2001.
Amazing job ... I really like it ... I've been lurking on ebay for some leading edge aliens for my next diorama project but in a months time I managed to purchase just one of them ... they are really rare to find and I really envy you :)
I know what you mean. I got really lucky when I bought those so many years ago. The only Leading Edge model I never got was the Drop Ship. I once saw one on E-Bay assembled and not well painted with a starting bid of $500, and it went way over that.
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I love what you have done with the corridors. Any new progress?
Commander Viper said, please tell me your casting theses???
Just how would you do that?
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I love what you have done with the corridors. Any new progress?
I'm afraid I've had no progress on this project lately. I haven't been in the mood to build any terrain lately, and when you're working on something like the corridor walls you need to really want it. Instead I've been working on a whole bunch of other science fiction projects including a ridiculous re-basing effort. I have a feeling I'm gonna burn out on cleaning up old minis and making new bases soon, which might be the push I need to advance this project. It doesn't hurt to see what Anpu has been doing with his Ops build.
As for casting the walls, I asked a guy last year how difficult it would be. He said it wouldn't be hard but I'd probably loose the original and cleaning up the resin pieces afterward would be a pain. Just didn't seem worth it at the time.