Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Conflicts that came in from the Cold => Topic started by: Westfalia Chris on February 19, 2013, 03:16:04 PM
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Hi all,
recently, I got stung by the African ImagiNations bug, and decided I wanted to do some 20mm stuff for a change (we got into FOW recently, too, but that is not exactly presentable at the moment). I stumbled across the excellent figures from Under Fire Miniatures, got some plastic kits in some model store clearance bins, and set out to assemble a force that will be either used as a white settlers' militia, government forces in the decolonialisation process or mercenaries.
Obviously, they are modeled quite closely on the South Rhodesian Bush War, but for various reasons I'll certainly prefer to do a bit of African ImagiNations, e.g. the Zambwana project by the Berlin folks with a bit of Buranda and Col. Selim Muhammed thrown in.
Group shot:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/FORCE_1024_zps7dd0b3d5.jpg)
Light infantry (Under Fire Miniatures, 20mm):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/INFANTRY_zps0c3f28a3.jpg)
2 Alouette III choppers (1/72) by Heller, very much showing their age, but cheap and cheerful (canopies were hair-raising though).
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/ALOUETTES_zps94ebaff2.jpg)
AML-60 armoured car by ACE (1/72):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/AML_60_zps4ff36a3a.jpg)
M3 APC by Ace (1/72):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/M3_APC_zps0e851dc1.jpg)
Airfix Land Rover (1/76, but works well):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/LAND_ROVER_zpse9de743e.jpg)
A scratch-build MAPV scout car, which turned out a bit too big but nice in its overall proportions:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/MAPV_zpscee4206e.jpg)
That's it for starters. I hope to get some Airfix Bedford trucks to carry the infantry around, and maybe scratch a Crocodile MAPV transport for convoy escort/CoIn missions; also, I finally got myself a hot glue gun and don't understand how I could live without one for so long - I did a couple of palm trees to test its properties and it works like a charm, so some generic African terrain (which will also be usable with my various 28mm colonials) is likely forthcoming.
Comments and critique welcome!
All the best and thanks for looking,
Chris
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Lovely beginning to the force Chris. Those Alouttes look a bugger to construct.
I wouldn't recommend them to the very casual modeller, no. The hull is a fiddly, multipart affair, with the clear canopy constructed from three pieces, a moderately poor fit, too. I decided to not open the sides as I did not have suitable crew figures and had deep concerns over the stability of the whole thing.
There is an outstanding thread over on the Ambush Alley Games forum, though, which shows what can be done with those kits, but I didn't really want to go through all the trouble (and keep expenses down for the moment).
I'll most likely be using the Force on Force rules, which at first read seem very realistic without being too fiddly (which kept me from dusting off my old SGII rules for a couple of years now). As for that, the choppers will mainly be debussing markers, and don't stay on table (gunships and ground-attack craft are essentially off-table as well, although that didn't stop me from getting a Vampire and a Texan, mind you), so I opted for the best compromise of stability, ease of construction, and an overall "vulnerable troop carrier feel".
And the timing is great as only this weekend I was inspired to make a twin AA tank for my Congaline Government Army (having just had a resurgence of interest in the genre) so this is perfect inspiration to crack on.
I've also got some WarPac hardware for an OpFor faction, but nothing more than a truck and a field car at present. They'll probably get some old tanks to make the force feel different from the wheeled-feel I wanted for the Not-RLI/Mercs.
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How about a T-28 Trojan rather than a Texan?
I like the Texan, got a cheap but solid Academy kit for that one and didn't bother to look for a Trojan. I'd preferred a Cessna 337 instead, but that one is likely even harder to come by. There is, however, a large modelmaking show coming up in April, so maybe I'll come across a lucky find there.
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That is an excellent looking force. Nice colour choices on the vehicles and helos, which just look spot-on. Great stuff!
-Kosta
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Nice work Chris! :-* I especially like the scout car bud!
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Lovely!
:-*
Another one who is a member of the scout car fan club.
:D
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The República de Golfonseca welcomes it brother ImagiNation! Great job on the figures - I especially love the Alouettes.
Chris
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very nice collection!
maybe You could explain how You did the blueish semi-translucent effect on the canopy please?
I've been turning in circles for some time thinking of how to do something like this....
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Nice wee force, Chris :-* :-* :-*
What is the "African ImagiNations" thing? Keep hearing it mentioned?
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Thanks, all, for the nice replies!
Nice wee force, Chris :-* :-* :-*
What is the "African ImagiNations" thing? Keep hearing it mentioned?
There is a very informative thread here on the Post-War board:
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=47303.0
Apart from that, what Bezzo said. In my case, the games will most likely be set in Zambwana, a fictional country created by a group of Berlin wargamers. My current faction background (still under development) is for a British-ancestry splinter group of the portuguese-dominated settler faction FPP, Frente Praia de Preto, which split off after the recent election because you obviously cannot trust the Dagos to properly take care of things, pip-pip.
Thus, SOUZA-CLAPTRAP (South Zambwanean Civil Liberties Alliance for the Peaceful Transfer of Power) was established to protect the British heritage, tea plantations, farms and diamond mines.
I'll obviously have to do some more work on the fluff, but that should work out in due time. At the moment, I was lucky enough to find an Airfix Bedford truck and a Saladin Armoured Car, which are on the painting table right now, and I finished off a couple of filler terrain pieces, which I hope to show tomorrow or at the start of the week.
very nice collection!
maybe You could explain how You did the blueish semi-translucent effect on the canopy please?
I've been turning in circles for some time thinking of how to do something like this....
I thought it was "camera flash" and went back to see, and it is VERY clever painting by Westie Chris!
It is indeed merely painted on, although the brightest reflection in the pic is actually a light source reflection. Basically, it is a rather crude "SENMM" effect (sky earth non metallic metal), which starts out with a medium blue grey, lightened towards the bottom with two fine white highlights at the bottom and the top, the topmost being smaller than the bottom one. Also, on top-facing surfaces, I've added large light areas to lighten up the panel overall. The more paint shades you add, the better the effect. It is a variation of the gem technique I regularly use, and while it is not strictly realistic, I like the effect.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/canopyeffect_zpsd565a9db.jpg)
Since the panels are a bit rounded, I decided to stress that by rounding the edges of the lighter patches, illustrated in the schematic pic above. If you only have flat panels, I'd suggest painting the lighter areas as horizontal stripes across the whole panel and then paint a fine dark grey-blue wash around the panel edges. I'll try to take some progress pictures when I paint the Texan so I can demonstrate the process.
Finally, the canopy is coated in three layers of varnish, one gloss which also extends over the entire vehicle for protection, one matte to take of the sheen for non-glass and non-polished metal parts, and again a gloss coat for the windows.
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THX for the description
I really thought they were still transparent! :o
Either I am half blind or Your brushwork is that good - Yours to decide ;)
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THX for the description
I really thought they were still transparent! :o
Either I am half blind or Your brushwork is that good - Yours to decide ;)
I guess they "appear" to be transparent because I took the pics against a blue backdrop, with the window panels being a similar blueish grey. :)
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Hi all, pleased to present some additions to the CLAPTRAP motor pool!
A Bedford MK lorry (Airfix Ex-JB 1/76):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/BEDFORD_MK_zpsc908fb65.jpg)
Another Landrover, this time "semi-civilian" to act as a convoy command vehicle (Airfix Ex-JB 1/76; the short cabin uses part of the hardtop part):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/LAND_ROVER_SEMI-CIVILIAN_zpsfae90d0e.jpg)
An MAPV APC on a Bedford MK lorry chassis (Airfix Ex-JB 1/76 for the chassis and trailer, superstructure scratch-built):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/MAPV_APC_zpsc688ad66.jpg)
Some heavier pieces to deal with WarPac "agricultural tractors" which are likely to surface:
A Saladin Armoured Car (Airfix Ex-JB 1/76):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SALADIN_zps060b713b.jpg)
An AML-90 (ACE 1/72):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/AML-90_zps3eae4531.jpg)
And a Comet cruiser tank (Revell Ex-Matchbox 1/76):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/COMET_zpsf0b1a3d7.jpg)
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Brillant again bud! I love the weathered look you achieve!
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Very cool! Great work on everything.
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This is a really inspiring thread! Keep up the good work!
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You are doing a stunning job Chris. The colouring and weathering screams out 'dry dusty'and is spot on. ;D
The irony of it - all the weathering is done by using washes of various strength, either sponged on (for the large splatter on the lower surfaces) or applied with a brush on the tires as well as the nooks and crannies.
As far as I'm concerned, I think the most important bit is the wheels and tires, plus the area around the wheel wells. If you get good dirt coverage there, the overall effect is rather convincing, and much better than the drybrushed dirt I used to do previously.
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Gosh these are fantastic would love a collection like that you need a SA styled Centurion/elephant tank.
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Gosh these are fantastic would love a collection like that you need a SA styled Centurion/elephant tank.
Thanks! I've got my eye on the S&S Olifant, but am still waiting for their Ferret armoured car which hopefully will be forthcoming - would prefer a single order.
I've just finished a Cougar helicopter for the airborne troops (a bit too modern, but the best one can do for lack of a decent 1/72 Puma), as well as a PT-76 for the Insurgents. Plus some terrain pieces on the workbench. I hope to put up a couple of pics over the next few days.
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Some seriously good-looking additions to the 'Garage' there, sir.
Very. Impressive.
:-* :-*
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Very impressed by the whole force, and in particular the scratch-builds. Look forward to more on these forces.
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Fantastic work- the scratchbuilding is especially fine. :) :) :)
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Excellent looking force 8) :-*
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Some reinforcements inbound!
A pair of Saracen APCs for internal security duties, patrol and convoy escort:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SARACEN_TROOP_zps004d3123.jpg)
A Cougar helicopter to augment the limited airlift capacity of the Alouettes:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/COUGAR_zps4742b676.jpg)
A Hawker Hunter fighter-bomber to provide close air support:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/HAWKER_HUNTER_zps0a7bc914.jpg)
Plus the first photographs of enemy forces, possibly sponsored by some dubious Eastern Bloc country or the Caribbean People's Republic of Bananas:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/PT-76_zpsa69fa029.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/ZIL-157_zps6ebf11f2.jpg)
Thanks for looking! I received a package of Under Fire Miniatures' ZANLA Guerillas and hope to paint them over the next weeks, and maybe finally get a first game in.
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A pleasure to look at.
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I love this thread! :-* Keep the eye candy coming!
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Awesome thread. First class paint jobs and a great collection of vehicles.
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Very good paint jobs there. Good theme too. Well done on the Allouettes. Within the year I'm hoping to have sculpted/created some K-Car & G-Car modification kits for them.
www.underfireminiatures.com
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Thanks all for the kind words! I have a bit of new stuff lined up, including the Havanna-backed guerilla force, a bunch of tropical-ish trees, and some civilian vehicles. I hope to get decent pics taken over the weekend, weather permitting.
Very good paint jobs there. Good theme too. Well done on the Allouettes. Within the year I'm hoping to have sculpted/created some K-Car & G-Car modification kits for them.
www.underfireminiatures.com
Sounds great! As the set will be a smaller one (pilot, commander, gunner), might I suggest "filling up" the pack with some vehicle crew, maybe half figures to fit into AFV hatches? While there are a number of Vietnam US AFV crew around, they are close, but just don't really ring through IMHO.
If pressed, though, I'd certainly love to see the Grey's Scouts first, hint hint nudge nudge. ;) :D
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Pegasus?
Aquarium plants?
Another source?
Hand-made - a local crafts and deco store had a "closing-for-refurbishment" sale and I bought plastic fern fronds to make palms, plus a whole load of bonsai twigs for savannah-/veldt-style trees. The latter require a final coat of varnish which I hope to put on tomorrow, but look promising (although that spray glue stuff is an awful mess to apply).
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Hi all,
finally got around to taking pics of the new stuff I painted since April.
A second AML-90 for the government troops:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/AML_90_2_zps5f781f99.jpg)
Some civilian vehicles, Oxford Diecast and Dapol 1/76:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/BEDFORD_BUS_zps317d7fd1.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/CIVILIAN_VEHICLES_1_zpsf435831e.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/CIVILIAN_VEHICLES_2_JCB3_zps63c96320.jpg)
Now for the guerillas. The first dozen, with more on the painting bench:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/GUERILLA_FIGHTERS_zps1ca5d512.jpg)
And a bunch of hardware, smuggled in from fellow socialist neighbour countries:
Trumpeter T-55:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/GUERILLA_T-55_zps7af535b9.jpg)
Trumpeter T-34/85:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/GUERILLA_T-34-85_zpsadace955.jpg)
Armourfast SU-85:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/GUERILLA_SU-85_zpsbf218e57.jpg)
ICM BTR-152s:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/GUERILLA_BTR-152_zpsef505bc9.jpg)
ZIL-157 tanker trucks (Omega-K and Trumpeter):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/GUERILLA_ZIL_TANKER_TRUCKS_zpscb2012d3.jpg)
Gran SA-2 Guideline and an Omega-K ZIL-157 command truck:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/GUERILLA_SA-2_AND_COMMAND_TRUCK_zps2e2c81a0.jpg)
And an UAZ-469 staff car with recoilless rifle (MAC):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/GUERILLA_UAZ-469_zpsf920230e.jpg)
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Wow, loads of great stuff. Especially like the colours on the bus & the tractor/JCB.
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Marvellous stuff and some impressive paintwork. I love seeing the old 20mm scale used!
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So happy to have found this thread! So much good stuff to see. Do we get to see terrain as well? :)
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Great additions, Chris!
The weathering is fantastic
:-* :-* :-*
My personal favourites are the buses and tankers.
8)
.
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Wow, they look absolutely fantastic. :)
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So happy to have found this thread! So much good stuff to see. Do we get to see terrain as well? :)
Yes, eventually. I've got a mould curing at the moment for the dozens of barrels I'll be needing for a fuel depot, and the control tower for Batasi Regional Airport is almost finished. Also did up a length of faux leather with some spraypaint to work as a game mat, but I'd prefer to photograph it outdoors, weather permitting.
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Hi all, finally some terrain - "Cheetah Station", a former petrol station of the Zambwana Automobile Association/Anglo-Zambwanan Petrol Company, re-activated and lightly fortified to act as a fuel depot and base of operations in Central and Western Adawambe.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/Cheetah_Station_Birdseye_zps82018603.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/Cheetah_Station_Enclosure_zpsc13ca7b9.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/Cheetah_Station_Closeup_zpsd7cb3a40.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/Cheetah_Station_Building_zpsb954be7c.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/Cheetah_Station_Building_2_zps448ad1d7.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/Cheetah_Station_Fuel_Drums_zps1f05adea.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/Cheetah_Station_Watchtower_zps646bee9d.jpg)
The fence is an H0 scale piece from Faller, watchtower a 1:72 plastic item from Italeri (as are the masters for the steel matting and fuel drums which I replicated using RTV molds and ceramic casting compound.
The station itself is made from 3mm PVC with some printed paper accoutrements.
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:o
Stunning work, Chris!
That looks so realistic and the choice of colours is superb.
:-* :-* :-*
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Great job Chris :-* :-* :-*
Some lovely details
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Great piece! :-*
I can see many battles will be fought over the control of this fuel depot.
What is planned next? ;D
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Great piece! :-*
I can see many battles will be fought over the control of this fuel depot.
What is planned next? ;D
Thanks all for the nice comments!
Well, I had done a nice game mat using faux leather with some spraypaint depth added, only to find out recently that one of the sprays must have prompted a chemical reaction, leaving the whole mat sticky to the touch. Essentially unusable, luckily "only" 20 Euros down the drain, but a shame for the nice texture already on the sheet. I'll probably resort to doing some flat PVC plates with sand and paint added to experiment with new texturing methods.
The trees turned out quite nicely, though! Unfortunately at the moment, if it isn't raining around here, it's wuthering like a flatulent Brontesaurus, and I would prefer to photograph them outside as they cover quite a bit of tablespace by now and I would like to capture the effect straight away.
Further plans focus on a bit of aerodrome terrain. I've pretty much finished off a copy of the Airfix Control Tower and will do up the baseplate that came with the Italeri airbase set (from which the watchtower and barrels originate) as a helicopter pad, plus maybe a concrete or steel matting runway. Possibly concrete, as the work required for steel matting will be awful, but it does look quite nice in my imagination - maybe a reason to break out the tracing wheel!
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"it's wuthering like a flatulent Brontesaurus" lol
Looking good - I like that it can be taken apart and the individual pieces are usable by themselves.
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Great looking terrain and miniatures! ;)
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"it's wuthering like a flatulent Brontesaurus" lol
lol
That made me chuckle too.
:D
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excellent terrain work i like that a lot
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Awesome result. Very realistic, both design and finish.
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Truly inspirational!! Thanks for sharing.
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Oh my, I totally missed this thread earlier! Stunning and inspiring :-*
I so want to do 20mm due to the amount of vehicles available. On the other hand, I just can't leave 28mm just like that :(
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Nice work as always Chris!! :-*
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Very nice terrain. I really like and admire your modular approach.
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That's lovely. There is so much I like about it I don't know wghere to begin. The chain link fence is great, the signs are great, the colour is great... everything is great. very impressed o_o .
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Hi folks,
somehow, I lost interest in the project rather sharply sometime in June. I had finished some pieces then which I hadn't yet shown here, and recently got back into it after reading "Congo Unraveled" and drifting out of the 2000AD wave which had occupied my hobby time for most of the late summer and autumn, so I finished pieces that had been lying around in various 1/n ratios of unpaintedness, dug out some kits I had bought but not built and pulled out the scratchbuilding materials for scenery.
First, some additions to the CLAPTRAP forces.
No. 1 Armoured Car Squadron got a 1970s' vintage tank commander from ROCO:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/No_1_Armoured_Car_Squadron_zps315cb371.jpg)
No. 2 Armoured Car Squadron got reinforced by a Gramodels Ferret which I bought at Crisis:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/No_2_Armoured_Car_Squadron_zpsb904caae.jpg)
No. 3 Armoured Car Squadron received another Saracen troop carrier with a squadron commander, again a 1970s ROCO piece.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/No_3_Armoured_Car_Squadron_zps58896660.jpg)
Transport section got two more Bedford trucks, one of WW2 vintage:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/TRANSPORT_SECTION_zpsa5f7c375.jpg)
Moving on to scenery! Having built the Airfix airfield control tower back in June (but not finished painting it), I was quite taken with the style and relative ease of assembly, so I was quite happy to discover some of the Dapol building kits (which are reissues of the old Airfix ones, AFAIK). Those were a bit more tricky, but work perfectly for period and size, and I plan to get a handful of the bungalows to do some residential areas of Batasi, capital of Adawambe province.
First, the control tower of Batasi Regional Airport (ICAO code GZBR):
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SCENERY_INFRASTRUCTURE_GZBR_TOWER_zpsafb6c3df.jpg)
A two-story residential house. Not exactly happy with it as it doesn't look properly "African" in style (bungalows will be better), but I guess once it's surrounded by trees it will be alright.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SCENERY_RESIDENTIAL_DETACHED_HOUSE_zpseba4c251.jpg)
A filling station/garage. Part of the Speedol Garages chain, which is Anglo-Zambwana Petroleum's main competitor.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SCENERY_INFRASTRUCTURE_SPEEDOL_GARAGE_zps3929b262.jpg)
Some markers for use as scenario objectives or as "Hot Spots" (i.e. "spawn points") for Force on Force:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SCENERY_MARKERS_zps6218dc78.jpg)
Moving out of the urban areas, I did a first batch of trees back in May and June using bonsai twigs I got from a local deco store at a decent enough discount. On top of the twigs, some moss with added flock. Not exactly convinging as they are a bit too lush for the veldt and a bit too light for the jungle, IMHO, but good enough.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SCENERY_PLANTS_SAVANNAH_TREES_1_zps6e3d033f.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SCENERY_PLANTS_SAVANNAH_TREES_2_zpsc5fd01db.jpg)
Then, some metal tropical trees I picked up from Irregular Miniatures back in 2010:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SCENERY_PLANTS_TROPICAL_TREES_IRREGULAR_zps63502301.jpg)
A bunch of rocks:
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SCENERY_ROCKS_1_zps6c743813.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SCENERY_ROCKS_2_zpsbdba005f.jpg)
And numerous "pseudo-tropical" trees made from plastic fern fronds and seasonal fir decorations, courtesy of a hot glue gun. I don't know why I waited so long to get one.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SCENERY_PLANTS_SPIKY_TALL_BUSHES_zpsfea87cf3.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SCENERY_PLANTS_TROPICAL_TREES_SMALL_zps8f3c7259.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SCENERY_PLANTS_TROPICAL_TREES_MEDIUM_zps72fb4392.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SCENERY_PLANTS_TROPICAL_TREES_LARGE_zps145aa5da.jpg)
I hope to get a proper layout set up following the holidays. I've done a couple of baseboards using MDF and textured wallpaper plus a runway and some road pieces. Haven't tried it out to see how it looks all pulled together, but I am moderately confident it will work out.
Thanks for looking and to anyone interested, sorry for the long wait.
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Excellent work as usual! Love the airport name in Portuguese :D
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That is one hell of an update, Chris!
:o
Well worth the wait.
Loads of gorgeous new goodies to admire.
:-* :-*
Whilst the vehicles are wonderful, it is the more scenic elements that catch my eye with a level of consistency that makes your work instantly recognisable.
I look forward to a few 'staged' photos incorporating all this lovliness together.
:D
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Well worth the wait! :-*
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Beautiful work - really has a sense of place.
Where does GZBR for the ICAO code come from?
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This is one genre I've always wanted to get into, but don't know nearly enough about it to put stuff together on the table (even for an Imaginations setting). This is all glorious...any police planned?
Incredible stuff (I think we're all aching to see it on a table top!)
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Hi all,
thanks for the kind replies!
Where does GZBR for the ICAO code come from?
G for West Africa (I wanted to do Southern Africa but those ran all the way through to Z, while the G codes stop at GV for Cape Verde), Z for Zambwana, the fictional country the Berlin guys made up, and BR for Batasi Regional. I originally wanted to use a IATA code, but anything that had a somewhat appropriate letter combo was already taken. :)
This is one genre I've always wanted to get into, but don't know nearly enough about it to put stuff together on the table (even for an Imaginations setting).
Blatantly put, I chose post-colonial Africa since it gave me a chance to use Cold War hardware without seeing a mushroom cloud on turn 3 and going all "well, this escalated quickly".
Also, ImagiNation because it allows me to minimise the "less pleasant" aspects - setting my part of Zambwana in the 1970s (unless I ever play with the Berlin group) means concentrating on Western-backed reactionaries vs. Marxist-African Nationalist revolutionaries and not having too much of that whole Warlord business. Selective, I agree, but I don't have any inclination to play Volkssturm and Hitlerjugend in WW2 games, either. And that's it.
This is all glorious...any police planned?
I've got a couple of Civvy vehicles on page 3:
Direct Link to the post in question (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=50846.msg638749#msg638749)
So I've already got a patrol vehicle ready, but unfortunately the Oxford range doesn't include any squad vehicles or paddy wagons in that scheme, so it may be a one-off in that case - that said, I'm currently looking into suitable civilians for hostage-rescue scenarios à la Dragon Rouge/Noir, leaning towards the Dapol railway passengers although they are all a bit warmly-clothed for Africa. ;D Some police officers wouldn't go amiss with that.
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PS: I like the homage to Guns at Batasi (of Batasi?)
"That man there!!!!"
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Brilliant! A fantastic scenery job :-*
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genuinly amazing! I am so inspired. Good job! :-* :-* :-*
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While sitting on my lady friends couch bored with nothing worth watching on TV, I started reading this thread and got totally inspired by this idea. :o
I have a large 20mm WW2 collection (badly painted in enamel) and lots of unmade kits. I figured that I could use some of the excess models and items which don't really fit into a post colonial 1960's conflict.
I have three (painted) Comets, a die-cast Sherman 105, an M40 155mm gun, (unmade) two Matador fuel tankers, some US Halftracks, six pounders, a 17 pounder plus a Dapol civilian truck. I have plenty of terrain that would pass for Africa. I would need to buy some Infantry and then a Soviet backed African force, but it would be a cheap and easy project which would allow me to do plenty of things that I could not do in 28mm.
I think I will repaint the finished vehicles this weekend with a Battlefront Soviet Green spray Can and see if that inspires me to carry on with the project. :)
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You would be surprised at what turns up in African and other non-1st World militaries during the 60s and 70s;
Uganda fielded M4 Shermans as late as 1979 alongside its T34/85 and T-55... with BTR-152, BTR-40 and Ferrets.
Cuba had M3 Stuart, M4A3 (76) Shermans, Comets, Staghounds and Greyhounds in 1959.
The most eclectic collection is perhaps the Zairean Army, who seem to have gone for almost one of everything (http://www.country-data.com/frd/cs/zaire/zr_appen.html#table16), even into the 90s.
So for an Imagi-Nation, anything goes! 8)
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Well, well, well, what do we have here. Another 10 months have passed in which I actually painted some stuff and didn't post any updates. Got to play Force on Force for the first time today at a convention, and while it was in an Iraq setting (magnificent table, but the subject's not my cup of tea), it convinced me to press on with this one. So I took out some of the new items (since December '13, that is), realised my blue backdrop hadn't survived the move, and decided to do a little shoot now and take the rest at a later time.
First, an AMX-13 by Heller to reinforce the tank section. A rather poor and dated kit, and I would advise against it except for it being the only plastic 1/72 AMX-13 in town. Added some ancient Roco tank crew (1/87, but with strange proportions that look alright next to the 20mm Under Fire stuff (torsos, arms and heads are OK, legs are short and stubby, but cut off anyway to fit them into the hatches.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/AMX-13_zpsf763e9de.jpg)
Another Airfix Saladin to beef up the armoured car detachment. Again, Roco tank crews.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/SALADIN_SQUADRON_zps861f0ad7.jpg)
Next, an Airfix Scammel tank transporter reworked to have a M/APV cab. Really shows its age, but again, one of the few tank transporters around that fit the bill, and cheap enough to be worth it. Added some shots of various payloads.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/TANK_TRANSPORTER_zpsc44c7112.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/TANK_TRANSPORT_AMXs_zps983e9a6b.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/TANK_TRANSPORT_SALADIN_zpsd83f0bbe.jpg)
Also, I assembled most of the terrain to get a feel on how it works together and what needs to be done. Not 100% happy with it, the roads warped during storage and need to be replaced, IMHO - looking into 3mm PVC to do a raised road with earth banks. Also, the plastic-leaf "jungle trees" look awful, IMHO. At the very least, some washes on the trunks and green highlights on the leaves/fronds will be in order.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/TEST_SETUP_1_zps42613d41.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/TEST_SETUP_2_zps8768351e.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/TEST_SETUP_3_zpsf8541ed9.jpg)
That's it so far. I hope to keep my motivation going to finish a (diesel) railroad thingie next, with new roads and maybe a radical approach to the table surface to follow. Comments, critique and suggestions welcome as usual.
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great project!
but it's a huge army....
I wouldn't bother too much about the "not-african house"
this one is from Lüderitz, Namibia
(http://www.geo.uni-tuebingen.de/uploads/pics/Abb.2_01.png)
Swakopmund
(http://www.wissen.de/sites/default/files/wissensserver/styles/article_image_gallery/wissensserver/jadis/incoming/1609156.jpg?itok=nkg_2aAq)
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Nice to see another Imaginations update. I like your conversion of the Scammel! :D
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Brilliant, Chris.
Well worth the wait.
:-* 8) :-*
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Outstanding job! Love the Scammel and the airport. http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/ModernAfricanBushwars
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Great update there and has been said, worth the wait. :)
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Looking fab! :-*
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Inspiring stuff. A fantastic collection and beautifully painted.
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Cool update and a particularly nice layout. :o
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Most excellent.
A source of inspiration at all levels.
Well done
Faustnik
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Wonderful stuff Chris.
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Hi all,
a small update! In a marked departure from my old convictions, I tried my hand today at making a game mat.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/PLAYING_MAT_zps12b00dd2.jpg)
Again, I learned about this from the Berlin guys over at Sweetwater forum - here's a link to the thread in question: http://www.sweetwater-forum.de/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=13984 (German language only, but the pics are pretty much self-explanatory). Basically, it's a meter-wide sheet of "painters' fleece", a kind of cheap felt used to cover floors while doing paintwork. This is covered with various tones of undiluted acrylic paint, which is then worked into the fabric with a stiff brush and covered liberally in various kinds of static grass.
I'm rather happy with the overall effect. Some undulations have remained from the drying process (first over some cardboard sheets on my kitchen floor, then over some chairs outdoors.
Some pics with terrain, featuring some Dapol railway stuff I recently featured. Nice oldskool kits with great little details, considering their age.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/ADAWAMBE_CONSOLIDATED_MINES_RAILWAY_zps09bfe817.jpg)
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/DIESEL_TRACTION_zps6736c207.jpg)
In this shot, one can see quite nicely how the mat undulates (i.e. creases due to sloppy workmanship, but I'd rate it as a "happy accident") and how it blends with the vehicle's base.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg236/Christian_S_1979/Modelling%20and%20Miniatures/African%20ImagiNations/AML-90_zps365e61bf.jpg)
That's it for today! Thanks for looking!
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Nice work!
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Lovely! :-*
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Good idea re the painters' fleece. Cheers for posting the link.
Looks great.
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Gut Gemacht! Thanx for the how to link.
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Very Nice 8) 8) 8) 8)
I like the red terrain - and the train looks like it belongs there.
Cheers
Matt
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Amazing work, absolutely lost for words. It is so good to see such quality.......have you any After Action Reports? I am sure others would love to read them and see the pictures as well?
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Amazing work, absolutely lost for words. It is so good to see such quality.......have you any After Action Reports? I am sure others would love to read them and see the pictures as well?
Sadly, I've never played a single game with the collection. I'm a bit too out-of-the-way for the regular group that meets in Berlin, and in my neck of the woods, the furthest folks get with regards to historicals is SAGA.
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I nearly always play solo....it becomes more of a recreation of your plans but it can still be interesting. Just a thought
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I nearly always play solo....it becomes more of a recreation of your plans but it can still be interesting. Just a thought
Yes, I've been giving that some thought myself. Some of the Rhodesian scenarios in the FoF Bush Wars book could be played as a solo game, I think.
In the meantime, though, I'm quite happy to add stuff every now and then and focus more on the modelling aspect.
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Oh yes please keep adding your work! In a way your lack of opponents means more modelling time which is good for your audience.
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Railroad is a great addition. Makes for some interesting scenarios and objectives too.
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Love the railroad ,nice addition.
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Your train has been bugging me! It looks just right....can I ask what engine is it please? An ebay search for some track and an engine should be just the thing to keep me busy. I bought Bush wars and now for the figures....but I "need" a train
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Hi Carl,
the engine is a Dapol 00 Gauge (1/76 scale) 0-6-0 Drewry Shunter plastic kit. You can get them straight from the manufacturer:
http://dapol.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=177_62_155&page=1
I've built a number of their kits now, and while they certainly show their age (50+ years in some cases), assembly is rather straightforward, if requiring some patience. I'll be getting some more of their kits when I get back to this project proper, notably one of their Deltics, a couple of trucks and some of the bungalows. They've got various British steam and diesel locos plus rolling stock, at decent prices considering the quality (robust kits with enough detail to look convincing and not be too fiddly). I'd say for post-colonial Africa, the various diesel thingies (Shunter, Deltic and the Railbus) would be the most appropriate.
They fit properly on 00 gauge or H0 gauge track (I'm using H0 track segments, but it also sat well on flexi-track).
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Thanks Chris,
i will certainly track them down (groan...) as they look just right. Indeed in a campaign setting they would be vital-it never occured to me that they would be kits, I assumed Hornby or some other model train. This is a steep learning curve, people make kits of trains, who would have thought it?
Thanks again for the swift response your stuff is totally world class.
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Forgot to add...
What a great site you linked in. The Dockside crane and the garage!! Useful for many periods and cheap! Anyone into 1/72 should head over and see what they could use...amazing stuff, thanks again.
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Dapol look great a Girder Bridge with a 32cm Span for only £8.10!