I love big Mechs and I cannot lie

[eilif]

Someone else mentioned they found 1/144 mecha too small. This is a true and false. Yes they look too small to have a human pilot but they look big and impressive with 28mm figs. (the gundam seem to fit with any scale you do. from 6mm to 28mm they look in scale.)

I mostly agree. They definitely look too small to have a 28mm human pilot in the torso, but when the mech is standing up without having a pilot next to the torso, it's easy to fool the eye.  Disregarding intended scale and assuming a pilot is in the Torso, alot of the mechs we use are probably more accurately sized for 22 or 25mm, but they're big enough that eye tells the brain they are the right size for the 28-30mm figures we use. If we were limiting ourselves only to 1/60 or 1/56 scale models, we'd need alot more storage space and alot more money.

If someone likes Gundam, I think the original 1/100 scale models may still be available. We've got a bunch of the old-style ZAKU in our forces and I think my buddy bought them from hobbylink last year.  The only downside is that they are all the earlier (80's?) designs, but those look better to my eye anyway. Here's one next to an AT43 APC. As an additional size comparison, the base the Zaku is on is a standard CD.

These monster's look great in 28mm.

Table sizes and army purchase points will come into play here as well. On anything less than 6x4 one mecha a side will be enough and they will come in at a significant chunk of the army buying points.

In 28mm Mech Attack on a 7'x8' table each of 4 players can easily control 4-6 units (two infantry squads counting as one unit).  On any size table once a player gets around 8-10 units the game bogs down a bit, but more is possible. Of course on a smaller table that's harder and on anything less than an 8x4, we typically play in 10mm anyway.

[Predatorpt]

Happy to be inspiring!

Mech Attack has Rules for Mecha, Infantry and Tanks.  Aircraft rules are in the Beta phase and can be gotten on their forum.  The author is working on a 2.0 version of the rules that should have them all in one place.

Yeah, I just checked forum, I think I'll wait for the 2.0 rulebook then. I guess if he has the layout already, he'll release the updated rulebook this year.

As for our units, some of the stuff we have is a alot less common (though still findable if you're patient) but much of it was just a matter of waiting for the kits to show up used or on Hobbylink Japan.  The Macross kits tend to be out of stock alot, but they seem to come back into production every year or so and when they do they're remarkably cheap.  The Tehnolog tank kits and robogear mechs are also super-affordable.  I'm kind of a cheapo for these projects, but I can honestly say that over the course of this project I've probably spent the same-or-less for my 25-28mm mecha that I would have spent on 6mm metal BT mechs from IWM!

I'll have to take a second look at my Robogear mechs. I have at least 5 T-Rex already sorted out but I never gave much attention to the other mechs. I saw a topic on Dakkadakka (where you posted, ) with some nice conversions. By the pictures of our games, you also ended converting some of them, right?

The only thing that annoys me on HLJ is the fact that they have thing on "BackOrdered" status for ages. I had some Gundams on that status for over half a year. And the fact that sometimes you can only buy 1 item  

If someone likes Gundam, I think the original 1/100 scale models may still be available. We've got a bunch of the old-style ZAKU in our forces and I think my buddy bought them from hobbylink last year.  The only downside is that they are all the earlier (80's?) designs, but those look better to my eye anyway. Here's one next to an AT43 APC. As an additional size comparison, the base the Zaku is on is a standard CD.

These monster's look great in 28mm.

Hmm...never thought about those. They are bigger and even cheaper than the ones I already have. Time for another shopping spree I guess....

[Predatorpt]

I give your mech selection the thumbs up.

Someone else mentioned they found 1/144 mecha too small. This is a true and false. Yes they look too small to have a human pilot but they look big and impressive with 28mm figs. (the gundam seem to fit with any scale you do. from 6mm to 28mm they look in scale.)

Table sizes and army purchase points will come into play here as well. On anything less than 6x4 one mecha a side will be enough and they will come in at a significant chunk of the army buying points.

I would suggest thinking of them like the ED 209's in the robocop remake in terms of playing them on the table.

With our game last weekend I could not afford a mecha with my buy up points unless it was it and about half a dozen troops as the entire army.

I never bother when people say that the 1/144 ones are too small. I'll just say that the pilots are teenagers, like in some cases in AT-43



Or maybe the smaller mechs will be controlled like drones (which is great in terms of a game where you can then try and hack those mechs...hmmm...)

What rules are you using?

[YPU]

I'm going to need more time to digest all the awesome in this topic.

[eilif]

we use a version of warengine called version 3.0. It is really focused on squad skirmish but we jiggle it around to make it work.

I loved Warengine 2.1, I'd really like to hear your impressions of 3.0 and what force lists you're using.  Last time I checked 3.0 a couple years back it was HTML only (No PDF version) and didn't have any army lists.

[Predatorpt]

Just a picture of my inspiration for the project,



And since I only talked about light mechs...here's a gun of one of the heavy ones - Rhino for scale



I'm also planning on buying one of these, from Deep Space Factory



Dwartist is building one - http://dwartist.blogspot.pt/2016/03/wip-28mm-iguana-911.html

[eilif]

Thanks Scurv,
    Any chance I could get a copy of your army lists?

Predatorpt,
That Iguana is a stunning kit! Can't wait to see what you do with one. It definitely has the chunky BT vibe that is kind of my standard for what Mecha should look like.
   
Love your bookshelf also. I have the same collection, but mine is turned sideways.  A couple years ago I completed my collection of Battletech and Mechwarrior novels, but I've only read about half of them.  I'm kind of addicted to the sourcebooks too, even though I don't actually like the CBT game.

[Predatorpt]

...Love your bookshelf also. I have the same collection, but mine is turned sideways.  A couple years ago I completed my collection of Battletech and Mechwarrior novels, but I've only read about half of them.  I'm kind of addicted to the sourcebooks too, even though I don't actually like the CBT game.

Yeah, my objective for the future is to get some of the old sourcebooks. As for books, I'm only missing "Warrior: En Garde".

[eilif]

My list is customised for post, post apocalypse gaming. It would be of little value to you I suspect unless you have renaissance technology mixed with pure Sci Fi like plasma guns

Actually, we play a good bit of post apoc and our original games of Warengine had kind of a post-apoc feel to them.
http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2011/10/games-played-warengine-and-in-emperors.html

[eilif]

Unfortunately the Blog is no longer being updated. Most of our stuff get's posted in the public area of the club forum now http://www.chicagoskirmishwargames.com/forum/ though I usually post it here as well.

[Predatorpt]

And no, my renewed interest in Weird War didn't kill this project. I'm spent these last couple of days painting various tanks for different factions/mercenary units. Unfortunately the pics aren't that good 







And I'm still waiting on some other Gundans to arrive!

[Chuckaroobob]

Hi Guys,  Just found some ultra cheap robots at Dollar Tree.  6 inches tall, you can order them off the internet but only by the crate (24 IIRC).  As you might have guessed, they cost US$1 each.  UPC code 6 39277 95719 1.



Hopefully this pic will work, but my comp-fu is weak.

[randycarter]

I am too late on the day, bit I will follow this with interest: always great to read about creative project like this!

[Predatorpt]

Tsss...here in Portugal we don't get that kind of cool toys in our shops :\

[eilif]

I've got both of the Dollar Tree Robots.  They are a bit crude, but they're nice and big and pretty good for what they are.  They are Polyethylene though so you'll likely have to use special paint.  I haven't painted mine up yet because I've got so many other mech kits to do.