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Showing posts with label GZG (Ground Zero Games). Show all posts
Showing posts with label GZG (Ground Zero Games). Show all posts

Monday, 3 March 2025

15mm Sci Fi 'Bad Guys'

Feeling the need to field some bad guys against the space dwarves, exterminators, and space brits painted last year, over the holiday break I smashed out some more of the mountain of pewter.

First up some of Ground Zero Games, 15mm, Star Grunt, Alien Mercenary Squad and Alien Mercs II.

To me, and probably intentionally, these guys look like the Mangalores from the 5th element, so have painted as such.

Then I felt the need for some high-tech space lizards, so painted up my collection of Khurasan Miniatures, Garn Alien Warriors.

I finished a couple of hunting packs, distinguished by their lizard highlight colouring.

Also an overall leader and a couple of 'big boys' carrying support weapons. The leader's cloaking device was working exceptionally well and every picture I took of them was blurry. This is the best one.

The detail on these figures is awesome, including their cloaking/shield equipment.

I kinda like these guys. They tower over 15mm humans and, in my 'space world', have tech so much more advanced, that the humans mostly don't have a chance ๐Ÿ˜†

Next, I feel the need to field some killer flora!
 

Friday, 15 November 2024

131st Pi Orionis Mechanised Hover Infantry

Something a bit different and have finished the mech infantry for some 15mm Sci Fi goodness. These are from Ground Zero Games, 15mm Star Grunt range, New Anglican Confederation (NAC) and Hover Combat Vehicles lists.

Painted as "nearish future" British, in a sea of bronze grey straight out of the eighties. The hover tanks are based off similar chassis and kinda reminded me or the FV 432 and "Scorpion" lines of British vehicles, so I painted up a company's worth with as many derivatives as GZG could muster. 

These are excellent 15mm models from an excellent range, which clean up quickly and paint well... so much so that I got some custom decals made for them :) - applied with varying success. For even more nostalgia, I based the decals on a mix British WWII armoured vehicle markings and modern AV designations.

Company Command

Couple of 'coms vans' carrying the company commander and another with their 2IC.

Assault Troops and IFVs

Four teams of armoured infantry to push out on recon and support their APC borne brethren.
This variant mounts assault guns which limits space for infantry, hence smaller teams and a nice shot of the decals front and back. The company insignia is a view of the Pi Orionis system rising over the only inhabitable planet in the system.

Infantry Platoons

Two full platoons of APC-borne hardheads, 8 person teams, two heavy weapons per team, to project firepower against the enemy with great prejudice :) 

Although all clad in bronze green mid-tech armour, I've colour coded each team using shoulder armour, fatigue colour, and wet weather roll. Pics of the rear of the vehicles to show the individual vehicle designations (in white).

Alpha Platoon


Each platoon includes a Lieutenant and a Staff Sergeant.

Beta Platoon


Heavy Support Teams

A couple of hover derivatives, ambulance and coms, but commandeered to carry two heavy weapons teams.


Company Support Platforms

Slightly different platform with varying weapon combinations to directly support the company in its missions. From left to right, two anti-tank supports, MLRS, and tank destroyer.

So in my nearish-future universe, the Pi Orionis MHI is part of the British Galactic Empire, so I guess I better start saving up to buy something to fight against them... perhaps the Empire Franรงais Galactique... Libertat o Mรฒrt!




Wednesday, 14 October 2020

Retrospective Respite

While waiting for some alienesque reinforcements (which have finally arrived), I thought I'd search through some of the sci fi figure mountain for more things to paint.

With future playtesting on my mind, I came across some Daemonscape (GZG) resin vehicles and after 5 years since purchasing, thought I'd actually paint them.

15mm and 25mm Heavy Lifters

First up, Daemonscape's MT28 BIG RIG super heavy transporter and MT36 BigBertha super heavy transporter (actually listed in their 6mm range, but read on).

These guys will pull double duty at 15mm and 25mm as, apart from one hatch which you can't really see (honest), they are wonderfully scale agnostic.
BIG RIG As 15mm
BIG RIG, still big as 25mm
The models are fairly basic resin casts but certainly have a decent presence once assembled.
BIGBertha As 15mm
BIGBertha As 25mm
Assembly itself was easy as Daemonscape was awesome and had cleaned/sanded all the major the joins.
Some minor sanding and filing was necessary, but with craft glue and super glue, things came and stuck together really quickly.
Having said that, the top section of BIG RIG is shorter by ~5mm than its bottom half.
Fixing the gap - some plastic card and superglue did the trick... yes I bought two, it was a long time ago, it was late, there was wine...
Not something that can be filled and that required a quick sojourn into the plastic card box to wrap over the gap (I chose to push the top forward and wrap the back join)... so probably not kits for a beginner to do.

I also did a mix and match with both kits' hatches for BigBertha - so she is not 'as sold'.

All in all, these are good kits and have come out well, and really happy with them as an addition to game exposition or as part of an army.

25mm Hover Vans

Next up, some civilian vehicles for exposition and cover in games, the Daemonscape Casevac VTOL.
Again basic resin sculpts (only top and bottom) which look good when painted up.
Coz I'm lazy, I did the PVA fill and paint the bottom section a darker colour to mask the join, which actually worked really well.
Definitely not scale agnostic but a welcome addition for more colour and interest on the table for 25mm games.
I think the only thing missing on all these ships are some custom decals, which would finish them off nicely - but something I've been putting off doing for years for fear of totally *&^%$*&^% it up ๐Ÿ˜.
Think there's some more Daemonscape/GZG resin floating around somewhere but I can't wait to start on the 15mm Khurasan Exterminators and Leading Edge 25mm Aliens (can actually call them that as they had the license in the 80s ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ˜†).




Monday, 24 August 2020

Don't Go in the Long Grass - Dino Sci Fi

 

It all started by me saying that 'Spiney' the Spinosaurus, pictured above, was about the right size for 25mm figures. Turns out he's about the right size for 15mm figures ๐Ÿ˜ฑ. In any case, Monty, our 7 year old asked "can we make stats for your game, then you can game with him!".

I answered, yes, but reminded him that blokes with shooty weapons would likely shoot Spiney and he may not win. I was trying to avoid the tears of disappointment when Mr 'Favourite Dinosaur at the Moment' was taken off the board; but it seems I jinxed my janx.

The first challenge was to make an element for him for the new game. He needed to be tough but not so tough he couldn't go down. That required a new special rule called 'Large Beast' with basically up to five small arms penetrations causing 'one' penetration.

I used the 'small' Spinosaurus stats for 25mm and the large stats for 15mm. First up, a couple of Federal Stats Europa (FSE) squads of GZG 25mm 'volunteered' for the test.

"What, you lookin at? We's just standing here waiting... what was that noise?"

I initially put the Resilience too high for Spiney and realised small arms couldn't penetrate him, but quickly rectified the situation.
It didn't really matter as Monty Stormed the squadies and despite concentrated fire, Spiney had dinner.
Next up I tried balancing the points on both sides to get three FSE squads, two with AT weapons... 
... Monty thought this was so awesome, he put his second favourite dinosaur, 'Jaw', on the board too ๐Ÿ˜‚.
And both Stormed the troops before they had a chance to move.
That's a lot of teeth!
It ended badly for the FSE and even Jaw got some dinner.
Then it was Scale Test time, re-tuning for 15mm - only multi-shot weapons needed adjusting. This time the only sci fi 15mm I had painted got put in the front line, a platoon of GZG's New Israeli.
To be fair, I wasn't really trying to 'win' per se - honest - but I noted with balanced points the dinos did start to get worn down in an 'enjoyable' way.
If I'd actually moved the troops and set up firing lanes, etc, instead of trying to make Monty giggle all the time, the elements would have worked really well. (BTW this is pretty much 'to scale' for a full-sized Spinosaurus. Maybe closer to 20mm.)
All in all, a great laugh and a successful trial for Dinosaurs.

Will make a great army list supplement, but might add a 'Driven Off' rule to the Large Beast rule, whereby after taking half the damage points the Gargantuan rule allows, the dino runs off. Oh, and also a Stampede rule for herbivores... and a poison rule... and a Team Work rule for smart dinos...








Sunday, 23 August 2020

Sci Fi Terrain II - Battle Systems

Still getting terrain together to start playtesting the new Sci Fi game and I'd always wanted some exterior walls for the Battle System terrain I got many years ago.

I couldn't find any on the site and emailed to see if they were still available. Unfortunately my set is pretty old and not really 'supported' in current range. But I have to say Wayne from Battle Systems was awesome.

He sent me the links to the old DLC files and from them I was able to retro-engineer some walls and gateways. Just excellent service from these guys.
I tried to be careful in the design as I wanted to use these with 15mm and 25/28mm. Think they came out OK, made from card, printed at the local printer.

At 15mm, with the external walls in, the Battle Systems stuff looks like awesome hangers.

And the vehicles fit in without any scale problems.

Khurasan and GZG works well.

Khurasan M2189 Caimans and M3918 Polecats, with GZG New Israeli (old sculpt) hard suits. 

For 25mm, more of the Battle Systems interior goodies can be used.

And a couple of (ex-GZG, Wombat) Daemonscape Hover APCs also make fitting additions inside the interior.

And a heavy hover tank to boot, inside the vehicle bay, awaiting a final spraying of paint.

Mostly happy with how the walls came out, some of the gates didn't quite fit together as expected, but should make for a lot more interesting gaming.