Some more bugs

Some more MAATACs* from my MillenniumCon score. These are the Dragonfly-class troop carrier galactic war machines.

After words of encouragement on my first painted MAATACs, I decide to go with a similar scheme here: watered-down, color-shifting paints--but this time I drybrushed a non-shifting metallic color as well.  

I like the way these came out, even if it's not what I'm used to. I'm at least trying something different.

And this batch should put me over my goal of at least one miniature a week for the year, if you count the buildings and scatter terrain I made (which I do).

I've also been rereading the MAATAC rules, and even playtesting the game a little. Athough it's a little primative and somewhat incomplete, I can see getting some fun gamesout of that rulebook.

I hope to have some more of these painted up in the next week or so. Here's to more gaming in the coming year!

*Multifunctional Armed & Armored Tactical Attack Computers

My first painted MAATACs

As part of my pledge of painting at least one miniature a week in 2021, I applied pigment to some of the castings from my recent MillenniumCon score.

These MAATACs* are recognition code Black Widow-class destroyer galactic war machines from the Entomalian Empire. Note the articulated legs, giving this vehicle an advantage in difficult terrain.

These 1:285 (6mm) scale vehicles share the same setting and designer as Starfleet Wars, the space combat game by Superior Models. The MAATAC rules and minis can now be found at Monday Knight Productions.

Instead of my typical Bug paint scheme for these insectoid vehicles, I decided to go a different route: I used various hues of watered-down color-shifting paint atop black spray primer. I still can't make up my mind if I like the way these came out--they seem almost too garish.

Like their spacefaring counterparts, these designs carry a lot of detail. However, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone of drybrushing everything. So I decided to experiment.

The destroyer galactic machine is one of the smaller classes of MAATAC, but still more sizable than conventional armor, as you can see from this comparison shot with an obsolete heavy tank from a now-defunct Terran polity.

I may end up redoing the paint job later on, but for now I've got four more miniatures painted and ready for battle. Now to put together a short solo game to learn the rules.

*Multifunctional Armed & Armored Tactical Attack Computers

Another piece of junk

Here's another quick and dirty terrain piece for Stargrave and other 28mm sci fi games. This one came from a Girl Scout candy box (dark chocolate caramel cups with sea salt, if you're interested).

The usual steps to give it a worn, yet not grimdark, look: 1. Spray paint a single color. 2. Heavily drybrush silver. 3. Apply a black wash. 

Not perfect, but good enough to provide a little cover during a battle without looking out of place. And one less thing in the recycling bin.

More scatter terrain

As MillenniumCon approaches, here is some more scatter terrain from last summer. 

Can you guess what this transmitter came from?

These two pieces were from my wife's contact lens containers. What's everyone else working on?

Alien statue

This piece of scatter terrain was simple to make: a dollar-store action figure (Final Faction) glued atop a pill bottlecap. 

Painting was also straightforward: black primer and a couple of shades of purple heavily drybrushed, including some color-shifting purple to give it an otherworldly glow that's even more apparent in person.

It's a tall piece of scenery for D&D, Stargrave, Frostgrave, Song of Blades and Heroes, or pretty much any 28mm sci-fi or fantasy game.

Gaslands vehicles

 

Inspired by a Wyloch's Armory video from awhile back, I decided to put together a couple more cars for Gaslands.

First up is Learning To Fly, made from a metal Hot Wheels airplane crammed into the plastic body of a car that came with one of my Space Union sets. Unlike my previous frankencar, this was pretty straightforward: I just cut off the automobile's roof, sanded down the parts sticking up, removed the plane's propeller and wheels, and stuck it in there. 

I also glued two pairs of nails in the headlight holes to look like machine guns. I covered the canopy with the helmet from a dollar store action figure and painted and weathered the whole thing accordingly.

Then we have Walking On The Moon, a Matchbox NASA rover with the engine from another dollar store vehicle, and some plastic sprue to emulate the drive train going down to the wheels. 

Because I like the space agency emblems on this vehicle, I didn't want to do a lot of repainting or weathering--just a black wash to dirty it up some. 

And while there is a driver seat on top, you can still operate it from  inside the cabin--you can't tell from the photos, but I did put a driver figure in there.

I always enjoy making vehicles for this game--even if I don't know the next time I will have a chance to play. 

Some trashy buildings

Just like I did for some scatter terrain this summer, I created some buildings for Stargrave and other 28mm-scale skirmish games using trash and other bits bound for the landfill.

For the main structures, I used the plastic blister packaging from a couple of Starfinder spaceship sets, another large figure from WizKids, and a Q-tips box.

Just like with my previous terrain, I wanted bright colors instead of a grimdark look. 

And being a packrat who saves all sorts of interesting shapes from the recycling bin, I was able to put a decent amount of detail on these buildings.

While my gaming buddies all have plenty of sci-fi terrain, it's relaxing to put stuff like this together, and I enjoy flexing my creative muscles.

I can use these structures with the toy spaceship I repurposed for 28mm gaming as well.

I haven't had a chance to get these on the table for gaming yet, but I hope to do so in the near future.

Silver dragon

I know it's been more than a month since I've posted. I've done some gaming and gaming-adjacent activities, but I just haven't been motivated. But I am proud of this Dungeons & Dragons mini, a WizKids young silver dragon--it was quick and easy to paint, and I bought it at my wife's suggestion (along with another one for her to paint).

For the drake itself, I chose all metallic colors: gunmetal gray, sterling silver, regular silver, and pearlescent white, in various undercoats, washes, and drybrushes, and some color-shifting white to highlight the creature's horns. The rock the beast is crouching on took some burnt umber and a drybrush of tan, then linen. Like I said, quick and easy.

I don't know when I will get this in a game--or even which game (D&D, Frostgrave, Melee/Wizard, Song of Blades & Heroes ...), but at least it will be ready.

Literally garbage

These are some quick-and-dirty terrain pieces made from household detritus that I had been hoarding like a packrat. Inspired by the crafting videos from Wyloch's Armory, but boiled down a bit, I made these by spraying the base color, gluing on greeblies, heavily drybrushing with silver, and then drowning in a black wash.

This first piece is what I like to think of as some kind of alien computer or scientific instrument. As you may have guessed, this is the plastic blister from a AA battery pack, with a couple of sprues from old Warhammer bases glued on top.

Next is a power generator made from the tray holding the cookies inside the box. You get bonus points if you recognized it as coming from Girl Scout cookies (unfortunately, I don't remember which kind). In addition to the plastic sprues on top, I glued water bottle caps to this side, and some unused bases that came with some WizKids unpainted miniatures to the other side.

Last is this device, maybe some sort of engine or other mechanical contraption, from the packaging that once held an electric toothbrush. Add some sprues and the plastic fasteners that come with cold cuts from my supermarket deli, and we have a nice piece of alien machinery.

While Wyloch and other crafters use browns, grays, and blacks for that grimdark aesthetic, I wanted my sci-fi terrain to be more colorful, like the fantastic images from my youth. The spray paints I used (Rustoleum Paint + Primer Satin) looked bright when first applied, but the weathering toned it down the right amount to make these pieces look like they belong together on the tabletop. Not bad for what started out as a bunch of junk!

Another bookcase

Some more scatter terrain as part of my quest to apply pigment to castings, this time a bookcase from the Reaper Bones line. I don't feel as guilty not doing a traditional human/humanoid figure, because I feel like I put nearly the same amount of work into this piece of furniture (what with painting all the individual books and all). 

Plenty of detailing on this casting, although I'm not a fan of the company name and copyright symbol on the back of the thing (which now that I think about, I could have sanded down). Paint, wash, and drybrush really brings out the wood grain.

Because the bottom of this piece isn't flat, even after some sanding, I glued a small section of actual wood to the model to keep it steady and upright. As you can see, it goes well with 28mm figures.

Another addition for my skirmish games (D&D, Frostgrave, Melee/Wizard, Song of Blades & Heroes, etc.). And as you can see, it's part of a matching set--although I painted this slightly different than the first one I did.

I'm very pleased with how this model came out, and I like it better than my initial version. But I want to ask people veiwing this blog, does it look like there is that much of a difference? Please let me know.

Some furniture

I've been behind on my self-imposed schedule of At Least One Miniature A Week (thanks to a difficult spaceship build and videogames), but these two packages from the Reaper Bones line, the bed and the set of table & benches, should nearly catch me up. Very easy to paint, thanks to washes and drybrushing, and I've got two more (or four, if you count the parts of the kitchen set separately) items ready for the game table.

If you run skirmish games or roleplaying games, you can always use more set dressing, and these pieces will come in handy across a variety of rules. As you can see, they're approximately 28mm scale and will work in my games of D&D, Frostgrave, Melee/Wizard, Song of Blades & Heroes, and so on. Meanwhile, I will start sorting through my pile of bare casting for the next mini to paint.