Earth Reborn - Part II

   And now we return to the atomic wastelands of Earth Reborn! This time we will look at the perverted, morally dubious Salemite faction. The Salem city-bunker survived five-hundred years buried under the ruins of America by resorting to horrible, inhuman methods. Now the strongest have emerged, leading legions of mindless zombie slaves. These are, most definitely, the Bad Guys...

The Salemite faction

  
   The Salemites are led by Professor John Kendall Junior. Kendall is the most prominent of the Salemite scientists, and is a descendant of Jason F. Kendall, founder and first leader of Salem Underground.

Professor John Kendall Jr

 
   The professor is determined to push the limits of reanimation technology, at all costs, and regardless of the ethical consequences. He performs horrific experiments on the living as well as the dead, displaying unbound cruelty and a stunning lack of compassion. Kendall is in constant need of test subjects.
 
   Jessica Hollister is in charge of the security of Salem Underground. She is also the Salemites’ chief of police and military leader. She is known for her severity, viciousness, cruelty, and her passion for firearms. Her authority has never been challenged. Soldiers follow her orders unquestioningly, often for fear of reprisal at the mere suggestion of the slightest disagreement with her ideas.
 

Jessica Hollister

  

   Jeff Deeler is a deranged individual. He has spent most of his life surrounded by reanimated cadavers. He has no family. He considers the cadavers his only family, his “brothers.” Some suspect he might have poisoned his parents in order to reanimate them and better control them.

Jeff Deeler

 

   Jack Saw was one of the first of a new breed of enhanced reanimated slaves. His natural aggression and boundless energy have been enhanced with a prototype advanced neuronic helmet, and Jack is now at the forefront of many of the Salemite's missions.

Jack Saw

 

   Zombies are the muscle behind the Salemite operation. These zombies are equipped with a Power Fist and lower body reinforcement. The Salemites often use these zombies as guard dogs or basic infantry soldiers during combat. As soldiers, they cannot use weapons because of their very limited intelligence, but they nonetheless prove useful as defensive walls of “flesh.”

Zombies

   Although Cherokee Bill is a member of the Salemite community, he is consistently mistreated by his superiors, sometimes even regarded as a slave, due to his Test Subject origins. Over time, he has recognized their condescension and resents their contempt. As the years pass, he finds himself hoping for a different life within a different community where he might be better appreciated for who he is.

Cherokee Bill

 

   Finally, we have my favourite, Franck.

   Franck Einstein has been assembled over centuries from various body parts and organs extracted from deceased or, in some cases, live humans. His brain remains that of Franck Einz, a mechanic with an impressive body frame, who had died five-hundred years ago.

Frank Einstein

 

   Franck’s brain is linked directly to a neuronic helmet featuring the best artificial intelligence technology available. Thanks to this electronics marvel, his IQ is almost as high as that of Professor Kendall, although Franck remains under the firm control of Kendall, Deeler, and Hollister. That is the theory, anyway...

   So there they are -- the dramatis personae of this most excellent game. I've only had a chance to play this once since I finished the figures, but I found it to be a very detailed yet smooth flowing game, (once, of course, I figured out the rules!). As I get more games under my belt I'll be sure to post some battle reports.

 

Thanks again for stopping by!

-Andrew

Bored of the Rings?

   There's been lots of painted S.M.H.I.T. happening this week, including some Copplestone Castings figures as well as the old Legions of Steel by Global Games. Just need to apply some finishing touches and get some photos done. In the meantime here is the third part of my The Lord of the Rings collection.

   First up we have Gandalf the Grey(ish) and the hobbits, including Bilbo. I was very pleased with the way the hobbit figures turned out. Gandalf is, obviously, too lightly coloured, but in my defence I painted him before I'd actually seen the first movie, so I was kind of winging it for the colours. I like to think of it as Gandalf in his summer best.

Gandalf and Bilbo

Pippin, Sam, Frodo and Merry

   Next up is the troubled family of the Steward of Gondor. I found the broken, painful relationship between Denethor and his sons Boromir and Faramir to be one of the most moving aspects of The Return of the King. So much so that I chose these three as the basis for my tournament army back in the day. It was a strong force, and the addition of the mad and chaotic Denethor gaveit  lots of theme.

Denethor, Steward of Gondor

Boromir

Faramir, armoured to face the hordes of Mordor

   Here are my Treebeard and old edition Radagast the Brown. A note about Radagast... while it is beyond a doubt that the 'new' Radagast from The Hobbit films is more characterful, he's also a bit... well... silly. And kinda bird-poopy. This version of Radagast may bee less colourful, but he also looks more like the kind of Istari who could stand up to and defeat The Necromancer.

Just sayin'.

Radagast the Less Silly Brown and Treebeard

   Finally Legolas, and one of my favourite miniatures from the range, Legolas and Gimli on horseback. Being a dwarf guy I felt Legolas had far too many flash moves in the films, but the ladies love him. One thing I could never understand was Wood Elves are notorious drinkers, so how was it that Legolas himself was so unaccustomed to alcohol? More elvish sneakiness, I suspect.

Legolas (and Gimli)

   Thanks as always for stopping by. More soon!

-Andrew

My Dad's Model Collection - Part II

   Part II of my tribute to my Dad's collection is a little treat for my American friends, and something of a confession. One of my Dad's most striking dioramas of 54mm Airfix figures was this display of American Revolutionary War soldiers defending a fort. As a little boy it was a particular favourite of mine.

Soldiers manning the parapets!

   I loved the detail, and the feeling of impending action. If you listen closely you could hear the drums of the tyrannical Redcoats and their German allies marching towards the walls. The Continentals stand ready.

Whites of their eyes, and all that!

   In fact, I loved this diorama so  much, (confession time), I actually played with the figures. Here's the catch -- They are in no way meant to be played with! The little packs and pouches are all separate pieces, held on to the model with paper straps. In addition my Dad was very careful about using a minimum of glue, so it didn't take much pressure to pop off a head or a bayonet.

Striking, yet fragile.

   And they certainly weren't meant to be dropped.

Where's Charlie?

   Yup. I said dropped. Each figure is resting on a pin that holds it to the base. As such you can slide them off the base and move them around, like little toys. One day while quietly doing this I, a notoriously clumsy kid, dropped a soldier -- let's call him Charlie. Charlie hit the concrete floor of the basement rec-room with a cracking sound that filled me with blood curdling fear. Terrified at what I'd done I snuck Charlie's battered remains into the garbage and hoped he would not be missed.

   He was.

Charlie will not be forgotten!

   This was sad, as looking back I realize now that Charlie could have been saved, at the price of a tanned hide and a little glue. Worse still, some friends of the family visited with their kids, and I found out years later that my Dad was convinced one of the kids had nicked his model.

   So, there you go! Model soldiers and a confession! Pretty exciting stuff, eh? Thanks as always for stopping by my little corner of the Interwebs.

See you soon!
-Andrew

Earth Reborn - Part I

   Today I want to present my figures from the super-cool boardgame EARTH REBORN. This sci-fi skirmish boardgame was released by Z-Man Games in 2010. It is set in post-apocalyptic America, and features the struggles between two very different communities that have survived the nuclear fire. On the one hand is the N.O.R.A.D. faction, who have emerged from their city-bunker to rebuild the glory of ancient America. Opposing them are the twisted survivors of the Salem city-bunker, who have resorted to unspeakable and inhumane methods to remain alive for centuries underground.

   It's G.I. Joe versus Atomic Zombies in the wastelands of America... What's not to like?

The complete set of figures from the game

   This game comes with some very well done soft-plastic miniatures. Using my Army Painter shades and paints I whipped these off in just a couple of days, and I am happy with the results. Let me introduce you to the heroes and villains of Earth Reborn!

   First up we'll look at the N.O.R.A.D. faction, starting with their leader Colonel Nick Bolter.

Colonel Nick Bolter

   Gifted with an unbreakable spirit and unparalleled charisma, Bolter is a living symbol of bravery and strength, inspiring blind faith in his men. He, in turn, believes strongly in his men and makes it an absolute priority to ensure the survival of every member of his team.

Lieutenant Monica Vasquez

   Lieutenant Monica Vasquez was awarded a medal of honor at the early age of 17. During her military training, her target shooting scores shattered all previously held NORAD military records, regardless of gender. She is now NORAD’s elite sniper.

Agent James Woo

   James Woo is a specialist in espionage and stealth. He is nimble, fast, clever, and can move without being detected. His skills and knowledge make him the ideal asset to gather information and retrieve ancient knowledge.

Mammoth MK II combat walker

   Designed initially to enable surface exploration while shielding their pilots from radiation, the Mammoth walkers were later retasked for combat . This new model Mammoth MK II is equipped with weapons and is reinforced with military-grade shielding to be ready for potential skirmishes.

Stay tuned for Earth Reborn Part II!
-Andrew




   

Ever just lose a Balrog?

     Have you ever just lost a Balrog? Turns out I have. Digging around in the darkest recesses of my hobby room closet I came across a lonely, unmarked box. Curious, I cracked it open. Inside was a pile of long-forgotten models and accessories -- including a Balrog. You think you'd remember something like that.

   Seeing as how I have my photo studio set up for LotR right now, I've decided to keep subjecting you to my The Lord of The Rings miniature collection. No, no Balrogs -- He's still unpainted. Instead we have, first up, a real favourite of mine. The Army of the Dead. These were a challenge for me, as I chose to do them in green only. Starting with a very dark green, I slowly lightened the base colour with bright green and applied many thin layers. Eventually the highest highlights were in white. I think they look particularly ghosty.



The King of the Dead and some of his warriors.

   Next up we have Tom Bombadil and Goldberry. Tom is a silly character, and not well liked amongst many. I've always had a soft spot for him because my dad would sing Tom's goofy songs as he read The Lord of The Rings to my brother and I, when we were kids.



Tom Bombadil and Goldberry

   Next is Elrond's daughter Arwen Undómiel. That is, of course, little stabbed Frodo hunched over on her horse. Most of my Games Workshop friends know this story, but for those who don't, apparently the actress Liv Tyler was very difficult when it came to approving her miniature. She kept sending it back with the vague instruction to 'make it look more beautiful'. After four or five goes of this the GW studio finally sent the same figure again, without any revisions, and it was approved.

   Oddly enough, if you ask me I think the figure is in no way a good representation of Liv Tyler's beauty, and I've always agreed with her complaints.


Arwen Evenstar (and Frodo).


   Here we have Arwen's scruffy and ill mannered boyfriend. Strider or Aragorn or something. I don't know, nor do I really care. The guy has an immortal girlfriend but he can't even bother to shave and bathe for her when he goes to see her. No wonder her dad thinks he's a flake. Also there's something fishy in Aragorn's past about his ancestor dooming the land to a third age of darkness -- I didn't catch the details.

Strider the Hippie-King.

   Just to prove that not all elves are sleek and graceful, here is the wood elf Haldir (sometimes known as the Fat Elf), and a retinue of elves of Loth Lorien. Haldir's the one with the sword, and the chubby cheeks.

Haldir and some Wood Elves.

   And rounding out our showcase today is Haldir's boss and other boss, Galadriel and Celeborn. Not too much to say here, except that I saw the actual Mirror of Galadriel bowl at Casa Loma when the props of the Fellowship movie came to town. I didn't see anything in the mirror.

Galadriel and Celeborn seek wisdom in the Mirror.

   Thanks as always for checking in! See you soon...

-Andrew

Axes of the Dwarves!

   Today Jay Griffiths and I had a chance to play a game of The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game -- my first in almost a decade! It was great fun, and my mighty dwarves squared off against his elvish, umm... hordes? Whatever -- they were the bad guys. In any case we fought to a draw, which is typical elf sneakiness, but I thought this would be a great time to showcase my dwarf force.

 

   Jay gave me these two dwarf ballistae a few years ago, so I painted them up and used one of them against him in our game. What else are friends for?

Ballistae - rock out!!

   Drar is not only the only dwarf character with a bow, but you can't even give bows to dwarf captains. Probably due to some long-forgotten arms limitation treaty with the elves.

Murin, Gimli and Drar.




   If you look closely you can see the 'gold crazy' gleaming in the eyes of these kings.



Kings of the dwarves.

   Old school dwarves. I love the way these two look.


Dain and Balin -- Lords Under the Mountain.

   In our battle I used volley fire to great effect, even though half of Jay's elves were wearing sneaky elven 'can't-see-me!' cloaks.



Warriors with dwarf bows - volley fire!!

   In updating and adding to my older miniatures I realised I had too many Gimlis. Two too many, in fact. Taking a chance I painted them up in the colours of my dwarf army and gave them blonde beards, and I think they make great dwarf captains. 

Standard bearer and two Gimlis captains.

  In the battle my Khazad guard, lead by one of my two captains, did a great job of chopping up elves in a tough melee. To his credit, though, Jay had one elf captain who just would not die, no matter how many dwarves I piled on top of him. More sneakiness, to be sure. 


Khazad guard - tough and (mostly) fearless!

   My warriors did yeoman service screening the archers as inviso-elves fired arrow after arrow into my main formation. 


Dwarf warriors with shields.

   My two-handed axe troops didn't see any action today, but they're patient. Sooner or later those elves are going to show up with an ent or two -- Chop!!


Warriors with two-handed axes.







   So there's my force - 1400 points of bearded glory. Jay and I are looking at fighting through the Shadow and Flame scenarios, so next up I'll be working on some appropriate scenery.

Thank you again for stopping by! See you soon...
-Andrew

 







 

My Dad's Model Collection - Part I

It's all my dad's fault.

Back in the Seventies, when I was just wee, my dad was bitten by the modelling bug. I suspect his imagination was sparked by the movie Waterloo as well as his insatiable appetite for military history. My dad's chosen scale was 54mm, and in particular he loved Airfix 54mm plastic kits. He used Humbrol oil-based paints, in little metal pots that were a pain to open and would never shut right. I remember him spending hours and hours working away in a little walk-in closet he had converted into a hobby room. It was a mystical place where I was not allowed to go.

My dad's passion for model soldiers was the beginning of my own descent into this mad and wonderful hobby, and so it seemed fitting that I dedicate this blog to his memory. Along with my own projects I will be showcasing his models and dioramas. Here, to get us started, I present his 54mm Airfix Scots Greys, dressed in 1815 Waterloo uniforms.

2nd Royal North British Dragoons, also known as the Scots Greys.

Somebody dropped his hat!

Detail view.

Thanks for visiting, and stay tuned for lots more from both my dad's and my own collections!

Andrew

Andrew Waxes Psychological about Miniature Painting

To begin my new blog about miniatures, games, and role-playing, I thought I'd share some thoughts I had a little while ago about the psychological process of painting large hordes of toy soldiers...

1) Minis are never finished, just abandoned.

This happens to me all the time -- I paint something and I look at it and all I can see are the mistakes and all the things I could do that I haven't done yet. It's hard to finally declare a figure done.

But the funny thing is, if you put that figure away and then come back to it a few months later, you will be surprised by how good it looks. Why? Simple -- you aren't thinking critically about it as a project anymore; It's simply a painted figure, and one you painted at that.

2) Only paint 10 figures at a time.

This is a crucial point for people who paint armies of figures. If you line up all 65 zombie figures from your new Zombicide game in front of you, and then start painting just the flesh on each one of them, you will lose your will to paint long before you finish the flesh on the 65th figure. Painting can be tedious, and doing the same colour on a huge pile of figures is even more tedious – worse, when you finish the flesh, it hardly looks like you’ve done anything, even though you’ve been painting for hours!

Better to have just a handful of figures, (10 at most), in front of you at a time. You can finish those completely in the same amount of time it would take you to paint one colour on 100 figures, and these finished figures will get you excited about painting the next batch. As an added bonus you can play a small game with your painted figures.

3) Use contrasting colours.

Remember, most of the time you will be looking at these figures from several feet away on a tabletop. If you want to actually be able to see all your hard work, use contrasting colours on your figures. A strong contrast is pleasing to the eye, and makes your figures look exciting from a distance. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending two hours painting six shades of red on your space marine, only to plop him on the tabletop and realize you can’t see the difference.

4) Paint for yourself.

When everything is said and done you are painting miniatures for yourself. Don’t get too hung up on what other people think of your figures. When you show up at the Flames of War tournament there will always be someone who wants to tell you that you’ve used the wrong shade of grey for your German army, but if you like the way they look, who cares? Besides, look closely at that guy’s army – is it even painted? Most times it isn’t.

5) Only play games with painted figures.

This is a golden rule for my friends and I. Miniature gaming is about spectacle. The look of the scenery and the splendour of the armies is ultimately always more exciting than who actually won or lost. If you make it a policy amongst your friends to play with only painted figures you will be motivated to paint, and your games will be that much more satisfying as a result.

6) Set a gaming deadline with a friend.

I have found the single best way to ensure I get some painting done is to set a gaming deadline for myself with a friend. My copy of Super Dungeon Explore might sit unpainted on a shelf for a year, but if a friend of mine and I agree that next month we will play the first scenario, and I have to paint all the monsters, I will finally get cracking.

I hope these points are helpful to you in your quest to paint more figures. These are hard-learned lessons that I have gleaned from over 30 years in the hobby. And please don't hesitate to share your opinions and comments -- I'd love to hear them!

Happy painting!