I Aintn't Ded: Some X-Com Stuff

So yeah. Everything has kind of been up in arms for the last  few months. Dead sorry about that, i'll make sure it doesn't happen too often in the future.

On the plus side, New Job with Better Pay (tm) and hours that mean I can actually wargame now.

Hurrah!

Here's what i've been working on recently:

U-Sen

Toying with U-Sen as a name rather than X-Com. Uchujin (Outer Space-Man) Sento (Combat)... I suspect it might be  right, but if not please let me know!

A Muton Leader!

He is... really, really dark skinned. I think he turned out well in a super alien-ish kind of way but i'm not used to painting things quite so dark!

All models are Ground Zero Games!

More Models (11/07/2012)

As promised on monday, here is the rest of the 15mm stuff.

Armed Crewman (GZG)

Armed Crewman (GZG)

Armed Pilot (GZG)

Crewman with Binocs (GZG)

Group Shot

So these guys are actually a bit of a combo which I lumped together. The chap holding the helmet and the guy with the Binoculars are all part of the GZG 'Technicians' Pack along with the chap with the computer from monday's post. The random guy with the rifle and the woman with the gun were actually free 'Help yourself' models from a bucket on the GZG stall at Salute!

These guys are what make me a little wobbly on GZG proportions as they look a bit like their heads arn't the right size.

Protolene Ayame Battlesuit (CMG)

Protolene Scout Khan (CMG)

Protolene Scout (CMG)

Protolene Scout with Particle Cannon (CMG)

Protolene Scout with Assault Laser (CMG)

DRAMATIC GROUP POSE!

I really love the Critical Mass Games Protolene. They're incredibly anime looking and sleek, unlike the gritty and function over form look of the humans I have! The Protolene are Hyena-Men, which are pretty interesting, and have a very distinct look to them. My one complaint... is how difficult it is to actually identify which weapons they are carrying.

Ah well.





Three Civilians from Rebel Minis. I like them! Looking forward to painting them.

Light Recon Sargeant (Rebel Minis)

Light Recon HMG (Rebel Minis)

A ww2 Panzer. Or something. Probably Airfix?

Light Recon Sniper Team (Rebel Minis)

Light Recon RPG Trooper (Rebel Minis)

Size Comparison/Group Shot

Now, I loved these models until I sat down and started to undercoat the bastards. Then I noticed the fault-lines down the middle of a lot of them. Take a look at that HMG trooper, you'll see what I mean. Some of the ordinary troops have a little squished head. I still like the models and people probably wont pay that much attention to them, but its still a bummer.

I've had that tank for years. Then I realised it was actually the right size for my 15mm guys! Winner. Going to repaint it in my trooper colours and think about picking up one or two more!

Special Forces Rifleman (Rebel Minis)

Special Forces Pistolman (Rebel Minis)

Special Forces Sargeant (Rebel Minis)

Group Shot!

I originally bought these guys to be Biohazard guys, but when i'd unpackaged them and had them in my hands i'd changed my mind as soon as i'd spotted them. I like them!

So that is, so far, Everything I have for my collection!

Well. Everything that was supposed to be a 15mm wargame model, anyway...

As Promised (09/07/2012)

Yesterday I said that I would try to get some photos of pretty much everything I'm currently working on/collecting for the 15mm guys. This is that post!

As a warning, this post is going to be fairly picture intensive. Sorry about that.

First of all, the companies from which i've been buying my models - Since its only fair and just in case people want to buy any for themselves.

Ground Zero Games - Fantastic drones and the awesome supermutant style guys. I'm not 100% sold on their humans as the proportions seem a little weird, but the models are still very good.
Critical Mass Games - Produce a whole bunch of awesome aliens, and are where the Protolene Khanate come from.
Rebel Minis - Produce pretty much everything else I have in this post, from Soldiers to Greys to Civilians. I really love their stuff, but I have a few issues with their mouldings.

so, onto the models.

Flying Drone (GZG)

Drone Decal

Spider Drone (GZG)

Drone Decal

Drone Controller (GZG)

Group Shot

At Salute 2012, I went with the express purpose of picking up models that I was after without having to pay a shipping fee, which is pretty much an additional cost to all of my models due to only a few brands shipping to FLGStores.

The Drone Controller model I figure can use for a variety of different roles - Technician, Drone Controller, Hacker, all sort of things. The model was really simple to paint up and I was quite suprised about it, but essentially its a nice figure.

The Spider Drone is a thing of beauty. Its a very simply model which I saw posted on another blog and went 'Damn! Where can I get THOSE?', They also have this really big round flat plate on top which I got a bit inspired for - Putting Decals on top of each of them to make them a bit more personalised.

The Flying Drone was something I wanted for function rather then appearance. I was a bit bummed out they didn't come with their own stands but as you can see, I made do!

Big Alien Sargeant (GZG)

Big Alien with Cannon (GZG)

Big Alien with Rifle (GZG)

Size Comparison

Group Shot

So these guys were bought because they looked like Supermutants from Fallout 3, or maybe Mutons from X-Com. I am really pleased with these models as they're moulded fantastically and they have a LOT of character to them.

Alien Bug (Rebel Minis)

Grey Alien (Rebel Minis)

Grey Alien with Blaster (Rebel Minis)

Grey Alien Sargeant (Rebel Minis)

Group Shot

I bought the Grey Aliens from Rebel Minis as one of my first purchases. I wanted to have some bad guys for some X-Com action. The Greys with pistols seem to come with their arms dinged up a little from packaging... which is actually a little ok since it gave them some individuality and their arms are positioned differently. The Reaper/Bug is a really nice model, and the size of it is fantastic.

More picures Wednesday, to save on post size!

Model Painting (08/07/2012)

So, with the Holiday Wargaming event nipping at my heels, i've been trying to crack down on getting the models for my part of it undercoated and ready to be painted. I've learnt one serious lesson from this: It doesnt matter how big the model is, undercoating is tedious as all hell, especially when you're doing it by hand.

I beleive i'm roughly halfway through undercoating (hallelujah!) and as a bit of a distraction i've decided to post some decent photos of the models i've painted so far.

Bug Alien

Drone Controller

Spider Drone

Grey Alien

Protolene Battlemech

Human Special Forces

Human Special Forces

Human Special Forces Sargeant

As you might have noticed, I tend towards more of a subdued urban look to my humans then most people probably would. I just really like the colour combinations to be quite honest, and it leaves them looking quite gritty and dirty - Something I personally enjoy the aesthetic of!

The bases are actually plastic pirate coins bought from my local sainsburies, where you get something like 40 coins for £3 or so. Considering that I cut those coins into four squares, thats a pretty decent amount of base.

At 15mm, i'm seriously finding the prices of things very appealing. Sure, they're barely a quarter the size of say, a Games Workshop Imperial Guardsman, but since you get 10 guys for £20 with your average GW purchase compared to 20 or so guys for £5 at 15mm i'm definately loving it.

At some point, I should Photograph each of the styles of model i've bought and what i'm thinking about using them for. Some of the models i've been finding online are seriously awesome and i'm dead chuffed with the mould quality.

I really need to crack on getting more of these guys painted. Once again, human troopers are from the awesome Rebel Minis, while the Protolene Battlemech is from Critical Mass Games.