Treasure chests.

 Another purchase from the past (possibly Frostgrave related) was the Ainsty Casting Chests pack.

This comprised two large bound chests and two medium bound chests cast in white metal.

They are about an inch long, so needed to be based on 30mm rather than on a 25mm base (or like the treasure selection are moulded with a 25mm base). They were undercoated with Citadel Chaos Black spray.

The wood was painted with one of: Citadel Dryad Bark; Citadel Catachan Flesh; Vallejo Old Wood. They were then washed with Citadel Null Oil and then dry brushed with Citadel Terminatus Stone.

Okay, the photograph of the fourth one was out of focus.

Group shot with Joriff (qv).

Ainsty Office

Ainsty Castings have a small range of MDF buildings for their Aggro game.

Betty's Pie Hut is an MDF building intended to supply battling hooligans with sustenance.

However, I was in need of an office building for a storage yard, and thought that it would make a good start.

It has been built with no major changes, there is an option for a long counter on the outside (as an extension of the window sill) but I have used it on the inside.

The roof is removable, and has been covered with two strips of tissue paper glued down with PVA to represent tar paper. It wrinkles nicely. It was spray painted with Halford's black spray primer, then dry brushed with Vallejo Black Brown and Citadel Mechanicum Standard Grey.

The building was sprayed with Halford's Grey Spray Primer followed by Citadel RoughCoat textured spray. The bricks were painted with Citadel Zandri Dust. Individual bricks were painted with a combination of Army painter Skeleton Bone, Vallejo Burnt Cadmium Red, Orange Brown, German Camouflage Black Brown, Old Wood and Red Leather using a wet palette. A wash of Citadel Agrax Earthshade brought it all together.

The interior floor and the sills were painted with Citadel Rakarth Flesh.

The roof, though textured looked a little dull, so three Preiser 1/43 scale pallets were assembled. Two were pinned together using 1mm plastic rod. A TTCombat traffic cone topped the pallets. A TTCombat tyre was painted up and added to the roof. The pallets were painted with Vallejo Old Wood highlighted with Army Painter Skeleton Bone. This was washed with Citadel Nuln Oil.

A door is provided, but no window. I have still to paint the door.

I am thinking about putting in a roller shutter. It still needs notices and signs.

Ainsty SWAT Van

I bought this "SWAT" van from Ainsty a long while ago.

Considering the excellent models in their range, this one is, well rather rubbish

The overall body is not too bad, it is just why has someone stuck 1/35 scale jerry cans over the side windows and the windscreen?

I lack the tools (and the interest) to take something like a Dremel and remove the offending parts.

Messing about with boats...

Many years ago I bought a small rowing boat from Ainsty.

It has had a few different paint jobs over the years, but nothing has grabbed my attention.

I painted over the Citadel Ogre Flesh spray undercoat with Vallejo German Camouflage black brown. It was then dry brushed with Citadel Terminatus Stone.

Finally I have shaded it with Citadel Nuln Oil.

So my future explorers of the Ghost Archipelago now have a boat.

Ainsty Small Box Van

So there was interest in post apocalyptic vehicles, and I remembered the Ainsty Small Box Van I bought a while ago.

So I dug it out, and assembled it.

Compared to the Empress Technical it is rather large.

But compared to the Mantic Games scenery items, it is the right sort of size.

Compared to the Mantic saloon car:

 And the Mantic pickup.

Front and rear views.

Ainsty buggy

This is the Ainsty six wheel buggy with the Astronaut body.

It is supplied with four heads.

Ainsty Suitcases

Two more photographs of the suitcases:

William Killian (Crooked Doce)

Perry Miniatures Eighth Army.

Ainsty Salesman Kit

Ainsty Salesman Kit is a set of pots, pans and suitcases scaled to 28mm.

Here they are sitting on a Rubicon T34/85.

Ainsty Containers - part one

Ainsty has a boxed set of three ISO style containers, I have been buying a box at shows over the recent years to build up a number of them.

They measure up approximately at 42mm high, by 39mm wide by 98mm long. This makes them approximately 1/62 scale (traditionally 28mm scale is 1/56 - it is however about 25mm scale).

A full size 20 foot container has the dimensions of 2591mm high, by 2438mm wide by 6058mm long (scaling to 46mm by 43mm by 108mm at 1/56).

Here is one with William Killian for scale.

 After undercoating with Halfords' grey primer, this one was masked and sprayed with Citadel Incubi Darkness. It was masked again and given a final spray coat of Halfords Red Primer.

Citadel Typhus Corrosion was applied where rust was showing through and then Citadel Ryza Rust was applied. This was then washed with Citadel Agrax Earthshade. A further dry brush of Ryza Rust was applied.

Humbrol acrylic gloss varnish was painted over the surface where the decals were to be applied.

The decals are MiniScene Models Graffiti Transfers (MG2). They have a white base so need to be trimmed closely. I followed the instructions, except I pre-dampened the application site with Humbrol DecalFix and applied it over the decal when in place, pushing it into the ribs in the container sides.

Once dried, it was varnished with Humbrol acrylic matt varnish. Then the there sides were treated.

Finally a last wash of Agrax Earthshade was applied.

Gold, Gold, Gold, Gold, Gold, Gold, Gold, Gold, Gold...

Frostgrave treasure.

One of the Ainsty Treasure piles (bought at Warfare when I bought the rules).

Undercoated with Citadel Chaos Black. Wooden crate painted with Vallejo Old Wood with grain effects in Citadel Rhinox Brown and Steel Legion Drab. Washed with Citadel Nuln Oil.  Coins dry brushed with Vallejo Brass then dry brushed with Vallejo Gold.

Ainsty Utility Unit

I have a very work in progress Ainsty Utility Unit.

I need to source or build suitable lights and a camera.

I have used one of the small comms dishes from Ground Zero Games as an add on to the model.

Modern Tents

In the "Days Gone By" expansion there are rules for tents.

Renedra does a sprue of tents, two of which are suitable for a modern environment.

Small tent (unpainted).

Large tent (painted as a slightly old fashioned tent).

Ainsty do a pack of two slightly different dome tents.

The Device

Agent Red wishes he had paid more attention to the briefing, especially as his boss' club was a street away.

The Device is a modified Ainsty The Device!

A roller cover was made from Slaters' corrugated plastikard has been added over the gubbins, leaving the switches and dials clear.

The US identification stars are from Warlord Games, the number from Rubicon's US decal set and the radiation tri-foil from I-94 (available from Minibits/Pendraken).

The I-94 decal set has tri-foils, danger and ammo items of different sizes. unfortunately they appear to be printed on a continuous carrier film, unlike the Warlord and Rubicon transfers which have item sized carrier film. This lead to a large shiny area of carrier film.

All transfers were treated with Humbrol Decal Fix in an attempt to improve the appearance. Some of the decals were  added to areas that had been pretreated with Citadel 'ardcoat. This may have gone 'off' a bit as it was glossy when dry.

There was no appreciable difference between those added to the base coated areas and those on the 'ardcoat treated areas.

The decals attached smoothly to the corrugated faces of the model nicely (I did not try any using plain water).

I used 'ardcoat to protect them. This did leave a lot of shiny areas, so I filled in the bits around the decals (and the carrier on the I-94 tri-foil) with Vallejo US Dark Green, which was a mistake as the base coat was Humbrol 86 light olive spray (see below). This was not noticeable under my work light.

I have replaced the picture with a revised one with Humbrol acrylic 86 Light Olive.

Warfare 2014

Warfare at Reading is a two day gaming and trade show.

This year I managed to get there.

Thanks to all those I talked to (and relieved me of my money ^___^). If I forget to mention you, I apologise.

First up was Crooked Dice, for their recently released Once And Future supplement for 7th Voyage, more X-Commandos, the new Chronal Commandos and the licensed Danger 5 box set.

Empress had the new British troops, an M113 for use by Federated Security and Skirmish Sangin.

The nice lady at the Plastic Soldier Company had to pirouette around the hall to get a signal on the card machine so I could pay for the Rubicon plastic tanks. They had a special offer on three non Tiger models (I also bought a Tiger). The best location was adjacent to the Ainsty stand, much to the amusement of a member of the Ainsty team.

Ainsty had their new Musketeers miniatures and the 15mm scale etched brass tank bustles (the latter may end up on a T34).

Additional scenery items and the Tank Girl charity set were added to my shopping bags.

Next was Warlord Games. They had their new Armoured Fury starter set and the new Cromwell. I had a look at the Panzer IV plastic kit that is due for production shortly.

Pendraken supplied some more Crossover miniatures super hero figures.

Antenociti Workshop had their one piece taxi and two person cars and some some MDF buildings.

More later.

Salute 2014

Salute started the same as always, a well organised but long queue, this time back in units N1 to N4.

First up was a visit to Crooked Dice to pick up the recently released Vlad's Army expansion for 7ombieTV and the new Ocelot Games figures.

Next was Hasslefree and a year's supply of their goodies. Excellent range and a well organised stand.

Then Fenris and a number of different figures including some North and South troops and some blue skinned infantry.

Then it becomes a bit of a blur.

So what other bits and pieces did I pick up?

Warlord Games had their new M4 Sherman tank and a new set of plastic walls.

CD's William Killan examines an assembled and undercoated model.

Clockwork Goblin were attached to the Warlord Games stand and had 15mm and 28mm Weird War 2 models including a replacement Shock turret for the T34 and a Grizzly walker.

The turret is mounted on a Warlord Games resin T34, which had been left on one side since they issued the plastic model.

Renedra had their new Mud Brick house, sandbags and accessory set.

William Killan examines the accommodation.

Ainsty provided a number of items, including their resin shipping containers.

Sarissa had a nice MDF landing craft, and Pendraken had an MDF barracks.

Anvil's new Afterlife range of power armour looks good (pictures to follow) and Crossover miniatures superheroes.

Other pictures will follow as I get them photographed.

Mechanicals - friendly and not so friendly

A Juggernaut has gained access to the Albion Rocket Consortium base.

An Ainsty Castings Mechanot on 40mm base.

Not all mechanicals are unfriendly. Ainsty Castings have just introduced a range of friendly robots. Available as a set of three, or as part of the Valley Forge set with four buggies and drivers.

Now where are the plant pots?