War-games Atlantic Harvesters

 Wargames Atlantic recently released a box set of Alien Bugs they call Harvesters.

This is a set of comparison photographs.

William Killian and a Stargrave Zombie.

Hasslefree figures from a Galaxy not so far away.

The harvesters occupy a lot of space and need large bases, limiting their use in enclosed spaces.

Anvil Orbital Fusileers.

Wargames Atlantic Cannon Fodder bodies with Stargrave heads.

Stargrave and Anvil.

Great Escape Games Gunslinger with Stargrave arms and head, and an Anvil Robot.

Anvil Exo-Lord sized robot and Exo-Lord.

Far Far Away...

 Some work in progress shots of the Anvil Industries models.

With Vic by Hasslefree for scale.

Blast from the Past...

Hasslefree's Eve, painted up as Rebecca from the Lagoon Transport Company.

The photograph (and the painting) date back to 2011.

I blame Netflix, as I have been watching Black Lagoon.

I do not have a second one of these figures (unless it is in a box somewhere), but I do have a Hasslefree Indiana, which might well do as an alternative.

Crooked Dice Interceptor

Crooked Dice have recently released their Interceptor Car for the forthcoming 7TV Apocalypse.

The kit comes with a large number of options.

 The options include three different bumpers, an exposed engine, supercharger, big exhausts, two machine guns, turrets and rear shield. Additional options are available in a stowage pack, plus there is a turret set.

The parts are generally well cast, there are a few "dents" and the remains of the gate on the underside of the rear of the car. The latter was removed with the aid of a large file.

 Though this vehicle is intended for use in a post-apocalyptic setting, I decided to build it as a =street car for the Cartwright brothers.

Not quite sure where the dust came from.

Comparison with Spectre cars: SUV; Interceptor; civilian car.

The Spectre cars are more detailed, however they do not have the build options of the Interceptor.

As you can see, they are of a similar size, and can be happily used together.

Protecting "Brenda"

Continuing a developing campaign, Brenda needed some additional support.

The inspiration was the officers seen providing armed security in the UK, still maintaining a more police heritage appearance rather than the military appearance of SCO-19. Sometimes you can find both guarding locations.

No one does armed police (that are distinct from the rather soldier like counter terrorist troops), So I fell back on one of my favourite figure ranges: Crooked Dice's X-Commandos.

In the X-Commandos II pack is a female trooper with an L1A1 rifle (in keeping with their 'seventies inspiration). The figure comes with a head wearing a beret, which looks a bit too military.

Crooked Dice do a period WPC (WPC Cathy Black) in the Tough Detectives range, so I thought that would be a perfect head.

Like most of the female figures, the WPC head has a neck socket in the head rather than a socket in the torso common to the male figures, however the X-Commando sculpted dd not get the memo and the female body has a neck socket. Both were drilled to take a 1mm brass rod and the hood detail on the back of the body armour filed off to allow the head to fit correctly.

Crooked Dice figures use slotted bases and this figure needed to be based on a 25mm diameter flat Renedra base. Due to the posture it was not easy to drill and pin, so a "low profile" slot base was constructed by drilling a series of holes and joining them with a scalpel blade.

The head was test fitted and once I was happy it was attached by putting a small ball of greenstuff into the socket and the head with the brass rod pushed in place.

 Any overflow was then sculpted into a collar.

The rifle looked a bit bare, so I added a length of 1mm plastic rod under the barrel as a laser/torch. I should have added a distinct sight, but I forgot. Greenstuff provided a more secure bond and a mount.

The figure was undercoated with Citadel Chaos Black  and a similar paint job to the previous Bobby applied (dry brushed black grey etc.). The hair was Army painter Skeleton Bone shaded with original Citadel Skin Wash.

She has a back up Glock 17 (okay no idea what the sculpt is supposed to be).

AFO Jenny Shaw, ready to protect the peace.

Together with "Brenda".

Now for the rest of the detail, and those Spectre Luxury SUVs.

Codename "Brenda" *

As part of a developing campaign, I needed a character figure. Hasslefree do a figure called "Madge" that I thought would be suitable.

Hasslefree figures come with slotted bases, so the tab was removed and the boots filed flat. A 1mm diameter hole was drilled in bottom of one boot and a 1mm brass rod inserted. A 25mm Renedra base had a matching hole drilled in it and the figure was glued in place.

So "Brenda" is armed with a custom shotgun with flechette ammunition and is wearing body armour and a chocolate cookie coloured scarf she had received as a present from one of her grandsons.

As an elderly person, she is classified as "Slow", but her wealth of experience means she is "Elite" and has access to all manner of off table resources.

 Here is "Brenda" and two SAS operators from Empress.

* - Why "Brenda", you have to read Private Eye for the answer.

Super hero Characters - Hasslefree Miniatures

At Salute I picked up a number of Hasslefree figures.

Two of them are in the process of being painted up for super hero games.

The first is the white metal version of Mythic Helen (it should be for sale soon). This is being painted up as techno-magic alien.

The shield and shield arm are one piece, so the shield is not quite the shape I wanted, but it will be easier to paint.

The second is another techno-magic alien using the Hasslefree Elf Dev.

I did round off the ears a bit.

Still lots of painting to do.

The Boys Are Back In Town!

Hasslefree have the first two of the Cartwright brothers, named by their father after gun manufacturers. They have adapted well to the apocalypse.

Colt is the oldest, has a bit of a temper and is armed with a revolver and a very sharp knife.

He also has a rucksack, useful for stashing supplies when they find them.

Smith is the youngest and more thoughtful, calming things down when his brother would just rush in. He too is armed with a revolver, another shop knife and a pump action shotgun.

In the thick of it, facing off against a herd of The Walking Dead: All Out War walkers.

In the Walking Dead: All Out War expansion "Days gone Bye" there are  rules to build your own survivor, they are perfect for high powered characters. My first run through had them worth 80-90 points without equipment (for a reference Negan is 70 points). They will have to face a lot of walkers.

They have come to the assistance of Andrea.

 While Amy hides behind them.

Crooked Dice's Heroic Cop wades in with his shotgun.

Size comparison with Crooked Dice's William Killian, they are quite large, more than matching The Walking Dead figures.