Blotz River Barge

 Blotz do a River Barge, which is a suitable size to take one unit of Oathmark infantry, here shown with a 5x4 sabot stand of Human Archers.

As can be seen, the kit is made from MDF.

The kit contains two full size MDF panels and a smaller panel.

There are two dowels, one foe a mast, the other for a gaff, a boom or a crosspiece depending upon the period being modelled. There are fittings for a boom or a cross piece.

Assembly is simple, though it is worth checking the online instructions.

The MDF construction is very obvious with gaps between the panels.

Under Oathmark rules, this would be classified as a small ship, capable of carrying one full size (20 figure) unit. The foredeck is quite spacious and I would be tempted to add a light artillery piece (and crew) with the additional two ship crew to upgrade it to a large ship.

It will happily take a Renedra 5x4 rank sabot base.

Oathmark Barrow Worm

 Barrow or Ghoul Worms are enormous burrowing creatures that having consumed dead flesh have become undead themselves.

Necromancers can control (with difficulty) the creatures, unleashing them on their enemies.

Having wanted to add some heavy hitters to my undead army, I was looking for something suitable.

Crooked Dice had their Corpse Scavengers but they are rather complicated to assemble. They also have a Death Worm. This is a one piece resin model.

The model was undercoated with Citadel Corax White.

The base was painted with Humbrol Dark Earth 30. The body (except the claw/fangs) was painted with Citadel Rakarth Flesh. The claw/fangs were painted first with Vallejo Old Wood. This was followed by Vallejo Dark Sand. They were highlighted wit a mix of Vallejo Dark Sand, Vallejo White and Army Painter Stone Golem. The wound was painted with the same Dark Sand/White/Stone Golem mix with the holes painted with Citadel Mechrite Red. Open sores were painted with the Same Mechrite Red. Citadel Drakenhof Nightshade was applied to the sores. The pustules were painted with a White/Stone Golem mixture and then Citadel Gryphonne Sepia was applied. Citadel Drakenhof Nightshade was applied to the mouth.

Modern Journalist

Though the Exclusion Zone, by definition is supposed to exclude the wider world, there are always journalists who wish get past the Corden and report what is happening to the world.

To do so, they need local help (and the brighter ones know they need some muscle). This is where a local fixer will connect them with a crew, that if they do not trust, at least are reasonably confident will return the journalist reasonably intact so they get the completion fee.

Empress do a Journalist set in their Universal Soldier range.

The guy in front of the camera is based on a former soap star, which did not appeal as a grizzled reporter, well used to facing horrors.

The Crooked Dice Flamboyant Agent head sprue provided a replacement (Dapper Spy) head (right end of the sprue).

So armed with my trusty razor saw, I cut off the original head, trying not to damage the neck of the flack vest.

Once the head was removed I drilled a pilot hole with a 1mm drill, followed up with a 1.5mm and a final 3mm bit as a neck socket.

The neck plug on the head was then cleaned up and the head glued in place.

It is at this point I should have smoothed the surfaces a bit, but it was not obvious to the naked eye. 

The figure was primed with Citadel Chaos Black spray.

The boiler suit was Humbrol 30 acrylic, the flack jacket Citadel Steel Legion Drab.

Flesh is Citadel Bugman's Glow, highlighted with Citadel Kislev Flesh. The hair was painted Vallejo London Grey.

Boots are Vallejo Black Grey, the helmet was highlighted with the same Vallejo Black Grey.

The figure was dry brushed with Citadel Terminatus Stone.

The hair was washed with Citadel Nuln Oil, as were the boots.

The boiler suit was washed with Citadel Drakenhof Nightshade, and the flack jacket with Citadel Agrax Earthshade.

The skin was washed with Citadel Reikland Fleshshade.

Now to complete the camera man.

Oshiro Models SFV05 / Command hover vehicle

 At Salute 2023 I bought a SFV05 / Command hover vehicle from Oshiro Model terrain.

It is a simple resin kit and comes complete with a "hover" stand, two discs of clear acrylic (top right in photograph).

The fit of the top and bottom parts of the hull was okay, improved by some gentle sanding using sand paper on a glass plate.

In the above photograph the hover stand still has its white protective cover on.

The two halves of the hull were glued with two part epoxy, this gave time to adjust the position, though I had to file/sand some epoxy where it had squeezed out.

The model was undercoated with Citadel Chaos Black spray all over.

Citadel Mechanicum Standard Grey was then sprayed over, leaving some of the Chaos Black as shadow.

Citadel Corax White was the sprayed as a sort of Zenithal highlight.

Oops, wonky turret. T added an aerial using brass rod and plastruct tubing.

A drip that needs tidying.

Advancing through the market district.

Renedra 20 foot container

 At Salute, Renedra released their injection moulded 20 and 40 foot containers (plus barrels and pallets).

I bought two of their 20 foot container packs.

The 

The pack builds two containers with opening doors and four pallets.

Each container requires three sprues - top and bottom sprue; sides sprue; end and doors sprue.

What is not clear from the instructions is that the sides sit on top of the base, not on the outside. The fit is good once you work out how the bits go together, however there is no assistance in holding the walls together (it does require at least three hands to balance them).

Once assembled, it looks like a corrugated container. 

A nice detail is their is a ventilator on one side.

The end brackets - which in real life are used to attach them to a wagon or lorry, or to hold them together when stacking - are lacking in detail, and the normal slots (which are used by the big fork lid trucks) are missing. However, these are gaming pieces and not model railway

The door detail is good, and the doors open and the interior walls are detailed.

This one has been undercoated with Citadel Chaos Black spray, then Citadel Corax White.

I do need to get some suitable decals, probably from model railway suppliers.

Comparison shots

Ainsty (~1/62), Renedra (1/56), Unknown but either 1/48 or 1/50,  O Gauge (1/43)

Of course, there is always a need for something to carry it.

I am thinking of trying to extend a Crooked Dice Tortuga lorry. The container fits in the flat bed. I could probably do with another set of wheels as well as extending the frames.

Salvager Family Byrnson

 Though I have not finished building, let alone painting, my first crew for Five Parsecs From Home, while perusing myth lead (and resin) pile, I thought that the Crooked Dice Salvager Family and their trusty Robot would make a good crew.

Of course a Five Parsecs crew is generally six figures, so I needed another suitable figure. Looking through the Colony 87 figures, I thought one of the Pilots would make a good elder daughter.

I had already based and undercoated the pilot figure, though I may change the suit colour.

I am undecided whether to go for an overall theme for the suits, or colour code them for my convenience.

So here they are, the Salvager Family Byrnson, the robot and their ground transport (a Mantic Firefight Mule)

Not sure is pa Byrnson's power claw is a bit heavy, or he has been hitting the rocket fuel a bit hard.

The characters will be built by choosing the options rather than rolling for them. It might feel like cheating, but as this is a solo game, so it is my choice.

I do need to find a suitable spacecraft for them