We had a good showing on Saturday at the September Mass Pikemen Gaming Club session. We played an “Attack of the Warbots” scenario using the Combat Patrol™ system.
The biological Alliance (Star Ducks, Space Dwarves, Frinx, and Aphids) have captured a Warbot Mark 1 Sphere tank and are attempting to repair and convert it to their use. The Warbots have landed a large force and aim to deny their enemy this loss of technology. Can the Warbots be stopped?
This one, like all of the games that I run, was modified for playability based on experience and the number of available players. This time I also got to add some new terrain and my new Wastelands gaming mat (which I described here and here). I did not take as many pictures as I had wanted to – but what I have is below.
The Aphids held up the Warbot attack and were almost wiped out by the Warbots. However, they did delay them enough to achieve a victory, however, the tide of battle was about to turn so it could have ended differently. Time just ran out on the Warbots.
The photos below are the set up and a bit of initial play.
The set up from the defenders’ side.
Set up from the attackers side. Reinforcements await deployment on the table’s edge.
Aphid casualties pile up as the Warbots move forward. The Aphids, defending the middle crater, were able to get a very lucky critical hit on the Warbots’ platoon sergeant, causing a catastrophic explosion of its power plant (the smoke plume in the center above). This explosion also killed and wounded several Aphids, and dented a couple of nearby Warbots.The Warbots move into the smoky crater that once held a squad of Aphids. The Warbots used a plasma ball breacher to fry the bugs, hence the smoke plume.Aphid and Star Duck mortars add to the chaos of the battlefield as the Warbots breach the initial wall defense and roast an unlucky Star Duck alive. Biological Alliance reinforcements move up on the right.
This fun scenario, with some minor tweaks, will be coming to BARRAGE on 9/28/2018!
As I described in my previous blog post, I wanted to work on expanding my collection of terrain in order to enhance the visuals and improve play for my retro sci-fi Combat Patrol™ games. Specifically, I wanted to add some ruined and battle-damaged buildings and rusty walls. However, I wanted them to look great – […]
As I described in my previous blog post, I wanted to work on expanding my collection of terrain in order to enhance the visuals and improve play for my retro sci-fi Combat Patrol™ games. Specifically, I wanted to add some ruined and battle-damaged buildings and rusty walls. However, I wanted them to look great – and weathering is a relatively new area of painting for me, hence the challenge!
Working with some new materials was a central aspect – especially with regards to weathering and rusting techniques. My journey started in August with Armorcast’s 3-crater set and using Vallejo Pigments. Subsequently, I followed that project up with putting together five ruined buildings and six sci-fi walls (both from Armorcast as well). They included:
2 sets of High Tech Walls 1 (each set includes 2 walls) sculpted by Shawn Lux
To complete the project, and work on my techniques, I made a list of goals. I desired to employ several new (to me) technical skills, materials, and techniques. I ended up checking off on all of these except for using the Citadel “Nihilakh Oxide” and the Vallejo Mecha Weathering “Oil Stains (Gloss)” as they proved to be unneeded.
Below is my initial list of goals – the ones in bold were ones used and apply to this post.
Assembling, building, and basing terrain
Use of materials to create weathering and rusting effects, to include:
Vallejo Pigments, to include application and fixing (covered in this blog post)
Vallejo Mecha Color weathering products
Weathering and rusting/oxidizing effect products, to incude:
Citadel Technical paints:
Typhus Corrosion
Ryza Rust
Nihilakh Oxide
Vallejo and Vallejo Mecha Color rusting and weathering products
Vallejo Pigments (various)
Vallejo Game Air rusts (71.069 and 71.080)
Vallejo Mecha Color Weathering products
Oil Stains (gloss)
Rust Wash
Rust Texture (Matt)
Create a new storage system for my terrain pieces
I am glad that I got to use most of them. The buildings will be discussed first, and then the walls, and finally my storage box work. I will aim for plenty of visuals, and there will be eye candy at the end! I will list a lessons learned section and a materials section at the end of the post for those interested. This should hopefully be useful for some of you.
Ruined Buildings
My one ACRB009 as received. The resin was definitely in need of a clean up with an Exacto blade, but that’s to be expected. I also found that using Scotch-Brite pads on the resin and washing them thoroughly aided with priming.This is the T-section as received. It had some larger areas of excess resin on the lower portion to remove as you see here.My one ACRB008 as received. I was intrigued by the battle damage on all of these, especially on the garage door here.After assembling my buildings with Gorilla Glue and some green stuff, I based them on this polystyrene. I had cut the sheets into irregular shapes. I glued steel bases from Wargames Accessories on the bottoms for strength and future magnetic storage.Some of the buildings on their polystyrene bases before I added a play sand/rocks/PVA glue mix to act as a rough surface gradient. The sci-fi walls are on steel bases that are similar to those under the buildings’ bases (more on them below).Here you can see the irregularly-cut shapes of the polystyrene. My thought was to create pieces that were diorama-like for gaming.Good close-up shot of the ruined buildings after the PVA/sand/rock mix had hardened and they had been primed gray. I had affixed the bases to upturned plastic plates with poster tack, and put a mark on each plate to help as a locator reference for airbrushing. This allowed me to avoid handling the painted surfaces.I was not sure how best to do the shell holes. I started with black paint, then tried to ashen them up with some pigment later. You may notice the rocks are tan – this was because I applied Vallejo “Light Yellow Ochre” pigment and Vallejo “Pigment Binder” on them – after I learned with the crater project that using airbrush thinner loosened the rocks.I focused on completing the T-section first as a “guinea pig”. I thought I could dry brush the bricks, but that did not work well at all. I painted each brick by hand individually with Vallejo Mecha Color “SZ Red”…on ALL of these. As I grew up in an old industrial area in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, old factory walls were something with which I was familiar. These had a goodly amount of old plaster sculpted on them, which got some old Polly Scale “WWII British Aircraft Gull Gray Light”. Clearly, there would be a need for weathering!So now the weathering! Here I have dirtied up the walls with Vallejo “Dark Slate Grey” pigment, and put a mix of four Vallejo pigments (“Light Yellow Ochre”, “Light Sienna”, “Natural Umber”, and “Faded Olive Green”) on the base. I fixed the base pigments with the capillary technique (Vallejo airbrush thinner drops applied from a brush), and then airbrushed the walls with thinner.I used the “wet mode” technique and the “Faded Olive Green” to make the bottoms of the walls appear as if moss and mold were growing. The Vallejo Pigment video on YouTube is very helpful. The T-section was varnished with Vallejo Mecha Varnish “Matt Varnish” and allowed to dry overnight. I added tufts from Army Painter and Shadow’s Edge miniatures. Later, I would darken this with a gray wash. As this is a T-section, there are three views.View 2 of T-section.View 3 of T-section. Interestingly, one of the reasons that I had difficulty with the dry brushing of the bricks is that they are sculpted differently on different sides. I found that using the gray as plaster to cover areas I thought needed help was able to mask this.After finishing the T-section, I moved on to the other buildings in a similar way, except that these had remnants of window sills, shell holes, and rusty doors to paint and weather…and about a million bricks (or at least it felt that way when I was painting them).My attempts at rusting here were not pigment-based. Here, I used a combination of Citadel rusting products (“Typhus Corrosion” and “Ryza Rust”) in conjunction with Vallejo Mecha Weathering products (“Light Rust Wash”,”Dark Rust Wash”, and “Rust Texture Matt”), and Vallejo Game Air “Rust” (2 types – 080 and 069). I layered them on, dry brushed, and layered more. I wanted the ground to show that rust had been accumulating on the ground for some time, and the Vallejo “Dark Rust Wash” was my go-to here.Another view of the ACRB008 interior.After using similar pigments to those that I used on the T-section, I let them dry in the sun on my driveway (it was over 90 degrees Fahrenheit!). I then varnished them similar to the T-section. After I saw my results, I was happy, but wanted a dirtier look even still, so all of the buildings got an additional wash with Secret Weapons Washes “Stone”. That did the trick!All my ruined buildings complete.
Sci-Fi Walls
Moving on to the walls! This is my one ACW007 as received. I liked the battle damage here as well.This is one of my two “High Tech Walls 1”. This is one side……and here is the other side. I prepped these pieces similarly to the way I did the buildings.My basing for these would just be steel bases from Wargames Accessories. I wanted to be able to line them up on the tabletop. I also put these on upturned plates as before.Instead of sand and PVA for flocking, here I just used Army Painter Black Battlefields. Priming was then done on them in my usual way.After priming, I base coated them all with Vallejo Game Air “Steel” with my airbrush. My goal was to build the rust up from here.Next, I used my airbrush to apply Vallejo Mecha Weathering “Light Rust”.Next, I airbrushed both Vallejo Game Air Rust (080 and 069) in bursts and along deep areas. The label on the Vallejo Mecha Weathering “Rust Texture (Matt)” says it is able to be airbrushed…please note IT IS NOT!!! It jammed up both of my airbrushes badly (one needed a new nozzle afterwards). After this, I decided to use a regular brush and use “Typhus Corrosion”, “Ryza Rust”, Nuln Oil (Gloss)”, as well as my previous products to give the walls and the battle damage a randomly -rusted and realistic appearance. Washing, dry brushing, stippling, etc…The walls all painted, awaiting pigments on bases and varnish. I decided not to use rusting pigments here as I was happy with the way these looked.After pigments, varnishing, and flocking – this is both High Tech Walls with each side completed and shown for display.This is the completed ACW007 – one side……and the other side.All my Armorcast terrain work from August and September together.
New Storage System/Box
Now that I had all this new terrain, especially the buildings, I needed a good efficient way to store and transport them to my games. I decided to use a 32-liter Really Useful Box and to design a level inside to optimize its volume. Essentially, I built a tray with legs to insert into the box and make it into multiple levels. I plan on repeating this for other terrain in my collection. Note that I use Aleene’s Magnetic Tacky Sheets from Michael’s to line the storage surfaces.
Box from outside showing the two levels. I used a thin sheet of plywood and 5/8″ square dowels with #6 wood screws to make the tray. I cut two small handle slots so that the tray could be picked up easily. Luckily, the magnetic sheets cut easily with scissors for sizing.The box bottom with the tray removed on the left.Good view of the tray next to the box.Here’s a top view of the tray in the box.
Lessons Learned
I have several “lessons learned” about this project, and I also got great feedback on my last crater post. One area of feedback that I got was from Azazel who suggested I needed a gaming mat. I had wanted to get one or two, but they are indeed expensive. Thanks to advice from him on my last post (and all of you who give me feedback – I thank you all from the bottom of my heart) – and that’s the truth!
Anyways, I got two neoprene (mouse pad material) mats from Gamemat.eu in the Czech Republic. One is “Wastelands”, and the other one is “Highlands in War”. I think both will work well with my terrain, and you can see them in the “eye candy” section below the lessons learned.
So here are the lessons and thoughts I have from the project – some are the same as the crater project, and some are new – but I though I’d try to be complete and list them all here:
The cleaning and scrubbing of the resin helped with the priming. The Scotch-Brite pads work well for this use.
Armorcast terrain pieces are fairly priced and a good value. The quality was easy to work with, and any issues were easy to address with green stuff.
For terrain pieces that will be totally covered in pigments, priming them is not needed.
You can indeed airbrush a wash, but NEVER try to airbrush anything with “texture” in it, no matter what the label says (maybe a bigger nozzle might work, but I only have one size).
Fixing pigments with airbrush thinner is easier than with pigment binder. However, add any additional large features, such as extra rocks later, or use pigment binder on the rocks.
Affixing larger models to plastic dinner plates is a good option for handling without touching the painted surfaces.
Having trays and palette wells (such as the one I put my pigment palette in) while working with pigments cuts down on the mess considerably. Be ready to use multiple brushes, both wet and dry. The mess vacuumed up or washed off easily from my palettes and trays.
Always ensure your pigment bottles are shut tight. I see how they could spill over easily.
PVA glue and play sand are an inexpensive winner.
The combination of thin steel and thin polystyrene yields a model base with little to any “rise” from the tabletop at its edge, and is strong.
Real rusting takes time and is random. So is weathering it. The Vallejo and Citadel products I used were really nice. I do see how the pigments would be useful for rusting and will have to try that too sometime.
Thin your varnish to prevent the crazing! You can airbrush the thinner easily directly on pigments, just need to watch the airflow so they are not blown off.
The Vallejo pigments video is a must see for newbies.
Washes help in the end for touch ups.
Love my storage box design!
Shadow’s Edge Miniatures tufts are fantastic – need no extra glue and dry clearly.
Now for the walls on the “Wastelands” mat! Here we have the F.R.O.G. Commandos getting picked on again and getting assaulted by Archive Warbots, Roberker, and more Mark 1 Sphere tanks – will they hold?
Go Frogs, RIBBIT!
Time for fried frog legs – and the rest too!
Hopefully you found this post fun and informative. Please leave any feedback or suggestions in the comments section – and I realize that this was a long post, so if you’re still reading, THANKS!
PAINTS, PIGMENTS, INKS, GLUES, GLAZES, WASHES, AND FLOCKING USED:
Vallejo “Surface Primer – Gray”
Vallejo “Airbrush Thinner”
Vallejo “Airbrush Flow Improver”
Army Painter “Black Battlefields” (flocking)
Green stuff (kneadatite)
Generic play sand
Elmer’s “Glue-All”
SceneARama “Rocks”
Vallejo “Pigment Binder”
Evergreen Scale Models #9020 0.5 mm plain polystyrene sheets
Gorilla Glue
Wargames Accessories steel bases (various)
Vallejo Game Air “Wood”
Vallejo Game Air “Steel”
Americana “Raw Umber”
Polly Scale “WWII Luftwaffe Uniform Gray”
Vallejo Mecha Color “Dark Steel”
Vallejo Mecha Color “SZ Red”
Polly Scale “WWII British Aircraft Gull Gray Light”
Vallejo “Black”
Vallejo “Dark Slate Grey” (pigment)
Vallejo “Light Slate Grey” (pigment)
Vallejo “Light Sienna” (pigment)
Vallejo “Faded Olive Green” (pigment)
Vallejo “Light Yellow Ochre” (pigment)
Vallejo “Natural Umber” (pigment)
Citadel “Balor Brown”
Citadel “Skrag Brown”
Polly S “Rust”
Vallejo Mecha Weathering “Rust Texture (Matt)”
Vallejo Game Air “Rust 069”
Vallejo Game Air “Rust 080”
Citadel “Typhus Corrosion”
Citadel “Ryza Rust”
Vallejo Mecha Weathering “Dark Rust Wash” (wash)
Citadel “Valhallan Blizzard”
Vallejo “Titanium White” (pigment)
Vallejo “Carbon/Smoke Black” (pigment)
Secret Weapons Washes “Stone” (wash)
Vallejo Mecha Weathering “Light Rust Wash” (wash)
Citadel “Nuln Oil (Gloss)”
Citadel “Niblet Green”
Citadel “Athonian Camoshade” (wash)
Citadel “Agrax Earthshade” (wash)
Testors “Universal Acrylic Thinner”
Vallejo Mecha Varnish “Matt Varnish”
Army Painter “Wasteland Tufts”
Shadow’s Edge Miniatures “12 mm tufts”
Thanks again – and please let me know your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section!
Mark A. Morin 