And now little bots from the apocalyptic ruins of the Industrial City!
This unit is a part of Professor Nitpik’s Industrial City Army. This regiment is composed of 40 mini-mechanical men (robots), deployed on five 2″ bases. The figures are metal and 28mm in size.
I have described my work on the good Professor’s background and army in three previous posts that you can check out:
I decided to go red on gold again. I really liked the effect I got on the artillery battery.
After priming – a good airbrush application of Createx “Pearl Red” on April 15.
The pearlized red works well with pearlized copper. I faced a downside. It was unbeknownst to me that my spray booth filter needed cleaning before I started. As a result, my basement had some residual fumes after painting, which I otherwise never see. Luckily I always mask up when airbrushing.
Finished hand brush painting these on April 16th, to include a wash.
The regiment does not have a regimental commander. However, I thought it would be good to give them a standard. So I took a wire spear from my unused Aztec bits, and a nut. With some green stuff, I crafted an ersatz standard pole.
The standard pole.
I then varnished all the bots with a gloss coat. This allowed me to handle them and better mount them on the bases without causing any damage.
All glossied up.
I mixed and matched the bots into different places on the bases. I also drilled out one bot claw and base to hold the standard. Next came a generous flocking of Army Painter “Black Battlefield”. I also added rusted bits and brick rubble before adding pigments.
Basing started.
After a matte varnishing, the last step was to add the standard!
April 19th – done!Close up of the command stand.The regiment in column formation.
That’s a wrap on this regiment – and for my Ozz painting for a while. I will be starting a new project in support of my upcoming HISTORICON 2025 games. Yes, I will still be running Wars of Ozz games – BUT I’m branching out a bit after painting over 1,000 (1,040 to date) Ozz figures…
Hint – I’ll be plowing new ground – but not totally new ground…yes, TANKS! But for which period and theater…hmmm….do you have a guess?
I will get back to Ozz painting sometime this year, so I can finish off my forces.
Here’s the Instagram link for a video that shows the command stand:
Want to learn more about Ozz and its world? If you want to check out the excellent Wars of Ozz figures’ range, there are two places to get them. You can also get the rules there. (I make no money from this.) The game rules and the figures are available from the next two places:
Below you’ll see the list of paints and the like that I used on this project. They are more useful for me when I need to recreate a color scheme in the future. They are not likely as useful for you as they are for me. I have had to refer back to a post more than once. This happens when I need to recreate a color theme. It also happens when I need to repair a unit. In any case, that’s why I post the lists.
Miscellaneous details and references for those interested in that sort of thing:
For my earlier posts on Wars of Ozz games, view this page. It includes figures, units, and other related projects.
PAINTS, INKS, GLAZES, SHADES, WASHES, PIGMENTS, FLOCKING, GLUES AND MORE THAT I USED ON THE MECHANICAL MINI SWARM WITH PULSE BLASTERS REGIMENT:
Popsicle sticks
PVA Glue
War Games Accessories Steel Bases (number 16)
Vallejo Surface Primer “Black”
Createx Wicked Colors “Pearl Red”
Createx Wicked Colors “High Performance Reducer”
ComArt “Opaque Carmine”
Createx Airbrush Colors “Pearl Copper”
Vallejo Model Air “Tire Black”
Vallejo Model Air “Gun Metal”
Vallejo Mecha Color “Off White”
Army Painter Warpaints Fanatics Effects “Blue Flux” (effect)
Citadel “Nuln Oil GLOSS” (wash/shade)
Aztec leftover wire spear
Steel nut
Green stuff (kneadatite)
Army Painter “Black Battlefields” (flocking)
Citadel “Gehenna’s Gold”
Gorilla Glue
Juweela 1:35 Debris
Juweela Metal Scrap Rusty
Juweelinis “Diorama Mix” – various metal scrap, tires, bricks
Vallejo “Carbon Black” (pigment)
Vallejo “Titanium White” (pigment)
Vallejo Acrylic Varnish “Gloss”
Vallejo Flow Improver
Vallejo Thinner
Vallejo Premium Color “Matte Varnish”
Pendraken 12mm dice frame
Card stock
Wars of Ozz flag from supplement
Black Sharpie Pen
Brown Sharpie Pen
If you have any questions or feedback – go for it in the “Comments” section! Thanks for looking as always!!
HAVOC XXXIX (aka HAVOC 2025) was held on the weekend of April 4-6, 2025 in Marlborough, Massachusetts. It is the annual tabletop wargaming convention for Battlegroup Boston (BGB). There were 36 4-hour games scheduled at the event. I ran 5 games of Wars of Ozz (one game on Friday, three on Saturday, and one on Sunday). Overall I think I had 27 players across my games.
The HAVOC XXXIX game line up
The Wars of Ozz games that I ran were titled:
Friday evening: Munchkins versus Lions and Tigers and Bears – OH MY!
Saturday morning: Battle for the Magic Mushrooms & the Ancient Crystals of Power
Saturday afternoon: Rear Guard Action – The Pursuit of the Fleeing Gillikins
Saturday evening: The Desert Wars of Ozz
Sunday morning: The HAVOC XXXIX Wars of Ozz Tournament
Running so many games is indeed a challenge. I wish I could have posted about the other conventions I attended in February. These included COLD BARRAGE (3 games), TotalCon (10 games), and COLD WARS (3 games). These were done on three consecutive weekends in a row! So my apologies- blogging took a back seat. I hope to upload some photos of those events on Facebook. Yes hope.
For now, let’s take a look at each game at HAVOC 2025. Russ Dunaway had kindly supported my efforts with some prizes and giveaways that you’ll see.
Munchkins versus Lions and Tigers and Bears – OH MY!
The Munchkins are fighting the Gillikin’s Lions and Tigers and Bears (OH MY!). This is a quick session of Wars of Ozz suitable for all ages, new players and experienced ones. Will move very quickly!
The set up. There were 3 Munchkin brigades (left side) versus 3 Gillikin brigades (right side). Each Gillikin Brigade was dominated by units of Dire Lions, Dire Bears, and Dire Wolves. The Gillikins had only 1 regiment with muskets. However, the Munchkins had artillery and excellent musketry. All brigades were small – 11 to 13 points each, with each side worth 35 points.The 6 players strategize.The Gillikins assault the Munchkins directly with their regiments of dire beasts. One regiment of musketry moves to move around a town to hit their right flank (at bottom of photo).The Munchkin Sharpshooter Regiment takes up position behind a river, flanked by a medium battery.The Gillikin 1st Infantry and the Mystic Crone (a witch) make their move to flank the sharpshooters. The town screened their approach.Colonel TikTok’s regiment was on the medium battery’s left. They watch as the first Dire Bear regiment approaches…their fire halts them……but the Dire Tigers make contact!Both the Tigers and Bears take hits coming in. The Munchkin infantry takes heavy damage. They hope one of the two artillery batteries will act quickly! Alas, a Dire Bear regiment dispatches the Munchkin Light Battery. Their gun is left behind to be torn asunder.The medium battery is now threatened! It too would be destroyed……as shown here.
All the Munchkins had left was an intact infantry regiment. That unit was on the far left flank and had been successful at holding off Dire Lions and Dire Wolves. Meanwhile, the sharpshooters position was finally taken by the Gillikin Infantry (commanded by Dan Eustace). Dan’s flanking maneuver had been one of the keys to their final victory. The final score was 13-11 in favor of the Lions, Tigers, and Bears of the Gillikins. Dan was awarded a set of the Wars of Ozz rules for his efforts!
Congrats Dan!
Battle for the Magic Mushrooms & the Ancient Crystals of Power
The world of Ozz is nothing if not magical – and there are many talismans & powerful weapons that spring up everywhere. In a remote section of Ozz, a wonderful magical find of a field of Magic Mushrooms near some rare Crystals of Power – has led to an Ozzian “Gold Rush”. Here, several Ozzian nations are scrambling to take seize & control of them. Factions have teamed up & are ready to fight to get these valuable resources and deny their capture by their enemies, but what will happen? Beginners are welcome. Rules will be taught. Players under 13 only with a playing adult.
I set this game up for 8 players. I ended up with two brigades being unused and two players acting as a team. So, 6 brigades competed here against each other. Here is a video of the set up:
Players checking out their forces at the start.Charles moves his Impkins towards the objectives. They are menaced by Professor Nitpik’s advance to their left, and the Gillikin’s advance to their right.Carter’s Pollywomp brigade moves towards the objectives, while Gillikins and Quadlings try to catch up.The Nitpik cavalry takes flanking artillery fire from both the Impkins and the Gillikins – and routs away!In revenge, the Elite Axemen move towards the Impkin infantry, who form line.Meanwhile, the 1st brigade of Gillikin’s Tigers seize a cache of crystals. They are shot at by Nitpik artillery, and rout – dropping their crystals. Their compatriot Lions grab a stash of mushrooms and hope to escape with their booty.Across the table, Carter deftly deploys a blocking force of Pollywomp infantry against the approaching 2nd Gillikin brigade. The Quadlings try to sneak through the woods unmolested.Carter’s block worked – and his cavalry seizes crystals while his infantry grabs mushrooms.On the other side of the table, the Tigers recover quickly. They grab mushrooms dropped by the Lions, who had been routed. The Gillikin’s skeletons grab the crystals previously dropped by the Tigers.
At that point the game ended due to time. Crystals were worth 10 points and mushrooms 5. Carter’s (on the left) Pollywomps and Tim and his wife’s Gillikins were tied for the win(they played together). Carter chose a Zoraster the Wizard miniature for his win, and the couple got a set of the rules.
Rear Guard Action – The Pursuit of the Fleeing Gillikins (Wars of Ozz)
This is one of my favorite scenarios.
The Gillikins have recently been defeated by the Munchkins and their allies in a major battle. The remnants of the Gillikin forces are desperately trying to withdraw to the safety of their lands. The Gillikins Empress, Arella the Witch, has her Summoning Bell to call up the Undead to join her troops in retreat. Their Munchkin enemies – as well as their Nitpik and Impkin allies – are in hot pursuit. Can the Gillikins make it to safety, or will the Munchkins prevail? Beginners are welcome. Rules will be taught. Players under 13 only with a playing adult.
A full table for the start!Brad moves his Nitpik troops towards the Gillikins.The fleeing Gillikins and their Summoning Bell move forward towards safety.Slow-moving Munchkins do their best to catch the Gillikins on their left flank.Brad’s Nitpik cavalry wipes out a skeleton regiment and moves to hit the bell. The bell would not survive the encounter.Meanwhile, the Gillikins had successfully exited multiple regiments off the table. The Munchkin alliance had destroyed many Gillikins as well. The Munchkins moved to block the road to safety, leaving a Dire Bear regiment’s remnants to be destroyed.
The game ended in a tie! 26 bases were saved by the Gillikins and 26 bases were destroyed by the Munchkin Alliance! What a nail-biter!
The Desert Wars of Ozz
Ozz has vast deserts, but they are not uninhabited. In fact, several races such as the Whim Whim and their mortal enemies the Temujicans vie for supremacy over these sandy tracts. Join this sweeping desert battle to control the deserts of Ozz and their hidden marvels and treasures. Will you be successful and prevail over your enemies – find out! Beginners are welcome. Rules will be taught. Players under 13 only with a playing adult.
This Saturday night game was set up to accommodate 8 players. I only had 4 – so I scaled it down. The game’s objective was control of a single oasis. The contestants were a Temujican Brigade and a Gillikin brigade versus 2 Whim Whim brigades.
Brad moves his Whim Whim up, while teammate Mark and opponents Mike and Richard watch.The game became a mini-slugfest. In the end, the Temujican/Gillikins controlled the oasis for the win!
The HAVOC XXXIX Wars of Ozz Tournament
This was the final game of the convention.
At this tournament, players will be tested to see who is the best general in the Wars of Ozz. This is a playoff of evenly-valued brigades. This will be fast-paced. New players and old are welcome – but experience is a BIG plus – and there will be glory for the winner (and possibly prizes)! Do you have what it takes? Find out!
I can accommodate 8 players here, but only had 5. Each gets a 21-22 point brigade from a different faction at random. Each enemy base taken out is worth a point, with routed ones being worth half a point.
So based on a die roll, 4 players went into round one with 1 player getting a bye.
Each round lasted two turns. The winners in round one were the top three brigades so 1 player was eliminated. The player with the bye would face the strongest survivor from round 1. Bases would be made even in that match. Round two would reduce 4 players to just 2 players for the final championship. Lost bases would be lost forever and not make it into subsequent rounds.
The tournament begins!
Here is a video of the set up (not all brigades were used as described previously):
Pollywomps (Gregg) versus Gillikins (Eric). Gregg defeats Eric.
Gillikins (Rich) versus Nitpik (Brad). Rich defeats Brad.
Bye – Ken (Winkies)
After round 1, Rich graciously asked Brad to command his Gillikins in Round 2. Gregg and Eric were left to a rematch with their damaged units. However, Gregg was able to raise a number of Undead units with his spellcasters to offset his losses.
In Round 2, the match ups were:
Pollywomps (Gregg) versus Gillikins (Eric). Gregg defeats Eric again.
Gillikins (Brad) versus Winkies (Ken). Ken defeats Brad.
This set up the final round between Gregg’s Pollywomps and Ken’s Winkies – to the DEATH.
After a tough fight, Gregg’s Pollywomps came out on top! Congrats!
To the VICTOR! Gregg received the trophy – which I had made with a Dire Lion figure donation from Russ Dunaway!Gregg’s winning prize!
As a side note, there will be similar prizes awarded at HUZZAH 2025.
Thanks to all at Battle Group Boston for a great event and to Russ Dunaway for his support. Thanks to ALL the players.
Special thanks to Brad Gosselin for being an outstanding wingman for the ENTIRE convention…you rock buddy!!
Next up is MAYHEM, where some of these games will be run – then HUZZAH!
Thanks for looking – and feel free to share this post and or comment!
Miscellaneous details and references for those interested in that sort of thing:
For my earlier posts on Wars of Ozz games, view this page. It includes figures, units, and other related projects.
Artillery for the forces of Professor Nitpik’s Mechanical army!
This medium artillery battery will play a prominent role in my Wars of Ozz games. It will be featured in upcoming gaming conventions (HAVOC, MAYHEM, and HUZZAH). The artillery battery consists of 6 crewmen and the gun. It is 28mm and metal, SKU OZZ-541. Assembly was required for the gun and to attach the mechanical men’s heads.
Amazingly, this unit for the army of Professor Nitpik is personally significant. It marks that I have now painted 1,000 figures for Wars of Ozz. I started back in November 2022 with Zoraster’s Guard Infantry. What a journey!
In my last post you saw my cavalry additions. I already had painted up an infantry unit of axemen before Nitpik had his own faction. So, artillery was the next logical addition.
This post will be brief. I did not take as many photos as I normally would. I am trying to shorten my posts going forward. I said “trying”.
Conventions beckon so time was short.
The pieces of the battery filed and washed.I primed everything in black to include the MDF sabot base.
The gun came with a gun shield. The shield was perfectly flat, but thin and malleable. It looked to me less like a black powder-era weapon. It resembled more an anti-tank gun like a WWII German Pak 38. So, with that inspiration, I shaped it to be curved as well.
I added a lot of rubble pieces to the sabot base. I also used pigments and washes to create a sooty and oily look. As with Nitpik’s cavalry, I used pearlized red and copper airbrush paints here.
Below are shots of the battery. In the end, I think I achieved a retro sci-fi/”Iron Man” look to the unit. I may continue this theme for future Nitpik units. All of the “eyes” were painted with fluorescent paints – though that might not be so obvious in the photos.
Here is a video for your viewing pleasure:
OZZ-541
I hope you enjoyed this post. Next up (after conventions), will be more of this faction. Plus…I have a plan for a new WWII tank project…
Final Notes and Links
Want to learn more about Ozz? If you want to check out the excellent Wars of Ozz figures’ range, there are two places to get them. You can also get the rules there. (I make no money from this.) The game rules and the figures are available from the next two places:
Below you’ll see the list of paints and the like that I used on this project. They are more useful for me when I need to recreate a color scheme in the future. They are not likely as useful for you as they are for me. I have had to refer back to a post more than once. This happens when I need to recreate a color theme. It also happens when I need to repair a unit. In any case, that’s why I post the lists.
Miscellaneous details and references for those interested in that sort of thing:
For my earlier posts on Wars of Ozz games, view this page. It includes figures, units, and other related projects.
PAINTS, INKS, GLAZES, SHADES, WASHES, PIGMENTS, FLOCKING, GLUES AND MORE THAT I USED ON THIS NITPIK MEDIUM ARTILLERY BATTERY:
PVA Glue
MDF Base
War Games Accessories Steel Bases (FOW1)
1/8″ neodymium magnets
Gorilla Glue
Vallejo Surface Primer “Black”
War Games Accessories Steel Bases (Number 1)
Alligator clips and stands
Poster tack
Specimen jars
Createx Wicked Colors “Pearl Red”
Createx Wicked Colors “High Performance Reducer”
ComArt “Opaque Carmine”
Createx Airbrush Colors “Pearl Copper”
Tamiya “Titanium Silver X-32”
Vallejo Model Air “Gun Metal”
Tamiya “Chrome Silver X-11”
Vallejo Model Air “Black Metallic”
Vallejo Model Color “Off White”
Army Painter Warpaints Fanatics Effects “Data System Glow” (effect)
Army Painter Warpaints Fanatics Effects “Neon Yellow” (effect)
Army Painter Warpaints Fanatics Effects “Blue Flux” (effect)
Citadel “Spritstone Red” (technical)
Citadel “Nuln Oil GLOSS” (wash/shade)
Army Painter “Black Battlefields” (flocking)
Juweela 1:35 Debris
Juweela Metal Scrap Rusty
Juweelinis “Diorama Mix” – various metal scrap, tires, bricks
Popsicle stick shards
Vallejo “Carbon Black” (pigment)
Vallejo “Titanium White” (pigment)
Vallejo Acrylic Varnish “Gloss”
Vallejo Flow Improver
Vallejo Thinner
Vallejo Premium Color “Matte Varnish”
Pendraken 12mm dice frame
If you have any questions or feedback – go for it in the “Comments” section!
Mark A. Morin 