Mark A. Morin

Robo Sentry Guns from WSD

Back in March of 2017, I read that WSD (Wargames Supply Dump) in the U.K. was shutting down its website and its figures from the Dirk Garrison line would no longer be available. Very bad news! I had not yet had the chance to buy any of these, and their retro sci-fi look lured me in to try to get a few before it was too late.

I was able to get a few different sets, which I will be painting up and using in my retro sci-fi games using the card-based Combat Patrol™ system.

The first ones I started were MIS06 “Robo Sentry Guns“. These came in a two-pieces per kit. As you can see below, the models were not greatly detailed, but very nice for what I wanted – unmanned and immovable guns for attacking infantry (or vehicles) to deal with during a skirmish. They were sculpted by Jason Miller. I wanted to buy 10, but only 5 were left by the time I tried to buy them. I grabbed them as they were heavily discounted!

1 in bag — The Robo Sentry Guns as shipped

2 robo guns primed — The Robo Sentry Guns primed

I affixed the bases to a 1¼” steel washer using Loctite glue. This tactic allows me to use magnetic sheets to easily store them in plastic boxes. I then primed them with Krylon “Ultra Flat” matte spray paint. I also made sure that I painted the bottoms white as well, as I find that leaves me the option to place information on the bottom that I’d like to have once the models are done, such as the model’s name, the date it was finished, and any unit identification, etc. I just use a fine-tipped Sharpie.

I decided to paint the two parts separately, base coat both, and then assemble the kit after that. I also made a change in my process in that I used 3M white poster tack from Michael’s to affix the bases to popsicle sticks for painting instead of white glue. This worked MUCH better – and the tack is reusable – so I was happy to discover this would work and so well. The models stayed affixed very well.

I started brushwork with a wash of Citadel “Nuln Oil” over both pieces. I followed this with a heavy dry brushing with Citadel “Mechanicus Standard Gray”. Then, I switched to Vallejo Model Air “Medium Gunship Gray” for the tripod legs (with a brush – no airbrushing was done on these models). For the tripod feet, and the center mount, I used Vallejo Model Air “Steel”. The gun itself was mounted on a rock-like structure on a washer disk. I thought the rock made little sense for a robo sentry gun, so I decided to obscure it with Armory “Gloss Black” (still good from 1996!). I then shaded the tripod base with “Nuln Oil”. I subsequently used Secret Weapons Washes “Heavy Body Black” on the base, followed by lightly dry brushing and stippling it with “Mechanicus Standard Gray”.

At this point, I glued the two pieces together with wood glue, and let the assembly dry overnight. To further obscure the rock, I used Vallejo Model Air “Gold” on the washer – with an eye towards mimicking the coloration of the lunar modules from the Apollo missions. I thought it worked well, though it took three coats to get it properly covered.

On the gun, I used Vallejo Model Air “Gun Metal”, with Vallejo “Aluminum” on the optics. On the optics I then painted the ends with “Gold” and Citadel “Spiritstone Red”. I finished the gun with Secret Weapons Washes “Armor Wash”, with some light highlighting with “Gun Metal”. Once dry, I applied two coats of Testors “Dullcoat”, allowing for adequate drying between coats.

3 robo guns finished facing forward — Robo Sentry Guns facing forward

4 robo guns finished pic — Robo Sentry Guns in different poses

5 robo gun close up — Close up of Robo Sentry Gun

6 robo gun close up with Star Duck SFC Mallard — Showdown with SFC Mallard

I think these will be a nice addition to my Combat Patrol™ games, as I can use these in multiple situations as a GM. I like the retro sci-fi look, and as I move into building a Robot army, these will fit in nicely (more to come on those in future blog posts). I also added a photo to the Lost Minis Wiki on the model, as there was none there. Still, sad to see that WSD will no longer produce these cool minis.

Archive Miniatures Frinx on Glyptodon – Resurrection!

I have long been searching for the Archive Miniatures Frinx on Glyptodon (#2042) from the Star Rovers line. This three-figure kit was made in 1978, and was composed of two power-armored Frinx riding a glyptodon. So what is a glyptodon? A glyptodon is basically a prehistoric armadillo – and the size of a small car. Its a quirky kit, reminiscent of a Tusken Raider riding a Bantha in Star Wars.

At long last, my good friend Buck Surdu acquired one kit at exorbitant price on eBay. The plan was to create some Frinx recon sections for use in retro-sci-fi games using the Combat Patrol™ gaming system by recasting.

0 in bag — The original kit in unopened bag

3 close up contents — Contents of the kit

The kit itself held two glyptodon halves, two rear feet, two bridle bits, one metal reins set, one forward facing Frinx, and one Frinx facing right. Clearly, I needed to consolidate in order to effectively cast this set via gravity casting. My first decision was to abandon any idea of casting the metal reins. I wanted to use the bridle bits, and use some string or similar material for reins when I paint the kit.

The bridle bits were very small as you see below. I used a small pin vise and drilled out a place for the bits on the glyptodon. I secured the bits with super glue, then filled in around them with green stuff. I also opened the bridle bits up, for if I left them closed they would not been locked in by the Quick-Sil and would not have cast well.

4 bridle bits on fingertips — The small bridle bits

The other challenge was that the original glyptodon figure was not well formed or cast. There were large seam lines and gaps on each side. My concern was that this gap would wreak havoc with molding as the Quick-Sil RTV that I use would easily expand into every crevice. It also would look lousy.

5 glyptodon showing gaps and seams — Good view of the gap between the glyptodon halves on the right side

6 glyptodon showing gaps and seams no feet — Similar gap issue on the left. Note the rear feet are unattached.

11 glyptodon interior — Interior view of the bottom glyptodon half – note the Archive 78

12 glyptodon interior top — Top half of the glyptodon

As you can see, because the glyptodon was in two pieces with a hollowed out middle, I needed to address this and the seam issue. Therefore, I decided to fill the middle and the gaps with green stuff. I then affixed the rear feet with super glue, followed by adding green stuff around the gaps there as well.

13 glyptodon interior and bottom with green stuff — Green stuff to the rescue

14 glyptodon top with green stuff and bits — Nice view of the modified bridle bits

While I smoothed out the seam lines, I still had unsightly lines that would show up on every cast. I decided to use more green stuff to add a band of tiny armor plates around the base to smooth out the seams – and it worked. I thought that I should keep the figure as original as possible, so the additional plates were left as a lower band, and not over the whole figure.

15 glyptodon repaired with green stuff and bits — The glyptodon with its new armor plates added, left side view – no unwanted lines!

16 glyptodon repaired with green stuff and bits rear view — Rear view after adding armor plates

17 glyptodon repaired with green stuff and bits right side view — Right side view after adding armor plates

I then moved on to the riders, and was surprised to see the beginnings of lead rot under their saddles. This discovery made me very happy that I was going to preserve this kit through cleaning and ultimately recasting. I did my best to clean off the oxidation with soap, water, a toothbrush, and an aqueous pewter cleaner.

18 rider with rot on bottom — Lead rot begins…before cleaning

I made two new mold designs – one for the glyptodon and one basic type for the two riders as shown below. The major concerns that I had with the glyptodon mold were easy flow of alloy, adequate venting, and adequate cooling with so much molten metal. With the smaller molds, I had the same, but I really just wanted great details.

20 glyptodon mold first half — First half of the glyptodon mold

22 front frinx mold 1st half — First half of the front Frinx rider

23 back frinx mold 1st half — First half of the rear Frinx rider

24 all molds — All three molds completed

All three molds worked well, with small modifications to ensure good casting. I was able to successfully cast 14 sets (42 total figures).

You can see below a comparison of the recasts and the master figure.

28 side by front — Frontal view of recast and modified master figure

29 side by left side — View of right side

They are officially now in my painting queue (which has grown a bit long so I will wait to cast more figures until I have painted some). Overall, I am pleased with how they came out – please let me know your thoughts in the comments section!

Combat Patrol with Star Rovers and an X-Wing game

It’s been a bit busier on the gaming front. Jared Burns (USAFA ’04) and I (USMA ’84) got together last Sunday afternoon in preparation for the launch of the Mass Pikemen Gaming Club . We play-tested Combat Patrol™ with Star Rovers figures that I have previously posted about in this blog, as well as an X-Wing game.

The scenario was one where the Frinx and some Aphids were protecting RT22 in a bunker behind an old factory. The Star Ducks, led by Duck Vader, were attacking to seize RT22, using their jet packs to quickly assault through the open ground which the Frinx had covered with anti-tank weapons. I gave the Star Ducks 3 chances in the game to use their jet packs at 3 movement cards per try – and that worked well rules-wise.

Highlights of the battle! There was a grenade-throwing fest in the center (one of my grenades scattered back into me adding to my losses) between one Star Duck team and a green Aphid team. This resulted in multiple casualties, especially when one of my Aphid’s grenade attacks rebounded from a rock, but the Star Ducks had the better of that fight.

I gave Duck Vader the ability to deflect incoming direct fire, but I got lucky. Duck Vader was in the open at short range and got lit up by two Frinx bazookas and the Frinx platoon sergeant with an automatic grenade launcher. End even though I gave him a 5 endurance, his goose (or rather duck) was cooked with about 7 wounds. His demise then caused the entire Star Duck force to lose heart, effectively ending the game.

1 Ducks hit right flank — The Star Ducks effectively advance on the escarpment. The purple bands indicate jet pack uses.

2 Frinx defend with AT — The Frinx guard the factory ruins with anti-tank weapons and an automatic grenade launcher.

3 hapless Aphids defending — A green (in terms of morale and literally!) Aphid Squad awaits its doom from a storm of grenades.

4 Ducks prepare to move out — Star Ducks deploy.

5 Hey, who shaot at us with Bazookas — The Star Ducks take multiple incoming rockets, wounding a team leader.

6 every body throw grenades — The Star Ducks put the hurt on the Aphids with a storm of grenades.

7 top of the hill while behind grenade hell — In the foreground, the Star Duck AT team prepares to rain doom on the Frinx. In the upper left, the Aphids attempt to return grenade for grenade, only to bounce them back at themselves.

8 Duck Vader dies — In the upper center, the Star Ducks jet pack and prepare to flank the Frinx. However, in the foreground, Duck Vader is mortally wounded.

9 end game — The viewpoint of the Frinx who killed Duck Vader.

We then played X-Wing, and it was time for the USAF guy to beat (really thrash) the Army guy…ironic…he was the Empire so the day evened out. It was a good playtest for our first game night on July 27th. Jared did a nice job in teaching me the game – and then avenging the previous game. He was the Empire, and I was the Rebels with two ships each.

10 xwing — I successfully pilot my X-Wing into an asteroid…and fail to hit the Empire’s ships.

11 xwing — With my X-Wing dispatched, the Empire finishes off my hapless B-Wing.

I really liked the game and the ease at which I learned the basics. Thanks to Jared for a great day!

Meet RT22, (no – not R2D2), Star Rovers Servodroid (2205) circa 1977-1981

I found a small robot miniature on eBay, listed as “Hardy Toot Toot” from the Archive Miniatures Star Rovers line of miniatures and game. Using The Lost Mini’s Wiki , I was able to see it listed as “Hardy Toot Toot/RV86”. This did not make sense to me as When I looked at the Archive Miniatures catalog from 1981, there was no such listing. I reached out to my fellow miniature collectors on Facebook, notably David Wood (the British version) and Nevile Stocken (who was Archive and probably sculpted this figure) but still I had no luck at identifying it. All I knew was it was between 36 and 40 years old.

1 RV86 front — Frontal view of figure as I got it from eBay

2 RV86 back — Side/rear view of the figure as received

3 RV86 bottom — Bottom of the figure with “77” (year sculpted) and “Archive”

While I continued to research which figure this actually was, I filed down any unneeded edges, cleaned it in soap and water and let it dry. I then glued it to a 1″ steel washer with wood glue. Then I lightly glued the washer base to a popsicle sick for ease of painting. Next, I brush primed it twice with Citadel “Imperium Primer” thinned with Testors “Universal Acrylic Thinner”. I then gave it a heavy dry-brush application of Tamiya “Chrome Silver”. The figure then waited for a few weeks…

1 unnamed brush primed and drybrushed — After priming and initial dry brushing with Chrome Silver

Luckily and surprisingly, I heard back from Nevile Stocken that he thought the figure was on the box cover of the Star Rovers game – which I have! By the way, RV86 is the Robot Cook (2203).

00 box cover — Star Rovers box cover – the robot in question is in the lower right hand corner

I took a picture of it with my iPhone, cut and pasted it into a PowerPoint file, and printed it. When blown up to 8½” x 11″, I could clearly see on the robot “RT22”! Mystery solved! I verified this by cross-referencing with the catalog as shown below. It was listed as 2205, “Servodroid, RT22, Short Robot”, and retailed for $1.25 back in the day. Many of the old Archive Star Rovers figures were named with a clever nod to Star Wars characters, and this RT22 certainly can claim to be one as a somewhat satirical R2D2.

0a catalog — The catalog page with 2205 listed

I decided that it would be a neat idea to honor the colors on the robot’s depiction on game box and try to replicate them on the RT22. To achieve the metallic light blue shown on the box, I used a 50/50 blend of Tamiya “Chrome Silver” and Craftsmart Ultra-Bright Metallic “Sapphire”. That seemed to do the trick, and I gave the entire figure a heavy dry brushing with the combination.

5 RT22 drybrushed — After the second dry brushing

I then looked at the drawing of RT22, and there were some subtle differences between it and the figure. To give depth to the figure, I used a couple washes with Citadel “Nuln Oil”. Then, I wanted to replicate the drawing as much as possible, so I used Americana “Kelly Green” and Vallejo “Vermilion” on the body’s lower parts in squares thinly outlined with Vallejo Model Air “Black”. On what looks like an anchor (with Mickey Mouse ears) on the front, I used Vallejo Model Air “Gold” on the background, and Citadel “Yriel Yellow” on the raised portion. The robot had two traffic signals on it – yes really – forward and aft. I used “Kelly Green”, “Yriel Yellow”, and Vallejo Model Air “Signal Red” on the stoplight signals. I then used the Vallejo Model Air “Black” metallic to outline the gold and on the brackets under its arms. I outlined the arch-like structure in front and various wires on the top, back, and sides with Vallejo Model Air “Aluminum”. On the top, I painted the raised structure ridges and its springs with Vallejo “Arctic Blue” – with “Yriel Yellow” highlights as an eye and on the top of the robot. On the top “ring” part of the robot (which was more akin to a hex nut), I used first a light coat of Vallejo Model Air “Fluorescent Red” (which was more orange than red). I then outlined on the angled edges with a thin line of “Aluminum”. I then used two more layers of “Fluorescent Red” on the ring. The rear battery packs got an application of Vallejo Model Air “Copper” and “Arctic Blue”. I then selectively used “Nuln Oil” where I needed more depth on the figure.

For highlights, I used Craftsmart “Bright Yellow” on all the “Yriel Yellow” surfaces. On the arms and chassis, I employed a lighter mix (more “Chrome Silver”, less “Sapphire”) of the original combination with which I started the light blue dry brushing. I also used a little of both yellows on the tips of the robot’s feet to match the box.

Perhaps the most difficult part of the project was writing the “RT22” on the miniature as shown on the drawing. That was indeed a delicate task that took a steady hand!

I then moved on to the base – and used Citadel “Lustrian Undergrowth” to conceal the washer and make the ground on which figure stood to be more realistic. I really like this paint as it has a rough consistency and takes both dry brushing and application of washes really well.

Once that had dried, I applied Citadel “Agrax Earthshade” to the base, and let it dry. I then dry brushed the base sequentially with Armory “Musket Brown” and Citadel “Niblet Green”.

6a painted wet base — After the application of Lustrian Undergrowth on the base (still wet)

7 painted prevarnish — After the Lustrian Undergrowth on the base has dried and been dry brushed, frontal view

8 painted prevarnish — Left side view – note the “RT22”

I then moved on to the varnishing of the figure. As it was a robot, with a very metallic surface, I thought best to use a coat of Krylon clear “Glossy”, followed by two coats of Testors “Dullcoat”, allowing for adequate drying between applications. This worked well, but the base was still too shiny. To fix that, I used a combination of Citadel “Athonian Camoshade” and Army Painter “Anti-shine” brush varnish. It seemed to do the trick.

10 drying in sun — Drying in the sun – but my base is still too shiny!

11 finished with drawing — RT22, completed, in front of the enlarged box photo I used as a guide

12 with ruler — Close up of figure with ruler for scale – about 1.25″ or 25mm or so

13 done — Frontal view of RT22 – note duller base

14 done back — Rear view of completed RT22

15 done side — Side view of completed RT22

The research for this project took a lot longer than the actual painting did. I have submitted corrections to The Lost Minis Wiki, so future collectors may be helped. As for this figure, I plan to use it as part of an objective in a sci-fi version of Combat Patrol™.

Just like R2D2 perhaps?

In any case, I am pretty happy with the miniature, and I am especially glad I used the color scheme from the box. I think it is quirky, and still fun! Feel free to let me know your thoughts!

Slag Mounds, Bunkers, Barriers and more!

This month, in between other projects and recovery, I worked on several terrain pieces for use with my Star Rovers figures and the Combat Patrol™ gaming system. Some I got earlier in the year from WorldWorks Games on Amazon, others I got on eBay that were from Armorcast Battlefield Scenery, others I made – and some I just don’t know who made them. I’m hoping to use these at The Battle Standard in Auburn soon after coordinating with the owner, Jared Brodeur.

Normally I have more detail (how-to), but I lost most of the details of these terrain projects, as I had a few that I had to rework. I think the pictures below are hopefully sufficient. I was really happy to try new techniques with rust applications using a “pointillism” technique with a combination of Polly-S (“Rust”) and Vallejo (“Rust” 71.069 and 71.080) paints. I mounted all of the terrain pieces on flat steel basing pieces.

The mostly Armorcast “set” I got on eBay were various refinery or industrial pieces that were airbrushed silver and gold, and that did not work for me. I wanted the industrial ones to be more dirty and rusty. I ended up painting some of them with various colors, and then using Army Painter Quickshade “Soft Tone” to shade. I was not happy with most of these results, especially the Quickshade effects. I repainted them, some with bright colors for the newer pieces of terrain, and with rust for the grittier ones, and then used spray varnish to seal. Luckily, the Testors “Dullcoat” actually had a “crackling” chemical effect on one of the industrial tanks which worked well – (note – this was not an Armorcast piece and was likely homemade with some type of Styrofoam). I was surprised as there was already a lot of paint and varnish on it at that point – but it was minimal and I liked it anyways.

1 terrain group start — The initial set of mostly Armorcast terrain I got on eBay, plus the slag mounds I made. This is how I got them. The triple tank is the homemade one that the varnish affected.

10 refinery stuff final — The pipeline/industrial terrain after repainting (and repainting). Duck Vader and his Star Ducks confront Power-Armored Frinx led by their platoon leader.

9 refinery stuff final — Frontal view of the skirmish – light saber versus light cutlass!

12 wrecked pipeline final — Aphids on Grav-Cycles swing around a ruined overhead pipeline to swarm attack a Frinx Mark 1 Sphere tank

13 cryo unit and condensors and apu — Star Duck Bazookaducks ambush a Mark 1 in front of a large moisture condenser, a cryo unit, and a small power unit

The WorldWorks Games set consisted of a bunker, and three barricades. They are for 28mm for sure. The bunker was used, and difficult to assemble well with super glue. I ended up using steel base material, popsicle sticks, wood glue, and cardboard to assist in the construction. Here, I really liked my use of the rust pattern that I discussed earlier.

2 barrier unpainted — Assembled barrier before priming

3 defensive pit unpainted — Assembled bunker, front view, before priming

4 defensive pit unpainted, back — Assembled bunker, back view, with cardboard mounted on popsicle sticks mounted on steel bases

5 defensive pit unpainted, bottom — Bottom of the bunker – I needed to trim the steel bases and file off sharp edges

6 defensive pit and barriers primed — After priming with gray

7 defensive pit final — A Star Duck Mortarduck crew operates from the finished bunker

8 defensive walls final — Three Mark 1 Sphere tanks set up in defensive positions behind the barriers

Lastly, I had three slag mounds that I mounted on two old CD’s. The slag was a byproduct of my casting projects. For these, I had a “Red Planet” plan, and used Citadel “Martian Ironcrust” and “Martian Ironearth” to good effect, as well as different washes.

11 aphids in slag mounds final — An Aphid squad and their robot assault gun patrol the slag mounds

It’s a good start and I’m sure I could use some buildings and other things, but that I will get to in due time!

Chinese Game Set for Settlers of Catan

May was a slow hobby month as I spent some time recovering from the surgeon’s blade!

One of the projects that I started in April and completed in May was another RAFM game set for the Settlers of Catan game. It was a gift from my daughter and son-in-law, and I had it in the painting queue for a while. The set is made of white metal (likely britannia). I had completed most of the painting in April, and finished and varnished the project in May. Each set consists of figures that represent 15 roads, 5 settlements, 4 cities, and one robber. This one is Chinese-themed, and joins my Viking and Egyptian sets. I opened the set, cleaned up and filed some loose casting remnants, and washed everything with mild soap and a toothbrush. After a good rinse and a thorough drying, they were ready to paint. I decided to go with a red and gray theme, which are my Fitchburg High school colors!

2 detail on side Box cover — Side detail of box

4 settlement unpainted — Unpainted settlement

6 robber unpainted — Unpainted robber, front view

7 robber unpainted, back — Unpainted robber, back view

As you can see above, the details of the figures are variable. The robber really was not well-detailed, and I attempted to rectify this with the brush. On the previous two sets, I mounted all of the figures to popsicle sticks for ease of painting. I elected not to do that this time as I did not want to have to deal with painting the undersides with affixed glue. I did mount the robber on a 1″ steel washer. This was fine.

I made a change again and used a brush primer as April was very cold and I did not want to wait until New England cooperated with 50°F – and that was a good call. I used Citadel “Imperial Primer” slightly diluted with Testors “Universal Acrylic Thinner” in two coats for priming. I then drybrushed all the figures with Americana “Santa Red”. My next step was to use Secret Weapons Washes “Red Black” ink and apply a thorough wash all over the figures. Then I painted the trees and bushes on the road sections with Armory “Chestnut Brown”.

8 base coated group — In progress – I put the figures on the pallet and used it as a surface to paint almost everything

On the roads (which resembled sections of the Great Wall), I painted the boulders with Americana “Zinc”. I then applied another wash with “Red Black” ink. To create the effect of the greenery, trees, and shrubs, I highlighted successively with Citadel “Niblet Green” and “Nurgling Green”.

On the settlements, I painted the paved spaces between the buildings and the river and the bridge with “Zinc”, followed by a coat of “Red Black” ink on the pavement. The river got a treatment of Americana “Sky Blue” followed by Reaper MSP “Blue Liner” as a wash. The river edges and buildings were highlighted and lined with Vallejo “Red”.

For the cities, I used “Zinc” on the stairways, and more “Red Black” ink as a wash. I then highlighted the walls and framework of the large temple with the Vallejo “Red”.

I did not go crazy with the robber as I really was unimpressed with the figure. He looked like a Japanese Ninja in a Chinese set! So I used the same patterns with the same reds as the other figures. I painted his bedroll with “Zinc”, his bandana and gloves with Americana “Ebony”, and his hair and boots with Americana “Onyx”. P3 “Midland Flesh” was my choice for his face, with Vallejo “White” and “Ebony” for the eyes. I highlighted his headband and his robes with Vallejo “Red”. On his dagger I used FolkArt “Gunmetal Gray” highlighted with Tamiya “Titanium Silver”. For the handle of his dagger, I gave him a splash of Citadel “Gehenna’s Gold”. On his base, I used Citadel “Martian Ironcrust” and a blow dryer to create the crackling effect. And again, I added more “Red Black”.

10 painted roads prevarnish — Roads before varnish

I also want to note here that the bottoms of all of these figures were painted with the same red combinations. Lastly, as these are game pieces, I wanted to give them a good protective coat of varnish from bottom to top. They all got three successive applications of varnish with sufficient drying time in between. Of course, I needed a warm day (above 70°F) for this. I used Krylon “Glossy”, followed by Krylon “Clear Matte”, followed by Testors “Dullcoat”.

12 completed play example — On the Catan board – with the Viking and Egyptian set

13 completed play example — Robber, settlement, and road close up

I am satisfied with the project – and now I only need one more (the Bavarian set) to have all of them. Certainly a worthy gaming project!

How to Make a Space Ship

A great tutorial from Buck Surdu’s blog on scratch building retro sci-fi space ships! And not just because it carries a Mark 1 Sphere Tank!

http://hawks-club.org/2017/05/21/how-to-make-a-space-ship/

Duck Vader and the Star Duck Platoon!

This was a very large project that ended up with producing a 45-figure platoon. I hope that you find this story interesting, if only to see the determination I had to have to see this through! I am going to give some background, and then show the photos for the finished unit. After that, I will give a detailed description for my fellow hobbyists as to how I completed the various aspects of this unit – this will allow you to see the final product earlier in the blog – and those who want more details can go past the completed photos to see more detail.

0 Star Ducks originally — The beginning -my original 4 Star Ducks from an eBay estate sale. Note the broken ray guns. The broken ones made good candidates for conversions.

0 Duck Vader box — My Duck Vader box from eBay – this was a reproduction by Dark Ages miniatures, which like Archive, is no more. Note Nevile Stocken’s name is misspelled.

Background

I first saw the Archive Star Ducks (#2002) and Duck Vader (#2326) on the Lost Minis Wiki as I was researching some other Archive Star Rovers figures. These were made by Archive between 1977 and 1981 or so. They are made of lead and tin alloy. These were sculpted by Nevile Stocken. He sent me the drawing below via Facebook Messenger.

The rights to some of Archive’s figures have been sold off a few times. Several have been reproduced, but they are not currently in production. I searched through eBay, and these are very hard to find. I did manage to find only 4 Star Ducks and one Duck Vader, but that paltry number does not make a unit. My stretch goal was to create a platoon for use with Buck Surdu’s Combat Patrol™ system for tabletop skirmish gaming. I thought that I would need about 40 or more figures to make the unit, and I ended up with 45, which is a good size for a traditional platoon. In this process, I ended up making a mold and casting 40 for myself and some for Buck as previously described in this blog and Buck’s. I converted 4 Squad Leaders with War Games Supply Dump retro sci-fi weapons – which I was lucky to get as WSD closed on March 31st, 2017. I converted 6 figures to make up the mortar crew, to include making the mortars, ammo boxes, and mortar rounds. I also converted three figures to make up an Anti-Tank section (now known as the Bazookaducks) by arming them with Reaper Chronoscope bazookas.

Platoon Organization

The platoon is composed of 45 figures as described below. Five of the figures, including the platoon sergeant and the platoon leader are original castings. The remaining 40 are all Star Ducks that I cast over the last year.

Star Duck Platoon

Platoon leader – Duck Vader (1)
- Platoon Sergeant (1)
  - Duckfoot Mortar Section (6 figures)
    - Mortar Crew 1 (3 converted Star Duck figures as crewducks)
      - 1 loader
      - 2 crewducks
    - Mortar Crew 2 (3 converted Star Duck figures as crewducks)
      - 1 loader
      - 2 crewducks
- First Squad (11 figures with tan gloves)
  - Squad Leader (1 converted figure with WSD weapon)
    - Team A (5 figures)
      - Team Leader (1) and 4 Star Ducks
    - Team B (5 figures)
      - Team Leader (1) and 4 Star Ducks
- Second Squad (11 figures with light blue gloves)
  - Squad Leader (1 converted figure with WSD weapon)
    - Team A (5 figures)
      - Team Leader (1) and 4 Star Ducks
    - Team B (5 figures)
      - Team Leader (1) and 4 Star Ducks
- Third Squad (11 figures with light green gloves)
  - Squad Leader (1 converted figure with WSD weapon)
    - Team A (5 figures)
      - Team Leader (1) and 4 Star Ducks
    - Team B (5 figures)
      - Team Leader (1) and 4 Star Ducks
- Bazookaduck Section (4 figures with dark red gloves)
  - Squad Leader (1 converted figure with WSD weapon)
  - Bazookaducks (3 Star Ducks with Reaper Anti-Tank weapons)

The Completed Duck Platoon

37 PL and PSG complete — Platoon Sergeant and Duck Vader, Platoon Leader, frontal view. The Platoon Sergeant is an E-7 (Sergeant First Class). Duck Vader is a First Lieutenant.

38 PL and PSG complete back side — Platoon Sergeant and Duck Vader, Platoon Leader, reverse view. Both are original.

44 Squad Leaders — The 4 Squad Leaders, converted with WSD weapons. Each is an E-6 (Staff Sergeant). From right to left, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Squad and AT Section leader. I used different colors on the gloves, lapels, and helmet buttons to differentiate them for tabletop play.

45 TeamLeaders — The team leaders for each line infantry squad, with the same coloration of the Squad Leaders but with original Star Duck weapons. The B teams for each squad have a unique tuft. These are E-5’s (Sergeants).

39 1st squad moves out — First Squad moves out.

40 2nd squad in the rocks — Second Squad defends the lava mounds.

41 3rd squad in the rocks — Third Squad assembles.

42 AT section attacked — The Bazooka Ducks face off against Frinx Sphere tanks. For scale, the sphere tanks are golf ball sized.

43 AT section — The Bazookaduck Section Leader (an E-5), and the three Bazookaducks with Reaper Chronoscope bazookas.

33 Mortar Section 1 complete — Mortarduck crew A with Duckfoot mortar. The two outer crewmen have ammo boxes and rounds to prepare for the loader. The loader is converted and holds a scratch-built round. The mortar is scratch-built from a washer, a bolt extender, paper clips, servo parts, and green stuff. Brown tufts designate this as crew A.

34 Mortar Section 1 complete view from left — Reverse view of crew A.

35 Mortar Section 2 complete view from front — Mortarduck crew B. Made similarly to crew A, except this crew has green tufts.

36 Mortar Section 2 complete view from left — Reverse view of crew B.

31 Complete long view from right — The Star Duck Platoon in formation, view from the right.

32 Complete long view from left — Star Duck Platoon, reverse view.

Overall, I am very happy with the unit. I did use Army Painter Quickshade (Soft Tone) which darkened them much more than I expected. The effect was acceptable, but some of my identifying colors were muted.

I will now go into the how-to’s of the making of the unit.

How to Section

Conversions

All of the figures that I converted were missing the ray gun ends. These were either original casts or my own. I used a jewelry saw, wood carving knives, files, an awl, and an Exacto knife to remove the ray guns and make room for the weapons. Some of the figures lost limbs in this process, but I was able to use green stuff to recreate arms and hands for these figures. I drilled any “amputees” with a pin vise, and used 24 gauge wire as an armature for these.

a. Mortars and Mortarducks

The mortars and mortarducks were the first conversions I attempted for this unit. I envisioned two teams of three – made up of a loader, and two crewducks with ammunition boxes. I made the ammo boxes from Plastruct styrene plastic and special styrene adhesive. I had acquired some Army Painter green stuff, and decided to give it a go for the mortars and rounds. I ended up using my steel sculpting tools, but quickly learned that I needed something different for green stuff, so I got some silicone- tipped tools that worked much better (less stickiness problems). I used paperclip wire with the green stuff for the mortar legs and the rounds. I tried to make a form for the mortar round bases out of 1/8″ plywood, with mixed success. Eventually, I found that correction with an Exacto knife was a good way to go. I made the bases with Apoxie Sculpt and steel washers. In the case of the mortar base, this made sense as I was able to make a strong base with room for the loader using two slightly different washers. The mortars themselves were made with screw extenders, washers, and servo parts for a model airplane. Testors super glue was the means by which I glued the rounds to the loaders and the ammo boxes. Additionally, I found that having some small hobby mirrors from Michaels made the sculpting and assembly process much easier. I decided to leave the two crewducks with their original weapons as the loader conversion had proved to be a lot of work and I did not think it made a difference as I already had the ammo boxes.

3 Mortar design notes — My mortar plan and notes

1 Mortar round example — Idea for mortar round sculpts

4 mortars start — Initial work on the mortar and the rounds

5 mortars start front — Early stage in sculpt

6 mortars start side — Early stage in sculpt, side view

7 mortars fixed feet initial front — Middle stage of sculpt, before Duckfoot alteration

8 mortars duck feet front — Duckfoot mortars!

13 Rounds — Mortar Rounds completed and painted

18 Mortarduck, 1st try — Mortarduck loader conversion in progress

b. Bazookaducks

I wanted the unit to have an anti-tank capability beyond the mortars. I had previously converted some Frinx for this purpose, and decided to do the same for the Star Ducks. The bazookas are from Reaper and came with several other weapons. I basically carved away the ray gun and made the bazookas “fit”. There were amputees in this group, but I think the conversions worked well.

c. Squad Leaders

The squad leaders were simply converted with the same tools. I gave them the War Games Supply Dump blasters from the Dirk Garrison line.

3. Painting and Basing

The biggest challenge with painting was the color orange – I had not used it much before – and it took several iterations of trying different combinations until I found what I liked.

a. Duck Vader

The sequence was as follows:

Citadel “Imperium Primer” as a brush primer
Armory “Gloss Black” on helmet
Craftsmart “Orange” on feet and bill
Tamiya “Orange” on feet
Citadel “Ceramite White” on face and tail
Reaper MSP “Blue Liner” around eyes and pupils
Vallejo “Aluminum” on light saber beam
Vallejo “Chrome” on light saber handle
Vallejo “Steel” on chest details
Vallejo “Medium Gunship Gray” on gloves
P3 “Cygnar Blue Highlight” on eyes
Citadel “The Fang” on eyebrows
Citadel “Castellan Green” on base
Citadel “Nuln Oil Gloss” on cape and fingers
Citadel “Spiritstone Red” on light saber
P3 “Flesh Wash” on tail
Highlight cape with Vallejo “Black Grey”
Vallejo “Black” and “Glazing Medium” on cape and mouth slit
Deka Lack “Weiss” highlight on tail and face
Vallejo “Gloss Varnish” on helm
Army Painter “Anti-shine Varnish” on figure

17 Duck Vader completed — Finished Duck Vader

b. Mortar and mortar rounds

The sequence was as follows:
1. Citadel “Imperium Primer” as a brush primer
2. Armory “Gloss Black” on mortar base
3. Vallejo “US Dark Green” on mortar rounds
4. Tamiya “Titanium Silver” on mortar round tips and base
5. Craftsmart “Orange” on Duckfoot mortar feet
6. Tamiya “Orange” on feet
7. Citadel “Athonian Camoshade” wash on mortars
8. P3 “Sulfuric Yellow” on toes of mortar feet
9. Highlight with Tamiya “Orange” on feet
10. Citadel “Soulstone Blue” on mortar tip/fuse
11. Vallejo “Olive Drab” on mortar and rounds
12. Vallejo “Steel” and “Black Metallic” on mortar fins
13. Citadel “Fire Dragon Bright” on mortar rounds
14. Mounted the mortars and boxes and rounds on bases
15. Bases painted with Citadel “Lustrian Undergrowth”
16. Bases shaded with Citadel “Seraphim Sepia”
17. Bases highlighted with Armory “Musket Brown”
18. Bases highlighted with Citadel “Niblet Green”
19. Mortar dipped in Army Painter “Quickshade (Soft Tone)”
20. Mounted mortar and rounds got coat of Testors “Dullcoat”

c. Star Ducks

Citadel “Imperium Primer” as a brush primer
Citadel “Nuln Oil” on figures
Citadel “Ceramite White” on face and tail
Citadel “Fire Dragon Bright” on feet and bills
Reaper MSP “Blue Liner” around eyes and pupils
Citadel “Soulstone Blue” on eyes
Citadel “The Fang” on the jacket
Vallejo “Metallic Black” on helmets and infantry ray guns
Vallejo “Copper” on fuel tanks
Americana “Ebony” on trousers
Vallejo “Black” on mouth slit
Vallejo “Aluminum” on jet venturi on back
Vallejo “Gold” and “Chrome” on ray guns
Polly-S “Goblin Flesh” and Vallejo “Glaze Medium” on holsters
Vallejo “German Grey” on ammo pouches
Vallejo “Signal Red” on ray gun scopes
Vallejo “Gold”, “Chrome”, “Copper”, and “Signal Red” on WSD blasters
Different glove colors on lapels, helmet buttons, and gloves: Platoon Sergeant – Vallejo Metallic “Arctic Blue”; 1st Squad – Citadel “Ushabti Bone”; 2nd Squad – Americana “Bahama Blue”; 3rd Squad – Americana “Apple Green”; Bazookaducks – Polly-S “Demon Deep Red”; Mortarducks – Americana “Dioxazine Purple”
Armory “Musket Brown” and Vallejo “Neutral Grey” on cigars
Vallejo “Black” on bill vents
Vallejo “Light Orange” and “Glaze Medium” as glaze on bills and feet
Vallejo “US Dark Green” on bazookas
Citadel “Athonian Camoshade” wash on bazookas
Milliput (yellow) on bases
Bases painted with Citadel “Lustrian Undergrowth”
Bases shaded with Citadel “Seraphim Sepia”
Bases highlighted with Armory “Musket Brown”
Bases highlighted with Citadel “Niblet Green”
Figures dipped in Army Painter “Quickshade (Soft Tone)”
Figures coated with an application of Testors “Dullcoat”
Used various Army Painter tufts and meadow flowers on bases to designate teams

21 Completed base coat — Base coated and ready for varnish

22 Completed base coat closeup bazooka — Close-up of unit pre-varnish

23 Completed base coat closeup mortarduck loader — Mortarduck loader, pre-varnish

28 Completed platoon sgt — Platoon Sergeant, post-dip

30 After milliput basing — Platoon post dip, with Milliput added to bases

To wrap up, I am very happy that the unit is done. I am on the fence as to the use of the Army Painter “Quickshade” – the figures are darker and well-shaded, and should be well protected, but some details are obscured. I enjoyed my new Vallejo products and found that they really worked well. I also learned that orange as a color requires multiple applications and glazing to work well.

I learned much that I can use for future projects, and I hope that you enjoyed this blog entry.

Please leave comments and feedback! Thanks!

“Bonnie”, Reaper Chronoscope fighter

This blog is about the second figure that I painted for Chris Smedile’s birthday. It is a 28mm Reaper Chronoscope figure, “Bonnie” (#80025) sculpted by Julie Guthrie in 2015 or 2016. This was a challenging project mainly as I have so little experience in this type of fashion (if it can be called that). This is also my first “Reaper Bones” figure (resin) as all my others have mainly been metal. You can see the website link for it here.

I noticed that the figure had visible mold lines, which I tried to remove with an Exacto knife and some light sanding. Then, I decided to apply a wash with Citadel “Agrax Earthshade” over the figure so as to see the details better.

I initially had a struggle trying to have a vision for this figure. Basically, she is a well-armed (probably overly-armed) post-apocalyptic warrior or perhaps a zombie hunter. After looking at her attire, I decided that she needed to have a bright comic book look – after all, who wears this in the apocalypse? Also, early on I was not so enamored of the details (or lack of details) that were molded on her face. I ended up thinking about it a bit – and eventually going with a patent leather and purple/pink/violet and glossy black theme.

First, I base-coated the figure. I began with her flesh, using P3 “Midland Flesh”. I used Citadel “Ceramite White” for the whites of her eyes, and Americana “Ebony” for the pupils.

For her midriff vest/leather armor, I used Americana “Slate Gray”. Regarding her socks, halter top, and wrist wraps (I’m sure there is a name for them but hey, my fashion sense is limited!), I broke open my Americana “Bubblegum Pink”. I did not like the solid pink look on the top and the wrist wraps, so I mixed that with a little Americana “Vivid Violet” and “Dioxazine Purple” and that seemed to work better. For her hot pants (or shorty-shorts if you’re Larry the Cable Guy), I went with a very distinctive purple – Americana “Dioxazine Purple”. I gave her boots and straps a patent leather appearance with Armory “Gloss Black”. I decided that her hair should be black, so I went with Americana “Ebony” and a Citadel “Nuln Oil” wash. I gave her some hair highlights in with the three colors – “Vivid Violet”, “Dioxazine Purple”, and “Bubblegum Pink”.

For her two submachine guns, I applied Vallejo “Gun Metal”, which I also used for the triggers on her two sawed-off shotguns in holsters on her back. I painted the handles of the shotguns with Armory “Musket Brown”, followed by Vallejo “Wood”. For the base, I used Americana “Zinc”.

I moved on to some finer details and shading. I drybrushed her boot laces with “Bubblegum Pink”. I used Secret Weapons Washes “Armor Wash” to shade the submachine guns and her midriff armor. I highlighted the guns with “Gun Metal”. I washed her flesh with a light use of Citadel “Reikland Fleshshade” . Also I highlighted her ribbed sock tops with “Dioxazine Purple”. For her bottom lips and the inside of her mouth, I chose Polly-S “Demon Deep Red”.

3 Bonnie initial basecoat — Initial base coating, highlights, and shading, front of Bonnie

3 Bonnie initial basecoat, back — Initial base coating, highlights, and shading, back of Bonnie

As you can see above, Bonnie looks pretty tan, and I felt as if she needed to look a little less of a tanning booth patron. So, I lightened up her skin by mixing in P3 “Ryn Flesh” with some “Midland Flesh”. I also tried to clean her up overall in a number of small fixes. I used Americana “Slate” to highlight the base, gave it a wash of Secret Weapons Washes “Heavy Body Black”, and painted the washer on the bottom “Ebony”.

4 Bonnie base coated, prevarnish, front — Before varnish, front

5 Bonnie base coated, prevarnish, back — Before varnish, back

I then gave the figure two coats of Testors “Dullcoat”, allowing for adequate drying between steps.

6 Bonnie finished (blurry) — Bonnie completed, frontal view

7 Bonnie finished back — Bonnie completed, rear view

8 Bonnie finished side — Bonnie, aiming at you!

Overall, I thought the figure came out ok. I was disappointed at the lack of facial details, especially as this was a Julie Guthrie figure, but perhaps that is a function of the resin. The mold lines were harder to cut and sand than I would have thought. I would use Bones figures again, but I am still preferential to metal.

The good news is that Chris like it, and I hope that he has a lot of great gameplay with it!

RAFM Bard from 1992

I apologize to my readers as its been a while since I have blogged, and as you will see I will be somewhat more active this week as I have completed some projects and now have a few things to actually write about! I expect that I will write three blog entries this week about projects that I have completed.

This is my first entry and concerns a RAFM Bard sculpted by Steven Koo in 1992 as part of the Women of the Ninth Meridian line. Here is a link to the 1994 catalog from DnD Lead website that shows that there were three in each set. The circled figure is the subject of this blog. The figure had pointed ears, so obviously she is an elf.

Chris Smedile’s birthday was coming up, so I offered him the chance to go through my assorted unpainted miniatures and pick a couple of figures that he would like me to paint for him. He picked two – this Bard, and a Reaper Chronoscope Bones figure (which you can read about here). It is 25mm in scale, cast in white metal (possibly lead-free), and had great detail.

1 Bard unpainted, front — Bard front view before painting

2 Bard unpainted, back — Rear view of Bard before painting

I looked at the weather forecast as I wanted to finish this project in time to properly use spray varnish outside – and I need close to 70° F and low humidity for best effect. I wanted her to have a slight “Little Red Riding Hood” look.

Beginning the base coat process, I started with the flesh, and used P3 “Ryn Flesh”. I painted her flute with Tamiya “Chrome Silver”. Using a pine tipped brush, I painted her eyes with Citadel “Ceramite White” and Reaper MSP “Blue Liner”. Moving on to her hair, I decided to go with blond. For that, P3 “Sulphuric Yellow” was my choice. For her tunic and her earrings, I went with a paint I purchased in West Germany in 1987, Deka Lack “Dunkelblau” (dark blue). She had a thin sword, and the scabbard I painted with Vallejo “Gun Metal”.

Moving on to her cape, I got another oldie but goodie paint from 1984. This was Polly-S “Demon Deep Red”, which ironically is older than Chris is!! I also used that color to base her hair ribbon. For her breeches, I based with Armory “Prussian Blue”. For the trim and cuffs on her tunic, I used another Deka Lack paint, “Weiss” (white). She had a canteen and a pouch on her belt. These I painted respectively with Vallejo “US Dark Green” and Armory “Brick Red”. For her leatherwork and straps, I decided on P3 “Bootstrap Leather”. I needed to finish her metallics, and so I painted her brooch and sword pommel with Vallejo “Silver”, and her belt buckle and scabbard tip with Vallejo “Bright Brass”. She has a jewel in her brooch, which I painted with Citadel “Soulstone Blue”. For her base, I used Americana “Hauser Light Green” so as to make later base applications better.

4 Bard base coated, front — Bard, front, after base coat

5 Bard base coated, back — Bard, back, after base coat

I then moved on to highlighting and shading the figure. For her hair, I used successive washes, first with P3 “Sunshine Yellow” and then with Citadel “Reikland Fleshshade”. I then used a wash on the tunic with Citadel “Agrax Earthshade”. I then lightly washed her hands with “Reikland Fleshshade”. To highlight her facial features, I mixed Polly-S “Elf Flesh” with P3 “Ryn Flesh” and applied it to her cheeks, nose, hand and fingers.

For her breeches, I shaded with “Agrax Earthshade”, followed by highlighting with a mix of “Weiss” and “Prussian Blue”. Lastly, I moved on to her cape and hair ribbon. Here, I darkened the cape with “Agrax Earthshade”, then highlighted it with Americana “Santa Red”. I also painted her hair ribbon with “Santa Red”.

To finish the base, I applied Army Painter “Moss Green” flocking with white glue. Then the figure got two coats of Testors spray “Dullcoat”, allowing for sufficient drying time between coats. To finish her, I added a yellow flower tuft from Army Painter “Meadow Flowers”.

8 Bard finished, front — Finished Bard, frontal view

9 Bard finished, back — Finished Bard, rear view

10 Bard finished, side — Finished Bard, side view

Overall, I was pleased with the work I did on the figure. It was a nice break from my very large Star Duck project.

Chris got it on his birthday, and he loved it! I am looking forward to hearing of her exploits!

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