Finally Getting Around to Building Generator Models for my Retro Sci-Fi Convention Games

My recent efforts on the hobby front have been focused on multiple projects. Some of these are figures and vehicles, others are terrain-oriented. These are all in support of the games I will run at multiple 2026 gaming conventions.

This year, I will be running Wars of Ozz and What a Tanker games. I am also getting back into retro sci-fi skirmish games with Combat Patrol:WWII. I have not run these games in a while and they were always a lot of fun. To that end, I decided to add more terrain to the mix.

As background, a friend, Chris Rett, 3D-printed three excellent generators for me way back in 2018 (I think). These were great terrain pieces. At that point I was still immersed in retro sci-fi skirmish gaming with Combat Patrol:WWII as my preferred system. However, I was on the cusp of jumping my focus to WWII What a Tanker games. Thus, the generators took a back seat. My gaming then went in sequence to What a Tanker, then Feudal Patrol for the Spanish Conquest in Mesoamerica. Finally, I moved on to Wars of Ozz. Recently, I felt a need for a bit more variety as I mentioned – so terrain is what I hit first.

The three generators would be useful for retro sci-fi apocalyptic planet scenarios. They would also be useful for some Wars of Ozz scenarios. This includes any involving Professor Nitpik and the Industrial City. That city was wrecked over 300 years ago in the “Last Great War”. Plus I could use it as part of a “Space Cowboys” apocalyptic scenario.

The generators at the start of the project.

I primed the pieces. Then I used AK “Corrosion Texture” on it. This allowed me to use different rust pigments and paints on it.

Primed with corrosion texture added and drying here.

After the corrosion texture dried, I used the paints and pigments to “rust them up”.

All rusted up!

Two of the models were identical – so I planned on using them symmetrically on a polystyrene base. Using sand and PVA, I had a substrate for the rust pigments.

Here I measured carefully to align the three equidistantly on the base. Then, I traced out on the base where they would be glued. The one odd generator is in the center.
Here you see the sand applied over the PVA. Note that where the generators would go is not covered with any glue/sand mixture.

Once the sand mix had hardened, I assembled the pigments as you see below. I fixed all the pigments with pigment binder, as I have found that other liquids can dissolve the PVA/sand bonds.

Ready for gluing down the generators. Then, adding pigments to the base. As is my habit, I list all the materials that I used at the end of this post. This practice served me well here as older posts I did on rusty walls had some pearls that I forgot.

The generators were secured to the base by Gorilla Glue. Once that dried, I added the pigments to the base and fixed them with the binder. I then decided that there should be more detritus and wreckage here. I added some of my rusty Juweela scrap pieces. Then, I applied more rust pigments to them. These actions are shown in the gallery below.

Finally, in an effort to add some wasteland life to the piece, I added multiple different flocking tufts. Here are some finished shots.

Thanks again to Chris Rett for this gift, and sorry it took me so long to finally complete it!

I’m looking forward to having this on the tabletop. It will be a companion piece to my rusty walls and ruined buildings. It will also complement my ruined chemical plant. I will be making other pieces soon. Stay tuned! I hope that you found this interesting or useful. Let me know in the comments section.

Until next time.

For all of my previous posts on terrain projects, please see this page. For all of my previous posts on sci-fi projects, please see this page..

PAINTS, INKS, GLAZES, SHADES, WASHES, PIGMENTS, FLOCKING, GLUES AND MORE THAT I USED ON THIS MODEL

  1. Vallejo Surface Primer “Black”
  2. Polystyrene sheet
  3. AK “Corrosion Texture”
  4. Vallejo Model Air “Rust” (71.080)
  5. Citadel “Typhus Corrosion” (Technical)
  6. Citadel “Ryza Rust” (Dry)
  7. Vallejo “Old Rust” (pigment)
  8. Vallejo “Brown Iron Oxide” (pigment)
  9. Citadel “Nuln Oil” (wash)
  10. Play sand
  11. PVA Glue
  12. Gorilla Glue
  13. Vallejo Surface Primer “German Green Brown”
  14. Vallejo “Natural Umber” (pigment)
  15. Vallejo “Burnt Umber” (pigment)
  16. Vallejo “Light Sienna” (pigment)
  17. Vallejo “Light Yellow Ochre” (pigment)
  18. Vallejo “Faded Olive Green” (pigment)
  19. Vallejo “Chrome Oxide Green” (pigment)
  20. Vallejo “Old Rust” (pigment)
  21. Juweela “Metal Scrap, Rusty”
  22. Vallejo “Pigment Binder”
  23. Gamers Grass “6mm Beige Tufts” (flocking)
  24. Gamers Grass “6mm Dry Tufts” (flocking)
  25. Gamers Grass “6mm Beige Tufts” (flocking)
  26. Gamers Grass “Tiny Beige 2mm Tufts” (flocking)
  27. Shadow’s Edge Miniatures “6mm Nightmare Tufts” (flocking)
  28. Shadow’s Edge Miniatures “6mm Scorched Earth” (flocking)
  29. Shadow’s Edge Miniatures “4mm Badlands” (flocking)

Mechanical Cavalry on Mechanical Horses (Wars of Ozz)

Professor Nitpik is back and has his own Industrial City faction for the Wars of Ozz. I painted up his infantry in 2023. But now he has his own faction with new troops, stats, (and new spelling). Right before TotalCon 39, I finished 11 figures for the cavalry regiment and three brigade commanders.

The figures are metal and 28mm. The SKU for the cavalry is OZZ-540 “Mechanical Cavalry on Mechanical Horses”and that for the brigade commanders is OZZ-544 “Mounted Mechanical Leaders”. The mechanical horses have a flame-breath weapon and the riders have short-range ray pistols (very short range).

Interestingly, as a new faction they have a totally new chart with new Resolve and Elan results – to include “Reboot” and “Caracole”. The former makes the mechanical soldiers pause and gives an enemy a free hit on them. The latter results in a cavalry charge that stops short of contact with all figures firing their pistols at the enemy.

As I have been DEEP into convention prep this month, I am just going to be brief here and show you some WIP and the finished products. For these, I chose a lot of pearlized airbrush and craft paints. I also decided to make them sooty, oily, and grimy over their shiny metal coats.

Using my airbrush I applied the pearlized copper as an undercoat over the primer. For the riders, I used a pearlized red. The brigade commander riders got pearlized blue, yellow, and purple paints. The mounts for all were painted identically.

Next, I added various metallic craft and airbrush paints – mostly also pearlized. Then, I assembled them all.

Below you can see that progress before varnishing. Citadel “Nuln Oil GLOSS” provided a nice spilled/burned diesel sheen. Here are some close ups:

A cavalry trooper before varnishing

I varnished the figures with a gloss and a matte coating. I mounted the figures on their steel and MDF bases. Then, I added flocking material to “rubble up” the bases. This approach shows the ruins of the Industrial City from where they originated.

I flocked these with junk. Then, I added pigments to the base rubble. This gave them a dirty and sooty look. Lastly, I added painted pillow batting exhaust fumes.

The 010 “Pumpkin Roaster” Mechanical Cavalry. So named because of their victory over the Great Pumpkinheads in a past battle.
Opposite side view.
Rear view showing the exhaust plumes.

The three brigade commanders were completed similarly, and given their abilities as you see below..

Lastly, here is a video of the unit and the brigade commanders:

Video of the brigade commanders for Professor Nitpik (OZZ-544) and the Pumpkin Roasters Mechanical Cavalry.

Here is the Instagram link for the same video:

These 14 figures statues also qualify for Dave Stone’s annual “Paint What You Got Challenge”. Check it out! I’ll say it again. Dave is a great guy. I guess he’d prefer “solid bloke.” He runs this every year between Christmas and the end of February.

These were a lot of fun to build and paint up. I hope that you enjoyed them and that you will share any of your feedback in the comments section.

Final Note

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:

In the US Old Glory has a site – Wars of Ozz Miniatures.

In the UK go to Sally 4th.

And the new Wars of Ozz Supplement is available as a PDF download from the next two websites:

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 might not be as useful for you. In any case, that’s why I post them.

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 THESE PROFESSOR NITPIK MECHANICAL CAVALRY AND BRIGADE COMMANDERS:

  1. PVA Glue
  2. Popsicle sticks
  3. Gorilla Glue
  4. Alligator clips and stands
  5. MDF Bases
  6. 2″ Square War Games Accessories Steel Bases (21)
  7. War Games Accessories Steel Bases (FOW1)
  8. Vallejo Surface Primer “Black”
  9. Createx Wicked Colors “Pearl Red”
  10. Createx Airbrush Colors “Pearl Copper”
  11. Createx Airbrush Colors “Pearl Green”
  12. Createx Airbrush Colors “Pearl Plum”
  13. Vallejo Mecha Color “Sky Blue”
  14. Army Painter “Dark Tone” (wash)
  15. Vallejo “Metal Medium”
  16. DecoArt “Peacock Pearl”
  17. Vallejo Mecha Color “Metallic Green”
  18. Vallejo Mecha Color “Metallic Blue”
  19. Vallejo Model Air “Gun Metal”
  20. Martha Stewart “Duckling Pearl”
  21. Vallejo Model Color “Off White”
  22. Army Painter “Dark Tone” (wash)
  23. Vallejo Mecha Color “Off White”
  24. Vallejo Model Color “Brass”
  25. Army Painter Speed Paint 2.0 “Brazen Copper”
  26. Army Painter Speed Paint 2.0 “Polished Silver”
  27. Army Painter Warpaints Fanatics Effects “Data System Glow” (effect)
  28. Army Painter Speed Paint 1.0 “Blood Red”
  29. Army Painter Speed Paint 1.0 “Fire Giant Orange”
  30. Army Painter Speed Paint 1.0 “Zealot Yellow”
  31. Army Painter Warpaints Air “Neon Yellow”
  32. Vallejo Model Air “Chrome”
  33. Army Painter Warpaints “Rough Iron”
  34. Vallejo Thinner Medium
  35. Citadel “Nuln Oil GLOSS” (wash/shade)
  36. Battlefront “Black”
  37. Vallejo Mecha Varnish “Gloss”
  38. Vallejo Flow Improver
  39. Vallejo Thinner
  40. Army Painter “Black Battlefields” (flocking)
  41. Juweela 1:35 Debris
  42. Juweela Metal Scrap Rusty
  43. Pillow batting
  44. Vallejo “Carbon Black” (pigment)
  45. Vallejo “Titanium White” (pigment)
  46. Vallejo “Pigment Binder”
  47. Vallejo Premium Color “Matte Varnish”
  48. Black Sharpie pen
  49. Brown Sharpie pen
  50. Nitpik flag design from Wars of Ozz Facebook page (printed on card stock)
  51. Card stock
  52. Pendraken 12mm dice frames
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