Hobby Hangout Holiday Swap

Hobby Hangout 

When the holiday swap came around this year, I immediately jumped on the opportunity. For me, this was to be a kick in the rear to get started painting again. Moving to Florida was a great thing, but at the same time has isolated me from my hobby and gaming in general. As a result, I have slowly spiraled further down until the thought of painting was horrifying. With some requirements and a deadline, I knew that I had to move forward with something and a limited amount of time to get to work. So I selected something to which I had targeted for a future Preserver or Raider warband for This Is Not A Test, but that may or may not come about and so off to a new owner. 

Miniature Selection

Mr. Pretty

I selected one of the new pieces from Brigade Games that was released from the Kickstarter campaign. The range brought a bunch of amazing figures for any wasteland needs, even some modern skirmish games. There are a number of other great products from Brigade Games, so check them out and if you like what you see then follow them on facebook.

The entire range is fantastic, but there was something great about this piece that was calling to me. I had personally names him, Mr. Pretty, though to my knowledge he has no official name. To me, Mr. Pretty makes for a perfect Lorekeeper for a Preserver warband. His dapper style, bowler hat, and topped off with a gas mask, Uzi, and walking stick. If you'd like a Mr. Pretty of your own, well you need to pick up one from the Apocalypse Wastelanders - 3 Raiders I set ($24.00).

The finished miniature was shipped off to Andrew Carter. I am hoping that Andrew is inspired to check out This Is Not A Test and start some wasteland adventures of his own. Andrew made a vlog entry about the miniature and you can find it on his Artimage YouTube channel. 

Painting Process

Mr. Pretty (front)

Though scrounging for his wares in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Mr. Pretty is always sure to be well appointed and presentable. I started with the bowler hat. I know that makes no sense, but that's where I started. I went with Vallejo Model Color Grey Black then used the Light Grey to give it a worn look. The band is Citadel Bleached Bone to match the shirt. It is important to be color coordinated.

The shirt, an impressive Citadel Bleached Bone with French cuffs provides elegance and a sense of status. Looking at the cut of the bottom, it appears that Mr. Pretty has optioned a shirt from the new Untuct line. This was washed with some Vallejo Flesh Wash to give it a bit of depth and a little of the worn appearance.

How Mr. Pretty keeps such well-pressed (and stain free) pants is a matter for another post, but clearly indicates his prowess and power. These were painted up with Model Color Blue Grey with a Model Wash Light Grey wash. Highlighting with the Light Grey helped tie it all together.

Mr. Pretty (rear)

Now, no wastelander could be considered well-equipped without a gas mask and some steel plating. The gas mask was the same black grey with a Vallejo Dark Grey Model Wash. The lenses are Vallejo Model Color Blue Grey with Folk Art Metallic Chocolate Brown rims. Now, the color for the Folk Art paint was great, but the thickness leaves quite a bit to be desired. It was perfect for fixing the Master Command Sergeant Statue, but took some work for miniature painting.

The base is round lip 30mm resin base from the Cobblestone 30MM set ($11.99 for 10) from Secret Weapon Miniatures. The cobbles on the street were painted using a couple of varieties of greys (Reaper Concrete Grey and Model Color Light Grey) and washes (Vallejo European Dust and Brown Wash). The brick surround for the sewer cover were done with Model Color Flat Red with a few layers of wash. The sewer cover was painted using the Folk Art Metallic Chocolate Brown washed with Model Color Dark Rust.

The gun was first painted with Anita's Metallic Craft Paint - Tin Roof Rust and then some washes of Nuln Oil applied. The non-metallic parts were painted with Model Color Black Grey. The holster, bags, and straps were painted using Army Painter Leader Brown and Citadel Snakebite Leather.

My Gift

Wasteland Melee (front)

I received a wonderfully painted Wasteland Melee ($9.99) from Bombshell Miniatures. I happen to be also working on my version of this same miniature, but this is great. A very natural looking Melee done in earth tones and looking well fit appropriately dusty. This fantastic paint job was done by Ken Horton of the Battle Badgers club.

Wasteland Melee (rear)

I don't know much about this base though it is a really great piece. The wrench really seems to pop out to me and the look of one that would be in a set.

This figure will go great with a larger project to which I am every so slowly working to complete. Part of that will require getting over a fear of using my air brush. I am hopeful that I can conquer that soon with my garage remodel. In that Wasteland Melee will be appropriately set-up with her Rocket Fuel Gas Station and Service Shop. It will be complete with Ice Machine, Soda Vending, Gas Pumps, Rocket Bike Repair...everything you need to explore the wastes.

Upcoming

Since I've been getting back into this a bit slowly, I'll be working on a bunch of markers and small pieces that I have received or acquired for scenery stuff. Then the plan is to complete some started pieces and move onto a few characters for the kids for our D&D campaign.

Farewell Mighty Warriors...

This Is Not A Test Peacekeeper Warband

NOVA Open Lot

As this posts, the NOVA Open came to a close. With it, the NOVA Open Charitable Foundation Silent Auction will also be closing. Attached are a couple of photos of the auction lot, which included the first ever released hard back rule book, a Gas Mask Girl sticker, the quick rules hand card, and the Peacekeeper warband. My sincere thanks to Dave Taylor of davetaylorminiatures for getting these great photos.

Peacekeeper Warband Close Up

I am hoping to find out who wins the auction and if I can will see what sort of commentary I can get from them about the warband and the rule book. I do know that this lot helped the Silent Auction totals come to nearly $5,500 raised for the charities which is about twice what was previously achieved.

I imagine that most people who are reading this either supported the Kickstarter or will be getting the rule book otherwise. Those Kickstarter items will be shipping as soon as the miniatures start arriving. Keep an eye out for your delivery!

Dragonforge Designs Kickstarter Update

Free to backers at $1100 funding!

With just 4 days to go, the Oakk - Wood Floors campaign is moving along, albeit begrudgingly. These are fantastic bases for any campaign. I have a warband of Brigade Games miniatures that will be based on these miniatures as soon as I can get my hands on them. The details on these miniatures is fantastic, with rich wood grain, wearing, and tiny details, like nails!

These bases are fantastic for Guildball players and anyone who has a water's edge, pirate, or western themed warbands or characters.

On the horizon at $1300 funding!

As I write this post, the funding crossed $1,100, Coming quickly at the $1,300 funding level is the heroic set of bases. These had some really great looking flooring contrasts. These are really great for a variety of steampunk themed miniatures, but work great as the top decking for steamships, airships, or interiors. I imagine it might also be good for many of the Wyrd miniatures.

Other ways to stay in touch...

For everyone who has taken the time to read this, thank you for your interest and support. If you want to see other content, then you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.

If you have a blog or Facebook artist page or other things, feel free to post in the comments. I'd like to tag along with what you are doing. 

Roll Call...Riot Officer

This Is Not A Test Peacekeeper Officer

There are only a few days before NOVA Open and the last officer to come to the warband is another Peacekeeper Officer from Officer Pack 1 ($13.00). No patrol is complete without an officer with a shotgun. The last officer to report is eager to blast your opponents with his Mossberg 500 riot shotgun. The shotgun has some great advantages when used in close combat situations, an added point of weapon strength within a 12" range.

This Peace Officer is decked out in the standard riot armor, but without the heavy coat or cape of some of the other warband members. The officer has the standard MSP Stetson, painted with the Vallejo Khaki Grey with Khaki highlight. The riot armor was based with Reaper MSP Military Grey and then washed with Vallejo Dark Grey Wash. The officer has Army Painter Leather Brown. His boots are Vallejo Black Grey with Citadel Boltgun Metal spurs.

With the warband finished, it was a matter of packing it up and shipping it off to the NOVA Open for the Charitable Foundation Silent Auction. There are a number of other great raffles that are available and all proceeds go to some really fantastic charities: The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Doctors without Borders, and the Fisher House Foundation. I hope everyone is able to support these great charities with the chance for some really amazing armies and pieces.

Dragonforge Designs Oakk - Wood Floors Kickstarter Update

The Kickstarter campaign is quickly approaching $1000 and hopefully will make it to the $1100 mark to unlock the next stretch goal.

Currently there are sets of bases for 30 mm, 40 mm, 50 mm. The first stretch goal unlocked the 80 mm and 120 mm bases. At $1100 all pledges of $50 or more will receive a free set of small crates. Following this, should the Kickstarter get to $1300 then the Heroic Set One will be released.

If you get in on the Kickstarter campaign, you essentially save 10% over retail prices. I've used lots of Dragonforge bases, many of the Peacekeeper warband were. These bases will be a great addition and will go very well with some of the Brigade Games miniatures that will soon be started for another This Is Not A Test warband.

Janie's got a gun

This Is Not A Test Outrider

Outrider (front)

With NOVA Open fast approaching, I had to get moving quick to make sure the last two pieces were finished and shipped to davetaylorminiatures.com for transport to the NOVA Open Charitable Foundation Silent Auction. Thankfully my #HobbyHangout pals are always available with words of encouragement and banter to keep me going.

Janie, the Peacekeeper Outrider ($6.50) was the last miniature that I finished before the Open, but I am going to cover her before the other officer. I painted this entire miniature in about 2.5 hours, which I believe is the fastest that I ever painted a figure. Sure it helped that I had already painted 5 others and the color scheme was already worked out, but I managed to keep to task for the entire time.

Outrider (rear)

 As with all good forces, it is helpful to have the advantage of sight. The Outrider is just that for the Peacekeepers. Taking advantage of keen sight, the Outrider finds the right vantage point and can keep opposing forces from advancing. With advanced optics, the Outrider's rifle allows her to hit targets from a distance.

This model follows much of the same color scheme as the other Peacekeepers. The cloak is Vallejo Olive Drab, with some Stained Olive splash, and touched up with some Golden Olive highlights. The leather vest was painted up with Army Painter Leather Brown. The Stetson is the same color combo of Vallejo Model Color Khaki Grey and Khaki. The pads/armor pieces are Reaper MSP Military Grey. The boots are a combination of Army Painter Oak and Reaper MSP Woodland Brown. The Model is based on one of the Dragon Forge Designs Urban bases.

Now with the force nearly complete, there will be one more opportunity to post prior to the Open. I truly hopes lots of people take advantage of the Silent Auction and take part in the other auctions as well.

NOVA Open Charitable Silent Auctions

Tickets are already sold out for the Pride of the 14th Legion army. Three raffles supporting Warhammer; Da Bad Moon Skwadron, Mjolinar Space Marines, and Novamarines Adeptuc Asartes. There is a WWII Soviet Tank Company for Flames of War and an Emerald Empire Squadron for X-Wing. Tickets for each of these raffles are $1 each and total 500 tickets for each raffle.

There are also a bunch of specially painted models that are up at $2 per ticket. Corvus Belli Studios made a studio painted Achilles model. Neil "Zab" Szabo provided an Adeptus Mechanicus Ironstrider. Duncan Rhodes of Games Workshop donated an Archaon, Exalted Grand Marshal of the Apocolypse. John Stiening created and painted a Bolt Action King Tiger and a Primarch Angron.  David Pauwels created and painted a Carcharodon Captain. Roman Lappat of Massive Voodoo fame, put together a Crashed X-wing scene and the NOVA Open Virtue statue, Raffaele Picca of Massive Voodoo fame, created and painted First Ranger Mira and the  Great White Werebull, A Khorne Chaos Champion was created and painted by David Faust-Du Sablon. The Ork Warlord "Overfiend of Octarius" was created and painted by Sean Fulton.

Dragon Forge Designs Oakk - Wood Floors Base Set Kickstarter

Just in time for the net projects, Dragon Forge Designs has released a great set of round lipped wood bases. These bases are perfect for a new warband that will be starting soon. Though the wood floors have a great pirate ship feel, I will be taking them more in the direction of a dock on the North Shore. So far all of the Dragon Forge Designs bases that I have used have been fantastic. This Kickstarter works as all of the others did, pledge an amount and pick that much from the available basis. Once you hit the $50 amount, you also get any of the stretch goals.

Get 'em while you can

Kickstarter Roundup

Secret Weapon Tablescapes Dungeons

Core Set Components

Secret Weapon Miniatures has developed a new area of your table top environment, Dungeons. This extension of the previously successful Tablescapes Tiles. The Tablescape Tiles product allows for a very quick set-up for war games or overland scenes for role-playing games. The new Tablescapes Dungeons is a fully compatable sister product that allows you to take your adventure underground or into a cavernous mine. The Tablescapes are also fully compatible with the Dwarven Forge and Fat Dragon Tiles.

As the Kickstarter campaign enters its last few days, let's take a look at where it stands. There are two entry levels for pledges, $5 (allows purchase of add-on items) or $75 which gets the contents of the campaign and can purchase add-on items. The $75 pledge level so far will get you the Core Set, Core Walls, Core Passageways, Core Floors, Stair Set, Door Set, and Bridge Set. The funding stands just over $120,000 and at $140,000 will unlock the bridge set. You can see most of the components released so far in the image to the right. This image excludes the stair set, which is three additional pieces (floor stair entrance, two levels of stair risers). 

In addition to the Core Set, you can add a Mine Track set ($18) or a Troll Hole ($6) and lots of options for Reaper Bones, Secret Weapon Crystals, and Reaper Paints. 

The Hobby Transporter

Another campaign which is coming to a close, is the Laser Shark Designs' hobby case. The Hobby Transporter ($95 AUD/~$72 US) is miniature case designed specifically for those who travel with hobby gear and models around the country or world. This case is designed to open entirely (top and front open) and houses a removable shelf to give two levels of model storage and removable tray to hold hobby supplies. There are pledge levels that include additional shelves or multiple cases. 

Hobby Transporter with shelves and hobby tray

The case has latches and locks, but is TSA compatible to ensure ease of transport across the United States. The shelf is made of clear acrylic with a laser etched Laser Shark Designs' logo. There are a number of shelf guides within the case to allow for the safe transport of any sized model. 

As add-on you can get steel shelf liners which will allow the use of magnetized bases instead of using blue tack. Additional shelves (acrylic and paint trays) can be purchased as well as the newly developed leaf punches. These are similar to punches for scrapbooking and come with designs for Oak, Maple, and Birch leaves. 

If you are travelling with models for display or models for competition, I highly recommend this case. Designed and developed by professional painters for just this reason. 

Linebreaker Preview

Later this week, I will be completing the next This Is Not A Test Peacekeeper for the NOVA Open Silent Auction. When people get out of hand, you want the Linebreaker ($6.50) on your side. This one got a little freehand (my first ever) and when it is your first attempt, why not tackle the Maryland flag on a helmet visor? Well, here's a preview to Sunday's post.

Hell hath no fury...

Like a Woman Scorned

Agatha Fox (front)

As part of the Reaper Bone Kickstarters, I picked up hundreds of miniatures and many of those are still sitting around collecting dust. With my involvement with This Is Not A Test, I have found a new use for many of the miniatures. Originally I picked them up for all of the fantasy figures for use with on-going D&D campaigns. Well a couple of years later, some parts from the Bombshell Couterblast Kickstarter and inspiration strikes.

I started with the Agatha Fox Bones miniature ($2.49) and made a little modification. The original figure is a peaceable enough looking woman, but with a secret, she is a spy after all. Tucked up behind her purse is what appears to be a Walther PPK (think Bond, Jane Bond).

Now while this is a fine enough figure and has been painted by many rather good painters, I decided it needed more. I liked the pose overall, but there wasn't enough oomph in the gun and I didn't see a spy in this figure so much as I saw a woman scorned. Perhaps beaten and broken, she was seeking revenge in one final confrontation.

Agatha Fox (rear)

I selected a handgun from the Neiran Weapon sprue ($2.99) since it had a much more American six shooter look to it. I had to do a little surgery on Agatha, but since it is the Bones material that is a really simple task. The material is a sinch to cut and move around. For this, I had to slice where her right hand falls behind her purse and separate her purse from her body. I cut off what was the Walther and opened the hand so that I could add the Neiran gun into a position that keeps the profile and the gun can't be seen from the front. This is similar to the work I did for the Reaper Bones Strumpet (The road from lovely scrumpet to deadly vixen).

Once the conversion was completed, I selected one of the newer Dragon Forge Designs bases, a round lipped base from the Cobblestone Rubble 30 mm sets $10.00).

Painting

Agatha Fox (Front)

I tried to keep a rather domestic look to the figure to keep with the basic idea that she is meeting up with a lover/husband and exact her revenge. She has a very fair complexion, Reaper MSP Maiden Flesh. The hair is a base of Vallejo Mahogany Brown with highlights of of Reaper MSP Griffon Tan. A wash of Vallejo Flash Wash was used to mark the line from the hair to the skin. 

The coat is based with Vallejo Khaki Grey with the Flesh Wash to add depth. The lapels were painted with straight Khai Grey. To finish off the coat, the belt was painted Mahogany Brown with a Citadel Shining Gold buckle. 

The gold carries to the purse which also has gold buckles on a Vallejo Flat Blue base. This was mottled with a Vallejo Grey Blue after a Vallejo Blue wash to give it a color similar to a Coach purse my wife has. When originally done though, the blue was too predominant and drew attention away from the face of the model. I increased the layer of blue grey and that toned it down significantly. For some additional consistency, she was given Mahogany Brown boots to complete her outfit. My thanks to some friends in the Facebook #HobbyHangout group for helping with feedback and color choices for the belt and boots. 

Agatha Fox (Rear)

The base was coated with Reaper MSP Ash Grey then some color was added to a few of the cobblestones using the Grey Blue. The highlight color was Reaper Concrete Grey. The sewer grate was painted with a base of Citadel Boltgun Metal which was then covered/washed with Vallejo Black Grey. 

After finishing it up, there was still something missing that I felt was needed to give it a bit more life. Since her colors were fall in palette, I went to the Secret Weapon Miniatures Masterclass Scenics and added some Fallen Leaves to the base. These were added in a bit of a clumpy fashion but coming off of the base to give it some action, something like the leaves being blown in the wind. Something to add to the chill nature of the act about to occur. 

Lost in the Apocalypse!

Wandering the Wasteland

I can't believe that I have let so much time go by without a post. I promise that I have been busy, but almost everything I have it packed up waiting for us to sell our house and make the move to sunny Florida. But enough about that, let's talk about some exciting things that are currently happening...

This Is Not A Test Kickstarter is LIVE!!!!!

As any of my readers know, there has been a steady campaign of This Is Not A Test occurring over the last many months. Now there is some other big news for This Is Not A Test...a hard cover rule book. Just launched last night, the campaign is blown through the $2,000 goal in 10 minutes and in the first two hours was at $7,000.

I was excited for this for a number of reasons. First it is a fantastic and fun game and one that I look forward to playing for a long time. Second, Joey gave me some ability to help out with the game. Now I have done it mainly for support, to gain some experience, and fun up to this point. I edited one release already, but with the Kickstarter; I have a full set of scenarios titled, "Eat, Prey, Live" which was unlocked at the $2,500 pledge level.

If you haven't been part of the group following my Guardia along on as they protect this small piece of the wastelands, please check it out.

Building and Sculpting

As part of the lead up to our move, my wife has been travelling back and forth to Florida as she fills her new position. This with the need to keep the house show ready has caused a decrease in the amount that I can accomplish for my hobby.  This post will be the fist of a series where I explore some terrain building. I picked up the Bachmann Trains Cape Cod House 2-Box ($19.29) and the Bachmann Trains Two Story House ($21.40) from Plasticville and will go through my process for assembly with some lessons learned.

One day we were stuck in a blizzard (won't miss that in Florida) and got to spend the day doing some hobby stuff with the kids, so there is a post coming on how to build some shanty shacks. With two kids, I had prepared ahead of time to make sure that we had some hobby materials on hand to have some fun and break up the day. I'll share the step-by-step on this as well.

On a completely new front, I decided that in support of the "Eat, Prey, Live" release, I decided to take up sculpting. The first things I took on though were objective markers for some scenarios with everyone's favorite wasteland critter, the landsnapper. I created a set of markers of landsnapper scat, a prized possession of the wasteland and useful for fuel of many types. I also created a set of landsnapper nests with eggs that will be used for something. Not sure what yet, but something...maybe something tasty. The newest project though is a Turclucken.  Want to know more about that, you'll have to wait until the Kickstarter is done and the scenarios are released.

Gaming with Kids

Growing from the blizzard, was a desire to play some new and more complex games with the kids. The first of those that we tried was Cool Mini or Not's Zombicide ($58.69). We managed to make this a family affair and I'll provide my recap of the game and reviews by me and the kids.

Coming soon

Well it is coming to be that time of year again, AdeptiCon! Once again, I am making the trip with the good folks of Geek Nation Tours. Looking forward to spending some time helping run some Couterblast demos, playing some This Is Not A Test, and helping Secret Weapon Miniatures and maybe Ironheart Artisans will sales. I also have a few pints to drink and am really looking forward to a game of Imperial Assault. If you find yourself at AdeptiCon, please take a look for me. I'll be all over, but would love to spend some time chatting and making new connections.

So that's all for tonight, back to watching the excitement!

I'm surrounded by scatter terrain!

Status Update - I was offline for hobby stuff for the last couple of weeks. First it was Thanksgiving which tied me up for some time at home and then some travel to see family. Because there aren't enough disruptions and stress at the holidays, we are preparing for a move from Maryland to Florida. Nice sure, but it also means we have to get the house ready for sale. To do that we painted the entirely of the interior which means I packed everything up for wall access. That took a week overall. Now we are preparing for carpet installation in the entire house, which means additional stuff gets packed and put aside. I did though with a house in ruins looking like life sized This Is Not A Test terrain surrounded by scatter terrain, I managed to assemble...

Warsen.al Scatter Terrain

MDF Sheet

I can't recall how I found this little terrain set, probably a Facebook feed ad or something, but you can pick up the Comanche Scatter Pack for $8. This is a great little kit made of laser cut MDF and plastic. There are no instructions in the kit, so it took me a few minutes to figure everything out, but for you, I took pictures. Even with my normal distractions of children and television, I had all of the pieces assembled in about 30-45 minutes. 

From this kit, you can make a plethora of scatter terrain for your board. The components when fully assembled will yield two pallets, six 55 gallon drums, two barricades, two cable wire spools, four Jerry cans, four ammo boxes, two ammo crates, and a satellite dish.

55 Gallon Drum Assembly Process

Let's start with the 55 gallon drums. The majority of the MDF is small circles and at first I couldn't figure out how they were to be used, but it turns out these are the spacers that make the body of the barrels. The plastic sheet contains the top, bottom and middle pieces which are slightly larger to give the appropriate bump outs/edges on the barrels. The picture shows in pictures the assembly, which I did using Aleene's Tacky Glue. Once assembled and dried, you will need to do some sanding to smooth out the centers of the barrel if you want a smooth uniform look. If not, you can prime and paint up. 

Assembled Pallets

Next up are the pallets. These are really pretty simple overall because there is only one way to assemble them correctly and since everything is pre-cut, it would be hard to assemble them incorrectly. One note though, the boards have pre-cut nail holes in them and you want to make sure they are pointing out. Some of the notches for the thin boards are irregular, so you may want to dry fit them before you glue them in place. I also started on with the larger boards which wasn't terrible, but in retrospect it would have been easier and more stable to start with the thin boards. 

Large Cable Wire Assembly

Similar to the barrels are the large cable wire spools. I have been looking for something like this for a while and was too lazy to create it myself. I do think though that you can do it very simply with s piece of PVC and some plasticard. I might have to try it soon.

Anyway, the components are similar with the ends made of the plastic and the filler made of the MDF discs. Now if you look closely at the picture, you will see that the discs for the spool are different than the disks for the barrels. Make sure you keep them separate to make the assembly easy. There is a small wooden cuboid which fits snugly in the square cut out in the disc. I know there is some joke about square pegs and round holes, but that is just if you screw it up. When you fit it all together than you should have the holes in the discs lined up with the holes in the ends which makes a nice tunnel through from side to side. 

Street Barricade Assembly

The two street barricades are pretty simple to figure out and assemble. The only thing that threw me was an extra end piece for the barricades, but you only need four of the five ends to build these. One pretty cool thing about the barricades is that they are marked so that you could paint them up immediately with some pattern (black/yellow or white/red) and not have to worry about too much work to get them done. 

These appear to be 5 gallon Jerry cans are three parts per can with the body being MDF and the sides made of plastic. The sides just glue onto the two sides. There is a little notch on the cans, so make sure you pay attention when you are gluing things together. These all fit on and line up very well, so it isn't much of an issue. This is more of a logistics warning. 

Once assembled these will be great additions either as stand along pieces or added to any number of tanks or small jeep like vehicles. 

If you look to the left of the Jerry can bodies on the MDF sheet, you will notice four little rectangles and I wasn't sure where they went. I looked at the image for the scatter pack a bunch of times and couldn't see anything there. But at the end of the time, I figured out that they were 4 ammo boxes and apparently no assembly necessary. In fact these aren't even included in the description of the set, so happy bonus!

Jerry Cans and Ammo Crates

The ammo crates are three pieces. The top and bottom are made of the plastic and the filler is made of MDF. The picture of the scatter pack shows four ammo crates, but the description (which is correct) indicates two ammo crates. One note to really be careful is with the handles on the crates. These are small, really small and barely attached to the crates. In face one of mine was missing, which isn't a big deal. I removed them immediately and then glued them into position. Doing this means you can change them to up or down. Down is more secure than up, so select based on how much you will use them. Other than that, the pieces just stack together. 

The two tires are made of four pieces and completely plastic. Each part has a set of nubs carved on the exterior. When all put together it makes the tread for the tires. One interior piece has the spokes for the tire and the other has is just a cog looking piece with nothing in the interior. The exterior pieces have some etching to look like the exterior of a tire, duh. So long as you have the etched pieces facing out, you can easily glue them together and be ready for prime and paint. 

Satellite Dish and Tires

The communications satellite dish is a pretty cool little piece. The entire set-up is made of plastic except for the base which is a nice little piece of MDF which would be equally suitable as a base crown. I didn't take pictures, but the base of is two pieces which slide together. You may want to glue this together first then build something else and come back when the glue sets some. There is a frame for the dish part which sort of looks like a Klingon batliff (really had to dig deep into my nerd file for that). This slides up into the leg frame and then is covered by the center panel of the dish. The wings then just glue onto the frame.

This is a great set of terrain and incredibly affordable. I am looking forward to getting it painted up and ready for the tabletop. Definitely check them out for more more pieces especially if you play Infinity, that is the majority of the offerings.

Kickstarter News

Three Kickstarter campaigns that I wanted to tell you about. The first is the latest from Dragon Forge Designs - Goth-Tech Expansion Bases and Accessories, which I mentioned previously. This has achieved funding level and unlocked a couple of stretch goals, the latest getting every a free ammunition objective marker. As I write this the campaign is about $100 dollars from unlocking stretch goal number 6 ($1800). This will unlocked another set of oval bases.  Down the road a ways is this generally named "Generator" which is in process. This is a marker or general terrain piece and stands rather large. Currently the aim for this is a $3000 stretch goal, so a little while to go. To see us there though, a bunch of other stretch goals are laid out already. If you have a tech-based army, this is a good opportunity to get in on some top-notch base sets.

The second is a cool set of Slavic Fantasy Miniatures which have been sculpted for Deraj Studios. The miniatures are 32 mm, so suitable for pretty much any tabletop campaign or RPG. The miniatures are high quality resin and based on Slavic folklore. Sculptors include Kamil Smok Milaniuk, Prezmyslaw Szymczyk, and Patrick Keith (Bombshell Miniatures). This has already doubled the original funding goal, so additional miniatures are being developed. There is a really amazing Rooster which has been hollowed out to be a home and walking about. 

These figure support a game as well, Portals: Worlds Collide which looks to allow you to bring many universes together for a table top skirmish game. 

The last on the list today is the Trash Bin Bits Part 2! campaign by Brian Roe. This is the follow-on to the previous Kickstarter campaign. In this campaign, Brian brought us another round of pretty great looking sci-fi doors/windows/covers to bring your trash bin creations to life and finish them off with style. You can see the amazing sets that are now available as high quality resin bits. These are perfect for the DIY modeller who can take cardboard packaging inserts, CD cases, and otherwise discarded materials and make some top notch sci-fi terrain. I am glad to have gotten in on this campaign and am eagerly looking forward to the materials being cast and sent to me. 

Hopefully all of this come before I move so I don't have to worry about mail/package forwarding. Anyway, keep your eyes open for more exciting Kickstarter opportunities and if you have others of interested, add them in the comments section.

Geek Out on Black Friday!

Just when you thought you were prepared for Black Friday a bunch of new deals were announced! Here are some additional deals that have popped up since the This Is Not A Test: Marshal's Report: Interlopers! post. Before we get to that though, let's take a look at a Kickstarter hitting today! Get those shopping lists out, you have more to consider!

Dragon Forge Design Goth-Tech Expansion Kickstarter

Round Lip Forge Kit Kickstarter Exclusive

If the deals being offered by Dragon Forge Design wasn't enough, today starts the launch of a new series of bases. The Goth-Tech bases are designed to have a very steampunk feel to them and have been very popular for a variety of 28mm games. This expansion makes the round lipped style bases available, adds new base styles, and fills in a number of the new base sizes required for many games.

Starting at the $50 Early Bird pledge level, you get a Kickstarter exclusive set (bevel or round lip) which is a set of five 30 mm bases and a 50 mm base. Additional bases may be added as Stretch Goals are unlocked. Be sure to pay attention as these are limited to the first $50 Early Bird pledges and you must select either Bevel or Round Lip specifically. At this level you can select any number of bases up to the total value of the pledge and can mix bevel and round lip styles.

170 mm Goth-Tech Knight Base

Additional pledge levels are $10, $25, $50, and $100. $10 will get you one 30 mm base. The $25, $50, and $100 pledge levels allow you to select any style bases, but you do not qualify for the freebies as they are unlocked.

Bases in the range include round (30 mm up to 120 mm) and oval (up to 170 mm) that will be suitable for any game. Base sets run from $9 to $20 with lots of new sculpts. 30 and 40 mm base sets include 10 bases. 50 mm base sets and the 60 x 35 mm oval bases come as 3 bases per set. The other larger bases are singularly priced.

I have a number of the other bases, terrain pieces, and modelling supplies offered by Dragon Forge Design and recommend these fully. The work is very well done and I highly recommend. Also be sure to check out the currently running Thanksgiving Week sale.

This Is Not A Test Black Friday Sale

The wastelands are all bleak (though my last game may say otherwise, that post is coming soon). From November 26 through November 29th, you can get a free miniature with any purchase of $40 or more. Now, the available critters are not recommended for dinner, but add greatly to your wasteland adventures. Use the code 'thanks40' during checkout. Now if you decide that there is just too much goodness (and really who wouldn't) and you find you have managed to cram more than $60 in your cart, you can select the Mutant Rats instead. Use code 'thanks60' during checkout.

Burn In Designs

If you find your tabletop is looking a little desolate or you just need to refresh the terrain, then I recommend you take a look at Burn In Designs. While you can get a number of laser cut terrain pieces, many of which you may have seen in posts by Jim Wappel, the holiday sale is limited. Running from Nov 27 through Dec 12, you can get 15% off of all paint storage systems and 10% off all Welcome to Rock Ridge kits. The Rock Ridge kits are perfect for any games of Wild West Exodus games (10-50% off at site).


Army Painter

Get to Army Painter between Nov 26 and 30th to stock up on all the paints that you will need to be successful until next year. The good folks of Army Painter have put together a Black Friday Super Mega Pack. This combination set includes the Army Painter Mega Paint set, a can of primer (your choice of color), and a can of Anti-Shine Matte Finish ($150 total). You will receive a can of Quickshade Strong Tone. This is a total of $29.99 in free materials and to sweeten the deal, shipping is included as well.

Warploque Miniatures

Warploque Miniatures is about to start the Griffsmas Sale which is a 30% discount on the Arcworlde Arcane Dragon. This miniature would normally be £80. Now the really crazy thing is, at least how I read the post, the miniature will only be available during the Griffsmas Sale. Some of the other miniatures are also for sale at 25-30% off. There is a limited stock of the miniatures, so make sure if you are interested that you get to the site quickly. They are a UK based company so the sale is already underway. The sale runs from Nov 27th through Dec 31st.

There's more!

Kromlech is offering 20% off all purchases. Wargames Tournaments is offering 30% off a wide variety of terrain pieces through the eBay store.

My Sincerest Thanks

Given this is Thanksgiving in America (Thursday to everyone else), I wanted to take a moment to give my sincere thanks to all of the people who take a moment or two to read through my blog posts. I started this originally because I am color blind and needed a mechanism to track color schemes and the specific names of paints that I use for each miniature. This was also supposed to get me to complete my 40k Imperial Guard army, which still hasn't happened.

I have though evolved my skills, the scope of this blog, and my own goals and aspirations. I have grown my personal network, which now includes some amazing miniature painters and game designers across the globe and all of whom are very down to Earth and approachable, which is fantastic when you want to develop. On top of all of the changes, I have taken on new projects which including attempting to sculpt new parts for miniatures, creating a card game, and learning airbrush skills.

So sincerely, I thank everyone who has taken a moment to read these posts and I look forward to where this all goes into the future.

Chris

Mayday! Mayday! We need heavy support! Counterblast Heavy Support Kickstarter!

Counterblast Heavy Support Kickstarter

Counterblast Kickstarter Fullfillment

Bombshell Miniatures started the Counterblast Heavy Support Kickstarter campaign on May 4, 2015 and it concluded on May 15th, so not much time to get funded but they were successful once again.

The Kickstarter had three levels of support, the Cadet ($2), Digital ($5), and Ultonium ($100). The Cadet was designed to allow you to get into the Kickstarter and purchase any add-ons separately. The Digital level was to allow access to the digital version (pdf) of the Counterblast rules ($9.99). The Ultonium level, which I selected, gave you the any selection of reinforcements and add-ons and the Bomb Kit.

The Bomb kit was the package of "freebies" that were unlocked during the campaign, which ended up including a set of equipment and tools, Edo arc weapons, Neiran weapons, and a lovely Bombshell Babe.

To complete my selections, I decided the Lancer Barracuda Rocket Bike was just too fantastic, so I got two of them. (There is an alternate version, the HS38 Rocket Bike ($16.99) which you can also get if you wanted some different options/looks.) Now while it is great to have a cool set of rocket bikes, you need a faction/warband to play the game, so I went with the Lancer Heroine Crew Set. These will also be used to lead up a new all female warband for This Is Not A Test. As I develop this new warband and paint through them, blog posts will be developed for them. Keep an eye out, those will hopefully get started in December. Just a note, when the models go live on the Bombshell web store, I will update this post with links to all of the Counterblast models.

I picked up a few little helpers/assistants, because who doesn't need support. For me it was the M.i.N.E. bots ($2.99 each) and Shrapnel ($2.99) (twilight zone-style goblin). These are all great sculpts as everyone expects from Bombshell. Glad I was able to get in on the Kickstarter and now let's paint some M.i.N.E. bots.

M.I.n.E Bots

MinionTM

As you can clearly see, these little guys make the perfect, um...what's the term, minion for all your evil scientist needs. There are a few options for M.I.n.E bots from Bombshell. You can get the individual models or you can get a set of three ($14.99). The set of three include two bots with double sets of visual components (eyes) and an array of arms that can be added. I don't have these yet, but it is another on the list of things to get.

Originally, I was going to paint this in a distinct color scheme, but once the kids saw them; it was apparent what color scheme I was going to use. So, let's start with the primer. Since I wanted to paint these yellow, I went with Army Painter Barbarian Flesh primer. This gives a nice mild brown color which makes the yellow a bit deeper. I used a few layers of Vallejo Model Color Flat Yellow. The first was to cover and as the layers progressed, the yellow became more thinner to allow for a smoother finish. The pants were painted with Vallejo Model Color Flat Blue. The belt section between is Vallejo Model Color Blue. This is a little deeper and breaks the yellow and blue pants. For the surrounds to the optics, the shoulder mounts, and the attennae mount, I used Citadel Leadbelcher so it was metal but not too shiny. For the optics, I started with Vallejo Light Grey. This includes the interior of the surround. I mixed up a 50:50 mix of the Light Grey and Reaper HD MSP Spectral White and added a smaller section of the optics center. The next layer added some Vallejo Model Color White to the mix. This made for a very near white. To give a small area of light to the optics, I used a small area of pure Vallejo White.

Finished MInE bots

With the highlight to the optics, I decided it was now necessary to add some highlights to everything else. This required an addition of Vallejo Model Color Fluo Yellow to the top left side of the body. To the optic surrounds, I added some highlights of Citadel Bolt Gun Metal. Looking at pictures of actual Minions, the boots and hands (Minions where gloves) were painted up with Vallejo Black Grey. The Minions where black boots and gloves, but this usually comes out too shiny. The boots and gloves were washed with Vallejo Dark Grey Wash. That gives enough depth to the boots to make them look like actual black boots. The antennae were also painted with the Citadel Bolt Gun Metal so they were different than the antennae mount.

I decided to keep these really clean, mostly because the kids will love them looking much like the actual Minions. I'll have to pick up some more so that I can make a couple of little rust buckets with bent antenna. These are some great sculpts and were a lot of fun to paint up. Next will be to figure out how I am going to base these. Thinking of some tech deck for something industrial or lab like.

Movember 2015 Campaign 

While Bombshell is well known for the Bombshell Babes and now Counterblast, I want to remind everyone that this is Movember. I am again doing what I can to raise awareness and donations for men's health and research. If you are willing to make a donation, you can do so here: http://mobro.co/chrislayfield. There you can find the link to donate, can find updates that I post regularly, and more information about men's health. So please donate and don't be a dick, save one.

Thanks,
Chris

It's Jack! My Pumpkin Pal by Bombshell Miniatures

Pumpkin Pal by Bombshell Miniatures 

Pumpkin Pal

No visit to the pumpkin patch is complete without bringing home a pumpkin to carve a Jack O'Lantern, but what happens when the Jack O' Lantern carves you first? Bombshell Miniatures has a great little sidekick Pumpkin Pal for your gaming needs. I plan on using this as a sidekick to my Reaper BONES Gauntfield miniature.

Bombshell Miniatures, as the name indicates, is best known for the Bombshell Babes line, but there are a slew of other miniatures that they now create including the Counterblast game. I have a bunch of pieces from the Counterblast Kickstarter which I'll be painting up in due time. I'll also have some posts coming that include the addition of a couple of Rottweilers that I'll be adding to my This Is Not A Test peacekeepers, the Gardia. I will also be using Delta the Wastelander either to lead up a new warband or as a freelancer.

Though Jack and Gauntfield are my Halloween offerings this week and I am kicking myself for not starting more Halloween stuff and a larger project, I wanted to direct folks over to Rob Hawkins' Halloween: Cornfield blog post where he covers creating a rowed field of corn with a block wall surround. This is great stuff and inspiring to create some terrain in the near future.

Carving up Jack, my Pumpkin Pal

Thankfully it is Halloween and with three small kids, I get to go to the pumpkin patch to do the hay ride out to the field and pick a pumpkin. I also get to do some real world research on pumpkin vines, flowers, and of course pumpkins.

Jack and Secret Weapon base

The first step was to give Jack a more substantial base. I was originally going to stick with a basic blank base, but after rummaging through some stuff, I found another of the Secret Weapons Field of Screams round lipped bases which is perfect since it matches Gauntfield.

Jack mounted on base and base litter

Since Jack is metal and the base is pretty small, I decided it was easier to modify the base than modify the miniature. I also wanted to be sure to maintain the roots/legs of Jack on the base. Using a chisel blade on my cutting tool, I removed the surface texture of the base until I had a nice flat location to mount Jack with Kragl. The base of the miniature was then painted with the Citadel Blackfire Earth technical paint to give it the same base texture/look as Gauntfield.

Finished Jack

As I did with pumpkin on Gauntfield's base, I painted the head of Jack with Reaper MSP HD Pumpkin Orange and then gave a wash with Vallejo Brown Wash.

For the eyes and the mouth, I wanted to get the feel of an internal fire. I mean this is a Jack O'Lantern after all. To achieve this look, I went with a mix of the Pumpkin Orange and a Vallejo Flat Yellow. I started with a small spot of yellow then added layers of the orange mixed with yellow to get the dulling of the flame as it moved outwards. I then mixed in some Reaper White to bring the yellow up lighter and added a small touch of nearly pure white to the brightest flame. After this was set, I went back over the jacks to highlight the oranges.

Finished Jack

The vines that make up his arms, body, and roots were painted first with Vallejo German Camo Bright Green. To add some depth, I used a very little of the Vallejo brown wash on the main section of the body. Now most pumpkin vines are brighter than this, so I went over the top parts with Vallejo Golden Olive. This game the vines more of a natural look.

The leaves were painted with Vallejo U.S. Dark green as the base. These are pretty well clustered and at all sorts of angles, so be sure to use a watered down paint to get to all of the recesses. I went over the leaf tops with the German Camo Bright Green to make them pop a bit more and because the leaves do get darker through the season, there is still a lot of life left in these.

Pumpkin flowers are usually a dull yellow this time of year. For these I used a Vallejo Flat Yellow and created one location for the flower on the right arm. There are no molded flowers on the piece, but after the trip to the pumpkin patch, you see them all over and I felt that he needed to have one. I would consider on the next one to attempt to sculpt out a flower for him. The flowers are longer and kind of limp semi-tubular things.

Gauntfield and Jack

I think I will have to get a bunch of these little guys to put together an interesting game and build out a corn field maze to go along with it. I think some special rules and another player and you end up with an interesting This Is Not A Test board. For a great tutorial on how to build the corn field, check out the Hobby Terrain: Cornfield post by Rob Hawkins.


As a bonus, Bombshell is running a Halloween special sale through midnight on the 31st. So get to the pumpkin patch and load up on some treats and save 20% off a selection of some of the most frightening miniatures.

Bombshell Miniatures Sale

This Is Not A Test Halloween Release

This Halloween get a bonus treat for yourself from This Is Not A Test and you won't even need a costume. There will be a new warband released on Halloween! I had the pleasure of being the editor for this release. Be warned though, if this group shows up at your door, the trick is you are the treat. The Mutant Cannibals are widely feared and rarely seen, mostly the stuff of legend and scary stories around campfires, unless you are in a small isolated community or running a caravan through remote territories. The Mutant Cannibals are familial units, most frequently lead by the matron, Mamaw, or patron, Pa. There are a nasty mix of familial relations and mutants made by interbreeding, exposure, and kidnapping. Many have become dinner guests of the Mutant Cannibals, but rarely do they take home a doggy bag. Book mark this site for the Mutant Cannibals ($3.99), it is now available! For more on the modules, check out Marshal's Report: The night has eyes and Marshal's Report: Caravanner raid.