25mm Battletech

While waiting for my next load of pirates to come in, I wanted to see what else I could build out of balsa and cardboard. I built a few ships, like the one posted below and I wanted to do something like that, but yet not along the lines of pirate stuff. As it happens, my pirates share a carry case with my old Battletroops miniatures. So then it hit me: I need a mech for these guys.

It didn't take long for me to pick one, the Locust was the only way to go. Not only were the legs and feet easier to build, but you can get a lot of the unseens as Robotech model kits. You can get a 1/32 scale Locust as a Crusher Joe kit, but it only stands like 4 or 5 inches tall and to be in scale with the other mechs it should be about 5-6 inches tall.

The hull was made from 4mm thick balsa. I built a box roughly shaped like the hull and sanded down the rough parts. I used mounting board to do details like the cockpit and to detail the hull with. I also used some thinner card off of a snack cake box to do some details. The mech was then dropped onto an old CD-ROM as a base. There's a 25mm Stiener laser rifleman and an Elemental for scale comparisons right next to the base. Both are from Ral Partha's old battletech line. I know you can still get the elemental from Iron Wind Metals, but I have no clue about the other guy. I'd say E-bay it and hope for the best.

I think the next step from here is to base it with GW rough coat and possible use a lot of ink washes to dirty it down. I don't want to pait it for a particular unit; I want to be able to use it for a lot of battles. I have both Kurtia infantry and Stiener one for Battletroops. Hell, it might never see a game as an actual Locust. There's some talk of doing Weird War II so it may become an Allied or German walker.

Yaaaaaaarrrrrrrr!

Back from deployment with a thirst to paint, I set upon my pirate collection again. I managed to paint a few more of them. All told, I have about 25 or so pirates painted with a few captains and two banners. When I clean off this heap of balsa and cardstock I have three pirates with boarding pikes to paint up yet. I get to posting some shots of the new pirates soon.

Over the weekend I did an internet search for Garry Chalk's instructions on how to build a pirate ship out of cardstock and balsa wood. Having Monday off, I raided the local Micheal's art supply store for the need materials. I spent about 5 hours Monday afternoon and another 4 hours or so today. I'm just about done with the ship. I have a few things to add yet, like windows on the stern and some detailing to the hull sides before I paint it.

I will say this about the plans: they're pretty close. I did find that I need to make adjustments to the parts now and again. I'd say they were about 90% accurate. I had to make a different hull template that was a bit longer and wider, along with some of the dressing parts. All in all, it's been a blast to put together. I have one other ship plan that I'd like to try. I'm not sure if I will build another one of these or not, but it sure was fun.

Ahhhhhrrrrrrrrrr!

Drink up me hearties!

So I was digging around my 'lost projects bin' the other day for something to paint. You know the lost bin, it has all the half finished projects that you never got around to doing in it. From the bin I grabbed a bag of foundry pirates left over from a project I did about 9 years ago when I was playing Flagship Games' 'Pirates' game. Somewhere deep in my collection is a pirate crew for that game. Having just finished watching the latest instalment of Pirates of the Caribbean, I grabbed the bag and retreated to the warmth of my old Kentucky home.

While on a computer break, I found that Warhammer Historicals is going to release a set of pirate rules sometime this year. That's cool by me, as it will be based of the Legends of the Old West rules. Even better.

First up is Mad Molly Howard and here crew. The banner is hand painted and converted from a pirate armed with a boarding pike. The other two scallywags are armed with a musket and knife followed by a guy who's seen better days with his pistol and cutlass.

Another converted pikeman in this crew. I really like the red flag thing. From what I gather, Henry Every had red banner with a skull on it. If Osprey Books is right, it was the same skull as below with crossed bones under it. Regardless, I pirated it for my own, dropped the bones and add a cannon and some cannon balls. I think it looks catchy. I like the black banner from above, but it doesn't strike me as well as the red one does.

Rounding out this little batch is an officer in a coat, a scallywag with a musket again, and Scotsman with a short barrelled blunderbus. At least I think he's supposed to be a Scot. Last we have three figures that aren't really pirates but were fun to paint all the same. We have civilian types and every one's favorite: the corporate downsizer. I can't wait to use the civi's as hostages and maybe even run a game where the pirates have to free their buddies in the dungeon from the evil headsman