AtR: more nomad teaser pics...

Seb came across on Saturday and helped me get some more nomad figures prepped. Add in some painting time and things are coming along quite nicely. All things going to plan I should have the nomads finished long before the display game at Reveillie  (!)

Which is good,  as my brain is wandering about the setting we started building, coming up with all sorts of ideas... The heavily armed trade caravans  of the Neu-Hanseatic League, wandering London Engineers seeking lost archeotech, scavengers, savage tribes, giant subterranean worms (tremors style), landships, mutated dwellers in long lost catacombes, the list keeps going on. From my perspective, I can see masses of scope for steampunkish post-apocalypse adventures, with heavy hints of  Mortal Engines but with everything from Indiana Jones (archetechologist being chased through a ruined sewer system by misshapen troglodytes) to Beowulf (a nomad tribes camp is being plagued by a monster of prodigious capabilities and a wandering hero is in town to help) via His Dark Materials Trilogy (there's got to be space for a mercenary Texan aeronaut!?).  And heavns know what Seb will come up with... (although he has already confessed to being heavily influenced by Darwins World)

Anyway, enough waffle.  On to the  WiPs!

All That Remains Teaser - Northern Nomad WiP shots.....

A few WiP snaps from my desk, showing some of the stuff I'm working on for the ATR display game - please ignore the part painted Valkyrie crew and the horde of  grey-primed dark-ages types on the paint station in the background! Most of the figures are based off either Gripping Beast Jomsvikings or Wargames Foundry Cossacks; and I'm trying to convey the image of a post-apocalypse, nomadic warrior culture. These folks are mammoth (don't ask) and reindeer herders, who trade and raid as the opportunity presents itself. Technology level is black-powder, with occasional bits of scavenged pre-apocalyse technology (such as the Carn's pump action shotgun). I'm hoping that by mixing Rus Vikings, cossacks and generic hair barbarians together I'll get a group that looks unmistakably 'northern warrior', without looking too much like anyone thing....
Inspiration definitely stolen from the World of Mortal Engines books!

If these guys are interesting - please do check out the ATR blog:  http://armiesoftheaftermath.blogspot.co.uk/

-Xander

 From L: A scav/archeotechologist, nomad warrior, Carn Ikea Torsson, a selection of pack mules and part of a hunting dog. The building in the background will be the 'traders hut' in the display game... Yes, it does have a sofa and a washing machine outside it. No... I don't know why either!

From L; Hunting dogs, light cannon 1 (Warlord Frame gun), light cannon 2 (Boot Hill 'come take it' gun), 2 part-converted Warlord gun crew (ECW Scots -> Northern Nomads) & a part built cart as scatter for the village in the display game.
The gun crewman hunched over will be getting a slung shield and will have some GSing done on his coat. The chap leaning forward with the fuse needs some work done on his trousers, and may well get a belt...

Assorted part painted Northern Nomads
(Note: angry northern lady!)

More assorted part painted nomads....

Close-up of Carn Ikea Torsson, my commander for the display game
(Ancestral shotgun for the win!)

WiP update: a quick trawl over the desk...

I just thought I'd share some of the WiP stuff and 'things to do' that are currently lurking on my desk. They are mostly 40mms (statues, Russian VDV airborne, milita of shapes and sizes,  government regulars and lots of unstarted stuff) but there are some 28mms (Malayan emergency CTs, security forces, planters and home guard+ ssome deamons for a Fistful of Kung Fu and some near future special forces ) slowly chugging along in between other things.  They'll probably get a boost a bit later this year as John and I were chatting about rules for the Malayan emergency the other week, and he has masses of jungle scenery... I still have lots of 20mm in the pipeline, so there will be more cold war goodness in the future too...

40mm Conversions

I spent the weekend pottering around with converting 40mms...

 The figures in the picture below started life as SWAT,  but I am planning to use them as European peace keepers.  I'm currently adding GS tunic bottoms to make them look more like soldiers. The squads will have 5 men - 3x G36, a SAW and a guy with a MP5 and a LAW. The AT guy in the picture has the peaked cap from a milita member as I thought it might give the unit more personality...

MMilita types - the two in GS masks and the chap with the shotgun and beard are done.  The figure on the right will be getting a Cossack style fur hat and his shirt lengthened into a tunic.

The rest of the 

figures are assorted Russians, mixing and matching MVD, VDV and Spetsnatz parts to give a bit more diversity. 

Current WiP stuff

Just a quick post with a couple of views from my painting desk - currently working on (yet more) milita and some government forces. The dark green clothing on the milita will be getting a tiger stripe scheme using calthan brown and desert yellow,  and I am currently planning to leave most of the lighter greens as plain fatigues.  I'm not sure about the grey jacket on the guy with the helmet and RPK. It was inspired by JNA uniforms which were floating around during the Balkans wars, and I had toyed with doing it in a camo pattern instead- although I don't think the cut of the jacket would suit?

The government troops are about half way through recieving their knock-off Alpenflage camo...

And another 'catching up' update....

I remembered that in the last post I had forgotten about more 20mm's: 2 squads worth of Soviet Motor rifles in the classic brown uniforms, and another 2 squads in NBC gear, and 5 downed US aircrew....So yes, I've been a bit busy/productive during my absence. I also found a few pictures from back in the summer that shows some of my completed/WiP work :)

Assorted WinterApoc conversions

Saga stuff! we, actually, not for Saga.... but it's a good saying none the less! Mainly rebases, although all the ghostly celts and tree spirits where new paint jobs

Assorted 20mm Cold War bits and some newly painted 'Arthurians'

Slightly blurry Athrurians and some rivers which I had forgotten about doing...!

Most of the dark ages types are still pretty much like this, but the 20mm's in the back ground have all been done...

WiP Update (28mm) - WinterApoc

Another mega update - this time with some more up-to-date WiP stuff....

Figures that are just at the start of the conversion process (Foundry, Brittania, TAG, Redoubt, SMM)

A few more that are edging closer to completion... (Offensive, Tiger, Killer B, TAG, Foundry & Brigade)

And a couple more from the paint desk (SMM, LAM, Hasslefree & Foundry)...

Udate (28mm) - Painted 'cold apocalypse' survivor convesions and a few more WiPs

So here's the latest update on my cold/winter British Apocalypse (yeah - I'm still working on a snappy name). I've actually done quite a bit of work since I took these pictures, but updated pictures will be along in their due course...

Here are the figures I showed last time in paint. I've tried to keep to a muted pallet, but make them look like anyone you might pass in the street or any outfits that you might buy from an out-doors store. The guy in the black hooded jacket has since got some red fingerless gloves, a) to make him look a bit warmer and b) to break up the drab colour scheme some more. I'm a bit stuck on how to do bases on these guys, and I'm knocking up a couple of dummy runs on blank penny-washers to try to work out what looks best...

These folks have changed a fair bit, but this was the state of conversion a while ago. From the left: TAG Criminal, Hasslefree, TAG African Militia,TAG African Militia, TAG Tunnel Rat, Dixon Resistance Fighter. Since then, far left & right have been finished and are actually in paint, whilst the others are all only awaiting minor details (bag straps, etc). The grey paint is for improved contrast (I find it hard to work out quite how things will look in just the green)

Here is the 'quiver' I eventually settled on - I was going to try to sculpt it open, with bolts sticking out... but my sculpting isn't quite up to that yet, so closed it is.

Objective markers - the two bags I sculpted in paint, along with a couple of jerry cans and a mystery crate....!

Happy New Year and a mini-update

Just a quick note to say Happy New Year to everyone! There will be more of the same coming up next year - although I'm going to resist trying to make any predictions as given my butterfly tendencies I'm unlikely to follow them!  

Just a couple of BritApoc figures - I cant remember if I've shown these before or not: A BCB Viral mutant thingy and a Babylon's Burning roller ganger who will be joining one of my Yobbo Raider gangs

Long cold winter - some well wrapped up BritApoc survivor conversions

Well, between the recent cold weather, and the greens for the forthcoming 'Scavenge, Skirmish, Survive' game (Modern, UK Set Post Apocalypse game, following a 'Super Volcano' eruption. The main source of information I've come across is on the LAF HERE, althought there are a few other related threads on there, whilst there is also some background on the companies webstore HERE ) I've been thinking about 'winter' after the End (yes, I'm a total butterfly!) and that maybe quite a few of my figures are a bit lightly dressed... So I've started converting a few winter ones.

Inspired by the outfits I've seen out-and-about (and the possibilities of compatibility with the SSS range) I've kept them deliberately generic (possibly even "modern"). This has also been influenced by the fact I've been wondering about maybe doing some more up to date stuff (not replacing the retro bits, but adding to it, to give some wider variety. Certainly lots of the figures are generic enough to work for both, partly due to a poor effort in respect to me converting them)

The first figure is a converted MoFo Falklands British marine officer - I converted the beret, took off the trouser pouch, epaulettes and the pocket on the left arm. The back-pack is from the never-released Em-4 miniatures 'Rioters' conversion pack. I think this figure is pretty much complete in terms of conversion...

Originally a TAG Russian Mafioso with an AKSU, I switched the assault rifle for a Sterling ages ago. Then, when I realised quite how many automatic weapons I had, I decided to change it further. The crossbow is only blu-tacked in, and is a mix of brass-rod and a 'historical' crossbow I picked up in a bits lot ages ago. coupled with the wire storck, it should give a nice 'skeleton-frame sports model' look, and will probably get a natty black paint scheme. Conversions on this guy have been pretty straight forward - converting his tee-shirt into a jacket by adding sleeves, a collar and buttons; I've also incorporated the belt into it. This guy needs a bit more work yet - the crossbow needs finishing, he'll need a back-pack or satchel, a quiver of some sort and maybe a melee weapon (knife in sheath?). I'm also deciding what to do with his head - maybe a wooly hat and/or a beard....  

This chap was part of the Killer B games 'Geezers' range - I "de-70's" him by cutting the flares back into a more standard shaped trouser, and added a beard to loose the side burns. He originally had a little snub-nosed revolver in his right hand, which I very nearly kept... but I decided that I had enough fire-arms, so I switched it out for the two-handed club (Originally a GW plastic Empire Militia club, with the spikes filed down ot look like bolts). The back pack is from a 1/35th figure. I think the only other modification was removing the epaulettes of his jacket, but as that's obscured by the shoulder straps it wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway. I think this guy is about done too. 

 I'm tempted to get another of these figures to convert, but this time keep the revolver, and maybe change the left arm to be carrying something...

Another TAG figure - this time a Vietnam era US special forces trooper. I cut the pump-action down, reworked the lock and added a fore-stock out to the figures grip to make it look more like an 'over-and-under' double barrel. It's not perfect, but it should look about right when painted. The short sleeves were cut off, long sleeves added, along with re-sculpting the collar of his jacket and adding a scarf, which has been tucked in (I was inspired by the Geezers figure above...). The Claymore bag has been change to being a normal satchel, and the figure lots the side-pockets on his trousers. In terms of what else to do, I'm going to extend the trousers so that they aren't tucked in in an effort to make him look less military, and I'll do some more work on the head. I think I'll go for a hat of some sort, but hold off on any facial hair.

Originally a Dixons Miniatures female partisan, I fear this lady looks a little more like a 1950's hiker rather than a post-apocalypse survivor, but I'm not sure what else I can do to rectify that (possibly add more hair, and change the beret into something a little more modern. I had hoped it would add and improvised look, but I'm not sure it does.) Very little conversion done to this figure - I added a scarf, and the back-pack from an Em-4 plastic ganger ( I thought rope might be useful to a scavenger!). In terms of what is left to do, I will add back-pack straps, and as I say, do something to her head gear. I might also extend the trousers down, but I think the walking boots add to the PA look, so maybe not.

I had a go at sculpting an abandoned pack pack to use as an objective marker, and I was pretty pleased with the result - there may well be a few more bits like this if it looks good painted up.

And finally, just a few size-comparison pictures to finish....

Found this guy on my table - a Acheson Creations caveman, with an SLR, inspired by an illustration in the back of an old 'arms-and-armour' book which was dealing the after-effects of nuclear weapons, and thought he might also fit in, as some-one actively trying to adapt to the new world by going for fur clothes, etc.