Basing, basing, basing...

It's been pointed out to me that the color scheme for my Conquest Development Center Storm Troopers army (Titan Marines with Old Crow vehicles - gallery here) would look great on Mars-type environments. My first 15mm terrain was a desert table, so it never occurred to me to use anything but desert sand on their bases!

But now that I have a proper Red Planet terrain set (link), I thought it was time to take another look at how my CDC infantry are based. I've also switched from Citadel to Vallejo and P3 paints since the last time I painted these figures, so I wanted to figure out a revised palette. So I grabbed an unpainted Titan Marine, found a penny in the couch cushions, and went to work. It turns out... you guys were right:

Red Planet flock looks far better with this color scheme. The change from Citadel Mechrite Red to Vallejo Bloody Red with a Maroon Wonder Wash Ink also made a huge difference. I think this is going to lead to a bit of a change in my Conquest System setting's background... now CDC will be based on a planet with red soil instead of a desert world.

Their vehicles also look pretty good on the Red Planet terrain:

So... now I need to figure out the best way to remove the sand from the old figures' bases. :)

Cheers,

Chris

Finding a place for Kremlin's Red Banner MANITOU

A few months back, I picked up an assortment of Kremlin Miniatures' 15mm range. I was very impressed with this range. The photos on the website simply don't do them justice... their size, detail, and posing is as good as anything on the market today. I included them on my catalog of human power armor article, hoping they would get some more attention.

The minis that interested me the most were the MANITOU suits - their versions of Power Armor. The Red Banner MANITOU appared to be man-size suits of power armor with heavy guns and shoulder-mounted mini-missile launchers. I picked up two packs in my initial order. I liked the look of them on the website, but wasn't sure where they would fit in my 15mm forces.

The order arrived pretty quickly - I was very impressed with their service. And once I had these particular figures in my hands... well... their place was pretty obvious.

My favorite 15mm Sci Fi infantry range, even after building new armies on a monthly basis, is still the Titan Marines from Rebel Minis. These great figures immediately became my Conquest Development Center Storm Troopers - the fast-strike military and security force for my game setting's largest corporation. It's the first human army I created in 15mm. I originally added some GZG Cyclops Walkers to be the elite commandos for that army, but the aesthetics have never really worked.

I think I have now found the perfect match for my Storm Troopers.

These really are fantastic figures. Big and bulky compared to typical 15mm infantry, but not so big that you couldn't picture them stomping through a Space Hulk's corridors. But these minis have far more in common with Khurasan's Special Assault Brigade than with Space Marine Terminators... Their blasters seem very high-tech, the missile pods are very Anime-ish, and each has a very detailed jet pack molded onto the back (see picture).

I just need to finish the other five, decide on their base finish (desert sand like my existing CDC forces, or Red Planet blend?), and test them on the tabletop. I see these being useful both in games of FUBAR and in the upcoming second edition of In The Emperor's Name!

Cheers,

Chris

15mm Army Showcase

A few months back I posted an entry reviewing Rebel Minis' 15mm Titan Marine infantry, with a few pics of the painted results. I thought it would be fun to show how that army is coming together.

One of the things I love most about 15mm sci-fi is the ability to mix and match figures and vehicles from different manufacturers. I went out of my way to accomplish just that with this force. In my own gaming universe (the Conquest System), this army is the corporate military force of the Conquest Development Corporation. CDC forces (usually called Storm Troopers) exist for two reasons... the first is to develop and test CDC weapons technology (which is in turn sold to both Earth and to some alien governments). Their second purpose is to serve as an available military force. Originally these military duties were limited to security for CDC's vast facilities, but eventually this grew into a force that could be purchased when necessary. Earth has found that CDC Storm Troopers accomplish some missions far more quickly than its own military forces, and contracts them when lightning attacks are required.

The force itself, obviously, is centered around Rebel Minis' Titan Marines infantry. One of the minis received a head swap from the Ground Zero Games head sprues. I still need to add some heavy weapons to the mix, but I have enough to play a basic games. I'm also thinking I would like to add some power armor, but I haven't selected the correct miniatures to represent them. Ground Zero Games has some good options, but none really match the Titan Marines' aesthetic.

Speaking of GZG... I used their Cyclops Battlesuits as a mobile recon/strike unit. With the jump packs and weapons load, these are ideal for sabotage missions, direct assaults on protected targets, or supporting infantry in terrain-heavy environments. I also envision these as having the absolute best in battlefield sensors and communications. Anyone who has read the grid warfare section in Tomorrow's War knows exactly what I'm talking about.

For the open battlefield, I wanted an armored force that looked fast, deadly, and advanced. I bought a grav-option Gladius from Old Crow as my first option. I love the appearance, the cleanness of the sculpt, and how well it painted... but I'm not sure it's an aesthetic match for the Cyclops battlesuits or last night's addition (see below). So before I buy an entire armored company from Old Crow, I need to browse through all of the grav tank options once again to make sure there aren't any closer matches.

Since the CDC Storm Troopers are a quick strike force, it makes perfect sense to me that they would utilize dropships as their primary infantry transport. Force XXI used to make my favorite dropship, but he went on hiatus before I could pick any up. I like the Old Crow and GZG units, but neither matched my vision of the CDC forces. So I went back to Rebel Minis and looked in their Earthforce Marines aircraft... they were exactly what i wanted. I think they match the overall aesthetic of the Titan Marines and Cyclops Suits pretty well. I have an army in progress using the Earthforce Marines, but since it is going to be Earth's government forces in my world, I figured it would have a slightly less advanced dropship/gunship option. I think I'll use the Old Crow models with those troops. Though I must admit... Combat Wombat's upcoming ship also looks pretty darn good.

So what's next for this army? I certainly need to buy some heavy weapon infantry and add it along with a Saber Gunship (which I already own but need to paint). And like I said... I want to take one more look around the world at the grav tank options to see if there is a better fit. Assuming there isn't, I'll order two more Gladius tanks in the same configuration I already used, a third with the missile turret, and a fourth with the new support turret option. I may add some Glaive APCs for those missions where a dropship isn't practical. I'm also thinking that I want to add some kind of robot or drone to each infantry squad, but haven't remotely settled on one yet.

I'm open to criticism and suggestions!

Chris

Dual Post: Painted New Terrain and Titan Marines Review

Greetings all!

The molds for the 15mm buildings and barricades are coming along well, and I have the first batch of production-ready casts complete. I'm still hoping for a product release sometime before the end of June, but it may be pushed back to early July since I'm closing on a new home.

In any case, I did take the time to get one of the small modular buildings painted up for a demo, along with my first squad of Rebel Minis Titan Marines. Thanks again to Rebel Mike for letting me use his minis in my semi-promotional pics!

I've received a few questions about how difficult the resin terrain will be to paint. In the past, I've had some problems with other resin models, so I did want to investigate this myself. The answer? No problems at all! The models are just textured enough that they take primer without any issues, even with the mold release unwashed. What you're seeing above is:

• Two light coats of Armory Black primer
• A quick drybrush of Citadel Foundation Adeptus Battlegrey
• Doors and roof tiles picked out in Citadel Foundation Mechrite Red
• Windows and roof hatch in Citadel Boltgun Metal
• A quick wash of Citadel Badab Black over the roof and doors.

The whole thing took 45 minutes to paint after the primer was dry, and I'm pleased with the results. I'll pick out a few more details on the control panels and get it onto a proper desert base this evening and post an update (the paper tiles in the pic came from Ebbles Miniatures).

Part II - Rebel Minis Titan Marines

I never did take the time to review these troops. Of all the 15mm sci-fi minis I've picked up over the last year, these are easily my favorites. The Titan Marines have the appearance of moderately armored, mid-tech elite troops (their nearest 40k analog would be inquisitorial stormtroopers with bolters). They have very little in the way of mold lines, very realistic "advancing" poses, highly detailed weapons, and are simple to paint to a tabletop standard. Their appearance can range anywhere from a sci-fi nazi force to a neo-samurai analog. In my own games, I will be using them as quick-strike troops for limited, precise missions. Their paint scheme is basically the same as the building:

• Base on pennies
• Undercoat with Armory Black
• Drybrush with Adeptus Battlegrey
• Weapon and facemask highlighted with Boltgun Metal
• Armor and helmet picked out in Mechrite Red
• Dip the base in some rough, gravelly sand

My first unit of eight was completed in about two hours. Since Rebel Mike hasn't released the support weapons or command models yet I decided to give one of the Marines a single silver shoulderpad.

The models are still a bit plain, and I would like to make them stand out a bit more in the future. I'm thinking some kind of sci-fi jagged camo pattern on the red armor (black and pale grey) would make for a good finish. If you want to see these figures completed by a real painter, I highly recommend Jeff Racel's galleries.

Chris

EVENING UPDATE: TWO MORE PICS

I grabbed two quick shots after basing the small building on a CD and dipping it in sand. One is another close up, and another depicts the building defended by Titan Marines. The attackers in this shot are Rebel Minis Scourge.