Another big (well small)gun

I continue with my alien 15mm army of Snakemen (Astragar). Just a few figures painted. The are of course 15mm CRITICAL MASS Games.  Yes I do have some more ordered. Not too many, just a few.

This is a second gun team. I have decided to group all the heavy weapon teams together. The reason for doing this is that it is different from current 21st Century human thinking in Most armies.  As such some different organisation level thinking seemed just right as I want an alien force. And I imagine Aliens would think slightly (or completely) differently.

Not a huge amount painted but as they say "Every little helps!"

Thanks for looking and have a great weekend.

All the best Clint.

Sci fi heavy weapons 15mm

Just a quick post of the Astragar heavy weapons. They are of course 15mm Critical Mass Games . At present I have just 1 of these my dilemma (although dilemma is far to dramatic word) is Do I a] have one with each squad or b] have them as separate things. I do have enough APCs to do either so that is not an issue.  It is just that I have an option in the "gruntz" rules and have no idea what will be best. Squad support or a weapons Squad. There are advantages to both approaches. and also drawbacks. Finally I could do both! Doing both seems wrong but I just do not know at this stage.

If you play "Gruntz" and actually know what plays best I would be delighted to know. If you don't play "Gruntz!" (probably most of you still feel free to comment and I shall take it from their.

Finally started some more 15mm vehicles so with luck the next post will be on Sunday.


Until then take care and paint if you get the chance. All the Best Clint

2nd squad

 Yes here are my 2nd squad of Snake-men. (AKA Atragar) The vehicle comes from Brigade Games but is currently not available (unless you talk VERY nicely to the guys at a show! Bringing Cake helps!!!) While the Snake men are from Critical Mass and are actually "Astragar" should you  go looking for them.

As mentioned this is my 2nd squad and 2nd Vehicle (I have 1 more to do) so expect them next month most likely. But do not hold your breathe!

I have yet to sort out stats for them and the vehicles as I have been busy. I do have a heavy weapon team as well (currently undercoated but no further) I am tring to decide if they belong at squad level or as a separate support section. I'll let you know when (if ever) I decide. IF I decide on squad level I shall need to buy 2 more.

Elsewhere I am working on a couple of things which I hope to show next week. Some historical and some (like part 2 of Aztec Fram) sci fi!

As you see slowly I am getting it all done. (OK very slowly)

Until next time take car, have fun and paint if you can. All the best Clint

Fitters Truck (mk II) 15mm gruntz

Yes before I head back to 28mm figures here is my re modelled "Fitter truck". Al I did differently from the GZG (Link ) Vehicle Code is V 37a Is add some stowage.  The figure is included for scale. My previous version was wheeled and not tracked. This now being tracked gives the appearance that it is both slower and can now carry more!

While the lifting arm is  visible in the top picture it is more clear in the side shots. While most of the stowage is pre-bought and ww2 vintage it looks fine and I am confident I will get away with it as mostly it is just rolled tarps and sacks For those that were not bought I used milliput and a cocktail stick. I am sure you can do equally well if not better. So why not give it a try. As a general piece of advice use a piece of cling-film as a barrier before attacking to the vehicle. It saves disappointment when all goes wrong and you screw the made piece up the first 2 times. If you are like me you will not get it right first time. (This is why I don't do skydiving!)

Te arm should allow the vehicle to move some of the bigger components of a vehicle. I do not however see it as being a full recovery vehicle, so best if I don't suggest that to anyone.

Thanks for looking and more again in a couple of days as I have only just started the 28mm figs.

All the best Clint

Power armour and Transport

Yes some more 15mm Gruntz. Not so much new stuff painted as first appears. I sent off for another squad of Power armour as I already had the vehicle. (But un painted). The new squad is on the right.

These are GZG (LINK ) French Power armour. (fo3). As mentioned above I already had the vehicle (not seen on this log before) so the out lay was a mere £3 to get another squad up and ready for battle, complete with their Transport. The eagle eyed among you will realise I  still need to add the French Decals. Yes I know you already spotted that. But that seriously in 10minutes work when I am in the mood.

So now we have a blue squad ready to go with the red squad. 2 squads of power armour gives me lots more options game wise and the decals shall be added BEFORE any battles are played.

In-fact they are being shown early just because I forgot my camera at the club yesterday. Not much to say about the club game yesterday apart from I got greedy and tried something which almost worked but in the end did not.  Oh well.

That's it for today. More again on Wednesday as I have almost finished the new "Fitters Truck!". Decal these up along with the Fitters truck and start some 28mm Colonial stuff.

That's it  for now. More again on Wednesday. Until then, take care and do well at whatever you are doing!

FSE Mortar crews (and Update).

These are the first figures painted since SELWG show. (Last Sunday).

Two Mortars and crew for my Federal States Europa force. Each consist of 2 crew and an automatic Mortar. Needless to say being sci fi the crews do not need to be on the same base as the mortar moreso they can fire it indirectly and even from inside a vehicle which may be parked over the horizon.  Maybe with the right set up even from Orbit perhaps of another planet.

However if that is the case reloading does become an issue! But as GZG (Link to GZG) sell the mortars with the crew we (at least for now) shall consider the crew close in general terms.

So 1 pack is 2 Mortars and 4 crew. As all my force is mobile I chucked the Engineers out of the fitters truck and re-purposed it to carry these!

here fore 2-4 Mortars and crews can fit in a single vehicle. Although at present I only have 2 mortars.


Following the show I did a small order as you can see in the pic. They arrived very swiftly and shall be assembled this weekend.  The new "Fitters Truck" does need some clutter added to it in the form of Tarps and boxes and the like so it MAY take some time before you see it, but rest assured it is now on the way. So more of this another time. All of which means for now just 3 more posts and I shall have it all done for Gruntz. (Yeah I believe that too... NOT!) There is bound to be more, infract I am already planning terrain wise and figure wise!

I have received another Crimbo Pressie for me and have that squirreled away for now. But at least I know I shall be getting something I want.

I have also opened the 7TV and now know everything is there. This was not really a concern as I could feel from the weight it was not empty, but this does stop me being disappointed!

That's it for today and I plan and hope to get back to normal soon. At least in regard to posting on tis blog.

Thanks for looking and I had better get on with Zombtobet painting as soon as possible.

All the best Clint

Scientific survey team 15mm Gruntz)

Actually 2 things in one post. Firstly a repainted gift. These are the figures that were given to me a couple of years ago. I have now repainted and rebased them to better  fit with my sci-fi world. 15mm GZG (I am told). I went blue as they will then pop on my boards which I must admit are lacking any form of blue! 8 figures in 4 different poses and while they do all carry pistols combat is not a primary role. As such I shall use them as survey teams just plotting and mapping the planet.

That should be more than enough  of non combatants doing science things for now and I hope for the future.





Terrain!
I feel a bit cheeky calling this terrain. So 4 Solar panels.
As you can see they are Blotz Solar arrays. They come in a pack of 4 for £4 (at time of publishing) . (Blotz Link) As for price and scale they can't be beaten. Thes solar panels could be equally used in 28mm or 15mm They really are that versatile.

The pack consists of 4 clear acrylic panels and 4 stands. There are no instructions but you would have to be quite challenged to assemble them in a different way. Having typed that I just know someone will! They do come with a plastic film which covers the clear acrylic as you can see in the picture. I found this covering to be easily removed with a finger nail. Assembly was equally easy1 base and 3 uprights which all fitted together very easily.

I wanted a different look to the panels so I sprayed everything matt black. When I look at solar panels I do not see them clear, but being sci fi fell free to have them clear.  You can see where the panels are attached to the stands. Being Black it does help to minimise this. .

The last pic shows the stands/panels from each side so they will need some ground colour/texture to fit into the boards. Quick and easy and they shoud fit on the boards in both civil and military modes. It all depends on what I put with them. As I do intend to make a "farm" I can clearly see these as a power source.... and therefore a target for my opponent!

That's it, have a good weekend and with luck more again on Monday.

Leader and Fitters Truck (15mm sci fi)

For those not interested in 15mm sci fi I do apologise, but a break is due soon. As I continue to work on my Gruntz force. here are 2 more specialists.

Fitters Truck. (15mm GZG)
 A Fitters Truck is vital to all  mechanised troops. As without it you cannot keep vehicles going. This  one is by Ground Zero Games (GZG ) although it is not sold as a Fitters truck, the robots (I am told) are also by GZG (Link) while the actual engineers are by Brigade Models (Different link) .
Stated out as follows.
Fitters.
Base cost 1 Point
scout size. (4 hits)  4 points
Guard Average (3 points)
Soak Light  (3 points)
Shoot trained (1 point)
Assault Seasoned (3 points)
Mental Seasoned (3 points)
Skill Trained (1 point)
Total 19/2=10
Laser Pistol+ energy hand weapon (power tool) +4
Perkz Engineer 4 Points
Total per infantry base (18)

Fitters Truck
Base cost 1 point
Size Light (actually a medium vehicle but treated as a Light) 12 Points
Wheeled (really quite fast) +1 Point
NO WEAPONS +0 points
Skill ( as above)
Cost 14 oints

leader.
Making the most of the fact I had 1 crew casting left! I decided it MUST be a leader. It will ONLY be used IF the vehicle is destroyed and I need an escaped crew member.

Hover Jeep.
base Cost 1
Scout  size +8 points
Hover motion +2
 Weapons vehicle Light Laser +4 points
Skill Veteran +5
C-Tek +6 points

Total 26 points


 I fully realise I have made some howling mistakes in the list so far and any Grunts player is more than welcome to point them out. But until I play the first game or 2 how shall I know. Yes I could have tried to mini-max the points to always end on an even number and in my youth that is what I would have done. But now older (if no wiser) I have decided to go with what  feels right and not what gives me the most points!


I also know that not many will use this set of rules. Indeed I have not tried them yet! Therefore I am not expecting a massive response n how to do the points properly.

Next time..... maybe some more sci fi, but this time maybe terrain. Several things started but not as yet finished.

Until then take care have fun and roll dice a few times if you can.

More Gruntz. 15mm sci fi

Let me start by saying I thought I had lost my camera, but instead It was put somewhere "Safe!" And we  all know  what that means.

Yes I know the line is not perfectly straight. BUT it is close enough for me on a small vehicle. All the figures are 15mm Sci Fi. Look away now if you only like historical.  First up a specialist Medic in an ambulance or as I am going to call it a MASH vehicle. Mostly I will just say MASH, (Mobile Army Surgical Hover-Vehicle). You wil I am sure note te French roundals on the  door. (A common theme on all my Sci Fi Gruntz  French Interstellar Legion (FIL) Troops. He also has a medical robot with him but still has to carry a couple of (No doubt) both heavy and delicate cases. Things do not change.

Ok the Specialist Medic is as follows.

Base cost 1 Point
Wounds 5 ( he's a non-combatant) 5 Points
Guard Average +3 points
Soak 10 +0 points
Shoot green +0 points
Assualt Green +0 points
Mental (veteran =5 Points)
Skill Green +0 points
Total 14/2= 7 points

Perks Medic +4 Points =11 points.

No weapons at all. His job is to heal NOT fight)

MASH
base Cost 1
Scout  size +8 points
Hover motion +2
NO weapons at all

Total points cost 10 points .It's just a run about for the medic. All it does is transport te medic and his equipment. Nothing more. But I am sure some players will target it you know what they are like.

Not sure where the Robot came from, but the medic is part of Brigade games crew pack and the MASH is a Brigade games Mercenary hover jeep (A nice kit modified but costs £3)

 Next uip are some Ground zero games figures that were NOT part of the French Interstellar Legion But they needed a lick of paint. in my head (only) they are corporate mercenaries set to  guard a site. What they are aculally is a mystery. I must have either bought them while feeling flush of they were given to me I do not recall at this time.

Bringing it together Gruntz force "Legion Francaise Interstella"

By the time we got into space to fight other Gruntz Legion Franciose Interstella had been formed out of the original French Foreign Legion here is my force (So far)* see the end) for Gruntz. (All this is subject to change when Jon the person who shall teach me the rules reviews it!)

 

Equipe d' infatntrie (Infantry Squad) In Gruntz 6 figures make a standard squad. So French Squads will have 8 figures.
Points as follows
Base cost 1
Shoot Seasoned 3
Assult Seasoned 3
Guard Average 3
Soak Light 3
Mental Seasoned 3
Skill Trained 1
17/2 = 8.5 (round to 9)
Laser Rifle 3 combat knife 0

2 attachments Missile Launcher, (4+3)  Squad medium Laser (2+3)
Perks "Hard Vets!" +1

Total 25
yes it is a lot for a squad, but it could be a LOT worse!

Véhicule d'escouade  (Squad Vehicle ) In 3 variants

Base Cost 1
Light Vehicle +12
Hover + 2
Seasoned skill +3
Light laser gatling + 2 (weapons mount +2)
Or Coms +6
or Light Missile Plus mount (+8)
Basic Infanty Hover = 22 Points
Light Missile Infanty hover = 26 points
Comms variant is 24points.

So basic squad and vehilce is 47 Points


Heavy Infatry (be aware a second vehicle is Under construcion)

Base Cost 1
Medium Vehicle 19
Wheeled +1
Seasoned skill +3
2 mounts and 2 Squad Medium Lasers (+10)
Points 34

Escouade d'Infanterie Lourde (Heavy Infantry squad)

 

6 Figures Base Cost 1

Shoot Veteran +5 points

Assult Seasones +3

Guard Average  +3

Soak (Power armour) + 7

Mental Seasoned +3

Skill trained +1

23/2= 11.5 Round to 12
Laser Rifle +3 Combat knife 0
"Hard Vets" =1
Total points 16

Cheap for  Power armour I think, (But only 6 shots a turn)

 

Rommel Class Medium Hover Tank
(Vol Stanionaire Moyen)
Base cost 1
Medium +23
Hover +2
Weapon  Mounts (+3)
medium Missiles +7
Squad medium Laser +2
Seasoned skill +3

Points 40

 Véhicule anti-aérien (Or AA vehicle)
Older vehicle tracked and not hover so slightly slow)
Base Cost 1
medium +23
Tracked +1
1 weapon mount (+1)
Medium Gatling laser. +3
Ack ack +1
Seasoned Crew. +3

Points 33

véhicule de reconnaissance (or Scot Vehicle)
Cammonly just called a "Vif" by the troops.

Base cost 1
Scout vehicle +8
 Hover +2
Seasoned Crew +3
Weapons Mount 1 (+2)
Weapon Light Gatling Laser +2

Points 18

Infantrie Leger (Light Infantry. Relying more on speed than armour)

Base cost 1

Shoot Seasoned  +3 points

Assult Seasones +3

Guard Average  +7

Soak (Scout)) + 1

Mental Seasoned +3

Skill trained +1

2 attachments (one with SA Laser (+3 +3) one with SA Missile launcher +3+4)

Perk "Hard Vets" +1

Points 33

These last 2 are a bit dodgy as the rules make no allowance for a SINGLE SQUAD split among more than one vehicle. So I can only use them IF my opponent agrees. As a point of Fair play if oe vehicle id destroyed and not the other I shal allow the opponent to select the squad attachment that is destroyed!)Seems only fair as he would be allowing me to use them not strictly I  keeping with the rules.

Véhicule de reconnaissance léger Or Light reconnaissance vehicle.

 

Base Cost 1

Light Tank) =13

Wheeled +1

Main weapon Mount +1

Light Gatling Laser +2

veteran crew + 5

Modz ACTIVE CAMO +3

 

Points 26

 

OKAY this is the first time trying to sort out a  basic force cost sheet for Grunts. IF any seasoned gruntz players look at this they will probably chuckle, smile or Howl with laughter depending on how much I have wrong! And there is bound to be some.

 

But that is it for now My brain is doing back flips.

 

I do have several things which shall be added over the next week or so

A couple (actually 3 Specialisest; 1 medic in a Mash and 2 vehicle repair specialists in a "fitters Truck")

 

As a final note I think the computer has translated nearly everything into french and as such almost every word I can see is highlighted as spelt wrong!

 

Until next time take care, have fun and pant like a mad man!

All the best Clint

 

 

An Appology

Firstly I need to apologise. Some very VERY kind and generous soul painted these figures for me and  sent them as a secret gift. What comes next in no way devalues that persons generosity. I was then and I am now deeply touched. And that is the only reason for this blog post. I am now going to repaint them. It is not that I do not value them as they are but I want to bring them in line with the figures I already have. Trust me I do like them and because I like them I desire to sue them rather than have them sit on a shelf and get dusty and unused. Who ever sent them I strongly hope this does not offend you at all. That would be my least wanted outcome.

I am repainting/re-basing most of my 15mm sci fi and the idea is to bring these into line with the rest.

I have no interest in which of my readers sent them. I shall assume you all did.

I shall post them when finished in a day or four.

All the best Clint. Inside I am smiling at your generosity!