Sedition Wars Project mini-update: TheXLC Pre-printed MDF Terrain

I just received from TheXLC my rewards from their November Kickstarter project. I received two building kits made from 3mm thick, laser cut MDF: a vehicle workshop, and an admin building.

Their terrain comes pre-printed and ready to assemble. They developed a technique where they print onto a substrate, laminate it to a 3mm MDF panel, apply a protective covering, and then laser cut. This allowed them to produce printed components without scorching to any of the printed surfaces.

The other night I assembled the vehicle workshop. The kit consisted of 16 MDF parts. It came with exploded diagrams for assembly. The model building went together easily; the parts fit well, and I only needed white glue. The hardest part was peeling off the protective covering. One has to take care not to also remove the printed substrate. The tip of a very sharp knife should suffice.



Below, a 28mm GW tank crewman and a resin truck from Old Crow are shown for scale. The building itself measures 250mm x 183mm x 106mm.



The printed details are nice. The corrugated siding is rendered clearly. There is some shadowing around the garage door edges, rust stains from the AC units, broken/missing pieces of siding, and appropriate warning signs. The windows and doors are all scored, so you could cut them out very easily if you wanted to.



The only real downside is the lack of printing on the edges where the MDF is keyed together. Not a bad trade off, considering that you don't really need to prime, paint and weather the model.

The manufacturer recommends that one leave the roof unglued if you want to use the interior for gaming, which interior comes already primed gray! For this particular kit, there would not be enough structural integrity, so I glued the two roof pieces on. There is no floor, so you could still place figures inside the building during a game, especially if you used light card or construction paper to outline the floor plan.

I could add some more highlights, weathering, and do something about those scorched edges. Even as-is, I think the model makes a neat addition to my growing collection of terrain for modern and sci-fi skirmish games.

Sedition Wars Project: mini-update

Over the Christmas and New Year's holidays I had hoped to get a few more Vanguard Samaritans done up, and then get a start on the pile of Strain that I had organized. However, like a lot of folks in Winnipeg, Jen and I were laid low by the flu. Suffice to say, we didn't do a lot for over a week, other than consume copious amounts of liquids and various antibiotics, and watch Netflix.

Last weekend I did manage to work on a second female Samaritan Grenadier, using a beautiful resin figure from Studio McVey. It was a very clean casting, requiring very little prep other than a couple of wire pins for the left wrist and right foot. This resin figure had no moulding flattening or misalignment, almost no flash, and had crisper details than the "restic" figures from the Sedition Wars basic game box. The downside is that it cost maybe 8 times as much as the restic version. I used one of Studio McVey's resin bases, which are also very detailed.



Did the usual zenithal highlighting: primed with Black P3 spray, airbrushed white highlights using Vallejo White Surface Primer. Multiple thin glazes of Games Workshop Thraka Green gave shape to the armour. Since it was such a nice casting, I picked out some edges and other highlights with Titanium White oil paint. The visor was under-painted in GW Golden Yellow, Blood Red, and Red Gore, then detailed and blended with Cadmium-Barium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Scarlet, and Titanium White oils. I used Gryphon Sepia washes for the grenade launcher, punched up with Titanium White. The little bombs in the launcher's open magazine were washed in Baal Red, under-painted in GW Golden Yellow, Blood Red, and Red Gore, then detailed and blended with Cadmium-Barium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Scarlet, and Thio Violet oils.







Pushing some of the hot spots to pure white (on the helmet, gorget, shoulders, calves, rear end, etc) added greater contrast and helped pick out some of the fine details of the resin figure. The etched brass ID on the base came from Hasslefree. The base was completed with washes of Badab Black and Vallejo Rust.



In the game, the Grenadiers are elite troopers that can utilize up to two Tactics counters, can fire indirectly, and are able to use three types of ammunition (incendiary, radiation, and gravity implosion, though the latter two types are are limited to only one or two shots each, depending upon the scenario). The Grenadiers are my favourite of the special weapon troopers. The lance and the SAW are cool, but the grenade launcher is the most flexible of the three weapon types.

***

Speaking of bases, I have decided to use larger than specified bases for the Quasimodos in my Strain force. The Quasimodo is a Phase 2 Exo-form, an evolved monster merged with a bio-matter gun that shoots a corrosive or infectious blast. The figure is a large, bulky one; if it stood erect it would be well over 40mm tall. In the game it's supposed to fit on a 25mm base. That just looks wrong, since its feet both stick off the surface. Because of the way this single-piece fig is sculpted, crouched down leaning on one arm, there's no easy way to re-pose it either. Since I intend to use these figs for tabletop play anyway, I purchased some 40mm resin bases from Studio McVey, from their Firebrand faction range. I think they will look much better on the larger bases.



***

This is also the first time I used my Foldio lighting kit. It came from a well run Kickstarter campaign, and now is available for retail sale from the Orangemonkie website. It's a foldable plastic lighting box that sets up in seconds, due to the magnets that hold it open. Several colours of foam backdrops are available. (The 40mm diameter black resin plinth is from Rick Taylor.)



I have installed one 9-volt powered LED strip, but I may install the second that came with it for increased lighting.



Orangemonkie have offered an even larger sized kit in a recent Kickstarter campaign.

Sedition Wars Project - Mini-Update

I did not get into the Kickstarter when Sedition Wars was first offered. So, some of the Kickstarter-only rewards have been hard to find. I was able to buy on eBay a few "Opticamo" Vanguard Samaritans and heroes - think thermo-optic camouflage from Ghost in the Shell.

These are clear resin models, to represent when a figure has been thusly cloaked. In game terms, this costs a Tactic from the Tactics Pool every turn to place the model in Opticamo Mode, but allows the model to activate without triggering enemy Reflex actions, treats the model as if in cover for enemy abilities that rely on visibility, and grants the model a negative modifier to be attacked!

I just finished an Opticamo version of Operator Akosha Nama. It was slightly easier to clean up than the original restic model. I used both super glue and 5-minute epoxy for assembly. Its stock frosty surface looks better, in my opinion, than the clear gloss finish that I have seen used for other clear resin figs.



I airbrushed zenithal highlights on the lower portion of the figure, using Vallejo Black and White surface primers.  I then laid in thin  glazes of GW Asurmen Blue for her boots and jumpsuit, and glazed both her smock and base with Badab Black. The paintjob also hides the pin I used affixing the figure to its base. The resulting effect simulates Akosha activating her camouflage.

For comparison, here is a photo of the original figure I painted some months ago.



I wanted something other than just a ghostly figure on the table, and I think the effect works out OK.

There's at least one fan-made Sedition Wars scenario out there pitting a lone Opticamo Akosha against a horde of enemies...

Edited to Add: A solo Akosha scenario, "Cocci", is located here.

Sedition Wars Project - Terrain

After my last post about table top Sedition Wars, I was really hot to complete some of the terrain sub-projects I have in the queue.  Sedition Wars, and other close tactical sci-fi skirmish games like Infinity, need a LOT of terrain. This prevents the game from degenerating into a static war of attrition, as the sides hunker down afraid to expose themselves.

Accordingly, I spent the balance of the summer working on various terrain pieces. Most of the 18 finished models illustrated are laser cut MDF kits from Conscript Byron's company, SG2 Creations.

Possibly my favourite terrain piece to model and paint was a two-story sushi restaurant, seen below (a couple of my Sedition Wars figs are in the shot, for scale).



The roof and floors come apart, to allow figures to be placed inside.



The building was painted mostly with Army Painter spray paints, and lightly weathered with Vallejo pigments. See here for the inspiration for this structure.



Here's an SG2 prototype for a 3-story building.



Again, the roof and floors come apart. The AC unit makes a useful handle to pull the roof off.



Like Dallas, I also picked up a set of 6 shipping containers. They're labelled with the brands of various evil corporations from TV and the movies, downloaded from the internet.



Warning labels were free downloads from Toposolitario.



A large terrain block is this mall made from 4 separate Modern Strip Mall Sections. Put together they are 2 feet wide. I used warmer colours for the buildings. The various retail signs were brand logos downloaded from the internet. As for the choice of retail establishments, I remember the movie Demolition Man (Sandra Bullock: "...Taco Bell was the only restaurant to survive The Franchise Wars...So, now all restaurants are Taco Bell!"), and I figured that in the future people will still need estheticians, fashion, and booze.



The two end buildings each have a different side window option.



The roofs come off; the "supports" are the handles for removal. For now, I plan on keeping the mall furniture-free (except for certain strategic points), for ease of play. However, various companies make futuristic furniture, computers, shelving, etc. in an appropriate scale.



I used leftover ladders pieces from the shipping containers for roof access. Other small posters and signs were from Toposolitario and the ones Byron used for his 28mm buildings.







I also finished 6 Quonset huts from FSG's Dust Tactics Airfield Accessory Pack. Dust Tactics is a Weird War II game in 1/48 scale, close enough for my purposes. Zenithal highlighting brings out the curved shape of these structures.



These are injected-mold plastic models, with some nice details.



The Sedition Wars Project will be set aside briefly in order for me to paint my Space Station Terrain Project (I finally get to re-create the Death Star Trench run!). However, thereafter I shall return to the Strain and more tabletop terrain. I have also purchased some other kits in foam and  MDF, including a mag-lev train from BP Laser. All of this will go onto a Hawk Wargames Urban Battlefield terrain board.

It's been a year since I started this project. I have been lucky to be able to stay focused on it. There are so many other models to paint!

Sedition Wars Project - First Blood!

Last weekend fellow Conscripts Byron, Kevin and I played another game of table top Sedition Wars. This was also the first time I got to play with my painted Vanguard. I have not finished my Strain, so Byron provided his for our use.

The table was set up by Byron, who used a table topper sheet from Relic Knights, and buildings from Micro Art Studio.

We played a variation of the first "Outbreak Campaign" scenario - Breach. In the first photo below, we illustrate the starting positions of forces, corpses, and objectives. Anything seen on a building roof is actually located INSIDE the building on the first floor (this photo was taken after the game was over, when we re-set everything). The buildings had removable stories and roofs, so we could fight inside them, too. The posters and such seen on the buildings Byron downloaded from the internet.



Vanguard Objective: Secure and activate the Life-Support Terminal located in the three story building located in the northwest corner of the table.

Strain Objective: Convert all the corpse counters into Strain Revenants.

Changes from the basic game: Ranges were doubled out to 8 /16 /24 inches from 4/8/12 inches. We ruled it cost 3 inches move to go up or down one story. The first stage necroforms were made cheaper, down to 1.5 points each, instead of 3.

IIRC, Kevin and I ran the Vanguard, starting with 6 basic Samaritans, and Byron ran the Strain, fielding 10 Revenants, 2 Stalkers, and a Quasimodo.



The unfortunate Vanguard Samaritans below have both been hit by acid, and the farther one infected by clouds of nano virus. They were both gone by the next turn.



Though impaled by a Stalker, the Samaritan in the photo below shot him down, then her Prophet armoured suit managed to seal the bleeding and kept her in the fight.



During the course of the game, the Vanguard gunned down around 17 Strain models (good thing they could create more, both from activated corpses, and a Necrocyst in the northeast bulding), for the loss of 4 troopers. It was a very tactical game, with cool cinematic events like a Samaritan drawing the fire of a Qusimodo on a balcony, her sacrifice allowing another Samaritan to rush into the building with the objective.

In the photo below, that Samaritan reached the Life-Support Terminal, but couldn't activate it before the Strain converted the final corpse into a Revenant.



As Byron posted on Facebook later,

"It was an awesome, tense game. I am constantly amazed at how every game we ever play of Sedition Wars comes down to a last turn win for either side. This game was a Strain win, but if I hadn't won that turn the next turn the Vanguard would have won."

***

I am busy working on both my Strain and lots of terrain for my own table. Lots of MDF buildings and cargo containers, Quonset huts, resin vehicles, and a mag-lev train will provide plenty of scope for future SW scenarios.

Sedition Wars Project - Vanguard Update

This past weekend I finished three more special characters for the Vanguard: Captain Kara Black, Specialist Barker Zosa, and Corpsman Morgan Vade.

Zenithal highlighting: primed with Black P3 spray, airbrushed white highlights. Multiple thin glazes of Games Workshop Asurmen Blue, and Gryphon Sepia washes for the uniforms and weapons. These three figures were not in armour, so I used a variety of acrylic washes and thin glazes of oil paints to bring out the details of their clothing, boots, web gear, and accouterments. Oils included Sennelier's Peach Black, Mussini's Burnt Sienna, Winsor & Newton's Burnt Umber, Gold Ochre, Titanium White, and Winsor Blue, and several neutral tones from Weber.



I used various shades of gray and white oil paints for the reflections off the blade of Kara's sword...



...and Barker's tank top and exo-skeleton (with some rust stains added to the latter).





The photos don't show it well, but I used thin glazes of a Weber light flesh toned oil paint on Morgan's gloves to make them look like latex over flesh.





I now have a compact force of various Vanguard infantry and drones.



The Strain are next in my painting queue, but I do have future plans to add to my Vanguard:

• Three more plastic Samaritans from the boxed set and a Studio McVey resin Grenadier will bulk out the armoured Samaritan  infantry. 
• To represent Gnosis Battlesuit Kara Black I ordered  one of Studio McVey's just-released resin heavy powered armour models. I love everything about this new line of minis.
• Several of the in-game SW characters are based on other movie and TV franchises. To represent SW's Hexen Phaedrus (the android "Six" from the re-boot of Battlestar Galactica), I have a metal casting of Hasslefree's HFSF115 Gina. To represent Dr. Susan Ridley ("Ripley" and "Newt" from Aliens) I purchased a couple more Hasslefree figs, HFSF001 Signee and HFSF002 Billie the Hunted.

Sedition Wars Project - Mini-update

I just finished a figure representing Tech Comm Kara Black for Sedition Wars, using a resin master of Hasslefree's Sci-fi Scout Prototype 1.



Zenithal highlighting: primed with Black P3 spray, airbrushed white highlights. Multiple thin glazes of Games Workshop Thraka Green (now Biel-Tan Green), Asurmen Blue, and Gryphon Sepia washes for the armour, under-suit, and plasma carbine, respectively. Visor under-painted in GW Golden Yellow, Blood Red, and Red Gore, then detailed and blended with Cadmium-Barium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Scarlet, and Titanium White oils.



The lighter armour works for a Vanguard officer figure, but is not too dissimilar from the rest of the Samaritans' armour, especially the helmet.



Some nice little touches on the figure, like the overall stance, and right forefinger's knuckle underneath the glove. Kev White can surely sculpt.



In the game, Tech Comm Kara Black provides several "Tactics Counters" to the Vanguard tac-net during each turn, providing a lot of support to the infantry under her command. This game mechanic represents both combat skills and the networked capabilities of the Vanguard command, control, communications, and computing systems. I think Tech Comm Kara is a more interesting character than her clone sister, Captain Kara Black, the latter of whom is more the Hero-Hammer type of leader.

Sedition Wars Project - Progress Report #5

I finished some drones for my Sedition Wars Vanguard forces.



In the game, Hurley the Tactical A.I. is an expensive piece, but adds a lot of firepower and provides anti-nano-virus defense.



Hurley also has the ability to field and operate three types of mini-drones (namely, Attack, Sentry, and Shield drones), to support the Vanguard infantry.





Zenithal highlighting: primed with Black P3 spray, airbrushed white highlights. Multiple thin glazes of Games Workshop Thraka Green washes were laid on. Further highlights were added using P3's Necrotite Green and Menoth White Highlight. Pushing the contrast this way really brings out areas like the tops of the guns. The bases were painted with various acrylics and oils.



I figured that the A.I. drones (being functionally expendable) would not be as well maintained as the personal armour of the Vanguard Samaritans. Accordingly, I did some light weathering, adding acrylic paint chips, and some stains using oil paint dot filters. Optics (like the Sentry drone's glass cover, or Hurley's gunsights) were painted in Conscript BrianH's "gem" style.



Hurley's hull was slightly miscast, so I added some battle damage.



Next up, 4 more Vanguard named characters (Tech Comm Kara Black,  Corpsman Morgan Vade, Captain Kara Black, and Barker Zosa).