Painted Grizzly for Heavy Gear

Last month Heavy Gear enthusiast and general nice guy Brandon Keith Fero organized a Heavy Gear painting competition over at the Terra Nova DMZ FB group (head on over if you are even remotely interested in Heavy Gear - it's a great group of people!). At first I felt too busy with Imperial Assault and Infinity to join up, but the more I thought about it the more I wanted to do it! For me the main reason was the motivation to actually get a mecha painted (I've found proper, hard dead lines are what works best for me) and also come up with a new way of painting as my old system, from six years ago, was a bit slow.

The choice of model was easy - the Grizzly is one of my favourite gears and as I had a couple of metal ones lying around I prepped one and got to work. I wanted a fairly relaxed look that nevertheless emphasized the size and weight of both the mech itself and the heavy autocannon it carries. Normally you have to put the cannon much higher, across the chest/cockpit, to get the two handed hold, but that didn't give me the "relaxed" look I wanted so I modified the waist a bit. Well, modified is a strong word - I pinned the torso to the waist in a way that propped it up and allowed me to fit the gun (just barely!) under the chest. The only problem is you can see the gap from some angles.

I like this picture the best as it reminds me of Ghislain Barbe's art. You can see the gap thouh! Doh!

Painting wise I wanted something fairly quick - a wash probably. After some consideration i went with VGC Khaki followed by a quick, lighter drybrush just to get the first highlights on there and then a strong tone wash. After that it was simply a matter of using Khaki/Bonewhite/Off-White to build up the hightlights. The weathering was done by dabbing German Grey around exposed areas followed by pure Off-White highlights here and there.

The black/grey areas are VMC Basalt Grey with a Nuln Oil wash followed by hightlights with Basalt Grey and Sky Grey. At first the guns also used this colour but that became too bland so I decided to do the guns with VGC Bastalt Grey/Steel Grey/Sky Grey instead for a metallic effect. Of course the guns would be perfectly maintained while the gear itself was somewhat neglected. Hehe! The missile hatches are simply Off-White and Khorne Red with some tiny highlights. For the dust effects I used Vallejo pigments Burnt Umber and Dark Yellow Ochre. And that was it! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Here's a good view of the Pack Gun and Grenade Launcher.

In the end I spent a little more time on it than I wanted, but I could easily cut back a bit on the weathering and the process would be much quicker. Then again, the weathering is what makes it pop I think. And it fits very well with the gritty Heavy Gear universe!

The scheme itself is fairly close to my old one although I would say it has been refined or rebooted. The old and new models could probably share a table without it looking weird.

Sorry for the slightly out of focus pictures. I'm still learning how to use my wife's new camera. :)

I really enjoyed putting this guy together and now that the Heavy Gear kickstarter box has arrived as well I have quite a bit of work ahead of me. I don't think I'll get right back into it just yet though as there are a number of games with higher priority waiting for attention. But now I have a colour scheme that looks good and paints quickly when it's time. Then again... I suppose I should really paint some opposition to my North forces so I can actually play the game!

Oh, and I was lucky enough to win that painting competition so now I have to decide on the grand prize - a tank or a gear strider. Hmm...

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LPL Sunday: Round 6! And round 5 recap

See! My gears aren't forgotten!

After last round's narrow victory I went back to loosing again this week. Hehe! The theme for round 5 was Africa and I had nothing. I really don't want to get any models that I won't be able to use for gaming later and since I'm mostly a sci fi guy this made things kind of hard. However, I came up with the pretty cool idea to get "Crusties" from GZG and make a District 9 themed entry. However, just as I was about to order I realized it was March 1st and Jon had closed the store for the upcoming update. Arhg!!

So... to at least make a nod to the theme I decided to base my gears as I'd always planned to make them deserty anyway and then snap a picture with the Pyramids in the background. It felt bit plain though so I sat down and painted a squad of infantry as well, and they really pulled the whole thing together. Also I'm really satisfied with them and I'm definitely going to paint the rest in the near future. Then it's only the last two Cheetah's and my small army is done! This is the cool thing about LPL; it makes you finish all that old stuff you have lying around.

Anyway, I went up against Bugsda, one of the true LPL heavyweights, and his "Prof Witchheimer up the Jungle". Although there were several positive comments aimed at my mechs (like Plynke's "this is the first time for me where a Bugsda entry isn't the automatic winner." which I thought was pretty funny) it was soon clear that I was going to loose. Bugsda's entry is very well painted and more importantly he stuck to the theme so I'm just glad I managed to put up a decent fight. In the end the votes were 161 vs 101.

Some other great entries this round:

• Lion Hunt - Frank's best entry so far I think. Just look at those lions! Probably my favourite entry this round.
• The Dawn of Man - Who can resist a 2001 reference? Not me.
• Meat's back on the menu - This entry was well painted but for me it was the composition that did it. It's very simple with only a white background, but I can definitely see the natives sneaking up on the intrepid explorers. Hehe!
• District 9 - Well, it seems like Pil had the same idea as me, although he converted his own 28mm prawns instead. Unfortunately the picture obscures the minis quite a bit, but for me it works anyway thanks to the concept. And the mech is awesome!

For round 6 I've finally painted some opponents for my Earth Sectorial Army; a squad Mars rebels, aka Reds, with some walker support. I'm reasonably happy with how they turned out but I don't think they "pop" in the same way my EarthSec soldiers does. Oh well, we'll see how it turns out. See my entry and all the other great stuff over at the Lead Adventure Forum. And don't forget to vote!

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Infantry of all sizes!

I was working on basing my recently acquired  UNSC marines when I realized that I had a nice three-scales-of-infantry thing going on at my workspace and felt it deserved a mention. Two squads of 15mm UNSC marines from GZG, a section of 10mm Northern Guard infantry from DP9 and some 6mm Eldar Dire Avengers from GW.

As you might have seen on the Twitter I've started working on my Heavy Gear infantry (at long last) but I'm kind of mixing it up with other stuff to keep my motivation up. The UNSC stuff is mostly just basing, but they might show up in the LPL, I'm not quite sure yet. I dug out my old Eldar a few days ago after talking Epic with my friend Martin. It's one of my favourite miniature games (whatever version, but preferably Armageddon) and it was actually the first miniature game I got into, and my first army was Eldar.

That was back in the old Space Marine days, and I've since repurposed my Eldar minis, clipping them off their old square bases and put them on the better looking rectangular bases. You might also remember one of the Titans I mentioned in an earlier post. I've been talking about Dystopian Wars recently, but I think I might actually get my epic Eldar ready for play instead. I'm thinking... Saim-Hann!

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Three hard hitting Jaguars!

Finished up the three Dragoon Squad Jaguars today and here are the results:

Combat Group Leader with Medium Assault Cannon and Light Rocket Pack/36.

EDIT: Looking at this picture now I realize that I obviously have to paint the magnet in the right hand green so it looks like one of the grenades!

 

Squaddie with Medium Assault Cannon and Anti-Gear Missiles. As you can see this and the CGL above have their stocks in a recessed position. This wasn't something I'd planned, but when the stock broke on a two of the guns I decided to model it this way. In the end I actually like them better this way.

 

 

Again with the same armament as above.

 

 

The up and coming Dragoon Squad. These guys are the heavy hitters in my starting force. 

What's finished so far. Now I have two more Cheetahs to paint for the Dragoons, and then I'm done with Gears. For now. Infantry awaits!

So far things are shaping up nicely, although from now on I think I'll stick to painting just two miniatures at a time. I think I'm more effectice that way. They are fun to paint though! I might have to get cracking on some of those Jovican Chronicles EXO-armours I got my hands on a while back when I'm done with these.

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Almost there... almost there...

My three Dragoon Jaguars aren't quite finished. I've got Rocket Packs, V-engines and some small details left, but here's how they look right now:

I don't think you can tell all that well from these pictures but I actually screwed up a bit and made these a mite lighter shade than my Recon Squad. It's not by much and you hardly notice it when they're at the table, but since I know it it's... irritating. Grumble, grumble...

Ok, so they'll be done tomorrow. For real this time. Hehe!

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Dragoons WIP...

I was hoping to get the three Jaguars in the Dragoon Squad finished tonight, but I didn't quite make it. However, I thought I'd put up a WIP pic that showed the four stages of how I paint the main brown colour (spoiler: it's the same way I painted my Full Thrust ships. Almost.). With hindsight I should have put them the other way around... :P
 

1. Base coat of a Snakebite Leather and Chaos Black mix. As you can see it's quite dark and it's more of an olive drab rather than brown.
2. Highlighting with pure Snakebite Leather, although watered down more than normal and leaving parts where the darker coat shines through.
3. First highlitght with a Snakebite Leather/Skull White mix, being fairly discreet with the white. In this stage I start to define edges a bit more but I'm still fairly liberal (and not very precise) with where the paint ends up.
4. Final highlight(s). I compressed the last couple of stages in this last miniature as they're very quick. Basically I just add more white and concentrate more and more on just the edges of the model until at the very end it's almost just pure Skull White.
   

And that's it basically. It's really quite simple and I it's very easy to make it as precise or as slapdash as you want depending on how much time you want/can spend on the models. I'm definitely more at the slapdash end of the scale, but it still looks pretty good I think. :D

I'll finish these guys up tomorrow, so see you then!

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Hey-yo! Recon Squad done.

After having spent the New Year here in Japan eating osechi at my inlaws I today managed to get some time painting the two Cheetahs remaining to complete the Recon Squad. I know I said I'd do the basing as well, but I feel I need a better sand mix to do that so... still on the to-do list.

Anyway, here are the Cheetahs:

Again, the colours are a bit off as I have a crappy camera and only one close light source. They're really more dark brown and not as yellow looking.

Taking a cue from Flatline over at the DP9 forums I thought I'd write about the finished squad for readers who are not Pod People.

In contrast to the generalized utilitarian squads of the South the Northern forces are much more specialized in nature and this is reflected very well in the Recon Squad. Its main job is normally to work as spotters and target designators for other units armed with indirect fire weaponry. A classic example would be a Recon Squad forward observing for Grizzlies in a Fire Support Squad. For higher survivability in small skirmishes I chose to go with Jaguars armed with Anti-Gear Missiles in a Dragoon Squad instead, but the principle remains the same.

So with that little introduction let's have a look at the individual members that makes up the squad:

1. Cheetah. This is the primary Northern scout Gear. It's very fast, hard to hit and has ample sensor and electronic warfare capabilities. It's armed with a Light Rifle instead of its usual Deployable Pack Gun (basically a disposable autocannon) and a Light Rocket Pack/24.
2. Ferret MkII. The Ferret, with its famous buttwheel, is the predecessor to the Cheetah and is generally being phased out in favour of it. However, the Mark II design is an attempt to update it and although it still lacks the agility of the Cheetah it's the fastest Gear in the Northern forces. Armed with a Light Rocket Pack/24 and carrying a Medium Rifle instead of it's usual Light Autocannon.
3. Jaguar (Combat Group Leader). The Jaguar is set to replace the venerable Hunter as the standard Gear in the Northern forces, however, because of some initial export restrictions set by the United Mercantile Federation this hasn't happened as quickly as was hoped for. Therefore the Jaguar is still more akin to an elite Gear and can often be found in Strike or Commando roles, as well as replacing Head Hunters as group leaders. Armed with a Light Rocket Pack/32 and a Heavy Rifle instead of the usual Medium Autocannon.
4. Cheetah. Another basic Cheetah with a Light Rifle and a Light Rocket Pack/24.
5. Wild Ferret. This is another variant of the Ferret. Sacrificing the Light Rocket Pack and Target Designator for a Satellite Uplink and stronger Electronic Warfare capabilies. Armed with a Light Rifle.

The plan is basically to try to designate targets for the Dragoon Squad's AGMs as well as opportunity sniping and getting some extra Command Points with the Satellite Uplink.


That's all for today. Here's what I'll be working on until next time:

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Here be Ferrets!

When I first saw a Ferret I didn't really know what to think (buttwheel doesn't really spell sexy), but they've grown on me a lot and now I just want more of the little buggers! I can definitely see why they hold a special place in the DP9 community. Hehe!

Again, the way I decided to paint these makes the process relatively quick and I managed to paint these two in about three hours. Again, I haven't done the bases yet. Still thinking about what I want them to look like. Deserty, yes, but I want some more details than that. Normally I use static grass that I paint but since this is 1/144 scale it would be way too tall.

Anyway, pictures:

First off the Ferret Mk II with a medium rifle that's WAY to big for him. Of course, thanks to the magnets, he can quicky be made into a standard or Wild Ferret.

Aaaand the buttwheel! A motorcycle with arms indeed... :)

The Wild Ferret with is a Ferret variant with expanded electronic warfare abilities and a satelite uplink. Here with a Light Rifle instead of the standard Deployable Pack Gun.

I do think that this Ferret model is a bit stiff. It's cool to have gears using their alternative movement modes (like this one!) but I think I'll convert the next one to try and make it a bit more lively.

Ah, the two rapscallions heading out to make trouble!

And the whole budding family. I guess they're looking for their two Cheetah cousins...

That's all for today. Two Cheetahs and some basing coming up!

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Jaguar done! Well... except the base...

So after some diligent cleaning and vacuuming I decided to get some painting done before I have to go grocery shopping. So here's the finished Jaguar:

Although I was aspiring to only use the large brush I probably should have used a slightly smaller one for the hazard stripes. They look a bit wobbly. Oh well, next time eh?

And of course, red missiles. If there are two staples of Heavy Gear painting it's the hazard stripes and the red missiles. Hehe!

I decided to go for a black look for the rifles but I think it'd probably look better with some added details and maybe a gloss finish.

The V-engine I painted very simply gun-metal. The whole idea behind this figure (and the rest of my HG-stuff) is to paint it quickly and kind of gritty while still keeping a decent standard. Hazard stripes is about as flashy as they'll get!

"Ka-blam!"

Of course, the base isn't finished. I didn't have time for that today and I'm thinking about doing all the bases in on go when I'm finished with the rest of the Recon Squad anyway.

That's all for today. I'll probably post a magnetizing tutorial tomorrow though. God fortättning!

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Jaguar WIP 2

Made a bit more progress today and since it seems like people are enjoying it I'll keep updating the work in progress pictures. The Jaguar should be all finished next time you see pictures of it though. I've got a Christmas party to prepare for tomorrow, making meatballs and whatnot, but I think I'll be able to squeeze in some painting time as well.

Here are the pictures:

Like I said earlier I wanted a tan/grey combo and I think it works fairly well, giving the gear a kind of earthy, almost dirty look. The lighting in this picture is a bit off though.

In this picture you can see the real colour much better. I decided to go with the classic blue optics as it contrasts well agains the tan.

"Where's my gun?!"

So that's where I am at the moment. I'll hopefully be able to finish this guy up tomorrow and the rest of the recon squad is built and just waiting for a lick of paint! However, there seems to be an interest in the magnetizing process so I'll make a post about that before I start painting the rest.

Oh, and I went and saw Avatar yesterday with my wife and I think I'll want to write something about that as well. As a story it's rather ho-hum. Not a bad story at all, it just follows the path of cliches too strictly and there are some scenes that really make you cringe in their stereotypicality. BUT, visually it's spectacular! And the 3D, while not flawless, works! I'll expand on my thoughts about it in a later post. Now I'll just have some ginger snaps with milk and watch Parks & Recreation before sidling off to bed.

Merry Christmas everybody!

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Jaguar WIP

Today I took some time after dinner to start painting my first Jaguar. I'd been thinking a lot about colour but in the end I decided to go with a fairly standard desert camo style with grey "secondary" armour and some dark red details here and there.

I want to paint my HG minis the same way I did my Full Thrust ships: fairly rough and quick with bold (for me at least) highlights which would make them stand out on the table top. Being able to use the large brush as much as possible would also be a big bonus.

I must say, painting gears is kind of different from anything I've painted so far, and it threw me a bit at first. It's not that it's more difficult, it's just... hmm... hard to put my finger on. Probably has to do with them being humanoid, but still having lots of flat spaces and angles. Anyway, by the time I'd gotten to my second highlight it started to fall into place. Here's the result so far:




After a black coat of spray I first painted a base colour of Snakebite Leather/black mix which I then gradually highlighted with Snakebite Leather and then mixed with white. Doing this took about an hour and although the tan needs touching up here and there it's the majority of the figure done, so the rest should be fairly quick. Oh, and bonus points to me for only using the large brush!
As you can see it really is quite rough, but I think it suits the gears to have kind of a slap-dash look. Hehe!

Oh well, more to come when I'm finished with it...

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