Future Foliage

I used a number of flocks, leaves and scatter to finish these bases.

I gave the plastic plants a wash in brown ink, just to bring out some of the detail. The trunks were dry brushed with a lighter  colour, not sure if this really made a lot of difference but I suppose it all helps. I found these fallen leaves in a forgotten tub at the bottom of my scenery box. Looking at the effect on here, they’d be great for my Elven fantasy bases.

Green tufts were scattered around in various places, I think they matched the look quite well. I shy away from these on historical bases because of their hue, but they work with these desert plants.

 

Foliage of the Future

Shopping today in TK Max, I stumbled across a shelf of reduced tat. On this shelf was a gathering of potted plastic Alpine plants. At first I walked past them but then my Wargamers head kicked in and I scurried back. As I looked at them I realised they would make great futuristic desert plants for my planned Eastern games.

You got to love hot glue guns! Once this plastic glue is dry, the pieces are as tough as nails and can withstand a lot of punishment. Having soft, bendy trees helps and I will be quite happy to throw these lot into a box and not worry about damage.

I love making these sort of bases, they are so quick and rewarding. This is my third range of bases taken from plastic plants and probably the most realistic looking.

Colonial Marines scout out the new mysterious landscape, where IS Hicks with the motion tracker? 

£2 for a pot, not bad I thought. It was a nice touch that both pots were slightly different in design, this helped give the bases a bit of variety.

I even got to use the empty branches for more detail. Some of these cut up trunks where scattered around the base to give the bases a sense of age.

Above are the three types of futuristic trees I have created for different worlds. 

 I also used some of my old dry roots from a long dead bonsai tree. It must have died twenty five years ago, but I always knew it would come in handy. 

I might give these new bases a watered down ink wash to help with the detail. These dry looking trees should go well with my future desert houses. 

Page War!

Texan Sherman IV’s come under static fire from Federal heavy artillery. A Sherman 10 prepares its mega cannon in response. Texan infantrymen run for cover but take heavy loses due to the open terrain.

 Federal troops move up but are slowed by scramble wire and purple gas canisters.

 Armoured Hood walkers lurch into action, they too find it hard going through the incoming kettle gun fire. A MK4 Razorback is hit in the leg and taken out. The 23rd armoured Jackson division is stopped in its tracks and starts to withdraw.

 As the Texans retreat more Federal troops advance to secure the victory. A heavy Tomtom cannon breaks the last of the Texan resistance.

Heavy VTOLS

I'm not quite sure what I will actually make these guys, at the moment I see them as Heavy VTOLS carrying two squads of infantry. The smaller craft are either going to be smaller one man squad VTOLS or some kind of fighter/ attack craft.

The Soriog craft are patterned like the dreaded Apocs from their home world, a touch they hope will strike fear into their enemies.

The Soriogs have a landing force at last, The outer colonies had better watch out.

Mechs and VTOLS 15mm

The two tone urban camo seems to have worked okey. I wanted these guys to have a urban vibe amd be quite muted.

Christmas comes early with each unwrapping, It's always an exciting period when you peel back the latex to see the new patterns beneath.

Trying out different masking fluids. VTOLS 15mm.

These two large Alien VTOLS have sat in my cupboard for months if not years, time to finish them off. I tried out the Humbrol masking fluid as I had worried that the Windsor and Newton was getting a little watery on my last use of it. Both fluids worked well and the there was no real difference in the end result.

Heavy Gears will be used as light mechs for the Federal Army. I have found that just doing two colours works best for 15mm with the results being more striking. I could have gone for more of a contrast in colours but decided to keep them quite similar greys in a kind of urban camouflage.

I have had these figures in a bag for almost twenty years and as a result I had lost one of the arms on the 'kodiak'. However, a quite route through my bits box turned up a good replacement that seems to work nicely.