Alternative Armies Contender GNATS Mech and Meerkat Spotter Suit

I jumped on the AA websites offer that the first 100 GNATS mechs sold would come with a free, also new Meerkat. I got mine very quickly in the ever useful little boxes 15mm companies all seem to send their minis in:

The Meerkat is a very nice little mech. It is built off of the Bearcat legs with a new torso with a big cockpit and some antenna/laser bits, a rotary cannon, and some stowage. The stowage is maybe the surprise star of the kit as its been cast to fit really nicely around the torso's contours:

 Very nice profle:

Here is the big'un. It has a decent amount of posability and even though the legs are moddeled in one piece in a standing pose there is enough movement in the sculpt to lend it some dynamism. It is also pleasingly large. It could probably just scrape being used as a 28mm model as is, and deffinitely pass muster if the cockpit windows were modded to look like an unmanned warbot or something.

 It even comes with very nicely detailed jetpacks. So that's nice!

 Nice profile again that also shows design elements that link it in with the Meerkat. It could also maybe fit two people in the cockpit as it looks quite spacious.

These are going to be a lot of fun to get together. I just need to decide which of my 15mm armies het them. Right now I'm thinking they may go to my Free Mars revolutionaries. But also potentially their enemies. I have a few projects to do before I start getting paint on these anyway so I have time to think.

Art Shop Loot

 The big art shop in town had a sale on for the start of the new uni term so I took advantage and grabbed a few things.

 Free loot! I got all this for free along with a cloth bag, so that is nice. It is mostly pencils and pens with limited modelling use but the paint, graphite stick, and water soluble pencils will probably see use.

Pile of spray paint for scenery

I really like these for weathering. They give good control and texture and I haven't discovered any issues with varnish or acryllics so far.

5 Klicks From the Zone. Character Generation.

Following on from my thematic introduction here is the actual crunch behind my initial setup for 5 Klicks:

So my initial set of character are intended to be people just emerging from their cloistered settlement after a little time has passed since the environment has become stable enough for them to safely leave Home. The delay in leaving is down to caution and preperation. As such I have decided to not roll for Background and select Isolated Enclave for all my initial characters. Though the fluff for that will be modified to remove the idea that they violently maintain their independence. My Home denizens are defensive and cautious (they will have fought tooth and nail against government and paramilitary forces before the Long Night in defence of their community) but extremey open to and keen to meet new societies and people. One of their biggest motivations is reestablishing contact with other survivors. Adittionaly I will tweak the fluff for other rolls to reflect the character's role in the settlement before they ventured out and also draw links between the characters. At the time of writing I only have 5 models painted up and intended to be characters so I will also be dropping three of the '0 event roll' recruits. I'll either add them in as I paint more or I'll just leave it up to the dice to see if I get more recuits along the way.

First off let's see what gear we have, I've decided to roll 4 times on the firearms and once on the low tech list as I'm only equipping 5 characters right now:

Scrap Rifle - Elenæ
SAW - Argat
SAW - Maslov
Shotgun - Artyom
Military Rifle - Marta
Cling - Fire Grenade - Artyom
(obtained from an event)

This has worked out weirdly close to what kit my painted models have so that is very nice!

And for armour:

Scout Armour - Artyom
Field Armour - Marta

Now for characters. I'm going to work backwards from least to most event rolls:

Artyom: Init:3, Sp:5, Co:+1, To:3, Ne:2 Skill: -
Training: Militia service (has served with the Defence Teams that check Home's perimeter and protect engineers as they repair breaches. Served with Marta)
Background: Isolated Enclave

Marta Valentynivna Kutsenko: Init:6, Sp:6, Co:+1, To:2, Ne:1 Skill: -, Leader
Training: Military Service (was an experienced member of Home's Defence Teams)
Background: Isolated Enclave
Event: Zone Exposure (Mask breach suffered during a dangerous wildlife incursion but continued to stay onsite until the task was completed and Elenæ was safe, Marta has recurring nightmares of the incident)

Elenæ Kasaeva: Init:4, Sp:4, Co:0, To:3, Ne:1 Skill: Speech +1
Training: Ash Merchant (Elenæ, became adept at facilitating distribution and logistics and was often called on to arbitrate when importance and need was unclear between 2 or more options)
Background: Isolated Enclave
Event: Attacked by Animals (It was Marta that came to the aid of Elenæ, the two are very close. Elenæ feels responsible for Marta's exposure)

Argat: Init:3, Sp:4, Co:0, To:3, Ne:2 Skill: Survival +1, Leader.
Training: Reclaimer (Spent a great deal of time looking for ways to live with or alter the local environment to make it safer and more habitable)
Background: Isolated Enclave
Event: Rallied (in the aftermath of the attack that left Elenæ and Marta injured Argat developed a system of capturing, tracking, and studying the invasive animals. It is hoped they can one day be domesticated. This work made Argat a regular first port of call for advice on problems concerning the local ecology)

Maslov Nil Stanislavovich: Init:3, Sp:4, Co:0, To:5, Ne:2 Skill: Repair +1
Training: Scavenger (Maslov often worked to recycle and reclaim broken or lost pieces of technology and items of use. Though quite old Maslov has insisted on venturing into the outside. Maslov is well liked and regarded as kind and competent. The others will be very keen to protect Maslov)
Background: Isolated Enclave
Event 1: Accident (Old enough to remember the time before Long Night, Maslov has had a tough life and has almost died more than once)
Event 2: Lucky Find (Found Cling Fire grenades)
Event 3: Discovery (Assisted Argat in constructing the tech that Argat needed for their study)

A Thematic Introduction to my '5 Klicks From the Zone' Campaign

In the early days - yes, I am afraid that I am old enough to remember them - we thought the Zones would kill us. Maybe some would think me lucky to last long enough to become as infirm as I am, maybe I do too sometimes… Anyway, child that I was then, that prospect of struggling in a desperate future seemed an exciting one, something to wish for, even. I had a habit of waiting until my parents’ snores became loud enough to conceal the creak of hinge and floorboard. I would then creep to our television to fill my eyes with the apocalyptic vistas of Hollywood and other faraway filmlands that my parents kept stashed away, unaware that I knew of them and where to find them, along with romances I scorned in the way children do. This future seemed a playground to me. No rules, no parents, no police. 

This future did come - has come - though not quite for the reasons we thought. The Zones were a rumour first, then an open secret, then they were all but impossible to hide, no matter how those in charge tried. The heat, the light, the sparks in the air and the electric in our limbs meant secrets were impossible. Besides, we knew secrets, we lived them, we read them - sometimes we kept them. Ah, but I must get to the point I suppose. As much as this may be for myself, I should also consider any poor soul who reads this and expects to be entertained and informed. To you I say, bear with me! In time, these embellishments will move my narrative forward, like our wanderings will seek to bring hope to our Home. Some things I do not wish to repeat, and will not, but what I will tell you will be a truth.

We thought the Zones would kill us, but, of course, it was us. After all, what were the Zones other than a resource? And what else did the machinery of our civilization endeavour to do other than devour resources to feed the bloated rich at the expense of the land and people? The blame was put on the stalkers of course, but what were they compared to those with contracts? My parents were stalkers so you will forgive me for defending them. The coal was mined, the oil drilled, reactors burned, trees cleared, the Zones scoured. Gold cost lives, as did silver, crystal, and gems. The secrets of the Zones demanded a similar blood price. The people paid it out of necessity; the contractors in search of profit. The world began to burn, and the Zones began to grow

We ran from the fires. We ran from the creeping dangers of the Zones. Worst of all, we ran from the soldiers’ bullets. All those above us could do was tighten their fists, so we turned to one another. Some dug down, some built bulwarks up, all sought to weather the siege of desperate oligarchs and an angry planet that afflicted us. We knew we needed every bit of will and strength and ingenuity and kindness if we were to last. We tried to keep contact with one another, to continue to assist and encourage as much as we could, but, slowly, the lights went out and the night drew in. I won’t revisit that long night except to say that we were all, without a doubt, heroic. It was a quiet heroism, it was what we needed. But what went on then is done. Not all of us would wake to see the sunrise, but enough of us did. That alone is proof enough that we put our faith in the right things. 

We need to keep that faith. Our home is failing and cannot last as a closed system. It was never closed, truth be told. The ghosts are evidence enough of that. We have taken our first steps out, into the wastes, into the Zones. We aim to find our lost kin. We aim to preserve life and environment. I will go with them. I’m old as I say but the years have chipped away at any cowardice. I have lived. So what if I am to die? So what if my death brings word of our kin, or food to make the children smile

Anyway, this is a world without rules, without parents, without police. I am - I must admit - excited.

---

Feral Reinforcements

Some Feral special weapons have been added to my small warband. A snniper, a flame thrower, a rocket/missile launcher, and a large calibre (barely) person-portable support weapon. I added a camflaged cloak to the sniper made out of tissue and watered down pva (thanks Art Attack) and a couple of shades of green pigment powder to try and give it a mossy ghillie suit sort of look. I think it worked out fairly well though there was a moment as I was making it I was sure I had really messed it up. Please excuse the rather hectic painting table. I've neatened it up since, honest.

Cannibal Sector 1 Scavs

I have stll to do the bases (a mix of Mini Arts Studio bases) but I am very happy with how these have come out.

Kolony Ferals

So here is my first batch of Kolony Ferals.

Models from Pig Iron Productions (I've been wanting a good excuse to ave a go at their stuff since it came out).

The bases are Gladius Game Arts 30mm 'Urban decay' Base inserts. I'm just using them on their own as bases and will temporarily slot them into 30mm lipped bases for games that might need or benefit from them.

Primed with vallejo white primer (by brush as a bit of an experiment, it worked fine really. They needed a cuple of coats and it needed managed so as not to pool too much but went on and covered ok. It is however not very durable at all). and then painted with mostly vallejo (game/air/mecha/model), a little Tamiya, Army Painter washes, and AK, Vallejo, and Mini Art pigments, and finally an earth brown oil crayon. they have been sealed with Vallejo gloss and matte varnish.

They have come out looking less dusty than intended, a problem with applying varnish I have not worked out a solution to yet, and I am not 100% happy with how I have painted the bases. I feel like they need something else. The actual Gladius Game Arts bases themselves are very nice though, with good details.

A Post Apocalyptic Swerve and Some Cannibal Sector 1

As I was enjoynig painting my Infinity Ariadna forces in an apocalyptic urban warfare style I had a craving to take on a new project (added it to the already huge list) and see what I can do with the theme. I started off painting my Cannibal Sector 1 Scavs reckoning they could happily crossover with other apocalyptic settings and then grabbed some Lead Adventure and Pig Iron Productions Kolony Ferals. The plan is to then knock together a table and start getting some games in of Nordic Weasel's in-beta rules '5 Klicks From the Zone' (and CS1).