(Painting) Transnitrian Light Tanks and a GEV for OGRE Miniatures

A few more items that have been perennials on my painting bench are finally off... 

More of the original plastic OGRE Minis, namely, three light tanks and a GEV, with the light camo, dirty wash style of the Transnitrian Scientific Republic (TSR)

I believe this clears OGRE Minis off the painting bench, as well as the next bag of "filler" minis.

In the Queue:  Gnomes, Zulus, and more Death Planet Iota terrain.

Project 350: A nice drop (finally) to 472  (305/167)  from 480 (311/169).   The #CharacterCreationChallenge is going smoothly, I'm current with the actual plays, and some other projects will see the light of day shortly.

(Painting) Transnitrian Howitzer Emplacements for Ogre Miniatures

 We'll start off my new gaming year with a minor blast from the past: OGRE Miniatures. 

Sitting in the dark corners of my painting bench for years have been these Howitzer Emplacements.

The Transnitrian Howitzer Emplacements, defending a local Taco Bell

Despite some colorful troops at the OGRE Miniatures games at Historicon, I'm happy sticking with the very plain, very military, very dirty style of my Transnitiran Scientific Republic (TSR).  The TSR is my Imagi-nation for not only OGRE, but any sci-fi campaign, including the world of Death Planet Iota and the Gnomish Space Marines.  Celery Green Units, a heavy, messy black wash to show off dirt, and limited details.  

And any excuse to break out the Hunchback and Taco Bell in the background is a plus!

In the Queue:  Desert Terrain (re: Cheap Terrain) for Death Planet Iota, some variety to the Gnomish Space Marines, and some actual German Gnomes from Gnome Wars to clean out oft the bench!

Project 350:  512 (322/190) from 514 (323/191).  I'm current on ongoing projects, I just hope to slide some holiday games in to the rotation.

(Painting) Missile Tanks of the Transnistrian Scientific Republic

Despite my ambitious best intentions, I knew the summer was not going to be conducive to major painting projects, so I kept those on the table, and tried to dabble with other figures to either "cleanse the palette" or find some new inspiration.  I didn't get much accomplished, but it was nice to see a few more OGRE Miniatures out of the bins and painted up.   

I know there's a lot of variety available.to paint up the Combine and PanEuro units, but things are far more interesting if you consider Rogue States fighting against PanEuropean domination (and each other), or the proper Balkanization that occurs after the Last War and the creation of the Factory States.  

Through it all Transnistria existed, in some form or another.  Its steel and energy production was subsidized by numerous factions as the warring states joined forces, and was left relatively intact during the Last War.  This allowed for the construction of a Missile Tank Factory within its narrow borders. 

As the world powers began to disintegrate, Transnistrian leaders used their power grid to maintain a disappearing commodity:  knowledge.  While vast banks of servers are still underground, the newly renamed Transnistrian Scientific Republic used its decades of experience moving illegal arms and converted it to selling knowledge, both intelligence and straight-up technical know-how. 

These are the plastic Missile Tanks coming from the first OGRE plastic minis Kickstarter.  

I had a different paint scheme planned for them, but the work involved was just too much for 1/285 scale models.  I've saved the article and will use the technique on my third, maybe even fourth Hultr halftracks. 

Project 350:  The decline continues, thanks to catching up from #RPGaDay and my aborted vacation.  A drop to 486 (313/173)  from 490 (316/174)

Next: My Gaming Year is winding down, and work is heating up fast, might try to improve upon some more OGRE minis, or just recap the last year and plan out for 2021-22.

(Painting) Transitrian Scientific Republic K-5 Close Support Aircraft

With #RPGaDay posts done and the crazy Summer schedule finished, it's time to visit the sometimes-wet, hopefully dry, always visited by cats painting bench in my Kriget Rum.

After much consternation, and a lack of small but sturdy flight bases, here's the K-5 Close Support Aircraft for my slowly growing Transnitrian Scientific Republic army (TSR).

 This is a Harpy Attack Helicopter from Reviresco/tin-solider.com in 1/300th.  It was in "The Box" that I picked up in the flea market at Fall-In! for a couple of measly bucks.

 No flight bases included, and my search for small, compact, and sturdy have come up empty handed, so *boom* onto a MDF base for you!

The helicopter is also a lot bigger than the air support I've used in Battletech.  It's length rivals an OGRE!  

When the basement doesn't decide to take water around the painting bench, our eldest cat has decided to commandeer it.  She's taken a spot within my painting racks, and let's say she hasn't been the most nimble getting up and off the bench. 

I came downstairs to paint bottles and figures, once well organized, strewn across the basement floor, 

Insert a full sized cat into the space to the left, and you get the idea.

Time to reorganize, cat-proof, and take some time and relax before work gets crazy in less than a month. 

NEXT:  Lots of figures to refurbish for the Samoa game at Fall-In! *spoiling tomorrow's post", my Fita-Fita to keep the theme, and whatever the cat hasn't knocked off the table overnight.

(Painting) OGRE Minatures Infantry

So with all this Role-Playing stuff, people claim I forgot about minis.

I sorta did, too.  But truth be told, there's paint largely on unfinished figures.

These are some infantry stands for the OGRE Minis Set 1.

These guys are 8mm tall, and despite some of the cool paint schemes I found, they're just too small for anything I can do beyond dab and wash. 

Compared to a GHP Microarmor Marine Recovery Vehicle. 

 This batch gets the paint scheme of my Transnitrian Scientific Republic.  Half of the equipment on Set 1 will be done in the TSR green, and I'll be fiddling around with the rest, still sitting on my painting bench.

Oops, wrong game.... same result.

Plastic Infantry vs a Metal Howitzer.

NEXT:  If the water in the basement stays manageable/non-existent, I'll be pumping out a little more 6mm love, slowly putting more paint on two Pulp-related units, and dabbling into Terrain Crate.

(Painting) Transnitrian Recovery Vehichles

So many projects, zero focus, but I have gotten something off the bench!

From my great big box o' mechs I picked up at the last Fall-In! flea market, I found some microarmor, and after many distractions, the first three are finished.

Manufacturer Unknown

These LAV-R recovery vehicles are the first part of my "Transnitrian Scientific Republic" army I'm building, with battlemechs and OGRE minis to come.

Transnitria is the unrecognized autonomous breakaway state from Moldova.  It's got the classic 80's communist vibe, without the worldwide fear of nuclear annihilation and if any country fits the futile effort to save their city/command post from OGRE aggression, it will be them.  And if we're playing in the future, using some surplus USMC recovery vehicles to salvage what they can from the battlefield sounds good to me..

Hunchback for scale.