Stargrave Slum Stacks, vending machines, robot dogs, scatter terrain and a Bob Naismith Overrunner vehicle

I've spent the past few weeks painting more scenery to use with Stargrave (and perhaps eventually 40K  (if I get around to playing that again)). Aside from painting I've also had the chance to get more actual games of Stargrave in. I had a blast each time (sometimes while actually using a blast template). About time for an update, so let's go.

The collection of rust terrain to play Stargrave scenario's in, is slowly expanding.

Let's get started with a few things we're busy 'house ruling' in Stargrave (for those of you playing along or just plain wondering what (in my humble opinion) could be slightly better). The first rule we now have concerns physical loot. In the game you have data loot and physical loot. For data you need to hack a terminal, for physical loot you need to pick the lock on a container. Trouble is that carrying physical loot halves your models movement speed. This slows the game down, especially as your clumsy crew always fails to pick the locks (especially specialist lock pickers, they simply roll 1 on a d20 at every attempt). We've house ruled that you get no movement penalty on physical loot if you pick the lock on the container. It assumes the model is taking the desired goods home. Taking the container without picking the lock (i.e. dragging the safe back to base) halves movement speed. It makes for some quite entertaining moments in the game. As a second rule we've taken out the movement penalty for climbing (moving 1 inch up takes 1 inch of move instead of 2, using a ladder actually doubles your vertical movement speed). This makes it easier to attain good positions during the game, otherwise getting up high takes longer than the average game lasts. Our third house rule concerns loot on a table with NPC's still present after one player is eliminated (for whatever reason). If this happens the other player only gets to keep loot that has been picked up by the warband. This takes away the odd 'ah they're gone, feel free to loot our base' ending of missions in the original rules. 

I went slightly overboard (cough cough) while applying weathering powders to the wheels. A bit of drybrushing with Nato Black took care of the worst excesses.

A while back I discovered Bob Naismith is enthusiastically designing models you can print in your 3D-printer. Oldhammer enthusiasts know him for his work for GW. He designed the first Space Marine back in the eighties and the crazed tree wielding Scotts for the McDeath scenario (if you read this mr. Naismith: please make stl-variants of these guys, I would love to paint some). To try his work out I ordered an Arcon Heavy Reconnaissance Vehicle (big truck) and got the file for this smaller jeep-analogue, called the Overrunner, for free. I printed both models, but got around to painting this one first. I did not print the driver or gunners because I intend to use it as a parked vehicle in my rusty sci-fi town. The paint scheme is fairly basic, I thought it was funny to add an ancient Brettonian decal to the hood so I could dub it a 'Unicorn Security Vehicle' for gaming purposes. I'll also write down 'I should not overdo weathering powders' a hundred times to teach myself a very important lesson ;).

I had quite a blast painting this little jeep-like analogue in military colors. Perhaps I should print a second one and go wild with a more civilian color scheme. 

On a more technical side the 3D-printable files delivered by Bob Naismith were in another league compared to the ones I usually buy of MyMiniFactory or Cults3D. Most of the models by other designers are solid lumps I need to hollow out. Some of them are split into smaller parts to fit the print plate, but that's it. The parts on Bob Naismith's models are designed with much more finesse. They are reminiscent of the bits you get on a sprue. Parts are as small as they can be. That means you can print the models out a lot faster (the bits take up less height). Individual bits fit together nicely. I recently saw an interview with Bob Naismith talking to the guys over at The Painting Phase. He was discussing sprue design (and going over my head quickly). You can see his decades of experience on that front when you look at his designs. Lovely stuff to work with. I'm quite certain I'll be ordering more from him (there a ten cadaver unit of space skeletons I most definitely need at some point).

Fetch robot doggy! 

Lets move on to the robot dogs. There's a mission with an electrical fence in Stargrave that requires a few robot guard dogs, so I went looking for appropriate miniatures. I think these will do quite nicely. I based them on 32mm rounds and had a lot of fun applying a basic paint scheme. I'll probably also use them as dogs for a warband in the near future. They are just too cool. I have to see them on the tabletop.

As troubling as a machine to buy ammo from is, I think a rusted water machine is peek dystopia. 

Next up is some wonderful scatter terrain that will make my Stargrave city come alive. These vending machines where actually free downloads. As an added bonus the modeler hollowed them out, making it even easier to print them I added a (paper) print of a real life vending machine's contents to the one labeled 'rations'. I glued the color print in place with a layer of PVA and added a top paint layer of Soulstone Blue to give it a proper glass effect. I have to admit I'm rather chuffed at the result of that little lazy trick.

I can't stop chuckling about this sign. Adding it to a small container building just added to the joke (I thought).

I decided to get signs to add to my MDF buildings. After a long search I settled on a set for Flatline City by Saucermen Studios. This one stating 'Big Pharma' was a lot of fun to paint. I went wild on the overspray to simulate the letters being lit up. The Spicy Time sign in the back unintentionally became extremely eighties. 

Stop! Spicy Time! (sorry, I can't make this MC Hammer reference work quite as well as I want it to).

I didn't quite know what to do with it once it was printed, so I defaulted to pink and worked that up to almost white. It works a treat for this Slum Shack Snack Stack. Now to find a Don Johnson looking model to lean against the counter wearing a suit jacket with rolled up sleeves. 

There's no failing in terrain making, every misstep is another reason to pile on more rust and greeblies.

Moving back to (and to the back of) the Big Pharma building. That was one of the first MDF containers I painted (the red pile of rust on the right was the other). I learned how not to paint MDF terrain on these two building and ended up killing most of the detail etched into the wood. I decided to solve this by adding greeblies...lots and lots of greeblies. Most of the pipes, hatches and assorted stuff on these two containers come from Sci-fi Greeblie Packs by Digital Taxidermy. I'm especially happy with Sci-Fi Greeblie Pack 1, it contains all the pipes that give the MDF buildings a lot of instant character. Aside from the printed greeblies, I also used a lot of parts from the Maelstrom's Edge sprues I still have around. You can't build nice models without having greeblies on hand and the 3D-printer enriches the bits box beyond anything I ever imagined.

I covered the pipes with Typhus Corrosion and then sponged on the bronze paint. It makes them look quite creaky and awful I thought. 

I had to add a quick picture of the back of the two restored failed paint jobs. The other joyful part about painting scenery for me is that it takes away the notion that my work has too look nice. That's for expensive models. When painting terrain I just go wild. I have to admit I like the result of that zen mode of painting. It's fast too :) 

Living space available, just deposit three months of rent (and don't expect any of your deposit back).

This update is getting long (and will be longer). Here's another sign from Flatline City. I've added similar signs to another two buildings by TTCombat that are currently languishing in just a coat of primer. Let's move on the a full picture.

Special offer: pay six months of rent in advance and get a free tetanus shot!

Hab Block 63 is actually sold as the Slum Stacks by TTCombat. Looking at the picture on their website has made me realize I forgot to paint the stairs that came with the set. I'll add them at a later point. As far as painting was concerned, I spray painted a cheap yellow from a rattlecan ditectly on top of unprimed MDF. I then used some diluted W&N Green acrylics to paint a few containers green, just to break up the yellow. I'm quite sure I also added blue too, but I can't seem to find it in my pictures. It's probably all rusted over. Let's find out if Blogger is any good at showing some side by side images.

I spend most of my painting time on this building applying rust. I followed the same approach I used on my Snack Stacks. Many ancient bits of blister packaging died to bring you this building...

Ah there's still a bit of blue visible there. Looking at this picture, I think I should take some time painting interiors as well.

This stack of buildings can be taken apart to place models into it. I think I should paint the floors inside the building, or maybe print out a likely looking floor covering for them. Unfortunately I suspect I've glued the top roof to the highest level of the building. Shouldn't have done that, I will not be able to add a proper looking floor there.

My titan, comfortably leaning against the display case.

And with that I've reached the end of this update. Well almost. My insane project has been completed print-wise. I've 3D-printed an entire Warlord class titan on 28mm scale and it only took about a month (and my wife hasn't left me!). Now all I have to do is find out where I can get 2-component adhesive by the gallon and check my supply of superglue to put this model together. I'm also planning to give it an MDF base, just to add some extra structural integrity. In all likelihood the titan will never see 'active' service on a tabletop, so I might as well go wild basing it :D. Here's pictures of all the parts that need sticking in place at some point.

So many parts. Ironically they block acces to the very cutting mat I use to assemble models. 

Yes, that's what madness looks like when printed in resin. It even dwarves the Warhound titan on the left. I'm glad I'm done printing this monster. It was a lot of work, but worth it I say (insert gales of howling mad laughter here).