COSTA VERDE - Do you know the way to San Quito?

First vehicle finished for my new Costa Verde setting. The bus to San Quito.

ON THE WORKBENCH - Minibus and Highway Patrol

As hinted at in my last post I am working on a new setting for Arc of Fire games. I'm hoping to run a sort of campaign style game with a narrative running throughout. Still a lot to do on the background etc but I hope to get a scenario sorted for Russell P's first visit to Shed HQ in February. We are both attending the Crisis Point event in April and as the Matrix Game has started I wanted to avoid playing a game set in Andreivia, although the game will definitely visit Andreivia at a later date. I have been working on a couple of vehicles for the game a Highway Patrol car and a Minibus. Both are Matchbox diecasts I think. I don't like shiny vehicles in games as they never seem to match in with my own painting style but I didn't want to do a complete repaint of the Highway Patrol as the lettering and graphics are great so I experimented with giving the model a coat of Dullcote Lacquer on the shiny areas and repainting the other areas adding detail like brake lights, indicator lights etc. I am quite happy with how it turned out and now have another one to do. The Minibus however was a complete repaint as it was a Hollywood Tour Bus but it was perfect to represent a small bus that runs between villages on jungle roads in Costa Verde. Think 'Romancing the Stone'. I am scratchbuilding a roof rack with luggage but it's not quite finished.

ANDREIVIA - Turkish Border Force (Part Two)

Managed to complete the 4 Border Patrol Vehicles for Crisis Point 2016. I am planning to use these as Turkish BPV's but they will also come in useful for the Costa Verde Defence Force (more on those soon),

ANDREIVIA - Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Our TV finally gave up on Monday so off we went to get a new one. Now like a true wargamer I was immediately struck by the polystyrene packaging, never mind the 42" all singing all dancing TV. Now I saw this bit of polystyrene and thought ......?????

Answers on a postcard, no prizes just for fun.

What do you think I thought?

Now this could make an impressive terrain piece for the game in April, but what terrain piece am I thinking of?

ANDREIVIA - ATV Film Crew & ATV Truck

In the Christmas Game at Richard Crawleys one of our units was a TV crew from ATV (Andreivian Television) that had to complete certain film tasks during the game to gain points. I liked the idea of a film crew so much I decided I would do one myself, especially as Richard C very kindly donated the ATV Tower to my collection. In among a load of 20mm figures purchased from a well known auction site were a cameraman and a sound operator which I believe are Britannia. I think the pack also includes a reporter and a military advisor but I didn't have those so I will start with the cameraman and sound operator and add a reporter figure at a later date. A quick trip to Poundland found a suitable truck (Matchbox Kelloggs delivery van) and after the addition of a satellite dish from S&S and a repaint I think it turned out quite well.

Just got the bases to finish and these will get a run out asap.

ANDREIVIA - Turkish Border Force (Part One)

In the Matrix Game I am the Republic of Turkey so I needed a Turkish force for the Crisis Point event this coming April. In Shed HQ I had a load of the great Britannia Miniatures US Vietnam figures that I had picked up cheap on a well known auction website. After several discussions with the Oracle of Andreivia himself about how best to use these figures in an Andreivian setting, as I wasn't planning on gaming Vietnam, we came up with the idea of using them as Turkish forces.

Once the Matrix Game gets going I plan to flesh out the background of this unit but until then here are some WIP photos. Troops pretty much complete apart from varnishing and finishing the bases. The vehicles have had a base coat need drybrushing and detailing before varnishing and completing the bases.

The initial plan is for them to represent a Turkish Border Patrol in the Dagras Hills near Hill 154. Vehicles are two Trumpeter BTR-80's which I understand the Turkish Army has a few (these also fit in with other plans I have for this unit!), four Matchbox SWAT trucks and one Matchbox 4 x 4 flatbed truck all from Poundland.

Matchbox SWAT Truck from Poundland

Spray painted NATO Green and an added .50 cal Remote Weapon System turret from S&S Models and it becomes a Turkish BPV (Border Patrol Vehicle)

Matchbox 4x4 Flatbed Truck from Poundland

Now transport for my HQ Group, got more stowage to add to the roof and the rear.

Turkish Border Patrol

Turkish BPV's and crews

Trumpeter BTR-80's provide transport for the Border Patrol 

HQ Group

Another view of the HQ Group

BTR80's and BPV's and crews

Four BPV's wait to go out on patrol

Thanks for looking, hope to get these finished in the next two or three days as I would like to use them in a warm up game in Shed HQ with Russ Phillips in early February.

ANDREIVIA - Dvimin Military Academy

Originally posted on my other blog RedStorm2016 - January 2014

The students from the Dvimin Military Academy of Andreivia. Originally done for the Crisis Point 3 game but due to building work on the house there completion was delayed so they didn't appear.

CROSSBLOGGING - RedStorm2016

As the Oracle of Andreivia Richard Crawley has pointed out I have two blogs running with similar posts. I originally set up the RedStorm2016 blog after several other wargamers started a project to play a massive Cold War 1/300th game for a whole week this year, unfortunately their interest in Modern gaming faded and WWII took over. So over the next few days and weeks I will be moving posts over to this blog and I will no longer be updating the RedStorm2016 blog.

Cheers

ANDREIVIA - Fallen Statue (Part Three)

Another monument to add to the streets of Andreivia. I plan to make a roundabout for this to be the centerpiece of. More on that soon.

Thanks for looking.

ANDREIVIA - War Memorial (Part Three)

After posting Part Two I decided I would add a larger base to the memorial with paving slabs and some weeds growing. So here is the updated version. Andy Canham is very kindly sending me a few of the wreaths from Sgt's Mess so when they arrive I will paint them up in suitable Andreivian colours and add them to the base.

ANDREIVIA - War Memorial (Part Two)

The War Memorial to the fallen of the Andreivian Rifle Regiment that fought in the Red Army in Hungary in 1941.