Future Wars Update 012 - Additional Buildings 3

Following my last update quite sometime ago on the Additional Buildings for my Future Wars Project, I have recently been getting some progress on these terrain pieces to get them into a usable state, which included adding a few pieces to the collection.

I had decided around the end of last year to expand my collection of this range of models and looked to pick up additional habs, hub units, walkways and a few bits and bobs to make my set-up much more adaptable and potentially high-rise (ish).

Time flies as they say and when I picked up the original CASHstack set pieces they were produced by Warmill who are now defunct and their ranges are now produced by TT Combat, though I note several parts of the previous Warmill ranges have never made it back into production which is a shame. The Warmill Ultra-modern terrain range were particularly good.

It would seem that several bits, specifically the large and small hab units have been re-tooled (to a much lower quality IMO) and very annoyingly with slightly differing dimensions. The units being slightly shorter in overall length with the locating lugs/cut-outs in differing locations. This means you can't stack the old Warmill units with the new TT Combat pieces (without quite a bit of butchering that is) and the newer pieces lack the internal partitions that the Warmill ones had, plus the detailing lining is much coarser and often inaccurate.

I have assembled, primed and base coated all the original pieces along with the majority of the additional pieces and accessories (with the exception of one large hab and a couple of hubs and supports still to assemble in the fullness of time).

All the pieces have been grey primed and spray base coated in a light ochre/bone and then a heavy directional coat of white to give a bit of graduation from top to bottom which has worked fairly well. I've now started detailing the panelling etc and am looking to complete the windows with coloured film to add to the 'moderne' look. I'm maintaining a limited colour pallette throughout and still deciding if I'm going to apply any weathering to the completed models or not. I'll probably go with a limited effect and not too worn look, but might try a couple of pieces as bit more 'used' to see if this appeals.

The main area's and details have all been air-brushed but find it's actually fairly easy to do the details with a filbert brush and stay within the lines and a lot less faff than masking off fiddely bits anyway.

I have also made up some small infill pieces from the off-cuts and push-outs from the mdf sheets for balcony end pieces and stairways landing rails to keep things looking less open. The other manufactured accessory I'm working on is to produce simple 'pavement basing' for the additional roof balcony pieces that are not used when stacking the hab units so they can be used to double up as fencing or walling.

All in all enjoying the upgrading and progress to date but things have stalled now as I'm looking to push on with some figure painting between other projects, mainly DIY and woodworking along with some Man-cave upgrades occupying my free time recently.

Will up-date on progress on this one as it happens.

Ragnarok Miniatures - New Figures to the collection

'The Stahlsons' Armoured Trolls

The Ragnarok Miniatures above and following are some of the first miniatures I've added to my collection this year. The Figures were received last month from the recent Ragnarok 9 Trollheim Kickstarter which was floated at the end of last year and were received ahead of the anticipated delivery, which was nice. All the figures are sculpted by Colin Patten and his style is immediately noticable and the figures fit with many manufacture ranges over and above the many that were sculpted by Colin of course but also other ranges.

I have a number of the Ragnarok minitures already and this package is adding to the range I have which are intended for use in a number of roles but particularly bulking out my Oathmark Army, use in my Solo Fantasy Campaign, various Fantasy Skirmish rules and in some LotR gaming to name a few.

A good deal and a fair passle of figures received, I like the Armoured Trolls particularly and will be useful in a number of roles under a variety of guises which the generic look will fit nicely.

'Uruk Warband'

Along with the Trolls, I went for the Uruk Warband which includes 32 figures in various guises.

'Uruk Command and Armoured Uruks'

Self explanitory Armoured Uruk core with 12 rank and file and a 4 figure command group. I picked up an additional Command group to flesh out previously picked up Ragnarok Armoured Goblin types. Armed with reasonably sized shields and mainly polearms and a few scimtar like swords. I'll probably ditch the scimitars in favour of something a bit heavier.

'Uruk Archers'

Again, self explanitory with the Uruk Archers being of the armoured variety. One issue I didn't like with these is that they came with the standard seperate hand with bow which also came with the Forest Goblins below. While this looked fine with the goblins, it looked a bit small for the beefy Uruks, so I substituted the bows with some spare bows from the bits box. Pretty sure they were from spare Empire Archers, which look the part size wise.

'Uruk Trackers'

The Uruk Trackers are a very usable generic goblinoid beefy type and could be used in a variety of roles again. Armed with spears and lighter shields than their armoured counterparts, the shields are fine and similar if not the same as the Goblin Shields in previous releases. Don't like the spears as pretty blunt looking and like the polearms with the armoured Uruks are very soft metal, so these will be replaced for harder wearing alternatives, probably rod and plastic spear heads.

'Forest Snaga Archers'

Bringing up the rear of this gang are the Forest Goblin Archers. I have a pack of the Forest Goblin Spearmen from previous Kickstarter which I liked a lot and make ideal skirmishy types and the archer addition was a no brainer for me. As you can see, the seperate hand/bow which are pinned and glued to the figures look nicely sized for the shorter stature Goblins but is way to small for the strapping Uruk warriors to bother with.

The previous releases from Ragnarok are available from Gripping Beast and I assume the latest Kickstarter will be available there in due time. I'm probably going to be picking up a couple of additional Goblin types from GB in the near future.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

The Shadow of the Torturer - Bruce Pennington

Wishing everyone a (belated) happy and prosperous 2025

and Best Wishes for the coming year!

Think it's going to be interesting.