A bit of recycling never harmed anyone, did it now?

 I barely surf online anymore, I removed a good 2/3rd of all of my FB groups as there is only so much time in a day and after 8-9 hours behind a desk and my PC.....you kind don't want to sit here for another 3-4 hours. But I ran into this pic:

Sadly I cannot for the life of me remember who made it. I liked the idea, not so much the pristine barrel and GW style blood.

 

 

So....made my own. Bit more like what I'm used to blood wise (please don't ask) and should come in useful someday. Or not. It was fun to paint again, and finish something. I'll focus more on these little things for a while. Sorry if it is a bit too graphic for some....it's a gamepiece, nothing else.

 

 

And my God is my camera and light combo a big pile of steaming......ugh

Droid Slavers

" Right after the great war, with most production facilities in ruins, and most people no longer trusting them, robots and droids were rare. But there was still a need for cheap and efficient labour and servants, and this is where the robot slavers stepped in. Robots salvaging, repairing and in some cases hunting down other robots for sale to humans who would pay the price. In some cases various factions of robots would sell captured robots unsuited for them to the slavers, and they in turn to us.


You see, pre war robots function on a different level then current day examples. Scared that they would revolt again, we now have dumbed down models., with the exception of some higher end (military) models. So they are sought after, now that the great war is long behind us. Like a commodity they are sold on, mindwiped again and again, from party to party who is willing to pay the price.


As long as we buy them, Droid Slavers will exists. And that is why B85M-D3V comes to town once a month, to sell out his kind for a profit. And we keep a very close watch on what he does."


Constable Gu Lee, New Xi'an, 11th Province, CCM-23

CHI-76a Medium Laser Tank " Mazha "

Somewhere in the future, man will colonise other planets and war will break out. With this idea I have been on again and off again penning down notes and ideas about what vehicles to make, looking at modifications and making plans for the future, as I want to do this in 20mm and as some of you may know, 20mm is not a (popular) Sci-fi scale. 15mm you can buy everthing plus the kitchen sink, 28mm just a tad less, 20mm hardly anything.


First off, my sci-fi universe is a mix of various ideas (and shows/movies). It is a period after man colonized many worlds, discovered many alien species, battled a omnipotent AI and came out battered but unbroken (minor win in gaming terms), only to rise up again, start fighting amongst themselves and remnant robot forces and the odd alien. Mechs are available but rare, anti-grav is possible and anything goes worlds wise. Alien ships are common. CHI stands for China Heavy Industries - I tend to focus a lot on China as a colonising power and almost all of my builds will be for this nation as well as looking at various robots cause I always need more reasons to paint robots


The CHI-76a is a general medium tank chassis used for a variety of tasks, of simple build as to keep the costs down, for 2nd line and garission units. I'll be focusing on one PDF (Planetary Defence Force) in particular on a as yet unnamed world, CCM-23 is known for its large copper deposits and earth like climate (well, a bit hotter). No other details currently available.


This PDF uses the Mazha's (Chinese for Grasshopper/Locust depending on which translator you use. (My Chinese colleagues actually got into a argument with each other if this word or something I can't pronounce is correct, but in Dutch a Grasshopper and a Locust are the same thing so I'll leave it at that. You get the idea)) as their main battle tank. This tank is built around defense. It carries 2 main guns, medium to heavy lasers depending on the setting, that can be fired simultaneously or alternating, good for 3000 shots until ithey need to be overhauled. The laser is of a very rugged Indian design, copied by the Chinese. Very durable and low maintenance, the only odd feature is that each discharge is accompanied by a loud chirp, not unlike a grasshopper, due to the way the baffles work to vent the heated air. That and the preferred Chinese tactic of attacking/defending in larger groups while moving from location to location brought about the name, the original factory name long since forgotten.


For maximum survivability, the crew of 3 sits inline in the middle of the vehicle in armoured cocoon front to back (Driver, gunner, commander). For extra defence the vehicle comes with a twin MG turret on top, a small anti missile laser on the rear deck and optional additional ceramic ablative armour on the sides. The vehicle is tracked as that is still the most economical way to get around in most areas. A anti grav version is available, but due to the greater drain on the engine this tends to draw too much power and increases reload time for the lasers. No AI unit is available for this type of tank, but most droids/robots can take the place of the various crew if needed. As it is very noseheavy, no blower version exists. The front roadwheels and suspension wears out at an excessive rate and are rated at 1500 km's max. The engine is either a multifuel type or a small fusion reactor (not for export). Armour is low to average on the sides, but the front armour should be able to withstand hits up to 125mm....in theory. It does not carry a shield generator. Depending on the location and training of the crew, the tank is used as a sniper, lying in ambush, or as a assault tank, supporting infantry.


The chassis is used for various roles, of which later more.


I have a donor chassis selected from my stash, I ordered new barrels for the conversion and I plan to make 3 units of this particular model. Total cost per tank should not exceed 12,50 euro including all of the parts and scratchbuilding. I hope to start these in December/January, though I will base the hulls before that time.


More fiction of me in the future to go with my 20mm sci-fi project :)


I'll leave you with a link to my gaming buddy's Blog, Modhails Meanderings who just finished a beautiful True Scale Howling Griffons Space Marine and photographed in his beautiful 3D Space Hulk sections. He wants a whole unit for them in Inquisimunda. The nutter.

Welcome to Nelengele! A overview.

Nelengele is a former British colony in a area we in the real world call Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso. It gained its independence on the 8th of August 1966. Compared to other countries in Africa it is a large country with many tribes and ranging from desert to tropical conditions, covering almost 2.5 million square kilometers, although there are more then a few contested areas with the neighbouring countries.

The national flag of Nelengele as we know it today was instituted in 1968 when General-for-Life Emmanuel Nwude took over the country in a coup. He wanted the flag to symbolize the patriotism of the Eastern and Western tribes entering an era of peace (completely ignoring the Northern tribes, of which later more) hence the blue-white-blue flag.

The official language is English, but in the North a large part of the population speaks French. Several dialects are spoken by the various tribes.

Agriculture dominates the country (coconuts, corn and sugar for export), with uranium, salt and tungsten mining in the sparsely populated north. Oil is found in the south and at sea. Iron and tin is also found in the south but barely developed and the same goes for deposits of gold, coal, lead and bauxite. Large foreign companies dominate what little mining there is, and the oil industry is dominated by CLAM (Colonial Liquid Assets Monopoly)

By the time of the last census it was found the country just tipped at 100 million citizens, mostly in the South. Illiteracy has dropped by 27% since General-for-Life Emmanuel Nwude took power and his wife Adele Nwunde-Darling instituted a program to get kids into school. Infant mortality dropped by a mere 7%, though this is to be attributed to rebel activity and large areas suffering from Nelengele fever which targets mostly the young, sick and elderly, and for which no cure is found yet. The average family has 5,7 children, and men are expected to live for 51 years. Women however have a life-expectancy of about 55 years. Despite a extensive hospital building program the country still ranks low on the doctor- patient ratio, 0,025 per 1000 patients.

The army is conscripted, and over 150.000 strong, on paper. In reality corruption is rife and recruiters can be bought off by the wealthy, and commissions in the officer corps bought. Some units only exist on paper or are severely understaffed. The Lifeguard (or Finyezi) is the best equipped unit in the army and fiercely loyal, easily recognized by their yellow berets. But in the Northern regions the army barely rises above militia status. Equipment wise it is a hodge podge of WW2 vintage equipment mixed with modern items mixed with prototypes from various companies. Also, simmering conflict with their neighbours and rebel activity means the army is stretched thin resource wise in those areas.

Foreign influences include the USA, USSR and China. The UN has a resolution in place to help and protect refugees in rebel contested areas, though in reality they are powerless as no support is given by the government.

(Oh, and where did I get the name Nelengele from? Well, before my girl could say the word water or drink she just pointed and said Nelengele (or something sounding like that!))

Turning spam into something useful

Received a email in my spambox last night from a chap called Nkuku Nnekwu, if I'd like to sign for 25 million in 5000 dollar deposits on my account. Western Union of course.


Enterprising fella. Let's give him a job. :)


Nkuku Nnekwu has been the Finance Minister and the head of the First National Bank of Nelengele since before General-for-Life Emmanuel Nwude rise to power. Highly regarded in the upper ranks of the regime, Nnekwu skill in balancing the books and keeping the Nelengele Pound stable has made him a favourite of Nwude. This was cemented when one of Nwudes elder sons married Nnekwus daughter a few years ago.


Nkuku Nnekwu, a small and stocky man, hails from the northern tribes, where Nelengele skirts the great desert. Fiercely independent, this area caused the former colonial rulers much trouble until they instituted a large literacy program as well as the industrialization of the local salt lakes, bringing moderate wealth to the area and calming the tribes. His father managed the production of salts from the Agala lake, greatly improving the output by diverting river water with a canal program. His success led to great personal wealth and made it possible for a young Nnekwu to study Corporate Finance in Switzerland.


His estate is in the south, near the Capital. He owns a large game reserve as well as several canning factories (fish and corn) which export around Africa. A rumour that just won't die is that he also deals in diamonds, making frequent trips to Belgium. As Nelengele has no known diamond mines, it is a bit of a mistery where these would come from. Others say he had a mistress in Belgium.

The Lions of Nezele

Time for some fluff  :D

The Lions of Nezele

Mysterious pilots flying the regime’s Cavalier II’s. Some say they are CIA, some say one is a Uzbek mercenary, others claim there’s a illegitimate son of General-for-Life Emmanuel Nwude trying to find a place in the dynasty, some even claim former Third Reich Luftwaffe pilots are amongst them.  Who knows?

They are the 7th Attack Wing (Glorious Lions) and they fly Golf Alfa to Foxtrot (Fxotrot sporting Garfield nose art). They are camouflaged in the standard Nelengele fashion of 3 tone camouflage, with sharks teeth. Compared to other aircraft in the Nelengele inventory they look a bit rough, but the mechanics make sure that underneath the peeling paint and oil stains beats a strong mechanical heart.

The 7th operates from Nzele AFB which is a old single hardend  4200 feet runway dating back from before WW2 (formerly known as RAF Bloodieot), housing the small fleet of 6 Cavaliers as well as a few transports (possibly expanded with a helicopter group in the near future if rebel activity increases). The close location to the disputed border area and rebel camps makes this base vital for the government, and it is well fortified.  The Red Cross has requested use of a section of the airbase to fly in food and medical aid for the war stricken local community, but sofar this request has been denied, meaning most food is trucked in with occasional airdrops.

The rebels refer to the close support aircraft as Akapi’s (“ scorpion” in the native tongue) and rumour has it there is a bounty for capturing any pilot (dead or alive). Sofar no Cavaliers have been shot down, though 1 suffered a landing mishap recently, involving a very unlucky flock of flamingos and copious amounts of pink feathers.