Ruumet Breehr progress

Nearly there now.Horns added and base coat on.I think after all it will need to be put on a base then finished.No holter as in some pics in the source books,its to be walked as a pack animal not ridden. Part of a caravan /army supplies etc. I'm going with the blue rather than the brown in the book cover.

I'm not 100% happy with it but I think it looks more cow/sheep (as in the pics showing it without the holter and bit) than reptile.It will just have to do until someone comes out with a proper Ruumet Breehr.

Cloudship Part2?

A plainfully slow project but I'm starting to get on with it again why waiting for Fadath freed slave troops undercoats are drying.
Gaps filled, rails cut down from the original Stars Wars model as they weren't to scale for 28mm.Shame as they were a nice shape.Decks being glued into place (plastic sheets from Slaters UK),but lots to do yet.Swivel gus,light cannons for the main deck,mounting for heavy cannon for the upper bow deck,fit the props to the rear,the stand,oh and painting!

The engine isn't glued into place yet just checking for size.

What a Ruumet Breehr ?

So with the chance of a Ruumet Breehr from RAFM on hold or off the table and the only other version in 15mm from Highland Studios I've gone back to my early attempt to convert one myself.So an ebay dino and it begins.

So it was cut the legs to give it a shorter look,cut and shorten the tail.Cut off the crest and use some of the horns for later then add green stuff and a baggage platform.Ready for the painting now, pics to follow next week if possible.

A very quick post

Just to try to keep me in the habit of regular posting, an update on progress so far with my Fadath army.Once again a very poor quality camera :( but what you can see are the command groups and a support unit.

The red tunic are a rifle unit mainly Martini Henry rifles,second line in blue rifled Martian muskets and in white officer and drummer of what will become a "chopper/cutters" unit.The core infantry in the post so I'm told.Right at the back is a jinal gun which has become a Ruumet Breehr Gun and as such light artillery.The stats for it give great distance and damage but little accuracy.After all in my fluff it was designed to bring down very big beasties,so no sniper rifle.But if it hits you its pretty much bye bye unless your in an armoured transport.I intend to have two of these support units.

These come from New Line Designs in the UK but can be bought direct from Pontoonier Miniatures in the US from their Burmese infantry line.They have been easier than I had thought to turn into canal Martians with a bit of green sluff for feet and hands with a paint job.

Fadath and other things

Just cleaning off some Gashants before starting the long slog ;)

On the Fadath front I've sent off for a single pack of minis to test scale from Pontoonier Miniatures through their UK supplier Newline Designs.I went for their Burmese troops.With a little conversation and a creative paint job I hope to be able to use them for the freed slaves militia.They have enough of a British/European influence with enough Eastern influence to fit a Martian force.

They come with rifles,muskets and spears which can all fit unto the Fadath back ground fluff I've worked on.They will also be different to the 'tradtional' Fadath troops I'm using ebay bought GW LOTR minis which is what I'm aiming for.

I've also promised myself come what may to put all projects (in cluding and unfinished Fadath ones) to one side at x-mass and get a game in and finish at least two of the half built Cloudships still on the block.

A bit of Fadath fluff

Building on earlier work of Ni Ke Hsin my version of the Fadath city state.

Fadath Foreign Politics

Britain , France & America

The cities relations are good with the British & French, mainly through trading and the Roman Catholic Church.American mercenaries played a pivotal role in the defence of the city state during the recent Skorosian assault and are most welcome to stay.

Oenotrian Empire

The princess knows that the Oenotrians will not forgive her for fighting and defeating their Skorosian troops. Even if the princess was deposed the city would have to pay a high price for their recent actions.Its agents work in the city and have influence in the main temple and within the court.

Nectar

The Prince of Necta ,  Sitanni is in regular contact with Princess Kristyaana Anraabu through couriers. This city cares for the welfare of her fellow countrymen that have fled from Melas to the relative safety of Nectar, some civilians and volunteers make their way onto Fadath. Also news of resistance groups in the Belgian run Coprates Valley get passed on.

Though the Princess can not at this time send troops to Nectar she sends funds for the care of refugees and to support the resistance. She has also helped to fund a Nectar cavalry unit for the defence of the border of that city state, whose role often brings them into conflict with the Belgians.

In addition to this, her newly formed Melas companies in Fadath have been promised that for their loyal service to the princess that one day she will lead them to relieve Melas from the Belgians. She has brought ex-Melas Army troops into her personal bodyguard as they are more trustworthy then Fadath troops who may have been influenced by her late husband’s uncle Prince Hastuun.

Fadath has an open door policy for Melas refugees because of the connection with the princess but not many can get through rival states to reach the safety of the city. This is a good thing on the domestic front as an influx could lead to problems. Most of those able bodied males that reach the city are strongly encouraged to join the Fadath Army in special Melas only units commanded by Fadath officers at the senior command level.

The Royal Fadath Army

Fadath Regulars

These are mainly infantry units consisting of swords men (armed with the regional weapon the Fadath Glaives), Archers and Rifled Musket men. The regular army replaced its smoothbore muskets with rifled before the late Prince died. Archers are still used and trained for frontline duties and the trend for fazing these out for black power weapons hasn’t reached the conservative Fadth Army.

These troops are suspicious of the better equipped of the human’s mercenaries and look down on the freed slave units. A number of senior officers are loyal to Prince Hastuun. A larger number of officers feel the city is going in the wrong direction and the Princess (not of Fadath birth) is striking at the heart of Fadath’s way of life.

Most officers are drawn from the families of the Merchant Princess & the establishment and see their position of the elite at risk and favour a return to the old ways. But the rank and file currently support the Princess but are unhappy at the suggestion of allowing  freed slaves into regular army units.

Regular troops make up about 25% of the whole army.

Fadath Swords=”Choppers” Blue Cloaks

Fadath Bows=”Shooters” Light Blue Cloaks

Fadath Rifles=”Shooters” Orange/Earth tones Cloaks

Melas Royal Guard

When the city of Melas fell to the Belgians a small group of city troops who survived the bloodbath volunteered their services to the Princess are her private bodyguard. Though technically part of the Royal Army the only answer to the Princess.

The Royal Guard make up about 1% of the whole army

Melas Freedom Guard

These are volunteers who escaped the fall of Melas and are forming a new force that’s hopes one day to free Melas from the Belgians. They are equipped with mixture of Fadath weapons and old Fadath armour. This force is currently commanded by a former junior officer .He is an able and brave officer but has never commanded a major force, and he fears that he may never get the chance to free his homeland.

The Melas Freedom Guard make up about 3% of the whole army

Freed Slave Bands-Militia

The army has changed dramatically since the recent war with the Oenotrian Empire. Its need for troops forced them to arm slaves on the promise to free them. Most of those not from Fadath have remained in military service, either remained in the Fadath Army or hiring themselves out as mercenary companies. Run by themselves or human officers.

The Militia make up about a 70% of the whole army.

Mercenaries

The city relied heavily on human and Hill Martian mercenaries in the recent war to act as its spearhead giving the edge to the battle and using the Canal slaves as the massed ranks giving weight to the battle.

Some of the Hill Martians have remained in paid service mainly as cavalry. While a sizable number of well armed and disciplined Humans have decided to remain in the city state acting as military advisors, instructors as well as elite infantry units guarding key positions such as the armoury, the landing fields, City Gates and the palace.

Groups of mercenaries such as the Grovener's Rifles , Nash Merryweather’s Scouts , Le School of Artillery, Cpt./капита́н Ivan’s sharp shooters remain in the city. All are employed by the Hesperian Free Company a military wing of the Hesperian Basin Trading Company who has negotiated a contract with the city to provide training and provide military support to the ‘new army’. Many European nationalities are employed in this work each with unique skills and equipment. The current CO is Colonel Frost (British Army retired) .

Mercenaries make up about 1% of the whole army but punch well above their weight.

 

Still plodding a long

Still up to my ears is unfinished Cloud ships(no I haven't forgotten them ;) ),prototype Ruumet Breehr conversions(sadly as it doesn't look like RAFM will be making any for a while since their latest fund raising project flopped),finishing off my Oenotrian Army with an artillery unit and more cavalry. A few more minions for my created evil master mind on Mars plus a few other 'small' bits and bods.

I've come up with the idea to build an army of Fadath based on the work of Ni Ke Hsin.Following the description given in the work it should allow for an interesting force. A core of city troops, a small number of human mercenaries and the bulk made up of freed slaves.

So far I'm thinking along the lines of the city core troops being conversions of cheap eBay bought GW LOTR elves. Leave the archers and swordsmen as they are but add a rifled musket unit made of conversions. The arms and rifled muskets come from Perry dismounted cavalry plastic sprues.

Mercenaries should act as an elite or a number of small elite units. So British service troops painted up as mercs with an ex-British army hint in the uniforms. A French artillery unit. Boars as a scout unit and just for fun Cossacks as snipers.

The freed slave forces could end up as RAFM minis but given the recent price increase this may be a small build up. Biting off more than I can chew? Maybe ;)

A small project,just to see if I could do it.Page 17 of Sky Galleons shows a picture of a Martian Lob Gun.

I have never seen a Lob Gun like the sketch before.Most people use a mortar in games as the weapon in the canon works like a mortar.But while looking at the picture it came to me that parts of GW WH Empire kits could be used to make something like the sketch.

So one Empire canon,on weapon mounting from the Empire tank and the tanks smoke stack top.Cut the canon in about half along the moulding.Glue the 'Chimney stopper'in place after a little carving of the plastic,a bit og green stuff and add the rest of the barrel to it.

An option you may like to take is to cut a loading hatch where the Empire Coat of Arms are,or not?

Its still to have a front plate and a base but it seems to of worked.
Edited.Finished and painted.

Excuses,Excuses,Excuses

Lets just say that I've haven't had the time to put into the hobby as I would like.

While doing some DIY I came up with the wheeze of try builders foam to turn into cliff sides and rock formations.If you don't use this stuff within so many days after first using it,the stuff goes solid in the can.So an old fruit tray lined with newspapers,spray the outside first working inwards and watch it take form.Add to where you think it needs it to give depth.

Once dry and solid,remove from the tray,remove the paper (if you find a difficult bit use some water to soften the newspaper)its the back or bottom don't worry too much.Then with a craft knife start carving ,removing the rounder bits,adding flat surfaces for figs etc.If  you want ,you can cut out spaces behind to place figs weapons etc for a game.

For £7.00 a can it works outs rather cheap given the sizes you can get.

Pics to follow when I work out whats happened to the blog with its recent changes.

My version of the rebellion in Shastapsh Part 2

A Martian flag fly over the city once more.









Rebel militia supported by O’Keefe Rangers plus a Gatling gun advance on the French & Russian troops at the gate.

The Gatling gun is put to good use when in position to strafe the walls of defenders. This forces the British to fall back from giving cover and the French & Russian troops withdraw from the front of the gate. More rebels arrive pushing onto the gateway. Heavy casualties have been taken but soon the humans are over run and the walls taken.

If support had been given from the German Consulate things could have been different but not a shot was fired to help their fellow ‘Earthers’.
What now for the wounded, women and children?

My version of the rebellion in Shastapsh Part 1

Played 30th Dec 2011.Warning pic heavy .My version of the rebellion in Shastapsh. Driven on by Priests and other religious fanatics the population of the city raise up against their British rulers and the other humans in the city.
Both the French & Russian consuls are taken and the remainder of their representatives fall back to the British trading quarter to join British Army & Naval forces.