Starting Dropzone Commander

Dropzone Commander has intrigued me for a long time.  The scale is interesting, and I really like the nesting models.  I played a demo at the Hawk booth at Adepticon, and got a starter as swag.  I kept waffling.  I got a second demo at Endgame (thanks Kyle!) in May.  Finally I decided to take the plunge.

I figured I should go ahead and sign up for the Bay Area Open, because everybody loves a newbie at a tournament.  Right?  I wanted to get at least one real game in first.  Since I only play with painted models, that gave me a hard deadline for getting things painted: July 4.


I had the PHR starter army, but swapped it for UCM.  The UCM aesthetic speaks to me, plus I could get a second set of some core models in the two-player starter.  I picked up a semi-random collection of other interesting models:  A Kodiak for command, Wolverines in Ravens, plus Falcon and Eagle gunships with Archangels to taste.

For the basic look, I liked the idea of doing arctic camouflage.  The problem with camo is that it is designed to break up the shape of the object.  A gaming model really needs its shape defined for it to work.  Fortunately, a bit of edge highlighting can bring the shape back without ruining the look of the camo.  Stippling the same off-white gives a frosted look.  I also added some weathering powders around the wheels to give a bit of color, and help to provide some contrast with any board color.  A few test models would prove the scheme.

Bear
Bear

That settled, I could go about painting up the rest of the ground forces.

Next up, the dropships.  I had a bunch of Condors from the starter boxes, plus a set of Ravens to carry the Wolverines.  I went for a similar scheme, with camo for the major body panels and exposed metal for the rest.  I figured the clamps would get dirty like the ground vehicles, so hit them with weathering to match.

Finally, the gunships and fast movers.  The UCM dropship and gunships look a lot alike, especially from a few feet away.  They share a hull design, and the main difference is on the underside.  I wanted to give the gunships a distinctive look.  I settled on a solid blue, centered around the same color as the spots on the camo.

The army looks cohesive as a whole, although different components have their own appearance.

I had to rush a bit more than I would have liked, but I was able to get everything done in time.  After a couple of games (and a bit of a break), I’ll see about expanding the force.  And I’m already lusting after the Resistance models.

Updated October 2016 with improved images.

Malifaux: Somer crew


I had talked myself into buying this box a long time ago for Johana many months ago, which is part of what sent me on a path towards Gremlins.  Now they’re painted up and ready to go.

Somer Teeth Jones
Somer Teeth Jones

I struggled with gaps on Somer, and am not entirely happy with the results.  The skin is pretty nice, though.

The Skeeters are way too big for their bases.  I decided to put them in flight.  The stands are just some 1/8″ acrylic rod, with magnets to make them easier to transport.  In game you can summon more, so my compulsive nature demands I have enough models.  I’m assured it’ll never happen, though, so I probably won’t actually do anything about it.

Lenny
Lenny

I’m really happy with how Lenny turned out.  His skin tone is really rich, and his eyes stand out nicely.

The Bayou Gremlins all have interesting, distinctive poses, which is really fun.  I’m not sure how to keep it up for more models for summoning Somer.  Maybe some conversions are in my future.

Bayou Gremlin (limited edition)
Bayou Gremlin (limited edition)

I also got the limited edition Bayou Gremlin from the Black Friday sale, so I have a little more variety.

Updated October 2016 with improved images.