Gaslands Refueller Gyrocopter

 

As a copper once said; "Allo, allo, allo. What's all this then?"

I wanted to get a gyrocopter for Gaslands Refuelled and it hit me. What if I just use the buggy in the Implements of Carnage available from North Star Miniatures?

So, this blog post is more of a show and tell of a work in progress, not the final product. I just want to see if I can use the Implements of Carnage items to make a DIY gyrocopter. All the parts are from the buggy components of the Implements of Carnage No. 2 product so far with the exception of the rotor shaft. The rotor shaft is a tree support from a 3d printed miniature that I had in my bitz box.

I know there are some great options to 3d print out there, but as I don't currently have a 3d printer, I'm left to scrounge about what I have.

The buggy is made almost as it should be. But the side armour and wheels are not attached. As weight is everything on an aircraft, I intend to leave this as open as possible.

For the boom and tail rotor I have repurposed the articulated arm from the sprue pack that holds the wrecking ball.

For the main blades I am planning on using a clear base to represent the rotors in motion. For the tail rotor, I haven't work that out yet. As to what whacky armaments it will have, I haven't decided on that yet either. Not sure if I will try to add skids to the aircraft or put the wheels on it. Forward motion to gain lift seems to be how this baby would get airborne and so I may attach the wheels after all or make it more of a tricycle buggy.

I'll post an update when this is done. But I guess the bottom line is that it would seem that you actually can use the buggy to make a DYI gyrocopter.

Flak Tower for Gruntz 15mm

 

I wanted a strong point for my Gruntz 15mm games and Dark Castle Terrain has an excellent MDF Flack Tower just right for 15mm. They also produce a larger version suitable for 28mm as well. But you can find the 15mm version here. Just look at their 28mm list of MDF for their larger version.

The 15mm version also works as a smaller outpost for 28mm to 32mm scale. Here you can see a Fallout Wasteland Warfare miniature along with a Khurasan miniatures 15mm scale model. The 15mm model can just look over the crenelation and the 32mm model is covered to its waist.

I added some sandbags to the flack gun positions in order to provide more of a defensive feel to the model and to permit a 15mm model to stand there (this 15mm model is mounted on a 20mm round base)

I also wanted a weatherworn look to the tower and so used Citadel Agrax Earthshade on the MDF.

This model also ended up having one of the inner support strut pieces missing. But the model came together well despite the missing inner strut. I used this to my advantage by adding some thick cardboard to make a door to the model, which otherwise doesn't have an entrance portal. You can just see the door on the left of the model in the photo above.

The stencilled numbers were badly painted on by hand brushing over the stencil. I should have broken out my air brush instead but didn't have the patience for it. However, I didn't think it would matter to much once the model was washed. It turned out well enough for my liking.

I still need to think about how I want to base the model. As such, I haven't washed the full base yet. I may just leave it as is without basing and then finish off the base with the wash. But I want to see what type of walls I can find to complement to tower first.

Anyway, there is plenty of room for 15mm models to hide at the top of the tower and this could probably hold around 12x 28mm models mounted on 25mm round bases as well.

It was a nice MDF kit and easy to put together. There aren't any instructions that come with it. But if you pull all the pieces out and dry fit them first, you can quickly work out how it is constructed.

So given that a certain company's version of strongholds costs a small mortgage and only comes in one size. This option I cannot highly recommend enough. Many of my MDF models you see in this blog have come from Dark Castle Terrain. So highly recommend them.

Cult of Speed Gobbo Zoom Chariot - Gruntz 15mm

 

2024 seemed to fly past and now it's 2025!

All I want to know is where's my jetpack they were promising back in the era of Dan Dare and other sci-fi stuff from the 1920's through to the 1950's? It was before my time, but those comics were still lying around even when I was a kid. Anyway, enough of broken promises. Instead, here's an update on my now finished Gobbo Zoom Chariot for my Gruntz 15mm Cult of Speed force.

Swivel mounted twin machine guns, and a heavy rotary cannon positioned forwards for the driver. Also, the passenger carries an automatic rifle. Speed and lethality. And it's driven by Goblins. What could go wrong?

Santa's little helpers, Christmas clockwork automatons

 

Given all the toys the elves have to make for Christmas each year. It only makes sense that at some stage St Nicholas would develop some clockwork automatons to help out with all that work. So here they are. 

These are now an out-of-production miniature from Reaper Miniatures. I was fortunate enough to get a set from eBay over year ago and they have been sitting around half painted since Christmas 2023. So, I finally got off my butt and finished them off this Christmas.

So that's finally one set of miniatures that have been sitting around for ages finished and off the painting table.

Frosty needed to be more bloody

 Frosty wasn't bloody enough for my liking!

Two post today to see out 2024. One an update on this post. The other another addition to my Christmas Army.

Frosty just didn't look mean enough and so I felt he needed more blood splatter to show off his prowess with axe and shield. A good old shield bashing now and again makes for a bloody nose or two. Especially when fighting zombies.

I'm thinking this guy would look good as a leader of a warband for a skirmish game and also as a protagonist for my role-playing group. So, he needed to look more menacing. A true leader, leading the way from the front and bearing the gory glory mark of his battle prowess. I plan to work on his warband soon so expect to see some more weird snowman in 2025.

Frosty the Snowman joins my Christmas Army

 "Ahh... Watch out! He's got an axe!"

Frosty is none too happy. Mybe he is sick of the Christmas carol about him.

This is the latest addition to my Christmas Army and comes from the War in Christmas Village line of miniatures. I plan on using this as a Boss for the upcoming Ghostbusters adventure for my roleplaying group. More on that latter. But just in time for the Christmas Season, Frosty is ready join the party.

There's something missing on Frosty that I can't quite figure out. Oh yeah. I got it now!

Much better.

May you and your loved ones have a blessed and safe Christmas

Merry Christmas

Luke 2:6-20 (NIV)

⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.