John Bear Ross

How I Spent My Friday

2012-01-27T21:05:00.000-08:00

I have been poking around a local machine shop for the last few months. I've become such an annoyance that the proprietor decided to give me a shot at manning a vertical machining center for the day.

This is the machine I worked on today. A Mazak VTC-16A. I can't really say I was machining. The machine was doing the machining. I was there, swapping out machined parts for bar stock, breaking the edges off of fresh parts, and making sure nothing caught on fire. It was arduous work, but I loved it.

Hopefully this will result in me being a better prototyper. We'll see how it works out. I go back in next Friday.

Best,
John Bear Ross

The Leviathan Trilogy By Scott Westerfeld, Illustrated By Keith Thompson

2012-01-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

I recently read over the course of last year (here and there), and just recently finished, the Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld, illustrated by Keith Thompson. So, this is a combo "I Sing The Praises Of" and "The Art Of" entry.

Leviathan, and its sequels Behemoth and Goliath, are set in an alternate timeline, just when their version of World War One is about to kick off.

The struggle of civilizations wheels around the two major philosophies encountered between nations.

"Clankers" are those nations who adhere to diesel and electric power (and metallurgy, machining, and other associated industrial disciplines) as a basis for their civilization. Austria-Hungary and Germany are the notable examples of this.

"Darwinists" are those nations that have adapted biological creations to perform the functions of machines, vehicles, and weaponry. There are some pretty intriguing concepts found throughout the three books.

And of course, there are other nations that use a blend of the two philosophies.

To be fair, the books are marketed and targeted towards the Young Adult demographic, much like the Harry Potter series. There aren't a lot of adult themes, but the characters and their involvement in world events do keep you reading.

The books are interspersed with amazing illustrations by Keith Thompson, who really brings the Steampunk/Dieselpunk creations of the Clankers to life. The Darwinist creations are enjoyable as well, but being a mecha-head, the "stormwalkers" are really what captivated me. There's a bit of mecha action throughout the books, so that appealed to me as well.

All in all, a nice series of books. Highly recommended.

Best,
JBR

P.S. For those of you who have read the books, I found a Westerfeld-authored epilogue, of sorts, on his blog, complete with one last Thompson piece of art. Don't read it, though, if you don't want some major plot lines spoiled.

P.P.S. The word that describes the feeling of a 6'4", 36-year-old man going into the Young Adult/Teen section of the library (repeatedly) and asking the librarian if the newest copy of "Goliath" is in: Awkward.

Khurasan Centipede Tank/Skuttler

2012-01-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

Jon at Khurasan Miniatures has revealed a project I got to work on last year called the Skuttler. It's a hybrid tank/APC for one of his many imaginative alien races, nicknamed the Stikks.

The build was a challenge, yet simple to produce. A strange and contradictory statement, I know, but bear with me.

The centipede-like design required a head module, a main "mobility" segment, and a tail module. Any number of mobility segments could be strung along in a row, but they all had to interconnect to each other, as well as the head and tail segments.

Each mobility segment also had to allow a range of motion, both in pitch, yaw, and roll, enabling the customer to pose and glue the final model into any number of contortions.

Not an easy undertaking, as the WIP screen captures show below. Here were a few bend/twist/flex tests, before the main detailing was carved into the model.

And here are the final screen captures (for client approval) of the beastie. I believe Jon will sell two mobility segments with the basic kit, and offer additional upgrade packs.

What was the 'simple' part of the contradictory statement? Well, even though it was a bit of a bugger to prototype in the screen, the beauty of the design was that only one mobility segment had to be printed on a 3d prototyper, saving the client money. Modularity and economy. Nice.

Enjoy!

Best,
John Bear Ross

Herzog Zwei Returns, In The Form Of AirMech!

2012-01-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

As usual, I'm months behind the rest of the world when it comes to new announcments of things I might find interesting in the realms of technology and entertainment.

Being in my mid-30s, I grew up with the Sega Genesis as my home console. My favorite games were Target Earth, Star Control, and Herzog Zwei.
A new game offered by Carbon Games has reawakened the spirit of Herzog, and reincarnated it in a new game called AirMech.

Herzog Zwei (German, apparently, for "Duke 2") was a beautiful real-time strategy game where you were a transforming mech/jet that could fight and transport units where you needed them. You ordered infantry to capture bases, and the more bases you captured, the better your budget was to order and manufacture more units. Very fun, for folks of my mindset.

AirMech looks to be a modern-day successor to the economy-warfare game model. The graphics look beautiful, you're not limited to just one type of player vehicle (I've seen the usual Veritech-lookalike, a stealth bomber, a forward swept wing fighter, a helicopter, and a prototype of a saucer on various youtube videos), and the combat units look great.

Here's the Youtube Search Results for AirMech.

Here's Carbon Games' site.

Let's hope this comes to fruition. It's in open alpha right now. I'd sign up, but I'm still loaded down with sculptin'.

Best,
JBR

On This Overblown Pissing/Desecration Thing

2012-01-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

A group of Marines have created quite a row internationally for pissing on dead Taliban. Here's a news link at the BBC about it.

People up in arms (ironic, I know) about this incident just as easily ignore the two boatloads of Iranians our Navy and Coast Guard saved from Somoli pirates last week. Boatload 1. Boatload 2.

Was the "Pissing Thing" professional? No.

Was it conduct becoming of members of the United States Marine Corps? No.

But was it a war crime? No.

Do you honestly think the Taliban are going to fight harder because of it? Hell No. They're too busy trying to kill little girls for going to school.

War is hell, and we send our best and brightest to do it for us, while we remain safe here at home.

Rudyard Kipling said it best with his poem, "Tommy."

So, for those of you offended out there, you're entitled to your opinion, but wake up and see both sides of the story, not just what you've been fed.

And Gents, next time some douchenozzle whips out a camera in the combat zone, "counsel" him upside the Kevlar with a buttstroke.

Best, and Semper Fi,
John Bear Ross
USMC, 0331, 95-01

15mm Flames of War M-48A3 Patton Tank

2012-01-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

Beasts of War is a nice miniatures review site, with their own Youtube channel. One of my many stops on the interwebs.

They recently reviewed an M-48A3 Patton Tank from Flames of War, in 15mm scale.

A nice mini for those of you wanting to do Giant Monster/Kaiju battles, B-movie alien invasions, or Silver Age superhero campaigns.

Well, historical battles, too, I guess, if you're into that sort of thing...;)

QRF Miniatures also does a great line of Postwar Armor. Here's a link to the US Armor section.

Best,
JBR

4 Future CMG Releases You Might Like...

2012-01-10T22:41:00.000-08:00

WAVE 33 - 29th October 2012

Mercenaries - Ygarra Ygs Power Armour - 1 Kit (MCVH14a - £TBA)

WAVE 32 - 24th September 2012

Mercenaries - Ygaden Ygs Assault Mecha - 1 Kit (MCVH13a - £TBA)

WAVE 31 - 27th August 2012

Mercenaries - Vipera Astagar Power Armour - 1 Kit (MCVH12a - £TBA)

WAVE 30 - 23rd July 2012

Mercenaries - Volos Astagar Assault Mecha - 1 Kit (MCVH11a - £TBA)

Yes, that's right, a mecha AND a power armor (armour, yes yes) for the Ygs AND the Astagar, with the first one hopefully hitting the market in July, from Critical Mass Games. I've had to sit on the info for a while, but will be blogging in the coming months about the designs and how they were made.

I approached Craig and Dale last year with the concept of armored walking (slithering) units for both of these beautifully-done mercenary races. They readily agreed.

I can't wait to show you the final products. Very exciting.

Earlier reference found here...

Here's a blurred sneak peak of each of the mecha, with a digital Arc Fleet Walker and a pair of Waldos for size reference...yes, a dirty, rotten trick, I know.

Best,

John Bear Ross

Dropship Horizon Hits The 1000 Post Mark

2012-01-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Mark and the crew over at Dropship Horizon, the go-to gathering place for all things 15mm/1-100th scale. To celebrate, Mark showed off sneak-peaks of a couple Khurasan multi-wheel vehicles, one a civilian rover, the other an APC. Looks like Coolhand's work. Great stuff.

Best,
JBR

Mecha In Pahrump!

2012-01-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

I woke up early today, for a Saturday, that is. "Early" is before noon. I woke up and went to town, to get a few groceries before the crowds really packed the Wal-Mart (it's the only one in town).

So, my son and I are making the left to head to Wal-Mart, and what do I see in the parking lot of one of the local casinos, but Robosaurus! A real Mecha/Transformer, here in my tiny town of Pahrump!

I turned into the parking lot, and asked the driver who was getting down from the cab if the boy and I could take some pics. He said, "Sure, help yourself," and headed inside.

So, here's some pics of a real-life car-eating mecha. Sweet! My son always likes to do the "I'm holding this up" pose in pics. I have no idea where he gets this trait of silliness. Heh.

A few Youtube vids I found...

Here's a 3 minute video taken at a casino in Florida. Nice views of the cockpit while the thing is in action.

And here's a longer video of the power-up and car-eating while at Barret-Jackson 2010.

Enjoy!

Best,
JBR

Putting Together An AR-15 Rifle, Part 3

2012-01-04T22:54:00.000-08:00

Alright, so, enough sermonizing and semi-historical/semi-technical jibba-jabba from the previous posts (click on the links for the respective parts one and two), and on to the actual building of a ballistic implement. At least the lower receiver of one, until more funds make themselves available.

Here's some of the fiddly bits that are going to go into the stripped lower receiver, with (hopefully) a minimum of profanity. I make no promises.

Following the grunt-proof instructions here at AR15.com, I installed the magazine catch. Drop in the spring, a little pressure, some threading and spinning, and it's in place.

Next is the Bolt Release. Probably one of the easier parts to screw up. The masking tape is to protect my tools from scuffing the finish. The roll pin is pressed in with taped-jawed vice grips. A nifty little trick.

Another roll pin keeps the trigger guard in place. This is another easy piece to screw up, since uneven pressure can snap off the small ears of the receiver that hold the pin. Vice grip press-in again, to the rescue.

Now the trigger and disconnecter go into the trigger well. I had to look at the spring arrangements in the instructions, and still got it wrong a few times. With some careful reviews, I eventually had my eureka moments, and the parts fit into place. Or so I thought. More on that later...

Same with the hammer. A mild bit of pressure on the springs as I simultaneously align the pins that hold everything in place. This is where the drift punch comes in handy, keeping everything in place until the pin takes over the retention duties.

You'll notice that the front takedown pin is in place as well. I managed to only have to search for the flying detent once in the carpet under the desk. *Pwing!* is not a noise you want to hear when putting together a rifle. Some folks perform this step with the parts and receiver inside a plastic bag, in case the detent or spring really go flying. I see the wisdom of that, now, only too late.

Now a few pieces go together all at once. The safety selector is placed into its hole in the receiver. Then a spring-loaded detent keeps it in place from underneath the receiver. The detent and spring is kept in place by bolting the pistol grip into place.

Now a few other simultaneous steps again. The buttstock is an aftermarket model from Ace Riflestocks. It has a neoprene sleeve that needs to be tugged and pulled over the buffer tube. The buffer tube has to be threaded into the reciever, but not before it captures another spring-loaded detent for the rear takedown pin (that small circle at 2 o'clock above the safety), and the buffer retaining stud.

All the hard work is done. Now, the buffer is placed into the buffer return spring, and...

...firmly "Clicked" into place.

I insert an empty mag (Magpul), and viola, I realize I have no barreled upper receiver assembly. Ooh...gotta order one of those things, I guess.

The rifle lower receiver promptly fails a function check of its parts. A function check is a quick rundown to see if a rifle fires when it's supposed to, will reset and fire again if needed, and stays on safe when it's not supposed to fire. It's not resetting in Fire mode. Ugh.

Consulting a video on Youtube, I find that I placed the Disconnecter spring in upside down. Flared side _down_. Ooh...*scratches thick skull*

A quick takedown and reassembly, and it passes a function check. This scene from Cast Away describes how I feel.."I...I have made fire!"

The trigger's nothing special, rack-grade, but I learned on a military-grade trigger as a yoot, and look forward to completing this rifle at tax time.

Thanks for putting up with my screed. Back to digital sculpting soon, I promise.

Best,
JBR

Putting Together An AR-15 Rifle, Part 2

2012-01-03T22:46:00.000-08:00

Well, I put together an AR-15 lower receiver the other day at my desk.

If I can do it, so can you, trust me. Nothing to it.

Let's get started, shall we? Yay!

First, let me clarify for you good folks overseas and in Bill-Of-Rights-Restricted states, this is not a machinegun, nor an "assault rifle." This particular rifle is incapable of fully automatic fire. Semi-automatic only.

One trigger pull, one round fired. Just like the M1 Garand of World War II lore. No major technological difference in action or operation.

The AR-15 is the result of the same 1920s/30s/40s/50s (dare I say, Dieselpunk?) technology, refined via more modern manufacturing processes and materials.

Nothing too terribly fancy, or dangerous. The AR-15 is certainly not the implement of mass slaughter and doom as it is popularly portrayed. It's just an assemblage of parts, as I'm going to show.

You face far more peril from crossing the street every day, or from being mauled by a pack of feral wiener dogs, than from dying at the hands of law-abiding rifle owners. Hyperbole aside, firearms won't chase you down and eat you of their own volition. If you have strong feelings about guns, I suggest you visit a website called A Human Right.

Enough sermonizing. On to the build.

First, Tools. I am living proof that you can put together an AR-15 with a small hammer, a small drift punch, a pair of tape-wrapped vice grips, and a screw driver. That's it. Well, a touch of lube helps. Use CLP or Breakfree (found in Walmart sporting goods sections), and only lightly.

Second, parts. I purchased these over a few years, but you can get most of them online from a number of sources. The only part that is tracked by the .gov is the lower receiver, which is a serial-numbered part. I had to pass a NICS check to be able to purchase this portion of the rifle. No, you can't make fun of the guest bedroom's quilt pattern. Yes, those grease stains from the rifle parts will come out. Don't tell my wife.

Third, information. I enjoy spending far too much time on the Interwebz forum known as AR15.com. They're a hive of villainous scumbags, posting from their mothers' basements during commercial breaks of Spongebob, and, naturally, I fit right in. There's a section in the Technical forums that details how to put a rifle together, from buttstock to flash-hider. Knowledge is power. Get some.

Tomorrow, I'll show you how a lowbrow, broken-down knuckledragger like myself is able to put together a rifle with only a few hand tools and a glorious bouquet of curse words.

Stay tuned.

Best,
JBR

Putting Together An AR-15 Rifle, Part 1

2012-01-02T15:22:00.000-08:00

The Eugene Stoner Rifle, known as the M-16 in its military configuration, and the AR-15 in its civilian configuration, has been with us since the 1950s. It's been in service longer than any other rifle in the U.S. inventory.

Here's Stoner, on the right, and Kalishnikov, holding each other's trademark rifles.

It has its advocates and detractors. I was a long-time detractor of the rifle. I hated cleaning the thing when I was in the service, and it was a dirty beast by design.

Here's an excerpt from a Vietnam-era M-16 Manual, drawn by none other than Will Eisner. Even in the steaming jungles full of mud and rain, the rifle had to be kept meticulously clean. No small feat in SE Asia.

The propellent of the fired round, carrying all sorts of hot and scouring detritus (carbon), is jetted back into the action of the rifle. No fun to clean, especially out in the field. Pipe cleaners, q-tips, and scrapers are all small bits you carry to keep the thing clean and functioning.

For years, I didn't like the thing. It was, in my opinion at the time, underpowered, high-maintenance, and prone to stoppages.

While the Corps made me shoulder an M-16A2 Service Rifle while I was in Uncle Sugar's service, I chose to spend my own bucks on FN FAL clones. It hit harder, was more reliable, and wasn't prissy when it came to being dirty.

Unfortunately, parts and ammo became a lot more expensive over time. A case of 7.62 NATO cost about $150, delivered, when I was building FALs for $400 bucks each and shooting every weekend in 2001.

Here's a couple FAL clone rifles I built in my garage during the heady days of FAL building. I put together over a half-dozen of the things. Gorgeous rifles. However...

In late 2008/early 2009, during the post-election buying frenzy, a case of 7.62 NATO ammo went for about $500 or more. A complete FAL clone went for about $1000 or more. Parts kits and receivers to make your own dried up. The glory days of FAL building were over.

I decided to take another look at the Stoner Rifle. I knew I could build one for $700 or so, and they were cheaper to feed. Parts were plentiful, and US-sourced, so I didn't have to fear my parts supply being cut off by silly ATF regulations-by-fiat. Plus, I was trained on it, and knew its controls and ergos like the back of my hand.

So, I swallowed my pride, and bought a stripped AR-15 lower reciever. The lower receiver, here in the States, is the part of the weapon that the government cares about. It has the serial number on it, and is legally what makes the firearm a firearm.

Being the lawful citizen I am, I filled out the 4473 ATF form, passed my NICS check, and walked out with a small box that held a finely-machined aluminum part about the size of a paperback novel.

And there it sat, in my garage. Just another project I meant to get to. I sold it to a buddy at work when I needed to free up some cash. Later, he sold it back to me. And again, it sat.

Finally, last year, I bought the innards to make the lower receiver able to function. Hammer, trigger, magazine catch, buttstock, and pistol grip.

I had some time on my hands, over the New Year's Day weekend, so I decided, what the hell, I'll build that stripped lower receiver up into a functional rifle lower. Around tax time, I'll be able to afford an upper receiver, and then this build will be complete. At least until I want a new optic. And more ammo. And change out the handguards. And a big-bore upper receiver assembly. AR-15s are like barbie dolls for grown men. You can dress them up, and change outfits as you like.

More on the building process over the next couple days.

Best,
JBR

2011 Recap

2011-12-30T22:04:00.000-08:00

Well, it's the end of the year Two Thousand and Eleven, Anno Domini. Wow. That year went fast.

Well, let's recap this year o'mine that was once 2011. For more details, reference the archives in the sidebar of the blog...

1. I sold off my Taig CNC mill. I had to free up some money quick so we could keep the house. These things happen. A replacement is being picked out, but it's a long time coming. Something always seems to pop up and run away with my seed money.

2. I did the Sefadu and Waza series of weapons for MERCS Minis. They turned out very nice when incorporated into their sculpts.

3. The Rebel Comanche and Apache series of MATVs were introduced. Big crowd pleasers.

4. My novella in the first Mars McCoy anthology was published. A long-awaited piece of writing that I'm very proud of bringing to market.

5. The Griffin, from Critical Horizon, was sculpted up in an extensive WIP series. This mini (and others) are coming to production in 2012.

6. The Khurasan Felid Jetbike premiered. Even bigger, the Red Banner series of Neo-Soviet tanks, previewed in November of 2010, came to market, and look to have sold well.

7. The Viper Suit, a modular heavy utility armor that can easily be converted to be a piece of military hardware, is soon to be released from Rebel Minis. I'm really looking forward to what converters and scratch-builders do with that platform.

8. A modular set of building and fortification modules was done for Khurasan Minis. The exterior walls and gate set have reached market. Look for more to come.

Those are the high points of stuff I've been able to show. A large amount (I'd say 2/3rds, easily) of my work for the year hasn't hit the public eye yet, so I'm excited for future reveals.

On the downside, I've spent a LOT of time in this sculpting chair, and had a few brushes with sculpting block. I've packed on the weight again. I'm getting burned out, especially with higher workloads at my day-job leaving me little to no time and energy once I get home.

Not to whine, but if you see my creative tempo and output taper off during 2012, that's why. I'm going to be taking it easier, spending less time in this chair, and more time refocusing on my family. Just a heads-up.

Well, I hope you and yours have a Happy New Year. Watch out for those pesky checkpoints.

Best,
John Bear Ross

Merry Christmas, 2011

2011-12-24T16:35:00.000-08:00

I hope you've been good, for goodness sake. Otherwise, it's linked 4 and 1 ball and tracer for you this year!

Now that US combat troops are home from Iraq, it's easy to forget we've still got another war going on in Afghanistan. Keep our deployed soldiers, Marines, and allies in your thoughts and prayers. These blokes are from the 1st BN, Princess Of Wales Regiment, in Helmand Province. Godspeed and good hunting.

Of course, what Christmas isn't complete without Gojira. And Boba Fett.

I'm going to make the family suffer through the yearly viewing of A Christmas Story. It's a noble tradition in the Ross household. Eggnog and brandy helps...

Well, that's all I've got.

Semper Fi, and have a Merry Christmas.

Best,
John Bear Ross, and the Ross Clan of Pahrump, NV

What Is Dale Holding?

2011-12-21T22:42:00.000-08:00

Dale Hurst, one of the dynamic duo that form Critical Mass Games (the ever-patient Craig Grady being the other half), was caught red-handed holding some sort of rapid prototype. Which leads to the next question: What is Dale holding?

A screen capture from my files might give a better indication, at least of how it's supposed to be oriented... ;)

And that bit, floating there in space? Ignore that. Nothing to see here. Move on.

I told you you should have picked up more Mercs during the Critical Mass Games sale back in October, but did you listen to me? Hmm?

Heh.

Best,
JBR

Guns For PF, Part 4

2011-12-21T21:47:00.000-08:00

Like Parts One, Two, and Three, here's another segment in the 28mm scale guns I did for PF, a very talented sculptor residing in France.

The first is the Plasmathrower, a heavy support weapon, done from PF's source art. I contributed the iron sights and the FAL Para-style folding stock.

The second, with the nasty bayonet, is what I christened the Slicer. A energy blaster with a very intimidating bayonet, and medium-power optic on top. Very basic. Very direct. Truth in advertising. I like it.

More to come.

Best,
JBR

The Hobbit Trailer

2011-12-20T20:24:00.000-08:00

Looks Good!

December 2012, or so.

Best,
JBR

Guns For PF, Part 3

2011-12-19T19:43:00.000-08:00

Here's another gun for PF.
A heavy energy weapon with what I presume is a coaxial ballistic weapon of some substance.

More to come.

Best,
JBR

Guns For PF, Part 2

2011-12-18T23:24:00.000-08:00

A while ago, PF, sculptor extraordinaire, commissioned me to do some weapons for some 28mm sculpts he was commissioned to do by a European client.

I started a series on it earlier in the year, and (as always) drifted off to other things to blog about. Here's the first post, from Jan 2011.

In the spirit of international cooperation, I readily agreed to do the work. I think I took the 15mm Superhumans from Rebel in trade for payment. Mike or PF, feel free to correct me, if I'm wrong.

Here's the Detonator, as I called it. A heavy plasma-thrower support weapon.

Added freebie: that heavily-bayonetted energy rifle above the Detonator in the last pic.

PF showed me a sculpt with some of these weapons. His sculpts and my weapons make a great team, let me tell you.

More to come. Hopefully more than every 11 months. ;)

Best,
JBR

The Art Of: Niklas Jansson

2011-12-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

Niklas Jansson is probably not a name you've heard spoken around the dinner table. For a few years, I had to google projects of his that I liked, just to find the website of "that Swedish guy that does redesigns of old video games." Fortunately, I finally added him to my favorites and bookmarks, and don't have to google him quite so much.

Niklas is my kind of artist: extremely proficient, multi-talented, and prone to procrastination and distraction. I share the last set of traits with him.

Stylewise, his stuff might not be your personal cup of tea. I enjoy his linework, the chibi-like caricatures, and more importantly, the wit and earnest love for the material I see conveyed in his work. To me, it really comes through.

Here's his labrynthian project page, called the Promethean Spawning Ground.

For a more orderly list of his projects, check out another one of his sites, Android Arts. That has a great listing of his concepts for a Zoid reboot. Great stuff.

Overall, I love his take on established tropes and themes. It's nice to see new perspectives on old classics, from his take on Rifts, to X-Com, to Doctor Who, to Starguard, to Star Control. Prepare to spend a few hours.

Best,
JBR

Old Designs: The First Sketch I Ever Did For Rebel Minis

2011-12-16T20:24:00.001-08:00

Like I've mentioned before, Rebel Mike and I first made contact in 2006 or so. Looking through old computer records, I discovered that he had been interested in buying the Saenz and Fletcher grav tanks.

God, I wish I had taken him up on the offer. Stupidest thing I've done in the last decade, selling those masters (and the rights) over ebay. Stupid stupid stupid.

So. Anyway...

There was a dead spot in communications between Mike and I, and then in 2008 we started talking again about doing a project in 15mm scale.

I found the first sketch I did for him, before I did the Slick VTOL proposal that turned into the Saber VTOL.

A combination tank hull that could function in a number of roles. Main Battle Tank. Directed Energy Weapon Platform. Missile Support. Armored Personnel Carrier.

We ended up specializing, and went for the Earth Force APC instead as a ground vehicle project.

He liked the results, so we went on to another project: A War of The Worlds style Martian walker. This was my first design. Very smooth, very futuristic. He wanted a re-do, wanting a more Victorian Sci-Fi, riveted look. No problem.

Here was the revision...

Which led to this . More pics of the Martian Walker can be found in this blog post. You can buy one here...

Also, just so you know, Rebel has a Christmas Sale going on now until the 31st. Here's the blog post containing the code you need to enter at checkout. 20% off is a nice discount.

Enjoy!

Best,
JBR

Old Designs: The Defender Mecha

2011-12-13T23:20:00.000-08:00

The Defender actually was done on spec around 2003 or so (it's been a while). I originally envisioned it as a Neo-Soviet battle mecha for an alternate Cold War (with Mecha) installment I had planned for my wargame. Thus, the reason for the Kalishnikov-like autocannons, and the simple/brutal styling.

The only time the Defender saw the light of day was as a 28mm scale build I did to test a ZCorp 3d printer's capabilities. I wasn't impressed with the output. The ZCorp at the time created parts that had the surface texture of a sugar cookie or sandpaper. No way was that going to cast, or even be acceptable to the buying public. Another one of my (many) dead ends during the early days of trying out the many possible avenues of rapid prototyping.

I eventually donated the prototype to Nick Tompkins, of Epicast fame. I don't think he was too enamored of the model, or its texture. I can't blame him. He's probably using it to prop up a couch or something, or gave it to his kids as a target for their BB guns or .22 rifles.

So, the Defender file stayed in the archives.

I had the bright idea a few years ago of selling .3dm Rhino files to other digital sculptors, so they could build and modify the files into creations of their own, kind of like what some manual sculptors do with their frames, or dollies.

I took a few screen captures of the Defender, gave it a few more options, and waited for the sales to roll in. I only had a few takers. Hopefully they were able to use the files, and learn to work their files into prototypeable meshes.

Sigh. So much for the look back.

Here's the Defender with a pair of those AK-style cannons.

Here's the Defender with a pair of heavy hands, and forearm suppressive gatlings. More of a close-combat specialist.

And here's a mixed payload of hand/gatling and cannon.

And lastly, an Earth Force HAMR Suit from Rebel Minis next to a Defender. The Defender is painfully in need of an update, as you can see. The Defender's height, about 3 inches, is about 25 feet tall in 1/100th scale. Not too badly sized for its intended role and more primitive technology level in its planned universe. For an extra treat, click here for a tabletop animation of the Defender. Let it load. It's slow. Once it boots up, click the "Continuous" option to see a walkaround view.

Well, that's all I've got for now.

Best,
JBR

JBR Company Chicken!

2011-12-11T15:04:00.001-08:00

Well, I did some cooking last night. A recipe that my mom made when I was a kid. We'd often have it on Sunday afternoons, after church, when we'd invite folks over for a meal.

It was called Company Chicken, and since we were having company last night, I decided to make it.

It went well. I mean, you can't really go wrong with bacon-wrapped chicken. Bacon makes everything better. Mmmm...bacon.

So here's the recipe, in case you want to try it...

-------------------------
JBR's Company Chicken

1 1 and 1/2 pound pack of boneless chicken breast filets (about 7 or 8 per pack)
1 slice of thick-cut bacon per filet. More bacon, more better!
1 can of sliced dried beef. Armour or Hormel, doesn't matter.
8 oz. sour cream
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup

-Spray some Pam in the bottom of a casserole dish.
-Line the bottom of the dish with the sliced beef.
-Wrap each chicken breast filet with a piece of bacon. You don't have to toothpick it or anything, just wind the bacon around it.
-Arrange all the wrapped filets on top of the layer of sliced beef.
-Mix the sour cream and soup together in a bowl. Spoon the mix over the chicken. Don't worry if it doesn't cover everything, it will cook down.
-Cover the assembled dish with the pan's lid, or foil.
-Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for an hour and a half. Let it sit for a few minutes, to cool down. Scoop deep, and make sure you get that beef off the bottom of the pan!
-------------------------

Whalah, Company Chicken! It's mildly salty, so you might want to balance it with something sweet, like those awesome Hawaiian bread rolls that I can eat by the dozen (see that blue shirt puffing out in the gut region? Time for Atkins, again, I think...)

Best served with wild rice as a side, but that's your call.

From my family to yours. Enjoy!

Best,
JBR

P.S. And thanks to me mum, too. For everything. Yes, I'm a big softy.

I Used To Think I Could Design Games...

2011-12-04T23:02:00.000-08:00

Well, every gamer goes through a phase. You might have already gone through it, or might be deep in the grip of it currently:

You've played enough games. You know what you like, and what you don't like.

Hey, I've got an idea! You should make your own game, and try and make millions selling it to a worldwide audience. What could possibly go wrong, right? You should start writing down your concepts, and also start working out, since you'll be carrying all those large sacks of money to the bank.

Right?

Don't worry.

I'm equally guilty.

Back in the late 90's/early 2000's, I was deep in "make-my-own-game" madness. Even playtested it, and offered it for review. Didn't have too many takers, but those that did seemed to like it. It was one of the cornerstones of my first failed venture, Hellion Productions. I was trying to do too much, and it collapsed. Such is life.

So, about the rules.

I called it the H.E.L.L.I.O.N. system. Why all the interspaced punctuation? I thought it looked cool, like a riveted effect. Hey, it was 10 years ago, bear with me.

The motto of the game was "One System, Many Universes, Infinite Carnage." Here's a quick excerpt from the introduction...

"My universal tabletop warfare simulator (read: war game system) is called The Hellion System, and it was designed to be as limitless and non-genre specific as possible. I personally like to use it for giant armored titans shooting and bashing each other to pieces, like you’ve seen in various Japanese animated series and movies. On a more personal level, it’s ideally suited for elite teams of power-armored Special Forces using small unit tactics to close with and destroy the enemy. Is it purely a sci-fi armor game? No! The versatility of the system enables players to field superhumans and battle psychics like those from comic books or movies. Likewise, historical or ancient fantasy battles can be fought. Battle magic can be used that rivals the most powerful particle beam cannons that science fiction can conjure. Perhaps more importantly, a universal system allows you to mix and match your forces, enabling you to go head to head against your buddy’s mecha team from another time period or genre, or his company of M-1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks, or an evil coven of battle mages. This tabletop warfare system was made from the ground up to accommodate every means of hellish warfare that man has come up with, along with the hundreds of those he has yet to invent."

Basically, a rule system is like a computer program. You plug in your statistics, data, and action. Those variables get processed by the rules. According to the rules, you get your movement, strike, or damage results.

I wanted everybody to be able to fight everybody. Physics is physics, right? No matter what era or genre you're a fan of, your tabletop units need to move, target enemies, shoot, communicate, have armor or protection values, be able to attack in close combat, and defend in close combat.

Knights on horseback, mech pilots in towering armored nightmares, superhumans streaking through the sky, crewmen in a buttoned-up M-1A2 Abrams, and zombies and SWAT teams in the street all have to do those things. They might do them differently (if at all), but they all have to do it in the same frame of reference, the same universal framework.

So, that's what I tried to do with HELLION. Multi-genre. Universal. Anybody from any setting can go up against any enemy. Things might not be fair, but war and conflict isn't fair.

So, for all you aspiring game designers out there, here's the HELLION system, along with a few sample units for trying it out.

Feel free to lift whatever concepts you want from the rules. Rules aren't covered by copyrights, after all. That's why there are so many Monopoly clones on the market.

Only the fictional written material, the "fluff," as it's known, is subject to copyright. I would ask that you respect my intellectual property, and let me keep my Superhumans from Earth 402, and other similar, unique concepts.

So, without further ado, here's the download for the Quick and Dirty of the Hellion System. PDF Format, about 10 pages long. It's a hybrid action phases/IGOUGO game, by current-day nomenclature. A "factor of ten" stratified damage system. Probably more paperwork than you're used to. A tinge of snark in the text, too, which reads as an insufferable version of myself from 10 years ago. Data and Stats are found after the individual unit description in following sample PDFs. I even left some wiggle room in there to plug in RPG stats and skills, for future releases.

Here's Armored Supersoldiers, a PDF for folks who wanted to convert their Gothic Future Marines (you know who I'm talkin' 'bout) to try out the system.

Here's Armed Gunmen, a PDF of average civilians who have armed themselves to defend their neighborhood, kill zombies, or ethnically cleanse the next neighborhood a couple blocks away. Basic armed civilians, with a hodge-podge of commonly available rifles, pistols, and improvised weaponry.

Here's the Superhumans from Earth 402, a zipped PDF. It's a scenario set in an alternate universe, where a team of mercenary superhumans are trying to take down a bad guy, along with his RPG-toting henchmen (Hey, an RPG might be the only thing that might pierce a supertough hide). I included paper figures to color and cut out on this one. Vintage pencil art from 2002. Wow. That was...really...bad. Thank God I went digital.

Here's The Modern Infantryman. Zipped PDF format. Tech level is turn of the century, 2002, so it's pre-war, and in need of updating, but hey, what-da-ya-want fer free?

Well, that's what I've got for now. If you're an aspiring rules writer, or an established one that's looking for something to laugh at, take a look. Maybe it will help, maybe it won't, but at least you'll get a look into what I was thinking about 10 years ago.

Best,
John Bear Ross

Comfy Chair SpiderMech Workup, Part 4

2011-12-04T10:27:00.002-08:00

Well, I spent some time painting minis with the kids yesterday, taking a small break from the sculpting desk. I finally decided to take a whack at painting up the SpiderMech I had converted and primed. This is part 4 of that series. Here's Part 1. Part 2. And Part 3, if you're interested in the build-up.

I wanted a "Dark Ygs" approach to the paint scheme. The Critical Mass Games mercenary pilot I converted (see part 3) shares the same base coat as his armored vehicle. Not quite as bright and clean as the standard Ygs paintjob (see below), having spent years fighting and scraping along as a merc armor pilot.

Reaper's ProPaint "Slate" color is a great color for Ygs flesh, btw. I think it's discontinued, though.

I prefer latex paints. Reaper has a very nice selection. There's no hobby store near me, though, but I have found that the big box stores like Walmart and Home Depot tend to have 2 oz. "tester" bottles that are more than adequate for a hobbyist's needs. I have had good results with the Glidden Tester samples. Here's what you can pull up on Walmart's site. Chances are they're near you, as well, in the home improvement department.

Here's a couple of pics with the flash on...
And a few more with the flash off, to show the more matte paint scheme. Ah, black wash, you so wonderfully cover my painting flubs...

Here's the factory offering for the Ygs mercenaries. I converted the fig on the far right.

Here's what a Spider Mech looks like with a proper paint job. SilentBob27 is the artist. He really brought the sculpt to life.
Here are a few more painted Spiders, from Comfy Chair Games' website.
Well, that's the detail coat. I'll see if I can work up some more, and maybe add some decals or other insignia, as well as flock the base.

Best,
JBR

Viper Suit: Making Waldo Fit

2011-12-02T19:18:00.001-08:00

I may have mentioned it before, but the question came up about the Viper Suit's size. The short answer: Very tiny.
Think of it as an armored cockpit on legs.
Able to bob and weave among houses and vehicles, taking pop shots at targets and fading back behind cover amidst devastated streets and colonial infrastructures.

The second question came up: How does a pilot fit in that tiny thing? So I did a series of pics.

I use a stand-in digital model, called a Waldo, throughout a build to make sure a human can plausibly fit. The blue Waldo was an exploded copy, posed to a seated pilot's position. As you can see, it's a tight squeeze.

As you may have experienced yourself, military or utility/construction hardware is seldom designed with the occupant's comfort in mind.

As you can see from the pics above, I'm proud to continue that long tradition of horrific ergonomics ;)

Best,
JBR

Update: Grymn Walker From Hasslefree Miniatures

2011-11-30T18:44:00.000-08:00

Kev White has released new shots of his 28mm Grymn Walker, which I have been saying all along would make a smashing 15mm walker as well.

Here's some new pics, both with hatch closed...
...and open.
Great stuff. I hope they sell bushels of them.

Hasslefree's site is here.

Best,
JBR

New Viper Suit Weapons (Well, All HAMR Suits, Actually, But Keep Reading...)

2011-11-28T20:57:00.000-08:00

Here are close-ups of the new weapon sprues that have been worked up for the Viper Suit, and by default, all HAMR suits in general.

The shoulder ball-and-socket arrangement on the EF HAMR Suit and the Titan Marine HAMR Suit are identical (within a given tolerance, of course).

The Viper Suit was built with this same standard of modularity in mind. Thus, what fits one, fits all three (and the dozen or more I have sketched out).

I came up with fluff names, working titles, really. Nothing's final as far as these weapons' "fluff" titles or capabilities...

Here's the 60mm Heavy Rotary Cannon. It's a big boomer. Guaranteed to shred enemy mechs and tanks. Obviously, it's a bit "overgun" on the Viper Suit, but it looks great on the larger HAMRs, like the Titan Marine HAMR.
Here's a "Hydra-4" 23mm Gatling System. Softskins, infantry, and VTOLs beware!

The Jackhammer 100mm Autocannon, adapted from the Saber VTOL's Longhammer Autocannon (same action and ammo, but a shorter barrel length to make it more manageable on a HAMR ground unit).
A modular "wing rack" that can carry up to 6 missiles per side, though I think the casting sprue will be 5 per side. The Saber VTOL's (and Fire Support HAMR's) gatling can also be mounted in the hardpoint slot. The "missile boat" walks the battlefield anew!

Pretty nifty, no? I can't wait to see what comes from the fertile imagination of gamers and converters everywhere when these get into their hot little hands.

Keep checking the Rebel Minis website for announcements of when they're for sale. I'll be sure to let you know as well.

Best,
JBR

Viper Suit Prototyped

2011-11-27T20:42:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to show off the Viper Suit, fresh back from Moddler. Pics are courtesy of Jeff Rodman.

These are shots of the basic standing legs. Height is about an inch and a half tall (~37mm for the metric folks).

And here are more of the advancing or charging legs.

Here's a few comparison shots of the Viper next to an Earth Force HAMR suit.

Here are the "organic" weapons for the Viper suit (though its strong suit is its ability to wield basically everything in the inventory). A pair of manipulator arms, a pair of rotary energy weapons, and a chin gun for close-in defense.
And here's a whole pile of prototyped goodness. Those weapons you see in the background will be expounded on further in another update. They're HAMR compatible, meaning they can be used to upgrade any of the existing line of HAMR suits from Rebel.

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. We were up in Reno, and got to spend some very relaxing days around my folks (despite my speeding ticket...45 in a 35...grumble grumble).

We even got to see a traveling presentation of Spamalot. Great show, if you ever get the chance to see it. Thanks for the tickets, Luke.

Best,
JBR

P.S. Here's the Update featuring the new weapons for this (and all) HAMR suit(s). Enjoy!

Concept Sketches From Yesteryear: The Dreadhulks

2011-11-22T20:27:00.001-08:00

Posting about the early digital sculpts of Steve Jackson's Ogre minis got me remembering about my own take on the subject.

I scanned some rudimentary sketches years ago. Didn't even bother cleaning them up. Just raw graph paper scratchings, really. The basic concept was pretty apparent. Giant unmanned tanks with gobs of weapons plastered all over their heartless hulls, seeking to destroy all forms of bipedal life. Nothing that hasn't been done in sci-fi lore at least three times already.

The armored hulls had sensor eyes on them, in arachnid-like patterns, to give them a more detached, alien-like feel.

I came up with support craft, a-grav flatbed skiffs, that could be loaded with missiles for fire support, or Vermin, small infantry bots that could be used for urban assaults or close-in defense. Heavy Vermin would have been mech-like walkers.

My text description, also from years ago, was this...

Appearing on the fringes of human space, a new breed of combatant emerges: the sentient killing machines called the Dreadhulks. Drawing inspiration from such predecessors as Steve Jackson's Ogre series of games, Fred Saberhagen's Berserker series of novels, and Keith Laumer's BOLO series of novels, the Dreadhulk concept also emerges to purge the stain of humanity from the universe.

I read a few of Fred Saberhagen 's Berserker series of sci-fi novels as a lad. The Berserkers, as you may know, were sentient mobile star fortresses and ships that were waging a war on all Life. Mankind, and a few alien allies, were among the few to stand up to the killing machines. Visit your library, and look some of the books up. They're great reads.

Same with the Bolo novels, from Keith Laumer. Sentient tanks that are considered Continental Siege Engines, capable of swatting targets out of orbit.

So, as a mix between the Ogre/Bolo/Berserker concepts, I came up with the Dreadhulks. I didn't invent the term Dreadhulk. It actually originates in an old sci-fi art book I read as a kid, called Tour Of The Universe. Wonderful art, and an immense source of inspiration when I was in my early teens. Here's a link to a copy for sale on Ebay right now.

Here's a Dreadhulk, a giant armored vehicle left over from a long-dead alien race.

You can actually buy the original (so it appears) here at this website. Les Edwards is the artist. Here's a blog that shows some more artwork from the book.

So, that's that. Just a peek into what I hope to machine up someday, and make reality.

Have a good Thanksgiving, too.

Best,
JBR

Early Ogre Digital Sculpts

2011-11-20T22:02:00.001-08:00

I met Paul Chapman at my first GAMA convention. I think it was 2002, in Las Vegas. I was there at the behest of Ed Pugh, for whom I was doing some of the digital sculpts for Reaper's CAV game.

I found out years later that Paul was working as fast and furious as Ed and I were on bringing rapid prototyping to tabletop gaming.

Recently, I was spelunking around the interwebz, and found some old updates from Steve Jackson Games from back in 2001. Yup. 10 years ago. This was about the same time I was doing up the first Koda Works Dictator for Reaper. Time flies when you're having fun, no?

I don't know if the rapid-prototyped Ogre minis ever made it to market. Here are some screen captures from a decade ago, showing the Mk.1, Mk.2, and Mk.3 versions of the most fearsome cybertanks to ever storm across the sci-fi landscape.

Here's a side shot of the Mk.1

A trio of nice views of the Mk.2

And a family shot, showing all three marks.
Paul was putting out far better work than I at the time. It would have been nice to see these in hand. I also enjoy the blue "waldo," or reference model.

The Ogre product line comes and goes, most recently in the projected form of an expensive board game with 2.5-d, piece-together miniatures. Sadly, as someone who bought the Ogre/GEV micro-game boxed set back in the early 90's, I'm unmoved.

You can still find Ogre minis on the Warehouse 23 site. It looks like only the Mk.3 and Mk.3B Ogres are available, though you can pit them against Fencers or Ogrethulus.

Best,
JBR

New Grymn Walker From Hasslefree Minis

2011-11-18T12:28:00.000-08:00

Hasslefree Minis (Mr. and Mrs. White) are one of my favorite miniatures companies. They run a very nice line of minis, to a niche market, and seem happy. I'm a fan.

Kev White's personal project for many years has been the Grymn, a race of sci-fi dwarfs. He's had a walker in the works for years, but was always being pulled off his personal stuff to do commissions or adding to Hasslefree's current product lines.

Well, it looks like he got some time to finish that walker. It's a beaut.

Here's the initial pics of the latest edition. I wasn't a fan of the "toothy" look on the front carapace.

Then the pics of the nearly-done sculpt. Notice the standing pilot sculpt.

Then, here's the coup de grâce...
The interior is complete, along with a seated pilot fig. Brilliant.

I'm hoping Kev markets this to the 15mm/1-100th scale crowd, since it would be a wonderful heavy walker, if my estimations are correct, which they usually are.

Kudos to Mr. and Mrs. White, for bringing to market a first-rate mech.

Best,
JBR

Retrospective: The Rebel Minis Merka Tank

2011-11-12T15:44:00.000-08:00

I don't get to talk about current projects. It's like Fight Club.

Folks I work for are afraid of revealing their hand too soon, or being beaten to market with a rip-off by someone else, or sometimes a 3d design doesn't cast up, and they don't want to be harassed by consumers that want it now now now.

So, to keep content ongoing, I'll start doing retrospectives on past works I'm proud of.

Here's one. The Merka 15mm Scale Tank System from Rebel Minis.

Click here to buy one. Click here to buy a platoon of three.

Now, obviously, the "Merka" is little more than the Merkava (Hebrew for "Chariot"), In Space.

Rebel Mike and I were going for near-future, with a bit of sci-fi mixed in, and in my mind, the only modern day tank other than the Germans' Leopard 2, is the Merkava. It just screams "the future is now," to me. Here's an email of my proposal, back in February of 2009...

--------------

Mike,

Just like we did a sci-fi Bradley, let's do a sci-fi Merkava.

All my concept art sketches kept coming back to the Israeli Merkava MBT, so I'll just give you a few links to give you an idea of what I'm going to do (with permission, of course).

http://www.primeportal.net/tanks/merkava.htm is a good walkaround site. This link takes you to the 4 upgrade models of the Merkava. Go to http://www.primeportal.net/the_battlefield.htm and you'll find nearly every armored vehicle that's out there. Nice site.

http://www.3dcenter.ru/blueprints/tanks/merkava-ii.gif is a schematic of the Merkava from a Russian site.

I'm going to drop the wavy track armor on the sides, and add a lot of scifi features, along with a bit of reactive armor. Also, a tread and hover version will be made, with mounting config just like the Bradley APC I did for you.

I'm also going to make a Hover/A-Grav unit that fits in the Bradley's Track slots in the hull.

Also, a heavy artillery turret that will fit on top of the Sci-Fi Merkava.

Let me know if you want me to proceed on this path, or you see another tank you'd like to see "revisioned."

Best,

JBR

----------------

So, the Israeli Merkava was deemed a viable candidate for flinging into the future. I basically lengthened the track units from the Rebel Minis Earth Force APC, which I had just finished (yes, it's the Bradley, In Space), so their mechanical bits would share the same look and design philosophy.

Here are the basic breakdowns...

And a nearly-done series of pics that showcase the "caterpillar" type of Anti-Gravity units I provided that could be used in place of the treads. These didn't make production, only the prototype stage.

I also did a set for the Earth Force APC. Again, never made it to molding.

So, the design was done, and approved.

Here are the components, rapid prototyped, from Planet Proto, a service bureau I was using at the time (early 2009).

Here are assembled pics of the Merka

And the Antigravity Variant.
Mike also wanted a Self-Propelled Gun variant. I looked to the M-109 Paladin as a pattern to emulate, and went from there.

Assembled Antigrav Self-Propelled Gun.
Assembled Tread Variant of the Merka 9.
And here are some painted, assembled production examples. The Merka 9 is available for sale here.

Enjoy!

Best,
JBR

Mercs Minis Waza For Sale

2011-11-11T13:54:00.001-08:00

Mercs Minis, who I do a lot of 28mm scale stuff for, is now offering the Keizai Waza for sale at their store.

You can see the weapons I did for these figs by clicking here.

The figs look great. Especially the weapons ;)

Best,
JBR

Happy 236th Birthday To My Beloved Marine Corps

2011-11-10T12:06:00.000-08:00

Some scars run deep. I've been out of the Corps longer than I was ever in, and I still feel a part of it. That, my friend, is when you know you're dealing with really effective brain washing. Heh.

My beloved Corps is 236 years old today. Semper Fi, and Happy Birthday to my fellow Tuefelhunden.

Here's the annual message from the Commandant of the Marine Corps, along with the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.

Dakota Meyer was awarded the Medal of Honor this year. His citation reads as follows...

"The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to

CORPORAL DAKOTA L. MEYER
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

For service as set forth in the following

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the repeated risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a member of Marine Embedded Training Team 2-8, Regional Corps Advisory Command 3-7, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on 8 September 2009. When the forward element of his combat team began to be hit by intense fire from roughly 50 Taliban insurgents dug-in and concealed on the slopes above Ganjgal village, Corporal Meyer mounted a gun-truck, enlisted a fellow Marine to drive, and raced to attack the ambushers and aid the trapped Marines and Afghan soldiers. During a six hour fire fight, Corporal Meyer single-handedly turned the tide of the battle, saved 36 Marines and soldiers and recovered the bodies of his fallen brothers. Four separate times he fought the kilometer up into the heart of a deadly U-shaped ambush. During the fight he killed at least eight Taliban, personally evacuated 12 friendly wounded, and provided cover for another 24 Marines and soldiers to escape likely death at the hands of a numerically superior and determined foe. On his first foray his lone vehicle drew machine gun, mortar, rocket grenade and small arms fire while he rescued five wounded soldiers. His second attack disrupted the enemy’s ambush and he evacuated four more wounded Marines. Switching to another gun-truck because his was too damaged they again sped in for a third time, and as turret gunner killed several Taliban attackers at point blank range and suppressed enemy fire so 24 Marines and soldiers could break-out. Despite being wounded, he made a fourth attack with three others to search for missing team members. Nearly surrounded and under heavy fire he dismounted the vehicle and searched house to house to recover the bodies of his fallen team members. By his extraordinary heroism, presence of mind amidst chaos and death, and unselfish devotion to his comrades in the face of great danger, Corporal Meyer reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Outstanding.

Semper Fi,
John Bear Ross
Brokedown Former Marine Corporal
0331, Machinegunner, 1995-2001

New Imperator Mech From Gruntz

2011-11-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

Robin over at Gruntz has commissioned a series of large to mid-size mech kits. His newest is the Imperator, designed by none other than David White, of Mechazone fame.

The kit is scaled for 15mm, and is about 80mm tall to the top of its pods, and is what I am starting to consider the perfect Main Battle Mecha size. 3 to 3.5 inches tall (76 to 89mm for you metric types) is a great size for your average, line-of-battle mech that would be taking the same theoretical role as the modern main battle tank.

Here was Robin's design process, as he wrote...

----------

I decided I wanted to put some art into the Gruntz rules to cover the fact that I had Mecha's featured in the rules. Given that I have a background in mecha gaming and love walking robots I was keen to get some in the rules.

Once I had that sorted I went out to find an artist and went with David White who is a well known mech artist. He designed a mecha for me which I called the Imperator based on a brief I gave him. The brief for the concept art was for a chunky older-school design for a mecha with large retro style feet and a bulky central hull with a glass canopy where I could imagine the pilot.

I like the early Japanese style mecha which have the chunky style with bulkier legs and bodies. This is what I wanted with a humanoid feel to it not a chicken walker. Having a clear large canopy also gives a focal point on the model where you can imagine a pilot seated. I do like mecha with very small view screens (which make sense from a protection for the pilot perspective) but for this first model I wanted to go with a large canopy in place.

I struggled to find someone interested and capable of making the model in resin in the UK, so the final production is going to be metal. This puts up the price a bit but will be a very fine quality miniature. Pricing details will follow soon when I have the full metal costs and details finalised.

----------

Great news, and a great looking model. And metal, to boot! Yay!

Here's Robin's October Update on Youtube (subscribe to his channel...I enjoy watching the interplay between him and his comrades when all three are together). At 3:35 of October's short update, you can see the Imperator's master model being discussed.

Stay tuned for more, or pop over to Gruntz to keep updated directly.

Best,
JBR

Comfy Chair SpiderMech Workup, Part 3

2011-11-06T16:23:00.001-08:00

Continuing with the third part of the SpiderMech buildup. Part 1 is here. Part 2 here.

I've selected a Critical Mass Games mercenary figure as my pilot. He's a Ygs ("Yigs" is how I pronounce it) fig, sculpted by the inimitable PF.

Here's the primered SpiderMech, along with the penny-based pilot fig.

The backstory on the Ygs pilot is that he's hardjacked into the Spider's control computer, so I added a harness and extra bits to the back of his head. A slight repose (without snapping any limbs), and chopping off his pointing finger, and he's ok.

Kramer's Krusher, the red heavy HAMR suit above, is based on a 2-inch steel washer, with Magic Sculpt over it. The SpiderMech is just a tad too large for a 2-inch washer, though, so I created one by overlaying a disk of putty on it, putting a piece of tin foil beneath it to keep it flat (and to keep it from bonding to the dinner table).

It looks a bit like the SpiderMech is laying claim to a very small pizza. I'll have to see about cleaning that up.

Best,
JBR

Valiant Comics Score...And The Return Of Valiant!

2011-11-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

The family and I get to do "Vegas Days." We live in Pahrump, a rural town about an hour and a half west of Las Vegas. We moved out here to get away from the big city. Little did we know how much we'd miss it. Well, parts of it. See below.

Vegas has a great library system. The beautiful wife-unit saw that the Clark County Library District was holding a small comic-book fest at the spacious Flamingo and Maryland Parkway location.

So, we went. There was a small vendor area, and I happened upon a tent that had longboxes full of early-90's comics, all marked ".50 cents each."

I scored! The selection wasn't copious, but the price was right, and I managed to get my mitts on a few choice Solar, Man of the Atom, and X-O Man o'War titles. One X-O has a Frank Miller cover, another is by Bart Sears, and one even has the first appearance of the Armorines. I loved Armorines.

Now, don't get me wrong. I was an Image and X-comic fanboy during the raging days of the comic boom. Valiant was that "other label." I wasn't too interested, until I think I read some of the Unity titles, from their big crossover. I then started following Armorines and H.A.R.D. Corps until I went off to college for the first time.

Looking back, I can appreciate the clean art and semi-plausible story lines that Jim Shooter brought to the table with his Valiant universe.

Here's a few links I found on the history of the boom, bust, and hopeful return of Valiant Comics.

Valiant Efforts, A History Of Valiant Comics. Authored by a gent with the pseudonym of The Exile.
Part One.
Part Two.
Part Three.

A great blog called All Things Valiant.

And news that the Valiant properties will be returning in 2012. Speaking as a 90's Comics Geek, that's great news.

Well, back to sculpting.

Best,
JBR

PF Is On Fire Lately

2011-11-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

PF.

What more can I say?

Two little letters hold an amazing amount of style, talent, and speed in them.

Here's a sample of just a FEW of the dozens of sculpts he's put up for display just this week. Some are older projects that have already hit the market, but most are coming soon. Absolutely great stuff, monsieur.

To try and keep up with the frenetic pace of PF's releases, click here to sample his blog.

Best,
JBR

My Interview With Dropship Horizon

2011-11-04T06:56:00.001-07:00

I'm the subject of short Spotlight interview over at the hub of all things 15mm, Dropship Horizon.

Click here for the article.

I won't repeat the text (you'll have to go over there to read it), but I wanted to thank the folks that helped me get here, and who inspire me.

Chad Hardin (Marvel, DC, Boom Studios)

Alan Davis (Marvel and DC)

Erik Larsen (Image, DC, Marvel)

Dave Johnson (Image, DC, Marvel)

Neil Nowatzki (Reaper)

Mark Mondragon (Dreamforge)

Charles Oines(Irrational Designs)

Jim Burrell (Reaper and ArtCrime)

Steve Tyler (Coolhand Graphics)

Kev White (Hasslefree Minis)

Nick Carter(Carter Tools)

John Vegher (moddler.com)

Sandy Garrity (Reaper)

PF (Rebel and Khurasan)

Bobby Jackson (Rebel and Reaper)

Jeff Rodman (Fortress Figs)

Ed Pugh (Reaper)

Mike Renegar (Rebel Minis)

Jon Katze (Khurasan Minis)

Craig Grady (Critical Mass Games)

Dale Hurst (Critical Mass Games)

Bob Mervine (Comfy Chair Games)

Mike Hardy (Xtreme Hobby)

Dallas Walker (Critical Horizon Minis)

Chris Lynch (Ravenstar Studios)

David White (Mechazone)

Bill Armintrout (The Miniature Page)

Kevin Long (Palladium Books)

Kevin Siembieda (Palladium Books)

The list goes on and on, and if you're reading this and I left you out, please don't be mad, I haven't had my Blue Monster for the morning yet. I'm fortunate to know and work with most of them, and inspired by the rest.

I don't know Alan Davis, Erik Larsen, Kevin Long, Kevin Siembieda, or Dave Johnson, but they're huge inspirations.

As to the pics above...the CAVs are a side-by-side comparison of the hand-sculpt Dictator, and my first professional CAD model, the digitally-sculpted Dictator. Those are my kids, Olivia and JBR2. That's my beautiful wife Rachel standing next to my goofy self. Obviously, I'm a lucky man.

Thanks, and stay tuned.

Best,
John Bear Ross

Comfy Chair SpiderMech Workup, Part 2

2011-10-30T20:56:00.001-07:00

This is part two of a WIP buildup of a Comfy Chair SpiderMech. Part One is here.

I've come up with the beginning of a backstory for the SpiderMech. It's going to be a 15mm/1-100th scale walker, part of the same mercenary warband of one of my previous paintups, Kramer's Krusher.
Here's a shot of the painted up Krusher.
Here's the (rather long-winded) backstory, with ultra-overglossed paintjob that's corrected in the above link.

Anywho, the pilot for the SpiderMech is going held in a protective isolation/suspension tank in the abdomen of the armor. The turret will (in the backstory) flip up, like a crew hatch, and allow access to the control chamber. The pilot will control the mecha via a hardwired jack into his nervous system, and interface via the Spider's external sensors.

Here I'm test-fitting the suppressive weapon miniguns, and glue them over the forward sensor cluster.

Next the turret weapons are glued to the turret body. They're up at a shallow 10 or so degree angle.

Well, it's then on to final assembly of the components.
Here's a little walkaround of the SpiderMech, with a couple Critical Mass Games figures shown for size reference. He's quite the little deathdealer, isn't he?

Next is primer and basecoat, and I think I might have a pilot figure in mind.
Stay tuned.

Best,
JBR

Comfy Chair SpiderMech Workup, Part 1

2011-10-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

I've been knocking a lot of time out in the digital sculpting chair, so I thought I'd get some manual time in to stave off burnout.

I received a gracious shipment of 4 SpiderMechs from Comfy Chair Games a few months ago (Thanks Bob), and decided to put one together for Halloween. The SpiderMech (or MechSpider, if you're so inclined...both are apt descriptions) is one of my favorite sculpts, and I'm delighted to have a foursome of them to put together.

The kids were painting pumpkins, and I set up shop on the back of a 5x8 notebook.

Here's the parts layout. I like the large weapons that come with the SpiderMech from the factory, but decided I wanted something a bit smaller. So I dove into my bitz box.
Here's the parts list...

1 SpiderMech body with 8 legs
1 set of suppressive head gatlings that mount over the sensor module
1 arm from a Reaper CAV Spectre (I think).
1 medium gatling from the Rebel HAMR Fire Support Sprue
1 triple missile bit from the same HAMR Sprue
2 top deck adapters from two HAMR Fire Support Sprues

I like Magic Sculpt. No paid advert, here, just letting you know about it. Comes in 5 pound tubs, cheap as hell, and vulcanizes. Smooths with water, too, but don't lick your tools. It doesn't taste too good. Ask me how I know.

I like the Black type, though it comes in different colors. I get it from a taxidermy supply store.

I start construction by twisting the missile launcher forearm off the CAV bit. I keep the upper arm, since it will be the body for the turret I have planned. The launcher goes back in the box.

Here are all the turret components, and the MS, pre-mixed.

MS mixed up, and some Critical Mass figs brought in for scale reference.

I take two small lumps of putty, and squish the two top deck adapters against the sides of the turret main body. Putty fills in the gaps and holds everything together.

The excess is trimmed off. Not bad.

The excess scrapings are balled up, and used to fill the top socket of the SpiderMech's body.

I use the turret's peg that would normally glue into the torso of a CAV to create its own socket in the putty.

I use a trick from the first time I put together the prototyped master model of the SpiderMech. Playdo! It's an easy fixture that really helps keep everything in place while the glue sets.

I lay down two outrigger strips to keep the tips of the legs from slipping around.

The legs go on with a little trouble, but the playdo helps stabilize things.

I didn't like the gap at the back of the turret, so I used the last of the MS to fill it in. A descending cowl and a pair of grills are sculpted into the putty.

Well, here's everything so far. Stay tuned for assembly and paint.

Best,
JBR

Khurasan Cane Toad APC-The Long Road To Market

2011-10-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

To preface, I hope you see the backstory of this build from a "Little Engine That Could"/ "Diamond in the Rough" perspective, which is what my following rambling is trying to get across. The Cane Toad is a great universal APC that I hope you buy scads of from Khurasan. The following story is meant to show you the serendipitous path that this model took to market, from initial mistake to crowning victory.

Years ago, CAV from Reaper Miniatures was my every waking moment away from work. I was starting a life, bought a house, and was raising a family. The side income from Reaper really helped get us through some lean times. Thanks, Ed.

Things were so fast and furious, though, that I misread an important email from Matt Ragan, the Creative Director (CAV Boss) on top of the project. The Centipede APC was a Borsig-Spline armored vehicle that was meant to get troops to the battlefield, and was on my assigned list of builds to get done.

I screwed up, and made a version with tracks. Matt wanted wheels. So I shelved the design, and knocked the wheeled version out, slightly angry with myself for messing up such a basic item. I got paid for the wheeled version, and the tracked went by the wayside, back into the Ones-and-Zeros aether of my hard drive archives.

Well, the CAV work eventually petered out, and here I was, sitting on a tracked APC that no one wanted. It remained that way for a few years, until I heard of the advent of a small Dutch company called Shapeways. I updated the design, put it up for sale, and waited for someone to show up at my door with a big bag of money.

Didn't happen. I sold maybe a dozen, and all at the 6mm sized version, which was an inch long. I think I made 50 cents off each one.

So, instead of languishing in my hard drive, the APC (I had renamed it The Brick) was languishing in public. There, it attracted the attention of one my 15mm clients, Jon from Khurasan Miniatures.

He offered to buy the rights to it. I agreed happily, but only on the condition that I could update it and make it compatible with the other products I had already done for him. He agreed, and I enthusiastically got to work.

New hatches, new weapons, new attachment hardpoints, and a reworked tread system that had hollow gaps between the bogeys and the treads. Hard edges were chamfered, small things were changed here and there, but it still had the power and presence I had infused into it back in January of 2003 (!).

Thanks to Khurasan, my Brick baby gets to see the light of day. He saw the potential in the build that I knew was always there.

Thanks, Jon.

Here's the in-universe backstory for the Cane Toad. I'm pleased with the "mercenary defense contractor" aspect of the fluff, which means its found on many different battlefields, in the inventories of many different factions. Very cool.

_____

The Cane Toad, usually simply called the Toad, is manufactured by Mercanto-Dett Military Solutions, a company headquartered in New New South Wales, in New Australia. It and other MDMS vehicles are the mostly widely used equipment in Federal space outside the vehicles of the Federal Army proper.

A basic and rugged vehicle, it has fairly good armour protection and can supports the troops it carries with two rapid fire pulse turrets with limited firing arcs. This was a compromise design feature permitting a much greater troop capacity which has been found by users to be largely satisfactory -- and those who dislike the limited firing arcs of the pulser turrets often decide to upgrade the weapons systems to twin smart-missile boxes, for which firing arcs are irrelevant.

MDMS vehicles can be seen in the service of the Jo-li Freehold, being the main heavy combat units of the Control Battalions (although the Jo-lis also buy from the Karkarines, and use Nova Respublik vehicles rebuilt by MDMS), the Jasmine Throne, the Thrainites, and the Interplanetary Brigades that fought as volunteers in the Molch-Vornid War.

_____

Here are some digital screen captures of the updated Cane Toad APC.

These suppressive weapon turrets were changed in the production model, so they could look like they had a greater range of motion, and be depressed and elevated to deal with close-in troops. The new turrets are blockier, and add to the "brick" nature of the APC, in my opinion.

Here are some painted shots, by SpaceJacker, who runs a nice blog called Tiny Solitary Soldiers.

These are photos of a "dry" build, no glue/no paint, courtesy of Tom over at Miniature Review. Thanks, Tom. Tom runs a great minis news blog that's one of my daily reads.

Here are some shots of the original Borsig-Spline Centipede APC that was rejected due to my goof. Those cannon turrets are crude, yes, but this was an early work of mine, they had to cast as part of the body, and at N Scale, additional detailing wouldn't have come through with the 3d printer technology of the time. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. ;)

And here's what the wheeled Centipede that came to market looked like. It's now discontinued as part of the game in CAV, but still available for purchase at the link below. They've got it credited to Ron Dubray, but it's one of mine.

Wheeled Centipede APC.

Best,
John Bear Ross

Rebel Minis Zombie Madness

2011-10-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

From the TMP 15mm Forums...

Rebel Mike said...

"So I was talking with Ed at Two Hour Wargames today and he said "You need a Zombie Sale for this Halloween!"

So I hung up. I don't like sales :)

He then called back and said, "I'll run a sale on the ATZ books if you do…" So, being a big fan of All Things Zombie, I agreed. So here's the Deal:

All Zombie packs, hunter packs and ATZ box sets are 20% off with code: zombies until Nov 1st. You must put in that code when checking out to get the discount. If I missed something email me :)

AND it gets better! If you buy any zombie item at Rebelminis.com, you can email Ed with your order # and you can get the ATZ(All things Zombie) rulebook for 1/2 off! WOW!

This is a killer deal for a limited time only! Check out the packs at: Rebelminis.com

All Things Zombie Rulebook at: link

Ed, said it.. so let it be done…

Thank you for your Support!"

You've got a couple days to put in "Zombies" and save some coin. C'mon, you know you want to start gaming The Walking Dead...

"Walker!"

*Blam*

"Great. Now we just sounded the dinner bell..."

Or the Pinkeye episode of South Park...

Just go easy on the Worcestershire Sauce...

Best,

JBR

Khurasan Sci-Fi Interiors

2011-10-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

Jon at Khurasan commissioned me earlier in the year to do a set of open-sided floor tiles, with accompanying bulkheads, doors, and other futuristic equipment that could play a part in whatever types of 15mm interior scenarios customers could dream up.

After a bit of art direction, I managed to whip up the following. I've also included a few Waldo shots to show you the digital CAD.

Why just the computers? Because the other screen shots have stuff I'm not supposed to show you yet...hint hint...

The show pieces are nicely painted by Martin of "Fire Broadside."

Here's the link to Khurasan's site, where you can purchase this new terrain.

And here is an announcement article at Dropship Horizon with photos by Martin of an assembled sci-fi room, complete with Riflething. Great stuff.

Hope you like them, and put them to good use! 15mm Sci-Fi RPG adventures and corridor crawls, here we come! Whoo-hoo!

Best,
JBR

Converted Arc Fleet Walker From Down Under

2011-10-25T05:29:00.000-07:00

I found this on an Australian gamer's blog. The gent's name is Steven, and he's an ace at converting. I've added some still captures from his YouTube movie, which is also featured above (don't worry, it's safe for work...heh).

Once again (there's a LOT of them out there), the Critical Mass Games Arc Fleet Walker shows its beautiful versatility and utility as a sculpt. I've very proud of that chicken walker.

Here's Steven's blog.

Here's the specific post.

Excellent work, and the video also shows off some nice paint jobs on a couple other pieces of Arc Fleet hardware, as well as some other walkers from Micropanzer. Great stuff. I really like how he incorporated GW bits to turn the Arc Fleet walker into a fire/plasma-breathing beast.

Great job, Steven!

Best,
JBR

Yes, I'm Late To The Hawken Party, But I'm Here.

2011-10-23T01:48:00.001-07:00

Well, like everything else, I usually stumble onto something late, long after everyone's raved about it and moved on.

Latest case in point is the video game Hawken, being developed by Adhesive Games.

It's a mech first-person-shooter. It looks like you need to have an I.V. drip of Mountain Dew to play it. I'm an old man compared to most gamers (36), so I like to see the action, not just blurs and 'splosions.

The concept seems a little preachy: a human colony runs out of resources due to excessive industrialization, and "the hunt for resources has become the battle for survival," to paraphrase the story trailer.

The mechs look appealing, in a Maschinen Krieger sort of way. Very dieselpunk, very "junky future." I like. The designer, Khang Le, says that M.K. was a very heavy influence on the designs of the mechs and environments. You can read more here at this Kotaku article.

They also seem to be on the smaller side, HAMR-suit or slightly larger. They all have jump jets, and I see no hands on any of them. If Hawken inspires a new trend in mecha models...well, we'll see.

Anyway, the concept seems right up my alley, my first mech game ever being FASA's CityTech. I love urban brawls. Hopefully the customization menus in the game have an "Old Fogey" speed setting. Either that, or I have to start looking around for I.V. stands on ebay.

Best,
JBR

Not Safe For Work Brain-Frying Video

2011-10-22T02:01:00.000-07:00

Oh.

Oh my.

This YouTube video is definitely NOT safe for work.

Or if you have kids looking over your shoulder.

Or if you have a family history of brain aneurysms.

I recommend viewing in fullscreen, as HiDef as your internet connection can handle.

Definitely a mind-blowing video. Again, don't watch if you're not a fan of some pretty intense carnage, Cthulhu-esque horror, or John Carpenter's "The Thing."

It's brutal. Yet strangely refreshing. And will probably land you in front of Human Resources if your I.T. guy turns you in.

The music is by DyE. The animation credits are below...

Directed by Jérémie Périn
Written by Laurent Sarfati & Jérémie Périn
Artistic Direction by Mikael Robert

Produced by Excuse My French / PH & Tigersushi
Executive Producer : Constance Guillou
Production Coordinator : Perrine Schwartz
Commissioner : Jill Caytan

"Fantasy" is taken from the DyE album TAKI 183.

Best,
John Bear Ross

DragonForge Games Kickstarter Offer

2011-10-12T19:16:00.000-07:00

Mark Mondragon, talentus maximus over at DragonForge Games, is putting out a Kickstarter offer out there that lets you help launch a great miniatures company, as well as get some awesome figs on your tabletop.

Here's the link to his Kickstarter page.

Now's the chance to go big, and get one of those tasty Leviathan titans for a great discount, all the while backing an artist that deserves to succeed.

Best,
JBR

Critical Mass Games Mercs On Sale

2011-10-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

You have exactly 20 days to get 20% off some of the best (in my not so humble opinion) 15mm sculpts on the planet, rendered by none other than PF himself.

Critical Mass Games is putting their Mercs on sale until 2400 Zulu Time (Greenwich Mean Time), October 31.

Here's the sale page.

I own a few packs (all of them, actually), and they're beautiful pieces of micro sculpture. Trust me, you're going to want to buy some of these guys.

Especially the Ygs and Astagar (the round guys in orange and the snakemen). Hint hint.

Best,
JBR

David White's Artwork For Sale

2011-10-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

David White, of Mechazone fame, is offering some of his original pieces of artwork at his site.

Here's the link direct to the store.

I've purchased a copy of his recent re-release of his book, Mechazone 1.5

Look at that trick cover. Takes me back to the 90's heyday of comic collecting!

Just wanted to let you good folks know about this deal. David's artwork is beautiful, and nicely priced to boot.

Best,
JBR

Viper Suit WIP, Part 4

2011-10-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

Well, here's the wrap-up for the Rebel Minis' Viper Suit, or Variable Payload Raider as it's formally known. I added an Advancing pose to the lineup, to give it a slight feel of action.

Click here for parts One, Two, of Three of the work in progress.

The VPR will be modular in nature, so I gave it a separate hull from the legs. This will lend to more poseability, as well as the ability to swap out parts that are along the same format.

A pair of the new triple-barrel energy weapons were included, as well as the utility arms. I think this will do well when it hits market. Hope you enjoyed it, and watch for more updates along these lines.

I'll be sure to update when painted printouts come online, as well as when it's for sale.

Thanks!

Best,
JBR

Viper Suit WIP, Part 3

2011-10-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

Click here for Part 1 of this WIP series.
Here for Part 2.

On to final detailing, and a few sample weapon loadouts...

Well, as you can see from part 2 of this series, our beautiful (death-dealing) swan was regressed back to an ugly (functional) duckling in order to fulfill the need for a civilian walker that has been pressed into military service.

So, to reflect that civilian heritage, I made a pair of utility arms for the VPR. Basically, they're like forklift tines that can split and also become claws. Thus, the Civilian VPR could be able to perform a number of work functions, from demolition to heavy labor. The work arms are shown in grasping mode, with the claws just barely opened, though their fictional range of movement would enable them to clasp a large utility container, as well as boom out to pick a load off a shelf or rack. I think I even put a small cylindrical module in the center of the claw, in case someone wanted to call it a cutting/welding laser or plasma torch. Handy, no?

While it may be a little bit "plain jane," I figured this base model could be used in RPG scenarios involving civilians, or as a standard model that could be "mad-maxed" out. There's potential there, I tell ya.

On to the weaponized madness.

Here's a "Mars Rebel" edition I cobbled together for demonstration purposes for Rebel Mike. This has the new utility claw, a new triple-barrel energy weapon in dark grey, a chin gun that belongs to the Gila fast attack vehicle, and the triple missile launcher from the Saber VTOL. It may be ad-hoc in design, but it's guaranteed to leave a mark. One of these in the possession of rebels, criminals, or a home defense militia would definitely bring the pain to a small skirmish, even against disciplined HAMR pilots.

Here's a bolt-together mercenary assault special with two of the new energy weapons, and a Saber missile rack. Storm in, blast the client's selected targets to pieces, and collect a check!

For those civilians and smaller governments within the Titan Marine sphere of influence, or rebels fighting them (use the enemy as your quartermaster, eh?), here's a recon/utility version that can lay down suppressive fire with its chin gun (same as the forearm gun from the Titan Recon HAMR), and hit armored targets with its dual missile pod.

Here's a Titan-equipped assault walker with dual energy weapons, chin gun, and missile pod. A very intimidating fire support platform, if I say so myself, which I do.

See how the versatility of the VPR is starting to shine through? And here you thought it was just some generic chickenwalker...(hey, I did at first as well, so don't feel bad).

More to come.

Best,
JBR

Viper Suit WIP, Part 2

2011-10-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

Continuing from WIP Part 1, from yesterday...

It was at this point in the design process, I realized I had gotten ahead of myself. Rebel Mike and I had set out with the intention of making a utilitarian workhorse that could be pressed into military service if the need arose.

Looking at the first bulkouts, I saw that the build was a bit too sexy, a bit too sleek. That nasty, dashing, death-dealing potential quality in the first iteration had to be uglied up a bit. I toned down the spiciness, and added a bit more "clunky and chunky."

An ugly duckling, no? Of course, nobody wants to buy a doddering piece of garbage. So, walking a fine line, I dialed back the awesome factor, and started adding more function and practical features.

Don't worry, it will get better with final detailing. Plus, the emphasis with the Viper Suit will be the custom weapon loadouts you can hang on it. The chassis itself is almost an afterthought compared to the guns you're going to want to bring to bear, which is in line with the "pressed into service" aspect of the design. The Viper Suit is like the walking equivalent to a "technical" truck with a 23mm anti-aircraft cannon bolted to the bed. Well, not exactly, but you know what I mean...

Back to design. The standard ball and socket shoulder arrangement from the EF and Titan Marine HAMR suits was brought back, in order to maintain compatibility across the product line.

The back deck of the main hull was notched digitally to accept the Titan missile launcher, but also the mounting system that other Rebel Mini accessories share, namely the triple missile rack from the Saber gunship.

Likewise, the chin gun mount is capable of taking the forearm twin guns from the Titan Recon HAMR, but also other accessories using the standard peg system like those found on the Apache and Comanche MATV guns, or the infiltrator bike gatlings.

Things at this point were coming together, and the "Variable Payload" aspect of the Viper Suit's name was coming to the forefront. What it was lacking in aesthetic "sex appeal," it was now more than making up for in functionality, which has a special "sexiness" all its own.

More to come.

Best,
JBR

Viper Suit WIP, Part 1

2011-10-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a WIP series on the newly revealed Viper Suit coming soon from Rebel Minis. "Viper" is a field corruption of Variable Payload Raider, or VPR.

To begin with, Rebel Mike called a few months ago. He wanted a new HAMR-esque suit, but didn't want it as large. We started bouncing ideas off each other, and revisited the concept of a universal type walker, made by an independent faction (neither Titan nor Earth Force), that could use parts from any of the many HAMR suit parts we've already created. Something that could be used for construction, policing, exploration, as well as combat.

The Sahadeen had a need for such an improvised HAMR suit of their own, and it could be also used as an armored walker by mercenary units or other organizations not affiliated with the EF or Titan Marines.

The working title was the Universal Battle Pod. Here were some initial breakdowns of the chassis. A couple of new Titan weapons were made for this bulk-out, and the standard dual missile launcher from the Titan Marine Fire Support HAMR suit went onto a mount on the back deck.

I went with a "chicken walker" layout just to differentiate it from the Titan and EF HAMRs, even though it's not my favorite arrangement. Here are a few shots with the Battle Pod next to a kitted-out Titan Marine HAMR.

More detailing to come...

Best,
JBR

Khurasan Felid Jetbike

2011-09-07T22:41:00.000-07:00

Khurasan Jon came up with a request for a Felid jetbike earlier in the year (2011, in case you're reading this sometime in the future).

The visual description was to be a leaping cat for the fuselage, with a feline visage incorporated into the front cowl, with weapons and turbines added for good measure.

My first attempts were a bit silly, looking back at them now, but the design eventually presented itself quite easily.

And here is the design, molded, assembled, and painted up. They are for sale here (Item number TTC-1305), on Khurasan's website.

Enjoy!

Best,
JBR

PF's New Sculpting WIP Blog

2011-08-23T22:30:00.001-07:00

PF is an extremely talented sculptor who resides outside of Paris, France. I've long admired his work, and have been glad to work with him on a few projects.

He has now started up a WIP Blog, showing off various projects, past and present, that showcase his formidable abilities.

The link is here, at http://15mmspaceopera.blogspot.com

Best,
JBR

Rebel Minis Apache MATV

2011-08-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

Well, it was inevitable. The Comanche, a near-future take on the present-day Oshkosh M-ATV, was/is a very successful design for Rebel Minis, and sold very well. Mike and I decided that the same treatment could be applied to the venerable HUMVEE platform, utilizing some of the same components.

So, starting with the same frame as the Comanche, design work started on what eventually became the Apache MATV. The Apache is an up-armored Hummer, with a futuristic (but not too futuristic) touch.

The only trick was adapting something pre-existing to a frame that was already prototyped, while making room for large tires and wheels that are utilized on both the Comanche and Gila vehicles, all the while making a design that was not only functional, but appealing. No problem, right? Well, kinda...

The Hummer is a pretty basic build. Nothing too terribly complicated. There are many versions of the Hummer, but I decided to focus on the "hardback" version of the vehicle, one which was often utilized as a weapons platform by Heavy Guns when I was still in, but in its updated, up-armored form.

After I got the "getting to know you" part of everything sorted out, the structural component of the sculpt, next came the actual detailing. I wanted to add bits that looked like extra armor paneling, which could pass as laser-reflective panels, ablative shielding, or reactive armor, but which wouldn't overwhelm or make the build look too busy. Hopefully, this "futuristic, but no overly so" affect was achieved.

The weapons from the Comanche MATV were put into use as well. The Apache, like the Comanche, is capable of having its weapons mounted on an integral socket in the hull, or an armored turret that rotates over the pre-existing hatch, with the same type of socket. It was a nice solution, I think, that gives the end user some customization options.

And there you have it. The Apache MATV from Rebel Minis. I hope you like it. My compliments, also, to Jeff Racel for his always-cool paint jobs.

Best,
JBR

Gruntz 15mm Game Released!

2011-07-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

Rottenlead Publishing has released their 15mm scale game, Gruntz, in PDF format for a very nice price of $9.00 USD.

Here's the link to the PDF.

From what I've researched on it, it's very nice, and is very friendly to incorporating minis from various factions and manufacturers.

Also, check out Rottenlead's Youtube channel, for insights on their design process, reviews, and extremely un-American accents (heh).

Game On!

Best,
JBR

The Art Of: Steve 'Coolhand' Tyler

2011-07-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

Steve "Coolhand" Tyler and I have worked together before, back during the Cold Navy days of my career (if you can call 10 years of squinting at a screen while arranging electrons a 'career').

Steve is a wonderfully talented 3d artist, and I just wanted to show you good folks what he's capable of, if you didn't know already. Here's a short sample, with links to more later in the post.

Here's a Garn Mech that he's done for Khurasan 's 15mm line. This thing looks so good, it hurts.

Here's a Hind-esque VTOL that he's done, also for Khurasan, for Khurasan Jon's Nova Respublik faction. Gorgeous.

And here's what he's done with the models I did for the Mauridian faction in Cold Navy, making them look great.

Here's his base of operations on the net, over at Sci-Fi Meshes.

He also has a shop on Shapeways. Buy everything.

Great stuff, Steve. I sound like I'm gushing, I know, but I like it, and I'm not afraid to say it. So there. ;)

Best,
JBR

PS You can buy Cold Navy ships through Ravenstar, who has the license. Enjoy!

Rebel Minis: Buy It Cheap, Stack It Deep

2011-07-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

Rebel Mike is offering 20% off all stock. That means you basically buy four of something, and get the fifth free. Can't beat that with a stick, if I do say so myself. Which I do.

It's a good chance to stock up on Saber VTOLs, Titan Marine HAMR suits, Comanches, Model Nine Troopers, and all the other stuff into which I've poured gallons of brainsweat.

The Code is: Summer

Also, here's (my) reveal of the WildCAT and TomCAT unmanned armor systems. The Wildcat is what I called a Tankbuster, able to snip and pry tanks apart with its claws, or blow them to smithereens with its rockets. The Tomcat is the all-around combat unit, supremely customizable. You can choose an standard infantry, close combat, or a combination weapons loadout. Very nice.

The beauty of the design is the modularity. You can mix and match parts between the two classifications, and they were made with flexibility of use in mind. They can be 15mm drones. Or power armor. Or assault cyborgs. Or as N-scale light mechs. Or 6mm scale cruiser-weight mechs. A very open-ended design that should enable the end-user to conform them to his or her needs. These were definitely a joy to sculpt.

Here's the Rebel Minis Blog Post announcing them. Gives a little bit of fluff and background, and a few screen captures through the approval process.

Here's a previous workup on them I did a while back.

As you can see, they've been in development for a while now. It's good to see them hit the market, especially at such a good time to buy.

Remember the code at checkout: Summer

Best,
JBR

Rebel Minis Concept Art From The Beginning...

2011-06-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

So, these days, 3D prototyping's pretty ubiquitous, but even five or six years ago, it was still cutting edge, sci-fi, whazoo stuff, even though Reaper and I had been hammering out dozens of models since 2001.

A lot of folks didn't know how the process worked, and what it would entail in both costs and resources. So, I spent a lot of time talking to folks from around the world, giving them my take on things.

Thus, it was somewhere in the 2005/2006 era that Rebel Mike and I first made contact. We had a couple emails, a few long phone conversations (Mike can talk ;) ), and I didn't hear much back for a while.

A few years later, in the spring of 2008 or so (time blurs, and I'm getting old), I get another email. It's this Rebel Mike guy again. He has an idea for 15mm scale tanks, and a VTOL aircraft. This was back when I had a few irons in the fire, trying to jumpstart 15mm with my own projects on this side of the pond (GZG had the market cornered on the other side of the Atlantic).

The VTOL was described as a combination of a Huey and the shuttle from Space Above and Beyond, but smooth. Smooth detailing is the emphasis, nothing chunky. So, I come up with this...

Clunky, no? I thought so, too, but Mike greenlighted the project, and away we went.

The "Slick" concept grew into the Saber VTOL once I started modelling it in 3d, a nice model kit that doubled as both infantry carrier and gunship. Here's some of the prototype pics of the Saber, as well as the Earth Force APC...

Mike was rather pleased with the result, and painted up a few...

They sell like hotcakes (the 15mm market was starved for VTOLs at the time). A great relationship was born. I still like the results, even going on four years after initial design.

You can still find the Sabers for sale on Mike's website.

Here's the Saber Troop Carrier.

Here's the Saber Gunship.

And to think it all started with a phone call...

Best,
JBR

Mercs Minis Waza Weapons WIP, Part 6

2011-06-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

Ah, the stunning conclusion to our Waza Weapons WIP Series...the Precision Rifle. Or, Sniper Rifle, if you're so inclined.

Here's the source art by Mr. Keith Lowe...

The Rough-out...

and the Approval shots...

These weapons were a delight to sculpt, though I must apologize to the crew over at Mercs Minis, who had to wait patiently while I slogged through the sculpting of these pieces. I think I actually had a case of sculptor's block/burnout during the course of sculpting these weapons, since the mouse didn't want to move at times. I eventually sorted my head out, and got these done. Again, apologies for the tardiness of my work.

Well, thanks for putting up with my little WIP series, and look for these to debut sometime soon. In the meantime, here's the link to the discussion forum over at Mercs Minis where these weapons (and their manual sculpts) will be revealed.

Best,
JBR