Grot Commandos and the Grot Train Robbery

The Grot Commandos were created for the Grot Train Robbery. We never got to the point where they were unleashed on the table. Here is a shot from just before they were finished. At this point, I just need to pick out the details, add the base texture, and dull coat.

As for the Grot Train Robbery. There are some nice pictures here at From the dust of the Ancients and E-ville Armory.

Grot Commandos

I found some pictures I took awhile back. These have come along nicely since then.

Group Shot

Test Color

These were primed with Krylon Plastic Fusion Black. The prime ends up being glossier then I like. It made putting on the test color slightly more difficult. I ended up dry brushing the entire figure with German Field Grey and worked from there.

Space Cowboys and Aliens

Now that I have a great looking train (pictures soon.) I'm trying to think of other uses for it. I decided to make use of it in another project I had percolating in the back of my head. That was Cowboys and Aliens. At first I was going base that project strictly on the comic Cowboys and Aliens and the movie of the same name. But after seeing the 2 Horse Power Steam Coach project on the Lead Adventure Forum, I decide to expand my vision by including both my train and a similiar style coach in that project. With that, though, I would have a radical departure from the Cowboys and Aliens theme. It becomes a completely different project.

Thus the Space Cowboys and Aliens (see the word space before cowboys makes the project completely dissimilair:) project was born. The background of the game will be a combination of Westworld and the 80's classic Galaxy Rangers, with a little of Cowboys and Aliens tossed in. (I'm not even sure what that means.) Still, it will be pure serious gaming fun.

See, Fun!

And you were wondering why I had a picture of a cow in my previous post. All the things are connected...

Country Living

is great until the cows come home...They live up the road.

Grot Train Robbery - Possible Table Layout 1

I'm struggling with a layout that I like. I've run out of straight sections of track and I'm not quite sure where to get them locally by Saturday. All the track I have is from 25+ years ago. I know it is still available, just where? The lack of track means I need to orientate the boards side to side (long sides touching) instead of end to end. So this makes the layout about 8 x 12. Anyway, here are some pictures of layout 1.

Train Start

Here is a view from the side the train starts. As one can see,  I need texture the boards. I need to use the track cross piece as I ran out of straights. I could do more curves there instead, but I wanted the train to start in the middle. Still, that will change.

Ash Wastes Section

The table is made up of three sections. The first section is the Ash Wastes section. I'll be adding in some rough ash wastes terrain pieces and outcroppings to make this a bit more interesting. 

Junk Town Section

The middle section is the Junk Town section. One can see the Junk Town at the top of the picture. Near Junk Town the Imperial defensive wall has been breached allowing entrance into the ruined city. The bottom half of the board contains old imperial defenses and the gateway into the ruined city the Imperial train uses. There will be tank traps here as indicated by the boxes of...tank traps.

Imperial City Section

This last section is made up of a ruined imperial buildings and the wall fortification. With the board needing texture, as with all of the buildings, it looks pretty shabby right now. Most of the buildings are past the prime and 1st stage of painting. But I need to get lots of rubble. Rubble is key to ruined buildings looking 'right.' As I stated last year in my junk town articles, texture and detail are key to making terrain look good. Rubble handles both of those jobs with ruins.

Train End

Here is the end shot of the imperial city...pretty shoddy. Still lots of work to do on terrain and I have to paint the Train! Ugh. At least all the Grots are painted and 90% of the trukks are done.  And the question remains, do I look to get more straight sections of track. I've got a nifty idea of having part of the route go through a destoryed Imperial Tank factory. (In the past, the train entered the factory empty and left the factory loaded with Leman Russ tanks with the train never stopping. I pictured it with the Leman Russ tanks being built right on the train as it went through the factory. Not practical but fun.) I just love the idea of Grots swinging down on chains trying to board the train.

Imperial Train - The Rest

Here are some more pictures of the work Katz did.

Defender Car.

Caboose.

All Together!

That is it for the work Katz did on that portion of the train. There are some interesting buildings he did some work on. I also have got some unexciting cargo cars to carry Imperial loot yet to finish. I'll get them up soon, but the good stuff is all up.

Imperial Train - Engine

The Imperial Train will soon be hitting my workbench. Originally I had planned to convert the train myself, but my friend Katz insisted he be allowed to do them. He hadn't worked on a hobby project in awhile and he felt very inspired by this one. I was hesitent, as I enjoy the conversion end of things more then the painting. Still, I went ahead and that was good for two reasons. I'm running out of time getting ready for the Grot Train Robbery, and, more importantly, Katz did a spectactular job.

Here are some pictures of the Engine as a work in progress:

Before.

Half way there!

Almost Done.

Finished!