Flying Visit

In another excursion to the 1980s I've finally got round to painting up my Skyfighter from V, along with my last remaining Visitor miniature from Crooked Dice.

Despite being a 3d print, I didn't actually print this myself. I picked up the STL during the Kickstarter campaign for the 7TV: 80s campaign and it was kindly printed by Matt.

I managed to lose the landing gear somewhere along the line and so I put the project on hold until I could print my own recently.

In all honesty, the print is a little rough, but given that Matt did it for free, I'm not complaining.

Therefore, when it came to painting, I kept things simple and coherent with how the ships looked in the series and decided that being less detailed will prevent the eye being drawn to the less than perfect areas.

I undercoated it in Ghoul Grey from Colourforge, sponged on matt white, before painting the windows black and freehanding the icons in red. I then gave everything a coat of gloss bc arnish because these things were shiny.

Given that this is most likely to feature as scenery, I'm happy enough with it. I've seen them used with the helicopter rules in games of 7TV, but unless I'm playing on a big board, the transport capacity is not that useful.

The final Visitor I've painted is actually a duplicate model to the one I painted as Lydia. Given that the pose and her hair are quite distinctive, I opted to do a couple of things to differentiate the two.

Firstly, I went with a slightly different colour scheme, giving her the black body armour worn by the security guards and allowing her to use the Shocktrooper profile.

Secondly, I gave her a head swap. Finding an appropriately sized head proved challenging and the best I could come up with was a Zombie Vixen head from Wargames Factory (I think these are the models that also feature in the Project Z game from Warlord Games). There is a wound on the face, but I've painted it as a torn bit of fake skin, which works well enough.

I'm not sure if I'm going to add to my Visitors. I might do another Skyfighter for scenic purposes and Crooked Dice do have Visitor Jeep with a gun mount that I've been tempted by for a long time.

However, I'm much more likely to focus my attention on the Resistance, as currently I only have four dedicated miniatures for them.

Acquired: -95
Painted: 163
Lead Mountain: 391

The Return Visit

As you will no doubt be aware, a few weeks ago I painted up some key figures from the LA resistance in the 1980s cult classic V.

This combined with the fact that I've just watched a battle report on the Peachy Tips YouTube channel which pit the Visitors against a range of 80s action heroes (Rambo, TJ Hooker, etc.) has made me want to get nosy off the last few unpainted Visitors I currently have.

Here they are...

...well, almost. I still have another model to do who is a duplicate of one I already own, but I want to see if I can do a suitable head swap to keep some variety, but I need to see I have a female head that's the right scale, ideally with a cap or sunglasses.

We'll see.

As pointed out five years ago, when I painted the last lot, I've gone with orange rather than red for the uniforms.

When you trawl the internet for images, it seems that there has been some colour enhancement going on with images that has convinced many folk that the Visitors wore red. However, only their flags and iconography were red, the uniforms were dark orange.

In an attempt to achieve this effect and match a paint job firm half a decade ago, Ive actually been quite sloppy compared to a lot of my more recent work.

Simply basing in Ryza Rust...yes, I know it's a dry paint but mine dried up too much, so I added some water to it and now have an orange paint I can actually use...adding the black, flesh, gold and hair before an all over wash.

I did pick out the gold again as a highlight, but overall not my best work.

These troopers with the gold helmets first appear in the second miniseries, V: The Final Battle, and seem to be security guards rather than more active soldiers like the ones in black armour.

I get the feeling that the decision to introduce them might have been cost induced as adding gold trim some of the spare uniforms from the first series and making what look like much cheaper helmets would have strained the budget less for the larger battle scenes in the second miniseries.

I did have to do a little bit of repair work on this model as his baton was missing a section, so I needed to trim it off and add a small length of plastic rod. Not the hardest job, or done with great finesse, but good enough.

His pistol is also missing the bottom bar of the hand grip, but it's a small detail and not particularly of the profile of the model, so I'm going to see if it annoys me enough to try to fix it.

And there we have them. I think they fit in quite well with only a slight difference in the orange. In fact a more noticeable issue is the asphalt flock on the base. I've no idea whether I've used a different type or the colour has faded, but I might need to address that.

So I still have another model to do and then I need to get round to sorting out the shuttlecraft that I've lost the landing gear for. After that, I may finally pick up some Visitor keeps to complete my collection.

Acquired: -29

Painted: 29

Lead Mountain: 601

Humankind's Last Stand

'V', the original miniseries and 'V': The Final Battle were a defining part of my youth. I remember seeing them for the first time and my family delaying setting off on holiday to finish watching the final episode.

I painted up a bunch of Visitors a couple of years ago, but didn't pick up the Resistance from Crooked Dice until fairly recently. I'm not sure why I didn't paint them sooner, but I have now.

Given how vividly I remember the show, I really wanted to get the models looking right. This is really helped by the extremely characterful sculpts. 

However, given that these are essentially models of 'people in clothes' I needed to get the painting right to make sure that when I look at the table, I see the TV show.

That meant research.

The images on the Crooked Dice website suggest that the clothing choices of the four characters: Mike Donovan, Julie Parish, Ham Tyler and Elias Taylor, were taken from this promo image.

Therefore I decided to try to stick with them as much as possible, which included Donovan's godawful two-tone eighties jacket.

However, I did make one change.

I opted to put Julie, the medical student who becomes leader of the Resistance, in the red roll neck sweater she wears in the finale of the original two-part miniseries.

Partly, this was due to the fact that the scene was much more significant to her development as a character and a leader than the general 'stealth' outfit she wears on a couple of missions in the second three-part miniseries.

Mainly, however, it was due to the fact that with Ham and Elias also wearing black, I wanted a bit more variety in the group.

Despite Julie being the actual leader of the Los Angeles Resistance, cameraman Mike Donovan is the star of the show with Marc Singer (of Beastmaster fame) at his pompously wooden eighties leading man finest in the role.

I like the fact that the sculpt has him holding his MASSIVE camera, making useable as a civilian in other games. Also, if I want a more action pose, one of the Visitor models I've painted is clearly Donovan in disguise as he puts on a Visitor uniform with alarming regularity.

I'm pleased I managed to get the two-tone jacket sort of right, but my attempt to give him properly faded jeans didn't really deliver.

Elias is one of my favourite characters in the show and Michael Wright, the actor who played him, gets some of the best speeches in the show. This includes the still tear-jerking moment where Julie brings Elias' much more successful brother Ben to him as Ben is dying and we see Elias' caught up in a mixture of grief and his own inferiority complex.

Not much to say about the painting of this one.

Michael Ironside plays Ham Tyler and is probably the most famous face in the show, although Robert England (Freddie Krueger) is also in the show.

If you've seen Michael Ironside in any film (Total Recall, Starship Troopers, Top Gun, etc.) then you know all you need to about the sort of character Ham Tyler is. He's nothing if not consistent as an actor.

I'm perhaps most pleased with the job I've done on this model of the four as I think I've managed to get the leather jacket looking suitably worn.

All in all I'm really happy with how these have come out and painting them has made me want to watch the series again. I have a few more bits and pieces for the Visitors to do but I probably need to look at putting together some more generic Resistance members, as they get killed in drives whenever there's a fight.

Acquired: -58
Painted: 394
Lead Mountain: 622

Battletech: Coercion Force

Within our small gaming group we have a tradition of using Secret Santa as a way of irritating each other in a somewhat passive aggressive way.

This year that tradition manifested with Pete buying me the Battletech Beginner Box. Battletech is a game the he has jumped fairly heavily into and so far I have steadfastly refused to engage with barring a couple of trial games.

Well, not anymore.

In retrospect, it was a rather cunning plan of Pete's. He's well aware of my constant desire to reduce the Lead Mountain and whilst he was only adding two models to it, I suspect he knows that Battletech Mechs are fairly quick to paint.

And he knows I like quick wins.

However, before you think that I'm being fiendishly manipulated, you should probably be aware that I also drew him for Secret Santa and in return I got him 20 Morannon Orcs to paint as I'd like to start the Gondor At War campaign for Lord of the Rings and can't be bothered to do them myself.

It's tradition.

Anyway, this is is apparently a Griffin GRF-1S medium mech, which I'd imagine, given that this is a Beginner Box, is a fairly middle of the road workhorse unit.

As I was looking for a quick win, I kept things simple with the paint scheme and went for a Grey Seer base, a coat of Black Templar contrast, a drybrush with Administratum Grey, a wash with Nuln Oil, and then a few panels picked out with Averland Sunset. Metal bits were done with Leadbelcher before the wash and the canopy is Hexwraith Flame over white.

It was a no fuss approach and I was really pleased that, being robots with lots of panels and corners, the model responded well and was enjoyable and quick to do.

So quick, in fact, that I would have no issues repeating this to get more done, should I choose.

The other model in the box is also a medium mech but is a Vindicator VND-1R.

I'm less keen on this sculpt as the design is more humanoid and so it seems more like a 28/32mm robot rather than a towering battle suit in a smaller scale 

The details are also a bit more spongy, and so even though I took the same approach as with the Griffin, the final result isn't as good in my opinion.

The bases were coated with Astrogranite technical paint and washed with Agrax Earthshade to give an urban wasteland feel.

I enjoyed painting these and I did enjoy the couple of games of Battletech I've already played, but I'm not going to rush out to buy more yet until I know it's something I'll play. The rules seem a little daunting and I've only got a quick play version.

However, that's 2 more models painted and I've also managed to palm off a few Warhammer Quest spiders on to Matt (who is potentially doing a Mirkwood force for Lord of the Rings), and so I am making progress up the mountain again.

Acquired: -13

Painted: 120

Lead Mountain: 856

Spiders From...Mars?

As you may have noticed, I'm in a little of a 40k phase, but I'm running out of models to paint. Therefore, as I'd just painted up a Tech-Priest and some Mechanicus terrain I figured I could satisfy my cravings by painting up some robots I've had knocking around for a long time and somehow argue them into themed games with the Tech-Priest.

However, something happened...

Basically, as I started painting the larger spider bots, I noticed the shaped of the plates on their legs sort of resembled coffins, and this stirred my imagination towards another 40k race where spidery robots and coffin (or sarcophagus) themed iconography were perhaps more appropriate.

The spider bots were painted really simply with a Leadbelcher base and an Agrax Earthshade wash. I then picked out the trim in Brass Scorpion (is it still called that?), did some glowy bits with Hexwraith Flame over White Scar, threw Black Templar contrast paint over the pipes and then finished off with a bit of highlighting of the spiky bits with Chainmail (that's definitely not its name these days).

These are chunky metal models with more than a bit of heft to them. As such I expect to be constantly sticking the legs back on, and so I might end up putting them on bases.

In terms of how I'll use them, the could still work as Mechanicus constructs, or as generic sci-fi/pulp villains. However, although Tomb Spiders (sorry, 'Canoptek Spyders' tm) don't appear in second edition 40k, these guys match the more chunky aesthetic of the original Necrons, so should I acquire some I might play with the vehicle design rules to make something that seems appropriate (possibly using a dreadnought as a base).

I'm less keen on the sentry turrets, but they were painted the same way and fit a similar aesthetic. In theory there's nothing stopping me using them with the Necron Warrior stat line (scarabs don't have ranged weapons) apart from the fun police. I'll have to see whether this concept develops into anything as the old Necrons are more than a little expensive.

So, I've sort of dipped my toes into Necrons, at least aesthetically. However, even if nothing comes of that idea, I really like the spiders and might need to find an alternate use for them.

Acquired: -7
Painted: 70
Lead Mountain: 504

Some Say He's A Reptilian Alien

Matt and I once again found ourselves in the position to play a game, and he suggested 7TV: Apocalypse, taking advantage of a board set up that I don't think he's been able to fully use before

I took with me a cast that I'd also (I think) never used, my Visitors from 'V'.

My hastily thrown together 40 rating cast was as follows:

Diana - Next Gen (Star)

Steven - Bad Lieutenant (Co-Star)

John - Alien War Leader (Extra)

Lydia - Alien War Priest (Extra)

2 Visitors - Alien Troopers (Extras)

2 Visitor Shock Troopers (Extras)

Truck with Hood Machine Gun

Given that I was fielding an Alien invasion force from America in the early 1980s, Matt fielded a thoroughly fitting opposing cast: Stig from Top Gear and his post-apocalyptic cult:

Stig - Terminal Crazy (Star)

Lucy's Mum - Bad Lieutenant (Co-Star)

Lucy - Gunner (Extra)

Stig Backley - Petrolhead (Extra)

3 Stiglets - Joyriders (Extras)

Producer - VIP (Extra)

Racer with Tail Gun

Big Rig with Pneumatic Weapon

The scenario we rolled up was The Hit and so here's our attempt to make this encounter make some kind of sense...

In the wake of the Visitors' arrival on Earth (which was not in the eighties) they began their stigmatisation of humanity's scientific community.

Unfortunately for the producers of Top Gear, the hilarious idea of making them wear white coats resulted in them being targetted along with actual boffins.

In an attempt to protect the last producer, Clarkson had the idea of putting him in the safest place on the show: the Stig's passenger seat.

Accompanied only by a group of fans known as Stiglets and 10 year old super-fan Lucy (and her mum), Stig takes to the road trying to keep the Producer safe.

However, the Visitor high command becomes aware them when the Stig passes through Los Angeles, and, presuming that the hapless producer must be a threat to their plans, set out to ambush the convoy.

Scene 1

The Visitor ambush squad advanced through the slums of Los Angeles, under the command of John.

No one was entirely sure why the commander of the entire invasion had joined them, but, to be honest, it wasn't the strangest element of a mission to assassinate a scientist who was in the company of a tame racing driver and his convoy of fanatical followers.

Steven and Diana edged through the ruined buildings still arguing. Diana was certain that this so-called 'Producer' was a clear and present threat to their plans. Why else would these 'Top Gear' people go to such ridiculous lengths to protect him?

Steven, who had watched 15 minutes of one episode of Top Gear, disagreed.

Other Visitors secured the area, looking for potential threats.

Scene 2

The Stig's heightened senses spotted the figures in bright orange uniforms trying hide along the road, and dud the only thing he knew how to do: accelerate.

Behind his Lambo, the Stiglets piled out of the reaaonably priced lorry ready to prove their loyalty.

After making sure that Lucy had her sandwiches with her, Lucy's Mum had been dropped off and made her way to the top of a nearby building, with the aim of providing covering fire. 

Scene 3 (Steal the Scene)

Stig used his sudden acceptation to pull a complete 180 degree handbrake turn, allowing his tail-gunner Lucy to spray the jumpsuited aliens with machine gun fire.

However, with accuracy straight out of an 80's TV show, no aliens were harmed in the making of this scene.

Meanwhile, the Stiglets spread out, trying to secure good positions (and the objectives) to counter attack.

Scene 4

Having spun his car round, the Stig had unwittingly put the Producer sat in the passenger seat in Steven's sights.

Closing one eye, Steven took careful aim and fired, hitting the Producer in the chest and killing him outright.

The other Visitors opened fire at the Stiglets, but were foiled by the intervening walls. However, a Shock Trooper took a pot shot at Stig's Lambo and found its armour lacking.

John had an idea...

Lydia drove the Visitor transport round the corner and opened up on the Lambo as well. Although the car was unharmed, Lucy stopped firing.

If Stig could speak he'd have asked if she was okay, but he couldn't so he didn't.

Scene 5 (Steal the Scene)

"Mousie, oh mousie..."

In what can only be described as a continuity error, a Visitor emerged from a skip having been looking for a snack where two scenes earlier a Stiglet had been seen lurking.

John ordered his Troopers to open fire on Stig's Lambo and a hail of deadly laser blasts slammed into it, wrecking the vehicle.

Stig stumbled out of the car and fell to the ground momentarily stunned, but fortunately, the mouse-hunting Visitor couldn't managed to hit his prone form.

Lydia brought the transport slowly round to corner to add to the weight of fire but somehow lost control and sent the vehicle slamming into a nearby building, smashing the blaster clean off.

She calmly exited the vehicle and walked away as if that was exactly how she meant to park it, daring anybody to claim otherwise.

Scene 6

Shaking off his confusion, Stig got to his feet and launched himself at the nearest Visitor, but was unable to land a telling blow. However, he did toss a damaged fire extinguisher at Diana, throwing her off balance as the skip she had clambered into (possibly looking for a mouse too) was engulfed in smoke.

Have seen the damage inflicted on the Lambo and only Stig emerge from the wreckage, Lucy's panic-stricken mum opened fire at the back of Steven's head, but the tears in her eyes affected her aim and her shots went wide.

A confused Stiglet in a different part of the battlefield checked his script, trying to ascertain how his character had got there and what his motivation was for the scene.

In a desperate attempt to protect Stig from another deadly volley of laser fire, the Stigley driving the lorry moved it between his hero and the orange-clad invaders.

Scene 7

Laser blasts impacted harmlessly into the massive vehicle, but as the extinguisher smoke cleared it couldn't save Stig from taking a blast to the helmet from Diana, taking him out of the fight.

Turn 8

Having complained to the director that the script made no sense, the Stiglet from the skip was rewritten to be attacking the Visitors by surprise.

Failing to make the most of his big break, the Stiglet launched a Molotov cocktail at the group but managed to leave them all unscathed.

Meanwhile, the director also realised John being part of the ambush made no sense and rewrote him to be Commanding from the sidelines.

Needless to say, Richard Herd wasn't happy about this, but he remained in the episode as there wasn't the time or budget to reshoot earlier scenes.

The director hoped nobody would spot the error.

Filled with rage and grief, Lucy's Mum continued to fire down at Steven, managing eventually to hit him in the shoulder.

Scene 9

In a moment that would not be picked up on later in the series again (much like the Visitor's ability to spit acid), the director blew the prosthetics budget on a state of the art close up shot of Steven's wound healing itself; special effects that would definitely stand the test of time and not be rendered ridiculous by the development of CGI.

Steven smirked and then took a shot back at his would be Assassin, injuring her.

Diana also took careful aim and killed the Stiglet driving the lorry.

This caused the driverless vehicle to veer out of control and away from the action.

The Visitors then began the mopping up of the rest of the Stiglets.

Their deadly laser blasters making short work of the over-enthusiastic fanboys.

Scenes 10+

The writing was on the wall as the Stiglets were hunted down one by one, despite their desperate attempts to fight back.

Lucy's Mum surveyed the scene of destruction. The Stig was down (was it possible to kill him?), the Producer was dead and she had no idea what had happened to her daughter. She could only retreat and hope that Lucy still lived and hadn't been taken to the Alien mothership for lunch.

And on that bombshell...

Visitors 12 - Stig 2

Ouch! That was brutal.

Matt was cursed with an inability to roll successful strikes and this was compounded by me drawing really useful Countdown Cards at exactly the right time and having fearsome combination of weapon abilities (Deadly), star qualities (Gifted) and mutations (Cyclops, X-Ray Vision) allowing me to kill who I wanted when I wanted.

Still, fun was had and silliness ensued, as is the way with 7TV.