A River Runs Through It

Saturday afternoon's project was completing the river/coast sections. They came out well, and were surprisingly fast and simple to do. It helps of course that they consist of only a couple of large areas with simple boundaries, with no fine details to worry about.

As the images show, the concept of having the sections usable as either coastline or (in pairs) as a river works very nicely. Next thing to add will be some bends or curves so I can do more interesting layouts than just straight lines.

One other good thing about these water sections - they are basically scale agnostic, usable at 6mm as seen above, but equally suitable for 15mm or 28mm. They'd also be useful if I decided to look at a naval games, like getting back into Dystopian Wars or trying out Victory at Sea.

Maybe Not Complete After All...

So after having declared the Robotech/Sixmillopolis setup complete and started looking into new projects, naturally the next thing I end up working on is additional Robotech stuff.

As mentioned in my previous blog post I was having difficulty finding somewhere that would cut MDF tiles to 8" x 8" for me. Well I had also told a friend this... and the next time I saw him he handed me a stack of 8" x 8" tiles he had cut with his power saw at home. The tiles are hardboard rather than MDF (which he couldn't find in 1/8th inch), but that doesn't matter. They're more than structurally strong enough, and size wise they fit in perfectly. Once finished they are indistinguishable (from above) from the MDF.

New tiles checker-boarded with the old to check size match

So much thanks Todd, I owe you a beer or two. And since he'd been kind enough to make that effort it seemed appropriate to complete tiles for at least the buildings I already had. After trying out a few different layouts, I settled on a set that mostly filled 4 tiles. The tiles are based, so now it's on to detailing and highlighting the buildings.

New layouts I settled on, all suburban tiles

The other addition to Sixmillopolis I've started is some water sections, which could be laid out as either a river or a coastline. While at a craft store picking up some other materials, I discovered they sold 1/8th plywood in 12" x 4". Which was absolutely perfect. Two of these side by side will match the 8" of my city tiles. Two placed end to end will match 3 city tiles. And 4 or 6 lined up will cover the short/long edges of a standard 6' x 4' gaming table.

Work in progress river sections

In the image above pairs of water sections have been placed next to each other forming a river (the goal is to make at least 12, so as to have the option of a river running the long dimension of the board), but they could also be placed individually to create a shoreline. Stretch goals after that could include things like bends, lakes, river mouths... there are a lot of possibilities.

One big challenge for the river sections is that it will be the first time I have tried making a water feature. The technique I'm going to trial is to paint the feature in whatever shade of blue or blue/green wanted, then apply multiple layers of gloss varnish to get a water look.

In addition to expanding Sixmillopolis, opportunistic lurking on a few gaming web-stores turned up a box of Zentraedi artillery battlepods at a decent price, which were duly ordered. They arrived and have been assembled as two light artillery battlepods and two particle-beam cannon battlepods.

So for the next little while at least these new additions will be what I'm working on. But after that I'll be back to deciding on a new project. I'm extremely pleased with how Sixmillopolis has turned out, and on the one hand after having put so much time into it, it seems a shame not to find something that lets me use it as much as possible. On the other hand, I've been working on 6mm stuff for a while now and feeling like a change of pace - maybe something in 15mm or some naval or space stuff. This second thought is likely to win out. After all, Sixmillopolis isn't going anywhere, and I can always come back and use it as part of another 6mm project in future.

Robotech Project is Essentially Complete

For the last couple of months while we've been under Stay-At-Home order/recommendation, my main project has been my Robotech Tactics setup. This project had three main elements - the two opposing forces (the invading alien Zentraedi and the UEDF defenders), and Sixmillopolis to provide suitable urban terrain for them to fight over. All three elements are now essentially complete.

The United Earth Defense Force

The human defenders consist of the veritechs/destroids from the Robotech: Tactics starter box set, augmented with some conventional military forces from GHQ's Modern Micro-Armor range.

The overall UEDF force

Army commander, a VF-1 Valkyrie officer

Tomahawk and Defender destroids

Flight of 2 VF-1's from Grey Squadron

Conventional tanks and mech infantry

If I want to expand this force, I have two more veritechs from the RT starter box I could put together. But these are quite fiddly models to assemble (the battloid mode especially), so that's unlikely to happen unless some external motivation comes along. I'd love to add some more destroids - a couple of additional Tomahawks or some Phalanxs would be perfect. Unfortunately the boxed sets of these go for quite high prices on Ebay ($50USD or more for 4 mechs) so again I'll probably leave this for now. 

The cheapest and most convenient expansion option is unfortunately in many ways the least satisfying - adding more conventional forces, like a second tank company, or maybe some Apache helicopters. These are readily available cheaply from GHQ. The downside is adding them would dilute the sci-fi aspect of the army. But looking at it glass half-full, they would also be usable in non-sci-fi modern games. 

The Zentraedi

The invading Zentraedi are also complete. Again, this force consists mostly of the units from the RT starter box, but this time augmented with a RT Artillery Battlepod expansion box. I've also added in a couple of starship models I had lying around. As with the ship I'm using as an Earth ARMD carrier, these are not canon Robotech vessels, but their overall design aesthetic looks about right for the Zentraedi, so I'll use them to represent orbital fire support.

Army commander in Officers Battlepod

Overall Zentraedi force

Light artillery battlepods

Heavy artillery battlepods

To expand the Zentraedi force I would like to add a second officers battlepod and/or a couple more artillery battlepods. Both of these are available as official RT expansion packs, so it's just a matter of lurking on websites until I see them available at a reasonable price. 

The other thing I'd like to add would be some dismounted Zentraedi infantry. Palladium did have plans to release these as part of Wave 2, but that never happened. However finding a suitable stand-in shouldn't be too difficult - any kind of sci-fi armored trooper with a full face mask could potentially work. Now by Robotech canon the Zentraedi are supposed to be 30 ft tall, so I should be looking at 25mm or 28mm miniature ranges. But I've found a couple of 15mm models that look just right, so I may deviate from canon a bit and have my Zentraedi be "only" 15 ft tall. (Maybe they're from a different fleet that was gene-engineered slightly smaller, or something like that).

Sixmillopolis

My initial nine tiles for Sixmillopolis are basically complete. In the end I decided to glue the buildings down to the tiles. This does limit the possible layouts quite a bit. But still, with nine tiles able to be re-arranged and rotated there are still a huge range of possible cityscapes, and having fixed tiles just makes setting up and packing up so, so much easier. 

Hospital tile

Example suburban tile, with some shops in the lower half of the image and houses on the other side of the street

Another suburban tile, this one a cul-de-sec of all houses

I still have some un-based resin buildings left over. Depending on how many buildings I place per tile, enough for around half a dozen more tiles. Unfortunately I have not found a source for the 1/8th inch MDF tiles. These first nine were cut to size for me by a hardware store in New Zealand. But when I went down to Home Depot they told me OSHA rules don't let them cut pieces smaller than 12". Not sure I believe them (I suspect they just couldn't be bothered), but regardless they wouldn't cut to 8" x 8" for me. Will try a couple of other hardware stores (including other Home Depot branches) and see if I have better luck with them. 

So, Robotech gaming setup is essentially complete. There are still details I could tidy up, and plenty of expansion options. But I have all the elements I would need to set up a demo game at a convention or FLGS which I think people would think looks pretty cool. So now to decide on my next project...

VF-1 Veritech Fighters

As by far the most iconic, almost series defining mech of the Robotech franchise, it's well beyond time I sat down and had a first attempt at defining some Epic stats and rules for veritech fighters. So here we go...

Veritech Fighters

Modes  

The defining characteristic of all veritech mecha is the ability to transform, adopting different configurations with different capabilities. In the case of the VF-1 Valkyrie it has three possible modes;

• Fighter
• Guardian
• Battloid

Each of these modes has a different game profile, and sometimes different rules. In particular the Fighter mode, being an aircraft, interacts with a lot of the standard Epic rules differently than the other two modes.

All veritechs are considered to always be in one of these three mode (there are no mid-transformation interactions). For gameplay simplicity, all units of the same type in a veritech formation must always be in the same mode. A veritech that changes mode is still the same unit, so in general anything that happened to the unit in one mode is still deemed to have happened to it if it transforms to another mode (although the applicable rules may be different). In particular;

• Damage inflicted remains across mode changes. If a VF-1 in Guardian mode suffers 2 points of damage (leaving 1 remaining), it will still have taken 2 points of damage if it transforms to Battloid mode.
• Blast markers remain across mode changes

Deployment

During deployment a player with veritech formations must declare which (if any) of them are in Fighter mode at the same time as reserve formations are set aside, i.e. after the Setup Spacecraft and Garrisons step but before the Setup Remaining Formations step. The Figher-mode veritechs are then set aside like other aircraft.

Any veritechs not declared to start the game in fighter mode are deployed in the same way as other non-aircraft formations. When the formation is placed on the table the player may choose whether they are in Guardian or Battloid mode (they are not required to make this decision in advance).

Changing Modes

Transforming between modes uses up one of the unit's moves. Leave the unit in the same location it started the "move", and replace the figure with the appropriate model for the new mode. Terrain effects caused by movement do not apply to a mode-change move. A formation on a Hold action may use their move to change mode if they wish.

Example:A veritech in Battloid mode declares a Double action and successfully activates. It could choose to move in Battloid mode and then transform, going to either Guardian or Fighter mode in its new location. Alternatively it could use its first move to transform, and then make a standard move in Guardian/Fighter mode. In either case at the end of its movement it would be able to shoot, using the profile of the mode it ended its movement in, and at the usual -1 for shooting during a Double Move.

In the case of transforming to Fighter mode, any enemy units able to do so may immediately make a Flak Attack against the formation before it fires. Only weapons with an AA value may be used for this attack. If the veritech formation made an Advance or Double action the Fighter-mode veritech may attack (at the usual -1 if on a Double action) using the Fighter-mode stat-line and from the location it transformed to Fighter-mode. If the veritech is in Fighter-mode during the End Phase it must make a disengagement move in the same way in other aircraft.

Unit	Type	Speed	Armour	CC	FF	Weapon	Range	Firepower	Notes
VF-1 Valkyrie (Fighter Configuration)	AC/WE	Fighter-Bomber	4+	n/a	n/a	GAU-11 on center-line mount	30cm	4 x AP5+/AT4+/AA5+	DC3, Reinforced Armour
VF-1 Valkyrie (Guardian Configuration)	WE	30cm	4+	4+	5+	GAU-11 fired one-handed	45cm	4 x AP4+/AT4+/AA6+	DC3, Reinforced Armour, Skimmer
VF-1 Valkyrie (Battloid Configuration)	WE	15cm	4+	4+	3+	GAU-11 fired two-handed	75cm	4 x AP4+/AT3+	DC3, Reinforced Armour, Jump Packs

Robotech Reinforcements - Zentraedi

A productive night of painting has completed the base-coating of the Zentraedi force, including the new additions of two light and two heavy artillery battlepods. They still all need to be highlighted and based, but they're at a stage where I could put them on the table without feeling a need to apologize.

The mainstay of the force is the 12 standard Regult battlepods. At this stage I'm planning on fielding these as two formations of 3 battlepods, and 3 formations of 2 battlepods. However some of these may be re-allocated if when finalizing the army list I decide to allow "bodyguard" battlepods to be added to other units. I actually picked up a box of 6 additional battlepods, but in hindsight this was probably excessive - the 12 from the starter box should be enough. The extras are still on their sprues for now, and will only be assembled if I decide they're needed. 

Two trios of Regult battlepods

Next up we have the Glaug officers battlepod. I only have one of these for now, but I'd like to add a second. Looking back at my first draft stats I gave the Glaug DC3, but I'm thinking now I may up that to DC5. One issue with the Zentraedi list right now is that it lacks unit variety - two thirds of the force consists of battlepods, and much of the rest battlepod variants. The officers pod is one of the few different units in the force, so I want to make sure it feels and plays differently to a battlepod on the table.

The only units I've added not from the starter box are some artillery battlepods. Two each of Gluuhaug-Regult light artillery battlepods and Serauhaug-Regult heavy artillery battlepods. 

I haven't decided what profile I want to give the artillery battlepods yet. The main stat-line will be the same as the standard battlepod, so that part is easy. But the stats for the missiles I'm still mulling over. I do know that I don't want them to be static formations that sit at the back and bombard all game, in the way Basilisks or Whirlwinds often do. I want them to be bounding forward with the rest of the force, using direct fire as often as indirect. 

As with the UEDF I don't want to start assigning and play-testing points values until I have the final stats fully locked down. But I do want to do a very rough ballpark value, mainly to see if I should buy more models to reach 3000 points. Here's what I've got; 

• For regular battlepods my initial guess (which I'm sticking with for now) was 350 points for a pair or 450 for 3. So all twelve come to somewhere around 1800-2100 points.
• The officers battlepod, with DC5 and a reasonably powerful weapons fit, I'm going to call roughly equal to a pair of Guard super-heavy tanks (Baneblades or Shadowswords). On the basis of that comparison I'm going to go with an initial guess of 350 points. 
• For the artillery battlepods, not knowing the profiles of the missiles the only thing we can say with certainty is they'll be more than a standard battlepod. Throwing out an almost entirely arbitrary number, at 200 points per artillery pod that would be 800 points for all four. 
• The value of both the Recon battlepod and the Recovery battlepod will depend entirely on how powerful their special rules (which are currently completely undefined) end up being. So throwing out an (again) almost completely made-up number, let's say each ends up being worth around 250 points.

So using these extremely rough guesses, fielding all these models would come to around 3700 points (plus I have some suitable spacecraft models to add orbital fire support if I wanted). Which is great. That gives me some leeway in case I've over-estimated any of the unit costs, or if I wanted to leave out some units (such as the recovery pod, or not fielding all the standard battlepods) and still be able to comfortably get to 3000 points. Any additional models purchased can be for preference and unit variety. 

Robotech Reinforcements - UEDF

Here is where progress stands on the UEDF. The new additions are the dismounted infantry, orbital fire support, and a pair of Defender destroids.

The overall UEDF force

The infantry are US troops from GHQ Miniatures. (I couldn't find a source of specifically Japanese infantry, but at this small a scale these will work plenty well enough). I've used my standard basing for loose 6mm infantry - a 1" steel washer, using polyfiller/spackle to texture the surface and cover the hole in the middle. The painting is not finished obviously, but good progress is being made.

Three platoon mechanized infantry company, making 19 stands (including company command)

The orbital fire support will be represented by this model from Ground Zero Games - a Centauro class Escort Carrier from their FSE range. Obviously this isn't a canonical Robotech vessel. But I think its fits in fairly well - the overall design style and seeming tech-level are about right, and it has a launch bay for fighters. So I'm going to use it as a substitute for an ARMD carrier.

The last "new" addition is the Defender destroids. New is in quotes because these models are part of the RT starter box, but my preference has been (and is) not to include them in the force. Ideally I would like to add a couple more Tomahawks, or maybe some Phalanxs. But those models are hard to find, so for the moment I have added the Defenders to bring up the strength of the force.

Which nicely segues into the matter of points costs. Now I'm not playtesting exact points values at this stage. I want to lock down the unit stats and profiles first before starting on that. But just to get a very rough first pass (mainly to get a sense of whether I need to be adding more units to reach 3000 points) here is what I have;

• If each destroid is roughly equivalent to a Warhound (which is where I'm aiming for the statline to be), that would make them 500 points for a pair, so 1000 points for the Tomahawks and Defenders combined.
• The tank company for now I'm using Leman Russ stats, so 650 points for the company of 10.
• Mech infantry using Steel Legion stats would be 400 points for an under-strength (two platoon) company, or 575 for three platoon.
• Treating the orbital fire support as a Lunar Class Cruiser, 150 points.
• And lastly the Veritechs, which present by far the biggest challenge to points cost. There just really isn't any existing Epic unit that's comparable. Having thought about it, the closest I've been able to come up with is the Thunderhawk Gunship. It's a war engine, it's able to operate as an aircraft, but it can also let you land a ground formation anywhere on the board. A Thunderhawk is 200 points, but for the comparison to work you'd need to add the points cost of the embarked marines (as opposed to the Veritech which transforms and itself becomes the ground formation). The Veritech I'm thinking should be DC 3-4 (versus DC 2 for the TH), it's a single activation versus a Thunderhawk + complement being 2, the Veritech has the Guardian mode which right now I'm thinking will operate as a skimmer. While the TH is the closest comparison I can think of, there are still a ton of differences. For the moment the closest I can pin it down is a single Veritech might be between 400 and 600 points.

So using those values, I think I should have enough models to make a 3000 point army. The (relatively) well estimated destroid/Warhound and Imperial Guard unit equivalences total to 2200-2400 points. Add in anything 800-1200 for the two Veritech's and I'm well over. So at this point additional units will be about variety and preference, not just getting to 3000.

Sixmillopolis Update

Latest burst of gaming enthusiasm has been further progress on Sixmillopolis. I now have roughly six tiles completed.

At this stage, having tried a few things and found what works and what didn't, I have my tile making methodology fairly well down. Initially I planned on painting things like roads and rivers directly onto the MDF and putting the buildings on that. But what I've found is working pretty well is to cut out sections of cardboard to size, paint these up first, then glue them to the board using PVA.

This technique has a couple of advantages. Painting the card separately means you get very tidy, sharp borders. The thickness of the card creates a nice kurbside, making the buildings a millimeter or so above the roads, and also making it easy to flock the non-card areas. And it gives room to experiment; I can paint and model things on scrap card first, and don't glue anything down until I'll happy with how it looks.

Multiple Projects on the Go

Progress on Sixmillopolis has slowed lately. I could use the excuse that some additional 6mm buildings I ordered haven't arrived. Which would be true, but there are still plenty of details I could have been finishing off. Really I just felt like a change of pace. So I've pulled out a bunch of old armies and models, and started jumping between them. I'll do a bit of painting on one force, get bored and move to the next. Admittedly not a great way to get any one army finished, but it means steady progress is being made on many.

On my painting table right now there are roughly five projects being chipped away at.

First, Sixmillopolis. As enthusiasm hits I am still doing detailing work on things like windows and storefronts. And once the new buildings do arrive that will probably kick off another wave of progress.

Second project is the Robotech: Tactics armies that will be fighting over Sixmillopolis. Right now the focus is on the UEDF. The conventional vehicles and Tomahawk destroids are done. Still to finish are the two VF-1 veritech fighters, and a company's worth of infantry stands that will disembark from the APCs.

Third project is a complete change of gear - a Soviet force for Team Yankee. While the ANZACs are the army I'd prefer to use, they are a bit of a niche list. For many themed games/events it can be hard to explain why they would be involved, plus without heavy tanks/artillery it's difficult to bring them up to 100 points. So, the Soviets will be my force that can easily slot-in to "standard" TY games and events, with the ANZACs set aside for friendly games or scenarios where they fit in.

Fourth project is another change-up - Star Wars: Legion. The Imperials are on the painting table right now, with my force at the moment being Vader + 2 squads that came with the core box, plus an Occupier tank.

(As an aside, the film crew for Rogue One made the Occupier by modifying an Alvis Stormer armoured vehicle. So if somebody could find 28mm models of any Stormer or CVR(T) variant, it would probably be pretty easy to fit the parts to the Occupier model and make a new Imperial tank design. Just saying.)

Last project is a one-off mini-army - a Kaiju to attack Sixmillopolis. The model is a Tyranid Hierophant bio-titan from an early edition of Epic. Already painted, but damaged in transit and needs some fix up work.