Hex-Foam Terrain Project

     So what big, massive project have I been working on as of late? It seems that once a year, I undertake a massive project. Last year was ... I can't think of any but this here covers last year and this year. It is a hex-foam terrainscape and I bought the hex terrain tool kit back in August and it came in September. Hex Terrain Tool Kit. I had scraps from earlier projects that I had laying around and so they were used as well as so far 2x 4x8 sheets of insulation foam. I am still working on my 2nd sheet but needless to say, this massive project eats up lots of space and resources and I hope in the end, it will be worth it. These videos have been helpful as well. Hex Terrain Toolkit Youtube.

     This was taken back in January. This is an accumulation of 4 months of work at that time. The brown pieces are from the first outing back in October when what I had made was only a tiny fraction of this.

     This is a 3x7 with more than enough pieces currently made to make it a 5x8.

     The allure was the hills. They are gentle and smooth; meaning models of any kind can advance up the hill without toppling over.

     The canyon is what I love about this setup.

     These blue ones are scraps from one of my previous terrain projects recycled for use on this setup.

     We now fast forward to March. I spent a whole month working on nothing but this to get it to this point. A 4x7. Just about every tile is covered but not enough risers; pieces that rise a base tile to a certain elevation, were made. I also made river pieces that widened the canyon but also gave the battle space some interesting features. This is what I wanted to take to Cold Wars but I felt this mess was no where near done enough for presentation so it was packed up. Again.

     So where am I now? The main hex that connects this whole mess is all completed and even a few extras have been made or at least I hope. I am still making tiles and have at least another 15-20 cliff pieces to make. If done right will translate to 30-40 more cliff pieces made. I have plenty of risers being made right now and this is only the tip of the iceberg. I still have to cover the holes up with plaster or wood putty, sculpt them some more after that then painting then flocking and making the cliff sides. That'll be fun. Not. As usual, please leave questions and comments either here or on my FB page The Officer Factory.

Full Thrust! Beginnings of the U.F.S.N.

     Another project started on a whim. I encountered a few months via various FB groups a ruleset called Full Thrust. The rules are for free from GZG (Ground Zero Games). Links are to the More Thrust supplement and the core rules and other supplements. More Thrust, Full Thrust Rules

They are PDF and I printed all of them. Yeah. That eats a lot of paper but thank you double sided printing!

     Anyway, the start of this began when I was strolling through Studio Bergstrom and encountered some fighters that are VF-1 Valkyries.

     What started it was seeing this beautiful space carrier, the Nordamerican Carrier that someone had made and I wanted one. When I say the fighters, I decided to jump right on in!

     I also purchased their VF-1 Super Valkyrie looking fighters and the swept back version of their fighters and with a bi of goo and super glue and pins provided (lost 1 so I replaced it. It shows.) and aha! I have squadrons!

     Each set comes with this nifty rubber hex that the pins can go into and with lies bent the pins so the fighters are in formation.

     Seeing this angle, I so want to paint these up and paint the inside of the exhausts a bright blue or a whitish blue.

     And a few more fighters were bought.

     The carrier is a heavy multi piece kit so I made a custom stand for her using magnets. The battleship is the Radetsky from Starblazers Online. I have more but time is gonna have to be dedicated to get them built.

     And that is all there is. I decided to mash these ships into the United Federation Space Navy and the carrier is called the U.F.S. (United Federation Ship) Yorktown and the battleship Maine. I will buy 2 more squadrons of fighters and mechs from Dream Pod 9's Jovian Wars. I can't wait to get to work on this fleet and expand it! More to come for sure!

Order of Our Sacred Lady/ HQ and 1st Squad/ DONE!

     Whew! What a month! I was busy prepping for a wargaming convention making a foam hex terrain battlescape (update to come in a few days) and I was so focused that I did not divert any attention to these ladies. Well, long story short, I returned to working on them the day after the convention. So without any further ado; let's continue.

     I believe I left off the last post with the eyes. I do the whites of the eyes first followed by the eye color and then finally the pupils. Without any worry of paint getting on the skin, I was free to go outside of the boundaries of the eyes to do the eyes properly.

     I do bot choose flesh colors and hair colors. What I do is a lay out all of my flesh colors and roll a die. I do the same for hair color but there are a few exceptions where I do choose but for the most part, it is totally random.

     After that comes lips. The ladies here have their lips either shaded with lipstick or no lipstick. I will let your imaginations run free.

     A close up of their facial details.

     It Amy not be seen but the next step was to do a flesh wash using the army painters seen in the background.

     Next comes basing work. I paint all of my bases the same nowadays so they look good with other armies in my collection.

     And then the final steps are to flock them, add terrain details like weeds or paint rocks and such then a spray of sealer and done. First sisters of battle squad and 2 canoness's done!

     Last year, I backed a kickstarter from Anvil Industry; their Daughters of the Burning Rose; knowing that Shieldwolf  Miniatures really did not make anyone like a Hospitalier, Dialogus and an Imagifier for their Sisters of Faith line and when Anvil Industry started this kickstarter, I backed it to fill out the missing choices for my Order of our Sacred Lady force but to expand upon it with crusaders. 15 of them. I had forgotten their Inquisitor looking figures and the 2 Cyhounds that I ordered for this kickstarter.

     The details are sharp and crisp and the resin kind of feels like plastic.

     The parts are in 2 different grays but I felt zero resin release so I am risking it and not wash them when I really, really, REALLY should.

     The next update this Saturday will show what I have built among all of this as well as progress on 2nd squad. See ya all then!
     As usual, please leave any questions, comments or complains either here or on the Officer Factory FB page at https://www.facebook.com/theofficerfactory/.
     Complains will be dealt with accordingly. By simply ignoring them. Chao.