This 1:285 scale plastic model of a Wasp is made by “Catalyst Game Labs” and can be bought together with a Warhammer, Rifeman, and Phoenix Hawk in the company’s “Battletech: Inner Sphere Battle Lance” boxed set. All the pre-assembled miniatures also come with an assortment of MechWarrior pilot and Alpha Strike cards depicting various colour schemes. But as I plan to use this particular sculpt as a Dacha-class Soviet War Walker for an upcoming Weird War Two campaign utilising some homemade rules, I decided to go with a predominantly green palette.
As a result, the 32mm tall figure was initially primed using two layers of “Vallejo” Russian Uniform WWII and shaded in “Citadel” Biel-Tan Green. It was then carefully dry-brushed using (more) “Vallejo” Russian Uniform WWII with a softly-bristled make-up blusher brush, and had its windows ‘picked out’ with a little “Citadel” Abaddon Black.
In order to add a bit of interest to “one of the most numerous 'Mechs in existence” I decided to apply a combination of “Vallejo” Heavy Red and “Citadel” Carroburg Crimson to the vehicle’s left fist. I also gave the long-barrelled weapon on its gun-arm a coat of “Vallejo” Gunmetal, and washed this area with “Citadel” Nuln Oil.
Finally, I decided to search through my collection of “Decal Details” and apply four Russian Stars to the machine’s shoulder-pads and outer thighs. These transfers are specifically designed for 1/285 air or 15mm armour, but I still struggled to find a sufficiently large flat surface on the Wasp to apply them without a lot patience and precision,
Following on from the first (6mm) “Battletech” figure I’ve ever painted, I have been cracking on with the first two 28mm models I plan to submit for this month’s “Forgotten Heroes” challenge over on the “Carrion Crow’s Buffet” website. This (converted) Retained Knight and Noble of Prydia will hopefully make some quite reasonable-looking proxies of Sanguinius and Horus Lupercal for a 15mm Horus Heresy project I’m slowly building using "The Ion Age" range by "Alternative Armies".
In addition, I’ve assembled the last pair of 28mm Federated Security Mutaints I own by “Crooked Dice Game Design Studio”. These figures will form a six-woman formation which will accompany Space Commander Travis during my “Blake’s Seven” campaign, and are actually available these days from "Beast In The Broch" - along with many other 'dead-ringers' from the BBC science fiction television series.
Your mech looks terrific. I think the weird war 2 theme you have chosen is a great idea and certainly makes them different from the usual Battletech clans. The colour and decals makes it instantly recognisable as a Soviet vehicle. Great stuff.
How do you rate using a make up brush instead of a a purpose made dry brush? Just good things about them.
Good wip on the not-HH minis. Looking good.
More mutaints! You must have a small army of them by now and your Crooked Dice minis must be very high in your manufacturers lists this year.
Love that Mech, you are tempting me to look at those, even though I've promised myself I'm not going to buy into anything new!
I've also found myself looking at the Ion Age stuff over the last few months too! I blame you squarely for this! Nice start on the FH stuff there Simon, and another Mutant fig too, these are growing on my, though IO still like the helmeted troopers best!!
Cheers Roger.
The mech looks great, and the addition of the red and the stars is a good touch!
Great looking Mech Simon, looks good in the Russian colour scheme. Nice progress on your Forgotten Heroes entries, and on your Blake's 7 mutants