Action Force and the Red Shadows in 28mm scale

I got a 3D print done of the SAS Panther back in the summer and only now have got around to getting some paint down on it.

Very much work in progress at the moment – initial block colours on top of a black undercoat.

I’m trying to base the colour scheme as closely as possible on the original toy, info on which can be found on the excellent Blood for Baron website.

I’ve been doing this Action Force in 28mm thing for a few years now.  I keep getting distracted, but always get pulled back in.  I blogged recently about the ultimate goal of getting a Roboskull to the table, but this reminded me I have a number of part finished other vehicles to add to the motor pool.  So with a concerted effort I have gone back and revisited these.

Most of the vehicles I have previously started have been for the ‘Enemy’.  I’ve kind of handled this in a couple of different ways – both accurate replicas of the toys/comics and an ‘inspired by’  approach.

The latter has basically involved me finding models and toys (in the right scale) that kind of fit the setting.  For Action Force themselves this could be standard military type kit such as land rovers or tanks (concentrating on the eighties period), but for the Red Shadows I’ve thought a bit wider.  So this has led to some interesting choices and conversions.  Presented below are a couple of the more wild ideas I have completed, including a flying saucer and a ‘Dust 1947’ plane.

I’ve also recently gone down the ‘walker’/’mech’ route as well, utilising a Konflikt 47 resin/metal model kit from Warlord Games.  A head swap for the pilot and voila – the Red Spider!

Going further back to the German World War II inspiration for the Enemy, many years ago I picked up a Tamiya 1:48 scale Sdkfz.69. I’ve recently gone back and finished this, with the idea that this could represent the ubiquitous Shadowtrak.

And this brings me back to the other of the two top level options – accurate replicas of the toys in 28mm scale.  The obvious route to go down here is 3D printing – more about this later.  However there is at least one off the shelf option that is (relatively) widely available.

This is a novelty gift pack / toy by Running Press – the sort of thing you normally see for sale in stands next to checkouts in bookshops alongside Harry Potter wands or small TARDIS or Dalek models.  This particular item represents a Cobra HISS tank, better known to Action Force aficionados as the Enemy (and later Cobra) Hyena.  The scale is pretty much spot on for 28mm scale.

This is also sometimes available from third party sellers on Amazon, and that is where a few years ago I picked up half a dozen of these bad boys.  Out of the box it is coloured black and comes with a set of Cobra stickers to apply as well as an information booklet.  It also has sound!  Press a button on the turret and you get a slightly cartoony laser gun sound – totally unnecessary, but totally amazing.

I’ve painted these in a slightly different way than usually.  As the base model is black, I wanted the main body to be red, but also wanted to leave a lot of the detail untouched (including the clear canopy in case I ever wanted to add a driver); I’ve gone down the Gundam marker route…..

Gundam markers are named for and used almost exclusively in the Gunpla (Gundam kit building) community.  They come in various types ranging from large nibbed pens that apply enamel paint on application of pressure to fine tipped markers which are used for panel lining.  I’ve found these to be an interesting addition to my hobby toolkit.

For the Hyena I used a thick nibbed paint pen to apply a base coat of red (leaving some of the recesses black where appropriate).  Once dry (which takes a while longer for enamels) I drybrushed a light red acrylic over this to apply both a highlight and to dull down the shininess of the enamel base coat.  The markings were applied with a thinner nibbed marker.

So, the elephant in the room then?  Yes 3D printing.  I still covet a printer of my own, but in the meantime and for those like me bereft of the hardware there are still plenty of options.  There are a surprising number of 3D models of GI Joe vehicles out there (just search on Shapeways or Thingiverse).  I have in the past both ordered a printed model from the former, but more recently have been able to get some files printed out by a friend.  The painted Hyena below is from Shapeways and the other two beauties are a Red Shadows Laser Exterminator (aka a GI Joe HAL) and an SAS Panther jeep (aka a Cobra Stinger).  I’m going to do a detailed prep, build and painting guide on these in a future blog entry.

I’ve been somewhat distracted by the motor pool recently, but have finally finished off some of the Red Shadows and Action Force troops that have been sat on my painting desk awaiting finishing touches for the last few weeks.

First off we have a trio of Red Shadows.  All built using various Bolt Action German plastics with the addition of Macrocosm Miniatures heads and the odd modern weapon from Project Z sprues.

Following that we have the ‘infantry backbone of Action Force’, Z Force.  These are Gripping Beast Falklands British Infantry from their ‘Government House’ pack.

I’m using the central figure as Captain ‘Skip’ Campbell.

One of the most unique and recognisable toys from the second wave ‘Baron Ironblood’ era of Action Force was the Roboskull.  One of the last vehicles to be released prior to the switch over to repackaged GI Joe figures, this was an amazing piece of kit (and something as a kid I never had, but coveted intensely).

Back in the world of 28mm scale wargaming, I have recently blogged about the expansion of my Space Force ‘cast’ for 7TV.  These guys really need something to go up against in games, something outer space based…., something robotic….., something skeletal.

When looking at vehicles for the project so far I have tended to concentrate on converting existing model kits or die-casts, and have dipped my toe a bit into 3D printing as well (more on that in a later post).  However getting hold of something to represent what is a very strikingly unique vehicle as the Roboskull was proving challenging.  I had thought that this might have to wait until I was able to invest some money and time into getting into the 3D printing hobby myself, or trawling through Thingiverse for someone who might have had a similar idea.  Then I thought back to a Heroclix model I remember stocking when I ran a games shop.  A quick ‘popular auction site’ search and behold a few days later in the post….

This is a Heroclix ‘Brainiac Skull Ship’ and it’s going to need a fair bit of work to get it into shape.  The basis for a Roboskull is there though and it’s going to be an interesting ride. Plasticard, hobby saw and bits box at the ready!

(For more info on the Roboskull check out the excellent Blood for the Baron website, and also the video below which is a great documentary by Analog Toys on the production of the memorable original.)

Many years before Space Force was a real actual thing (maybe), they were the eyes and ears of Action Force monitoring the skies and protecting the Earth from afar from the evil machinations of Ironblood.

Along with Q Force (the underwater team), I think it is fair to say that they were not quite as popular as their ground based infantry comrades in Z Force and the SAS.  Part of it was down to the more limited range of toys available and the fact that they didn’t feature as much as other teams in the comic strips.

In fact the overt sci-fi stylings of Space Force did seem to clash a bit with the modern militaristic feel of the rest of the range.  It was not actually towards the end of this era of Action Force toys that the Red Shadows had anything ‘space-related’ to field against them, with the awesome Roboskull.

A couple of years ago I picked up the excellent ‘not Space Force’ miniatures from the Woodbine Design Company (part of Gripping Beast) and as part of this very long running project have just started to think about vehicles and transport for them.

Rather than go down the ‘spaceship’ route I’ve tried to mix the militaristic with near future sci-fi and have started to paint up a vintage IMAI model kit of the Shado Mobile from Gerry Anderson’s UFO.

Initially undercoated using an Army Painter Wolf Grey spray can.  I have so far gone through and added some additional darker blue to match the general livery of Space Force vehicles from the toy range; as well as blocking out colour on the tracks and wheels.

The ‘Action Force’ logo sticker is from a reproduction set scaled for the toys.  Next step will be adding some Space Force Logos (which I will freehand) and some weathering

In sourcing a miniature to represent Baron Ironblood I started by considering the original action figure.  Although featured with a removable helmet in toy form, in the comics (which is my primary influence for the project) he is rarely see without it.

The miniature I chose was the ‘not Travis’ ‘not Blake’s 7’ Stefan ‘Grief’ Travers originally released by Crooked Dice (and now owned by Beast from the Broch).

The challenge was to try and find a suitable helmet that I could head swap onto my chosen miniature.  The Baron’s helmet has a very Ned Kelly feel, but finding a Kelly miniature proved difficult.

Therefore I’ve had a go at green stuffing a helmet.

Got to say I am not super happy with this and have found an alternate head to use, so I may very well look at doing Ironblood v2 at some point in this future.

A very quick update – basecoat has been put down on some of the Red Shadows.

My usual approach is to use Army Painter Chaotic Red followed by an overspray of Dragon Red.  These guys have been done with just Dragon Red from a can while I source some more Chaotic Red.

Next step will be block colours followed by Dark Tone Quickshade (painted on).

(To sum up so far – a lot of red!!)

Here is some current work on my Red Shadows. Sticking with the WW2 vibe of the original action figure I have stuck to Warlord Games Bolt Action plastics, but mixed in some modern weapons from various sources. This syncs in with the comics look and feel of the Red Shadows in the Battle Action Force strips.

Most of these extra weapons and bits like backpacks were sourced from the Project Z Survivors and Special Ops boxed sets by Warlord Games / Wargames Factory.

In another nod to the original figure I’ve armed a couple of these with RPGs (in lieu of a bazooka).

The one exception to my modern weapons switch out is the use of the STG44 assault rifle from the Warlord Bolt Action sprues. I think these look sufficiently pulpy and AK47 like to fit the modern (well eighties) setting.

Helmets are the aforementioned ‘science fiction trooper helmets’ from Macrocosm.

The core of ‘the Enemy’ forces in Action Force were made up of the fanatical Red Shadows.  In the toy line these came out in the second wave of releases and were based on the original ‘German Stormtrooper’.

So the Red Shadows were effectively a World War II German soldier with a re-colour and a head swap (plus a bazooka!)

From a 28mm scale miniatures perspective this makes things fairly easy (German Infantry are far from hard to get hold of).  But what about the unique looking helmet?

When I first started down this road a few years ago I had a go at green stuffing the basic shape over existing Warlord Games plastic German heads.  It didn’t go well….

Then I happened across the excellent blog by Andy ‘Soapy’ Dormer, who had previously embarked on the same mission.  I believe Andy sculpts for Gripping Beast and had made his own Red Shadows heads.  Sadly by this time they were no longer available, but encouraged and aware that there were others out there who might be trying to do the same thing I stumbled across these from Macrocosm.

I’ve been working on this project off and on for a few years.  Here’s a little selection of progress so far….

As a boy in the early eighties I had no shortage of fictional villains to rally against, be it on the playground at school or when playing on the floor with my toys. Cinema, television and comics all offered various nefarious types to rally the forces of good against, many of which are now pop culture icons. Megatron, Skeletor, Darth Vader all had their place, but there was one man who for me stood head and shoulders above these on the baddie roll of dishonour…..Baron Ironblood!

The likehood is that if you weren’t of a certain age between 1983 and 1985 and are outside of the UK you will no idea about this man or his villainy.

The Baron was the main protagonist for Action Force, a range of ‘Star Wars’ scale action figures that were spawned from the popular (and larger) Action Man range. Action Man himself was the UK version of what was know as G.I.Joe in America and in the UK was produced and marketed by Palitoy (who also happened to be the distributor for the Star Wars figure range on this side of the pond).

Recognising there was an untapped market for military toys in the scale of the stupidly popular Star Wars range Palitoy shrank Action Man down from 12 inch doll to 3.5 inch action figure and the first wave was released in 1982.

However recognising the opportunity to expand the range the line was reorganised in 1983. With the help of some vehicles and figure sculpts borrowed from the US G.I.Joe line, Action Force was rebranded as an international military team brought together to fight an evil terrorist ‘Enemy’, The Red Shadows.

Action Force itself was split into four ‘arms’:

• Z Force – the infantry backbone of Action Force
• SAS Force – special ops and behind the lines specialists (tapping into the minor pop culture obsession there was with the SAS following the Iranian Embassy siege in 1981)
• Q Force – the naval and underwater team
• Space Force – did what it said on the tin!

Each team and the ‘Enemy’ had a range of figures, accessories and vehicles available.

At the same time the new toy line was supported by a series of comic strips published in the long running weekly boys war comic Battle. This was such a popular addition that the title soon renamed itself Battle Action Force.

By the way, for a full and detailed history of the toys and comics I’d highly recommend you visit the absolutely excellent Blood for the Baron website. Here you will also find comic strip scans from Battle Action Force.

Now eventually things changed, the toy line became more closely aligned with the American GI Joe line (dropping the Red Shadows for Cobra and introducing a new merged Action Force team) and while this was reflected very cleverly in the comic strip for me it was the passing of a golden age.

So here I am three decades later with the opportunity to revisit my favourite toy line on the tabletop. This is something I have been working on off and on for a few years, but with the increased availability of multi-part plastic kits in 28mm, 3D printing and a plethora of modern and pulp rulesets available this is something I have gone back to with a vengence recently.

Watch out Baron, here I come…..