Battletech terrainfest2023 turns into spring clean challenge 2024

Now chat GPT is quite scary and oh so quick and great for scenario building. you ask it to do stuff and hey presto quicker than you can shave a cat its only gone and done it.

I gave it a general idea and with only a few tweaks for my available figures it did the rest, id like to take full credit well it was my idea, but sadly no the computer did 99% of the work. pilot names call signs the lot so im going to just run ith it and enjoy the scenario and game.

if there are any error it will be in the planetary forces my mercenary company will be assisting on this contract as i did that, the soft squidgy human.

now bar for a few mechs and infantry to finish painting im ready to let battle comence.

Mainly contrast paints nothing hard fancy just colourful

Painting the dropship was easy,

black undercoat

dry brush metallics

stipple on the colours, wash with Agrax earthshade, stipple on another layer of colour lightened slightly.

hit it with all the washes technical paint and weathering powders you can find

This was painted in exactly the same way as the main airborne dropship although there was more metallic and less paint as I was going for the dirty rust bucket look. The thing literally had lots of washes, technical paints and dirty down thrown at it with just a tiny few patches of paint here and there. Nothing fancy or hard to do especially as it’s me doing it.

The rather angular printed core of the blast just didn’t do itself any favours so out came the hot glue gun and the tedious job of glueing clump foliage to the core to make it more organic. Where the dropship was to join the base I drilled a hole in the plastic core of the base and inset a magnet with a hole in it. The dropship was then also drilled and a metal rod discretely glued into its base. The dropship then sits quite snugly atop the base without the risk of falling off, plus it can also sit on its own undercarriage.

Obviously hot glue isn’t sufficient on its own to keep the clumping foliage from breaking off.

my first job was a heavy prime with a rattle can then once dry I started building up the layers of stippled on colours mixed with PVA letting each dry as required overnight. White, yellow, red then orange. It’s a tedious task but seemed to work

Long story short my father was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Prostate cancer, which meant being whizzed through the testing phase and on to treatment. His specialist recommended i too went through the testing period so blood test and physical examinations where undertaken and luckily for now im clear although i have to undertake this yearly from now going forward.

If nothing else folks if your getting on in years or have any problems with your water works, going more freequently, etc. etc. Go to your doctor and request a test likewise if a direct family member gets it do the same. Its a finger up the bottom to feel the prostate and a simple drawing of blood nothing scary or invasive but it could save your life.

My dad if he responds to treatment and a secondary infection from a weakend immune system as a result of said treatment doesnt get him, has been told hes only got a 30% chance of living another ten years. so moral of the story get tested at the first sign of trouble.

The old boys an ex marine quite stoic and tackling it head on a fighter to the last. The family are rallying round my travelling for visiting has increased hence the suspension of hobby. Even so hes told me to treat him normal and get on with life so hobby resumes and video chats increased. So this project come hell or high water will be finshed and discussed on one of our scheduled chats. work has already comenced…

Well you didn’t think it was going to be a normal dropship did you? I thought about normal and that seemed too easy so back to Thingiverse I went for the backbone of my new plan..

Yes that’s right I wanted it airborne!
but how?

well after much deliberation and looking at things from very strange angles I formulated a plan. I took the stl file for a rocket launching enlarged it and set it to print. It took a while and had to be watched as I didn’t want the attached rocket. I manually stopped the print as I only wanted the smoke plume bottom.

this I mounted onto a piece of hardboard with gorilla glue but it doesn’t really truly represent my vision at this point so I’ve another step yet to do apart from painting. The next step will be to glue clumping foliage as a layer over the contours of the 3d printed smoke plume to make it more realistic and less like Minecraft then once I’m happy with the paint effects the dropship can have its undercarriage fitted and i essentially have two models. One which is the landing/flying model the other being the grounded/parked dropship. I’ve embedded a strong metal spike into the smoke plume with a corresponding hole in the bottom of the dropship hidden inside a jet nozzle.

with the end of October rapidly upon me, days lost to a parental summons its not going to be a finished project. i tried even while  at the parents but trying to write a back story for my merceary force whilst lying in my childhood bed with a jack russell between my legs fighting for his share of the single bed it was difficult especially so for a chap with a fuller figure. All i can do now is reveal what i hoped would be painted and look amazing on the tabletop for our scenario, something different and not usually seen..

As well as the crashed dropship I needed a rescue dropship so once more the printer was utilised the only problem being that I couldn’t get one as I saw it in my head.
I could print an intact one sat on its undercarriage which I certainly did as pictured, but I wanted drama movement and a proper centrepiece for our game

Well if you’ve read the attached scenario, you would have seen it revolves around a crashed dropship luckily I found and printed one from the Thingiverse website.. this was followed by another for @igetgames so he could paint it in his mercenary colours

Here I am a grown man of 55 in charge of my own destiny having plans for terrain fest and my final weeks push when mum says I’m overdue a visit. Well I can safely say that even at 55 I don’t argue with mum, the oldies amongst you will probably understand the youngsters not so.
that’s taken me out of action for four very important and needed days, so what should I have been doing?

yes before the comments come I’m watching strictly come dancing, no I’m not coming out, and no I’m not sat in a frock.. I’ll simply give you a name Jovita prystal Google this professional dancer and any red blooded male would have it on.

These buildings were simply the dry brushing step before I picked random contrast paints to apply to the windows in a hap hazard random pattern.

Once again the rust weathering powder was liberally applied with the addition of grit still needed on the hex bases.

These buildings where done in pretty short order, the main part is allowing the paint or glue to dry.
My city for the majority all have living roofs as it’s a rich city where they flaunt their wealth by having the most lush of gardens.. well in my head they do!

Once again the roof was covered in flock. The window colours applied using straight contrast paints keeping things simples but effective.

After the initial dry brushing I tried to keep things easy and achievable for even the basic beginner. The key to achieving this was the use of contrast paints and regularly available materials nothing fancy.

As you can see an even covering of flock was used within the roof panels to try and hide the building and fit in with other buildings I have. Once dry I used a rust weathering powder applied with a wedge shaped make up brush which was nice and soft to give the building a weathered look.

The hanger doors are a single coat of any contrast you fancy nothing difficult the windows given a shot of black

I still have some grit to apply to the visible hex bases but for now it’s 99% of the way done

A few close ups of the buildings prior to some dry brushing. My initial steps where with a large brush to apply a vigorous dry brush with a slightly lighter grey than the primer. Once dry I picked another slightly lighter grey and repeated the process and then a further two times each lighter than the last.

it’s not hard if I can do it so can you

Once the 3D prints have been cleaned and checked it’s a trip out into my workshop for a coat of primer, two types were used Colour forges standard grey and when that ran out I had no choice but to switch to an army painter one.

the key here is not too rush spray lightly and evenly and build up several coats allowing each coat before it to dry before the next. Then I always leave the primed models for 24hrs to fully settle.

My opponent @igetgames is a newbie snagged from long forgotten warhammer fantasy battle of years ago, I’ve introduced him to Battletech and well that little seed has taken root and we are now planning epic narrative games. Our last one didn’t finish till 04:00 but did he creep off home to bed no! He was up till 06:00 thinking of ideas for our next game.

This is the backstory to his mercenary company.

The Order of Lazarus: A Mercenary Lance with a Divine Purpose

In the far-flung reaches of the Inner Sphere, where the ravages of war and chaos were all too common, there emerged a unique and enigmatic mercenary force known as the “Order of Lazarus.” Led by a charismatic and devout leader named Shamus O’Hare, the Order of Lazarus became a force to be reckoned with in the cutthroat world of BattleTech. Their origins and purpose were shrouded in mystery, but one thing was clear: they were driven by an unshakable faith and a fierce determination to bring order to the chaos of the Inner Sphere.

The heart of the Order of Lazarus was their leader, Shamus O’Hare, a master MechWarrior who piloted a heavily modified Red Reaper mech, a symbol of their unwavering faith and martial prowess. The Red Reaper was equipped with a formidable shield and a massive energy sword, making it a symbol of both protection and divine retribution on the battlefield. Shamus himself was a formidable figure, his combat skills matched only by his fervent devotion to the ancient Order of Lazarus.

The origins of the Order of Lazarus traced back to a long-forgotten religious sect that had existed in the Inner Sphere for centuries. This ancient order believed in the sanctity of life and the preservation of knowledge, values that had become increasingly rare in the war-torn Inner Sphere. The Order of Lazarus saw themselves as the champions of these values, vowing to protect the innocent and ensure that the flames of civilization would continue to burn, no matter the cost.

Their green-colored Mechs and dropships became a symbol of hope for those who found themselves caught in the crossfire of the countless conflicts that plagued the Inner Sphere. The Order of Lazarus was known for their fleet of dropships, including one called the “Iron Wind,” a Union-class dropship. This vessel served as the mobile headquarters and logistical backbone of the Order, allowing them to swiftly deploy their forces to trouble spots and provide aid to those in need.

The pilots of the Order were not just mercenaries; they were zealots who believed that their actions were divinely guided. They saw their mission as a sacred duty, and they were willing to make any sacrifice necessary to achieve their goals.

Over time, the Order of Lazarus built a fearsome reputation as a powerful and relentless force on the battlefield. They were sought after by desperate governments and beleaguered worlds alike, willing to pay a high price for their protection and guidance. Their legend grew with each victorious campaign, and their faith only deepened as they continued to witness the horrors of war.

But even as they fought for order and justice in the Inner Sphere, the Order of Lazarus remained a mysterious and elusive force, their true goals and origins known only to a select few. Some whispered that they possessed ancient relics and knowledge that could change the course of history, while others believed that their leader, Shamus O’Hare, had been touched by a divine hand.

In the turbulent and war-torn Inner Sphere, the Order of Lazarus stood as a beacon of hope, a force of unwavering faith and unwavering resolve. They were the defenders of the innocent, the champions of order, and the living embodiment of an ancient creed that refused to be extinguished.

The attached PDF (hope it works) shows the reason behind the October drive to finish terrain theres a game afoot and we need to get our fingers out to get a good backdrop for said game.