WZR: Cable Marionette

I've been quite busy with 40K lately, so only little time was left for Warzone Resurrection. One model I just had to paint though, is the Cable Marionette. This cyberpunkish "cable golem" is just such a great sci-fi concept I couldn't stay away from it. That said, please excuse the rather rubish pictures - still working on my studio. I'll try to make better ones when I'll have all three fully painted.

 Warzone Resurrection models have been mostly hit or miss for me so far, with this one being a clear hit for its high level of detail, realism and atmosphere. I also like how easily can these models be used for other systems - while they fit the world of Mutant Chronicles well, you can imagine them in almost any horror sci-fi setting.

It's really easy to paint these models, as the details really do all the work for yourself. I can imagine just using a single metallic color and a shade would still give a neat result. Regarding the base, I wanted to try something thematic - with cables being an obvious choice. First I wanted to paint them in metallic color, however later I have decided for a mix of colors. I'm still undecided on the base and might go back to painting it in a single color to make the base less distracting. As always, any tips are appreciated!

Bauhaus Hussars

After my short flirt with Warzone Ressurection's Cybertronic faction, I've finally decided to work on a proper army force - so I've got the Bauhaus starter set with some extras. How much sense does it make? Not much, but so doesn't life, right? Actually, the aristocratic, retro-futuristic Bauhaus Corporation has been my favorite faction of the Mutant Chronicles universe for a long time; the Kickstarter line of models did put me off though. Luckily enough, the updated version of Bauhaus looks great!

The HQ of Bauhaus is on planet Venus, which has been terraformed into a jungle world. Paradoxically enough, some of the most iconic artwork displays Venus in a snow setting, which has confused a great many of fans in the past, me included. Luckily enough, fluffwise the polar caps of Venus are a neverending battlefield against the Dark legion, so everything makes sense after all.

In fact, winter setting suits Bauhaus very well, as the corporation has been usually painted in blue or white colors. While I knew I was going to do winter basing, I've decided to go with a black-and-white scheme instead of the more traditional cyan blue. I believe the black color helps to contrast the models against the snow-covered bases. However, since blue and gold colors are connected to Bauhaus, I've used them on various small details, such as on the shoulderpads.

The bases were my first try at modelling snow, and it took a few tries to do it right. I went with the cheap option of using sodium bicarbonate (or baking soda) mixed with PVA glue and water. While my first try lead into the creation of an alien, bubblegum-like substance, after adding a good amount of water I got much better results. Still, doing this can be a horrible mess, so I'm considering getting proper modelling snow.

As you can see on the picture below, I've also tried to put the snow on the legs of the miniatures, especially on the clothing. I think the result has a nice, wet look which really helps to bring more action to the miniatures.

I really like the miniatures themselves. While the leg-body poses are defined by the kit, hands with weapons are a separate part, so there is some space for posing. The miniatures are full of small details - sometimes too small, perhaps, so one has to be very careful to thin down paints as to not overpaint any of the tiny folds on the shoulders or helmets.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this post! Ow, and sorry for the difference in picture quality, had to use a different camera this time.

Space Crusade of Prodos Games

It's been a long time since my last post - for some reason, finishing studies and moving out takes away a lot of hobby time! Anyway, no new miniatures to show off yet, just a short opinion piece regarding Prodos Games' newest creation, and the community reaction to it.

So what's the fuss all about? Just few days ago, Prodos Games (the company behind Warzone Resurrection and Alien vs Predator) released Space Crusade, a new line of "sexy" miniatures accompanied with a tabletop game.

From my point of view, there are several problematic points with this release:

Plagiarism. Original Space Crusade is a classic boardgame set in the familiar setting of Warhammer 40.000. I'm sure many fans would welcome the boardgame to return in a new edition, as they did with Space Hulk and would with Necromunda and other classic Games Workshop products. We don't know much about the Prodos' Space Crusade setting - apart of the fact that it's filled with cheap scantily-clad female clones of Games Workshop Space Marines and Daemons. This is not just cheap and unoriginal, but also unethical and bordering on plagiarism. Or is this supposed to be a parody? If it is, I guess I'm just missing the humor.

Objectification of women. Sexual objectification involves "a woman being viewed primarily as an object of male sexual desire, rather than as a whole person." In short, objectification reduces women to a sexualized object of desire. Just look at that picture above and tell me there's nothing wrong with it. The comically dougnut-shaped breasts and extra wide hips accompanying a wasp waist, the stripperiffic armour used just to visually emphasize the unrealistically sexualized body parts, the flirteous pose. The side picture even gives us an emphasized male gaze perspective, focusing on the sexualized body while ignoring the face of the model.

All of the game's models are like this or worse - basically, the whole miniature line is based on titilation and fan service. So what's the problem with this? Well, alienation of the female public for start. Reproduction of harmful stereotypes to continue. And of course, there are many negative stereotypes about geek subculture and wargamers in particular regarding their attitude to women and this is just going to reinforce these.

Funnily enough, it seems like the whole world of Space Crusade consists only of women; there are no male models available so far. Which is probably for the good.

 Feedback and Prodos' reaction to it. Space Crusade has induced an explosive reaction on the internet. On Facebook, many wargamers voiced their negative opinion, only to get called censors or "SJWs" by Prodos apologetics (or "white knights", if we join the name-calling game). Similarly, on Dakkadakka, the reaction was mostly negative since the very beginning. Prodos' reaction to early criticism was the announcement of a PG-13 version of the game, though the negative reaction continued. Why? Well, I guess that when you alienate a significant portion of your customers, it takes some time to heal the scars. Also, the PG-13 version doesn't really deal with the problem itself - it's mostly just a way for Prodos to cash more on this while they retain the original product, which is the real subject of criticism.

Meanwhile, the discussion turned into a flame war. On Facebook, the person behind Prodos Games account actually tried to dig up dirt on one of the more vocal critics, only to delete most of the discussion afterwards, when that turned out - surprise - to actually worsen the situation. On Dakkadakka, Prodos representative engaged in an amusing argument with Artemis Black from Hasslefree Miniatures over whose miniatures are more sexist, threatened the mods with leaving the forum, and resorted to the normalizing apology of "everyone does it, so do we". I understand Prodos' frustration over the community reaction, but could they get any less professional? Feels like it would show them off in better light if they wouldn't react at all. Sometimes less is more - and not only when it comes to women's attire, Prodos.

This isn't the first time with Prodos. I remember a similar discussion about unnecessary sexualization regarding some of the first Warzone Resurrection miniatures such as Laura Vestal and Valkyries. Back then, Prodos made a rather schizophrenic statement that they will continue to release both realistic and "sexy" female miniatures. Thankfully, they went with the more realistic route since then, though we still get silly g-string armor on some minis.

Note that I consider myself a Prodos Games fan - I liked most of their work so far, especially the Warzone Resurrection line, which I am a customer of. But that doesn't stop me from voicing my opinion on something which I find unethical and harmful. It's a shame Prodos Games went the easy route this time - cashing on cheap plagiarism and sexualization - instead of offering us a a more elaborate product, such as, I don't know, a Warzone Resurrection board game.

As usual, any comments are welcome! What's your opinion on Space Crusade and all the fuss about it?

WZR: Armoured Chasseurs

Prodos Games' Armoured Chassuers is the unit that got me into Warzone Resurrection. In my opinion, Prodos has done great job on the concept of these models - while their execution is unique and novel, they are still clearly inspired both from the original Warzone and from recent industrial science fiction such as Quake. Thanks to that, the result is both fresh and familiar - well done, Prodos!

I have already reviewed these models, but there are still few points I'd like to make regarding the assembly. While Prodos' resin is very easy to work with, due to its softness and lightness be prepared that some of the longer bits such as weapon barrels might curve, warp or even snap. Luckily enough, this is usually hardly noticable - in fact, the only larger warp I can see on these models didn't occur to me until I took and checked the pictures. Also, be prepared that the assembly of legs and torso parts requires some use of green stuff, liquid green stuff and/or filing, otherwise the Chasseur ends up in a rather embarassing pelvic thrusting pose.

I have went with a gray/black paintjob inspired by the artwork Prodos provides for the Chasseurs. In addition to that I've added some blue details, mostly stripes on the shoulderpads. I'm still not decided if these will be markings of the whole army (since I associate Cybertronic with the color blue), or just of the squad; perhaps I'll leave the blue stripes at each Cybertronic model, but use the other details (such as the circular thing located on the arm) to denote squad.

Each of the models has been drybrushed with metallic colors on edges to give the armour a chrome look. One of the most wonderful things about the Armoured Chasseurs are the highly detailed backs - the cybernetic spine is just beautiful.

On the other side, the fact that these guys are so heavily armoured yet wear almost no protection of the head is rather dumb. Subdermal implants are enough when it comes to protecting the brain, I guess. Still, the heads look extremely cool and really give the impression that these guys had their skulls removed and replaced with cybernetics. One head has a visor over the whole face, which I decided to use on the squad leader. I wasn't sure how to mark the leader (it's a shame the set doesn't include any special bits for that), so I have decided to paint a big Cybertronic "C" over its left shoulder. The other method I was thinking of was painting the whole shoulderpad a different color.

There isn't much room for customization in the set - only two optional bits are the plasma rifles. Luckily enough, the material is easy to work with, so for one of my models I've decided to do a small conversion and "straighten up" its arm, so that it holds its carbine as if it is a pistol. I guess one could go crazy with 40K bits on the models, though I didn't find space marine grenades and packs exactly fitting, so I've decided to keep these guys pure.

Regarding the bases, I went the same way as with my Commander Dr. Diana. All hail the mighty kitchen strainer!

I guess it's obvious I really enjoyed working on these models - the amount of details is really incredible, and the concept is such a fresh break from 40k. And now I can think about expanding the force - gotta say the updated Chasseurs and the new Exterminateur Attila Mk.I look particularly nice. Or perhaps I should start the Dark Legion? Well done, Prodos, you got a new addict here!

WZR: Commander Dr. Diana

Ok, quick update on Warzone Resurrection! Below is the lovely Commander Dr. Diana miniature (which I have reviewed before) painted. I've got to say that painting this lady turned out to be quite a difficult task; I hardly ever paint anything outside the 40k range, and the WZR models are both more detailed and realistic than 40k models, which made me rather unsure about the paintjob. in the end, I had to experiment. The result is not too good, but it have teached me a lot.

I have chosen to do my Cybertronic in a grey scheme with black and blue details, but since Diana is a doctor, I have used white instead to accompany the grey. I wanted to make the coat look like if it was made of latex or nylon, so wash was used only lightly. While the white part turned out pretty good, the gray is a letdown... If I could paint this again from scratch, I'd make the whole coat white now.

To enforce the latex feel of the coat, I have painted it with gloss varnish ('Ardcoat). Unfortunately, the result is not as glossy as I hoped for, and it makes the grey look rather bad. I was thinking about some "weathering" such as adding dried blood to the tools and/or coat, but in the end, I think it would have make the model look too busy and perhaps silly. This is not an Ork afterall.

The base was an experiment as well. Since the model was supplied with a rather large base, I wasn't exactly sure what to do with it - so I cannibalized a plastic kitchen strainer and used the mesh to create the base, along with some dirt and random bits... Voilá, the base looks rather good for a post-apocalyptic setting. At least something went right with this model!

Overall, the dirty look the model has was a bad choice, I should have gone with a cleaner style, perhaps with a different color scheme, too. The miniature looks just fine on the tabletop, but as a showcase, it doesn't work.

One final note regarding the model. The resin WZR uses is rather soft when it comes to small, long parts such as gun barrels. Ofcourse, the tiny gun barrel on this model have snipped off... Luckily enough, the pistol still looks alright.

WZR: Commander Dr. Diana Review

Edit (08/2014): Painted miniature can be seen in this blog post.

Alright, time for another Warzone Ressurection review! The first review was about a Cybetronic Troops selection, the Armoured Chasseurs; this time, let's look at a HQ choice - the stunning Commander Dr. Diana.

Important note: Miniature below comes from the Kickstarter reward and not from an official market release, therefore it is possible the final box set might be different. The model did not come in an official product package or with the gaming cards, so I cannot review these at the moment (though I will add information about the cards as soon as I receive them).

Let's look at the concept art / render first:

And now, at the actual sprue:

So, you get pretty much exactly what's on the concept picture - the only difference is the heads. The sprue includes two, one more cyberpunk-ish and the other more serious. Both look stylish and well detailed, though they are different from the concept art - which is possibly for the better, especially when it comes to the second head (the concept was very unappealing). Note the alternate head is the only optional bit, there is no choice of weapons or backpack arms.

Anyways, this is how the model looks assembled:

  

I think it's clear from the pictures that the model looks simply stunning regarding it's concept and level of detail - the menacing medical tools, the relentless yet feminine look of the face, the bit too tight laboratory coat, everything is finely detailed and helps to create an overall feel of a sexy pulp sci-fi movie female lead. It's true that the "artificial arms" thing has been done to death and the backpack must be damn heavy, but that just helps to build the campy B-grade movie atmosphere Warzone setting always had. Note the model can be assembled without the backpack as well.

Now let's get a slightly more technical look on the assembly and resin quality. The assembly wasn't hard at all if you don't mind superglue. The connection between arms and torso could be more exact in regard to shape, though it's hardly noticable from the outside (the upper ending of arms is slightly broader than the relevant torso parts). The arms can be assembled pretty much only in one way (without converting), the head can be turned as pleased though. Assembling the mechanical arms is more fun in regards to position, though be careful when cutting the bits of the sprue to not damage the joints.

Regarding the material, resin Prodos uses is very user-friendly. There are no bubbles and minimal warping, and any leftover flash is very easy to remove. The resin is rather soft which is good for conversions, but rather problematic when it comes to some parts of this model - especially the needles on the pistol and one of the mechanical arms. Not only do they bend, but they can actually snap off, which is exactly what happend to my needle pistol after making these pictures. Be careful when handling the assembled models!

On the picture above, you can see a size comparison of Commander Diana with a Games Workshop Chaos Cultist and a (slightly converted) Armoured Chasseur. Note that Prodos market their line is 28mm though the true scale makes it slightly larger; more on par with the Inifinity line than with Warhammer. Note the miniature uses a larger base than most other miniatures in the line - very useful for some scenic basing!

Conclusion:

+ easy-to-work-with resin material
+ great level of detail
+ true-scale proportions
+ huge base and two head options
+ fair price for a resin hero model

- material too soft sometimes
- more options would be nice

Verdict: Want a female variant of Dr. Octopus, or just looking for a hot, cyberpunk-ish scientist miniature? Commander Diana is a good choice for both! 4/5

WZR: Armoured Chasseurs Review

Edit: If you are interested in reviews of Warzone Resurrection products, don't forget to check out my review of Commander Dr. Diana, too!

I've received my package from the Warzone Resurrection kickstarter this week and so have decided to review the contents for anyone who is interested in this new growing wargame. I'll start with the Armoured Chasseurs of the Cybertronic faction.

Important note: Miniatures below come from the Kickstarter reward and not from an official market release, therefore it is possible some things might change in the final box set. It did not come in an official product package or with the gaming cards, so I cannot review these (though I will add information about the cards as soon as I receive them).

First, let's look at the concept art / render first...

...and now, let's see the actual content I have received:

In total, that is 5 torsos (all seem to be same), 5 legs (with different poses), 5 right arms with CAW2000 submachineguns (including underbarrel shotguns, how cool is that!), 2 right arms with PR5000 plasma rifles (each with a different pose), 5 left hands with electric gauntlets (of which 2 are closed fists), 5 identical pairs of shoulderpads, and finally 5 heads (each of them is different). All in all, the plasma rifles are the only optional bits.

Note: There is a missing place next to the plasma rifles, I'm not sure if that's on purpose or if something is actually missing on this sprue.

I have to say I was really impressed with the heads; these are beautifully sculpted and hold true to the concept art. The arms with SMGs were bit of a letdown though - all of them look identical or mostly identical, and to change the resulting pose will require some work with green stuff and files. I did not receive the arms on a sprue though, so this might simply be a logistics problem.

Regarding the resin Prodos uses, it seems to be of a very good kind indeed. There are no bubbles and the flash is very easy to remove. Warping is minimal as well. The material is rather soft, but naturally bends back and is therefore very easy to work with. The level of detail is very high, same as Games Workshop's or even above. The models can be easily put together with the use of square slots in the joints, though many of these slots are actually filled with resin and require cleanup (that is, if you really have to use the slots instead of just using superglue).

For testing reasons, I have put one model together with minimal use of files and no use of green stuff (and some excessive use of superglue), to see what you get right from the box...

...and I was pleasantly surprised with the result. The details are beautiful, the pose is not too static and the proportions are very realistic. I can't wait to paint this guy! Assembling the Chasseur together was not hard at all, the only annoying part are the shoulder pads, since they require quite an extensive cleanup on the inside.

Regarding the preliminary rules, it seems the Armoured Chasseurs are going to be the versatile backbone of a Cybertronic army, with their solid stats, good equipment and ability to "blink" (read: teleport) across the battlefield. The chasseurs can swap their SMG/shotguns for plasma rifles (two included in the set) and one can even equip a missile launcher, though that one is not included in the package (fun conversions ensured!).

Finally, for comparison, here is a picture of the Chasseur next to a Dark Vengeance Space Marine (both 28mm scale):

I guess the picture speaks for itself, especially when it comes to proportions.

Conclusion:

+ good, easy-to-work-with resin material
+ awesome level of detail
+ true-scale proportions
+ five multipose models for a good price

- only two optional bits
- torsos, pads and arms could use more variety
- pads are not easy to cleanup properly

Verdict: If you want cool power-armoured dudes in realistic proportions, you can't go wrong with the Amoured Chasseurs! 4/5

Warzone Resurrection Kickstarter

Just sharing a link here for an interesting revival project of a 90's wargame called Warzone. Plastic & resin 28mm sci-fi miniatures on the horizon!

Warzone Resurrection Kickstarter

Warzone Resurrection is a 28mm scale tabletop skirmish wargame for two or more players, each fielding units of warriors drawn from one of the mighty MegaCorporations of Mankind, the Brotherhood or its vile enemy, the Dark Legion. Warzone Resurrection is a fast paced, exciting and tactical miniature game created by Prodos Games Ltd. and Paraodox Entertainment. 

 

This project looks big and seems worth supporting, so check it out!