15mm Sci Fi - GZG High Tech Grav Vehicles (ESU Armor & Battle Mechs)

This weekend was a productive one for me.  Over Saturday thru Monday I managed to complete a long overdue project: my high tech ESU armor & vehicles.  When I featured the ESU naval marines last year they were equipped with Khurasan Red Faction vehicles.  However, my intention was to always to add more advanced vehicles to this force, either hover or grav.  Fortunately for me, I had all of these vehicles sitting around, waiting for a home.  Originally I had planned to use the vehicles for another force (UNSC Hardsuit marines).  But I decided I did not want to spend more money on the lead pile, so these were confiscated for the ESU.  

The models presented no particular problems for assembly.  GZG vehicles always need some clean up along the sides.  No big deal.  The only issue with the mechs were the rocket pods.  The holes were not defined well at all and were off set from each other in some cases.  I had to drill them out to get definition.  Not the best scenario.  I could have filled them and painted on faux holes but that was extra work for possibly worse results.

ESU Armor Pool

I decided to go with the Taiga camo scheme that I used on the ESU infantry.  It is interesting enough, and I am a sucker for uniformity in a force.

There are many ways of performing airbrush camo: hard masking and freehand.  Hard masking can be done with specialty purchased stencils, or with white tac/putty.  White tac is much quicker and cheaper than stencils.  However, I am neither patient or possessed with good imagination: I prefer to apply camo freehand.  It allows me to both fix mistakes and create the pattern as I go.  Quite simply: I need to see what I am doing as I do it.  Its just how my brain works.  

GZG High Tech Grav Tank & APC

When painting vehicles I almost always attempt a Color Modulation Technique.  This takes a base color and slowly highlights it upwards on raised areas of the model.  There is no right or wrong way to do this.  It is very much personal taste as to how far you want to go with highlighting.   This is easier when the vehicles have large flat surface areas (Old Crow vehicles are the best for this), and, correspondingly more difficult on objects which have irregular shapes (like mechs).

Command APCs are suitable for Alien Squad Leader Mobile Command Centers and in Tomorrow's War as Grid ECM vehicles.

Anyway, everything in the pool was done with the same colors: 100% airbrushed except for some fine detail work like windows and sensors.

• Mig Black Primer 
• Vallejo Model Air IDF Green as the basecoat.
• Vallejo Model Air Camo Black Green as the base camo color.
• Vallejo Model Color White Grey for the dot patterns.
• Vallejo Model Air Light Green (from the Russian vehicle color modulation kit...unavailable for separate purchase) and finally Vallejo Duck Egg Green (for extreme highlights) of the modulation effect on the IDF Green.
• Windows and Sensors: Vallejo Model Colors Black, Red, Vermillion & Bright Orange; Vallejo Game Colors Imperial Blue, Magic Blue & Electric Blue.  Each were layered on top of each other, leaving a small amount of the base colors underneath.  These areas were then capped off with a small white dot.   
• Once painted, the whole model(s) were washed in thinned Minwax Tudor.  The wash leaves the white dots somewhat muted.  I could have re-touched them up, but I left them as is, to simulate a slightly weathered and worn look.  I should do an article one day on why I prefer this product on 15mm scale figures vs regular washes.  
• BTW, I bake my non-plastic models in an oven, for 50 minutes at 170 degrees.  This cures the minwax completely.
• Once dry the models were weathered with Tamiya Weathering Pigments (small kits that come with 3 colors in each).  I prefer the pigments because a) they are very subtle and do not load a model up with paint like drybrushing does, b) they are very easy to apply and c) they are removable with minor rubbing or a wet paper towel.  If you don't like what you see, take it off.  

GZG High Tech MRLS

While rummaging through my bits box I found several packs of GZG Drones: sensor, gun bots and two grav heavy weapon platforms.  These were also conscripted for the Socialist cause.  

Infantry heavy weapon support is provided by Mark 1 & 2 gun bots, with 14.5mm KVP machineguns.

Being an old Battletech fan, I had several Mad Cats lying around.  They now serve as Light Battlesuits, suitable for deployment in urban & rugged terrain.

Sensor drones allow the marines to interact with the Grid (ala Tomorrow's War), and also serve as Command Squad figures for Alien Squad Leader.

Close Anti-air support is provided by robotic drones, equipped with dual use missiles & rotary cannons.

Longer range artillery support is provided by multiple rocket launcher systems, equipped with dual use surface to surface and surface to air rockets.

Battlemechs are armed with twin heavy plasma cannons, chin-mounted light lasers and rocket pods for urban pacification.

This was a big project.  Without my airbrushes I would have been totally lost and unable to complete it in such a quick turnaround and to my desired level of quality.  In any case, the ESU now as both traditional tracked vehicles as well as advanced gravitic armor, allowing it to take on my NAC forces on even terms.  I will be adding some suitable communist decals to this force eventually (once my mail arrives).  Eventually I will post the stats I use for Tomorrow’s War on this blog fort various factions. 

This brings me to a total of 250 1:100 scale miniatures painted In the last 30 days.