Ground Zero Games 15mm New Swabian League (NSL) Panzergrenadiers

This weekend I realized that although I have posted a lot of photos of my various forces, I have not focused on any specific force that I have completed.  Therefore, this will be a first in a series of posts which will focus on one particular force that I have painted for 15mm Sci-Fi.  First up, New Swabian League Panzergrenadiers from Ground Zero Games.

The NSL castings from GZG are extremely clean.  There was virtually no cleanup required.  They are compact infantry, armed with assault rifles with integral grenade launchers.  Additional figures include GMS(L) [guided missile system, light], Laser Snipers, Plasma Guns and Squad Automatic Weapons.  Heavier weapons include Autogrenade Launcher and Autocanno teams.  The models were individually based on 1/4" washers.  For stand based games I use blue tac to attach them to the various bases.  This allows the best of both worlds.  The force itself contains enough models to form at least two full platoons, more than sufficient for most games.

Originally I had planned on a camo scheme.  It was simple to achieve but I felt that it did not go well with the hard armor plate of the model.  I therefore decided on a more traditional German color: Tamiya Field Grey.  The models were airbrushed in that color then washed black.  I then did highlights by hand over the armor plates.  The remaining features were picked out in other colors and the visor done in a metallic blue. 

The old style Power Armor units were done in an identical fashion.  However, when the larger models came out I did them slightly different.  Instead of a black wash I used Minwax Tudor Polyshades.  This gave the models a less dark appearance.  This worked for me.  The older models are significantly smaller than the newer designs.  This relegates them to Light Power Armor in my games (or robotic infantry in Alien Squad Leader). 

Overall, these are my favorite GZG models and exemplify the newer GZG sculpts: clean and highly detailed.

Original 2013 Prototype

 

GZG NSL Panzergrenadiers

 



Auto Grenade Launcher

Power Armor (new style)

Power Armor (old style)

 

NSL Power Armor, old and new syle

15mm Sci Fi City

Now for something a little different.  Behold, my 15mm Sci Fi urban setting: Raccoon City.  It has many things to offer both residents and visitors.  Lets take a look.

Raccoon City

Welcome to Raccoon City.

Urban Slums...gotta live somewhere.

Enjoy the Riddel Theater (aka Peep Show), then head on over to Uncle Chen's for a bite to eat.

Pizza for the masses and the Hard Rock Café for the sophisticated.

Guns, guns, guns!  We have a special right now, buy one get the bullets free.

Can there be no safer place to live than beside an Arms Dealer?

For the sophisticated male there is always something to do to pass the time.

Had a little too much to drink?  No problem, stumble over to the motel for a nights sleep.

Every city needs some big unnamed buildings.



Of course there is more than one bar.  Variety is the spice of life.  BTW, "Tarantula" is playing at the Riddle.

"Drink Nuka-Beer!"

There is plenty of parking downtown.  Too bad no one can afford a vehicle.

The downtown core.

Need cash?  The Pawn Shop is always open.

Downtown



more downtown.
 

The apartment buildings are from Old Crow (resin).   The other buildings are from Mad Mecha Guy (MDF).  Building fittings are from GZG.  Roads were made from hobby store wood.  All buildings were airbrushed.  Paints used were mainly Tamyia Dark/Neutral/Light Grey, Tamyia Medium Grey, Tamyia Hull Red and Vallejo Model Air browns.  

15mm GZG Kra'Vak Powered Armor

On Saturday I started and finished my two units of GZG Kra'Vak Powered Armor.  There is not much really to say about these sculpts.  They were quite clean with little clean up required.  They are painted in the same scheme as the rest of the Kra'Vak force since I am a sucker for keeping armies unified in terms of paint schemes.  While a little on the small side when compared with the newer GZG Powered Armor sculpts I really like these guys.  They will most certainly make an appearance in 15mm Gruntz or Alien Squad Leader.

15mm GZG Kra'Vak Powered Armor

15mm GZG Kra'Vak Powered Armor

15mm GZG Kra'Vak Cavalry

Yesterday I started and finished two sets of Kra'Vak Cavalry from GZG.  The models were relatively clean, with little clean up required  The front legs were a bit messy, as was the underside of the mount so I cleaned them up the best I could.

These guys will be used in my games of Gruntz, but also in Alien Squad Leader (ASL).  ASL is rapidly becoming my favourite 15mm Sci Fi rule set.  The rules are clean, simple, but have just enough crunch to be interesting.  It is easy to learn but hard to master, just my type of game.  Plus it has what 15mm rules are currently lacking: Army Lists.  While many people poo poo emulating 40K the simple fact is that lists make it much easier to introduce new players to the 15mm hobby.  The Kra'Vak fit nicely into my Alien Imperial and Alien Warrior Caste list.  ASL is stand based on 50x50 and 100x50 bases.  ASL does not have a minimum number of models required for each unit so I can either make two units of 3 guys or three units of 2, the actual number of models on each base being irrelevant.  Blue tac is used to secure models to the bases then removed once the game is over.

Anyway, back to the models.  I did the infantry to match my basic force.  The mount was done with Reaper Master series paints: white undercoat, Chestnut brown base, wet brush of Rust brown and another highlight of Rust Brown mixed with Burnt Orange.  Tusks were done with Dirty Bone, Graveyard Bone and Splintered Bone.  The saddle was done with Ral Partha Saddlebag (an ancient paint pot I have) and Faded Khaki. 

Kra'Vak Power Armor units up next on the painting table.

GZG Kra'Vak Cavalry

GZG Kra'Vak Cavalry

GZG Kra'Vak Cavalry

GZG Kra'Vak Cavalry

GZG Kra'Vak Cavalry

GZG Kra'Vak Cavalry

GZG Kra'Vak Cavalry

GZG DARGHAUR 15mm aliens

Finished a unit of 10 GZG DARGHAUR this weekend.  I had these guys for awhile and quite frankly did not know what to do with them.  I decided they would make nice overlords for an Alien Squad Leader army, specifically the Alien Enslaver faction. 

Primed black, then painted in Reaper Swamp Green, then Military Green then highlighted in Camo Green.  I then used a Vallejo Model Air Bright Green for more extreme highlights in selected areas.  I then painted white spots on their chest and head (if you can call it a head, these guys have no eyes or mouths).  They are not amphibian, but neither are they mammals.  They are something else I think.

Khurasan 15mm Space Demon Army

This week I finished (well almost finished) my 15mm Khurasan Space Demon army.  These guys are going to be used in Tomorrows War, Gruntz, Alien Squad Leader and probably a few more games.  As I have stated before black (and grey) usually looks quite bad in 15mm unless is it highlighted to the extreme.  For these guys I decided on a middle of the road approach.

The aliens were primed white, then airbrushed in Tamyia German Grey.  Then washed black and dry brushed with Reaper Snow Shadow and then Valljo Green Grey.  Drybrushing, IMO has an unwarranted stigma attached to it.  It is a very old and respectable technique that if applied to the right areas does a job that ordinary brushing either could not do or would take forever to accomplish. 

The Timonid minders of this horde are done in a similar scheme.  Their flesh is Reaper Olive Flesh (shadow, base and highlight colors).  I have yet to finish the Space Dragon and my Predaliens.  They will complete this horde once finished.

2020 Update: I changed the scheme to incorporate a more efficient 4 step process:

1. Tamiya German Grey undercoat.
2. Drybrush Reaper Snow Shadow
3. Drybrush head Vallejo Green Grey.
4. Wash in Army Painter Dark Tone
5. Details picked out accordingly for larger models.  

Alien Army

Xenomorphs



"We don't like your face.  We don't like your barn."

"I spit on your grave."

Eat!