My 7TV Apocalypse Collection

Yesterday was Salute 2019 and I'm sure lots of people will be posting their purchases online. Once again, I did not attend. I'm not bothered as I do not like crowds. Anyway, in my last Monthly Musings I mentioned that I'd received my 7TV2e: Apocalypse Kickstarter package. I did say I'd received a lot of figures and vehicles but failed to mention what I'd got. So, here's my loot collection, showing all the extra stuff I bought for this Crooked Dice Games package.

Starting at the top left are my mutant giant ants in three sizes. These are great critters to use in any post-apocalypse game. I will certainly get some more of these. Moving down are four Wasteland Heroes - Mad Max, Mean Machine (not Mean Machine Angel from Judge Dredd), the Gyro Captain and his kid. To the left of them is the 7TV Mcguffin scenery piece, and finally post-apocalypse versions of Dick Dastardly and Muttley from The Wacky Races. The next two rows of figures show assorted Wasteland Villains, some of whom will be recognisable from the Mad Max series of films (Humongous, Wez, Master Blaster and the Feral Kid). In the bottom row are 8 Wasteland Cultists.
Moving to the right side I have two Interceptor cars. The top one will be Mad Max's car and the lower one a Police Interceptor from the first Mad Max film. I definitely want at least two more of these cars. They are so versatile with loads of options. Below them are three Wasteland bikers. To the right of them are rear stowage options for the Interceptor cars. Finally, at the bottom are post-apocalypse versions of Penelope Pitstop and the Ant Hill Mob from The Wacky Races.
As you can see, I have primarily concentrated on figures and vehicles from the Mad Max films. I love these films. I have long wanted to use this setting to play on my gaming table using 28mm scale figures. I am sure these will be an absolute joy to paint but I'm not sure when I'll get round to painting as I have two other big projects I'm concentrating on - Core Space and Judge Dredd. Once I do get round to painting them I know I'll be buying a lot more vehicles to use in this game. This game has most definitely captured my enthusiasm.

Strontium Dog - Build a Mutie Set 01

The Great Atom War of 2150 decimated Britain's population and saw a massive increase in mutant births due to the fallout of the radioactive isotope, Strontium 90. Mutants are vilified, shunned and segregated into mutant ghettoes, away from decent normal folk.

Mutations can range from the mundane to the extreme and this set allows you to build your own mutant miniatures - either to use as S/D Agents or as downtrodden muties railing against the draconian laws passed by the Norms. A variety of arms, legs, torsos, heads and weapons allow you to build five mutant models in a myriad of different configurations.

This set contains, five sets of legs, five sets of torsos, ten heads and over ten right and left arms mostly with weapons. They are all fully interchangeable, giving you a near infinite variety of combinations. I have based my figures on those shown on the back of the boxed set and the Warlord Games webstore. In addition, you get three Armoury cards (Anti-grav Chute, Medipack and Frag Bomb) and two Chicanery cards (Angry Mob and Sneak Attack). This boxed set costs £20.00

Strontium Dog - Scum of the Universe

Where there are bounty hunters there must, by definition, be those who have bounty placed on their heads. Often these are violent outlaws, criminals or psychopaths.

A two-faced mutant gang leader from Paprika in the Spice System, Billy Joe forced Johnny Alpha into a duel with las-whips, the outcome a foregone conclusion as the gang leader was the system's champion for the last 16 years. Alpha faked his death, knowing he could not beat Billy Joe at that time. Billy Joe was enraged when he realised Johnny had tricked him, coming across a circus poster that read, "Johnny Alpha: Greatest Las-Whipper of All Time: 10,000 credits TO ANY MAN WHO CAN BEAT HIM!" It was a challenge he could not turn down  without losing his reputation and business. Billy Joe faced a far more dangerous opponent the second time, discovering to his detriment that Johnny had spent the months of his recuperation learning how to wield the las-whip.

One of Johnny's previous partners, Sniffer Martinez was gunned down by Kansyr on the planet Laz in Johnny's early days as an S/D Agent. Kansyr was caught by Alpha and handed to the authorities but was later freed with only a fine, on the grounds that killing a mutie S/D Agent warranted no greater punishment. The alien outlaw went on to commit hideous crimes across the galaxy for the next seven years, until Alpha and his partner, Wulf Sternhammer, took up the warrant for his termination.

Taking part in the ancient, annual death-rite known as The Killing, on the planet Zdwhkkrswrld (more commonly known as Zed!), Johnny and Wulf crossed paths with the android Steelkreeg. Holding the two S/D Agents off in a bell tower using his flamethrower, he eventually met his demise.

These are an eclectic mix of bad guys in this boxed set. The figures are all well sculpted but I would offer a word of warning when attaching Billy Joe's arms to his body. Try to fix them to two points, as I've done with mine (base and las-whip), otherwise they could well snap off at the hands. That seemed to me to be a weak point that could be a problem with constant handling. In addition to the three miniatures, the box also contains 3 Character cards, 2 Armoury cards (Electro-flare and Heat Beam) and 1 Chicanery card (Patient Hunter). This boxed set costs £15.00 from the Warlord Games webstore.

Shadows of Brimstone Scafford Gang Mutants 01

I covered the Shadows of Brimstone Scafford Gang in a previous post (see here ) but I recently bought some more figures for the gang and here they are.

At the far left is Sergeant Caleb Bunker, a veteran of the American Civil War who fought alongside Colonel Scafford and who became a trusted lieutenant of the gang. In the Scafford Gang boxed set, there are rules for using Scafford Lieutenants but no figures for them. The rules recommend substituting Colonel Scafford himself for a Lieutenant or if both figures are required, using one of the normal outlaws as the Lieutenant. Now that Flying Frog have produced this figure, the problem is solved. His mutations include a third arm and a mass of writhing tentacles around his chin and lower head. I painted his skin in Foundry Cadaverous Flesh 46 to give him that extra mutant look. He still wears his Confederate uniform but it is tattered and dirty. I do wonder where he got a coat with three arms? The figure is a one-piece casting made of resin and is very detailed, but he is heroically scaled, standing 35mm tall. He is a very cool sculpt.

The other three figures shown here are from the Dark Stone Brutes set. The Scafford Gang is one of the most notorious Mutant Outlaw gangs in the West. They make their hideouts up in the hills and mines around Brimstone and have become hideously mutated by the corrupting effects of the Dark Stone there. The Dark Stone Brutes are members of the Scafford Gang that have become fused with rock and Dark Stone, itself, growing out of control to become hulking monsters. Towering over other humans, the Dark Stone Brutes have become crazed, responding only to fellow members of their gang, and smashing any others that come too close, with their powerful rocky arms. These are multi-part plastic figures. The one in the white shirt has not been converted but the other two have. For the one in the black shirt I repositioned his left arm, whilst for the one in the sand shirt, I repositioned his right arm, which required a bit of Milliput to fill in the gap at the elbow. The Dark Stone Brutes are about 45mm tall and have been mounted on 40mm diameter bases that came with them.
I bought Sergeant Bunker directly from the Flying Frog webstore, where he is still available for $10.00. Note that he is a limited edition figure so I don't know how much longer he'll be available for sale. The Dark Stone Brutes set was purchased from a seller on eBay for £15.00. You can still get it for that price on eBay. If you order direct from the Flying Frog webstore, the set costs $19.99.

Shadows of Brimstone Colonel Scafford and his Mutant Outlaw Gang

The boxed set of Colonel Scafford and the Scafford Gang is an expansion set for Flying Frog Production's Shadows of Brimstone game. It includes 32mm scale plastic figures of the Colonel and six Mutant Outlaws (three figures of each of two sculpts) as well as a small rules booklet for using them plus new Encounter, Gear and Threat cards. This was a set I very much wanted and I bought it as soon as it was released.
The Scafford Gang is the most ruthless band of Mutant Outlaws in the South-West. A veteran of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, their leader, Colonel Benjamin Scafford, turned to crime after the South fell. Fleeing West, he started his own gang of ex-Confederate, thugs and criminals, as well as his five sons; all men loyal to his cause... and to getting rich! When the Dark Stone boomed in Brimstone, the Scafford Gang was the first group of Outlaws to sweep in and steal a cut for themselves. Making their hideouts up in the caves and mines around Brimstone, they have grown hideously mutated by the corrupting influence of the black rock and the Void energies that pour out of every gateway opened to another world. The Scafford gang is a motley crew of Mutant Outlaws, each plagued with mutations of various sizes and shapes. Fused with rock and Dark Stone, or twisted with masses of tentacles, all are embittered by their deformities. They are predominantly Ranged Enemies that have the Shootout Standard Ability, which is also shared by the Bandits from the Frontier Town expansion (see last post).

At the far left of the two photos directly above and below is Colonel Benjamin Scafford. His strong leadership and ruthless cunning have earned him the unending loyalty of his gang and made him one of the most successful Outlaws alive. As a Legendary Enemy, Colonel Scafford is a dangerous foe, giving bonuses to other Enemies around him! With qualities of an anti-hero, he has the ability to use Grit and even a Revive Token in some cases! His figure was a multi-piece casting, which was easy enough to ft together, even without assembly instructions. Note his partially gold-plated pistols.

The three Outlaws alongside the Colonel came with separate right arms. This made it very easy to convert them simply by repositioning this arm. The Mutant Outlaws at the left and right of the group had their arms glued as if firing and just drawing from the holster respectively. For the one in the middle I glued his arm in place midway between the other two. I also cut his hat off and modelled the top of his head with Milliput. I deliberately gave them all totally different colour schemes to further individualise them.

The second batch of Mutant Outlaws were one-piece castings. The one at the far left has been left as he came in the set.

The other two have been converted, although both are simple and minor conversions. For the Outlaw in the centre I cut his hat off and remodelled the top of his head with Milliput. The Outlaw at the far right has had his left arm repositioned by making a small cut inside his elbow. Then I gently repositioned the forearm so his pistol was pointing down and I filled in the gap at his elbow with Milliput. Once again, different paint schemes helps to make them look non-identical.

Here is a group shot showing Colonel Scafford and six of his Mutant Outlaws. I haven't yet tried out this gang in any games, but looking at their stats I can see they are tougher opponents than the Bandits from the Frontier Town set. These are fearsome opponents and Colonel Scafford is truly dangerous. I am looking forward to using them.
I also think they would make a great gang of Mutants from the Cursed Earth in a Judge Dredd game or even a Strontium Dogs game. I can just imagine Judge Dredd or Johnny Alpha tracking down Colonel Scafford and his gang in a futuristic setting. Actually, I may well do this when I start my Judge Dredd Miniatures Game campaign. There is no reason to restrict them just to the Weird West of Shadows of Brimstone. Prices for this set vary depending upon the seller. I got my set for £24.99 from a seller on eBay, which was a very good price, as I have seen them going for a lot more than that. I have just checked on eBay and there are quite a few sets for sale ranging in prices from £27.42 to £48.16.

Black Scorpion Old West Terrors 01

This is a filler post whilst I work on my 7TV2e batrep, which should be ready for this Friday. For today, I am returning to the Wild West or more specifically, the Weird West. These four 30mm scale resin cast figures from Black Scorpion can be found in their Tombstone range as Old West Terrors.

At the far left is a mutated Mexican bandito, who would fit in perfectly in a game of Shadows of Brimstone. The mines surrounding the town of Brimstone are filled with shiny black rocks known as Dark Stone. Dark Stone has strange mystical qualities that can cause mutations to those who handle it too much. This unfortunate character has been very badly affected and his mutations are clearly visible. He has tentacles coming out of his mouth and belly and a long tentacle replacing his right arm. I think he is a tremendous figure and to date is my only Weird West Mutant. I know that Flying Frog Productions are working on making their own range of Mutants for Shadows of Brimstone, and I'll be after them as soon as they go on sale. The rules in Shadows of Brimstone list 36 possible mutations a character may acquire and it is possible to have more than mutation.
Next up is someone I'd describe as a Revenant - an undead gunfighter who seeks vengeance for his death.  He could be used as a zombie, perhaps even a smart zombie who can use a gun, but I see him as something far more deadly than that - part ghost, part avenging Angel of Death. There are no stats for Revenants in either Shadows of Brimstone or THW's High Moon but I'm sure I could come up with something appropriate. The swirling mist effect on him is beautifully done. Note the faces in the mist. He is my favourite figure out of this group.

The next two figures in line are both zombies. Not many companies make Wild West zombies and of those who do, even fewer make female zombies. So for Black Scorpion to produce a female zombie is great news for me, more so because she is so well sculpted. The male zombie is not a bad figure, it is just that I think he's the weakest out of this group as the others are all exceptional whilst he's only very good. Stats for male and female zombies can be found in both High Moon and Shadows of Brimstone.
These four figures are superbly well sculpted. I know that some of you have reservations about resin cast figures but I can not fault these at all. The level of detail on them is stunning and they paint up really well. Note that I cut their slottatabs off them and glued them to 25mm diameter wooden MDF bases. The Old West Terrors set costs £8.00 from the Black Scorpion webstore. I recommend them very highly.