Monday 30 December 2013

What miniatures for the Great Lakes Factions?



My mind has all been a flutter for what figures to use for the Great Lakes forces in my new Post Apoc setting. I have been tempted by the Ramshackle Iron Brothers minis for the army of Great Lakes. Sadly funds will be short this year so 2014 is looking to be another Frugal year. 

In the figure pile I have a mix of WW2 to modern figures in the collection awaiting painting. Mainly USA and British. So I will be converting away I expect. 

After digging through the minis piles there may be other options available to me. I have come up the following military style figures to use for great lakes: 

1:- Mix of WW2 to Modern figures (American & British) with some converting. I have a handful of Warzone plastic Imperial Trenchers which will do for elite forces. This will give a Fallout NV NCR style force with a ramshackle look to them (mix of equipment & kit). This would make a pretty decent sized force.

2:- GW 40k IG. Mix the plastic Cadains & Catchains I have unpainted. Add some SM Scouts for elite forces. The downside of this is that this force would be a little too high tech looking in feel for what I want.

3:- GW 40 Tallarns:- I have a handful of Tallarns in the pile. They make great wasteland looking warriors. They are a bit limited in numbers to make a full force (cash flow is not at the minute). Although they could make a good scout or long range wasteland squad for another force.

4:- Combat Zone Plastics:- I have 10 plastic CZ warriors still on the Sprue and a pile painted unused from my CZ days. Head & weapon swaps with Warlord WW2 to make infantry. They would then have body armor that doesn't look too high tech. Maybe use the gangers (I have 15 of them unpainted) like Themightyflip over on the Post Apoc Wargames form has with old Necromunda figures, as a Milita force. Again weapon & head swaps would make them look the part. Maybe use the WZ Trenchers as the elite force. I would need a distinctive look to make the army look uniform but rag tag.

5:- Mix the ideas in 4 and 3. 

I was thinking of adding a large patch to the shoulders of the figures in maybe blue or another color (Great Lakes will use white and blue in the flag). 

Then again a faction with the industrial capacity to produce ammunition and limited amounts of firearms would be able to produce uniforms. Or at least dye old uniforms to make a uniform looking force. Brown would be a good choice or perhaps grey? Black has a certain intimidation factor.

The other option is to go for a bright color. Modern forces go for camouflage and drab colors to protect the soldiers. However bright colors are easy to make as uniforms from Napoleonic and earlier eras prove. Would a Wasteland force fighting tribals and scavengers need camo? Bright colors would have a certain psychological advantage. 

What do you think? All ideas welcome. 

2 comments:

  1. Well, a few thoughts:
    1) Bright colors may be cool, have you used them for any other faction?
    2) Would there be access to dye in the future? Most dye is from plant matter, if most of it is gone that may create a limited option of colors or lead to mute colors if the wasteland is bleak.
    3) What is the temp like up there? If it is cold I would see more cold based uniforms or full armor than anything. If warm or temperate, anything could go...
    4) Are tribals and scavs affected by psychology? Scavs are more than likely already borderline (if not totally) insane, psychopathic, etc....Tribals I think would care more for the color as a sign of either the gods or laugh at them and want to kill them.

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  2. Good thoughts and ideas. I may scuplt arm bands on the figures wich will tie them together as a force.

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