AFCFA Reinforcements

My Armed Forced of the Charity Freedom Alliance line infantry are built up from GZG New Israelis but I wanted something similar but subtly different to represent an elite force within AFCFA.  These are Brigade Models Yenpalo, which fit the bill nicely.  They were previously available from Armies Army.

The pack includes 10 infantry: 6 riflemen, 2 support weapons, 2 leader-types and 2 with pistols and optional energy shields (which I will probably attach once I find where I've put them!).

Detail is good and they have a very good range of poses with some obviously firing, others advancing and I like the leader checking his watch!  All are wearing hardsuit armour and the guns are all of similar design, the support guns having a longer, heavier barrel.  Guns are not as detailed as some companies produce but still have a few features that drybrush well including sights etc.

After mounting on M8 washers, mine have been painted Humbrol 75 matt bronze green, washed with 50/50 Vallejo black in/Future floor polish with a Humbrol 86 matt light olive highlight.  Eyes are picked out in gold.  Weapons are matt black with Humbrol 32 matt dark grey drybrush to pick out the detail.  A fairly simple colour scheme but it matches my other AFCFA troops which is the main thing.

Overall, detail isn't as crisp as some other models (although I don't have any, the newer GZG New Israelis look like they have sharper detail and I might have used those instead if they'd come out sooner) but it's still very good.

I think I'd grade these a strong "B".

GZG SWAT Team

While my Colonial Security have Spider Droids for really heavy support, there are times when you need a lighter touch (and less official paperwork!) but something that's still a step above the basic beat cops. 

SWAT team next to normal security trooper.

I got the Armored Police SWAT command/specialist set from GZG to fulfil this role.  This pack has the mix of figures I want, 4 pistol-armed in 2 poses, 2 with battering rams plus a couple of techie/officer types (the latter not pictured yet).

SWAT team rear view.

These are basically the AD Police who originated in Bubblegum Crisis, though I haven't used that exact colour scheme.  My SWAT team have the same grey trousers and blue jackets that my normal security troopers wear.

"Police!  Drop your weapons!"

I'd grade these a B+.  The detail is nice and crisp, though it sould do with being a little better defined around the respirator cannisters and helmet area.  Some of the creases on the trousers seem unnaturally sharp but there wasn't much flash to clean up.  The pistol-aiming poses could be a little more varied, but overall I'm quite happy with them.  I'll probably get a pack or two of the assault rifle/shotgun & grenade launcher armed SWAT troopers in due course.

Sci-fi "Tech Crate"

I bought a set of Sci-fi "Tech Crates" a couple of years ago at the local Diceni games show.  Although designed for 28mm gaming, I thought they looked like they'd be good for 15mm as electrical equipment housing, generators/batteries, vehicle engine packs etc.  This one is just a test piece to see how it looks and I'm very pleased how it turned out.

Over a Wilko grey primer base coat the casing has been painted Vallejo reflective green and the metal parts GW chainmail over a black base coat.  A 50/50 wash of Vallejo black ink and Future floor polish toned down the metal to a dull sheen.

This was also a chance to try out some "chipping" techniques, something I haven't done much before.  Vallejo Russian uniform green was used to show where the darker top colour had scuffed/flaked away around the edges of the casing.  This was followed by some cheap Inscribe acrylic craft paint burnt umber for an aged, rusty colour.  Smaller specks of Inscribe burnt sienna were used to represent fresher, brighter rust.  An HB pencil was rubbed along some of the exposed edges where the rust has been rubbed back to the bare metal.

Lots of switches! Especially good for making
it look like 15mm equipment housing.

It still didn't look quite right so a rummage through my decal folder produced a variety of extra details, some WWII vehicle markings, a couple of yellow panels which I think came from a M1 Abrams kit and the circle and triangles which are from QRF.  These are all waterslide transfers and were affixed with Vallejo decal medium.  Chipping was re-applied where required to blend the decals in.  Next time I'll add the decals before weathering rather than as an afterthought!

All in all, This has come out very well, it's the ideal size for a piece of scatter terrain and could even be a useful game objective for something like Rogue Stars or Black Ops:

• It's small enough that one team could be trying to steal it
• Perhaps they have to get to it to sabotage power to the enemy base
• Maybe they need to turn it on to reactivate the base force-field before the local wildlife tries to eat them!