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Post by scottwashburn on Dec 27, 2015 1:11:25 GMT
I’ve finished up my first Heavy Field Battery for All Quiet on the Martian Front. They are such beautiful models I felt I had to do some extra work on them. The kits come with a lot of crew figures, but the poses are kind of generic. With a bit of bending and cutting and filling I was able to make them very dynamic. I threw in a couple of Blue Moon figures to increase the variety—although those Blue Moon guys constantly flaunt the regulation to wear your gas mask at all times! One of the models I left basically as-is, and just added a guy about to pull the lanyard to fire the gun. It’s gonna be loud! The most challenging conversion was this loading scene. I cut off the breech block and drilled out the barrel and then glued the breech back into place. I then modified two figures so they are ramming the heavy shell into the breech. The rammer is scratch-built. On the third one I added some wire to show the crane lowering a shell onto the loading cradle. Notice the guy on the left cranking the windlass. I added the hand crank to all the guns with a piece of bent wire. And I did a lot of work to the base to add the wood planking so that it matches the resin gun emplacements that Alien Dungeon makes for the game. It was quite a bit of extra work, but I’m very pleased with the results.
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Post by Berto on Dec 27, 2015 8:53:23 GMT
Wow. I modded one of mine using a piece of guitar string as the cable from the winch assembly, and I felt pretty good about myself, but it's nothing compared to what you did here. Excellent, beautiful work.
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Post by madmorgan on Jan 8, 2016 15:17:01 GMT
Still a 'wow' even after all this time (from the old forum). I suppose the Blue Moon guys have the gasmask on their chest to put on (at least the helmeted do) and need them off to yell instructions. Not sure why the 'hat' guys are so stupid, maybe should put a 'bag' at their feet so at least it looks like they have an option.
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Post by charleybourne on Feb 14, 2016 21:12:50 GMT
Awesome first time around. Even better now!
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Post by madmorgan on Feb 15, 2016 0:27:10 GMT
As an aside, I often use the extra Blue Moon crews, the stupid ones without helmet or gasmasks on them, for aides at command HQ and other such functions.
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Post by loyalist on Feb 15, 2016 2:31:52 GMT
Good idea, they fit in well with the AD figures.
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Post by charleybourne on Feb 16, 2016 19:33:52 GMT
So, inspired by this I ordered a set of 3 of these which arrived today.
I'm going to add them to my BEF force. Now, the BEF field guns and HMGs all come with specific BEF crew but I think I'm right in saying that there is not the option for this with the heavy field gun and so the standard US crew is the only choice?
I assume the crew that come with the BEF coil gun are the same as the BEF field gun?
If this is the case does anybody have any spare BEF gun crews they'd be willing to part with?
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Post by loyalist on Feb 16, 2016 20:00:54 GMT
That's right - the heavy field guns have US crews, and the Coil gun has the same crew figures as the BEF field guns with three extras, one being the single command figure from the field gun unit. The other extras are one seated at the control panel and one turning a hand wheel.
I don't have any spare BEF artillery crew and doubt that anyone will.
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Post by madmorgan on Feb 16, 2016 20:02:45 GMT
Are the guns you got from AD or Old Glory?? The Old Glory include 8 crew for every gun, however, only the helmeted one have gas masks on the front of their chests (like all the infantry for those WW1 figures). I use all the helmet singles plus the ammo crate two carrying, one without a gasmask. I use the other 'hat' guys as admins, medics etc at field hospitals etc. The coilgun is a very different beast as its 'charged' and has unique crew in rubber suits and boots etc. to protect them from discharges. Only figures I've found close are rebelminis.com 'Titan Marine Mortar Team' under the '15mm SciFi Armies and Vehicle' tab. As they're kneeling, I suspect they'll work but you'll need a pack per coilgun - as its only a 2pdr, the shells are close to the right side. There might be other figures you could use, I'm looking this evening for you.
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Post by charleybourne on Feb 16, 2016 20:03:26 GMT
Thanks for that. In the absence of extra crew I may have to try my hand at 'BEF'ing' the US crew that came with it.
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Post by charleybourne on Feb 16, 2016 20:06:03 GMT
Hi Morgan,
That's very kind. Thanks for looking. It's the AD version I have.
I'm sure some mild conversions and mixing and matching with the BEF field guns I have in order will see me through.
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Post by madmorgan on Feb 16, 2016 20:20:08 GMT
Indeed those OG figures from WW1 are really excellent. I'm sorry about the coil gun, those bio-hazard like suits aren't easy to replace, but, I'm looking this evening all the same.
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Post by madmorgan on Feb 16, 2016 20:22:22 GMT
btw Black Hat has a British artillery crew in gasmasks in more or less static poses. Perhaps a bit of yellow paint and 'rubber looking' boots would do. The only problem is its a four-man crew.
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Post by charleybourne on Feb 16, 2016 20:33:44 GMT
It's actually just the regular BEF gun crew I'm after.
I have 3 Heavy Field Guns for my BEF but the models come with US crew. I want them to match the regular BEF field fun crews rather than the 'rubbers up' guys that come with the coil gun.
If I can't find spare BEF figures or similar I might try and convert the US crew into BEF. Given the small scale I can't see this would be too easy though.
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Post by madmorgan on Feb 17, 2016 13:04:43 GMT
Well, I've not turned up anything since the above listings for you - the closest two things are the 4-man gasmasked arty crew from BlackHat and Old Glorys WW1 line of British figures. Those all come with a gun and only roughly half are wearing gasmask pouches on their front. I suppose you could sculpt a similiar pouch on them, but its a hassle alright.
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