Jeraro's Periscope

 There is a great scene in Bye-Bye Mars when the Zentradi solder Jeraro and his buried scout pod pokes it's sensor pod out of the ground to observe RDF movement.  Jeraro is then able to feed Lord Khyron intelligence on RDF activities.
 

Since there is nothing that really accurately represents the above periscope on the miniature sprew, I settled for modifying the existing sensor mast with and extension, antennae and sensor eye added.  ( I have 4 recon pods, so cutting up one for parts is no great loss)

In the above pic you can see the parts that were needed from the Glaug/Scout sprew.  I also used one of the large missiles from the Vertitech fighter sprew to make the mast longer, but any similar size diameter piece of plastic will do.  In addition you will need a standard sized base

Making the periscope will require some cutting as you will have to remove the wings off the flat radar part, glue a piece of antenna to the top, glue two antennae to the sides.  The periscope mast is made from the recon sensor pod mast, cut in two, then glued to either side of the mast extension (made from the veritech missile).  Sorry I did not take more pics, but I hope you can get the idea from the above description and pics).

Painting in 6mm is quite a challenge, so please excuse the shabby paint job, but I think I accurately represented Jeraro's periscope.

House Rules:

Jeraro's Periscope - Zentradi Special Force Asset

Cost:  10 pts

As long as there is a Glaug within 18" of Jeraro's periscope, your army will gain +1 command points.  Jeraro's periscope can be placed anywhere on the Zentradi half of the table.  The periscope is undetectable and can not be fired upon.

Malcontent Uprisings pt 2.

Before I begin with the Malcontents, I'd like to share a link for those who are struggling with assembly of their RRT miniatures.  Peter Nolen made this great reference document for the sprews.  Check it out and use when you assemble your minis.  RRT Sprew Reference



In part 2 we are going to look at some of the Zentradi baddies from the Robotech Battlecry game and what color schemes they used.  Sorry for the poor quality pics, they were the best I could find.

Information in italics was taken from on robotechresearch.com



Skardde:

Rank:  Former Commander in the Imperial Zentraedi Forces and commander of Zeraal's Ground Forces
Date of Emergence from Clone Chamber:  April 7, 1968
History:  Although not the most talented Zentraedi warrior, Skarrde has survived through many engagements giving him a wisdom that many of the younger Zentraedi lack.  Skarrde survived the Zentraedi bombardment and was one of the first Zentraedi soldiers recruited by Skarrde.  He progressed through the ranks and after only a couple of months was placed in command of all ground forces.  Although, he has had professional success he is troubled by the new found emotions which have arisen from his contact with Jack Archer, especially his loyalty towards his fellow soldiers.


Special Character Traits:  Skardde should cost 5 pts and grant +1 Leadership

 Skardde's Officer Pod:

 Skardde pilots a standard Gluag.  Like Zeraal's pod, it appears to be a darker shade of the standard Glaug.  

(See Glaug Option 3 on pg 107)







Gorian:
  
Rank:  Former Commander in the Imperial Zentraedi Forces and leader of the Scavengers.
Date of Emergence from Clone Chamber:  December 18, 1978
History:  Former battalion commander in Khyron's fleet, Gorian's ship was destroyed during the Zentraedi bombardment and crashed in North America.  He was never enthralled with human culture and brought together the disgruntled Zentraedi to form the Scavengers.   During the next 16 months, the Scavengers constantly harassed the RDF outposts stealing supplies and destroying any unprotected human settlements.  Although the Scavengers were all but destroyed by Jack Archer and the other personnel at Base-6, Gorian found a place in Zeraal's forces as head of his special operations a duty which he continues to serve with the utmost in ruthlessness.

Special Character Traits:  Gorian should cost 5 pts and grant +1 GN

Gorian's Power Armor:

Gorian operates a Nousjadeul-Ger aka 'Male power armor' that is a dark navy blue/purple and light grey with red highlights.  The weapon systems appear to be dark grey.








Kiyora:

Rank:  Former Lieutenant in the Imperial Zentraedi Forces
Date of Emergence from Clone Chamber:  January 2, 1985
History:  One of the greatest female aces to emerge from the clone chamber, Kiyroa is believed to have destroyed over 250 enemy units prior to her deployment with the Imperial Grand Fleet above Earth.  During the battle she encountered Jack Archer and failed to best him in one-on-one combat, the first "defeat" of her career.  This event permanently scarred her and she developed an obsession of taking revenge on Archer.  To further this goal, Kiyora joins Zeraal and his forces to insure that she will meet Jack one last time in combat.


Special Character Traits:  Kiyora should cost 5 pts and grant + 1 PIL


Kiyora's Power Armor:

Kiyora pilots a Queadluun-Rau aka 'Female power armor' is a very dark purple with with dark grey accents and green markings.

(See Queadluun-gult Option 2 on pg 109)








Zeraal:

Rank:  Former Captain in the Imperial Zentraedi Forces and leader of malcontent Zentraedi in North America
Date of Emergence from Clone Chamber::  July 29, 1972
History:  One of the few Zentraedi flag officers which survived from the Imperial Grand Fleet, Zeraal formed a resistance group to overthrow the weakened Robotech Defense Forces and take control of the Earth.  He has proven himself an expert tactician and a deadly enemy capable of marshaling a huge Zentraedi army.  The Robotech Defense Force will be hard pressed to defeat Zeraal alone and he could prove invincible if he joins forces with Khyron.  Fortunately for the RDF the two most capable Zentraedi commanders are not eager to share the glory with each other and would rather remain separated. 

Special Character Traits:  Zeraal should cost 10 pts and grant +1 Leadership, and May attack with an additional weapon system once per turn for free.

Zeraal's Glaug Eldare:

Zeraal pilots a Glaug Eldare that is a darker version of the standard Eldare.










Now that I have a copy of the rules in hand, I went back and ammended part 1, so check it out again for my stats on Jack, Izzy and Hiro. Malcontents pt 1


In part 3 we will look at some of the battle locations and terrain ideas from the game.

18 Months of waiting... and it was worth it!

The day finally came.  At 2:30pm yesterday, wave 1 of my Showdown pledge arrived.

Yes, it was a terribly long wait, over 18 months to be exact, but boy was it worth it.  After screaming like a school girl at a One Direction concert, I fired up the Robotech Factory and began assembling mecha. 

Now I consider myself and experienced modeler (by the quantity of models I have made over the years) and I did not find these miniatures that bad.  The most difficult so far has been the Veritech battloid arms.  But after about 5 hours of building, I managed to complete the following Zentradi...

and a small batch of RDF.  (you can see just how small 6mm Minmay and Lisa are)

My goal today is to finish the contents of one of the Battlecry sets. 


That being said, I have tons more Robotech RPG Tactics goodness to share with you all.  3 more articles currently sit in draft format waiting to be shared plus articles on painting, terrain and scenarios.  So check back tomorrow for the next exciting episode of Robotech. :)

Malcontent Uprisings pt 1.

Probably the most extensive work done for the Malcontent Uprisings in the Robotech universe is the story line in the Robotech Battlecry video game.

I actually have a copy of this game and it is the reason I have kept my PS2.

That being said, lets take a look at some of the characters from Robotech Battlecry and how you could integrate them into RRT.  (information based on the Robotech Saga Wiki)

First off, our Heroes:

Jack Archer:

Jack "The Giant Killer" Archer was a mercenary who later became a combat pilot, soldier, and RDF Wolf Squadron leader during the First Robotech War. He was a close friend of Roy Fokker, although he was separated from Roy in between the SDF-1's Space Fold from Macross Island and Roy's funeral six months later.

 Despite his reputation for being a rebel, Jack joined the military as soon as he was old enough to ensure his survival during the wars of the late 20th century. In the cockpit of a fighter jet, Jack quickly found that he had a natural gift for flying and combat. A protégé of Roy Fokker, Jack was one of the first pilots of the new Veritech Fighter and proved to be a valuable clutch in the first face-off against the Zentraedi invaders.

Where Jack Archer's military career really shined was during the Reconstruction Era after the climactic battle with Dolza's fleet.

Jack Archer spearheaded covert missions against rogue bands of Zentraedi forces under the command team of Lisa Hayes and Helen Chase. Also, He worked alongside Rick Hunter to rescue Lynn Minmey. During this campaign, Archer pursued the warlord Zeraal, who was working to sabotage Earth's rebuilding efforts. By 2015, he was the commander of Wolf Squadron.

Later in that year, Jack was trapped in a space fold with Zeraal. Zeraal was killed by Jack, and was left to suffocate in space, likely to die.


Special Character Traits:  Jack should cost 10 pts and grant +1 PIL and may re-roll one Dodge roll per turn.

Jack's Veritech:

Jack's veritech can be any model from 1A to 1S (leader of wolf squadron).  See VF-1R option 2 on pg 97.
 



Hiro Ishi:

Although Hiro Ishi was several years younger than Jack Archer, the two were classmates at the Robotech Academy where they became  friends admiring the skills of the other. After graduation, Hiro was assigned to a Destroid Tomahawk onboard the SDF-1 and was subsequently stranded onboard during the accidental hyperspace fold. While Jack remained on Earth, Hiro was defending the SDF-1 against constant Zentradi attacks. These initial experiences tainted his view of the Zentraedi and viewed them as little more than animals not deserving of any mercy.

After the Zentraedi bombardment of the Earth, Hiro and Jack were reunited at Base-6. At one point, Hiro wanted to kill a Zentradi instead of let it live. Jack stopped him, and earned the trust of the Zentradi, Skarrde, who later bacame a spy for the RDF. Their friendship was strained at times because of Hiro's attitude towards the Zentraedi and his inferiority complex with his Destroid assignment.


Special Character Traits:  Hiro should cost 10 pts and gains Accurate with his Tomahawk's Heavy Particle Accelerator Cannons.  His hatred of the Zentradi allows him to re-roll one Strike roll per turn when fighting Zentradi.

Hiro's Tomahawk:

 Hiro's Tomahawk is more Desert Yellow/Mustard in color than your standard tomahawk and with dark grey missile pods and accents.


Izzy Randal:
Izzy Randal was a friend and fellow pilot of Jack Archer.

Izzy, Hiro Ishi, and Jack all attended the Robotech Academy together. While Jack and Hiro could be argued as the best pilots coming out of their graduating class, the same could not be said for Izzy. Although possessing adequate piloting skills, her easy going manner provided the glue to keep the group together often soothing the bruised egos of Jack or Hiro. She and Hiro were both on board the SDF-1 during her return voyage where she honed her fighting skills. After the Zentraedi Bombardment, Izzy, Jack and Hiro were assigned to Base-6 where the group quickly renewed their prior friendship.

Izzy was shot down by the angry Zentradi pilot Kiyora, who wanted revenge on Jack for defeating her. Izzy returned to battle after recouperating in the hospital, and was captured by Kiyora. Kiyora threatend to kill Izzy if Jack didn't fight her. Jack killed Kiyora in response. After recovering in the hospital, she helped Jack look for Hiro after a battle, even though they weren't authorized to go on said mission.


Special Character Traits:  Izzy should cost 5 pts and grant +1 Leadership


Izzy's Veritech:

Izzy's VF-1A has essentially the same color pattern as Jacks, but in green. See VF-1R option 3 on pg 97.



Coming Soon:  Part 2 - The Villains

(Updated Nov 28/14)

Rescuing Lisa pt 4.

Why?

Because I could.

You saw it here first!

I give you 6mm Lynn Minmay and Lisa Hayes (Bye-Bye Mars Vacuum Suit)

Made from Z scale civilian rail road miniatures.

Basic Vallejo Colors for RRT

My Showdown pledge is due to arrive this week, so I stopped off at my LHS to purchase some paints.  I settled for the following Vallejo paints.  Note that I don't do layering so I went with some basic colors which I will add an Army Painter wash to later.

 
Zentradi Battle Pods:

•   Electric Blue
•   Dead White
•   Cold Grey
•   Bloody Red

Officer Pod:

• Cold Grey
• Stonewall Grey
• Bloody Red

 VF-1A 'Brownie':

•   Khaki
•   Dead White
•   Electric Blue (canopy)

Tomahawk:

•  Khaki
•  Earth 
• Electric Blue (spot light)

Defender:

•  Earth
•  Beasty Brown 
• Electric Blue (spot lights)

 
Spartan:

•  Dark Green
• Bloody Red
• Stonewall Grey

 
Phalanx:

• Desert Yellow
• 50/50 Cold Grey and Black
• Bloody Red
• Electric Blue (spot lights)

I hope you found this blog post helpful.  Happy painting.

Mass Mecha Combat Rules Update

Thanks to those who sent me some feedback regarding my one page rule set.  I made a few changes and the latest version is now available on my drop box


https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15577379/MASS%20MECHA%20COMBAT%20RULES%201.3.pdf


More updates to follow during the week.

One Page Mecha Combat Rules

I've been wargaming for 29 years now and frankly, I'm getting too old for complex rule sets.  As my mind and friends grow old and feeble, I have developed an affinity for one page wargame rules.  Yes, I admit that I have not had a chance to play the RRT rule set and will give it a try when I get my copy.  But there is a lot to be said for gathering with your friends, handing them a simple rule set and getting to the action within a matter of minutes.  No codex of rules to flip through.  Everything is on one page, double sided.

So I wrote my own set of 'One Page' Mecha combat rules for use with Robotech.

 (don't bother trying to read the pic, just download the rules below)

The concept is that they are short in length (one page), no book keeping (all you need are wound markers), fast play, easy to learn, and can facilitate combat on a mass scale (100 figs).  Just print off the rules sheet with the army faction page on the back.  I prefer to laminate mine for durability. 


You can download it here:  Mass Mecha Combat Rule

Give the rules a try if you want, and send me some feed back as it needs play testing.

* Fixed link to updated rule set

Rescuing Lisa pt 3.

Wow, what a productive morning.  With the news that my kickstarter pledge will be here in a week or two, I was jacked up on protoculture.

'If I can sit here waiting patiently, everybody can!'

First off, I made more progress with the Riber barracks.  I added some detail with plastic card, gave it a painting and here is where its at.  I'll need to paint on some windows so Lisa can be rescued from within.

Next I decided to paint on some roads as seen in episode 7.  I am glad that I did as it definitely makes it look more like a base.

 

The base is getting crowded now.  Lots of terrain to shoot and scoot behind.

Lastly, I completed some detail with the Bio-dome.

It now has an exterior hatch and some panels around the outside.  It still looks like crap to me, but will pass until I find a dome with the proper look to it.

Rescuing Lisa pt 2.

I have not had much time to work on the table terrain this week.  But I did manage to get Riber's barracks assembled.  Still lots to do with it.

Canadian RRT ships this week!  Yahoo!

Rescuing Lisa pt 1.

 I have always had a thing for Lisa Hayes and no Mars Base Sara campaign would be complete without a mission to rescue the Lt. Commander.

After a few views of the episode, Lisa (while lamenting over Karl Riber) looks to have been rescued from the below building by Rick Hunter.

So this afternoon, armed with my trusty X-acto knife and a sheet of foam board, I will start work on what looks to be one of the most complex buildings on the base.

Check back in a couple of days for a progress report.

Oh, and if you like the work I am doing on this blog, let me know by leaving a constructive comment below.

Back to the Workbench

I now have a few days off to work on my Mars Base project.  Word has it that my Showdown pledge may be shipping to Canada in the next two weeks.

First up, the hills were completed.

Next, Mars base gets a couple more bunkers.  These were made from wooden boxes and bits that I had.  The doors were made from a hirst-art sci-fi mold.  Radar dish is Monsterpocolypse I think.

Finally, I made a bit more progress on the Bio-dome.  Still more detail to add.  Overall, this is my least favorite piece.  Maybe more detail will improve its look.