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Zebraoutrider digs a Stargrave (Spring Clean Challenge 2022 – Part 2… and Beyond!)

Zebraoutrider digs a Stargrave (Spring Clean Challenge 2022 – Part 2… and Beyond!)

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Project Blog by zebraoutrider Cult of Games Member

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About the Project

From the community that keeps giving… inspiration has arrived in the form of Joseph A. McCullough’s Stargrave. I’ve loads of sci-fi miniatures so as a second quick Spring Clean (2022) I’m creating a playable crew for Stargrave based on the rules and also clearing some of my pile of shame! Eventually I’ll turn this into a narrative blog of their adventures…

This Project is Active

Hunters assembled… Destination set…

Tutoring 1
Skill 5
Idea 4
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—{^^^+*##}~|~~|~~|~\\++——//  Pho’Tan - “The Red Maiden” spoke very little but in reality she didn’t need to as her precognitive sight meant she was always ahead of Ranger Timund’s orders - a skill which unnerved but also was admired by the veteran bounty hunter. The Barracuda was technically her vessel, but the Rangers had requisitioned it eight yarns past and she had integrated into the crew without a single word of objection. The Red Maiden - Pilot (Wargames Foundry, Warmonger Miniatures VIN043 Deus Sister)—{^^^+*##}~|~~|~~|~\\++——// Pho’Tan - “The Red Maiden” spoke very little but in reality she didn’t need to as her precognitive sight meant she was always ahead of Ranger Timund’s orders - a skill which unnerved but also was admired by the veteran bounty hunter. The Barracuda was technically her vessel, but the Rangers had requisitioned it eight yarns past and she had integrated into the crew without a single word of objection. The Red Maiden - Pilot (Wargames Foundry, Warmonger Miniatures VIN043 Deus Sister)
//:—(6789034-45//:)——-//: Beta::0meg//[DELETE].~.  Five solar clicks to Outpost 37…//:—(6789034-45//:)——-//: Beta::0meg//[DELETE].~. Five solar clicks to Outpost 37…
Hunters assembled… Destination set…
Hunters assembled… Destination set…
This is the Second Stargrave crew to act as an set of bounty hunters to track Soolyn and her crew of biomorphs. This crew is cyber related with three robots and actually a pilot which could or could not be an android as well. Five miniatures from Diehard, one from Wargames Foundry and and old Wyrd Miniatures from 1st Edition Malifaux.  Wanted to get a sense of uniformity and opted for Zandri Dust and Steel Legion Drab as the base colours on top of a PlastiKote Matt Black undercoat spray. I’m using my usual dirty dry brushing techniques with Wraithbone added to the browns and Sepia wash to bring out the details. Spot colour is Lothern blue and the Mephiston Red with Drakenhof Blue and Carroburg Crimson washes. The bases are from Scibor Ancient Ruins range with additional plants from Serious Play. I used a couple of GW Bretonnian transfers for the fleur-de-lys and Tamiya tank transfers for the insignia on Warbot A-23. Bases and minis were lightly dusted with FW light rust weathering powder. Overall around 20 hours of prep and very enjoyable painting and reducing the pile of shame! I think squad/crew based activities are the way forward to achieve my goals and not turn my hobby into a chore. Another team may already be waiting our escapees and their pursuers on Outpost 37… we will have to wait and see…This is the Second Stargrave crew to act as an set of bounty hunters to track Soolyn and her crew of biomorphs. This crew is cyber related with three robots and actually a pilot which could or could not be an android as well. Five miniatures from Diehard, one from Wargames Foundry and and old Wyrd Miniatures from 1st Edition Malifaux. Wanted to get a sense of uniformity and opted for Zandri Dust and Steel Legion Drab as the base colours on top of a PlastiKote Matt Black undercoat spray. I’m using my usual dirty dry brushing techniques with Wraithbone added to the browns and Sepia wash to bring out the details. Spot colour is Lothern blue and the Mephiston Red with Drakenhof Blue and Carroburg Crimson washes. The bases are from Scibor Ancient Ruins range with additional plants from Serious Play. I used a couple of GW Bretonnian transfers for the fleur-de-lys and Tamiya tank transfers for the insignia on Warbot A-23. Bases and minis were lightly dusted with FW light rust weathering powder. Overall around 20 hours of prep and very enjoyable painting and reducing the pile of shame! I think squad/crew based activities are the way forward to achieve my goals and not turn my hobby into a chore. Another team may already be waiting our escapees and their pursuers on Outpost 37… we will have to wait and see…

Launch imminent…

Tutoring 2
Skill 4
Idea 4
No Comments
—:;;)675…..——///@@@@@—-//::  “Millie… awaken the droids and get the Red Maiden to prep for take-off in 30 clicks. We’ve got a loco of Outpost 37. Two terminations and eight reclaims for the Corvex Ministry.”—:;;)675…..——///@@@@@—-//:: “Millie… awaken the droids and get the Red Maiden to prep for take-off in 30 clicks. We’ve got a loco of Outpost 37. Two terminations and eight reclaims for the Corvex Ministry.”
//—-(:/)—##*~~~  Millie Bryte (who claimed to be from Sheffield Steelhead but is on the Shellsea squad listings) stubbed out her own Whackback, readjusted the harness on the cyber hound Struppi and initiated the reboot protocols. A-23 loomed over her like a protective giant, picked up Struppi like a newborn infant along with his detached and mangled front paw and headed off in the direction of the engine roar of the Barracuda. The repairs to the Rangers’ best tracker would have to be finished en route.  Millie Bryte - Barracuda First Mate (Diehard Miniatures)//—-(:/)—##*~~~ Millie Bryte (who claimed to be from Sheffield Steelhead but is on the Shellsea squad listings) stubbed out her own Whackback, readjusted the harness on the cyber hound Struppi and initiated the reboot protocols. A-23 loomed over her like a protective giant, picked up Struppi like a newborn infant along with his detached and mangled front paw and headed off in the direction of the engine roar of the Barracuda. The repairs to the Rangers’ best tracker would have to be finished en route. Millie Bryte - Barracuda First Mate (Diehard Miniatures)
Struppi - Cyberhound (Diehard Miniatures)Struppi - Cyberhound (Diehard Miniatures)
A-23 - Warbot (Diehard Miniatures)A-23 - Warbot (Diehard Miniatures)

The Mark…

Tutoring 0
Skill 4
Idea 4
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T9.  ———-////—[I.N.C.O.M.I.N.G]~~~#\\\———-  “Saddle-up! R-n-R’s over… we’ve got a mark…” Chief Ranger Timund flicked the transcriber to close and got to his feet. Looking around the old temple on Terrex IV, Deputy Kurtwood Smith was lighting up his umpteenth Whackback whilst reassembling the magnifier on his Glockenspiel 300SSX and Scout Mango was still examining the orb they’d repatriated from their last mark Phillipo Wald, who happened to be on vacation visiting the old temple to recover his ill gotten acquisitions. T9. ———-////—[I.N.C.O.M.I.N.G]~~~#\\\———- “Saddle-up! R-n-R’s over… we’ve got a mark…” Chief Ranger Timund flicked the transcriber to close and got to his feet. Looking around the old temple on Terrex IV, Deputy Kurtwood Smith was lighting up his umpteenth Whackback whilst reassembling the magnifier on his Glockenspiel 300SSX and Scout Mango was still examining the orb they’d repatriated from their last mark Phillipo Wald, who happened to be on vacation visiting the old temple to recover his ill gotten acquisitions.
Chief Ranger Timund (Diehard Miniatures)Chief Ranger Timund (Diehard Miniatures)
Kurtwood Smith - Sniper (Wyrd Miniatures - Hans 1st Edition)Kurtwood Smith - Sniper (Wyrd Miniatures - Hans 1st Edition)
Scout Mango - Hunter (Diehard Miniatures)Scout Mango - Hunter (Diehard Miniatures)

Heading to Outpost 37…

Tutoring 6
Skill 9
Idea 10
2 Comments

—-//—-345–//—678—/::(:;)—

The eight fugitives emerged from the crates in the cargo hold of the Delta Flyer 88. It looked like Ford and Tarlone Moon had kept up their bargain. Next port of call Outpost 37…

The Crew of Delta Flyer 88 - “The Greyhound”The Crew of Delta Flyer 88 - “The Greyhound”
Heading to Outpost 37…
Heading to Outpost 37…
Heading to Outpost 37…
Heading to Outpost 37…

—-//::—-()))—-//##—

Soolyn Viers winked at Gina Bee and looked around at her new mixed bunch of companions. This could be something great here… it’s just like having a good ol’ spring clean to dust of the detritus of life and to start a new…

The great escape…

Tutoring 6
Skill 8
Idea 8
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-######—-//////——-:::-//

Soolyn Viers realised that the only way off this hell hole of a torture chamber in space was to commandeer a supply transport. She hoped that her seductive skills would help as she approached the pilot and his co-pilot in the hanger bay…

Ford - Trooper PilotFord - Trooper Pilot
Tarlone Moon - Co-Pilot SniperTarlone Moon - Co-Pilot Sniper
Everyone has their motive or their price…Everyone has their motive or their price…

And then there were eight desperadoes…

Tutoring 5
Skill 7
Idea 7
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—————-#————///—-/—

It turned out that the yellow beast had a twin and it was his brother that Borux sought out using his expert sense of smell. Soolyn couldn’t distinguish anything other than they smell of a bad case of flatulence, but Borux indicated that his brother was not dead, merely rehydrating in the sewage bath… In any case Mox’s two cell-mate companions Flits McGruder and Cycoll Monk had declined a dip in the wet, brown tank, favouring instead to remove the weapons from the cell guards that had not faired well on their encounter with S’Pang-Dax and K’Tra-Mai…

Mox - RecruitMox - Recruit
Flits McGruder - RunnerFlits McGruder - Runner
And then there were eight desperadoes…
Cycoll Monk - RunnerCycoll Monk - Runner
And then there were eight desperadoes…

The First Mate casts a spell…

Tutoring 5
Skill 7
Idea 7
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——###——-/-////——-;:-

Gina Bee stretched her arms and proceeded to wretch, narrowly avoiding Soolyn Viers’ well defined chest. “I hate cryogenic freezing… but I’m glad to see you!” Their embrace was short lived as K’Tra-Mai pointed at the sealed door leading to a dark void and an increasingly loud banging…

First Mate Gina Bee - PsyonicistFirst Mate Gina Bee - Psyonicist
The First Mate casts a spell…
The First Mate casts a spell…

#***—-3–;::///——

The door slid open and immediately motion detectors illuminated the inner sanctum. Strapped to an operating table was a very angry looking hulk who had managed to break free his left foot restraint and was pounding on the bench muttering “mox… mox… mox…”

Borux - Crew Case BreakerBorux - Crew Case Breaker
The crew had grown to five personnel - all with the same objective… escape!The crew had grown to five personnel - all with the same objective… escape!

Something slithers this way…

Tutoring 6
Skill 7
Idea 7
No Comments

—-//—-#——////—-

The sentry lock on the first cryogenic cubicle read Homo Sapiens splice Heterodon platirhinos 02234591 and on the second cubicle Homo Sapiens splice Opheodrys vernalis 07659953. Both sentry screens flashed “Venomous and extremely dangerous.” I bet they are… thought Soolyn as she placed the orderly’s eyeball on the iris scanner.

K’Tra-Mai Crew MedicK’Tra-Mai Crew Medic
S’Pang-Dax Crew CodebreakerS’Pang-Dax Crew Codebreaker

Let’s go exploring…

Tutoring 5
Skill 6
Idea 6
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#—-//—-/————//-#—-

Merging from the non-descript background of the corridor, Soolyn Viers slipped into the changing room behind the orderly and with the speed of a spitting cobra, her prey had been stripped of her clothes and bundled in to a locker. The jumpsuit was perhaps a couple of sizes too small and although her now over-exaggerated and slinky body may prove a distraction to anyone she next encountered, it was a risk she had to take…

Let’s go exploring…
Let’s go exploring…
Let’s go exploring…
Let’s go exploring…

Picking a crew…

Tutoring 6
Skill 6
Idea 7
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When I say I’ve got a lot of Diehard miniatures, I mean I’VE REALLY GOT A LOT OF DIEHARD MINIATURES! Picking a crew was not easy as I thought and actually I could probably build at least three balanced crews if I thought about it. So, to follow the theme of Soolyn Viers being a biomorph, I selected the most alien-looking ‘heroes’…

Initially this is the crew, and one of the Snakemen could be the First Mate…Initially this is the crew, and one of the Snakemen could be the First Mate…
Actually, when sifting through the box of shame… I came across a fire Elementalist and thought if I add a GW space marine flame thrower to her back, she could be a Psionic First Mate? Actually, when sifting through the box of shame… I came across a fire Elementalist and thought if I add a GW space marine flame thrower to her back, she could be a Psionic First Mate?
An undercoat using black spray, and they will be ready for painting! Note I prefer to use PlastiKote Matt Black spray (400ml) as it tends to be half the price of GW’s Chaos Black spray and does just as good a job. An undercoat using black spray, and they will be ready for painting! Note I prefer to use PlastiKote Matt Black spray (400ml) as it tends to be half the price of GW’s Chaos Black spray and does just as good a job.

Captain Soolyn Viers

Tutoring 7
Skill 9
Idea 9
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According to the Stargrave rules, you should select your Captain first and select a background characteristic to provide some context for your leader.

Selecting a miniature from the Diehard Pile of Shame was relatively easy. She was the first one that came out of the box (I’ve got most of the entire Diehard catalogue of minis via the five or six KSs that have been run over the last five years or so) and hence I had left it to random fate to create the backstory to this fantastically detailed miniature sculpted by Tim Prow. So the miniature inspired the start of this narrative campaign…Selecting a miniature from the Diehard Pile of Shame was relatively easy. She was the first one that came out of the box (I’ve got most of the entire Diehard catalogue of minis via the five or six KSs that have been run over the last five years or so) and hence I had left it to random fate to create the backstory to this fantastically detailed miniature sculpted by Tim Prow. So the miniature inspired the start of this narrative campaign…
This is a white-metal casting in 28mm ‘scale’ and as with all Diehard Miniatures has an ‘Oldhammer’ style - a nostalgic throwback to the 1990s. She is a single piece casting and has very little flash requiring sanding down. I will mount her on a 30mm lipped base for painting and will decide later if I want to create a customised base or a pre-cast resin base. This is a white-metal casting in 28mm ‘scale’ and as with all Diehard Miniatures has an ‘Oldhammer’ style - a nostalgic throwback to the 1990s. She is a single piece casting and has very little flash requiring sanding down. I will mount her on a 30mm lipped base for painting and will decide later if I want to create a customised base or a pre-cast resin base.

I came up with the name Soolyn Viers actually for a Star Wars inspired Hero Forge character in the May 4th Be With You competition on BoW/OTT, and I liked the name so that’s who my crew’s leader will be called.

<———¥*—//———///——-*#>

SUBJECT:

Soolyn Viers is a Biomorph – a human who is not quite human anymore due to genetic manipulation. She was ‘grown’ like a lab rat on Science Base 12-92-X using the DNA from Homo Sapiens subject F843766G and spliced with DNA from Furcifer Pardalis subject T971255K.

The genetic manipulation appeared to work in that the combined organic construct FT894713726565GK or affectionately known as ‘Soolyn’ by the technicians was grown to maturity through the “Prow-Elliot-Williams-Luong” cryogenic accelerated masturation process (PEWLCAMP), which creates a viable life form of an equivalent Human age of 21 within a rapid three month period, and ‘on birth’ Soolyn was able to demonstrate the chameleon-like qualities expected alongside the sentient, intellectual standard of a human.

What Soolyn lacked was experience of the world beyond the laboratory and with the natural curiosity of Homo Sapiens and the hunger pains of the Furcifer Pardalis, Soolyn used her unique skills to elude the laboratory staff, as she exploited a timeout in the inspection routine and went exploring around the facility…

Inspirational Artwork…

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Skill 8
Idea 10
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The internal artwork from the Stargrave Core Rulebook will give me added inspiration. Artwork is credited to Helge C. Balzer, Michele Giorgi, Sam Lamont and Paolo Puggioni.

In the beginning…

Tutoring 10
Skill 9
Idea 12
No Comments

Heading towards the end of May comes the next KS from Diehard Miniatures. This will be sci-fi based, but I live in shame having box loads of unpainted Diehard Miniatures and will feel a tad guilty adding to this pile without reducing it first!

I was fascinated, intrigued and curious about all the positive promotions of Stargrave on BoW/OTT as a sci-fi equivalent to Frostgrave – a game I’d read about but not engaged with as I was preferring to remain loyal to the Mordheim environment.

I have become a tad disillusioned with GW’s Kill Team, on part by the price and redundancy of early additions that play on my FOMO, only for them to truly end up collecting dust on the shelf! Stargrave appears to provide me with that agnostic set up which will continue to ween me off GW and give meaning and value to the miniatures I’ve acquired over time from non-GW sources and encourage me to actually play with the finished models once painted.

So, I’ve acquired the core rule book from Osprey Games and have immersed myself into Stargrave and to create a fitting crew in the time left for the 2022 Spring Clean Challenge.

In the beginning…