Daemonscape Dropships, Reduced Zombies and Broadside 2012

Daemonscape Dropships
I took a punt on a little company called Daemonscape.

I have a nice little Dropship model, the ZHI-111 Chinese Assault Lander by Combat Wombat, and I am very pleased with it. But, in reality, it is only really large enough to hold a squad of guys, and you can’t get a vehicle inside it.

I had heard that Terry from Daemonscape had taken on Ground Zero Games’ resin moulds a little while ago when GZG Jon decided to get out of resin. Then on TMP, I saw a photo of the GZG56 Dropship – one of these models. Originally a 25/28mm scale model, the poster, Felonmarmer had inverted the command deck by accident and turned the ship into a 15mm scale model.

Front to Back: Buffalo, Daemonscape; ZHI-111,
Combat Wombat; Big Rig, Daemonscape -
15mm GZG UNSC Marine for scale

Some time passed and then while noodling around on the interweb, I investigated Daemonscape’s website and found Terry’s 6mm model range. I picked up a MT28 Big Rig (the flying brick) and a MT32 Buffalo Troop transport (and a set of 25mm scale cargo containers). Terry’s service and communication were great and my models arrived, very well packed, this week.

Big Rig, Daemonscape, with two Kaamados Gekotaa
Armoured Cars, Critical Mass Games, and a GZG
UNSC Marine

Both the Big Rig and the Buffalo work surprisingly well in 15mm, much to my relief – the cockpit windows appear to be about the size one would expect on a modern jet airliner. The Buffalo is about the size of the ZHI-111 Assault Lander from Combat Wombat and works as an infantry lander or a civilian shuttle. The Big Rig would carry two Critical Mass Games Kaamados Gekotaa Aromoured Cars, or similar sized vehicles, as well was a squad of infantry, or a platoon of squaddies and their kit.

As you can see from these photos, the Buffalo is a lovely little lander, while the Big Rig is a great big brute, even if the hull is actually hollow. I blue-tacced the Big Rig together for these shots and, while Terry has sanded the parts very nicely, I will need to do a little filling to get the best finish on the ship.

And, yes, perhaps I could have built a Big Rig myself, but the likelihood is that I would have never completed it. This way, I have a well-cast, sturdy model which I only have to paint. And Avamango’s recommendation of CorSec Engineering’s heavy duty flight stand for this model gives me the option of depicting it in flight as well.

The cockpit of the Big Rig looks in-scale for 15mm. GZG UNSC
Marine and Critical Mass Games Kaamados Gekotaa Armoured Car
in comparison

Top: Combat Wombat ZHI-111 Assault Lander
Bottom: Daemonscape Buffalo Troop Transport 

Left to Right:
Combat Wombat ZHI-111 Assault Lander
Daemonscape Buffalo Troop Transport
Daemonscape Big Rig
15mm GZG UNSC Marine lying on the back of the Buffalo
and Critical Mass Games Kaamados Gekotaa at rear of
Big Rig for scale

The cargo containers, which I didn’t take a picture of, are 28mm wide x 28mm high. The small one is 28mm long, a cube; the middle-sized one is 57mm long; while the large one is 88mm long. Against a 15mm figure, they look very much like proper containers and the large one could almost be a portacom with the addition of a door and windows.

---

Reduced Zombies
Now, some of you are probably aware that Zombiesmith is currently having a 15% off sale. This runs until the end of June and could be just opportunity to pick up those 15mm Quar that everyone is always saying they “really must get to use as low tech troops”. In July, unfortunately, reality bites and both figure prices and postage will increase, so get in early as post-June moaners will be ignored.

---

Broadside 2012
And a final reminder for our UK friends that Broadside 2012 is on this Sunday 10 June in Sittingbourne, Kent, England. The Blogging community has picked up the standard for getting the word out about this show after the organisers were rather badly let down by two of the three major UK Wargames magazines.

For Science Fiction gamers, Brigade Models, MJ Figures, Ainsty Castings, and Mongoose Publishing will be attending, along with up to 32 other traders, 14 clubs and 26 games – I assume demo or participation games – which sounds like pretty good value for a 3 quid entry fee. If anyone would like to send in photos, we’ll post the best ones. If you do want to send in a photo, using an image manipulation programme to reduce its size to a maximum width or height of 500 pixels is a big help.

- David