A Call to War: Opfor from HELL - The Former 66th - "Litany Against Fear"

[Fear Factory]

The Former 66th - "Litany Against Fear"

I'm a revelation of your future and past
A manufactured descendant
A destined outcast
Man created me in mirror imagery
Man created me for the industry

*Click to enlarge*

I want to participate in this and throw in a curve ball with a home-brew Mercenary/Pirate unit I created for the late succession wars era.  If you want info about the background, pilots, etc. check here.  You will notice that the stats are different between this thread and the other...  this is because the previous version does not follow the rules for force building, at least traditionally.

In this thread, I will build my force using the rules of the contest, explain my reasoning behind the choices, take better pictures of the miniatures, and talk about the paint scheme.   :)

***

Litany Against Fear is a unit formed in the late succession wars era after the Ronin Wars.  Rebels that fought in the war split from the 66th (a unit of the Free Rasalhauge Republic I made up as well) and formed their own Merc/Pirate unit.  The unit was founded by Issac Van Houten and Rebecca Van Biezen.  They started with a lance of 'Mechs and expanded to become a 'Company' before their death at the hands of Clan Ghost Bear during the Clan Invasion.  'Company' being in quotations because they are often supported by vehicles piloted by local rebels they supply.  They are not a traditional mercenary unit... more like a hybrid Merc/Pirate band.  No Dragoons rating with these guys...  they do what they want when they want.  Sometimes a Merc, sometimes a Pirate Band, sometimes an illegal arms dealer supplying rebel uprisings.

First, the Command Lance:

*Click to enlarge*

Ancient beliefs
Are a curse on mankind
Theories of punishment
Leading the blind

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Command Lance 1

ASN-21 Assassin            Scout 2       23  -Commander, Tactical Genius
PNT-9R Panther            Brawler      3       24  Blood Stalker or Marksman
PNT-9R Panther            Brawler      3       24  Blood Stalker or Marksman
CLNT-2-3T Clint            Striker      4       19
With 3 different roles in the Lance they meet the Command Lance ideal role requirement.

This is an odd setup for a command lance because of how light it is.  With a fluff-driven unit, I'm not going for a 'good' army, I'm going for something flavorful. 

Issac Van Houten pilots an ASN-21 inherited from his father called "The Archetype."  The Assassin has become a legend of the unit because of it's uncanny ability to avoid fire and perform nasty physical attacks.  Some say it's the Assassin, others say that it's Issac's prowess, but all agree that it's dangerous.  Issac is also a great commander so the Tactical Genius ability fits.  The Panthers are often called "The Twins" and they are actually piloted by twins Olga and Katerina Polczyk.  They used to have heavier 'Mechs, but they were lost during the creation of Litany Against Fear.  As Issac's "bodyguards, there are two abilities I would use for them, depending on if the support lance is with them or not.  If the support lance is with them, blood stalker is the way to go because they can hunt with the harassers.  If the command lance is on their own, or not supported by the support lance, marksman will be my other choice.  The chance for a critical hit on heavier targets can pay off.  Either of these abilities reflect the skills of "The Twins" nicely.  Richard Kane, in his Clint, replaced Rebecca Van Biezen who used to be part of this lance until the unit expanded.  At this time he has a skill rating of 4, years before an injury and alcohol addiction that made him skill 5.

This brings us to the 2nd lance...  another Command Lance?!

*Click to enlarge*

There is only one path to peace...
EXTINCTION.

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Command Lance 2

CPLT-C1 Catapult           Missile Boat 2       47  -Commander, Tactical Genius
BNC-3E Banshee             Sniper       3       46  Combat Intuition
QKD-4G Quickdraw           Skirmisher   4       30  Antagonizer
WTH-1 Whitworth            Missile Boat 4       26
With 3 different roles in the Lance they meet the Command Lance ideal role requirement.

There is a reason I opted for 2 command lances.  If Issac or Rebecca are ever killed or separated the unit can still operate.  Also, they need two commanders because of the support from rioters/rebels they supply.

Rebecca Van Biezen is rumored to be the long lost child of Seargent Unther of Hansen's Roughriders known as 'Dead-Eye.'   Her personality is also similar.  She pilots the Catapult and is also very skilled.  The Banshee is piloted by Kal Gastopiv who is known for his quickness in battle, represented by the Combat Intuition ability.  The fast assault 'mech lacks firepower for its class but it is capable of brutal physical attacks.  Cora Vale joined the unit bringing her Quickdraw.  With the Antagonizer ability, she can draw targets and use her maneuverability to bring them to Kal and Rebecca.  Teegan Jones pilots the Whitworth who was captured by rebels lead by Litany.  She took Rebecca's offer and joined the unit instead of being dispossessed.

This is where having 2 command lances is useful.

If "command abilities" are in play, then Litany Against Fear gets the Overrun Combat ability.  After winning initiative, this allows Litany to move and shoot with a number of units dictated by the MoS.  EVEN before the enemy can react!  With 2 designated commanders (Issac and Rebecca), the ONLY way you are going to end this ability is if you drop the Catapult and Assassin when they are both in play.  And good luck with the Assassin... it's one of the hardest units to hit in the era.   >:D

Also, if the unit is split or if one of the command lances is lost/loses their ability you still have another one.  This keeps the Tactical Genius ability in play.  I'm not sure if the two Tactical Genius abilities stack when both command lances are on the board, or if there is some kind of bonus, but it's still a good ability to have if this isn't the case.  Plus, the unit is technically 2 companies at 2/3 strength, so expanding is not an issue in regards to their command ability.

Next up, the Support Lance:

*Click to enlarge*

I will never break or suffer your hate

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Support Lance

Harasser Missile Platform  Striker      4       14  -Gains ability of lance they support
Harasser Missile Platform  Striker      4       14
Harasser Missile Platform  Striker      4       14 
Harasser Missile Platform  Striker      4       14
There are no requirements for a support lance.

Litany Against Fear loves using Harassers and they try and put the better trained rebels in them.  They are cheap, extremely fast, and pack some good short/medium range firepower.  In numbers they can cause some serious damage.  However, they have barely any armor (1) and structure (2), so it is possible a single hit can take them out.

Support Lances are useful because they pick up the SPA's of the lance they support.  When they support command lances, they gain the two abilities in play, so there's another added bonus for having 2 command lances.  If this lance supports Command Lance 1 (Issac) 2 of the units will gain the Blood Stalker ability.  This is almost as good as a pursuit lance which can have 3 or 4 of these abilities.  If supporting Command Lance 2, 2 units (and only 2) will gain Combat Intuition and Antagonizer.  With their quickness, they can draw fire and destroy a target fast before it can react.

And finally, the Air Lance:

*Click to enlarge*

Tear away the scars
Away from my skin
Scrape me to the bone
It fuels my revenge

Code: [Select]

Air Lance

Manticore Heavy Tank       Brawler      5       25
Scorpion Light Tank        Brawler      5       10
Scorpion Light Tank        Brawler      5       10
Scorpion Light Tank        Brawler      5       10
SL-17 Shilone              Fire-Support 4       25
SL-17 Shilone              Fire-Support 4       25
With 4 non-infantry units this lance meets the air lance requirement.

There are no SPA's for the units in this type of formation.  The ability is actually the 2 fighters!  Shilones are great fighters that carry some good firepower and bomb load.  The Manticore and Scorpions are not very skilled but can still provide some extra firepower and sink initiative when needed.

All together, this adds up to  a PV of 400.

If quirks are allowed, I would apply "distracting" and "difficult to maintain" to all of the 'Mechs.  This is because the 'Mechs are beat up and very hard to repair.  Instead of taking time and fixing the issues they usually throw on spikes over battle damage.  Hence "distracting" as the second quirk.

***

Insulated to resist
My free will must exist
I will be the avalanche
Bringing your world to collapse!

[ColBosch]

"Did you see those mercenaries? They had two Command lances! Two...command...lances!"

[Fear Factory]

"Did you see those mercenaries? They had two Command lances! Two...command...lances!"

Ha.  I thought it was amusing...  It's fluff driven, at least.

It was difficult to scale down my unit from this:

*Click to enlarge*

Can't wait to make some good pictures and get a tutorial down for painting them.  I had fun with it.  Also, the picture doesn't include the mechanized and motorized infantry I finished.   #P

[Fear Factory]

Disclaimer:  I am in NO WAY a pro with painting.  So, there are undoubtedly better methods and paints to use.  This is what I had, and what I did, and it worked...

***

For my paint scheme I relied on several colors:

Testors White Primer
Testors Flat Black Acrylic
Testors Gloss White Acrylic
Testors Charcoal Gloss Acrylic
Testors Flat Dark Gray Acrylic
Testors Silver Gloss Acrylic
Testors Neon Green Enamel
Testors Dark Blue Acrylic
My wife's dark red nail polish (no joke, it worked!)
Testors Dullcoat

I also relied on a few other things:

Various size cheap brushes from Hobby Lobby
Pin vice .23 bit (I think, don't remember)
Hobby knives
Elmer's School Glue
Tan gravel/railroad terrain
Staples
Tips off of cheap black combs
Krazy Glue
Black sharpie

One of my goals was to paint an ENTIRE mercenary unit.  I had almost NO experience painting and I was determined to do this.  Alpha Strike really rekindled my interest in BattleTech and pushed me to accomplish this goal.  My real issue was a budget.  I already owned all of the 'Mechs so all I had to do was purchase the vehicles.

This is how I did it.  As I post more pictures I'll get into more detail.

1) Clean, base and prime miniature.

Basically, took a hobby knife and removed any noticeable mold lines.  Glued all pieces together.  Then washed the mini and let it dry.  Glued the non-starter 'Mechs onto hex bases.  The starter 'Mechs were already based, which is why you will see pictures with different base sizes.

With the larger bases, I was able to get a better grip, so I took the pin vise and drilled holes where antennas would go on some of the 'Mechs.  Once the hole was deep enough, I threw in a staple, glued and cut it.

This is also where I added spikes to the 'Mechs.  All I did was use a hobby knife to cut tips off of cheap plastic combs.  I used a pair of tweezers and some krazy glue and added them on the shoulders of the 'Mechs.  The vehicles did not get spikes.

Finally, after verifying that the humidity outside was good, sprayed on a liberal amount of primer.  DO THIS OUTSIDE or in a well ventilated room.  Do it on a flat and clean surface.

2) Base coat

I went over each unit with black paint using a medium sized brush.  This didn't take too long.

3) Drybrush 1

I drybrushed each unit with the charcoal gloss.  It was very hard to see it on the black paint, but I think this is what gave my units the gritty look they have, which did turn out to be a good thing.

4) Drybrush 2

I went over each unit, again, this time using the dark gray.  It brightened the mini's up a lot and a lot of the details started to show.

5) Highlighting

I started with the white panels using a small brush.  Just chose random spots, honestly.  Then I went over some of the gun barrels, missile launchers, and jump jet exhaust ports with the silver gloss.  After that, I used the neon green for lasers, dark blue for PPC's, and black for ballistic, missile, treads/wheels, and exhaust ports.  I also used black for the cockpits, spikes and antennas.  For the spikes, I let the black paint slide down onto the mini kind of sloppy so it looked like battle damage.  I dry brushed the tips with a bit of silver gloss.  AND finally, busted out the nail polish and made random marks on each unit.  No real patterns or methods, just going for coolness.

6) Basing

Very inexperienced here.  I filled each base with the elmer's glue and dumped on the railroad gravel.  The gravel overflowed over the hex bases, not the glue.  Now, I just waited for a day for the glue to dry.  If there was any sinkage I didn't like I added more glue and gravel.

Also, this is where I glued each vehicle onto their base.  I had to do the painting and basing first.  Some people don't use bases for vehicles but I did it because I like it.  Also, bases are important for me because I use hex maps for Alpha Strike.  It's aesthetically pleasing.

7) Sealing (?)

Making sure the humidity was OK outside first...  and it was...  I sprayed each unit with a lot of dullcoat.

8 ) Unit marking

I was EXTREMELY lazy here, so I took a fine tip sharpie and drew the "double F's" on the white paneling.  This HAD to be done after the dullcoat dried otherwise the marker would smear.

***

So, that's Litany in a nutshell.  As I post better pictures, I'll get into more detail...  The Assassin actually has a blade on its left forearm that could be considered a 'kit bash' depending on how you look at it.  The Catapult is also made using the lower half of the C4 model and the top half of the C1 model.  C1 has some gross legs...

I have to reiterate how important it is that you make sure the temperature and humidity is good outside when you spray primer and dullcoat on miniatures.  If you don't do this, you will get a 'sand paper' kind of look and will have to do it over.  This happened to my vehicles.  To remove the primer, soak your minis in a bowl of simple green overnight.  Then use a soft toothbrush and run the mini under warm water to remove it.  There might be a better method but it worked for me.  I've also heard of dullcoat turning yellow.  I think this also has to do with the temperature and humidity.

Also, spray primer and dullcoat stink.  A LOT.  AND, the fumes are harmful depending on what you get.  Do it outside and don't breathe the fumes.

Some of my regrets?

- All the drybrushing I did not have to do.  This was WELL before I learned about washing... which would have cut my time in half.
- Not using an airbrush for primer and dullcoat.  The fumes are bad and it would have been nice to do this in a well-ventilated room with non-toxic paint.
- Lack of jeweling.  I could do this now... but I'm not confident.  Never did it before.

[Louie N]

Thanks for the write up

[jimdigris]

Well done!

[Fear Factory]

"You must never forget the essence of your spark.  All of that which defines you is the essence of your blood."

ASN-21 Assassin "The Archetype"



Issac Van Houten's personal ride and the relic of "Litany Against Fear."  This miniature is my favorite one I have ever painted even if it's not pro level.  Again, as I get better pictures, I will update them.

The only difference with this miniature is the "spike" off the left forearm:



It is a kitbash, and a very easy one.  I chopped the blade off of an old DnD figure I had and filed it down so it fit snugly on the forearm.  Little bit of glue and it turned out great!  Just used some gloss silver for the highlight so it sticks out more.

The spikes actually turned out great too:



I did them like the rest, however I used a larger tip for the center spike.

[Fear Factory]

"Seek out, and destroy the source of inhumanity."

CPLT-C1 Catapult "Soul Hacker"



The 2nd commander of the unit, Rebecca Van Biezen.  Her Catapult is a bash of 2 different models:  The Classic C1 and the C4.

It was pretty simple.  All I did was take a pin vice and drilled a hole into the top of the C4 hip and into the bottom of the C1 where the hip meets the torso.  I took a staple and cut it to fit.  Once together, I glued it.  Pretty sturdy, and it looks a lot better than the HUGE C1 legs (IMO).



This mini also has the most spikes.



I used a lot of the smaller tips...  tweezers made my life easier.   #P

[Fear Factory]

While it was sunny out I updated all of the photos (above).  I also, FINALLY, figured out how I wanted to build the unit!  I updated all of the fluff and unit info above. 

Tomorrow I plan on taking individual photos of the ASN-21 Assassin and CPLT-C1 Catapult....  I know the last two were pretty bad.   #P