I think I spilled some JRPG on my models...

I worked on the second grizzly and took a few pics.  Here's the previously mentioned Destroyer Grizzly variant built and converted:

The general basis for the fig is the RAFM assault grizzly but I've upgunned the bazooka to a heavy version as well as changed the other weapons to match the current rules.  The arm is the same but the original medium bazooka had to be clipped/filed off and the new one glued on.  The end result is a bit comically huge like a JRPG weapon which I wasn't expecting but the other one was a tad too small as well (especially since it'll be the weapon on a bunch of smaller trooper gears as well).  With the larger weapon size, the position of the engine cylinders actually became an issue for posing and the one I chose is basically the most level right arm pose I could get.  The waist was angled down initially and when I put the torso on the gear always looked like he was looking for a dropped coin or his keys on the ground... so I extended the waist a bit in the front which angled the torso up just enough.  I drilled a hole in the hand and put in a pack gun and added the usual bits including the same rocket launcher.  The rockets aren't actually WYSIWIG but the new rules simplified grizzly rockets all to the same statline so shouldn't be an issue.  The original strike grizzly is supposed to have a smaller rocket on each shoulder and the destroyer probably has them on the back of the engine (they're strangely never shown in the rpg art).  I had some bits lined up for the heavy spike gun on the left forearm, a spare fragcannon, and extra head bunny ear antenna but decided to go with the modern loadouts instead.  Here's a group photo with the Rabid Grizzly...

Next up (probably tomorrow) will be the Crossbow Grizzly blister that I'll also convert into a Thunder command variant.  

RAFM Grizzlies spotted incoming!

So it took me a few days but I cracked open a few of the blisters.  As the grizzlies were some of my favorite, I decided to open those first and start on the core of a fire support squad.  I didn't notice it at first but my rabid grizzly was a strange mispack as it was both missing bits and included USED bits from another kit with 20 year old yellowed super glue on the bottom of the head!  I guess QA wasn't as tight as it is now back in the day (see more below).

I definitely remember the models as being prettier at least in the blister than they are in person 20 years later.  Besides just the missing/swapped used piece above, there are frequent mould lines and minor slips as well (especially on the rocket pods).  The sculpting while nice is very antiquated at times, especially on the rocket packs.  The packs look like someone just took a needle and kinda sorta poked holes in semi dry green stuff, eyeballing the angles, number, and orientation.. and that's probably what actually happened, lol!  Pegs on arms simply don't fit into the holes on the shoulders and flat joint surfaces are convex instead.  There's definitely alot more prep involved in the classic models than compared with modern (soon to be replaced) metal Blitz scale offerings. 

Initially, I had a hard time deciding which variants to actually build and exactly how to build them.  For instance, I have an assault grizzly pack with all the necessary bits to build a 1st edition RPG loadout assault grizzly.  I could do that but the variant no longer exists in the upcoming Blitz rules.  Instead, the only bazooka armed Grizzly in the new rules is the "destroyer" variant which was an upgrade of the assault grizzly with an even bigger bazooka.  No problem, right?  Except that the loadouts for everything but the bazooka have changed for the "destroyer" in the 20 years since.  The Hbzk is the same but the rocket packs changed location and type, the mortar magically reappeared, the heavy spike gun reverted down to just a simple knife, and the frag cannon (think mecha sized shotgun) turned into a pack gun (think mecha sized uzi).  Of course, the pack contains almost none of the above.  Looking through my 20 year old bits pile (some original rafm bits were still in my 40k ork bits pile!), I found some needed parts so that I wouldn't have to open another blister just yet and scrounged the rest from the other grizzly packs (assuming they were extra there).  I decided to go with the modern loadouts whenever possible.  Sometimes I was restricted by the actual physical size/position of the parts, other times they just weren't available, and in one case I just wanted to change the asthetics. 

I started with the Rabid Grizzly as I initially thought it was the variant with the least amount of changes necessary.

As you can see, I put some green stuff on the front of the ugly pin hole rocket pack; I'm going to try instead to just paint on the rocket pips.  I initially tried some quick impression sculpting (pushing some existing modern rocket packs into the still wet green stuff) but it didn't work well so I just flattened out the surface instead.  Also, in the original RPG art (and the Rafm models), the angular northern gears had curvy rocket pods whereas the curvy southern gears had angular pods.  I decided to reverse that to have the aesthetics match.  You can see the original hex base that came with the models as well as some optional bits that I'm considering using.  Even back in the original Rafm days, the gears spilled over the edges of their bases.  I think I'll instead base them on 40-50mm round bases (which actually would be legal in current blitz!).  I'm also considering adding the grenades and ammo cannister to the model as shown below (on the butt plate and forearms) but I'm not sure if it'll end up making the model too "busy".  Finally, the head is technically incorrect but it kind of matches the "extra armor" motiff of the variant (you can see the correct distinctive head when I post the destroyer variant).  I also added an extra armor plate over each shoulder joint to give it more of a tough look.

I'm a little torn on that as they'd cover up the distinctive butt plate design of the gears.  If I did it for one gear then I'd probably put extra ammo for each one in that weapon (and they do that occasionally with the current metal scuplts as well).  Particularly eagle eyed HG experts might notice that I cut off the butt plate from the engine (they're moulded as one piece) to give the model a bit more variety in posing.  I'm not as much of a fan of keeping everything in back all in exact alignment and apparently neither is the current staff at the company as they have had them moulded separately since.  Thanks again and let me know your thoughts if any on the addition of the bits issue.

Apologies for the absence!

It's been a while since I updated the blog and it might be a bit longer before I put anything up with real substance.  It hasn't been a particularly good 18 months for my gaming hobby and the lack of actual games has resulted in frankly a lack of enthusiasm in building and painting models to use in those non-existent games.  I've never liked the Apocalypse all the time! direction 40k has taken in the last two short lived editions and Halo Fleet Battles and Robotech both failed to launch locally (and seemingly worldwide as well).   Heavy Gear has had some hurdles (some avoidable, others not) but is progressing SLOWLY but at least the end of that project is in sight sometime late this summer or early Autumn.

Finally, my FLGS (friendly local game store) announced that they were closing permanently so my chances of actually finding new opponents to try out games I'm interested in has dropped significantly as has the possibility of spontaneous gaming with friends and acquaintances.  The next closest store (roughly 70 miles away directly across a major US metro city) that I'm familiar with is just too far to travel without a definitive game scheduled ahead of time with a reliable opponent (that last part being an issue in the past).   For UK readers, the "club" model just doesn't really work well in most of the US including mine so that isn't a realistic workaround either.  Neither I nor any gaming friends have enough terrain to host games ourselves for the most part (barring some space terrain and cardstock buildings) so that is largely out.  My tabletop hobby always has been centered around the neighborhood (or in my case 25 miles away) FLGS. 

I made my first major new gaming acquisition in a long time (since my Halo Fleet Battles starter mid 2015 iirc) with the purchase of some original larger scale Rafm Heavy Gear minis.  I'm frankly not sure what I'll do with them (Build/paint them?  Sell them?  A bit of both?) and in hindsight the purchase was largely fueled by nostalgia more than any concrete hobby project plan.  I've still got the same 40k Tau broadside sitting on my painting desk although I have base coated and black wash lined the model since last posting about it.  If I start back with anything, it would be finishing that model and therefore the WWII themed formation it is a part of.  That's it for now and I'll leave you guys and gals with a few quick pics of my recent RAFM haul.

I now have more of those original scale models than I did back in the 1990's and I'm left with the classic toy quandry... do I open them up to look at and play with them or keep them in the original packaging to keep their value up!   I suppose that is a good problem to have.  :)