I’ve finally completed my second ..Lance? Squadron? of Battletech Mechs. I don’t know enough of the background to really know the parlance properly. The chosen colour scheme for this set were inspired by a painted model on reddit. I was looking for WWII-inspired aircraft schemes due to the front cockpit of the Mad Cat and found an image where a poster had painted a Mad Cat in a military green with a red-painted cockpit.
I can’t find the original image now, but I took it and then combined it with the yellow/hazard stripe trim which I’m quite fond of (and have been since the original Rogue Trader-era 40k Marine Teminator Power Gloves). The military green also fits perfectly with another semi-related future project I’ve got planned. I probably need to go re-highlight the red on these. It was looking a bit washed out due to the highlights, so I glazed it back down, which certainly resaturated the red – but at the cost of the highlights! I could shade that yellow on the rocket pods down as well, but it looks fine in hand compared to overly bright in photos, so maybe/maybe not.
I of course chose the Mat Cat as the start of this Lance(?) because it’s one of the few non-Robotech-associated Mechs I easily recognise, along with the Atlas and maybe a couple of others. Second on the scene was the Catapult, chosen entirely because of it’s visual similarity to the Mad Cat. I’m not building lists based on synergy or power. Just aesthetics and Alpha Strike Point Costs.
Alpha Strike Point Costs? Well, yes. Since my limited tabletop gaming time often happens at home, I’ll typically collect assemble and paint an OpFor for whatever I’m painting. I wanted to roughly match the points value for my first set of Mechs, and I wanted the Mad Cat and the Catapult, so adding two more mechs with a total cost that totalled to “close enough” to that group gave me a few choices, and I selected the sort-of-aircraft-ish-cockpit Jenner, and the “works OK as a green army man” Commando as my second pair.
I think decals add a lot to military figures on top of freehand, etc, and so these got a simple Allied Star each, and some swedish number decals from my stash of WWII and Team Yankee stuff. I’ve got plenty of German/SS and Soviet decals, but I’m not so fond of using those symbols and icons outside of the historical context. Perhaps one day I’ll use some of the more generic symbols from there on some mechs, but not today.
I now have two little forces with which to learn how to play Alpha Strike with. I’ve aquired the next pair that will go to the Desert Tan group – a Rifleman and an Archer – both of which also have the Robotech connection. Then again, the deep green of today’s group fit the Archer’s Robotech “Gladiator” scheme more closely, so maybe things will paint out a little differently?
One final little “Easter Egg” in my paint schemes for both is that they’re linked by the hazard stripes – so if I end up playing against other people, there’s a visual link between my figures even if they have broadly different colour schemes. Once again, these models count towards Dave Stone’s Paint What You Got Challenge 25-26, (Don’t worry, Anne! – I’ve got assembly stuff coming up!)
Azazel's Bitz Box. 
Excellent work on the mechs, the color scheme looks great and really like the red face plate area, the fact that you can tie the two together with the hazard markings makes them more useful facing other people.
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Thanks Dave. I need to fill out these two forces slightly (mostly because I have some more Robotech-type models that need to be in Green and Tan) but then I’ll try a few more schemes.
Actually, Space Marine livery might be a good starting point for some colour combo inspiration!
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Nice!
I must have a look at Alpha Strike. I like the whole Battletech theme, but find it’s slow and complex, so something a bit easier might be good.
I did get into the Heroclix MechWarrior stuff a few years ago. No record keeping as it was all built into the figures.
Your two lances look lovely, and I like your hazard stripe link. Nifty!!!
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Thanks Frank. I’m hoping to get a game or two of Alpha Strike in over the next couple of weekends (this weekend didn’t work out) and possibly even a simple batrep/write-up.
Regular BT is way too chunchy for my patience these days, especially without something like a local regular group of veterans to babysit me into the game.
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All very nice! 🙂 The Catapult does go nicely with my favourite mech, the Mad Cat! I’ve got unpainted mechs and the Alpha Strike rules and it’s something I’ve been thinking about trying out (but don’t expect painted mechs from me anytime soon)!
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Thanks John! I’ve noticed from looking at these minis and artwork that a lot of the elements of the different mechs are repeated in slightly different configurations. “one of those with missile pods instead of gun arms – or vice versa” or the top half of one glued (bolted?) to the bottom half of a different mech.
I’m planning to b̶u̶l̶l̶y̶ convince Marouda into painting a few mechs. I figure contrast paints, paint pens, washes, drybrushing and possibly a couple of decals should be able to turn out something pretty solid.
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I think as a painting approach that sounds sensible. Mechs tend to have a lot of panelling lines on them to take washes and a few coloured panels and even just numbers would break the appearance up quite well.
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Lovely job – these look great mate! I know next to nothing about battletech, but I’ve always enjoyed the minis.
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Thanks Alex. I know a small amount and a few names of factions, mostly through osmosis. I don’t plan to learn much more, except for the simple Alpha Strike rules!
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Great work on these mate, I really like your Catapult, one of my favorite Mechs
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Thanks mate! I’m planning to get some mroe painted shortly. I need to expand both of these forces slightly, and also want to try a few new schemes as well!
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They look great! …and you’re reminding me that the “lance” (according to the box) sitting on my bookshelf needs paint!
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Thanks Tarmor. I know some of the BT units are called Lances, but not really which ones or what the others are (and clearly too lazy to do 5mins of google-based research). 😀
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Nice!
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Cheers mate!
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Very nice. Agree about the military green and hazard stripes–very nice combo. Battletech is quite tempting too but luckily(?) I have too many unfinished projects to start another one.
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Yeah makes complete sense. It was the combination of the simplified Alpha Strike rules I may be able to actually get around to playing, the “Robotech” factor and getting a cheap LI/AT collection allowing for dual-use terrain. Also having the printer to make my own terrain for relatively cheap…
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Yeah I have to admit the Alphastrike stuff is tempting. My son has shown a vague interest so if he commits I may still go ahead with some Battetech!
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Yeah the plan is to get some Alpha Strike played (finally) in the next couple of weeks. I’ll probably try to do some sort of batrep with my “new to the game but not enough patience/brainpower for OG battletech” perspective.
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I don’t know if I like mechs or tanks better… I’d probably give mechs a slight edge but its a close competition. So when I say that the picture of the two forces facing off is beautiful, you know I really mean it! 🙂 I do like the green and yellow color scheme as it fits something futuristic like mechs nicely as well.
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Haha thanks mate – well I’ll have to be sure and get some more Mechs and Tanks painted in the next few weeks – especialy to make some use of all these epic buildings I’ve been getting finished!
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