The Work Bench #3 - More Gamecraft Miniatures Buildings

These are the other two MDF terrain pieces I purchased from Gamecraft Miniatures. Much of what I wrote about the Small Cargo Module applies here: 15mm, made for Ambush Alley's Tomorrow’s War, and expect a wood smoke smell after getting the parts out the package.



The larger piece is named the Garage/Shop Module (15MTW003) and has the Optional Raised Detail (15MTW003-1) added. The cargo door and the building itself are a little small to hold most 15mm vehicles, so I'm not sure about calling it a garage. It works fine as a workshop or storage building, though.

The Small Module (15MTW001) also has the Optional Raised Detail (15MTW001-1) offered for this piece. It could represent a small residence, office, or storage building by itself. On the other hand, Gamecraft Miniatures made it just the right size for another option: stack it on top of a larger piece in the same product line. Placed on the Garage/Shop Module, it becomes a second story office or on-site residence.



Assembly was fairly simple, but I did run into an issue not present on the Small Cargo Module. I used super glue for the initial assembly followed by watered down craft glue to seal off any gaps. The roof and corners were still uneven after assembly. The MDF parts fit together well, but not perfectly, resulting in small gaps. I spread some filler (the same stuff used to fit holes in drywall) over the top and on the corners. A day and a little sanding later, the issue was mostly resolved. Some of the gaps can still be seen, but are not really noticeable at table top distances.

I used almost the same painting methods as on the Small Cargo Module. The only difference was going easy on the weathering for these pieces. I wanted them to look used, but still kept up.

The laser etched detailing is pretty good. It is deep enough to be seen after painting, especially if using thinned paints and washes.

The optional raised detailing does add to appearance of the pieces. It has a much stronger effect than the laser etching and is clearly visible even from across the room. It also almost doubles the cost of each piece. Personally, I like the optional detailing, but I can see how the choice between it and more pieces for roughly the same price might be an issue for some folks.

Overall, these are good, solid pieces that I'm looking forward to putting on the table. I plan on buying more when time and finances permit.

The Work Bench #2 - Gamecraft Miniatures Small Cargo Module

I picked up three of Gamecraft Miniatures' 15mm scale MDF terrain pieces during one of their recent sales. The ones I purchased were made for Ambush Alley's Tomorrow’s War game. That said, there is nothing so distinctive about these pieces that they can't be used for any futuristic game.

This particular piece is a Small Cargo Module (15MTW031). Not being familiar with assembling and painting MDF, I decided to use it as a test piece before working on the other two (which will be seen in a later post).

The piece came unassembled in a plastic bag. I noticed a strong, smoky smell immediately after unsealing the bag. This is to be expected as the parts are laser cut wood. It wasn't unpleasant, but the smell was still noticeable days after taking the parts out of the package.

Assembly was straightforward. Test fitting revealed that the parts fit together well. The piece went together quickly and without a struggle. I used super glue to hold the parts together during assembly. After the super glue set completely, I applied watered down craft glue to the seams to strengthen the piece and to seal any gaps.

Although it is called the Small Cargo Module, the piece is a good size for a terrain piece. It is big enough to provide cover, influence maneuver, and effect lines of sight. It is also small enough to be added in without dominating the board or getting in the way as players move and measure.

The assembled piece is very durable. It survived getting knocked off my desk without damage. This piece should survive years of gaming with nothing more than touching up the paint.


Painting took longer than I expected. Online research suggested that priming would not be necessary and that the best approach would be multiple layers of thinned paint. The MDF absorbed the initial layer while barely changing color. It ultimately took four layers until I was happy with the coverage of the basecoat.

My initial concerns with filling in the laser etched details on the piece proved unfounded. The etching is deep enough not to be effected by the layers of thinned paint. I did apply some Reaper Black Wash (09255) over the etching to being out the details a little more, just in case.
The next step was highlighting. I gently brushed on a thinned down linen color over the medium gray basecoat. I paid particular attention to the upper edges where light would catch on a real structure.

Finally, I detailed and weathered the piece. I used some thinned down Reaper Black Wash to simulate shadows in between and below the panels. Some thinned down Reaper Brown Wash (09254) went into the lower parts of the piece to represent the build up of soil and dust over time.

I'm pretty happy with the piece. Its price is offset by its quality, durability, and utility. It would not look out of place as part of a near-future location here on Earth or in a far-future space colony or industrial world.

Millenniumcon 14 - Saturday Night After Action Report

After barbecued brisket for dinner and some shopping in the Millenniumcon 14 Dealer's Room, it was time for another game of Ambush Alley Games' Tomorrow's War.

The Crusties are Coming!!!

Chris Arnold wrote and ran this scenario. He clearly knew the rules cold and smoothly handled a situation not covered in the book.

Once more, humans were defending their homes against the Crusties. This time, Bowie Company of the 141st Aerospace Mobile Battalion most hold the line as three APCs load up with civilians and make a run for it. Wave after wave of Crusties were ready to overrun the brave men and women of Bowie Company.

This time, I decided to play on the alien side. You know, for a change of pace. Total number of players: six, three on each side. The scenario would end in six turns.

The Crusties began the scenario with the initiative. Worse, any unit of Crusties other than the "boss" could reappear at a randomly determined hot spot after getting wiped out.

Meanwhile, Bowie Company could not move the APCs until the beginning of turn two. It takes time to load civilians, after all.

The Crusties spent the first turn either moving into position or exchanging fire with Bowie Company.



On turn two, the APCs started up and hauled off. Fortunately, the Crusties' had an anti-armor team in position to fire on the retreating vehicles. I picked up the dice...



...and both of my units got wiped out. I did get one of the APCs. And my units respawned elsewhere a turn later.

Bowie Company spent the rest of the game trying to get around the destroyed APC and through everything the Crusties could throw at them.



So Bowie Company got desperate.



And desperate times involve pulling concepts out of other miniature wargames. That's right...



...tank shock!

But even this was not enough to change the outcome. By the end of turn six, none of the APCs had escaped the board.



All in all, the scenario had some rough edges, but everyone had a good time. Thanks to Chris Arnold for a good time and all the players for a good game.

Millenniumcon 14 - Saturday Afternoon After Action Report

I only managed to play two games this Millenniumcon, but both were good. Both also used the Tomorrow's War rules from Ambush Alley Games. I picked up the rule book last month and wanted to get as much play experience as Millenniumcon could offer me.

Battle: Austin

Micheal Scott Miller ran this scenario pitting the modern US Army against the Crusties in the ruins of Austin, Texas. The US Army was looking for a crashed helicopter and its VIP prisoners. The Crusties were looking for the data collected from two of their reconnaissance robots. Neither was leaving without a fight.

I joined the US Army team along with three other players. The US Army had eight fireteams supported by a medic, two machine gun teams, and a sniper team. They moved north from their deployment zone, looking for the crashed helicopter. Air support was available, but the Crusties air defenses were formidable.

The Crusties also spread out, scanning or searching each building for their lost robotic assets. Both sides met in the middle of the table and spent much of the game exchanging fire from defensive positions.

Casualties mounted on both sides until the Crusties charged into close combat with the US Army soldiers. The US Army's defense began to fall apart as their left flank collapsed and the Crusties just kept coming in.

Ultimately, the Crusties were able to recover the data from their lost robots and inflict heavy losses on the US Army force.

Looking back, the US Army deployment could have been better - the left flank was too exposed and some units were out of position to support other units. It's hard to gauge the balance of the scenario, which was a work in progress. It felt "off" to me, but I can't put a finger on what exactly is wrong. Maybe move the scenario a little further into the future and give the US Army some higher-tech toys? Not sure.

Overall, I had a good time with Tomorrow's War and this scenario. Thanks to Micheal Scott Miller for putting this scenario together.

Next: More Tomorrow's War.