mattblackgod | 21 Jun 2008 6:35 a.m. PST |
I came up with an idea of a faction of Pirate Raiders for my Post Apocalyptic games. I visualized a rag tag fleet of small vessels raiding the coast. These could be powered by wind, steam or diesel/petrol engines. The larger vessels would be converted small cargo ships and trawlers. The problem is finding such vessels in 28mm. Not really a problem as these guys would be coming ashore to rape and pillage. The pirate raiders would be from Copplestone/EM4 Future Wars minis. Any other mini suggestions? What sort of base or supplies do you see such a faction needing to keep its fleet of raiders functioning? I spotted a group on Facebook the other day – a Post Apoc pirate fun group. There is a picture of modern naval frigates. Now I can see a crew going rogue and taking to the seas in search of booty in a PA setting. However the fuel and keeping such a warship going in a PA setting would be impractical. The Captain would need access to an oil field and refinery close to the coast on a island if possible. Most refineries would be gone. Could a modern warship be converted easily to other means of power (steam?). If the vessel is a Nuke powered one it might run on for a while – but I guess the Rods & pellets would be more difficult to source than an oil source. Any views or ideas on how a modern warship could be kept at sea in such a setting? The minis for the Raiding parties for such a faction I can see some RN Marines (hey I am a Brit) with a mix of paramilitary gang types. Any modern sailors available out there? Any other ideas for minis for such a faction? |
Hacksaw | 21 Jun 2008 6:46 a.m. PST |
PA Pirates could also inhabit coastal areas where there are flooded cities, especially where there are tall buildings to act as "islands" and forts. |
Cke1st | 21 Jun 2008 7:12 a.m. PST |
They would probably function like the pirates off Somalia today -- small units in small, easy-to-maintain boats, grabbing whoever and whatever they can find, either to sell or to use themselves. Only a major-league pirate overlord could afford anything bigger. A ship that runs on oil-fired boilers could probably be converted to burn coal or even wood, not efficiently, but enough to make the ship move. Some diesels will run on nearly any combustible liquid. Gas turbines and nukes will run until something major fails, and then it's game over. As for modern warships, they are way too demanding of special high-tech parts. Burn out one circuit board, and your automatic gun turret is nothing but a figurehead. Of course, you don't have to advertise this fact; how many coastal villages, when orded to surrender or face 5" gunfire, would gamble that the gun doesn't shoot any more? The warships most likely to keep running in such a world are the low-tech coast-guard boats, running on diesel or gasoline and armed with machine guns. The good ol' Ma Deuce will still be working long after the fancy-shmancy missile launchers and radars have given up the ghost. |
malamute | 21 Jun 2008 7:50 a.m. PST |
Sounds a bit like Waterworld with aquatic pirates etc. great idea. |
Smokey Roan | 21 Jun 2008 8:09 a.m. PST |
Well, if it was like Waterworld, he's spend hundreds of dollars building up the figures and terrain, then no one would come to play it. :)
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mattblackgod | 21 Jun 2008 8:21 a.m. PST |
lol. I have never seen Waterworld – Mr Costner annoys me too much to watch anything with him in. Am I missing anything. I would probally go for the smaller pirate vessel raiders. I rather like the feel of this as a Post Apoc force. However questions needed to be answered. I suppose a warship would be more like a floating enclave. The idea is based on that humans like to stay near sources of water – even saline (also handy for food). So in my mind there would be more communites on coasts than out in the wastelands. It would be a convienent way for raiders to operate. Or I could create my version of Post Apocalyptic Vikings! lol! |
Smokey Roan | 21 Jun 2008 8:29 a.m. PST |
Dude, look up "Glencoe Models" and you will find your ship. Besides BAD overacting, you didn't miss anything! |
Cosmic Reset | 21 Jun 2008 9:00 a.m. PST |
For ships, I've cut down a couple plastic model kits over the years. Cut the hulls off at the waterline, and finish as needed. You might even find that small scale hulls could be used to create interesting multi-hull designs for a futuristic world. Maybe a couple of destroyer hulls side by side with scratchbuilt superstructure. Think of Costner's Waterworld boat beefed up and fitted for salvage ops. I have a similar project in the works, and for figs, I am using some of the same figs that you mention, plus a few colonial era figs converted with modern/futuristic weapons and figure parts. Some figs from Foundry and Castaway Arts come to mind. I have a colonial Pacific island set-up for Victorian era piracy games, and have been slowly working on sci-fi modules that plug into it for this game. The old Spanish fortress will have sci-fi additions to the fortifications. There will be a mix of buildings 18th century to post modern in various states of disrepair, etc. For a base, A small floating pirate city (village), maybe an oil rig, and pontoon town would be cool. Techno and grungy with quarters for the pirate types and facilities for working on boats, small ships. The base could also be on land with the same fittings. Food and fuel strike me as the two biggies. Alternate fuels ideas might be considered. Electric with future battery designs, or maybe the fuel excreting microbes as was in the news a few days ago. Maybe garbage is the booty, as the microbes need food to make fuel. Whatever the fuel, facilities for fuel production could be part of the pirate base. Zillions of ideas for this setting depending on how hard science, fantastical you want to make the game. |
Dropzonetoe | 21 Jun 2008 9:08 a.m. PST |
Boo, I loved the movie. It's great fun! It's mad max on water. Give me a wasteland and it's a good movie. I love them all, the more shoulder pads the better. Onto your idea, I was thinking on the same lines recently. I was looking more for space ship bound pirates but I was looking thru many of the historic lines out there to convert up. Mainly I have been looking at various Asian and Mongolian lines as well as anything else with a eastern flair. My only real suggestion is to pan thru lots of different lines you'll find lots of hidden potential. Good luck with your seaches and let us see what you come up with when your done |
CraigSpiel | 21 Jun 2008 9:19 a.m. PST |
<<What sort of base or supplies do you see such a faction needing to keep its fleet of raiders functioning? >> The 4 F's of seafaring
1.Food 2.Fresh Water 3.Fuel 4.Females (unless they are "those kind" of pirates). |
Norscaman | 21 Jun 2008 1:43 p.m. PST |
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chironex | 21 Jun 2008 9:38 p.m. PST |
The best thing to do with a warship of the mechanised age with long range turreted guns etc. is beach it to the point where it's never going to move again and use it as a fortress, perhaps even the core of your pirate town. A steam age ship could be kept going if the pirates have only steam age resources, but that's assuming there are any left at that point. If they don't have those resources but do have a ship they can always take the skills and materials by force, like all the other booty. (hello! they're pirates!) I was thinking of some post apocalyptic boating action myself, that would be unique-how many PA land based tactical rules are there for figures only? How many road/off-road warrior games? And no PA naval rules???!!? Small boats are the way to go, while a destroyer might make some terrain for characters to fight over in 25/28mm it would be too big even to fit the whole ship on a 40k Apocalypse size table. Even if you went down to 15mm it's not going far. There are some ships available to suit, Lindberg have a couple of commercial boats but I can only find them on Evilbay. The price doesn't make me want to try the conversion. link link They are still in production according to the website. Black cat have a few: link but, I don't know-the pics just aren't selling them to me. I know we seriously have some right junkers in the Maritime Museum of Townsville model room, but those really do look like they came from a souvenir store in a tropical location, or a decorator store. There are the Revell Chris-craft series, if you can find them. Billing has some in their beginner range, though there is the cost again. billingboats.com/200.htm billingboats.com/608.htm and the advanced beginner: billingboats.com/580.htm billingboats.com/700.htm billingboats.com/701.htm There are a couple more in the experienced range but if you get through those you will NOT feel like playing with them! A pirate town could be dozens of houseboats or other swamp style housing in the little creeks of a mangrove swamp. What rules are you using, maddan? I was thinking of making some PA boat rules after I get done with my underwater rules. I could just use the boats as terrain but that would get kinda old, without the boats moving there is only so far each character can go, which I know presents a tactical challenge but it will get boring if you all get stuck with too far to jump between vessels and too far from targets. Any and all combat craft will be improvised at best, like some PA settings have trucks/buses converted into apcs and earthmovers to armour. Mostly they will not be seaworthy by todays standards. Often just a liveaboard family cruiser/yacht/houseboat with shields that can be raised all over and several guns on board. Anything freshly built will definitely be wood, and probably sail, so any common sailboat can be used with little conversion. copplestones bodyguards in bikinis (fw45) look like they could be used for some kind of (not serious) PA pirate. link Pirates could be styled after any PA figure or themed collection. Or even fantasy. Some of the Fenryll PA figures look ok to use as pirates. For a less cinematic/comic pirate try modern terrorist or rebel figures. Modern pirates look like that anyway. CraigSpiel: after 4 comes 5, Medical Supplies. Research pirate history long enough and you'll see why. Besides if they're valuable the pirates will loot them anyway. |
mattblackgod | 22 Jun 2008 6:16 a.m. PST |
Thanks for the tips and advice. Smokey – the Glenco models look good and not too bank breaking. There is a flying boat in that range too. chironex – I was thinking of using Combat Zone or Skank for the rules. I have to agree that something of warship size and firepower would make a great base. After all it would be in my opinon too difficult to maintain as a vessel. Smaller vessles and maybe some rubber dingys will be the way to go. Isnt there a 'Nam patrol boat out there in 28mm? Or am I going mad? I also saw a scratch built Necromunda boat online a while back – shame I lost the link though. It was in a WW2 allied landing craft style for the sludge lakes. |
Mandor Moe | 22 Jun 2008 8:55 a.m. PST |
Maddan, there is a Nam patrol boat in 28mm it's by Coldwar. There are pic's on there web site. |
Mandor Moe | 22 Jun 2008 9:01 a.m. PST |
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KatieL | 22 Jun 2008 12:26 p.m. PST |
You could look at Old Crow; they have "2608B Launch with Cabin" And also "Trader Town" -- a range of tin shacks. Future pirates? Bit outrageous maybe, but Chiltern do "Space Brigands" link
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GypsyComet | 22 Jun 2008 12:52 p.m. PST |
Depends on your flavor of apocalypse. |
mattblackgod | 23 Jun 2008 2:49 a.m. PST |
The Space Brigands look great – but the weapons are too big for my tastes. Thanks for the link Mandor. |
Cacique Caribe | 07 Jun 2009 11:19 a.m. PST |
I love the idea! "I have never seen Waterworld – Mr Costner annoys me too much to watch anything with him in. Am I missing anything." Waterworld, despite the pain of listening to Costner's monotonous voice and below mediocre acting, is a must for you to get gaming ideas! This might be your new coastal profile: picture picture picture TMP link And here's the terrain you'll need: TMP link TMP link CC |
Cacique Caribe | 07 Jun 2009 12:16 p.m. PST |
Of course, it could prompt the raided populations to create a Kowloon-like city/island, that no small pirate raiding party could penetrate: link CC |
DAWGIE | 07 Jun 2009 3:34 p.m. PST |
1. FRESH WATER 2. FOOD 3. FUEL 4. FEMALES 5. WEAPONS 6. AMMO 7. SPARE PARTS 8. SEASONAL CLOTHING/SHOES 9. SECURE BASE OF OPERATIONS 10. MOE BEDDAH VESSELS DAWGIE |
Cacique Caribe | 08 Jun 2009 2:19 p.m. PST |
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Dragon Gunner | 08 Jun 2009 3:01 p.m. PST |
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Cacique Caribe | 08 Jun 2009 3:05 p.m. PST |
DG, Do you mean these Pig Iron ones (Kolony Militia and Ferals)? link link link CC |
Dragon Gunner | 08 Jun 2009 5:13 p.m. PST |
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chironex | 29 Jun 2009 8:24 p.m. PST |
I just ordered a large launch and a sloop from Minimi Miniatures. The launch is under "boats" and the sloop is under "pirates." link I do still intend to scratch some of my own boats, but couldn't wait much longer for my pirates to get their own ride. Revells Chris-craft boats, if you can find them are about 1/56 scale, but have no interiors and no window glass, they look a bit hollow. |
Eli Arndt | 29 Jun 2009 9:48 p.m. PST |
Curse you all for giving me ideas for yet another thing to include in my 15mm post-apocalyptic games!!! -Eli |
Eli Arndt | 29 Jun 2009 10:40 p.m. PST |
I think a cool bit of terrain would be a floating market with lots of sampans and networked houseboats. -Eli |
Cacique Caribe | 29 Jun 2009 10:46 p.m. PST |
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Eli Arndt | 29 Jun 2009 10:59 p.m. PST |
Good stuff there. I skimmed through it and seems to be a good source of cool ideas. -Eli |
Cacique Caribe | 29 Jun 2009 11:45 p.m. PST |
Eli, You might also enjoy some of the pictures and ideas here: TMP link CC |
Cacique Caribe | 30 Jun 2009 6:14 a.m. PST |
There are a lot of interesting modern-day examples of "islands" created by rising water (either temporary or permanent): picture picture picture picture Though I know that there's not enough water on the planet to create "Waterworld", as in the film, I do think that post-apocalyptic survivors in flooded urban centers will likely scavenge what junk they can get a hold of and make their permanent little island enclaves more secure from raiders and look very much like this: picture picture This is interesting too: picture picture picture picture picture picture picture picture picture picture picture picture picture picture As documentaries such as "Life After People" have shown, a lot of the urban buildings may remain standing for a while. I suspect that those island-buildings will be used by many, even after they collapse. So, I say, grab hold of all your spare bits and be ready to use them as barriers, bridges and floating platforms!!! CC |
Cacique Caribe | 30 Jun 2009 6:50 a.m. PST |
So, what post-apocalyptic urban "islands" are you guys more inclined to make? * Miami islands? * New York islands? * DC islands? * Houston islands? * London islands? * Other? Some cool maps: picture link picture link picture CC |
Whiskyrat | 30 Jun 2009 1:45 p.m. PST |
I bought a few small fishing boats from Micheals – around $9 USD each incl. S&H for my 28mm Pirate project. These would work w/o much effort in a PA setting. |
Cacique Caribe | 30 Jun 2009 2:01 p.m. PST |
Whiskyrat, I've been looking at those boats for some time. I had the same thing in mind. CC |
Cacique Caribe | 30 Jun 2009 8:15 p.m. PST |
Here are some interesting modern-day pirates: picture Map of today's hot spots: picture I wonder if those hubs would retain their tradition or would be replaced by pirates from other areas. CC |
Eli Arndt | 30 Jun 2009 9:41 p.m. PST |
Looks like you could pretty much use the whole Peter Pig AK47 Republic line as well as any number of 'Nam figs for these in 15mm. -Eli |
Cacique Caribe | 30 Jun 2009 9:44 p.m. PST |
Eli, I think it is the right time to have a 15mm-specific thread on Post Apocalyptic pirates, don't you think? TMP link CC |
Cacique Caribe | 27 Sep 2009 11:20 p.m. PST |
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Cacique Caribe | 16 Nov 2009 8:05 a.m. PST |
Play this game first! Consider it a training exercise: TMP link Dan |
Cacique Caribe | 09 Jan 2010 11:26 a.m. PST |
Check out what modern pirates are doing: TMP link Dan |
Edwulf | 28 Mar 2010 11:33 p.m. PST |
A figure suggestion would be Necromunda figures.. Orlock and Escher would be best for pirates I think. |
Cacique Caribe | 03 Apr 2010 8:30 a.m. PST |
Well, let's see if the ACW fans know where the higher-elevation US forts are located: TMP link TMP link Dan |
War Monkey | 03 Apr 2010 9:13 a.m. PST |
Thanks to Dan, who has got me hooked on this, Just starting on a project for a biofuel refinery on a barge similar to this kind of barge, maritimesales.com/FZE10.htm will update as it move along, and I have a plan to make a few more as open markets, join together by gangways and catwalks some flaoting docks and boat slips, it will take some time have other (honey do list) project to do first. Doug |
Cacique Caribe | 03 Apr 2010 9:21 a.m. PST |
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War Monkey | 03 Apr 2010 9:51 a.m. PST |
Dan, On the scale of 1/100 it would come out to be 2'9" 3/4, ( just over 33") long and about 7" wide, but Im not going to build it that big! Or maybe? still working on it in draft. Doug |
chironex | 07 Nov 2015 11:46 a.m. PST |
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