writes:While I was reviewing Rolling Thunder - and, apparently, offending the designer by asking him enough questions so I could play the flawed campaign - I got the bug to actually try Dirtside II (the rules are available for free at Ground Zero Games' website), and to field a hovercraft-themed army.
My "old" 6mm sci-fi armies are desert-themed, but this time I wanted to paint up some armies that would goad me into refurbishing some of my old modular "European" terrain. So I decided to start with a test model, to try out a new paint scheme.
And since every Dirtside II player needs a command vehicle, that seemed the right place to start.
Unfortunately, I didn't have a "command" hovercraft in my collection, so I did a simple conversion. I started with the APC GEV from Fortress Figures (sadly, this model is not currently in production). The plastic is easily drilled, and I inserted a bit of aluminum rod, and topped it with the ball from a map pin - and now it has a communications mast!
(Well, maybe it looks a bit like a locomotive... 
)
I wanted a painting scheme that I could easily replicate on future vehicles in this force. I started by priming with Krylon Camouflage Olive Drab spray paint, and applied a wash of Renaissance Ink green ink. It took some experimentation to find the right drybrush color, but I finally settled on a surprise choice - an old bottle of Adikolor Orc Flesh. (This works so well, I might start using this technique on my historicals...)
Now, for the camo. I was thinking to go for a early-WWII French-style camo, with black lines separating the colors - but wasn't sure I could do it in 6mm. To give it a more futuristic look, I decided to go "amoeboid" with the color splashes.
After a lot of thought, I decided to go with yellow as the second color. As an experiment, I tried an old pot of Musket Miniatures Cavalry Yellow - this turned out to have a perfect combination of coverage and flow, and I was easily able to paint the shapes (though they weren't very amoeboid!). When this was dry, I applied a wash of yellow ink (generic from an art store), followed (when dry) by a drybrush of a white-yellow paint from Renaissance Ink. What worked out conveniently was that the green base-color was so dark, I didn't have to be very exact with the wash or even the drybrush. I then added the lining using Coat D'arms black, and learned once again that it's not the size of the brush, it's the quality of the point.
Next, I did the hovercraft skirt. I painted it Ceramcoat Charcoal Gray, washed with Renaissance Ink black ink, and drybrushed with a medium gray from Renaissance Ink.
Finally, I painted the machinegun FolkArt Gunmetal Gray.
I'm lately experimenting with thick wooden bases for my microarmor, so this vehicle was based on a 1"-square base from Litko.
So now my "good guys" force has a command vehicle. I haven't figured out much of a background yet, something about a young soldier of fortune who has married into a minor branch of royalty, and launched a mercenary company themed around hovercraft...