I've started a lot of projects recently, from a number of different companies, and I still have 1 or two more to start (I'm really busy with painting at the moment to try and get everything done!), but this new one is very special, and it all began with an unassuming parcel....
Mysterious.....
Much to my delight, the items inside were miniatures...
For...
The Devils Run: Route 666!!!
Fresh off production, the wonderful Mark Rapson has sent me some of the models to build, paint and get ready for some upcoming demo's in the local area!
GREAT!
Now before everyone out there loses it at me and Mark, let me make it very clear: I'm actually affiliated with Word Forge Games. I've been working with Mark since his time at Prodos, and since almost the beginning of Word Forge. I've collaborated on a number of projects, including Devil's Run, and as part of work with Word Forge I'm going to start Demo-ing Devils run in Cambridge (anyone wanting a game feel free to get in touch!)
Okay... at this point "models" is a strong term, since I've not yet got round to cleaning the models and assembling them, but one step at a time!
I though I'd take this opportunity to talk through some of the models I have here with you all. And just to reassure any Kickstarter Backers - I'm sure your models will arrive in a nicer box ;-)
I want to point out at this point that these models are all made by Word Forge Games themselves - all our casting is done by Mark! Which makes the quality, as you'll see below, even more impressive!
First up, the Law! The Law are one of the Largest Gangs in the Devils Run. Run by Richard Law, a corrupt and power-hungry former convict, the Law use recovered cars and bikes painted in the colours of the police to give themselves a veneer of authority, despite their dubious history.
First display piece - the Law Car. Each starter set will contain one Car, representing the 'biggest' model you get in the starter set. (it's not the biggest vehicle you can get, but that's a topic for another time!)
The Car itself is single piece resin - so no assembly required! The level of detail is amazing - you can clearly see the rivet markings on the metal frames bolted on to the car, the tread on the tires and the mesh across the windscreen to add extra levels of protection. These models are 20mm scale, Hot Wheels scale, so this level of detail is particularly impressive!
The production quality is also pretty great. There are one or two mold-lines on the model, and a tiny bit of flash near the exhausts (you can see more clearly in the second picture, below) but they're mostly clean. 20mins or so's worth of clean up and these will be ready to go!
Up next, the Law Buggy. The Law buggy is the medium sized attack vehicle for the Law crew. Faster than a car and able to go off-road, but a little less sturdy thanks to it's reduced weight and size.
The buggy is 'slightly' more complex than the car... two parts... wow! The gun turret fits in the top to complete the buggy. Much like the car, there are a few mold-lines and virtually no flash on the model.
Finally for the Law, the two bikers.
As you can see from the photos, there's a lot more flash on these models, but it's still pretty reasonable. Once again we're looking at two piece models; rider's from the torso up and bikes with legs. The riders have two different poses, one riding and one with pistol raised, and the they're specific to each bike; one of the two bikes has an extended handlebar on one side in place of the hand (you can just about see it in the second photo). A skilled hobbyist could probably swap between the two/ do a little conversion if they wanted, but I don't think there's much of a need.
These bikes are about half the size of the buggy, still 20mm scale, making the level of detail (especially in the face) incredible! You can make out the mouths and glasses on the riders faces, which will hopefully be more obvious once they're painted!
These four models make up the Law Company's half of the starter set, but they need an opponent...
Enter the Haul's Angels.
The Haul's Angels are the biggest rivals of the Law Company, and the first gang to openly oppose the Law's oppressive grip over post-apocalyptic San Francisco.
The Angels have a more barbaric, scavenger look to them; leathers and spikes aplenty. They're not the most barbaric of the gangs (more on that at another time ;-) ), looking more like a wasteland biker gang than some of the more ... unstable factions....
Like the Law Company, the Haul's Angels come with a Car, Mid-sized Vehicle and bikes.
First up, the Car.
Like the Law car, the Angels car has a great level of detail. A similar design in terms of the bolted on metal plates and window mesh, the Angels also feature wheel spikes and an exposed engine - giving them much more of a aggressive, muscle-car feel. Again, the quality is great - only a few mold lines and limited flash to clear off. The model itself is three piece, with both rear wheels comping separately. This is a deliberate design choice and some of the models within the Angels range will come with separate, compatible wheels to allow part swapping and inter-conversion.
The medium sized vehicle in the Angels kit is a Trike. Akin to the buggy, the trikes are lighter, and more nimble options great options for going off-road, but not as fast as a bike.
The trike is the most complex model, featuring 5 parts; the front and rear of the trike, a rotating turret weapon, and the two riders. The parts have the most flash, and will require the mode cleaning up, probably because they're still attached to the resin block. I've had models from other Kickstartes that have arrived and looked just like this - even the first batch of Prodos models (who now have a very well respected production quality) looked like this, so Mark's done fantastically making these from home. Even still, you can pick out some of the details on the riders leather jacket, and the texture of the gunner's mohawk, along with rivets up the main gun.
Finally, the Haul's Angels bikers.
Two Bikes, two Riders, two parts each - same as the Law Bikes. The Angels bike look more like Choppers compared to the Law bikes, with brutal-looking tusks mounted to the front. A few pieces of resin from the mold need cleaning off, like every model, but the level of detail and production quality is fantastically high.
So there you have it - eight models fresh off the line ready to clean up, build and get painted. I plan on trying to get these done by mid February ready to start trialing some games at my local gaming club.
For anyone that hasn't seen or heard or either Word Forge or Devils Run, then our website is below, along with a link to our Facebook Page.
There are some AMAZING people out on the Facebook page converting and painting some stunning models for the game. OH! And the rules and tokens are all FREE online on our Webpage!
So if you're not involved yet and want to be then get in touch! I'll be looking at running Demo's of the game later this year in Cambridge, and I'll be happy to give anyone a game.
I'll hopefully get another blog post soon with these finished models ready to go!
Otherwise, thanks for reading, please share/ subscribe with anyone you think will enjoy it, and I'll get my next post up next week!
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