After Adepticon 2012, I was burned out on 40K. Some of that may have had to do with how poorly I behaved myself Saturday evening, some of that may have had to do with an impending rules revision, who knows. Either way, I've spent far more time on getting fit than hobby of late. I'm not sorry for that, I feel the best I've felt in my life, but I do feel bad for not blogging what hobby progress I've had.
For a brief period I was completely infatuated with Dust Warfare, and I'll definitely post pics when I get back to it, but most of my hobby energy of late has been consumed by Mobile Frame Zero: Rapid Attack. I was one of the Kickstarter backers back in April, but it took inheriting decades worth of LEGO bricks from my little brother (some of which I and my cousins had passed down to him) to get me really going.
After a couple weeks sorting through two huge tubs of LEGO bricks, I started building. My first creation was inspired by the Mobile Frame Hangar "Frame Chef" challenge for July. I think it's far too animalistic for the setting, but think it's a pretty neat little creation.
IF Beetle
NDI "Soldier"
The "Soldier" torso was also crafted with July's Frame Chef part firmly in mind. I think it's both a better fit for the universe and a better springboard for future tinkering. The legs are cribbed heavily from Soren's "Conscript" and "Commissar" design (which we'll see again soon), but the torso/hip attachment is a bit flimsy. The shoulder connections could use some shoring up as well. I plan to revisit this one soon, replacing the arms with massive guns and possibly sticking it on a tracked or wheeled base.
451st Militia
When I saw Soren's Conscript and Commissar frames, I knew I'd be building some. The design just clicks with me, so I built up four with parts on hand. There are a few minor aesthetic tweaks (backpacks, feet) to lend unit cohesion, but they're mostly stock. I'm still figuring out what systems I want to put on these guys, but I do know I want dual flame-throwers. His weapons and backpack are of my own design, and I love how they work with the "Come at me bro" stance.
The twins' napping and me dinking around with bricks ended up with this little scout flyer that looks like it'd fit in pretty well with Soren's Ijad forces. I even went so far as to come up with some in-game fluff to tie it in to the MF0 universe.
Ijad "Screamer"
| Designed as mechanical version of the the songbirds that congregate near Ijad villages on Celial, the "Screamer" is a small, light craft that uses specially tuned sensor and communication systems to scout ahead and alert Ijad frames to danger. The usually melodic songbirds, frequently ridden by young Ijad to experience the freedom of flight, get their name from the high-pitched, extra-sensory wail they emit when predators lurk near. |
While in a "tiny aircraft" mode, I made a human flyer as well.
M&S Industries' A47 "Thunderbolt"
| Borrowing its name from ground attack craft of yore, the M&S Industries' A47 "Thunderbolt" doesn't so much fly as it uses brute force to defy gravity. This brute force is echoed in the A47's twin, forward-facing, high-caliber machine guns with StrafeTrack™ technology for increased time-on-target and increased accuracy. Need even more time-on-target? Powerful engines and tilt-wing design combine with M&S's lowest-yield repulsor drive to date, making the A47 capable of extremely low-speed hover and pureVERTICAL™ take off and landing.*
* Professional pilot in closed airspace. Take off and landing within 10 degrees of perpendicular. |
I feel I'm starting to get the hang of building at this scale. There's lots of neat little tricks I've learned from the Mobile Frame Forge and MF0 Flickr galleries, and there's always somebody doing something new/inventive with parts. My goal is to get three distinct sets of frames built up, slap together some terrain, and then start learning the game in earnest. It looks like a fun little system, and who doesn't like the idea of having a battlefield literally littered with the blocky remnants of their enemies forces?
