Chrysaor. Not-a-Marauder.

<< The Mech >>

“Chrysaor 335”, a mech size 9 unit for the O.A.S.F.
Nightshade (24512), by Reaper Miniatures.
Height: 50mm.

<< Prep & Painting >>

Parts were washed, flash removed/mold lines filed down, then joints were drilled and pinned for final assembly after the majority of painting was completed. Mounted the legs on a 29mm hex base cut from 1/8” MDF. The top of the base was then spackled with light-weight, dry joint compound, and filed smooth after drying. 

After masking the joint areas with tape or poster tac, the various bits were primed grey, then painted neutral grey for primary structures, sky grey for secondaries, German grey for weapons, and black for nose camera/sensor screen – the traditional O.A.S.F. color scheme. And giving the mecha an ‘80’s, old school anime look. Base was painted earth, with red for the front hex edge, and black for the back. The ID number on the back of the base was done with white. At this point, the tape and poster tac masking the joints were removed,
the mech was assembled, and touch-up paint applied as needed.

Decided the decals (white stars and vehicle numbers from I-94 Enterprises) were going to be placed on the lower legs, and painted a little clear enamel on those spots. This gave a good base for the decals to set against. Think of it as a surface being primed before painting. After the enamel dried, the water-slide decals were carefully cut, soaked in water, and then applied. Another layer of clear enamel was painted over the decals once they were dry to lock them in. 

After everything was dry, dipped the entire miniature in 1:12 minwax ebony to clear polyurethane mix. Once that was dry, clumps of green and olive foliage were glued with PVA (white glue) directly to the base, then a mix of fine flock to cover the rest of it – and made sure to that the edges of the base clear. A couple light sprays of clear matt sealer took the edge off the dip’s gloss and sealed in the flocking.

<< De-blistering >>

 Nightshade (24512), part of Reaper Miniatures' CAV: Strike Operations range.

Because you can never have too many freakin’ Marauder variants!

What you get: five fairly straightforward pieces. The waist is pegged and the weapon arms have ball-joints so some articulation can be had for those who want a more dynamic pose. I drilled and pegged all the parts to strengthen joints for tabletop use. The twin machinegun piece on the top of the mech was a bit fiddly, but otherwise an easy build. 

Originally cast in lead by Talon Games, now partnered with Reaper Miniatures, and currently being released as part of Reaper’s 3^rd edition CAV game: Strike Operations. One of the big rules changes was that mechs no longer had 360° firing arcs for all their weapons, but torso mounted weapons now had front-centered 180° arc, while weapons in the arms had 180° left or right arcs. Sound familiar, Meka Tac – GSRE fans? The miniatures are scaled for 10mm, not the more common 6mm/1:300/1:285, but it’s not an issue for me. (I like big bots and I cannot lie.) It's a nicely executed sculpt of a fairly common mecha design. Yet another option for a Zentraedi Officer's Pod (a.k.a. Glaug) from Super Dimensional Fortress: Macross to go marauding across your table. (See what I did there?)  

<< Meka Tac – GSRE >>

Stat sheet for play on an open table with terrain.
The weapon ranges are in inches.
 Designed to print on a 4” x 6” or 3" x 5" index card.

The “Chrysaor” was a large flanker/pursuit mecha capable of keeping up with its medium-sized subordinates, yet strong enough to survive on its own. The double helping of enhanced engines partially compensated for the traditional limitation of size class large mecha not being able to mount jump jets or flight systems in their frames. The mid-range weapons packed sufficient punch to inflict critical hits roughly 25% of the time, yet ammunition was not a real concern. The rail gun could be loaded with other ammo types as missions dictated, but the O.A.S.F. (a.k.a. “White Star” forces) preferred the artificial intelligence loads which granted a +1 on to-hit rolls.

<< Links >>

Reaper Miniatures Robot Supply Depot – Mecha figures.

I-94 Enterprises – Decals.

The current version of Meka Tac – Giant Stompy Robots Edition game is available IN THE DOWNLOADS SECTION, of the GIANT STOMPY ROBOTS portion of rivetsandsteam.com as well as PDFs of all the cards and counters, quick reference sheets (QRS) and other resources. And, yes, it’s FREE!

A portion of Giant Stompy Robots Forum (a parallel development) has been set aside for discussing Meka Tac! Please stop by and post your questions, after action reports, and photos of your games! 

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