Need Help in Engineering?

It’s time to clear the work table before starting on the Beneath the Mountains of Madness project. Get rid of all of the other stuff and focus better on the BtMoM minis and terrain.

When painting the Star Schlock I gathered a lot of my random and scattered sci-fi minis and decided to get those painted as well. Maybe for Star Schlock, maybe to be used in 7TV Pulp, who knows.

We start with some security forces. I didnt’ realize that two fo these were actually from the same manufacturer until they were painted; I bought them from different people at different times. No clue where they are from.

The guy with the shield is from some line of sci-fi post apocalypse minis whose name I cannot recall. I picked up a handful of minis from the lines in a lot of pulp minis a few years back. The quality of the miniatures vary but they were all good. This police officer is a good example of an over-done sculpt. It looks good, but the stance and the gear make it tough to paint.

I kept the color scheme the same for all of them, which does most of the heavy lifting to make them look like a coherent unit.

I could spend some time trying to figure out where this and the other miniatures come from, but I got them all loose from bins so it’s not really a concern. A few of these look familiar, the style is definitely something I’ve seen before. Probably Hasselfree form this next one and two of the others below.

While not strictly sci-fi, this lady doesn’t really fit anywhere else. There is a lot to be said about what this miniature has doing. It’s not clear if she is really trying to protect herself with the armor; there is a lot showing. There is not a lot designed for mobility here. I guess aesthetic over function wins.

How to use her in a game? Bounty hunter? Rebel? Cannon fodder?

For the mini itself, there is enough interesting stuff going on to make it a challenge to paint, which does mean more fun to paint.

Now, to the engineers.

I work with engineers. I was a chief engineer. If any of my engineers showed up dressed like this, I would get fired.

There was a short lived trend where miniature makers turned out thin ladies with improbably sized wrenches. I’m not clear what was happening in society to make this while not common still common enough that we needed multiple miniatures.

I blame Firefly. Though Kalee was never sexualized. Maybe it’s the idea that got a little out of control.

Am I complaining? Not really. I’m more baffled. Because I, for some reason, had three of these miniatures. Why did I have any, much less three of them?

This first one is clearly overheating. I’m sure many of you have worked hard all day, gotten hot, and then decided to pose with a very large wrench over your shoulders like this. Easily the most comfortable and relaxing position.

This next model not only has to carry the biggest wrench she could find, but she also has other tools. She saves on weight by sacrificing shirt length.

Knee pads, check. Heavy gloves, check. Bare stomach, check. And googles. Safety checks complete, let’s get to work.

I actually like this one for a few reasons. Mostly, while thin, she is actually sculpted with muscles. Her biceps are impressive, accounting for scale.

Our last lady engineer is a little better dressed. Well, from the front. Still an appalling lack of shirt from the back.

What’s the problem with this one? It’s that wrench and her wrist. What is the wrench made of to be light enough to allow her to use it with a single wrist? What is her wrist made of to withstand the weight of the wrench

It may sound like I’m down on these miniatures and you may well ask why I painted them if I don’t like them. I have no problem with them at all. If I didn’t like them, I would not have them. I find them interesting and they amuse me.

These will work well in a game. These Star Schlock miniatures, for the good guys, have a certain clean uniformity. Just like the Star Trek forces they are based on. These engineers give use a gritty and somewhat carefree version of sci-fi engineers, a mentality that would be at odds with the Star Fleet look and feel. That’s amusing to me. That could make for a fun look in a game.

I’m close to finishing off the sci-fi material on the desk. Next up, some of the villains for the first Episode of BtMoM.

2026 Count:
47 figures painted (2.6 per day)
0 figures printed
0 figures purchased
0 terrain painted