Laserburn Red Redemptionist Trike Squadron

One of this years Challenge Island locations is Millsy's Millpond where you have to paint some figures from the 1980's or 90's and give a little back story, here is my attempt.

Back in the very early 1980's when I was at 'comp' I moved on in my war-gaming journey, having graduated from throwing cricket balls at 1/32 Airfix figures to reading Military Modelling and finding out about the availability of commercial rules and figures aimed just at me.

What a great stride forwards was made when John and I found out that Tabletop Games (TTG) on Nottingham Road, Daybrook was only about an hours bike ride away from our homes. We made many trips to this place to spend our pocket money, paper round earnings, etc. and it was a treasure trove of dust and fantastic stuff. If you blew away some of the - probably highly toxic - dust you revealed a trove of figures including lots of their own 15mm ranges, Ancients, Napoleonics, Colonials, American Civil War to name but a few. Among this collection was a range of figures for a set of rules called Laserburn and I likely got very giddy at the thought of blasters and light sabres; remember we were only five years out from Star Wars: A New Hope at this time.

I don't recall exactly what I bought at the time, but I do recall that I did buy some 'Red Redemptionists' including at least one Trike. They were painted white and I recall that I made a 'Hoth' wargames table using some polystyrene roofing tiles.

Having embarked on Challenge Island I have placed an order on a company in the UK for some other memory lane 15mm stuff, but was concerned that it would not get here in time, but, browsing the online catalogue of my local games store was delighted to see that after the demise of TTG that not only had Alternative Armies picked up the range, but a Trike Squadron was available in stock. It just had to be done! (It said six models in the blister, but there were only five when I opened it).

With a shudder I recalled the original white Humbrol Enamel paint-job of the originals I had daubed on these models circa 1983 , no primer, no highlights, no varnish and discarded that thought completely. Instead I went for a burgundy bike and armour with white robes and black for the guns etc.

I also decided against Hoth basing, these are instead on desert bases with a few cork rocks and some scorched grass tufts.

These did take me back, but I don't think I'm in any hurry to start a new project.

The initial post on the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge can be found here.