DreamForge-Games

Eisenkern Heavy Trooper (Preview) 28-32mm miniatures

2012-01-27T22:34:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to introduce the Eisenkern Heavy Trooper. Shown here are the three variants.

On the left, an anti-personnel or AA mount, nothing says suppressive fire like a quad S.A.W.

Center, is an assault specialist armed with a power sword and wearing the fluted commander’s helm and chest armor.
To the right, a belt fed auto-cannon to deal with that armor problem.

Quad mount front

Quad mount rear

Assault specialist front

Assault specialist rear

Auto-cannon front

Auto-cannon rear

Here is the optional Stahl helm for those that prefer a more unified WWII feel.

Here is an exploded view. Note the separate arms, head and shoulders… this will allow the modeler to use components from other miniatures to keep a cohesive look to their weapons, no matter what game they choose.

Here is a scale comparison with a Sturmtruppen.

Here is a scale comparison with another manufacturer’s sci-fi mini.

When will these be available? I don’t have a date yet but I hope to start the print and mold process ASAP. I will be posting the Eisenkern Sturmtruppen and Kriegsmarine on my web site next month.

Sneak peak of an Eisenkern Heavy Trooper

2012-01-24T07:20:00.000-08:00

Still a W.I.P.

Here is one of three troopers for the "heavy" trooper class. The soldier is clad in full power armor and wielding a quad mount machine gun. On his back is an auto-loader system to reload his main weapon as well as a massive power supply for his armor.

There will be three heavy troopers…. More to follow….

TGN has nominated the Leviathan Mortis and Crusader for best vehicle 2011.

If you feel either of these should win, please head over and vote HERE

Nominated for best vehicle of 2011

2012-01-16T19:51:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to announce that the Leviathan Mortis and Leviathan Crusader have both been nominated for best vehicle of the year by Table Top Gaming News!

Voting for the best game, miniature, vehicle and others is still on going and ends Friday the 20^th.

The winner is chosen by you! If you feel the Crusader and Mortis are some of the best game vehicles for 2011, please head on over and cast your vote. Your help is truly appreciated.

UPDATE :) this is a msg from TGN.
Hey guys,
For those of you that went and checked out the polls for voting last night saw that there were nominations missing. I am working to fix that problem and make sure that all of the nominations are available for voting. Then the voting process will resume next Monday!
Thank you for all the entries for the Reader’s Choice awards, and for your patience.
Ross

All the best!

Mark-
DreamForge-Games

Only five days left on the Kickstarter project!

2011-11-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

A huge THANK YOU! to all the project supporters.

You can see the project HERE

I sent the files off to have the masters made last week, so we could try to get a head start.

We only have five days left on the project, if you would like to participate, your support is greatly appreciated. Although the project is funded, roughly $2000.00 will still be coming from my personal funds. I would need to reach roughly $7700 in total project pledges to be completely in the black.

Thank you for looking and for your support!

Mark Mondragon

Some changes to the production miniatures.

2011-10-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

Looking around the web, the most common suggestions, complaints, what have you, is that the figure appears top heavy. Rightfully so, this is caused by the legs not being true to scale and the shoulders being too wide.

The arms and shoulders need to clear the chest projections so that you can pose the figure, I can however make some changes to the arms and changes to the legs so that the figure has a much more “correct” form.

After polling my project supporters, there was a strong consensus that we use the more “correctly” scaled miniature for the final production models.

I would like to extend a heart-felt thank you to all the supporters that have graciously given to make this project a reality.

Although we have met and exceeded to project goal, I would like to encourage you to take part in the project. The cost to manufacture the prototypes and make the molds has still not been fully paid for. The project will need to reach roughly $7300.00 to be in the black and completely self-supporting.

If you have been on the fence, I hope you view the new more correctly scaled miniatures with favor and help fully fund the project.

Thank you for looking and for your support!
I hope you enjoy the changes.
All the best!
Mark-

Eisenkern Trooper Kickstarter Project and actual prototypes!

2011-10-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I need your help. If you enjoy my models and would like to see this product line launch, please head on over to Kickstarter and add your support to the project.

If you're not familiar with the Kickstarter model, the way it works is you receive a reward for an accompanying pledge in support of my project. The more you pledge the better the rewards and the greater contribution you will make to this and future projects. Your positive participation will help a small independent company to grow and thrive and you gain the satisfaction of knowing you made this happen.

And what you have been waiting for....Here are a few shots of the actual prototypes for the Kriegsmarine and Sturmtruppen soldiers.

These will be produced as lead free pewter miniatures.

Project rewards you say? You betcha!

A closer look at some of the rewards.

Although they did not make it into the Kickstater project... here is a tease of the accessory packs that will be available separately.

I hope to see you there and thank you for your support!

A question of scale “True-32”

2011-09-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Indulge me in a slight rant.

The subject of scale is one that many sculptors wrestle with, I am no acceptation. The use of digital technology to sculpt a miniature provides a certain amount of freedom, the miniature looks the same to me at 15mm or 50mm scale, I can make last minute adjustments on the fly and scale the miniature to my heart’s content.

Ultimately, gamers want miniatures that look right with their other minis from manufacturer A, B or C. This is not as easy as it sounds. Place a true scale 28mm mini next to many manufacturers product and it will look small and emaciated by comparison. The whole 28mm scale convention is garbage if you ask me. Scale creep has made it useless and “heroic” scale doubly so.
I like my miniatures to be fairly well proportioned, at least looking like they could actually be humans in armor. With this in mind, I settled on 32mm scale (A man standing upright is 32mm to the eyes). I jokingly called my miniature 3B scale, “3 Bears Scale”, not too large, not too small… just right :) A nod to Goldilockss and the three bears

I call them True-32. This may be a slight misnomer, as some proportions such as shoulder width have been slightly bumped but the vast majority of the figure is a reasonable approximation of true human proportions.

“WHAT? 32mm scale? But that’s too large to work with my other minis!”

Yes and no… They are very slightly taller but the proportions work well with most miniature lines and when they are in a pose that is not completely erect; they scale very well by comparison.

Here is one example of a 32mm Strumtruppen next to a “heroic” scale. You can see the arm and leg length look comparable and the body mass works well. Will this be true when compared to true 28mm scale figs? Sadly no… they will be too tall and slightly too thick by comparison. If I was making miniatures for the historic gamer, I would take a VERY different approach. As many of the Sci-fi games have opted for 32mm true scale or “28 heroic scale, I.e. 32mm with 34mm heads, hands and feet” I needed to make my decision based on what the customers overwhelmingly demand. I choose 32mm true scale. It satisfies my need for some sense of proportion while allowing the miniature to be used alongside the vast majority of Sci-fi and Weird Wars games.

One moment please…. We are experiencing technical difficulty….

2011-09-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

As a Dakkite pointed out, I had the legs on the cannon backwards. I was thinking about the old wheeled gun carriage when I put the single leg to the rear. These are aimed turned by turning the complete carriage.

As this is a pintle mount it would have fallen over when shot with this configuration :- P It’s always good to have another set of eyes on these things…

Here you can see the revised model and gunner position.

Fleshing out the unit choices

2011-09-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

Now that the basic troopers are completed, I will turn to fleshing out the other troop choices.

The basic unit org. will have:
·         Riflemen (done)
·         Support weapons (SAW) (done)
·         Grenadier (done)
·         Weapons specialist (Sniper) (done)
·         Medic
·         Communications
·         Forward observer
·         Command (officers)

Here we have a heavy support AT weapon (PAC38 Short) with a coaxial MG53

Here you can see the mods for Support (SAW) and Grenadier.

Making a good miniature even better

2011-09-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

Mark over at Dropship Horizon once said, “To hell with your fluff, tell me a story with your miniature” That stuck with me. Having built my fair share of 1:35 scale dioramas, I completely agree with the statement.

Here we have a Sturmtruppen but how can I tell a story with a miniature?

Options!, lots of poses and accessories to make each miniature unique. Let’s start with how the miniature breaks down. Having separate heads arms and chest will allow you a great deal of freedom when posing each model.

Here are six leg poses, I can mirror many of these and easily come up with ten different leg poses.

Here are some weapon options, some hip fired some shoulder fired and some are both.

Here is an accessory pack, LOADS of options to customize your unit. Arm raised in halt, throwing a grenade, pointing, double gunning with pistols or SMG’s. Hand replacement options for knife fights, carrying rifles, ammo boxes, etc. Items such as pistol holsters, combat knifes, ammo pouches and med-packs.

All of this will cost a fair amount of cash….I will be going to print with a few samples and starting a Kickstarter project to help funding
Kickstarter is a tool for creative types to get start-up funding; almost like a crowd sourced venture capital system, a great way to get a little cash infusion for a starting venture. You, as a participant will receive a discount on the miniatures, but more importantly, you will be supporting a small indie company to succeed.

When I have a master in hand I will announce the project and provide a link. I hope to see you there and I look forward to your support. When will all this happen? ASAP! I will be sending out to have a single Strumtruppen and Kriegsmarine printed, so that I have something to show you the quality of the actual miniature. Unlike the Leviathan, these will be white metal and should be very quick to turn around from a master model to production metal minis.

All the best!

Mark-

Eisenkern Sturmtruppen

2011-09-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

Here are the finals for the Eisenkern Sturmtruppen. Some details added, some changes and proper field grey coloring.

Eisenkern Kriegsmarines

2011-09-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

You have seen the earlier version of the Eisenkern Kriegsmarines here, These renders show the models one step closer to completion.

In these renders, the trooper is wearing his drop pack. A device that allows the trooper to jump form a very high altitude, fall at terminal velocity towards its target and stop just before impacting the planet’s surface. This is achieved by creating a micro tear into void space, encapsulating the trooper in what is essentially a bubble of reality that overrides the laws of physics for a brief moment, saving the trooper from a grizzly impact.

The effects to an observer would be a blinding flash; a two-meter ball of energy is created encapsulating the trooper, then a huge energy release that scars the earth at the point of impact. Scrambling from this crater, a Kreigsmarine, his armor popping and pinging as it cools.

I will post some images of the component view a bit later today.

Mechs for the Republic

2011-09-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

DreamForge Games has purchased the rights for a wonderful lineup of Elysium Republic light mechs and robots. We will be producing these in 15mm and 28mm scale for table top gaming.

The chunky utilitarian feel fits perfectly with the Republic, who prefers light fast vehicles that are quick to transport and deploy.

Display your Ident-card citizen!!!

2011-08-31T21:15:00.000-07:00

I have been sorely lacking in my posts as of late… It’s not because of a lack of things to do. I have been working on many CAD models and making molds for the 15mm scale Crusader. Casting up a Leviathan to convert to a fixed posed model. Busy, busy, busy….

I still have Three Leviathan Crusaders and one Mortis left. If you want one, it may be a good time to pick one up; I will likely be discontinuing the fully poseable Leviathans for a more static pose version. If I continue to produce the fully poseable version, it will likely see a price increase for that option.

Here is a sneak peak of the upcoming 32mm Stormtroopers for the Eisenkern faction. You can find the Kriegsmarine drop trooper in an earlier post.

Enjoy!

Here is a Wehrmacht storm trooper with the Kriegsmarine legs.

And just for a bit of fun….

All open orders have been filled!

2011-08-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

I have 5 Leviathan Crusaders and 1 Leviathan Mortis on hand.

I also have available as accessories: 1 Scythe, 1 Sword, 1 Right hand Vulkan, 1 Left Hand Vulkan, 1 Right hand Mauler, 1 Left Hand Mauler.

Just wanted to say thank you to all my customers, the feedback has been great and I hope you all enjoy your kits.

All the best!
Mark-

Nearing the end of fulfilling the preorders

2011-08-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

All customers for batch one through three have been shipped. I hope to close out batch four customers in the coming week, along with all orders that came in after the preorders.

Thank you all, for your patients!

All orders for group one customers are complete!

2011-07-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

Starting group two today...

Although the caster has been shipping the orders within a few days of the dates promised, I am having issues with miscasts and missing parts. They are working hard to replace these parts, as am I...

I spend much of my days in the workshop casting replacements, trying to keep things moving. I know its a small milestone, but I feel great about completing all orders for group one :)

All the best,
Mark-

Kits have started shipping from the caster!

2011-06-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Good news; I was just told that 12 models shipped from the caster today, I should have them in a couple of days.

They expect to be able to stay on the revised schedule within a day or two either way. The production manager stated, that although the first few kits took longer than expected, they now have things flowing much smoother and have a system that seems to be keepings things at a good clip.

In anticipation of the arrival and shipping to my customers I have uploaded the Leviathan Crusader instructions to the DFG website and fixed the links for the weapons instructions.

You can view the Crusader instruction by clicking the image below.

Once I recieve the kits I will be working as fast as I can to get them out the door...

Playing with poses

2011-06-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

I am still deciding on how to approach the prints, do I pose and print the complete mini or print components and pose them afterwards with a combination of traditional sculpting and digital sculpting... So much to consider, perhaps the $$-cost will dictate my decision for me?

While I roll this around in my noggin, here is another test shot with assorted poses. Note the change to the rifle to bring it more in line with an MG42 profile. Back when these were designed in 2001, the whole “Weird War” and greatcoats thing was not so prevalent. I am torn about the design as it seems a bit “been their done that” but I still want to have a core troop set that is easily identifiable as a major, cultural faction, in this case sci-fi Germany. Perhaps I could go a bit nuttier with the heavier armor?

Here is an old sketch with the HALO pack attached.

What’s your thoughts?

On the bench

2011-06-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

The 15mm scale Leviathan Crusader is off to the caster for quote and molds. Likely another week before I have a firm price and the mold work begins.

Next up... I am back to work on 28mm scale infantry. Here are a few test shots of the Eisenkern trooper.

Here is a sneak peak of another vehicle. The Puma II scout walker, still very much a WIP.

A bumpy ride: Pre-Orders delayed

2011-06-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, our contract caster is having some problems delivering the pre-orders on time. They had some scheduling issues and material issues that set all their clients orders out from promised delivery dates. We have nailed down the caster to production dates, with assurances that the QC will not suffer.

¼ of the pre-orders will ship within the window given at the time of the pre-orders.

¼ will be shipped 10 days late.

¼ will be shipped 20 days late.

¼ will be shipped 30 days late.

All customers have been contacted and offered a refund if they so choose.

We apologies for the delay and any inconvenience this may cause.
You may contact me with the email address on this blog, or come and join us on the forums to discuss any questions or concerns.

All the best,
Mark-

Khurasan releases the Mekanoids!

2011-05-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a little something that snuck on by me while I was grinding away on the 15mm Crusader.

Jon over at Khurasan released the 15mm scale Mekanoids. I had the pleasure to design the Dictator and Hatchet gunship. You can see details of the release posted on TMP and purchase them here.

These kits have been a long time coming and I am very happy to see them in production.

On the bench

2011-05-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

What’s next? The smaller 15mm scale Crusader.

5.5” (140mm) tall with FAR less parts, this model will satisfy a few aspects left wanting from its full-scale 28mm brother. This kit will be far simpler to build, no cutting, cussing, and a bit more survivable on the game table regardless of its smaller size.

I had to go slightly larger than a true 15mm conversion on this kit due to the part thickness and casting concerns. I did not want any part thinner than 2mm. The model is roughly .5” taller than it should be, but as there are no windows or hatches to denote scale, this should not be an issue. I will keep this fact in mind when designing future releases and make sure no part is thinner than 4mm on the full scale 28mm models.

The desire to make a model with fewer parts and a lower cost, required making the model a more fixed pose affair. Not wanting to have all the models look the same if you are fielding an armored lance or armored company, I decided to make a few customized parts to aid in changing the pose from one model to the next. To accomplish this I created three versions of the waist hydraulics, this will give the upper torso a twist. The upper body can face directly forward, to the left and to the right. To change up the leg pose I created a neutral posed leg set, a leg set with the left leg advancing and one with the right leg advancing. All total nine poses possible not counting how you decide to position your weapons. This should give you enough freedom to field an entire table, without the cookie cutter look.

Price? Nothing set in stone, yet… I need to get a quote from the caster but I hope to come in at the $45-$60 range. My hope is that with the smaller model and FAR fewer parts that the kit will not be such a rubber hog when it comes to the molds and resin.

ETA? It’s being printed now, then I need to spend about 2 weeks benching the model to get rid of the stepping on the surface. After that, it’s up to the caster and their time table to get this into production.

Here are a few part renders.

Body parts

Detail parts

Leg parts

Sword parts (left only)

Vulkan parts (left and right available)

Mauler parts (left and right available)

Waist hydraulics

Twist due to waist hydraulics

Leg poses

Neutral leg pose

One leg advancing (left and right available)

Orders are in to the caster.

2011-05-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

He is completing another customers order and will begin production on Monday. I will have him send the pre-orders in batches of ten or so to get them out to you ASAP.

Any changes to any orders will need to be completed by Friday, May the 6^th 3:00 PST. After that any additions will have to be shipped separately from your main order. If you have a change to an existing order, you can contact me here. Please reference the name and PayPal email of your original order so that I can match up the changes.

A note on armor upgrades:
I received a price for the per-arm armor, and updated the website with this option. The caster has a minimum price, I have cut my margin on this item to try and keep it as affordable as possible.

All Crusaders are shipped with the armor shown in the pics, if you purchased extra weapons they will not have the additional armor.

There have been some questions about the armor upgrades and what fits what.. Each arm type has its own armor, Shooty weapons such as the Vulkan, close combat weapons such as the Scythe and Sword and finally the Claw. Each of these is designed to be either right or left.

I do not have armor for all the weapons, some are being printed right now..

Here is what is available as of today:

Left hand Mauler

Right or left Vulkan Cannon

Left hand Reaper Scythe

Left hand Executioners Blade

Being printed today: (These will not be ready to ship before the current pre-orders have been completed. You can purchase them later and they glue right onto the assembled model.)

Right hand Mauler

Right hand Reaper Scythe

Right hand Executioners Blade

All the best,

Mark-

Pre-Orders Are Now Closed…

2011-05-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank my customers and the gaming community for a very successful pre-order. We filled 50 slots in far shorter time than I had imagined. I will be batching up the orders and sending them off to the caster tomorrow morning.

Does this mean that you cannot place an order? No, we will continue to accept orders and all orders will be filled in the order they are received.

The completion of pre-orders will allow me to give my caster a group order and receive a discount that I passed along to my customers in the pre-order pricing.

Some of you have noticed that the instructions for the Leviathan Crusader have not been posted yet… I will be working on these and updating the link ASAP. They will be posted before the first kit has shipped.

Once again, to all my current and future customers, THANK YOU for your business… I sincerely hope that you enjoy your purchase.

All the best,
Mark-

48 Slots Filled!

2011-05-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

Once again, thank you!

I am feverishly working away on the files for the 15mm version. The armor for the Crusader is a challenge. I have to make it integral with the arms and legs due to the thickness of the half scaled parts and the desire to have as few parts as possible in the kit, so we can keep the costs down.

With all the slots almost filled, I am chewing my nails down thinking about my caster and making sure he QC's everything to our expectations... I have done what I can, soon it will be out of my hands and with any luck, I will not need to be contacting him to resolve issues. He runs a big shop and I have been clear about my expectations but it sure is nerve racking to hand off a project that has taken sooooo much time and energy to get it to this stage.

All the best,
Mark-

41 Slots Filled!

2011-05-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to my customers and to the hobby sites that picked up the news of this release.

It strikes me, that just fifteen or so years ago a homegrown business would have had a very difficult time reaching interested customers… ahhh the internet :)

And now to a rather embarrassing oversight on my part, a small problem with the Armor Upgrade… As of today, I do not have the Right hand Mauler claw armor or right hand Close combat weapon armor for the Scythe and Sword.

Currently, only the Left hand Mauler claw armor, left hand Sword or Scythe, right and left hand armor for the Vulkan are available. This does not effect the base Leviathan Crusader, as you have seen from the pics, it has the armor it needs to complete the model.

This was an oversight on my part when I had the model printed. I did not have all the armor printed because I did not have the funds available at the time of the initial print to get everything done. I never made the molds for the armor myself so it slipped my mind. With the long delay between printing the model and production, this fact was left rambling around my empty head until today, when I contacted my caster asking him why I had not received copies of these armor components.

I am having them printed now and will need to bench the components to clean them up and make them ready for the molding process. The will likely be ready in 2-3 weeks but I do not want to hold up any orders.

I have contacted the customers affected by this issue and updated the website with this information.

Still working on getting a price for individual arm armor….

30 Slots Filled!

2011-04-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

As expected, the rate of sales is slowing. We will likely see another bump around the first through the fifth as people are paid.

I have had some questions about the armor upgrade and making individual weapon arms available rather than a full set. I am always keen to do what I can and will speak to my caster on Monday to see if I can work something out.

If I can reach an agreement with the caster, I will be contacting all those who purchased an armor upgrade to find out if they would like to make any changes to their current order, and issuing any partial refunds that are applicable.

Have a great weekend everyone!

23 Slots Filled!

2011-04-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a tickler and say thank you to all the supporters who spent thier hard earned cash. We are now nearly half way through the open slots for the pre-orders, I expect the pace to slow from here, but time will tell.

The Leviathan Crusader seems to be the most popular at the moment and many orders have included extra weapons.

Please keep in mind the Crusader comes as pictured and any extra weapons will not have the added armor for the optional arms... If you need to have armor for these optional arms, pick up an Armor Upgrade and specify what weapon arms you need armor for. If you had allready placed an order and need to add this item, send me an email so that I can send you an invoice. That way your not paying full shipping fees for the added item.

Just a reminder, you may need to clear your browser cache if your not seeing this, when you go here.
IE has a nasty habit of not showing new content if you have visited a site before ;(

All the best,
Mark-

DreamForge-Games is now accepting orders!

2011-04-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that we are now accepting orders!

*If the new content does not display, you may need to delete your browser cache files to view the new pages. I have tested the site with Firefox, IE, Chrome and Opera. If you have any issues with the website, ordering or any questions at all, you are welcome to contact me at this address.

Please read the blurb on the main models page regarding orders.

To all of those who have patiently waited for this release, I thank you!

All the best!
Mark Mondragon
DreamForge-Games

DreamForge-Games is pleased to announce the release of the Leviathan Crusader!

2011-04-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

Within the next few days, we will open up both the Leviathan Mortis and the Leviathan Crusader for Pre- Orders. Pre-Orders will be given at a reduced price for a limited quantity of models. I will update the website and announce the opening for pre-orders on the DreamForge-Games Blog. I expect to open pre-orders on Thursday the 28^th or Friday the 29^th of April and will make an announcement here on the DreamForge-Games Blog.

This highly poseable model contains 143 plastic resin components and stands 8.5” tall to the shoulders. 9.5” tall including the reactor stacks. The assembled kit weighs nearly two pounds. The kit comes with all components required to build one Leviathan Crusader. (1) Main body legs and upper arms. (1) Right hand Vulkan Cannon (1) Left hand Executioners Blade (1) Armor Upgrade for listed components.

The Leviathan Crusader is armed with a right hand Vulkan Cannon and left hand Executioners Blade. The main weapon arms are hot swappable allowing for quick change out to any of the optional weapons available separately. Suitable for a display model or tabletop gaming.

*Not recommended for the novice model builder.
*Instructions for assembly are a web published PDF format.

Background Fluff:

The Crusader was developed to fill a need for a more heavily armored Leviathan. What was produced is widely regarded as the most balanced and finest design possible. Possessing remarkable speed and survivability while not sacrificing offensive capability, it is often compared to its 20th century counterpart the Panzerkampfwagen V (Panther tank).

It holds the distinction of being the most widely produced VR5 Leviathan in existence. The Crusader can be found in every faction’s arsenal. At 160 years old, the design is still innovative. Independent households often barter away vast planetary resources to acquire a Crusader as these Leviathans lend credibility and prestige to the households standing within its parent faction. A faction ruler knows that when the household is called upon to fight they will answer with a very capable force.

Eisenkern uses this Leviathan as a powerful bartering chit with The Brotherhood. Tithing ten per year to the order they have managed to make themselves indispensable. The Brotherhood, by its charter, cannot maintain Leviathan manufacturing capability. This often gains Eisenkern an unfair advantage in dispute resolution with other factions.

Armed with the Executioners Blade and the massive Vulkan Cannon the Crusader can own its corner of the battlefield. The supplementary armor adds considerable weight to the design but the twin Maybach reactors are still able to handle the extra load. Equipped with oil stacks the Crusader can overcharge its reactor and deliver a withering close combat attack as it channels power to the plasma blade. There has been some recent debate about replacing the oil stacks with capacitor coolers but most pilots are unwilling to give up the combat edge.

What you need to know about the pre-orders:

1) There will be a limited number of pre-order slots available. (50)
2) I will give 30 days before closing the pre-orders, this may happen much sooner if the volume of orders is high and we reach our maximum 50 slots. (Limit of two kits per household)
3) Pre-orders must be paid in full with Paypal.

4) What can you expect for wait time before a package arrives at your door? (30 days (or less) to take all pre- orders, 45 to 60 days to receive the casts from the supplier, 3 to 5 days in transit to you if you live in the US or Canada, overseas shipping will take a bit longer).

5) Orders will be filled in the order that they were received.
6) You will be sent a tracking number when your order ships.

Pre-Order Price for kits:

Leviathan Mortis ($296.75 pre-order price) Retail $350.00

Leviathan Crusader ($306.75 pre-order price) Retail $375.00

Additional (optional) weapon arms and armor upgrade kits are also available at a reduced price.

Shipping costs: USPS, Priority Mail, Insured.

Delivery within the US $15.25
Delivery to Canada or Mexico $32.15
Delivery to the rest of the world $48.83

Senji Studios, with more incredible terrain.

2011-04-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

Pat Ohta over at Senji Studios put his creative talents to work with another piece of beutiful terrain. After seeing the background building pictured in the Leviathan Mortis CG render, he decided to make a terrain element based on the structure.

I thinks it worth noting that Pat created this wonderful work free of charge… I’m just blown away by his generosity. If you have the chance I highly recommend you drop by his web site.

Thanks again Pat!

Interview posted on Apocalypse 40k

2011-04-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

I just completed an Interview with renowned prop man Alec Peters from Propworx. Evidently Alec is a fan of my work, I must admit I’m a fan of his as well. This gentleman has one hell of a job! He collects and sells movie props from big title productions, such as Star Trek, Star Gate and many others. You can find his website here.

In his off time he runs one of the largest 40k based Apocalypse clubs this side of the Mississippi. You can see the interview on his 40k blog here.

If you like HUGE games with BIG models his forum dedicated to all things Apocolypse is well worth the visit!... you can find it here.

Ever want to be immortalized in a game system? Here is your chance….

2011-03-11T09:42:00.000-08:00

Here is your chance to have a character, a major settlement, a military unit, a planet or planetary system, and yes…even a model named after you or given a name of your choosing. (Pending Approval).

Currently called the Black Widow... Could be named?? You decide.

I could lock myself away and develop Iron-Core in a vacuum, but I prefer to hear other viewpoints and receive input from the community that will be using this system. I will post rules sections on the forum for review, any input that ultimately ends up in the game will earn the poster -Contribution Points-. When the game goes to beta testing the contributors will be notified as to what level they have earned and will be given the choice to use either their name or a fictional name of their making.

The contributors may then submit three names (I will choose one of the three) that will be used to name a character, a major settlement, a military unit, a planet or planetary system and even a model, created or yet to be created. Naming a model will be reserved for those who have made many or major contributions to the Iron-Core universe or game system. Contributions can be as small as catching typos or as large as sweeping changes to the game system.

Play testers: When the game goes beta, I will open the Contribution Point system one last time. Any changes to the game system or astute observations about rule sections in your play test reports will earn you points towards immortality and one last shot at naming game assets.

As with all contributions, they must be given freely without expectation of financial or other reward. The goal is to make a game system that can be enjoyed by all; your reward will be the satisfaction of knowing you contributed to something that brings enjoyment to the gaming community, and perhaps bragging rights to the name of a game asset.

I look forward to your participation and hope that the completed game is one that you find enjoyable.

All the best,
Mark Mondragon

Forum Link

John Bear Ross Is Published!

2011-03-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

Many of you know John from his amazing cad work, designing models for Rebel Minis, MERCS and many others.

Did you know he is also a writer? He worked long and hard on a pulp sci-fi project back in 2008. John is now a published author. You can find his literary genius here...

Mars McCoy-Space Ranger Volume One for the bargain price of $3.00 PDF format.

Support the artists you enjoy or lose art altogether.

DreamForge-Games Forum Is Now Operational!

2011-03-04T17:50:00.000-08:00

With the (hopefully soon) beta testing of Iron-Core it was time to open a forum.

Forum Banner Art

You can find the forum here

Why a forum when I have a blog? A blog is a great place to post news but when you need feedback or a place to ask and answer more in depth questions, a forum is a far better tool. It also allows me to email all my members with important news such as pre-orders and new product information as well as special offers.

Although the forum is primarily designed for DreamForge products, you are free to discuss any games or minis. As the discussions grow, I will tweak or add boards to allow for easy searches and updates. It has been some time since DreamForge had a forum and I miss the communal exchange of ideas and feedback. The members of the old forum helped to shape Iron-Core and it is my hope that this communal effort will continue and enrich the Iron-Core universe.

Will I still update the Blog? Absolutely! It is still the best place to check for up to the minuet news.

The main DFG website received a face-lift with some new art on the home page and the forum, to give a cohesive design.

Registration is simple and what you are used to. There is one extra step involved after you confirm your email, you will need to log in and review the Terms of Use board and reply to the thread with “Agree” in the reply title if you agree with the terms. Also, take some time to tell everyone about yourself. Once you have Agreed to the Terms of Use you will have full access to all the forums topics and freedoms.

If you do not agree with the terms, you may still visit as a guest but may not post to the forum and you will not be part of the mailing list.

I hope you make yourselves at home…

Khurasan Releases The Siler Super Heavy Antigrav!

2011-02-25T08:54:00.000-08:00

Jon over at Khurasan just released the kit conversion for the 15mm scale Siler tank... This conversion updates the Siler and adds some Vroom Vroom speed to the massive vehicle.
The model is 96mm long and 60mm wide.

Priced at $15.99 for the tank with treads and $3.99 for the upgrade kit its quite a deal! Now go support the Indi manufacturer and pick up the platoon of three.

Check out the release on TMP

I just took a dump on your Internets ;)

2011-02-22T15:04:00.000-08:00

I just updated a few areas of the DreamForge-Games website. This update centered around the game system, factions, history and tech.

Start your tour here and use the menu bars at the top center of the page to view the new content.

Enjoy! and please let me know what you think about it.

Pre-Orders for the Mortis and Crusader will be available soon!

2011-02-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

The Leviathan Mortis and Crusader are at the casters right now!

Molds are being made of all components, including, add-on armor, left and right Mauler Claw arms, left and right Vulkan Cannons, Executioners Sword and Reaper Scythe.

If you remember my earlier statement about not accepting pre-orders, you will be happy to know that I am going to break my rule on this. I would not do so if I did not have full confidence in my contract caster. He runs a full time shop with eight employees doing nothing but this kind of service and utilizing expensive equipment, resin injection machines and HUGE pressure tanks.

When I receive the first article (cast) and fingers crossed there are no issues, I will post pics of the actual casing from this supplier and open pre-orders for the Leviathan Crusader and Mortis. Available options will be additional weapons and armor upgrade (armor seen in pic of Crusader below).

We are sitting about three to four weeks out from when I open up pre-orders, so start saving your pennies ;) The pre orders will be at a discounted price (estimate $50.00 to $75.00 off retail) $300-$275.00 for the base models configured with the weapons that normally come with the kit. Additional weapons and add-on armor (estimated $12.00 off retail for the weapons) $33.00 each.

This price may go up or down slightly depending on what the actual cost is from the contract caster.

What you need to know:

Pre-orders will not start until I am happy with the casts.

You will see pics of the actual casts before I open pre-orders.

There will be a limited number of pre-order slots available.

I will give either 20 or 30 days before closing the pre-orders, this may happen much sooner if the volume of orders is high and we reach our maximum slots.

Preorders must be paid in full with Paypal.

What can you expect for wait time before a package arrives at your door? Likely two months, perhaps sooner or perhaps a little longer. (20-30 days (or less) to take all pre orders, 15 to 30 days to receive the casts from the supplier, 3 to 5 days in transit to you if you live in the US or Canada, overseas shipping will take a bit longer).

Orders will be filled in the order that they were received.

I can offer the discount because the caster allows for a break on volume pricing. After the initial pre-orders have been completed, I cannot guarantee the discounted price going forward. Soooo if you have been eying one of these models then you may want to consider doing a pre-order to get the best price possible.

As always, I will post any updates to my Blog so you know the status of the pre-orders.

Protectorate Trooper and Eisenkern Trooper WIP

2011-02-17T13:21:00.000-08:00

I have been pulling together models for what will be my 28mm and 15mm minis.

I first build a mesh in Rhino, and then export as an OBJ to Zbrush to flesh out details on fabric and leather items. Nothing beats Rhino for hard surface items such as armor and helmets but Zbrush is ideal for the soft items.

You can see here the base mesh for the Protectorate Trooper.

Here you can see the Zbrush detailing to the boots and pants. The folds are symmetrical now but will be corrected when the model is posed.

Here are a couple of shots of the Eisenkern WIP.

The feet, hands, and some details have been oversized. When you shrink it down to its 28mm scale it looks more appropriate to the scale of the figure.

Fleshing out the Protectorate trooper.

2011-02-02T20:54:00.000-08:00

Here is the helm based on the concept art posted last week... You can see I'm a better modeler than digital painter. I like the way it came together, now I just need to find time to make the rest ;)

Protectorate Trooper Concept Art

2011-01-25T11:45:00.000-08:00

Just a heads up, I am still casting the Mortis. I have been busy locating a contract caster and have had some success. I will post any available Mortis models here soooo, if you want one of the limited edition models keep your eyes peeled to this blog.

Now on to some concept art.

I wanted to make something for the Protectorate that was immediately identifiable as Soviet era military but with updates to make it sci-fi. The problem with today’s military, is that forces from around the world look strikingly similar when it comes to body armor. Their weapons and camouflage patterns are often the only real visual clue as to the country of origin. In the Iron-Core universe, the factions are separated and evolved distinctively from one another. I felt it was important to keep their visual roots intact while updating the equipment.

In this concept I gave a big nod to the Soviet era by taking some distinctively Soviet traits and turning them into design cues. I turned the fir cap into a hard plate helmet with built in sensors and a hard plate mask that strongly resembles a gas mask. I gave the trooper a chest rig and an updated the ppsh41 machine-gun to an energy weapon. Add the early Soviet style uniform complete with bed roll. Roll in a smattering of plate armor protecting the chest and upper arms, and viola! A Protectorate trooper.

I have never considered myself a digital artist; this is perhaps the third Photoshop painting I have attempted. Although I am fairly happy with the results, when I look at the digital art floating around out there, I feel rather Meh.. about my own work. I would love to improve in this area. Perhaps someday I can head back to school to update my skills using today’s media.

#2 Limited Edition Leviathan Mortis has been listed on eBay

2011-01-06T00:47:00.000-08:00

Here is your link to the auction

This is #2 of 5

Item number: 230570755667 The auction starts Friday the 7th.

Kit comes with all components required to build one Leviathan Mortis. (1) Main body legs and upper arms. (1) Right hand Mauler Claw (1) Left hand Reaper Scythe. (Limited Edition Release Includes (1) Crusader Head (1) Right Hand Vulkan Cannon)

Suitable for a display model or table top gaming.

The limited Edition Mortis will only be available for a short time, likely five kits. After that the Vulkan and Crusader head will be available separately.

Total Package Value: $400.00 ($350.00 Mortis/ $45.00 Vulkan/ $5.00 Crusader head)
Limited Edition Suggested Retail Price: $375.00

Happy bidding and good luck!

The first Leviathan Mortis has been listed on eBay

2010-12-30T18:29:00.000-08:00

Casting took considerably longer than planned, two days of fussing with new molds and adjusting vent and sprue size. I suppose it’s to be expected but it sure is frustrating.

Because of the current production rate, I have concluded that I need to move this out of house sooner than later and will be working toward that end.

Until then I had to choose a way to sell, that would allow the greatest number of people a shot at purchasing a kit... I settled on the auction format. I know it’s not ideal and bidding may go over the suggested retail but the market supply and demand will set the price and if there is extra profit, it will go straight to the contract caster to get that end rolling.

I refuse to take pre-orders because I will not sell something that is not in a box and ready to ship.... Been there, done that, and won’t do it again. There are just too many things that can go wrong, and I would prefer not to anger my customers with unreasonable wait times.

I apologize and hope you understand my decision. If the auction format drives the price too high, I would ask for your patients while I work out the production issues. How long will it take? Likely several (2-3) months for the contract caster to start production.

Have a safe and happy New Year, and happy bidding….

Item number: 230568665580 click here to be taken to listing

Casting has started!

2010-12-28T14:05:00.000-08:00

I will have two and possibly three Leviathan Mortis available by the 31st.

When they are packed and ready to go I will make an announcement here. I may list one of them on eBay in auction format, to allow those who may have missed the chance at the first run to purchase a kit if they feel they cannot wait until the production rate is up.

The first few models will be a Limited Release Edition, and will include the Crusader Head and a right hand Vulkan Cannon in addition to the normal Mortis head, Scythe and Claw.

The limited Edition Mortis will only be available for a short time, likely five kits. After that the Vulkan and Crusader head will be available separately.

Total Package Value: $400.00 ($350.00 Mortis/ $45.00 Vulkan/ $5.00 Crusader head)
Limited Edition Price: $375.00

Production will be rather spotty; I need to cast up two for Pat over at Senji Studios, a Mortis and when the molds are done, a Crusader, to take care of a trade for the wonderful buildings he made. Possibly two more for other obligations, and then start work on the Crusader molds for it's release.

I'm still in talks with a couple of production shops for contract casting and I will need to make production molds.... In short, there is much still to be done and casting needs to be juggled between tasks.

Updated Website

2010-12-21T22:43:00.000-08:00

While I was waiting for the re-printed part, I took the time to hack and slash through the website. It is still not completely done, the Game page needs a lot of work and I threw together the pics for the Vulcan Cannon page.

All in all, it loads faster and is far kinder to maneuver through. You still cannot buy anything; I have the PayPal buttons set so it will not complete the transaction without stock on hand.

No rest for the wicked... I start benching the re-print tomorrow and molds to follow.

Stay tuned! I will update the Blog with a final release date when I have it... Just keep in mind there may only be a couple of kits available on the day of release.

Leviathan Mortis Instructions

2010-12-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

Instructions for the first release are complete. That was about as much fun as a root canal, but at least its done.... Enjoy!

Just click on the images below

Waiting on Prints

2010-12-14T16:46:00.000-08:00

My go-to guy for prints, Moddler, is out of the office for the next couple of days and slammed with work. I will likely have the re-printed part on Friday. I will need to bench the part and make a new family mold. Unfortunately, this will slightly delay the first release. It will take approximately 10 days to get everything done once I have the item in my grubby little hands.

Rest assured, workers in my high tech production facility will be flogged daily until this problem has been resolved.

Leviathan Mortis First Build

2010-12-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

It has been quite the journey getting here, but it is very satisfying to hold the final model.

Please accept my apologies about the website, I know it's broken... I just have not had time to get to it. It's on the to-do list. I keep the blog up to date so this is where you can find all updates until I can sort out the website.

As expected, it has been many long days to prep the molds for production. I had really hoped to show a nicely painted model on Pat's wonderful diorama but time will not allow that right now, I’ll have to come back to it when the Crusader is ready for the build. I wanted to make sure my customers could see a real world model and not just a CAD render, so primer will have to do for now.

Although I prefer to take my time on a build, I assembled this kit in just a few hours, skimping on much of the pre prep work and clean up so I could get cracking on the instructions. I did find one part that will need to be re-printed and new molds made so there may be a slight delay on the December 15^th release date. This is still my goal and I am working hard to stick with it.

I will take what I have learned from this build and make notes in the instructions, there are a few components that need to be assembled in a specific order or you will be cussing up a storm. I will also include notes on how to build a resin kit and what tools and glues work best. I dislike pinning resin models and was happy to find that the only part that needs the reinforcement was the spine. As you can glue the spine in place and then drill from the bottom of the pelvis and from the top of the chest right into the spine area it was a fast and easy pinning job. For a 136 part model, I am happy to say it was a fairly simple build.

Still sooo much still to do; Complete the instructions, new molds and prep of the re-printed component, web site (I doubt I will get this done before the 15^th, so expect the first few sales to be on Ebay) and all the other items I am sure I have overlooked.

Ultimately I need the casting contracted out, sooooo...

**If you are a contract caster or garage kit producer of resin models and looking for long term work, contact me at mark@dreamforge-games.com for details.**

Quick recap:

Release date... shooting for the 15th, depends on the re printed part turn around time. This will likely be on Ebay as I doubt I will have time to fix the broken website before then.

Retail $350.00 (Kit will come with the Crusader head as well as the Mortis head)
Optional Vulkan Cannon $45.00

For now, enjoy the pics!

Here is a shot for scale, using a 30-32mm MERCS Mini.

Here is a shot for fun ;)

Leviathan VR5 Mortis (Totenköpfe - Deaths Head)

2010-11-20T18:31:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have not seen it, I felt I should post a description of the first Leviathan release. For those that have.... Here is some new eye candy.

Grandfather of all Leviathans; the VR5 design is over 200 years old and has seen many improvements and variants. It and its variations are widely considered some of the finest designs ever produced. A balance of size, speed, armor and armament all come together to make a very formidable vehicle.

The decision to design the cockpit after the Totenköpfe was primarily nostalgic and a matter of national pride. The frame of the first Leviathan was designated VR5 in honor of the 5^th Regiment commanded by Colonel von Ruesch, the first Hussar commander to use the deaths head symbol. The Prussian army Hussar first adopted this symbol in 1744.

The Mortis in its purest form is outfitted with two close combat weapons, and no additional armor, this allows for the fastest possible movement and a vicious close combat capability. The massive oil stacks provide the option of overcharging the reactor for enhanced speed or combat. Two KwK 200 20cm auto cannons mounted in the torso ensure its survivability in a ranged engagement.

Here is a pic. to help add a little scale referance...

Leviathan Mortis release date

2010-11-19T12:20:00.001-08:00

I have a (tentative) release date of December 15th. If all goes well and there are no major hiccups.

There is still ALLOT of work to be done. Molds checked for vent and sprue issues, Instructions, Box art, Web store and shopping cart integration, ect. Perhaps a more realistic date would be January but I like to push myself.

I may releases the first one or two on Ebay if I don’t have time to work out the cart and website issues.

Pricing as it stands now:

Leviathan Mortis: With Scythe and right hand Claw $350.00

Optional weapons: Right hand Vulkan $45.00

The Leviathan Mortis is a all resin model kit, roughly 9.5" tall

I will be working a lot of late nights to try to get this out the door by the 15^th, so please be patient with me if the date is bumped.

Please understand that they will initially be produced in house so the number of kits available will be limited due to having only one set of production molds and production equipment.

I will update the blog with pictures of the final casts and assembled model as soon as they are completed.

I am the great and powerful OZ!

2010-11-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

Many people ask why is this so expensive. The short answer is that nothing about making resin models is quick or cheap. The long answer requires a more in depth look at the costs involved. Unlike many manufacturers, I do not feel it is constructive to dance around this question. An honest question deserves an honest answer.

So let us pull back the wizards curtain and see what hides behind...

Pricing my models is a subject that often causes me a great deal of discomfort. Every kit, every release begs the question what is a fair price? What do I need to charge to keep the doors open and continue making things I, and hopefully others enjoy. While understanding not every model will be a spectacular hit, what is a reasonable number of models you should expect to sell to amortize your upfront costs?

Now we look at the ugly numbers. I already own the equipment so I will not count that in the total but I show them here for general reference. Also, keep in mind this rough overview is for a rather large and complicated model with over 32 molds and 136 parts. Although the costs are not accurate to the penny, they are honest reflections of the true costs. There are numerous other costs that will not reflected in this break down, such as overhead, web development, problems with molds, etc. These costs likely reflect another 3% to 5% reduction in true profit.

Initial equipment investment: (This cost is not reflected in the totals below)

Compressor, Pressure pots, Vacuum pump, Vacuum chamber, assorted tools, mixing containers, etc

Rough estimate- $1800.00

Initial materials investment:

Model print cost, Initial molds (RTV Silicone cost), Mold boxes, clay and other tools, Resin for mold master.

Rough estimate- $3850.00

Cost for each model produced:

Assuming a conservative25 pulls per mold, before mold needs replacing. Estimate for resin, rubber and packaging.

Rough estimate-$89.00

Cost for casting service:

Assuming the molds are made and supplied by me.

Rough Estimate-$75.00?? (This number is still unresolved)

Shipping costs back to me from caster-$4.00

Credit card transaction fees:

3% to 6.5% (average 4.75% of $350.00 retail) $16.62

TOTAL PER KIT COST TO PRODUCE AND SELL A SINGLE MODEL- $185.00

RETAIL PRICE PER KIT- $350.00

Taxes on profit:

$65.00 (Uncle Sam and California demand their share of my hard work)

TOTAL NET PROFIT- $100.00

DreamForge-Games company profit- $50.00 per kit

Costs of initial investment, $3850.00. (First true profit after 77 kits have been sold)

My profit per kit- $50.00 per kit

Target of $15.00 an hour for my time. CAD Modeling, Benching, Mold Making. Four hundred and sixty hours invested, and an additional ninety hours for the three mold change outs needed to meet the 77 total kits sold to square up the initial model/materials costs.

Total dollar cost of my time $8,250. (First true profit after 165 kits have been sold)

What do I make per hour, if we try to zero my hourly rate at the 77 kits sold, based on the initial investment costs of the model and materials. I net $6.99 an hour for my time…Hmmmm…

Add the taxes back into the total that we removed earlier and were up to a “respectable?” $9.44 per hour actual working wage. This begs the question, if you possessed the creativity and the skills set in CAD and mold/model production, would you work for $9.44 an hour with no health plan. I am not crying poor me, this work is something I love doing or I would not be doing it.

I hope that this release is a smashing success and I sell hundreds… This would improve the look of my financials greatly. I would much prefer to amortize my investment to the first 40 or 50 kits sold, and on smaller less expensive models, this is always my target.

For the immediate future, I will need to cast these in house while I search for a suitable service provider. This will increase my profit margin but will slow the development of new models and severely limit the number of kits available to my customers. With this in mind, moving production out of house is a very high priority. If the contract casters services are far greater than expected, I will need to increase the price to reflect the additional costs.

Things being what they are, I feel it is a fair price for my customers and a fair price for the product I deliver. I hope that you feel the same and I hope that I helped to dispel the age-old question “why is the price so damn high?!”

Leviathan Azazel sneak peak.

2010-11-16T17:43:00.000-08:00

Azazel will be the last of five in the series of VR5 frame Leviathan.

Azazel and subtlety are two words seldom used together. There is nothing subtle about this Leviathan. It wields one of the largest projectile weapons mounted on any Leviathan and a whirling blade of destruction. This is the King Tiger of Leviathans

Just to recap, here are the five VR5 frame Leviathans in the series.

I hope to start limited production of the Leviathan Mortis some time in December, with the crusader soon after and the remaining three in this series to follow ASAP.

Anti-Grav upgrade for the Siler Tank

2010-11-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

Jon at Khurasan asked me to make him a plug in unit for the track area of the Siler tank. I wanted to design something that changed the silhouette of the Siler and made it immediately recognizable as a Grav Tank.

I went with an asymmetrical design that mounted larger grav units to the front and adjustable jets to the rear... I felt it gave the model a vroom, vroom, ready to race look.

Here you can see the component view and how they simply plug into the track slot.. You can also see the additional nose length added to further change the lines away from the tracked version.

Wishing you a Happy Samhain "End of Summer"

2010-10-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

Samhain or (sa:win) is an old Gaelic festival to celebrate the end of summer, now known as Halloween.

As a child this was my favorite holiday, I just loved making a costume and heading out for my yearly sugar rush. Now I head out with my niece and nephews and enjoy their expressions.

Leviathan update:
We are close to production! I am working on the last of the weapon arms... After that I need to make masters of all the molds and then complete the instructions and box art. best guess of release date stands mid to late November.

Why has it taken so long? I think we will top out at 30 to 32 molds, using about seven to seven and a half gallons of mold rubber.

It has been a LOT of work and I'm looking forward to moving on to the next set of Leviathan in the series.

Thought I would share some AMAZING pumpkin carving!

Some nice pics of a painted Siler Tank

2010-10-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

I just saw on Miniature Review that Jon over at Khurasan is releasing the heavy tank I worked on a few months back.

I have to say, I think it looks great painted up in desert tan.

I missed this one as well.... Here is a pic of a missile AFV I worked on just before the Siler tank.

SpaceJacker at Tinysoldier painted up the AFV.

It sure is nice to see Jon busy releasing these and I just love to see them painted. With my head buried so far into the Leviathan mold process, I'm lucky to catch any of these ;)

Here is something I had to keep Hush-Hush about.

2010-10-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

When John at Moddler contacted me about working with JBR on a commercial gig, I was very excited about the opportunity and jumped at the chance. My Leviathan molds would need to take a back seat for a bit.

This was a CAD model that JBR and I worked on for a Land Rover commercial. Moddler printed the CAD model and sent it off to an ad agency in NY, Hornet Inc. to have the physical model painted and ultimately used in a stop motion commercial.

Here are a couple of links to the final product....

Land Rover :30sec
Behind the Scenes

This was my first bit of work as a small cog in a big commercial deal. Very exciting and very tight deadlines. I am amazed to see the end results.

The Model needed to be 100% with all details of the real world vehicle captured, all the way down to working headlights. You cannot see it in this render but even the interior headlight bezels needed to be created.

Here are some shots of the modeling work in progress.

A couple of pics of just some of the printed components.

This represented many hours of work for John Ross and I and flawless execution of the final print from John at Moddler.

Its running right now in Italy and you should see a 40 second spot here in the USA soon....

It was a real pleasure working with John Bear Ross and John Vegher on this collaboration.

Senji Studios: A wonderful diorama for the Leviathan box art

2010-10-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

The wonderful and talented Pat over at Senji Studios made a stunning vignette for the Leviathan box art based on a crude sketch I sent to him. Please pop over to his site to see his process and more photos.

I can only hope my painting skills on the Leviathans can do justice to his stunning work.

The Diorama and box art will display the first two Leviathan models. The Eisenkern Leviathan Mortis and the Commonwealth Leviathan Crusader locked in battle on an Eisenkern held planet. The architecture is of Eisenkern origin with a decidedly gothic feel. The buildings are slab construction, cast off world and shipped to a planet for a “colony in a box” method of quick assembly while retaining the architectural interest and distinct retro-gothic feel of the Eisenkern society.

Where have I been?

2010-09-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

It has been quite some time since my last update...

So, where have I been and what am I working on? Among other projects, I have been working on the molds. So far all the body components are complete and I'm starting on the molds for the legs and arms.

Molds are like the foundation of a house, you need to get it right or the house will not come together right. All my molds are two part, requiring two pours and a lot of pre-prep clay work to get the parting lines of the two mold halves set correctly.

Until this week I only had one adjustable mold box, I now have two so things should move a little faster.. fingers crossed.

To be honest I hate this part of the process but it has to be done, so back to work I go ;)

Chance of Gaming Podcast

2010-07-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

When Adam contacted me about being interviewed for his Podcast “Chance of Gaming” I had two immediate questions.

1) What the hell is a podcast?

2) What the hell do I have to talk about?

I am decidedly un- hip, I do not tweet and I refuse to buy an I-phone.

I took some time out to listen to the Chance of Gaming Podcasts and found their style to be an R rated entertaining and irreverent look at all things gaming, from board to miniature to computer games.

I agreed to the interview but I wasn’t even sure I would be able to fill twenty minutes with anything interesting. Turns out once you get me started you won’t be able to shut me up. If you have some time on your hands and you want to learn a bit more about me and the way I create my models, give a listen to Chance of Gaming Episode 10. I do recommend that you try out the other episodes as well… I found them entertaining and even learned a thing or two.

So sit back in your favorite chair, relax and enjoy!

Moddler

2010-06-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that John over at Moddler is using the Dictator model I made for Khurasan on his splash page.
I let myself get a little tickled over this because John has some real talent from other artist, ala-Zbrush, in his portfolio pictures and I'm pleased I made the cut. Jon over at Khurasan should have this monster available soon, so keep your eyes on his web page.

Just a bit about, the man who makes my 3D models into real world objects:

John Vegher does all my 3D prints, he offers great service at a great price.... I know because I have shopped around. In John's last career, he ran a Emmy winning visual effects house and was a founding member of Giant Killer Robots and Pixel Liberation Front.

If you ever need a 3d model made into a real world object, I recommend you put Moddler on your short list of service providers.

Leviathan Crusader Head

2010-06-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

I never got a chance to post pics of the Crusader head, so here you go...

Here are a couple of shots of the Vulkan Cannon with ammo belt and accessories.

And here is a shot of the torso. The hydraulics are not in place but it should give a good feel of scale.

Here is a shot of the arm components. Note the key design so you can remove the arms and change out the weapons.

Added link: Senji Studios

2010-06-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

Pat does some quality work! go check out his site. Senji Studios

Leviathan WIP

2010-06-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

I just had to send out a little tease....

Here are some rather blurry shots of the model. I really need to get a new camera. I have taken better pictures with a phone :)

These shots have the Reaper head in the chassis. everything is just dry fit so please excuse the gaps between components but you can get an idea of the scale of the torso compared to the wonderfully sculpted but poorly shot MERCS mini.

When I get a chance and a better camera, I'll throw up more pics.

MERCS minis

2010-06-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

The gents over at MERCS were kind enough to comp me a set of figures. I did the cad work on the weapons for these bad boys.

All I have to say is AMAZING! the pictures just don't give them the props they deserve. The dynamic poses, the level of detail are just mind blowing. I have seen ForgeWorld minis up close and they are quite nice, but they are also resin, and resin is more capable of capturing the fine details. These minis are all metal and so detailed that I doubt my painting skills are up to the task.

Hats off to all the boys at MERCS for some incredible minis!

I must thank JBR for having the opportunity to work with this client... I know it must have pained him to pass on the job.

Khurasan Tribal Class Spacecraft

2010-06-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

Jon just posted up some great shots of a 15mm craft I did for him a few months back. Link.

He has a lot more pics of the painted model on his blog... so be sure to check out the link!

Khurasan Ogre Beetle

2010-05-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

JRachel over at TMP just posted some pics of his fantastic paint job of the Ogre Beetle I made for Khurasan.

Shown here with the Cafferata. APC on the left and the Colonial Crawler designed by the very talented JBR on the right. Thats one big bug!

Intermission: Queue the elevator music

2010-05-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

Clean up of the Leviathan print is going well. While you wait and for your viewing pleasure... a few renders of a tank I made back in 2004. It will need some updating but I will get it back into production.

Khurasan: M5A3EPS Siler Main Battle Tank

2010-05-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

Jon just posted up a preview on TMP .This will be the last bit of commission work from me until I have the Leviathan's in production. Jon says he still has a few more projects for me up his sleeve.

Jon's post:
The M5A3EPS Siler Main Battle Tank remains in service with some front-line Federal Marine divisions, and supplies the principal heavy-armour asset to the Marine Reserve Divisions and Federal Army Independent Heavy Tank Battalions, and to the Freehold military establishments as well. Over 50 years old, this venerable weapons system is older than most of its crewmen, but remains a formidable foe.

The tank mounts the M161 "Vulcan Cannon," a superheavy plasma cannon with an in-barrel plasma relay port. For missile defense and close-in protection against enemy personnel, it also mounts two M181 "Cohort" auto-track gatling guns.

Although it's been phased out of service in approximately 2/3rds of active service Federal Marine divisions in favour of the L-HAC, those marines who still crew the "concrete beast" (as it is affectionately known) swear by it -- although its rather complex drive system, with four independent tread systems, often makes Federal Marine MBT Techs swear at it instead.

This model, which has a hull that's about 90mm long, can provide some superheavy armoured support for those who don't like walkers or grav tanks. It was designed by me and Mark Mondragon, and rapid prototyped and rendered here by Mark. ETA, a month and a half or so.

One if by land, two if by sea... The Leviathans are coming!

2010-04-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

At long last, pixels meet the living world as true life objects. Now the arduous task of clean up and molds.
There is a lot of work to be done, smoothing the models surface, sprueing the many components, pre production molds and finally production molds, instructions and a painting guide.

I will be posting updates here so check back.

Update of Leviathan Progress.

2010-04-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

John over at Moddler got slammed by work. The Art Institute of California had their finals and placed a load of rush jobs that needed to be completed before he could get to my Leviathan.

He was finally able to get to my job and it will likely be in my grubby little hands for prep and clean up early next week.

Khurasan just posted some previews of the printed models.

2010-04-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

I love seeing the prints and the approval casts... Something about seeing the pixels become real world object is very gratifying. This is about half the images he previewed on the TMP, go check it out.

Khurasan Hunter Class Gun Carriage

2010-04-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

I made a hull variant with three weapon variations. Jon Just posted an article and preview up on TMP

"The Hunter class of Federal Marine gun carriages is designed around a lengthened Caffarata-class hull, and can mount a variety of support weapons.

Like the Caffarata infantry carrier it is a hybrid anti-grav/wheeled vehicle. The class is named for Thomas Peck Hunter, a 20th Century Royal Marine who was awarded the Victoria Cross for sacrificing his life to save others in his unit who were exposed to devastating enemy firepower. His extremely aggressive use of his gun (a Bren gun) to support his fellow marines sets the standard by which all Federal Marine Hunter batteries strive to perform."

The Hunter AAA provides vital air defense, mounting two pulse lasers as well as a launch box for an early warning drone which can be set to search for incoming aircraft and missiles beyond radar range.

The Hunter MLRS provides the corps commander with extremely long range firepower which can deploy a variety of sub-munitions.

The Hunter SPA carries a 30cm neutron howitzer into battle.

A little Photo Shop fun: Star Maps and Political Boundaries

2010-04-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

While I'm waiting for the Leviathan print I thought I would start something constructive and define the Political boundaries for the Iron-Core universe.

Very early design stage here... lots of things still need to be worked out and all the systems need names but it's a good start :)

Khurasan listed some new releases on TMP

2010-04-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

I did not work on any of these but I think their great. TMP page
Four figs and a new vehicle

All I need now is butter sauce for my Sponk ;)

Khurasan- Mekanoid Gunship "Hatchet"

2010-04-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

Yet another model for Khurasan... Jon keeps me busy and flexing my creative muscle.
I like the way it turned out, looks agressive and up for the task.

Jon posted up some pics and a description of the Hatchet on TMP.

"The Hatchet is the close air support system of the Mekanoids. They are able to quickly deploy heavy firepower across the battlefield with their seven pulse cannons and their assault laser. One key role of the Hatchet is to provide air support and defense for the titanic Dictator land combat system, and they are provided with air to air missile silos for that purpose."

Leviathan Mortis and Crusader are out to print.

2010-03-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

John over at Moddler came back with a great price. I still needed to adjust the scale slightly to get it within my budget. The completed models will stand roughly 9-9.5" tall. John will print it when he gets back from a much needed vacation.

Playing with Zbrush - Ogre Beetle

2010-03-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Jon asked if I could make a large bug. This strays a bit from the tanks and hard surface models, so I wanted to stretch my Zbrush wings and give it a shot. I'm still not sure how to deal with components and fit but I'm sure I'll find out :)

Out for quote

2010-03-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

We hit a milestone today. I just sent the Leviathan out for quote. If everything works out $$ wise it will be printed in the next few weeks and then its on to clean up and molds.

I'm sure it wont be cheap; I have the paramedics on speed dial in case I need them :)

You can see the number of components, I will sprue many of these together for the production kit. I wanted to give this model the ability to be customized and posed, hence the great many parts.

The first release will be the Mortis and the Crusader, others to follow.

More weapons for MERCS

2010-03-12T18:31:00.000-08:00

MERCS has a new release coming. I worked on the Kem Var weapons for them last time and was fortunate enough to work on this release of the FCC weapons as well. These have been sent in for final approval.

You can see the art Keith provided and my 3d models based on his designs. You may note the barrels look a bit large; keep in mind they are just under 1mm thick and any thinner they would be likely to snap.

Great and very talented guys with wonderful minis. http://www.mercsminis.com/

Jon had his LHAC painted up

2010-03-08T18:12:00.000-08:00

Suh-weet ;)

Khurasan Dictator; Finding my Design-Fu

2010-02-26T20:07:00.000-08:00

Sometimes models seem to make themselves, other times it’s like beating a steel plate with a foam rubber mallet. This project was the latter.

Jon at Khurasan has been keeping me busy; he gave me a good description and a few concept images to work with. The concepts had differing styles, Crab, Turtle and Arachnid. Jon also wanted a smooth surface free of clutter and minor details, bolts and such.

Normally I can just make a concept sketch and get to work but this one was difficult for some reason. Even after the concept sketch that Jon signed off on, I still found myself unable to jell the idea in my head. Perhaps it was my sweet dog Maggie passing. Perhaps such a large model without surface detail intimidated me. Whatever the cause it took a while to find my Design-Fu.

In the end, the “Fu” flowed and I was able to give Jon something we were both happy with.

You can see from the component view that its a dual layer turret, each can fire at different targets. The head and all six legs can be glued in place or left to move by gluing the top and bottom of the body together without gluing the components in place. Add to this all the small ball turrets and you have a very customizable model.

Fond farewell to a very dear friend

2010-02-24T09:44:00.000-08:00

Maggie was about the best four legged companion one could ask for; she passed peacefully at home on the 22nd after 13 years of love and joy. We will miss her deeply.

Some work I did for Khurasan; Cafferata APC

2010-02-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

Dropship Horizon Link

MERCS puts weapons to good use

2010-02-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

Great work guys! click on over to see the rest of the line

L-HAC on Beasts of War

2010-02-14T21:44:00.000-08:00

L-HAC 19 min 27 seconds in....

Leviathan 101 An informative look at what makes a Leviathan

2010-02-13T15:21:00.000-08:00

Gawd I been buisy... Here is something I finally got around to throwing up on the web server.
Click here to download -Leviathan 101-

Some weapon options

2010-01-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I posted items for my Leviathan kits; Here are some weapon options that will be available.

L-HAC for Khurasan Miniatures

2010-01-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

Jon just posted this up on his Blog http://khurasanminiatures.blogspot.com/2010/01/sir-yes-sir.html
So I thought I would throw up a few renders of the CAD model. These renders have the longer toes, the toes on the printed model have been shortened a great deal.

And a view of the print from Moddler....

Extra Armor and some serious stompers!

2010-01-07T18:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a example of one armor variant; The legs, shoulders and feet have been up-armored some plates for the arms, waist and neck/upper torso still need to be created.

This armor set was designed for used on the Leviathan Crusader, but will be able to be used on any of the variants as shown.

An old friend and a new face; Leviathan Gabriel and Leviathan Azriel

2010-01-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

I am trying to finish off four variants of this Leviathan each will have different weapons, heads and some changes to the armor. Here are a couple of roughed out heads. Many of you may recognize Gabriel from a model I made back in 2003 Azriel is a design from the old days as well; both have been recreated in CAD and are awaiting final detail. Gabriel and Azriel have thier head moved out from the main body to make room for a larger reactor, these will be the only Leviathans in this size class with energy weapons.

Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season

2009-12-23T08:34:00.000-08:00

New Link

2009-12-18T15:52:00.000-08:00

I added a new link, I was sadly remiss in not adding it earlier; the Yahoo group Sci-Fi Concepts And Designs. Hosted by the talented JBR; John Bear Ross

Description: This group is a forum for discussion, feedback, and showing off futuristic designs and prototypes made by professional and amateur artists, digital and otherwise. "Hands-on" Artists, 3D Artists, and vendors of prototyping services, CAD/CAM/CNC, and other aspects of production are welcome to post.

Also invited are those of you out there who are interested in turning visions of the future not just into pretty pictures, but models you can hold in your hot little hands.

This is where I and many talented digital artists and sculptors discuss sci-fi and computer aided design for the gaming industry.

Drop in and say hello.

Some work for MERCS

2009-12-18T11:17:00.000-08:00

John Bear Ross was stacked with work and very graciously referred his client to me to have some work done.

I recently had the opportunity to work with Tom, Keith and Brian over at MERCS http://www.mercsminis.com/ They make stellar miniatures for you 28mm sci-fi fans.
The art they supplied made my job a breeze, as I could see from the highlighting what the curve and angle of each component was meant to be in the design process.

Leviathan Crusader and Mortis update

2009-12-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

I'm currently working on a project with a NDA so I cannot discuss it until he does a reveal... To fill the lack of posts I thought I would put up some updated pics of my Leviathan Crusader and Leviathan Mortis. You can see the upper leg and engine details that were not rendered in the last pics I posted.

When I get the chance I will model some extra armor for the Crusader as this mech will be heavily armored and slower than its brother Mortis. The weapon load out for each is different but these pics only have the Crusaders weapons as I need to get right back to my clients project.

Some weapons for Comfy Chair Mechs....

2009-11-30T17:19:00.000-08:00

Bob wanted to up size some weapons for his Wolf and Spider Mechs, he sent me some sketches and what I had hoped would be a quick project turned out to take a bit of time. Bob has always been very patient and gracious and even with the unexpected delay he did not break stride. These went off to the printer tonight and I cant wait to see these mounted and ready for combat. You can see the wonderfull mechs these fit on over at John Bear Ross's blog page.

Flymech back from the printer and metal master form the caster

2009-11-29T11:12:00.000-08:00

I love seeing the completed prints!

Back at it...

2009-11-23T15:40:00.000-08:00

I got side tracked by a few things but I'm back at my customers orders and hope to be back in full swing shortly.

DreamForge-Games new web site is up

2009-10-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

I got tired looking at the old site, so I pushed up the new one...incomplete and with issues... there are some load issues I need to resolve and some broken links that need fixing but it's nice to give DFG a face lift.

Leviathan Crusader

2009-10-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

Working on the Leviathan Crusader, I have his feet done as well as the Vulkan cannon. I will work my way up the legs to the torso and head and finally the claw. The feet took about 35 hours to complete because this model can be posed, everything had to be engineered not only with the movement and collision issues in mind but also with how it would need to be broken up for casting.... Very complex and a challenging build. I feel like I deserve an honorary degree from M.I.T.