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Camouflage or not for Cavs....


Morgan Devalis
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Okay folks, here's a question for the CAV painters out there: Do you use camouflage color schemes or not?

On the one hand, it can be argued that there is very little point in trying to camouflage a giant, stompy CAV weighing in at about 80 plus tons. Aside from being very easy to spot, it can be argued that there are about four dozen different sensors that can spot them.

On the other hand, it can also be argued that CAV pilots are still only human, and while they have access to said sensory equipment, may still rely on visual light displays.

Anyhoo, just wanted to hear some thoughts on this.

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Actually using Camo still works for those MarkOneEyeBall targeting issues. heck if you think about it WW1 and some WW2 navel vessels were striped with a basic form of CAMO

 

do it have fun, it looks good and folks associate it with a military feel.

 

I personally have two cav armies, one a Demo team army that is painted up in basic OD and Black to look like a military training unit. The other are my Sir Hawkins Privateers who are painted in a very bright dramatic color scheme with the feeling that Why hide Rep is everything they want them to know who's coming.

 

Patrick "Mad Pat" Haughton

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Okay folks, here's a question for the CAV painters out there: Do you use camouflage color schemes or not?

On the one hand, it can be argued that there is very little point in trying to camouflage a giant, stompy CAV weighing in at about 80 plus tons. Aside from being very easy to spot, it can be argued that there are about four dozen different sensors that can spot them.

On the other hand, it can also be argued that CAV pilots are still only human, and while they have access to said sensory equipment, may still rely on visual light displays.

Anyhoo, just wanted to hear some thoughts on this.

I use cammo, variatitons of historic patterns in fact

 

Whther it is the chocolate chip pattern, US Army Gulf War, or the German three color scheme, or even German Panzer and green... I use them.

 

They have the feelingof a military unit

 

Then again, I cannot do flashy very well

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The thread Kamut posted has lots of good info in it, but suffices to say I don't use camo simply because a) I don't think it looks good on miniatures, b) I can't do it and c) I don't think it looks good on miniatures.

 

Here's one of my own CAV's.... well sections :o)

 

alpha_one.jpg

1st/Alpha One

 

alpha_three.jpg

1st/Alpha Three

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Camo looks good some some minis. I did it for my Heavy Gear Northern and Southern forces and the results are very nice. It's a very realistic, very detailed game and the whole feel of it is, as had been said many times before, "Tom Clancy's Mecha". To paint them other than in camo would have been almost blasphemous.

 

Howver. my CAV's are bright orange, yellow, and black. They are walking hazard signs, for all intents and purposes, and they look very imposing on the Battlefield. There's a certain attitude that goes along with painting 10 meter tall robots fluorescent colors. The game is fast, deadly, and has a different feel to it. Bright Orange is just fine here.

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Here is what I do for the CAVs in my three armies

 

Terran Red Legion:

I use Spring yellow and Troll green camo (Close to what the modern Russians use on their MBTs) and top it off with a dusting of black charcoal. Gun metal for guns. Of course we must not forget the blood red star! :upside:

 

The Dragons of Khardullis:

I use a Hawk Torquise/snot green camo scheme with a bit of scorched earth on my CAVs. Steel Green for guns.

 

Nameless Rach army (still trying to figure out a name for them)

This army does not use a camo scheme. Primarily Ghoul gray with a bit of maroon to pick out certain sections. Steel Red for guns.

 

 

I also use a bit of steel plate on my CAVs. I dont cover every centimeter with camo. ^_^

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I'm working up two forces. Both are in WW1 color schemes. One side is basically German colors:ghoul grey infantry uniforms, with black boots and headgear, and granite/chesnut/troll green CAVs and AFVs. the other is French themed:Sky blue uniforms with red headgear(my elite Turcos) and Chesnut/troll green CAVs and AFVs. All vehicles have the splotches blacklined.

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My CAV's are all white base with red highlights. Exposed guns are gunmetal base with Testors flat steel drybrushes.Gives them sort of a mecha look that I like and they really stand out on the table.

The Spartans don't bother trying to camo their CAV's for all the reasons you mentioned. If you can see me, I can see you ::): The infantry is camo'd though.

 

I've tried in the past to camo my battletech mini's and it's difficult to get the camo pattern to match the scale if you know what I mean. You have to paint the patterns pretty small. I never found a pattern I really liked except for a green and grey one I did on some vehicles.

 

Camo also tends to hide sculpted detail. I figure if you sculptors work so hard to add details then I should at least have the courtesy to let others see your great sculpt. (my rationalization for laziness). ::):

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While I really like the idea of uniformity I find that painting some of my models different caters to my need for variety. I wish I had photos to make it easier for you to see but I'll do the best I can in description.

 

I have one section of Borsig Spline units that is my "BUG SQUAD" and they are as follows: Mantis - Green, Spider -Black Widow markings, Scorpion - North American markings, and my Emperor Beetle (Ogre w/ Emperor Arms/ Rhino guns as current proxy) - painted metallic darkish green like the Stag beetle.

 

My primary force of CAV's is based on the them of "Excalibur's Wrath" and I've used a blue steel w/ lightly drybrushed silver. The blue steel is supposed to infer the invulnerable metal quality of the Excalibur sword and the origins of it being from the lake (blue water?). I figure it's futile to try and hide/camouflage big units like CAV's.

 

My vehicles and infantry (i.e.: ground hugging smaller units) are painted in a camouflaged scheme.

 

Finally, I'm experimenting with different paint jobs. Trying some silver and steel themes.

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I personally use camo as the whim takes me. I also have a demo force set up in drab gray with one bold highlight color for my victims of the demo.

 

I'm using a desert scheme for Wolf Pack, like one I once used when I was playing Heavy Gear. The scheme worked so well then that my fellow players and myself lost track of them the playing field. The everyone in the store came to the table to "see" what was going on. I had to go to table level just to make sure I was keeping track of my mini's.

 

The point is, if you're up to try camo schemes, go for it, otherwise, keep it simple.

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