Terminator Salvation: The Game, in 54mm

It all starts with a trip to the dollar store.  I blame it on them. I found some Terminator Salvation action figures that were abut 54mm scale. (much smaller than the 3 3/4" action figures.) They came in two packs for $2, most having one terminator (various models) and one of the human characters. Of course I thought, "Hmmm, this would be a cheap way to do a game." I cleaned out all the stores locally and amassed quite a collection of Terminators.  In conjunction with the toy line, they also had some of the HK-tanks, a little big, but doable since there aren't any other ones out there.  The toy line also had an aerial Hunter Killer, and since they were on sale at Toy's R Us for about $6, I had to pick up a couple. (Again, my arm twisted behind my back and the gun to my head...)

For Terrain, I had seen some impressive results using plastic storage totes (aka milk crates) as sci-fi and urban buildings. Perfect! So, back to the dollar stores to get a few. I picked up some of the small ones (about 8" square) and the larger ones (about 18" square).  They're stackable, so I can make buildings of various sizes.  I cut up a couple of them, because you have to have 'wrecked' and 'ruined' building remnants from the war with the machines.

Lastly, I created a rubble box.  I filled it with all sorts of things to create 'rubble' that could be spread on the table among the buildings. Items included, but not limited to: pieces of balsa/bass wood to represent lumber, rocks, gravel, sand, concrete (crushed up), recycled tire bits (a couple of handfuls form the local playground/park), pieces of metal (screen, paper clips, etc.), electronics gears/wheels, pieces/bits of clear plastic bubble packaging (to represent broken glass), pieces of drinking straws (painted to look like pipes), and anything else I could find.  It works great.

Here's the first game that I ran:

 An overview of the battlefield.  The Resistance is tasked with rescue a couple of key Resistance figures from the HQ building.  The buildings/crates are simply painted black (if they weren't already black, though most were) and then lightly sprayed with a gray spray paint to give them a concrete/weathered look. Some of the other buildings are simply plastic baskets.

 The cargo containers were downloaded from an online site and enlarged fo rthe 54mm scale, printed, and glued to foamcore board.  The contruction vehicle is also a dollar store find. The non-functioning tank/ruin is an incomplete toy found at a thrift store for 25 cents. (It was missing the tracks.)

 Terminators heading down the street.  Usually the best way to see a Terminator, from the rear.

 Note the rubble on the ground.

 The HK Tank makes it's appearance.

"maybe it wasn't such a good idea to hide behind this SUV?"

(The HK Tank turned the SUV into 'swiss cheese' and most of the fire team was wounded.)

 The SUV is a 1:35th scale vehicle, again, a find at the dollar store.  I've acquired other ones at the flea market and thrift stores for less than a dollar, usually in the 25 to 50 cent range.

 Here comes the Terminator aerial support, as if they need it?

The Resistance fighters put up a defense.

 The Resistance has some truck mounted heavy weapons at their disposal.

(Again, dollar store finds, packaged with some green army men.)

 The Hunter Killer took some engine damage from a shoulder-fired missile.

The resistance takes down one of the T-700's.