Friday, July 22, 2011

Games Workshop: Free Stuff (!)


   Something I just discovered, while shopping for some lizardmen suitable for my 6mm VSF project is that Games Workshop is giving away the rules for several of their older 'abandoned' games for free in PDF format. Those of you (like myself) who are of a cynical bent may think to yourself "Pffft! They really make their money on the minis anyway, so they are just saving the expense of printing the books." 

   And you would be right.

   But, free is free. So the rules for their so-called "Specialist Games" can be found by going here. Then pick the game you are intersted in, and look under the resources heading. I downloaded Battlefleet Gothic and Warmaster, and am thinking about Necromunda and Mordheim as well.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Victoria's Boys in Red: Popular Mechanicks, Issue #6

Just in case you don't follow my other, VSF-oriented blog, I thought I would add this here. It's a truly awesome looking thing, and a worthy proxy project.

Popular Mechanicks, Issue #6

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Historicon 2011, random photos

Armoured train in Flames of War game

Warfare at Epcot? Nice terrain piece, though.

Dystopian Wars game. Nice terrain pieces.

Dystopian Wars. Landship carrier? How cool!


Really beautiful 28mm scale Civil War ships.

AAAAAAAHHHH! GOJIRA!!!!!!!
Eureka Stukasaurus with tailgunner

Insane Gallipoli terrain

Closeup of trenches.

Beach landing area at Gallipoli

Eureka's Turtle Cavalry on Baby Alligators

Friday, July 15, 2011

Historicon 2011 Day Two Photos

   Only a week later...
Our friend Joe, playing against the boys in "Deutscheland and Dinosaurs"


Joe's Raptor-riding Nazis attack!

Chuck Vranel, in his customary pose for photos on my blogs...

An Eldar Craftworld for Battlefleet Gothic, made from a Seaquest DSV model

BUF Convoy on the way to St. Alban's
 
Lead BUF truck hit by fire from the right; the section bails out.

View from the road to St. Alban's. BUF forces push through cemetery,
while the armoured car holds the crossroads in background.

The BUF assault Anglican troops at the wall, and drive them off the road.
This clears the road for the BUF to advance to victory!

Richard Clarke of Too Fat Lardies and Yours Truly (short fellow on the right).
Eat yer heart out, Gerald!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

CDC: Scots Send Aid

Caernarfon -- The cause of the Provisional Republic of Wales has been much assisted by a recent shipment of supplies and war materiels from the Scottish Republic. The Scots are waging their own fight for independence in teh North, and giving King Edward the Adulterer a good thrashing! Knowing our desperate need for military hardware, the Scots have sent a Rolls Royce Armoured Car to assist us in our struggle against those still loyal to the English king in Cardiff, and the Blueshirt cronies they have brought in.

Model 1924 Rolls Royce Armoured Car

   Once appropriately painted, this new addition to the Welsh forces will help us sweep the Fascists back to the London gutters where they belong. It is expected that the Welch Fusiliers will be receiving this beauty.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Historicon 2011 Purchases, Final

   As I may have mentioned before, Historicon is a great place to buy toys. Most of the major vendors are there, or at least their US representatives for the manufacturers across the waters. Except for Eureka. Nic comes over from Australia. I think it is because he likes to wear silly hats halfway around the globe from home. Anyway, between the dealers and the flea market - pardon me, "Wally's Basement", there's always a lot of stuff to spend your money on. And so, the final rundown, adding on to those things I have mentioned already (i.e., not including them).
  • 2x Car Wars turning keys
  • 3x Monsterpocalypse buildings - for BattleTech
  • Empire Helblaster Volleygun - another Dane bargain
  • Woodbine British Section (10 regulars in caps)
  • Woodbine Vickers HMG (4 figs)
  • Musketeer Minis VBCW "Toff and Gentleman's Gentleman" (2 figs)
  • Musketeer Minis VBCW Militia Standards (3 figs)
  • Musketeer Minis VBCW Militia Boys ATR Team (2 figs)
  • Parroom Station (?) Martian "Holy Man"
  • 6mm Government Building (ptd.)
  • Fight's On! Suez Canal set
  • 2x Tactical Conflict Systems 6mm buildings
  • JR Miniatures 12"x12" cobbled square
  • Small plastic "Welsh" dragon
  • 1 toy dinosaur (Dimetrodon, actually)
  • 8x BTD Viking Berserkers
  • 18x Asst'd crocs and lizards from Iron Wind
  • 8x Eureka Frogs with Muskets
  • 13x 6mm Les Batiments Railway pieces
  • Les Batiments factory
  • Les Batiments power house
  • 7x Parroom Station Clockwork Soldiers ($8!!!)
  • 2x Parroom Station Tatsuhiro Mechanified Infantry Suits
  • Prof. Moriarty and Dr. Loveless
  • 20x small fern bushes
  • 2x 6mm boats
  • 3x Foundry Victorian ladies
  • 10x Foundry DA Sikhs
  • 1x RAFM Sailor dropping timebomb
  • 4x converted Martian marines
  • 6x RAFM Martian shield gunners
  • 1x RAFM High Martian
  • 40K Vostroyan Mortar team (2 figs)
  • 1x 15mm limber
  • 1x Eureka Turtle Cavalryon Alligator
  • 2x BTD Crocodiles
  • Package of 1"x1 1/2" metal bases
  • Pulp Figures Seebattalion Maxim (4 figs)
  • Pulp Figures Seebattalion NCOs (5 figs)
  • 2x Vallejo paints
  • 3x Army Painter basing materials
  • 4x random bits
  • 16x Small rock formations (orig. islands for POTSM)
   And I think that does it. I still did not find everything I was looking to purchase. But I spent my money anyway. I should have held on to some of it for eBay purchases, but what the heck. The total makes it to just over 300 figures of various scales (mostly 25), plus 65 terrain bits, several books, and a few generic supplies. Wow.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Historicon 2011, Day 3

   I know it has been a few days, but I am just now fully recovered from my relaxing stay in lovely Pennsylvania. Not that I saw a whole lot of it, because I spent most of the time indoors. But you don't want to hear about all that - you want to know about the games!


Beautiful terrain from Miniature Building Authority.

  So by now it is Saturday, the last real day of games for Historicon. I have a game at 0900, a WWII game using a rules system new to me called NUTS! It's from Two Hour Wargames. The scenario was pretty simple: D-Day, American Airborne forces approach a village held by the Wehrmacht. Wehrmacht must hold village. Didn't enjoy the game. One of the main opponents was a 'psychic.' Always knew what my troops were doing even if there was no way for the troops to have such information. I didn't like the rules either. One of my troops dropped a hand grenade into a room full of Amis, rolled the best result possible, and the result was that two of the GIs charged up the stairs and killed not one but three Germans at the top. One of the Germans was my second best guy, and a 'Hero', unloaded his SMG at the GIs, while waiting at the top for them to approach, and missed totally. An unbalanced scenario maybe, and a bad opponent for sure, but any result that leaves a group of people in an enclosed area in which a grenade has gone off totally unharmed - not stunned, not anything? I didn't like the game.

Amis appear in the woods and ambush a Wehrmacht patrol.

   NUTS! is my second time to try a game by Two Hour Wargames. I know a lot of people who like their games, but all I can say is, so far, I'm not a fan. I do really want to try the All Things Zombies rules one of these days, however, as I have heard nothing but good about them.

   My next game wasn't to be until 1900, so I thought I'd hit the vendor's area and Wally's Basement (the flea market). the boys, on the other hand, were headed to their game at 1300; a game of Car Wars. I've been playing the game off and on since about 1983. Even been planning on getting a Matchbox scale game set up. So the boys take off; about 1305, I get a call from Greyson and they need another player since there's only the two of them there to play. Had a pretty good time. Killed Greyson's car, got rear-ended by a ramplate but survived (barely!), got revenge on the rammer by virtually eliminating him. Time was just about up so we called it, and I won (only 'kill').

My car. Twin MGs and a bumper trigger.

Dane in red, Greyson in green, myself in the rear.

When I was rammed. Greyson's car is against the wall, on its side.

   My last game was one of the ones I most anticipated since registering: a G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. fleet battle. Simple scenario was that a new German aircraft carrier was damaged by a storm, and the British are trying to capture it while the Germans seek to prevent that.

Patrol boat HMS Courageous (fore) and cruiser HMS Essex

  I liked the game. It was very similar to Battles by G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T., and so it was familiar, with a few changes which had to be made in order to accomodate the third dimension. It seemed impossible to get to the carrier (the Valkyrie) before she made it off the table, and it proved so. Highlights of the game include the performance of HMS Cossack, one of my patrol boats absorbing fire from two German patrol boats and a German cruiser. After several turns, she was a wreck, and had three commanding officers killed aboard her. Finally, she settled to the surface, with no guns, no engine, and no officers left! Things looked very bad for the British side until the battleship finally got within range. Three German capital ships were crippled or destroyed, and three escorts, to the loss of three escorts on the British side. The Valkyrie did manage to escape, however.
The Valkyrie.

  The Valkyrie is a total scratch-built job, except for the mast and the flight stand. Absolutely beautiful piece of work. I especially like the raised hangar on the flight deck.



Saturday, July 9, 2011

Despatches from Historicon: Day 1 Photos



   As promised, some Historicon photos. These are from Day One (Thursday). Captions below each for explanations. Click the picture for larger views. Enjoy!
Monkey Island game. A scratch built carrier for the American Rocketeer Corps.
The fans are powered. How cool is that?

Road Rash. Goliath Corporation's four black SUVs are couriers.
In this shot, two have been stopped in a massive pileup while two escape through a gap.
Unfortunatley, the Package is in one of the wrecked SUVs.

Another shot of the pileup. The silver Audi and Goliath Yellow (one of the SUVs)
have made a motorcycle panini. Yum!

A totally insane Gallipoli board, done by Grand Manner. 28mm scale.
Really, absolutely beautiful.

Just to give you a sense of it, a shot of the beach area from the above board.

Da Boyz! While they aren't green, their troops are.
This is Buck Surdu's "Viva la Rana!" GASLIGHT game.
The North lost.

From the same game, some of Dane's Heavy Frog Cavalry run into Southern Spearfrogs.
The Cavalry takes the worst of it.

From the last game I played on Thursday, Battlefleet Gothic.
I am man enough to use a pink ship. It was battered heavily, but survived.

Mini-Report, Historicon 2011 Days 1 and 2

   Why a mini-report? Because I am freaking exhausted.

Games I have played:
  • Third Battle of St. Alban's. A VBCW game, using Too Fat Lardies Through the Mood and the Blood. Excellent!!
  • Sky Galleons of Mars, in 28mm. GM was a no-show for the game. Major bummer.
  • Paris and Nicole's Tropical Vacation. Howard Whitehouse ran it. Awesome as always.
  • Battlefleet Gothic Cruiser Clash. Cruiser type spacecraft in 40K. Fun game, but really annoying kid.
  • Road Rash. Post-apocalyptic car game. Fun, but didn't love the rules. Car Wars is better, I think.
Games Greyson has played so far:
  • Fallout: Kill all Muties. Post-apoc skirmish, based on world of video game Fallout. He won.
  • Monkey Island. Pulp game. He won.
  • Sky Galleons of Mars - see above comment.
  • Viva la Rana! GASLIGHT 28mm using Eureka's frogs and turtles. Great fun, but lost.
  • Deutscheland und Dinosaurs. GASLIGHT 28mm Weird War II, using Eureka's Jurassic Reich figures. Again had fun, but lost.
Games Dane has played:
  • Fallout: Kill all Muties. See above. He also won.
  • Monkey Island. See above, but did not win.
  • Viva la Rana! See above; also lost.
  • Secret Science Test Arena. 28mm playtest of rules being developed by Parroom Station. Had fun, but his mad scientist's creations failed against other mad scientist's creations.
  • Deutscheland und Dinosaurs. See above. Also lost.
   Yes, this has been a very bare bones rendering. More detail (and photos) will come later. I promise. I have seen several old acquaintances from Historicon this year (Dave, Howard, Nic, Rob, Buck and a few more), met a few new guys who are pretty great (James and Richard Clarke), and have run into one guy from the regular gaming club back home (Joe).

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Historicon 2011: Day 1, Part 1 - The Haul

   Well, the dealer's room has closed for the evening, and I have a couple of hours until my next game. Thought I would take a moment to share the wonders of Historicon buying goodness. The games are great, but the real draw for me is the flea market (aka Wally's Basement) and the dealer area. The dealers should be happy with my family and friends. Today's purchases include:
  • 20x WFB Empire State Troops
  • 10x WFB Empire Handgunners
  • 10x WFB Empire Pistoliers
  • 16x Eureka Terrapins with Spears
  • 8x Eureka Turtles with Bows
  • 8x Eureka Samurai Rabbits (helmeted, katana, sashimoto)
  • 1x Eureka Turtle Tank (+9 crew)
  • 5x Parroom Station Masked Minion Diabolical Weaponeers
  • 3x Parroom Station Prussian Junior Officers
  • 6x Blue Moon Twanax Horde
  • 16x Peter Pig Sheep
  • 8x Peter Pig, um... Pigs, actually
  • 8x Peter Pig British Heliographs (two teams)
  • 1x Brigade Games 1924 Model Rolls Royce Armored Car
  • 8x Woodbine Designs Armed Schoolboys
  • 4x Woodbine Designs School Master (set)
  • 4x Woodbine Designs Chaps on a Hunt
  • 4x Woodbine Designs Damned Poachers!
  • 5x 40K Vostroyan Command figures
  • 2x Stan Johansen weapons packs for Matchbox cars
  • 24x Empress Miniatures Spanish Foreign Legion
  • 4x Empresss Miniatures Condor Legion Advisors
  • 16x Empress Miniatures Moroccan Regulares
  • 3x Empress Miniatures Mortar and Team (mortar +3 crew)
  • 1x Empress Miniatures Pzkw I Ausf. A
  • 1 pkg "Box Bands"
  • 1x G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. Compendium
  • 1x A Very British Civil War 1938 Sourcebook
  • 1x Go Forward Together (Disposable Heroes British Commonwealth)
  • 1x Primera Batalla (Disposable Heroes Spanish Civil War)
   I think that's it. Total number of figures purchased, both 28mm and 15mm, about 200, plus three vehicles and some bits. And four rulebooks. Not bad for a day's work. About $6-700, I'd say. I gotta reconsider my hobbies. Booze and women of low moral fiber have got to be cheaper...

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

CDC: Democratic People's Republic of Wales Announced


Maerdy -- Comrade Leader Llewellyn Jones announced today the creation of the Democratic People's Republic of Wales. Surrounded by coal miners, he called on the proletariat class to rise up against the oppression of the Fascist state and King of England, and to avoid the seductive capitalist state of the Republic of Wales, currently headquartered in Caernarfon.

   Jones laid out his plan for a socialist worker's state in Wales. Part of the plan includes a non-aggression stance towards the Caernarfon government, saying "The proletariat must first concentrate on striking off the shackles of the English monarch and his Fascist lackies. Only then can we afford the effort to establish a real socialist state in Wales, dealing with the capitalists of the so-called Provisional Government through peaceful political process of referenda. Our victory in such a contest is inevitable."

  Interim President Saunders of the Provisional Government, speaking from his home in Caernarfon, responded by welcoming the assistance of the working men of southern Wales in the struggle against England's king, but did not go so far as to offer war materiels to the DPRW. He also claimed that no Provisional Government troops would be first to start a fight with the socialists, but also reiterated his stance against "godless Communism."

[Editor's Note: This comes from an idea engendered from this thread on TMP.]

Off to Historicon!

   As of the time this posts, my sons and I should be boarding an aircraft, headed for Pennsylvania via Atlanta. I know, a bit out of the way, but the prices were much cheaper. Let's just hope all the luggage gets delivered properly, shall we?

   I will be taking along my netbook, so I hope to be posting from the convention. There will be some sort of Post-Historicon wrapup, as well, after we return. It might take a day or two, however, as the return flight doesn't get us home until late Sunday night (almost midnight, in fact).

   Wish us luck, and we'll see you on the other side...

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

WFB Empire Paint Projects


 Well, I got a couple of things finished yesterday. Thought I would post a couple of pics before I take off tomorrow. First up is a champion for a Talabecland regiment. Second is four of the five Kislevite horse archers. Number five is done, just waiting on a nice fresh can of clearcoat. Maybe tomorrow I can get him done too.



   I am not really happy with how the horses came out on the Kislevites, but it was time to stop mucking about with them. So now I have two regiments really finished for that army, after only two years. Well, three if you count the Talabheim Halberdiers, but I really need to do another ten of them, and I have eight swordsmen done for a detachment. Maybe that counts as another regiment. As far as this project is concerned, I think I'll do more swordsmen.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy Independence Day!

A very happy Independence Day is wished to all of my fellow Americans.

I got the beer and the hot dogs!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

CDC: Capitol of the republic Announced

Cymraeg Darlleda Chwmni (Welsh Broadcast Company):

   The Provisional Government of the Republic of Wales has announced the site of the new capital shall be the historic city of...



Caernarfon!


   Located in the Northwest, in the historic region of Gwynedd, Caernarfon has long been a symbol of English oppression, since Edward I of England built his massive stone castle there to hold the countryside against the Welsh people. Provisional President Saunders chose the location. Although the southern cities are larger, their proximity to Monarchist and Fascist control make them undesireable for locating our government there.

   Perhaps following the end of our current War of Independence, a move might be countenanced by the Senned. Until the Final Victory over English Fascism and Monarchy, the capital shall remain in Caernarfon.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Weird War II: Jurassic Reich


   Why yes, that is an Ankylosaurus with a howdah mounted Flakverling-20 on it. This beautiful model, known as the Flakasaurus, is going to be available at Historicon next week from Eureka Miniatures. They have a growing line of Jurassic Reich figures, including Nazis riding Deinonychus, leading a pack of Velociraptors, and flying on Stukasaurus, a Pterosaur.

  I bought some of the Stukasaurus last year to add to my German VSF forces on Venus. Haven't done anything with them yet, but I might be moving them up the priority list soon.