Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Warmachine and Car Wars Update, Part 2


   Okay, update time - with pictures! We'll start with the Car Wars cars. They are mounted on some gray-sprayed Litko wooden bases, measuring 1.5" x 3" x 3mm. This is triple the size of a standard counter, so all distances in the game are tripled as well. I even have two triple-sized turn keys.

'71 Hemi 'Cuda
Note the twin MGs protruding low. 
Also has a discharger of some sort in the rear (minedropper?).

The Mach 5
No weapons. No top armor. But fast? Oh, heck yeah!
I plan to use it as a NPC car, more mobile target and distraction than anything else.

The Blue Viper
A Hot Wheels fantasy car. Greyson loves it.
No overt weapons, but rockets are concealed in the fenders.

  And now, we move to Warmachine. I already related how Zach (he corrected me) conned me into getting involved in a new game by cleverly giving me models for it. Here is the first one, nearly finished, a Cygnar Lancer. Of course, the base is unfinished for now, but I am reasonably pleased with the paint job.

Glowing Vortex coil (or whatever it is called) on the carapace.

Can you see the fire glowing in the grate?

Big pig sticker.

   The Dodge Demon is almost done - just waiting for paint to dry thoroughly before I apply the gloss coat to the turret. Also, the heavy warjack that came with the set (don't know the name for certain, still new to the game) is almost done. The last light warjack is only about 40% done, maybe, and the warcaster is still bare plastic. Still, a good jump on the project.

  Finally, I bought a few toys today. Three painted 15mm Grants for FOW, another platoon of Indian infantry, four India Pattern Carriers, a subscription to EasyArmy.com's North Africa company builder, a 2-pdr portee, and a set of templates for Warmachine. Ouch.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Warmachine and Car Wars Update

   As predicted, I have partially assembled the warjacks and sprayed them with black primer. We'll see if any actual paint gets put on the pieces when I wake up in the morning.

  For Car Wars, I got the Mach 5 based. Which is all it needs, because hey, it's the freakin' Mach 5. I also got a green '71 Hemi 'Cuda based and with a pair of MG barrels poking out the front. Easy stuff, really. Next step is to get on the '68 Dodge Demon and paint the turreted Vulcan I want to glue on it's roof. Pictures when I get a couple of more finished and I am not so tired.

   So, anyway, I am trying to get some hobby stuff done, and do some blogging. I think, so far so good for 2013. We'll see if I can keep it up.

   Oh, one more thing, OwlCon is coming up in February, and Historicon in July. I plan on going to both. Let me know if any of you guys are going to be attending.

   And remind me to do a store report on Skirmish Games, too.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

And now, for something completely different.


  My friend Zack (dude, how DO you spell it? with the k, the h or just the c?) gave me the above boxed set for Christmas this year. Now, you might be thinking "What a generous friend." And you'd be right.

   But he's also a lawyer. And that means he's a devious son of a rattlesnake, too. How? Because this means he wants to start playing Warmachine, another new game! So, now I have been conned into promising to have this starter set painted up by the end of March. Anyone who has read this blog knows that deadlines and me, we don't usually meet up, at least when you are talking about gaming stuff. To quote that great robot philosopher, GIR: "Hooray! We're doomed!"

   I purchased two pots of Cygnar paint yesterday, however, and intend to manfully pursue this goal, regardless of the near certainty of dismal failure. My forecast is that today I get the plastics cleaned up, and perhaps  even get a spray of black primer upon them. Tomorrow (a holiday), I might even get some paint on them. And then they will sit for a month. Come the end of February,  will be reminded I need to get back on this. And I will spend an hour or three working on them. Spring Break in March is probably my only real chance to make this happen.

   Wish me luck. I'm going in.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Situation Normal - My Side Lost

   Title says it all, really. We played a big game of Flames of War today, with four companies on each side, set in North Africa. The Axis side consisted of two companies of Deutsche Afrika Korps, and one company each of Italians and Vichy French (dirty collaborators!). The valiant Allied side consisted of three British companies and one Yank armoured motor company.

The Allied line...

...and the Axis onslaught.

   Personally, I led a light armoured squadron on the left flank against a load of Jerry panzers. My Crusaders did well enough in the first two turns, eliminating one platoon of Panzer IIIs and knocking out a fourth, while artillery helped to destroy the German 2iC's tank and a sixth Panzer from a third platoon. By the third turn's end, however, Jerry had managed to range in and wreak terrible havoc on my tanks. Those damned 88s! My company commander copped it, as did poor Percy, his 2iC, as well as three additional Grant tanks. After dropping artillery bombardment on my four Bailed Out Crusaders, those platoons retreated, forcing a company morale test. With no OC, that was an automatic fail, and the Indian infantry and eight (eight!) 25-pdrs fled the field.

   Ah well, I had a good time, and the Indians finally saw some combat duty. They really didn't get much chance to shine, in the tank battle that developed on our flank, but they were on the table, by God!

A small platoon of Indian infantry arrive around an objective.

Tomorrow is First Game

  First game of the year for me, and the first game in which my FOW Indians will at least make an appearance. Wish the British infantry luck!

  In other news, I got a late Christmas present from my buddy Zac. The Cygnar starter set! He wants to play some Warmachine, so he got me started. I promised to have them painted by the end of March. We'll see.

  In other other news, I also received a shipment of the first game purchase I made this year: some bases for Car Wars! Huzzah! I can finally put some cars on bases, add the guns, and get down to plastering fools with HD Ammo death!

Good night! Must rest up to tackle Jerry in the desert, what?

Friday, January 4, 2013

2012: Year in Review

For gaming, 2012 was pretty much rubbish.

To be honest, it was bad for blogging, as well. Between my wife's illness and my school, just not a lot of time for anything fun and creative.

I did get a bit of painting done in the summer. That was good. Just need to get more done!

2013 shapes up a bit better. Still have school, but the missus is feeling much better (praise God!). Plan on attending Historicon with a friend this year, which will be nice. Might get back over to Ol' Blighty for the Tank Museum at Bovington's Tank Days. That would be cool.

More later...