Two New VSF Vehicles

  I finished up two vehicle projects this week, and thought I would share them. First up is the French VSF landship I have named Les Bleus for the French rugby team. Their logo is on the rear of the tank. This is an Ironclad Miniatures Steam 1 Scout tank that I purchased from Iron Wind Metals at Historicon this past year. We had a minor hiccup in that the original box had two left hand tracks and no right hand ones, but the good folks at Ironclad despatched a replacement immediately. Good service is so nice to see.

I added smokestack supports.

   The second vehicle is the German (well, Prussian if you want to be picky) converted agricultural walker, the Holzfallermaschinen (Lumberjack Machine). Originally designed to assist in the clearance of the dense jungle terrain on Venus and in Germany's tropical colonies on Earth, the Holzfallermaschinen carried a saw, a pincer claw, and a flamesprayer. When military emergency arises (as so often happens), the tough "Holz" has been fitted with a machinegun by the Imperial Army and sent off to fight for the Kaiser. The Holz is a Games Workshop Ork dreadnought from the 90s, I think. All metal, I purchased it at Historicon in the flea market last summer.

Prussian flag, front and center. Makes a nice aimpoint.

Integral flamesprayer.

Hip-mounted machinegun. Walking and shooting won't mix well.

LPL Update

   So, a brief progress report, for those of you interested. I have finished two of my first three teams to enter the Lead Painter's League painting contest. The third team, which is actually the First Round team, is almost done. I just need to do a bit of touch up and finish their bases. Quite exciting stuff.

  Unfortunately, one of the rules is that I am not allowed to show pictures until after the team has had their round. So, although I have gotten about twenty 25mm minis painted (minimum team size is 5, but I painted some extras, too) in the past week or so, I can't show them to you. I can show you one big thing that is not going in the competition, or I could if I had taken a photo already. Tomorrow, okay?

Brazos Evil Empire: Tanker's Tuesday:Medium Mk III tank

   A lovely article on a British tank design from the B.E.E. I want to obtain one of Warlord's Bolt Action A-9 tanks for VBCW. This one is similar.

Brazos Evil Empire: Tanker's Tuesday:Medium Mk III tank: In 1926, the British War Office wanted to replace their existing Mark II tanks with a new design. In May the Royal Tank Corps Centr...

Perfect for VBCW: the Armadillo

The Armadillo was an armoured fighting vehicle produced in Britain during the invasion crisis of 1940-1941. Based on a number of standard lorry chassis, it comprised a wooden fighting compartment protected by a layer of gravel filling the 'walls' of the fort and a driver's cab protected by mild steel plates. Armadillos were used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Home Guard.

   Warlord Games makes this historical but unusual improvised vehicle for their 28mm Bolt Action WWII game. When I saw it on TMP, my first thought was "Huh. That'd be perfect for Very British Civil War." Anyway, it runs $35.00, and you can order it from their webstore.

It... is... ALIVE!

   The Aethergraph, that is. I just posted a new issue online after a brief two and a half year long hiatus. It's 16 pages of VSF-y goodness. It's free. And it has no (real) advertising, just content. You can find it here: 

The Aethergraph, Vol. 3, #1

   I would like to thank the gentlemen who offered up articles, and apologize that not everything could make it in this issue. I am already slowly working on the next issue, squeezing it in between grad school assignments and painting and family and... well, you get the picture. I'm trying for a quarterly format, but to do it, I will need submissions! So, keep them coming to me at aethergraph@gmail.com.