Very British Civil War Quandry: Vehicles

   I am currently caught in a dilemma. I cna really only afford to get one vehicle to start this project, though I am sure I will be getting at least one or two additional ones. These are the selections I think I have it down to, with photos from the retailers. Please vote in the poll I'll be starting to let me know which you think goes best with the Welsh Nationalists faction as described so far.

   First is an armored truck with a Heavy MG. It comes with a choice of gunners, and I think I can make either the Red or White Russian work. This model is available from Brigade Games. I like it because it shows the lack of sophistication for the Welsh Nationalists, but I worry about its actual performance as well.

   Another vehicle available from Brigade Games, this is a Mk.I Rolls Royce armored car, the 1924 model with solid wheels rather than spoked ones. Again, the armament is light, but a good deal more protection. I see this as having been posted to an RAF base in Wales for security, and then taken over by the Nationalists when they captured the airfield. Sadly, most of the aircraft were flown away by their English pilots.

   Next is a Tank, Cruiser A9. I like the multiple turrets. It is also the most heavily armed of the vehicles I am looking at purchasing. This one is available through BEF MInitaures in the UK. Disadvantage is that its pricier, and has to ship overseas, rather than possibly picked up at Historicon next week. I haven't seen a US stockist, though I may be wrong. Anyway, it's a great model.

   Last on the list, but not necessarily the last I want to buy, is this Light Tank Mk. VI, built by Vickers. Another BEF Miniatures product. Carries two machineguns, and is both fast and fairly well protected (compared to the truck and the Rolls). Only getting one, though, not the squadron shown in the photo!



   So please vote in the poll. I need something to jar me out of my indecision on this critical issue.

Welsh Nationalists in VBCW

St. David's Cross

   The symbol of the new Welsh Republic, a flag bearing the cross of Saint David waves proudly above the Senedd, the Welsh National Assembly building. Saunders Lewis has been elected to the Presidency of the Welsh Republic. The English king has vowed to re-conquer our beloved Republic, and his Prime Minister, the Fascist pig Mosely, has sent his lackeys against us. Fortunately, the Men of Harlech have deserted the English army in droves, bringing with them much needed military equipment and professional skills.

Llandovery College Crest

Armed Schoolboys [Woodbine Designs]

   The boys above are students and Llandovery College, a public school founded in 1857. Typically of the public schools system, one of the primary products of Llandovery is officers for the Army. As such, the boys are trained to march, shoot, and even have ranks within the school's forces. The boys will, in times of need, form a Corps of Cadets with young men from other schools to assist in the defense of the republic against the English king and his Fascist stooges.

Citizens' Brigade [Woodbine Designs's "Damned Poachers"]

   These chaps are members of the Citizens' Brigade. Armed with civilian firearms, they lack the hitting power of most regular militia and Welsh Army units, but make up for it in fanatical loyalty and devotion to the defense of the Republic.

   In addition to the forces shown here, the Republic has Regulars and uniformed militia, plus assistance from the Anglican League.

A Very British Civil War

   Yes, Margaret, another new project. THis is one I have been excited about for a while, ever since I head about the sourcebook. I played in a Very British Civil War game at Historicon 2010, using the Iron Ivan Disposable Heroes rules. It was great fun.

   This past weekend, at our monthly games, we discussed this setting, and decided it would be fun to do in 25/28mm. The plan currently is for several people to do small forces of perhaps three squads with a support weapon or two and a vehicle.

   So, I am currently sourcing figures. I plan to pickup the sourcebook at Historicon, and may get the Disposable Heroes rules as well. Some of my fellows are looking at Too Fat Lardies for the rules set, but I only know I Ain't Been Shot Mum from them, and I don't think it would translate well for this scale of game. If they have a skirmish set, that would be better.

   Anyway, the madness continues. But I have been making some progress on old(er) projects so far this summer, and I hope that I can justify the new lead. I'll keep you posted on my findings as we go.

Game it Forward - Napoleonic Ships

If you're interested in Age of Sail ships, I have some Portsmouth Miniatures ships that will never see a gaming table. Some painted, some still bare, no sails mounted.

Let me know if you want 'em.

World War 2 Cancelled on Account of Dance Recital

  I know, it doesn't make sense. Just listen to the story.

  Today was my monthly games day in our local club. We refuse to give it a name, as it falls apart if you name it. Anyway, we play at a local university (UHCL). We arrived to find our usual room already occupied. Shouldn't have been, but rather than force a class to relocate to the room they were supposed to be in, we contact the school and get an alternate room. It's now about 1000 hours, we have the room until 1800.

   We get to the new room, get all set up, and start playing. I was trying a new set of rules (new to me, that is) called Spearhead. 6mm World War 2, stands as platoons. Eastern Front, Operation Barbarossa. I'm the Germans. Victory conditions are destroy two battalions. By the time the Soviet players (also new to the rules) and I are ready to go, it's 1200. Skip lunch, let's play.

   Turn 1 is a lot of maneuvering. Turn 2 sees two forward recon units run into each other (literally). I call in fire from the 150s and wipe a platoon of Stalin's untermenschen bikers from the face of the recently expanded Vaterland. Turn 3 and the Soviet tank hordes are getting close enough to my pitifully small armored contingent to make me sweaty, but I have a flank march getting ready to come in behind his infantry.

   About 1400 hours, just as we are finishing Turn 3, They arrive. "They" being 50 little girls (maybe 4 to 6 years old) and their mommas. With Head Momma coming in and demanding to know what we are doing in their room that they "paid for and have been using for the last three days." Seems the scheduling people forgot when they gave us this room. We had noticed when we came in that the room was trashed, but just picked up the worst of it and got started playing.

   Five minutes later, we're picking up. Ten minutes after that, we're gone - really quick for us, especially considering that They didn't wait for us to clear out before they started pouring in. Money talks, and you-know-what walks. Ah well. The game was pretty good to that point, fairly intuitive in how things operated. I'll try it agian one of these days. Maybe next time, the Fascist invaders will crush the godless hordes of the murderous Stalin!

   Oh, and if that weren't enough, when we first arrived my son and I saw an armadillo digging up the flower beds out in front of the building. You know you're in Texas when the armadillos tear up the college landscaping.

Troy... for sale!

   This was advertised on TMP (see here), and I thought it was so awesome, it needed to be showcased and supported. I mean, really? Freaking Travertine marble for the blocks on the walls? How cool is that? He's asking $425, and pickup at Historicon. If I wasn't flying in to the show, I'd be really tempted.

"There are 11' of walls/towers gates. Walls are 5" tall to top of parapet, 4" to walkway, 2.5" thick. 3 towers 8" tall, 6x6 wide with removable tops. 2 ramparts, 1 with removable floor. 2 gates. one with towers and hinged doors. Walls and towers are wood core with tile/ travertone stone masticked on and grouted. 10 buildings – foamboard / tile / wood, with removable roofs. everything on plywood bases."

 The whole city (I think)

Close up of one tower.

   You can see more pictures here.

Texas BROADSIDE! Convention: 24-25 SEP 2011

   A two-day event, held aboard the USS Texas, last of the dreadnoughts still afloat. LaPorte is about thirty minutes from Hobby Airport, so if you want to fly in... well, it isn't a long drive, and Southwest Airlines is a cheap flight. The ship is moored just across the road from the San Jacinto Battlefield and Monument, so you can hit two historic sites in one trip!

   The focus is, naturally enough, on naval wargaming. There are currently thirteen games scheduled for the two days, with additional space available to add more. There will also be an auction of an original painting by Mal Wright of the USS Texas escorting a convoy during WWII. Proceeds go to help maintain the old girl.

   You can get more information by clicking here.

It All Makes Sense Now...

Convention in Michigan: 30 JUL 2011

   The Peninsular Campaign convention is being held at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo on July 30, 2011. It looks like it will be an interesting one day convention if you are in the area. More details can be found on The Miniatures Page (click here). The Air Zoo is an air museum, and looks like a neat venue for a smaller convention. Anyplace with a P-40 in the entry can't be all bad!

   I will be posting more convention information for various smaller shows around the country, mainly in Texas (my home state) over the next few days and weeks. Keep an eye out for it - there may be a game day near you!

Talabecland Swordsmen

   Well, the swordsmen are mostly finished, at last. I fixed the mistake of using Devaln Mud to wash the entire figure - something I frequently do with my 15mm figures, but it made the yellow on these fellows look awful! So I fixed that for my son, since I recommended he do it. Then we did the basing. Pretty happy with them, but realized that we need two more for a good detachment! The plan is to add them as a detachment to a unit of halberdiers, along with a second detachment of handgunners. A full mixed arms regiment from Talabecland that way!

 Group shot

Closeup

X-Men: First Class

More like X-Men, Worst Class.

'Nuff said.

An idea whose time has come.

Pike? Check.

Shot? Check.

Zombies? Che - what!?!?

Yep, that's right: Renaissance zombies.

From AB One Games, written by Stephen Danes.

Available at Wargames Vault.

Screw Shaft...

This is what a REAL bad mother-- looks like...

LONDON (AFP) – A Nepalese soldier in the British army has been given a top bravery award by Queen Elizabeth II for his heroics in Afghanistan, where he single-handedly saw off more than 30 Taliban fighters.

Corporal Dipprasad Pun, 31, said he thought he was going to die and so had nothing to lose in taking on the attackers who overran his checkpoint.

He was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC), which is given in recognition of acts of conspicuous gallantry during active operations against the enemy.

Pun fired more than 400 rounds, launched 17 grenades and detonated a mine to repel the Taliban assault on his checkpoint near Babaji in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan, last September.

Surrounded, the enemy opened fired from all sides and for 15 minutes Pun remained under continuous attack, including from rocket-propelled grenades and AK47 guns.

At one point, unable to shoot, he used his machine gun tripod to knock down a militant who was climbing the walls of the compound.

Two insurgents were still attacking by the time he ran out of ammunition, but he set off a Claymore mine to repel them.

Pun was given his medal in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London on Wednesday.

The CGC is second only to the Victoria Cross -- the highest honour for bravery in the face of the enemy.

"There wasn't any choice but to fight. The Taliban were all around the checkpoint. I was alone," he said.

"I had so many of them around me that I thought I was definitely going to die so I thought I'd kill as many of them as I could before they killed me.

"After that I thought nobody can kill us now -- when we met the enemy I wasn't scared."

Britain's Major General Nicholas Carter, who was commander of allied forces in southern Afghanistan during Pun's deployment, praised his efforts.

"The CGC does not get handed out lightly. It was a most remarkable achievement," he said.


[Editorial Note: I am now moving the Gurkhas up the list of 25mm painting projects. Well done, Acting Sergeant Pun! Well done, indeed!]

Projects, Summer 2011

  Okay, a posting on TMP made me think about all the projects I currently have underway. Some are short and easy. Others... not so much. So, anyway, here's a list, under various headings, along with guesstimates at percentage of completion.

15mm VSF

• British - 70%
• Lizardmen - 10%
• French - 25%
• German - 40-50%
• Automatons - 90%
• Martians - 60%

25mm VSF

• British - 20%
• German - 25%
• French - 0%
• Russian - 0%
• Turks - 0%
• Japanese - 0%
• Martians - 10%
• Automatons - 100%. Probably.
• Varduvians - 20%
• Lizardmen - 70%

Other VSF

• Italian Aeronef/SGOM - 90%
• British Aeronef/SGOM - 0%
• German Aeronef/SGOM - 0%
• Martian Aeronef/SGOM - 10%
• 6mm Germans (WtNW) - 10%
• 6mm Martians (WtNW) - 5%
• 6mm French (WtNW) - 0%
• 6mm Lizardmen (WtNW) - 0%
• 6mm British (WtNW) - 0%

Miscellaneous

• 15mm Early Thirty Years War German Catholics - 30-40%
• 15mm Zulus - 80%. Lot of basing to do.
• Battletech - 40%. Maybe.
• Car Wars (Matchbox scale) - 0%
• Warhammer Fantasy Empire - 10-15%
• Various terrain projects and vehicles.

   And those are just most of the minis projects. I know there are more, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head. All in all, it looks like I will never finish my current projects, much less start on any additional ones...

   I'm a victim of OOOhhhh! Shiny!-itis.

Zhou Chinese Camp for FoG

   This is from the tournament last Saturday. The camp was just beautiful. My friend Gerald also has a great camp for his Syrian States army that I need to get a few snaps of out there.

   Ignore the peasant riff raff in front. Check out the silk shade for the general. Just awesome!