Plans for 2019

   As we near the end of another year, I think it's a good idea for me to look forward to the year to come. I am hoping that with a plan I will perhaps stay more focused and therefore be more successful in finishing some projects so that I can play the games!

   First is to finish off a project that I thought I already had done. That's the 15mm Spanish Civil War force that I built for Spain in Flames. I am doing the Nationalist Carlists, the requetes. What do I need to do to finish this up? Not too much, really.

• Paint the Fiat Chirri biplane.
• Paint about three platoon command bases for the machineguns, mortars, and AT guns
• Consider a small armoured contingent, of perhaps three to five PzKW Is.
• Get a few Mediterranean terrain pieces. Battlefront's Italian houses will work fine.

   The second project to work on is Frostgrave. I bought a couple of wizards in November of 2017. I just bought a box of the plastic soldiers.

• Paint the wizards and apprentices. (4)
• Assemble and paint the soldiers.(20)
• Obtain and paint objective/treasure markers.
• Obtain terrain. I have a little bit, but more is needed. This is probably the hardest task for this project, though I already have a battlemat from Cigar Box Battle Mats.

   The third new project is a SAGA 2 Viking force. I am going to just do 4 points this year.

• Obtain and paint minis - about 25 
• Obtain terrain. I'm thinking a few 4-Ground Viking buildings will fit the bill well.

   Next, I want to finish off my Soviet Team Yankee forces. It's pretty much all vehicles.

• Finish 4x BDRMs
• Finish BMP-1 OP
• 10x BMP-2s
• 3x DANA SP Guns
• 3x Carnation or Acacias
• 2x Shilka AAA
• 4x SA-13 Gophers

   Then there are the few odds and ends for my Flames of War DAK and 8th Army...

• 4x Light AA half tracks
• 4x BOFORs 40mm
• Some sort of extra tanks for the Brits. Crusaders, maybe.

   Finally, I want to get my VBCW forces into a game!

• Terrain. Primary need for this to happen.

   Well, that's all. I think that's a pretty ambitious list for me, actually. I'm hoping to do the terrain as table ready as I can get it.

Ion Age War Mecha "Arcus" Magog

   Okay, I am on the cusp of ordering one of these. I just love the rocket pods. From the Ion Age line, and you can find them here. They've a good sale with it right now as well, if you hurry before 27 November, I think.

A Note on the OGRE vehicles

   Really quick - an old friend of mine, Tim Harrison '94, asked me about how I did the numbers.

   I cheated.

  6mm (1:285 if you prefer) Micro Armour decals. These are German turret numbers. I also use 1:300 scale aircraft decals for some national markers, like the Combine Canadian GEV company or the Paneuropean Swedish Armour company I have painted.

   Speaking of the Canadians, I finally have their Light GEV elements on the paint table. I think I am going to do them as a single larger squadron of six, maybe. I have seven right now. I might paint the last one up as a scout/observer for the 301st Armour (that's the black with yellow group).

New OGRE units almost done

So this is part of what I have been trying to finish off. Six Combine Heavyy Tanks, a pair of Superheavies, and a trio/battery of Mobile Howitzers.

All painted to be part of the 301st Armoured, 1st Battalion. Heavy Tanks in Number 1 Company, Super heavy in Number 3 Company, and SP howitzers in Number 6 Company. I may one day fill in Number 2 Company with more Heavy and Number 4 Company with Light Tanks. Number 5 Company is Mechanized Infantry, of course. And that makes a nice Combined Arms Battalion design. It would be kinda cool to field an organized battalion.

Skipping MillenniumCon This Year

   I won't be there this weekend in Round Rock. Life gets in the way sometimes, and I have a ton of research papers to finish grading. But it was a good convention last year and I think worth the time for folks to attend.

   I have been getting a few things finished up. The biggest deal is that I finished up enough Afrika Korps infantry to field a full Africa Rifle Company for Flames of War v4. That's a Company HQ consisting of two HQ stands; two platoons of four infantry stands, a 2.8cm AT gun stand, an sMG42 stand, and 8cm mortar stand; and a 5cm Tank Hunter Platoon of three PaK38 stands.  And that means I can field both sides!

The full company required to make a formation in FOW v4

Some Recent Painting

   Just a few quick snaps to show some of what I have been working on these last few weeks. I am almost "done" with my Flames of War Afrika Korps forces for v4. I just want to finish a trio of Panzer IVs, five stands of infantry and support weapons, and get some AA trucks (Sdkfz 250/4, I think...).

A Great Pillar to Great Cthulhu

For Frostgrave or just for fun...

3 PaK-38 5cm AT Guns for Afrika Korps in Flames of War

Afrika Korps infantry and support weapons

Better shot of the 2.8cm AT gun

DAK 8cm mortar

Closeup of the Phone Box for VBCW (28mm)

Police Box, Phone Box, and Post Box, all 28mm for VBCW

Pair of JU-87 Stukas for FOW v4 in Africa

Stuff on the Table

   I have prepped a bunch of stuff for the table, if you follow that listing on here. Much of it is 15mm Deutsches Afrika Korp (DAK) for Flames of War v. 4. Of course, the same minis can be used for earlier versions as well, though possibly in different numbers per unit.

   I will soon have a decent DAK selection for North African warfare. That would include a small infantry company, two platoons of Panzer IIIs, a platoon of Panzer IVs, a battery of Lorraine Schlepper 15cm guns, a Panzer II OP, and a pair of the dreaded Flak 36 8.8cm guns. I want to add a pair of Stukas, enlarge my infantry sections, and build a second pair of Flak 36s. I may go ahead and get a pair of Tiger IEs from Schwere Panzerabteilung 501, too, but I am wavering on that. There were only like a dozen in all of Africa, after all. I own a fair number of unpainted halftrack transports, and a Kradschutzen motorcycle platoon for version 3.0, but I don't think they have rules for them in version 4. Maybe upgrade cards?

   I also took a look at what I already have for my British 8th Army forces to oppose the Huns. My infantry is solid - I have Indian troops. I have a section of India Pattern recon vehicles, too. For heavy stuff, there is a battery of 4x 25-pounders, a Honey OP tank, some Grants, some Crusaders, and a pair of Hurricanes. I have some 2-pdr and 6-pdr portees, but I have to look at how the game treats those in 4th Edition. I think there is an upgrade card for it, just like there is one for Indian infantry.

   Other than Flames of War stuff, I have a variety pack of 28mm stuff. That's basically stuff that has been sitting about, and I can use them as relaxation from the eyestrain of painting 15mm. That's getting harder these days.

The Town of Baderimschott

   I got out all of my 15mm European terrain yesterday and set up a West German town for a future game of Team Yankee. It's pretty tight quarters throughout - a tanker's nightmare! Mostly, I wanted to see what all I actually have, and what I may still need. Plus, it was fun. I took a few photos, and here is what you get: the completely fictional town of Baderimschott, somewhere in West Germany.

   All pieces are Battlefront/GF9 Battlefield in a Box unless noted otherwise. The mat underneath is from Cigar Box Battle Mats.

Das Altquartier

This is the older part of town, undamaged by the previous war.

The cobblestone roads are JR Miniatures, and the little hedges are from someone else and I can't think who right now but I got them at Historicon.

Down the High Street

On the left is Die Waffelhaus,

On the right is the offices of FabrikwerkenGeheimschellschaft.

Aerial View of Baderimschott

Ignore the mess around it. The table is 4'x6'.

The back of the Park house and the hotel (with the garden on the plaza). The flowered hedges are railroad scenery that I glued to flocked popsicle sticks, and Shazaam! Instant terrain.

Industrial Park

Town Center

Note the apartment complex on the corner. Very modern. 

(I just painted the aircon units and need to add them still)

The Orchard Farm is on the right, the petrol station to the left, across from the FuntimeGames factory.

The fields are home made, the trees are railroad trees I put on washers.

   So, I have a few things I think I need to add:

• At least one more Modern Roads Expansion. I need the crossroads and the short road pieces. I may cut some of my extra long roads down to help with that.
• A couple of packs of the cobblestone roads
• A couple of the rural roads, while I am at it. I don't have any good dirt roads for this scale
• Two more apartment buildings, maybe three
• More Cobblestone Squares, probably two sets
• The new Brick Factory
• 1 of each of the houses: Antwerp, Munich, Cherbourg, and Dieppe, especially if I can get alternate colors.
• 1 set of House Extensions
• Another Mechanic's workshop. Might paint it red to make a fire house (an idea I saw online); what's the German for firehouse?
• Another set of concrete walls. Maybe 2 of those.
• The European Farm. Again, maybe two.
• A second department store, again, especially if I can get an alternate paint scheme
• The cafe, if I can ever find one for sale now.
• More trees. I am working on some forest bases to make better area terrain.

   I do have, though I didn't put any out on this table, some of the train tracks, and the rail station and the switch house. I also have the road overpass and a couple of bridges. I have a billboard sign or two that I haven't painted up yet. I need to decide what I want to put on them.

   Finally, I have a few pieces by Miniature Building Authority, but I like the FOW European stuff better for 15mm. I didn't put them out but I could if I had to make it bigger. I also have a sawmill but thought it would look out of place, as it's more old-fashioned.

   One last note: if I wanted to make it an East German town, I would get rid of the fast food joints and the flowery shrubs and trees. I would definitely want more apartment blocks, factories, and industrial stuff. Give it a bit more of a grim feel.

More Freshly Painted Hotness

   Well, I just clear-coated a new bunch of freshly finished minis. As is becoming my habit. I took pictures while they are drying.

Overall shot. Lots of fresh goodies!

2x 15mm "long corridor" pieces from Ion Age

Also, some of the many air conditioner units for Team Yankee

A Reaper Saproling Warrior - bound for Dr. Vardu on Venus (VSF!)

And a Reaper Blacksmith. Because I want some fantasy villager NPCs, dagnabbit!

Lorraine Schleppers for Flames of War, a 15mm WW2 wargame

Closer view of the Lorraine Schlepper. I like the guy covering his ears.

The Lorraine Schlepper was a stopgap measure for the Wehrmacht. They took captured French Lorraine Schlepper tractors and added a WWI-era 15cm sFH 18 cannon to it in an armoured superstructure. It was slow and lacked an effective traverse system - you had to move the vehicle to aim the gun, basically. The extending stabilising spade is a cool touch though.

Clear Coat still drying on these

But I thought I would share anyway. Please forgive the hasty and not too-well lit photos. I'm excited that I have been making progress on some projects.

A Paneuropean "Huscarl" (Mk. V) OGRE

(Steve Jackson Games, Plastic)

German, it calls itself "Das Schwarzeritter" - The Black Knight

Why? Because it's a massive unstoppable engine of war. It can call itself whatever it wants.

Another Paneuropean "Legionnaire", this one Neo-Soviet.

KMSR-1917, aka "Kommisar"

(Steve Jackson Games, Metal)

Turrets and hulls of some DAK PzKW III and IV

15mm Battlefront

Platoon Commander for Panzer IVs (with short 7.5cm gun)

Recent Painting

Reaper Bones Gutrags, the Stitch Golem

Rear view.

Bones Lesser Stitch Golems

"Spinne" Light Armoured Walker for Konflikt '47

Pink piping for Panzer crews

28mm terrain

A Paneuropean "Legionnaire" (Mk. III) OGRE

In Papal States Colours

Two Combine "Bigfoot" Mobile Howtizers

Painted to match existing 1st Cav Div Heavy Tanks

A pair of Flak 38 88mm guns for the Afrika Korps

15mm, Battlefront Miniatures

Been quiet

Been quiet around here lately. I actually have been doing stuff. Played a game of Twilight Struggle that I bought at GenCon. It's fun!

Been doing some painting, but no photos yet. Promise I will get something posted soon-ish.

Curious as to how many people still follow this (or any) blog actively. I know I go through cycles of following and ignoring. Twitter has become more my go to for online game stuff.

So let me know if you're still out there, please, by commenting.

Made it home from GenCon 2018

   Wow, what a trip. Almost 3,300 miles by car. Saw tons of neat stuff, had a great convention. Best part was spending most of that time with my 19-year-old son.

The Boy

Beer.

Satine Phoenix

Gaurav Gulati

B. Dave Walters

Pathfinder Playtest Stream

Jason Buhlman, Diana Restrepo, and Jamie Mills

Lots of Great Cosplay

Joe Manganiello

We Must D&D

Wise Papa Grant

Pathfinder in the Paizo Ballroom

Jared, Clairet, Quigley, Kimbulton, Hope (l to r)

Cast of Dragons and Things, my DaT Family

Matthew Lillard

He-Man is no match for us! HA HA HA

Shiny!

Best Wizard Dog. He has a hat.

I 'borrowed' Krag's hammer

And food.