Just in from Kickstarter

   Actually, by the time you read this, it will have been a few days ago, and I will be somewhere in the midst of the Gulf of Mexico, on a rather large ship, heading for tropical climes. No, the feds and the revenuers are not on my trail (yet...). Just taking the memsahib on a well-deserved break from work and kids. However, I would hate for all of you nice folks to have nothing to read about, so, as a public service and a sign of what a heck of a guy I am, I scheduled this post.

  But it is a short one.

  What you see below is the deck of cards I received from Nat Iwata, a rather good artist. The plan is to use them for Victorian Science Fiction games using a card activation system.

Da Box

Reverse of the Cards

King of Hearts

King of Clubs

King of Diamonds - Steamthulhu!

King of Spades - the Great Elder One Itsself

   And, just to prove what a Prince of a Guy I am... here's a little song...

   For the record, I chose this one because it was a good audio version of the tune...

The Imperial Army of the North (Well. part of it)

   I recently uncovered some old plastic Warhammer Fantasy Battle spearmen, for the Empire. This is a pretty good thing, because that is the army I have been building over the past few years. I will probably have it ready to go for my sons about the time the youngest one goes off to college, but that doesn't matter.

   Problem: They are already partially painted, and for the Grand Barony of Nordland, whose colours are blue and yellow, rather than for either the City-State of Talabheim or the Grand Duchy of Talabecland, in red and white and red and yellow, respectively, which are the colours and patterns in which the rest of my army to date has been painted.

   Solution: The Grand Army of the North. Instead of just the first two regions, I am making the army a consolidated force of multiple provinces and city-states. Which makes incorporating Knights Panther and Knights of the White Wolf a little easier, story-wise, anyway.

   Here are the first five, all done. I've another 11 or 13 to finish up, including command.

Right shoulder... ARMS!

The Lions of Dietershafen

Too Cool...

Minis from Cult TV, produced by Crooked Dice

And, just because I can...

A Bunny with a Pancake on its Head.

The Tally Thus Far...

   Midway through August, just about two-thirds of the year gone. Time to review my project progress, I think. And, it seems pretty good, actually! I am grading the year on four criteria: Painting accomplished, money spent, blog posts made, and games played.

   I have already painted more 25mm, 6mm, and fleet scale miniatures this year than in all of 2012. I am very close with 15mm, as well. More terrain has been readied for play, and more vehicles. In all, the only category that I am lagging behind in is re-basing, and that mostly because I did the majority of what was necessary last year!

   Expenditures are pretty high, granted. But that includes a good bit for a round trip airfare, hotel and car rental to attend Historicon. Plus the hefty spending done there. So, not too bad, and certainly less than I would have spent on a hunting lease or a fishing boat.

   Games played: I did not track these very well last year, but I would hazard a guess as to say I am playing more as well. Which was the point of tracking them - a spur to activity!

   Finally, I am already over the 2012 mark on posts this year. Thanks to those of you who follow regularly, and to those who occasionally pop in but don't actively follow: why not? What would you like to see mroe of here?

The things to which I have been up...

   Mostly, a lot of painting as I had the chance. Here are the results:

A platoon of Combine Heavy tanks, of the 301st Armor

Company Command tank, 301st Armor.

Note the antenna and the turret number.

I use the old German WWII system, because I like it.

Another view of the Combine Ranger-class heavy tank.

  

Paneuropean Infantry, 16eme Ligne Battalion Command

16eme Ligne Heavy Infantry Platoon

The 16eme Ligne, Paneuropean Infantry

(3 Infantry companies, 1 Heavy Infantry company, Command platoon, two Trucks)

16eme Ligne Heavy Infantry Company

The Royal Canadian Aero Cavalry swoop over the hill...

A VSF Lascannon for German forces

 

Circle Orboros Wold Watcher

Circle Orboros Argus

Aetherbattalion Feldwebel Heydrich

 

   So, anyway, a good deal of painting. I am working on some spearmen for Warhammer Fantasy right now, as well as some more shield gunners, and a Cygnar Squire, as well as part of Lord Curr's Incorrigibles for IHMN. As I finish up some, I will share, of course.