Starting orbit #43... NOW!

   Today is the 21st anniversary of my 21st birthday. That's right. Kids born on the day that I could first legally drink in Texas can now legally drink in Texas. Freaky.

   But, as my daddy always says, getting older may not be a lot of fun, but it sure beats the alternative...

Quick 15mm Sci-Fi update

   Just a quick update on the plans/ideas.

   I printed off the FUBAR rules and lots of the supplements. I am also considering strongly getting Gruntz, as many have suggested. These will probably work for the first phase, where I am not looking at having more than a few squads of infantry and a vehicle or two. Later, I may get 5150: Battalion Command or Future Commander.

   Looking at minis, I am getting closer to a decision. I like Khurasan's Federal Army and their Felids a lot. I wish I could see more painted examples of Ground Zero Games' minis. Rebel Minis is tempting, too. I will be getting Chuhuac. I am torn on the Ion Age Prydians. I think I will avoid bug hunts for now, so no worries there.

Game it Forward, Again

   I was given a large number of Napoleonic miniatures, both ESCI and Airfix, a few years ago by a friend who had no use for them any longer - an abandoned project. My idea at the time was to paint them quickly (i.e., spray can uniforms, craft store flesh hands and faces, black boots and guns, silver swords, DONE) and use them to establish a wargaming club at the junior high school at which I taught.

   The principal nixed the plan. Like any plan to do anything except what we had always done - unless it involved an on/off switch. Then he was all for it! But something that might interest the kids in history or art? Waste of time, parents won't like it, you can't use our library after school for it, blah blah blah. You can imagine why I quit, right?

   ANYWAY... you stand to gain from it. I have packed up two boxes of these minis, one French and one British (with a little Prussian help). Some of the boxes are sealed, most have been opened. I don't even know if they all contain what they are labeled as, honestly, but they are free. If you want them, you got them. Email me at aethergraph@gmail.com, first come, first served. I'll even cover the shipping in the US. You just pay for shipping if it's going across a national border.

FRENCH

(Red Boxes are Polish Lancers)

BRITISH and PRUSSIAN

Organization Day in the Man Cave

   I spent about four hours this morning tidying up the Man Cave. In the process, I tried to organize my projects a bit more. I was a little shocked at how much stuff I have for some projects, and how much I need for others. For example, I have two full bins of on-the-sprue Warhammer Empire infantry and cavalry, plus five additional boxes. Each bin is approximately 14" x 10" x 5". That's a lot of plastic to paint!

   You have to see it to believe it. So here are pictures of the Man Cave, mid-project.

The Man Cave

The big box above the glass case is Ogre.

 

Six bins of terrain, two bins of Empire figures (in bottom), more minis in other bins

Bookshelves and mini fridge (beer, water and Dr Pepper), plus some more terrain.

Boardgames, two forts, basing material. Packing material.

Historicon Event Listing covers framed.

Display case. Everything in it is painted.

The old painting table. More labeled boxes of minis.

Plus, two drawers under neath full of toys - mostly LEGO.

More minis, all accurately labeled (!).

Also, the drawers have minis, dice, tokens, markers, etc.

The Terrain Closet of Doom.

Lots of supplies, not a lot of stuff built. Story of my (gaming) life...

Slippy the Turtle, Man Cave Mascot

Another pair of bookshelves and some terrain boards.

   Not pictured were the flat screen TV on the northern wall, plus the media shelves with a couple of hundred DVDs and video games, plus the boys' rocker gaming chairs. Also, hard to see but right in the midst of the room is my primary gaming table, a 3'x6' solid wood (rock maple) trestle table. It weighs in the neighborhood of two hundred pounds for just the top. It can stop pistol bullets - don't ask how I know this, but trust me: it's been tested.

   I am going to purge some things soon. I already have two boxes ready to Game It Forward - look in my next post for that. Hint: it's 1/72 scale, plastic, and historical.

15mm Sci Fi: To Be, or Not To Be?

   With the absolutely insane number of awesome 15mm science fiction minis coming out recently, I am seriously considering breaking one of my unwritten rules for this year: starting a new genre and scale. I have some science fiction minis, both 28mm and 6mm. Mainly in 28mm, it's a few Imperial Guard for Warhammer 40K that I originally purchased for Victorian Science Fiction, but hey, they count, right? Well, I am counting them. And the 6mm include both Battletech and Ogre Miniatures. That has grown in the past year or so, and will be continuing this year. I hope Steve gets those minis back into production soon!

   So sci-fi is not a new genre overall. But in 15mm - that I have not done. Yet. But the Chuhuac (Loud Ninja Games) croon in their reptilian voices. The Cultists of Andromeda threaten all civilizations, including the Hauk, the Terran Federal Army, the Nova Respublik, the Kingdom of the Jasmine Throne, the Meso-Nai, the Garn, the Felids, the Pelagic Dominate and many others (all from Khurasan!). The Quar (Zombiesmith), with their lower technology, resist alien invasion like heroes of old. The Sahadeen, Earth Force, Titan Marines, and the Brog Empire from Rebel Minis. The Prydain from Ion Age. That's what, sixteen various forces? And not even all that is out there, just my favorites.

   I think I am in deep trouble. I guess I need to start finding rules...

  So, I'd like recommendations for a rule set. Infantry heavy, with each side typically consisting of a platoon of 3-4 squads of 8 to 10 troops, plus a command section of 3 or 4 men (Officer, Sr. NCO, Radio, maybe a batman or runner, perhaps even a banner). Individually based. Needs to have vehicles as well, and handle varying technology levels and alien races - I want them to be more than merely cosmetically different from humans, the usual 'standard' infantryman. As far as vehicles go, maybe as much as a platoon added on, meaning up to 4 vehicles. Not including battle-taxis or trucks to maneuver the infantry if needed.

   Later on, if the rules could be scaled up to company level, with a multi-figure stand of infantry making a squad, three infantry platoons, a command section, and a heavy weapons platoon on each side, that would be great. Or maybe a second set of rules, but that would be less preferable.