And now for something completely different...

I have not accomplished much on the hobby front in the last few weeks, but this weekend has been very productive.  For four years I've been planning the game table I wanted to build in the basement.  Something has always come up that stopped me from working on it.

The table, nearly complete.

I won a Prize!

I entered a prize draw on the Trouble at T'Mill blog, which is well worth your time to check out.  I'm not sure how I beat out those gits Ray and Fran, who win approximately 80% of all blog draws on the internet.

My prizes are visible on this post.  I'm quite excited as I don't have a commissar for my IG army and can always use some more gribbly aliens.

Thank you very much Mike.  It's very generous and much appreciated.

P.S.  I have never actually met Ray or Fran and cannot confirm or deny their gitness status, though they seem like lovely fellows, from all accounts.

1000 Foot General's leadership tweaks

The 1000 Foot General has a post on leadership tweaks for your generals in Hail Caesar games.  This is a great idea and one I'd love to check out.  If you play HC, or if you just want to change things around in your games, head on over and take a look at what he's got.

Alexander the Great

The Major General Commandant's Clerks and Writers - In Her Majesty's Name IV

Major Waller sat quietly in the chair.  Outwardly he was the picture of calm professionalism.  Inside, well that was another story all together.  Inside he was a typhoon of emotion.  He'd fought the Boxers in China.  He'd battled the Moro's in the Philippines.  He'd led men on one of the hardest and most desperate marches in Marine Corps history.  He should not feel this way sitting in a waiting room.

Col. Waller, just before retirement.

Memorial Day

Treasures from the past II - Books

In one of the boxes, pulled out of storage, there were a bunch of books.  In my teens I was very much in to Battletech, and it all started with this book.

A chance purchase after school turned into an obsession.  Look at the price on that thing too.

Bloggers for Charity

There are a couple of bloggers in the UK who have decided that it is time to give something back.  They are harnessing the power of individuals to effect change.  The same power that makes Kickstarter work.  The same power that makes our societies function.  It's the power of many individuals doing a little bit to make something great happen.

Bloggers for Charity

Victorian Science Fiction Manufacturers

This page is for Victorian Science Fiction and Steamp Punk manufacturers.  As always, if I have missed someone, please drop me a line in the comments and I'll add them in.

In Her Majesty's Name III

The book has finally arrived.  I've been anxiously awaiting this since I put in the order last month.  It's a quick read.  Very good first impression of the rules, though the proof will be in the playing.

Treasures from the Past I - 6mm?

Yesterday I set the scene for today's post.  One of the treasures I found was a bunch of 6mm armor.  Back in the day, twenty five years ago now, my father and I played Twilight 2000.  This was the only game we played together, and it was very special to me because of that.

USMC LAV-25 with 6mm flame job.

Treasures from the past

Last weekend, or two weekends ago, or some time in the recent past; I was helping my folks empty out their storage unit.  There were two boxes of my stuff, treasures from my child hood.  These were things that I had wondered, vaguely, where they were over the last couple of years.  All of these finds helped me through many friendless hours as a teenager.

It looked nothing at all like this.  At all.

Over the next few days I'll be trotting out these treasures, one group at a time.  It's a strange feeling to be digging through my gaming toys from twenty five years ago.

Introduction
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

APC's

I backed the CMG Kickstarter for the expansion of their ZAS Mercs line.  The only problem was that I was already using the Bastion APC's for my Federation Marine Corps.  The ZAS are going to be Royal Rangers from the Principate, the third faction for my Gruntz armies.  This being the case, I needed some armored boxes to move troops around.  Happily, Brigade came out with some new models, and a sale, right around the same time.

Four Wombat APC's for my Royal Rangers.

April Accomplishments

As some of you will remember, March was an abject failure on the hobby front.  Happily, in April I turned that around.  I painted a ton of models, played a few games and, in general, just got back in to my hobby groove.

Praetorians!

Gruntz Battle Report - FMC vs Khanate strike force

We played half of another game of Gruntz last weekend.  The action was broken up by other considerations, brewing beer and making dinner, so we didn't get to finish the game.  This was my second game and The Traveller's first.

The table.

On line army builders

In my ongoing series on hobby resources this post will cover on-line army builders.  I'll start off by saying that I'm sure there's a bunch that I'm missing, so any and all comments to point me in the right direction would be much appreciated.

A Milestone

This month, for the first time ever, I've hit a milestone that I never thought I'd hit.  As of April I have painted more models than I have bought or assembled, for the year.

It says a lot about our hobby that some people will find this remarkable, because it took so long.  Others will find it remarkable because it actually happened.  The variety of personalities and priorities that fit within the "wargaming hobby" is one of the things that I love about it.

I like to game, first and foremost.  I'm a gamer.  All other things are secondary to that.  I also like to assemble models, minus the cleaning part.  I've assembled many armies for my friends over the years as well as the commission work I do for the local painting service from time to time.

The painting has always been my least favorite part.  I've thrown some paint at my Warhammer empire from time to time.  I have a few units painted.  I've got two painted armies for Lord of the Rings.  That's where I really started to paint.

Over the last couple of years I've come to appreciate my responsibility for the look of the game.  I've always liked painted models, but was ok with the game if they weren't.  Partly, this blog has changed my viewpoint.  When I post pictures of unpainted models I can see just how poorly they show.  It hurts my pride and makes me want to do better.

The same goes for terrain.  I have a lot of terrain, most of it unpainted.  It's another thing that has bothered me more the last year or two and that I'm working to change.

The point of all of this is that I'm not just thinking about changing my style, I'm actually doing it.  Gaming is still my priority but the painting is catching up.  I'm pretty happy about that.

Numidian Light Cavalry

Today I completed another unit for the Early Imperial Romans.  This is six Numidian light horse from Warlord Games.  Light cavalry has always been one of my favorite units.  The speed.  The hard hitting strikes on the flanks.  The fragility if you use them wrong.

All six of them.

Setting the Scene

Working through my blog roll tonight I found a treasure of a post by Sidney Roundwood.  I'm going to point you in his direction for two reasons.  Firstly, this post has some great ideas and even if you only use one or two, I think they'll improve your games.

Secondly, I want to be able to find it again, and now I have a permanent link.

With no further ado Being There, by Sidney Roundwood.

Gruntz Battle Report - Federation vs Caliphate

Sitrep:  Contact reported.  Infiltration Bn elements at location 49R27438574.  1st Plt, B Co, 2nd LAR with Mech attachements.  Movement to contact.  Destroy the enemy.  Hold the town.  The APC's will advance towards the last known location of the enemy.  Mechs are scouting ahead, will rendezvous at the objective.  No Air support available.  2nd and 3rd platoons at 60 minutes for relief.  Comms plan B7.

Light Armored Recon pushing the Infiltration Bn out of the village.

Hail Caesar Battle Report - Rome vs Carthage

Saturday was the monthly Hail Caesar game.  The local shop was running a tournament so I hosted Jonathan at my place.  Our armies have both grown to the size where we can get some interesting tactical situations going.  It was both fun, and frustrating, and resulted in a staggering loss for Rome.

By the way, I recognize the anachronism of a Roman army with an emperor fighting against Carthage.  It is what it is, those are the armies we have.

Lots of maneuver, not many Romans left.