Loki's Blog giveaway

Loki, of Loki's Great Hall, is having a very nice little giveaway to celebrate his blog hitting 100,000 hits.  Loki is a prolific painter and all round good guy, being one of the founders of Bloggers for Charity (click on the banner to the right for more info).

Give away or not, his blog is well worth your time to peruse.

Painting Challenge IX - Nazgul

The second bonus round of the annual Analogue Painting Challenge was for villains.  I painted up the Betrayer, from GW.  The two models have been sitting on my desk, primed, for over a year, so it seemed like it was time to get them done.

The Betrayer, foot and mounted.

Painting Challenge VIII - Roger's Rangers

I've hit a double on this one.  I finished eight more models for the Analogue Painting Challenge and they are also my contribution to Bloggers for Charity.  These eight models were French and Indian War Rangers, which I painted as Roger's Rangers.

Eight Roger's Rangers.

1st Game of 2014

Rhys and I played our first game of 2014 on the 1st, which bodes well for the year if you believe in such things.  One of the presents that Santa brought was a copy of Battles of Westeros by Fantasy Flight games.

Image from Fantasy Flight games.

Painting Challenge VII - Roman auxiliary cavalry - Finished

I've finished up the last of my Romans for the challenge.  These six models complete the medium cavalry as well as the army as a whole, barring the command stands which were started pre-challenge.

All six of the final models.

2013 in Review and 2014 Plans

This is one of my favorite times of they year for reading blogs.  I love the year end wrap ups and predictions for the new year.  It's great fun to see not only what everyone has accomplished but what they didn't get done.  I also look forward to the preview of the year to come, even if it sometimes (often?) doesn't unfold as predicted.

This is also when I sit back and take stock of my hobby year, another self indulgent exercise.  This blog is all about chronicling my hobby interests, so it is a good thing to examine those, in depth, from time to time.

Hail Caesar game.  EIR vs Carthage.

Painting Challenge VI - EIR medium auxiliary cavalry

Another batch of models sent off to Curt, and displayed for the requisite time.  These are the first of my medium cavalry for the EIR.  This Auxiliary, the Alae I Thracum, will support the Legio II Augusta along with the Numidian light horse I finished earlier this year.

Alae I Thracum.  Half of them at any rate.

Painting Challenge V - The last of the auxiliary infantry

Yet another entry into the painting challenge.  I grouped two batches together to the burden on Curt.  These are the Cohors V Gallorum, one of the many Auxiliary Cohorts in Britannia.  These guys are pretty much the same as the last two cohorts except that they have green shields instead of yellow or white.  Very creative.

V Gallorum, ready for battle.

Painting Challenge IV - Roman Auxiliaries

Entry number two has gone in to Curt and been up on his blog for more than the obligatory 24 hours.  I can now share it here, in all its glory.

All eight of the latest reinforcements.

Painting Challenge III - Non-combatant

My first entry has been submitted to Curt.  It has now been up on his blog for the mandatory 24 hours so I can post it here.  The Challenge has bonus rounds every two weeks.  The first round was for non-combatants.  Claudia was my entry.

Claudia.  I'm very happy with the freehand on her apron.

Table Top World buildings - Amazing

My terrain collection is not as complete as I would like it to be.  I'm short nearly everything man made.  This isn't helped by the fact that I dabble in Sci/Fi, Fantasy, several historical periods and two scales (28mm and 15mm).  I recently took steps to remedy part of this deficiency.  These three pieces came in the mail today; a very pleasant early Christmas present from Croatia.

The Blacksmith's forge from Table Top World.  Photo from Table Top World web site.

Better late than never

Another unit done for the EIR Romans.  I completed these guys two weeks ago but couldn't muster the energy to post them.  I have some painting done for the challenge, but that has to post on Curt's blog first.  I took pictures of these guys at the same time as the challenge figures, so here they are.

Eight eastern auxiliary archers to support Legio II.

Analogue Painting Challenge II - Prep time

More prep work for the painting challenge.  I actually will, almost certainly, not need these, but just to be on the safe side, they are ready to be primed.

A regiment for the ECW.

Hail Caesar - Roman skirmishers

The painting challenge is already working it's magic.  I need to clear the work bench so I can queue up the models for the challenge.  This week I got eight slingers done.  They've been sitting on the workbench for months.

Eight slingers.  I have high hopes for these chaps.

What have I done? Analogue Painting Challenge

I seem to have lost my mind.  I've been known to do it from time to time but this seems a bit over the top.  I've thrown my hat in the ring on Curt's annual Analogue Painting Challenge.  I'm a slow painter who sometimes goes weeks without picking up a brush.  This should be amusing.

GIs

Warlord Games ran a special on mass purchase of their plastic boxes a couple of months ago.  One of the boxes I picked up was the U.S. Infantry.  I have a bunch of 15mm WWII troops, but not a whole lot of interest in playing with them.  I'm looking for platoon level play at this point and 28mm is the only scale to play with at that level, to my way of thinking.

The box has bodies for 25 men.

Bloggers for Charity 1

Several months ago I signed up as a painter for the Bloggers for Charity game.  Loki assigned me some Rangers and they arrived in the mail a couple of weeks ago.  These miniatures were donated by the manufacturer, AW Miniatures.  (Phew!  That's a lot of links in a little bit of space).

The eight models I've been assigned for painting.

In Her Majesty's Name IX - Mr. Smith

I haven't been up to much painting lately, but I have gotten another model done for my U.S. Marines Company for In Her Majesty's Name.  This model is "Mr. Smith", the indomitable secret agent who has been sent along with the Marines to guide them.

Mr. Smith, preparing to unleash lightening at the foes of America.

Battle Report: 1000 pts of Rohan vs Isengard

Two weeks ago Huntsman came over and played a game of LotR.  The day of the game he suggested that we play a big game, since he wanted to bring out everything he had for his Isengard.  I thought that sounded just grand.  The only army I had that could hit the 1000 points he had was my Rohan, which I haven't played in years.

Eowyn leads seven riders against the Whargs.

Upgrading X-Wing

As my regular readers will know I'm a big fan of X-Wing.  The boys and I play every couple of weeks or so and I get in games with adults from time to time too.  One of the things I like about it is the pre-painted ships.  I'm not so fond of the playing on a table top that has been my lot, up to now.

A much better playing surface.