What should I work on next?
29 June 2009
Preliminary Fliegerjaeger Stats (GASLIGHT)
Fliegerjaeger Photos
From Neu Berlin, we have received static plates of the leader of die Fliegerjaeger. He is equipped with a fantastic invention for personal mobility designed by the Kaiserlich Forschungsanstalt fur Geheimewaffen (KFG). The long blades above the captain's head are sent whirling in a circle at astonishing speed, which forces air downward, lifting the soldier straight up into the air! Powered by an ingenious spring arrangement, the device does not last long, but can allow troops to cross thick or difficult terrain in long jumps rather than slowly crossing by foot.
28 June 2009
Armed Forces Day (UK)
26 June 2009
Vardu Plans
And for the record, I have no financial interest of any sort in Hydra Miniatures, nor have I ever met Matt personally. Just a very happy customer who is looking forward to more products from a talented sculptor.
24 June 2009
Hauptman zu Fliegerjaeger Finished!
21 June 2009
Father's Day: What are YOU doing?
19 June 2009
Abandoned Martian City Found!
Famed archaeologist Cacique Caribe of the University of TMP has identified this location for us. You can see more inspirational work by the same artist at this location.
[Editor's Note: Now THAT'S how you do a Martian canal city. I only wish I would ever have the time, talent and treasure to spend on creating something that modeled this in 15mm. Wow. But it is an incredible inspiration piece, and makes me happier with the row houses I have been building off and on for a Martian canal city. At some point, I have to do the canals themselves.]
Musical Interlude
15 June 2009
Insanely Cool Project
This is the gondola section. The plan is that each door will allow an airborne trooper to drop from it. Sixteen doors, total.
Here is a forward elevation shot, showing the exposed ribs, the flight deck (did I forget to mention it's also a carrier?) and the side rudders and island bridge.14 June 2009
Reinforcements in the Mail
I really meant to hold to that promise, too.
But... I found about a great deal on some minis via TMP. And for only 27.50 GBP (about $46 USD), including shipping from the UK to Texas, I just couldn't pass it up. Got home today from a trip to Dallas, and this is what was on my doorstep:
- 30 Old Glory 25mm Boer War Brits, of which 20 are very nicely painted.
- 19 Foundry Northwest Frontier Sikhs, 2 painted.
- 2 Indian elephants
- 2 lions
- 5 Bactrian camels
- 1 dromedary
- Col Marbles (Frother's)
- 4 harem girls dancing
- 5 women in burqas
- 7 Foundry DA British officers and adventurers, 4 painted
- 1 'native' cannon
The miniatures of indeterminate origin are believed to be Irregular Miniatures.
Time to revise the Pledge, I guess. Man, this year is going to be very bad, what with Historicon coming up and all...
11 June 2009
Wily Germans!
http://www.tobsen77.de/index.php?lan=en
They're called Tobsen77. Check them out.
Minor Clash Last Night
09 June 2009
Painted Minis Arrive, Part 4: 17th Lancers
Overall, I was pleased with Cathy's service. She kept in touch and responded pretty quickly to my emails. She sent plenty of pictures and fixed a few details on the lancers when I pointed them out (example: she had painted the sabre scabbards white instead of bright steel - difficult to tell from the pictures I sent, and white matched the belts and such). For $2 per 15mm cavalry, I think it was a good deal.
So, if you are thinking about sending some of your massive lead pile out to be whittled down, I would say give Cathy at White Ape a try. I will be sending her some more business in the future, after all my Historicon spending is done and I get back to a 'normal' gaming budget.
[Post Script Added 06.10.09: Cathy has offered to refund my money on the three cavalry figures I am not satisfied with. Sounds more than fair to me. I like doing business with folks like this, who stand behind their work.]
The Memsahib's Gift
08 June 2009
Painted Minis Arrive, Part 3: Red Gex
07 June 2009
Painted Minis Arrive, Part 2: Blue Gex
And here's a closeup of a typical member of the nine figure squad I commissioned:
As before, the lack of basing is at my request. I think she did a pretty good job of matching my sample figure, don't you? There are a couple of spots on these figs that I think I may need to touch up, but I think that's more due to my OCD than anything else.
More to come!
06 June 2009
LEST WE FORGET!
Painted Minis Arrive, Part 1: Gaters
And this is what she returned to me today:
I'll be posting more - there are three more batches to go. So look for a new posting every day for the next few days.
Martian Rocks and Terrain
My most recently completed piece is this cave. While it won't be used in the Historicon scenario, everyone needs a good cave or two, and it serves as a learning piece for something that will be in the scenario: a mine entry.
Details on construction and more photos of these pieces and others can be found on my terrain blog, Gaming Terrain.
05 June 2009
The Brute!
Automaton Statistics (GASLIGHT)
Hoverbots [Hydra Miniatures]
Shoot: - Scuffle: 12 Save: 5 Start: 11 Sustain: 9 Speed: Soar 12
Weapon: Pincers (SRM -2)
Spiderbots [Wyrd Miniatures Steam Spiders]
Shoot: 7 Scuffle: 11 Save: 5 Start: 11 Sustain: 9 Speed: Steam 8
Weapons: Poison dart gun (6"/12", SRM -12), stinger
Serv-a-tons [Hydra Miniatures Minibots]
Shoot: - Scuffle: 10 Save: 6 Start: 11 Sustain: 9 Speed: Steam 6
Weapon: Pincers (SRM -4)
ToolBots [Reaper Miniatures: Chronoscope]
Shoot: 8 Scuffle: 9 Save: 8 Start: 11 Sustain: 9 Speed: Steam 6
Weapon: Chainsaw (SRM -4), Power claw (SRM-6) or Electrogun (12"/24", SRM-6)
Brass Soldat [Parroom Station Clockwork Soldier]
Shoot: 8 Scuffle: 10 Save: 14 Start: 12 Sustain: 12 Speed: Steam 10 Spin: 180
Weapon: Bayonet (SRM +3), Autocannon (24"/48", SRM +3, Radius 4", Divide 3)
02 June 2009
Caravan Raid, Part Two
I'm a little unhappy with the automatons. They seemed to break down a little too easily. Once in combat, they were pretty nasty, though. One consideration would be to break them into smaller units (this would be nice for convention play anyway), so that a malfunction roll (which affects the entire unit) would not affect as large a percentage of the entire army.
01 June 2009
More Tales of Ol' W.J.
Another week and three more dead herbivorous reptiles. W.J. Struthers III, our overbred and overpaid civilian 'guest' was bragging about how he shot all three "on the run." However, Sergeant McKay of the dragoons was out on a patrol and he said the stegosauruses were calmly eating swampweed when he killed them. The stegos just looked at him as he approached to within thirty feet before he shot. The funny part was when Ol' W.J fell in the muddy swamp water, and got soaked from head to foot as a stego charged him because he was creeping up on one of her three hatchlings. Just like one of our longhorns back home! As he was telling the story, McKay's face was contorted in an amazingly accurate caricature of Struther's ugly mug. Sergeant Garcia spit the beer he was drinking across the room at the sight, drenching Sergeant Mendoza. Continuing the story, Sergeant McKay said Ol' W.J. was running for dear life as the mom's spiked tail was swinging dangerously close to him. W.J.'s men were running for their lives as well, except for the cook who was just watching the show from a safe and sensible distance.
On a more serious note, this week Doctor Palmer and Caruthers uncovered a coffin elaborately decorated with artwork showing the life of its owner. On the walls there was also pictures and more of the strange writing. The crypt under the temple had four guardians idnetical to the ones in teh upper temple, but on a smaller scale as they were only six feet in height. No one has moved the coffin yet, as the explorers were all searching for traps on it. Crypts and temples like this one back on Earth are often full of many nasty devices that have killed many would-be thieves and explorers.
Well, it is time to hit the Mess for dinner, a fine cigar, and hopefully some more funny stories about Ol' W.J.
AAR: Caravan Raided!
A caravan of the strategically important unobtainite ore has been ambushed as it left the mining facilities in the Ghola District of the Crown Colony. Witnesses report that two different groups apparently tried to ambush the column as it moved towards the Ghola Canal.
Turn 2: Things look bad for HRH! Although able to fly away from the toolbots, the Professor's flying minions the Hoverbots are immediately to hand. Maton orders the charge, but the delicate mechanical minds of the hoverbots have been damaged in the harsh Martian deserts, and 7 crash to the sands as lifeless hulks. Not to be outdone, the toolbots also immediately malfunction and begin to wander aimlessly around the battlefield. Martian troops begin to re-align themselves to avoid confrontation with the automatons, the musketeers of the Imperial Guard's Emerald Legion leading the way to block access to the canal. On the British end, Captain John Compost-Pyle orders the advance southward to continue, though both the HMLS Prince Albert and ASA #41 lose steam power at this point.
Turn 3: Wanting nothing more to do with the mechanical monsters, Prince Musta spies a lone woman on the battlefield, servicing the automata. He couches his lance and charges her bravely, slaying Madame Lucille D'Amonds of Skye. A Brass Soldat fires his cannon at the Prince at close range and misses him, as does Professor Maton with his electro-rifle. The remaining hoverbots swoop in to exact bloody revenge for the Prince's cowardly deed, but fail to penetrate his defenses. Maton's serv-a-tons malfunction and begin to wander aimlessly as well, blundering directly into a unit of Emerald Legion halberdiers, who promptly charge their helpless brass foes, destroying 5 of them. At the northern end of the battlefield, the tank regains power and begins heading southward again. Also, Martian infiltrators appear from the sands just south of the unobtainite crystals, but unable to draw a bead on the nearby 23rd Foot. Their appearance is noted, and the stout lads in red move to punish the poor Johnnies with ASA #27 in support.
Turn 5: The Martian cannon crews need more target practice, missing yet another long range shot at the sepoys screening the landship. Martian Ghost Archer infiltrators fire their poisoned arrows from the cover of a cluster of unobtainite crystals, killing two of the 23rd Foot. The 23rd Foot respond with a volley and kill two of the sneaking assassins. The Emerald Legion halberdiers fail to charge the remaining 2 wandering serv-a-tons (roll of 19, an 18 or less would have worked!), but luckily, part of the levy is nearby and they rush in to finish off the hapless machines. Meanwhile, Maton's Brass Soldaten open fire on both the Ghost archers and part of the 23rd Foot, missing the fleet Martians, but killing one of Her Majesty's finest. To finish off the turn, the steam spiders, who have been slowly moving towards the retreating Martian levy, malfunction and freeze in place.
Exciting conclusion tomorrow!