A (brief) Partizan Snapshot!

Went to Partizan on Sunday to help on the Hysterical Games stand so I didn't really get a chance to have a proper look around and take photos but a few things caught my eye...

Martian Practice (VSF Sharp Practice):

World War One:

Suez 1956:

Fantomah and the Curse of Doctor Omega!

I came across an interesting article on io9 today, about literary characters who are now in the public domain (subject to the usual caveat that public domain means different things in different countries, so check yours!). The article lists ten characters of interest for budding writers, but could equally be of value for wargames rules publishers. Some interesting stuff here that will be of interest to Pulp gamers as much as VSF ones...

Osprey's Steampunk Soldiers just 99p!

I have just spotted (and bought) the Kindle version of Osprey's Steampunk Soldiers: Uniforms & Weapons from the Age of Steam for 99p on Amazon UK.

I haven't had a chance to do much than look at the first few slides but it looks good, a review can be found here. If you don't have a Kindle, don't despair, Amazon provide free apps for various electronic devices (including PC's) here.

Aeronef Over the North Sea...

Last weekend there was an Aeronef event at Stoke Rochford Hall. Unfortunately I wasn't able to go, but Paul Pearce posted some photos on the Les Guerres Extraordinaires Facebook page, which show it was an event not really to be missed. Lots of lovely aeronef and some great terrain by Tony Francis of Brigade fame.

Countdown to Blast(-tastic) Off!

Saturday sees the inaugral Blast-tastic SF wargames show in Bristol. I'm down to host an Aeronef/Aquanef game (with the able assistance of David Manley, hope he hasn't forgot!). It may end up being one or other as I'm not sure I'll have enough empty beer glasses for the show but it should be fun. Just need to dig the models and scenery out of the games room and set the alarm on Saturday morning! :-)

A Bit of a Hullabaloo...

I came across an interesting article in The Independent today about an Indiegogo fundraiser by some Disney veterans to make a short traditional animated (2D hand drawn) steampunk film called Hullabaloo. They have already achieved funding but the more money they get, the better the end product can be. For someone brought up on Disney animated classics, this is a very worthwhile cause - and on top of that it's steampunk!

Land Ironclads: Aurorean Martian Land Transports

The last of the 2mm Irregular SF models are these IKSF10 Alien Transports.

Initially I planned to use them as an older type of land ironclads, with hull mounted werpons firing out of the sides, but I don't think they look quite right for that, they are a bit too civilian... I haven't decided quite what to use them for, maybe they can be supply trains?

Painting Target: 485/1000

Land Ironclads: Aurorean Martian Indra Ironclads

Staying on Mars, I painted up these three of Irregular Miniatures 2mmm IKSF7 Alien MBT's and Aurorean Martian class 5 Indra land ironclads.

Still not quite sure what models to use for the larger classes, but I quite like these as the smallest class of ironclad for the Auroreans.

Painting Target: 482/1000

Land Ironclads: Aurorean Martian Contraptions III

The last of the Aurorean Martian contraption bases , this time using IKSF8 Alien SPG from the Irregular 2mm SF range.

I really like these 2mm models, I just need to find something similar in 6mm to use for the larger Aurorean land ironclads...

Painting Target: 479/1000

Land Ironclads: Aurorean Martian Contraptions II

Continuing with the Martians and the Irregular 2mm SF range, I have painted up a number of IKSF9 Alien APC's as some different (as yet unnamed) Aurorean contraptions.

The models are slightly larger than the scout vehicles, so I mounted them two to a base.

Painting Target: 478/1000

Land Ironclads: Aurorean Martian Contraptions I

Back to Mars as I try and finish off the remaining models for the Belgian Land Ironclads supplement. Following on from the trial models painted in January, I have bought a pile more models from Irregular and have painted up another couple of bases of Martian Camros contraptions using the Irregular IKSF11 Alien Scout vehicle model. I really like these designs and would love to see them made in 6mm as well as 2mm.

I forgot the exact colours I painted the original base but think I cracked it (Iraqui Sand over Red Leather wash for reference). The slight difference is, I think, due to using a white undercoat this time, not black. Here are all three bases ready to bash the Belgians!

Painting Target: 475/1000

Aeronef: Confederate Petrel Class Aeronef Gunboats

I painted up the four converted Irregular IKB04 Monitors today, they are now four Petrel class aeronef gunboats of the Confederate States Naval Aero Corps!

On the ball Aeronefers will no doubt be rushing to point out that the timeline has the first negative graviton aeronef being launched in 1884. The good thing about being the author is you can change such things and I have tweaked the background in the forthcoming Aeronef Omnibus so that Stockton's  invention occurs in 1864 not 1884, this allowing for aeronef to see action over the battlefields of the American Civil War and Franco-Prussian War.

Painting Target: 473/1000

Aeronef: Confederate Aeronef wip

When Aeronef was first published back in 1999 there were not a lot of suitable models to use. There were the horrendous Space 1889 plastics, the beautiful but rare and expensive GameTech 1889 metals and the Irregular Heirs of Uranus range that inspired the basic rules.  Consequently when it came to debuting the game at Salute I had to scratchbuild a number of models, mainly from Peter Pig ACW ironclads.

These days the need to scratchbuild models is long gone with Brigade's impressive large range of 1/1200th models, but when I spotted the IKB04 Monitor in the Irregular 2mm ships range, I couldn't resist the idea of buying some and converting them into aeronef.

I've built up the underside of the hull with some plastic card and added an underhull engine and twin fins from odd bits of plastic. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get a chance to paint them.

Aeronef: Archie Batteries

I put an order into Irregular Miniatures on Friday eveining (which, of course, arrived this morning), for some more 2mm SF models for my Aurorean Martians. I also added some odds and sods including these IKA6 AA Guns from the 2mm C20th range to use as "Archie" batteries in Aeronef.

To be honest, there is not a great deal too the models and I probably could have made up something similar with some Green Stuff and a bit of wire, but they're decent enough and it saved me the effort. I mounted two each on a round base from some Warlord WW2 plastics and added a bit of scenery to tie in with the rest of my 2mm European models. I'm not 100% happy with the garish sand I used on the sandbags and may repaint with a more subdued beige colour.

Painting Target: 469/1000

'Neffing to Report?

It's hard to imagine but this time in five weeks my boy will have left home and living on the university campus in Cheltenham (on his birthday no less...). Obviously this will leave me with lots of free time (!)  which should mean clearing some of the log-jam of Wessex Games projects.

With this in mind I have been messing around with Aeronef today. The planned 2nd edition is some time away (Aquanef and Astronef have to come first) but the paper edition has been out of print for far too long. I had a bit of a 'Eureka' moment yesterday with the idea of combining both the original rules and Aeronef Captain's Handbook into one omnibus volume and printing that.

So today has been devoted to converting the text from Word into Pages and creating new tables etc. in the new Omnibus document. 18,684 words and 42 pages later that boring part of the job is done. Now I need to decide what to do about photos and what format the printing will take.

Aeronef: Storage Tank Targets

I popped into the local Antics model shop yesterday with the plan to pick up some Zvezda Bedford trucks for Watch Am Escargot to be confronted by a big blue display stand of Tri-ang 1/1200th die-cast model ships.

Some of these are new models but some sets are re-issues from the original Sixties line, amongst these some harbour accessories including these (M838) Storage Tanks. As they were 1/1200th scale and only £3.50 for two pieces I decided to pick up a set to use as Aeronef targets.

The models are pre-painted (in this case just the pipes) but I decided to tone them down slightly with some Strong Tone dip and London Grey paint on the bases. The end result is quite effective and I might get another pack to make a bigger target (and get the trucks which I forgot...)

2014 Painting Target: 147/1000

Aquanef: The Nautilus

As I have promised to run a cross-over Aeronef/Aquanef game at Blast-tastic I have been getting back into the "VSF zone" so to speak and whilst the dip was drying on Rogue and his friends I decided to do some paint work on this model of The Nautilus.

The model is actually a Christmas Tree decoration from Hallmark (eBay is your friend here) based on the 1954 film version rather  the Verne's description. It is an excellent model, some 13cm in length, and could be used just by removing the hanging hook, but I decided I want my underwater models to be slightly muted compared to the sea level (and above) craft so I repainted it in a grey-brown concoction I mixed up.

2014 Painting Target: 104/1000

Land Ironclads: Aurorean Martian Contraptions and Infantry

The Aurorean Martians, being introduced into Land Ironclads via the forthcoming Belgian supplement, are based on the race of Martians that appear in George Griffith's Astronef scientific romance and are not related to the Wellsian Olympian Martians that invaded Earth in the original rulebook. 

The race Griffiths described is technologically advanced to a point of stagnation and I was not sure exactly what look to go with until I discovered these wonderful looking models in Irregular Miniatures 2mm SF range, with their vaguely "Art Deco" look. These models are IKSF11 Alien Scout Vehicle and will see service as Aurorean Camros class contraptions.

I have realised that I have based the models on a land ironclad bases (40mm deep) not a contraptions one (30mm) and will correct this asap.  I am going to order some other Irregular models from the same range to use as Aurorean land ironclads.

For the Aurorean infantry I wanted to avoid both the close order look of the European colonial infantry and an irregular native look, so have used Irregular's IK1 Infantry Section from their C20th range. I think it looks ok and provides a contrast to the human troops shown yesterday.

2014 Painting Target: 29/1000

Big Box of Requiem Arrives!

As Wendy promised, the big box of Kickstarter Empire of the Dead: Requiem arrived from West Wind today and I spent most of my lunchtime rooting through it and trying not to drool too much! :-) There are a lot of lovely miniatures here though I haven't added up how many in case SWMBO reads this! Suffice to say Lead Mountain is now substantially higher!

Of course I need a plan to paint them and rather than jump in and paint the ones I like best first I have decided to paint them one pack at a time, in code order, starting with EOTD-01 Gentlemen's Club and working my way through.

Additionally rather than dedicate a month to Empire of the Dead I will slot packs into gaps in other projects to help relieve any monotony that might strike. Well that's the plan...

I have decided that all the miniatures will be based on urban cobblestone or paved bases, as I have done with my previous Victorian figures, so today ordered a pile off Fenris Games as I only had seven left which I have used on the Gentlemen's Club.

French Aeronef Officer

Back from Belfast, an enjoyable evening as well as a visit today to the Titanic Museum which is excellent and well worth a visit if you are in that neck of the woods. Three recommendations, book before you go, do the guided tour of the area outside the museum and allow a good three hours to see all the galleries properly...

Anyway, back to things miniature. Whilst painting the Dahomey Legionnaires I pulled out this miniature which, if I recall correctly, is a Foundry Darkest Africa figure...

The original intention was to paint him up as a naval officer for Dahomey. However that would have involved stopping painting and doing some research so he transferred from Dahomey to the Martian Front and into the service of l'Armee d'Aeronef (so I could paint him how I liked).

I just need to find some suitable French sailors to follow him now. I suspect some Franco-Prussian War or Boxer Rebellion range will provide these...

 2013 Painting Target: 446/365