China Station

No prizes for working out what I'm reading now, given my naval wargaming and Victorian science fiction focus. This is actually really riveting stuff, if a bit shameful from a British perspective, although the shoe is now definitely on the other foot. Perfidious Albion at her very worst, no less, but very interesting, well researched and immediately engaging. 

Imperial Chinese Aeronef

Imperial Chinese Cruiser Chen Yuan

I've decided to switch my Aeronef project focus from the Duchy of Brittany to Imperial China, as it is a better option given my existing Portuguese and Japanese fleets. I really like the idea of using an eclectic mix of different dirigible models for this, as I can imagine the Chinese deploying all sorts of inflatable flying machines from foreign yards, giving a slightly less than cutting edge capability. I still plan to do a small Breton flotilla, however, using some old range Netherlands aeronefs that I have unearthed, but the focus for now will be on the Far East, in parallel with my Sino Japanese War pre-dreadnoughts. I have been researching the various battleships, protected cruiser, armoured cruisers and gunboats for the 1/2400th scale project, so at the very least I can find some prototypical names for the flying equivalents!

Normal Service Will Be Resumed

Those of you of a particular vintage will remember the test card from long, boring afternoons in the '70's, when the TV only had three channels, was black and white and you had to get out of your sofa to push the buttons, albeit when it hadn't either blown up or gone all fuzzy. Anyway, I digress, as the message is the same, with a temporary black out due to work and family life resulting in my absence from the workbench.

Fear not, as I have a free weekend ahead (I hope?) and a couple of days off at the end of next week to make up the shortfall. I've also received my small but perfectly formed order of Aeronef from Brigade Models, which will form the nucleus of my Breton aerial squadron. I've gone for a dirigible theme, as they're underrated and not often deployed as an entire fleet, even though there are some lovely models in the range. 

These are an eclectic mix of Russian, Swiss and Turkish digs, but I think they look pretty good when mixed together. I've also got a lovely French 'Les Arc' class aircraft carrier from the old range which I may add to the fleet, together with some more of the Turkish Class Four and Five models, so there will be a nice balance to the whole shebang. I can also pull it together with a consistent 'look', especially if I paint them up in black and white Breton colours.

Bretonef

I used to play an awful lot of Aeronef back in the day and was reminded how much fun the game is when I opened a draw and found my Portuguese fleet, together with a handful of Bolshevik ships that  was going to form the nucleus of a full squadron (using the Austro Hungarian range as a starting point). The Portuguese are mainly Brazilian and Argentinian aeronef from the superb Brigade Models range, together with a couple of dirigible battleships converted from plastic Hindenburg zeppelin kits. I've also got an entire Japanese fleet somewhere in battleship grey but I have no idea where it has ended up? 

Anyway, all this rose tinted reminiscence has inspired me to plan another aerial fleet but this time I have a cunning plan to create a Duchy of Brittany squadron, based on the premise that Brittany is an independent nation with its own military forces. It also means I can cherry pick all the coolest models from the Brigade Models range to create a new fleet, which is a good way to make the most of all the cool stuff that has been added since I last perused their catalogue. There's even a Breton naval ensign that I can fly, albeit a pre-revolutionary Breton Admiralty flag, but I'm sure it will look splendid nonetheless. The Breton other half will be mildly amused too?

Imperial Skies vs. Full Thrust

I had a quick flick through of the Imperial Skies rulebook at the Brigade Models stand today and thought it looked really flash. At £22 a shot, however, I was reluctant to splash the cash, especially as I have a perfectly good set of rules for VSF aerial wargaming in Aeronef. I have played a lot of Aeronef in the past, although not recently or for quite awhile, and have fully operational fleets for the Portuguese, Japanese and Bolsheviks, with an entire French fleet waiting to be assembled and painted one day.

I'd love to dig them out for some games but have yet to find the impetus to pick up where I left off, after a Scramble for Africa club campaign I organised came to an end. Perhaps this new variation on an old theme might be the stimulus I'm looking for? On the other hand, I also picked up a free copy of the new edition of Full Thrust Light from the nice people at GZG, which is something I could get into again without any further persuasion. Now, I wonder where I stashed that Federal Stats Europa fleet in the lead pile?

Imperial Skies

 

I'm kicking myself that I missed the boat on this one, having failed to see anything about it until it was too late to pledge. I love the artwork and the video suggests that the rules will be a step up from the excellent Aeronef, which I already have a couple of painted fleets for, with more in the leadpile including some French and British vessels. 

As the setting is also a couple of decades further on from Aeronef I could finally get to use my Bolshevik fleet too. I quite fancy a White Russian fleet to use as opposition, along with some Interventionists to allow the use of a selection of the best Brigade Miniatures models. Just have to wait until April for the rules to be released!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rottenlead/imperial-skies-wargame/comments

Ragnarok 60...including my bit!

It's been a while but Ragnarok 60, the journal of SFSFW the is now available from Wargames Vault, including an article I wrote for an Aeronef Scramble for Africa campaign. The whole journal looks very professional and has been presented in a clear and colourful  format, with plenty of colour photos for inspiration. Well done Steve! Anyway, it's free to download for a limited time and there are all sorts of good things to read inside, so grab a copy while it's hot off the press. I'll have to write something for Ragnarok 61 now.

Why not join the SFSFW while you're about it? http://www.sfsfw.org/rag60.php

Ragnarok 60

The latest edition of the splendid SSFFW journal, Ragnarok, has just been published and, as I mentioned awhile back, I have an article in it too. It's a write up of the campaign system that I used for the club Scramble for Africa campaign which we played a few years ago, so you may find it of interest if Aeronef is your thing. The rest of the contents look really good, so I'm looking forward to reading my copy when I get back home. Nice job on the cover as well!

Ragnarok 60

 

That nice Mr Blease has published an article of mine in the next edition of the SFSFW journal Ragnarok! This is a campaign system based around a semi-historical 'Scramble for Africa' but designed for use with the excellent Aeronef rules from Wessex Games. The campaign system is partly based on the one used by Chris Peers in his Back of Beyond supplement but with specific stuff for Aeronef built in. It works too, as I used it a few years ago for a club multiplayer campaign, in which the dastardly Belgians emerged victorious!

Bag the Doodlebug [18]

Those nice people at Brigade Models announced a 25% off sale at the weekend, which was very handy as I wanted to get some re-inforcements for the Neo Soviet Full Thrust fleet. I have now got a couple of additional heavy crusiers and some merchant ships to use as transports, which should make it possible to run some convoy escort type games. They're so quick to do up, that I can probably have them based and painted over a weekend.

I've also sent off for some of the new Land Ironclads 2mm scale village and agricultural buildings including a pack of parish churches. These are designed for the War of the Worlds type games but I think will look splendid as terrain features for Bag the Doodlebug, assuming I can base them in such as way that they can be placed on the lanscape without interfering with the flight stands. The agricultural buildings in particular look spot on for Sussex or Kent, especially the oast house and windmills.

Anyway, if they don't work out, I'll just use them for Aeronef.

Ragnarok 59

A few weeks ago I decided to sign up to a couple of long established old school wargaming societies, the Naval Wargames Society and the Society of Science Fiction and Fantasy Wargamers.

The idea was both to support independent wargaming and to give me some inspiration for projects next year, which I've decided will focus on 'things' rather than figures in an attempt to get some stuff shifted that I've always wanted to do. Anyway, the SFSFW magazine, Ragnarok, popped through the door today and, after a quick flick through, I'm really very impressed.

The production values are top notch and the content varied enough to interest anyone with only a passing interest in Sci Fi and Fantasy gaming, which describes me pretty well. It's already got me thinking about dusting off the Aeronef fleets for a game or two. I'm also thinking of moving the Full Thrust and Iron Cow projects one step closer to the top of the 'hit list' for 2013.

In the editorial, Steve Blease, has sent out an appeal for articles for future issues, which reminded me of the Aeronef multiplayer Scramble for Africa campaign system that I devised and ran at the club a few years ago. I'll have to dig out the files and have a look. If they're any good I'll shoot them off to Steve to see what he could do with them, if anything?

What do you think Steve?

Belgium 1 / Portugal 0

The Aeronef clash this evening ended in yet another defeat for the hapless Portuguese, although not quite to the extent of the previous drubbing. In fact it was more of a draw with the total of destroyed aeronefs equal and the decision going to a comparison of damage points to the surviving vessels. A close run thing indeed!

Nonetheless, the Portuguese took a bit of a beating losing half of their fleet to the concentrated firepower of the Belgian Alliance. I think it's time that that Portuguese steamed off into the sunset and that my formidable Japanese fleet made a long overdue appearence in the next game against Andy's chocolate munching cohorts.

Silly Buggers.

For some reason the blogger wotsit seems to be playing silly buggers with the piccies this afternoon but, in the true Dunkirk spirit of stiff upper lipishness, we'll carry on regardless.

I've finally managed to get the postponed Aeronef game against Andy's combined Belgian - Luxembourg fleet on for tomorrow evening, although at the expense of a Bag The Hun 2 try out game. I just haven't had the time to read through the BTH2 rules and neither has Andy, so it's the trusty fall back alternative one brain cell Aeronef option instead.

The mighty Portuguese armada was throroughly trashed by the duplicitous Belgies last time so they're out for revenge. I suspect they may get thoroughly trashed again as Andy is a master of aerial ironclad manoevering and has an uncanny ability to do the right thing at the the right time, in contrast to my 'full steam ahead and damn the (aerial) torpedoes' approach to things.

Anyway, as promised here are some photos of my Bolshevik Aeronef fleet, which won't be sallying forth tomorrow but may well be dispatched at a later date if the Portuguese don't cut the mustard or pass the port tomorrow.

Aeronef Over Africa

I've played a few games of Aeronef over the last two or three years and have even run a Scramble for Africa campaign at the club which went down quite well. My first eronef fleet was Japanese,but it remains unbased as I originally used blutack to stick them to the flight stands and never got round to basing them properly.

My chosen colonial power for the campaign was Portuguese, so I used a combination of Argentinian and Brazilian nefs because they were really nice models and weren't used by anyone else at the time (the other fleets were British, German, French, Russian, Egyptian and Italian).

So, here they are.

I went for a hot climate scheme of grey hulls and white superstructure, with yellow funnels for a contemporary victorian look. They could do with a wash or blacklining of some sort but I couldn't be bothered at the time as I had to get them ready for the campaign in a couple of weeks. The digs were converted from plastic Revell Hindenburg kits by turning them upside down and sticking two lower halves together.

I've also got a small Bolshevik fleet using the Brigade Hungarian aeronefs. It's not complete but I'll post some pictures of what I've got so far later on today.

Snow 1 Aeronef 0

A game of Aeronef I had planned with Andy for club night yesterday had to be abandoned due to the arrival of snow here in sunny Winchester. It's not the first time we've had to postpone. I'm sure we'll get round to it eventually but it seems to be doomed each time we set it up.

Although a few people got to the club yesterday, mostly from the immediate area, the majority of games were cancelled. Mark from Raiden was going to bring the planes for the participation game too but decided, very sensibly, to stick them in the post instead.

As a result of the snow I've also got a day off work, so hope to get some more ACAV's assembled at some point if the kids let me get on with it in between sledging and snowball fights.

I've also just had my Xmas present to myself delivered in the form of a copy of the new Blitzkrieg Commander II rules, a copy of the Rapid Fire Battle of the Bulge scenario book, a selection of Museum Miniatures 1/300th scale WW2 British aircraft and some 1/600th scale Tumbling Dice stuff for Bag the Mig / Mig Alley.

It's like having Xmas all over again!