Warclouds: Craig Parker FTW!

Hey Folks, 

So 2016. I wont bore you with a "New Years Post" as I am notoriously bad at posting anyway...but plan to keep up a bit this year anyway. 

This year starts with Craig Parker...

As I have this WIP for Warclouds (on Waitangi Weekend) 

A whole heap of OOP Metal Lord of the Rings Elveses square based for Warhammer/ 9th Age/ KoW/ whatever system lets me throw down dice and drink beers. 

Updates at some point 

Cheers,
Jason

Warhammer: Vampire Counts WIP and test Models

Hey Folks, 

I have been more productive than usual and now have 1200points built, based, primed and ready to paint. 

Crappy photo I know, and they are all primed grey, but this is;

39 Skeletons with Spears and full Command led by a Vampire

29 Ghouls led by a Strigoi Ghoul King (lord level vampire mincing machine) 

3 Varghiests

The Uber Varghulf

Painted up a selection of test models, all using a technique with a grey tone mix in each colour stage to get a faded undertone going on. They are also dipped at the post basecoat stage, and then highlighted up. 

Orange is the unifying colour but I'm not sure on it. Basing is GF9's wasteland set with Army Painter tufts. Didn't take too long so should be easy to smash out :)

Cheers

Jason

Impetus: Roman Auxilia

Hey Folks,

Just finished these off today for a game tonight. 

Some kit bashed Roman CL Light Cavalry with Javelins and the mandatory 2 S Funditore Slinger Units (VBU 3 - yes please!)

Slingers are made from Immortal Plastic Hoplite bodies, WGF slings and a arms with a mix of Warlord Roman Auxilia helmets, ECW heads and hats and some WGF heads (which are pretty heinous) 

Cavalry are WGF Persian Bodies, arms and Weapons with Warlord Auxilia Helmets. horses are metal Front Rank Norman horses I have spare. 

Overall pretty quick and dirty. Next up some dirty and treacherous Praetorians at some point. 

Cheers

Jason 

Tomorrows War: Combat Robot

Hey Folks,

I borrowed Tomorrow's War (the Scifi version of Force on Force) awhile ago and thought the rules were pretty cool. More Mil Scifi then Fantasy with guns (aka 40k) it really appeals. 

I've been knocking up some scratch built combat robots for the system and below is my latest creation, the "Pacifier m2043"

I have a big gun (some sort of light support pulse laser)

WIP shot. It's made mainly from a GW Necron legs and arms, a Robogear Infantry torso (inverted) and helmet (reversed) and a mix of GW Tau bits for the gun.  I like that the limbs are too long and set lowered them normal as I wanted it to look inhuman. 

Next up 4 more of these and a UAV.

Cheers

Jason

Force on Force: Battle Report: Kiwi SAS vs Insurgents

Hey Folks,

The other night I played my first game of Force on Force in a while. It was a pick up game on Andys super cool new printed terrain (he's printed everything, even the baseboard and it looks amazing! It's more scifi but all good for a third world zone as well) 

My Kiwis were D10 troop quality and D10 morale and rolled on the advanced medical table so were pretty damn tough. 

Andys Insurgents were D8/D8 so pretty good as far as insurgents go but quite weak as they died on anything but a "6" for the casualty role.

The 2*4 board. I have a three man team in full armour investigating the crashed police Van...

"No sign of the prisoner or guards - it looks like the insurgents hit the van and have freed their buddies"

"Contact!" - Insurgents with an RPG and PKM open up on the squad by the van and cause light wounds on them

A UAV- eye view of MORE insurgents moving to close the trap...

Meanwhile a SAS squad moves up to cover the Van

The Squad by the Van are pinned down and are badly injured but not out. The other SAS squad moves up to cover the. While the Sniper Team cover the approach and start to lay down hideously effective fire...

"Surprise!" an insurgent squad appear in the building across the road and hose the SAS squad by the containers knocking them all down...it's not looking good...

Until some lucky Medical Table roles later and the support of the the other SAs squad on the bushes blows them all away.

In the end I had nailed 3 of Andys squads (out of 4) and while my Sniper team and the team by the Van were pinned in place and badly injured nobody had actually died yet so Andy would have had a tough time of it to try take the Van.

Cheers for the Game Andy! You needed maybe another squad (or Regulars!) or I needed one less said but it was still cool.

Terrain is AWESOME too!

Cheers

Jason

Impetus: Takeda Samurai Cavalry

Hey Folks,

I've Finally finished the first Cavalry Unit for the Samurai, Makasage and his Hatamoto on horse with foot Samurai retainers.

This means my first Command is done! Yay.

Next up a small break from the Samurai as I'm painting a Kzinti Fleet for Star Trek: A Call to Arms and I also have some Modern 28mm Kiwi SAS on the painting table.

After that its back into the Samurai with the larger Takeda command.

Cheers
Jason

Bolt Action: 2nd IJA Jungle Fighter Squad

Hi Folks,

After an actual Family Holiday away with the Wife and Kids (something of a first for us as usually I have worked through Christmas) there was not a lot of time left for Hobby stuff.

I did however manage to get in a game of War of the Ring using Xelee's revised Noldor Elven army list which focuses on the forces of Rivendell.  I was facing the revised Men of Angmar which have also had teh revision hammer applied.  Overall the armies were quite balanced with some terrible luck on Jamie's part and some great luck on mine (go go pink dice :) ) resulting in a decisive win to the Elves. I was stoked as well as I also found 8 sweet High Elven Cohort Spearmen prior to the game I had forgotten I had, so now I have enough for four companies (32 models).

Today I finished the second squad for my Bolt Action Japanese army, for which the new PDF list is here: Bolt Action Japanese PDF

Now as BA is mostly same/ same the list has only a few variations, but one of them is that the Japanese can get bigger squads then most forces (7-15 men instead of 5-11)  which while cool means that my two small min sized squads dont work anymore as I lack the extra models for now...so I bumped this squad to 8 men as well.

2nd Squad Up.

These guys are really stealth...

Totally stealth Type 99 LMG Gunner

Two squads down, One BIG squad and supports to go.

I am also about to be reading this:

So will see how it is but looks interesting s far as its form the Japanese perspective.

Looking forward to trying out the BA: Japanese later on this week maybe.

Cheers
Jason

Bolt Action: 1st IJA Jungle Fighter Squad

Hey Folks and Merry Christmas,

After the early start and madness that was the Kids raking in there haul, eating too much (followed by the inevitable sugar crash) I managed to actually get some painting done.

I have had a game awhile ago vs Xelee's Russians (though thankfully without the T-34/85) and while we were sort of only vaguely knew the rules we had a blast. Following this the game seems short, bloody and somewhat (but not too brainfryingingly) tactical. The Initiative sequence is quite cool and unique.

I have had some Japanese Army models for a while and have decided to get them finished finally.  I have around 500pts but first up is a Veteran Jungle Fighter squad of the 第2師団 Daini shidan or 2nd Sendai Division which fought through the Dutch East Indies and Solomon's (where it lost 7000 men!) until finishing the war fighting in Burma, where it was annihilated.  Its call sign was "The Courageous Division"

NCO with the rare Type 100 SMG

"There are coming out of the trees!"

8 Veterans..., mostly with Ariska's, though also an NCO and a Type  99 LMG  Team

Type 99 LMG Gunner

And showing off the webbing

 As they are Jungle Fighters I decided to Jungle up the bases...the have 2 types of flock, silfor tufts, lichen and two different types of plastic aquarium plants I harvested form our fish tank. :)

I have a fire support squad of 6 more Experienced troops halfway done so far and plan to get the army done by end of January :)

Cheers
Jason

SAGA: LotR Elves of Rivendale

Hi Folks,

This my little project when I had some leave a couple of weeks ago.  We drove down to Invercargill, which was cold, grey and rainy so perfect painting weather!

This is a warband built using Jamie's excellent SAGA adapation and is 6 points in Saga terms.  This is made up of;

• Glorfindal - Lord of the West (Warlord)
• 2 Units of 6 Noldorian Heavy Infantry with Spears and Shields (Hearthgaurd)
• 1 Unit of 4 Noldorian Heavy Archers with Bows (Hearthgaurd)
• 2 Units of 8 visiting Sindarian Archers with Bows and Eleven Cloaks (Warriors)

Some of this was painted by Andy as I picked it up in a trade, so I just finished them off and touched them up and shaded them to match the Wood Elves which are all from scratch. 

High Elven Cohort - the Banner is Free Hand :)

Wood Elven Archers

Green Cohort with Banner

Glorfindal - this was painted by Andy and he did a great job.

The whole 6 point Warband

More Woodelves - led by the a captain who looks alot like the Prince of Mirkwood...

I even managed t get a game in vs Jamie's Urak Hai and assorted Orc and Man scum.  The game was a long drawn out slug fest were I tried to use my superior archery (which isnt at all superior in SAGA) to whittle his units down while he moved a massive flanking force into position.  Refusing to split my forces across a river and then some quick spoiling attacks managed to keep the horde at bay, but only at the cost of some precious elven lives. 

The Mighty  Uruk Hai Beserkers got in to a High Eleven Cohort right at the end game and managed to kill 5 of them while they all died in return but in the end it was still a bloody draw (Jamie did give it to me but it looked too close)

Overall I found that the potential of the Battleboard is great, as its based on the Jomsviking board with its Wrath Mechanic but as Jamie refused to give me ANY wrath (or Fea in this incarnation) untill the point where I couldnt use it I was quite hamstrung.  I also should have gone more combat focused and used my movement enhancing ability to hit an isolated portion of the Uruk Battleline instead of trying to shoot them...

Overall a heap of Fun though and it was good to paint som 28mm for a change, as well as actually complete something!

Cheers

Jason

28mm Ruined Church and some Fields

Hey Folks,

This was a foamcore building I picked up awhile back for War of the Ring as part of a set that included some castle walls, towers and a couple of buildings.  It was whole but I "ruined" it so as to make it easier to game with.  The most time consuming part of any terrain build is the detail work and these were nicely textured as stone blocks.

I have keep it pretty basic and only added balsa wood floors, some rubble and a large wooden Cross on the exterior.  I have tired to keep it pretty non-descriptive so as to be able to use it all the way from 1066 Dark Ages SAGA/ Impetus through to WW2 Force on Force.  Likewise the earth texture is reddish with the grass quite light, so it should be able to be used in the Pacific as well as Europe (in Summer)

The Nave of the Church - it shouldn't really have an entrance here but oh well!

Looking down on the front section with Christian Cross

And with my "crop fields" - teddy bear fur stuck to MDF bases and lightly sprayed Dunkelgelb

A lone Japanese rifleman takes cover in the crops...

So this is the start of my new non-winter terrain table.  The crop fields could be used for any scale and I will look to add hedges and walls to border them for European style games, while in the Pacific they will just be long grass bordering tracks.  I will add some more buildings, a bell tower and Monks Rectory as well as a grave yard.  Together these could easily be a Dark Ages Abbey in Northern England or a Missionary post somewhere in Borneo - with the appropriate surrounding terrain.

Got a WW2 Japanese Section Done (6 men with a type 99 LMG) and a further 6 on the painting table - looking forward to trying out some Force on Force!

Thanks,
Jason

WW2: Pacfic - Japanese Rifleman

Hi Folks,

As seen over on Adams Blog there are some USMC and some WIP Diggers are to be found on Poochies Blog.

This is for a World War II: Pacific 28mm game we are working on, using Ambush Alley's Force on Force games rule.

I am doing Japanese; here is my first horribly sterotypical Bolt Action Miniatures Japanese rifleman.

Light is really crap (he isnt that yellow) and my Matt Varnish dosnt seem that Matt, but you get the idea.

Now,  back to doing work :)

Cheers
Jason

Illiad SAGA: Trojans

Hey Folks,

Here is yet another project start, Trojans for Jamies Trojan War SAGA adaption

Still mostly "Stealth" but I have started painting Hectors Royal Guard (hearthgaurd)
The rest of the army is 4 points of Warriors, with a unit of 12 Trojan Hoplites, 12 Lycian Warriors and 8 Trojan Bowmen.

6th Point will be Cavalry :

                                      

SAGA Norman Test Figure

Hey Folks,

Here is my first test figure for the SAGA Normans, a plastic converted Sergeant with Spear and Kite Shield.

I used a mica pen for the Cross, and its a bit too black around the edges, plus I might need to add a bit of weathering to the shield.

Otherwise I am pretty happy with this dude, and will work to crack out the remaining seven...but I really do need to get those Aufklarungs started!

Looking forward to seeing him smash some Viking scum tomorrow night. :)

Cheers
Jason