Merry Christmas

I wish you all, club members and bloggers that glance across this digital page, a safe and blessed Christmas  and New Year.

Going to have to think about growing the club a little more as many of the lads have moved on as they have grown up.

Your thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Landwaster DBA 2.2 min tournament and a game of Green Jackets (skirmish napoleonic in 28mm)

I had the privilege to cram 6 games of DBA in on last Sunday and had a ball. DBA has always held a strong pull on me and though a lot of people shudder at the thought of the game I find that my opponents take it seriously enough but not so much so that they stress themselves and you out. I just like the game and well playing with toy soldiers is my hobby. Landwaster has been held in Canberra a few times before by DBA Fanaticus member McBeth better known as David. He runs a great little competition dragging people from quite far afield 10+ hour drive away and so on. Well I did not place but did pick up a small award for killing lots of elements and drove the 3 hours home with a big smile. Typically I only took the odd photo or two and don't have much to show for my efforts but I did face some great looking armies.

 

Game 2 or 3? My Timurid army vs a Scottish army

 

Achaean Greeks beautifully painted by Mick from Micks metal models

 

The camp/baggage element, now this was clever

 

Club night saw a small game of Space Hulk and Green Jackets and a few lads Roleplaying

My newly minted Victrix Austrians ready to pounce on the British

 

Clambering up the objective hill

 

My British enemy blooded for the first time as well. It is nice to see my minis making it onto the table painted. When you take photos you should really look at product placement to earn you a little cash on the side or just bother to have a look at what is also in the photo you dummy!

 

The Brits clumped close enough that with a single canon I could have won the game in a single turn.

 

Finger of doom proving that Space Hulk is still a great evenings entertainment

 

How to get whooped in SAGA

A friend came around for a quick game of SAGA as he was on holidays and we could get the game in during the week. He played snow Irish and I was the slightly more colourful Normans. This was the second outing for the Knights of Normandy and their followers so I will not claim expertise in their use. But needless to say around 3 turns into the baggage train scenario and it looked like I was doomed. Yet as is often the case a surviving knight hunted down Irish stragglers and the game started to even up. But when my hero of the hour finally succumbed it was all over. Regardless it was a great game.

On with the show.

 

The table at the beginning

 

 

My left flank beginning

 

 

 

Right flank beginning

 

 

 

Snow Irish enemy right

 

 

 

 

Snow Irish enemy left (very fair these Irish)

 

Heading into the Irish full of confidence only to be shot to bits by javelins then charged.

 

After 3 turns the baggage is looking like it is in trouble.

 

 

 

 

Something similar happened here. Knights gone, spear about to be ambushed from the trees.

 

Oh well sheep can fight back too I hope.

 

Ah................Nope.

 

 

So at the end of the game my force is looking pretty nice off table.

The nicest highlight was both leaders knocking each others heads off by the end of turn 3 clever.

 

Well I am looking forward to Friday night at the club as I will get to try out Green Jackets a free card driven skirmish game for Napoleonic battles and I hope to run my recently painted Austrians.

 

 

Four little Russian houses, off to the Steppes we go.

These are old JR miniatures houses that I picked up some time ago and at last put a lick of paint on. If I have Panzers to race over the steppes it is time for some scenery items to make the plains look habitable. I like full resin buildings for the robust nature but I still like to be able to put the miniatures inside as well. This wont work for these lovely models. 15mm Russians for scale and a little colour.

Battlgroup Barbarossa Germans

Well October was tanktober for the Dux and he put together an outstanding example of pure Russian canon fodder in the form of T-26s by the bucket load see http://dux-homunculorum.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/many-many-tanks.html so this is my attempt for tanktober. Yes I know that it is over but I am usually the last to the party.

These are a mix of Zvezda 1/100 kits and PSC 15mm kits. I have to admit that I love the PSC models as the level of detail reminds me of my Airfix days and playing WRG rules back in the mid 1980s on a mates Ping Pong table. Zvezda are rather good for wargaming as they are remarkably cheap but I do note that stocks of the T 26 tanks are all gone........globally.

Some of these have been posted before but it is nice to get them in one place.

38 T by Zvezda

Pz IIIs Fs and Gs mainly from PSC



Pz IIC from Zvezda

Pz IVD from Zvezda

The Company

 

Perchance that the opportunity arrives that the Dux's Russians get to snot the life out of these Panzers.

Saturdays with the kids at the club

For 8 years or so the club has run Saturday game days for the younger generation. Sadly the lads and lasses have found alternatives to keep them occupied or they have just grown up and moved on. But luckily there are a few who find us and want to learn how to play. So I am rather pleased that I get to game with the younger members, teach them the game and painting techniques and even build the odd bit of terrain. In September one of the kids whooped me in a game of 40K, it would seem that the few clues I gave to him in the last game were well remembered and so the Orks died in droves. October's Saturday games day saw me bring out the new Infinity boxed set, plop out the fancy terrain and substitute a few miniatures (don't have the proper ones painted yet) to play Scenario 1 and 2. I have to admit that the two lads gaming with me picked up the rules nice and fast. We only made one error the whole game. So if your club is quiet maybe you should rope some younger kids in but just remember that you may have to play the games they want before you get to play your own.

Orks Vs Chaos, my Orks lost

Necromunda with the ladz

 

The Orks about to die

 

 

 Haqislam as Pan Oceania, second hand minis at their finest 

The Morat from a much earlier post (died in both games)

The Operation Ice Storm terrain with a few other card containers. What a nice addition to a boxed set. The quality of the card is very good and I hope to be able to use them again and again at the club. Even if the paper mat is a little on the small side. It certainly makes for quick game.

 

 

 

MOAB and Sy-CON 2014 we name them properly down here.

A little delayed in the posting of this but it is up now.
My son and I went off to MOAB in Sydney for my annual pilgrimage. This convention is one of the medium sized cons in Australia with plenty of competition games, a growing participation and demo game sections, enough traders to by more shiny toys and one of the best bring and buys if the traders have not taken your hard earned from your wallet.
There is a painting competition, great catering and enough friends to bump into to make the 4 hour trip each way worth it. It is a great convention but scattered all over a sporting hall complex, so when you go head up, down and around the corners and who knows what you will discover.

At the same time The Combat Company held a participation game extravaganza over the weekend to. We had a quick visit to this as well. Well done TCC.

Show time.

I have a desire to play Impetus and so headed downstairs into the depths to watch this friendly competition unfold. There is something quite spectacular about the 28mm big bases splendidly arrayed and the chaps were happy to let me sit in, watch and get a handle on the rules.

Late Romans and French Knights clash.

Romans won

Nasty flank attack by the Gendarmes runs down the Hoplites, they were doing alright up until here.

Impetus does look rather good, but a new game has fallen into my lap and that is Sword and Spear hmm...

Still play Warhammer and so hard to resist the pretty armies.

The Chain of Command participation game was on call and I still have not had much of a chance to play it at my club so MOAB beckoned. I had the pleasure of playing a few turns with the gentlemen running the game and Ben from the Little Tin Men blog, the chap to introduce me to the pleasure of Chain of Command in the first place.

Japanese vs Aussies, the Matilda II rumbled its way through the jungle whilst my Japanese slowly succumbed to shock and not a few deaths. Got to find me the army lists for the Japanese and Australians. Still got some floating around to paint. Pity I had to go early but I think I get the game a little more.

Command and Colours Napoleonic, have to try this to one day.

A really cool post apocalyptic game, so well presented but unfortunately I did not get the chance to play this either. That said the big kids that did play in it had a ball by the looks of things. Oh the rules were free on the net but I did not get the name of it, sad.

The main hall, traders, demo games and Flames of War at the top on the stage.

The huge bring and buy, this is the first time I had the chance to put stuff in on Saturday and did well with a few hundred dollars sold but the initial crush was disconcerting. Even so picked up some second hand Infinity miniatures so happy all round. Thanks always to the Southern Battle Gamers for running both MOAB and the bring and buy.

My son and I shot off that night to Sy-Con to see how it was going. Very impressed too. We even had a chance to play Firestorm Armada, for a round or two before our opponents nicked off to paint miniatures, boo hiss.  Sorry for the lack of photos but rest assured that I would recommend a visit to Sy-Con as well if you can get away from MOAB Cheers Combat Company.

 

Now to get to Melbourne for Little Wars next year I hope.

A Tale of Duelling Gamers My Final Efforts

 

Well I have come to the end of my $700 Games Workshop spend equivalent and have added the final painted miniatures to the Vampire Count Force I have always wanted to build. This has been really enjoyable, to see the others involved put their units and characters together has been inspirational and the motivation I needed to carry on. Though I will never claim great painting skills, on mass the theme I wanted occurred and I am happy with the look of them all. So what did it all cost me? Have a look at the end.

First the last of the miniatures and interestingly the characters. I have one more item to do but as I am about to take my son on a road trip to Lake Mungo, Adelaide and into Melbourne I may not get time to finish it. (Tis a small terrain piece in keeping with the theme)

The small force arrayed, it was not quite finished but who cares.

Black Knight BSB

The new foot characters, Wight King BSB if I don't use the Black Knight, my Foot Vampire Lord and the Vampire I will use as a hero

BSB from above, the mounted version of the foot miniature from above and a mounted Wight King

Vampire Lords should always look elegant.

Close up a bit more detail but still a bit of a quick paint job.

Oldie but a goody.

 

So the costs....hmm love workshop minis but using Mantic, second hand and leftover bits and bobs means that my wife will be much much happier. Points cost, oh can't be bothered tonight maybe next blog entry.

Month	Spend Allowance	GW Cost	Actual Cost	Miniatures
April	200	69 69 22 (160)	12.5 12.5 3	20 mantic rev = 20 graveguard,  1 necromancer
May	100	79   55 (134)	25   25	3 m werewolves = 3 crypt horrors 20 m zombies
June	100	90	free	blackcoach
July	100	50	30	5 Black knights bret
August	100	83	10	Carrion = Fell bats
September	100	41   26   10   41 23   44	10   5   6   5 2   9	1 Mtd vampire lord and foot mini 1 Foot Vampire lord Mtd Battle Standard Bearer Mtd Wight King Foot Wight King BSB 3 spirit hosts
	$700	$702	$155.00