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

A tale of Duelling Gamers, the race for the finish line.

Well I am down to the wire and trying to get the last of the miniatures painted. The units and bigger items are done and the character models are getting there. Hopefully I will have time to put a little more effort into the characters, at least that is the idea.

The last unit, Spirit Hosts ($44.00 GW value but I only spent around $9.00 for the fireforge 28mm man at arms)

 

 

Characters a WIP sorry about the overexposure, when complete I'll take better images hopefully. Hard to work out the cost at GW vs Actual on these as some of the minis do not have an equivalent and needless to say I did not pay full price for any of them.

spring has sprung and the club numbers start to grow again

Well it would seem that the quietness of August was due to the cold as our first monthly meeting on the Friday just gone showed that the numbers were back up. Great to see some of the younger lads return with their boxes of minis. Just to show that games happen in Moruya on with the show.

Wings of Glory WWI four players tonight

 

Finishing off my bloodbowl game Wicked Elves won woot.

Battletech, I feel so dumb giving away my old mechs.

4 kids on the 40 K table, one big free for all.

Roleplayers using Pathfinder. Notice how the caffeine keeps us all going into the later hours of a Friday night.

Quite in the depths of winter at the club

Well August is over and it has been very quite indeed. Many of the lads have had parties and what not to go to and their minis sit forlornly in their boxes but not us brave older souls no. We headed off to the club for 2 games of 40K and a game of Blood Bowl.

Necrons vs S. Wolves (Wolves won)

Orks vs Sisters (orks won)

Hordes and hordes of Orks

My Wicked Elf team vs the Evil Dwarf Team so far I am 2 up but my ladies are ending up in the reserves section or worse injured ouch.

Duelling Gamers August entry for real this time

Now that August is almost over I can now show off my Fell Bats, well that is what I am using them as. I have had these sitting around for a long time and as the Vampires can't use bows or missiles of any sort I thought a unit of flyers was in order. Out came the bitz box and behold 3 very old carrion? that I will use as the big bats. Got no idea if fell bats are any good in the army lists but big flying things always seems to upset the opposition. I think if my maths is correct I should have around $150 up my sleave for the month of September and the paint will flow on a couple of Character models.

 

Fell Bats......yes they are really.....

 

 

I have noticed that Nagash has returned with a nice new addition that allows Vampire Counts to ally with Tomb Kings and thus Bow armed skellies are now a possibility but as luck would have it a couple of years ago I gave away all my lovingly painted tomb kings as I had never used them. So will I lash out on the new Nagash Book, not likely. Pity as I still have the old metal Nagash.

And now for something completely different 15mm Wurtemberg Fusiliers straight off the paint table this week. Lovely AB 15mm from Nic at Eureka thanks Nic.

A Tale Of Duelling Gamers my belated July attempt

Well July was actually a pretty dismal month for me on a personal level and I lost the drive to do any painting of real note for the "ATODG" but nearing the end of August my July entry is ready and I am part way through the August entry as well (one should hope so).

Yes I know they are Bretonians, and old ones at that, yet I had this great desire years ago after reading some of the "fluff" about the Lamian Vampires and how the girls were able to sway others to their most vampiric of ways. So digging through some of my old unpainted Bretonians I came up with a nice unit of 5 from old knights and knight errant models. Fishing through the bits box gave me the undead shields I needed and a liberal splash of super dip wood stain and varnish and ta da. suitably grim looking knights that are meant to be ummmmm Black Knights, hmmm yellow, hmmm oh well.

 

I always admire the freehanded banners of the better painters, as I am not one a quick fish around the net and behold vampire banner for the Black Knights.

The Art Work is By Anna Stokes and is used without permission but I don't plan on selling it just playing with it.

 

 

I am hoping that the painting juice is back and flowing as I have some fell bats and character models to paint and potentially another unit of werewolves to take me to the September dead line. What I really need to do is make some suitably grim terrain to support the small army but I just don't see myself getting the time to do so.

August at the Club

Winter is biting pretty hard for August and the club numbers are really down which is a pity but I have had the chance to game some lads that I don't normally get to do so which is really nice.
Just a few pics this time. Just to keep the club informed that we are still happening.

My Pandora Crew that fell foul to a Ramos Crew using the new Malifaux 2.0 Rules

Do you think I could even eliminate a gunsmith? Nope.

Nomads for Infinity

Space Orks vs Imperial Fist Clones, at 1500 points you get a lot more Orks than Marines and well the Marines fell over this time. A rematch has been asked for.