One Painter's Crusade

Blood of Aenarion and hobby updates.

2012-01-19T11:44:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys,

First update for the year (and about time).

Blood of Aenarion

I have just finished reading Blood of Aenarion by William King and it is a bloody good read!

The story begins with 16 year old Prince Tyrion and Teclis who have lived a relatively sheltered life (for High Elves). Now that they are of age they must be presented to the Phoenix King and be judged to see if the Curse of Aenarion's blood line manifests itself.

The description of High Elf society and the way they interact with one another especially in the upper echelons is interesting as is the way William King has developed the characters for the novel.

To be honest I did not want to spend the $42 to buy the novel but have thoroughly enjoyed all of William King's novels to date. I took a chance and have no regrets. For me this one is a keeper.

The downside? I have to wait a further two years to read the next two books in the trilogy.

Miniature Gaming

Dystopian Wars:

I managed to get my first game of Dystopian Wars in with my Covenant of Antarctica (CoA) fleet. Despite my low expectations I really enjoyed it and plan to finish painting my CoA fleet and have added a Britannia fleet to my pile of models to paint up.

Warhammer Fantasy Battles:

I have spent the last week and a half of spare time assembling and cleaning up the mould lines on Night Goblins I have collected over the last few years. I am going cross eyed just thinking about them all!

With my new Arachnaork Spider with Web Flinger and other Orc & Gobbo models I am hoping to get a game in tomorrow evening at our LGS.

My High Elves, Dwarves, Skaven and Empire have also been getting some attention. No new miniatures, just a whole bunch of boxes pulled off the shelf and assembled (finally).

40K:

There is not much going on with 40K at the moment especially at the store although there are regulars playing at our tournaments some even travelling from Brisbane and Ipswich. The atmosphere is good but the focus seems to be on WHFB at the moment.

Even so I was given some Orks and Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka (finecast) for Christmas. I had great fun assembling Ghazghkull and the finecast takes paint extremely well!

I am taking my time painting him up since the miniature is so damn expensive. Not much to show at the moment but by next week.....

I have added to the Orks I have with some second hand figures I have picked up off WAU. A few Skorchas, DeathKopptas and boys will go down a treat once they arrive.

I think this year is the year of the Greenskin for me.

Flames of War:

It has been a while since I last played but a game or three is on the cards once a good friend catches a break between shift work as a Policeman and Family life for the both of us.

The new offerings from The Plastic Soldier Company have made my wants list! Cheap good quality, light tanks? Yes please!

Warmachine:

I have a whole bunch of MK2 Cygnar I just have to finish painting them! I got back into Warmachine so I can play with mates but as much as I love the fluff and models I am not keen on the game :P or some of the over competitive douche bags who play it.

DUST Tactics:

I have the models and revised starter set and love them but with limited time and money these may get sold or traded for my other game systems.

EIR and Celts:

I have done some work but not nearly enough. I am having too much fun with the other games at the moment.

I had better get back to looking after my boys and other children I am baby sitting. School starts next week!

Yes!

Happy Gaming!

Allan

Games Workshop

2011-12-11T12:06:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys,

I found this interesting video about Games Workshop while surfing the web.

While it seems to be aimed at investors and promoting GW's image it still manages to be interesting in that is shows some of the manufacturing and distribution processes. It does show that GW is a much larger company than I had originally thought.

More hobby updates to follow.

Happy Gaming,

Allan

Small progress update.

2011-06-03T23:43:00.000+10:00

Hi guys,

My 20 mm Elhiem Figures arrived and I started to clean them and base them.

I am happy to say very little cleanup is required if any and the detail is as good as shown on their webpage.

To be honest I am kicking myself for not trying these out sooner.

A few quick WIP photos to prove I am doing something even if there is not much to see yet.

After cleaning up the models I use superglue to attach the miniature to some flat washers.

I placed masking tape underneath the washers to prevent the washer and miniature from being superglued to the cutting board or table.

I do plan to glue magnetic sheeting to the underside of these washers to aid storage and transportation (more on that later). The washers were very cheap for around $4-5 for 100 washers.

Here is the total of tonights work. Not much but it has been a very long week and it was great to show some progress. I will keep chipping away at these.

The first models I have been basing are Iraqi models from Elhiem Figures Afghanistan and Iraq range. Before anyone goes all "Peace, Love and Mung Beans" on me (Damn Hippies!), I do not plan to use them as Iraqi soldiers.

I am toying with painting them up as Modern Day Soviet Cold War models, UN Peace Keepers from African Countries or as a Private Army for some evil Warlord/Druglord/Cultist.

As you can see I have narrowed the choices down

Lastly I picked up some cork tiles to make buildings for Force on Force.

Ultimately I want to do this well to bring in more customers to our Local Gaming Store and have a laugh at the same time. It's the weekend here in Australia so let's see if I can keep this going over the next few weeks.

Happy Gaming,

Allan

Force on Force

2011-06-02T11:40:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys,

As mentioned in previous posts, this diary will focus on Modern Day Skirmish and Battle games.

Rules:

Current ruleset I have, is Force on Force now produced by Osprey Publishing.

I was very impressed with the quality of the book and the rules inside. I will try to write a basic review once I have a game or two under my belt.

In the meantime I have included a few reviews to help people not familiar with Force on Force.

Reviews:

Land War in Asia blogspot

Meeples and Miniatures Podcast Episode 73

Rules Forums:

Official Ambush Alley Forums

The guys here seem very helpful and the Authors and Play Testers post regularly and all the guys have been very helpful to any questions I have relating to rules or hobby.

Useful Links:

Terrain:

Afghan Compound Buildings by Matakishi's Tea House

Blogs:

Small Scale Operations Blogspot - 20mm wargaming by Chris aka Sgt Scream

Ambushed in the Alley 15mm scale

Land War in Asia

Sample Battle Reports:

Persons of Interest

Salute 2011 Demo Game

Scale:

20 mm scale: - This seems to offer the most options for vehicle and miniatures at present. It also strikes a nice balance between storage and table space with as little as 2' x 2' needed.

28mm: - being the miniature hussy that I am I am sure I will get some figures in this scale as well.

Aim:

To collect and paint enough Miniatures and Terrain to cover skirmish games with a view to running games at my Local Gaming Store Battle Station in Toowoomba and possibly run participation games at events like AUSCON.

Setting:

Will most likely be a fictional Country to prevent clashes with some of the conflicts ongoing today. I am Ex-Army and do not celebrate or glorify war in any way shape or form.

I do enjoy fictional settings like Tom Clancy's book Red Storm Rising and movies like Battlefield LA however and to play something similar on the tabletop is my goal.

Hope you enjoy the journey as much as I do!

Now off to an appointment and I hope to have my first miniatures arrive in the mail today.

Happy Gaming,

Allan

Small Scale Operations - 20 mm Wargaming

2011-05-27T13:20:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys,

Chris runs probably my favourite blog on the web (even prior to my interest in Ambush Alley).

It is well worth a visit if you have not done so already!

Small Scale Operations 20 mm Wargaming

Chris is a great resource to all players.

He maintains good links to manufacturers of 20 mm scale.
He is more than happy to answer questions about his hobby or how he painted a model.
Updates regularly!

If only we could all be that good :)

Happy Gaming,

Allan

What am I working on?

2011-05-27T13:14:00.001+10:00

Hi guys,

Here is a snapshot of some of the projects I have at the moment:

WHFB - Empire Army: Huntsmen

I am slowly painting up my WHFB army for which I own all the models I need - lol

If I need more I will pick them up 2nd hand but not new (Games Workshop I hope you are listening).

I really like the new WHFB rules and despite only playing one game I do plan to play a few more.

Back 2 Base-ix Skirmish movement tray used here. So much less mucking around :)

Space Ork - for my boys

I truly love the Space Orks from 40K. The fluff and the models are lots of fun. I would like to get some more eventually (second hand).

I play the occasional fun game with my boys where Daddy always gets beaten into a pulp. I like to play the "Bad guys" and let my boys have fun with the "Good Guys"

Infinity the Game - Ariadna Highlander

I have only played a few games. The rules are free for download and the models are incredible.

This is one Caledonian Volunteer that I am mucking around with. Still a ways to go yet.

Ambush Alley - Modern Skirmish gaming

So I took the plunge and bought the new Ambush Alley Games Force on Force Rulebook. The book is extremely good value for money and I have no regrets buying it even if I did not ever play it.

Plenty of Examples, diagrams, photos and did I mention an Index and Contents? Rules that are cross-referenced are always given a page number so you can follow up on it.

I have not decided on a setting and am thinking of a Fictional Country using both COIN (Counter Insurgency Missions) and Conventional Warfare. A Battlefield LA scenario might be worked on as well.

Seen here is a Dragon Armour pre-paint to use with my US Forces. Humvee with TOW. Happy with that for $15 Australian!

At this stage the plan is to use 20mm scale miniatures which match nicely with 1/72 plastic model kits and there is a healthy range of product out there for us to use as well. This should save of space and cost. The smallest area for game play would be 2' x 2' which means you could play this game almost anywhere.

Further updates soon. I have placed an order with Elhiem Figures. These are extremely nice miniatures that are well details, affordable and the range is constantly updated.

Early Imperial Romans - Praetorian Guard

These guys are nice to assembled but I would have preferred more Gladius (Swords) or Pilia in an upright pose. Warlord Games does produce wonderful miniature kits and their after sales service has been great the two time I have used it.

I am using the Back 2 Base-ix movement Trays and magnets that come in a number of kits. These have save me so much time, frustration and money (compared to a GW's basing). One more company that gives great service and has useful products.

I love the fact the miniatures will not slide or tip over during a game.

Flames of War - Wittman's Tiger Tank

2011-05-27T12:14:00.000+10:00

Hi guys,

I finished Wittman's Tiger tank for my Late War German Armies. I do not plan to use many tiger tanks in my lists and picked this one up for fun.

Mostly I play Heer (normal german army) lists.

Hope you like it. I like it a lot better than my Irish Guards :)

happy Gaming,

Allan

Irish Guards - Hells Highway

2011-05-27T11:59:00.000+10:00

Hi guys,

I promised update so I had better deliver otherwise what is the point of blogging right?

After so much Nerd Rage over GW prices and policies this week I have decided to dedicate more of this blog to other mainstream games and miniatures that most players used to GW games are not aware of.

I would much prefer to focus on something productive than promote the negative.

Here are pictures of my Flames of War Irish Guards models. A fair bit below my normal standard but time was short and I had a tourney to go to at AUSCON.

Colonel Joe Vandeluer and RAAF Forward Air Controller:

Headquarters:

Armoured Platoon 1:

Armoured Platoon 2:

Armoured Recce Platoon:

Guards Column Platoon:

Army Shot (minus Vandeleuer and FAC):

I painted the Army over 3 days to a basic tabletop standard and hit them with a quick Gloss Varnish to protect them.

With so many half finished projects I had forgotten how good it feels to play with and against painted armies on a nice table. The plan is to take more time on my other Armies since I am in no rush to play at tournaments for a while.

I am selling some of my Flames of War to make way for a new project: Ambush Alley

Until next post, Happy Gaming!

Allan

16 Spitfires flying together

2011-05-25T09:38:00.001+10:00

Hi Guys,

If you grew up watching Battle of Britain movies and comic books you will love this.

Lots of collectors hard work coming together for an Airshow in Britain.

Certainly not something I ever thought I would see.

Happy Gaming,

Allan

Games Workshops Business Plan?

2011-05-17T10:16:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys,

GW Stockists in the UK are only allowed to sell to Europe after 31st May 2011. No more affordable GW products from overseas for us in Australia!

It is funny to see that they think this is the answer to supporting local gaming stores here in Australia when we pay twice the price of overseas and then postage as well.

At the end of last year I submitted a petition of from Australian Gamers to ask GW to bring in better parity of pricing for our local gaming stores in Australia and allow them to at least compete with Sales in the UK and prevent the loss of the friendly local gaming stores here in Australia.

Despite getting hundreds of signatures GW did nothing. Now their answer is to ban overseas sales and keep the pricing structure the same?

Even Battlefront has reduced their pricing twice here in Australia to better reflect the current exchange rate.
Games Workshop releases a great product but it is woefully overpriced! Looking at other newcomers into plastic boxed sets will demonstrate how boxes can be sold in an affordable way (Warlord Games, Victrix, Perry Miniatures, Immortal Miniatures, Conquest etc…)

Since GW really does not support the local tournament scene I say feel free to use other manufacturers miniature lines.

There are even some very high quality rules being released at present. GW no longer owns the market and should not feel so secure in their “Business Plan”.

One thing I found encouraging is the amount of Local Gaming Stores who no longer stock just Games Workshop Product. It is not even their main product anymore.

Unless GW finds a way to reduce Australian Pricing they will have lost a vast amount of sales and I think it will show over the next few years. You will not get the young gamers coming in without older gamers introducing them to the hobby and helping them to have the most fun playing and painting miniatures games.

My plans to expand my existing Armies have just gone out the window. If I make any more purchases it will probably be cheap and second hand.

On the plus side many other gaming manufactures are about to experience a boom of sorts and are probably happy with GW’s business plan :)

Guys let’s show GW they have lost touch with the community by voting with our wallets (rather than by rants which they ignore anyway) and support our Local Gaming Stores by showing gamers of all ages what else is good in the Wargaming World!

Support your local gaming store by helping them to get other games introduced, including demo games painting display models organised play etc.

I would say more but I prefer to be constructive.

Happy Gaming,
Allan

Put on my Fighting Trousers!

2011-05-07T12:48:00.001+10:00

Hi Guys,

Had a great time at AUSCON.

Played in the Flames of War - Late War Tournament on the Saturday but missed the Sunday due to an old Army Injury (3 back operations slows me down some days).

A great effort by the organisers of AUSCON and not to forget Garry Wait the Flames of War Tournament Organiser.

The terrain was great although I hate bogging tanks on hedges.

Out of three games I lost the first against a Dogs and Devils HG Pioneer List, won the second against Germans Fallschirmjager's and lost the last against 78th Sturm Division.

I took Irish Guards from Hell's Highway Briefing using:

HQ:

2 Shermans
1 Sherman ARV

Combat Platoons: (four of the below)

2 Shermans
1 Firefly

Weapons Platoon:

3x Stuart (recce)

Support:

Guards Column Platoon - 3 Universal Carriers

What did I learn?

More practice needed on placing objectives.

They are pretty light on in assaults. Especially against pioneers and Sturm Division.

Assaults are hard when you have to go over hedges rather than minefields and into pioneers.

I love objective based games that stop you from just standing back and shooting.

I wish I had taken a more balanced list with Infantry and Artillery like I normally do.

What did I buy:

Force on Force rulebook Ambush Alley Games published by Osprey.
1 box of Warlord Games Praetorian Guard Legionaries to help complete my Early Imperial Roman Army.
River of Heroes Briefing Book - Flames of War
King Tigers boxed set - Flames of War - to go with River of Heroes

The Vendors were fantastic and had a wide selection of stock to the point that Games Workshop and Warmachine items were the exception rather than the rule. I was in heaven looking at all the historical figures as well as the very nice fantasy and Sci-fi/Pulp figures on offer.

I nearly picked up a copy of Dust Tactics for the lovely Mech walkers for 28mm Wierd War gaming.

Pheonix Forge ran some great Demo games of Pulp City, Infinity, Dystopian Wars and a few others I was not familiar with. Their Demo tables were fantastic!!! I wish I had a camera with me as a picture tells a thousand words.

Irresistible Force stocked a great range of figures and even displayed a few new figures from Battlefront (Flames of War).

Anyway here is a fun Video I found on the web:

Thanks for reading my rambling. I promise more eye candy next post including some pictures of my Irish Guards Army next post as well as some of the miniatures I am working on.

Until next time, Happy Gaming!

Allan

A TO's view on WHFB Tournaments using 8th Edition

2011-04-19T12:20:00.000+10:00

Hi guys,

I found this great post on the Fields of Blood blogspot.

Everytime a new rules edition or Army book is released for a system, there is the inevitable outcry from some players about broken rules or army lists.

Over time I have learned that things balance out over time.

The things I love about Games Workshop's games:

I can always get a game locally
Good support of miniatures and rules
Quality of product has increased since the old days (especially models and editing of books).

I have been tempted away many times by other games some of which I have stayed with:

Flames of War
Warmachine/Hordes - no longer play
Napoleonics
Ancients - yet to play
Infinity and other Sci-Fi - no longer play
Dystopian Wars - yet to play

We are spoiled for choice with the amount of product being released. At the end of the day if it is fun for you to play with your mates and you can get a game go for it.

Spending money on games nobody plays is a bummer and gets expensive. Hence I stay with Games Workshop for the most part and to be honest I enjoy it a lot.

More recently collecting Dystopian Wars as a fun looking Naval game. All four fleets to start with and see how it plays.

Another game I got to watch over the last week was Keonig Krieg.

It is based on the Seven Years War in 1763. Not my preferred period but the game played extremely well. The miniatures used were 15 mm scale and the game really showed the ebb and flow of the battles of the time. It did not bog down with unnecessary tables and charts. From memory the quick reference sheet was only a double sided A4 sheet.

Currently the Authors (?) are playtesting a Napoleonic War Variant to be released at a later date. Count me in!

I was blown away by the quality of the Perry, Victrix and now Warlord Games releases in 28mm plastic and having seen them int he flesh they are fantastic! I do not want to carry a heavy case of metal models just to play a game.

Napoleonic Wargaming seems to lend itself to the big battles. 15 mm seems to be the best way to capture the feel of the period but I love the look of the new plastics. 15 mm is also easier to store as they need less space. The plastics are very affordable and look much nicer. We will see how I go.

Currently I am chasing down some AB 15 mm figures to test paint and see how I go.

On the paint table I have some new Grey Knights in Power Armour and a few Blood Angels.

AUSCON is happening on the 30th April and I was keen to go and play Flames of War but not so much any more.

I am kind of tired of facing Heavy Tank Army's that my Allies cannot kill or outmanoeuvre. As much as I would love to see all the demo games and stalls I would rather spend the weekend with family and maybe catch a game at the local store.

I will try to update my blog with pictures shortly. Thanks for listening to my ramble :P

Happy Gaming,

Allan

Kingdom of Britannia - Finished Cruiser?

2011-02-21T12:12:00.000+10:00

Hi Guys,

I finished up a Kingdom of Britannia Cruiser for Dystopian Wars last night.

Do you think I should use Army Painter Quick Shade to finish the model and give it more depth?

I would love some feedback from you guys.

Flames of War:

It looks like I will take an Armoured list to the Late War Tournament at AUSCON.

I am agonising over using Irish Guards from Hells Highway or a StuG Batterie from Stalin's Onslaught (78th Sturm Division).

I will update again later this week.

Happy Gaming,

Allan

AUSCON - 30th April to 2nd May 2011

2011-02-18T02:19:00.001+10:00

Hi Guys,

For those Gamers who can make it AUSCON is on for the first time this year.

I have bought my ticket and entered for the Late War Flames of War Tournament with a mate.

I am really looking forward to seeing everything instead of having to look at pictures from conventions overseas.

A great deal of hard work (by Mark and Allan) has gone into making this possible so make sure you attend if you can and if you are there, come and say G'day :)

Hopefully it will be the first of many AUSCONs!

Now which Army do I take? That will probably be the focus of my next update. lol

Happy Gaming,

Allan

I have been busy. Honest!

2011-02-09T13:25:00.001+10:00

Hi guys,

Not a lot of painting to show at the moment. I have been assembling models like a mad man though.

I have decided to revisit two of my favourite armies fro WHFB and 40K Skaven and Blood Angels.

If you have read the Felix and Gotrek Series from Black Library you probably know that Grey Seer Thanquol's plans often back fire and not with out the help of Felix and Gotrek. Skavenslayer was by far one of my favourite books in the series.

I have assembled one Hellpit Abomination and one Screaming Bell.

Both are very large models with the Hellpit abomination reminding me of some sort of complex 3D puzzle created by a sadist.

Both kits assemble well but I strongly recommend dry fitting the Hellpit Abomination prior to glueing.

The detail is amazing and with Army Painter will come up well.

Also on the table you can see a MDF movement tray (Magnaflex and Base Kit) that comes as a kit from Back 2 Base-ix in Adelaide, Australia. They also make Skirmish Trays for WHFB which saves me so much time I do not have right now. A little assembly required but nothing too complex and it comes ready to assemble.

Skaven Clanrats currently being batch painted and followed by Army Painter.

I finished reading Red Fury by James Swallow another Black Library book. I will not spoil it but there were a couple of unexpected twists that made the novel well worth the read including some of the Special Characters that are often mentioned in 40K fluff and rulebooks.

Blood Angels were my second Army I ever collected and my first real army for 40K. I loved their background right from the start. While I am collecting a few of the new shiny models I plan to keep the majority of my Army as a Standard Marine Force in terms of models on the table. Do I scrap the Salamanders and start again with Blood Angels or collect both?

The Blood Angel plastic Dreadnought kit is very nice. Lucky for me I have a few other Dreadnoughts including a Venerable Dreadnought that I may mix and match to fill out my Blood Angel Army.

Lastly I pre-ordered two boxes of The Plastic Soldier Company's 15mm or 1/100 scale T-34 tanks.

5 sprues per box each with the parts to make one Soviet T-34 tank with a second turret for the T-34/85 so Late war and Mid War Soviets here I come!

Sorry for the photos.

I will say the plastic is a hard type and the detailing is nice. For the price I am more than happy.

Zvezda is also releasing plastic vehicles in 1:100 scale (15 mm) and they look just as good as is the price. Also being released are 1/144 planes. Perfect for Flames of War.

I love playing Flames of War but I am a clumsy bugger and it is nice to think these models will bounce and not shatter if dropped.

The other advantage is weight. The models are so light. Good for gamers with a bung back like myself.

I hope Battlefront comes to the party and is up to the challenge.

There is a nice quick review over at World War II Central including some much better pictures than I take.

Some other reviews of his you may like:

The Plastic Soldier Company - 15mm Russian Infantry

Zvezda - 1/100 plastic tanks review

I will follow up with another update soon.

I have rambled enough for now. Back to Housework for me :P

Happy Gaming,

Allan

Dystopian Wars WIP and WF Shock Troopers

2011-01-14T00:40:00.002+10:00

Hi Guys,

A quick WIP shot of the colour scheme for my Kingdom of Britannia Fleet:

I have not painted up the turrets yet as I am looking at magnetising them.

More to follow soon I hope (if I am not distracted again).

Too late.......

After picking up some of Wargames Factory's Greatcoat Shock trooper boxed sets at Quartermaster IV last year I decided to pull my finger out and paint some up.

Just some small conversions: Pig Iron Heads and GW Cadian Webbing.

Followed by some speed painting (?) GW Foundation paints, Army Painter Strong Tone Quick Shade and Army painter Matt Varnish Spray.

Lastly some Silfor Tufts to make the base less boring :P

I also have some 28 mm WW2 models on order through Maelstrom Games in the UK along with some skirmish rules sets. More about that when it gets here.

Happy gaming,

Allan

Dystopian Wars

2011-01-01T05:18:00.002+10:00

Happy New Year Guys!

My resolution is to spend more time on my own pile of unpainted models rather than spending it looking at all the other nicely painted miniatures on the internet.

Dystopian Wars was released at the end of 2010 by Spartan Games makers of games like Uncharted Seas (Fantasy Naval Warfare) and FIrestorm Armada (Sci-fi Space battles). I did not buy into any of the other games as I have played and enjoyed Bablyon 5: A Call To Arms for Space Battles and Uncharted Seas looked great but I wanted to see how Spartan Games went as a new miniature company before committing to buying models.

I spent about one and a half weeks having a cooling off period after listening to the D6 Generations Podcast about Dystopian Wars and trying to read up any review I could find on Google and the usual gaming sites (TMP etc..). I found Varcan Cluster (link for Dystopian Wars posts only) helpful for close ups of the actual models for Dystopian Wars and a lot of the other games I love to play.

I finally caved and picked up the rules and all the starter sets for Dystopian Wars. Dystopian Wars is a fun Air, Land and Sea game set in the 1870's. It has a Steam Punk, alternate history to our own with some masterfully crafted models.

While I am cleaning up the models and prepping to paint them I thought I would post a few pictures of one of the Starter sets to show the contents.

A few close ups of the Kingdom of Britannia Starter set.

The nice thing is the models come with Unit Cards, Counters, Templates and 10 bases of Fighters :armata_PDT_37:

The packaging is nice and there were no broken models.

]

Some flash on the models but very easily removed!

Some Detail shots of the KoB Battle ship and Frigate:

Lastly a size comparison shot to other models:

From Left to Right: KoB Frigate, Flames of War German (15mm scale), KoB Cruiser, Warlord Games Celt, KoB Battleship and GW Terminator marine.

I hope the photos help those with questions about quality and what you get in a starter box. I am happy with what I have received and like the fun nature of the game.

Back to work before the kids wake up :)

Until next time, Happy Gaming!

Allan

LOTR Variant Rules

2010-05-07T09:33:00.001+10:00

Hi Guys,

Long time no update sorry. I am working on a few things at the moment and will post pictures when I am done.

Here is a link to the LOTR Variants Yahoo group:


  
  Click to join LOTRvariants

Lots of fun rules from Aliens, Predators and Marines to Historical gaming.  Definitely worth sharing though!


Happy Gaming,
Allan

Eldar Guardians

2009-11-07T01:20:00.003+10:00

Hi Guys,

Just a 10 man Eldar Guardian Squad that is painted for the table. I have actually been painting :-P

Flames of War - Hells Highway Irish Guards

2009-11-06T14:08:00.007+10:00

Hi Guys,

A couple of pics. I have started an Irish Guards Armoured Regiment for Flames of War's new release Hells Highway. Hells Highway covers the first half? of Operation Market Garden.

Onto the pics:

Colonel Vandeluer:

RAF Forward Air Controller:

More updates will follow. I have Some of Battlefront's new Shermans and Guards Rifle platoon on order.

Sorry for the pics. I am still figuring out how to upload them to fit within the display allowed.

Happy Gaming,

Allan

Life has been busy :P

2009-05-16T23:34:00.003+10:00

Hi All,

Life has been very busy for a while now hence the lack of updates. I have done a few commission assemble and paint jobs since my last post but very little of my own.

Tonight I have added some of the links and blogs I like to visit regularly.

I have always enjoyed gaming and for the most part the gaming community but lately I have changed my interests from Games Workshop 40K and Warhammer Fantasy to more Historically based games.

Warhammer Ancients was the first with an interest in Ancient Greeks and Romans.

I have played Flames of War (World War Two table top game in 15mm scale) for a few years now and enjoyed it thoroughly. There is something about looking at Historical miniatures, painting them, reading about their history and culture and events surrounding their time period that has really got me hooked.

Fortunately companies like Warlord Games, Perry Miniatures and Victrix Limited have started to produce excellent plastics for historical figures. Even Wargames Factory has started to produce some nice plastics now that sculpting and casting issues have been sorted out.

This has allowed me to explore historical gaming in an inexpensive way. Most troops and Core Choices for Romans, Celts, English Civil War, American Civil War and now the Napoleonic Wars are now in plastics. These ranges are also supplemented by some very nice metal models for Command and Support figures.

Recently I have taken an interest in the Napoleonic Wars. I knew very little about them other than some of the protagonists were Britian and France after watching "Waterloo" the movie as a child.

I now own some Perry Miniatures British and French Infantry and also have some Victrix British figures. All of these are extremely nice to assembled and paint. Soon I will post some updates on painting these models and other aspects of my hobby. At the moment I have to go back to reading and researching a little on the Napoleonic wars. So much more to it than I ever though possible.

Until my next update, Happy Gaming!

Allan

Flames of War - 78th Sturm Division

2009-02-10T03:37:00.007+10:00

Hi Guys,

Long time no updates from me but life has intervened from time to time.

I recently ordered 78th Sturm Division StuG Batterie figures, heavy mortars, pioneers and the Army box.

So far I have only painted up the warrior figure for 78th Sturm Division Dietrich Uthoff (purely fictional from Stalins Onslaught Handbook). Very recently I have taken more of an interest in the Eastern Front. No war is good and this area saw some of the worst of it in WWII.

Anyway here is the first figure and the rest should arrive at my Local Gaming Store - Battle Front in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia in the next week (hopefully sooner).

Happy Gaming,

Allan

Pulp City - It’s where spandex heroes clash with giant apes and alien invaders!

2008-10-04T00:01:00.007+10:00

Hi Guys,
Another update about what I am working on.
A slight distraction from Infinity: Pulp City.
If you have seen any e-mails from Jim's "Dice Club" :D, you probably know what I am talking about.

If you don't have a laugh & go here:

Pulp City Super Heroes skimish game (link)

Pulp City Battle Report (link)

I figure it will be a great beer & pretzels game.
Anyway I received the models (Hero & Villans starters sets) this week from Jim & I will show them occasionally here as I update (slowly).
Here they are so far:
Solar:
Solar (Pulp City - link)

And Iron Train:
Iron Train (Pulp City - link)

Hope you have all had a good week and Happy Gaming,

Allan

Flames of War - 2nd SS Panzergrenadiers Work In Progress :P

2008-08-08T00:00:00.004+10:00

Hi Guys,
Had a crack at some more SS camo.
Oak Leaf? :P
Anyway started with GW Khemri Brown, Orkhide shade and Gretchin green for the colours
Brushed a GW Devlan Mud Wash over the top (to heavy a wash)
I might have to try a few other methods.
Mostly I am restricted to local GW paints as I am in rural Australia.
For the longest time I have admired the work I have seen from great painters like WPB and Tank Santa (very late & cannot remember all the names sorry guys).
Anyway enough rambling.
I would love any advice you guys have to give.

Happy Painting,
Allan

A few of my Painted Figures

2008-07-25T22:36:00.005+10:00

Hi Guys,

These figures where all painted a while ago. I was only looking to get them to gaming standard but I am happy with that for now.

Dwarf Runesmith :

Some High Elves:

Warrior Priest:

I have finished the Warrior Priest for now. The cloak I may finish in a day or two. Flock has been added and he just needs to be Varnished.

I am going to sleep now & to dream of Shermans!

Happy Gaming & Goodnight!

Allan

It's Friday Night!

2008-07-25T22:29:00.003+10:00

Hi Guys,

It's late Friday night & I am exhausted. When you have young kids who get up between 3-4 a.m. this is late at 10:30 p.m.

I will try to keep the spelling mistakes to a minimum (lol).

Here is my w.i.p. Sherman Tank for Flames of War. To be honest it's kind of a test model to see how it will look. I saw a great pic on Battle Front's forums here: http://www.flamesofwar.com/Default.aspx?tabid=126&view=topic&postid=268037&ptarget=269154

To be honest I think his tanks look great!

My w.i.p. however I am not to sure. More practice in your own time go on! (if you are old school Australian Army you will get it).

What do you think?

Happy Gaming

WHFB - Vampire Counts - Varghulf

2008-07-23T20:17:00.001+10:00

Hi guys,

I wasn't kidding when I said I had a few projects on the go.

Here is my Varghulf for my Vampire Counts Army.

I like painting something different from my normal "Forces of Goodness". I really needed a change and the new Vampire Counts are just what the doctor ordered.

Happy Gaming,

Allan

[WHFB] Empire - Warrior Priest

2008-07-23T20:10:00.001+10:00

Hi Guys,

I am working on alot of different projects as I get bored doing batch painting.

Anyway...

Here is a Warrior Priest of Sigmar I am working on at the moment.

The figure is pretty much finished except for some basing. I may paint something on the back of his cloak. Maybe mud from travelling or something to do with Sigmar. I am not really sure yet.

I hope you like him.

All the best,

Allan

A new beginning

2008-07-23T19:59:00.000+10:00

Evening Ladies & Gents,

My name is Allan. My hobby (read - Obsession) is Tabletop Wargaming and more importantly Painting Miniatures.

I am married with 2 young boys and a Wife who has superhuman patience for my hobby even though she does not understand it.

I plan to use this blog to show off the models I am painting and have a bit of fun. I might even get around to the occasional battle report.

Happy Gaming!

Allan