Snowy trees!

Hi all!

Okay, got my pine trees covered in snow for the scene...

First, I lined them all up, and gave them a spray of white matt paint, but only from above, so as to preserve the natural shadows a bit.

Then I mixed up a bit of snow flock, white glue, and water, following the directions outlined in the "Nuts!" board build outlined in Wargames Illustrated 301.

I liberally wiped the trees down with this mixture, trying to get the outsides as best as possible, and looking out for where overhanging branches might leave empty spots (but that was tricky...)

After that, I gave each tree a good sprinkling with a bit more of the snow flock.

I'll wait a bit and then give them a touch of varnish, I think, to help hold everything in place.

Overall I am pleased with how they turned out!

Mountain Man scene underway!

Hi all!

Well, I got a bit done on the "Mountain Men" scene.  Above you can see what I putting together.  I need to get a few more tree tops, obviously...  I messed with making the front piece of wood a bit taller than the sides, to obscure the "base" that the cliff and tree tops are sitting on; I am hoping that helps make the tree tops look more like they are disappearing into the woods below, instead of just sitting on top of some wood:)

As for the cliff itself, I think it will look very, very sharp.  You can see the piece of bark above left that I used for it.  It took a bit of work to get looking right, but I think at this point it is looking good.  To the right you can see the cliff all finished up and freshly painted.  At that point it had only three trees, but I think I'll use four... it balances the scene a bit better.  That said, it also reduces the footprint of the cliff a lot, so we'll see... I still need to get a donkey, fire, supplies, and at least one mountain man on there!

The trees themselves are VERY trimmed... basically, whatever you cannot see is trimmed flat.  It was the only way to get the trees into the scene and not have them take up too much room.

Waiting on the snow to arrive... then I can start getting to work actually getting this thing painted up.  Also I am waiting on the wiring to arrive... there will be the LED fire on the cliff, and a blue LED light at the top too.

BTW, to the left here is a REALLY rough mock-up of what I am thinking it will look like when the wood is stained and the background is in.

Rough of the Mountain Men scene...

Hi all!

Okay, put together a VERY rough version of the mountain man scene I am working on... as I was worried about, the cliff really does not have a very large footprint, so I'll need to be VERY careful about how to get the mule, fire, and man onto it.  Also, the tree tops at the bottom might look very... well, empty, so I will have to figure out how to make it look like they continue down below the scene, instead of just looking like little christmas trees.  I have an idea how to do that, though, which should work.

Anyway... worth looking at!

So... which of these?

Hi all!

Okay, time to make a decision...

Working on my father-in-laws gift of the mountain men scene.

I just don't know which to use!

Do I use the pack at the top, and do something with the two guys who are outlined in red?  The guy at the top would be the primary figure, but I don't love his gun... the guy with the poncho, I think, would be in the background near the fire, but I think I'd need to carve away that gun... or maybe use the guy on the top left or bottom left, and carve the gun away?

Or do I use the pack pictured above,and do some serious greenstuff work on two of the three outlined guys?

Just not sure:(

A "Longstreet" marker... sort of

Hi all!

Well, as I mentioned in my last post, the gaming club that I usually game with (when I DO game, which is VERY infrequently!) is doing a game of "Longstreet" in a few weeks... so I thought I'd use that as an excuse to paint something up:)

I had looked through the personality cards, and decided on this one... the "Fire and Brimstone Preacher" personality.  Not only is it a fairly simple card, but it also lends itself to a little work on a figure!

So I did a little work converting the guy... added a big beard (because Southern preachers should have a beard, right?) and a Bible to his hand.  Nothing big, but noticeable (you can see the Union Sash and Saber figure he is based on in the small photo to the above right).

Now, there is no need for personality figures in "Longstreet" but what the hell... I will be using him as a marker to show which unit I have used the bonus for, if at all!

Anyway... any excuse to paint figures!:)

Group painting night

Hi all!

A few nights ago a few fellows I know got together to get some painting done... they were wanting to get a bunch of ACW figures finished off for a big club Longstreet game, and I figured I could help out a bit!

Above you can see a bunch of the figures getting worked on... a LOT of Federal infantry, including some zouaves (woof) and then a bevy of Rebs, as well!  To the right is the fellows I worked on... they needed their leathers done, canteens, haversacks, kepis, guns, brass, and one or two other bits.  By the end of the night they were basically finished up and ready for a dip!

I should have some nice photos from the game, when it happens the weekend after next... so stay tuned!:)

Some photos that didn't make it into Longstreet...

Hi all!

Well, now that Longstreet is out, I thought I would post a few of the photos that didn't make it into the book... because who DOESN'T like some toy soldier eye candy, really?  Also, I am including one shot that DID make it into the book, but given the size of the book you maybe cannot appreciate all the wonderful toy soldier detail.

I had a bunch more of my own collection (the figures above belong to Sam and John) but for some reason I cannot find them!  I think I deleted them.  Oh well!

Anyway... be sure to click to see them at their biggest size!

"Longstreet" has arrived... at my door!:)

Hi all!

Well, it has been a LONG time since I posted anything... the summer has been VERY busy with some trips and a LOT of toddler time (the little guy needs a lot of looking after... who knew?) but I did want to post this.

I managed to get my hands on a copy of the new ACW rules from Sam Mustafa, "Longstreet"!  Through nefarious means (i.e. Sam lives right nearby) I got them a touch early, and wanted to post my thoughts:)

First things first... obviously, the book and cards are first rate, in terms of production.  This isn't news, as this is not Sam's first walk in the park.  The book is very pretty, although small, as you can tell in the photo compared to Lasalle.  This has its positives and negatives... on the good side, it is small and easy to transport.  On the bad side (for me, at least) is that the eye candy, which is one of my favorite bits of toy soldiering, is on the small side too.  This isn't a major problem, but one worth noting:) 

As always rules are clearly explained and clearly diagrammed in the now-familiar "Honour" style.   There are also the usual "from the designer" notes scattered throughout to explain why something is the way it is, and as usual I find myself nodding and saying 'Why yes, that DOES make sense!'  The game is card based, although not quite like Maurice... you use card(s) to activate a phase that applies to your entire force, and then can also use cards to modify the goings-ons for individual units, be it to modify morale or shooting.  You'll notice the first time you play that shooting doesn't seem to do much, at first, as cards stave off the worst casualties.  But what is brilliant about the system is that it isn't only the number of stands you have that determine the fighting readiness and ability of your troops... it is also the state of your deck of cards.  So while at the start your fresh units can absorb a certain amount of punishment, as the battle wears on your units will start to degrade faster and faster as your leadership simply cannot push the men further.  It takes a few minutes to get used to, but it is a fantastic way to model actual, top-down leadership and overall fatigue.  You, as commander, have to balance your use of cards to mitigate casualties and influence the game with the idea of keeping enough cards in your hand to effectively continue the battle, as your hand gets smaller and smaller as the battle rages.  By the end of the first game you realize that it just feels "right".

And look... some beautiful miniatures from Dave Taylor!

There are a number of "special" rules as well, meant to create the feeling of the American Civil War.  Heroes, for example, do exist, although they are rather vaporous... they are only represented by a temporary marker, infer only a small advantage (note, though, that one impact is they help a unit stay enthusiastic in between battles in the campaign system), and die fairly easily, so don't worry about Warhammer-creep:)  That said, it is nice to have an excuse to paint a few hero figures, and it also helps create that meta-narrative all wargamers keep in their head!  Also you can see above one of my favorite pieces of the rules, the rules for Colored troops, who are usually eager to fight but can run into troubles when mingling with friendly white units.  As I'll discuss later, I also love that the rules for Colored troops change slightly from 1863, 1864, and 1865, as the Union soldiers of all colors get more accustomed to each other!

And look... some more beautiful miniatures from Dave Taylor.

 

Personally I think the best part of the rules are the campaign.  You command a force of soldiers from 1862-1865, and while your force might start large, gradually combat casualties and, yes, even sickness and desertion will start to wear your force down.  Troops become veteran but also a little less reckless, and new recruits flood in.  Your force also develops some character, as some units become particularly stubborn, others gain fame as sharpshooters, and for the Union Colored soldiers begin to appear.  The campaign system is almost like a fun little mini-game that takes place BETWEEN games, and frankly is the best part of any wargaming system I've ever seen.  I wish I had a regular group to game with so I could run a full campaign, and maybe even model my force as I go!

And yeah.  I get it, Dave Taylor has beautiful figures.  Rub it in our faces a little.

As I mentioned, there is some great eye-candy.  While a few shots of Dave Taylor's figures have made it into the book, there are others as well, including a few that should look familiar to anyone visiting this blog...

Oh, and as an admission, the shot of the Union Field Hospital above is incorrectly attributed... those figures actually belong to this guy.

So, here are the cards, and yes, they are beautiful.  They are similar to Maurice in that you get several types (in-game cards, terrain cards) but these are frequently divided by year.  The deck is different, and the game plays somewhat differently depending on what year you play, and this is HUGE as far as the flavor of the game... an early war game really FEELS like an early war game, with new troops and weapon shortages, and a late war games really FEELS like a late war game, with the Union war machine looming large.  I love that aspect of the game.

Finally, here are a few of the personality cards.  Personalities aren't game-changers, but they do add a little flavor to the game, and you get to pick your own, so you can tailor it to your play style a bit.  Some of them are a little more risky than others... the ones with the lightning bolts CAN result in "you" being injured while using your ability... that said, you cannot "die" per se, so thankfully your campaign won't abruptly end, but you might feel the effects of a long-term injury in the campaign.

So, overall, another great set of rules that not only flow well and produce a good, relatively quick game, but also one that reflects the period being gamed... it doesn't feel like a system that you could sub in other miniatures and do a different era, but definitely a Civil War game.  Plus the campaign system is simply brilliant.

Find out how to buy "Longstreet" here!

Any experience with Army Painter snow scatter?

Hey all!

Looking for some snow... the Gale Force 9 stuff is unavailable from the place I normally get it, but they DO have Army Painter snow scatter.  I am going to be a LOT of snow; does anyone have any experience with the product?  Any good?

Thanks!

A few good computer/iPad games for wargamers!

Hey all!

Okay, I know I've been gone this summer, but I DID want to pop back on to recommend a trio of games that I've played recently!

First up is Warhammer Quest, for the iPad.  Yep, THAT Warhammer Quest.  There isn't a lot to say, except if you liked the tabletop version, this is it:)  Graphics are nice, interface is smooth, and the game is a lot of fun.  Plus, it has a lot of that Warhammer "feel" as you explore the Empire and Old World!  There are expansions for sale as well, including a skaven one... I'll have to check that out:)

Second, check out Sid Meier's Ace Patrol, seen at the top of this post!  It is basically Wings of Glory/War in the iPad.  Again, if you like the tabletop version, this will likely appeal to you, as you fly your WWI aces through mission after mission.  Again, there is a lot for sale, but the original game I believe is free, or at least very cheap!:)

Lastly, for the PC and Mac, check out Faster Than Light (FTL).  Sure the graphics look very 1990s, but the game is solid.  Basically you are a ship captain flying through the galaxy, a vengeful enemy on your tail, upgrading and developing your ship and your crew and fending off baddies left and right!  It is very simple to play but still a TOUGH game... dead is dead, and then you are back to the start.  But still, even if it can be very frustrating, it is fun.

So... hope you all can give them a look!

And as always...

BATTLEFIELD 3!

:)