Ma.K Acquisitions

Look what arrived from Slave 2 Gaming in Australia, 15mm Ma.K miniatures. Arrived super quick. Totally Bonzer service.

What arrived in the packaget is six of each of their SDR Schwarzer Hund and Kradenvogel.

I plan to convert the Schwarzer Hund into power armor for my Subatduku.,The Kradenvogel were acquired for parts when I start building some Chinese Fatties.

I acquired two walking and four flying poses of the Hunds, which are multiple part models that require assembly.

These are not generally available for purchase from the website, but Drew Edney very kindly let me have these on the understanding that they're likely to be revised to make assembly easier before general release.

I may have some thoughts on what could be done to make them less fiddly.

However, given he's a pattern maker, and has a professional mould maker working for him to produce this range, my input, thoughts, idle musings etc. are probably unwanted.

That's all for now. Catch you on the bounce.

Palm Trees

This is where I'm up to on getting these palm trees, though actually it's a mix of coconut and palm, and other stuff tree bases.

Desert Oasis

While this stage of the project has pretty good contrast, it still feels like the miniatures appear a bit flat. It might as well be monochrome, despite all the different shades of brown, tan, and sand used.

And while painting the desert ruins I assembled the Charlie Foxtrot Oasis bases I acquired in 2021. Amazing how times flies?

So currently the project looks like this. More work to do.

Newten Town Trees

  

An just like that, after a long drought, eight posts in one month, here are some glamour shots of the finished town boards with added trees.

Close up overhead above, full pan below to show the whole of both boards.

And below, a close-up, side on shot of the buildings showing how it looks as a setting for taking  pictures of my work.

And panoramic shot showing the full glory of the completed town boards. Click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Catch you all on the bounce.

Desert Terrain

I bought this set of terrain so long ago I can't remember when I bought it. Probably pre-covid. The box got put somewhere safe, and then it kept slipping out of 'what I intend to paint next' list, or more truthfully, I forgot about it.

Something about getting older and being forgetful.

So, Gale Force 9 market this as pre-painted, ready to plop down on your table and go, but it all looked a bit flat to me. Hence this repaint.

So first off, paint a brown-black enamel wash (my own recipe: just a mix of left over Mig Ammo brown and black wash into one pot).

While people rave about enamel washes, and they do have their uses, on the whole I'd rather mix my own enamel washes using old pots of left over Humbrol paint when I feel the need for them.

Got to let these dry, which is my main complaint as they seem to take forever to do so properly.

Then I painted black on the edges and in the cracks to increase the contrast.

 And finally I add more texture to the bases.

Still more to do, but now I have to let the texture paint dry. It's a sad life, but it's my life. And I love my life.

Insurgents Technicals

Three insurgent Technicals surge forth. Again, I painted these a while back, but hadn't gotten around to doing a glamour shot.

I still have the white one I converted into a command crew cab to finish, delayed because it made its bitch while I was painting it white.

Still, not all is lost as I can say, check out these civilian commercial robots.

And a final glamour shot of MAPCOMs Alpha Echo Romeo Tango Two team portrait. This is the team that walked in circles and went back through the pillars and were lost.

 

They may of course return to haunt MAPCOM in a later story. Who knows? Not I. I just write down what the voices tell me.

Gunstriders & Attack Robot

After losing track of taking some glamour shots of previously finished models. All can I say is I'm easily distracted, but I finally got around to taking some pictures.

And the insurgent improvised attack robot too.

 Here are a couple of pictures of the Gunstriders next to a Peter Pig Technical for size comparison.

And with a different Technical.

What is a Wargamer? A comedy sketch

 

What is a wargamer? And is it different for everyone? A tongue in cheek response.

Setting: A club room where the Grognard, an old wargamer is listening to classical music, sat with a brush painting lace and facings on some Napoleonic figures, with an open reference book at hand. 

[Sound effect: a knock on the door]

The Grognard says, "Enter!"

A portly wargamer enters, wearing thick rimmed glasses and asks, "Is this the old Grognard wargaming club meeting room?"

"Yes it is. I am the Grognard. As you can see, I am the wargamer who always has a reference book open, while painting lace and facings on Napoleonic figures. 

"I see."

Grognard continues. "I am also the wargamer who says, playing with toy soldiers doesn't mean we're childish warmongers."

The Portly wargamer replies, "I am the wargamer with a mean streak to my character. You will find that I am always rolling my dice, [rolls two D6 on the table] like so. I disapprove of other wargamers who paint lace and facings on their figures. And I am always the one who checks the rule book [as he opens a rulebook] and shouting, that's not what the rules say!"

[Sound effect: a knock on the door]

The Grognard says, "Enter!"

A young wargamer, dressed in a black leather jacket that has the name of a heavy metal band on the back enters, sneers, and says, "Old Grognard wargamers, allow me to introduce myself. I'm the young unconventional wargamer who unsettles everyone in the club by playing science fiction and fantasy wargames. As you can see I sneer at wargamers who obsess over historical details."

[Sound effect: a knock on the door]

The Grognard says, "Enter!"

A slightly effete, well dressed wargamer enters the club room. "Good evening gentlemen. I am the wargamer who cares not for tradition and silly superstitions about lucky dice.

Everybody says, "Welcome!"

"However, you will notice I wear a cravat, and well fitted clothes. I have bathed before coming and therefore lack any unpleasant body odours. I have spent many happy hours painting terrain, and discussing Clausewitz's the science and art of war."

All: [sentimentally] Aaah.

"The reason for wearing a stylish cravat and my effete manner is never explained."

[Sound effect: a knock on the door]

The Grognard says, "Enter!"

Paint it Pink enters. "Forgive my late arrival, I bathed before coming and took time to dress well..." 

The stylishly dressed wargamer, clearing his throat, says, "No, I am afraid that role is already taken, I'm sorry."

"... But of course." Changing tack she says, "I wear a black leather jacket and play science fiction and fantasy wargames."

The young wargamer interrupts, "I think you will find that is me, old woman."

Then Paint it Pink says, "I'm the wargamer who picks up the rule book and..."

The portly wargamer shouts out, "That's not what the rules means!"

Desperate to find her role she says, "I am the wargamer who always uses reference book, while painting my figures..." But stops speaking as she sees the Grognard reading a book with a paintbrush in his other hand. And asks, "...while listening to classical music?"

The Grognard, apologetically says, "I'm afraid so."

"You leave me no other choice! I am the wargamer who is outwardly calm but, subject to sudden [slams fist on table] and inexplicable 'fits of temper'!"

All: Aaaaah!

THE END.

With apologies to  Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones, and any wargamers who might feel seen.

Refurbishing Terrain 2

I have finished the refurbishment of the Chopper terrain, and decided that I needed to make the ruined factory match, so I've made a start as can be seen above. Still a fair way to go, but I'm pleased, and more importantly, enjoying doing this project.

Not seen here are the trees, which I'll shoot pictures of when I finish.

I'm noodling what to do next? Do I re-base and refinish some old 6mm building, or start on my new 15mm buildings that were lost, but now found?

Start on that jungle I've been wanting to make, but got distracted from starting.

Refurbishing Terrain 1

Decided I'm going to need another piece of terrain to pose models on and decided to refurbish this town board from my Newten project from years ago.

Loving how it looks. Doing this has renewed my enthusiasm for doing more terrain.

I'm thinking about plans for: forest/jungle bases (waited for far too long to do); refurbish some 6mm buildings (for play-testing); and; redo my current 15mm building to be more flexible (taking them off terrain boards and basing them instead).