Painting Distractions and other nonsense

I ave been very busy as of late with life and so this little corner of the blogosphere has been quiet for me. And its been pretty quiet in the workshop of doom as well.

Since the Bones have arrived I have painted exactly  - ZERO. I finally got so Fusion paint so I can prime them black. Its my painting style so I really don't want to go back to the days of a white primer and painting out all the white. I hated that period in my painting. Anyway I'll get a few primed as a test and see what happens. Once I start I will be painting monsters only really.

I did base paint about 30 Mechwarrior Clix figures. Fleshing out units for my initial Mechwarrior forces. We may pick up the new quick play Alpha Strike rules and actually play Mechwarrior, or we may just continue to use them for whatever we decide to play. Either way, they are a nice distraction.

As I was contemplating 15mm Sci FI, Fantasy or Post Apoc to paint next in the 3 hours I had to paint last night, I pulled the trigger on one of theose units that had been vexing me for several years - The 42nd Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) for the Pennisula. My British Nappies are waiting on 2 infantry units to be finished so I said, what the hell. I got faces, jackets, and kilts all base painted. Hopefiully tonite I can steal an hour and finish highlighting jackets, doing boots and gaiters and getting prepped for belts and lace. I should have about a week of off and on painting to fnish them, but, they were fun. The 92nd Gordon's Highlanders are next and I should have 12 infantry Units finished and the Brit infantry is finally complete. No promises after that, but a few more guns await, as well as 3 more cav units. And you can't have the Penninsula without the KGL. I still have 3 Spanish Infantry units, a couple of cannons, and a cav unit to finish them off.

Then come the French. they wait patiently and are understandably perturbed about being bumpe once again, this time by giants in dresses. They shoud be encouraged though, because a new line of metal Vitula Legion has been released. Scultoed by Paul Hicks these beauties are as vital to the French cause in the Penninsula as the KGL were to the Brits. So once on the market I will gobble these up for a whole division I should think.

The RECRUITS Con announced that they were close to closing the PEL for games at this Falls event. Seems a bit early for a regional gaming con in mid-september. But you all know my love for the Con. I am sure I will run a game. But with Football practice and season starting, I'm gonna be mightily distracted.

Keep rolling sixes

LA

Quick Update 4-11-13

Man, I got a pretty good deal at Recruits on the Demonworld Empire Army I bought. I have gotten a couple of hours to work in and here's the tally of units I have rebased for Hail Caesar Fantasy:

2-Wartower with Flame Cannon
1-Mortar
1-Cannon
1-Huge Mountain Giant
2-Hill Gants
2-Pikes
1-Swordsman
1-Druids Coven
3-Mob Warbands
3-Archers
1-Army Commander
3-Clerics & Wizards
3-Wing Commanders

So 17 Units plus 7 Command and Heroes. That's Great. And that's almost a whole army.

I have some Demonworld crossbowmen, foot soldiers, and heavy infantry that were base painted by a friend years ago I got in a trade. I am going to dip and highlight them and press them into service this weekend. That will get me 3 Crossbowmen units, 2 Foot Soldier units, and a Unit of Heavy Noble Swordsmen for a total of 23 units. All I'll really be missing is Cav, which I have 6 units on paint sticks ready to go.

You never know what will happen at a Con. Who would have thought I would have another Demonworld army ready to go so fast. Thanks again Recruits.

Arrgh!!!!! I hate you snow. And random crap.

Forget In like a lion, out like a Lion, It's just been all Lion around here in the Midwest. I'm sick of cold and wet and snow, and snow and snow. And this weekend, its another 5-10 inches for us in good ol KC. I hate you snow. I am tired of shovelling.

Now KC can be beautiful in the winter with a blanket of snow, but I want spring. It's March Madness time, when it looks like Xmas time. Enough, alright? Give us some rain and 60 degree weather and some sun. Is it too much to ask?

On the bright side, my K-State Wildcats won the Big 12 Football Championship, shared the Big 12 Basketball Championship(Regular Season), and are in the NCAA Basketball tournament. Its been a fun year for K-State Athletics. Funny how good sports teams make you feel more attached to a place you love so much. Go CATS!!!

Modern Logo. Great Power Cat. Very Nice. Simple and Clean.  Stolen by every High School and Pop Warner team named the Wildcats.

The logo when I went there. The other one was a GIANT 'K'.  So you had this guy, who got beat up in the back alley of the Mascot convention, or a super original block letter as a mascot. He looks like the inbred idiot cousin of Tom Cat from Tom and Jerry. We deserved to lose every time we  played. And we did. Oh how I hate you 1980's Willie the Wildcat.

 And I guess with all this snow, its more painting time this weekend, and more games of Zombicide. I was thinking of going and picking up Small World at Target as well.

So I think I will have 3 more units of Orcs for Hail Caesar Fantasy!finished up over the weekend because of this, which aint so bad I guess. Here's what I hope to get done (THESE are the company shots from Ral Partha Europe, not my painted figs):

Here's a shot of the cards and card backs for each Unit.

I am putting on a Orcs vs. Wood Elves game at Recruits Convention the first weekend of April. Come on by if you are in the area.

This is a program cover from last fall that the Baron did. Inspired by the incomparable Jack Kirby. this marked the 10th  Anniversary of this awesome Con.

Finally, had a very fun game with the BG's last night. We had 9 people for a Nappy slugfest with Nick Wilkoxski and his Eagles to Empire rules. It was a minor victory for the Prussians after some shaky 'intel' deceived the French on just what was an objective. Much fun and consumption of spirits and ales was had and an all a round good time. Thanks Nick for the game and Ze Baron for hosting as usual.

Have a great weekend everybody. I will be building an igloo.

Recruits Convention this weekend - Spring 2012

I have well documented my love for this gaming convention. The Spring Recruits is this weekend. $5.00 admission if you are not a student. Students are free. Ran by Duane and Laura Fleck. They are the best and they don't get enough credit for single handedly reviving the Con scene in the KC area.

So bring the kids, and spend some time at Lee's Summit High School this wekend for some gaming fun. Can't believe its #19. I think I may have been to all of them. If not its 17 or 18.

On a sadder note, with Ze BAron and My schedules for youth sports we are only goping to be able and participate, but we wont be putting on any games. So the Basement Generals will be there as observers.

Get the Loot - Fallmouth Hills

The FoL:WW game was a lot of fun. We had 6 players, and a small board, so I could get them to engagement quicker. Well they got engaged, but not as much with each other as with the environment. Remember, in the wastes, the environment is just as deadly.

The scenaior was simple: Sticky Earl, the prospector, got drunk in town and let it slip he had been looting some good stuff up in Fallmouth Hills. He expected a continued treasure trove of goodness to come out of there. Well, when the rest of the saloon heard what he said, they all decided to get there crews together to get what they could before Ol Sticky Earl could back up there.

So, a simple search and loot scenario, with loot having a value, and so does getting rid of the other gangs, or dealing with the environment. Everytime you came to a terrain feature or item, you could search. We developed the Loot/Event Deck to turn over to see what happens. It worked well. and one player had so much to search and so meany encounters, he never got out of a 12" by 12" area, and almost won the game.

Here's pics of the game.

Nice to get this phase of the post apoc stuff done for now. Habve some more buildings to paint, but gonna put those on the back burner for now.

I didn't get much this year at the convention, toy wise. I was very focused on what I was looking for, and seeing none I didn't really get anything except a couple of great things.

first, I got a beautifully painted 15mm ECW army by the Baron for a couple of blisters form Recreational Conflict. I now have a little interest in adding some to them to do a pocket version(almost) of Black Powder.

second, I got a couple of MicroPanzers Mechs, to go with my 15mm Aquan Army.

Since the Workshop of Doom is in a total mess, I decided to do a reorganization and a thorough cleaning before I started anything else. But once complete, I've kinda had Epic Space Marine on the brain this last month, afetr trading a bunch of my Battlefront stuff for some nicely painted Marines and Squats. Also, I would like to add about 20 archers to my Viking Horde. And I would like to start rebasing in earnest, the 15mm Napoleonics. and Blasphemy, I feel an odd itch in my brain to paint and acquire some new 28mm space Marines for In the Emperors Name, or FAD. Let's just see what happens.

Recruits Con was this past weekend

Well RECRUITS was ths past weekend, and much fun was had by me, the boys and some of the Generals.

As always, the con was first class. We get kinda spoiled and never say enough thanks, and can I helps to Duane and Laura Fleck, who created and have ran all 18 shows. Wish I could help more. thanks for your continued efforts.

So, on Friday night, cruised the vendors with the boys, said hi to old friends, then sat down for a fun, Force on Force game of Rhodesian African war. Terrain was gorgeous, but of course, I forgot to snap picks. A whole bunch of chits and markers were used to run the game, and while it simplifies things, it certainly detracts from the overall effect. Since I have only really played ambush Alley, I don't know if  you need all the counters or not. i will take another read of Force on Force and see what I think.

There was great suppport for Tomorrow's War. The worldwide unveiling of the Osprey edition happened at Recruits this year. and sales looked brisk. Its great to see a great game supported at a local con.

On Saturday I was very excited to play in an old friends stunning and clever 54mm French and Indian War game. He was using John Jenkins collectors edition figures. gorgeous and such a classic toy soldier feel to them. It was a real pleasure using such awesome figs.

His terrain and woods and everything about the game was first class. He used This Very Ground, which is a pretty fun set. I told everyone if they had had someone selling Conquest F&I stuff, I w ould have been right there. And I still might be. Put an order together on sunday for them, but waited to see if the glow will receed. But, I am pretty pumped about the idea.

Then in the afternoon, I ran Fistful of Lead: Warriors of the Wasteland. The Baron's cowboy skirmish rules, with our mods for Post Apocalypse. It was really fun. Mostly Basement Generals played, but it was great to have a complete game, ready to go and enjoy. The Baron helped a bunch, as no one knows his rules better than him. Thanks Baron. Pics and background on the next post.

 

Post Apoc - Shanty Town and Rubble/Rubbish Piles

Well, I moved on to my Shanty Town and Rubbish Piles for my Post Apoc/Fallout project. I also base painted Post Apoc Building #4 this weekend.

Shanty Town. Here's some pics of the shanties primed, then the first set painted. All told, the first wave of the Shanty Town is 16 shanties. Most in pretty good disrepair, but also some that are faling down, not finished, or burned to the ground. I have been wanting to do a shanty town ever since I saw Gisby's Shanties he did for Kill Zone. Beautiful stuff. http://www.mts.net/~gisby/kizo/kzsquat.htm

 Finished Shanties, burned down, unfinished, falling down.

Next is the Rubbish Piles. BAses made from CD's. Insulation foam build-ups, then various rubble from straws, balsa, basswood, paper, card, and plastic. 7 total. Great to break up fields of fire.

All of this is to get ready for Recruits in September. We are playtesting the new version of the Fistful of Lead Rules, Wasteland Warriors. Post apoc goodness from The Baron and the Lead Addict.

Hope you enjoy!

Mr. Roper, This Weekend, RECRUITS and All that

Here's a pic of Mr. Roper, infamous arms dealer and scoundrel, willing to sell any arms to anybody with the cash to buy it. A post apoc NPC. Fig is a Reaper Roper fig, guns are various.

Well Recruits was this weekend, and you have heard me extoll its virtues for years. It was a great time as usual. Luckily Mother Nature stepped in and ruined the football and soccer games we this weekend, so we could go. YEAH!

Me and the boy went in the morning. Met many old friends, saw some great games, and got some great stuff.

Most of the time was spent talking to folks, but I got some shopping in and I feel pretty good about it.

I got a bunch of stuff for Traveller RPG. Old stuff, original stuff I never owned. I never pplayed one game of traveller growing up. Star Frontiers was our game, but the hard sci-fi guy in me always wanted too. I rolled up a guy once, who died in character generation. It was then I knew something was very different about this game. I got some more of the originla digest sized books, rule, adventures , supplements, the Journal, the Striker rules, and 2 very nice collection from Far Future Enterprises, collecting various pieces of the Traveller Cannon. I now have the Full Rule collection, the supplements collection, the Games (all the boardgames) collection. Cool stuff. Don't know if I will ever play it, but it will be a fun read.

Also picked up the new aliens from Jason at Micropanzer. Great new sculpts. I have had his SAS from when he sold me a set of the masters 2 years ago. love the stuff so far. and he's local, so I want him to succeed.

I also picked up some of the Rebel Minis Commanches and some Titan Marines. Nice to see in person. And got a few characters and a couple of Orc trolls from Splintered Light Miniatures. Nice to see them both there this year.

Painted a free fig at the paint and take with the Boy, went to lunch at Five with Old Friends. Its was a great day.

Played C&C Ancients with the boys on Sunday using 15mm fantasy as standins. Works great, as ususal, but will continue the efforts to modify so it feels more fantasy like.

Looking down the Elves Line

Looking down the Orcs Line

Also on sunday, we based and primered the Boy's Druid 's Children minis that he bought from Splintered Light. Humanoid animal goodness. If I were inclined, these would be great conversion bases for Gamma World and mutant animals.

These are truly great figs. Each one is a character.

and randomly, he picked up his Lizardman Bloodbowl team, and wanted to paint it while the primer on his animals dried. So off we went. We team painted the base colors on the skinks in 45 minutes. He did a great job, and didn't realize he picked out the Miami Dolphins colors. Some highlights, a quick dip, and he is done with the first six.

Good weekend, if a little hectic. I'll probably be painting 15mm fantasy for a little bit, then back to post apoc.