Update - 10-25-12. Some things I have seen and liked

Since I have been far too busy to paint this week, I thought I would do a quick update on some things I have seen and I have liked in the gaming Blogosphere.

On with the show:

This is the Morgan in Biosuit sculpt for the Sedition Wars Kickstarter. Its absolutely amazing. This is as Fallout-y as it gets my friends. And that could be a plasma pistol he's weilding. Glad I pledged at the level to get this sculpt included.

Next is the Reaper Kickstarter. Since I and 17,00o other people pledged for this stuff, probably not a lot of surprises but a few things are making me glad I pledged. And this sculpt is one of them. Now that's how a fire elemental should look. Terriying if you have to fight it. The depth of the sculpt is exceptional. Love it.

And one of the big draws for me was the giants. I think we will have 3 sets of them between our group. I am going to use them with my Vikings and Ragnarok gaming and as true ginats in our 15mm Hail Caesar Fantasy Games. Can you imagine how great they will look with a 15mm unit standing there, instead of that 28mm shy elven lad. Awesome!

And then their is this mutha. Holy Crap. I don't do Cthulhu gaming, and didn't opt to get this guy, but jeeze. He's HUGE! I think that mysterious elven stranger is ready to get destroyed in mind and body. Kudos to Reaper for making huge things huge. I am really looking forward to some of these minis.

I have been really pleased with my Zombicide stuff. Delivered as promised. As well as my Goalsystem Delves rulebook. So for me, assumeing I get what Studio McVey and Reaper are promising, I am pleased with my foray into backing on Kickstarter. I am all Kickstartered out, so if you have a project coming out on Kickstarter, since there are so many now, you are just white noise to me at this point. 

Some blog Updates I have enjoyed:

The Fawcett Avenue Conscripts blog shows us what its like to build and get Khurusan's DOE on the table.

Good Ol Space Jacker has made so great looking hills and is still searching for a cinematic action movie game to skirmish with. He's modding Flashing Steel. I llok forward to here of his progress.

MCPhee's Miniature Men blog has some really well painted examples of Blue Moon's latest 18mm Napoleonics. These look like they are 28mm. I would take 28mm Nappies painted like this all day long. Great Job.

I have enjoyed the GW nostalgia and OldHammer movement on the Realm of Chaos blog. It's really fun to see the classic Citadel figs and blisters and seeing someone play the early versions of a game I once liked, and now abhor.

Carmen continues to march to the beat of his drum. His variety and creativity continue to amaze me.Always a fun look. If you don't look at his blog every day you are missing out on some fun stuff. His 54mm Apocolators are simply stunning. Here's a great paint of a Cthulhu priest:

That's enough for now. Keep surfin, keep paintin, keep playing. Later.

28mm Spanish Napoleonics for Black Powder - Irlander Unit

Here is the completed Irlander Unit for my Spanish Army for Black Powder.

I am doing the Spanish Units at 20 figs, instead of the 24 for my normal units. But I may go back and do the extra stand. Not sure.

Banners and Basing when I am done with the Army. I will do them at the same time with the British.

Regiment Zargossa(Green Facings) is next, Then the last unit will be Cordoba (Red Facings), and two extra grenadier stands from Regiment Princesa(Black facings, light blue jacket, red piping) for a converged grenadier unit, when you take all the grenadier stands from the other units.

I have a nice large militia unit to do after the regular infantry. So that's 4 line, 1 converged grenadier, and 1 militia unit. That's 1 big division, or two small ones for Black Powder. Add a couple of cannon and cav units and I am all set.

Thanks for looking.

A look back at my To Do List Spring/Summer/Fall 2012

So here is my Spring/Summer/ Fall To Do List I keep on the right column. Time for some introspection. 

0. 28mm Napoleonic Spanish

  0.1 Do (4) Line Units

  0.2 Do 1 Converged Grenadier Unit

  0.3 Do (2) Artillery Units

  0.4 Do (2) Cav Units

  0.5 Do (2) Militia Units

Well I just started these, but I have a good start. 1 unit of line complete, 1 unit base painted, 1/2 the grenadiers ready. 1. 28mm Napoleonic British

1.1 - Finish New Command Stand-COMPLETE

1.2 - Add 2 stands to existings 4 stand Units(6 units=12 stands)-COMPLETE

1.3 - Do (2) New Guard Infantry Unit-COMPLETE

1.4 - Do 2 New Highlander Units

1.5 - Do Light Dragoon Unit(Tarelton)-COMPLETE

1.6 - Do Hussar Unit(Tall Fur Cap)-COMPLETE

1.7 - Do 2 New Artillery Units

1.8 - Do Division/Brigade/Army Commanders-COMPLETE

1.9 Do 2 new Infantry Units(2 KGL)-LATER PHASE

1.10-Complete Basing and Flocking Much progress on the Brits. So much so that I am comfortable gaming with them right now. I have a few units to do ( a couple more cannon, a couple of highland units, anothe cav division, and some KGL infantry), but since I usually build an army of 12-15 units, I am really done. The rest is just for fun.

2. 28mm Napoleonic French My acquisition of 4 infantry and 2 cannon units, beautifully painted at that, plus another the BAron is completing, plus two more BG Scott is working on, we'll have a French Army in no time. Doesn't even seem possible.

3.15mm Fantasy for Hail Caesar Progress indeed this year. I painted at least 12 new units for the wood elves. And I made a huge acquisition of Demonworld original castings to go with my huge collection of original castings. So I am set on all things 15mm Fantasy. So much so that I may just sell all my 28mm except for some warband and RPG use. And of course there is that mountain of Reaper Bones coming in March.

4. 28mm ECW No progress. That's OK. With all the Nappy progress I am happy.

5. 15mm Napoleonics Rebasing-ON HOLD No progress either. This is a monumental task, and I just don't want to tackle it right now. I would rather make progress in 28mm.

6. 15mm Sci Fi Some progress this year. I am closer on a few things. I got the Alien Mercs based, got half the Humean Quick Reaction force Armor completed. But I waas really on other things. this is a huge project when I get to it.

7 28mm Post Apoc Much progress. Just search the post apoc tag. I am pleased that I am down to terrain and mutnats and monsters. Fun stuff. And Let's not forget Fistful of Lead:Wasteland Warriors. It will be a good winter for the apocalypse.

8. 15mm Sci Fi Tiles-INITIAL CASTS COMPLETED Really just playing. Won't be focused on it til I get into the 15mm Sci FI stuff in earnest.

9. 15mm Fantasy for Dungeon Tiles Finished the foam dungeon, finished many monsters, started on some Hirst Arts castings for some more tiles. Been a productive year for a side project. Probably won't see a lot of progress, until I get the bug to write some simple bash rules.

So overall, a good year, one of my most productive. I am hankering for my Fall/Winter List so it should be comin up soon, but I know its time to strike the completed stuff off the list, and get rid of a bunch of old lists still hangin around.

Happy Birthday Baron!

Done by a friend of the BArons

Well looks like he beat me to it. I even had it on my calendar to post today. My best friend and bestest gaming compatriot Ze BAron has a birthday today. Happy Birthday BAron. Its been a bunch and I am right there with you.

Ze BAron's mom put together a collage of pics for his 40th bday and man did it bring back a lot of memories. Been a lot of b-days and other stuff along the way. So here's to you my friend, fine connoisseur of lagers, pig parts in casings, and all things from the Fatherland.(even if you were on the french side).

And now some cake:

And now for something that will excite him even more than that:

 Raise High the Raven Standard my friend, for feasting, fighting and carousing await us in Valhalla!

Spanish Napoleonics - First Line Unit complete

OK, So I know the photos are gonna be crap cause i took them quickly with my iPhone, but here they are, quick shots of the first completed unit: Regiment El Rey

 Here's a few of the sticks that are ready as well. Artillery in the back, And the light blue is the start of Regiment Irlander(baby blue with yellow facings and lapels, beautiful). Theya re like the Classic San Diego Chargers of Nappies. In front is one of the Grendier sticks. Those two stands will probably be a red faced unit, for Cordoba or Guadalajara and so will be converged grenadier command stand, then a green faced stand, and a black faced stand.

Overall, these are a dream to paint. they were clearly made with a painter in mind, and they finish very nicely. Bravo Front Rank.

Spanish Napleonics-update

A quick, no pic update on my Spanish Napoleonics. I have the first two units, El Rey and Irelander, base painted. El Rey is almost finished except for metalics for braids and buttons and gun metal barrels. I think I will finish both units by the end of the weekend. I also have extra grenadiers to do a converged grenadier unit, and I need to clean two more units of line infantry.

So when complete, the Spanish Army will consist of: 

So there you have it. the next phase of the Nappy Project. I have all the figs ready to go, except 1 militia unit and two line units. 

The Baron nears completion of his French unit, so I am anxious to see it. That will make 5 French units. Once I finish the Spanish, I will start the long road that is the French. I of course will have to do the Portugese when they are done. 

Heavy Gear...An aside.

As I have mentioned before, I have been collecting Heavy Gear for years. I collected every RAFM 1/87 HG I could get my hands on when the line was yanked from RAFM's hand. When the product on the store shelves went on clearance here, it was all mine. I love those sculpts. They are big, chunky, and fit amazingly well at their scale, as well as for 28mm, as large power armor. I have a couple hundred of them, and tanks and striders, infantry and artillery. A collection of toys I am very proud of.

I also have been collecting the new scale(that DP9 has been doing for at least 10-15 years now) at 1/144, or 10-12mm.

I will fully admit, the recent sculpts are amazing on detail, movement and convenience. Man, those RAFM minis are big and heavy. The DP9 one are much more manageable, and are so much better cast. And the new stuff they are coming out with is crazy good.

Anyway, I have been using the DP9 gears for 15mm Sci Fi because I don't think the HG rules at any stage of their development represent anything close to as good or playable as their models are. So I haven't dove in to painting units because I don't have a game to play with them.

But, I decided, afer a quick exchange with Agis on Lead Adventure Forum, and hoping that he can do a full HG treatment with his Victory Decision rules, I broke out some stuff I had built and primed and started throwing some quick paint down. Here it is:



A south Visigoth super tank. A big model in this scale.



Front view



The new Visigoth with the first complements of a Gear squad. Brawler Black Mamba, A Para Iguana, and a standard Iguana



A shot of the Hunn light tank to show the massive scale of the Visigoth 



Two new gears ready for detailing, Brawler Black Mamba, Jager Para



Also in the on deck circle, The Hunn Light Tank, another Visigoth, A Naga Strider, A King Cobra, and a standard load out Jager.

I have a nice selcetion of northern and southern gears. So, I may flesh a few units out on both sides so we can play some home growns with them. Or even mod Scott Pyle's Robofire to work for them.

I just can't work up the steam to paint the Spanish Nappies yet, so I am doing other stuff till the fever strikes me again.


What's goin on...? (thanks Marvin Gaye)

That song just popped in my head when I wanted to make an update post and now will be in there all day. Might as well put a little Marvin Gaye on and listen to the smooth sounds of one of the coolest M...F..ers ever born.

Mmmm...smooth.

Anyway, as fall begins to settle in in the midwest, and the color show starts in the grasses and trees, and the crazy blueness of the sky on a cold morning, I feel the pull of the Workshop of Doom, but even more so I feel the pull of Roleplaying. Fantasy, Post Apoc and SciFi specifically. Fall is the classic High Fantasy Adventure backdrop. And the Post Apoc always feels like a mix of summer and fall.

So as that bug bites and takes hold, I know the BAron and I will be starting up our RPG games that have been on hold for a bit and start again.

I have bit especially hard by trying to see if I like Stars Without Number. A Sci Fi Space Opera game that has some great crunch, if you want it, and a great mix of Old School methodologies and ideology about what an RPG is, and some great new takes on the genre. And the best thing about it is its a Sandbox driven game.

That means that the GameMaster sets up the sandbox and lets the players play in it however they want. Some areas are just plain nasty and if you decide to go in there without the experience or ability to survive, you won't. It also usually means the world is a cruel mistress, and the dice are even crueler. No fudging, no saves by the GM. In fact in many games, all the rolls for combat and saves are made in front of everyone. Its the ultimate style of a neutral GM who loves to world build...Hey that's me.

It has crazy good tools for generating sectors, world, areas, organizations, etc, too. All the sorts of things you need to start filling in to flesh out a framework for your worlds. Great stuff.

One great tool for a GM of Sandbox style SCFI RPG's is this easy to use scenario generator by DWD. This is by the guy who revived the Star Frontiers RPG as a fan effort. He deserved my money for this just for that. But its cheap and unbelievable useful for the busy GM.

 

Its a great tool for making a framework in no time. And its charts so its old skooly like I like it.

I have started a development blog for my anticipated campaign for SWN, more on that when I have some content. Its called The Endless Night.

I may revive my Play By EMail game with the Baron. It was a little bit of work, but it was fun. Hrothgar's Folly.

My other one was a Post Apoc campaign called the The Burning Wastes. It just underwent a facelift and is ready for some great gonzo Mutant Future Action.

Never fear humble readers, I'll still be painting, just sometimes its fun to roleplay, and world build.

Not Roleplaying in the Fall just seems...unnatural. Go enjoy some escapism this season.