A welcome package from Minibits

I always love getting aa package in the mail. Especially if its got a customs declaration on it. That can only mean one of two things. Rum or TOYS!!!!

Its too small for rum so its gotta be toys. Fun little things from Minibits. I just had to solve my hits record keeping problem for Black Powder. These dice frames and dice allow me to do a scenic base and record hits with a dice in the frame. A handy little solution. I got Red for British, Blue for French, Yellow for Spanish, and White and Black for extras (probably Portugese).

I wish the frames were a little thicker. they are very thin. If you stack two on each one, they look better. But I can live with the thin ones.

Quick Sketchup of Dice Frame on 40mm base. The base will then have casualties, shakos, fallen muskets, broken wheels, textured base and such.

A Little Gift For a Friend - Dystopian Wars Prussians

When stumped for a gift for my Brother In Law, I usually turn to painting figs for him. After the Baron, he has been the most influential gamer in my life. And one could argue, that since I met and married my wife after being introduced to her by him, he has been one of the most influential people in my life over the last 20 years. He reignited the fires of gaming when I had all but walked away as well. So I always find it rewarding to give him painted minis for Xmas.

So I bought some Dystopian Prussians (he is a Teuton through and through) and since he had not dipped his toes in that ever deepening pool, I thought I would entice him a little. Here's some pics:



Fleet Carrier. Really wish I would have had a pointed Iron Cross decal. This one is from a Fokker DVII kit I had laying around. Its a little too WWII for me.



Carrier Escorts

Tiny Flyers

the Beginnings of a nice Carrier Group

He seemed to like them. I really enjoyed the painting and I could really crank out a fleet. I have pieces of a Japanese Blazing Sun Fleet together, but need to get the rest put together. But these were fun. And I really enjoyed the flyers. Fun little sculpts, even though I hate the rediculous bases they are on. Why would you put a metal girder structure around flying models? Why not make them singles? One of the crazy Basement Generals hated them so much he cut all of them off with a jewelers saw so they could be mounted on flying bases. Bad choice Spartan, after so many good ones. Anyway, this really helped me decide where I was gonna spend my xmas money. Dystopian rules and figs, as well as Firestorm Armada rules, to go with the Albion Triumphant rules for Black Powder. Gonna be a fun year in the Workshop of Doom.

Merry Happy to all, and to all a good Haul!

Hope all of you who celebrate the holidays have done so, survived, and enjoyed. So first to all my fine readers, I wish you all health, wealth, happiness, and TOYS!!!!!!!

Time for the annual haul report on toys that the Queen hath bestowed on me(even if I doth give her a handy linked list):

First from the good folks at GZG:

The two Aliens Mercs sets. These would go with my already painted Alien Mercs Sets for needed back up against the Human Hordes. Or they would I deal to use for Space Orcs for In The Emperors Name. I am torn. Good thing I am not painting them soon. But I love them.

I have lusted after this set since it was released. These shacks are awesome. I need to add a couple of the full size buildings and I have a nice ruff town for anything 15mm scifi.

Ahh Drones. I love them. I finally got to add the spider drones to my collection. They will be squad support drones for my Aquan Hegemony troops. Who are first on the list for painting after the Spanish are completed...maybe.

Next up is buidlings from Proxie Models. I got a nice mixture of their ruined buidlings, and generic sci fi buildings to further flesh out my 15mm games. I envision the ruins being used for Fallout style games, and the Sci Fi buildings for my Colony I am building(in my mind at least). Great m,odels that are not done very good justice by the pics on their website. If you want to see the potential of these models go to Spacejackers site(scroll down and look at his poto roll on the right side). What he is doing is amazing and really shows the potential of these very nicely done terrain pieces done by a one man shop. I have been very inspired by his work to pick these up.

Finally, the 1920's Eldrict Horror pulp rules set - Strange Aeons. I love the era, I love the literature, and I even built a few places of power for terrain. It should be a nice diversion and not much to paint.

I did get Farcry 3. It should be a real time eater. SO I want to get some painting done before I fall down that rabbit hole.

Hope you all had a great Christmas. Much love, friendship, and good wishes to all my friends(cyber and otherwise) for the coming year.

Update- Spanish Napoleonics, Dystopian Wars, and Firestorm Armada?

Well kind readers, its been a bit since an update. I posted a quick one on Albion Triumphant for Black Powder, and that's been about it. We have had some family tragedy with the loss of my father in law. He was a great man. I was lucky to have known him. He was a father to me. And will be greatly missed.

So not much mood for frivolity and the fun things that seem so minor when the big stuff in your life happen.

But one thing this hobby can give us is a release, a place to go hide and enjoy the simple pleasure of painting, or terrain building or even gaming with your friends. So as minor as this may all be, its a nice place to call home too.

So as far as the Workshop of Doom and progress goes, not a lot has been done. I have a nice series of long weekends coming up for xmas and new years so in between the family stuff, and a great friend daytrip to a stellar BBQ joint, I hope I can carve away some real time and paint.

Spanish Nappies - I finished the 1811/12 militia uint. They look good. Pics of the whole Spanish Infantry when they are all done. That's 4 of 5 units complete. I have one infantry unit to complete. Plus one stand of grenaiders. This would give me four units of line, and one militia, plus one converged grenaider unit(pull the grenadier stands from each line unit. I got the horse flesh completed on my first Dragoon Unit. Numancia of course. So maybe, just maybe, by the end of break, I will be done with my Spanish Army. (1 line unit, 1 grenadier stand, 2 dragoon units, 2 cannon, and  4 commanders left to paint). Once they are done, I am going to do all the stand base work for both the Spanish and the British, so they will be ready to play. Then - START ON THE FRENCH.

It must have been hard riding around looking like a banana!

Dystopian Wars - Gonna paint a couple units for someone on my xmas list. Maybe entice him to play, or just paint something different. Should be fun. Gotta get it done before xmas. The clock starts now!

Firestorm Armada - Seriously thinking of buying a couple of fleets and the new rules and campaign book with my xmas money. I love spaceship combat. and this is a great line. I have a couple of tubs of vairous stuff from othe rmanufacturers that I play Full Thrust with, but would be willing to try this.



That's a pretty sexy looking fleet.



Yeah for Black Bowder! - Albion Triumphant

Warlord has released their Black Powder army book for the Pennisula - Albion Triumphant!

They are including that dashing Guards Color Guard figure if you order from Warlord. At $29.00 for the whole Pennisula Campaign, it's well worth it for me to get, obviously. and since I have my Brits done, and my Spanish in the home stretch and my French in the blocks, it couldn't come at a better time. Huzzah!

Ok I Lied

To you and myself. I had a 3 hr painting slot this weekend, and I filled it with...that Spanish Militia I said I didn't want to paint. And I don't think I'm gonna start any 15mm until I finish up the Spanish. I got about half done with the unit. I was flying too. I have belts, highlights on faces, hats and boxes, and finally muskets to finish.

This unit is a militia unit from 1811 that was issued dark blue trousers and coats, but no shakos, so they used their own local bell topped hats. And cheap muskets. A transitional uniform before the full British refit of the Army. It has red cuffs, white turnbacks and black hats. Should be a nice contrast to the white uniforms of the 1808 line infantry and the yellows of the Dragoons.

Since these guys were going so fast I got the Dragoons faces painted and inked at the same time. Soon canary jacketed horsemen, soon.