Completed 28mm FPW French Artillery and Mounted Command

Here is what I've gotten done so far this month.  I finished my 28mm 1870 French infantry brigade, 1870 French Cuirassier, and 1870 French Artillery and French Mounted Command.  Here are photos of the finished project:

                                          28mm 1870 French Artillery (4lbs Guns and Mitraileuse Battery).

                                          28mm 1870 French Mounted Command.

I've been working on my 1870 Prussians with a regiment of Prussian Cuirassiers.  I'm about halfway done with the regiment.  I'll take photos this weekend over Labor Day as soon as I get the base colors completed on the figures.

Sapper Joe's French And Indian War LARP

I now know why Combat Colours (Steve Hood) and Hostile Contact (Curtis Turner) are leery of Sapper Joe's (Joe Collins) play testing.  I thought we'd be playing a 15mm French and Indian War game.  Instead, it turned into a SYW LARP.  Sapper Joe gushed with all sorts of special rules and status for our Big Men.  Combat Colours and I had the Hurons leading their white women captives back to the village, while Curtis had the British militia and some allied Indians.  Once again, I just followed orders from my tribal leader, Steve, and escorted my captives off the table.  My other raiding party was held up by special cards Curtis played on me that delayed my captives and raiders getting off the board.  The militia got to shoot at me.  But I got into some woods and Steve played another special action card that got my Indian raiding party off the board. 

In the end it was a major victory for the Hurons over the evil Long Knives.  But Sapper Joe didn't like the way the game went.  He has the next incarnation of this scenario as the Indian village.  But I digress.  Sapper Joe didn't need all these special stats for our Big Men when we played Sharpes Practice.  All we really need is the basic game to have fun.  A lot of what happened was the action cards themselves (and the friction of war).  Steve and I got lucky again, and the British player got bushwacked.  Much to Sapper Joes's chagrin....

Here are some photos of the 15mm French and Indian War Raiding Party Game:

                                          Combat Color's War Party.

                                          Combat Colour's warpaint attacking British militia.

                                          British militia falling back.

                                          My raiding party evading the British.

                                          GM Sapper Joe (Joe Collins).

                                          My raiding party being caught up by the British militia.

Viva Sedan - September 1, 1870!

I won't be able to have my 28mm FPW armies completed in time for the anniversary of Sedan on September 1st.  However, I think I should mention it.  It was the worst disaster of French arms until 1940.  And it should have ended the Franco-Prussian War.  The conflict dragged on for another 5 months until the Siege of Paris and the fall of capital.

Even though the City of Lights fell, the Germans still had a saying, "Living like God in Paris."  I feel akin to Emperor Louis Napoleon being drug away in chains to captivity in Berlin.  My battle plans ever quite work out in my games.  I'm best the GM and not the player.  I have been forced to assume the mantle of a player when I've ran my last few games with Don Cox. 

However, I didn't have that problem with Joe Collin's 15mm French and Indian War game.  More on that in the next installment of my blog...   

28mm Great War in Africa Game

I played a small 28mm Great War in Africa game between myself and Don Cox today.  I ran a company of 28mm British infantry with a Maxim gun and Don ran a company German colonial troops with a mountain Krupp gun and artillery crew.  The Germans were able to take out my Maxim gun.  But I got lucky with my British infantry fire and decimated the German regulars and their askaris.  The surviving German regulars rolled morale and failed while the askaris were wiped out a man.  Don called the game quits at that point.  We used a modified The Sword and The Flame/The Sword in Africa for rules.  I didn't have my camera.  I'll make sure to get pictures when I run another Darkest Africa/WWI game in October 2012...

Painting at Therapy

Painting is a relief from daily life.  I schedule time to paint when I can.  I spent part of last night painting 28mm 1870 Prussian cuirassiers.  I wanted to spend more time working on them today.  But things got in the way.  I'll work on them tomorrow or Friday.  I'd like to get the base coats of on my Prussian cuirassier regiment done sometime next week.  I still need to seal an entire brigade of 28mm 1870 French Foreign Legion infantry tomorrow, too.  I'll get some photos up of the 1870 Prussian cuirassier regiment when I get a chance.

I should try at get some painting done this evening.  I really don't think I'll get a chance tomorrow.  But that is how things go. 

Here is what I have on my painting table for the next 3-4 months:

1 28mm 1870 Prussian Cuirassier Regiment
1 28mm 1870 Prussian Krupp Gun Battery
4 28mm 1870 Prussian Mounted Command
1 28mm 1870 Prussian Infantry Brigade (144 figures)
1/2400 WWI British Grand Fleet (15 ships)
1/2400 WWI German High Seas Fleet (14 ships)

Some of the German ships are already painted and based.  I need to buy premade bases from Litko Game Accessories when I get a chance in September/October 2012.  My goal is to have my 28mm Franco-Prussian forces done for a small game in late October 2012.  I'd like to run a scenario at a local gaming convention in early/mid November 2012.  I'd also like to submit a large 28mm Zulu War 1879 game using The Sword and the Flame, too. 

Note from the Trenches...

I spent the week finishing a novel.  I've posting about that on another blog.  Now, I have the rough draft of a second novel done.  I am free to do painting.  I've spent the weekend getting storage supplies for my 25mm FPW armies together.  I spent money on a second storage container, several rolls of magnetic tape, a large bottle of Ca+ glue, and another X-acto knife.  It ran up.  I also purchased some 25mm 1870 French and Prussian Staff Sets from Foundry for my divisional command. 

During my week off from painting, I got another 28mm 1870 French infantry brigade from Askari Miniatures in the mail on Monday.  I put those figures in my rubbermaid storage container. 

I do have a quandary.  I sold a Thousand Sons army of mine that I'd bought on a lark locally back in July.  I already have WH40K Khorne World Eaters army with old school metal demons.  I also bought vehicles for them last year. The vehicles are in need of assembly.  I also have a Typhus model (unpainted).  I wouldn't mind putting together a Nurgle Space Marine army again.  What is holding me back is the cost of foam.  I priced Battlefoam for my Blood Angels.  It works out to $180.00 with shipping.  I could probably spend about another $150-200.00 on foam and cases for my Chaos vehicles and Ravenwing bike army if I went with Battlefoam, again.

Then there is the 40K flyers arms race.  I'm not happy about it.  I went to the local GW store today to see if I could find out if their vehicle carrying case would fit two stormravens.  I know a Blood Angel Stormraven uses about 5" of foam for one vehicle.  I have 2 Stormravens.  I notice everyone at the GW storm was running around with 2 pairs of fliers in an 1100 point army list.

Maybe Combat Colours (Steve Hood) is right.  "My name is Blake.  And I have problem with WH40K!" as my new support group.  I'm not enjoying the times I'm playing new 6th edition rules without flyers.  The company has added another level to what is needed to game WH40K.  The guys I'm gaming with are also running around with the newer Forge World toys.  I've also been on the receiving end of those items of joy. 

To make a long story short, I'm not happy playing WH40K.  I'm working on other projects, such as 25mm Franco-Prussian War.  W40K is taking a back burner to my other gaming.  At least, it should. 
My attention is focusing back to 28mm FPW.  I might stop playing 40K awhile until I can afford the new rules, boxed set of figures, flyers, and codexs for Dark Angels and Chaos.  I am not made of money.  And you can't play 40K if you're broke (as my younger sibling has found out to is chagrin). 

Quick Note about 40K Figs

The WH40K figures I had for sale are no longer available.  My brother has decided to withdrawl them from the marketplace at this time.  I don't know when they might become available again.  I only had one serious offer.  That was too low for my brother's taste.  He decided in his wisdom to keep his Thousand Sons army.

This had been a point of contention with me at one point when he needed cash.  I thought about rounding out my Chaos Space Marine army with his figures.  When he didn't want to sell them, I bought another Thousand Sons army locally from another gamer who was getting out of 40K.  Right now is an excellent time if you are in the market for a 40K army.  It's a horrible time to sell if you're looking to get out of WH40K.  As a sell, you'd be lucky to get 40% of what you paid for your army retail.  This has been a driving force for me to keep my current round of 40K armies. 

When I played 40K back in the Rogue Trader and 2nd edition 40K days, I only had an Eldar army. 

Now I have Dark Angels' Deathwing, Dark Angels Ravenwing, Blood Angels, Traitor Guard, and Chaos Space Marines.  I wouldn't mind having a Nurgle Plague Marine army, too.  Right now, I just have Thousand Sons and Khorne World Eaters Marines.  I gave some serious thought to getting rid of my 40K stuff.  But I'd take a blood bath on losses if I sold everything off.  Hence, I keep what I own and just plan to paint up what I have NIB and primed in the coming year. 

Photos from Guns of August 2012

I've uploaded photos from the Big Muddy Guns of August 2012 Game Day at Game Nite that happened today.  I ran a 28mm Boer War Game.  I also played in a 1/300 scale WWII Pacific Airwar game using Luftwaffe 1946 by GM Adam Jones.  Here are the photos:

                                          1/300 scale Pacific Airwar Game.

                                         1/300 scale Pacific Airwar Game.

                                          1/300 scale Pacific Airwar Game.

                                         Earl Hodgen's Old West Game.

                                         25mm Napoleonics game by Mark Johnson.

                                          25mm Napoleonics game by Mark Johnson.

                                         WWII Seapower game by Bill Doelling.

                                         28mm Battle of Lang's Nek - First Boer War, 1880.

                                         28mm Battle of Lang's Nek - First Boer War, 1880.

                                          Boers behind barracades - Battle of Lang's Nek, 1880.

6th Edition WH40K Mechanics

I've played about six games of 6th edition WH40K.  I feel I can comment on it now.  The new rules favor shooting and infantry based vehicles.  Close assault and mechanized lists are going to penalized by the new mechanics.  I found this out when I played my Close Assault Blood Angels today against an infantry based Space Wolves list.  I literally lost every figure I had in my army.  I did get into close assault with the enemy.  My power weapons did little against Terminator army.  And my Sanguinary Guards 2+ armor save did little against AP 2 Power Fists and Chain Fists. 

I would have better off taking two tactical squads of marines instead of my Death Company that never got into combat.  They all got picked off by heavy weapons and melta-gun fire.  I do have options in my Blood Angel army.  I have an entire 6 man devastator squad of heavy weapons to replace my Sanguinor with.  I also have Furioso and Death Company Dreadnoughts.  I also have two unassembled Stormraven Gunships. 

A friend of mine suggested I go with two more tactical squads for my Blood Angels and scrap my Death Company assault squad.  He also commented on the new vehicle rules that don't allow for assaults out of vehicles when they are destroyed.  Rhinos are becoming nothing more than rolling coffins.  With the latest trick to take Imperial Guard allies with a space marine lists, people are taking Valkuries for flier support.  My Chaos and Dark Angels lists have no fliers.  I'd have to take a Blood Angel list for allies or use Blood Angels with Death Terminators for Allies if I want flyers in my armies.  The days of the mechanized Rhino rush are over, apparently...

That destroys my plans to mechanize my Tzneech and Khorne Beserker armies.  The only thing I could really use are the Land Raiders I bought for my Khorne Terminators.  These new 6th edition rules are just another cover to get you to buy more models and fliers.  I'm really not impressed by the amount of thought that went into these GW rules.  My friends could have designed a more playable and balanced rules system.  The problem is I have so much 40K stuff, I loathe to sell it all off or get into another game system.  So I trudge along with 6th edition 40K and all its poorly written special rules.  Mechanic wise, it's not bad.  I haven't played with the terrain deployment and challenges.  I don't see the point.  And I can live without them.  I don't like wound allocations. 

Here are some photos from today's game with Scott McCoy's Space Wolves:

                                         Blood Angel Assault Marines and Sanguinary Priest.

                                  Death Company Assault Marines closing in a Space Wolves Tactical Squad.

                                         My heavies:  Dante, the Sanguinor, and Sanguinary Guard.

                                         Full Strength Command Squad and HQ's.

                                          The only luck I had.  Finishing off a squad of Grey Hunters.

                                          What remained of HQ squad getting into combat with some Terminators.
                            

09AUG12 WIP

Here is my work in progress on 25mm 1870 French artillery and 1870 French Command:

                                          25mm 1870 French Artillery and French Command, WIP.

I need to finish these figures up this week or next and move onto 28mm 1870 Prussian Cuirassier Regiment and 1870 Prussian artilllery and command, too.

Massive WH40K Thousand Sons Sale

Hi, I got the actual figure count and photos of what my brother wants to sell.  It is as follows:

45 Thousand Son figures with command
9 Regular Chaos Space Marine Tactical Squad
9 Chosen Chaos Marines
9 Possessed Chaos Space Marines
9 Raptor Chaos Space Marines
8 Thousand Son Terminators and 1 Terminator Lord
7 Thousand Son Rhinos
3 Chaos Obliterators
2 Towers of Tzneech (1 painted in need or some minor repair and 1 partially painted)
1 Large Demon Prince/Daemon Lord
Carry Case and Boxes for the army

My brother couldn't the other stuff that went with the army.  So I'm selling what is here.  Here are photos:

                                          Daemon Prince/Demon Lord

                                          Towers of Tzneech

                                          Thousand Terminators and Terminator Lord

                                          Chaos Obliterators

                                          Thousand Sons Rhinos

                                          Individual Thousand Son Rhino

                                          More Thousand Sons Rhinos

                                          Thousand Sons Group 1 Photo

                                          Thousand Sons Group 2 Photo

                                          Possessed/Chosen Chaos Space Marines

                                          Raptor Chaos Space Marines
                                    
I'm wanting $530.00 for the entire army.  That includes shipping in the continental United States of America.  Buyers outside the continental US are welcome.  Just please contact me about international shipping/or shipping to Alaska and Hawaii.  My email is blakewoodwalker@gmail.com

Thanks for looking.

What Siblings Will Do for Each Other

To make a long story short, my younger sibling is selling his remaining WH40K army off.  There is approximately about 6,000 points worth of stuff in his Chaos Space Marine Army.  All the figures are painted.  The only thing not painted is a second Tower of Tzneech.  I've just done a preliminary list of things in his army.  I'll have prices and photos of items later...

45 Thousand Sons Space Marines and Command
9 Thousand Sons Terminators and Chaos Lord
1 Daemon Prince
5 Thousand Son Rhinos
5 Thouand Son Vindicator Tanks
6 Thousand Son Obliterators
9 Chaos Chosen Space Marines (???)
2 Towers of Tzneech (One painted and the other primed)
Carrying cases and boxes

That is what I know off the top of my head.  I don't believe there are any demons besides the Daemon Prince figures (which is scratch built).  I'll have photos and prices later tomorrow on my blog.  My brother would like to get rid of everything in one lot rather than piece meal the figures out.  But I think Barry would be willing to deal on stuff in order to sell the figures for cash.

I'll have more tomorrow...

Finished Painting Projects for August 2012

Here are some photos of finished painting projects for August 2012:

                                          28mm 1870 French Cuirassier Regiment.

                                          28mm 1870 French Foreign Legion Regiment 1.

                                          28mm 1870 French Foreign Legion Regiment 2.

                                          WH40K Chaos Space Marines.

I still have one battery of 28mm 1870 French Artillery, one battery of 28mm French Mitrailleuse, and French mounted infantry command to prime and paint next.  However, this 28mm Franco-Prussian project for Chassepot and Needlegun is coming along.  Once the French infantry brigade is done, then it's time to move onto the 28mm 1870 Prussians...