28mm Inn

Last spring I picked up some GW terrain to use with Songs of Arthur and Merlin. I finally finished a second house. I did this one in muted colours and let the wash bring up the details. A 28mm figure is placed for scale.

The chimney is not crooked (as it looks in the picture)--that is a function of the angle the photo is shot at. I'm reasonably happy with this paint job. Not A-1 but close enough for gaming purposes. Too many damned skulls, though.

Up next: Some 28mm warbands are underway and I may get them finished this weekend. Then work will distract me again for most of next week. Then back to some serious painting and some more 15mm cavalry.

15mm Polish cavalry

I knocked off another unit of 15mm polish cavalry for a commission. I'm a bit disappointed with the pictures--the models look much better in person.

I'm trying to match the box art and this is challenging me to paint in colours I would not normally choose. Deep purple, lime green, pink, ack!

I bought a copy of Super System, 3rd Edition last night and am quite looking forward to getting my superhero gaming going over the holidays. Same basic engine as Chaos in Carpathia and lots of scope to point up various heroes.

Up next: I finished a 28mm house and I have some 28mm warband-types on the bench. When I gets some more glue, I will continue to build more 15mm cavalry.

15mm three musketeers

Bruce hosted a game of Chaos in Carpathia last night using a Three Musketeers theme. I've never played Chaos in Carpathia but really enjoyed it. We used an old floor plan from a Musketeers game that Bruce blew up and some new 15mm Blue Moon figures he painted.

Bruce played the dastardly forces of Richelieu and I played the Musketeers and we were searching the two-story building for evidence of the queen's relations with the Duke of Somebodyorother. Hame 1 was a tie as we both worked out how to play and I could not, for the life of (as it turned out) open a locked door. Good lord! Lots of good defensive rolls, but no one any luck on the attack and generlaly we bumbled about. But we had a good time.

In game two I swapped a musketeer for some henchmen and Bruce swapped out something for the Cardinal himself and we both had better plans. Oh, and I managed to open a bloody door! This was a much better game, with Bruce playing the Cardinal for all he was worth, until the Cardinal ran out of special abilities and my gang of goons ran after him and sliced up his robe (although he eventually escaped).

We also had a good firefight followed by charge between bands of henchmen in the main hall. This was very dramatic in a movie-kind of way and was fun to fight. I managed to squeak out a win in the end through some good dice rolling. I'd certainly play this again.

Up next: Still basing some 15mm cavalry and working on a house. Then I need to build some more 15mm horse and look at whatever else needs attention in my diminishing stock of figures.

Misc 25mm medievals

I've been chipping away at a few projects these past few weeks. One of them is a HoTT medieval army to donate to my club's spring auction. I have a number of medieval elements done (most men-at-arms) but wanted to add in some punch.

So I picked up these old sculpts which have lots of detail for washes and painted them.

There were also enough figures for another mean-at-arms spear base.

And I found some old Ral Partha (I think) figures in the box to make a magician stand (going for the three weird sisters from MacBeth). I love the cat hiding behind the one lady's leg.

Up next: Some 15mm cavalry and a 28mm house. Then likely more 15mm cavalry.

25mm sign posts

While I wait for some more 25mm and 15mm troops to dry, I knocked off a couple of 25mm odds and ends. These are GW sign posts.

My favourite is the one with crow on it. I think these would be useful as objective markers in a game.

Up next: Some 25mm medievals are based and drying. Some 15mm 17th century poles are painted and have started the basing process. I'm not sure what comes next but I have a game set up with Bruce for Tuesday.

Halifax Citadel

Sorry my blog has been quiet these past few days. Work took me to Halifax. I managed to sneak in a day of site seeing and stopped first at the Halifax Citadel. Coming from the Prairies, most of my experience has been with log palisade forts, such as Fort Calgary (although I did get to Fort York in Toronto this spring). Damn, are proper fortifications amazing!

Clicking on the aerial shot (looking southish) is worthwhile. It shows the size of the main fortification, the relative position of the various elements from the pictures below, and the other locations of harbour defense (the two islands in the bay plus several other batteries).

I arrived on Sunday morning at 10 and had the place to myself for almost an hour. Above is the entrance. This takes you through an outer wall, along a walkway over the main ditch and through another tunnel into the main parade grounds. Note the chimneys on the top of the main wall, venting the barracks built into the wall.

The inner ditch was quite impressive (although inaccessible). The main parade grounds are enormous. I've tried to capture the size from the shot from the south wall below. The building is four stories high and about 2/3rds of the way to the north wall. This is no fur trading fort!

There are multiple examples of guns. The one below now enfilades a lawn bowling green and I believe the cannon was from 1867. There older guns on wooden rigs. Most look to throw balls about seven inches in diameter.

You can also get a pretty decent look at contemporary naval facilities (pair of frigates below--out of frame to the left looked to be a pair of at-sea-replenishment ship).  The Halifax explosion during WW1 happened in the bay just to the left of the photo. While the citadel was pretty dead while I was there, it looks like a lively place with re-enactors during the summer.

The hike up to the citadel from the harbour was pretty impressive--maybe 400 vertical feet? I was happy to sit down when I got to the gate. I doubt I have been much use carrying an 80lb pack and trying to assault it.

FS 28mm HoTT/DBA medieval camp

SOLD!

I've been cleaning out the drawers in my hobby room and ran across these 28mm medieval figures that make for a legal HoTT or DBA stronghold/camp. The piece measured 100mm x 100mm.

Here we see a cleric/wizard/druid/chieftain addressing the lord and lady in their throne room (or outdoor patio) while two men at arms bleat tunelessly. The fellow surely looks impassioned in his speech.

But what's this? It appears one of the servants is a cheeky republican!

All of these figures were painted by me and come from a smoke- and pet-free home. I'll ship bubble wrapped and floated in peanuts. No idea who manufacturers them; part of a job lot I got. I'd bet the wizard is a Lord of the Rings figure, though.

I'd like $20 plus postage (about $15 in Canada or the US). Offers to bob.barnetson@shaw.ca.

FS matching 28mm LotR HoTT armies

SOLD!

I have for sale a pair of matched 28mm Lord of the Rings armies based for Hordes of the Things. If you threw in a few dark age men, a bear and some eagles you'd be set to play the Battle of Five Armies (just in time for the release of The Hobbit).

I'm asking $250 OBO plus shipping for the pair. Shipping in Canada or the US is approximately $35.

The Good Guys

The good guys are an elf-heavy army of GW metal and plastics. There are around 44AP  in this army (depending on how you classify some of the bases).

Up first is a hero base featuring Aragorn on a low bluff with a hobbit lurking in the background.

There are two bases of dwarves which I would play as blades. One of the dwarf bases has an armoured hobbit on it (couldn't find a dwarf figure to fill it out).

There are three bases of elven blades and four bases of eleven bow.

There is another hero with additional elf warrior. 

There is a magician (Gandalf in white), which is a nice figure,

There is another hero base with Legolas and a hobbit.

There are also two bases of hobbits (lurkers or warband) and a hobbit artillery piece (beware the flying turnips!).

Finally there are some mounted troops that could be players as knights or riders or even heroes.

And, of course, there is a stronghold.

The Bag Guys

The bad guys are a mix of goblins and orc with a few extras thrown in. There are about 46 AP in the army, depending on how you classify the bases.

There are four bases of goblin shooters, three bases of spear and four bases of blades (or warband).

There are three bases of wargs (although these are actually some sort of GW demon dog).

There is a base of mixed bow (goblin plus orc).

There is a hero base and a magician base, either of which could work as a general.

Finally, there are four bases of orcs that I would play as blades. These guys have a standard that could serve as a general.

There is no stronghold for the bad guys, but given the conflicted role of Borimor, I would think you could likely use the stronghold above for the bad guys too.

Shipping includes insurance, tracking numbers, individually bubble-wrapped bases floated in peanuts. Offers to bob.barnetson@shaw.ca .

EWG club night November 6

We had about 12 guys out last night to the club, with three games and our autumn auction running. Dave hosted Guy, Scott, Terry and Justin in a WW2 game using A Fist Full of TOWs.

British versus Italians using 3mm picoarmour. I think the base below is 1 inch square. Lovely figures, a quick game and the British managed to pull off a win.

Will brought out a scaled down version of Dux Britainium in 28mm with Chen and Neil playing.

And Kevin and Elliot played a game of Warmachine in prep for a weekend tournament. The auction brought in just of $300 (good job guys) which will help keep us solvent for another while!

Up next: I have some LotR armies to sell and am working on some 25mm medievals and 15mm cavalry.

28mm LotR Orcs

I finished up the last of the 28mm Lord of the Rings orcs I picked up at the MayDay auction. These are mostly GW plastics I based for Hordes of the Things. I decided to use a layering approach to their flesh and keep the rest quite simple (reflecting a primitive material culture).

I wanted to give this army some mobility so did three bases of Wargs. I'd play these are riders in HoTT. I could not find any proper wargs but Kevin had an old box of demon dogs he dug up for me. 

I found two bow-figures so mixed them in with a few leftover goblin bow to create a mixed base of shooters.

For characters I did a base of (anti-)heroes and a magician (aiming for Saruman). Either of these could be the general.

There are also four bases of orcs, including a base with a flag that could serve as a general. These I'd play either as blades or warband.

Up next: I'm priming some 15mm cavalry today and painting on some 25mm medievals. Tuesday is club day but up next will be a two-army deal on my LotR HoTT figures.