The Next Generation

A popular topic amoung gamers is how to get the younger generation involved. So here's a picture of my contribution!

This is our neighbours little lad Wilf (2) busily painting his Knight (a very old citadel plastic from Battlemaster).

Podcasts

I listen to loads of gaming podcast's (probably far too many) and thought I'd pass on my opinions of some of my favourites. I've added quick links in the sidebar. So, in no particular order, these are my favouite podcasts:

Meeples and Miniatures
This is what it says about itself:

Meeples & Minatures is a podcast about all aspects of Miniature Wargaming and Strategy Boardgames. The first episode was produced in January 2007, which makes it one of the longest running wargaming podcasts currently available.

The show is produced every month, and discusses all aspects of Miniature Wargaming and Strategy Boardgames – concentrating on historical wargaming and the ’smaller’ titles in fantasy and sci-fi, so you will find very little about Warhammer, 40K or Warmachine/Hordes on this podcast. Many boardgames are also discussed, with the emphasis being on those that involve either miniatures, or some form of conflict.

Up until January 2009, the show has been a solo podcast, hosted by Neil Shuck (aka Earthquake on many online forums).

However, from the start of 2009, Neil has been joined by two co-hosts; Dave Luff and Jere Koskela.

In addition, we are also very pleased to have a regular guest slot with Henry Hyde – the editor of Battlegames magazine.

I find this show one of the best around. Highly recommended.

d6 Generation

A very professionally produced American show about many aspects of the games hobby but with a definite emphasis's on the established game companies (Games Workshop, Privateer Press etc). They cover many other aspects of the hobby (board and miniature). Very entertaining and definitely worth a listen even if you are not into the above companies.

Noisemakers Podcast

A much more shoestring type of podcast, very friendly in tone, by an American Pastor about his attempts to game 'big battles' on a budget. Well worth listening to.

1200 scale Napoleonic Ships

These are three Navwar 1200 scale ships. Not the best detailed and the sails are a bit odd but at £2.50 each excellent value. I plan to get some rigging for them next.

Perry Miniatures

French Napoleonic Infantry with Voltigures out front

Although, I don't have any other 28mm Napoleonic figures I could not resist buying the new Perry hard plastic miniatures. I've only painted up a few of them but like how they came out. I'm thinking of using Two Fat Lardies Sharpe Practice rules when I've a few more finished.

View of bases

I've not used the Perry bases because I want the option to use my figures in a skirmish game. Instead I've glued each figure to a metal washer then made a card base, covered it with magnetic sheet and painted / flocked it. Now I can remove the figures easily.

British Infantry Skirmishing (ie no base)

These are the Perry British Infantry with the extra two riflemen from Wargames Illustrated.

Infantry on base

English Civil War

I also bought a box of the ECW parliament figures and have painted up four pike and four shot (as you can see). All are on washers so I can mount them later.

Dice Tower

This is my first go at a Dice Tower. I based it on a set of plans I found on boardgamegeek but made it from Foamboard. The edges are covered with card bricks then the whole thing coated in polly filler and brick red emulsion. I then dry brushed it grey.
It still needs a paper courtyard and felt on the baffles.

Dungeons and Dragons

We have been playing Dungeons and Dragons 4th Ed for around three months now and I've finally got round to posting some pictures of the 'terrain' I use. Our group is much more interested in having a good time than 'realism' so I bought Fat Dragon Games E-Z Dungeons from RPGNow.com. This is a pdf set of walls and floors that can be printed out and assembled.

In this view you can see my figures battleing an undead horde. Remember all the walls / floors / terrain are card.

Another view of the same battle.

Underside view of the pieces showing the magnets

Although I like E-Z Dungeons I did not like the way they suggested you base them so I came up with my own system. I stuck strips of magnectic tape to the bottom of each piece and covered the side of an old computer case (cut into a flat sheet) with the floors (printed on paper). Now I can just pop each piece down anywhere and it sticks!

Race for Life

Carol, Sarah, Bev and Cathy all ran/walked in the Lancaster Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research on Sunday 11th July. They were running in memory of Carols Dad who died from cancer earlier this year.

Carol and Sarah with their medals (sorry girls forgot to get pictures of the rest of you I'll try to catch up with you all and get some to add).

I thought they all did fantastically great!!!

Almost finished Napoleonics

I've almost finished my Napoleonic 6mm French. Just got the basing to do (need to get some short static grass) and flags.I've not used the Baccus style base but stuck two strips to a base so I can have more flexabilty. Still not made up my mind about which set of rules to use. BTY the bases are old fridge magnets!

More Napoleonics

I've finally had the chance to do a bit more to my 6mm Napoleonics.
The next step was to add the black (or in my case Umber) to the 'hats', packs and shoes. I use Umber as I think it give a better overall effect. I then added the light grey bedrolls and finally brown for the muskets. I am using the Perrys painting guide from their box of plastic 28mm figures and so also added a 'dappled' effect with the brown to the backpacks.

Time taken: approx 1 hour



Next I added a strip of silver for the musket barrels and bayonets. then painted the base green (mainly to see how they were looking)

Time taken: 10 mins
Total time so far: 2hours 10 mins.

Baccus 6mm Napoleonics

Baccus 6mm figures
Went to Tudor Warrior (the new NW show) and picked up a pack of Baccus 6mm Napoleonic French. I've been intending to try some of these for some time now and took this opportunity to pick up a pack without having to pay the postage. Now I've tried 6mm before (Ancients) but never took to them, however, this time I had a plan. Peter assured me (with his well known enthusiasm that I could easily paint them if I treated them as a whole and not individually. I am also a big fan of the Meeples and Merples podcast and Neil Shruck also advised this technique. So I rushed home and did this on the same night!

I am going to try batch painting and since these all have a uniform can develop a scheme. Well that's the plan. I also intend to keep the style 'basic'.

This is how I get on. I'll keep a running total of the time taken.

Step One
Stick to a stick (with superglue) then spray white (both as a undercoat and also because this is the dominant colour.

Close up of figures glued to sticks and sprayed white

Step two - Blue
Now I added the blue uniform and this is were I realised I'd made mistake number one, I had not checked that all the strips of figures were all facing the same way and had just added the command strips as they came out of the pack. As I painted the blue on I realised it was easier to do all the left arms (front), then right, then back right and back left. If I'd kept the figures the same way round this would have been much easier. Also keeping the command strips separate would have helped.

Figures with blue added

Time taken = 1 hour.
So far so good.

War of the Rings

This new Games Workshop release seems to have everyone exited (me included). So I've dusted of my old LotR figures, bought some of the new bases and put together an Isengard force.

The figures on the right are un-painted, the rest are! Obviously the bases need painting etc.
So thats:

• 4 bases Uruk-Hai with Pike
• 4 bases Uruk-Hai with Sword
• 3 Bases Orcs with Sword
• 1 Base Berserkers
• 1 Base X-Bow
• 1 Base Orc Archers
• 1 Base Orc 2H Weapons
• 1 Base Orc Spears
• 1 Base Wildmen

Unpainted

• 4 Bases Wrags
• 1 Isengard Troll

And a close up

Normans

Most of the figures are Gripping Beast with a few Crusader.

Mounted Knights (Milites)

10 Mounted Milites including their Count (fourth from right). Mounted on a base that needs opening up a bit so all the figs sit properly.

Pueri

10 Pueri used as light cavalry.

Dismounted Knights (Milites) Unit 1

16 to 20 Milites with Heavy Armour. The top picture shows all 20 figures the base will accomodate. The bottom picture has the base with 16 figures and a blank to cover the empty spaces. To be honest the group of 20 has drafted in a couple of sword armed figures and an unarmoured figure!

Dismounted Knights (Milites) Unit 2


18 Dismounted Milites with Light Armour (Padded). No base for this lot yet. In front of them is a casualty figure (not sure what I am going to use this for yet). These figures are by Crusader.

Liberi

16 Freemen armed with spears. I've given them the same shield pattern as I envisage them as being raised and armed by their Lord. You will notice a blanking piece on the base so that I can add and extra four figures when I get them.

Coloni

These 8 figures are armed with bows.

Serjeants
8 Serjeants armed with Crossbows. Half the figures have armour, half do not. I plan to designate if the unit has armour before a game.

Vikings

7 Viking Warriors used as mercenaries.

Civilians and Cattle

These are my Dark Age Civilians, all Gripping Beast Figures.

A warrior monk leads a group of civilians to safety.

Two house wives look on as a farmer pens his pigs.

More villiagers rush out alerted by the noise.

The Sheep.

Uncharted Seas

These are my 3 painted fleets for Uncharted Seas.

Dwarves

Dwarf fleetDwarf Battleship

Imperial

Imperial Fleet

Imperial Battleship

Imperial Frigates

Orcs

Orc fleet

Orc battleship

Orc frigates

Tiny Napoleonic Ships

These are my tiny napoleonic ship. I'm guessing they are 1:3000 ? but not sure. I bought them many years ago at a show. I think they came in bags of 4 of each type. I got a bag of 1st rates, a bag of 3rds and 2 bags of frigates. If anyone knows who made them please let me know I'd love to get some more.Whole fleet

This is a close up of a 1st and a 3rd.

Ive not added the flags yet. The lines were 'painted' using a draftsmans pen.