I still want to add some texture to the purlins and then add a few rafters.
ZeroTwentythree
painting toy soldiers
fighting their battles
26 October 2011
Thatching
I'm working on putting together an alternate thatched roof for the Armorcast stone cottage. Hopefully I can get them to cast some. I ran out of the brown putty while doing to exterior and had to switch to the grey.
I still want to add some texture to the purlins and then add a few rafters.
I still want to add some texture to the purlins and then add a few rafters.
24 October 2011
Game Table (Again)
I'm still thinking about a game table, as I've previously mentioned.
Here's the situation: We live in a split up & down house. We're the "down" but share the basement with our upstairs neighbors. They have the attic, and I don't know if they are using that or not, but they really haven't made much use of the basement other than the laundry.
I have used gaming boards placed on the dining room table before. But that's not 100% ideal for a number of reasons -- though it's not completely bad, either. It just involves cleaning off the dining room table, making the boards small enough to carry up & down stairs, and then the actual carrying of all the boards, terrain, figures, etc. from the basement. So its a bit of a hassle. But simply making some new portable boards to fit in the dining room is still one option.
The other is to make use of an empty corner of the basement, which has a clear space of about 12' x 13'. The end of the 13' is open and adjacent to the laundry area. So my basement limits are that I could put a table as long as 12', and probably as wide as 6' (leaving 3' on either side for the players.) One short end would be against a wall, the other would be next to the laundry.
So looking at my options I can:
#1 is the easiest and cheapest to build, but involves an effort that usually prevents games from going on here in the first place. Also, using the dining room table with boards on top is somewhat unstable. But at least we get to play in a more civilized part of the house.
#2 & #3 are fairly easy and inexpensive to put together, and will still remain portable. If I really wanted to, I may be able to temporarily bring those tables up to the living & dining rooms of the house if I wanted to.
#4 & #5 will involve more building and more expense, but the tables will be nicer, can incorporate storage, and although slightly portable, they are more sturdy. If/when we eventually move into a single home, I plan on trying to secure a permanent gaming space and this is the sort of table I would want for that. I have a couple of ideas on the exact design, but two are my own and a third would be to use the Drunken Dwarves "Ultimate Gaming Table" design (adjusted slightly.)
Here's the situation: We live in a split up & down house. We're the "down" but share the basement with our upstairs neighbors. They have the attic, and I don't know if they are using that or not, but they really haven't made much use of the basement other than the laundry.
I have used gaming boards placed on the dining room table before. But that's not 100% ideal for a number of reasons -- though it's not completely bad, either. It just involves cleaning off the dining room table, making the boards small enough to carry up & down stairs, and then the actual carrying of all the boards, terrain, figures, etc. from the basement. So its a bit of a hassle. But simply making some new portable boards to fit in the dining room is still one option.
The other is to make use of an empty corner of the basement, which has a clear space of about 12' x 13'. The end of the 13' is open and adjacent to the laundry area. So my basement limits are that I could put a table as long as 12', and probably as wide as 6' (leaving 3' on either side for the players.) One short end would be against a wall, the other would be next to the laundry.
So looking at my options I can:
- 4x8 portable tabletop for the dining room.
- 4x8 table in basement, plywood with folding table legs.
- (2x) 4x6 tables in the basement, plywood with folding table legs.. I can use them together for as large as a 4x12 table or a 6x8 table.
- 4x8 all wood table in the basement.
- Larger (6x8? 5x10? 6x12?) all wood table in the basement.
#1 is the easiest and cheapest to build, but involves an effort that usually prevents games from going on here in the first place. Also, using the dining room table with boards on top is somewhat unstable. But at least we get to play in a more civilized part of the house.
#2 & #3 are fairly easy and inexpensive to put together, and will still remain portable. If I really wanted to, I may be able to temporarily bring those tables up to the living & dining rooms of the house if I wanted to.
#4 & #5 will involve more building and more expense, but the tables will be nicer, can incorporate storage, and although slightly portable, they are more sturdy. If/when we eventually move into a single home, I plan on trying to secure a permanent gaming space and this is the sort of table I would want for that. I have a couple of ideas on the exact design, but two are my own and a third would be to use the Drunken Dwarves "Ultimate Gaming Table" design (adjusted slightly.)
Game Day 25 - What is good in life?
This weekend was the 25th Game Day hosted by Ron, one of the members of my ol' gaming group.
We played three rounds of games. The first round was one of my favorites (in spite of never doing very well at the game,) Blue Max using the Canvas Eagles rules and 1/72nd planes, hosted by Rich. I piloted the Albatross D.V in the center of the third photo. This was the only game I've seen in which every single plane survived the game. In fact, this was a rare battle in which I survived. We did have a record number of potential collisions, though -- but not a single one happened!
As with every game of BM/CE, I came home and dug out the three plane kits I bought years ago but still haven't built. I think I may go with a magnetic Omni-Stand and hide some chunk of metal inside each plane. (For the curious I have an Albatross D.V, a Fokker DR.1, and a Sopwith Pup, all Airfix.)
The second round had games running. One was a multi-player Hordes of the Things hosted by Sam. I fought on the side of Tarzan and his mostly animal minions, losing horribly to an alliance of Conan and Jason and the Argonauts.
In a second game I played a one-on-one against on of the new HotT players and did a little better, using the Conan army against Jason. But then, how can you go wrong with Conan. :)
At the same time the Things were Hording, Ron was running a Killzone game on another table. I don't know the details but it seemed to be something like a cross between Killzone, Toon and the movie The Running Man. There were various anthropomorphic gangs (rabbit gang, frog gang, etc. all with shotguns, pistols, etc.) competing in a futuristic televised gladiatorial type competition.
And in the third round, two more games were going on. I ran a modified Warhammer Fantasy Battle game in which barbarian refugees from the north are denied asylum in the Empire so, hungry and homeless, they descend on the village of Hintersdorf. The game ended up closer that I thought it would be, thanks to my realizing that units defending buildings are steadfast after we had started playing. That helped the Empire hang on and defend themselves better than I had thought they would.
Next time I change that rule.
Still, the barbarians did make off with a bit of the livestock, a few villagers for ransom or slaves, and a few of the buildings were burned down. But I call it a minor Empire victory. They took minimal casualties, half the town was intact, they still had some of the livestock and most of the villagers.
While the WFB game was going on, Ron was running a D&D game at another table. I didn't take any pictures because I was running the WFB game and there were no miniatures on their table. ;)
A late fourth round was also scheduled, but everything was running a bit late so we passed on the last scheduled round which was going to be me running Betrayal at the House on the Hill, pick-up card games, and possibly Ron running Space Hulk.
Once again, a fun time was had by me, and hopefully everyone else as well.
We played three rounds of games. The first round was one of my favorites (in spite of never doing very well at the game,) Blue Max using the Canvas Eagles rules and 1/72nd planes, hosted by Rich. I piloted the Albatross D.V in the center of the third photo. This was the only game I've seen in which every single plane survived the game. In fact, this was a rare battle in which I survived. We did have a record number of potential collisions, though -- but not a single one happened!
As with every game of BM/CE, I came home and dug out the three plane kits I bought years ago but still haven't built. I think I may go with a magnetic Omni-Stand and hide some chunk of metal inside each plane. (For the curious I have an Albatross D.V, a Fokker DR.1, and a Sopwith Pup, all Airfix.)
The second round had games running. One was a multi-player Hordes of the Things hosted by Sam. I fought on the side of Tarzan and his mostly animal minions, losing horribly to an alliance of Conan and Jason and the Argonauts.
In a second game I played a one-on-one against on of the new HotT players and did a little better, using the Conan army against Jason. But then, how can you go wrong with Conan. :)
At the same time the Things were Hording, Ron was running a Killzone game on another table. I don't know the details but it seemed to be something like a cross between Killzone, Toon and the movie The Running Man. There were various anthropomorphic gangs (rabbit gang, frog gang, etc. all with shotguns, pistols, etc.) competing in a futuristic televised gladiatorial type competition.
And in the third round, two more games were going on. I ran a modified Warhammer Fantasy Battle game in which barbarian refugees from the north are denied asylum in the Empire so, hungry and homeless, they descend on the village of Hintersdorf. The game ended up closer that I thought it would be, thanks to my realizing that units defending buildings are steadfast after we had started playing. That helped the Empire hang on and defend themselves better than I had thought they would.
Next time I change that rule.
Still, the barbarians did make off with a bit of the livestock, a few villagers for ransom or slaves, and a few of the buildings were burned down. But I call it a minor Empire victory. They took minimal casualties, half the town was intact, they still had some of the livestock and most of the villagers.
While the WFB game was going on, Ron was running a D&D game at another table. I didn't take any pictures because I was running the WFB game and there were no miniatures on their table. ;)
A late fourth round was also scheduled, but everything was running a bit late so we passed on the last scheduled round which was going to be me running Betrayal at the House on the Hill, pick-up card games, and possibly Ron running Space Hulk.
Once again, a fun time was had by me, and hopefully everyone else as well.
22 October 2011
New GW Terrain - "By The Power Of..."
Let me just start with this (not my graphic)...
...because that was one of the first things I thought of when I saw this...
GW has some great ideas, skill and quality. Sadly, they kill it with an obnoxious obsession with plastering everything with SKULLZ. That tower? Would buy two of them if it wasn't for the SKULLZ overdose. New Forge World Empire hero? The SKULLZ barding is too much. That last tower they released? Same thing, far too many SKULLZ for my taste. There's such thing as trying to maintain a certain style... and then there's a point at which you go too far overboard and become a caricature of yourself. Sadly, that is what has happened with someone(s) in the creative department at GW.
But other than the OMFGSKULZZZ of the above tower, I think its great. It's got a whimsical fantasy character that I love, but not in a cheesy fantasy way. Like the building with a ship for the top floor that has appeared in some of their photos.
...because that was one of the first things I thought of when I saw this...
GW has some great ideas, skill and quality. Sadly, they kill it with an obnoxious obsession with plastering everything with SKULLZ. That tower? Would buy two of them if it wasn't for the SKULLZ overdose. New Forge World Empire hero? The SKULLZ barding is too much. That last tower they released? Same thing, far too many SKULLZ for my taste. There's such thing as trying to maintain a certain style... and then there's a point at which you go too far overboard and become a caricature of yourself. Sadly, that is what has happened with someone(s) in the creative department at GW.
But other than the OMFGSKULZZZ of the above tower, I think its great. It's got a whimsical fantasy character that I love, but not in a cheesy fantasy way. Like the building with a ship for the top floor that has appeared in some of their photos.
21 October 2011
On the Flexibility of Fantasy Wargaming
OK, I am admittedly on a path continuing to diverge from the official GW canon. I don't care. I'm enjoying taking some creative liberties with what is a make-believe game in the first place. I'm running my first "take fantasy back" game this weekend and it's going to involve a whole lot of unofficial stuff. I admit, not only am I really getting into the barbarian invasion of the Empire idea, I think I'm going to start indulging in some heretical inter-Empire conflicts as well.
(OK, so strictly speaking Marienburg is outside the Empire. And my plan is to build a second Empire army, that of Nordland, and battle them against each other. And also the other armies some of my friends have.)
So back to my new fantasy figures...
I painted & converted a lesser air elemental/air spirit/djinn. The top half is an old Rackham Confrontation Kelt Fianna, the bottom half is wire and putty. A simple conversion, but I'm happy with the results! May her winds blow long in Marienburg sails!
Click to enlarge!
(OK, so strictly speaking Marienburg is outside the Empire. And my plan is to build a second Empire army, that of Nordland, and battle them against each other. And also the other armies some of my friends have.)
So back to my new fantasy figures...
I painted & converted a lesser air elemental/air spirit/djinn. The top half is an old Rackham Confrontation Kelt Fianna, the bottom half is wire and putty. A simple conversion, but I'm happy with the results! May her winds blow long in Marienburg sails!
Click to enlarge!
20 October 2011
Air Elemental/Spirit Conversion
I wanted to make a humanoid air elemental/spirit/djinn. So I thought I'd try converting an old Rackham figure by cutting off the legs & replacing them with a swirling cloud of air. I'll paint it soon.
I really want to extend her ponytail to a much greater/larger size, but the smallest brass rod I've got is too large to fit in the little bit that's binding it. I may still cut the whole thing off and replace it. Or maybe no ponytail and just a voluminous (ridiculously so) mass of whispy hair instead?
I really want to extend her ponytail to a much greater/larger size, but the smallest brass rod I've got is too large to fit in the little bit that's binding it. I may still cut the whole thing off and replace it. Or maybe no ponytail and just a voluminous (ridiculously so) mass of whispy hair instead?
19 October 2011
18 October 2011
Angry Trees Done
I don't have my camera with me, so these are just crappy phone pics...
I almost forgot to put another figure in for scale. Sadly I didn't have the same handgunner as in the rest of the photos. But here's a slightly blurry pic with a converted pikeman.
I'm wondering if I should leave them as-is, or try putting some foliage on them. Opinions?
Also... anyone else having problems with blogger's new post editor? It's buggy as all hell, at least in Firefox. Moving text and photos around is nearly impossible. It actually makes laying out posts MORE difficult. I swear they are TRYING to drive people away.
16 October 2011
Second Tree
Finished sculpting & primed the second angry tree.
Both are half painted. Photos when they are done.
Both are half painted. Photos when they are done.
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