Model Display Cabinet

She who must be obeyed and I went on a wild adventure today. We crossed the river into foreign parts. Of course, one does not need a passport anymore, not since King Alfred the Great's reforms of 889 and we all use the same currency since the demise of the Viking Silver Penny but nevertheless one is still conscious of the essential foreignness of the East Saxons from us Men of Kent. So I filled up the chariot and added extra cetane to the diesel in case I needed a quick getaway.



We paid the Queen’s toll of 150 new pennies and were admitted to the Dartford Tunnel under the Thames. Essex is a strange and wonderful land, very flat and wet. The people are so wealthy that they scatter their possessions all along the roadsides. The burnt out Ford index was somewhat lower than my last visit, some years ago now.



We travelled to the magic kingdom that is known as Lakeside. There we worshipped at the Temple of Our Lady of Ikea where we were gifted with a flatpack. Lakeside has strange and wonderful eateries such as Benny and Frankies or somesuch. The also have a Harry Ramsden’s fish and chip shop. Ramsden is an Ealdorman of the Kingdom of Northumbria and he makes the best fish and chips in the world. We eat beside a trio of cartiers down from Northumberland delivering more consumer items to the East Saxons. They were delighted to find a Harry Ramsden’s so they would not have to eat foreign muck but were stunned at the price. There was much wailing and a gnashing of teeth from the northerners but the fish is beautiful and the chips sublime so eventually they emptied their pocketses.



We travelled home to Kent with our booty before dark and the will ‘o wisps dance across the Essex mashes.



An all glass and metal lighted display cabinet from Ikea for fifty quid, can’t say fairer than that my son. The only problem is that it comes in one of those flatpacks that any child can assemble in ten minutes or takes me two hours with the help of a full range of power tools.

Airbrush, Desert Camouflague

I am trying to learn how to use an airbrush. I decided to buy a good quality single action American Badger rather than a cheaper make of double action. I felt that a double action would be too difficult for me to master at this stage and I have never been sorry for spending more on decent tools.

I repainted one of my Old Crow Valkyries as the trial of the device. The airbrush was used to paint the rust-red camouflague over desert yellow. I am knocked out by the brush and even my first tentative efforts are not that aweful. It is a truly awesome tool.

I used a propelant can to power the thing. It froze solid and the pressure was constantly changing. So I have bought a compressor.

The pic shows it before adding light weathering on the leading edges and jet vents. Forge world heavy weather their planes with chips almost like tanks. I am not a fan of that because planes are flimsy compared to a battle tank so cannot take heavy knocks, well not and fly. They also are cleaned and polished to improve airflow.

The desert colour scheme is the tryout for my Guard light infantry vehicles. What do you think of it?

Apocolypse Verdun

The Autumn Holiday has arrived so it is time for an Apocolypse! We used a six table board with a wide boulevard seperating two lines of buildings and leading to a park. The battle objectives were to control tables.


Inquisitor Shaun found evidence that Chapter Master Mike of the Dark Angels was treating with Xenos scum - his father Stephen. Our noble Inquisitor demanded an explanation but none was forthcoming so he formed a purging team based around a Stormlord that he used to anchor his left flank.



He also co-opted a mechanised detachment from the Imperial Guard, commanded by me. I divided my force into three. In the centre I deployed a baneblade backed up by a Leman Russ and a Hydra.



I placed a Leman Russ platoon, two depleted troops, on the right flank with a Colossus. The latter has a siege mortor with a twenty foot range so it could cover the table from this point.




Mike and Stephen opted for an agressive strategy. The Dark Angels deep struck on the left flank, bottling in the Inquisitorial forces.


Similarly, Stephen pushed his skimmers into our line. Shaun and I wreaked carnage on their forces but we lost sight of our objectives somewhere in the five turns that we played.


Late on I brought my third force on, two Valkyrie carring veterans, to contest their rear areas but it was too little too late.


At the end of the game my tanks were still embroiled on our start line.

I looked at the slaughter and had the happy delusion that the forces of light had won. It was some time before reality soaked into the spongy mass that I am pleased to call my brain. We did not even control our own objectives, let alone our theirs.

So congratulations to Mike and Stephen who focussed on victory, made a plan and stuck to it.

Pig Iron Feral Renegades

I have painted up some more Pig Iron Feral Militia and based them on industrial urban bases.

40k Ork Sale

I am selling off some of my Ork models on ebay including the gunwagen.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190344742559

Englefield Green

A Californian friend of mine spent part of his childhood living in Englefield Green next to Windsor Royal Great Park. I am posting these pics to jog his memory. He recalls playing baseball with English kids on the green. Well, he was playing bseball; they were playing rounders. Here is the Green and cricket pavilion. Note the sacred misletoe - the clumps in the tree to the left of the pavilion.




The pub on the green.


The High Street. Royal Holloway College, London University is only a mile away. On the right some students are waiting for the bus.

And finally, the Church.

Vraks Campaign Strategic Turn 3 - Hab 3

Strategic Situation

Deacon John hunched in his bunker over a bottle of industrial alcohol as he received news of yet another disaster. The Imperials had pushed north brushing aside token resistance to occupy the whole Starport. He had shot the messenger, of course, and now had a small pile of bodies in the corner by his scalectrix set but somehow the news never got any better.

Now Imperial tanks had been spotted crossing the Wastes towards Hab 3, an abandoned workers dormitary zone by the second defensive line. John congratulated himself on his brilliant strategic insight. Had he not just moved an army into Hab 3 to stiffen the defenses. He issued swift instructions. Under no circumstances were his troops to launch lunatic assaults across open land. They were to take up blocking positions overlooking the Grand Promenade of the Sixty-Three Virgins and shoot up the Imperials when they crossed open ground.

A messenger appeared in the doorway to the bunker.

"Good news, oh exalted one," the messenger said.

"Don't tell me Lord Marshall Shaun has forgotton to send in his tax returns and is being rubber hosed by the Order Revenue," said Deacon John, hopefully.

"Even better than that," said the messenger, excitiedly. "Khorne Lord Mac The Knife miraculously survived his wounds and had vowed to lead the defence of Hab 3 himself."

Deacon John slipped off the safety catch on his bolt pistol.

The Battle

The Imperials used a super heavy transport backed up by a Leman Russ squadron, Chimeras and a Hellhound to drive a strike force across the open space of the Promenade. The renegades pinned their hopes on four heavy mortors, two heavy battle tanks and a lascannon armed Scout Sentinel Squadron to fend off the force. Mac The Knife turned up with a beastman and berserker warband.

The defence went well, both Imperial Leman Russ being neutralised in the initial attack. A lucky lascannon shot caused an explosion in the Stormlord's engine compartment, severely reducing its mobility.

A lucky shot killed a couple of berserkers. Mac The Knife went into a hissy fit and led the berserkers out of the defenses across the promenade to attack the Stormlord whereupon its vulcan megabolter ripped them to pieces. This time not even the beastmen could be pursuaded to follow the Khorne Lord.

Aftermath

"Good and bad news, Deacon. The good news is that the Imperials have been hurled back at Hab 3," said the latest messenger.

"What's the bad news?" asked Deacon John, fingering his bolt pistol.

"Mac The Knife is missing feared lost," replied the messenger.

Deacon John poured him a drink.

Mac The Knife

Band of Brass

Beastmen

Colossus Kitbash

I have been doing a little more work on my Adeptus Mechanicus Colossus. I have painted and added a GW techpriest and an Old Crow resin crane. I have put on weathering and grease using burnt umbar water-based oil paint. This is wonderful stuff as you can plonk it on and then move it where it is needed and rub it off for at least an hour. It dries slowly, especially when thick. Incidentally, diluting it with water forms a coloid that never seems to dry! i have also added rust by putting mig powder on with 'clean' turps.

Adeptus Mechanicus logos were made with an inkjet printer and put on with white glue

The Colossus is now finished. I will do no more on it; well, maybe a servitor and an Imperial propoganda tannoy........

John

PS Sorry about the photos; a quick job with the model perched on my garden waste bin. Note the pastel light of a North European winter.

Vraks Campaign Strategic Turn 2 - The Starport

Lord Marshall Shaun initiated one of the stunning blitzkrieg attacks for which he is famous (infamous?). Valkyries dropped airborne light infantry onto the landing fields in Starport South. Their mission was to hold until they could be reinforced by a mechanised column running in from the beachhead at the bridge over the Balan Trench.

The drop went well. The Valkyries achieved complete suprise and dusted down to debus the infantry. The VTOLS came under heavy small arms fire as they lifted off so were ordered to withdraw.

The Nurgle warband, the Corrosive Clan poured from the Starport buildings and raced towards the Imperials. The Imperial Mechanised column made better time than expected, particularly as it included a Baneblade. This was just as well as the light infantry were being slaughtered.

The battle was a blood bath, all the imperial infantry being massacred. A blight drone created terror behind the imperial lines. The Baneblade and surviving Leman Russ were forced to withdraw when night fell as they would be helpless against the plague marines.

The Corrosive Clan held Starport South despite suffering heavy losses.

The Imperials renewed the attack at dawn with the Baneblade, a squadron of leman Russ and an entire company of heavy infantry in a superheavy carrier. The warband were reinforced by a Plaguelord super heavy tank. The renegades were unable to withstand the massive imperial firepower and were forced to retreat.

Deacon Lambshead chose to reinforce the Citadel area rather than launch a counterattack.

Imperials: 8VPs
Renegades: 7VPs

Diary of Lord Marshal Shaun: A hard pounding gentlemen but we showed them who can pound the hardest

Diary of Deacon John: It could have been worse. We actually won a battle and stopped the rot.

The Corrosive Clan

Vraks Campaign Strategic Turn 1 - The Storm Breaks

1. Lord Shaun launched a suprise mechanised attack across the SRNA Flats to grab the bridges over the trenches southwest of the starport. Deacon John was horrified to discover that his infantry manned defensive trench structures could not withstand the flood of armour. The Imperials crashed through and captured the bridges, blocking the direct road between the starport and citadel.

2. Simultaneously, Grand Master Shaun of the Dark Angels struck across the Van Merresland Wastes towards the outer defense line.


To Deacon John's horror the renegade commander, a Khorne Marine called Mac The Knife, abandoned the fortifications and charged the Dark Angels taking the mobile units of the Vraks Militia with him. Grand Master Shaun set a cunning trap in the lee of a hill.



A sceaming and a hollering, Mac lead the chaos marines and their mutie allies straight into an ambush. The berserk renegades were cut down from fire on all sides until only Mac and some muties were left. The Angels charged, finishing them off. The Vraks Militia fled the field of battle, causing a general panic when the crashed through their own lines.


The Angels overran the outer defense line before Deacon John could stabalise the situation by shooting a few deserters.

Shaken by events Deacon John elected to move a mobile force into the ruins of Hab Zone 3 on the second defense line as a strategic reserve.

Imperials: 6Vps
Renegades: 7VPs

Diary of Lord Marshal Shaun: Eat lead, renegade scum.

Diary of Deacon John: I've got a bad feeling about this one. Oh no, what are those bloody Khorne loonies up to?

Siege of Vrak Campaign Turn 0

Strategic Turn Zero

The evil Deacon John of Newquay, an obscure ocean world to the far south west of the galaxy, has persuaded Cardinal Xaphan to rebel and take over the Armoury World of Vrak.

Lord Marshal Shaun of the ancient Fortress World of Rochester has been appointed by the high Lords of Terra to lead an expedition to return Vraks to the Emperor's Light.

The Imperials (I) fortify beachheads on the Plains of Saritama, the Van Meersland Wastes and the Srna Flats.

The Renegades (R) occupy the Vraks Citadel and move blocking forces into position at the Saritama Hills, Outer Defence Lines, Balan Trench Bridge and Starport South.

Imperials: 3 VPs
Rengades: 9VPs

Diary of Lord Marshal Shaun: Phew, landed OK but wonder what those bloody Dark Angels are up to?

Diary of Deacon John: So far so good. Now we'll let the Imperials impale themselves on my fortifications. Oh no, what are those bloody Khorne loonies up to?

SELWG 2009 Part II - The Models

First let me apologise for the photos. They were taken on a handheld in poor light conditions and do not do justice to the models.

Below is my only 'monkey see' purchase of the show, a Victorian aeronef. I have plans for aeronefs and aethershps in the 40K world.




The aeronef is produced by Ironclad Miniatures who do a nice range of Victorian SF. They are also very helpful and are casting some legs for me - I feel a Chaos stealth tank coming on.



Alternative SF history is very popular at the moment, going by the exhibits. West Wind had their very successful 1949 on display.


Here is one of the 1949 mechs. It is a pretty large resin and metal model. larger than a drednought but smaller than a titan.


Finally, the art people had a small painting display of astonishingly good models.


You can see this guy's eyes inside the helmet slits.


This landspeeder by Mr Dixon fascinated me because it has metallic paint like a car. It was done by airbrushing the model bright silver then airbrushing a mixture of gloss varnish mixed with colour tint - Tamiya blue in this case. It looked great.

SELWG 09 - Part 1

South East London Wargames Show is back at Crystal Place Sports Stadium, now they have removed the asbestos and given it a lick of paint. SELWG is one of my favourite shows as it is big enough to be fun but small enough to be managable. The photo shows the main hall, taken from the gallery where the trade stands sit. I took £100 in cash with me and vowed not to use plastic. My wife came along to assist me in that resolve. As we entered a couple left, the man holding his head in his hands as he counted his credit card receipts and his wife mercelessly harranging him for his weakness. A sad sight.

In Part 1 of my report, your fevered correspondent will show some of the demo games that caught his eye. The overall standard continues upwards.

It's 1984 and the Cold War turns hot. Russian tanks plunge into Germany.








There were some nice medieval games, including the Battle of St Albans.






The South London Warlords ran a Zulu game with guest players as Zulus. They are the guys in the fur hats.



WWI is back in vogue.





And what would a wargame show be without WWII.






Well, that's all folks. Tomorrow in Part 2 I look at some miniatures that caught my eye.