Wednesday, November 30, 2011

10mm AWI Foot

The last of the foot for this AWI commission. First up is the 1st Pennsylvania Battalion. These are 10mm Pendraken.

I also did a bunch of generic militia.

I was told to make these guys look like farmers called up to fight so there is quite a lot of variety in their clothing and colours.

Up next: Some cannons and limbers and then I'm done! I should have these guys in the mail shortly (just need to finish wrapping them). Then some HoTT superhero action!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

More 10mm AWI

With a bit push on this weekend, I have finished the 10mm AWI commission and now the final bases are drying. Today I have 30 bases of American riflemen.

I tried to mix the outfits up some, giving a few the buckskin look that everyone uses and then used a variety of dyed linen colours for the rest.

I think they convey the "army of farmers" look that the owner was after. I see a couple of fellows have added some grass to their hats for camo... .

Up next: A bunch of foot and some cannon. Then a HoTT Superhero army (which is pretty awesome, if I do say so myself!).

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

A Few Acres of Snow

I popped out to Bruce's place last night for a second go at A Few Acres of Snow. We'd played last week at the club and I loved the game (despite not really knowing what I was doing) so I was keen for a rematch.

With some sense of a strategy, I started out trying to exploit my temporary military advantage by taking back Halifax from the enterprising British and got stomped pretty badly. So I gave up and instead sought to create some depth in my strength (to stave off an expected attack on Louisburg) and then settle and fur trade my way to victory.

You can see below that the French can expand to the west (right) more quickly than the British can move north. I think this gives the French a nice advantage in points at the end of the game. I also Indian raided the pants off of Bruce, snagging a goodly number of settlement blocks and sending two regiments to be refitted. So, basically, I repeated what I did last game and got kind of lucky.

Bruce did eventually move on Louisburg, hoping to jump from there to Quebec for the win. But I (luckily) managed to defend Louisburg and stall him while pumping up the population of my villages. I managed to win in the end, although I fear Bruce is one game away from a strategic revelation which will beat me senseless on our next encounter.

Overall, a good night of gaming. We both discovered a few opening moves that do not seem to pay off and I think I have the hang of fur trading now. I expect some snooping on BGG will give us both some ideas for our next game. I'd say this game has something to teach about the struggle for the new world and the very asymmetrical strategies and abilities that were at play.

Up next: Some superheroes are on my list. And I continue to paint on the last of this AWI commission. After that, who knows. Maybe some 28mm Romans auxilia?

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

2nd Pennsylvania

Just a few more 10mm AWI that I have finished up the basing on. These are 10mm Pendraken and are painted as the 2nd Pennsylvania for Monmouth Courthouse.

The uniform is a bit of a guess based on the owner's request. I have the remaining four units (including a buttload of riflemen) on painting sticks with the flesh done so I'm aiming to have this commission finished by the end of the weekend.

Up next: I'm off tonight to play A Few Acres of Snow with Bruce and I have a few 28mm superheroes to be finished.

Monday, November 21, 2011

10mm AWI American Foot

Another unit of 10mm foot are finished. These fellows are the 2nd Massachusetts and are 10mm Pendraken.

I had considerably more trouble with the American foot having weak ankles and incomplete casts. If you look at the snap below, you can see the fellow on the left is missing some of his left leg (our right). I fixed a number of these with glue but looks like I missed this one.

Up next: Another regiment of foot and a game with Bruce. Then perhaps some superheroes.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

10mm American dragoons and limbers

Back on this commission and we're into the home stretch. The last four units are on painting sticks and will get primered tomorrow. Meanwhile these fellows are rolling through the basing process.

First up are some American dragoons. The camera went a bit mental so the shots are poor.

I also finished off three British cannon limbers once someone explained to me (in small words) how the horses were positioned relative to the limber. Obvious in retrospect but my mind was stuck on making a side-by-side arrangement work.

Up next: Two line battalions of 10mm AWI, perhaps a game with Bruce and then a few more superheroes before more AWI.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

A Very Spidey Christmas

I recently came into a large lot of 28mm superheroes that I am painting up and selling off. Today I have a group of Spiderman friends and foes.

The figures are plastic and 28mm. I have repainted, sealed and based them myself. The bases are metal washer with printed paving stones--you can remove the figures from the base if you'd prefer to attach them to something else. Spidey has a very dynamic pose--one of the better sculpts I've seen.

He's joined by Dare Devil, Elektra and the Scarlet Witch. Pardon the bad colour balance here--my camera freaks out a bit when I shoot all-red figures like these. They are painted a more normal-looking red colour!

Opposing Spidey are six villains. Up first are Sandman, the Vulture and Doctor Octopus.

They are joined by the Hobgoblin, Kingpin and Mysterio.

Here is a close-up of the hobgoblin to show off some of the painting.

I'd like $40 OBO for this lot and that includes shipping in Canada or the US. All figures bubble wrapped individually. These would be a great gift for a fellow gamer or as a way of introducing someone to the hobby. Offers to bob.barnetson@shaw.ca .

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Club Night November 15

We had about 10 guys out last night with three games running for our last evening at the Warriors of Time.

Bruce hosted me in a game of A Few Acres of Snow, wherein the British and the French compete with each other to colonize the New World during the 18th century.

This is a card-driven game where you build your hand in an attempt to advance your strategy. The French chose a settlement strategy and eventually figured out how to make the fur trade work for them to help offset the British financial advantage. The British adopted a military strategy (eventually taking Louisburg) but it was too late to stop the French from winning.

Jason ran a game of I Ain't been Shot Mum for Jonathan but I did not get a good picture of that.

Dave hosted Chen and Scott in a game of Blitzkreig Commander, using his new Picoarmour to recreate the great battles of the desert.

Up next: I'm away for a few days and then will have more 10mm AWI to post.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

10mm Sci-fi Army 2 for Sale

This is the second of two 10mm sci-fi armies I'd like to part with. The army comprises 22 bases on 40mm frontages. I'd like $50 plus shipping ($15 in Canada or the US) but if you buy both armies, I'll eat the shipping costs. You could use this army with rules like HoTT, FUBAR and other sets. You could also use the figures with 6mm figures.

First up we have the infantry. There are 14 bases in four types (number of stands in parentheses): extra-heavy (2), heavy (2) medium (8) and light (2).

There are two tanks that accompany the infantry.

The real weight of the army in the walkers. Ther first set of three includes two which are flyers (have wings) and one which is armed with a chainsaw.

We also have three heavier walks, with a mixtures of guns and missiles.

Offers to bob.barnetson@shaw.ca. All figures will be individually bubble-wrapped for shipping.

10mm Sci-fi Army 1 For Sale

I have for sale two 10mm mech armies. This is the first one. I'd like $50 for it plus shipping ($15 in Canada or the US) but if you buy both armies I will cover the shipping costs. This army comprises 23 bases all on 40mm frontages and could be used for HoTT, FUBAR or other systems. The figures could also work with 6mm sci-fi armies.

First up we have 11 bases of infantry. There are four types (number of stands in parentheses): extra heavy (3), heavy (4), medium, (2) and light (2).

We then have some combat vehicles. There are (left to right) two tanks, a wheeled recon vehicle and two lightly gunned hover craft.

There are four support vehicles, including two armoured personnel carriers and two mobile missile batteries.

And finally we have three walkers: one with a cannon, one with a bladed weapon and one mobile missile battery.

Offers to bob.barnetson@shaw.ca . All will be shipped individually bubble-wrapped and insured.

3rd Massachusetts

Some more of the 10mm commission. This unit is the 3rd Massachusetts.

This unit has a very large mix of uniformed and non-uniformed troops. Perhaps it was called up at the last minute or the supply donkeys never arrived? I wonder if the 1st Massachusetts will have more blue coats?

Up next: Some AWI are on the painting table (human and horse flesh done) but I expect I will have a couple of mecha armies for sale by the end of the day. And Tuesday night is club night.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

3rd Pennsylvania

This unit represents the 3rd Pennsylvania at Monmouth Courthouse.It is hard to find really good data about who wore what so the owner gave me two generic colour palettes and told me to apply them as I saw fit.

The other two Pennsylvania units will follow a similar scheme while the three Massachusetts units will be far more eclectic! Those in uniform have yellow cuffs and trim but many are in hunting shirts.

Up next: The 3rd Massachusetts is next. I have three more AWI units on the go as well as some more superheroes and the club is on Tuesday.

Friday, November 11, 2011

10mm AWi American Generals

I'm back to working on the remainder of a 10mm commission I took on. I've started on the Americans. First completed are the American generals.

This is the CnC stand, where there is a bit of a conference going on among the generals. "No old boy, it's just a reordering of propertied relations to favour local capital over foreign." "Oh, jolly good then!" or so I imagine... .

There are also three individually based generals. It may have been that I was to put four mounted figures on the CnC base but I just could not make them fit in an intelligent arrangement.

I also tried to follow the sculpt as closely as possible in terms of what folks were wearing. The early colonial army wasn't exactly standardized and at least one fellow was wearing some fetching hunting clothes.

Up next I have the third battalions from Pennsylvania and Massachusetts finished up and drying. These are a real mixed bag, with Massachusetts clearly having some supply problems. However, the instructions were to make them look like an army of farmers so there is a real mix of blue coats and civilian garb as the sculpts dictated. I also have three more units on paint sticks: two line units and a unit of dragoons.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

More clix repaints

While I do have some more 10mm AWI underway (basing up three units--should be ready for tomorrow), I have continued to repaint and base the huge box of Heroclix I got recently.

I continued on some of the Marvel characters. From the Fantastic Four, I finished two each of Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Women, She-Hulk (whom I didn't know was in the Fantastic Four) and the Thing. I also have a couple of Human Torches in the box that I will dig out.

From the X-Men, I redid Jean Grey, Colossus, Cyclops (x4), another Colossus and Wildcat (x2). Below you can see some miscellaneous figures, including two gun-toters and another Scarlet Witch.

Up next: Three AWI units are being based up and should be ready to show the next few days. After that, more AWI and likely some more Heroclix. I think I have enough to do some HoTT Superhero armies!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

DBA Army for Sale

My buddy Dave has put this 15mm Seljuk Turk army up for sale to help fund repairs to our gaming space.

Opening bid is $1!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Marvel heroes and villains

While my paint brush has returned to 10mm AWI, I'm still moving some 28mm heroes and villains through the basing process. Up now are some Marvel figures. I was never a Marvel fan but these characters have quite a lot of charm.

Up first we have the Hobgoblin, the Vulture and Kingpin. I recall the Vulture being bald but the last Spiderman comic I read was in the 1970s so what do I know.

I also repainted Sandman, Mysterio and Dr. Octopus. The Mysterio figure is very nice, with a clear helm and a misty base.

I also did some heroes. The Scarlet Witch (and Avenger), the Hulk (a lovely model) and oddly a newer version of DC's Robin. Below I have DareDevil, Spiderman and Elektra. The Spiderman sculpt is one of the most animated I've ever seen--it is lovely.

Up next: Some 10mm American AWI figures. The first units are line and some generals.