Fear The Squirrels

 For Christmas this year I received a pretty decent sized set of various filament printed terrain.  In terms of presents, it was easy for family to acquire (Amazon is easier to navigate) and I didn't have to send them exactly what I was looking for. Unpainted Review The scale is generally 28mm or so.  Some are a little smaller, some a little bigger.  But nothing seems so crazy that I wouldn't put 32mm or 25mm on the table with them.  I sized them up, but forgot to take pictures so will try to grab some at the end, with MESBG LoTR, Age of Sigmar, 40k, Highland Miniatures and Beastarium Minis.  Nothing was so far out of scale that I wouldn't place them together. Almost no cleanup was required, just a few stray filament strands or print lines that didn't quite stick.  Probably the whole set took 10 minutes of cleaning.   Print lines are very noticeable on the rock ruins, but given that they are rocks, it didn't really bother me and I actually li...

  Black Armor - Base coat VMS Hull Red - Stipple VMS 70.982 Cavalry Brown - Stipple Black.  Used standard GW Chaos Black, for these - Stipple GW Layer Dark Reaper - Stipple GW Space Wolves Gray - Stipple GW Base Leadbelcher - Wash with 1:1 Agrax Earth : Nuln Oil - Edge highlight metallic silver Boots / Gloves / Belts / Pouches - Base coat VMS 70.872 Chocolate Brown - Wash with 1:1 Agrax Earth : Nuln Oil - Highlight with VMS 70.872 Chocolate Brown - Highlight with VMS 70.872 with a touch of Ivory Pants - Base with GW Base XV-88 - Wash with GW Contrast Skeleton Horde - Highlight with XV-88.  Mostly stippling the highlights back on Tabard - Base with GW Base Hobgrot - Wash with GW Contrast Skeleton Horde - Highlight with GW Base Hobgrot - Highlight with GW Ushabti Bone - Highlight with GW Screaming Skull Highlights were done with a mix of regular lines and stippling.  Stippling was mostly on the screaming skull and ushabti highlights Shoulder Pads - Base with GW Base Io...

Basecoating   1. Black primer via a rattlecan 2. Base coat "Abaddon Black" 3. Overbrush Vallejo 70.995 (German Camo Black) heavily 4. Not on these, but think another lighter over brush of a lighter grey would help.  Maybe a 1:1   70.995 with an ivory or other.   5. GW Lead Belcher on armor 6. Iraqi Dark Sand on the shield trees.  Less important the color here, just an ivory  7. Wash the whole model with "Nuln Oil" making sure not to pool Armor 1. Thick edge highlights of GW Iron Breaker Gloves 1. Base GW Gorthor Brown 2. Heavy wash Agrax Earthshade 3. Highlight back Gorthor Brown Belts/Scabbards 1. Base GW Steel Legion Drab 2. Heavy wash Agrax Earthshade 3. Highlight Vallejo Game Color 72.061 "Khaki" Flesh 1. Base GW Bugman's glow 2. Wash Agrax Earthshade 3. Highlight Bugman's Glow 4. Highlight Reaper Tanned Skin Bows 1. Base GW Mournfang Brown 2. Base tips GW Balthasar Gold 3. Wash Agrax Earthshade 4. High tips with Burnished Gold

Horse Flesh Base in Heavy Goldbrown Wash in Reikland Fleshshade Heavy Goldbrown again except for the recesses touched by wash Highlight Vallejo 913 Highlight 70.949 Saddle / Furniture Base Steel Legion Drab Wash Agrax Earthshade Highlight Baneblade Brown Highlight Karak Stone Blanket Base RMS Muddy Olive Highlight RMS Olive Green Edge and highlight RMS Pale Olive Hooves Black Edge highlight Fenris Grey Rider Pants Base GW Snakebite Leather Wash Agrax Earthshade Highlight Snakebite Leather Highilght Vallejo Model Color Orange Brown Boots Base Black Edge highlight GW Fenris Grey Quivers Base GW Mournfang Brown Wash GW Agrax Earthshade Highlight GW Mournfang Brown Highlight GW Snakebite Leather I think I washed Agrax Again Highlight Vallejo Orange Brown Bows Base GW Snakebite Leather Wash Agrax Highlight Vallejo Orange Brown Axe Handles / Wood Base GW Bloodreaver Flesh Wash Agrax Ea...

The sculpts are by Khurasan.  They aren't bad, but the faces were a little rough.  Definitely below the quality you'd expect from the rest of the Dark Age line that I've seen from them. Also, I think I'll go open hand cast on them from now on.  Not a ding on Khurasan as I knew going in what I was getting, but compared to the nice straight spears on my knights, these look like my front line is throwing wet spaghetti. Little unhappy with the paint job, but its not bad for table top quality. 15mm Dark Age Javelin Elements

So similar to my post about 15mm terrain, what sort of terrain can I use for 6mm gaming.  I'm putting the same general constraints on this terrain as I put on the 15mm side, namely: Usable from Ancients to Sci Fi.  But for right now, emphasis on SciFi. Would be nice to split duty with 15mm gaming No major cash outlays True LOS is out at this scale Still have to game with it.   Travels well So what do we end up with: Hills Hedges Brush Roads Woods ( WIP ) Scrub Brush Buildings Rough Terrain Industrial Areas

Good bye to green felt templates!  I ended up with a scrap piece of 1/4" ply wood from some home remodeling.  And while I had an urge to do some buildings for 15mm, I haven't been playing a lot of 15mm gaming lately.  So, I decided that some woods would work for both 6mm (Dirtside 2 and Strike Legion) as well as 15mm sci fi or 15mm anceints gaming (ADG). I started by: Sketching out some rough circular shapes on the 1/4" ply Cutting them out with a jig saw.  I didn't follow the lines exactly, just tried to keep near them Power sanded down the edges to give them a bit of a gradual slope Glued 3"(For 15mm) or 2" (for 6mm) around the edges, with one or two in the middle for support.  I mostly left them open as these are for gaming, not for display.  I need to fit the figures in there!  This was done with liquid nails.  I put about a pea worth of liquid nails down, pushed the nail in and gave it a bit of a twirl.   Left me with the foll...

Began working on the cav options for the Norman L'Art De Guerre army.  As it was such a nice day, it was time to prime.

The primary time I have to play FUBAR will most likely end up being lunch, when both me and my co worker are free.  To that end and to keep each battle from just becoming a slog fest, scenarios seem like the ideal way forward. Ideally each scenario should take one to one and a half hour(s) to play.  This play time starts from the first initiative roll and ends when the victory condition is met.  I'm not including terrain set up in this, as terrain can be set up in advance and left for lunch.  This would also include any pre game unit set up. But how many turns can be expected in that time frame?  Based on the first game, a reasonable assumption of eight minutes per turn average could be expected (11 turns/90 minutes).  Some will be faster, some a little longer, but I think eight minutes will be a good rule of thumb.  Working with this number, lets assume 8 turns minimum, 12 maximum, 10 being a good average to work with (And nicely rounded to boot)....

In fairness, not quite initial impressions as I played many a moon ago.  But its been so long, with so many other rule sets in between that I feel like I was playing anew. Opponent: Co-worker who apparently decided that he has too much time and money on his hands and miniatures gaming would be a good way to deal with all that.  Not a power gamer/WAAC or rules lawyer which was good as this game definitely doesn't allow for that. Setup: As this was a beginner match, we kept it to 3 sections of five men (total of 15 miniatures) on each side.  Each squad was rated as seasoned and armed with an infantry rifle.  So, activating on a 4+, rolling one dice each and hitting on a 5+. The table played on was 6'x3', with us playing from the short edges (Long edges on the flank).  Terrain was a mixture of what we had, but was medium density.  Initially we rated the three woods as soft (Providing a +1 mod) and blocking LoS.  Linear walls were rated as...

I've always gamed at a club or a store where there was a ready supply of terrain, but lately gaming at a friends house we both came to the conclusion that we are woefully unprepared with terrain.  So I've been trying to think of a list of terrain for 15mm gaming that I should start working on. First up, some limitations and constraints Usable from ancients to sci fi - We've been playing Field of Glory and Tomorrow's War, so I'd prefer the terrain to be usable to  Mostly geared to 15mm - See above, I haven't been doing too much 28mm gaming lately and I don't see it changing No major cash expenditures - Kitchen remodel sapped my wallet.  So, no fancy pre made terrain.  I'm not at zero for expenditure, but the more I can save the better. Doesn't have to be true LOS - At 15mm most terrain is abstract, so don't have to worry about providing terrain that works with true LOS rule sets Terrain would generally fit in a eastern european battle fie...

Bit happier with the white one, but like the dirt on the red one a bit better. In the end, went with neither of these two designs.

First off a comment: I'm not really liking these sculpts.  Maybe I just had a bad set, but they feel under quality compared to other plastic kits from GW.  Most of the issue I had was in the shoulder joins and the beard and how it draped.  I'm actually hoping I just got two kits confused and thats where the issue lay. I'll upload pics later. Skin Base Calthan Brown Wash Ogryn Flesh Highlight Tallarn Flesh RMS Tanned Highlight for final touches (Which I forgot to do to the hands in these pics!) Chain/Weapons Base Runefang Steel Wash Badab Black Highlight Runefang Steel Leather Trimming Base Ratskin Flesh Wash Badab Black Edge highlight Ratskin Flesh Bronze/Gold Bits Base Vallejo Brassy Brass Wash Ogryn Flesh Highlight shining gold if going bright, brassy brass if dark Shoes Base Mournfang Brown Wash Devlan Mud after basing (So not done here as they are unbased) Yellow Beards Base Tausept Ochre Wash ogryn Flesh Highlight ...

Played the steam version of the game with an Xbox controller, mouse and keyboard never work for me.  Not a bad game but I don't think its the best FPS I've played.  Certainly Half-Life kept me more interested in the story, but Bioshock  did have the better environment.  Fort Frolic was the high point for me, though the Point Prometheus level had a nice creepy vibe to it. In terms of gameplay, I really enjoyed it.  Lots of environmental interactions and different ways to approach the fights.  I spent a lot of time hacking the various security systems available and letting them do the fighting for me.  At one point I had a veritable army of drones following me. Overall, a definite recommend.

Recipes used:   Flesh:  Base Gretchen Green  Wash thraka green  Highlight Nurgling Highlight  Had some success in adding spot washes of RMS red brick, but become to cumbersome for all the line troops  Metal/Weapons  Base Mithril Silver  Stipple dark flesh  Stipple Tau Sept Ochre (I think?) Wash Devlan Mud  Highlight characters' weapons with Mithril Silver  Shafts  Base Merchite leaving some spots slightly transparent  Highlight Blood Red  Shoes and Strings  Tausept Ochre base Devlan Mud wash  Highlight Tau Sept Ochre  Bags and Quivers  Khemri Brown base coat Devlan Mud wash  Highlilght Khemri Brown  Robes Black  Shadow grey edge highlights  Shields  Ice blue stippling on symbol  Banner  Dheneb Stone  Wash Ogryn Flesh  Highlight Screaming Skull Edge Highlight Ceramite...

80 Skaven clan rats have been painted up, only awaiting the dozens of fellow to make up the rest of the army...  To take a break I did a quick paint job on Heresy's Hellmites: Nothing fancy, just a three color dry bush to get them up and off the table.  Lovely little sculpts, but I think I mismatched some of the backs to bodies. Colors: Body: Base GW Chardonite Granite, Wash Black, Highlight Graveyard earth Beaks: Base Tausept Ochre, Wash Black, Highlight Graveyard Earth Sack: Base VMC Hull Red, Wash GW Badab Black, Highlight Dark Flesh, Highlight Blood Red, Wash Ogryn Flesh Base: Mushroom, Wash Raw Umber, Drybrush Mushroom, Drybrush Butter Pecan, Drybrush Vintage White.  Army Painter 4mm/6mm grass tufts.

So, finally played through and beat Syberia 1 & 2, which have been on my list of games to play for... 5 years now? Was really looking forward to seeing a modern graphics adventure game. Pros: -Lush environments that looked beautiful -Steam punk aesthetic that I liked -The Russian environments and slant were a nice break from standard western/asian themes Cons: -Interaction areas didn't stand out. This made some puzzles into frustrating experiences since I had to go back and try to figure out what I missed, which wasn't always obvious as items blended into the background. -Story was so-so. Second one felt much more engaging then the first though. -Felt like a lot of back and forth puzzles, I.E. run over here, do one thing, run over there and do one thing, run back do one thing. Which is kind of annoying. I accept that not every puzzle will be self contained, but sometimes it got annoying.

1) GW Tin Bitz 2)Stipple RMS Deep Red 3) Stipple GW Orange 4) Wash GW Ogryn Flesh 5) Was GW Blazing Orange This has a nice really rusted look. Going further with some drybrushing of mithril silver give a nice touch, followed by a wash of GW Badab Black.

Flesh: 1) Orkhide Shade 2) Badab Black Wash 3) RMS Muddy Olive 4) RMS Olive Green Pants: 1) Iyanden Sun Yellow 2) Devlin Mud wash 3) Forget the highlight Red: 1) Merchite Red 2) 5:1 Future:Vallejo Hull Red Wash 3) RMS Blood Red highlight Rusty Steel: 1) Mithril Silver 2) Ogryn Flesh Wash 3) Badab Black Wash 4) Mithril Silver highlight