The Shaltari get started

Having completely exonerated myself regarding any suggestion that I should be posting more often (see the entirely reasonable explanation for more details), I can now move on to some details of my recent painting.

Before the Great Failure to Post, I intended to show you this, my first painted Shaltari model, a Tomahawk skimmer tank thing:

Thank you to the people suggesting I use a white backround!
This does definitely look better, even though I painted it.

It's got a back too. Don't listen to Pete when he complains
that I haven't highlighted the underside. There's no light under there!

I was after a bold, simple to replicate colour scheme that I could use to paint an army quickly. I've sort of managed that. It was quick enough to finish the unit of Tomahawks:

Now there's three of them!

But then I moved onto the big stuff, the Eden gates. These are biggish flying units, and I wanted to get them done (mainly so I could glue the bases together) but they ended up taking ages, despite my "simple" colour scheme...

I need a bigger white background!

Ominous, aren't they?

Still, they're done now, and I can move onto the rest. I have some of the infantry about halfway to being done (4 bases of them. This should be all of the infantry from the starter set, but there's actually another 2 bases' worth in there - it's just that they don't come with bases. This is presumably just so the points value of the Shaltari set isn't loads higher than the others, but it's a bit irritating as I really want more infantry. Alternative bases have been acquired (thanks Kieron!).) and have started the Kukri AA tanks as well.

Which is just as well, as I've got excited and bought some more bits - a Gharial command tank, some Yari scout things and some Spirit light gates. This uses another joker, but I'm hoping to finish the starter set and claim another one quite soon! This is good, as Partizan is next week and I might be tempted by something there.

So, what's that done to my scores? Let's take a look...

For 2015 so far:
Painted: 79
Bought: 54

And for the Challenge:
Painted: 22
Jokers Used: 2
Jokers Earned: 1

Unblocking the pipe - some new games

Ok, that about does it. I think that's clear now.

You see, since my last post about a month ago (whoops) there's been a problem here - my spectacular thoughts have, of course, been studiously collated, and then I've put in the effort to polish them into the little pieces of poetry that you're used to finding here. Then, as usual, I've chucked them into the blog receptacle and pulled the chain, heard the satisfying "whoosh" as they disappear from sight, and then assumed that they were appearing here.

But no, as it turns out, there's been a severe blockage in my blogtube, and nothing's been getting through! I only discovered the problem when I tried to flush the latest offering and ended up with a backflow, getting pithy photo comments and bits of painted model scores all over my shoes.

So, I've been at it with a plunger and I think everything's back to normal now, so I'll carefully recreate the stuff that got stuck and get that posted. I'd hate you all to think that I just didn't bother to post for a month and then tried to excuse myself with a nonsensical cover story!

Right then, here we go.

A couple of new games have popped onto the radar for our merry group recently. I've played "a few" of each so here are my thoughts.

Dropzone Commander
This is the first "proper" wargame I've started for a while. If you don't know, DzC is a 10mm scale sci-fi game, which relies heavily on the use of big flying dropships to move troops and vehicles around.

I don't have pictures of our games, so let's say they look like this.

It's actually a really nice game to play! The rules are simple, but different enough from anything else I've played to be interesting, and the need to use dropships makes for some interesting challenges - units just don't move fast enough on their own to be able to achieve much, so you have to keep an eye on where your transports are and decide when to forgo shooting in favour of being flown off to a better location.

I've played 4 games so far and only won one of them, but I'm still enjoying it, which must be a good sign. I'm playing the Shaltari, on which more will follow in a future post.

It is also quite nice that we're all just starting with this. Pete and Mike have put more time and effort in than the rest of us, but generally no one is miles ahead in terms of what they can field.

Frostgrave
This one is pretty much completely different to Dropzone Commander. Frostgrave is a fantasy skirmish thing, in which you control a warband based around a wizard, trying to find artefacts and wield bigger and more powerful spells.

I've played this three times, and won each time, so that's nice. It's also a very simple game to pick up, with everything resolved on single d20 rolls.

We've yet to start a campaign for this, and that's something I want to do soon - the "starter" games, especially with more than two players, are perhaps a bit too random and just descend into battering each other quite quickly. The campaign rules seem to me to add a lot more depth, so I'm keen to have a go with that soon.

I have played a couple of two player games with Wes, ensuring we had a lot of terrain, and that seemed to work better.

Ok, we were using "whatever is lying around" as terrain. Clearly, this needs work.

I really want to build some nice terrain for this game, and I have a few bits already that will fit the bill. At the moment though, DzC is winning the popularity contest for us, so that's likely to be the focus, at least for a while...

Right, onto the next post! See you there!

Joker claimed!

This is not likely to be among my most thrilling posts.

But following on from yesterday, I have painted the French mortar, and so have completed the army!

It's ok if the understated beauty of this picture makes you cry a little bit.

The medium howitzer I posted about doesn't count, because shut up.

Since this completes the project, I get a new joker available for use. Which is nice, but I in no way need to buy more models at the moment, so I won't be using it, at least for now.

At some point there may well be a picture of the whole force, when I have time to set up and take one without toddlers becoming involved.

So here are some updated stats...

For 2015 so far:
Painted: 73
Bought: 47

And for the Challenge:
Painted: 16
Jokers Used: 1
Jokers Earned: 1

Starting something new at last!

If I just bluster in here and start writing as if nothing has happened, hopefully no one will notice that it's been two weeks since my inexplicably popular post dismantling the background for Age of Sigmar and I don't have to admit having failed one of the requirements of the 6 Month Challenge. So I'm going to do that.

Having finished the infantry bits for my Bolt Action French, I was forced to put that project on hold until I went to the loft to retrieve a big enough base for the mortar team - meaning that it's agonisingly close to being complete but doesn't quite make it yet. I've since acquired said base and assembled the mortar, but I haven't actually painted it yet, so I'm still just on the cusp of finishing the project and claiming the coveted extra joker (which I don't currently have a use for, but whatever).

Haven't taken a photo of it yet either, so this'll have to do.
It's one of the tiny number of non-Batman-related images you get
if you search for "joker card" on Google Image Search.

While I forced to stop painting French things, I started assembly of my Shaltari force for Dropzone Commander (a game that seems to have almost dropped off the group radar now, but I'm hoping that's temporary). Not had time to do more than that (he says despite having suddenly restarted Fallout New Vegas and spending many hours on that) but here's what's done so far:

Things!

With the fiddly exception of the Haven Terragates, these are all nice easy models to put together, which is nice. Experimental painting of those to start soon!

I've also received this beauty in the post:

Random German for scale. It's a big gun.

It's the medium howitzer I ordered for Mad Bob Miniatures a while ago. It's a nice model, but the casting isn't perfect, it needed a touch of trimming and there are parts that haven't quite come out properly. I think it'll all come out when it's painted though, and no one else seems to make one! At some point I'll need to find some crew, and a base big enough for this thing!

On the gaming front, we're supposed to have our first game of Frostgrave on Saturday. This looks interesting, we'll have to see if it's compelling enough to draw us all in for more than a few games. I'll keep you posted, I'm sure you're all enthralled!

The Age of Sigmar explained

"The World Before Time is gone. Shattered. Consigned to an oblivion no-one thought possible. The metallic core of that ill-fated world was hurled through the cosmos, the God-King Sigmar clinging desperately to its sigmarite surface. Aeons passed, until the core caught the attention of the great drake Dracothion; it was he who rescued Sigmar, and taught him the secrets of the Mortal Realms - connected by Realmgates and peacefully populated for many years.

"But even in this utopia, Chaos would find a way to corrupt and distort everything. The Age Of Chaos gradually turned life in the realms into hell. Embracing wisdom instead of strength, Sigmar retreated to the Celestial Realm and began assembling the greatest mortal warriors, steeping them in the magic of the stars and instilling them with absolute divinity.

"The Stormcast Eternals are ready. Sigmar’s storm is lined up to unleash its fury on the forces of chaos. The realms will tremble and the skies will scorch as the legions of the Dark Gods feel the blistering rage of the Stormhosts!"

Having thus summed up his presentation, the speaker took his seat, and looked at his audience, clearly pleased with himself. Seated opposite were three figures, each bearded, and wearing a flowing robe, woven with sigils and fastened with a clasp bearing the crest of the celestial college of magic. 

The central figure cleared his throat to speak.

"Alright, let me be sure that I understand you" he said, in a tone dripping with weariness. It was clear that this was not the first such meeting he had endured that day. "You were asked to demonstrate the creation of a bottled universe, is that not so?"

"Yes, master", the younger man confirmed. His own beard was patchy, and he wore the simple, unadorned robe of a college acolyte. 

"And you chose to create a world that, you would say, follows on from our own?"

"That's right, master," said the acolyte, a trace of doubt creeping into his voice.

There was a short silence in the room. It was broken by the snoring of the eldest wizard, seated at the end of the table, prompting the lead tutor to resume his enquiries. 

"And in this world, which you have on the desk beside you there, your interpretation of Sigmar himself has taken the shattered remains of our very planet and produced these realms, which are connected only by gates?"

"The Realmgates, yes. Sigmar's Stormcast Eternals use these to travel to the other Realms, there to engage in climactic battle..."

"Right, right, you've covered that bit," the tutor interrupted. He stared at the acolyte, and the glowing bottle on the desk beside him. Stars and comets could be seen twinkling within, but to the older wizard's eyes it seemed gaudy. He had seen many such artifacts before in his years at the colleges of magic, but preferred to see them display a little more imagination from their creators.

The third wizard, a portly fellow with the remains of a disappointing lunch caught in his beard, chose this moment to throw his own question at the student.

"Why don't they have faces?" he demanded grumpily.

The acolyte shuffled uncomfortably.

"Well, sir, figures like this can be somewhat fiddly..." he trailed off, and was almost relieved when the lead tutor took over once more.

"And when they fall in battle, these 'Eternals' are returned to life in their home realm? The same applies to their foes as well, I believe?"

"That's correct, master. They are returned to take the field once more at Sigmar's side!" came the answer.

"I see. So, one could say, this state of affairs is likely to continue indefinitely? Your mighty warriors clash forever, again and again, and ultimately achieve nothing at all, since neither side can actually be killed?"

"Errr..."

"You did understand the requirements of this examination? We were expecting to see a universe able to grow and develop. Your creation, such as it is, doesn't seem to be able to go anywhere."

"I've included representations of all the greatest warriors of the history of the world!" the acolyte blurted out, mainly to have something to say at this point.

"Indeed you have. This makes as little sense as the rest of it as far as I'm concerned. If our world has been destroyed in this universe, how did these great fighters make it there? Weren't they destroyed too?"

"Well, I..." the acolyte started, before he was silenced by a look from the portly wizard.

"I think we've seen enough," the lead tutor said. "Thank you for showing us your work. We'll confer, and your results will be given to you when they are ready. Of course, most students in your position use clairvoyancy to find out how they've done straight away. How are your scores in clairvoyancy?" 

He glanced at his notes. "Oh, I see. Well, at least that means we don't have to worry about the end of the world, as you've described it, being particularly likely. You're excused. Please send in the next candidate."

The young man slumped, and picked up his bottle. He knew he should have spent more time on it, but he also knew that he was one of the poorer students in his class, and it was likely that he just didn't have the talent to impress the older academics. 

He muttered a thank you, and trudged from the room. He knew he'd failed the exam and would have to repeat the year. Again. 

He wandered out of the college and onto the streets of Altdorf. The imperial capital was as busy as ever. Men, elves, dwarfs and halflings could all be seen going about their business. Market traders plied their wares from various stalls - spices from Cathay, cured meats from Tilea, Bretonnian wines, all were available in this street alone. The smell of the sea wafted from the nearby harbour, where a dwarf vessel, propelled by some arcane machinery, was slowly coming into dock.

The acolyte trudged into the first tavern he came to, and dumped his bottled universe into the midden. His "Age of Sigmar" came to an unenviable end, as life in the Old World carried on around him...

I think the above proves, if nothing else, that I can't write fiction. But, judging from what I've heard about the Age of Sigmar, I'm not the only one.

Anyway, the above is what I'm substituting in for this whole "End Times" nonsense which GW decided to remove the Warhammer World with. I like the Warhammer World. It's going nowhere.

Of course, it sounds like we'll be using Kings of War for our games in that world from now on...

French Reconnaissance Begins!

Probably they should have done this first, but my French Bolt Action forces now have the ability to carry out reconnaissance!

Yep, in a move that will surprise no one at all, I've painted more French stuff, specifically this Panhard 178 armoured car:

In the game, it functions like a less-good version of the Puma I already use with my Partisans - it has a machine gun and light anti-tank gun, and can run away when it gets shot at, but it doesn't have dual-direction steering (so isn't as good at running away) and it has thinner armour (so when it runs away less effectively, it's in more danger).

Looks nice though, dunnit?

So, outstanding things to paint for the French now are the mortar (can't do that until I go into the loft) and the medium howitzer (hasn't arrived yet).

I'm so nearly done!

So, let's have another look at the scores...

For 2015 so far:
Painted: 72
Bought: 47

And for the Challenge:
Painted: 15
Jokers Used: 1

French Infantry are done!

I've done it! The last 7 infantry models for my French Bolt Action force are now painted!

This means the army is very nearly done - all I have left is a Panhard 178 armoured car, a medium howitzer (which has yet to arrive from Mad Bob Miniatures) and the mortar.

Not having the mortar painted yet is a bit weird as I have done these guys:

I'm pretty sure we've forgotten something...

Unfortunately though the mortar is much easier to stick together if I also attach it to the base, and I somehow managed to leave all appropriately sized bases in the loft, so that'll need to wait until I go up there and get one.

But I have done two riflemen, one of them with a VB launcher:

By this point I have very little left to say about French riflemen.

And of course the LMG team:

Ratatatatatatatatatatatatatatatat

So now I have four 10-man squads painted - that's a pretty solid core for a Bolt Action force.
Unfortunately the French squads can be up to 12 men, so I'm sorely tempted to get 8 more at some point and bulk the squads up further... but not for now!

So what has this done to my scores? Let's have a look.

For 2015 so far I'm on:
Painted: 71
Bought: 47

And for the Challenge, it looks like:
Painted: 14
Jokers Used: 1