War-gaming and 1:2000 Napoleonic Sailing Ships

I have not posted on this site for a while because I did not get to work with miniatures or play with miniatures in a while. Most of my hobby times has been eaten up with war-gaming, which has the advantage of being cheaper and easier to prepare then most miniatures games, and can fit my multiplayer requirement.  This week a tried a first game of Napoleon's Triumph with my gaming group. The first game was a bit hard for all of us but I am confident that after another game I will have the rules memorized. The board and pieces do look amazing.

At the same time I have not given up on miniatures! After a long post-Sweden lurch in miniature modelling I have now started a 1/2000 Napoleonic ships project. The Dragons Table in Champaign, Illinois is a treasure trove for discounted miniatures sets and games. Looking about I spotted a old dusty box which contained a small treasure of 12 Valiant  1/2000 ships. This is perfect for a fast, cheap miniature multiplayer game.

I got the set for 10$. The miniatures as you can see from the picture were not in a good condition. The person who left them at the store many years ago had given up halfway through. Some were masted but the masts were bendy. Many had bowsprits broken. 

I started working on them by 1) demasting any ships that had masts 2) shortening masts so as to make them less bendy 3) buidling bowsprits for most of the ships.

After a good 4 hours of work I had the ships ready for undercoating. I decided to prepare the models with bowsprits, staysails, and foremasts to increase bowsprit and staysail stability. The other sails will be added to the painted hull. 

Once I am done with them I intend to run a multiplayer Kiss me Hardy game at the Dragons Table. I will keep this blog updated on my progress.

What have I been doing

It has been a long time since my last post on this blog. Due to teaching, dissertation writing, job hunting and to the fact that my new temporary home lacks space, I have not had the chance to paint much. This is to my chagrin, but life is life. Game wise I played three miniatures games over the last  two months which is not too bad.

I played and lost a game of Firestorm Armada.

Organised a game of my dreadnoughts for the Champaign-Urbana gamers at the Dragon's Trable

and played a game of WWII air combat organised by the same group.

I have put more time into board wargames over the two months, playing a solitaire game of Battle for Moscow (the Germans took Moscow and lost it in the last turn. Hurrah for the Russians! I intend to write a full battle report for this one ).

I am  currently running a solitaire Nieuport 1600 game (a Vae Victis magazine game). I try to play a
turn a day.

I want to get down a paint some more, but that will have to wait for the summer. Until then take care!

The first completed projects of the New Year

Hi to all

As I noted in my New Year post I have been in the painter's doldrums Since the start of the new year. That said with a stiff upper lip, I forced myself to work a bit on my miniatures. Here is the result

This Tradition 54mm miniature of Gustav Adolph II in "civilian" clothes is a present for my Swedish landlord. It was a quick job and I am ashamed to say not given the usual meticulous attention to detail that is my high standard.

 




I also finished the painting of a Polybian Roman DBA army for my own collection. This is the 8th DBA army I have painted, the second Polybian Roman army I have painted, and the 5th army of my DBA collection. It is also the last army of my DBA collection made exclusively by miniatures from Kyoteblue's gift of 15mm miniatures to me.

The army is not painted to my highest standard I am afraid, but should be fine on the wargames table. It still requires flocking, which I will do in the USA when I return in March.

A late New Years post: Taking Stock

Happy New Year to all of you

I have not posted for a long time. Between traveling to Greece for two weeks over winter and revving up the engines on my dissertation writing, and job search (updated my "professional" website after a long time http://ktravlospolisci.blogspot.se/p/research-i.html)  I have not been able to do much on the hobby front. I also got a case of the "painter's doldrums" and had little interest in touching my brushes.

I did get to try out my Warhammer1000 armies and enjoyed two games with friends in Greece. Beyond that I mostly got a chance to play board-games. I bought Strike of the Eagle and I must say I liked it a lot. I have tried my hand at wargames in the past (Prussia's Glory II and Jutland) but found the counter games a bit aesthetically not pleasing and a bit too complicated for what I like. Strike of the Eagle is both aesthetically pleasing for me and a easy to learn and easy to teach game. Beyond that I sample some comics this year Mignola's at al Witchfinder (good), Baltimore (not so good), ASP "Iron" (not bad a bit overhyped) and Tardi's Adele Blanc-Sec (a good old french style comic).

Beyond that I wish to take stock of what I have in miniature gaming projects, completed and not

1) BFG 8 ships: Completed using SITs miniatures: I might wish to add a couple of larger DN size ships. This has been my go to game for our C-U gaming group.

2) DBA 8 armies: Completed 4 matched armies, near completion a 5th (Roman Republicans), Still needed  an 6th (Iberians), 7th and 8th. My goals is to have a matched pair from each army book (currently I have III,IV). The second go to game for our C-U gaming group when I host.

3) Klingon Armada 8 ships: Completed. This might end up being sold to finance other projects. Alternatively I will use the minis for BFG. I do not think I am going to expand this project.

4) Warhammer1000, plans are to have 1000 points from each army in the warhammer universe, but I might just go for 8. 2 Completed (Dwarves, Orcs and Goblins), 1 near completion (Brettonians), 6 under construction (Empire, Dogs of War, Beastmen, High Elves, Skaven).


5) Might and Reason: My initial plan was to build just one army. I have the miniatures but have not worked on the  project at all. I think I might reconfigure base sizes to create two armies. I like the rules system and the period, but do not feel the urge to make a major investment in it by myself.

6) Baccus 6mm Napoleonics: On hold. I have painted most of the infantry for the French. But my friend who co-financed the project has not worked on his Prussian's at all. I am also not enamored with the Polemos rule system. It is not bad. It just did not tick for me.

7)" A coat of steel" 28mm WOTR side project: Since I am using Perry to fill in my Empire and Dogs of War I can also use those miniatures for medieval gaming. The Perfect Captain's A coat of steel rules are interesting.

8) Napoleonic Sea Warfare: I got Kiss my Hardy and a british and russian frigate. I have not played the game at all, but the ships are ready. I probably work this project on an ad-hoc basis with no clear goal in mind beyond having enough ships for a multiplayer scenario.

Generally speaking I am not in the mood for opening any new projects expect if I am 100% there are people who are going to join me. Otherwise I will have to built armies for both sides in a game and frankly it is easier to just buy a board-game. I really like painting but frequent doldrums and non-gaming life issues will interfere in slowing projects down. I also noticed that I am much more diligent and happy working on projects I know people are willing to play with (Warhammer, DBA) than projects that I have seen no interest for from others.  But we shall see. Miniature-Wargaming is partly an industry funded on fevers of activity and impluse sales :p

Have a great new year!

Warhammer1000 updates, and some DBA

Hi all

Here are some pictures from my ongoing Warhammer1000 project, plus a bit of DBA.

A greay wizard for my Empire and Dogs of War armies

The start of the Beastmen herd. Bestigors.

Gors.

Some Republican Romans for a DBA army I am working on. Not my best painting.

Warhammer 1000 progress report!

Hi all

I have not posted for a while do to life getting in the way. I am working on the empirical chapters of my dissertation and that is gobbling up time. I also had two friends come over for a week and had to be a gracious host. Turns out I was so good they bought me Island of Blood for a present :D. I then visited London for two days. That city really is worth your time. I had a great time but only got to see some stuff. The Imperial War Museum was a bit of a let-down, primarily due to renovation for 2014. The Life in the Blitz, Holocaust and Secret War exhibits were interesting with the best one being the haunting Holocaust exhibit. I loved Westminster were I went in an watched a debate, and the National Army Museum was just awesome.

Despite all this I got around to finishing my Dwarf and Orc and Goblin 1000 point armies. We even palyed some games with my visiting friends.

Below are some pictures of the last units finished

Spider Riders front 

Spider Riders back

Troll Front

Troll Back

Squiq Hoppers (a fun unit)

2nd Dwarf Cannon

Dwarf Slayers 

Detail on Slayers

With these my first 1000 point Warhammer armies are done (with base flocking all that is left)

1000 points of Dwarves

A bit over 1000 points of Orcs and Goblins

My current project is working on 1000 points of Beastmen. I also still have to finish another 500 points of Empire, Brettonia and Dogs of War. And thanks to my friends gift I have 600-700 points of Skaven and High Elves. Finally here is a WIP picture of my Beastmen. Tell me what you think!

Take care and be well!

Quick Battle Report Warhammer1000

I had a chance to play two small Warhammer1000 battles. In both cases I played the Goblins and won the battle. I am starting to see an issue with using cards for a solitaire game, and may go to tables and dice rolls for two reasons

1) Less compoments

2) I can tailor tables to specific types of units and aggression ratings.

Here are some pictures and a short report of one of those battles.

The two forces arrayed

Goblin and Orc line

Dwarf line

Dwarf activation cards

Hold order

Looking down the cannon 

Fanatics Charge!

BR Write-up

Dwarfs had

1 unit warriors (Thane and BSB)
1 unit miners
1 unit thunderers
1 cannon

O&G had

2 unit NG spearmenr (one with 2 fanatics and NG Big Boss, and one with Shaman and 1 Fanatic)
1 Unit of Big UNs (with Orc BSB)

Armies starter 16 inches away

AI Dwarfs, me O&G

Dwarfs deployed in line of Cannon, Miners, Thunderers, Warriors

Shaman NG regiment across cannon

Big Uns in front of thunderers

Boss NG regiment in fornt of warriors

Turn 1

NG go first and all march towards the dwarfs. NG shaman tries to cast Glut of Crows on Artillery but dispelled

No unit comes close to fanatic range

Dwarfs: Miners and Warriors hold, Artillery and Thunderers shoot. Artillery misfires but nothing serious, Thunderers only get 1 hit which does not wound :p

Turn 2

All units march towards dwarfs. Fanatics unleashed. 2 on the warriors and 1 on the miners. Warrior fanatic one hits, killing 3 warriors, and 1 moves only 2". Miner fanatic only moves but does not reach. Warriors pass their panic test. Miner fanatic will kill one miner later, but the fanatics did not do much in the rest of the battle.

Dwarf cannon fires canister killing off 7 goblins for the Shamans unit, which passes its panic test.

Dwarf thunderers charge the Big Uns. Miners pivot to be able to charge Big Uns later. Warriors do nothing.

Thunderers get mauled in the battle (killing 2 Big Uns, but losing 5 thunderers) and run away only to be haunted down by the victorious big uns.

Turn 3-5

Big Uns charge Miners, Boss Goblins charge Warriors, Shaman Goblins charge Cannon. Cannon crew gets insane courage and holds the 10 goblins for 2 rounds before getting murdered. Shaman casts Bears anger on Champion that finishes it. Big Uns defeat the Miners after a grueling match. Warriors lose the BSB to the Goblin Big Boss, but hold off for 2 rounds.

In the end the Goblins won a fairly good victory, primarily due to the AI sending the thunderers to the charge. That said this might had been a wise move as the Ork BSB carried the banner of Mork, giving +1 S to the Big Uns when they charge.

A good fun game. The Dwarves were unlucky in their cannon shot and one grapeshot fire, but the cannon did fire one scary shot that killed off many Gobbos. But Gobbo units are big enough to take it. The Size of Goblin units paid off, since while the dwarves had more points, the Gobbos had more numbers and thus ranks and more troops. The Magic phase showed the power of dwarf dispel dive, but also the power of perseverance.

On other frontsI got a DBA battle in (Nik. Byzantines vs. Dyanstic Bedouin) and I am delving in the Perfect Captain's "A Coat of Steel" WOTR rules  .