Hills For Sale

Just wanted to give you an example of the hills I am making and selling both through here and at Lancaster Board and Sword.

Here is a few of the selection of hills I'm producing. As you can imagine there is not going to be a fixed shape or size as these are handmade.

Once these are completed then I will be bulk building a few outcrops and linear terrain. This first selection of hills is my desert range - although they also fit in quite nicely with my Southern Italy/Sicily based Fallschirmjager.

The minis you see are from Warlord games and are a range of plastic and metal miniatures. There seems to be a good range of places that they can stand - an issue with a lot of hills I have witnessed.

If you have any requests for either a listed product or something you'd like on commission then please contact me here.

Terrain Tiles

So having discussed a super secret project with my friend DW, we have discussed the potential to make a large quantity of terrain tiles (once its announced I will be letting you all know exactly what is going on!). With a back and forth about what he wants etc I have come up with following pros and cons etc.

Table Setup: 6' x 4' with modular terrain (standard table size)

2 feet square vs 1 feet square:

• 1' is obviously more flexible in terms of arranging your terrain in different layouts. 
• 2' gives you more flexibility as to where your terrain leaves the table. You always want it to be the same place on each tile so they match up and gives you the flexibility of deployment. In a 1' tile you should probably put the leave points in the middle especially if cutting down as the strength of the tile will be compromised. Whilst on a 2' tile you could put it at 6", 8" or 12" (the middle) away from the edge). Having said that you would still need to leave at midpoints to achieve maximum flexibility.
• Cost; 1 2' tile is a lot cheaper than 4 1' tiles.
• Edges; when building if you have a full woodshop you can make edge guards out of wood - obviously this is cheaper when making 2' tiles as less edges. I don't have the capacity to do this so I just put the polystyrene up to the edge and papier mache. The only problem is that this creates some shrinkage away from the bases and therefore slight gaps when putting tiles together. This is an increased problem when you have more, smaller tiles.
• Storage; may be easier to store 1' tiles, there again 2' tiles have less edges so less chance of damage. This really depends on what your storage is like.
• Weight;  obviously the 2' tile is heavier (and bulkier) so more difficult to move around the space. However this means they should be less susceptible to movement on table.

Looking at all this I'd advise 2 feet squares. I would also only put terrain to cross board edges when there is a physical depression (trench tiles, rivers, gorges etc).

The only other feature that would cross board edges would be large hills - either with set crossing points or as a terrace (cliff) - I think this could lead to some really fun designs with waterfalls.

Significant hills should probably be terraced (With smoother edges) - this makes it a lot easier to join edges across boards as well as reducing issues with figures falling over and for rules which use heights is a lot more quantifiable.

Other terrain we can build to sit on top of this could be other linear features such as roads, fences etc or area templates (woods).

With regards to depth of the tile it would be the depth of the wood base and then about 1" of polystyrene.

What to do?

I'm still working away at bits and pieces when I get chance and am physically capable to do so. As I write this now my back is in spasm and my neck has limited rotation.

So there are no new pretty pictures but instead a bit of a planning stage. I still have a lot of plastic Napoleonics in 20mm which were painted in my teenage years and frankly look not too great (painted to play with I guess). However I now feel a lot better in my painting and so am looking to get rid of these for best price - whether this is just to sell the lot in a bulk load - or to repaint it - obviously if its for commission this would be best - I will paint them for any rule set and base them too if agreed. For Example:

• Black Powder
• General de Brigade
• Napoleon's Battles
• Republique
• Volley and Bayonet

So who's interested? Otherwise I may just see how it would look playing V&B in 20mm.

Plans and Commissions

So things are happening in life; kids are doing well, Morecambe Bay Storm's first game approaches and we're training hard. I'm starting to learn Java and starting a genuine saving plan with missus.

Yes I play with sleeves.

On the gaming front things are happening too, the other week had a session of DnD and recorded it - potentially looking to post this on youtube along with some artwork (hopefully) in the nearish future. Great fun was had and future games seem likely.

I also have undercoated the building you saw on the last post - I decided to put the gravel on before painting on this model then painting over and giving it a wash and dry brush - in hindsight I think I will leave the gravel until the end in future models. I intend to mass manufacture these with the intentions of selling them (part of saving plan).

I have got some of my models painted - some Soviet support weapons (120mm Mortars and HMGs) in 10mm, and some Prussian Seven Years War Cuirassier Regiments in 6mm. Once I've got all the cavalry painted I will post them all together as I want to do the bases all at once.

With regards to the Soviets, I don't think I'm going to be able to travel to play anytime soon so I'm looking at generating some solo play rules based on Spearkrieg - this will probably have to involve blinds, I think using a random deployment could work for 1941 on the Eastern Front with Soviet units in disorder and could explain some questionable deployments. Any thoughts - especially pertaining to support weapons would be much appreciated.

Finally, I also have plans to go through my old stuff especially my 20mm plastic Napoleonics - I have quite a lot of them - will either sell as a job lot or if anyone is interested in them painted I will do them in whatever scheme required and base for required ruleset as well.

Update (August 2016)

So I've painted all sorts of bits and bobs but aren't really massively moving forward with any. Really need to pick just one and paint that. Having said that - I've no actual planned games in near future so I guess its more about enjoyment at the moment.

To give you an idea of how disorganised my painting is at the moment I have painted the following in the last few weeks.

• Soviet 10mm Armour
• Soviet Heavy Mortars and HMGs
• German 10mm Armour
• 2 Prussian SYW Cavalry Regiments
• My Gronn Flamme Warband for Frostgrave

1st Prussian Hussars

Both my seven years war cavalry and my warband still need their based doing as I'm undecided how to do them (hence why their pictures have "snow" bases presently. As such their official posts will come when these are done.

And now I have got back to scenery. I've got plans for a few different things for my Frostgrave terrains and once I really get into it I'm going to start mass manufacture to sell a few I think. Here's my first (single storey) ruin's walls.

I will also be making towers, columns, archways, wells and larger buildings until I can cover a table. I'm going to make them fairly generic so that I can use them for other periods (Stalingrad perhaps or Skirmishes in Hue for my Tour of Darkness campaign).

What Is Next?

Following D&D last Friday, I'm now trying to work out what is next. I have a few bits I could do both for myself as well as to clear some space.

• Finish WW2 Germans that I have
• Paint up my 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade.
• 6mm Prussian 7YW
• Falklands War Paratroopers
• Vietnam War
• Frostgrave
• Dystopian Wars Prussian Forces (Will be for sale)
• Masses of 1/72 Plastic Napoleonics (For Sale)
• Mass of Plastic WW2 Kits
• 20" Square Trench Tile for 28mm

So what do people think? I want to clear space especially of the stuff at my parents house and raise enough cash to complete my own forces and put towards a few other bits. So if anyone has any of this on a wishlist let me know as well as any other projects you don't have time to complete especially scenery. This also applies to other models or crafting projects as well as research for orbats.

Similarly if anyone has a good idea of how I can advertise myself then advise would be gratefully received.

A Song of Fire and Ice - Concept Part 3 (Targaryens)

Targaryen Emblem

Part 3 is a bit trickier. Having not appeared as yet on the TV series, we've not really seen the Targaryen Forces. For now I will take the ideas used by "Mount and Blade" mods and base it on this. If this doesn't work for DW then I'll try again. Suggestions for this one are requested please.

Targaryen Sergeant - "Mount and Blade"

All of the mods seem to use kite shields. Again a rough orbat would be more preferable to work out exactly what is wanted but for now I'm going to suggest the European Mid Medieval Spearmen for the infantry.

Spearmen

For light cavalry could use European Late Medieval Hobilars which match the infantry.

Hobilars

I have been asked to make the knights a bit heavier and "fancier". So I was thinking maybe some Roman Clibinarii. This is obviously personal taste so take it as you will.

Heavy Cavalry

I think the heavy cavalry may be taste dependent so I'll leave that out there. Finally, the army would potentially need Dragons (period dependent) which Pendraken do do some of.

Flame Breathing Dragon

A Song of Fire and Ice - Concept Part 1 (Starks)

Been discussing this with my friend DW and wanted people's opinion (as well as somewhere to collect thoughts). Have discussed how we could play a Game of Thrones wargame (probably in the Robert's Rebellion period) in 10mm with forces that look right.

So to start off with using Pendraken miniatures I'm going to take a look at the Stark armies. Unlike the other forces, although they are spread over a large area, they all appear to come under the same uniform/banner.

Stark Soldier

Basically, the colour for the Starks will be murky brown, grey, (maybe gunmetal) with rounded helmets and round shields. For the foot soldiers, the Viking range from Pendraken seems ideal.

Norse Bondi

For the cavalry, its a similar uniform and could be done by using the Irish Cavalry from the European Late Mediaeval Range.

Irish Cavalry

All in all fairly simple - the only other thing that may need modelling is a Ned Stark model with Ice. You could use one of the models I've shown with some Green Stuff or a Fantasy Barbarian Chieftain.

Sean Bean

On a side note, if we were to do the War of Five Kings then we'd need a Direwolf for Robb - how about a Giant Warwolf.

Grey Wind?

So I think this is a good start - anyone with any other ideas - or indeed rule sets to use please comment.

Giving Up Spending

Soooooo, I'm getting towards skintage :( things need to be done.

First of all less spending, this means no buying random crap and less trips to t'pub.

Secondly make more money, this means a lot of modelling needs to be done and as much as possible stuck up on ebay and sold, so watch this space.

At the same time I need to keep occupied and keep in touch with people so I'm thinking my life will basically involve work, playing football and inviting people round to the Trenches "to have fun" modelling/keeping me focused on projects.

Oh and get more pictures on here :)

Boardgames, Club News and Modelling

Only one more week til I can get back to some serious modelling and painting. Many ideas, plans and commissions to be worked upon :)

In the meantime I've been spending my game time playing and getting new boardgames, or rather trying to - I swear the dice are trying to kill me! First of all some old school monopoly where we played that you had to go around the board before you could buy properties - I WENT TO JAIL 3 TIMES!!!

Then last week bloodbowl - I rolled nye on everything below average - I mean don't get me wrong I made a horrific blunder early doors and my opponent wasn't overly lucky - until the required 6 for the interception at the end of course.

Rant over, I've now gone and purchased Arkham Horror. Really looking forward to bringing a co-op game to the Cow-Barn (our current gaming HQ :p) so I can kill everyone else with my dice, not just myself. So look out for a review of this in the near(ish) future.


The club website really seems to have started to take off with a horde of reports and TOEs from my friend AE. Loads of detail and the TOEs can be really easily converted for use in other rule sets.


Lastly, the future. As previously mentioned I have a lot of models to paint up; some for me, some to sell and some so I can dispose of on ebay. I also have continued my thinking aka Dragons - gonna buy some putty and maybe modify some existing models (beyond all recognition of course) into some basic shapes.

As per usual any comments would be appreciated - either to keep me on track or indeed to try something different - more picatures will follow once I've unpacked.

Trench tiles

So finally got the first two trench tiles done and dusted along with a group of barbed wire sections and they made their eagerly anticipated debut and the Lancaster Wargames Xmas game. So here they are (Figures painted by Dan Johnson).

Mortar Pit

Panzer!!!

Vorwarts!!

Trenches

As a sneaky peak for those playing the Christmas Wargame tomorrow (18th December 2012) here is some pictures of the trench tiles. Hope you enjoy :)

Axia-Fish

Now for some very pretty models, unfortunately not either my own work or belonging to me :( but a couple of guys at Lancaster Wargames Club brought this in last week and so I thought I'd give the artist the credit he deserves. Axia-Fish Painting Studio. He is contactable at 87axia@libero.it so if you need models paint to a fantastic standard (particularly large models) get in touch. The pictures speak for themselves so without further a do here they are:

Lizardmen (Teeth!)

Lizardmen Team Photo

Same from further away

Lizardmen Team Photo

Bull Centaur knocked down

Cage

Rearing Bull Centaur

Squabble in the corner

Line of Scrimmage

Counter by the Lizards

Bull Centaur blocking the way

So as you can see, very pretty models, seem fairly robust as well. If you have any comments add below or any requests please contact the studio. Later tonight some of my own work and tomorrow that how-to guide to barbed wire.