TFL Painting Challenge: More Entries

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Originally posted 7th January 2014

More participants and more achievements for the 2014 Painting Campaign.

Additional participants (in no particular order) are Mark Luther, Leif Eriksson, & Richard Danziger.

Matt Slade smashes his duck with 96 points for some gorgeous 28mm horse, with the Mad Padre right behind with 76 points mostly for nasty German pulp types. Richard Danziger scores 24 points for some lovely 95th Rifles, and Chris Stoesen re-bases a platoon of Italian infantry for 21 points.

Today's photo is a close up of some of Matt Slade's horse:

TFL Painting Challenge Update

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Originally posted 6th January 2014

I'm pleased to be able to add some more names to the participants in the 2014 Painting Campaign, and to record some more achievements.

Additional participants (in no particular order) are Craig Ambler, Derek Hodge, WillieB, Pingu, Dave Humm, Mike Whitaker, Jon Yuengling, Topi Mikkola, John Thomas, Jim Catchpole, John de Terre Neuve, Dick Bax, Warrior in the Attic & Chris Stoesen.

There have been some big scores notched up already. Jon Yuengling earned 144 points for his twelve 1/6000 ships; Mike Whitaker achieved 106 points for his 106 WW2 British Infantry; and Jason Ralls and Craig Ambler both managed about 60 points for 15mm figures again.

There have been some lovely photographs sent in as well. I'm going to feature two today. First up, Jason Ralls' British WW2 tanks; next, Benito has recorded his first points with a 28mm Italian LMG team.

Q13: Vornid Army List

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Originally posted 6th January 2014

I've mentioned before that one of the frustrations of 15mm sci-fi gaming is the fact that some brilliant ranges are incomplete, in that they might have a good selection of infantry, but they have no support weapons or vehicles.

One range that is a case in point is Khurasan's Vornid range of plantmen. Great infantry, nothing else. People weren't buying them, so the range wasn't expanded. Fair enough, but it means it's difficult to use them on the tabletop, as more rounded opponents take them apart too easily.

I've already expanded the Vornid army list with the addition of GZG support weapons crewed by Fungoid mushroom men (also from Khurasan), and Slishian Big Men and gunners from Hydra, and can now report I've found a source of vehicles as well in the form of Ravenstar Studio's Horrid range.

These are, well, horrid, as you'll see from the first additions, below. Ordering them involves e-mailing Ravenstar, but if you want a source of most unpleasant sci-fi creatures, with guns, then the Horrid are worth the trouble. Just to give you an idea of scale, the tanks below are over six inches long: this is Starship Troopers territory!

To the left are links to the updated Vornid Army List, the updated Vornid Gallery, and the updated 15mm Sci-Fi Manufacturers list (where you'll find a link to Ravenstar Studio's blog). Below are the Chitin Two-Gun tanks!

TFL Painting Challenge: The First Entries

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Originally posted 5th January 2014

The first few entrants into the 2014 painting campaign have registered, with some already submitting their achievements.

So far, the following have signed up, with their current points total in brackets afterwards:

Bairos, Vidal (20)

Bloggs, Fred

De Smedt, Koen

Gilbride, Chris

munsterfan8 (17)

Nissvik, Thomas (16)

Padre, Mad

Ralls, Jason

Vera, Benito

visbellica (30)

The TFL Painting Challenge Launches

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Originally posted 4th January 2014

The end of the year saw the customary collection of posts where Lardies listed their gaming achievements in 2013.

Most prevalent was the recounting of how many figures had been painted over the last twelve months, with posters gasping in amazement at the achievements of some members (especially the professionals) whilst bemoaning their own sad efforts!

Thus was launched the idea of a 2014 TFL Game-Ready Campaign or TFLGRC for short. It's a way for Lardies to collectively track what they have painted over the year, hopefully as a spur to self-improvement and an encouragement to greater productivity. 

Details of how to take part are in the links to the left or in the Contents column, as well as the links to where you can see who's managed what so far.

So pick up those dust-covered brushes, bite your thumb at your lead mountain, and join us all in the TFL Game-Ready Campaign!

Q13: Praesentia Army List

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Originally posted 3rd January 2014

I've finally got around to completing the Praesentia army list for Q13, based on the superb range of figures from Critical Mass Games.

I've been wanting to do these for some time as I am strongly tempted to make them my next sci-fi army purchase. They are the first Tech 4 army to be included within the lists, and have some excellent chrome to make them complete. 

Here's a picture of the box set showing the basic robot infantry force with Praesentia Big Men and various drones for support.

AAR: Three for IABSM

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Originally posted 1st January 2014

Those of you who regularly visit VL (bookmark us now!) will know that I love finding and collecting After Action Reports from all over the web. I especially like seeing how other people interpret scenarios that I have either written of played. So I was very happy, yesterday, when I found Whisperin' Al's blog which has several AARs for either IABSM or CDS.

Here's the first batch covering scenarios from the Defence of Calais and Sealion scenario packs. Lovely photographs of well set up tables and nicely painted figures. More to follow.

Coulogne

Coulogne Redux

Rearguard at Pevensey

Leichtgeschultze 40 Recoilless Rifles for the Fallschirmjaegers

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Originally posted 1st January 2014

Some Christmas painting: I've added some Leichtgeschultze 40 recoilless rifles to the Fallschirmjaegers. Thinking about it, I should have used a slightly different yellow for the guns and for the base smock colour; and camouflaged the guns as well. Lesson learnt: laziness always leads to a slight feeling of dissatisfaction!

Japanese Type 94 Tankettes

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Originally posted 31st December 2013

Second, we have the Type 94 Tankette for the Japanese. Typical Battlefront tank model but, again, seemed to fit together more easily than usual. I also like the command figure. The Type 94 wasn't used in the invasion of Malaya and Burma, my usual theatre, but will be useful elsewhere I'm sure. Again, recommended.

Soviet SU-12s

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Originally posted 31st December 2013

More Christmas painting: this time figures from Battlefront's range covering the pre-war battles between Japan and the Soviet Union. 

First up we have the SU-12 battery: Gaz trucks with a 75mm field artillery piece mounted on the back. These are nice models that are much easier to build than others that I have done, particularly in the way that the wheels went on and the gun went together. The Su-12 was used during the Great Patriotic War as well, so great for Barbarossa scenarios too. Recommended.

AA Support for the Gitungi

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Originally posted 28th December 2013

Some AA support for my Gitungi.

Anyone who has ever played Q13 knows that a bit of AA is absolutely vital, but so few ranges include appropriate figures. Here, Micropanzer's Gitungi are enhanced with a GZG hover vehicle mounting some sort of AA missile launcher.

Incidentally, Jason at Micropanzer is working on his next set of Gitungi releases, so hopefully a  fuller range will be available soon...

New Gitungi Soon

A WW2 German Field Kitchen

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Originally posted 28th December 2013

The first of my Christmas painting: the German field kitchen from QRF, with a couple of customers from Peter Pig's 'German Infantry Eating Lunch'.

The kitchen itself is really nice: a good cast with plenty of character. The two chef models are horrible, though, no definition to the faces. The Peter Pig figures are exactly what you'd expect: well cast infantry in imaginative poses with the usual open mouths...more appropriate than normal here. 

Useless for wargaming, but absolutely necessary for the serious wargamer, I also like the way the vignette makes it look as if the chef is being taken to task for the quality of his food! 

Big Men for the Protolenes

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Originally posted 24th December 2013

I'm trying not to start any more sci-fi armies for the moment, concentrating on completing the many that I have already.

This is actually harder than it sounds, as some of them don't actually come from complete ranges and have to be filled in as and when I come across something appropriate. For example, Khurasan's ambulatory plants, the Vornid, are lovely, but the 'range' only consists of a few infantry poses. I've already added Hydra's Slishians as command figures, and am now waiting for a package from Ravenstar with some 'Horrids' to add bio-vehicles.

Anyway, first up in the gap-filling are some command figures for Critical Mass's Protolene Khanates:

Blenneville or Bust! Reviews

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Originally posted 21st December 2013

Here are a couple of comments that have recently appeared about my IABSM scenario pack  Blenneville or Bust! on the TFL Yahoo Group:

I am about to start Blenneville (which I think is probably one of the finest wargaming scenario books I have ever come across in three decades of wargaming). 

Justintonna 17/12/13

It was only when playing Robert's Blenneville campaign after many years that it hit home how good IABSM is.

Craig Ambler 09/12/13

Most kind, Gentlemen!