Loads of updates today: it's taken me all evening!
In no particular order, we have Kev's first entries (superb ECW troops); David Bailey's catch-up entries; and more from Mssrs Luther, Bax, Yuengling, Ralls, Nissvik and Ambler.
Today's picture? Has to be a close up of some of Kev's ECW troops:
Updated again.
Achievements from Mike Whitaker; munsterfan8; Thomas Nissvik; the Mad Padre; Jason Ralls and (shock, awe) the big man himself, Mr Richard Clarke!
And Kev (Fat Wally) has signed up as well, although he says he's only going to enter the stuff he paints for himself. I say no! Enter it all!
Anyway, as I know what's good for me, today's picture is from Mr Richard Clarke: a rather nice Panzer III from the Western Desert.
Updated again.
A couple of new participants: Stumpy and Alexandros. That makes thirty-six people striving to increase their productivity!
And this weekend saw achievements from Benito, Mr Hodge, myself, Stumpy, Jon Yuengling, and Manuel Llano, with Manuel and Stumpy breaking their ducks.
Today's picture is from Stumpy: a Soviet T-35 with converted T-70 ammo carrier and three T-26 escorts. All in 15mm.
Finished off the rest of the Horrid support for the Vornid army. The plantmen now have four tanks and a scanner courtesy of Ravenstar's Horrid range. Time to get them onto the tabletop!
Updated again.
Achievements from Dave Humm, Jason Ralls, Jon Yuengling, Chris Stoesen, and Benito.
Top choices today, chosen by my daughter Catherine, are from Jason and Benito:
WW2 troops from Jason Ralls
Italians from Benito
A battle report featuring a game played using the first scenario from the Five Planets scenario pack: the Avians launch their invasion of the Gitungi controlled Pankova star system!
More participants and more achievements for the 2014 Painting Campaign.
Additional participants (in no particular order) are Ralph Plowman, Joakim Ström, and Steve Parry-Harries,
Lots of achievements as well. Top of the list has to be Warrior In The Attic who has managed to complete three Napoleonic French foot units plus officer and artillery. Lovely paint jobs worth a stunning 607 points.
Other achievers are Jon Yuengling, two T-62 15mm tanks; Dick Bax, two 20mm Universal Carriers; Mike Whitaker, two 15mm anti-tank guns; and Jason Ralls with thirty-two 15mm Napoleonic British infantry and their mounted officer.
Napoleonic Foot from Warrior in the Attic
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:
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.
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!
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)
Here's an AAR for IABSM from Kazenstein, who took advantage of the Christmas break to get in a game. The Germans are counter-attacking!
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!
Here's the final Whisperin' Al IABSM AAR downloaded from his blog. It's short but sweet, and covers action on Crete during the German airborne invasion.
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I mentioned below that Whisperin' Al's blog had a CDS battle report in it. It's only a short one, covering an attack on a Free World firebase. Here it is...
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.
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
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!
Paul Scrivens-Smith reports on the game that he and his fellow Lardies will be taking around various shows next year. From the East African theatre, it's the attack on Sanchil and Brig's Peak by 1/3rd Punjabis on 10th February, 1941.
Excellent pictures again!
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.
Vis Lardica is a website devoted to wargaming and military history, with a special emphasis on the company-sized rulesets produced by the TooFatLardies: I Ain't Been Shot Mum (WW2); Charlie Don't Surf (Vietnam); and Quadrant 13 (science fiction)
Welcome to Vis Lardica, a not-for-profit website mostly dedicated to the company-sized wargaming rules produced by the TooFatLardies, but encompassing my other gaming interests as well.
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