TFL Painting Challenge: A Moderate Update

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Just a moderate update today. Quite lucky, as I'm exhausted after a week travelling around England's green and pleasant land on business.

Today's entries are:

  • Obviously Matt Slade, with a giant entry
  • Mr Helliwell roars back with a mix of scales and periods
  • Leif is back! Okay, so it's just one 28mm tank, but he's definitely back
  • Carole pops in some more half-tracks, but is running out of things to paint. Salute, dearie, Salute: my shopping list already extends a great deal further than my wallet!
  • Not only is Leif back, but Wulf returns as well.  Four figures from him.
  • Mr Luther submits some 20mm Japanese tanks, and pimps up a load of 6mm armour as well

Today's picture? Well it has to be Leif's tank, doesn't it?

DSC_1067.JPG

Chain of Command Terrain: A Lard/Warbases Joint Venture

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Exciting news for all 28mm 20thC/modern gamers: the TooFatLardies and Warbases have got together to produce a new range of laser cut terrain pieces. Here's the news item from Lard Island News:

Part of the joy of wargaming is the opportunity to, albeit briefly, suspend our disbelief and see ourselves as Napoleon or Wellington, commanding vast armies, or Sidney Jary at the head of 18 platoon. For me, a big part in creating the environment which encourages that immersion in the narrative of our games is getting a table that not only is pretty, but also looks right. In so many cases it is the small detail which makes a big difference. In all of the games we have run around the shows, it has been stuff like telegraph poles and (believe it or not!) cabbages growing in the garden which have received the most comments. Interestingly, it is small detail like this which I have so often found myself having to scratch build, with varying degress of success if I am honest, as most terrain companies tend to focus on the big stuff, like buildings, bridges and walls, rather than the minutiae. Well, that’s all about to change.

Before Christmas I had a long discussion with my old chum Martin up at Warbases and floated the idea of starting a range of terrain for Chain of Command. To my mind it is the skirmish or platoon level game which really comes to life when you add some extra detail, and I wanted us to work together to start producing the type of items which I really wanted to see in my games. As always, Martin came up trumps, as my dodgy sketches and vague ideas were turned into something practical and VERY pretty. The great news is that we will have the first two packs available at Salute. These are as follows:

Pack One includes the following:

  • Lean to Greenhouse
  • Potting shed, including work bench
  • Chicken coop with two cast metal chickens
  • Cold frame
  • Compost bin

Pack One

As you can see below, the lean to greenhouse will fit neatly onto any flat walled building

Pack Two contains the following:

  • Free standing Greenhouse
  • Dog kennel with cast metal doggy (optional “woofs” to be provided by customer)
  • Garden bench
  • Wheelbarrow
  • Wood store

PACK TWO

​All of the models are in laser cut MDF and, where shown they have suitably embossed paper to cover the roofs and serve as tar paper or roof felt as used in the early 20th century. Even better is the news that each of the packs will be retailing at just £16 each, great value for models which will really transform your wargames table. We hope to have these available on the web site immediately after Salute, although I reckon these will be a sell-out at the show!

These look great! Now all I need is for them to be produced in 15mm as well!

TFL Painting Challenge: Enormous Update

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An enormous update today: lots of people submitting lots of entries. Has taken me almost two hours to update the site!

In no particular order we have:

  • Matt Slade with a huge number of 15mm sci-fi miniatures from Khurasan. Of particular note is the sci-fi Foreign Legion: twenty-one figures from the same unit, but each from a different alien race. Kinda hard to get into a painting rhythm there: I know, mine are still languishing in the lead mountain!
  • Mr Plowman makes a welcome return: very busy, but not busy enough not to fit in painting four random fantasy figures
  • Mr Baldwin submits his usual large melange of figures and scales
  • Carole has built and painted a couple of lovely camps
  • A first entry this year from Pingu, who promptly pops in some perfectly painted Paras
  • Sapper achieves some Seleucids
  • Egg just about completes his British forces for Sealion
  • Mr Burt submits some Hussars, and another cat photo...
  • Stumpy sends in some great 28mm modern Russians, and some 15mm WW2 Germans as well
  • Mr Naylor builds some rather nice looking minefields
  • and finally Mervyn paints some more LOTR figures

Phew!

I'm thinking that a large number of entries deserves a large number of pictures, so again in no particular order we have: 

Egg's Brits for Sealion

Egg's Brits for Sealion

Carole's Camps

Carole's Camps

Ralph Plowman's entry: four random fantasy figures

Ralph Plowman's entry: four random fantasy figures

And finally, Mr Burt's other cat!

And finally, Mr Burt's other cat!

I would have included Matt Slade's sci-fi Foreign legion, but as they are split between about six pics, you'll have to go to his gallery and see them there.

Sarissa Precision Ltd: Buildings for the Far East

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I've never been big into terrain.

I am never going to make any (far too much like hard, and messy, work) and in the past it's always seemed like a waste of money that could be spent on more soldiers. 

That, however, was before I got my wargaming room back after its sabbatical as a kids playroom, and before I moved this website to Squarespace. I'm having more games now, and the photos are easier to process and upload, and my existing terrain...well, it just isn't up to scratch any more.

Wooden huts for the Eastern Front from 4ground

I have had very good experiences with 4Ground's range of wooden huts for the Eastern Front, so I thought I'd see if I could get some more of that sort of thing, but this time for the Far East. 

A quick search of the web, and I found Sarissa Precision Ltd: a UK company that do a nice little range of laser-cut wood buildings just like 4Ground's.

They have six different village huts in their Far East range, so I bought one of each, and have spent the last few days putting them together: I love the smell of laser-cut wood in the mornings!

Once built, however, I felt they were slightly lacking something. Not in the models themselves, I hasten to add, they were lovely, just that the setting demanded something more.

So I have been very brave, and I have pimped them up!

First I've added a toupee of wool roving (whatever that is!) bought from the local Hobbeycraft to their roofs. This was quite difficult: it involved smearing white glue over the roofs, then carefully snipping off and sticking down layers of wool cording so they look a bit like some kind of vegetation. Don't ask me what sort of vegetation: just enjoy the look!

It didn't turn out just how I wanted it too.

Building One: Planked Style Village House - Low

Apparently you're supposed to be able to comb this stuff, and I had envisioned a sort of green thatch effect...whereas what I have achieved is more Boris Johnson! But I like it, and I think it will look good on the tabletop amongst the plastic palm trees and lichen.

Next, I thought that the empty holes for every door and window (on some of the huts: others have a wooden lattice effect) looked a bit odd.

Building Two: Small Village House

So back to Hobbeycraft and the purchase of a roll of hemp trimming. From this I have made crude blinds/curtains which actually round things off nicely. Flocked bases and the odd shutter finish things off: at least until I can buy some little pots and other household detritus with which to decorate the bases.

So a little bit of work to make them look super, but highly, highly recommended. Oh, and they cost £52.50 for the six, with only £2.50 p&p.

Here are the other four:

Building Three: Woven Palm Style Village House - Low

Building Five: Planked Style Village House

Building Four: Woven Palm Style Village House

Building Six: Small Village House - Low

A Small Village Somewhere In The Far East

US Weird World War 2: Mudskipper Medium Jump Walkers

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Now I know I'm supposed to be painting my Airborne infantry platoon, but just before I do, a little diversion...

I seem to remember complaining that Clockwork Goblin had promised some medium jump walkers to go with the Hyena Light Jump Walkers, but that there was no sign of them as of yet.

Well, under the radar, as any good Airborne force should be, they have released them, and very nice they are too.

Here is the platoon of Mudskipper Medium Jump Walkers all ready to go into action with the rest of the Airborne force...once I've painted them, that is!

Oh, and as it seemed to work last time, can we have the Firefly Jump Infantry now please. And can they have wings not rocket packs please!

TFL Painting Challenge: A Second Easter Weekend Update

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Good to see that all of you are doing something useful with your holiday time: painting figures and sending in your entries to the painting challenge!

Lots of lovely entries again so, in no particular order, we have:

  • Stumpy emerges from his lair for his first entry of the year: and a big entry it is too!
  • Carole provides some support for her British infantry
  • Fred Bloggs pops in some more 28mm figures
  • AJH finishes off his forces for an Elephant game
  • Mr Luther paints more 20mm Japs, and fills in some of the blanks in his gallery. Recommended for a look.
  • Mr Burt provides the picture of his Skraelings. Sorry, Steve, but people tell me they preferred the picture of your cat!
  • Benito sends in some lovely Moors
  • And the ever-present Mr Slade kindly provides a pin cushion...I mean almost three hundred 6mm pikemen!

There are three pictures today. First up, Benito's Moors: gorgeous and make me want to go all El Cid myself.

And then let's have a picture from Mr Luther: what a lovely tabletop that is!

US Paras: Light Machine Gun Section

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I've taken the plunge and finally decided to get myself a company-plus-supports of US Paras.

I think it was watching Band of Brothers again that did it: it was either the Paras or early war Poles, and somehow seeing Dick Winters and co. charging round Normandy and onto Germany tipped the balance.

It also means I'll be able to play the multitude of available scenarios involving US Airborne forces using the proper figures!

Here are my first efforts: the Light Machine Gun Section: 

The figures are from Forged in Battle: I decided I needed a change from Battlefront and Peter Pig, and so decided to give FiB a go. It's not a conversion though: I've only got the machine gunners, above, and a single platoon of infantry so far. We'll have to see how the first platoon paints up before deciding which manufacturer will have the privilege of providing platoons two and three!

Uniform-wise, they are portrayed in the drab uniforms worn for D-Day. I think this provides a more iconic image than the more green gear worn later on in the war. You'll note that I have painted on the eagle insignia: I did try using those teeny-tiny transfers, but they proved too fiddly to manage, despite Model Dads video tutorial.

Right:  on to the first platoon now...

Quar: Crusader Heavy Weapons Section

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I took advantage of the Zombiesmith Winter Sale (15% off) to fill some of the gaps in my Quar forces. 

First up is the Crusader Heavy Weapons Section: three Model 6 Heavy Semi-Automatic Shotgun teams. These are the equivalent of MMGs for the Crusaders, and are a great demonstration of how detailed the "fluff" surrounding these loveable anthropomorphic anteaters is: there's a whole section in the This Quar's War book devoted to the Model 6's, describing how they are used, what round they fire, their crew and functions etc. More information than you get in most non-sci fi games!

Not a very good picture, but the section comprises three guns, each with a crew of six.

See more of the Quar by visiting their gallery here, or at the Zombiesmith site itself

TFL Painting Challenge: Good Friday, Good Update

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Sorry that there's been nothing from me for a couple of days: real life getting in the way of anything else. Worked in the office until 10.30pm last night: so add in commuting time and you're talking a 17-hour day!

Anyhoo, onto today's submissions:

  • First up, we have Treadhead with some lovely 28mm vehicles and a fort
  • Mr Naylor submits some teeny tiny trees and markers
  • Steve Burt has finished some 28mm Skraelings, but rather than send me pictures of them, has sent me a picture of his cat. There are two jokes I want to make here, neither of which I'm going to!
  • Mr Bowler, who has apparently and somewhat disappointingly never worn one, has finished more of his terrific ACW 1/600 buildings and fortifications, including a great big fort
  • Ashley pops in a spaceship
  • Andrew Helliwell is back with some more 15mm Soviets
  • Joakim submits a colossal entry of big Dust troops and 28mm horror stuff
  • and Mr Slade has some casualties

There are two pictures today. First up are Mr Treadhead's US vehicles in 28mm:

And secondly, and terribly predictably, here's Steve's cat:

TFL Painting Challenge: An Update

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Getting to the stage where I have to do an update early on in the weekend in order to make time for an update after the weekend!

In no particular order, we have:

  • Mr Bax makes a welcome return with his version of Frozen II
  • Benito pops in a quick ATG
  • AJH, desperate to get ahead of Topi, achieves some fences and a house
  • Matt Slade submits some 28s, and lovely they are too
  • Mr Naylor with some more little tanks
  • I Am Bruce enters the Lardy five..might be a duplicate in there?
  • Carole, with loads of half-tracks, some pimped
  • And newbie Mr Milne enters Australians of both sizes (does that sound right to you?) and some British armour

Today's picture? Well let's carry on the tradition of showcasing a newbie's first entry. Here are Mr Milne's 15mm Australians:

IABSM AAR: Hauts-Vents

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Brooklyn Wargaming have some fantastic IABSM AAR on their website, which can be reached by clicking here.

They have generously agreed that I can add them to the Vis Lardica site so, for your enjoyment, here's a battle report from the end of last year featuring a game set near Hauts-Vents in France, 1944.

Click here, or on the picture below, to see the full report.

If you have an AAR for one of the TooFatLardies company-sized games (IABSM, CDS, Q13) do feel free to submit it for inclusion to admin@vislardica.com. No need for anything fancy: just a few pics and words, or even just pics or words, will do.

And if you've enjoyed this AAR and any other bits of content on the site, please comment, like or, if you own your own website, put a link to Vis Lardica on that.

Cheers

R

TFL Painting Challenge: Sunday Morning Update

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Fantastic day of rugby yesterday with the climax of the Six Nations. Once again England were so close but yet so far from becoming champions, but well done to the Irish anyway.

How can we maintain that level of excitement through to Sunday night? Why, an update to the painting challenge of course!

Today's achievements (and they are legion!) are:

  • Mr Luther with some more 6mm planes (more photos please Mark!)
  • Nils with a whole load of 10mm figures and a 15mm rabbit
  • Mr Naylor with some more 6mm AFVs
  • My favourite entry of the week: WillieB's Napoleonic fleet in 1/500th scale. This takes huim over 500 points and over his last year score...so double cheers all round
  • Egg plays Captain Mainwaring with the Bang On Trend Home Guard platoon
  •  Sapper with a mixed bag of 15mm & 28mm figures
  • Mr Douglas with...yes, you guessed it, more LOTR figures...and a couple of 15mm Crusaders
  • Carole builds a bridge and some bunkers, and populates them with Marders...and gets over the 1,000 point mark: huzzah!
  • Mr Yuengling with more teeny-tiny tanks
  • and finally Jason Ralls with some 28mm VBCW and WW2 figures

Today's picture, as you might have guessed, is of WillieB's ships. Very nice: