First of the Itu'a

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Having got my painting mojo back with the Astagar, it was time to pull the next box out of the lead mountain and see what was in it.

I have far too many boxes in the mountain at the moment: some of them literally unopened!

What tends to happen is that I happily paint and play for a couple of months and then suddenly realise that (a) I have money in my PayPal account and (b) there are loads of new releases that I haven't bought yet...particularly 15mm sci-fi releases that, if I don't buy now, could disappear forever if, as is so often the case, the manufacturer goes out of business. I then end up manically buying everything new that, of course, all arrives at once, and ends up in the lead mountain cupboard.

This particular box was from Khurasan Miniatures: a controversial company (Wikipedia IABSM scandal, TMP sock-puppet scandal) which produces an amazing range of figures, both historical and sci-fi. 

I have lots of both, and this particular box contained sci-fi figures from their Itu'a range: an insectoid/carapace-heavy race that I intend to include into my Hive army.

First up is an Itu'a Swarm: a platoon of "Myriads, who are smaller than humans but armed with long biorifles and a set of pincers with which they can more than hold their own in close assault".

These are very nice. Despite their ridiculously sized commander (at least 30mm tall) the main body are proper 15mm figures that paint up very nicely indeed. I've chosen to paint them in my Hive colours of various shades of dry-brushed red, but the picture on the Khurasan site shows what you can do with them if you can actually paint.

Next up are the Itu'a Kalat warbeasts: more scale creep!

Last of the Astagar...

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...for the moment, at least.

These are the extra grenade-launcher and flamethrower types used either in small three-man (snake?) teams, one of each per platoon, or to augment the regular infantry squads.

With what I have painted already, I now have two full platoons of three eight-man light squads each, which I can make into standard weight nine-man squads by adding the bombardier (red shoulder flash) or heavy weight ten-man squads by also adding the flamethrower chappie (orange shoulder flash).

All I need now is to find some of the original Astagar MBTs and SP artillery that were available on the Kickstarter. Anyone got any they don't want? Anyone...?

15mm SdKfz 247 Now Available

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Those of you who are building an early war armoured car company from a panzer division's reconnaissance battalion (page 63 of the Blitzkrieg in the West: The Germans theatre supplement for IABSM) will have been almost immediately stymied by the need for the Big Man in the Company HQ to ride around in an SdKfz 247, as no one seems to make one.

Well I have some good news for you.

The figure manufacturer Heer46 now have an SdKfz 247 model available in 15mm. It's the Auf. B version with four wheels, as opposed to the Auf. A model with six wheels, and looks like a cracking bit of kit.

I've ordered two of the little blighters, even though I'm unlikely to ever need to field more than one.

The only problem, by the way, is the cost. In common with anything wargames related from Europe, they cost a comparatively enormous amount. The model is €11.80: which is about £10 or $14! That's about five times what you'd pay for a plastic SdKfz 222, making the SdKfz 247 the Ferrari of the German army!

IABSM AAR: Operation Compass #11: Bardia/One

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Some great desert action from Tony Cane, as he and friends play the eleventh scenario from the Operation Compass scenario pack: Bardia/One.

The scenario covers one of the Australian assaults on the Italian-held town of Bardia as Compass turns from raid to army-beating campaign.

Click on the picture below to see what happens when you underestimate the opposition...

TFL Painting Challenge: Big Wednesday Update

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Lots of lovely entries to report this week:

  • Carole changes scale and paints an army's worth of 10mm Undead
  • Staying at the left hand side of the Scorecard, Mark Luther make a welcome return with sixteen small scale aeroplanes
  • Andy Duffell has built a Euro Church: let's hope it gets onto the tabletop faster than the Eurofighter!
  • Travis has more WW2 French infantry to submit, and a very nice 75mm howitzer set
  • Joining Travis in the 28mm WW2 French club, Lloyd 'The Hat' Bowler smashes in a couple of infantry platoons, some transport vehicles and a handful of guns
  • Chris Stoesen has painted some palisades
  • There's a cornucopia of fantasy figures from Blue Moose Ken
  • Mervyn pops in some British Napoleonics and a lady of easy virtue
  • And last, but by no means least, Steve Burt sends in some more Assyrians...arriving just as I was putting the finishing touches to this post.

As always, clicking on the name of the person above will take you straight to their gallery (opens in a new window). 

Here are today's pictures:

I will update the Scorecard in due course.

TFL Painting Challenge: Scorecard Updated

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Yes, I've finally found time to update the Painting Challenge Scorecard.

Plenty of points being racked up and, although it's not a competition, worth congratulating the following people on hitting 1,000 points already:

Some of Matt Slade's work (he's currently got the highest score with 2072 points)

I am languishing on 415 points, so need to get my brushes into action if I'm to hit my target of 1,000 points before the year's end.

IABSM AAR: Blenneville or Bust! #5M: Chemont

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Another great battle report from the excellent blog of Sergeant Steiner. 

Here, he and his friends play scenario #5M: Chemont from the Blenneville or Bust! scenario pack: involving a clash between Fallschirmjaeger and US armour.

My enjoyment comes as much from working out which BoB scenario the game is taken from as reading the report itself! Blenneville or Bust!  is a pyramid campaign involving five levels, so there are thirty-one possibilities in all. There's no mention of the name of the village in the report, but only the village of Chemont has a layout like that shown in the picture below. That means it's one of #5B, #5F or #5M. Only #5M involves German Fallschirmjaegers, so scenario #5M it is!

Click on the pic below to see all:

Q13: Astagar Second Platoon Finished

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I've finally had a chance to finish the second platoon of Astagar infantry. Lovely models to paint up, and a nice variety of poses as well.

The Astagar were originally produced by Critical Mass Games, but are now available from Ral Partha Europe...well, at least the metal figures are: the resin vehicles are not yet there.

I bought the Astagar through their launch Kickstarter, but have been kicking myself since then for not buying the AFVs and SP Artillery models at the same time. So, my usual plea: if anyone has any that they want to sell me, please get in contact (address is in the right sidebar somewhere).

Just the squad support weapons to paint up now, and then that's the Astagar project finished (well, until I can find some AFVs and SP artillery for them).

Painting Challenge: Quick Wednesday Update

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It's been a week and a day since the last Challenge update, so plenty of entries to get through. Still the core entrants providing most of the content, so come on the rest of you: pick up your brushes and get to work! Even I have managed to finish a unit, but more on that later in the week.

Here, in no particular order, are today's entries:

  • Carole with some barbarian cavalry
  • Sapper with quelque Napoleonics
  • A rather nice blockhouse from Chris Stoesen
  • Travis with some more French
  • Some more Assyrians from Steve Burt
  • Yet more pike and renaissance types from Mr Helliwell
  • There's basing galore from Stumpy
  • Jason Ralls sends in some lovely Dark Ages figures 
  • And last, but by no means least, Mr Slade has been painting cars for the Apocolypse, presumably caused by the Daleks and Cyberman he also sent in

As per usual, clicking on the name of the person in the list, above, will take you straight through to their gallery (opens in a new window).

Here are today's pictures:

IABSM AAR: Bashnya or Bust! #4A: Holm

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Another great I Ain't Been Shot, Mum! AAR from Sergeant Steiner's marvellous blog, this time also supported by the comments of the Duc de Gobin, author of the epic Warfare in the Age of Cynics blog.

This time, The Sergeant and the Dice Demon, Steve, are playing one of the scenarios from the Bashnya or Bust! scenario pack for IABSM: scenario #4A Holm.

What's quite fun for me, as the author of Bashnya or Bust!, is working out which exact scenario they're playing from the photos. On this occasion, I knew it was Holm immediately (distinctive terrain!), but which one. Well the only one with that exact number of T-34/85s and that exact number of Panthers is 4A...so hopefully that's it!

Anyhow, click on the pic below to see all. Recommended...along with a quick visit to the two blogs this comes from as well. Excellent stuff.

 

As usual, I hope that neither of the gentleman mentioned above objects to me re-posting their text and pictures. It is genuinely intended as a way to spread awareness of both IABSM and their excellent blogs rather than anything else.

Painting Challenge: Quick Tuesday Update

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It's quite quiet on the Challenge-front...must be something to do with the weather.

Today, in no particular order, we have:

  • Carole with some more Ancients
  • More LOTR figures from Mervyn
  • Plenty of variety from Matt Slade
  • More French from Travis Hiett
  • Andrew Helliwell has a hill and some Germans
  • Mr Hodge smashes through his painting block with some AK-47 figures, both newly-painted and freshly-rebased
  • And last, but by no means least, Treadhead has a horde of tiny Soviets for us to enjoy

As per usual, clicking on the name of the person, above, will take you straight through to their gallery (opens in a new window).

And come on the rest of you: the year is ticking by and that lead mountain ain't getting any smaller!

Here are today's pics:

A Great Day at OML 6

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Yesterday I made my annual pilgrimage to the bustling market town of Evesham (don't ask: about an hour away into tractor country) for the sixth Operation Market Larden Lardy Day.

Everything was organised, as per usual, to perfection by Ade Deacon and the other Evesham wargamers and, as I wasn't running a game this year, all I had to do was turn up and play.

In the morning, I played I Ain't Been Shot, Mum!, with Noddy umpiring a game set in the Ardennes during the Bulge campaign. Dave and I played the Germans and, in the morning game, drove onto to the table and set things up nicely for whoever would take over for the afternoon's game.

In the afternoon, I played in Stumpy's Zulu Wars game of Sharp Practice 2.  Here, again playing with Dave, we attempted to protect a supply column as it made its way to a trading outpost deep in the heart of Zululand. Dave ran the convoy guards, and I ran the defenders of the outpost.

Another great game, full of action and derring do. Dave's supply column and its Zulu attackers fought themselves to a standstill: I think there was only one unit left "alive" on each side at the end of the game. Meanwhile, my chaps rather sensibly stayed behind the walls of the outpost, happily blasting away at anything Zulu with their elephant guns. Not a Zulu penetrated into the compound, so all was good: we just won't mention what happened to the Boers caught outside!

There were loads of other great games also being run. I didn't take a comprehensive log of what they were, but here are pictures of three of them just to show you what an amazing set up we had: 

And, to top it all off, a lovely curry in the evening. Sometimes I really do pity the other people in the restaurant: "Fancy a nice, quiet, romantic curry tonight, dear?" 

Another great Larday Day. Highly recommended for those that have one in your area.

Great Movie Scenes #003

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"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time...like tears in rain. Time to die."

No list of great movie scenes could ignore Roy Batty's final soliloquy in 1982's Blade Runner. The final version of the speech was apparently written by Rutger Hauer (who played Batty) himself.

For those of you who don't know the context, Batty is a replicant, an artificial human with a limited life span used for jobs deemed too dangerous or unpleasant for people to do, who has escaped his bonds and fled to Earth to find his maker and ask for more life. Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, is a Blade Runner, a sort of policeman who specialises in hunting replicants. In this final sequence, the hunter becomes the hunted as Batty chases an unarmed Deckard across the rooftops. Deckard attempts to jump to another building, but misses the jump, and is about to fall to his death when Batty saves him. As Deckard lies on the roof gasping for breath, Batty feels his death upon him...

TFL Painting Challenge: Quick Update

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Must be time to do a quick Painting Challenge update. So, in no particular order, this time we have:

  • Mark Luther makes a welcome return with many, many little ships
  • It's "The Dark Ages": a big entry from Jason Ralls
  • Joe McGin is still in the Congo
  • Carole has some more later Romans
  • A return of his mojo gives Sapper enough of a boost to send in some SYW and Napoleonics
  • There's more lovely Frenchmen from Travis
  • And more lovely eastern front buildings from Chris Cornwell
  • Last, but not least, Mr Helliwell is painting up his winter Germans on the hottest day of the year so far!

As usual, clicking on the name of the person in the list above will take you straight to their gallery (opens in a new window).

Here are today's pictures:

IABSM AAR: Piotrkow Trybunalski

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Just written up an AAR from the game we played yesterday using scenario #45 from the second September War scenario pack: the battle of Piotrkow Trybunalski.

A big game covering the actions of 5th September 1939 as the Germans drive down from the Borowska Heights.

Each side fielded a company of infantry and tanks, with the game taking about 3½ hours.

Click on the pic below for more: