Something about silk purses and sour's ears??

I'm in the middle of the 'rennovation' project with the old Airfix Russians. The plan was to re base them for the 20mm Spearhead project, and as I did so, they'd get a touch up with the paint brush, and a Citadel wash to brighten them up.

The figures have huge nostalgia value, I painted most of them in my teens (40 years ago). These are the same Russian figures (well the same manufacturer, anyway) that appear in Charles Grant's
'Battle'. The nostalgia factor here is huge.

BUT..

I've misjudged just how badly they were painted 40 years ago, and how much wear and tear they have accumulated over 40 years of gaming. Truth to tell, if this were about creating a nice 20mm Russian mid-war army, I wouldn't even start with those old Airfix figures.

However it IS about re-using these long forgotten figures (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, as they say), but I can't help feeling just the slightest dissatisfaction with what is coming out as the finished product. The words silk purse and sour's ear keep running though my mind. There is a nice battalion of Brittania metals (Black Sea Fleet marines), but as for the rest??

In the meantime, a huge Modern Spearhead project is looming, unplanned, unanticipated, not even vaguely on the horizon until last Friday night... stay tuned!!! There'll be more anon.

The Lost & the Damned were ..

.. well, lost and damned really. First outing for the boys after our Combat Patrol painting challenge, and Adrian's Necrons were out to take the first small piece of this lush planet from the Traitors.

The L&tD army consisted of two squads of traitors, with a heavy weapon each (it was what they had managed to drag along with them), an 'assemblage' of mutants, with a unit of Chaos Space marines sent along to bolster their strength. We played this game using the 5th Edition 40K rules.

The mutants made a dash for the ruins on the left, hoping to be able to assault forward from cover.

The units of traitors took up positions to bring their firepower down and command the two fire lanes that the terrain presented.

The Necron warriors and a unit of three wraiths advanced behind the terrain, looking to shoot and kill.

Early firepower began to reduce mutant numbers, despite the cover offered by the ruins.

The mutants charged out of the ruins hoping to assault the Necron warriors, but they were held up extricating themselves from the difficult terrain, and so found themselves out in the open in front of the Necron warriors. This wasn't going to end well ...

Meanwhile the Wraiths assaulted the Chaos Space Marines ...

Traitors looked on, still bringing their fire down on the advancing Necron warriors (who kept on standing up again.. 'the 'I'll be back' rule.. damn!!). The Chaos Space Marines held their own for 3 turns of melee before finally succumbing.

On the flank the Necron Stalked was advancing on the second traitor squad when the missile launcher team finally scored a penetrating hit, immobilising the walker.

At the end of 6 turns, the L&tD force had lost well over 300 points, while they had manged to inflict a mere 90 points... the Lost and the Damned were certainly lost and damned on this field of battle.

However, we had an absolute ball of a game.... maybe we need to get a copy of 6th edition rules to give these guys another run.

20mm Spearhead project

These past few weeks have been filled with work, exam marking, report writing and such like, so figure painting and 'gaming generally have taken a back seat. However I've been able to make a little progress on the basing project, preparing the old 20mm armies for use with Spearhead. This is all about re-purposing/re-using old figures that haven't seen the light of day for a long time. It's about finishing those half starts. Here is the first of the four infantry battalions that are a part of the 20mm Spearhead project that has been energised by Nick G's enthusiasm for the rules and 20mm generally.

The figures were all painted 20+ years ago, and I certainly wouldn't paint this way today, but a new base, and a wash, make a little difference.

This is a battalion of Black Sea Fleet Marines ready for use with the mid war Russians. I can't recall the figure manufacturer, as they were acquired way way back in the mists of time. Brittannia maybe???

I can foresee many a stoush in the Crimea as these boys fight to defend their native soil.

HotT on Safari

Back at Easter we called in on our son Nick in Dunedin, and I couldn't resist catching a couple of games of HotT. Nick had just finished his African Safari army. He took these photos.... flyers, behemoths, knights ... mwahahahahahahaha.

Orcs rulz, yeah!!!!

Last night was my first opportunity to push plastic or lead or anything even remotely toy soldier related around the table for quite some time, and it was a Kings of War game with Andy and Adrian. Adrian and I played his Orcs against Andy commanding his Kingdoms of Men army.

Just a few shots. The buildings were scratch built by Andy.. nice work, eh!!

Finally, first shots of Valhallans

Finally.. the first photos of Andy's Valhallans.. his choice for the 400 point Combat Patrol painting challenge. The infantry squad, with a heavy bolter and a company banner (hand painted.. nice work, Andy!!)

The Commissar alongside that company banner again.

And the veteran squad .. also with a heavy bolter.

The force so far ...

Andy has a heavy weapons platoon in progress as we hurtle towards the end of the 8 week challenge. It's great to finally get some photos of Andy's work.

L&tD Mutants.

Finally .. 'Houston, we have mutants'...the last of my planned force for the 400 point Combat patrol painting challenge. These have been a long time coming, since 2003 actually. I took a box each of GW Catachans, and Catachan Command, a GW mutant sprue, some Ork arms and bits, and a little green stuff, and .. voila!! I chose the Catachans because they are already near mutant with their comic caricature sculpting style. The over sized arms set them up superbly for 'mutation'.


The biggest disappointment was the use of the Catachan command box.. the poses were too static for my liking, and when combined with my lack of imagination, lead to some poses that I'm not happy with (I think you'll be able to spot them). I did however manage to create a couple of tidy wee mutations myself with some Greenstuff.

The flesh paint scheme was crucial to the project. There were four layers of flesh (from Dark Flesh to Rotting Flesh, followed by a purple wash, and a thinned down highlight of more Rotting Flesh. The lighting on the photography doesn't do the paint schemes justice.

The 'mutants' are clothed in camouflage uniforms and this (combined with the consistent basing technique) will tie them in visually with the remainder of the figures in the force.

They probably wont quite match the standards that most 40K modellers/'gamers would aspire to, but finally they are done.. whew!! All up, I think I've managed just under 500 points of Lost and the Damned in seven weeks.