Twelve o'clock high

It's taken a while but finally ....

These were first ordered a month or more ago, but the order got lost. Miniature Market in the USA was great.. their team investigated, found that the order hadn't been delivered, and so despatched a replacement order. It arrived in seven days (as did the original WW1 order).

Awesome service, highly recommend dealing with these guys.

Anyway, the order consisted of the WW2 Starter box, a B17 and two P51s, and three Fw190s.

Looks like it's daylight bombing missions over Germany. Bandits 12 O'Clock high and all that.

An unholly alliance

In the beginning was the word. And the word was 'unholly alliance' (well, strictly speaking that's two words, but so it was - "Orcs and... Elves" aggggghhhhhh) and the word spread like ink on a blotter, like molten gold in a mould, from Dwarven Hold to Dwarven Hold. A new evil had arisen, and warriors from Dwarven strongholds from across the land came together to see the end of this new horror.

Elven spearmen advanced with their evil warrior King behind.

T'were even elvish dragons to the fore

And seeming silken elven chariots .. hiding their evil bile behind such sweet facades

But staunch Dwarven warriors stood ready to resist this new horror

Warriors and Dwarven machines advanced in the face of this new evil

While fearsome and evil orcs advanced in their hideous hordes

Dwarven riders launched themselves into the flank of the orc horde

While a wondrous Dwarf machine hit elven abominations in support of glorious dwarf Shieldbreakers

The centre was contested

On the flank hideous orcs brushed off Dwarf cavalry and hit the Dwarf Ironwatch, while the dragon smashed itself into the Dwarf cavalry

The Ironwatch fought valiantly but were beaten and dragged down by such monstrosities

Glorious Shieldbreakers threw themselves the seemingly unstoppable elven cavalry. They must be stopped

Still the tussle proceeded in the centre

And still the cavalry hurled themselves again and again against the hideous flying dragon

Alas the Shieldbreakers fled

But the wondrous Dwarven machine sought its revenge

In the centre the Dwarf warriors gained the ascendancy

And the dwarf organ gun artillery finally smashed the orc horde

Even as the Dwarf King went toe to toe with the Elven Mistress the centre cleared and the hosts of Dwarf warriors stepped out across the piles of dismembered elven bodies.

The field was clear, the 'unholly alliance' had been stopped, but at what cost. Many were the funeral songs that would echo through the Dwarven Holds for months to come, and many would be the grudges recorded in the Great Book of Grudges, awaiting revenge.

The game was fought using the Kings of War rules. Adrian wanted to give his ancient (literally, the figures are starting to suffer metal rot) elves, but didn't have enough figures to run a 1500 point army, and so he made up numbers using his orcs. I used my Dwarf army.

This year's painting challenge

Back in 2013 Adrian, Andy and I undertook a 40K Combat patrol 400 point painting challenge. You can see the results here.

The net result was the completion of my L&tD mutants, Adrian's Necrons, and Andy's Guard (well he didn't quite make 400 points. We didn't really want to start new armies, but the painting challenge certainly progresses projects, so this year it's a 40K vehicle challenge.

I've chosen a Defiler to give the L&tD a little more Chaos firepower, although frankly I a much more interested in the enjoyment of painting a very cool model.

Andy is tackling a Dreadnought, and I haven't heard from Adrian yet.. I suspect something Dark Eldar'ish.

Hopefully we'll keep the blog updated with photos of our progress.

Volley and Bayonet Peninsular action

Nice to see VnB alive and well elsewhere in the country. Take a look at this cool battle report.

On the Remembrance theme

In 2010 I completed the Massey University first year Creative Writing paper. As a part of the poetry section of the course I wrote this villanelle. It carries the theme that I started with 'Secular Sainthood'.

What are we remembering?

Oh Glorious acts beheld in history's gaze

In written tomes of acts performed when brave men fought,

Tales abound of men gone past before their days.

Such chronicles of deeds are writ in bloody ways,

From writers who with backward glance their stories wrought

Oh Glorious acts beheld in history's gaze.

Speakers voice with rapture acts that daze

In ways that prompt imagining and thought,

Tales abound of men gone past before their days.

These tales become more mawkish with time's haze

As fewer marchers march with mem’ries fraught,

Oh Glorious acts beheld in history's gaze.

Ghosts of men long gone absorb the praise

Although 'twas not the act their actions sought,

Tales abound of men gone past before their days.

Sunrise welcomes new remembrance days

Do we march each year because we ought?

Oh Glorious acts beheld in history's gaze

Tales abound of men gone past before their days

The marker judged the language to be too archaic.. hurrumph. Not an entirely professional effort, but I liked it then and I still like it now.

Breaking the drought

It's been a bit of a drought around here. In a figurative sense you understand.

Well, in a painting sense actually. In late January I packed up the old panting tray and equipment, boxed up the gaming room, in fact everything in the house, and at the end of February Lorraine and I shifted into our new house. Brand spanking new, rebuilt on the same site as our previously seriously 'munted' Christchurch house. 'Munted' .. a piece of Christchurch post earthquake jargon for anything seriously  .

We've pottered away at unpacking, and a few weeks ago we finally got to the point where the study was usable instead of being the surplus junk room for stuff we hadn't got around to unpacking. Even the games room is almost usable, although still not quite. However there she's rested as I've seriously lacked the motivation to even pick up a paint brush. After four years, perhaps the best way I can explain this is to liken our four year post EQ experience to crossing the finishing line of a half marathon. Your mind keeps your body going and carries you across the line. Once there your whole system says 'Yep, I'm done, don't expect anything much for a while now OK?"

However tonight .. well tonight ...  was a momentous occasion. I picked up a paint brush and I started painting again. Just the horses for 9 stands of 1914 6mm French cavalry, but it's a start. As they say to make a start, well, you just have to make a start.

I don't think this was a desultory shower, I think the drought has broken. Small steps and all that.

Although to tell you the truth I think there's still more than a smidgen of 'survivor guilt' going on. I feel for those people who are still fighting insurers and our Earthquake Commission, after four years, still struggling to get what they are entitled to. They haven't yet crossed their finishing lines. Keep going guys... for your own sanity.

A little more Wings of Glory

Last Friday we reprised our previous Wings of Glory efforts. This time I was using my newly arrived purchases. The first gam saw the Hanriot D1 take to the air.. and I managed to  .. explode'.

In the second game my beloved Sopwith Triplane carried me skyward. I delightfully manoeuvrable wee beastie .. and I managed to explode a second time.

We then tried our hand at a WW2 game using Keith's aircraft. Another great game in which a number of subtle differences to the mechanisms made a very different game, faster and deadlier.

I piloted one of the Zeros

The opposition came in the shape of a couple of Wildcats

Yep, if you were one of the Wildcat pilots you'd be a little concerned to be in this position.

You can find a better write up, and some more great photos,. on Keith's blog.

Not sure if it needs to be said or not, but .. I have now ordered the WW2 version of the game as well, and some accompanying aircraft. Such is our hobby!!!