The Wordle thus far

Hmm...
I need to stop using "Well" so much...

15mm Terminator WIP

What a difference a week makes!

Well,
I am very enthused about recent developments all around! I have found someone in N. Va who wants to get in a game or three..and we're in the process of planning something for this weekend. I know, better get a bloody move on on it! I have been working on some 15mm items for Sci-fi...I'll have the first pics up soon! Let's just say John Connor's going to need more firepower!

In other news, I am planning how to use Ambush Alley to reflect terminators and Xenomorphs ala Aliens. I know, I could wait for the Sci-fi expansion, and I think it's going to be Stargrunt good, but honest, I have never been all that good at waiting. Frankly..it's a shame 20mm Sci-fi never had quite the audience 15s did. But that's alright, with the 15mm sci-fi renaissance being what it is now, I am kept quite happy...methinks I will work on my Imperial Marines next. After that, who else, but Hammer's Slammers!

My main problem? Coming up with inspirations for all of the armies I have in 15mm. Frankly, I don't want to paint variations of the same, but to have some really creative ideas. So, fellows out in Blogland, send me ideas! Links especially.

Been a bad Blogger!

Haven't posted much recently...sorry, RL has been making me busy. But I am in the midst of spring cleaning and trading off some superfluous stuff. You can find lists of said same here, here or here. I might be adding more to the trade pile so check in every so often and if you see something you want, get a hold of me.

I am deep into assembling 20mm kits and 15mm sci-fi figures as well these days. I can honestly rate kits to my satisfaction...and results might surprise you.

1. Dragon/DML- A pleasure to assemble their HMMWV and T-34/85 kits. Their instructions were logical and everything went together damn near flawlessly. The only real bummers were that I had to shave down the interiors of the HMMWV tires (filled the gaps with putty), and the T34/85 track was a bit of a bear to get the two ends to align and mate under the hot screwdriver.

2. Trumpeter- A fine kit, their LAV-25 was sheer joy to build and had no real assembly problems at ALL.

3. Itareri- The M4 I procured from them was an easy build, I left the interior parts off, and the parts as a whole were workmanlike and I had fun modding the kid a little bit with some spares.

4. UM- A decent offering from Eastern Europe...their Etched metal parts were fiddly, and sometimes, their instructions made one take a double take, and I had to improvise here and there, but it wasn't as bad as...

5. PST- While I am glad that SOMEBODY makes IS-2s and ISU-152s...putting together the IS-2 I did as a test piece was a bear. The tracks especially. Instructions were well, open to interpretation. Happily, I think I got pretty close to the intent.

6. Zaveda- Never again..I got the D30 together, but the wheel halves didn't mate properly...at this point...I am going to fill with putty and call a day...it was hell putting the gun together in the first place.

7. Matchbox- Not bad for an older kit...no real problems and it's it's usual solid, workmanlike self.

I still have plenty of kits to assemble. But, all in all, I am having fun, but I have taken a break to work on my 15mm stuff. Just tired of it not getting any "love" I suppose, and with all the new 15mm stuff hitting the market, I want to use my stuff!

Also printed up some cards for Ambush Alley: Force on Force on business card stock. Had a blast and I may have to reprint some, but it's not earth shattering. I also did some sci-fi backs and I will probably come up with some events for them soon!

New and Old, and got some work done over the weekend!

Well, I traded some Vietnam and Arab-Israeli figs for a boatload of kits, including some WWII Hetzers and Marders that will prove to be useful. Also, managed to get my hands on copies of Blitzkrieg, D-Day to Berlin and the new Osprey on the T-80 I especially enjoyed the T-80 book and found it very informative, with many earlier assumptions, such as the high-low tank design mix, and the planned progression of Soviet tank design (aka, the FST-1 of threat inflation fame) was actually low balling it in a few areas...gun caliber for one..152mm in a CiH design...YIKES!

In other news, I put together some of the kits I have gotten recently...and can sum it up this way. Dragon makes some nice kits..so does Trumpeter. I put together a Zaveda D-30...let's just say...ugh. But, they're the only game in town. I also mounted all my guns on plastic bases. I figured it will protect them a lot better in the long run.

In other news, am jazzed about H-Con 2010 and I am working on historicals more and more these days...even if finding folks to play 20mm close enough to DC that I am not making an epic trek is difficult. Not a knock on NOVAG, simply an observation.

Painting? Is it easier with Historicals?

Well, I got a lot of work done this week. I rebased and touched up some Soviets for WWII, and painted a few of them. I am getting enamored of the "Popsicle stick" method of painting figures. It's something I have had a long time coming. Funny thing is, having gotten back into painting historicals? I find it EASIER than painting CBT. Why? You might ask:

Exhibit A

Ok, now look at my second piece of evidence.

Exhibit B

Same unit, same time period, but the base reds are different, and so is the the black. Heck, in A, I'd be hard pressed to say that was BLACK if I didn't know what the colors were. And both exhibits are from Camospecs, the official paintscheme site for CBT. Yes, I know there are such things as faded paint, weathering and the like, but it's also the descriptions of said colors. Vallejo thankfully, can do a million colors approximating just about every uniform shade in history, but good luck matching shads of units from a future that probably won't happen!

By the way, kudos to Artizan Designs! Their camo guide is nothing short of fantastic. It, combined with my copious Osprey collection has made painting almost anything WWII a snap! No matter what scale WWII you paint, go take a look.

Back again, sorry about the hiatus.

Well,
Been doing a lot of Classic Battletech lately. Same as for the last two years. But I found a new organization, the Silver Spring Civic Guard, and here's hoping they're easier to get to that NOVAG was. Also, found out PW's been reformed. Got to get in touch with Fred, but we'll see. Won't be the same without Wally Simon though.
In other news, I made a killer trade with D.Chris Seabolt of Dansville Wargamers for a few Russian needs and some nice looking terrain. More details, and hopefully, some pictures later. He's a great guy, and a hail fellow well met, so I want to give him a shout out here, even if he is a Marine...
As for my two cents, well, the rumors are swirling about a potential move of Historicon to Baltimore. TMP is all abuzz about it here. Frankly, I am cautiously optimistic and hope for the best, but I have a bad feeling this will become mired in the usual BoD politics one sees swirl around HMGS. If they move to Baltimore, I have to be honest, it probably will be a good thing. Transportation for a lot of folks will be easier, and though costs will go up, I think the benefits will go up as well. Just so long as they don't move to Timonium. That was an unmitigated disaster.