T-34s, more books and some figures!

Well, my Syr Hobbes order came last week, lots of US and Brit SF, and some Russian half figures for my vehicles..this will be fun! And I split a second hand consignment of Battlefield 20mm with Jage. He got the Russians, the Handachar and Jungwitz Cossacks and half the FJ. I took the other half of the FJ, the misc packs (lots of half figures for tanks there!) and the winter SS for Bulge stuff.

I sprayed up using the FoW Soviet Tank Color (it's done by Army Painter and doubles as a primer coat, what can I say, it's expensive, but not bad as a time saver) some T-34/85s that had been sitting forlornly from when I purchased them as a set from somebody on TMP.

I did miss some spots, you always do when you spray in my experience. So, I asked about on TMP, the Guild and the AAG forums, and Piers was nice enough to tell me to try the Vallejo Russian Green, but also that the shades on it tend to differ a bit. No worries, the Soviet Army's paint stocks always had a bit of "play" in them, and once they're properly detailed and weathered, and then chipped? You won't notice a damned thing!

I also have some pics of another modern micro-armor game we ran. Americans v. Soviets. Soviets lost again, but they did pretty much bag most of a US Armored Cav troop for the loss of a battalion of T-80s. Yeah, the Soviets would consider that a fair exchange. The Czech Tank battalion with T-72s, well, they simply died like dogs, with the survivors (most of the regiment, surprisingly!) ran for the hills.

I like FFT, it's damned fast and well thought out, I really wish Ty would get 3 out before I am old enough to collect SSI! I am looking forward to the game I've got planned on Saturday, now I've just got to plan the actual scenario...It will be a bit bigger than stuff we've run before, but I think all will appreciate it!

As for book reading, finally finished Generation Kill, I liked it but it was a bit long on "We killed a lot of civilians", and short on "what the battalion was actually doing". Not saying it isn't a good bit of work, but I liked Not a Good Day to Die better. Also finished Tonight We Die as Men. Fine bit of work there. Ian Gardner did himself proud with the book, and the bit of research he did on the Douve river bridges on D-Day has corrected a long-standing error. I like that Mark Bando was involved in the book. He's also done a lot with the 101st and really showing the division was more than one company (again, no offense intended to the members of E/2/506th).

I also gave Jage my extra 2300 stuff and my older HS books. Hope he finds them useful. I sure did!

Well, that's all for now, pictures soon!

A birthday, a lot of lead and some new books

It's been a busy, though not very productive time since the last blog post. Haven't gotten much in the way of painting done, but I did get a test scheme of one of the Caliph's troopers for Djazlah done. I may highlight some of it a bit...but other than that, I am pretty happy with it and am going to use my new portable photo studio to snap some shots of it. Who says Ebay hasn't got anything useful anymore?

Also, I am very happy with the recent acquisitions I've made, a large Libmins order (probably the last one for a while), and a Battlefield miniatures lot I got second hand I'm splitting with Jage. Battlefield has some unique subjects, and I'm looking forward to my half of the figures. Hell, even the negotiations will be a blast.

Jage also told me he got the first of the 6mm he's painting for me at cost done. I am eager to see and photograph them. Future War Commander may happen sooner than we think?

My main addiction these days is Silent Hunter 4. Yes, that's right, I am happily sinking lots of the Japanese Navy and Merchant Marine. I'm running a campaign with an old S boat and I've already sunk:

At least a half dozen freighters (including one I had to shoot with a third torpedo, two didn't even slow him down...the third broke him in half!)
2 Tankers
God only knows how many Sampans and Fishing Boats
And the feather in my cap? 1 Takao Class Heavy Cruiser (ironic since three of the four in this class were sunk by US Submarines historically, I just did one in two years earlier)

The game's got some small frustrating factors, like a propensity to crash at times, (Save often) but it's pretty good, and there's nothing tenser than sneaking past the escorts at 3-4kts trying for that one good shot on a convoy.

Also received for my turning 36...yeah, I'm that old...was some books from Amazon. Not all have arrived, but I am working my way through Achtung Schweinhund!, and honestly, I really don't know why in the hell I didn't read this sooner. It's hysterically funny and poignant at the same time, though my collapse into near hysterics on the Metro probably scared some of my fellow commuters. My seeming lack of decorum was in response to the one scene where the young author tries to "bayonet" his grandfather in the groin. It's just priceless. His description of Airfix charades and the "Reich/Spice Girls" comment is comedy gold for wargamers. Not to mention his description of teenage model builders and their exposure to various solvents and other chemicals makes you wonder if we're all a bit addicted to what's IN the glue?

I've got the more serious work Tonight We Die as Men which reminds us, there was more than one company and one battalion in the 101st, no offense to Dick Winters and the rest of Easy Company. I am expecting a quality product from Osprey and I don't think they'll disappoint.

Well, that's all for now.