Maximus, Basilisk Crew, Space Marines, and Heart of Africa Game

Hello Dearest Viewer,

Not many new paint jobs completed, but I did get to play in a big Heart of Africa game.

First up is the General Maximus from the movie Gladiator, on foot, dog, and mounted with dog.  They're painted for a friend, based off screen shots from the movie.  The pink shrub was my special touch.  The models are Warlord (I think) and wasn't impressed with the foot model's cape (boringly flat) and the horse (softer metal horses need two points of contact with base not one).  If the user isn't careful the horse model will eventually break off at the single ankle.

rear shot

I didn't finish my unit of French lancers, but I did manage to finish a few random 40k models.  Four space marine scouts (no chapter yet), two German looking Basilisk crew men, and two Rogue Trader plastic beakie marines.

rear shot

the two terribly painted beakies are based off art in the Rogue Trader book:  a Flesh Tearer and a Field Police.  I'm not sure the Field Police were supposed to be a chapter or the evolutionary precursor to the chaplain.

Regardless of wether Field Police are a chapter or not, I'm counting them as one.  I now have 10 different chapters painted, 990 left.

 In more exciting news I managed to play in a fun Heart of Africa game.   The game was a meeting engagement, with the Arab/local force as the notional attackers.  There were three objectives:  two baggage piles (worth 5 vp each) and a village worth 10 pts.  To take the village, you must have more models inside at quitting time.


 In the below pic, good guys are on the left, top to bottom: warriors, askari, Arab swordsmen, askari, Arab swordsmen.  The opponents, European villains are on the right: warriors, 4 askari units, and another large warrior unit.   I made the village from scratch.

better view of some good guys.

The master game gamemaster and of the evil green shirted European generals, together with his evil troops.

One can see another evil general shaking in fear as the valiant Askari and Arab swordsmen advance to the objective he's already taken in the first or second turn.

The particularly brave troops I am leading advance towards the village and marvel at my amazing hobby craft.

I will build you one of these villages with removable huts, complete with removable tops, for hundreds of your dollars.  Just email me and I will start building and ship it to you after the delivery of the hundreds of dollars.

Here the cowardly enemy advances much slower, in great fear of the beautifully crafted village.

See how well the right wing of righteousness advances and the evil warriors fiddle about.

a close up shot of their evil fiddlyness, their general orders them to urinate on the objective.

The heroic General Allen has our Godly left wing advance to some rocks and an ill Fate causes  them to sit there long enough to almost finish the paint job.  They're actually great, the shields are my favorite.  I didn't take any pictures because they are my favorites, and not yours.

We advance confidently and righteously into the village.  Some of my troops hop inner walls without penalty because I don't always listen well and missed a rule for several turns.

Part of our right wing, led by the Great Steve changes their mind and plans to join me in the village.  They mostly stand around alot, because my Satan cursed hands touched their movement dice.

Our right wing Arabs line up and the evil fiddlers fiddle.

Our left wing, still on their open ranks formation inspection break, see Askari musketeers advancing to take our objective.

Oh dear, this is when I sharted.  The enemy swarms into the village and one thing I don't like is a fair fight.

Our goodly left wing awakes from their nap and charges a wall of muskets.

Everyone on the right wing has moved around.  Several European sharpshooters have arrived to keep our Arab brothers from advancing towards the urine soaked objective.

The horde of spearmen charged my Arabs to be mowed down with short range musket fire.  They did make contact and killed a few of my martyrs.

Finally the evil warriors charge our right wing.

Please notice the lack of evil warriors in the village.  God ordered me to slaughter them and then surround the enemy commander.   The enemy Askari can't get in range to take good shots at my Askari avoiding contact in my side of the village.

The valiant heroic left has annihilated the enemy.

With numerical superiority and my extreme handsomeness we own the village.

Our heroic left owns the left objective.

The right wing will probably lose the melee, but we still own the field with 15 victory points to 5, when  the villains call it a day.

A random picture, with the top falling off of a hut, this strongly irritates our gallant gamemaster.

Till next time when I really promise to have more minis painted.

love, Baconfat

Perry Prussian Reservists, Bugundian Bowmen, Space Marines, and a Bag of Dog Food

 Hello,

I've recently finished painting some more models.

First are some Prussian Reservists, metal Perry models.  They were a breeze to paint until I sprayed them with a clear coat to protect their paint.  The clear coat completely frosted most of the models including the command group.  They looked like they had just stepped out of the freezer or froze to death in the disastrous Russian front.  I won't bash the company, but their initials are GW.

Here they are after I've repainted over most of the frost.

Ugly side shot.  Some frost is still visible.

Here they are walking over to investigate the odd terrain.

Here are some Perry plastic archers, painted to look like Burgundians.  Please don't notice that I've got some of them holding their arrows on the wrong side of the bow.  Definitely ignore the fact, that I completely forgot to give most of them more than one arrow.  They're posing in front of my castle; I got it cheap; fixer uper, hopefully I can turn it around for quick cash.

Here they are preparing to shoot their limited ammo at something you can't see on the other side of the aquarium terrain.  As a fun idea I took most of these photos inside of a giant fish tank.

Here are four more marines in my quest to paint every space marine chapter.  Eight down, 992 left?  I'm starting with the easiest chapters first, but now I'm bored of blue and will be moving on to reds and greens.

The chapters are Imperial Paladins, Star Dragons (silly name), Heralds of Ultramar, and Emperor's Hands.

And as promised a bag of dog food.

Almost finished another 2' x 2' piece of urban rubble terrain.

Till next time, when I might have some French nappy lancers, more space marine chapters, or possibly something completely different!

love,
Baconfat

255th Anniversary of Minden

Hello,

Another post, breaking my one day posting record.

A friend Steve, whom I've asked to join me in blogging, hosted a gigantic 1500 model game of the battle of Minden (Seven Years War).   The rules were the fun, easy to learn "Napoleon's Battles".  A total of nine Grognards showed up to play the game, but Steve was able to control the chaos.  I don't think I'll ever host a game that big.

Here is his After Action Report I am blatantly cutting and pasting out of an email:

"OK, on to the battle.  I set things up historically but both sides had their own unique strategies.

The French Left was commanded by Clay who commanded de Gruchey's French infantry division,  To his immediate right was Doug who commanded Prince Xavier's Saxon infantry division.  Next was Tim who commanded Fitzjames' large French cavalry division.  Gerard commanded de Bauperaeu's  main French battle line.  Martin commanded de Broglie's large elite corps on the French Right.

David commanded the Allied Right which included the entire British contingent under Von Sprokern.  Jeff commanded the Hessian/Brunswick infantry and Allied German cavalry under Von Holstein.  The Allied Left under Von Wangenheim was commanded James.

Seeing the exposed British flank Clay and Doug tried to swing their divisions in on them in an attempt to pin the Brits so Tim's cavalry could ride them down. This was partially successful but the French Command had to move over toward Gerard as Jeff's cavalry was initially very successful and Gerard was on the ropes.

Clay's division found itself out of command and immobile due to Contades moving toward the French Right.  Doug was able to get his Saxons close enough to provide support as Tim finally launched his Cavaliers against the Red Coats.  After many charges the French cavalry were able to drive back the British infantry, killing Von Sprockern in the process, and the poor Hannovarian Guard were all but surrounded.  At this point the British cavalry under Granby was finally forced into action.  The "Best cavalry in Europe" now drove into the poor Saxons and drove them back and captured Prince Xavier in the Process, thus saving the Allied Right.

In the Center Jeff's cavalry charged on turn one and never let up, routing several units.  Somehow Gerard held on as Von Holstien's cavalry were never able to achieve a decisive breakthrough.  Because both overall commanders concentrated on the Center and Allied Right the Allied Left ended up being little more than an artillery duel.

Around 5:30 some of the guys had to leave so at this point the French had lost nine of the 15 units to break their army (9/15). The Allies had lost four of 15 (4/15).  I declared it a Minor Allied victory.  It was a very tough fight with some very good generalship on both sides!  The French commanders can be happy they avoided the catastrophic defeat Contades faced in history."

Steve has probably painted 3,500 SYW minis, so hopefully he'll host another massive game again in the future.

love,

Baconfat