Focke Wulf mission Funf, and other shit.

Hey all.

Here are some progress shots of the three Focke Wulf's =)

Safely contained in their cardbord box, the trio (aided by the ever useful clothes pegs) pose for the camera. You can see the fuselage of the TA152 has been cut and sanded down here and is ready for the cockpit rebuild =)

The size difference between the fighters is pretty plain in this shot. It's amazing to read the spec sheets on various planes throughout the War, even the Spitfire ends up significantly larger and heavier than she started out (and with about 2.5 times as much horsepower!)

Landing gear on! You have no idea how tricky it was to get the Revell/Frog TA152's oleos' and gear to look right... Swearing time. Airfix did a good job on the A8's undercarriage and, as usual, no complaints with the D9 from Academy - basically the same straightforward build as their Fw190 A6-8.

 

So, what else? Well after Olgier and I rolled up our RoC warbands last weekend I decided some new figures were needed to fill the battlefield!

I haven't given GW my money for about 10 years now (something that isn't about to change...) so a new source of figures was needed. Unfortunately in Wellington there isn't really a lot to go and look at as far as the wargaming scene is concerned, but...

Enter - The 'Caffeinated Dragon' Wataaah! I scoped this shop on the way back to the workshop after a test ride a week or so ago and figured I'd go have a look.

And guess what? They sell Reaper minis! 

 

 Problem solved =)

 

 This is where I'm up to about now. The Reaper minis came from the 'Bones' range as I had been wanting to try painting one up for a while now. I plumped for a dastardly looking Elf to become my Dark Elf Wizard and a rather heroic looking Paladin type to fill in for the Griffin Templar for games of Hybrid =)

The Dwarf between them has been in my collection for a long time and used to hang out in my HeroQuest box along with Jim the Jabberwockey and various other assorted guff. He'll be starting his wargaming career as Olgier's Tzeentch loving Chaos Dwarf Champ. 

And yes, the Necromunda project continues...

New to my painting table of woe is this...

Something a bit different for me, we'll see how it goes =)

See you!

Ace

Bog of Eternal Stench part 5... Nobody touch nothin'

The ground beneath your feet is wet and mushy... the air is humid (or frosty - haven't decided yet) and smells like sneaky farts... strange noises fill your ears and you might not be making all of them...

You may have inadvertently invaded; the Bog of Eternal Stench...

Here's the next bit of terrain for my growing (spreading?) swampy mess.
This one enjoyed gluing itself to various parts of my anatomy during its creation.

 Stairs.

 Perfectly modelled to fit the foot dimensions of a 28mm figure... actually that was just a happy accident.

 Cave.

 Not where the wild things are. Probably damp.

Cave exit.

Small green bushes arranged like those flying ducks on someone's wall.

Large tussock for impressiveness and extra credit.

End.

Bog of Eternal Stench part 3...

More from the land of Stench!

I managed to get a few shots of the my recent additions to the Bog =)

Now the trick will be trying to wrangle my friends into games of RoC across this vista of farty poop-water.

More tussocks courtesy of my wife =)

I tried out some new materials on this one, little bits of sponge etc.

 

Waste polystyrene - fucking fantastic!

Ace

And now for something...

...completely different.

No, not a man with a tape recorder up his nose.

Just completed this customization for my bosses daughter. She's a massive Doctor WHO fan and (like me) a fan of Tom Baker's role as the Jelly Baby munching 4th Doctor.

Mix that in with a My Little Pony and you get this...

 "The very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the facts. They alter the facts to fit their views. Which can be uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that needs altering."

 "Killing me isn't going to help you. It isn't going to do me much good either..."

 "I never carry weapons. If people see you mean them no harm, they never hurt you. Nine times out of ten..."

"Would you like a Jelly Baby?"

The end.

Ace

There's a first time for everything

So many dirty memories... anyway this isn't about those, it's about these!


A while ago (ok, ages ago) I said something along the lines of finally getting into model aircraft.
I never built up a kit as a lad you see, and for some reason the idea has always been something I put into the too-hard basket and ended up doing something more familiar instead.
Over the years I have built/painted/customized/sculpted many things in the 28mm Sci fi and fantasy sphere, I just never managed to get it together enough to give a kit a go.

No longer! I am very happy to relate that I have completed my FIRST EVAR model aircraft!

Here is (after a metric fuck-ton of wanky self doubt and deliberation) my FW190 A5-U12 =)


The kit - Academy's FW190 A6-8 1/72

 The kit is exhaustive in details - you can use it to build most of the popular production models of the FW-A series fighter/fighter bomber and includes 20mm gondola pods, a drop pod and bombs... Fuckin awesome!

 My attempt...

Yeah so its not perfect... far from it actually.

Basically I did my utmost to fail miserably at this project; starting with deciding to spray undercoat the entire model on its sprue - meaning that I ended up supergluing this kit together instead of using Poly-cement... sigh, oh the humanity.

Next up would be the fact that I used the wrong cowl over the engine - resulting in an Fw190A5 with MG17's instead of the 13mm guns it should have - then I managed to fit the 'blown' canopy instead of the 'straight' canopy, oh dear... 

The propeller looks good though.

And these are the bits that make this a 'U12' version of the type - 4X20mm cannons in two under wing gondolas. Designed to add even more firepower to the Fw's already substantial armament, specifically to deal with the 8th Air force's B17's and Liberators.
It might be worth noting that I doubt an FW190A5-U12 operated over Tunisia (which is the camo scheme I opted for) It might also be worth noting that desert camo Luftwaffe units probably didn't use 'scribble pattern' over the RLM tropic splinter scheme and that I lost the cannon barrels for the wing root guns... Whatever =)

But in the end the front bit is at the front and the back bit... is a bit crooked, but still essentially pointing in the right direction.
And doesn't she look nice =)

Yes I used a CD for the base terrain - it's all I've got right now ok?!


Here are the next two projects;

 This will be the last Swordfish that I build FOR A LOOOONG TIME... Airfix, I love you but... why??
(Looks cool though, I like to make plane noises while I glue it together... ahem)

And an unfortunately shit photo of a Spitfire Mk XIVC that is actually turning out rather well (being my 2nd attempt and all) I decided to go with the South East Asia/Burma camo on this one (even though technically that would mean this would be a MkXIV-E? - Technically, my dear, I don't give a damn...)

So there you go!
Lots of stuff on the table for other peeps ATM - but don't worry, I have all kinds of mindwarp on the horizon for you.

Bye!

Ace

Bog of Eternal Stench part 2 + Jabberwockey

More smells from the land of stench, and a shot of the er... 'thing' that dwells within them!
Absolutely atrocious weather this week has curtailed my ability to give this terrain a nice matt spray finish - fuck it.
Here is a new one anyway.

Starting on a series of destroyed stone defences/dwellings (Swamp Castle?? - didn't that burn down, fall over and then sink into the swamp?)

 Nothing better than free bits of crap to make more crap out of!

 The way I've photographed this makes me think of that 'lightcycle' bit in Tron...

And here is Jim the Jabberwockey - dweller of swampy terrain and sniffer of smells.
I think he is from the Ral Partha range? Not sure - bought him a loooong time ago with the intention of using him to spice up a Heroquest adventure or two.
Probably a bit too much light on him in this pic - after cleaning him up I was originally going to go for a 'Chaotic' scheme of lurid glowing greens, aaaand then wussed out and went for earthy tones instead =)

I have a couple of weeks planned to do things for other people so prob no terrain for a fortnight - however we should be playing a game of Hybrid this weekend and there will be shots of that for you to peruse =D

Ace

Bog of Eternal Stench...

Bog of eternal terrain pieces more like...

Hey ho, a while ago my friend let slip that he had in his possession all the rules necessary to give RoC a try. Not having had the chance to play 3rd ed WFB back in the day (I'm not THAT old... ok, yes I am...) I got very excited.

Anyway, he had the rules and I had some figures; but we had nothing to fight over!

Being the procrastinatory itinerant comatose that I am, I endeavored to think of the easiest way to make up some suitable battleground terrain - and viola! Le Swamp!

Here are the first of many pieces I hope to get done for this project - all the scenic pieces have to fit on old CD's and be made out of readily appropriated materials; again this has mostly to do with indolence and financial challenge...

 Most of the colour scheme was inspired by a recent trip to Nelson.

 I'll have to do a photo shoot with my recently painted Jabberwockey soon. I like him.

 'We're lost, aren't we?... Walnuts make interesting rocks. I used them because when you can't afford to do it right, you should do it interesting.

 'I claim this land for Spain!'

 I find the best way to simulate trees is to use wood...

 And can anyone name the region of the Empire that this wandering lout hails from (or his shield at least...)

 Big impressive tussock things courtesy of my wife's ingenuity. She's very good at this sort of thing.

 So there we have it, seven done and many to go. I thought I might stop when the entire board is covered evenly with terrain. Then again I could just paint up another board...

 Speaking of the board. Don't ask me why there is a compass set on my floor. IDK.


More Hybrid thrills and spills soon.

Ace

Mines of Moria part 3

Fuck having to work for a living gets in the way of things...

Anyway, without further ado;

THEY ARE COMING!

Here are my nasty nocturnal ner'-do-wells (see what I did there...) The filthy um, not so few.

That, was a lot of Gobbos... I did some calculating after rounding up how long these cretins took me to splash with pigment and I think they came out at just over 4 mins each.
Thats not too bad really, considering.
Looking forward to watching these boys chase the Fellowship all around Moria, oh and to help out they brought a friend =)

That spear could have skewered a wild boar! (Not if it was wearing Mithril...) Isn't it great having big ugly beast to do all the dirty work?

Here are the scenic components from the boxed set.

So there you go. One set of big doors (impenetrable by Goblins but not by a Cave Troll) Four pillars of not getting shot at. One tomb of important dead stunty. Two tiles of dead but not important stunties. One treasure chest of miniscule riches. Two trapdoors of flatness and a well of stupid noisy fat Hobbits.
Not a bad haul for a modest set! Most of these components should come in handy for various games/adventures. I still can;t work out the 'intact' chest though. What were the Goblins thinking? -
'Nah, that fing aint wurf nuffing! S'just a 'ollow funni brauwn wrok or sumfingk...'
Mind you, what would Goblins do with gold? Buy a house in the country??

Probably going off on a tangent there.

In other news, I have started working on my big gaming project for the year...

(Big dramatic hush...)

Oh yes precious... oh yes.

Bye!
Ace

LOTR Mines of Moria pt 2

Batteries charged!

Here are Freudo and the Hobbit-ses precious. With the exception of a couple of 1/72 military figures these would have to be the smallest little plastic people I have ever painted!

Look at their dirty little Hobbit feet! Disgusting. Not being a huge fan of the films I have only recently been able to tell Merry and Pippin apart, but I have to say that the sculptor/s did a good job all round on minis this size.
Sam is def my favourite pose though - armed with his uber deadly frying pan and a Goblin vaporizing stare.
Meanwhile the two twits, Mrs Merry and Pippin brandish their rocks and Freudo fingers his ring...

Ok, so dirty innuendo aside (for now) these figs were a quick paint with Sam being by far the most satisfying. My only regret is that Pippin's colour scheme makes me think he is trying to cosplay Superman...

Never mind precious, give it to us raw and wriggling...

Ace

LOTR Mines of Moria pt 1

"This isn't a mine... it's a TOMB!"

No it's not, it's a boxed set!

Here are the snotty-nosed do-gooders from GW's 'Mines of Moria box (circa... fuck I can't remember back that far... what day is it??)

Sorry, I was going to do the heroic Goblins and their Cave Troll chum but the batteries in my camera decided to run out =(
(Don't worry, I'll get to it later)

Here is... The Smello-ship!

Gandalf came out the best I think. Nothing says 'easy to paint' like grey robes a big beard and hardly any visible skin!
I decided to go with a blue and crimson theme for Boromir as the original black robes weren't doin it for me. Legolas and Gimli were a breeze (mind you I have had PLENTY of practice painting Elves and Dwarf's over the years!) Aragorn was a prick(ly) one as his costume is very drab and there are some odd bits of molding near the figures head that just had me flummoxed (great word that)
But in the end I reckon they will do the job ok =)

Ok so the stupid fat Hobbits are next, I guess I'll wait for the batteries to charge up then... yep.

Ace

Painting plans...

I noticed a lot of people have been posting 'New Years Resolutions' style lists about what they would like to achieve with their modelling/painting/gaming etc.

I don't know about this. I sometimes feel that list making is the road to guilty procrastination (a road I have travelled soooo many times) But then again there's nothing like the feeling of crossing out every entry on a list that is bursting at the seams with good intentioned brain farts.

So what do I propose to tackle this year? You guessed it; faaaar too much.

1 I really, reeeeeally want to play some HeroQuest and Space Crusade!
The boxes are complete and the figures are just waiting to be sullied by beer and chip soiled fingers.

2 Infinity. I managed to get a squad of Shasvastii troops done last year and have yet to play a game. I think a club of sorts is starting up at the local model shop so it might be a good time to branch out and make some new acquaintances

3 Finish off my box of 'The Mines of Moria' - almost there!

4 Finish enough gangers/flunkies to play a decent campaign in Necromunda and/or Mordheim. I love both of these games and haven't played them in years. Fuck that. I want some VIOLENCE!

5 Get some Hybrid action going. No, nothing to do with a threesome in an electric car. I mean the Rackham game... Honest.

6  Finish my Blood Bowl teams and get a cup series/thing started. This one is a loooooong shot as I play 2nd Ed Blood Bowl. Not many peeps out there with the patience or balls.
(Look at that, I'm not even playing BB yet and I'm already trash-talking!)

7 Get my HotWheels Mad Max gang finished. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. I've just always wanted a grubby bunch of toy cars and badlands assholes with machine guns I can play with and shout random 'Road Warrior' quotes. "YOU CAN RUN! BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE!"

8 Convert some Dinosaur toys for games... just because that's the sort of shit I get up to.

Ok, that's more than enough.
Where are my dinosaurs?

Ace

Happy New Year (last week...)

Yeah, so I'm late. Story of my life!

Check this out...

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG I HAVE LOOKED FOR THESE BOOKS!!!!
Seriously! I can even remember years ago, standing in a secondhand book sellers with a copy of 'Portal of Evil' IN MY HAND and going...
"Meh, probably got that one..." IDIOT!

That was literally YEARS ago! 'Keep' and 'Moonrunner' I haven't had much luck with finding either and then bam, my sister comes round with a bag full of books and says
"want any of these?"

And there they were...

=)

Right, so other things.
These were given to me by awesome peeps as Christmas gifts, to be completed soon-ish...

Look at that, my fist Tamiya 1/72 aircraft kit... I cant even! Seriously too good for the likes of me!

Also on the aircraft front I have noticed that Airfix have released their Do17z kit and are currently making kits for the Defiant and Beufighter! Excellent =)

What else? I was gifted a copy of GW's Mines of Moria a looooooong time ago - I am pleased to report that it is almost completed!
Yes, I mean it! I only have to paint the Heroes. (What is that all about? I always rush in, paint up all the Evil blighters cackling maniacally to myself; and then MAYBE decide to throw some paint over a few do-gooders...) What an evil git I am.

If anyone is interested - I have also managed to get my emulator to play 'Space Crusade' FINALLY!

It's not going too bad for the Ultras atm...

Just look at that shade of lippy... hot as. (Though the white Power Armour probably makes my ass look big...)

2 Missions down and about 8 marines are already off to see the Emperor.
Not a great kill ratio.

Fighting Fantasy #15 'Rings of Kether' is up next for a review. I had already managed to get through it several months ago for a post but that was several months ago and my memory would have played all kinds of tricks on me trying to recall what I did. -
"Attack the drug smuggler, get the flowers and tickle the elephant, do not pass go, leave earth in a spaceship shaped like a mushroom, after freeing the gnome listen to his tales of heroic lingerie shopping, eat the beans..." ETC

Um. Yes.

Ace