Entry for February 26, 2007

TODAY IS ADD DAY!!

Mark and Larry both purchased Warhammer Historical's "The Old West" rules. Turns out they are a version of GW's "Lord of the Rings" game. Simple enough really. Dump the magic, and the different races, add some guns and historical flavor and Presto! old West rules!

Larry read through them and mentioned how you could adapt them to other periods...Mark mentioned adapting them to Ancients or Pirates. I have taken it upon myself to adapt them to WWI & WWII.

Simple realy...again change the wording around...add some historical flavor...BAR's, MG's and artillery...and Presto! I have some interesting ideas for this and will have to see where this will take me...

Marines...paint Marines....

Entry for February 25, 2007

Status Report:

My Scout, Weapons (LMG & Mortar), HMG and AT platoons, just need some detail work, base detailing and varnishing.

My three Rifle platoons just need the "green" web gear painted and I can move them up to the status of my Scout platoon.

I spent this weekend in between other things getting the khaki leggings & musette bags painted, plus the boots and drybryshing the bases. Its hard to believe, but I am almost there.

For detail work I need to check the figures, one by one for :

• errors and omissions
• painted rifle slings (leather) and buckles
• helmet chin straps (green)
  
• canteen caps (black)
  
• maybe chevrons (faded black)...

For bases:

• debris (rocks, boxes, spent cartridges, etc)
• flora (static grass, shrubs, palm fronds, etc)
• labels (platoon designation)
  

wow...another week and I should have it done!

Then I have to find me some son's of Nippon to send politely to the Deity of their choice (or nearest convenient parallel dimension.)

Entry for February 20, 2007

The Con is over...all in all it was a good one. The one game I really wanted to see played was a no show (Wargods of Aegyptus) . Saturday I got a swap table and despite forgetting a bunch of my for sale stuff I pocketed $160 in around 30 min. Good deal as far as I am concerned! I picked up a copy of the Warmachine rules (I like the mini's & a lot of people are playing it). I spent some time watching a version of WWII and the WHFB tourney on Sunday. I have to get some playing time in with the new 7th ed. rules. I saw several interesting games with at least one side being TK or VC's. Interesting game of an almost complete tree WE army vs. VC. Also saw a VC vs. TK's...very interesting.

: TK = Tomb Kings; VC = Vampire Counts; WE = Wood Elves

I have been doing some thinking about my long term projects. I currently have the figures to make the following:

• Dark Elf Army
• Lizardman Army
• Vampire Counts Army

I have a completed Tomb Kings Army that has some more units unpainted I can add.

The Lizardmen are going to go. I just have to decide to paint them or sell them unpainted. I am leaning towards painting (I can use the experience) and the money is better.

Not sure what to do about the Vampire Counts army. They were "set up" to be the Army of Sylvania, which may be out of the new book and not tourney legal anymore...I also was going to do some heavy conversion and base the army on the movie "VanHelsing"...but I am starting to loose interest in that (ADD again?)

Same thing with the Dark Elves...I had this great modeling project in mind with dark grey, black and purple...lots of snow on the bases. My interest has waned for this project as well. I suppose I will sit on them and see if it rekindles.

I have learned a lesson from this..."Strike while the iron is hot..." In other words don't spend forever thinking and researching a project or you might loose your enthusiasm for it.

I do have a lot of those Dire Wolves...mmmmmmmmmm

Tim, they call him...

Entry for February 15, 2007 (Supplemental)

Status Report:

My scout platoon & AT platoon are finished!

My remaining platoons:

• Based on colored & textured bases.
• Base coated in light sage green and washed in US Dark Green
• Skin (flesh) painted and washed in Kell's Brown.
• Helmets painted w/3 color brown camo and washed in brown
• Rifle stocks painted.Skin (flesh) painted and washed in Kell's Brown.
• Helmets painted w/3 color brown camo and washed in brown
• Rifle stocks painted.

TDB

• Boots
• Web Gear
• "Metal" weapons parts
• Touch up
• Finish bases
• Kill lots of Japanese...

Unfortunately, I was going to bring them to Orccon in Los Angeles to beat up on Larry, but I didn't finish The good news is that he didn' t either, so I at least have a moral victory for the USMC!

'till next time...

Tim, they call him...

Entry for February 14, 2007

Sigh...just when you think it is safe to go back in the water, life has a way of throwing a large shark in your direction.

I had last night all planned out...go home, feed my two little piranha, work on my Marines and watch some TV. Instead I end up in the ER for some IV antibiotics and an overnight stay. Sucks all around. Just to show you I have my priorities straight, once I was sure my Piranha (kids) would be OK, I considered sending someone after some of my paints and mini's so I would have something to do. Reality reared it's ugly head when I realized I felt waaaaaay to sick to do any painting...Once again the proper priorities re-asserted themselves and I decided that the doctor wouldn't have sent me to hospital if it wasn't serious...so I should just lay back not complain to much and let the med's work...

HOUSE!...it was Tuesday night and I would miss House! (sorry it is the one TV show I like). I conned my children into taping it for me (they do provide useful services from time to time). I guess I wasn't feeling that poorly...

Anyway, I got sprung this morning and came home to work on my Marines with a vengeance (sleep) or baring that at least get my army list into a usable fashion (sleep), or check my bills (sleep)...sleep...lots of it...

Tim, annoyed they call him...

Entry for February 11, 2007

Status Report:

Ok...I am coming down the home stretch with my Marine Rifle Company.

I currently have all my platoons:

• Based on colored & textured bases
• Base coated in light sage green and washed in US Dark Green
• Skin (flesh) painted.
• Helmets painted w/2 color brown camo.

One platoon has the helmets and flesh, washed with brown wash (Kell's). I am going to try to finish washing the helmets and flesh tonight and move onto the boots, weapons, and web gear. I think I can just make this before the con...

Tim, they call him...

Entry for February 10, 2007

Made a trip to The Last Grenadier in Burbank today. They had the OG 75mm SPM's that were backordered from War Web. Ironically enough they are the best representation of the SPM. They are the only model which has the gun shield pivot with the gun...actually it is the only model which pivots. That's the good news...the bad news is the guns themselves are wrong. The 75mm gun used on the SPM/GMC was a destinctive weapon. The OG gun is just wrong. I solved the problem by using the guns from the QC SPMs. So now I have a SPM with the right number of front louvers, the correct gun that pivots with its gunshield...not to mention a nice looking crew. Life is good!

Tim, they call him...(many things actually)

Entry for February 05, 2007

My order from Warweb showed up. I ordered some Command Decision 75mm SPM (SMC's), some M37 3/4 ton trucks and a Quick Reaction Force 37mm AT Gun (US). The QRF AT gun looks disappointing. I am going to have to do some checking...frankly it may be a different model of 37mm gun...there is no gunshield, the breach guard is missing and the trails are way too short. I am guessing I got or ordered the wrong thing. Time will tell...

I will have to compare:

• M3 37mm AT guns from Battlefront and Quality Casting.
• 75mm SPMs from Battlefront, Quality Casting and Command Decision.
• M37 3/4 ton trucks from Battlefront, Quality Casting and Command Decision.

This will take a couple of days to do...but I am looking forward to this....

Tim, deranged they call him....

Entry for February 01, 2007

"Any allied personnel. Any allied personnel. I have begun to take prisoners. Request instructions re: prisoners or will be forced to shoot same". - Maj. Frank Burns

Status Report -

My Scouts are done! Well almost...they are painted and standed and drybrushed. Maybe some detail work and varnish, but other than that they are complete.

My AT guns are rolling along nicely I would put the entire platoon at 85% complete, lacking detail work and vehicle markings

Two rifle platoons, the mortar platoon and the Company HQ has the uniform and flesh base-coated. That leaves me with a rifle platoon; the weapons platoon (mixed mortars & Lmg's); and the Hmg platoon to do the flesh on. I will have to take some time to work on my SPM's and other vehicles this weekend. I have come across an interesting idea for a carrying case (more on that later!)

I have been reading some on the USMC vehicle camouflage and markings. They appear to be much more haphazard than the US Army's system.

The basic rules seem to be:

• Stars were uncommon or often painted out (the exception being aerial recognition stars on the upper decks of tanks and other afv's)
• Camouflage was applied in the field based upon local conditions and orders.
• Most vehicles had a base coat of Olive Drab or Forrest Green. Sometimes camouflage was applied either partially or completely obscuring the base coat (there is a picture of USMC "sand" colored M3 Stuarts purportedly at Midway).

That's all for now...

Tim, they call him...