Magazines to Read

In a single trip to my FLGS, I picked up not one, not two but four magazines! Enough to keep me reading on the train for a few weeks to come. I don't usually mention my reading material, but this is the most recent issue of the English version of Ravage magazine that I have found. Issues 2 and 3 have been hard to get here it seems, but no 4 was in stock and is now in my hands. I mention this, as I posted a quite harsh review of issue 1 here, so I feel it'll be only fair to give this issue a read, to allow the editors to redeem themselves (apparently there's a completely new editorial team on board, and quite right too).

The other three mags were Wargames Illustrated 302, and 303 and No Quarter 46. A fine pile to read through on the train for the next few weeks, with plenty of content to get the juices flowing, so to speak.

Bag o' archers

An impulse buy at my FLGS, and nothing more, but for $5, you really can't go wrong with a bag of 21 plastic archers. I'm pretty certain they're GW Bretonnians although I'm not certain of what vintage. I doubt I'll use them as such, but they would make great longbowmen, for historic use (maybe War of the Roses archers?). Three have been (badly) painted, but I'm sure I can clean that up easily enough. Two of the bows are broken, but again, that should be easily remedied.

Suggestions for what to use them for on a postcard to the usual address.

Kingdom of Britannia: Lieutenant

Post 3 today of what is fast becoming KoB Friday. A couple of WIPs for the Lieutenant, just to round off last night's painting efforts. There's a little tidying up to do, but he's almost there. I swithered for the longest time on how to paint his goggles and gun, in the end the goggles are fine, and the gun may get a little more highlighting with some silver over the bronze, just to bring out the details.

I'm still unsure about the microphone/communicator stuck on his face. It's a little too fiddly to paint well (at least for me)

The previous WIP of this guy can be found here.

With this and the tanks finished, I'll be able to field a force equivalent to the boxed sets in points cost. I don't plan to paint the Sky Hussars quite yet. For two reasons. Firstly, I don't think, from what I've read, they are the best section to use in smaller games. They seem to be a flanking force, or one that will finish off a wounded foe, so they'll be included by me in bigger games. Secondly, it's so damned cold here, I can't use any spray paint outside on the balcony, and I want to give the smoke a second undercoat in grey over the initial black. Once the temperature rises up to be over -10 again (it's been -20 to -30 all week) we'll take it from there.

Also, I just feel the tankettes will run better with the strategy I want to use for the KoB. at least initially. So close to having a fully painted army. My my, that never happens! Must be a leap year! ;)

Kingdom of Britannia: Basset Tankettes

I have made a start on the Tankettes that I had reviewed here. I decided not to go with a camouflage green/khaki colour, as I feel it doesn't fit with the redcoat image. Let's face it, if the bulk of your army is running around wearing red, you're not going to bother too hard to hide your heavily armoured tanks.

For inspiration on colour schemes, I turned to the nearest real life example of contemporary (to Victorian times) tanks. What I decided to do was use Artillery pieces as a guide for my colour scheme. This meant a washed out blue scheme. I think it works quite well.

They look a little boring from those angles, but with the engines and exhausts, the view from above is a little more exciting. I just didn't take a picture from that angle. That with a little more detailing, and maybe some rust and they'll really pop.

I was really happy with the little freehand numbers I painted on the sides, leaving'1' free for a Sergeant model when it becomes available. However, when I dry-fitted the treads, i noticed the number was half hidden behind them. Oh well, looks like I'll have to do some more freehand on the front, or maybe the big round engine plate at the back, after all, we don't need the enemies to see the numbers.

Kingdom of Britannia: Riflemen II

Finished the bulk of the section now, and the Lieutenant is not far behind. I will be putting a little more energy into this one, at least for his face, as he's a little more important than the average troopers. The drummer boy is also awaiting completion, as I want to give a just amount of time and effort to what I think is a great little mini (even if he is barefoot). As previously mentioned, these guys are painted with green facings to represent the 'South Wales Borderers'. The spare trooper that came with the specialist model will be painted up in the same scheme shortly, expanding this section to be the larger of the two I plan to field. The second section being then painted in green to represent the 'Kings Rifle Corp', just for a break from the red. I decided not to bother painting the eyes on these minis, except for the Sergeant, firstly to speed up the process (I'm terrible at painting eyes, so they take me forever), and secondly as they were mostly hidden beneath the pith helmets.

Pics under the cut.

Oldhammer find

I take a break from what seems to be turning into Dystopian legions January, to bring you this cross post from my RPG blog, as it may be of some interest to the Oldhammerians who sometimes visit.

I know the word Oldhammer has been coined for 3rd ed WFB, but I think it works ust as well for the GW version of WFRP. In a trip to an LGS, I found a batch of first edition hard back WFRP supplements. Mostly for the Enemy Within Capaign. Commonly thought of as one of the best campaigns for any RPG.

WFRP was one of the first RPGs I really got into, and I had played in, bought and run the campaign as it was sold in the early 90s in the guise of Warhammer Adventure and Warhammer City of Chaos. I had never got round to either buying or running the latter parts of the campaign.

The Books I found today were Power Behind the Throne (1988), Something Rotten in Kislev (1988) from the Enemy Within, Warhammer City (1987) and The Restless Dead (1986). The only issue seems to be a missing map from Warhammer City, and from SRiK, but since either will likely be available online, I don't see that as a big issue. All the other handouts still seem to be in place. At $8 each, they were a bargain, even if I never play with them, and sell them on at some point. There was one other old WFRP book that was there that I didn't pick up, the Castle Drachenfels adventure supplement. I own this already, (although my copy is in the UK), and I was never really taken with it as an adventure. It was much more in the realms of a dungeon bash, with each room being weird and whacky. I think it was written based on a Warhammer Jack Yeovil novel, but I have never read the novel, so most of the references went straight over my head. I left that one on the shelf.

I was particularly excited to find The Restless Dead. This is a module I have heard lots about, but never seen. It contains such classic adventures as Rough Night at the Three Feathers, The Haunting Horror, and Grapes of Wrath. I'll be putting these guys away for future use for sure, although whether i bought them to play with, ot it's the collector in me that has come out to play, I'm not entirely sure.

It is a real treat to flick through these guys and look at all the old artwork, adventure details and PCs supplied with the campaign. Brings back some great memories.

Cross Posted to my other blog.

Dystopian Legions: Britannian Specialist

Although I have yet to play a game (soon, I promise myself), I just can't help but pick up the miniatures. Shinybloodyitis at its worst. Yesterday, it was a choice between buying Col. MacDonald or the Kingdom of Britannia Infantry Section Specialist. I chose the latter, as although 'Big Mac' seems like he's the man to support all the Rifle Sections I plan to play, at least in early games, I'm far from 100% sold on the mini.

Indeed, I wasn't planning to buy the specialist mini, as I'm more likely to be running my Rifle sections as just that, and if I were to add a flame thrower for short range support, I'm unlikely to add two of these guys to a single section, but I do have 2 sections of riflemen to play with.  To be honest, I think one of the main reasons I bought this pack was for the rifleman you get rather than the specialist, as I think he's likely to see the table more often, at least for beginning games.

The pics below show exactly what you get in the box (along with 2 typical 30mm bases). I was forewarned about the weakness of the join between the Specialists left hand and the flamethrower (it is an extremely weak link), so take heed, and be extremely careful when removing the flash. On the wrist of the left had there is a long thin rod of metal, I can only assume this is there to be used as a pin. If so, great thinking Spartan! The separate hose is exactly the same as the one you get in the starter box, to be bent to shape to fit the mini. I haven't yet tried to place this one on the mini, but the last one wasn't too hard to get right.

As to the Rifleman, he's just that, another rifleman to add to your sections. In yet another individual pose, bringing the total number of poses on the standard infantrymen available to 7. I like this variation, especially in a skirmish game. This one is in a pretty simple pose, and should offer no problems to painting. My only issue is which of my Sections to add him to, as I plan very different paint schemes on these.

In summary, great little models, up to Spartans normal standards, with a little flash, minimal mold lines that should be easily dealt with. Only issue seems to be the weak connection between the left hand and the flamethrower. I give these guys 8 out of 10.

That's enough of the reviews. Time to get on with some painting!