China seems to be in the cards this week. Stan sent me the Chinese contingent for Deadlands(see earlier post), I finished an article about the Dutch in China in the 17th Century and one of my favorite Blogs ran a great AOR of a battle in a Boxer Rebellion campaign. Read on...

Blue Moon is roaring along. I cut this from a series of strings on The Miniatures Page (http://theminiaturespage.com/). It also tacks a conversation or two I have had with some of you about Blue Moon, Old Glory and 15mm. This direct from Russ Dunaway, owner of Old Glory:

"...[t]he ACW range has a list that includes over 90 codes...will be completed before years end...boasts over 400 sculpts. Also, the AWI range is well under way and most of it will be available at [C]old [W]ars...The planned releases for this year include massive Nappies, deep dark Africa, the streets of Chicago gangster range including buildings,and a entire horror range which will include a [D]raculas castle, [L]ondon steets and Translvanian (sic) village. I am stoked as we are back to my own personal 1st love --15/18MM. The quality on these figures is so great that I feel they are as good as 28s and the gaming table and the wallet just got a whole lot bigger.

Regards,
Russ Dunaway"

Personally, I think that is great news. I have bunches of 15mm figures, buildings and terrain. It is only gradually over the last ten years that I have added to my 28mm. I enjoy the 15mm look as it allows you to set up sweeping vistas for the Wild West, roads and villages for wars of maneuver, multiple scenes on one tabletop if playing through narrative games, tank platoons look good in 15mm oin a reasonable table, etc. Perhaps this terrain thing comes from finding the hobby through model trains--my grandfather had model trains and so did I until my uncle showed me a "cooler" thing we could do while he was at work with his Airfix figures...and that, was that. I like 28mm for the characterization and the "zoom-into-the-scene" but I will always like 15mm. Not to mention, they cost less and store smaller which are important from someone who has a myriad of periods. Lastly, I feel more comfortable terrain and building modeling in the 15mm scale.

The only down-side to the post above is that the scale diversity among 15mm figures has gotten as bad as that among the 28mm figures. One of these days I will have to create a master figure guide which has one figure from each manufacturer showing whose figures you can use. This scale creep thing is what made me choose 15mm WW2 over 20mm many, many years ago. It irked me that my Hanomags varied by the manufacturer. I guess 15mm has finally matured as this seems to be a common discussion point in 15mm land.

Miniature Games:

I played part two of the Squad Leader scenario (Seize and Hold the village at the crossroads) at Mike's house. I was late so my Combat Engineer force was given to Jimmy and his son. They did a fantastic time chewing up the German relief column. It was fun to see. I was very happy with my command--Mike and Freddy gave me two tank platoons; should I say the remnants of two tank platoons--two tanks ( T-34 and a KV-1). I had a great time with them even though I lost the KV-1 very early. It was a great time playing cat and mouse with the German armor and Hanomags in the streets and surrounding woods, not to mention the forest of wrecks. Meanwhile Mike and Freddy fought to hold the town. A complete victory was not the Russian's as it became almost impossible to winkle the last Germans out of a ruined stone building. I must say, Freddy's commander was sent to a Gulag in the end for failing to maintain and resupply his forces: he ran out of ammo or jammed five (possibly six) tank guns and countless support weapons...it culminated with Mike bouncing a die off his head. Freddy's dice were cold, nay arctic. Angelo, Vic and Mitch gave a great game. Thanks! It ranks up there with one of the better scenarios for early war Russian Front have ever played on a board and on the tabletop. Frankly, I always liked Squad Leader and I still do...

Terrain:

Previously I posted a picture of the Radioactive waste dump I completed. The other pictures of figures and terrain did not really show up on the iPhone very well, so I deleted them. It's hard to see it but I painted the water in a swirling mottled green sludge more than water. Additionally, I used water effect to make it look both wet and two currents of waste slowly flowing together. As soon as the rechargeable battery comes, I will start using the camera...anyway, I hope you like it.

Projects:

Colonialism/VSF:

I looked at Peter Pig's Giant Martians for consideration later this year. I have collected the Black Hat line over the years. The line is great. I have much of it painted and playable. No Prussians or Home Service Brits, though. When the time came to do their Giant Martians, I was unpleasantly surprised that the figures seemed to be reconstituted 25mm; the whole feel and look is wrong for the 15mm figures of the line. Thus, depending on how projects go this year, Peter Pig's Green Martians will provide a small TSATF force.

French Revolution: (See earlier post).

South American Wars of Liberation:

Delays and roadblocks is the best descriptor:

1) Where are the rest of my Mountain Guns? I need them to go on a trip with me to paint.

2) I also have a mat from Hotz Mats that is long overdue--I know others have had this problem but Hotz has always been very fast shipper with my orders.

3) the renovation of the workshop is taking longer than I expected so I have been unable to use my are to sculpt some slopes I wanted for the future. Frustrating.

Painting and Painters:

Finally, I seem to have gotten back into a painting groove. Last week was a bunch of terrain cluttering up my painting table. This week I have been working on the figures. First completed were three 28mm Xeogs (http://achesoncreations.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=52&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1), a very tough blueskinned female similar to Zotoh Zhann of Farscape (http://farscape.wikia.com/wiki/Zotoh_Zhaan) but brought to my consciousness first in 5150's expansion, Illegal Aliens (http://www.angelfire.com/az3/twohourwargames/files/IllegalAliensComplete.pdf). Next completed was an old (very old) GW Ork Commando; the figure is dressed in WW2 British Commando garb. Then, I completed a much newer GW cherub carrying a bolter for an Inquisitor. Work continues on the following 28mm figures:

Eight Apes with Guns

Twenty Assorted SciFi/CyberPunk Aliens & Adventurers from Space Vixens of Mars (http://homepages.tesco.net/mitchellsmith/gazfssv.html)

Two Daleks

Six Genestealers

Three Gun Towers

One Infinity Ninja

Two Klingons

Twenty Norts

Six Paranoia Robots

Two Romulans

Five Space Scouts

One Space Marine

One Splinter Cell Ninja

Thrudd the Barbarian

One Troll

Venus Blue Genes

Work continues on the following 15mm:

South American Patriot Mountain Guns with Guns, Crew and Mules packed (limbered?) and ready to fire but I am struggling with how I want to base these...

Work continues on the following 6mm:

NAC Anti-Ogre Task Force

1 x Artillery Battery

4 x Emplacments

6 x Squads of Infantry

14 x Vehicles

Stan Johansen continues to work away on my Deadlands stuff (see earlier post). The figures are mostly from the Iron Dragon Railroad. My undertanding is the force is supposed to be Chinese but the author and sculptors have created a 1990's version of a hybrid Asian army made of odds and ends from various cinematic periods and countries. Stan completed the wizard (Chinese), the Demolitionist (?), an oriental Ogre (hardly the Japanese one of mytholgy and rather more of a Greco-Japanese hybrid), five Samurai (with Chinese swords?), five sappers(Vietnamese?), and five martial artists (a cinematic mix of weapons from China, Japan and Okinawa). Mentioned in the fluff is a unit that I would like to find: a group of Seven (could it be THE Seven) Samurai as they are a named force as a hero contingent. I would also like to add and some rank and file that match the style. Oh, and how did they forget Ninjas? Criticism aside, the army looks like a fun one. I will have to add to it but need to find castings that work (style) and fit (size). Perhaps the MegaMinis Ninjas and Martial Artists will fit size and style...I will keep you posted.

Magazines:

Last week I mentioned the Arquebusier, a journal from the Pike and Shot Society but forgot to mentione the article that I found exceedingly enjoyable: The Fall of the Dutch on Formosa in 1661-1662 by Michael Fredholm von Essen. It is a ripping good tale of the Dutch getting into a massive war between the Manchus (in the process of conquering China) and the last genuine Ming loyalists, the half-Japanese Pirate King Coxinga. All sorts of craziness and diverse troop types including Tigermen, the Iron Swords ( a scle armored heavy sword Chinese unit), and the Black Guard (Christianised African elite matchlockmen). This fight has it all skirmishes, raids, battles, sea battles, cutting out parties and sieges. It was a fun read and has potential for a mini-campaign...some day.

BLOGS:

Din of Battle has a fun series of AOR about a Boxer Rebellion campaign. I have enjoyed following the campaign but found this particular episode very enjoyable. (http://dinofbattle.blogspot.com/2011/02/boxer-campaign-relief-of-western.html) It almost got me fired up to re-start my Boxers (15mm) or even add a few 28mm skirmish. Almost, but I promised myself that 2011 was about four things: 1) South American Wars of Independence; 2) Finishing mini-projects on my painting table; 3) Basing and Playing with my Renaissance stuff; and, 4) The French Revolution. But, it has been a fun read with great figures and terrain.

Khurasan has a great new release coming, the Chinantecs (http://khurasanminiatures.blogspot.com/2011/02/preview-of-15mm-chinantecs.html) to add to my ever growing 16th Century Americas collection. I will have to put these on the short list. Right after I finish the Chichimecs I bought lat year...that's how

PodCasts:

Last week, I misnamed a podcast last week. I said Beer and Battle but it actually was Dragons and Flagons (http://www.flagonsanddragons.com/). BandB is ok but Dragons and Flagons is the one that had the Gamma World sessions.