Reinforcements arrive.

The first of the Glider Troops arrive

These are Crusader Miniatures that I will be using to add a couple of squads of Glider Infantry to the Army. The 327th GIR was part of the 101st Airborne Division and was part of the attack on Carentan in the first few days after D-Day. I've also painted up a lone Warlord US observer that I am sure will come in useful at some point.

Highlighting WIP

I realized that I had 3 minis the same, so thought a quick photo of my painting progression might be worthwhile, I will add colour guides later. 

I do like little tanks!

This is a West Wind M8 GMC, it has a light Howitzer and a HMG so should be fun to use.

Its a 1/60th scale so is a little small, but I've had it for ages, so its worth painting up. These are WIP pics, I still have details to paint, the crew to do, and the base to finish, so will post finished pics later.



My first Army for Bolt Action

I got everything that is painted out for a quick photo session the other day.

They are all US Paras from Artizan Designs. Excellent sculpts that take paint really well.

I use a mix of Foundry and GW paints (mostly Foundry)

Lieutenant and his runner

1st squad

2nd squad

 Just 2 full strength squads at the moment, I have plans for a Pathfinder Squad in the near future.



These will be my Forward Observers

A couple of Bazookas

The prone M1919A6 will be used as a Medium MG.

60mm Light Mortar

 I have another Mortar and 2 more prone MGs to add.

I have only played 1 small game so far, but it was fun, and I can't wait to play some more. Just need to find a few more players in Auckland.

I've been a bit lax......

......at posting on this blog. I started with the best of intentions, but life just seemed to get in the way and all of a sudden just over 4 and 1/2 years go by. I guess that's what happens when you have kids, spare time for hobbies and interests that are not baby/toddler related just doesn't exist anymore, and its only when they grow up a little, need less supervising/entertaining that you start to get some time for yourself again. Time to use on your relationship with your partner (because its been worse for her!) and time to spend on those hobbies and pastimes you used to enjoy before you became a parent.

Just recently I have dusted off my paints and finished off some minis that have been sitting neglected for 4+ years. The impetus for this splurge was the WW2 ruleset 'Bolt Action" from Warlord Games.
I had been keeping an eye on the gaming hobby thru the various news websites and forums available, and when this game started to gain some foothold in the playing community round the world I started thinking about getting my toys out again.

And I am glad I did, the rules are good, simple but tactical, WW2 is an area of history I enjoy reading/learning about. and the available models are just flat out cool.

So, via a local wargaming club website I got in touch with another guy who was just starting out with Bolt Action, we spurred each other on to finish a useable force, and last Sunday we had our first game, using the board and scenery from those earlier posts in 2009!

No photos from that unfortunately, both of us forgetting to take any. But here is my Lieutenant and his Runner.

Both Artizan Designs US Para's. Painted up as 101st Airborne, ready to jump into Normandy. I'm thinking I will do all my WW2 models set up for D-Day.

I will get out the whole Army sometime soon and take a photo or two of the units, and an overall Army shot.

I must remember to get some 'in action' photos from the next game too.

I've got minis as well....

Probably about time I put some Minis on the Blog.

A US Armored Infantry Squad, and a Sherman Crew Member.

Minis are Artizan Designs, (2 have had head swops using West Wind SHS) Vehicles are 1:50 scale Corgi prepaints.

Hirst Arts Ruins

A quick look at the first pieces I made with Hirst Arts Silicon Molds. The Molds Are fantastic, so versatile, I bought one from ID Gaming in St Helens when they were clearing out some old stock, it was the Gothic Bridge mold, and it has some nice bits to it, enough to get me hooked on casting. Here's a couple of pieces I made a while ago, although the second one was only painted last week, 2 years after making it. Artizan WW2 Para included for a sense of scale. They are based on old CDs and could be used for many different game genres.

I will probably make a few more, as they are dead easy to do, and use up leftover and badly cast blocks. I think they are pretty effective.

European Farm

As promised, a look at some of my scenery.

Most of what I have been painting these last few years has been 28mm WW2 so I will start with a look at scenery that matches.

First up is the Farmhouse.

Its a direct copy of the one in the Rules of Engagement Rulebook, (my favourite WW2 rules set)

A thick cardboard base with popsicle stick weatherboards and tile grout rendering on top. Match stick door and window frames, a carved polystyrene chimney and cereal packet tiles on the roof (which is removeable). I still have some final painting to do, like the whole roof, but overall I am quite pleased with it. I had never tried rendering or weatherboards before and it came out ok. I will have a go at some out buildings at some point in the future to turn it into a proper little farm.

Ive made a few sections of hedges as well. These are based on examples I saw on the Terragenisis Web site. They are made from green pot scourers cut to size, based on hardboard, roughed up a bit and drybrushed with a bit of yellow. They are not fantastic, but are very cheap and quick to make, and break up the flat plain of the gaming board providing much needed cover for the troops.

Heres a close up with an Artizan US Para included for scale.

Ive made a few sections with trees included, some with rocks, and, as you can see, a couple of corner sections. I think I still need a few more sections, one with a gate, maybe some fence sections, and definatly more corners, and maybe a couple of T sections......

There are a few tree bases to put down, based on old CDs, they are just Woodland Scenics Tree Armitures glued on, the base covered with grout, painted and the clumpy tree stuff glued on. They look OK, and are quite economical, you get a lot of armitures in a bag.......

Ive got a couple of just trees, and have started to make some tree and rock combos.

While on holiday last year I noticed some type of lichen growing on the trees next to my tent, so I grabbed a couple of handfulls, dried it out when I got home and mounted it on some thick card. A bit of flock and some Woodland Scenics clump foliage and I have some scrubby cover to drop around the place. They look darker in colour in real life than in the photos, but are probably a bit too pale to fit in well with this particular table layout, but they cost me almost nothing so they cant be too bad.

While doing some work in the garden the other week, I noticed a different type of Lichen growing on the trees down the back. I grabbed some and will have a go making a few more bases. Its a different texture and colour so will add more variety.

Heres all of it laid out.

 

It still needs a lot more cover, too much open killing ground at the moment, but I think it doesnt look too bad.

Where to Start.......

So I had a look around my hobby area for some inspiration as to where to start, and I can honestly say that there was too much to choose from, most of it not so great. So I thought I would start with my Gaming Board and some Scenery, as there are some complete pieces and they don't look too bad (in my humble opinion!)I don't have a lot of room to play with so my board is 90cm x 90cm (approx 3ft x 3ft). I like skirmish games so this petite table is fine for me.
Its 6mm MDF with pine battens glued and screwed around the edges underneath to stop it from warping. The edges are painted with a dark brown paint I bought in a tester pot from the hardware shop. I purchased a flocked mat from the local model shop and glued it to the top surface, it dropped flock something wicked, but I was expecting it and caught it on some newspaper, I now have a small tub of perfectly matching flock! The Mat was bigger and cheaper than GWs one, and just as good quality wise. My table is small so I used less than half of it for the table top, leaving lots left over to make some hills.

That's my box of modular hills on the left.

The hills are based on 6mm MDF with the slope edge cut at a 45deg angle with a jigsaw. I wanted them modular so they are made with similar measurements on the edges, either 30cm, 20cm or 10cm, it gives me a wide selection of layouts.

A section of polystyrene was then glued to the top. When it had set I trimmed it down with a hot wire cutter, a 90 deg angle on the sides and back, and continuing the 45deg angle on the slope side. I then "plastered" the edges of the hills with combination Tile Adhesive/Grout. This protects the edges and hides the polystyrene. A lick of paint to match the edge of the board, some more of my flock mat glued to the top and jobs done.

Ive got enough pieces to put together the layout you see on the right.
Having played around with different layouts I realise that I need to make a few more pieces.
I have enough to make nice valleys like this one but struggle to make a ridge line down the centre of the board, and I would like to have more, larger elevated sections.
I guess I will have to get out the jigsaw again sometime soon......

Here's another more simple layout.

In my next update I will dig out a few of the terrain pieces I have made, and maybe put them on the board to see what you think of it all put together.

This Blogging lark is quite therapeutic.....