Adventures in Wargaming

Summer is here, and so the cup doesn’t quite floweth over as everyone takes time out. However, there are still some great previews for all things Ultramodern this week, so read on for more!
In a complete reversal to my previous vehicle-based project, I decided to pick up my reference material at the start of the project rather than just as it was coming to an end. Osprey does produce a New Vanguard on the Humvee series written by Steven J Zaloga. However, it’s a little outdated now thanks to its cut-off of 2005 but provides a good jumping-off point. With the Spectre HMVs being more designed for the later armoured versions I started looking for an alternative. And then I discovered that Haynes had a manual available for the vehicle. If you are…
Let’s start this Wargaming Week, covering the 18th through to the 24th of June. BLOG STUFF This week was another Building A Force article, looking this time at the Irregular Forces. It’s been 5 months since the last part so I’m planning to speed up the rate of these posts – they are quite handy to write on a busy week. I’ll admit, I’m torn on these tactics articles. They always do incredibly well and people seem to like them. At the same time, I’m never 100% how the article is going to end up. Unlike impressions which have a…
In the last two posts in this series, we took a look at the basics of building a force, with posts looking at both task specific teams for infantry and the basics of vehicle use. In this part, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the points relating to more irregular groups. As with previous parts, this article is designed primarily for Spectre Operations but many of the tactics are valid in all modern skirmish games. Irregular forces, by their definition, vary massively in style. They can be anything from untrained groups of fighters armed with nothing…
Let’s start this Wargaming Week, a weekly look at what I’ve got up to over the last 7 days in the hobby, covering the 11th through to the 17th of June. BLOG STUFF It’s Humvee time! The start of a new project needs a big post and this initial impressions piece certainly fit the bill (coming in at almost 3000 words). It was however quite fun to write! NEWS No news this week – come back next time to see what’s coming up. PURCHASES Nothing this week – I’ve still got tons of stuff to work on. HOBBY The main…
You know, after the 9 posts that was Project Technical, I think it’s safe to say that pickup trucks with guns mounted on them are pretty great. On the other hand, there is something to be said for a vehicle that is actually designed to carry a group of infantry over rough terrain while carrying a heavy weapon and not assembled in some backstreet workshop. The Humvee is an icon of the post Cold War conflict, be it on the streets of Somalia, the dusty highways of Iraq or attempting to climb the mountains of Afghanistan. I’ve talked to Spectre…
Let’s start this Wargaming Week, covering the 4th through to the 10th of June. BLOG STUFF Last week’s post was looking at Empress characterful Mercs, getting them ready for the tabletop. Expect to see these guys backing up my other mercs when things get really hairy. As you may have seen in Friday’s post, I’ve done a little experiment with the images. I take my photos on my phone, with no fancy lenses or tweak-able settings. Most of the time I’ve used the raw photos straight from the camera which look okay but can also mean the main figures take…
Although most modern wargamers take inspiration from current events, it’s fair to say it’s not the sole jumping off point. Games, TV, books and film all play a part in whetting the appetite for wargaming. Empress have noticed this and decided to give us a group of four mercenaries inspired by a certain group of films focused. As someone who plays really small scale games, adding a few outlandish characters was something that just had to happen and I picked them up. Of course, when painting up more characterful figures, you really need to find a way to fit them…
Let’s start this Wargaming Week, covering the 28th of May through to the 3rd of June. BLOG STUFF This week’s post was the last post in Project Technical, taking a look at the anti-aircraft options in the Technical range. It’s been a great time finishing all these vehicles and building up the collection. The next step is going to be writing (and running) some more scenarios to get them on the table. It’s also the start of a new month so time for a quick reminder. I run a Ko-Fi page where, if you like the stuff I write, you can throw…

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