You might have seen that there hasn’t been a Wargaming Week for the past few weeks and the ones that have arrived are… lacking something. I’ll admit, the fervour that I once had for modern wargaming has pretty much dried up. I can blame this partially on some of the mental health issues I’ve been working through but I’m finding it incredibly difficult to give a damn about writing the once a week update post, especially when the hobby section is nothing more than a reminder of my lack of progress and the news posts are just not that exciting to see.

Frankly, and to stand on my soapbox for a bit, I’m finding there isn’t actually very much exciting news going on (and this started before the madness of 2020 began). Ultramodern releases have dropped to nothing – Spectre appears to be frantically trying to get itself back together after over-extending (taking resin production in house for a small two-person team might have been a bad idea), Footsore is charging way too much for a range that only barely stands out from other makers (and in a sculpting style I’m not a fan of), White Dragon is doing great work (if only their vehicles were the right scale) and the miniatures to the Ultracombat Kickstarter seems to be stuck in (semi-understandable) development hell to the point where I’ve lost all excitement over actually receiving what I’ve paid for. Empress has also diverted towards their Vietnam and WW2 ranges which frankly I can see the reason why (as Paul Hicks does fantastic work). There have been some interesting bits (Contact Front, Battlespace and a version 2 of Skirmish Sangin coming soon) but overall, there is nothing exciting to keep me going. Ultramodern gaming should be one of the most exciting and constantly evolving genres in wargaming but for a while, it seems to have plateaued for me personally – it’s a little depressing seeing so many missed opportunities flutter by.

The blog isn’t going anywhere (I’m definitely not going to delete it) and I’m still going to write stuff once in a while if it takes my fancy. I’m just not going to be doing it every week. And also this isn’t me quitting wargaming by any stretch of the imagination – it’s just that reporting about it every week is no longer as important as it once was.

Thanks to everyone who came along for the ride and kept reading these things. Hopefully you got something good out of it.

Not much hobby done as I spent a chunk of last week fixing the website again. I wrote a little bit about what has been changed up on my Twitter (and warning about what I think caused them). Fingers crossed this is the last time we’ll have this issue.

NEWS

Brigade Games are running a new Kickstarter that is perfect for anyone working on some action in South or Central America. Drug War Z is all about some zombie fighting action, but the figures could very easily be used for more regular missions. I’m definitely a fan of the Policia guys – this style of uniformed but less well equipped figure has plenty of uses.

UPDATES

The White Dragon Mastiff arrived! As you can see this is a lovely piece of kit (if a little delicate) and I’m already enjoying building it. It uses the White Dragon design of a hollow two piece design, much lighter than any similar. I’ve got my concerns about the scale (it’s 1/56 rather than my preferred 1/50) but we’ll see once I’ve assembled it.

Seeing as I love resin, I also ordered a Technical Charlie from Spectre (just to sate the completionist in me). Seeing as it arrived the next day (the joy of living back in England), I managed to crack it out and take a look. A full impression is coming but from a quick look it’s some wonderful Spectre design, with only minimal cleanup. The downside to it is that the rear cargo bay is fractionally smaller than the other technicals, so my modular weapons templates don’t work on it. Some work may be required…

Another element from Spectre was a very lucky ebay purchase. Thanks to a heads up from a friend, I managed to snag a pack of African militia I had been mostly missing from my Spectre collection. This was the support weapon pack for the Militia – an UZI carrying fighter, a well dressed man with a shotgun, a marksman with a Lee Enfield and an LMG gunner with a Bren gun. These figures have had some of the fine detail knocked off (as you might expect from a second hand figure) but still I’m very glad to own them.

A couple of years ago I made up this bingo chart to compare my collection against the releases from the original kickstarter. Since then, I’ve picked up a few more figures, either through Spectre re-releases (such as the Technical Charlie or the Warlord) or through ebay. As you can see, I’m slowly clawing my way to 100%. I’ll admit, the only figures I’m desperate for are the original PKM for the technical and the missing two figures from the Witch Doctor pack -The Bulletproof Militia and the sapeurs are perhaps a little too extravagant for my tastes – the African guys I’m focusing on will be much more focused on East Africa, far away from the cultures that the militia were originally inspired by. However, I’m kind of happy to be in the single digits for missing items

Finally, and on a more practical/civilised note, I finally got myself a dice tower. I’ve been wanting one for ages but never spotted the design I quite liked. But, while picking up the Infamy Infamy PDF (no intention of playing it but I like reading the Too Fat Lardies rules), I spotted their version of the Warbases design. It’s a great setup and I especially like the green baise surface on the top. Assembly was fun to work out and I have to admit, it is the most satisfying way to roll dice.

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!

You might have noticed some more posts are missing images. Looks like the gremlins have got back into the system and something is removing files from my uploads folder – the price of running a blog install for 10+ years. I’m going to spend some time hunting through it, making sure to get everything fixed up. So there may be some downtime over the next few days.

NEWS

White Dragon Miniatures are releasing their Mastiff! It’s finally up for pre-order and by the time you read this will be available to purchase at it’s full price. I’m really excited to pick this vheicle up – the mix of WDM’s vehicle production (resin but hollow to save on weight) and the bar armour should make it a lovely kit to build and use. More details when it arrives!

Footsore Miniatures have released the first of their Modern range in the UK. If you’ve followed SASM, then you’ll recognise them as the most recent sets of figure releases – vehicles and older figures will be following soon. I’m really interested in looking at them but the price is giving me pause.

It is quite a lot of money – the SBS set of six figures is over £30 for 5 figures (and a dog). It works out cheaper than ordering them from the US (and you have less concerns about them going missing in the post) but its far too expensive for me to justify sadly.

UPDATES

This week was mainly finishing off the last fireteam in my US Marine infantry squad. It took longer than planned but honestly I’m just grinding away at it all. I am happy about how they are turning out though – the USMC have been sat for far too long.

As mentioned in the article above, the next set is going to be the SMAW launchers for the USMC. I’m looking forward to these guys, and the urge to get them on the tabletop is increasing. Maybe I need to do some terrain for them to bust first?

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!

Managed to get some time aside to start painting four more US Marines. I was going to try and get more done this weekend but it was one of those weekends where the motivation dives into the toilet.

NEWS

Flytrap Factory are working on some cool 3D models of SIG assault rifles that might be part of a possible new range from them. Flytrap has done some cool modern figures in the past as tests for possible clients (in a scale that matches other modern brands) so seeing what they might come up with is rather exciting.

UPDATES

So not strictly hobby but I managed to watch the Outpost this week thanks to some VPN shenanigans. Seeing as it’s based on the same events as one of my favourite books (Red Platoon), it’s very interesting to see them from a different point of view. Overall, I think it’s a rather well done film – they merge some facts together, tweak a few details but it’s mostly on track. As for the film itself, the script isn’t the best but it’s serviceable and, more importantly, the action is what really ties it all together.

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!

NEWS

Empress are continuing their work to bring all the HLBS vehicles in house. This week sees two interesting vehicles for the Brits – the Warthog and Viking. These AFVs are perfect for fighting in Afghanistan, as well as any kind of amphibious operation you might want to try them in.

Empress has also been working on some new ranges – the previously mentioned BAOR release has now been preivewed. They look pretty good – I can definitely see people picking them up for the Cold War/Falklands era (as Empress is planning Russian Paratrooper and Argentinean ranges). They also look a good fit to go against the figures from Under Fire Miniatures (such as their Soviets and East Germans).

Finally from Empress – the PBR boat is now in stock. So if you’re wanting some Vietnam shenanigans, this is a great place to start.

White Dragon Miniatures are one step closer to releasing their upcoming Mastiff MRAP model. As you can see, it’s now been painted up and had the bar armour mounted. I think it’s looking rather cool and I honestly can’t wait for their release.

Finally, Skirmish Sangin lives! After the death of the forum, Skirmish Sangin related talk has now moved to this group on Facebook. It’s slowly coming back into action and also includes mention of a Version 2 of Skirmish Sangin. I’m very interested in seeing how this come about – even from the teases so far it looks like a slightly slimmer/faster game without losing that detail that I particularly liked. More details coming soon.

UPDATES

No updates on hobby news today – work consumed most of my time last week while any free time was spent either playing Modern Warfare or (more importantly) fixing this website and giving it a good clean. About 10GB of unused files were clogging up my hosting, as well as several broken posts. However, all this should now be fixed!

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!

Hi all – this is not a proper wargaming week. Due to a few issues with the site, I ended up spending my blogging time trying to fix some legacy issues (such as missing images which seem to have evaporated). Work is on-going so you may see some odd behaviour on the site. Effectively there is going to be a long-overdue overhaul so the site might change it’s look as I investigate any possible new themes.

But more on topic, I’m setting up a tiny skirmish game to try out my own rules (once I finish writing them). Using the new Geek Villian mat and my downed C130, I think this could be a fun little skirmish between two groups of Special Forces operators.

Also, the danger of spending all day working at the same desk I paint at is that it’s covered in things to distract while I watch code build. Combining turrets is always fun so I ended up doing this. Maybe I need a second Gage Commando where I widen the turret ring to fit the Humvee turrets OR I should assemble some kind of adapter. Either way, I thought this looked cool

Another week in Lockdown, time for a new update!

Two more SITREPs this week, and I have another in-progress covering my Dark Eldar character. More details coming soon also for the Enforcers (who I’ve also slowly been working on).

NEWS

Lots of new releases from Knights of Dice down under – 15 new kits. However, the ones I’m most excited about are the two new compounds they previewed over the past few weeks and their new doors pack. I’m really excited about the doors – they were an element I was dreading having to make so having an easy to purchase kit makes it all easier. I’m also very tempted by those compounds – I know I know I have a lot to finish but both of those kits seem ideal for some CQB gameplay.

The White Dragon Mastiff draws nearer! DwArtist is working on it and as you can see, it’s looking like a beauty. Definitely going to be picking one of these up.

UPDATES

An order from Empress arrived last week. First up, the charity Medic figure from the WW2 range. As well as wanting to support a good cause, she seems perfect for my British Chain of Command (acting as a marker for the Medical Orderly). I’m definitely going to be getting some paint on her soon.

The other part was a little experiment. I’m going to write a full SITREP on these guys when I get to it but I’m looking for some alternative models to play the Aden Defence Force in my Bazistan games. As much as I like the Eureka British, I really want something that will stand out when put next to the rest of my British collection. So for this reason, I decided to see if the Empress French would be a good fit. I’ve got some more work to do on them so watch this space.

Finally, after a long long lockdown delay, my battlemats from Geek Villain and Tiny Terrain have arrived. SO far, I’m really impressed with them, but I want to try and get a game in using both these mats and my deep cut one before a write a mat-off. However, very happy with the quality on them and the two free figures from Tiny Terrain was a nice touch!

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week! See you on Wednesday for more streaming!

Another week in lockdown, another week slowly keeping things going.

Two models for the price of one this week – finishing off another few elements of the Bazi military. These were fun to paint and I’m quite happy at how they are finished off. The whole point at the moment is slowly working through my stockpile, getting everything painted up.

NEWS

Some rather interesting updates from Laser Cut Buildings in Poland. A really nice looking modular fort setup, which I could definitely see being used for several locations (such as forts or prisons or chemical weapon factories). Not 100% on how they build but there seems a rather good range from them.

UPDATES

Big news this week, the Alamo Kickstarter arrived. With a rather impressive turnaround, the big box of MDF at my door and I eagerly dug in. As you can see, I picked up the two compound sets, giving me a whole host of Adobe structure pieces to mess around with. The package also includes a pile of TTS pieces, to assemble them into a board.

I haven’t managed to assemble much, but the few pieces I’ve put togather are definitely promising. The fact the roof pieces are removable in such a natural way (rather than straight lines) definitely adds to their utility. I’m already seeing some ideas on how best to make these buildings more modern/Bazi/Afghan style, so will definitely be assembling those ideas into a document at some point.

In non-MDF news, my upgrade parts from Anvil Industry arrived. As well as several heads for my Enforcers, I also got a selection of cloaks. Some of these will be going on enforcers (with camo elements added) but one of them…

Has gone onto my Dark Elf Archon. This figure has been sat on the back burner for a while, waiting for me to get down to finishing it’s customisation. A SITREP on it is coming soon, but I’m really excited to get this guy painted up… along with a few of his friends.

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week! See you on Wednesday for the next Twitch stream.

A new week beginning, lots of events going on in the world that I’ll admit I’ve found hard to take my eyes off. I’d like to echo the start of last week’s update –  Listen to those in need, to those who are hurting and have had enough, try to help if you can, stand with them if you are able.

Post wise, two more SITREPs of WIP stuff. I’m really excited about both, but the Enforcers have been especially fun to assemble. I’m looking forward to more parts arriving, mainly so I can finish the squad off and begin painting all of them.

NEWS

Right, let’s start off the news with perhaps the most relevant at the moment. I realise people find it very easy to be suspicious of companies posting images of text on twitter whenever real-world events. With the current events in the United States, there has been a whole pile of them. For Wargamers, the big one to see is Games Workshop putting their foot forward – and frankly, it’s a great step to see.

I’m not going to say this much but let’s make it very clear: If you don’t agree with their statement, then sadly this isn’t the blog for you.

Also speaking of Games Workshop, this week see the pre-orders for the next wave of Aeronautica Imperialis. And seeing as this wave adds the Valkyries and Vultures of the Imperial Guard, the models I jumped into the game to collect, I’m about to get very busy.

Back in the modern-day setting, Empress has released a new version of the Danger Close rules, previously covered in the grand comparison. This new update, as well as fixing some issues, also adds two elements I explicitly mentioned as missing in the first review – air support and vehicles. Based on the games they have been running on the Empress Facebook page, this update looks very promising.

UPDATES

Seeing as the Valkyries cometh, I need to get my starter set finished before I allow myself to pick up any more boxes of tiny planes. The other imperial aircraft are designed to be part of a tactical air wing, but these bombers will be from a different squadron. Rather than fancy camo schemes, these will be tan with markings. And because the other aircraft are subdued, these guys are going to be slightly garish, relying on their firepower over camouflage.

I took last week off the painting, but this week I will be back and finishing this guy – the Spectre Insurgent MMG gunner. He’s be painted up as a support gunner for my Bazi SF team, so one last figure in three colour desert and then we can get back to other camo schemes.

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!

June? Hard to believe honestly. Especially with the news in the world around us. I’m not going to preach from the soapbox, especially as a lot of people are using hobbies as a way of escaping the madness of the real world and I am but one blog writer on the internet, but now is an important time to have some empathy. Listen to those in need, to those who are hurting and have had enough, try to help if you can.

As for a personal update, the new season of Call of Duty starts this week (so expect some updates on the inspiration) and I’ve actually been slowly getting ready to play a game. More details below.

As I said last week, you’ll be seeing lots of small posts during the week. Now the Bazi Royal Guard are done, expect an impressions piece soon.

NEWS

Remember the Knights of Dice Compounds from last week? Well Viv works fast and we already have two designs finished. Definitely a good looking setup, I’m very interested in seeing what they are like (and maybe fighting over them).

On top of that, Knights of Dice have also been working on some door! Now their Tabula Rasa range (of which I have too much) has been designed as basic shells, minus doors, windows and other details. I have slowly been preparing to assemble them although with that slight worry about how much I have to do. However, having some doors available (and they do look pretty good) would be very handy.

UPDATES

So you may have noticed that despite finishing the Bazi Royal Guard, I am missing a figure. The infamous knife man. I’ve decided that his equipment and head are really off putting. So rather than simply having a strange knife man running around, I’m instead going to do some conversion work, making him into a vehicle commander for Gage Commando. As you can see, I’ve already chopped him in half. The next stage is going to be adjusting his arms and replacing the head with para head from the Warlord Games sprue. I’ll also add a green stuff tweak to add a headset. It’s probably a lot of work, but I think it’s a perfect add-on to make such a force up.

Speaking of conversion work, I’ve started assembling my Necromunda gang. As said before, I’m making an enforcer gang, but rather than going with the usual clean look, I’m instead going for a little bit more of a rougher, “Mercs in Space” look. For this, I’m going to be going mad with the extra bits, while also using Anvil Industry’s heads for a rougher/tougher look. I’m going to do a full SITREP on them soon, but here are the first two!

Finally, I’m starting to get a game together. After picking up Battlespace, and doing a read through, I’m really excited to try it out. The card based system, the core mechanics, all of it sounds like a good setup. It also doesn’t require a massive table which is a nice addition.

I also think it might be a cool thing to run on a stream. The only downside is that I need to setup a camera system (and run the streaming software) all of which currently require my PC (which is in a separate room). I might be able to bring my current gaming table into that room to play but I’ll need to experiment. Watch this space.

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!

I’m planning to stream on Wednesday. Not 100% what I’ll be working on but it will be interesting!

Well, we’re still in lockdown and I’m still mostly stuck in my house, playing Call of Duty and occasionally painting some models (when I’m not working).

Big new thing I’m trying out – going to be starting to do more short-form articles than waiting to make giant ones. Mostly because I’m bored of seeing just “Wargaming Week” pop up in the “Recent Posts” tab and also because I want to write more for this place. So going forward, you’re going to see less in the update section and more up here, where I’ll embed the last week’s posts to show off what I’ve been working on.

NEWS

Battlespace, a solo ultramodern game from Table Salt Gaming Designs is now out! Seeing as it looks right up my alley, I decided to pick it and give it a go. It’s pretty reasonably priced, the rules seem pretty interesting and I love the concept behind it. The book’s forces are insurgents vs US Army, and I’m looking forward to seeing just what it’s like… once I print off this pile of cards needed for it.

Empress is back up and beginning the new releases train – first up, the rest of the ANZAC Vietnam range. In addition to the SLR armed releases earlier in the year, these new packs add the required support options and command packs, such as figures with M16s, others with Owen guns (mostly for your scouts) and naturally the M60 for putting the fire down. Having just rewatched the film “Danger Close” (and the better documentary on Long Tan) I’m trying very hard to not start up a new theatre.

Big news for regular wargaming world, Warhammer 40k is getting a 9th edition. I’m including the CGI video above (because it does a pretty good job of getting people hype) but actually I’m quite excited to see how things are advancing in the world of Games Workshop. Although I’m not always a fan of the rules (I find the disconnect between lore and tabletop capabilities a little too wide) I do love the storylines they create and their model designers are top-notch. I actually have some 40k figures (thanks to some second-hand sales) so you might see an army being constructed, and maybe even some get some games in (depending on how the rules changes are)!

Finally, Knights of Dice (partially inspired by the release of Battlespace) are making new Tabula Rasa compound to be stormed. It’s a really nice looking setup but like all Tabula Rasa kits will need the extra details adding. No mention of a release date, but one to keep an eye on.

UPDATES

Speaking of Games Workshop, I’ve decided to enter the world of Necromunda. One of the group of friends back down in the north of England was just setting up for a Necromunda campaign when the lockdown begun. Seeing as I am now with reach of them, I thought I might join in once we’re able to meet in small groups. Of course, before that I’ll need a gang. And being the kind of person I am, it was time for some heavily armed enforcers to kick in the door. I’m not doing them as normal enforcers though – instead, I’m going to do them up as a private group of contract lawmen. So swap a few heads, add a few extra details and then get ready to beat up some low hive scum.

Speaking of arrival, my copy of Root and it’s expansions FINALLY turned up. I was a little worried as this was supposed to arrive before my move to Leeds but luckily my address change went through. I’m very excited to get a game of this in, but even if it takes a while, I thoroughly enjoyed looking at all the glorious little meeples in it.

Finally, my Modern Warfare addiction continues. And with a new skin released for my main Allegiance operator Bale, I think I have a camo scheme for my Russian SSO operators from Spectre. It’s really cool to see a new modern style Russian skin that isn’t just multicam.

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!

Before that though, tonight on Twitch I’ll be taking a look at the Militia Miniatures Republican Guard figures and getting them painted up as the Bazi Royal Guard, perfect for stomping the little guys.

NEWS

First up, Empress are releasing a charity figure to add to the WW2 range. This female nurse figure is up on the store now as a pre-release, with proceeds from her going to the NHS charity here in the UK. As it’s a Paul Hicks sculpt, it looks pretty lovely so I will definitely be taking a look.

Table Salt Gaming Designs, who I think I have mentioned on here once before, are days away from releasing a rather interesting set of rules, based on the description. Solo and ultra-modern seems like the perfect thing to be released round about now, so expect me to take a look at it when it comes out.

In slightly sadder news, and as something that should shock no one, Historicon 2020 is not going ahead this year. The organisers have decided, based on the current worldwide situation that it would not be a good idea. Additionally, Gencon has also cancelled. I have to admit, at the way things are going, probably safe to assume there will be no major gatherings of wargamers this year. Perhaps Fiasco in October but even then I’m not sure on that…

However, in better news, the Mastiff is finally coming! White Dragon Miniatures took to the live stream last Thursday to show off the upcoming release. This massive MRAP is definitely one I’d love to add to my force (even if it’s technically in the wrong scale for my collection) and it’s safe to say that Alan at WDM has knocked it out the park with this one. Even down to daring to do the stand-off armour around the edges. Release should be soon and, although it’s going to be asking for a centre-piece price for it, I will definitely be getting one.

UPDATES

Well, I did some painting! The main reason for doing these twitch streams is finally coming into effect as I am getting a reasonable rate of having something finished each week. As in the last session, I managed to get my pair of adventurers from Hasslefree. I need to do a few little touches to them (cleaning up the Agrax from the base) but they were great fun to plan out and then paint with everyone.

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!

Welcome back, to a new Wargaming Week!

NEWS

New update from Empress – they are working on a version two of their two page ruleset “Danger Close” to add vehicles and aircraft. This will double the ruleset size up to four but should also make it more interesting for anyone slowly building up a collection of Empress’s products. I’ll be keeping an eye on it, ready to update the comparison doc when it releases.

UPDATES

Lichen! As part of my terrain building efforts, I’ve been picking up elements I’ve previously not needed before. Trees came first, but now it’s more rough ground cover for scrub brush. Ideal for concealment, this should help to make some of my boards “pop” a little more.

Wednesday’s stream saw me finishing these guys off – five more USMC guys for the collection all ready to go. You can also see the effects of the light box I picked up, which should make all my painting look slightly more passable.

Friday night saw me sit down with a few beers on a zoom call and start painting some of my WW2 British, inspired perhaps a little bit by it being VE Day. I only managed to get the first two layers done (and a few pieces of flesh) but I’m already pretty excited to be working on them. Amazing what a few colours can do!

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!

Personal news, going to be back streaming again this Wednesday! Plan is to take a look at some USMC, either applying the final stages of camo on current set or beginning anew on the next fireteam. Same time as last week, starting at 8pm UK and going for two and a bit hours (or until we get bored).

NEWS

Not grabbing the news stories for this, seeing as they are short, but Games Workshop and Perry Miniatures are both back online and ready to ship out orders to people. As with other companies that have remained open, both are running a little slower than usual and may have limited stock. But it is a good sign to see people finding ways to safely continue business and keep running.

UPDATES

As everyone who joined in the stream saw, I finish off the Baba Yaga model from Spectre, in a slightly different colour scheme. I’m also seeing him as a different character – Alexios Jonhnovich, freelance intelligence agent and fixer down in Aden.

I had decided on the light tan suit when I first picked the model (wanting something different from the usual black suited John Wick) but it was chat that suggested the pink shirt to go with it. I really like the overall look and can’t wait to get him into a scenario.

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!

The Isolation continues! I took the last few weeks off as my motivation and brain took a crash and really couldn’t focus on anything hobby related. Instead, I’ve been working and playing video games. But, I have decided to come back and try a new thing.

Streaming

Yep. Streaming. Having picked up a webcam and kit for working from home, I’ve decided it might be a nice idea to set some time set aside for hobby. And what better way to do it than sharing with others!

The plan is to start at around 20:00 UK time and will be around 2 hours or so as I slowly paint the Baba Yaga model from Spectre and be around to chat/share in my awful taste in music. You can find me online at https://www.twitch.tv/chargedog2150 and I can’t wait to see how this experiment goes! I’ll also post something here when I start going, with it embedded so you can watch it here.

NEWS

Not much news but something cool from Spectre – Zombie rules! Perfect for playing solo or using your operators for something different than military operations. From my quick read through, I think these rules are a great addition – Spectre has shown it’s use as a toolbox for a selection of scenarios so, in addition to action heroes and aliens, zombies are a nice touch.

Additionally, Spectre are offering up gift vouchers on their store. With the whole COVID-19 causing havoc throughout the supply chain (and Spectre’s stock situation already not great), letting people pick up cash to spend once things are sorted out is great. On the other hand, they have also decided to shut down their store for now – with their caster not working due to isolation there is no more metal arriving for them to sell. Because of this, the site is looking pretty bare, with only the gift cards and book available. I’m going to admit, it’s not a great look, but fingers crossed it all works out.

They also had a little deal on over the Salute weekend (which has now expired) which was bringing back all the exclusive models from previous years. As someone who owned all these models, my wallet very much enjoyed not being taken for a ride (in fact it was mostly safe over that weekend). This was also a pre-order, with deliveries happening later in the year.

Also, the Miniature Building Authority is in process on a new Kickstarter, the second stage of their Shantytown. As well as some really impressive buildings, they are also working on some exclusive mats from Cigar Box. The wide winding river is some perfect setup, and I’ll admit I am getting some pretty severe terrain envy from that layout.

Empress has also revealed some crew for it’s upcoming PBR kit. These crew may seem familiar if you’ve spent 3 hours slowly watching someone on screen mirror your own descent into madness. I really like the look of them, seeing as I have a weak spot for troops dressed in non-regulation ways. Releases coming once we escape the lockdown.

UPDATES

So my paint storage solution is… messy. It’s a drawer full of paints, that I delve into whenever I go hunting for paint. Basically it’s crap. So I picked up a rack from Sarissa Precision. My plan is to use it as a “ready rack”, keeping paints I’m currently working on nicely stacked up, as well as stopping figures sprawling out over the tabletop. I really like the MDF kit, but left off the brush holders on the side as I use my wet pallette for that.

I also got Sarissa’s book with that order as well. This is written by March Attack, whose work on the Sarissa kits I’ve followed for a long time. Additionally, I also have a pile of kits, so getting some infomation and updates would be handy. I haven’t read it too deeply but there are already tactics and techniques I’m planning to use on my pile of MDF kits.

I also got the new fangled spray stick out and gave it a go. Overall, I’m pretty happy with it! Sure, it’s perhaps a little over-engineered, but if you want a stable stick to spray things on without the mess of blue-tack and wood, this is the way to go. It is definitely designed for the GW style of bases, meaning the rubber bands on smaller, penny style bases need to sit over the top rather than around. But, definitely worth using!

One of my projects I’ve been really looking forward to getting done is my late war Brits for Chain of Command. Well, with the final support element I was needing finally released (the Vickers teams), its time to actually focus on it. So I broke out the models I have already, the Platoon list for the British Infantry and got to working.

With my current collection, I have a full infantry platoon. Additionally, there is a second PIAT team, an additional Bren team, an additional senior leader, four sten gun troopers, a sniper and a piper (or adjutant). With an additional infantry team from the Warlord Games Winter British Infantry box as well, this definitely gives me a few options. All I’m really missing is some HMGs (because Brens can’t outshoot MG42s) and a 6 pounder AT gun. Seeing as Empress haven’t released the crew for that gun yet, picking up a pair of Vickers (as well as more riflemen to act as crew) was the next step.

And then they arrived! Along with a few other things. Thanks to the Outpost, I managed to get some additional Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade. I did realise my painting style pretty much depends on them, so starting a new project with no resupply seemed like a poor idea. I also managed to get a physical copy of Contact Front, thanks to Elhiem Figures, ready for it’s addition to my master post of modern wargaming rules. The box is really nicely done, and I was already interested in the rules since reading the original PDF I purchased. More details soon.

The other thing to arrive this week (after a rather long trip) is my Black Powder Red Earth hypernotes. This is sort of a lore book for the next group of BPRE comics, taking place in a North African state. It’s a nicely presented book, although I am a little disappointed with the reference section being of equal length to the narrative. But I guess that is the glorious art you come for. I’m going to write up a little something on it later I think, as well as maybe showing it off in the stream on Wednesday.

Finally trees. As I previously played at a wargames club, switching to having a home setup means I need to invest in a lot of things that previously just lived in a magical box. Trees and shrubs have been one thing. After grabbing some trees off ebay, this layout is already looking better. I’m going to add a few tweaks to them, mostly to stop them looking uniform and a bit more “desert highland” which is where they are being used for.

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!

But enough about that, lets talk about wargames.

NEWS

News is running out as companies start to lockdown. Empress did, however, manage to get a limited release out. And it’s definitely one a lot of fans will have been looking for – the ANZAC Centurion tank. Perfect for crushing it’s way through the undergrowth to clear a path for your Diggers, it’s a lovely looking kit. I’m a big fan of just how much stowage they included. Seeing as everyone and their mothers used the Centurion, it can definitely be on other battlefields, perhaps with a little more sand. Sadly, if you’re wanting one and didn’t order you’re going to be waiting a little bit – the first run has sold out, and restock may not arrive until after lockdown finishes.

UPDATES

I finished doing some painting! Here we have the first fireteam of my USMC figures all painted up and ready to go. Now I’ll be the first to say, the camo is really designed to give the impression of MARPAT rather than being 1 to 1. However, I think it does a good enough job from 3ft away. It is also a pattern I can paint at a reasonable pace (if I put my mind to it) so expect me to keep on working on these guys. I currently have enough for a full squad of US Marines (using the old TOE with 13 marines) with a few additional supporting elements such as SMAW gunners so I have plenty to be getting on with.

Seeing as I’m going to have a little more time for painting, I decided to grab a few supplies to make it a little easier. Mainly, after having to keep swapping models between handles while doing the fireteam, I picked up two more normal handles (now in red) so I can do the full group of four figures on handles at the same time. On top of that, the large size handle is perfect for the larger based figures, such as the jumping off points for Chain of Command or, as above, the prone figures that Empress like to include in all its ranges.

Less cool but good for the long term – brush soap. Not much else to say about it, other than it definitely helps.

Finally, with my time at home, I’ve continued working on my own ruleset I’ve been playing around with. It’s not quite ready for showing off just yet, but the short form is it’s taking a few mechanics I’ve loved in other games, adding a few ideas I’ve had about making characters feel like individuals and then putting it into a package that should be relatively quick to pickup and get playing. More details coming when I finish writing it and start testing it further. Based on the current situation, you might even see some solo-play rules for it!

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!

NEWS

Empress are still putting out new releases during this trying time. Including one I’ve been long awaiting, the Vickers MMG team for the Late War Brits! As someone whose Chain of Command games usually rely on taking the Vickers as a must-have support option, seeing a version now available for my specific style of troops is definitely reducing the barriers in the way of assembling a chain of command force. As you can see, it’s in the same great style as the rest of the range. I will definitely be picking a pair of these up to really be able to lay down the fire on the Boche.

Empress has also released the first few packs of the Vietnam ANZAC range. Although originally intended to be part of a complete release at Salute, due to change in circumstances the first two releases are out now. Additionally, the post above includes other photos of the rest of the range, such as command packs and even a casualty set. Overall, the full range should be a great addition to anyone playing the period, so use this time to buy the first two packs and work out your paint schemes!

UPDATES

Despite being at home, I have to admit my hobby time hasn’t been much greater than usual – between getting used to the new routine and the collection of games that have been stealing my attention (thanks to more friends staying at home in the evenings), I’ve been a little distracted. On the other hand, I’m just starting to get on track, and having a pile of models next to me means it’s easy to do a little bit during my downtime.

At the moment, my project is getting my pile of US Marines painted. I’m still working through the test fireteam so it’s slow going but it does feel nice painting more.

Of course, painting is only half the journey. Despite the fact I haven’t got anyone to play with, I have been taking full advantage of the fact I can actually put up layouts and leave them in place by assembling towns to fight over. Today’s edition is using the Sarissa Colonial buildings, most of which are still only basecoated and missing the detail paintwork. I’m also using a blue tint on my light, giving it a little bit of night time feel.

Any feedback will be gratefully taken and maybe at some point I’ll actually play over it.

Despite being in lockdown, I actually received my orders from Spectre last week. Alongside the Babe Yaga, Insurgent MMG and the Aftermath team, I also have a pair of stickers that Spectre included. Expect to see the figures painted up at some point – I think the Baba Yaga could be a quite fun project, perhaps in a different colour suit.

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week. Keep safe everyone!

News

Well, the main news this week is that everything is cancelled due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Pretty much all the wargames shows for the spring (such as Salute and Adepticon) are definitely cancelled or postponed, while even those in Summer and Autumn seem to be considering carefully if they are planning to go ahead.

Empress are still keeping the releases going with their Vietnam vehicles range. As well the PT-76 shown above, they also announced an Otter amphib, both of which are perfect for crashing through the waterlogged battlefields of Vietnam. Additionally, the PT-76 could pop up in any number of battlefields around the world.

Similarly, Empress is plowing ahead adding another nation to the battlefield. Last week saw a pile of ANAZC previews, once again showing off the wonderful sculpting work on them. There are lots of great little touches to them.

Spectre also had a few extra updates. The first is a pretty simple one – the starter pack is changing from Task Force Operator vs Russians to DEVGRU vs Insurgent Kill Team. This is a little easier for Spectre to produce (as these items were already being sold together in packs) and still provide some pretty reasonable forces to assemble. The only downside is that the DEVGRU (despite having one operator replaced with a dog) might just have the edge in terms of raw firepower.

Their second release is might potentially help them out – planned as an Adepticon exclusive, this Insurgent with a bullpup PKM looks perfect to match the Insurgent Killteam, while the great big bushy beard is pretty impressive.

Updates

My Deep Cut Studios order arrived! The mat and road strip are both lovely, really nice weight to them. The mat colour is perfect colour if you intend to cover it in buildings and your own foliage (otherwise it might be a little too dry and dead). Additionally, I think the road will get a little bit of work done to it, such as some texture and dust.

Of course, one of the advantages of having this means I can actually start planning layouts and putting figures down and getting to leave them in place. Of course, it will be even better once

And to add to the setup, I managed to pick some IKEA smart bulbs to replace those that came with the house – of course, I saw the multi-colour ones and I couldn’t help but pick one up. These photos are done just with the light bulb in the room (no filters) and I quite like the effect. We’ll see how practical it actually is but it’s just a neat effect.

Work is continuing on my US Marines (slowly) – been a little distracted with work stuff that I just haven’t felt like sitting down at the same desk. I’m tempted to move my painting area away so I have a change of pace, but debating exactly where to put it.

Finally, as part of getting into the new house, my parents offered up a wonderful display case/sideboard to clean some space in their house. One side is filled with various memorabilia and gaming figures but the other side just had to be for some models. I still have another shelf (and plenty of space) but I am already loving the effect of having them on show rather than shoved into boxes.

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week! Stay safe everyone!

Let’s start this Wargaming Week, covering the…

Actually new plan – I’m going to scrap the previous layout. Frankly, it has started to feel a little formulaic, and it gets dull when I just write “no hobby lol”. Instead, I’m going to split the post in half – wargaming news at the top (which a lot of people seem to like) and personal updates at the bottom. Let’s see how this works…

News

So some of this news is going to be out of date, but it makes sense to include them anyway, especially as I get to talk about them!

Big thing from the last month or so has been Sarissa Precision’s Alamo kickstarter. Now, I originally saw this and went for a gentle nap (due to my interest in Mexican-American wars being minimal, even those in the Modern era). However, Sarissa has been very clever, and showed off the buildings in other locations. Thanks to the design, and the easily configured setups, these structures could stand in for adobes in the highlands of Afghanistan. And, combined with the wall elements, makes assembling compound super easy.

As someone who already has a lot of MDF, I shouldn’t need more. However, all my MDF is very urban-based and some of the most iconic battles have taken place in more rural areas of the world. The baking sun, the green fields and (more on topic) small compounds that have existed for years are vital parts of the war experience of anyone in certain areas of Afghanistan. In my opinion, I think these packs are perfect for assembling them on the tabletop.

Going back to the news, the project hit its goals and went up several. I look forward to it releasing later this year.

Next up, Tiny Terrain has released two new battle mats. One is high desert, the other slightly greener and both look fantastic. As detailed below, I’m starting to look into battle mats and these seem pretty great – described as fleece, they should sit flat on surfaces while still letting you shape them with items underneath. More details once they arrive.

More news from Empress, and this time we have some Aussies inbound. A few previews of the upcoming Anzac troops and oh boy do I like them. I’ve been trying very hard to avoid picking up a very different region to collect but these do look very tempting. The style of the Vietnam (and World War 2) ranges are wonderful and should be good fun to paint.

And speaking of wonderful things, White Dragon is about to make a lot of people very happy. They are about to release a Mastiff MRAP suitable for 28mm, complete with bar armour and packed full of details. These vehicles are massive, big enough to carry 8 troops protected from IED strikes. And frankly, it looks perfect. My only downside is that it’s 1/56 scale rather than the 1/50 used by many other companies (and what I have a reasonable number of), but I think the sheer size and uniqueness of this vehicle make it a must buy.

Finally, as I return, so does Spectre. Back from their break, we see two new releases.

The first is something old – Baba Yaga is back! As a follow on from Spectre’s 2019 Salute Exclusive, we have a new Baba Yaga into a center axis relock pose with his pistol (rather than armed with an AR). This is a cool looking guy, perfect to add to the undercover operators range, and is not a time limited release, which is a good sign.

The second is perhaps perfectly timed for its release. As it’s been previewed for the last few months, we finally see the team of troops in Hazmat gear. And it’s revealed… they are slightly dodgy guys. From the off the shelf CBRN suits and masks to the selection of weapons, these guys seem perfect for playing the faceless bad guys. I quite like the range of kit they are armed with, such as the Galil rifles, the combination of AKSU and RPG for the grenadier and then the belt fed, bullpup PKM with rucksack ammo system. All in all, I am already thinking of several ideas on how to use them, but now I just need a few suspicious canisters…

Updates

As you can see, I’m back! There are still a few pieces of furniture to move into this place but the house warming has happened, the IKEA trips have been done and now I’m ready to start writing posts and painting minis again.

We’ll see how much my new location helps/hinders my wargaming, but being further south should mean you’ll see my Regular Opponent more often, as well getting to go to more shows. Also having more space means you will see some different setups for photos, including a table big enough to setup games on – also ideal for impressions photos!

Additionally, the website has a new home! After my previous web host decided to be genuinely unhelpful with dealing with an issue (such as responding to support emails in French despite my account being with their UK arm) and added to the rest of the dumb things I’ve had to deal with them, I decided to make a change. We’re now on a newer (and hopefully better) host who helped bring it over in less than a day with almost zero input.

So a big thing about having my own place with space is now I need to pick up a few extra things before I can run games. The first stage – something to play on. In the past, I made 5 textured boards for my wargame but they are a giant pain to use – heavy, fragile. So, seeing as I have two tables big enough to play on (once I sort a dining table out) I decided to invest in some battle mats. I’ve ordered a couple to try out, with the plan to sell the ones I’m not fond of. As well as the tiny terrain mats, I also ordered a Deep Cut Studios one (wasteland) along with a set of rollout roads to add to my terrain building. Expect some thoughts soon.

The second part – flora. A hole in my collection is just bits of green, that ground cover that helps to turn a board from “okay” to super fun. As I’m setting my games in a fictional version of Yemen, I’ve been taking a look at the types of flora you find there, before matching it up to what you can buy.

The final part? Getting all those buildings finished. As I’m wanting to make them really stand out, this includes detailing, texturing and then finally painting. I can see it all taking a while but I can’t wait to see the end result.

This weekend was Hammerhead and, being back in the area, I decided to take a trip. Turning up late in the day (with the shadow of coronavirus hanging over everyone) it definitely felt quiet. After speaking to a few people, I finally managed to meet up with Westbury Wargamers, a rather fine chap and reader of this blog (and someone who I have probably pushed down many a purchasing hole). That said, the game that he was running with a few others was a rather fun looking Mexican Cartel game, using the fistful of lead rules (fitting onto a single piece of A4) and looked like a whale of a time was being had by those playing.

As for my loot, I came away with a few things:

• British CMP Truck – destined for my Chain of Command army, this truck will probably end up either as a JOP or being ripped to shreds when I try to use it as transport.
• Last Valley bushes – as part of my flora, I picked up 5 bushes for £15 and got an extra one thrown in for free. Really nicely made, can’t wait for them on the table
• Empress Cadillac Gage Commando – Released for their Vietnam range, I can really see it in the service of the Bazistan Police force. Not quite as nasty as a tank, but nothing to sneeze at
• Two Giants in Miniature – Tiny Brienne of Tarth for fantasy and Tiny Agent Carter for my WW2 Brits. Both are fun looking figures and should be a challenge to paint.
• A Games Workshop spray stick – Seeing as I now have space to spray properly, I need something to actually hold the models with, other than my cardboard box. It’s definitely something that could be done with blue tack and wood, but you pay for someone to make the design work so it’s easier for you.

Finally, in terms of my own painting, I’ve broken out some old toys and grabbed the US Marines from Empress to slowly get me back into it. I’ve wanted to get them finished for ages and, with a relatively simple scheme and fantastic models, they should be quick to finish off and get me back into the groove. I did take them into work to paint for a few days this week (before working from home was enforced) and that seems like it’s doable on my lunch break (to get my 15 minutes in everyday). Now I’m at home more, there may be more painting done once I peel myself away from the twin vices of Modern Warfare and Overwatch.

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!

NEWS

New releases from Empress – they are extending their builders yard to now include a set of damaged apartment blocks, letting you easily build out a larger city using them. They do look like some big chunky resin, so I expect them to definitely have some heft.

I also had a quick chat with Empress at Vapnartak about their upcoming releases for Late War Brits. The long awaited Vickers team is almost here, as well as a 3inch mortar. Also on the cards are some troops for an engineering section, almost vital for a Chain of Command selection. FInally, Paul did mention that they will possibly be looking at making some troops without the camouflage jackets and scrim, instead focusing on the assault jerkins. Overall, these sound like some great additions and I am very excited

To extend my news, I’m going to start looking at a few other things that excite me. As you may have seen, I picked up the Aeronautica Imperialis set a few months back, in part because I love the look of these aircraft. However, my personal favourite (the Valkyrie) wasn’t released… until now. The next box will take us to the skies over Taros, pitting the Valks and Lightnings (sadly the newer design rather than the original pattern) against the Tau craft. I haven’t yet got a game in of the core sets, but I can see the Tau being long range, high power aircraft, lobbing missiles and railguns at incoming targets matching to the concept of them being more modern than the midrange/close range brawlers of the Imperial Navy/Orks.

PURCHASES

Despite going to Vapa, I managed to actually not spend anything on new figures. I’m actually very close to a major move so adding things to a lead pile doesn’t really make sense right now.

So instead, I picked up anther carry case and box from KR Cases. I decided to go for the wheeled one, both for the protective element but also the fact it takes cardboard cases (of which I have a few) letting me easily pack them away). I’m actually quite looking forward to being able to get everything packed up, complete with a little bit of extra space.

HOBBY

As I mentioned before, I went to Vapa in York on Sunday. I always enjoy starting my year off with the show, seeing friends and catching up with traders while admiring the game. This year seemed pretty busy and great, a good mix of sellers and demo games (such as the rather cool Entebbe game above). Overally, it’s a good start to the year, especially if you manage to escape without having spent a penny!

As for my own hobby time? Well it’s been a little quiet this week. I’m in the process of some life changes so I had very little time to sit and paint. What time I did spend was mostly on writing some rules I’m wanting to play around with (details soon). And the rest? Well I really like just assembling models, so with the aim of relaxing, I broke out some of the GW plastic kits I’ve had lying around. These Sylvaneth Tree-Revenants are a joy to build – although not super easy to vary poses the level of design on them, as well as various parts, lets you play around with them.

That’s it for this update, expect more updates next week!