Homeland - a SAGA game

Friday night was the first games night for a while, and I was feeling knackered, but arranged with Michael to play a SAGA game. Since finishing the Normans I was really keen to take them for an outing. I was also keen to put my SAGA scenery into our game and so we chose the Homeland scenario from the rules. In this game a six point attacker tries to clear some buildings of a defender who has less points - in this case 4.
Michael chose to take 2 units of Warriors and 2 units of Hearthguard while I took all of the Normans.

'What a lovely day it is. Not expecting any problems, just taking our shields and spears for a walk...'

'Uh-oh! Looks like we have visitors. Lucky we are all armed and our hearthguard are all in that house together. Hang on, what would they be doing in the house together if we aren't expecting any problems...?!'

'You'll never get my Flossy!'

'I'm looking for a bulls-eye but all I can see are sheep and pigs.'
'Just shut up and shoot.'

'Run Aethelathel! Those Normans are nasty!'

'Too late!'
'Cor, I fancy a bit of that les gars! Quel un beau chien!'

'Mmmm, bacon. Non! Must stay focussed!'

'New tactic boys! We'll hide,err... I mean seek cover, behind this house.'

'Darn it! They found us!'

'Ok, now might be a good time to hide in the house'

'Sorry boss, did you say come out and fight them in the open?'
'I'm surrounded by morons...'

'Victoire!!!! Allons enfants de la patrie...'

'Oh haw haw haw! Time to party. Ou sont les moutons?'

In hindsight I don't think I was allowed to charge my hearthguard into Mike's warrior unit that was right beside the building which had been occupied by the Anglo-Danish Hearthguard, but I'm still not 100% sure. Does remaining VS away from occupied buildings unless engaging them apply if you charge a unit that is within VS of them, make them withdraw and then you are left there? (This is an open question to anyone reading.)

The battle board gave me some wicked archery in the first couple of turns from my levy and the crossbows. This was followed up by the Hearthguard charging and basically winning the day. The Norman warriors on foot pretty much sat on the sidelines and cheered.

Admittedly it took until turn 6 to win, and I don't know what might have happened if Mike had sat back in his building and saved his battle board abilities for me to charge, but in all it was still a really enjoyable game and I am proud of my new Normans.

Nate

It's official ... FoW Great War

The sales sheet was leaked a while back, but now it is official - Flames of War are producing figures and rules for WWI!

The cover for the Great War supplement

They are starting with 1918 - my favourite year in my favourite conflict, and so it will have tanks, infantry using similar tactics to WW2, and semi-open warfare. Some people have bemoaned that BF has not started with 1914, but these are people that probably do not understand that 1918 is not a one-dimensional trench slog. They also don't understand that from a business perspective the target audience is FoW gamers who might want to try a new period, and that tanks are something that these people are used to.

Others have complained that the French have been ignored, but this is a small release in a new period. There is no point from a business perspective in producing a vast range of figures from Czech Legion to the Russian Woman's Death Battalion if it isn't going to sell.  Needless to say that if this is successful, French will probably be released, and if they are released they will definitely be purchased by at least one gamer (that is me).

The starter companies of 1500 points look very tasty at US$100 each (the NZ peso being exceptionally strong at the moment), and I've convinced my wife that they would make an ideal birthday present this August. These can be expanded with a range of blisters that are being released alongside the company boxes. They are also making a range of scenery including a trench system for US$70. All of this is rather affordable.

Since selling my 28mm WWI figures I have toyed with the idea of 15mm, but not seen it through. That will now be changing! I can't wait!

Nate

Normans and a Sherman

That's what I have painted this week.

Great to hide behind - the Sherman! Tamiya 1/48 has more bulk and is a better fit for 28mm figs than 1/56 IMHO.

Just what the Fourth Armoured Brigade in 2 NZ Division was designed for - infantry support in heavily built up areas...

I've spent a considerable amount of time with hand-painted chipping, oil paint streaking and pigment placement to make this beast come alive. And when I finished I realised that it had no tank markings. So I've painted on the formation insignia - red squares with the tank number in them. Not sure if they are correct, but I wanted 18th regiment so it had to be red, and I wanted tank 8, which I think is in a square, but I'm unsure. It doesn't bother me a great deal to be honest. Nowhere near as much as the fact that red on green makes my colour blindness go mad. I can't actually see the insignia on the second photo and on the first it flashes like Xmas tree lights as my eyes try to work out what the hell is happening. How does it appear to 'normal' people? How the hell did anyone come up with red and green as the colours of Xmas? Someone, somewhere obviously hates me and wants me to say 'Bah, humbug!' a lot.

I also managed to complete my Norman bowmen, which means that I now have two completed 6 point armies for SAGA. Once the Vikings are complete it will be time for a solo campaign, I feel.

You may think Levy are worthless, but who took down King Harold, huh? Give you a clue, it wasn't those bloody toffs on horses!

This week the Trojans are on the painting tray. We'll see whether I can get through them in time for an update next Sunday. I've decided that I will aim for a post every Sunday to try to keep myself regular (that and metamucil). It is the best I can do in a congested life where blogging has to be the fourth priority after family, work, and painting.

Nate

Kiwis at Cassino

I've taken a break from painting the Trojan Wars project  because I like to mix up my painting in order to stop things from getting stale. My digression has been the first section in my Bolt Action World War Two project which is Kiwis vs Green Devils at Cassino (or at least in Italy).

First, a close up of the section corporal. I haven't painted his stripes yet.

The Bren gun team are part of the advance.

Here is the whole section.

All figures are Black Tree Designs. They are nice sculpts, but for some reason a few of the figures have the gas mask slung on the chest like in the First World War or the Blitzkrieg period. It doesn't offend me too much, it would just be nice if it wasn't there.

Along with the Brits I painted up some important characters that I ordered from Redoubt Enterprises.

PIGS!

and SHEEP!

Nate

The Greeks Completed

I love skirmish games. They don't take long, so if I am getting my tail kicked I can look forward to playing another game in a relatively short space of time in order to retrieve my honour.  Best of all, I can paint an army to completion in a (relatively) short space of time.

Such is true of the Achaean army for my Trojan War project using the Of Gods and Mortals rule. I finished the figures this week, and finally got around to photographing them this afternoon. So here they are.

The goddess of wisdom herself - she could do with getting outdoors more...

The long haired Danaan warriors ready to fight for their long haired goddess - Homeric heroes are a hairdresser's dream

The same warriors serried in their ranks on a movement tray

Trojan javelinmen audition for the Full Monty.

The complete Greek army - 900 points worth - ready to take on the Trojans - who are not yet ready...

You may be wondering why Athene seems to be so scared of getting a tan. I've been using Peter Connolly's book The World of Odysseus as a reference, and he has painted the goddesses this way. In Mycenaean times the noblest women did not leave the house in order to preserve their honour, and so were not exposed to the sun. The whiter you were, the more perfect you were to marry. Obviously goddesses are perfect, so Athene gets an albino complexion. 

I've taken a brief break from the Trojan War project just to keep it fresh. The painting tray currently has a section of World War Two British infantry, four 15mm Char B tanks for John, and just completed are some sheep and pigs. The archers for my Norman SAGA army are on their way, so I'll get them painted before getting stuck into the Trojans.

Nate

I've been liebstered

I'm quite excited that Brendon over at the Gamer's Table has nominated me for a Liebster award - a chain letter award system for bloggers to raise the profile of blogs that they like. It isn't quite an Oscar, but certainly better than an Emmy...

The idea is that blogs with less than 200 followers are nominated by a person who has received the award already and the recipient is to pass the award on to 11 blogs they think are worthy of attention. The rule is to copy and paste the award to your blog linking it back to the person who nominated you. It gives exposure and warm fuzzy feelings - and I'm getting all those warm fuzzies now. Also included in the package is the necessity to answer a few questions, so here we go:
1. Why did you start blogging?
To keep me on track with projects; to form a diary of my work; to record what I had painted due to my propensity to sell stuff.
2. If you could change one thing about the wargaming hobby, what would it be?
Nothing. It is a great hobby and has provided me with hours of entertainment, some good friends and the zen-like trance that comes over me when painting (where does the time go?).
3. What is best in life?
To be content with oneself and not take anything too seriously.
4. Do you want to live forever?
Yes. I'm really worried that the day after I die some really important discovery or event will happen and I'll never get to know.
5. Fame or fortune?
Fame. Money means nothing compared to happiness and I have that in abundance, but it would be great if in 200 years someone said, 'Remember Nate? Man I wish I could paint toy soldiers like that.'
6. What miniatures are you most proud of having painted?

Photographed before I had totally finished the horse, I believe this miniature from 2010 marks a significant improvement in my painting style.

7. How do you deal with burn out?
Do something different for a bit. 
8. Why is a raven like a writing desk?
They're both in Game of Thrones?
9. Star Wars or Star Trek?
You're kidding right? See my tagline.
10. If you could only buy from one miniature company from now on, which one would it be?
I'd like to say the Perrys, because I love their figures, but they don't do anything 18th Century, and I'm certain that one day I'll be building the greatest Marlburian wargames armies of all time. So although it would render me totally bankrupt, I'd say Foundry - their range just can't be beaten for variety.
11. What is your favourite takeaway?
Indian. I love a hot curry, even if no-one can be in my vicinity for the next 24 hours...

Which blogs am I passing this on to? I read a lot of blogs with over 200 followers, and they are all in the column to the right, but I'll highlight the following chaps:
Dr Merkury's Lab
The Monkey that Walks
Herkybird's Nest
Wargaming for Grown-ups
Wargaming with Barks
Cor blog me!
Grimsby Wargaming

So eight very worthwhile blogs which deserve to have more than 200 followers.
This is as good a time as any to say thank you to the 80 people who follow my ramblings and to celebrate over 25000 pageviews since December 2012. For a little blog that has been updated on average once a fortnight, I think that it has done OK. I certainly appreciate every comment that is made here.

Cheers
Nate

The eyes don't have it (and a neigh)

The poll is closed and it is a narrow win to those who advocate dispensing with ocular detailing. To be honest, I'm still not 100% certain that I'm going to listen to the people as a sizeable and persuasive minority have argued otherwise, and one can't be the tyrant of one's own Natholeonic Empire without doing as one pleases. I have the rest of the Achaeans on the paint tray at the moment and hope to have them complete by next week. As the finishing touches are applied I'll eye up a final decision.
Thanks to everyone who voted, commented here or on TMP.

Just to prove that I have no stickability whatsoever, I painted up the first figure in next year's project - an honourable but uptight ECW Roundhead:

'Bah! Christmas is the work of the Devil!'

'Folk dancers!? Has God abandoned this land?!'

This was an experiment with painting the Foundry figures and I wanted to see how well I could differentiate a dun horse with a buff coat. I think I managed it. The mental thing is that I didn't even quibble about painting eyes on this figure. My whole issue with painting eyes is the impending eye-pocalypse that is painting up two whole ECW armies. Yet I did this without thinking - even the horse has eyes! This does not bode well for my sanity in the year of the buff coat that is 2015...

OK, back to the Achaeans.

Nate