Scratchbuilt dungeon scenery

Through sorting out the piles of 'stuff' in the wargames shed, I decided to dispose of some boardgames that o didn't want, and wouldn't have any resale value. After rummaging through the the contents, I found some playing pieces which I thought could form some part of statues or something. At the same time we were getting rid of some of Wills' baby toys, including some play blocks. After some gluing, heavy paints and some weathering, here are the results...

I'm really quite happy with the results. I feel they will fit in nicely with my Super Dungeon Explore stuff, or Open Combat. Got a couple more bits to finish.

 

Posted with Blogsy

The beauty of hexes

A friend is over from his Itslian home visiting family and folk, and luckily, he can spend a whole day for gaming! In deciding what to do. I thought about a light hearted evening game - so zombie apocalypse it is! (Not so light hearted, maybe)

I've been thinking of just taking a straight port from the boardgame version of 'all things zombie' by lock n load publishing. It fits my hexon tiles and doesn't require a massive amount of hexes to have a fun game.

What's good about the rules is that there are only two types of terrain - rough and building. I've recently modified some of my plain, unflocked boards in either rough, or grey. This has meant that the scenery has been placed in what ever looks good, but from a gaming perspective, it's the hex texture underneath which dictates it's function - brilliant!

We'll see if it works with the gaming party tomorrow...

 

Posted with Blogsy

Small rural village revisited

A longer time ago than I care to remember I bought a 15mm village in a box from Kerr and King. It's so long ago that I cannot find it on their website anymore. I think that it is a slightly obscure region of the trans Caucasus or Romania. The buildings are quite quirky; I particularly like the sharp, pointed roofs.

I originally painted them before I had discovered flat brushes and weathering powders. The first paint job was quite bland, with washes over some dull coloured browns. My paint scheme never really lit my fire so the buildings got relegated to a draw when I discovered the railway building scene. Having recently played some 15mm WWII on hexes I got the buildings out again as they fitted nicely on my hexes and suited an early war Russian front scenario.

Finding the buildings interesting again, I thought it was time to give them a little love again. To lift the detail I used a light grey to edge the roof tiles and edges of the buildings. I also patched areas on the roofs and walls. It was then time to get out the weathering powders; dry mud, track brown and black smoke. Finally a spray varnish to blend it all back together.

Now, what random thing shall I move onto next? Quick wins and quick gains at the moment...

 

Posted with Blogsy

A new despatch from our Italian correspondent - I ain't been shot mum

I have been posted, through the electronic ether, a gaming campaign update from Phil in Italy. A lot of beautiful 6mm scenery building, a some initial playing inroads into 'I Ain't Been Shot Mum' by the Two Fat Lardies. Here are his thoughts so far, written in a far more interesting prose than I can write:

"Played the 'South of Cherbourg' scenario twice, and a mini session on my own to test out the armour rules. I love the it! They really do play with a feel for the theatre, and reward historical deployment and tactics. In both times through the scenario, the US attack failed, each time through the exploitation of a US mistake. Not a big one. Just an opportunity. Historical platoon formations are necessary, as is fire and movement, defence in depth, well-placed support weapons and attempting to infiltrate. And the classic German aggressive counterattack at the right moment is what won both games, although the second one was much harder for the Germans. It also highlighted the need to plan an attack or defence before the game. Armour seems nicely effective, but very vulnerable if not working in conjunction with infantry, again very in keeping with, for example, the British experience around Caen. With an umpire, there's also an excellently masochistic sense of paranoia.

Also, it didn't really take long, maybe three hours playing time, with a good 45 mins planning stage at the beginning (multi-player sides). Some players (those who think one move at a time) could get frustrated with the card-driven activation system, but I really like it, as it reflects battlefield friction very well, spotlights the necessity of leaders to keep things moving, and (when considered in a longer-term perspective of several moves) doesn't really decide a game and creates a narrative very similar to a lot of AARs.

Thanks Phil for those thoughts...

Here's some more piccies of the 6mm set-up

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Weathertown

Working on the list of things to do, here are the first three weathered buildings (on the outside). I've still got to do the interiors with basic paint and floors, but they are playable from the outside at least. First up is the grocery store. All of these buildings are a little wonky as they are home made from cork floor tiles; a tradesmen should never blame their tools! Anyway, it's ready for customers.

Next up is the bunker or the 'doomsday' ready building. It will make a nice safe house for characters to venture out into the not so safe surroundings. Quite happy with the weathering on this one.

Finally, it's the obligatory gunshop. Here in the UK, I don't know what we would do in a zombie apocalypse, as gunshops are few and far between. It would have to be a messier affair with more close in action. Anyway, a nice little place to get those limb shredding, head exploding equipment every good zombie hunter needs. Going to carry on with a few more buildings next.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Zombie getaways

Just a quick posting. Finished weathering some of the vehicles and basing some more characters.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Breathing life into a Zombie project

Daz and Ed are busily painting away on the 6mm ACW miniatures, and I've done quite a bit of the scenery for it, so I'm keeping myself busy while they continue to beaver away. I've always had a gaming interest in Zombies for a long time. I've made quite a bit of scenery and painted a lot of miniatures for it, yet the project is far from finished...

I'm working on my own rules (as ever) and am onto about the third version. All the buildings are scratch built, thanks to the guidance from MAtakashi's tearoom website. However the project doesn't feel anywhere near finished. I've just painted two sheets of MDF and gridded them for a gaming surface (my rules work on a grid system; well it worked for Zombicide). As you can see from the pictures, the project is well an it's way, but there is still plenty to do.

Things on the list to do

• Neaten up the construction of the buildings. I'm not the neatest and careful of construction workers; wonky floors but to mention a few
• Weather the buildings as they are quite clean
• If possible, add some window frames to the buildings to add some detail
• Paint the inside of the buildings, and make some neat floors
• Maybe add some flooring papers to the buildings
• Get some street furniture to make the streets less clean
• Finish weathering the vehicles
• Make some grass area bases to add some more green areas to the board
• Walls and fences

An unfinished list, but still plenty to do!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Making hedges, basing Russians...

The current offensive is being waged on my 6mm collection. Having been inspired by some group activity (thanks Daz and Ed), I'm attempting to co-ordinate several projects through the production of some scenery. Here are a couple of photos of the results.

On the scenery front, I've made some 6mm hedges. Ed's suggestion of using coffee stirrers helped me to stiffen up the scouring pad frame, ready to be modeled on. I have really found useful spray mount permanent glue; it's really sticky on the downside, but it is very quick to use. Spraying, then flocking, spraying, flocking, has given the hedges some variety in appearance. I couldn't tell you the source of my flocks because I've had them for donkey's years!

The Russian component comes from Ed's interest in playing Lasalle by Sam Mustafa. Sam has been my go to rules writer most recently as he combines simplicity and theme to provide an enjoyable game. My Napoleonic Russians have languished in a box, half completed and half based. The last idea was to use them for Napoleonic Command and Colours (which still stands). Ed is currently painting British, with Daz more or less having a Prussian army ready to go. Whilst it may not be accurate, it will get the figures onto the table. Here's the progress of the painted stuff so far. There's as much again needing painting.

That's all for now folks. Marching on to maybe a report on 'Altar of Freedom' next...

 

Posted with Blogsy