Clones go into battle.

I was looking through some pictures of my Star Wars Miniatures the other day and found this one. These clones are so awesome. I also have a Transformer AT-TE that is completely out of scale, but is fun for scenarios. 

I may have piqued the interest of my younger brother in law regarding SWM, which means I may be showing their outings here. So I guess this is a "watch this space" sort of post.

I feel it in my bones!

I returned home yesterday evening after having a pretty intense week at school. I feel my teaching is improving, I have a job interview for a position in September, and I am very tired.

Waiting for me on the floor was a note from the postman saying I owed customs money (which I was expecting) and I had to go down to the distribution office to collect the package. Looking at my watch, I saw it was 16.50...Distrubution office closes at 19.00, it is next to a bridge that is partially closed, and is a vital commuter route in and out of the city, and right now it is rush hour. 

The decision was made to eat my dinner, and just before 18.00 I left, phone almost dead, note and wallet in hand to go and pay the money. Unfortunately I have never had to go to this particular place. I knew it was just before the bridge into town, so upon seeing the bridge, I turned right. There were too many houses for this to be an industrial estate. I pulled over, turned the GPS on on my dying phone to find out I had turned off for the wrong bridge: one over the railway, before the one into town. 

Upon completing a 20 point turn I returned to the main road to find I couldn't turn back onto it. Panicking a little, I crossed the main road, and turned around at the first opportunity. Back on the main road, I went over the railway, silently cursing my stupidity. Nervous, I saw the bridge (the real one) approaching and turned right again...into a cul-de-sac of trendy waterfront apartments. Turning around, again, I made my way to the main road, and took the next right turning...again another turning too early! Frustrated, I parked my car and walked around the corner into the industrial estate, only to find that the distribution office is right at the end.

Eventually, at 18.30 I walked in, pulled out my wallet and card, only to be told "we only accept cash. There is a cash machine at the garage over the bridge". Running to my car, I realised how unfit I am. Sweating, I pulled away, made my way across the bridge and found the garage. Card inserted. Buttons pushed. A strange timer. "We were unable to process your request". More curses. Another attempt. Same result. It is 18.40. Where is there a cash machine? Bitterne, just up the road. Fighting through the bridge traffic, I headed over to Bitterne, pulled in behind the gym, ran to the bank, withdrew some cash and got back in my car. Then it hit me, I can't get back onto the main road from where I am. I decided to just head in the general direction and hope for the best. Well the best happened and I ended up on the same road where I had to turn around earlier.

I walked in the doors at 18.58 and picket up my package. The staff had their coats on and were about to leave. 

The box seems smaller than Bones 1, but I love it. Lots of lovely miniatures to start painting. With my time being very limited, I think I will be spending any spare model time painting these guys. I can't wait to start.

New year, new ideas.

2014 has been a great year. The best of my life. I successfully applied to begin teacher training, I gathered useful experience in schools, I moved to Bristol for 3 months to improve my French, I began my teacher training, and most important of all, I got married and also discovered that I am going to be a dad this spring. 

Much of this got in the way of my model making and wargaming goals for the year. I only managed to play Bolt Action once, and that was with myself. I didn't take Flying Lead for a spin until December, but that was thoroughly enjoyable. I suppose I played more than in 2013. Thanks to Flying Lead, I imagine I will be playing more wargames in 2015.

In terms of model making, I had a good start to the year, but from May onwards it was a struggle to find the time or space. I hope to keep a steady trickle of projects on the go during the course of 2015, but I do not expect to get much done. The final half of my training, having a baby, and beginning (hopefully) a new job in a school will really take over most of my time. 

I think the purpose of this blog will become more diverse this year: I am very muh enjoying more boardgames recently, I am LOVING Marvel Dice Masters, and I have recently rekindled my love for Star Wars Miniatures and Pirates of the Spanish Main too. I think there may be battle reports of these games finding there way here, and possible pictures of some of my miniature customisations. 

I hope to see you around this year. Keep on modelling and inspiring me.

Christmas Score (from myself).

I found these on Ebay a while ago, being sold as a set. I remember wanting these as a child. My brother bought the gun emplacement, pre-made and airbrushed from a wargames show, and I remember being insanely jealous. Well now I have them both, and the figures that came with them. Admittedly the figures aren't the best ones in the world, especially the paratroops, but they give me something to keep in a box and let my future children play with once I have gotten them interested in WW2, wargaming and modelling.

I cannot wait to put the forts together. I get that they aren't historically accurate, but I want to run commando raids on them, using the Flying Lead rules, although I don't think the trenches are big enough for my bases.

Flying Lead game 2.

Finding mself with some spare time again today, I thought I would take Flying Lead for another spin. I also remembered that I had acquired a Woodland Scenics grass mat this summer (house mate was moving to America and couldn't take it with him), so thought I would see if it fit over my table. It was a perfect fit, and is a noticable improvement from my big green felt sheet.

German force:

NCO with five rifle armed grenadiers.

Corpral with MG-42 team.

2 man Panzerschreck team.

British force:

NCO with four riflemen.

Corpral with Bren team.

Cromwell (medium WW2 tank).

The German objective was to hold the junction. Their original plan was to set up in the ruined house with the MG-42 coverint from the corner of the field. The British were probing the front lines to see what they could find.

The British managed to advance quickly up the field towards the ruined building.

After two turns each the British were at the farmhouse, while the Germans were making a risky move running across the lane. Their hope was to get into cover behind the hedge to provide a crossfire into the house.

Unfortunately they didn't activate very well (even though this game I remembered that their NCO gives them +1 to their quality roll) and the British put them under fire causing an immediate casualty and forcing one of them back behind the hedge.

He still had a shot at the British, but didn't hit.

Unseen by the British, the Panzerschreck team managed to move into position to try and take a shot at the Cromwell. The Germans couldn't afford to let the Cromwell live with its HE capabilities. It could ruin their day very quickly.

One successful shot later, and the Cromwell was just a pile of junk. At least something went the 

German's way. 

With  fire being exchanged by both sides across the lane, the scene was becoming a blood bath. The MG-42 was doing a good job of clearing the house, but the Bren team and the survivors in the house were pouring fire down on the Germans in the road.

So effective was the MG-42, that the NCO retreated back into better cover, leaving behind a good portion of his squad. Brave fellows.

However, the Bren team effectively silenced the rest of the grenadiers. With one shaken survivor, they were not going to be much help to anyone, especially no that he needed to roll 4 or higher to rally himself, which seems an impossible feat to these Germans.

The Panzerschreck team gets ready to lay down fire on the others. I don't know what to do with the guy armed with the Panzerschreck though. Can I use him as a rifleman? That is a question for the yahoo group.

The MG-42 team decided that without the squad covering their flank, they would be served better on the other side of the road. This proves a good decision when the Bren team rushes across the other road but their corpral gets caught in the open.

In this poor shot, you see the German final positions. The MG team can cover the house and road. The Panzerschreck team protects their flank.

In the final move of the engagement these Germans pick off another rifleman. Considering their positions, and the British losses, the NCO calls a retreat. This junction will have to remain in German hands for the time being.

This game was much better than the last one. I am enjoying these rules and am seriously considering getting some modern forces to play a Counter Strike: Globabl Offensive type engagement.

First game of Flying Lead.

I picked up the ruleset "Flying Lead" a while back, and finally got around to putting together a little game for myself. With my limited time, and very limited space, I was looking for something that could satisfy my gaming need without taking over the entire house for an evening. Tonight I was able to take over the table for 90 minutes and smash out a game (including set up time). The game did not last long, at all.

The burning Panzer IV was the objective. The German squad was supposed to set up a perimeter around the tank and look for survivors. They set up on the left with the plan of running up the open field to the road junction, then fan out.

The British were tasked with investigating the pillar of smoke. They intended to set up along the hedgerow on either side of the road.

The British managed to successfully advance up to the hedgerow with the bren team ready to dive across the road to try and cover the field from the left flank.

The German squad barely managed to advance on their first turn. Most of them were Q4, and it really seems to make a difference. The Q3 Brits seemed to get a lot more successful activations.

That being said, on the second British turn, only the bren team managed to activate, so they jumped the hedgerow and stormed across the road, getting ready to flank.

The Germans advance inexorably across the field. Will they get caught in the open?

Yes, they will. Two plucky Tommies have approached the burning tank, and one of them takes an aimed shot at the MG-42  gunner, taking him out.

Again, the German advance stalls. It just wasn't going to be their day.

Caught in a crossfire, the Germans start dropping like flies. Their NCO did, however, manage to shake a Tommy. I think this might have been the only shot they got off the entire game.

More failed activations and a couple of bursts from the bren team put an end to the German mission. The couple of men left standing retreated to call in reinforcements.

This wasn't the most interesting game in the world. The rules felt really simple, but deep enough to force me to think about my tactics.We will see what happens next time they come up against eachother.

Operation Build a village...part something.

Tomorrow is a university day. It means I am not in the classroom, am not stressing about it, and have somehow managed to get most of my planning done. As such, I allowed myself to do some evening painting. The walls are textured with some cheap wall filler. In all honesty, I am disappointed with the filler in just about every way. For some reason I could barely squeeze it out of the tube, and it doesn't seem to have set amazingly. Hopefully the paint will help, and when I dry brush it will add some depth. I stuck paper around the corners to hide the edge of the foamboard.

The lintels are coffee stirrers and the window are matchsticks. The doors are also coffee stirrers stuck to the inside of the building. I can't decide which colour to paint the wood, and I also need to make window frames for the inside, but I am pleased with my progress. I might pop into town Saturday morning to pick up some supplies.

I vaguely remember starting a village...

Today I cleared off the table. I organised the piles of paper that were cluttering it up, organised my folders full of evidence that I have met the teaching standards, and found the time for some relaxation.

In moments of spare time/boredom I have been sketching designs for various buildings. I decided to dust off my tools and start making one. Here is what I have gotten so far.

It is a little rough right now, but I plan on spending much of my modelling time making it look great. I want to up my game with buildings, and just modelling in general.

My to do list for this one:

• Lintels made from match sticks.
• Shutters from something.
• Doors.
• Wall texture with wall filler. I want to try this over bird sand.
• Roof using some sort of tiles texture. 
• Base of hardboard, with a little garden. 

I might throw together some tanks, but have so many unfinished ones of those, that I probably won't. My StuGs have been half painted, and I will post them at some point.

8 Minutes left of October.

I have eight minutes left to get a post in for October. I haven't touched any modelling all month. Having begun my PGCE, and now that I am in school all the time I just find that hobbies have to play second fiddle to that.

I hope to find time on weekends to get a little painting in here and there.

Um...Just no.

I came across this in a shop selling random bits and bobs. It hurt a little.