Saturday, May 31, 2014

The Yakuza


The last of three posts today (the others were Snake Plissken and Dark Future Cops). Usually I cram all the painting updates for the day into one post… today I felt like doing them separately…

These are The Yakusa set from North Star Figures for the A Fistful of Kung Fu – Hong Kong Movie Wargame Rules. I've already finished the Cops, the Martial Arts Heroes, and the "American Trucker" special edition figure. I still have a few Daemons to finish up... 

Most of them I’d painted ages ago (well... in March), but the last two – the ones with tattoos – I’d held off on doing and so the rest just sat on the side of the painting table for me to get around to those last two so I could post them all together.


(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):


The Group (297 points)


Oyabun – Protagonist – 116 points
Q 4+, C 4, Danger Sense, Automatic Weapon, Signature Weapon, Flurry of Blows, Low Kick, Stealth



Sumo Body Guard – Bruiser – 46 points
Q 4+, C 3, Big, Immovable Stance



Hitmen – Extras – 31 points each
Q 4+, C 2+, Automatic Weapon, Protected, Stealth



Enforcers – Extras - 21 points each
Q 4+, C 2+, Steadfast, Pistol


I also happen to have this older set of Yakuza from Wargames Foundry I painted a few years ago....


Not sure how I’d stat these out (not having had a full read-through of the rules yet), but I thought it would be fun to use them as a rival Yakuza faction!

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

That’s it for today. Hopefully I’ll get in another game of Power Legion with the kids later today and have a report of that action later this evening or tomorrow!

Dark Future Cops


Painting up a few Dark Future minis for a friend (who bought them off of another friend…). All of the figures are from Games Workshop.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):


Here’s what I’ve gotten done so far… There’s a couple more on foot to do, a couple bikes and a few cars.


Close up of the cops. One of these was actually already painted and two others had their faces painted – so I only had to base the one and then finished up the rest to match.


Police Bike


Swat Team



These guys were supposed to be part of some wasteland cult… the Reemptionists? Does that sound familiar? I’m sure Google would have the answers but I’m just feeling too lazy this afternoon…

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

One more post after this one today – The Yakuza – another group for A Fistful of Kung Fu – Hong Kong Movie Wargame Rules.

Snake Plissken


A while back I picked up the “Cobra” figure from Hasslefree Miniatures with the intention of painting him up to look like Kurt Russel’s character from Escape from New York (and Escape from L. A.)


To really look like Snake Plissken I’d have had to have added a scope to the weapon which seemed a bit too fiddley for me… it probably would have ended up looking… well… not-so-nice… This guy will do as he is.

I’m hoping I may be able to use him in A Fistful of Kung Fu – Hong Kong Movie Wargame Rules.

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I’ll have two other post later this afternoon with two other batches of minis I’ve painted up lately… 

Friday, May 30, 2014

Egyptians, Nubians and… Superheroes?!


A few more odd items rolling off the workbench…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):


Ancient Egyptians from  Black Tree Design.

I’m not sure how I ended up painting these and the Nubians below…? Perhaps I was thinking I’d play Of Gods and Mortals…? I’m sure it made sense at the time when I pulled them out of the drawer.


Nubian archers, also from Black Tree Design.


Nubian civilians from Wargames Foundry

After playing that first game of Power Legion last weekend I got to thinking I should paint up a few more of the old Super Hero figures I had kicking around.


A Super Hero from West Wind Productions.


And another Super Hero from West Wind Productions.

I should really make up some names and powers for them and stat them up! 


Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I’m hoping to play a few games over the weekend – especially a few more play tests of Power Legion!

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Mostly Dark Ages Stuff


(But also some Fantasy and SF)

A few things I’ve finished up over the last week or so…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):


Like it says on the box, I’ve been mostly working on Dark Ages stuff for a A Tale of Blades and Heroes I’ve been trying to get going… 


A Viking Berserker from Black Tree Design


Some Saxon archers, also from Black Tree Design


Some Saxon Civilians… yup, Black Tree Design again….


Some rock-chuckin’ Irish from Crusader Miniatures.


Another Skaven from Games Workshop


Two more Wood Elf Wardancers – also from Games Workshop


Finally, a few Catachan Imperial Guardsman. Only the loader and the single guy running are new – the guner for the rocket launcer I did some time ago and was originally individually based. I’ve been trying to be more consistent with my modern and sci-fi skirmish minis and base heavy weapon teams together and I found a spare loader on ebay to base up with this rocket launcher. I was also experimenting with some camouflage…


Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Wow… If I had to say, probably another Power Legion playtest report. I’ve sort of abandoned painting fantasy and Dark Age stuff and have started on some Ancients (Nubians and Egyptians – and have been eyeing some Romans…) and am feeling the urge to paint some new Super Heroes (to have a few more options for Power Legion.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

POWER LEGION – Playtest #1



Almost two weeks ago I volunteered to help out with the play-testing of Power Legion – a new Super Hero game from Ganesha Games using the ever popular Song of Blades and Heroes game engine. In fact one of the first thoughts I had while reading the first rule set I picked up by Andrea Sfiligoi (which was Of Gods and Mortals) was that this would be perfect for Super Heroes… After a week, however, I was feeling a little guilty about not having even READ the rules., let along doing any play-testing!? (it’s a CrAzY-busy time of year… those regular followers might have noticed a bit of a drop-off in posts and production of miniatures…). So I enlisted the help of The Boy. I handed him the rules I printed off and said; “read these, set up a game…” and this afternoon, he did…

He was having a little trouble sorting out point values and stuff so I told him – pick some figures that are cool 2-3 per side. Give them some stats and abilities based on what you might think they should have… don’t worry about the points…. Here’s what he came up with...

(I was asking a lot here…. He’s ten and hasn’t has a lot of experience with designing scenarios and teams – especially for brand new games that he’s just read the rules for….)

River City, 24 may 2014

SITUATION

Dr. Switzler and the Mean Guys (the super villain group) challenged the River City Crusaders to a battle in downtown River City. Part of the City was evauated and the two teams faced off in Downtown River City

SCENARIO

Two Teams – Do Battle! (and figure out the rules as we go)


THE GAME

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


Dr. Switzler and the Mean Guys at one end of the street…



Aaaaand ANOTHER picture of Dr. Switzler and the Mean Guys…



Finnegan takes the first move and advances the River City Crusaders up the street.


AT the end of my first move – Zoomer has raced across the table and gotten into contact with Silver Warrior (I think he took a swing at him, but missed), Dr. Switzler has flown onto the roof of the Super Pawn, and Sharkzilla and Rulk just trundled up the street a bit…


Ba-DAM!!  The Armoured Avenger flies up to the roof of the Super Pawn and Knocks down Dr. Switzler!


Ska-DOOOSH! The Silver Warrior Knocks Zoomer right out!!


Dr. Switzler springs back up and flails about in a slap fight with the Armoured Avenger. Mr. tough Guy continues to trundle down the street.


Sharkzilla and Rulk trundling up the street a bit more…


Sharkzilla and Rulk Try teaming up on Mr. Tough-Guy. Armoured Avenger is reeling from one of Dr. Switzler’s blows.



A big ol’ gang rumble in the street… which bogged down a bit and we decided to call it. We’d learned enough of the basics to go back to the drawing board and make some better heroes and villains and re-read (or READ for the first time – in my case) the rules to try and find the things we missed or got mixed up on. Finding balance is very hard in superheroes games - in most I've played they seem to bog down and end up with guys standing toe-to-toe hamering on each other without any ability to actually DO anything to each other!? The bogging down in out game was probably due to the design of our Super Heroes and Villains (like I said, despite his enthusiasm, it was a lot of ask of a ten year old...) 

General Impressions

AWE-SOME! This is going to be SUPER fun when we figure out what we’re doing – the game seems to have a LOT of potential. Stay tuned for more play-test reports!


Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I finished up painting a batch of Dark Age figures over the last week, I just haven’t had a chance to flock the bases and take pictures and post them… I’ve started prepping and priming a bunch of Egyptian and Nubian warriors (both singly-based for skirmishing and ones on temporary painting bases that will ultimately end up on DBA element bases)… but now that I’ve played a game of this I might get motivated to paint up a few ofhte other Super Hero and Villain figures I have kicking around that I haven’t gotten to painting just yet… 

Friday, May 16, 2014

Another Odd Assortment



A few odd and sundry items I’ve finished up over the last few weeks…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):


Two mounted crossbowmen for one of my fantasy human A Song of Blades and Heroes warbands. The figures were originally from Citadel Miniatures (I think the War of the Roses line…?), which I have had for many years and been part of many forces over the years and I’ve recently stripped and now repainted – along with many of my other older figures. I’m pretty sure they are now available from Wargames Foundry.


A dying Napoleonic French Infantryman from Front Rank Figures


More dead and dying. The two bottom ones are Dead French Resistance fighters from Black Tree Design, the one on top in the duster/overcoat/great coat I got in a trade but I think is a Dixon Miniatures Old West figure…? I figure all three could be used as civilian casualties from the beginning of the twentieth century on.


Dark Elves – Old Citadel/Marauder/Games Workshop figures.


Ratmen – again Old Games Workshop figures. One is on a plastic base as I am giving it to someone else – the ones on washers are for my own warbands.


One more (converted) Games Workshop figure: a Imperial Guard commissar.


I added the head scarf because I have a small collection of Tallarn Imperial Guardsmen and I thought maybe their commissar might have “gone a bit native”.


Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

A few more Terrain Tiles? A Game Report or two? Maybe some Super Heroes?! (more on that in a bit…) 

Monday, May 12, 2014

More Terrain Tiles


May is Mad House Busy around here – kids activities wrapping up, rehearsals and recitals and whatnot… Getting ready to finish up with renovations (for now) and working in the yard… What little time I’ve had I mostly spent working on some new terrain tiles – partly because all the terrain-making supplies are taking up a lot of space in the Hobby Bunker – more space than the finished terrain will take up and there is getting to be very little room to move around in there…


(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):




A 1x1 (30cm x 30cm) straight river tile.




A 1x1 (30cm x 30cm) straight road tile.




A 2x2 (60cm x 60cm) t-section road tile.




Another 3x3 (90cm x 90cm) river ford tile.




The new ford section again.

I should really clear off the whole table at some point so I can set a bunch of these up together.

I also need to work on little bits that I an put on these tiles – buildings, ruins, stone walls, more hedges and trees and the like




Staring on a new 1x1 tile… (and a hobbit home in the background).


Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

a few fantasy figures I've been working away at... Maybe a post about the Tales of Blades and Heroes campaign we're starting 

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Martial Arts Heroes


I’ve finally finished up the second of my forces for A Fistful of Kung Fu – Hong Kong Movie Wargame Rules: The Martial Arts Heroes.

(the first force I finished was The Cops - and I also painted up the “American Trucker” special edition figure that cam with the But-Them-All pre-order deal…)

Except where otherwise noted below, these figures are from North Star Military Figures


(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):


The Whole Gang…


The Protagonist: The Grand Master


Two Martial Arts Students


Three Shaolin Monks


The “Bruiser” (on the left) – the Martial Arts Champion and a Martial Arts Fanatic (on the right).

Around the same time these arrived in February I also ordered a few extra reinforcements…



These additional Martial Artists are from Hasslefree Miniatures.

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

The rest of what I’ve been painting over the last week – Which hasn’t been much…