Those magnificent Dwarves intheir flying machines....

 No excuses but it has been a struggle to get anything done this week. None the less I did finish 2 Dwarf Gyrocopters. These are from Kallistra and part of my very slowly growing 10mm dwarf army. I did buy a job lot of blisters about 3 years ago. Buying them as a job lot I did not get too much say in the contents typically it had a little of everything odd and "exciting" but not the best selection of core troop types. There were some of course but then there were also a couple of packets like these!

In most fantasy wargames settings dwarfs have technology of some sort to counter the fact that they have no spell casters. All my life I have steered clear of collecting dwarf armies for this reason. I have nothing against them just that I felt that if you did not want to use magic you might as well not play fantasy games and stick to ancients. I am at long last coming round to having Dwarves and actually quite like them not I am getting older. Perhaps I feel I have more in common with them!

Anyway these are painted in blues to fit into the rest of the army which is still small in number but I do have a couple more blisters to paint up so I suspect they will get a little larger. By the time I do get them done of course it is doubtful that I will have an opponent at the club, but such is the speed of my painting and the fact that I get side-tracked so easily. Oh well I may have to think of an opposing army for them myself!

I have the day off tomorrow so I hope to get some painting done then. I have several things started but nothing near completion. I have overtime all next week so time to think but not so much to paint. My current thinking projects are about the show game for Broadside 2014, about creating a set of rules for Samurai wargames (I have yet to find a set I like, but you can anticipate some Japanese figures in the near future) and about other wargames ideas which both flit into and out of focus on a daily basis!

so until Sunday take care, have some fun and I look forward to seeing you soon. Best Wishes Clint

MHWC Open Day

As well as the zombie wild west game on Sunday, on Saturday I went along to the Milton Hundreds Wargames Clubs open day. I know what you are thinking where is the Milton Hundreds? Well for those of you who don't live within 5 miles of them it's the Sittingbourne club.  Not sure why they think Milton Hundreds Wargames club sounds better than Sittingbourne wargames club but as the founder and president is a local history buff I have always fallen asleep when he replies to that question. Anyway what follows is a very quick report.


The first game through the door was a "Rapid Fire" late war game set around the Germans trying to escape the Falaise Gap. A very enjoyable fast moving to watch. Simon the games organiser always puts on a very well structured game well thought out and balanced. The Germans started one side of the river with their escape route over the other side. The inevitable fighting over bridges and fords was to take place all day. Overall as WW2 games go a very nice game to watch. Phil and Alex as the Allies and  Steve and American Bob the Axis.

Keep scrolling down there are a few more games to get through.

 The next game by Richard, Gary and Clive was a WRG 6th edition ancients game. I did have a good chat with Richard and Gary who used to be in the Rainham club (the club I go to). I think on a technicality Richard is still the Rainham club President as we have never voted in a new one! Yes we are that organised! We are still going though after all we don't need titles and to get all official. Anyway back to the Game Gary and Richard are very traditional wargames as demonstrated by their choice of rules and the age of the lead on the table. Absolutely nothing wrong with old rules and armies and it does demonstrate a wide spectrum of activities at the club so it is good to show such diversity.

The next game was put on by the Maidstone Wargames club, who were there as guests of MHWC. Several Maidstone players are members of the Sittingbourne club so they do have very strong links. Crickey the Sittingbourne club even consider me a member! As you can see this is an W-Wing bash and they had told me they would do a different space game later in the day. "Starmada" I think they said but I can't be sure.

 Additionally to the games being played they had s number of tables set up ready to go. Again to show some of the diverse games that are sometime put on at the club.

Saga. Nuff said.



This was an odd one! Speaking to Mark the MHWC secretary he did admit the game was set up for 3 musketeers, but he realised that he had no suitable figures for the game when he got it to the hall so placed a few Dr Who figures into place to make the display more interesting. What was VERY flattering is that I was later told that the buildings and scenery were purchased after I put on a 3 Musketeer game on at their club 2 years ago. I have promised to return (hopefully later this year) and run it again as it was a giggle!


 A wild west setup. I do Know they sometimes do put on a game set in this period and as you all should know I am very interested in this type of game. Everyone needs to play wild west games they are just so much fun.

 

 The other game they had set up and ready to go was a WW1 game using "To the Last Man" rules by Chris Peers. Belgium's attacking a German position. With very smart Belgium Cavalry and a couple of Belgium WW1 armoured cars, all well painted by Mark (as mentioned above). I wanted to get a tutorial for these rules and that was one of the reasons for me going. However Mark (secretary) and Alan (club President) were too busy meeting and greeting and making trips to the refreshments that the Women's Institute had supplied. I must say I did enjoy the sausage roll for 30p so I can see why they made more than one trip while I was there!









Lastly for today here is the nessercary "loot" picture. Armourfast supplied some free tanks and I was invited to take a couple. As the choice was either Cruisers or Jadpanthers I took 2 Cruisers as I do not think I have ever owned any of these tanks for my entire life! The two magazines were 50p each and gave me something to read on the train going home.

That's todays post I should have some figures ready for the next post on Friday. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you soon.

Ah before I go, I have just noticed I have tipped the 100 followers. I am both humbled and flattered by your presence and would like to say how much I appreciate every one of you.  I do not do any giveaways or competitions to try to attract more followers. This is very deliberate it means you are here because you want to be and not for any greed or freebies which makes you all far more valued to me than I would feel had you just joined in the  hope of getting something for nothing!

Cheers All I appreciate it! Best wishes Clint

Ths town aint big enough!

 I have had a roller coaster of a weekend. I will do a post on Wednesday about the Milton Hundreds open day and the things I walked out with (Swag, loot and freebies.) I will not do a post about my sisters marital problems but that is deffinitly the down part of the roller coaster and It meant that I was not able to sort out the Wild Zombie West game as well as I would have liked. But enough excuses I can hear you saying get on with it.

So getting on with it. I told the players the situation. Which is to say that they were all travelling by stage coach and during the day they were unable to change the horses as the way station was a grizzly sight and everyone was dead and partially eaten by animals and the horses had escaped the corral and so they had all been rushed into town with the current horses covered in sweat and close to collapse. Thus all the players arrived on foot in the same location at this stage unaware of the zombie apocalypse.

It was dark, the lights were out and the stage coach horses ready to collapse so most of the players headed to the saloon even though no lights were on and on one was in the streets. Two players (Fat Pedro and Randy Cockspur) decided they would look elsewhere and for go the temptations of liquor!

Figures started to emerge onto the street and amble towards the players from all directions. Getting closer Deacon realised that these were some sort of abomination from the pit and fired a scatter gun at the shamblers knocking them down but not killing them. "Preacher"  and Manco went into the saloon and still failed to identify the two figures inside as being undead. They were promptly attacked. Gary Winchester loitered outside and tried to peer into the shadowy gloom as figure moved closer. " were clearly not quite human but the third looked convincing enough in the dark. Warm Leg Bob identified a walker and plugged it with his sixgun out side the saloon.

Pedro was moving towards the Sherriff's office he had a machete and being Mexican he had an extra clue from the name of the town ( Negro de la ciudad de cabra) while Randy Cockspur decided that late night shopping was the thing that made most sense to his limited thinking lumberjack and he looted some cans of peaches from the general store.

Meanwhile back at the saloon Manco had been attacked and bitten and Preacher also attacked had managed to fight the rotter off. Three zeds had closed in on Mr Winchester and while he was able to survive the combat it did result in him running for an alley way trying to put some distance between the growing numbers and himself. Eventually he manages a fighting retreat and slays two zombies but takes a bite to his torso for his trouble. Preacher scrambles out of the saloon and kicks the swing doors knocking the pursuing zeds flat. As a clump of figures they reform at the other side of the street. Randy continues his supermarket sweep and stuffs a pistol into his jacket and Pedro finding the law office/jail empty helps himself to a carbine and some ammunition. But all over the board the zombies are closing in. Players decide that there is little to be gained firing weapons randomly each time rousing more of the biters and decide the best plan is to get out alive.

Each of the bitten players had to roll d6 each activation and on a 6 they would collapse and start to turn. So each turn the rest looked on hopefully! (Yes that is my club for you). They both kept rolling 5's but not once did either of them get a six! CURSES.

Warm Leg and Deacon headed west down the street concentrating on distance and not shooting until Warm Leg made it the first to exit the board, followed moments later by Deacon. Both alive unhurt and un bitten!

A bitten Gary Winchester escaped the board North East having skirted buildings and avoided any further zombies by dodges rather than gunfire. Manco also bitten headed due east third off of the board but in danger of infection from a bitten left arm. Preacher went south a bit more ragged than he started but otherwise in good health. Randy climbed out the back window of the store after a series of melees where he wielded his lumberjack axe against unarmed zeds. It lasted a long time often fighting 2 zombies at the same time but eventually he clambered through the window and left the town south westerly direction the only player with food for the following day.

The window at the back of the jail had bars so he was forced to exit onto the main street into the sight of the zombies. Which then gave chase. The zombies with guns had a 1 in 6 chance of remembering they had fire arms but if one fired they all would remember. Until now they had not managed to get a 6. But now as 3 gun zombies came into range they suddenly remembered. two missed but the guy with the shotgun hit and while I rolled a 1 for damage the shotgun did knock Pedro off of his feet. This allowed them to get closer. These gun zombies could so easily mobbed him at this stage, but instead they rolled a 6 again and decided to shoot and not move. All three missed and Pedro managed to escape the town South south west in direction.

The game was not a complete shambles but there was so much I could and should have done better If I'd had a little more time to prepare. Not being overly critical but I did have to wing it a bit here and there because I forgot the rules and some of the charts and tables. I took the stance just to keep it going rather than look everything up. And being very self critical I know I did not give all the players the best game.

Still looking to the future I can see several improvements I need to make and with a bit more preparation I can see the idea working out.

I will post a report about the Milton Hundreds Wargames club open Day on Wednesday. Until then take care and have some fun Clint