Lost in Translation?

Not a lot of posts recently, which I'm sure you've lamented at great length but this has been for too main reasons.

Firstly my laptop's power lead has died. Maplins want £65 for a new one, thanks for that but I think I'll pass. The little repair place can do £35 but not for a couple of weeks. Must be cheaper online, if only I could access it!!

I've also been to Brighton for the weekend and spotted this! The shop to the right was full of spangly accessories and as such bought me some drooling time.

MG42. I tried to explain the significance but quickly gave up recognising that initial error in record time and thankfully didn't try comparing my fascination to that of the afore mentioned shop next door. Learning!

I was intrigued by the stamping near the stock and wondered if it was original not expecting anyone to ruin it's market value intentionally. I had thought that it might have been made by a satellite state, maybe the Czechs, but a colleague of mine who's just been there on a family holiday says not and that bottom line looks Russian to just about everyone.

Possibly a captured piece, there must have been plenty, that ended up in a museum in and eventually onto a gun shop in Brighton? Operation Sealion the long route??

Answers on a comment!

Alternative Armies

The extra-ordinary seems increasing more mainstream these days, especially within gaming as a wider genre.

Personally I've noted something of a Zombie uprising, with barely a week passing without my attention being drawn to another set of impressive, wallet threatening, undead figures. A recently viewed modern "Scrubs"set entertained and tempted me greatly.

Alternative WWII also seems to be on the march with occult Nazis of every shade, shape and size unleashing barely controlled monstrosities from alternate dimensions.

These thoughts snuck up on me last night whilst reawakening the X-Box via Wolfenstein.

I spent the evening eventually taking down a Queen Geist end of level beastie (twice!) and then unsuccessfully battling a platoon of Wehrmacht led by a pair of demonically enhanced Fraulein that you wouldn't want to take home to Mother.
All good fun and despite setting up a good hobby "rhythm" over the last some months, which has been very productive, it was nice to take a break :)

With the pending arrival of Chrimble a semi-related project, previously lurking in a darkened alley, shall now be brought to the fore to be christened Zombie Village [dramatic jingle]

I've been keeping my virtual eye on a relatively new scenery company, Architects of War, and their impressively excellent offerings;
These two will go on the Chrimble list, to be received from others and / or myself, along with a Perry's North American Farmhouse and 30 of Mantic's incredibly fine zombies.

This will provide me the basis with a rather nice setting for all sorts of Zombie gaming including, but not limited to;

- French Indian /AWI / War of 1812 with Zombies
- Wild West with Zombies.......... Zombie Indians???
- WWII: Invasion of America (occult or otherwise) with Zombies
- Mid West B Movies (60s / 70s) with Zombies
- Mid West present day Zombie survivalists
- Mid West Pulp City with Zombies
- Star Wars RPG with Zombies

So, All Things Zombie then and Ganesha / Two Hour Wargames for the rules most likely.

P.S: SOME progress with the Falcon but not a lot, POSSIBLY over the weekend but there's a lot of rugby on :)

The Scattergun - Part Uno

It feels like a while since my last post which is possibly a lie. I think it's just that a lot has happened since last Wednesday.

I shall inflict it upon you methodically. You lucky, lucky people :)

Rugby / Burning down the House:

I actually saw very little of the Six Nations games last weekend, just the last 15 minutes of the Scotland / Wales game. I have been reliably informed, by a Welshman, that it was the best 15 minutes of all three games.

A number of us spent Saturday afternoon warming MrC's new house with games of Space-Munckin and Robo-Rally. We'd taken a break for burgers and turned on the telly to see what we could see.

I found myself emploring the Sweatys to finish off the Daffs just for them to push the big red self-destruct button, Schocker!!

I also got to play half a game of Blood-Bowl on the PC. Definately entertaining and I hope to find my copy in my letterbox this evening. We also ended up bouncing around the idea of setting up a club online Blood-Bowl league.
It appeals, but how geeky is TOO geeky? Does that line actually exist??
On Valentine's Day I took the jet-lagged missus to the Wasps / Sale game (i.e. an industrial estate in West Wycombe). I even bought her a Cadbury's Caramel and a cup of tea. Lucky girl :)

It was a scrappy first half with plenty of errors, including the ref, but other than offering up a soft try we controlled the game well for a well deserved win. Danny's 100% kicking did the job.
Less errors in the second half but we'll need to take our chances much better this Sunday against Sarries.

We'll be there :)

Auf Weidersehn Pet:

The listings for the FoW Germans finished on Sunday night.

One lad took the lot for £470.......... OMFG!! I really hadn't expected that :0
It did seem to be the only painted army on there and it's a fair price for the army as a whole. I have been a commission painter in the past and was cheap when you worked out £ per hour........ but I still didn't dare to expect.

So with postage that's £500 sat in Paypal as toys money for the rest of the year at £50 a month. With club gaming conencentrating on Uncharted Seas and Blood Bowl 7s for the forseeable I doubt that I SHOULD be spending anything like that much!

An Oni army box and army book have made for a good start though :)

Right, that's my lunch break dealt with. More tomorrow.

Slowly, slowly.....

.......catchy monkey. And at that an evil Nazi zombie monkey, so it would seem!

Twas' club night on Tuesday and Jon was good enough to run me through a game of AT-43, for the second time if memory serves.

It's a good, clean set of rules utilising a simple core mechanic that applies to just about every part of the game.

It's also FUN and gets you a decisive result in short order. It would seem that i'm a convert :)

I also got to have a read through the Oni army book, which just happened to be lying around, whilst Charlie waxed lyrical about his plans to pick up a Cogs army to join the 4 other guys at the club already playing regular games and campaigns.

I knew that I was in "trouble" when I started the justification process that is all too common to so many of us:

Pros:
1. Out of the box game that I know that I can get regular games of and that looks good.
2. It fits in well with the Star Wars universe, providing a source of protagonists, figures and scenery.
3. The Oni zombies will work well with the Interstate '76 project that I want to do. The army as a whole will work well for any sci-fi skirmish and should be compatible with my GIs.
4. I like the game and the vehicles are just awesome.

The main reason that i've stayed away, up 'til now, has been my snobbishness regarding pre-painted plastic figures.

Seeing the other guy's figures has proved thier quality, which is high, and using the Star Wars 'Clix figures has shown me what you can do with pre-paints.


And, once again, I come back to getting more bang for my hobby buck. AT-43 fits the bill and the Oni do it for me!

I can't say that I feel entirely comfortable with the pre-paint thing but maybe I just need to man up, as much as a war-gamer can, and withdraw my lower lip.

The price is that I feel that I should sell on FoW Germans, effectively as a trade in.

I don't HAVE to and I SHOULD probably E-Bay my Whermacht anyway. They haven't hit the table in far too long and have little chance of doing so.

It all just feels a bit wrong somehow. It shouldn't, it makes good sense. Maybe that's what I don't like.......... a sensible hobby!!

It's still going to happen though and I WANT to go for it.

Man up Fase and paint some more Japs :)

A life more ordinary

Afternoon all.

I type this whilst sat on the sofa in front of the Ospreys vs Leicester Heineken Cup game.
Today, I am mostly supporting the Ospreys!!

Some of this is due to the 34-8 demolition that the Tigers inflicted upon Wasps a fortnight ago primarily through the scrum and the tight five.

We've the our last three games on the trot now and our scrum has been creaking like a very creaky thing, giving away penalties and possession like they've been going out of fashion. The last two games in a row it's lead to both yellow cards and penalty trys.

We're a team that's always prided itself on the quality of our pack. Our injury list has featured all of our international forwards at some point so far this season and has also forced five different captains so far.

The rub of the green isn't an issue, it's sport and you make your own luck with intelligent play and good execution. I just worry about our strength in depth, we still miss Dallaglio, and our apparent lack of a Plan B.

We currently lie fifth in the premiership and have qualified for the European Cup quarters so there's plenty to play for. Cipriani's form is improving and we look dangerous with ball in hand but we really need to fix the scrum to be winning any silverware this season.


Elsewhere, i've getting reasonable time in with Wolfenstein and am really enjoying the game as a whole.

I've finally realised that i've been playing it too much as a standard WWII first person shooter, having come up against more of the supernatural, and need to be making more of my own arcane ablities.

Quite cleverly, as you progress through the missions more and more of the Nazi's diabolical plans and creations are revealed, whilst also having a good go at eating Agent Blaskowitz's face off.

This guy isn't too hard to take out, just shoot the three big diode thingys on his armour with your sniper rifle. Sorted!

The Nazi soldier with invisibility and twin blades, think League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, caused me sever issue for a while.

Jon suggested slowing down time as he attacks, becoming visible, and then filling him full of MP40. Result! This also works well for taking out the Nazi mages, who otherwise boost thier infantry and charging MG32 nests. Simples!!

So, half-time and its' the Ospreys ahead 14-9 and looking good :)

I've got some leeks in the fridge so I may just start waving one about the place!!

Schnell, schnell, kartoppel-koffen!!

HUZZAH......, for this evening I have finally completed the German 105 howitzer platoon, namely four 105's two spotters, command and staff teams. I've also finished the pioneer platoon which also needed minimal highlighting and some varnish.

As mentioned previously this was a very easy hit but a good starter for ten and a bit of camera time :)

I've also finished the pioneer platoon which also only required basic highlighting. These have to be some of my favourite whermacht figures. A full platoon list exists........ somewhere!

Probably a bit keen to be claiming any painting points towards the 2010 total, more another time, but it's a start. No where's that, singular, ogre.

Whilst on the topic of jack-booted oppressors, I popped into GW Plaza this afternoon and spent £14.45 on a can of black spray and three paints :( As much as i've been assured that car spray will work fine, six years previous service within GW, more at a later date, leaves its foibles.

The blue shirt was a decent enough guy and I got got some good info on putting together and painting up the Valkyrie kit which WILL be happening once the current clones are done.

Anyway, a day of cricket at Lords tomorrow and then an evening of toys :)

I love Lords, an Middlesex vs Essex four day which will now feature Ravi "the big bopper" Bopara released for "time in the middle". Not sure that the Middlesex attack can offer too much of a challenge though.

We're playing through The Uncharted Seas for the first time. Should be good, will post.

What a difference a day makes

I hardly dare type this but as an apparant new man me and the LADY went and had manicures last night. First time for me and despite being told that I look scared I rather enjoyed all the pampering.

On the way I happened to pass Orc's Nest and being slightly early I slid in and picked up a couple of packs of Copplestone's Future Wars scavengers.




This was an officially sanctioned purchase under the "Current Projects" clause that we all know, love and abuse. Specifically the Star Wars: Clones project. The nails were entirely different and are very nice and shiny!

10 days leave from tomorrow which will feature a wedding, gaming, lots of cricket and SOME painting.

The German Artillery project has been selected for completion as it is the easiest / quickest hit available. The recent Star Wars purchases, thats a whole 12 figures folks, have also been selected as this is where my main enthusiasm lies currently.......... currently :)

Meanwhile I have recently ordered an Uncharted Seas Bone Griffins starter fleet. I really like the galley look to the ships and the destroyers are actually undead whales. Couldn't resist.
As, technically, they haven't arrived yet they're not, technically, on the list and should replace the kraut guns.

No project creep at all then.... technically :)