The Greening of Canis Wolfborne

In an earlier post, I mentioned that I had happily acquired the new Games Workshop model, Canis Wolfborn for my Space Wolves Warhammer 40K army.

I was so excited by this acquisition that, although I was completely awash in pre-convention painting projects, I took time to clean the model and put him together.

I will reiterate that I have never seen such an imposing hunk of metal designed for the tabletop! Canis is a "mere" Space Marine, his size alone is inconsequential - unless compared to a "mere" mortal! However, his mount, the cybernetically enhanced Thunder Wolf, Fangir is another story altogether.

I have not done actual measurements so cannot provide an accurate size for the model; let's just say it's really big!

Unfortunately, when I built Canis and Fangir, I was out of "green stuff" modeling putty and could not fill the cracks left between larger bits.

I finally got some green stuff and went to work on Fangir - and here are a couple of photos showing the results.
















Fangir and his rider, from the front















Looking down at Fangirs' tail end



As I worked with the model, it became apparent that the spaces left between Canis' arms and his torso did not require putty. However, poor Fangir had a few spots that needed a bit of help.

I mushed up the yellow and blue parts of the green stuff, squished it around till it was nicely blended, then rolled it out in long strips that would nearly fit into the crevices. Using a dental pick, I pressed the green stuff into the cracks, and poked it into a similar appearance and texture as his fur.

I also learned a bit about photography while getting the shots for this posting; Note to budding miniatures photographers - when using the Super Macro setting on your camera, using a flash will leave a large black shadow in the shape of your lens! DOH!

I have begun the carbonite freezing process... umm.... I mean the priming process, and hope to begin painting Fangir and his pet space marine soon!

An Unfortunate Oversight

I feel the need to apologize to Black Knight and Consul Scipio, as I completely left them out of my Fall In AAR!

I mentioned that due to several factors I was only able to get in a couple of games at Fall In this year. I shouted out much deserved thanks to Jim "Gnome Wars" Stanton - and then moved on to the next topic!

The other games I played at Fall In are a direct result of the hard work and generosity of Black Knight and Consul Scipio!

These two partners in warfare planned and executed a Warmasters Ancients Campaign that was somewhat like a Tourney.

I had never played Warmaster Ancients before, so this was a learning experience. Consul Scipio had the doubtful privilege of playing me in our first game of the campaign. I won that one, but only due to his patience, kindness, and forgiving nature. Also mass. I had mass. I had a LOT of mass! Black Knight spent several hours prior to the campaign painting up extra Gauls for me to use in my assault on Consul's Roman Legions. (After all, what have the Romans ever done for us?)

My second game was against Black Knight. After having to wake me several times so I could fumble my figures about the table, we decided to call it a draw! As was the case in the game against Consul Scipio, my game with Black Knight was filled with patience and generosity. Both were very forgiving opponents to this beginner! I will say that Black Knight's Persians are a "nasty" army to face, and the battle presented me with yet another learning opportunity!

I enjoyed my games of Warmasters Ancients, and consider that a high point of my weekend! Although I do like the game, my current gaming priorities and budget preclude me from investing in figures or rules. I loved the way it flowed though, and I think I could do pretty well - until my die turn against me as is so often the case!

My deepest and most sincere thanks to both Black Knight and Consul Scipio for an enjoyable campaign and the opportunity to play a new and fun game!

Saying "So Long" to Gettysburg; The End of an Era - the Death of the Hobby?

I attended the HMGS-East Fall In convention in Gettysburg this weekend and have since been deep in thought about several gaming-related issues. Please excuse me as I drop a few braincells here for mutual contemplation.

Apparently there was an issue that precludes the HMGS-East from returning to the Eisenhower Hotel and Convention Center, which is located right next to the Gettysburg battlefield. Although the hotel is old and the amenities are minimal and rather expensive, the nearness to the battlefield, where so many Americans fought and died for their causes, seems to lend a special feel to the Fall In convention.

In the past, I've had poor experiences with several of the staff at the Ike; though most to try to provide good customer service. Several were true gems, shining stars of friendliness and service. This year, as always, the staff was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the attendees. That, and dealing with folks irritated by any myriad of issues, doesn't make for a pleasant work environment.

I'm not certain of the reasoning behind the move to Lancaster, PA, but I'm sure that the convention will still be a good one, though I am saddened by leaving Gettysburg. The last Fall In (for the foreseeable future) at Gettysburg was appropriately themed, the Beginning of the End. The theme was related to the end of WWII, as the allied forces made advances into the home territories of the axis forces. For me, it was the end of an era. I hope that one day Fall In will return to Gettysburg, perhaps at the Ike or at a different venue. There are few things as awe inspiring as a slow drive through the battlefield on a crisp fall morning, monuments rising out of the mist like soldiers of old, giving one last hurrah for the final charge!



Another issue that impacted many gamers, including myself, Consul Scipio and the Black Knight (not to mention about 40-100 other folks!) was that the Ike overbooked a large room, which was to be used for several early Friday games, and the Flames of War Mid-War Tournament. The result of the overbooking was that many of the earlier games, one of which I was supposed to play in, were canceled, and the FoW Tourney was postponed for several hours.

That was most certainly not a good way to start the weekend. That early morning game I had signed up for, was the only game I was able to pre-register for. My weekend was beginning to look bleak before noon on Friday!

I was able to get into a couple of games this weekend, though literally only a couple! For the expense and hassles involved, it is hard for me to justify attending a convention, if I am only able to play a game or two.

Shouts and salutations, and my deepest thanks for a good time go out to Jim "Gnome Wars" Stanton for an amazing game that was entertaining in so many ways! Jim is the co-author of Old Glory's "Trench Wars" rules, along with John Spiess. The two colluded on the table set up for an East Front World War One game. Later, with minor adjustments, Gnome Wars, which is basically a WWI game using fantasy miniatures produced by Brigade Games, took the tabletop and more wanton death and destruction abounded! The game is learned quickly, and is very easy to play, although at times adjusting tactics to various surprises tossed in by the game master can be a challenge! There were a lot of ladies and young folks playing the game. I'll take a wild guess, but I'm thinking that three primary factors attracted younger gamers and the rare lady gamers: ease of play, enjoyability, and very "cute" miniatures. I mean, how threatened would you feel when facing a German Lancer Gnome mounted on a bunny? Really. :-)

Another issue, though not related to the Ike, was the rather slim pickings at the Flea Market.

Based on the experiences of Bwana Bill, Consul Scipio, and myself the Flea Market was below par this year. There were a lot of folks selling nicely painted armies or figures at high prices; some of us selling a lot of cruft and clutter, and very few folks really spending money. This year I sold perhaps 1/3 the amount I usually sell, and had to drop my prices to the point that I couldn't buy all the things on my shopping list. This is a very bad sign and presents a potential danger to my own home. After selling all that lead and not replacing it, combined with all the hot-air from Washington, D.C. in such close proximity to my home, I'm afraid my house may float away. (That was a non-partisan, "I dislike politicians of all types" sort of poke!)

Finally, I heard a lot of commentary from fellow gamers about "the death of the hobby". As the economy continues to tank, the priorities of many gamers have had to shift to simply keeping food on the table or a roof over their heads. The snowball effect is, of course, in play. Lower sales and higher production costs lead to higher prices, and thus lower sales. It's a self-licking ice cream cone. I don't believe this cycle will continue. If it does, some miniatures manufacturers will simply go out of business. However, not all will go out of business, and there will be new ones starting up. The economy will rebound, and the world will be well again. Or as good as it ever is.

Aside from the obvious economic issues, some gamers were concerned about the poor turnout and the aging gamer population.

I didn't see that.

What I saw was a good turnout at Fall In, with good participation by gamers of all ages.

In fact, one of the highlights of Fall In, for me, was watching some young men and women play in the "Under 18 years of age" Flames of War Tournament. I was amazed to see young folks playing a fairly mature game, rolling bones, pushing lead - and rarely, if ever, referring to a "cheat sheet".

Death of the hobby? I think not. With young folks maintaining an interest in games that are not "easy" to play, aided by folks who run fun games or fun tournaments, or create simple and enjoyable games that provide an entry level experience for potential new gamers, and I think the hobby is safe enough for now.

Overall, I had a very nice time, though the best part was, as usual, seeing friends, rolling bones, and pushing lead!

Alternative Paints for Larger Projects

There are two groups of friends that I game with; Bwana Bill, his son, Karl the MekMeister, and a few other friends, and Consul Scipio, his son, the Black Knight, and other assorted friends.

So far these two groups have been on relatively divergent paths gaming-wise. Lately, as I have mentioned, both groups are now focused on battles in World War II, in the North African desert.

As our little groups begin to blend interests, we are finding more and more common ground in the hobby.

We are pretty much involved in 15mm and in 25mm models and figures.

When painting smaller figures, many of us have found the Vallejo "Model Color" to be accurate, and quite sufficient of portion to do the job.

However, we are finding that using those little eye-dropper bottles can become quite expensive, when painting larger figures and models - especially armored vehicles!

As the ladies in our lives lead us about on shopping tours, we usually keep a weather eye out for anything that may be useful in wargaming. My wife loves to visit Michaels hobby stores, both for supplies for her own hobby interests, and to obtain supplies for school projects. I like Michaels too! Pssst! Wargamers secret: In the Seasonal Decorations section you can find trees that are extremely useful for 25mm gaming - and sometimes walls or entire houses!

In the paint section, I have discovered Apple Barrel, and in particular, one color that works very nicely for German WWII desert vehicles and equipment! The color is "Country Tan". I have used this color in the past for painting WWI Australian troops - and it works a charm!

Our own Bwana Bill has also discovered a color that can replace the more expensive, smaller bottles of acrylic paint: Americana "Desert Sand" - how appropriate!?

These paints, both the Plaid and Americana, usually cost between $1.00 and $2.00 U.S.

So as the economies of Nation's round the world continue to mimic the last movement of the SS Titanic, and our wargaming budgets dwindle, we encourage our loyal readers to examine less expensive alternatives for paints, flocking, scratch building materials, and perhaps even models! And do share what you find here, and we'll help you spread the word!

Love and Hate

Grab a wineglass and have a seat, we're about to have some whine!

I love my Battle Front Minis - they are usually very clean, well built, well considered models that go together without TOO much difficulty, and look really nice on the tabletop. The "Six-Pounder Portee" - a mid-war model of a British six pound anti-tank gun mounted on the back of a truck (Portee), is one that I have to say I'm a bit frustrated with.

Imagine the scene: less than a week till Fall In (the HMGS East convention in Gettysburg, PA), five different armies at two different scales scattered across the table in my chaoserrr war room, and I'm painting as fast as I possibly can.

I start the final coat, drybrushing and highlighting on my six pounder portees - and BAM! I drop one.

For starters, this model is a bit tricky to put together. Kudos to Battle Front for putting a "how to put it together" guide on their site for this model.

The problem lies with the ammunition rack on the back of the truck. There are four posts that this box is supposed to sit on, and it doesn't like going together. oh well! This is overcome with super glue and patience. Ta-da! A lovely model when complete.

Then the drop.

No, it can't drop on a nice fluffy figures case tray that is lying nearby. Neither does it fall to the slightly less fluffy stack of magazines on the other side. Noooooooo. It falls directly into the Dremel case on the floor, bashing itself to pieces on drill bits and sundry drill attachments and other cruft.

I wince in pain. Mostly cuz I think I broke my toe falling down the stairs, but also because I recall that this model is tricky to put back together. I resolutely begin picking up the pieces and reach for my super glue.

To add insult to injury, after I recover the bits and begin ever so patiently applying super glue to the little bits needed to put the pillars for the ammo box back into place - I drop the main bit. Off it goes into the black hole that is the floor of my dungeon, never to be seen again.

That's the "hate" part. I hate dropping models when they are nearly complete. Considering I slipped and fell down my stairs (caught myself, but hit a few!) this morning, I guess I should just have called it a day for anything requiring concentration.

The love part comes now, so sit back, relax and sip your whine! :-)

"Green Stuff" is your friend.

After searching for twenty minutes or longer, and basically cleaning the floor with my hands, I settled down to work with "Green Stuff", or two part modeling clay. It's also known as Kneadatite Epoxy Modeling Putty.

Take a bit of blue and a bit of the yellow portions and mash them together, like making a mud pie as a child. Keep water nearby and a sculpting tool of some sort. Although an X-Acto knife will work, there are hazards involved, especially if you're clumsy like me!

After mushing the yellow and blue bits together, as any child can tell you, you have green mush! The resultant mix is somewhat sticky - which allows you to stick it onto models where it is needed. However, that stickiness can also work against you. This is where the water comes in. Wet your fingers (the ones you are touching the green stuff with!) to keep it from sticking to them. Also, dip your sculpting tool in water to allow it to slide across the surface of the putty.

Apply the green stuff to the spot you need to fix, massage it gently with your fingers and sculpting tool. If you have a tricky thing (like the brace for an ammo box on a six pounder portee!), you may find that you need to form the green stuff as close as possible to the desired shape, and then come back later to trim off excess.

The image below was taken with my "Crackberry" phone, therefore the detail is not as clear as it should be; however, I hope you can see enough to get the point.



So remember folks, let's be careful out there!

LRDG Battle Report over at "What Would Patton Do? Blog

I don't mean to drive any of our loyal readers away; however, one of our wargaming associates has posted a truly unique "batrep" of his Long Range Desert Group's first battle. Head over to "What Would Patton Do?" blog and read "L Patrol pt 1."

Fall-In Preparations

In the dark shadows of the nether regions of the Castle Keith, I am laboring intently, deep in the dank dungeon that is my War Room.

I am currently working on some additional troops for my 28mm World War II (Disposable Heroes, a Coffin for Seven Brothers - DHC7B) German SS and American Paratroopers, because I intend on running a "pick up game" at Fall-In. The scenario is called "Blood in the Snow". It is a meeting engagement between elite forces at a remote farm manor house during the Bastogne encirclement.

I'm also working on British WWII tanks (Honeys and Crusaders) and infantry for my 15mm Flames of War army. I'm applying paint to my Italian tanks, infantry, and artillery, trying to top off that army too!

Just to confuse matters, since I obviously don't have enough to paint, I'm working on my Late War Gross Deutschland Panzer Kompanie. Basically I'm herding cats, but thankfully the Pioneers are helping! ;-)

If that isn't enough, I'm also touching up various bits and bobs to sell at the Saturday morning Flea Market. I'll also be bringing, by special request, a small package of very special fleas! Can't get enough of those!

If any of our loyal readers are headed to Fall-In, look for us at a gaming table covered with snow, or sand, or grass, or...

Lovin Bad-ab

The title may sounds like a Country and Western song about love gone wrong. However, this post is about Games-Workshop's Badab Black wash.

I've used inking techniques over the years that come very close to the results achieved by those who utilize the "dip" technique. I paint my figures up all nice, then brush them all over with thinned down GW Brown Ink. I then highlight the figures back up a bit. This technique gives the figures a nice sense of depth and also satisfies my love for dirty miniatures. I then add mud as needed, and sometimes as not needed, to further enhance the grimy warrior effect.

Yesterday I acquired two new armies for WarMachine, by Privateer Press from two of friends. We accomplished some dark back alley trades, and (I hope!) everyone ended up happier for the deals!

In that trade I acquired an army of Cygnar and an army of Khador. Each of the armies were painted by friends with different painting styles and tastes for light and dark. Each army was at a different level of completion as well. The Cygnar Army was mostly ready for the tabletop, with only a handful of figures requiring paint. The Cygnar army is primed black. The Khador army was a work in progress, with basic colors on many of the figures, with some being completed. The Khador army is primed white.

My new Cygnar army is blue, and has been inked and highlighted, which clearly shows the great detail of these lovely figures. My new Khador army is painted with fairly bright colors, (tis a red army after all!) and to sort of put my personal stamp on the army, I determined that I would darken it up a bit.

I have used the Badab Black wash on smaller models that were painted with military colors, and it has worked very nicely. After all... non-fantasy warrior figures will, in my humble opinion, need to be darker, muddier, more weather worn.

The WarMachine figures are fantasy figures, so a lot of color is the norm rather than out of the ordinary.

I grabbed a couple of Warjacks, a Juggernaut and a Destroyer and began to apply the GW Badab Black Wash. I did not thin the wash at all, but rather used a LARGE brush and simply gave the figures a bath with the Badab Black wash!



Without Ink



With Ink and a few highlights

I must say that I'm quite pleased the the results. So much so that I am going to finish painting the rest of the army using the same style and techniques my friend used, and then bathe them all in Badab Black! The washing of the figures may be followed up with a bit of highlighting, just to bring out the detail of these lovely figures.

So, this is (in case the FCC is watching) a NON-PAID endorsement of a GW product; which, if you know me, I'm not too fond of GW and their business practices - but I do love these washes and highly recommend them.

Game on!

"Aussies at Bardia"

One of our latest projects is gearing up to run some scenarios from Mark Fastoso's new scenario book called "Aussies at Bardia." It covers the three days in January 1941 in which the the 6th Australian Division captured the fortified town of Bardia, Libya from its Italian defenders. As usual with these things it will take a while but we are making pretty good progress. Like almost everything elso we do, being huge gluttons for punishment, we will be doing this in glorious 28mm which of course always requires the expenditure of a significant amount of money for vehicles in the 1:48 to 1:56 scale range; and it can be very difficult to find them. Fortunately we have hit a recent bonanza in the form of a company called "Company B." They have been cranking out a large selection of Italian tanks, trucks, and armored cars that have hitherto been non-existent. I have been buying mine from Brigade Games at the HMGS East conventions in Pennsylvania. One nice thing about the Bardia book is it is mostly infantry on infantry so you do not need a huge amount of tanks. A couple of British Matilda IIs are indispensible to this book. "Army Group North" has some very nice Matildas in resin plastic. I got mine from Brigade games also. There is only one scenario where the Italians are counterattacking with seven M-13 tanks, uh, we are probably going to want to do that one in 15mm. I have acquired some very nice Italian Bersaglieri infantry figures from Askari Miniatures. We will be using these to represent the Italians troops even though none of the scenarios call for Bersaglieri. The Askari Bersaglieris were not really designed for WWII gaming, they are more appropriate for the 1925 to 1935 colonial campaigns in Africa, nevertheless, they will work just fine for WWII. The only concession I had to make was to acquire some Italian machine gunners from Artizan Miniatures to go with them. At this point my Italian infantry are almost ready to go. Speaking of Artizan, I got the British/Aussie infantry from them and they are painted and ready to go. So, with just a bit more work on the tanks, and then some anti-tank guns (not easy to find either), and then some scenery; it will all be ready to go!