Galloping Major's Ranger characters.

         More M&T painting. With the first 6 Indians finishing up. I have started on Galloping Major's Ranger personality pack, FIW PP1.  You get Rogers, his slave Jacob/Prince/Duke, and a JO.
          They are priced 3 dudes for 5 pounds, 20 cents more than steep ass foundry. They are much cheaper in unit pack.

           The Good;   Brilliant cast, very good detail. The cleaning process was a breeze. There are little to no flash or mold lines.
           The Bad;   The face on the JO is disappointing, all smashed and puffing looking. Also everyone has big ass hands. Why is Rogers only wearing one glove? Stock photos lift off Galloping Major's main site.

           I have Jacob and the JO stuck down on 25mm GW bases. Rogers is on a 30 mm ply for painting. I do this because the staples I used on the corks for my Romans were destroying the cork. The ply and plastic stick to the corks with "blue tac" alone petty solidly. In the end Rogers and Jacob will be based on a 40mm circle and the JO on a 30mm.

         Here everyone is "blue tac" and corked. I primed them with P3 white. I always prime 8" away in two light coats. Once dry, each was washed with Army painter dark tone ink. I do it to 28mm minis for 2 reasons. One it black lines the mini without making the colors dull. Two it brings out the all the smallest details and gets me excited to paint.

The ranger JO with a smashed face, thick fingers and really big hands. The picture and the JO does give an excellent example of the inking blackline effect. The mini is still very light and your colors will be more brilliant. As you block the base layer in be careful along the edges. I try to stay about 0.5 mm  away from any meeting point or color change. Do this and the details will pop.

WIP

         Another Conquest Indian, got hate doubles in your blisters. Same mini as the red shirted dude in the last post. Still a lot of left. Hopefully I can finish him up this week.








          There are holes in my Force on Force collection. I have a ton of minis to kit it out and have been chipping away at it while the paint dries on other projects. There are 2 contractors, 1 DEVGRP, and 2 insurgents.

           20mm are easy. Mainly cause I don't care that much about the look. They are strictly playing pieces to me. I block in the colors and dip them. These are waiting on the weather for the last step.

Stan Johansen

Sweet. I am now the example. My 20mm Jihads are on Stan's front page. Man I need to redo those bases!

Stan Johansen Miniatures

M&T Conquest Indians part II

At long last I sat down to finish the Conquest Indians. I can't remember the last time I painted a 28mm mini. It was truly enjoyable to blend highlights.
         The war paint was added last minute. I was influenced by the art work at Fort Ticonderoga over the weekend.

         The red shirted Indian came out muted after the matt spray was applied. I may go back and re-highlight his shirt. I had the trouble with his hair and feathers. His war paint came out balls on, love it.

          The green shirted Indian's war paint I am not impressed with. The red looks too much like his skin tone. I didn't want it to look cartoonish and under did it.
         I changed my normal basing. To represent the forest base without breaking the bank using a massive ton of tuffs. This time I used clump foliage. Normally it looks like crap. Some 80s train set bullshit. To get around the crap look, I ground it down into small bits no bigger than 3mm chunks. I believe I have achieved that morass forest floor that you would see in a primeval forest.

 

The white shirted Indian I am very happy with. He is the only one done mostly with P3 paints. For a more readily available paint that is cheaper, the results are pretty close to equal those done with foundry.

Thursday Night gaming

          It was a good night. Jimmy and Fred popped by. Also Jack the Marine was passing through and could make it. This was Jack was dive into Force on Force. After the first turn Jack was up to speed.

         After 8 turns. We delayed the US forces, but the contractors walked right through untouched. The contractors got off the board and US forces secured an blew the crash site on the last turn. We prevented Jimmy from gaining control of the pilots and wounded two full fire teams. Only one KIA

Jimmy and Fred = 15
Jack and Me = 11


          We played a convention demo I ripped from the net. Sorry I don't know the origin.

 •UN Contractors:
–Two 6-man squads with leader and 5 M4 equipped troops
–Quality-D10, Morale D10
•Each US Squad:
–Alpha Team: SL, TL, M203 gunner, SAW gunner, Rifleman
–Bravo Tm: TL, M203, SAW gunner, Rifleman
–Charlie Tm: RTO, TL, M203, SAW gunner, Rifleman
–Quality D8, Morale D10
•Bad Guys: Multiple groups plus reinforcements throughout game
–Initial Quality D6, Morale D10
–Some SAW and RPGs throughout the force
–Multiple Leaders
–Technicals may arrive on battle field
•8x Civilian Mobs: Initially neutral

Hot Spots determined randomly by players. None can be placed within 3" of the board edge or within 8" of each other. Civilian Mobs are placed in the center of the board.

Any civilians injured in LOS to Al Jazera arms the civilians mobs and doubles the number of mobs. Civilians move away from gun fire. Civilians move every turn in direction of a spun beer bottle.  If shot through they divide and run in opposite directions.

Victory Conditions
•UN Contractors: Get VIP to exit point; exfiltrate on foot. 5 points for each VIP
•US Squads: Move to crash site, secure and evacuate survivors 5 points , secure or destroy sensitive items 5 points
•Bad Guys: Do not allow UN VIP to exit board. 10 points Kill or capture. Use crash survivors as bait to ambush US troopers. 5 For each KIA or capture, 1 for each wounded.

Snowshoes part II

Reenactment at Fort Ticonderoga

           Beth and the friends of Fort Ti put on the 2nd annual Battle of the Snowshoes. There was little snow east of 87N. The weather was perfect. Around 35F, the same as the actual battle and there was little snow in the air.

           Jack the sailor and myself got there when they opened at 10am. Ten bucks a pop, but the fort is a non profit so it all gets taken off on the taxes. They had about 20 visitors. At 2pm when the shooting started there was around 50.

• The initial guide tour was leak. The Fort was well staffed, with at least two people per area to answer any questions.
• The art display of the fort's history was very interesting. There were actual pictures from prior to and during the reconstruction by the Pells. So of their family photos were up also. 
• After that you had some free time to visit the camps. The French stayed over night in the officer's barracks and the rangers bedded down on the fort ground that night. They said it was a rough and very cold night. I found the lad playing a Ranger officer to be an amazing subject matter expert. 
• Beth was floating around answering question and speaking about upcoming projects and event for this summer. 
• The Indians had an extensive display of period items. There was 4 or 5 of them answering question. Plus the french's blacksmith was on hand speaking about the metal and the different tomahawks on display from the forts collection.

          The shooting started on time. Most the rangers were played by fort staff. Most of the French and all the Indians came in for the event. BZ to all involved. It was well worth the 6 hour round trip.
         

M&T Terrain IV

         Work has been killing me. Long days and weekends have been the norm for the last two weeks. We had to cancel game night. I gotten zero movement on 20mm and have been at a snail's pace to finish up the M&T woods.
         I have contracted out to get a river and stream system from foofighterubu. I have zero time now and this was the best way to get one finished and done before the year end. It will be crazy mad dope. Foo is going to match the river banks to my ADK/Wilderness fall theme with streams and a rubbling water fall. I can't wait. The WIP is amazing.

         What I have been chipping away Architechs of War ruined wall sections. They were sprayed a base coat of brown. I used 3 different shades of grey for the rocks. A couple of them were picked out in an off white and red. The trees will be modified for the ADK fall look.
          I will need to touch up my half melted snow effects, but over all petty happy with the turn out.

         One more of the 6 GW forest bases completed.Forest base number 2.

 Forest base 3 WIP. Hopefully I can knock it out tonight.

M&T Conquest Indians

Muskets & Tomahawks a new addiction. 

         That is until this Xmas. Dad got me a copy of Muskets and Tomahawks. A thin little thing. I read that bad boy that very morning while cooking dinner, throwing darts, and drinking. Yeah, yeah it looks like I put forth so much effort, but in reality the oven does 90% of the work. I just hide in the kitchen. Outstanding excuse to get away from the family and to NOT have to be washing up after the meal.
          Dreaming of battles to come. I started thinking about what scale and the miniatures I would need. I thinking hard about 20mm or 15mm and trying to make them fit the ideas in my head. Mainly because the minis are cheap and paint up fast. But I miss the detail in 28mm, and F&IW is such a colorful period. Then me brain dried out, I remember those Indian collecting dust.
          I got these dudes about 3 years ago at Fall In. I had no idea what I was going to do with them. They looked cool and I grew up in Iroquois territory. I think it was the owner there selling them. He was cool and chatty, very likable. It was not a hard sell. Old boy had to know when I stopped to look, that I had to have them. 5 packs/blisters went in my bag. I returned home and into the mountain they went.

Side note; F-ing Warlord! They came 10 to a pack for about a dollars a dude. I should have grabbed some more as Warlord Games wants 16 for 6.  Bastards!

          I tore into two blister/packs, inspecting each one. Lots of repeats, boo. Each one pretty cool, good details, and a tight cast. I cleaned up the first set of six to be painted. I thought about sticking them to corks right away. A.D.D. kicked in and I started looking at basing options. 20 or 25mm squares didn't cut it.30mm rounds seemed cool but there would be a lot of time pissed away with basing. They ended up on 25mm GW rounds.

           My wood is stored in the garage with a dehumidifier. Makes for very dry wood and a excellent place to prime in the winter. I coated them very lightly in P3 white from over 12 inches away. I did this twice, one high and one low angle. Next step was to cover them in Army Painter's dark tone ink. I do this to black line them and it helps to identify all the very small details.

I am painting with 99% foundry colors. I used the Native American 3 paint skin tones. The first layer and cloths blocked in.

          Both "B" and "C" skin tones layered on in this picture. Using the P3 wet palette has made life so much easier. During the process I found the "C" tone to be way too light. It gave them a look of almost 1980s childhood skin tone. The C highlight had to be watered down a lot. Also a P3 skin tone wash was applied.
         Dad was called, maybe too late. Indians in art and the movie are all painted up. After I finally got him to hear my question, the answer was a huge relief. According to the all knowing expert the Indians would do whatever they liked whenever. On some party parties one individual would paint himself and the next time he would not. Dad also said they painted themselves so the great spirit would not recognize them performing such acts.
         In the end I'm good. The next set will get war paint.

 

          The last group shot. I had to put them on corks. My handling of them was causing rework. Both of these dudes have their skin completed. The leggings and shirts have been layered and highlighted. No ink washes.

Ancient Warfare or Karwansaray Publishers

          Outstanding customer service! My order arrived destroyed. The box was riped and holes were punched in it. I emailed Jasper Oorthuys at Karwansaray's customer service. Within days I had new fancy replacements. I even got to keep the smashed items. Jasper kicks ass, see him for all your problems.

Gaming night canceled

Bad week to have a job.

Tuesday Night Gaming FoF

Force on Force

          Every one was by last night. We had a record 6 people, 48 beers, 5 pounds of wings, and one bottle of scotch. There was so much unprepared wings after the game was over, it was an easy way to unload them.      
          Only Jimmy and myself played FoF. We picked the contractor mission straight form the main rule book. Mainly because it took up only a 2 by 2 chunk of the table, it would fast, and we could cycle the other thru. It didn't work out that way. Everyone else was throwing darts and pounding beers. The boys were ball breaking over 501.
          We ran played each side once. I took the Marines the first time. My plan was to bump and run straight up the center on the double. Then send the smaller team to grab the contractors.
           Fire team one with the Platoon leader attached made a rapid move up the left side of the street. Fire team 2 made a tactical move and engaged the skinny on hot spot 5. He failed to react and got knocked over.    
           Jim's plan was to set up a cross fire on the main approach to the contractors. He hope to pile on KIAs and wounds. No one unit reacted. They all doubled into position. The kill zone was sent.
           Jim's plan worked with piss poor re enforcement rolls. I was able to get to the contractors but never got out.

           Jim's turn with the USMC. He doubled down his right flank. I wheeled my forces to follow his line of movement and seal off his exit. I rolled all 3s and 2s for the first 3 turns. It was a bad day for me. Jimmy was within a tactical of getting off the table. Then I went shit hot and wounding every member in his fire teams. He fail his movement rolls.

FoF DCUs

          I finally got a chance to try a chocolate chip pattern DCUs. One standard fire team. I mixed their gear with the black off the shelf, old ass green, and the newer coyote tan. I wanted them to represent the bastard way in which reserve units buy, shit or steal their gear.

     
         The white spots are maybe too big. The brown is also a shade too light.
          I was never issued a set, we got the coffee stains DCUs. We were sent over with green and black gear. The coyote we purchased out of pocket.   
         I will have to look for an example article of chocolate chip pattern gear at the next gun show.

M&T terrain III

Busy week. Work sucked balls and I had to take the wife to Boston and back in a day. I have been get a butt ton of reading done. Almost 4 books in just over a week.

         Only yesterday was I able to get some painting time. I got two sets of Hasty Works from Architechs of War. I knocked out 6 of the 8 wall sections. I repainted them like three times. I could not get the stones right. The first time the grey was wrong. Then I had way too many different color stones. I think in the end they are a little too dark over all.

         This time I went with a snow that had melted and been around for a while. I sat there looking at my firewood for a log time. The color of dried split wood is not so easy to match.

          Also the leaves are different. Originally the orange leaves came from GF9. They are not available any more. So I ordered some off of Coolminiornot and from Hudson and Allen studios. I ended up using the tan leaves from H&A.
          The http://www.hudsonandallen.com leaves are the best. They have the orange and 3 other fall colors. No more messing around their stuff is cheaper, bigger package, and quality. Very cool site, lots of goodies. I will be ordering much more from them.