Tech Level 1

 Something a bit different added to the collection this week. A couple of 4Ground Ox Carts and North Star oxen to pull them. 

The carts went together easily and painted up in no time. The draft animals were no different. The bases are just 3/16 balsa but to size. 

With some FIW minis for size.

These will be nice scenario elements for a variety of games. Smugglers, settlers, merchants, you name it.

Ten Little Goblins...

 I can't believe I actually finished the box of Wargames Atlantic Goblins. Ten more, in the books. Not just a sense of accomplishment but a nice set of minis! Who'd have thought? This lot have hand weapons and shields. I actually worked through these pretty quickly once they were assembled and primed - four or five days I think. Waking up at 4:00am stressing about work will do that. :)

The "Banna Wavva" is scratch-built. Since WA doesn't include command models in the box I had to make a standard bearer of course. Just some Plastruct rod and a WA helmeted skull on top. Nothing crazy. I need to slap together a proper banner though.

A group shot with the other 20 reveal that I did a fine job of retaining color and basing consistency since the previous paint jobs!

Now that's a proper mob. Time to go smash something!

The Week's Painting

 Hi all. I finished up a few models this week and started on some more. The first lot is another group of Battletech mechs from the pile Wayne cave me. They've been painted in Clan Fire Mandrill colors. I figured Steel Viper had enough and it was time to spread out.

That's a Pouncer, Spirit, Bowman, Hellion and Baboon. 

Next up are some Malifaux minis I've had for quite a while and just hadn't done anything with. As is often the case, I bought them without a plan because they were very inexpensive. They will, however, make for an interesting support group for the goblin horde!

Mechnical 'Skeeters with goblin riders. Because who doesn't need that in their life? The models were every bit as fiddly to assemble as you'd imagine. Malifaux models are usually 10/10 and trouble-free when it comes to assembly. These were substantially more complex. I'm happy with the end result though, that's for certain.

The stuff I started today was the last group of ten Wargames Atlantic goblins. Hey, it was a mighty gobbo weekend.

These guys have hand weapons, and look! I scratch-built a banner! Or at least the pole. More in the work with that...

Infinity AAR - Landing Strip Battle

 What's this? A proper miniatures wargame in Casa de Ski? It's been a while, that's for sure. Zig and I got together Saturday afternoon for a game of Infinity. I put some of those recently painted Starco minis on the table for a first go against Z's ever-present Pan Oceana military orders. I set the table up for a 300-point, 48 x 48 Domination scenario set at the maintenance area of spacecraft landing strip. There are four Consoles (marked in the picture) at which players can earn extra points if they successfully interact with them.

Mobile Bragada heavy infantry behind the red cargo container and a Salyut Zond (robot) hidden in the bushes covering my right flank.

A fireteam of Alguacils, Brawlers and a Daktari on my right, with a Tsyklon Sputnik backing them up.

The very cluttered landing strip.

And a view from the other side.

I opened up by having the Tsyklon with a Feuerbach (think nasty auto cannon) zip up the silo and get a bead on the Knight Hospitaller with the Heavy Machine Gun. I personally have a grudge against that Knight, he's killed so many of my forces over the years that any opportunity to shoot at him is a good one. To my delight, the 'Bot knocked that rotten knight down. The Medic Knight who'd done a better job hiding, confirmed the kill a few moments later. 

My chump fireteam on the left spreads out across the tarmac, using fuel canisters as cover, because why not? My Tsyklon on the silo has accounted for two more PanO oppressors. The kid at the controls of that thing was obviously using some cheat codes. Notice that I have a third 'Bot in the mix; that's a Reaktion Zond with a Heavy MG by the gate in the lower center of the picture. I was moving that up to help control the middle.

My Mobile Bragada team was moving up to the enemy side of the tarmac, heading for the console on that side. Note the scary black figure with a missile launcher in the distance next to the brown shipping container. The Knight medic actually got his shit together and started healing stuff I'd knocked out earlier in the engagement. 

And sadly I didn't take any more photos. In a nutshell, the Starco mercenaries took control of this section of the landing strip. The Mobile Brigada Lieutenant was knocked out in a shootout with the Knight Hospitaller 1LT. The decider was a terrific burst of shotgun blasts from a Brawler at the other end of the strip, catching a recently healed hacker with the Auxbot as well as a couple members of the Order Sergeant fireteam hidden behind that brown shipping container seen in the last picture. Having lost four models in a single action and flurry of shit dice, the Pan O forces backed off.

The new Starco team member performed very well and they're great additions to the crew. That Tsyklon bot was amazing, but that was as much a function of his positioning and weapon as much as anything. Be well and good gaming!

It's a Painting and Posting Streak!

 Happy Fourth fellow Americans! And to those of you who aren't American, Happy Tuesday. I've taken a couple days off with no plans in particular. It's been terribly hot and humid the last week or so, so there's been little reason to go outside without a specific task in mind. Today's high is supposed to be 94 F / 34 C and I've been made responsible for grilling burgers, dogs and sausages for dinner this evening. I think I'm going to wait until after 7:00pm to light the grill.

  Enough of the chit-chat. I painted up a few packs of North Star Native Americans to add to the ranks of my early American colonials. I painted up half for the Iroquois and half for the Abenaki. 

The Iroquois contingent

And the Abenakis

And all together...

Be well!

New Team - More Rumbleslam

 After last weekend's games, and with a mostly clear painting table, I painted up the third Rumbleslam team I've been camping on for a couple months. The team is the Deadly Divas. Without having used them in a game, I can tell by their stats and abilities they will have a much different play style than the barbarians and beastmen I've been using in our previous games. Variety is always important with a game like this. 

Left to right, that's the Brawler, Grappler, Orgress, High Flyer and Entertainer. The Entertainer isn't much for fighting but does help the team earn crowd support and is more of a support unit so to speak. Should be interesting!

Rasslin' - Some Rumbleslam

 Wayne and I got together to a couple games of Rumbleslam last weekend. No AARs to speak of, just a few pictures.

Game 1 was a pretty standard affair with both of us using basic crews right out of the box. I won that match pretty cleanly if you don't count the moment my Minotaur hoisted the Werewolf up with his horns and dumped him outside the ropes! Right place, right time for The Bull! That Werewolf is one tough cookie.

Game 2 was much more closely fought, and without a freebie to get rid of the FLAIR-Wolf (see what I did there?), I was stuck having to fight it. Things didn't go that well, but I lasted until turn 5.

But I won the initiative in the final turn and my Barbarian Grappler put a figure-four on ol' Wolfie, slowing him down for the remainder of the turn. After the leg-lock, the Grappler ran so he'd at least survive the bout. But then Wayne who didn't realize the game was over DID remember he'd drawn a terrible special event card at the start of the game causing his Werewolf to be fired from the team at the end of the match. This resulted him that wrestler being removed from the ring before counting up Knock-Outs. I had won, by accident since I'd forgotten about the "You're Fired!" card, but any win's a good one. Sometimes, you just get lucky.

Two very entertaining games that we both enjoyed quite a bit. I've got another team in the painting queue so the next time we play there will probably be some fresh blood on the mat.

Adding to Infinity

 Plus six this time around.

I picked up some additions to my Infinity Starco group a few months ago and finally got around to assembling and painting them over the last week. Assembly was slow, I was patient since the models were a bit fiddly. I've matured in that respect. These models are Mobile Brigada (the four human-sized models) and Tsyklon Remotes (droids). As always, picked up when marked down with a 50% discount! The whole Starco group has been procured at well under retail.

I could resist a group shot of all the Starco remotes together while I had them out.

Avocado Fatalis

 The Battletech Fortress-Class Dropship that Wayne gave me to put together and paint is done! I gave it Kurita markings - it's Wayne's and their insignia is very snazzy. I'm pretty happy with the final product. I hope Wayne will approve.

I'm not sure what the internal layout of one of these monsters looks like, but, well... I'm not sure where engines and fuel and cargo / materiel fit. Not my problem. It was a delightful project and as always I look forward to the next!

And Some Mid-Week

 I got the mechs cleared out of the queue. They came out nicely and are a welcome addition to the stable.

Left to Right: Pinion, Bandersnatch, Lobo, Spatha and Uziel.

The importance of finishing those was so that I'd have space to work on the Avocado of DOOM!

Some good progress on the dropship. The base has been fun, particularly trying to give it that "blasted" look from the craft's engine exhaust. I know it'll be barely visible once it's assembled, but...

Project Work

 Hi folks. Just a quick hobby update. I don't often share WIP pictures, but I've got a doozy right now. Wayne handed me a Battletech dropship along with the box of mechs a few weeks ago. I've started getting to work on it.

The orb is about 4.5 inches in diameter and the landing gear poke out a bit past that. Given its fiddly nature, I decided the monstrosity needs a base.

Some 3mm plywood with some texture and fine sand. Note, I've drilled the landing gear and synched up holes in the base. God willing, it'll be stable. 

More pics as progress happens!

Also in the queue, and close to complete are some more mechs from the lot...

The reptiles are less "mech" than the rest. They're Ghost Archipelago minis I've had for a few months. I wanted to break up the mech painting grind and pulled them out.

In other news, I completed my most recent guitar project on Friday evening.

I enjoyed this build immeasurably. Perhaps more surprising was that when I played it yesterday, it plays as nicely as any guitar I've ever played. Great action, no fret buzz, no hum, smooth electronics, holds its tune. I really couldn't be happier with the way this one turned out. I have a co-worker who might be interested in buying it. If he does want it, I'll be sad to see this sweetie go, but hey, if I can build and sell guitars, why not?