Pass in Review: Wizkid Pre-Painted Products

(Image:  Medieval Farmer Set by Wizkids)

There’s plenty of internet memes about gamers relishing the opportunity to catch up on painting projects while under COVID-19 “Stay-At-Home” orders.

Sounds great—until you actually get sick.

Two Saturdays ago I woke up to get ready for my night shift—and felt terrible.  I called my boss and told him I was sick.  Within two days, three coworkers, my boss, and a coworker’s spouse all fell ill.  I encountered one of my coworkers at the emergency room parking lot as we waited to get evaluated.

“Fortunately” it was “just” the flu and not COVID-19, but everyone was quarantined for several days before being allowed to come back to work.

During my illness I had no motivation to do anything.  Even reading exacerbated my nausea.  So I wasn’t up to doing any photo shoots of my Warhammer 40,000 collection, concocting webcomics, or even writing a simple blogpost.

One of the few activities I could do was some online “shopping therapy.”

Two items I ordered were the Medieval Homestead and the Medieval Farmer Set, via The Miniature Market, for about $35.99 each.

Both products are part of Wizkids plastic 4D Terrain line. 

What I like most about these products is they’re already painted.  Or as I like to say:  I love miniature items I don’t have to cut, paste or paint.

The items have a “toy-ish” look, especially the domestic animals.  However, unlike kid’s toys, the quality is good and scale is appropriate for skirmish or role playing games (RPGs), especially since the none of the items represent any of the combat figures or central characters.

(Image:  Medieval Homestead by Wizkids)

I’m happy with my purchase and look forward to adding more Wizkids’ 4D Terrain to my collection, which will probably be this...

...the Jungle Shrine Set.  These items seem appropriate for any setting:  Heroic fantasy, pulp, and even science fiction.

It’s not like we haven’t seen such a match-up before...

(Image from Star Trek, the Original Series, episode The Apple)

Product Review: Fury of the Norsemen

(Note:  All images are from the Board Game Geek entry)

I stumbled across a copy of Metagaming’s  Micro History #4: The Fury of the Norsemen, at Noble Knight Games.

I remember seeing it when it first came out in the early ‘80s but I never picked it up.

I often use board games as a campaign system, or a scenario generator for miniature battles.  So I decided to buy it, figuring I could use this in conjunction with Saga, Song of Blades and Heroes, or other hack & slash skirmish games I own.

The box art is more appropriate for a sword & sorcery fantasy setting than a historical one.

While the exterior artwork is well-done, if a bit over-the-top, the map and counters show their 80s vintage printing quality.

But hey, one can’t expect much for a pocket-sized game that originally retailed for $3.95.

Despite the quality-control issue, opinions of the game are generally favorable.  In his extensive review, Corey Butler considered the game flawed but fun.

In addition to Corey’s comments, I’d add that when I received my own copy from Noble Knight Games, it game in a large plastic envelope because the box itself was crushed. But once again, you can’t expect a 28 year-old mini-game to withstand the rigors of time.

One of these days, I hope to play this as either a stand-alone game as it was intended, or as a mini-campaign.  

When I do I’ll be sure to do a battle report on it.

Holiday Greetings 2017

Last month, my wife and I spent Veteran's Day at The Museum of Flight.

On the way back home, one of the radio stations already started playing Christmas music.  One of the tunes that popped-up was Snoopy's Christmas vs. the Red Baron by The Royal Guardsmen.

I was surprised to discover my wife never heard of it.  I remember having a 45 RPM record of it and playing it constantly during the Christmas Season.

This inspired me to concoct one of my e-greeting cards for the year.  The picture is from an air war game during last year's Enfilade Convention.

I scrolled through my picture files for other images I could convert to a greeting card.  The only other picture that struck my fancy was this image from the same file of my friend Dean's First Battle of St Albans game.

Now it is a bit anachronistic, because the carol, Here We Come A-wassailing, wasn't composed until 1850.  But I I thought it'd be funny to have this band of knights signing a "road trip" Christmas carol, instead of some bloodthirsty fight-song.

And finally, here's a picture of my siblings and I.  Despite the fact it was taken during our mom's funeral I love this picture, especially since it was the last time we've all been able to get together.

Since we looked like a team of professionals, I thought paraphrasing a line from Die Hard would make a great opening line.

Best wishes to all of you this Christmas Season and throughout the New Year!

Murphy's Law of Combat at Enfilade 2017

I often find an flimsy excuse a solid reason to quote one of Murphy's Laws of Combat in any given
situation or endeavor.

Wargaming is no exception for me.

So with NHMGS's Enfilade 2017 just over a week away, I trolled through last year's pictures whice seem to evoke a couple of these laws.

Mounted Medieval Figures for WAB Corner Collection

(The "inspiration" for my Lion Rampant retinue:  From Monty Python and the Holy Grail)  

Before my Easter Break, I wrote about my acquisition of medieval figures from my friend Dean, author of the popular WAB Corner.

Somewhere in cyberspace, (I can't seem to find where), Dean replied that all I needed to complete my Lion Rampant retinue were some mounted figures.

The other day, I realized:  I do have a handful of knights on horseback.  They're just not anywhere near as well-painted as my gaming friends can do.

When I was stationed in Germany--about two dozen years ago--I'd buy a handful of figures, made by a company once called Fantasy (Metal Magic), every pay day at a local hobby store.  At the time, they were about one German Mark each for single foot-bound figures, while the ones on horseback were about two Marks.

This was before Europe adapted the Euro, so if I remember correctly,  one Mark equaled 60-70 cents, depending on the exchange rate.  Despite the great prices, I still didn't buy every figure listed in Metal Magic's catalog.

Someday I'll take a complete inventory.

Today's short subject though, is about my handful of Mounted Paladins.

I painted these figures shortly after purchasing them, so the paint job is over 20 years old.  I never attempted painting heraldry on these or any of my medieval/fantasy figures. 

Fortunately, only a few figures show wear & tear.  One knight is sporting a lance with a broken tip.  Several years ago I added matboard bases to add more stability to the figures.  Then a few years ago, I went on a flocking spree, adding grass & grit to the bases of these--and most of the figures in my entire miniature collection.

Anyway, this is probably the shortest photo gallery I've posted, but it turned out to be one of the most frustrating.  Because of how my Plain Paladins are stored, the knights aren't glued to the saddles.  So during my photo shoot the knights would become "unhorsed."  Even if they managed to remain in the saddle some don't appear to be sitting straight.

Here's how the master craftsmen at Metal Magic envisioned their knights-in-shining armor:

(Image from a scanned copy of Metal Magic's catalog)

And here's a look at my Plain Paladins:

(Five knights, mounted on caparison-draped horses, prepare to charge)

(Knights patrolling the realm)

(A more ground-eye's view of the knights and their caparisoned horses)

(Three knights mounted on horsed encased in barding prepare to charge)

(Patrolling the realm in full plate armor)

(A more elevated view of the plate armored patrol)

Whether my paladins are wonderfully or woefully painted, at least I won't be committing the faux-pas of fielding bare metal figures.

Besides, they'll probably perform some variation of this well-known maneuver in any tabletop encounter...

(Image by:  Dyemelikeasunset)

WAB Corner Collection #2--Medievals

(Image, The Battle of Worringen by Wraith DT)

This second installment of my WAB Corner Collection consists of various medieval factions.

Nearly all the figures are from Old Glory Miniatures various 25mm historical range with one exception, which I'll make note of later.

Overall, Dean's figures are based on the troops and heraldry from the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) of the 13th Century, and specifically centered around the Battle of Worringen (5 June 1288).

 A couple years ago, Dean set up a Worringen scenario, and then played-out the battle using the rules Lion Rampant by Osprey Publishing.

The results of Dean's tabletop battle was anything but historical, but he and his friend Kimo enjoyed themselves.

And now, at least two allied contingents of the Duchy of Brabant may (someday) march again!

Old Glory's Mongols in Europe range painted as serjeants from the Duchy of Juelich.

An elevated view of the Juelicher serjeants.

More Old Glory Mongols in Europe range, this time representing serjeants from the Duchy of Berg.

A ground level view of Berger serjeants.

On a medieval battlefield, there's no such thing as "too much firepower."  John I, Duke of Brabant has two cannons at his disposal.

A gun battery from Old Glory's Hussite range.

A second view of the cannons.

In addition to the big guns, the Brabantines are packin' more portable firepower.

These handgunners are also from Old Glory's Hussite range.

A second unit of handgunners...

...and a third unit of handgunners.

Despite the newfangled firearms, the Brabantines also rely on some tried-and-true missile weapons.

A "mixed" unit of crossbowmen.  That is, these figures came from Old Glory's Norman and Hussite ranges.

These archers were converted from Wargames Factory Numidians.

Another look at the former-Numidian archers in skirmish order (without the movement tray).

And then there's the serf's who toil on the Duke's lands--until there's a call-to-arms.

Armed serfs from various Old Glory ranges.

Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Id...

(Image: Cover to The Wizard of Id #3)

"The King is a Fink!"

For more on The Wizard of Id, check out John Hart Studios.

The Studio's "New" Miniature Display Cases

(A display case my wife found at a neighborhood garage sale)

I was hoping to get some gaming projects completed before I went back on duty.  Unfortunately, the amount of home projects and snow removal took up most of my time.

Despite my time constraints, I managed to organize my "new" miniatures into two of my "new" display cases.

Technically, the figures and the furniture aren't new, but they're new to me, or have been put to new use.

For the past year, I've been buying painted miniatures from fellow gamers in my area, especially my talented friend Dean, host of WAB Corner.

I've been wanting to post pictures of each new acquisition, but first things first, I needed a place to put them.

During the summer, my wife and I reorganized our DVD collection and assembled some wall-shelves we got from my friend Joe when he moved.  This freed-up a display case for my prized figures to reside in.

My wife bought the second display case, seen in the led photo, at a garage sale.

Once the necessary household chores were complete, I spent an afternoon sorting through figures and placing them in the cases.  A few figures will require some "super glue surgery" because I dropped them, or didn't pick them up properly.

Once I get some additional time off, I plan on doing a series of photo shoots to show off my new-found figures.

(This was formerly a CD/DVD display case)

Enfilade 2016 Feudal Battles of the Far East

I have to admit that my knowledge of Asian military history could fit into a sake cup.

So it's always refreshing to me when I do stumble across something beyond my Euro-American centric studies and activities.

During this year's Enfilade convention, four GMs (gamemasters) ran sessions set during Asia's feudal era. 

So my second Enfilade montage is devoted to these games.

Late Commenoration for the 950th Anniversary of the Battle of Hastings

(Image from Wikipedia's entry depicting the death of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings)

I was off-line for a couple of days, hunkering down for a storm that fizzled, so I missed commemorating an important anniversary in military history.

"Number Eight" of the The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World (Hastings) was fought nearly a millennia ago, on 14 October 1066.

Over the weekend, a thousand re-enactors participated in celebrating the battle's anniversary.

(Image from: ABC Net, Australia)

For us non-re-enactors, our familiarity with the Battle of Hastings looks more like this, reading from the warmth and safety of our homes:

(Image from:  British Battles)

Or, for talented wargamers, (of which I am not one of them), the battle is an embodiment of "War is Glorious" on our tabletops:

(Image from:  Tree Frog Treasure's Toy Soldiers Forum)

And for us YouTubers, Kallistra Ltd produced a video of their tabletop battle just a few years ago.

(Image:  Still shot from Kallistra Ltd's Battle of Hastings Video)

If I'm still around--and cognizant--in 2066, I'll try to be more timely in posting about the Millennial Anniversary of the battle.

Welcome to Khaliat Min Bus!

(A small village in a desolate land)

I finally finished one of my most challenging projects of the year. 

This North African village was one of the largest items I purchased during my Enfilade! "fly-by."

Available from Ray Sam's Fine Architecture, via Monday Knight Productions, the resin-made village consists of six buildings on a large base.

(A top-down view of the village)

After spraying on the primer, I painted the entire model brown.  Then came the challenging part:  painting the doors and windows on the individual buildings, some of them set maddeningly close to each other.  There were some spots I ended up re-doing three or four times.

Once I got to the point where I was satisfied with the paint job, I was more than happy to start the flocking.

I stumbled across some very fine sand among my stash of flocking and used that for most of the base to represent the streets and alleys.  To represent adverse terrain, especially on and around the hill, I used a variety Gale Force Nine's small, medium and large sand flocking.

(A look at the hill an the various grades of sand flocking)

I wanted to add a splash of color other than various shades of brown and khaki, so I added grass to represent weeds clinging to the shaded areas of the village, along with a walled garden using meadow grass.

(A garden among weeds, sand and rocks)

 Since this was an involved project, I wanted to give my new-found village a name. 

Originally, I was going to go with a "dung theme," like I did for SAGA Welsh warband, which became the centerpiece for The Chronicles of Culhwch y Drewllyd.

Using Google to translate words and terms, the village was initially going to be Jamal Hall Qry, or Camel Dung Village in Arabic.

But after reading some Star Wars related material, and thinking of a desert setting, I was reminded of Obi Wan Kenobi's comment about Mos Eisley in Star Wars:

You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

So my village went from being Jamal Hall to Radi Khalia, or Wretched Hive.

But I didn't like how it sounded.  I thought it would sound better if "Khalia" came first.

When I plugged the word order change into Google, I came up with something slightly different:

Khaliat Min Bus, or Hive of Wretchedness.

I liked how this sounded, both in Arabic and English.

(An Israeli squad enters the village.  What will they encounter?)

 Now that my village is painted, flocked and "properly named," I like the versatility of Ray Sam's work. 

Khaliat Min Bus could conceivably be found in any era, or on any desolate world--maybe even in a galaxy far, far away...

(Reinforcements arrive to investigate Khaliat Min Bus)