Pass in Review: Blood & Plunder Quick Pic Collage

(Image from Living in the Past--Wooden Ships)

 Because I've been dealing with major health issues for the past two years now, I don't get a chance to do full-blown photo shoots.  

Lately I've been taking some quick snapshots of figures on my workbench dining room table and posting them on the Pacific Northwest Miniature Painters Society page for their "# Miniature Monday" and their "#WIP [Work in Progress] Wednesday."

Last week, I realized I haven't posted any of my "quick pics" directly here on my blog.  And as I started rummaging through my photo gallery on my Ipad Pro, I was shocked to discover how many quick pics I took--and how far behind I am at posting material.

So to make up for lost blog-fodder, this will be Part 1 of a collage of projects I've worked on for the past several months.

For this week, we'll turn back to the Age of Sail and the so-called Golden Age of Piracy.

Here's a 28mm bark I recently assembled, painted and rigged.  This comes from Firelock Games' Blood & Plunder:

The rigging is rather elastic and I learned--the hard way--to be careful.  My first attempt brought down the ship's foremast.  After re-supergluing the mast, I re-rigged the vessel, but kept the lines loose.

The bark is just the latest addition to my Blood & Plunder "fleet." I bought two pre-painted and assembled vessels several years ago, off The Miniature Market website.  These are:

 1. A sloop 

2. A brigantine:

The bark isn't the first vessel I painted.  I first "practiced" on the following:

3. A Caribbean native piragua: 

4. Some dugout "canoas:" 

I plan on using these as suitable substitutes for Woodland Indian canoes in my French and Indian War (F&IW) collection.

5. Some longboats: 

These boats will be suitable for any Age of Sail gaming.  

The plastic bags in each boat contain a painted, yet unmounted swivel gun.

While I don't have any Golden Age of Piracy crew figures, I do have some Napoleonic naval crew figures in the process of being painted by a friend, and I'm trying to get my 2 dozen Woodland Indian figures painted to complete my F&IW collection.

My justification for having these vessels is that I feel ship design differences from the 17th to 19th Centuries wouldn't be much of a concern due to the small size of the vessels and at this level of gaming. 

Firelock Games  makes high-quality products--when they make them.  The company seems to manufacture a limited supply of items then halt production.  I've had to search around the internet for items that are not listed on their website.  And while every vessel larger than a longboat is powered by sails--there's no guidelines for making sails, or even a template to use on paper or fabric of your choosing.

For now, adding sails to my bark and piragua will be on the back-burner.

The next Quick Pic Collage will focus on 20th Century vessels, so no "sail cloth" will be necessary.

Pass in Review: Lighthouses for Cruel Seas

(Image from video:  Great Lighthouses in England)

 Lighthouses, the picturesque structures dotting coastlines the world over, date back to antiquity.  

The necessity for safe navigation often over-rode military operations, so there's very little information about the role of lighthouses during wartime. 

In my quick Google search extensive research on this subject, I came across two instances of raids, or attacks directed at lighthouses during World War II:

The Estevan Point Lighthouse Attack by the Japanese submarine I-26, 

and the British commando raid against the Les Casquets Channel Island Lighthouse during Operation Dryad.  

But the lack of anti-lighthouse actions didn't stop Warlord Games from providing some colorful terrain to include in tabletop battles.

Here's an example of their "typical Atlantic" lighthouse paint-scheme:

(Image from:  Warlord Games/Product/Lighthouse)

And one with an alternate style:

Two official scenarios include lighthouses, even though they're not the objectives:

Operation Chariot, and 

The Battle of Sukho Island.

Lighthouses in the Mediterranean Sea had a slightly different look, like the Cabo de Palos lighthouse in Spain:

(Image found on Storyblocks)

And here's Warlord Games version of a "typical Mediterranean" lighthouse:

(Image: Warlord Games/Product/Mediterranean Lighthouse)

I bought both styles, feeling I'd need a break from painting and assembling miniature ships.  Both models come in two pieces that can be easily trimmed and superglued.

Compared to painting ships, the conical tower lighthouse was fairly easy...

...the most difficult part being the cupola, lantern panel and gallery as identified by this cut-away schematic:

(Image found on Pintrest)

It took me two attempts to paint these features.  I found it best to wait until I could focus exclusively on specific sections as opposed to attempting to include them in an overall paint job.

The Mediterranean Lighthouse on the other hand was one of the most difficult figures I had to paint, particularly the base.

I rarely use white in my painting projects and I found it an unforgiving color to work with.  I'd mis-stroke painting the window frames, trim and shutters.  This would require multiple coats of white paint to cover up.  

After several coats of touch-up work, I quickly settled for finishing the building at "tabletop quality."

Here's a front view of my finished Mediterranean Lighthouse:

And here's the back view:

I'm not quite done with my lighthouse work.  I currently have a ruined version of the a ruined "Atlantic style" lighthouse, by Warlord Games, and a ruined Mediterranean version on back order.

While I'm satisfied with my work on these, they were difficult enough for me to paint.  So I'll most likely contract-out the job of painting the ruined versions of these two figures to other gamers.

Game Report--Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar

(Image from Restoration Games)

A couple weeks ago, I got together with my friend Joe.  Instead of playing any of our usual wargames of military mayhem, we opted for the more family-friendly adventure game Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar.

This is a remake of the 1986 Milton Bradley game, now published by Restoration Games.

(Image from Milton Bradley)

Back in 1986, I felt I was “too old” to play such “kiddie games.”

Fast-forward a few decades—add one pandemic—and what free time I may have to gather with friends, evaporates.

So I'm desperate  willing enough play anything.

No matter which version you have, think of Fireball Island as “Indiana Jones on the Volcanic Island of Chutes and Ladders.”

Up to four players are dropped off with the mission of collecting all sorts of treasure, pictures and souvenirs.  All while dodging “fireballs” (marbles), and their light-fingered fellow players, who can swipe an item from you as they run past.  

The game’s big MacGuffin is The Heart of Vul-Kar, a large red jewel prominently placed on the island’s summit.  Because The Heart is the single largest source of points, it can have a mesmerizing effect similar to “The Precious-s-s-s.”

But the Geological Clock is ticking, so players can’t dawdle. Sooner or later the island’s volcano god, Vul-Kar, will get fed-up with the foreign devil fortune hunters, and unleash a cataclysmic eruption.  

(Image from:  Krakatoa East of Java)

Ars Technica has a full review, and there’s a How-to-Play video, along with one of several play-through videos available on YouTube.

The game is rated for anyone age 7 years or older.  Joe’s two boys are about 5 & 6 years old and seemed to grasp the basics of the game rather well.

However, when playing with younglings, adults need to forgo their usual desire to “...crush your enemies, see them driven before you...”.  

Instead, us grups have to encourage fun & fair play, even as fireballs are flying and the island is coming apart at the fault lines. 

(Image from Ars Technica)

Our game session lasted over a couple of hours due to explaining the rules and breaking for lunch about half-way through the table-top treasure hunt. 

I can’t remember who ended up with “The Precious-s-s-s,” but it changed hands a time or two before the Final Cataclysm.  

I didn’t bother going after it, and instead contented myself with swiping all the minor jewels I could get my hands on.  

I was also the first one to get to the choppa before the island blew, and got the “lucky penny,” worth some bonus points.  Joe’s boys were right behind me and piled into the helicopter. 

(Image from:  Jurassic Park)

What about Joe?

Alas, Joe was hit solid by a fireball as he sprinted to the helipad.  The boulder pushed him down to the very bottom of the hill.  As a result of this critical hit, he didn’t have enough movement points to get off the island... 

(Image from: Raiders of the Lost Ark)

So if this sort of fast & furious looting-spree sounds like more fun than another plodding round of  “...do not pass Go...”, consider adding Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar to your family’s Game Night Library. 

Pass in Review: Some German Vessels in Cruel Seas, Part 2

(Image from Wikipedia)

 Last month, I had what doctors called a "Life Threatening Event," which made my already shaky health worse for wear.  

Hence the 3-month delay between posts.

While I've weathered this "critical hit," it's made me feel more worn down, plus my days off are often filled with follow-up medical appointments, leaving me with little time to paint my figures.

So I posted several notices on a couple gaming Facebook pages asking for help in reducing my "Mountain of Shame" (unpainted miniatures).  I received a few offers and already delivered a batch of French and Indian War (F&IW) figures to a local gamer for painting.

While I'm trying to contract-out my human-based figures to anyone who'll take them, I find my new-found Cruel Seas project to be within my skill-set and is somewhat therapeutic for me.

But when my helpful fellow gamers are done with all the human-based figures, I'll pass on any Cruel Seas figures I have left.

Until then, I'm still plugging away at my "Drydock of Shame."

I recently finished four Kriegsmarine vessels, starting with two raumbootes (see example in lead picture). 

Here's an example of how the folks at Warlord Games painted them...

(Image from Warlord Games)

...and here is one of the two vessels I painted:

I made some minor alterations to the color-scheme in order to distinguish between the two vessels.

I thought these vessels were patrol boats.  It wasn't until I was trolling the internet thoroughly researching the topic, that I discovered they were originally intended as small minesweepers.

Speaking of minesweepers, the next vessel I finished was the M-Class Minesweeper.

(Image from Wikipedia)

Here's the Warlord Games paint-scheme...

(Image from Warlord Games)

...and here's mine:

The last of this current lot is the Vorpostenboot, or "flakship."

(Image from Wikipedia)

My skills haven't advanced to the point where I can paint Dazzle Camouflage, like this...

(Image from Warlord Games)

...but I can at least make my vessels look like grungy, rusty messes, like this:

I settled on using Army Painter Wolf Grey for the vessels' hulls, with Ash Grey for the metal decks and Reaper Miniatures Harvest Brown for wooden decks.  Other shades of Army Painter grey were used for funnels, towers, smoke stacks, and superstructures. 

Normally, I don't do any paint-mixing.  But for the ships' weaponry, I mix Army Painter Gun Metal with Matte Black, for a blackish-metallic look. 

For a "realistic" look I photoshopped over the data and printed material on the wake/speed templates. 

I still have several E-boats that I'm still working on, along with a variety of allied landing craft from GHQ.  

Hopefully, I'll get my next post uploaded in under 3 months.

Pass in Review: Aeronautica Imeprialis, Core Game & Expansions

(Cover Art: Aeronautica Imperialis--Wings of Vengeance)

In my last Warhammer 40K post a couple weeks ago, I presented my Tactical Air Control Party (TACP).  

But as far as actual air assets, I have only one full-sized Vulture gunship and a Valkyrie assault carrier.

And very little shelf space.

I'm now at the point where if I buy anything new, I have to get rid of something old, or at least unused.

When Games Workshop came out with its Aeronautica Imperialis Wings of Vengenace, I bought it--and I sold a set of 28mm British and French Napoleonic figures to make room for my new acquisitions. 

The set contains 2 x Imperial Thunderbolt fighters and 2 x Marauder Bombers, along with 3 x Ork Dakkajets and 2 x Fighta Bommers. 

When Aeronautica Imperialis Skies Of Fire was released, I bought that too.

Sort of.

I was only interested in the Imperial aircraft and the store owner wanted the T'au omes.  So he gave me some cash to compensate for the figures.

(Cover Art: Aeronautica Imperialis--Skies of Fire)

What I had left were a flight (2 aircraft) of Valkyries and 3 x Lightning fighters. 

My next model purchases were an additional 4 Valkyries from a supplement package, and 2 Marauder Destroyers.  (Here's the in-universe details of the Marauder Destroyer).

I rounded-out my Aeronautica Imperialis purchases, (for now), by purchasing Rynns World Air War Campaign.

(Cover art: Rynn's World Air War Campaign Book) 

Because, I like campaign games.

I also buy games with the idea of utilizing them for other purposes.  

While the aeronautica models are much smaller than regular WH40K figures, I plan on using them in regular WH40K game sessions.

This is justified, because in my professional experience "fast movers" don't chug around above the battlefield just above treetop level. They zip over the target area, unleash their ordnance and are gone.  If the surface-to-air threat is great enough, enemy troops on the ground may not even see the aircraft--only ordnance exploding all around them. 

Now I have a number of "strike packages" for my TACP to call-in, but would like to see Games Workshop  make Vulture gunships for this game sometime soon. 

But as I, along with other fans, impatiently wait, I had my current bunch of aircraft that needed to be assembled and painted.

Since both tasks are above my skill-set I turned to my friend Dan and hired him to paint my figures.

He finished with them a few months ago (and I gave him more stuff for him to paint), so what follows is a gallery of his work, set up as flights of aircraft approaching then rolling-in on their target.

1. A flight of Imperial Thunderbolt Fighters:

2. A flight of Imperial Lightning Fighters:

3. A flight of Imperial Marauder Bombers:

4. A flight of Imperial Marauder Destroyers:

5. A flight of Imperial Valkyrie Assault Carriers:  

6. A flight of Ork Fighta Bommers: 

7. A flight of Ork Dakkajets: 

Artistic Note:

The backdrop is an open country setting I bought from a now-closed model railroad shop.  The aircraft are low in each picture because I couldn't orientate the figures on their stands with the backdrop in a way to present a "realistic image."

I at least I managed to photoshop-out the stands.