Pass in Review: Battle Systems’ Get To The Shuttle!

(Image from: Beasts of War)

 I’m a sucker for cardboard/paper terrain.  I love the idea of assembling a model, and not having to worry about painting it afterwards.

Before my surgery, a bought a few kits from Battle Systems UK:  

The Outlands Core Set, and

The Shanty Town Core Set.

All the Battle System sets are geared for their Core Space Series. However, I think their products can be used in other sci-fi and fantasy game systems, as well.

Recently, I came across this kit:

(Image from; Battle Systems—Get to the Shuttle!)

The Outland and Shanty Town kits are quite large and detailed, so I thought assembling this shuttle would be an easy introduction.

I was wrong. 

I’m certain the difficulty I had assembling the shuttle was due to my lack of skill. 

When I was a teenager, I gave up building scale models, when I started boardgaming. Even though I soon started acquiring miniature figure collections, these required less time and skill for me to assemble and paint. (I started off with micro armor). 

Fast forward to this project:  

I found the tabs and slots difficult to join together and required a substantial amount of trimming and cutting. I had to use a considerable amount of glue to bind pieces together. The windows and hatches were designed to be temporarily removed, so gaming action can take place inside the shuttle. However, I found these items fell out too easily and wouldn’t stay put.

By the time I attempted to add the cockpit details I became too frustrated and gave up on adding any interior details. 

So I simply replaced all the windows and hatches that popped out, glued them in place and sealed up the shuttle.

I’m sure my difficulties were due to “user error.”

Anyway, this is how my “Choppa” turned out:

I’m calling the shuttle a Choppa because of the fan blades in each wing, and because the name of the kit is derived from: This scene from the movie Predator.

(Image from the movie: Predator)

Since I’m not that adept at assembling cardboard/paper models, I often have bare paper/cardboard showing. To remedy this, I’ll paint the exposed areas an appropriate color, or touch it up with a marker pen. I find the marker is easier to apply, but it gives the exposed areas a glossy look. 

For my Choppa, I used Army Painter’s Fur Brown to paint the bare cardboard edges. 

Even with the difficulties I had assembling the Choppa, it only took a few days of work to complete, to allow the glue to dry. 

Despite my frustrations, I'm content with the way my Choppa turned out. It’s at least a Table Top Quality vehicle to use in sci-fi skirmish, and RPG games. 

Pass in Review: Champions of Faith

 Champions of Faith is another Biblical boardgame my wife and I have. 

In this game, 2-6 players take on the roles of Old Testament heroes and try to achieve the objectives listed on their character cards. 

Each character has traits in Leadership, Wisdom and Endurance.

As the players move around the board, they'll land on spaces containing challenges that will test them against either their Wisdom or Leadership. The respective values become die roll modifiers.

If the player wins, they gain a blue token.

Endurance is similar to Hit Points in other games.

Collect 3 blue tokens and one gets a key. 

Obtaining the required number of keys, will give the player a chance to enter the Hall of Faith (Heaven).

The first player to enter the Hall of Faith wins.

The game contains high-quality miniatures, and tokens, along with a sturdy game board and character cards.

The clay tokens, colored green (leadership), white (wisdom), red (endurance), and blue (successful challenges), have a nice feel to them.

The only problem my wife and I had with the tokens was it was hard to read the denominations printed on them.

These came in increments of 1, 5 and 10. The blue token has no printed value and just indicates a player succeed in a challenge. 

So I took all the tokens and slathered them in various shades of ink wash: Blue, tan, green and red.

This also help keep the color of the tokens from coming off. The red tokens especially, left stains on our fingers.

If you're in the mood to play a game representing some of the challenges faced by the heroes of the Old Testament, then Champions of Faith is a nice family game to play. 

Pass in Review: Miracles and Pitfalls

 

Several years ago, I bought my wife a couple of Biblical games.

One such games is, Miracles and Pitfalls.

The rules are simple: Draw a card, and answer a question regarding verses in Scripture. Answer correctly, roll a six-sided die (1d6), and move your playing piece the indicated number of squares. Then the next player takes his turn in the same manner.

The rules recommend children can look up Scripture verses in order to answer the question.

The first player to reach the finish, wins.

Think of it as Biblical Trivia Pursuit, for 2-6 players. 

The game is made of good quality items.

However, I found the “Parcheesi” style playing pieces to be bland and boring.

So, I decided to make alternate playing pieces.

I downloaded and printed several cardboard figures from Junior General—Ancient series.

My wife bought a couple bags of Banquet Card Stands on Amazon.

I cut out the figures I wanted to use, folded and glued them, and inserted them on to individual stands.

I painted the bottom of the stands, and wrote the names of each character.

There are 11 characters from The Old Testament:

Each figure represents a specific Old Testament hero or heroine:

My wife and I came up with five New Testament characters:

And these are:

My newfangled playing pieces neither add or detract from the game.

I made these merely to improve players’ immersion into it.

(Image from the film poster: The Ten Commandments)

Pass in Review: Northeast Indians Figures for Horse & Musket Games

(Image: "Three Lions," Getty Images, F&IW Society, Lake George) 

Back in January I had fellow gamer, Reynor Padilla, paint about 20 North East Indians, from Brigade Games. He did an excellent job on them.

Up close, they look fierce!

Here are a couple pics of East Woodland Indians: 

Here’s a pic of several Delaware Indians: 

And here’s a mixture of tribal Indians I had painted as special characters: 

These figures are now part of my slowly growing French and Indian War/American War of Independence collection.

I have several rule books available. 

At this point I’m not sure what rule set I’ll decide on.

The choices are--

Muskets & Tomahawks

Song of Drums and Tomahawks

Rebels and Patriots

 Sharp Practice  

And, Wiley Games Fistful of Lead's  Horse and Musket Series 

No matter what rules system I decide to use, I intend to enjoy seeing my figures on a game table. 

Pass in Review: Corvus Blackstar Shuttle for Warhammer 40K

(Image from: Warhammer 40K Fandom Wiki)

 A couple weeks ago, my wife and I made a trip up to The Wizard's Keep Games in Kent, WA, which I've never been to.

In fact, this was a momentous occasion for me for a couple reasons.

First, it was the first time I entered a game store in over 4 years.  This was due to my failing health, lung transplant, and on-going recovery.  Up until now, my only outings have been to medical appointments.  The level of chronic pain and fatigue was too much for me to do anything else. 

Second, I was meeting a local gamer who became open to do commission work.  When he posted a pic of his own works in progress (WIPs), and announced his availability, I jumped on the chance.  So we met there, and I gave him nearly two dozen figures to paint--Northeast Woodland Indians for the French and Indian War (F&IW), or American War of Independence (AWI).

The Wizard's Keep is easy to find for those of who live in Western WA State.  The store has a good stock of games, and plenty of game tables chocked with terrain.  There are numerous banquet tables for card games, one of which was occupied by a group playing while we were there.  My wife even bought a couple of family games there.  She almost outspent me.  Almost. 

After, meeting with the figure painter, we wandered around the store, and I came across the pre-owned section.  On the top shelf, I found two assembled, and painted Corvus Blackstar Shuttles, for Warhammer 40K, or Xenos Rampant.

According to WH40K grimdark lore, the Corvus Blackstar is used exclusively by the Imperium's Death Watch.  I don't have any Death Watch, or any other "run-of-the-mill" Space Marines.  However, I do have an Inquisitor and acolytes.  From what I've read, Inquisitors can requisition what ever they need.

And my Inquisitor just so happens to need a Corvus Blackstar Shuttle.  Maybe two.  If the second shuttle is available the next time we visit The Wizard's Keep, I plan on buying it.  

Until I acquire the second shuttle, here’s some views of the one Corvus Blackstar Shuttle I currently own.

Right-side oblique view: 

Left-side oblique view:

Left-side view:

Right-side view:

Rear view:

Front view:

The only difference between this model and the one I left on the game store shelf, was the hatch cover was lavender colored, instead of orange.

Like all of my WH40K figures and vehicles, I hope to make use of them someday. 

(Image from:  Warhammer 40K Fandom Wiki)

Pass in Review: British Royal Navy Vessels for Cruel Seas

(Image from:  Italaeri's Models, RN Vosper MTB)

 A few months ago, I had my Cruel Seas Royal Navy (RN) vessels painted.  

My vessels were painted by Joe Keister, of  North East Miniatures.  He does excellent work, but has taken a break from commissions due to his wife just having their first child.

I added the ensigns, but I also had to repair the "spindly bits," the masts and antennas that took a beating during shipment.  

To differentiate between identically painted vessels, I alternated between using the white and red ensigns.  It wasn't until all the ensigns were glued, a friend informed me the white ensigns were used for commissioned vessels and the red ensigns for commercial vessels. Oh well.  I’ll the vessels flagged as is.

Skytrex has taken over the helm in producing this game series. There’s several additional items I’d like to order, but they’re continually out of stock.  At least when I check the website.

So for now, my collection is complete.  Here’s the vessels representing His Majesty’s Royal Navy:

1. The armed trawler, which I had painted different color schemes.  The darker one represents an older ship from World War I, pressed into service for the Second World War.

2. Three Vosper Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs), Early Models…

3…and Three Late Model boats.

4. Two Fairmile B ML 145 gunboats.

5. Two Fairmile B Minesweepers.

6. Two Fairmile D MGB 660s.

7. Two LCS(L) Fairmile Hs.

I found very little information on these vessels, but they look like fire support ships.  I had to do some modifications because, I lost the packet containing most of the gun and bridge crews.  Fortunately, I had spare bridge crews, but I needed to make ad-hoc mortars, set in the bows’ gun pits,  using spare air intakes. 

8. Two Fairmile B Rescue Motor Launch (RML) 529s.  I had these painted in two different colors.

The black-hulled vessel is suppose to represent a Royal Air Force (RAF), Air-Sea Rescue Launch, similar to the model below.

I was inspired by the 1955 film, The Sea Shall Not Have Them.  I watched it on YouTube, but I liked it so much, I bought the DVD.

Speaking of purchases, until Skytrex restocks the items I want, then I’ll be moving on to other gaming projects to write about.

I'm certainly happy to see my collection complete for the time being.

Thank you for your support and encouragement.