Gallery – Page 41 – An Archive For The Steinberg Shed Space Blog

Pausing To Post About My Post.

The Dust painting marathon has paused recently with an unfinished medium walker and its weapons sat on my painting table. This is sat beside two cows and a goat that came in the Achilles expansion that supplied my new Sigrid. Yes, I said two cows and a goat! What other game supplies such varied options of things to paint…

Dust is undergoing some trouble at the moment. I will not try to increase the fog that is covering various social media sites and forums at the moment. Enough is being said by various people without me adding to the mass of info out there. I just hope that this can be resolved to the benefit of the current form of the game and to allow the recent Kickstarter backers to get what they are due. I decided not to invest in the Kickstarter but I am keeping my fingers crossed for those who did!

I haven’t been entirely lazy over the last few weeks. I’ve got a game or two in and played with the various newly painted units as planned. Losing each and every time it would seem. I may need to paint up more infantry soon to keep my opponents from feeling that they are not being challenged.

The final things that can be blamed for my pause in painting are a couple of items from a Kickstarter that I did invest in. These turned up quite unexpectedly in the post, and surprised me, as I was unaware that these had been sent out.

Not many Kickstarters I have backed have been this close to being on time. The project was run by Chris Braunston from the XLC. This, purposefully small kickstarter, raised enough funds to produce a run of this exquisite preprinted lasercut terrain. I think that it worked out so well because they set their goals at an achievable level. So many Kickstarters run on and on and become unmanageable in the end, with stretch goals slowing the original production plans to a grinding halt. I invested to the sum of £45 and was rewarded with a set of workshops and warehouses which came with these nice shipping containers.

Unlike some of the prepainted items I have from other manufacturers, these are pre-printed boards, so have a high definition finish that looks stunning. I have started putting these together and have the large workshop and container set done so far.

I can’t state clearly enough how good I think these look. I always look at scenery as playing a key role in games as it sets the scene as well as giving a varied playing surface. These will look so good that they may make my other items look out of place…

When you get them out of the box they look pretty dreadful…

Then when you peel the protective backing film away the finish becomes apparent…

More photos to follow when the other builds are done… If anyone is interested in the items shown here, or would like to know more, I suggest you visit them at thexlc.co.uk. They have a limited site at the moment but I expect, once the Kickstarter completes, they will have this range available for purchase.

Shipping News: The Bigger, The Better.

Lately we have been talking boats in the shed. By we I mean me and anyone that will listen. It started with Coronasan’s epic ship build on the Loft Full Of Lead. I will never be as skilled, or take the time it needs, to create something like that but I have been bitten by the possibility that a boat (of some sort, any sort really) would add some missing aspect to the collection of scenery in the shed.

Pirate era ships are the main focus of this interest but the cost of these (if you purchase them in resin or ready made) appears prohibitively high. The Playmobile option is an obvious choice to base a scratch building project on, but would require more work than I have time for at the moment. Also, if I’m honest, I haven’t played a pirate game for quite some time.

A friend then started talking about his desire to play more pulp style games and how great it would be to find, or make, a tramp steamer. Picture some intrepid traders chugging down a jungle lined river whilst being attacked by native tribesmen who want to stop them from stealing the resources of the area… I digress… Anyway, as I was looking into finding said steamboat, I came across the Playmobile range again. It turns out they have done a couple of rather large cargo ships over the years.

My further research led me, as always, to the vast hoard of info to be found on the lead adventures forum. It was here that I found a really impressive modern ship convertion. Far beyond my abilities to complete but an inspiration for my own, somewhat simpler, planned build.

Then, what should pop up on ebay, but a cheap auction for one of these huge plastic monsters. This beast turned out to measure almost 2 feet in length.

Without any pause it was on a table and played a part in our most recent game of Fistful of Kung Fu.

The overall scale of the ship is great. A 28mm AT-43 scientist is standing on the container deck plates. It is big enough to look right but not so huge as to be unusable or laughable. The cargo hold opens to allow the transportation of tanks, shipping containers and varied cargo. In fact it is just big enough to be filled with a zombie horde or two…

The cabin will need some work as the ships wheel is designed to be in scale with Playmobile figures but this should be a simple change. The addition of a couple of cranes to load and unload the cargo hold would be a simple change, as the model has some deep screw holes in just the right places for this.

Even the colour looks good with the red deck, black hull and white cabin looking pretty good from the start. With only a few changes to be made, I can see us starting to think up games where it will either be an objective to capture, or a deployment area for one force to enter from. It should fit into any modern setting, from Later Pulp Adventures to World War Two (Dust or Bolt Action), all the way through to the modern era. Maybe Somali pirates will attack it, or terrorists will use it to smuggle weapons and men into the country. Who knows where this may lead… Either way I think it will be one of my better buys for this year, and its only February…

Dust Battlefield: More Walkers And More Men. Yes, I Am As Surprised As You Are.

And the painting continues… Honestly, I think I may be on to something here… Or is it that I am unwell???

As the Lothar was done last time, the spotters were next up. I think this is my first attempt at painting camouflage. Looks ok from this distance. It’s unlikely to be an authentic German design but these are not authentic Germans… My apologies to any button counters out there. I suspect my few followers are as unconcerned as I am over issues of authenticity.

The Lothar itself was given a dark wash to give it some weathering (not something I am skilled at but a good ink wash, like GWs Nuln oil or the army painter range, is useful to hide all the errors I make).

Next up, one I am very pleased with. Panzer Prinz is an ace tank pilot who looks very good when painted in simple tones. Again the camo and a wash finish this chap off nicely. The fur lining to his jacket came out better than I expected as well.

The rather large walker behind him is a slightly dirtier paint job than I was planning though. This walker is a Sturmprinz/ Prinzluther. Its the transport option for the Axis and can be fielded as either a command centre or as an anti air unit. I’ve painted both turrets so I can play either option depending on what I need in my force.

These guys are known as the Ghosts. They are a recon squad with MMG and panzerfausts. The camo continues and the lighter armour plates match the Sturmprinz colour scheme.

Why? Because the Sturmprinz is their ride. I hope to get them safely towards my opponents objectives where they can use their mix of weapons to put some pressure on the enemy tanks or infantry.

As I now have 2 medium chassis for the Axis, I thought the addition of their final weapon option would be useful. These are the Claw and Flak cannon for a Luther variant. They give me more unit options until I get a third chassis painted.

Finally, I have now got my hands on the new Sigrid figure. She was upgraded to include a sack full of panzerfausts and she certainly looks ready to deal out some damage.

The one issue I have had so far painting these miniatures is the detail on some of the faces is very shallow. The sculpts are great with dynamic poses and clear easy to paint bodies, but the heads… Most leave something up to the artist to bring out the features. Me, I have never been very comfortable painting flesh. Faces always remain pink with a wash for definition in my figures. If there are no deep definitions on a face this method often fails to satisfy. Well, maybe I should learn to paint before I moan about these things…

Well, next time I will be showing you the monster in the background of this last photo…

Dust Battlefield: More Painted Units, How Long Can This Last?

I have amazed myself, I honestly though this would be ended by now, but the dust painting appears to be holding fast at this point.

I have to admit that the first 2 units are actually alternate weapons options or variants on the original unit. The first is my Horton Jet which now can be fielded with the heavy tank killing cannon or these nice shiny bombs. Bombs that can be dropped individually, or all at once, allowing me to pick out a range of separate units or just obliterate a single high value target (I am thinking command units:-))

And if my opponent brings their own air units I can now field this light walker, which was originally armed with a heavy laser cannon, with a set of flexible quad heavy MGs. This makes it an effective little anti air (or anti infantry) unit.

For even more anti air (or infantry) capability, these Heavy Flack Grenadiers are a damage resilient squad that also completes my first platoon structure. If I field all my heavy grenadiers (with Lara as their command unit) I get a boost to her command orders making them more likely to be successful. Always a benefit…

Last, but far from least, is this medium walker: a Lothar. This is the artillery walker variant for the Axis in Dust. Instead of just painting the weapons, which would have allowed me to switch them out with the Ludwig’s original anti tank guns. I have decided that painting up a whole new chassis would be a better idea. This allows me to field 2 medium walkers (a 3rd would allow me to create an armoured platoon) and, if I get a few new weapons painted, some more options to field.

Still on the painting table are a pair of artillery spotters who will allow the Lothar to fire from behind cover without the need for a line of sight.

All this and I have no new game planned as yet…

Another Terrain Project Started… Will I Finish This One?

This underused piece is likely to see a few more outings while we are playing ‘A Fistful Of Kung Foo’.

The warehouse is a useful but of scenery that gives us lots of rooms to search and move about in. Isn’t it always the way though..? With all that space to move in somebody wants to run over the roof…

So as this doesn’t have a roof, I will have to make one.

How’s this for a start?

Shallow slope to allow figures to be put on top without sliding too quickly off. (Don’t ask me how long it took to get that angle to fit and look ok…)

So now its nice and sturdy, lots of supports in place what finish to put on it? (Looks a bit flat and boring at the moment.)

I’ve started to get the buildings I was given for Xmas put together and roofed the workshop in corrugated card from a local craft store.

As I had to buy a big pack, I had some left… So, as it comes in red, yellow and bright blue, a coat of grey spray and a more normal base colour was created.

So far I have left the front of the roof plain to add a sign or storefront later. Some balsa strips to edge the roofline and I am done for now…

So, how long until I finish this? I have to admit it has now sat in the shed for a week. While I am online I may look out some signage for the front.

Dust Battlefield: Next Game, Next Miniatures.

The Dust bug is still with me. Also, the plan to paint units before playing with them is still working at this time.

My latest force was changed to take out some close combat units (all the Zombies) and to put in more firepower. Firepower doesn’t come much graceful and effective than in the smooth lines of a jet fighter…

The working shots show my progress up to the day before our planned game and I paused as I was unsure as to what to do with any weathering on this little lass.

I have weathered all my other walkers and tried to make them look battle worn (see my Ludwig below). Again, the night before our game, this little walker (a Herman light scout walker with oversized Laser Cannon) was finished awaiting a wash of inks and rust.

I found some stencils for kill markings and added a dash of colour to contrast with the grey scale of the main body.

The resulting force was far more balanced than last game. The plan was for my jet to go zipping about the table, engaging my opponents SSU walkers on their own table edge, while the main force slowly advanced across the table.

The figures were painted and ready as planned for our game, so the resolution appears to be working at this point…

The table was set and the Axis troops began their invasion of yet another town.

The game played to a draw in the end as attrition was a telling factor in this game. My jet was a great benefit and gave me an edge in the first half of the game. The SSU, with their 2 officer units, were able to call in twice the number of reinforcements that I could with my singe hero.

Next game I think I may try to add in a new heavy infantry unit. This will allow me to make use of the platoon rules for them. I still think I need to add some more regular infantry to the force too. An extra command unit will be essential as well. If our games continue to rely on officer commands as much as they have done, I cannot afford not to add a second hero or command squad.

What do I take out though, what can I lose to make room for these new units? Can I really play a game without my Apes???

Dust Battlefield: First Full Painted Force And A New Plan.

I have always been one to flit between projects. This blog is proof of that I guess. So I have decided to try to change one thing this year. Call it a new years resolution if you will. I have decided to only play Dust with painted models from now on…

This blog has documented that I have quite a large mountain of plastic that is Dust related… It also shows that I have painted some of these figures but the ratio of unpainted to painted remains quite embarrassing really. I plan to set this right…

To start the ball rolling I have worked tirelessly (well, I’ve spent the odd evening at it), to produce a force that equals the 125 points needed for a full game of Dust Battlefield (the table top version of Dust Tactics). This went fairly well as I already had all the Zombies and Apes done as well as a unit of Laser Grenadiers. To finish this little force off, I painted up a couple of walkers and a unit of heavy infantry. A hero to act as an officer completed the force and I was set.

My Ludwig medium walker lends its heavy guns to the force fulfilling a long ranged antitank role.

The Panzers, with their officer Lara, are a heavy infantry unit armed with their very effective twin MGs. Each man (or woman) rolling a good sized handful of dice against infantry of all classes and laying down some serious suppressive fire.

Little Hans is a light scout walker, and likely to become my favourite unit, even with his very short ranged capabilities. If he does get into range he can do some serious damage. The grenade style weapons he carries can take out both infantry and other walkers with ease.

So far the force is a bit uneven (make that VERY uneven) with over half the force only capable of attacking in close combat (the Zombies and Apes). The majority of the remaining units also have a very short range. This is something I will need to rectify before the next game I play.

That is the plan though… As I want to play a new unit I HAVE to paint it first. It’s worked so far so. If I switch out 1-2 units each game to try new units I will get a new force and learn some new rules and tactics. It also makes the painting more achievable (unlike staring at the plastic mountain and aiming to paint it all).

I have yet to have enough units of any one type to allow me to play with the platoon rules so that may be my next step. So, what to play/paint next..?

A Little Bit Of The Movies

We have, amidst the rest of the things going on in the shed, been playing a lot of the new Osprey rule sets lately. These are all good rule sets. Usually simple and quick and easy to learn. Their other selling point is their somewhat individual nature. A couple of the books stand out as appearing very unique. Their Gods and Mortals rules (I have posted about my force before, one day I aim to finish this to a point that I can show it…) are unlike any that I have seen and are written by a talented chap named Andrea Sfiligoi.

His second rule set for Osprey uses the same activation rules and a lot of similar concepts but is set in a wildly different world. A Fistful Of Kung Fu is designed to allow us to play out any movie style game even down to those cinematic effects like swinging round lampposts or being hit in the face by a frying pan.

I know, we can all use our imagination to picture how our little heroes are beating up our enemies. These rules however, actually allow you to play a game and, as a result of combat, activate any item on the battlefield as a weapon or effect. No surprise here but I actually own 2 deep fat fryers in 28mm. In our first game I actually got to push one of my opponents henchmen into one of them, causing it to become a weapon in the fight and also leaving a slippery oil patch on the floor for later in the game.

The game calls for lots of small bits of scenery to be scattered over the table for just this purpose. When we played I got to use the modular warehouse I bought a while back, something that I have never found a place for in any other game.

It will be no surprise to some that I like scenery. With lots to pick from I can put an effective table out with ease. Lots of lampposts and table scatter. Trash cans to kick over, gas trucks to jump into and drive though shop windows, crates to climb and lengths of 2×4 timber to swing, poke or throw at anyone in range…

Fighting on container tops.

Running over the tops of buildings.

Jumping from place to place (and sometimes falling off stuff).

It’s all possible in this game.

If you want a game that is new and refreshingly different, but easy to read and play, this is likely to be one for you…

Andrea also appears to have his own rules system using the same (or very similar) basic rules. It’s called Song of Blades and Heroes and includes a fair few expansions already. Maybe this will be on the next wish list I set up on Amazon.

A Blast From The Past…

It has been quiet on the blog front over the last few weeks. Ever since Xmas actually. I haven’t been in front of my laptop much in that time (never feel really comfortable blogging from an iPad or smart phone).

To get me started once again I will tell you about a happy coincidence that occurred this week. I met up with my brother, a less frequent event than I would like, and he reminded me that I had loaned his daughter (tomboy nieces are great aren’t they) my over sized, and hard to store, medieval castle. The little lady in question wanted a not so girly dolls house at the time.

This act of generosity occurred about 2-3 years ago when my gaming life was at a lull. As I had not used it for some time, I thought it would at least get a bit more use with her. It also solved the problem of where to store this quite large item…

Well, he has now returned it to me, as she has grown up to become a more girly girl and has not used it for some time. The dilemma for me, is once again, where to store this monster.

I also need to give it a little bit of love, as it is looking slightly worn after all its travels. A touch up with some paint and flock will see it back to full glory but after that it will need its own, over sized, box in the shed.

Along with the castle, I was surprised to fine a box that I had completely forgotten about. When you give someone an alternative dolls house you have to supply some alternative dolls… I had forgotten that this batch of Mage Knight figures went with it when it was loaned out. I have, over the last 2 years, sold off all my other Mage Knight stuff so this batch appears to be all that is left now. Again the dilemma of what to do with these remains.

However much I bemoan the storage issues of its return, I have to say, seeing it all back in the shed has left me nostalgic for playing something medieval once again. Maybe I will dust off my copy of Warhammer Historical that has been unloved in the bookcase for the last few years, or maybe it is time to look out for a copy of Saga: Cross and Crescent. More likely, it will just go back into a box for yet another couple of years…

Donnybrook. Skirmishing In The Age Of Lace.

I’ve always loved the stories, and especially films, where the hero is a swashbuckling, rapier wielding, lovable rogue. (Not that anyone I know can explain to me how I can buckle my own swash… Sounds too painful anyway!)

Another era that we have never really ventured into is covered by these especially good rules, provided by the League of Augsberg. Napoleonic gaming is vastly popular and the main focus of many players and games clubs. The period just before this is the era of Donnybrook – Skirmish rules, 1660-1760. It covers the period of unrest in Europe that was seen before the Napoleonic wars and can be used to play games set in both Europe (The French Wars of Louis XIV) and America (the French Indian Wars). Britain id supported too with lists for games such as the Scottish Rebellions and Jacobite Wars. It even leaves space to play games based on the Witch Trials and Persecutions of 1660s-1790s.

Army lists make up the majority of the book as the rules are surprisingly simple with games playing quickly and basic troops dying easily while heroes and characters proving slightly more resilient.

So far we have only tried the army lists that are based on conventional army troops, as these are the only suitable figures we have at hand. The book does allows for militia forces, rebel forces, outlaws and civilian mobs too, making village raids and piracy possible as well. Tribal forces, religious types and cultists are also possible, and the game sees the superstitions of the age as a major factor in play. So much so, that the cultist list has hell hounds and ghouls: Normal dogs and men who’s image and effect is increased by the cultural superstitions and their ability to create fear in their enemies.

The book is well worth a look and a good read even if you just want to look into an era that is slightly under your radar.

The game itself is well worth a try as it is a breath of fresh air rather than another I go you go game. With its card based activation system and random events the game turn never plays out the same twice in one game.

Our first game was played when we decided to just ‘have a go’ one afternoon… The first few bits of scenery we found were dumped on the table and my tiny collection of Napoleonic troops press ganged into action.

We picked up the basics in the first turn and the rest of the game went without having to refer to the book much at all.

Troops only activate when their unit card is drawn from a shuffled deck of cards that defines the turn sequence. Black powder weapons are only reloaded when the single reload card is drawn from the deck, and an end of turn card means that most turns end without some of the units activating, or often without any troops reloading.

The random factor will annoy some players but, as the book states, “if you don’t like a rule, don’t use it”.

We put a bit more effort into our second game and played one of the set games “The Raid” where one side tries to steal the supplies defended by the other.

My new market place stuff worked well as objectives and my Napoleonic and American Colonial troops lines up ready to defend the village.

2 colonial units defended the village and the French with their Native American allies were set to act as their reserves. The British line and skirmish troops began their attack and rolled into the village as the French approached from the rear of the market hall.

A second smaller force of elite French troops along with their general advanced to protect the wagon on the left flank while coming under fire from British scouts holed up in the houses.

With the scouts stalling the French advance the British troops started making off with all the supplies they could grab.

One use for the British line infantry (who managed to miss with most of the shots that they took) is to run off with anything valuable.

By this point the Indians that were supposed to be helping the French had packed up and gone home. This was due in part to never getting their unit card to come out, and then being the unit affected by an event card that stated they were homesick. So off they trotted without making any impact on the game.

The French line were able to take back the stalls outside the market hall from the British but not save their general from being overwhelmed on the left flank when the British rushed in to snatch the wagon before the game ended.

We are really enjoying this game at the moment (the word count of this post should show that) and I will be investing in some suitable troops in the next months.

What force to start is the question? Scottish Highlanders or British Grenadiers maybe… I suspect our various pirate crews will be making an outing very soon, as they will fit well as outlaws. I wonder where can I get some 17th century villagers…