British Challenger Build: Part 1

I picked this up today for 23.99. A pretty good price for a legendary tank such as the Challenger.

I began putting it together at about 7 o'clock. Didn't get very far, because by 8 I started watching the movie "Zodiac". There will probably be more tomorrow.

French Armoured Car find and Orion conversions

I decided to take a look at some miscellaneous poses from numerous sets in the past. I noticed a couple of poses from the Israeli set that I could use for a French Army VBL that I found today which I got from a good friend of mine a while back. It's to scale, so I put that ol' exacto-knife to the test and converted an otherwise useless pose for a great vehicle.

Here it is. Found it in an old container on the shelves in the basement. Hadn't seen it for months, but it felt good to find it and put it to use.

Yes! It's to scale! Now to just find a figure to use.

Looks like a found a winner. Sorry, bud, but you have to get half of your body cut off.

Looks like it's a perfect fit. Now just for the paint job and then the gluing... my favourite part.

Looks to be okay. I had to look up French army camouflage for the project, which I turned out to be good at painting it.

Maybe I'll it for any upcoming games. What? It's not cheating to put 2 allied armies against 1 huge army. Since this is French, I might need to pick up a French set somewhere to support it. I don't really feel like basing this one, just the wheels will do. Stay tuned!

Another building

I made another styrofoam building today. I decided to make an apartment building from nothing but scratch. I think that it turned out okay.

Here's the front. Modifications have since been made.

Here's the finished product. WHY. WON'T. THIS. PAINT. EVER. DRY?!?!?!?!? It's been about 6 hours and the paint isn't dried yet. 

Stay tuned for more!

Innovation at it's finest

I decided to get creative with base-making, because I realized that I really needed to put my miniatures on bases. You might be surprised with what I used.

I found some Styrofoam plates in the closet near my office area so I decided to try those for bases. 

It turns out they worked really good, and I based the first Israeli on it.

The Israelis have arrived!!!

I am very pleased to say the long-awaited Israeli Army set has come today. Very glad!

A barely-visible Female officer

A Rabbi. The IDF has many Rabbis

Here's an officer

A guy with a Mitzefet. A Mitznefet is a helmet cover that many soldiers in the IDF use. It's sort of a camouflage technique.

A tanker. Too bad I don't have a good Merkava tank to go with him.

An M4 and a Grenade launcher

A signalman

This guy is probably talking to a comrade, maybe the crouching guy below.

A sniper wearing a ghillie suit

Another tanker.

Now onto set 2. Here's a charging rifleman.

He's maybe launching a grenade at a Hamas safehouse, but this is Standoff, so he may be launching it at the Russian HQ!!!

At first I thought this guy had an Uzi, but then I found out that it was a Galil.

The ol' Captain Morgan stance

A guy with the classic Uzi.

Here's one in an NBC suit.

A Frogman with a Galil.

Another Galil.

A crawler with an Uzi.

Here's another Galil with a boonie hat.

This figure doesn't have a helmet, but he has a yamakah. 

Well, that's all. Updates on the painting soon. Stay tuned!

My favourite manufacturers of the month: September 2011

Just to let you get to know me, I'm listing my favourite miniature manufacturers.

No. 5:
Revell. Revell has given me some great sets in the past, and it deserves a spot on my list.

No. 4:
The No. 4 Spot goes to Orion Miniatures for giving me some awesome figures in the past. 

No. 3:
Elhiem Figures! It's a rather unknown manufacturer, but I love it so far, and I plan to buy some sets from them in the future.

No. 2:
The No. 2 spot goes to Empress miniatures. I found this manufacturer recently, and I really like the detail that goes into their sets.

And Finally... the No. 1 Spot goes to (drumroll please):
Mongrel miniatures!!!!!!!!!!! I have ordered 3 sets from them recently, and I really like their sets. They have the Cold War British series, which I have really come to like.

Russians VDV. vs. British 52 Lowland

Today my good friend Brody and I did battle in a little town that we set up at a local game club. This is actually game 2 of our "VDV. vs. 52nd Lowland Div." series, though we didn't post the other one. I am the VDV, and Brody is the 52nd. Luckily I documented all of it for you to see.

Here is the layout. It's supposed to resemble a mid-50's German town. We'll call it Ballsville. 

Turn 1: Me

I move 5 units in my first roll, pretty good I think. I have 1 section on the move, and I'm trying to flank Brody in the centre of town.

Turn 2: Brody

Brody moved 4 units for his first go, heading right out of the centre of town and is trying to plough into my some-odd 20 men that I have waiting for him 

Turn 3: Me

I moved a couple of units into the section I am using to flank Brody's units in town.

Turn 4: Brody

In a combined attack between a random Chechen Rebel and 3 British rifleman, Brody moves up his veteran hero, Barrows, who is most likely going to die as he always does.

Turn 5: Me

I moved a few more units into that one little section that was going to flank Brody in town, but then I realized Barrows was going down and the fight was on. 

Turn 6: Brody

Brody moved Barrows up with Barrows' "pet medic" as I call him and a rifleman behind him. I know this tactic, Brody moves Barrows and his pet medic up so that his medic can heal him and Barrows can carry on. Fortunately, I have a plan to combat that.

Turn 7: Me

I don't think I've ever rolled a more pathetic number. A measly old 3. I guess I'll have to hold my ground and wait for Barrows to get me. BRING IT BARROWS!!!!

I used one of my Light Machine Gunners to take away one of Barrows' lives. 1 down, 2 to go!

Turn 8: Brody

So Brody is about to decide that he is about to crack down on this unit (seen in this picture). 

Barrows moves up, with his possy behind him. I am waiting for him, preparing to "take care" of him.

Turn 9: Me

Having realized that Barrows is screwed and that Brody might forfeit after that, I held up my section and dug in. 

Turn 10: Brody

Brody moved one of his heroes up and then dug in, and I got ready for Barrows to die. 

Turn 11: Me

I changed my mind and moved up my flanking section into town, just in case there is a chance that Brody will continue after Barrows is killed. 

Turn 12: Brody

Barrows is getting ready for his last stand. I wonder what was going through his plastic little head at that moment. 

Turn 13: Me

I go, and I immediately roll a good number. Barrows is dead, wrapping up the game due to my intolerance of extreme heat and the uncomfortable feeling of my butt sticking to the seat. 

Result Game 1

VDV: 1 Kill, 0 Casualties

52nd Low. Div.: 0 Kills, 1 Casualty