15mm Wild West: Starting to build a setting for my games.

 One of the best (in my opinion) potential settings for tabletop gaming is the Old or Wild West. Whilst this is a narrow period in time (1865 to 1890) the setting in itself is very open for gaming interpretation and can easily accommodate additional steampunk, horror or (pulp) sci-fi elements to suit the gamers taste. It also has a very tabletop suitable tech level - guns with iron sights that are generally slow firing with a effective range representable on the tabletop at smaller scales (or bigger tables), the main form of transport being horses and wagons for dramatic travel but at generally 20mph or less speeds. It is also known for combat between smaller groups of Heroes, Lawmen, Cowboys, Criminal Gangs and so on: which is exactly the type of story tabletop gaming specialises in portraying (and I might finish painting). 

If I had to get rid of all of my hobby projects and swap them for one setting that would fulfil all my gaming needs: solo, against an opponent or group games it would be the Wild West. Since coming back to gaming I have often considered doing just that, buying a small fortunes worth of the beautiful 28mm 4ground Wild West buildings and populate them with the many options for excellent metal 28mm figures like Foundry (and now with the fantastic plastic Wild West sets from Great Escape Games) and spending the rest of my days building my own fictitious little part of the west. 

Great Escape Games are currently running a Kickstarter that if you’re into 28mm (and it all looks good even though it’s the wrong scale for me) will provide you everything you’ll need to start your wild/old west adventures including their own ruleset Dead Man’s Hand, some very nice plastic miniatures, scatter scenery and impressive plastic buildings (how I wish they were 15mm). It’s about to end (24hrs) but it can be found here.

Dead Man’s Hand 2 player starter set.

I am however a die hard 15mm supporter and there are a couple of producers of suitable ranges of figures. Whilst Blue Moon from Old Glory UK do a very comprehensive range they are the larger end of 15mm and wouldn’t mix well with the Peter Pig chaps I already had (converted and painted to use in the board game Gunslinger). I only have a few finished gunslingers and lawmen but have found some more unused packets on the lead mountain. For now I decided to use what I could from the Peter Pig range and convert/sculpt anything else I needed. 

My brave lawmen (both equipped with mkII invisible combat bagpipes) (Miniatures by Peter Pig)

Key to my decision about the west was my actual setting. Nearly every table I see, no matter how beautiful, is a shade of desert and spaghetti western (probably due to cinema and nostalgia) but I fancied doing something more green and forested (I try to limit myself when starting any new projects to using one of the two mats I already have: green or arid.). I will make up a developing town/s for my setting in the near future but initially I will need some basic buildings and tents with a few fancier bigger buildings.

Building wise there weren’t quite so many options. Some of the old 4ground buildings will work (cabins) and I presume these will be available through them (on whatever website they use under whatever name they’ve now decided on). I have a number of old 4ground buildings but probably won’t buy much else from them in the future.

 Sarissa Precision has recently released a range of classic boardwalk shops, a stables and some larger buildings (no bar or saloon yet sadly) found here. I haven’t seen them in person but they seem simple, solid little buildings but not particularly pretty so may need some additional fettling to make them suitable. They are definitely on my list.

Sarissa Precision Old West Town

One range I’d seen at shows previously and gazed at online was by the comparatively small U.K. company Blotz. It’s a new, developing range with only three classic boardwalk buildings so far: one generic and two others that come with the options to make them into either Bank/Baker or Surgeon/Barber respectively (although they could be whatever you wish). There also a Wind Pump which is pretty good, a little blocky (mdf after all) but better done than anyone else’s I’ve seen. What to say about these Blotz buildings……

Blotz Wild West building.

They are amazing. I know it’s just a box…… but look at that box! Look at the simple additional details added by the basswood style (thin wood) sheet that makes them look much more realistic and covers the majority of the lug holes from construction. 4ground (or whoever), Sarissa and literally anyone else that make mdf war gaming products need to stop and learn from this talented chap. Or not, maybe look away and let him profit; yes, I’d prefer that.

If you can’t tell, I love these little buildings. At £7 a go they are affordable but don’t ever feel cheap. Hopefully there’s more to come from Blotz for the range as when I spoke to the designer they said that they intend to produce everything they do in 28mm in 15mm eventually. I for one can’t wait and will snaffle up any new offerings plus as many more of the three I already have. I plan to try working up some simple interiors which will hopefully still allow a couple of miniatures to be placed inside. I’m also wondering if a few Sci-fi additions from GZGs massive range would make them suitable for a Firefly style Sci-fi game.

I’m going to get the other two built and start planning my setting a little better. I’m not sure what rule system I’ll use but have Legends of the Old West and Gunslinger to start with and I have to investigate Fistful of Lead. My other current projects (Star Wars, VBCW and WW2) need some organising but are all progressing and I’ve got quite a future paint queue for the winter months, I just need to get some spray paint base coating done. Maybe I need to buy some Blue Moon Cowboys to see if I like them……..

Stay safe,

Balm.

Some progress updates

 Couple of things I’ve managed to do or get photos of in the last week, nothing particularly exciting but progress nonetheless.

I bought a naval wargaming mat. I wanted another Cigar Box Battle Mat but unfortunately Northstar seem to have stopped stocking them. When I inquired I got quite a brusque reply which said no they no longer stock them and didn’t give any other options. Looking at Northstar’s site though I discovered that they now sell GeekVillain gaming mats from the U.K. (presumably its cheaper for Northstar). I bought a naval mat from them (cheaper than CBBM) and when it arrived took it outside to look at it in the sunshine.

It’s a big blue sheet. And my poor Black Seas brig that’s had to be repaired twice from dropping and crushing. 

My opinion? It’s O.K. It’s just a fleece blanket dyed blue and has none of the quality you feel you’re getting with CBBM. I know it’s only the sea and there’s only so much that can be done artistically but it still feels a bit phoned in. The slight textural pattern that is present looks more like it is due to the dye interacting with the fleeces structure rather than artistic additions. Maybe once I play a few games on it my mind will change but I still keep looking at CBBM and wishing they had a U.K. distributor. 

I also managed to get a test tree painted (having re-scraped it and filled the trunk join with Vallejo plastic putty) after noticing how scruffy they looked in the last pictures. So I took my test tree, picked up my new, much coveted can of Vallejo spray paint and sprayed it brown. Trees aren’t brown though, but unfortunately the spray I had was. A couple of minutes pass where I consider buying a grey spray paint. I decide to see what I can do and set too the trunk using my standard basing grey (GW Mechanicus Standard Grey) followed by a dry brush of Ushabti bone and a wash of Agrax Earthshade and Nuln Oil. On this one I also tried some GW Skeleton Horde contrast to bring it all together. As you can see from the picture Archimedes (Archie the rescue parrot) was in a very helpful mood during this process and I did not manage to work at peak efficiency - he’s all about parrot inclusion.

Once greenery (the non psittacine kind) has been added the base will blend into the table.

Archie in his chosen habitat. It turns out kitchen cupboards are just hollowed out trees but come full of jam and other exciting things. Open cupboards in our house with trepidation.

I also managed to paint about half my Peter Pig Chain of Command British platoon for Normandy. They seem a little dark but are painted in the Coat D’Arms British battledress triptych of paints so I know they’re correct and don’t really want to lighten them to allow for scale. Either way they are helping keep me motivated.

That’s about it (there was more but Blogger is almost unusable currently and after three re-writes and an hour of swearing I’m tired). Stay safe and well,

BALM

Some 15mm additions.

I've done quite a bit during my recent hiatus. With the weather being awful (spray painting and pictures are currently impossible) I thought I'd put up a couple of pictures of german units I'd finished.



My FoW Whitman Tiger, painted to reward its performance in the battle of the secret stug (see its kill ring). The law of gaming meant its next performance was useless with it being destroyed almost instantaneously.

Again but without the warming sunshine. The turret is magnetised, the crew member sculpted by me.

My 250/1. Built for CoC as its an excellent support choice. The customised Peter Pig and FoW crew are one piece and are removable. The tarpaulin is procreate.

I've also more recently finished my 88 flak and a Grille H (a weird and charming little vehicle that packs a massive punch in BA). I've (at the time of typing) just based the 88 crew and will get them done soon.

Battlefront or FoW 88 flak gun. Carefully put together, painted in camouflage and then obscured with model scenery. I seem to really enjoy making my own life more complicated.

I'll do another base for the wheels and an ammo stack (and maybe a little dug out for the spotter). Plenty of room for the crew to (hopefully) stand behind.

 

The Grille's crew have (like all my chaps) been re-headed with Peter Pig heads. It's a nice, characterful unit that is suitable for my opponents favourite gaming theatre - the eastern front.

Plenty more bite size updates to come as I try to get back up to speed with pictures and progress of my summer; including 15 and 28mm, some new 15mm settings - AVBCW and a whole new project in a new scale - WW2 6mm.

As ever thank you for taking the time,

BALM.

Bolt Action from June.

Some pictures of one of our games in June. It was approx. 3000pts of Soviets versus Germans with a 24 dice limit. The soviets were a classic infantry horde with maxims and varied zis guns, supported by some T-34's and other green tanks (who can tell the red hordes clunky death traps apart). My Germans had a core of motorised veteran infantry supported by mortars, Panzer IV's, a Panther and even a Tiger.

The view from the German side of the table. The church and village are flanked by some farmland and woods.

A little western in appearance this area of the eastern front. The church offered a perfect vantage point and the battle was sure to focus around the surrounding village.

My Tiger rumbles on to be instantly KIA'd by a waiting T34. It was a long shot and caused an instantaneous drop in my (and thus my little chaps) moral.

First blood to the Russians and my Tiger burns merrily, the assailant can be seen to the right of the outbuilding in the distance.

My half tracks rush forward supported by the pz.IV's and the Panther. The infantry dismount and begin the push to dislodge the soviets from the village.

The infantry disgorge from the transport and prepare to meet the oncoming Russians.

The Panther and panzer IV's prowl amongst the trees as they respond to the soviet threat across the village. The burning Tiger a constant reminder that they aren't untouchable.

As the main infantry attack pushes into the village my recon 250 speeds down the left flank to put its small squad in an advantageous position.

The game was a success for the Axis powers even with the Tiger destruction but it was a hard fight with the soviet armour being a tough opposition. Once again I took half tracks in an attempt to use them in BA rather than dismiss them. The tank combat in BA is so simple you can't pin your hopes on them, as I proved with such appalling use of my iconic German super tank. I'm still having a lot of fun with BA, our tables and miniatures are slowly getting prettier. I'm looking forwards to getting the bulk of my Germans done so I can start on my allied forces.

Thank you for taking the time,

BALM.

Pictures from our games of Chain of Command

     A few more pictures from our January gaming binge. Probably not in any order. I've only just got the rules square(ish) in my mind, remembering to take photographs and make notes instead of being excited about tiny metal men is still a problem.

     Set up for a head to head match to check we had the rules straight. The little red dice are the russian's patrol marker and the large orange d20's are their JOPs. Unhelpfully I seem to have removed my dice and put some scenic JOPs down. Extremely close together. Had it gone wrong I was risking a cascading collapse in force morale if over run. Stereotypical German efficiency (and stunning generalship - of course) however meant the Germans were victorious. Their ability to concentrate withering (if not always that effective - Nuffle be praised) fire on a tightly concentrated front can hold back a numerically superior foe like the russians - sometimes.

Russians swarm over the outnumbered but staunch germans. Urk! an unpainted  bit of scenery - the shame

Disbelieving flapping of rule book fails to reward my opponent with the rulings he was looking for.

     An interesting and contentious moment. Playing the probe scenario I managed to sneak a patrol marker out on a flank. By the time my opponent noticed it was too late. Slight grumpiness and much angry shaking of the rule book later, plus some measuring and thinking and I managed to prove that he could have stopped it but would have had to react straight away to effectively deny the flank. This was the first time either of us had used such "game legal" but unsporting behaviour so I wasn't too shocked when he didn't see it coming. I deployed my recon 250 asset and with the second phase drove it straight to his table edge achieving my forces victory conditions. 

     Brilliant moment of gaming genius - absolutely rubbish game experience, especially for him (at least one of my miniatures had made it onto the table), we'd spent all the time setting up for almost nothing. It was a campaign ladder game though, and my focus was on getting as many chaps to the next scenario alive.

A cross between a deep rumbling noise (what I think a tiger sounds like) and the Jaws theme tune are playing in my head at this point.

      I actually spent all my 10 points of assets on a Tiger. Neither of us are power gamers and the only reason I have it was because it had a schwimmwagen with it and I'm that obsessed. I was faced with what I knew would be an overwhelming Soviet force containing at least one tank and chaps dug into a building complex that I'd have to take and hold. In a desperate gamble I select my undercoated kitty. We don't tell each other what we've selected as we don't see that the opponent should know until they turn up. I stated "vehicle coming on at point y and performed all necessary rolls/movement/noises as I placed it in the edge of the treeline behind a vast range of soft cover from the occupied buildings".  A few more phases and the kitty was moving up with infantry squads in support.

The Tiger opens up and my opponent realises his mistake.

     A russian ATR pops up by the wall (using a CoC dice) and completely fails to hit. Ivan's predilection for fortifying liquids has left him lucky not to have blown his own leg off. Armour values aren't asked after and the tiger rumbles slowly on. Another russian phase and a squad appears by the wall and proceeds to hose the approaching grenadiers waiting at the hedge line for the command to assault. The tiger's mmg opens up on them and they suffer some shock. I declare I'm going to fire the main gun. My opponent points out I'd have to had pivoted my "Stug" to do that and accept the modifiers, and in a gentlemanly way asked me if I'd like to take back my turn and re-do it including the pivot. I am bewildered, then realisation slowly dawns. I reach forward and slowly rotate the turret slightly to the left. My opponent says "Ah" and "Sh%t". 

     The 88 spanks the squad and goes on in further phases to batter the other defenders in the surrounding buildings, supports the charging infantry and ultimately tips the scales in my favour. At one point my opponent nearly closes with it and attempts to demo charge it. His rolls come up short (even I was hoping he'd do it - it was very cinematic and russian) and the reds are done for.

     His fault wasn't in mis-identifying the tank (although it is, quite rudely, just a dunkelgelb blob) I think he was just so engrossed in his own troops and plans that he'd assumed I wouldn't squander all my support on one thing (and we'd been playing for almost three days straight - never play on the home ground of an insomniac).

      This meritorious action has accelerated the kitty's position in the painting motor-pool. Thank you for taking the time,

BALM.

Moving Mountains.....

Having had a busy December and an exhausted January I did manage to do a fair bit of sticking, sculpting and procrastinating ( I can sit and stare at one figure I like/am painting/just can't get to work for a disturbing amount of time. I'd like to think the meds are responsible but I think it's mostly just me) but didn't managed to get anything online. From a truly full to capacity hobby room (the door opened - just) to being too shaky to take a decent photo even with magic intelligent cameras, I didn't post. I slipped a disc (and mangled some other muscles) in January 2014 and it was November before I could walk a few feet again. Now upright, if not particularly nimble yet, I feel more positive towards hobby progress.

I'm about to sacrifice my private lead mountains site in order to move into a shared office with my wife (who needs and deserves the space more) which will mean that everything has to be packed and compressed in a tardis like nature. Physics will have to obey because I only have so much house. eBay may be busy. I still intend to continue with bits but what little functionality I have will be plowed into making a better work room for us both to be productive in initially.

I did however finally get a game in with my regular opponent. Or rather 8 games over three days. Chain of Command on the Eastern front. We played a few individual games and then a simple ladder campaign. I've got quite a lot of pics but I thought I'd put up a few random ones too, and I'll try and post some more soon with specific sequences from games.

Russian farmland is the setting for our first game. The dice are our patrol markers playing short edge to short edge with the Germans (me) defending the farmhouse and Wirbelwind stationed outside.

My Germans deploy from a Opel Blitz JOP into some lovely (opponent made) area terrain.

My Stug - still not finished but performed well when called on. Nearly everything we used was painted this time, and with the scenery, it really improved the feel of the game.

Russians advancing steadily. And continuously.

More Germans, a different JOP and another bit of hedge.

Found on my old phone memory card (thought lost)

A Ultra Marine Chaplain I painstakingly freehanded as an additional Crimbo present for my nephew who was getting into 40k.

Have no idea why I don't have a picture of him completed. 

Thanks for taking the time. With a new workspace coming and slightly better health I intend to continue my purge and assault on my lead mountain this year. If anyone wants to buy serious amounts of squats in 28mm drop me a line. Oh and I've fallen foul of the beauty of GHQ 6mm.

BALM

The spoils of war (or rather eBay)

With my first lot of eBayed miniatures sold and sent out; shockingly my thoughts turned to new, shiny toys. After paying some bills and treating my wife (she never asks for anything so the chance to buy her something she wanted was too good to miss. Suffice to say her hair  is now very straight!) I started doing some mental online shopping. The original plan was to buy a heap of KR Multicases to stash all my miniatures in. In the end I bought 3 cases so I could see what the trays were like and then buy more in the future. Also Peter Pig was having a sale due to the sad loss of colours this year (one of the best shows IMHO). So now I have all my British infantry (possibly more than I need if that's possible) waiting patiently in my hobby queue (we are good at queuing after all).

I also picked up a few things from 4Ground. I purchased the lovely Hotel complex, The Cafe Gondree and the cobblestone road kit. so far I've made the cafe and, if the rain holds off, I'm going to play with the cobblestone kit after this.

The Cafe Gondree in all it's splendour, the detailing is fantastic but only time will tell concerning it's durability.

It's a lovely kit with a lot of detail. It was easy to assemble and is going to look great with the rest of my buildings. One thing to note though is that the detail came at a price for me. Small, delicate brick corners whilst looking great, delaminated easily and that has left some patches to repair. They are hardly noticeable and certainly won't take away from my enjoyment of it on the table. I should probably take some of the blame as I wasn't particularly well whilst building it and was quite shaky (thus why I didn't tackle the hotel straight away). I've now spray varnished it in the hope that it will increase it's lifespan somewhat.

The shutters are a nice touch and I've propped some slightly away from the wall using excess from the sprue.

Not the most exciting view but it does mean that with no windows on one side any troops occupying it will have a rather large blind-spot for the enemy to approach in. Also if you look closely you can see the de-laminating of the brick pieces at the corners.

Like all $Ground stuff the roof and upper storey is removable. The roofing is more delicate than previous buildings and this may have an effect on it's durability. But for £20 you can't complain.

As well as making the cafe I've also based a few more german options for CoC, hacked up some Space Wolves and made a character for my WHFB 3rd ed. Goblin force.

WH40K is currently leaving me cold. I admit that I haven't played 7th but what I read of the codices didn't inspire me to take the quite considerable financial plunge. For 5th and 6th I had my Squats as Guard and Grey Knight Henchmen and some Space Wolves too. I really liked the previous space wolf codex as the sagas allowed you to make your own characters effectively, now all the bits I liked are gone and I'm just not motivated to do anything with the models I have left.

I stupidly sold all my carefully customised wolves to a friend of a friend, who assured me he'd pay me when his wages cleared. Sadly he didn't and I was left without models or cash. Luckily my friend managed to do some damage limitation and return my scouts, wolf priest and a terminator lone wolf. I was still missing ten termies and some grey hunters. After repairing the damage to them (how did he break them?) and reading the new codex I realised I wouldn't be playing 40K anytime soon and certainly not as the wolves. So they are being re-invented as a gang for confrontation, I see them as bounty hunters or some kind of wilderness guides.

As for the Guard codex I'm upset by the loss of artillery options (I know I can spend more and buy the relevant IA book but it's just more expenses) but it's still my best bet to field my Squats so I'll probably end up purchasing it. The division of the Grey Knights into them and Inquisitorial troops also means that my lovely Squat dreadnought will probably never see the table (as I'd have to buy it a separate codex and more models if I want them to have Objective Secured). At the moment CoC and BA are just more fun.

The vulture is from the Ogre Stonehorn kit, the horse it's stood on a dwarven pony from warmaster,  everything else is pro-create with a wire bow and arrow.

For WHFB I took the vulture from the leftovers of an ogre stonehorn commission and built a saddle and Goblin character out of Pro-create. I've got to re-familiarise myself with 3rd and work out what he can represent. The little green chap was done (or at least attempted) to match in with the Mongol styled Warmaster goblin wolf riders.

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I carefully painted the horse as a grey and then totally hid it with the vulture. not my best bit of forward planning.

That's all for now, thank you for taking the time,
BALM

Trucks, a Stug, a Wirbelwind and lots of eBaying

Nice and brief. Below are some more catch up photos of what I've been doing recently.

The Germans were famous in WW2 for formation driving (Not a real fact)

I wish I knew how I'd managed to get one a different tone to the others, must have missed a step. But that's OK because it's just another of the 50 shades of Dunkelgelb.

I may have gone overboard with the mud but it was interesting to see what was possible. If I decide I don't really like them they'll be sent to the Eastern Front.

The mud on the trucks and other vehicles is my attempt to add weathering thats visible at a gaming distance. Certainly Piers Brand has little to fear from me! The mud is GW Astrogranite Texture paint, then dabbed with a Badab Black/Devlan Mud wash and some touches of Typhus Corrosion. They were then sealed with Army Painter Matt Varnish and had a highlight of Terminatus Stone. The rust is Model Mates Rust effect.

Behold! I even had the patience to put the original Balkenkreutz on behind the Schurzen.

My original FoW Stug III had a terminal accident and so was replaced with this lovely PSC one. 

 The good thing about WW2 vehicles is they were varied in tones and colours and few colour pictures exist, leaving the less grognardy of us a bit of lee way to our final schemes. The Camouflage was done using PSC Dunkelgelb spray, masked with Blu Tac and then sprayed with Army Painters Army Green.

I made the crewmen from the terribly miscast gunner of the original stug. I re-sculpted his body and gave him a Peter Pig head. The commander is just Procreate and another head (including a tiny sculpted headset and binoculars).

Doesn't look like a fun place to be.

Putting hi-res pics of your miniatures on the net is a sure way to drive yourself crazy with painting OCD. Luckily everything looks acceptable to me (when not 2x the size on my mac) from a gaming distance.

 Wirbelwinds: the name is enough for me to buy it. Now if I could get a wirbelwind with a nerbelwerfer I'd be happy.

As part of my ongoing hobby purge I'm trying to streamline my collection. There are now a considerable number of items on eBay from my lead mountain. They can be found here.

If you do bid on my items and actually read this poorly updated thing then send me a message after winning and I'll try and give you an even better postal discount or maybe something for free.

Thanks for taking the time,

BALM