Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Entry for May 30, 2007


Well, Gamex has come and gone, and work on my Japanese, to get them to completion continues. Once again I'm out of medium FoW bases, so I'm calling Brookhurst in the morning to see if they have any. I need them for my heavy mortars, etc.
Well, I need to remember any "special" goodies the Japanese can do and prioritize my targets much better in the future, as that short (but to the point) game I had with Tim's Marines at the Con showed. 37mm guns with canister is mucho deadly! And I need to start a search for more guns, howitzers, tanks for my forces. Always good to have everything in case you need it! I need alot of horses & limbers for my Japanese as well. Something to tow all the guns, etc.

The LOTR games both went very well. The Sunday games was mostly young kids with parents. Some didn't make it all the way through but 1/2 the kids stuck it out, found all the Hobbits and didn't do anything too silly. I wish I could have playing in some of Ed's THW games, but I never got the chance. Watching was fun, I wish my photo hand was steadier so more of the shots would be good. Tripod time!!!

I also picked up some Askari Miniatures as they had really nice 28mm Tuareg's and Pathans. Getting that old feeling of wanting to wander away from my Japs, but I'm not. The Askari Minis get put into a box and put on the projects list for after finishing the Japanese Army list I've done.

Let's see...

Need two more HMG stands
Finish & base my heavy 81mm mortars
Finish & base 20mm AA guns
Do last 2 snipers
3 stands as "Tank Hunter" teams (even if Tim isn't fielding tanks yet, halftraks are good targets..)
I have the stuff for 2 more objective markers
Do 20mm AT gun teams (3 guns/ 1 observer is a team<4> + Command stand)

Maybe more..have to check...bed time

TTFN

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Entry for May 24, 2007




Printing some stuff right now for our LOTR game and then it's off to bed. THE JAPANESE INFANTRY IS OFFICIALLY DONE! My 70mm artillery will be done tomorrow, as far as the guns themselves. The observation team for them is also done. However, it needs a Command rifle stand (in production) and an artillery staff team (just started). It's a mistake I believe, as the Gun Platoon has NO Artillery staff, just a Observer Team. The Artillery Platoon on the other hand, has a Command Rifle, Observer and Staff team. The Gun Platoon needs a Staff as well, as who does the Observer report to? I plan a Artillery Platoon in future, and I need 4x 75mm and 4x 150mm guns to have all the options. And a Tank Company is in the future as well.

The destroyed Stuart is ready for it's flat finish and it's done. I didn't paint it up as much as I might like, but it's a objective marker and if I get too anal I'll never finish it. 2 of 4 snipers are done. The 47mm AT guns are not going to get finished by the Con, but I'm still going 100% on them to get my basic forces finished. The 20mm AA guns are in production. I forgot about the 81mm heavy mortars which are 60% finished. I'll give it my best shot but I have all of Thursday and part of Friday, so we'll see.



Most everything is together and ready to go. One problem I had not thought of was that I need alot more trays to transport my FoW Japanese. I'll try to be if I can get more at Brookhurst. I need about 4-5 more 1 1/2" trays for the infantry, etc. I'll call and see if they have any. If not, I'll make do somehow. Tim is counting on me to bring as much as I can.



TTFN

Entry for May 24, 2007


Well, the artillery guns are done, the destroyed Stuart is done. All the rest will have to wait until after the Con, which starts tomorrow. I am also bring all my Italians, so some may act as proxy for what isn't yet finished. But I am going back to it after the Con.

Interesting watching John Wayne in "The Fighting Seebees" and "Back to Bataan". Kind of get me into the FoW Pacific gaming mood. I was also keeping an eye on the Japanese uniforms & equipment and noted for a pair of wartime movies, they looked quite accurate. The uniforms didn't have all the bags, etc. but the ammo pouched and bayonet scabbard looked correct. And the machine guns looked correct as well. As they are in B&W I couldn't tell the uniform color, but it appeared not to be a dark color. The Japanese tanks were of course, mock-ups but didn't look to different from some tanks they did have! And at the end of "Back to Bataan" they used a couple of Stuarts as Japanese tanks. As the Japanese did capture and use some Stuarts in the Philippines, it isn't such a bad scene to watch knowing that. However, the Sherman coming after them....

TTFN - Till after Gamex 2007

Monday, May 21, 2007

Entry for May 21, 2007

Let all men rejoice! let the horns be sounded! THE JAPANESE INFANTRY IS FINISHED (well, except for finishing one last rifle/LMG stand which just needs painting & flocking.) I have to finish the last two HMGS and their Command Stand. I got a lot done today, as I had to get up earlier than usual due to my wife having a tooth pulled while being knocked out. So I had to drive her home and while she was sleeping, I got the 2nd sniper ready to go, attached the destroyed Stuart to it's base after covering it in colored Liqutex, attached & based the artillery (paint and attach the arty tomorrow) and based a Command Stand. I also got 2 of the 47mm AT gun stands under way. I attached a bit of branch as a log for one and the other made a "C" shape in green stuff to which I plugged in paint brush brishess for reeds.

Seems a difference between the Infantry and the Tank Company listings. On the tank I get 2 more AT guns (total of 4) and I get 4 20mm AA guns. I'll have to see if I'm lucky and can find anything at the Con, but I'm not holding my breath

Back to the little metal men tomorrow!

TTFN

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Entry for May 16, 2007


MORE STANDS.....4 MORE STANDS! 2 Rifle + 2 Rifle/LMG stands and the infantry is done! Should have it in the next 2 days, the figures are almost ready for washes and I will have extra, but I could need those for teams with my A/A guns, etc. The crew for the 70mm arty is about ready, and the heavy mortars, which I switched from Old Glory to Peter Pigs figures due to my gag factor, are well on the way, even after having a WTF!?!moment when two sticks hit the floor. Lots of fun trying to find 15mm figures, primed in black, under my work area after they popped off the painting stick and ran away


Markers for the caverns in the "Hobbit Hunt" game were started today. They are skull piles from Reaper Miniatures and a quick dry-brush of bone here, white there and some brown & black washes, done, with numbers on the bottom. Found we needs these after the test game on Sunday, May 13th. Much talk and ideas bandied about. Best part was when Gandalf had to go toe to toe with a Cave Troll and almost got made into wizard paste. He lost much of his FATE points right then!


Oh yeah, almost forgot! Two sniper stands are done and I need to talk some photos of my lads. The crashed Zero object marker is done as well, the destroyed Stuart is coming long.


TTFN

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Entry for May 08, 2007


As you can see my crashed Zero objective marker is well on it's way. And In the background you can see the fuzzy image of a wreaked Stuart....


Much done today, one sniper is finished, 2 more 95% so. Tomorrow I base 5 more stands of infantry and then...9 more stands till the infantry is fini! And 5 more stands of infantry are almost ready for basing in a day or two. Plus the artillery is moving along quickly. Still bloody hot but things are progressing. The 47mm AT guns are next and maybe a Japanese atrocity objective marker .


TTFN

Entry for May 08, 2007


I'm back. Yes, It's been awhile but with my wife's birthday and other real life things happening, I haven't been doing as much as I should. Also, I was in a MAJOR funk. Part of it was the Blacktree Designs LOTR Fellowship figures coming out look good to the eye but sucky-suck to the camera. Also just plain Larry's-in-a-funky-piss-ant- I-don't give-a shit-about anything- mood.

Now that that's over with, I went to do some serious painting yesterday and some today, but having the garage door repairman by killed a lot of the earlier part of the day. And this Bloody 90* + hot weather!?! Paint dries on the brush before I can get much done. Paint 1-2, rinse brush in water, 3-4, paint 1-2, etc. I plan to spend tomorrow on the job and getting stuff done.

And as far as infantry, 2nd Platoon needs (I think) 3 more stands of riflemen, 2 more rifle/light MG teams. 3rd Platoon has maybe one stand done, so it's 6 stands riflemen & 6 stands rifle/LMG teams and it's done. The artillery is coming along, and I've started on my 47mm AT guns. The Hv mortar teams are mounted on sticks to be primed. Then it's check the list for what's left. Time to double check & up-date the list.

Oh yeah, I need to get the shot down Zero objective marker done. I have the two marines in the scene painted back from Tim so I'm ready to get going, I just need to figure out if I should add the base texture material and then add the plane or glue the plane down and then add the texture coat. Tim?? I've also started to paint the destroyed Stuart for the other, I may add some dead Japanese around it.

As Tim mentioned in one of his blogs, April 30th, Monday, I got to ride in a B-17. The Collins Foundation has a B-17, B-24 and a B-25 they take around the country and sell rides on. Yes, It was $425 for a 30 minute ride, but it was fantastic! I couldn't get past the radioman/navigators area forward, but I could get by into the waist past the ball turret. I took a great video of what I could see and it was well worth it and something I've always wanted to do. I has a great deal more respect for those brave men who flew in them into combat over Germany, trying to move & fight & fly inside that metal shell. I guess it helped to also be 20 something and shorter than me running around in there.

TTFN