December 2016

Closing out the year on a roll. Great month for painting, and I got in a game in my Pulp Alley campaign. I hope to continue my progress in the new year.

PAINTING
18 x 12 figure 15mm imagi-nation units: 216 points
TOTAL: 216 points
In Progress: 10 x 12 figure units for "The Imperial Army" in my Katzenstein project

GAMES
1 game Pulp Allley

PURCHASES and BUDGET
$287 this month: splurged on a whim (and there was a sale) to start the 6mm sci fi project
Total for the year: $967
Budget: $233 under budget, Plan: <$100 per month; on target

Rumble in the Harbor

I played the next game in the Perilous Island Pulp Alley campaign.

All clues so far have pointed the leagues towards a distant port in the far east.

Lady Elaine and the Eastern Brigade led by The Duke faced off against a band of vicious Chinese pirates led by the infamous Chanimal. This was a solo game in which the pirates won a hard fought victory 4 to 2.

The Brigade approaches from the airstrip.

The pirates have landed at a nearby cove.

The Duchess quickly gets some information from a friendly merchant.

While The Duke convinces a newsboy to provide directions.

The pirates search the Catholic mission and the docks.

The Countess spies something down the alley to the left.

The nuns provide no usefull information (red herring card)

Lady Elaine and her hired guns head for the docks.

A savage battle unfolds.

The pirates accost an old wise man...and he tells them that the Old Sailor they seek is in the bar across the street.

Casualties mount on both sides.

Found Him! What information does the Old Sailor hold in his rum filled head.

The alley of blood.

Lady Elaine unwisely steps onto the dock without her guards.

The Countess falls.

But the Duke guns down her foe.

Chanimal's crew have secured the information they seek...and captured Lady Elaine in the process.

Merry Christmas 2016

Merry Christmas to all. A nice haul from Santa to start the day. I have also been getting quite a bit of hobby work done this month.

An annual order of wargames books. The markers/pens will be for an attempt to put some fine details on a few figures. The loot below includes 6 packs (5 figures each) of Pulp Figures .

180 figures ready for priming. These are the last of the infantry (15 units) for my Katzenstein OPFOR.

6 completed units for that project. red, white, and blue themes throughout. I will base them up with the next batch at the end of the month.

A Pulp Alley game on the table. Using 15mm (18mm) buildings as stand in.

I splurges on a batch of 6mm scifi figures from Brigade Models. They were on sale and I did not expect them to arrive until January. Pleasant surprise to start the holiday week. The resin buildings are very nice. I am looking forward to starting these after the Katzenstein OPFOR are complete (july is my target).

7 more units for the OPFOR evil Empire!

November 2016

I have crossed the 8 year point since I started my adult wargaming. Time flies when you are having fun. I spent a few days at my parents house looking around in the basement (again) for my old Airfix figures. No luck. I will give it one more go when we clean out the crawl space. 

During a great vacation in the Turks and Caicos, I read the 10 wargames magazines I stockpiled over the summer, and I read the Hammer's Slammers collection of sci-fi short stories. 

I sent my Christmas list to my wife. It contains the usual round of wargames books and, for the first time, some figures (6 packs of Pulp Figures).

Bought a few things from my list...paints, primer, bases, TFL Summer 16 special, the new Pulp Alley campaign and cards. I will get the Too Fat Lardies Winter PDF special in December.

Working on my Katzenstein expansion while planning to start either 6mm sci fi or 28mm zombies. Sci fi has the lead...I am trying to hold out to the new year.

A few pictures of a game with a group at On Military Matters...a great shot for wargames books and military history:

PAINTING
12 x 12 figure 15mm imagi-nation units: 144 points
TOTAL: 144 points
In Progress: 7 x 12 figure units for "The Imperial Army" in my Katzenstein project

GAMES
1 game of WW2 skirmish at On Military Matters

PURCHASES and BUDGET
$204 this month: paint, TFL special, Pulp Alley campaign and cards, bases
Total for the year: $680
Budget: $420 under budget, Plan: <$100 per month; on target

Imperial Army

Last Summer,  I sold off all of the figures I purchased pre-painted to use as the opponents for my Kingdom of Katzenstein imagi-nations project. It is now time to reform an enemy force. I am going for a generic "Imperial" force that I can add onto as needed. I purchased a lot of mixed figures cheaply and I will form 95% of the army from this batch.

A full corps of 12 Musketeer Regiments

The Army:

12 Line Infantry
4 Light Infantry
3 2nd Line Infantry
1 Rifle
2 Grenadier Infantry
3 Guard Infantry
2 Garrison Infantry
1 Militia
2 Border Grenz
2 Landwehr
7 Provincial Regiments
40

5 Cuirassier
1 Guard
1 Guard Dragoon
5 Dragoon
1 Hussar
4 Lancer
1 Uhlans
18


2 Howitzer Battery
4 Field Battery
6

16 Generals

I can then add to these forces with small contingents from allied states and mercenary contingents.

October 2016

Another quiet month...and the second month in a row without any painting points. Where does the time go?

I am preparing my Christmas list for my wife. It will contain the usual round of wargames books and may for the first time include some figures (Pulp Figures).

My spending for the year is well ahead of plans. I will get the Summer and Winter editions of the Too Fat Lardies specials (PDFs), the new Pulp Alley "Tomb of the Serpent" campaign (PDF, some more Pulp Alley cards, and a small paint resupply. This should run me about $100 for the rest of the year.


PAINTING
0 completed :(

TOTAL: 0 points

In Progress: 12 x 12 figure units for "The Imperial Army" in my Katzenstein project

GAMES
No games

PURCHASES and BUDGET
$65 this month: 2 bottles of paint and my Wargames Illustrated renewal
Total for the year: $476
Budget: $524 under budget, 
Plan: <$100 per month; on target
Reminder: bases (round), paint, and brush supplies...plus some shield transfers.

September 2016

Closed out the month with a solo game of Pulp Alley using the new solo cards. Very nice. There is so much to offer with the Pulp Alley system and supplements.

I saw a post on another blog about dice. Below are my original dice from playing D&D many years ago. An odd collection, but I have fond memories of that blue 20-sider.

PAINTING
0 completed :(

TOTAL: 0 points

In Progress: 12 x 12 figure units for "The Imperial Army" in my Katzenstein project

GAMES
1 x Pulp Alley game

PURCHASES and BUDGET
$0 this month: Nothing! My Wargames Illustrated subscription is due in October.
Total for the year: $411
Budget: $489 under budget, 
Plan: <$100 per month; on target
Reminder: bases (round), paint, and brush supplies...plus some shield transfers.

At Death's Door- A Pulp Alley AAR

I played a solo game of the third scenario in the Pulp Alley "Perilous Island" Campaign. This is the "At Death's Door" scenario involving a search in a customs warehouse for more clues leading to Lord Darrow's location.

The Duke's Tsarist Eastern Brigade approached the warehouse from the West while group of American mercenaries led by the mysterious Phantom Ace approached from the East. I rolled initiative to decide who went first each time, a slight change from the solo rules as published.

Phantom Ace was joined by his sidekick, Mak O'Reilley, two hired guns, and three brawlers.

The Duke used his "call to arms" league perk and "wealthy" abilities to add three of Lord Darrow's college chums.

My warehouse...more of a stock yard. The stacks of crates and gates were all extremely perilous.

A barrel fell on one of the gunmen as he sought cover when the Americans spread out.

The Duke's party had the advantage of numbers.

O'Reilly convinced one of the night watchmen to help.

While Boris shot down a charging enemy in the dim lighting.

Don't bring a bat to a sword fight.

Four to One...the redhead decided to slip around to the other side of the wall.

Phantom Ace takes a second plot point by convincing the clerk to hand over the stock manifest.

Girl on Girl action once again...down goes the redhead.

Cutting off the escape route.

Three drop after getting caught in the open.

The shooter final falls.

The action moved to the office in the corner. The Duchess faced down O'Reilly while Phantom Ace gunned down folks left and right.

He could not disengage at the end while The Duke and the Duchess each ended with two plot points.

6 Points plus the bonus items- 1 each, Gear, Tip, Experience, Backup, Contact, and Lady Elaine will join the Duke for the next scenario.

Ace had to settle for a single point.

A fun and fast game with the solo deck. The action developed quickly with a big gun battle in the center, and then the action in the corner. Although the results seem lopsided, Phantom Ace and Mak were still in action at the end against The Duke, The Duchess, and Boris. My league leaders are not very combat oriented, so with another turn or two, Phantom Ace very good shooting and brawling) could have done some real damage.

The Duke will now follow the clues to search for Lord Darrow in Indonesia.

Labor Day Weekend gaming

I was invited to join some local gamers over the holiday weekend. Despite being distracted while simultaneously preparing for the storm, I enjoyed the game. The rules will be published shortly by On Military Matters.

I was on the British side at Pegasus Bridge. We took the bridge from both ends at the same time (as the recommendation goes), and held off two counterattacks. A few shots below...that MDF bridge is fantastic.

Unfortunately I had to leave before the 15mm Wild West game with "Dead Man's Hand" rules.