June and mid-year review

A nice hobby month. Finished my planned painting, got in a game, and I have a full week off to get started on the next project. Looking forward to Historicon in two weeks.

Let's look at how my plans for 2018 are shaping up:

Plans for 2018:

1- 6mm Sci Fi
--- All on hand figures complete; may order all the rest to complete this project this year

2- Wooden Warriors
--- Finished the first 2 forces...enough to play games. 

3- Zombies
--- Will decide if I am going to start these next week.

4- Spending: Keep things to <$1000, plus Historicon expenses. Really need to abide by my budget this year. I know I will buy some 6mm sci-fi...but they are the only planned purchases right now.
--- Doing OK on my general budget, but I spent a huge amount on a project for 2019 :)

5- Gaming plans
- 6mm Sci fi - Check
- Wooden Warriors - Check
- Katzenstein Campaign
- Pulp Alley
- 15mm Fantasy

6- Fantasy Rules: continue to tinker and add in the magic and characters/leaders portion; use my new home card deck
--- Continued to tinker; moved everything over to google docs

7- Local Gaming: get in at least 2 games with the local crew
--- No luck

8- Attend Historicon and check out NJCon
--- All set for Historicon, but had to work during NJCON


PAINTING
21 x Wooden warriors: 21 points
TOTAL: 21 points

GAMES
1 x ASOBH

BUDGET
$18 on ASOBH supplements
$543 year to date

Green Devils

Sir Miroslav and his hearty band of brave adventurers set off months ago across the Western Sea to search for the lost continent, hidden beyond the mysterious magical mist. After months of hard sailing, massive storms, and days on the doldrums, the explorers sighted land. Carefully moving along the jagged coast, he finally ordered the ship into a small cove surrounded by a low ridge. Disembarking a small expedition on the beach, he returned to the ship to make plans with his trusted advisers.

Meanwhile, several soldiers setup a beach side camp and prepared to search inland for game and fresh water.

Suddenly, a band of green devils advanced through two draws leading down to the camp. Taking up their weapons, the soldiers prepared to defend the camp.

So began the first battle in my Advanced Song of Blades and Heroes campaign using my newly painted wooden warriors. This was a fairly simple game using just the basic figures in each warband.

The goblins advance in two groups while the sentries grab their weapons.

Franc makes first contact, thrusting his spear as the goblin wields a sword and board.

First blood! Franc strikes down the goblin champion, the best fighter in the battle.

Elated, Franc continues his thrashing of the goblins, while Vito shoots arrows to no effect.

A third victory...he is a killing machine. The battle is seemingly over.

Hidgard and two companions press the goblins hard on the other side of the camp.

Dueley drops one and another starts to flee.

Too confident, Talomir falls to a goblin ax. [He is the first figure I painted, of course he goes down easily]

Disaster, Franc falls and the soldiers panic at the reversal of fortunes.

Hidgard "goes for help"...running for the boat.

Grabbing the wounded and abandoning the camp, the soldiers retreat. 

A massive swing of fate. The goblins had better fighters but started by losing three warriors including their best fighter very quickly. The momentum swung and soldiers started dropping. Sir Miroslav will have to rethink how he explores the new lands...and the loss of precious supplies is putting the expedition in jeopardy.

Although Talomir was slain, the spearmen Franc and Dueley quickly recovered. Ragnar the javelineer would need a few days to recover from his wounds. Sir Miroslav sends two men to sneak back to the campsite at night to recover Talomir's body. They find the camp looted and burned, scavenging a few odds and ends that the goblins missed. They return to the ip to bury their friend at sea and plan for the next landing. (Post battle I rolled "corpse" on the exploration table...and then rolled a 1 on the 1d6x5 gold).

More wooden warriors

Finished the next batch of figures...a band of goblin warriors.

Time for the 1st battle.

Menacing band of warriors

Size comparison

Back of the Chief's cloak....and my finger

The first battle...goblin warriors coming to meet the invaders at the surfside camp

Wooden Warriors

First batch complete...my set of fantasy adventurers/explorers. I am working on their first opponents, a tribe of goblins. Goal is to finish them this month and start gaming in July before Historicon.

My vision for this project is a hex crawl exploration game in which the explorers seek to colonize a new land...running into all sorts of trouble along the way.

I am thinking about three sets of rules, and I will try them all:
1- Advanced Song of Blades and Heroes
2- Savage Worlds
3- Pulp Alley

The inspiration for this project came from the fantastic work at:
https://wooden-warriors.blogspot.com/

While researching for this project, I also came across some folks gaming with Lego figures...very intriguing with the customization options and the 3rd party accessories being made.

My first scenario will be with ASOBH as the explorers have just set up camp on the beach of the new lands...time to start exploring inland.

Sir Miroslav, Baron of Otterford, and his stalwart company of explorers

Sir Miroslav in the middle, his standard bearer on the left and the mysterious sorceress on the right

Two armored footmen, a levy spearman, and a scout with some javlins

The priestess, two more footmen, another spearman, and an old poacher (archer)

Wait! What is that approaching from behind!

May 2018

Finished up basing all the on hand 6mm sci fi forces. This makes it a mature project but here are some holes I can fill over the next two years.

Next up...thinking about what to work on next. I have the huge 15mm fantasy pile of lead...plus two smaller projects. I think I will work on the Wooden Warriors and then the Zombies. This should take me into the Fall and I can decide if I start more finish the 6mm sci fi project, continue the 15mm fantasy project, or begin Project X.

I registered for Historicon in July. At least 6 games in my plans including FOB, Peter's Campaign in a Day, and Combat Patrol.

The whole 6mm sci fi collection

PAINTING

Finished basing the 6mm sci fi collection, but I already took credit for those points

TOTAL: o points

GAMING

Lots of thoughts...but no gaming :(

BUDGET

$0 for the month

April 2018

Finally finished painting the 6mm sci fi figures and buildings. Now I just have to finish the bases. Played a game using Panzer Korps with minimal modifications. Lots of fun and an interesting rule system for large scale operations.

Target is to finish the basing in May.

PAINTING
6 x 6mm sci fi bases: 6 points
88 x 6mm buildings: 44 points
TOTAL: 50 points

GAMES
1 game of Panzer Korps with 6mm sci fi

BUDGET
$125 for the month on Project X
$525 year to date

Border Clash

First outing for my 6mm sci fi figures. I am finishing the buildings this eek and then I will finish the bases on all the figures. Played the game using the Panzer Korps WWII rules with minimal modifications. Each unit is a battalion of generally 3 bases. I kept the scenario simple and the number of units low for both sides.


Peoples Liberation Front forces massed in the autonomous zone between the Peoples Democratic Republic of Eden (PDRE) and the Federal Republic of Zaara (FRZ). One PLF battalion seized the border crossing in a nighttime attack, while the second battalion entered the eastern end of the small border town of Garfeld, but could not make headway against a Zaaran Federal Police battalion in western part of the town. Thinking that the PLF forces would attempt to capture the Luther Corp. scientific research station to the north, Zaaran authorities dispatched all available forces to stabalize the situation. Detecting movement across the ill defined border, an armored brigade of PDRE forces moved into position.

Town in the middle, PDRE on the left, FRZ on the right.

PLF forced out of the town by the Federal Police.

Mechanized PDRE forces decide to intervene near the research station.

Zaaran Urban Reaction Forces battalions defend the research station in the foreground.

Federal Police secure the town, but are low on ammo.

FRZ National Guard mech battalion in half-tracks fall back after taking heavy casualties trying to retake the border post. The defending PLF forces included some unexpected heavy weapons.

PDRE mechanized battalion attacks the research station.

After regrouping, the National Guard battalion moves forward to attack the PLF remnants.

Urban Reaction Forces mass against the PDRE mech BN, causing heavy casualties.

PLF falls back leaving over one hundred prisoners.

PDRE mechanized and armor battalions pour fire into Garfeld, but the Federal Police hold on grimly. FRZ cavalry reinforcements join the fray.

URF BNs get the better of the exchanges near the research station.

One last attempt on the right flank, ammo starts running low and the supporting artillery battalion pulls back.

PDRE forces begin to pull back as nigh approaches.

PDRE makes no headway and decides to cover the withdrawal of the PLF forces.

PLF blows up the border post and retire in good order.