All Quiet on the Martian Front: US Land Ironclad

 I present to you the mighty US Land Ironclad  Nashville: Defender of Memphis and Scourge of the Red Menace.

A Land Ironclad is the apex predator of the US Arsenal in All Quiet on the Martian Front and it's a massive model at over 13 inches long and 11 high.  The whole thing also weighs 5 pound as it's mostly resin.

 A close up of the conning tower show's she's already claimed two of the dreaded tripods with her mighty guns.

 I added the scaffolding and scout car to give her some dedicated recon support - made the model feel more battleship-like to me.

 A few shots down the port side...

 I downloaded images of WW1 US Navy semaphore flags.  The messaging on the left guy wire spells out AHPCV - since I've submitted this kit for the challenge, I thought it should message the same.

 A picture next to my Rubicon 28mm Tiger tank for a size comparison.

Nameplate and close up of the scour car rig.  I know it's kind of silly but it was fun to add.

 Bridge crew planning their next move

 I'm planning to build out a Naval Brigade for AQMF and wanted them to standout form the rest of my US stuff - hence the blue helmets.

 A few pictures of the scaffolding being built - it's just a few pieces of styrene plastic.

The hardest part was tying on the platform and getting the it to be level.

I highly recommend this model - it's was  a lot of fun to put together and detail.

2014 What Was and 2015 What Will Be...

 Well it's time for the obligatory retrospective on how I did vs my hobby goals.  The big news hobby wise isn't related to gaming but sailing as in late July my new sailboat, "Bucentaure" was delivered and I spent most of August through October on the water learning how to sail her.  But this isn't a sailing blog so onto the miniature hobby aspects.

From a real life perspective 2014 was an eventful year and generally very positive - It was a good year investment wise (which is what I do) and my wife and I continue to adapt to being empty nesters.  I did manage to take a week long sailing course at "J-World" in Annapolis which was a blast.

Sean continues to enjoy school and seems to becoming more interested in software engineering and drone technology (quad copters).  In fact he's be teaching a student lead course on quad copter design during the Spring Semester of 2015 at CMU.

In terms of total productivity - 2014 saw a more balanced level of production with a rekindling of my interest in Flames of War and starting up  15mm projects for both By Fire and Sword and All Quiet on the Martian Front:

                                        2014      2013
28mm
Infantry                           240         411
Cavalry                             17             2
Artillery                              6           12
Vehicles                            17             7


15mm
Infantry                             274          0
Cavalry                                27         0
Artillery                               13         0
Vehicles                               64         0

1/1200 Sailing Ships             7         0
1/600 Ironclads                      8        0
1/6000 ww2 Ships                44       0

 One of the bigger hobby events for me is the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge.  Doubtless you've seen my posts about last years fourth challenge and this years 5th (which is ongoing) but it has become my main painting "production" event - the photo to the left show what I got done during last years Challenge.

 One of the focal points of my hobby gaming experience are the 3 HMGS conventions.  During the Summer at Historicon my friend Mike M and I hosted two civil war themed games that featured two 28mm scaled ironclads (Mikes's in the picture on the far left).  The games went well...

 So well that we won one of the roving awards from the HMGS crowd which was both unexpected and very much appreciated.  Of course that just ups the ante for next year - no I'm really not a competitive type of person at all...

Ok, Ok enough rambling - how did actual 2014 compare to my hobby goals?  I did OK -

(1) Attend all 3 HMGS Cons  PASS
I made it to all 3 and enjoyed them all, although the Host (where Cold Wars and Fall In are held is an awful place)

(2) Host a Game at Historicon PASS
Mike and I hosted two!

(3) Play in a FOW Tournament PASS
In fact I played in 3 and never came in last.  2014 saw a return of my interest in the game and I really enjoyed the tournament aspect.  In fact most of the games I played where at tournaments either for FOW of Bolt Action - I think I played in 24 tournament themed games and even managed to win the Fall-In Bolt Action tournament.  I was extremely disappointed that no groupies showed up after the Fall-In win - strange that.

(4) Finish 2 Armies for All Quiet on the Martian Front PASS
I did finish two basic armies and even a Land Ironclad but still have a lot to paint up form the kickstarter

(5) Finish the Game Room Remodel PUSH
Some progress in terms of getting some military art and had the card table refinished.  Sadly, I hosted no games in 2014!

(6) Place in the Top 5 of the Analogue Hobbies Challenge FAIL
This was a tough one - I came in 9th or 10th but just couldn't keep pace.

(7) Start Only 1 New Army in 2014 FAIL!, FAIL!, EPIC FAIL!
What was I thinking?

Overall 4 Passes, 1 Push and 2 Fails (one was epic) - I'd give myself a B+ grade wise

So what are the goals for 2015?

(1) Attend three Con's but not all HMGS ones
I do enjoy gaming conventions but the HMGS ones are becoming a bit stale so I'd like to try another one furring 2015.  Don't get me wrong, aside from the Host, all three HMGS cons are a lot of fun, I just need a change of pace

(2) Host 2 games at Historicon

(3) Play in 6 tournaments during the course of 2015
      - Field a new army for the Bolt Action tournament (it's time to retire the Japanese)

(4) Finish my sectional terrain project
Started with high hopes and bold statements in July 2014 - never touched since August.

(5) Host a Naval Play by Blog game.  I've been having a lot of fun with Clint's Napoleonic Naval blog game and want to try hosting one - details to follow.

(6) Finish in the top 5 of the 5th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge
Maybe this is the year!

(7) Only add armies that I have storage for
My lovely yet fierce wife has laid down "THE LAW" and I can only add armies if I can store them properly.  Apparently, piles of stuff along the walls of the man cave is deemed to be slovenly by the norms of society - my only option is to conform as there appears to be no reasoning with my wife.  Now she thinks she's being clever because she's also banned me from purchasing new storage as my IKEA wall units are full.  My legal team has spotted a loop hole in her edict and  I've been reconfiguring the storage under my game table using leftover 1x2's and some quarter round molding from my scrap lumber pile:

 A quick shelf frame - put together in a few hours....

Slides under the table and can hold a hole bunch-o-stuff.  The frame slides out and has tie down straps to helps with transporting mini's to convention game.

I'll put up a post a bit later on how the unit was built.

Well there you have it - a good 2014 and a slightly ambitious 2015 -lets see how the year unfolds....

Tunisian Tiger

 My growing 28mm DAK army has been reinforced with a Tiger tank.  The model is from Rubicon and is part of their rapidly expanding plastics line.  It was a joy to both put together and paint and I'd rate it a 10 out of 10.  Rubicon has become one of my favorite sources for ww2 vehicles.  Trenchworx is still my favorite due to their superb quality but rubicon isn't that far behind.

 The crew figures are Perry metals and are very nice - I still have 4 left for other vehicles.

 I added a dry brush of stone grey as a last step and like the results.

 This model was entered as part of the second fortnight challenge - "Riders and Mounts" in the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge

AHPCV Week 3 Reports and a DAK Army

 With the third week of the challenge conclude progress is a bit "ahead of plan".  With a total points level of 777 vs a plan goal of 609.  With real world work stuff piling up and at least 3 trips to the UK for business in the next few months, I need to crack on if I'm going to meet the goal.

I should point out my total includes 80 points for the "Cold Fortnight Submission".

 The latest challenge entry was a large one (320 points) and is a 28mm DAK army to be used for either Bolt Action or Chain of Command.  I managed to paint the entire group over a three day period - which is a blistering pace for me!

 38 infantry figures from the Perry plastic Box set.  These are superb figures and nicely balance figure pose options with ease of assembly.  There are 22 riflemen, 8 troops with SMG's, 4 light machine gunners, a 50mm mortar team, a radio operator and on officer.

The force's recon element consists of a 3 vehicle 8-Rad unit.  These are all from Warlord and are Resin hulls with metal detail parts.  To be honest, the casting quality was very poor and the hulls required a good bit of work to make paint-ready. The commander is a customized plastic figure from Warlord's first plastic german infantry set.

 The main punch of the force comes in the form of a platoon of three Panzer IIIJ's.  These are the new Rubicon plastic kits and I highly recommend them.  Lots of detail and one can build serval different version of the Panzer III.  The only complaint is that some of the deck details (tools, cables) are molded on but are very faint and a bit hard to paint.  Those details are probably true-scale but require care to bring out.

Overall, I'd rate these a 9.5 or of 10 with Rubicon now replacing Blitzkrieg as my number one source for WW2 tanks.

Like the 8-Rad's the unit's commander if a converted figure from Warlord's first German infantry set.

 Some additional scout elements in the form of two motorcycles with side cars and med machine guns.  These are metal kits from Warlord and are really nice.

Lastly, one other positive from the Rubicon kits is their large decal sheets.  I was able to do all 8 vehicles with the decals from one sheet plus a few extra crosses from a second and still have a lot left over.  One of my biggest gripes about 28mm kits is that manufactures such as Warlord, Blitzkrieg, Company B don't include decals - it's akin to a "hidden charge" as one needs to source decals separately.

The Rubicon kits have a slight cost advantage over their resin counter parts but if you factor in the decals its a significant discount.

I'll be adding some support options to the DAK force over the next few weeks (some artillery, a mortar, a heavy Machine gun and even a Pak 38 AT gun).  There are even rumors that the force may receive a Tiger!

This force will likely see the tabletop at the 2015 Cold Wars BA tournament.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays form the Uber Geek's Lair

 Wishing you and your families a joyous holiday season and the best hopes for a happy and healthy new year.

Holiday preparations are winding down here in St Michaels, MD which is good given the big day is 72 hours from now.  With my son home from college and my wife healthy and happy there really isn't anything more I need.

One tradition here on the Eastern Shore is for one of my neighbors to put on a rather extensive yard display and this year's a good one, especially if you like trains.

British and French Ironclads plus a Fort

 To the left are the completed ironclads and a fort that I have submitted for the Analogue Painting Challenge.

 First up is the British Flagship - the iconic HMS Warrior.  The Warrior was a huge ship and this is a huge model in 1/600 scale - it's 10.5 inches long!  Like the Hector, the model is scratch built based using a rather poor hull casting for the basic dimensions.  One modeling tip - a dremel rotary tool is a great addition to the scratch builders tool kit.

 The Warrior is on display in Portsmouth and it's on my list of to do's during one of my frequent business trips to the UK.  Like the Hector, the Warrior is classed as a broadside frigate which means she was armored along the sides but her bow and stern were not.  Her armor was 114mm iron plate on top of 457mm of teak.  The ship's armament consisted of 36 x smoothbore 68 pounders, 10 x 110 pounders and 4 x 40 pounders - that was a lot of metal to throw in a single broadside.

 The Warrior was an extremely fast ship and was capable of sustaining 14 knots which was blazing fast for the age.  However her length and bulk limited her turning radius which could be problematic if an engagement occurred anywhere other than the open sea.

The model itself is a resin hull that's been "planked" in plastic card,  The Masts are plastic rod with greenstuff making up the furled sails.  The life boats came from my bit's box and the davits are just bent brass rod.

Overall, I'm very pleased with how she came out.  Sometimes scratch building is the only way to complete a project.  It can be very rewarding but one has to go into to it with a mindset that the first few versions will need to be redone.  Ok, in my case there might be more that a few "re-done versions"

Next up for the British is the HMS Scorpion.  The Scorpion has a very interesting history - she was laid down as the CSS North Carolina.  Unfortunately for her builders, it was illegal to sell warships to the Confederacy so they fabricated a ruse that the ship was being built for the Egyptian navy under the name "El Tousson".  During her delivery voyage to Egypt the plan was for the ship to turn to starboard rather than port near the Straights of Gibraltar and then raise the Confederate flag.  Unfortunately for the builders, the 'coppers figured out the scheme and she was seized and completed for the Royal Navy.

 The Scorpion / North Carolina was intended to be a commerce raider but she had a very low profile which made her harder to hit but also greatly reduced her sea handling capabilities.  In fact after a few years of service the Scorpion was relegated to costal defense duties, which is the nautical equivalent of a kid being kept inside the house on a sunny day to practice violin while his friends are all outside playing baseball.

The ship was armed with 4 x 9 inch guns in two rotating turrets.  The had a relatively low rate of fire but packed a real punch and had a long range.  Speed-wise she wasn't the fastest ship afloat but could make 10.5 knots on a calm day.

The model is from Thoroughbred Miniatures and is metal.  Thoroughbred makes the best 1/600 scale ironclads available.

 Next up the the CSS Columbia which served towards the end of the war in Charleston Harbor. She really didn't have a distinguished career, but in my alternative ACW scenario the ship maybe have a bit more renown....

 This model is also a metal kit from Thoroughbred, although kit might be stretching the definition as one just has to glue on the mast and smokestack and its' done!

 A group shot of the British Expeditionary Fleet as it currently stands.  I'll be adding a few more ships and some targets oops I mean transports.

 A staged "action" shot showing the British fleet taking on some US ships - the New Ironsides and the Monitor.  The picture shows just how massive the Warrior was in it's day.

All of these models will be used as part of a linked two day game I'll be putting on at Historicon in July of 2015.  The first day will feature a naval battle "somewhere along the Chesapeake" that pits a US force against a combine British / CSA fleet that's trying to force a landing to relieve a trapped Confederate army.  The outcome of the naval engagement will impact the second days game which will be a large land battle in 28mm.  If the British/CSA players are successful, the game will feature an assault by the combined CSA/ BEF on an entrenched Union army.  If they are unsuccessful during Day 1, the British army will have landed further down from the Rebels and the game will feature a Union Assault on the Confederate position with the British racing to rescue their allies.  Think Waterloo with the Union as the French, the Confederates as the British and the British as the Prussians... confusing? that's what I'm looking for.  I have found that adding an additional goal (other than winning) to a convention game does a great job in keeping everyone focused.  Oh yes, the composition of the British army during the second battle will also be influenced if any of the transports are damaged or sunk during day one.

 Speaking of the French, the game will feature a small French fleet sulking about.  Neither side will really know that fleet's intentions because, well, you know, they're French.  The flagship of the French fleet will be the Gloire.  This ship was launched in 1859 and has the distinction of being the first ocean going ironclad (much to the chagrin of the Royal Navy).  The model is yet again from Thoroughbred and is superb.

  The Gloire could reach a sustained speed of 11 knots and was armed with 36 6.5 inch muzzle loading rifled guns - ship mounted rifled cannon where not all that common in this age and gave the Gloire a distinct range advantage.

The ship also had a very unusual lattice armor structure with a layer of iron ontoo of teak followed by another layer of iron and then yet more teak.  The cumulative depth of the iron sheeting was less than her British counterparts but the armor proved to be much stronger - it could shrug off a direct hit from a British 68 pounder at a range of 20 meters.

 The last part of the overly long post is a Fort.  The casting comes from Bay Area Yards and is modeled on Fort Jackson in New Orleans. The fort is similar to both Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan which guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay and I spent many a day scrambling over both in my youth.

 Civil War forts featured fearsome guns which were more accurate than their ship board foes (because forts generally don't bob up and down with the seas).

28MM DAK Army Started

The painting workbench has been cleared of 1/600 scale ironclads (the subject of a future post) and the next project underway is a 28mm German Afrika Korps force for either Bolt Action of Chain of Command.

The mini's are from various manufactures, which consist of (from top to bottom) Rubicon Miniatures - plastic PanzerIII's, Warlord - resin 8-Rads, Perry Brothers - 38 plastic Infantry men and Warlord again - the two motorcycles.

Some artillery support and heavy machine gun support will need to be added to the force over the holidays but what's on the table will be a good start.  With my holiday preparations pretty much complete, I'm hoping to complete this lot and submit them for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge in the next two to three days.

Interesting Day

 Today was a very interesting day.  First off, I was on a conference call in my office that was interrupted by a flock of sparrows chattering and flying into my shrubs and hitting the house.  The cause of the commotion can be see in the center of the picture if you squint - a Red Tailed Hawk came by on a "grocery" trip - he was very successful.

It was a very cool moment and the call ended up focusing on my "play-by-play" of the hunt rather than the topic at hand.

Also arriving today is my main Christmas gift - a bunch of electronics parts that will be turned into a collapsible quad copter by him over the Christmas break.  The components which include a GPS module and a video camera cost less than $200 and will be turned into something he can sell for $1,500 if he wants to (which he will not).

I remember the days when I would assemble the toys for him so he could play with them - now he just wants the parts and enjoys building them himself.