New 15's

New toys!

Well, i got my student money through the other day, and after living through September spending little i (literally) went to town this weekend and decided to treat myself. Other than the essentials, i also got these...

Well, not some butter, it's what's inside that counts.

So to go with my Bolt Action purchase (that came today, need to go back to my parents this weekend to fetch it and some other things) i bought a couple of platoons of Flames of War Soviets to be turned into soldiers for my Normedra setting.

In the butter container were some more Soviets that my sister brought over for me (she visited this weekend) so i have around 100 figures to muck around with!

So what am i going to do with these? Well i'm planning to create 2 or 3 bands of adventurers, mercenaries and militia men that will inhabit Normedra searching for money and fights. More fluff and background stuff in the next post, it'll all make sense soon.

Vehicles are an important part to the bands in Normedra, mainly for transport, so Sunday i went to a vide-grenier (car boot sale) and found these:

For 1 euro, i got three cars that would be worth 5 each from a wargames manufacturer. Although the pickup and car are a bit big, the APC is perfect.

'Debus!'

I will add some spare parts i have hanging around (another reason to go back this weekend), mainly adding a cupola and .50cal machine gun i have left over from building Shermans. It then needs a good paint.

A bit big, some surgery might be needed...

Next post, the fluff!

Breaking out, breaking down

Also the name of a Bullet for my Valentine song...

Anyway, what's this all about. Well, two things, the first breaking out and the second breaking down (in a way).

First up for breaking out, i built something! Started another horseman, perhaps another Kindarrian to accompany the lord shown a couple of posts ago. It is perhaps the worst picture i have ever taken as i'm using my computer's web cam (really need to go into town and get myself a cheap camera!!!) but you get the idea, at least sort of.

Perry mounted body on Fireforge legs, cut up and added a mail hauberk showing below the breastplate. The horse also has the rear covered to show he is part of the lord's household retinue, but i might give him his own symbols, using blue as a common colour though. Hmmm...

I also have another on the workbench, being the Fireforge body on Perry legs, either to make a lighter Kindarrian or a mounted crossbowman for the Kaliads (i need a second to make a light horse base for Dux Bellorum).

Also breaking out, i have been thinking about ordering just ordered the Bolt Action book. Although i haven't played WWII for a time, i was tempted for a couple of reasons;

1. I've wanted to try them, and i have a German and Soviet force for Flames of War that i could use. I have enough for a small force in FoW but should be a lot bigger in BA. They're multi-based, but that's not a big deal. I have German paras, grenadiers and plenty of panzers while for the Soviets i have a small battalion/large company with snipers, AT rifles and some tanks, not enough for FoW but in BA you only have a tank or two at most so that's no problem.

2. If this Normedra idea flourishes, i thought of using BA for the games. As for figures, i have some spare Soviet infantry, badly painted and not based so they will be found, cut up and converted with miliput to create some men for this new world of mine. I was thinking of using FoW but decided against it (i could still use FoW later though, as i have the rules already).

This means i'll be playing in 15mm, which i prefer. Seeing other blogs who have done this (such as firemonkeyboy at http://themonkeythatwalks.blogspot.fr/) i like the look, distances are better (not perfect, but better) and i wanted to try something smaller. At the club i go to, most people use 20mm minis, my 28's look like giants next to them! I also wanted to test out converting and painting on some smaller guys/

And 28mm tanks are ridiculous to me!

And breaking down because i've got a nice shiny idea in mind, and i fell to temptation and got these rules! However, i will not be buying more figures just yet, but when i do i'm thinking of getting some plastic soldier company tanks and converting them for my Normedra setting. All this and still continuing my Runissia setting, of course.

Normally i loath doing two ideas at once, but then again staying stuck on one think can lead to 'having too much of a good thing' and spoil it. We'll see.

I should perhaps begin this Normedra blog then? Or at least start a brief intro here? Next post perhaps.

What i've been up to

Not much, at least in a wargaming sence!

I've been at uni for a couple of weeks now, getting use to the long days and having to cook your food and wash your cloths. It's all good but in the evenings i've mostly listened to music, watched videos or played on the computer to wind down. I've painted a Kaliad horseman and started two foot figures, but i haven't been feeling that motivated to get the paints out.

I did, however, go to the Bordeaux wargames club!

I played in a couple of games, one two weeks ago and the other yesterday. The first was a big (very big!) ancients game using rules for a board game that the club members converted to use with figures. I was on the mycenian's side against the indians in a 2 vs 2 game. I was tasked with holding the right flank against a bunch of indian cavalry, easy!

(images stolen from Didier's blog http://spqr-figs.blogspot.fr)

What's that? You can move twice in a turn?

My lack of knowledge of the rules (or tactics?) led to this...

Which then led to this...

A great big hole in the line!

Yesterday i played a game of Necromunda, a warhammer 40k skirmish game where each player controls a gang and fights for supremacy. I took an Orlock gang against a small band of Van saar (10 vs 5) and i was confident in winning, even if the van saar had 2 missile launchers!

The table, looking towards my enemy's deployment. I had to go for him, under fire from the missile launchers, and somehow dislodge him even if he was hiding and on overwatch. Later on the van saar ran out of missile ammo but i was battered and bloodied, failed to kill his leader twice and bottled out.

Stephane, on the left, was my opponent, me on the right

Luckily though, none of my men were killed so i'll be back for some more soon! And this time for a win!

Even if i haven't painted much, i've been doing some idea creating though (always creating!).

The world is called Normedra, an ice world colonised by humans during their reach into the stars. However, after natural disasters and economic failure, the planet is pulled back to an early-mid 20th century sort of technology level and fractured into smaller nations. I concentrated on a continent, the Vikula Continent, particularly on the Brovdo Plain where bands of adventurers and nomads seek out lost settlements, mining towns and farm land, and fighting off rivals at the same time.

Just (another) idea for the moment, i thought if i can be bothered to start a new blog about it then i would continue it, if not note it down and leave it for later.

Last post from here

Last day at home, and last post from here too as tomorrow i'm moving out to Bordeaux. I'll have a nice little room all to myself, internet and about a 4x4 foot square to play some games on the floor. There's a club there too so i'll be frequenting that often.

The only thing is that i don't have a camera, so unless i use a club mate's photos i will not be posting any, so i'll use this time to explain more about Runissia and it's enemies.

So today, last photos from my house, the Kindarrian commander:

Freehand again on the horse covering, i like how he turned out.

Here he is with the beginnings of his household warriors, i'll probably add three or four more to make 2 bases for Dux Bellorum.

I also remembered this Kaliad i had forgotten to show earlier. He will be a noble, perhaps commander even, and he will be wearing a black and white surcoat.

I added a plume, like an ancient Roman or Greek one, extended the back of the surcoat, and changed a pair of English arms from the command sprue. I hacked off the pauldrons (shoulder plates) and covered them in sleeves.

So by the time i post next i will be in Bordeaux!