Monthly Archives: April 2016

The Rest Of The Story

Aircraft & Vehicles, Back of Beyond, Miniatures

With apologies to Paul Harvey……Two similar aircraft, a modeling Body Double.

My last post featured the second aircraft I had purchased at Hobby Lobby.  The first was featured earlier, but my clumsy attempts at removing the wheel spats and pilot head rest relegated it to garage purgatory.  The problem was that I insisted on using what remained of the metal landing gear struts for the new – more period appropriate – gear.

Well, after I finished the “spatted version”, I saw the landing gear problem differently.  Get rid of the metal struts and use the existing wheels (freed from the spats), and wood struts.  What kind of wood….matchsticks worked perfectly.  I drilled holes in the fuselage to anchor the gear, applied superglue to the cut-down matchsticks and..,…..

Back From Purgatory & Ready For Priming

Back From Purgatory & Ready For Priming

Keys To The Makeover - Superglue, Matchsticks & Exacto Knife
Keys To The Makeover – Superglue, Matchsticks & Xacto Knife

 

 

The General Is Pleased

Aircraft & Vehicles, Back of Beyond, Miniatures

Added a force multiplier that will please any would-be Warlord.  Finally finished one of my Back of Beyond aircraft.  It’s the Hobby Lobby ship….not historically correct, but no assembly required and, after priming, painting and dry-brushing, it looks OK.  Should be nice on the table and add something extra to the scenario mix.  Will keep it in neutral colors/markings so it can be all things to all armies whenever the scenario deems it so.

DSC01448

DSC01450

DSC01449

 

Back To The Renaissance

Miniatures, Renaissance, Sessions

As mentioned earlier, finally getting back to playing my dormant Renaissance Scenario,  It’s a replay of one reported earlier, but with a few tweaks.  Will dispense with impaired photos.

Used percentage dice to dictate the Polish infantry entry through the village.  They entered much earlier than last game.

Shifted the Polish Hussars to the left flank to engage the Russian Sipahis, rather than battering themselves silly against the Streltsy infantry.

Finally, allowed the Streltsy to advance against the two Polish infantry units in the center.  Suck them in so they cannot effect the work of the Hussars and Pancerni on the flanks.

Along with the percentage dice, I started using some of the other dice I purchased back in February.

Now using the “Yes, No, Maybe” dice for command decisions and reaction.  For example “Should I Commit My Reserve”, or, for the latter, “Do I See The Poles Flanking My Position?.

From a solitaire standpoint, things get easier….it’s not you…..it’s the bloody general that’s doing these things.

Not cutting edge, but it does liven things up.

Work or Play?

General

Just returned from four days of fishing and cycling in SE Oregon.  Nights were windy and rainy, so I spent a lot of time buttoned up reading back issues of Miniature Wargames on my IPad.  Unfortunately all those great photos and articles didn’t get me all fired up to dive back into things when I returned.

I’m messing around with Thunderbolt/Apache Leader, pushing some DBR lead, painting a few 15mm Arab houses and a mosque, even reading the flight rules for Enemy Coast Ahead, and poking my nose into Carrier.  Still, it’s just messing around.

Got to get to work…………ahhhhh, maybe that’s the trouble…..it seems like work.  Need to think about that for awhile.

 

Rites of Spring

General

Not a great time for wargaming.  Temperature in the 70’s, Baseball starting, yard work (with chainsaw) the order of the day.  Plus, a new Surly ECR to ride.  Just too many other things to do.

Still, have been hacking away at Thunderbolt/Apache Leader.  Granted, I’m beating up on the hapless Iraqis, but it is fun zipping around in an A-10 using just cannon and rockeyes.  Ground game mechanics are limited, but with a purpose.  No sense getting bogged down in that, when the simple mechanics do put pressure on you to attrit as many enemy battalions as possible, stretching your assets to the maximum, or have your airbase overrun.

Received a book on the Dambusters today.  Looking forward to getting into that and start building up knowledge for the preparation and flight phases of Enemy Coast Ahead.

Fishing and riding for the rest of the week.

 

ADD or Schizo?

Boardgames, Solitaire

Don’t answer that…….

Had to take both games down Monday morning.  Reasons aren’t worth going into.

Put Thunderbolt/Apache Leader back up and made it through one turn.  Limited myself to cannons & rockeyes in order to simply things concerning line of sight rules.  Just grinding without any regard for results, just grasping the rules.

Speaking of rules, plowing through Dambuster’s flight rules.  Will get that up on the table again.

Enemy Coast Ahead: The Dambuster Raid

Boardgames, Sessions, Solitaire

Finally put down the rules and started to play last night.  Heavy lifting.  The download mentioned in the previous post was absolutely necessary.  Do not start playing this game without it.  Why?

When I went through my teacher training early in the millenium the rage was about learning styles.  There were seven of them.  Each learning style was to be used (if possible) in the lesson plan because each student has different ways of accessing the material presented in the lesson.

Well, my learning style(s) certainly did not mesh with the RAW for Enemy Coast Ahead.  I’ve been cutting back on the booze, so I think I have my wits about me, but  discerning game flow was damn near impossible.

It took a few days to figure out that the BACK of the scenario contained important set up information, especially as to where on the map to place critical counters.

The game-aid cards (with one each for the planning, flight and attack portions of the game), have all kinds of information not accessible (at least to me) in the rules.

As a result, the first play through involved juggling the rules, scenario, attack player aid card, and the download on my IPad.  Again, get the damn download!!!

I think I have it now, and it is fun once you struggle through it.

What a difference from the Thunderbolt/Apache rules.  With these rules, you can start reading and play right up to the primary attack phase.  There things get a little stickier, but the introduction is easy and painless.

Hoping my next session is easier.