tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135314172024-03-11T22:49:09.983-07:006mm-Minis6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, food, Israel, Judaism, life in general and other funny crud. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also called 1/285 or 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.comBlogger451125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-46561394823351854962009-08-19T05:27:00.000-07:002009-08-19T05:38:28.712-07:00MINI WARGAMING: "Samurai on the Bench" (19 August 2009)Hi Everyone,<br /><br />I can't believe that it's been nearly a year since I last posted... Life really has a way f happening when it does. Wjat have I been up to? ...mostly buying a house, taking care of a home, having my heart broken, dating again, and all of the rigors of life... That and my camera has been on the fritz...<br /><br />I continued gaming, mostly board games, and I've discovered Facebook, which is much easier than blogging. The local miniatures club, MWSS, continues to host monthly games, my monthly D&D group is still going strong in Eberron, and Mark Steinberg's Friday meets are still great...<br /><br />Unfortunately, my friend Tony Mark, recently passed away... May he rest in peace. He was a great guy, had equal disdain for all gaming clubs, which I always enjoyed back in the great gaming club schism of the past. He will be missed. Gary, at Great Escape Games, one of our local brick and mortar gaming shops hosted a big gaming get together a few weekends back for him... <br /><br />And, it was only yesterday that I got my work bench fully reestablished and started working on 28mm samurai again... I had been previously working on a variety of mini projects at my buddy George's house. Thanks, George, for lending me your space! With any luck, I'll get a digital camera going again and share some photos... Until then...<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Wednesday! </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">And good gaming to you!</span></div><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-27533672200929566162008-11-22T07:42:00.000-08:002008-11-22T07:55:35.340-08:00NEWS: Life-size New Castle In the Works (22 November 2008)<div align="center">.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271508193265284498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 289px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zbrYnIsJfyU1qibE4fRMJ9GE8JoevX5EIH_WQiBERALEdxfuYkj4IbhVo9apZkF_Gw7eWFBSgC_41LTJ3YHyiXv9xmZ4yJv6A326L-uD-SSOIBNwcjwYRtvG7KuvQwIlOuYoJw/s400/Blog-Castle_11-22-2008.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">Top: Maksim acquires new real estate.</span>..<br /></div>Hi Reader,<br /><br />I’ve come along to an important decision for the future of this blog that has been a long time in the making: I’m going to switch the content of this blog over entirely to hobby-related or soft content. When I originally became a blogger, I wanted to write a blog that encompassed the entirety of who I was, but over time, I’ve come to realize that my key enjoyment of writing 6mm-Minis has been related to the hobby-related or soft content: pictures of minis, reports of gaming sessions, light-hearted jokes, etc. While I enjoyed the journal-like aspects of the blog and found them useful <em>(I’ve actually kept the vast majority of my hobby-related New Years Resolutions for a number of years running now)</em>, I think that a healthy separation of the two is a good idea.<br /><br /><ul><li>So, in that light, I plan to split the blog into two pieces:<br />1. 6mm-Minis will become a blog entirely devoted to hobby-related and soft content.<br />2. A separate blog will be created in the future to discuss everything else.</li></ul>And in personal news, I’m just about to achieve one of my big life goals: to become a home-owner. I wanted to become a home-owner many years ago in the 1990s but circumstances conspired against me and my life goal never became feasible. Now it has. It took a lot of hard work, but soon I will have a pad of my own. With any luck, I will be moving into a home within the next two weeks and be fully settled in before the end of December.<br /><br />And that means that my long-term goal of being the guy to host the big games will soon come to fruition. For years, I’ve always been the guy who faithfully attended the games that other folks hosted. I tried hosting games at my tiny apartment for a period of about 10 months in 2006 and 2007, but always found the lack of space confining. And at one point, I hosted at a local library in a community room but again found the limitations… well, too limiting. Well, for years I’ve been admiring all of those gentlemen gamers out there who could have a dedicated gaming room, a place to regularly set up and host games. And soon that will be me!<br /><br />The new place I’m about to close on has a large well-lit garage with plenty of work space for projects and a large two-car garage worth of open area in which to set up tables and host games. It also has built-in shelves along one wall and extensive additional lighting overhead. I’m planning on turning it into a dedicated project area / gaming room. For a first step, I plan to paint the area and populate it with a few fold up tables over a carpet. I try to keep my initial goals modest.<br /><br />And I’m planning to have a housewarming event for as many of my local gaming friends as possible sometime in January or February 2009. So, here’s hoping to great success!<br /><br />A brief break down of the local November gaming meet:<br /><br /><blockquote>Sunday November 16th<br />MWS Meeting<br /><br />1. Game Rules: AK47<br />Genre: Modern 20th Century Conflict - Fiction<br />Mini Scale: 15mm<br /># of Players: 6 players, 1 referee<br />Opponents: 3 African dictators<br />Brief Game synopsis: Looked like fun. Seeing all the 60s<br />Soviet kit running around a shanty town was a blast.<br /><br />2. Game Rules: FWC (Future War Commander)<br />Genre: Science Fiction<br />Mini Scale: 6mm<br /># of Players: 5 players, 1 referee<br />Opponents: 3 Space Marine sides, 1 Eldar side, 1 Tyranid side<br />Game synopsis: This was the lcub's first playtest of FWC and we liked it. Some of us had played one of the rule set's predecessors BKC so we had an inkling of what was going to happen. The game, despite having five sides broke down into two fights nd went well. We all learned something about the game and had a good time. It also gave me the excuse to pull out my massive Epic collection and get the lead moving. Good fun for all.</blockquote><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Saturday!</span></div><div align="center">Good gaming to all of you out there!</div><br />Shabbat Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-69508570873072240542008-10-14T05:49:00.001-07:002008-10-14T06:17:41.078-07:00MINI WARGAMING: "Barbarians on the Bench" (14 October 2008)<div align="center">.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3tp46v8bLYnP7B5ig_ESaQ6xqTVLoy0duoYPHNA9SH9s-SfqcrN4IAXBJrz_FejDmKZ05onRgdZsz87jNtkejv9-QIkyIAidMzdJgcfSHiQ7gBDtDdXWopSTFPD9_Hs7FeHFvg/s1600-h/Ultimate-Barbarian_10-14-2008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256991312353747586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3tp46v8bLYnP7B5ig_ESaQ6xqTVLoy0duoYPHNA9SH9s-SfqcrN4IAXBJrz_FejDmKZ05onRgdZsz87jNtkejv9-QIkyIAidMzdJgcfSHiQ7gBDtDdXWopSTFPD9_Hs7FeHFvg/s400/Ultimate-Barbarian_10-14-2008.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Top: <em>Conan</em> says "Bring those Barbarians on!"</span></div>Hi Everyone,<br /><br />I've missed posting, but my camera has been on the fritz and the Jewish holidays hit so I've been rather occupied. I haven't given up on gaming and attended a 1920s Bootlegger Gangster game last week as well as the September MWS meet in which I played a zombie game.<br /><br />Dick wrote this about the September 2008 MWS meet:<br /><blockquote>Maks and Joe R. killed my zombie horde. Mostly with a flare gun, pistol, and a chainsaw. Maks's farm girl was the Lara Croft of the cornfield and Joe's Sheriff was unusually accurate for a small town lawman. Nice change of pace game.</blockquote>And Mark wrote this about last week's Bootlegger Gangster game:<br /><blockquote>The Gangster game was well attended. We had the kids (Dave and Pete), George, Mike McGraw, Mike O., Roger M., Maksim, and John all play. Not bad for a first time out. The gangsters rules will need a little more work and the scenario as well. Still, it was fun and got a lot of attention as being unique.</blockquote>And he wrote us this snippet beforehand:<br /><blockquote>So I will run the Gangster game this Friday. I have the trucks, figures, some buildings and 6 cobblestone sheets to be the streets. This is more a trial run of a game to be done again later.<br /><br />I actually have figures for 7 gangs if we get that many players. Two gangs will be made up of former cowboy figures that work, i.e., my Pinkertons, and the figures in long coats that hide their holsters, or that are only armed with a shotgun. The actual gangster figures are the Sepia gang, the Dorians (Primarily Grey), the Cat Litter gang, (Base flocking material), My Cops (Boys in Blue), and "Fat Guys and Dolls" (6 armed women with 4 fat guys, painted by my daughter Carly).<br /><br />Be there about 6 to start. Rules are a simple modification of <em>Legends of the Old West</em>, with Tommy guns added, melee simplified, movement and shooting order randomized and hopefully lots of prohibition gun play.</blockquote><p>The game turned out well for a playtest session and there was plenty of<em> rumbl'in</em> on the streets of our berg.<br /><br />My workbench has a couple of projects on it right now:<br /><br />1. 28mm Samurai<br />(…Jones'ing to do some <em>Oriental Adventures</em> again, played a game early this year and loved it. Might want to try a Clan Wars themed game…)<br /><br />2. 28mm Crusaders<br />(Also Jones'ing to do a Crusades game or a medieval siege with my Saracens. Hattin might be fun…)<br /><br />3. 28mm Pirates<br />(Been enjoying these guys for some time now… have played several historical games and am ready for fantasy pirates games next… building up undead and orc pirate crews)<br /><br />4. 28mm Barbarians AKA Picts AKA Celts AKA Gauls Etc.<br />(Bought a nice second-hand Minifigs army that needs to be re-based. I'd like to play WAB with it.)<br /><br />I've been mostly working on the Barbarians. I think I've watched <em>Gladiator </em>too many times now.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256991306779035618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkifU8fCfQycEeop52phfYMjlmyLEO4w7u7XwSUFQMIr7VgTkiioMCpYlVZ4YjevEGCfjXrY7CXhJ4mSMKbOP5N3YdA89l4OXktDQdvW2Vya53S0ff4dA-rFnu5A8smFHW7SQztg/s400/25mm-Barbarians-2_10-14-2008.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Top: Barbarians; They don't look like much...<br />...until a <em>zillion</em> of 'em swarm you!</span></p>And, of course, like every gamer out there, I have half a dozen other projects, but they are all in storage waiting for attention. I can't wait to do some more 6mm or 10mm sci-fi and AIW microarmor. Amazingly, I've kept some project discipline and have been cranking out minis this year. Monsterpocalypse also makes me want to break out the kaiju… LOL ;o)<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Tuesday!</span><br />And good gaming to you!<br /></div><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-11988343889063586612008-09-30T04:26:00.000-07:002008-09-30T04:50:08.207-07:00HOLIDAYS: Shana Tova! Happy 5769 New Year!<div align="center">. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251775239746732674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjur41jaVDgnDUf4lSOr4Nv0hzxNkTOLBxS3b77fQCI0eyi_olhXe5Z2TplzNCdq3cS8owGlagDiIzIuJbuwUC4skBV7CXp798rdfy1ZQxbi6dENbGAWebYBoBRcfTqZnmqqiocxw/s400/Blog-Rosh-Hashanah_9-30-2008a.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">TOP: It's customary to blow the <em>Shofar</em> on<em> Rosh Hoshanah</em>.</span></div>Hi Everyone,<br /><br />I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone and especially my Jewish readers a: happy, safe and prosperous New Year!<br /><br />The Jewish New Year began at sundown yesterday, Monday, 29 September 2008.<br /><br />The Jewish year is 5769 ...(Counting the years since the creation of Adam and Eve).<br /><br />The proper greeting in Hebrew for the Jewish New Year is<em> Shana Tova</em>:<em> Shana </em>means "year" and <em>Tova</em> means "good."<br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />May we all have a <em>Shana Tova!</em><br /></span></div><br />My friend <em>Yehuda</em> always has a a great way of expressing the right thoughts for the holiday:<br /><a href="http://jergames.blogspot.com/2008/09/happy-new-year.html"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://jergames.blogspot.com/2008/09/happy-new-year.html</span></a><br /><blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Let's all have a happy and healthy new year. This year, let's make peace with those with whom we've been meaning to make peace. This year, let's forgive those who don't deserve it, but against whom holding a grudge is doing more harm to us than to them. This year, let's start and finish at least one of those things we've been meaning to: a game, a story, a trip, a proposal, a business, a move, a routine.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">This year make the world better. Start with yourself. Then your family. Then your block. Then your community. Then your country. Then your planet.</span></p></blockquote><br />And my friend <em>Treppenwitz </em>AKA David puts it even shorter, but just as sweet:<br /><a href="http://bogieworks.blogs.com/treppenwitz/2008/09/a-simple-wish.html"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://bogieworks.blogs.com/treppenwitz/2008/09/a-simple-wish.html</span></a><br /><blockquote>... that this year should be a sweet one filled with health, happiness and prosperity.</blockquote><br />Here’s a little <em>Rosh Hashanah</em> primer for all of my non-Jewish friends and readers who don’t know the difference between <em>Rosh Hashanah</em> and <em>Riki Tiki Tavi</em>, but would like to...<br />— (from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah">Wikipedia</a>):<br /><div align="left"><br /><blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;">“The traditional greeting on Rosh Hashanah is “Shana Tova,” Hebrew for “A Good Year,” or “Shana Tova Umetukah” for “A Good and Sweet Year.” Because Jews are being judged by God for the coming year, a longer greeting translates as “May You Be Written and Sealed for a Good Year” (ketiva ve-chatima tovah).</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">During the afternoon of the first day occurs the practice of tashlikh, in which prayers are recited near natural flowing water, and one’s sins are symbolically cast into the water.<br /></span><a href="http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/tashlich.jpg" nicetitle="tashlich.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/tashlich.jpg" nicetitle="tashlich.jpg"></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Many also have the custom to throw bread or pebbles into the water, to symbolize the “casting off” of sins. The traditional service for tashlikh is recited individually and includes the prayer “Who is like unto you, O God…And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea”, and Biblical passages including Isaiah 11:9 (”They will not injure nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea”) and Psalms 118:5-9, 121 and 130, as well as personal prayers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Rosh Hashanah meals often include apples and honey, to symbolize a “sweet new year”. Various other foods with a symbolic meaning may be served, depending on local minhag (custom), such as tongue or other meat from the head (to symbolise the “head” of the year). Other symbolic foods are dates, black-eyed beans, leek, spinach and gourd, all of which are mentioned in the Talmud. Pomegranates are used in many traditions: the use of apples and honey is a late medieval Ashkenazi addition, though it is now almost universally accepted. Typically, round challah bread is served, to symbolize the cycle of the year.”</span></p></blockquote></div>And lastly, I want wish a special <em>Shana Tova</em> to two local gamers, <strong>Hal L.</strong> and <strong>George G.</strong>, who are both incredibly positive people, and have been bringing joy to my life every time we get a chance to game together.<br /><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-50199022619839614132008-09-19T06:09:00.000-07:002008-09-19T06:22:27.455-07:00COOL STUFF: Talk Like a Pirate Day 2008!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UMFPTG4Bh4uVRb66flyY_3O_sQw-pXPRZIuCvdAqNVzT41hOCsN3_pQ3ciQJLHUaaU7oR4OvOjURMBek3r_Mmw6Mtl_SYs-Vk7Zz4P7lCmjVIDAKL7QzAUJrb6jTDgsjmlpvVQ/s1600-h/Blog-Pirate-Flag-Rackham_9-19-2008.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247719514183264818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UMFPTG4Bh4uVRb66flyY_3O_sQw-pXPRZIuCvdAqNVzT41hOCsN3_pQ3ciQJLHUaaU7oR4OvOjURMBek3r_Mmw6Mtl_SYs-Vk7Zz4P7lCmjVIDAKL7QzAUJrb6jTDgsjmlpvVQ/s400/Blog-Pirate-Flag-Rackham_9-19-2008.bmp" border="0" /></a> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Top: Cap'n Rackham's colurs...</span><br /></div><div align="left">Ahoy Mateys,<br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Avast me hearties...</span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"><br />Ye best be rememberin that 19 September is thee annual Talk Like a Pirate Day!<br /></div><div align="left"><br />So's wherever ye are--at port, or out ta sea, or in the dungeon, don't ferget ta use yer best pirate voice at all times, or ye may end up tied to the yard arm, or in Davie Jone's locker at the bottum of da briney sea.<br /><br />Aaarrrrr... ye scurvy dogs, ye best folla da Pirate's code, or suffer yer fate.<br /></div><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Avast scum!!!<br /></span></div><div align="left"><br />Here be the link to the <em>Talk Like a Pirate</em> Web Site:<br /><a href="http://www.talklikeapirate.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.talklikeapirate.com/</span></a></div><div align="left"><br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247719529364089714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_XlH8LdSeTKvyyRROqLpo1UUdSXE_VOsssSJNY1ePSo9n4OajGTKPYJNmJkySClKw1f0dWnbIGVWbMc0Vz_QbU_GJdttL50GNBv1nT0retCS6J1QdRXQHxJNSp5UjS1Z8Br_mg/s400/Blog-Pirate-Wench_9-19-2008.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">TOP: And it wouldn't be a proper Pirate Day without......a gratuitous wench or two! Yaarrggghhh!</span><br /></div><div align="left"><br />Aaargh...Remember, those that go there during ye work time will have to waaaalk the plaaaank!!!<br /></div><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Yo ho ho...</span><br /></div><div align="left"><br />Shalom,<br />Cap'n Maksim "Peg-leg" Smelchak.<br /><br />P.S.<br />A hearty greet'ins to me mate, the right honurable Commander "Tas" of da Ozzie Navy!<br /><br />P.S.S.<br />One more hearty greet'ins to me mate, Cap'n Stephan "Poopdeck" LeFeb... whatever! Ahoy, mate!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-57920658761421292742008-08-26T19:09:00.000-07:002008-08-26T19:32:28.675-07:00HUMOUR: "Best Comeback Evah!" (26 August 2008)<div align="center">.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239015275336253314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdKvinbDhU_hYGEDrzNhFajs5eDgNECUii2hCBGLJkKyKtgHXiwz8AZrFDhYf5RPH6MHdrgxbp3wgA2KQ6zqTLsAJqRoNHIXK_sDesH3KjlEFP475fylfYvzW78M8wFBvC57KVg/s400/Blog-Clever-Cop_8-26-2008.bmp" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">Top: Clever cop doesn't put up with criminal lawyer guff...</span></div>Hi All,<br /><br />I've always had an odd sense of humour as anyone who knows me or follows my blog can tell you. My buddy<em> Leopold</em> sent me this one and I thought it well worth sharing. I stood jury duty earlier this year and wish we had a cop on the stand like this one.<br /><blockquote><p align="left">If you ever testify in court, you might wish you could have been as sharp as this policeman. He was being cross-examined by a defense attorney during a felony trial. The lawyer was trying to undermine the policeman's credibility... </p><p align="left">Q: 'Officer -- did you see my client fleeing the scene?'<br />A: 'No sir. But I subsequently observed a person matching the description of the offender, running several blocks away.'<br /><br />Q: 'Officer -- who provided this description?'<br />A: 'The officer who responded to the scene.'<br /><br />Q: 'A fellow officer provided the description of this so-called offender. Do you trust your fellow officers?'<br />A: 'Yes, sir. With my life.'<br /><br />Q: 'With your life? Let me ask you this then officer. Do you have a room where you change your clothes in preparation for your daily duties?'<br />A: 'Yes sir, we do!'<br /><br />Q: 'And do you have a locker in the room?'<br />A: 'Yes sir, I do.'<br /><br />Q: 'And do you have a lock on your locker?'<br />A: 'Yes sir.'<br /><br />Q: 'Now why is it, officer, if you trust your fellow officers with your life, you find it necessary to lock your locker in a room you share with these same officers?'<br />A: 'You see, sir -- we share the building with the court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been known to walk through that room.'<br /><br />The courtroom EXPLODED with laughter, and a prompt recess was called. The officer on the stand has been nominated for this year's 'Best Comeback' line -- and we think he'll win.</p></blockquote><div align="left">I hope to post some mini photos soon as well. I've played quite a few mini games lately: </div><div align="center">- 28mm Pig Wars (Hungarians vs. Irish vs. French)</div><div align="center">- 28mm Legend of the High Seas (pirates)</div><div align="center">- 28mm Warhammer Fantasy Battles (undead vs. orcs)</div><div align="center">- 10mm Alien Squad Leader (Bugs vs. Imperials)</div><div align="center">- And several more... </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />Just have to haul my lazy tush out to process the photos and write the gaming sessions up... LOL ;o)<br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Have a great Tuesday!</span><br />And good gaming to you!</div><div align="left"><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement). </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-54886202007789201482008-08-10T07:53:00.000-07:002008-08-10T08:13:38.470-07:00HUMOUR: "My Kingdom All But For a Cheeto..." (10 August 2008).<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232902516902168242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50D9MIJp6FbQuGmHLwiRvU9RHqd9ZgNv4_m3efJYb62uTK35aO6OHjD91FxKQYQ4hyphenhyphenKgBKPMjRy-tM8a_H_rSctvXTNtnzaUlK-11aeiRge0cLjth4RI1meEM7CkNyqb9A-hKvA/s400/Blog-Cheetos_8-10-2008a.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">TOP: Cheetos, they can really trip you up...</span></div>Hi All,<br /><br />I've always had an odd sense of humour as anyone who knows me or follows my blog can tell you. And one of my humour quirks is that I absolutely adore <em>"stupid criminal"</em> stories. There's something universally appealing about knowing that someone else out there puts your very own, worst personal gaffs to rest ...in very spectacular ways.<br /><br />One of my very favorite <em>"stupid criminal"</em> stories came from back East during the snow season quite a few years back... apparently several<em> "really stupid"</em> criminals got caught because they robbed a bank and then... walked back in the snow<span style="font-size:85%;"> (...leaving foot prints - Doh!)</span> back to their apartments. And you can guess that they were summarily caught and arrested. I get a warm feeling in my gut just thinking about that story. Call it <em>schadenfreude</em>, but I still enjoy it.<br /><br />Definition of <em>schadenfreude</em>:<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude</span></a><br /><br />But this story puts my favorite<em> "stupid criminal"</em> snow story to rest:<br /><blockquote><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Cops follow Cheetos trail to nail burglar suspects</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">August 7, 2008</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">ST. PAUL—St. Paul police followed a trail of Cheetos in order to nab three teenagers suspected of burglarizing a vending machine. Officers were called to the Arlington Recreation Center on July 29, where they found a vending machine's glass had been broken with a chair.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">Most of the candy and chips were missing, according to a criminal complaint in Ramsey County District Court.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">The officers followed the orange, dusty trail from the rec center, around the side of the building and to a nearby home. Inside, they found numerous vending-sized bags of Cheetos and other snacks.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">Police arrested three males aged 17, 18 and 19 who soon arrived at the home by car...</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">...All three denied being involved, the complaint says.</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Please follow the link below for the full article and not just an excerpt.</span></p></blockquote>Link to full story here:<br /><a href="http://ncane.com/b8uq" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://ncane.com/b8uq</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><br />I'll be out at the August MWSS meeting today playing Pig Wars in 28mm...<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Sunday!</span><br />And good gaming to you!</div><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-55108461470755216782008-07-24T05:44:00.000-07:002008-07-25T06:04:52.667-07:00MINI WARGAMING: "Battle of Basrah" (24 July 2008)<div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWi9SP5u3jX1BVmiDkMHYusxH0T37dJC9S4TnevPfLW6V0lsfaHmVXqtfr1BgmIV3CtCTsCJ-sAzUhOxCnTvM0SLAgoRkNkd9pcAQxzUlHNDzUPVVoZnRAortEKN-mWqkX4GzAw/s1600-h/MVC-669S.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226564432002618594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWi9SP5u3jX1BVmiDkMHYusxH0T37dJC9S4TnevPfLW6V0lsfaHmVXqtfr1BgmIV3CtCTsCJ-sAzUhOxCnTvM0SLAgoRkNkd9pcAQxzUlHNDzUPVVoZnRAortEKN-mWqkX4GzAw/s400/MVC-669S.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">TOP: Turn 1: An aerial view of the Battle of Basrah 1914-15... </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">...with Allies on the left and the Ottomans on the right.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Hi All,<br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Last Friday on 18 July 2008, a number of gentleman got together to play a colonial game, although a late colonial game from World War I. Mark Steinberg and Mike McGraw hosted. The game was loosely based on the actual Battle of Basrah from 1914-15 although the results (an allied defeat) much more resembled the Siege of Kut, the battle that followed Basrah in 1915-16. For those readers still gaining proficiency in geography, Basrah is located in modern-day Iraq.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">It was a great game with lots of beautiful terrain, a host of 28mm figures, a British armored car, several light artillery pieces, two massive river boats, the French Foreign Legion, plenty of Brits, plenty of Scots, Indian troops, Arabs, Askaris, Boers, and everything a colonial-minded gamer could adore. I had a fabulous time and it was a great way to spend a lazy evening.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Mark's notes:</span></div><blockquote><p align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Here are some photos of the BASRAH 1915 game. Players were Maksim, Tim, Mike McGraw, Mike O., Hal L., and Nils. I took the photos. Observers included Carl O., Jim C. and Mark Cuomo, Mikos, Mike S., Marcus, and George G.</span></p></blockquote><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">And the photos:</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226565212828738690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2tB6Qv5VZedI3sRTG5hL6EHjttlqgv_CEzGWGL911P-RP6eF6eJi2emkl4Te7NpAF6R_r_Sn4jn0bYAz_jcwgcMbUUww9r_GUtga99-CatHO1IspTSRAKgDrhpO9MKh_tUIMDQ/s400/MVC-681S.JPG" border="0" />TOP: By turn 3, the Allies (left) had taken considerable casualties.</span><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226564439098859794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3mq1A2MgZrz5kSuN0wg3XU5Z-QGBRLFReSgrZv3BNXWqT1R3R5v_yLHSW_1oqNzn9ndx76UiSAooHeUw9IRs5FkmrD0ArCvd03tvChDahNMzEQUsKCAfQ0HOdEU1oCqiSetIvg/s400/MVC-672S.JPG" border="0" />TOP: One of the mighty riverboats, that arrived too late!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226564440219494610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVPvxZUZaEDF3qYQFsd8rGEJZrxH8SlMUblDE697z3gRZzfaBAK99kJbOcq-k9904e1BzDsgDDPrJlwmdlPTrv6vhAY_bzc-OD_y4VFcqTYXNiC7JpyhjdCf2xbVvDwo-YSX6zQ/s400/MVC-673S.JPG" border="0" />TOP: The other mighty riverboat!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226564986123148834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cNvGhnbGrMmNjLi1lG0uYg151zatnL6UpIUicCC2tLJqUpkFsmaTrtkRwGnBOwtknTscYUp2Z4vQ-yxtN-vT1vi09gJsAZ9EewsZ0YXgsg4w0Qs7WHwQm_MEltpt0Cu5sk1y3w/s400/MVC-679S.JPG" border="0" /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">TOP: The two boats heading upriver to Basrah.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226564978228618834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuOlU9M4ewnYs8PkqVavzBX5hK_q_WmEwBZf0P_H3TTtJzt8S5l3fHwZ1sz7X4oazuoCz7XFvXwImC4czTqc10SRde8Cm_c8eBaXnbwcWp8vti-CXB-_cJ3GK6A5PxlpA38zwbg/s400/MVC-674S.JPG" border="0" />TOP: The mighty river itself!<br />Ottoman lines on the right.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226564433637977266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Y1AdZMBrwGf2lbyUVaOR29zcVivXW_7LfG1oB0hZ8BCfoYgbFasFiLubRd5jpAc6YMfG65PhyphenhyphenxIdMd8ixZNVKP-yB6mg56luUnokW6e29SgXNXvJBIEJyIBgvKlg4Dy4rLRZMw/s400/MVC-670S.JPG" border="0" />TOP: The Ottomans had the advantage of holding the town...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">And the Germans had vowed "...to fight to the last Arab."</span><br /></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226564435940428354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic46WQD_gsQ0y8L35-UyA6pHBV0cNXN18E7xb7t0rekn8_ntnD1tU7brgzPNzXZzG5B9TZPy0JgODy3EgjPCl0y7UClSykPOQqhmaTUbSODPaKdzlc2norKp_6pnUpVQ4CjafMmw/s400/MVC-671S.JPG" border="0" /> </span><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">TOP: Maksim's Arabs set up in a strong town building...<br />The fellows out of cover were quickly routed.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226564974867337618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAABsEqwQt2JX1ldxyB4vHcySLaSm2DTQ8xEi24XkJdKeBNpVAl_jIY2QEWcXtThwgTyrciq8aYFsG07NzFrautoGENcGRESFpY0RskS_duMqu7X8phWYb3g66KCh5FpW_QD0LYw/s400/MVC-675S.JPG" border="0" /> </span><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">TOP: The British forces were bolstered by an armored car (left).<br />It's machine gun tore up Ottoman lines.</span></p><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226564984836188978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKozhMo8Bk7o47d3IBF4nggM6DOcX_uqE60mVQ6Rin-91mXXc0qBqlc4DzVarvo1q4hvjFI0EHQmwKonh89oXdRLhTB7Rxw5N8vVlcDHu61njRQcbNwA-GwS11hGq79MvmvaDVKg/s400/MVC-680S.JPG" border="0" />TOP: The brave Scots troops charged Basrah with valor in their hearts...<br />...to no avail!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226564981327712066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqVaVOE7mil_2dRSHH28V45wzUppuTiyXKj1MoKmz9LvSchQV3S2g4qU9O9fOTAqLECjuiXMjn9dsj8RQPNkxLI1VCRwZd-vrP-A4LdrYPCBGWnVRlnXPlWmqtG3KVMfI3Nafvw/s400/MVC-676S.JPG" border="0" />TOP: A set of ruins in the foreground saved the Allies from a worse defeat.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226565212171559330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfb_3K3ONL1EIEypj6Ai_0NscJhtVYnA5QY0GOraGFN1e8cJ7mAE2Fxu3UyjUlz9gfPMSaARZCQN23QrheI2RGhqXMeh3Ir6HRCKYhSC0OqCXWAu4oDEt0fgHspdiPQ69NKcfMQ/s400/MVC-682S.JPG" border="0" />TOP: By turn 2, the Allied ranks had been decimated by rifle fire.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226565217022874258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9QHsP1PNk2neh1TwjPbKBFVk0G9iPtDY1683AHdJCABP8n6ueov-_JUAMpQHvr_CyqwQWM2Dee03T3hePRVikq_pr1k5Moz0ugzlF7PVvqaE6VfUbWkCFOR-uqMZvHbBFkOtYA/s400/MVC-685S.JPG" border="0" />TOP: But the Allies still held the rocky outcrops outside Basrah.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226565215908959490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGFR8cOrjXiWodCQcDt8RPymaRHL9iTcAFuqlTWhsrDTCuLK0Fg4LwYZH2jdYR3b1dQPtr0uBuO_zojorelvXWtjArcpV4UblohVZCjoOpDdJnLosLegeKCMH0e-lr8JkxEZLlQ/s400/MVC-686S.JPG" border="0" />TOP: Part of the motley crew of Colonial heroes!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The game itself went well and all had a good time, but the scenario was, perhaps tilted a little in favor of the Ottoman side since by turn two, the allied lines had been considerably thinned. In fact, the game was an absolute bloodbath with both sides taking roughly 40% to 70% casualties within just three turns! Next time, the Allies will receive more troops and the Ottomans less and we can see how it turns out!</span><br /></span><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Link to Battle of Basrah (1914-15):</span></div><div align="left"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Basra_%281914%29"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:78%;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Basra_%281914%29</span></a></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">First Link to Siege of Kut (1915-16):</span></div><div align="left"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Kut"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:78%;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Kut</span></a></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Second Link to Siege of Kut (1915-16):</span></div><div align="left"><a href="http://www.1914-1918.net/meso_bat3.htm"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:78%;">http://www.1914-1918.net/meso_bat3.htm</span></a></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Have a great Thursday!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">And good gaming to you!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Shalom,</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Maksim-Smelchak.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is</span> indeed an infringement).</span></div></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-9065298136547916172008-07-06T08:56:00.000-07:002008-07-06T14:29:24.898-07:00COOL STUFF: "An Outsider's View of Star Wars" (6 July 2008)<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCA30Nw6suodGOShfGuiPyfoRe7UUsXi8yTe-wcBK_dR2k9oY5lmcI7TBN8KBDHNv8ob-UsrzLussAy8DnxKQe2gI6X34ZiCXaxjly6v-v6bENZs-XLfOiG8bH1EyKxDPundbiTA/s1600-h/Blog-SW-Logo_7-6-2008.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220014642837262706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCA30Nw6suodGOShfGuiPyfoRe7UUsXi8yTe-wcBK_dR2k9oY5lmcI7TBN8KBDHNv8ob-UsrzLussAy8DnxKQe2gI6X34ZiCXaxjly6v-v6bENZs-XLfOiG8bH1EyKxDPundbiTA/s400/Blog-SW-Logo_7-6-2008.bmp" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">TOP: <em>Star Wars</em>, still a classic...</span><br /><div align="left"><br />Hi All,<br /></div><div align="left"><br />I can't imagine a world without <em>Star Wars</em>. While I was born before it came out, I was young <span style="font-size:85%;">(...and impressionable)</span> when it came out. I remember collected<em> Star Wars</em> figures of which my sister summarily beheaded as one of those sibling rivalry pranks we all do... I also remember playing <em>Star Wars</em> on the playground with other grade schoolers SO...<br /></div><div align="left"><br />When perusing my friend Yehuda's blog the other day ago, I was <em>SHOCKED</em> to discover that Yehuda had apparently <em>NEVER</em> seen the <em>Star Wars</em> film before! Yehuda's review is written as an outsider, someone not completely taken in by the<em> Star Wars</em> cult... which made it rather novel in my eyes. Here we live in a world where many UK citizens publicly declare their religion to be "THE FORCE" and Yehuda had still never seen the films, while living in the Western world... To gosh and beyond...<br /></div><div align="left"><br />Please enjoy this short excerpt from Yehuda's review and then find the link below to the entire <em>shebang</em>.</div><div align="left"><blockquote><p align="center"><strong>First movie (The Phantom Menace)</strong></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">This was a neat movie. The good guys and their light swords are ubercool. Obi-Wan, Qui Jon, Yoda, and Palpatine are all played well enough, although they don't exhibit much more than one-dimensional personalities. Padme is a feisty heroine, but she really doesn't have much to do or say in the movie. She just wanders around.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">It culminates in a battle to recapture the Naboo palace, and a wicked fight scene with light sabers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Unfortunately, the actors who play Anakin and his mother are pretty bad, as are some of the hokey lines of dialog. Some of the dialog is inconsistent. For instance, the mother lets Anakin go off with Qui Gon Jinn to be a Jedi, and then two seconds later Anakin asks if he can go. Du-uh.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The Trade Federation's droids are supposed to be menacing, but they're fairly ineffective and say a lot of things that don't make sense for a droid, such as "Uh oh". And there's a race of annoying aquatic people on Naboo who talk with Jamaican accents and blubber a lot, added as comic relief. They were dispensable.</span></p></blockquote></div><div align="left">I think Yehuda about summed up the <em>Star Wars</em> <em>Episode I </em>film in those few sentences. Jar-Jar Binks is pretty universally despised and "dispensable" seems just about right for him... maybe too kind. Uggh.<br /></div><div align="left"><br />The rest of his comments were fun too... it's just hard to know if Yehuda was being sarcastic or if his review is as sincere as it appears. It seems so hard to imagine that an adult male could have missed Star Wars altogether unless they were cloistered in a monastery, prison, or some other sort of similar explanation. Of course, Yehuda is also a dedicated family man and that's as good an excuse as any. But still... LOL<br /></div><div align="left"><br />Read Yehuda's review with all six <em>Star Wars</em> films here:</div><div align="left"><a href="http://jergames.blogspot.com/2008/07/review-star-wars.html"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://jergames.blogspot.com/2008/07/review-star-wars.html</span></a><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Have a great Sunday!</span><br />And good gaming to you!</div><div align="left"><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-12449069431909889352008-06-23T04:16:00.000-07:002008-07-05T14:31:33.732-07:00MINI WARGAMING: "Barbary Pirates Are Back!" (23 June 2008)<div align="left">.<br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215034860604321106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiu-x-E7VNwKeQQECLgcUGFksbpwd-lGvYouegJKpbwtpcuLVWeRyaR1sLc8RRBj7gUGW8t0VNVy1LOqB3xd8t0qWEEoLjE1pedGzb3XH4B4gW8AJEWVe-F25Rc2JC9f_gbqMeQ/s400/Minis_6-22-08_+014.jpg" border="0" />TOP: The workbench is<em> </em><strong>cluttered </strong>as usual!</span></div><div align="left">Hi All,<br /><br />Well, any weekend I get to work on the hobby is a good one and I was able to spend a good amount of this past weekend working on miniatures projects.<br /><br />The above photo is of a 1'x1' project board loaded up with models. On the far right is a <em>Flagship Games</em> resin ship loaded up with some of my 28mm undead pirate crew. To the upper left of the photo are some armored orcs that I picked up cheaply awhile back. And most of the rest of that project board is covered with orcs that I am converting to become a 28mm fantasy pirate crew.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />As a side note, I picked up the "project board" practice from an old gamer buddy of mine named Kris. He would buy a cheap sheet of chipboard and have it cut up into rough 1'x1' sheets. The typical 2' x4' sheet yields eight "project boards" They're sort of like building puzzles on a flat piece of card board. By working on the "project boards" I save my tabletops and they make it easy to move projects around. At any rate, I found it a good idea years ago and am still using them to the present day. Thanks, Kris!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />I've also been saving spare plastic 20mmx20mm mini bases for my fellow blogger and gamer, <em>Drunken Samurai</em>. If you've never checked out his blog, I highly recommend you do so. He does some pretty neat work.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><em><br />Drunken Samurai</em> URL located here:</div><div align="left"><a href="http://dspaintingblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://dspaintingblog.blogspot.com/</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br />Please excuse the low quality of the photos. I was having some difficulty with my digital camera and decided to go with low-quality shots rather than have none to share.<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215034847403530450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ztDqQiAYkvdyVro4mqOMR5MxUCKBeEv3S5ZGA0Uex6vQbGSfyMrU2WQ3lB7M4QjmyDHCmsIOAXKw7oYMArwtIxZGTWcYZN6JZkqf2CnNs0s_P8i0e6rIuU1GYtojFCVKNJpMNQ/s400/Minis_6-22-08_+004.jpg" border="0" />TOP: 25mm Barbary Pirate crew - mostly RAFM Ottomans and pirates.</span></div><div align="left"><br />Well, I'm up to almost 30 Barbary pirate figures at this point divided into two crews of fifteen men each. The above unit is mostly equipped with firearms. I got a deal on some old RAFM Turk and Ottoman figures so the latest acquisition really plumped out my <em>tiraleurs </em>(riflemen). The last batch proved difficult to work with, but this batch was a breeze. I'll update this post later with product numbers.<br /><br />I haven't found a good ship for these fellows yet, but I have an extra galley or two that might do the trick.<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215034853585886002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKDqMHIc27wy53vwdC9QaBIW8to6vAokgMZDoHjCbuerfMel3eC2bdfiDC16ju1sap6HVflxC4AUbhpK4Upi5qFsrj-RY3jCeK9g0cEPiYam7Hc9vbC5I-s3hHHH51REZeH8QWw/s400/Minis_6-22-08_+005.jpg" border="0" />TOP: 28mm Barbary pirate crew: mostly old RAFM.</span></div><div align="left"><br />The above lot is mostly a close-combat crew armed with cutlasses and various small arms. The two <em>gorilla-like</em> corsairs had their weapon swaps repositioned to stick straight up so that they'll rank better. The RAFM figures are definitely older 25mm ones and they are puny compared to <em>"heroic sculpts"</em> of 28mmm or larger scale.<br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215034856207852786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguI6i2Lra_60jwthWCmTPqnkRLyudA1mYZ-TEpK9d4ejWMdqGRyCh9cZKCdR-iUuQP5stC2J95-SGVHkHeIOIlwIJ9JuK025xR0d37dBHqseSgI4jllgxsvDAIdVRqmpPO5yzhgg/s400/Minis_6-22-08_+013.jpg" border="0" />TOP: 28mm armored orcs ... in need of headgear!</span></div><div align="left"><br />And the last batch if figures that I worked on have been orcs for my nephew Vincent's upcoming 28mm fantasy orc army. I picked up this batch of armored orcs used somewhere... I think that they are Harlequin / Black Tree although they might also be RAFM. I have a bunch of GW Bretonnian heads with nice medieval helms in my bitz box so I'm planning to add headgear to these fellows in the near future.<br /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Monday!</span></div><div align="center">And good gaming to you!</div><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-70607924860611864772008-06-19T05:39:00.000-07:002008-06-19T05:54:34.717-07:00HUMOUR: "Pilots & Mechanics: A Love Affair" (19 June 2008)<div align="center">.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLHjQMVZ0135CUiD8C1FAdn5DKRQUDW87uPbonWiKguIlKN_I-FVzFxFmfwIKNygHI7ZIslfxEHpfIK3GSZRFmECFzvE7bTzd2d71jJbrB2uhy4Q3dLlAG3QaLpP3sRj0pWa0UQ/s1600-h/Blog-UPS-Plane_6-19-2008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213571718498634338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLHjQMVZ0135CUiD8C1FAdn5DKRQUDW87uPbonWiKguIlKN_I-FVzFxFmfwIKNygHI7ZIslfxEHpfIK3GSZRFmECFzvE7bTzd2d71jJbrB2uhy4Q3dLlAG3QaLpP3sRj0pWa0UQ/s400/Blog-UPS-Plane_6-19-2008.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> TOP: <strong>UPS</strong> delivers anywhere, anyhow!</span></div>Hi All,<br /><br />My good friend Stephane Aramande sent me this one:<br /><br /><blockquote><p>Just in case you need a laugh: Remember it takes a college degree to fly a plane, but only a high school diploma to fix one; let that be a relief to those of us who fly routinely in our jobs. After every flight, UPS pilots fill out a <em>form</em>, called a <em>'gripe sheet,' </em>which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the <em>form</em> and then pilots review the <em>gripe sheets</em> before the next flight. Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor.</p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213571710447675650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21pwcDTxQLCm1UkokFZGhxPovFSHP55UHv9568AiGmgl0ecDTj3uN1ZTJB-hYAj8iCqo0wIFRVjme8nxEbP-bw_9MniKKIqY8sMeOXoYvoQ6scLjo_17Diu9q1RND3WCMxxfo1w/s400/Blog-UPS-Pilot_6-19-2008.jpg" border="0" />TOP: Those wacky men and their flying machines.</span></p><p>Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by UPS pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.</p><p>By the way, UPS is the only major airline that has <em>never</em> had an accident.</p><p>P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.<br />S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.<br /><br />*P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.<br />S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.<br /><br />*P: Something loose in cockpit.<br />S: Something tightened in cockpit.<br /><br />*P: Dead bugs on windshield.<br />S: Live bugs on back-order.<br /><br />*P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.<br />S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.<br /><br />*P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.<br />S: Evidence removed.<br /><br />*P: DME volume unbelievably loud.<br />S: DME volume set to more believable level.<br /><br />*P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.<br />S: That's what friction locks are for.<br /><br />*P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.<br />S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.<br /><br />*P: Suspected crack in windshield.<br />S: Suspect you're right.<br /><br />*P: Number 3 engine missing.<br />S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.<br /><br />*P: Aircraft handles funny. ...<br />(I love this one!)<br />S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right and be serious.<br /><br />*P: Target radar hums.<br />S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.<br /><br />*P: Mouse in cockpit.<br />S: Cat installed.*</p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">And the best one for last:</span></p><p align="left">*P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.<br />S: Took hammer away from midget.</p></blockquote>I always enjoy a good laugh... LOL<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Thursday!</span></div><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-33839902112258644342008-06-18T05:44:00.000-07:002008-06-18T06:16:41.666-07:00FUN VIDEOS: "Dance Off With the Star Wars Stars 2008" (18 June 2008)<p><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UkTQwP2gFxU&hl=en"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UkTQwP2gFxU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p><p>Hi All,</p><p>First of all, I'm sharing the above video, which I thought was really amusing. If the first two dance numbers are a tad annoying, please hold out for the third, Lord Vader comes out to do one of my all-time favorite <em>Michael Jackson</em> numbers <span style="font-size:85%;">(Forward to about the 3:00 minute mark if you want to skip the first two dance numbers)</span>. It worth it for no other reason than to see Lord Vader's head bobble in that characteristic <em>Michael Jackson</em> way... </p><p>I've also been keeping busy lately... but haven't forgotten gaming. The June <strong>MWS </strong>meet went really well with almost twenty attendees AGAIN!</p><p>We had three games:</p><ol><li>Starmada <span style="font-size:85%;"><br />(...in <em>"starship scale"</em> or some ridiculously puny number such as 1/3,000)<br />[Vince had set up a scenario between Chinese and German future fleets.]</span></li><li>Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) for Miniatures<span style="font-size:78%;"><br />(...in 6mm or 1/285 scale)<br />[Eric set up a WWII Western Front scenario with Americans confronting dug-in Germans.]</span></li><li>Hordes of The Things (HOTT) <span style="font-size:78%;"><br />(...in 15mm scale)<br />[Joe set up a cool little series of games with Orcs battling Dwarf Kings laden with treasure.]</span></li></ol><blockquote></blockquote><p>And despite not playing in any of the games, I had a great time. Gaming, for me, has always <em>really been</em> about friends, camaraderie, and having a good time. And the <strong>MWSS </strong>(Miniatures Wargaming Society of Sacramento) has really been delivering lately.</p><p>We have a new schedule too:</p><blockquote><p>The new schedule for the <strong>Miniature Wargaming Society of Sacramento</strong> is:</p><p>Day / Date /Time:<br />Sunday = 7/13/8 = 10am-6pm<br />Sunday = 8/10/8 = 11am-7pm<br />Saturday = 9/27/8 = 11am-7pm<br />Saturday = 10/18/8 = 12am-8pm<br />Sunday = 11/16/8 = 11am-7pm<br />Saturday = 12-20-8 = 12am-7pm</p><p>All meetings at the Carmichael Library located at 5605 Marconi Ave in Sacramento</p></blockquote><p align="left">I'm looking forward to gaming much more this year with <strong>MWS </strong>AKA <strong>MWSS</strong>. I hope to host a few more 28mm pirate games, maybe a few 28mm WAB games, and possibly a 6mm Kaiju / Godzilla game soon among my other wishes and long shots!</p><p align="left">I'm also excited to be going on a vacation trip to New York in the first week of July. I'll be visiting my uncle, some old friends, and even, perhaps, getting a <em>choice </em>game or two in. Here's hoping...</p><p align="left">And one other quick news tidbit:</p><p align="left">My buddy Tas in the land of Oz has re-started his old OGRE web site as a blog... find it here:<br /><a href="http://ogrerecognitionmanual.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://ogrerecognitionmanual.blogspot.com/</span></a> <p align="center">So, good gaming to you!<br /><span style="font-size:130%;">And have a great Wednesday!</span></p><p>Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.</p><p><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-21077568162264697582008-06-04T04:57:00.000-07:002008-06-04T05:52:24.552-07:00MINI WARGAMING: "May MWS Meeting & Life" (4 June 2008).<br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207996145645845266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7tHQKwPama0U9Zi2CkHWSQ8ozahMf2JxRz9lYWqzsZsXlDZjqwmLD9Gq0LBu7GeOzi9jZefNrGnhB-XZcGoh_KpMYnMRWpXTJhLIhWAl3aURh5psuF18bN9qDA7xqjSRZaiWQw/s400/Blog-Game-B-5_6-4-2008.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">TOP: A <em>Babylon-5</em> Centauri starship, the <strong>Primus</strong> battlecruiser.</span></div><div align="left">Hi All,</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />It's been a busy past few weeks... I have so much on my plate and gaming has been lower priority for the most part... <em>NOT</em> that I haven't been getting some in! I still have <em>some</em> priorities! May was a good month. The MWS meeting was pleasant and we had about sixteen attendees. Two games were run.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207996134537197890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTHZjzqRCFcL22Rn2ACgDTP0qsu_XrYXvdADtdrWo_35DcXZbfQG4oYrenQ2MBxRKVLMUG9fOldz_Si3oHzFQqgZ_MMtUsua9Ul79fuce4GqWyF0lNbHjaJ6vBin3XUy-wS1CEg/s400/Blog-Game-ASL_6-4-2008.bmp" border="0" />TOP: An ASL game... Without miniatures.</span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />The first game was a 6mm ASL (Advanced Squad Leader) miniatures adaptation game run by Eric, our local microamror houd (...other than myself, of course). He had an interesting WWII Eastern Front battle with Russians advancing across a river bridge against determined German defenders. The game went well and I was sorry I missed it. I did, however, get to help set up the board... nothing like placing some six-odd zillion littles trees down... LOL ;o) Thanks, Eric!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207996152838414530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AENg8MSg56aLjFnQLqyIPX4rwFh5S6Bfs3ZOerHD6j22EodfOzRNrPF0BrsLMKROu3yC03BBahvEkgpTWntlQQxSHGkhWL4KF_WqxBjym7La7l3msP0kwF8bdwIgT68y7pIHjg/s400/Blog-Game-B-5-WS_6-4-2008.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">TOP: A<em> Babylon-5</em> starship, a <strong>White Star</strong> destroyer.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />The second big game was run by Russel, a local Babylon-5 Starship Maniac, and was alot of fun. Russel is well-known by my friend Chern ,who recently had a birthday (Happy Belated Birthday, Chern!), and they often see each other at local gamign conventions playing B-5. I haven't played B-5 in ages (...probably at least two to three years ago with Chern) so it was alot of fun. Russel set up two sides, an Earth Federation side with lots of fancy hardware and a League of Unaligned Planets with Brakiri and Vree ships. I, of course, took a Vree battlewagon or two nd my side was... of course, slaughtered. The Earth ships have a great mix of defensive systems (interceptors) and offensive sytems (long-range missiles and powerful beams). Of course, it didn't help that my side lost nearly every initiative round. It was a great game and I really enjoyed seeing my friends and rolling the old "knucklebones" (dice).</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />On the miniatures front, I've been slowly and steadly pumping out 28mm orcs & pirates. This past weekend, I built some RAFM 28mm armored orcs as well as the beginnings of a 28mm orc & gobbo pirate crew. I will hopefully have some time to put out some photos soon...</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />In other news, Israel Independence Day or Yom Ha-Atzma'ut just passed and I enjoyed celebrating that.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />To learn more about the holiday, please check out this link:</div><div align="left"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Ha-Atzmaut"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Ha-Atzmaut</span></a></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />And to keep this post from becoming just a boring news spread, I'm sharing an amusing article I read on the Modern Crossfire Yahoo Discussion group:</div><div align="left"><blockquote><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207996118328853186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrUblA2CEggidIPDbj8YIBipj5Wwd8jnXM77Z8_eqqCbBJ0dtEK7A6e-indF31xfvvfYoX0ztKhBVb2sniAGRlTLbWHT_VZm-SiFWpJljy8bNNTA82bxnhFXKwdDmqGdRDY84rQ/s400/Blog-Gun-Moisin_6-4-2008.jpg" border="0" />TOP: The venerable Moisin Nagant rifle.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">AK-47: It works though you have never cleaned it. Ever.<br />AR-15: You have $9 per ounce special non-detergent synthetic Teflon infused oil for cleaning.<br />Mosin-Nagant: It was last cleaned in Berlin in 1945.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">AK-47: You are able to hit the broad side of a barn from inside.<br />AR-15: You are able to hit the broad side of a barn from 600 meters.<br />Mosin-Nagant: You can hit the barn from two miles away.<br /><br />AK-47: Cheap mags are fun to buy.<br />AR-15: Cheap mags melt.<br />Mosin-Nagant: What's a mag?<br /><br />AK-47: Your safety can be heard from 300 meters away.<br />AR-15 You can silently flip off the safety with your finger on the trigger.<br />Mosin-Nagant: What's a safety?<br /><br />AK-47: Your rifle comes with a cheap nylon sling.<br />AR-15: Your rifle has a 9-point stealth tactical suspension system.<br />Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle has a dog collar.<br /><br />AK: Your bayonet makes a good wire cutter.<br />AR-15: Your bayonet is actually a pretty good steak knife.<br />Mosin-Nagant: Your bayonet is longer than your leg.<br /><br />AK-47: You can put a .30" hole through 12" of oak.<br />AR-15: You can put one hole in a paper target at 100 meters with 10 rounds.<br />Mosin-Nagant: You knock down everyone else's target with the shockwave of your bullet going downrange.<br /><br />AK-47: When out of ammo, your rifle will nominally pass as a club.<br />AR-15: When out of ammo, your rifle makes a great wiffle bat.<br />Mosin-Nagant: When out of ammo, your rifle makes a supreme war club, pike, boat oar, tent pole, or firewood.<br /><br />AK-47: Recoil is manageable, even fun.<br />AR-15: What's a recoil?<br />Mosin-Nagant: Recoil is often used to fix shoulders dislocated by the previous shot.<br /><br />AK-47: Your sight adjustment goes to 10, and you've never bothered moving it.<br />AR-15: Your sight adjustment is incremented in fractions of minute of angle.<br />Mosin-Nagant: Your sight adjustment goes to 2000 meters, and you've actually tried it. </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207996096639723794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRfJ1t-SLduJo5K1Q6ktlUnUNqnvgBrmHfQzHIqu4Lg8hc3BlcYHSZyVjmWZZPkyPL3ASRV6xqJP_d4rFWfLVyHfG6oEc-NEYcwzX4PhPJLFcIQe7_F_aHiwd-96HZz0IKPifWg/s400/Blog-Gun-AK-47_6-4-2008.jpg" border="0" />TOP: The modern AK-47 automatic assault rifle.</p></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><p>AK-47: Your rifle can be used by any two-bit nation's most illiterate conscripts to fight elite forces worldwide.<br />AR-15: Your rifle is used by elite forces worldwide to fight two-bit nations' most illiterate conscripts.<br />Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle has fought against itself - and won everytime.<br /><br />AK-47: Your rifle won some revolutions.<br />AR-15: Your rifle drove Saddam out of Kuwait.<br />Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle won a pole vault event.<br /><br />AK-47: You paid $330.<br />AR-15: You paid $900.<br />Mosin-Nagant: You paid $59.95.<br /><br />AK-47: You buy cheap ammo by the case.<br />AR-15: You lovingly reload precision crafted rounds one by one.<br />Mosin-Nagant: You dig your ammo out of a farmer's field in Ukraine and it works just fine.<br /><br />AK-47: You can intimidate your foe with the bayonet mounted.<br />AR-15: Your foes laugh when you mount your bayonet.<br />Mosin-Nagant: You can bayonet your foe on the other side of the stream without leaving the comfort of your hole.<br /><br />AK-47: Any fool can be taught to field strip it.<br />AR-15: Anyone with an IQ over 160 can be taught to field strip it.<br />Mosin-Nagant: What's field stripping?<br /><br />AK-47: Service life, 50 years.<br />AR-15: Service life, 40 years.<br />Mosin-Nagant: Service life, 101 years, and counting.<br /><br />AK-47: It's easier to buy a new rifle when you want to change cartridge sizes.<br />AR-15: You can change cartridge sizes with the push of a couple of pins and a new upper.<br />Mosin-Nagant: You believe no real man would dare risk the ridicule ofhis friends by suggesting there is anything but 7.62x54 R.<br /><br />AK-47: You can repair your rifle with a big hammer and a swift kick.<br />AR-15: You can repair your rifle by taking it to a certified gunsmith, if it's under<br />warranty!<br />Mosin-Nagant: If your rifle breaks, you pick up another one.<br /><br />AK-47: You consider it a badge of honor when you get your handguards burst into<br />flames.<br />AR-15: You consider it a badge of honor when you shoot a sub-MOA 5 shot group.<br />Mosin-Nagant: You consider it a badge of honor when you cycle 5 rounds without the aid of a 2x4.<br /><br />AK-47: You can accessorize you rifle with a new muzzle brake or a nice stock set.<br />AR-15: Your rifle's accessories are eight times more valuable than your rifle.<br />Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle's accessory is a small tin can with a funny lid, but it's buried under an apartment building somewhere in Budapest.<br /><br />AK-47: Your rifle's finish is varnish and paint.<br />AR-15: Your rifle's finish is Teflon and high-tech polymers.<br />Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle's finish is low-grade shellac, cosmoline, and Olga's toe nail polish.<br /><br />AK-47: After cleaning your rifle you have a strong urge for a stiff shot of vodka.<br />AR-15: After cleaning your rifle you have a strong urge for hot dogs and apple pie.<br />Mosin-Nagant: After cleaning your rifle you have a strong urge for shishkabob.<br /><br />AK-47: After a long day the range, you relax by watching Red Dawn.<br />AR-15: After a long day at the range, you relax by watching Black Hawk Down.<br />Mosin-Nagant: After a long day at the range, you relax by visiting the chiropractor.</p><p></p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208004835054786898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFEx9wbLIx114-jW5j_U88OfDQfuPCzu-ZkrrQBmITUlJq7b3Vl9bhH_ykdlx1Qv2eRrN8EdutLTDMzrmuLlpBg_Ig6v70E_OLSmjEFIBXKM7XJ8sF_b4Csz78pIBh_VYCNt8Ug/s400/Blog-Gun-Stoner_6-4-2008.jpg" border="0" />TOP: The Stoner rifle, which later became the M-16 AKA M-4 series.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;">AK-47: Late at night you sometimes have to fight the urge to hold yourrifle over your head and shout "Wolverines!"</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />AR-15: Late at night you sometimes have to fight the urge to clear your house, slicing the pie from room to room.<br />Mosin-Nagant: Late at night, you sometimes have to fight the urge to dig a fighting trench in the yard to sleep in.<br /><br />AK-47: Your wife tolerates your autographed framed picture of Mikhail Kalashnikov.<br />AR-15: Your wife tolerates your autographed framed picture of Eugene Stoner.<br />Mosin-Nagant: Are there even photographs of Sergi Ivanovich Mosin<br />and Leon Nagant?</span></p></blockquote></div><div align="left">A link to the Modern Crossfire Yahoo Discussion group:</div><div align="left"><a href="http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/moderncrossfire/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/moderncrossfire/</span></a></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />And one more link to an interesting set of miniatures photos from the recent Enfilade gaming convention:</div><div align="left"><a href="http://max.velocity.home.comcast.net/~max.velocity/enfilade08/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://max.velocity.home.comcast.net/~max.velocity/enfilade08/<br /></span></a></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Have a great Wednesday!</span></div><div align="center">Good gaming to you!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />Shalom,</div><div align="left">Maksim-Smelchak.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-65642807641852663372008-05-14T05:23:00.000-07:002008-05-14T06:28:08.269-07:00COOL STUFF: "Star Wars in France!" (14 May 2008)<div align="center">.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200208933477013682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UugSRDYGWLq8120SsLAW8hQia-2a6lbfIp6Y0zljBIB7wqI8zYK8fBjqwdmraCWbWWwdsmLLwafv70k5-L2zMQ0jgzU0O_s6wxZUqHDFF8cvwmmD9PTZpJn8Yyp7Et5tVv0sOA/s400/Blog-Vader-Francaise_5-14-2008a.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">TOP: <strong>Darth Vader </strong>clearly knows how to... </span><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Dominate French apartment blocks.</span></div></div><div align="left"><br />Hi All,<br /><br />I had a busy weekend with <em>Mothers Day</em> and all, and barely got to touch my models. My mother and sister both love drinking tea and collecting tea cups and that's what we did... head off to a British tea house and have a tea party, from appetizers to horsdoeuvres and multiple courses of tea, of course, we did it all.<br /><br />In gaming news, my <em>28mm Barbary Pirates</em> crew is nearly done and I've started putting together a <em>28mm Orc-Gobbo</em> pirate crew. Thanks to the awesome folks at<em> Black Cat Miniatures</em>, I have a few new goblins, some excellent sculpts of some Gobbo natives and a few more <em>piratey greenskins</em> in tricornes with cutlasses and flintlocks. I hope to share pictures when available.</div><p align="left">I haven't written about <em>Star Wars</em> in some time although I have plenty of material to farm out when I have more time to blog again. There are some rumors that a new<em> Star Wars</em> television series will soon be coming out. I've heard conflicting rumors that the new series might be animated or live action. I have no idea as to the veracity of the rumors.</p><p align="left">The below link is very clever insertion of<em> Star Wars</em> characters and images into <em>still life</em> photos taken in France. I thought they were very clever and would invite you to take a look. I enjoyed them. I always knew that France always had a bit of <em>"evil empire"</em> lurking under its "<em>wine & snails</em>" exterior... LOL ;o)</p><div align="left">Link below:<br /><a href="http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1738796,00.html?xid=rss-topstories"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1738796,00.html?xid=rss-topstories</span></a><br /></div><div align="center"><br />============</div><div align="left"><br />This year, 2008, has also a tremendous year for history, between folks like Arthur C. Clarke, Gary Gyax, and so many others, we've really lost some major history makers. May they all rest in peace. One of the most recent deaths I heard of was of a woman named Irena Sendler, an amazing Polish-Catholic woman who represents what I find good in the world. You see, she rescued upwards of 2,500 Jewish children from the Nazi Holocaust. The Nazis later captured her and tortured her, but she was able to escape and has always taken pride in her actions to save those children. Her story is an amazing one and well worth reading.<br /><br />Link here:<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irena_Sendler"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irena_Sendler</span></a><br /><br />May Irena Sendler rest in peace.</div><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Wednesday!</span></div><div align="center">Good gaming to you!</div><div align="left"><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-23024356020836367542008-05-07T06:03:00.001-07:002008-05-07T06:23:47.690-07:00POSITIVE VIBES: Taxis & Happiness (7 May 2008).<br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197621084621332946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblDN7Mnx9k-qHsOEBxMG_wkZAFVMjmmMTSko38earVoh1IrsTp1oeEq4vWLH3R5agR8dQh4hx6V7c8tn9-FNbWziBqFVb0nlRG52Z1NK3ghSwE0wMNgLzzZMdEh7TGIhDfv2VZA/s400/Blog-Taxi_5-7-2008a.bmp" border="0" />TOP: One taxi ride away from happiness...</span></div><div align="left">Hi All,</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />We've all had many challenges in life and been down at times. I have, you have, it's part of the human condition... at some point, you have to be unhappy. However, that unhappiness is always relative. Your worst day may seem like a <em>wonderful day</em> to a soldier returning from Iraq. He or she is simply happy to be out of danger, with their family again, and enjoying the many blessings of living in the United States. I have a friend, Deborah, who is one of those positive people who always seems to be able to find the <em>"sunny side"</em> even on cruddy days when she's cranky and unhappy. I suspect that one of her <em>"pep-me-ups" </em>is to find positive stories and share them with her friends on the <em>Internet</em>.<br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />The story I'm about to share with you is one such <em>"pep-you-up"</em> that Deborah sent me...</div><blockquote><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Subject: Taxi's, Happiness & Compassion</strong></span></p><p align="left">Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, and then drive away. But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.<br /><br />So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.<br /><br />After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.<br /><br />By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.<br /><br />There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.<br /><br />"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said.</p><p align="left">I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.<br /><br />She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.<br /><br />She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."<br /><br />"Oh, you're such a good boy", she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"<br /><br />"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.<br /><br />"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a Hospice."<br /><br />I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter..<br /><br />"What route would you like me to take?" I asked.<br /><br />For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.<br /><br />We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.<br /><br />Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.<br /><br />As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."<br /><br />We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.<br /><br />Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.<br /><br />I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.<br /><br />"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.<br /><br />"Nothing," I said.<br /><br />"You have to make a living," she answered.</p><p align="left">"There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and<br />gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.<br /><br />"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said.<br /><br />"Thank you."<br /><br />I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.<br /><br />I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?<br /><br />What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?<br /><br />On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.<br />We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.<br /><br />But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.<br /><br />PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT 'YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT~ THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.</p></blockquote><p>I have no idea if the story is real or simply an anecdote. Truthfully said, I'm not sure if it matters.</p><div align="left"></div><div align="left">And if I didn't mention it, Deborah is legally blind... yet she <em>"sees"</em> far more than I ever seem to... LOL ;o)</div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Have a great Wednesday!</span></div><div align="left"><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-50794848363438795222008-05-03T11:52:00.000-07:002008-05-03T12:11:20.252-07:00MINI WARGAMING: Simple Trees (3 May 2008)<div align="center">.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196227310933448994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNaKWTmd8bkhjpVvOXSyH9q4xi7U5rMQo8SijvJKXLpDVygjxrdkU8YUyyFVGXyJmV6xdOrLGx-JPgt9QoEAM5Oh-Ubn4a1-uSLQ8BBVRjOL2vj5ZU18xh0-LiLYAjd3aVSSdAw/s400/Max-Minis_4-27-2008_+009.jpg" border="0" />TOP: A few 28mm Arabs with some cheap plastic trees in the background.</span><br /><br /><div align="left">Hi All,</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />I actually made these trees awhile back, but I took a few photos during my last shoot...</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />One of my favorite kinds of terrain is cheap, simple, quick-to-assemble terrain... Plastic trees, cactus, bushes and the like aren't so hard to find... <br /><br />They often come with cheap toy packets, cake decorations, party favors, and many other sources. <br /><br />I found this tree in a bin packaged with cactus and a few other pieces of foliage and it cried out to be mounted on washers with some pebbles and sand to give it a good foundation. The tree looked a bit funky before so I nipped off a spare branch and made it into a new tree.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />I've found all kinds of trees over the years: evergreens, palms, oaks, those tall, skinny ones (forgot the name), and many more.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196227633055996210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivYR5KCbSvVp3GWdjAuQjjJqoLSao9X4oYgu3X3nz3xx2x7FhAfUSzlrHlv9yt8Kbihi2lcSheAmjZwqcg-mM6b9z0U6bzapmNUzyP_YDenBnZwJ0a-EOTgBjWZaoVcpzViZWHA/s400/Max-Minis_4-27-2008_+006.jpg" border="0" />TOP: The main tree on a 1&1/2" washer.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196227847804361026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAAbeJblhb0_9oN5p7-aPkk5cD2De0U4JV3-cLw-YCnlvT-sjPCD6RVll8FulwM0QZ-zOHtEVaHRWQODg0ybojhmUdDewM6Cb_kUr-xzM9XEXpCZ4xvKiKyi70b09ZvX-AGc4gA/s400/Max-Minis_4-27-2008_+007.jpg" border="0" />TOP: The "nipped" branch on a 1" washer.</span></div><div align="left"><br />May your gaming be good and...<br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Have a great Saturday!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And <em>Gut Shabbos</em> to my Jewish readers</span>!</span></div><div align="left"><br />Shabbat Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-68567453396954072992008-04-27T09:36:00.000-07:002008-04-27T16:42:47.222-07:00MINI WARGAMING: 28mm Barbary Pirates (27 April 2008).<br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193966599062624530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jOE-rIBKkrn8Ix_JpS6_hyphenhyphenzJHtpUkbYtH3oFMXspLZdE1-gDQjTF80rxDvhQcLOpDynniTpfuXOM-D0UuQGzRUTVTP-DD-IwqZXOSBLPCMxfZDGDyPGKdHyCyvkHR943nE6bIw/s400/Max-Minis_4-27-2008_+014.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">TOP: My work bench is as cluttered as ever!</span><br /></div><div></div><br /><div>Hi All,<br /></div><div>Sorry for not having updated recently... as I might have previously mentioned, I've put most of my efforts into finding a new job and pay dirt finally hit. After going to what seemed like about a <em>million</em> interviews, I <em>finally</em> got picked up and started a new job just this past week. It's a good job and came with much better pay, a shorter commute, and a great, new boss. In other words, I'm very happy and that means I can start putting my <em>"job search" </em>energy back into my blog! Huzzah!</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>Gaming has been good and the April MWS meeting was nothing short of fantastic. We had something like six games, which I'll have to write about later. Several of the local guys have taken a keen interest in FOG (Field of Glory), Osprey's new ancients rule set. That excites me since I've put alot of energy in to building some ancients armies this year, specifically a Samurai army, a barbarian army, and an Arab army. I'm looking forward to getting those minis into action!</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>Among my gaming musing lately has been the 28mm pirate project I've been working on. I now have a goodly-sized 28mm undead pirate crew built to complement my historical crews. I have also got an Orc / Goblin crew planned, but only a few fellows built so far. And the latest idea to captivate me has been the idea to build a 28mm <em>Barbary Pirates / Corsairs</em> crew and ship. I still have now firm idea what to use for a ship since the <em>Xebec</em> is so distinctive and noone makes a perfect match in 28mm that I'm aware of yet; I might just have to scratch-build one... </div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>I posted in several forums soliciting advice:</div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>Here:</div><div><a href="http://forum.backofbeyond.de/viewtopic.php?t=5148"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://forum.backofbeyond.de/viewtopic.php?t=5148</span></a></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>And here among others:</div><div><a href="http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=140000"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=140000</span></a></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div>But enough of my writing, please allow me share some minis photos with you:</div><div></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193965409356683458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dKUZDuBzOjk9jUThCeQt2FrRTR5fGhs54b_legXqNhzi79hqVjaDUxKEQs8U6rpq_pCMhvh7-SXAdqt0lFOwyFh1XjH6v2whc2x7aVd7lbOJ5rAqK_N-JLr7jje6xGubOyKzVg/s400/Max-Minis_4-27-2008_+001.jpg" border="0" />TOP: Three RAFM Corsairs...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div align="left">My find of three packs of the above minis are what inspired me to start a Barbary Pirates / Corsairs project. The package was labelled RAFM <strong>JT-10 CORSAIRS</strong> and came with three crewmen. The kneeling, be-turban'ed fellow on the left is armed with a musket. The center fellow is a truly gruesome sculpt with an oddly proportioned body (huge head, <em>Popeye</em>-like arms, etc.), but nevertheless I like 'im! His left hand comes with a pistol while his right has an oddly positioned knife. I think I'll be modifying him. The fellow on the right looks more properly Colonial Egyptian with a fez, baggy clothes, and a cutlass. Again, I think I'll play with some weapon swaps with this guy and perhaps reposition his head.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />With the exception of the middle guy, the other two figures are decidedly old-school 25mm and wouldn't fit in perfectly the the overgrown scale-creep 28mm pirate figures made by most manufacturers these days. However, I'm not so picky so they'll do fine by me... even if some of their crew mates will have been obviously eating their <em>Wheaties</em> and genetically modified <em>"Frankenfood."</em> </div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193965619810080978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIW9A2cS8iF2QFKK-ZvOwNWREF3NmLA8XWOBqYg_U2ythXvYcW3AQBDrPjkJQhQasdbJCDxKhMN-eeQWHyJsRH2iyrDNC-YHvb-foz-79VK5BxUSzWfXs2MG9QR8DBoLMEvfhNw/s400/Max-Minis_4-27-2008_+003.jpg" border="0" />TOP: A mix of motley old North-African & Arab sailors...</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div align="left">The above three figures have come from used bins and off trades for some time. The fellow holding a small chest of loot on the left is unidentified although he looks like an old 25mm Hinchcliff to me. The fellow in the middle is Ral Partha and he needs a new spear tip, of which I have a few waiting in my bitz box for him. And the fellow on the right who looks suspiciously like <em>Sinbad</em> came from a 1980's Grenadier line if I'm not mistaken. </div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193965873213151458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYf9Azz7uw9nOZFTMJuhFl55LdcTOQlytFi8qQOQ0ZKqORYF90Tp-OxoelW_g3vTLwkJ2bII3UUK-9Kh7AexAeASQsqwGVuve9pV3w2KdD5FlqZSYKVmdJSwKKFpsT9BLhnEWVyQ/s400/Max-Minis_4-27-2008_+005.jpg" border="0" />TOP: 28mm Sudanese Spearmen...</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div align="left">My Arab WAB army is all but done with nearly 95% of the figures painted. I'm re-basing some off of fender washers onto some Litko 20mmx20mm's that I ordered. These 28mm Sudanese Spearmen are probably Artisan and Gripping Beast, but I'm not sure which are which. While they are meant for 28mm WAB <em>El Cid</em>, I'll have them double up for <em>Crusades Saracens</em> as well... And who knows, a few might even join the <em>Barbary Pirates</em>...</div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193966109436352754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-r9ySoBWabdncBVOa60KDGfHaXVjrOPXsSAMaZe-0WKmSC-GF7Sv-0VbTqpyox6xeKL3C4GXfd1w_g-hTT9CJyO4kLgjh1VQ3rS67d9eu9jBh-9R69eKPVTNVk1_vajBl_rgXg/s400/Max-Minis_4-27-2008_+009.jpg" border="0" />TOP: Another batch of old Arab warriors... </span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div align="left">The above based lot have come from a variety of trades and flea markets. I have no idea who manufactured them except for the un-primed fellow leading the unit. He is Gripping Beast and out of a command pack if I'm not mistaken. Behind the Arab warriors, are some cheap plastic plants I based on fender washers.</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193966401494128898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bpW_qTnZqJIkgAcqqXBakOrN5KY_VhC8eezSwWARlNJ6a6bmSHF_LS_scFDRXwsC1JxktNqBRKXdkMgL4Re3djKP1Onk0I9s81yk_3PhIEkD1u7QB2LKN4aEbCavjcG1M2kJdw/s400/Max-Minis_4-27-2008_+013.jpg" border="0" />TOP: The un-washed (...and un-primed) masses of undead pirate crew...</span><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div align="left">And lastly, the last photo is of some undead pirate crew along with Flagship Games ships in progress. The crew come from a variety of sources including Reaper, Black Cat Minis, Moonlight Minis and others.</div><br /><div>May your gaming be good and...</div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Sunday!</span></div><br /><div align="left">Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-37760957711022978202008-03-23T18:37:00.000-07:002008-03-23T20:22:39.817-07:00MINI WARGAMING: "28mm Undead Pirate Crew Work" (23 March 2008)<div align="left">.<br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181118139481819762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2hQgLMftmsdSwFMh4q1FtxLL3TO7R9SzWnPZ7QDMutxsSRiNXyIdV-JxT7OjbSdrVDHhbwa6IHTn6mGFLMKlUy2eUJaPlf_hLW9mWqVJgCB70eXwzHV1bkt_NmQ3D2_tyNiJ6Q/s400/28mm-Undead-Pirates_3-23-2008_+013.jpg" border="0" />Top: Two <strong>Black Cat Minis</strong> skeleton captains.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">One is customized with a GW militia pistol.</span></div><div align="left">Hi All,<br /><br />It's been awhile since I last posted... I've had alot going on. Prime among those obligations has been a job search. I feel like I've been to a thousand interviews, when in reality it's only been a few more than a dozen. With any luck, I'll hear back from one of the better options later this week and may be moving to a new position soon. My references have been checked and I've submitted work portfolios so here's hoping. Please wish me luck.<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181119453741812434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJHXp535Msrvaonl_y_Wx72Ij98JOqYnBh7I0_eAGMjZyAyACK1BimV-mgfLL3hjZPhPtsP7z5pRPBpA-QUOfps5XCt7F2jyUmwDGc2myJcNAQgaJ58OqDOp5OokH7zuptAAhxA/s400/28mm-Undead-Pirates_3-23-2008_+023.jpg" border="0" />Top: Two <strong>Reaper</strong> Razig characters.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">One is customized with a <strong>GW</strong> militia cutlass.</span></div><div align="left"><br />On the <em>gaming front</em>, I've been keeping busy with the local MWS gaming club... But the majority of my effort has gone into 28mm pirates. I volunteered to host a <em>28mm pirate game</em> this month at MWS and <em>DID!</em> I wanted to give <strong>LOTHS</strong> a whirl, but I didn't have enough time to learn the system so we went with a very simplified fast version of <strong>Pirates!</strong> from <em>Flagship Games</em>. The game went really well and there were six players plus myself game-mastering. I ran it as a very simple <em>beer & pretzels</em> historical pirate bash. And true to form for <strong>Pirates!</strong>, the fellows on the smaller ships all ganged up to try and work Greg M, in the hulk. Greg was a great sport about it and I want to give my thanks to Don, Greg, Mike O., Harry, Joe and Mike W. I also owe a hearty thanks to Nils who lent me his Asian pirate ship.<br /><br /></div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181117933323389538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7JjUoDIDvHNdSW6kvAzOy5cF3wPW4dpM98c8g3rpEXNeLY4gi0Ev5auRIC5y0nBJx5rtIMGDTmUb1qd5Aff_01ygRbhzf5BKZCeUmVKFTNxvLD2kfyhOYsohr5yW74ELsX59Xw/s400/28mm-Undead-Pirates_3-23-2008_+012.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">Top: Another shot of the <strong>Black Cat Minis</strong> skellie captains.</span></p><p>Mike O. wrote this about the game:<br /></p><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">Maksim ran his <strong>Pirates!</strong> game using a very simplified version to try out the game at theclub. Several of us had a <em>rousing good</em> <em>time</em> shooting up Greg M.'s ship!</span></blockquote>This weekend I've been working on my 28mm fantasy undead pirates since my game finally passed. During the weeks leading up to the <strong>Pirates!</strong> game I hosted, I exclusively worked on my historical pirate crews and let the fantasy ones sit neglected. So, this weekend I pulled out the 28mm undead pirates and went to town. About a year or two ago, I first became interested in doing a <em>28mm undead fantasy army</em> and at the time, one of our local gaming shops had a huge <em>clear out sale</em> on <strong>Reaper's</strong><em> 28mm Razig undead pirate faction</em> so I bought out the lot. While I got a great deal, I also got alot of doubles and even triples of the <em>rank & file</em> and character minis. That's not such a problem for <em>rank & file</em>, but having three of the same character running about the board always looks odd so I planned to build one stock version of each character and customize any extras. I primarily used some odd metal bitz from my collection and alot of GW plastic sprue bitz from the <em>Vampire Counts</em> <em>skeleton, zombie</em> and <em>Empire militia</em> sprues. A last note is that all of the <em>undead pirates</em> are based on <em>resin deck basing</em> from <strong>Black Cat Miniatures</strong>.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181119221813578434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR70Ewsas-4xzZGYyUjSqfefa7DjD45aWBubdEP0dLSUgJ2cxOTaXnhTkCFPjei06DEJEPMPBBqubKlc3FDpTykXkP_PfZwDUVGVgueG_eI6DmY_6RZGjc5vS3OSniMOVyOuudow/s400/28mm-Undead-Pirates_3-23-2008_+024.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">Top: Two <strong>Reaper </strong>Razig characters.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181118362820119170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfmNEeImWcGop9wnys_QTUhae035hUZX1JmaW1N6GM5QWtpQbf70sRb6d0em9wzUoISEgC3jk6cRBGSveb_5fJie-kMkiEQE4KzigadNIwEvDTiPsQ5t4DUJoiaAAl40LwQLxow/s400/28mm-Undead-Pirates_3-23-2008_+014.jpg" border="0" />Top: Two more <strong>Reaper </strong>Razig characters.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181118560388614802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HCjCRaMP23kS-a7r8vu404Zh_lVQs-qzx_j-zHVUxID-HDxd040V2_tUo-CXJ4HLhP-uH1_mYsRdOEzZb4Va0r_TB-FeICmUiSQPADlcOv6jH8gdg5Ji2kfwLtN4IhmaHrR6KA/s400/28mm-Undead-Pirates_3-23-2008_+016.jpg" border="0" />Top: A back view of two <strong>Reaper </strong>Razig characters.</span></div><br />I also bought at least two packs of <em>Razig's Chain Gang</em>, which I didn't care much for, but I figured would mod up well. And they did.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181117259013524034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zB-wRUukxIgGBGsrz1jyS2_zl-mfiLunaawaexBUKWgPGypPCg5J5NhbjRif-a2r9olk0l-0LmSy1hmeFUbOxmE5r1yNgdFvY1BpLOMxnH73xzP2hszas3EhproKuSw43QX1ZQ/s400/28mm-Undead-Pirates_3-23-2008_+009.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">Top: Two originally identical mod'ed <em>Razig Chain Gangers</em>.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181117679920319058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKD4Ioab2BGNXkzd_ORbi31W2TRpXk_T2zhbn4qdYEae0ZtaldnRh2W7PhdZKrYFPiBY25IZIGH5orlz9EpoCrXZx5GmOf1nsQq74oc1WXA1kr6-XjGubHgPrbnrjkqWy7UwbV1w/s400/28mm-Undead-Pirates_3-23-2008_+011.jpg" border="0" />Top: A view with a watch lantern in full view.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181118762252077730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTD8Vk0nEgj7q2-KLTE7JE0PCPYDEJi7JGftNtDCwr33qJ9yixtDfTx_vk3SmDeSPrY-eArAVxxVmA0CYZ21dbO1JOjk4hen8931fLTyLCxYDxbeXgLvSylXCXQ-QkLIFRsEq0ww/s400/28mm-Undead-Pirates_3-23-2008_+017.jpg" border="0" />Top: Another two <em>Razig Chain Gangers</em>.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181118972705475250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1TtMOxIz161xqFiXh9T3FXlCSzZjRwfznFkc9ApydEE83BAkSEh6ekgEigw_DmC8wVo0AoWHSMGx2CptUdELqifK-N3LbsjXWKxGsO5sACjc_5MB6G-2Dg71r4A3P2ruwEfzU7g/s400/28mm-Undead-Pirates_3-23-2008_+020.jpg" border="0" />Top: The last two <em>Razig Chain Gangers</em>.</span></div><br />Good gaming to you, reader!<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Sunday!</div></span><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-83228703447171993332008-03-06T05:34:00.000-08:002008-03-06T05:54:41.600-08:00GAMING NEWS: "Gygax Gone" (6 March 2008)<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6jou4GFcJubpaG8MiulmkxyonqdEzVbaCyEXCsV0wa5wmkH9WfIYcsDFLfr6I-Jkq3rmwjoFO71Q5E8GtEwbx6EBUZ4k7miskUW3hX-Yefq9cf_jQI6klyJNf6B6l0l8TWHCtw/s1600-h/Blog-Gary-Gygax_3-6-2008a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174621863766959650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6jou4GFcJubpaG8MiulmkxyonqdEzVbaCyEXCsV0wa5wmkH9WfIYcsDFLfr6I-Jkq3rmwjoFO71Q5E8GtEwbx6EBUZ4k7miskUW3hX-Yefq9cf_jQI6klyJNf6B6l0l8TWHCtw/s400/Blog-Gary-Gygax_3-6-2008a.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">TOP: Gary Gygax Passes Away. RIP. (4 March 2008).</span></div><p>Hi All,<br /><br />Like alot of folks out there, I was a big <strong>Geek</strong> growing up in the 70s and 80s. Games and particularly fantasy RPGs (Role Playing Games) were huge. I studied Mythology and D&D side by side... I figured the <strong>1rst Edition Monster Manual</strong> was at least as good as <em>Edith Hamilton</em>, <em>D'Aulaires</em>, or <em>Bullfinch</em> (...big mythology names).<br /><br />And just the other day ago, we lost one of the big names who helped put fantasy RPGs on the map, <strong>Gary Gygax</strong>. It's pretty hard for us early D&D maniacs to imagine a D&D without <strong>Gygax</strong>... he wrote so many early novels, rule books, and left the mark of his distinctive prose across so many fun fantasy products. He could be controversial too... and he wasn't always known for being kind to his partners. I've had a chance to meet <strong>Dave Arneson</strong>, one of those legendary early partners, and it's hard to imagine D&D without those early <strong>Titans</strong> of the RPG industry. I also got to meet <strong>Gygax</strong> at a gaming convention way back when and I'm glad I had the chance to thank him. My childhood friend <em>Ian Hess </em>and I used to think of him as a missing entry from the <strong>1rst Edition Deities & Demigods</strong> book...<br /><br />Rather than wax on, I'm going to leave you with a few words and two links, one from<strong> TMP</strong>, and the other from <strong>Jeff Rients</strong>, who has some excellent advice how to celebrate <strong>Gygax's </strong>life.<br /><br />So first my words and then the links.</p><div align="center"></div><div align="center">For good and bad, thank you, <strong>Gary Gygax!</strong></div><div align="center">May you keep rolling 20's in a a better place!</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Rest in Peace.</span></div><br />TMP link here:<br /><a href="http://theminiaturespage.com/news/347221/"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://theminiaturespage.com/news/347221/</span></a><br /><br />Mighty<strong> Jeff's </strong>link here:<br /><a href="http://jrients.blogspot.com/2008/03/dont-mourn-death-celebrate-life.html"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://jrients.blogspot.com/2008/03/dont-mourn-death-celebrate-life.html</span></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Thursday!</span></div><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-63074761401246946482008-02-27T19:35:00.000-08:002008-02-27T20:12:19.644-08:00GAMING NEWS: "LOTHS Is Here!" (27 February 2008)<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuohyphenhyphen7lwR_dB6hrOmTPj4a81CXmX2Pi1VHkTaFWx6dbieEidbWfKi9qTUGwx_clapfMrHpMeYoRdCAr7HdadGJGImTQ5BgPu_yeYuYZ4V7c6oqdimhNxCrVgDKuDXIoJUnQ-eNQ/s1600-h/Blog-LOTHS_2-27-2008a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171870194567451442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuohyphenhyphen7lwR_dB6hrOmTPj4a81CXmX2Pi1VHkTaFWx6dbieEidbWfKi9qTUGwx_clapfMrHpMeYoRdCAr7HdadGJGImTQ5BgPu_yeYuYZ4V7c6oqdimhNxCrVgDKuDXIoJUnQ-eNQ/s400/Blog-LOTHS_2-27-2008a.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">TOP: LOTHS is a <em>mighty fine</em> tome!</span><br /><p align="left">Hi All,</p><p align="left">Well, my copy of <strong>Warhammer Historical Legends of the High Seas</strong> (LOTHS) came in today and I'm very impressed with it. The production value is very high and after a few glances, I still have yet to find a typo. Another bonus is that the language is understandable and lavishly illustrated with diagrams. And for us <em>miniature mavens</em>, the most important detail of all is there... it is richly filled with photos of <em>well-painted</em> 28mm miniature pirates, pirate ships, and terrain.</p><p align="left">After a cursory reading of it, I'm also impressed with the rules. They aren't quite as fast-play as <strong>Pirates!</strong> from <em>Flagship Games</em>, but they are about as quick-play as I think anyone could make a game using the <em>Warhammer </em>engine. The color text and character rules for heroes and the like are well-done... I can't wait to give them a good run-down at my local club. The campaign rules also look to be very entertaining. However, like most <em>Warhammer</em> games, <strong>LOTHS</strong> is a D6 based game. I've never liked the probability range on a D6 or even 2D6, but that's small price to pay for such a well written and produced rule set.</p><p align="left">I ordered my copy from <em>Black Scorpion Miniatures</em>:</p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/</span></a></p><p align="left">And took advantage of a deal to not only get <strong>LOTHS</strong>, but also two <em>FREE</em> minis as a promotional deal: a cabin boy and a captain! I would like to commend <em>Black Scorpion Miniatures</em> for excellent service.</p><p align="left"><strong>LOTHS</strong> has its own <em>Yahoo E-group</em> here:</p><p align="left"><a href="http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/LotHighSeas/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/LotHighSeas/</span></a></p><p align="left">And I couldn't write about 28mm pirates without mentioning two of my other favorite pirate manufacturers:</p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.flagshipgames.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.flagshipgames.com/</span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.blackcatbases.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.blackcatbases.com/</span></a></p><p align="left">I have received excellent service for many years from <em>Flagship Games</em> and over the last year from <em>Black Cat Bases</em>. Most of my ships are <em>Flagship Games</em> beauties and most of my newer crew will be based on resin bases from <em>Black Cat Bases</em>. Long live the Pirates!</p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Wednesday!</span></p><p align="left">Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.</p><p align="left">P.S.<br />I also wanted to mention the awesome new 28mm pirate ship that my fellow 6mm miniatures fan, Kieran made. Link here:<br /><a href="http://6mm.wargaming.info/page1010.shtml"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://6mm.wargaming.info/page1010.shtml</span></a></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-17344892342447078062008-02-26T06:47:00.000-08:002008-02-26T06:52:50.309-08:00FUN VIDEOS: "Star Wars According To a 3-year-old" (26 February 2008)<p align="left"><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EBM854BTGL0&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EBM854BTGL0&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />Hi All,<br /><br />I've really fallen behind on blog updates... still trying to find a new job. The search is really chewing up my free time.<br /><br />And now I'm on Jury Duty for a week or two...<br /><br />I've been mostly working on 28mm pirates and ships, but this past Sunday, I got to play in a CoC (Call of Cthulhu) RPG game and really enjoyed it.<br /><br />Several of my friends sent me the above video <span style="font-family:arial;">"Star Wars according to a 3 year old,"</span> which I though was pretty <em>classic</em>. Enjoy!</p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Tuesday!</span></p><p align="left">Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak. </p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-68917229142164003652008-02-12T10:20:00.000-08:002008-02-12T11:58:10.513-08:00GAMING NEWS: "February MWS Meeting AAR" (10 February 2008)<div align="center">.<br /></div><div align="center"><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166174956263805618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zUaFg-mfgry-wuq81DKYHA8EQMuauvV-7egPhKZKVIACvw2a58sW9TVw1IXPwcwcq-iwt5cIf5m8vJ0-6cUP-KgbLRLTrfVF6z5vNGwzgVmXgQTsya5CPsLp-7Mv1BZMyQEy2g/s400/Blog-MWS_2-10-08_011.jpg" border="0" />TOP: Maksim-Smelchak (me!) brought some 28mm pirate ships & crews to show off.</span><br /></div><div align="left">Hi All,<br /></div><div align="left"><br />I've really fallen behind on blog updates... still trying to find a new job. The search is really chewing up my free time.<br /></div><div align="left"><br />However, I'm still getting in some gaming, modeling, and other good stuff... just cut out most of the time I spent on blog writing to put towards other pursuits for the time being. I hope that when I find the new job, I'll start putting more time back into the 'ol blog.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />Here's a battle report from this past weekend's MWS meet...</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">=================</div><div align="left">MWS Meeting / Game Day Event<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Date: Sunday, 10 February 2008<br />Time: 11:00am to 7:00pm or so…<br />Location: Marconi Public Library - Community Room<br />Link:</span> <span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/M_W_S/">http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/M_W_S/</a> </span><br /><br />Attendees:<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">1. Joe B.<br />2. Bernie<br />3. Mark Carper<br />4. Chris<br />5. Alex F.<br />6. Greg<br />7. Keith<br />8. Keith TM.<br />9. Kurt L.<br />10. Richard “Dick” M.<br />11. Mark from Viking Hobby<br />12. Mike O.<br />13. Barto R.<br />14. David R.<br />15. Bob S.<br />16. Maksim-Smelchak (me!)<br />17. Mike W.<br />18. Harry W.<br />19. Lots of interested library spectators…</span><br /><br />=================</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166175235436679906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gyYWxBGXijYBWRVtxtMNR-vFTNGS8Ugi8Mo3LkBJUBrB4bdv0FEkSjG0-KBXKrYgL7PbKHxnxjptwc2-Sv9NI9VNZkwHNj563v0sVBp3gQn5FHTb38py9Ci92O-Y-skFdSu3Fg/s400/Blog-MWS_2-10-08_015.jpg" border="0" />TOP: <em>McLovins</em>, a pre-war bombed-out department store... </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">...that the outlaw gang took over as their HQ.</span></div><div align="left">Game #1:<br />Title: Junktown Episode V “A Menace in the Wastelands”<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Rules: No Limits (free download)<br />Genre: Post-apocalyptic Sci-fi<br />Opponents: Junktown’s 1rst Army Division vs. the Mekaniak Wasteland Outlaw Gangs<br />Scale: 28mm<br />Link: <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/34130"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/34130</span></a><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Participants:<br />- Mark Carper – Gamemaster.<br />- Mike O. – General of Junktown’s 1rst Army Division.<br />- Maksim-Smelchak - Captain of Junktown’s 1rst Army Division.<br />- Richard M. – The Big Kahuna of the Mekaniak Wasteland Outlaw Gangs.<br />- Joe B. – Chief Enforcer of the Mekaniak Wasteland Outlaw Gangs.<br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166175123767530194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcn-_pFpvFk8wYOXX8eSn2xcjwy6KmJ47J9BVahh7DI1TQ8tu2lHyvhWskvORqqfbCfa8iTOYcZ0Ap4m3cMPVXkMUgJIWytXr4UWqdhqBQKIiC7jgyza6EG60Z8QmBWM0qd73SnA/s400/Blog-MWS_2-10-08_012.jpg" border="0" />TOP: "<strong>Air Zed</strong>," Junktown's secret weapon!</div></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><div align="left"><br />Outcome:<br />- The game was a draw with the early game clearly belonged to the forces of Junktown and the later game devolving into a draw as the outlaw gangs managed to hold their ground after Pyrrhic losses. However, as always the real fun in Junktown is more about abysmally bad die rolling, incredible exploits of bravery & stupidity, bad puns, good jokes, and a great feeling of camaraderie.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><br />More photos from this game can be found here:</div><div align="left"><a href="http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/28mm-Junktown_2-10-2008-/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/28mm-Junktown_2-10-2008-/</span></a><br /><br /></span>=================</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166174818824852114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTN_X4yoOtAGBttpcTkm-uZs1UMq9TpyTyY-zRtSyZzcXN03OoUMYiVdZsTCwovjtDJ7bu36dx2ugOLQjk2JNZAfOp3zZq9BPfV33wS-GsdvTAH7fops9msEzgeFg6R1N63iRBw/s400/Blog-MWS_2-10-08_006.jpg" border="0" />TOP: A swirling WWI dog fight over the Continent...</span></div><div align="left">Game #2:<br />Title: “Continental Balloon Buster”<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Rules: Wings of War miniatures / card game<br />Genre: Great War (W.W.I.) aircraft dogfights<br />Opponents: German balloon and fighters vs. British fighters<br />Scale: 1/144 or 10mm<br />Link: <span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/31552">http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/31552</a> </span><br /><br />Participants:<br />- Mike W. – Gamemaster / German Krauts<br />- Barto R. – British Limeys<br />- Harry W. – British Limeys</span><br /></div></div><div align="center"><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166175299861189362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmt7co6OSLv9iKfqoaprGPqcU3_FYGwlMdYCvhRXQFG-Z3tgFtJh4_DxfWqPdGi6Udc0rz99o6rDHPYnJkh8HR2RJjfjmcNghOKMhJnnXIt6Jx73RyDp-Kn9u-v7ZX4NxV0xk9g/s400/Blog-MWS_2-10-08_018.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">TOP: British fighters successfully shot down the German Zeppelin...</p><p align="center"></span><span style="font-size:85%;">...by running into it!</span></p><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">Outcome:<br />- The British managed to shoot down the German balloon although they lost two aircraft to the same balloon when they couldn’t avoid running into it. So, overall the British achieved their mission objectives.<br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />More photos from this game can be found here:<br /><a href="http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/10mm-WOW_2-10-2008-/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/10mm-WOW_2-10-2008-/</span></a></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span>=================</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166175561854194450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQ-9YdzoTPmwOjNWAY5oTSDjCdJCIy-r7aoUJvoFcZj2RMoRObs5JQsvfhDthb1cyUaK_-Lr8Regvron09LPZGgj4L46h_W_N5nJo1F1yauG5yDOtD3TXRCXDcaOKGEn18pmHGg/s400/Blog-MWS_2-10-08_044.jpg" border="0" />TOP: An Egyptian T-62 tank battallion advances across the Sinai...</span></div><div align="left">Game #3:<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Title: “Duel in the Dessert, 1973”<br />Rules: Cold War Commander<br />Genre: AIW Modern warfare during the 1973 Yom Kippur War<br />Opponents: Egyptian forces vs. Israeli forces in the Sinai<br />Scale: 1/285 or 6mm<br />Link: <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/26474"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/26474</span></a><br /><br />Participants:<br />- Bob S. - Gamemaster<br />- Greg: Israelis<br />- Keith TM: Egyptians</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></div></span><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166175639163605794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76g7O-yHJj7uUWVrskrQwhSZno4J4Bksfn7TiC0_yyyP2VxbJwZEuHEta0IZiXQiEgMk-gdrLvs9nrb0_ow3Z1tFo5QU-nXk57vUU33dwRkWyX7xI38BFNTM12w5AUXazFwbSuA/s400/Blog-MWS_2-10-08_046.jpg" border="0" />TOP: Israeli <em>Ben Gurions</em> (Centurions) counter the Egyptian attack...</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><div align="left"><br />Outcome:<br />- In a bloody battle, the Egyptians were defeated by the Israelis, although with unacceptable loss ratios.<br /></div><div align="left"><br />More photos from this game can be found here:<br /><a href="http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/6mm-AIW-1973_2-10-2008-/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/6mm-AIW-1973_2-10-2008-/</span></a><br /></div></span><br />=================<br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166174754400342658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIy-l5TG5gwlqxDDN65NB9rbUBKEP5vV76SAtbgoOPu_hM5XuDof1Pc0LKqSxtzzWzgarRjpK4Q_hrcLn9ACn9toYlN3aXEEerhYO0MuHMZTACcROruplnT0FH9F6gtMAqsKSQQ/s400/Blog-MWS_2-10-08_001.jpg" border="0" />TOP: 28mm Napoleonic fun was had by many...</span></div><div align="left">Game #4:<br />Title: “Ney vs. Wellington, 16 June 1815”<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Rules: Age of Eagles<br />Genre: Napoleonics<br />Opponents: British vs. French<br />Scale: 28mm<br />Link: <a href="http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/31025"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/31025</span></a><br /><br />Participants:<br />- Alex F. - Gamemaster<br />- Bernie - French<br />- David R. - French<br />- Chris - British<br />- Keith - British</span><br /></div><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166175381465568002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmuzIbk7euGK8UUZ2Is8TYXg0yZ_GPjcMor8Q84KhGcvBw4v-2O3jIbIJxQ9K7-Lv1-GwKGKW9-ef8VP2gyZoDuspTWmymlpkSMQwhnVyFTKXBjYilmKwR2AB4WpQS303FFRmMg/s400/Blog-MWS_2-10-08_040.jpg" border="0" />TOP: Ney's French storm through a village...</span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Outcome:<br />- The British had a terrible time of it and were defeated by the French.<br /></span></div><div align="left"><br />More photos from this game can be found here:<br /><a href="http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/28mm-Napoleonics_2-10-2008-/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/28mm-Napoleonics_2-10-2008-/</span></a></div><div align="left"><br />=================</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />There was also a mini-trade / swap meet that went on.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166174887544328866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzsUbK3pnQIR_nVaLF214tDMcd4Vc23UeeA3usZgyW4xJYP_Ek0rR8lV5FR_nyI-PrMC8KL-yQ6XnJA7ZeSALaKtMzDl7qGRmki4fkfZEW-O2dAaHT41HOeiF7G9VQutqGUXscw/s400/Blog-MWS_2-10-08_009.jpg" border="0" />TOP: 28mm Normans, Vikings, Fantasy Dwarves & WWI were up for trade...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">A beautifully painted 15mm WWII British Army was also on the block...</span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />More general photos from the meet can be found here:</div><div align="left"><a href="http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/</span></a><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Have a great Tuesday!</span></div><div align="left"><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-968740465936905962008-01-30T04:03:00.001-08:002008-01-30T04:20:13.364-08:00FILMS: "Fracture = Good Flick!" (30 January 2008)<p><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-qacXgLYhi0&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-qacXgLYhi0&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />Hi All,</p><p>I had the opportunity this past weekend to rent a DVD and viewed <strong>Fracture</strong>, a <em>spank'in</em> good <em>murder-mystery</em> with the impeccable <em>Anthony Hopkins</em> leading the cast in an antagonist / bad guy role. I really enjoyed the film and can recommend it highly. I can also say that despite <em>Anthony Hopkins</em> being the murderer, I was rooting for him the whole film; he played a very charismatic and likable character.</p><p>Plot summary:</p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins), a methodical structural engineer, plans a systematic way to kill his younger wife, Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz), when he discovers that she is having an affair with a police negotiator. Crawford has logically figured a way to kill his wife and involve hostage negotiator Detective Rob Nunally (Billy Burke) into his plan. After Crawford shoots his wife, the police arrive and he allows only the negotiator, Detective Nunally, to enter the house. Crawford admits to shooting his wife and that she is lying on the floor in the other room. Detective Nunally checks Jennifer out to see if she is still alive, and then he recognizes that she is his lover. Jennifer was shot in the head, but she is not dead. Detective Nunally is able to overpower Crawford and put him under arrest. Crawford is arraigned and wants an immediate trial, acting as his own lawyer. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">With a signed confession and the gun, the Assistant District Attorney Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) believes he has a slam-dunk case and agrees to go to trial. What Beachum thought was a perfectly simple case ends up being a battle of wits and a psychological fight that takes him to his breaking point.</span> </p><p>By: Douglas Young (The-Movie-Guy) </p></blockquote><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-PeGMn6rX4hikLXWPFTYW55uUEbhKrJ4bkoWqZHvflDFTLZmTA3jnG-QBrit2PRf8qZMvAh_NVnL4in6Rg6UDKqlaj22N1N36CQR74uCccYNF6LUHwLR9r0ptgRT_LQNpCN_LA/s1600-h/Blog-Film-Fracture_1-30-2008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161239224443916018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-PeGMn6rX4hikLXWPFTYW55uUEbhKrJ4bkoWqZHvflDFTLZmTA3jnG-QBrit2PRf8qZMvAh_NVnL4in6Rg6UDKqlaj22N1N36CQR74uCccYNF6LUHwLR9r0ptgRT_LQNpCN_LA/s400/Blog-Film-Fracture_1-30-2008.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">TOP: <strong>Fracture</strong>, a good murder-mystery film.</span></p><p>Here's a little<em> "linkety-link"</em> about the film:</p><p><em>IMDB </em>entry for <strong>Fracture</strong>:<br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0488120/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0488120/</span></a> </p><p><em>Wikipedia</em> entry for <strong>Fracture</strong>:<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fracture_%28film%29"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fracture_%28film%29</span></a> </p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Wednesday!</span><br /></p><p align="left">Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-34208053870280417202008-01-22T16:03:00.000-08:002008-01-22T17:50:31.851-08:00MINI WARGAMING: "Added Lanterns & Doors to The 28mm Ship" (22 January 2008).<br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158477937315730274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJTjkJT7AEFoiocBadzPMoC7WC0pCxMTkg36ORShrjs-ydvdtqVuPlvxY4EvwKtoz2Q-WN_Igud6hk3MioX4TOZvoPljuLG7FrhEXwsxQCHBued5681kz5V4L2i5R9wj3kconww/s400/28mm-Pirate-Ship_1-12-08_+009.jpg" border="0" />TOP: The <em>Fore Castle</em> & <em>Front Mast Socket</em> of my 28mm pirate ship. </span></div>Hi All,<br /><br />I've still been toiling away on my 28mm pirate ship project... and have finished the following:<br /><br />- Added three pairs of conventional lanterns custom-made from card and beads.<br />- Finished two of the three sockets with railings for the eventual masts.<br />- Added two "skull lanterns" to the aft castle.<br />- Added three pairs of doors to the fore and aft castle cabins:<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(A pair to rear <em>aft castle</em> cabin wall, and a pair each to the front and back of the <em>fore castle</em> cabin bulkhead)</span><br />- Almost finished drilling out the ship's grates.<br />- Added balsa wood trim across various parts of the ship.<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158477636668019522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWbShtR0tItmWlf6skYnH5uylUi4PYuU7JhUtSdXW42kMsjsAWDHDuKRWXBSSZn1lc52lkkrTMhs0G8DQWKJqFHOfWllWp2M_HyXA2gkuImdF6Lb681KO7ThMIisoo1pCnxfC1w/s400/28mm-Pirate-Ship_1-12-08_+002.jpg" border="0" />TOP: The <em>Aft Castle Deck</em> with new<em> "skull lanterns"...</em> </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">...placed to the sides of the central lantern.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158477765517038418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MIVwqCUi8nzDLDVQomioml23iwtyhhWuZaZWsDUC7zBiEjbd54yA4DnM7Hs2jOTva6Lu1Zrk9WY-OQRK_ntAN__JyEp5MX6JwypEqivC4Vt1wiPN6uwasfy7WwhGm8jN6lClzA/s400/28mm-Pirate-Ship_1-12-08_+006.jpg" border="0" />TOP: The <em>Fore Castle</em> cabin with new doors... </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">...and conventional lanterns added.</span></div><br />The project is coming along, but there's still plenty to do.<br /><br />Among those chores are:<br /><br />- Adding ladders between the central deck and the raised fore and aft decks.<br />- Adding the railing to the central deck mast socket.<br />- Building the three masts along with crow's nests.<br />- Creating three sails.<br />- Building the rigging.<br />- Adding balsa trim to much of the rest of the ship.<br />- Adding magnetic stripping to the aft and fore castle cabins.<br />- Adding steel paper to the bottoms of the aft and fore castle decks.<br />- Detailing.<br />- Basing the entire waterline ship on a piece of plasticard.<br />- Priming.<br />- Painting.<br /><br />And being that real sailing ships required far more labor and skilled construction hands than my simple resin miniature, I can only imagine how much labor went into their construction. The rigging alone is tough to imagine putting together. I'm gaining new respect for the sailors of yesteryear.<br /><br />A link to all of the photos I took here:<br /><a href="http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/28mm_Pirates/28mm-Pirate-Ship_1-12-2008/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/28mm_Pirates/28mm-Pirate-Ship_1-12-2008/</span></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Good gaming to all and...</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Tuesday!</span></div><div align="left"><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13531417.post-14903077036524219372008-01-20T09:15:00.000-08:002008-01-20T10:16:48.870-08:00MINI WARGAMING: "Epic-Armageddon Returns!" (20 January 2008).<br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157610276612526866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rfSzONVJ07vJEvwyLWUPnmCxZ9hJ_Cxj5rZY5YOFZWrXkFjxQ3Os3ZUw8rdSoGbW0q7-rJrt3pmIyJD5vrjvyuOVpRIuYtuRCYaMPVNiT-V7lgaQgGGDjEFkxEhcP5M7EFspIg/s400/Epic-Armageddon_1-19-08_+002.jpg" border="0" />TOP: <em>Epic-Armageddon,</em> being played locally AGAIN!</span></div>Hi All,<br /><br />Yesterday I was cruising around town with some rare free time and I stopped by <em>A-1 Comics</em>, a local gaming shop, to visit with my buddies and get in a board game or two when I saw a rare and very welcome sight:<br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Epic-Armageddon</em> was being played AGAIN!</span></strong></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157610671749518130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNRnLsxaSp3kpMDeTGt4A8uC5QLVMxXD0Xnzdbi8HfobtWf89gxDawsCi3tyA2bxPAwCO4E7vvinzB_t_DO0ZS79BZuipPBS3mFKmJWmjRIRWwXVXJj_roA397HjDGxwncwpvrA/s400/Epic-Armageddon_1-19-08_+012.jpg" border="0" />TOP: A 6mm sci-fi Eldar army masses for an assault.</span></div><br />I was pretty happy about that being that <em>Epic-Armageddon</em> (E-A) is one of my favorite games and both players are friends of mine, another welcome sight.<br /><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157609890065470194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_e6mkKSawi4Eq1fxAGN8tQ9kma45vaniJU99Dhyphenhyphen9KgqZSPRhOOTG4HCtOblAdpoJQeXi1ErnmZH5Tz2SPmSlukQe3f4DZ8OoOOtjtxdMYywl04Q4e82eTwVGKGIw-egl_1DVGg/s400/Epic-Armageddon_1-19-08_+013.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">TOP: Eric "Chern" Royer, Space Marine Chapter Master.</span></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157610091928933122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaAEJSUROCXA8PlVFodcbAT81p7HTKAk8PvOWd2mj1CPBJdWvioA4XETNB_yiC0zFQO7hlQAIdwy_uEdyQjIMOwVnMS0v7HxgltOcARsNc6tQ_m4k3HgjlNrLnY7lJ35pcZLBvQ/s400/Epic-Armageddon_1-19-08_+014.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">TOP: Aaron Morneau, Master Eldar Tactician.</span></div><br />Aaron is talking about creating<em> a local E-A league</em> and he and Eric were giving<em> E-A </em>a spin to re-evaluate it ...after all this time. Aaron is also interested in playing <em>Battlefleet Gothic</em> again... Both of which are fine by me since I have <em>un-loved</em> painted miniatures for both games that would love to see action again!<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157610508540760866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7AnNi9A15tGK_nHddkbdCoQ_v0JDleLeGIWhK3V-maJpMI7V6l6K4uEgnxU_Itjoz5BNIUvKhcbWfbiDXwMavAm7wKnb4Axxd9KwMR_uaD8PoMVVt_HTUYEpSIuDqeJZiPYSjw/s400/Epic-Armageddon_1-19-08_+004.jpg" border="0" />TOP: A fourteen-year-old Space Marine bunker!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Eric made it while in the U.S. Navy.</span></div><br />Eric is still maintaining his wonderful web site for those interested in a variety of cool materials for <em>Epic-Armageddon</em> and the <em>Babylon-5</em> space games.<br /><br />Link here:<br /><a href="http://home.comcast.net/~epicarmycard/Main%20Page/Main.htm"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://home.comcast.net/~epicarmycard/Main%20Page/Main.htm</span></a><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left">A link to all of the photos I took of the game:</div><div align="left"><a href="http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/Epic-Armaggeddon_1-19-2008_/"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/Epic-Armaggeddon_1-19-2008_/</span></a></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />Good news for the 6mm sci-fi scene!<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Have a great Sunday!</span></div><div align="center">And if you're a <em>Yank,</em> enjoy the three-day <strong>MLK Day</strong> weekend!<br /></div><div align="left"><br />Shalom,<br />Maksim-Smelchak.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">6mm-Minis is Maksim-Smelchak's blog to discuss gaming, miniatures, books, movies, Israel, Judaism and life in general. My favorite scale of miniatures is 6mm, which is also often called 1/285 or even 1/300 scale. I enjoy many different kinds of games including ancients, Napoleonics, WWI, WWII, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Car Wars AKA Autoduel (a sort of crash'n'derby automobile combat game), 6mm Godzilla AKA Kaiju games, and science fiction games. I'm open to everything though!</div>MaksimSmelchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04844818181545002517noreply@blogger.com2