MINI WARGAMING: "Epic-Armageddon Returns!" (20 January 2008)

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TOP: Epic-Armageddon, being played locally AGAIN!

Hi All,

Yesterday I was cruising around town with some rare free time and I stopped by A-1 Comics, 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:

Epic-Armageddon was being played AGAIN!

TOP: A 6mm sci-fi Eldar army masses for an assault.

I was pretty happy about that being that Epic-Armageddon (E-A) is one of my favorite games and both players are friends of mine, another welcome sight.

TOP: Eric "Chern" Royer, Space Marine Chapter Master.

TOP: Aaron Morneau, Master Eldar Tactician.

Aaron is talking about creating a local E-A league and he and Eric were giving E-A a spin to re-evaluate it ...after all this time. Aaron is also interested in playing Battlefleet Gothic again... Both of which are fine by me since I have un-loved painted miniatures for both games that would love to see action again!

TOP: A fourteen-year-old Space Marine bunker!

Eric made it while in the U.S. Navy.

Eric is still maintaining his wonderful web site for those interested in a variety of cool materials for Epic-Armageddon and the Babylon-5 space games.

Link here:
http://home.comcast.net/~epicarmycard/Main%20Page/Main.htm

A link to all of the photos I took of the game:

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/Epic-Armaggeddon_1-19-2008_/

Good news for the 6mm sci-fi scene!

Have a great Sunday!

And if you're a Yank, enjoy the three-day MLK Day weekend!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

MINI WARGAMING: "Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi is Back!" (10 January 2008)

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TOP: Classic Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi industrial building...

Or pressure dome, or...

Hi All,

First of all, I want to apologize to my readers for not having updated the blog as often as I have in the past. My formerly ideal job went down the drain in a recent change of upper management so I've been dedicating near 100% of my spare time to job searches so I can move to a better place. I've had a constant barrage of job interviews so I'm spending far too much time preparing for interviews, ironing clothing (Yech! Feel like I'm in the military again...), and rediscovering where I last hid my ties AKA neck nooses hoping this day would never come again. I'd much rather be gaming... LOL ;o)

The good news is that I'm still investing time into my gaming for sanity's sake if nothing else. I have a whole new batch of 28mm pirate ship photos and will soon have a 28mm Arab / Saracen / Moor / Andalusian WAB (Warhammer Ancients Battles) army done as well. I've been additionally adding to my 28mm WHFB (WarHammer Fantasy battles) undead army here and there. And this weekend is the big MWSS (Miniatures Wargaming Society of Sacramento) meeting with three great games planned! BUT...

THE EVEN BETTER NEWS IS:

Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi is BACK!

http://www.moondragons.com/

I'm very excited to share this news! These are the same buildings that were so prominently featured in the 1990's Dirtside II rule book, the later edition Battletech Miniatures Rules, and the tables of many a 6mm sci-fi player! Yeah! Joy and good tidings!

TOP: Classic Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi industrial building...

Maybe a techno-garage?

Perhaps robo-harvesters are stored here?

TOP: Classic Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi industrial building...

A storage tank ripe for a fireball of destruction...

TOP: Classic Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi military structure...

Any alien overlord would be happy to bunker up here...

I bet ol' Ming even left graffiti on the wall.

TOP: Classic Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi military structure...

Everyone needs a watch tower, right?

Never know what kind of bandits may be on the horizon...

And here's some "linkety-link" for you:

Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi - Industrial Structures:
http://www.moondragons.com/html/1_300_buildings.html

Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi - Military Structures (Bunkers):
http://www.moondragons.com/html/1_300_sci_fi_1.html

Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi - Field Fortifications:
http://www.moondragons.com/html/1_300_field_fort.html

Snapdragon 6mm Fantasy:
http://www.moondragons.com/html/1_300_scale1.html

All I can add is that I hope that they are back for good and also plan to throw some currency their way soon as a show of support.

Have a great Thursday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

MINI WARGAMING: Awesome 6mm Ping-Pong Terrain!

.TOP: Awesome home-made terrain!

Pill bottles and ping-pong balls away!

Hi All,

I don't have as much time as I'd like to post today so I'm going to share a photo a friend sent me of his awesome home-made 6mm sci-fi terrain. I really like the innovative use of used pill bottles and the overturned halves of ping-pong balls. The other pieces are very interesting as well... And he's a big Epic-Armageddon fan as well as a fan of DRM (Dark Realm Miniatures). Very cool!

Have a great Tuesday!

Update (10 October 2007 at roughly 9:00am):
Illumisar, my friend and the author of the above photo wrote and wanted to share the entire gallery that this photo came from. Thanks, Illumisar!

You can find his gallery here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7459586@N08/sets/72157601937242227/detail/

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

MINI WARGAMING: "6mm UFOs For You Too!" (6 October 2007)

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TOP: Welcome, MAJIC Miniatures!

Hi All,

If you keep up with something long enough, people eventually notice you no matter how much you might think you've gone unnoticed. In my case, I've been a hardcore 6mm gamer since the late 1970s although I didn't really crank it up until the 1980s. Along the way, I've written a number of smaller sets of rules, tried to release a much larger commercial set of rules which is on hold, been credited in a GW / Specialist Games product, been credited in a Mongoose product, been credited in a Baccus product, established the largest 6mm Yahoo E-group EVAH! (...almost over 2,000 members), established many more Yahoo E-groups, painted hundreds of 6mm models, helped playtest lots of other 6mm rules, played lots of games, and generally had a ball!.

TOP: Which one does not belong?

Alien UFO, weather balloon or P-51 Mustang?

However one of the things I love best about being known in the gaming community is that folks often seek me out when launching new products because I've always been friendly enough to spread the word and wish them well.

Well, here's something new, which tickles me pink... UFO battles over Roswell!

Hi Maksim,

I thought you might be interested that I have just released an aerial combat game based on the infamous Roswell Incident. I would appreciate it you would mention it on your blog. I realise this e-mail was unsolicited so I won't hold you to it!

With Best Wishes,
Oliver of MAJIC Miniatures

P.S.
(Just as a by the way the P-51D Mustang Sculpt is a modified commission by Mark Cleaver of Raiden Miniatures, just in case it looks familiar).

No worries, Oliver... happy to help a fellow 6mm nutball out!

Here's Oliver's press release:

MAJIC Miniatures are proud to announce the release of the first game in the UFO INTERCEPTION range.

TOP: Can't a UFO help his crashed buddy out?
Without pesky interference from those annoying "huu-mons!"

"UFO INTERCEPTION: Roswell 1947" is available as a Limited Edition Set of only 600. This includes: The UFO Interception 45 page Rulebook, (1/285) 6mm scale Roswell UFO + 'MAJIC Flying Base', (1/285) 6mm scale P-51D Mustang + 'MAJIC Flying Base', Roswell New Mexico 'Flat Earth Terrain' Gaming Mat (4'x4' / 1.22m x 1.22m), *MOGUL Balloon+ 'MAJIC Flying Base, *Crashed Roswell UFO, Reference Cards, Dice, Templates, Data Cards and Decals.

The limited edition set is £95 ($195.00 USD) and has...
FREE UK POSTAGE until the 31 October 2007.

The Rules, (unlimited) miniatures and accessories are also available to purchase separately.

*Limited Edition Set not sold separately.

Please visit www.majicminiatures.com for more details.

Good luck, Oliver and you'll have to let us know more about your pricing schemes for US gamers interested in your product such as any distribution outlets out of the UK and any possible price discounts for non-UK customers.

Have a great Saturday!

And a hearty Gut Shabbos to my Jewish readers!

Shabbat Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

MINI WARGAMING: "YONDERBOY: I want 6mm brainnnsss!"

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TOP: YB - Holding out against the horde...

Minis are from Irregular Miniatures 6mm Riot Range.

Hi All,

One of the things I like best about maintaining my gaming blog is hearing from others or having my projects and photos inspire others. One of my pet projects over time has been to build a 6mm "Zombie Town" and I've posted from time to time as I've built more and more miniatures adn terrain towards this goal. One fellow 6mm minis fanatic who has been inspired by my work and kind enough to write has been Mike AKA Yonderboy (YB). Mike recently was kind enough to write and share some photos from his 6mm zombie project. I hope you enjoy them:

TOP: YB - Survivors in 6mm:
Minis are from Irregular Miniatures 6mm Riot Range.
Buildings are my own cardstock creations.
From left to right: Sam L. Johnson (detective), Jerry (postman), Dr. Hawthorne,
Jeff (w/pistol), Savannah (lady trucker in red cap and vest), &
Mrs. Johnson (with whacking purse), Billy Bob (hunter).

TOP: YB - More survivors in 6mm:

Minis are from Irregular Miniatures 6mm Riot Range.

Left to right: Rev. Jameson, Timmy (w/bat), Red (drifter with 2by4),

Lucy and Mrs. C (must be protected at all costs), Bob (medic), &

Tanya (with pink headphones and pipe).

TOP: YB - Hardsuited fire team ready to extract survivors:
Infantry and tanks are from Ground Zero Games Dirtside range.
Walker is from Games Workshop Epic Imperial Guard.

TOP: YB - The more the merrier:

Minis are from Irregular Miniatures 6mm Riot Range.

Buildings are my own cardstock creations.

TOP: YB - To the roof...

Minis are from Irregular Miniatures 6mm Riot Range.

I was very impressed and inspired by his work... which reminds me that I need to work on my "6mm Down Town Urban City" project! Godzilla needs someplace to stomp when the Zeds aren't in town! I've been too distracted by the 28mm undead lately...

Thanks Mike AKA Yonderboy!

To see Yonderboy's TMP post, please look here:
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=116247

To see Yonderboy's Displaced Miniatures photo gallery, please look here:
http://www.displacedminiatures.com/lupus_yonderboy/images.html?galleryId=2432&from=6mm+Scifi+Horror+town

Have a great Friday!

Shalom,

Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

MINI WARGAMING: Jav-98's 6mm Sci-fi Startown!

. Javelin-98's awesome 6mm city terrain tiles.

Hi Everyone,

Hope you're all keeping busy like me... in a good way. Life as usual has been pressing... my workplace lost a body so I'm pulling double duty until a new employee gets hired. And on that observation, I always seem to have FAR MORE ideas for blogging material than I have time!

Recently my good friend Andreas AKA Javelin-98 ("Jav98") shared some photos of an oustanding 6mm sci-fi project he's been working on: city tiles. So, without further ado, check these photos out (with commentaries from the Epicomms forums):

OVERVIEW of the four 6mm sci-fi city modules.

Jav: I've been working on something like this for some time, only using 12" square tiles. So far I have four tiles in various stages of completion -- a low-income residential area, an upscale residential area, a powerplant block, and a spaceport. My idea was to put the roadway around the edges in the single-lane square configuration with smaller roads criss-crossing the interior. While the tiles are all still in a state of infancy, I can post pics of what I have so far.

Okay, bear in mind that these are a work in progress of the utmost sort. The spaceport and powerplant are nearly done; the two residential blocks are still far from finished. The one covered with keyboard buttons was inspired by the Tau University entry by Vanvlak from a past EpiComp (I think '05). After starting the first two tiles, I realized that aligning the streets would be a problem. That's why the powerplant and the more finished of the two residential tiles have streets along the margins.

INDUSTRIAL BLOCK: Spaceport.

Jav: The boards were really quite cheap, made mostly of "reclaimed" materials glued onto MDF textured with spackle. Some examples:

The cargo bunkers at the spaceport are made from electrical tape blister packaging. The landing pad is made from the bottom of a USB joystick package. The tower is a section of old Crayola marker topped with two bases (a flight base on top of an upside down hex-shaped slotta base). The only purchased content are the cargo containers from Old Crow and the gantry crane arm made from a Mechwarrior clickie tech TM mech.

Javelin-98's spaceport landing pad reminds me of the blast pits from the Traveller science fiction setting.

INDUSTRIAL BLOCK: Powerplant.

Jav: The power plant was made from two "reclaimed" items: the bottom is made from the top lid of the same USB joystick package that I used for the spaceport and the steam stack is made from a pour spout for paint cans which I found at Home Despot for $1.50 USD. The buildings with windows were made from plasticard (the type with 1/8" squares on it) while the other buildings are made from various blister packs. The fence is cross-stitch fabric. The big oil tank thingie (technical term, of course) is the lid from my wife's last can of styling mousse. My next step with this block is to add some rust streaks and dirty up the asphalt with some playground sand.

RESIDENTIAL BLOCK: Middle-income Housing.

Jav: This upscale residential block is made using two types of purchased items: the mosque and four JR Miniatures Middle Eastern houses. OK, maybe three if you include the trees. Everything else is either keyboard keys or blockhouses made using plaster poured into ice-cube trays. I decorated the inside the of the ice-cube tray with bits of plasticard and sprue, which left some nice impressions (...like the skylights-slash-rooftop pools). I'm still in the process of painting this one; after it gets a clearcoat, I'll hit the houses with a wash.

RESIDENTIAL BLOCK: Low-income housing.

(Photo not available, but it is pictured in other photos as the unfinished residential tile

...made from spare computer keyboard keys.)

Jav: The fourth tile is still very much in progress, needing more paint, flocking, trees, and street markings. It was the first tile I started on, but the others were more interesting, so they got more love. I have this plan in the back of my mind to create 12" square vacuformed terrain tiles. I think that something like that would work well and give people instant cities for a very low price. Sadly, I know nothing about vacuforming, so that project is quite a ways off.

Moscovian: With that level of ingenuity, I am shocked you bought your trees! I can gve you a very cheap alternative that IMHO looks better than the the ones they sell online. I used to make miniature trees for a landscaping company. The only drawback is you have to be careful how you store them or they won't last long. Still, I love all the goofy bits of stuff being turned into a work of art. I have collected a trash bag full of plastic containers and things for this very purpose. Every time we get something sealed in a plastic container I start eyeballing it and my wife gives me "the look."

Jav: I suppose I could have made trees myself, but in the interest of time and the interest of interest, I just bought some. Figured what the heck! My wife has given me "that look" too! Right after she recognizes why I'm standing motionless over the garbage can with a odd plastic bit in one hand and a contemplative look in my eye...

Once I finish these tiles, I'm going to do a downtown/financial district block with tall office buildings and skywalks, always loved the looks of those. I'll be putting a couple helipads on top, too, for air assault actions! These are meant to be urban tiles, so I won't be doing any farmland or anything of that sort... Any other thoughts, guys? I'm thinking of another industrial block (a factory), several more residential blocks (one with a hospital, to be sure), a military base block, and maybe a government/palace type block. We'll see.

Moscovian: Ideas for anyone to steal:
I was tinkering with the idea of a pneumatic transportation system. Recently I picked up a giant tube of candy from one of those mall kiosks (...you know, you fill it yourself with the flavored sugar and bounce off the walls for an hour). I looked at it after I was done and said, "Hmm, I bet an Epic figure sitting in a little car would fit nicely in there." Then I bought another one. It is about 2 & 1/2 feet long and gives you some good material to work with. Flexible but doesn't crease. I wanted to use it on a moonscape but you could adapt it to a futuristic cityscape as well, I am sure.

Or you could buy some of the great commuter trains from Old Crow:

6mm commuter train and elevated rail from Old Crow.

You can find Old Crow's site here:
http://www.oldcrowmodels.co.uk/

And you can find Andreas' site and Photobucket at these links:
http://home.comcast.net/~kudby/
http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j20/javelin98/

My big hobby resolution for this year is to build a similar set-up. Andreas has set the standards high!

Thanks for sharing, Andreas AKA Jav-98!

Have a great Friday and a great weekend!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures: These are not all my images. I am using various images from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images 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).

MINI WARGAMING: New 6mm Sci-fi Terrain by L-4 (1 April 2007)

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An Overview of Ralph's fantastic Nieuw Friesland 6mm sci-fi scenery!

Hi Everyone,

Still working on battle report (...or two ...or three) in between the fun stuff and I just received an E-mail the other day ago from my old friend Ralph AKA Legion-4 AKA L-4. Ralph is a retired US Army trooper who lives in Youngstown, Ohio, USA. Ralph and I have known each other for ages and he does much for the 6mm sci-fi community, BUT... he is best known for his prodigious miniatures work and conversions.

Area 95, a former piece of Star Wars watch packaging, now a feature of Nieuw Friesland!

His latest creations are entitled Nieuw Friesland, inspired by the Hammers Slammers novels by David Drake. He has taken a number of commercially produced scenery pieces and combined them with some scratch-built and readily found items to create some really neat scenery for miniatures game usage. Take a gander and enjoy!

A view of some well-painted New Hope Design structures in Nieuw Friesland.

Ralph writes this about his creations:

Nieuw Friesland is from Hammer's Slammers!

Many of the pieces came from lines that GEO-Hex carried. Some are resin and some hydrostone.

Guard Post 1-0, with the UN flag, I might add, like our GPs flew on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the Republic of Korea (ROK)! It is an OOP F/W Bunker on top of a plastic cylinder with bitz added.

And Area 95, is a Star Wars piece, it opened up and there was a S/Wars watch inside. I gave the watch to my buddie's kid. And then bitz'd it out, covering the hinges, etc., with plastic strips, etc.

My War Room is just a spare bed room with gaming table, shelves, etc. ...I'm rapidly running out of space! But I'm 50 so I have to complete all my 6mm Sci-fi...

Next up - 6mm Lizardmen (Kraytonians) Temple and ruins!

You can meet Ralph, myself, and other members of the 6mm sci-fi miniatures gaming community in a number of on-line spots including at the EpiComms AKA Tactical Command Forums (Link on the right sidebar) or at the Yahoo 6mm Sci-fi Discussion Group (Link also on the right sidebar).

6mm sci-fi structures by New Hope Design (NHD) in Niew Friesland.

Some more NHD buildings in Nieuw Friesland.

Guard Post 1-0, a bunker / observation point in Nieuw Friesland.
(Scratch-built piece with a FW bunker on top.)

City statue of "Frazetta, the Deathdealer" in Nieuw Friesland.
(Building on left by NHD, center buildings by LMS, and the statue is a 28mm fantasy mini.)

For those of you interested in purchasing some of these terrain pieces, many of them are still available:

New Hope Design (NHD) in the UK
(web site temporarily down)
E-mail: Newhope design@hotmail.com
- This line was sold in the USA by GEO-Hex as "The Drum" while it was better known in the UK as Mayhem Miniatures. This UK company was later sold to Kennington Miniatures, which was, in turn, sold to New Hope Design. All of the sci-fi line are still being manufactured and sold in the UK.

GEO-Hex AKA Monday Knight Productions (MKP) in the USA
http://mondayknight.com/
- While GEO-Hex went out of business a number of years ago, most of their stock and lines are now carried by Monday Knight Productions, run by one of the nicest gentlemen in the business. I highly recommend their product and they STILL carry the same line of resin 6mm Battletech buildings that GEO-Hex did way back when!

Forgeworld (FW) in the UK
http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/
- Forgeworld is very well known throughout the business and still carry a line of 6mm sci-fi miniatures and terrain for their Epic-Armageddon game (I worked and that game and am credited in the rulebook!). Some of their pieces including the bunkers that Ralph used are now, unfortunately out-of-print (OOP).

Little Minis Shops (LMS) in the USA
OUT OF BUSINESS
- LMS disappeared a number of years ago, which is a distinct pity since their hydrostone buildings were a lot of fun and painted up quite well. The gentleman who ran LMS in the American Northwest disappeared from distributors and retailers a number of years ago. They are unfortunately OOP.

And if you're interested in the 6mm lizardmen that Ralph mentioned as forthcoming, please check out the link for Dark Realm Miniatures (Link on right sidebar), a company run by a mutual friend of Ralph and I.

Have a great Monday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.

You can check out all of Ralph's photos here:

http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/Legion4/

MINI WARGAMING: New Terrain Maker - The COYOTE!

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Hi Everyone,

I haven't been able to blog as much as I'd like to lately thanks to my new job, but I have missed being able to share cool news from the gaming world, interesting things I've observed in the Real Life TM and the like. Among the latest in gaming news are two posts regarding 6mm miniatures... a new terrain manufacturer and some not-so-new news from Baccus about an impending 6mm sci-fi line:

The above photo is of some of the tanks for the new Baccus 6mm sci-fi line.

Baccus announced publicly earlier this year that he bought out the Gladiator 6mm sci-fi line and will be re-selling it later this year or the next. In addition to the Gladiator line, he is commissioning new systems and creating a set of new sci-fi rules for the miniatures line.

The above photo is of some of the flyer pieces from the new Baccus 6mm sci-fi line.

I was asked to become one of the playtesters and am really pleased with the direction that the game is taking. I contributed some of my any ideas and game mechanics that I created for my own game "Planetfall" (...along with some wonderful folks that helped me playtest).

Check out the Baccus site for more information:

http://www.baccus6mm.com/

They are also releasing more news through this E-group for all things 6mm sci-fi:

http://tinyurl.com/q4w5c

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A second bit of news is that we now have a new 6mm sci-fi terrain producer: Coyote Miniatures!


The above photo is of the Vauban fortress from the old Baccus terrain line along with town buildings inside.

Coyote bought out the old Baccus terrain line and has been steadily adding to this product line.

The above photo is from some of the new 6mm Samurai terrain that Coyote is creating.

From Baccus:

This (Coyote Miniatures) is a brand new enterprise managed by Alex Thompson. He'll have a presence at the UK shows via the Stronghold Miniatures stand. To meet Alex is to meet a motivated, enthusiastic and likeable young man, and I wish him every success in the future with his business empire.

Check out the Coyote's site for more information:

http://www.coyote-miniatures.co.uk/

Have a great Tuesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

MINI WARGAMING: New E-A Photobucket Galleries...

Hi Guys,

I thought I'd share some links for some miniatures photo galleries from two Epic-Armageddon miniatures enthusiasts...

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Consectari:
http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l297/the_consectari/

C. has been working on some terrain boards among his other projects.



I really like his use of manufactured packaging as 6mm sci-fi structures:

Please check out his link for more photos of his amazing miniatures projects.

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And the later Necron efforts of PipBoy:
http://scc13hq.blogspot.com/

PipBoy does amazing work. The below photo is of some Necron Warriors he converted using DRM's Andrayada figures:

And here's some photos of his Necron Destroyers using plastic 28mm Necron Scarab bitz converted with DRM Andrayada torsos:

He has much more on his blog if you're interested in taking a gander...

And DRM Miniatures can be found and purchased here:
http://www.darkrealmminiatures.com/index.htm

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On a side note, I was able to get together with Dick M. yesterday and we played a few games:

- War Galley from GMT Games...

Link here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/1894

War Galley was a bit complicated. Dick and I hadn't quite mastered the game mechanics when we decided to close out the game and head out for lunch... it was really nice though to see all of those beautiful ancients ships heading for a rumble on the seas...

- Comand & Colours: Ancients also from GMT Games...

Link here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/14105

We played a Hannibal vs. Scipio scenario and Dick severely trounced me two games in a row...

Mazel Tov, Dick!

I picture Kimbo and Mike O'Brien smiling somewhere!

We also played a game of Settlers of Canaan from Cactus Games, an old favorite of mine...

Link here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/3655

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Have a great Sunday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).

MODELLING: My Scenery-building History.

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Hi Guys,

1. PLYWOOD MONSTROSITY:
- My very first terrain board that I made many years ago was a green one. It was also huge, bulky and totally unsuitable for transportation. I made it out of 3/4" plywood with spars. A team of guys could have stood on it. I got rid of it at a later date as it was a pain to transport and store for an apartment dweller like myself.

2. CLOTH SHEETS:
- My second experiments were with cloth sheet maps. They were nice and portable but lacked heft. I tried painting one later and it was so much work that I decided to live with the pattern rather than try painting a huge sheet. This is an OK choice and not too expensive if you go by a cloth store when they run discount coupons.

3. BUTCHER PAPER ROLLS:
- A third experiment involved paper... big butcher-paper rolls. The best thing about it was that I could create anything I wanted for next to nothing except a little time expended. Most art stores have large sheets and many teachers have access to this sort of paper as well. I made several paper maps including a Sinai Peninsula desert map. For long-term storage, I recommend buying an architect's poster tube. I like this method, but I still wanted something different for minis.

4. CHEAP PLYWOOD SHEETS:
- The final method that I now prefer is to buy three or four simple plywood sheets that cost about a Dollar or two a piece... dirt cheap. I paint them with simple latex house paint (first matched to simple ceramic craft paint) and can make as many maps as I want. I have flocked some and left others unflocked. I have also used sponges to layer on paint and give depth.

The cheapest plywood sheets are very thin (1/8") and come in 2'x4' pieces so three will make a 4'x6' layout and four will make a 4'x8' layout.

4a. MARS FORGEWORLD:
- My Mars Forgeworld board consist of four sheets primed with cheap black and rust spraypaint and flocked with Woodland Scenics Iron Ore flocking (...originally made for RR transport car beds). We've (Chern and I) since made a number of terrain pieces for the Mars boards.

4b. AGRI-WORLD:
- A second set I made was an Agri-world board with a green base layer. I made this set without flock and made them two-sided. Both sides have green paint, but have different road arrangements on each side. I've made a few Agri-world boards with painted on rivers and left others without rivers so I could use separate river pieces. I'm still modelling scenery for this set.
4c. ASH WASTES:
- I have since made an Ash Wastes board with a grey base layer that was flocked with sand and kitty litter.

4d. DESERT EXPANSES:
- I have also made a desert board with a tan-mustard base color. It was also flocked with sand.

4e. POLAR WASTES:
- I also have both a white sheet set and white-painted plywood sheets for snow/ice-world terrain.

4f. URBAN BLOCKS:
- I took a different approach with cities. I painted some boards with a flat grey/black paint and then built various city blocks that are placed on top of the city board.

A city block is a flat base with sidewalk on top. The sidewalk is only the edges of the sidewalk with big squares of open space between the sidewalk block edges. My buildings are all bases on square and rectangular bases in inch and half inch measurements so they fit into the buildings areas in between the sidewalks. So when I place down the "city blocks," the grey board becomes the street. It makes city set-up very easy instead of laboriously placing streets and buildings.

My buildings are all based on metal bases (usually 3"x3", 3"x6", 6"x6", 2"x4", 1"x3", etc.) that are commonly made for miniatures. This makes it easy to securely store them. The block flats have a thing layer of plasti-card (1mm) with thin low-powered magnetic sheeting over it. Over the magnet goes the sidewalk edges made from gridded plasti-card from RR companies. I generally use the 1/8" square grid because this looks good in 6mm Epic scale.

The cool thing is that the magnetic "city block" piece firmly holds onto the metal-based city building piece so I can transport a city block already built to save time on set-up at a con or game shop. All of the "city blocks" can be pre-built and stored in a big plastic bin. I also chalk a vague outline of where the "city blocks" go on the grey plywood base. Chalk can later be wiped off for a new arrangement. Any chalk left over adds to the dirtiness of the city street areas.

5. TERRAIN ADVICE:
- So, I've gone through several years of experimenting with terrain boards. I hope you benefit from my experience. I recommend starting out with a smaller and simpler project and working your way up to bigger projects.

Out of the two choices proposed (Grey Ash Wastes) or (Brown Badlands) in an earlier post, I would say start with the Brown set first since most players have their minis based on brown and green bases with flocking. Try out the more exotic stuff later.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.
X-posted from:
http://www.epic40k.co.uk/epicomms/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST&f=20&t=5637&st=0&&#entry137633

MODELLING: Inexpensive terrain...

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Lil Mini Shops, now OOP, made some of my favorite microarmour 1/285 terrain.

Hi Guys,

I think that inexpensive terrain is great, BUT...

Inexpensive terrain is usually less attractive than a set of manufactured terrain items combined with home-made ones collected and purchased over many years.

In my personal case, I've been a microarmor player since the early 1980s so I have a huge set of 1/285 or 6mm terrain.

A cool WWII microarmour layout I saw.

I have also played 6mm sci-fi games such as Dirtside II and am now developing my own sci-fi tactical ruleset for miniatures combat so... I have plenty of 6mm or 1/285 sci-fi terrain! I have a homemade Mars the Red Planet set, futuristic cities, an alien mushroom forest and much more!

My upcoming game called "Planetfall" is intended for use with 6mm, 10mm or 15mm miniatures. You can check out the link to my blog in my signature here for more information.

My personal terrain collection is a combination of home-made items (trees, swamps, hills, mountains, etc.) and manufactured items (structures, skyscrapers, etc.)... Most of my structures (buildings, skyscrapers, airports, etc.) scale best at 6mm to 10mm while natural terrain items (woods, swamps, hills, etc.) do well at most scales.

I think of terrain as having pros and cons. Here are a few:

HOME-MADE SET:
Description: These area collections of paper, felt and home-made items.
Attractiveness (1-10): 5-7
Pros: Inexpensive, easy-to-collect, very functional, requires little work in many cases...
Cons: Has a very home-made look and feel to it, not very durable, not always recognizable by all gamers as terrain items...

DOWNLOADABLE PAPER SET:
Description: These are downloadable paper templates that have to be folded and sometimes glued. They are far more attractive than most home-made kits although they require a lot of work to make. There are whole clubs on the Internet dedicated to paper terrain. They are more attractive than most home-made kits and are usually made from free designs on the Internet although some pay kits are also available.
Attractiveness (1-10): 6-8
Pros: Inexpensive, easy-to-collect, some nest for easy storage, very functional...
Cons: Requires A LOT of work in many cases, will not hold miniatures in many cases, not very durable...

FOAM TERRAIN SET:
Description: These are collection of foam packaging building and home-made hills... they can often rivel or surpass manufactured foam terrain.
Attractiveness (1-10): 6-8
Pros: Inexpensive, easy-to-collect, very functional...
Cons: Requires A LOT of work in many cases, not very durable...

MICROARMOR TERRAIN SET:
Description: These are manufactured buildings and terrain items, usually made from plaster, hydrocal, or resin. They are made in many diiferent scales 2mm-54mm with larger scales being much more expensive. On the other hand, some types of scenery such as industrial structures are very hard to get otherwise.
Attractiveness (1-10): 6-10
Pros: The most attractive, easy-to-collect (sold through retaillers), very functional, will hold miniatures, usually durable but not impervious to ham-handed gamers depending on the material...
Cons: EXPENSIVE, requires a lot of work in many cases (painting and assembly), requires a large number of pieces to really have a strong effect...

An assortment of microarmour building I saw on E-bay.

Have a great day!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures: These are not all my images. I am using various images from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images 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).

MINI WARGAMING: 6mm vs 15mm Napoleonics?

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--- In GrandeArmee, "Thomas_Hilder" wrote:
Hi guys,
I am a newbie to Napoleonic gaming and am interested in GA.
I have checked a few other systems out and think GA offers the best of fast play, command, feel, etc.
The question I have is related to figure size. It appears that most GA armies are 6mm due to the scale, etc, but that there is a large amount of 15mm gamers due to other rule, personal preference, etc.
I personally prefer the look of 15mm and am wondering about anyone who has played both and how they "feel," look, etc.
What can people tell me?
Thanks for your help.
Tom.

Hi Tom,

I'd like to start out by saying that I'm a big 6mm enthusiast and am known at TMP and several Yahoo E-groups as being one of the biggest 6mm miniature enthusiasts around.

I helped to rejuvenate this group to over a thousand members. The E-group can be found here:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/6mm_Miniatures/

To answer your question, I, of course, prefer 6mm, but can honestly admit that the both scales offer their pros and cons.

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COST:
- The cost between the two is negligibly different.
- 6mm Napoleonics can be a little less expensive, but not very much cheaper.
- Of course, the cost of the figures depends on which rule set you are using.
- Napoleonic rule sets have a very large variety of basing standards and numbers of figures required per base. There is no standard for basing Napoleonic figures among the many different rule sets to my knowledge.

PAINTING:
- 6mm is easier to paint using the dip method (Laying down a base coat and then using inks or washes), but 15mm is a larger scale and holds more detail.
- More detail is probably preferable for the Napoleonic Era, which is so well known for its wondrous colors.
- Personally speaking, I'll take ease of painting over a few more details and colors any day.
- Unless you have a pretty dedicated painter (Which the Napoleonic genre does seem to breed... ), most gamers seem to skip painting many of these details anyway.
- On counterpoint, the amount of time one would spend "detail" painting 6mm figures is probably only marginally less than the time one would spend painting 15mm Napoleonics miniatures. "Detail" painting is "detail" painting.

TRADITION:
- 15mm Napoleonics have been a staple of Napoleonic miniatures gaming for quite some time.
- 6mm miniature are a much newer phenomenon for Napoleonic gaming.
- So, in other words, there are probably many more 15mm rather than 6mm Napoleonic armies running around in gamers' hands, but that's also strictly a local phenomenon based on your gaming community.
- It may sound odd, but in my area, the most commonly found Napoleonic armies are 28mm!
- I still prefer 6mm, but my local gamers play Napoleonics in 28mm. I own a 28mm Russian Napoleonic army for that reason (Although I like my several 6mm Napoleonic armies a whole lot better.).

BASING:
- The rule set being used makes a huge difference is basing conventions as previously mentioned.
- However, many Napoleonic rule sets seem to use the same basing conventions for 6mm and 15mm figures.

TERRAIN:
- This is a category in which 6mm is very preferable in my eyes.
- 6mm terrain is much more storable and transportable than 15mm terrain.
- The biggest 6mm terrain pieces (Large churches, farms, etc.) will still probably fit in a shoe box, while large 15mm terrain pieces will probably require a very large box, which makes it that much more of a chore for you to lug your gaming accouterments to someplace other than the home field.
- Specific 6mm terrain pieces specifically intended for 6mm Napoleonic play are few (Timecast has some beautiful pieces though and Irregular makes a great La Hougement - hope I spelled that correctly... ).
- However, there are many MANY "European villages" made for WWII microarmor play and they look superb as Napoleonic terrain.

STORAGE & TRANSPORTABILITY:
- Storing your miniatures in probably about the same for 6mm and 15mm miniatures although it is probably much easier to store 6mm miniatures.
- A case full of 6mm miniatures generally takes up less space and weighs less than a case full of a comparable 15mm Napoleonic miniatures.
- I'm no Spring chicken any longer, so a lighter case gives my old grumbling back an easier load. That's an important factor for me!

PREFERENCE:
- Ultimately, the choice comes down to a personal preference when it comes to choosing between a 6mm and 15mm Napoleonic miniatures army.
- Being a 6mm miniatures enthusiast, I already had a large amount of terrain built and that, combined with the personal relationship I have with many 6mm miniature manufacturers made 6mm the choice for me.
- I think both scales (6mm & 15mm) are great although I advise against a 25mm Napoleonic army. It takes much more money and time to properly finish a 25mm Napoleonic army!

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Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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).