MINI WARGAMING: 28mm Barbary Pirates (27 April 2008)

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TOP: My work bench is as cluttered as ever!

Hi All,

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 million interviews, I finally 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 "job search" energy back into my blog! Huzzah!

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!

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 Barbary Pirates / Corsairs crew and ship. I still have now firm idea what to use for a ship since the Xebec 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...

I posted in several forums soliciting advice:

Here:

http://forum.backofbeyond.de/viewtopic.php?t=5148

And here among others:

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=140000

But enough of my writing, please allow me share some minis photos with you:

TOP: Three RAFM Corsairs...

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 JT-10 CORSAIRS 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, Popeye-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.

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 Wheaties and genetically modified "Frankenfood."

TOP: A mix of motley old North-African & Arab sailors...

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 Sinbad came from a 1980's Grenadier line if I'm not mistaken.

TOP: 28mm Sudanese Spearmen...

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 El Cid, I'll have them double up for Crusades Saracens as well... And who knows, a few might even join the Barbary Pirates...

TOP: Another batch of old Arab warriors...

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.

TOP: The un-washed (...and un-primed) masses of undead pirate crew...

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.

May your gaming be good and...

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).

HUMOUR: "Fun & Games: Losing a Wiener" (11 December 2007)

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TOP: Losing a wiener?
The Gaul / Celt said...

Hi All,

The world's a mighty strange place...

AND T-shirt manufactureres have caught onto this.

The other day ago, I was speaking with a friend and mentioned that I was working on an 28mm miniatures ancients army, Gauls / Celts that is... And anyone who knows how the Gauls / Celts used to fight - knows that it was considered extremely MACHO by some Gauls / Celts, to go into battle with nothing more than a sword, blue body paint, spiked hair, and a really bad atittude, BUT... no clothes! So my friend finally gets to see these figures at a later date and confirms that they have:

Nothing more than a sword, blue body paint, spiked hair, and a really bad atittude, BUT... no clothes!

She thought that was pretty funny (Good for her!) and sent me this graphic from a T-shirt line a few days later. When my Gauls / Celts are finally ready for battle, I might just have to buy one of these T-shirts (link to a store selling them included below). The T-shirt seems strangely appropriate for an Ancient Gaul / Celt Army player...

T-shirt link here:
http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/browse.cfm/4,5973.htm

Thanks, Cheri!

Have a great Tuesday!
And Happy Chanukkah to my Jewish readers!

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: "28mm Undead Roman Legions On the March!" (3 November 2007)

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TOP: Box art for Zvezda Set #8801 Cursed Legion

Hi All,

I've spent some time the last few days working on the 28mm Undead Hordes of Master Necromancer Maksimok. My strategy for building this army has been a little unorthodox... way back at the end of 2006, my buddy Nils invited me to join his gaming group's Warhammer Fantasy Battles (WHFB) camapign, and I decided to allow myself to do so bacuase I've always wanted to build a 28mm undead fantasy army. Back in the 1980s and early 1990s I used to salivate over all of the cool undead lines that companies like Ral Partha, Grenadier and others used to manufacture. Those figures were so inspiring. And roughly twenty years later, this was my chance.

But I digress, my strategy in building this army was to buy no more than 10% of it new... everything else would come from buying used collections. And I have. And the result of that has been a very gnarly mismatched collections of figures. And, at that, I've ended up with a vast variety of undead figure genres as well. I had originally only intended to build an undead Vampire Counts army with a Gothic Horror theme, but now I have much more. Here are the current plans of which armies to make out of my figure stocks:

1. A 28mm Undead Pirate army along the lines of "Pirates of the Caribbean." Most of the figures are Reaper from a discount bin. I'm not sure whether I should try to form them into a Lustrian army with Count Harkon & the Zombie Pirates or a more conventional Vampire Counts army. I'm going to let this army sit while I finish the Vampire Counts one first.

2. Despite trying to select used lots for a Gothic Horror army, I have a strong nucleus of a Tomb Kings army. I have a ton of chariots, mummies, undead giants, and other goodies with an undead Egyptian theme. I'm also going to let this army sit while I finish the Vampire Counts one.

3. My pride and joy is the nearly 2,000 points of Vampire Counts that I now have nearly 100% assembled AND painted. The current army is almost all skeletons and, as time permits, I'll be experimenting with the more exotic units on the Vampire Counts roster... I have an undead dragon, giant vampire bats, a Black Coach, and plenty of undead cavalry among other undead goodies.

And one of the other things I've been experimenting with is building themed undead units to function as infantry blocks. Each will be twenty to thirty figures strong when I'm done with them. They've all been built to suit the Gothic Horror theme and here's what I am working on:

A. A block of Halloween themed units comprised of pumpkin heads and scarecrows.

B. A block of Undead Asian Warriors: ninjas, Samurai, and plenty of lacquer-armored infantrymen.

C. A block of Wights or Ring Wraiths. All of them have robes and hand weapons.

D. A block of Strigoi Bestial Ghouls. I've mixed in some cheap bitz bin Orky figures that have been zom-bi-fied.

E. An extra-beefy Grave Guard block made with larger undead warrior miniatures based on 25mm squares. The old GW wights were too large to mount on conventional 20mm squares. They look far better on 25mm ones.

F. A block of Drakenhoff Crossbowmen, mostly zombies and skeletons to work with a Sylvanian list.

G. A block of Drakenhof Guard, all heavily-armored wights with polearms to work with a Sylvanian list.

H. An Undead Demi-human Infantry block modelled along the lines of GW's The Cursed Company.

I. A Female Lahmian Infantry block.

But my favorite unit is a block of undead Roman Legionnaires and they are the topic of this post.

Where does one find 28mm undead Roman Legionnaires?

Zvezda is the first source. There are five Zvezda undead sets currently available:

8801 Cursed Legion
8803 Necromancer

8807 Return of the Cursed Legion
8815 Artillery of the Cursed Legion
8822 Cursed Cavalry
8829 Zombies

Zvezda main site here (Site in Russian & English):

http://www.ringofrule.ru/main.php?lng=eng

The Zvezda zombie box looks very interesting, but I haven't been able to locate any photos of them yet Frothers had a set up, but they were taken down shortly after. The guys at TMP found some great links for the Cursed Legion set, but didn't have any for the zombie set either.

Here's the best Zvezda link I've found yet, a comparison of the GW 28mm plastic skeletons and the Zvezda ones:

http://www.dungeoncrawlers.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=65&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

TOP: Box art for Zvezda Set #8829 Zombies

And here are two links for some photo galleries of Zvezda 28mm fantasy figures:

Gallery with Zvezda 28mm Cursed Legion minis:

http://www.ringrule.narod.ru/galery/gal_clg.html

Gallery with Zvezda 28mm Cursed Cavalry minis among others:

http://www.ringrule.narod.ru/user_galery/gal_hovrashok.html

TOP: Box art for Zvezda Set #8807 Return of the Cursed Legion.

Eureka Miniatures is the second source. Nic over at Eureka Miniatures in Australia also makes a fine undead Roman Legionnaire, which isn't listed in his catalogue yet, but if you make an inquiry, he can send a few to you. He also makes some fine undead Greek Warriors and the finest undead horses on the 28mm market.

Eureka web site here:

http://www.eurekamin.com.au/

I owe Nic many thanks for being kind enough to send me a sample of the 28mm undead Roman Legionnaire figure.

Thanks, Nic!

TOP: Box art for Zvezda Set #8815 Artillery of the Cursed Legion

And the third source is from assorted companies. Some other companies make a few figures that could pass for 28mm undead Roman Legionnaires, but they are few and far between. However, one company that makes a large number of figures with horsehead plumes on their helms, Lorica-type armor, and Roman-like weapons that could pass for undead Roman soldiers is RAFM.

RAFM link here:

http://www.rafm.com/

Update (4 November 2007 at roughly 7:30am):

My TMP reader Cornelius found a source that I neglected to mention: Ghastly & Company. Thanks, Cornelius!

Link here:

http://www.ghastlyco.com/

Update (4 November 2007 at roughly 8:00am):
An anonymous Frothers donor found yet another source that I neglected to mention: Alionis Miniatures. Thanks, Anonymous Donor!

Link here:
http://www.alionas.com/

Have a great Saturday!
And a 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).

FUN VIDEOS: "Maksimok Takes On The Argonauts" (19 October 2007)

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Hi All,

The above clip is one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite films of all time: "Jason and the Argonauts" made by one of the all-time great film directors of all time, Ray Harryhausen. "Jason" is a retelling of the classic Greek myth by the same name, a tale of adventure, heroes & monsters with what were at the time, the best special effects ever made. Ray Harryhausen, an amazing special effects guru, made stop-motion model animation famous. Here's a little bit about the technique:

Stop motion (or frame-by-frame) animation is a general term for an animation technique which makes a physically manipulated object appear to move. The object is moved by very small amounts between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence. Clay figures are often used in stop motion animations, known as claymation, for their ease of repositioning. Software applications such as Stop Motion Pro, istopmotion and monkeyjam have made the technique popular among young filmmakers.

And if you've never seen a Harryhausen film before, by all means, go out and rent one, or better yet, buy one of the Harryhausen DVD collections now available. From "Jason and the Argonauts," "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad," to "Clash of the Titans," there are some real film gems out there for someone never exposed to the wonders of Harryhausen.

And, by the way, my RPG / Miniatures game alter-ego, Master Necromancer Maksimok, would have done things the same as the necromancer in the above film clip, EXCEPT... Maksimok's skeleton underlings have a real thing for guys who wear skirts, from Greeks to Scots. I can't imagine the heroes doing so well against Maksimok's skeleton hordes. Booyah!

And a few links as is my wont:

Everything you ever wanted to know about the great Ray Harryhausen:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harryhausen

Lots about "Jason and the Argonauts":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_and_the_Argonauts_%28film%29

More about the classic Greek myth of the Argonauts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argonauts

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).

GAMING NEWS: MWSS Session Report (10 March 2007)

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Jarrod, Mike W. and Mike O. having a great time hunting zombies!

Hi Everyone,

Well, I finally got around to writing the battle report for the 10 March 2007 meeting of the MWSS (Miniatures Wargaming Society of Sacramento) gaming club. It was a fun meeting with lots of attendees during a very busy weekend. I didn’t keep track of victories this time… only who played. Without further ado, here’s what happened:

Dick and Mark chuckling as the zombies ran wild.

Attendance:

1. Andrew
2. Anthony
3. Charles
4. Connor
5. Dave S.
6. Don
7. Chris
8. Dick
9. George
10. Greg
11. Jarrod
12. Joe B.
13. Joe R.
14. Keith
15. Ken
16. Maksim
17. Mark C.
18. Mike O.
19. Mike W.
20. Randy
21. Mystery Guest #1
22. Mystery Guest #2 (Improved model)

Game (miniatures) #1:
Armati (15mm ancients historical game)
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/10266

Gauls (Germans) vs. Romans
(Hosted by Chris) 15mm Roman and Gaulish lines mix it up.

Gauls (Germans):
- Don
- Joe R.
Romans:
- Chris
- Randy

- In a fairly standard game of Armati, the Gauls were trounced by a more devious pair of Roman commanders, Randy Randulous and Christophero Christophicus. The poor Gaul commanders were more like Hanz & Franz from the 1980s Saturday Night Live television show than fearsome hulking Germans from ancient times! You can't win them all and Armati does have a learning curve...

Game (miniatures) #2:
Gaslight (15mm Victorian Science Fiction game)
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/7071

Prussians vs. Confederacy vs. Mercenary Spanish vs. Cruel World
(Hosted by Mark C.)

A huge 15mm British VSF vehicular contraption overuns a smaller brother.

Prussians:
- Dick
- Maksim
Confederacy (Tinkertons):
- Anthony
- Charles
- George
American Adventurers
- Greg
Spanish Mercenaries led by an Insane British Lord & Arab Allies
- Mike O.

- This was definitely a wildy and wooly game. Mark specializes in writing colorful and funny background stories as well as creating wacky special rules that often don't come into play. For instance, one of the Confederate characters was a mad scientist with a "pig zapper" gun/device that literally turned its targets into... PIGS! Mark also built a number of scratch items for the game including all of the vehicles and scenery pieces. It was a great game and we all had a blast playing it!

A 15mm Mad Sheik fights an Indiana Jones-like American adventurer.

- As a side note, I have detailed notes of this game and will create a separate battle report for it in the near future.

A beautiful scratchbuilt 15mm VSF robot, the "Firebelly," made by Mark C.

Game (miniatures) #3:
Xtreme Zombie Hunter (28mm Sci-fi)
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/20901

Zombie Hunters vs. Zombies
(Hosted by Nils)

A 28mm "chainsaw chick" is surrounded by marauding zombies.

Zombie Hunters:
- Connor
- Dick
- Jarrod
- Maks
- Mark C.
- Mike O.
- Mike W.
Zombies:
- Nils (The gamemaster)

- This amusing game of commercialized zombie hunting had all the best zombie themes: rednecks, store clerks, hopping zombie legs, crawling torsos, hot chicks, etc. We all had a good time hunting down the zombies and spouting one-liners... think of a mix of Duke Nuke'em and The Running Man!

An apprehensive Connor doesn't like what Nils is pointing out...

Game (board) #4:
Battlecry (Civil War Board Game)
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/551
Connor (North) vs. Mike W. (South)
(Hosted by Mike W.)

Another scratchbuilt 15mm robot built by Mark C.

Game (board) #5:
Iliad (Ancients Card Game)
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/21654
(Hosted by Dick)
Players Unknown

Two 28mm "redneck brothers," a crik savvy zombie hunting team.

Game (board) #6+:
- A number of board games were played after I left early.

MWSS Meeting Outcome:
- It was a great day… plenty of folks showed up! We had three major miniatures games hosted and all three were great fun. I played in two of them, the VSF adventure and the Zombie Hunting thriller! Everyone was a great sport and with the exception of a little vendetta between two players (…solved on the field of zombie hunting), we all got on fabulously. A special thanks to Mark C. and Nils who both put a tremendous amount of effort into their gaming set-ups!

Thanks again, Mark and Nils!

Joe Riddle showed off some of his finely painted 15mm HOTT Fantasy figures.

I took lots of photos of the session and they can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_3-10-2007/

Nils has his own blog here:
http://blackcavalierswargaming.blogspot.com/

And Mark C. keeps a gallery here:
http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/MACarper/

The 15mm British roller tanks were particularly effective at running over infantry.

Have a great Tuesday!

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).

WEIRD NEWS: Quirky Star Wars Viewpoints!

.I think we ALL wish we were Han Solo at one time or another...

I wonder... do Wookies get hairballs?

Hi Everyone,

Got a few posts in the works, but thought I'd drop off a few fun graphics (the one above and below) for your perusal:
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Darth Vader - "Truther" Conspiracy Theory Nut: "Need $$$ to build Deathstar!"

And to top that Darth Beggar photo off, check out this amusing "truther perspective" of how the Deathstar was really destroyed:

http://www.websurdity.com/2007/02/28/uncomfortable-questions-was-the-death-star-attack-an-inside-job/

Yeah, right!

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I have a great weekend planned:

SATURDAY:

- Visit a bunch of friends at the MWS meeting and play games.

- Link to MWS Yahoo E-group:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/M_W_S/

- My old buddy Mark should be there who I haven't seen in awhile. Should be lots of fun.

- Mark is hosting a VSF (Victorian Science Fiction) game.

- A link to Mark's photo album (gaming miniatures):

http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/MACarper/
- Nils will also be hosting a zombie game.

- Check out his blog (lots of photos) here:

http://blackcavalierswargaming.blogspot.com/

- Wish my bro-in-law Vince happy birthday!

- Chill out and work out.

SUNDAY:

- Go see the new movie "The 300" with a group of friends on an IMAX screen.
- Official "The 300" web site:

http://300themovie.warnerbros.com/

- The real historical Battle of Thermopylae that inspired the movie:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae

- A Wiki page for the comic book of "The 300":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300_%28comic_book%29

- A movie review by Debbie Schlussel of "The 300":

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2007/03/weekend_box_off_43.html

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2007/03/300_not_an_anti.html

- Possibly go pick up a new bed mattress from an old neighbor.
- Chill out and work out. It should be good.

I have mixed feelings about seeing "The 300." On one hand, I love the history of The Battle of Thermopylae, but on the other hand, the previous film "Sin City" was WAY TOO gory for me. Very tasteless, it was. On the other hand, my buddy Vynnie of RIF (Recon In Force) invited me and he should be there with a number of our other friends... and we get to see it on the giant IMAX screen... so, I guess, if nothing else, the company should trump the film if it's really bad.

Vynnie's web site:

http://www.recon-in-force.com/index.html

*** Any good weekend plans yourself? ***

Have a great Friday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.

Haven't posted a "gratuitous babe" in awhile so here goes:

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).

QUOTES: Marcus Aurelius Antonius On the Majority!

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Hi Everyone,

I've been pretty bust lately although I have a few posts in the works... a battle report from this past weekend's MWS (gaming club) meeting, a movie review, some photos I took while hiking, but that will have to wait until I have a bit more time...

Until then, I'll leave you with a quote I like:

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
Roman Emperor, C.E. 161-180 (121 CE - 180 CE)

Have a great Wednesday!

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).

GAMING NEWS: Ancients Wargaming, Channukah & A Little Fantasy!

. Hi Everyone,

It's been an interesting week or so since my last post... lots of gaming to report:

The big game to keep an eye on for the past two weeks has been "Battlelore," another in the Richard Borg game series that started with "Battlecry" (American Civil War) and later gave us "Memoir '44" (World War II) and "Command & Colors: Ancients" (Ancients Warfare). I've seen "Battlelore" all over the place... it's been a big hit with local gamers.

"Battlelore" uses the same basic system as the rest of the series:
- Point to point movement
- D6 dice-based battles
- Simple terrain modifers
- Units with limited numbers of hits
- Historically-based scenarios

Where "Battlelore" differs from its predecessors is in the following details:
- A somewhat random card-based magic system
- Magic points (lore) and spells that are gained every turn
- Combat based on medieval warfare
- Weapons are adjusted from other games (bows have a slightly longer range than C&C:A)

Overall, I like the game, but still prefer "Command & Colors : Ancients" although I like the Medieval historical theme of "Battlelore"...

Who wouldn't like Scottish Highlander dwarves and Goblin Saracens?

And who couldn't say that an Orc cleric looks out of place?

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I stopped by my sister's place a weekend or two ago and visited with her, my brother-in-law and three of their five children. I helped out with wrapping gifts for the little ones until the kids arrived home from their mother's place (they're my sister's stepkids). My two nephews from my sister's first marriage were with their father... they have a complicated family arrangement. We dined on pizza and had family game / movie night. I'm rather proud that they have a family game / movie night... you see, because it used to be simply family movie night. After many months of playing Settlers of Cataan, Settlers of Canaan, Formula De and most recently Ticket To Ride, I finally got them... and their friends... hooked! Don't say that I'm not doing my part to create the next generation of gamers!

The first game of the night was "Channelsurfing," which was a blast. In this game, there are two teams and each takes three turns receiving a batch of twelve cards with various topics like plant, underwear, beast, blinds, counter, etc. At the beginning of each turn, a timer is started and each team "channel surfs" trying to find the items on the cards across the boob tube. My team, the two little ones and I, handily beat my sister, her husband and the teenager. It was fun.

Next we played "Simpsons Clue," which my brother-in-law handily won. The two little ones tried guesses, but were off a bit. And of course, it ended up being me "Witherspoon" who did the deed with the jelly donut! It was fun and I've obviously forgotten how to play. The clue to "Clue" is to make guesses where you have two of the three clue items identified... Doh! And, of course, the highlight of the game was getting to say all of our favorite Simpsons sound bites... I had no idea my sister could do such a good Marge... let alone my brother-in-law!

I think that I'm going to bring "Command & Colors: Ancients" and "Memoir '44" by this weekend to see if I can get the nephews and niece interested... and maybe the brother-in-law too!

------

And lastly, the holiday season is here: Christmas is around the corner and Channukah is already here. I was lucky enough to celebrate one of the eight days of Chanukkah on Saturday with my friends Mike, Donna and Donna's "adopted Jewish family." The Latkes (potato pancakes) were good and the company was even better! Thanks, Mike and Donna!

I looked around for a short synopsis of the Channukah story and found it here thanks to Chabad:

"Chanukkah In a Nutshell"

Chanukah, the eight-day festival of lights that begins on the eve of Kislev 25, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration, of spirituality over materiality. More than twenty-one centuries ago, the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who sought to forcefully Hellenize the people of Israel. Against all odds, a small band of faithful Jews defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of G-d.

When they sought to light the Temple's menorah, they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity. To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the sages instituted the festival of Chanukah. At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah lighting: a single flame on the first night, two on the second evening, and so on till the eighth night of Chanukah, when all eight lights are kindled.

On Chanukah we offer praise and thanksgiving to G-d for "delivering the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the wicked into the hands of the righteous."

Chanukah customs include eating foods fried in oil such as Latkes (potato pancakes) and Sufganiot (doughnuts), playing with the Dreidel (a spinning top on which are inscribed the Hebrew letters Nun, Gimmel, Hei and Shin, an acronym for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, "a great miracle happened there") and the giving of Chanukah Gelt, gifts of money, to children.

That's the story told with a few religious overtones, but nevertheless the Chabad "Chanukkah In a Nutshell" really captures what Chanukkah is all about:

- Celebrating the triumph of light over darkness
- Celebrating of the triumph of purity over corruption
- Celebrating the triumph of of spirituality over materiality
- "Delivering the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the wicked into the hands of the righteous"

In other words, it's a right/wrong story saying that it's wrong to impose one's faith on others.

And this ties back into my gaming hobby / obsession since the Maccabean Revolt was one of the most important battles of the ancients time period for this reason:

The first time elephants were used in battle was by the Syrian-Greeks during the Maccabean War; but, to everyone's amazement, Elazar the Maccabee killed the lead elephant single-handedly.

How's that for ancients warfare trivia?

Do you think that "Command & Colors: Ancients" needs some Maccabean Revolt scenarios?

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Have a great Tuesday!

Merry Christmas!

And Happy Chanukkah!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.
Many thanks to the Chabad organization and Boardgame Geek!

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: Spanish Civil War & MWS (5 August 2006)!

. Hi Everyone,

Yesterday was the most recent MWSS meeting and while it wasn't as lavishly attended as many meetings have been in the past, but there was still plenty of fun to be had by all.

I didn't act as the recorder / secretary yesterday so my post here is entirely recorded from memory. I did, however, take quite a few snapshots of the goings on.

[The above photo is of an International Brigades infantry section from the Spanish Civil War game.]

There were three miniatures games that ran and half a dozen board games that were played.

Mini games:
- DBA: Romans vs. Indians
[De Bellis Antiquitatis - A game of ancients warfare usually played with 15mm miniatures.]

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/299

- FOW (version 2): German elite tank army vs. Russian Razvedchik (Scouting) Force
[Flames of War - A WWII game usually played with 15mm miniatures.]

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/11168

- Rapid Fire: Spanish Civil War (International Brigade vs. Nationalists)
[A WWII game customarily played with 15 to 25mm miniatures. We used the "Rompan El Fuego" Spanish Civil War supplement for Rapid Fire.]

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/20610

Board Games:
- Who's the Ass!
[A card and trick game with lots of juicy player interaction.]

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/11104

- Ticket To Ride: Europe
[A railroad building game set in Europe.]

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/14996

- Some others that I must have forgotten.

As usual, I have posted my photos publicly so that all may enjoy them.

[The above photo is of part of Tony's elite German tank army defending a village and their battalion headquarters.]

A link to my photographs from the day can be found at this URL:

http://briefurl.com/MWS_8-5-2006

As always, I'm happy to allow others to use my photos. All I ask is that you let me now (...so I can admire your posting!) and that you attribute the photos to me.

[The above photo is of a section of Moorish Volunteers supporting the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War game.]

I expect that the recorder for yesterday's meeting will probably publish a better run-down on the meeting soon at this URL:

http://www.freewebs.com/mwssacto/

Or perhaps here:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/M_W_S/

There was other gaming in town, notably at A-1 Comics, by the Sacto Board Gamers at Great Escape Games and elsewhere.

[The above photo, is of Joe Riddle, one of MWSS's finest members, a guy who knows not only how to gracefully lose, but how to gracefully win. Huzzah, Joe!]

Have a great Sunday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

MINI WARGAMING: 6mm Roman Seas!

Hi Guys,

Dick and I got together yesterday (Saturday, 15 July 2006) and gave GMT's War Galley a whirl (see previous post)...

It was fun and reminded me of the newer 6mm ancients naval game, Roman Seas, out from Hotz Artwork:

http://www.romanseas.com/

Roman Seas also has a Yahoo Discussion E-group here:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/roman_seas/

Eric Hotz also sells felt gaming mats, Western paper buildings and other goodies.

http://www.hotzartworks.com/

Roman Seas ships are paper models and can be printed out in a variety of scales including 6mm and 15mm (pictured above). 6mm seems to be a better scale for space usage, but I'm definitely a biased source...

Please check out the Roman Seas web site for more information and photos.

And I always recommend checking out my friend Peter Berry's site for 6mm figures of all sorts of historical flavors:

http://www.baccus6mm.com/index.php

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).