MINI WARGAMING: "Maksim's Workbench: Undead Today!" (25 November 2007)

.

TOP: Some of the vast undead hordes of Maksimok the Mirthless!

Hi All,

Well, I needed to prove that I'm still working on models so these two photos are getting some blog time. The both came from the 20 October 2007 MWS meet, and only one of from me, but they still show how much progress I've made on my 28mm undead army, the undead hordes of Master Necromancer Maksimok the Mirthless. I now have at least 2,000 points painted by WHFB standards, of undead that I can field as a Vampire Counts army. That's been my big project this year... and I've really been enjoying the heck out of it.

You can see more of the minis from my collection here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/

TOP: Joe painted this 10mm Warmaster Tomb Kings army.

If you've never seen my buddy, Joe Riddle AKA Sukhmet's work, then you're really missing out. He's an incredibly talented miniatures artist. I'm a painter... he's an ARTISTE! At any rate, one of Joe's latest triumphs has been this 10mm Warmaster Tomb Kings army that he's painted on commission. Joe's also a great guy to game with, except if you put him in charge of the zombies... he lets out a "Bwwwaaaaiiinnns" that's downright spooky... maybe creepy is a better word.

Joe's Photobucket account:
http://s203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Sukhmet/WM%20Tomb%20Kings/

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).

GAMING NEWS: MWS Session Report (20 January 2007)

.

Here's a shot of Richard, Joe B., and Keith chatting over a 15mm DBA game.

Hi Everyone,

A weekend or two ago, the MWSS (Miniature Wargaming Society of Sacramento) gaming club got together and... (pregnant pause)... PLAYED GAMES!

Richard and Maks (me!) sizing up their other opponents during a game of Iliad.

Attendence at the meeting was good with ten attendees:
1. Austin
2. Richard (Whose name usually begins with a D., but the filters keep censoring it)
3. Joe B. (socialized and left early)
4. Joe Riddle
5. Keith
6. Maksim-Smelchak
7. Mike O.
8. Mike Warde (socialized and left early)
9. Paul
10. Anonymous Mystery Attendee

Keith and Mike O. socializing before a game of Iliad.

And we got a goodly number of games in... although we probably could have gotten a few more in, but folks were having such a good a time socializing, taking meal breaks, taking smoke breaks for the smokers, and otherwise having a good time hanging out inbetween the main course of gaming that we probably didn't get in quite as many games as we could have.

Here were the games I recorded although I might have missed one or two:

-----
DBA 15mm
Keith playing the Norse Leitdang - WIN!
vs.
Richard playing Early Imperial Romans - Lose.

Richard's Roman's are under heavy pressure from Keith's Norse in this shot... shortly after, the Romans fell.

------
HOTT 28mm
Austin & Paul (father-son team) playing the Ostentatious Orkz - Lose.
vs.
Joe Riddle playing the Douty Dwarves - WIN!

In this shot, the ever generous Joe Riddle explains the game of HOTT to Austin and Paul.

------
DBA 15mm
Keith playing the Norse Leitdang - WIN!
vs.
Maksim-Smelchak playing the Anglo-Danes - Lose.

Maksim's Anglo-Dane spearwall looked very impressive until the scrum met and the swords and axes of Keith's Norse proved hungrier.

------
TTR (Ticket To Ride, a train-themed board game)
Richard - 2nd (tie)
Keith - 3rd
Maks - 2nd (tie)
Mike O. - 1rst - WIN!

Mike O. proved to be the Master Conductor in this game. Mazel Tov, Mike!

------
Iliad (An ancients-themed card game)
Richard - L.
Joe Riddle - L.
Keith - L.
Maks - WIN!
Mike O. - L.

Mike O., Joe Riddle, and Richard are all photographed here plotting to bring their ancients tribe to victory in the card game, Iliad!

------

Mike O. bought a bushel of Mageknight figures after the game went into decline and rebased them for 28mm HOTT. He, like many other club members, is very generous in sharing his gaming items with newer folks who haven't invested in any games yet.
It's a really snazzy army!

Have a great Monday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.
Anyone interested in gaming is welcome to come to the MWSS meetings. They're free and all are welcome! More information can be found here:

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

The next meeting will be held on the 17th of February, 2007.

P.S.S.
All of the photos I took during the session can be found here, if you'd like to take a gander:

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_1-20-2007/

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.

GAMING NEWS: April 2M2G = D-Day & Fun For All (30 April 2006)!

.

Hi Everyone,

Well, the 2M2G (Maksim's Monthly Gaming Group) game day has come and gone and it was a blast!

And I'm theming the day as "D-Day!" since many of the games we played started with the letter "D."

For those of you that haven't heard of 2M2G, it's a free welcome-to-all gaming club and my way of giving back to the gaming community. You see, for years, I've lived in smaller apartments and haven't been able to host games at my place, BUT I've always wanted to. And I eventually moved out to a pad in Rancho Cordova that had the room, but by then I had discovered that I had so many good friends that I needed a space bigger than the average apartment or home could provide so I reserved the rec room of my local public library once a month and have been hosting game days since. I have the room from 10:00am to 2:30pm once a month on the Sunday of the last weekend of the month. If you'd like to come, send me an E-mail or post on the comments section here on my blog and I'll tender you an invitation to the club. It's that easy! No dues, restrictions, etc. etc. - just come, play and have a good time!

Top: See! Dave D. gives it a thumb's up!

The following attended:
- Clay, the Clever Man!
- Dave D., Friend To Naked Britons!
- Dick, the Well-Dressed One!
- Donna... Oh, Donna!
- Eric, the Fiendish Dungeon Master Who Takes Forever To Come Up With an Evil Plan!
- Joe, Leader of the Ghost Chicken Legions!
- John, Who Wishes He Was a Dinosaur!
- Maksim (me!)
- Malachai, The Mighty!
- Mike O'Brien, Slayer of Cowboy Dogs!
- Patrick, The Mastermind Behind the Scenes!
- Sean, Local Linguist and Commo Expert!

And some special guest appearances by:

Top: Dave, the OTHER Dave!

Top: Craig, "I'm not just a member of the club, but I'm also the Pre..."

And we had all kinds of fun playing half a dozen or so different games:

======
1. D-HOTT

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/5369

Players:
- Dick, as the Wolflings = Not their day!
- Joe, as the Undead Horde! = Winner and slayer of the Wolfling general!

Despite some brilliant plays by Dick, the dice betrayed him at a critical moment and Joe's boneheads took the day. Mazel Tov, Joe!

TOP: The above photo shows Joe's undead on the left side of the board...
...forming a very intricate defence of the their crypt-like stronghold.

======
2. D-HOTT

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/5369

Players:
- Dick, as the Wolflings = WINNER!
- Joe, as the Undead Horde! = A bone for the dawgs...

And Dick pulls off victory (...from Joe's skeleton/s) this time! Mazel Tov, Dick!

...and he looked good too!

TOP: Here, Joe demonstrates that the chic HOTT player does it with a cell phone!

Joe sent me some corrections (2 May 2006):

Maks,
I actually killed Dick's general in the second battle as well -

Boneheads: 2
Doggies: 0

I felt bad for Dick! He beat up my Velociraptors though - They were so pathetic!
Then, he shot me dead in Bang! So, the net was:

Joe: 2
Dick: 2

Joe.

======
3. DESCENT, JOURNEYS IN THE DARK!

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/17226

Players:
MAGIC-USER: John then Maksim.
FIGHTER: Sean then Dave D.
THIEF: Clay!
SORCEROR: Malachai then Dave D.

In this very interesting and lengthy board game, four courageous adventurers take on a dungeon full of, well... danger. The inital party started out to slay some evil giants who had been plundering the local villages causing mighty amounts of cows to, well... disappear... noone knows what the giants are doing with or to them. The party made it to the very door of the giants when... it was time to go home.

TO BE CONTINUED...

TOP: We can see the following in this photo from left to right:
John, Clay, Malachai, Sean and Eric.

======
4. DINOSAURS, The GRUDGE MATCH!

A Prototype game by Patrick Sweeney!

Players:
- Dick: Allosaurus.
- Joe: Velociraptor.
- John: Triceratops.
- Patrick: Apatosaurus.

I didn't play in this game, but it looked like "professional" wrestling with dinosaurs. The game is still a "work in art" or somesuch and Patrick is still honing it to perfection.

TOP: In the above photo, you can see the dinosaurs lined up for action, a feeding frenzy or both!

======
5. D-Bang!

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/3955

Players:
- Dick
- Joe
- Mike

I didn't catch this game and have no idea how it turned out.

======
6. D-Bang!

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/3955

Players:
- Dick
- Joe
- Mike

The guys came back for a grudge match and I still have no idea what happened.

======
7. D-WMA (WarMaster Ancients)

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/18615

Players:
- Craigius Venatus - Roman: VICTORY!
- Dave D. Briton - Brit: loss.
- Davidius Rotundas - Roman: VICTORY!
- Maksim Maximus - Brit: loss.

In an exciting pacification of Britian scenario, the Romans managed to stomp the Brits by only having a 500 point advantage and superior troops! Ohhh! Impressive!

Generals Craigius and Maximus both proved to be "unable to cast the die across the Rubicon" so to say and generals Dave D. Briton and D. Rotundus had the "Battle of the Daves!" And the "Rotund One" carried more weight at the end of the day! Mazel Tov, Craig and Dave!

TOP: The Briton's right flank before being Roman-ized!

TOP: The Romans approaching the River Thames.

======

Have a great day!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.
Anyone interested in using the photos that I have attached to this post can find them here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202006/?sc=1&multi=9&addtype=local&media=image