MINI WARGAMING: "Battle of Basrah" (24 July 2008)

.

TOP: Turn 1: An aerial view of the Battle of Basrah 1914-15...

...with Allies on the left and the Ottomans on the right.

Hi All,

Last Friday on 18 July 2008, a number of gentleman got together to play a colonial game, although a late colonial game from World War I. Mark Steinberg and Mike McGraw hosted. The game was loosely based on the actual Battle of Basrah from 1914-15 although the results (an allied defeat) much more resembled the Siege of Kut, the battle that followed Basrah in 1915-16. For those readers still gaining proficiency in geography, Basrah is located in modern-day Iraq.

It was a great game with lots of beautiful terrain, a host of 28mm figures, a British armored car, several light artillery pieces, two massive river boats, the French Foreign Legion, plenty of Brits, plenty of Scots, Indian troops, Arabs, Askaris, Boers, and everything a colonial-minded gamer could adore. I had a fabulous time and it was a great way to spend a lazy evening.

Mark's notes:

Here are some photos of the BASRAH 1915 game. Players were Maksim, Tim, Mike McGraw, Mike O., Hal L., and Nils. I took the photos. Observers included Carl O., Jim C. and Mark Cuomo, Mikos, Mike S., Marcus, and George G.

And the photos:

TOP: By turn 3, the Allies (left) had taken considerable casualties.

TOP: One of the mighty riverboats, that arrived too late!

TOP: The other mighty riverboat!

TOP: The two boats heading upriver to Basrah.

TOP: The mighty river itself!
Ottoman lines on the right.

TOP: The Ottomans had the advantage of holding the town...

And the Germans had vowed "...to fight to the last Arab."

TOP: Maksim's Arabs set up in a strong town building...
The fellows out of cover were quickly routed.

TOP: The British forces were bolstered by an armored car (left).
It's machine gun tore up Ottoman lines.

TOP: The brave Scots troops charged Basrah with valor in their hearts...
...to no avail!
TOP: A set of ruins in the foreground saved the Allies from a worse defeat.
TOP: By turn 2, the Allied ranks had been decimated by rifle fire.

TOP: But the Allies still held the rocky outcrops outside Basrah.

TOP: Part of the motley crew of Colonial heroes!

The game itself went well and all had a good time, but the scenario was, perhaps tilted a little in favor of the Ottoman side since by turn two, the allied lines had been considerably thinned. In fact, the game was an absolute bloodbath with both sides taking roughly 40% to 70% casualties within just three turns! Next time, the Allies will receive more troops and the Ottomans less and we can see how it turns out!

Link to Battle of Basrah (1914-15):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Basra_%281914%29

First Link to Siege of Kut (1915-16):

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

Second Link to Siege of Kut (1915-16):

http://www.1914-1918.net/meso_bat3.htm

Have a great Thursday!

And good gaming to you!

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: "Barbary Pirates Are Back!" (23 June 2008)

.

TOP: The workbench is cluttered as usual!

Hi All,

Well, any weekend I get to work on the hobby is a good one and I was able to spend a good amount of this past weekend working on miniatures projects.

The above photo is of a 1'x1' project board loaded up with models. On the far right is a Flagship Games resin ship loaded up with some of my 28mm undead pirate crew. To the upper left of the photo are some armored orcs that I picked up cheaply awhile back. And most of the rest of that project board is covered with orcs that I am converting to become a 28mm fantasy pirate crew.

As a side note, I picked up the "project board" practice from an old gamer buddy of mine named Kris. He would buy a cheap sheet of chipboard and have it cut up into rough 1'x1' sheets. The typical 2' x4' sheet yields eight "project boards" They're sort of like building puzzles on a flat piece of card board. By working on the "project boards" I save my tabletops and they make it easy to move projects around. At any rate, I found it a good idea years ago and am still using them to the present day. Thanks, Kris!

I've also been saving spare plastic 20mmx20mm mini bases for my fellow blogger and gamer, Drunken Samurai. If you've never checked out his blog, I highly recommend you do so. He does some pretty neat work.

Drunken Samurai URL located here:

http://dspaintingblog.blogspot.com/

Please excuse the low quality of the photos. I was having some difficulty with my digital camera and decided to go with low-quality shots rather than have none to share.

TOP: 25mm Barbary Pirate crew - mostly RAFM Ottomans and pirates.

Well, I'm up to almost 30 Barbary pirate figures at this point divided into two crews of fifteen men each. The above unit is mostly equipped with firearms. I got a deal on some old RAFM Turk and Ottoman figures so the latest acquisition really plumped out my tiraleurs (riflemen). The last batch proved difficult to work with, but this batch was a breeze. I'll update this post later with product numbers.

I haven't found a good ship for these fellows yet, but I have an extra galley or two that might do the trick.

TOP: 28mm Barbary pirate crew: mostly old RAFM.

The above lot is mostly a close-combat crew armed with cutlasses and various small arms. The two gorilla-like corsairs had their weapon swaps repositioned to stick straight up so that they'll rank better. The RAFM figures are definitely older 25mm ones and they are puny compared to "heroic sculpts" of 28mmm or larger scale.

TOP: 28mm armored orcs ... in need of headgear!

And the last batch if figures that I worked on have been orcs for my nephew Vincent's upcoming 28mm fantasy orc army. I picked up this batch of armored orcs used somewhere... I think that they are Harlequin / Black Tree although they might also be RAFM. I have a bunch of GW Bretonnian heads with nice medieval helms in my bitz box so I'm planning to add headgear to these fellows in the near future.

Have a great Monday!

And good gaming to you!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

MINI WARGAMING: "28mm Pirate Ship Coming Together" (26 December 2007)

.

TOP: Master Necromancer Maksimok's shipyards.

Hi Everyone,

One of the projects I have been enjoying the most lately has been a 28mm pirate ship.

I was browsing E-bay one day and found it for considerably under a C-spot ($100.00 USD) and decided to lowball the bid and miraculously I WON! So, the next thing I know, the pirate ship arrives and my work bench is covered in the undead, which effectively meant that the pirate ship project was forced to wait.

TOP: A dark PIRATE SHIP appears out of the foggy night!

So then a work colleague and friend, Cheri, calls me and, knowing I speak Spanish, asks me to tutor her daughter, Keri, in Spanish language studies so I came and started working with her. After a tutoring lesson one day, Keri chats me up a bit and asks how I liked the most recent "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. I mentioned that I enjoyed it and was even building a pirate ship model. This intrigued them and Cheri offered to lend me her corner table so I could build it with them... so I did. The next thing I know I started assembling a pirate ship at my friend's apartment with a teenage assistant who wanted to learn the craft. I started learning the parts of the ship, teaching my assistant nautical terminology, and, at the same time, teaching hobby skills.

And it's slowly coming together...

TOP: The aft castle has adornment made out of cheap jewelry charms.
TOP: Shaping the fore castle railing took some work...

The white tubes sticking up are mountings for masts.

The ship itself is an out-of-production 28mm model from Merrimack Miniatures / Old Glory called the adventure galley. I have slowly been cleaning it up and customizing it. I plan to use it with the excellent Pirates! rule set from my friends at Flagship Games, so I've built the masts to be removable. The masts are made from 3/8" dowels that fit snugly into 7/16" hollow plastic tubing.

TOP: The ship is coming together as seen from the side.
Both the fore and aft castles are removable...
With cabins accessible underneath them.
TOP: From this angle, you can see...
The cabin under the fore castle...
Has a custom bulkhead installed.

There is also custom railing, a hand-made front bulkhead and more.

I haven't decided what sort of crew to populate her from yet... I have three in mind:

1. A traditional, historical human pirate crew.

2. A demi-human, mostly Orc pirate crew.

3. A skeleton & zombie undead pirate crew.

Keri likes the undead crew best. I'm of a mind to keep the ship flexible and allow all three crews on board... just not at the same time!

Here are some 28mm pirate links for you:

Flagship Games link:

http://www.flagshipgames.com/

Old Glory Miniatures link:

http://www.oldgloryminiatures.com/

Pirate Wargames Yahoo discussion E-group:

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

The rest of my 28mm pirate ship photos at my Photobucket image gallery:

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/28mm_Pirates/

Have a root'in toot'in great Wednesday!
And happy holidays!

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: "Thinking About Your 2008 Hobby Plans?" (18 December 1007)

.

TOP: The Heroes of Beni Hana Pass make a stand...

...from a game of 28mm Oriental Adventures earlier this year...

Hi All,

Lately I've been thinking about what sort of hobby resolution I'm going to make for 2008...

- 28mm WAB Saracen / Moor / Arab Army
- 28mm WAB Celt / Gaul / Arthurian Army
- Planning to learn WAB in 2008 and play in the local leagues...

- 28mm WHFB Undead army for me...
- Split part of undead army from Gothic Vampire Counts theme to Tomb Kings Egyptian theme...
- 28mm WHFB Empire army for my nephew Quinn
- 28mm WHFB Orc / Gobbo army for my other nephew Vincent
- Planning to play more WHFB this year and possibly participate in the local leagues...

TOP: 28mm Orc Shamans work a power totem...

- 28mm Pirate Ship
- 28mm Historical pirate crew
- 28mm Undead pirate crew
- 28mm Orc pirate crew

- 28mm fantasy scenery
- 28mm graveyard
- 28mm village buildings

- 10mm sci-fi armies
- Want to play ASQL in 2008.

- 10mm modern missile boats
- This project is nearing fruition... must get to it!

- 6mm sci-fi armies
- Command Horizon?
- Epic-Armageddon?
- Dirtside III?

- 6mm town for Kaiju Stomp'in
- I want to build a new mat for the city and lay out city zoning blocks.

TOP: Orc & Goblin Wolfriders were torn apart...

By katana and exotic magic...

And every year, I only make one hobby resolution and finish off that project. Sometimes I get more done, but I only hold myself to completing one project... After all, life is busy and we all have families, jobs, etc. that take us away from the fun stuff.

This year in 2007, I resolved to work on my 6mm kaiju set, but I switched streams early in the year and built my 28mm Vampire Counts army for Warhammer Fantasy Battles (WHFB) instead.

*** What are your 2008 hobby plans? ***

Ah, decisions!

Have a great Tuesday!

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: "New Monsterpocalypse Kaiju" (12 December 2007)

.

TOP: "Elder Gods, anyone?"

"Is H.P. Lovecraft available for tea?"

Hi All,

Privateer Press just came out with a new preview picture of one of their new kaiju sculpts for their impending Monsterpocalypse game...

Looks positively Cthulhu-loid, doesn't he?

Privateer Press announcement link here:

http://www.privateerpress.com/monsterpocalypse/default.html

My first post about Monsterpocalypse can be found here:

http://6mm-minis.blogspot.com/2007/11/mini-wargaming-monsterpocalypse-is.html

Have a great Wednesday!

And a final 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: "Stephane's MOW Empire Fleet" (9 December 2007)

.

TOP: Stephane's Imperial Navy.

Hi All,

One of the great blessings I've experienced over the years as a gamer active in the community worldwide is that I've met some great people over the years, and one of my favorite gamers and now a friend that I've met over the years has been Stephane in France. Stephane and I met while working on the Epic-Armageddon design teams for Specialist Games / Games Workshop and discovered that we both shared a love of the miniatures hobby. He's been a supporter of me and my blog and a constant source of information and inspiration over the years for which I am very grateful.

Apart from Epic, Stephane loves a "Oldie, But A Goldie" cult classic fantasy naval game called "Man O'War" (MOW), that Games Workshop put out in the 1990s. And even though GW has all but abandoned the game, Stephane continues to enjoy it and expand his collection. He runs a great web site to which I've included a link below.

He recently sent me the below short note:

For Karl-Franz!

Hello Maksim,

The Man O'War section grows a bit with a new article dedicated to the navy of the greatest human nation of the Old World - you already understood it from the subject line.

It's for the Empire and it's here:
http://www.stephane.info/show.php?code=empire_fleet

Best regards,
Stephane.

You can see the rest of Stephane's MOW photos and his accompanying article here:
http://www.stephane.info/show.php?code=empire_fleet

Have a great Sunday!

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).

GAMING NEWS: "October MWS Meeting AAR" (5 December 2007)

.

TOP: Wargaming is it SHOULD be...
Good friends having a good time together.

Hi All,

October's MWSS (Miniatures Wargaming Society of Sacramento - usually just called MWS) meeting was a good one: great attendance (16 guests! + more visitors!), several games, and, best of all...

Lots of good company, royal socializing, and outstanding camaraderie!

And the attendance was:
- Chris
- George G.
- Hal
- Joe B.
- Joe R.
- Keith E.
- The Keith (Keith S.)
- Maksim-Smelchak (me!)

TOP: Watch out for the Gorn!
Ornery Space Dinos that they are!

- Mark C.
- Mike O'Brien
- Mikos
- Richard M.
- Terry
- Vynnie
- Mystery Guest #1
- Mystery guest #2
- Lots of passersby who came in to see the action!

========

TOP: "Spiney Norman" is everyone's favorite, evil SUPER-MUTANT!
Some speculate that he was once just an angry, little prairie dog...
...before the Fall.

1. “Junkworld Episode III – Glittering Treasure in Norman’s Backyard”
HOST: Mark Carper
RULE SET: Savage Worlds (Customized by an “Act of Mark”)
GENRE: Post-Apocalyptic Sci-fi
SCALE: 28mm

PLAYERS:
- Joe B. as: “Grizzly Pete Gang”
- Joe R. as: “The Zombie Master”
- Keith E. as: “Spiney Norman”
- Maksim-Smelchak as: “Sven Glikker & The Sai Wing Gang”
- Mark C. as: “Gamemaster One”
- Mike O'Brien as: “The Unhygienic Ratmen”
- Richard M. as: “Plughead Murphy’s Gang”

SYNOPSIS:
- Rumors that great treasure have been spotted in the zombie-contaminated zone are reported as an adventurer stumble into the bar, tells his tale, and conveniently dies. Half a dozen gangs or so gather their members, bundle into transport, and set out for “The Zone,” a contaminated area jokingly called “The Zombie Preserve (TZP).” TZP is an awful place with high rad counts, leftover bio-contaminants, preserved old Twinkie stashes, wandering gangs of mutated rat men, the “Moby Dick” of mutants, a giant intelligent mutated MONSTER known only as “Spiney Norman,” …and, most importantly, vast amounts of TREASURE! (Or so they say…)

More photos of this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_10-20-2007/28mm-Junktown-Ep-3_10-20-07-/

========

TOP: Noone likes those "Goodie Two-Shoes" in the Federation!

2. “Pirates of the Asteroid-al Penzance”
HOST: Vynnie of RIF
RULE SET: Federation Commander
GENRE: Star Fleet Battles (Star Trek spin-off)
SCALE: Starship Scale

PLAYERS:
- Chris as: “The Pirates”
- George G. as: “The Freighter & Escort”
- Mikos as: “The Gorn – Pirates?”
- Vynnie as: “The Gamemaster”

SYNOPSIS:
- Starbase 4571-Q #3a reports strange pirate activity. As the Federation sends a transport to re-supply the base, a fantastic space-bourne melee breaks out that is still leaving Intelligence men wondering what happened.

More photos of this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_10-20-2007/Starship-Fed-Cmdr_10-20-07-/

========

TOP: It was a WWII "Motor-rama" in the Des(s)ert!

3. “Sour Kraut – Bitter Limey Des(s)ert!”
HOST: Keith The Man
RULE SET: Blitzkrieg Commander
GENRE: WWII – North Africa
SCALE: 20mm (HO RR scale)

PLAYERS:
- Hal as: “The Sour Germans”
- The Keith as: “The Sour Brits”

SYNOPSIS:
- North African WWII Brits & Germans meet in the desert near El Alamein for a rumble in an evaluation of the Blitzkrieg Commander (BC) rule set. BC evaluated well!

More photos of this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_10-20-2007/20mm-WWII-Africa_10-20-07-/

========

Some more photos of the session can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_10-20-2007/

Have a great Wednesday!

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.

MINI WARGAMING: "Sci-fi Rules Preview Draft Up" (3 December 2007)

.

TOP: Laser Tank, an oldie but a goodie from 1980!

Hi All,

Well, I posted a draft on my small scale rules review over at the 6mm Science Fiction War Games Yahoo Discussion E-group. So, you can take a gander at it and hopefully let me know what you think.

I added in a few new blocks due to suggestions such as:

Mini type: Metal, resin, plastic or other.
Ground scale: What the ground scale is supposed to represent.
Time scale: How much time each turn represents.

And here's a new sample entry:

Name: Laser Tank
Genre: Sci-fi ground combat
Future level: Far future (space opera)
Org. level: Company skirmish
Universe: Traveller RPG

Rules Data:

Game Type: Board game
Complexity: 2 to 3

Unit Types:

Infantry: YES
Vehicles: YES
Mecha: NO
Flyers: YES

Miniatures Data:

Mini line: NO
Mini type: N/A
Mini scale: N/A
Ground scale: 1cm=1m (skirmish play), 1mm=1m (maneuver play)
Time scale: 30 seconds / turn
Status: N/A

Minis Internet Link:
N/A

Publishing Data:

Manufacturer: Judges Guild
Date: 1980
Status: (Out Of Production)
Rarity: Rare

Brief Description:
None.

Rules Internet Link:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/7776

One of the reasons I posted this was to look for constructive feedback...

*** Do you have any suggestions or advice of details you'd like to see in each rule set's entry? Any other ideas? ***

If you do have advice or suggestions, please post them at the my blog in the comments section or at the 6mm Science Fiction War Games Yahoo Discussion E-group.

Link here:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/6mmScienceFictionWarGames/

Have a great Monday!

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).

NOVELS: "Starship Troopers In Passing" (16 November 2007)

.

Top: Starship Troopers (SST), the novel.

Hi All,

I just finished reading Starship Troopers (SST), the novel and what a great book it is. SST was a groundbreaking novel in its time and is arguably the first book to describe many sci-fi memes including power armor and insectile aliens. But beyond the entertaining science fiction story is much of what really earned Robert A. Heinlein his name: a very intriguing discussion of current social conditions and how future societies may deal with them, which is at the heart of sci-fi as literature. It's where Isaac Asimov made much of his name as well. Reading SST, the novel, really can inspire one to consider current questions of nationality, citizenship, civic virtue, education, military organization, and many others. And SST certainly wasn't the first novel in which Heinlein examined American society... many of his other novels question education, social values, and many other cornerstones of societies around the world. In fact, much of the writing reminds me of the philosophical writings of Edmund Burke.

Here are some ideas that SST examines through the guise of science fiction:
- The basis on which a successful State establishes citizenship.
- What is civic virtue and how should it be instilled in succeeding generations.
- How should successful military leadership function.
- What the ratio between teeth (the fighting edge of an army) to tail (logistics) in a successful military should ideally be.
- How to inspire the fighting man.
- One way how to solve the natural rivalries that often exist between different branches of a military.

It's amazing just how much SST, the novel, has inspired in the way of pop culture...

Link to the Wiki article for the book here:

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

Link for Edmund Burke here:

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

TOP: The first SST film was relatively well received.

TOP: The second SST film was widely panned.

SST has spawned two films and a third is coming out. I recommend enjoying the first for entertainment value although with the knowledge that the underpinnings of the novel and film are like night and day. The film is more about fascism and a negative critique of existing democracies at heart with the central message of destroying them while the novel was much more about a critique of Western-style democracy with an idea of reclaiming what is good about democracies. The second film was universally panned and very few have had anything good to say about it. I found it rather mediocre although I enjoyed it with the caveat that I'm a dedicated sci-fi fan.

Wiki link to the first SST film here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers_%28film%29

Wiki link to the second SST film here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers_2:_Hero_of_the_Federation

TOP: This SST cartoon series later inspired a miniatures game.

The first SST film inspired the above Roughnecks animated series, which did fairly well and went on to later inspire a miniatures game. The animated series was definitely made with a younger audience in mind and avoids blood, gore, and death, which more or less emasculates the novel. While the computer animation is stunning, don't expect much from the storyline. And if you decide you want to buy a copy of the series, go for the multi-DVD compilation set rather than trying to collect each plot arc individually.

Wiki link to the animated Roughnecks adaptation of SST here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roughnecks:_Starship_Troopers_Chronicles

TOP: The original 1976 SST wargame was and is quite popular.

TOP: The 2005 Mongoose Publishing SST game never picked up in my area.

The classic Avalon Hills 1976 SST game is a classic and still fun to play. It can be picked up relatively cheaply on the secondary market although I've seeen it fetch relatively high prices on the secondary market. The newer 2005 28mm SST minis game from Mongoose Publishing never really picked up in my area and the latest 2007 SST Evolution game hasn't either. I've played both games and had a small part in playtesting the Evolution rule set and I like them, but I prefer sci-fi skirmish gaming above the company / small squad level so apart from enjoying the odd game at gaming conventions, I haven't extensively played the game. There's a relatively small group in the Bay Area that plays it, but I almost never see it local to Sacto anymore. And if you prefer the novel to the film, you're better off with the classic 1976 SST game from Avalon Hills, which IS based on the novel, rather the Mongoose game, which is based on the animated series.

Link to the SST minis game here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers:_The_Miniatures_Game

BGG link to the 2005 SST minis game here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/15435

BGG link to the classic 1976 SST board game here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/670

I certainly haven't done more than touch upon the many pop culture forms that SST has taken... It's also appeared as a graphic novel, in several Japanese anime series, and elsewhere, but I endeavored in this post to cover a rough selection of what's out there that may be on interest from a gamer's perspective.

Keep on gaming!

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: "Cool 6mm Sci-fi Intro" (15 November 2007)

.

TOP: One of Edmund's awesome OGRE minis.

Hi All,

There's always more one can do for the hobby... but we all have limited time. It's hard enough to take our "piles of lead" to get prepped, assembled, and painted... let alone run a blog or website, help put a good face on the hobby, and simply game! One of my many side projects has been an overview & review of what's out there for 6mm sci-fi gaming. I've been clacking away on reviews and putting together links and resources, when... lo and behold, someone beats me to it. All I can say is:

Thanks, Edmund! Awesome work!

I may still come out with my own take on reviews & overviews in the near future, but I really appreciate and am impressed by Edmund's work.

You can see Edmund's excellent 6mm Sci-fi intro web page here:
http://www.geocities.com/edmund_puk/6mmsf.htm

And you can download Edmund's 6mm sci-fi rule set, "The AD Wars," here:
http://www.geocities.com/edmund_puk/documents/adwars.doc

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: "Monsterpocalypse Is Almost Upon Us" (14 November 2007)

.

TOP: Monsterpocalypse, a new game coming out from Privateer Press.

Hi All,

Well, I'm not always the quickest with breaking news, but I always get around to what I want to... sooner or later. This news, an impending Kaiju game called Monsterpocalypse came out slightly before Halloween so, without further ado, check out the below announcement from Privateer Press (PP):

Privateer Press Announces Collectible Miniatures Game!

Today we are excited to announce our plans to produce a collectible miniatures game (CMG) named Monsterpocalypse™.

Monsterpocalypse brings the kaiju (loosely translated from Japanese as ‘giant monster’) genre to the tabletop in the form of a fast-paced, action-packed CMG.

The Monsterpocalypse CMG will launch with over 80 pre-painted plastic figures in the initial set and will include large-scale monsters, destroyable city structures, and vehicles. Planned for release at retail in 2008, figures will be sold in randomized booster packs and non-randomized starter games, and special figures will be available at events throughout 2008.

Privateer Press announcement link here:
http://www.privateerpress.com/monsterpocalypse/default.html

And while I'm not the biggest fan of Collectible Miniature Games (CMGs), I do love Kaiju and for a Kaiju-o-phile, it doesn't get much better than this.

TOP: The 1998 Zilla, an American Godzilla, born & bred to trash NYC.

TOP: Monsterpocalypse's dino-lizard Kaiju prototype...

Hmmm... I wonder if they have licensing deal?

I'm a bit wary about what PP plans to do with rules... while I like PP's big games War Machine and Hordes, I'm not sure that a similar set would be good for kaiju gaming. However, there's always Monster Island (MI), a set which has already stood the test of time. And speaking of MI, I ran into Patrick Sweeney, the creator of Monster Island, this past weekend and we chatted about what's on the horizon for MI, to which he announced Monster Island II should be coming out next year in 2008 as well. Between MI-II, Monsterpocalypse, and a possible new Giant Monster Rampage (GMR) rule set, 2008 should be a great year for kaiju gaming!

Firefly Games, the makers of Monster Island:
http://www.firefly-games.com/

Giant Monster Rampage game entry at BGG:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/12129

TOP: UFO, anyone?

Here are some more links to discussion of Monsterpocalypse at some of the mini game forums out there:

TMP link here:
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=124041

Another TMP link here:
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=124063

Frothers link here:
http://www.frothersunite.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12348

TOP: A little mecha will make it go down...

I'm really impressed with the prototype sculpts that PP has released to the public... I only hope that the vehicles and buildings scale in around 6mm... Well, here's hoping!

Have a great Wednesday!

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: "10mm Sci-fi Mini Pics From BSG!"

.

TOP: The awesome Black Skull Games demo table from Gen Con 2007!

Blue human Terror Troopers appear to be staging a raid...

Against a Martian complex from a tunneler!

Hi All,

As a 10mm sci-fi miniatures game fan, I'm always interested in the appearance of new product lines and the new sci-fi game "Universal War" from Black Skull Games (BSG) certainly caught my interest. Like many others, I quickly checked out the BSG web site and was disappointed to find no actual photographs of the minis. The only photos I found were taken of the booth from a distance, hardly close enough to get a good look at a 10mm sci-fi mini. I was disappointed, but more to the point, curious as to what the little beasties actually looked like.

So, I thought I'd check out the customer service of BSG and shot them off a few E-mails asking questions about the game and requesting some photographs. And, sure as serendipity, BSG responded within a day or so and was kind enough to give me permission to post the photographs they shared... much more impressive! And the minis are good, clean sculpts too!

So, enough of my blathering and out with the photos:

TOP: Martian Invaders are green & the human defenders are blue.

TOP: Martian Invader Miniatures (left) & a Mutant Giant (right).

The scale is good for 10mm... few SCALE PURISTS could complain.

TOP: Martian Invaders are the elite shock troops of the militant Martian race and...

They stand at the forefront of all planetary invasions.

The Martian Invaders stand half a foot taller than the average human and...

Are superior to them in strength and agility.

They adorn themselves in advanced Techno-Armor and...

Carry powerful energy rifles.

TOP: Left - Human Terror Trooper Defender.

Center - Martian Mutant Giant.

Right - Martian Invader Trooper.

You can check out the Black Skull Games web site here:

http://www.blackskullgames.com/

Here's the game teaser that BSG has up at their web site about their new game "Universal War":

Universal War

"The Universe is locked in eternal war. Amidst the uncounted galaxies of space, a million races struggle to survive a conflict that has raged since the dawn of creation. The young race of man, recently ascended from the primordial ooze of Earth, is just the latest to learn of his impeding doom.”

Have you ever watched a science fiction movie thick with dramatic battle scenes and wished that you could step in and control the action? Wished you could command your own termination machines, armored storm troopers, or slime-covered aliens. If so, then behold, for the means to do so is here before you now, within the pages of this book.

Welcome to Universal War, a 10MM-1/180th scale, mass-combat, science fiction, miniatures war game. It allows players to lead fantastical armies amidst the unlimited planetary war zones of the far future and compete with one another for supreme control over all the fictional worlds ever made popular by novels, comic books, toys, television, and the cinema. Universal War allows its players to build and battle any army they can dream up. There are no limitations and no forbidden ideas, so summon your chosen legions and let the battles begin.

The game looks promising, a sort of minimalist GURPS-like universal miniatures rules system. The game appears to be played on a standard one-inch square grid, which should greatly simplify game movement. When I get a chance to do an in-depth review of the rules, I'll be sure to share it here.

If you're interested in 10mm sci-fi, please check out this excellent discussion group:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/10mm_SFWG/

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).