Alkemy: Khaliman Republic

Several months ago I saw Miniature Market was having a clearance sale on all its Alkemy models. To be honest, I'd never heard of the game and didn't have too much interest in it. However, they had two factions that looked really cool and I wanted to get right away. One of the factions is presented here, the "cat people" of the Khaliman Republic.  I'm not into the fluff, but these look like Arab derived fantasy models.  The other faction, which I've yet to complete, is the Jade Triad (or something like that).  They're the standard fantasy Asians.

I did actually get to play the game, and I'll offer my opinions on that in a moment. First, here are the models I have for the "cat people."  I just wanted these because they were based on cats, and thought I could use them in other games.  Here's the group and some close ups.

These ten models came in three packs, each about $7 on clearance. So even if I didn't want the game, the models were cheap enough.  These models are all from Kraken Games, which I guess is out of business. They are nice sculpts, light on details but still nice.  I also picked up a pack of the new models from Studio 38, which took over the Alkemy line.

I hate the resin models from Studio 38.  Hate. Hate. Hate. I've made a voodoo circle in my backyard and sacrificed those models to the dark gods.

The new resin models break into bits at a glance. In each Studio 38 pack they should include a sound track of shattering glass, because that's what you will be hearing as you work with their models. Really working with these models is a bit like walking on eggshells with lead boots.  I got a three model pack which now looks like a 100 model battle box, with all the broken bits and stuff.  Stay away from these.  One drop on a hard surface, like a carpeted floor or pillow, and they're going to shatter.

As for the game itself, I did play once. I discovered these cats are a finesse army, which is not my style at all. Also, I was not at my best that night, being very tired and out of sorts. I couldn't even read my model cards correctly.  I know, excuses, excuses.  Let's hear about the game.

Well, it has some interesting mechanics. I'm told it plays a lot like the old Confrontation, being designed by some of those people. Combat is fun.  You and your opponent pick different cards in secret, and depending how they match up you could get bonuses on your rolls. The combat is done on special dice, which include the type of damage you do. The dice are also color coded, so as your model takes wounds they move to different colored dice which basically degrade combat effectiveness.

The magic system is so screwed up I can't make sense of it. You have to gather shit for your alchemical recipes and then you can cast. It's all a bit too much like "Cooking Mama" for me. I'm here to play a miniature wargame, not simulate Home Economics class from sixth grade. I think I'll pass on casters.

All in all it was an okay game. I might try it again.  I've got to paint up my Asian faction and see how they play.

Bolt Action: US Army Part Two

I finished up my vehicles for Bolt Action last week, but haven't got around to taking pictures until today. I picked up a few vehicles and an extra MG team.  This will complete my US Army force, as now I have more than enough troops and extra choices to round out a good sized army.

These are all West Wind models from the Berlin or Bust range. The size is fairly comparable to the Warlord sizes, but much cheaper when purchased through Old Glory's army deal. 

Up first is the obligatory M4A3 Sherman tank. You can't play US without one.

I threw in a West Wind model for size comparison. It works close enough for gaming. In fact, anything significantly larger is going to start to look clunky on the table.  I don't know what's up with paint discoloration by the serial number of the first picture. It's not visible under regular lighting.  Hmmm.

Next is the M10 Tank Destroyer. Given I'll be facing Germans, this is probably what I should take to the fight rather than the Sherman.

The crew figures came with the model.  Again, I placed  a figure next to it for scale.  This model is bigger than the Sherman tank. I don't know if that was true in real life, but on the make-believe battlefield it works out.

I'd be remiss if I didn't give the boys a ride, or give them something to tow their howitzer. Here's an M3 Halftrack.

This model came without crew or passengers. I had to buy them as a separate pack. The M3 was rather finicky to put together. The front wheel assembly kept falling off until I bombed it with superglue.  I have some leftover riders for the halftrack. I didn't want to overcrowd the interior, just suggest riders and crew so the M3 doesn't look "haunted" on the battlefield.

Finally, no great shakes, but here's a water cooled MG team. The US can take three MG teams for one force slot. So why not take advantage of that?

 So that's it!  I will probably pick up some jeeps and crews, as well as the M8 motor carriage. That will complete the West Wind line of US vehicles. But I'm in no great rush for them.

I'll need to round out my German forces next, as maybe my friends will want to play other Allied forces rather than Germans.  I think I have enough troops, since German squads were small. I just need a few more vehicles to bring them up to speed.

But for now, I'm going to shift gears into other projects for a little while. I have a list of 14 active projects of various sizes. I've got a lot to work on yet!

Bolt Action: US Army Part One

I've played a few games of Bolt Action and I've really liked it. I think my local gaming group might be okay with it, too.  But we don't have much luck getting 28mm WW2 games to stick, so I'm not holding my breath. However, my experience with the game plus the potential to play it more than once sent me on a shopping spree.

I quickly realized that you still need a lot of guys to fill out squads, unless you want to play with all elites.  Then you need a good range of specialist figures and weapons or you'll just have three squads.  In other words, my collection of 28mm WW2 was lacking.

A few weeks ago I ordered a bunch of reinforcements to beef up my infantry squads.  I have mainly Crusader figures, but they are sadly not available to US customers any more (unless you are willing to mortgage your home to pay for them).  So I had to find a suitable match, and found that West Wind models fit in great with the Crusader models. I purchased two bags of infantry, one of command, one of BAR gunners, and one 105mm howitzer and crew.

Now I can add in two more full squads of twelve. I won't actually need that many but it works out fine. I have a bunch of leftover BAR and leader models that can fit in here and there. I painted up everything whether or not I planned to use it.

 They did give one prone model in the rifleman bag and the BAR gunner bag.  What a complete waste, and I didn't bother with them.  I guess I could be a douche and make a completely low profile squad... just to irk all those guys who love true LOS games.  Of course I couldn't see anything either, so maybe not a hot idea.

The models fit in nicely. But as I started to paint them, I became aware that these models have some serious proportion problems. Some forearms are really stunted while other arms rival those of an orangutang. The poses range from nice to confusing, to totally fucking queer. Check out some of this strangeness.

During WW2 US soldiers asked unfamiliar soldiers pass phrases to which there were predetermined answers. This NCO figure demonstrates the pass phrase "Skip to my lou" for which the answer was "My darling."

I'm not a firearms expert. However, I'm fairly certain holding a BAR to the face while firing might not be the brightest idea.

If the guy on the left is expecting that grenade to go off in his buddy's hand, he should do more than strike a "turn and cough" pose.

These NCOs are ready to boogie on down to Funky Town.

I know you can't see it in this photo, but let me gripe for a moment. The crew of this 105mm howitzer has got to be the ugliest bunch ever assembled. What happened at artillery school? For one, you've got Stephen King on the gun team, glasses and all.  The other two hunchbacks look like cannibals. The model inexplicably striking the "talk to the hand" pose looks somewhat normal. Then you realize he is all jaw and no face.  Wow.  The dude with the field glasses comes from the command pack, and I'll use him as a spotter.  He actually looks normal.

But despite all this, I'm really satisfied.  As I mentioned, they do mix well with Crusader models. I forgot to take a picture of them together. So I quickly set up a two Crusader and two West Wind models for comparison.

Now that these infantry models are done, I've got vehicles.  That's the part two implied in my subject line.  I've got West Wind models for a Sherman tank, M10 Tank Destroyer, and an M3 halftrack with crew and passengers.  I also have another HMG team to add in as well. Then my US forces will be just about completed.

Four More

I've been more active at my painting table this week, and I've got a lot done.  Here are four more models that I completed.  But in all honesty, one of the models I did weeks ago and haven't gotten around to taking a picture of it. So I painted three more, and photographed four. 

These are all Reaper models, the monsters are from the Bones line and the Viking is from Dark Heavens Legends. These pictures are okay, but not that good. Since they're not for a major project I'm not going to retake them. You can get an idea of what they're like, though the colors are a little off.

Here's a minotaur I plan to add to my Song of Blades and Heroes beastman warband. I really like this model. I wanted to make him dark but not black, which proved harder than I thought. He either looked like a primer-covered model or came out too light. Here's what I ended up with:

Next is a so-called "cave troll." I guess that's what I'll use him for. He has a nice rocky texture to his back. I painted his hair green, like moss, but it's not too obvious in these pictures. Also, his skin tone is a little bluish and not as gray as these pictures make it seem.

The last Bones model is a werewolf. I'll eventually use this one in Empire of the Dead, but he can fit into a lot of different lists.

Finally, I played a game of Saga and really enjoyed it. So I picked up a special model for my Viking leader.  Meet Gunther One-Eye:

I liked this model and the name that I came up with for him (he's missing an eye, which I clumsily left out of the picture). In fact, I gave him a small part in my next Viking novel (which should hopefully be published end of year or early 2013).

So that's it for now. I'll probably "go dark" for a bit while I wait for my WW2 US riflemen to arrive. I'm expanding my 28mm WW2 collection so I can get in larger games of Bolt Action.

Pulp Adventure Time!

Last Sunday I played a game of pulp adventure with my friends, Tim and Rob. We used LotR SBG rules for the game with a few minor adjustments. By adding in rules from the various "Legends" books we had just about every situation covered.

Tim has a big collection of desert stuff, and mummy stuff in particular. So we played a scenario reminiscent of the Mummy movies. I've played this particular scenario once before and it's fun. We're planning on running it for a larger group of four (four players and Tim as NPC). Tim has all the figures, but only has three "teams" created.

I've been wanting to start a pulp figure collection, and now's the time! So I now present to you my "Stereotypically Evil Oriental Pulp Characters."

Here's the team together. I'll give you the low-down on each after this.

I would call them "Team Primaries" because I noticed I painted them red, yellow, and blue. Too late to fix that. Besides the name is not suitably "pulp." So I now present:

The Very Evil Kang Xiang Long, master mind and pet owner!

Xiang Long is a Chinese Qigong master and mystic. He seeks knowledge of the ancient mummy magics of Egypt. He also quests for colorfast bleach to preserve the brightness of his robes. But that's a different adventure.

Meet the Very Evil Kang Xiang Long's daughter and assistant, Kang Xiu Fang.

Miss Kang serves her father in carrying out his nefarious plots. Educated at Harvard, she's an automatic bitch. And she has a gun! No one knows how old she or her father really are. Ancient Chinese secret.... or worse? (gasp!)

The Very Evil Kang Xiang Long has a disciple in martial artist, Chan Li.

Despite the startling resemblance to Bruce Li, there is no connection. However, Chan Li suffers from a strange madness that causes him to tear away any shirt placed on him. He's just ripped! Chan Li has found a great master in The Very Evil Kang Xiang Long, learning the deeper mysteries of the School of Washboard Abs fighting techniques.

The final member is the silent but deadly Zhou Bao.

He is new to The Very Evil Kang Xiang Long's team. Zhou Bao's motives remain a mystery, but he is unquestioningly loyal. He removes his shirt to try to be as cool as Chan Li. Since he lacks an abdomen, this usually fails.

So that's the pulp group. I went with a Chinese theme. They are all Reaper models except Zhou Bao, which is a West Wind Samurai Wars figure.  At first I was torn between a Chinese or Japanese theme. So I picked up a few more Reaper models with a Japanese flavor.  Here they are:

I figured they could be justified as reinforcements that The Very Evil Kang Xiang Long has brought in from Japanese occupied Manchuria, or that he just has buddies from Japan.  Right now, these models aren't part of the team. The geisha, who is really an old Edo prostitute, could be used as a "Wanton wench" character from the LotHS book.

I'm excited to see what rules Tim will make for these guys. As martial artists, I think that their hands can count as hand weapons in combat.  I also think that every time you refer to my boss, The Very Evil Kang Xiang Long, you must say the whole name or you lose. He's not Kang, not Xiang Long, no TVEKXL. He's The Very Evil Kang Xiang Long. If you don't say that, you lose the game! Such is his sinister power!

Mighty Armies: Dark Elves

I can't believe it has taken me nearly all of September to complete this little army. I guess I've erroneously concluded that small scale means super fast painting. To a degree this is true. However, there's still a lot of models to cover, with lots of detail, and neatness still counts. Basing these guys is half the battle too. It's a little more challenging with multi-figure bases, at least for me.

Enough whining! Here are some pictures of the Dark Elves. First up are a few different views of the army all together. I couldn't decide which set up would show them better. So now you have two shots of them. You need to enlarge the pictures to see the details, of course.

All told there are 16 stands and about 46 models here. I've got units of great swords, spears, crossbows, and cavalry. I've added in a monster, a "dragon man" and its handler, as well as two commanders and a wizard.  Here are some detailed shots of the army.

I think you can tell which pictures are which units. I made my leader units different colors in case I wanted to run two different Dark Elf armies. My theme colors are dark red with silver and dull orange accents. The blue leader, who turned out to be a chick, was to be my main general. I was thinking the different color would make her easy to see on the battle field.

This was a fun army to paint, though I wasn't inspired to start it.  Maybe that's why it took so long. But once I started working on it, I found myself really enjoying these models. They're excellent sculpts with lots of detail. Like all dark elves, there are female models mixed in with the males, wearing the obligatory useless armor. I kept my painting faithful to the model, no matter how impractical. At 15mm scale showing some midriff is not that exciting. But whatever.

So I'm done with all my 15mm Mighty Armies stuff for now. I plan to reinforce each of my armies before moving on to new ones. Right now, Mighty Armies isn't high on my "game time list." So it'll be a while before I get to them. Still, I really like this line and will certainly expand to more armies in the future.

WW2 Micro Armor: US Armored Infantry

This must be the year of going small for me.  When I converted to 15mm for a lot of my games, I thought I couldn't go any smaller.  But now I find myself the proud owner of WW2 US Armored Infantry in micro armor scale.  I don't know how small that is, but it's small!

These are all GHQ models from the Combat Command boxed set, US 1944 Armored Infantry Combat Team. I threw in an extra blister of Sherman tanks.  What you see above are:

• 9 infantry stands
• 6 jeeps
• 2 bazooka team stands
• 1 M20 armored car
• 3 M8 Greyhound armored cars
• 1 MA41 mortar carrier
• 3 M10 tank destroyers
• 8 M4A3 Sherman tanks
• 8 M3A1 half tracks

That's a pretty sizable forces For those who are unfamiliar with micro armor scale, here is a picture of the force next to a US penny.

That's pretty small! While painting that small was not too difficult, and American armor is s cinch to paint, assembly was a massive pain. The armored cars had to have their cupolas and machine guns glued on. The same with the M3A1 half-tracks.  I couldn't tell the gun barrels from flash. There was a ton of flash on these models.  I'm not sure if I just got lucky or all GHQ models come like that. Anyway, putting these together tested my patience.

I based the vehicles, simply because I think that will protect the models. I think visually they look better without bases, but the gun barrels bend easily or those delicately glued machine guns will pop off at a touch.  I went with a very powdery flock for the bases. Static grass would look like elephant grass or worse. 

Storage for this army couldn't be easier. Everything fits right back in the box that it came in!  Here's the force in storage, lucky penny included. There's still space to expand.

I plan on using these models with Blitzkrieg Commander, thought they can go with a lot of different rules. Since everything here was pretty cheap, I'll probably get a few more forces to have different choices. Some friends have played Flames of War in this scale, and I'd be willing to try that out too!

So now I've got WW2 covered in micro armor, 15 mm, and 28 mm.That's good for a guy who had nothing for WW2 just over a year ago. All that's left is to conquer 20mm. Not that I plan to do that, but I should never rule out anything too soon.