Saturday 31 August 2013

7TV - Vehicles.

A few vehicles recently picked up from eBay. I basically got these for use with 7TV / DWMG but a couple may come in useful for the Judge Dredd Miniatures game.

Diamonds Are Forever Moon Buggy.

"If you see a mad professor in a minibus, just smile!


Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle.

Commander Edward Straker - "that's not my vehicle!"

SHADO Mobile. Used here by General Gordon / Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Department X Agents / UNIT troops.



Dinky SHADO 2.
K2004 Rocket Striker.
Dinky Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle.
Corgi Diamonds Are Forever Moon Buggy.


K2002 Flight Hunter.
K2003 Crusader.
K2001 Raider Command.

Vehicles from the 'Adventure 2000' series.
The plan with these is to undercoat and re-paint, as I have started with the K2004 Rocket Striker above - they are a little 'shiny' at the moment but should make a great addition to Robs Judge Dredd game, once they have a new paint-job.


The Matchbox Adventure 2000 Series also had the excellent Killdozer / Land Raider set - I still have one of these mint and intend to keep it that way!

Saturday 24 August 2013

Doctor Who - Sontaran Saturday!

A small Sontaran attack force arrives to wreak havoc...

"SONTAR-HA!"
In "The Invasion of Time" the Doctor returns to Gallifrey, claims his rights and is inaugurated President. It soon turns out that he has led a group of aliens called Vardans to the planet to eradicate them completely. After they are destroyed, the Sontarans take their opportunity and follow them in their invasion until they are destroyed by the Doctor.

Stor.
The size of their army numbers in hundreds of millions and they can clone a million new soldiers every four minutes. In this story we finally see more than one Sontaran on screen at the same time, and they have three fingers on each hand as they did in their debut story. The leader of this group, called Stor, has a helmet which bears a bold version of the insignia first seen on Linx's helmet where it was made up of dots. Stor's helmet has the largest eye-holes so far seen, and bears a very thick rim which differs to his troops.

Figures are from Black Tree.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Warbases Timber Stable Block.

I am a little bit obsessed with the host of mdf buildings available these days but I picked up one of the 'Timber Stable Blocks' from Warbases a couple of Salute shows back and never got around to making it. Not having a lot of free time at the moment and wanting something simple and distracting to do, I dug it out and spent a couple of evenings building it.


Above is the first shot after basic construction. Lots of glue and a couple of elastic bands recommended! Initially I was going to try to make the roof removable but to be honest it seemed like more work than it was worth so I just glued the roof in place.


I then took some good card and created the slate roof - it took me ages as I wanted it to look as ramshackle as possible which basically involved hundreds of little scissor cuts! In the end I was fairly pleased with the look and it definitely adds to the building.


I used two coats, one a dry-brush, of Foundry 'Charcoal / Charcoal light' for the roof and I think it was the ideal colour for slate.


I used Foundry 'Musket Stock Brown' for the woodwork and in retrospect this was probably way too dark and 'red'. The etching of the 'woodwork' still shows but the dark colour does nothing to emphasise it.


I used a mix of sand, filler and pva glue for the ground surface and then painted / dry-brushed it using Foundry 'Base Sand' colours and a light dry-brush of white to finish.


The finished building with a mix of flock and a few extra bits of 'wood' (coffee stirrers) attached around the place to give it that 'rickety' look.

I am pleased with the overall result for a couple of evenings work but that reddish brown will probably annoy me. I decided to gift this to Rob for his western town over at Streets of Inconsequence as he needs a few more secondary buildings!

Not a bad bit of kit for £6 - I am sure a better modeller than I could do much more with this...

Saturday 17 August 2013

Doctor Who - 10th Doctor & 'Slitheen'.

The 10th Doctor and Rose Tyler face off against a mean group of Raxacoricofallapatorian..

Surrounded! But who is the mysterious stranger??
The Slitheen are a family of massive, bipedal extraterrestrials. They are creatures of living calcium, hatched from eggs and native to the planet Raxacoricofallapatorius. Though the name "Slitheen" refers to a specific family, the term has been used by the Doctor and Rose to refer to the Raxacoricofallapatorian race in general.


The Slitheen are a ruthless criminal sect whose main motivation is profit. They are instinctive hunters, being trained to hunt and kill from as young as twelve. The members of the family are convicted criminals on their planet, subject to the death penalty if captured. Blon (the last of the Slitheen family on earth) had a second chance to relive her life thanks to the 9th Doctor.

Add caption
A 'not' set of monsters recreating a scene that didn't happen for the 10th Doctor (I don't have my 9th Doctor painted yet...) - hardly a favourite Doctor Who monster for me, for some reason I couldn't resist these figures from CP Models and found them fun to paint. The 'hands' and heads are separate allowing a myriad of poses.

Rose and Jack by Crooked Dice, the Doctor by Heresy and the 'not' Slitheen by CP Models.

Wednesday 14 August 2013

Strange Aeons - Dr. Amelie "Lena" von Heidingsfelder.

Dr. Lena von Heidingsfelder.

Dr. Amelie "Lena" von Heidingsfelder / "Fräulein Doktor"


Amelie, or Lena as she prefers to be known, was the youngest of four children born to Prussian Army officer and bailiff Carl Anton Heidingsfelder and his wife Lady Elspeth von Claustorch, from a minor Westphalian noble family. Studying zoology at the University of Freiburg, after a brief pursuit of an academic career, Lena's more adventurous spirit came to the fore and she travelled to Africa and South America. Initially setting with the intention of being a photographer of exotic animals, she eventually found herself becoming a seasoned adventurer. Leading safaris for the wealthy, treasure hunts for the foolhardy and expeditions into the unknown, her in depth knowledge of far away lands, dark secrets and strange cultures soon earned her the nickname 'Fräulein Doktor'Lena is (of course) an accomplished big game hunter, journalist, war correspondent, stockbroker, saboteur, spy, and adventurer.

Sunday 11 August 2013

7TV - GoldenSpy.

GoldenSpy - Episode 1: "Some of Our Plans are Missing..."

Location:
Red Falls Technologies warehouse site, somewhere in the countryside near St. Ratford Upon Avon.

The Red Falls Technologies warehouse site. (Looking North East.)

Mission:
Information gathering - Blueprints for a prototype 'WARMACHINE 2.0' have been stolen from a top lab at the 'Knowledge Array', part of Mili-Systems International and suppliers of tech to Department X. Agents from Department X are to enter the base and search for blueprint elements and other documents at defined locations identified by earlier intel. Security levels are low at the target location - Agent Zeta has used small knockout gas canisters in a previous fly-by to incapacitate the onsite security. This should be a 'walk in - walk out' affair.
(Objective - Obtain as many objective markers as possible and leave table with these)

The Team:
General Horation Gordon
Agent Pandora King

General Gordon (in civvies) & Pandora King.
Unbeknownst to the General and Pandora, the quick thinking of one of the (now unconscious) security guards has alerted the owners of Red Falls Tech to the possible intrusion. Lady Jane Winstanley, an 'associate' of the owners has brought four armed 'eavies with her to check on the warehouse site for unwanted snoops.
(Objective - stop the intruders leaving with anything they shouldn't)

Red Falls Team:
Lady Jane Winstanley
Boris
Henry
Jacques
Marvin

l-r - Boris, Henry, Lady Winstanley, Marvin, Jacques.
General Gordon and Pandora's plan is simple - enter via the now unmanned front entrance and quickly check each specified location for evidence of the blueprints. Pandora will collect the information whilst Gordon is to provide the support (as he is not as nimble as he used to be) - once all information has been found, the Department X operatives will leave by either front (via the main entrance) or through a damaged part of the outer wall further into the compound. From here they will meet with Agent Zeta at a pre-defined pick up point.


All is quiet...

Lady Winstanley walks into the main compound area with Marvin and Boris in tow. At this point, they are unsure what to expect - a garbled message from a security guard suggests a problem...but maybe he is just drunk? She orders Marvin to follow her to investigate the main warehouse while Boris checks the Range Rover. Henry and Jacques have already taken up position behind the engineers shed.


Pandora uncovers the first clue - a pile of documents carelessly left on a stack of crates. Fortunately the SecuriDrone behind her is currently out of commission. General Gordon has only just managed to keep up with the light-footed Ms. King! He positions himself with a good vantage point overlooking the North of the compound.


He immediately spots the suddenly aware Boris, loitering behind the Range Rover and raising his pistol to shoot the old army man! Fortunately his shot is well off target - General Gordon's reply is not so forgiving...a second shot rings out and poor Boris slumps to the ground!


Chaos ensues in the compound but nobody is sure what is going on. Alerted to the danger, Henry takes cover behind some nearby crates and draws his handgun. The brave (or should that be foolish?) Jacques springs forward, stopping only feet from General Gordon and drawing his gun!! Could this be it for the old veteran?


With lightning reactions that defy his apparent age, the tough old military man quickly spins round and fires his second shot in anger...the overconfident Jacques has no time to react - the besuited 'eavy drops to the floor with a surprised look on his face.


Ms. King light-footedly glides across the pathway and ducks behind a pallet of crates spotting Henry as he pops his head up to see what has happened to Jacques. Gordon, the ever professional soldier, slips from the building and takes up another position behind a large pile of boxes to give Pandora cover. Henry takes a shot at Gordon but to no avail.


Unfortunately for Henry, he has left himself too exposed. With marksman like precision, Gordon fires his third shot of the encounter and the third 'eavy falls back down behind his hiding place! Pandora uses the opportunity to dash over to the Range Rover and pick up the second set of documents.


Meanwhile, Lady Winstanley and Marvin have been searching the front of the main warehouse building - hearing the shots they turn around and head back the way they came...


Lady Winstanley reaches the main rear doors of the warehouse and swings one open - she has just enough time to spot a lithe cat-suited form slip across the compound in the distance.
Pandora manages to pick up a third set of paperwork, then disappears into cover again.


As Lady Winstanley steps through the door she spots General Gordon, who has tried to take cover behind and old water butt by the engineers shed opposite...


General Gordon's reactions let him down for the first time - he fails to notice the aristocratic servant of evil as she draws her poison blow pipe!


Taking a better vantage point, Lady Winstanley prepares her poison dart and takes aim...


The first General Gordon is aware he has been spotted is when the dart thuds into his exposed arm. Without so much as a whince, he plucks the dart from himself and throws it to the floor. Despite this, he staggers slightly as the poison takes effect - time to leave perhaps?


Knowing that the General has been hurt, Ms. King manages to find a fourth set of documents in a nearby tool shed. Unaware of what forces they may soon be up against, she calls out to Gordon, then both Pandora and the General decide that discretion is the better part of valour.


Fortunately the scouting mission performed earlier by Agent Zeta proves worthwhile and the two Department X agents move as quickly as they can (essentially a slow trot in Gordon's case) to a nearby breach in the compound wall. Pandora has to help the gruff old soldier over the wall, he is still a little groggy from the blowpipe dart and the war wound does nothing to help.


Lady Winstanley and Marvin watch helpless as the X Operatives escape - in a not so 'ladylike' moment, she is heard to utter the word "Curses!!" (or something similar) - there is little they can do as King and Gordon flee into the treeline. Lady Winstanley is determined her next meeting with the lovely Ms. King and General Gordon will not be so brief...


The closing shot of the episode.


Above: General Gordon and Ms. King can just be seen escaping in this aerial shot taken via a Department X / A.R.C. satellite picture. This also shows pretty clearly Ms. King's horde of collected markers!

Our first 'proper' game of 7TV, Rob took on the Department X agents an I took control of the Red Falls Tech folk. We decided on using a couple of big name Guest Co-Stars, General Gordon and Ms. King, for this game as it seemed it would be good to see the General in a more starring role. Lady Jane Winstanley was put in charge of the Red Falls Tech team and we based her profile on Kali (of S.H.I.V.A.). The scenario was loosely based on the 'Gather' episode, with Dept. X needing collect as many objective markers as possible and Red Falls just having to stop them. Points would be awarded as regards to casualties and what was taken off the table and what was left. We decided on no event cards or gadgets to keep things simple.

It was a quick and smooth game that saw the General pretty much run riot through the compound while Ms. King busied herself collecting the objective markers. Rob really pulled out the die-rolls in this episode - three shots and three downed 'eavies showed how devastating Gordon can be! The poor goons didn't stand a chance. Lady Winstanley essentially took the wrong direction at the start of the game and subsequently found herself playing catch-up to Gordon and Ms. King as they merrily collected documents and put down the guards. Her one interaction with them resulted in a wound for Gordon - on his next turn Rob decided they had collected enough information and they fled the scene.


Victory Points -

Department X: 5 (3 points for downed baddies plus 2 for collecting 13 points of objective markers)

Red Falls: 1 (for keeping 8 points of objective markers on the table)


(Roll End Credits)

STARRING...
Vaughan Roberts as General Horatio Gordon
Co-starring...
Gale Thorson as Pandora King
with...
Brom Peters as Boris
Warren Garry as Henry
Edvard Glynn as Jacques
Lucas William as Marvin
and Introducing...
Anne Lamberts as Lady Jane Winstanley

Produced & Directed by wardyla.


Figures are Crooked Dice, Artizan and Copplestone. Warehouse and shed are Sarissa. Hangar building is Plasticville. Shack is from Warbases.

Thursday 8 August 2013

7TV - Coming Soon...

Coming soon to a Tellybox near you:


"GOLDENSPY" - Blueprints for a prototype 'WARMACHINE 2.0' have been stolen from a top lab at the 'KnowledgeArray', part of Mili-Systems International and suppliers of tech to Department X.
What is the nefarious Red Falls Technologies involvement in this? Is it true they are a subsidary of United Radionics??
See General Gordon as he makes a rare mission into the field joined by the ever capable Pandora King as they hunt for the missing plans and encounter more than they bargained for!

Brought to you by Wardens Grove Productions and 7TV.


Wednesday 7 August 2013

Strange Aeons - Winifred 'Winnie' Hodge.

'Winnie' Hodge.

Winifred "Winnie" Hodge

Despite her apparent bookish appearance, "Winnie" Hodge is a tough as they come. Educated at Newnham College, Cambridge, studying palaeography and anthropology with an interest in cryptography. The young Winnie worked as an assistant to the eternally mysterious Henry 'Harry' Winstanley, eventually joining him on some of his global exploits. Proving herself to be just as adept with a Webley revolver as with her head in a book of ancient texts, she soon found herself approached by a friend of Harry (on his recommendation), none other than the second son of Lord Burford, the Hon. Basil Ignatious Howard. It seemed he had need of her particular skill set and asked her to join him as an agent at the "Threshold"...

Sunday 4 August 2013

Doctor Who - 11th Doctor & Angels.

In honour of the outgoing 11th Doctor...

A spot of bother for the Doctor and Amy...
The Weeping Angels are an ancient race of aliens. Their usual mode of feeding is to send their victims back in time, which creates time energy to feed on. When they are not being observed by another being, they can move very quickly and silently, but when they are being observed, they become "quantum-locked", occupying a single position in space and becoming stone.


In this state, they are frozen and difficult to destroy. They cannot suppress this reaction. If two Weeping Angels were to look at each other at the same time, they would be trapped in stone form until an outside force moves them apart. To prevent this, they often cover their eyes while moving - this makes them look as though they are weeping.

Weeping Angels.

The 12th Doctor...


Figures are Crooked Dice.