2014 Round-Up and Plans for 2015...

Another year gone...

2014 started okay but anything hobby related faded out by the end of the year. Good intentions gave way to real life and plans / enthusiasm waned.

My major plan was to add to my small amount of terrain, scenery and buildings - I certainly added a few bits but I also bought a lot more (like mdf buildings) that were put together but still remain unpainted.

On the positive side I did get to add to my growing Doctor Who and &TV / 7th Voyage collection (with the help of Robafett and Matt Slade) and got a few good games in too.

So, what did I actually get done?

1) Doctor Who - amazingly I have over 200 minis painted now, including a lot of character models, Daleks, Robomen plus a horde of Sea Devils!

2) 7TV / 7th Voyage - another batch of about 30 painted for 7TV plus 40 or so Greeks and monsters painted (by Robafett) for 7th Voyage. I also have started on about 20 skeletons ('Hydras Teeth') but stalled after the first wash. At least we played a test game 'Harpy Kill' with some of Robs figures. 

3) Gladiators - intended to paint a few Gladiator and ended up with over 20. Not been used in anger yet...

4) Terrain / scenery / buildings etc - though I have a few bits and bobs done I really need to concentrate on finishing this. About 20 buildings but only another 4 completed. Did buy some nice roads from the Flames of War range and plenty of trees!

5) A Fistful of Kung Fu - picked up the rules and the full set of figures, lovely they are too! No games played due to lack of appropriate terrain but the monks did get used in a game of In Her Majesty's Name.

As far as other plans go I managed to paint some more Vikings but they are still languishing in a box with no bases. I prepped and based a few more Darkest Africa minis and added to the lead pile with a stack more for 7TV - I am addicted it seems, despite not playing a single 7TV game all year...

No zombie gaming, no fantasy and we never got to play Strange Aeons either but we did at least get a few WWII games in using the Chain of Command ruleset. Write ups over at our WWII blog A Project Too Far.

Best discovery of the year has to be In Her Majesty's Name - a set of 'steampunk' style skirmish wargames rules set in the late Victorian period, but not the one our current history remembers but the 1895 envisaged by Jules Verne, H.G Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, H Rider-Haggard and Rudyard Kipling.

We managed a few games of this and great fun it is too. Despite not having any specific miniatures for it (yet) we we easily able to dig out my Darkest Africa stuff to stand in.

Plans for the next year?

1) Pulp - picked up the Pulp Alley rules and they really look great. Good narrative style play and lots of material and support online. Also bought a stack of pulp suitable miniatures, some from the Blue Moon Egypt set and some from Artizan ages ago during a Northstar sale. Just added even more to this since Northstar picked up the Pulp Figures licence. Exciting stuff!

2) Greek Myth / 7th Voyage - ideally want to actually play more of this now I have the figures painted! Got a few bits of suitable terrain and this has some of our lot interested, so should be a go. Robafett is also very into this and has a load of Sinbad types painted up. 

3) More Doctor Who and 7TV - of course!

4) More IHMN - maybe even buy a few more specific figures to represent the Companies I have already written up.

5) Finish my Dark Age / Vikings - base up the last lot painted and one day get around to painting the rest of the civilians and animals I have.

6) Finish my Stargate stuff - maybe even run a game? No idea on the rules yet...


As far as new projects go, it will probably be all about Pulp Alley.

Rob and I picked up Lion Rampant, which is generating a lot of good press, so that could be a distraction. Also bought the 7th Voyage add-on, Once and Future. 

No doubt Rob will run a couple of his legendary Wild West games (hopefully!)

I am still tempted with Zombies, which are a real passion of one of my wargaming buddies. I keep promising him...or maybe some Vlad's Army?

Still in the horror vein, I recently picked up the very interesting Witchfinder General rules from Dashing Dice Games. Its not really my period but having picked up some Warlord 'clubmen' and a few musketeers for running a Doctor Who game (based on 'The Visitation') I could well be tempted to add some relevant figures plus a few more beasties to go with my growing collection of werewolves. 

More Crooked Dice links here as the figures would also be suitable with the 7th Voyage add-on, The Witching Hour, also purchased!

I also would like to get around to finally trying out Strange Aeons...the new edition will probably be out by the time we get around to this!


Once again, the main aim will be to try to actually PLAY more games.


Best wishes to you all.

M

2013 Round-Up and Plans for 2014...

Well, 2013 was not a good year for me in general but I did get a fair amount done in regards to "The Hobby" and managed this by concentrating on only a few projects!

1) Doctor Who - over 100 miniatures now done for this, though admittedly I started in October 2012. Also got a great game in using the DWMG rules "Day of the Autons". Rob (GM) kindly painted up 30 odd Sea Devils and a few Silurians for me too!

2) 7TV - another 60 minis approx completed for this but only one game played, "GoldenSpy".

3) Stargate SG1 - about 45 minis and a Stargate done for this. Still not quite finished the MALP's / FRED's and need some scenery!

4) Strange Aeons / Cthulhu - a handful of figures done for this too including a horde of Deep Ones.

5) Viking / Dark Ages - an ongoing project over at Gjallarhorn. Topped up the Viking folk by another 30 or so.

6) Built up my scenery / terrain etc too over the last year but feel like there is a long way to go...

So, what's for next year?

1) Terrain / scenery / buildings etc - though I have a few bits and bobs I really need to concentrate on this over the next year. Anything generic is great but I think I need a lot more buildings, probably some Sarissa ones topped up with a couple of 4Ground and maybe a couple of Plasticville.

2) More Doctor Who - no surprises there as I still have a stack more of the Black Tree figures (picked up in sales) and a fair bit of 'not' Doctor Who stuff from Heresy and Crooked Dice etc. Also intend to actually play a few more games too now I have the figures!

3) More 7TV - again, lots of figures still to be done and want to play much more than I managed in 2013.

4) Stargate SG1 - bought some more Jaffa from eBay and must get the 'not' SG1 from Hasslefree!

5) Vikings - yep, more. Perhaps a few more games of Saga and Strandhogg. Might try out Pig Wars.

6) Strange Aeons - want to start concentrating on this more. I have loads of old Cthulhu minis and quite a few from the Artizan Thrilling Tales range. Andrew has been really working towards this (and all things Cthulhu) and I have only made a start. Really want to play!

7) Darkest Africa - progress slowed on this (By the Orders of the Great White Queen) but hopefully we will finally get to play something. I have a handful of bearers and villagers to do and we need more warriors.

New projects?

1) WWII - one of our other shared projects (A Project Too Far), so not exactly new but I want to start in a new area. It looks to be shaping up with Andrew painting up his Yanks and Rob adding to the ranks with some British Royal Marine Commandos (maybe?) and I would like to finish off a few Germans and French Resistance. As far as the new part of this I really want to get started on my British 'Home Guard'. I have a few of the Foundry 'Dad's Army' range and would like to pick up some Musketeer figures to add to this. Hopefully one of our first games of the new year will be using the Chain of Command rules by Too Fat Lardies.

2) Pulp - not bought them but looking at the Pulp Alley rules and fancy giving them a try. If I actually work towards some Strange Aeons stuff this will be useful here too, so not a huge commitment figure wise.

3) Greek Myth / 7th Voyage - bought the Crooked Dice 7th Voyage rules and have also picked up lots of the Foundry Greek Myth range (plus some monsters) so already committed to this!

4) Zombies - always a tempter as I am a massive Zombie fan. Obviously I have the 7ombieTV rules too being the Crooked Dice devout that I am. Andrew has the figures, I will aim to supply the buildings etc...

5) A Fistful of Kung Fu - very tempted by this but it would be a complete start from scratch. Definitely up for some 'Gun-Fu' action though.

6) Fantasy - well, I still have hundreds of unpainted fantasy minis (mainly Citadel) from my early Warhammer days. The Runequest stuff is calling to me as well... I fancy a getting a small Scorpion Man or Baboon raiding party together. Andrew made a lot of progress with this and bought an entire dungeon (not literally) so I feel obliged to assist.

7) Gladiators - I picked up some Gladiator minis recently and with the new rules coming from Studio Tomahawk this is on the cards too.

The main aim will be to try to actually PLAY more games!

I am sure I will find other distractions during the year (In Her Majesties Name, Dead Mans Hand, Judge Dredd, Tomorrows War??) but for now I think I have given myself plenty to be getting on with.

Best wishes to you all.

M

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.

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"...

Call of Cthulhu - Deep Ones.

Deep Ones.

"I think their predominant color was a greyish-green, though they had white bellies. They were mostly shiny and slippery, but the ridges of their backs were scaly. Their forms vaguely suggested the anthropoid, while their heads were the heads of fish, with prodigious bulging eyes that never closed. At the sides of their necks were palpitating gills, and their long paws were webbed. They hopped irregularly, sometimes on two legs and sometimes on four. I was somehow glad that they had no more than four limbs. Their croaking, baying voices, clearly used for articulate speech, held all the dark shades of expression which their staring faces lacked ... They were the blasphemous fish-frogs of the nameless design - living and horrible."

(H.P.Lovecraft - "The Shadow Over Innsmouth")

Hybrid children watch the sea...

Maybe it was the calling of the sea, the foul murmurs of the Esoteric Order of Dagon, or maybe the fish and chips I had at the weekend - whatever, I decided to make a start on my Deep One horde. Currently a work in progress, I have dug out all my 'Deep One' miniatures and started work on about half. Out of the initial twenty, three of these are almost done but I have most of the detailing work to complete on the others. I also have two hybrid types undercoated and then another fourteen, a mix of hybrids and pure, to begin.

A fishy collective.

The figures are a mix of old Grenadier, RAFM, em4, CP Models, Black Cat Bases, plus some Black Tree Design Fishmen and Troglodytes to bolster the ranks. At the back is a huge mutated Deep One, aka a Frog Daemon also from Black Tree. Due to their monstrous nature and the practice of mating with humans, I felt there was a some flexibility in the actual physical shapes they could potentially have. The idea is that these are a mixed bunch of pure Deep Ones right through the various stages of hybrid plus the few inevitable grotesque mutations.

...pray for Father, roaming free.

As far as painting goes, I have tried to go for the 'classic' look, as described by Lovecraft, greyish green with white bellies. I could not decide on the colour of the eyes so settled for a glowing yellowy look.

Blasphemous fish-frogs indeed!

Strange Aeons - Agents Assemble!

The Threshold Agents (under the Department of Mythos Studies) assemble, ready for action.

1. Daphne Lamont
2. Hermione Peverall
3. Dr. Amelie "Lena" von Heidingsfelder
4. Winifred "Winnie" Hodge

1. Captain Vincent Wycott
2. Dermot Boyle
3. Hon. Basil Ignatious Howard G.C.
4. Jonathan Winstanley


All figures are from Copplestone.

Strange Aeons - Hermione Peverall.

Hermione Peverall.

Hermione Peverall

The young, reckless, dilettante daughter of an American diplomat. Privately schooled in San Francisco, London and Boston, she never found much to keep her interested academically. She became a socialite, flitting between her wealthiest friends in New York, Hollywood, Paris and London and mixing with film stars and 'adventurers'. Her current beau is Joseph Chaffee, a young aviator, whom she planned to elope with until her father became wise to this and dragged her off on an extended trip across Europe.

Strange Aeons - Jonathan Winstanley.

Jonathan Winstanley.

Jonathan Winstanley

The youngest brother of the Winstanley clan. A knowledgeable and recently Oxford graduated archaeologist, Jonathan was leading a dig in the Valley of the Kings near Thebes, under the banner of the Carter and Carnarvon camp. He was joined by Basil Howard, who decided that the young Winstanley needed an eye to watch over him due to the unrest in the region. In February of 1920 a group of mad, drooling bandits attacked Jonathan's camp. The firefight left three other Europeans dead, but Howard and Jonathan fought the bandits off and left Howard in no doubt that Jonathan could look after himself.

Strange Aeons - Captain Vincent Wycott.

Captain Vincent Wycott.

Captain Vincent Wycott

Young British officer from a military family. Has experience from several postings across the globe such as Kurachi, Alexandria, Kenya, East Africa and some time spent in Saudi Arabia fighting against the Turks in WWI. Travelling back to a posting in Cairo as the aide to Major Otis Wright and the new assistant to Lord Allenby, the High Commissioner in Egypt, the Honourable Charles Wilbur Neville, he and his fellow travellers stumbled across a foul cult practicing dark rites. After some considerable bloodshed the cult was finally put down and the three committed to continue the fight against such things and were drawn into a previously unknown world of unimaginable horror.

Strange Aeons - Dermot Boyle.

Dermot Boyle.

Dermot Boyle

Thirty four year old "player", an adventurer and ex-British Army officer. A combat veteran he saw action at the Somme. During peace time he has devoted his efforts to aiding Inspector James Morrow of Scotland Yard and his other contacts in law enforcement across the globe. A recent escapade to help out and old friend, the Hon. Basil Howard, has now led him into far more 'unusual' adventures and it is here he continues to pursue his noble goal to help mankind as best he can...

Strange Aeons - Hon. Basil Ignatious Howard G.C.

Hon. Basil Ignatious Howard.

Hon. Basil Ignatious Howard G.C.

The Hon. Basil Ignatious Howard was born in May 1880, the second son of Lord Burford, Earl of Gloucester. His early years were spent at the family home of Bramish Hall, just outside Fulbrook, under the watchful eye of his Nanny Pewsey. At the age of seven he was sent to boarding school where he began his long academic career. The greatest influence in the formative years of his life was that of William Winstanley, his personal tutor. Winstanley was himself a student of the occult and a member of the recently formed Golden Dawn, an occult society with its history in the Rosicrucian Society of England. A close friend of Dr William Wynn Westcott, Winstanley had progressed through the ranks of the Masons and was welcomed into the Golden Dawn when it formed in 1887. This obsession nurtured an interest in the young Basil and Winstanley slowly introduced him to the religious and historical aspects of the occult. In his teenage years his depth of reading increased and by the time he was to attend Harrow his knowledge allowed him to focus his studies on this chosen subject. Howard later attended Oxford, as a student of comparative religion and it was at this time he was to last see his mentor. William Winstanley had set off for far away continents in search of lost cities. It would be the last time anyone was to see Winstanley alive again. No trace was found of his disappearance.

Following university, Howard worked in research at the British Museum for several years, but found this to be too unfulfilling. This prompted his resignation from the Museum and his joining with his old school chum Henry 'Harry' Winstanley on a trip to the Americas. Harry Winstanley was the nephew of William and the son of Hugh Wallace, the Earl of Thewkes, and he too shared a fascination in the occult. The two, along with Harry's friend Dr Frederick Sunderland, an archaeologist, decided first to travel to South America and research ancient civilisations and religions there, but the trip was curtailed early on in Iquitos on the Amazon in Peru. . For reasons they never divulged, what happened there resulted in the death of Dr Sunderland and a hasty retreat to the United States soon followed. After some travelling the two young men stopped in the town of Arkham, Mass. Settling here for a year Howard gained employment at the Miskatonic University as a researcher. Before long the intrepid duo set out on several funded field expeditions across the globe for the University and made many incredible discoveries.

In 1906, Howard returned to London. His father had died from poor health and his father’s executor had called him back to England to receive his inheritance. His older brother, Christian, inherited the main estate at Bramish and became Lord Burford. Basil inherited the families London holdings and a substantial amount of money, allowing him the freedom of independent wealth.

The following year Howard, now circulating in the London occultist sets, met with Arthur Edward Waite, the famed occultist and current leader of The Golden Dawn. Howard enjoyed a brief spell in the Outer Order, making many contacts in Masonic and occultist circles, some due to his association with William Winstanley. In early 1908, under the guidance of Waite, Howard set up his own club with the intention of attracting students of the occult to somewhere they could go to be among those with similar interests. Howard raised capital by the sale of some of his London properties, then reinvested in a luxurious building in the elegant St. James area on Pall Mall. This was the most popular for gentleman's clubs, such as The Carlton, The Reform and The Athenaeum, and Howard decided it would be the most appropriate area for him to attract the right class of clientele. Its several rooms included a library, a study, a smoking lounge, a billiards room, a meeting hall and a small dining area. Howard staffed it with some of the best chefs, valets and stewards in London, stocked the cellars with the finest European foods and wines and ensured the library was as comprehensive as possible. Howard deemed that regular monthly meetings, with speakers and open discussion, would be necessary to retain the basis of the club and its intentions. In honour of his and Harry Winstanley's friend, the club was named The Sunderland Club. Its initial members, included eminent occultists, historians, archaeologists and authors such as Dr Ernest Blackwood, Michael James Wolfe, Harry Winstanley, Dr George Herbert and William Augustus Winstanley, Harry's younger brother. With members of this stature the club grew quickly and became well regarded within the year. Membership had increased to one hundred and fifty eight by 1914, a number that looked likely to grow steadily, but this was not to be. The problems in Europe had escalated and in August of 1914, Britain went to war with Germany. Howard joined the 24th foot regiment as a lieutenant and over the course of the war was to see much fighting. Howard fought at the first battle of Ypres in 1915 and the disaster at the Somme in 1916. Following this traumatic battle, he found himself promoted to Captain and transferred to Palestine, due to his smattering of Arabic. Serving under Viscount Allenby Howard fought at the victories of Beersheba, Gaza, Jerusalem and Damascus in 1918. By the end of the war Howard had been promoted to Major and had received the Gold Cross, the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Howard spent the next two years in Egypt, studying the culture and history of the land. Howard returned to London again in late October 1920 to re-open the Sunderland Club. The old members flocked back to the club, some bringing new initiates with them. A younger member, Count Josef Von Sondergaard, had travelled to America during the war years and formed a small American wing of the club. Several members of the American wing were to join including the eminent French occultist and spiritualist Emile Lagaronne. The club continued its growth. Howard allowed the senior members of the club to run it on a day to day basis but remained the Chairman. He returned to his research work and spent much time abroad on exploratory missions with Harry and Jonathan Winstanley.

Strange Aeons - Daphne Lamont.

Daphne Lamont.

Daphne Lamont 

Pretty but tough twenty five year old American journalist working at the Boston Gazette. She is in fact the only daughter (with five brothers) of Hugo Lamont, of the famous 'Boston Lamonts', the wealthy industrialist family. Determined to go it alone, despite the efforts of her father to aide her every move.

Call of Cthulhu - Strange Aeons.

Call of Cthulhu RPG.

I have been a Lovecraft fan for so many years now and Call of Cthulhu was one of the first RPG's I really got into and to this day it is still my favourite, although I don't really get the opportunity to play these days. More recently I tried to run the first scenario from 'Walker in the Wastes' as I sort of prelude to the 'Beyond the Mountains of Madness' campaign but despite positive feedback from a couple of the players I struggled to commit to being a Keeper again and had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that another couple from our RPG group are just not really into Cthulhu in the same way. Perhaps I will try again one day with just a couple of the players I know really like it but for now it is tucked back onto the shelf with all the other unused campaign books!

Strange Aeons.

I have collected many Call of Cthulhu figures over the years, most of these admittedly remain unpainted, from a few ranges but predominantly Grenadier. Having picked up a few more packs recently when I realised they were still available through Mirliton or Velillia Ltd I have been thinking about digging these out and getting around to painting them. Well, some of them anyway! I have also picked up some other 20's-30's period figures from Musketeer, Woodbine Design, Mutton Chop, Copplestone and Artizan plus a horde of Deep Ones from Black Cat Bases, Grenadier and RAFM. Perhaps a Raid on Innsmouth is needed?

Innsmouth Docks.

With this in mind we have been discussing Strange Aeons for ages and I know the Zombie Master has wanted to play for a long while but I believe the postage costs always put him off! I have finally picked up a copy of the rules from Black Hat Miniatures along with the scenario book Morbid Adventures.

Black Cat Bases Deep One.

I also like the idea of some 'High Adventure' settings in the far flung corners of the Earth.

RAFM Deep Ones.

Between us we already have plenty of scenery and terrain and you only need a small playing area and a handful of figures. ZM has a lot of Cthulhu stuff painted up, especially monster types so I am putting together some figures for a team of Agents. Next will be the Deep Ones (not that you need that many) and we definitely need some cultists but Artizan or Pulp?

Next up - Investigators / Agents.