Monday, 2 September 2013

A few shots of Partizan...

Yesterday I took my Thapsus game to Partizan.  I had a great time, but not nearly enough spare time to get around all the games.  Below are a few that were near to our table.  Tomorrow, I'll post some shots of our game.


The Bunker's Operation Thunderball (Entebbe raid) game was stunning.  Those aircraft were even bigger than they look here!  There was some lovely craftsmanship in this game.


Below, the Ugandan airforce.


And finally, the terminal building.


I'd love to play this scenario, someday, to see if the rules mechanics are as good as the modelling!

Next, we have David Imrie's Roman game based on "The Eagle of the Ninth", I think.  The minis are terrain were painted to an exceptional standard.


The fort, below, is one of Touching Histories; I have its twin.


And finally a War of the Spanish Succession game that Goat Major and LT from WD3 were running.  Lovely minis...


...and the Belgian town was to die for.  But what's that in the main street?  ;-)


The venue seemed very busy, and the event well run.  It was an enjoyable day and I ran into quite a few people I know, largely from previous trips to Kelham.  Partizan remains quite my favourite show!

Saturday, 31 August 2013

Thursday, 29 August 2013

Beach II


This is the sea flank for Sunday's Thapsus game.  The unfinished beach is at the back, and the sea darkens as it gets deeper, and is lighter near the shore as it shelves up to the beach.   I'm in the process of coating it with many layers of Gloss Acrylic varnish.  I'm hoping this will work almost as well as Yacht Varnish, without the strong smell of the latter, as I need to apply it indoors.  Seems to be working so far; it's starting to look "deeper".  I've also made a couple of darker-looking river boards, for use on the swamp flank.

I also finished the final reed-bank section last night, so they are good to go.  In fact I find myself quite close to being ready for the game...

(Note to future-self- the sea is Crown Matt emulsion Laguna Bay Feature Wall, shaded with a little Dulux Sapphire Salute, and Buff Titanium near the shore.   On the river boards I mixed in some Dulux Enchanted Eden and Brown Umber, and a little Army Painted Strong tone in every coat of the varnish).

Wednesday, 28 August 2013

Le WS&S 68 est arrive


It looks very interesting, not least because it includes this blogger's own spread on Caesar vs. Scipio; the Battle of Thapsus (page 24). I note that there is also an article by BatMate Roger Murrow, on Leipzig, and a bonus piece about his Leipzig re-fight, and several other very promising looking articles... If you don't have a copy on its way in the post, you can buy it here.

Monday, 26 August 2013

Rules Writing Retreat


Mrs Bat is on business in Antwerp, and I have two days in the Executive Lounge of the Hilton, to:-

  • finish an expanded version of my "To the Strongest" Lite Rules
  • sort out the deployment for the enlarged Thapsus Game, next Sunday
  • design a Caesarian campaign, set in North Africa, that is suitable for non-gamers

The Executive Lounge is very nice; unlimited coffee, beers and soft drinks, and food turns up from time to time.  There is a Happy Hour in the early evening.  The only downside is the Muzak, which is ghastly; at the time of writing a CD of Orchestral versions of Simon and Garfunkel is stuck and looping endlessly through the same line of "Rosemary and Thyme".  It could be a long 48 hours...

Friday, 23 August 2013

Beach I


This is going to be a beach (honestly!).  I have designed it to fit on one end of my ever so useful "Zama" boards, so that I can use them for my BigRedBat-on-autumn-tour Thapsus game.  I have built up the near side of the board to 10mm high with wood and balsa.  I've also applied a couple of coats of filler over the "beach".  The far side of the board will become the Mediterranean Sea, some 10mm below the level of the land boards.

Thursday, 22 August 2013

Over-exuberant reeds

I've completed the first of the four reed banks, here with a figure, for scale.  The figure is standing where the water will be. The image is clickable.


I'm very pleased with the effect, but they are quite a bit taller than I'd anticipated! I could have cut the feathers smaller, but then I'd have had to waste a lot of material. So these reeds will remain huge: think Nile, or somewhere deep in Darkest Africa...