Native Venusians sighted!

A Wine Wine Sauce exclusive - direct by aethergram from Venus!

Field researchers from the London Natural History Society have made contact with a native intelligent life form on the planet Venus. In the spirit of international cooperation, the famed naturalist of the Institut de Paris de Biologie, Professor Pierre Aronnax, has been dispatched with all haste to work with the team studying the Venusians.


The Venusians are very large, average 10 feet in height and have 4 arms - each with a hand and opposable digit. They have a rudimentary language and appear to have a rigid family and clan heriachy. They typically operate in groups of 3, though strong individuals may lead multiple groups of 3 warriors. They favour melee weapons though have also developed a primitive type of projectile weapon, of which little is known. One thing we can be certain of though, they would make fearsome opponents!

More pics here:

http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d170/pauljamesog/15mmVSF/

Modelling notes:
Well these guys are the first models Ive painted this year since I moved house., and the start f my 15mm VSF project - Huzzah!

The models are from Peter Pig's "War in the Age of Magic" range as "Large Green Martians" (and they ARE large compared to a 15mm figure. They were painted using GW Goblin Green as the base colour and then 'dipped' using Wattle Satin Woodstain (Walnut).

This is the first time I have used a dip method, which was kindly detailed here last year by Patrick. While I sponged off much of the excess, I think these are a little too heavily stained and next time I will thin down the dip a little as the surface tension kept too much in the crevasses I think. A great effect for the time investment though and certainly they got to table top standard in minimum time. I'll also need to touch up a few highlights again (like the eyes).

Bases are 1/4inch washers with Mulliput. I'll finish off the bases with flock and grass shortly.

Sorry about the dark shadows, I'll take some proper pics once I've done the bases.

Fair Warning?

The following broadside was brought to attention of certain Brigadiers some months ago. It is shown here to see what other worthy soldiers make of it.

Aurora McFly

Vanvlak has been busy adding to his retinue of aeronefs once again...bless 'im!



"There she blows again - the Aurora McFly!

The Aurora McFly belongs to Prof Emmett Brown, the noted time traveller, who prefers not to get involved with arms and suchlike and live a quiet life with his Clara and their kids, but always ends up in all sorts of astounding intrigues and adventures. Mostly involving various generations of McFlys and Tannens - the notorious VonTannen in particular."

Vanvlak made this using two turrets from a GW Impertor titan from their epic range. I really like it beause she looks like the Disney version of the Nautilis.

Well done old bean!

The Sleath Mars Patrol Report

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German marines, steam powered landships, heroes riding sand lizards, dreaded Martian beasties, and deadly crystal forests- this game has it ALL!

All this by Robert Sleath of the "The Dortmund Amateur Wargamers" - Huzzah!
http://membres.lycos.fr/daw/Battle_reports/Victorian_Mars_patrol/hauptteil_victorian_mars_patrol.html
Notes regarding photos / pictures: These are not all my images. I am using various images from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images 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).

Civil Mobilisation

I came across this rather astounding declaration this week. It was made in response to the 1936 Italian invasion under Mussolini, who then occupied the country until 1941 (at which time the same Emperor was re-throned until the 1974 Junta established a Socialst State). Despite it being more of the 'pulp' era rather than the Victorian one, I knew you'd all appreciate it:

Mobilisation Order

by order of HRH Emperor Haile Selassie,

Abyssinia (Ethiopia), 1935

• Everyone will now be mobilised
• All boys old enough to carry a spear will be sent to Addis Ababa
• Married men will take their wives to carry food and drink
• Single men will take any woman without a husband
• Women with small babies need not go
• The blind and those who cannot walk or carry a spear are excused
• Anyone found at home after receipt of this order will be hanged.

According to Wikipedia, this gained about 500,000 primitively armed conscripts:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Italo-Abyssinian_War

Tripod Flyer

Thanks to sigh9 who sent me this

"Tripods! they're even useful for decorating flyers for wierd electronica nights in London."

cool pic sigh9!

http://artfuel.blogspot.com/2007/03/new-flyer.html

The Revenge of Carlos Plynkes

...is the name of a Blog Ive just found, belonging to the Polynikes some may know from TMP.

His Blog is a briliant pulp adventure into mayhem and madness. His latest post is:

"FOR THE HONOUR OF THE SERVICE: The Second Battle of Lake Wittelsbach

or

Biggles Takes a Bath"

Past adventures include the Lost Valley, Biggles in Africa and Mighty Joe Young (Parts 1 and 2) amongst others. Full of great models and fun looking gaming, do yourself a favour and drop in.

http://misterplynkes.blogspot.com/

Vagaries, Whims, and Fancies...

There can certainly be no way of prognosticating what may happen when items and surprises are shipped via Nef. In point of fact, these inconjecturable events — in association with anticipation — may cause us to seek recourse in the saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention."

What deity must we petition? To which shall we sacrifice in exchange for the fleeting genius to create a machine that might construct a three-dimensional copy of one item - anywhere else in the world?

In short, it ought not take a week or longer to send a box of gifts to Paul and his children.

Sausages, Bier and Vargaming

Karsten, a VSF fan who I met at CANCON last month (see entry of 27 Jan) now has his own gaming Blog - Sausages, Bier and Vargaming. Ok, its not new, its just that I only just found it...

In his own words:
'The tales of a German and his little men that he plays with against other men and their little men. There's dice. But more importantly beer, and the occasional sausage.'

Who can argue with that?

http://sausagesbierandvargaming.blogspot.com/

Paper VSF Models

Squirmydad’s page-o-creations and ramblings has a number of great paper models for free download.

Based on Space 1889 designs in 1/600 scale, he has an array of Martian, Russian, Brit, Yank and German Skygalleons and airships ready to go!

http://www.mayheminpaper.papermakeit.com/Squirmydad%27s_Madness/Projects%20Gallery.html

The International League of Esteemed Leviathan Hunters

Honoured Patron: Sir Rupert Utterly-Barkinge

Welcome

The International League of Esteemed Leviathan Hunters welcomes its members, current and retired, and their honoured guests. The Executive Council hopes that your visit to the Clubrooms will be socially enjoyable and that your unique and treasured trophies will continue to gain the admiration they deserve.

Pull up a comfortable leather padded chair next to the roaring open fire, and let our domestic staff serve you a snifter of cognac while you catch up on the latest news and intrigue of Leviathan hunting!

Who We Are

The International League of Esteemed Leviathan Hunters is an organization founded on the highest virtues of gentlemanly (and more frequently gentlewomanly) conduct whilst involved in the pursuit of slaying rather enormous quarry. It preserves a legacy that has been in existence ever since man first grasped a spear, but which has at times been banished by those who wish to pursue less sporting methods of finding and killing their prey. Our members loathe such uncivil shortcomings and strive to achieve their personal goals through the most noble and pompous methods possible.
Established by our founder Sir Rupert Utterly-Barkinge, the clubrooms of our noble League are located in London, though smaller affiliates are located in other civilised cities.

What we Offer

Customized hunts for Year-Round Adventure, and a civilised setting in which to discuss the hi-jinx and hillarity of hunting Leviathans from throughout the Ages.

We offer many different packages to accommodate the member's desires including diplomatic gratuities, exclusive group leases and fully guided hunts. Hunt from of our secret lodges or stay in our remote cabins or tent camps. The League can furnish everything but personal gear, manservants, gun bearers and any specifically eccentric needs. We provide all lodging and food, native porters and transportation. We box and ship your meat and trophies anywhere you desire and our skilled Taxidermy services are also available.

Wide ranging payment options are available, including any European currency, gold and diamonds or government bearer bonds (and no, we don't want to know where you got them from).

League Charter and Membership Requirements

Prospective members of this august body must be sponsored by a current League member and be screened for acceptance by the Membership Secretary. Indeed this League makes no hesitation to extend membership invitations to persons of sound and eccentric character without reference to nationality or political standings (notwithstanding damned cowardly Bolsheviks or bomb-toting anarchists). League members are free to belong to other associations and Orders as long as they do not utilise the League's premises and expeditions as as means to further nefarious plans.
Following his initial acceptance for trial membership, the candidate must complete the following induction steps:
a. Pay the initial membership fee and sign the total and utter secrecy pact
b. Stand each current member (and any guests in attendance) a round of beverages of their choice.
c. Participate in at least one hunt, from which the candidate must return alive and with a suitable trophy.

Upon completion of these induction rites, the member will undergo final screening by the Grand Council and, subject to this final assessment, accepted as a full member.


Rules of the Hunt
Members of the League agree to abide by the following Charter for the Hunt. Transgressions will be subject to punishment as decided by the Executive Committee. Possible penalties range from bar fines, the de-bagging ceremony, a hot crumpet from behind or explusion from the League.
1. Members will at all times behave in a sporting and civil manner toward all other members of the League and whatever bystanders as the members feels fit.
2. Expedition members will agree to share equally the payment of a gratuity to the families of staff, servants and porters who perish during an expedition.
3. Hunters may claim a kill if their shot dispatches the beast. It is most unsporting to pick off a quarry crippled by another hunter in order to claim the kill.
4. The morally reprehensible act of falsifying a claim or claiming that which belongs to a deceased hunting partner shall be expelled from this League in perpetuity, have all trophies destroyed, and be labelled a Bounder and a Cad.
5. Hunters shall never, ever, on pain of death, disclose the location of the hunting grounds.

Current League Standings
While it is base and uncouth to brags of one's exploits, it is appropriate for members to have the opportunity to pronounce their feats of courage in the face of adversity where they may be appreciated by peers of like mind and toasted in kind.

Name,No of Expeditions enjoyed, Notable Trophies.

Commander Plymsole-Lyne, RN, 2, 1 TRex.
Miss Victoria, 1, 1 Steg
Count Boris, 1, 2 Raptors
Pieter Koeniggard, 1, Nil
Lady Catherine Palmer, 0, Nil
Professor Nathaniel Wilson, 0, Nil

Noble and Revered Hunters of the Past
The Honourable Ronald Crawley, Esquire. A gentleman hunter of repute and a veteran of countless excursions, he was lost on the disastrous 'Smythe Expedition' of 1874. Only his silver lidded cognac flask was recovered intact.

Rittmeister Count Wilhelm von Schroeder. An aristocratic Prussian of renowned Teutonic nerve and remarkably puffy cavalry trousers, he fell prey to an enraged T-Rex when his experimental Nordenfelt repeating rifle exploded in his face and shattered his monacle.

Messr Francois Bourbonnais. Famed for his perfection of the recipe for "Succulent oviraptor breast in a white wine sauce". Missing (presumed dead) when his converted river barge/gunboat caught fire (during a mid safari dinner party flambe) and upon jumping into the water to escape the flames, a hungry beast dragged him to the murky depths.


Pavel Ivanovich Budyonny - A strange and barely known man, rumoured to have been a distant relation to the Tsar, whose portrait hangs in the main club dining hall for some reason...

Guiseppe Gnochhi Bersaglieri.  A flamboyant character who tended to focus more on charming his female companions, he became embroiled in a duel during a hunt and while he prepared himself to fight his opponent with a foil, he was trampled to death by a rampaging sauropod.

Honorary Associate Member: Kavandish (first name forgotten). Batman to the erstwhile Lord Suffolk, he selflessly threw himself into the jaws of a charging T-Rex in order to save his master, who was distracted at the time by a very tasty cucumber sandwich and a hot cup of Earl Grey.

Good Hunting and may God Bless Her Britannic Majesty!

GASLIGHT Webpage

A great new (well new to me anyway) GASLIGHT page with some splendid conversions for 25mm VSF gaming - British and German air and land ships, a Belgian gunboat, an arab land dhow, a steam spider and more!

http://historicalhobbies.com/DOGS/main/Gaslight/Gaslight.htm

Emperor Norton I of America

Bizarre characters of History:

Norton the First, by the grace of God Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico

Proclamation of 17 Sep 1859:

"At the peremptory request and desire of a large majority of the citizens of these United States, I, Joshua Norton, formerly of Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope, and now for the last 9 years and 10 months past of S. F., Cal., declare and proclaim myself Emperor of these U. S.; and in virtue of the authority thereby in me vested, do hereby order and direct the representatives of the different States of the Union to assemble in Musical Hall, of this city, on the 1st day of Feb. next, then and there to make such alterations in the existing laws of the Union as may ameliorate the evils under which the country is laboring, and thereby cause confidence to exist, both at home and abroad, in our stability and integrity.
NORTON I, Emperor of the United States"

http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/norton.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norton_I
http://www.kudzumonthly.com/kudzu/mar02/Emperor.html

Another Aerial Scrap at LSHM

I just found these images of those LSHM lads having a grand scrap after thier club's AGM earlier this year, using their own VSF rules "When Dreadnaughts Ruled the Sky".

The massed escorts laying into the disorganised Turkish Fleet are fantastic - another great looking game fom these boys!

http://www.millenniumcon.com/LSHM_annual_%20meeting/index.html

Vanvlak unveils his latest works

That madman Vanmullikan has reveilled his latest Nef works! Typically, he has written some excellent background to go with them too:

.

First there is the Slava, lead ship of her class, this hopelessly obsolete hulk was given by the Russian Emperor to the Knights when they left Russia to return to Malta in 1883. She is used as a training ship by the knights, and the younger generations have propelled her into all too many sticky situations....

A Bordeaux class, one of two used by pirate-members of the Grand Congregation of Sky Pirates. This is the Warlock.

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The other pirate Bordeaux! The Esmeralde, captained by a disgruntled French royalist.

Well Done V! Up to your usual standard of excellence! I like the Slava in particular because she is such a different design. (Note that these two miniatures are produced by Wessex Games, rather than Brigade Models)