Then did he raise on high the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, saying, "Bless this, O Lord, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy." And the people did rejoice and did feast upon the lambs and toads and tree-sloths and fruit-bats and orangutans and breakfast cereals ... Now did the Lord say, "First thou pullest the Holy Pin. Then thou must count to three. Three shall be the number of the counting and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither shalt thou count two, excepting that thou then proceedeth to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the number of the counting, be reached, then lobbest thou the Holy Hand Grenade in the direction of thine foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it."
Whats the humdrum about Chaps? Adventures into Victorian Science Fiction and Steampunk with ramblings about Aeronefs, Dirigibles, Land Ironclads, Anarchists, Dinosaur Hunting, Terranefs, Aquanefs, Mad Scientists, and all manner of electric contraptions and steam conveyances. It may not make sense, but there will be claret and a nice cheese board at the end. Tally-Ho and "Vôtre dans une sauce au vin blanc!"
Monday 27 March 2006
Getting Back to Work now - honest!
Then did he raise on high the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, saying, "Bless this, O Lord, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy." And the people did rejoice and did feast upon the lambs and toads and tree-sloths and fruit-bats and orangutans and breakfast cereals ... Now did the Lord say, "First thou pullest the Holy Pin. Then thou must count to three. Three shall be the number of the counting and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither shalt thou count two, excepting that thou then proceedeth to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the number of the counting, be reached, then lobbest thou the Holy Hand Grenade in the direction of thine foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it."
Thursday 23 March 2006
VSF Factorium Silence...
In the meantime, enjoy this classic Victorian Recipe!
This pears in red wine dish caters for the Victorian sweet tooth (and ours) you will need:
2 lb (1kg) small pears
Drain the pears and place in a deep serving dish. Continue to boil liquid until reduced to a light syrup. Spoon syrup over pears and chill.
Friday 17 March 2006
Prussian Land Striders!
Modelling Notes: Based on GW's plastic epic scale Chaos Dreadnought. Rocket launcher and front filed off, cannon shortened. Added funnels and front windows. Decals by skytrex (WW1 German Range) .
Thursday 16 March 2006
Nobody told you to Stop Working....
Monday 13 March 2006
British Quadambulator!
is the HMLS MAJESTIC, a Land Battleship of hitherto unimagined proportions!
This mechanical marvel boasts 4 independant track systems, each driven by its own cross-connectable boiler for increased redundancy and sustainability in battle.
She boasts multiple light batteries, including a rear facing anti-personnel weapon to cover the blind arc and two mounts with extended elevation for use against flying targets. The primary battery is a massive seige weapon capable of breeching any known fortification....
and of course she comes with the gyrostablised drinks cabinet as a standard fitting!
Modelling Notes: 2 reversed WW1 British Mk IV tanks (from Irregular's 6mm range) with bits added from the spares box, including some BFG turrets and aerial. Flag by Brigade Models
And yes this is a world breaking 4 funnel class Land Ironclad - so the challenge is on!
"Chin-Chin! Do carry on with with your mud-pies!"
Friday 10 March 2006
Der Prussian Steam Landram
Impressed by the recently demonstrated capabilities by the Maltese Landram in action against the Ottoman Turks, the best German minds got together to develop their own Landram. This was the result...
Recently unveiled at Military exercises on the Northern German plains, this high powered monster has 2 fully independant boiler systems to ensure batteld damage redundancy, and it proovide the best possible ramming speed. The contruction of the ram itself is a state secret but the Krupp steel symbol was obvious to all.
One jocular observer christened this monster "Klein Wilhelm" (Little Willy) but the true designation of the tank is unknown.
Modelling: The Landram is based on an GW Plastic Mk1 Landraider from the Epic range. It is reversed with most of the molded detail filled off. The ram itself is a golf tee (sufficiently mauled to give it the dents and divots) and extra bits added to VSF-ify it. The funnels are solid plastic tubing, drilled out to add the smoke effects. Flag is by Brigade Models
Wednesday 8 March 2006
Pavlov's Beast!
Sinister rumours from the St Petersburg area were confirmed recently when a chap I know on secondment to our Embassy there was invited to some military manoeurvres.
It seems that the Tsar has his scientistis fossicking around the Siberian plains and digging up old frozen nastiness, zapping them back into life. Along then comes the renowned Dr Ivan Petrovich Pavlov and voila! - fully training beasts of war stand ready to defend the Motherland!
Monday 6 March 2006
The Iron Giant
All I know is that I hope it remains more than a couple of leagues away from me and my highly prized crystal Scotch decanter !
(Actually, this Figure is from the Star Wars collectible minaitures range. Its No 14/60 (Fringe10) "ASP-7". I dont remember seeing this in the movies, but it does make a great VSF Robot!)
Sunday 5 March 2006
New 28mm Minis Company Puts Out Figures Suitable For VSF!
Mike from the SFSFW E-group wrote the following:
http://www.anglianminiatures.co.uk/
Is going to put out (initially) 28mm figures for the SCW, but is promising to do those strange irregular armoured vehicles in 1/56th scale which might just have a use for Science Fiction of VSF type scenarios...
Regards,
Mike.
Sounds interesting...
You can read more from the SFSFW an old gaming club, here:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/SFSFW/
Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.
More Prussians Sighted!
Newly arrived are 2 more Companies of Infantry (to make a full 4 Company Battalion), a Squadron of Bavarian Hussars (in green) and 2 Field Artillery Batteries equipped with those very smart new Krupp breach loaders.
Its enough to make one have yet another large Gin and Tonic with a twist of lime.
In fact, I will....
Friday 3 March 2006
The Martian Invasion
I snapped some shots of these two smaller ones, plus one of the largers ones shown at down the page further (models by GZG, supplied by Eureka Miniatures and painted by yours truly).
Here are some action photos taken during the dark days of the Martian Invasion...
This Tripod is one of the smaller ones and was painted by John who sctachbuilt the awesome Landram posted earlier this week. He also has a new Martian machine posted to his Blog "Vanmullikan"
(http://vanmullikan.blogspot.com/)
Thursday 2 March 2006
Aerial Scrap over Mars!
I recently uncovered these photos an old Chum sent me from his posting to the British Martian Regiment. He took this from a reconnaisance flyer during a rather heated scrap over the pyramids near Olympus Mons...
He doesnt recall the exact outcome of the scrap, but remembers it was called Operaton SALUTE 01 or some such muck, and that the General's organisational Staff included some fine chaps from the Wessex Games Regiment or something.
Bravo!
Wednesday 1 March 2006
White Wine Sauce Receives International Acclaim!
I'm happy to say that your fine White Whine Sauce is receiving international acclaim... from the hot lands of the Bible to the frozen wastes of the Czar's Expanses...
One of these many notices of your fine creations can be located here:
http://6mm-minis.blogspot.com/
And regarding your recollections:
And last we saw of you Max was when we set off that cracker in the clacker of your camel and he shot off across the Egyptian dunes at high speed. That was back in '76 I think before we shipped out to see off the Zulus. Ahh good times...
It's Maks or Maksim and not Max, you silly Englishman!
You should watch your protocol, old boy, or next thing you know, you may be sent to one of Her Majesty's penal colonies... possibly even that one with Kangaroos and other such strangenesses!
And that stunt with the camel was my fault for agreeing to be one of the Czar's liason officer's to your Queen. I'll hopefully know better next time.
Of course, I remember when you woke up with a donkey after all that time you spent with the hookah, old bean... Ahh good times... (Such good times make one miss even bleak Siberia!)
Well, Mazel Tov and congratulations again, comrade-at-arms! May all your endeavors be great successes!
Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.
Anarchists and Air Pirates Sighted!
First seen were these Cutlass Spar Torpedo Vessles. These flthy beasts ram their helpless targets and send them down to oblivion. Hardly a civilised weapon...
The Black Fleet Squadron was led by this vessel, a hardbitten veteran more usually seen in Far Eastern skies. She is the Damnation, formerly of the United States Navy but she dissappeared while on patrol in known pirate waters of the China Station .
The Squadron, commanded by an unknown and un-named enemy of humanity, can only mean further trouble to peace loving people the world over. One can only hope that our stout lads of the Royal Aeronef Srevice can intercept them before they cause more misery and grief.