Regimental Mascot

In watching the Royal wedding this week I was quite taken by the splendid mascot of the Irish Guards - this magnificent Irish wolfhound, named Conmael.  Impressively, this hound even has a medal!

It was a big day for everyone...

And so it occurs to me that in building my next HQ unit, perhaps I need to add an appropriate mascot.

Tripods Attack!

Rob from WTNW sent me some sneak peeks of artwork to be featured in the forthcoming Conflict on Mars supplement. 
I really like this one (click for bigger version)

Lest We Forget

German Zyklops Landship

The Armchair General has sent me these great pics of his German Zyklops Landship, which is a 15mm(!) scale leviathan being produced by JTFM.  She has nice detail and at CAD$35 looks like a great acquisition. Click for Larger pics

More here:
http://theminiaturespage.com/news/337611/

St. George's Day

Regardless of the YIAWWS's antipodean time setting it's still the 23rd April in England...

SALUTE 2011 Aeronef Photos

Posted in 2026 In the spirit of Internet rescue, Jon of "Arbuthnots' Aeronautical League of Gentlemen" blog (https://arbuthnotsleague.blogspot.com/) was a valued White Wine Sauce member back in the day. Sadly his blog has gone untended for many years with his last update being in July 2011. Hope you're well out there Jon.

Jon ran the Aeronef game at SALUTE 2011 which looks absolutely amazing

He then did some followup posts in 3 parts on his blog with detailed pics of his creations. So they don't get lost to time, like so many others, here they are all together and unchanged from Jon's original posts.



Here are the first of a series of photo's generously donated by Alan Daniels and Dominic Hutton, cheers guys, of the Salute Game, i'll be adding them to the blog over the next week, but hope you enjoy!

First up the rather Flash Gordonesque Zurich Class Dig Cruiser, far too sexy for the Swiss, so here it is in the colours of the US Pathfinder squadron. For those interested in such trivia the original designer of this craft was sequested from Switzerland by the long arm of the PBI ( Pinkerton Bureau of Investigations), provided with a new false identity as a slug juggeling artist in the Hollywood Hills under the name of Mr C Chaplin!, and set to work on the next generation of US nef.

Lethally fast these ships are armed with Samuel Colt's patented Torpedo revolver device and are the eyes of the Fleet.

This the elderly but much vaunted USS Maine, Flagship of the Picket Squadron commanded by Commodore Lewis Armistead II, representing as she does post ACW Nef design she hails from a bygone age, however  with her turret mounted 13 inch Armstrong muzzle loading Naval rifles she still packs a punch. Commanded by Armistead, a true patriot of the Southern Cause, with her band playing Dixie, she was last seen firing to the last amidst the Japanes naval line, the "stars and bars" still flying proudly from her mast, her crwe crying "One last time boys, for old Bobbie Lee!" ( This model still reqires rigging)

Supporting the USS Maine are the Michigan Light Cruisers, converted with extended stacks and boilers for long distance patrol, these are the predecessors of the Pathfinder Digs above, again due to their age, they did'nt stand up to the might of the newer Japanese classes of Nef.

Aagain many thanks to the talented photography of Alan and Dominic, hope the macro lens has'nt shown up too much of the dodgy paintwork The game is very much a work in progress as are these models, most of them require rigging to be fully completed.

I would like to take this opportunity to honour a true master of the art and "Godfather" of naval gaming in Rod Langton, having admired his models and craftsmanship for many years, his Napoleonic ships are things of wonder and he was a major inspiration in this project, the aim being to "do a Langton" on the Pre Dread Nefs, so hats off to you sir and a big thanks!

Salute Photo's (2) - The Imperial Japanese Navy

Here are a few extra shots of the Japanese fleet to balance out the earlier US shots, yhis is the Mikasa Super Dreadnought, Admiral Togo's Flagship, yet to be rigged, but it represents state of the art Japanese Dreadnought design.

This shot shows the effect of rigging using thread cotton, as mentioned previously, i was really trying to emulate Rod Langton's amazing modeling when doing this and i think the effect adds to the ships.Rigging along the side is to represent torpedo nets, and again adds toi the overall feel of efficiency I wanted to convey with the Japanese models. Stripes along tail indicate class, 4= Battleship/ Dreadnought.

My own personal favourite amogst the Japanese models, the Light Cruisers, work horses of the fleet and the eyes and ears of the fleet. Searchlight just visable above the wheelhouse is a superdetailing extra from Waterline-models.com, an outstanding service supplying all sorts of bits and pieces that help to add a little extra to the models.Small boats are from the Revell QE2 kit, 20 boats at £5.00, again add as little extra something. 

Here we have a line astern shot of the Japanese Battle line as they bring the big guns to bear.....

Still more to add to this force, a couple more light Cruiser squadrons and then the Super Carriers Kaga and Akagi..

Salute Phot's (3) - Dewey's Pride and Joy!

Here she is, the USS Langley, America's first attempt at Carrier design, an escort class carrier she representrs America's first steps in evolving carrier borne support for the fleet. With a limited capacity of 1 Squadron of P24 Pursuit fighters she lacks punch. Lexington, Yorktown and Sarratoga are on the workbench, and i'm hoping to work on America's Super Carrier Enterprise over ther next few months which will give them a bomber capacity....

Anway here she is, Dewey's pride and joy, "The Flat top wagon" - USS Langley

.

Front on and looking mean....any similarity to a certain graceful lady by the name of Galactica, is as they say....purely coincidental!!!

Here she is from above, colour scheme is based on a combination of the Great White Fleet colours, and authentic  Naval Air markings for the early 20's

Detail shot showing the aircraft, here I used Dom's Decals for the roundels and I carn't recomend them highly enougth, they are superb and really make the models as well as taking a lot of the hassle out of the painting.

Again side on shot of the aircraft....

For those interested in how it all went together, the core of the carrier is the Russian Aeronef Tender from Brigade Models used for the hull and the lower work deck, this is then built up with Plasticard, as are the tail fins. One of the Brigade Models Bombers was added from their generic range to indicate a an Observer plane capacity. Langley is an Escort Carrier class, small with a relativly limited range, she carries no Bombers at this time, being restricted to a single Pursuit Fighter Squadron.

The Introduction of the later Enterprise class will provide the Great White Fleet with airborne torpedo capacity, but that's for another day......

Anway back to the build, the upper Flight deck is made up of several layers of standard and embossed plasticard from 4D Models, with brass rod added to represent torpedo netting. The airbags are W H Smith Illumo markers painted up with some 1-48th scale US Early Pacific War roundels from Hannants model supplies, available over the internet. Side gun barbettes and funnels all bits and pices from the Brigade range. A tougth one to build but well worth it, i think, hope you enjoy, comments and suggestions always welcome.

Bally Martians Again!

Egad! There I was researching the recent Martian invasion for my magnum opus on my Babbage Engine when I came across this chronophotographic scientific romance adventure for young boys set fifteen years into the future after the First Martian War! Looks a jolly wheeze one must say but I think the bally war elephants are a bit strange, though I would have liked one up Whereizitstan when one was fighting the dirty fakirs I can tell you, what!

"Dam the Torpedo's and Full speed Ahead"

Any VSF fan attending Salute 2011 could not have been but inspired by the jaw-dropping Aeronef game being run by Arbuthnot's Aeronautical League of Gentlemen.

"Dam the Torpedo's and Full speed Ahead" was a surprise attack by Imperial Japanese forces on the American coaling and R-matter station on the Solomon Islands.

The game featured many beautifully painted and super-detailed aeronef models, many being rigged and a number had anti-torpedo net booms.

Additionally a number of the aeronef were conversions including an exquisite American aeroplane carrier. Apparently there are a couple of Japanese mega-carriers (converted from 1/700th kits) to be introduced at shows later this year.

The terrain was equally fantastic with some beautiful islands and a scratchbuilt refuelling station that made a great target for the Japanese. A nice touch was the flashing LED lights under kapok smoke, that twinkled like fires after the Japanese had bombed targets.

Unfortunately my photos aren't fantastic and don't really do the game justice and it is worth going through other people's Salute photo albums to see more photos of this excellent game.

Truly inspiring, "Dam the Torpedo's and Full speed Ahead" should also receive run-outs at Colours and SELWG this year...

Shock and Surprise!

A usual, TMP has a bunch of polls going. One of them at the moment is [what is the] "Most Popular Painting/Wargaming Site Besides TMP?" Well blow me down if I didn't find this blog listed there as one of the selections!

And not only that, but 4 people (OK, me and 3 other people) voted for YIAWWS - Huzzah!

Make your vote count, whatever it may be, here:
http://theminiaturespage.com/polls/1792421011/

EDIT - Well blow me down thrice because YIAWWS totalled 13 votes for 2% of the overall vote!

New Portable Babbage Engine

What ho chaps! Just found out that some clever boffin chappies have made a portable Babbage Engine that is just perfect for talking on expeditions up the Congo and to Waziristan. This moving picture show illustrates what a jolly clever device it is eh?!

G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. Compendium - the video!

G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. Compendium

Exciting news - if you aren't already into GASLIGHT, read this:

Chris Palmer and I recently completed the cover for the upcoming G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. Compendium. It is ready to go to the printer by the end of the week. We are just giving it the last once-over and review.

The G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. Compendium meets all your VSF and Pulp needs, from skirmish and roleplaying to large battles and airship fleet actions.

Victorian Science Fiction (VSF) gaming is set in the world in which the predictions and visions of men like Jules Verne, HG Wells, and H. Ryder Haggard are true. In G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T., Main Characters and Extras battle in a world of steam-powered vehicles, fantastic weapons, lost worlds, and terrible creatures. Pulp gaming pits steely-eyed, flint-jawed, barrel-chested, two-fisted, deadeye, tough as woodpecker lips, stud among studs, no kidding, stuff-of-legends hero-type guys against colorful, charismatic, egomaniacal, dastardly, nefarious villains and their mindless minions. The G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. Compendium has rules for the creation of characters, the construction of vehicles and weapons, and the generation of fantastic creatures. This open-ended approach is one of the reasons G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. has been so successful over the past eleven years.

The G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. Compendium includes material from four books: G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. (for skirmishes), Battles by G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. (for larger battles), Adventures and Expeditions by G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. (roleplaying), and To Be Continued… by G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. (Pulp). All the systems are completely consistent, allowing players to tailor their G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. VSF or Pulp games. In addition, The Compendium includes new rules for airship fleet battles and more detailed rules for aerial vehicles in G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. or Battles by G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. The vehicle hit charts have been revised and combined, and there are specific vehicle hit results for walking, driving, flying, and legged vehicles. The record sheets used during game play have been completely revised. The book is 190 pages with color throughout.

We are looking for a July release, in time for Historicon. The book will also be available as a PDF download.

http://theminiaturespage.com/news/363264/
http://bucksurdu.com/blog/?p=441