General Update.

So, a popular miniature wargaming forum, the TWF (the warhammer forum)(soon to be the "wargamer forum") has a nice mini exchange thingy. I took part in it last year and you can see the results from one of the earlier posts here. This year I managed to take part, and painted up a crazy chaos cultist for my recipient. And yesterday I got a package from denmark, from Jimmi ! He took time to paint up this lovely Abbaddon for me. Just check out the details, a small pool on the base with a ravaged body of loyalist dog. Thanks mate, this one made me want to paint some power armor..

But do not fear, I'm keeping close to the Operation Squad theme. So, finished the Afrika Korps squad and as a bonus for myself, I'm gonna play a game of OS today! So, I painted one of the mp40 guys into a medic. Following the example of some historical pictures, the red cross sign is on his helmet, in the front. Sounds like a nice target for the Sikhi riflemen!
There are also four riflemen with some nice glasses. As you can see, I've been fairly shy with adding squad markings or any insignia for that matter. I'm planning on adding them once I've read up on my history of uniforms.
Ok, I'll be honest. I made an experiment with the markings. The Sergeant to lead the squad with his binoculars. A good combo with a mortar team!
So, as the squads are painted up, I need to start worrying about the terrain. My first project will be a generic N African house. I want to keep it simple and small. I will be adding some props inside, a shelf, a table and maybe a field radio piece for the germans. We'll see. But for now, I give you the work in progress style picture.

And last week I took some time to cut out the tokens for OS. Not as thick as I would like them to be, but I see them surviving a few years of gaming. Once I've got the table finished, I'll probably work out a way for a bit more durable tokens.

PS!
I got the SAGA rulebook, and I'm allready drooling all over it. Cause it's brilliant. Cause it's nice. Not cause I'm weird...or anything like that.



Cheers,
Sven.

New Seeds of Hobby.

Though I have been "busy" with a real-life sidescroller I've managed to put my head around some hobby stuff every now and again. As I've been drifting away from the business mammoth, GW, I have been searching for an alternative. I've found that Malifaux, Warmachine are brilliant and totally worth every penny and minute put into them but still a curiosity for some historical gaming has been ever present. So, the wwII miniatures in the last few posts (posted eons ago) have found themselves a bunch of friends and a rules set.

I was torn between Rate of Fire and Operation Squad - World War II, but finally chose the latter for the sheer fact, that you play it with up to 9 models, while the first one you need a whole platoon. So, ordered it from Maelstrom and along with it some extra models for the North African theater(in my case, German Africa Korps and British Indian Sikhi'). Though I'm certain that once my collection grows, I will also get the Rate of Fire book and venture towards larger engagements. But for now, I'll stick with the small skirmish level action.


Haven't had the time to read it, but will get to it in the coming week. Next weekend I'll give you my first impression on the rules. The book itself is soft covered, with 46 pages and two token sheets. Full color and some nice historical photos and ofcorse some miniature goodness.
Should note that it's the second edition and is written by Massimo Torriani and Valentino del Castello.

I'm pretty sure I wont get a game next weekend, cause I've taken it to be a rule, that: "no paint, no game!". So hope to paint my units up next weekend and the week after that could allready mean a test game or two.

So, on to the minis.
First of all, the Africa Korps. I've got a mortar team, an hmg team and a bunch of troopers. Unfortunately, no officers or sergeants. So, gotta order them before the first game.
I'm using GW bases and Vallejo paints, if you were wondering. Come to think about it, I have enough to make two teams.

And then I've got the British Indian Sikhis'. Not too many, but all of the different minis Artizan has to offer for the Sikhis. Command, two Bren teams and a bunch of riflemen. Enough to make a nice varied team.


I all ready have plans for some terrain and gaming board, but that'll be a job for the future. I'm also allready peeping at some Italians and British commando models, to create extra teams in the future. All following the norther Africa theme, ofcorse.

But that's not all I've been up to. I've got a copy of SAGA, from Gripping Beast in the post and I can't wait to get my hands on that. Allready have a small warband of Anglo-Danish semi-painted and a Viking warband in the mail. So, look out for future posts about SAGA.

And as a closing note, I give you some eyecandy:


Cheers,
Sven.