Keeping Myself Busy 10

Again not so much to show for this week, but I have finished my scenario book for Sellswords and Spellslingers! I've just got to make a final selection on some of the photos and I'll be sending it to the publisher this week!

Anyway on with the minis.

 Two 3d-printed Italian MS boats for Cruel Seas.

 A Barbarian King from Ramshackle Games. It's a three part resin model, with a choice of arms, either clutching a sword or a big sci-fi gun if you're going for the post-apocalyptic look. I stuck with the sword!

 I have kept the model in two parts, mainly for ease of storage, but that also allows me more flexibility in the possible uses.

Finally three more Oathmark plastic Elf Light Infantry. I can see these making an appearance in lots of games, as wood elves, rangers or even forest bandits!

In a different form of "lockdown art" Broni dug her pencils and paints out. I think this expresses her frustration at having all her music gigs cancelled for the foreseeable future!

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Not many figures painted at all this week. I have been spending more time working on the new Sellswords & Spellslingers campaign book, and when I did get to the painting table I got distracted by some 1/300 ships!

Four more Alfar for my Jotunheim project, these are old Phil Lewis elf sculpts from Heartbreaker. That's "old sculpts", not "old Phil Lewis".

This is a skirmish project that still hasn't really got beyond "a vague idea" in the planning stage, Considering I've already painted 72 28mm figures for it, I really should progress it, perhaps once I've finished the Sellswords book.

Way back last year sometime, I picked up a shedload of 3d printed 1/300 WW2 little ships for Cruel Seas, unfortunately, they all came without weapons. I had a few spares kicking around and thanks to the kindness of a couple of chums on the Pendraken Forum, I have gathered together most of what I needed. I painted up some Fairmile Bs and a HDML for a scenario idea, undercoated a bunch more and stuck them all in a drawer next to my painting table.
I am currently reading "Flag 4" by Dudley Pope, which rekindled my interest so I opened the drawer and pulled some little boats out!

The first batch, a small tanker, a couple of freighters and a RN Steam Gun Boat.

 A surfaced U Boat, not a lot of used in a coastal forces game, but could come in handy for a scenario.

Finally a F-Lighter. I was going to paint this up as an Italian Motozattera MZ800 and the start of my Italian fleet, complete with the red/white stripes for aircraft identification. But I decided to make it a bit more generic so I can also use it as a German vessel in the Channel or in the Adriatic/Aegean after the Italian armistice.

Keeping Myself Busy 8

Another mixed bag of goodies (or not) this week.

 A Dixon townswoman for my gunfight games.

 Two plastic Oathmark Light Elf Infantry. I just picked up a single sprue as a test, to see if I liked them. I know plastics are very popular now days, but these were my first foray into multi-part plastics. I have a few plastics in my collection, mainly undead, but previously I bought them secondhand and ready-assembled.
I liked these, but made the mistake of assembling them before painting, so trying to paint the clothing behind the arrow on the shooting figure was a real pain! I may use these as elves, or maybe rangers, or they may become alternative character figures for Sellswords.

 Westwind Vampire and "bride" from the Vampire Wars range. I might have over done the "eye shadow" on the male vampire.

 A splendid 19th century chappie. I was painting this to go in my western gunfight collection, but he has ended up looking more like a late Victorian/Edwardian English gent to me.

 A couple of stands of 10mm Confederate horseholders, old Chariot figures again.

Two more Essex medieval soldiers as generic fighters for Sellswords and Frostgrave.


The rest of this week's painting are a curious collection of resin odds and ends from  Ramshackle Games. I had been recommended to Ramshackle on one of the forums I frequent. The ranges ares largely post-apocalyptic in style, which isn't my thing, but there are plenty of figures that would suit fantasy or VSF games. Curtis is a really helpful guy to deal with and offers a pick and mix option of 10 items for £22. Some figures on offer are quite big and some items are sets of 2 or 4 pieces. It was a great way to get a selection of bits to try from different Ramshackle Games ranges.

The resin is a little bit brittle (as I found out when I snapped a wolf's tail off clearing it up) but any breaks are easily fixed with a dab of superglue.

 First up a stalking giant wolf. Now when I first saw these models, I must admit I didn't think they really looked like a wolf to me! But once I'd painted them I was really impressed with the malevolent expression on their faces. They look ideal as some sort of demonic creatures, or else natural creature possessed by evil spirits, like Tolkien's take on werewolves in the Silmarillion.

Here are the two poses together, the second one is listed as "loping" but by tilting it on the base I've made it leaping on it's victim. I can't  decide if I prefer the darker effect on the right hand creature, or the lighter effect on the left hand one. I'll leave them as they are for now but probably repaint one of them at some point.

 For scale, this is one of the wolves next to an Oathmark elf.

 Everyone need a damsel in distress to save from the Dark Wizard/dragon/kraken/evil genius etc. This model is generic enough to suit most genres from fantasy to pulp.

 A set of "plant lurk tokens" which I'll probably use for poisonous flora of one kind or another.

 A "Slithe", another odd character which I will find some use for, perhaps the leader of my cultists.

"Bedraggled Captives" ideal for a rescue scenario from orc slavers or jungle cannibals.  This four-figure set counted a a single item in the pick and mix, so an absolute bargain!

I will certainly be buying more from Ranshackle Games in the future and I'd advise anyone looking for something a little different to give the website a look, you are bound to find something of interest!

Scenario Book for Sellswords and Spellslingers Update 2

This project is progressing nicely now. I have got some great feedback from the play testing process and now embarking on a rewrite/edit to reflect that feedback.

Just as a teaser, here are some of the new foes that will feature in the book.

Hot Trod Red Hand

Many years ago Richard Tyson and I put together a set of skirmish rules for 16th century Border Reivers. I've been asked if they are still available, so I'm posting them here for anyone who wants them.

VE Day National Toast

We joined in the National Toast at 3pm   "To those who gave so much, we thank you!"

Music by Ken "Snakehips" Johnson - Tuxedo Junction, the tune he was reputedly playing when killed by a German bomb during the London Blitz.

Keeping Myself Busy 7

Here are this week's offers.

Three more fighter-types for Sellswords/Frostgrave, these are old Essex miniatures.

 A minotaur, this is a Russian 1/32 54mm plastic toy, which cost me just a couple of quid.

 Look out guys, he's a big 'un!

 Three trapped treasure chests, these are 3d printed models I picked up on Ebay.

 A Westwind vampire from the Vampire Wars range.

 Another civilian kid for my Western Gunfight games.

 A pair of banshees, these are Reaper Bones minis.

 A D&D style beholder.

 A giant worm, this one will be an Ice Worm for my Jotunheim campaign.

 A rock monster/golem/elemental. The last three creatures are all 3d prints. I picked up a load of these, including the skull pillars, spiders and egg clutches I posted previously, in a job lot on Ebay for about a pound each. An absolute bargain, some of the sculpts are a little crude, but they are all usable and have been great for filling out my monsters collection for Sellswords and Spellslingers.

And finally a large mouthed, tusked beastie. This is a Dunger from Ranshackle Games. It's a bit odd looking, but I really like it. I'll probably use it for some cave or forest dwelling beastie at some point.

Terrain Tile Clearout

I have two sets of 6 x 2 feet square terrain tiles for disposal, free to a good home. These are used and have the odd chip and dent, but are basically in good condition.

The catch is that they will need to be collected from Aylesbury, Bucks. I'm happy to hang on to them for a while during the current crisis, they've been in the loft for quite a while so a few weeks longer won't count.

Lava Set
6 converted TSS tiles, 5 with lava "river" and one with a volcano!

Desert/Sci-fi set.

6 homemade tiles, 3 flat tiles and 3 with a wadi system. Theses are textured and painted, so they are a bit heavier than the TSS tiles.

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Once again I did not feel as if I had got very much painting in this week, but when I reviewed the pictures I was pleasantly surprised.

A couple of Reaper Bones wraiths, you can never have enough undead.

 10mm dismounted Union cavalry and horseholders, these are old Chariot Miniatures figures.

 The last 3 Svaltalfar, old Heartbreaker orcs and goblins by Phil Lewis.

 The one that everyone forgets from any dungeoning/adventuring party, the servant or "packhorse".

"How far to the next tavern?"

 A couple of small boys, civilian targets bystanders for western gunfights.

 A Westwind Vampire in Bat  Form, just what it says on the tin, or else any other winged demonic type thingy.

 A couple of fighter types for Sellswords or Frostgrave. I couldn't decide whether to base this pair for outside games, or urban/interior games. I went for urban grey stone in the end, on the basis that if I change my mind it will be easier to add earth/grass/tufts, rather than try and remove them.

 The last of my 3d printed spiders.

 A Westwind Vampire, all ready to stalk the streets of Venice.

  A couple of Alfar for my Jotunheim project, these are old Heatbreaker elves sculpted by Phil Lewis.