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Monday, November 27, 2023

Afghan Tribal Force Update #13b: The Second half of Pashtun Tribal Unit #2

The last 8 figures of my Tribal Infantry unit for the core force of Afghan/Pashtu's for the Northwest Frontier Uprising of 1897 - 1898 are starting to come together. As usual they are mounted for The Men Who Would be Kings but can be used with just about any colonial rules. The recommended size for Tribal units in The Men Who Would be Kings 16 figures so now it's time to paint these put the last 8 hard plastic Perry Miniature Afghan Tribesmen .


This is probably, or at least very close, to how these figures will be positioned on the 3 figure stand.


I've been particularly happy with the unique drummers and standard bearers I've been able to make and convert using the Perry Miniature Afghan Tribesmen. The above figure gives you an idea what I did not using the recommended body for the drummer and adding some household string for the drum and some extra accessories that come with the box.







Yep. These three will look good together.


Whoops! I need to fix how the figure on the right is holding his shield.


Though the shield does look good from this angle . . . decisions, decisions.


Beware the old man in a young man's profession.



Okay. I need to fix the eyebrows. I can't have a fierce warrior going into battle looking like he is crying.



"Grrrrrrr."


Hopefully the next post will have the completed figures based and ready to join the fray.

Thursday, November 23, 2023

Afghan Tribal Force Update #13a: The Second half of Pashtun Tribal Unit #2

"Hurry up and paint the rest of the unit. We have an uprising on the NW Frontier to start!"

It's time to hit the home stretch for my Pashtun/Tribal core force for The Men Who Would be Kings. For units that don't have uniforms or have mix and match uniforms, I usually break them up in batches. The recommended size for Tribal units in The Men Who Would be Kings 16 figures so now it's time to put the last 8 hard plastic Perry Miniature Afghan Tribesmen together.


Most of the shields, turban scarfs, etc., will be added after the main figure is painted.


This batch of 8 will be mounted one 3 figure base, one 2 figure base, and three one figure base. I haven't quite figured out yet which figures will go on the 3 and 2 figure bases for a vignette except for the drummer who will definitely be on the 3 figure base.


I love how this figures is yelling a war cry  and charging with two blades.


To make all of my drummers unique I used a different body that I have not seen as a drummer. Since there is a gap between the drum and the figure, I once again added some household string to the drum so the drum is not "magically" floating in the air. The drummer has the same head as our two bladed chap above.


I REALLY like the way this figure turned out. How would you like to see him jump out behind a rock at you? You better have your bayonet fixed!


Just a regular charging guy that will have a shield.


Whoops. Looks like some dried glue "webs" need to be removed.


This batch definitely as a group looks like they want to get up and personal with the Indian Army.


From this angle this guy looks a little goofy. From the side, and especially when the shield is added he will look more dramatic.


Pulling out that tulwar on the run - nicely animated with just a little cutting and repositioning of an arm.
 

The rest of the group wanted to supervise while I painted. In reality, I have them on the painting people so I can continue the "theme" of how I what the whole unit to look. And I need to remember to fix that white spot on the leader's turban!

POST CREDIT SCENE:

I had some extra time and as I started painted I decided which figures would go with which bases for my "vignettes".


The last 8 after the white primer has been applied. White works well for Afghan/Pashtun tribesmen.


The group of Three.


The group of Two.


These figures will be mounted singly.

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Happy Tanksgiving!


 Happy Thanksgiving to everyone - and belated Thanksgiving to our neighbors to the North. If were you live does not celebrate, just give Thanksgiving to the Lord where all good things come!









Monday, November 20, 2023

The Young British Soldier

 


When the 'arf-made recruity goes out to the East
'E acts like a babe an' 'e drinks like a beast,
An' 'e wonders because 'e is frequent deceased
Ere 'e's fit for to serve as a soldier.
Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,
Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,
Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,
So-oldier of the Queen!

Now all you recruities what's drafted to-day,
You shut up your rag-box an' 'ark to my lay,
An' I'll sing you a soldier as far as I may:
A soldier what's fit for a soldier.
Fit, fit, fit for a soldier . . .


First mind you steer clear o' the grog-sellers' huts,
For they sell you Fixed Bay'nets that rots out your guts --
Ay, drink that 'ud eat the live steel from your butts --
An' it's bad for the young British soldier.
Bad, bad, bad for the soldier . . .

When the cholera comes -- as it will past a doubt --
Keep out of the wet and don't go on the shout,
For the sickness gets in as the liquor dies out,
An' it crumples the young British soldier.
Crum-, crum-, crumples the soldier . . .


But the worst o' your foes is the sun over'ead:
You must wear your 'elmet for all that is said:
If 'e finds you uncovered 'e'll knock you down dead,
An' you'll die like a fool of a soldier.
Fool, fool, fool of a soldier . . .




If you're cast for fatigue by a sergeant unkind,
Don't grouse like a woman nor crack on nor blind;
Be handy and civil, and then you will find
That it's beer for the young British soldier.
Beer, beer, beer for the soldier . . .


Now, if you must marry, take care she is old --
A troop-sergeant's widow's the nicest I'm told,
For beauty won't help if your rations is cold,
Nor love ain't enough for a soldier.
'Nough, 'nough, 'nough for a soldier . . .

If the wife should go wrong with a comrade, be loath
To shoot when you catch 'em -- you'll swing, on my oath! --
Make 'im take 'er and keep 'er: that's Hell for them both,
An' you're shut o' the curse of a soldier.
Curse, curse, curse of a soldier . . .


When first under fire an' you're wishful to duck,
Don't look nor take 'eed at the man that is struck,
Be thankful you're livin', and trust to your luck
And march to your front like a soldier.
Front, front, front like a soldier . . .



When 'arf of your bullets fly wide in the ditch,
Don't call your Martini a cross-eyed old bitch;
She's human as you are -- you treat her as sich,
An' she'll fight for the young British soldier.
Fight, fight, fight for the soldier . . .


When shakin' their bustles like ladies so fine,
The guns o' the enemy wheel into line,
Shoot low at the limbers an' don't mind the shine,
For noise never startles the soldier.
Start-, start-, startles the soldier . . .

If your officer's dead and the sergeants look white,
Remember it's ruin to run from a fight:
So take open order, lie down, and sit tight,
And wait for supports like a soldier.
Wait, wait, wait like a soldier . . .


When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
So-oldier of the Queen!

Thursday, November 16, 2023

My Warhammer 40K Deal . . . Heck, My hobby Deal of the Year


 In January, before "The Big Move", I was at the local Barnes & Noble and was walking by the Clearance Section and I saw Warhammer 40K Fireteam with a $10 (US) sticker on the box. Faster than warp drive and I immediately grabbed it and headed to check out. Fireteam originally retailed for $49.99 (US) and was available exclusively at Barnes & Noble and in Germany. The $49.99 original price is a great deal - but $10! BWAH HAH HAH!

EDITOR'S NOTE: As of publishing time, Fireteam is currently 25% off and is available online for $37.49 (US).

With Fireteam, you actually get two complete fighting forces inside the box. You also get a nice plastic pack-in that keeps everything you need to play in one place. It’s a highly portable experience, and it only takes about 30-45 minutes to play a game. That means you can roll into your friend’s house or the local game shop, bang out a few games in about an hour, and move on with your day. It’s quick and satisfying, and it comes with a great selection of the push-fit models included. It is fun, fast and furious - and from what I understand, a slimmed down version of Killteam. So what do you get?

"Adeptus Astartes Primaris Assault Intercessors my fuzzy butt! We are, and always will be, IMPERIAL ASSAULT SPACE MARINES! For the Emperor (Long may he sleep!).

5 Space Marines, 10 Necron Warriors, 3 Necron Canoptek Scarab Swarms, 1 double-sided game board, 1 20 page rule book, 14 six sided dice, 22 data cards, 6 Stratagem cards, 12 mission cards, 10 special wargear cards, 18 special operations cards, and 85 tokens. Whew! All of the miniatures come unpainted but they are easy to put together with no glue and I had a blast painting them.

Necrons!



To give you an idea what a great deal the game is at the regular price, not to mention the deal I got, if you purchased the Necrons separately it would cost you $50 (US). I know, I know - GW figures are expensive. I personally believe GW (and now Warlord) have done more to promote the gaming industry than almost any other company and they were innovative with the start of hard plastic miniatures. Anyway - on with the components.


The rulebook is well laid and and lavishly illustrated. The ruleset for playing Fireteam is an abbreviated version of the brand-new Kill Team experience. Movement is abstracted from inches down to hexes, but by and large everything else is the same. Players even use similar stat blocks to control their units across both games. The Fireteam set comes with a campaign mode, just like its big brother Kill Team, meaning you can string together multiple missions with a friend and improve your individual units along the way. Best of all there are cards inside the box detailing four additional armies — one each for the Militarum Tempestus (Imperial Guard Special Forces), the T’au Empire, Orks, and Harlequins (Crazy dancing Eldar troops) — that can all be built with just one additional box of models each.



A double - sided game board that is quite sturdy.


Six Unit cards.

The back of the Space Marine unit card.


Data cards for each type of unit which are excellent references.


12 scenario cards and by the way, none of the game components are flimsy. They are all high quality. I was surprised that such a basic framework would offer many strategies, but Fireteam gets its missions, boards, and cards to do the lifting in this department. There are twelve missions, each representing the pivotal moment of a larger battle. The introductory mission  puts the teams in opposite corners, seeking to control two objective hexes. The other scenarios escalate from there into terrain interactions, fetch and carry missions, and many more besides.


Sample scenario card. Each scenario gives you particular ways to score points which often have little to do with eliminating enemy combatants. As such, it’s quite common to see your squad decimated and still win, one of several ideas it’s taken from its sister title Warhammer Underworlds. Others include its tight three-turn structure, keeping things tense, and giving each player a hand of objective cards. These give bonus points for fulfilling particular goals, like keeping your models spaced several hexes apart.


A gazillion other cards.


If playing a campaign, cards you can earn for winning a battle.


A gazillion tokens which are objectives, trackers for hits, reminders for special rules, etc. The one aspect that throws a robotic wrench into the otherwise smooth gears of Fireteam, is the sheer number of counters it uses. Models accrue counters to track wounds, activations and status effects. Stacks of large counters on a crowded board quickly become very hard to track, losing cohesion over which model owns which stack. If you're careful, it's not a great challenge but if you're clumsy, at the end of each turn, you must ferret out the non-wound ones without displacing the others. It’s an administrative task that sticks out badly in such a fast-playing game. Still fun though!


After you get everything unwrap, it actually fits in the box . . .


. . . even the miniatures. If I had kept them unpainted I would probably store them in the box.

This game is fast, furious and fun - we usually finished a game in 30 to 45 minutes. Because this is a board game rather than a miniatures game, it does away with the sometimes clumsy rules required for measured movement. Instead, when you move or check range, you count hexes. To determine a line of sight, you draw a bead from the center of one hex to the middle of the target. It’s clean and fast, as you’d want a firefight game to be.