Food Fight! The History of War in Food

Cool animated short movie uses ethnic foodstuffs to re-enact the history of armed conflict from the Second World War to the present day.

Ruined Farm Building on Gaming Table

A quick shot of one of my bombed out KS Farm Houses on Aaron's gaming table, with a lone Marder for scale comparison.

My Wife Bought me [FOW] Porn for my Birthday!

Just a quick note to tell you about the highlights of my Birthday: Amongst all the cool presents I got Bill Mauldin's Up Front, The Normandy Landings (large format book) and The Art of War Vol.1 (FOW Porn!).

Partially Destroyed KS Farm House #1 & #2

The Kreative Scenery Deal

Kreative Scenery do a great range of buildings for Flames of War, that are especially suited to a Normandy themed table. Because Kim hangs out in the Tabletop forums, I figured I'd be a bit cheeky and ask him if he wanted to trade some scenery for some DVDs. Lucky for me he did.

This is what I got:

First impressions were pretty good, but I didn't have the time to do anything with all this stuff, though I did notice that there wasn't going to be enough roofing, and that there was some stuff I hadn't ordered. Oh well, I'll see what's what when I get round to sorting it out.

As part of the deal I ordered three Farmhouse kits, one of which was a two story one. All fine.

I didn't however order a Russian Workers Building!

And these remaining pieces don't seem to be the correct type/size to construct an L shaped House and a Shared Townhouse/Shop... oh dear. The wall sets are both there, along with a set of new style walling!

Then there's the dug in markers and bomb craters. Also not ordered.

Now I'm not to worried as I did do a back ally deal for this scenery, it's just a pity because Stu has since given me a couple of Farmhouses that I have partially bombed, so the L shaped House and Shared Townhouse/Shop would have made a nice change in the scenery!

Some instructions would have been nice too :o)

More Photos by Request!

FOW British Airborne Rifle/MG Temas

4 Rifle/MG Teams finished! Now I can start on four more! And some tanks!

Tank Production in Full Swing

Tank production is now in full swing, with the deadline for the invasion of Europe fast approaching these tanks will be some of the first into battle against the occupying German army.

Dirty Water

I thought it was probably time to change the water I use to clean my brushes...

World War II Colour Footage #1

Great colour footage from D-Day to VJ day, part 1. Includes a great shot of Normandy Bocage, of which an American trooper comments; "...as near to jungle fighting as anything I can think off."

The Art of DAS

I've tried several ways of basing my figures, and I've not been entirely happy with any of the ways. The best way I found when doing my Germans was to use a bucket of left over GIB Plus 4 ready mixed compound. The main problem with this was that it was very messy, and as I paint my figures before basing them (silly me) I needed something that was cleaner, less messy to apply.

So I started using DAS. It's a pliable putty form, and whilst it id far from perfect - it's a pig to use, and take a bit of time - I do like the relative cleanness off it, and the ability to easily press a patter into it (I use the rounded end of one of my painting brushed to give the ground a walked over feel).

The biggest problem with DAS is that it is an 'air hardening compound' so once the packed is opened you have to find somewhere airtight to store it. The best place I've found was one of my wife's new Tupperware containers.

I've been using the same block of DAS for about six months now, and it's still in good working order.

Terrain Progress #4

I'm not 100% happy with the roofs. This is my second attempt at doing them, I think next time I'll just do them a dark gray and leave it at that. The pinky roof is supposed to be terracotta tiles which along with the blue slate were used in Normandy at the time.

Terrain Progress #3

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen...

I love history, which probably explains my love of FOW, because you know, it’s like, totally historically accurate every game you play…

I stumbled on this early draft of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s D-Day letter to the troops whilst looking for a new header image for this blog. I love the unfinished quality, the scribbles and re-arranging of the structure. It shows that the letter read out to Easy Company in Episode 1 of Band of Brothers (because everything revolves around watching BOB) wasn’t just a rushed encouragement to the troops, but a well though out statement, to give them the courage and determination that they would need over the coming days and months.

New Look in progress...

Slow day - time for a new look...

Terrain Progress #2

Terrain Progress

I'm still in a painting funk, but decided I'd better do something constructive this weekend, so decided to start painting the bombed house that Stu gave me...

And because the two Kreative Scenery kits that Stua gave me are the old type, soft plaster of paris type, I've decided to totally destroy the second one...
Still have to add lots of rubble and the front door...

Painting Funk

I'm in a painting funk, I can't seem to get motivated to do anything.

Gaming Table Progress #3

Bombed out roof added - used matchsticks for timber beams to give the model a little something extra.

Was hoping to have more done by now, but I've been incredibly busy :(

Painting Challenge: Parachute Company

Progress is slow this week because I've been busy at work, but the first four bases of my Parachute Company have been glued, next up is the actual 'basing'....

Gaming Table Progress #2

So technically I haven't actually started on my table, but the scenery is underway! First up is a town house from Kreative Scenery, one of the old style courtesy of Stu. It was a little damaged and not the best cast, so I've decided to have it 'hit' by a bomb or artillery.

The Dice Were With Me!

Tonights game saw my Grenadiers come up against Dan's British armor. Playing the defense, I keep my two HMG teams and one Grenadier Platoon in reserve, dug two Platoons around the objective in a handy church yard, and had my 3 Marders in Ambush.

Incredibly lucky dice rolling on my part, and an abysmal dice night for Dan saw my feisty Germans run the Poms off the board in the second round.

A tad short for any lasting enjoyment, but certainly good for the moral!

Painting Challenge: Royal Engineers

Royal Engineers = 125pts... probably the smallest segment of my Army, but it's a start!

Painting Challenge Update!

First stage of my Brit Airborne almost painted - just need to do camo strips on helmets, paint a few straps that I missed, ink wash and base them..... not a bad weekend of painting.

Gaming Table Progress

Ok, I've started a discussion on the stability and practicality of my proposed portable gaming table at Tabletop Terrain.
Stu kindly donated some old Kreative Scenery pieces that along with the stuff that I got direct from Kreative Scenery should be enough to create a small Normandy village.

I used my annual Christmas bonus ($100 Westfield Vouchers) at Games Workshop St Lukes today to purchase a gaming mat and some black pray paint for undercoating my tanks.

The painting challenge progressed ok today, photos will be up tomorrow showing progress thus far.