266 Assault Craft Progress

Well, it's coming on a treat. This post is mostly just photos - you can make your own minds up, but thanks for the support you gave me following my last post! In case you're wondering, this is about £1.50's worth of plasticard. Yes there are some frills to add, but this is the barebones, simple and cheap effect I was going for.

NB: I'm having a lot of trouble commenting on your posts at the moment: sorry. Some great stuff to read though, thanks!

C&C appreciated, cheers,

- Drax.

265 Taking Stock and New Projects

Hi All - here is the news:

1) Work pressure has just eased massively*;

2) I've actually been getting some painting done on the Inner Geek's Ogryn once more, and

3) I've started a new project, the rationale for which follows anon...

The new project is simple and born of frustration. The thought process went like this: (1) I've almost finished my Guard, whichever way you look at it; (2) I really want something new to build; (3) Money's really tight, so I honestly cannot justify spending more than a few quid on anything at all hobby-related, so a valkyrie (for example) would be right out; (4) GW seem to be bumping prices yet again (5) I'd quite like to get into another (small, self-contained) system, but see point 3 above, and no-one else plays them (yet); (6) What can I buid? (7) More scenery? (8) No - I never ever play at home, so that's pointless. I could donate some to the club, but then I'm losing money which I can ill-afford to a club that doesn't really need it (9) Can I build something out of bitz or plasticard? (10) Hmmm...

Hmmm... After some sketching, which I may reproduce in a future post, I came up with some ideas for a dead-simple-to-build-and-reproduce, characterful and cheap-as-chips solution: a decidedly blocky 'landing craft'-type assault vehicle!

Here's the very rough initial cardstock mock-up, with only one track mounting. The idea is that there's a separate engine inside each of the track cowlings (what - are GW going to pick me up on vehicular 'realism'?!):

By the way, if you're interested, the floor space is 3x4" (less 2 square inches for the driver/pilot's cabin) which leaves space enough to physically carry 10 Guard infantry models.

I'm looking forward to building this out of plasticard - I think I'll shell out for some 'treadplate' texture for the floor and ramp.

Do please let me know any thoughts,

- Drax.

*For those in the UK, I'm head of year 11 at my school and they just left!

264 Four-Way Combat Patrol Clash

Hey!

This post's been a long time coming and - like most of my recent posts - will doubtless NOT be formatted properly. Bloody blogspot. It's my interpretation of the fun and frolics we had at Zzzzzz's place a fortnight ago...the first game, that is - not the apocalypse game. Here 'tis:

Combat Patrol Doubles Clash 07/05/11

4x400pt IG forces –Karitas and Drax defending fixed Loyalist positions, with Zzzzzz and Soviet Space as the attaking Rebel PDF

Overall Summary:

After days of waiting in prepared fortified positions, first sight of the rebel scum made Lt Woolpack see red, so he immediately took the brave and fearless decision to order his men to leave their nice safe trenches and walk slowly down the open glacis slope towards them – forgetting even to run!

The embedded Elysian sniper team had called their elite reserves in, but they were a long time coming, leaving both snipers and allies to the onrushing local PDF – the ‘Tigers’.

Facing only piecemeal resistance on their flank, the lead squad of the Tigers leapt down into the salient bay of the trench and fought their way through the autocannon squad before also destroying the stalwart mortars. Lt Woolpack arrived too late to save them, but after a fight he did at least cleanse the rebel scum from the trenches.

Strangely, their steely march forward in steady, disciplined lines enabled 1, 2 and 3 section – over the course of the skirmish – to rout the entirety of Soviet Space’s force, for overall platoon losses of about 30%.

The Elysian valkyrie, veterans and stormtroopers finally turned up and cleaned out the last of Zzzzzz’s PDF, leaving just Harker and two others.

Good Bits:

The 24th’s ill-advised yet disciplined and amazingly successful slow advance in straight lines over skylined open ground; Soviet Space’s very patient CHQ missile launcher hits the valkyrie and removes a rocket pod; Zzzzzz’s ‘Feather Duster’ Tigers (Catachan PDF) assault and destroy both my heavy weapons squads in turn; my 1 section’s Sgt ‘Hans’ walks his squad right up to the enemy commander and makes him run off; On turn four I realise there’s an objective that I was supposed to have been pursuing. Oops.
Thanks to all who took part - it was a blast! Sorry for the time it's taken me to get this posted...

- Drax.