Is it New Years Yet?

Trevor, Donovan and Charlotte are looking all around for the New Year.  Has it happened yet where you are? No matter it will sooner or later, so Happy 2012 to everyone, may it be your best ever!

DB Adventure 3-Rescue the Commissar

After his capture by the US Marines, Commissar Ivan Redngloy was transferred to the custody of the Imperial British Frontier Forces at the abandoned trade outpost of Massal. The small force (nine men one sgt. two officers) of veteran's under Captain Rudolf Hakmaster is waiting for a full platoon of IBFF reinforcements before they transport their prize back to brigade HQ.

Not expecting trouble, but believing in being prepared, Captain Hakmaster has positioned half his men on the parapets of the old trade companies stockade.

But the secret location of the commissar's imprisonment has leaked and a rescue attempt has been placed in the hands of Senior Commissar of Special Operations, Sonia Hartlis. Her main force is an elite detachment of eleven Red Guards under the leadership of Under Officer Mika Blunuse.

Addition support is supplied by a troop of nine mercenary German lancers, excellent fighters but of questionable loyalty if the situation goes South.

DB Adventure 3-Rescue the Commissar or Die Trying

The battle line is ready, one fire team of the Red Guards will take up a position in the ruins.

The rest of the Guards take a position behind the mercenary cavalry, both for protection and as "encouragement" for the troopers to earn their pay.

The battlefield, birds eye view.  British reinforcements are due via the river crossing soon, but will it be soon enough.

"Stand To!" "Enemy in sight." crys Lt. Mark Smithsbrother from the watch tower. Captain Hakmaster orders all men to the parapets and to fire at will.

First blood. (In an error of judgment the captain told his men to aim for the horses to reduce the speed of the advance which it did but horses don't shoot carbines.)

Excellent shooting has dropped all the horses but Commandant Grubemaker's. The loss of their mounts is disturbing but only two men have been lost. The remainder continue to advance while laying down a steady stream of firepower.   To the rear the Red Guards give supporting fire.

Pvt. Blodbottom is the first to fall to enemy bullets. While Lt. Smithsbrother is dropped by a horrible misfire from Pvt. Heckachers rifle. (A critical miss lead to the Lt's demise via a deadly ricochet.)

"Follow me men, you can't let a woman show us up" calls out Commandant Grubemaker as Senior Commissar of Special Operations, Sonia Hartlis runs past the dismounted troopers.

More good shooting drops the commandants steed and two more of his troopers.

Igor Borisganski is the first Red Guard to fall for the glory of the Mother Land.  How will the rest of his comrades respond?

OMG, who taught those blighters to shoot? Thinks Capt. Hakmaster as Pvts. Smithers, Jonesy, Ralphman an Sgt. Crutherson are all taken out in one all too deadly round of fire.  With a worried look the captain glances around at his depleted force, help is coming he knows, but will it arrive in time...(coming up the end game)

DB Adventure 3 Rescue Victory

Disaster for the for Captain Hakmaster and the soldiers of the IBFF, the excellent marksmanship of the Red Guards has dropped every member of the post except for Pvt. Makanon.

With the captain (and more importantly Sgt. Crutherson) down Makanon is on his own.

His duty seems clear, he must secure the prisoner, remove him from the post and search for the reinforcements before the Reds can succeed in their rescue attempt.

But the pvt. has waited too long, as the first of the foes, Commandant Grubemaker,  two of his troopers and Commissar of Special Operations, Sonia Hartlis have entered the post.  The latter is attempting to open the gate.

Outside the gate-the Red Guards are ready to fullfill their mission.

Seeing the enemy among the bodies of his fallen comrades, Pvt. Makanon is overcome by the moment and decides to take down his King Emperor's enemies rather than escape with his prisoner. (He passed his morale but failed his intelligence roll.)

Makamon was a brave man but a poor shot, especially when Ivan tried to knock the pvt. down, and the former is dropped by a hail of pistol and carbine shots.

Makanon is down and Ivan Redngloy is unscathed, his luck has held as the shots that dropped the private missed Ivan. Rescue is now at hand. Knowing of the soon to arrive British reinforcements, Ivan encourages a quick withdrawal, and the continuation of his mission to bring the secrets of the Dragon Bones (see DB Adventure) home to his KGB Masters.

Ivan Rednglory and the commander of his rescuers- Lance Cpl Thomas Wall.

Barbarians at the Gates

Dracian barbarians have smashed yet another outpost on the Roman frontier.

Showing no fear, the Dracians were a thorn in the Roman sides for decades until the Emperor Trajan smashed them in a series of campaigns in the 2nd Century.

Till that day these warriors acknowledged no conquerors but themselves.

These 28mm pieces from Warlord are a combination of metal and hard plastic.

Oh Holy Night

My you have a safe and wonderful Christmas Eve.

Pillbox-the Hard Nut of the Trench Line

No soldier crossing "No Man's Land" wants to face the reinforced terror of a pillbox with a manned machine gun.

Protected by barbed wire entanglements,infantry support and sweeping fire from the machine gun, this pillbox is the hard point in a line of defences in one of the countless ruined villages found on the Western Front.

I made this pillbox from scratch in Spring 2010 which is also when I painted the early war 25mm metal German soldiers from Old Glory.

Eight Nights of Wonder

Happy Hanukkah 2011!

In Close Encounters One Will Die!

Hive Scout Zzyzznn from the Formigas Hive Mind has been surprised by the appearance of G'ngb'lk K'ppt'n-C'nth' W'n't'r1211n'gt among the ruins of an outpost on planet No-L-2121.  In such an encounter only the quickest will survive.

Which will be supreme, alien flesh melter or human blaster-training, reaction time and luck will all play a part. G'ngb'lk K'ppt'n-C'nth' W'n't'r1211n'gt and Hive Scout Zzyzznn are both from Games Workshops 40K lines of figures. I painted them in the late 1990's.

Finish Me-I Must Fight the Dark Lord

Legolas looks like he wants to destroy the Dark Lord single handily. But he can't until I finish painting him.

Legolas is a metal piece from Game Workshops Lord of the Rings line.

Diving from above Space Battle Squadron 51 stands ready to defend the planets of the New Terran Empire.

Dreadnought Tokagawa carries enough firepower to smash a planet. Attack Carrier Kamikaze provides two full wings of Katana space fighter-bombers for close support. The heavy crusiers Iwo Jima and Saipan give added firepower to the massed batteries of the capital ships.

The Battlecrusier Kongo gives additional firepower with rapid deployment speed. While the light cruisers Edo, Izumo and Nagasaki form the scout force to locate and raid the enemies of the Emperor.

SBS 51 is made up of metal pieces from Superior.

Silent Stalker

Stalking his next victim, hive scout Zzyzznn brings swift death to the unwary. Throughout the galaxy scouts like Zzyzznn search for planets suitable for conquest and colonization by the Formigas Hive Mind.

Zzyzznn is a plastic piece from Warhammer 40K by Games Workshop that I painted in the early 2000's.

Beware the Hive Mind

Nothing strikes fear into the souls of deep space captains as much as the sight of a battle squadron from the Formigas Hive Mind.

From the lowly destroyers of the Cl'vacc class to the mighty KaKaghann dreadnoughts, the fearless Formigas fight to the death-they have no word for surrender in their complex battle language.

The ships from the Formigas Hive Mind are metal pieces from Superior. I painted them in the late 1970's.

Any barricade is a good barricade

Barricades have been a staple to warriors through out the ages, even fighters in the future.

As an experienced warrior, G'ngb'lk K'ppt'n-C'nth' W'n't'r1211n'gt (Gangblock Captain-Cyntha Winter1211night) knows the value of a barricade when combat is imminent. She also knows that it never hurts to have some backup weapons if things go sour.

C'nth' W'nt'r1211n'gt is a metal piece from Games Workshop, I painted her in the late 1990's.