(Painting) Married Zulu Full Impi by Warlord Games

The case of the 28 missing Left Zulu Arms was solved. 

Somehow, they were there all along.  

After months of delays, lack of motivation, and finally, misplacing all the left arms I had trimmed off the sprues, the unit of Warlord Zulus I purchased years ago are finally complete.

I'm not even going to get into how a box labelled "Zulus" that I've opened up a half a million times looking for arms over many months, suddenly had them there. 

I whipped these up to look like the solo Zulu figure I started painting up at a Historicon eons ago.  I needed 30 native tribesman for the "made-for-TV-movie"  that's either going to launch that long-awaited Season 4 of our "Egypt"/Pulp game, or the bittersweet finale.  

Hate to say it, I did not enjoy assembling or painting them.  In hindsight, both time and money, I would have purchased and painted up metal figures, even if I had to buy them a pack every con.  There's a good reason all my future pulp games, heck even my Samoa or Early 20th Century games seem to cap off at 20 figures max for any unit.  

Next:  Some extra terrain or characters for the City of Carf, perhaps a handful (or fistful) of gnomes, just starting the vintage mouslings/verminites, because I'm a sucker for more work.

Project 350:  A lot of new stuff complicating life, 477 (297/180) up from 468 (293/175).  Some holiday placeholders, some #CharacterCreationChallenge concepts, and of course, #InternationalGnomeWeek is June 21-27, and I have a post for each day, and am working on articles for most.

Wargaming on Rocky Mountain PBS

 Don't know why Rocky Mountain PBS is making a short video on wargaming, but the three minutes with a veteran, and now volunteer for Warlord Games was a welcome sight on YouTube.

(Painting) Married Zulu Impi by Warlord Games

 A funny thing happened on the way to the next campaign...

With no Cold Wars steering what needed to be painted, February was going to be a month of getting some significant lead (and plastic) off the painting table. 

We were going to start with a massive project (for me) that's curtailed the vaporware Season 4 of the "Egypt Game" I've run with the girls since they were little. The first episode requires 30 "Nubian" warriors for *spoilers*.  

A boxed set of Married Zulu Impi from Warlord fit the bill... and literally years have passed.  They got assembled, primed, and base coated, however each one was missing its left arm... so I could paint everything the same and glue the arms on at the end.  

This stayed this way until this month, where I lined them up on the painting bench, but the parts sprues to the side, and immediately discovered that none of the compatible left arms were attached to the sprue.

They are in a zip-lock bag, buried somewhere in the office.  

So I managed to assemble two the Zulus, and they will hang out with the Zulu Chief I painted eons ago. 

We're a little shinier than I wanted, and I shine detracts from the three layers of shading I did them, turning them far darker than I wanted. I strayed away from the suggested colors Pete the Wargamer suggested in his YouTube video on painting these guys.

Once I find 28 more left arms, I can take a crack at it again! 

In the Queue: The Zulus are still in a queue, as a search one box at a time for the missing bag o' arms.  Gnomes, Ducks, and Star Wars individual characters! 

Project 350: Maintaining exactly the same at 459 (295/164) from 459 (295/164).  I'm hoping the upcoming Cold Wars at Home will move the needle a bit.  

Warlord Games and the Thirteenth Doctor

Warlord Games has been pumping out oversized (38mm!) figures for their Doctor Who Exterminate! miniatures license.  

With the release of the 13th Doctor, they fill in another (recent) hole. 

With all the hub-bub about a female Doctor, I'm a bit nonplussed.  Jodie Whitaker's Doctor is just a different take on a familiar theme, the presentation of the non-CIS male social make-up of different alien races is done far better the ham-fisted approach of the Moffat era, there's still fifteen minutes of filler to every episode, and despite their best efforts, I would not mind if a companion died every episode.  

(Cold Wars Pregame) Getting Ready for Cold Wars

Here's hoping this means there will be lots of cavalry painted in the upcoming years, perhaps some Polish Winged Hussars.  Not my usual period, but girls will be girls.

 

The Winged Hussars are pretty sweet:  Warlord Games

 

 

Dutch Canal Bridge from Warlord Games

Warlord Games announced the release of their 25mm Dutch Canal Bridge as part of their Bolt Action line.   

I don't do WW2, but it pulls on the right heartstrings.  It just might be the uniqueness of it.  It might be the summer I spent working at the National Canal Museum, or the fact it's home/my hometown of Easton was a hub of canal activity.   This thing is freaking awesome and I want it as a centerpiece for my great Gnome invasion forces.

The bridge retails for $28.00 and is availabe at www.warlordgames.com/

The Apathy of New Releases (December 2012)

Ah, the winter doldrums are upon us.  Despite a captive winter audience, January and February are horrible months for sales, even with new items.  Even if there is a "can't fail" item, ordering during the holiday sales spike always makes stores over order once they finally arrive.

Now, if there is one thing that the folks at Alliance did right for the December issue of Game Trade Magazine, they filled another lackluster month with "offered again (O/A)" items already in the catalog.  Unlike the other items with questionable release dates, the O/A items are available immediately to shore up the holiday inventory, and hopefully entice the handful of people who read GTM into making a purchase.

So, here we go:

Want List:  Nothing

The Money's No Object List: Sadly again, nothing

The Store List
AEG
LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS CCG: EMPEROR EDITION GEMPUKKU  - new set  $5 boosters and $25 starters.  I'm getting old and cheap...
LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS CCG:  HONOR & TREACHERY  - new how to learn set  $24.95
LEGEND OF THE FIVE  RINGS RPG: THE BOOK OF EARTH $39.99

Army Painter:
Basic Tool Kit:  $24.99  - 8 tools at $3 a piece.  Cheaper than GW, at least.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT CCG:  TIMEWALKERS - BETRAYAL OF THE GUARDIAN

Decision Games:
Folio Series:  Little Bighorn, Battle of Britain, and Britannia in Afghanistan. $12.99 apiece for 2-player wargames.

DGS
Freeblades Skirmish Game:  Haven't seen anything about this, but it looks like a fantasy skirmish game with bounty hunters, outlaws, and small bands of invaders.  I question pricing when a base figure is $6 and a mounted one is $8

Dream Pod 9
After seeing the demos at Mepacon, I'm quite certain that these items are overpriced.  I'll stick with Battletech.

FFG
Deathwatch RPG  Ark of Lost Souls  $39.95
MANSIONS OF MADNESS: CALL OF THE WILD EXPANSION  $59.95
ONLY WAR WARHAMMER 40K: RPG: FINAL TESTAMENT  $39.95
TALISMAN: THE CITY EXPANSION  $39.95  - that might be fun.

FROG GOD GAMES
Ten different mods, one printing compatible with Sword and Sorcery, the other with Pathfinder.  $8.99 each is appealing for players, but how does a store order these?  Very carefully.

Konami
YU-GI-OH! TCG: COSMOBLAZER BOOSTERS

Paizo
PATHFINDER   REIGN OF WINTER PART 1 -THE SNOWS OF SUMMER  $19.99
PATHFINDER ITEM CARDS: REIGN OF WINTER ADVENTURE PATH $10.99
PATHFINDER MAP PACK: SEWER SYSTEM  13.99
PATHFINDER PLAYER COMPANION:  CHAMPIONS OF PURITY  10.99
PATHFINDER TALES: LIAR’S BLADE 9.99
PATHFINDER CAMPAIGN  SETTING: CHRONICLE  OF THE RIGHTEOUS  19.99

Spartacus Publishing
LUCHADOR: DISCIPLES  OF THE NORTH  - Canadian Luchadors?  $14.95

Studio 2
Hell on Earth Reloaded  HC- Deadlands Future World for Savage Worlds    $39.99

Troll Lord Games
CASTLES & CRUSADES:  BOOK OF FAMILIARS  $24.95
CASTLES & CRUSADES:  CODEX CELTARUM      $24.95

Twilight Creations
Zombies!  Roll Them Bones  $14.95

Warlord Games
 All of the Warlord items are listed as "PI" (please inquire), meaning retailers will get a less favorable discount than their standard.  Not good if traditional historical wargaming is to grow beyond the 40k-ish of Flames of War.  Still, two items of note:

BOLT ACTION:  ASSAULT ON NORMANDY  20 Americans, 20 Germans, and an abandoned farmhouse. 8 order dice, and a Bolt Action rulebook.

The set is $92.00 (zoinks!), but it the rulebook itself is $35.00, the figures are a little over a buck apiece, the dice are $12.75, and the remainder can be justified by the abandoned farmhouse.  Steep but convenient. Gotta remember that there is no such thing as a $60 starter set anymore.  Inflation doesn't allow it.

From their Pike and Shotte line, the Polish Winged Hussars:

A double zoinks at $41.00 for 8 metal figures, but at $5.00 a fig, that's still far better than a Warhammer fig, and the Hussars are just as elaborate.

Both items are already available.


WotC
D&D Shattered Keep Map Pack $11.95
MAGIC THE GATHERING CCG: GATECRASH  - Feb 2013
Magic is the one item that violates the "try not to go overboard."   Barring a blizzard, if your store sells Magic regularly, you will rarely order enough, unless you have secret investors.

Wizkids
Batman, Superman, and Spider-man TabApp sets.  Heroclix that can use an iPad for play?  Intriguing.  Aren't they shrinking the next iPad, though?

STAR TREK HEROCLIX TACTICS SERIES II

Z-Man Games  - A bunch of O/A items, probably to promote their exclusive agreement to distribute them. Nothing exciting without a promotional article or two in the magazine.

(Mordheim) Warlord Releases Irish Brigade Singles

Recently I was commenting on Warlord Games decision to release its Pike and Shotte Scots for individual sale.  The idea of Scots rampaging through through the streets of Mordheim fascinated me, albeit the size discrepancy between 25mm Warlord and 30+mm GW.  That worry has disappeared as Warlord has announced another army with single figure sales:  The Irish Brigade.

Now, the idea of pikes deftly manuevering the streets of Mordheim is ridiculous. Still, the image of a warband throwing rocks and swinging their empty muskets at Skaven is something somebody must try..

(Mordheim) Warlord Selling Highlander Singles

As I was the Designated Driver for our little group this weekend, I found a quiet corner, a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage, and perused those deep thoughts only a sober man at a wine festival can have.

Apparently, Warlord Games had decided to sell some figures from its Bolt Action WW2 line as singles. In a follow-up, they announced individual sale of their Scottish Highlanders from their Pike and Shotte line.

Now, as it should be, it's still cheaper to buy the figs as part of a set, be it a large or small box. But there are enough unique poses that the first thing that came to mind was a Highlander warband for Mordheim.

Sure, the 25 vs 30mm makes them tall hobbits in kilts, but the range covers all the basic weapons (swords, pistols, bows, etc) and the poses are varied and memorable. Worst case, you buy just the figures you want at $2.75 apiece, best case you buy a Highlander boxed set with 18 figs for $40 and pick up a few extras and you'll have enough for TWO warbands!

Now to make the rules for "taunting" Scottsmen...

Warlord's New Leprechaun

It's been awhile since anything truly caught my eye over on the TMP Newsfeed, much less anything that could be used for Gnome Wars, but I believe Warlord Games has ended my drought.

I present for your general consideration, or a present for the Irish Gnome player with everything: A Leprechaun Banker.

He's listed under their very small 28mm Fantasy section for £4.00.  I'm assuming that this fella will be tiny in comparison to the Irish thugs we're accustomed to, but if you want a crafty guy guarding your gold, he's swarmy enough to qualify.


Check out Marty McGuinness for more info.

The Apathy of New Releases (January 2012)

Welcome to the first installment of solicited items guaranteed to ship 2012.

Okay, stop laughing. We all know a small percentage of the solicitations are vaporware (are minis vapor molds?).

As I have in the past, I'll try to list the new items by (1) items I simply must have, (2) items I would snag up if money was no object, and (3) my imaginary store list. If your favorite game of choice isn't listed or is badmouthed by me, don't take too much offense. I simply have decided over months of solicitations that the effort and capital investment is too much.

Want List: Nothing I simply must have.

Dream List:

Mantic: All I knew about Mantic is that they produce some nice fantasy models which are cheaper alternatives to Games Workshop. The 40k "knock-offs" are piquing my interest. Here's a pic of their Corporation Marines

Knowing it's Mantic, I first though 40k, then over to a little Starship Troopers. Then I realized why I liked them: Legions of Steel UNE Non-Powered Infantry! Now they are all metal, but they don't tell you how many figs you get in a box for $44.99.

COLONIAL GOTHIC: THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR The setting intrigues me enough to pick up any random book that I could find. At worst, it would be a great read.

Warlord: Everyone who's read the blog knows how ga-ga (sans Lady) i've been over their Rorke's Drift "playsets." Now the individual boxed sets are coming available in the US and it's apparent that even with UK shipping, the full sets are steals.

• Anglo-Zulu War British Infantry $38.66


• Married Zulus $38.66


• Natal Native Contingent $38.66


• Unmarried Zulus $38.66


• Rorke's Drift (building, walls, mealie bags) $299.97

Now, for the quality of figure, $38.66 seems like a decent price and I may pick up a box or two at Cold Wars if price and availability are right. I don't even do Ancients, but the Praetorian Cavalry Command looks sweet (3 mounted figs for $15.47... couldn't get a good pic of it)

STORE LIST:

STAR TREK DECK BUILDING GAME: THE NEXT GENERATION - NEXT PHASE EDITION

Catalyst: B'Tech, Shadowrun, and Cosmic Patrol

OBJECTIVE RAIDS - JIHAD $34.99
COSMIC PATROL: INTO THE COSMOS $24.99
SHADOWRUN: THE TWILIGHT HORIZON

THE LAUNDRY: LICENSE TO SUMMON

STARBLAZER ADVENTURES: THE DEMAGOGUE DEVICE

Decision Games has a huge solicitation this month, and the majority of their product is actually well-priced (re: under $25)
FLYING CIRCUS: AERIAL COMBAT IN WWI
FOLIO GAME SERIES: AACHEN - FIRST TO FALL
LIGHTNING: NORTH AFRICA
Plus two Strategy & Tactics and other wackier game with low prints focusing on certain types of gamers i may or may not have as customers,so i'd hold off on ordering them.

Crazy amounts of Heavy Gear again, is somebody actually ordering/buying this stuff?

CONSPIRACY X: THE PARANORMAL SOURCEBOOK - Eden still makes Conspiracy X? Wow!

DEATHWATCH: THE JERICHO REACH

MERCHANT OF VENUS : Remake of the 80's boardgame with a '10's price 59.99

MARVEL HEROIC ROLEPLAYING: CIVIL WAR EVENT BOOK - holy crap, a sourcebook to follow-up a superhero rpg. The Mayan calendar was right!

Mayfair: Two new boardgames that are questionable for a small store. Rocket Jockeys looks like a better short-term/quantity seller at $15.00. A generic game called Whitewater for $35.00 is only good when the extra fundage is around, and January/February is not the extra fundage time of year.

Miskatonic River Press:

CALL OF CTHULHU: DISSECTING CTHULHU: This collection of essays about the Cthulhu Mythos

CALL OF CTHULHU: HORROR FOR THE HOLIDAYS -stories geared toward the holiday season.

Mongoose:

Call to Arms: Star Fleet releaseas another slew of minis. In the same vein as Heavy Gear, is there a market and are they responding in kind by buying it?
TRAVELLER RPG: ALIEN MODULE 5 - SOLOMAN

Paizo: In addition to 2 3rd party books, Paizo is releasing 5 new products usable for Pathfinder.

Palladium - ooh, Palladium product, a new issue of Rifter, ROBOTECH RPG: GENESIS PITS SOURCEBOOK, and what everyone has been waiting for, RIFTS: PATH OF THE STORM MOVIE SCRIPT for $12.95.

Dystopian Wars - Another mini line, but I've seen some excitement over this. This month's solicitation is for Antarctica (yes, it's a country... or something in this game). Also solicited are scenery sets for the game.

Firestorm Armada - same pile of new releases, although I've heard zero buzz within the area.

Steve Jackson: MUNCHKIN 8: HALF HORSE, WILL TRAVEL and the MUNCHKIN CTHULHU
KILL-O-METER.

New D&D and Magic comics: All together now... yay! Not! Let me get this straight, the new D&D comics will be brand new stories in hardcover graphic novel style, and they'll come with an adventure, which may or may not be in the book? I now IDW will sell enough to pay royalties and pull a profit, but really? Plus the "PI" listing means the retailer usually gets a significantly lower dealer rate. I'd tread lightly on these. The Magic comic comes with a alternative art Magic card. Somebody's always crazy for these, although I'm still hesistant to do anything crazy.

D&D from Wizards

• Cathedral of Chaos Dungeons Tiles


• Haunted Temples Map Pack


• Lords of Waterdeep Boardgame - a Euro style D&D game instead of producing quality product. Is Magestones coming out again?


• PLAYER’S OPTION -HEROES OF THE ELEMENTAL CHAOS HC

Magic: Dark Ascension - Hooray Liquid Money! Just in time to pay the rent for March!

WizKids: Marvel Heroclix: Avengers Movie: Slightly gelantinous money! Starters and boosters

STAR TREK HEROCLIX: TACTICS - more liquid money, but there is one thing that worries me. The four ship starter packs sound ok, but they will have ONE SHIP BOOSTERS? At least with Magic, you pull a crappy rare and could salvage the pack with commons and uncommons. With this set-up, everything's fine until you pull your 6th Federation tug in a row!

Sir Michael Caine Kicks Ass in 28mm!

Okay, here's yet another post promoting some more Warlord love that I simply can not afford.

This time is the release of the Rorke's Drift Horns of the Buffalo Collector's Set.

Everything that was offered in the previous set, plus the Mealie Bag Redoubt, Kraal Wall, Water Closet, Cookhouse Ovens, and piles of other miscellany. All for only £275.00! Somebody find me a ski-mask and a British 7-11 to rob, please!

The real piece de resistance that made my jaw drop with a resounding "FUUUUUUUUH!" was the inclusion of the movie versions of the characters from classic 1964 film "Zulu."

Oh yeah, nothing like a little Michael Caine (literally!) kicking ass and taking names, not just at Rorke's Drift but showing up in any other Zulu War battle, or better yet, some Victorian Sci-Fi Game. Mars watch out!

Seriously, when can I just order these four?

Rorke's Drift Boxed Set pics

I've already covered my unnatural lust for Warlord's Rorke's Drift boxed set here.

Today on TMP, Warlord showed the box. And like some rabid fanboy, I'm posting just those pics here:

It's a lot of painting, and they've already said there would be increased shipping cost abroad for this item, but if someone could magically donate £150.00 to the viscounteric non-charity fund, I'll figure out the conversion to pay the wacky S&H.

Warlord Games produces Rorke's Drift gold...

Now, I'm not a huge fan of Warlord Games. The plastics don't make me go gaga, and I much prefer lead with few fiddly parts.

Today's post of TMP gives me hope.

How 'bout not one, but TWO different Rorke's Drift boxed sets:

Set one:
Laser-cut wooden Hospital and Storehouse buildings with 'teddy bear fur' thatch.
Resin Wagon Barricade
Resin stone wall Kraal (4 x 6″ sections)
Resin biscuit box barricades (2 x 6″ sections)
Resin biscuit box/mealie-bag barricades (3 x 6″ sections)
Resin mealie-bag barricades (3 x 6″ sections)
20 plastic multi-pose British Line Infantry
40 plastic multi-pose Married Zulus
Metal mounted Zulu InDuna
Metal Zulu in British jacket firing Martini-Henry rifle
British characters: Lieutenant Chard (Royal Engineers), Lieutenant Bromhead, Colour Sergeant Bourne and Private Hook.
Pre-order Price: £150.00 (somebody get me a currency converter!)

Horns of the Buffalo – Rorke's Drift Collectors Set
The contents of the Rorke's Drift set as outlined above, plus:
5 extra resin mealie-bag barricades
1 extra resin biscuit box barricade
4 extra biscuit box/mealie-bag barricades
1 extra resin wagon barricade
2 extra lengths of resin walls
Resin broken down walls (6 x 6″ sections)
Resin mealie-bag redoubt (2 x 3″ x 6″ sections making a 6″ square redoubt)
Engineers wagon
Water cart
6 plastic fences (3″ sections)
4 x plastic bell tents
Resin Cookhouse
6 metal African cattle
3 x resin ovens
Resin Water Closet
1 x metal dead horse
1 x dog (Pip the terrier)
British characters based on the film Zulu: Chard, Bromhead, Bourne and Hook (all made by Empress Miniatures).

for £275.00

Now, that is totally out of my price range in pounds or dollars, but I would love to follow Santa around and break into the house that he leaves either set under the tree.