Urban Combat: The City

I am a big fan of urban combat. When I was into 40K, I could not play enough City Fight games..

Since then, I have been progressing more and more with 15mm and 6mm games and I have been wanting to make a urban map for some time. Yesterday, saying to myself that I want to play some games, decided it was time to start with my city project that I said I was gonna start 2 years ago. Also, when I was on my 5 week voyage across the Atlantic, I was having so much fun making the city terrain out of parts from work, it got me kinda pumped to actually start my table.

The day is finally here...

First of all, a quick tip, when you deal with foam core board, if you go to Wall Mart or some other chain store you are gonna pay an arm and a leg for supplies. I recommend going to a Dollarama (dollar store) and get supplies there. I got 8 sheets of foam core, 2 fold-able project foam core boards, and several small gift boxes (buildings), and some tools for less then 25 bucks.. Yes, its lower quality, its very soft, and it scratches easy, but its so darn easy to work with. So, take it from me, cheap foam core.. the cheaper the better!

Stage 1:

I cut out 8 (10.5 inch) square blocks and glued them to the project board. I chose to go on an angle, as I think game tables look a little better when everything is not perpendicular.

Stage 2:

Then I trimmed off the over hanging pieces and used them to fill in some of the larger empty spots on the table. I also sliced the white sections  along the fold lines of the project board so I can "fold" up the base for storage. Doing it this way also allows me to change the size of the base.. I can have a small game on a 24 x 36 inch table, or a  36 x 36 inch table, or lastly a 36 x 48 inch table.

White squares cut along the fold lines of the board.

Stage 3:

Then I started to mess around with my buildings and see how many different ways I could lay out the buildings..

Stage 4:

After playing with this, I decided to base coat everything with spray paint. I was having so much fun I forgot to take pictures of the progress. But I panted everything black first, and then I painted the squares grey. But these are just base coats. Over time, I plan on adding lots of little details (side walks, highway lines, bill boards, removable lamp posts and textures . But till then, I have a functional table that I can use now when I play.

The darker buildings are going to be burnt out ruins, hence why they are charred black.

Well, that's it for now. Maybe over the next week I will be able to get a game or two in and see how it works.

Thanks for reading!

Warmachine.... Doom Reaving

My last post had me saying I have not had the time to do any painting, well I finally managed to get some time to allow me to pull out the paint and start working on a few things.

I have finally got to start working on my Butcher List for Warmachine.. 

Here are a few shots on the progress..  Figured you would like to see them.

I still got some work to do on the swords.. and a few small details to paint, like the straps on his arm (see below pic) also a few more highlights, and I also need to do the base. But they are table top worthy, which means I can use them the next time I play. I just hate doing skin tones... and I still have Fenris left to paint as well, and he has a horse!

If any of you have any advice on skin tones, please let me know. I hate doing skin tones like the ones below so advice or critiques are very much welcomed.  

I also give you a little update on my 2013 project. I added a few shots of my new Game Craft Minis buildings and my city table. Need to come up with a good way to make roads and of course I need to paint the buildings.

Games on the Road.

Hey all.

Its been awhile since I last posted anything interesting. I was delayed getting back home and there are things going on that are out of my control right now, so I have been a little delayed in getting anything posted.

The biggest issue I have been faced with, is that I have not painted a single thing since I got home last week. To much has been on the go.

But I do have some things to report. #1 I managed to get to a small tourney for Warmachine early last week. So I took a 35 point tier 3 Karchev list. Out of 8, I placed 4th, and really got the same prize as 3rd. I was happy with that. I faced all Hordes players, only 1 other person was their with Warmachine and he took first,  he to was fielding a Khador Army.. his was a tier 4 Epic Butcher list... all doom reavers all the time..  Nasty list.

Here is what showed up.
2 Khador Armies
3 Minions
1 Troll Bloods
1 Legion
1 Skorn


So, then after that I decided to take that afternoon and drive out to my cousins place and stay the night, and do some serious hardcore gaming. We planned on playing mainly LOTR the card game, but it ended up we never got to play it. We got hooked on playing FFG`s X Wing. Which is a really good game.

We played three games of X Wing...

Steve said he always played the Rebels and has yet to loose. I jumped all over the idea of flying Tie Fighters so I had to give it a go.

First game pitted a rookie pilot and a veteran vs a veteran X Wing pilot. And then the rebels lost their first pilot. :)

Then we played game 2, which was 3 Tie Fighters vs Wedge. Even his ace flying was not enough and  before two long, Wedge was debris floating in space.

`The force is strong in this one..

Then we decided to play a scenario which brought Vader and 3 other pilots on a mission to shoot down a crippled freighter. Defending them was Luke and Wedge. 

On the initial attack run, one of the tie fighters is blown away. But the three others charge in and put the smack down on the freighter. 

With such tight quarters, the rookie pilot got in the way and ended up disrupting the attack run. While the X wings turn around and take out another TIE fighter.

The freighter ducks away and the traffic jams continue.  Now only the rookie pilot is left to be Vader`s wing man.

Hot on its trail. Vader starts to blow away sections of the space ship. The X wings unable to stop him.

Vader locks on target and prepares to fire. 

Vader needs one more shot, but the pilot of the space craft makes a sneaky move, so the edge of his ship just touches the maps edge.. Rebel win.

Luke and Wedge take parting shots at Vader, but the Sith Lord is to great of a pilot and  breaks off the attack.

Then we played a few games of Gear of War, also from FFG. This deceptively simple game kicked our butts 4 times before we could finish the first mission. I wont walk through the pictures, this was our 4th game. The last pic shows steve bleeding out, and me about to throw a grenade to seal the hole. When I did we were set upon by 2 boomers and 2 wretches.. I never had a chance.

5 times it took us.. 5!!!

With Steve bleeding out, I throw my last grenade and die shortly there after.

I am currently now working on my Khador armies for painting I hope to have a few shots of those guys up soon.

Till then..

Project 2013: First Squad Completed...

For those brave souls following my progress on the 2013 project. Here is my first completed squad of Khurasan's Exterminators in Environmental Exo-suits.

I want to do a little more touch up and add more effect to the shoulder light and the light flare on the visor but I don't know what to do or how to do it!? 

If anyone out there got some simple tips they don't mind sharing, feel free to leave the comment below.