tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38086120652213186562024-02-08T18:52:05.458+01:00An Average WargamerJust another blog about wargaming.Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-83992248951753179132015-12-04T23:36:00.000+01:002015-12-04T23:36:14.222+01:00Announcement - I found a company - Iron Cross MiniaturesFor a very long time I have nothing posted here... but I have not been idle! Together with my best friend I found a company to produce the best (yes, the best!) 28mm white metal miniatures - Late war Waffen-SS or Wehrmacht Panzergrenadier miniatures. Just look at the picture of follow the <a href="http://ironcrossminiatures.blogspot.de/" target="_blank">link to our news blog and follow our new blog!</a><br />
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<br />Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-58766572941756936892013-11-30T22:32:00.000+01:002013-11-30T22:32:13.064+01:00Wehrmacht infantry test shots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I personally believe that pictures and all kind of eye candy is very important for a good blog. Because of that I bought a photo tent, since the sun is of no use to me in this season. These are the first test shots of my Wehrmacht infantry I painted some years ago. I added highlights and more grass, which looks better on the tabletop. I am quite satisfied with the pictures, but what do you think?</div>
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-62071190087882966742013-10-26T23:52:00.000+02:002013-10-26T23:52:02.633+02:00A long, long time ago... <div style="text-align: justify;">
... you may still remember, I used to blog something now and then. I was idle for quite a while, but, of course, for some good reasons. I don't want to bore you with the story of my life, so here's the short version: I moved permanently to Berlin, found a new flat and I'm still working, even if the job is still just a temporary one. You can see, I had much to organise and stuff like that. As some may know, I also do <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_action_role-playing_game" target="_blank">LARP</a>, another time consuming hobby. But now I'm settled again and enjoy the diversity of a big city with a vivid wargaming scene. This also lead me to a new project, but more on that later.</div>
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First of all, I want to pick up where I left and finish projects I started a while ago. The next thing I want to show is my DBA Roman army (the one I started over nine months ago...). After that I'll see what comes next, but I promise to be more active from now on! I hope there are still some people out there who read my blog ;-)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new working space. The PC on the left, in the centre the painting station and the sewing machine, on the extreme left the shelf filled with hobby stuff (it's much too small...).</td></tr>
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-19722656137996772962013-04-28T15:11:00.002+02:002013-04-28T15:11:47.707+02:00Supply lines - Russian GAZ-AAA TruckHello there,<br />
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again, I needed some time to present something new to you. I've been busy (again) in the last month, now living in Berlin und actually working full time, which leaves less time for the hobby and even less time for blogging and shooting pictures. Because of that I'll present something to you I finished some time ago.</div>
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I painted a Russian truck for my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa" target="_blank">Barbarossa campaign</a> setting. It's not easy to find some trucks for this period! In the end I took a <a href="http://www.google.de/imgres?um=1&sa=N&hl=de&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbnid=Jh3v-VuKGSSKSM:&imgrefurl=http://misc.kitreview.com/armourreviews/um367reviewgp_1.htm&docid=Ov77F-JF-mrYxM&imgurl=http://misc.kitreview.com/armourreviews/images/um367reviewgp_box.jpg&w=640&h=402&ei=wRp9UZjeDobHtQaNioDIBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=171&vpy=152&dur=1845&hovh=178&hovw=283&tx=217&ty=103&page=5&tbnh=129&tbnw=222&start=93&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:94,s:0,i:371" target="_blank">GAZ-AAA from UM Models</a>, a Ukrainian manufacturer. It's a highly detailed and complex model set and was annoying to built. This is no wargaming model for sure!</div>
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-32185923019642005832013-03-21T11:01:00.001+01:002013-10-26T23:57:06.139+02:00Battle report [DBA]: The Lamian war (323-322 BC)<div style="text-align: justify;">
A good friend of mine was visiting me on sunday and so we made some matches of DBA. He has played tabletop earlier but isn't an active gamer anymore. Anyhow he quickly learned how to play DBA - it's simply a great game, easy to learn but difficult to master! Ok, he has played DBA twice before when we met after christmas, but that was also some time ago.<br />
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So I set everything up and we chose our armies. At the moment I basically own Greeks and Macedonians, so it had to be a combination of these two. My friend chose to field the forces of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antipater" target="_blank">Antipater</a>. I looked in the list for potential enemies and found Athens, which I played. With these armies we simply had to play the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamian_War" target="_blank">Lamian war (323-322 BC)</a>, which broke out after the death of Alexander the great. The Greek cities rose up again to regain their freedom, but were ultimately suppressed and lost their autonomy forever. Focus of the war was the town of Lamia (therefore Lamian war). This conflict was overshadowed by the wars of the Diadochoi, but indeed has much wargaming potential with it's land battles, sieges and marine operations. We decided to interprete the history for our needs, so the following battles are recreated, but only set in the context of the Lamian war </div>
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1. Battle of Lamia</h3>
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As in history, in our first game the Greeks were attackers. They marched north to conquer the town of Lamia. A Macedonian army was hastily send to prevent this. Both armies clashed on the fertile plains near Lamia. All hills were gentle, so only the woods were difficult terrain.</div>
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The view from the Greek perspective: the hoplite phalanx on the left, fully extended. Psiloi and auxilia behind the woods, on the extreme right a unit of cavalry. Not in the picture is a unit of light horse on the extreme left.</div>
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On the other side stood the Macedonians. On their right flank was a mighty elephant, in the center the extended pike phalanx. Auxilia closed the gap between the phalanx and the hill. On the hill were the psiloi, behind them the cavalry in reserve.</div>
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The deployment from another view.<br />
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The Greek general (that was me) wanted to resolve this battle quickly. His plan was to use his longer line to overwhelm the Macedonian phalanx before they could outflank him with their superior and more numerous cavalry (bottom right on the picture). So he pressed on with all his troops.</div>
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But it was too late! Antipater destroyed the auxilia, which should guard the flank of the phalanx. Things went bad for the Greeks, who seeked the decision in infantry combat.<br />
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This is how the final close combat began. Despite their longer line the Greek phalanx was thrown into disorder. To make things worse the Macedonian cavalry wheeld around to hit the phalanx in the flank, just in time. The Greeks are trapped and so the line collapsed. As the casualty rose the hoplites threw away their shields to run away. The battle ended with a glorious Macedonian victory, they didn't even lost a single base!<br />
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Conclusion: it was a fast and fun battle. The Macedonians had a good timing which brought them victory. I need to paint some casualty markers (you don't need them for DBA, but they look pretty cool and I'm a wargaming aesthete). </div>
Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-80949545730300528082013-03-08T08:05:00.003+01:002013-03-08T08:05:27.045+01:00Greek and/or Macedonian campHi there,<br />
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I've been busy the last months, finding a new job and such stuff. This left not so much time painting or even playing. Unfortunately this development will go on the rest of the year...<br />
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But beside that I do have finished something - a camp for my Greeks and/or Macedonians. It's suitable for FoG and DBA with its size of 12x12cm. The tent, which I shortened a bit, is from <a href="http://www.italeri.com/scheda.asp?idProdotto=1925&idCategoria=37&idSottocategoria=0" target="_blank">Italeri's 'desert well and tents'-set</a> (great stuff!). The miniatures are take from <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=2160" target="_blank">Linear B's 'Roman market'</a>, but I think you can also take them as Greek civilians. The miniatures themselves are rather chunky, but do look good painted. The hoplite is from <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1230" target="_blank">HäT</a>.<br />
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-29231795398997639812013-01-30T15:32:00.000+01:002013-01-30T15:32:05.360+01:00Project: One Week - One Army. Part 3<div style="text-align: justify;">
To confess a defeat is never easy, but sometimes inevitable. The weekend was filled with work, not just painting, but also making scenery (not for me, so I unfortunately forgot to make some pictures).</div>
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At the beginning everything looked good. I deflashed my miniatures and made some minor conversions. Note the red spears of the cavalry and triairii. They are made of brooms and are much more durable than the soft plastic spears. The legionaries kept their pilum, because it's much shorter and is very detailed. </div>
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The next step was priming. I primed my miniatures in GW skull white, as one should always work with bright colours when using the army painter dip. The horsemen are missing on that picture. </div>
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I decided to start with the main bunch of the army, the legionaries. This meant painting 24 similar miniatures. Although I saved time by working on so many figures at once it was also very exhausting and sometimes frustrating. It took me all saturday and sunday to complete them. The picture on the left shows them in WIP status.</div>
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Even though I had a plan, I did not so much on miniatures monday and tuesday. Yesterday evening I applied the dip at last. They need to dry today. After that I'll white their shealds and put on the decal. Then they need to be varnished and based. </div>
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I failed my project. It started good, but I underestimated the work and my very own motivation and working speed. I didn't even finished 24 miniatures, not to speak of the whole army. This is of course a bit disappointing.</div>
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But I'm an optimist and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPOzQzk9Qo" target="_blank">always look on the positive things in life.</a> The legionaries are nearly finished, the most work is done. I have never painted so many miniatures in such a short amount of time. The army as a whole is pushed a big step forward. And I'm motivated to get the rest done. So, in the end, not everything failed.</div>
Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-45360939710770061312013-01-27T02:50:00.001+01:002013-01-27T02:50:32.479+01:00Project: One Week - One Army. Part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm very busy with my project and don't even find any time to write on my blog! So here's a short update:</div>
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I removed the paint on some miniatures using oven cleaner. It works well with badly primed soft plastic miniatures, but took some time too.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No paint left</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working space. I sit on the left, my friend on the right.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleaning the miniatures after deflashing.</td></tr>
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-5090511874355688112013-01-24T00:40:00.004+01:002013-01-24T00:43:49.074+01:00Project: One Week - One Army. Part 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hello and welcome on my blog!</div>
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This time I want to start a project and share it with you. The title is, as you may have seen, 'one week - one army'. To be more precise: I want to paint a polybian Roman army for DBA in one week, starting today the 24th of January 2013. I'll show the whole way, from deflashing, priming, painting, dipping, finishing and basing. First I have to admit that I already cheated because I have done two elements of skirmishers (called psiloi in DBA) in <a href="http://thomasmegas.blogspot.de/2012/11/blowing-off-dust-with-pictures.html" target="_blank">November</a>. </div>
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The background of my project is the following: a friend and I want to present a participation game on a wargames convention (the <a href="http://www.doordice.de/" target="_blank">Do or Dice</a> in northern Germany, 14th April 2013). Our theme will be the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Asculum_%28279_BC%29" target="_blank">(first) battle of Ausculum 279 BC</a>, which was fought between Pyrrhos of Epiros and the Roman republic. We have enough Greeks and Macedonians, but no Roman army! So my will hopefully visit me one the weekend and we both will only do one thing - painting (and probably some other hobby stuff as well).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romans of the Pyrrhic wars. Picture from <a href="http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/johnny_shumates_portfolio/default.aspx" target="_blank">Johnny Shumate</a>.</td></tr>
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1. The beginning</h4>
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I want to start with the DBA army list for polybian Romans. It requires: 1 cavalry (general), 1 cavalry, 6 blades (principes and hastati), 2 spears (triairii), 2 psiloi (velites), 1 camp. This means in miniatures: 6 horses, 6 horsemen, 24 legionaries, 8 spearmen, 4 skirmisher and the camp which will be made of 3 tents and 4-8 miniatures (civilians etc.).</div>
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My manufacturer of choice is Zvezda because they have everything I need and look very good. For the infantry I take <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=705" target="_blank">this set</a>. The cavalry is taken from <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=916" target="_blank">this set</a>. Civilians in the camp are taken from <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=2160" target="_blank">here</a>. I maybe also add some miniatures from this <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=154" target="_blank">HäT set</a> to the scene. The tents are made from <a href="http://www.rusus.de.vu/" target="_blank">Rusus</a>. I bought them on the <a href="http://www.hamburger-tactica.de/" target="_blank">Tactica</a> last year (hey are missing in his shop).</div>
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The first step will be deflashing. After that I'll remove the paint, as some miniatures were painted before, and wash all of them properly. Then I'll prime them all with GW skull white.</div>
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-63854249106552567032013-01-19T20:11:00.004+01:002013-01-19T20:11:55.291+01:00Raiders from the North - Thracian Light Cavalry<div style="text-align: justify;">
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During my painting sessions in December I was able to finish some more
units. One of them was a battle group of Thracian light cavalry. As you
may have noticed I did<a href="http://thomasmegas.blogspot.de/2012/08/ancients-hoplites-bowmen-and-light.html" target="_blank" title="http://thomasmegas.blogspot.de/2012/08/ancients-hoplites-bowmen-and-light.html"> two bases for them</a>
some time ago. The only thing I did was to add four more bases, so now I
have a complete battle group for Field of Glory. The figures
themselves are again taken from the <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=336" target="_blank" title="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=336">hellenistic cavalry set made by Zvezda</a>.</div>
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The Thracians were a people living north or north east of Greece,
roughly in the region which today is Bulgaria. They were devided into
many small warlike tribes and therefore also often made raids into the
nearby territories of Greece and Macedonia. Thrace itself was rich of
timber and metals, the Thracians often served as mercenaries in Greek
and hellenistic armies. They were known for their skills as light
infantry and cavalry. </div>
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The four new bases:</div>
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The battlegroup as a whole:</div>
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-19083239408041451902013-01-10T17:19:00.001+01:002013-01-10T17:20:00.985+01:00Grey Beasts - Hellenistic War Elephants<div style="text-align: justify;">
And once more I needed much time to update my blog again. I moved again because I finished my studies (just waiting for my last paper to be checked) and currently I try to find a job or something like that (isn't easy as political scientist and historian). Despite that I had some free time which I spend mostly on painting. Today I managed to make some pictures, so I decided to finally continue my blog and start the new year the right way!</div>
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I finished two hellenistic war elephants in december. They are <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=349" target="_blank">made by Zvezda</a> and are as usal very good looking. The box art indicates that they are fighting against each other, so maybe the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Raphia" target="_blank">battle of Raphia 217 BC</a> is shown. They are both much to big for ancient elephants, but do look impressive on the battlefield. I'm also a big fan of these beasts, as they were a common feature of hellenistic warfare and despite other opinions had influence on the outcomes of battles (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Heraclea" target="_blank">heraclea</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Asculum_%28279_BC%29" target="_blank">ausculum</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynoscephalae" target="_blank">cynoscephalae</a>, just to name a few). Two elephants make one FoG battlegroup and are enough to arm two DBA armies with them because all hellenistic DBA army lists only have one elephant maximum.</div>
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I painted the elephants and their crews in a bright and colourful way, to indicate their elite status in the army. Unfortunately the dip was very pasty, so it left some spots on larger surfaces (I diluted it afterwards).</div>
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-12331654993284406522012-11-27T23:31:00.002+01:002012-11-27T23:31:22.397+01:00Greek PeltastsHi,<br />
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/pelt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/pelt2.jpg" width="200" /></a>I finished a battlegroup of greek peltasts some weeks ago and of course want to show them to you! If you want to know, what a peltasts was, check the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peltast" target="_blank">Wikipedia article</a> (it's really good), because I'm too lazy to explain it myself. In short, these were skirmishers, but more profession and better armed than the standard psiloi, who were recruited from the poorer classes of the <i>poleis</i>. Peltasts served as light and medium infantry and were especially good on rough ground. They became a common sight in greek armies in the 5.th and 4.th century B.C. and were also in use by the early hellenistic monarchies. They were namend after their <i>pelte</i>, a small shield.<br />
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/pelt3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/pelt3.jpg" width="200" /></a>I used this <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=148" target="_blank">HäT set</a>, which is great for every kind of light infantry. I converted some of the miniatures, because I wanted that all of them wear a helmet, so they look more armoured and differ from normal psiloi. I also replaced the spears with brooms (I highly recommend <a href="http://tabletopdeutschland.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/speere-pfeile-und-fahnenstangen-basteln/" target="_blank">this blog article</a>) and equipped all of them with shields. I employed the same colours I did with the poorer hoplites and the bowmen, because the peltasts were also drawn from a poorer class in Greece and should not wear expensive clothes in battle. The shield are held in colours, with white free hands, which are simple geometric symbols.<br />
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-73551383416468514762012-11-11T20:31:00.000+01:002012-11-15T23:37:17.592+01:00Blowing off the dust... with pictures!<div style="text-align: justify;">
That's exactly what I'll do now - blowing off the dust of this blog. But of course I have my reasons for my neglect. I had to move, because my girlfriend finished her studies and became an assistant teacher in England. So we had to give up our flat and now I'm living for some time alone. Despite that, I'm in a very hot phase of my master thesis and don't have so much time writing my blog or shooting some photos (which, in fact, takes most of the time when making a blog). However I do paint a lot, because I don't have to do much else in the evening, but that has its positive side too - I can eventually finish some stuff. I'll try to make some new pictures, but my girlfriend took her camera with her, so I have to use an older one.</div>
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Besides the things mentioned above, I also took a week off, visiting my girlfriend. We were in Sheffield, which isn't so fancy, but nice though. We visited York, a lovely place with some history and a big church. Of course I'd to check a wargaming shop - you can't go to the motherland of wargaming without doing so! I was in the <a href="http://www.wargamesemporium.co.uk/" target="_blank">wargames emporion</a>, which was a very fine shop and offered a good variety of miniatures and systems, even though it was quite small (something you wouldn't find in Germany). And it was also cheap as well, so I had to buy some <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1446" target="_blank">greek ballistas</a>!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, learning new techniques in Clifford’s Tower, the ruined castle of York.</td></tr>
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So, what are my plans? Currently I paint a lot of ancients. In the next year I want to play Field of Glory, a system which needs a lot of miniatures. So I have to keep painting. Luckily most of the miniatures I need are already bought. I just have to get it on! I also have some blog posts in the pipeline for months, which I should finish...<br />
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I managed to make some photos of stuff I finished in the last month. Unfortunately my girlfriend took her camera with her, so I had to rely on an older one. You'll notice the difference in quality, but I tried to make the best out of it.<br />
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First I'll show you my general base for Field of Glory. It can also be used as general in DBA. I used this superd <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=336" target="_blank">Zvezda set</a> for the cavalry figures. As you may notice I changed the heads, because a barheaded general looks too much like Alexander for me - I want a Pyrrhos! The standart bearer is from <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=341" target="_blank">another Zvezda set</a>. It has nice miniatures, but the poses arn't really suitable for wargaming purposes. <br />
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/general1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/general1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/general2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/general2.jpg" width="183" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/general4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/general4.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/general3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/general3.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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Second you can see two bases of velites. These were the skirmisher of the Roman republic. They are the first elements for my Roman army. I mixed <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=705" target="_blank"> Zvezda</a> and a <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=137" target="_blank">HäT </a>miniatures to get some variety in poses.<br />
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/vel2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/vel2.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/vel1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/vel1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-40915741491507221192012-09-06T11:54:00.000+02:002013-01-15T19:03:33.305+01:00Russian armour: my Soviet tank forcesHi there,<br />
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in order to play a game properly I was fortunately forced to finish some tanks which were standing around for some time. I took the chance to make some pictures, so you can have a look! </div>
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All models are fast assembly kits. The decals are not included, and so bought separately (only very few fast assembly kits contain decals). I painted them all in the same way: black primer, GW catachan green, a black wash, drybrushing with catachan green and camo green. The dirt is a brown (I used a scenery colour).</div>
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<b>1. BA - 6</b></div>
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These fast assembly models are made by Pegasus, one of the best manufacturer of plastic tanks. They are detailed, easy to build and very robust, which makes them perfect for wargaming purposes</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="85" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz2.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="86" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>2. BT - 7</b></div>
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Also made by Pegasus.</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="71" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz5.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="59" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>3. T - 34/76</b></div>
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Made by Armourfast. Though cheap and easy to build, they are not very detailed and can't keep up with Italeri or Pegasus.</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="71" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz7.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="71" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz8.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>4. KV - 1</b></div>
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Also Pegasus models. The box contains 4 turrets, which makes it very versatile</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="72" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz10.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="85" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz11.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>5. KV - 2</b></div>
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The same models as in 4., but with KV - 2 turrets.</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="78" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz13.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="89" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/red%20army/ruspz14.jpg" width="200" /> </a></div>
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-450513653072691432012-08-23T20:45:00.002+02:002012-08-24T11:30:09.948+02:00Ancients! Hoplites, bowmen and light cavalry<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nearly two months passed since my last post, a quite sad fact. I admit, I havn't done much since then. I'm writing my masters thesis at the moment and a computer game ist stealing my time. But I finished some ancient figs that waited long enough on my shelf half painted. I also adapted my old terrain to my changed game board, but I missed to make some pictures (it also looks unspectacular, so you don't miss anything). The last thing I did was to change the blog layout, which you may have noticed.</div>
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<b>1. The Hoplites</b></div>
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You may have seen my other four bases of hoplites, also taken from this <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=149" target="_blank">set</a>. They had no armour, because it were the rear ranks. Now I've done some front rank hoplites. They wear greaves and linen armour. I made them very colourful, because they were rich men and rich men always like to show their wealth - and colours were expensive in antiquity. I have two more bases on the workbench, the last ones. With ten bases you can field nearly every Greek DBA army, that involves hoplites (there's only one exception).</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl8.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl9.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl12.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="96" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl12.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl13.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="46" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl14.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>2. The Bowmen</b></div>
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Eight bases of Bowmen from this <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=148" target="_blank">set</a>. With eight bases I can easily make a FoG battlegroup or use them as psiloi for Greek and hellenistic armies. Their tunics are held in bright brown and sand tones, because bowmen were drawn from the poor classes of the Greek society and could therefore not afford fancy colours for their clothes.</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/bow2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/bow2.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/bow3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/bow3.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/bow1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="46" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/bow1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>3. Light Cavalry</b></div>
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These two bases are from this superb <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=336" target="_blank">set</a>. They can be easily recognized as Thracians, a people with a long tradition as mercenaries for Greek poleis and hellenistic states. They'll serve as light cavalry for DBA.<br />
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-82685143818763493292012-06-25T18:33:00.001+02:002013-01-15T19:03:27.856+01:00Battle report: Avanti! Mussolinis offensive in North Africa<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hello there,</div>
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hopefully you saw the buildings I made for the North African theatre. Two weeks ago Björn and I made a small game, to begin our campaign. The war in North Africa started with an Italian offensive against the British - a foolish step Mussolini made, because his troops lost the iniative after some minor victories and were thrown back, so they were nearly wiped out. It was so bad, that Hitler decided to help his ally - the birth of the Afrika Korps.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/AfricaMap1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/AfricaMap1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The initial operations - the Italian offensive (red) and the British response (blue)</td></tr>
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We began historically with a desperate Italian offensive against a British held village, somewhere between Badia and Sidi Barrani in mid September 1940. Björn took his British forces, I commanded the Italian attackers. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The British troops hiding in the village and the surrounding compounds.</td></tr>
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The brave British only had infantry at their disposal, even missing an anti tank gun. So, they had to rely on close combat against enemy vehicles.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The village was fortified by czech hedgehogs. On the building in the middle is a Vickers machine gun. The rest are also manned by infantry, hiding in the cover of the clay huts.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The advanced defence positons at the crossroads - the gate to the village and therefore an important target.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The Italians began to launch a heavy frontal aussault on the British at the crossroads. Supported by two <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/M13/40" target="_blank">M13/40 tanks</a> and an <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoblindo_AB41" target="_blank">Autoblinda AB41</a>, the Italian Infantry threw themselves into cover. The tanks tried to spot the British behind the lower wall, which took much time.</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, the Italians had a British unit in their flank, but the Italian commander decided that the outpost at the crossroads had top priority. This led to heavy casualties under his men.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ignored by the Italians, the unit had a good firing position directly in the flank of the enemy.</td></tr>
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At the same time, the Italians also came from the right flank and took positions in the dry river. After heavy fire support from the tank, a squad attacked the small wall frontally. The British defendes decided to flee instead of dieing in close combat. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="164" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian advance from the right flank.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wall is taken, but the house itself remaines to be a nest of resistance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The M13/40 fails to spot the well hidden British infantrymen in the building.</td></tr>
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The building at the crossroads was still able to hinder the assault on the village, but the tanks were unable to spot the enemy inside. So everything had again to be done by the hard pressed infantry. There was only one chance to take the house - by attacking in close combat!</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr9.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just before bloody fighting begins: the Italians threw grenades to prepare the following melee.</td></tr>
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It was a mercyless hand-to-hand fight, with neither side gaining the upper hand. In the end, only one man on each side remained. With a lucky hit Björn's British soldier knocked out the last Italian attacker and the house was saved. Recognizing that victory became impossible, I ordered my troops to retreat. Even though all my vehicle were intact, the infantry casualties were to high, with half of my company wiped out.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/aars/spielafr11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last man standing. After fierce fighting he held his position, which was later named "Bloody Corner".</td></tr>
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If you want to read another AAR, I recommend this <a href="http://www.lead-adventure.de/index.php?topic=43087.0" target="_blank">one</a>. We played the beginning of Operation Barbarossa.</div>
Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-47325161525320174392012-06-17T21:21:00.000+02:002013-01-15T19:03:15.703+01:00Workbench: North African Village<div style="text-align: justify;">
My gaming group and I decided last year to start a project - the war in North Africa. I took the Italians, my friends the Afrika Korps and the British. After all this time we got a date to finally play - on this sunday. We've got everything - painted troops, a table... but something was missing: proper scenery. To be more precise: a North African village. So I decided to build one! Of course, my deadline was today, so was in a hurry. I started on last saturday. I wanted to use old stuff, so I could reduce my inventory and get new scenery without spending money on it. So here's what I got:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/reste.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/reste.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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Some hobby plastic card, rests of foambord, balsa wood, etc.</div>
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I even glued some bases togehter, so I didn't had to cut out new ones (you see, I'm very economical):</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/basekleb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/basekleb.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I've got a problem: normally, I'm a total control freak. Before I can build something, I plan it for weeks - how big should it be, how high and big should be the windows etc. When I come to the building process, I want to work very accurate and clear. In the end my scenery looks a big artificial - of course, because I wanted to control every detail. I took this project as an incitation to change myself!</div>
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I only used rest pieces of foamboard and tried to avoid right angles - it should look awry and more natural. I also cut the windows and doors just the way I wanted and used no ruler of something like that. Everything was cut free hand.</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/huette1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/huette1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/huette2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/huette2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/ergebnistag1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="103" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/ergebnistag1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first sight of the buildings (ignore the rest)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/huette3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/huette3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doors are made out of balsa wood, engraved with a pen.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/dorf1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/dorf1.jpg" width="200" /></a>The buildings themselves were ready, now they needed a proper texture. First I used adhesive tape to close the gaps in the walls. This was much quicker than using putty. After doing so, I applied diluted wood glue and dispersed fine sand on the buildings. I did this twice, so adding a thick layer of sand. In the end I again coated the buildings with the diluted glue, which, after drying, hardened the sand and will protect it from abrasion.</div>
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The last step was, of course, panting. I tried some different approaches. In the end I used a washing and drybrushing method. First, I primed the buildings white. Then I washed them twice with bright brown, which I mixed out of my sceney colours. After drying I drybrushed the building with pure white, using a large brush. That highlighted some areas. After this I drybrushed the base and painted the doors. Done!</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus1front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus1front.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus1back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus1back.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus2front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus2front.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus2back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="95" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus2back.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus3front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus3front.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus3back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus3back.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus4front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus4front.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus4back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/haus4back.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/hausscene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/hausscene.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some Italians occupying the new building.</td></tr>
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-58140330873582714062012-05-05T18:42:00.000+02:002012-05-05T18:42:06.002+02:00The first 4 bases hoplites<div style="text-align: justify;">
After two weeks of painting (and some other stuff as well) I finally managed to make some pictures of my first quickshaded units. I'm also quite satisfied with the quality of the pictures, something which always annoyed me.</div>
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First, some thoughts on my <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=149" target="_blank">choice</a>. I took the hoplites because of several reasons. They were already deflashed, much work was done already. Then, (later) hoplites are very versatile - they can be used as opponents of Philipp II. of Macedon and Alexander the Great or as allies. They are also suitable for inner Greek conflicts and southern Italian or Sicilian city states. I'll paint 10 bases of them, enough for every later Greek DBA army or a Field of Glory battlegroup. The miniatures themselves are also fine sculpted and fit good together as a phalanx.</div>
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The shields (called aspis in ancient greek) took most of the work. The decals are from LBM and add much to the unit, but they need much preparation. But I think the work was worth it! The grass on the bases is from Mininature. I used three different sorts.</div>
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The hoplites shown here are the poorer ones - they can't afford body armour and therefore only wear tunics. I used white and beige, because in my mind these guys are too poor to wear expensive colourful clothes. </div>
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Now, the pictures:</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl5.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="72" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/hopl4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-59740541629844936362012-04-15T21:34:00.002+02:002012-04-15T21:37:53.454+02:00Testing the Army Painter quickshade<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hi there,</div>
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as you may have noticed, my blog's name is "An Average Wargamer". My thoughts behind this choice are quite obvious. I believe it's necessary to know your own strengths and weaknesses. I know my weaknesses: I like big battles with many miniatures, but I'm also a slow painter - a classical gap between claim and reality, which often results in frustration.<br />
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Possible reliefs are fast painting methods. The most popular was and is the so called dipping technique. I watched the evolution of dipping from its very early stages, the times when people used wood glaze to shade their miniatures. Today the Army Painter quickshade is very popular, because it produces a much more predictable result than the earlier experimental glazes. Although I observed this development, I never took the last step to try this method myself.<br />
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Some weeks ago, while I was writing a paper, I saw the pictures of a <a href="http://schmockblog.blogspot.de/2012/03/field-of-glory-renaissance-early-german.html" target="_blank">Thirty Years War army</a> in 15mm. Thomas (and his brother), who I got to know on <a href="http://hamburger-tactica.de/" target="_blank">TACTICA</a>, where they presented a<a href="http://mollwitz.blogspot.de/" target="_blank"> great table, showed it on his blog</a>. He painted his TYW army in a short amount of time and produced a fine result. This got me again into dipping. I decided to finally try it by the time I finished my work for my studies.<br />
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So I did and I will show you what I made. I chose a very systematic approach to see how the Army Painter quickshade (I employ the strong tone) affects different colours. <br />
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1. I took 11 staff slingers from <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=148" target="_blank">this box</a>, based them on coins, applied a white basecoat (GW primer) and added numbers, so I can see exactly what colours I used on which miniature (I of course also listed the paints used). I didn't deflash them, because I won't use them for gaming and therefore saved some time.<br />
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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2. Now I painted them in bright colours. I only did the basics, just plain paint. <br />
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/dip1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="86" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/dip1.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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3. In the next step I applied the quickshade. I used an old brush to do so, because real dipping wastes much of the quickshade for nothing (as you can see <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw1b56j_gSI" target="_blank">here</a>). Additionally, a brush gives much more control. I let them dry for some minutes and then took away the excess quickshade - less can be more. You can see the typical gloss of the quickshade. Then I left the miniatures to dry. I read several different time spans, from 12, 24 to 36 hours - I had between 12 and 24 hours. They dried over night on my balcony and the cold temperatures didn't harm the paint at all!<br />
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/3.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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4. The last step was matt varnish, I use the one from vallejo. Now the miniatures loose their glossy shine and are therefore finished. <br />
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/erg1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="63" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/erg1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/erg2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="54" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/ancients/ancients%20wip/erg2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Conclusions: The Army Painter quickshade is also suitable for 1/72 miniatures. It produces good results in a <u>very</u> short amount of time. Especially brown and skin tones benefit from the quickshade. Also other colours look good after shading, but they appear brownish. Another advantage is that the quickshade adds a layer of protectice varnish, which is very good in connection with the soft plastic of 1/72 miniatures. Even though I like my normal painting results better, the quickshade
is much faster and the results are comparable to my normal ones. I believe that the quickshade and the 1/72 scale are natural allies - cheap miniatures, fast painted! I wouldn't quickshade an expansive 28mm mini in that way, but for masses it is very suitable. Perfect for my demands.</div>
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I'm very satisfied with the quickshade and I decided to use it to increase my output. I'll now tackle the stuff that lay around for years. Some Greeks are on my table, waiting for paint, and also the Red Army will get a push. Stay tuned!</div>
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<br /></div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-20002484981750641312012-04-03T16:44:00.002+02:002013-01-15T19:03:04.250+01:00Back again... hopefully<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hi there, I'm back again!</div>
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My studies absorbed my time in the last month, but now I'm almost finished. That means free time - and free time is hobby time! I wasn't totally idle the whole time.</div>
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At <a href="http://www.hamburger-tactica.de/tactica/tactica_e.html" target="_blank">TACTICA</a>, the best German tabletop convention, a friend and I bought some plane models. One was already a bit broken and so we decided to convert it into a mission goal for North Africa - recon information was always something both factions were eager to get. </div>
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The plane is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fieseler_Fi_156" target="_blank">Fieseler Fi 156</a>, called "Fieseler Storch" (storck):</div>
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<a href="http://www.militaryaircraft.de/pictures/military/aircraft/Fi-156/Slepcev-Storch_2008-07-Spang-OH_036_800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://www.militaryaircraft.de/pictures/military/aircraft/Fi-156/Slepcev-Storch_2008-07-Spang-OH_036_800.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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It was a German recon plane and had some famous actions in WWII. It special feature was that it could start and land on very short runways and had a good circumferential visibility. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Sasso_raid" target="_blank">When Mussolini was saved by German paratroopers he was evacuated in an overloaded Fieseler Storch</a>. In the last days of the war, the famous pilot <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanna_Reitsch" target="_blank">Hanna Reitsch</a> landed in a Fieseler Storch in bombed out Berlin (she appears in the movie "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Untergang" target="_blank">Downfall (Der Untergang)</a>") and even got out afterwards!</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/storch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/storch1.jpg" width="200" /> </a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/storch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/storch2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/storch3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/storch3.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/storch4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/storch4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/storch5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="91" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/storch5.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some Italians investigate the wreck.</td></tr>
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I'm back. Stay tuned.</div>
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-63568969285908998982012-02-23T19:44:00.001+01:002012-02-23T19:44:44.199+01:00Tutorial: How to make low budget cypresses out of firsHello,<br />
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I decided to post a tutorial, which I made three years ago already in the Sweetwater forum. I wanted to build some Mediterranean vegetation, so I get some scenery which ist suitable for my ancient Greeks and Macedonians. The problem was, that all the vegetation was very expensive, because it's seldomly used on railroads. So, I had to improvise. Luckily, I was inspired by <a href="http://www.spieltrieb-frankfurt.de/bilder/tactica-hamburg-2008-2/#c5389" target="_blank">this great table.</a> I found some old trees und began to realise, that firs could look like cypresses, if you change them a bit...</div>
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1. First of all, I studied the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Basin#Flora_and_fauna" target="_blank">Wikipedia article</a> about Mediterranean vegetation. Then, I asked <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=zypresse&rls=com.microsoft:de:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7SUNA&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1024&bih=497&sei=VNpET_XpG8Xa4QTriOWWAw&tbm=isch" target="_blank">Google how a cypress really looks like</a> (you see, always check the basisc before building).</div>
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2. Get the raw material: cheap railroad trees - we only need the firs. The tool: simple scissors (this is a very cheap one).</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut1.jpg" width="105" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut2.jpg" width="200" /> </a></div>
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3. I cut the lower branches, to get a crude round form, which is typical for cypresses. I work from bottom to top and hold the scissors crosswise to the tree, beacuse it's easier than lengthwise.</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut4.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first result.</td></tr>
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4. Now I go on in cutting the upper part, because a cypress is thinner there than a fir. Now the main form of the tree is defined.<br />
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut6.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut7.jpg" width="71" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main form, still a bit crude and awry.</td></tr>
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5. The finishing steps. The tree gets the final form. Cut the areas where to much material is left, rework the lower curves to make them smoother. In the end you should bend the bole of the tree straight, as it is made out of wire which can deform during the work.<br />
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut8.jpg" width="65" /></a></div>
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6. If you want to, you can paint the trunk. Now all you need to do is base the tree und you are finished.<br />
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/Gelaende/tut10.jpg" width="67" /></a></div>
<br /></div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-1024527832355137152012-02-02T11:43:00.000+01:002013-01-15T19:02:55.111+01:00It's been a while...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hi there,</div>
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it's been a while since my last post. Many bloggers may know my problem: I finished some smaller stuff and forgot to make pictures. I could complete my Panzer IV, an Autoblinda 41, Panzer II and two crewmen for some Sd.Kfz. 251/1. I also re-painted my table, thanks to Björn again, who offered years of experience in scenery-making. It looks much better now, but that also means that I have to repaint my whole scenery too...</div>
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I also bought new models - reenforcements for my Red Army, which suffered a heavy defeat from German Panzers sunday (the pictures I made are bad, so I leave them out), an Italian vehicle, some tents and animals. And a hot-melt gun, a very useful tool. I'll hopefully find some more time in the next weeks to show my new models to you!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/purch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="127" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/purch1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russians, Italians, animals and some tents... much work to do. Again. Damn.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/hgp1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/hgp1.jpg" width="200" /> </a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/wb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/wb1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the workbench: a Tiger and two Opel Blitz; the Pz. IV and the two Sd.Kfz. 251/1 are finished.</td></tr>
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In the end another important purchase: a tripod! This is particular good for all of us, because now I can (hopefully) take much better pictures. That will also mean, that I'll begin to present my models to you. The first will be my Panzers.<br />
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/tripod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/tripod.jpg" width="103" /></a></div>
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Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-19803034748440001552012-01-19T18:08:00.002+01:002012-01-20T13:02:40.410+01:00My table - stowage and substructure<div style="text-align: justify;">
I won't describe the way I made the table and will only refer to <a href="http://www.sweetwater-forum.de/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=4177" target="_blank">this tutorial</a>.
Although it's in German, I believe the pictures speak for themselves.
Simply made of styrofoam with wooden bands at the edges - light weight
and robust. In this post I only deal with technical problems around the table.<br />
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One of the main resources a wargamer needs is simple and at the same time often difficult to get: space! When I started the tabletop hobby 8 years ago (damn it, thats nearly a decade...) on the age of 16. I lived in a village in Brandenburg (for all wargamers out there, that is former Prussia ;) ). There was not much (especially no jobs) but one thing in Brandenburg: space. I lived in a house which was built for five people, but we only were three. So I had plenty space for my hobby - I even had an own cellar for crafting. So I never worried about how to store my table, which was in fact a massive board of plywood, 48x72 inch or 120x180cm in size. But, as you all know, things in life change and so I went out for studying. I came to a big town (even if many people would argue that Kiel is small - for someone from a village it's still big), which ironically meant that my space became less. So, my space decreased dramatically, not just for the table and scenery, but for my crafting stuff as well. I of course continued my hobby and when I realized that I don't like wargaming clubs I knew I had to built a new table, as the old one was too heavy and big for my new home.<br />
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I tackled the problem and had some special objectives which I wanted to reach. First of all, my new table should be stored in my flat itself, not in the basement or the attic. Second, it had to be kept safe and clean. Third, it should be stored in a way that nobody can see it in daily life. The last aspect is very important as I live together with my girlfriend and don't want to annoy her (even more) with my stuff. Another problem was (and still is), that there is no place for a real dining table, so I had to built a substructure as well, which also had to be stored. And thats how I solved my problem:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="117" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Substructure fits under the bed (IKEA made).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A normal couch...? (also IKEA :D)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rest of the table plus some scenery directly under the couch. The boxes in the left are full of scenery, the grey paper in front keeps the table segments free from dust.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb4.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The exposed table segments.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Some words on the whole system. My table segments had to lie horizontal, so they don't buckle. I therefore installed wooden bars in three levels. As a result the segments rests on the bars. They also don't touch each other, which means that there is no abrasion of static gras or, even worse, colour or sand. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb6.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The storage system based on bars.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="114" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb5.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of the table storage bars.</td></tr>
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Now I'll show the substructure. First, again, some thoughts why I made it the way I did. Instead of buying cheap wooden bents I took the metal ones. They cost about 12€ and are therefore four times more expensive than the cheap ones. But they offer an important advantage: they are robust and will serve me a long time. I then drilled a hole into them. This hole holds a pin, which connects the bents with the bar the table will rest upon. I did that, so, when the table is fully installed, it won't slip away. I noticed that players often come into contact with the table while playing, sometimes even a bit harder. This could lead to the table sliding away and falling down (I actually did this once myself). Now it can't happen anymore.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb7.jpg" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One bent with a small hole.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb9.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The connection between bar and bent.</td></tr>
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The bars themselves are very simple. Just bars with a lenght of 180cm or 72 inch. I added a hinge, so I can use the bars on 120cm/48 inch or the full length. They are also easier to store and to transport. I mentioned the holding pin above.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="115" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb8.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bars.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="127" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb10.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bars at full length.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb11.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bars retracted.</td></tr>
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The last thing concerns the table segments themselves. I added wooden "tracks", which work in combination with the bars where the segment rests on. So they can't be moved and the whole table is an entity. You may know the problem of parts of the table gliding away, because someone hit them and the whole board slides - this can't happen to me anymore. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb12.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Tracks".</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb13.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Track system in "action".</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="122" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/table/tb14.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The complete table with two of the three segments.</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-63705138279924466042012-01-12T23:34:00.000+01:002012-01-19T18:11:28.001+01:00Falling leaves... or not?<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hi there,</div>
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today I added static grass to the bases of my trees which I have shown earlier. As gras only would be a bit boring I tried something new. I read the hint to use oregano as dead leaves on the ground and so I tried that on one base. Here's the result (the pictures aren't the best, sorry for that):</div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/treebase3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/treebase3.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/treebase2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/treebase2.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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So what do you mean: should I add oregano to all bases or should I stay with gras only?</div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3808612065221318656.post-42213004494442811032012-01-08T23:48:00.000+01:002012-01-19T18:14:10.174+01:00Results of a weekend<div style="text-align: justify;">
I had <a href="http://thomasmegas.blogspot.com/2012/01/leisure-time-crafting-time.html">high ambitions</a> and I soon realized that they were too high to reach them. Let's have a look:</div>
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<li><span style="color: red;">finish all my wip Wehrmacht vehicles (3 tanks, 2 trucks + 4 tanks and 2 halftracks with minor workload) </span>- only the 4 tanks and 2 halftracks are finished, but the rest is on the way</li>
<li><span style="color: red;">finish my Italian </span><a href="http://www.africaaxisallied.com/blog/547356-autoblinda-40-41-and-43/" style="color: red;" target="_blank">Autoblinda 41</a><span style="color: red;"> (a recon vehicle)</span> - not finished, but almost</li>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/workbench1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/workbench1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A workbench filled with work...</td></tr>
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<li><span style="color: red;">finish the bases of my trees (that means drybrushing and flocking)</span> - only the flock is missing now, but for a reason: I want to test oregano as leaves on the ground</li>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/tree3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/scenery/scenery%20wip/tree3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="color: red;">start my Ukrainian village</span> - nothing here</li>
<li><span style="color: red;">at least prime my Italian infantry</span> - also not yet done</li>
<li><span style="color: red;">base the rest of my Wehrmacht infantry</span> - nope</li>
<li><span style="color: red;">finish the boxes for my tanks</span> - done! Only some foam is missing, good, that doesn't count as I still have to buy it</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/tanboxwip2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/tanboxwip2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raw material...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/tankboxwip1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/tankboxwip1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...only glue to come...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/tankboxwip3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/tankboxwip3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...some pressure...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/tankbox2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="102" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/tankbox2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...done!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/tankbox1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="97" src="http://i458.photobucket.com/albums/qq305/Arkas/blog/mixed%20stuff/tankbox1.jpg" width="200" /> </a></div>
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Time for a review. I'm of course a bit disappointed because I only achieved one goal on my list, but there is also something positive. I could push many things on the list much further so it is foreseaable that I can complete them this week. The aims were always in my head while working which motivated me to continue, although I was sometimes halfhearted. As a result, I'm convinced that I accomplished more than I would have without the pressure of my public plan. So, my personal conclusion is that my blog motivated me, but I have to lower my expectations then it comes to plans.</div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09064168689292574582noreply@blogger.com5