Busy 15mm Week!

Well folks,

It's been a real productive week here in the Valley of the Sunstroke, I have been on a painting terror. Besides my own stuff this week, I also completed a couple of commissions on the Saguaro Painting Service side as well.

Anyhow, lets get to what I did for myself, first up some awesome Plastic Soldier Company Panzer III's

I really love the PSC models, in my opinion, these are much better models than the Battlefront vehicles. They look much better and scaled correctly compared to Battlefront miniatures. The only draw back would be you have to do more assembly than a Battlefront mini, but it is not a problem for me since I enjoy building models.

Next up is another PSC model, a Panzer IV F2 which is one of the iconic tanks of the desert war for me. And once again, PSC knocks it out of the park with this model!

I also needed to do one more command tank for my American tank force, so here is another PSC (can you tell I love PSC tanks?) tank, this time a Sherman tank. Now I have added a Battlefront driver since I liked the pose of the figure.

Now onto the big project, my American Infantry army, which is made up of Old Glory miniatures. There are 2 Rifle platoons, a Weapons Platoon, 2 Heavy Machine Gun platoons and a 81mm Mortar platoon. This force represents the Americans in Africa when the US enters the ground war.

Here is the Company Command (Left BF) and the 2IC (right OG).

There are two nine man platoons, these are all Old Glory figures.

Next up a Weapons Platoon (OG)

Here is one of two Heavy Machine Gun teams (OG).

And lastly a platoon of Heavy Mortars (OG).

You may notice that I have a lot of Old Glory miniatures and the only BF models are the Company Command team, in which they are from the Infantry Ace pack.

There is a reason for it, having painted hundreds (maybe even thousands) of BF figures and for the most part, I am not impressed. They seem to be chunkier than most figures and really do not have a ton of detail. Old Glory on the other hand seems to be skinnier than most and the detail is better than BF figures. But that is just my opinion.

So after all the hard work, Robert and I decided to throw down a 700 point Infantry game. Here is the table with our deployment (we were playing Breakthrough). I was playing Americans and Rob took his Fallschimjager force.

Well after 6 turns, the Germans took an objective and won the game (lucky bastard!). So there you go, a ton of 15mm within the last few days with more to come...

TK

Embracing the (15mm) Dark Side!

Well,

I have been fighting it for almost 4 years, but tonight I think I have finally caved and embraced the 15mm side of gaming! First a little back story, as some know I play a lot of 28mm games (LotHS, LotR, EotD and the list goes on and on) and one area that I am very interested in is WW2. I have a huge collection in 28mm but have been waiting for the right set of rules to come out. Now when Flames of War came out a few years ago (more like 10 years ago now!) I was very interested but 15mm was just too small and dainty for me. Yeah I did buy some models (Tigers, 8.8 Flack Guns) but never really got into it during the 1st edition.

Then Battlefront released 2nd edition FoW, which I picked up and even got a Afrika Corps army. But I only really played a few games and was sort of left feeling meh about the game. I wanted to like the game, but I still kept telling myself that it was 15mm and too small. A couple of friends started getting into it and I felt like I should be enjoying it, but still the bigger scale (28mm) was winning for my interest. Also my paint service (Saguaro Painting Service) was getting a lot of 15mm figures coming from customers, so that meant I was/am painting a butt load of 15mm!

Then Battlefront released FoW 3rd edition and my gaming group got the rules, and my buddy DrunkenSamurai started hounding me to play some small level games. Well if it was his plan or Battlefronts, it seemed to have worked. Tonight as I sat finishing up another commission job for a Saguaro customer, it hit me, I am enjoying painting and playing 15mm games (grated it is only been FoW, but it is a start!). Maybe it was Games Workshop and their ridiculous pricing or them just messing with rules that finally pushed me over, it is any one's guess.

So it seems that FoW will be the game of the year for me (I already played more games of it than LotR!) and I have started building a couple of other armies in 15mm. Also it has got me thinking about what to do with Gathering in the Desert (which in the past was all about LotR). I am not saying that I am planning on running a FoW tournament (I hate tourneys by the way), but it has got me thinking of doing something with 15mm and FoW, you will just need to stay tuned to Cursed Treasures to find out.

So what is the take away from this post, well it is pretty simple really,

"Hi my name is Tim and I like 15mm and Flames of War"

TK

EotD on the Table!

So,

I was finally able to get Empire of the Dead onto the table today for a few friends that are very interested in the game since my last two posts. Anyhow I  figured it was a perfect day to have a few friends over and what a better time than to play EotD, plus I need to get the hang of the game since I will be running Demos in a few weeks at my local store.

So armed with the rulebook (sent to me free from the fine folks at West Wind for doing demos) and my huge collection of West Wind Miniatures (That I purchased on my own before EotD came out) and my huge terrain collection, I set up to do some demoing of the game.

I set up two small factions of about 95 points average each  (that is 4 models a side). I choose the Lycaon faction (Werewolves) and the Nosferatu Faction (Vampires). I choose to play the Fracas scenario and did a generic woods table with a ruin in the middle.

The Lycaon faction had a Beastlord, two Wolves and one Wolfskin armed with a wooden stake and two Handed Weapon. The Nosferatu had a Graf with a sword, Consort with two knives and a Bat Swarm. Oh, by the way, I did not take pictures of the first game, the pictures are from Mike & I's game.

Well in the first game, Jerry choose the Vamps and I took the Wolves. The Vamps beat the doggies back and got a win. Game two was with Mike and he took the doggies and I took the blood suckers, which the blood suckers won the game.

 The game took about 45 minutes or so and that was with us looking up some of the rules. Once again, if you are familiar with EotD predecessors (Mordheim, Necromunda, Legends and LotR) you will pick up the game rather quickly, both Jerry and Mike got it real quick.

So with the first demo games under my belt, now I just need to get to painting my figures. The good news is that three of my friends (Mike, Jerry and Rob who just watched) are interested in the game. So stay tuned folks, there is more EotD on the horizon!

TK

Empire of the Dead has Arrived!

Well, Empire of the Dead arrived here in Phoenix yesterday, which I was surprised that it only took 3 days to arrive from West Wind Productions.  If you are a fan of the Gothic Horror/Steam punk genre, than this game is going to be for you!

First off let me say that West Wind has done an awesome job on the book, they could have gone for a cheaper method of putting out this book, but they went for quality. This book will be around for a long time, the binding looks and feels very well done and I can say that this book will not fall apart after a few times opening it up like some other larger companies books! Page count comes in at 154 pages and are all full color!

The book is laid out well with with the first 21 pages being dedicated to the background of the world in 1888. Pages 22 - 53 are the game rules are are well laid out as well. I was able to figure out the rules rather quickly after only one read through. Pages 54 - 111 are how you build a faction and equip them. The rest of the book is dedicated to the campaign rules (which look strangely familiar, as much of the rules do). Also there are 3 pages of counters and templates (which can be downloaded from the West Wind Forums).

So, some of my friends have asked me why am I so excited about this game, well, first off I have been wanting to do some Gothic Horror gaming for a while. Secondly and more importantly the rules are very similar to a set of rules that I play and that I wrote. (Yes I am talking about LotR and LotHS) Yes folks, if you love LotR and the Legends rules, you are going to love these rules.

EotD uses a D10 instead of a D6 mechanic which is nice and gives a wider spread than a D6. The game uses 5 - 7 figures and plays on 4'x4' boards which is very similar to the Legends games. Another thing that Legends fans will notice is that the Initiative phase, each player rolls a D10 and the higher roll goes first, on a tie it goes to the player that did not have it last turn. And if the roll is tied, you roll again and one person is odd and the other is even. Sound familiar?One thing that EotD does that I could not do with LotHS, was have modifiers for shooting. There are target modifiers and cover modifiers, these are just a few things that make EotD different from the Legends rules.

So I could keep going on, but all I will say is if you love the genre and you love the Legends rules, than this game is for you! Go buy this game folks, you will not be disappointed! No folks, I am not on the West Wind payroll, I am just really excited about this game!!

TK

Wow, That's A Lot Of Lead!

Okay,

It seems that it has been awhile since I last posted, I have been busy with real life and I have not had much to talk about on the gaming front. But tonight that changes, you see a week ago I ordered a very large order from Old Glory Miniatures, and below you can see what I got in tonight.

Here is a break down of the order, on the left you will see Seven bags of Command Decision Panzer 38t tanks, this is the start of my 7th Panzer Army for Early War in Flames of War. For those who do not know, this was Rommel's "Ghost Division" in France and he was equipped with 38t tanks. Seven bags gets me 21 38t tanks, that is a few more than I need for the army, but if Flames of War ever gets around to doing a Operation Barbarossa list, these tanks will work out for that as well.

The lone Command Decision bag is a bag of 50 American Rifle men for my Operation Torch force for Mid War games of Flames of War. I ordered a bunch of stuff about a year and a half ago but was short one more bad of infantry men, now I have enough to finish out that army.

Now the Top row of Blisters are from West Wind Vampire Wars line and are the Vampire Counts pack 1, 2, 3 and 5 (I did not like the figures in pack 4). and all of these will be used for games of Empire of the Dead that I talked about in the last post.

The Second row of blisters are more West Wind figures and they are from the Gothic Horror line. They are Acolyte Vampires, Werewolves, Giant Werewolf, Nosferatu #2 and London Thugs. All of these will be used in games of Empire of the Dead as well.

Now I am just waiting for the Empire of the Dead rulebook to get here and I will then start building a few groups to run my friends through some games of EotD.

So there you go, a ton of lead and what you are going to be seeing in the next few weeks...

TK

Empire of the Dead!

Okay,

It has been a while and I think I am coming out of my funk finally and one reason may be this new game I am going to talk about, West Wind Productions Empire of the Dead. You see I have been a fan of the Gothic Horror fan and I have been looking for a good set of rules. When I saw that West Wind released a Quick Start rules on their site, I downloaded them. They look really good and look like they follow a certain style of rules that I enjoy. Also the figures look awesome!

Anyway here is a description of the game taken from the West Wind site:

Taken from the West Wind site:

Empire of the Dead is a 28mm tabletop skirmish game for two or more players.

Set in a darkly Gothic Victorian Empire populated by Heroic
Gentlemen and Fiends of unmentionable evil.

Choose from 4 starter factions which can be expanded from a range of special character models.

Built in Campaign system gives each game its own unique flavour.


Welcome to the Empire of the Dead. It is 1888 and much of the world is in turmoil. The great discovery of the age, Infernium, has brought technological advancements barely dreamed of just a few years ago. Its discovery, however, has stirred the basest instincts of man and nature alike. The lines between right and wrong or good and evil have become blurred as factions battle not only for control of the streets but the very future of mankind.

From the forests of Eastern Europe to the rookeries of London, factions have come together in
their quest to defend the natural order of life or to simply achieve their own ends. When you step into the world of Empire of the Dead you enter a place where only your wits and tactical thinking offer hope of survival. As the leader of your Faction your task is to ensure that those who serve you survive whatever fate has to throw at them. In that way lies the route to your own advancement and enhanced power and influence. Your
position, though, requires you to also serve your own masters, the leaders of your clan, club or order. Only by doing that, however obscure their purpose may seem, can you hope to avoid the assassin’s knife or well placed bullet.

Whether your allegiances lie with the Holy Orders of the Church, the Lycaon and their dedication to the protection of the natural order, the ancient evil of the Nosferatu or the gentlemen of the Clubs; the world that you are entering conceals many dangers and challenges for the unwary. In the Empire of the Dead nothing is as it seems. Today’s allies may be tomorrow’s sworn enemies and even the local populace may turn at a moment’s notice from a placid flock to an angry mob. Fame, fortune and unbelievable power will find those with the cunning and tenacity to survive the fortunes of the fight, ignominy and death await the rest. From the polluted streets of the city’s rookeries to the calm tranquillity of the countryside, nowhere is immune from the intrigue of the Empire. So set aside all that you know, be afraid of every corner and remember that myth and legend are just a way to hide the true horrors of the world.

Needless to say, I will be getting this set of rules and busting out my Gothic Horror figures that I purchased a while ago. I also plan on running Demo games and have already started thinking of terrain for said such games. I have also started working on my friends to help out, we will see. but the good news is that you will be seeing more of this game here at Cursed Treasures.

Also you will be seeing more posts now that I am getting out of my funk (still playing my PS3 though!).

TK

Been in a Funk!

Well,

The title speaks for itself, I have been in a gaming funk for the last few weeks. I think it started after Gathering in the Desert, or more to the point, during GitD. You see I have been doing GitD for the last 5 years and to be honest it is starting to feel more like work than a hobby. So what does that mean for GitD? Not sure, I have been kicking around some ideas and we will see how those pan out.

I then got the Flu that has been going around, it put me out of action for almost two weeks. The cough is still with me and my doctor said it may be another week or so. Having the flu and not working would have been a great time to paint or do something, but all I did was sleep. Heck, I had no idea what day it was, let alone what happened in the world.

The other reason I have been in a gaming funk has to do with my wife. Well as some know, my wife has taken up a new hobby, shooting guns! She has now acquired two pistols as well as all the other gear that goes along with them. Well since she bought two guns, I off course had to get mine (.357 S&W revolver!). This is not the reason for the funk, but when she purchased her second pistol, I made the comment about getting a Playstation 3. Well she bought me one a few weeks ago along with a very cool classic game, Fallout 3! So my regular painting time (not SPS commissions though) has taken a big hit thanks to the PS3.

So there you have it, some of the reasons for my funk, I have started working on a few projects as well as painting for Saguaro Painting Service. So stay tuned, I will be adding more posts in the future.

TK

"The board is set, the pieces are moving. We come to it at last, the great battle of our time.

Well,

Tomorrow Gathering in the Desert 2012 kicks off at 5:00pm with the March to Mount Doom. But for me and the staff, we will be getting a start on moving all the terrain to the venue (Imperial Outpost Games). Then it will be set up and getting everything ready for the whole weekend. My wife has to make sure the lunch is ordered for the weekend and then there is the important stuff, making sure we bring the M&M's to the event!

My wife who has been helping with GitD for the last three years (yeah you married guys are jealous, I know it!) hit upon a great idea a few years ago, she brought big bags of M&M's to give out to the players. while she entered all the stats. And speaking about that, my wife enjoys data entry sort of things, so it was pretty easy to get her to help out.

Well Saturday the real battles begin, this year GitD is doing something a little different. I am matching up players Good vs Evil. I had the players sign up for either side and will be awarding Best General awards to the best Evil and Good General. This is something that few tournaments in the states do, hopefully it catches on.

Once this weekend is over, normal posting will happen here at Cursed Treasures, and there are a few new things that I am itching to show off, one being a new paint challenge, so stay tuned...

TK

Build it and they will come...

Okay folks,

Well we are now under way with 2012 and for this update I wanted to show off some new buildings that I recently picked up for Gathering in the Desert and other projects.

The name of this awesome company is Game Craft Miniatures and they do terrain from as small as 6mm all the way up to 28mm. Mike over at Da Green Skins pointed me to these guys. Well after looking through their online store, I decided to pick up two kits for GitD for my Harad table. They offer middle eastern buildings that have that Harad look to them and they can also stand in for Pulp games or anything else. I also picked up the Gallows for some Legends of the Old West/High Seas gaming. All of these kits that I purchased were made out of MDF and cut with a laser.

It took about a week for my order to get to me and this is what I got below (all three kits).


First up is kit #28mmdf012 Middle East One Story Building.

Here it is all laid out, pretty simple.

Here is the building test fit together, total time to assemble, less than a minute! Nice thing I like about this one is the window and door openings, they have that Middle east feel to them, which once again is perfect for Harad.

Here is a 28mm figure to give you scale.

Here is the second kit#28mmdf015.

This one went together in the same time frame, less than a minute!

One other thing that I like is the brick effect that is laser cut into some of the spots on the building, here is a close up shot.

The last kit #28mwest014 took a bit more time to assemble as seen by the parts below.

One thing I did to change my kit up, was to install wood slates on the sides of the stairs. I did this for two reasons, one it would make the stairs a bit for sturdy and two, I broke some of the railing while assembling it. I always like to do some sort of modifications so it works for me.

Here are a few figures for scale, now all I need to do is make up a nice noose (that has the proper number of wraps) for it.

So there you go, a couple of new buildings and a nice Gallows. I really love these kits, they are sturdy, look good and are pretty cheap. All three kits cost $32.35 plus shipping. I will be doing some work on the Middle Eastern buildings tomorrow and will post up what I got done. so stay tuned...

TK

New Year and New Ideas!

Well,

We are now on the third of January and I have beaten to the punch by my fellow local gamers/bloggers, Oh well.

Anyhow, as my good friend Drunkensamurai pointed out to me the other day, my last blog post really did not say what my plans on the gaming front will be in 2012. As he put it, I was very vague in my post, so I thought I would go more in depth on this post. No surprise most of the things that Drunkensamurai mentioned in his post are going to be on my list, but with a twist. So here we go...

Terrain

Well, as Drunken mentioned, terrain will be a major focus this year. When I game, I want the table to have a Wow Factor to it. My obsession with nice terrain started many moons ago when I was big into Model Railroading and Military Modeling. I have also been inspired by many fellow gamers on the Lead Adventure Forum (LAF). Well I want to do some cool looking terrain for a couple of projects, WW2, Old West and a Caribbean town for Pirates. So stay tuned for more, but it looks like Drunken and I will be working on the WW2 stuff pretty soon.

Games

Well, I did cover this in my last post, but as of last night, thanks to my son, I had an interesting proposition thrown out to me. My son who is 22 (and home from college) said it would be cool to play Bang (a Old west card game) using miniatures. Well he and I talked and I brought up Legends of the Old West. Well my sons favorite game was Mordheim and he expressed interest in LotOW.

Also I saw that Drunken had mentioned that he was a little bummed that some of the guys moved on from LotOW. A good friend used to host a LotOW campaign day at his house where we would get together and play a few linked games. Well I think I will pick up the gauntlet and host a Legends of the Old West Campaign here at the old SPL.

Also I will be waiting to see what Warlord Games puts out for WW2 rules. I am hopeful that these will be a good set of rules that I can jump behind. I will also be trying a few other rule sets. We will see what the future holds.

One last thing, I did host a few games on New Year's Day, had a few guys over to play Blood Bowl (2 had never played it) . Everyone had a good time and I busted out the BBQ and we all did lunch together. Have to say, to me that's what gaming is all about, a good game, good food and a good friends rolling dice! I have to say that this was a great way to start off the new year!

TK