Finger and Toe Models (yes, that's really their name) makes a set of paper buildings in 15mm called Shanty Town, and an expansion with shops, that I picked up in PDF form from RPGNow.com. Friday I decided to print one set out on cardstock, and Saturday I cut out a single shack and folded it to see how much difficulty there was to it. Folding all the slender tabs down turned out to be more of a nuisance than cutting it out, but I managed it. I haven't yet dug up where I put my glue to try gluing it into a finished product, but as long as that part works well, I think I'm going to be reasonably pleased with them.
I also pulled out a Maisto M939, of which I have several I got cheap off Ebay a few years back, and stuck the gun shield and gun from a Roco 105mm howitzer in the cargo bed. At the moment, it's simply wedged in, not glued. The 939 is technically too late a model truck for my needs, but it'll do in a pinch. I'm waiting until the first of the actual 1/100 models arrive to see how they compare in size and decide whether I'll use the diecast with them or not.
I also put in an order for one set each of 15mm Grass Huts and Blast Markers from PaperTerrain.com, who are currently having a sale. I'm curious to see if they'll work well for me.
Monday, August 17, 2015
Saturday, August 15, 2015
More Recent Arrivals
I've recently added to my wargaming library the excellent Wargames Compendium by Henry Hyde. I've read chunks of it, but far from all of it, and found it just as good as I expected. Henry has a love for the hobby that comes through clearly, and a wealth of knowledge available both in his own brain and in his many contacts.
To give me some inspiration in painting up the new troops, I picked up Modern African Wars (2) : Angola and Mozambique 1961-74 (Men-At-Arms Series, 202) from Osprey. I've only really skimmed a bit of the text, since the war itself is not of great interest to me, but may go back later to gain more knowledge and flavor from the conflict. I may later pick up the volumes on the Algerian War and the Indonesian Confrontation from the same series.
Noble Knight carries some of the Rebel Miniatures figures, but not all of the line, and several of them are out of stock, so I ended up ordering part of what I wanted from them and part directly from Rebel Miniatures. Noble Knight also used the wrong photo on their Modern Police, so I thought I was getting Riot Police from them and turned out to be getting regular officers without the riot gear. I picked up a pack each of African Militia and African Military, the mistaken pack of Modern Police, and a pack of Modern Civilians. Today's mail brought the figures direct from Rebel Minis, comprised of 1 pack each of Riot Police, Modern Rioters, Hostages, and News Crew w/Robber. Yesterday's mail brought a tiny order from Khurasan Miniatures as well, comprised of one pack of Modern Civilians (despite the innocuous name, these are running and shouting and provided with bricks and molotovs as optional weapons) and one of "Galactic Dictator and Techno-Ninja." I really only needed the Galactic Dictator, a woman with long flowing hair and a suitably ornate military uniform, complete with frilled epaulettes, medal, and eye patch. I haven't decided what I'll use her for, but when I noticed her, I knew I needed one.
The AK-47 Republic Rules require both armies to be formed of exactly 5 units, but allow for each side to have one optional sixth unit of "Unarmed Militia", which means not so much unarmed as not equipped with military weaponry. They can still have knives, bats, pistols, bricks, molotov cocktails, and other such implements common to violent mobs. Under normal circumstances, this unit is required to always be off-board as a reinforcement unit that dices for arrival. However, I have it in mind to set up a scenario with the rioters as the cult's "Unarmed Militia" and the riot police as the government's "unarmed militia" and start both on the board in a confrontation, with military units of both sides responding to the eruption of violence.
The other arrival in today's mail was a set of bases from Litko Aero. A lot of 30x30, the standard AK-47 base size, and smaller quantites of 40x40 (towed weapons and tanks), and 30x40 (cavalry and possibly trucks, technicals, etc). The 30x40 may end up being superfluous, because I'm no longer sure if the vehicles will fit on them. I'll have to wait and make my decision once the vehicles arrive.
I'm still waiting for arrival of figures and vehicles from Peter Pig, Old Glory (via Warweb and Old Glory 15s), and QRF (via Scale Creep Miniatures); Barbed wire from SnM Stuff; some markers/tokens from Litko; and a set of needle files from Amazon.
To give me some inspiration in painting up the new troops, I picked up Modern African Wars (2) : Angola and Mozambique 1961-74 (Men-At-Arms Series, 202) from Osprey. I've only really skimmed a bit of the text, since the war itself is not of great interest to me, but may go back later to gain more knowledge and flavor from the conflict. I may later pick up the volumes on the Algerian War and the Indonesian Confrontation from the same series.
Noble Knight carries some of the Rebel Miniatures figures, but not all of the line, and several of them are out of stock, so I ended up ordering part of what I wanted from them and part directly from Rebel Miniatures. Noble Knight also used the wrong photo on their Modern Police, so I thought I was getting Riot Police from them and turned out to be getting regular officers without the riot gear. I picked up a pack each of African Militia and African Military, the mistaken pack of Modern Police, and a pack of Modern Civilians. Today's mail brought the figures direct from Rebel Minis, comprised of 1 pack each of Riot Police, Modern Rioters, Hostages, and News Crew w/Robber. Yesterday's mail brought a tiny order from Khurasan Miniatures as well, comprised of one pack of Modern Civilians (despite the innocuous name, these are running and shouting and provided with bricks and molotovs as optional weapons) and one of "Galactic Dictator and Techno-Ninja." I really only needed the Galactic Dictator, a woman with long flowing hair and a suitably ornate military uniform, complete with frilled epaulettes, medal, and eye patch. I haven't decided what I'll use her for, but when I noticed her, I knew I needed one.
The AK-47 Republic Rules require both armies to be formed of exactly 5 units, but allow for each side to have one optional sixth unit of "Unarmed Militia", which means not so much unarmed as not equipped with military weaponry. They can still have knives, bats, pistols, bricks, molotov cocktails, and other such implements common to violent mobs. Under normal circumstances, this unit is required to always be off-board as a reinforcement unit that dices for arrival. However, I have it in mind to set up a scenario with the rioters as the cult's "Unarmed Militia" and the riot police as the government's "unarmed militia" and start both on the board in a confrontation, with military units of both sides responding to the eruption of violence.
The other arrival in today's mail was a set of bases from Litko Aero. A lot of 30x30, the standard AK-47 base size, and smaller quantites of 40x40 (towed weapons and tanks), and 30x40 (cavalry and possibly trucks, technicals, etc). The 30x40 may end up being superfluous, because I'm no longer sure if the vehicles will fit on them. I'll have to wait and make my decision once the vehicles arrive.
I'm still waiting for arrival of figures and vehicles from Peter Pig, Old Glory (via Warweb and Old Glory 15s), and QRF (via Scale Creep Miniatures); Barbed wire from SnM Stuff; some markers/tokens from Litko; and a set of needle files from Amazon.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
AK-47 Flags
I found a free online flag creator and decided to see if I could generate flags for Kinyonga and the cult that I was happy with. Below are my results. You can find the generator at http://flag-designer.appspot.com/#d=10&c1=1&c2=4&c3=0&o=4&c4=0&s=0&c5=2
For inspiration and to be sure I didn't directly copy an existing flag, I used this site that shows all the African flags on a single screen: http://www.mapsofworld.com/flags/africa.html
Kinyongan National Flag
A classic tricolor with the victor's laurel on the left. This the national flag of Kinyonga created after they evicted the settles. Papa Noote's wife sewed the first such flag by hand, and it flew over the capital for a time before being placed on display in a sealed glass case in the Presidential Palace.
Church of the Enlightened Flag
The Church of the Enlightened has taken the national flag and changed the colors, as well as replacing the victor's laurel with the golden keys of knowledge. Sky blue is the holy color for the cult, and is likely to feature in most if not all of their uniforms. You can't be killed when wearing the holy color if you are righteous enough. Perhaps the casualties didn't donate enough to the treasury or had too much unholiness in their family line to overcome. It is believed among the faithful that the Grand Bishop's wife, Grand Sister Naomi, washed a national flag seven times in a washboard tub blessed by the Grand Bishop to remove its uncleanness, and when she withdrew it the seventh time, the holy blue stripe and new color and symbol of the triangle were found upon it.
For inspiration and to be sure I didn't directly copy an existing flag, I used this site that shows all the African flags on a single screen: http://www.mapsofworld.com/flags/africa.html
Kinyongan National Flag
A classic tricolor with the victor's laurel on the left. This the national flag of Kinyonga created after they evicted the settles. Papa Noote's wife sewed the first such flag by hand, and it flew over the capital for a time before being placed on display in a sealed glass case in the Presidential Palace.
Church of the Enlightened Flag
The Church of the Enlightened has taken the national flag and changed the colors, as well as replacing the victor's laurel with the golden keys of knowledge. Sky blue is the holy color for the cult, and is likely to feature in most if not all of their uniforms. You can't be killed when wearing the holy color if you are righteous enough. Perhaps the casualties didn't donate enough to the treasury or had too much unholiness in their family line to overcome. It is believed among the faithful that the Grand Bishop's wife, Grand Sister Naomi, washed a national flag seven times in a washboard tub blessed by the Grand Bishop to remove its uncleanness, and when she withdrew it the seventh time, the holy blue stripe and new color and symbol of the triangle were found upon it.
Thursday, August 6, 2015
AK-47 Update
After some puttering about with an African name site online, I've decided to rename my new AK-47 Republic from Ztumsia to Kinyonga. It's supposedly Swahili for Chameleon, which seemed quite suitable. This means the Nationalist army MUZ is now the MUK.
I also decided to rename the tribes mentioned in the narrative.
The Zaitu are now the Chandu (Swahili for Octopus)
Papa Noote's tribe are now the Twiga (Swahili for Giraffe)
And the new religious appointee, Brother Isaac, is now of the Imfezi tribe (Yoruba word for Cobra)
For now, I've left the names of the characters unchanged, but I may later find myself giving them "real" names as well. We shall see.
The first order of figures to arrive included one pack each of Rebel Minis African Militia and African Military. I've sorted out 6 small arms bases and 3 RPG bases of the militia into tiny bags. Those may not stay sorted as they are once the rest of the figures arrive, however. I also received a package each of Modern Police and Modern Civilians, but I'm not sure they'll work for what I was initially thinking about. All of those were ordered from Noble Knight.
I'm still awaiting deliver of a mixed group of Old Glory 15mm infantry and vehicles from Warweb, so once those are delivered I'll be able to sort out my troops better. Also waiting on an order of suitable bases from Litko.
I also decided to rename the tribes mentioned in the narrative.
The Zaitu are now the Chandu (Swahili for Octopus)
Papa Noote's tribe are now the Twiga (Swahili for Giraffe)
And the new religious appointee, Brother Isaac, is now of the Imfezi tribe (Yoruba word for Cobra)
For now, I've left the names of the characters unchanged, but I may later find myself giving them "real" names as well. We shall see.
The first order of figures to arrive included one pack each of Rebel Minis African Militia and African Military. I've sorted out 6 small arms bases and 3 RPG bases of the militia into tiny bags. Those may not stay sorted as they are once the rest of the figures arrive, however. I also received a package each of Modern Police and Modern Civilians, but I'm not sure they'll work for what I was initially thinking about. All of those were ordered from Noble Knight.
I'm still awaiting deliver of a mixed group of Old Glory 15mm infantry and vehicles from Warweb, so once those are delivered I'll be able to sort out my troops better. Also waiting on an order of suitable bases from Litko.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
AK-47 Classic Plans
Because the best thing to do after failing to complete several wargaming projects is to start another one, I'm taking my first dips of toes into the waters of AK-47 Republic, classic version. It's actually been on my wish list for a long time, but I just recently learned that the classic version was available as a PDF purchase now, so I've acquired it.
One small order of figures arrived today, but more figures and bases are pending arrival, so I can't yet really put together my army lists. I do, however, have a setting background written up, and the names and types of the two sides figured out. I used the in-rule generators for most of the names, with a bit of tweaking. There's a chance I may change the name of the nation later, as I stumbled across someone else who had generated the exact same name a few years back. I ran a couple of the names through Google Translate to produce a Swahili version; if anyone happens to know Swahili and sees something Google Translate got wrong, feel free to let me know.
The MBU will definitely be classed as a Religious Movement army. Right now, the MUZ is classed as a People's Popular Front (Nationalist) army, though I've been tempted to redo it as a Dictator army. Problem is, while I would like to have the Professional quality unit the Dictator army would allow, the People's Popular Front really is the best fit of Political Maneuvers sheet for how I envision the group, with the caveat that rather than stirring up dissent against the existing government, they ARE the existing government. There's still dissent to be stirred, however, against the popularity of Grand Bishop Mbosa. Hearts and minds must be won.
And thus we come to the present iteration of the background story, which I reserve the right to alter or rewrite later of course.
Ztumsian War of Succession.
Once home to warring clans somewhere in the African savannah, there was little to draw more than a few stray explorers and missionaries to Ztumsia in the early days of European colonization. That changed when a power struggle in a neighboring European colony led to the remnants of the defeated uprising wandering into the region of Ztumsia and aligning themselves with one of the smaller tribes in the ongoing conflict, the Zaitu. The addition of their European firepower changed the course of the conflict decisively in their ally's favor. In time, their numbers grew with other outcasts, treasure seekers, and malcontents until they finally seized full control of the area. Unregulated by any colonial power, they eventually subjugated even their own former tribal allies. While treasure hunters gradually filtered elsewhere as Ztumsia proved to have few apparent natural resources, the white government still managed to keep an economy going with agricultural products, fees for protection of trade routes through the land, and a small but lucrative export of the native Ztumsian Spearfish as an exotic delicacy in certain European cities, gradually modernizing Ztumsia as much as was feasible to keep up with the neighboring colonies.
Inevitable discontent with the European usurpers would build along with increasing knowledge of western ways and technology through the years. The final straw came when a protest for greater rights by the former Zaitu allies was brutally crushed in a massacre that curiously became known even in Ztumsia by its French name, Pleurant de l'Zaitu (Weeping of the Zaitu). Some say the name was coined by a French nun from the local mission who worked tirelessly to help the victims in the wake of the massacre. This one event set the wheels in motion for reconciliation between the Zaitu and their former enemies, the Lbote. Within two years, the Lbote chieftain Noote united all the tribes into a full uprising against the white government, finally throwing off their yoke and driving all but a few whites out of the country. Now affectionately titled Papa Noote, the former chieftain estalbished a national government under his own leadership, with the chieftains of all the united tribes forming the Presidential Council to advise him, including a newly appointed chieftain of the Lbote to emphasize that Papa Noote was now a national leader instead of a tribal one.
This arrangement proved effective, providing stability for the new nation of Ztumsia that would continue not only through the life of Papa Noote, but would also lead to the selection by the Council of his only son to rule after him. President Sianog proved a popular ruler as well, following in the policies of his father, but his life was cut tragically short by a heart attack at the age of 40 and he died without having produced a son. It was this death without an immediate heir that was to cause a fracture in the peace of Ztumsia. The Council of Chieftains began meeting to select a successor, and for the first time they had to consider the question of who was worthy to be President with no descendant of Papa Noote available. Should it be another from the Lbote? Should other tribes have a turn? Should the Presidency be retired in honor of President Sianog and the Council rule directly?
As the latter idea began to gain ground in the public eye, since it offered equal representation to every tribe, a new voice waded unexpectedly into the debate. Grand Bishop Jacob Mbosa of the Church of the Enlightened, a group generally regarded as a cult in neighboring countries but popular in Ztumsia with thousands of adherents, suddenly declared on his weekly radio broadcast to the faithful that he had seen a vision, and that Brother Isaac, one of the hand-picked elders of the Church and an up and coming warlord of the Mogate tribe, was in fact the reincarnation of Papa Noote himself, and the heart attack of President Sianog was a sign that the Presidency should be opened to the other tribes. He prophesied that from thenceforth Papa Noote would be reborn after each death into a different tribe, his identity revealed only to the Grand Bishop and his Elders, naturally, and would continue to lead the country forward in this way. His call for the faithful to flock to him and place Brother Isaac in the Presidency spawned an armed host with shocking rapidity, which the Grand Bishop named Mwanga wa Bure Urithi, Light of the Free Heritage (MBU). Faced with this sudden mobilization to armed conflict, the Council of Chieftains directed Ztumsian army general Ntebo to mobilize the army, which still bore its revolutionary name of Mteule Upanga wa Ztumsia, the Designated/Chosen Sword of Ztumsia (MUZ).
One small order of figures arrived today, but more figures and bases are pending arrival, so I can't yet really put together my army lists. I do, however, have a setting background written up, and the names and types of the two sides figured out. I used the in-rule generators for most of the names, with a bit of tweaking. There's a chance I may change the name of the nation later, as I stumbled across someone else who had generated the exact same name a few years back. I ran a couple of the names through Google Translate to produce a Swahili version; if anyone happens to know Swahili and sees something Google Translate got wrong, feel free to let me know.
The MBU will definitely be classed as a Religious Movement army. Right now, the MUZ is classed as a People's Popular Front (Nationalist) army, though I've been tempted to redo it as a Dictator army. Problem is, while I would like to have the Professional quality unit the Dictator army would allow, the People's Popular Front really is the best fit of Political Maneuvers sheet for how I envision the group, with the caveat that rather than stirring up dissent against the existing government, they ARE the existing government. There's still dissent to be stirred, however, against the popularity of Grand Bishop Mbosa. Hearts and minds must be won.
And thus we come to the present iteration of the background story, which I reserve the right to alter or rewrite later of course.
Ztumsian War of Succession.
Once home to warring clans somewhere in the African savannah, there was little to draw more than a few stray explorers and missionaries to Ztumsia in the early days of European colonization. That changed when a power struggle in a neighboring European colony led to the remnants of the defeated uprising wandering into the region of Ztumsia and aligning themselves with one of the smaller tribes in the ongoing conflict, the Zaitu. The addition of their European firepower changed the course of the conflict decisively in their ally's favor. In time, their numbers grew with other outcasts, treasure seekers, and malcontents until they finally seized full control of the area. Unregulated by any colonial power, they eventually subjugated even their own former tribal allies. While treasure hunters gradually filtered elsewhere as Ztumsia proved to have few apparent natural resources, the white government still managed to keep an economy going with agricultural products, fees for protection of trade routes through the land, and a small but lucrative export of the native Ztumsian Spearfish as an exotic delicacy in certain European cities, gradually modernizing Ztumsia as much as was feasible to keep up with the neighboring colonies.
Inevitable discontent with the European usurpers would build along with increasing knowledge of western ways and technology through the years. The final straw came when a protest for greater rights by the former Zaitu allies was brutally crushed in a massacre that curiously became known even in Ztumsia by its French name, Pleurant de l'Zaitu (Weeping of the Zaitu). Some say the name was coined by a French nun from the local mission who worked tirelessly to help the victims in the wake of the massacre. This one event set the wheels in motion for reconciliation between the Zaitu and their former enemies, the Lbote. Within two years, the Lbote chieftain Noote united all the tribes into a full uprising against the white government, finally throwing off their yoke and driving all but a few whites out of the country. Now affectionately titled Papa Noote, the former chieftain estalbished a national government under his own leadership, with the chieftains of all the united tribes forming the Presidential Council to advise him, including a newly appointed chieftain of the Lbote to emphasize that Papa Noote was now a national leader instead of a tribal one.
This arrangement proved effective, providing stability for the new nation of Ztumsia that would continue not only through the life of Papa Noote, but would also lead to the selection by the Council of his only son to rule after him. President Sianog proved a popular ruler as well, following in the policies of his father, but his life was cut tragically short by a heart attack at the age of 40 and he died without having produced a son. It was this death without an immediate heir that was to cause a fracture in the peace of Ztumsia. The Council of Chieftains began meeting to select a successor, and for the first time they had to consider the question of who was worthy to be President with no descendant of Papa Noote available. Should it be another from the Lbote? Should other tribes have a turn? Should the Presidency be retired in honor of President Sianog and the Council rule directly?
As the latter idea began to gain ground in the public eye, since it offered equal representation to every tribe, a new voice waded unexpectedly into the debate. Grand Bishop Jacob Mbosa of the Church of the Enlightened, a group generally regarded as a cult in neighboring countries but popular in Ztumsia with thousands of adherents, suddenly declared on his weekly radio broadcast to the faithful that he had seen a vision, and that Brother Isaac, one of the hand-picked elders of the Church and an up and coming warlord of the Mogate tribe, was in fact the reincarnation of Papa Noote himself, and the heart attack of President Sianog was a sign that the Presidency should be opened to the other tribes. He prophesied that from thenceforth Papa Noote would be reborn after each death into a different tribe, his identity revealed only to the Grand Bishop and his Elders, naturally, and would continue to lead the country forward in this way. His call for the faithful to flock to him and place Brother Isaac in the Presidency spawned an armed host with shocking rapidity, which the Grand Bishop named Mwanga wa Bure Urithi, Light of the Free Heritage (MBU). Faced with this sudden mobilization to armed conflict, the Council of Chieftains directed Ztumsian army general Ntebo to mobilize the army, which still bore its revolutionary name of Mteule Upanga wa Ztumsia, the Designated/Chosen Sword of Ztumsia (MUZ).
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Figure Identification
Can anyone help with identifying these figures?
There has been a little speculation that they could be Scruby, but nothing concrete.
There has been a little speculation that they could be Scruby, but nothing concrete.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Reading In Progress
I've recently been reading a good bit more than I had in quite a while, and have finished a few books and have a couple in progress.
Finished
-----------
Panzer Commander by Hans von Luck - autobiographical memoir of a man who served under Rommel in France, Africa, and France again. He also served on the Eastern Front and finished up the war near Berlin. Covers his postwar experiences in a Russian prison camp and later in postwar Germany as well.
Is Paris Burning by Larry Collins and Dominique LaPierre - A fairly extensive book with many firsthand accounts, centered around the liberation of Paris in WW2.
Piercing the Darkness by Brock and Bodie Thoene - A fictional novel by two of my favorite authors. This one would likely be classified as a thriller. Many of their other novels are historical fiction, such as Twilight of Courage (of which I frequently re-read various sections).
In Progress
---------------
With Rommel in the Desert by H.W. Schmidt - another autobiographical Afrika Korps memoir. The author served in various positions under Rommel, from combat commands to a time as Rommel's personal assistant.
Bread and Wine by Ignazio Silone - a novel focused on the Italian resistance fighters in WW2.
Alamo in the Ardennes by John C. McManus - As might be guessed from the title, this one is focused on the Battle of the Bulge, with a concentration on telling many small personal experiences from various participants.
Finished
-----------
Panzer Commander by Hans von Luck - autobiographical memoir of a man who served under Rommel in France, Africa, and France again. He also served on the Eastern Front and finished up the war near Berlin. Covers his postwar experiences in a Russian prison camp and later in postwar Germany as well.
Is Paris Burning by Larry Collins and Dominique LaPierre - A fairly extensive book with many firsthand accounts, centered around the liberation of Paris in WW2.
Piercing the Darkness by Brock and Bodie Thoene - A fictional novel by two of my favorite authors. This one would likely be classified as a thriller. Many of their other novels are historical fiction, such as Twilight of Courage (of which I frequently re-read various sections).
In Progress
---------------
With Rommel in the Desert by H.W. Schmidt - another autobiographical Afrika Korps memoir. The author served in various positions under Rommel, from combat commands to a time as Rommel's personal assistant.
Bread and Wine by Ignazio Silone - a novel focused on the Italian resistance fighters in WW2.
Alamo in the Ardennes by John C. McManus - As might be guessed from the title, this one is focused on the Battle of the Bulge, with a concentration on telling many small personal experiences from various participants.
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