Gaslands and Briscon

I was in Brisbane last weekend, and realised to my good fortune that Briscon was happening. In the nightmare petrol-guzzling dystopian mire maze that was the carpark, I received good preparation for a Gaslands Refuelled particiption game. Ross Williams ran this as well as made all the scenery and cars. The tyre piles are sliced Nerf rounds.

My car with front-facing minigun and molotov cocktails

Buggy with rocket turret and shotgun

Car with turreted machine guns and napalm dropper

The course. Ross proudly told us that noone had made it to the second gate.

Start your engines!

We race to the first gate, which activates weapons.

I veer infront of the buggy and drop a molotov accurately on it

Mayhem! I dodge a rocket; napalm is dumped and the buggy crashes into the other car

Both my opponents blow up, I try to squeeze through the eye of the needle
and we called the game. Great fun!

Other participation games I saw included Lion Rampant crusades and Wings of Glory. There was an impressive 15mm Johnny Reb display game of Gettysburg, but it lacked any explanation or crowd-wranglers. I'm getting crotchetty.

Early evening July 2 1863

Peach Orchard with Little Round Top in the distance

There were a few tournaments going on, including Armada (Star Wars and Mantic), Battletech, Bolt Action, DBA, Team Yankee, 9th Age, Kings of War, Star Wars Legion, and One Page Rules' Grimdark Future.

I had a good time at the bring & buy stand, including an absolute bargain on OOP Forgeworld renegade milita and metal Catachans.

First Bull Run

I used Battle Cry with solo rules based on posts on boardgamegeek. Roll a D6 and compare it to your command value- if it is more then draw and play one card. If it is equal or less, then draw two and play the best card. 'Probe' cards allow you to draw an additional card next turn. 'Fight back' gets played at the first opportunity. Simple!

I played the first scenario- First Bull Run, 21 Jul 1861. The Rebels got a lousy series of cards and the Union beat them to Henry Hill. JEB Stuart had a very lucky escape on the left flank. The Union took the hill, but at considerable cost. The Union won 6-3. History changed!

Setup

Game end

Battle Cry Diary Day 4.5- finished!

I just ploughed ahead last night and got them done by 11pm, so I put on the matt varnish and went to bed. This morning I took some photos and played a solo game- great fun!

All the figures

I'm really please with them- I can't believe what a difference the matt varnish makes (Testors Dullcote).

Johnny Reb

If I was really keen, I'd trim down or touch up the edge of the flags where the stickers still show white. Also, I'd bend the flags a bit.

Yankees

Overall, I'm really impressed with the utility of the dip for a project like this one. I got these on Wednesday night, prepped and primed them and did up a few test figures on Wed/ Thurs, then got into them on Fri and Sat and they were done by late Saturday. I've never painted so much so well so fast.

Union Artillery

Cavalry

Confederate Artillery

Infantry

General Officers

Edit: and it goes nicely into the box as well:

Battle Cry Diary Days 3-4

Well, I've leapt into the painting. I got a bit of feedback from my previous post, and went for a very slightly darker grey for the Rebels, and stuck with the darker blue for the Union. Then I just sat and painted. I took all the shortcuts- no buckles or buttons, few straps, no beards, horses and hair all the same colour, etc. And I've churned them out. The base painting is finished: all they need is dipping, flocking, varnishing and base touching-up. And the sticking on of flags. I intend for them to be done by lunch tomorrow.

For a purely gaming project, I've been impressed with the speed this has gone down. I'm hoping I don't muck up the dip. I'll post detailed pictures when they're done.

Battle Cry Diary Days 1-2

Another grasshopper gamer change of pace! I received my copy of Battle Cry yesterday, and am planning to smash out all the units quick-smart. I will be using my dip experience from my WotR painting.

I've already shown my preference for painted boardgame pieces here, here, and here.

I know very little about the ACW. I can name the famous battles, but who won them, and which side Jackson or Lee fought for, are a mystery to me. Battle Cry nicely scratches an itch by being a self-contained game using the first iteration of Richard Borg's Command & Colors rules, which I have really enjoyed for Naploeonics.

I'm just going for a quick and functional paintjob here. All the units will be identical; no different trousers for the Southerners from me, no fancy flags, all very vanilla! I do want it to look right to my eyes, however, and have done a quick trial of coats and trousers for both sides.

I prefer the darker blue (right) for the Union.

I think that the pale grey Confederate trousers (left) look better than the blue-grey or same-as-my coat-grey.

These will eventually get flocked and matt-varnished. The figures are a firm plastic, akin to plastic cutlery. I was expecting something softer and more rubbery, but was pleasantly surprised. I haven't done any deflashing, and didn't have to straighten any flags or rifles. Nothing was broken.

122 figures!

I prepped them by a quick wash in soapy water, then sand was PVA'd to the bases, and finally stuck to tongue depressors and sprayed Army Painter Leather Brown.

Less typing, more painting! And Ken Burns in the background.