This is a monthly self indulgent post for me to sit down and write a report card on how I have gone against my Hobby Project Plan.

March has been a pretty good month. Our 48th wedding anniversary, the football has started and a very productive hobby month.

I have written thirty one blogs including twenty three hobby posts, two book reviews, five battle reports and one other blog.

The toy production has also been excellent with the Mori and Oda clan Japanese figures, each consisting of thirty one infantry and fifteen cavalry completed. In addition there was six Napoleonic Cavalry, the Portuguese Napoleonic artillery train, three mega fauna glyptodons, two generic stable buildings, twenty five zombies, and nineteen German WW2 tanks.

In terms of THE project plan only the Japanese figures were on it si who knows what April has in store.

1. Finish the about 200 Zombies remaining – these will be painted alongside other projects – 25 completed
2. Dead Man’s Hand civilians.
3. Complete 2 Japanese 28mm Warlord plastic clans – completed.
4. The Batman Searchlight – completed
5. Infinity Nomad faction
6. Complete Japanese village – again this will be completed alongside other projects – 90% completed.
7. About 80 more Test of Honour Japanese figures.
8. Set of 54mm Roman Generals – 50% completed.
9. Egyptian 28 mm skirmish figures.
10. Eureka Miniatures 28mm Anubis and Bast figures.
11. Eureka Miniatures 28mm cricket team.
12. Various objective markers.
13. 28mm Australian Light horse (12).
14. Complete Gotham City railway yard, freeway, port and two ships – about 40% completed (same as in January!) .
15. Various small Gotham city terrain pieces (bill boards, containers, small buildings) – completed.
16. Crooked dice post apocalyptic scatter terrain – 60% completed (same as in January!).
17. Gangs of Rome figures and buildings (this is about half completed)
18. Set of Army tents and camp fires.
19. French figures for Sharpe Practice.
20. British figures for Sharpe Practice.
21. Finish Portuguese for Sharpe Practice – just needs basing.
22. Complete Crooked Dice Shanty Town buildings.
23. Paint assorted farm animals for use as scenery/objectives for several projects.
24. Complete French Indian Wars trapper and Indian canoes and various cavalry.
25. WW2 French Army for Bolt Action.
26. 28mm Skirmish Plains Indians.
27. 28mm US Cavalry.
28. Modern armed civilians and rioters and 2 rock bands – 50% completed.
29. Harry Potter Figures
30. Finish Modern ISAF and insurgent figures and vehicles.

So despite a good hobby month not much of what I had actually planned to do was completed.

The Guru will meditate in the temple and contemplate the universe for inspiration on what to do in April.

Which means, if March is anything to go by, this is code for I have NO FREAKING IDEA!

Well probably not as I am still looking for a Brummbar and a Jagd Tiger models to “complete” the collection.

The models are from a collection of manufactures with the “old” Airfix Panther kit standing up very well in terms of ease of assembly and overall finish.

The Panthers sleek lines come out well in the model.

The track assembly went together quite well despite my concerns and the comments of fellow bloggers. Having completed many of these in my early wargaming days of over 50 years ago I still remembered the trick of making sure the wheel tension bars were allowed to dry over night and then the wheels went on very quickly.

Next was the Minairons Flakpanzer 1 Ausf. A.

This is a marvelous little kit. Having not put together any of these Minairons kits before I was surprised by the quality. The only problem is that the combination of plastic, resin and metal parts meant that the gluing process was slowed by the need to use different glues and waiting for one to dry before applying the other.

The two Italeri Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. F tanks I am very familiar with, already having six completed. These went together very well and again I was very happy with the finish except for the fact that half way through assembling one it was subject to a cat attack and I needed to do some running repairs and had to use a spare wheel as the hatch cover on one as it was nowhere to be found.

Beware the innocent look!

In some ways, although not “correct”, the wheeled hatch I think looks better.

lastly was a Hasegawa Sd’Kfz.162 JagdPanzer IV L/48 late version tank hunter. Like I find most Hasegawa kits this one was a pain to put together. The wheel assembly was fiddly with many uneccessary bit included to boost the part numbers. Despite this I was pleased with the completed model.

Until I find the extra models I am after this will be the last of the German tanks for some time.

I will work on the six Soviet tanks I have to complete and some Japanese buildings, villagers, and Ronin for Test of Honour over the next few weeks – the Western Bulldogs permitting.

GO DOGGIES!!!

The Maus under construction at the Krupps Munitions Factory

The vehicle was designed so that it would fit on rail cars in order to overcome it’s short range.

Unlike most other tanks the crew could not make track repairs in the field as it required engineers with specialist equipment.

The Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus (Mouse) tank was originally called the Mammut (Mammoth) and is the largest tank ever built. The only surviving example is at the Kubinka tank Museum outside Moscow, Russia, and is really only an empty shell with chassis and turret.

The tank at Kubrinka is in fact the only two prototype tanks merged into one vehicle. The Museum’s Maus tank chassis was from prototype hull number (V1) and the turret was from tank number (V2).

The Germans placed explosive charges in both vehicles to stop them falling into the hands of the enemy. The internal explosion inside the tank chassis caused considerable damage as the collage of photos of V2 below shows.

The V1 was only ever supplied with a mock turret for weight testing purposes. The vehicle never left the Kummersdorf testing complex before it was overun by the Soviets in 1945.

Now for the model. The tank went together very well despite the number of parts for the wheel assemblies.

The kit came with both turret versions so although the model was painted as the V2 I completed the V 1 mock turret and painted it in the same camo as the V2.

The V1 version:

The version 2:

As I talked about in a previous blog when putting together the Russian T35 I was surprised about how large it was compared with the Maus.

The uncompleted model below shows you why. I could not believe the T35 was that big and rightly thought one of the models may be slightly out of scale. This turned out to be correct when I had a look at both vehicles statistics – but not by that much. The measurements vary from source to source which is surprising as the Kubinka Museum has both in their collection.

The Maus measurements are L=10.72m, H=3.63m, and W=3.71m. The T35 measurements by comparison are only slightly smaller overall with L=9.72, H=3.3, W=3.43. So the T35 is slightly smaller by about 400mm all around.

This is, however, where the comparison ends. Weight is 54 tonne compared with 188 tonne, armour 11-30mm compared with 150mm – 220mm and main armament 76.2mm compared with 128mm. The only comparison that the T35 comes out on top is the crew numbers of 11 to 6.

Anyway more on the T35 when I finish the four I have to complete. I unwittingly bought two boxes that had two in each.

I enjoyed researching this tank and putting it together despite being the “Princess” I am.

I see a “What A Tanker” scenario coming on soon.

Hi guys I have been busy over the last few days so not much blogging. Just a few picks of progress on the German tanks and a quick question as I have to get ready for dinner (see previous blog).

German tanks almost completed.

I was a bit surprised how big the T35 tanks was when putting together. The scaling between the Maus and the T35 is a bit out with the Maus being 480mm longer, but both are still monsters in size. That is where the comparison ends which I will discuss in tomorrows blog.

With the last of my German tanks almost completed I realised that there were two other monsters that I didn’t have in the collection that I wanted, these being a Jagd Tiger and a Brummbar. I still have a few half tracks to do but these are not a priority.

Can any of you guys out there recommend a kit for either one – the simpler the better.

Maybe with the exception of moving from Humbrol enamels to acrylics. That aside 48 years ago today I married the other love of my life Maree.

I’m the cute one on the left. We have been happily married for 48 years – she’s happy and I’m married. Just kidding.

…………….Not sure about hers!!!

Find out in this exciting episode from Phillip Island Gaming Society

We have been making some changes to our “Batman” rules of late and it was time for a playtest to see if our ideas were grounded in “reality” (a rather “relative” term for us PIGS).

This sounds a bit too like Bertrand Russell’s “None of our beliefs are quite true; all have at least a penumbra of vagueness and error” – too which I most wholeheartedly subscribe.

Anyway, I believe Batman is “real”. So there!

Back to a serious dose of reality – the game.

On the one side we had Bane, Talia Al Gul, and Scarecrow and on the other Batman, Comissioner Gordon, Cat Woman, a SWAT Team and some Police.

The game began with the normal maneuver forward for the first turn with the exception of Cat Woman who ran through the sewers, and using her thief skills picked up an objective to transport it back next turn. This was a brilliant tactic but triggered a very unexpected train of events.

Bane run through the same sewer after Cat Woman and was promptly surrounded, but despite being out numbered for all of the game, survived and contributed significantly to his team’s result. Next turn a thug (orange) came to Banes support.

Bane’s thugs control another objective.

The First Aid objective is in the hands of Talia al Gul who was seriously wounded by the SWAT tream sniper on the roof.

SWAT Sniper

Bane in control of the objective despit being surrounded by Batman and the Police.

Commissioner Gordon tries to attack Talia but is “charmed” by her womanly assets and stops to “admire” her (Ian is this PC any more?).

Another SWAT shooter.

The game ended up a “near run thing” with Batman, Gordon and Cat Woman on 4 victory points, and Bane, Talia, and Scarecrow on 22 Victory points. In the more important “body count” the Caped Crusader doubled Bane winning four to two.

The playtest went well and we will try a few more things in the next thrilling episode, “at the same Bat time on the same Bat Channel”.

*One of Robin’s 359 “Holy” sayings.

We try to get down to Cowes for a couple of days each week to catch up with family and friends, to enjoy the seaside, and for the odd (empahsis mine) P.I.G.S. game. Every time I come down I try and put at least one colour on a bunch of zombies on the painting table. This lot has been on the table since early January and are at various stage of completion.

I had not noticed that one lot just needed a little work on the basing and they were finished, so this was a bit of a surprise, and not a blog I was intending on writing today.

I have based and undercoated the Maus but spent the next half hour just finishing these guys off. The Maus is undercoated with the same Tamiya TS3 that I use for everything.

Twenty five more zombies to beat up on:

They took more to photograph than to finish them.

All of the zombies are from “Zombicide” and the movement tray is from Back 2 Base-ix Wargaming Products

I find the movement trays are excellent to store figures on the shelf with. It organisers as well as making it easier to move from shelf to table.

I just had to get this one finished or it would sit in the to be finished cupboard forever. As we were heading from Melbourne to Phillip Island for my sons birthday, I took the kit with me hoping that I might get a bit more done. I surprised myself and ended up finishing it and writing this blog before midnight.

As kits go despite all of my whinging it wasn’t that bad to put together, although despite the number of pieces the finished model looks pretty plain.

By the way did I say I hate putting together model kits!

With just finishing the wheel assembly there are 93 pieces more than in the rest of the model.

The tracks on and held in place by a staple. As the model will be on a base this will not be seen.

All that bloody work on the wheels and they willnot be seen!

See? You don’t that’s the problem!

The finished model

As I said it looks pretty plain. I will paint it up over the next few days and with its camo pattern it should look OK. By the way John I am pretty sure this ones the PzVIII Maus V2 as it has an operational turret! The kit does have the mock turret to make the V1, but who wants a tank without a big shooty thing.

Byzantine List

Almost ready for our next P.I.G.S. gaming night and I still haven’t finished last weeks report.

My place, so my choice of game. I decided on a 15mm game of Lion Rampart using the Byzantine and Tuetonic Order lists provided in the book. Given this was the first game of LR for some, we decided to just stick to the Bloodbath scenario which is a simple VP game based on enemy units destroyed, and boasts achieved.

Tuetonic Army (using Knights of St John figures)

Based on a 600mm X 600mm game board the terrain was fairly open with only the hills, forests and small fort having any effect – the rest including the road and stream were just for aesthetics.

Most of the terrain is latex from Miniature World Makers that I have had for decades.

The first thing you have to do in Lion Ramaprt is to run up and down the front of you army making a boast for all to hear. These rank from easy one VP boasts to hard three VP boasts. The dastardly Hospitallers chose the “My arrows are more deadly than my spears” an insipid 2 point boast. The Mighty Byzantines (bias – nah) chose “My own sword shall not be drawn”, meaning the General cannot accept a challenge or his unit fight for the whole game. After all upstart monks are not worth the effort!

Next was to roll for your leaders characteristic. The Hospitaller leader turned out to be “forgettable” (how apt), but he did have a fine moustache. The wily Byzanzine leader turned out to be “sly” which meant he could refuse a challenge without the usual Courage test. This was great for the boast he had chosen.

The Byzantines in battle order. The dice trays represent the strength in figures remaining. I remembered halfway through the second turn that the mounted units only have a strength of six so a quick change was made before it became an issue (Gurus aren’t pefect they just think they are).

The combatants line up against each other.

The Miliatary orders general moves forward.

The first few turns were unremarkable with a charge and countercharge by mounted sergeants causing the Byzantine unit to become “battered” – a game term for up the proverbial creek.

With only one hit point left the Byzantine seregeants will need to retire before being taken out by their opponents crossbows.

The Byzantine foot sergeants were luring the Hospitaller knights into attacks against their Skiltron formation which eended up breaking one and almost destroying the Monk leader.

The Hospitaller leader’s unit down to two men left.

With both sides trying to avoid causalities on their vulnerable units the game ended due to darkness falling.

You would think that the warrior priests would be honourable men, but NO their “forgettable” leader preyed to a hire being (spelling correct!) and ended up winning 14 VP to 13VP.

As it turned out the Byzantine general should have forgone his boast and charged the military orders leader as being permanently battered this would have taken him out for a joint gain of 3 VP’s.

Another great game from the rules of Dan Mersey.

Forty Seven bloody pieces later and I have just finished one side of the Maus’ track assembly!

Did I say that I hate putting kits together!!!

This makes the Panther a walk in the park, but at least it goes together really well. I will see you in six weeks time with a finished model!!!

Just get on with it Princess!