Company Of Heroes - Eastern Front Mod

On the 21st Jan the long awaited Company Of Heroes (CoH) Eastern Front Mod was released. Link
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FAD 4 Game AAR

At the Huntingdon & District Wargames Society last night I had a much looked forward 15mm Sci-Fi game using the Fast And Dirty (FAD) rules with two of my friends James and Francis. As we are still getting to grips with the rules, (my 3rd game, James's 2nd and Francis's first) we used just the basic set. The battle took place on a 8'x4' table across the width. The objective for night was to secure the damaged gunship in the middle of the board. We had pre-planned forces of 500 points apiece. I was 99.9% certain that James would be using one of a pair of Critical Mass Walkers that he has recently bought, so I (cunning so I thought) decided to counter this by buying a light scout AT grav vehicle and having a specific AT squad armed with RPGs. The walker being armed with two autocannons and chin mounted double Gatling gun would slaughter my (clean living god fearing) infantry if it wasn't taken out quickly. With the remaining points I bought a light APC and 3 squads of Heavy armoured infantry armed with a mixture of high-tech assault rifles and SAWs.
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The battle with the initiative going to James and he aggressively used his walker to tear my APC apart. Francis and I countered by moving our AT Grav forward, and with a good dice roll took it out of play ! (At this point the weakness in my strategy of buying an entire team with RPGs came to light, as now they had nothing to do !) Both sides maneuvered for position, exchanging some fire as various units came into sight.
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Whilst James feinted with a couple of squads he managed to rush another to the dropship, at the same time deploying a pair of HMGs on a hill and tearing up a squad of mine that was trying to make for the objective. Losing 5 out of 8 men in one turn, left them Pinned (unable to move, and unable to fire).
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Francis and I riposted by damaging several of his squads with small arms fire, and launching missiles at the HMGs teams took one out and routed the other.
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At this point in the evening we ran out of time, and had to stop, with James although not in the gunship, certainly right next to it.
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Overall an excellent little game, enjoyed by all. We're now planning out next one in a fortnight, where we'll use double the number of points probably.
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Tiger I vs T34/85 and JS-2

Having seen this clip on U-Tube I just couldn't resist embedding it. Some excellent footage of Tiger 1s here.
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Irregular Magazine

This is worth checking out. The Irregular Magazine is produced on a quarterly basis as a downloadable PDF file. It contains no advertisements, and all content is supplied at no cost by community members. It covers Wargames, RPG, Miniature Painting, Scenery Building and much more. Link
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Good Quote

Saw a brilliant quote on the TMP by a contributor called Harmonward.

"It doesn't matter what the scale is, as long as your friends have an extra army. What matters is the friends."

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Stug IV

This is some fascinating footage of a very rare WWII German Stug IV assault gun getting dragged out of a river, followed by a short clip of the same vehicle running after it had been restored. Beautiful.
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Lead Adventure Forum

The web is such a big place and such a useful resource for the wargamer. Stumbled across a forum I haven't visited before, the Lead Adventure Forum. With 1,473 members, a large number of whom seem to be active posters, this is a forum that seems to cater for all periods and scales of figure gaming. Well worth checking out.
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JOKE - A LITTLE KINKY

A German guy approaches a lady of the night.

'I vish to buy sex viz you.'
'OK,' says the girl, 'I'll charge 20 an hour.'
'..ist goot, but I must varn you, I am a little kinky.'
'No problem,' she replies cautiously, 'I can do little kinky.'
So off they go to the girl's flat, where the German produces four large bedsprings and a duck caller.
'I vant zat you tie ze springs to each of your hans und knees.'
The girl finds this most odd, but complies, fastening the springs as he had said, to her hands and knees.
'Now you vill get on your hans und knees.'
She duly does this, balancing precariously on the springs.
'You vill please to blow zis kwacker as I make love to you.'
She finds it odd, but figures it's harmless (and the guy is paying.) She finds the sex is fantastic, as she is bounced all over the room by the energetic German, all the time honking on the duck caller.
The climax is the most sensational that she has ever experienced and it is several minutes before she has enough breath to say,
'That was totally amazing, what do you call that position ?'
'Ah,' says the German . 'zat is ze....
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scroll down.......................................
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Four-sprung
Duck technique
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Beamstrike Stats For Heavy Grav Tank

A friend asked me what stats (from the Beamstrike rules) I'll be using for the recently completed Critical Mass Games Heavy Grav tanks ...
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Vehicle Category: Heavy Tank
Armour Front: VH-VA
Armour Side: M-VA
Armour Rear/Top: L-VA
Propulsion: Grav
Crew: 3 (Regular)
Passengers: Nil
Weapon Pintle Mounted: Mk1: Nil
Weapon Pintle Mounted: Mk2: Support Bolter Weapon Turret: Railgun
Auto-Defence: Mk1: AI Turret + 20mm Gatling Cannon
Auto-Defence: Mk2 AI Turret + Rapid Fire Gyrobolter
Sensor 1: MAD
Sensor 2: Mk1: Nil
Sensor 2: Mk2: Sensor Array
Smoke Dispensers: Yes
Shields: AP & AM
Notes: Mk2 has a collapsible Satellite Comms Dish.

Points:
Mk1: 175
Mk2: 185

Conventions / Shows In 2010

For those wanting to / thinking about attending conventions / shows over the coming year, it is worthwhile checking out the excellent Newark Irregulars web site for the 2010 Show Diary. Link
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Night Vision Goggle Treatment

Javelin98, one of the contributors to the Sci-Fi Discussion message board on The Miniatures Page (TMP) has modified one of my photos and given it the Night Vision Goggle treatment :)
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Many thanks Javelin98, it looks excellent ! :)
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Help For Heroes - Big Battlefield Bike Ride 2010

A work colleague of mine is looking for sponsors to help him raise money for our (UK) wounded servicemen. Please take time to read his message below:

"Dear All,
After watching 'Wounded' on BBC1 last year I felt inspired to go MAD (Make a Difference) and signed myself up for Help for Heroes Big Battlefield Bike Ride 2010

This event takes place during the last week of May this year and we will cover about 350 miles over 4-5 days. Overall, I must raise a minimum of £2200, of which £900 must be paid on 1 Mar 10 and the balance by 1 Jul 10. Please help me to reach this target with generous donations to this worthy charity. I have set up pages with BMyCharity.com and JustGiving.com to make life easier for everyone and so that donations can make use of Gift Aid wherever possible.
(NB although it makes no difference to me, bmycharity.com does not charge, so all your money will go to HfH.)

Although I continue to cycle to and from work as much as possible, my training schedule starts in earnest in the next few weeks, so I am praying that the cold, icy weather will soon give way to something more like spring!

Finally, please feel free to forward this message to anyone that you think might be willing to sponsor me - it would be amazing if I could exceed that minimum figure!

Thank you in advance,

Gerard Bland"

News Link - Sunk Australia WWII hospital ship Centaur: First images

An Australian World War II hospital ship, the Centaur, has been seen for the first time since it sank more than 60 years ago with a loss of 268 lives. Link
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Here's a bad joke for you, passed onto me by a good friend of mine :)
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'The price of gas in France'
A thief in Paris planned to steal some paintings from the Louvre.
After careful planning, he got past security, stole the paintings, and made it safely to his van.
However, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas.
When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied, 'Monsieur, that is the reason I stole the paintings.'
I had no Monet..
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AFVH10 MkII Heavy Grav Tank (Command Variant)

Guys
Here's the second Critical Mass Games tank I've completed, the AFVH10 MkII Heavy Grav Tank. The basic vehicle is identical to the MkI tank I covered on the 3rd Jan but with the additions of two crew men in the turret. I've made a few modifications to personalise it somewhat, as I wanted this vehicle to fill the role of company command tank :)
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Like with the MkI I've left off the side turret weapon mounts, although on this occasion I've used the recesses for aerials; I've added a GZG sensor ball, satellite dish, and automatic close in defence robo-turret. A rare-earth magnet helps keep the turret in place (a bit wobbly otherwise).
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As before, I wanted to go for a dirty / weather-beaten battlefield look.
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The painting / assembly sequence I used was a follows:
1. After assembly, a spray of car primer grey.
2. Figure base painted with Colour Party Paints MA19 'Green'.
3. Entire vehicle painted in a Coat d'arms 233 'Linen'.
4. First camo line of Foundry 33A 'Arctric Grey' added.
5. Second camo line of Citadel 'Catachan Green'.
6. Some recessed areas painted Foundry 39B 'Storm Blue'.
7. Entire model given a Citadel 'Devlan Mud' wash.
8. Very light dry brush using Foundry 33C 'White'.
9. Metal areas, painted 'Black, along with crew visors'.
10. Metal areas lightly brushed with Citadel 'Boltgun Metal'.
11. Figures painted with Citadel 'Catachan Green'.
12. Figures dry-brushed with Citadel 'Rotting Flesh'.
13. Crew visors painted Foundry 22B Vivid Blue'.
14. Crew skin painted with Citadel 'Bronzed Flesh'.
15. Artwork and lettering added.
16. Base gritted.
17. Aerials added.
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I really like these models, for a sci-fi tank they are just the ticket.
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A month in Helmand: the soldiers' stories

Stumbled across this article at lunch-time called 'A month in Helmand: the soldiers stories' written by The Times war correspondent as he revisits his old regiment and reports on the daily ordeal of life on Afghanistan's bloodiest battlefront. Must confess I found myself choked after reading it, and had to go for a short walk before returning to my desk. Salute to all our guys out in Helmund ! Link
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Tampa and Gaming

Here in the UK' we've had (for us) quite a cold snap. Nothing to do with wargaming but here is a great photo of our rabbit 'Tampa' in the back garden a couple of days ago, enjoying the snow.
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On the gaming front my son saw a piece of my 'Tech Tunnel' corridor terrain (made by Old Crow) I had out its' storage box, and before we knew it, he had all it out and a full scale battle in place between his Space Marines (may the Emperor protect them) and my Orc Mob (green is best !)
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On the painting front I've been pushing on with the Mk2 Critical Mass Grav tank, and part from the aerials and base gritting, it's all complete. I hope to post a couple of photos tomorrow night, time permitting.
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Bad Day At The Office

I'm still on with painting up my Mk2 Critical Mass Grav Tank at the moment. I hoping to get it finished this weekend. In the meantime here's a great vid on having a bad day in the office. As someone who works in an office I can closesly identify with some of these clips ! LOL. Enjoy...
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glumbert - Bad Day at the Office

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Flying Swiss

Check out this totally awesome flying in the Swiss Alps by one of their Hunters.
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glumbert - Flying Swiss

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Interesting Link - 'Man Who Never Was'

A historian claims to have conclusively proved the identity of the "Man Who Never Was", whose body was used in a spectacular plot to deceive the Germans over the invasion of Sicily in the Second World War, Ian Johnston reports. Link
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Last Day Of The Holiday

It was my sons' last day of his X-Mas holiday break, so I arranged to have the day off as well. We've had a day full of wargaming goodness :) Firstly I dug out of my garage over 30 square feet of ready made 1/300th terrain that an old friend of mine (Steve Hammond) very generously passed onto to me at X-Mas; and then proceeded to lay out 25 sq ft of it on the floor in the spare bedroom. We pulled out of the attic some of my Battlemech collection and we had a couple of entertaining hours battling with them on the terrain.
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After lunch on the orders of Mrs Vulture the two of us took a car full of rubbish to the council run tip / recycling centre. Whilst there I was astonished to see by one of the skips, a box of Warhammer 40k Terminators.
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I spoke to the attendance who said if I wanted them I could have them :) Five what were previously unmade Terminators are now as of this evening assembled uncoated and ready for painting :) To add to the new figures in our collection, today the postman brought the small order of twenty seven 15mm Orcs I had recently ordered from 'The Scene'.
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Fabulous little figures, this photo does not do justice to just how nice they are. Overall a good day here at the Vulture's Roost :) Sadly, back to work tomorrow though :(

AFVH9 - Mk1 ARC Heavy Grav Tank (Modified) Enters Service

Today I finished off the first of the Critical Mass Games (CMG) tanks I recently purchased after first seeing it on the excellent Dropship Horizon Blog back in Oct 09. The AFVH9 - Arc Fleet MkI Heavy Grav Tank went together without any problem as such, with just a little excess flash needing sanding off the hull and turret before gluing it all together using Araldite Epoxy Resin. The kit comes with a choice of three main gun options. I opted for the heavier of the three, which looks like it could be a type of Railgun (that's what I intended to use it as anyway).
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Two odd shaped contraptions are meant to be fastened to the back of the turret; I'm assuming they could be grenade launchers or something. Anyway, as soon as I'd glued them on I hated them, so I ripped them off and filled the fixture holes up. I decided to delete the pintle mounted top MG/Heavy Bolter in its entirety and also filled that hole as well, this because I'd decided to upgrade the close support weaponry by fitting a (beefy looking) spare Gatling Gun I had from one of the CMG walkers. Behind it I placed a spare sensor I had in my bits box (from a GZG vehicle). Okay the sensor stops the Gatling Gun from having a 360 degree arc, but it does allows me to claim that the gun can be on either manual or automated response mode.
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Painting wise an initial spray coat of car primer grey started the process off. This was followed with a 90 degree coverage of Coat d'arms 233 Linen, camo lines of GW Catachan Green, and random'ish spots of Foundry 13b Spearshaft. Recessed grills were done in Foundry 34C Charcoal Black. Over all this I gave a wash of GW Devlan Mud, followed by selective highlighting with a GW Rotting Flesh and Foundry 33C White.
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Oppsss, almost forgot to mention that I used 6mm x 1mm rare earth magnets (sourced off E-Bay) so the Gatling Gun gun can rotate, and a couple to keep the turret on the body. IMHO this is a necessity with these vehicles, otherwise with the slightest nudge the turret is off.
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The lighting conditions were interesting for these photos. I took them in the garage with a low winter sun bringing warmth and shadow in its last hour.
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I'm currently chewing on what scheme to paint the MkII tank in....
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HAPPY NEW YEAR

I missed posting yesterday for a variety of reasons, but even though it's the 2nd now, I'd still like to wish all readers of my blog, a happy safe and prosperous 2010.
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Yesterday and today I've been busy working on my new Critical Mass Games tanks. I'll post some details and pictures on how I've been getting on tommorrow.
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AVATAR

Last night my brother-in-law (Mike) and I went to see Avatar at the local cinema in Huntingdon. I'm useless at writing reviews, so I don't intended to try here, suffice to say, for anyone interested in sci-fi this is a must see movie on the biggest screen you can find !! Totally awesome, with a richness of sci-fi hardware on show to impress even Alien 2 fans. We both gave it a rating of 9.0 out of 10.
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Christmas Eve

Very little figure activity going on in the house at the moment, although Alex and I have have been playing lots of Company Of Heroes and Dawn Of War on the PC.  I saw a posting on the TMP today about The Scene withdrawing his range of 15mm Orcs soon, so I thought I'd get 30+ before they are gone forever. In the post came a 3 tank platoon of Critical Mass tanks, but I've put them aside to open tomorrow.

In the meantime for WWII fans I found this fascinating clip on U-Tube showing Albert Ernst and his Jagdtiger X1 during the surrender of sPzJgAbt 512 at Iserlohn in the Ruhr pocket on April 16,1945.
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Mechwarrior 5

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Slightly old news, but interesting none the less, apparently a new Mechwarrior game is in production. Imaginatively titled 'Mechwarrior 5' some of the photos I've seem show excellent looking in-game graphics.
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This trailer on U-Tube is pretty good as well ! :)
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Homeworld 2

Been playing Homeworld 2 with my son. This is quite an old game now, but the graphics and game play are still excellent. Worth picking up if you can get a copy.
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88mm Gun In Action

This short video on U-Tube of the famous WWII German 88 Flak gun in action caught my attention. There is some outstanding footage contained within it.
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"Ataque de Panico!" (Panic Attack!)

Guys, check out this short film called "Ataque de Panico!" (Panic Attack!). It features giant robots invading and destroying Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
It is 4 mins 48 seconds long and was made on a budget of $300 (£186). So far it has had more than 1.5 million views on YouTube. Hollywood is som impressed they have asked the producer to make a full length film.
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Trident's future under discussion

Ever wondered what the inside of a Trident submarine looked like ? This short BBC news clip gives an interesting insight. Link
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On a totally seperate subject, I took the plunge and ordered the ARC Fleet Heavy Grav Tank Platoon tanks from Critical Mass Games. For me, as soon as I saw them some weeks back, the question was not if I should buy them, but when...
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Blood, bombs and boys' talk

When you’ve lost your legs, do you lose hope? The Sunday Times had exclusive access to some of the most seriously wounded young soldiers. One is his brother. Their stories — and humour — reveal extraordinary courage. Link
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I found the above piece very moving. Well worth reading.
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BAT-M Engineering Tractor - Crushing Cars

Stumbled across this vid of a Russian built BAT-M crushing a line of cars. No doubt, that is a tough vehicle with loads of power, I want one !! :)
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Background:
In the late 40’s the Soviet troops required a heavy artillery tractor to tow their super heavy guns and the upcoming nuclear missiles. One of them was the legendary AT-T based on the very early chassis and lower hull of the T-44 and later T-54 tank with 500mm wide tracks and a 13 teeth sprocket wheel. On the basis of this very strong artillery tractor several other heavy engineer vehicles were also derived. One of them, the BAT-M (also known as a “Way Builder”), featured a huge blade that was pivoted back when marching or being transported and a 2-ton crane installed at the rear part of the vehicle.
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Afrika Korps + A Joke For The Weekend

This is an intersting site on the Africa Corps, that is worth checking out. Link.
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Joke For The Weekend - Dead Duck

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said,
"I'm so sorry, your Duck, Cuddles, has passed away."

The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," he replied.

"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean, you haven't done any testing on him or anything! . He might just be in a coma or something."

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room, and returned a few moments later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the dog and took it out, and returned a few moments later with a cat.

The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed delicately at the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on it's haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.

The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."

Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman. The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill.

"£150!" she cried, "£150 just to tell me my duck is dead!! "

The vet shrugged. "I'm sorry. If you'd taken my word for it, the bill would have been £20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it's now £150!"
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Paper Terrain

This site is worth checking for the free paper terrain you can download. Link
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Interesting Link - Operation Hailstorm

What never ceases to amaze me about WW2 is just the size and scope of the forces in play and the number of battles fought. Quite by accident today I stumbled across a reference to Operation Hailstorm. This it seems was a truly devastating strike on a Japanese naval base called Truk. Well worth a read. Link.
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Intersting Sci-Fi Terrain Thread On The Critical Mass Games Forums

This thread on the CMG forums is well worth checking out. Link. Craig is making some sci-fi terrain boards for a display game at next years SALUTE convention. He is making excellent progress, and the scratch-built model he has been showing in recent weeks is just brilliant. Can't wait to see what it looks like when painted up.
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Simon's Cat

These are superb cartoon animations. If you have ever owned a cat, you will love these :)
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Free E-Book On Warhammer Terrain

Stumbled across this link to a site called MiniWar Gaming who are giving away a free E-Book on warhammer terrain. Link
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Completely unrelated, but here is short vid of an impressive close escape by the occupants of a HUMVEE as a roadside bomb goes off.
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Three Ways To Fail A Drunk Test

This is a funny on U-Tube that my brother put me onto. Definately worth a look :)
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Carpet Wargaming Over The Weekend

A quiet weekend has just passed here at the 'Vultures Roost' with the management away up seeing her family. This left yours truly in charge of boy (Alex), dog (Jed), rabbit (Tampa)and hogs (guinea pigs called Chocolate and Peanut). Deciding to take advantage of the cheap cinema tickets available on a Saturday morning Alex and I went and saw Monster versus Aliens at the bargain price of £1 each. Quite an entertaining film' although a bit scary in places for some of the younger children in the audience. In the afternoon I dug out a huge box of 25mm Citadel Spacefarers that my good friend John Elwen has left (on loan) with me to use as I want. The painting on them is fine, although the bases needed some attention. I'm part way through apply basetext all 200+ of them at the moment ! Anyway, here's a few photos of a carpet battle we did in our lounge. Alex took the clean-living god-fearing Imperials (in white), while I attacked with the Mercenary space scum ! :)
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Anglo-Saxon gold is worth £3.285m

A haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure recently unearthed in Staffordshire (in the UK) has been valued at £3.285m. Link
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Favourite Film Clip

This is clip from one of my favourite comedies, The Money Pit. It always makes me smile :) This is a scene where Tom Hanks (playing Walter Fielding Jr.) is cooking and heating up water for a bath in the renovation-bomb house he bought with his wife. Things don't go quite as planned...
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Tank Battle in Budapest (Nov 1944)

Stumbled by chance on this fascinating German Wartime Newsreel: Ufa Europa-Woche Nr.90, Nov 1944 showing a WW2 Tank battle in Budapest (Nov 1944). Link
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Tank Graveyard

This is a video of destroyed tanks in Iraq, taken in 2006. Link
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News Link - Drone Plane Developed By BAE Systems

This is an interesting news clip about the latest Drone Plane developed in the UK. Link
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Bomag Dropship - Reporting For Duty

Well, after a couple of evenings work I've finished painting both the Peter Pig 'Bomag' dropships I got a week or so back. Very nice little models to work with.
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Tour Of The World's Fastest Steam Car

Busy painting up one of my Bomag Dropships (made by Peter Pig). Not quite ready to photo just yet, still got the highlighting to do. In the meantime, here is an interesting link to a tour of the world's fastest steam car. Link
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ULTRAMARINE MOVIE

It seems there is a movie in the works about the Ultramarines. It is described as a 70-minute sci-fi thriller that will use CGI and state-of-the-art animation production techniques. Games Workshop will be working with a UK-based production company Codex Pictures, who have the momentous task of bringing the Warhammer 40,000 universe to the screen. Check out this link.
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Jay Leno Tank Car

This is one impressive vehicle...
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Stop Motion Movies - Listing

For those who haven't seen them here is a list of links to the Stop-Motion movies I've uploaded to U-Tube. My latest movie with the walkers I've taken with a different camera (Fuji S100), which has a far better manual shutter release system, and that has encouraged me to up the frame rate considerably.

1. Sci-Fi Combat - Battle For New Knaresborough Link

2. 40k Corridor Assault Link

3. The 3rd Mech Company Depart For The Front Link

4. 667th Impromtu Inspection (Lots Of Swearing) Link

5. Press Release - GZG V15-57A Reports For Duty Link

6. Plasma Tank Link

7. When All Is Quiet Link

8. 'Mechs Down At Nav Gamma' Link
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STOP-MOTION MOVIE - Mechs Down At Nav Gamma'

Today I completed my latest Stop-Motion movie. I've been working on this since I finished off painting a platoon of Critical Mass Games walkers last weekend. I've shamelessly used the soundtrack from an old video game intro, which I feel gives it a good atmosphere. Hope you enjoy it.
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