Star Wars, French and Gnolls

As the Analogue Hobbies Paint Challenge is in full swing, I've completed a few sets of figures. First up is a set of Imperial Scout Troopers for Fantasy Flight's Star Wars Legion. 

I was looking forward to having these figs painted but I was kind of leery about actually painting up the white and black. I found a few videos on Youtube that gave good tutorials on how to paint them quickly and easily. I think they turned out pretty good.

Next up is a group of early World War 2 French infantry. These metal figures are from Black Tree Design. Just when I think I'm done with the French, I end up picking up more. I don't know what it is, but I really like painting French infantry.

On a related note, I recently finished listening to the audiobook of Robert Forczyk's Case Red: The Collapse of France. It covers the period from the late 1920's up to the collapse and surrender of France. I recommend it if this period is of interest to you.

And lastly, I finished a group of Frostgrave Gnolls. These figures are all metal except for the two in the back row with shields and these are from the plastic Gnolls set. All figures are from North Star figures.

Honestly, I really don't like these figures and I think it's because I couldn't come up with a good paint scheme for the Gnoll skin and fur. I've got another 18 plastic ones on my paint table that I'm really not looking forward to doing.

Up next some more French and maybe some sci-fi figs.

French Senegalese Tirailleurs Infantry

Recently I finished this squad of 10 French Senegalese Tirailleurs infantry. These figures are all metal and are from Warlord Games.

As I've said before, I really like painting up these World War 2 French figures. I have more infantry on the way and a bunch more vehicles awaiting paint.

More French & Year in Review

Today on the last day of 2014 I finished off another batch of World War II French. First up is another squad of infantry.

And finally is a Panhard 178 armoured car.

Next up on my paint table is a pair of French Somua S35's and a Char D-1. Then it will be onto my Martian Front figures. I've got 9 tripods primed and ready for paint and I'll need to assemble and paint 2 Slaver tripods, a bunch of drones, a Land Ironclad and maybe the Red Martian before MayDay. No problem.

Year in Review - Miniatures

Looking back on my goals I had originally set at the end of 2013 I see I did mediocre at best.
1. War Rocket - never got to the Valkeeri
2. 15mm Ancients - I got quite a number of Hittite bases completed. The army isn't quite finished yet, close but not quite. I kind of burned myself out painting them and the NK Egyptians.
3. 15mm terrain - I got a fair bit done. A handful of buildings were completed and I painted up the trenches for Terry and myself for the Martian Front.
4. 25mm sci-fi - did nothing and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. Maybe I'll get back into it sometime in 2015. If I haven't by the end of 2015 then I might as well get rid of it all.
5. 28mm Samurai - I didn't do any this year.
6. 54mm War of 1812 - I got a TON of these done this year. I've got some more primed ready to go.
7. Martian Front - I didn't get quite as much painted this year as everything hasn't come yet.

So for the coming year here's my goals:
1. War Rocket - paint the Valkeeri.
2. 15mm Ancients - finish off my Hittites. I'll probably hold off for at least 6 months to build interest back up.
3. Terrain - I've got a few more 15mm buildings to paint up. I've also got 11 28mm European buildings from Sarissa Precision to paint up for World War II.
4. 28mm Samurai - I've got to get going on this so I'll set the same goal I had last year: at least 4 bases done.
5. 54mm War of 1812 - finish off everything I have. I've probably got at least half a dozen units left to do.
6. Martian Front - as Terry and I are running a game at MayDay I've got a bunch of painting to do and I'll be getting to it as soon as I'm done my French.
7. 28mm World War II - finish my French (at least what I have). Warlord is going to be releasing more French so I imagine I'l be ordering more. And like a crackhead, I've actually ordered some Germans so they should arrive in a few weeks.

Year in Review - Boardgames

This year was crazy for boardgames. In 2013 I played 96 matches of 29 different games. This year I played 144 matches of 36 different games. Probably the main reason behind the big jump is a good friend moved to within a couple blocks of me so we've been getting in a lot of games.

My top 3 games were:
#1: Carcassonne - 18 games
#2: Kingdom Builder - 14 games
#3: Lords of Waterdeep & Twilight Struggle - 11 games

My game collection this year grew quite substantially this year. I really hope to get in more plays of my wargames as I only got in about 25 games this year. The ones I really want to get more plays or any plays in are Eclipse, Conflict of Heroes, Friedrich and Sekigahara.

So I'll bid farewell to 2014 and I look forward to much gaming in 2015. Have a safe New Year!

French Char B1 bis

The past couple days has seen me finish off another batch of World War 2 French. All figures are from Warlord Games. First up is a Char B1 bis tank.

And the next group of pics is a machine-gun team, a light machine-gun team, a sniper team and finally a forward observer.

Next up on my paint table is another squad of infantry and a Panhard armoured car.

World War 2 French Guns

Last night I finished off a pair of French 75mm Model 1897 field guns. This was the first time I've ever actually painted any sort of camouflage and I think it turned out decently. Figures are from Warlord Games.

I also finished up another squad of infantry. Figures are also from Warlord Games.

Up next is an R35 light tank. I've also got some infantry I picked up for Warfighter and my order of buildings from Sarissa Precision has started to come in, so I'll need to paint those up.

More World War 2 French

Today I finished another group of World War 2 French. These figures are all Warlord Games. First up is a squad of infantry.

Next is an officer and aide.

Next up is a medium machine-gun team.

And finally is a mortar team.

On the paint table is another unit of French infantry and a pair of 75mm guns.

World War 2 French

So I decided to jump into a new project, that being 28mm World War 2 French. I figured I'd go early war as that allows more nations with less uber units. Warlord Games recently had an offer of free shipping to Canada and the US, so I figured why not. I picked up the 500pt army plus a medium machine-gun and a Renault R35 tank. First up is a squad of infantry.

Figures are all metal. They had very little flash and are nicely detailed. They painted up quite nicely, I was surprised they came together as nice as they did and I really enjoyed painting them. Up next is the machine-gun unit, a mortar unit and an officer and aide.