Our Dearest War and raidings...

Right a bit of Oldhammer this time!

Dawn of the Daleks

Well hello faithful readers and belated New Year's greetings to you all!

It's been a while (many apologies!) but I have finally risen from my hibernation.

The reason for my long absence - well the short answer would be work. The long answer would involve me blathering on about being depressed by the lack of balance between life and work, how much I hate my current job and what I would rather be doing with my life until the ripe old age of 72, when I might just be able to retire!

I'll stick with the short answer.

Anyhow, on to more pertinent matters - little men!



Not Oldhammer I'm afraid, although I do have a little something for my next post in that vein. Today I want to talk about Daleks.

There is a tenuous link to Oldhammer however. I really enjoyed (and failed miserably at taking decent pics or writing up a report) Warlord Paul's massive Floating Ziggurat of Mum Ho Thep game at BlogCon back in November. Afterwards myself, the Warlord and Lenihan (or Robotforaday as you may know him from his blog - Where the Sea Pours Out) retired to the hotel bar and, among other things, discussed doing a bit of Dr Who gaming for the New Year.

I must say I also thoroughly enjoyed GM'ing the Battle of No Bridge - a nice little skirmish admirably reported by Lenihan here.

Day of the Doctor

I finally caught up with some of the 50th Anniversary Dr Who shows that were on a while back -  I missed the actual day of televisual celebrations as I had retreated from civilisation for a very pleasant Birthday weekend in the Lakes.

Anyhow, very much enjoyed the Day of the Doctor - especially Tom Baker's appearance. Nice to see the Zygons back again, although I reckon they were a little overshadowed by the events on Gallifrey. They definitely deserve their own episode at some point.

All this Who goodness inspired me to dig out my old Blacktree minis and take some fresh photos - that and a great email from fellow Oldhammerer, Lenihan inviting me to join in a Dalek Civil War game as soon as his Black Tree Design order arrives. He's assembled a mighty Imperial Dalek force so I've reinforced my existing Genesis/Renegade force and look forward to a bit of Invasion Earth action in the New Year. Oh I should mention Warlord Paul is waiting in the wings to take command of a U.N.I.T. Taskforce to try and dissuade the Dalek menace from obliterating Earth in their little spat!

Enough jibber jabber - here's some new pics of my whole Dr Who collection.

Who holds the Devil, let him hold him well...

He hardly will be caught a second time...

And well might the Bishop of Keinetotehierstadt mark these words having foiled Baron Kraust in his latest evil machinations!

Clean Up in Eilnein

Ajax Van Ish met the piercing gaze of the Elven Sorceress with a hard stare of his own. The weariness of five days on the road was barely detectable in the Count's grim countenance as he thanked his new ally.

"Your assistance is greatly appreciated my Lady. The heretics we track are not far but travel in strength. If we are to rescue our countrymen, or avenge them... our best chance is to surprise them in the Woods of Eilnein."

"Our watchers have observed closely the progress of your enemy. Now that they have dared defile the sanctity of our domain we share a common foe. Their pestilence must not be allowed to corrupt this sacred realm."

Lenor Ambypure closed her eyes and shuddered at the thought of the presence of Nurgle's followers despoiling the woods. She rose from the table in one fluid motion and gestured towards the trees that surrounded the glade in which the small council of war had met,

"Count Van Ish, my Gladewatchers will direct your soldiers to a place of ambush. Together we will cleanse this stain from Eilnein."

In the gloom of the dawn, Man and Elf  crept stealthily to their positions. Harnesses were tightened, weapons checked and bow strings strung. The forest road lay still, a darkened artery upon which a terrible infection travelled inexorably on...

Welcome folks to another battle report - this time between a desperate Alliance of Men and Wood Elves and the dread forces of Nurgle that we played some weeks ago. This was also the first time I went down to my local gaming club, York Wargames Society - a great venue and friendly club that I hope to spend much more time at, real life permitting...

Gaj graced us with his convivial presence thanks to a business trip to York and Warlord Paul kindly stepped in as GM. Setting up was slightly unusual as Paul suggested I record my deployment on a sketch map to simulate my forces waiting in ambush. So it was left to Gaj to assemble his column of Chaotics and human prisoners on the road, nervously eyeing the trees!

The Nurgle column shambles along the forest road after a happy few week's of raiding and pillaging.

Ere, Gutrot - you 'eard them tales aven't you? It's always the buggerz at the back wot cops it furst...

Chaos Goblin warriors lead the order of march.. Behind them comes the heavy tread of a unit of Chaos Warriors, followed closely by their dread leader and his three pet Trolls. A unit of Chaos Goblin archers bickers ahead of the unfortunates that have been taken prisoner - best not to linger too long on their fate... The vanguard is led by the Chaos Dwarves and their infernal Bazuka while a second mob of Chaos Goblin archers brings up the rear.

Unseen eyes mark their progress and wait...

I know you can smell them already but wait till you see the reds of their eyes boys...

Druid Snart

 

A while back I entered several collections of miniatures into the monthly painting challenges that JustJohn has been running over on the Oldhammer forum.

 

To spare my blushes I'm not going to mention which months' challenges I entered them - suffice to say that the plan was to paint 20 strong unit of Norsemen, Druid Snart and the original King F'yar mounted on his Wyvern in time for the Bring Out Your Lead event down at Foundry we had at the end of the summer hols!

 

Anyhow, I'm afraid the Norsemen and F'yar still languish in base coat purgatory, but Snart got finished a while back.

 

Here are the pics I've been meaning to post up for some time now...

 

Only the villagers and the more expensive Orc and Dwarven personalities needed to complete the set now...

Brothers in (Four) Arms - Part 2

So we finally find ourselves back on the dingy little backwater that is Pelegosto Prime.

Apologies for the slightly longer than intended intermission - real life and all that...

We last saw our dastardly Pirate Captain Reade running into the first obstacles in his way, as he and his desperadoes attempt to track down the whereabouts of his Brother-in-Law, Black Bill - Part 1

We now pick up the action as Reade splits his party in reaction to the skirmish with the militia patrols on the right flank. A scurvy looking boarding party begin sneaking down the left flank, aiming to use the thick vegetation as cover.