Armour for Tomorrow's War (and some grunts)

At and around Crisis 2012 I bought some new armour for my TW games. They got painted in the past weeks and I'd like to show them (off ;o)

 

First the heavy Mercenary tank by Critical Mass. Painted in a green/brown "NATO" scheme to make it fit in with the other tracked tanks I use for TW (mostly Leopard IIs and Fuchs) to represent the lower tech levels. These bulky 15mm models fit in perfectly with the 20mm figures I use.

 

Next two Grav APCs, also from the Mercenary faction. These are painted in my version of desert camo to make them fit in in the higher tech level grav contingents. A bit small for 20mm but it just works for a small APC, I think.

Next the Arc Fleet hevay grav tank, painted in the same desert camo. Note the 20mm tanker looking out of the hatch.

Finally a grav scout vehicle. I think of it as a SF Jeep :)

Here's the magnificent Khurasan APC. So large for 15mm that it is a perfect fit for 20mm and of course a dead ringer for the APC from "Aliens"!

For everyone who asks himself: where the hell do I find 20mm SF troops: try RH Models!
I might wish Rolf had a better site and a more admissable web shop, but his miniatures leave nothing to be desired! Here are the Colonial battletroops skulking through heavy terrain.

 

Christmas Battle

Last friday evening I hosted the annual Christmas battle on the last gaming night of the year. It is also a tradition that it is not a normal wargame, but always something pulpy, campy and weird! This year I took a leaf from the creations of Goscinny ands Uderzo and played a Gallic version of a classic tale: Orpheus and Eurydice.

Assurancetourix, the village bard (names may vary with the country the Asterix albums are published in) fell hopelessly in love with beautiful Walhalla. Seconds after she answered his love, a falling menhir tragically took her life. But Assurancetourix, knowing his classics, would not relent. He would enter the underworld and persuade the Lord of the Underworld with his song and music to release his love to the world of the living! And off he went.

His tribesmen knew he was brave, but they were also pretty sure that he was no Orpheus... So they decided to help him! And armed with magic potions, smelly fish and menhirs they set out to aid him in his quest.

 Here they are lined up before battle. It was a homespun card-driven game with a very simple combat system and some character bound skills (like Kostunrix' battle fish would always negate two enemy defence dice on any enemy with a nose....)

Undead Romans and tentacled demons thwarted the players in their race for victory: reuniting Walhalla with Assurancetourix (and preventing him to sing for the Lord of the Underworld, as this would piss him off mightily!)

The Underwordly playing table was improvised from some classic ruins, lots of gravestones and lots of black....

And some Christmas theme in the Lord of the Underworld's garments and throne decorations...

A dragon. Never leave home without one and have him roast some Gauls. Asterix was quite singed at this point.

The final scuffle for Walhalla. A bunch of boars race by to distract the players, in vain this time.....

And the winners: Briton cousin Flegmatix on the left and Abraracourcix, our Leader on the right.

And the entire crew.....

A fine chaotic game in traditional roaring Christmas style and a fine finish on the gaming year 2012. Fortunately the Apocalyps turned out to be late  :)