Monday, June 24, 2019

Just a warning - of a benign nature

I seem to have regained access to this blog so I might be posting more here.  Hooray!  Or, you've been warned!

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Chicago Approacheth?

Well, I don't know if it will be Chicago but that is the 'intent' of the buildings - from Blue Moon's "The Night Chicago Died" range of figures and buildings.  So far, only acquired these six buildings:
Front left is the police station, then the Biograph theater, and then the cartage warehouse.  The theater marquee is a separate resin piece and can be seen sitting on the roof of the theater for now.
The Peoria street bordello, the store front and pool hall, and the police station again (by far the biggest building in the range).  The bordello's four upper floor stairs are separate resin pieces.
And then the bigger warehouse around back.
And the other side of the warehouse and the other buildings.  The bigger warehouse includes a separate water tank (in resin) with wooden stands and four supports (in metal) for the dock roof which, along with the dock, are separate pieces (in resin).  There is also a roof vent in metal.  All the roofs lift off.  

Only significant issue I've seen so far are the end walls of the bordello bend outward a bit but that should be an easy fix.

I'm thinking this may be enough for a game but there is the option to buy more buildings from the range and maybe expand it by exploring the buildings for London in the Horror range from Blue Moon.  

Buildings are big enough they would work with 20 mm, not just 15 mm.

July 5, 2019 Edit: I've gone ahead and ordered more buildings, some duplicates, so I will have a total of 18 buildings.  I've also ordered some more vehicles to go with what I've accumulated so far - I believe the total will be 38 (though perhaps more if I find suitable models).  Also ordered some more figures - the police and gangsters from Khurasan - and then some more Blue Moon figures to use as civilians, some will be duplicates and some of the extra figures will slot into other collections.  And if it weren't for an out-of-stock issue with one item from one order, I could say I was - more or less - done buying figures.  

Monday, June 4, 2018

For fun and possible frustration (?)

Frustration for those who want to know but don't, perhaps.  What is this?:

Now, I wasn't interested in this but the much older equipment that was steam powered.  I just thought the Pulponauts here on LAF would like to see this little beauty.  And, why, if properly tempted and given adequate time, I might be able to post additional shots of 'cool stuff'.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Buildings, Lots of Them, and Ruined Ones, Too!


There are twenty-five building models in the shot below, not counting the gates in the walls - or the walls.  The two in the lower right will be used up on top of the Tartar Wall, they are the smallest ones.  There are a lot of duplicates but paint should make it hard to tell once in a game.
 I think there are 21 ruins in the shot below but it might be 17.  Whichever number, I'm hoping that is enough to represent the damage in the legation quarter.
For certain, one walled compound will represent Prince Su's Palace (the Fu).  I might use the other in a different configuration(s?) to represent part of the Imperial Palace - maybe two 'half' compounds.  

With the six legations I've acquired, the Tartar Wall to be built, and the stand-in for the Pekin Hotel, I think it will be pretty impressive to look at.  One day.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

New Arrivals

So, received my latest order today - added in some structures for my FIW native villages and some more villagers and a Conestoga wagon just 'cuz.  Bought in the Blue Moon 15/18 mm Old West buildings, all of them.  They are Very Big and have lots of extra detail.  Won't really work with other manufactures products so it will be a 'stand alone' town I'm guessing.  Had been hoping to mix in with Peter Pig and Stone Mountain Old West buildings but not sure they'd work well together.  No matter, it will make a good size town - in numbers and physical size (heck, could easily use for 20 mm figures).

And the big influx was a whole bunch more structures for my Boxer Rebellion setup.  Only added one 'European' building for the British legation.  Got a whole bunch more ruins in various sizes.  And then lots of Chinese buildings, most of them I bought two of each.  My plan is to paint them in groups, green roofs, red roofs, yellow roofs, blue roofs.  Doing this partly to help with setup.  But also to disguise, a little bit, the duplications.  I also plan to paint each group with a slightly different base wall color, though I expect all will be some variation of off-white.

The big question is this: will I be buying more?  And, again, it depends on what gets made - a horse drawn hearse?  Yes.  More animals for the plains of Africa?  If I don't have them or I like them better than what I already have (even if painted), heck yeah - especially gazelles.  (Oh, baboons are now covered courtesy of a friend with a 3D printer, very cool.)  Old West chain gang.  Yup.  German East Africa?  Definite maybe.  A beautifully sculpted and complete range of Napoleonic figures?  Nope.  Hard to know for certain but, unless something fits within my existing collections, I can't really justify adding anything else.  So, I might be done!  We'll see.

Saturday, May 12, 2018

E-Friending Some Photos

Below are some photos of a 15 mm building from MBA and then, finally, a comparison with a Blue Moon building from the Boxer range.
This is the main building interior, bottom level - note the stairs on the left.
This is the second floor in place with the stairs up to the attic.
And here is the attic floor which has warped a bit in storage so I've flipped it when putting it back in storage to see if it levels out.
And here is the roof without the cupola in place.
And here it is in place.
And, ta da, the building itself - note the little finial piece missing on the right which I have but need to glue back on.
And the real reason for all these photos - a comparison between the building on the left which comes prepainted from Miniature Building Authority (while supplies last I guess because they've announced they are leaving the 15 mm world) next to one of the buildings from the British Legation from Blue Moon and Old Glory25s.  That little ball on the tabletop is the missing piece mentioned above, carefully stashed back inside before putting things away after snapping the photos with the old iPhone.

I've posted the photos the way I did so people will be aware of the interior.  I may use this to represent the Hotel d'Peking in my developing Boxer Rebellion game.  And I must credit Richard G. of War in 15 mm fame for the idea.

Before ever putting this piece in a game - I guarantee - I will securely glue the cupola to the roof or too much chance of a fall and breakage.  This will also be my Musketeer headquarters building for games from an earlier time frame and a couple continents west of Peking, more or less.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Leopigerion?

Bought this bit of fake fur a few months ago and now wondering how to best put it to gaming use.
 Here it is in the "plain".
And here it is with piece of 'flavor' terrain in process (temporarily sprayed green for a game last year).