Unified Field Theory Update - again

Back on April 20 of 2018 I posted how I had made significant progress on my 'flavor' pieces of terrain - which is now at 120 pieces - the 30 blanks still to add flavor too, 22 pieces that were done at the time, and 68 pieces that gained progress this past weekend.  All of the 68 got the darkest brown coat and the next lighter 'dancing daub' brown coat.  Progress stopped there courtesy of a severely twisted ankle but the next six layers of paint should go on rather quickly.  That will be a great addition to my terrain collection.  Then all I need to do is move forward with the 30 blank pieces.  At least I have in the meantime expanded my options for what goes on those blanks.  I will probably do one set of 12 and three sets of 6 to maximize diversity - though some might be a bit similar.  Photos when enough are finished to justify it.  Oh, and I have started adding figures for German East Africa!

ACW update

First ACW update in a very long time and, in a way, the first real ACW update - and with some photos, too.  Just click the appropriate tab up above.

AWI progresses

Haven't been posting much lately but have been moving forward with miniatures.  Making some progress on a number of ACW units - essentially working to 'complete' the partially painted units after my grand reorganization and rebasing that got started last year.  41 units got rebased last year and there were another 24 that needed a few to 10 figures painted to match to meet the new standard 25 foot and 1 mounted figure for infantry.

Even greater progress with the AWI.  Recently primed 15 of 30 German infantry regiments, have ready 12 guns with their crews ready to prime, and primed all 18 of my German "Generals" which is one mounted man and one foot figure.  Now just to clean and prep the 15 foot units and the Germans will be ready for paint.  Then comes the 13 militia units which, when added to the Germans and the French and Spanish will get me to 60 primed infantry battalions.  Next up will be the 20 Loyalist units to be followed by the 8 Additional Continentals, 4 Extra Continentals, 2 Legionary Corps, and 6 light infantry battalions (or other way around) which get me to 100 primed and ready for paint foot units - plus whatever artillery and command figures I prep as part of the process.  That will only leave 45 British battalions and the Continentals proper, another 55 units to get to 200 total.  Oh, and then there is the British pioneer unit and the Continental Corps of Invalids.  Cavalry already primed with 4 units partially painted.

And I've started - at long last - building my German East Africa figures, last period I have any intention of adding to my collections.  So far, knock on wood, 2020 is being a decent year for productivity.  Plus I am committed to run an ACW game at a convention in March.

Terrain making activity

I have three dozen of these balls - appears to be string wrapped around a styrofoam ball - will use to make some sort of tree most likely.

 A view into a little Aladdin's cave, the tub is large and packed full.  This is just a view of one layer, there are more than double the number of visible plastic containers with various items.

 These trees are the real reason for this post  Note the items hanging down, easiest to see on the leftmost tree.  These are foundations for jungle trees.

 And to give a sense of size, I've placed an Indian Mutiny elephant in the view from a top down perspective.  For 15 mm, these will be very large trees which means they will help achieve my goal of a triple canopy forest and jungle.

 More trees for the jungle building project.

 This is a craft store bird house that will become my own Taj-mah-small.  Same elephant.

A closer view of the elephant with his mahout and rider - while I'm using for Indian Mutiny, I think it comes from a Mughal range of figures.

Nothing earth shattering, just spent an hour or so trying to consolidate my 'verdure-in-training' supplies for when I start working on rainforest and jungle.

Jungle Building Materials

From the top, a large piece from a Ross store cut into three pieces plus a trunk, then two Michaels bits - trees with faces that will lose their faces for my purposes, the three rocks from a set that also includes the 15 alike trees found at Walmart, then the three large (and perhaps too flimsy for use) rocks on the left that come from the same set as the 6 trees all alike, and then - finally - the 31 palm trees (there was one on top of the 'brown thing' in the background found at Ross store at a different trip.  Well, technically the two different sets of stuff from Walmart and Ross were actually three sets of stuff each for six total sets, or tubs.  See below for what the tubs look like.

I may take those 31 palm trees and use them to create ferns for the understory of my jungles.  For one, I have a plethora of palm trees I can use to enhance a jungle already prepped and more besides awaiting use.  And, two, I prefer jungles without palm trees for what I have in mind.  I should also mention that the 15 trees and the three rocks seen again in the photo below will at least in part be used to create accacia trees for my Plains of Africa set up with the rocks forming kopje.

This shows the 'brown thing' better which is actually the lid to the plastic tubs and it represents a bridge over a pit of some sort which I will adapt somehow into my games, the palm tree is not integral to the piece.  Actually, if you look at the gray rock above there are three indentations where three of those palm trees are meant to be 'planted'.  I like the rock forms but they are very fragile so I might try filling them with some expanding foam but that might not work since it might burst the hills. 

I bought three of these tubs at a Ross store.  Lots of dinosaurs but not of use for my purposes so they will move on to younger folk like some great nephews or to a local charity.

There were three of these found at Walmart.  

Yeah, I spent a bit by buying three of each of the two tubs but the yield of material to work with was pretty cool.  Somewhere I have even more raw material for building my jungle including smaller versions of the trisected plus trunk item at the top of of the first photo above, or as I've decided to call it: 'Jungle In Training'.

15 mm Gangster Era Police Comparison Photos

For the benefit of others, I'm posting a few comparison shots of the 15 mm American 1930's (or so) gangster 'era' police.  I know, I know, most of you would probably have preferred the gangsters and mobsters - these guys were just easier for comparison.  All the figures in each range are to the same size and standard.

The shot above shows from top to bottom the 6 figures from Rebel Miniatures (originally from Splintered Light), the middle row are the 9 figures from Khurasan Miniatures, and the bottom row shows the 12 from Blue Moon Manufacturing.

The above shows Rebel, Khurasan, and Blue Moon (from Old Glory 25s by the way).

And here are three figures standing just picked at random but, again, Rebel, Khurasan, Blue Moon left to right.

Note that the Blue Moon police come in 6 poses and there are two of each pose.  The 9 Khurasan include 1 detective figure.  So that means there are 20 unique poses for police in 15 mm plus the detective (and if you like, Blue Moon has a Sherlock Holmes usable figure in their horror range that is perhaps the best sculpted figure I've seen in any scale - and there are London Bobbies in that mix).  That's pretty impressive.  Obviously, there is some size difference and that may be an issue for some but I like the variety so will use them all, just maybe give the shorter figures thicker bases.  Plan is that some of the cops will be straight law abiding, some may be on the fence, and some will be on the take.  That last is a good reason for the feds to get involved.

Gangsters Wholesale

Having committed to doing a gangster setup, I've laid in all the models I expect to need.  What I may not have I can probably borrow from other collections I already have - though might be in need of painting (so much is in need of painting!).

For buildings, I bought in the Night Chicago Died buildings from Blue Moon.  They make 14 different buildings and I bought one of all of them and then 4 more doubling up to get to a total of 18 for my little naughty neighborhood.

Figures come from the same range plus from Khurasan and Rebel Miniatures (formerly with Splintered Light).  I did some "filling" in with some more Blue Moon (x2 packs of the civilians) and some others from the Boxer and Darkest Africa ranges.  210 total figures, 39 women and girls and 171 men and boys (only a few kids).  And a dog.

Vehicles come from Peter Pig and Blue Moon (WWI trucks), a late friend's collections that had a few items of use, and some Maitso buys over the years.  I've amassed 24 cars and 16 trucks and a couple of damaged trucks.  And a surprise vehicle that is not going to be given away here!

Here are some photos from sorting out how to arrange the buildings:
Note that the names are from Blue Moon but may not be how I use the building since this is a fictional town despite being inspired by Chicago.  Like I said above, there are four duplicates.  First view is looking down Gangster Boulevard.

Right to left is the National Food Store, Biograph Theater, O'Bannion's Flower Shop.

 Same order, Country Club Diner, North Clark Street Storefront, and Storefront and Billiard Hall.

This is a side view of the Police Station (there will be a public square on this side of the station).

A front view of the station and North Clark Street Apartments.

An end view of the building just mentioned.

And below is an opposite view of Gangland Boulevard.

On the right is the warehouse - the bigger one - end view.

And a street view.

Next up is the Peoria Street Bordello, the SMC Cartage Warehouse - the small one, and the Cooperage Barrel Company.  As in most, right to left.

 Mrs. Orvidian's Boarding House, Mrs. Doody's Boarding House, and North Clark Street Apartments.

 Mrs. Dowdy's Boarding House, Peoria Street Bordello, and Cooperage Barrel Company.

Rear view of above.

 Adjacent rearview.

Further down rearview, nearest the warehouse.

The Warehouse's rear view - the dock has metal supports for the roof just lying in place at the moment.

An angled view.  Nearest the camera, the cross street is Shootout Avenue - the only four way I intend.  On the left before the square is Hardluck Street, near the square is Government Place, farthest on the left is Vice Way.

Those boxes contain all the figures and vehicles.

Now all is needed is a lot of painting.  Oh, and I do plan do acquire or build some street details: call boxes, fire hydrants, man hole covers, drains, garbage cans, street lamps, to give it more of a 'lived in' look.

Fun somewhere ahead.  Along with a good dose of mayhem no doubt.