Month: January 2016

Lead Mountain Update 19

Posted on by Michael Charge

Sadly, I must call defeat on this challenge. based on the past few weeks I will not have enough time to finish all my models. Its a pain but things happen. Fear not though, I’ll keep writing these posts as I paint models

As you might have guessed, nothing much got painted this week.

Painted, varnished and based – 186:

  • 38 Empress – Modern British Infantry
  • 14 Spectre – UKSF (of various types)
  • 6 Spectre – Task Force Operators (painted as SAS) + 1 Spectre Dog
  • 10 Spectre – AK armed contractors
  • 5 Spectre – Western Contractors (being used as US Special Forces)
  • 11 Spectre – Task Force Operators (being used as US Army Rangers
  • 2 Spectre – Intelligence Agents
  • 5 Spectre – African Soldiers
  • 4 Empress – Armoured Troopers
  • 4 Empress – US SEAL Team 6
  • 8 Spectre – Task Force Operators (To be split between UKSF and Rangers)
  • 17 Radio DishDash –  Taliban
  • 4 Spectre Direct Action GRU
  • 14 Spectre – Insurgents
  • 4 Empress – US Frogmen
  • 1 Eureka – Taliban Sniper
  • 2 Spectre – Hostages
  • 2 Evil Bear Wargames – Hardsuits
  • 1 Eureka – Force Recon .50cal Sniper
  • 6 Eureka – US Force Recon
  • 4 Empress – PLA Special Forces
  • Spectre – 1 VIP and 3 Bodyguards
  • 7 Spectre – Task Force Operators (To be split between UKSF and Rangers)
  • 5 Spectre – Covert Action GRU
  • 5 Spectre – Western Contractors (Converted with Shemaghs)
  • 1 Spectre – African Forces Commander
  • 2 Spectre – African Forces Special Weapons

In the process of being painted, varnished and based – 14 :

  • 1 Empress – Dog for Counter-IED Team – Based, needs painting
  • 1 Spectre – Dog – Based, needs washing
  • 1 Empress – Warrior IFV – Repainted in Desert Tan
  • 1 Spectre – UKSF (ghille suit with M4)
  • 1 Evil Bear Wargames – Panther – Base coated in Desert Tan
  • 1 Empress – Challenger 2 – Base coated in Desert Tan
  • 2 Spectre – Task Force Operators
  • 2 Spectre – Task Force Operator Marksmen
  • 2 Spectre – Task Force Operator Breachers
  • 1 Spectre – Task Force Operator Dog Handler
  • 1 Spectre – Task Force Operator Grenadier (pirate gun)

Basecoated with Basing Material– 75:

  • 5 Hasslefree Miniatures – Modern Troopers
  • 8 Spectre – SMG Armed Contractors
  • 6 Spectre – Intelligence Agents
  • Spectre – Female Contractor (Salute 2015 model)
  • Spectre – 1 Agitator and 1 Bodyguard
  • 6 Spectre – African Locals
  • 2 Spectre – Deniable Assets
  • 8 Gripping Beast – Falklands War Brits
  • 3 Spectre – VIPs
  • 4 Spectre – Close Protection Agents
  • 19 Spectre – MENA Militia
  • 1 Spectre – Offroad SUV
  • 2 Spectre – SUVs
  • 6 Spectre -Deniable Operators
  • 2 Tale of War – Special Figures

Basecoated – 1:

  • 1 Spectre – Contractor (being converted)

Not Arrived – 28: 

  • 8 Radio DishDash DELTA Force
  • 12 Radio DishDash US Army Rangers
  • 8 Radio DishDash Somali Gunmen

Total Models: 306

Models finished (Based, painted and varnished): 186

Percentage of collection finished: 60.78% painted

Lead Mountain Update 18

Posted on by Michael Charge

I managed to get a little bit more painted this week – starting on the operators and putting the final touches to the hard suits. I’m not too fussed about adding the wires for the machine guns but I probably will do down the line. Overall, fun kits to make and will be great fun on the table top.

IMG_20160111_211910

Next week, the aim is to get the operators and deniable guys finished off, as well as a bit of mopping up of the in progress stuff. Then it will be a straight run into the end with the piles of militia to finish.

Painted, varnished and based – 186:

  • 38 Empress – Modern British Infantry
  • 14 Spectre – UKSF (of various types)
  • 6 Spectre – Task Force Operators (painted as SAS) + 1 Spectre Dog
  • 10 Spectre – AK armed contractors
  • 5 Spectre – Western Contractors (being used as US Special Forces)
  • 11 Spectre – Task Force Operators (being used as US Army Rangers
  • 2 Spectre – Intelligence Agents
  • 5 Spectre – African Soldiers
  • 4 Empress – Armoured Troopers
  • 4 Empress – US SEAL Team 6
  • 8 Spectre – Task Force Operators (To be split between UKSF and Rangers)
  • 17 Radio DishDash –  Taliban
  • 4 Spectre Direct Action GRU
  • 14 Spectre – Insurgents
  • 4 Empress – US Frogmen
  • 1 Eureka – Taliban Sniper
  • 2 Spectre – Hostages
  • 2 Evil Bear Wargames – Hardsuits
  • 1 Eureka – Force Recon .50cal Sniper
  • 6 Eureka – US Force Recon
  • 4 Empress – PLA Special Forces
  • Spectre – 1 VIP and 3 Bodyguards
  • 7 Spectre – Task Force Operators (To be split between UKSF and Rangers)
  • 5 Spectre – Covert Action GRU
  • 5 Spectre – Western Contractors (Converted with Shemaghs)
  • 1 Spectre – African Forces Commander
  • 2 Spectre – African Forces Special Weapons

In the process of being painted, varnished and based – 14 :

  • 1 Empress – Dog for Counter-IED Team – Based, needs painting
  • 1 Spectre – Dog – Based, needs washing
  • 1 Empress – Warrior IFV – Repainted in Desert Tan
  • 1 Spectre – UKSF (ghille suit with M4)
  • 1 Evil Bear Wargames – Panther – Base coated in Desert Tan
  • 1 Empress – Challenger 2 – Base coated in Desert Tan
  • 2 Spectre – Task Force Operators
  • 2 Spectre – Task Force Operator Marksmen
  • 2 Spectre – Task Force Operator Breachers
  • 1 Spectre – Task Force Operator Dog Handler
  • 1 Spectre – Task Force Operator Grenadier (pirate gun)

Basecoated with Basing Material– 75:

  • 5 Hasslefree Miniatures – Modern Troopers
  • 8 Spectre – SMG Armed Contractors
  • 6 Spectre – Intelligence Agents
  • Spectre – Female Contractor (Salute 2015 model)
  • Spectre – 1 Agitator and 1 Bodyguard
  • 6 Spectre – African Locals
  • 2 Spectre – Deniable Assets
  • 8 Gripping Beast – Falklands War Brits
  • 3 Spectre – VIPs
  • 4 Spectre – Close Protection Agents
  • 19 Spectre – MENA Militia
  • 1 Spectre – Offroad SUV
  • 2 Spectre – SUVs
  • 6 Spectre -Deniable Operators
  • 2 Tale of War – Special Figures

Basecoated – 1:

  • 1 Spectre – Contractor (being converted)

Total Models: 274

Models finished (Based, painted and varnished): 186

Percentage of collection finished: 67.88% painted

Exempt (Not Arriving in time) – 28:

  • 8 Radio DishDash DELTA Force
  • 12 Radio DishDash US Army Rangers
  • 8 Radio DishDash Somali Gunmen

Holiday Rollings

Posted on by Michael Charge

With me being in the North for a decent length of time, I found myself journeying to York to pit myself in martial combat against my erstwhile foe. Well, martial combat meaning the deployment of tiny metal figures and dice. I’ll be writing a big post on modern wargaming rules when Spectre release their new set but on this day, we had two rulesets to try.

First up was Osprey’s Black Ops. We came to these rules expecting a great game to reenact stealthy military ops and by gods does it deliver. I think the “low is good” system is a little odd and the author should be castigated for using half points in the army building system but the rest of the game is rock solid, super quick fun. Combat plays well but the stealth mission rules are the best. Random guard positions, sound counters that have to be managed by the infilitrator – it all makes for a fun time. We played three games.

  1. Standard battle – insurgents vs 6 SF guys. We messed up the points (I should have had a few more insurgents) but great battle was had. Just a shame my commander got nabbed as he crossed open ground causing my force to flee.
  2. Sneaky battle – SF guys vs the man himself Solid Snake. Snake managed to grab the intel and brutal murder a few guards but got shot in the back while attempting to exfil
  3. Massive Sneaky Battle – Milita and FSB defending against a group of SAS teams. Some tense moments as the SAS got into the compound but were spotted when the FSB agents saw them sneaking around. A mess of a fire fight later and we ran out of time, although the milita did manage to bundle the hostages into the back of a SUV. Maybe a rematch is in order…

Next was OSC from Evil Bear Wargames. I’ve met the writer behind the game and the way he described it really got me interested. Finally getting to play it and I was really excited in the end result. I did find the sheer number of actions you can do a little overwhelming in the first game, but the focus on objectives, the simple 1 stat system and the setup for playing weapons off against armour makes me excited to play again. I’m also a fan of how the turns playout, with the outnumbering player being limited in how many figures he can move each turn by the number of bad guys. Highlights included a Hardsuit swatting an RPG out the air with its countermeasures (just before fleeing from a few sniper hits), a SF soldier managing to grab an objective under four turns of full auto fire and my commander taking full advantage of his extra action.

Overall, I really enjoyed both games. They bring cool stuff to the table – Black Ops for super sneaky infiltration times while OSC feels like re-enacting an airsoft game, all fast paced and full of cool moves and heroics. I’ll be playing a lot more of both games, as well as more Skirmish Sangin and Spectre, this year.

Then we played sleepy D&D and a fun time was had by all.

Lead Mountain Update 17

Posted on by Michael Charge

*Gently sobs into pile of models still to paint*

I didn’t get anymore painting done so expect a mad rush this month

Painted, varnished and based – 185:

  • 38 Empress – Modern British Infantry
  • 14 Spectre – UKSF (of various types)
  • 6 Spectre – Task Force Operators (painted as SAS) + 1 Spectre Dog
  • 10 Spectre – AK armed contractors
  • 5 Spectre – Western Contractors (being used as US Special Forces)
  • 11 Spectre – Task Force Operators (being used as US Army Rangers
  • 2 Spectre – Intelligence Agents
  • 5 Spectre – African Soldiers
  • 4 Empress – Armoured Troopers
  • 4 Empress – US SEAL Team 6
  • 8 Spectre – Task Force Operators (To be split between UKSF and Rangers)
  • 17 Radio DishDash –  Taliban
  • 4 Spectre Direct Action GRU
  • 14 Spectre – Insurgents
  • 4 Empress – US Frogmen
  • 1 Eureka – Taliban Sniper
  • 2 Spectre – Hostages
  • 1 Evil Bear Wargames – Hardsuits
  • 1 Eureka – Force Recon .50cal Sniper
  • 6 Eureka – US Force Recon
  • 4 Empress – PLA Special Forces
  • Spectre – 1 VIP and 3 Bodyguards
  • 7 Spectre – Task Force Operators (To be split between UKSF and Rangers)
  • 5 Spectre – Covert Action GRU
  • 5 Spectre – Western Contractors (Converted with Shemaghs)
  • 1 Spectre – African Forces Commander
  • 2 Spectre – African Forces Special Weapons

In the process of being painted, varnished and based – 6 :

  • 1 Empress – Dog for Counter-IED Team – Based, needs painting
  • 1 Spectre – Dog – Based, needs washing
  • 1 Empress – Warrior IFV – Repainted in Desert Tan
  • 1 Spectre – UKSF (ghille suit with M4)
  • 1 Evil Bear Wargames – Panther – Base coated in Desert Tan
  • 1 Empress – Challenger 2 – Base coated in Desert Tan

Basecoated with Basing Material– 84:

  • 1 Evil Bear Wargames – Hardsuits
  • 5 Hasslefree Miniatures – Modern Troopers
  • 8 Spectre – SMG Armed Contractors
  • 6 Spectre – Intelligence Agents
  • Spectre – Female Contractor (Salute 2015 model)
  • Spectre – 1 Agitator and 1 Bodyguard
  • 6 Spectre – African Locals
  • 2 Spectre – Deniable Assets
  • 8 Gripping Beast – Falklands War Brits
  • 3 Spectre – VIPs
  • 4 Spectre – Close Protection Agents
  • 19 Spectre – MENA Militia
  • 1 Spectre – Offroad SUV
  • 2 Spectre – SUVs
  • 6 Spectre -Deniable Operators
  • 2 Spectre – Task Force Operators
  • 2 Spectre – Task Force Operator Marksmen
  • 2 Spectre – Task Force Operator Breachers
  • 1 Spectre – Task Force Operator Dog Handler
  • 1 Spectre – Task Force Operator Grenadier (pirate gun)
  • 2 Tale of War – Special Figures

Basecoated – 1:

  • 1 Spectre – Contractor (being converted)

Total Models: 274

Models finished (Based, painted and varnished): 185

Percentage of collection finished: 67.51% painted

Exempt (Not Arriving in time) – 28:

  • 8 Radio DishDash DELTA Force
  • 12 Radio DishDash US Army Rangers
  • 8 Radio DishDash Somali Gunmen