Picking up brushes again

Last night was the first time since my wife went into labor on august 10th that I have picked up a paint brush or done anything hobby related.  I got the chance last night as my wife and daughter both slept to do a little work on my dragon.

 I'm very happy with how its coming along.  The details realy need a lot of time to bring out using differnt shades of blue.

 Last night I was making the horns and claws whiter and to do some work on the scales.

 I also started asembling some Tumbling Dice ships.  I put together the small 3rd rate and 4th rate ships.

 I wanted to compare them to the ships I currently have (Figurehead).  The scale is suposed to be the same.  The Tumbling Dice ships are just a little larger... but not enough to keep me from using them together.

The Tubmling Dice ships with thier ratlines do look superior I look forward to painting them up.

Obligitory baby picture since I know some of you will be curiouse how she is doing.

Maternity

One of Ariana's talented and wonderful friends did a Maternity photo scesion and I flet I should share.  Melissa alos did our engament shoot and did an amazing job. 

You can check out more photos on her blog Melissa Jean Photo Design

Evelyn

For those not on Facebook my daughter was born 8/12. We are all doing well.

Saga Dice

Hobby Bunker was offering Saga Dice at bargain prices so I stocked up getting the Norman, Irish and Welsh sets.  Unfortunately the Viking set was not available.  Fortunately the Relentless Dragon sells blank dice.... 

So buying two sets of six ($1.80 each) and a black permanent marker I was able to put together my own set of Viking rune dice, fortunately runes are easy to do free hand and while mine are not nearly as nice as the Gripping Beasts but a lot cheaper.

Last Days as Adam

Teddy bears do a quality control check on the Pack and Play

So that's an odd name for a blog post since I am not doing a name change.  Still with my daughter being born in a few days I have been thinking over the fact that from now on my life won't be lived for myself but for her.  This has actually been true for a few months now as we make preparation but I have still been able to take "a day off" to live my life in its customary fashion.  A day is coming this week or next where that will no longer be the case.   I don't think this event it "the end of my life" but is the end of the way I have lived my life.  I will still be reenacting, painting and gaming when I can. That said you may not see as much out put (indeed this has already been a light year for posts) and some of the posts you see might be "cute" baby related pictures like the 1:1 scale "terrain piece" above. Yes both my wife and I still have our childhood teddy bears mine is on the left and has the creative name of "Ted" her's is to the right and has the name Bumby (she doesn't recall where that name came from).  So you have been warned.  My life as Adam may soon be "over" but my life as Dad is just beginning and I'm looking forward to the adventure.  With any luck my daughter may one day be playing wargames along side me or maybe you'll see me turning my terrain building skills to doll houses... Most likely I'll be pulled in directions I never imagined. I know two things for sure right now 1) I have no clue how hard this is going to be and 2) I also have no clue how fun its going to be... I am pretty sure its going be both... wish me luck friends.

Destroyers from eBay

I've been doing a lot of selling on eBay but I do occasionally buy especially when I run across deals like this on form "dwwild".  Three painted 1/2400 German Destroyers.  The packing job was excellent as you can see above.

I love the fact that these are already based and labeled so I can just drop them into my Kriegsmarine order of battle (which was lacking in destroyers) what is more the bases are magnets which will be handy for storage.

Since no one else bid on these I got them for the bargain price of $4.00 quite a good buy.  I'm very happy to have them.

Trafalgar Test game

Frank and I have been trying to give Traflagar a try for a couple of weeks and last night we were able to get our schedules to mesh.  I set up a small scenario where two ships of the line are trying to escort a merchant carrying the pay chest of an army. A force of two frigates and a ship of the line are trying to intercept and capture if possible but destroy if necessary the Merchant while trying to keep their losses to a minimum.

The Convoy Warspite (74); Marry (armed merchant) and Thunderer (74)

The intercepting force from furthest to nearest Falcon (40); Sphinx (82) and the Seahawk (40)

The convoy has the weather gage. Falcon and Sphinx move directly at the convoy while the Seahawk tries to come around behind them.

The ships close and a few minor hits are scored by my fleet but then Franks Warspite gets in the first devastating blow of the night as his crossing broadside sends men running from their guns

Sphinx looks to be in serious trouble but my men are hustled back to the guns..

and cross the Mary's stern causing multiple hits and starting a serious fire.

Shots are exchanged back and forth Sphinx is taking damage as Frank focuses on her though Falcon also takes a few hits... The Seahawk is trying desperately to get back to the fight having misjudged the course of the action badly.  

After a couple of turns of maneuver and firing the Sphix is down to only her light guns but these strike the Thunder and start another fire.  The Mary has been slowly loosing ground to the fire and has lost its main mast.

But Thunder now takes the Sphinx out of the fight.

The Falcon is hurt badly and is more concerned with running thought it continues to throw long range fire on the Mary which looses its crew and then burns to the water line.  The Seahawk exchanges long range fire with two ships of the line and is then rakes by the Warspite starting a fire.

Seahawk makes its get away as the Thunder is "de-crewed" but then Saint Elmo blows out the flames.  We call it a draw the Mary and its cargo have sunk but I lost the Sphinx.  Warspites crew will have a heck of a time getting both cripples home but we assume she does compensating for the loss of the Mary at least in a tactical sense.

Selling rule books and other items fencingfrog1776 eBay

Open Combat from second thunder http://r.ebay.com/6nvXPg

Black Powder Rule book form Warlord Games http://r.ebay.com/amgq5u

The Last Argument of Kings Supplement 18th Century Battles http://r.ebay.com/cL1ENm

Saga: Sacred Ground Battle of the Henge

 Last Thursday John and I set up a game of Saga Using the "Scared Ground" Scenario using my new stone circle as the center piece instead of a hill.  John was running a Britons war band complete with Arthur in command.  It was an all Heartgard war band and typically John doesn't use any Heartgard.  I'm running the Norse-gales.

 Part of his force is mounted and they quickly get to the right flank hill, John and I both have troops on the left flank hill.

 I send my men in to evict John's men form the left flank hill. I use my battle boar ability of "slaughter" and it is truly a slaughter I trade six warriors to kill 4 heartgard.

 Arthur's legendary power makes quick work of a unit of Irish warriors (javelin armed).

  My unit of Heartgard on the right flank hill faces Johns mounted troops and slaughter again ensues,  on of my soldiers is still standing claiming points for the ground.

 John has Arthur and his band charge my center Heartgard unit and they are destroyed (John used some really nasty battle board skills I can't recall the names of).  My Warriors gain some revenge with howling axes and Slaughter every one of them dies by they each take a Briton with them.

 Its down to my warlord and Arthur.  Both warriors go in throwing every thing they have at each other....

Excalibur and my dane ax both find flesh and bite deep as both great men fall.  The surviving troops on both sides cannot get at each other for additional combats so appropriately this was the last fight.  Scenario points were even though we forgot total up slaughter points.  Still with both Warlords dead how could it be anything but a draw.