Battles with Dice & Mice

Wings of Glory WW II Game Night and Local News

2012-02-25T22:43:00.001-08:00

Update to post on WoG Aerodrome states that Wings of Glory WWII Series 3 models could start showing up as early as next week to distributors.

I dropped into Bridgetowne Hobbies in Portland and they still have a healthy inventory of Wings of War WWII models but not much in the way of WWI models. I picked up another Spitfire for my collection and asked the guy at the front counter if Bridgetowne Hobbies will carry Wings of Glory models and he said yes they will. I asked him if he knew when they'd hit their shelves and he said that he didn't know a date and didn't elaborate beyond that. This is very good news and I will check back when I learn some people are able to get them at their local stores.

This week I was able to attend weekly game night for the first time in ages. We introduced some new players to Wings of War World War II. The Axis players beat up on the Allies, in the first game. We didn't lose a single fighter! The second game was much closer in that it came down to 1 v. 1 at the end. The Allies' lone Wildcat had engine damage and tried valiantly to stay alive but eventually succumbed to our last Bf-109.

I flew a Zero in both games and got some shots in on a couple of planes but ended up in a mid-air collision with an enemy fighter in the second game that took me out of the fight. One memorable moment was where all three Axis planes ended up flying to the same point on the table, as though we were doing one of those Blue Angels Grand Finale maneuvers where they all fly at each other from multiple directions but don't hit one another. If I'd of been thinking, I'd of snapped a shot of it. Fortunately we didn't collide.

Anyway, it was a great evening of games. It's got me kicking around the idea of writing scenarios for a possible campaign with the group. I plan to work on that a bit this weekend and in great anticipation of the new releases.

Stay tuned and thanks for reading!

Ralph Peters: Twilight of the Drones – Recent Loss of RQ 170 In Iran a Possible Game-changer » Armchair General

2012-02-25T21:50:00.000-08:00

Ralph Peters: Twilight of the Drones – Recent Loss of RQ 170 In Iran a Possible Game-changer » Armchair General

To Airbrush or not to Airbush? That is the Question...

2012-02-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

As I sit here at my desk, the weekend winding down on this Sunday afternoon, I continue to gather information on airbrushes.

With looking at a great forum thread, found here, my knowledge of airbrushes increased significantly. I've been able to narrow the search down to type of airbrush along with some brand names.

I'm looking for a dual-action, gravity fed brush with the paint reservoir mounted on top. From that thread alone, I feel fairly confident at buying a brush, hose, and compressor I want would cost me about $400.00 delivered.

Now for a few things to ponder...

To date, I've yet to see someone who actually uses an airbrush to paint. My local gaming group all use good ol' bristle brushes. I would definitely like to talk to someone that has one who wouldn't mind showing me how he or she uses it.
A poster in the thread I've linked also makes a good point in that his airbrush just sits in the closet and he doesn't use it because for him, bristle brushes work better due to the time setting up the brush to use and then cleaning isn't worth it for the kind of painting he does. This is a valid consideration for me because I am not a skilled painter at this point. I also tend to be on the lazy side when it comes to painting. I attribute some of that to buying a large army all at once and acquiring more models than I had time to paint. It is a bit overwhelming to the point where I have a lot to do and just don't know where to start. This is why I feel the airbrush would save me so much time on painting all my vehicles. However, once I have all the vehicles painted, am I going to really need the airbrush at that point? Will it just sit in the shop and collect dust after that? I should hope not and that I will use it on more models over time.
From what I've read in my complimentary copy of Fine Scale Modeler and the thread I've linked to above, it appears to be extremely important to thoroughly clean the airbrush after every use. Again, my hope is that the $400 price tag would give me incentive to make sure I keep the thing in top working order at all times.

So, today I write this entry as a more informed consumer, but still have some research left to do and more questions:

What brands of paint work well with the airbrush?
What do I use to thin them out? Water? Paint Thinner?
Can I use the airbrush to apply washes or dry brush effects to the figures? Is there any practical use for the airbrush on small figures or will I always need to use bristle brushes on them because of their size?

The search continues.

Thanks for reading.

Magazine and Thoughts

2012-02-14T21:56:00.000-08:00

Last month, I received a card in the mail with an offer from Fine Scale Modeler magazine to return it for a free copy of an issue along with a free 101 Workbench Tips booklet.

Figuring I had nothing to lose, I returned the card in the mail. Yesterday I received my copy of the March issue along with the booklet.

Upon first glance it's already got me revved up to start painting again. This issue contains a section on airbrushes, both cleaning and maintenance along with solving painting problems.

Admittedly, in the past I've often just glanced over airbrush sections of magazines with thoughts of them being too expensive, too difficult to use, etc. However, after reading the articles contained within this issue, it occurred to me that I have a LOT of 40K tanks, Rhinos, Drop Pods, and a Land Raider to paint. I've put off painting them because of the intimidation at the thought of hand brushing each model(picturing brush strokes and unevenly applied paint all over them). Well, tonight, I think I really need to learn to love the airbrush and spend the cash to buy one so I can begin work on my Space Marine AFV's.

I read through the great article on cleaning, which doesn't seem too difficult given the great photos and step by step instructions and tips. Also the section about certain problems with the paint when applied to the model and their various remedies has further inspired me to seek more information on the Infernal Devices.

The last memory I have of hand-painting a model vehicle was back in 1992 when I was in Jr. High. I had a Testors 1969 "Boss" 429 Mustang and painted it with a dark red metal flake enamel color. It wasn't pretty and I was just glad to have it done. The uneven coats and the brush strokes were always what caught my eye first when looking at the model. It had such potential to be beautiful with the sleek lines of the Mustang and well modeled interior, but was not to be. Granted a proficient brush user could do well with it or any vehicle with broad flat sides...I am not he.

Not wanting to relive that on my Ultramarines army, it is high time I start looking to try and run with the big dogs and delve into the airbrush world. So with that, I will begin my quest here for a new airbrush.

Stay tuned as I learn more and narrow down my search for one based on cost and my practical needs.

I'm still in decision mode on a subscription to FSM, but I like what I've seen thus far.

If anyone is reading this who has any advice or tips on selection and purchase of an airbrush, your feedback is desired!

Thanks for reading!

MUST READ … Ralph Peters Testifies to Congress. Explains What YOU Really Need to Know About Pakistan » Armchair General

2012-02-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

MUST READ … Ralph Peters Testifies to Congress. Explains What YOU Really Need to Know About Pakistan » Armchair General

Interesting read about modern borders and the reasons(or lack thereof) for defending them and dying, oppressive regimes.

Wings of Glory WWII Series 3

2012-02-11T16:26:00.000-08:00

Great news! New planes should be available by end of February according to WoG forums.

I've had my eye on the P-40 ever since I learned of it!

And Now for Something Completely Different....(hopefully)

2012-02-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

So I had all but abandoned this blog, but I've found that I want to get some real use out of it instead of it just wasting cyberspace.

Decided to lose my online gaming handle of Wolff and just use my name, instead. Look for more significant format changes coming soon.

I've found a renewed interest in an old favorite computer game of mine, Harpoon II, which went on to become Harpoon 3 and now is Harpoon Advanced Naval Warfare.

The most enjoyment I've had from the game is playing multi-player. My regular opponent is, in my opinion, a very strong pillar in the Harpoon community. He has created a YouTube Channel dedicated to Harpoon(among other great sites that I will link from my blog in the future). Our latest After Action Report can be found here.

The renewed enthusiasm for the game is what sparked me to try and make a go of this blog again.

Stay tuned for more musings, ramblings, photos, and After-Action Reports as I add them.

Thanks for reading!