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<title>When Imagination Fails</title>
<link>http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/</link>
<description>... peace will not prevail.

War seems to happen when all sides have exhausted their ability to think up imaginative ways of peacefully dealing with their conflict.  Seemed like a fitting title for a blog about miniature wargames.</description>
<language>en-US</language>
<lastBuildDate>Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:47:56 -0500</lastBuildDate>
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<title>Making a Paper Building</title>
<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~3/kIKWjlJ3N-4/making-a-paper-building.html</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2012/02/making-a-paper-building.html</guid>
<description>I made a bunch of GHQ paper buildings and some more of IanH's paper buildings recently. I put together this photo set of step by instructions for how I built them. Hope you find them helpful.</description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img alt="Paper buildings" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7178/6860624335_cf2579f160_z.jpg" /></p>
<p>I made a bunch of <a href="http://www.ghqmodels.com/pages/military/freestuff.asp" target="_self">GHQ paper buildings</a> and some more of <a href="http://www.iandrea.co.uk/wargames/6mm/buildings/paperbuildings/paperbuildings.html" target="_self">IanH&#39;s paper buildings</a>&#0160;recently.</p>
<p>I put together this&#0160;<a href="https://secure.flickr.com/photos/whenimaginationfails/sets/72157629280428653/" target="_self">photo set of step by instructions</a> for how I built them. &#0160;Hope you find them helpful.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~4/kIKWjlJ3N-4" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>


<category>Miniatures</category>

<dc:creator>James</dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:47:56 -0500</pubDate>

<feedburner:origLink>http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2012/02/making-a-paper-building.html</feedburner:origLink></item>
<item>
<title>Building IanH's 6mm Cognac paper houses</title>
<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~3/7HTHdpe9ulA/building-ianhs-6mm-cognac-paper-houses.html</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2012/01/building-ianhs-6mm-cognac-paper-houses.html</guid>
<description>I finally photographed the two IanH's 6mm Cognac paper houses I built awhile ago. I printed the house, cut out reinforcements for the walls using thin styrene sheets, then glued the paper to the styrene sheets using rubber cement. After...</description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="description_div6615683989">
<p id="yui_3_4_0_3_1325460105695_875">I finally photographed the two&#0160;<a href="http://www.iandrea.co.uk/wargames/6mm/buildings/paperbuildings/paperbuildings.html" id="yui_3_4_0_3_1325460105695_874" rel="nofollow">IanH&#39;s 6mm Cognac paper houses</a>&#0160;I built awhile ago.</p>
<img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6615683989_947cf042cc_z.jpg" />
<p>I printed the house, cut out reinforcements for the walls using thin styrene sheets, then glued the paper to the styrene sheets using rubber cement. After I put it together, I used styrene square tubes in each corner to reinforce it. See the next picture.</p>
<p id="yui_3_4_0_3_1325460105695_878">For the roof, I reinforced it using two really thin styrene sheets on either side of the roof, then glued it to the tabs I left from the paper around the walls. I am not satisfied with how the roof went on and need to glue them better in the future.</p>
</div>
<p><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6615684601_7bdf21e919_z.jpg" /></p>
<p>Looking at one of the houses from the bottom. You can see the thin styrene sheets I used to reinforce the walls and roof. After I put it together, I reinforce it by&#0160;gluing styrene square tubes to the styrene sheet walls in each corner with Krazy Glue. The tubes were a pain to cut with a scissors, so next time I plan to use an L brace instead.</p>
<p>IanH&#39;s paper models are free and fantastic. &#0160;The only complaint I had was with the model on the left. &#0160;It looks to me like the sides were swapped and if you built it by cutting out in one piece, then the ivy on one wall&#0160;wouldn&#39;t&#0160;match the next one around the corner. &#0160;To get it to look right, I had to cut each wall separately and then glue them together in the order I thought they should be in.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~4/7HTHdpe9ulA" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>


<category>Miniatures</category>
<category>Terrain</category>

<dc:creator>James</dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:46:28 -0500</pubDate>

<feedburner:origLink>http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2012/01/building-ianhs-6mm-cognac-paper-houses.html</feedburner:origLink></item>
<item>
<title>On the first day of Christmas</title>
<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~3/eKpz4oqiKoM/on-the-first-day-of-christmas.html</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/12/on-the-first-day-of-christmas.html</guid>
<description>For Christmas, my wife was kind enough to get me a set of C-in-C miniatures, including my first World War 2 miniatures: 10 Soviet T-34D tanks 3 Soviet KV-1 tanks 5 German Panzer 3m tanks 5 German Panzer 4g tanks...</description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>For Christmas, my wife was kind enough to get me a set of C-in-C miniatures, including my first World War 2 miniatures:</p>
<ul>
<li>10 Soviet T-34D tanks</li>
<li>3 Soviet KV-1&#0160;tanks</li>
<li>5 German&#0160;Panzer 3m&#0160;tanks</li>
<li>5 German&#0160;Panzer 4g&#0160;tanks</li>
<li>3 German Stug IIIg&#0160;self-propelled gun</li>
<li>4 Dutch Lynx Recon vehicles</li>
<li>4 German Leopard 2A5 (Improved)&#0160;tanks</li>
</ul>
<p>As always, the quality and detail of them was astounding. &#0160;They proved to be quite clean and had little flashing. &#0160;After cleaning them,&#0160;I primed them with a gray spray primer. &#0160;For the Soviet vehicles, I then sprayed them with Tamiya Olive Drab (TS-5). &#0160;I fear that they are too dark and the fact that it was 43 degrees out today probably didn&#39;t help. &#0160;A bit of dry brushing with a lighter olive drab will hopefully help. &#0160;</p>
<p>I look forward to trying them with <a href="http://fft3.com/" target="_blank">Fistful of TOWs 3</a> or <a href="http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/KampfgruppeCommander/?v=1&amp;t=directory&amp;ch=web&amp;pub=groups&amp;sec=dir&amp;slk=210" target="_blank">Kampfgruppe Commander</a> at some point.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~4/eKpz4oqiKoM" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>


<category>Miniatures</category>

<dc:creator>James</dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 25 Dec 2011 22:29:37 -0500</pubDate>

<feedburner:origLink>http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/12/on-the-first-day-of-christmas.html</feedburner:origLink></item>
<item>
<title>Half way there ... again</title>
<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~3/JkhxMu7H8lc/half-way-there-again.html</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/11/half-way-there-again.html</guid>
<description>My miniatures seem to be always half done, i.e. primed or with a base coat, but no camoflage or detailing. Unfortunately, my recent activities haven't been helping with that issue. I recently primed/sprayed a base coat on the following miniatures:...</description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My miniatures seem to be always half done, i.e. primed or with a base coat, but no camoflage or detailing. Unfortunately, my recent activities haven&#39;t been helping with that issue. &#0160;I recently primed/sprayed a base coat on the following miniatures:</p>
<p>2 F-104 Starfighters (Viking Forge, I think)<br /> 2 A-7 Crusader IIs (Viking Forge)<br /> 2 F-4 Phantoms (Collectair)<br /> 2 Mig-29 Fulcrums (Luftwaffe)<br /> 2 Lynx helicopters (GHQ)<br /> 1 A-10 Thunderbolt II (C-in-C rebuild, amazing what crazy glue and spray paint will do)<br /> 6 Soviet 160mm mortars (Viking Forge)<br /> 5 TPZ Fuchs (C-in-C)<br /> 5 M105 Deuce Bulldozers (GHQ)</p>
<p>On the plus side, I was able to build two very cool paper buildings. &#0160;More on those and other buildings I am working on later.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~4/JkhxMu7H8lc" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>


<category>Miniatures</category>

<dc:creator>James</dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:06:02 -0500</pubDate>

<feedburner:origLink>http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/11/half-way-there-again.html</feedburner:origLink></item>
<item>
<title>Priming and base coats done for a bunch of 1/285th scale miniatures</title>
<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~3/la1kGJRrYRY/priming-and-base-coats-done-for-a-bunch-of-1285th-scale-miniatures.html</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/11/priming-and-base-coats-done-for-a-bunch-of-1285th-scale-miniatures.html</guid>
<description>I finally got around to spray priming/basecoating a bunch of my 1/285th scale Cold War-era miniatures including: 15 Dutch YPR-765 (GHQ) 5 Dutch YPR-765 TOW (GHQ) 6 NATO M106 SP mortars (GHQ) 2 Soviet 2S6 AA (PFC C-in-C) 18 AMX-30...</description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I finally got around to spray priming/basecoating a bunch of my 1/285th scale Cold War-era miniatures including:</p>
<p>15 Dutch YPR-765 (GHQ)<br />5 Dutch YPR-765 TOW (GHQ)<br />6 NATO M106 SP mortars (GHQ)<br />2 Soviet 2S6 AA (PFC C-in-C)<br />18 AMX-30 (PFC C-in-C)<br />11 Chieftains (GHQ)<br />10 Warrior IFVs (GHQ)<br />3 Central European apartment buildings (? resin manufacturer)</p>
<p>The British vehicles had already been painted various non-standard paint schemes, so I simply sprayed them with Tamiya Olive Drab 2.  The Chieftains and half the Warriors haven&#39;t been touched in about 26 years.</p>
<p>The other NATO vehicles were primed in a light gray, then sprayed with Tamiya NATO Green.  The 2S6s were primed as the NATO vehicles, then sprayed with Tamiya Olive Drab 2.</p>
<p>The buildings were simply sprayed black.  I am getting tired of monopoly houses as my principal residential structures, so I may concentrate on my backlog of buildings before everything else.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~4/la1kGJRrYRY" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>


<category>Miniatures</category>

<dc:creator>James</dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:00:00 -0500</pubDate>

<feedburner:origLink>http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/11/priming-and-base-coats-done-for-a-bunch-of-1285th-scale-miniatures.html</feedburner:origLink></item>
<item>
<title>Some progress on Star Bright</title>
<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~3/ipfDlAM7d8k/some-progress-on-star-bright.html</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/09/some-progress-on-star-bright.html</guid>
<description>With Ravenstar's new Mauridian star ships out, I started updating my Star Bright star ship fleet combat rules. I liked some of the card based command/action systems out there, so I borrowed a few ideas and set to work. Not...</description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With Ravenstar&#39;s new Mauridian star ships out, I started updating my Star Bright star ship fleet combat rules. &#0160;I liked some of the card based command/action systems out there, so I borrowed a few ideas and set to work. &#0160;Not complete yet, but the basic mechanics are fleshed out.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~4/ipfDlAM7d8k" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>


<category>Games</category>

<dc:creator>James</dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 04 Sep 2011 21:00:00 -0400</pubDate>

<feedburner:origLink>http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/09/some-progress-on-star-bright.html</feedburner:origLink></item>
<item>
<title>A new terrain table method?</title>
<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~3/HDNxL4Ebr8A/a-new-terrain-table-method.html</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/09/a-new-terrain-table-method.html</guid>
<description>Too Fat Lardies had a good description of the terrain building method they use for quick games at their Lard Island News blog, I rather liked their method since it looked more natural than the flocked styrofoam hills on a...</description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://toofatlardies.co.uk/" target="_self">Too Fat Lardies</a> had a good description of the <a href="http://toofatlardies.co.uk/blog/?p=403" target="_blank">terrain building method they use for quick games</a> at their <a href="http://toofatlardies.co.uk/blog/" target="_blank">Lard Island News blog</a>, &#0160;I rather liked their method since it looked more natural than the flocked styrofoam hills on a cloth method I have been using so I tried it out:</p>
<p><img alt="photo" height="480" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6182/6108244546_62cddb271d_z.jpg" width="640" /></p>
<p>I setup a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/whenimaginationfails/sets/72157627580919354/show/" target="_self">slide show</a> with shots that show what I did step by step. &#0160;Enjoy!</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~4/HDNxL4Ebr8A" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>


<category>Terrain</category>

<dc:creator>James</dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:22:53 -0400</pubDate>

<feedburner:origLink>http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/09/a-new-terrain-table-method.html</feedburner:origLink></item>
<item>
<title>Modern Distractions</title>
<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~3/XdI_w7gytUo/modern-distractions.html</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/04/modern-distractions.html</guid>
<description>Removed the flashing from a bunch of cold war 1/285th miniatures and glued them: 15 Dutch YPR-765 (GHQ) 5 Dutch YPR-765 TOW (GHQ) 6 NATO M106 SP mortars (GHQ) 2 Soviet 2S6 AA (PFC C-in-C) 18 AMX-30 (PFC C-in-C)</description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Removed the flashing from a bunch of cold war 1/285th miniatures and glued them:</p>

<p>15 Dutch YPR-765 (GHQ)<br/>
5 Dutch YPR-765 TOW (GHQ)<br/>
6 NATO M106 SP mortars (GHQ)<br/>
2 Soviet 2S6 AA (PFC C-in-C)<br/>
18 AMX-30 (PFC C-in-C)</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~4/XdI_w7gytUo" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>


<category>Miniatures</category>

<dc:creator>James</dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:34:03 -0400</pubDate>

<feedburner:origLink>http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/04/modern-distractions.html</feedburner:origLink></item>
<item>
<title>Update</title>
<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~3/EQVR3B_bfow/update.html</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/03/update.html</guid>
<description>I ran a playtest of the star ship rules I have been working on. It was a faceoff between a Battlestar Galactica fleet and a mixed Earth/ISA/Deisho fleet. I will post pictures and an update to the rules, now to...</description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I ran a playtest of the star ship rules I have been working on.&#0160; It was a faceoff between a Battlestar Galactica fleet and a mixed Earth/ISA/Deisho fleet.&#0160; I will post pictures and an update to the rules, now to be called Star Bright, soon.</p>
<p>Additionally, I found a pretty decent sent of free ancient naval rules called <a href="http://www.wargamesillustrated.net/Default.aspx?tabid=221&amp;art_id=2499" target="_blank">Fleet of Battle</a> at <a href="http://www.wargamesillustrated.net/" target="_blank">Wargames Illustrated</a>.&#0160; It uses a card based command/control system that factors in the quality of the crew and commander.&#0160; Looks like my triremes moved up on the painting priority list.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~4/EQVR3B_bfow" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>


<category>Games</category>
<category>Miniatures</category>
<category>Rule Sets</category>

<dc:creator>James</dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 22 Mar 2011 23:31:06 -0400</pubDate>

<feedburner:origLink>http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/03/update.html</feedburner:origLink></item>
<item>
<title>FFT NATO (UK) vs Soviet Game from a year ago</title>
<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~3/xcABIDI0eBQ/fft-nato-uk-vs-soviet-game-from-a-year-ago.html</link>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/02/fft-nato-uk-vs-soviet-game-from-a-year-ago.html</guid>
<description>A year ago (cannot quite believe I am saying that) I finished enough of my UK moderns to run a decent sized Fistful of TOWs 2 game. I have played or run a few Fistful of TOWs games, and it...</description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img alt="photo" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5463377907_bffe66f8e0_z.jpg" width="710" /></p>
<p>A year ago (cannot quite believe I am saying that) I finished enough of my UK moderns to run a decent sized Fistful of TOWs 2 game.&#0160; I have played or run a few Fistful of TOWs games, and it is my favorite rule set for this period, but, for this game, most people had not played the rules.&#0160; So it was a learning experience.</p>
<p>The scenario was a simple meeting engagement between two Soviet T80/BMP2 battalions and two companies of Challenger 1s with FV432 and Recon support.&#0160; It did not go well for the Soviets and if I run this scenario again, I will increase the size of the Soviet forces.</p>
<p>I created a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/whenimaginationfails/sets/72157625973898639/show/" target="_self">slide show</a> of the game.&#0160; The Flickr set is <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/whenimaginationfails/sets/72157625973898639/" target="_self">here</a>.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WhenImaginationFails/~4/xcABIDI0eBQ" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>


<category>Games</category>

<dc:creator>James</dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 20 Feb 2011 23:07:36 -0500</pubDate>

<feedburner:origLink>http://www.whenimaginationfails.org/2011/02/fft-nato-uk-vs-soviet-game-from-a-year-ago.html</feedburner:origLink></item>

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