Where have we got to?

This blog is turning to a weekly journal rather than a daily-ish log. Still, everyone else is blaming the snow, so I shall too, whether it's relvant or not.

First off let's catch up with the Phruti's tomb. Here's how it now looks with the overgrowing flock-ness. I'm happy with the look if it was to be in the middle of a jungle (where it sometimes doubles as an abandoned tomb), but I'm not sure about it being in the middle of the desert. Maybe global warming might make Eastern Zambola more overgrown. I may have to work on that as an idea.

Friday Night's game this week, - my first of the year - was a Vichy French v Germans in North Africa PBI. Well, I say PBI, - it's our version. There are bits of PBI I love, - it is the best shot at modelling the detail needed for a game at company level, and the mechanisms are mostly clever. However some of it is just plain annoying. If I get round to it I'll do a piece on what we changed and why.

Back to the game. It was the second phase of a game started a week or so ago that I missed, so I had to take over the German position as left by one of our group who couldn't make it because of the snow. I don't know if this often happens to you, but it is a by no means rare occurrence in our group where we often play interconnected multiplayer games over several weeks. Because we are all Grown Ups with Real Lives to attend to you can't guarantee who will be turning up week on week.

On this occasion I looked at the German position and couldn't work out what the plan had been up to that point. Still I had some nice bits and pieces (including a Heavy Pioneer section), so I made up my own plan. Actually it was my normal plan, regardless of period. Mass everything on one flank and try to blow the cr*p out of your opponent's position with every ranged weapon you have before going in with the bayonet or equivalent. Hey, - it's worked for me for nearly 30 years and I'm coming out at about 50% win percentage so I'll stick with it.

Phil was putting on the game so we were guaranteed some nice looking figures and terrain pieces. The picture above is one of Phil's, showing the overall table. If you enlarge it you can probably make out the detail on some of the stuff being used. Phil uses a painting technique that is the complete opposite of how I work. He bases up first and paints each little chap as an individual. He also modifies and animates a lot of his stuff so it looks great. I only know that if I tried to do that I'd never get finished. Ever.

The game had to end as I needed to get off for an early start the following day, taking Master Trebian back to university in the frozen wastes of the North. However, by the evening's close I had secured the airport and knocked out one gun emplacement on the left, - you can see the red smoke) and was gearing up to launch an attack on the final emplacement before seizing the port.

The Saturday trip up North went okay. The roads - once you get off the housing estates- were clear and you wonder what all the fuss is about at times. Still if it keeps everyone else off the roads and gives me a clear run I'm in favour.

And it was cold up there, as this picture of canal boats frozen in shows. This shot is taken next to the restaurant where we stopped for lunch. The car park was at the bottom of a hill, and it took a while to get out, - not because I had problems but because it appears some of the locals never learn to drive in snow and don't carry a spade. Oh, and the council don't fill the grit bins. Never thought I'd end up digging a local out.

That's enough for now. I've got a nostalgia project to go and work on this morning with a February deadline. More of that some other time.