New Weapons On Offer
February 14th, 2010 Don M Posted in Announcements, Arts and Literature, Figures and Modeling, Mad Scientist and Inventions Comments Off
Equiping The Well Travelled Gentleman
February 14th, 2010 Don M Posted in Announcements, Arts and Literature, Mad Scientist and Inventions Comments Off
Raid on Light House Point
January 25th, 2010 Don M Posted in Announcements, Kindred Spirits, War Games from the Net Comments Off
using the rules of the Damned Human Race by Gabriel Landowski
Germans:
- Major Victory!
- Fit for Duty: Commander, 4 officers, 29 enlisted, 22 natives.
- Flesh wound: 1 officer, 1 enlisted, 5 natives.
- Minor wound: 2 officers, 2 enlisted, 3 natives.
- Serious wound: 2 enlisted, 9 natives.
- Severe wound: 1 enlisted, 3 natives.
- Mortal wound: 1 officer, 3 enlisted, 8 natives.
- Dead: 2 enlisted, 6 natives.
Russians:
- Major Defeat!
- Captured: 20 enlisted
- Flesh wound: 7 enlisted.
- Minor wound: 3 enlisted.
- Serious wound: 2 officers, 2 enlisted.
- Severe wound: Commander, 1 officer, 3 enlisted.
- Mortal wound: 1 officer, 3 enlisted, 8 natives.
- Dead: 5 officers, 3 enlisted.
Holiday Greetings From VSF And 15mm Science Fiction Gaming
December 15th, 2009 Don M Posted in Announcements, Our VSF Campaign Comments Off
From Our Lot To Yours All The Best This Christmas!
The Madasahatta Campaign
December 4th, 2009 Joe Posted in Announcements, British Empire, North Africa And Near East, War Games from the Net, german Comments Off
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Madasahatta is a large island approximately 110 miles wide and 160 miles long, lying in the Indian Ocean off the East coast of Africa, some 300 miles east of Zanzibar.
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It had been left in the hands of its native tribes for hundreds of years, except for the Arab trading town. Port Maleesh, on the River Ogopogo in the south-east, which was established by treaty between the Sultan of Zanzibar and the Whoppituppas in 1784.
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Very little interest was shown by European countries until the discovery of gold deposits in the Bloemingstip Mountains in 1891. This event was rapidly followed by colonies being founded, first by the Germans, who established HANSALAND in Central Madasahatta in 1894, followed by the British who established NEW SURREY in the south-west of the island two years later. After several diplomatic incidents, an agreed border between the-two colonies running along the centreline of the Bloemingstip mountains was drawn by the Treaty of Badlikortout in 1898.
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It was rapidly discovered that the HANSA OST AFRIKA company knew what they were doing, and all the gold deposits were on the German side of the mountain range. Queen Victoria made it plain that she was not amused by this fact, and the policy of British Governors of New Surrey since then has been to find some plausible reason for extending the colony in a northerly direction.
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http://www.colonialwargaming.co.uk/Inspiration/Madasahatta/Madasahatta.htm
Colonial Wars
November 26th, 2009 Bill Posted in Announcements, Arts and Literature, Figures and Modeling, Kindred Spirits, War Games from the Net Comments Off
A mailing list devoted to Colonial Wargaming and warfare
in the 1800's. Suggestions for sources, terrain making
methods, miniatures, and rules will be common, as will
discussions of games played and scenarios...wargame,
wargames, war, battle, military, simulation, hobby,
model, modeling, models, modelmaking,
Victorian bla bla bla
in the 1800's. Suggestions for sources, terrain making
methods, miniatures, and rules will be common, as will
discussions of games played and scenarios...wargame,
wargames, war, battle, military, simulation, hobby,
model, modeling, models, modelmaking,
Victorian bla bla bla
NARSTY SURPRISE II !
October 15th, 2009 Don M Posted in Announcements, Dino Hunting, Mad Scientist and Inventions, Not To Be Confused With History, War Games from the Net Comments Off
WE crossed a very rugged, very high range of mountains and descended throughrolling , forested hills to a vast grassy plain that stretched to the horizon.the grass was taller than a man most of the time, which limited visibility andincreased the danger of encountering something large, hungry, and on the huntas we hacked our way through it at a snail's pace. it also made setting up campa supreme bother for our askaris, servants, and porters as the grass had to becut down in order to make a clearing for the camp site, before camp could be setup!
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CARRUTHERS and i were sitting on our bums in a small, freshly cleared area,refreshing ourselves from our dwindling stock of gin, and cleaning our rifles(our gun bearers were busy setting up camp at the time). as usual, CARRUTHERS was going on _endlessly_about the life and times of CARRUTHERS in the bellowingvoice of his as he worked, while i was doing my best to not to hear the samestories for the umpteenth time.I had just re-assembled my RIGBY express rifle; as I wiped a light coating ofall over the barrels, CARRUTHERS was holding the barrels of his own expressrifle at arms length, squinting down same at the lands and grooves, looking for rust, corrosion dirt, etc. suddenly his monocle popped out of his eye, andhis mouth dropped open in consternation. he tried to say something, butappeared to be at a loss for words (a very uncommon state of affairs!)."wots up, ole boy?" I asked pleasantly, as a shadow got between me and the sun.I naturally assumed it was GREYSTOKE returning from his hunt for our dinnermeat.I was answered by the mother of all hissing and felt a blast of foul air that reeked of a carrion pit blowing into my shoulders and the back of my head.startle, I twisted around, and found myself gawping into the maw of this (seeenlarged photo of the skull cracker bird at the lower right corner of the page):http://www.dragonbloodminis.com/shop_sunless.htm
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needless to say, i did the only thing a gentleman hunter could possibly do insuch circumstances. I leaped to my feet with a terrified squawk, then blazed atrail through the tall grass, rendering it slippery behind me, in an attempt toput as much distance between me and the beast as I could in an extremely shorttime!bless him, CARRUTHERS instinctively reacted to our dire tactical situation likethe old campaigner that he was, and lit at a gallop in the opposite directionfrom mine.apparently our choice of tactics worked, as the giant bird just stood therelooking amazed as it twisted its head first in my direction and then in CARRUTHERS direction. This allowed the astounded GREYSTOKE, who was returningempty handed from the hunt an opportunity to bag the beast with his .500 NITROEXPRESS, both barrels.all is well that ends well, I always say!after the askaris of GREYSTOKE's hunting party tracked CARRUTHERS and myselfdown (some distance from the campsite!), they escorted us safely back to camp,our entire expedition feasted upon the giant predatory bird that GREYSTOKE hadshot.
DAWGIE
A NARSTY SURPRISE!
October 12th, 2009 Don M Posted in Announcements, Dino Hunting, Not To Be Confused With History Comments Off
SO, there we were, camped on this beach, getting a bit of rest after a hard pushoverland through plains, hills, and jungles inhabited by an incredible numberof plant eating dinos, who were in turn hunted by terrible carnosaurs. CARRUTHERS, an avid fisherman, was standing in the surf up to his hips, castinghis line out into deeper water with a piece of fresh cut lizard for bait. well he got a bite, some sort of armored fish, that leaped into the air withthe hooks firmly set!!!!and then this, erupted from the water and snatched the armored fish out ofmid-air, and the rod right out of CARRUTHERS' hands!
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CARRUTHERS set a speed record for a man running through hip deep surf, and ankle deep sand, not stopping to look back until he had climbed to the top of a treeon the edge of the jungle. from there CARRUTHERS leather lungs turned the airaround our camp bright blue as he gave vent to his thoughts about fish stealing marine life of this lost world!he eventually climbed down from his perch, and made a bee line for faithful M'NUMBA who was standing by with camp chair, tray, glass, and bottle of gin tosoothe
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CARRUTHERS nerves. a bottle of our precious gin later,
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CARRUTHERS was fast asleep in the camp chair, snoring through his huge nose much like asleeping brontosaur with sinus trouble . . . .DAWGIE, who spent the better part of the afternoon searching the sandy beach for CARRUTHERS' monocle . . .
A tip of the Hat…
September 22nd, 2009 Tas Posted in Announcements Comments Off
..goes to the Officers and Gentlemen of this most esteemed VSF Blog, for their assistance to White Wine Sauce in reaching 100,000 Hits today!
My sincere thanks indeed for the materal, links and comments which have encouraged us to keep posting.
http://pauljamesog.blogspot.com/2009/09/wws-reaches-100000-hits.html
Yours in Splicing the Mainbrace!
Tas
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
August 29th, 2009 Don M Posted in Announcements, British Empire, Flyers, France, The Americas, german Comments Off
I had many happy weekends spent here as a
kid, and it's still going strong!
Fall Recruits
August 18th, 2009 Don M Posted in Announcements, Cons Comments Off
Hello Everyone,It seems just like yesterday that we last got together for Spring Recruits, butat least I think I can promise you that it will never snow in September. Well,it is that time of year again, and we would like to invite each of you to FallRecruits!Lee\'s Summit High SchoolLee\'s Summit, MissouriSeptember 25-27, 2009By The Organization of Strategic Gamers (OSG)www.Recruits-Con.ComDoors open at 4:00 pm on Friday afternoon and open again Saturday/Sunday morningat 8:00 am. If you feel that you need to get in earlier, please let us know wewill gladly put you to work helping us get set up! Admission for everyone isstill $5.00 per person. Hotel information is current on our web page andseveral of the nearby inns are offering some great rates. More information canbe found on our web page.The guys who put on the Flames of War qualifier have been working especiallyhard this year putting together a themed tournament for the 65th anniversary ofOperation Market Garden. We are really looking forward seeing the terrain forthis one, and guys who will be competing are in for a real treat. By the way,preliminary sign-ups for the tournament have passed 70+. Well done.In addition to Flames of War, we will be hosting several Warmachine events aswell. On a side note, Mike Sanderson and Steve Gross have generously passed onour normal DBA tournament until next Spring to show support for theconvention/DBA event scheduled at Fields of Glory in Des Moines, Iowa the sameweekend.As ever, no Recruits cannot be successful without the willingness of gamemasters to share their time and talents at Recruits. If you are planning torun a game and have not yet done so, please use our on-line game masterregistration formhttp://recruits.mtswebsites.com/GMForm.phpor feel free to send us an email at Duane@Recruits-con.com.If you think you might be interested in running an event please register at yourearliest convenience, it would be great to have a solid line-up by Labor DayWeekend. So please come share your love of the hobby with others by running agame!We have a wonderful list of vendors again this Fall and several new editionsmaking their first trip to Recruits. We were very successful with the FleaMarket area last Spring. Again these tables are available on a first come,first serve basis starting at 8:00 am Saturday morning and running until 11:00am. Tables are free with a $5.00 admission. After that we will turn thesetables into the Silent Auction area where everyone will be welcome to placeitems for sale using the criteria we have used for years. Please say thank youto George Knapp for helping us out with this every year.We are also working to put together classes on a variety of topics. Currently,we are considering some beginner and advanced painting classes, as well as acouple on historical topics to be determined. If you think you might beinterested in presenting a class, please contact us.Our Gallery page has been newly updated with Spring 2009 pictures. If you havepictures you would like to share, we will take them if you have them. So pleasefeel free to send them our way. For more information about any of ouractivities, give us an email or phone call. Please contact Duane or Laura Fleckat duane@recruits-con.com or 816-228-9246.If you are a member of a forum, Yahoo group, etc. please let folks know aboutRecruits and feel free to pass along our email address and web page,http://www.Recruits-con.com If there is anything that we can help you with, please don\'t hesitate to ask, to call or email.Thank you all for your continued support through the years, and thank you formaking Recruits so much fun! : )Duane and Laura Fleck816-228-9246www.Recruits-Con.ComSeptember 25-27, 2009
Sherlockian.Net
August 11th, 2009 Joe Posted in Announcements, Arts and Literature, British Empire, Not To Be Confused With History Comments Off
Holmes ponders the evidence during Cape May's Sherlock Holmes Weekend, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC), this year being held November 6-8. In a weekend of murder and suspense aimed at tourists and would-be Watsons, the master detective is faced with one of his most baffling cases yet, the Case of Mistaken Identity by John K. Alvarez, featuring a medical investigation, an inadvertent victim, a case of mistaken identity, a notorious villain, a dark secret, a career policeman, a deep friendship and a daring detective. Participants will get in on the chase uring the Search for Clues Tour, vie for prizes, and enjoy performances, brunch and an optional theatrical production. Information about the weekend and the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts is online. Photo by Joe Evangelista
Victorian Leman Russ Tank
July 27th, 2009 Joe Posted in Announcements, Arts and Literature, Figures and Modeling, Landships Comments Off
The main focus of Bristol Conflict 2003 (was it really six
years ago now) was the tournament games. Yes there was
a Forge World stand and yes there were demonstration
games and yes there was a very very small Games
Workshop retail stand, however the main reason people
The Colonial Tales Contest
July 26th, 2009 Don M Posted in Announcements, Arts and Literature, Not To Be Confused With History Comments Off
The Gatling's jammed and the colonel dead, And the regiment blind with dust and smoke. Presenting The Colonial Tales Contest! Time to get your creative juices flowing for another LAF contest. This time we want you to exercise your storytelling skills as well as your paint brushes, and create a scene or small story with a colonial theme. Perhaps the death of Fred Burnaby at Abu Klea, Beau Geste at Fort Zinderneuf, charging the Sikh squares at Aliwal, a German column ambushed in South West Africa, or perhaps Pizarro's meeting with Atahualpa. You may submit multiple photographs to convey your idea, and accompanying text should be provided to weave your tale, too.If desired you may really go to town with your idea. Placing your figures with scenery on a diorama/vignette base is certainly encouraged, but we understand that not everyone wants to work that way, so it is not mandatory. But this is certainly not a contest where you enter one photo of five figures in a row with a plain background. We want you to use your imagination and bring your scene to life. For the purposes of this contest and to encourage entrants with as diverse interests as possible, we are extending our view of "colonial" back to the great age of discovery, when the famous European navigators first ventured out and started making a nuisance of themselves around the world. So you may include anything from that point on, providing it involves the European exploration of the wider world, and/or contact with or conquest of indigenous peoples. We've decided to leave the world wars out, as we might have ended up with entries depicting Rommel fighting the Desert Rats, and it was felt that would be getting a little too far from the Prof's original concept for the contest.The winner, as voted by the membership, will receive a special medallion on their forum profile displaying their victory to the world, and more importantly, they will have the esteem of their peers. A copy of the excellent book Battle in Africa by forum member Howard Whitehouse, will be awarded to one random participant.So, to recap:1. Colonial theme (as defined above). The scene must have a minimum of three figures (though the more the merrier) and there is no upper limit.2. Up to five pictures (max size 800x800 pixels) of figures and scenery to depict a short tale or incident.3. Text (fluff, in gamer parlance) to tell the story of the tale.4. Each tale will be displayed in its own topic, with a separate voting topic once we've all had a chance to view the entries.5. Prizes!So get your entries in! If you want to enter PM the Prof and he will provide his email address so you can submit your entry (it will be on his business email, which he doesn't want to broadcast on the open forum). The closing date for getting your entry in is the 14th of August. The fun will begin on the 17th, and the voting will close on the 29th.Good luck, and "Play up! Play up! And play the game!" best regardsPlynkes and Prof
Monster In The Sky !
July 26th, 2009 Joe Posted in Announcements, Flyers, Mad Scientist and Inventions, War Games from the Net Comments Off
The bowl of the sky was lavender with the dying night.
Polkovnik Mikhail Kozlov’s mighty vessel rocked gently
at tether. A life-long mariner, Kozlov handled the ship’s
easy roll without thinking of it. His mind was on other things.
On this morning, the morning of eighteen October 1896,
On this morning, the morning of eighteen October 1896,
the tsar’s proudest ships were moving to break the Japanese
stranglehold on Vladivostok. Even now, the sleek, powerful
hulls of the Baltic Fleet were slicing through the blue waters
of the Korean Strait on their way to punish the
Imperial Japanese Navy.