Note to Self: Model Shade - Colour Conversion Charts (Web Site)

https://www.modelshade.com

Useful in that "what colour do I use now to get as near as damn it match"

Apparently: Airfix/Humbrol Acrylic 90 (Matt Green Beige approx Sky) is equivalent to Revell Water Acrylic 361 - 59 (Matt Sky [Himmelblau])

Needed in the "life and death situation" [not, but nevertheless important to me] of what to paint my Bristol Blenheim Mk.1F in RAF 1940 "Daylight Operations" colours in the Battle of Britain.

Arnhem 1944 (15mm) - Remote Game

I was lucky enough to participate in a remote wargame with a group of friends from Sheffield, recreating the German response to the Arnhem landing of the 1st British Paratroop Division (with some Polish friends). Hosted over two days, it was very instructive and fun. A hex based game board, but I seem to have been too wrapped up in the games (which to my mind is a sign of a very good game) to take screen-shots. All that I could find was the "operational map" I was using as a crib to keep track of proceedings (see below, I was part of the ad-hoc German forces that attacked from the North East and drove down the right hand side of the board): 

Another German Kampf group (though notably lacking in armour) attacked from the West (left hand side of the map).. The result was a rather bloody draw, ahistorical in the positioning of the "Para Pocket" but historical in the sense that they were not going to be able to punch through to Arnhem and link up with Frost.   

Note: I will add additional photos if they turn up ;) 

I have started .. eating .. Mince pies!

I think "they" have appeared in the shops very early this year! I have a theory, maybe it is because of the disrupted logistical network so .. they (fancy people in marketing suits) are shipping anything they can sell to fill up the shelves and making Xmas come early this year. Whatever, I am eating the pies whatever with a nice cuppa (see below, scene of the crime evidence - that has since disappeared):  

Merry Xmas!

Twilight Struggle (Finally Acquired)

The final straw that broke my back was that it was "in a sale" (so yes, I am saving money .. OK, you may spot the logical fallacy in that one) and "it was on the hit list .. since 2016" (when it was referenced in a Connections UK 2016 presentation, as a genre defining game by Nick Hare). So I have it and hope to play it with friends over the approaching long winter nights (see below, cellophane freshly removed): 

Heads up to GMT games for producing this and Magic Madhouse for making me but it. There is after all no such thing as "free will". 

Why so few posts this year?

I put it down to computer fatigue - the screen and keyboard time associated with work have soared during lock-down. Being a home office working and spending most of my day in front of a computer, the thought of spending extra hours in front of it typing away at a blog simply does not appeal. The social interaction of online gaming is a real buzz though, as well as Virtual Meetings with other wargamers - such as those put on recently by Wargaming Developments. The high light however is the online D&D session that has rumbled on through Covid regardless (see below, a scene from my last "Dungeon Hack" session - the party gets bounced by a 'gang of ghouls' [evil laughter] lead by an "undead" boss monster with .. ooh look ... a dangerous looking 'evil' magic item - so the party's Cleric attacks the undead with "Light Domain - Channel Divinity" ability): 

More 'good news' is that I do snip away making things for my hobbies more. For some particular reason the Covid-crisis has inspired me to "put-together" plenty [too many] 28mm WWII (for Chain of Command) figures. I do seem to have organised and assessed the contents of the wargaming attic in meticulous detail - although arranging troops for my own  "big battles" has not been part of this activity. So, credit to all the other bloggers who have kept up such a prestigious rate over Covid and the good news story is that I am getting a few games of the F2F type in too, so I think the tide is a turning for the better.  

As for the Dungeon Crawl (see below, spoiler alert, the adventurers were victorious .. sigh .. [as all the undead are now really well and truly, once and for all .. er, dead .. their natural state I suppose], the adventurers may have won this particular battle but the war or rather the quest goes on!): 

PS: To all my fellow bloggers out there .. blog on .. I am still reading you .. and enjoying you all tremendously ;) 

Bunged Glue Tip: When Your Poly Glue Dispenser Gets Clogged Up (again) - "Flame on"

I seem to have been assembling a seemingly endless pile of 28mm figures. Rewarding and yet but repetitive. I can say "you get to know the small squad-team-section formations of a platoon very well" when you do this in 28mm for Chain of Command or Bolt Action (delete as applicable). The production like process was rudely halted when my "precision liquid glue dispense" got all 'bunged up". No amount of sucking (which can be dangerous unless you like the taste of glue), prodding or poking was to any avail. But I then turned to Renko's ACME trusted method which involved the flame from a kitchen gas cooker ring, a split coffee stirrer with the bunged nozzle wedged into the crack .. then flame on .. both ends (see below, post burning .. charred by now clear of obstruction after seeing a satisfying spurt f flame from both ends):   

Back to peeling potatoes, or rather I mean assembling 28mm figures ;)