Hmm: Amber Warning - Watchout Watchout There's a Russian Malware Site About

Alert status Amber: 

Well, Bloggers Blog ... and Bloggers cannot help but being interested in their community and who reads their blogs, but beware. The URL's of the referring sites (Definition: A site that lists your blog and recommends by implication other people click on your link to see your content - hence the term 'referral') is given in the Blogger: "Traffic Sources" statistics section. They show up in your site statistics as in not who is visiting you but what "common" web-sites also likes you.

I have a "new" certain Eastern European referrer called:  

"http://www4(dot)savegco-antivir(dot)com"

(Note:The (dot) in the above is so that your browse does not inadvertently "take you there" (officer) - repeat do not go there)

It's a naughty site that tries to tempt you by pretending to be a "You-Tube" style of video site with alluring ladies showing more than the typical You-Tube yard of flesh and then immediately asks you (while you are distracted) to upload a "new" version of Adobe Flash [hit the browser close "x" button top right hand corner gents!] - if you don't a piece of "malware" is heading for you

:(

Then give yourself an anti-virus sweep just to be sure

A better description of what is happening can be found at: 
http://stramaxon.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/beware-of-ww4dotsavegcoantivirdotcom.html

And the $64,000 question: Are users of these sites really interested in my wargaming site? Answer "no": It is a 'black' server reading of a list of URL's trying to generate back traffic to steal identity information. In effect this is a modified version of a "phish" attack - as in "click me" you'll be rich. Why doesn't Google block it, well from the techie side of things the traffic profile is the same as legitimate referrals, it is only over time can Google detect odd things in traffic patterns - which is a little "after the horse has bolted".

Hope this may serve to be of help to someone

The Battle of Bedford Beetfield: 1644 ECW Hypothetical [1]

Defending London from Rupert: 

Parliament is in crisis. Two Royalist armies are approaching London, either of which could defeat the "retrained" Parliamentarians. As a result the ground chosen to defend the approaches of London at Bedford was a curious mix of psychology and defensiveness (or should that read deafeatist mind-set). The Parliamentarians deployed in a corner triangle (see below):

The points of the triangle were a hamlet BUA (top right), a baggage camp behind a wood (bottom right) and a "Beetroot Field" (far left). A "flying column" of upgraded Parliamentarian cavalry forms the left wing of the army, infantry dominated elsewhere (see above).

The Royalists deployed a "wall of shot" with excellent cavalry on both wings, hiding a Macedonian Phalanx of Pike away from the attentions of the enemy (Parliamentarian) artillery. It would be interesting to see which way the artillery dual went (see above) as both sides deployed two large cannon. Parliament's center anxiously waited the opening rounds from the 'big guns' (see below).

The Parliamentarian right wing commander (me) wondered how to get his some of his mass of "shot" involved without opening the door to the Royalist mobile left wing (see below): 

A close-up of the base of the Parliamentarian right hand triangle and the curious "flying column" something lCromwell must have been thinking about over the winter (and who said he didn't drink, I think too much eggnog is at work here). Dragoons, Shot, "vastly improved"Parliamentarian cavalry" and then Light Guns in the wrong place at the rear of the line (see below):  

The "Beet Field", the namesake of the battle, full of Parliamentarian "shot" and soon to be the scene of one of the bloodiest  slug-fests in our ECW campaign (see below):
 

To which the Royalist Right Wing (and he probably was to be fair) said "I'll 'ave 'em all" and promptly charged at the Parliamentarian Left (as they were politically leaning that way) in a aristocratic 'death or glory fashion' (see below):

Meanwhile the Royalist (far, far) Left could barely see the enemy and would spend most of the game marching to meet up with them, but were a useful "shot" and "cavalry" pack (see below):

A view from the Royalist Baggage Camp of the Royalist Artillery and "reduced" Pike Block, being kept in reserve as a sort of Triari formation, partly due to their vulnerability to artillery, partly due to the "no where to put them in this bad terrain" (see below):

The Royalist Baggage, where Rupert keeps his bloomers, would Cromwell get his hands on them? The Royals seem to be keen on oxen? (See below):

Deployment "configured": Next let the action commence ...

Model of the Month: WWII HaT"StuIG 33" x 2

What a fantastic high from making this kit and I don't think it was anything to the liquid glue I was using in an unventilated room. It was a quick-fit joy to make. HaT have really sorted out their kit assembly!

It was a delightful put together in less that twenty minutes.

The only down side to this kit is thinking up an excuse to buy another box. Two models pretty well covers the requirements of a Command Decision German Division (Infantry, Panzer Grenadier or Panzer). 

In one session I managed to put together two.

The instructions were excellent, the only difference between printed and actual in the box was a simplification, using one part instead of two for the bit that goes underneath the gun.

 
All-in-all its 10/10 for a fast build, 9/10 for a scale model but it has plenty of scope for customisation (adding to stowage bric-a-brac on the rear engine cover area). You can imagine it is one of those vehicles that 'landsers' would keep jumping on for a ride, given half a chance.

April's Renaissance "Man of the Match"

Just a couple of photos of my current favourite wargaming stand, the Renaissance Artillery from my Maximilian Army (see below):

Their moment of glory being "pulling a draw out of the hat" against those blessed Class A "Swiss" Pike Block:

On the last turn of the game. As befits a stand(s) with so much saucy character (and I saved them from fighting Trolls).

 :)

Painting and Making Tray Update

Chaos abounds with the prospect of an imminent house move. The painting tray seems to have gone into "assemble bare plastic model" mode as an antidote to the "house move" stress (see below):

A bucket load of the Perry 'Renaissance' Plastics on the left (near enough two and a half boxes of pike/shot/crossbow and one box of archers/halberds) destined to be my Renaissance Swiss Impetus Army. I will have to dig out some mounted Knights from somewhere at some point, but right at the moment I'm concentrating on 'two legs'. To the right is a bunch of GW 40K flying Tyranids (Gargoyles) I put together with my eldest son for fun.Lurking in the shadows at the rear are some more old GW Empire "Handgunners" destined to be Renaissance "Harquebusiers" (released from a fate worse than death IMHO). See below for a closer look, undercoated with the Vallejo equivalent of Scorched Brown = Charred Brown:

The Holy Roman Emperor (HRE) Charles V is getting some attention, but it is a slow burner not gaining much traction and in need of some inspiration otherwise I will still be without a "general" stand for my next Impetus game (see below): 

Fear not fellow 'treadheads' 20th Century mechanical devices are 'mentioned in dispatches' too (see below):  

I now have a flotilla of four RN Tribal class destroyers in 1/1200 scale to attack the KM Bismarck at night and I picked up a wonderfully weird 1/72 HaT German assault gun that I didn't even know existed (a Pz III chassis that carried a150mm Infantry Gun StuIG 33B) in plastic from a Easter trip to Edinburgh and a visit to Wonderland Model shop on Lothian Road (***** = 5 Star). That's next up to be 'glued' together. 
 
PS Hope the leg/ankle is healing 'NZ Paul' (Plastic Warriors)

Worse and Best of eBay Experiences

The 'low': Buyer Beware - I got what was sold as per the photograph, but I misread the sellers description:

I had this item on a "watch list" thinking it was a Games Workshop Empire Cannon suitable for my Renaissance armies. I logged on to see the seconds ticking down on the auction and nobody had bid .. gulp .. 99p and it was a retail value  of a tenner. A split second decision was needed and I saw no other bids so I went for it. Only then did I realise for my 99p (+£2.50P&P) instead of a "full" sprue of an Empire Cannon, it was just the 'extra' bits left over. Arrgh! Too good to be true and it  was. It's OK for a bit of colour to a diorama for a quid but not for £3.49 (although it did come in a lovely big package!). An eBay low.

However there was also an eBay 'high' (see below):

"Finally" I get two 1:1200 Tribal destroyers and boy are these authentic Airfix oldies (should be good quality plastic in there). This means I have the kit required (but not all painted) for the Vian versus the Bismarck night attack. In total this cost me £5.20 including P&P, at £2.60 a destroyer I am happy enough at that as it officially closes my 1:1200 collection. (Although I may have to give some thought to scratch building HMS Rodney, HMS Renown, HMS Sheffield, HMS Ramilies and HMS Victorious .. sorry did I really say I had finished?)

;)

A Cruel Fate for the Harry Tate

End Game: 

Never stand between a hunter and its game. The RE8 found itself as "all that stood between the Hun and glory" and in rather unglamorous fashion was set upon "top and tail" by the two remaining German scouts. Forward and rear machine guns blazing RE8 faced the full force of a Germanic operatic fury with stiff upper lip public school stoicism (see below):

The crowd of players clamoured for the model to replace the card counter. An even more ungainly scene depicting the plight of the RE8 (see below). Damage cards were exchanged ... many to the RE8 and a few in return to the Germanic scouts. 

Then the valiant RE8 was no more, flames billowed from its frame and it plunged earthward, the fate of the crew unknown (see below).

The even odds seemed to now be in the favour the Germans (the best they had all day, evens) but a slight miscommunication between the German scout pilots left one of them open to a 'free' deflection shot from a passing N17. The German scout was not in a good way and even this little trivial nick brought him down (see below). This changed everything.   

The "Yellow Albatross" faced with two N17's and himself low on ammunition decides that discretion is by far the greater part of valour and heads east to rebuild the Jasta. He waves forlornly at his trapped comrades in the fields below as he departs. Once again the pendulum battle in the skies above the trenches 'hangs in the balance'.

To be continued ...