They came from Outer Space (3): Space Crusade Mission 3 Counter-Attack

The 'badly wounded' Imperial Fist Commander ("Yellow Sarge") demonstrates considerable agility in out-running the little silver 'advanced cleaning droid' armed with 'advanced cleaning agents and anti-bacterial wipes' as the four inert bodies of his dead Space Marine Troopers are carried off by minions of Chaos to be recycled as new "zombified forms of unintelligent life" intent on attacking humanity (see below):

Chaos falls back into Quadrant Four daring the Red Blood Angels and Blue Ultramarines forward into a "trap" (see below):

Meanwhile the assault on Quadrant Four was highly synchronised by Red and Blue Teams, focused on taking out a batch of dangerous Necron Combat Androids, albeit not armed with "cleaning fluids" but the lesser "high energy plasma weapons"> The 'two Sarges' go hand-to-hand in a desperate struggle (see below):

An unexpected act of violence that shocked the confidence of the Space Marines in Quadrant Four as the Necron Android in hand-to-hand "self destructed" causing four points of damage to each adjacent "Sarge" leaving them critically wounded on only 1 Hit Point (see below):

"White or Yellow Sarge" (delete as appropriate) felt a surge of relief as he fell back onto the Ultra Marine perimeter line. As he was forming up with two Ultra Marine Troopers an unexpected "alien event" meant that a Genestealer appeared in their midst to cause havoc a wreck his hopes of stabilising thew situation (see below):

Two Ultra Marine Space Troopers fall to the claws of the dreaded Genestealer monster and next the clambering hoard of aliens (including dangerous cleaning droids) lead by a really deadly Necron Android (ask the Blood Angel and Ultra Marine Sergeants) surge down the corridor (see below, a pretty tight looking fix if you ask me):

Luckily all the hours Yellow/White Sarge had put into the "battle simulation Hollodeck" were paying off, as a cunning plan formed in his head. The first part of which was .. run away again as the Ultra Marine Troopers bodies were carried off by the Chaos monsters. (Ed: I can see a pattern forming here!)

They came from Outer Space (2): Space Crusade Mission 3 Counter-Attack

The Imperial Fists engage in vicious hand-to-tentacle(?) fighting but lose a Space Marine Trooper to a "freakish act of Chaos inspired chance" as a Kroot (which I am using in place of Space Orks)  shot pieces a weak spot in the Imperially blessed armour. More as yet unidentified 'aliens' are ominously moving up in the background (see below, orange dot counters representa aliens out of "Line of Sight"):

Adopting a combative stance the Imperial Fist Commander ("The Sarge") unhesitatingly orders an immediate counter attack, straight out of the operational tactic scrolls of the Corp. Huzzah! Sadly this plays straight into the hands of the Chaos player's "swarm attack" (Ed: Will try not to gloat at this point. Sorry failed, "Gloat!") particularly as a couple of Necron Androids appeared "as if out of nowhere" to bulk up the the Chaos "umpf". Three more Space Marine Troopers fall in quick succession to the complete disbelief of "The Sarge" his squad was "gone" and the holes in his battlesuit betrayed the fact that most of his Hit Points  had too (see below):

Meanwhile, at the other end of the sector, the Blood Angels are carving a path of gore and spare robot parts as the engage in a bit of room-to-room "Space Hulk" cleaning with "Red Sarge" Power Sword in hand leading the way (see below, two Kroots [aka Orcs] and a Chaos Space Marine [aka a Tau figure] fall):

So effective is he that the Chaos Commander elects to order a tactical withdrawal, taking potshots from a distance as they retreat [Ed: Ahem, in "good chaotic order"] to the next defensive position (see below):  

Buoyed by the apparent success of the Blood Angels the Ultra Marine Commander "Blue Sarge" makes an appearance taking out another Chaos Space Marine (aka represented by another Tau figure) clearing the way for an advance on the final unexplored quadrant the aliens seem to be massing in (see below):

The Space Marines seem to be advancing in one sector (with Blue and Red Teams) but are being annihilated in another (Yellow Team). Coordination seems to be somewhat lacking, or is it inter-chapter rivalry coming to the fore!

They came from Outer Space (1): Space Crusade Mission 3 Counter-Attack

Records of a game played circa Xmas 2015 have been discovered by the Imperium Librarians. Let the dark tale be told in all its gruesome detail.

Cue thematic music .. Space Marine counterattack. Mission brief: Wipe out all alien creatures as per Space Marine prime directive, "If in doubt - Shoot to Kill." Especially since no Dreadnought is ' known' to be deployed. So no heavily armoured nasty blasty, blasty thing is in town for the minions of Chaos (boo hiss). In go the Space Marines (see below):

Red Team (aka The Blood Angels) go looking for 'critters' and find one which is neutralised rather inhumanely (see above and below, note in the background Blue Team, the Ultra Marines, seem to be having an Op Group or are playing cards while the Blood Angels 'string out' [Oh for a Genestealer attack random event]):

The Space Hulk level seems strangely quiet, is it a trap? The Chaos player is playing the 'long game' awaiting attrition to the "Space Marine Corp" through as many random event cards he can get into play. Blue, Read and Yellow teams (the infamous Imperial Fists, bodyguards of the 99% dead Galactic Emperor, nice one lads!) go hunting for little green men and silver robots hiding in dark corner. No luck until Sgt "Very Lucky" from The Fists finds "the corridor of death" all by his little lonesome (see below):

The clatter and discharge of heavy bolter, spore guns and other hideous items of chaos weaponry brought the rest of the Imperial Fists Space Marine Troopers running to form a protective bodyguard around their beloved leader, as befits their tactical operations manual (see below, whew another dangerous situation stabilised):

Meanwhile the Blood Angels had stumbled into a room full of dangerous Terminator Necron Androids and Chaos Space Marines armed with heavy weaponry thatbmade loud, big bangs and were designed to make large holes in nice Space Marine armour. An exchange of fire started immediately after the door opened with patent Star Trek "hiss" (see below):

Operation proceeding to plan. Noisy, messy and utterly chaotic, with the Ultra Marines no where to be seen where there was a remote bit of danger ;)

Playing around with "Speed Painting" some "Fantasy" with "Washes"

Fantasy Interlude : Explained

Some friends visited and I entertained myself and their kids on how to paint up shome D&D plastic/resin figures that came with the Ravenloft AD&D game. Before they came I remember "up in the loft" I had an old D&D boardgame with some chunky (and cast/injected in slightly bendy plastic) so I had a 'cast of thousands' myself to demonstrate on (see below):

Many dubiously chunky looking monsters (and four characters figures ) that looked 'easy' painting exercises (see below):

After washing in soapy detergent water to remove excess grease, I primed them with Humbrol/Airfix 01 Grey Primer. When dry I liberally splashed on Vallejo Brown Sepia Wash from a huge dipping jar I had acquired (see below):

The detail is not bad and comes out beautifully and certainly is in contrast to a naked 'bare plastic' figure. I took the kids model to the painting stage, but that night and following day I primed and washed the contents of the D&D started box.  Quite therapeutic as no real decision was required.  

Eastern Front (4) Chain of Command: Germans v Soviets

The German MG42 shuffles into place alongside the Rifle Section to give it some "much needed fire power assistance". The German NCO's and Senior Commander elect to stay more than 4" inches back to avoid getting "bad things happening" dice rolls affecting their depleted Force Morale (see below):

Nevertheless the "shock" steadily mounts (see below), though the MG42s pour out a stream of devastating firepower making the Russians suffer. The German player is now in the tactical dilemma of needing his NCOs forward as he is losing 'fighting' bodies at an alarming rate (see below):  

The Russians in "Suppression Wood" are particularly "well hammered" (see below). To alleviate the pressure on their comrades the Russians hiding in the Wooden Dacha become 'Heroes of the Soviet Union' nominees as they heroically expose themselves to the Germans and open fire with the LMG team adding more shock. The point blank German response makes them 'posthumous heroes" KIA all three of the LMG and the Junior Leader to boot (see below):

Russian Force Morale is tumbling at this point while somehow the Germans are holding it together despite the almost critical levels of shock (see below):

Then it happens. Despite all the German NCOs in the front line a good round of Russian fire breaks the German Second Section and they route. The Russian player smiles as his carefully hoarded Six Chain of Command Points are used to "End the Turn" immediately removing routed troops. The following "bad things happening" dice rolls reduce the German Force Morale to zero and "Game Over" (see below):

Wow.A good one. Instructional, even if for the things we got wrong and emphasising the need to"read the rules again" as there are plenty of other special things we could be doing to add spice and flavour to the games.

Great to get the Soviets on table. Need to paint up some more Americans and 'odds and sods' of other nationalities. There are plenty of speciality "Platoon Forces" hiding in the loft wanting painting.

:)

Eastern Front (3) Chain of Command: Germans v Soviets

The Germans looked on in horror as the last man of the First Section dropped lifelessly to the floor. Immediately their professional training clicked in and they turned the small hillock into a fortress, preparing themselves for the inevitable Russian assault (see below):

The MG42 in the cemetery was told to move up (see below):

Meanwhile the Russians lined the woods on the German left (see below):

And also to the far German right [definition of the Nazi party I think] figures shrouded like ghosts emerged from the trees and formed a firing line (see below):

The firing started and the shock started to mount on the German defenders (see below):

Three and a half "healthy" Soviet squads faced two "heavily armed" German squads in a fight to the death!

Eastern Front (2) Chain of Command: Germans v Soviets

The Soviets put pressure on the isolated German section by fanning out another section into a firing line along cover (see below):

It works as 'shock' and 'KIA' mount on the startled Germans (see below):

Finally there is only the Adjutant left who is ruthlessly hunted down and also eliminated (see below, actually the Soviet player was the father shooting his son! Teaching his protege that "all is fair in love and war"):

However, the trade-off is not all one way, as the German rifle section on the central hill manages to take out the Soviet LMG team with accurately aimed fire. As the only Soviets in LOS are the LMG team, they have to take it (see below):

The survivors however are capable of being 'shocked' but as it happens not quite "pinned" (see below):

It all still hangs on the balance but the complete elimination of the German section with all its leaders has seriously dented their Force Morale. They cannot afford another reverse!