Star Wars Imperial Assault: Painted Figs with Litko Bases and Re-Posed ATST

Here is some more painted Imperial Assault I have been working on the last 2 weeks for our ongoing campaign which I am running with my cousins and my son. These sculpts are fun to paint and have decent detail but clean up could be a nightmare with flash if you are counting on making these showcase paint jobs. So, don't bother. Color adds so much to the game and a tabletop painting standard is more than enough to bring it to life. I added Litko clear bases too, which I really like on these models. I used a jeweler's saw to remove the figures from their bases. I'll close this post with a few other in-game shots.

Gideon Argus

Mak

Diala with brass rod saber blade

Gaar

Stormtroopers and Scout Trooper with EWeb

Imperial Officer

Royal Guard

Darth Vader with brass rod saber blade

Imperial Officer #2 conversion/General Weiss on Foot (Weiss is magnetized at the waist so he can be mounted in the ATST)

ATST, reposed

Weiss mounted in his Experimental ATST

X Wing Miniatures: Ghost pics from Last Game

My Ghost Cake Topper finally saw action as a Leebo/Chewie YT 2400 with an accompanying K Wing loaded with ordnance against a Decimator picket.

The info drop for FFG's actual Ghost looks like it is going to be really good and I am sure it will be a beast on the board. Still, this stand in looked cool right now and my son felt like it was a real Rebels game, which we both enjoyed. The YT is so damn fast I am not sure I will be able to see FFG's Ghost the same way again...

Bushido: Batrep and Pics from the Seigyo Scenario

Here are pics from our latest Bushido game, the scenario called Seigyo, page 12 of the Bushido Tournament pack.

We ran 35 rice each, Pete bringing his awesome Silvermoon and I, Ito. Note that I ran 2 Temple Bushi and used my Chiyo model as one of them (though having Chiyo's Leap would have been great.)

This mission had 3 neutral idols mid field and required simple actions to worship them and take control of them. Enemy-aligned idols could be worshiped to be neutralized, then worshiped again to take control. Players with most friendly idols got 1VP at the ends of turns 2, 4 and 6. The game ends on turn 6. We were tied for VP's until turn 6.

Scenario set up

Ito Left and Silvermoon, Right

Both factions close rapidly to secure Idols before the end of turn two. It seemed like many of Pete's Silvermoon Roses were incredibly hard to target and engage as they had an ability to blend in as civilians and not be noticed. Silvermoon kept trying to seduce my Ito but by pure luck I resisted their charms most of the game.

Temple Bushi runs to the bamboo trees and eyes the lone Silvermoon Rose praying at the idol, which slowly turns towards their favor.

Itsunagi stands atop the koi pond as Senpu charges in. Itsunagi channels his Ki and uses Cobra Strike for Lightning Reflexes to kill Senpu first, tiring him from the combat but leaving him fairly unopposed.

View from the Ito line

Akimoto crosses the midfield to tempt an attack from the hiding Silvermoon as a Temple Bushi and Sakura control the middle idol. Itsunagi dispatches the petulant child Sukoshi Kani who threw down a makibishi in front of the idol, while the Temple Bushi moves to engage one of the Roses. Again the Rose Tsubaki tries Seduction but it did not work.

The Temple Bushi interrogates the Rose to no avail. Itsunagi isn't buying it but defends the idol as the sun sets in the sky...

Now the bodies are hitting the ground as the game leans into the last turn, still tied on VP's. A Temple Bushi is killed at the middle Idol and Sakura becomes Stupid. The solo Rose moves towards the middle Ito idol to make an end-game run at it. The lone Bushi tries to block the Rose near Itsunagi.

Silvermoon threaten the middle Idol Sakura and Akimoto defend. Saukra is killed by a Rose who is in turn beheaded on a combo attack by a wrathful Itsunagi, who shores up the middle Idol and controls his breathing as Tsubaki attempts Seduction to no avail.

The final Rose closes in to neutralize the tie breaking Ito idol as Akimoto furiously plays his mystical drum in an attempt to scare her away. A tired Itsunagi rolls his shoulders and scowls at her.

The Temple Bushi lends a hand to wipe out The Rose only after Itsunagi bloodied her. Ito is left standing as a sole survivor but the game is a draw on VP's thanks to the last Rose neutralizing the middle idol in the face of the exhausted Ito!

The take aways with this game are simple and complex. The fixed turns and cost of actions to control the idols means there is a fair amount of nuanced movement, positioning, blocking, foils and activation as much as there is controlled but very violent and conclusive fighting. 

In Bushido it is all about staying rested and making the enemy tire out before you do. Even as games become lopsided from casualties it is not over, as more desperate but more powerful abilities come off the leash as moderation becomes a detriment. Just when you think you have a clear line to charge and slash an opponent good, somebody knicks you from the side, you become tired or exhausted and the window closes. It lends itself to the "whoosh" of a martial arts brawl, not to mention the "betting" mechanic of rolling all attacks and defenses of both players simultaneously. 

Pete is a hell of a player and sportsman. He is teaching me a lot every game so the credit really goes to him for a clean, enjoyable and teachable experience. Bushido really is an exciting and different game. Try it out if you can. 

Star Wars X Wing Miniatures: Ghost Final (Cake Topper)

I have been working on this on-and-off for too long. That's why I have to be done! I worked to make this look like the color palette in the source materials, in the McQuarrie style. This is a complete repaint of the Ghost, not a touch up of the original finish. I added brass barrels on the gun positions which were barely an original detail and I did layers of grime, wear and subtle chipping. There were a few points during the painting where the details on this cake topper decoration just sucked, frankly, and I moved on. Perfect example is the main cockpit bubble.Ugh. I had even filed parts of the canopy to get it to match up across the upper and lower sections. Still, it was a good exercise and my son is thrilled to have a Ghost to use in X Wing as an Outer Rim smuggler, until the FFG Ghost drops. All-in-all, worth it for 8 bucks!

Here's a before shot, followed by final after primer and paints.

Star Wars X Wing: Ghost (Cake Topper) Part 2

I've had this on the paint bench for far too long. I got this cake topper for my son then got discouraged by the wrong base color. And it sat. Well, the boy asked for the Ghost again so with no delay I re-based in OOP GW Space Wolf Grey and made with the painting. This thing was like US$8 bucks, so not expecting much but the lack of detail is daunting. The canopy is a real test but so far it's passable.

Now I am at an impasse. I mixed the colors based on source pictured and generally nailed it but the question is now one of finishing. There is some yellow stripe and detail painting that needs doing but really it comes down to hard lining: do I use technical pen or something brush-based like Nuln oil which won't be as harsh? Hard to tell really, looking at the source material you would to try to keep contrasts lower than how FFG would finish the model. But this will roll alongside other FFG models so I guess get with the idea that contrast will join it. Stay tuned for the finishing.

Star Wars X Wing Miniatures: WIP HWK 290 Mod Part 2

So, this HWK is totally repainted though you'd probably never know, since I essentially modified it and then primed it brown, added some sponge weathering, a few washes to shade and add some color, picked out metals and re-did the canopy... only for it to look very close to the original. Hmmm. Was sorta surprised it ended up so close. I will be adding a flash of color somewhere but I am not sure yet where. So, probably another hour of so and that's it. More when finished.