MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Race for finishing 250 , I mean 300 miniatures in 2017

Completing painting projects

On 2nd of January I wrote in my blog:

"I want to make a promise for myself for 2017: I will finalize most of the miniatures I start / have started painting earlier."

So now I'm trying my best to live up to this promise and have a "race" going to finish a total of 250 miniatures this year. As you can see from the picture, there's a lot to finish (ok some of them are really quite finished, but I just want to give them a final check).

I started my race around mid December and at that time my count was 170 finished miniatures. I will update this post daily to track the progress. You can also track it in Instagram, my insta-account is "wanhaherrat".

Saga Limes Campaign Year 3: Is the tide turning?

Winter onslaught by Picts!

After mainly losing against Rome, barbarians had brooded on big plans and as the cold white season descended to Britain, those mad Picts charged forward, en masse! Oh dear...

Stand firm sons of Rome!

REPORT IS COMPLETE

Making most of MDF: Late Roman Temple

Serious finetuning?

Acquired this set from Warbases a while ago, but now had the motivation

to build it, paint it and pimp it as we're playing the Saga Limes Campaign

Read all about it!

40K: F*** the greater good!

Chaoz on the Rampage aginst TAU

My third game of 40K 8th edition was against TAU...

DIE DIE DIE!

Finland's 100th Independence Day - Bolt Action!

Battle of Raatteen Tie

I had promised to "re-enact" history in a party organized for celebrating our 100th Independence Day yesterday. So I did...

Unboxing Grippingbeast's Dark Age Cavalry

New plastics!

Grippingbeast continues to churn out excellent plastic sets for Dark Age settings. Supporting the newish Aetius & Arthur supplement for Saga as well as their Swordpoint rules for larger battles, out comes the Dark Age Cavalry set !

Read on to learn about it's contents and to see some example builds!

Limes Campaign year two: To the Death!

Rome vs. Saxons

This Timotrix's Warband was on warpath for a vengeance! They had no plans to break through to loot, rape & pillage, they just wanted to kill as many Romans as possible - those barbarians!

Read on to learn what kind of bloodbath ensued!

Visiting Reading and Warfare 2017 -show

Wargames Tourism

Took the opportunity to combine business and pleasure and traveled to UK / Reading 

on Saturday afternoon to attend Warfare 2017 Wargames Show 

Definitive highlight of the day was to have long chat and a demo about Saga 2.0 with 

Grippingbeast's chief Chum Andy. Very interesting changes coming to Saga I must say!

Read on to learn what else happened!

More LOTR - facing the Terror of Angmar

Gulavhar on the Rampage

Kalle, whom had missed our tournament on Sunday, asked for a sparring partner to try out his Angmar list for the coming tournament somewhere in Sweden, I was the fool to agree...

LOTR (Hobbit) SBG Tournament @ Nopat Club

Rough Going for Elves of Loth Lorien

Players from around Finland gathered to play a 400p. LOTR SBG tournament at Nopat Club. I decided early on to play with Elves. As the deadline for delivering lists arrived, I only had started to draft my list, but had to send the first draft... Well I wasn't going to be playing that die hard anyway...

Fine tuned some Galahdrims for the tournament

More Maurice

Another GO for Lesnaya 1708

As we liked the Maurice system (By Sam Mustafa) quite a bit, I wanted to re-run Lesnaya with a slightly different team this time. Antti and me were playing the Swedes now and Jaakko, Stephan and Sebastian (latter two being guest players to our campaign) were running the Russians. Matti had also ventured to the club, but the game he thought would have been there wasn't. so he joined us.

Read on!

LOTR: Escape to Loth Lorien

To the Lady!

Training New Saga Limes -players

Giving the Raid a go as a BARBARIAN!

One our Barbarian players in the Limes campaign decided, that he doesn't want to play anything

competitive, so we needed to recruit more barbarians - and got two more. As my Brother in Arms for Romans wanted to test drive the Roman faction and I wanted to try the scenario as a barbarian, we set up a "dress rehearsal" game. One of the newly recruited barbarian players, Mikko, joined as my second in command.

Of course I had to paint a few barbarians for the game, here still WIP

Read on to find out, could even I win the dreaded Raid-scenario...

Limes campaign reboot - Raiding Huns!

Huns - fast as wind...

We rebooted the Limes campaign, as the first go ended in two rounds. We agreed on some balancing actions and scaled the campaign from 1 on 1 to 2 on 2. See these amendments at the campaign page.

So off we went and started the campaign new. Barbarians only reported a total of 14 time units for us Romans to use, so few! We expected, that some winter raids would be in order... as my first round opponent Kalle announced he is going to play with the Hun faction, I didn't expect any snow (except here in Finland)... read on to learn how my first encounter with the dreaded Huns and their hellish leader Khan Kattila went...

Armies on Parade: Late Romans

WARBAND FOR SAGA - AETIUS & ARTHUR

This warband has been in the making since last winter. I got the miniatures from Hamburger Tactica and soon after we made a joint order to Grippingbeast for Aetius & Arthurs supplement.

First go with the Warband (half painted at the time) was in April this year.

Then we started the Limes-campaign and that put the minis to the front in my painting pipeline (that has hundreds of almost finished miniatures). Now I have most of the miniatures ready and it's time to display them - Armies on Parade! The rest of them will certainly get ready as our campaign progresses... I just need to build the stables.

Shadow War Armageddon: two games against Necrons

Hit & Run and Rescue -missions

  Finally got to play more games for our Club's Armageddon campaign! In the first game my Brassboys made a hit & run attack to snatch a toaster as a prisoner. You might guess, what was the second mission we played with Marko...

Moonshine Revolution

Finnish-Swedish Military Co-operation continues

REPORT IS COMPLETED

Once again two Nopat-club members braved themselves for the hardships and traveled all the way

to the capital of the Swedish Empire. There we joined like-minded generals and had some delightful Musket Mayhem at the American Revolutionary War, or should I say Rebellion!

Commonwealth: Australians & co joining the ranks

Pictures of painted Australians & co. added Commonwealth project page

The King is Dead - Long live the King

Second Game of The Saga Limes Campaign

Throwing the Japs back into the sea!

The Battle of Buna-Gona
Aka - my Aussie Army's Babtism of Fire

REPORT WIP

We had an open house Bolt Action day at the Nopat-club.
We had 4 different games with beautiful tables and teams of players from the club
and visiting from exotic places like Lahti and Toulouse.
I hosted a game from the New Guinea Campaign Book.

Pictures online - report will follow

1 on 1 Saga Campaign started

Late Romans vs. Saxons

Fellow gamer Timo from our Nopat & Taktiikka Club had also acquired the newish Arthur & Aetius source book for Saga and a bunch of Saxon miniatures (OK, I sold some of them for him). When he suggested in August, that we would give the Limes Campaign System a go, I had no reason to say no!

Read on to learn how we prepared for the campaign and how the first 

Testing Maurice by Sam Mustafa for GNW - report completed!

Battle of Lesnaya 9.10.1708

Our Great Northern War campaign continued with the Battle of Lesnaya. Marko and me were delighted for the opportunity to try out the Maurice -systed demoed and umpired by a soon to become a club member Antti H. Marko was the first of us in the club and had set up the battlefield...

Read on to learn how did it go and how we liked it!

Open House at The Nopat & Taktiikka -club

House full of Gaming!

I organized this fall's Open House event for our gaming club (second year in a row, already a tradition). Read all about it!

Another go for Helms Deep

The Evil of the White Hand

As our first go for Helms Deep was such a blast, two other Lotr-enthusiasts Kalle and Jaakko wanted to get their piece of action. This time I commanded the evil forces of Isengard as Jaakko my second in command, while Mikko, whom had stormed the deepening wall last time, was now defending it. Not a complete report this time, but plenty of pics and some high lights. You can familiarize yourself with the scenario and special rules from the report of the previous game.

Shadow War Armageddon - First Go

Brassboyz get their Babtism of Fire

There was a great hype going on at our club during the spring when both Shadow War Armageddon and then 8th edition of Warhammer 40 000 were released. Aleksis took the mantle for setting up a campaign for Armageddon. Soon "dozens" of players flocked to his banner... so did I.

Building of kill teams started and Aleksis came up with simple enough guidelines for the campaign: let's play games and who ever first has 15 prometheum cans piled up AND wins the next game, wins the campaign.

So my chaos forces shined their brass covered power armors and tooled up for some 

not so serious skirmish gaming... 5 players gathered for the kick off and several games were played with lot of cinematic situations happening and us having a good time! 

First Game of 40K 8th edition.

CSM v. Necrons
1500 points

Read on to learn how it went...

Bolt Action: Demo game for a New Player

Japanese tide in Singapore

Henri called out for a demo game in our BA FB group and I was certainly up to it. It gave me a good reason to rapid paint some more miniatures for my British / Commonwealth force, as I needed to bring two forces to the table.

Another Great game of BLOOD RAGE!!!

I've become such fan of this great game...

...that I even got my self a suitable t-shirt to wear! One of my adversaries is wearing a Mickey Mouse t-shirt instead...

LOTR Megabattle: Helms' Deep

2000p. Rohans vs. 2000p. Isengard

GNW: Battle of Napue (Storkyro) 1714 @ Ropecon (Report is WIP)

Nopat -club proudly presented at Ropecon: Finland at War

Earlier in the spring I got an idea for celebrating Finland's 100th anniversary in Ropecon2017 by running (demo) games from the Finnish war history. We planned this and ended up by staging battles from four different centuries: 1600-1700-1800-1900. See the blog post for further info on this.

I chose to stage the Battle of Napue (or Storkyro) 1714, which was last battle of the Great Northen War (1700-1721) fought in Finland. The era called "Great wrath" in Finland - occupation and terror by Russians.
Game system: Black Powder by Warlord Games.
History of the this battle here

See the blog post for further info on how the battle went and plenty of pictures.

Bolt Action: Testing the Scenario for Ropecon 2017

Battle of Kuuterselkä - Report is ready

On June 13th 1944 , the Soviet 21st Army's offensive reached the partially completed VT-line.^[9] The defensive position was breached at Kuuterselkä already on June 15. Though the line was breached the Finnish resistance managed to delay further Soviet advances. - WIkipedia

More info in Finnish here.

We ran a play test game with Kalle and Juha for the scenario planned for Ropecon. Pictures are now online, text will follow.

Saga introduction to a new player

The Last Stand of Kilin Arslan

I gave an introductory game on Saga for two club fellows tonight. Did I win?

The Other Way Around!

The Cowrie of Coumbra as the pursuer

As both me and Kalle liked the scenario very much on our first go, we decided to turn the tables... read on to learn how it went this time...

Battle of Nykarleby 24.6.1808 - Report completed!

The Finnish (Swedish) push continues!

Finally the snow has melted in northern Finland and the Finns are encouraged after the victory in Revonlahti. Now Adlercreutz, Von Öttern and Von Döbeln were marching and circling the small town of Nykarleby in order to take out the Russian forces there...

Read on to find out if the Russian managed to escape from the clutches of the attacking Finnish forces... 

Conquering England - Battle of Hastings 1066

Nopat & Taktiikka Club's Traditional Summer Cabin Trip

It was once again time to enjoy the Finnish summer by heading to the country side with good friends, dozens of beer cans and hundreds of toy soldiers... and to stay crammed in a small cabin for hours and hours drinking the beer and rolling the dice. The companions were:

King Harold (Sebastian) and his brothers (in arms) Juha and Antti 

-proudly displaying the new Club T-shirt (and Karhu-beer, in English bear-beer)

...and commanding the defending the Anglo-Saxon fyrds

And the somewhat more crazy AND arrogant Norman lords:

Duke William (aka Kalle) and his vassals my self and Aleksis

What madness would follow from this you wonder... read on to find out! (Sorry about the unsharpness of some of the pictures - lightning conditions were very challenging.

Congo: Run for it!

Testing the new "Cowrie of Coumba" -scenario

June issue of Wargames Illustrated has excellent content! One of goodies on offer is two new scenarios for Congo. Kalle and me decided to test Cowrie if Coumba -scenario, where Whitewoman's Expedition column is trying to escape the wrath of the natives with a valuable artifact. This adventure is full of dramatic events and the new special rules (night, confusion and exhausted) give a nice extra flavor.

Painted some White woman adventurers (Copplestone Casting) and wild animals (Foundry) this week for the game:

Read on to find out how these chicks fared in the untamed jungle!

LOTR: Hounds of Sauron

VOLVOT ULVOO KUUN SAVUUN!

Our LOTR -saga continued with Marko and Kalle - the plan is to play all the scenarios related to the book. So now the Fellowship has left Rivendell and they are attacked by pack of vargs, that seems to have endless amount of vicious and hairy beasts!

I had painted few more beasties for the game.

Winning criteria in this scenario was: if vargs could kill before end of the game (duration was random) either 5 members of the Fellowship OR just Frodo, the evil side would win. Dead vargs were recycled and could enter the battle a fresh from the next round. 

Battle of Revonlahti 27.4.1808 - Report ready

Finnish attack continues

First, of course, in the words of Johan Ludvig Runeberg:

(for Gregori Tigerstedtille on the 50th anniversary of the Revonlahti  battle )

"Tunsitko joskus, joukoss' ihmisten

kulkeissas täällä elon tanterella,

kuink' outo voima, pakko sisäinen

toist' ihmistä voi toiseen taivutella?

Näet muodon, äänen kuulet, riemastut,

vaan et voit virkkaa, miks niin ihastut.

Mies oli Cronstedtilla väessään,

ilolla häntä vielä muistelenki;

ma vanhus olin, nuorukainen hän,

mut kummassakin meiss' ol' yksi henki.

Ma helposti ja paljon unhoitan,

mut Tigerstedtin muistan ainian.

Four warriors gathered again to pay our respects for the old glory of those soldiers and heroes, who fought to keep the archenemy at bay... Some of the pics are courtesy from Juha, thanks!

REPORT IS COMPLETED

KoW: Da Big Bashin!

Orcs rule!

Had my second Kings of War -game this year. Played again against Kim's Varangurs (Chaos warriors kind offs).

See pics from the game below (currently in quite a random order). It got me wanting to paint more of these raging greenskins...

Battle of Siikajoki 16.4.1808

Finns to the offensive!

All set for the next episode in our "Finnish War 1808-09" or Suomen  Sota -Campaign...

Ken joen rannall' on tuo miesi ylhäinen,

jok' yli vetten, maiden katsahtaapi?

Jo ryhti, huulten uhka, säihke silmien,

kädessä miehekkäässä miekka tulinen

urosta, sotilasta muistuttaapi.

Hän yksinään on, ilman seuraajaa,

mies nuori tullen mennen herrallensa

vain aika ajoin sanaa kuljettaa;

mut takan ja eessä kaksi armeijaa

veristä surmaa uhkaa toisillensa.

Hän tuosa näkee Siikajoen maiseman

niin kolkkona kuin ruumiin laudoillansa,

hän Suomen sodan muistaa vielä kolkomman,

häpeän, paon, hylyks jääneen kunnian

ja ryssäin pilkkanaurun takanansa.

Se syynä, miks niin synkkä otsa on,

miks varjo musta huolihunnun vetää

peitteeksi urhon jaloon muotohon;

hän näkee, kuinka Suomi, äiti turvaton,

nyt alttiiks jää, kun poikain miehuus pettää.

- Part of the poem "Adlercreutz" by Johan Ludvig Runeberg,

WIP: pictures added, report will follow...

Testing the New Saga Supplement: Aetius & Arthur

Roma Victor!

Since Hamburger Tactica, where I acquired the plastic Gripping beast box of late Romans and some metal blisters as well, I've been building up my 6 point late Roman Warband. So far I've played two games with them: 1 against Saxons played by Timo and one against Britons played by Sami. Below you'll find reports (WIP - first game done) from the games and my thoughts on how the roman board works. 

Arthur (Foundry) and his elites

Painting status 10.4.

Re-run: 16.4.1808 Battle of Yppäri

A Fighting Retreat

Finishing miniatures

1808 Reinforcements: Jaegers for Finns and Russians

As my painting goal for this year is to FINISH  (including varnish) miniatures, that I'm painting, I sticked to completing these Russian jaegers in a one go (= not leaving them almost finished). I also did the final touches for some Savolax jaegers, that had been "almost finished" since November 2016.

So here they are ready for the game tomorrow:

Some WIP pictures from the painting process: