Steel Penguins braying

[Steel Penguin]

Narses its the fact that the Italeri box is the same size as my Tamiya M60A2 box that gets me. 

still done another bit.
3 Ground Zero Games ( GZG)  combat nuns on motorcycle,  1 twin nun motorcycle, and 4 powered armour nuns, which finishes of the platoon ( I started off half a doz of these years ago as  a joke force, and it kind of snow balled)

62 figures  1 piece of scenery 2 models  ( bikes are like cavalry, count as 2 figures  even if it  is a bit with a rider and a pillion passenger) 

[Steel Penguin]

the staghounds washed, undercoated with, and had a coat of Halfords "camo green"  and then a quick overspray with Tamiya  TS2  I can start assembly in a bit,  its going to be a closed box kits so the hatches and covers will be shut,  there's only a little detail in the turret cage so I wont bother,  ive also cleaned up the 10 crooked dice freedom fighters, so ive the original Liberator crew, plus Tarrent, Dayna, Soo Lyn, and the scarred Blake from the last ep.    and  there was me saying to try to finish things and get them of me desk 

[NARSES2]

Combat nuns 

[Steel Penguin]

perfect for anti Vampire operations, 
or as one of the factions on the GZG web site,  biker babes, angel warriors,  bug eyed Martians, gun bunnies, cave girls, hells bells, nuns with guns and a couple of others. http://shop.groundzerogames.co.uk/
they are different to the  Po faced  forces that a lot of company's produce, or the mor skulls deff future dystopias.   but most importantly fun.

the staghound box is both full and rather empty,  4 sprues of plastic ( body, turret and 2*wheels) 1 sheet of acetate, 1 small thing of etch     a turned metal gun barrel and a length of cord as a tow rope.   the box height is needed to allow for the main body of the AC. 
im really not certain whether its good, bad, indifferent  or expensive.

[zenrat]

Fun is very important.

[Captain Canada]

Thanks for the link. It does sound fun !

Who did you say was the maker of the Staghound ?

[Steel Penguin]

Staghound is a 1:35 Italeri  kit http://www.italeri.com/scheda.asp?idProdotto=978   ( currently oop by the look)    who also do a mk III http://www.italeri.com/scheda.asp?idProdotto=997 and an AAA version http://www.italeri.com/scheda.asp?idProdotto=982.   

Mrs Steel Penguin is off today as well so were doing "stuff" together,  this morning was gluing more 4Ground buildings,  a settlers cabin for her and a detached  town house for me, weve also had a tidy through the used sprues for the stuff weve built, and slung a load, but kept any useful bits in a bag for tatting with.

I wargame, and paint stuff to wargame with for fun,  if its not fun, im wasting my money on it, and far more importantly wasting my time,  Ive seen games where the players look as though they've had all the fun and pleasure sucked out of them, and I think " why are you even bothering", its not even like some of the rivet counters in modelling or at railway exhibitions, where you can see the effort and time theve invested, and when you can engage them with why its different, there face lights up, weve all seen it at the whiff stand, where we can show the punter the book and paper project, and they go away informed and happy,  this was several blokes sat round for an afternoon, hating what they were doing.  Its one of the resons I have shied away from historicals for a long time,  My painting and playing style  wont win me any prizes, but I count a good game as one where both my opponent and my self have fun, and have seen many "historical experts"  wine and moan for hours concerning the fact that the uniform colour is wrong, or that the formations arnt accurate for that day . Fabric dyes fade, and run,  and matching colours is tricky at the best of time, and next too impossible under non natural light, and with dodgy colour vision.
Fortunately I had one friend who got me into WW2 with a version of Warhammer 40000, fast simple and gave the right feeling for what we wanted,   so I ended up with multiple armies  before he moved, and now another couple we know have got both of use interested in Saga ( early medieval, late dark age),  im still looking for a good American civil war set, ( cavalry  for Mrs Steel penguin, modern firearms and tactics for me)  so weve only got a few of those painted for using as forces in the games workshop cowboys skirmish game, along with the other gangs weve got for it.
My modelling is the same, I build and paint for pleasure, I do research to a certain level, but generally if it looks right at arms length, im going to be happy,  if I find a mistake later I may correct it, or make certain its done right on the next one of that type I build.  I can appreciate the hours others spend on each project, getting everything perfect, but its not my temperament.

[NARSES2]

You've jotted down the reasons I gave up wargaming quite succinctly there mate. Only thing missing was the Rules Lawyers, or did that only happen with WRG Ancients rules ?

[Steel Penguin]

alas Narses the Rules Lawyer is universal...  the advantage is that earlier editions of 40K were reasonably well written, and contained sections on rules disagreements ( check the rules, ask someone else's interpretation, if all else fails  flip a coin and use that version from now on).  I have asked a bought rules in mid game, the young lad I was playing with gave me his version, we checked the relevant army list, and then I apologised and insisted that he carry on using the correct rules against me.... ( oh did I feel embarrassed)  2 turns later the situation was reversed, so we both learnt some thing that evening).  I remember this, not due to him proving me wrong or vice versa, but because of the way that it was dealt with, we both wanted a good game and worked to get it.   I had another person at the same club tell me I was wrong, ( when I knew I wasn't, and where to get the info to prove it) and when I turned up  at the next meeting he seemed very put out, to not only be proved wrong, but to be shown it by the "new guy",  the problem being id been playing for 10-15 years at that point   
The ones that wound me up the most ( seriously, seriously wound up) was the times ive caught people cheating in friendly games ( not against me) against new players, that don't have all the rules and have to take the cheats word for it....       people that had to win, no matter what the cost, against someone they were supposed to be teaching the game.

[Steel Penguin]

staghound continues apace, the Italeri instructions appear to be photocopy's of the kit being built, not terribly easy to see, and some of the part placement seems a bit vague,  but never less both  suspension / drive systems are together and on the AC body.  the turret is coming together well also.
My current puzzle is where to put the Brachiosaurs box  19" * 13" * 5"  Its playing " move round the hobby room under the not used desk " at the mo  ( to give an idea that box is marginally higher and deeper than my Dragon Wagon box)  the easy answer my be either the loft, or next build.... 
The detached house has been finished,  and reasonably quick and easy build, it would be simple to "posh" up by adding acetate windows and a fireplace, but I think that would fill it up too much.  the one thing im ( probably) going to do, is replace the interior doors, so that instead of plank doors they are made from plasticard and look more like a modern smooth door, id love to do the older style interior doors, with the 2 central bevelled panels but I think its a little much for something on the wargames tabletop.
62 figures  2 pieces of scenery 2 models

[Captain Canada]

Always nice to hear of folk enjoying themselves ! And why bother if you're not ?

[zenrat]

Simple and quick door solution would be to print them onto paper and stick the printed 2 or 3 panel doors onto pieces of plastic card.

[Steel Penguin]

Zenrat,  thank you !  that's an idea that id not thought of, and am going to run off with giggling 

[Weaver]

Or if you want a little relief on the door, print the panelled door onto white card, cut out the panels, make the edges of the cut-outs match the rest, then stick it onto another sheet of card or plastic.

[Steel Penguin]

the staghound continues  so far one piece of the etch makes sense to me, and then only just, and that's the cradle for mounting the Browning MG, where its folded up yo form a U shape, and even that could have been done in plastic easily, it looks as though ill end up with bits of it left,  so itll be off to the parts bin.
done some more doors and frames on the hotel, but its a bit sloggy at the moment.