It's Been A Long Time.....

So it's been quite some time since I've posted.  I know, I'm a terrible hobbyist, and shame falls on me abundantly because of it.  However, I have been busy.  Between preparing for Gathering in the Desert 2012 back in February, expanding my armies for fun, and venturing into new games, I've been steadily plunging deeper into the sweetly addictive abyss that is wargaming.  So I though I'd throw up a few pics of some of the things I've worked on, as well as some things that are new on my horizon.  I apologize for the quality of some of the pictures in advance.  This was done rather quickly with a sub-par camera.

First up is my Lord of the Rings stuff.  As I said before, I participated in GitD 2012 where I played the Dwarves of Erebor.  I also made an army of The Fiefdoms.  This group has always been my favorite in the books, and I really like the models from the GW line.  So I started this army, and then one of my buddies wanted to play in the tournament, too.  So I finished this army up, and they hit the table alongside my dwarves.  Here's a few pics of Prince Imrahil and his men of Dol Amroth.

 

Next, up is Sauron, the Lord of the Rings.  I wanted this model because, well, he's Sauron, Lord of the Rings.  He's seen some table time, and is (in my opinion) the nastiest power in the LotR game.

Next up is Aragorn, King Elessar.  This guy is my favorite character in the game.  Elessar was the backbone of my force that won March to Mount Doom this year.  I also love this model, and I really like the way he turned out.  As I said, favorite model I've painted, thus far.

 I created a Gondor army to fit around Aragorn.  I had the Denethor and Beregond models which you can see below.  I did up some more rangers with spears and quite a few Men of Gondor.  Now, with the new books, I put together a cheesy list with Aragorn, Denethor, and Beregond that saw time on the table at a tournament in March.  I really liked how both hero models turned out.  Here's some sample pictures of a few models from that army.

I have many more LotR stuff started up, and several armies I just couldn't get around to putting in this post.  I should have some shots of those armies in the future.

Now, for the new endeavor.  The group of guys I game with have gotten back into the swing of Flames of War, and WWII 15mm game.  Their focus has been on tank battles, and I couldn't resist joining in the mayhem.  So I've started up a mid-war US tank company consisting purely of Sherman M4A1's and M4A2's, with 75mm main guns.  I've completed five A2's already, and I'm finishing up ten more A1's right now.  Since these are the first vehicles I have EVER painted, I'm fairly please with the result.  There could be some improvement, and I plan on adding some more details in the future.  But here is a few shots of these tanks.

These are the Plastic Soldier Company models.  After reading some reviews, I've found many people don't like the process of assembling these vehicles, because they are more like miniature model kits than pre-packaged gaming pieces.  But I enjoyed the assembly process, and the price was about half as much as the Battlefront line for Flames of War.  So I'm finishing up the M4A1's, which are also wet stowage tanks, and then I'll be ready to throw down some games. 

So there's a small taste of my activities so far this year.  I've got much more to post, and I'll try to get around to putting it up here soon (but those tanks take priority, hehe).

Dwarves of Erebor

With Gathering in the Desert 2012 almost here, I've almost finished my dwarf army.  All I have to do next is finish my emissary model, and I'll be ready to go.  So here are some pics of the Dwarves of Erebor with Gimli as captain.


Gimli
Dwarf Captain
Dwarf Warrior with Shield x8
Dwarf Warrior with 2-Handed Axe x5
Khazad Guard x7
Iron Guard x9
Dwarf Ranger with Dwarf Longbow x12

 I'm putting the finishing touches on the display board, then I can focus on getting games in and working on my next project (which is yet undetermined).  So!  First Lord of the Rings army almost done!  Proceed with the battles!

Crusader's Retreat

I got to spend the afternoon gaming at Crusader's Retreat.  It's a new game shop over at 32nd St. and Thunderbird.  A buddy of mine and I went over, and I got to throw down a LotR battle with the store owner, Dave.  He ran Uruk-hai scouts, with Ugluk leading the way, against my Erebor dwarfs, captained by none other than Gimli.  We played "Seize the Prize" to a draw, leaving my dwarfs undefeated and unsuccessful all at the same time.

As I said, we played at Crusader's Retreat.  You can check them out on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002973537936&sk=info, and I think he said his website/blog will be up and running soon.  There are good tables for gaming, with terrain being made for various games.  The owner is very friendly, and the store is coming along.  Check it out if you're in the area and support your local game store!

LotR: Legolas, Gimli, and Imrahil

So I'll probably have regular posts in the near future, displaying models I have painted.  I wanted to show three heroes I have almost finished.  I will surely be highlighting more, but they are more or less done.

Legolas

Gimli

Prince Imrahil

I also did some more work on the bases of my dwarf warriors.  I really like what it adds.

So, a few models down, about a million to go!

LotHS Photos

Months ago I started playing Legends of the High Seas with a friend (who happens to have authored the game). I painted some figures, and I thought I should post some pictures.  Most of these models are from Old Glory, but there are also models from Black Scorpion and Privateer Press.  I didn't get around to finishing some of the bases, but it's a good start I think.

 

Avast!  The full blown battle of two pirate crews!  All buildings were my first attempts at modeling terrain.  Some turned out to my liking.... while some didn't make this picture for other reasons, haha!

So this is a look at the first game I got hooked on.  Lots of fun!