Thursday 30 November 2017

Archive Access

Hello,
For reasons beyond my understanding I can no longer post on my original blog: The Dancing Cake Tin. The good news is that it still exists and can be viewed here: http://thedancingcaketin.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

I'm hopeful of a resurgence in post frequency in future. No promises mind!

Updates as they happen 👍

Wednesday 22 March 2017

Pre-Loved Minis Repainted

We had a bit of a clear up at my wargames club recently. During this a box of figures turned up. It contained some metal WW1 British and a large number of Heroscape minis. An appeal was made for the owners to come forward but none did so.

After the deadline the figures were divided up amongst the Frostgrave/fantasy gamers. I chose mine and decided to give them a spruce up.

I re-based the minis on stone flags with the usual pins in the legs/feet.

Washed, undercoat with Humbrol grey, primed with a dark brown and finished with a variety of Vallejo colours.

I failed to take before shots so you'll have to take my word for it 😉







UATH!

Wednesday 8 March 2017

Sci-Fi On A Budget

Reclaim, re-purpose, upscale are my watchwords. What are yours? Bearing this in mind I wanted a sci-fi Base of some kind; now, as we all know packaging comes in myriad shapes and sizes. Thus, I thought "that'll come in handy":


Once it held sausages. The steel washer I added, do not panic. One wash and dry later I sprayed the outside matte grey. Then brown. Then I got the masking tape out. The other camo colours are Vallejo Sand Yellow and Deep Sky Blue.




Ghar are the only faction that matters in BTGOA so I call this scheme Gharnter Camouflage. But what's that thing sticking up there? Glad you asked. It's the handle off a kitchen utensil I bought for 10p at the local charity shop.

What's it for? Well, everyone needs communications and/or early warning of enemy movements. Especially the Ghar cos they hate everyone. Everyone. Anyways the handle is now re-purposed as a Ghardio/Ghardar mast. It looks quite Art-Deco which has no meaning or value in The Ghar Empire.

The mast is undercoated with a spray of brown followed by Vallejo Red and Sand Yellow. Once dry I painted Vallejo Transparent Red and Transparent Yellow over the bases colours.

The doors, hatches, lights etc were all sourced from the bits box. The washer? Well that was to give the container some weight as well as allow the magnet on the bases of the mast to attach. Making storage easier. I plan to put the container on a Base as well for added strength.

Here's the Ghardar Station in an alien setting with some Ghar troops loitering outside:





Updates as they happen!

Monday 6 March 2017

A Flamboyant Swordsman

I don't normally buy much from GW but the set this toy came from is rather nice. Troops of the Empire apparently and very C16th. I chose the figure entitled 'Champion' as the latest recruit to the ranks of the Wizards' hired hands.

I drilled into his feet then pinned and glued him to a paved base. I'm really keen on this method of basing now. It does take a bit of extra work, especially with metal figures: cutting the base away and drilling the metal. The payoff is the figure stands directly on the bases and there's no having to conceal the metal bases.

The paint job, using Vallejo colours throughout, is obviously Landsknecht in origin. I sealed the deal with 2 coats of Vallejo matte varnish:





Updates as they happen!

Friday 3 March 2017

Ghar Patrol

This post is merely an excuse to show off some of the plastic aquarium plants and curious flora I've picked recently.

The plants come ready coloured and set into a heavy resinbase. I gave them a wash and then dry-brushed some orange-rust over the bases. This will fit them in with my idea of alien soil.

The other things you can see are resin alien 'shrooms. As they were labelled. I preferred the 4 larger ones to be set at ground level as some kind of carnivorous horror plants. One pair in a sickly yellow with green veining. The central section was day brushed in Vallejo Pale Flesh followed by Vallejo Transparent Red. Some red spilled out onto the yellow areas which I quite liked. Given carnivorous alien fungi aren't known for their table manners.

The star-shaped pair were painted Vallejo Medium Flesh followed by a couple coats of Transparent Red. The raised veins in Vallejo Pale Flesh with a poor attempt to blend in Vallejo Dark Flesh to get a leprous vibe.

I sprayed both pairs with gloss varnish. Once dry I painted Vallejo Matte Varnish onto some areas but left other areas with just the gloss to make them look wet and sweaty.

The 4 puffballs were pinned and glued and painted in anew attempt at psychedelic. I did add some thin rolls of putty to the shorter ones to suggest.....something
although now they resemble fungal helter-skelters.

The Ghar patrol transitting the scene comprises:

1 x Flitter
2 x Tectorists
3 x Outcast Infantry
1 x Bomber Squad

Routine job, no trouble expected. Just remember: The Ghar Empire hates YOU.

Pictures!




UATH!

Thursday 2 March 2017

Abominable Snowmen

Yeti. The very word strikes terror in the sturdiest and most valiant. And that's just one of them. Imagine if a blighted place, such as Frostgrave, had more of these things infesting the ruins? They're big. They're horrible. They eat anything and everything. They're best avoided. Unfortunately in Frostgrave's treasure filled ruins that simply isn't possible. Depending on a D20 of course!






Saturday 11 February 2017

Ghar!

Beyond The Gates Of Antares  is a sci-fi game that's caught me in its web recently. I rejoined the October Wargames Club and a game of BTGOA was in progress so I wandered over for a look. To shorten the story: the game was exciting and fun; the chaps playing it were friendly and helpful and I was hooked.

I chose as my faction The Ghar Empire. Hate-filled space goblins who want to slaughter anything non-Ghar. Read the link above for more info.

I've built up a reasonably sized battle group, pics eventually, and these toys will expand it further. They are a Bomber Squad, a sort of mobile mortar with bodyguards. And a Flitter Squad, aerial recon. Sort of.

Thus far they are cleaned, primed and undercoated:

                  Bomber Squad

Flitter Squad

UATH!

Friday 10 February 2017

The Wizarding Way

28mm Summoner and Apprentice. I went with a red on red colour scheme for this duo. Cast bases removed and the toys then pinned to a flagged Renedra base. I painted the figures with Vallejo paints. The snow is Cadian Blizzard by GW. 


Updates as they happen!

Wednesday 8 February 2017

More Frostgrave

 I bought some 'Saga' Varangians. They've got axes and cloaks and appear to be warmly clothed. Ideal for Frostgrave then! 

I snipped off the figures' metal bases then drilled and studded their feet with wire from paper clips. I'm really pleased with the effect. This method seems to be catching on too.




Updates as they happen!

Tuesday 31 January 2017

Frostgrave


I came across this game purely by chance, an article in one of the wargame magazines. I liked the freewheeling nature of the game so dug a bit deeper. I found the Book of Faces group, which is hilarious and informative, often simultaneously. I bought the rule book and found it easy to read and exciting. The freewheelingness was confirmed: no 'thou shalt use only the approved miniatures and rules of holy writ' but instead plenty of 'use the rules as a basis for FUN!!!'.

Next up was assembling figures for the game. You need wizard(s); the game revolves around magic and a number of schools of magic. I won't go into too much detail suffice to say some schools get on, some don't and spells get slung about like bullets. Add on soldiers of various types and a selection of monsters and, well, you get the picture: it's a dangerous but, potentially, lucrative place.

My first wizard is a female Sigilist (words as weapons, fierce language use, death quills, you get the idea) and her, also female, Apprentice. I also had some figures lying in boxes from various wargames shows and long dormant projects. They're all either in service or soon will be.

The game is set in a vaguely medieval/fantasy period and you are actively encouraged to use whatever vaguely medieval/fantasy figures you possess. It's also cold.

Anyways it's pictures of figures you want not me droning on. Eh, voila!

Sigilist & Apprentice 

Thug, Barbarian & Archer

Northmen - Filling Many Soldier Roles
     
Thug, Man-at-Arms, Thief 



Sunday 29 January 2017

Baseless & Without Foundation

Don't worry this isn't a rant. I simply became tired of dealing with moulded-on bases on my figures. They are a nuisance when it comes to styling the larger base they finally get stuck on: standing on a little mound in the worst instance. With this mind I took my sidecutters and snipped them off. The job does generate a fair pile of scrap metal. Enough for another figure maybe? ☺

Some of the figures can stand up on their own but I prefer to drill into their feet. Insert and secure a pin in each foot using super glue. The number of times I've glued my fingers together is ridiculous!

I then match up the pins with a suitable Base; drill a couple of holes then superglue the figure in place.

It does make the production process a little longer but I think the results are completely worth it.

6 figures de-based & 
ready for foot drilling

Feet drilled and pinned

Here they are mounted
on round flagstone bases

As you can probably see a couple of the figures are not ramrod straight. I think this is a good thing because to my eye it suggests movement. The Viking in particular seems to be really getting into a good swing with the axe he will eventually have. 

The figures themselves are bound for the icy hell of treasure, fighting and magic that is Frostgrave. 

UATH!

Saturday 28 January 2017

I'm Back



Hello! After a considerable break from blogging I regained my mojo and tried to log onto thedancingcaketin.blogspot.co.uk but was unable to.

After some time being messed around by "help" I cut my losses and started up this one, Mk2 as it were. No idea why I couldn't sign into Mk1, none at all.

Anyways here I am with, I hope, slightly more frequent nonsense about the toys I buy, paint and game with.

Deep breath.........here goes!