The Lost Battle And A New SNAFU

The following pictures are from a game I played over a year ago. It's been so long that I can't remember much about it, other than that it was a playtest of an earlier version of the SNAFU vehicle rules. Still, I thought you lot might appreciate the eye candy.

In other news, I had a great weekend at Trumpeter Salute in Vancouver. I picked up some of JR Miniatures' rubber roads, and got to play MERCS and Malifaux. I really liked MERCS, and wouldn't mind picking up the minis for it at some point, though they are rather pricey.

Malifaux was quite interesting. It is a diceless game, being entirely driven by a standard deck of playing cards (with both jokers left in). This got me thinking about the card based initiative system in SNAFU. The current card system in SNAFU is based on custom card decks for each game, not unlike the card systems of TooFatLardies rules. The problem was that I always found it a bit awkward with how activation cards worked, and specifically the number of them in the deck vs the number of units on table always seemed very flawed and didn't make much sense. After some thinking, I came up with a card system that uses a regular deck of playing cards. I have played two test games with this system and have found it works very well. I also removed all measuring from the game. Movement is from terrain piece to terrain piece, and shooting is at anything in line of sight like Arty Conliffe's excellent Crossfire rules. I used this new movement system in both playtests as well. Together, these new mechanics make SNAFU more dynamic and just plain better. I will be writing up a new edition of the rules in the near future, though it might take a month or two before it appears online, as I have been quite busy with my other hobby (music) lately.

Anyway, here are the pictures from the lost battle.

Men of Harlech!

With my recent jumping back into painting I finished the second unit of Zulu (that has sat half painted for around a year) and put together and painted my first unit of Brits. All are from the excellent plastic range from Warlord Games/Empress Miniatures. The Zulu are painted as the unmarried Udududu regiment (I think, some of my online sources from when I started them no longer exist!). The Brits are of course painted as the 24th.

Sci-Fi Storage Tank

A quick post for a piece of scenery I made last year. It's a rusted old storage tank...thing. It was a scratch build from some plastic packaging, a couple dead AA batteries and some stuff from the bitz box. 30mm Warhammer 40,000 minis and 15mm ganger shown for scale.

Where have I been?

The post-apoc gangers was my first post in some months. Those pictures were actually taken back in the summer! I apologize for my absence. Over these last 6 or so months I completed my Bachelors Degree in History. It was a lot of work (and debt!) but I am proud that I made it through. If nothing else, it was worth it for the sense of accomplishment I feel and how much I grew as a person over those nearly 5 years. Though in the last 6 months my interest in things relating to wargaming waned. Development of my sci-fi rules, SNAFU, ground to an absolute halt. It's not the firs time this has happened, and probably won't be the last.

I've been on the job hunt since the end of December, and have had no luck. Another interview this week. Here's hoping! Being unemployed does mean a lot of free time however. So I started painting again last night simply out of boredom (a unit of Zulu that has been half finished for almost a year now, ditto a squad of Dark Angels). Getting back to painting has been both enjoyable and has got me starting to feel interested in wargaming again. It's a good feeling. This hobby has been with me since I was 8 years old, and I'm sure I will always have some interest in it, even if that interest waxes and wanes throughout the years.

There are a number of things I want to post in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled.

Thank you for reading.

15mm Post-Apoc Gangers

Some pics of my 15mm post-apoc stuff. Most of the minis are made by Khurasan, with a few from 15mm.co.uk. The pictures were originally done for a school-related project (a class on Apocalyptic Films). I got an A too!

SNAFU Update

Just a quick note to say that vehicles rules are up, as well as a revised version of the base SNAFU rules: http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/teatimegames/

SNAFU - My Sci-Fi Rules

Well, I've decided to post my modern/sci-fi skirmish rules the web. I think the infantry rules are finally at the point I want them to be at. Games seem to flow well, and the mechanics work. I have posted the rules to this newly created yahoo group, for both my own and my buddy's rule writing ventures: http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/teatimegames/

If you have an aversion to yahoo groups, you can download the rules here: http://www.mediafire.com/?j2uz202iv2rs7k8

The nice thing with the yahoo group is it easily facilitates discussion of the rules, but it's your call.

These rules are still very much in development, so feedback is welcomed.

Vehicle rules (and other things) coming soon.