Azad Hind

I try to make unusual WWII German units.  This is part of my Azad Hind unit.

Here is a Toobs Taj Mahal model, I am going to put it in my Azid Hind embassy.

I made the flag from one I downloaded from the Internet.  Printed it on paper and then folded it over a piece of plastic rod.  I carved out the spearpoint.

I took a variety of figures and swapped heads on many to make these troops.  The two on the left is Odemars,  the center figure is Dapol and the woman is from the Airfix / HaT Tarzan set.

The men all have turbans from other sets of colonial Indians.  The peacock is the national bird of India and I use it as a unit mascot.  The peacock is from Preiser and came pre-painted.

Gettysburg

Before I visited Gettysburg I pulled out my old Time-Life book on Gettysburg.

This series on the American Civil War is very old, but very good.  It is quite readable, but is well done.  There is no revisionist history here, just a straight re-telling of the events.

These books are often sold at used book stores and are often in excellent condition.

For wargamers, they are filled with maps, unit organizations, and period photos and maps.

DR Doom Castle Statues

I need statures for my DR Doom castle.  Since I use 1/72nd scale figures, I am using HeroClix as statues because they are cheap, readily available and a bit larger than 1/72nd scale figures.

I am cutting a four figures up to get enough bits for two statues.  DR Doom loves his mother and so I figure he should have statues of her around the castle.

I am taking figures with long skirts and swapping the heads with other more scantily clad figures.

Here is a test fitting of a head on a new body.

Here is the second test fitting of the second figure.  I plan on stripping the paint and repainting them as bronze or marble.

Gas

Germans with gas masks, First World War.

Gas was very common in WWI yet it seldom gets used in wargames.

Just include a few guys with gasmasks to indicate your troops are wearing them.

Troops that are wearing gas masks get a negative to hit factor to simulate the problem of the small goggles and uncomfortableness of the mask.

Troops who are in gas suffer casualties each turn they are in the gas cloud.  I use cotton balls in yellow and orange for non-persistent and persistent gas.

Trees

In war, previously friendly, inviting forests often become spooky forests.

Gray forests filled with gray soldiers.

Just tossing down a few trees can make a small wargame much better looking.

The troops are WWI Germans in gas masks by Strelets.

Trees make a big difference in this scene.

Trees

Spooky trees from Michaels.

Winter tree.

I got this at a second hand shop.

It's a nice big tree and will go well with both my spooky trees and regular trees.

I will eventually paint out the snow, so it will work for other seasons.

DR Doom Castle Update

I got this little rocket at a local educational store.

It only cost about 80 cents.

It's a kaleidoscope.

I removed the kaleidoscope bits.

 It's a nice little rocket, I got several of them.

Here it is with DR Doom.

Along with one of the DR Doom castle towers I built.

Seems to me that DR Doom would use them for a more modern defense purpose.

Like a missile silo!

Red Square

I picked up this little toothpick holder at the Sacred Monastery of St. Nina.

It has a nice painting of Moscow, Russia on the front.

One of my long term projects is to make a bit of Red Square.

Look for wargaming supplies and information in all the placed you go.

Soylent Green Movie Review

Soylent Green is typical of Hollywood liberal paranoia.  They forecast the destruction of American society in fifty years.  Far enough in the future that we are not likely to live that long, but close enough that we need to do something about it right now!  In this dystopian tale there are forty million people living in New York City, in 2020.  I don't think they will make it since there are fewer than 9 million there now. 

The police are corrupt, people are on the edge of starvation and living in the streets and sleeping on the stairwells.  Still, despite the depressing and inaccurate portrayal of the future, it's a good action cop drama.  It's also fun to watch the vision of the future that the past had.  The furnishings, the computers are all plenty of fun and the performances are solid by all concerned. 

Edward G. Robinson died of cancer only 12 days after finishing this, his 101st movie.  Charlton Heston said he was on time and ready every day for his role.  A true professional actor.  A very good movie and every science fiction fan should have it in his library.  Plenty of near future wargaming scenarios here.  Break into the Soylent factory.  Quell the rioters with your police.  Raid the food storage to feed the people.  Assassinate the cop who is investigating the Soylent Corporation.

Tractor and Guns

US Army tractor with French 75mm gun.

Crew in fire drill.

The last gun of the battery pulls into place.

One tractor replaces six horses.

The tractor never sleeps.

It tows both gun and caisson.

Guns and troops by HaT.

Tractor

This is a tractor from the First World War era and immediate post war period.

It's part of a series of John Deere tractors.

It is a very nice looking tractor.

It's scale is not mentioned.

It's about 1/72nd scale.

Shown here with a HaT WWI US Army soldier.