Quar stuff

 

Man is it cold around here.  Colder than a brass toilet seat on the shady side of the iceberg.  There was like one week of Fall, where the weather was nice.  Now wet and cold.  Cold like the heart of a tax collector.  

I was gonna work on some terrain in the garage, but I wimped out as it was too cold in there.  Instead, a little voice sounded in me head and said "You know, you only like need like 3 more miniatures painted up to complete that third squad."  Another voice chimed in "throw in a Sharpshooter and an itsy-bitsy AT gun?"

"Deal!" They both said at once.  And what I was doing was decided without me.  Just like most of my activities.

Quar Stuff

Of course it's Quar stuff.  Why would it not be Quar stuff?  It's all I do these days.  I CANNOT be distracted.

Coftyr Rhyflers

These 3 cuties complete another standard squad.  But what squad of humanoid Anteater-ish things would be complete without a specialist?  "It wouldn't be complete" is what you would say.  So we'll add a Sharpshooter.

Coftyr Sharpshooter

All of my Sharpshooters have a snazzy hat and gauze wrapped around the scope for some reason.  This gives me 3 Coftyr forces of around 300 pts all painted.  Which nicely matches the 3 Crusader squads of around 300 points that are also all painted.  Funny coincidence that.

Say Hello to My Little...

With the Playtest rules for Tractors (tanks) being released for This Quar's War: Clash of Rhyfles, it seemed time to upgrade.  The Coftyrans have the only Anti-tank / anti-infantry gun so far in the form of a small thing officially called "RCO m60" which is short for "Royal Coftyran Ordnance Field Howitzer Model 60."  

Basically, it's a mini howitzer, on some sort of track system, with a comically small shield.  

I played around with the basing, adding in a LOT of brush, like these guys had set up in a thicket and tried to do some camouflage.

"I am in a thicket,
Trying to trick it,
cus I'm gonna stick it,
right up his..."

Fence Fail

In Quar battlefields I have been using my ACW/AWI worm / split rail fences, because it's either those or some Dark Ages wattle type fences.  I wanna get away from those to dispel the "this Quar's American Civil War" appearance.  Who knew that yet another type of fence would be needed?  sheesh.  It's starting to seem like one NEVER has enough of the right terrain.  

I had all this balsa wood from a previous stupid purchase just lying around, so I thought I would give it try and construct my own.  I know what kind a fence I wanted.  I didn't want a typical fence that has vertical posts and horizontal beams which seem easy to make and that probably why everyone does that.  I wanted all the fence boards to all be vertical, so it matches the trench boards and that's how my fences look at home.   How hard can it be? 

I made these:

I also messed up the paint job some.

And I hate them.  I just couldn't get the amount of detail I wanted into the balsa wood, and it was becoming obvious that to get the look I wanted I would have to cut out all the individual planks and them glue them down.  Which seemed like a LOT of tedious work, which is probably why no one does it this way.   So I scrapped the idea.

Time to rely on the tried, tested, and true problem-solving technique for any problem.  Used by governments, husbands, dictators, and churches.  Throw money at it.

I bought these from the internet, and fit the bill nicely.

The right height

They're about 5" long and I bought 13 of them (5x13 = 65" or about 5 feet).  I'm happy with them.

Distraction

I hardly ever get distracted.  But there are two things that I can never resist: strawberries dipped in chocolate and new dark ages mass combat rules.  

I picked these up through a pre-order because they were all over the internet and looked really good.  Having a read through and trying to not think too hard about all those dark ages troops that I have, just waiting to be played with....

These aren't written for the dark ages specifically but one of these tool kit rules that let you re-create battles where units engaged in hand-to-hand lead by heroic leaders.  

Time to Eat

Here in America, it's the week of Thanksgiving.  When we all try to be appreciative.

I appreciate you reading.

I double appreciate you writing a comment.

And till Next time.

Mainly Vet Con AAR, mainly Quar

 (scratching my head and thinking)

 "What was I doing again?"   "Oh yeah!  Writing the best damn wargaming blog on the internet!"

Except for all those other ones, which are equally as good.

Fine.  They're BETTER even.  Go read all those why don't you.  OH you do?  Well, good, you should.

Good blogs probably wouldn't go a whole month without posting, except of course when they do.  Like I just did.  Here's a mega update, but mainly a Vet Con AAR, and mainly Quar. 

 VET CON AAR

Every time I go to a convention, I think I should try to be a good blogger and take pics of ALL the games.  I start off well enough, but then I get distracted and stop.  Unless I'm standing right there next to it then I don't see or hear it, just like small dogs and miracles.    

Vet con ran Friday night through Sunday, and that lends itself to a fine structure...

FRIDAY:

Broke free early on the Friday afternoon from my home life, and safe in the knowledge that my in-laws had come town to help my wife with the children, I prepared for a holiday weekend of gaming with no responsibilities other than driving safely (and I barely did that).

I had brought my Quar stuff for a Friday game but the nice man I was supposed to play could NOT break away from his own responsibilities, so instead I jumped in a game of Gunfighters Ball (a Cowboy game) hosted by the Mr. DP who was running the con... 

along with socializing and saying hello to people, I'm a regular chatty Cathy at a wargame convention.

My two bandits making off with a wagon

I named myself the King of the Banditos as my two bandits actually stole a wagon and got it off the table while everyone else was getting shot or throwing dynamite and getting themselves blown up.

Gunfighter's Ball is a fun game.  When you get shot you draw a damage card, and I swear every other card is getting shot in the ass or balls.

SATURDAY:

Most of Saturday was spent playing a Bolt Action 3rd edition tournament.  3 games, each about 2.5 hours.  Tournaments can be nerve racking if one trying to do well.  Fortunately for me this was not the case as I just wanted to learn the game better.  It was nerve racking for me because I did not have a 3rd edition rulebook nor a 28mm WWII army.  I didn't have the rules because despite ordering them in JULY from Osprey. and them being released in September, apparently the books from Osprey were somehow delayed, and delayed again.  Even while I'm writing this sentence I still don't have my book. 

As for the army, I know all about how these WWII types operate and saddled up to one and said "Hi. My name is Stewart, and I'm you're new best friend.  SOOOoooo, got a spare army?"  And he did.  Mr. R kindly lent me a Soviet army that was very beginner friendly. 

In actual fact, I had arranged with the Organizer Mr. SM ahead of time to borrow an army.  That morning, he did have a spare army but also said "that man over there also has like 4 armies that he said people could borrow, try him."  Mr Said that it was nice for him because he had all these armies that hardly ever see the table, and it was nice to see them used.  I said, "well, as long as you understand that I'm one doing YOU a favor then we're all good."  No, I didn't say that for reals. 

Nothing says WWII like Hedgerows.
Hedgerows and machinegun noises.

The red bobbles are pins, so you can tell that I'm doing really well.

In my last game, I played Mr. SM and his British Commandos.

The BA tournament was super friendly, super fun, laid back.  Lot's of people were still learning the 3rd rules so I didn't stand out too much with all my nagging questions.  

And then, because it was too early to go home, I once again played a game of Gunfighters Ball in the same scenario.  I loudly announced that last game I was the King of the Banditos and to watch my example.  After lecturing everyone that no one should be throwing dynamite, the game began where I was the first cowboy shot dead.  

Strangely, all pictures of this game are lost. 

OTHER GAMES: 

Before we get on with Sunday, here are some pictures of other games that I did manage to photograph...

A 54mm WWII game that everyone seemed to enjoy

Star Wars

Some AWI

I know, it's such a lack luster effort.  There were others, LOTS others, I just didn't take pictures of them.  I'm just not naturally inclined to take a bunch of pictures unless it has something to do with me.  Because I selfish. I never share my french fries.  

Lots of pics of Sunday though, because on Sunday I hosted two games of Quar: Clash of Rhyfles.

Sunday is Quar day

To refresh your memory as it's been a month, a Quar is a Humanoid Anteater-ish thing in WWI-ish tech.  Like so:

Some recently painted Quar.
Over exposed, as I was playing with the setting...

I set up a scenario for 5 players, where 3 payers would play the crusaders, and their job was to assault across a river and take the center ground of the two players playing the royalists.  The scenario ran in the morning through afternoon, and again late afternoon till evening.  

Table Set up.

Each player had a 300-ish point force of 11 miniatures (so 600 pts on defense vs 900 pts on attack). 

Just a closer look.

The game was just kinda but not really, but just barely; local enough tothe Developers of Quar miniatures and Rulebooks, so the guys who are Zombiesmith, Mr. JQ and Mr. AB, came up to have a look-see and have a chat.  Which was very flattering.  I mean for them, because how often do you get to meet a famous blogger like myself with an international blog read by a dozen people?  

I pretended not to be starstruck.  It's rare you get to meet the people who make the stuff that you enjoy so much.  Mr. JQ and Mr. AB were very nice and we go to get in some good chat when I wasn't distracted by actually having to run the game.  

Mr. JQ pinned a Crusader badge onto my collar.  It felt like being knighted.  

I didn't get any pictures of us together.  Which is unfortunate because it would have made me a very minor celebrity in some very small circles.  Very-very small circles, more like dots.  But still, my wife thought it was cool when I told her all about it.  Repeatedly.  

Some Cadier (Horse equivalent) are tethered by the bridge for some unknow reason.

Me in the purple shirt.
Pointing with intention.

The Coftyrans are defending the bridge.

In the evening game, One of the local players, Mr. NB, brought his newly painted 
Arnyaran faction to try out.  We swapped out one of my crusader forces for his force.
The Tractor (tank) was just for fun looks.

Two lone Royalists try to hold out.
Can you be lone if there are two of you?

Trying to get across the river

At one point, it felt like it was getting really late.  "Man, it feels late.  What time is it anyway?"  "6:30?!!"  "We all need to man up, my children aren't bed yet so I can't go home."  

Quar moving through the woods.

Some Crusaders trying out the bridge.
because crossing rivers is for suckers.
Why get your feet wet AND be shot at?

We were the last game to wrap up and we few players closed out the convention.  

So Vet Con was a great success.  Lots of fun, and in typical convention fashion you see a lot of people you seem to only see at conventions.  I made some new gaming friends, I sold everything I placed in the Bring and Buy so had enough cash to pay for all my drinks.  

Monday is Veteran's Day

Woke up early, put flowers on my father's grave who served 20 years in the navy, and then off to a parade.  My older children were marching in the local parade as part of Scouts.  It was cold, wet, and raining.  

Question: What does an almost middle aged, kinda out of shape, definitely hung over, father do in a cold, wet, and raining parade?

Answer:

He carries his 4 year old for 2 miles.
Not all heroes wear capes, but I bet they all have sore backs.

After we got home and put on warm dry clothes, my oldest son (6 years old) demanded that since I was gone all weekend playing games with other people that it was now his turn to play.  So out came his favorite game King of Toyko. 

Where he beat me three times.
He can barely read but he knows what ALL the cards do.

Thanks for reading.
Double thanks for writing a comment.
Till next time.

And then I

 Hello again. 

Ever take one of those writing classes in school where there was an exercise where a writing prompt would be provided, and you had to fill in the rest?  

I know, those are lame and were never fun.  But let's try it anyway, wargaming blog styles.

And Then I

was super annoyed because I had to skip out of playing remotely in Jonathan's Freitag's remote ACW game.  I had to skip out because my wife volunteered to host a baby shower at our place at the WORST possible timey given mine and JF's schedules.  It just became impossible. Now children that aren't even mine are ruining my wargaming.  And I was in need of a good ACW game.

Does it even count as an ACW game without me?!

yeah, I mean, of course it does.  

And Then I

had to take my actual children out of the house on the day of the baby shower for 6 hours.  Spending the day with your children is, in theory, not the end of the world.  It is a challenge to find activities that a 3-year-old, a 6-year-old, and an 11-year-old can all do together.  

Plus, it was 100 degrees outside. 

In October.

So the usual ploy of packing a lunch and going to a park was off.  Instead, I cheated and did a bunch of indoor activities like Chuck e Cheese arcade, The Mall, a "Make your own slime lab" and spent a LOT of money.  

On basically nothing.  But the kids were tired at the end of the day, so I guess it bought me an easy bedtime routine.  

And then I

Went to a Gaming Convention.  On a Saturday I attended Conquest Avalon to host two miniature wargames.  I can say without reservation that I had the BEST miniature wargame of the con.

Because it was the only one.  This was a very small convention and centered on roleplaying and boardgames.  When I checked in the nice lady laughed and expressed "oh, I didn't know we had a miniature game."  So I had brought a miniature game to a roleplaying convention. 

I set the game up, another game of "This Quar's War: Clash of Rhyfles" for 4 players and waited...

Everyone there was super nice but not interested, kinda like I am when people talk about their pets.  And 10 mins after the game was supposed to start, I had no players, and was juuust about to start cleaning up, putting my phone down, when lightning struck, and 4 players arrived.  "We're here to play in your game."  Awesome.

Covering faces, because I forgot to ask...

other in game pics:

And it was kinda a great game.  Everyone enjoyed themselves, everyone had the right attitude, and the game is really just fun to play.

I was supposed to run the game again in the afternoon, but this time lightning did not strike twice, and 15 mins after the game was supposed to start, I was sitting there alone.  I packed it up.  I could have stuck around and found a game to play but I decided to go home early for extra hubby points. I'm low on hubby points anyway.

And Then I

played Quar again.  As I had missed the aforementioned remote game due to wife, I guilted her into another game day.  I arranged for the day after the convention game for some new friends and Quar fans to come over and play some more of This Quar's War.  Another 2vs2 game but this time I got to play.

yeah, it's all the same terrain. so what?

and it was a great day.  Once again the wife took the kids out so we mostly gamed in peace until they came home.  My wife also spent a bunch of money on the kids but at least it was on clothes.  

My gaming circle increased by 3 more dudes, and by 3 more dudes that like WW1-ish anteaters.  What are the odds? 

I'm really liking this game.  And it's kinda fun to go all in on something.  

And then I 

went crazy.  Super crazy.  And bought all new miniature paints.

There's like a brush taped on the outside of the box.
Thought that was funny

For a variety of reasons.  None of them really good by themselves but taken all TOGETHER, then maybe.  Overall, I wanted to start over.  And the price was good during Amazon Prime days.  

Still too expensive.  But we just spent all this money on children, and I just spent the last two weeks doing extra on call shifts, so maybe I get a treat.  

And maybe, just maybe, this will make painting easier and more enjoyable. 

And then I

ended the post.

Thanks for reading.

Double thanks for writing a comment.

Till Next Time.

Quar trench board (part 5) and trees

 Grahgl!

(that's the noise that I make when frustrated)

I've been frustrated a lot lately.  it's starting to hurt my throat.

And painting miniatures is so boring and dumb that I'd rather pull out my eye lashes.

So instead I'll make some terrain.  

Everybody loves terrain.  

and then everybody will love me.

In truth, I've painted enough Quar for a good 2vs2 or even 3vs2 games and it's a good time to switch over to terrain, to make the battlefield a little more This Quar's War instead of This Quar's American Civil War.  

F.O.U.C.s

Trees are an easy place to start.  Trees are definitely not frustrating.  Lots of the Quar artwork show special trees.  Not really alien trees, because they're obviously normal trees, but F.O.U.C.s.  That stands for Flora Of Unusual Colors.  So I Branched Out to create some trees of reds, purples, pinks. 

They came out Oak-kay.  Knot the best but Be-leaf-able.  

My wife thought they were pretty.  The idea is not to have whole forest of these, but to use them more like accent trees, spots of color.  Like hair highlights or frosted tips.

Clean

Building on my frustration is my hobby desk has gotten waaay to cluttered....

Embarrassing

I can never find anything.  Where did that glue go?  Where is that base?  Where is my sense of gratitude and contentment?!!!   Grahgl!

I'm especially mad at my paints.  I have this random collection of Vallejo paints that just grew haphazardly over the years.  The paints themselves are fine, but everything else about them has been annoying me lately.  It's hard to replace individual bottles as these are mostly sold in sets, unless you go out to a store thats tocks them but you necer know if they have the color you actually want but that means leaving the house and dealing with weather, people, and vicious animals.

I'm always trying to remember which color was used for that other's color highlight and why do I have 8 shades of brown with 2 that I never use.. and what's Iraqi Sand supposed to mean and what's this number system that doesn't make sense Grahgl

I feel like I need a new system of some sort.

But in the meantime I did the simple thing and cleaned / organized the desk. 

Better

Oh, that OTHER desk belongs to my wife for her hobbies.  It's also known as the Desk Where We Put Random Stuff.  

Trench Board

It's been a couple of weekends since I touched the This Quar's War Trench Terrain Boards (say that 5 times fast, don't bother, ya can't.)  I went to a con, I had a wedding anniversary (15 years), there was a child sleep over.  Anyway, I was able to dig them out fo the garage and complete the planking on the third board.

the last 2x4 board.
It goes well with the carpet.

The last stone staircase

The last bridge test fit.

The last trench redoubt

Well... Almost done

The arrow shows a place where I screwed up with the spackle and made a place where it was impossible to get little wooden sticks to... stick.  I'll have to think of something else to go there.  I'm open to ideas.  I also need to go back to school and learn more words.  

Here's all 3 of the boards together to make a 4x6 wargame table:

tah-dah

Which I admit is underwhelming.  Though I do take comfort in the Pink Panther giving me the thumbs up.  

The idea is that all the flat space will be used for scatter terrain and whatnot. These scatter pieces will  be from the existing collection or from items I've yet to make.  So far the best items I have are the ones in my imagination.  

Thanks for Reading.

Double Thanks for writing a comment.

Till Next Time.