Oldhammer – Choosing and preparing a project
To continue the Oldhammer series, introducing on how to tackle such a project. If we compare it to restoring an oldtimer / classic car, you would decide for a brand and car, narrowing it down which build and mark you are looking for. I suggest a similar approach to an Oldhammer project.
Especially for the beginning, it might make sense to narrow it down to a smaller core and later on extend the project. Of course Oldhammer isn't limited to 40k, you could do this with Warhammer Fantasy, Rogue Trader, Blood Bowl or any other game system that Games Workshop covered before 1992-98. One of the army bundles would be a solid starting ground, as they cover a determined and tractable number of miniatures, thus being not that costly (of course, varying what army you go for, Chaos Dwarves are a total different book than Space Marines).
I for example went with the Imperial Guard range from the 2nd edition, and focus on a squad of each of the regiments / units available during that period, using the old Codex supplement as a guide.
Warhammer 40.000 Killzone: Sector Fronteris
A bit unexpected a new Killzone was released, the Killzone Sector Fronteris. So far, the existing Killzones were based upon already released terrain kits and repacked them with a solid bargain. The Sector Fronteris makes use of the STC Ryza Pattern design, that were first introduced with the Realm of Battle Moon Base Klaisus and later in a smaller kit as the Ryza Pattern STC Ruins. The later I already covered in a review on here.
What does STC Ryza pattern mean in this case? A STC is a standard-template-construct, that enables the Construct Machines of the Empire to produce specific objects, to a certain standard, equally and easily all over the Empire with the local ressources. These STC aren't just covering buildings like the Ryza pattern, but vehicles, like the Rhino, generators or shelters.
This kit comes at the regular price tag of 65 EUR for the Killzones. It is a bit tricky to calculate the savings on this kit, the other kits usually have a value of at least 110 EUR. Beside the last before this one, the Wall of Martyrs, where the saving dropped by quite a bit. This box covers the large frame from the Moon Base twice, but none of the smaller ones (those were moved towards the Killteams Starn's Disciples and Theta 7), so a new sprue was added to the box. But more on that below.
Warhammer 40.000 Urban Conquest
Today I'm covering the Urban Conquest supplement for the 8th Edition of Warhammer 40,000. Games Workshop is starting 2019 strong with a new campaign boxed set for their main game in the grim dark future of the 41st millenium.
Urban Conquest picks up the city fight theme of its predecessor from the 3rd edition City Fight and 4th edition Cities of Death. But unlike the older supplements, this is a boxed set, covering not only the rules, but a bit of terrain and a modular campaign map.
Oldhammer – The Imperial Guard
After the short introduction to Oldhammer earlier this month, we want to stick with the 2nd Edition of Warhammer 40,000 and highlight one particular army - the Imperial Guard.
If you think of Warhammer, especially 40k, you think of Space Marines. But the Imperium and its forces is not only made of Adeptus Astartes, but simple men defending their homeworlds and holy Terra as well. The Imperial Guard existed in Rogue Trader as well and is not something new, that came along with the second edition. But the diversity was surely brought to that army with the new miniature range introduced in 1994.
Adeptus Titanicus – Reaver Battle Titan with Melta Cannon and Chainfist
Games Workshop starts into the new year with a new supplement for Adeptus Titanicus, Titandeath. Along the release of the book, you now have the chance to buy the weapon sprue from the Warlord Titan with Plasma Annihilator and Power Claw, and a Reaver Titan with Melta Cannon and Chainfist, that we're going to unbox today.
You'll find the reviews on the earlier released Reaver Titan with Gatling/Laser Blaster and Power Fist, Warhound Scout Titans and both Warlord Titans on my blog as well.
Preparing the limited & collection section
I have a soft spot for show and con miniatures, exclusives and to some degree limited models. Over the years, I collected quite a few of these of the shows and events I visited. In some cases, like at Salute for example, you can buy remaining stock of older event miniatures at the show, and I often use these chances to complete my collection.
Bolt Action Opel Blitz & Maultier
In late 2017 Warlord Games covered the Opel Blitz / Maultier combi plastic kit for Bolt Action.
The truck is one of the workhorses of the German army, transporting troops, supplies and ammunition were they were needed. The Opel Blitz is the most known of these trucks, other companies like Ford or Daimler supplied their own trucks, in some cases like the DB 701 by Daimler, it was simply the Opel Blitz without the markings built under license.
Where the Opel Blitz was build between 1937 and 1944 and made it to around 70,000 units, the half track variant of the Opel Maultier was released later in 1942/43 and around 20,000 units were built. As these trucks were the standard solution for logistics of all kind, there were multiple variants of them, converted and built for use as ambulance, communication, weapon carriage and even uparmoured ones.
Rubicon Models SdKfz 301a Opel Maultier with Box Body
Based upon the already available Opel Blitz Kit (RM280026), Rubicon published the Maultier variant that replaces the rear wheels with tracks. As with some of their other kits, like the SdKfz 25x, they cover further accessories. For the Blitz and Maultier there is the option to upgrade the cargo bed with the box body "Einheitskoffer".
After the first winter in 1941 on the Eastern Front, the German army high command realised that the trucks weren't capable of handling the weather and terrain conditions. The vehicles often got stuck in the mud and snow. A unit of the Waffen-SS build the tracks of a Bren Carrier under a truck to confront those conditions. After realising the benefits of this modification in 1942, Opel, Ford and Daimler added these variants to their truck production. Depending on by whom the LKW Gleiskette 2t was build, it was called SdKfz 3a (in case it was built by Opel), 3b (Ford V3000 S) or 3c (Daimler L4500). The variant was called Maultier (mule) and further variants were build upon the halftrack vehicles, like the Panzerwerfer or with a 2-cm Flak 38.
Oldhammer – An introduction
Nostalgy is something that many folks come across. Weither it is collecting old video game consoles from your youth, or the cars you grew up with (like your dad's/uncle's car or the super cars from the magazines). And this nostalgy is possible with wargaming as well. Of course, not only with the Warhammers and their sister games, but in this case Oldhammer is an actual thing.
And similar to oldtimers or other vintage (collecting) hobbies, the span is quite broad. Some goals are easier to reach than others. For example my brother-in-law gathering classic Nintendo entertainment systems along with the original games (and not going for emulators) is a bit easier, compared to actually buying the Ferrari F-40 or Lamborghini Countach that hanged as a poster on the wall of your children's room. But as I don't have the time or space to take on a project like my late uncle's E30 325i or the 100k EUR for an Schwimmwagen, I stick with the wargames from my youth. I did already talk about oldhammer in 2016, as part of the Sweetwater / Tactica contest.
Das Boot – inspiring wargaming
I watched the tv mini-series version of the original movie Das Boot from 1981 on amazon prime last year or the year before. It had enhanced audio and video quality, with 6 episodes covering 52 minutes each. In November and December 2018 a tv series sequel of the same name, was released as an 8-part. It plays 9 month after the original movie, and due to the nearly 40 years between both movies, of course with different actors. I had the chance to see the location and mock-up of the submarine in Munich, in the Bavaria Filmstudio. It was quite impressive to see and transported the claustrophobic atmosphere of the submarine quite well.
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