Panzerfäuste: Orc Infantry Command

Following on from the Orc Infantry Sections I've painted up for Panzerfäuste, I thought they needed some command so painted up the Command set...

Rupert (officer) and Buzzhead (radio operator)

Cha Wallah (bringing tea to the frontline) and Senior NCO.

Sawbones (medic).

Cracker (sniper team).

Orc Boffins with Enigma Machine.

Panzerfäuste: Orc Infantry sections

With Big Jim Prints making the Panzerfäuste line available once more, and being roped into running a participation game late last year at the Bristol Independent Gaming Open Day, I painted up a section of the  Orc infantry (which as you can see wear WW2 British kit...)

Having enjoyed getting back in the Panzerfäuste vibe painting them up, I wondered how easy it would be to mix and match the arms and bodies to create variants - the answer was very easy with minimal Green Stuff filling needed on just a couple of figures...

I have now converted a third section to give me a full platoon of Orcs, just need to grab some painting time!

Futbowel: BIG Demo Day

As part of their fundraising activities to raise money for disabled facilities at their new venue, Bristol Independent Gaming ran a 'Demo Day' yesterday to introduce local gamers to a plethora of new games and systems. I was "volunteered" to run some games of Futbowel...

For those of you unfamiliar with the game it is a fantasy football one but, unlike others, actually involves the kicking of a ball with a foot and not holding an egg with your hands (sometimes in armour). The first edition came out in 2007 and featured Orc 'civilian' futbowel teams. 2016 saw a second edition arrive set in the Panzerfäuste world and inspired by the WWI Christmas Truce games, games played between Orcs and Dwarves in No Man's Land.

The second edition rules are a complete re-write and a completely playing card driven game. Consequently it moves along a cracking pace, can be pretty random and on occasion quite brutal with moving players sometimes blown up by unexploded bombs and others executed by firing squad for committing bad fouls.

I managed to get through four games yesterday and a lot of fun was had, all being pretty close won affairs with the odd goal in it. Nine players were shot for fouling their opponents and three Dwarves blown up by UXB's. It was interesting that the female gamers had a better grasp of tactics, passing the ball and moving miniatures up to support, whilst most of the men would charge one player down the pitch in the hope of scoring a solo goal. You can guess which approach was more successful! :D

The teams were the old Hysterical Games figures, 3D printed especially for the game and painted up by me last week. 

I am hoping the game and figures will be available for purchase again very soon as it is a lot of fun and an ideal beer & pretzels game, made even better if consuming alcohol whilst playing!

Panzerfäuste: Deathless Likho

Painting up a few Panzerfäuste bits and pieces, I decided to slap some paint on the Deathless Likho, demonic creatures summoned to The Land to provide the Deathless army with intelligent creatures capable of commanding Zombi units and operating mechanical weapons...

The miniatures are wearing WWI style Russian uniforms but carry WW2 weapons. The Signalizatory here (with Starshina NCO) using signal flags (unlike the other Panzerfäuste races whose command sets have radios).

The figures were just base painted, given a wash with Army Painter Military Tone and then highlighted. I really liked the dark red skin contrasting nicely with the single yellow eye.

I also painted the two Likho 'handlers' for the Nezhit Undead Troll who are attempting to control the reanimated brute which I painted in 2016!

I've enjoyed painting these Panzerfäuste miniatures and will keep dipping into my resin pile as there are a lot of great models which I never got around to painting in the Hysterical days...

Panzerfäuste: Deathless Rusalka Witches

It's taken me some time since Panzerfäuste sat happily in my head space but I've decided that I'm going to try and tackle the pile of unpainted resin and metal I have for it this year. One set of the miniatures I always wanted to paint was the Deathless (undead) Command with the demonic Likho and the undead Rusalka - drowned Dark Elf KGB witches reanimated by the evil Count Koschei.

I've made some good progress on a number of the Likho models but today finished the trio of Rusalka witches that provide the Deathless army with its magickal component.

The miniatures are just base painted, washed with Army Painter Military Tone (similar to the Strong Tone but with an dark olive green-brown tint), then with highlights applied. The models are lovely and it did not take a lot of effort to achieve a decent result (I think the models look nicer than the photo).

Hopefully I'll get some Likho and my first 10mm Red Indians completed through the week...

Panzerfäuste: Dwarf Pilot

Hysterical Games are giving away a Dwarf Luftbest Pilot this month with any order £25 or more. A lovely little figure I couldn't wait to slap some paint on him...

Not quite sure what I'll use him for, probably a scenario objective, but he is a great miniature...

Panzerfäuste: Deathless Kazak

No, I'm not sure where the last two and a half months went! Manthrax, work and weather I suppose... Anyway, I have managed to finish my first wargames figures in a long time(thanks to the reading glasses!), the Deathless Kazak for Panzerfäuste.

The figures haven't been released yet, but I managed to sneak some out of Hysterical Games HQ.

The Deathless are the (largely) undead faction in Panzerfäuste with a Russian look. The Kazak are undead cossacks mounted on nightmares, demonic horse-like beasts with flaming manes and tails.

Painting was a challenge but I'm quite happy with the end result, the flames contrasting nicely with the black beasts and dark blue uniformed zombie Dark Elf riders...

An unusual looking unit, but something different, hopefully they'll prove popular with gamers...

Next up a pile of models for Panzerfäuste's sister game Spitfyre! Tally ho!

Panzerfäuste: Deathless Kazak (work in progress I)

That dastardly thing of real world work has limited any hobby time this week, but I have made some progress on the Deathless Kazak...

Using the new reading glasses has been interesting. It makes detail painting easier (visible!) but taking some getting use to...

Hopefully there won't be too many domestic duties this weekend!

Panzerfäuste: Deathless Kazak

One small step and all that today... I was determined I was going to do something hobby orientated today no matter how small. Having regained access to the painting bench I found a set of the (as yet unreleased) Hysterical Games Deathless Kazak for Panzerfäuste sat there.

Imagine if you will, zombie cossacks on nightmare mounts with flaming hooves and manes and you will be in the ball park.

As you can see I did not manage to get any paint on but they are made up, gaps filled with Green Stuff, based and bases textured. Tomorrow, undercoat and maybe some painting action!

Feels good!

Panzerfäuste Futbowel: Orc Team

Having finished the Dwarf Panzerfäuste Futbowel team, I cracked on with the Orcs. The set I received was a pre-production set that contained one duplicated figure. Production sets will contain eleven unique Orc futbowelers.

Like the Dwarves they are in 1940's kit to maximise usage, though the goalie is in LOV (Local Orc Volunteer) uniform rather than the standard battle dress the outfield players are in.

Attackers:

Defenders:

Goalie (with "goal posts"):

Panzerfäuste Futbowel: Dwarf Team

I finished the Dwarf team for Panzerfäuste Futbowel yesterday and managed to take some in focus photos today!

Whilst the game is inspired by the 1914 Christmas Truce, the figures are sculpted in WW2 uniforms to tie in with the Panzerfäuste background and have use beyond the game as POW's, heavy weapons crews etc.

Attackers:

Defenders:

Goalie with "goal posts":

Panzerfäuste Futbowel: DIY Shell Craters

Yes, I am still alive! :-) Life, the universe and real work getting in the way.

Anyway, hopefully you are aware that Hysterical Games are releasing a beer and pretzels game very, very soon called Panzerfäuste Futbowel, "recreating" the games of futtie played during the unofficial Hognachtswatch truce.

Matthew Hartley has completely revisited the old Wessex Games Futbowel rules and come up with a playing card driven game that is really quite cute and a lot of fun. As befitting a game set in No-Man's Land, the playing surface is broken up by shell caters, the rules stipulating you need 18 with a 50cm diameter (you don't use all these at the start, there are unexploded bombs that may create new ones).

Now you could just cut out some card circles but I felt creative and decide to make my own.

The process is very simple and cheap. I used some brown air drying clay I bough from Hobbycraft, broke some off and rolled into a ball. I pressed this onto a 50mm slottabase (not necessary but it does help tie in with the figures and not sit proud of any rocks on my playing surface).

I then pressed my thumb down in the middle and wiggled it about to make the crater. The edges were then pressed down and smoothed to the base edge. I then stippled the inside of the crater with an old  toothbrush to give a fine earth effect.

Once dry (don't rush in an overly warm oven!) I then coated the outsides with some builders sand and then painted the same colours as the figure bases and board.

A couple I tried a gungy greenish water effect in (I think I still need to add some resin to these).

And two others had a damaged barbed wire post added made from paper clips and some "barbed wire" bought off SnM Scenics on eBay.

And that was that. Tomorrow should see some photos of the Dwarf team (hopefully in focus unlike today's effort!)

Panzerfäuste: Deathless Zombi

Having gone on a mini-spending spree at Devizes last weekend (more on that another day) I decided to try out the Zombiecide effects paints I bought on the as yet unreleased Panzerfäuste Deathless Zombi...

To be honest I only used the blood and gore paints from the set and they worked quite nicely, the rest are just Vallejo military paints for the Russian style uniforms.

To make them look a bit different than WW2 Russians I have decided my Panzerfäuste Dark Elves will be painted up as Drow with black skins and white hair, and consequently the Zombi had to be the same...

I think they've come up alright and might get some more soon.