Back to the Mountains of Madness

The surest way to get someone to visit someplace is to write an unbelievable tale that includes a warning *not* to visit that place. This group (or several competing groups) of adventurers is headed to do exactly that.

My concept for these was several competing teams battling the elements and each other to confirm or deny the veracity of the original tale. But I have realized that I have neither the time nor passion to pull off such a grandiose scenario. For rules I would recommend Iron Ivan Games "Where Heroes Dare", but you of course could do what you like if you purchase them.

I currently have these listed in the Marketplace area on TMP and plan to put them on Ebay shortly.
Figures are from RAFMs Cthulu Range, Copplestone Polar Explorers, and the Great White North range (Mounties and Trappers) sold buy recreational conflict. Painted in acrylics, dipped in polyurethane and sealed with 3 coats of GW Matt Spray. They have all been based on metal washers (the sled is on flexible steel).

All the figures were painted by me except for the Elder Thing which was painted by the Diabolical Brush of Doctor Merkury.

Includes 20 men, 7 husky dogs, 1 sled, Walrus, 3 Shoggoth, 1 Elder Thing, and a 5' tall Albino Penguin.






If you want to add to these I recommend the Winter War figures sold by Recreational Conflict, especially the Russian Archaeologists. You know they'd send a team. http://recreationalconflict.lusagi.com/tigerimages/full/ice08.jpg

If you want more painted Elder Things, Doc Merkury is currently taking commissions and might be able to help you out.

Here's a link to the Ebay auction. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lovecraft-Back-Mountains-Madness-28mm-RAFM-Cthulhu-Copplestone-/290914488016?pt=Games_US&hash=item43bbdaced0

I often get asked if I have a reading list for the Bush Wars of Rhodesia and South Africa.

Here is the one for Rhodesia.

Some of these books are useful as background, some for specific wargaming scenario ideas and some give a bit of both. These are all books I've read, and I've placed them in order that I would advise reading them.

The Rhodesian War: A Military History by Paul Moorcraft & Peter McLaughlin

The Rhodesian War: A Military History is to me the definitive work. Great background on the conflict, description of the combatants and the weapons used. A detailed description of a; Guerrilla Ambush on a Convoy, a large internal Fireforce action (the last one of the war), and the destruction of New Chimoio are included. Several pages of detail on each action are included, along with sketch maps of the battles. There are 26 black and white photos, not a lot, but they are high resolution.

This book is really a must own on the period. Other books I've read and sold, bu this one has a permanent place on my bookshelf and I've used it for reference many times.

Fireforce: One Man's War in the Rhodesian Light Infantry by Chris Cocks

Chris Cocks' Fireforce is a book which should be read by anyone intersted in Modern or Cold War Wargaming. I recall the first time I ran a Rhodesian game, one of the players thought the casaulties from his shooting were a bit light. I told him that from my reading it seemed about right, and another player who had recently read "Fireforce" agreed. This book really does give the reader a feel for small unit actions in the Rhodesian bush.

Chris Cocks walks the reader through enlistment, training and his years in the Rhodesian Light Infantry, eventually rising to stick leader. I would still like to try and play some of the battles that are described in the book. Fireforce scenarios, while visually stunning with cool helicopters are very hard to get right from a play balance perspective.

Counter-Strike from the Sky: the Rhodesian All-Arms Fireforce in the War in the Bush 1974-1980

 

 

 

This volume has an enormous amount of detail about how the RLI Fireforce was organized and how it operated throughout the war, describing three stages of evolution in how Fireforce operated.

 

The early years (1974 - 1976) included some trial and error to get the tactics perfected. The second phase (1977-1979) includes a refinement of the tactics and the inclusion of a Dakota to drop additional stop groups by parachute. By the final year of the war, the RLI was operating in a Jumbo fireforce concept, often using 6 Alouette III G-Cars instead of 3 (or 2 Bell Hueys) and 2 K-Cars so that one could concentrate on command and the other on fire support.

 

To demonstrate how a large external operation by Fireforce operated, the author details Operation Dingo, an attack on Chimoio in Mozambique in 1977. Several maps show the New Farm ZANLA complex in Chimoio and where all the air strikes and helicopter and parachute landings took place. I'm not sure how to game this, it would have to be an attack on a single camp within the complex, since the battle took place over a roughly 5 mile area.

 

There are a good number of photos, diagrams and maps and the book is quite detail heavy. It even includes a DVD that has an interview with Chris Cocks

 

The Rain Goddess by Peter Stiff

This is a novel because of the secrecy laws at the time it was published, but Peter Stiff was a Superintendent in the British South African Police (BSAP) during the early years of the Bush War. The book tells a story of how the black youth of Rhodesia were indoctrinated into groups like ZIPRA and ZANLA. It is more "street level" and personal and told through the viewpoint of a black youth and a black BSAP Sergeant. As far as I know it's the only book that covers the BSAP angle of the Rhodesian War.

Out of Action by Chris Cocks

If you thought "Fireforce" was fantastic and enjoyed seeing Chris on the Counter-Strike from the Sky DVD, you'll probably want to know what happened to him after leaving the Rhodesian Light Infantry. Well he settled down to be a farmer, but his service wasn't over. Even as a civilian he was still required to serve in PATU, the Police Anti-Terrorist Unit. When they found out that he had been in the RLI, Chris was immediately volunteered to be a fireteam leader. Several firefights are described, including one that occurred after the official ceasefire.

The second half of the book focuses on his struggles during peacetime to live in Zimbabwe and deal with his memories and his personal demons and drug and alcohol abuse.

The Bush War In Rhodesia: The Extraordinary Combat Memoir of a Rhodesian Reconnaissance Specialist by Dennis Croukamp

At the time I was doing research, this was really the only book I could get on the Selous Scouts that wasn't outrageous in price or out of print. It provides interesting insight into the the Selous Scouts and their pseudo-ops in Mozambique. Croukamp is the kind of soldier that is a mess back at base, but a terror in the field. This book is not terribly useful to the wargamer since the Selous Scouts operated in 3 man teams, and it is very specific in its scope. But it is an interesting insight into Recce and Pseudo-Ops (infiltration and destruction of terrorist cells). The price seems to have come down on this book, so it's worth picking up if you've already read the other books on this list.

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller

And finally, ever wonder what it would be like to grow up in a warzone? Alexandra Fuller's memoir of growing up in Rhodesia during the Bush War is fascinating, personal and hearbreaking.





 

Section 9 Gruntz 15mm Stat Cards

I worked these up in the Gruntz barracks app. It only allows for two perks, Batou and the Major have a few more Perks (like Jump, and Ultimate Agility) that aren't shown. Depending on the Scenario I could also easily see the Major as having Melt Away, Mimic and Infiltrator. My big question is what damage should I list for hand to hand (considering it's bare handed, but delivered by a Cyborg.).

Aramaki is not included for the time being. His big plus is that if you get him within range of the other sides leader he can do a skill roll for Diplomacy, so he's only present if the scenario calls for it. He's a great character to have with Togusa or Proto in a Nissan GT if you have to talk your way past a roadblock. 

Note that they are all listed as Commanders, but only the Major or Batou can give push orders.

Constructive criticism welcomed.

Section 9 in 15mm Complete

First up, Togusa is complete

Let's see how they all look together. Let's check their height.

Well I'm not that jazzed about the Ishikawa figure, but he really was the best that I could do. Saito is kneeling, but then in a game, this is the pose you'd want for him. Borma and Batou are the largest, as they should be. Togusa is on the tall side, but that's fine. Aramaki isn't in the line up, but he is quite diminutive in height in the show, so he is dead on accurate.

None of the paint jobs are fantastic when you look at them close up, but they are obviously their characters in the show as they appear in their civilian garb. I plan to run them in a skirmish setting on a 4' x 4' space and I want to be able to tell them apart at a glance.

I'm working up some Gruntz 15mm stat cards for these figures, and a few special rules. 

Togusa in 15mm - Work in Progress

So I seem to have a bit of a knack for actual sculpting. I had some idea of this when I created my Batou figure, but I had no idea I could sculpt hair and a gun.

This is Togusa. In Ghost in the Shell he's the only one in the unit with the least amount of cybernetic parts. He is the only one in the unit without a Military background and was hired away from Section 1, also know as the  Special Service Squad. It is responsible for conducting investigations on very serious criminal cases. He does much of the street level investigations and is often partnered with Batou. I would argue that if you want to do skirmish gaming using Ghost in the Shell as a background you're going to need the Major, Batou and Togusa at a bare minimum. 

After that you'll need Saito, Borma and Pazu. Ishikawa and Aramaki are optional since they are rarely in the field. Of course there is nothing worth doing that you can't overdo by adding Proto, Yano, Azuma, and some Tech specialists.

So Togusa is key, but I saved him for last. If there was a line of 70's Police figures in 15mm this would be easy. There are a few British Police in 20mm so you can play out "The Sweeney", but nothing in 15mm. So I had to dig through my collection of unpainted 15's which is getting smaller by the day as I paint or sell off the unpainted figures I have.

On the left is another Authority figure from "The Scene," but his face and hair aren't going to cut it. On the right is a not-Mal Reynolds figure from Splintered Light. I already have a painted crew from GZG, I just picked these up at a show because I like having options for Modern and SciFi civilians. Well Mal, your head is needed...

10 minutes later, the finished head swap

After burning off the caffeine in my system and working up my nerve I made a new head of hair and changed his semi-automatic into a revolver. Togusa gets quite a ribbing from his teammates for insisting on using a revolver in the year 2029.

I don't have any fancy sculpting tools, I just did this with a #11 Xacto. I found it to be pretty easy, though it did take about an hour and 15 minutes. I accidentally discovered a bit of a trick. If you put the blob of putty on and cut it a little longer than you like, you can sculpt the hair by making impressions with the blade of the hobby knife. When you've got it the way you like, use the back of the knife to push the hair up from the bottom a small amount This helped give it some more volume in the back and gave him his crazy bangs in the front. 

The pistol was a real pain, not as much fun as the hair. I was dealing with a much smaller amount of putty and it's not an organic shape so you can't just shove it around willy-nilly.

I'm not sure I did his bangs justice, but this mullet look I created is a much better match.

Now I just have to not touch it for 24 hours and then paint him up.

Section 9 in 15mm - Part 1

I'm almost done with painting up the members of Section 9 from Ghost in the Shell in 15mm. Only Togusa remains, I've done the headswap, I just need to add some additional hair with ProCreate.

Borma the Demolitions expert started out life as a Zombie Hunter from Rebel Minis. That pack is also where the miniature I use for Major Motoko Kusanagi came from, so if you're following along at home, it's a pack you'll need.

I shaved off the temples of his sunglasses with a hobby knife and left behind the lenses so I could paint on his red cybernetic eyes. The tricky part was being careful not to shave off too much.

Saito the sniper is from "The Scene", one of their Authority figures. His "hawkeye" cybernetic eye patch was a little tricky, but other than that he's pretty basic.

Ishikawa the Hacker is from Khurasan, part of their ships crew line. Not one of my favorite sculpts, but I needed a bearded figure and this one fit the bill. I usually have nothing but good things to say about Khurasan, but the poses are awful in this pack and they all have clubs for hands.

Pazu started out life as another figure from "The Scene", but the head and hair were all wrong. I did a headswap with a Khurasan Road Warrior post apocalyptic figure to get the hair and snarling face I needed.

In the end he's a pretty passable Pazu. His eyebrows are a bit thick and I should have shaved them down a bit before painting him, but I'm pretty happy with him.

Aramaki is the Chief of Public Security Section 9. Calm cool and collected and an expert at diplomacy and playing all the political angles, he is rarely seen in the field. He looks a bit panicked and is dashing somewhere, something he's never seen doing in the show. But this figure is from Khurasan's Fleeing Scientist pack so he's useful in any number of Modern and SciFi scenarios. Aramaki's bald head and crazy gray hair are a signature part of his look, so until someone sculpts a Section 9 line in 15mm you're not going to find a closer match. 

I'll have Togusa done shortly, and then I'll see if I can get Aramaki to call muster at HQ for a group shot. Something like this.

Not Our Africa

If you just come here for the SciFi miniatures I'm sure you're getting whiplash from the World War I updates.  But Jon and I are pretty committed (yeah, yeah I know) to working through some of the under appreciated battles of the Middle East, East Africa, and even a few Western Front battles you probably haven't heard of. With the 100 year anniversary of the war coming up next year we have a list that runs year by year of the war. So if you're suffering from whiplash, get used to it, I'll be doing this until at least 2019. Hopefully by then I'll have demonstrated why the Great War is so fascinating to me.

After the Battle of Tanga, the next big battle for the Germans was the Battle of Jassin. It's just as big as the Battle of Tanga, but with much fewer Schützenkompanie.  In fact where Tanga had four Companies of Schützenkompanie, there was only one at Jassin. This mean I needed 3 more companies of Feldkompanie (Askari). Luckily I already had them, and they were based and basecoated. I had planned to use them as a Kings Africa Rifles Battalion, but as I told Jon, "that's your problem now." 

 So nothing very impressive, just a painted to a decent wargaming standard, three companies with some Ruga Ruga auxiliaries thrown in to help me get to the right number of stands. I was in a hurry to get the pictures done so I took a set of quick pictures on the back porch.

After Jassin the South Africans get into the act for the Battles of Salaita Hill and Latema Nek. We'll need 3 Battalions. Jon certainly has enough Brits to cover it, but they've all got long pants and I wanted at least one Battalion to have shorts. You see when the South Africans went to war they very quickly found that the shorts that served them so well as they put down their internal rebellion and in defeating the Germans of South West Africa was not the best attire for the terrain of East Africa. The bush thorns cut their knees to pieces and they were more susceptible to the chiggers and other insects. Additionally, Malaria and other diseases are more commonplace since the climate is more tropical as compared to the temperate climate of South Africa. More than one South African was heard to complain that this was, "Not our Africa."

The Osprey on Armies in East Africa 1914 - 18 has four color illustrations of South African troops. Since this is an Osprey title, none of them is dressed in a typical fashion, though you'd have to read the plate descriptions to know that. Two of them have a blue denim shirt although khaki is more typical. In the end I settled on Khaki shirt and Pith Helmet, Sand Yellow shorts, Light green Puttees, a white kit bag, and the boots and the rest of the kit in brown leather.

Now that these are complete I have no more WW1 East African forces to paint, an entire storage tray that sat half completed for over a year can be moved to the finished area of the storage rack and that check box can now be checked. And yes it feels good. Next I have to paint a few Polar Explorers to sell and then back to SciFi.