Max's 4th (Big) Adventure

This is yet another account of my wanderings in Jimland and was played solo back in early April 202, so right in the middle of the first lockdown. As usual it was anoother chance to try out new rule ideas and any firther ammendments I'd made to my existing rule alterations. It was also a chance to use my new turn record sheet, which has undergone  many changes as I add to the rules - this time to include the changes I made to ammunition - something I'd been desperate to include from the start of my adventures.in to Jimland,

The photograph above shows Max's column, five explorers, five soldiers, nineteen bearers carrying food and trade goods plusa muleteer leading two pack animals.

In addition to all the food the pack animals carried medicines and ammunition (plus alittle more food).

The objective of the expedition would be to establish a road North, mostly through already explored terrain and then on to unexplord territory where possible.

In the original rules, anyone oculd lead a pack animal, I've included the role of Muleteer (along with several others). Notice also that from the intial rules, bearers could carry food, trade and loot only whilst under my additions, they can carry medicines, ammunition, water or be empty. Water rules only come
into force when the expedition enters desert terrain.

[The column from above, spot the female within the column]

So once more, 

From the Journal of Frederick Cartington:

 

"It was with great excitement and expectation that we were to set off from Jim's Landing, the intention, I believe, to make a great northern route to establish a new Trading post sometime in the future.

It was however short-lived excitement as Max had allowed a female Botanist, one Miss Alexandra St. Gabriel and we all know how fragile these creatures are in Jimland and their Survival rate!"

 

"With all the trade we had at our disposal it was fairly easy to get a friendly or at least a disinterested reaction from the several Native tribes we encountered. Even the pygmies, whom we have great fear of, appeared to accept our gifts and left us alone."

 

"Having suffered the usual scares of drums, good food, bad food, theft, getting lost and a bad case of crotch rot (that lead to the death of one of our soldiers, it was a full two weeks before we encountered opposition, in the form of an ambush by spear-armed tribal warriors".

[The Tribals rushing the rear of the column]

 

[The column rushes away from the ambushers whilst the explorers and soldiers form a firing line]

"Dastardly cowards attacked our rear and without a moment to lose, we formed a rearguard whilst our precious food was carried to safety"

 [The fearsome Tribals close in for the kill]

"It was with much trepidation that we realised our marksmanship was wanting and the natives would be upon us and disaster could easily befall us as we prepared to engae them in a physical endeavour to stay alive."

And that, dear reader, is where I shall leave it for his week one in which, sadly, I haven't managed anything hobby-wise - I even had these photographhs already edited!

The outcome of this action will be posted next week, same day, same time (approx), all being well.

Thanks for taking the time to visit, hopefully there was something here of interest and as always your comments are both welcomed and appreciated.

["Congo" -  meh! "Jimland" kicks bottom]

Chinese (again)

 I've had a very busy weekm unfortunately very little of it hobby-related and succumbing finally to a heavy cold meant what little time I had left meant I only managed about two hours tital painting, mostly in fits and starts of about fifteen minutes a time.

I have though managed to progress my Chinese somewhat and as has been said many times, even a little progress is still progress. 

 

[My Chinese contingent in their current state]

[The Chinese Lady with a fan has had a bit of improvement]

[With additional firepower too, secreted by her fan]

All of these figures still require shading and some high-lighting; normally at this stage I give figures a matt spray varnish but I'm still awaiting a dry. gust-free day before progressing further.

Unfortunatekly that's all I have for this week, pitful I know, but at least it's something !

Thanks for taking the time to visit, as always your comments are both welcomed and appreciated.

The Chinese

Despite my lethargy reaching an alltimehigh, I still managed to dig out some brushes and slap a few washes and some block colours on my Chinese westerners/ this last week. I also managed another simple 'conversion'.

[The two women, coming along, nicely from my pov]

The 'conversion; consited of cutting a rifle barrel off one figure and adding two filed and shaped cocktail sticks tp make a shotogun, so nothing drastic.

[The rear view of the women]

[Two chinese with shoulder arms, shotgun on the right]

[Two chaps with shovels, little done n these]

[Four chaps armed with improvised melee weapons]

[The whole group, showing many rear views]

This whole exercise has been an experiment to see what works and doesn't work with these figures. I did think that these would be fairly easy to paint, but that has;t been th case and I'm still learning.

In real-life, I've once more had a a routine hospital visit with another routine clinic visit (tba) on the horizon. I've also had visit to an optician to review my current faiing eyesight and needs. 

SWMBO is continuing to improve  - thanks for al the well wishes, but continues to need continual support.

Thanks for taking the time to visit and as always your comments are both welcomed and appreciated...

... and I will get around to visting al the blogs I normally do, time permitting.

Happy New Year

 A happy New Year to all reading this, we've celebrated the Winter Soltice and the coming of the two faced god Janus, to look back on the despicable 2020 and look forward (hopefully) to a new 2021 !

I 've had a very leisurely holiday period, plodding along doing very little hobby-wise, mostly eating sleeping and playing nurse, housemaid, cook, cleaner, and servant to my wife who had a fairly serious accident just before Xmas - she's now on the mend and getting better daily.

I have been doing bits though with my newly acquired Xmas present to mysel - my westerners..

With the use of hot and cold water dips, a file and a craftknife and the addition of twine I've produced a few simple conversions 

[The nine 'conversions' en masse]

 Photographing these was a pain, ther beingbright white plastic, but I hope some idea can be had from my limited photoshopping skills.

The following photographs, show two 'conversions' with the orginal figure in the centre.

[The ladies, the one on the left will be holding a fan]

[L to R, a swordsman, the original with a 2x4 lumb of wood and another with a rounded stick !]

[L to R: meat cleaver wielder, origianl with machete and sombrero on his back, lastly man with knife]

[Men with shovels,  original in the centre)

[Only one 'conversion, chap on left is now bald ! (other chap is the original0]

Final photograph is a rear view  of just the men and hopefully it willbe obvious now what the 'conversions' are intended to be used for. 

[Rear view of all those now with queues - my first western Chinese-to-be]

That's it then for this week, I'm desperately trying to catch up on all the blogs I normally comment upon, but in the meantime, thanks for taking the itme to visit and hopefully you;ve found something of interest.

Of course, as always, your comments are welcome and appreciated.