A whole lot o' nuthin' going on

Not much is happening on the gaming/modeling front. I've been busy working on a new novel and reviewing books by other authors. The window side of my gaming table is being encroached upon by seed trays in an effort to give the seedlings some light before transferring to the greenhouse or planting outside. From the way the weather's going around here, that may be a month or so. 

I've yet to run a game of Pulp Alley, either. For some reason our printer refuses to print from .pdf format which means I can't run off a set of cards. Grrr!  

At least I spent an Amazon coupon given me by my lovely wife and bought Setting the East Ablaze by Peter Hopkirk. It's the story of events in Central Asia following the Bolshevik Revolution, covering Russian attempts to spread Communism and the efforts of Britain and other powers to stop them. I'm only a few pages in, and it's already gripping reading. Recommended for anyone considering wargame campaigns in 'The Back o' Beyond.'
 

The Unusual Suspects

I've rounded up a few figures to serve as leagues for Pulp Alley games. The versatility of the rules allows games to be set in any period, from cavemen times to far future. My setting is High Victorian Africa, which allows me to make use of existing figures and terrain.  I might also use the rules for small-scale games featuring some of the characters from the regular campaign.

The figure second from left is a Eureka Miniatures "Nanarchist" throwing a bomb. She's a big lass compared to the others, but I think she'll fit in any scenario. I also found two Asian girls - I can't remember which company makes them, but they'll suit nicely. I do intend to get some of the Copplestone High Adventure figures when funds permit, probably packs BC10, and BC19, which includes that female character who seems to have become a firm favorite with Pulp gamers all over the world. 

The figures need some touching up, but hopefully I'll get a game in with my wife soon.

Pulp!

A couple of matters cropped up recently which resulted in me shelving my Chain of Command project for a while. I still wanted something different to the colonial gaming I've played recently, though, so I opted to buy the Pulp Alley rules instead. The appreciation for these has been high since their release two years ago, and I've enjoyed looking at all the pulp-related blogs and AARs on the Lead Adventurer Forum. 

My wife and I are both fans of Pulp fiction, so it'll be something we can both enjoy. The rules suit most of my existing models, figures and scenery, too, although I'll buy a few figures expressly for the games later. I can even use the rules for individual games featuring some of the Barsetshire characters from my Colonial world if I want. Sweet!

Arab town house - further progress

Yet another bout of snow last night led to a nice, snug day indoors, so I turned my hand to working on the Arab town house. It's languished on my work table for over a week so was due some attention.

Wargames Foundry Force Publique figure for scale.

I stuck the building on a foamcore base to prevent any warping then built up two layers of spackle on the ground and walls for the mud/plaster rendering. The photos show it drying out, elevated on a packing tape reel to prevent the wet spackle from sticking everywhere. 

Next up will be a bit of paintwork, ground effects, vegetation and some woodwork.