​In this episode Rex and Dan discuss painting work-flow we each describe how we go about the process and share any tips. Beginning miniature wargame painters will get loads out of this episode and if you're a veteran painter you might even find a gem or two. We also chat about the results of last month's "Reasonable hobby challenge".

Show-notes are located here while you are there we hope you will give us some feedback (tell us where we are going wrong :-)) and perhaps send us photos of your best paint job.

Subscribe to us in your favorite podcast app by searching for valhallagames or click on the image below to play in the web player.

Friday photo: Nazis having fun, I find it interesting, that I find this photo disturbing. I think perhaps we like our Nazis *fully* evil, if they weren't what dos that say about all of us and what we are capable of.

 Photo from our latest game and video report (here)

Full res image here

 With 3 minutes to spare (based on Australian time) I have [mostly] finished my "reasonable hobby goal".

This is the first vehicle weathering that I have ever done and Dan has rightly identified that I was procrastinating. In the last podcast Dan challenged me to have it finished by 17 March the results are below. First time with oil panel tinting, weathering, streaking, and pigments.

Details to follow but for now I hope you like it as much as I do.

Before and after:

Peter West From Bolt action Australia already gave us the scoop on this but listed now with an image and blurb, due October 2019:

Bolt Action: Campaign: Mariana & Palau Islands
The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Operation Forager, was intended to facilitate the recapture of the Philippines and to provide bases for the bombing of the Japanese mainland. This new Campaign Book for Bolt Action allows players to refight the fierce battles of Saipan, Peleliu, Guam, and many others. With new, linked scenarios, rules, troop types, and Theater Selectors provide plenty of options for both novice and veteran players alike.

As discussed in our last podcast [here], my project for 2020 (yes 2020 and I need to start now to make sure I gets done in time!) is a large number of some really nice scratch built Western France WWII buildings, however this technique would work for any era historical or fantasy. Before I clear the hobby desk for more pressing projects I wanted to share with you the small amount of progress I have made so far.
 
All the cool kids are making really nice buildings using clay over foam core that has been sculpted for the appropriate texture and I thought I would try may hand at that with/without subsequent duplication by casting in resin. To that end I have made a small test piece and explained the steps below.

Step I:

In the image below (1) I have rolled out some Das air dry clay to about 2mm thick and then stuck it to a scrap piece of foam core board with PVA glue.

Thing I learned in step I:

• Use Das clay not the random stuff you find at you closest art or junk store. My non branded clay all cracked within 24 hours
• Don't use too much PVA "just in case". A thin, even smear holds a lot better then what you might think.

Step II:
I used two different methods of sculpting some rough bricks, I have heard that people use both methods. Method A (2 in the image below) was a very rough try with a wooden cooking skewer (essentially a large wooden toothpick) immediately while the clay was still wet. Method B (3 in the image below) after 24 hours the clay was very dry (it's hot here currently) and the light, somewhat pathetic, scratches were made with a light duty craft knife and metal ruler.

Things I learned in step II:

• If you want a decently deep brick line without having to press REALLY hard then do it when its wet.
  

• Consider waiting a couple of hours? (testing required)
• If you do it when its wet it will leave some ridges. However they can easily be scraped off later

I made the brick engravings various sizes to try to work out what would look reasonable size-wise against the 28mm minis (not necessarily to scale). After thinking about final usage and working in with other configurations such as damaged walls with piles of bricks alongside I decided to purchase some precast bricks and look at what size they were. They have now arrived and a couple of sample bricks are shown in 4 and 5 below.

As a couple of final shots below show I have roughed up a design for single building frontage and compared everything to a 28mm Warlord games plastic miniature for scale.

This project is officially on the back burner now but it has been an encouraging start.

In theme with Budapest campaign release this week, a more sombre "Why we fight" photo.

My reasonable hobby goal from the last podcast (here) was to weather & complete my Panzer IV tank by 17 March, may not seam like a big job but this is the first vehicle that I will have ever weathered with oils, and pigments so its a big jump off. So, with 12 days to go here is a picture of what I have achieved so far...

​Comment (and subscribe to this post) below for updates.

The new Bolt Action Fortress Budapest Supplement is out now, I don't know anything abut this region and wasn't planning to purchase this book. 

However..., 15 min into this podcast interviewing Bryan Cook the author (and part of a team?) I have ordered. Another one to look forwrad to. :-)

In this episode Rex and Dan discuss the recent Christmas break and the resulting all-you-can-eat wargaming fiesta. We also present the first part of our multi-part series on terrain where we begin a deep dive into the topic and look at the "basis" of wargaming tables, playing surfaces and play mats.

Show notes will be appearing at *link-to-follow-shortly* and while you are here we hope you will give us some feedback and perhaps send us photos of your best wargaming terrain build you can do that here: https://www.valhallagames.net/index.php/contact

Search and subscribe in your favorite podcast app or listen via the web player below.

British 8th army infantry paint guide, draft version in case your interested. I don't claim to be the best painter but if this helps someone you are welcome. Get it here

Relatively easy terrain project, basically free unlimited Normandy houses & a great project for the kids. Start to get your D-Day/operation Overlord action going now.

Well done Dan Buman (and http://www.davesgames.net/)

 In a fit of rage I went out and purchased a new camera lens, new tripod, tethering cable for shooting connected to the PC and a wireless shutter release. (well… its new to me anyway)

Below are the first couple of photos out of the new lens, I'm a lot happier with these than the results with my previous gear still a long way to go in terms of skill.

It does bring about another question though, how close is too close in miniature photography, for my minis if I go too close you start to see brush marks and dust (a surprising amount of dust!) and that actually detracts from the image. Perhaps its mini dioramas that are the next step, a small squad, a building and some trees all arranged nicely.

Perfect miniature photography may be like the perfect battle report, perhaps it doesn't exist?

Following are some images from our recent operation slapstick game. If you haven't already check the video here

Friday Photo - anti-mine training

Merry Christmas 2018. Fight hard, roll high, have fun

Friday Photo: Yes! we are calling that Bocage hard cover.

First impressions of my new custom print (cheap) gaming mat. Its vinyl (so yuck) but it was half the price of "the real thing". Ill let you know how it works out, I can already see that there are + and -, its really an exercise, I wasn't sure what to expect.

Also check out this podcast for more detail on mats