Ogre update and pics

No, I haven't given up gaming (although it's been awhile since I've rolled any dice). As proof, here are some non-canon vehicles I'm working on for my next Monopolis scenario, which I plan on running at Millennium Con this November.

Above is a mobile jamscreen, with a PanEuropean heavy tank for scale. The model is actually a Micro Machines toy that will work nicely as an ECM unit in Ogre. I'm leaving the paint job (except for some detailing) so it can go with either side in my games.

I also got my armored boats looking how I want them. I sprayed them brown and then drybrushed with tan and light gray. I chose this color scheme so I could use them with my North American Combine (green) or PanEuro (gray) forces.

These submarines also look decent on the tabletop. Like my other nonstandard units, these are painted so they can go with either side. In this case, it's a flat black primer with a light gray drybrush.

Here's a size comparison for the aquatic units. For reference, the hexes in this photo are four inches across. So what's everyone else working on?

Another Oldhammer find

Is fifth-edition Warhammer considered Oldhammer? It's from two decades ago, so I'm gonna say yes.

I found this Warhammer Battle Book from the fifth edition boxed set at Half Price Books recently. I'm a little surprised that I am interested in the background from this era of the game (I have the Lizardmen and Bretonnia army books), but it is pretty interesting reading.

The Battle Book includes brief overviews (and lotsa photos) of the various forces of the Warhammer world. It also has rules and stats for many of the races, beasts, and monsters. There's also a short section on running campaigns, which can be adapted to other games as well. Who else has scored something vintage from a used book store recently?

Signs, signs, everywhere the signs

A great find in the clearance section of Hobbytown USA: Five sheets of Ultra Reflect 1/64 road signs printed on reflective material with aluminum backing--for $1 each! These sheets are from Innovative Hobby Supply, a company that sells slot car accessories.

Although a little on the small side for 28mm scale, these signs will add verisimilitude to modern and post-apocalypic game setups. Right out of the package they will make great modern-day terain for All Things Zombie and After the Horsemen. In addition, with a little weathering (rust, scratches, bullet holes), they can fit in with the rest of the Fallout-like scenery in a game of Gamma World or Mutants and Death Ray Guns.

I'm keeping one sheet for myself and sending the rest to my brother for his ATZ game. Since his Zombieville setup will include a multi-level parking garage and several streets, these traffic signs will dress the set up nicely.

Ekranoplan work in progress

Some time ago I purchased a Thunderwolf helicopter from Kenner's old Mega Force line of military toys to use as a transport in my sci-fi combat games. I finally got around to working on this vehicle, removing the remaining rotor and some oversized gun turrets. As you can see, it scales nicely with Ogre (and other 6mm) miniatures.

Instead of a chopper, this piece now represents an ekranoplan--a cross between a conventional airplane and a ground-effect vehicle used for transporting large cargo, such as armored vehicles, more quickly than seagoing vessels.

This model took a spray coat very well, and the paint brings out the details on it nicely. The front cargo door still opens. In my games, it will probably serve as a terrain piece/objective at first. I can also see using it as an actual vehicle in an amphibious invasion scenario, but that's a long way off.

I also created a couple of cargo containers (not pictured) from spare game pieces. Now I just need to do some detailing on the windshields, engines, and landing gear. Then it will be ready for my Ogre miniatures to fight over.

Take a ride on the Reading Railroad

The Ogre Designer's Edition has a couple of scenarios involving trains (one of which dates back to the original publication of GEV). So I decided I want one for my Monopolis battles.

I found this Micro Machines bullet train and track on eBay. It's about the right scale for games of Ogre on my large hex mat. In the game, a train comes in two sections, each of which takes up one hex, so I don't need the three passenger cars.

It also has nearly enough track sections to span my entire map. All aboard!

Modern Appendix N: Your suggestions?

Dungeons & Dragons was heavily influenced by speculative fiction of the years prior to its creation--everything from classical mythology and folk tales, through the pulp stories of the early 20th century, to then-contemporary novels. These legendaria became known as Appendix N material, so named for the section of the AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide in which author Gary Gygax listed some of the many influences on his gaming.

There have been plenty of overviews of this source material--see here, here, and here, for example. And because that list of inspirational reading is decades old, folks have been suggesting additions to the literary canon.

Which brings me to my question: What are three relatively new (published within the past three decades or so) works that you would suggest to inspire fantasy gamers?

Here are my suggestions, all of which have great settings and, just as important, great characters:

• The Deed of Paskanarrion series by Elizabeth Moon: A sheepfarmer's daughter joins a mercenary company, setting her on a path to become a paladin--but not before numerous battles with opposing armies and even creatures of darkness. 
• Books of the Elements series by David Drake: Four citizens in ancient Rome Carce defend their empire from creatures of the Norse sagas, Native American legends, African mythology, and Indian folk tales, with pulp elements like Atlantean flying ships thrown in.
• The Desert of Souls by Howard Andrew Jones: Two officials in medieval Baghdad team up to stop a plot against the Caliph in a swashbuckling tale that combines 1930s action with 21st century sensibility--and a djinn.

Your turn: Suggest three works (series or standalone novels) that are inspirational reading for you and your gaming.

OGRE products update

In case anyone was wondering what's coming up in the world of new OGRE products, here's what I've been able to glean from various sources, along with some rank speculation:

ASSAULT PACKS
What: Small expansions for OGRE Designer's Edition containing new scenarios, new rules, new unit counters, and terrain overlays. Information on these is restricted to Kickstarter backers only, so I don't have much. The ones I know of are:
     Black Mamba Down (perhaps includes Ranger counters from the assault pack preview)
     Operation Rubicon (reportedly includes "Troll" unit and self-propelled gun)
     Rise of the Golem (maybe referring to Israeli cybertanks?)
     Storm Dragon (anyone have any idea?)
When: Not scheduled
How much: Unknown

DESIGNER'S EDITION EXPANSION
What: Large expansion to ODE promised as part of the Kickstarter campaign. Will have two new map (G-3 and S-3), one counter sheet (including one new 3-D unit--probably the Ninja), and scenarios.
When: They say late 2016
How much: Under $65

NEW OGRE SET
What: Standalone game in Designer's Edition scale with only the oriingal OGRE map and rules, with counters in new colors. Will include at least one new scenario, GEV Screen.
When: They say summer or fall of 2016
How much: Trying for $49.95

POCKET GEV (speculative)
What: Pocket sized edition of the sequel to compliment Pocket Ogre. No telling if this will actually be produced, but I have some suggestions on the counter mix.
When: Not scheduled
How much: Probably around $10 or $11

Anybody else excited about these new products? I plan on buying the expansions, but probably not the new OGRE box.

If you have any more information on any of these--especially the Assault Packs--please let me know.