Hobby | The Dead Ships with their Skeleton Crews

Dreadfleet is a game that to many was a disappointment. Instead of heralding the return of Man O' War, a game in which I am too young to have formed nostalgia towards, it was this odd little narrative boardgame/wargame hybrid. I've never played it, and to be honest it doesn't seem like a lot of people ever did, because I picked up a copy dirt cheap a few years ago. There is one place that the game excels in that I  think most people can agree on: the models (and the game mat I guess, it is pretty cool...). Surprisingly, these models are fairly in scale with the 1/700 Black Seas models. While Black Seas is a historical game, they do have rules for some of the "standard" fantasy elements of maritime folklore, like sea serpents and krakens. The focus of today is on the Shadewraith, perhaps the best miniature rendition of a ghost ship that I've seen. 

Hobby | Merchant Marine

Unlike most wargames where objectives are static points on a map, in certain naval scenarios the objectives are ships just like any other model. These are the merchantmen, the unsung engines of commerce that hauled bulk goods all across the globe, ever the prize for a hungry young captain looking to make it big. In games of Black Seas, merchants come in two flavors: large and small. 

Hobby | Black Seas Barbary State Reinforcements

I've painted a lot of ship-rigged models, of many different varieties. But, all more or less the same. The most exotic ship I've painted so far has been the xebec, which also belongs to the Barbary States. I've now added a small galley and a trio of gunboats to the force, which should make for some fun pirate actions. 

Hobby | Black Seas HMS Indefatigable

It's been a wild time over at the Space Dino household, mostly because I actually own a house now. Lots of my time has been spent getting things moved over, but, for the first time in a very long time, I have an official hobby space and room to lay out my things. Which will make it a lot easier to access things in the future as I don't have to go looking for them in boxes. This has also been the reason I haven't been keeping up with everyone's blogs, but now that I don't have to spend every waking moment moving things and unpacking boxes and lifting furniture I have no business moving, things should get into a groove again. So, for the first post of the year, I have HMS Indefatigable, a ship famous for her duel against a much larger ship than herself. 

 

Hobby | Black Seas La Princesa

Uh what a whirlwind of a time it's been for me, I won't get into details, but I will say that it's been very busy here. I've finally gotten around to finishing La Princesa, a model I started way back in August after I wrapped up the Lake Erie project. Hopefully, the next thing I do won't take anywhere near as long. But back to the subject at hand. 

Gaming | The Treasure Vault Mordheim Battle Report

What with vacations, getting covid, family visiting, and my kid learning to crawl, it has been a busy time. Not so much that I couldn't get any gaming in, but enough for me not to have the time to sit down and just hash out this post. I've managed to write this in bits and pieces though, enough now that I can finally hit that damn publish button. So without further belaboring, we have the end of a Mordheim campaign. 

Gaming | Vampire Hunt Mordheim Battle Report

After surviving a rip-roaring boating adventure, my Lizardmen have made landfall in a strange part of town. Stranger still,  the leader seems inexorably drawn towards the large, spooky structure in the center of the square. Undeterred, the rest of the warband follows them in as they trudge along. What awaits for our intrepid heroes....

Project | Battle of Lake Erie (Part 6)

Well, that's it, I've done it. I started this whole thing back in March, and after a total of 6 posts (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), the Battle of Lake Erie project is finished, at least from the hobby side of things. I haven't had the chance yet to play out the battle, which would require me to either find a pre-made scenario online or scrape together one myself. The version provided in the Hold Fast supplement is woefully inadequate. That may be the subject of a future post in this series, but for now lets get to some pretty pictures of boats in their natural habitat. 

Gaming | Barge Battle Royale Mordheim Battle Report

Mordheim has now taken to the high seas! Or to a nearby lake/river, I don't really know the geography of the area. Regardless, the warbands are all on barges now. The mission is simple; to be the last team floating. 

Project | Battle of Lake Erie (Part 5)

Ordinarily, I'd get a little bit more done before posting about this project, but I wanted to share this little American on the 4th of July. This is a cutter, the second I've done for this project. She'll be used to model the Trippe, the smallest ship present at the battle.