Saturday 1 July 2017

Welcome to the Jungle!

The end of another busy academic year looms into sight and whilst there seems to be no end of little jobs that must be completed before our charges head off for their summer holidays, I have managed to find some time to start to plan my own summer project.
Now before I go any further, I need to say a big Thank You to 'Wargames Foundry', as having picked up a copy of the Congo rules along with the Adventure Pack at 'Salute' earlier in the year, I discovered that one of my bearers had a touch of metal fatigue! This appeared more than just a break, possibly something amiss with the casting? Although not the end of the world, as the rest of the box were fine, I felt that I should make the company aware of a potential problem.
Perhaps more frustrating though was that one of the scenarios or bulletins, editions 3 & 4 as it happens, were printed in French. This was a tad problematic as young Master Awdry struggled to grasp any languages whilst at school and as a result my very poor schoolboy French was simply not up to the job of translating the document. Well I am delighted to report that 'Wargames Foundry' could not have been more apologetic and helpful with replacements for both concerns immediately dispatched. With such good customer service, it will come as no surprise to hear that I have subsequently added a couple more packs of their splendid miniatures to the every growing lead mountain.
I have always had a hankering to explore darkest Africa in 28mm and when I went in search of miniatures that might be suitable for the adventures to come, I wasn't surprised to find that I had a good many units painted or primed and a good many more eagerly awaiting to be liberated from their plastic prisons.  Progress is definitely being made and having decided on a scenario and with a date in mind for the first encounter it is full steam ahead! 
There is certainly plenty to do with just the miniatures alone, but the biggest hurdle is going to be the terrain build.  I have been putting off making jungle terrain for far too long, but now it simply needs to be done.  Fortunately I have stumbled across a couple of great tutorials on other blogs and have started amassing the bits and pieces required.  All I need now are for the school gates to close for summer and this will be one of the first jobs tackled.  
Of course I couldn't resist getting all the toys out and having a look at what could be used in the future as well as treating myself to a couple of new additions in the shape of some plastic counters and MDF measuring sticks from 'Blotz' and a rather splendid faux leopard skin dice bag ordered through 'Glenbrook Games'.
So expect more updates through July as the adventurers are assembled ahead of their expedition into the dark and sweltering jungle of the Congo where cannibal tribes and Pygmies await.   

59 comments:

  1. Always nice to read French language isn't it? Let's try this sir..."Très intéressant, une jungle prometteuse, on attend la suite avec impatience..."
    Cheers,
    Phil.

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    1. Thank you Phil and for the lesson - such a beautiful language. :)

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  2. Grateful stuff. Foundry have brilliant customer service. By the way the dice bag looks like a posing pouch. Too early for such thoughts

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    1. Oh my there's a thought; I shall try to resist the temptation though. :D

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  3. That's an impressive collection and all the props are great to set the mood right.
    I've always been interested in a dark Africa setting, must be a result of reading all these adventure books and comics in my youth. Only I've never managed to do anything with it.
    I look forward to see your exploits and adventures to come in this region.

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    1. Thank you so much, really looking forward to seeing some of these miniatures finally on the table.

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  4. Good Luck If this ever makes it to school I think the kids (of all ages) will love it!

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    1. Thank you Clint, certainly something to work towards.

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  5. Nice service and figures! This will be fun to follow.

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  6. Well this all looks like it will be immense fun, "prof Inigo Tinkle and the search for the Oozlum bird" anyone?

    Cheers Roger.

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    1. Thank you Roger, really looking forward to this one.

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  7. Great stuff , looking forward to seeing this develop

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    1. Thank you Dave, hopefully more updates soon.

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  8. You are a total loony you! Look at that pile of goodies! And you are convinced to get all that done in the summer Holiday? Oh well we'll just wait and see...

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    1. Thank you Sander. :) The good thing about Congo is that you only need relatively small units and so I don't need to paint them all at once to get a game started.

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  9. Congo is a superb game and we are playing it regularly at our club. I am onto my fourth Column now. If you plan right, some figures are interchangeable between Columns. Oh and you can actually get Carry on up the Jungle characters from Col Bills, if you so wish. The Copplestone Darkest Africa figures fit very well with Foundry.
    It's great because the largest unit is only six figures or seven with a character. The rules are nicely done and a somewhat numerous read.

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    1. Thank you Simon, great to hear that you are having fun with Congo, I am certainly looking forward to getting my campaign underway. I had forgotten about the Carry On miniatures although I do have a rather splendid Sid James character that I am hoping to press gang into action.

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  10. Wonderful project, Michael, with plenty of shines on show already. What a corking summer this looks like being for you :-)

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    1. Thank you Simon, certainly looking forward to getting things underway.

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  11. The Crooked Dice gorilla is lovely, isn't it? Is that the Foundry one on the wooden base next to it? He is a pretty hefty fellow too from the looks of him...

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    1. I was thrilled with the Crooked Dice gorilla, such a lovely piece. Good spot with the Foundry ape, he is quite small in comparison and I think looks bigger than he is next to those Pygmies.

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  12. I fine looking 'horde'. Some very nice pieces in there already. The '1000ft General' did some very nice tutorials and some of the best jungle terrain I have seen. So if that Blog not on your list check it out.

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    1. Thank you Mark and I thought the 1000ft General's jungle were absolutely superb too. The other one's I have found recently were on Major Thomas Foolery's War Room blog.

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  13. Fantastic start on a great new endeavor, Michael!

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    1. Thank you Dean, looking forward to this one.

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  14. Excellent looking forward to it. I have congo but not managed to get a game in and it just happens we are playing a Colonel Cavendish game tonight which is pretty much in the jungle !

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    1. Thank you and I hope your exploits in the jungle are going well.

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  15. I hear there was a Forgotten Hero whom fought her way through those very same jungles!

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    1. Absolutely! She would certainly be at home on this expedition.

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  16. Good luck with this latest project Michael. Your ambition, quality and productivity always amazes me. Awesome stuff. :)

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    1. Thank you so much, really looking forward to getting stuck into this.

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  17. Looking forward to more of this!

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    1. Thank you Rodger, hopefully more updates soon.

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  18. Good stuff! Lots of interesting items to keep us enthralled as you move this one along.

    I think I spy a cannibal cauldron in the background there too, one of my all time favourites amongst your vignettes...

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    1. Thank you Millsy and well spotted Sir. I'm hoping that I might have actually found a use for it. :)

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  19. Looking forward to see your progress in this project!
    Hope to start similar venture one day..

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  20. A nice little collection shaping up there. Good on Wargames Foundry for making all right with you.

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    1. Thank you A.J. and they really couldn't have been more helpful.

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  21. I to am chomping at the bit for the start of the summer hols! Can't wait to make a proper dent in the pile of grey shame.

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    1. Thank you, here's to a hassle free end of term for us both.

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  22. Looking forward to the adventure! Nice summer project to keep your brushes going!

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  23. Looking forward to the updates! Foundry customer service has always been excellent in my experience.

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  24. Looking forward to seeing your jungle build. I have a project on hold that needs one too.

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    1. Also, separate project but have you seen this?
      https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1512506318/217451504?ref=331183&token=4cff32c6

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  25. Congo is an excellent game; we're enjoying it very much at the moment. Of course, you don't need to set it in jungle; savanna works too...

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  26. An excellent choice of dice bag! Look forward to seeing your Congo forces in all their glory!

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  27. It will be interesting to see how your jungle terrain turn out. I only ever been camping in a tropical jungle once (as a young scout all those years ago) and what surprised me most was how 'thick' a jungle can be. During the night it was so dark that I could barely see a few feet ahead of me and to make things worse I was heading back all alone (separated from my patrol) as I had forgotten my torchlight. A scary memory forever seared into my mind.

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  28. An utterly enthralling post sir. May there be many more as we plunge towards the main event. Just love the dice bag ;-)

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  29. As I'm doing a similer project, though on a much smaller scale, I looking forward to seeing this progress.

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  30. Looking good Michael and always good to hear of great customer service as well.

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  31. A very promising collection. I'm looking forward to seeing more of it, Sir!

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