When no one makes cheap 54mm plastic scouts, what can you do but convert some of the cheapest rackety cloned and distorted toy soldiers into Boy and Girl Scouts? Some of this worked well. Read more at:
Crossposted from my Scouting Wide Games for the Tabletop blog site by Mark, Man of TIN (1970s Cub Scout, Bronze Arrow, Retired) 17 October 2019
Snowball fight to defend the Snow Fort! Boy Scouts vs. Girl Scouts!
Fast play Scouting Wide Games scenario for the tabletop. Read the full write up and play testing notes at:
Cross posted by Mark Man of TIN, 11/12 October 2019
Huzzah! Let us celebrate today – World Mental Health Day – all that our wonderful relaxing craft or hobby of toy soldiers, gaming and modelling do for our relaxation, positive mental health and also the open and supportive community of bloggers, war-games opponents and gaming clubs.
It’s World Mental Health Day today 10th October 2019 https://wfmh.global/world-mental-health-day-2019/
Veterans’ charities now focus more and more on this aspect of service and post service health. This year I have posted about the well-being value of modelling and the fine people at Models for Heroes: https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2019/06/02/models-for-heroes-and-the-well-being-aspects-of-hobbies/
You can find out more about Models for Heroes at:
https://www.modelsforheroes.co.uk/
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2019/05/30/models-for-heroes-film-trailer/
Models for Heroes are exhibiting this week at an innovative Wellbeing event at the Tank Museum 11 and 12 October 2019
https://www.modelsforheroes.co.uk/blog/keep-on-track-wellbeing-at-the-tank-museum
and
https://www.tankmuseum.org/whats-on/events/keep-on-track
Last Christmas / Advent I included ‘dancing with the black dog’ in my advent calendar of blog posts: https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/05/man-of-tin-advent-calendar-day-5-dancing-with-the-black-dog/
I am fortunate to have been blessed with good mental health so far in life, having been born with quite a ‘happy-go-lucky’ kind of temperament (and a mild Airfix addiction that is easily pleased …)
This is not the case for everybody as life changes. Fortunately mental health is now more widely and openly discussed and social prescribing now takes into account the benefits of hobbies and clubs:
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
You might be fortunate enough to have a Wargames, gaming or modelling club nea4 you, full of ‘like minds’ or even a Men’s Shed nearby: https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/06/27/uk-mens-sheds-association/
Huzzah! Thank you today for all the kind, challenging and interested comments that readers and blogging buddies leave on the Man of TIN blog, Pound Store Plastic Warriors, Sidetracked and Scouting Wide Games for the Tabletop blogs. They really are appreciated.
Huzzah! Thank you also to many of my readers for the interesting, inspiring and downright distracting blogs that many of you write as well.
Three cheers for the tiny tin men that keep us all busy and mentally healthy.
Have a happy and healthy day.
Blogposted by Mark Man of TIN, 10 October 2019
Quick making and PVA gluing of polystyrene Snow Forts
The Snow Forts game in progress …
This was a ‘jolly good fun’ short game, featuring a small force of Gladys and four other Girl Scouts of Daisy Patrol, defending their snow fort with snowballs against an attacking force of eight Boy Scouts of Red scarved ‘Bull’ Patrol.
I will post a full game write up in the next few days, my first playtesting of some simple Scouting Wide Games rules.
It takes three Snowball hits on a defender in the Snow Fort for them to lose their ‘life’ (restored once journeyed back to HQ tent camp), but only one hit to take the ‘life’ of an attacker.
Snowball ammunition is unlimited. One scout equals one figure.
Ranges were set out or measured using lolly sticks, for close range (one lollystick – 4,5,6 is a hit on a d6), medium range (two lollystick distance, 5 or 6 to hit) and long range (three lollysticks – 6 only to hit).
Movement on snow and ice was half normal pace, (so using half a lollystick marker to measure) and no fast Scouts Pace (a strange mix of periods of running and walking) was allowed due to weather and terrain
Alan Gruber, Tradgardmastre of the Duchy of Tradgardland blog is also going to be working on the Scouting Wide Games rules and borrowed RPG elements like individual character cards.
I added some simple RPG style elements like names, age or scout ranking from Tenderfoot to First Class Scout or Patrol Leader, and badge or character achievements.
For example, Gladys the Patrol Leader of Daisy Patrol of the Girl Scouts and young Ernest, Second Class scout of Bull Patrol (Red Scarves) both have Marksman scout badges, adding +1 to their chance of hitting a scout of the other patrol with a range weapon like a snowball.
Jolly Good Fun! The game ended sportingly with three cheers for the winners and three cheers for the losers. Afterwards Agnes and Ginger of the Daisy Patrol of Girl Scouts built a “Snow Scout”.
I will also be developing a separate WordPress blog for the Scouting Wide Games project, for storing pictures, rules, research and play-testing. Watch this space for details: https://tabletopscoutingwidegames.wordpress.com/
The 1914 Christmas Truce – was there a Snow ball fight?I dug out some old Airfix unarmed WW1 figures. The Snowball fight element of this game lends itself to both civilian, Christmas and military scenarios.
Posted by Mark, Man of TIN on 5 October 2019
More of the possible Prince August proposed 54mm alternative heads for new 54mm home cast figures – US Infantry pre/ post 1902.
Good to see that people have contributed suggestions back to Prince August including Anthony Jopson and also Ian Dury (hello Ian!) of the Peter Laing Collectors circle (on MeWe) and the Continental Wars Society.
More sculpts can be seen at https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2019/10/02/prince-august-new-54mm-toy-soldier-sculpts-part-2/
Any suggestions for new heads to extend this range? Contact can be made via the Prince August website info@princeaugust.ie or contact page.
Portuguese infantry? Ladybird Leaders: Soldiers
Or Preben Kannik, Military Uniforms of the World, eve of WW1 plates
Blog posted by Mark, Man of TIN 4 October 2019.
Newest design of 54mm toy soldier home casting from Prince August. Previously:
Feedback any comments to Prince August via their website.
https://shop.princeaugust.ie
Blog posted by Mark, Man of TIN 2 October 2019.
Classic vintage Airfix figures like these Russian WW2 infantry have lots of potential for paint conversion.
I painted these original 1960s Airfix figures, a gift from Tony Adams of the Miniature Woodscrew Army, as generic 20th Century rifle troops that could as needed be used as WW2 Russians if needed.
A mix of greys and greens from the matt ‘khaki grunge’ end of my Revell Acrylic Aquacolor paints should prove suitable camouflage.
This generic colouring of Modern troops can be seen here in this seventies Ladybird Leader book on Soldiers
Reading the Unwomanly Face of War about Soviet women on the Eastern Front has discouraged me from gaming the enormity of The Eastern Front.
Instead these soldiers belong to My Tintinesque ImagiNations on the Eastern Eurasian border. The Kingdom of IgoYugoslavia split over a disagreement about turntaking into smaller republics including the Republic of Igoslavia with its silver and red banner.
Hail Igoslavia!
Here they are pictured alongside some of their Tank support, which some readers might remember as the ready to play polythene Airfix T34 (price 35p Model Sports, 1970s)
Igoslavia staff officer looking much like an American Civilian War artillery officer.
Blog post created using the clunky new block editor on WordPress, not a pleasant experience, for the Mark Man of TIN 28 September 2091.
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