Happy New Year! And it's a new chance for those dice rolls to be high...
Thanks to all for the positive response to The Gauntlet #9! I never imagined I would be so overwhelmed with gamers willing to take a look. Once again thanks! And as an added note, please take a look at Gauntlet advertisers and give them a chance to fill your gaming needs - without them, The Gauntlet would be an operating in the Red proposition (and would go the way of numerous other wargamer magazines).
Christmas, as usual, was good to me and saw me continue my expansion into other periods. I received my 25mm Foundry ACW troops back from the painter. I had to touch them up a bit (I like eyes, cheekbones, etc. on my 25s) but they are quite styling now. I'm almost ready to run that Brother Against Brother game (HG Walls produced ACW skirmish rules). Rhett just purchased some 25mm Union yesterday and that will bring us up to speed for a quick skirmish game. He bought some Chuck Kennedy painted Connoisseur figures. The older castings still have some good detail and will do nicely. They just need to be re-based to single figure stands and Rhett tells me he's already gotten most of them done.
I purchased an additional 20 Confederates from Chuck and these are super! Rhett had some 25mm Old Glory Union painted by Chuck and you can't get a better paint job for your $4 to $5 a foot. I know this may seem high, but why pay $3 for something you're going to have to touch up? I've also heard of people paying more for 25mm paint jobs. Chuck provides super detail at an equitable price. Give him a call at (941) 773-0554 for more information.
I obtained a number of Military Miniatures of New Zealand buildings from Modeler's Mart in Clearwater (see ad page 61). They are simply superb in both variety and quality of the castings. I bought both 15mm and 25mm buildings - 15 to complement my ACW Iron Brigade and 25 for everything else. I also purchased a number of Gallia buildings for Regimental Colours. Gallia is going out of business, not because it's a bad business, but because he's retiring. The Gallia resin casts are very good and like the MMNZ buildings, they take a primer and paint up extremely well, showing lots of detail. The scales are appropriately 15 and 25, although I did get one 15mm barn/shed that is large enough to work as a 20mm shed. All in all, they painted up wonderfully and I'm glad I have them in my collection (except for one Gallia barn that is owned by Regimental Colours).
In figures, I purchased a number of Warhammer 40k figures for my son (I know, I know, boo, hiss) and asked Dale Marcum from the Tactical Edge (see ad page 29) to paint them up for me. He gave me a good price and a very, very good product. I'm glad I went to him. He personally dropped them off (could have been from guilt since he was just a touch past the promised finish time) and I couldn't be more pleased. My son's collection now numbers about a 100 Space and Ultramarines, quite a few Gretchens, and a variety of other antagonists. I hope he has some good games with all of these - I wouldn't know as I don't play 40k.
What does this year hold for me? Well it starts with HMGS Mid-South's Siege of Augusta (this will be released there). Then February is a down month where we get our acts back together and I draw as many flags as I can. Then in March, I hope to make it to Cold Wars, not as a dealer or gamemaster, but as a simple gamer. I'd like to meet all those that make Cold Wars happen and some of the good people in the far north (everything is in one's perspective - especially this close to the equator).
I talked to Eric Solie from Brookhurst Hobbies today and he tells me that Regimental Colours' monster order is on its way. He mentioned some 200 bags of Peter Pig 15mm WWII. Two Dragons Samurai & Colonial. Rules sets & more! Obviously I'm really excited about getting the stuff in and taking a good look. And to think that I don't have any 15mm WWII. Who needs an excuse to get into a new scale? I've used "but dear, I really like the figures..." before. I wonder how many Gauntlet readers can say the same thing? I'll let you know in the next issue how many packs of what I couldn't part with.
SORRY!
Due to a technical breakdown, some of the material you're expecting for issue #10 will be held over to issue number 11. Specifically, part 2 of von Flaschman's role play and a couple of other rules sets. What will be in the next issue that was supposed to be in this issue is detailed on the Table of Contents page (3). In #11, expect both part 2 and 3 of Von Flaschman, everything already scheduled for number 11, and additional articles and reviews. #10 will be just shy of 100 pages, but #11 will more than make up for that.
To end this issue's editorial, I thank everyone again for their support of The Gauntlet!
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© Copyright 1997 by Craig Martelle Publications
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