Seasons Greetings /Dec 2020 and Beyond

Seasons Greetings

Nothing new to show you this month. Still working on the Martian dock board and market board. Hopefully one will be finished before the end of the year.

As in the last few years my main plans are to finish outstanding projects and hopefully hit the mini's mountain with paint and maybe just maybe get some games played.

Assuming the two massive boards mentioned are finish in the start of 2021. I've got more cloudships to finish. Terrain wise I've still got outstanding Venus buildings to finish. Also Government buildings for the British and other human administrations.

Most of my current planned Martian buildings are built. Maybe I'll do a few more for human use?

I've still working on backboards using posters and adding bits to improve old terrain. 

So still plenty to do for VSF.

As life is so changeable it the moment long term plans are proving harder than ever but you've got to try to keep your eye on the prize.

So let me wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

May your God, Gods or Richard Dawkins go with you. Hoping for a more hopeful 2021.

More Martian board work/Late Nov WIP

 A little bit of progress of the Martian market area and docks boards.

Main slope almost finished.

Just the footpaths to paint and finish the road surface with paint and trash.

Martian city market WIP/Another October 2020 post!

 Busy Busy Busy!

Working on the Martian city market board. Further marking out and measuring. Working out where the buildings will go with the fixed foot paths. Hopefully it will be adjustable for later games.

MDF foot paths from the current snowed under ttCombat who are still trading through the constant beer flu restrictions. In the right hand corner a tax officer/canal light house conversion WIP.

Slow work at the Martian shipyards/October 2020

 Slow work at the shipyards. Lots of vessels in at the moment and time is scarce.

The Hullcutter is going to be the older version which has seen many years of action.

The twin hull is going to be a French armoured yacht for the French consul in the British sector of influence. 

The grey gun boat at the back is and almost complete American consul's ship just awaiting it's props and a few guns.

Next to it is another privately owned tug boat.

Whoops where did the August post go? August 2020

 I've just realised I forgot to post my August post of WIP human sky dock. Life can just pass you by.

Ironclad medium tank for scale.

Martian Hullcutter WIP/September 2020 update

 So things have been pretty busy in the real world. So as usual projects haven't been making much progress lately. The Martian docks board has come to a halt as the moment with the street/market board.

A little bit of work on buildings and cloudships have gone a head though.

A sneak peak at the second mdf Hullcutter from Crossover Miniatures below. The first one is nearing completion. More on that later.

I'd originally planned a step by step build but as Crossover provide a pdf of how to build this and real world times this as fallen away.

WIP Martian restaurant and converted human workshop/doctors office.

More Martian Docks progress-July 2020

A little more progress on the Martian docks project.

With the lock down removed in most parts of the UK work has been a little crazy so some progress is better than none.

You see the troublesome back board with slope and foam wall below.

WIP Canal Docks and guns-May 2020

WIP

So more measuring and planning on the layout of the docks with some more mdf kits from TTCombat. Which by the way are up and running now, if reduced staff due to the beer flu.

If you can please support hobby companies during the lockdown.

The board will be a silly sized 4ft by 5ft. Highly impractical but I think in Imperial scales in projects. That is partly why I take so long to finish them ;)

Another delivery from The Honourable Boiler Suit Company. 3 & 6 pdrs and some Hotchkiss revolving cannons for another vessel.

Finally some simple basing for some of the going number of crafts down at the Martian shipyards.

Imperial German Navy-Luftsturm Wagen / May 2020

The Imperial German Navy on Mars has been busy. I give you the Mk I Luftsturm Wagen.

An aerial boarding craft. I'll be added a forward and aft gun to her, Hotchkiss 3&6 pdrs.

Originally a blotz terrain Luftstrum Wagon plus a u-boat conning tower. The Seebataillon can't wait to try it out!

Fortified Martian Manor House progress WIP-April 2020

A little more progress on the fortified Martian Manor.

I'll be giving it a little rest while I wonder down to the cloudship yards to see how the sky crafts for doing.

Fortified Martian Manor & Martian city docks updates / April 2020 Update

Martian Fortified Manor/Villa & Martian city docks:

So as we all either sit at home under lockdown or are on weird hours/shifts due to the type of work we do to keep things running. We should at least try to catch up on projects.

So a project that has been sat on the shelf for years has made a little more progress this week. Based on the original artwork from the original Space 1889 and early fan work I've added a watch tower and more walls.

This part of the project will hopefully been done before the end of the month. I've the gun pod and cloadship cradle to complete and painting. The major second part is the centre back living quarters pod to create yet. Then add vegetation to the gardens.

The Docks

Planning on a board with terrain pieces is fun and the pencil has been busy.I've come to a halt on the docks at the moment as ttcombat has shut their doors due to beer flu as soon as they are back open more orders we come.

Late March Posting /in Lock Down

So here we are in Lock Down on the little island.

So when I was given the word that I'd likely be put on furlough but be expected to attend emergency call out. I looked at the pile of unfinished projects and said to myself...……………...lets start something new rather than finish off what I already have in progress.

I know I know fatal move but I did have a glass of wine in my hand at the time.

Lots to do to finish them but its a start.

So the long planned Martian canal docks has done into swing. A 4 by 6 multi level board. Almost impossible to store and carry. But what is life without a challenge ;)



So while I was at it I cut two further 4 by 6 boards for the future. Still early days but it's at least at start.

The kit am turning into a wheel house/granary on the canal front. As you will know am keen on pushing water power technology that the Canal Priests maintain with their knowledge of the "old ways".

Along with this I bought in some more mdf from TT Combat,War Bases UK and Blotz Terrain. Unfortunately TT has now suspended trading on government advice with the Beer Flu. However some of the family run companies  are still trading and if you can please support them during this time by buying a few things. We don't want companies without vast resources to go under. The hobby has come so far over the last ten years with the growth of independents and it would be a great lose to see the progress reversed.

Over the last two months I added more to my Syrtis Major buildings. The docks are planned to provide a canal level for the city. The buildings for the streets above.

But depending how I finish it may also be able to double for other wealthy cities. But Shatapsh will have their own set if plans go ahead without forced change. Am still going with the different regions of Mars are different colour schemes based on the rock/sands colours to avoid a bland look. Oh and it makes more work for me ;) lol

I even managed to kit bash some left over bits from a balsa wood catapult into a simple crane for the docks last night. I haven't done so much in ages ;)

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