Colonial Steam River Launch by Sarissa

Another boat/ship for my Pulp Alley Indonesian harbour project. I really liked the look of it and I guess it can be used in a multitude of settings.

I started to build it straight out of the box, or rather flat package.

But the funnel didn’t do it for me, so I made a new one from a drinking straw.

While I was at it, I replaced the steam piston assembly. Another piece of drinking straw and brass wire.

Now the boiler looked like crap compared to the rest. 

0.5 mm plasticard, more wire and green stuff and it started to look rather good.

While I was green-stuffing I made a cleat on the fore-deck.

And a piece of plastic rod made the roof look better.

Painted as all my boats – Vallejo Cork Brown, wash of Army Painter Strong Tone ink and drybrushed with Buff.

As I final thought I added some ‘rope’ from another ship (nearly finished now, you’ll see it in a couple of days’ time) and painted it with Humbrol Hemp.

Welcome new Followers:

Éva Jacab

Pendragon Without with a blog with the same name. It’s about miniature games in general and very enjoyable. Go visit!

Oh, and if you would like to have my views on Osprey’s new book The Caucasus 1942-43: Kleist’s race for oil, Campaign 281, then you had better open your latest issue of Miniature Wargames (issue 386). You’ll find all you need to know about the book in the Reviews section.

Rickshaw from Sarissa

A rickshaw would be a nice piece of scenery in the Indonesian harbour I’m working on. I’ve looked around a bit but haven’t found any rickshaw models suitable for my 28mm figures.

Anyway, I was placing an order at Sarissa when I found out that they actually had a rickshaw, or at least something that could be modified to become one.

In their Gaslamp Alley range of Victorian SF stuff they have a Hansom Cab. Not a rackshaw for sure, but it has the potential.

Limited surgery and you have a rickshaw.

I went for a very easy conversion and removed the seat behind the cab and also the handrail in front of the passenger seats.

It needs paint at this stage.

And there you have it, a rickshaw. A bit on the heavy side but it will work as clutter on the gaming board.

Painted with Vallejo Cork Brown, a wash of Army Painter Strong Tone Ink and drybrushed with Cork Brown and Buff. Diluted Citadel Mechrite Red for the panels.

Sampans from Sarissa Precision

My big project at the moment is to build a harbour for use in our Perilous Island campaign for Pulp Alley. One of the most important things for a harbour is off course ships and boats. Some of the smaller boats are already done.

The scenario is set in Indonesia, and I found a couple of Sampans from Sarissa Precision that could give an Asian feel to the harbour.

Built straight out of the box they looked somewhat less than impressive.

I decided to give them some paint and used Vallejo Cork Brown all over. A wash of Army Painter Strong Tone ink followed. Finally a drybrush of Cork Brown and a lighter one off Vallejo Buff.

Much better.

You can use them with the small shelter or without.

Pulp Alley – The Black Pharao – CSSS in Egypt

Our heroes in the CSSS, Corpo di Spedizione Santa Sede, have heard rumours of an ungodly artefact in the grave-fields of Egypt.

It is said that the remains of the forgotten Pharaoh Nephren-Ka, also known as the Black Pharaoh, has found his last resting place in the Valley of Forgetfulness and the small village named Tel el Qara.

That in itself is of no interest for the CSSS, but it is said that with the Black Pharaoh is buried The Black Stone – the source of Nephren-Ka’s evil powers.

That artefact shall be ours. To further the causes of God and Good, off course.

To find the major plot point, the Black Stone, a league needs to have unlocked one of the minor ones and have it in their possession.

Our heroes - with local support from loyal Catholics Ahmed (a sword armed lvl 2 Brawler), Salla (a lvl 1 Scout with a staff) and Said (a lvl 1 Brawler with fists of iron, or... maybe clay...)

Tel El Qara, you might recognize some of the buildings from the Chain of Command game at Gothcon.

The Black Stone is buried near the spinx's head. Hmm, there's a local digging there already.

A view of the idyllic life in this backwaters town. Ehr, this limited water village. I guess they would be happy for some back water to come their way.

One of the local merchants are just about to sell one of the clues of the whereabout of the Black Stone (one minor plot point). 

Another plot point, dropped by a careless child.

The small box hold another clue.

The final clue is used as garden decoration. Lousy gardeners by the way...

The CSSS sets up in two groups

The Royal Society's Legendary League of Extraordinary Explorers - also known as the dastardly British imperialists.  

The Independent Phrenologists

Belgian vultures...

It starts bad with our local scout shot in cold blood by one of the Brits. The bastards will pay for this. We're going to speak to Benito about this outrageous behaviour. A good reason to annex this godforsaken place. Give it time. In a couple of years Italian boots will march on these streets... or paths... rather sand. Anyway, Mare Nostre and all that.

We retailate and one Brit is down

Nazis and Belgians start to battle over one of the plot points. The Belgian madwoman falls but is not out of action yet.

Monsignore starts decipheiring the  hieroglyphs of the ancient garden gnome while the Belgians start bickering with the merchant. "You want some sweet tea, Sir?"

Another round and the redheaded female furie is back in the fight.

The Brits gather round the box. 

Our brawler is back in the fight.

The Belgians use trickery and threats to get one plot point. The merchant rubs his hand thinking they paid far to high a price. Everyone is happy.

...and here we go again. But he is not out of the game yet.

Monsignore unlocks one plot point. This plot point turns out to be very valuable as it is worth one very rare experience point to the leauge thet holds it at the end of the game. I decided to concentrate on protecting this one as experience points are few and far between.
Note the Brit taking post by the major plot point.

My other characters concentrate on the Belgians. They are in a cross-fire as the Nazis have a go at them also.

A new round and the brawler shrugs off his injuries. What a guy!

Soura Innocenza show the Belgians the power of the cross

...or not... Turns out she is permanently out of the fight :-(

Eat sabre, filthy dog! The cowardly Englishman is permanently out of the fight.

A new round and the Brits unearth the Black Stone. Unfortunately they also unearth to owner of said stone. The Black Pharaoh is back! 

but not for long. I think they skipped on embalming fluids back in the days. Sloppy job as the mummy croaks out "Mummy!" and falls to dust. 

Meanwhile it's a slaugther out there. People fall left...

...and right.

The final round starts and  fighting resumes.

Said rushed the whimpy Belgian adventurer the round before and she starts this round  running away in terror. Said bravely unlocks the plot point, and triumphantly he finds that it is...

... a Red Herring - a worthless receipt on how to make mummiefied muffins. The merchant cackles with glee. A truly excellent affair, especially as a disgusted Said leave the old writings in the sand. 

Our other brave local, Ahmed, had a chance to rush the British professor who is running away with one plot point. Unfortunately God is not with him and the Brit shows that his old legs are not weak as he sprints away with a manuscript, cackling about leaving it at the British (Imperialist) Museum.

The game ends with the CSSS controlling one plot point, and a very good one for future games.

The major plot point goes to the Brits...

...as do one of the minor.

The final plot point goes to the Phrenologists.
Um, well, the final went to us, but I don't think that receipt will be a hit anytime soon.

That was that, another great game of Pulp Alley. We had a blast, as usual. I can't recommend this game enought. 

The scenario was made by fellow Little Wars-member Jesper and you will soon find a full description of it on the Pulp Alley Forum. There you will find great and fast support from the creator of the game and his sidekick.

And head over to Pendragon Without and his giveaway for a chance to win a 28mm church. The CSSS certainly approves of this giveaway. If it is a Catholic church, that is!

It’s also a nice little blog that deserves more viewers.