The Battle of Gimley’s Mine-Battle Report

The Battle of Gimley’s Mine is a quick and easy to learn game to play and play. By the time you play through the five rounds you understand, quite completely, the games dynamic. I played the game times several times, switching back and forth from and aggressor to the defender. Both sides have their advantages and disadvantages. There is very little skill or strategy involved in the game play. It is more a game of chance that used up to three 6-sided dice. I do recommend reading the back story before playing the game, It gave the game purpose and made the playing the game a bit more interesting.

Memorable Quotes from the Count of Monte Cristo #4

“The young sailor (Dantes) jumped into the skiff, and sat down into the stern sheets, with the order that he be put ashore at La Canebiere. The oarsmen bent to their work, and the little boat glided away as rapidly as possible in the midst of the thousand vessels which choke up the narrow way which leads between the two rows of ships from the mouth of the harbor to the Quai d’ Orleans.”

The Count of Monte Cristo

Kappler Mill & Lumber Co. Tutorials

The Kappler Mill & Lumber Co is a supplier of scale lumber that is often used for building structures for model train layouts.

Kappler Mill & Lumber Co is offering several free tutorials for projects. Most of them seem to be for the HO scale, but most of the tutorials offer dimensions that could be scaled in other model train scales. Some of the tutorials are more detailed than others and there are tutorials for structures and rail cars.

I was drawn in by their Building a Footbridge and Small Wooden Freight Station articles. These projects look like they would fun to build and be easy to assemble.

Memorable Quotes from the Count of Monte Cristo #3 (Danglars)

Danglars was the supercargo on the same ship that Dantes was captain and was one of conspirators that had hatched the idea of denouncing Dantes to the authorities as being an agent of Bonaparte. This quote was made after his plan of denouncing Dantes had come to fruition.

“Danglars was one of those men born with a pen behind his ear, and an inkstand in place of a heart.”

My Winter Reading List-War Stories

When I started my search for military stories I was rather surprised with the titles and authors that I came up with. Although I have read military themed stories before I usually read them in a mix with other types of stories. This reading list is a collection of military stories from multiple conflicts and eras..

• Sea Hounds, Lewis Freeman
• Battle of Dorking, George Chesney
• Interesting Back Story about the Battle of Dorking
• Battle Pieces, Herman Melville
• The Blockade Runners by Jules Verne
• Soldiers Three, part1, Rudyard Kipling
• Soldiers Three, part2, Rudyard Kipling
• The Road to Frontenac, Samuel Merwin

The Singularities of the Count of Monte Cristo #1-A Five Thousand Volume Library

‘“I had nearly five thousand volumes in my library at Rome, but after reading them over many times I found out that with one hundred and fifty well-chosen books a man processes, if not a complete summary of all human knowledge, at least all that a man need really know.”’

Abbe Faria, The Count of Monte Cristo

Memorable Quotes from the Count of Monte Christo #2 (Danglars)

“Danglars was a man of twenty-five or twenty-six years of age, of unprepossessing countenance, obsequious to his superiors, insolent to his subordinates; and this, in addition to his position as responsible agent on board, which is always obnoxious to the sailors, made him much disliked by the crew as Edmond Dantes was beloved by them.”
The Count of Monte Christo

The Face of Battle Scenery and Terrain Directory

The Face of Battle Terrain page features a large collection of links to manufactures and suppliers of scenery and terrain pieces in multiple sizes ranging from 15mm to 28mm. Although there a few dead links here, overall this page is a great resource!

Memorable Quotes from the Count of Monte Cristo #1

““Why, you see Edmond,’ replied the owner, who appeared more comforted at every moment, “we are all mortal, and the old must make way for the young.”’

The Count of Monte Cristo

Midst Battle's Din

Midst Battle's Din features two pages of rules for small scale skirmishes. These rules are fitting for battles that use between 10 to 50 miniatures and for skirmishes being fought between the years of 1745-1856.

Midst Battle's Din includes two pages of rules and charts to get you started. There are charts for moral, firing and shooting and rules that dictate attributes of warriors, how the turns should be handled, and statistics on movement and how hand-to hand combat should be interpreted. There is also an extra and optional rules section where special attributes are defined and discussed.

Giant Conger Eels

“The four adventurers had just quite the Flying Fish and were walking toward an ancient grass-grown wreck when they became startled by the appearance of a snake like head and a pair of fierce gleaming eyes that had, quite suddenly protruded from a gap in the ships side.

Within moments the conger eel, with truly gigantic proportions, emerged from its hiding place and was slithering, boldly toward the four adventures. This wasn't the only conger eel to do so, thus attracted by the strong light from the Flying Fish forty or so eels, some up to 18 feet long came fiercely towards the four almost over whelming the four.”

The Log of the Flying Fish, Harry Collingwood

Recent War Games Vault Order

This is my first order of digital media from the WarGameVault is online source of war-games, game-rule and scenarios, RPG’s, short fiction, ETC. Most of the content featured on this site are offered as PDF’s, but I did notice one or two e-texts in various e-text formats.

Last night I downloaded the following titles:

01 The Astonishing Adventures of the Handlers, by Eumitto

I might say that the title of this text caught my eye, but really it was its price of 50 cents that made the deal. I didn’t know what to expect. I knew someone thought it was good enough to publish, so I took a chance. Although I have yet to read the text, I was surprised as to its format. For 50 cents I received a twenty-six page graphic novel; the same kind of graphic novels that I have paid up to $12 for. The novel is of the fantasy genera.

Ace Goodknight and Penny Dreadfull: The Case of the GreenElephant, by Irrational Number Line Games, LLC

Ace Goodknight and Penny Dreadfull: The Case of the Green Elephant is 39 pages of game rules that could be played by multiple players or solo. Towards the end of the publication there are about ten pages of templates that can be printed out and used in play of the game. It looks interesting.

Land Ships, Set #1, Mini-Game #90, by Avalon Game Company

This is my first game from Avalon. There are six individual PGF’s that contain, rules, counters, map, player helps, ETC. This is a hefty game; the map alone will take six pages and there are 36 pages of rules. This game will take some preparation before it can be played.

Air Ships 1, Mini-Game #116, by Avalon Game Company

Air Ships is not a standalone game, but an expansion for Avalon’s Land Ship game. This game includes a map and counters, and some rules, but relies on the rules for the Land Ship game for its impetus.

Midst Battle's Din, by Morningstar Productions

Two pages of rules to used with your 1745-1856 era miniatures.

How to Create Great Fantasy Maps (Even if You Can't Draw), by Draken Games
This is a very interesting and enlightening pamphlet in which I will have more say.

My Games List

Here is a list of the games I have printed, have cut out, and are ready for play. I hope to get a few more finished before winter sets in. These games will give us something to do when the weather has turned nasty. I will be making additional posts or battle reports once a game is played.

1. Escape of the Dead, fantasy and horror, solo tile game
2. Planet Run, SCIFI, solo board game
3. Bad Grandmas, horror, two person card game
4. Sink the Bismarch, WWII-military, one or two person board game
5. The Battle of Greenbrier River, ACW military, two person board game
6. The Battle of Manila Bay, Spanish and American War-military, two person board game
7. The Malta Convey, WWII military, solo, pen and paper and dice game
8. The Battle of Gimleys Mine, fantasy and horror, solo board game
9. The Sword of Valhalla, fantasy and horror, solo board game
10. The Last Case, horror, solo pen and paper game
11. Santa Clause & the Goblin War, fantasy,  two person board game
12. Utopia Engine, science fiction, solo pen and paper and dice game
13. Postcard from the Revolution: The Battle of Brandywine Creek, American Revolutionary War, two person board game
14. Battle of Lobositz, Seven Years War, two person board game
15. The Battle of Germantown, American Revolutionary War, two person board game

Projects or December

The holiday season almost upon us and with the holidays is some time off and winter weather that May keep me more home bound than I care to be; thus the expanded project list.

1. Ykreol et le Pere Noel miniature This miniature accompanied their Nativity set 
2. 7 Dreadfleet Grand Alliance & Cogs ships and Dreadfleet Graveyard Leech Wyrm (sea serpent) 
3. Continue to work on Ykreol Nativity set 
4. Cut out the Battle of Dorking print and play game components 
5. Cut out the Battle Honey Springs print and play game components 
6. Cut out paper dragon or haunted bungalow