Wednesday, July 30, 2014

The Italian Garden: Hever Castle England

The Italian Gardens at Hever Castle 
 
These gardens have many historical statues and carved stone features throughout the garden.  They were built in the early 1900s just a short walking distance from the Hever castle.  They have won many awards over the years and add to the richness of the area in England.  That is the wife walking in front of me, she may be in several pictures.
The walk downhill to the Gardens, size of several football fields

The images below are all pictures of the garden grounds.  A mix of arches and statues.


An open area in the middle of the garden






A crossview of a statue on the opposite side.




A hand dug lake on the end of the gardens


This is a 15' Fountain feeding into the lake through small channels





Sunday, July 6, 2014

Hadleigh Castle England

Hadleigh Castle

Southeast England
 
Hadleigh Castle in the English county of Essex overlooks the Thames estuary from a ridge to the south of the town of Hadleigh. Built after 1215 during the reign of Henry III by Hubert de Burgh, the castle was surrounded by parkland and had an important economic, as well as defensive role. Hadleigh was significantly expanded by Edward III, who turned it into a grander property, designed to defend against potential French attack as well as provide the king with a convenient private residence close to London. Built on a geologically unstable hill of London clay, the castle has often been subject to subsidence; this, combined with the sale of its stonework in the 16th century has led to it now being ruined. The castle is now preserved by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building and scheduled monument 
 

Back View of the castle

Remnants of the front corner tower

Rear view of main corner tower


Melting area for lead when the castle was scrapped for its metal

front view of the main 2 towers

Main tower, angle 2

Inside of tower

Inside of larger tower

Inscriptions under on the under side, inside of the tower


More inscriptions, window 2

The Mrs.

larger tower, that's me.
John Constable - Hadleigh Castle, The Mouth of the Thames--Morning after a Stormy Night - 1829

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Blood in the Sun IV 2014

 
Best Painted Blood in The Sun IV (4)
 
 
Blood in the Sun is a 2-Day, 5 Round Warhammer Fantasy Battles tournament, located in Lake County, IL just south of the Illinois-Wisconsin border. It's our hope that the Blood in the Sun tournament will draw WHF players—new and veteran—from the surrounding midwest area and beyond!
 
Johnny Hastings MinOgres! Won Best Appearance!  Congrats.

Some MournFang Chariots!


The Snorri Award(ODT Gaming) - Best Theme!  Go Chicken Halflings!

Our Cocked Dice Banner for The Club Tournament.

Chaos Dwarfs! In the Top 10 ARmies at BITS




Holy Hammer Herner his Skaven in the Top 10 Armies at BITS IV!

Big Conversions!

Another Large Conversion!

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Midwest Rampage 9 2014

MWR 9 Awards Sunday night!
 
Midwest Rampage 9: Rockstar Edition was just held in Peoria, Illinois at Just for Fun Games.  We had 30+ warhammer players from around Illinois and the surrounding area show up for 5 games of 3,000 points no grand army rules.  All proceedings go to a Childrens Hospital in the local area. 

http://www.iwfb.net/midwestrampage.html
http://www.justforfungames.net/

I took a Warrior of Chaos Army to this Tournament with the following.  Tz lvl 4 and Tz BSB both mounted and 3+ Ward save kits, Throgg + 8 Trolls, 3 Dragon Ogres, 6 Nurgle Ogres, 3x5 Chaos Hounsd, 18 Chaos Warriors, 1 Nurgle Chariot, 1 Hellcannon, 2x3 Skullcrushers.  No Demon prince and no Chimera but plenty of tougher things to make people think.  I went 5-0 and got best painted.  I really feel that I had luck in each game and it wasn't because of the list, however having 2 hard to kill characters is a little cheesy but not super cheesy. 
This is part of the WoC army I brought, sadly no army pics from MWR


Best Appearance MWR 2014!

Game 1 Meeting Engagement vs. William Fergis: DoC Khorne


Turn 1 Deployment against Ferg.  He is defensively setting up giving me  offensive chance!
I deployed second after my opponent did and ended up going 2nd.  However I deployed almost all my units of the table on the centerline.  My opponent didn't get to deploy a 500pt unit of Blood Letters, a Souldgrinder, or a skullcannon.  This gave me a great advantage to rush him and declare first turn charges.  I ended up killing his Skullcrushers 

Game 2 versus Paul Vinton: Skaven: Fortitude Scenario



Paul reviewing battlepoints.  This is Turn 1 setup as you can see the scouts in the middle of the battlefield and his backfield gunline deployment...poor chaos

This game was going to prove interesting.  Paul had taken multiple casters(3 Magic Missles a turn), 2 doom wheels, 2 laser cannons, 3 poison scouting units, and multiple blocks of skaven slave bunkers.  This first turn I started to worry.  He killed several 2 ogres, 1 dragon ogre, 8 Warriors, wounded the chariot once, and killed a Skullcrusher.  So I huffed it and moved into offensive positions and charged units on the flanks.  I took out 2 units of scouts and did 4/5 Wounds to a doom wheel early on but didn't catch the wheel, it later proved to just rally and bounce around in the backfield before I killed it Turn 5.  However, my break came turn 3 when his general skitterleaped into the middle of the table and IF then lost the spell leaving him all alone.  Paul failed a march block allowing me to charge and kill him.  He was trying to cast a radious damage spell but I dispelled it.  With no level 4 and a 500 pt swing my way it started down hill after that and paul had hit his breaking point.  His warmachines had bad dice in the later turns of 3-4, even with flanks shots, another lucky win.

Game 3 versus Robert Elmer's Nurgle themed Ogres Kingdoms: Control the Tower


Robert Elmer's Fully converted Nurgle Ogre Kingdom Army, well done.
Oh boy.  An Ogre list with a horde of Ironguts.  Well interestingly enough I got dealt the Tower scenario for this one, so I did have to control the tower not necessarily beat my opponent in victory points.  However a horde of Ironguts can prove to be difficult to face off to.  The fun thing about this scenario is that a mist wreath swamp was directly around the tower(well one side of it) which kills models outright somehow...?  I suppose they get lost.  So we both avoided the tower for the most part.  It was an interesting stand off on the right flank with one of my units getting around his ironguts.  It eventually charged his ironblaster.  However his ironguts destroyed my Chaos ogres and overran off the table.  My chariot then decided to go balls out and do 8 wounds in Close combat and only take 2 back, forceing him to reform to kill it.  Meanwhile around the tower, I swarmed it with dogs, skullcrushers, and my level 4 on Disc vs. his Giant and large monster.  The Lvl 4 charged the Giant and did 5/6 wounds before being Yelled and Bawled, running away.  I then lost my lvl 4.  The overrun got the giant into Throggs unit which he yells and bawls(I pass on a LD 4 test) then abrubtly squashed Throgg with an I test 2d6 wounds LOL, I guess clubs hurt.  By the end of Turn 4 I had control of the tower though(killed the big gribly, and the giant was dead(killed by trolls eventually) and we rolled for the end of the game and I won with my objective marker in the tower.  Good game.

Game 4: vs. Jake Murphy Dark Elves Dawn Attack


Jake Murphy's Dark Elves, nice lava.

Well Setup again played a major part,  Jake had all but executioners and a level 2 fire deployed in one corner of the board.(which I ignored), his right corner(my left flank) saw a Cauldron, level 4, 40 Whitch Elf horde, Klauderhiss, 10 Cold ones, BSB, 12 RBT, and 1 Bolt thrower.  I had on my left flank to right, SK, Hounds, Dragon Ogres, BSB, Ogres, General, Warriors, and then in my right corner hellcannon, throgg, and skullcrushers.  My strategy had ot be delayed.  Jake went first but I was lucky enough to hold with just a couple hounds in each unit after alot of shooting.  I pinned his center and right flank forcing him to charge his cauldron out into my crushers turn 2 --> then off the table.  however I was in combat with fast cav and then his monster and then his cold ones/BSB for another 3 turns delaying everything.  I was fleeing with my dragon ogres and hounds unit my Right flank skull crushers got into the frey with the cauldron killing it.  My lvl 4 ate through the cold ones and eventually into his mage killing him.  the last turn my unkillable lord saved 12 wounds from bolt throwers and Crossbows.  Pretty crazy.  if that wouldn't have happened I would have tied wit Jake(and been happy with that.)  based on deployment I had slim chances he just had to much and I was spread thin.

Game 5: my first game versus Alex Gonzalez and his Skarsnik Horde!
Turn 1 movement saw my line advancing.  Trying to avoid the fanatics and Manglers was first on the list.
 This battleline game versus the infamous General Alex G. was bound to happen.  I had never before played this tactition.  And he was all he was played up to be.  He knew where to slip it to me and shoot his doom divers, lobbas, and archers.  Alex also had 6 hero characters who baited and fled and pinned down my units.  It was very much and movement and tactical game.  I tried getting my skullcrushers around the flanks but to no avale.  Next I ran dragon ogres in to release the fanatics early and also sit on top of the mangler squigs.  That worked and I was then able to sneakilly get throggs unit in Skarsnkiks.  Thought skarsnik held out for another turn he eventually was defeated by the releantless trolls.  I made a depserate 4 LD check on Alex's turn when 3 units countercharged.  On my turn the ogres and Skullcrushers charged again sqinging the game back in my favor.  Great game and imaged below was the epic battle.

Throgg and a chariot broke through the fanatics, however the trolls and goblin chariot countercharged, held on a 2 and then my Skullcrushers and Ogres flank charge the goblin chariot and River trolls for the win.