Irregular Wars Wargaming

For the last wargaming night of the year, Andrew and I caught up for a chat and a pint, talked through the immediate project for 2026, and played a sci-fi game of Fantastic Scuffles with weapons and traits sub'd out for guns etc for a laugh. Anyone familiar with Fantastic Scuffles will hopefully be able to see the basic parallels and this may well be something that is made an official free download in future.  Three characters and two fireteams of the Flores Minor Ranger Corps (halflings in space) went up against six characters from a zealous band of witch hunters (space witch hunters!).  The FMRC were led by Skipper, a 'tactical', supported by the 'recon' Sarge, and 'pychic', Psych. The two fireteams were identical (Alpha and Bravo), each containing four cannon fodder, one with assault pistol and grenades, two shotguns, and one heavy machine gun. The imaginatively named witch hunters were led by a tactical, Lady Mace, supported by three other tacticals: H...

Using up a bit of leave from work, I was able to finish up the last (latest) two minis for The Flores Minor Ranger Corp, the Skipper and Psych. Here is the whole detachment ready for a Galactic Scuffle to defend Flores and bite some knees off. Skipper is a lovely little sculpt from Max Mini with an impressively augmented fist and a power sword. Psych is a halfling psychic from Four A Miniatures. She looks a little like she's just remembered something crucial, but maybe that's just her way to mess with her enemies...

Finding a few unexpectedly unoccupied moments recently, I've returned to Flores Minor and painted up three more cannon fodder rangers, Beast, Chief, and Rebel.  Like most of the Ranger Corps, Beast and Rebel are 'proper' GW ratlings with converted weapons. I have to say that there is something about Rebel which make me think he should be protecting a princess on a diplomatic mission -  hence the call sign. Chief is a Max Mini model with a head and weapon swap. I can now field two four-ranger fire teams, each with an NCO with automatic pistol and grenades, two shotguns and a heavy machine gun (of diverse appearances). I love that they are all unique models, but I have pretty much run out of first generation ratlings, so options for expanding too much further will be limited.

A second demi-marine is ready to join the Flores Minor Ranger Corps - my space halflings of various origins. She is another cut-down-to-size Games Workshop Mark VI space marine with some gentle conversion using green stuff and random bits from the bits box.  Together with Bunker, she marks a small side project to add to my space halflings with a few more wee chaps and chapesses. When times are rough, halflings can always be relied on to lighten the mood! More to come in due course.

Having returned from a dander around France, Belgium and the Netherlands, we returned home to find that my wee lad's best mates are all away. A boon for me, as he agreed to play a couple of games of Fantastic Scuffles ! In the first game, I controlled my party five of rogues (mercenary, burglar, harlot, highwaywoman and potion dealer) who's objective was to knock out and abduct one of his party members. He controlled a foot knight, sorceress, ghost and two spear-armed minions who had been asked to acquire an item held (determined randomly) by my half-orc harlot. My highway woman took an early dislike to the sorceress, sneaking up to fire her pistol at short range. The sorceress was wounded, but still standing until the halfling burglar emerged behind her and finished the job.  The wee man's knight charged the potion's dealer who threw down a smoke bomb to escape. The knight then turned his attention to the burglar, taking revenge for the mess he'd made of the sorcer...

Its a difficult time of the year, and if  wargaming was food, then halflings provide the perfect comfort food. Built as a bit of light relief, and yet providing some heavy support, callsign 'Bunker' is the latest asset to join the Flores Minor Ranger Corps. This wee chap is a converted Mark VI Horus Heresy spacemarine, cut down to size and rebuilt with greenstuff and a Max Mini halfling head.  Scale comparison of Bunker along with some brave colleagues (classic 90's GW ratlings) from the Flores Minor Ranger Corps. The FMRC have previously seen some hot combat using the This is Not a Test rule set, and when a hard copy of the 2nd edition is available, they may well again. I do intend, however, for them to take up arms and test out a few sci-fi mods for Fantastic Scuffles as well. Look at the little guy being all small!

Every so often, as a palate cleanser, I return to my Érineach Preservers, custodians of the craic in the grim dark future. Born of nostalgia, raised on whiskey, and released onto the galaxy, these subversive space marines bring me a combination of joy, satisfaction, self-loathing, and a wonder at how many potential wargamers have been put off over the years by edge highlighting and panel lining space marines!? Here are the latest additions to the little battle force - previous posts can be found  October 2023 ,  November 2023 , and  February 2024 . Initially built with This is Not a Test  in mind, I now have far more than I could ever use for that. Nostalgia draws me back to the one true edition of Warhammer 40,000 - 2nd edition, but I'm not yet convinced it would be worth the effort of tracking down all the books when there are several very viable alternatives out there. Sure, won't we see in due course?!

Taking a slight detour from the painting schedule, I added a sixth Mark VI preserver to my beaky marine squad this weekend.  A little background for the rest of the squad was given back in October 2023 . Now, a heavy-weapon toting chappie joins the crew as Brother F. I already have a wee tech support asset and a scout sniper  and another five 40K 2nd edition scouts that can be scrounged out of the bits box if I ever need to add them. I'm not sure when they will see action. I have very little interest in what 40K has become over the last 25 years really. Ideally I'd like to use them in an over-sized game of This is Not a Test   at some point, but should the need ever arise, I also now have enough painted marines for a Kill Team.

Taking a quick detour back to the wasteland, I have added three more warriors to the Bedtime's Children, my growing tribal warband for This is Not a Test . All three are slightly large 28mm miniatures from Hasslefree. At this point I am running out of strictly onesie-wearing options, so have relented to allow models with alternative evening attire.  Sam is a sinewy chap with Y-fronts and a fireman fetish. He also has a handy fire axe which will help. Raz keeps it real with a relaxed style in her unicorn onesie, slippers and massive tool. Kitty, however, has other nocturnal pursuits in mind when she dons her evening wear. The tribe now has 12 members and three warbeasts. If I see any other suitable recruits I'll pick them up, but what I'm really after now is some sort of animatronic bear to serve as a depend-o-bot.

After a few weeks where I was unable to paint due to the house being painted and being away for with family and work, I've managed to grab a few hours this weekend to finish off some stuff that has been sitting half done, eyeing me impatiently. First up, to support characters for my  Érineach Preservers . Asset F is a more lightly armoured preserver with sniper rifle, ready to provide some long-range precision to the unit. He is a 40K 2nd edition Space Marine scout (c.1998?) that I picked up cheaply on eBay. I have another clutch of scouts of the same generation on standby in case I ever need more  non-power armoured characters in the force. And a wee cyborg gruagach providing tech-support. I love this little chap from CP models! I tried to weather and scratch up his power-clamp-fist to make it look like he's been doing a whole lot of clamping. Hopefully it will still work when needed!

The first and last time I painted GW space marines was in 1993 - 30 years ago. They were 1992 mark VI 'beaky' marines - the first sci-fi miniatures I ever painted. So when JB showed me his 2022 Horus Heresy army recently, I mumbled something about all the nostalgic feels. JB then generously pushed a spare sprue into my hands. He's like that! So two weeks later, here is my second ever attempt at painting the nostalgic beaky bastards. I'm rather pleased with the result. I've no intention of painting a 30/40K army, but these gents will be used for something sometime. Most likely as a preservers warband for This is Not a Test . Nicknamed the Érineach Preservers, they have an Irish bent and carry letter identifiers rather than having names panted on bases like my other TNT crews. In TNT , the barter script for a starter warband of elites all wearing power armour would only allow for three models. Powerful I'm sure, but unlikely to win many scenarios! The taoiseach ...