Author: Felix

Red Dawn rebooted

I have to admit I enjoyed the original Red Dawn movie when it came out in 1984 and do rewatch it now and again.

The remake has been in the works for a fair few years now, same basic storyline as the 1984 movie, but this time no Russians or Cubans, now we have Chinese, sorry now it’s North Korean, invaders. They were going to be Chinese, but the movie makers realised that if they did that then they would be unable to show it in the China market and that’s a lot of potential tickets and money.

Looks like it could be fun. So far no real trailer, but there was some footage recently on Entertainment Tonight.

Update: ah the vagaries of YouTube means that the video has been removed by Open Road Films…

Normandy

This World War Two Normandy game was a demonstration game at a games show in the 1990s.

Looking back at my old photographs, I wish I had made a few notes as I now have no idea about the game, the background or even which show this was…

Back then I was using film and I would take only a few shots at a show. These days with digital I might take two or three hundred!

Cromwell

This Cromwell is at Bovington, well the photograph was taken fifteen years ago I think, so it was certainly there back then…

Cromwell

The Cromwell tank was one of the most successful series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second World War. The Cromwell tank, named after the English Civil War leader Oliver Cromwell, was the first tank in the British arsenal to combine a dual-purpose gun, high speed from the powerful and reliable Meteor engine, and reasonable armour, all in one balanced package. Its design formed the basis of the Comet tank. However by the time the Cromwell first saw action in Normandy in many ways it was already out of date.

I am the process of painting some Cromwells for Flames of War.

I remember when I watched episode 4 of Band of Brothers and was pleasantly surprised to see some (real) Cromwells used in the filming.

Cromwell tank in Band of Brothers

Cromwell tank in Band of Brothers

Overall the Cromwell was a welcome addition to the British, but as with many allied tanks, they were under armoured and under-gunned when faced with the German tanks of the same time period. Where the allies won out was in sheer numbers and probably more importantly logistics.

Epic Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought

Here are some plastic The Contemptor Pattern Dreadnoughts.

Epic Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought

I actually used them as robots, mainly as they didn’t look anything like dreadnoughts!

The Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought was once a mainstay of the armoured might of the Astartes Legions of old. Larger and stronger than standard pattern Dreadnoughts, the Contemptor’s systems featured many examples of techno-arcana steeped in the sacred mysteries of the Legio Cybernetica. Some chapters still boast these war relics amongst their ranks, and whenever the Contemptor takes to the field of battle, it is an echo of the power of ancient days.

Forge World Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought

Though they first appeared in Epic, Forge World have recently released a 28mm resin version.

Thrud

Thrud the Barbarian

Thrud.

Who was Thrud?

Thrud the Barbarian is a comics character created by Carl Critchlow in 1981. Although Thrud himself is a parody of Conan the Barbarian, particularly as depicted in the Arnold Schwarzenegger films, inspiration for the character’s adventures and adversaries has been drawn from several fantasy sources. During the 1980s, a Thrud comic strip was a regular strip in White Dwarf.

This model was painted by me and was done in the 1980s using a blending style and minimal washes, with some dry brushing. The rocks on the base are milliput.