Doctor Who And The Red City - Episode One

Prop Shop........The Red City!

The 'Red City' is a large Sci Fi city that I built 6 or 7 years ago. It is made up almost entirely of plastic components manufactured and sold by Games Workshop for their Warhammer 40k game. I was fortunate enough to acquire a pretty large amount of frames at a very low cost. I sat on these for some years until I eventually decided to bite the bullet and get creative. I spent several weeks gluing these buildings and walkways together and almost hospitalised myself with the fumes from the glue I was inhaling! 

My objective was to create a collection of scenery that was both flexible and at the same time capable of providing different levels to fight over. Its primary purpose was for 25mm scale sci fi skirmish games like Necromunda. 

One of the main features that drove the design of the city was the walkways. I wanted multiple level walkways that threaded through the structure of the city. This would hopefully enable more complex firefights and add more interest to the games. 

The whole collection breaks down into separate buildings that can be connected in a number of ways by the walkways. The lengths of the walkways can be extended, resulting in a number of options and configurations.  

Designed for 25mm scale figures, the walkways are not quite as wide as I would like for my 54mm collection, but  apart from my Daleks, most just about fit.

The whole collection just about fits into two very large 'really useful' boxes and has been stored in the garage for the last couple of years. A desire to see it again and to try it out in a Doctor Who themed toy soldier game resulted in me blowing the dust off the boxes and the photos you now see. 

I Counted Them All Out...... Doctor Who And The Red City

Anyone who has followed Doctor Who, will be aware that whole episodes and in some cases whole story arcs, are missing from the BBC archives. They were destroyed at a time when the tape was more valuable than the film upon them. Sadly, I fear that in this battle report, I am going to have to ask you to assume the same thing happened. The second episode and conclusion to this game must be assumed to have been lost....or did it ever even exist? 

I decided to give my Daleks and Cybermen an outing as well as my refurbished 1950's Spacemen. 

I decided on a scenario where the Cybermen allied with the Daleks, have converged on a deserted world to gain control of  an object which would enable them to obtain ultimate power. The Doctor and an Earth Force task group have also arrived at the same time. The Doctor aims to obtain the object and dispose of it where it can't be found by the Daleks or their allies. The Earth Force are there to delay the enemy and assist the Doctor. 

The Doctor landed near the centre of the abandoned city but the Tardis was subject to the effects of a scatter dice. The Earth Force set up artillery pieces to cover the main approaches through the city.

The Daleks and  Cybermen had landed in the industrial part of the city and were now advancing through the City. Their main objective was the object of power, but  a secondary objective was the Doctors death. The death of the Doctors assistant would also score well for the alliance of evil. 

The Doctor (and the Earth Force) would win the game if he could find the object and get it to the Tardis to remove it. 

The Earth Force opened fire on the advancing Daleks but to little effect. The Dalek return fire was however much more effective and the Earth Force took several casualties. 

The 2nd Earth Force artillery team had much more success and scored a direct hit on one of the Cybermen units, killing four in one blast!

The Doctor and his assistant were moving as fast as they could towards the building where the object was radiating its presence. 

A second round of fire and movement resulted in no more casualties on either side but the Doctor was still a good few turns away from the building where the object was radiating power.

It is at this point that the episode ended ....... or rather I was unable to find the time to finish the game. Family matters (common cold all round) took a toll on my free time and I needed to clear the table for the visit of a wargaming friend for a planned Fantasy battle. 

So please accept my profound apologies for a partially completed battle report, but I know how much we all just like to look at photos of each others toys so I thought you might forgive me this once. I hope that this article at least serves as a brief introduction to my 'Space collection '.  I plan to show theses and other figures in more detail at some point, as well as another planned game on an alien planet. Hopefully this time I will get to finish it and will be able to 'broadcast ' the entire story!  

Tara a bit!

 Warhammer World, les Pompiers, and Dads Army!

The life sized Rhino and Space Marine statue under the double headed eagle of the Imperium outside the main entrance to Warhammer World

I counted them all out.....Sisters Do Battle....(or not as I was to find out!)

Last Friday morning saw me packing boxes into the boot of my car at an ungodly hour, before setting off for an appointment at Warhammer World in Nottingham. Once or twice a year I get together with an old friend Simon, who I met 20 years or so ago whilst engaging in the Warhammer 40k tournament scene with my youngest son. Those were happy times and I made many friends around the country but as is often the case, its difficult to stay in touch with everyone and life moves on. Simon and I have however stayed in touch and we meet up to play Warhammer 40k (5th edition) at Warhammer World. As Simon lives in Norwich and I live in the West Midlands, meeting at WHW is a mutually convenient travel compromise and a perfect venue for us. 

Games Workshop have many detractors and whichever side of the debate your sympathies lie, it would be hard to criticise them for the amenities that they provide there. First an foremost is the gaming hall itself. This is a huge space, with over a hundred purpose built 6' by 4' gaming tables, each one provided with a play mat and more than sufficient terrain pieces for the game of your choice. Obviously they do insist that  only their own games systems are played there but the table tops cater for fantasy, Middle earth and the grim dark future of 40k. In addition there are larger much more intricate terrain tables for use in larger multiplayer games and some specialist games like Space Hulk. 

The gaming hall itself is inside a reproduction of a medieval castle all of which adds to the atmosphere. In addition there is ample on site parking, a great restaurant/themed (Bugmans!) bar and the largest GW shop in the UK. Yes, you can spend all of your hard earned monies in the shop, the restaurant and the on site Games Workshop museum, but you don't have to spend a single penny there if you don't want to. Parking is free, there are no entrance charges and the tables and terrain are free to use as well. 

I didn't intend this article to be an advert for Games Workshop but credit where its due, this is a great venue and I have been fortunate enough to have been playing games there for over 20 years. We are also very poor in the UK at singing our own praises and talking about our successes. Games Workshop is a hugely successful British company, that still manufactures virtually all of its products here in the UK. Whether you are a fan of their games or not, (I admit to not playing any current versions of their games), their commercial success, which is worldwide, is something to be applauded and to be proud of.

So, (unpaid) advertising aside, what happened with the games I hear you ask? Well I now remember why I hardly ever saw a Sisters Of Battle army during the 10 years I was in the tournament scene playing around the UK. Their army book 'Witch Hunters' is perhaps the finest example of John Blanches vision for the 'grim dark' 40k universe. The army lists are full of weird and wonderful creatures and characters from bound daemons to fanatical penitent engines! Unfortunately whoever put the features and stats together for them did a pretty poor job and the main army elements, comprised of the female 'marines' that are the sisters of battle, just do not cut the mustard on the table top. 

I was facing off against Simons beautifully modelled and painted Tyranid army and hoped that I might be able to at least hold them to a draw. Two heavy losses later I was corrected! Simon and I are normally fairly evenly matched opponents but sadly the term 'bringing a knife to a gunfight' applied and I was shown off fairly quickly.

It is not my intention to recap either game but suffice it to say the paper thin tanks I bought to the table were very easily dispatched and it became equally obvious that my force just didn't have any long range powerful weaponry, to enable it to deal with the nastier elements of the Tyranid horde.  I will draw a veil over the sad events which unfolded with a few more photos and two final points to take away from the experience.

Firstly, I had a great day and thoroughly enjoyed bemoaning my lot with a friend I don't see enough of. I am already looking forward to our next encounter.

Secondly, there are other rules systems out there to give my 'nuns with guns' a more even chance. I am specifically thinking of you 'Xenos Rampant'! So temporary retirement until I can try them out with the Rampant system.

Postscript

The events of a few days before should have warned me not to be too optimistic about this choice of army. As I was reaching the box out of a cupboard the lid came undone and the army crashed into the corner of the box, chipping paintwork on 9 out of 10 models. As I stepped back in horror, I knocked over a second tray with another army in it, shattering and chipping a large percentage of them as well. It took me 7 hours of work to repair all of the damage and to wonder why I bother varnishing the metal figures, as it certainly didn't protect the paintwork from chipping!

As the vicar said to the actress.....Les Pompiers 

A few months back, I made an impulse buy of a fire engine with crew that was about to end on E-bay with no bids having been made. I wasn't sure of the manufacturer or even exactly what nation it represented but a bid of I think £20 plus a bit of postage secured the lot. I am sure the seller hoped for much more as I feel it was very cheap for what it is.

The origins of the models are a bit of a mystery. I know enough about toy soldiers to suspect that these splendid firemen were by CBG Minot of France. They are solid metal castings and beautifully painted, but the expected makers mark is not present on any of the bases. (I have since added wooden bases to increase stability) The fire engine itself is a curious beast as its made out of wood and metal. Again no makers marks. 

 After some research, I am fairly confident the figures and engine appear to be by CGB Mignot, but are recasts/copies. To be honest, I really don't care as I love the set for what it is and in a way, almost prefer gaming pieces not to be 'collectors items ' as I feel free to do what I like with them (such as adding bases). Should I be reliably informed that they are originals well that's all good too! I suspect they may see service as provincial fire service figures in more that one period/nationality, but can't shake myself of the names ....Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert Dibble and Grubb! Oh and where's Captain Flack when there's work to be done?

Whilst taking the above photos, I noticed another mystery grouping of figures in the cabinet which I am very fond of.  I picked this family grouping up for the grand sum of £4 at a toy fair. All I have done to them is to place them on a base as a family unit. There is obviously an ecclesiastical element and I suspect they are meant to be Dutch or Swedish perhaps. Either way I think they have a splendid otherworldly look to them, possibly even ghostly? Any ideas anyone? 

A lick of paint.....Don't tell him Pike!

A little while ago, I stumbled across this splendid member of the home guard No idea who the manufacturer is but this figure has set me thinking about a civil defence unit as a painting project. I have already salvaged a Britains Police figure and made him into a rifle bearing Sergeant, giving orders to the rest of the unit or other Police figures. I need to start looking through my box of civilians and farm workers to look for more suitable 'recruits'. I can already see a Molotov cocktail in the raised hand of a cattle herdsman! I just need a plump bank manager figure to get them organised.........

Tara a bit!