TVNZ coverage of ANZAC diorama

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/sir-peter-jackson-developing-multi-million-dollar-wwi-exhibition-video-6288901

Meeting Sunday April 12

We had a good turn-out today with 15 people at the club meeting this afternoon. Everyone played either World War 2 or Science Fiction games. Great to see a new face, Alex, and to have Ben, Ed and Jake back after ages away from playing with toy soldiers. Carl brought along his latest painting, Napoleonic dragoons. He, James and Rex are planning a game to show off their figures (toy soldiers, not tummies!).

The hall being set up. There are 13 in the pic because Carl had not arrived yet and Vince (me!) was taking the photos.

Five of Da boyz setting up a multiplayer 40K game.

Ed, Jake, Jonathan, Alex and Alex. Black was the colour of choice!

Neil, Peter and Rex setting up a game of Axis and Allies. Vince also played. Berlin fell to the British, Moscow fell to the Germans and the Japanese and United States gave each other lots of trouble.

Part way through the game.

Ben, Ceilidh and Harley played Science Fiction skirmish game, Deadzone.

Carl's very cool French dragoons. The figures are 28mm Perry Miniatures.

Ross, Carl and Craig getting up close and personal playing the World War 2 version of Wings of War.

Update on ANZAC diorama and tour of the Great War Exhibition

The Perry twins, Sir Peter Jackson and some of the Turks

Rhys Jones has passed on his thanks and praise for our club's contribution to the ANZAC diorama - he is most grateful for the painting done by, in alphabetical order, Ben, Ceilidh, David, Harley, Neil, Rex and Vince.

Rhys has offered to personally take anyone who wants to visit the Great War Exhibition in Wellington on a tour of the displays. This is not just the painters but others from the club and also families. There will be the diorama, of course, and much more. We are looking at the morning of Monday April 27, which is the "Mondayised" ANZAC Day holiday. If interested, please get in touch with Vince Cholewa on toysoldiers111@gmail.com or 027 344 1073.

The Perry twins on the diorama base!

Updating work on the diorama, the figure designers, Alan and Michael Perry, arrived from the UK at Easter to oversee the installation of the 5,003 ANZAC and Turkish figures on the giant diorama. The diorama has been built at Weta Workshop, will be transported to the old Dominion Museum this week, and the finishing touches will be made. It will be formally opened on April 18.

Lots more pics at http://anzacdiorama.blogspot.co.nz/
Also check out https://www.facebook.com/perryminiatures?fref=ts

The crew who worked over Easter at Weta Workshop. Sir Peter Jackson is the dude with no shoes. The Perry twins are kneeling in front second left and first from the right. In front, second from the right is Kapiti coast wargamer, Roly Hermans, who runs the official Mustering the Troops blog. Standing back right, with no hair, is Wellington wargamer Rhys Jones, who is former head of New Zealand Defence Force and has been organising the painting. 

The Perry twins, shocked and amazed at the quantity and quality of painting!

Sunday March 29

Yesterday's meeting turned into something of a "show and tell" with Alex bringing the 1/72nd scale Lancaster bomber he is working on and other, finished models, Carl brought along some of his large and growing 28mmm Napoleonic collection, and, in alphabetical order, Ben, Ceilidh, David, Harley and Rex brought along the 54mm ANZAC diorama figures they had been painting. Neil and Vince have also been painting ANZAC figures. Good to see James at the meeting too, especially as he had the keys!

Games played were: Craig and Andrew playing a Marlburian battle using the Horse, Foot and Guns rules; Ceilidh, Harley and Vince played using the quick play ancient and medieval rules, DBA 3; and Ross and Vince played the card game Mythos.

Alex working on his 1/72nd scale Lancaster bomber

Alex and Rex talking turkey :-)

Rex finishing off the last of his 54mm Turks for the  ANZAC diorama

David, Ceilidh and Rex with some of the 80 54mm ANZAC diorama figures painted in the Wairarapa.

Carl's boxes of 28mm Napoleonics being checked out by David, Andrew and Craig.  Carl and Rex are planning to play using the Playable Napoleonic Wargames rules.

Some of Carl's boxes of Napoleonics.

French hussars.

Polish lancers.

Napoleon and friends.

Ceilidh and Harley getting a game of DBA 3 underway. Early Byzantines vs Sub-Roman British. 

View from the Byzantine table edge.

View from the Sub-Roman British table edge.

Ceilidh doing it!

Ross getting Mythos organised. 

Andrew  and Craig getting their Marlburian game under way. Horse, Foot and Guns work at a very large scale, each element or stand of figures is a brigade.  

Some of Craig's figures.

A view of the meeting. James, Ben and Vince are not in this pic.

Wairarapa Times-Age article about the Marauders

A nice pic and a good write up about the club in the Wairarapa Times-Age, Tuesday March 10. Big thank yous to Ceilidh for agreeing to be photographed and interviewed, and to Times-Age editor, Andrew Bonallack, for coming along to our meeting on Sunday.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/wairarapa-times-age/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503414&objectid=11414708

March 8 meeting

Yesterday saw painting and gaming at the club, a new face - welcome to Alex who is into scale modelling - and the editor of the Wairarapa Times-Age, Andrew Bonallack, came along. Andrew's story and photos should be in the paper within a day or two. We will post them on the blog when they are published.

The early arrivers getting themselves set up.Others came later in the afternoon after the heavy lifting had been done!

Callum and Rex with their paints.

Rex is all concentration as he works on 54mm figures for the ANZAC diorama.

Jonathan brought along some of his bad boys to show off his work.

Harley reading from "The Book of Phil". Ceilidh, Jonathan, Ross and Harley at the DBA table. DBA are quick play Ancient and Medieval rules.

Ceilidh and Jonathan playing DBA.

Callum admiring Ross' Dystopian Wars fleets - Ottoman Turks and French. Dystopian Wars are fun rules for Steampunk games. That is, Victorian science fiction. 

Neil setting up his boardgame History of the World. He, Peter, Ross, James and Vince played.

Peter and Craig playing Craig's Wings of War, a World War 1 aerial game. 

Sunday March 8, come and paint toy soldiers, and play games

After we sent a message that we will be painting 54mm ANZAC figures at the club Sunday afternoon we were asked if people could bring other figures to paint. The answer is, "of course, the more the merrier!" If you want to paint at the club at this or any meeting please feel free to bring along any of your figures and paints.

Everyone is also most welcome to bring along toy soldiers and boardgames to play, instead of painting.

Here are some pics of club members recent efforts in different periods and scales.

Carl's 25mm Napoleonic French and Prussians

Jonathan is making progress on his 15mm Vikings. He has bought them to play quick play Ancient and Medieval rules, DBA. 

Some of the 54mm Kiwis for the ANZAC diorama

54mm Turks for the ANZAC diorama