Project Star Wars part 20: AT-AT

 I bought one! A 1:53 scale AT-AT. Because of the damaged box it came at a discount.

The head and legs are articulated. Which is great since storage of big things is a problem in my house...

Assembled model

Fits in a suitcase with room to spare for my other Imperial SW stuff

Here are a few comparison pictures of the finished model and some Imperial Star Wars miniatures (the Legion stormtrooper is mounted on a thin base to fit in better with the Imperial Assault stormtroopers):

Imperial Assault Stormtrooper

SW Legion Stormtrooper

With an Imperial Assault AT-ST

I painted a few bits, mainly weathering with GW Nuln Oil.

When I was looking for pictures online as a reference for painting I found out I fitted the "cheek" guns upside down. The short range finder should be above the longer gun barrel. That explained why that part didn't fit well (the rest fit perfectly). 

I checked the assembly guide to see where I went wrong. Turns out there's an error in the assemby guide. While the box art shows the correct position, the guide instructs you to mount it upside down.

Indiana Jones and the lost Aquila: Part six

Part Six: Where the streets have no name

Indy took the Aquila from Don Lardo in Part 5 and brought it to the US. It is kept in the Museum of Appropriated Historical Artifacts, awaiting examination by experts.

Don Lardo is recovering from his ordeal in the desert in a hospital, but he has sent Tenente Strapazo to the US to contact Don Benito. Don Lardo has helped Don Benito escape from Italy to the US, where Don Benito quickly became the capo di tutti capi of the local Mob.

Don Benito has given some henchmen to Strapazo to re-acquire the Aquila. They have managed to sneak into the Museum and get the Aquila.

The FBI has surrounded the Museum and, assisted by Indy, are intending to catch the crooks red handed.

Strapazo has to get the Aquila to the Italian Restaurant, where a getaway car is waiting.

Strapazo and crew move quickly to towards the gate. Agent Smith emerges from cover and takes out Strapazo! Luckily for Strapazo he has the 9 lives trait and converts the "out of action" into a wound.

Indy, Agent Costner and Agent Garcia move to intercept.

The villains push forward, taking fire from Indy and the G-men.

But Strapazo and his henchmen are returning fire. Oh no, agent Garcia is wounded and down, and agent Smith is out of action.

Agents Connery and Costner blaze away at Mario, the mobster who shot agent Garcia.

Meanwhile, Frankie Five Fingers has shot Indy. Strapazo is trying to take advantage of Indy being wounded and down to get past him. But Indy recovers and uses his whip to attack Strapazo.

And Strapazo is out of action!

After taking out Mario, agent Connery is firing his shotgun as he goes, dropping Luigi.

Frankie Five Fingers has missed several times while firing his Tommy gun at Indy, but not this time. Indy is out of action!

Vito has slipped past agent Connery with the Aquila in the confusion and is heading for the restaurant, but he is stopped cold by a salvo from agent Costner's Tommy gun. 

While Frankie is laughing diabolically after dropping Indy, agent Connery tries to shoot him, but he has run out of ammo.

Only two mobsters are now still in the fight: Frankie and Luigi. Luigi has also run out of ammo however and is shot by a recovered agent Garcia.

Agent Connery uses his empty shotgun as club and charges Frankie. Frankie knocks out agent Connery with the butt of his Tommy gun. From the corner of his eye Frankie sees agent Costner taking aim. Frankie decides to get out while he can and leaves the table.

The heroes have foiled the final attempt by Don Lardo to get the Aquila. Indy recovers from his wounds of course. Tenente Strapazo will spend a lot of years in a US jail. Don Benito carries on with a few goons less and the FBI closing in on his operation.

But what if it had gone differently and the bad guys had won?

Then Rupert Jenkins would have shown up with Winston Churchill (who wanted to see the Aquila) to stop them 😀

Indiana Jones and the lost Aquila: Part five

Part Five: Through the Desert

Having gotten away with the Aquila in Part 4, Don Lardo and his henchmen now must cross a dangerous part of the desert before they can board a ship and head for Bella Italia. Fortunately they have an armoured car available. Unbearably hot, but well armed, it provides protection against the hostile tribes in this region.

Indy has secured assistance from one of these tribes with help of Sallah and has prepared an ambush for the Don.

The armoured car, containing the Don & crew must cross the table and leave from the opposite table edge with the Aquila. Indy (starting on horseback) and friends must prevent this.

Bertie has positioned himself on top of a mountain and fires armour piercing bullets at the car. Unfortunately the bullets pass through the car without hitting anything vital.

Rupert is waiting in cover.

Indy and the Desert Dogs are charging towards the armoured car.

Marino Diabolo is putting the pedal to the metal in the armoured car and it is speeding towards the table edge. The Desert Dogs are carrying improvised bombs however. Most only cause superfical damage, but one explodes under the armoured car, disabling it instantly and forcing the villains to get out as fast as they can.

This is the moment Rupert Jenkins was waiting for. He moves in while the marines are taking up defensive positions.

Indy quickly dismounts and engages Tenente Strapazo. The Tenente is wounded and down!

The Desert Dogs charge in, waving their swords, and take on the rest. Don Lardo is protected by Marino Monza, who takes a wound for the Don.

Rupert runs out of ammo trying to hit Marino Diabolo, who managed to take out one of the Desert Dogs.

With everyone wounded and down (even the Don), Marino Diabolo has to fight all remaining Desert Dogs!

His comrades fail their recovery rolls and are out of action, but Diabolo holds his own against the attackers.

Don Lardo recovers and tries to get away only to be whipped by Indy and subsequently gunned down by Bertie.

Marino Diabolo is finally overwhelmed by the Desert Dogs, ending all fights.

Indy walks over to the Don and takes the Aquila.

Now the Aquila can be put into a museum where it belongs.

Although beaten this time, Don Lardo has one last card up his sleeve. 

Will evil forces prevail? All will be revealed in the final episode of The Lost Aquila!

Back to Tuxedo Junction

In our previous game the Confederates won and took the station at Tuxedo Junction from the Yankees. The scenario in WSS 108 suggested that, if the Confederates won, the scenario could be played in reverse.

This time the Confederate cavalry is patrolling and can only deploy after a chapter ends (first card = tiffin card) and the Confederates start with one group of engineers, one group of regulars and a leader in the station building. They have 4 tasks: search the station building for valuables and intel, burn down the station building, drain the water tower and disable the locomotive at the station. Setting the building on fire and disabling the locomotive is a task which can only be performed by the engineers.

While the Confederates are searching the station building, a Union force enters the table from the town.

Confederate groups move up to counter the Yankees. The group inside the station building have concluded their search and exit the building.

After their first attempt failed (due to triggering a random event), the engineers manage to set fire to the station building. Two out of four tasks completed, things are going well for the Confederates.

The Union cavalry rushes forward to protect the locomotive and water tower. Another Union formation follows on foot.

The main Yankee formation in the town is holding, but are taking casualties. 

Confederates and Yankees are both trying to get to the water tower first.

The Tiffin card is drawn first: the chapter ends. This means the burning building collapses and the Confederate cavalry card is added to the deck.

The engineers got out in time.

The Union cavalry has dismounted and is pounding the Confederates near the water tower. 

The survivors climb the water tower, but are wiped out.

One of the Confederate groups on the other side of the table has to withdraw due to excessive shock, but the Union group is also taking a beating.

 

The Union formation breaks!

The arrival of the Confederate cavalry forces the Yankees to shift their attention from the engineers to this new threat.

The engineers have moved behind the locomotive and are disabling it, completing their third task.

Massed Yankee fire now destroys the dismounted Confederate cavalry, reducing their force morale to a level where they call it quits.

The Yankees have re-taken Tuxedo Junction, but all the rifle and carbine fire around the water tower has put enough holes in it to drain it. Thus completing the fourth task for the Confederates, making it a lost victory for the Union....