Bio-Hamilton Square (competition entry)

If you are reading this then you are most probably aware of http://www.drivethrurpg.com/ , if not get into it, especially Shaun's weekly news letter. Anyway, there's a fab competition on it 'Tell us about your character' (in 400words or less) but you've only four days left.

Here's Hamilton's Bio.

System:            All Things Zombie (Two Hour Wargames)

Name:               Hamilton SQUARE

Reputation:        5

Classification:    Star

Attributes:         Born Leader & Marksman

Awards:           The Mons Star & clasp, British War Medal 14-18, Allied Victory Medal, Mentioned in Despatches, Military Cross,

Biography

Hamilton was born on 13^th May 1893. His mother was an American Socialite and his father a secretary to the British Ambassador to the United States. He was born in the mid-Atlantic whilst his parents were returning to the US after a period of leave.

Educated on both sides of the Big Pond he had dual nationality.

At the start of the First World War, he immediately returned to his motherland. He was commissioned into the Irish Guards and was sent with the British Expeditionary Force to France. He took part in the Battle of Mons and at the conclusion of which British Intelligence tasked him investigated the ‘angel’ myths. Gaining a reputation for the esoteric Hamilton remained with the Intelligence Corps investigating the unusual and dealing with counter-propaganda. He was wounded at Guillemont (9/8/16), where Capt. Noel Chavasse VC saved his life.  He was left with a leg injury that necessitated him to carry a cane, which would become his primary weapon, ante-bellum.

His recovery leave was in the US where, during a dinner party he regaled one Mr. Coolridge with his adventures. Returning to the western front at the beginning of 1918, he became engaged in the battles around Bethune, where he won the Military Cross (9/4/18).

At the conclusion of the war he was seconded to the US secret service were he was attached to the Bureau of Investigation, on the recommendation of the now President Coolridge he was assigned to investigate the outbreaks of ‘zombieism’ That were occurring around prohibition America.

Whilst on an assignment in NewYork he met his assistant, Conway PARK a veteran of the ‘Harlem Hellfighters’.

The illnesses site zero appeared to be at a (lost) secret military facility in Moor County, North Carolina. Square and Park arrived in Moor County on 10^th May 1924, where their adventures began in the city of Moor Ferry and it’s hinterland.

Work Station

Oh how I envy you guys with a permanent work station. I have to make do with the dinning table and hence it all has to be packed away or get ethnically cleansed by the memsahib. Which led to the disappearance of my zombie hoard for moths and a temporary suspension of my project. There has to be a corner in our mansion for zombie gaming.

PLASTIC Zombie

Well why plastic? I know there are so many metal figures out there, but the bottom line is cost. I have spent so much on metal figure projects and not finished them. So after some research I went for plastic soldiers. A decent argument can be found at www.rapid-fire.uk.com/paintingplasticfigures.htm.   There is also a VERY decent article on how to paint the little devils. http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/ helps with plastic research and google the rest. However, once I started I realised that Airfix in particular have figures in various different pose, hence you can have your character standing, kneeling or prone, therefore you don't need tokens. Additionally, you can convert them and if you loose the plot well it aint that bad. If you want to see some GOOD conversions of plastic figures check out www.paulsbods.blogspot.com  plenty of eye candy there. Anyhow, my painting is not to the standard of the usual zombie bloggers and plastic figures are far more forgiving. What I know of washing, which is not a lot, seems to tidy up any mistakes. 

So there I was trying to get into ATZ on the cheap, civilians/survivors, zombies, cops & gangers. But how? Then Red Box came up with a box of cops and gangsters then a box of Resistance Fighters from Caesar Miniatures and the plan began to come together.

Well my ATZ world is set in prohibition America. Gangers become bootleggers

; civilians/survivors (with help from green stuff) become moonshiners and hillbillies; cops, well are cops, They're on the paint stick.

The military are drawn from Airfix WW1 Infantry (for National Guard)

258th North Carolina National Guard (on exercise)

A beast of an SAW

The regulars are from Emahar WW1 Americans, still on the sprue

Finally, the zeds are from 'a bag of zombies.

Yeah I know a bit 2D but they'll do for a game. There is a story here, but the 'bag o'zombie' range gives you 100 zombies per bag and come in; women, dogs, clowns, glow in the dark. They're easy to paint and I need to convert some for variety.

Granted folks I need to get a grip of the close up photography, and do some more conversions. But we all need to start somewhere.

Once the figures are complete I'm going to start my campaign with a 1920's version of  'Giving up the Goat'

A rather cheeky little scenario, albeit encompassed in 'I Zombie'. Follow ups will be held in my version of  'Haven' based in the prohibition city of Moor Ferry, North Carolina.

Keep safe.

Part the second

Well getting the hang of this. Sorted out my profile. I need to sort out next some links to my favourite sites. I had a good weekend! Watched my eldest bowl for his cricket team; 2-0-4-10, proud Dad. Next phase getting the zombies on line. On EP's so I can't motivate to do much when I get up to do much, maybe this week.

First Post

Well I did and opened my first blog. I'm looking forward to this as I've been thinking of it for some time. But now I've climbed into my fifty-first year, I tool the plunge. I was going to take account of my new role in life and how returning to shift work and the changes that have ocured in the last five years and blog about that (I still may) but there are plenty of 'cop' bloggers about. So I've decided to blog about one of life's great pleasures. Wargaming and my latest incarnation Two Hour Wargames All things Zombie. Thanks to all the GREAT bloggers out there in this field; Vampifan/ Mr. Whiteface and the others that have inspired me. Well that's all for now and I'll see how this goes.c