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October, 2023
Houston's Naval Guns And Ship Fittings"
The transition from the original 25mm metal castings from worn out molds, to cutting edge 28mm 3D resin printed models is nearly complete. As a visit to the page will show, only a few items are still available as castings,
and more of these will be replaced soon. Among the latest replacements among Fittings are new Steel Bulkhead Hatches, a Civilian "Danforth" Anchor, and a more practical vertical Ship's Ladder. New versions of the
3- and 5-barreled models of Nordenfelt MG's on naval mounts, can be found, as well as a far superior replacement of the 5-barreled model on it's unique horse drawn field carriage (please note the amazingly fine detail discernable in
the photos!).
Better still, altogether new items also continue to be added, making this range by far the most complete of its kind anywhere, in any scale. Among the new items are two flavors of Gardner Machine Guns: A 2-barreled model on a
field carriage, and a 5-barreled model on a naval mount, plus a lovely smaller Ship's Radio with a choice of table or cabinet to mount it on. This will prove particularly useful for smaller vessels that don't have a full sized
bridge to accommodate the large radio (and a useful prop for many Pulp Fiction games!). Still to come are a 5-barreled Gardner on field carriage (as famously jammed at Tamai!), a 3-barreled Nordenfelt on horse drawn field carriage,
a "military" style ship's anchor,and an actual Funnel/Smoke Stack design that can be built in segments to the desired height, and still more ahead. Truly, it has never been easier than now to scratch build your own ship and gunboat models and
detail them to rival and surpass the best you've ever seen.
The Alien Guns line has now been completely converted, and a few new items added, as well. New Naval and Land Weapons include tripod and light cart versions of some classic MG's, including the Vickers-Maxim, Colt-Browning
"Potato Digger," and Lewis Guns (on Pintel Mounts and Bipod). But it's in Ship Fittings that many altogether new items will be found. From Ship's Radios, to Bollards, Fire Axes, Sloped Ladders w/Rails, Oil and Electric Navigation Lights,
Blinker Signal Lights, Cabin Doors, etc, etc, which have been selling very well as more gamers build their own Gunboats and Steamers in 28mm scale. More Fittings are soon to come, including new Ventilators, Port Holes, Fire Hoses, etc, to
make detailing models a cinch and their modeling look better than ever. Click on the heading above to see for yourelf. Here's the LINK to go see for yourself.
"The Sword And The Flame" Game Card Decks
Over the last two years, the price of Print On Demand services have gone stratospheric, and to date no replacement for our previous sources has been found. Where these and other Game Decks of up to 60 some cards could be printed and sold
for mostly $10.00 or less each, would now cost $30.00 or more. This is insupportable, and some decks had sold out, not to be replaced. So, we've bitten the bullet here and the previously out of print decks, and those that will follow, have
been and will be replaced with PDF versions for self-printing and cutting out. As a result, their prices have been reduced, and as they will be delivered to buyers via E-mail, postage for them will be nil. A significant saving in costs
to customers, though a little work cutting the cards out will be required. All decks will still be full-sized and full color, and look pretty good, if we do say so ourselves.
The Game Decks currently available as PDF's only are these. At this time all other Decks are still in stock in "ready to use" form.
  
To see all of TVAG's various Game Decks, just follow this LINK
The Sun Never Sets has been one of TVAG's proudest publications for almost 20 years, having gone through four editions, each with improvements/additions to keep it relevant as the original Colonial Wargames rules
for Parliamentary Campaigns in miniature. First printed in a 1982 edition of "The Courier," and intended for use with "The Sword And The Flame," it has always been maleable for use with any other preferred set of table top rules. But TVAG's
most prolific author, sculptor, 3D printer, and occasional bear wrangler around his home in the Southern Rockies, Chris Ferree is busily developing a unique variant to TSNS that will finally let the game be played by as few as a single player,
rather than the traditional Parliament of at least ten players. The rules for this variant will appear in the Fifth Edition, but will be offered inexpensively as a PDF file for those already owning previous editions.
But even better still, he is also cranking out an entirely new range of 15mm sculpts for casting to be called, oddly enough, "The Sun Never Sets." This will include complete ranges
of every British/Colonial and Native Army the game represents. This includes Redcoats, Highlanders, Ghurkas, Colonial units, Abyssinians, Afghans, Ansar/Mahdists, Ashanti, Boers, Burmese, Chinese, Egyptians, Pathans, Zulus, and--for the first time
anywhere, the Abor to represent the peoples of the Northeast Frontier. Even transport will be provided as ox-carts, GS Wagons, Camels, and Elephants for India and Burma is in the mix. Easily the most ambitious single range creation project
he has ever taken on, these will be provided in bags of the necessary numbers and mixes for all troop types and for our ususl bargain prices. Approaching the half-way point in sculpting the armies, the work is pretty well non-stop, and the
entire mad design should be offered starting early in the coming year.
Watch for it!
Other Stuff
The next addition to "Mean Streets/Sets" will be four Prison/Jail themed items. The first, the "Cell Block," is already available, along with the first 3D printed Accessories to complete the model, unless the builder wants to fashion
his own Bunk Beds, Loo, and Sink for the three main cells. The Dining Hall is ready save for some detailing and photos which will go up soon. Work has--finally!--started on test assembling the Prison/Jail Yard & Main Gate,and Warden's Office
and Infirmary are still to come. With these, every Prison scene or trope can be played out with your favorite Pulp Fiction or other RPG's. To check out the "Cell Block" and its Accessories, hit this LINK,
and to visit "Mean Streets," here's a LINK for you!
The long promised "Tiki Bar" for "Mean Sets" has been in a holding pattern while some special furnishings for it are also planned for 3D printing. Being able to offer accessories for both "Mean Streets/Sets" has long been a hope,
and now it seems to becoming a reality! Definitely, more on this!
Competing for attention is the long promised scenario book "Tales of The Mean Streets" in support of We Only Kill Each Other. "Tales" hit a
snag on the question of whether to provide fully pre-generated Character Sheets for each scenario, which would add to the printing costs and take much of the player's own creativity out of the process. The answer may be taking shape even now....
Another candidate is a long cherished project for a definitive Private Detective RPG which also requires a final decision on how to proceed. In this case, I may go to the public and explain the basic design options and ask
which would be preferred. Well, we'll need to look into that, too.
And now, we return you to the dance portion of our broadcast....
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