31 January 2019

January Challenge & More Shadow Prep



I've completed my first entry for the Old World Army Challenge! Here's a pic, but go to the OWAC site to read about it!



I've also been doing some more prep work for the first few Rangers of Shadow Deep scenarios. Looking forward to (hopefully) trying the game out soon.






26 January 2019

Shadow Deep Prep



I did a little prep for the first few scenarios in Rangers of Shadow Deep. I'd like to give it a try soon. With another player (or two) if I can manage that somehow, or solo if not. Spiders (mostly repainted & based cheap Halloween toys), web markers, corpse markers, and I touched up some half painted rats from my Skaevn days.

Just a few more things to prep... a few zombies and a couple small terrain pieces/markers.



21 January 2019

February Blues in January



I've only painted a little, but most of that will have to wait for the OWAC blog first. When I'm done with this months entry, of course.

Did some travelling for work.

This weekend we had Snowpocalypse 2019. I had already decided to spend some time painting, though it wasn't going to be for the OWAC. A friend from the Warhammer-Empire forum passed away this week. He had a saying, quoted in another forum member's signature, "... my old suggestion is forget it, take two aspirins and go paint." So I figured I'd set aside some time to do a bit of that in Steve's memory.

I never met Steve ("steveb" on the forum) in person, but have known him for years via the forum. His miniatures collection is legendary. It's huge, but anyone with enough money can buy miniatures. What's inspirational about him, and his collection, is his creativity and wit. He painted a lot of figures. A LOT. Many were converted and when he shared photos of his creations, they were often accompanied by a few comments about their backstory or a humorous fictional anecdote. His passion for the hobby is what was truly the stuff of legends. A consistently wonderful and pleasant person to engage with, he will be sorely missed.

So my goal was to paint a suitable Empire(ish) miniature, so I selected Marco Colombo. I only got part way finished, between waiting for paint to dry and getting distracted trying to fill that waiting time by prepping some markers and minis for Rangers of Shadow Deep (more on that later.) Most of these were old, half-painted things dredged up for service. The obscured minis are top secret stuff for the OWAC.



I painted this miniature for Steve years ago, as part of the Pleasant Surprises miniature trade the forum members used to do every year. When I drew his name I panicked -- what to get the man who not only has everything, but has created a bunch of unique new kitbashes and conversions that the rest of us couldn't even dream of? So I tried to paint something unique.


I had hoped to finish painting the Marco mini today, but that plan was derailed by the need to dig out my car so I can make it to work in the morning. But I feel good -- I still got time to paint in Steve's memory.



03 January 2019

Goodbye 2018, Hello 2019


Looking back at 2018, it feels like I painted more than I did. Gaming was almost non-existent again. I bought very few new minis, most of which got painted right away. So the collection only grew a little, and the balance of painted vs. unpainted grew in favor of painted. That's a positive. All painting and gaming this year seems overshadowed by the loss of a good friend. It's admittedly still fresh in my mind, and I've written about it a couple of times in the past month or two, so I'm not going to re-hash it here other than mentioning that it's had me thinking a lot about needing to re-connect with many of my friends, gaming or otherwise. I've played computer games, and have thought a lot about solo games lately. But I like gaming as a social activity. So... something to work on in 2019.

Gaming


I played a three round Kings of War tournament in March, which was also the first use of my Fomorian miniatures.



The only other gaming I did was a game of Dungeon! over Thanksgiving weekend with my wife and daughter. The latter has asked when we're going to play again, so I'm hoping to work on that!




Painting


I swear it felt like I painted a lot more, but looking through the old posts, it's not as much as I thought. But all things considered, I think it was a pretty good output! My 2018 painting recap...

Drew Bog Trolls




Finding the last Marauder ogre to complete my set after many, many years. And painting it!



Finishing the Warploque giant (aka, Walter) I had started a year earlier in my annual Big April giant painting thing.



Hobbit goat knights and human halberdiers for the JTC!




Almost done with the half-orcs...






And a few odds & ends that I really enjoyed.




...and of course, all the Deadcember stuff I painted & already posted recently.


On to 2019


There are, of course, more gaming/miniatures related things I'd like to do in 2019 than I can even come close to having time for.

The given (painting):

  • The 2019 Old World Army Challenge (OWAC2). I'll be painting sea elves bit by bit, as part of a group challenge that I've previously posted about
  • Giants. April is the month of giants. At the very least I'd like to finish the Heresy giant I started in 2018.
  • Undead. And December is the month of the undead. I'll probably continue that tradition. 


The uncertain (painting):

  • Meat Hating Robot Pirates. Will this project ever get started???
  • Jackrabbit Trading Company. I'd like to make more progress on this!
  • Trolls. Small project, but I've got three more Drew trolls. And if I can find the last two old Marauder trolls I'm missing from the set, I'll paint all six of those as well!
  • Half-orcs. One more regiment to finish, this will definitely happen.
  • Marienburgers. I still have plenty more to paint, and I'd like to get some of the rank & file done -- pikemen in particular.
  • Odds & ends. I enjoyed the Hermit & Boar and Tengu & Jackalope minis quite a bit. I'd like to do more mini side-projects like that. Especially minis with a backstory in my head. (I should write out a bit about those from 2018...) In fact, painting some things like this may be something I look at doing sooner than later in 2019.


The dream (gaming):

  • I had fun playing Dungeon! with my wife & daughter. I think we all have some friends (adults and children) who would enjoy this. I'd like to give it a few more shots. Maybe it will act as a gateway... ;)
  • Solo. My old ideas for solo gaming are indefinitely on hold. I simply don't have the space for the type of gaming I had planned for before moving a couple years ago. BUT, I have recently purchased Sellswords and Spellslingers, and (just bought it tonight!) Rangers of Shadow Deep. Both are solo or coop skirmish games that I'd like to give a shot. Either solo, or coop if possible...
  • At least one big narrative battle game. No chess timers, no rankings, no awards. Just some friends pushing blocks of troops around a battlefield, trying to achieve some sort of objectives other than counting points.