2012 Recap

Wow, this is it?!  Not much I can say except I started on way too many projects but didn't finish a whole lot.  I really thought I could get a lot of my Infinity minis done but I ended up buying more than I could paint- a common hobby mistake that I really should have caught early on.  Stupidity on my part.  I'm so close to finishing Duroc (as well as several other Infinity minis) but haven't been able to find the time.  Frustrating, really.  On the skaven side of things, I had planned on finishing another group of rat ogres but never got around to them.  I did complete my warlitter, at least, which I am happy with.

I did start playing more video games toward the end of the year so that took much of my free time.  Played way too much Modern Warfare (catching up with 1 and 2) and XCOM: Enemy Unknown, I admit.  Really great games.  I had a really long phase of just preferring to hop on the PS3 than to sit and paint after a long day at work.

Board games came up a couple times this year.  First, was picking up Zombicide via Kickstarter.  I had completely forgotten that I even picked it up.  It's still in it's shipping box and I have no idea when I'll ever get around to opening it.  Second board game is Noblemen.  My friend's first published board game.  He even stopped by my work to drop off my very own copy.  Quite awesome.  I hope to do an unboxing of the game soon, I just don't know when.

2013 is looking like the year I need to get my act together and finish the minis I started in 2012. Cross your fingers and have a wonderful new year!

Infinity Update

Now onto a significant Infinity update. Remember this pic from way back in July?  A whole lot of unpainted,unprimed Ariadna minis.  Here's the same group as of now...

Ooh shiny!

Ooh paint!

I've nearly completed Duroc (the giant dog wielding a giant machete) as well as the Loup Garous (the four dudes with blue cloaks and visors in the front center).  I'm about half way done with Margot (the lady in the center front with the red bandana) and need to get her done so my Mirage Team (Duroc and Margot) will be complete!

Aside from this group I finally... finally got around to finishing the Veteran Kazak.  About time, right?  I gotta start finishing my minis...  

Oh one last thing, I just got an email from Warstore that my shipment of the new Infinity Campaign book, Paradiso + the Merovingian Rapid Response Force box set are on the way!  Woohoo!

Let's see what else.  In other news a coworker of mine lent me God of War 3 months ago and recently I've been playing it on the weekends.  Overall I like it very much.  The boss levels are fun and creative and mini puzzles are generally entertaining... minus one guitar hero/music themed puzzle.  Also the violence in the game is a bit over the top.  It's probably my old age talking.  Anyway I hope to maybe get close to finishing it this weekend.

Until next time!

A Friendly Shout Out

I have to mention an article a friend of mine recently posted over on Boardgamegeek. It's about his boardgame, Noblemen and discusses it's beginnings and evolution and finally getting it published by Tasty Minstrel Games(TMG). I also get a quick mention in the article as well :) . It looks absolutely awesome and I can't wait to pick up a copy!  Kudos Dwight!  Hope this is just the start of many more!

Check it out HERE and don't forget to click Recommend!

Quick WiP Update

Just a small post here.  I wanted to show you what I've been up to.

 

It's Duroc from the Ariadna faction for the Infinity game.  Great mini.  The sculpt is really nice and the pose is very dynamic.  I left him off the base (and his left hand) so I can reach the tough areas- that's what you get for dynamic poses I guess.  I couldn't think of an original color scheme for him so I just copied the one on the box.  I like their color scheme so whatever.

In the game, Sgt. Duroc has a partner Lt. Margot Berthier.  I used the team in a game once and really liked them.  I think I like them enough that I may try to squeeze them in my Merovingian list.  As soon as I finish painting Duroc I hope I get motivated to hop onto Margot next... but you never know.

100!!!

It's my 100the post!  To commemorate this insignificant achievement I will in turn post something of equal measure.

Skaven Warlitter- Underempire's painting competition for July-August just ended so I can finally show you my entry.  The theme was Warlord on mount and I chose to make a warlitter for this.  I came in 3rd... out of 6.  A little disappointed but whatevs, it got me motivated.  So here it is!

Warlord Ratbone's Crimson Vermin Warlitter

Now I've had this idea for a long, long time- might have been shortly after I got the new codex.  There were a few key points about my overall direction:

1) I wanted the Warlord to have a big weapon- really big.  I mean how else is he going to fight from up there?
2) I wanted the stormvermin to carry the palanquin on their shoulders.  I've seen a lot of warlitter conversions where they use the spear arms to hold it up but it doesn't look right imo.  I think if you rest the platform on their shoulders and hide their hands underneath it's more natural.
3) And finally I wanted some sort of trophy rack and fit as much bits as I can afford/find... well that was the original plan anyway.

WIP pics

What took the longest was figuring out how to build the palanquin.  I was going back and forth on how to make it.  I ended up using a combination of popsicle sticks and sprues.  Finding all the bits that I needed to make this happen took just as long.  But as I quickly accumulated bits that I thought that would be cool for the project I found out that a lot of it would be overkill.  One such example is the trophy rack.  I originally wanted trophies like shields, heads, and weapons from other races and the little gnoblar lookout on top of it but the whole thing got way too big and cumbersome.

One mistake I did make was gluing the stormvermin one at a time and basing around their feet one at a time. It really made sense at the time.  I was worried about the their shoulders not being level with each other making the palanquin uneven.  Having them flat on the base minimized the margin of levelness. But then of course that would mean basing and painting around their feet.  That was a bitch and a half.

It wasn't until the end of the project I found a subtle and effective way to keep the palanquin level- funny how that always happens.  It's the same idea behind sanding a leg of table to get it level.  I sanded down the part of the palaquin that rests on the stormvermins' shoulders.  Brilliant!  (face palm)  Had I known this earlier I would have based first and then painted before gluing the stormvermin down.  I might have even done something nice to the base maybe.

All these hurdles did affect the quality of my work losing a lot of painting time.  I had to ditch a couple ideas so I can finish on time.  I originally wanted shields on the side of the palanquin but didn't think I would finish in time.  Despite all that I still rushed the paint job and I think it shows.  Eh, anyway all 3 points I wanted done were completed so I think it came out pretty good.

If you want to see the other entries from the competition head over HERE.  If you want to see more pics of the warlitter head over HERE.

Infinity- Back to Infinity again and still anxiously waiting for my campaign book and a box of French people.  Next post, I plan to have some min wips or complete ones depending how long I wait to post. Until next time!

Whoa!

I'm genuinely giddy.  I didn't expect this much content would come with the expansion.  I was really surprised with the new faction announcement.  Can't wait to pick it up!  If you are at all into sci-fi just watch the video.  It might be me but I think it's really fun to watch.

Awww crap, I guess I should focus on finishing my Skaven conversion project... danggit.  Focus!

3 Things...

1) I was at Toys R Us last week and picked up Nerf's Retaliator, one of the new Elite models recently released.  All their Nerf stuff were 25% off so it was an easy impulse buy.

The Nerf arms race has begun.

2) Done basing this batch of Infinity minis.  Time to prime.

Yay, prime time!

3) I miss working on my Skaven so last weekend I started working on a converion.  It'll be for this month's Underempire painting competition.  I don't think I'll finish in time but I'm gonna try.

Squeek!  Can you guess what I'm making?

Big Update!

On video games- I am very behind in my video games.  I've only had my PS3 for less than a year and have been trying (failing miserably) to catch up on games I missed out on.  One such game is a PS3 exclusive called Valkyria Chronicles which came out in 2008, a couple years after the console's launch.  I was able to pick a copy up on Amazon and started playing it as soon as I had it.  That was last year.  Nothing to do with the actual game, I just didn't have time to play it.  Good news!  I recently finished it and... man that was a great game!

The story takes place in a fictional European-esque continent where 2 large powers are at war and in the middle is a small neutral country, Gallia, which has an abundance of a natural resource call Ragnite. You play Welkin who leads a small militia group defending Gallia.  You get the picture, right?

Anyway, the story was great.  The water color look of the game was a nice touch.  I loved the gameplay.  Gameplay is a turn based, tactical rpg.  It totally reminds me of Infnity with its Command Points- using the points to play members of your unit.  The rpg aspect is fairly straightforward with upgrades and a little bit of customization.  My only complaint is that I wished there was a wider selection of weapons/equipment and weapon/equipment upgrades... and maybe more missions.  I would really love to see a multiplayer version of this.  That could be really fun.  

On comics- A coworker of mine is a long time comic book enthusiast.  He easily spends $50 a week on comics.  Every Wednesday I'd see him come back from his lunch break with a bag full of comics and he'd show me what issues he picked up and we'd have a chat of what issues he's read.  He's the devil.  Every week he tempts me.  Well I can only do this for so long before I break.

So I started collecting comic books again. Yay Romita!  Yay Bendis!  Damn you Mike.

On Infinity- Infinity by Corvus Belli has probably one of the most gorgeous, finely detailed sculpts ever produced for a miniatures game.  They are just beautiful to look at.  But there is a trade off.  Because of the fine details and intricate poses, they can be difficult to transport especially if you are using foam to carry your figs.  All that weight on its side it's bound to snap parts or chip paint.  A couple Infinity players I know carry a bottle of glue all the time because one or two minis end up getting damaged during the travel.  I love my minis too much to go through that hassle so I did the obvious thing to do- magnetize!  Sure there is concern of minis suddenly attracting other minis in the proximity.  Totally understandable.  You just need to use the right size magnet is all.  Plus the added weight of the metal beings also helps.

My Ariadna force currently magnetized on their TABLEWAR trays. 

Now that they are magnetized I now need something to transport them in.  I was going to go the DIY direction but then I saw these snazzy trays from TABLEWAR.  They are custom trays designed specifically for their display towers.  I can't afford the towers just yet but the trays themselves are a really nice way to display and carry your delicate minis.

Be aware though: If you are an Infinity player and is interested in picking up these trays don't buy their 40mm trays.  The holes for the 40mm trays are smaller than the Infinity 40mm bases.  The folks from TABLEWAR suggests instead to pick up their bottom tray along with the diorama 40mm washers.  Be sure to select the PP size and NOT the GW size washers.

The rest of my Ariadna force finally assembled.

Last night I finally assembled the rest of my Ariadna collection which in includes the Mirage-5 Team, the other Traktor Mul, and a couple of tankhunters.  Next step is to base and prime, my least favorite part of the hobby. :(

On office wars- A few weeks back when I was knee deep in the project at work my coworker - for no reason whatsoever- brought in a dart gun.  It was a cheap Nerf knock off but that's not the point.  At first it was psychological - on his desk just at arms length away.  But it wasn't long before he started using it. He'd poke his goofy head in our offices, make small talk, and then quickly drawing out his pistol shooting us for his amusement.  Sure it was all in good fun... for awhile.  It got annoying and people started bringing in their own dart guns. Now it's an all out office turf war!!!

Well, just our corner of our floor, anyway.  We don't have that many dorks.

My current arsenal.

Until next time!

Missing In Action

Hey folks! Long time no see. About 2 months actually. I had a bit of 'all work and no play' the last few weeks. It started right around Adepticon and didn't stop until recently. The company I work for has been restructuring, getting rid of the fat and making us bigger and leaner. I just finished a grueling project which I think turned out better than I expected. Here's hoping!  Anyhoo, enough about life and on with the hobby!

Adepticon- Overall it was quite awesome as usual. I saw a lot of great miniatures, tried out new games, and took lots of pictures! I attended a few seminars for the first time which were cool. I learned quite a bit about painting- including a nasty habit that many veteran painters do. I will definitely do this again next year.

My favorite game, Infinity, had its first tournament there and had a pretty good turn out despite the lack of advertisement. Some weren't aware of the tournament and some knew about it but didn't know where it was held- myself included. It probably didn't help that it was held on the last day at 8am either.

 A couple things did bum me out, though. First, was the swag. While it was still a nice modest bag-o-stuff I didn't register early enough to get the really cool stuff. I can only blame myself for this one. Second were the crowds and space. It felt like the convention got too big for its venue. The vendor area was way too cramped and the seminars I went to were held in the actual hotel rooms.

Meh.

Whoa!

Check out the rest of my pics of Adepticon 2012 and Crystal Brush here!

Infinity- Well, my hobby New Year's resolution's thrown out the window.  I've doubled my Ariadna and picked up 2 more armies.  I found a couple of great ebay listings and was able to pick up a modest PanO and a Yu Jing starter for an awesome price.  I'm a happy camper.  Now I can provide an impromptu demo/game if any of my friends are curious about the game.

I also got to play a few times recently at a new gaming store a buddy told me about.  Nice little store.  Even stocked a bit of Infinity.  Anyway, I don't want to jinx myself but I think I'm getting more comfortable with the rules!

Warhammer 40k 6th Edition- Before this new edition was released there were quite a few players that migrated from 40k to other games like Malifaux, Dark Age, Dystopian Wars, and Infinity.  Now that 6th is finally out will the players return to 40k or stay with the smaller games?  Definitely a test in the coming months for all the games.

Adepticon 2012

In just a few days I will be at Lombard attending Adepticon!  Yay!

I wasn't able to paint all of my Ariadna in time unfortunately.  I ran out of time.  I guess it was an ambitious goal considering how busy I am at work.  FAIL!  Oh well.

Anyway, here's my game plan for this weekend:

I plan to head down there early Friday to get my registration and check out the wonderful swag bag.  Then I'll probably check out all the eye candy and take lots and lots of pictures.  The rest of the day will be painting seminars.

Saturday will probably be more eye candy picture taking and maybe even some purchasing (there will be purchasing, who am I kidding).  The Infinity tournament area is suppose to be set up so attendees can demo or play some pick up games, which I hope to exploit. :)

One thing I must see this year is Brandon's army from GMM Studios.  I was huge fan of his Mad Max themed Ork army last year.  This year it's Ogres with a Holy Grail theme.  You can see pics at his site here.

Sunday is the Infinity tournament.  I didn't sign up for the tournament but I hope to meet up with the regular players at the LGS and maybe even meet new ones.

Not packed full.  I wouldn't really enjoy myself if it was.  I just have to make sure I don't spend too much.

Hope to see you guys there!  Maybe sometime after the convention I'll be motivated enough to post a recap.

Mini Deviations

I got a little sidetracked from my Infinity progress the past few weeks.  Work has started to pick up and after taking a short but very needed 'stay-cation' I now have a lot of catching up to do.  I might have to start working on weekends soon unfortunately.

I've been playing Batman: Arkham Asylum on the PS3 on and off for the past couple months.  During the vacation, I aimed to finish it.  Four straight hours and I was done.  I didn't think I was that close to finishing the game.  I was a little disappointed with the ending.  Without spoiling anything it wasn't what I expected, maybe even underwhelming.  I'll leave it at that.  Overall though a really great game and I can't wait to start the sequel, Arkham City.

As you know I've been slowly making a Koborlas (Lupines) army for Warlord.  Very low priority, jumping on it when I feel like it.  I was browsing the video game websites when I saw the image of Amaterasu from the Okami PS2 game.  I suddenly thought "Yes, Ameratsu would be a great looking spirit wolf for my Koborlas army!".

Okami WIP

Still not done.  I'm having trouble adding the tribal markings around the eyes and body.  I may be using the wrong brush size.  I'll try again soon.

I haven't neglected my Infinity either.  I've been playing a few games at the LGS and losing all, if not, most of the games.  Mainly due to my newbiness... and maybe a little bit of plain stupidity.  Okay maybe a lot of stupidity than I care to admit.  Learning the tactics of the game will come with experience- that's fine.  What I need to remember and seem to forget all the time are the freaking loadouts for each of my guys.  For example, I always use my Vet. Kazak's T2 rifle but I always forget that they are also equipped with light flamethrowers.  In fact, all Vet. Kazak loadouts are equipped with flamethrowers.  I also seem to forget that some of the guys I use also have smoke grenades.  Key stuff to remember when you are trying to avoid getting shot at.

Adepticon 2012 is less than a month away and I was hoping to get my army completely painted, at the very least tabletop ready.  Here's what I have currently...

Stuff that has paint

Stuff that needs paint

I still have a couple box sets that need assembling.  Not sure I'll make it in time.  Suck!

This weekend John, the dude who is setting up the Infinity tourney @ Adepticon will be showing off the terrain at the LGS and will be looking for feedback so I'll be checking that out.  Curious to see how it looks!  Hoping others will stop by and maybe play a game or 2 on the terrain.  :)

Mini Progress!

More WiPs.  Unfortunately, nothing finished.

I finally got the nerve to add the handlebar on the autocannon.  What a pain!  Worried about the painted areas, it took me forever to get it on.  It's not even on quite right.  Compared to the tankhunter pictures on the Infinity website my handlebar is a little twisted where the hand is.  I guess my way looks more ergonomic. :) That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

In hindsight, I really should have fully assembled him before painting. It's a special case, the piece was too fiddly to attach in the end.  Anyway, still a great looking model and an awesome unit in the game.  It's almost done.  It needs some touch ups and a few details.

I did a little more work on the highlander.  Still not confident on tackling the plaid pattern on the tartan so I worked on the face a bit.  Lots more to do on him.

 

Started working on 2 more figs: the chasseur and another SAS.  These 2 guys round out my current force at the moment.  I just love the detail on these dudes.  No Finecast shenanigans here- that's all metal baby!  Now if they can make their multi-part minis easy to assemble... 

Ariadna Game Plan For 2012

Keeping to my New Year's resolution to paint all my Ariadna minis before getting anymore I need to document what I have.  First pic is what I've considered tabletop ready- not completely finished but presentable.

Man I really need to get better lighting.  I see many details not painted!

The following pics are my batch-o-WiPs at various stages of completion.  I kind of went all over the place with each one.  Some have washes done, some have highlights and details, but most have a general basecoat.

Generally, I'm cool with the direction I've taken.  I tried priming them white for the first time.  I never primed my minis white before.  So far so good.  I'm happy with the color schemes I've chosen.  Some details like holsters and pouches still need color choices.    I'm quite surprised how well the Highlander's shoulder detail came out.  I was expecting to do several passes on it but luckily only did one.  Now I got to do the tartan... 

Next are the rest of my collection.

Minis next in line

The whole lot. I guess I have more than I originally said. :)

Up until now I really thought I could do this but then Corvus Belli comes out with this...

me wants

This guy will be coming out next month.  I wonder how many minis I'll get done before then, if any.  Wonder how long it will take for me to break.  Ugh.