End of the Year... And on to the Next!

So being busy with the holidays and the kids, there hasn't been much time to do any actual building and painting.  But there is plenty of time to think about what's next.

So for the start of the new year, it will either be:

1. Try to finish my Chaos Emperor's Children
2. Actually build some terrain
3. Finish painting my Space Hulk figures
4. Start on my Dreadfleet figures
5. Get my car running
6. Complete the <Secret Project>
7. Sit around and play video games

I have a good feeling that some projects will get done in a timely manner.  But that all depends on commissions and the family.

Whatever happens, I promise there will be a lot more posts of some real goodies.

Till then,
TTFN!

What's new?

So it has been a while since I have posted anything new.  So what is new? 

Despite having to work for a living and being busy with the family,  the <SECRET PROJECT> has been commencing very slowly.  I have just finished the plans for one of the main buildings that IMHO have come together nicely.

There still is the need to test them to see if they work correctly and fine tune them.

I hope that at the start of the next year, production will start and all will be revealed.

Till then, I'll be slaving away at plans, building, and testing.

Stay tuned to see how it all turns out.

Still alive!

For my normal followers and those who check in from time to time, you may have realized that there have not been any new posts for awhile.  This may be true, but the blog is still alive and kicking.

As life is, many things have come up that do not afford me the time that I would like to dedicate to my hobby.  Kids, work, home, etc.  The last big modeling effort was putting together an engine for my car that I need for day to day stuff.  I have been working overtime at work; add extra hours to already twelve hour shifts and there's not a lot of time for much else, let alone sleep.

But do not be discouraged.  I still have a lot of projects that have been on the back burners that will be brought forward for all to see.  I'm even close to starting my own Kickstarter project (stay tuned, details will follow).

So thank you to those who still check in hoping to see something new.  Believe me, there will be a lot of new stuff coming up.

Till them,  TTFN!

Making a board game. How the professionals do it.

SPACE MARINES ARE HERE!

Check out the GW website.  You can get the special edition Codex: Space Marine with your favorite chapter on the cover for $115.

The new Centurian Squad (elites/heavy support), Space Marine ancients (Old dreadnoughts),  the stalker/hunter, and a lot of formations to keep you busy for a long while.

Also check out the one-click Black Templar's Lastrati Crusade.  Awesome!

How to make a board game

If you've always wanted to make a board just like your favorite board game for your table top games,  you'll want to see this!

Good stuff on E-bay for sale!

Space Marines from Assault on Black Reach

Space Marine Captain from Assault from Black Reach

Space Marine Dreadnought from Assault on Black Reach

Things to Come

Pay close attention.

 

There's a lot coming soon!

Yep...Still on vacation.

See you guys around late August.

No New Posts For A While

Since I'm vacation, fighting zombies, protecting the realm with a five and a three year old, and building my fallout shelter, there won't be any posts for awhile.

Check back in a couple of months (summer vacation) to see whats new or in the works.

Killing Zombies...

No new posts.  I've been too busy playing WarZ and, frankly, I think I'm getting burnt out with painting and building.  I haven't played a game in months so its like, "Why bother to paint or build something if I'm not going to use it."

So we'll see how long this lasts.

Rumors are...

...just that, rumors.

So the buzz is about GW getting rid of their Specialist Games.  But, I keep checking the website and the Specialist Games segment is still there.

I enjoy playing Mordheim, Necromunda, Epic, and Battlefleet Gothic.  Its a great change of pace from either the mainstays 40K and fantasy.

I know that GW is moving away from all metal models and I'm not sure if they would discontinue them instead of making them in finecast.  Either way,  I would sure hate to see them go.

But until they actually do...there still rumors.

An Interesting Thing

So I was scoping out the GamesWorkshop website (like I usually do) and stumbled across something new.

Under the Specialist Games section, they've added two new sections, even though there's nothing in them yet:

     Specialist Games Pre-Orders
     Specialist Games New Releases

So is this a precursor of things to come?  I hope so!

In The Works

More stuff being painted for the auction lists:

In the works

Almost done with these guys...

...and they should be up for sale.

April fools!

Yeah, I don't have the energy to come up with something.

So go out and prank yourself.  You'll be glad you did.

"Our Conquest is Inevitable"

New Tau video up at Games Workshop website.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ug0aw5gRPkw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Looks the only thing being conquered is our wallets.

How to do...Decals

So everyone, at one point or another, will have to put decals on their models because, lets face it, its easier than painting the same motif over and over.

But a lot of people seem to stress over this, otherwise simple, step in painting models.  They have trouble with either getting the decals off the sheet, putting the decal on the model, or having the decal stay on the model.

Well, I'm going to show you how I do decals.  There may be hundreds of ways of putting decals on but this is the method I have found that works the best for me in all situations.  So relax, enjoy, and you be decaling like a pro.

Know Your 40K Terrain - The Basics

As a scenery builder, I strive to make terrain that looks awesome on the battlefield but is also playable.  In a new series, I will talk about what terrain specifically is and how it affects the game.

Now we've all seen different types of terrain on tables, stores, and tournaments.  But do you really know how it works and what it should be?  That's what this series is about.

Before we delve into the different types of terrain and what they do (yes, rocks and trees do things), lets start with the basics:  Setting up Terrain.

There are two ways terrain can be placed.  The first is through "narrative terrain".  Basically, the board is made to look as much like a real battlefield as possible.  You'll mostly see this at the tournaments.  When you arrive, the boards are already set up with terrain and usually can't be moved or re-arranged.  This is supposed to be a fair board that does not give either side an advantage over the terrain itself.  The other form of "narrative terrain" is where it may give a huge advantage/disadvantage to one side.  This would be your bunker assault boards, where one side starts in no-mans land while the other is hunkered down in trench systems and bunkers.

A Mechwarrior table from "Necromundicon".

The second (and most common) way is the "alternating terrain".  First, you have to determine the "Terrain Density Limit".  This means how many pieces can go into each 2' X 2' area of a game board by rolling a D3 for each section.  So for an 4' X 8' board, there will be a maximum of three pieces for one section which comes out to 24 pieces of terrain.  This also means that all of the terrain will fit into one quarter of the entire board if it were bunched together.  Any more and the battlefield will be too crowded.

From "Bell of Lost Souls".  Full article here: http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2011/06/40k-editorial-proper-terrain-setup.html

Now each piece of terrain is a different size, so that may present some problems.  Does a building equal a small piece of debris?  Not really.  So each "piece" of terrain should be a substantial element (building, forest, or ruin) or a cluster of up to three smaller pieces of terrain (such as battlefield debris).  The terrain should also be placed 3" away from other terrain.

Did you know...?

In 40K, characters are the most powerful individuals on the battlefield. 

Did you know that when a character shoots, if you roll a 6 to hit, they are called Precision shots.

Wounds from Precision Shots are allocated against a model (or models) of your choice in the target unit, as long as it is in range, rather than following the normal rules for Wound allocation.

This means your character can pick and choose his target, whether its specialized weaponry or other characters.

In assaults, characters also have Precision strikes.  The same with Precision shots, a roll of 6 to hit is needed. 

Wounds from Precision Strikes are allocated against an engaged model (or models) of your choice in the unit he is attacking, rather than following the normal rules for Wound allocation.

This is new to 6th edition, so some players don't even know about this rule.  [BRB pg 63]

The Death of Imagination

Being a scenery builder, I look at all aspects of how the terrain interacts with the game.  It has to be functional, playable, but above all, presentable.

Its No Post Thursday

Sorry, nothing to see here.  Move along.

City Fight: A new addition.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Hobos and Tramps, Cross-eyed mosquitoes and bow- legged ants,

For this weeks little tutorial, I will show you how to recycle your kids old toys (or new if you just want to be mean).  This does require some imagination and simple tools but can get you some cool looking and functional wargames terrain. 

So on to the show.

Star Wars - X-Wing Miniatures Game: A review

So I finally picked up the new Star Wars game from Fanasy Flight.  I bought it for $40 at Target (you can also get it at Toys R Us or your local game store).  As a Star Wars fan since I was 7 (when the movie came out), I've collected just about everything that has come out, whether it be action figures, books, and video games.  So when I saw this little gem, I had to get it since it combined my love for the movies and miniatures. 

So with less ado, here's a review.

And Now For Something Completey Different

So after a long hiatus, I am finally back.  There are some big terrain projects that are in the works but I have also gotten involved in some other gaming aspects.  As you shall see...