Got in a game with Mike (midwestjedi) at Unique Gifts & Games tonight. We were trying to avoid a mirror match, so he brought Skorne, and I took the opportunity to try out one of my newest toys: the Mountain King.
I was running the following:
Jarl, Devil of Thornwood
Mountain King
Axer
Full unit of Krielstones
Full unit of Sluggers
Jannisa Stonetide
Mike was running:
Dominar Raseth
Bronzeback
Gladiator
Cannoneer
Min unit of Paingivers
Gatorman Posse (full) & Taskmaster
I won the roll, but had him deploy first - once I had placed the mountain king, who, by the way, I am currently calling "Bubba." We spent several turns dancing around, neither one wanting to be the first to commit to a charge. My sluggers continued their streak of being fairly ineffective - in this case, they did some damage to the posse, but Bubba alone killed as many as the full unit of sluggers,.
Realizing that the ranged game would eventually let me whittle his forces down to something that I could easily chew through, Mike charged forward with the bronzeback and the 2 remaining gators, leaving me with one lone, knocked down slugger.
On my turn, the slugger stands, and steps away, dieing to the free strike. I use Jarl to pick off the gators, and Bubba turns and obliterates the bronzeback. I figure that, between the general toughness of Bubba, the whelps he sheds, and the protective aura from the krielstone, all Bubba has to do is survive the gladiator. Blood mark, plus feat, plus enrage, and Bubba dies a nasty, brutal death.
From that point on, the game is effectively over. Losing Bubba left me with no real hitting power. I manage to kill the gladiator - (but not until he slame Jarl - fortunately out of Dominar's control range) but the end game winds up being a lonely Jarl, running from the cannoneer, the taskmater, and Dominar. And he doesn't run for long.
Overall, I had fun with the Mountain King. He's a great model, but the base size just makes running him a pain. In 35 points, losing him is just too much of a blow to handle - he killed one heavy, and some gators, but he did not pay for himself, which is not acceptable. I think I am going to try him again soon, although I may pair him with a different warlock.
Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to try Hyperion. But I finally picked up a blister of whelps, and Ravyn for my psychotic elves, so it's all good.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Huh.
Looking over the blog stats, apparently someone arrived at my blog by doing a google search for "reaper sophie was bad enough" - who knew?
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Another three steps back
It's "Meet the Teacher" night, so I may not have any hobby time. No hobby time means that I won't finish anything tonight. But, that's not losing ground, is it?
No, but getting a Druid Gone Wilder, a Trollkin Kilt Lifter, and a Bombadier Bombshell in the mail today means that my playable collection gained two more models - three if a TO will let me use it for a Fennblade leader.
On a semi-related note, I currently have 4 Warlands vehicles. Today or tomorrow, I will probably place an order that will add 4 bikes, 3 vehicles, and the bits to convert a half dozen hot wheels cars to death machines. I think that I can finish all those in a weekend, once I have them all in place. They won't need much in the way of detail, unless you count weathering and rust. The rust I plan to do by undercoating in red primer, and then using the salt technique that was in NQ a few issues back.
I can't wait until school starts next week - this SAHD (stay-at-home dad) plans to gain some painting time, at least for a few weeks (until everyone catches on that I am doing it), and make headway in my collections.
I might start with the smaller collections - I will have the Warlands figs above (say, 15 vehicles, maybe), plus MERCS (30 figs at the moment), plus Malifaux (35 or so), plus Dystopian Wars (maybe 130 models, between all the fleets). By that standard, my Ogres are a pretty small collection - 18 Ogres is almost 900 points, so that's most of an army right there.
Not that I am dropping my Warmachine stuff, by any means. I need to keep painting at least 5 points per month, after all. That's got to be at least one model, and I really should go after those low-hanging infantry units, like Immortals and Men O'War - both are more than 75% done, so I should be able to knock those out in short order, if I have to.
No, but getting a Druid Gone Wilder, a Trollkin Kilt Lifter, and a Bombadier Bombshell in the mail today means that my playable collection gained two more models - three if a TO will let me use it for a Fennblade leader.
On a semi-related note, I currently have 4 Warlands vehicles. Today or tomorrow, I will probably place an order that will add 4 bikes, 3 vehicles, and the bits to convert a half dozen hot wheels cars to death machines. I think that I can finish all those in a weekend, once I have them all in place. They won't need much in the way of detail, unless you count weathering and rust. The rust I plan to do by undercoating in red primer, and then using the salt technique that was in NQ a few issues back.
I can't wait until school starts next week - this SAHD (stay-at-home dad) plans to gain some painting time, at least for a few weeks (until everyone catches on that I am doing it), and make headway in my collections.
I might start with the smaller collections - I will have the Warlands figs above (say, 15 vehicles, maybe), plus MERCS (30 figs at the moment), plus Malifaux (35 or so), plus Dystopian Wars (maybe 130 models, between all the fleets). By that standard, my Ogres are a pretty small collection - 18 Ogres is almost 900 points, so that's most of an army right there.
Not that I am dropping my Warmachine stuff, by any means. I need to keep painting at least 5 points per month, after all. That's got to be at least one model, and I really should go after those low-hanging infantry units, like Immortals and Men O'War - both are more than 75% done, so I should be able to knock those out in short order, if I have to.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Not much progress today
The wold guardian is almost done. I have some highlights and touch-ups to do, plus the basing. With any luck, I will get that done tomorrow, although real life is going to try to limit my hobby time. I would be working on it now, but I have to wait for a wash to dry before I can work on anything. Worked a bit on the men o'war, but not sure if I will get them done tomorrow or not - again, that pesky real life thing going on.
Going to be working on a big terrain project soon, most likely. It's destined for trade - and the trade will most likely wind up being for GW stuff. I don't know if I should work on my Ogre army (which really needs rounding out in the special and rare unit categories), add to my Skaven (which, though numbering 70 or 80 models, may not break 500 points), or just wind up with the new 40k box set (which will be out before I get the project done). I don't really need the marines, so I could always swap them for the Chaos, and start a third 40k army again. Actually, I really just want the cultists - surely I can use them for Necromunda or something. I have time to figure it out, thankfully. And change my mind a few times in the process.
Over on Kickstarter, there is a Relic Knights one going on right now. It looks interesting, but I am going to probably have to pass on it. First, I really don't need to add another game and miniature line right now - GenCon and the Reaper kickstarter have been bad enough, setting my painting queue back by four or five years. Second, I spent a fair amount of cash between those two things, and, while I could probably justify the Relic Knights, it's currently either that or an airbrush. And third, I really do not need the grief of trying to explain some of the models, and the Soda Pop girls, to the wife. Reaper Sophie was bad enough.
I am probably going to pick up some Warlands figs, however. Warlands is a happy little game, set in a post-apocalyptic future, a la Mad Max. I've had the starter box for quite some time, but did not play it until GenCon. It's simple enough that I can teach it to my son, it has explosions and cars, which he will love, and I really only need to pick up weapon packs and some matchbox cars.
That's it for now - pizza is in the oven (late snack), the gin & tonic is mixed, and I am going to try and get through a bit more of the Malifaux rulebook tonight. At some point, I am going to want to play that game.
Going to be working on a big terrain project soon, most likely. It's destined for trade - and the trade will most likely wind up being for GW stuff. I don't know if I should work on my Ogre army (which really needs rounding out in the special and rare unit categories), add to my Skaven (which, though numbering 70 or 80 models, may not break 500 points), or just wind up with the new 40k box set (which will be out before I get the project done). I don't really need the marines, so I could always swap them for the Chaos, and start a third 40k army again. Actually, I really just want the cultists - surely I can use them for Necromunda or something. I have time to figure it out, thankfully. And change my mind a few times in the process.
Over on Kickstarter, there is a Relic Knights one going on right now. It looks interesting, but I am going to probably have to pass on it. First, I really don't need to add another game and miniature line right now - GenCon and the Reaper kickstarter have been bad enough, setting my painting queue back by four or five years. Second, I spent a fair amount of cash between those two things, and, while I could probably justify the Relic Knights, it's currently either that or an airbrush. And third, I really do not need the grief of trying to explain some of the models, and the Soda Pop girls, to the wife. Reaper Sophie was bad enough.
I am probably going to pick up some Warlands figs, however. Warlands is a happy little game, set in a post-apocalyptic future, a la Mad Max. I've had the starter box for quite some time, but did not play it until GenCon. It's simple enough that I can teach it to my son, it has explosions and cars, which he will love, and I really only need to pick up weapon packs and some matchbox cars.
That's it for now - pizza is in the oven (late snack), the gin & tonic is mixed, and I am going to try and get through a bit more of the Malifaux rulebook tonight. At some point, I am going to want to play that game.
Monday, August 27, 2012
That Reaper kickstarter
is going to be the death of me, I swear. I think the final tally is over 240 figs; although I did increase my pledge to also get the figure carrying case. That gives me about 7 months (plus probably a bit more) to clean out some of my massive store of miniatures.
No pics at the moment, but I am hoping to finish at least one wold and three men o'war before the end of the month, for the monthly painting challenge. I have also started working on the Some'r Teeth Jones box set for Malifaux, and on some Dystopian Wars figs. The Wold Wrath is primed, although final assembly will come after some of the base colors are on. The mountain king is as assembled as he will be for some time, because (1) he needs some green stuff work, though not much; and (2) I am planning on using an airbrush on him, at least for part of it. The hyperion is stuck as well - waiting for greenstuff and an airbrush.
Speaking (typing?) of airbrushes, I am waffling between several different ones. I am hoping to get to the FLGS on Thursday and try out an airbrush that they have there; it will help cement my decision. I may have to play a game of WFB to justify using it, although I will take some Warmachine or Hordes stuff, like, say, the Mountain King and the Wold Wrath, just to. . . a-hem, "demonstate" what kind of things I want to paint. Besides, my Ogres haven't actually been played but the once, so I suppose I should try them out again.
No pics at the moment, but I am hoping to finish at least one wold and three men o'war before the end of the month, for the monthly painting challenge. I have also started working on the Some'r Teeth Jones box set for Malifaux, and on some Dystopian Wars figs. The Wold Wrath is primed, although final assembly will come after some of the base colors are on. The mountain king is as assembled as he will be for some time, because (1) he needs some green stuff work, though not much; and (2) I am planning on using an airbrush on him, at least for part of it. The hyperion is stuck as well - waiting for greenstuff and an airbrush.
Speaking (typing?) of airbrushes, I am waffling between several different ones. I am hoping to get to the FLGS on Thursday and try out an airbrush that they have there; it will help cement my decision. I may have to play a game of WFB to justify using it, although I will take some Warmachine or Hordes stuff, like, say, the Mountain King and the Wold Wrath, just to. . . a-hem, "demonstate" what kind of things I want to paint. Besides, my Ogres haven't actually been played but the once, so I suppose I should try them out again.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
My collection grows
But not for a few months. I bit the bullet, and pledged to at least the vampire level of the Reaper Bones kickstarter. It's currently (as I write this) at 229 models - which is, to be honest, less than what I will eventually be getting. Fortunately, it (probably) won't be too much more than that, and should top out at less than 250.
And, as an added bonus, I won't be seeing most of it until March of next year, if not a little later. That gives me some time to work on clearing up some of the backlog.
Yeah, like that's going to happen. I might be making a deal tomorrow for some more figs - the Warmahordes player in me says to push for the big stuff, but after playing Mordheim at GenCon, and flipping through my WFB Ogres book, I wouldn't mind picking up a few models from the Evil Empire. (Due to the conditions under which I am likely to be operating, I probably will not have access to the MERCS, Malifaux, or Heavy Gear lines. Mores the pity.)
The Wold wrath, hyperion, and mountain king are all at least legs & torso. Most of what I am going to assemble prior to painting is now assembled. I will begin green stuff work tomorrow or Sunday - the Hyperion needs the most, I think, but the mountain king has some rough spots that would be improved with liquid green stuff.
And, as an added bonus, I won't be seeing most of it until March of next year, if not a little later. That gives me some time to work on clearing up some of the backlog.
Yeah, like that's going to happen. I might be making a deal tomorrow for some more figs - the Warmahordes player in me says to push for the big stuff, but after playing Mordheim at GenCon, and flipping through my WFB Ogres book, I wouldn't mind picking up a few models from the Evil Empire. (Due to the conditions under which I am likely to be operating, I probably will not have access to the MERCS, Malifaux, or Heavy Gear lines. Mores the pity.)
The Wold wrath, hyperion, and mountain king are all at least legs & torso. Most of what I am going to assemble prior to painting is now assembled. I will begin green stuff work tomorrow or Sunday - the Hyperion needs the most, I think, but the mountain king has some rough spots that would be improved with liquid green stuff.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Wow, I'm slacking.
I'm blaming that massing GenCon series for nothing being posted in the last couple of days. That, and I did not have much to say. Tonight, I have three quick things:
First, I have started putting together all three of the colossals/gargantuans together. At the same time. At least I did not toss all the bits together into the same bag or anything. The mountain king is certainly recognizable - the chains, whelps, etc are not on, but the majority of the model is in place. The hyperion is a torso and legs - I will put the arms on tomorrow, but the shoulder pads of doom and the extra vents & assorted bits will probably remain off for a while. And the wold wrath is a distant third - parts are trimmed and cleaned, but nothing glued. I hope to have legs & torso tomorrow. None of the three will be fully assembled until they are painted.
Which brings me to point two. I am finally going to break down and get an airbrush. I got to try the Grex airbrush at GenCon, and I really liked the pistol grip. I think the big honkin' 120mm based models are telling me that they need an airbrush. So, I'm going to have to play with them unpainted for a bit until I can pick it up. (I know, I know - me, play with unpainted figs? Quell horror!)
Third - if you are a fan of Reaper minis, or are a GM, go check out their current kickstarter. It has 40 hours or so to go, and it is currently just past the $2 million mark. I'm not telling people to join in because I am worried that they will miss the goal or anything - but if you GM a fantasy game, and you can swing it, the $100 Vampire level is going to give you almost 200 miniatures. I'm trying to keep my total on it to under $200 - but there is the clockwork dragon, and the undead one, and the figure case, and the . . . .
First, I have started putting together all three of the colossals/gargantuans together. At the same time. At least I did not toss all the bits together into the same bag or anything. The mountain king is certainly recognizable - the chains, whelps, etc are not on, but the majority of the model is in place. The hyperion is a torso and legs - I will put the arms on tomorrow, but the shoulder pads of doom and the extra vents & assorted bits will probably remain off for a while. And the wold wrath is a distant third - parts are trimmed and cleaned, but nothing glued. I hope to have legs & torso tomorrow. None of the three will be fully assembled until they are painted.
Which brings me to point two. I am finally going to break down and get an airbrush. I got to try the Grex airbrush at GenCon, and I really liked the pistol grip. I think the big honkin' 120mm based models are telling me that they need an airbrush. So, I'm going to have to play with them unpainted for a bit until I can pick it up. (I know, I know - me, play with unpainted figs? Quell horror!)
Third - if you are a fan of Reaper minis, or are a GM, go check out their current kickstarter. It has 40 hours or so to go, and it is currently just past the $2 million mark. I'm not telling people to join in because I am worried that they will miss the goal or anything - but if you GM a fantasy game, and you can swing it, the $100 Vampire level is going to give you almost 200 miniatures. I'm trying to keep my total on it to under $200 - but there is the clockwork dragon, and the undead one, and the figure case, and the . . . .
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
This! Is! GENCON!
(Cause it certainly was madness.)
Okay, one more GenCon post. That's it. Probably. After that, we got back to posts on how I don't paint, how I often lose, and probably some random complaints about the size of my collection.
One of the PGs took this video on Thursday morning, from the demo area (right by Big Blue), as the hall doors opened to the general public. Follow the link to watch, and see how quickly the crowd for the IKRPG grows.
Hey, look - it's a mob!
(Tried to embed it, but the blogger kept choking on it. Meh.)
Okay, one more GenCon post. That's it. Probably. After that, we got back to posts on how I don't paint, how I often lose, and probably some random complaints about the size of my collection.
One of the PGs took this video on Thursday morning, from the demo area (right by Big Blue), as the hall doors opened to the general public. Follow the link to watch, and see how quickly the crowd for the IKRPG grows.
Hey, look - it's a mob!
(Tried to embed it, but the blogger kept choking on it. Meh.)
The haul.
As promised, the final post is a full accounting of everything that I picked up during the course of GenCon. Let's get started, shall we?
At the con
IKRPG
Level 7 (given as a thank you gift)
X-Wing
Heap
Warmachine playing card deck (given as a thank you gift)
Warlands Tire stack (won)
Miss Terious (Malifaux)
Malifaux revised rulebook
Rail Golem
Willie the Demolitionist
Metal Gamin
Som'er Teeth Jones starter set
Evil Baby Orphanage
Directorate Escort
Aquan Prime Carrier
Aquan Prime Frigate
Centurion (old metal version)
1 blister Wolves of Orboros
Cyclops Shaman
Druid Overseer
Holy Zealots blister
Gatorman Witch Doctor (x2)
Bloody Bradigan
Reeves of Orboros blister
General Ossrum
Grind
Mountain King
Woldwrath
Hyperion
Wiz War
Farmageddon
Hike
Cthulhu Flux (+2 con promo cards)
Heavy Gear Field Manual (rulesupdate)
Dystopian Wars rulebook, v1.1 (rules update)
Russian Coalition Naval battle group
Russian Coalition Land battle group
Other
Ram shirt
Ram mug
Ordered
Druid Gone Wilder
Kilt Lifter
Bombadier Bombshell
What I did not pick up
I did not pick up Leviathans or Super Dungeon Explore. Both look fun, both look interesting, both have a $100 price tag. I want to play a demo before I buy them.
I also did not buy the Rail Crew starter for Leviathan. I will be ordering it - I need to check and see how long the free shipping code is good. (They were distributing free shipping codes to people who wanted the rail crew set, as an apology for not having it at the con. Very classy. And, with what I save on shipping, I could add . . .NO! Stop! No more!)
I wanted to pick up some Warlands stuff, but Aberrant apparently had booth space, and then got bumped not too long before the con. I did not get a free shipping code, but I did get a 20% discount code, good through the end of the month.
Anyway, GenCon was a blast, and, while it was expensive, a lot of it was defrayed, mainly because I sold a lot of stuff at the auction. Don't know yet if I can manage to swing a trip next year - otherwise, I can start saving now for 2014. In the meantime, I will need to re-inventory my Warmachine collection (since ibodger does not track all of the models anymore), and get to work learning new rules, priming figs, and reducing the pile of lead, plastic, and resin.
At the con
IKRPG
Level 7 (given as a thank you gift)
X-Wing
Heap
Warmachine playing card deck (given as a thank you gift)
Warlands Tire stack (won)
Miss Terious (Malifaux)
Malifaux revised rulebook
Rail Golem
Willie the Demolitionist
Metal Gamin
Som'er Teeth Jones starter set
Evil Baby Orphanage
Directorate Escort
Aquan Prime Carrier
Aquan Prime Frigate
Centurion (old metal version)
1 blister Wolves of Orboros
Cyclops Shaman
Druid Overseer
Holy Zealots blister
Gatorman Witch Doctor (x2)
Bloody Bradigan
Reeves of Orboros blister
General Ossrum
Grind
Mountain King
Woldwrath
Hyperion
Wiz War
Farmageddon
Hike
Cthulhu Flux (+2 con promo cards)
Heavy Gear Field Manual (rulesupdate)
Dystopian Wars rulebook, v1.1 (rules update)
Russian Coalition Naval battle group
Russian Coalition Land battle group
Other
Ram shirt
Ram mug
Ordered
Druid Gone Wilder
Kilt Lifter
Bombadier Bombshell
What I did not pick up
I did not pick up Leviathans or Super Dungeon Explore. Both look fun, both look interesting, both have a $100 price tag. I want to play a demo before I buy them.
I also did not buy the Rail Crew starter for Leviathan. I will be ordering it - I need to check and see how long the free shipping code is good. (They were distributing free shipping codes to people who wanted the rail crew set, as an apology for not having it at the con. Very classy. And, with what I save on shipping, I could add . . .NO! Stop! No more!)
I wanted to pick up some Warlands stuff, but Aberrant apparently had booth space, and then got bumped not too long before the con. I did not get a free shipping code, but I did get a 20% discount code, good through the end of the month.
Anyway, GenCon was a blast, and, while it was expensive, a lot of it was defrayed, mainly because I sold a lot of stuff at the auction. Don't know yet if I can manage to swing a trip next year - otherwise, I can start saving now for 2014. In the meantime, I will need to re-inventory my Warmachine collection (since ibodger does not track all of the models anymore), and get to work learning new rules, priming figs, and reducing the pile of lead, plastic, and resin.
GenCon, Day Four
I sleep in. I have a 10 am event that I am already planning on blowing off. I got into a "Learn to Play Level 7" event at 10 am. I also have the Wild Card entry into the Privateer Press Speed Painting competition at 10. Decisions, decisions. . . . learn to play a game that I now own, or carpe diem and earn a free fig.
Yeah, like that was a contest. I skip the run - I'll take care of it later in the day. I get to the painting area a little later than planned, since I actually ate breakfast and loaded up the car. I like to sit to the far left; I'm left-handed, and it's annoying to both me (and the person on my left) when we keep smacking elbows together.
The figure this time is a Man O'War. Great. I have been wanting to try out my paint scheme on the khador mini-jacks (okay, I know they are not technically jacks. So what.) I look at the paints. Crap. The only green is bright. Almost neon. Iosan green, IIRC. Yeah, that's not going to work.
I lose most of the first fifteen minutes messing around, trying one thing after another, and getting increasingly frustrated. Fortunately, we get a full hour. Finally, I manage to cobble together a fairly decent approximation of the Vallejo Russian Green, and get to work. I base the entire model, then begin trying to get the white-wash effect to work.
It's kind of time-consuming, which is not a good idea during, I don't know, a SPEED PAINTING competition. It wasn't my brightest idea, but I figured that I could pull it off. I am working faster and faster, the clock is ticking down, and, while I do not finish, I actually manage to get something close to what I wanted.
I obviously did not win. I wasn't expecting to, either - but I did learn some things from the experience. Things about having a more definite plan, about keeping things simple, and, from the guy who won the event - "Paint a base coat, paint the base, and then free-hand the fuck out of it."
I zip over to the consignment store, where I collect the rest of what I was owed. I had picked up some of it on Saturday, and took my hand truck in case I needed to pick up stuff that didn't sell, but everything sold, so I did not need it. Back to the hotel to check out, and then back to the exhibitors hall. I got stopped by the balloon dragon. The dragon got started on Wednesday, and finished sometime on Saturday. A charity auction determined who would get to pop it, and a huge crowd had gathered to view the "slaying."
Unfortunately, I did not check the camera settings before the slaying began, so all of those pics turned out pretty blurry. I did not even get to catch the final slaying, when the children in the front got to come up and help kill the remnants of the dragon. Not to worry - Tim Thurmond (the artist who put it together) was asking everyone to send him pics or video of anything from start to finish, and he is hoping to create a pseudo time-lapse photography of the entire creative, and subsequent destructive, process.
Once the dragon was truly dead (although keen-eyed observers would see children carrying around half-inflated "souvenirs" for the rest of the day), I went into the hall to see if I could play a demo for a game that I had already purchased the day before.
I knew that it mostly used the Wings of War mechanics, and though I had not played it, I was vaguely familiar with the idea. (My favorite aerial combat game is probably Blue Max, which is, AFAIK, long OOP.) Plus, it was Star Wars. So, I took the part of the loyalists, and tried my best to shot the Rebel scum who were seeking to overthrow the peaceful government of the Empire. Or something like that.
The Death Star demo board was incredibly kewl, and I feel the need to build one now. The scenario was very difficult to the Rebellion to win - they had to either kill all the TIE fighters or four of the towers. But four TIE are (roughly) equal to the two X-wings, and, when you abandon your wing-man, you die. The empire did not lose a single TIE, and only two towers. A dark day for the Rebellion indeed. A lot of fun, and my only regret is that I did not ignore the (fairly) high price point for each additional fighter and buy up some extras - now I have to wait a month or so before I can pick some up.
I wandered the hall for some time - looking in on a demo of MERCS, chatting with some people, and general killing time until the raffle drawing at the DP9 booth. They were raffling off some seriously nice prizes. Which I did not win. Once the raffle was done, it was back to the car, and a long drive home.
Yeah, like that was a contest. I skip the run - I'll take care of it later in the day. I get to the painting area a little later than planned, since I actually ate breakfast and loaded up the car. I like to sit to the far left; I'm left-handed, and it's annoying to both me (and the person on my left) when we keep smacking elbows together.
The figure this time is a Man O'War. Great. I have been wanting to try out my paint scheme on the khador mini-jacks (okay, I know they are not technically jacks. So what.) I look at the paints. Crap. The only green is bright. Almost neon. Iosan green, IIRC. Yeah, that's not going to work.
I lose most of the first fifteen minutes messing around, trying one thing after another, and getting increasingly frustrated. Fortunately, we get a full hour. Finally, I manage to cobble together a fairly decent approximation of the Vallejo Russian Green, and get to work. I base the entire model, then begin trying to get the white-wash effect to work.
Not a Man O'War, but this is the effect that I am trying to get.
It's kind of time-consuming, which is not a good idea during, I don't know, a SPEED PAINTING competition. It wasn't my brightest idea, but I figured that I could pull it off. I am working faster and faster, the clock is ticking down, and, while I do not finish, I actually manage to get something close to what I wanted.
A bit messy, but hey, it was speed painted, right?
With custom-mixed colors, thankyouverymuch.
I obviously did not win. I wasn't expecting to, either - but I did learn some things from the experience. Things about having a more definite plan, about keeping things simple, and, from the guy who won the event - "Paint a base coat, paint the base, and then free-hand the fuck out of it."
Which he did.
I zip over to the consignment store, where I collect the rest of what I was owed. I had picked up some of it on Saturday, and took my hand truck in case I needed to pick up stuff that didn't sell, but everything sold, so I did not need it. Back to the hotel to check out, and then back to the exhibitors hall. I got stopped by the balloon dragon. The dragon got started on Wednesday, and finished sometime on Saturday. A charity auction determined who would get to pop it, and a huge crowd had gathered to view the "slaying."
Unfortunately, I did not check the camera settings before the slaying began, so all of those pics turned out pretty blurry. I did not even get to catch the final slaying, when the children in the front got to come up and help kill the remnants of the dragon. Not to worry - Tim Thurmond (the artist who put it together) was asking everyone to send him pics or video of anything from start to finish, and he is hoping to create a pseudo time-lapse photography of the entire creative, and subsequent destructive, process.
Once the dragon was truly dead (although keen-eyed observers would see children carrying around half-inflated "souvenirs" for the rest of the day), I went into the hall to see if I could play a demo for a game that I had already purchased the day before.
I wonder what game this could be.
I knew that it mostly used the Wings of War mechanics, and though I had not played it, I was vaguely familiar with the idea. (My favorite aerial combat game is probably Blue Max, which is, AFAIK, long OOP.) Plus, it was Star Wars. So, I took the part of the loyalists, and tried my best to shot the Rebel scum who were seeking to overthrow the peaceful government of the Empire. Or something like that.
See Luke Skywalker.
See Luke Skywalker shoot a turret.
See lots of TIE fighters shoot Luke Skywalker.
The Death Star demo board was incredibly kewl, and I feel the need to build one now. The scenario was very difficult to the Rebellion to win - they had to either kill all the TIE fighters or four of the towers. But four TIE are (roughly) equal to the two X-wings, and, when you abandon your wing-man, you die. The empire did not lose a single TIE, and only two towers. A dark day for the Rebellion indeed. A lot of fun, and my only regret is that I did not ignore the (fairly) high price point for each additional fighter and buy up some extras - now I have to wait a month or so before I can pick some up.
I wandered the hall for some time - looking in on a demo of MERCS, chatting with some people, and general killing time until the raffle drawing at the DP9 booth. They were raffling off some seriously nice prizes. Which I did not win. Once the raffle was done, it was back to the car, and a long drive home.
Monday, August 20, 2012
GenCon, Day Three
(I hope somebody is still reading these. I'll have to check the dashboard at some point.)
Saturday morning. Man, these mornings are getting earlier and earlier. I got up, ran, got cleaned up. Today, my roomies and I were all playing in a Mordheim tourney. Mordheim was a game that GW made sometime during the 90s. It's a gang fight game, in the GW fantasy setting. You make a gang, they fight (using something fairly similar to the GW ruleset, with some modifications to make it more of a skirmish game), and they advance or die, as the dice decide.
We get over there, and bump a few hopefuls. The event is full, and we have tickets. They want to play, but have generics. Now, knowing now what I did then, I might have been tempted to give one of them my spot, but that's neither here nor there.
We get a quick overview of the gangs, dice off, and start to choose. I make my choice - a rather inspired one, if I may say so.
This choice annoyed one of my friends. He wanted them too, and I beat him in the dice off. As luck would have it, we squared off in the first game. Now, Mordheim is largely a scenario-driven game. Sometimes, the scenario is in your favor, and sometimes, it isn't. The scenario in this case seems fairly even - both sides are searching the buildings on the table for a treasure chest. Once you find it, you have to take it back to your table edge. We can't search the first row of building closest to us, but can start searching the next row. Roll boxcars, and you find it. If it isn't found beforehand, it will be found in the last building.
I win the roll, run forward, search one building. On the opposite side of the table, Phil runs forward, searches a building, and rolls boxcars. Game over. He can't fail to get the chest to his table edge before I can get there. We call it, shake hands, take care of the aftermath (gaining experience, treasure, etc). The GM tells us that we can wander for a bit - our game is over in five minutes, more or less, and the others are just getting started. I head for the consignment store.
Where there is a line. Remember when I said that some of the Saturday deals were phenomenal? I obviously wasn't the only one to think so. By the time I get in, almost all of it is gone. I pick up a few pieces, but nothing as nice as I had been hoping to grab. Still, I can't argue with $7 (or so) for a NIB Centurion.
I head back, kill some time before the next round. It's not a repeat of the first - it's a different situation. Both armies, his and mine, have no problems hitting each other. We just can't hurt each other. It's getting funny, but finally I decide to bottle (read: run) before things get worse. He fares a little better than I do in the aftermath, but it was a good decision for a campaign game. I lose a couple of minor grunts, but make enough to replace them, and add another model.
Last game is a rematch against Phil. The scenario frankly favors me, but I ask if he just wants to duke it out in the middle. We agree, and have a cracking good time - his Pit Fighters mow through my Orcs like a plasma cutter through warm butter.
I lose, but we both have a lot of fun. Phil gets to release some seriously pent-up aggression - his gang had barely made an attack roll prior to this point in either game. He makes a lot of them over the course of a couple of minutes, and we both enjoy the scene immensely.
After the battle, I head over to my next game, only a few rows of tables over. I have had a copy of Warlands for several years, but never played it. It's kind of a Mad Max game, where you have Hot Wheels cars (repainted and modified, of course), and drive around, shooting each other. It's far more cinematic than real - destroyed cars can easily blow up, fly through the air, and come down a full turns move away.
I scored the first kill, but was also the first to be completely eliminated. Since the prizes were in descending order, I scored third place (out of three), and got a small prize. Still, a great time and a bonus prize is better than nothing. Looks like I need to find some Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars at garage sales this fall. It's a fun little pickup kind of game, and good for a change of scenery and mood.
Saturday night was the press gang party. Apparently, the press gang party is like Vegas - what happens there, stays there. 'Nuff said. Good times, good times.
After the party, I went back, hung around Iron Arena for a while, and took a few pics.
Saturday morning. Man, these mornings are getting earlier and earlier. I got up, ran, got cleaned up. Today, my roomies and I were all playing in a Mordheim tourney. Mordheim was a game that GW made sometime during the 90s. It's a gang fight game, in the GW fantasy setting. You make a gang, they fight (using something fairly similar to the GW ruleset, with some modifications to make it more of a skirmish game), and they advance or die, as the dice decide.
We get over there, and bump a few hopefuls. The event is full, and we have tickets. They want to play, but have generics. Now, knowing now what I did then, I might have been tempted to give one of them my spot, but that's neither here nor there.
We get a quick overview of the gangs, dice off, and start to choose. I make my choice - a rather inspired one, if I may say so.
In the front, Inky, Clyde, Pinky and Binky.
This choice annoyed one of my friends. He wanted them too, and I beat him in the dice off. As luck would have it, we squared off in the first game. Now, Mordheim is largely a scenario-driven game. Sometimes, the scenario is in your favor, and sometimes, it isn't. The scenario in this case seems fairly even - both sides are searching the buildings on the table for a treasure chest. Once you find it, you have to take it back to your table edge. We can't search the first row of building closest to us, but can start searching the next row. Roll boxcars, and you find it. If it isn't found beforehand, it will be found in the last building.
I win the roll, run forward, search one building. On the opposite side of the table, Phil runs forward, searches a building, and rolls boxcars. Game over. He can't fail to get the chest to his table edge before I can get there. We call it, shake hands, take care of the aftermath (gaining experience, treasure, etc). The GM tells us that we can wander for a bit - our game is over in five minutes, more or less, and the others are just getting started. I head for the consignment store.
Where there is a line. Remember when I said that some of the Saturday deals were phenomenal? I obviously wasn't the only one to think so. By the time I get in, almost all of it is gone. I pick up a few pieces, but nothing as nice as I had been hoping to grab. Still, I can't argue with $7 (or so) for a NIB Centurion.
I head back, kill some time before the next round. It's not a repeat of the first - it's a different situation. Both armies, his and mine, have no problems hitting each other. We just can't hurt each other. It's getting funny, but finally I decide to bottle (read: run) before things get worse. He fares a little better than I do in the aftermath, but it was a good decision for a campaign game. I lose a couple of minor grunts, but make enough to replace them, and add another model.
Last game is a rematch against Phil. The scenario frankly favors me, but I ask if he just wants to duke it out in the middle. We agree, and have a cracking good time - his Pit Fighters mow through my Orcs like a plasma cutter through warm butter.
This will not end well for me.
I lose, but we both have a lot of fun. Phil gets to release some seriously pent-up aggression - his gang had barely made an attack roll prior to this point in either game. He makes a lot of them over the course of a couple of minutes, and we both enjoy the scene immensely.
After the battle, I head over to my next game, only a few rows of tables over. I have had a copy of Warlands for several years, but never played it. It's kind of a Mad Max game, where you have Hot Wheels cars (repainted and modified, of course), and drive around, shooting each other. It's far more cinematic than real - destroyed cars can easily blow up, fly through the air, and come down a full turns move away.
The upside-down buggy was mine. It started 11" away.
I just missed landing on him. Rats!
I scored the first kill, but was also the first to be completely eliminated. Since the prizes were in descending order, I scored third place (out of three), and got a small prize. Still, a great time and a bonus prize is better than nothing. Looks like I need to find some Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars at garage sales this fall. It's a fun little pickup kind of game, and good for a change of scenery and mood.
Hey, a balloon dragon. He's done!
Saturday night was the press gang party. Apparently, the press gang party is like Vegas - what happens there, stays there. 'Nuff said. Good times, good times.
After the party, I went back, hung around Iron Arena for a while, and took a few pics.
Someone has been busy.
He wasn't the only one.
That bridge looks pretty congested.
The Commodore will fix that problem.
GenCon, Day Two
(Still plugging away at these.)
Friday. The recap for Friday is actually going to be pretty short. Why? Read on, and see. . . .
Okay, not much suspense. I woke up, went for a quick run, got cleaned up, and headed over to the exhibit hall. I got there plenty early, but I did not get the "I can get you in early" text that I had been warned to possibly expect. I sat around, and basically watched the people in the area.
Friday. The recap for Friday is actually going to be pretty short. Why? Read on, and see. . . .
Okay, not much suspense. I woke up, went for a quick run, got cleaned up, and headed over to the exhibit hall. I got there plenty early, but I did not get the "I can get you in early" text that I had been warned to possibly expect. I sat around, and basically watched the people in the area.
Like this Dalek.
And these folksingers.
By 2018, half the hall will be steampunk.
At 10, the doors opened, and the maddening crowd rushed inside. Word had spread that some items were already gone (IKRPG and Android: Netrunner, at the very least), so the rush was not quite as pressing as it had been the day before. I made a beeline for the Privateer Booth. There, I was put to work. I stood at the demo tables, and taught people how to play, and how to defeat the bloody Menites with the forces of goodness and light (Cygnar, for those who were wondering). Or, something to that effect.
I pretty much lost track of time. From time to time, Will Hungerford would come by with a bottle of water, and see if I needed anything else. I'd say thanks, take the water if I needed it, and keep running demos. Eventually, another PG (Kevin, I think) came by and told me that I had to take a break. I pulled out my phone, checked the time, and thought "Holy $($*&! It's four o'clock!" I thanked him, finished up what I was doing, handed the table over to him, and wandered the hall. I wasn't really hungry, and I wanted to check out some stuff. I headed over to the Wyrd Miniatures booth - I wanted to get some Malifaux things (like, say, the rulebook), and pick up the new Rail Crew figs. Unfortunately, the Rail Crew wasn't in yet - I had been told on Thursday that they hoped to have it in on Friday, but it hadn't happened, although Saturday was a possibility.
No worries. I wandered over to the Warstore booth, checked out Dropzone Commander, and picked up the Russian Land force. I kind of wanted the bust of the Commander that came with it (as a GenCon freebie), and, although I wanted the naval force more, I did not see it. I checked out the Heavy Gear stuff at the Dream Pod 9 booth, since it was next door. I know I did some other wandering, and that was when I had my first revelation:
By 2018, half of the exhibitors hall will feature steampunk, in one way or another.
Anyway, I went back and finished my shift. With only an hour and some to go, it flew past, and suddenly, the hall was closing, and I was packing up dice and tokens and out the door. I stopped for one quick pic before I left.
I look remarkably chipper, don't I?
I zipped over to the consignment store, since I had a few hours to kill. Remember how I talked about how the consignment store might have a few nice things in it? Yeah - try several large boxes (like, moving boxes), full of Warmachine, Hordes, and Firestorm Armada figs. On Thursday, the prices were too high. Heck, on Friday, they were too high. On Saturday, they would be irresistibly low.
I got a call from a friend, and it was back to the hotel and off to dinner. A short walk away from the convention center, a fairly quick meal at a Mexican place (Acapulco Joe's) and it was time to grab some gear and head over to run Iron Arena from 9 pm to 1 am.
Again, Iron Arena was a blast. Talked to people from a lot of different places, and got to watch as they set up the "Who's the Boss?" tourney. In the tourney, you make your army, but have no warcaster or warlock. You get one, randomly assigned to you - the rules on the card get tweaked a little (e.g., warlocks gain focus manipulation, etc) Obviously, to do this properly, you need to have copies of every single warcaster and warlock in the game.
Well, lookie here!
The only one missing in the end was General Ossrum. Considering that he had been released at GenCon only the morning before, that's not too shabby.
Eventually, my shift was done, and I headed out, though not before grabbing pics of one last item.
He ain't heavy, he's my brother.
GenCon, Day One
I woke up early, went downstairs, ran a quick couple of miles (I am a daily runner, and have not missed a day in years. Day Four of GenCon marked the end of year four - today marks the beginning of year five.), got cleaned up, ate a quick breakfast, and headed over to the hall.
First event was a demo of Heap. Heap is the new card game from Privateer Press, for 2-4 players, aged 10 and up. Frankly, I can't see it playing well with only 2 - the PG who demo'd it described it as "Uno on steroids." The description is fairly apt. Basically, you have four vehicles that you are trying to upgrade with different parts. You place two parts per turn, and then, once everyone has gone, you start playing the remaining cards in your hand in the scrum - winner getting extra parts to add immediately to their vehicles. (I'm giving a very condensed version here, obviously.) When someone has three parts on all four vehicles, the game enters its final battle as soon as that turn is completed. Had a great time, and resolved to pick it up at some point during the con.
Hurried from there to the Lego Robo Rally. Roborally was a game from long ago, where each player controls a robot. You get cards every turn, which you have to use to maneuver through a maze, complete with conveyor belts, crushers, pits, pushers, walls, and other robots - all of which carry lasers and shoot at whatever is in front of them. Everyone plots their entire turn at the same time, too - so where you end up may not be exactly where you planned, when some other bot runs into you and pushes you along the conveyor belt - and then you drive forward 2 squares, and fall into a pit. It was an expensive game, and lasted only an hour, but it was worth it. They had some technical glitches (since it was their first game of the con), but it was a lot of fun. I'll be doing it again. I had to leave, due to a hard break, but I was able to stay and program in my final turn. I ran upstairs and grabbed a chair for the Privateer Press Speed Painting competition.
Now, first off - I am not a fast painter. I can be, but I don't generally like the results. They seem really sloppy, I feel frustrated the entire time, and it's just not the overall relaxing, zen-like state that I can experience on a good day of painting. But - speed painting forces me to be faster, and every time I do it, I learn some tricks that can be applied to future projects. We were painting Menite scum, and, while I did not win, I managed to get a Wild Card slot to the finals.
From the speed painting it was a mad dash to the exhibitors hall. There, I found out about The Line. When the doors to the hall opened at 10:00, the Privateer booth had only a couple of VIGs present buying copies of the IKRPG. By, oh, 10:02, there were several hundred people in line; a line which wound around the Privateer Booth, then stretched back past the Kenzerco booth, and then past the next three of four rows of booths, turned right at the Tardis, and head back toward the rear of the hall. The line got capped, and slowly worked its way back down. But, I got told that the line was still capped, and would be for a while. I wandered around a bit, checked out the Wyrd booth, talked to some people, and came back to the PP line. Wandered again for a bit. Finally got into the line about 1 pm. I stood in line but, when it hit 2 pm, I had to make a choice - stay in line, and possibly get a copy of the IKRPG, or leave for a "Leave how to play IKRPG" event. I stuck it out, and walked out of the booth with a copy of the IKRPG, along with some other things. (A full and complete accounting of what I picked up will be in the last post. It's a long list.) I wandered around a bit, checked out the consignment store for a few minutes, then headed back to the hotel, dropped off my purchases, grabbed my figs, and headed to the Iron Arena.
Iron Arena is a 24/7 event. (Technically, it is 24/4 or so, but it runs through all of official GenCon.) The idea is that you pay two generic tickets, then play games of Warmachine, Hordes, and now Heap or Level 7. and you earn "skulls," or points. These points can be redeemed for various prizes. You earn extra skulls by playing different people, or people from different states, playing at various point levels, theme forces, fully painted, and so forth. I had to judge the event from 5-9, which consisted mainly of registering new people and taking reports from old ones. I had a lot of fun, and Stubs, who is an old hand at this kind of thing, helped me out a lot.
Once it was done, I got in a game with Andreas, from Stockholm. His 3Vlad army just crushed my poor pigs. It wasn't close, but it was a lot of fun. By that time, it was pretty late, and I had to work the next day, so I went back to the hotel, vowing to return to the Iron Arena. Some of the prizes looked pretty sweet.
First event was a demo of Heap. Heap is the new card game from Privateer Press, for 2-4 players, aged 10 and up. Frankly, I can't see it playing well with only 2 - the PG who demo'd it described it as "Uno on steroids." The description is fairly apt. Basically, you have four vehicles that you are trying to upgrade with different parts. You place two parts per turn, and then, once everyone has gone, you start playing the remaining cards in your hand in the scrum - winner getting extra parts to add immediately to their vehicles. (I'm giving a very condensed version here, obviously.) When someone has three parts on all four vehicles, the game enters its final battle as soon as that turn is completed. Had a great time, and resolved to pick it up at some point during the con.
Hurried from there to the Lego Robo Rally. Roborally was a game from long ago, where each player controls a robot. You get cards every turn, which you have to use to maneuver through a maze, complete with conveyor belts, crushers, pits, pushers, walls, and other robots - all of which carry lasers and shoot at whatever is in front of them. Everyone plots their entire turn at the same time, too - so where you end up may not be exactly where you planned, when some other bot runs into you and pushes you along the conveyor belt - and then you drive forward 2 squares, and fall into a pit. It was an expensive game, and lasted only an hour, but it was worth it. They had some technical glitches (since it was their first game of the con), but it was a lot of fun. I'll be doing it again. I had to leave, due to a hard break, but I was able to stay and program in my final turn. I ran upstairs and grabbed a chair for the Privateer Press Speed Painting competition.
Behold, Lego geeky kewlness!
The yellow one looks familiar.
As does that one.
Now, first off - I am not a fast painter. I can be, but I don't generally like the results. They seem really sloppy, I feel frustrated the entire time, and it's just not the overall relaxing, zen-like state that I can experience on a good day of painting. But - speed painting forces me to be faster, and every time I do it, I learn some tricks that can be applied to future projects. We were painting Menite scum, and, while I did not win, I managed to get a Wild Card slot to the finals.
From the speed painting it was a mad dash to the exhibitors hall. There, I found out about The Line. When the doors to the hall opened at 10:00, the Privateer booth had only a couple of VIGs present buying copies of the IKRPG. By, oh, 10:02, there were several hundred people in line; a line which wound around the Privateer Booth, then stretched back past the Kenzerco booth, and then past the next three of four rows of booths, turned right at the Tardis, and head back toward the rear of the hall. The line got capped, and slowly worked its way back down. But, I got told that the line was still capped, and would be for a while. I wandered around a bit, checked out the Wyrd booth, talked to some people, and came back to the PP line. Wandered again for a bit. Finally got into the line about 1 pm. I stood in line but, when it hit 2 pm, I had to make a choice - stay in line, and possibly get a copy of the IKRPG, or leave for a "Leave how to play IKRPG" event. I stuck it out, and walked out of the booth with a copy of the IKRPG, along with some other things. (A full and complete accounting of what I picked up will be in the last post. It's a long list.) I wandered around a bit, checked out the consignment store for a few minutes, then headed back to the hotel, dropped off my purchases, grabbed my figs, and headed to the Iron Arena.
Iron Arena is a 24/7 event. (Technically, it is 24/4 or so, but it runs through all of official GenCon.) The idea is that you pay two generic tickets, then play games of Warmachine, Hordes, and now Heap or Level 7. and you earn "skulls," or points. These points can be redeemed for various prizes. You earn extra skulls by playing different people, or people from different states, playing at various point levels, theme forces, fully painted, and so forth. I had to judge the event from 5-9, which consisted mainly of registering new people and taking reports from old ones. I had a lot of fun, and Stubs, who is an old hand at this kind of thing, helped me out a lot.
Once it was done, I got in a game with Andreas, from Stockholm. His 3Vlad army just crushed my poor pigs. It wasn't close, but it was a lot of fun. By that time, it was pretty late, and I had to work the next day, so I went back to the hotel, vowing to return to the Iron Arena. Some of the prizes looked pretty sweet.
My pigs can handle that.
Those guys might be a problem, though.
Yep, they are. Say good-night, pigs.
GenCon, Day 0
(I'm still organizing the pics. I took only 170 or so, and some are blurry, but it may take a day or two to get them sorted and up. I will go back and insert them into the posts as I do so. Just a heads-up.)
I was originally hoping to be on the road by about 9 am on Wednesday morning. Indianapolis is about three and a half hours away, so I would be down there by lunchtime. That didn't happen. I wasn't out of town by ten, although it was close. I had to run a couple of minor errands on the way, and double back to pick up my camera. Doh!
The drive was uneventful. I arrived, parked for a brief period on the street, ran in, grabbed my badge and tickets from Will Call, and took my stuff to the auction room so that it could get checked in. I had to make two trips with the hand truck, but found someone to watch my stuff in the meantime. When you took stuff to the auction room, the first question was "How many items do you have?" If it was under 25, you got a green ticket. Over that, and it was red.
I had 33 items, so I got a red ticket, and stood in the line. And stood. And stood. The green line had a couple of people working it, and the red line had one. And the red line had people with just over 25 items, and people getting rid of hundreds of items. At ten or fifteen items per minute, going through 700 items takes about an hour.
An hour or so later, I left mt stuff in the auction room, under the watchful eyes of several other line-standees, and ran out, drove around to check out a long-term parking lot, got lost, found my way to the hotel, checked in, took my stuff up to the room, parked at the hotel, and went back to the auction room. I was gone for almost an hour, and not only had my number not come up, but the red line did not even more in that period.
I waited in the auction hall until it officially closed at 6. They hit the point of turning people away, and added more people to check in the red line. Some of us (meaning: me) were getting kind of testy, because they had switched things around, and now, green tickets went to anyone with up to 50 items. They did manage to fit me in, so that I did not have to try and come back (and miss events) Thursday morning in order to wait in line again. The good news that came out of all this is that I could tell that the auction and consignment store would likely be pretty good this year.
Anyway, once that was done, I headed over to the Ram, so I could meet some PGs and try the new beer that they had brewed for the year. I look for other PGs in the scrum, and must have looked especially lost and pathetic, because I got invited to a random table, by another press ganger (Don King). He grabbed a few other random people, and we talked for a while. Several staffers came over and talked to us, as well as other gamers. It was a great random and chaotic time, although I was a little brain-fried from having stood in that auction hall for so long.
Eventually, I headed left, but not before I picked up the mug and shirt. Met up with my friends back at the room, talked for some time, and went to sleep, waiting for the day that is, to a gamer, almost as big a deal as Christmas - opening day of GenCon.
I was originally hoping to be on the road by about 9 am on Wednesday morning. Indianapolis is about three and a half hours away, so I would be down there by lunchtime. That didn't happen. I wasn't out of town by ten, although it was close. I had to run a couple of minor errands on the way, and double back to pick up my camera. Doh!
The drive was uneventful. I arrived, parked for a brief period on the street, ran in, grabbed my badge and tickets from Will Call, and took my stuff to the auction room so that it could get checked in. I had to make two trips with the hand truck, but found someone to watch my stuff in the meantime. When you took stuff to the auction room, the first question was "How many items do you have?" If it was under 25, you got a green ticket. Over that, and it was red.
I had 33 items, so I got a red ticket, and stood in the line. And stood. And stood. The green line had a couple of people working it, and the red line had one. And the red line had people with just over 25 items, and people getting rid of hundreds of items. At ten or fifteen items per minute, going through 700 items takes about an hour.
An hour or so later, I left mt stuff in the auction room, under the watchful eyes of several other line-standees, and ran out, drove around to check out a long-term parking lot, got lost, found my way to the hotel, checked in, took my stuff up to the room, parked at the hotel, and went back to the auction room. I was gone for almost an hour, and not only had my number not come up, but the red line did not even more in that period.
I waited in the auction hall until it officially closed at 6. They hit the point of turning people away, and added more people to check in the red line. Some of us (meaning: me) were getting kind of testy, because they had switched things around, and now, green tickets went to anyone with up to 50 items. They did manage to fit me in, so that I did not have to try and come back (and miss events) Thursday morning in order to wait in line again. The good news that came out of all this is that I could tell that the auction and consignment store would likely be pretty good this year.
Anyway, once that was done, I headed over to the Ram, so I could meet some PGs and try the new beer that they had brewed for the year. I look for other PGs in the scrum, and must have looked especially lost and pathetic, because I got invited to a random table, by another press ganger (Don King). He grabbed a few other random people, and we talked for a while. Several staffers came over and talked to us, as well as other gamers. It was a great random and chaotic time, although I was a little brain-fried from having stood in that auction hall for so long.
Eventually, I headed left, but not before I picked up the mug and shirt. Met up with my friends back at the room, talked for some time, and went to sleep, waiting for the day that is, to a gamer, almost as big a deal as Christmas - opening day of GenCon.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Back from GenCon
I'm back, and will write something, and post pics. Had a lot of fun, did some work, didn't play as many games as I had hoped, and bought what will probably turn out to be waaay to much stuff. Definitely worth it.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Quick GenCon Goodness hit.
In the current PP insider, there is quite a bit about GenCon. Looks like it will be not as bad for my wallet as I feared. Yes, I want all of the colossals and gargantuans. But, I am willing to put some of them off longer than others. The Hyperion will be there, and I need me one of those. I need some Gatormen Witch Doctors. But, fortunately for me - the Galleon does not look like it will be there. I want a Mountain King, and the Woldwrath, but I am willing to wait on those a little longer.
Unless my auction stuff sells well. In which case, yeah, I'm going to pick them up too.
Unless my auction stuff sells well. In which case, yeah, I'm going to pick them up too.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Pre-GenCon thoughts, musings, and randomness
So, GenCon is in a couple of days. My first thought is a rather comforting "Holy $*&$! I am nowhere near ready for this." Seriously. I have something like 35 items currently in the auction or the consignment store. Many of them are terrain items (I am a licensed seller of Hirst Arts stuff - basically, I make terrain) - not all of them are done. Most of them are very, very close - I should knock off a bunch of them tonight without much effort. The others will take a bit more work, but should be done by mid-day tomorrow.
The rest of it is random gaming detritus that has collected in the basement over the years. That stuff, I just have to bag and tag, more or less. Easy peasy rice and cheesy.
I have a pretty good shopping list already worked up. I want to go pick up Leviathans. It's an alternate-earth, armored airships game, which sounds like fun. It's going to be pricey, so I am hoping that it is worth it.
Malifaux is a game that I have been meaning to try. I picked up a bunch of Malifaux figs in a trade a few weeks ago, so GenCon will give me a chance to go try the game. I'll be picking up the core rules, and there is a new set coming out that looks like fun. Metal railroad golem, a crazy Harry kind of guy with a wheelbarrow full of dynamite, and a spitting image of John Henry? Yeah, I'm in on that.
Fantasy Flight is coming out with a new Star Wars spaceship game. I'm not super-happy with the number of ships in the core box, especially at that price point, but I'll still almost sold on it, just because it is Fantasy Flight, and Star Wars. I'll have to see it to push me over the edge.
Privateer Press is going to get a goodly amount of my money, especially if the Hyperion is out. Or the Galleon. I plan on picking up the IKRPG, a colossal or two, a gatorman witch doctor, and filling out some other holes in my collection. If the 2-player Hordes starter is out, that's great, but I'll probably have to hold out on it for a while - both Circle and Legion need beefing up, but I want to plug some other gaps first.
I've been thinking about Wiz-War for a long time, but it has been OOP. Fantasy Flight has brought it out again, so it looks like I can finally pick it up. And, that really means that I will also wind up making a Hirst Arts board for it at some point.
I picked up MERCS in a trade a while ago (same trade as the Malifaux). I'll stop by the booth and see if I can get a demo. I have several of the factions already, but might pick up another. I like the idea of buying one set of six figs, and being basically set for any game.
I'll do a lot of wandering, just to randomly see what is in the exhibit hall, and naturally I will check out the auction and consignment store. (I'll be looking to see what of mine has sold, but also looking for bargains.) And, if you happen to wander by the Privateer booth on Friday, or are in the Iron Arena area Thursday or Friday nights, stop by and say hi.
And hey - leave a comment here, if there is anything at GenCon that you think I should check out. The exhibit hall is big, so I'm going to miss things. A heads-up would be appreciated.
The rest of it is random gaming detritus that has collected in the basement over the years. That stuff, I just have to bag and tag, more or less. Easy peasy rice and cheesy.
I have a pretty good shopping list already worked up. I want to go pick up Leviathans. It's an alternate-earth, armored airships game, which sounds like fun. It's going to be pricey, so I am hoping that it is worth it.
Malifaux is a game that I have been meaning to try. I picked up a bunch of Malifaux figs in a trade a few weeks ago, so GenCon will give me a chance to go try the game. I'll be picking up the core rules, and there is a new set coming out that looks like fun. Metal railroad golem, a crazy Harry kind of guy with a wheelbarrow full of dynamite, and a spitting image of John Henry? Yeah, I'm in on that.
Fantasy Flight is coming out with a new Star Wars spaceship game. I'm not super-happy with the number of ships in the core box, especially at that price point, but I'll still almost sold on it, just because it is Fantasy Flight, and Star Wars. I'll have to see it to push me over the edge.
Privateer Press is going to get a goodly amount of my money, especially if the Hyperion is out. Or the Galleon. I plan on picking up the IKRPG, a colossal or two, a gatorman witch doctor, and filling out some other holes in my collection. If the 2-player Hordes starter is out, that's great, but I'll probably have to hold out on it for a while - both Circle and Legion need beefing up, but I want to plug some other gaps first.
I've been thinking about Wiz-War for a long time, but it has been OOP. Fantasy Flight has brought it out again, so it looks like I can finally pick it up. And, that really means that I will also wind up making a Hirst Arts board for it at some point.
I picked up MERCS in a trade a while ago (same trade as the Malifaux). I'll stop by the booth and see if I can get a demo. I have several of the factions already, but might pick up another. I like the idea of buying one set of six figs, and being basically set for any game.
I'll do a lot of wandering, just to randomly see what is in the exhibit hall, and naturally I will check out the auction and consignment store. (I'll be looking to see what of mine has sold, but also looking for bargains.) And, if you happen to wander by the Privateer booth on Friday, or are in the Iron Arena area Thursday or Friday nights, stop by and say hi.
And hey - leave a comment here, if there is anything at GenCon that you think I should check out. The exhibit hall is big, so I'm going to miss things. A heads-up would be appreciated.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Quick notes
Very quick, since I just spent the last hour or so entering items for the GenCon aution, and I wants some food. At The Odyssey tonight, I mentioned several Michigan Warmachine groups on facebook - here they are:
The Michiana Warmachine Group
Michigan Warmachine Hordes Players
The Michiana Warmachine Group
Michigan Warmachine Hordes Players
Thursday, August 9, 2012
GenCon is coming
Quick post - I've been quiet. Been out of the house a lot, and haven't been spending much time painting lately. But, GenCon is coming, and I plan on doing a lot of gaming during those four days. I'll put up my list of what I am hoping to find later tonight.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
My painting table was invaded!
I'm not kidding, either. Well, not much, anyway.
Since early January, when I redid my painting area, pretty much the only things that have actually been on my painting table have been either Warmachine, Hordes, or Iron Kingdom RPG figs. I think I have had a couple of other things on it, but really, I would have to stop and think about what they are. I certainly have not touched my Orks, Ogres or Space Marines, and my DBA armies have sat collecting dust.
Not tonight, however. Right now, in my painting area, there sit some non-PP figs. Sure, tonight I worked on a Road Hog, a War Hog, a gatorman or two, and a heirophant. But, I also did some base colors on some Federated States frigates (for Dystopian Wars), began a color test on a USCR figs for MERCS, and started base coats on some Silurids and Witchling Stalkers for Malifux.
I should get some decent painting time in tomorrow. The frigates should be quick and easy - I might actually have all nine of them done by the weekend. And the Witchling Stalkers, while characterful miniatures, should still paint quickly enough. The MERCS figs will take longer, and I don't plan on skimping on the WM/H figs.
I am not sure if army ADD kicked in (aka new shiney syndrome), or if I just needed a break, since I have been painting in the Iron Kingdoms for more than half a year, albeit intermittently.
Since early January, when I redid my painting area, pretty much the only things that have actually been on my painting table have been either Warmachine, Hordes, or Iron Kingdom RPG figs. I think I have had a couple of other things on it, but really, I would have to stop and think about what they are. I certainly have not touched my Orks, Ogres or Space Marines, and my DBA armies have sat collecting dust.
Not tonight, however. Right now, in my painting area, there sit some non-PP figs. Sure, tonight I worked on a Road Hog, a War Hog, a gatorman or two, and a heirophant. But, I also did some base colors on some Federated States frigates (for Dystopian Wars), began a color test on a USCR figs for MERCS, and started base coats on some Silurids and Witchling Stalkers for Malifux.
I should get some decent painting time in tomorrow. The frigates should be quick and easy - I might actually have all nine of them done by the weekend. And the Witchling Stalkers, while characterful miniatures, should still paint quickly enough. The MERCS figs will take longer, and I don't plan on skimping on the WM/H figs.
I am not sure if army ADD kicked in (aka new shiney syndrome), or if I just needed a break, since I have been painting in the Iron Kingdoms for more than half a year, albeit intermittently.
Better pics (though not by much)
I really need to make a better setup for taking pics. In the meantime, these should be an improvement over yesterday.
First off, from last month -finished, but not photographed: a full unit of Gatorman Posse.
An Ironback spitter:
A Bull Snapper
And, an improved shot of the Swamp Horror from yesterday:
Tonight should have more priming and more painting, but I don't think that I will be finishing anything tonight. I am also trying to sort through some old gaming stuff that has been gathering dust in the basement - my GenCon shopping list keeps getting longer and longer, and thus more and more expensive.
First off, from last month -finished, but not photographed: a full unit of Gatorman Posse.
An Ironback spitter:
A Bull Snapper
And, an improved shot of the Swamp Horror from yesterday:
Tonight should have more priming and more painting, but I don't think that I will be finishing anything tonight. I am also trying to sort through some old gaming stuff that has been gathering dust in the basement - my GenCon shopping list keeps getting longer and longer, and thus more and more expensive.
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