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Showing posts with label deadzone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label deadzone. Show all posts

Friday, January 9, 2015

Progress Report 1/9/15 - A new year begins.

Well here we are in 2015. The future? It doesn't feel like anything has changed dramatically. I realized I am going into my 8th year of this blog and this hobby. Don't have a lot to show for it on the painted model front but I will always have the memories (thanks to the blog posts). 

Started the year off painting in my living quarters (aka a hotel room) a bit. Not easy and probably not something I will continue to do in the remaining month or so of my time away from home. I did manage to get some skin painting done of my Deadzone plague minis though.


Going with a neon green/bright pink kind of infection look. The rest of the outfits will be dark greys/blacks/whites and maybe a little prison orange. Also spent a bit of time working on my Undead Mordheim warband with additions to the Vampire leader. Still need a name and backstory for this fellow but I am thinking it is something like the Cursed Company. He isn't too happy about being a vampiric undead warrior but he makes the best of it by going out and merc'n it up.
 

Also managed to get into a start up game of Risk Legacy and played a few games of that. Expect some kind of battle/game reports for that coming up soon. In the meantime... stay warm and keep painting!! 

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

A New Year - 2015 Hobby Resolutions.

Well it is 2015 already!? Man time really moves. Hard to believe it has been a year since I last wrote a list of hobby related resolutions back in 2014. I suppose the first order of business is to revisit them!

A list of things I resolved to accomplish with my hobby in 2014:
  • Update this blog at least twice a week all year: (FAIL) - Well I tried for a bit, and I was making good progress too, but eventually the accumulated RL stopped me from getting this done. While I did manage to play more RPG games and board games I didn't catalog any of those experiences here on the blog. Nor did I get nearly enough beer reviews up!! I have quite the back log waiting to be posted...
  • Finish painting all of the Blood Bowl teams I have started: (FAIL) - Not even close. In actuality I don't think I finished even one additional team!! I blame the not really attending any tournaments this year and not having a local league at the moment.
  • Play some WHFB somewhere, somehow: (FAIL) - Nope. While I did manage to get out some of my WoC minis and assemble and paint them I didn't get a single game in. I did have plans to do so a few times!! That sort of counts right? I did manage to build and mostly paint a Mordheim warband and play a short test game of that though.   
  • Attend as many Blood Bowl tournaments as possible: (WIN) - "as possible" being the key here! I did get to go to ZBX which was a lot of fun and Chaos Cup too. Aside from those and Dog Bowl here in Kalamazoo I didn't do too hot on getting out to tournaments with any regularity. A combination of not having money to travel and not being able to get time off for work really stuck it to me this time around. 
  • Paint something just for the heck of it: (WIN) - Well I count my Rebs faction from Deadzone here as I painted it up (and built a bunch of terrain) without any plans to play the game nor any players to play it with! Just liked the look of that faction and wanted to see them painted up.
  • Start cataloging the various game design/theory/ideas I have as they come up: (FAIL) - Didn't manage to do this exactly as I had written out but I did start and mostly complete a design document for a game I have been working on throughout the year as inspiration strikes. Hoping to get it more fleshed out and playtested this year and possibly even released!? 
Well there you have 2014 and my hobby resolutions in a nutshell. Not the greatest nor most productive of years but I am not displeased with my progress. At least I have a few minis painted that weren't painted last year!!

Now... on to this year's 2015 Hobby Resolutions! 

The future is looking good...
  • Spend at least 15 minutes every day working on hobby:  Something I have been trying to do anyway so it makes sense to put it on this list. Those 15 minutes a day really add up! Especially when things like a new job/new routine/new year conspire to eat up my painting and modeling time. 

  • Finish painting at least one of the Blood Bowl teams I have started: Well I couldn't manage to paint them all this year but I should be able to at least finish one!! Right!?!

  • Play some Mordheim and/or Deadzone: Got the minis, they are painted, just need time and players. It shall be done!!!

  • Attend at least 4 Blood Bowl tournaments: I managed to go to that many in 2014 and it didn't feel like enough. This year I will make it to at least that many and maybe more?!

  • Prototype and playtest "the game" I have been designing: Cool idea, fun gameplay mechanics, at least in my mind. Need to get it on the tabletop and see how it works in reality.

  • Update Drinkin' and Modelin' at least once a week: Totally doable and should be the minimum requirement for having a blog anyway!!!

And there we have it. A list of things. Good things! Happy things! I will feel so awesome and accomplished when I manage to get them all done with zero FAILS on my list at the end of 2015. Here is to the future and hoping you have a great one too. 

Monday, November 10, 2014

Progress Report 11/10/14 - Zoning Out.

Things! Big things! Changing up the job again. This time I will be making a bit more money but have a bit less time not working (at least for the next few months). Excited to be less stressed about income but not so excited about spending the next month and a half away from home for training! 

Expect updates to come few and far between in the next couple months. In the meantime here are some photos of Deadzone terrain I have been building up (along with modifying some existing terrain I had built for Necromunda). Still no idea when I will play the game proper but I figure having some nice looking terrain to play on can't make matters worse. 

Big 4x4 building/stronghold type terrain.
A "bridge" type building I made to connect other buildings.
Like this!
Start of some sort of space type building thing with platforms.
This unpainted terrain belongs to the Rebs!!
Perhaps we should call it TERRArain?
A big 4x4 rubble pile with some towers.
I've actually got a lot more done now. Pretty much all of the Deadzone starter box terrain is built and I am just adding some of the bits and details to them now. I built a lot of cubes figuring they would be the most flexible for stacking and other formations. I'll get them up soon once I have it all primed!

Also managed to snag this snazzy new paint rack out of the trash. Organization!!

Ohhh... fancy.
And I received some new brushes from the Ichiban Games & Gears kickstarter though I haven't used them yet. They look nice and I hope to paint up some minis with them soon! Until next time...

Monday, July 21, 2014

Progress Report 7/21/14 - Finding the Path...

Back in the painting saddled after time away for gaming at Zlurpee Bowl and working on Mordheim Undead warband minis and a few new Pathfinder characters for a home game I am running with a few friends. Also picked up Dreadball for cheap so I will either start playing that game or maybe just build and paint up the minis to sell. We'll see.... in the meantime here is some progress!

Re-painted Dire Wolf
Dead and creepy
Warband's Necromancer
Wanted to keep the blacks black
Happy with the book and skull details
Look into their eyes
Halfling Rogue
Furry feet increase stealth
Dwarf Cleric of Sarenrae
Red and gold with a flaming weapon
Dwarf Druid
First try at a camo cloak
Gnomish Barbarian
Small but mighty
Start of a Deadzone Plague test color scheme
I kinda like the gross pink and green combo
Next up I have more RPG minis to paint including some additional commissions. Hoping to get some more Deadzone terrain built up too but this month is flying by! We'll see...

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Zlurpee Bowl Recap - Day 2.

Day two of the annual Zlurpee Bowl event began with very low energy. After staying up until the early hours of the morning playing Deadzone Coach Randroid wasn't quite on his toes going into the first game. But before we get into the Blood Bowl action lets take a little sidetrack into how the big Save The Cheerleader: Save Your Jobs - Deadzone 8 player game that was played on Saturday night. 

A view of the table (most of it anyway)

It was the first time I had the opportunity to play Deadzone (or any Mantic game actually) and it was a great introduction to their game. I brought a small 70 point Rebs force comprised of one Commander, 1 Terraton, 1 Yndij sergeant, 1 Yndij soldier, 1 Sorak, and 3 Humans. I had no idea what I was doing when building this list so I just went with the minis I liked the looks of most. It turned out to be an okay list but perhaps that was just a bit of luck?

The Randroid Rebs deployment in their zone
Terraton in the alley hiding from grenades
The objective of the game for the Rebs was to find the Cheerleader in the center of the board and escort her to one of two nearby safehouses on the board. Meanwhile two forces each of Enforcers, Marauders, and deadly Plague were also trying to reach the Cheerleader for their own mission (to kill, capture, or steal the POI). 

Commander overseeing the Terraton and sniping Plague
After several rounds of being trapped in an alley along the board edge the Rebs were able to breakout with their Terraton and crush the nearby Plague resistance (with a little help from the sniping Commander on top of a nearby building). While a few Humans died in route most of the Rebs were left unscathed while the other alien factions tore each other to shreds. At the end the Rebs found the Cheerleader and cleared their objective.

Eyes on the prize, the Terraton on the way to the Cheerleader
All in all it was a very fun time. Learning a new game in a competitive setting is always a little difficult but all of the other players (who had played previously) were very supportive and even gave me some tips and tactics as the game went on. Initial response to the game from me... COOL! Now I just have to find a way to work it into my local gaming rotation some how... 


So back to day two of Zlurpee Bowl X. If you missed day one you should probably read that recap here first. In short... the final day 1 results for the Zlurp Outcasts was a solid record of  2 Wins and 2 Ties with 0 Losses. Quite respectable and perhaps one of the better results I have had in a NAF event!

When the Fez attack!!!
Game 5 vs Coach theotherspencer's Orcs the 4D Shriners
Rising from their graves (and crypts, and burrows, and ditches) the necromantic Zlurp Outcasts took to the field against Da 40 Miners worshiping Orcs of the 4D Shriners. In perfect Blood Bowl weather both teams took to the field though the crowd was in favor of the Outcasts. If that wasn't bad enough the 4D Shriners lost a reroll to their piss poor coaching before receiving the kick from the Outcasts. Riding high on their most recent win the Outcasts quickly move in to push the orcs out of the way and gain control of the ball, perhaps a little too quickly, as werewolf Harry Hoyt falls after failing a dodge and lands directly on his claws then fails to regenerate from his self inflicted wounds. On Turn 3 the zombie Godric is obliterated on a blitz but pulls himself together but not before the 4D Shriners score their first touchdown. The Outcasts receive the return kick but the slippery hands of ghoul Damon Digger fail all attempts to pick up the ball and give the orcs the chance to push the defense. Desperate and out for blood the Outcasts come back with a handoff to werewolf Cliff Lancer in traffic who dodges away and pushes himself into the endzone for a Turn 5 score. The Shriners quickly get their revenge by kicking Cliff Lancer to death on Turn 8 of the first half.

The Outcasts lined up with what remained of their team to receive the kick and wight Curd Louis takes out his undead anger on a nearby Black Orc and crushes his skull on the line before failing to do the same on Turn 2 but takes himself out of the game in the process. Meanwhile the magnificent ghoul Shank Orloff grabs the ball and hides behind whats left of the necromantic line but fails to avoid the oncoming block of the Shriners blodging blitzer who knocks him over on a blitz and scoops up the ball to score on Turn 3. Now behind and down to 6 players the Outcasts line up to go for the tie. After some amazing sacrifices from the remaining wight and flesh golems Shank Orloff goes for the gold by blitzing the orc near the downed ball, killing him, then scooping up the ball to break away for the score. In a last ditch effort the Outcasts come together with a series of blocks, moves, dodges, and assists to knock off the blodging defender menacing Shank Orloff and giving him the chance to break away with two dodges and two GFI to score the tie. Instead he tripped over the goal line and killed himself to end the game on Turn 8.

Result: 2-1 Loss

As a side note this was a bit of a revenge match for theotherspencer who was beaten by the Zlurp Outcasts (the all zombie version) at ZB8. This was apparently quite scarring for him and he was very excited to have his vengeance on the zombies and other sundry undead of the Outcasts.

That is a lot of stars...
Game 6 vs BigSexy's Halflings (though mostly Zlurpee Star Players) Van Gor's Green Fairies
While not in the running for any particular awards the Outcasts decided to take up a grudge match by keeping it in the family and taking on BigSexy (theotherspencer's brother). After setting up, and receiving the kick off in perfect Blood Bowl weather, the Outcasts immediately went to work and began systematically removing each Star Player on the Van Gor's team. In the first block the flesh golem Franken flexed his stitched muscles and crushed the head of a nearby halfling. Not to be outdone werewolf Harry Hoyt slashed the star player Zorg to pieces on a blitz. Seeing blood the wight Curd Louis smashed a nearby halfling while fellow flesh golem Barry took the opportunity to destroy the ogre star player Zonk. In total the first 4 blocks resulted in casualties which were quickly followed up by another two casualties in Turn 2 including the star player Zlurpus (who regenerated). Meanwhile in the back field the ghoul Shank Orloff fails to pick up the ball on turns 1, 2, and 3 with a reroll before finally grabbing the ball on Turn 6 and breaking away to score on Turn 8 of the first half.

The sideline after the first two turns
Zorg, Zlurpus, and a couple halflings ready to take the win
Even with just a few halflings it's hard to get the ball
The second half continues with two star players left (the back from the dead again Zlurpus and the mostly naked Zorg) and a few halflings trying to tie up the game. Unfortunately for the Fairies the Outcasts were quickly able to take away the ball and kill Zlurpus (who regenerated again) again in the process. After scoring again on turn 3, 4, and 7 the game finally ends with Zorg standing up alone to the mass beating of the nearby Outcasts on the pitch.

This doesn't seem fair...
Result: 4-0 Win


So there you have it. 2 days of Blood Bowl left Coach Randroid and the Zlurp Outcasts with a final score of 3 wins, 2 ties, and 1 loss... the best result to date at Zlurpee Bowl for both. Total final standings can be seen here but for a quick "for fun" rundown here are a few other stats of interest:

Number of Zombie fouls - 4
Number of times killed by fouls - 2
Number of times the Claw skill was used - 3
Number of times the ball was dropped by Ghouls on pickup - 9
Number of failed GFI - 12
Number of failed dodges (with rerolls) - 8
Number of suicides by failed dodges/GFI/failed regens - 4
Number of failed regenerations - 10 (7 of which belong to werewolves)

Overall MVP (from CAS and TD) - #3 Werewolf Harry Hoyt (3 TD and 2 CAS)

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Progress Report 6/14/14 - The plague (of unpainted minis).

It's June! So far it has been a very busy month for me but not so much on the painting or gaming fronts! Been working on a side business that is food related and selling some stuff at a market in my town. Also headed to Austin, TX for a week in just two days where I plan to eat a lot of tacos, drink some beers, and maybe play a game or two. 

In the meantime there has been talk of getting a Mordheim game started between a few Blood Bowl folks since that has pretty much died off. Also getting ready (mentally) for Zlurpee Bowl X next month as well as painting and assembling Deadzone minis. 


I also got my "paint and trade" Maneater mini in the mail... behold! He makes me want to model an entire unit of Maneaters focused on heavy drinking but I may not get to that for awhile.