Progress Report 12/26/16 - Last tabletop games of the year?

Happy holidaze are upon us! I spent the last week off from work but got very little accomplished on the modeling or painting fronts. I did go a bit nutty and decided to rearrange my whole first two floors starting with painting setup. Previously it lived in our sun room but I wanted to be able to use that room for my non-mini painting as well as hanging out in (cozy in the fall and winter and fresh in the spring and winter). After many hours of packing up and taking things up and down our treacherous basement stairs I managed this:

New basement dwelling for the basement dweller

Painting table (desk) all set up and ready to go again after carefully moving my entire miniatures collection. New set up has less (basically zero) natural light but I have a combination of about 6 other lights which keep it from being too dank. 

Pros

• No dogs in my painting area (so hopefully no dog hair stuck in my paint)
• Nice and cool year round (not too hot or too cold like the previous set up)
• Right next to my 4x4 gaming table (hopefully netting me more painted terrain!)
• I can talk to myself and not seem to crazy

Cons

• Less human and animal interaction (see last pro)
• A little basement-troll like
• No natural light

Painting with sunlights and plants

My current sun room painting setup is pretty modular (read temporary) with a folding chair and table though overall I am quite pleased with the change. I also rearranged my living and dining rooms to make things more open and easier to have guest over for entertainment (like hopefully playing games!). Speaking of having guest over - earlier last week Furry and I got in a quick Vanguard game of Age of Sigmar. It was his first game of Warhammer (of any kind?) and he did great! 

Table set up - Khorne Bloodbound vs Skaven Pestilence 

Plague Monks and Skrolk hanging out with the Plague Furnace

So many followers of Khorne! The wolves were stand in minis for Flesh Hounds

More rats equals more fun for the Plague Furnace! Shove off!

Line of topless barbarians is not impressed.

Cute little Korgorath wants a hug?

Plague Furnace managed to chew through topless men but got stopped by one with a whip.

This is all going according to plan...

I wanted to give us both a chance to try out some fun synergies with the two lists. Since I had not played either force there was a bit of guessing as to what would work well and what might just be for laughs. Big winners for Khorne and Furry were the Flesh Hounds. Two units of 5 each managed to chew through almost all of my foot slogging Skaven (Plague Monks and Censer Bearers). Add on their ability to shut down a magic phase and I really can't see why you wouldn't make room for them in any Khorne themed list!

For the forces of Pestilence the big winner was (literally) the Great Unclean One. He single handily managed to kill the most units between his magic, shooting, and close combat phases. Of course the Mighty Lord of Khorne probably could have killed him in one turn but Furry realized that a bit too late in the game (and yes I did tell him about his general's fighting skills!). 

Game ended as a draw on objectives but a win for points taken out (with just my Hero units left on the table and running away). It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to get these minis all painted up and more games going! 

Meanwhile in a galaxy far far away... 

Spent one afternoon at the FLGS getting a demo of X-wing from a player who has literally everything that has been released for the game. It was a bit daunting to be honest but I stuck it out and played through a quick tutorial and then short 35 pt game. Ended up just barely winning by taking out the Rebel scum in a desperate strafing run from my star pilot (the either Tie Fighter having been blown away quickly in the game). The game seems like a good time and I can see why it has such a following. The dog fighting and maneuvers are quite cool and the key gameplay of action economy and synergy between ships, pilots, and abilities is well done. Overall I am just not that excited by Star Wars in general and not in love with all the spaceships. A fun game but one I don't intend to dive in to. 

Now that we are living in a post-XMASSSS 2016 world it's time to dive into my basement painting den and get cranking on some minis!

Krampus!!

Happy Krampus everyone!!

How are you celebrating your Krampus today? Need inspiration? How about a list of a few possible Krampus related activities you can do with your friends and loved ones:

• Make yourself a Krampus mask
• Cut and or burn some bundles of birch
• Ring bells!
• Join in a parade or throw a party
• Drink, feast, and be merry (and drunk)
• Run through the streets screaming "Krampus is coming!"
• Tell a story
• Ringing more bells, and beat on a drum
• Give gifts and take gifts too
• Beatings and/or whippings!

Whatever you do, have a good time and don't forget to celebrate! It's another 364 days until the next Krampus day after all...

Progress Report 12/28/10 - Messing with my new light box.

So what sort of holiday swag did you get? I got a light box and some brewing supplies. Still messing with my camera settings and lighting but I think these pics are certainly better..

My Beast of Nurgle (Sucksore) from the Nurgland Germs. The color is almost spot on with the actual miniature's paint job but I am still having some trouble with the lighting and overall graininess of the image. Gotta read up a bit and figure out how to make that go away.

Happy t-day!

 

I'm thankful to have made it through a really hectic few months of work. I'm thankful for a fun group of gamers to play both Blood Bowl and WHFB with in my town. I'm thankful for having the funds and time to paint tiny little miniatures and relax. And most of all I am thankful to all of you for reading my inane ramblings.

Have a great holiday and if you're in the mood to do some shopping tomorrow you might want to check out this list of deals courtesy of The Hopeless Gamer.

Merry Gutmass!

Hope you have a wonderful holiday with the ones you love.

New Year, same Warhammer.

Wow. It has been far too long since I posted here. The onslaught of the Holidaze, coupled with a "vacation" to Colorado, has conspired to keep me away from my beloved Gnoblog! No more I say! No more!

I think the Dark God Nurgle may have blessed me with some strange (and not so wonderful) gift over the past couple weeks. It started out right around Xmas with a sore throat and blisters on my lips. Turns out I was probably getting a bit too close to a little too much super glue for my own good. My body reacted violently to glue fumes and burst into horrible sores on my lips and in my throat (around my sinuses). What followed was about a week of non-stop pain every time I breathed, swallowed, talked, sneezed, burped, ate, drank, or did anything at all that might briefly pass the open sores.

Lesson learned. Glue in a well ventilated area and don't do so much of it all at once! I was so excited about my new Vampire Counts army I tried to get as much done as I could before leaving on vacation. This frenzy of assembly is likely the culprit to my glue induced misery.

Shortly after I was mostly healed I hopped in my car and drove up to Fort Collins, CO to stay with F's sister and her family for a holiday vacation. The drive wasn't bad and the time went by fairly quick. Upon arriving we spent the first couple days in nature and bars. Somewhere along the way I was further blessed by Nurgle coming down with a case of violent stomach duress. Spending 12+ hours puking your guts out and another few days laying in bed moaning is not what I would recommend for a vacation. Felt better just in time to drive back home to Texas and the world of breakfast tacos, warm winters, and cheap beer.

So what is the point of any of that and how does it relate to Warhammer? Good question! While I was in Colorado I tweaked my first VC list and played it against a 1k O&G list this past Tuesday. It was my first time playing the undead and I learned quite a bit about what works and what doesn't. In the end victory was mine as I ran five units off the board and killed the remaining few. I have to say that playing VC is a far different game from playing the OK. I won't go so far as to say it was "easier", but somehow I just felt more in control of what was happening on the battlefield.

As much as I want to continue work on my VC I am wrapped up in a bigger project at the moment; preparing my OK Beer Gut Tribe for their first appearance at the local gaming store and my first WHFB Tournament. The tourney is next Saturday and will be played at BattleForge Games here in Austin. It is a "hobby" tournament which means theme and fun factor play into the overall score more than a solid competitive list. This suits me well as I don't really have the models to make a truly "competitive" OK list at the moment. The point total for the event is 2250 and that will take almost all of my models (minus a couple Bulls and Gnoblars) to hit. Here is the list I am taking to the event:

LORD:
Tyrant – Heavy Armor, Luck Gnoblar, Tenderizer, Jade Lion, Mawseeker (301)

HEROES:
Hunter – Longstrider, Sabertusk x 2 (210)
Butcher – Siegebreaker, Skullmantle (180)
Butcher – Bangstick, Dispel Scroll (180)

CORE:
Bulls x 3 + Bellower (115)
Bulls x 3 + Bellower (115)
Ironguts x 4 + Bellower (202)
Ironguts x 3 + Bellower (154)
Gnoblar Trappers x 9 (54)
Gnoblar Trappers x 9 (54)

SPECIAL:
Yhetees x 3 (195)
Leadbelchers x 2 + Bellower (120)
Leadbelchers x 2 + Bellower (120)

RARE:
Slavegiant (175)
Gorger (75)

Total Points: 2250 (of 2250)

I played this list on Friday against a Dwarf Anvil of Doom list that was pretty balanced. A couple Bolt Throwers, Organ Gun, some Miners, Warriors, Longbeards, Slayers, Hammerers, the Anvil, Quarrelers, Thunderers, and a Gyro.

Started out pretty bad as I was getting shot to bits. The MVP of the game was my Slavegiant who utterly destroyed the Slayer unit on a flank and proceeded to run into a unit of Thunderers and take them out. He finally charged the rear of a unit of Warriors and crushed them as they fled. Still had 2 wounds and about 6 Dwarfs in his pants at the end of the game! I love this guy!

My Gorger came in on turn 2, hid behind a unit of Warriors who moved out of the way and was utterly destroyed by 10 shots from the Organ Gun.

One unit of IG was demolished by Longbeards after a bad charge, and my two units of Trappers did NOTHING the ENTIRE GAME. My Yhetees got stuck behind one unit of them and was worthless as well.

The Tyrant and Siegebreaker Butcher ran with 3 IG and smashed through a unit of Hammerers before flanking the Longbeards (having lucked out as the Anvil misfired and the Hammerers were not able to charge the unit).

It was at least a Solid Victory, perhaps a Massacre, but it didn't change my mind about the crappiness of Leadbelchers and the Hunter. The first unit of Leadbelchers was shot to bits before finally making it into range and MISFIRING to blow themselves up. The second unit also took heavy shooting casualties before getting off a pathetic 4 shots doing only 1 wound. I really hate these guys.

All in all it was a good game although somewhere during the game I lost one of my painted Gnoblar Trappers! I have no idea where he went as it was on the table during deployment and then it was gone at the end of the game. Very strange ...

Here is a picture of the partially painted and fully primed 2250 army I am taking to the event:

Hopefully I will manage to get some more of the models in this picture finished before next Saturday! Wish me luck, I'm sure I will need it.

Progress Report - 12/25/08.

Merry Xmas! Look what I got for the holidaze!

Yup. I have joined the unholy ranks of the undead. The Vampire Counts army is actually one of the first three I had contemplated collecting when I was first getting into WHFB back in 2001. I went with Ogre Kingdoms over the dirty bloodsuckers, but now it looks like I have come full circle!

I have begun list creation for 1000 points but so far the going is quite tough. Trying to find a theme I like so I can craft a list and models to it. Right now I am tossing around the idea of a list based on Krueger the White Wolf (Ulrich Warrior Priest turned self-loathing vampire by Count Van Carstein) focused on the martial troops, but I also like the idea of a cult of Nagash with lots of Necromantic vampires and necromancers and hordes of Ghouls, Zombies, and Skeletons. Not sure how well something like that would fare on the tabletop though.

As for yesterday's tasks here is what I have done:
- Dipped the Ironguts and my Bangstick Butcher.
- Based the next batch of models.

And I am about to ..
- Seal the dipped and highlighted models.
- Prime the next batch of models (based on my two 1000 point lists).

Hope you are having (or had) a great Xmas holiday. In our house even Arnold is getting in the Christmas mood (notice my "stocking" nailed to the wall by the inventive F).

Here is one last holiday beer review for the year, and this is one that I quite enjoyed!

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Deschutes Brewery - Jubeale 2008

Beer Type: Strong Ale

Appearance: 12 oz. brown bottle with swirly impressionist type artwork. Looks pretty cool. Beer poured a dark amber with a medium white head which faded with little lacing.

Smell: Roasted malt and some sweet dried fruits. Maybe prunes or currants?

First Drink: Sweet with the malt at the front. A hint of bitterness, and a little of those dried fruit flavors.

Mouthfeel: Smooth but a little oily. Carbonation is just right.

Last Drink: More hops coming through now but it isn't a long bitter note. Just a little after the sweet taste and then its gone. Nice.

Drinkability: Very good beer, although it didn't really bring to mind the season or the holidays. Still enjoyed it quite a bit though.

Notes: I couldn't find this beer on Beer Advocate! Shocking! Purchased this from a strange little convenience store that has a huge beer selection. Pricey for a six pack at $9.99 but well worth it I think.

Verdict: 4.25 out of 5. A great pairing of the sweet and bitter without either being too overpowering.

Links: Deschutes Brewery.

Progress Report - 12/24/08.

Well here are again. I didn't lose my job (yet) so the Warhammer must continue! In the past few days I have managed to finish the painting of my Ironguts (with a lot of swearing and touch-ups) and I am ready to dip them before finishing the basing.

So today I plan to:
- Dip the Ironguts and my Bangstick Butcher.
- Base the next batch of models.
- Prime the next batch of models (based on my two 1000 point lists).
- Possibly base and prime my Slayers.

Tomorrow is Christmas! Tomorrow is the day I will received a Battalion box for my next army project! What will it be? Who knows! The suspense is killing me.

Sorry for the scatterbrained approach to this post. I am feeling a bit crazy from so much time off. Here is a review of a holiday brew to get you in the xmas mood!

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Breckenridge Brewery - Christmas Ale

Beer Type: Winter Warmer

Appearance: 12 oz. brown bottle with a festive holiday label. I like the font choice! Poured a dark brown-red color with a thin head that faded.

Smell: Hops, a little bit of malt and some spices? Something darker there too, like a coffee or chocolate.

First Drink: Hops and yeast. This is a fairly "heady" beer. Sweet with hints of chocolate as well.

Mouthfeel: Moderate carbonation and a nice medium weight in my mouth.

Last Drink: More of a lingering woody flavor with a long bitter finish (although not unpleasant).

Drinkability: Wow! 7.4% ABV. I guess that is part of the definition for "winter warmer". I feel warm and jolly!

Notes: Not sure but I think this may be the first Breckenridge brew I have reviewed. I like this beer.

Verdict: 4.25 out of 5. So far this is my winner for a "holiday" ale.

Links: Beer Advocate and Breckenridge Brewery.

More Drinkin' less Modelin'?

Well today was a pretty crappy day. I was told at 4pm that the company I have been working for the last 3 years is going to be doing some layoffs. They didn't say who it would be, or what the exact details were. I am to return to the office tomorrow afternoon at a specific time when I will presumably discover what my employment fate will be.

No job equals no money. No money equals bad times. Bad times equals no Warhammer or models.

I really hope things work out for the best, but just like my WHFB I am planning for the worst. Speaking of the "worst" ... here is a review for a fairly mediocre Holiday brew I had today.

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Spoetzl Brewery - Shiner Holiday Cheer

Beer Type: Dunkelweizen

Appearance: 12 oz. brown bottle with a festive (and slightly German) holiday label. Poured a dark amber color with a thick off-white head.

Smell: Peaches! A lot of peaches.

First Drink: There are the peaches. It is supposed to be a peach and pecan brew but all I get is the peaches. At least it tastes like real peaches and not some kind of fake flavoring.

Mouthfeel: Classic Shiner feel, almost like a soda.

Last Drink: I can just barely make out the pecans and a little bit of hops, but mostly it is still a peach party.

Drinkability: Uhh ... not a huge peach fan so I doubt I will be going back to this one (plus it is a limited edition holiday release).

Notes: What do peaches have to do with the holidays!? This beer isn't bad, it just seems too weird for it's own good.

Verdict: 3 out of 5. It isn't bad if you like peaches.

Links: Beer Advocate and Spoetzl Brewery.