Slowly, slowly.....

.......catchy monkey. And at that an evil Nazi zombie monkey, so it would seem!

Twas' club night on Tuesday and Jon was good enough to run me through a game of AT-43, for the second time if memory serves.

It's a good, clean set of rules utilising a simple core mechanic that applies to just about every part of the game.

It's also FUN and gets you a decisive result in short order. It would seem that i'm a convert :)

I also got to have a read through the Oni army book, which just happened to be lying around, whilst Charlie waxed lyrical about his plans to pick up a Cogs army to join the 4 other guys at the club already playing regular games and campaigns.

I knew that I was in "trouble" when I started the justification process that is all too common to so many of us:

Pros:
1. Out of the box game that I know that I can get regular games of and that looks good.
2. It fits in well with the Star Wars universe, providing a source of protagonists, figures and scenery.
3. The Oni zombies will work well with the Interstate '76 project that I want to do. The army as a whole will work well for any sci-fi skirmish and should be compatible with my GIs.
4. I like the game and the vehicles are just awesome.

The main reason that i've stayed away, up 'til now, has been my snobbishness regarding pre-painted plastic figures.

Seeing the other guy's figures has proved thier quality, which is high, and using the Star Wars 'Clix figures has shown me what you can do with pre-paints.


And, once again, I come back to getting more bang for my hobby buck. AT-43 fits the bill and the Oni do it for me!

I can't say that I feel entirely comfortable with the pre-paint thing but maybe I just need to man up, as much as a war-gamer can, and withdraw my lower lip.

The price is that I feel that I should sell on FoW Germans, effectively as a trade in.

I don't HAVE to and I SHOULD probably E-Bay my Whermacht anyway. They haven't hit the table in far too long and have little chance of doing so.

It all just feels a bit wrong somehow. It shouldn't, it makes good sense. Maybe that's what I don't like.......... a sensible hobby!!

It's still going to happen though and I WANT to go for it.

Man up Fase and paint some more Japs :)

A life more ordinary

Afternoon all.

I type this whilst sat on the sofa in front of the Ospreys vs Leicester Heineken Cup game.
Today, I am mostly supporting the Ospreys!!

Some of this is due to the 34-8 demolition that the Tigers inflicted upon Wasps a fortnight ago primarily through the scrum and the tight five.

We've the our last three games on the trot now and our scrum has been creaking like a very creaky thing, giving away penalties and possession like they've been going out of fashion. The last two games in a row it's lead to both yellow cards and penalty trys.

We're a team that's always prided itself on the quality of our pack. Our injury list has featured all of our international forwards at some point so far this season and has also forced five different captains so far.

The rub of the green isn't an issue, it's sport and you make your own luck with intelligent play and good execution. I just worry about our strength in depth, we still miss Dallaglio, and our apparent lack of a Plan B.

We currently lie fifth in the premiership and have qualified for the European Cup quarters so there's plenty to play for. Cipriani's form is improving and we look dangerous with ball in hand but we really need to fix the scrum to be winning any silverware this season.


Elsewhere, i've getting reasonable time in with Wolfenstein and am really enjoying the game as a whole.

I've finally realised that i've been playing it too much as a standard WWII first person shooter, having come up against more of the supernatural, and need to be making more of my own arcane ablities.

Quite cleverly, as you progress through the missions more and more of the Nazi's diabolical plans and creations are revealed, whilst also having a good go at eating Agent Blaskowitz's face off.

This guy isn't too hard to take out, just shoot the three big diode thingys on his armour with your sniper rifle. Sorted!

The Nazi soldier with invisibility and twin blades, think League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, caused me sever issue for a while.

Jon suggested slowing down time as he attacks, becoming visible, and then filling him full of MP40. Result! This also works well for taking out the Nazi mages, who otherwise boost thier infantry and charging MG32 nests. Simples!!

So, half-time and its' the Ospreys ahead 14-9 and looking good :)

I've got some leeks in the fridge so I may just start waving one about the place!!

The Art of Diplomacy

Evenin' All

More Star Wars last night and not for the first time not a shot was fired!

If anything, it was a nice break from the recent firefights and everyone still got to be involved as intel was gathered as the run-up to the big set-piece final battle.
The character interaction within the group has built up nicely with crucial plot-points a point of polite contention between the characters.

I keep on finding myself a little under-prepared at times and i'm still not using the villians full range of skills and abilities so have determined to spend each previous Monday night completing prep and reading up.
It's not proper toys but it's still hobby and something I want to be doing. Resolution!

I've never liked buying into hype but Avatar was a particuarly awsome watch and i'd quite happily go back to see it again anytime soon.

Everything was, quite simply, so well done and complete both visually and within the plot. I'm sure I must have missed so much. The amount of time and effort that went in was so obvious.

I didn't get to my feet during the credits, as at least half on the cinema did but I had to join with the applause. A DVD must.
Just to make the point, I genuinely feel that District 9 measures up in a lot of ways but will loose out simply to the CGI.

I've finally got some paint onto figures for the first time this year and i'm pleased that it's the Jap Marines as they're my first historical figures for a while.
The aim is to have the full force painted up for the start of the Pacific '44 campaign. Tues 9th Feb is D-Day.

No PPs just yet, basing Fase!, but a chance to reap the whirlwind!

I've also come to the conclusion that the FoW Germans will soon be finding thier way onto E-Bay. They're not getting any use with me and seem highly unlikely to do so.

It niggles at me to do so but I promised myslef a leaner, meaner hobby and it's an inevitable conclusion. They're likely to be recycled into AT-43 Oni.

And back to where I started! A few more Star-Clix weathered and based, fringers all.

Anyway, must crack on. I need to provide the guys with some maps and info to plan thier next move and cover all of the bases from my side. A few tricks up the sleeve are never a bad idea. They're using the club forums to agree a plan. Homework for us all!!

The club has also set up an Open Day for Sat 3oth of this month and i'm going to be running a Blood-Bowl 7s league. I found the rules as a free download on the GW site under Out of Print Games within Specialist Games along with Dark Future and Adeptus Titanicus.

Crikey!!

I love it when a plan comes together!!

TA-DA!!!

The first bit of hobby work for 2010, i've put together all of the Space-Hulk figures. To be honest it's something of a travesty that i've left them on the sprue for so long. Bad Steve!

I've been really impressed with the extremely high quality of what are primarily three piece push together figures but then i'm old enough to remember some very one dimensional prior offerings.

The marines are excellently animated with many instant "classic" poses among them.

I've been tempted to go for an alternative paint scheme for them. A couple of net searches has found me a number of successor chapters but they're all similarly RED. I quite fancied doing them as Blood-Drinkers, which was how I painted my very first figures as a kid. Just not quite sure how i'd do so?

Maybe i'll just go for some excessive personal heraldry.

The same dilema faces me with the 'Stealer horde. I quite fancy the Red on Bone scheme but that'll clash and the classic purple suits the dark feel of a Space-Hulk. An Aliens' Grey is a possibility but seems overly dull. Maybe a test figure first?
The 'Stealers will be painted first, to break the back of the project and set the shemes. It's also because I REALLY want to paint the marines first but shouldn't for that very reason.

First club night of the new decade tomorrow night! Not entirely sure what we're playing, could depend on who manages to struggle through the impending white-out.
I'll be packing the Jap Marines, which I will be my priority project for the month. More practice games this month for the campaign kick-off in Feb.Meanwhile, after a bit of prompting, i've had a look at some of the first shots for the new A-Team movie............ how cool is that :)Finally getting around to seeing Avatar Wednesday night but this one is a definate must see!

My comment shall be forth-coming wether you want to know or not!

That was the year that was

Well, everyone else is having a go at it so why shouldn't I have a go?

In all seriousness, I set my stall out at the end of June and I want to see what has happened in that respect, mainly out of interest in all honesty.

Stat Attack:
Not looking to qualify good or bad here, just have a look at how it's gone.

So 101 painting points over five months. That's an average of 20 per month which equates to 10 "standard" 28mm figures each month. Seems okay?

A big December has helped out as the clones got finished off and I got better at finding time with the brush. It was always going to be a bit up and down as the "nature of the beast". Prep time and block work gets projects completed without earning points.

This is nothing that I have an issue with. The only poor month was September, 4 points, which simply comes back to me needing to make the habit of getting bits done whenever I can which is something that i've already improved on.

Gaming:
As GM it should be unsurprising that the Star Wars: Clones roleplay campaign has been my main focus for the past six months.

Almost all my brush-time has had some relvance towards it and a good deal of time has been put into the story, line and arc.

I enjoyed the whole thing enormously and feel that i've got an awful lot back from everyone involved. Definately the success of the year!

"Proper" toys has taken a bit of a back seat and my gaming at the club has been a bit sketchy of late. Chrimbo and illness have had it's effect but it feels like we could do with a bit more of an overall theme.

With luck the Pacific '44 campaign should get kicked and i'm keen to try out the Black Powder rules that Shaun and Rich have been putting some dice time in with.
With the roleplay more settled now, this is where i'd like to put in some more effort.

Future Wars:
Overall my gaming has moved towards "skirmish" as originally stated.

For the first time in at least 15 years I no longer have the ability to field a 40K or Fantasy army and don't see that I want to. And with no foray onto the table-top in 2009 the FoW Germans they are likely to be making thier last Stormtrooper move onto E-Bay.

I do feel slightly sad that "Big" gaming, even on a 6 by 4, no longer seems to be within my remit BUT I am now achieving a great deal more now and enjoying my hobby more.
Balance is required though as following regular bouts of Zombies, Space Hulk and Munchkin I have caught myself browsing board-games slightly too often!

Twenty-Ten:
Goals for 2010:

1. Maintain 20 painting points per month.
2. Get in some decent gaming at the club.
3. More non Star Wars projects.

So more of the same but at the club.

Maximising my time will once agian be key so on that note i'm going to sit down and stick my Space-Hulk Genestealers together.

Merry New Year :)