Spring

Sorry for the silence lately, I have been very busy with work in the past year, and in the last few months this has been compounded by the looming end of the contract under which we all work.  The contract has been picked up by another company, and many of us here are going there to keep doing the same jobs, but months of uncertainty and extra contract closeout work has been stressful, and not conducive to much hobby time. 

I have been painting Eldar though, and prodding the kid to paint, so a 9th edition 40k game is growing closer.  (although his codex Marines vs. my 8th edition index Eldar ought to be a bloodbath...)

I have also printed a few things on the 3d printer which I would like to show off sometime. 

Anyway, hope all of you are well, and that I have more time to hobby and blog about it soon. 

Ugh, Spam

I was going to have a more substantial post today, but dealing with a ton of new spam comments drained my blogging energy for now.

I, er my kid, did get a fun item in the mail yesterday:

That is the Warhammer 40k 9th edition rulebook from the Indomitus boxed set and the pamphlet of background/units from the box as well. With the second print round of the boxed set, eBay is flooded with these, which makes them actually affordable.  With the index books I got after Christmas, we should be good to go for quick 40k games.  More on that to come. 

Excuses

So... yeah, it has been a while.  I have not blogged for three months, and I have not even been keeping up with your lovely blogs for the last month plus. 

List of excuses in no particular order:

   Inefficiency of work from home

   Complicated work project sucking up all my energy

   Unexpected death of my Father-in-Law

   Trying to educate two kids in the six week absence of their teachers (thanks unions and school district!)

   Spring slow down as yard-work ramps up

   Desire to have some separation between work/home

and of course the cause for most of the above, what else but the Corona Virus. 

Excuses for why I have not been blogging are many, but I have been doing hobby stuff, just not had the time/energy to share it. Here are a few things:

   3d sculpted a miniature by request. Picture of the miniature in game

   Terrain mat, nearly finished, looking quite good.  Pictures taken

   Painting miniatures with the kids. Pictures taken

   Painting 15mm Germans.

   Converting and painting a figure straightaway. Pictures taken

   Sculpting.

   Scratch-building a pair of engines for a space ship. Many pictures taken

   Playing 40k with my kid, using the starter set he painted (he must get that from his mom)

Still not sure when I can get back to blogging proper (and more importantly reading your blogs) , but hopefully soon. 

Hope you are all well, and staying healthy. 

So it has been a while...

Hello blog followers.  Sorry that it has been so long since the last post.  I would give excuses about being busy with this, that, and the other, but really I was just not doing a lot of hobby, and for whatever reason did not want to blog about other things. 

I have been painting those Night Goblins from my prior post, and have them nearly finished.  Then again they have been nearly finished for a couple of months, so we will see how long it takes me to actually get them done done.

Even though I have not been hobbying that much, I have (as one does) been on Ebay, which is pretty dangerous.  I managed to lose a bunch of bids, which is good, if frustrating, but did win this WHFB dwarf lot...

 That is an old Marauder organ gun, a mostly complete bolt thrower, a steam 'coptor, a mess of crew dwarves, and some random warmachine pieces.  Plus eight monopose plastic dwarves and three newer dwarves that fit in with my army.  And Burlock Damminson.

Once I had bought something, it was easier for something else to fall into the cart...

 In this case a 210x150cm "tapestry" that will work very nicely as a play mat for space games, as seen in the next picture.

And finally, if various projects are stymied by having a lack of time, and you just unexpectedly bought some new miniatures for an old army, then naturally you should be starting a different and completely incompatible project...

I.e.  15mm WWII skirmish gaming.

So that is where I am at.  What about you?

Easter Sunday

Easter seems like an appropriate day for a return, does it not?

You may have noticed that I have been away from this blog for some time... due to a confluence of factors, both motivational and external.

Never fear, I have been trying to keep up with YOUR blogs, and I have been poking away at a few hobby related activities.  I even have some posts halfway written.  So expect some forthcoming posts about being inspired by Death of a Rubricist, TinkerCAD/Shapeways work, stuff I have read, and even (hopefully) a bit of painting.

Happy Easter.

2018

Just a quick post to prove I made it through another year.

Had a great New years weekend get away at the Wife's cousins' place, and managed to play a couple of games of Settlers: Trails to Rails, although lost badly both times.  The countdown to 2018 was serenaded by my youngest losing her dinner, so good times there.

More substance forthcoming, when I have the chance.

Must be summer

Nearly a month without a post?  And that basically an advert?  Well, between being sick, dealing with sick people, the heat (41 yesterday), holidays, kids out of school, and other malarkey, I just have not been doing much in the way of hobby.  I put a brush to a miniature for all of 20 minutes in the last couple of months and it was not even that satisfying.

Fortunately there are always blogs to read, and Ebay... well, maybe that last one is not so fortunate.  (and strangely coupled with the former)  I did contribute to my first Kickstarter, in the shape of Reaper's Bones IV, and oh dear, that is another advert isn't it?

Hope to return to form soon, and I do have a few posts cooking... just not much in the way of progress.

2016 - more of the same

I suppose there is a sort of tradition in blogging to do a round up of the past year, and give some goals and predictions for the new year.

Yet more Steel Legion in progress

As it happens, in 2016 I expect to carry on with unfinished projects, which is to say all of them, while resisting the urge to start new projects. As always, contact with the enemy (time) will change the plan.  It does, however, augur well for the year that I have already played (and won) a few board games.

What about you?  What does 2016 hold?

pre-Holiday run up

Sorry for the radio silence lately.  I have been busy with the usual pre-holiday madness, which in  this case means out of town family visits (played four games of Catan), and various obligatory events on top of shopping, crafting, and cooking.

Madness or not, it is nice to see my son and god daughter building Lego together

I am also working on a "secret" project for my wife, which has been absorbing hours and hours of time... you will see why when it is done. (seriously the biggest project I have ever done, and with only scant hours until the big day I have been pretty nervous about completing it).

I do have a series of posts scheduled to run after Christmas, and one of my good buddies will be in town from Philadelphia, so hopefully there will be some gaming to report on as well, after which service will return to normal.

Been away

It has been two months since I have posted here on the blog.  Not for lack of interest, but rather from lack of material.  I have not finished anything lately, and indeed have been pretty short of hobby time generally. I have been reading quite a bit, but nothing that really motivated me to post.

So, yeah, still alive, and I will hopefully have something to post... soon.

40k Warband Blogs

The more astute among you may have noticed that I added a new page to the blog entitled 40k Warband Blogs.  Like it says on the tin, this is a listing of blogs I have come across that have some or all of their content devoted to 40k Warbands, which is to say Inq28, InquisiMunda, Confrontation, Necromunda, and Rogue Trader, where the player controls 1-20 figures with more detail than in a standard game of 40k.

The blogs I have found run the gamut from people concentrating on "old school" lead figures and very early rules, to people using the most modern Citadel plastic figures in new and unusual ways to create their vision of a grim dark future.

I am certain to have missed some blogs that should be collected, so if you notice any missing (possibly even your blog), please let me know here, and I can get them added some time soon.

Interregnum

Apologies for the long gap in posts.  It is not that I lacked for subject matter, but rather that I had simultaneously too much to say and too little time in which to say it, leading to silence.  Blogging is as much a habit as it is a skill, and unfortunately I let myself fall out of the habit.

That it was also tax season, gardening work has restarted, and that I went to a conference for work, did not help matters either.

In any case, I have a couple of posts queued up, and will be making those soonish.

As an interesting aside, somehow the blog remains as, if not more, popular when I am not posting, and March and April have shattered all previous page view records, while I have also gained a few followers (and thank you kindly for deciding to follow!).

the 300

No, not the Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, That here, obedient to Spartan law, we lie, 300.

I have not posted for a while, both because I have some pending projects that I wanted to finish and be cause of regular life taking up more time; but also, and possibly more importantly because I wanted to do something for the 300th post to the blog.

So yeah, 300 posts.  Pretty amazing if you think about it, particularly if you consider that my lovely and supportive wife and I bought a house and had two kids during that time; and over 46,000 page views and 60 followers is also quite gratifying.  So yay, me, and here is a bit of blog celebration and some highlights.

Top Five Posts
The top five posts of this blog, as measured by page views are:

1. Armies of the Napoleonic Wars: An Illustrated History A new post and popular for reasons unknown to me.  Seems to be popular in Spain.
2. From WFRP to fine art  Also popular in Spain, I think because it mentions WFRP and Estalia.   Sometimes I flatter myself and think it is because of this:
   
3. Swords Popular as a Google search, possibly because there are not many pictures of "short swords" out there.
4. Post Possibly popular because of the sprue picture, popular with me because it features the Games Workshop brochure that Tony kindly sent me.
5. Kampfgruppe Normandy Was popular at the time of its posting because there was lots of interest in the book... most of which is no doubt gone now that it is OOP.

Four Favorite Creations
The four favorite things I have done since I started this blog:

1. Baneblade: Built during the past four years, I need to paint it.  It has a number of alterations from the original kit, which is part of why it took so darn long...
2. Giant: the largest kit I have painted (since the Baneblade is still unpainted!).  I think I could do a better job now, but it still quite imposing.
3. Scratch built galley:  Turning scrap wood and paper into a scale model was extremely satisfying, and I think that the result is quite nice as well, considering.
4. Deepest Sea Players' Guide: by far my most ambitious project, with 28 pages of content covering the various things that a player in my little universe needs to know, both about the setting, and D&D play generally.

Three things to look forward to

1. Inq28: Poised to explode onto this blog, now that I have over 20 figures near to the "complete" phase and ready for paint.  This has been underway for years, so it will warm the cockles of my heart to get the blighters painted and on the 'net for everyone to see.
2. Bo5A: As the last Hobbit movie comes out in December, and as the movie features the aforementioned Battle of Five Armies, this needs to be done!  23 battalions is a bit daunting, but it can be done. (and I have a few ideas to jazz the standard set up a bit if I get done before hand)
3. Inquisitor d1000: Seven segments deep now, and only a few more to go. I will make up a new page to the blog when it is done for ready access.

Two things done recently, but unposted

1. Finish painting Tau: All done!  Just need to dulcoat and take pictures
2. Dwarf Sculpting: Decided to DIY my Longbeard regiment... one miniature at a time.

One important last thing:

Thank you, dear readers for helping me along the way, and for continuing to read that which I pour out.

OSR Blog Roll Call

Dyvers, a blog writen by Charles Akins, has an interesting post called The Great Blog Roll Call, which has a listing of OSR and OSR related blogs, and importantly, has a bit that sumerizes each blog with a listing of how frequently it updates.

A "randomly selected" example:

• Lasgunpacker A war gaming blog that focuses mostly on Games Workshop materials. Well written and often filled with valuable advice on painting and game play. Updates: About six times a month

Which reminds me, I really need to post about the Pathfinder game I have been playing in, and about the Roll20 platform we have been using to play it.

Anyway, you should look over this list, and read some new blogs, and recomend those that you like that are not on the list to improve its value as a tool.

I have been away...

And a little busy:

A late mothers' day present

Well, technically my wife was busy, and I was flailing around trying to help her.  With two in the house now, our free time has declined somewhat.

Anyway, I have not touched a miniature for weeks, and have not been keeping up with blogs either.  It seems like plenty of good things have been going on in the ol'blogosphere, but I have not caught up with it all yet.

I did manage to read almost all of the Grant Morrison JLA books, and the second Carson Napier on Venus book, and have just started the final Wheel of Time book... so plenty more to discuss once I get into the swing of things again.  It might be a while though!

August Update

Apologies for the long gap between posts. (nearly a month?!)  A number of things have combined to reduce my time and energy for posting, including being busy at work and planning an overseas trip.

I had a birthday recently, and got a number of lovely presents that I will be talking about at some point in the future.  Including: a GW Ent kit (which is intended to serve as a DnD and LotR figure), a new roll top desk to house my modeling tools and projects, decoration for the hobby room, and the board game Duel in the Dark, which I am very excited about.

I have already played a solo game of Duel in the Dark, a feature that will ensure I am able to get a game in from time to time.  (and I won too, defeating the British for that night)  The components are fantastic, and it was only $15 on Amazon, so you really ought to check it out.  I will try and post a more through review once I have played a few more games... and have some more time.

This is a test, just a test

an attempt to post by phone

Mongoose and Star Fleet Battles

Now that is a teaser poster.

You may have already read about this, but Mongoose and ADB have a new agreement for Mongoose to produce miniatures and an ACTA variation for the Star Fleet Battles universe.  Much like Klingon Armada, this new game will use the Star Fleet Battles background and ships with a different "engine" to handle the actual game play and fleet construction. The new ships will form Starline 2500, and will be computer designed 1/3125 instead of the 1/3700 scale used by the existing (rather poor looking) hand sculpted ADB ships. Ships will be cast in resin.

As I already have a micro machine based fleet of feds, Klinks, and Romulans (in the usual varying stages of construction), I am not particularly interested in their replacements.  I am however interested in remodeled versions of Kzinti or Gorn ships, which should be far sharper and more attractive.  Yet another rule set for this setting is puzzling, but it may be more playable, and anything that drives interest would be great. [this would make four official rule sets using this background]

On a blogging note, you may not have noticed this on your own blog, but my site views have exploded in the last week or so.  While I would like to think I am just that popular, I suspect that it is some sort of counting error... in any case I am already over 1200 views for this month, double my previous high.

Welcome news

Dropship Horizons, the emanate closure of which I reported in my last blog post, has been saved by a crew of new authors.  I think it is a measure of the original author that it took seven people to replace him.

Also, I got the check from the county for Jury Duty, and now I just need to figure out where to spend it all...

May

Well, May is over now, and with hardly a post from me.  I went from the A-Z challenge of posting six days a week to, well, to just posting six times. Sort of shameful really.  I guess to a certain extent I was a bit burnt out on the blogging thing.  Despite the lack of new posts, I still had 469 views in May, which is somewhat astounding, although lower than April.  Hopefully June will be better in terms of posting content.

In other blogging news, Dropship Horizon, the premier source of news for 15/18mm scifi figures and gaming is going dark, due to shifting interests of its author.  This is a real shame, as the site was seen by many as a driving force for them getting into 15mm, and was in more recent times breaking news about new figures and games.  Hopefully this will alliveate my interests in getting a couple of platoons of 15mm figures from GZG... or not. Those second edition NAC and UNSC figures really are great, and I will get that jury pay check sometime soon.

As mentioned recently, I have been working on the Baneblade, and have also been researching what sort of detailing could be added to the base model.  This is probably why it has taken me so long to build the darn thing, but I want my model to be unique, since it is a centerpiece model (that is until I get three more super heavies and make a full company of them).  More on that as it is built.