3D dungeons, part 2

Following on from this post...

It turns out that Frank is not just a modelling inspiration for yours truly, but also an open-handedly generous and helpful chap. Within a few daylight hours of me emailing him to ask how much silicon he'd needed for his mammoth project, I'd had two detailed replies and plenty of good advice.

First, it turns out he needed FIFTEEN kilos of silicon just to make the moulds (Side note - mold is the American spelling, mould the British - both are used for the black gunk that grows in damp corners AND the cavity to pour plaster or resin into. Fun fact!). Fifteen! A quick scan of ebay suggested that this would come to about £250. Gulp! Add in Frank's estimate that the resin needed to fill those moulds the requisite number of times (just over 25kg), and that's another £300. Or more. And that's assuming I don't make any mistakes, which is unlikely since it would be my first casting project, and without the cost of making the original masters.

Sigh...

Orktober

No matter what I've tried, I just haven't been able to get back into the painting groove since Dad's funeral back in February, apart from a couple of painting challenges. So, maybe, another painting challenge (orktober) will break the funk?

It comes at a good point, anyway, with my impulse idea to run Battle at the Farm for my boys in the new year. Small padded envelopes are starting to drop through the letterbox again, and I've the orks either nice and shiny again or back into the last dregs of my last Fairy Power Spray to get rid of the stubborn bits. I'm using the figures from the RTB02 Space Ork Raiders set:

Picture from Stuff of Legends

Corrupting the youth - or is it the other way round?

Mini-Rab #1 had just started at a new school and, as a way of getting to know the other kids, has joined almost every club going - a bit like a university fresher, but without the alcohol-fuelled excess. I hope. He is only nine!

Why is that relevant to this blog? Well, one of the clubs he's joined is run by his science teacher and seems to be a general "geek club", including lego robotics... and Warhammer 40k in its latest incarnation. Yes, despite my best efforts, he is desperate to join in as they push hordes of unpainted, badly glued lumps of expensive grey plastic around. Fortunately I had a squad of kroot in a box and his automatic assumption was that he'd paint them "at least a bit" before they saw table time to see if he likes the game. He wants to paint for about an hour each weekend until they're finished, so they're a bit more painted each week as he plays with them. Good lad! Perhaps 8th Ed will float his boat, perhaps oldhammer will keep him - as long as he's playing with his friends, and will indulge me in my oldschool gaming preferences from time to time, and having fun, who cares?

So, he sprayed...

Averaigne Inkarnate

Yay for bad puns as blog titles.

I can't find the post on FB which put me on to Inkarnate as a mapping app, but I'm glad they did. It's free to sign up, takes about fifteen minutes to learn all the controls, and then you're off. There are limitations (available stock art, how much you can scale it, lack of a good road texture), but it's pretty nifty. Apparently there's a proper commercial release on the way that will also allow city and dungeon mapping. Jolly good!

Here is my first attempt at mapping Averaigne with it. I need to work a bit on intermixing different scale trees, I think, and I need to rough out some more bits to fill in the map, but not bad for the time taken, imho.

The start of something chaotic

This year, as you may have read in my plans for 2017 post, I aim to turn my motley collection of painted and unpainted lead into a fully functioning (i.e. painted, based, shielded and bannered) army of 3,000 points for 3rd edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle. I've decided to go for generic Chaos as per the main rulebook, although it will have a blue and yellow Tzeentchian theme, and a wizard on flying disc for flavour.

I own all the models needed to complete this task, and have assembled and/or converted almost all of them to the stage where they are ready for undercoating. This then, is The Plan, with a couple of old photos of models already done:

Planning ahead

Assuming that the fallout from the more unexpected political events of 2016 isn't actual fallout, I've made some hobby-related plans. Although last year's Geekstarter worked quite well, I'm going to go for something even simpler, if no less grand in its aspiration. My plans are...

[drum roll]

Main Goal
Complete a 3,000 point Chaos army, as per the Big Orange Book*, but with the simplified equipment points costs (and centaurs) from Warhammer Armies. I'm going to give it its own Page tab at the top.

Optional Extras
I've various other bits and pieces I'd like to get sorted as well this year and will turn to when I want a break from my Main Goal.

• finish my orc Blood Bowl team
• add "water" to my terrain board dry rivers
• trees for the terrain boards
• finish the retinues for my medieval reskin of Space Hulk, Catacombs
• get more gaming rules writing done, and shared

And that's it! I'm going to assist in maintaining my focus by also undertaking a Pledge

Pledge
Not to buy any new miniatures for myself. Ok, I'll allow myself a couple of exceptions: bargains, if they won't be available again, or if I've sold a similar number already. Ideally, I'll end the year with no more miniatures than I started it.

There you go. That's it. Do you have plans? Feel free to share them in the comments below.

Happy new year,
Rab



* i.e. the 3rd Edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle rulebook

The burden of encumbrance

If you were going to explore an underground cavern, what kit would you take with you? How about if you had to go on a long hike? Or doing some wild camping? Or going shopping in a new city where you don't really speak the language? Or fighting in a medieval tournament? Or undertaking a religious pilgrimage?

Different kit for different tasks, yes? Heck, I carry different stuff if I'm going to work or to the pub, never mind something more strenuous.

Random image search picture showing more or less what I normally have in my pockets

Pre-game prepping

As well as needing to get set for Friday's game session, a poll and subsequent discussion on the Swords and Wizardry G+ community about how DMs treat time (specifically combat rounds vs. ordinary turns) got me thinking and sent me scurrying to my books. Turns out I've acquired quite a few, mostly in charity shops, but my trusty old Mentzer "Red Box" is there, along with dice and character sheets from over twenty-five years ago. Between then and last Autumn I hadn't roleplayed at all, but I'm making up for it now. "Participating" in medium-low medieval fantasy is great and my current novel (Robin Hobb's "Royal Assassin" from her Farseer trilogy) is also tickling that spot nicely.

What do you turn to for inspiration when preparing your games, whether they are miniatures-based scenarios or rpg sessions?

Now where did I put my copy of Pendragon....?
Rab

Chaos warband [DR]

I've mentioned Dragon Rampant in my last couple of posts (I've also just ordered Lion Rampant for the extra options, scenarios, and for straight pseudo-historical gaming), and this one will continue that theme. It's also an Oldhammer post because the figures I'm using have that vibe and these warbands will be based in such a way that they can be used for Warhammer 2nd and 3rd editions.

Although my stated plan is to complete a 24pt warband of chaotic ne'er-do-wells, it would be nice to give myself some options, especially as I reckon I could manage 30pt games on my table without it being so crowded it wasn't worth it. I'll start with what I've already got, then move on to the additions I hope to paint this year for this small section of my own personal Geekstarter.

The swan knight
Elite riders, Level-headed, Leader, Single model unit
8 points

Fresh from the jar

Whew! Busy week! Nevertheless, some geeking happened. I've picked the models I'm going to paint this month and got them pretty much prepped (four beastmen to take me up to twelve for a full Dragon Rampant unit of Bellicose Foot, and the two Ral Partha skeleton ogres to give me some Heavy Foot for my undead DR warband). I had intended to paint last night but after a couple of clumsiness incidents went for clearing out my ice cream tub of stripping models. Quite a variety, it turns out!

What can you spot?

I did at least get to continue our Swords & Wizardry Averaigne campaign this afternoon. Details to follow.

Enjoy your weekend,
Rab

Geekstarter - more details

Last night I posted about my idea to "kickstart" my 2016 hobby endeavours (I work best when I have a structure with achievable goals!) within my pun-tastic idea of a personal Geekstarter, and how I was going to split it into four sections (Painting, Building, Gaming, and Blogging), each with Core and Stretch goals.

My Core aim overall is to play a two games of Dragon Rampant on my own gaming table, using different warbands I've painted myself in each game, and to keep you lot informed of my progress. So what does that look like in detail?

Old year / New year

I love New Year.

It's not that I'm a party animal, or that I have any great fondness for Auld Lang Syne, I don't make resolutions that I tell myself will make my life better. I don't use it as an excuse for catching up with family as I am thankfully on good terms with all of them, and I'm lucky enough not to need to undertake some punitive diet or exercise regime for the sake of my health, so there's no false self-promise of "this year it will be different". I'm a fairly contented chap, really.

I love the freshness of it, though. I have previously admitted to my enjoyment of stationery and to the deep sense of satisfaction that a new sketchbook or notebook gives. New Year (and any new beginning, for that matter) shares some of that same potential for me. I also am something of a traditionalist (conservative with a small "c", if you like), and it is traditional to review the year just gone set out one's stall for the year ahead. Here goes.


2015

At the beginning of 2015 I set out three aims for myself, modest aims. And I failed in all three! I didn't finish writing Knights' Quest, I didn't finish painting my giant, and I didn't build my gladiators' arena. I did, however, build a gaming table, paint some of the aforementioned gladiators, and get my teeth into developing Knights' Quest in a way that made the core more solid and the additions (skills, traits and magic) consistent and balanced. I was scrupulously honest about my spending (an interesting exercise!). I put together some thoughts on undead creatures in 2nd and 2rd edition Warhammer that were well received. I also painted fifty-six miniatures! More than my secret goal of averaging one per week, and some of them turned out to be pretty snazzy in my eyes. In addition to December's splurge of skeleton painting, my chaos warband in particular got some attention:

That lot, along with the more recent chaos warriors that I painted will form a burgeoning warband for Dragon Rampant as well as their Oldhammer duties!

Enough of the old, on with the new! Look at that lovely blank page....

2016

Encouraged by the kick that painting for Deadcember gave to my output, I looked around for another structured project approach that would kickstart my output and minimise my outlay. But what to choose? I needed a kickstarter... no, I needed a:

Borrowing the structure from the crowdfunding site, I shall set out my core project and stretch goals to see if I can successfully complete my stated project by the end of this year. I'm going to have four categories: Painting, Building, Gaming and Blogging. Each will have their own core and stretch goals and I will monitor progress towards them each month in the way that I tracked my spending in 2015.

More on the details over the next few days, but now to bed.

Happy New Year,
Rab

Deadcember the 8th

Aaah, mortisnacht, the traditional Deadcember 8th celebration for the exchange of gifts for necromantic experimentation. Fun for all the graveyard! I remember well the year I got my very own zombie puppy...

From deviantart, by blackeyedcoyote

I must have been appropriately bad this year as when I got home from work last night, not only was my new suit waiting for me (three piece, slim cut, wool-rich, blue with a hint of violet, thanks for asking), but also THREE geeky packages for yours truly.

First, the B/X Monster Reference Index arrived that succesfully kickstarted on October 4th. If only all crowdfunding projects were so focussed and rapid in their execution - I'm still waiting on the Itar's Workshop dungeon tiles which funded on May 18th 2013!!!

This set is an A5 ring binder with all the monster stats from "the original roleplaying game" in its B/X incarnation. It'll prove an excellent flipchart on games nights and a useful reference when stocking dungeons. I like the cover, too.

Nice cover

The restless dead

No, not a miserablist prog band, but an impulse buy that arrived over the last couple of days. A little late, but worth the wait...

Knovember Knights

I've blatantly stolen the title of this post from Erny (do go and read his blog if you don't already) as it fits this post perfectly. Perhaps I should take inspiration from his Orctober success and encourage chivalric geeking next (k)November?

But back to today and the three reasons for stealing the title.

First, battle is soon to be joined. Based on the Combat of the Thirty, Whiskey Priest and Lenihan (I think) have devised a free-roaming foot tournament in an Oldhammer styleee for some of us Ogres to play on Erny's kitchen table tomorrow. My first adult-adult gaming for months!

Apparently there'll be jousting, too!

NaGaDeMon 2015

I wasn't going to get involved in National Game Design Month this year, really I wasn't, but then I was laying in bed while my two sons charged around like lunatics and I had no choice but to hear their game. It revolved around using lasers on each door to stop the ghosts from stealing their duplo models because it would give the ghosts special powers that would allow them to take over the world.

You couldn't make it up.

Spacemen and other spacepeople

Inspired by the second Oldhammer Forum (link on the right) legacy project which has just gone live, I dug out the Metal Magic figures I've been picking up from Doug at EM4 as he rereleases them and picked those that would be needed for the Sanctioned Privateer crew for Rogue Trader that I rolled up last April, as well as the figure I've chosen for the legacy project.

"What brave new year is this...

...that has such miniatures in't?" as my old mate Bill Shakespeare would have said if he'd had time to be a gamer as well as a literary genius.

Actually, before I start, happy new year to one and all, may it be filled with good health for you, your family and friends.

And back to the geeking. It's been a couple of weeks since I posted, and a couple of months since I painted. Staff changes at work have led to me having more direct demands on my time, as well as in supporting inexperienced colleagues who are trying valiantly to fill the shoes of an excellent colleague who has gone on to pastures new. But I have not been geek-free, my friends, oh no! I have been making very satisfying progress with Knights' Quest, particularly with regard to tweaking wording and illustrating/laying out the rules. I got a fab graphics tablet for Christmas and have been learning its ways. More on that in a future post because, apart from card art, it's so close to being finished I can practically smell it!

Having failed to get my act together for the Oldhammer Legacy Warband challenge, even with an extended deadline (the shame!), I've signed up for the Resurrection Challenge over on LAF to expiate my guilt and will be completing the arena for 54mm gladiator gaming that I started waaaaay back in 2013, as well as a couple of pairs of gladiators.

Anything else? Well, there are plenty of bits I'd like to sort out.

I want to finish my giant:

I want to finish a few more orcs to use both as dungeon fillers and a little warband for Erny's Warband rules for a sort of Realms of Chaos path to greatness but for greenskins. They can also then bolster the ranks of my Bad Guys mob - chaos warriors, beastmen, orcs, goblins, skeletons, couple of sorcerers - for small games to bring my boys into the welcoming arms of Younghammer.

I'm going to declutter a bit as well and have already started making a pile of unwise purchases that will soon be available to having new homes.

I reckon that's achievable - one priority project, one pledge, and some things I would get immediate use from.

I plan to check back on this in a year to see how I get on.

TTFN,
Rab

A gigantic giant

Several months back, MarkH (or MeierElfFanatic, depending on which forum you know him through) was having one of his collection refocusing sales and I snapped up some ex-Citadel Foundry handgunners, ten of whom will be seeing action in defence of Thantsant's and Erny's town walls in the BOYL siege in August. Having repeatedly missed out on the Marauder giant on ebay, I also picked up from him a wonderful Larry Elmore giant produced by Darksword miniatures, still sealed in its box... where it remained until today.

Look at that - signed and numbered! Does that make it more valuable/desirable? No idea!

Stuff from the interwebz #3 - Trees from the green man

First off, for those following the ongoing saga in glorious, high-definition bloggovision, the consensus is to stick with the etched dice, even if it means the BOYL dice arrive after BOYL. The best of a less-than-satisfactory set of options, I feel.

With that out of the way, here's the post I want to share with you. El Senyor Verde of blogging and G+ and doubtless other online outlets has posted a rather snazzy way of producing good-looking trees for wargaming with. Now, I have buildings, a modular river, and even a hill or two but I am seriously lacking in arboricultural terrain around which and through which all manner of derring-do and dastardly villainy can take place in my own pretendy-fun-time elf-games. What I particularly like about this method is that it fits an aesthetic that appeals to me, one which drew me into the slightly over-enthusiastically goat-themed arms of the Oldhammer sphere. Something that looks top notch, but also one which I can imagine being able to achieve. Even more important to me is my hope that my proto-gamer progeny could play an active part in constructing them! Childcare and geeking in one easy package - result!

Here's a picture of the trees: