Stuff from the interwebz #9 - shields as art

This time of year is rather full for me at work (report writing, working out the impact of new exam syllabi etc.) and in the garden (I'm rather proud of the new shed that I've built), so most of my geeking has been in short bursts and of the writing (or miniature purchasing!) variety. I'm continuing work on Knights' Quest in light of the feedback I've received from the playtesting (really positive, but with two aspects that could be even better) and am dabbling with a linked set of scenarios for GM-led narrative oldhammer skirmishes.

To get me back to the painting desk I was browsing the Lead Adventure Forum and found some lovely brushwork by a chap going by the name "Hobgoblin" who has something of a knack for shield painting as you'll see below. One of the things that has always been an intrinsic part of the old school fantasy gaming aesthetic, regardless of the vintage of the figures themselves, is the intricate freehand detail lavished on shields and banners. This is something I'm particularly keen to work on in my own painting and have been resolutely plugging away at improving the face-shields on my orcs each time I paint another.

Here are six of Hobgoblin's pieces....

Oyumaru

Oyumaru, oyumaru,

magic stick.

Hot water, make a mold, 

new piece quick!

Last night I headed over to antipixi's to catch up - we live twenty minutes apart and I've not seen him more than once since BOYL last year. Absurd!

We were going to play a game of Elfball and I was all ready to field the Irn Bru-sers and have them get their hairy little backsides handed to them as it's an age since I played.

Captain of the Irn Bru-sers, shaking his fist in fury at a missed gaming opportunity.

But.... there was chat, then food, then beer and somehow we'd left it too late to game. Never fear, however, aside from blether there was actual tangible geeking as well in the form of oyumaru, or Instant Mold.

Stuff from the interwebz #8 - Warmonger miniatures

Aaaaaaaand.... it's live!

The costs of gaming - May 2015

Jan 2015  -  £00.00 (0/0/0)
Feb 2015  -  £24.99 (5/5/0)
Mar 2015  -  £46.11 (20/7/-13)
Apr 2015  -  £06.40 (2/12/10)

May 2015

• BOUGHT - X-wing "plastic crack" (starter set, Falcon, Tie, Tie Advanced, gaming mat, card protectors) £84.57
• TRADED - 
• SOLD - four unpainted Perry Napoleonics £4.00
• SOLD - six painted cowboys £20.50 (so won't count as leadpile reduction)
• SOLD - two unpainted Marauder witch elves £2.50
• SOLD - nine unpainted preslotta orcs £12.50
• SOLD - eight unpainted Napoleonic riflemen, two cavalry and two boxes of plastic infantry £38.00
• TOTAL for May - £07.07   (-25/2/27)

Total net. expenditure for 2015 to date         = £84.57

Remaining acceptable expenditure for 2015 = £66.43

In something similar to the LAF lead-hoarders vow, I'm also recording the number of figures purchased versus the number painted, which is what the numbers in brackets after each month's total represents - (net unpainted acquired/painted/net total for the month). I'm not including the X-wing ships as they come nicely pre-painted. So, here you go:

Net. unpainted figures acquired in 2015   = 2
Of which, painted to date        = 0
Total no. figures painted         = 26

Net. hoarding status = +24

Woohoo! I'm winning the unpainted-lead hoarding battle! And, thanks to some clearing of never-to-be-completed projects, not doing too shabbily on the budget either. Nice!