unexpected surprise!

Just recently, I was picking on Aaron for bailing on the Bushido challenge from last month. (This is mainly because Aaron is a great painter, unlike me, and I need to get these things in when I can.) Tragically, I can no longer pick on him about that, because it turns out he chose to skip the challenge to sneak in painting presents for Mo and myself! So outta nowhere, he hands these two Hasslefree treasures over to me, fully painted.

Knowing my love for the Hunger Games books*, he painted up Laurie, including an incredible freehand mockingjay graffiti on the base.

Seriously, fantastic stuff.

Next up was Sgt. Spanner, painted up faithfully as everyone's favorite, Captain Hammer. The pic makes it look more shiny than it is, but yes, the symbol on the chest is freehand as well.

I am spoiled.

* - I also love the movies, but I love the books slightly more.

checking out the Dead Earth

Across the Dead Earth first came to my attention when its Kickstarter was recommended by some of the Facebook regulars. I've been interested in the post-apocalyptic genre for a bit, and the descriptions seemed to fit the bill: close to modern near future, low model count, skirmish, ability to make your own group, etc. I picked up the PDF of the rules, and I have to admit, it's intriguing. The luminaries at Beasts of War have been bandying it around as well, and the game is building a nice little community of players as well. The link for the Facebook group is here.

And those fine chaps at Dead Earth Games have made the first PDF newsletter/magazine thingy available for free online. The Rough Guide to the Dead Earth is thirty-one pages of a window into the setting, detailing a new gang, an interesting scenario and batrep, and more.

Download it now by following the link below:

http://www.deadearth.co.uk/?p=1265

I haven't actually picked up a gang yet (although I have plenty of figs around the house I could use in a pinch) but the upcoming Murder of Crows sounds right up my alley. Hope to find time to try it out with the locals before too long. The game is set in the UK, but the first expansion book will be covering the United States (titled 'From Sea to Poisoned Sea,' which is simply a great name.) It will also reportedly bring in the Sollus, certain shambling types who are the scourge of the survivors of the Last War. 

Silvermoon challenged (by Maurice)

Happy new year. If you'll recall, I was hoping to get 50 rice done by the start of 2015 for Bushido. Let's see how I did!

As it turns out, I only made it half way. I finished Fitiauma (9 rice), Sukuratchi (5 rice), a Kyoaku-Han Crossbowman (5 Rice), and Nomi & Sukoshi Kani (3 rice a piece), giving me 25 total.   I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. I've still got a few minor finishing touches to add, but these are playable for the time being. I definitely want to add some tattoos, but we'll get there. I'm excited to get the rest of the batch done early this year and get some more games in. Happy gaming in 2015!

Here are some individual shots: 

Han Crossbow/Wasupu

Sukuratchi

Sukoshi Kani

Nomi

Fitauma

If I find the courage, I may try to do some tattoos on Fitiauma like these:

From the Big Hero 6 concept art.

ambition for the new year

Games I want to play more of in 2015, alphabetically:
* 7tv/7ombieTV/7th Voyage
* Bushido
* IHMN
* Pulp City

Games I want to try out in 2015, alphabetically:
* Batman
* Dark Age
* Relic Knights
* Wolsung
* Wrath of Kings

I never have enough time to game, much less prep and paint all the miniatures and terrain I want to for said games (or even for all the minis I buy, whoops.) So I try to plan for games I am playing, and games I want to play (and games the crew wants to play.) Prepping for the future is always a crap shoot, but luckily you'll notice some distinct overlap with the settings and themes of the above games.

Side note: looking at the big list of games I have (don't ask) and figs I've obtained (really, it's embarrassingly long, don't ask) one weird thing I have seen is that I really don't play a lot of fantasy games. Like, at all. Steampunk, yes, but that's not the same. Bushido is fantasy, but falls into that nebulous and poorly-named Oriental/Far East genre. You'd think with fantasy being such a stable of gaming, I'd have something swords-and-sorcery as a go-to selection, but nope.