Some little progress...

 So last night, I climbed this creaky a bruised ole body back up on that horse and started to paint again. Painting is a mind game for me. And I have to be in the zone to do it well. And much like good writers will tell you, you can't wait for inspiration. You have to write, everyday, to really get good at it, so that when inspiration does strike, you have exercised enough to capture it and ride it out. So following the loss of my father in law, I just hadn't felt like painting. So I hadn't picked up a brush in 2 months, and only then was I painting cause I was painting a gift. So after getting excited by seeing the Portuguese Nappies that Eureka picked up from Victrix, sculpted by Paul Hicks, and various other stuff from the interwebs, I dipped my toes back in the water for a couple of hours last night. I had Season Three of Community on the DVD, a box of Dots, a big glass of ice water and a unit of all YELLOW Spanish Dragoons staring me in the face. Oh well, better dive right in. It took a bit of time to get brush control, and the brushes them selves working in unison, but, when I was done, it felt good to be back in the saddle. I see some time this weekend spent at my paint table to finish the Numancia Dragoons.So here's to being back at it. As sloppy as it was, I still enjoyed it.

Sadly, the state of my brushes is not good.  It took a little bit to get my favorite 2 brushes up and running last night. But at the end they were soldiering through. So I need to go get a couple of new ones to get in the rotation.(and now... a brush rant)

I want to say that I am pretty hard on brushes. I have spent really good money on really good brushes (Sable W&N, Foundry, Reaper Pro, endless others) and for me, I keep coming back to two lines. First is the Reaper Pro line of takalon brushes. Blasphemy #1! I know as a painter I should use sable. I should prefer sable. But ya know what, I hate sable. Too supple, too soft, to blah for me. I use cleaner and soap on my brushes and take good care of them, but I also use the hell out of them, and the sable is always the most expensive and the first to fail. Side hairs, won't hold a point, split tip, you name it. And for all of the advice to keep paint out of the ferrel of the brush, how is that even possible when yo are pallette mixing, and paint a unit of 36 line infantry at a time? So for my money the Reper Pro line is a good value and they last the longest. runner up is Brush Blasphemy #2 - I like Plaid brushes too. You know the ones at Hobby Lobby, or Jo Ann's or Michaels craft stores, that you always get a 40% off coupon for. Yeah, those. They last as long and hold a point as well as my Repaer Pros do. Now when they go, they go fast, but up to that point, they are the tits. And Blasphemy #3, I never paint with anything smaller than a #2. Never. Oh I have them all, I just don't use them. I don't even know what I would paint with the 000 that I have. I just got it cause people said you had to have one. I use a #3 for almost everything, and if it is keeping its tip, I don't have to go smaller. I will admit, for my British, I started using a # 2 to make sure I wash getting definition on all that lace, but that's really it. And if I paint eyes, which I don't do on bulk troops, a good pointed #2 will do it. So like many things, its all about what you are comfortable doing. and I guess I really did listen when an art teacher said, paint with the largest brush you can to accomplish your goal. Done!

Scale Creep Miniatures is having a crazy clearance sale on Derivan Minis Paint. Its a 37ml bottle(about twice the size of Vallejo) for $1.00. I don't really need a bunch of paint, but they had several great and interesting colors, and they have gotten favorable feedback on TMP, so I thought I would pick up a few. And with all this 28mm Nappy, 15mm Sci Fi, and 15mm Fantasy to paint, plus Sedition Wars and Bones coming, you can never have enough paint. When I was done, I had 25 pots in my cart. So if nothing else I have a bunch of new terrain paints. And if I can ever get the boys to paint again, they will have some good paints too. My hope lies in the fact that they have a French Blue that I like for my Nappies. We shall see.

Inspiration and multi-media

Been in a bit of the blahs on the whole gaming/painting front for the last month or so. Motivation is lacking and this one I am sitting out of instead of plowing through. I know it will change so no worries.

But I have some inspiration from a couple of sources:

First up is Cornwell's treatment of Poiters in 1356, out on Jan 8th. Mine arrived today. I absolutely love Cronwell. As George Martin says on the front cover of my brand new edition says Cornwell writes the best battle scenes of anyone. And I wholeheartedly agree. He always knows the material, he has an amazing grasp of heroism and pacing. I will probably read in a week, if that long. He'll have some of the same old tropes we all love, but man are they written fun and well.

Next is The Road. I didn't see it in the theater. But I knew that I wanted it in my DVD collection. I never read the book(or any of the authors truly dark novels), but this really tugs on a lot of things for me, post apoc, survival, and protecting your son(s). Nobody ruin it for me, I haven't seen it yet.

The Numancia Dragoons stare at me in the Workshop of Doom. I based some 15mm ECW that I needed to do, but still not much progress. I may switch gears and do some 15mm Sci Fi or 15mm Fantasy. We'll see. Keep rolling those dice, and keep your brush wet!

Grognards

So I have considered myself a Grognard for a quite a while now. Its such an affectionate term. Old Grumbler. Basically a Grumpy Old Man. Which I certainly am. I know the whole back story of course. Its Napoleon's lovely description of his beloved Old Guard.

The definative image of the Old Grumbler. A Veteran Badass all the way.

Today its been associated with gamers for a few different reasons.

1. It was the veteran grey beards who always knew everything in the gaming circles you ran in. Older dudes with a been there done that attitude. True grumblers, and most not very helpful. Holding knowledge you had to assemble over a lifetime of gaming and research and playing and painting and writing homegrowns(or at least that's what you thought). And you wanted to be that. Count all of those Nappy Guys, Ancients Guys, and Civil War Guys in that group.

2. Its also associated with those of us that choose to play earlier versions of a game even though there is a more recent version. Those of us who do this in RPG circles also are a part of the OSR, or Old School Revolution (or Revival if you like it softer and nicer). Wilder funner times, absolutely frought with nostalgia and rose colored glasses, but also games that were great and engaging in 68 pages instead of 224. See any of the Red Cover D&D Basic Rules, GammaWorld, Star Frontiers, Etc. Or even AD&D 1st Edition or the LBB's(1st Ed. D&D).

3. There are some others. Mostly associated with Video Games and playing on full realism settings with no cheats. Hard core stuff or old stuff.

I always pronounced it with a hard syllable. Grog-Nard. Like Frog-Hard. I had never heard it any other way. I knew it was French, but I never really thought about its correct pronunciation. Then I came across this:


This sent me into a panic. Had I been pronouncing it wrong? Words matter, I tell my children. Pronouncing them right means something. Words are meaning and a reflection of you and your education, intelligence, understanding, etc. I never say 'irregardless'. It bothers me so much ( as you can tell from the blog, I on the other hand don't care about proof reading). So I had to find out if, by my own mispronunciation, I was being revoked of my self appointed Grognard status and Membership Card. And as ususal, the internet has value for something other than porn, videos of people getting hit in the junk, and ads for Spyware software.

Here is the pronunciation of the word Gorgnard --- (gro nyar) .  Here it is pronounced by a Frenchman. I am devastated...Here's my card. Since most of us in my age group were not trained in languages other than English, this may seem stupid to those of you from more civilized places than the Colonies. But I dare you to come to Mizzura and try to wade your way around why they call their ozark town Ver-Sails instead of Versailles and you'll quickly understand.

Now deep down I knew that Grog-Nard was wrong. I knew too much French to think otherwise. Hell I make sure I correct people on the correct pronunciation of Quatre Bras and Ligny when ever I get the chance. I can even count to 20 in French. And I even know some Spanish and Italian. (mostly drinking and fightin words).

So I guess I'll have to bail on being a Gronyar. Who do I give this card to? Is it you Neck Beard and Shorts in Winter? Is it you Affliction Shirt Power Gamer? Is it you Potbelly Flannel reeking of weed? Or you Bespectacled Polo Shirt with briefcase of ancients rules?

Aww Screw It. Let's just game. LONG LIVE THE GROGNARDS (GRONYARS). Now give me my card back Unwashed Dead Eyed, It doesn't work in a Magic: The Gathering game.

Blog Formats, Type Styles, and Colors

There was a simple discussion on TMP that has spread to several of the blogs that I read, and that applies to me and the LA blog. It was about a black background with white or light type. How horrible they are to read, and how much they hurt the eyes. And there was much grousing(as usual for the grumpy grognards on TMP) about only children and the GW fanbois who love their black and skullz do their blogs that way, how unprofessional and what a basic mistake it is from a design sense. Etc. 

So here are a few thoughts.

I don't write code. I am not illiterate, but I use blogger so I can blog, not deal with learning sioftware and computer languages so I can make it exactly what I want. I live with what looks good to me. 

Pics are eveything. If you are reading my words, well then I am just damn flattered you bothered to spend the time. And pics look best on a black or grey background. Period. even marginal pics look ten times better on a black or neutral background.

I have a feeling some of this is about the aging of the gaming base in general. Us old farts eyes don't work like they used to. YES its easier to read dark on white. But after a while (like 40 hours a week), it feels like a flashlight is being shined at my face. So a dark background is ok for a gaming blog cause everything else I do on my computer is black on white.

And just like all the idiots during the election, I am so tired of generalities, sweeping statements that classify whole categories of people, and general BS of people who don't like specifically what you are doing, when you couldn't give a crap in the first place. So shut up about the Skullz and 40k and go grind your anti-Evil Empire axe somewhere else so the adults can talk about stuff. I know of three highly thought of and non FanBoi blogs that have given reasoned and rational thought about this issue. Imagine that. 

Update - 10-25-12. Some things I have seen and liked

Since I have been far too busy to paint this week, I thought I would do a quick update on some things I have seen and I have liked in the gaming Blogosphere.

On with the show:

This is the Morgan in Biosuit sculpt for the Sedition Wars Kickstarter. Its absolutely amazing. This is as Fallout-y as it gets my friends. And that could be a plasma pistol he's weilding. Glad I pledged at the level to get this sculpt included.

Next is the Reaper Kickstarter. Since I and 17,00o other people pledged for this stuff, probably not a lot of surprises but a few things are making me glad I pledged. And this sculpt is one of them. Now that's how a fire elemental should look. Terriying if you have to fight it. The depth of the sculpt is exceptional. Love it.

And one of the big draws for me was the giants. I think we will have 3 sets of them between our group. I am going to use them with my Vikings and Ragnarok gaming and as true ginats in our 15mm Hail Caesar Fantasy Games. Can you imagine how great they will look with a 15mm unit standing there, instead of that 28mm shy elven lad. Awesome!

And then their is this mutha. Holy Crap. I don't do Cthulhu gaming, and didn't opt to get this guy, but jeeze. He's HUGE! I think that mysterious elven stranger is ready to get destroyed in mind and body. Kudos to Reaper for making huge things huge. I am really looking forward to some of these minis.

I have been really pleased with my Zombicide stuff. Delivered as promised. As well as my Goalsystem Delves rulebook. So for me, assumeing I get what Studio McVey and Reaper are promising, I am pleased with my foray into backing on Kickstarter. I am all Kickstartered out, so if you have a project coming out on Kickstarter, since there are so many now, you are just white noise to me at this point. 

Some blog Updates I have enjoyed:

The Fawcett Avenue Conscripts blog shows us what its like to build and get Khurusan's DOE on the table.

Good Ol Space Jacker has made so great looking hills and is still searching for a cinematic action movie game to skirmish with. He's modding Flashing Steel. I llok forward to here of his progress.

MCPhee's Miniature Men blog has some really well painted examples of Blue Moon's latest 18mm Napoleonics. These look like they are 28mm. I would take 28mm Nappies painted like this all day long. Great Job.

I have enjoyed the GW nostalgia and OldHammer movement on the Realm of Chaos blog. It's really fun to see the classic Citadel figs and blisters and seeing someone play the early versions of a game I once liked, and now abhor.

Carmen continues to march to the beat of his drum. His variety and creativity continue to amaze me.Always a fun look. If you don't look at his blog every day you are missing out on some fun stuff. His 54mm Apocolators are simply stunning. Here's a great paint of a Cthulhu priest:

That's enough for now. Keep surfin, keep paintin, keep playing. Later.

A look back at my To Do List Spring/Summer/Fall 2012

So here is my Spring/Summer/ Fall To Do List I keep on the right column. Time for some introspection. 

0. 28mm Napoleonic Spanish

  0.1 Do (4) Line Units

  0.2 Do 1 Converged Grenadier Unit

  0.3 Do (2) Artillery Units

  0.4 Do (2) Cav Units

  0.5 Do (2) Militia Units

Well I just started these, but I have a good start. 1 unit of line complete, 1 unit base painted, 1/2 the grenadiers ready. 1. 28mm Napoleonic British

1.1 - Finish New Command Stand-COMPLETE

1.2 - Add 2 stands to existings 4 stand Units(6 units=12 stands)-COMPLETE

1.3 - Do (2) New Guard Infantry Unit-COMPLETE

1.4 - Do 2 New Highlander Units

1.5 - Do Light Dragoon Unit(Tarelton)-COMPLETE

1.6 - Do Hussar Unit(Tall Fur Cap)-COMPLETE

1.7 - Do 2 New Artillery Units

1.8 - Do Division/Brigade/Army Commanders-COMPLETE

1.9 Do 2 new Infantry Units(2 KGL)-LATER PHASE

1.10-Complete Basing and Flocking Much progress on the Brits. So much so that I am comfortable gaming with them right now. I have a few units to do ( a couple more cannon, a couple of highland units, anothe cav division, and some KGL infantry), but since I usually build an army of 12-15 units, I am really done. The rest is just for fun.

2. 28mm Napoleonic French My acquisition of 4 infantry and 2 cannon units, beautifully painted at that, plus another the BAron is completing, plus two more BG Scott is working on, we'll have a French Army in no time. Doesn't even seem possible.

3.15mm Fantasy for Hail Caesar Progress indeed this year. I painted at least 12 new units for the wood elves. And I made a huge acquisition of Demonworld original castings to go with my huge collection of original castings. So I am set on all things 15mm Fantasy. So much so that I may just sell all my 28mm except for some warband and RPG use. And of course there is that mountain of Reaper Bones coming in March.

4. 28mm ECW No progress. That's OK. With all the Nappy progress I am happy.

5. 15mm Napoleonics Rebasing-ON HOLD No progress either. This is a monumental task, and I just don't want to tackle it right now. I would rather make progress in 28mm.

6. 15mm Sci Fi Some progress this year. I am closer on a few things. I got the Alien Mercs based, got half the Humean Quick Reaction force Armor completed. But I waas really on other things. this is a huge project when I get to it.

7 28mm Post Apoc Much progress. Just search the post apoc tag. I am pleased that I am down to terrain and mutnats and monsters. Fun stuff. And Let's not forget Fistful of Lead:Wasteland Warriors. It will be a good winter for the apocalypse.

8. 15mm Sci Fi Tiles-INITIAL CASTS COMPLETED Really just playing. Won't be focused on it til I get into the 15mm Sci FI stuff in earnest.

9. 15mm Fantasy for Dungeon Tiles Finished the foam dungeon, finished many monsters, started on some Hirst Arts castings for some more tiles. Been a productive year for a side project. Probably won't see a lot of progress, until I get the bug to write some simple bash rules.

So overall, a good year, one of my most productive. I am hankering for my Fall/Winter List so it should be comin up soon, but I know its time to strike the completed stuff off the list, and get rid of a bunch of old lists still hangin around.

My Brain and other things that get in my way...

So do you ever just get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of gaming stuff you have or buy, or want to buy? And I know its kinda whiney and spoiled of me, but I have been blessed that I have a great gaming group, great friends and in-laws who game, and an income over the last 20 years that has allowed me to indulge in this great hobby.

I've kinda been there, done that, and my collection shows it. It is crazy eclectic. From my huge RPG collection, to my early and mid GW stuff to historicals and everywhere in between. I don't have many periods or genres I can't dig out at least one fig or unit that is painted or unpainted for it. And frankly, its gotten to be a bit much. And scale too. I have figs, units and armies for 6mm, 15mm, and 28mm ECW. I have never played one game of ECW. Nappies are the same way, only I have played many games. I have an embarassment of riches when it comes to gaming, and I think its time to narrow focus.

I think I am searching for some clarity. and honestly, I have gotten much this last year. Some things I know:

Black Powder is my Nappy Set of rules. All roads lead there. Thats a big one to mark off. The BP suite of rules suits our group and our approach.

Hail Caesar is my Ancients/Fantasy Big Battle game. That's just as huge, considering the size of my 15mm Demonworld collection(painted and unpainted)

Fistful of Lead:Wasteland Warriors is my go to Post Apoc game(since we worte it). All roads lead there as well. This is very helpful too.

I think I am well and through with caring about much of anything in 28mm fantasy, except as a 40-60 warband style game or singles for RPGing. I won't ever paint big 28mm armies(even though I have tons of figs for them) since I am totally concentrating on 15mm Fantasy for big battle.

I will never play a 40k or WHFB game. I need to get rid of the various collections of stuff cause its just too much stuff and noise.

I will commit to Pike and Shotte as my game of choice for ECW and base(rebase--the horror) accordingly. (Still doing 15's and 28's though.)

I need to pick a dozen things to game and trim the rest away.

More on the dirty dozen when I figure out what it is...

Hail Caesar! a quick opinion.

I have been reading the rules since our HC Fantasy game last week. Like Black Powder. I really like the simple mechaincs and overall feel of the game. It's probably not everyones cup of tea. And it is lighter on the granularity some folks want in their wargamming, but for me, its a winner and we will get a lot of use out of these rules. Almost makes me want to paint an ancients army. Almost. I'll stick to 15mm fantasy for now.

I like it so much, it made me get out some more 15mm Demonworld wood elves and paint since last thursday. I finished 3 units of 4 stands( a full division) of Wood Elf Archers to help them withstand the Green Onslaught. Another unit of Wood Elf Hvy Cav is about half done. I will do another Hvy Cav after this one, and some Wood Elf Spears. Then its time for the greenskins to get some reinforcements.

Demonworld Wood Elf Archers (not mine, from Ral Partha Europe site)

Demonworld Wood Elf Cav (Not mine, from Ral Partha Europe site)

French Napoleonics...a trade

This is kinda long winded and rambling on a hot KC monday morning before the MLB All-Star game. Its kind life and gaming stuff with no pics. So read at your own risk.

So I have been blessed with an amazing gaming group, a best friend who really is to blame for all this mini madness some 25 years ago, and a brother in law who is an incredible painter and all around obsessor of toy soldiers in a way I could never attain, try as I might.

I have spoken many times about how many of the Baron's and mine own experiences are shared ones, both in gaming and in life. But I never speak much about my brother in law, who was my friend first and then bro in law, and how over the years my bro in law has opened up many new horizons for me on the gaming front, as well as show me, by his own actions, how to be a decent, selfless person.

It was he who really amped up the GW obsession at a time when GW was putting out things like Man O War, and Blood Bowl, and Necromunda, as well as 2nd and 3rd edition WHFB and 40k. He had a small but respectable shop he opened on the weekends cause it wasn't his first job, and he had a loyal following. He would be the classic Old West barkeep. Talking to everyone and friends with everyone. Generous to a fault.

He was the one who introduced me to real historicals. The BAron and I dabbled in DBA, but found it lacking. And as the Baron was devouring history and his own personal obssession with gunpowder and pointy sticks, I was being introduced to wars and battles on an (at the time to me) unfathomable scale. 10's of thousands of men and horses with horribly inaccurate guns and gruesome conditions, fighting in full dress uniforms with giant hats and plumes and lace. It was all so...dignified and horrifying at the same time. And so my first case of Nappy Fever was born.

Since those first days of gaming with my bro in law, he had a tradition in his gaming circle of horse trading. This has gone on since the day I met him. Its a special thing to watch as traders try to eek out every last piece of value for their painted/unpainted figs and terrain and books and magazines for the at thing they just had to have. In the years I have witnessed it, I have seen amazing trades, and amzingly bad trades. Most are in the middle, but you can't stop a man from his own obsession, and many times I have seen that ruin a person's collection. But for those of us who have been doing it for so long, it all has a way to even out in the end.

And I tend to not mention trades and trading on the blog. But the fact is, as much as I love to paint, I am terribly slow, and I have way to many periods that I will never get to. So I do actively purchase and trade for figs, mostly painted, some unpainted. I have gotten over the last few years, through purchase or trade: a huge amazingly painted viking army, three large gangs of Necromunda guys, with more lead to paint myself, a hundred or so ancient GW/Marauder rougue trader era painted figs, 2 small 15mm ECW armies, a large 28mm ECW army, a small 15mm sci fi army, and small collection of 28mm WWII. Several years ago I traded for my bro-in-law for an entire collection of 15mm Nappies and 15mm Civil War. Pretty varied stuff. All of it very good wargamming quality or better(some much better).

But you will notice there is no 28mm Nappy in there. That has always been the holy grail. That has always been the one period I would be painting myself, or I would have figs from a very limited palette of people: my bro-in-law, his best friend Mike, or the Baron. And It was a project I never assumed I would fully finish in my lifetime. And I was OK with that.

Well a couple of things changed that for me. One, Black Powder. Finally a ruleset that allows a gentlemanly game that's fun and could be finished in 3-4 hours. Two, the painting I did on the Pennisular British this winter/spring. I could finish this to a scale and degree I would be happy with. And I don't need to get huge masses of troops on the table. So as I have written in this blog, the Nappy project is in full swing. I reached out to some of the guys in the BG's who would have interest in doing a unit or two of French so we could get to the table quicker. The Baron is even gonna paint a unit of French. we may get there yet. I was predicting at least 5 years to have the British, Spanish, French, and Portugese.

Well, as horse trading always is, you never know when it will come up or why. On a fluke Sunday afternoon, as I was painting some 15mm fantasy(this was only 2 weeks ago), my bro in law came over. we were talking and he was looking at all of the boxes of unpainted lead on my shelves. I never have anything he is interested in. But he saw some old GW stuff I had amassed over the years. A bunch of it. He decided he would like to trade for it. and I couldn't blame him. It was great stuff. It was still in the blister. And it was all right there. I let him know that I would only really trade for a couple of things. Painted Nappy French, and an old Spanish Village I wanted back I had traded to him a while ago. He tried some other things, but he knew I only wanted painted stuff in exchange.

Well, 2 weeks to the day later, and many late nights, he painted 3 units of french line in campaign dress, and a couple of cannon to throw in the deal. He knew I wanted 4 four units so he threw in a legere unit he had already painted. and the Spanish Village. In return he got 6 stuffed shoeboxes of in the blister GW figs. We both placed great value on what we had to offer the other. In the end we both were very happy with the trade. I must say that over the years, this is the most even trade we have ever made. It hurt to lose those  figs, but I may actually have a painted French Army in a year. That's inconceiveable.

Oh by the way, did I tell you the figs are beautifully painted. No. Well they are. I'll post them when I get them based up.

So completing a French Army is possible now. Sometimes it just takes a little push and a start. Well a full Division is a good start. And if the BG's paint a little we'll have a second one. I guess I need to get started on the other Division. The Spanish may need to wait. I still have a couple of Highland units to do for the British. But I am excited about the next year of Nappy Fever.

Pike and Shotte - quick pic

The Baron and I have been talking rules and what we want from a game and rule system quite a bot lately. His interest is focused on the Pike and Shotte rules by warlord. After several different discussions, I broke out my painted 28mm ECW to see just what I had if were going to play P&S straight up.

They have 4 pike stands of 4 on 40mm square bases. And 2 shot sleeves of 3 stands of 4 figs each on either side. (its really 3 units in the game). So 40 fig units. My figs are mounted 4 to a 40mm stand, so that works to start with. My original units were built for 24 man units(6 stands). I arranged them as 10 stand units and this is what I got:

So instead of the 7 units I had, I now would have 4 big units(Battalia I think in the rules) It still takes about 9-12 Big Units to make an army, and 4-5 of those would be cav. So We are a bit away from playing unless we do a proxy unit game. These are probably the army I will do after the Spanish Nappies are done.

My Favorite Ladies - A Top Ten List

So Frontline Gamer put the ten games that have influenced him the most (good or ill). Fire Broadside followed with an insightful commentary as well. These are the two gentlemen who are mostly fueling the Infinity thoughts I have dancing in my head. Anyway I thought the commentaries were well written and thought provoking and several of my most influential games were on their lists. So I thought I would follow suit and explore this a little as well.

http://thefrontlinegamer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/sunday-sermon-games-that-define-us.html#more

This doesn’t include computer/console games and they have influenced me greatly as well. But in the end I keep coming back to wargaming, minis and rules.

D&D Basic – My first. She was so seductive and mysterious. If ever there was a gateway for gamers my age it was her. She treated me well and when I came back to revisit her later in life, she was just as beautiful as ever. Her sisters and cousins were a real blast too(gamma world, star frontiers, villains and vigilantes) but no one was ever as good.

SPACE MARINE(2^nd Ed) – A different sort of lass from across the water. She was so new and foreign. We dated for years. And she always came through. She was a gateway drug for mini gaming. And it opened a world of possibilities. One of the best and funnest games ever. Before the bloat, before the volumes of rules. 64 pages of rules. That was it. And it was awesome. I still visit her now and again. She makes me feel young.

DBA – A very grown up Lady. Prim and proper. I courted her for a while and tried to make a go of it, but after a while it all kind of felt like chess. She did however, connect the dots for me for the history that I loved and mini gaming that I was beginning to love. So she lead me to bigger and better things. But she was the first historical. I wouldn’t even give her the time of day now, as I think the world has simply passed her by.

WHFB/40K/NECROMUNDA/MORDHEIM – Welcome to the party. Come on everyone is doing it. Seductve, evocative, self contained, over confident, this club girl was who everyone wanted. Big armies, new rules, background fluff. But as she aged and tried the same old tired moves, or invented new ones you could never help but feel unsatisfied when you were done with a date. She always looked good. But something was missing. And she just ran off with your credit cards. Time to break up. I have had the same love/hate affair that most people have had with the Evil Empire. Some games were really gems,( Space Marine, Man O War, Warmaster), some just got bloated and decrepit, making Nurgle himself proud of their corpulence. In the end, the resin will ruin them, but the only thing they really had left was some cool models.

MAN O WAR – Brutish and loud and an absolute blast to be with, this confident little lady seduced many a gamer in its heyday. My second favorite GW game. Fantasy sea battles were a revelation. And there were norse. Need I say more. I still have her, I still have all her fleets. She always satisfies.

FULL THRUST – A smooth and sleek evening dalliance. She is warm and engaging and isn’t terribly demanding. There isn’t a lot of depth there, but she sure is fun. She is aging gracefully as well, but could use a little touch up. An introduction by the Baron to me many years ago. My great love of Sci Fi fleet combat was finally realized with these rules. They are getting old, but that doesn’t mean they are any less relevant or fun. I would love to see an updated version with updated clean crisp styling but not a lot of rules changes. This thing has been put through its paces. It knows who it is. And you love it for it. A fan based update of the basic rules was done with some really nice graphics and style. Wish GZG would do a full rules book update. They’d sell a mint.

COMMANDS & COLORS/BATTLELORE – A confident and robust lady. Pretty on the outside, much depth underneath. On a whim I played the Fantasy version of this game, Battlelore, with the Barons son on a rainy afternoon waiting for the rest of the Generals to arrive. We had a blast. The rules were easy to learn, but much subtlety lie beneath the surface. It seemed to embody the best of both board games and mini games. Finally a vehicle for my hordes of 15mm Demonworld guys. I immediately rebased them all. We then started to play Commands and Colors, the historical and earlier version of the Richard Borg rules(Commands and Colors, Battle Lore, Memoir 44, Battle Cry) that are so fun and engaging. I liked them because the speed of play, the lack of arguing and gameyness that can happen, and cause they are fun. They will be an important part of my gaming collections and games for the forseeable future.

FISTFUL OF LEAD – A total tramp. She has been played and played and played by us for years. We have used FoL as our go to game forever. Always a fun time. Always a great game. This is the Barons lady, so treat her nice. I am Dancing with her sister right now, Warriors of the Wasteland. And the Baron is whipping her other sister into shape-FoL:Horse and Musket.   

FIRE & FURY – A saucy old tart of a game. You either love em, or hate em. I have probably played these rules for longer and more consistently than any other rule system. I always loved them and we fielded huge forces and 5 people a side games. No other game could have done that. It was a slog, but it was fun. I even built massive 15mm Napoleonic armies to play the Nappy variant, Age of Eagles. It was not as successful, and frankly turned me off to nappy gaming until…

BLACK POWDER/HAIL CAESAR – My newest mistress. I was already  in love with the period addressed by the rules, and the style, attitude and general gentlemanliness of the game was a nice breath of fresh air after so many detailed and fiddly rulesets about the period, home grown  or published. It is the rule set that motivated me to finish my British Pennisular army and feel like I was painting toward a goal. That’s huge for me. Its Brother, Hail Caesar, has motivated me to keep my hordes of fantasy figures and not sell them, so that they could be used for the HC rules. That was a revelation and a breath of fresh air as well.

Honorable Mention:

Supersystem/Goalsystem – While not as known as some names on the list, she has been an incredible companion these last 5-6 years. Interesting and innovative, the the goalsystem mechanic is just damn fun and easy to understand and get on with playing. It is the sole reason a fun miniatures(not rpg) super hero game can be played that captures all the flavor and action of a good team-up or annual. The intuitiveness of the system allows it to be ported to a huge range of possibilities across genres too. I am sure she will move up the list as I continue to spend time with her.

Crimson Skies – Sleek, sexy and fast, this fine dame had it all. A great rule system, and well thought out and semi-believable alternate pulp history, and of course superb minis. We have had a lot of fun with her. We still get her out occasionally, and our buddy Chris, of the Cluck Amok blog had the most awesome giant blimp for gaming. I have a giant tub of the minis, the original box set of rules and Wright Fury with your name on it.

Heavy Gear - I will always love the thought of you. You are beautiful to look at, but I can't stand to spend time with you. In my mind you are perfect. Reality does not match. Complicated, laborious, and simply not fun. All of your reinventions are the same. You look great, your story is compelling and interesting, but deep down you can't escape the fact that you are not enjoyable. I have mentioned it many times on the blog. I love the concepts, the minis, the background, the look, the art, the feel. But lets face it folks, these rules(pick you version) are not enjoyable and fun to play. At all. It's a huge disappointment that has been with the game since its inception. Please, I implore you DP9 scrape away all vestiages of the mini game from its start to now, and totally write a new game. Make it fun, and fast and engaging for all sides playing the game(do not use IGOUGO), make it simple(simple doesn't mean smart, it meas playable). I won't rant on price cause I guess if you can get it, get it.  

Well that’s it. A lot of the things on this list were introduced to me by my oldest friend, and founder of the Basement Generals – Ze Baron. Thanks to him for being the always willing opponent and force in my own little gaming world.  It seemed right to equate each one of them with a woman or lover. Cause it has been a whirlwind affair with gaming that started when I was 11 and read my first copy of D&D basic under the covers of my bed with a flashlight, Tolkien on the night stand.

P.S.
After I had written this post, the Baron and I had gone to lunch to talk about gaming and stuff. His current thoughts are on the blog today. I also heard from some other people that understand my current malaise(as one of them put it). It seems we are all sort of searching right now for the sweet spot. I hope we all find it. Paint, build terrain, game, have fun with your friends. It doesn't get any simpler than that.

A quick Rant...

I had a bit of a blow up in general on Friday with the Baron. Not directed at him, but directed in general about gaming.

I have been exceedingly frustrated by the lack of any interest in playing any full encompassing games(40K, WFB, AT-43, DUST, Heavy Gear, etc.) becasue one aspect of them is always lacking. Ususally it is the rules. Having a crappy set of rules makes spending all that money and time painting even worse. I can't and won't do these games. But I love some of the figs. SO I buy them and paint them and organize them, with a vague future purpose, but nothing really gets done.

The other side of the coin is the kind of rules that we play a lot of as a group. Small publihing house sets that are generic or DiY. And frankly, they all seem to be running together. And I am sick of filing in the gaps. I don't mind on a few games, but it seems like its on everyone.

Some are really great and do a nice job of being innovative and fun. Scott Pyle's work is particularly fun and rewarding for us and our group cause we love the goalsystem stuff as a mechanic and we get to play test a lot of Scott's stuff. But a lot don't go far enough, or some (most) leap past the generic base line stuff and get into tons of detail statting up a bunch of different manufacturer figs and forget the basic generic troops.

The sweet spot right now for me is Black Powder cause its a great set of rules, and army focused books are coming, but I feel like I am painting toward a goal. 1st goal is a Brit army for the Penninsula. I know what that is, I can get that done and stay focused to do that.

But so many rule sets don't even bother to do generic troops or provide lists of troops that the rules were playtested with. anyway. here's the rant below. Again it wasn't directed at the Baron, just gaming in my little circle. And I think some of this is because I am mightily intrigued by Infinity. And I know not one person(well, maybe one) in our group would play this game straight up with the fluff and the figs as written. I thin that's a shame cause its getting crazy good reviews and looks like fun. Imagine a fluffy game, with great gaming rules and beautiful minis and a scifi/anime aesthetic. Hmm too bad DP9 never did all of that together.

Anyway. I feel better now, but I think I need to narrow my focus. Sell a bunch of stuff and have 9-10 things that I love, instead of 30-40 and 30-40 more that I still collect for that are half ideas.

So I see that initial list:

15mm Fantasy for Commands and Colors.
28mm Nappies for Black Powder
15mm Nappies for Black Powder(only because thay are done)
15mm ECW for(well I am not sure now cause Pike and Shotte are not getting the reviews I had hoped for)
28mm ECW (see above)
15mm Sci Fi - fireteam based - the hunt continues
15mm fantasy (skrimish and dungeon bash)
28mm Fantasy (mass battles for HAil Caesar)
28mm Fantasy for Song of Blades
28mm Post Apoc for Warriors of the Wasteland
28mm Sci Fi for Skirmish
28mm WWII skirmish for WWWII

Not on the list but should probably be:
Space Ships
Dystopian Wars
Epic
Dark Ages
28mm Fantasy Warbands (40-50 figs an army - Saga size)
Kaiju/Giant Monsters
Giant Stompy Robots
Heavy Gear

I think that has to be it other wise I am Doomed. Thats a huge sand box and its too big, but believe it or not, that cuts out a whole bunch of stuff for me.

What it boils down to is do I have a set of rules I like and enjoy and just build armies or figs for that?

so I see that list as:
Black Powder
Hail Caesar
Song of Blades(any and all Ganesha games)
Goalsystem
Fistful of Lead(and variants)
Commands and Colors
Full Thrust

that leaves me with gaping holes in stuff I love and not having rules for them.

the Rant:

"I honestly would like to play a good(great, fun, not too gamey) set of rules that actually has a well developed background and is fun and immersive. I don’t want to be a fanboi. But I would like to be invested in the whole thing. Like we were when the first GW stuff came out(1st and secind editions).

All the generic rules sets are looking the same at this point. I would like to have one or two games that weren’t DIY.

Heavy Gear is a great example. I love the background, minis, all of it, but that rule system sucks a$$. So now I have to find a system that will work, convert all the crap to it, blah, blah, blah. Its exhausting.

And no way I am going to find a 15mm game that works with what I want. And if I do, then I have to make my own lists, and units and convert and blah, blah, blah, here we go again.

And I can do DIY on historical like Black Powder and Hail Caesar and be ok with that. But not for everything. For our skirmish gaming its fine. But for anything else its getting old. That may be why I am enjoying the Nappies right now. I am headed some place. With the 15mm Sci Fi. I love the figs, but there’s no goal. Frustrating. I don’t want to be told everything, but I don’t want to create it all either.

Take Gruntz, FUBAR, or even FWC. In any of those sets, there are not ANY generic lists. Why the F would you spend all this time on writing these games and then not provide the players with lists of the generic type troops that the author says ‘this is my base line’, or ‘this is what I play tested with’, or ’I think this is where I think everyone should start with MY rules’. I hate it. Give me a list of f-ing light, medium and heavy infantry, or green , experienced, veteran and expert troops, or a light, medium and heavy tank with 5 generic gun options. Jesus I just want to play, not write a goddamn dissertation or worse, have to buy the troops you have statted out. Which makes you no better than GW.

I’m tired of all the mental masturbation.

Sorry for the rant. "

So there it is. A peek into the continuing frustrations of a gmer who is truly overwhelmed and blessed with riches of being able to play any period he wants, with a full gaming group of 8-12 people, places to play on a regular basis, a full workshop to explore any painting/hobby related thought or idea, and a very understanding wife who knows how much I love doing this, and one of the great conventions around that is held not once but twice a year.

I am embarassed I even mentioned it.

shut up and game...

The List - 2011 Fall 2012 winter Projects

OK so here we go:

1. EPIC - Well I muct say, painting some ultramarine on a sprue of original beaky Space Marines has been pretty fun and nostalgic. And the last few releases of models are just gorgeous. I had forgotten that. So I am gonna pick off EPIC as I go into the long night, to hopefully emerge from the shadows with a painted Space Marine, Orc and Eldar force. Imperial Guard may be too much to ask, but I have a bunch of it too. And that Damn Chaos and Squat stuff. Focus...Focus.

2. VIKINGS - I love my new collection of Vikings. I need to add some odds and ends to it, but its in really good shape. I will add some trolls (I have a nice selection of assorted old GW Trolls just for the job) Dire Wolves (I have a bunch of Plastics from GW kits), Valkyrie Leader (Maybe convert one of my unbuilt Bretonnian Pegasus Rider mounts), Hill Giant (Again GW plastic, beautiful), then probably figure out how to do some goblins, and press some Orcs into service as more trolls, ogres, and giant kin. Really going for a more Ragnaok-y kinda thing here.

3. SAMURAI - Love my sammies. Not painted great. From my old days when I was learning, but they look good together. and look even better now on group bases. Going to play Commands and Colors and Commands and Colors Fantasy and Hail Caesar with them. Need to do ground work, flock, static grass, etc. Then decide if I want to paint more of my Old Glory and L5R sammies, or go for it and do the Perry's stuff and stay historical. I am leaing toward the Perry's. I also have a nice selection of the L5R Goblins to add to the mix, so they are perfect for C&CF, beautifully sculpted too. And if you can get the Bob Ollie samurai orcs and goblins sculpts then you have added a pretty colorful army to the collection.

4. 15mm FANTASY - This is the ongoing project. Really need to do basing and flock for these guys to get them finished. Undead are on paint sticks already, and I have a great selection of Thain from Demonworld, so kinda anxious to get them painted as well.

5. 15mm NAPOLEONICS - A rebasing project. They look good rebased. And since I will never use them the way they are based, they need to be converted. Once rebased I can play Commands & Colors Napoleonics and Black Powder. This is a big project, just because of the sheer vilume of my exsting collection. But it will look good when done.

Gonna keep the list to 5 this time. But you all know me. I will certainly add to it. I am pretty sure I will come back to Post Aocalyptic when I am suffering some general malaise, I always do. And I have all my 15mm Sci Fi to do as well. And I have been thinking about doing some 15mm scale 2'x2' game boards for me and the boys to play on. Be fun to have some pull out boards to skirmish on in 15mm. Now I can get back to painting. Finally.