Demonstrating wargaming at Spellenspektakel 2018

Eindhoven has a yearly recurring gaming convention called Spellenspektakel and this year we had a chance to attend with the Sword Brethren Eindhoven, our local wargaming club. As the audience sometimes wants to participate in games we split our gaming table, using one half for Warhammer 40K Kill Team and the other to play Age of Sigmar Skirmish. One of the wonderful moment was explaining the games to the smaller kids attending our table (with a few heart attacks along the way as the models got handled ;) ). In the end I think this look says it all: hooked for life.

Used with permission, (c) Judith Tielemans

A small update on lots of little projects

These past few weeks I've gotten a bit distracted by work and the ever dangerous time sinks called computer games. If you value your hobby time I suggest you skip The Long Dark and Kingdom Come: Deliverance. With Fallout 76 almost out I worry it'll be December before I get around to some serious painting again (probably not, I tend to get bored quickly and suddenly after too much screen hours). In the meantime I have found some idle moments to blast away with my airbrush, drop some superglue on unsuspecting models and take my brush to (ancient) metal. It's just that every time I start, there's a computer game calling my name...

I think painting dead(ish) skin is one of the most Zen experiences in the hobby.

Rebasing Skaven and Orcs for Age of Sigmar

For a game that was supposed to do away with bases, I seem te be rebasing very often since Age of Sigmar was released. To be honest it's mostly me, I just want my models to look right (and prefer round bases for that) and I don't mind trying out new things (like multiple models on a single base). The occasional rebasing is just part of the cost for this attitude. As it stands now, AoS plays better if each model has it's own little plastic bit of the world to stand on. Which brings me to my Skaven.

They may not have been expertly painted, but there's a lot of them with color on, so impressive enough for my tastes...

Orruk Boar Boyz arrive just in time for Orctober

For a second I was worried that I did not pay enough attention to orcs/orruks this Orctober (Orruktober?). But a quick scroll through the past month shows I need not have worried. I did complete Grom (honorary orc) and had some fun with orcs in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th. Now all I needed to do to complete Orctober was to finish painting some actual Orruk/Orc/Ork (this is getting out of hand) models. Luckily two projects have been hiding on my painting station: Kaptin Badrukk and five Boarboys I picked up second hand a while back. This weekend I completed the Boarboys.

Oh what a day. What a lovely day! 

Trouble in Teufeltal session five, Otilla and the orc

The latest session of my Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th campaign started with a quick rectification from the player's side. They were not in the war room, but had already left Schluesselschloss, once again stealing the (dead) baron's horses. This time the guards told them to stop and dismount, but the group decided to ignore the fat layabouts and just kept on riding. With the early day's sun coming out they set off towards the baron's winery.

Not appearing in this scenario: goblins, although at some point the orcs did drop a stone thrower from great height.

Grom the Paunch arrives in the Mortal Realms

The Made To Order service Games Workshop has been running for the past year is both insidious and incredible. On the one hand it eats cash I should've kept in my account on the other it gives access to models I've always wanted at prices below e-bay crazy. An example of this is Grom the Paunch, the model I just finished painting.

Grom the Paunch is one portly psychopath.

Trouble in Teufeltal session four, Closed River

At the end of our previous gaming session the group was sailing barge De Vreugde downstream on the Teufel carrying wine, coffee and refugees. Unfortunately another barge tied with chains and ropes was blockading the river. Trolls where seen in the reeds on the left and right bank and the tied up barge was in the process of being looted by goblins. What could the party do?

This part of the adventure was going to feature a lot of river trolls. Luckily for the players most of them are going to be standing in the background, looking intimidating.