Deadzone Terrain - Laser cut MDF

My friend Michael S gave to me just over a week ago a bag of laser cut buildings.  After a brief set of instructions from Michael (of which I think much went in one ear and out the other) I started putting the buildings together.  Yes I sent Michael a few messages with a "please explain how this goes together".  These buildings were designed by Michael and once I worked out how it all went together I was happy with the end results.  BP Laser cut the MDF.

I stuck with a simple paint scheme.  I used a grey primer spray (can) to undercoat the buildings.  I then chose some colours which I had bought from a bargain shop ($2 a tube), black, green, ochre yellow, red, white, grey and yellow.  You can see the end results in the pictures below.  Once the paint dried I gave all the buildings a gloss varnish.  I chose gloss this time just to give the buildings a durability that wouldn't be achieved if I had not varnished (even a flat varnish).

So thanks to Michael for his generosity in gifting me these buildings.  I appreciate and value all my friends who give that vital support that allows me to struggle on for another day.

Dog Country - The British are coming...

Always prepared to show a stiff upper lip, the British have arrived in Dog Country.

Dog Country is an online American West campaign run through Snake Eyes magazine.  Coordinated by Nick Chase this will prove to be a rip roaring game of fun, skulduggery and mayhem.

Check the latest issue of Snake Eyes for more details.

Snake Eyes - Dog Country

While the photographer has miniatures to reflect the in-game play, I thought I'd share my vision of my "cowboys".  Winning back the Empire, one fight at a time.

Captain Jack, Royal Navy, 20 years service, currently on leave
conducting special services for the Crown.

Purser Livingstone and "ship's boy" Bob!
Bob has breasts but Livingstone is sure they will clear up
with stern application of tonic.  Currently chasing Bob Tonic for the cure!

Lieutenant (pronounced leftenent for those not in the Empire) Cambourne

Seamen Dyman, Page and Redcliffe

Master Jenkins, had a touch of the sun and gone "native".

Boatswain Clayfield (seated) and Surgeon Stafford

Sergeant Major Randall, they don't like that steel up 'em, they don't!

My thoughts on the GJMWT

It's 3:45am in the morning.  My mental health is agitated to the point of mania, so here I am, at my keyboard, writing (or venting) my frustrations with the world.

Some people (who may not even read this blog) will think that this post is a dummy spit, well maybe it is but I feel that I need to write something not directly linked to the pages for the event.  I respect the event and tournament organisers but I feel that there needs to be a change in the way some things are done or handled.

When an event is run, if you publicise to the community that these are the categories in the event, you do not suddenly exclude a category on the day because a trophy wasn't provided.  For me I only found out that the category had been dropped was at the beginning of the fourth round  Some people, of whom I class myself as one, have some skill in modelling and painting.  So when you see a category for best painted, I know that I have to put in the effort to compete for that goal, as I feel that I every chance to achieve it.

The right thing to have done on the day was to run the scoring for the category, decide a winner and apologise that there is no trophy on the day and that one will be provided to the winner at a later date.

I also think that for events with a painting category, that it should really be labeled "Players Choice", as this better reflects the nature of visual presentation, rather than some technical application which many will not even comprehend of painting or modelling.

My other concern is the competition for last place or the "Thanks for Coming" trophy.  This has been normally been awarded to a person who has been incredibly unlucky or incompetent, perhaps both.  This year it appeared to me that the level of play undertaken by some to achieve this place is diminishing the importance that was once attached to this place.  I have twice won the "Thanks for Coming" at the GJ and I feel I truly represent the most unluckiest bastard on this planet.

I'd like to see the "Thanks for Coming" replaced with the category which covers, painting, behaviour (some call it sportsmanship) and performance on the day.  This I think truly reflects what the event needs.

These are of course my opinions and will in all likelihood not have any impact on the annual event but they needed to be said, they are based on 30 odd years of being involved in and running events and tournaments.

I feel very much like Mr Nutt from Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett.
"Am I of worth, do I have value."

Photos from the GJMWT 2014

The Destruction Award - Simon Hall (Trollbloods)

3rd Place - Stuart Beats (Khador)

2nd Place - David Lancaster (Circle of Orboros)

1st Place - Tony Lee (Trollbloods)

Last Place - Eddie Crompton (Circle Orboros)

Random photos from the day.

The GJMWT 2014 - Minions & Gators

For the last 5 years I have participated in a yearly event run at the Blind Pig.  Initially the event was for Warhammer Fantasy Battles, but due to GW being on the nose the event became Warmachine'Hordes instead.

This year at the urging of the TO I went back to my Minions Gator list.  There was a Best Painted Award on offer.  I am not by any stretch of the imagination an aggressive or competitive player.  I play first and foremost to extol the virtues of what a gentleman is all about and to display my above average skill in model making and painting.

Below are pictures of my effort in "competing" for the category of Best Painted.  I have to say that I am not the only person who strives for this recognition and that the level of skill at the Blind Pig and those who attend is quite high.

I have supplemented my force with figures from alternative companies.  The "gators" have come from the Wargods of Aegyptus range to replace the PP ones for Blackhide Wrassler and Gator Posse.  Certainly everyone who played me all commented that they had my vote for Best Painted.  These comments made my feeling of self worth happy as I saw that I had worth or value within the community.

This was a battlegroup based on Bloody Barnabas (35 pts)

In the end the category was dropped from the event on the day with no warning.  The TO was extremely apologetic and did his best to respond to those who had taken the time to compete for this advertised category.

I suffer from a number of maladies of which mental health is my greatest struggle.  For reason I don't feel I can either communicate or expect others to understand I am now leaving the competitive environment for my own safety and continued welfare.  I will of course continue to paint and model, as this is what I can do with some level of success and competence.  So you can expect to see more of my work on display, just not much where it comes to competitions.

40K Ork Vehicle Construction project.

While searching I came across a lone copy of White Dwarf # 136.  I wondered why is it out of the collection, to which I find it is actually a second copy.  Clearly I bought it for the Ork Vehicle project located inside.

So I'm going to make one or two, maybe the others as well.  Who knows.  Will post progress updates.

I apologise for the shine on the photos.