Summer is Coming!

And Summer means outdoor activities. Last Autumn I discovered a Family LARP group in Svendborg, and started participating in their 'Vatnua' campaign, taking place in a Forgotten Realms inspired setting.

I have a lot of LARP gear from the time around the start of the millennium when I arranged an indoor fantasy campaign for young people, and as I quickly fell in love with the 'Family LARP' concept, I decided to start up a project utilizing our rather large garden/yard (more than 4000 sq.m. with various levels, lots of big trees and hazel bushes, a camp fire hut and two additional camp fire sites).

Today I have prepaired some 'gold coins' (Gylden), and earlier I have been doing some 'copper' and 'silver' pieces (Shillinger and Thalere).

I also got this little thing for the Human Faction. The old King is dead, and the throne is vacant (yes, I'm also preparing a throne).

Well. that's all for today. Stay safe out there!

The Blood Bowl Re-Animation

While looking for some other stuff recently, I stumbled on a box containing a lot of Mutant Chronicles/Warzone stuff - and most of my Blood Bowl possessions.

The playing field had warped a bit, so I bought a clear acrylic sheet to place on top (can also be used for other board and wargames), and set up my two painted teams - The Oakhill Rangers, and Da 'Eadbangerz.

I did not get around to playing a game that time around, though - my birthday was coming up, and I had to make space for setting the table for the birthday dinner.

Return of the Lichemaster

I finally managed to pull myself together after a long period with absolutely NO energy and initiative, due to a mystical ailment making my stomach hurt after each meal, and preventing me from getting more than 3-4 hours of sleep per night.

I have been in a programme at 'Center for Functional Diseases' in Vejle, and am now in medical treatment, which has helped me overcome the problems associated with eating (and that alone has helped my mood a LOT, as I am very fond of good, well cooked food), and a physiotherapist helped ne get off the couch and become more active - which has also given me more energy.

Summa Summarum, I think I am almost back in the saddle, I have played a couple of games and I have been buying quite a few things - and promise to start posting pics here!

The last week I have been unpacking and sorting two small crates and two large boxes worth of assorted purchases. A lot of it is now taking up all the space I currently have available for it in the living room, and I am in sore need of some boxes to store the goodies in!

As you can see, I have been purchasing both terrain and minis ...

... and as you can also see, Lyra, the Terror of the Lichemaster, would very much like to get up there and push everything over the edge ...

That guy is HUGE! 

Quite a few biggies, actually, 

The yellow school bus! I've been wanting to get one for my Scoobycalypse Walking Dead project (which has been on hold for quite a while). Fred and Daphne are both sitting on one of my Hammers-invented cork-handle faquir-beds, awaiting further attention.

I've got painted minis for several Deadzone factions (at least Enforcers, Asterians, Forge Fathers, Rebels, Plague, maybe Marauders), and unpainted minis for GCPS Troopers and Veer-Myn.

I own a copy of that game, so I am very happy about having acquired those!

I also got a lot of painted and nearly painted Necrons, along with a bunch of Adeptus Mechanicus Scitarii Vanguard/Rangers (hmmm) and as I am just creating Space Marine and Eldar profiles for 'Warlords of the 41st Millennium' (W41M) - my own adaption of Warlords of Erehwon/Bolt Action rules for the Grimdark Universe, I couldn't get a better motivation for pressing on with that project!

I promise to get better pics of the various groups and Items when I get started putting them away in some nice sturdy boxes (I need to procure some shoe boxes or the likes, until I can get enough priter paper boxes).

For now: May Your Dice Favour You!

Yule Spoils!

 I actually got something gaming-related for Yule his year!!!

I love it! It fits right into my Christmas Wars/Pop Culture Wars thingy! Sally 4th: https://wargamesbuildings.co.uk/product/second-star-to-the-right-collection/
Go get it!

Old Mini, New Life

Something a bit different today, but I am following all my whims at the time being.

I haven been doing some work on this old fella over time. He was block painted many years ago for a D&D character I was GM'ing for back then (apart form the skin which was patially shaded and highlighted).

He has been given a new base (surprise!), and then a wash with Agrax Earthshade on his clothing and gear (apart from the lantern and the knife).

His hair was a stark yellow colour, so I have repainted it with a more natural hue (I hope).

Finally, I have given him eyes.

I have taken som pics from different angles; I am quite pleased with the effect of the shading.

From the back. Nothing to complain about, here.

I used to be able to arrange up to three small pics aside, but Blogger must have changed something - it seems impossible to line up pics these days.

Warhammer Quest Barbarian

I painted this guy almost exclusively with Citadel Contrast Paints (I also used some Vallejo Old Gold + Agrax Earthshade, Citadel Chainmail + Badab Black, and Citadel Gryphonne Sepia).

Not a great paintjob, but very passable for the tabletop. I think I might redo the skulls; the sepia turned out too brownish in my opinion.

As I plan to play some Sellswords & Spellslingers with Emil very soon (if possible somewhen during this next week), I needed to cater for his taste for large men with humongous swords (instead of using a skinny Elf), and I am going to paint a Frostgrave Barbarian for his party, but I had to finish something quickly, and I've had this guy standing around primed with Wraithbone for quite a while, so it was a no-brainer to use him for Contrast Paints practice.

I just realized that I forgot about the banding/sleeves on his braids.
I shall have to revisit those.

Yes, the base edge got damaged when I removed him from the cork
I use for painting handle. I shall look into that, too,

Sellswords & Spellslingers: New Set of Cards

I have simply NO idea where I have put my SS&SS card set and 3D-printed deck holder, and as I plan to play a game with Emil quite soonish, I had to print, laminate, and cut out a second set (this time it is going to be stored in the games gear box!)

My printer is not currently running, so I built a deck holder/card shoe from LEGO. It is not as swaggy as a printed one, but it will have to do for now.

Frodo's Quest: Dark Realms Shirelands Kickstarter

I just got on board, and thought I'd blow the war horn for this one!

This Kickstarter is a tremendously good deal, and it lands just in time for being included in my preparations for bringing the first scenario of Frodo's Quest to this year's Horisont Con (which is being revived after a pause of a couple of years).

Picture courtesy of Pinyo Gulashart (Dark Realms proprietor)

If you are into 3D printing, take a look at it - and maybe also visit the Dark Realms store on MyMiniFactory. Lots of interesting stuff, there!

Frodo's Quest: Hobbiton 101, WIP

As mentioned yesterday, I am painting some 3D printed smials for my 'Frodo's Quest' project. I am making progress, albeit a slow one, and I thought an update would be in place.

Yes, there are visible layer lines. No, I am not going to do anything about them; it is a terrain piece, and once the war horn is sounded, nobody will notice, anyway. Besides, I printed this quite a while ago, and I am achieving better quality these days, but that is no reason to let this go to waste, methinks.

I am going to acquire a static grass applicator just after this year's summer holidays (I wouldn't risk it being returned to the seller because it arrived while I was away and unable to pick it up), and put a nice lawn on the roof.

More for the Plastic and Lead Alps

Earlier today, I received my June order from North Star Military Figures. The Gnolls are (primarily) for my 'remixed' version of Rangers of the Shadow Deep, the Goblins for mixing in with my LotR Orcs (and providing extra archer arms for the Gnolls), and the Halflings are for my 'Frodo's Quest' Shire spin-off (more about it in a later post).

The Hell Crows are for RotSD (some kind of Crows, the name eludes me right now), and the Frostgrave Barbarian with the two-hander is for Emil's Sellswords & Spellslingers warband.

The Magmites and the Thief are just bonuses, but I shall probably find some use for them.

Some Fireforge Stuff Arrived

Today, I received these two boxes directly from Fireforge Games.

I orderred them to make some peasant survivors and zombies for Rangers of the Shadow Deep (my tweaked version of it, anyway), and I hope to be able to make zombie versions of the peasants, but I shall not dive right into it, as I am busy painting Pirates for Åcon later this month.

Frodo's Quest: Black Rider

Some days ago, I finished painting up this mounted Nazgûl, and I used it as my second entry for the Modern Fantasy Painting Party at LAF.

After finishing the base, I realized that I can relatively easy bevel the edges of the upper layer (MDF pill-shaped base from Sarissa Precision) for a less obtrusive base edge, and I shall be doing that from now on (this was my first attempt at this kind of base, And as usual, I learn on the go).

Next up for Frodo's Quest are som members of the Silent Watch, and then I shall have to finish painting some 3D-printed Smials.

Frodo's Quest: Frodo Baggins

Yesterday, I finished painting Frodo, and I used him as my first entry for the Modern Fantasy Painting Party at the LAF.

I am already painting my next entry, and as this particular Painting Club runs for 200 entries, I think I should be able to get another couple of minis done before it closes.

He is part of my 'Contrast Paints Trial', and only the skin and metal (and base) were painted using traditional paints.

I now just have to finish one Black Rider, and paint some 3D-printed Smials, and I shall be ready to test run my planned first scenario of Frodo's Quest (I kinda forgot what rules I was going to use, but I remember the general outlines and shall cook something up).

Frodo's Quest: Samwise Gamgee

I have not given up on my 'little' side project, it was just on pause like everything else from last summer until recently.

Sam is now ready to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Rivendell - and beyond!

This mini was painted primarily with Citadel Contrast Paints, although some details were done with normal layering (metal, skin, and the backpack, mainly).

He was varnished, first with Citadel 'Ardcoat, then Humbrol Matt Acrylic Varnish, both brush-on.

As mentioned in my first post about this project, I think that Contast Paints are best suited for plastic minis, but as I started Frodo and Sam this way, I am also going to finish them. Later metal additions to the project will be painted the conventional way, leaving the Contrast Paints for the plastics.

 And here a shot of both the finished minis so far:

Next week I shall probably start finishing in-the-flesh Frodo (I start my five nights work period tomorrow, so I shall not be able to spend much time at the pain(t) station before then).