Drinkin' and Modelin' - Updated 3/25/13 w/ Lobstermen

Started a blogger gnoblog but I thought I would try to cross post here as well.

http://drinkinandmodelin.blogspot.com/

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Many years ago today ....

It was actually about 3 years ago, but I don't remember specific dates. It began with "The Underworld", a small comic store in Ann Arbor, MI. I had been visiting the store regularly for years (when F. started at the University of Michigan and I began making the pilgrimage across the blood red seas of I-94) and had witnessed what I considered the lowest of the low ... the tabletop miniature gamer.

They chortled and squealed in a high pitched mockery of the English language, often using phrases, or grunts, that meant nothing to the uninitiated. Like a tribe of radiated desert mutants they stalked and hunted any outsiders who mistakenly entered their darkened dens. Quick to poke and prod, to mock and howl at those who did not ... could not, understand their horrible world. They frightened me yet I was unable to ignore their enormous collections of tiny figures, each hand crafted and painted. Each with countless hours spent devoted entirely to their appearance, in stark contrast to the creators who owned them.

Time passed and many comics were purchased from "The Underworld". Each week I witnessed the same troll like creatures fighting over scraps of their dignity on a dingy table in the back of the store. I felt compelled to watch them. To study that which I did not, and could not, understand. Over time I began to associate some of their inhuman noises with their actions, and what those meant to one another. There was a system at work here, not the seemingly random actions I had first witnessed among them. Fascinating.

It was during this time that I met Brett. He was a mutual friend of a friend who had a strange and mysterious hobby. He never spoke of his activities but I knew he must be involved in some dark dealings at all hours of the day. And so it went like this until I saw him one day during a visit to "The Underworld". I assumed he was there, like myself, to purchase the newest shipment of comic euphoria. That was until one of the horrid trolls I had come to ignore approached Brett and spoke to him in a language I could understand.

What was this? Had I finally been infected with whatever ailment controlled these beasts allowing me to hear and understand them when they spoke? Could these hideous mutants actually be a form of humanity previously unknown to science? How was it that I was now speaking with this thing, and why was it acknowledging Brett as an equal, as one of it's own?

That day I discovered why Brett was often "too busy" to visit his friends. He was in fact one of them. A tabletop miniature gamer. He had extensive collections in both the Warhammer: Fantasy Battles and Warhammer: 40k settings. It was too late ... I had been infected.

Months later I was playing games with him and his freakish kin. I felt the very fabric of my humanity being rended, torn from my very soul. The corruption was deep and spreading fast. Soon after I bought my first miniature ... and painted it. It was only a matter of time before I had picked my poison and selected which Army I would begin collecting.

Warhammer: Fantasy Battles, the Ogre Kingdoms. I bought the Army book and wept.

Then I moved away to Austin, TX. Brett and his mutant kind were far away and the urge to play WHFB (Warhammer: Fantasy Battles) wained. I was far busier trying to secure a job in the Gaming Industry, paying off bills and debt, and keeping myself fed to be concerned with any hobbies. I returned to Ann Arbor a few times over the years to discover "The Underworld" had closed its doors and with it the steady stream of miniature corruption in the community. I felt both sad and relieved to know that maybe those once human could heal ... possibly becoming just regular nerds again. I left MI yet again secure in the knowledge that this part of my life had ended and a new chapter could begin.

But there it was ... the itch. A small spot in the bottom and back of my spine that I could never reach. The desire to play. To play tabletop RPGs. To purchase, construct, paint, and collect tiny armies of tiny Monsters and Men. To be like that I once shunned and viewed as abomination. To play Warhammer: Fantasy Battles.

And here we are. Two weeks ago I purchased "The Battle For Skull Pass" with a friend (who shall remain nameless for his sake). He had a desire to create and fight with tiny Dwarfs, and I had a desire to feed my nameless addiction. Since then we have played the game a total of 3 times and absorbed another helpless victim (who has begun collecting Orcs & Goblins). One week ago I purchased my first WHFB models in an eBay auction, the Ogre Kingdoms Battalion Box. I received these models on Saturday and spent the remainder of the next two days cutting, cleaning, gluing, and customizing Ogre models.

Today I started this blog to keep track of my new hobby modeling, which works nicely with my other hobby drinking. Here I will add pictures, posts, and other WHFB related nonsense. Here I will track my sickness. I hope you enjoy reading about my adventures in a miniature world and maybe one day you too will be part of this tribe.

So it begins ...

Completed assembly of 24 Gnoblar models, 6 Bull Ogre models, and 4 Ironguts Ogre models. I have 4 Leadbelcher Ogre models left to finish assembling (possibly this evening).

(My new lowest tier geek/nerd/dork is the Larper ... although I fully admit that tabletop wargamers are probably just a short step above it)

I enjoy your writing, it is very reminiscent of Anthony Bourdain's. Still, I'm not entirely sure what to make of this.

Ok then  


Seriously, nicely written, certainly kept me reading 'til the end.
I'll check in when you update as two of my greatest loves are Warhammer and drinking

Confused... I am compelled to follow this gnoblog

JJ

Thanks for the positive comments and thanks for reading!

I suppose the Anthony Bourdain comparison is inevitable as his is one of the only Blogs I actually read on a regular basis (Michael Ruhlman being the other). I worked in the food industry for 12 years before getting into the Game Industry where I work now.

Bourdain's Blog:
http://anthony-bourdain-blog.travelchannel.com/

Ruhlman's Blog:
http://blog.ruhlman.com/

I can't promise all my posts will be as insightful or interesting as this initial one, but I will continue to track my progress into the darkened halls of Warhammer. It may just be a short review of a brew I am enjoying at the moment or a list of my Ogre conquests (first match is tomorrow night!).

Where are you located? I'm asking because you might be curious to know that Portland, OR, US, is now the beer capitol of the world (surpassing Germany for number of breweries!).

I bet Randroid IS Tony Bordain!
Your secret identity is safe with me Superman!

Where are you located? I'm asking because you might be curious to know that Portland, OR, US, is now the beer capitol of the world (surpassing Germany for number of breweries!).

I live in Austin Texas which isn't the beer capitol of the world but it is the capital of Texas. I love Portland though. I almost moved there instead of Austin actually!

There is a lot of great beer here in Texas, mostly due to the large number of German immigrants who brought their great beer crafting traditions with them to the US.

I really have never had any interest in moving to Texas (or pretty anywhere in the South, I'm not a fan of the heat. I lived in Phoenix for a year and it sucked), but alot of good beer is enough of a reason for me to drop in for a quick visit. I'd imagine that it'd be hard to produce alot of good beer in a place as hot as Austin.

Update doesn't include diagrams because I am too lazy to add them here. Visit the actual blog if you wish to see them please!

http://gnoblogok.blogspot.com/

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It has begun!

I battled the Dwarf forces of R.S. led by THE THURMANATOR in a mighty effort to avoid being torn to shreds by Dwarfen Organ and Long guns. The battle raged for 2 hours and in the end only a handful of Gnoblars remained to tell the sad, yet funny, tale of this great Ogre defeat. My Warhammerin' friends and I started playing "regular" Tuesday night battles last week. Two weeks in I brought my newly glued Ogre Kingdoms army to face the twisted stunty freaks known as "Dwarfs". We have been playing 500 point battles while we learn the varied, and lengthy, rules as we are all newbies to the game. Having no experience with the OK and their units I went to the experts at the Ogre Stronghold for suggestions. I chose to go with a small powerful army list provided by Mercules which he used in local Warband games.

    Maneater (Commander) 80pts @90
    - Heavy Armor 4pts
    - Brace of Handguns 6pts

    Butcher 130pts @150
    -Wyrdstone Necklace 20pts

    Bullsx4 @140
    Irongutsx2 @96
    Gnoblar Fightersx12 @24

Against the better judgment of those who have actually played this army I decided to mix it up a bit with 3 units instead of 4. I grouped the 4 bulls with the Maneater for one unit (marked as 1 in the diagram below), the Gnoblar by themselves nearby (marked as 2), and the two Ironguts with the Butcher on the far left (marked as 3). My opponent (the dirty, drunken, stinking, stunties) set his units up on a nearby hill with 10 Thunderers (marked as 4), 1 Organ Gun (marked as 5), a Thane (his Commander, marked as 6), and a group of Warriors (marked as 7).

The term "opponent" is not 100% accurate in this situation for it was not a mere mortal I was doing battle with. It was THE THURMANATOR. The perfect amalgamation of nerdy stat tracking, rules lawyering, min maxing, super geek prowess. A being who has played more games (and gamers) in his short time on Earth than a football stadium full of attractive women. And the games were not simply "played"... they were THURMANATED. A terror, a legend, a force of nature. This was my "opponent" in my first real match of WHFB. I had yet to begin and I had already lost.

With initial placement complete (after being "owned" in the terrain placement phase) we began the first turn of the game. Knowing the Dwarfen Organ Gun would likely tear apart my Ogres I decided to push hard and fast in an attempt to tie up the ranged units in Close Combat. I marched forward with the intention of smashing small skulls into a fine dust and snorting what was left.

Shortly after moving forward I attempted to cast Brain Gobbler on the Dwarf Warriors in front of my Iron Guts and Butcher. My hope was they would panic and run in front of the Organ Gun and Thunderers (not likely with Leadership 9, but what the heck...). I chose to roll 3 Casting Dice and rolled three ones. THREE ONES!! Miscast. The very first roll of the game, the very first roll for the Ogre Kingdoms, the very first roll for me, and it is THREE FUCKING ONES. I rolled against the Miscast Table with a five, resulting in a massive magical FART (represented by the neon green aura) which inflicted one wound on my Ironguts. While I did find the result funny it could have been much worse. Anything under a five on the table is pretty deadly and could have ended my chances of victory right then and there. THE THURMANATOR went next, firing his Organ Gun into the ranks of my Commander and Bulls and taking out two Bulls instantly. This was in addition to inflicting one wound on my Commander. At this point I was ready to call it as it was clear my tactics were not sound and I was going to be wiped out by the uber-nerd... the unstoppable perfect rolling machine...
Knowing it was too late to change my fate I pressed on, continuing my march to death from thousands of tiny bullets. My Butcher attempted to cast two spells (Bullgorger and Bonecruncher) and failed all his casting rolls. Keep in mind the minimum to cast is 3+. Yes. I really did roll that badly. Another round of fire from the Organ Gun took my remaining two Bulls down while the Thunderers fired into the Gnoblars killing one. At this point the Gnoblars are doing better than the multiple wound 35 point models. Somehow that doesn't shock me. The Dwarf Thane moves in front of the Thunderers in an attempt to stop my Maneater from attacking the Thunderers.
Finally! I am able to successfully Bull Charge the Dwarfen Warrior unit with the Iron Guts and Butcher, flanking with the Maneater. I inflict three wounds on the Dwarfs from the Bull Charge and another two in the attack. The Dwarfs hit back and deal two wounds on my Iron Guts (mostly due to a rules SNAFU and our group not fully understanding Close Combat rules). This unit loses Combat with a Musician tie-breaker, fails their Leadership break check, and runs 6" the other way. The Maneater passes and presses the attack on the Warriors. The Gnoblars move up but are still not in combat range. Dwarfen Organ Gun lays into the Gnoblars killing four and causing them to break 8" in the other direction. The Thunderers fire into their retreat killing another two. At this point the battle is pretty much over, but I figured it was important to finish what was started and press the attack.
This is what happens when you press an attack with nothing but a Maneater with one wound on him. The Ironguts and Butcher rallied only to be shot down by the Organ Gun. The Maneater continued attacking the Warriors and inflicted two more wounds before being shot down by the Thunderers. And finally, the Gnoblars failed their rally and ran right up to the edge of the board.

And that was it.

Quite possibly the worst showing for an Ogre Army ever seen. From start to finish I was rolling very poorly. My "opponent" was consistently rolling perfect rolls with maximum hits, wounds, saves, and dispels. It was a massacre, a bloodbath.

Good news: I learned a lot about the game and my army. Next time I will be better prepared to deal with a situation like the one outlined above, and maybe I won't eat as many bullets from the Organ Gun.

Bad news: I will have to play this same army again at some point. I have seen this Organ Gun in 5 matches now and it has yet to roll a single misfire. I am starting to believe it is invincible. It has greatly shaken my faith as it mowed down my entire army with 3 rolls.

Now I will head back the drawing board in an attempt to create an army that can handle 8 to 10 automatic hits with 6 to 8 wounds at a -3 armor modifier every round. I haven't lost faith in the power of the Ogre Kingdoms, but I have lost a little bit of faith in myself as a gamer.

Crud! How do I modify the Gnoblog topic!? Is that even possible?

Crud! How do I modify the Gnoblog topic!? Is that even possible?

go to the first post in the gnoblog and look up in the top right. Click on the modify button and you should be able tochange the title as well as the text in the first post

Thanks
Corai

Wow!!! I love the way you wrote the battle report Rather morose though Well, sounds like a thorough annihilation I can honestly say, I have never known an Organ Gun fire that perfectly!!! You were simply unfortunate... And faced an uber nerd; which wouldn't have helped...

JJ

I had to chime in.  I'm one of the Randroids buddys that he mentioned in the first blog post. I'm the dude who is starting O&G from the starter box.  Unlike his slow descent into the Warhammer tabletop, I have been playing 40K for a few years, and have always been leery of the FB rules and movement differences.  With him and another buddy from work (RS - the owner of the dwarfs), I have made that cannonball plunge into WarhammerFB.

As Randroid has mentioned, we are just starting and that organ gun has been rough even to my poor lil' gobbos.  Never has it misfired in three games...never less than four shots too if I remember correctly...  Anyway, we also realized, of course a day later, that Randroid should have won the two combats due to Flanking.  I misinterpreted the flanking rules and we still added the rank bonuses to the dwarfs, thus making the CR matched, so, with the musician's tie breaker it went belly up.  But, like he has said we have all made a pile of mistakes, and we all have a bit of a rules lawyer inside us so it works out for the better.  He took it pretty well though, but in my opinion his Ironguts still would have swallowed those stunty 'lil punks in one more turn, that is if they didn't go running their knobby little feet off the board.

So, Live and Learn.  I'm looking forward to seeing his muscle bound monstrosities tear through those stupid little Dwarfen dregs once more. 

And yeah, that first turn miscast-gas was priceless, I think even the soulless gaming machine that is the THURMANATOR cracked a smile.

This week's update. Also on my Blogger Gnoblog.

The rules event from the game is mostly covered in this thread:
http://ogrestronghold.com/forum/index.php?topic=8970.0

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Rules. All games have them by definition.

game; noun
a competitive activity involving skill, chance, or endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules, usually for their own amusement or for that of spectators.

This definition does not account for the reality of the Rules. The cold, harsh, tundra of the Rules wasteland cares not of antiquated notions such as "amusement". It cares not for personal feelings, thoughts, or desires. The Rules are a force of nature in games. An unstoppable force that cannot be reasoned or bargained with. In all game situations the Rules are akin to God.

Much like holy books such as the Bible or Koran are passed down as the word of God, so too are the Rulebooks for Warhammer: Fantasy Battles. Each section of these books can be broken down, explored, and translated into many different possible meanings. Each meaning has repercussions that reach far beyond the mortal realm, and it's tiny models, and into the very fabric of human existence. Within these pages are the powers to destroy and create, to live or die. It is up to us to learn from the Rules, to take it's message and preach it's gospel of the nerd. To become like that which we may never truly understand. To become Rules Disciples.

Much like Biblical Scholars we study the Rulebooks, finding new and interesting interpretations of the cryptic texts contained within. Good or bad, these interpretations shape our view of the world around us and can change the very outcome of every encounter in the game. It is nearly impossible to truly know the Rules. Many nerds have devoted their entire lives to the pursuit of this goal, some failing to ever again see the light of day.

I am not so strong. My knowledge of the Rules is limited, as is my exposure to it's grandeur. But I carry on, knowing that I may never reach the apex of the icy Rules summit. That I may die from lack of oxygen, or starvation, as I claw my way towards the top. To be dragged back down by the packs of ravenous dire nerds who roam it's frozen cracks and crevices. Trying is the first step towards failing and I try in spectacular ways.

Tabletop Tuesday this week was attacked by the Rules. Our minds clouded by it's death-like grip we stumbled on in an attempt at game survival. We missed critical rolls. We missed important turn phases. We royally fucked up yet another game of Warhammer. And to add insult to injury, we fought against one another, not in the game as prescribed by our nerd brethren, but in reality as commanded by our very Rules master. Possessed like angels of mercy, or hellish fiends, we bickered and argued over minute details of the game. Unable to come to a compromise we bitterly ground out the last few turns of the game before calling it a night.

It was a pathetic showing for both armies involved, but in the end the Ogre Kingdoms overcame the Dwarf army in this point for point rematch of last week's battle.

No "play by play" this week. No cute little paint images. This is the reality of the Rules. This is the pleasure and pain, and this is why we play.

May the Rules spare our eternal souls.

Good stuff It's like monopoly- everyone starts the game with the best of intentions but you know sooner or later that board is flying across the room- flung from the hands of some enraged player (usually me). Come to think of it, has anyone EVER FINISHED a game of monopoly?

Come to think of it, has anyone EVER FINISHED a game of monopoly?

I have never not finished a game How can you give up on a good ol' game of monopoly?

JJ

Oh well I guess it's just me

I can't say I have ever finished a game of Monopoly. Usually someone gets Boardwalk and thats the game.

Now that tempers have cooled, and people have backed down from their heated positions, things are going strong again. We may even have a new addition to our group with a Skaven army ... which should make for some interesting matches.

I am trying to finish my army core by modifying some Bulls into Butchers and an Iron Guts into a Bruiser/Tyrant. Hopefully then we can play some 1000 to 1500 point games and see some different unit tactics.

A very interesting read, Randriod. I'll keep an eye on this gnoblog.

BigD

Thanks BigD.

Here is a short progress update.

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I have been neglecting two of the topics this gnoblog was created for: The creation of my Ogre Kingdoms army, and drinking beer.

Today I will rectify this situation!

Last week I finished the main assembly of my first Ogre Kingdoms Battalion Box when I completed my Leadbelchers. I knew I wanted to get a box of Ogre Bulls to convert into Butchers, mostly because I don't really care for the GW Butcher model (it looks a little ... toothy).

I considered buying a Tyrant model to fill out my army until I can spring for a Hunter, Gnoblar Trappers, Gorgers, Scraplaunchers, Yhetees, etc.

I went to a store here in Austin, BattleForge Games, in an attempt to supporting the local gaming community. This was my second time in this store (the first was to purchase the Battle For Skull Pass boxset) and I was still not impressed with their Ogre Kingdoms model selection or price.

I know the price is somewhat out of the retailers hands, as it is controlled by GW, but I also know I could find the models cheaper online. Lucky for them I am an impatient man! After pricing out the box of Bulls, and a Tyrant model, I realized I was close to $85.00. The Ogre Kingdoms Battalion box was priced at $90.00. I decided to go with another box and convert one of the Iron Guts into a Bruiser/Tyrant in addition to the two Bulls which would become Butcher models.

Today I made it to another Hobby store here in town to find two part epoxy putty which I could use to modify the models in the second Battalion box I had purchased. They didn't sell "Green Stuff" so I had to settle for some Tan colored A/B epoxy putty. I also purchased some chains, glue, and base texture so I wouldn't have to come back later.

Tonight I sat down and worked on completing the modifications I had made to my original Battalion box models, adding straps for kegs of ale and various weapons, before finishing with a textured cloth/animal hide hood for my Battle Standard model (he is wearing a skull mask and it looked bad just glued on with nothing covering the back of his head).

I do not have a digital camera to show pictures of the works in progress, but this is something I am hoping to rectify in the near future.

While I was working on these modifications I was also drinking a tasty brewed beverage; Red Hook "Long Hammer" India Pale Ale. My review follows:

Beer Type: American IPA

Appearance: 12oz. brown bottle with a green, white, and yellow label featuring a big hammer on it. Cool. Poured a light yellow-orange color with a thick head that quickly faded to a light lacing.

Smell: Hops and a touch of sweetness. Mostly just hops.

First Drink: As expected with any IPA the hops is the first thing that jumps out. It isn't overpowering and seems mellowed somewhat by something else I can't quite pinpoint.

Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel with a good level of carbonation. I can't really say it is good or bad, but it is in line with the other Red Hook beers I have had.

Last Drink: More sweetness now with a touch of sour citrus ... maybe grapefruit? The hops took on a sort of floral flavor as the beer warmed up.

Drinkability: Not the harshest Pale Ale out there and certainly drinkable. I tend to drink a lot of Red Hook brews but this is mostly due to them being on sale at the local market where I can get a $7.99 six pack for $4.99. This beer is quite good for a $4.99 six pack but there are others I would choose at the $7.99 price.

Notes: When I first started drinking beer I absolutely hated IPA and Pale Ale style beers. I must have had some poor examples of them then, because I drink them almost exclusively now when given the chance (Real Ale Fireman's #4 being my favorite).

Verdict: 3.25 out of 5. This is probably the best Red Hook brew I have had, far superior to their ESB.

I'm curious about the conversions in your army. I'll patiently await the moment you have a digital camera. 

Red Hook "Long Hammer" India Pale Ale huh...a beverage with a big name.  Much more colorful than I'm used to in my country where beer is just called 'Amstel' or 'Heineken'.


BigD

The prices. So cheap for beer. A single local stubbie in Australia is $2.50 to $3.00. And anything imported is somewhere upwards of that. I myself am not much of a fan of the local Pale Ales, much more of a lager or wheat beer drinker myself.

Just a short progress update and another beer review. Still working on finding a theme for my Tribe.

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Another week, another handful of models cut, trimmed, cleaned, glued, molded, shaped, and based. I have "completed" one Tyrant (made from Battalion box extras, Iron Gut bits, putty, and chains), and two Butcher models (made from Battalion box extras, Bull bits, putty, and metal rings). I am pretty happy with the results given the state of my talent, the tools at hand, and the amount of time I spent working on them. I wish I could show you what the looked like! Maybe I will grab some pictures with my terrible digital camera this weekend.

I still have 3 Iron Guts, 4 Bulls, 4 Lead Belchers, and 20+ Gnoblars to put together. We'll see how many I can make it through in the remainder of this week.

Work has been crazy which has prevented Tabletop Tuesday (my weekly WHFB game) from occurring this week. Next week looks like it might be shot as well, so I might have time to start my base coat priming.

I have decided to use the "dipping" method of painting for my Ogre Kingdoms models. This is a combination of painting, and staining to achieve a more uniform look with less work. Since I am not particularly skilled at painting, nor do I have the excessive amount of time required to do it well, this method should help me out a great deal. I will be deciding on a theme and selecting my base paint colors off of that. Still working out who and what my Ogre tribe are.

Tonight while I attempt at piecing together 20+ Gnoblars I will be consuming a six pack of a Mexican classic; Negra Modelo. My review follows:

Beer Type: Vienna Lager

Appearance: 12oz. stubby brown bottle with the black, yellow, and gold foil cover and label. Poured a light brown with a thin off-white head that quickly dissipated.

Smell: Roasted malts and a little nutty aroma. Hard to make out, but there is just a hint of hops in there as well.

First Drink: Crisp, refreshing, and dark. I am a fan of brown (or darker) lagers and ales and I have always enjoyed this beer.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and light with just a bit of carbonation.

Last Drink: This beer gets sweeter as it sits and warms up. Almost hard to distinguish from Newcastle at some points (aside from the Licorice Newcastle smell).

Drinkability: I typically don't drink Mexican beers as they tend to give me a severe headache. This beer does that sometimes as well, but it is my default beer when eating Mexican food. I like to drink mine with a wedge of lime as the acid really brings out the roasted malt flavors in the beer.

Notes: Beats the hell out of Corona.

Verdict: 3.75 out of 5. Well crafted with good flavor and balance. I need to try the direct imitation Bohemian some day as well.

I will be the first to admit I am not technically savvy when it comes to Digital Cameras. I have never owned one so there was no need to understand this arcane examples of high-tech wizardry. The reasons why I have not purchased a Digital Camera are many and varied but I will make the following list simple and easy to digest.

• 1. I am the least photogenic being on Earth. This has been the case since I was born and doctors attempted to photograph the experience for my parents. I have seen the pictures ... and I still can't get the memory of their existence out of my head.
• 2. Technical equipment hates me, and I don't like it either. Simply touching a computer is often enough to set it on fire, sparks and glass flying from shattered monitors. Luckily I have found a way to put this talent to good use; I break technical things for a living. I turn good video games into bad news as a QA Lead Tester.
  
• 3. I believe cameras are a gateway to hell, stealing the souls of their victims, sending the portraits into the netherworld .... never to be seen again.
• 4. They cost too much. I would rather spend that money on food, video games, booze, and tiny plastic models of fat Ogres.

Even with all of these reasons to never go near a Digital Camera I felt it was my duty to secure photographic evidence of my WHFB downfall and spiral into madness. I attempted to take some photos of my miniatures with an old outdated model, but they turned out a blurry mess. Luckily I had some dollars burning a hole in my pocket, so I ran out to buy a new Digital Camera, a 12 pack of beer, and a bottle of rum. Now that I am liquored up with technology on my side, nothing can stop me from subjecting you to my crazed model labors! Nothing!

Here are some pictures of the models I have done!


(I have attached the Images in additional replies after this post ... please see my Gnoblog if you want to see this text as it was meant to be seen)

(1)This is my Tyrant/Bruiser model made out of some Ironguts and Bull pieces and a bunch of fine jewelry chain. I don't have a name for him yet. I think he turned out pretty well considering I have no previous experience working with epoxy putty or model customization. I wasn't able to get any "Green Stuff" (the standard for this sort of work) and had to settle for the harder (and harder to work with) Tan A/B epoxy putty. I am told this "Tan Stuff" is usually used for making more rigid additions such as weapons or body parts. I attempted to use it as "Green Stuff" and it didn't go so well. It sets up very fast, in about 20-30 mins, and I didn't have enough time to work out all the kinks. Still ... I think it he turned out good overall.

(2)Here is a side view showing off his psuedo-fur top and crappy rivet belt. Notice the chains woven through the skull eyes ... yeah. Intense levels of "badassitude" right there.

(3)This is a view from the other side. I intend to eventually get a real Tyrant model once I can convince myself $35 is a good deal for one model that I don't particularly like that much. This guy will be relegated to Bruiser status once that occurs. Notice the keg by his feet. The theme of my tribe is drinking; both blood and beer. Still working on picking a name for the tribe, and thus the Characters in it. The current leaders are:

    * Beer Guts Tribe
    * Beer Gut Tribe
    * Blood Keg Tribe
    * Blood Guts Tribe

If you have an opinion on any of these, let me know. I can't possibly make a decision this important on my own.

(4)This is my first Butcher. I made him out of Bull parts and a bunch of "Tan Stuff". The apron didn't turn out as good as I had hoped it would, but overall I am happy with it. It could have been much worse given my experience level (especially working with the "Tan Stuff"). You can't see it in this picture but the staff he is holding is a Man Trap on one end with a Cleaver on the other. This weapon represents many of the common Magic weapons used by Butchers, but I had the "Bangstick" in mind when I made this.

(5)Here is a view from the back. I wanted to add some ritualistic piercings on his back and shoulders, but the "Tan Stuff" wasn't working. I clipped the rings and attempted to glue them directly, resulting in the white schmang you see here. I plan on cleaning it up before I prime this model for painting. I may add some "Green Stuff" now that I have it to make it look more like an actual piercing on his body.

(6)This is my second Butcher, also made from a Bull and a bunch of "Tan Stuff". I made this one bigger, with a larger belly and apron/smock. The cord/belt I added didn't turn out as well I as I would have liked, and I may go back and add more details with some "Green Stuff" ... or just add them in the painting. Pretty straight forward conversion here, nothing too fancy.

(7)Here is a view from the back. You can see he suffers from the glue/piercing issue as well, although it looks much less noticeable on this model.

(8)Next up is my Tribe's Battle Standard. I wanted to make this guy look really bad ass for a standard bearer. He is wearing a skull mask, has a lookout gnoblar, with a huge ironfist and giant standard. I really like this model. I hope I don't screw up the pain job!

(9)From the back you can see the back of the headpiece. I tried to make it look like an animal skin headdress, but it is mostly there to cover up the poor conversion underneath. The chains are there for the high level of "badassitude" they provide (being chains and all).

(10)Here are my five Bull models. The Battle Standard is technically a Bull as well, although I would use him for an Ironguts if needed. There is a standard here as well with a Gnoblar in a perch. I took off the flag because it didn't look good leaning forward. Four of these models have slight modifications with straps/belts holding on extra weapons, kegs, etc. The only model I have any "fluff" for in this group is on the far right, Dr. Club. He has a lot of clubs on him. He is like a field medic, but his only remedy is beating people in the head with various sizes of clubs. Sometimes it works ....

(11)You can see the modifications made with "Tan Stuff" a little better from this view. I am proud of the way these all turned out. I am working on an additional seven other Bulls which may be a bit more generic then these fellas (then again, maybe not).

(12)Nothing too fancy here, just Ogres in Heavy Armor with Greatweapons. Two of these models have extra straps/belts added to hang their kegs on. I am working on an additional four Ironguts which will be pretty basic as well. You can't really change the perfect combination of heavy armor, big weapons, and Ogres.

(13)Another view from the back. I am really proud of the little bit of fringe on the belt of the Standard Bearer. That was really hard to do with the "Tan Stuff" and I screwed it up about 16 times before I finally got it right.

So there you have it. I have mastered my daemons and brought you pictures of my maniacal works. I have some things not pictured of course. Here is the list:

    * 60 Gnoblar Warriors (yes, I really have 60 of them)
    * 4 Ironguts
    * 7 Bulls
    * 8 Gnoblar Trappers
    * 1 Giant

I just purchased the Giant kit today as I was not able to find a Hunter model and I didn't want to spend the same amount of money on two Yhetees. The Giant may suck in the game (so I have heard anyway), but the kit is fucking awesome! So many different parts, and extra bits. I am really going to have fun putting that one together.

You can expect a small progress report later next week. I didn't get to play any WHFB this week, but I did watch another player attempt to run the Ogres against the Orcs & Goblins. It didn't end well. The OK player bunched up all their units and got smashed by Savage Orc Boyz and Black Orcs. I learned a valuable lesson though: challenging a Tyrant/Bruiser with the Tenderiser is a sure way to get your Characters killed.

Until next time ...

(1) Tyrant Front
(2) Tyrant Side View 1
(3) Tyrant Side View 2

(4) Butcher 1 Front
(5) Butcher 1 Back
(6) Butcher 2 Front
(7) Butcher 2 Back

( Battle Standard Front
(9) Battle Standard Back

(10) Bulls 1 Front
(11) Bulls 1 Back

(12) Ironguts 1 Front
(13) Ironguts 1 Back

I quite like the models. Nice conversions and good use of chains! One thing I don't really like, is the aprons of the butchers though. It just doesn't look like pieces of cloth.

I like the 'Beer Guts tribe' best, by the way. It's more original than blood guts and I like it better than blood kegs (or beer gut).

And your dr. Club fluff bit made me laugh. Nice one.


BigD

love the models my favourite is the tyrant nice use of the chains

Thanks for the kind words.

I agree BigD, the aprons didn't turn out as well as I would have liked. The epoxy putty I used did not like to get thin so it was a real challenge to get any definition or folds. You can't see it in the pictures but there is a textile texture on them which helps, and there is a bit of definition at the bottoms of the aprons.

Any suggestions on how to make them look better? I do have some "Green Stuff" now, but the aprons are stuck for good. The "Tan Stuff" hardens very hard and can't be sculpted, changed, or removed without destroying the models.

Chains will be a big bit of the look for my tribe. I to am leaning towards the Beer Guts Tribe. The fluff being they are a bunch of drunken, angry Ogres who live in the mountains and only come down when they need more beer. Then the rampage through the nearby territories, killing any unlucky enough to get in their way while they search for more refreshing ale.

For a nub the models didn't turn out bad at all. I the tyrant's look (even if I'm not sure what that thing hanging off his back is), and the bulls and bsb are very cool. I'm not a fan of the aprons, but what can you do.

Thanks Reg. I can see my Butcher conversions are not especially popular, but you gotta love the mantrap on a stick!! Only an twisted Ogre mind could come up with that one.

The Skull on the back of the Tyrant/Bruiser was added to keep his look somewhat in line with the actual model. I may eventually just delegate this model to be a Maneate since the book mentions they often "grow up" to become Tyrants. He can be seen as the whiny (do Ogres whine!?) younger sibling of the real Tyrant who is off adventuring and trying to not get eaten by his bigger, meaner, brother.

I didn't notice the mantrap on a stick before, but that's really cool. The butchers are neat. All the extra bitz make them look really cool and characterful, it's just the aprons I'm not a huge fan of.

Loving the models thus far dude

I personally think they're rather superb

My personal preference of name would lie with the Blood Gut Tribe by the way

You should make a poll ;)It's how I came by a name for my tribe in my gnoblog

JJ

Thanks Josh. I finished some more models and I am currently working on my Slavegiant. I should have some more pictures up this week.

I added a poll to see what people think is the best name for this tribe of beer drinking, blood thirsting, skull and chain wielding Ogres from deep in the mountains. May the best name win!

I really like your conversions, Randroid. Your models all have a dynamic look, and that will give your units a great feel when they are on the table. The tyrant is also really unique and well done. I can`t wait to see them painted.

Thanks for the kind words forgottenlor. I try to make my Ogres all slightly different, with a unique personality for each model. This is made easier by putting them in different poses, with a new dynamic for each of them. Glad it came through!

There is a new post on my actual Gnoblog website ... I guess I will add it here, but I am really lazy ....

I am still trying to get the hang of this damn digital camera. As mentioned in my previous post, technology and I do not get along very well. We have a shaky truce at best. After fighting with the camera for a bit I came up with these pictures of my recently assembled Iron Guts, Bulls, and Slave Giant models.
First up, the Bulls!

(1)Even though the base weapon for these core units is the Ogre Club, I wanted to have an "elite" force of Ogres armed with chopping devices. These guys like to cut stuff up into tiny little bits, eat a few of those bits, and then chop 'em up some more. "CHOP CHOP CHOP!! Hur hurr hur!" I like the one on the far left who looks a bit like Danny Trejo (or at least I imagine he does) with a hunk of meat hanging from his fist.



See the resemblance?

(2)From the back you might be able to make out the keg and weapon belts I added to the models, one of which features a nice big metal ring. This was something I wanted to add to my older modifications but the "Tan Stuff" did not play nice with small metal additions such as this. I am really happy with the way these belts came out.

(3)Here is another unit of Bulls, this one with two "Belchers" in it. I saw another army which featured "Belchers" as Musicians in place of the regular Bellowers and I loved the idea. Here is my super-fast and cheap version of the "Belcher" with ale stein.

(4)Here is the same group again from behind. You may be able to see more of the belts with rings in this picture. Check out the "Belcher" on the far left which has something like suspenders holding up his cask of ale. I am really proud of this one, and it took me way too long to get it right!

(5)Next up is my second unit of Ironguts. These are slightly more exciting then the last as I tried to make some subtle changes to make them look a bit more dynamic. I am a fan of small modifications that can be easily done to make the base models just a bit different, but not too different.

(6)Here you can see the belts with casks and weapons on the back of the Ironguts. You can never have too many weapons when you are charging into battle!

That is all the pictures I have for the Core units. I spent a good portion of the yesterday working on the "Green Stuff" for them and patching up my Slavegiant before assembling him today. Here are some pictures of my Slavegiant!

(7)I didn't really like the suggested head for the Ogre Kingdoms Slavegiant so I went with a modified version of the O&G Giant instead. There are quite a few bones and skull in my army already so I thought it would work well. I added a bit of chain to hold the skull in place, and chains around the wrists of the giant as well (he is a slave after all).

(8)A view from one side of the Slavegiant. You can see his chain "Leash" hanging off his back, as well as snacks for later on (Mr. Cow and his bag full of chum). Notice the "mercy killing" arrow sticking out of his bag. Those poor, delicious, souls. You can see one side of the Keg Hammer, which is basically a tree with a Keg full of skunky ale tied to the end. The stench alone is enough to kill most strong men, and thats not counting the Slavegiant's strength on top of that!

(9)And last but not least, a view from the other side of the Slavegiant. You can make out the end of the "Leash" for the Slavegiant, which is usually in the hands of a Tyrant (which I have yet to name for my tribe) before being let loose on any enemies nearby. You can also see more of the Keg Hammer from this angle. I am really happy with the way this model turned out and I have to say it was some of the most fun I have had with this hobby as of yet. If you are playing an army that features a Giant, do yourself a favor and get this kit!

And that was the majority of my week in progress. I had a small scuffle with an O&G army this week, and my Ogres got trounced in the process. Next week I will do a better job of taking notes and grabbing pictures of the battle so I can post an update here.

The "to do" list for this week is as follows:

• Assemble Hunter, Sabercats, and additional Trapper models.
• Assemble Gnoblar Scraplauncher model.
• Assemble Butcher model.
• Prime all of my army.

Somehow I doubt I will manage all of that. If only I had more time ...

Bulls 2

(1)
(2)

Bulls 3

(3)
(4)

Ironguts 2

(5)
(6)

Slavegiant

(7)

Slavegiant

(8)
(9)

Great models, especially the bulls with all their equipment. All those extra knifes gives them a veteran mecenary look!

Cool to see that you belchers instead of musicians...very fluffy 


BigD

Where do you take your photos? They all look a little washed out, as if they are taken under fluorescent lighting. Perhaps try photographing outside in natural light if at all possible, it might just help the pictures a little. As far as the models themselves go, they look awesome. I much prefer when people do some modifications to their models, rather than just gluing them up as they come. Gives the army so much more life.

I am not the best photographer and I am still tinkering with my new camera .... I don't think it is a light problem since I used 4 different lights, in 2 different types on those pictures.

I will get better at it. This whole hobby is new to me.

Thanks for the compliments on the models. One of these days I will get to paint some of them (badly)!

I don't know. If your painting is anything like your modeling, then it will be an impressive sight.

I like it. Well done with all the gubbinz. The hammer head is a barrel from the ogre sprue, correct?

Nope! That one would be a bit small. I used the keg that comes with the Giant Kit which is just about the right size.

I didn't update my gnoblog this week as I was busy rearranging my entire apartment to make room for a workspace to paint and model (I had been using my kitchen table and it was starting to look a bit crap).

I had an idea for a "Master Blaster" style Ogre model with a Dwarf on his back. Maybe make him a Maneater or Bruiser. The other route would be a Gorger with a Gnoblar on his back ... a dirty savage looking one of course.

I think it would be fun and cool to see that in my army.

I had an idea for a "Master Blaster" style Ogre model with a Dwarf on his back. Maybe make him a Maneater or Bruiser. The other route would be a Gorger with a Gnoblar on his back ... a dirty savage looking one of course.

I think it would be fun and cool to see that in my army.

Sounds cool. I can see it now, a drinking ogre with a drunken dwarf on his back 


BigD

The past two weeks have been incredibly busy for me and I have not had any time to devote to my poor, lonely models. I spent the majority of the first week planning for a move which then did not happen. Instead of moving out I rearranged my apartment to make more room for the enormous amount of stuff I have. I am still in the process of getting rid of a great deal of things that I do not actively use, and take up a lot of space. I did manage to create a workspace for my modeling activities, and a temporary storage solution for the already assembled works in progress.

I managed to find time to play a team game last Tuesday with my drunken mountain brothers the Dwarfs, against the cowardly vermin and stinking greenskins. It was a 1000 point game split between two teammates and I fielded the following army list:

    Bruiser: 130
    - Great Weapon: 8
    - Heavy Armor: 4
    - Brace of Handguns: 12
    - Wyrdstone Necklace: 20
    Total: 174 pts

    Bulls x 3: 105
    - Extra Hand Weapon: 12
    Bulls x 3: 105
    - Extra Hand Weapon: 12
    Total: 234 pts

    Maneater: 80
    - Heavy Armor: 4
    - Brace of Handguns: 6
    Total: 90 pts

    Total Points: 498

The basic idea with this list was to run diversion against the many large units of Rats. Orcs and Goblins while my Dwarf brothers shot them to tiny pieces using the following list:

    Master Engineer : 70
    - Brace of Pistols: 10
    Total: 80

    Thunderers x 10: 140
    - Shields : 10
    Total: 150

    Quarrelers x 10: 110
    - Great Weapons: 20
    - Rangers: 10
    Total: 140

    Bolt Thrower: 45
    -Rune of Penetration: 25
    Total: 70

    Bolt Thrower: 45
    - Engineer: 15
    Total: 60

    Total Points: 500

The enemy units consisted of a wide mix of Chariots, Infantry, Fast Cavalry, and War Machines which made deployment a bit tricky. Sadly I did not take notes during the battle, but I do remember one group of Bulls getting run down after fleeing a charge, and the other group killing many a Rat before finally being killed off. Meanwhile my hammer unit of the Bruiser and Maneater diverted some of the more costly O&G units to the edge of the playing field where the remained for the majority of the game before finally being crushed after refusing a challenge from the Bruiser, and shot to pieces by the Quarrelers and Thunderers. At the end of the 6 turns we had only lost the two Bull units and had decimated the enemy. We scored a solid victory and were just a few points shy of a massacre. All in all it was a great game and I look forward to playing more team games with my northern brothers in the future.

Sadly, today that will not be the case. I am playing a 1000 point game against the Dwarfs, and I expect to see a list much similar to the one brought against our enemies in the last game. I have decided to run a modified version of a previous 1000 point list, this time with an emphasis on Bulls instead of Ironguts. Here's hoping I can manage to smash those stunties to bits and steal all of their ale!

Look for a battle report on this match in the near future (as soon as I can find some time!).

Good job on the victory.
One note about your battle against the dwarves- two of their strengths are high toughness and good armor saves, both of which you want ironguts against. Bulls will only wound on 4's (not very good), and most dwarf combat units will still get a decent save against even club wielding bulls.

As always, you can find this located on my Blogspot page as well, with pictures from the match. I can't post them here ... sorry!

Well here it is, my second attempt at a "real" battle report from one of my WHFB matches. I can't promise they will all be this detailed, but I thought I would do what I felt was my "ideal" recap and see if I can keep up this level of detail. It probably won't continue like this though.

---

This past Tuesday (6/17/08) I played a 1000 point game against Mr. Stocks and his Dwarfs. I don't know that they have a "name", but I like to call them the Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs. My list for this match up was the following:

    Tyrant: 200pts
    - Heavy Armor: 6pts
    - Tenderiser: 50pts
    - Wyrdstone: 20pts
    - Longstrider: 25pts
    Total: 301

    Butcher: 130pts
    - Bloodcleaver: 25pts
    - Skullmantle: 20pts
    Total: 175

    Gorger: 75pts

    Bulls x 3: 105pts
    - Light Armor: 9pts
    - Ironfists: 15pts
    Total: 129pts

    Bulls x 3: 105pts
    - Light Armor: 9pts
    - Ironfists: 15pts
    Total: 129pts

    Bulls x 3: 105pts
    - Light Armor: 9pts
    - Ironfists: 15pts
    Total: 129pts

    Gnoblar Trappers x 10: 60pts

    Total points: 998

I chose to go with a close combat Butcher with the intention of running him in a group of Bulls. I also made the decision to run "hard" Bulls with Light Armor and Ironfists to help protect against the onslaught of shooting in place of any Ironguts. That may have been a mistake in the end, but overall the Bulls held up fairly well.

For some reason beyond me, I played a Tyrant which is 100% illegal at this point total (no Lord slots). I didn't realize my mistake until the next day when Mr. Stocks mentioned it to me. Oops! I wasn't trying to cheat, honestly!

First up in this match, Terrain Placement.

I rolled a 3 while Mr. Stocks rolled a 1. I went with first placement, a small hilled forest in the center of the map. Mr. Stocks went second, placing a small stone fence on one side of the board. I declined to place any additional terrain and he then placed one tall hill on the opposite side of the board. This put me at a bit of a disadvantage as either side would provide bonuses to his army, but the alternative was to place more Line of Sight (LoS) blockers which would have given him a chance to place more hills for his Warmachines (in this case, Bolt Throwers with 48" range).

Next up was Unit Deployment.

I rolled a 5 while Mr. Stocks rolled a 1. I chose the side with the hill as I didn't want to deal with his Bolt Throwers having that much LoS on the board, but this gave the Dwarfs a wall to defend themselves behind while shooting at me for the majority of the game. It might not have been the best choice, but the decision was made and I began by placing my first Unit of Bulls (1) on the board. Mr. Stocks then placed his Longbeards, followed by my second Unit of Bulls (2). Next up for the Dwarfs the Quarrelers, followed by my third and final Unit of Bulls (3). The Warriors were next, and I dropped my Butcher and Tyrant models leaving only my Gnoblar Trappers left for the Scout placement phase. Mr. Stocks finished his deployment by placing his Thunderers, two Bolt Throwers (on either side of his infantry blocks), and finally his Thane in with the Warriors. I wanted to place my Trappers on the far right of the board, directly facing the Quarrlers, but out of LoS from them. This looked to block the Bolt Throwers LoS but my opponent did not agree with this. We rolled off and I lost, so the Trappers were placed in the forest to soak up attacks while my Bulls and Butcher moved into position.

Beer Guts - Turn 1

I rolled 1 (plus 1 from having less Units) for turn order while Mr. Stocks rolled 3. He decided he would like to go second, thus beginning the first turn for the Beer Gut Tribe! The first turn was mostly just a mad, yelling, drunken rush across the open field. The smell of Bugman's Ale and stunty blood drove the battle hungry Bulls into a frenzied death march against a line of Dwarf hand and long guns.

Bulls (1) wheeled and marched towards the table edge in an effort to hide behind the Gnoblar Trappers, while the Butcher followed, also attempting to hide behind the small green tide. The second Unit of Bulls (2) ran headlong at the enemy, screaming something incomprehensible about Dwarf cracklins and ancient floss, while the third Unit of Bulls (3) marched forward dutifully in an attempt to shield their boss.

Magic
The Butcher cast Bullgorger on Bulls (2) with 1 die and a result of 4, but then failed his Strength Check. He then attempted to cast Toothcracker on the same Unit with 1 die and a result of 6, but this was dispelled by 3 die with a 13. For his final spell attempt he cast Trollguts on the same Unit, but failed to please the Great Maw, rolling a 2 on 1 die. Not a good day for the fat, bloody buddy.

No Shooting or Close Combat, and the Beer Guts first turn was then over.

Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs (aka Dwarfs) - Turn 1

The cowardly Dwarfs apparently don't believe in "Movement" and decided they would stay where they were at.

Shooting
Forming the backbone of all cowardice, the shooting commenced in great clouds of black powder, and pointy wooden bits thrown from great distances. The Bolt Thrower on the far right turned and fired directly at the nearby Unit of Bulls (1), after turning just past the Gnoblars Trappers who were bravely attempting to throw themselves in harm's way. The shot hit and dealt 1 wound, but failed to kill the first model and so stopped before tearing through the Unit's flank.

Shortly after this a barrage of poorly crafted quarrels were launched in the direction of the same Bulls, hitting 3 times and dealing 2 more wounds. One Bull was dead, but the remaining two rallied with notions of more beer and blood for the brave who made it through the hail of death (either that or they were too stupid to notice they had lost one of their comrades). The cowardly Thunderers on the other side of the battlefield did what they do best, hiding behind a wall and shooting at those not fortunate enough to have guns of their own. They fired at the nearby Unit of Bulls (3) blocking the Tyrant, dealing 4 hits with 2 wounds, and negating the Bulls Armor Save with the help of their long guns.

No movement, and no Close Combat for this round.

Beer Gut Tribe - Turn 2

Movement
Fearing the harsh Ogre justice they so rightfully deserved for not saving one of the Bulls, the Trappers were able to overcome their petty differences and fight on (aka, no Animosity this turn). Still unable to get off any Charges, the Beer Gut Tribe followed the game plan; namely, getting into a position to smash the crap out of the oncoming force of grumpy little bastards. With the Gorger nowhere to be seen (rolled a 2 on the 4+), Bulls (1) marched forward and wheeled to face the Thunderers. Meanwhile the Trappers ran forward in an attempt to shield the remaining Bulls but stopped just short leaving a Bolt wide gap in the Beer Guts line. The Butcher moved forward to fill this hole, stopping just short of the position which would put him in the Bolt Thrower's line of fire. Meanwhile on the other side of the board, Bulls (2) bravely (and somewhat stupidly) marched forward and finished by staring down the other Bolt Thrower while guffawing loudly. The remaining Bulls (3) continued to march forward, shielding their larger, angrier kin with their significant bulk, and leaving an opening for the Tyrant to move through next turn.

Magic
After finding himself in a less than ideal situation, the Butcher attempted to cast Braingobbler on the Quarrelers who were staring him down. Rolling 1 die, the result was a spectacular 1 and a failure. Knowing his time on this plane was growing short the Butcher frantically ate and spit up the Bonechewer spell in the direction of the Quarrelers with 1 die, and a resulting 6. The Dwarfs prayed to their drunken ancestors, who seemed to be too busy bickering about ancient grudges to listen, and the resulting roll of 5 on 1 die was not enough to dispel. The hail of sticky guts and bone was enough to kill 2 members of the Unit, and the Butcher survived his Strength 4 hit.

Shooting
Sensing their failure yet again the Trappers threw their entire collection of sharp pointy bits at the nearby Longbeards, but it fell short of the grumbling old timers.

Again there was no Close Combat for the turn and thus the Dwarfs began their slow and arduous march against the Ogres.

Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs (aka Dwarfs) - Turn 2

Movement
Yet again the ... oh wait, huh? The Dwarfs actually got up and walked a couple of inches?! The Warriors and Thane decided to Charge the Bulls (2) after they grew tired of their endless guffaws and hurr hurr's from the previous turn. With a mighty effort they shuffled their tiny legs, sprinting at incredible speeds, before coming up 1/8" short on the Charge and only moving half of their attempt at 3". The cowardly Thunderers, in an attempt to hide their weak backs, rotated ever so slightly to face the Bulls (3). Meanwhile, on the other side of the battle, the Longbeards marched forward, eager to smash the only thing their tiny pig-like eyes could see: Greenskins.

Shooting
No spells on the board so the Dwarfs moved directly into their only real phase, shooting. The Bolt Thrower on the far right again launched a deadly spike towards the closest Unit of Bulls (1), hitting one squarely in the chest but dealing no wounds. "You call that ah bolt!? Hurr hurr hurr ..". Oblivious to what was happening around them the Bulls (1) didn't seem to notice the volley of quarrels hitting them as well, striking 4 times but dealing 0 wounds. Things were looking up for the Ogres, or at least this lot. On the other side of the board it was a different matter though.

After evading the oncoming Warrior charge, the Bulls (2) took a sharp pointy stick from the remaining Bolt Thrower, hitting them dead center and killing one instantly. The remaining two Bulls (2) felt a bit shaken by this turn of events, fleeing 5" after failing their Panic check with a roll of 9 on 2 die (they were too far out for the Tyrant's Ld score to matter).

With nothing left to do but grumble and pick bugs out of their matted beards, the Dwarfs were done and we moved on to turn 3!

Beer Gut Tribe - Turn 3

Movement
Finally, it was time for the smashing! The Trappers were too busy quaking in fear as the zombie like Dwarfs stumbled, and mumbled their way towards them and forgot about their differences long enough to move away from them (again, no Animosity). Meanwhile the Bulls (1) who had been shot at for so long charged headlong into the nearby Quarrelers, while their brothers (3) across the board moved in for the kill against the Thunderers. Both of these Units were peppered with projectiles, with the Quarrelers missing all of their shots, and the Thunderers hitting almost all of theirs (dealing 5 wounds). The Bulls (2) in the center of the table continued to flee, failing their rally check with a 9 yet again and running into the nearby forest. At the same time the Beer Guts were getting shot to bits, their Gorger made his appearance, coming in directly behind the Bolt Thrower near the Warriors and Thunderers (rolled a 3 on the 3+). The Butcher moved up within charge range of the Quarrelers and the Tyrant positioned himself within charge distance of the Thunderers and Bolt Thrower.

Magic
In a further attempt at redemption, the Butcher cast Bullgorger on the Bulls (1) in combat with 1 die, rolling a 4. This was promptly dispelled by 2 die with an 8. Two more attempts to buff the Bulls (1) were made, both Toothcracker and Trollguts, both failing with a 1 and 2 respectively.

Shooting
Sensing they were close to their small and insignificant end, the Trappers picked up and hurled another barrage of sharp bits at the nearby Longbeards, dealing 4 hits and wounding 1. The Longbeard in question managed to shrug off the damage thanks to his Heavy Armor, before proceeding to grumble about how tough Greenskins were back in his day.

Close Combat
Enraged by the death of his comrades the remaining Bull (3) in the third Unit smashed into the Thunderers, dealing 2 hits and 1 wound with 4 attacks. He lost the combat but passed his Break test and continued to fight. Meanwhile the Bulls (1) who had fared better against the incoming clouds of projectiles attacked the Quarrelers, hitting 5 times and wounding 3. One wound was saved by the Light Armor and Shields, but 2 died on the spot. After the Bulls (1) won the combat the Quarrelers failed their Break test and ran off the back edge of the board with the Bulls (1) pursuing.

With things finally looking up a bit the Beer Guts braced themselves for the coming counter attack with the board looking like this:

Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs (aka Dwarfs) - Turn 3

Movement
Again, throwing tradition to the wind, the Dwarfs reached a critical mass and charged headlong into battle. The Longbeards charged the worthless Gnoblar Trappers, who threw their remaining point bits helplessly at their dirty, flat faces to no effect (4 hits with 0 wounds). The result of the charge is a rank of Trappers again leaving their Ogre master exposed to the onslaught of Dwarf projectile weaponry, in this case the Bolt Thrower pointed at their Butcher. On the other side of the board the Unit of Warriors and their Thane turned to prepare for the coming charges of the Tyrant and Gorger.

Shooting
The far right Bolt Thrower launched a giant pointy log at the Butcher who was hit in the chest, and before shrugging off a majority of the damage, taking only 1 wound and stopping the bolt with his massive girth. The other Bolt Thrower turned to face the incoming Gorger, firing a point blank shot at it's chest with surgical precision. Sadly, Dwarfs are not known for their surgical prowess and the Bolt promptly fell to the wayside dealing 0 wounds to the ravenous horror in front of it. With the Quarrelers dead and the Thunderers tied up in Close Combat, the remaining shooting capabilities of the Dwarf force were not living up to the hype.

Close Combat
Combat began with the sole Bull (3) attacking the remaining Thunderers, where he was hit once but did not sustain any damage from their inferior Dwarf weapons. The Bull (3) lost the combat but passed his Break test. Across the battlefield things were not going as well for the Butcher and Gnoblar Trappers. The Trappers were quickly decimated by the geriatric force of the Longbeards, who then Overrun directly into the Butcher.

And with that battle hanging in the balance the Dwarf turn was over, and the Beer Guts were poised to strike back.

Beer Gut Tribe - Turn 4

Movement
The Bulls (1) who had chased the Quarrelers off the board returned in search of more violent conflict, only to find full ranks of angry old men beating on their tribe's Butcher and a Bolt Thrower pointed in their direction. Never ones to give up a fight before it started, they moved directly towards the Bolt Thrower and crew. The Gorger fell upon the other Bolt Thrower, howling for blood, and caked in what appeared to be dried excrement, while the nearby Tyrant ran headlong into the rear of the Thunderers (after winning a dice roll to determine if he was in the Unit's flank or rear before the Charge). The fleeing Bulls rallied and turned to face the Warriors and Thane, feeling quite content to stay in the forest and observe the action from a safe distance.

Magic
Yet again proving he had lost favor with the Great Maw, the Butcher was unable to cast a single spell in combat. After attempting Bullgorger on the nearby unit of Bulls (1) and failing, his attempts to cast Toothcracker (a 6 with 1 die) and Trollguts (a 5 on 1 die) on himself were both dispelled by the Dwarf forces (with an 8 and 10 respectively). With nothing left to live for the Butcher threw himself at the nearest enemy, eager to die and prove his faith to the Maw.

Close Combat
The Butcher promptly challenged the Unit Champion, killing him with 4 hits and 1 wound, while recovering the 1 wound he had lost previously thanks to the Bloodcleaver. It wasn't enough though, and the Longbeards won the combat forcing the Butcher to make a Break test at a -4 penalty. The Butcher failed his test and fled 11". The Longbeards pursued 6" but were not able to catch the Butcher. Meanwhile the Dwarf Thunderers found themselves sandwiched between two angry Ogres. The Tyrant striked first, dealing 3 wounds with 4 attacks and forcing the Thunderers to take a Break test. They failed their test and fled, but were followed by the remaining Bull (3) while the Tyrant waited to charge the remaining Bolt Thrower crew or incoming Warriors and Thane. It ends up being the Unit of Warriors as the Gorger decimates the Bolt Thrower crew, chasing them down before running headlong into the Warriors.

With fresh blood on the battlefield, and a renewed vigor brought on by having a Lord in a 1000 point game, the Beer Gut Tribe seemed to have the upper hand. Not everything was as it seemed though ...

Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs (aka Dwarfs) - Turn 4

Movement
The Longbeards charged the Butcher's rear and forced him to continue his flight away from the adult diaper wearing veterans. He fled an additional 8" but was not out of the game yet, still sitting 2" away from the edge of the board. The Longbeards failed their charge and moved just 3" forward. Meanwhile the Thunderers were able to rally and turned to face the incoming Bull (3).

Shooting
Again, with surgical precision, the Dwarf Bolt Thrower fired at the encroaching Bulls (1) but failed to hit anything.

Close Combat
The Warriors and their Thane were thrust into battle as they were attacked by the stinking, and ravenous Gorger. The Gorger tore through 2 of the front rank before suffering 1 wound of his own, but was able to stay in the battle for the next turn.

Beer Gut Tribe - Turn 5

Movement
After taking a moment to assess the situation, the forest dwelling Bulls (2) decided to move towards the nearby Thunderers in an attempt to help the sole Bull (3), who was currently charging back into battle against the remaining stunties with guns. Meanwhile the returning Bulls (1) charged the poorly aimed, nearby Bolt Thrower in an effort to stop to the Dwarfs from ever seeing another Shooting phase in the game. The Tyrant rushed into battle to join the Gorger and was promptly challenged by a Dwarf Warrior Champion, while the Butcher failed to rally and ran off the edge of the field giving Mr. Stocks 175 points and accomplishing nothing for the Beer Gut Tribe.

Close Combat
The triumphant Bulls (1) killed 2 members of the Bolt Thrower crew, winning combat and forcing the Dwarfs to make a Break test. They failed their test and ran 5" while the Bulls (1) chased the fleeing crew 7" and stabbed them in their tiny backs. The Thunderers were dealt another 2 wounds by the remaining Bull (3), but held fast for another round of combat. Meanwhile, the Tyrant smashed through the Warrior Champion, dealing 3 wounds and winning the challenge with an Overkill. Sadly it didn't matter as the Gorger failed to land a single attack, rolling 4 die and getting 4 ones. The Tyrant is forced to make a Break test which he fails, and he proceeds to flee 6" away from the melee.

Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs (aka Dwarfs) - Turn 5

Movement
With no enemy in sight, the Longbeards shuffled towards the empty table quarter in an attempt to secure some victory points for the Dwarfs.

Close Combat
The Thunderers managed to strike back against the lone Bull (3), but failed to hit or wound. The Bull also striked back, and also failed to wound. The Bull won combat by1, and the Thunderers were forced to flee 3" while the Bull chased behind them with a pursuit roll of 2". The Gorger stayed in combat, directing all of his attacks at the Dwarf Thane but failing to do any damage. He suffered and additional 2 wounds from the Unit of Warriors and only has 1 wound remaining at the end of the Turn.

Beer Gut Tribe - Turn 6

Movement
The Tyrant finally realized he was running from a bunch of moving speed bumps and quickly rallied to face the remaining Dwarf force. Meanwhile, the lone Bull (3) charged the last two Thunderers, who were able to stand their ground but were not able to fire at the incoming Ogre. With the Thunderers under control the Unit of Bulls (2) near the forest moved to help secure a table quarter in case the Dwarf Thunderers decided to stick around, while the other remaining Bulls (1) charged the flank of the Warriors.

Close Combat
The Bulls (1) were able to strike first, but dealt only 1 wound to the Warriors before one of the Bulls was killed outright by the Warriors on the flank. The Gorger attacked the Thane again, this time killing him and securing his head as a gnobby, hair covered trophy to decorate his cave wall. The remaining Warriors in the front rank were able to strike back against the Gorger but failed to deal the killing blow leaving the Gorger with one wound remaining and still in combat. The Bulls (1) failed their Break test and fled 8" away from the Warriors. Meanwhile the eternal struggle of Thunderers vs. Bull (3) finally comes to an end as they are killed by 2 wounds dealt with 4 attacks in the charge.

And with that the battle is over .... or is it?

Cheaty Stunty Shootaahs (aka Dwarfs) - Turn 6

Movement
The Unit of Longbeards continued its quest to hobble around the southern most corner of the map, while the Warriors found themselves stuck in Close Combat with the Gorger.

Close Combat
With their last bit of dignity intact, the Warriors managed to deal one wound to the Gorger, killing him and with it, any chance of contesting the table corner.

Game Result: DRAW

Yup. All of that for a draw. It could have been worse, I almost lost the cheating points I alloted for the Tyrant as he was running for his life. All in all it was a good game, and I have finally seen the true capabilities of the Gorger (this was my first time using the Unit). I really only have one thing to say in conclusion to all of this: I am tired of playing against Dwarfs.

Oh ... and good game Mr. Stocks (you Cheaty Stunty Shootaah).

It might be just me but...
1: In my opinion, you can use Tyrant only on 2000p games, 'cause he's a lord.
2: Bulls can have XHW or Iron fist, but not both.

The battlereport was a very nice read! I can imagine you being annoyed with the way the dwarf army played. I myself played against such opponents (staying put and shooting me to bits) and it's not the type of game I really enjoy.

And Gumbas has a point. You already noticed that the lord choice is illegal, but bulls can't take both extra hand weapons and iron fists. Perhaps you should have named your force the 'Cheaty Tipsy Fightaahs' for that battle  


BigD

It might be just me but...
1: In my opinion, you can use Tyrant only on 2000p games, 'cause he's a lord.
2: Bulls can have XHW or Iron fist, but not both.

Well I think it's just a matter of my army listing, I didn't pay for the XHW, I just mostly used the Ironfists as an XHW instead of a shield in CC. I will edit that bit to be a bit clearer.

I mentioned the bit about the Lord near the top of that mammoth posting.

Well, it has been awhile since my last entry. I have been quite busy with visiting family, work, and now moving into a larger home. My Ogre army will be placed on the back burner while I deal with the "real world" and it's constant need for attention.

Bah!

In the time since my last post not much has changed with the Beer Guts Tribe. I have several new models which await my attention (whenever that may be) and I am close to having everything I need for a solid 2000-3000 point list.

No, the problem won't be finding enough models to field in my army lists. The problem will be actually winning with anything I field in this damn game. My recent battles have been a string of bitter defeats mixed with a heaping helping of ineptitude and draws. I am starting to have serious self esteem issues pertaining to my army and my ability to win with it. I know how to win (I think?!), I just can't seem to make it happen.

My track record to date looks something like this:

- Draw against Dwarfs
- Loss against Dwarfs
- Draw against Dwarfs
- Win against Skaven and Orcs & Goblins (in a team game with Dwarfs where I lost all of my units)
- Draw against Dwarfs
- Draw against Wood Elves (nearly a victory but shy about 30 points)
- Loss against Orcs & Goblins

W: 1 D: 4 L: 2

Not the most stellar record. I don't want to write anymore about it at the moment as I am inclined to simply quit playing altogether and that is just lame ...

I will have at least two weeks without playing to think about how I can win and tighten up on my tactics. It is frustrating that most of my opponents know my army and it's capabilities more than their own. Ogres are so one dimensional it is fairly easy to craft army lists that shut them down, no matter what Army you are playing.

Rambling now ... angry and frustrated. I need a beer.

---

Oskar Blues Brewery - Dale's Pale Ale

Beer Type: American Pale Ale

Appearance: 12 oz. blue can with silver, white, and red printing. I really don't like this can design, there is just something about it, but I can't put my finger on it. The beer poured a clear amber, almost like a light caramel color with a thick white head.

Smell: Hops first, quickly followed by some darker sweet aromas and a kick of citrus (grapefruit?).

First Drink: Bitter hops up front again followed by a sweet biscuit-like flavor. Good!

Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy, no trace of oiliness.

Last Drink: The finish is a bit bitter, definitely getting some of the grapefruit or citrus flavors at the end as well.

Drinkability: Great beer! I was pleasantly surprised when I poured this out of a can. With the label and the can I expected it to be a bit shite, but now I am actively looking forward to drinking this some more (in addition to other brews from this brewery).

Notes: Making craft brew in a can is a task that is quite challenging, or so I have read. This brewery uses some sort of "water lining" to keep the beer from getting that "can flavor" and negating all of the hard work which went into the creation of this brew. Well done.

Verdict: 4.25 out of 5.

Sounds good. Is it just an East coast beer?
Have you had anything by Samuel Smith brewery? It's an English brewery, but I don't know how widely it is distributed (it is stocked around Portland, but this is Beervana). I've had the oatmeal stout by them and it was absolutely wonderful (admittedly I am a huge stout fan).
Also, have you had the EKU 28?

Nice review of the beer! Despite being a non-drinker, the way you write, it is half tempting!

JJ

Sounds good. Is it just an East coast beer?

I'm not sure what the distribution for this brewery is like but it just started popping up here in Texas. They have two other styles of beer which I have yet to try but plan on tasting in the near future.
 

Have you had anything by Samuel Smith brewery? It's an English brewery, but I don't know how widely it is distributed (it is stocked around Portland, but this is Beervana). I've had the oatmeal stout by them and it was absolutely wonderful (admittedly I am a huge stout fan).

Sammy Smit! I have had all of their brews and I like them quite a bit. Nut Brown is my favorite, but I do enjoy the Oatmeal Stout as well. Certainly on my list of breweries to visit in the UK if I ever make it across the pond. Austin is much like Portland, OR or Fort Collins, CO in that we are a city that loves beer. Plenty of it around here too, I drink a ton of beer from Real Ale Brewery in Blanco, TX. Going out to try their Cask IPA on draft this evening in fact ...
 

Also, have you had the EKU 28?

No sir, I can't say that I have. Is it good?

I'm glad none of you gloated about my terrible generalship of the Beer Guts. Maybe one of these days I will actually win a game?

That's right, Texas. Not East coast (well, it's East of me, but not not really the East coast).

Also, have you had the EKU 28?

No sir, I can't say that I have. Is it good?

It's fantastic. It was a while ago that I had it, so I can't remember the exact type of beer it is. It is certainly not a stout/porter, nor is it light like a lager (and it isn't a heff, double bock or lambic). But it is one of the most flavorful and layered beers I've ever had, and it definitely lives up to the reputation (allow me to paraphrase Michael Jackson here, "it can stand in for a good sherry or port"). It is a strong, full bodied beer and it definitely has more layers of flavor than just about any other I've had.

I'm glad none of you gloated about my terrible generalship of the Beer Guts. Maybe one of these days I will actually win a game?

You'll get there.

The ogres seem really straight forward at first...and then you slowly (very slowly) start to realise the small tricks you can pop into your army lists, and the things that aren't useful at all. (command model most of the time!) then you'll begin to tactically move the units, baiting and fleeing to maul enemy unit one at a time...

OR pound them into the ground with good old fashioned shock.



takes time and luck. With beer on your side, you're fine

There are plenty of good threads on how to use ogres effectively (check the feeding grounds), but yeah, ogres are not an easy army to play with. And I also have difficulties with defeating dwarves. But I'm sure you'll get the hang of it with more practice games.


BigD

We have returned! The Beer Gut Tribe is back on the warpath and looking for new blood to spill. There is pillaging and drinking to be done, and we be the ones to do it!

I have changed up the overall look of the blog, hopefully for the better?

In my absence from this gnoblog I have been quite busy, but not for reasons that are particularly interesting or fun. I have not played a real match with the Beergut forces since last month (when I lost quite badly to Greenskins), but during that time I did bear witness to two separate Generals trying their hand with the fat bastards. Neither of these battles went well, and both parties swore off the Beer Guts claiming, "I will never play the Ogres again!".

This did not go a long way in easing my fears that the Ogre Kingdom army just isn't quite what I had hoped it would be. It did go a long way at easing my own self esteem issues related to the game, and now I know there isn't a whole lot I could be doing differently. Picking the right unit for the job, and getting good dice rolls is 90% of the game. With more practice I think I will eventually get the "BIG WIN" I have been wanting so very badly.

During my time away I also moved from a small 2 bedroom apartment into a much larger 3 bedroom house. This new house should prove quite useful for tabletop gaming as I have my own room dedicated to my many hobbies (PC gaming, music recording and creation, and Warhammer), and I intend to build a modular "gaming table" so I can have more frequent games .. hopefully in the comfort of my own home. Work will soon begin on finishing the construction phase of my Ogres, with Yhetees, Gorgers, Butchers, and a Scraplauncher all on the docket.

I am toying with the idea of running a unit of Long Drong's Slayer Pirates in the Beer Gut Tribe as a Dogs of War entry to the army. There is just something so cool about these guys, and I think they fit in quite nicely with the overall Beer Gut Tribe "fluff", being a bunch of drunken mercenaries and what not. My only fear is that getting this one unit of Slayers may lead me to create an entire Slayer army, something I wouldn't mine owning but don't necessarily feel like purchasing. Ah well ... such is life.

Not a terribly exciting entry, I apologize for that, but look forward to more progress pictures and new battle reports in the coming weeks. My small Warhammer group is growing and it looks like we might be kicking off a "paint and play" style escalation campaign in the very new future (hopefully with some new, as of yet unseen, armies to play against!). Stay tuned ...

Go for Long Drong's As you said, they sujit your fluff, and are great little models I have even seen them replace Gnoblars in a nautically themed army

Looking forward to the updates soon

JJ

I like the changed look of the blog, although when reading it, I started wondering when you'll start to paint some of your cool converted models.

The slayers sounds like a good unit to add, although I think halflings or drinking mercenary orcs would also fit your theme.

Picking the right unit for the job, and getting good dice rolls is 90% of the game. With more practice I think I will eventually get the "BIG WIN" I have been wanting so very badly.

I have to say I disagree there. Although dice-rolling and picking the right unit are important to winning a game of warhammer, I think the set-up is equally important. I re-read your battle report against the dwarves (the one on your blog with pictures) and I think I would have done the setup differently (less spread then yours and keeping the tyrant in the centre instead of one of the flanks). Anyway, I'm sure you'll get your big win with more practice games.


BigD

I like the changed look of the blog, although when reading it, I started wondering when you'll start to paint some of your cool converted models.

Soon! I wanted to finish putting together the majority of my army before I begin work on the painting. I plan on going sort of "assembly line" with them, and frankly, I am not that good at painting so I have been putting it off! Once it gets a bit cooler here in Texas it will be a better time to prime them all (I have to do it outside, no basements or garage like spots in Texas).

The slayers sounds like a good unit to add, although I think halflings or drinking mercenary orcs would also fit your theme.

I have thought about adding them as well! I will start with the Slayers as my next small army project will likely be a 1000 point Slayer Army and they can multi-task. I am considering some Halflings for sure, and possibly some Orcs (hmm .. what DoW units do they have?).

Picking the right unit for the job, and getting good dice rolls is 90% of the game. With more practice I think I will eventually get the "BIG WIN" I have been wanting so very badly.

I have to say I disagree there. Although dice-rolling and picking the right unit are important to winning a game of warhammer, I think the set-up is equally important. I re-read your battle report against the dwarves (the one on your blog with pictures) and I think I would have done the setup differently (less spread then yours and keeping the tyrant in the centre instead of one of the flanks). Anyway, I'm sure you'll get your big win with more practice games.

I agree with you. Initial placement is a large part of the game, and it is probably where I am currently weakest. Not taking that into account the majority of the game for me is just using the right models and getting good rolls. That is why I mention them specifically. So the other 10% is devoted to the placement! 

Thanks for reading. Battle Report incoming shortly.

My actual gnoblog on blogger has a couple of cruddy MS Paint diagrams that are not in this post. There may be spelling and/or grammar errors in this post. I apologize but I took some allergy medication and it is making me very tired/groggy. I wanted to get this done today before I forget all the details!

---

Another day, another post about fictional characters and the tiny models I have put together to represent their accomplishments. Huzzah!

Today I faced down a mighty force of the UNDEAD, in a 500 point Border Patrol match against the Vampire Counts (hereby known as VC).

My list looked like this:

   

Butcher (General) @ 155
    - Bangstick

    Bulls x 4 @ 165
    - AHW

    Ironguts x 2 @ 96

    Maneater @ 90
    - HvA, BoH

    Total Points: 497 (out of 500)

I learned yesterday that my opponent (the wily CHAD) was intending to bring Cairne Wraiths, and in fact did bring them to the battle. This presented an interesting problem. They are ethereal troops; skirmishers with 360 line of sight, they case Terror, have 2 wounds and 2 attacks, and can only be damaged by magic or magic weapons. Those of you in "the know" may notice I only had one model capable of killing or damaging them, my Butcher. I was quite concerned and convinced that I would likely lose the battle.

I didn't take notes on the match so I will attempt to run down some of the match "highlights" by my feeble memory powers alone.

I won the roll off with a 6 (CHAD rolled a 3) and began placing Terrain. It was a 4x4 board so I didn' t want a ton of movement/LoS blockers, so I began by placing one forest on the far right of the board. CHAD placed a rock formation on the left. I placed yet another forest on the far right on the opposite side of the board (in an attempt to force his Cairne Wraiths near that edge to take advantage of their movement). CHAD declined to place any more Terrain, and I chose not to place any additional Terrain as well.


Another roll off, with me rolling another 6 (CHAD with 3). I began placement with my 4 Bulls, all the way to the far left edge of the map. CHAD deployed his Wraiths and ... A BANSHEE (ARGGH) near the forest just as I had hoped. Next up was my unit of Ironguts to the right of the Bulls, with CHAD placing his Zombie unit in the middle. I placed my Maneater and Butcher near the forests to deal with the Wraiths, and CHAD placed his Skeleton unit with his Vampire inside in the middle behind the Zombies. So far, so good! Everything seemed to be coming up OGRES!

CHAD won the roll off for turn order and decides to go first. He moves everything up, raises a bunch of Skeletons, and gets ready to attack my Butcher and Maneater with his Wraiths. On my turn I lure out his dispel die with buffs, cast Bonecruncher on the Wraiths (hitting 11 times, wounding 4 times), and Bangstick the Wraiths off the table. So much for that problem!

DISCLAIMER: During this first turn of the game I made a mistake. For some reason I attempted to cast the Bonecruncher spell twice on the same turn with one Butcher. This is not legal. I was thinking about recent forum posts on the Ogre Stronghold relating to what "successfully cast" constituted. My first attempt to cast the spell was dispelled. I should not have been able to cast it again, but I did and it went off. As it was occurring I thought, "Wait a minute ... that can't be right at all!". I said as much to the CHAD, but he was not concerned with the outcome and didn't want to stop the game to look at the rules. Several spectators did look up the rules, and proved I was in the wrong. I offered to take back the wounds caused by the spell, meaning his Wraiths would have been on the table. Again, the CHAD declined, saying he had agreed to the outcome and that was his mistake. In short, I feel like an ass for inadvertently cheating, and CHAD is a good guy for not calling me on it (although he totally should have).

On turn two my Ironguts fled a charge from the Zombie unit (now 20+ strong) which then failed. Oh well. CHAD raises another unit of Zombies in front of the failed charge. Bulls move up on the edge to get in range of a Flank charge, while the Butcher's unit moves up just slightly to shoot at the oncoming zombie hordes, and manages to wipe out the newly created unit behind the Ironguts which failed to rally (rolling a 9 on a Leadership check of 8).

Turn three is where things got "interesting". CHAD attempted to raise more Zombies, and failed his casting attempts. His units moved up, with the remaining Zombie unit moving towards the Butcher and Maneater. Ironguts rally, Bulls fail a charge and move toward the Skeletons and Vampire 6". I attempted to cast Bonecruncher with two dice on the oncoming Zombies speaking the famous last words of "... which will hopefully NOT miscast". This of course creates an immediate miscast, luckily only resulting in a 4 on the miscast table, rendering the Bonecruncher spell unusable for the remainder of the game.

Turn four begins with CHAD attempting to raise another unit of Zombies in front of the Bulls who failed their charge, only to miscast as well! His miscast was not so lucky and he took a Strenght 8 hit, and lost one casting level, going from level one to level zero and losing his ability to cast anything for the rest of the game. Ouch! His Vampire took one wound from the hit while the Zombie unit attempted to charge the Butcher and failed (getting 2 shots and 2 wounds from the Maneater's "Stand and Shoot" charge response). The Butcher and Maneater moved back 3 " and continued chewing away at the Zombies with both the Bangstick and Brace of Handguns. The Ironguts moved into position for a flank charge, while the Bulls ran headlong into the mass of Skeletons and their Vampire leader.

The Bulls killed 3 Skeletons on the Bull charge, with an additional 5 wounds caused from 16 incoming attacks. The Skeletons and Vampire then attacked back, dealing two wounds and losing the combat by 1 point.

Yes! That's right! The Beer Gut Tribe actually WON A COMBAT!!

Turn five started with the Skeletons and Vampire killing two Bulls, who struck back and killed the Vampire. They lost the combat and were chased down by the Skeletons, who began to crumble. This left the nearby Ironguts with no targets to charge, so they began to move towards the nearest table quarter, while the Butcher and Maneater continued to move backwards and killing Zombies.

Turn six involved the Skeletons turning around while crumbling to bits, and the Zombie unit being charged by Butcher and Maneater. The Butcher's unit dealt 4 wounds, but it was not enough to wipe out the unit and they remained locked in combat while the Ironguts grabbed the far right table edge.


Today was a good day for the Beer Gut Tribe. I feel I played my army fairly well, aside from the half-cheat and the poor charge response with my Ironguts, everything worked out the way I had hoped it would. A good list, a good game, and a good time. Pretty much everything I am looking for out of a game of WHFB.

Well then good job. The half-cheat isn't a big problem. As long as both of you knew what happened as it happened, and agreed to go on, it's cool (your opponent handled it very well, a very good opponent).

I guess I am just a nice guy because I still feel really bad for the outcome of that. I know I shouldn't as my opponent declined to look up the rules, and even after I offered to take it back and put his models back on the table he was still not interested.

Oh well. I won't make that mistake again, and I am sure CHAD won't let me get away with it again anyway.

In answer to your question about what DoW units do Orcs have, IIRC there is only the one... Ruglud's Armoured Orcs Very nice models, and quite handy in a lot of armies There half-decent missile support is very useful

JJ

Behold! Groincrusher! A Gnoblar crewed Deathroller!


Groincrusher - crewed by many, lived by few.


Whattya doin' down there?!


Just a slight turn to the left...


We got beer and extra gnoblars... just in case!


The view of our next victim...


Yellow lightning makes us faster!

Still working on the details but I wanted to get photos done in time for the Merry Mayhem competition! Really had a lot of fun building and painting this monster. Hope to see it on the Deathroller track some time next year! A bit of the old "fluff" on Groincrusher:

"Crewed by Honcho Sleckbick the Groincrusher is the ultimate in Gnoblar reveng-eineering. Crafted from the brown remains of a Dwarf Deathroller crew, this steam and rune imbued device has gifted Sleckbick with incredible luck, allowing only half of his crew mates to die each time it takes to the field. Sleckbick and his crew return to salvage wreckage from each race in an attempt to build and even bigger (and thus tougher and stronger) shiny metal crushing device. Some say Sleckbick's uncanny luck is the result of a magical talisman he took from a dead Dwarf Engineer, though it has been rumored that he actually recovered the talisman from a latrine. Reeking of blood, skunk ale, and filth the both Honcho Sleckbick and his Groincrusher are truly a savage sight to behold!"

I stole some of that fluff text from the Gnoblar Armies book (in true Gnoblar fashion) .... so thanks to who wrote it!

This death roller has turned out fantastic!  It certainly well deserves a gnoblar.

+1 Gnoblar incoming.   

Thanks Zolas!! 

Well the Gnoblar Groincrusher didn't win the Deathroller Build Contest but it did come in a respectable (for a Gnoblar) 4th place. Thanks to everyone who participated, Merry Mayhem News for holding the contest, and a special thanks to anyone who voted for my entry. Cheers!

In non-roller related news, I have been working on some additional pieces to go with my Zlurp-zombie pieces to build a proper Necromantic or Undead team. Here are some quick shots of the built, slightly modified, and primed models. Pardon the rubbish phone pictures!











Working on the Flesh Golems first. Have some paint on them now and I will get some WIP shots up later this week! Until then...

No tanks here... unless you count these bestial brutes for my Necro team! Still working on some details and highlights (and the bases) but I am pretty happy with where they are at right now.









And a couple of Ghouls in progress for good measure!



Hope you are having a fine holiday (or regular day if you aren't here in the US celebrating Thanksgiving). Back soon with more WIP photos but for now I have to cook and paint!

Starting today I have no time commitments, no work scheduled, for the next 15 days. I intend on painting and building models, playing games, reading, and just generally relaxing to recharge my run down batteries. Perhaps finishing all the items on my to-do list for this year? I figured it would be a good time to catalog my work progress here, to keep me honest and motivated so I don't spend all my time off sleeping.... wish me luck!


12/17/12 - Day 15 of the 16 days of XMAS vacation.

Today I spent most of the day ill and/or shopping at thrift stores for gifts. Got myself a new winter coat and some flannels. Came home and made some fried (baked) wontons and a mess of noodles. Feeling full and good now. Thought I should take a moment to outline my work area as I found it moments ago...


My work table as I left it yesterday.

While I haven't painted anything today (yet) I do have a few WIP photos of the models on the table at the moment. There are 2 Wights, 2 Werewolves, and 2 Mummies (which I didn't bother getting a photo of as it is just basecoat stuff and pretty boring). Here is where I begin today!


Wights #1 and #2, going for a Black and White scheme.


Wolf #1 and #2, going for a multicultural skin hue between them.


Necromancer for the team coach, wizard, Igor, what have you.

Not the most exciting start but hey... it's a start! Hoping to complete all of the unpainted Blood Bowl teams I have sitting around and maybe take a crack at some Necromunda and/or Warhammer models as well! Woah. Ambitious....

12/18/12 - Day 14 of the 16 days of XMAS vacation.
Spent today feeling ill again, a bad omen for extended time off, but managed to paint for about 2 hours in between running errands and making food. More painting is required! Also managed to not buy new models for a Dark Elf team which I consider to be a victory. Here's what we got so far today...


Wizard/Coach/Igor just about done. Gotta finish the metals and base.


Werewolves just about done as well. Same with the metal and the base.


Wights! Looking good, you guessed it, the metal and the base.


Mummy hugs! Finished up the basecoat and this is their wash time (shiny).

That may be all I get done today! Also did some final highlights on the Flesh Golems and Ghouls. I hope to have this team pretty much wrapped up tomorrow with the exception of sealing and last shiny details. That will mean the completion of my Necromantic and Undead teams with the addition of the Zombies from my all Zombie Human team! Three teams in one! Bam!! After that it will be on to either my all Khorne Chaos team, my Orc team, or perhaps finishing up my Lizardmen team. Lots to do and already 2 days down!

Nice job on the undead team, I really like the glowing script on the scroll the wizard/coach has it makes it look more ominous. Would I be able to ask what company makes the wizard ans wights?

Thanks! I was certainly going for a higher "creepy" ratio so glad the glow achieves that for you.

The Necromancer is a Reaper mini, in fact I think it was one that was in the giant Bones Kickstarter.

The Wights are from Willy Miniatures.
http://willy-miniatures.blogspot.com/

12/19/12 - Day 13 of the 16 days of XMAS vacation.

Didn't manage to get as much done today as I would have liked, still feeling not so hot but got up and left the house to watch the Hobbit. Still processing all of that film but I think my initial response is "mneh, didn't like it". Damn that is one long film though! On to today's progress...


Painting these bandages took forever! Still a WIP.


Started basecoating my Khorne Chaos team. These are warriors.


Decided I didn't like my test model for the "Beastmen" so I did up a new one (left).


Detail of the back.


What do you think of the light color?

12/20/12 - Day 12 of the 16 days of XMAS vacation.

Today I spent some time finishing up the bases of my Necro team, including some touch up of the Zombies and their bases, and also worked on the Mummies (who are still not done). Then I slopped on a bit of skin basecoat for the Bloodletters aka Beastmen. Now it is time for pizza and beer. Also... damn you Steam Holiday sale!!!


Took a lot of photos with my phone and this is the only one I liked. Monster party!


Yup. Slopped on the white.

Time to sit down and look at this year in review and throw out some (random) resolutions for the next year. So first let's see how I did this year on the resolutions I made in January 2011.

Update the Bellower blog with "real" content at least once a week all year - FAIL
I think I updated the blog maybe 10 times all year. So sad! So much potential but I am busy maintaining this blog as well as my metal blog for the Grind. I guess two blogs at a time is my limit. I want to contribute but not be the person who runs the whole thing. Hope someone in the Ogre Kingdoms community wants to step up and take a crack at it! *hint hint*

Finish painting all of the Blood Bowl teams I have started - WIN/FAIL?
Well I took a stab at it and probably would have gotten them all done if I had started a bit earlier in earnest. I "finished" my Chaos, new Necro/Undead/Human (wasn't on the list at the start of the year), Khemir (also not on list), and most of the Lizardmen but not the Orcs. Both the LM and Orcs are teams I want to look really nice and I stopped painting both earlier in the year when I realized my skill level wasn't high enough yet to get the results I wanted. I feel better about tackling them now so that is a success! Plus now I have a bunch of teams to choose from for both league and tournament play. So it's a mixed bag but mostly good.

Play some WHFB somewhere, somehow - WIN?
I managed to get exactly two games in this year. The FLGS I was playing at really fell apart and wasn't fun to play at. I have a friend who wants to play, and there was a local escalation league going, but I just couldn't get my arse up to play. 8th has let me down a bit but I am feeling the urge growing again. I expect I will play a couple games this year and maybe even paint some unpainted models from my huge (and growing) collection!

Attend as many Blood Bowl tournaments as possible - WIN
Was able to attend 7 NAF tournaments this year, two of which were large two day events. Felt like I was playing almost every month! Certainly more in with the BB scene now and it feels good to go to tournaments/events and see your friends even while you lose game after game after game.

Paint more models than I bought - WIN?
I bought more models but I painted almost all of them. Not counting that insane Reaper Bones KS I got into (like you probably) I think I did alright. I did buy new VC stuff that sits unopened under my painting table...


Here is a list for this year:

Update my blog/gnoblog at least twice a week all year: Been getting into the habit of posting almost daily while on vacation and I have found it helps inspire me to do more, paint more, and want to play more. Of course it's easy to say that when you don't have the time and energy suck of a 50+ hour work week waiting for you every day. Still... a goal worth pursuing!

Finish painting all of the Blood Bowl teams I have started: Lizardmen and Orc teams gotta get done. Also have a Dwarf team in route from a KS campaign. That's all I have on my table at the moment but I have been thinking I "need" some sort of "elf" team to represent Wood Elves and Dark Elves (the only ones I would ever consider playing ever... don't look at me that way I HATE ELVES)

Play some WHFB somewhere, somehow: Just for fun. Want to keep it going since I have thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of my time and money put into the damn game! Plus it is fun?? And new WoC book might help get me motivated too.

Attend as many Blood Bowl tournaments as possible: 7 this year so I need to attend at least 7 again this year. First one coming up is my very own local tournament the Dog Bowl in Feb! Then Headbangers, then ....

Win an award in Blood Bowl league or tournament play: Going to try not to play terrible teams all the time so hopefully I can place or win some kind of award. This year I won a couple wooden spoons and also MOST BRUTAL but I would love to get a painting award or place somewhere in the top three at an event. We'll see...

Complete 12 monthly painting pledges here at the Ogre Stronghold: This "new" forum tradition seems to be coming along nicely. I finished about 75% of my pledges this year but I want to get 100% this next year!

All in all that seems pretty doable. Notice I removed the "paint more models" resolution. That's because of the Reaper Bones KS miniature BOMB that is going to drop on me. No way I can or want to get those all painted. Well I can't do much worse than I did last year, but that is still a pretty intense list. The focus is really on painting and playing games so it shouldn't be too hard to get done. We'll see how I fare when we review this again next year! What do you hope to achieve in your new year of hobby?

New Brew Thursday! This time we have a local "brew" from the archives - a cross between kombucha and beer. Woah.

 
Unity Vibration - Triple Goddess Ginger

Beer Type: American Wild Ale

Appearance: 22oz brown bottle with a "Unity Vibration" logo on a die cut label. "Beer" poured a hazy pale yellow color with no head but plenty of carbonation.

Smell: Spicy ginger and some mild lemon aromas, plus the sweet and sour smell of kombucha.

First Drink: Very tart and a little sour like kombucha. Not getting as much of the spice from the ginger as was present in the aroma. 

Mouthfeel: Very sticky with lots of carbonation. Not something you will be able to slam. Reminds me a bit of sparkling wine or champagne. 

Last Drink: A lot more kombucha flavor coming though now with the ginger bringing up the back. 

Drinkability: Not really sure? If you are in the mood for a kombucha and you also want to get a bit drunk then this is the drink for you!

Notes: This is brewed here in Ypsilanti, MI. Unity Vibration makes some higher alcohol level kombucha as well. I like their "beer" better I think.   

Verdict: 3.5 out of 5. Something different, and something local. Can't really complain. I think the beer elements of this brew could be amplified a bit. 

Links: Beer Advocate and Unity Vibration.

New Brew Thursday! Yet another one from the bottomless depths of the beer review "archives". This time we have something that is not from the United States!

Ayinger Brewery - Celebrator Dopplebock

Beer Type: Dopplebock

Appearance: 12oz brown bottle covered in rams - on the label and the little white plastic one around the neck. Beer poured a dark reddish-brown with a thin off-white head that left no lacing.

Smell: Sweet malt, dark dried fruits, and a hint of spice?

First Drink: Sweet malt again, followed by some flavors reminiscent of oak or other aged wood. There is more going on here but the beer is still a little cool.   

Mouthfeel: Very smooth (silky smooth even) with a nice level of carbonation. 

Last Drink: More of the alcohol coming through now and some other "dark" flavors that remind me a bit of aged leather... though not in an unpleasant way. 

Drinkability: I could kick back with a few of these for sure, but I feel it is a beer best savored one or two at a time.

Notes: Overlooked this beer for a long time as I thought I had tried it before, or knew what it tasted like. I was wrong. I think this beer is worth the price of admission (which can be a bit hefty here in the US).   

Verdict: 4.25 out of 5. Smooth, flavorful, and complex. Plus you get a free plastic ram/goat with each bottle! Now what to do with them all... 

Links: Beer Advocate and Ayinger Brewery.

Wow that week went by fast! It seems like time has a way of speeding up when you least expect it. Last week I didn't manage to get too much done on the table. Finishing up the Khorne R'Backs for their KUBBL debut tomorrow against a team of dirty Norse known as Trondheim Steamroller coached by Tridriscoll. Not what I would have loved for a first match (looking at you squishy Wood Elves) but I am hoping I can hold out against the Block and get some CAS with the lower armor of the Norse.

This season is turning out to be a potential bash-fest. We've got...

• A second season Lizardmen team coached by Thorn one of the consistent league record holders and multiple champion of the KUB Bowl. This is the team that crushed my Vampires in my first season game last time around, forcing me to restart them right after the game. And that was without any skills! Now they have Block and Mighty Blow and Jump Up all over. Ugh.
  
  A first season Undead team coached by Beaux who has won the last two championships with 1 season teams (Dwarfs and Skaven). He's a good coach who doesn't often make mistakes and has crazy good dice rolls and he's playing one of the best teams around in Blood Bowl... but for the first time. We'll see how that shakes out.
  
  A second season Human team coached by Furry who has also won the KUB Bowl and also rarely makes mistakes. Furry usually loses to his own bad dice rolls which are almost as bad as mine at times. His team is skilled and looking pretty specialized. Hoping he loses a few of the key playmakers or  his team could be one to take it all.
  
  New Norse, new Skaven, new Wood Elves, and new Dwarfs round out the remainder of the team. My record against Skaven and Wood Elves is spotty.. maybe 50/50. Against Dwarfs it is down right miserable.. probably something like 10/90. Plenty of Block and other nasty stuff in those remaining teams.

So where does that leave me? Well... my models are mostly painted and my roster starts with no skills! That's a good thing right??



So here's the gist... started with all four Chaos Warriors and seven Beastmen. That left me just enough for three rerolls which should last me for quite awhile and help off-set the lack of starting skills. No Apoth and no Minotaur but my plan is to level up the Warriors ASAP, focusing on skill development over winning if need be early in the season.

Here's what the Khorne R'Backs looked like on the painting table this morning (as usual, apologies for the shoddy cell phone camera photos... I will get real ones once the are finished I promise):


Chaos Warriors as played by old Bloodletters with some modifications.


WIP Minotaur butt.


Blurry WIP Minotaur front


Beastmen as played by blurry Bloodletters.

Also on the painting table are the almost finished Horusburg Hackers my Khemri team. Just need to finish the bases and I am calling these guys done.


Tomb Guardians with big weapon hands.


Blit-ras on the left and right and the Tho-ra in the middle.


Skeledudes looking tough and stuff.

And that's what we look like at the moment! Hoping to get some models sealed and the Minotaur done today. Then it's on to the final bloody details of the Khorne R'Backs but probably not in time for their first outing tomorrow. Wish them luck!

Holy crows it is already almost the end of February!? Where oh where has time gone...

This month I have spent very little time on anything hobby related. New Warriors of Chaos? Sounds rad but I haven't even seen the cover of the new book. Then new Daemons? Mneh... not really a DoC player or fan.Michigan Beer Fest!? Didn't get a chance to go this year...

So what have I been doing? Not much... besides buying a house!? Yeah. Started the process early this month and at this point (today) we have submitted all of our loan approval paperwork on a house we intend to buy and move into sometime in April. DAMN THAT IS CRAZY!!! Now it is the waiting game to see if our loan is approved and to work out some small details with the seller.

Freaking out a little bit but mostly in good ways. New house has tons of character, nice neighborhood, huge garage and attached shop (for woodworking or other stuff), nice yard with a fence, and plenty of space in the basement for nerd hideout pursuits like setting up miniature wargaming tables on a more permanent basis. Oh yeah and it's close to folks who brew beer and can help me get that rolling again here in my hometown. So... all in all it is damn fine news !

I had hoped to finish up my (long) drawn out Blood Bowl Orc team this month and if you asked me at the beginning of last week I would have said I had failed at that. Then... voila! I slapped some paint on them in record time this week. And they don't look too bad either? Still thinking about how to finish the details (numbers, bases, spot colors, decals?) but here is where they stand today:


The mob with just basecoats applied.


Blitzers! Really happy with how the metal turned out.


Black Orcs! The metal was a bit of a happy accident.. or instinctual?


Giant Orc (Troll) and Thrower! I like the poses here a lot.

I didn't grab photos of the Lineorcs but they haven't changed much from the test models I did way back last year. Still no Goblin for the team though I will keep my eye out for a good addition. That's all for now! Off to play one of the last regular season KUBBL 3 games now. Wish me luck!

No love for the big green "orc" eh? 

In other news...  Busy! Still busy. Did I mention I am buying a house? Things are looking 99% likely at this time and we are hoping to hear something concrete this week. If everything goes as planned I will be moving at the end of this month!? What?! Gotta keep packing...

In the meantime I have decided to not paint anything too outlandish while I work on gathering my meager belongings and moving them all to a new space. The regular KUBBL lads are still interested in playing some Necromunda so things are moving (again) on that front. Been bit by the "terrain bug" a bit and having fun slapping some stuff together out of what I have laying around. The results so far..


A bunker of sorts.


The back side (and access ladder) of the bunker.


Slapped together bandit tower.


The other side of the tower with sludge pool.


A crater with debris and a crumbled wall section of sorts.

Pardon the dust on the top of my cabinet. Just moved some clutter off in an attempt to begin the "move" and didn't clean it off before photo time. The horror!!

Also spent some time getting together my Goliath gang (look familiar Hragged?  ). It's strictly out of the box type stuff so far. Thinking about adding a bit of detail stuff still. Gotta break out the green stuff. In the meantime...


Behold! The Skullkrushas!!


Gangers - Arak Jawcrusher, Nazagut Limbripper, and Ragreth Boneshaker


Gang Leader Sergat Leadbelly and Gang Heavy Bozutt Ironjaw


Juves - Yuzong the Baited and some guy we don't know yet...

Still have a handful of weapons I need to magnetize for options and some details to do on most of the bases, but I think they are coming along nicely. Looking forward to painting them! I think this will be the first "40k like" thing I have ever painted??

That's all for now. Dropped out of the running for the KUBBL 3 playoffs after losing to the league leader due to a dismal showing of dice disaster. Playing a consolation match against Elves again today. Is there a better consolation prize than the the opportunity to kill some Elves!? I think not.

Awesome looking terrain and I cant wait to see the gang painted. As for the elves be sure to show them some ogre muscle. 

The terrain is looking fantastic mate! Are you putting together a whole board for the Necromunda, or just a few terrain pieces?

JJ

Thanks JJ & Goretooth! I will be building some amount of terrain for a board to have at my house. Plan is to play our Necro games there so I need to get to work painting them!

What the heck!? March is almost over!? Where does the time go...

It has been a very busy few weeks here. Still finishing the new house buying process, still trying to get my Necromunda Goliath gang built up, still working on terrain, and now I have a new Lobsterman themed Halfling Blood Bowl team in the works?! All while trying to pack up all my stuff so I can move it to a new nerd cave? Oh yeah and I played in Headbanger's Ball III last weekend and took something like 5th with my Vampires. That was cool.

On to the photos! First up we have some primed terrain that I want to paint. Added a couple more pieces since the last photos I posted.





Pretty happy with how they turned out. Can't remember who I stole the idea of staples as ladder rungs from but thanks for that! The super glue "rivets" are passable but not fantastic. Still some areas I could touch up but I am okay with the medium level of quality on these.

Next up we have the miniature I am painting to add to the Big House! I figure a big dumb Ogre/Troll is just what the stands need with all those drunk Dwarfs hanging around.





Got this guy from Ramshackle Miniatures last year and have been wanting to paint him up for awhile. Didn't really have a reason to until now! Gotta figure out how to work in the Maize & Blue.

"But wait Randroid... you said something about a lobsterman's hard place!?" Why yes... yes I did. On a whim I picked up enough small Lobstermen from Tor to make a Halfling team for Blood Bowl. Got them in the mail and giddily ripped them open and started gluing them on bases.





The bigger Lobstermen are the "Treemen" of the team and they represent what the smaller fellows grow into (assuming they survive that long) later on. I have a special mini coming in the mail to represent Deeproot but I will save that for another day (it's a mini I have wanted a reason to paint since I first saw it). Got them all built and primed so I thought I would do a quick test model too...





Pretty happy with how this looks and it was super quick and easy to do. Might still add a bit of highlights to the back carapace but otherwise I think this is a go! Going to add some water to the bases later on but you can see my attempt at "faking it" with gloss varnish on this one.

So that's what I have been up to! Oh... and also playing in a D&D 3.5 game too. I'll have some minis for that coming sometime soon. Tonight is the first game in the KUBBL 4 season and it's KRB against... ELVES. There will be blood, oh yes, there will be blood.

Love that Orc Team! Always great to see the Blood Bowl love.

Hello neglected blog! Life has been extremely busy as of late.. did I mention I bought a new house and moved into it? It's true! As all this has been occurring my hobby time has been reduced to zero. It has been 1 week since I began living in my new home full time and things are slowly progressing towards that "moved in" look. After some electrical work is done this week I hope to have my painting/hobby zone put together and complete. As of now it looks like this...


One view of the new painting sun room!

My S.O. was nice enough to let me, my minis, plants, and paints have this gorgeous sun room in our new home. Looking forward to getting some painting done in this damn near idyllic situation sometime soon! Until next time (hopefully later this week)...

Probably the best looking hobby area I have seen for a while... I am happy for you mate. Looking forward to seeing some painted up models soon

JJ

Painting room looks amazing. Congratulations on the move!

I love reading through the back pages of this blog. Always inspiring!
I've no idea how you managed to make those necrons look so dynamic but huge, huge respect from me for that as i think they look amazing.

Referring to the light colour on the bloodletters (as no-one replied), it's different. I'm certainly used to the standard red, so it takes a while to get round the idea, but I like it... sort of like albino 'letters. Also the execution is excellent!

May your hobby room bring you much more success!

Thanks guys!

After the electrician comes to finish some last work in the house I can finally "move in" to my new painting domain and get back to work!! Having a place to display all my minis has been hugely motivating.

Just a quick plug for my weekly metal radio show The Grind. Tonight on The Grind I will be broadcasting a special edition of the show inspired by Blood Bowl for Headbangers Ball. Songs about metal, blood, balls, death, and the power of the SKULLS. Tune in at 11pm EST to WIDR fm at 89.1 in the Kalamazoo area or online at www.widrfm.org. PLAY IT LOUD

Back home after a fantastic one day Blood Bowl tournament at Headbangers Ball IV. This year the event was held at Draxtar Games in Batavia/Aurora Illinois. Cool store with lots of gaming space and a healthy mix of tabletop games, card games, board games, and miniatures/painting supplies.

The tournament ended up being a 3 round event due to a change in schedule (store opened later than originally anticipated) but I was fine with one less game (having to drive 3 hours there and 3 hours back makes for a long day).

Played 3 great games of Blood Bowl against 3 fantastic opponents. I brought out my Ogres with a roster that looked like this...

Meet the GORE GRINDERS!



Ogre - Block, Sure Hands
Ogre x 2 - Block, Break Tackle
Ogre x 3 - Guard
Snotling - Leader
Snotling x 5
Rerolls x 2

First round I went up against the foul forces of the Chaos team known as Feel The Noize coached by Sickness. We had played once previously at ZlurpeeBowl 8 when I had a team of all Zombies. This time around our teams were a bit more evenly matched. Game began with the Gore Grinders receiving the ball only to stall out on the line after crashing into a wall of Chaos Warriors. While the Ogres kept their wits about them (very few Boneheads) they didn't manage to break armor or inflict any KO results in their drive to score. After 7 turns of bashing helplessly into one another the first casualty of the game was scored by a Double Skull result thrown by the Noize Minotaur who killed himself on the outstretched first of a nearby Ogre. Hurr hurr hurr...  Second round was a bit more bloody with the Noize bringing the noise to the Gore Grinders in an attempt to score for the win. After much smashing and crashing about 3 more Noise players wound up dead while the tricksy snotlings of the Gore Grinders managed to hold up the Chaos offense by throwing them into several moshpits on the pitch. Final score was 0-0 with 4 casualties for the Gore Grinders.

Second round saw the Gore Grinders matched up with the veteran coach BCH with his brand new Orc team here known as the War Pigs. Once again the Ogres received the opening kickoff and proceeded to bash quite a few Orcs off the field but failed to inflict any casualties until after losing one of their own Ogres to a Black Orc block. The Ogres returned the favor and crushed the head of the offending Black Orc then proceeded to hand the ball to a snotling for their first score of the day on turn 8 of the first half. The War Pigs returned fire with a quick score on turn 3 of the second half allowing the Gore Grinders a chance to score for the win on turn 8 of the second half. After a daring Ogre dodge and pass through traffic the ball was dropped by the receiver who was just squares away from the end zone. Final score was 1-1 with 1 casualty for the Gore Grinders.

The third and final round pitted the Ogres against the recently returned Necromantic forces of the Nawlin Nightmares coached by Darkstar70. Darkstar70 and I have played a few times, most notably in a Nurgle mirror match during Chaos Cup 2012 where he managed to out gross me for a win, and he is always good for a fun game. This time the Ogres kicked off to the Necromatic Nightmares from Nawlin but managed to draw the ire of a very judgmental referee who proceeded to eject any player after they rolled doubles on any injury roll (just like a foul). This left both teams frightened to make any blocks but the Nightmares decided to give it a go and quickly lost one of their Wights to a successful block on a snotling who was stunned in the process. Happy with this trade the Ogres let the Nercomantic Nightmares score quickly on turn 3 in hopes of driving away the eagle-eyed referee so they could get back to bustin' dead heads. And bust them they did! After a few stumbles, and turns spent staring at shiny rocks on the ground, the Gore Grinders came on strong and quickly sent 2 zombies to their final-final reward. While the Nawlin crew did crush a few snotlings underfoot they were unable to keep the Ogres from rolling forward and making a score after a daring Ogre dodge into the end zone. The second half brought more ball flopping madness with both teams positioned to score but ultimately failing to do so when it counted. Final score was 1-1 with 4 casualties for the Gore Grinders.



With a final result of 0W-0L-3T the Gore Grinders brought home the War Pig casualty award after choosing not to take the Iron Man Best Defense award with only 2 TD allowed all day. A fantastic trio of games with a fantastic trio of coaches and nothing but fun, metal, and laughs to top it off. Can't wait for next year!


Me with the War Pig skull trophy.

Good to see that you're still updating this! I haven't been around in awhile.

Randroid; This is an awesome read! It looked like some really good games were played and the atmosphere seem's to have been a really good one.
I am not aware of as many of these types of tournaments in the UK as you seem to have in the US; which is a pity for the UK.

Congrats on the trophy there; but for me the real treat was actually seeing you in the flesh! I just wish (and it is too late now  ) I had seen this picture before I started making your Maneater, he soooo would have had a hardcore deathmetal beard! If I ever make it over Texas way someday I will make a point of tapping you up for a night out at some metal show; you sir look like the very kind of friends that I have and would die for in the UK.
Well done in the comp, so where/ what is next? Are there allot of these tornies where you are and do you get the chance to go to many of them? (I don't just mean bloodbowl, but in general)

G_H

Cheers gents!

Gh - don't head to Texas I live in Michigan! Michigan and in general most of the midwest US is a hotbed of Blood Bowl activity (if you can call having roughly one tournament a month a hotbed) but there is plenty of BB action in Europe (though not sure exactly about the UK). For a "dead game" it has a very strong following and the ruleset is one of the most solid GW ever released if you ask me.

You can check out The NAF website or the TFF forums for more Euro-centric BB action!

Next for me is ZlurpeeBowl X in July which is held in Indianapolis, IN and is one of the largest US events. Then after that is the US Blood Bowl major Chaos Cup in Sept. Outside of those two not sure I will make it to any other events this year. Time will tell....

So over on my blog - Drinkin' and Modelin' - I posted a bunch of info on a recently awarded Liebster. Basically the Liebster is an award given to other bloggers/blogs by fellow bloggers/blogs in recognition and also as a way of building community. While it seems a little out of place here I thought I would cross-post it anyhow!

---

Chris over at Sippin' On Paint Water informed me that I have been awarded with a Liebster. My first thought was "wow cool... I haven't won anything since that trip to Space Camp when I was 9". My second thought was "what the hell is a Liebster!?" but before I get into that... look at this cool award! Thanks Chris!! I'd nominate your blog but I suppose that defeats the purpose a little...

Not a lot of verified/authentic info out there on this award as near as I can tell but here is the gist of it:

    * The award is given to bloggers by bloggers.
    * Liebster is German or maybe the award has German origins?!
    * Kinda like a chain letter so it only works if you feel like participating.
    * The "rules" seem to change as people see fit to change them.

With all that in mind I have decided to go with the "rules" as outlined by Chris on his Sippin' On Paint Water blog.

        * Copy and paste the award on your blog linking the blogger who has given it to you.
        * Pass the award to your top 11 blogs with less than 200 followers by leaving a comment on one of
        their posts to notify them that they have won the award and listing them on your own blog.
        * Sit back and bask in the warm fuzzy feeling that you have made someones day.
        * There is no obligation to pass the award on to someone else but it is nice if you take the time to do so.

The format doesn't have to be the same as what I've made so long as the spirit of the award is maintained. It's meant to showcase blogs and authors and increase readership and community. Whatever method is used is irrelevant so long as that goal is achieved.

Alright sounds doable and noble and good! First up I'll say that I won't be adhering to the "less than 200 followers" rule as the goal here is to expose folks to sites they might otherwise look over or not come across and to me the number of followers does not always correlate to how well known something is or isn't. With that out of the way here are 11 blogs I think you should check out (in no particular order of course).

Playing D&D With Porn Stars - I love the content here and the vast imagination on display. Zak has a great sense of humor and a real "human" quality about him that comes through in the writing and posts. The porn stars part is really secondary.

The Man Cave - I wish I had a dad like Paul. Cool minis, cool games, and a cool guy to boot!

Hack & Slash - For all things RPG design related you can't go wrong with this blog. Tons of information for practical application as well as interesting theory and discussion topics on game design. Love it!

Horror Movies and Beer! - Eerie Erik is like my brother from another mother. While his blog doesn't have any gaming focus it does have monsters, horror, blood, boobs, and beer so you'll probably find something you'll like.

Furry's Painting Blog - Furry is my local miniature painting buddy and in this blog he has been capturing his work as a budding miniature painter. Cool stuff by a cool guy.

Belched from the Depths - Awesome collection of RPG minis from then til now. Always inspirational to me.

New Brew Thursday - Nerds nerding out over new beers. You'll probably see the connection.

The Magnificent Bastards - Magnificent bastards writing about magnificent minis. A lot of GW stuff but they have great stuff in here for all sorts of miniature bastards.

Painting Mum - Life, love, minis, and plenty of painting to boot.

Monster Brains - The mighty Monster Brains is a regular source of fascination and excitement for me. Monsters forever!!

Amateur Hour - Mattias is a cool guy I met at Chaos Cup last year. While I kicked the crap out of his elves (yuck elves!) we had a fun time and it was most exciting to discover he was blogging his work too! Oh yeah and he likes beer too.

Highly recommend any and all of these blogs and people. While I know some more than others (and some not at all) I can say without reservation that they all provide something unique and exciting to my blog traveling world.

Now we're on to this Q&A bit where I ramble on about things that most people probably don't care about or maybe already know about me. Here we go!!

Why did you start blogging? - Well it certainly wasn't the word "blog" or "blogging" or "bloggin" or "bloggo" or any of that which got me started. In fact I would say that word is probably the biggest barrier of entry for me into this thing. I spent a bunch of time writing things for myself, kept an online journal for awhile (still do sometimes), and was posting on forums somewhat obsessively before I started Drinkin' and Modelin'. My original goal was simple: motivation. I figured if I was able to share what I was doing and experiencing in the world of miniature and tabletop gaming (and gaming in general) I would feel more motivated to get cool stuff done (and maybe also motivate others in the process). The beer reviews were just a thing I was doing on the side anyway and I figured it was a good a place as any to collect that information for future use (and for anyone else who might be interested).

If you could change one thing about the wargaming hobby, what would it be? - Honestly I am not all that into the "wargaming hobby" any longer. I haven't played a game of WHFB (which is what started this blog) in well over a year. I do play Blood Bowl sometimes and I would love to get other skirmish/tactics type games into my routine, but most of my gaming now comes from boardgames and rpg groups with friends. Of course there are minis in all of that too and I still get to paint stuff and make models which is something I enjoy too. If I could change one thing I think it would be the idea of "balanced" competitive games and what that mindset generally does to games and gaming culture. I wish people used their imagination more often and remembered that games are for fun. While I used to be far more competitive I have certainly mellowed with age and now I just try to enjoy every gaming opportunity for what it is - a time with friends playing games and having fun.

What is best in life? - This seems like a leading question... I'll answer this with my favorite R.E.H. Conan story which is a two way tie between "Red Nails" and "The Tower of the Elephant". Also pizza is pretty rad...

Do you want to live forever? - Alright. I'll answer your Conan quote and question with another Conan quote. "My child, you have come to me my son. For who now is your father if it is not me? I am the well spring, from which you flow. When I am gone, you will have never been. What would your world be, without me? My son."

Fame or fortune? - Well I suppose that depends on what I am famous for! Money is not something I strive for though I do appreciate the security of having enough so that I don't have to worry about where the next meal is coming from. I also unintentionally break things a lot so that costs money. I am bad at these kinds of questions. What if my fortune was in boardgames? Yeah! That I could get behind.

What miniature are you most proud of having painted? - I love all the minis I have painted but I find that I am often most proud of the ones I have gifted to friends. Something about giving away my time and effort and love in miniature form makes me feel good. Something to be proud of? Maybe...

How do you deal with burn out? - I assume this question is in relation to painting and gaming? I don't get burnt out on games. I have a crazy high tolerance for gaming. I am often the one who wants to keep playing in the RPG session after 5 or 6 hours have gone by. I am often the one looking for those long drawn out tabletop or boardgame sessions that last all day. So in gaming it is not something I have experienced yet. In painting and modeling I try to have multiple projects going on that I can bounce around between as inspiration strikes. Sometimes I get stuck in one project and work on it without anything else taking up my time but that is rare. Also knowing when to stop is a crucial skill. Its not good to push through something if you are not enjoying the process. Live in the moment and enjoy the time you have to paint and be creative or find something else to do that doesn't add anxiety or stress to your life.

Why is a raven like a writing desk? - Who knows!? Ask the raven...

Star Wars or Star Trek? - Neither. I am much more of a comic book nerd. When Star Wars was a big thing (as a child of the 80's) it brought me nothing but shame. I was too poor to see the movies, too poor to have the toys, and too poor to have the clothes. I read the books before I saw the original trilogy because I could get them from the public library. I never really got into Star Wars and the direction it has taken just makes me even less interested. I did see plenty of Star Trek reruns on tv when I was young, and Star Trek TNG was of course a part of my 90's youth, but overall it never captured my imagination the way old kaiju movies or comics did. Now GODZILLA on the other hand....

If you could only buy from one miniature company from now on, which one would it be? - One run by my friends who have the skill and talent to make amazing custom pieces for me for anything I am looking for. They are extremely talented and affordable and their minis are of superior quality in every aspect.

What is your favorite take out? - I cook a lot. There is a thai place here in my town called Bangkok Flavor which has some pretty tasty noodles and they make their stuff nice and hot which I always appreciate.

There you have it! If you found yourself in my list of 11 blogs to receive a Liebster please answer these same questions (or something similar that you want to answer) in a blog post of your own. Of course participation is voluntary but it would be cool to see what you come up with and its nice to build community our here in the wilds of the internet... so... get to it!

Been awhile since I posted a beer review!! Have such a back log... gonna try to do better starting now!

West Sixth Brewing Company - West Sixth IPA

Beer Type: American IPA - 7.00% ABV

Appearance: Beer in a can! A nicely printed and colorful can. Beer poured a hazy-golden color with a nice fat lacy head.     

Smell: Hops and citrus are getting all up in my nose! I can smell a bit of caramel malt too.   

First Drink: Bitter, hoppy, and much sweeter than I had imagined it would be!   

Mouthfeel: Pretty darn thick for an IPA? A little sticky with nice carbonation on my tongue.   

Last Drink: Wishing for a little more hops now. The malt is a little too much but not too sweet.           

Drinkability: I'd drink a six pack no problem.             

Notes: Grabbed this in Kentucky on my way home from Asheville NC on a visit last year.         

Verdict: 3.75 out of 5. Not bad but not as good as the IPA we make here in Michigan!

IPA is my fav, gotta love it!

Time for some painting progress! First up is the Ogre Maneater I am making for fellow Ogre lover Gnoblar_Herder. These are just basecoats and I haven't done any details yet.





Then we have a bunch of Deadzone Rebs models with paint on them (I put the paint on). Still a WIP! Also a building I slapped together to give them a place to "hang out" at. It's a little run down...


























And the last photo is the rest of the Rebs force I was hoping to have painted this month but didn't manage to finish quite yet. About to get back at! Let me know what you think of my palette choices as this was the first time I have painted something "modern" or "sci fi" outside of the Goliath gang.

It's June! So far it has been a very busy month for me but not so much on the painting or gaming fronts! Been working on a side business that is food related and selling some stuff at a market in my town. Also headed to Austin, TX for a week in just two days where I plan to eat a lot of tacos, drink some beers, and maybe play a game or two.

In the meantime there has been talk of getting a Mordheim game started between a few Blood Bowl folks since that has pretty much died off. Also getting ready (mentally) for Zlurpee Bowl X next month as well as painting and assembling Deadzone minis.







I also got my "paint and trade" Maneater mini in the mail... behold! He makes me want to model an entire unit of Maneaters focused on heavy drinking but I may not get to that for awhile. Thanks GH!

He looks so cool...I actually love that drunken bum! The pub sign does it for me though. Truly this was actually some of my better work and I am so pleased you like him. I just hope that one day he will do you proud in a game.

More importantly can I ask how big the first model in the first picture (the dragon/ lizard headed dude) is? Is he about the same size as an ogre? I could do something with a model like that  .....

G_H

Yeah that is a Terraton and he is on a 40mm round base. That is the plague terraton but there is the regular one too. The plague one looks less sci fi but he still has some armor and stuff.

http://www.manticgames.com/mantic-shop/deadzone/faction-boosters/product/plague-teraton-1-figure.html

I need to get a tutorial on how you did the stein on the Maneater! I want to make some like that.

Brother, I feel like a total fraud with how the stein thing turned out...it was more of a fluke than being planned! But, no worries, I will happily share with you.

What we need here is pictures that will show how easy that was to do.



So, you see the purple bead thing in this picture...well that's the main body of the stein. It is a purple plastic bead from one of my daughters "make your own cheap and tacky necklace" kits. You get this kind of crud from what I think they refer to in the US as a thrift store. In the Uk we would say a £1 shop.

Also in this picture is the "stone club" hand just below the bead. That's the hand I used for this guy. Take the hand and cut off the fingers to make it flush with the bead. The rest is all greenstuff and superglue.

I cut lines into the bead to make it look like a wood effect, other than that I just wrapped a strip of GS around the top and bottom of the hand/bead to make it look like a stein. that's pretty much it TBH.





In these two pictures you can see a purple bead with some GS wrapped around it, That's pretty much how I did it with the inclusion of that "club" hand. That's it.

What I will do for ya, is send you a bunch of them beads...then all you have to do is some rudimentary Gs work and you are on the money with it!

It is a pretty easy thing to achieve. I plugged the bottom of the tankard with GS to give it a "alcohol wont drop out the bottom of the mug" look.

It was uber easy to do! If you really want a tutorial I can do one, but it really is as easy as getting the beads then getting some GS and doing it TBH.

G_H

Cool. I figured it was something like that but wasn't sure how you did the body. Now that I know it is a bead that should be easy to replicate! Thanks!

Mordheim?! Yes... the city of the damned. My destiny...

With the potential arrival of some skirmish play in the coming months I decided to throw together a starting Undead warband for campaign play. Behold!!















Faithful readers may recognize the Necromancer and Dire Wolves from my WHFB VC army. I am giving these guys some much needed repaint love in this process to make them suitably dark and dank for the streets of the cursed city.

From the top you have one Vampire to be, three hulking Dregs with clubs, a Necromancer, some Ghouls, and a couple Dire Wolves. No names or backstory or anything cool yet. Just getting them ready for play. Next up a whole slew of terrain!? Perhaps sometime in July...

Nobody likes Mordheim eh? Hmm... okay...

Hello! Goodbye! Headed off to Zlurpee Bowl X tomorrow morning where I intend to spend 3 days gaming away with nerd friends from all over. Blood Bowl in the tournament, some post Saturday Deadzone action, and who knows what else will be played in between!?

For those curious I will be bringing the Zlurp Outcasts... my Necromantic team that I painted and have yet to play in any event aside from the first Dog Bowl (where they performed terribly and I lost every game I played if I remember correctly). This time around I hope for 1 W/3 T/1 L for the overall record but I would be happy with anything really. Just going to get some Blood Bowl in and have fun playing with my painted minis.

Here is the roster I will be bringing along...



ZLURP OUTCASTS

Werewolf x 2 - Block, Dodge
Wight x 2 - 1 Guard
Ghoul x 2 - Wrestle
Flesh Golem x 2 - Guard
Zombie x 3
Reroll x 1
Fan Factor x 3

Perhaps I will attempt my first ever "post event day" updates and see how that goes?! Either way expect some sort of recounting of my experience at the 10th (10!!) Zlurpee Bowl event.

While I initially intended to blog about the event as it was happening (and fresh in my head) the hotel wi-fi conspired against me (or perhaps it was blogger) so you'll have to settle for a couple post-event recaps dredged from my soggy brains after 2 days of almost non-stop gaming.

Another year and another Zlurpee Bowl event is done and dusted. I wasn't able to attend ZB9 due to a scheduling conflict at work so I was really excited to make it to the 10th annual Zlurpee Bowl tournament this past weekend July 11th through 13th. While the actual Blood Bowl event was only on Saturday and Sunday we started the weekend of gaming off right... with pre-game games and drinking at Xtreme's home on Friday night.


Death Roller racing in the dungeon courtesy of flyingdingle

After the initial shots of tequila and pre-game beers were settled we got into a few games of Lunch Money and Let's Kill before celebrating Zlurpus and his 10th annual un-birthday with cake.




While I left my Gnoblar Death Roller at home (which was a bummer) I was able to find a suitable replacement in one Sasquatch mini painted up by Xtreme and took the field against 7 other opponents (some of which were also assorted big guys in the place of Death Rollers). The game was played to 2 laps and my insane strategy of 2 to 3 GFI per turn paid off big as I quickly took the lead and almost lapped the rest of the competition. Instead of letting me win and ending the 2 hours of game we had already played the sneaky Siggylama (of the Siggylama show fame) decided it was a better strategy to drive backward on the track and take me out on my way to victory.

While he wasn't successful in blocking me he was successful in forcing me to make 4 GFI (on a 2+, 3+, 4+, and 5+) to get his Snow Troll out of the way and sneakily iced up the track on the way in for the 4th GFI causing me to roll a 4 on a 5+ roll for success. After spinning out and crashing I had to start the final lap back at the start of the race facing the other competition who were just starting their second laps and quickly crashed into a wall and was out of the race for good. Not sure who eventually won as I got sucked into a world of King of Tokyo before heading back to the hotel to grab a few hours of sleep before the big event on Saturday.

Would the Zlurp Outcasts make it past table 20 in the event? Who would regret playing me only to have their game re-imagined in my head and put down to blog "history" for later reference? Check back later for more ZBX tournament recap to come.

Zlurpee Bowl X came and went and here is what happened on the first day of 4 games (or how I remember it anyway). Zlurpee Bowl X starring the Necromantic Zlurp Outcasts!


Game 1 on the line

Game 1 vs Coach Wifflebat's Norse The Helcardaxe Hellcats
The undead of the Necromantic Zlurp Outcasts were dying (har har) to take the field in their first game of the tournament against the frozen norse women of The Helcardaxe Hellcats. In perfect Blood Bowl weather the Outcasts received the ball, though during the kick off the jeering fans mocked both teams mercilessly, forcing both teams to lose their concentration (and thus a reroll) before the game started. While ready for anything the Outcasts weren't ready to lose both of their star werewolf players by Turn 4 nor were they ready to lose the ball and allow the Norse to score. They received the return kick only to lose a Wight on Turn 7 and with it their chance to tie the game going into the second half. In retaliation one enterprising zombie player known as Godric struck at a key moment and sent one of the Norse blizters to the apothecary (by kicking him in the face while he was lying down).

In the second half the Outcasts press their offense with what remains of their team and stress out the Norse runner who drops the ball in the Hellcats backfield and allows the nearby Wight named Murry Kane to scoop up the balls and run it in for the tie on Turn 5.

Result: 1-1 Tie


Game 2 hot zombie on zombie action

Game 2 vs Coach Mini Xtreme's Zombie FtLotG Living Dead Boys
In a blast from the past (2012 to be exact) it was time for the Outcasts to go head-to-head with an all zombie force similar to the team as represented in ZB8 with its own all zombie roster. In perfect Blood Bowl weather the necromantic undead of the Outcasts received the kick off. While the zombies seem outmatched they manage to knock out a Flesh Golem named Barry in a GFI blitz by Zlurpus. In the resulting srcum the Outcasts star werewolf Cliff Lancer broke away and moved away from the slower zombies before dancing near the goal line for another 4 turns. The fans do not approve and heckle the Outcasts in the resulting Turn 8 return kick to the zombies causing them to lose their one unused reroll.

The second half of the game sees the kick going to the Living Dead Boys who fumble the ball pickup and give the speedy werewolves a chance to blitz into the backfield before swiping the ball for another score (this one by #3 Harry Hoyt). Under the constant crush of undead flesh the zombie managed to knock down or knock out most of the Outcasts but the constant crash of werewolves keeps the score for the Outcasts creeping up steadily before the half ends.

Result: 4-0 Win

Game 3 vs Coach Don's Khemri Crypt Kings
Taking on a fantastically painted Khemri team (who eventually won the Best Painted award for the event) the Outcasts prepared to take on the strength of the Khemri during a game set in perfect Blood Bowl weather. The Outcasts fans poured out for this one and they received the initial kick off before quickly dropping the ball on a failed pickup for the first... second... third... and finally fourth attempts before eventually grabbing the ball and running away from the Crypt Kings. Since they weren't able to keep the Wight named Murry Kane from scoring they settled for kicking the poor Flesh Golem Barry to death after he fails to regen from the foul. The Outcasts answer back by kicking to the Khemri for their one Turn 8 before an inspired kicking by Glavin the zombie to a downed Tomb Guardian gets him ejected from the game and leaving the Outcasts with just 9 players for the second half.

In the second half the Crypt Kings receive the ball and form a slow rolling Tomb Guardian cage to crush the necromantic defensive line under their bandaged feet eventually scoring on Turn 6. After receiving the resulting return kick, and in an attempt to quickly score to win, the ghoul #10 Shank Orloff carries on in the great tradition of his people and drops the pickup of the ball. His teammate Cliff Lancer comes to the rescue by failing a dodge and killing himself. The rest of the game is just keeping the Khemri from scoring a win and trying not to lose any more players to the high strength threat of the Crypt Kings.

Result: 1-1 Tie


The chaotic Pig Iron had lots of bacon and weapons

Game 4 vs Coach Ben's Chaos Pig Iron
In perfect Blood Bowl weather a wealth of Outcasts fans showed up to give the necromantic team additional fame for the initial kick off. Unfortunately it didn't allow for an increased ability of regeneration for werewolf Cliff Lancer who quickly fell victim to a Frenzied chaos warrior before being pushed into the equally frenzied crowd. He is quickly followed up by a nearby wight and then a zombie. The ensuing scrum ends with the ghoul Damon Digger failing a sprint towards the endzone and crushing his own skull on the pitch. The remaining wight Curd Louis tries to get to the ball but trips over the bits of skull Digger left behind and crashes nearby and allows Pig Iron to snatch up the ball for a pass. After dropping the ball on the pass the nearby Outcasts scramble to pick it up and score but only manage to fail their dodges and drop a pass of their own to end the half.

After receiving the kickoff of the second half the Outcasts quickly sneak by the Pig Iron line allowing Harry Hoyt to score on turn 2 for the 1-0 lead. Chaos reigns on the return kick by crushing Harry before smacking a ghoul to death while the wight Curd Lewis snatches up a loose ball and breaks away to score on the final turn of the game.

Result: 2-0 Win

So the final day 1 results for the Zlurp Outcasts was a solid record of  2 Wins and 2 Ties with 0 Losses. Wondering how day 2 treated the necromantic warriors in the battle for the Zlurpee fame? Check back for the stunning conclusion!!

Day two of the annual Zlurpee Bowl event began with very low energy. After staying up until the early hours of the morning playing Deadzone Coach Randroid wasn't quite on his toes going into the first game. But before we get into the Blood Bowl action lets take a little sidetrack into how the big Save The Cheerleader: Save Your Jobs - Deadzone 8 player game that was played on Saturday night.


A view of the table (most of it anyway)

It was the first time I had the opportunity to play Deadzone (or any Mantic game actually) and it was a great introduction to their game. I brought a small 70 point Rebs force comprised of one Commander, 1 Terraton, 1 Yndij sergeant, 1 Yndij soldier, 1 Sorak, and 3 Humans. I had no idea what I was doing when building this list so I just went with the minis I liked the looks of most. It turned out to be an okay list but perhaps that was just a bit of luck?


The Randroid Rebs deployment in their zone


Terraton in the alley hiding from grenades

The objective of the game for the Rebs was to find the Cheerleader in the center of the board and escort her to one of two nearby safehouses on the board. Meanwhile two forces each of Enforcers, Marauders, and deadly Plague were also trying to reach the Cheerleader for their own mission (to kill, capture, or steal the POI).


Commander overseeing the Terraton and sniping Plague

After several rounds of being trapped in an alley along the board edge the Rebs were able to breakout with their Terraton and crush the nearby Plague resistance (with a little help from the sniping Commander on top of a nearby building). While a few Humans died in route most of the Rebs were left unscathed while the other alien factions tore each other to shreds. At the end the Rebs found the Cheerleader and cleared their objective.


Eyes on the prize, the Terraton on the way to the Cheerleader

All in all it was a very fun time. Learning a new game in a competitive setting is always a little difficult but all of the other players (who had played previously) were very supportive and even gave me some tips and tactics as the game went on. Initial response to the game from me... COOL! Now I just have to find a way to work it into my local gaming rotation some how...

So back to day two of Zlurpee Bowl X. If you missed day one you should probably read that recap here first. In short... the final day 1 results for the Zlurp Outcasts was a solid record of  2 Wins and 2 Ties with 0 Losses. Quite respectable and perhaps one of the better results I have had in a NAF event!


When the Fez attack!!!

Game 5 vs Coach theotherspencer's Orcs the 4D Shriners
Rising from their graves (and crypts, and burrows, and ditches) the necromantic Zlurp Outcasts took to the field against Da 40 Miners worshiping Orcs of the 4D Shriners. In perfect Blood Bowl weather both teams took to the field though the crowd was in favor of the Outcasts. If that wasn't bad enough the 4D Shriners lost a reroll to their piss poor coaching before receiving the kick from the Outcasts. Riding high on their most recent win the Outcasts quickly move in to push the orcs out of the way and gain control of the ball, perhaps a little too quickly, as werewolf Harry Hoyt falls after failing a dodge and lands directly on his claws then fails to regenerate from his self inflicted wounds. On Turn 3 the zombie Godric is obliterated on a blitz but pulls himself together but not before the 4D Shriners score their first touchdown. The Outcasts receive the return kick but the slippery hands of ghoul Damon Digger fail all attempts to pick up the ball and give the orcs the chance to push the defense. Desperate and out for blood the Outcasts come back with a handoff to werewolf Cliff Lancer in traffic who dodges away and pushes himself into the endzone for a Turn 5 score. The Shriners quickly get their revenge by kicking Cliff Lancer to death on Turn 8 of the first half.

The Outcasts lined up with what remained of their team to receive the kick and wight Curd Louis takes out his undead anger on a nearby Black Orc and crushes his skull on the line before failing to do the same on Turn 2 but takes himself out of the game in the process. Meanwhile the magnificent ghoul Shank Orloff grabs the ball and hides behind whats left of the necromantic line but fails to avoid the oncoming block of the Shriners blodging blitzer who knocks him over on a blitz and scoops up the ball to score on Turn 3. Now behind and down to 6 players the Outcasts line up to go for the tie. After some amazing sacrifices from the remaining wight and flesh golems Shank Orloff goes for the gold by blitzing the orc near the downed ball, killing him, then scooping up the ball to break away for the score. In a last ditch effort the Outcasts come together with a series of blocks, moves, dodges, and assists to knock off the blodging defender menacing Shank Orloff and giving him the chance to break away with two dodges and two GFI to score the tie. Instead he tripped over the goal line and killed himself to end the game on Turn 8.

Result: 2-1 Loss

As a side note this was a bit of a revenge match for theotherspencer who was beaten by the Zlurp Outcasts (the all zombie version) at ZB8. This was apparently quite scarring for him and he was very excited to have his vengeance on the zombies and other sundry undead of the Outcasts.


That is a lot of stars...

Game 6 vs BigSexy's Halflings (though mostly Zlurpee Star Players) Van Gor's Green Fairies
While not in the running for any particular awards the Outcasts decided to take up a grudge match by keeping it in the family and taking on BigSexy (theotherspencer's brother). After setting up, and receiving the kick off in perfect Blood Bowl weather, the Outcasts immediately went to work and began systematically removing each Star Player on the Van Gor's team. In the first block the flesh golem Franken flexed his stitched muscles and crushed the head of a nearby halfling. Not to be outdone werewolf Harry Hoyt slashed the star player Zorg to pieces on a blitz. Seeing blood the wight Curd Louis smashed a nearby halfling while fellow flesh golem Barry took the opportunity to destroy the ogre star player Zonk. In total the first 4 blocks resulted in casualties which were quickly followed up by another two casualties in Turn 2 including the star player Zlurpus (who regenerated). Meanwhile in the back field the ghoul Shank Orloff fails to pick up the ball on turns 1, 2, and 3 with a reroll before finally grabbing the ball on Turn 6 and breaking away to score on Turn 8 of the first half.


The sideline after the first two turns


Zorg, Zlurpus, and a couple halflings ready to take the win


Even with just a few halflings it's hard to get the ball

The second half continues with two star players left (the back from the dead again Zlurpus and the mostly naked Zorg) and a few halflings trying to tie up the game. Unfortunately for the Fairies the Outcasts were quickly able to take away the ball and kill Zlurpus (who regenerated again) again in the process. After scoring again on turn 3, 4, and 7 the game finally ends with Zorg standing up alone to the mass beating of the nearby Outcasts on the pitch.


This doesn't seem fair...

Result: 4-0 Win

So there you have it. 2 days of Blood Bowl left Coach Randroid and the Zlurp Outcasts with a final score of 3 wins, 2 ties, and 1 loss... the best result to date at Zlurpee Bowl for both. Total final standings can be seen here but for a quick "for fun" rundown here are a few other stats of interest:

Number of Zombie fouls - 4
Number of times killed by fouls - 2
Number of times the Claw skill was used - 3
Number of times the ball was dropped by Ghouls on pickup - 9
Number of failed GFI - 12
Number of failed dodges (with rerolls) - 8
Number of suicides by failed dodges/GFI/failed regens - 4
Number of failed regenerations - 10 (7 of which belong to werewolves)

Overall MVP (from CAS and TD) - #3 Werewolf Harry Hoyt (3 TD and 2 CAS)

Time for a beer review... this one is a little unique.

Jeffro's Basement - Zlur-piss Green India Pale Ale

Beer Type: Green American IPA - ??? ABV

Appearance: 12 oz brown bottle and with a label featuring a rampaging undead zombie halfling on it. Not much else going on. A QR code that takes you to someone flipping tables. Beer poured a foamy "mint flavored" piss green color that was both too dark and too light in color to be anything natural. Drank it out of a hot pink plastic cup so I have no idea what color it changed to under that foamy head (that never went away).

Smell: Hops and halfling pi$$.               

First Drink: Bitterness comes on strong quickly followed by something that can only be classified as "Dubinski DNA".

Mouthfeel: Slick and a little oily but it has a bit of body too (or little bits of body anyway).           

Last Drink: The dirty feet flavor is really coming through now.         

Drinkability: I had one and I felt drunk as s#it. Then I just felt like s#it. The next day I couldn't move and I think I might have shat out a lump of green halfling guts.               

Notes: Super limited edition brew courtesy of Main Guy and Xtreme from the Zlurpcast in honor of Zlurpus and his 10th un-birthday.                 

Verdict: ??? out of 5. Cannot be classified. I'll let you know if a few years what the results of drinking this turned out to be.

If you use the beer drinking app Untappd you can find me on there too as Randroid or something...

This is almost my favourite beer review so far! The reference to Halfling p**s made me laugh.

As an aside, I haven't seen any reviews for witchwood brewery from the UK. Now this may be because I have missed them (which is possible) or because you haven't had the chance to do any. If not then I am happy to "export" some English beers over to you for your perusal if you would like 

It's no problem to me and I would be interested to see what you think!

G_H

I've had hobgoblin and something else... can't recall which. I keep meaning to drink more UK brews but I always get the US stuff because it is cheaper (and I am cheap).

Back in the painting saddled after time away for gaming at Zlurpee Bowl and working on Mordheim Undead warband minis and a few new Pathfinder characters for a home game I am running with a few friends. Also picked up Dreadball for cheap so I will either start playing that game or maybe just build and paint up the minis to sell. We'll see.... in the meantime here is some progress!


Re-painted Dire Wolf


Dead and creepy


Warband's Necromancer


Wanted to keep the blacks black


Happy with the book and skull details


Look into their eyes


Halfling Rogue


Furry feet increase stealth


Dwarf Cleric of Sarenrae


Red and gold with a flaming weapon


Dwarf Druid


First try at a camo cloak


Gnomish Barbarian


Small but mighty


Start of a Deadzone Plague test color scheme


I kinda like the gross pink and green combo

Next up I have more RPG minis to paint including some additional commissions. Hoping to get some more Deadzone terrain built up too but this month is flying by! We'll see...

I love your Undead war band mate. I really dig Mordheim as a game - I just wish there was a following for it locally

Deadzone model looks awesome. I particularly like the contrast between the pallid green and sickly pink

JJ

It seems like you enjoyed Deadzone, have you played any Necromunda?  That was my introduction to the World of Miniatures and would love to find a more modern iteration.

Anybody else have a good Necromunda vs. Deadzone post in them?  I'd love to hear more.

I haven't played Necro yet but I have been working on a gang for it. No players in my area at the moment.

From what I can see the Deadzone campaign rules are a little screwy. They are working on them but they are not nearly as solid as the Necro ruleset. So for one off games Deadzone is great. For extended campaigns maybe Necro is still better?

May be the wrong place to post this as it's a different topic to Randroids Blog, but i have played Necro all be it quite a few years ago. It was a good solid game and the rules seemed pretty sensible and there weren't too many issues with it when we played (about 6-7 years ago maybe).

On the Dreadzone front i have never played it but from what i understand from other friends who do play, it can be a bit um...erratic? From what they said there are times of intense play followed by times of intenese searching on Mantics' site and forums to get answers to rules questions that seem to crop up....allot. Whilst the theory is that it should be quick and simple to play, if what i am told is right, then in reality time has to be either spent clarifying stuff or just agreeing to disagree, concede and move on.

That said there is an expectation that it will be FAQ'd and re-vamped as Mantic go along, so i guess this is a short term glitch; the kind you would find with any new system.

Of the two? Necro every time; tried and tested solid game. In fact, where is that gang...i had one somewhere; might have to dig it out and see if i can get anyone to play a game....

G_H

Thanks for letting me hijack the thread and for the details.

BTW, the Skullcrushas look great!  I hope you get a chance to field them soon.

Nice work on the models! Really lovely Undead, if you can use the word with them! Mordheim has always been a great game to play, and the barrier for starting a new warband is very small. A few models and a lot less time required than for painting a 3k army for Warhammer

On the beer review side, it's a shame that I can't get those brands in Finland. We've got a relatively small selection of ales in stock and they're very expensive compared to buying from abroad Last time I was in England the price of a pint of Guinness was about half of what the price is for a half a pint over here. And the bartender took their time to pour the pint (as you're supposed to!) instead of just giving me a pint of what looks like muddy water with the foam mixed in etc etc But I try to make do with what I've got. Maybe I should write a few reviews myself

- Loran

Cheer Loran! I am lucky to be in a very pro-craft beer state and region in my state. Lots of great beers here and sometimes too many if I am honest!!

Speaking of beers...

Arbor Brewing Company - Espresso Love Breakfast Stout

Beer Type: American Stout - 7.50% ABV

Appearance: 12oz brown bottle and a fancy coffee/bubble letter logo on the label. Beer poured a pitch black with just a little head that faded quickly with no lacing.         

Smell: Coffee, malt, coffee, chocolate, coffee, prunes, coffee, brown bread.     

First Drink: Coffee up front followed by something a bit metallic tasting. Then comes the toasted malt flavors and the dried fruits.       

Mouthfeel: Smooth and easy going down.       

Last Drink: Finish has a nice warming alcohol to it now.             

Drinkability: A lot going on here for just a basic stout! Not sure if I would down this first thing in the morning... but I might!!             

Notes: Really enjoy the dark chocolate and fruit flavors and how the pair with the big coffee taste in this beer.         

Verdict: 4 out of 5. Good stout, good coffee beer, local to me, and made by good people.

Lucky you!

My brother used to work in a pub specializing in ales etc. None of the local "bulk" stuff, but stuff that was imported or made by small breweries in Finland. They had almost everything, occasionally even having the Tactical Nuclear Penguin in stock! That was a great time, as I got info when new stuff was available and could go an have a taste, as the pub was literally down the road from where I used to live

Now however, I've moved, and haven't had the time to check out the local pubs yet. There's a couple that I hope will offer more than the general bulk stuff

- Loran

See, I've never been a big ale/bitter/beer drinker, owing to having a far more sweet palate, and not being too keen on anything with a bitter edge. However, I have decided to broaden my horizons and look for more interesting, unique and local brewed beverages Your blog is most definitely a good inspiration for such!

JJ

Well I am officially (statistically) half way to dead and another year older. Yesterday was my birthday and I spent it at the movies, making pizzas, drinking beers, and playing games. Not tabletop games (I wish!!) just some low impact board games like Carcassone and Shadow Hunters. I did get to spend just a tiny bit of time painting and assembling some minis too.

Here is where things sit on the table at the moment...


This big guy was a pain to assemble


Hoping to paint him up for a painting competition in September


Look familiar?


A new addition to our Pathfinder Societies party


Just working on base coats here


Dwarf Cleric on Sarenrae done except the base


I like how it turned out


I wanted to give the red a softer tone


Not so soft there is the Gnome Barbarian


I like painting bright orange hair!


Human (was Dwarf) Druid


Kinda looks like a Ranger but whatever!


Halfling Rogue ready for action


If by action you mean missing a lot of backstabs


Goblin conversion for a BB secret weapon (chainsaw)


I like the chainsaw on a stick idea


A goblin chucking explosives


Another conversion for BB secret weapon action

Need to get all these finished plus a commission that just rolled in all in the next few weeks! Should be a busy bit of painting time. Really itching to finish my Mordheim band as well and I think I might compete in a WHFB tournament in a few months which means I need to finish and/or repaint and touch up one of my armies. Probably my Vampire Counts though the Ogres are tempting me...

Well first up; happy birthday for yesterday!

Never heard of either board games, which is interesting as I am always on the look-out for new board games that may keep the kids interested in something almost hobby related.

Onto the models. I love the hair on the Dwarf Cleric. Don't get me wrong the armour is looking good, but the hair really interests me as it is an unusual looking blend of colours. I like.

Cyclops dude actually looks like a nightmare to put together! I do hate metals for that (nobody mention mantic...I am still having nightmares about building Abyssal Dwarfs!). Nice model though, legs look a bit shonkey but painting will sort that.

Not keen on the green woman/ thing model. I don't know why, it just doesn't do anything for me.

The camo cloak on the other little guy looks good, but I am loving the Gnoblar/ Goblin conversions! The chainaxe on a pole looks great; not that I would trust that little guy not to sever his own arm off when wielding it...especially if it turns out that he's a Gnoblar and not a goblin!

As always great work here mate, but more over I love your Gnoblog (not only for the beer reviews) because you always seem to come up with some really interesting mini's that I have not seen before. I often thing that people can get stuck in the GW rut and by doing so miss out on loads of other great mini's out there.

G_H

Cheers GH! The "green woman" mini is not my favorite either but it is what was asked of me to paint! In other news...

What twisted madness is this!? WHFB!? Warriors!? Malal!?!!

For some reason I felt compelled to pick up two test minis from a couple years ago when I started working on my Malal WoC force and slap some touch ups and Malal themed black/white on them. The results are as follows...







Things I know about these minis... I have improved as a painter since two years ago and I can't spend too much time on each rank and file mini in the army if I ever want to finish (and I do). I think these tests are a compromise between the two. Decent quality for the time spent. I've learned some things I want to do differently on the next painted minis (particularly the Warriors).

For those who don't know Malal I recommend this article over on the Realm of Chaos blog. orlygg does a fantastic job of covering the history of this lesser known Chaos God as well as unearthing some unknown lore and information in the process.

My take on this WoC Malal force is simple... his followers are secretive. They are unknown among the ranks of the various faithful and when called upon they quickly cover themselves in the colors of their god (bisected black and white) and go to war in his name. The army will not feature iconography of the other Chaos Gods nor will it contain any god-centric units (like the awesome Khorne monster cav). Each unit will look like a mish-mash of different warriors from different regions... or at least that is my hope! In place of Marauders I will be using Beastmen as they are natural followers of Malal. I will also work in some Hellcannons (Chaos Dwarf mercenaries for hire) and probably some monsters like Trolls and Ogres. Ultimately the one unifying theme is the lack of theme and the focus on the variety united.

With that in mind I added a few Beastmen to the existing unit I started a couple years back and figured it was about time to get a standard in there!





Still some GS work needed for his severed head shoulder pad, some hair on the mini, and to tie the braided skulls and hair into the standard on the back. Digging the look though!

Here is the unit as it stands now. I hope to add some Minotaurs and other stuff to the unit to make it really big - including another 20 or so Beastmen!





The short burst of WHFB centered modeling and painting has me quite fired up for the game and I am thinking about registering for an upcoming winter tournament event as well! Perhaps it will be a good reason to get my WoC done or perhaps to pull out the much neglected VC or Ogres?!

Nobody like WHFB around here eh?  How about some beer?

Paw Paw Brewing Company - St James English Ale

Beer Type: English Brown Ale - 5.10% ABV

Appearance: 12oz brown bottle with a red and white label. Beer poured a clear copper color with just a trace of head that lasted the whole way.       

Smell: Sweet bready malt with just a hint of something spiced?   

First Drink: A lot of sweet malt and biscuit flavors up front that mellows out to a rich bitter flavor.     

Mouthfeel: Crisp yet smooth. Easy drinking beer this.       

Last Drink: More caramel and pine/hops coming out now but basically the same.           

Drinkability: This is a mild ale that is a bit on the sweet side but totally drinkable.             

Notes: Who needs Newcastle when you can get a great local english style brown ale?!       

Verdict: 3.75 out of 5. I've had this in bottle and on tap and it's always got good flavor. 

Been a busy couple of week for me with not too much time to paint or build miniatures (and no time to game). Did manage to knock out a commission paint job in just a couple days with pretty good results. It was for a half-orc assassin type character in a Pathfinder Societies game at GenCon. Good to finally make it to the convention in some form!





Client asked for a mini painted in all blacks and yellows. Very challenging for me as I don't think I paint those colors very well and they take time. I was happy with the balance of the mini and the way I managed to avoid the "bumblebee" effect. This mini was originally a vampire character but I think it looks suitably orcish too! If it was my mini I would have cut off the pointy bat shaped ears. I did learn a new recipe for dark black which I will use on my Grave Guard and other skeledudes for the upcoming Nagash vampire madness in WHFB!!

Meanwhile I spent time painting some Goblin/Gnoblar secret weapons for the Bulltimore Bullies to field in the upcoming Chaos Cup.






Just the basecoats and washes on these minis for the most part. I did spend some time today getting the skin layered up a bit. Looking forward to getting these guys into some Blood Bowl! Blowing up people with bombs and attacking them with chainsaws is always fun (on the pitch).

Oh yeah and this cyclops/big guy is getting some love too.




Lots of work to do here. If it turns out at all decent I will enter him in a painting competition taking place during Chaos Cup this year for best painted Impact! miniature.

And then there were the beasts... calling my name... a few new additions to the herd. It's growing!




Will they get any paint before I switch over to my VC army in preparation for Nagash!? We'll see..

Just a quick update - spent some time the past couple days building a Gnoblar Hero for the Ogre Stronghold Gnoblar Hero competition! Gnoblars are awesome. Still thinking of a name and backstory for this little guy.






I'll use him as a unit filler for Gnoblars in my Ogre Kingdoms army later on as needed. I also spent a little time throwing paint on my Vampire warband leader for Mordheim. Just blocking out the colors.





Hope to get in a practice game next week assuming my allergies don't get the better of me... my eyes are burning and inflamed!! Makes painting tricky but I make do. Until next time...

Here he is. No name for him yet. No fluff. What would you call him? Should be beer related a bit.

Burgit the barfly.

Slops. (as in the slops tray)

Hops the hopeless.

Randok the "red lion" of Tavernsville.

Pek the potman.

G_H

His name will be... Trub. Maybe he will earn more of a name somewhere down the road. Thanks for the suggestions GH!

 Well here we are. It is September. Where the hell did August go!? I managed to paint a couple Gnoblars and one commission but that was all pretty much. I did get more beastmen assembled for my Malal Chaos force but no paint on them yet. All of my Chaos fantasy dreams stopped when I saw this...


Thanks Dice and Brush!

Then I spent some time away from home and on the beach and did my best impression of the new book while I was at it...


The end times are coming... out to tan

Still working my way through the new book but I am quite excited by the possibilities of crafting my SKELEDUDE army of the TOMBDEADKINGCOUNTS. But we're not ready for that yet. Oh no. Our time must be spent getting ready for the chaos to come... Chaos Cup 2014!!!



I've been to the last three years of the Chaos Cup (the US Blood Bowl Major) and every one of them has been a blast. The first two years I played Nurgle (which was quite painful). Last year I played Orcs (which was quite average). This year I will finally do it... I will finally bring out my Ogres the Bulltimore Bullies!! (and this team name has nothing to do with the real world activities of the Baltimore Ravens and that abusive Rice guy just to be clear). So what does my roster look like? Glad you asked! This year the build was 1,000 team roster and 150k in skills. Instead of going all out Ogres with no skills I went with less Ogres with more skills, maxed out my Snotlings/Gnoblars and added a couple Secret Weapons just for fun. Behold!! A spreadsheet!



Will the Bullies win any games? Will the chainsaw backfire and cut a stunty in half? Will I drink or eat something that will make me feel sick all weekend? These questions and more will be answered after this weekend in Chicago-land where the Chaos Cup will be held (and no I doubt I will be the one holding it over my head).My prediction - 1 Win/3 Ties/2 Losses but I will be happy with anything that has at least one win in there. Ogres rule!!

Why in all that is warhammer-ish did your fantasy chaos dreams stop? The Nagash book has fuelled mine beyond compare with anticipation for the next book! I'm telling you there will be a chaos dragon model with a character on it...!

My favourite part of your post is your very good version of the cover. Sterling work!

Also I know noting about blood bowl but he list looks pretty amusing! Is it competitive also?

BB

Loving the blood bowl stuff.  I would eventually like to start a blood bowl team and it would have to be ogres of course!  It on my very long to do list.  Going to look through your Gnoblog now to get a look at your ogre blood bowl team. 

Kind regard Zolas.

Why in all that is warhammer-ish did your fantasy chaos dreams stop? The Nagash book has fuelled mine beyond compare with anticipation for the next book! I'm telling you there will be a chaos dragon model with a character on it...!

Well not stopped exactly... just torn between working on the skeletons or the beastmen right now. I will likely continue with both! My big horde of beasts is looking sweet and I want to paint it. Most certainly excited about the next book too!!

My favourite part of your post is your very good version of the cover. Sterling work!

Thanks! It was a bit accidental. I took the photo then noticed it must have been somewhat subconscious as I got the new book right before I left on a little vacation and didn't bring it with me. Must have had Nagash on the mind. Hmmm...

Also I know noting about blood bowl but he list looks pretty amusing! Is it competitive also?

No it is not competitive. Blood Bowl teams are broken up into tiers in that way - tier1, tier 2, and tier 3. Tier 3 teams include Ogres. They have great strength and good durability but lack agility and have a 1 in 6 chance of doing nothing each turn (including giving up tackle zones) so when they are working they are great. When they are boneheading they are bad. I went the route of less Ogres so I could have a full roster. The star players at the bottom are both secret weapons (being on the field with chainsaws and bombs isn't exactly legal) so I get them for one drive only. I took a bribe so I could convince the ref to leave one of them on the field after that time is up.

Basically I wanted to take a really fun list this year and just enjoy myself without worrying about how well I do. Last year I took a Tier 1 team with Orcs and went 3/1/2 I think. I love Ogres and they just don't get enough love at the tournament level as they are expensive and don't start with any skills.

Loving the blood bowl stuff.  I would eventually like to start a blood bowl team and it would have to be ogres of course!  It on my very long to do list.  Going to look through your Gnoblog now to get a look at your ogre blood bowl team. 

When the time comes I think you will love it! Blood Bowl is one of the best tabletop/boardgame games I have played honestly. I love building up a team and the players, giving them their own personality, and the tactics elements are strong.

Here we are. A week after the Chaos Cup was held in the mighty chaotic lands of Palatine, IL. Once again I made the trip across the not so cold and not so frozen northlands of Indiana and around the mighty Lake Michigan to get in 6 games of tournament Blood Bowl action. This year I decided to bring a "fun" team and the Ogres of the Bulltimore Bullies hit the pitch with a slew of Snotlings and a couple Star Players to round out the roster.

But before the festivities could begin I had a Friday night Mordheim party with Furry - both of us playing our first games in the old GW system and having a lot of fun in the process.

I brought the Undead warband with no name nor fluff. The list was 500gc and looked like this:

Leader
Vampire - Heavy Armor, Sword, Mace, Bow - 183

Heroes
Necromancer - Sword, Bow - 55
Dreg - Club x 2 - 26
Dreg - Club x 2 - 26
Dreg - Club x 2 - 26

Henchmen
Ghoul - 40
Ghoul - 40 
Ghoul - 40
Dire Wolf - 50

Total: 496gc

Knowing nothing about Mordheim I went with basic kit on the Vamp with a bow to make use of his higher BS and for when I can't close the distance to stabby stab. The Necro is for hanging back and maybe holding objectives so I gave him a bow too (which I forgot to use in the game at all).

Dregs are clubbin' it up and are there to knock folks down and around so they can be killed at a time which works for the Undead and the Ghouls are running around with bones looking for a fight with the killer undead dog friend. That was the plan anyway. Thing about plans is...

We rolled up the 8th mission in the main book (can't recall the name at the moment) which set the objective as a "take and hold" with buildings. We only had a few "buildings" proper so we used a few other cardboard boxes to fill the role (like this Bell's Best Brown box in my deployment zone)





After getting our warbands out on the table the match started! It was limited to a certain number of turns so the clock was ticking and it was time to move into position.




After getting around the various walls and barricades that blocked their way the undead minions and Dregs rushed to take and hold the middle building while the crazed flagellants of the Witch Hunters ran forward to meet them.



On the other side of the building a crew of Witch Hunter heroes made their way through the rubble in hopes of taking out a few Ghouls on the way. This is where we learned about the intercept rules and how setting up your position on the board is very important!



After a few rounds of combat the Witch Hunters were missing all of their flagellants and one of their Witch Hunters and the Undead were missing one of their clubbin' Dreg heroes but nobody was killed. In the end it was a tie with both forces holding one building and the third (middle) objective being contested.





All in all it was a lot of fun and even the half finished terrain pieces from Dave Graffam looked fantastic on the actual table top.

I may not know much about Blood Bowl, but I LOVED Mordheim!!! With a series of perhaps up 10 battles in a campaign it was incredible (any more and some groups became unplayable!) It single-handedly got me into Warhammer Fantasy from 40k and I've never looked back!!! Very happy to see some life in it yet here. Looked like a fun game!

BB

Welcome to October! Spent the past week or so in Colorado visiting breweries, walking around in the out of doors, and hanging with family. Back here in Michigan now and if I can stay away from the video games (Shadow of Mordor and Borderlands the Pre-Sequel to be exact) I hope to get some hobby stuff accomplished still this month!

Been a few weeks since I got any paint on a mini but with the possibility of local WHFB action finally happening here in town, and my desire to work on my Chaos and Vampire Counts armies, I hope to get some miniatures painted up in between life, video games, a bunch of Pathfinder RPG sessions, and the usually madness that is fall.

Here is what is on my desk at the moment (right where I left if before Chaos Cup). A box full of primed Beastmen models for a big unit of counts as Marauders and one mini that is mostly done with painting. Trying to find the line for "tabletop quality" while still making each one look pretty kick ass.

Been a crazy few weeks. Gaming and hobby work has come to a stand still (though I did manage to get in a few boardgames and a bit of Pathfinder) as personal "Real Life" issues have jumped into the picture. But who cares about any of that?! Today is Halloween!! Hope you have a great one.

Things! Big things! Changing up the job again. This time I will be making a bit more money but have a bit less time not working (at least for the next few months). Excited to be less stressed about income but not so excited about spending the next month and a half away from home for training!

Expect updates to come few and far between in the next couple months. In the meantime here are some photos of Deadzone terrain I have been building up (along with modifying some existing terrain I had built for Necromunda). Still no idea when I will play the game proper but I figure having some nice looking terrain to play on can't make matters worse.



Big 4x4 building/stronghold type terrain.


A "bridge" type building I made to connect other buildings.


Like this!


Start of some sort of space type building thing with platforms.


This unpainted terrain belongs to the Rebs!!


Perhaps we should call it TERRArain?


A big 4x4 rubble pile with some towers.

I've actually got a lot more done now. Pretty much all of the Deadzone starter box terrain is built and I am just adding some of the bits and details to them now. I built a lot of cubes figuring they would be the most flexible for stacking and other formations. I'll get them up soon once I have it all primed!

Also managed to snag this snazzy new paint rack out of the trash. Organization!!


Ohhh... fancy.

And I received some new brushes from the Ichiban Games & Gears kickstarter though I haven't used them yet. They look nice and I hope to paint up some minis with them soon! Until next time...

Looking good there Randroid.
I haven't invested in the Deadzone terrain yet, but I have made a start on my Rebs faction.
I want to get some of the buildings even more now after seeing these. It does seem like a cheap (ish) way to build up some decent terrain pretty quickly. If you do get a chance to bung some paint on the buildings then I would be very interested to see this.
Also, do you intend to keep the cubes/ terrain as re-usable pieces or will you be gluing it into specific structures? I ask because this Is the one thing that has held me back. I think I would favour sticking them, but I am interested to see what other people do.

You keep posting and i'll keep watching 

G_H

The idea of these things being "reassembled" is crazy to me. They can be a pain to get together once depending on how you build it.

Quick review for you:

PROS
+ Looks great
+ Affordable
+ Flexible/good for various games
+ Easy to assemble
+ Lots of other bits you can add to your own built terrain

CONS
- Not easy to reassemble as advertised
- Hard to make anything that isn't square
- Doesn't come with enough connectors

I've only painted one building so far... from earlier this year:
http://www.ogrestronghold.com/forum/index.php?topic=8841.msg377224#msg377224

Well it is 2015 already!? Man time really moves. Hard to believe it has been a year since I last wrote a list of hobby related resolutions back in 2014. I suppose the first order of business is to revisit them!

A list of things I resolved to accomplish with my hobby in 2014:

*    Update this blog at least twice a week all year: (FAIL) - Well I tried for a bit, and I was making good progress too, but eventually the accumulated RL stopped me from getting this done. While I did manage to play more RPG games and board games I didn't catalog any of those experiences here on the blog. Nor did I get nearly enough beer reviews up!! I have quite the back log waiting to be posted...

*    Finish painting all of the Blood Bowl teams I have started: (FAIL) - Not even close. In actuality I don't think I finished even one additional team!! I blame the not really attending any tournaments this year and not having a local league at the moment.

*    Play some WHFB somewhere, somehow: (FAIL) - Nope. While I did manage to get out some of my WoC minis and assemble and paint them I didn't get a single game in. I did have plans to do so a few times!! That sort of counts right? I did manage to build and mostly paint a Mordheim warband and play a short test game of that though.   

*    Attend as many Blood Bowl tournaments as possible: (WIN) - "as possible" being the key here! I did get to go to ZBX which was a lot of fun and Chaos Cup too. Aside from those and Dog Bowl here in Kalamazoo I didn't do too hot on getting out to tournaments with any regularity. A combination of not having money to travel and not being able to get time off for work really stuck it to me this time around.

*    Paint something just for the heck of it: (WIN) - Well I count my Rebs faction from Deadzone here as I painted it up (and built a bunch of terrain) without any plans to play the game nor any players to play it with! Just liked the look of that faction and wanted to see them painted up.

*    Start cataloging the various game design/theory/ideas I have as they come up: (FAIL) - Didn't manage to do this exactly as I had written out but I did start and mostly complete a design document for a game I have been working on throughout the year as inspiration strikes. Hoping to get it more fleshed out and playtested this year and possibly even released!?

Well there you have 2014 and my hobby resolutions in a nutshell. Not the greatest nor most productive of years but I am not displeased with my progress. At least I have a few minis painted that weren't painted last year!!

Now... on to this year's 2015 Hobby Resolutions!

*    Spend at least 15 minutes every day working on hobby: Something I have been trying to do anyway so it makes sense to put it on this list. Those 15 minutes a day really add up! Especially when things like a new job/new routine/new year conspire to eat up my painting and modeling time.

*    Finish painting at least one of the Blood Bowl teams I have started: Well I couldn't manage to paint them all this year but I should be able to at least finish one!! Right!?!

*    Play some Mordheim and/or Deadzone: Got the minis, they are painted, just need time and players. It shall be done!!!

*    Attend at least 4 Blood Bowl tournaments: I managed to go to that many in 2014 and it didn't feel like enough. This year I will make it to at least that many and maybe more?!

*    Prototype and playtest "the game" I have been designing: Cool idea, fun gameplay mechanics, at least in my mind. Need to get it on the tabletop and see how it works in reality.

*    Update Drinkin' and Modelin' at least once a week: Totally doable and should be the minimum requirement for having a blog anyway!!!

And there we have it. A list of things. Good things! Happy things! I will feel so awesome and accomplished when I manage to get them all done with zero FAILS on my list at the end of 2015. Here is to the future and hoping you have a great one too.

Well here we are in 2015. The future? It doesn't feel like anything has changed dramatically. I realized I am going into my 8th year of this blog and this hobby. Don't have a lot to show for it on the painted model front but I will always have the memories (thanks to the blog posts).

Started the year off painting in my living quarters (aka a hotel room) a bit. Not easy and probably not something I will continue to do in the remaining month or so of my time away from home. I did manage to get some skin painting done of my Deadzone plague minis though.











Going with a neon green/bright pink kind of infection look. The rest of the outfits will be dark greys/blacks/whites and maybe a little prison orange. Also spent a bit of time working on my Undead Mordheim warband with additions to the Vampire leader. Still need a name and backstory for this fellow but I am thinking it is something like the Cursed Company. He isn't too happy about being a vampiric undead warrior but he makes the best of it by going out and merc'n it up.
 



Also managed to get into a start up game of Risk Legacy and played a few games of that. Expect some kind of battle/game reports for that coming up soon. In the meantime... stay warm and keep painting!!

Nice work with the plague mini's. I have yet to start really giving my Rebs faction some proper love ( RL getting in the way an all) but yours are looking great mate!

G_H

Well so much for those "resolutions"!!! At least the one where I update every week. In my defense it has been quite hectic with the new job/traveling for weeks at a time situation. Still! I have managed to get some gaming in here and there.

About half way through a Risk: Legacy board. I have won 2 of the 7 games and at least 2 more of those were narrow victory margins where my opponents kept me from winning (as they tend to do). It has been a fun time though and I look forward to seeing where the game goes in the last half.

Also managed to get in some Pathfinder in one of my societies games. Almost level 7 with my half-orc Monk and having lots of fun hugging and punching things out of the fight (unless they have DR or Hardness or some other thing I can't overcome which is starting to be more common).

And then there is the tabletop action. Hopefully playing some Mordheim practice games this week and there is a WHFB escalation group hitting the ground next month. Hoping to bring my Vampires to those games and wrote two lists I am trying to pick between for our first games (at 800 points).


A doodle I did while working and thinking about undead dudes.

First list is all mounted Vampire all the time.

HEROES: 200
Vampire - HA, Enchanted Shield, Sword of Striking, Luckstone, Red Fury(50), Barded Nightmare (200)

CORE: 220
Skeleton Warrior x 20 - Spears, Champion, Standard (180)
Dire Wolves x 5 - Doom Wolf (50)
Dire Wolves x 5 - Doom Wolf (50)

SPECIAL: 377
Hexwraith x 5 (150)
Black Knights x 7 - Lances, Barding, Champion, Standard, Musician, Banner of Swiftness (227)

Total Points: 797 (of 800)

Basic idea is to put the Vampire in the Black Knight unit and use the Hexwraiths and Dire Wolves to screen and redirect until they can get into combat where hopefully the Red Fury kicks in and shreds a few units along the way. Never used Hexwraiths either so it would be good practice.

The other list I have is more of a foot slogger list with more Core units and no Vampire.

HEROES: (200)
Wight King - HA, GW, Dragonhelm (100)
Necromancer - Level 2 (100)

CORE: (345)
Skeleton Warrior x 20  - Spears, Champion, Standard (180)
Zombies x 20 - Standard (65)
Dire Wolves x 5 - Doom Wolf (50)
Dire Wolves x 5 - Doom Wolf (50)

SPECIAL: (255)
Corpse Cart - Balefire (105)
Hexwraith x 5 (150)

Total Points: 800 (of 800)

This list is more traditional and less fighty with okay magic, decent hero, tricks, and more bodies. Also a good reason to get more of my Core units painted up. This is probably the list I will go with even though I think it has less chance of winning. Not really worried about winning just want to have fun and get some paint on my army.

My "competitive" VC list would be different and be more of an Undead Horde and less of the standard 8th edition VC book. Skeleton power!!! Thoughts and suggestions are welcome of course.

Also working on getting ready for the third Dog Bowl held at the local gaming event here in town Marmalade Dog. Working on prizes and a dugout to give away to one of the winners. All of this and I leave again on Friday for another week!! So much to do and so little time to do it.

It has been a busy few weeks for me as my new job has kicked into high gear with the grand opening of our store (which happened today!). Sadly this has left me very little time for painting or playing games. But I did manage to sneak in two games of Mordheim this week with crushingly fun results!!

Played two games (which will count as the first towards a progressive campaign in the works) here at the Drinkin' and Modelin' gaming basement (which is still under construction). I had a 4'x4' table and Furry brought over the terrain he had been working on. The results were good and the games began!




Game 1 - Randroid's Undead vs. Furry's Witch Hunters

This game started off strong for the Undead with the Surprise Attack scenario and the Witch Hunters being the warband who were surprised. Not sure what they wanted with all the Wyrdstone but my intrepid band of Undead (names and backstory shall be coming soon I promise) snuck up on them and launched a viscous attack against the unsuspecting Witch Hunters. After turn 1 they were already making Route tests but failed to fail which failed to end the scenario. After taking some additional troops out of action the Witch Hunters stubbornly fought back and refused to leave before taking the life of one Dreg and beating the crap out of a couple Ghouls. The game finally ended sometime between turn 9 and 10 when the Witch Hunters Routed voluntarily to avoid being snacked on by the hordes of Undead advancing on their positions. Here are a few shots of the action (in all their blurry glory):


Nice doggy! Fiddles the Dire Wolf gets his snack on.


Surrounded by Ghouls this Flagellant will go down swinging.


Vampire and Dreg meat shield attack from the rear.


"Just take'n a peek..." said this Dreg before getting shot in the head.


Casting necromantic spells has never been so fun!

Game 2 - Randroid's Undead vs. Beaux's Skaven

Damn dirty rats! This time it was a good ol' fashioned Wyrdstone Hunt in the ruins with 3 hunks up for grabs among the power hungry warbands. The Skaven quickly scattered and used their superior speed and agility to claim 2 piece of the Wyrdstone while the Undead slowly made their way up behind cover in an attempt to avoid the shooting onslaught which came their way. While the Ghouls headed up the flank the Vampire and his doggy friend Fiddles rushed the Skaven warband leader and gave him a whack before taking his Wyrdstone. The game ended up Turn 6 after the Skaven failed a Route test and scurried off with the last remaining chunk of the glowing green stone. And here are a couple shots I grabbed during the action:


Sneaky Skaven up in the top of the building with their Wyrdstone.


Kinda like "Where's Waldo" but with rats!!


"Just go running out there... you just got a toughness boost!"


Grozman the learned Necromancer hangs back with his Wyrdstone.


"He is up on the wall! He is invincible!!"


Rats with sharp sticks keep the Ghouls at bay.

Had quite a few increases including boosted WS and Ini stats for the Vampire leader. He is quickly becoming quite the force to be reckoned with! Toughness boosted Dreg and Ghoul make up for some of the lack of "punch" and we might just get a few Zombies added to the roster before the next time the Undead hit the streets.... gotta keep 'em guessing!

I do love me some Mordheim although the thought of running an undead warband brings me out in a cold sweat. Hopefuly I will get to see how its meant to be done by following your progress. Nice looking table you have got there.

Always loved a good game or two of Mordheim

I do love me some Mordheim although the thought of running an undead warband brings me out in a cold sweat.

Why is that? They seem fairly balanced. I haven't had too much trouble yet aside from shooting and kinda crappy melee from most of the warband. Ghouls are grand and the Vampire is sick!! Necro got a good spell so he is useful too. Just need to add a few zombies and I think we'll be set until someone kicks it...

Almost  a month since my last update. Most of that time has been spent working at my new job but in the times when I am not sleeping or working I have been steadily building up my Mordheim terrain and minis for our current gaming fixation.

First up I needed some Zombies to add to my Undead warband - Corin's Heroes.








Then I jumped on to the terrain making train and got started on my first Mordheim terrain... an abandoned watchtower (with dirty watering hole).


Started with some foamcore with the paper removed for the top.


Then I sculpted some sculpy around a carboard tube.


Beastman for scale with the roof on.


Added some pink foam stone for the tower top.


The view from above the tower.


Based it on this old lid with a space left open for water effects.


Should look nice once I finish painting it!

I have a few other terrain pieces in mind but next up I will probably just make some various rubble and ruin piles before I tackle another full on building.

Bitten by the bug I have also started work on another warband... the Witch Hunters! First up we needed a couple of Flagellants. I made these out of a few different bodies and heads and zombie bits I had laying around with some small greenstuff additions. I think they turned out nice!






Then we needed a Witch Hunter Captain to lead the warband and I just happened to have one sitting around for a few years now. A great model so no additions needed aside from a skull on the base of course. This is a miniature I got from Gorgon Studios at Adepticon 2010.




Next we needed a Warrior Priest and I had this gut sitting in my Bones box who fit the bill quite nicely (even if he does have a little too much hair).



And while rummaging through the Bones I found three different yet similar Witch Hunters to join the warband. Still working out their backstory but I think they are three sisters who all have their own reasons to be hunting out those who are tainted.





And finally a couple of Zealots for inclusion later on down the road. A pack mule sort and a really excited young lad (who is from the Middenheim range for Mordheim I think?).




Just need to get a few dogs built and based on this one is well on the way... leaving me room to work on the Possessed one next!

Also managed to get in two additional games of Mordheim this week and I hope to play one or two more today! Photos and details on those to come later this week... I promise!

I do love me some Mordheim although the thought of running an undead warband brings me out in a cold sweat.

Why is that? They seem fairly balanced. I haven't had too much trouble yet aside from shooting and kinda crappy melee from most of the warband. Ghouls are grand and the Vampire is sick!! Necro got a good spell so he is useful too. Just need to add a few zombies and I think we'll be set until someone kicks it...

Personal misfortune. I played a great year long campaign against a friends chaos band. My plan of keeping his possessed out of the way by feeding it zombies quickly backfired as it levelled up into a unstoppable killing machine. And then the vampire died month three and it all went wrong. By the end most of his guys were clad in gromil on horses.

The loss of the vampire in a campaign is devastating but they are indeed a strong warband. Levelling up dregs quickly helps as well as its easy to put your focus on the vampire. Also great blog by the way, I have started from the beginning and its very entertaining. Needs another beer review though.

Nice to see you keep popping by Randroid, i hope the new(ish now surely) is going well.

Remember when I said I was going to post some photos of my Mordheim game last week? Yeah well that game didn't happen as I was absorbed back into the giant all encompassing produce beast known as my "job". But! I did manage to get in a couple quick games earlier this week against a nasty little group of Possessed and I even managed to snag a couple shots too.


First match was a Treasure Hunt. The Undead got it on the first roll of 2D6.


Second match we used the same board setup for a Wyrdstone Hunt.


Even with a nasty Possessed running to the top with two shards the Undead came after him.


Innocent bystanders filmed the Possessed last seconds before being taken out by Corin the Vampire.

Two games and another two victories for Corin's Heroes! As a Vampire he is getting quite nasty with boosts to his Initiative, Weapon Skill, and Wounds! He also has Sprint and Lightning Reflexes and found a Lucky Charm in his last exploration of the cursed city. Can he be stopped? Will the rest of his Dregs stop dying every game!? We wait to see...

In other Mordheim news I worked on building up a broken siege wall with rubble strewn about. I also failed to take very good WIP shots but here is where I started out.





Have since added a bunch of debris and random detritus scattered outside the broken wall as well as base coating it all for more paint! More WIP photos to come...

Then I slapped together another bit of rubble (I will get to full building soon I promise!) since I had some stuff laying about and wanted to get it out of the way.




Bricks in giant chunks? Check. A bit of wood and some weapons? Sure! Now where did those other parts of the ruined building go? Hmmm...

And finally I spent a little bit of time today putting together my "dogs" for the Witch Hunters and whatever other game requires some beasts in it. I used these LoTR wargs because they are cool and cheap! Everybody wins.



Plus you can see the progress I made on that ruined wall in the background! I doubt the dogs made that mess though.

Speaking of messes I figured my pal needed some actual mutants for his Possessed warband (though the Deadzone minis are doing a decent job of standing in) so I slapped together a couple out of bits I had lying around. I am quite pleased with the results!






May still add a bit of greenstuff to give them a more "finished" look but I think for a quick hack job they turned out quite nice.

That's all there is for now! Will return later in the week with more WIP photos and perhaps even a finished piece of terrain? Who knows!?

Fantastic blood bowl team, genuinely excited to see it painted. I hope to post up my own blood bowl match report here this summer complete with match commentary

Thanks Minigiant! I hope I manage to paint it up to your expectations!

Managed to oversee a game of the new Age of Sigmar rules this week in a matchup of the Ogre Kingdoms vs Vampire Counts. I played referee as two completely new Warhammer players took the reigns of the two forces on the table and the results were mostly positive!

First we had to choose what to play with. Since there is nothing in the short 4 page rules about balance or how to make an army list we decided to go with two of the thematic lists at the end of each Battlescroll. That meant for the Ogre Kingdoms it was time to bring in the Gutbuster Wartribe! And with the Vampire Counts we dug up the ole' Deathrattle Horde!

The rules for each and what we added (for fun):

Gutbuster Wartribe
1 Tyrant
1 Butcher
3 units of Ogres (we used two units of 3 with champs and bellowers, and one unit of 4 with full command)
1 unit of Ironguts (we used a unit of 5 with full command)
1 unit of Leadbelchers (we used a unit of 4 with champs and bellower)
and we added.... 1 Giant!

The Gutbusters have the ability of the Ogre Charge which allows them do deal mortal wounds when finishing a charge move. Not too different from the earlier versions of the Ogre Kingdoms but this one is only available as part of this Battlescroll organization.

Deathrattle Horde
1 Wight King (this one had a banner)
1 unit of Black Knights (we used a unit of 10 with full command)
1 unit of Grave Guard (we used a unit of 14 with full command)
3 units of Skeletons (we used 2 units of 24, and one unit of 10 and all had full command)
and we added.... 1 Varghulf!

The Horde brings two special abilities with them on their Battlescroll. First they have the ability to re-roll save rolls of 1 when within 6" of another unit of this battalion. Powerful! Second they can always march 4" when they run which gets them farther into the battlefield at a steady rate.

In the end after counting up all the stats of all the models we came in at 107 wounds for the Ogre Kingdoms vs 109 wound for the Vampire Counts. All in all it seemed pretty even heading into battle and we chose to play on a 2' x 4" table length wise.





The Gutbusters were the underdogs with less models on the board and chose the Sudden Death objective of staying alive until turn 6.

With the game under way the Gutbusters managed to get the first turn in most of the first phases and proceeded to move up and into position for a potential charge. The Deathrattle Horde followed suite and soon it was just a matter of time before carnage!!



While the Ogres got the first charges in on a unit of Skeletons they didn't count on being stabbed to death by so many spears in the Combat phase. After only one Ogre was left the Giant decided he better get into the action too.




With the help of the Giant and some additional Ogres the first big block of Skeletons began to crumble away though the ability of the nearby Wight King really shined in keeping them standing with an extra save (as their normal save was handily negated by crushing Ogre weapons).





After taking out the Skeletons the Giant felt the full force of the nearby Grave Guard unit and decided to fall on some Ogres on the way out. A large and decisive battle was shaping up in the center of the board while (not shown) the Black Knights and Varghulf took out the unit of Leadbelchers and began eating through the group of Ironguts. Meanwhile back in the center the Butcher fell to the Wight King's blade and things were looking grim for the remaining Ogres. After a couple of failed attempts at eating the Ironguts the Varghulf and remaining Black Knights fell and allowed the Gutbusters to swing around and finish off the remaining Skeletons and Black Knight with the Tyrant crushing the head of the Wight King to dust.

Result - Major Victory for the Ogre Kingdoms.

So what did we learn? How about a handy bullet point list!
- The game is easy to pick up and grasp and neither new player had trouble figuring out what did what and when.
- The back and forth in each phase makes the tactics a little more random but also more interesting.
- Choosing your combats is very important!
- The random run and charge was not much of a problem for either army with their command and other special abilities and everyone got where they wanted to go pretty easily.
- It did turn into a bit of a scrum in the middle of the table but part of that was the shape and size of the battlefield we chose.
- Fun was had and both players expressed interest in playing more and learning the game with different factions.

But what did I think about the new rules and gameplay? Glad you asked...

Stuff I liked
- The simplified To Hit and To Wound and Saves. Yes I like the old WHFB style too but it was always one of the hardest things to teach new players. The new mode is easy and quick and you don't have to do a bunch of mental math expect for when dealing with Saves vs. Rending

- The thematic feel of the units. At least in this game the Skeletons and Deathrattle Horde did exactly what I have always wanted to see... acted as a legion of creepy reanimated Skeletons and who wouldn't go quietly! They really hung around and in mass they managed to do some serious damage to the Ogres. Conversely the Ogres really showed their brute strength and killing prowess by smashing the crap right out of the undead minions when they hit.

- The rule of cool! Glad we added the monsters to both lists because they brought a lot of fun to the game and were quite effective. The mechanic of them getting less powerful as they take damage is a good one I think and it is nice not having to worry about Battleshock tests on them as they will never lose a model from their unit until they die.

Stuff I wasn't in love with
- The movement seems a bit needlessly sloppy when you are playing with larger units of 20-30. We kept our big units on movement trays until we got into Combat but even then it was a bit of a mess. Couple that with the ability to stack minis on bases and well... I ended up with 5 broken Skeleton miniatures which I am not too happy about.

- The terrain rules. I like terrain and the rules for it in the 4 page book are basically anti-terrain. Since there are no rules besides the magical D6 table I can't see a lot of love or effort going into this for most tables. Of course that might change with the release of new kits and rules.

- The rules lookup. Of course it is a new set of rules and this is bound to happen. Still! With each unit having rules on it's own Battlescroll section and some units having rules on other Battlescrolls (like the Vampire Counts basically having the ability to summon units of any type from any of the scrolls) and then adding in the special rules for each Character, and then the rules for each terrain piece, and then the rules for each of the special organizations we used... it just felt messy and unorganized.

- The lack of rules clarity. Especially in regards to units and their equipment. Who has what? Who can have what? Can we have mixed equipment in our units? Simplicity is nice but simple to the point of just making up your own solution can be frustrating.

So there you have it. First impressions are mostly positive and I felt the two forces we played with were pretty balanced from beginning to end. With a few different rolls the game could have gone either way a couple times. I hope to see some more direction for rules and army composition in the future but I am certainly excited to be playing Warhammer again and the idea of getting new blood playing in my area is great too.

Just went on down to my new FLGS ChronoCade and picked up the new Age of Sigmar box set. Sadly I am about to head away for the next couple days but before I go to the wilderness I wanted to take a quick peek at the contents and share them with you.



First thing I see walking into the new space of the store is a table full of minis! Always gets me excited! Sadly I wasn't able to hang around and play the game but I am already planning to get back for some tabletop action.




There it is. The box. The much lauded and hated and everything else box of minis. What can I say? The art looks awesome. If I didn't know anything about it I would be interested. Opening it up you find a nice stack of high quality and very detailed minis. And some blue sticks.





Book that comes included has detailed instructions for mini assembly (very nice)  as well as a once sheet of the new rules. No additional rules though we can't forget that new errata now can we?!



Flicking through the big book I see lots of colorful art and some background for the two starter factions. Also a painting guide and some other stuff you would expect to see like warscrolls and two Battalion lists with special abilities. Plus! There are 6 scenarios which seem to step up the learning curve of the game and new models quite nicely. And this photo. Not sure what it is but it reminded of 40k force organization charts.

More to come later in the week! Hopefully with some games and assembled minis to show.