Thursday 2 June 2011

I'm Back!

Well, I have been since last Friday. The wife decided to come back a day early because she was going to see Adam Ant in concert on the Saturday and didn't want to be driving back on the day when she had to 'tart herself up' for the Prince Charming his-self.

The holiday was OK and I did manage to get some 40k related goodness:


There was a discount bookstore in Llandudno that had a 3 books for £5 offer so I picked up these and to follow up my Clive Cussler obsession I also picked up these:


So I've plenty to read over the next few months. On my return I was also chuffed to find DoW: Dark Crusade - an ebay 'WIN' for the grand total of £1.99 [although I actually thought it was Soulstorm I'd bought?] a damn sight better value than any Fine Cast at the moment. As mentioned before my graphics card really isn't up to DoW2 so I thought if I went for a DoW supplement it'd play successfully and I could postpone DoW2 play until I could afford a card that would support it.

So I've pretty much been 'owned' by this, pulling in some 1:00 am and 1:30am sessions, which is odd as I was aching to paint while I was away, I didn't take the Prime in the end. The single player scenario is less defined as it tries to cover 6 races instead of just following the Blood Ravens. However, it's got an element of 'Risk' about it with a map to conquer and resources and upgrades similar to DoW2 [the bits I like about the sequel]. I've also got my son interested in it and he arbitrarily chose Necrons for his campaign, though it's painful watch his attempts



So with this so much an obsession at the moment I'm not sure where it puts the 'gaming/modelling/painting' side of things, and there's not much I can report back to you about this sort of gaming. I've a bucketload of pictures I took of some of my other bits and bobs - the remainder of my Epic stuff, Dwarves and some of my earliest figures ever. So there's still a fair amount of content to come, I'm just fearful that at some point I'll run out of steam, but I said that about five months ago and I'm still going...

5 comments:

  1. Firstly Adam Ant! Nice. He's playing here aswel.

    Secondly nice little collection of reading material.

    Thirdly Dawn of War rocks and Dark Crusades no different so bargain there.

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  2. Hi! I am also a fan of Dawn of War games, I really like the 'Last Stand' variant in DoW2 (available standalone, it's basically just the hero-building bit in co-op multiplayer).

    I've been looking through your old posts on making terrain, and I was wondering if you had a list of favourite places to buy materials? I can see you reuse a lot of 'rubbish' like the scatter containers - and do an amazing job with them, too! - but for things like plasticard, etc, where do you go (footwise or browser)?

    Also, what is 'granny grating' and where can I get some of that! I'm getting into making some Necromunda scenery, and that looks like it could be exactly what I need!

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  3. Thanks guys, Adam Ant isn't really my bag, so I suggested the wife went with her girly pals which worked out better all round. It was a sweet haul of books but considering I have £30 of Waterstones vouchers probably not what I should have been spending on when there are a few paints I need but with the games centre stage I can procrastinate all I want on that score.

    pete the pagan-gerbil, glad you're getting through some of the older content. Modelling materials...

    Plasticard - I don't have any but Manchester has a Model Zone that I'd nip to if need be. Our new offices are further away than our old place but at a run I could make it there and back in my lunch, or nip on the train.

    Foamcard - well we have loads of that at work. It wasn't being used so I nabbed it, when it ran out they went and cannibalised some massive foamcard posters that were about 6' tall so I use that too. If I was buying online I'd go through ebay though, you can get 5 sheets of A3 for a reasonable price, although I think Paperchase also stocks it [again, a big Manchester store for me].

    Granny grating - is the 'technical term' for the plastic grid material used in tapestry/large scale cross-stitch making. The brand I get is from a US company called Darice but it's available in the UK presumably at many craft or even needlework shops. I get mine from http://www.fredaldous.co.uk/ you can shop online but the shop in Manchester is like an Aladdin's cave. It's about £1 for an A3 sheet so it's really good value and you can get circular sheets too.

    Otherwise I'd look at any local art supplies place or even a hobbycraft, they do online and superstores that also stock GW products if you're that way inclined.

    Thanks for checking out the blog big fan of A Year of Frugal Gaming so hopefully your efforts will be on there. Dare I say it but when I first discovered Frugal Dave and his blog it was an inspiration into getting back into this game. Doing it on a budget and knowing there were other people out there trying to cope with the costs and finding ways to put terrain on the table cheaply. Now that there's a team of you on there it's always really interesting to see what's up.

    Not that I'm self-promoting but feel free to share any of the templates I've done, the more use that they get the happier I'll feel about the time spent doing them. All the best.

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  4. Awesome, thank you very much! I did really like the STC idea, I'll be trying yours out soon and possibly making my own! Expect that to be mentioned (and linked, of course) on the Frugal Gaming blog when I do ;)

    Would you mind if I added your fave material shops to a post I am currently writing for the blog? It's always polite to ask after ambushing someone for answers!

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  5. Not at all Pete, thanks to thinking about your questions I even came up with a new source 'plasticard', blog post to follow.

    STC's should be far more widespread in the community I believe. It's a part of the hobby that existed when GW used to encourage it as a hobby. Now they have buildings to sell it's easier to just buy them, although with prices as they are people may again to see the value of home-made terrain in an effort to be more 'frugal'.

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