Hoi,
As promised, I will try to recount the fairings of the year of 2017 which will end tonight at 24:00 o Clock. Let us start with the amount of figures painted:
1) Napoleonics: 67, most of these during the AHPC7 and almost all 1:72 troops.
2) Victoriana: 15 figures and 1 vehicle were finished this year all in 28mm scale.
3) WW2: 17 figures, these are 28mm Dutch troops from the 1940 Blitz.
4) 28mm of general description 6 figures and 1 vehicle were done.
5) CBT: just a meagre 4 mechs were painted, this I will have to remedy in 2018.
6) 28mm Fantasy: 34 of these were done, mostly for Heroquest.
7) 25mm Star Wars figures: 2
8) Colonial 1:72: 6
9) Dark Ages: 63
10) GIJoe: 71 figures and 19 vehicles
11) Indian Mutiny: 35
12) Heroquest: 104
What does this mean? Well the most evident winners are Heroquest and GIJoe, that much is obvious. But the foremost conclusion of this counting must be that I am shifting from 1:72 scale figures towards 28mm figures. This is a change I have long been able to prevent since I could always do all I wanted to game or collect in cheap 1:72 figures. I still like big games with sweeping lines of cavalry and infantry, but the lack of players in my immediate vicinity has caused a lack of interest in this area. Also the fact that figures based for skirmish games and more than one rule-set and therefore in more efficient numbers, are something I really like doing since the result is faster and more complete. Will anyone ever finish their French Napoleonic force? Or 7YW Austrian/ Prussian one?
I will try to bring the love for 1:72 figures to life again with the Big Project in the present AHPC 8, but can make no promises. I will finish the 1:72 figures I have lying and will need to buy a whole load of new HäT French infantry for Salamanca when they arrive but from then on the focus will slowly move onto smaller, prominently, 28mm figure projects.
As far as gaming is concerned from the start of the schoolyear somewhere in August I have been able to get at least 1 HQ game in each week at school. In the weekends 1 or 2 games of HQ with Arthur have been done as well, so yeah I have gotten my fare share of HQ gaming in 2017. As for other games, these were mostly at the Poldercon (i.e. 3 games) and I will be going there again in February. I also played two X-wing games with Mark and that pretty much wraps up my gaming. Now there are loads of bloggers that would tell themselves after seeing this low game-activity that they would endouver to get more games in during the new year. I won't! I will play whenever and whatever is put on my path and am otherwise very content with painting figures and scenery.
My Birthday is coming up and I have a whopper of a present planned for myself, okay that sounds wrong. I mean I have asked family and friends for a contribution for a whopper of a present which I will then buy and try to get finished soon. It is a whole load of scenery usable with several of the projects I have running now.
More on that soon!
For now all I can say is: have a Happy New Year and let's see each other in 2018 for more painting and gaming fun!
Regards Sander
Sunday, 31 December 2017
Friday, 29 December 2017
Heroquest!
Hoi,
There's no better end to the year than a regular review, I am saving that for tomorrow. Okay to be honest there are far better ends to any year, but as far as the hobby goes a review in which you can look back to goals achieved and ones to look forward to is pretty nice.
That said, this post will, yet again, concern itself with Heroquest or HQ for short. Somehow this little game sparked something in me. Whether it is my inner child that is chuffed to bits with being able to find a decent use for all those long forgotten minis lying around around, or the gamer in me that rejoices about at least 1 game a week at the school club.
Or even the collector, who is eagerly searching the net for bargains of Oldhammer figures to be used or the rare "true" HQ find like the illusive extensions. It seems that many gamers have been lucky finding the extensions in second hand shops in the UK. Well no-go for me! We do have those shops but there are no HQ games to be found there. So what? I hear you think, weeeell while you can download pretty much all the paper content of any thinkable extension for the game, it does not beat the feel of the original box and the figures in your hands. At this moment I am the proud owner of:
- 2 basic boxed games (the game-system) 1 at home and 1 at school.
- 1 Kellar's Keep extension
- 1 Return of the Witchking extension
- 1 Wizards of Morcar extension
- 1 Advanced Heroquest box set
- 2 x half box of classic Warhammer Quest
So yeah I would really like to get my grubby paws on any of the other extensions like Against the Ogre Hordes or the Barbarian- or Elf Quest packs. The prices those seem to go around for are ridiculous, go to Ebay and look for yourself. There are boxes tagged for $1200,- and I even saw a HQ stickeralbum go by, for which $5000,- was asked...that is waaaay beyond me to be sure!
Now on Friday December 22nd I hosted a major game at the school club for the pupils to enhance their characters and for me to try the rules out at a more skirmish- and out-of-the-Dungeon level. We have two "fellowships" at the club, one which we jokingly call the "Young Hounds" and the other, erm well... the "Old Dogs". Both were now playing on the same table with a more regular wargame scenic lay-out.
I had prepared briefings with personal goals and background stories for each member.
And yes I have Lord Kitchener and Lord Vader hanging next to each other in my classroom ;-) To recount the entire story that was played out and explain all outcomes would take too long so I won't do that here, but I do have some impressions of the game in progress. I didn't have much time to take many pics, what with trying to DM 8 people in at least 3 locations at once, but hey here they are.
The rules were basically those of the main game-system with some additions and small changes like instead of rolling 2d6 to see how many squares you can walk you now roll and walk that many inches. Simple enough.
So what did the adventurers gain in this Christmas Quest?
Well first up, everyone was awarded 10 gold pieces for each monster killed, with thanks from the local populace.
The Old Dogs:
Sir Olwyn of Farthingale (yeah I know ;-) achieved his main goal of freeing Farthingale of Wights and became it's lord. He also gained one Bodypoint.
Sir Skyrithm (for your information: the names were made up by the kids not me!) found a necklace which would have protected him from any magic used against him, but he sold it for 300 goldcoins. He also gained 1 BP.
Sir Jonas Paladin of the Order of the Lion was promoted to Commander in his order, for giving them the necklace he bought off Skyrithm. and also got an extra Bodypoint.
Baroness Blackwood was able to protect a lockingstone to a portal to the Warp and thus prevent a major Chaos incursion. Therefore she gained 1 Mindpoint, handy for all future spells.
The Young Hounds:
Dame Glacia of Clan Redwinter found a Dagger of Frost which functions as a Wand of Recall (i.e. you can use two spells each turn instead of 1)
Icicles, Guardian of the Power of Ice was able to acquire an henchmen for free.
Erofillios of the Rangers (again: I know!) gained a mind point but was also possessed by a Chaos Deamon which will manifest itself if, at the start of each following Quest he will roll a 1 on a D6.
Sir Hadrian rooted out the Chaos coven that had desecrated the Temple of Taal in Ardglass village. He then spent a turn in prayer before the altar and gained, yup you've guessed it, another BP.
Surprisingly both Glacia, Icicles and Erofillios turned to the Dark Side and became followers of the Dark Gods. This will make future Quests rather interesting...
These games at the school club really made for a highlight in the work-week as you can imagine. The kids all are so funny and really get into the thick of things without the whining that is so common in modern day youth.
So that's it for now, but I do hope that from this you have gleamed a bit of why I like this game so much. Although after so many weeks of DM-ing I would like to get some time in as a player as well ;-)
Cheers Sander
There's no better end to the year than a regular review, I am saving that for tomorrow. Okay to be honest there are far better ends to any year, but as far as the hobby goes a review in which you can look back to goals achieved and ones to look forward to is pretty nice.
Noble son number 1 Arthur thinking about his next move
That said, this post will, yet again, concern itself with Heroquest or HQ for short. Somehow this little game sparked something in me. Whether it is my inner child that is chuffed to bits with being able to find a decent use for all those long forgotten minis lying around around, or the gamer in me that rejoices about at least 1 game a week at the school club.
Or even the collector, who is eagerly searching the net for bargains of Oldhammer figures to be used or the rare "true" HQ find like the illusive extensions. It seems that many gamers have been lucky finding the extensions in second hand shops in the UK. Well no-go for me! We do have those shops but there are no HQ games to be found there. So what? I hear you think, weeeell while you can download pretty much all the paper content of any thinkable extension for the game, it does not beat the feel of the original box and the figures in your hands. At this moment I am the proud owner of:
- 2 basic boxed games (the game-system) 1 at home and 1 at school.
- 1 Kellar's Keep extension
- 1 Return of the Witchking extension
- 1 Wizards of Morcar extension
- 1 Advanced Heroquest box set
- 2 x half box of classic Warhammer Quest
So yeah I would really like to get my grubby paws on any of the other extensions like Against the Ogre Hordes or the Barbarian- or Elf Quest packs. The prices those seem to go around for are ridiculous, go to Ebay and look for yourself. There are boxes tagged for $1200,- and I even saw a HQ stickeralbum go by, for which $5000,- was asked...that is waaaay beyond me to be sure!
Now on Friday December 22nd I hosted a major game at the school club for the pupils to enhance their characters and for me to try the rules out at a more skirmish- and out-of-the-Dungeon level. We have two "fellowships" at the club, one which we jokingly call the "Young Hounds" and the other, erm well... the "Old Dogs". Both were now playing on the same table with a more regular wargame scenic lay-out.
I had prepared briefings with personal goals and background stories for each member.
And yes I have Lord Kitchener and Lord Vader hanging next to each other in my classroom ;-) To recount the entire story that was played out and explain all outcomes would take too long so I won't do that here, but I do have some impressions of the game in progress. I didn't have much time to take many pics, what with trying to DM 8 people in at least 3 locations at once, but hey here they are.
The rules were basically those of the main game-system with some additions and small changes like instead of rolling 2d6 to see how many squares you can walk you now roll and walk that many inches. Simple enough.
So what did the adventurers gain in this Christmas Quest?
Well first up, everyone was awarded 10 gold pieces for each monster killed, with thanks from the local populace.
The Old Dogs:
Sir Olwyn of Farthingale (yeah I know ;-) achieved his main goal of freeing Farthingale of Wights and became it's lord. He also gained one Bodypoint.
Sir Skyrithm (for your information: the names were made up by the kids not me!) found a necklace which would have protected him from any magic used against him, but he sold it for 300 goldcoins. He also gained 1 BP.
Sir Jonas Paladin of the Order of the Lion was promoted to Commander in his order, for giving them the necklace he bought off Skyrithm. and also got an extra Bodypoint.
Baroness Blackwood was able to protect a lockingstone to a portal to the Warp and thus prevent a major Chaos incursion. Therefore she gained 1 Mindpoint, handy for all future spells.
The Young Hounds:
Dame Glacia of Clan Redwinter found a Dagger of Frost which functions as a Wand of Recall (i.e. you can use two spells each turn instead of 1)
Icicles, Guardian of the Power of Ice was able to acquire an henchmen for free.
Erofillios of the Rangers (again: I know!) gained a mind point but was also possessed by a Chaos Deamon which will manifest itself if, at the start of each following Quest he will roll a 1 on a D6.
Sir Hadrian rooted out the Chaos coven that had desecrated the Temple of Taal in Ardglass village. He then spent a turn in prayer before the altar and gained, yup you've guessed it, another BP.
Surprisingly both Glacia, Icicles and Erofillios turned to the Dark Side and became followers of the Dark Gods. This will make future Quests rather interesting...
These games at the school club really made for a highlight in the work-week as you can imagine. The kids all are so funny and really get into the thick of things without the whining that is so common in modern day youth.
So that's it for now, but I do hope that from this you have gleamed a bit of why I like this game so much. Although after so many weeks of DM-ing I would like to get some time in as a player as well ;-)
Cheers Sander
Wednesday, 27 December 2017
Oepsie!
Hoi,
Honestly, I did plan a post to wish you all the best for Christmas, truly I did! But I rather simply forgot... Great fun with the family and a not so great day spending getting rid of something bad I ate prevented this I suppose.
Anyway, we're back again and for today the first post at the AHPC is up for your approval.
More posts will follow soon!
Honestly, I did plan a post to wish you all the best for Christmas, truly I did! But I rather simply forgot... Great fun with the family and a not so great day spending getting rid of something bad I ate prevented this I suppose.
Anyway, we're back again and for today the first post at the AHPC is up for your approval.
More posts will follow soon!
Sunday, 3 December 2017
AHPC 8...
Hoi,
Well an update is long overdue I suppose. While work and sickness in the family have not permitted me to spent much time on the hobby, a lot has been happening.
For starters I have the honour of being asked to participate in this year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge not as apunter but as Minion. It goes without saying that I am mighty pleased with this highest of hobby accolades.
See the CHALLENGE link.
Arthur and I will enter the Challenge together as well, me for a modest 1000 points and the lad for 50, an amount which his concentration might actually permit him to achieve. If minioning allows I will up the amount.
While I will surely paint figuress for all my running projects, the main focus of this year's Challenge will be my "BIG" project: Salamanca 1812.
This will see me paint lots of 1:72 Peninsular War plastics and the occasional metal special figure. I hope to get the larger part of my Allied 3rd division done by the Challenges end.
So you see, quite a lot of exiting stuff to look forward to!
Cheers Sander
Well an update is long overdue I suppose. While work and sickness in the family have not permitted me to spent much time on the hobby, a lot has been happening.
For starters I have the honour of being asked to participate in this year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge not as apunter but as Minion. It goes without saying that I am mighty pleased with this highest of hobby accolades.
See the CHALLENGE link.
Arthur and I will enter the Challenge together as well, me for a modest 1000 points and the lad for 50, an amount which his concentration might actually permit him to achieve. If minioning allows I will up the amount.
While I will surely paint figuress for all my running projects, the main focus of this year's Challenge will be my "BIG" project: Salamanca 1812.
This will see me paint lots of 1:72 Peninsular War plastics and the occasional metal special figure. I hope to get the larger part of my Allied 3rd division done by the Challenges end.
So you see, quite a lot of exiting stuff to look forward to!
Cheers Sander
Wednesday, 8 November 2017
Crisis 2017: the Loot!
Hoi,
With the showing of the loot, we conclude my Crisis 2017 report. This year's Crisis never was about buying loads of stuff, but I did have a few things on my list prior to going to Antwerp.
- I really wanted to complement my Iron Duke Indian Mutiny figures. I bungled up a direct order to Empress by forgetting the command blister for Neil's bluecaps and the troops for the Sikh troopers, so I remedied that. I also bought the Stronghold terrain's Viking Seer, needed to complete that series of figures. In the tools section of my, rather short, list was some Valejo filler of which I got two cheep tubes. That pretty much sums up the list, but what else did I buy? Well a lot of stuff I did not expect to find but had wanted for quite some time.
As you can see on the pictures I was able to get a Histoire and Collections issue on the Cuirassiers. It contains the itinerary's of all listed officers in all the regiments as well as some great colourplates. Since the 14th regiment was the former 2nd Dutch regiment there are a lot of countrymen in there which makes it rather interesting.
I also got the Antediluvian Dungeon explorers (i.e. the characters from the 80's TV series but their grown-up versions) in a discount-bin from Studio Miniatures. They also had a box of their Medieval Mayhem Knights there which I got at Euro price instead of Pounds and since the rounding off of the entire buy came out on a strange number I got even more discount. The other Antediluvian blister is of course Raquel Scotch, I just had to add her to the collection. The two boxes to the left and right are Mantic's Dungeon Saga doors and furniture sets which I also got discounted. That leaves the blister of Wargames Foundry Indian civilians for the IM project and the Dragon Rampant rules. I have heard and read a lot about the latter and got curious enough to buy them.
Apart from the Crisis special figure Tijl Uilenspiegel, that sums up my purchases.
Arthur is determined to enter this year's Painting Challenge and has personally asked Curt whether he was allowed to join, which Curt has magnanimously allowed him to do for 50 points. I tasked Arthur with choosing some figures for him to paint. He wanted to do some Hero Quest figures, as we play that game together a lot, but he also wanted some wizards. Now if we were not able to find any fireball-throwing-wizards, he was of the opinion that Knights would do as a substitute. So because of a lack of easily recognisable wizards he looked for knights and at the Foundry stand found some. These mounted knights, which he really picked himself, had an entirely appropriate label: King Arthur...
He also found a blister containing two British ensigns and a drummer from the Studio Miniatures China range. He wants to paint them too, but doesn't want to wait for the Challenge but do them earlier.
That wraps up my Crisis coverage. Next convention will probably be Poldercon in February but more on that when applicable.
With the showing of the loot, we conclude my Crisis 2017 report. This year's Crisis never was about buying loads of stuff, but I did have a few things on my list prior to going to Antwerp.
- I really wanted to complement my Iron Duke Indian Mutiny figures. I bungled up a direct order to Empress by forgetting the command blister for Neil's bluecaps and the troops for the Sikh troopers, so I remedied that. I also bought the Stronghold terrain's Viking Seer, needed to complete that series of figures. In the tools section of my, rather short, list was some Valejo filler of which I got two cheep tubes. That pretty much sums up the list, but what else did I buy? Well a lot of stuff I did not expect to find but had wanted for quite some time.
As you can see on the pictures I was able to get a Histoire and Collections issue on the Cuirassiers. It contains the itinerary's of all listed officers in all the regiments as well as some great colourplates. Since the 14th regiment was the former 2nd Dutch regiment there are a lot of countrymen in there which makes it rather interesting.
I also got the Antediluvian Dungeon explorers (i.e. the characters from the 80's TV series but their grown-up versions) in a discount-bin from Studio Miniatures. They also had a box of their Medieval Mayhem Knights there which I got at Euro price instead of Pounds and since the rounding off of the entire buy came out on a strange number I got even more discount. The other Antediluvian blister is of course Raquel Scotch, I just had to add her to the collection. The two boxes to the left and right are Mantic's Dungeon Saga doors and furniture sets which I also got discounted. That leaves the blister of Wargames Foundry Indian civilians for the IM project and the Dragon Rampant rules. I have heard and read a lot about the latter and got curious enough to buy them.
Apart from the Crisis special figure Tijl Uilenspiegel, that sums up my purchases.
Arthur is determined to enter this year's Painting Challenge and has personally asked Curt whether he was allowed to join, which Curt has magnanimously allowed him to do for 50 points. I tasked Arthur with choosing some figures for him to paint. He wanted to do some Hero Quest figures, as we play that game together a lot, but he also wanted some wizards. Now if we were not able to find any fireball-throwing-wizards, he was of the opinion that Knights would do as a substitute. So because of a lack of easily recognisable wizards he looked for knights and at the Foundry stand found some. These mounted knights, which he really picked himself, had an entirely appropriate label: King Arthur...
He also found a blister containing two British ensigns and a drummer from the Studio Miniatures China range. He wants to paint them too, but doesn't want to wait for the Challenge but do them earlier.
That wraps up my Crisis coverage. Next convention will probably be Poldercon in February but more on that when applicable.
Tuesday, 7 November 2017
Crisis 2017 the pictures!
Hoi,
As explained yesterday, I have let Arthur make the pictures during our visit at the Crisis convention. Therefore they are not a full descriptive report, but rather an impression of the event from a 6 year old.
Here he is doing his job!
It wasn't until we were at home that I noticed that in the picture below Stefan is included as well!
Now a lot of blogs, including Curt's, show pictures of Jan-Willem's Barsoom game using "En Garde" rules which I have played at the Poldercon last year. But I guess none of those pictures have quite the angle that Arthur's have.
Here's a mugshot of Dave D. and myself!
As well as one he accidentally took of himself.
There you have it Arthur's picture report. Hope you liked it.Tomorrow I'll show you the loot!
Cheers Sander
As explained yesterday, I have let Arthur make the pictures during our visit at the Crisis convention. Therefore they are not a full descriptive report, but rather an impression of the event from a 6 year old.
Here he is doing his job!
It wasn't until we were at home that I noticed that in the picture below Stefan is included as well!
Now a lot of blogs, including Curt's, show pictures of Jan-Willem's Barsoom game using "En Garde" rules which I have played at the Poldercon last year. But I guess none of those pictures have quite the angle that Arthur's have.
Since Arthur just snapped away I really could not tell you what games or organisers they belong to.
Here's a mugshot of Dave D. and myself!
As well as one he accidentally took of himself.
There you have it Arthur's picture report. Hope you liked it.Tomorrow I'll show you the loot!
Cheers Sander
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