This is a post about a game that took me way, way too damn long to complete.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Mercenary Painting Log: Pan-O Support Pack
After weighing all of my options, then looking at the long list of models I still want to buy, I decided to return to the world of mercenary painting after finishing up Ruin and Zerkova2. The person I've been doing the painting for has an Airadna (Infinity) army lined up for me to work on, but assembly challenges have pushed them back a bit.
In lieu of working on the guerrilla army, I've been given some more PanOceania models to work on: their Engineer, Doctor, and corresponding support bots. Join me after the break for pictures and thoughts about the models.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Harkevich vs. Grim2 - ConVic Test Run
As I slowly continue to get the chance to test out various lists using models from Warmachine: Reckoning, I keep coming back to the idea of Harkevich with two colossals. I've taken Harkevich for a spin with two Victors in the past, and liked it quite a bit.
However, that list has one big problem: it would require buying a second Victor that I would almost certainly never use outside of that list. That is a fairly steep price to pay to drag Harkevich out from the bottom of the barrel (and I'm still not sure how far up the ladder it gets him, but it is a dramatic improvement).
Ever since that game I have been kicking around the idea of trying out Conquest and Victor, instead of two Victors. I already have a Conquest, so if this idea pans out it saves me a lot in both painting time and money. Join me after the break to see how it works out.
However, that list has one big problem: it would require buying a second Victor that I would almost certainly never use outside of that list. That is a fairly steep price to pay to drag Harkevich out from the bottom of the barrel (and I'm still not sure how far up the ladder it gets him, but it is a dramatic improvement).
Ever since that game I have been kicking around the idea of trying out Conquest and Victor, instead of two Victors. I already have a Conquest, so if this idea pans out it saves me a lot in both painting time and money. Join me after the break to see how it works out.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Assembly Line: Nomad "Iguana" Squadron TAG
Its been sort of a slow period for me with Warmachine/Hordes recently. Various factors have combined to make WM/H games come along less frequently than they used to, and my Brawltimore attendance has flatlined over the past few months (which may have inadvertently saved me from WM/H burnout, as a silver lining).
As a result, I've been playing a lot more of other game systems which have been languishing on the shelves - I've played more Malifaux and Infinity over the past couple of months than I've probably played all year, and discovered the awesomeness that is Yomi.
The upside to that is that I get to play a lot of games that I haven't touched in awhile, and it is a fantastic refresher for when I get to play Warmachine again. The downside is that it leaves me kind of light on WM/H related stuff to post about, so apologies in advance if that dips here and there over the coming weeks.
I'm still trying to get WM/H games in when I can, and I do want to get back to Brawltimore events, and if PP ever manages to mine up enough Unobtainium to forge the new Khador models (that's why they're taking so long, right?) I'll be a lot more excited about dojo and experimentation with the new stuff. I've never really been a fan of proxies, but it is much worse proxying in models, finding a list that really clicks, and immediately realizing that you have no clue when you'll be able to generally run that list. I now understand why the community ends up so resoundingly "back burner'ing" unreleased models.
All of that is a really long preamble to me talking about a super sweet Infinity model I put together the other day: the Nomads "Iguana" Squadron TAG.
Two big negatives about this model (both of which are subjective):
1) But damn do I not miss assembling large metal models. Privateer Press and Wyrd's shift to plastic (either partially or entirely) for their model line makes even gigantic models like colossals significantly less frustrating and intimidating to assemble. Normal "big" models in those games are cake compared to what they used to entail, as this model reminded me.
2) I was staring at the parts when I opened the box, and my worst fear was realized: the ammo belts for the HMG on both models needs to be bent to align with the gun and ammo case. On one hand, I appreciate this, as a rigid, static belt might not line up depending on how you position the arms. On the other hand, I do not appreciate it as bending it to align was tricky and a little terrifying (I had to bend the smaller belt enough times that I was sure the damn thing was going to break on me.
Those (admittedly nitpicky) negatives aside, this is an absolutely awesome model kit.
Mold lines are minimal, shallow, and considerately placed (i.e. on obvious areas that are relatively easy to clean). It takes awhile to clean everything - the curse of big models - but it wasn't especially irritating to do so, and once I got a feel for where the mold lines "should" be, it went pretty quick.
The model also goes together surprisingly well for a large metal model with some very big pieces (the HMG arm on the TAG had me really worried due to its weight). I have to give credit to the modelers here, as the pieces seem to be engineered in such a way that they have plenty of area for attachment (making it easier to get a solid join) and they are positioned in ways that seem to play nice with gravity (such as the HMG arm).
I also have to give props to something kind of odd, but very welcome: the solid bases for Infinity have thinner plastic on the areas that you are supposed to be able to cut out for pegs/tabs. This is mostly a lost art for PP/Wyrd games since they've transitioned to their newer kits, but anyone familiar with the old warjacks/cavalary/etc should share my dislike for having to bore/cut out holes in those damn bases. The plastic on those parts was the same thickness as the rest of the base which made it quite a chore.
In contrast, it was very easy to punch through the plastic on the Infinity bases with a hobby knife and it made cutting out the peg (for the TAG's foot) and slot (for the Operator's foot) very easy. I really appreciated that aspect of the bases when it came to the Operator: the foot tab on that model is only about 1cm or so wide, so you don't need too big of a slot for it. Cutting a slot to fit a precise size like that with PP/Wyrd's bases was a big pain due to how difficult it was to get through the plastic. Here, with the Infinity bases design, it was as easy as I'd hoped it would be.
I've decided to make this the inaugural post for what I'll be filing under the "Assembly Line" series: posts that go over models I've put together. Hopefully these can be a useful resource for anyone interested in how easy/difficult a model is to assemble, I can share tips for particularly problematic aspects of it, and I can give an amateur review of the overall model kit quality.
This will also come in handy very soon, as I have a lot of models to put together, and that may be where most of my hobbying goes in the near future. So keep an eye out for more Assembly Line posts for WM, Infinity, and Malifaux coming soon!
As a result, I've been playing a lot more of other game systems which have been languishing on the shelves - I've played more Malifaux and Infinity over the past couple of months than I've probably played all year, and discovered the awesomeness that is Yomi.
The upside to that is that I get to play a lot of games that I haven't touched in awhile, and it is a fantastic refresher for when I get to play Warmachine again. The downside is that it leaves me kind of light on WM/H related stuff to post about, so apologies in advance if that dips here and there over the coming weeks.
I'm still trying to get WM/H games in when I can, and I do want to get back to Brawltimore events, and if PP ever manages to mine up enough Unobtainium to forge the new Khador models (that's why they're taking so long, right?) I'll be a lot more excited about dojo and experimentation with the new stuff. I've never really been a fan of proxies, but it is much worse proxying in models, finding a list that really clicks, and immediately realizing that you have no clue when you'll be able to generally run that list. I now understand why the community ends up so resoundingly "back burner'ing" unreleased models.
All of that is a really long preamble to me talking about a super sweet Infinity model I put together the other day: the Nomads "Iguana" Squadron TAG.
 |
| Iguana TAG and Operator |
1) But damn do I not miss assembling large metal models. Privateer Press and Wyrd's shift to plastic (either partially or entirely) for their model line makes even gigantic models like colossals significantly less frustrating and intimidating to assemble. Normal "big" models in those games are cake compared to what they used to entail, as this model reminded me.
2) I was staring at the parts when I opened the box, and my worst fear was realized: the ammo belts for the HMG on both models needs to be bent to align with the gun and ammo case. On one hand, I appreciate this, as a rigid, static belt might not line up depending on how you position the arms. On the other hand, I do not appreciate it as bending it to align was tricky and a little terrifying (I had to bend the smaller belt enough times that I was sure the damn thing was going to break on me.
Those (admittedly nitpicky) negatives aside, this is an absolutely awesome model kit.
Mold lines are minimal, shallow, and considerately placed (i.e. on obvious areas that are relatively easy to clean). It takes awhile to clean everything - the curse of big models - but it wasn't especially irritating to do so, and once I got a feel for where the mold lines "should" be, it went pretty quick.
The model also goes together surprisingly well for a large metal model with some very big pieces (the HMG arm on the TAG had me really worried due to its weight). I have to give credit to the modelers here, as the pieces seem to be engineered in such a way that they have plenty of area for attachment (making it easier to get a solid join) and they are positioned in ways that seem to play nice with gravity (such as the HMG arm).
I also have to give props to something kind of odd, but very welcome: the solid bases for Infinity have thinner plastic on the areas that you are supposed to be able to cut out for pegs/tabs. This is mostly a lost art for PP/Wyrd games since they've transitioned to their newer kits, but anyone familiar with the old warjacks/cavalary/etc should share my dislike for having to bore/cut out holes in those damn bases. The plastic on those parts was the same thickness as the rest of the base which made it quite a chore.
In contrast, it was very easy to punch through the plastic on the Infinity bases with a hobby knife and it made cutting out the peg (for the TAG's foot) and slot (for the Operator's foot) very easy. I really appreciated that aspect of the bases when it came to the Operator: the foot tab on that model is only about 1cm or so wide, so you don't need too big of a slot for it. Cutting a slot to fit a precise size like that with PP/Wyrd's bases was a big pain due to how difficult it was to get through the plastic. Here, with the Infinity bases design, it was as easy as I'd hoped it would be.
I've decided to make this the inaugural post for what I'll be filing under the "Assembly Line" series: posts that go over models I've put together. Hopefully these can be a useful resource for anyone interested in how easy/difficult a model is to assemble, I can share tips for particularly problematic aspects of it, and I can give an amateur review of the overall model kit quality.
This will also come in handy very soon, as I have a lot of models to put together, and that may be where most of my hobbying goes in the near future. So keep an eye out for more Assembly Line posts for WM, Infinity, and Malifaux coming soon!
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Zerkova2 vs. Grim2 - Tough It Out
Thanks to a random bonus gaming session, I recently had the chance to put Zerkova2 on the table. Join me after the break for the battle report and thoughts about Khador's newest warcaster.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Mini-Batrep: Vlad3 vs. Gunnbjorn (Now With 100% More Assault!)
One of the things I've taken for granted about playing Warmachine regularly is the habits I developed in documenting games for possible battle reports. It doesn't do you much good, for instance, to realize at the end of the game that you haven't been doing turn-by-turn shots (which makes typing everything up significantly easier).
All that is a lead in to what will be a sort-of mini-battle report for a recent game I played with Vlad3. This one is going to be lighter in regards to the blow-by-blow recount, but it still affords a good opportunity to think about Vlad3, his list theory, and what to do with all that.
Breakdown after the break.
Down...there.
Ahem.
All that is a lead in to what will be a sort-of mini-battle report for a recent game I played with Vlad3. This one is going to be lighter in regards to the blow-by-blow recount, but it still affords a good opportunity to think about Vlad3, his list theory, and what to do with all that.
Breakdown after the break.
Down...there.
Ahem.