This year, we decided to fly. By we, I mean my two buddies and I - who are registered for the 40k Team Tournament. My hopes are this format of tournament will be more to my liking than your average 40k tournament - which I have grown to dislike. Gaming with buddies against other buddies sounds about right.
I'm taking a bunch of classes including Roman Lappat's class and Jenifer Haley's. I hope to learn new things and chat with some of the best artists in our extended nerd family.
Adepticon is a weekend of fun and community. Everyone is either nerdier than you or just as nerdy - but also a friend. Complete strangers chat like old pals and everyone gets to show off their works. I got a great feeling from being their last year and hope this year holds the same feeling in store for me.
It's an interesting time to be a wargamer.
GW's dominance on the scene is being challenged. There are now tons of miniature lines, games and avenues to explore your own nerdiness. It's actually quite insane how many miniature games are now on the scene - it was never like this when I was younger. Not only are there others - but certain others are producing miniatures that rival the quality that GW churns out - and GW is getting lazy about it. Sure they are still unrivaled in their scope, but Wyrd Miniatures has just started producing quality plastic miniatures and that means business.
There are weak ones in the midst too and I doubt they will last. Defiance Games, who I once painted a single set of minis for, is now shut down. Mantic is in trouble - they just don't have the originality and vision that some of the others have and I am afraid they won't be missed when they flip the switch on their molding machines.
Corvus Belli just seems to be growing and growing in popularity. Their figs, while composed of soft metal, are simply beautiful. My hope is that they one day have enough capital to delve into quality plastic figs, though this will get harder and harder as the earth turns. Plastic is made of oil, but I won't go into all my secretly held conspiracy theories and predictions about that subject.
Dust Tactics seems to be on the up-swing as are others that I fail to mention here. (Warmahordes)
Of course, I really doubt that GW will go under anytime soon. They are the perfect gateway drug and their space marines and wide range of plastic will never go out of style. I see them as a healthy company but I am glad to see the breadth of miniature games growing successfully.
Personally, gaming is becoming less and less interesting, while painting remains ever the pull on my nerdy heartstrings. I think I want tabletop wargaming to do things for me, that other mediums do better - like telling a story and creating atmosphere. Perhaps I need to let go of my expectations and just enjoy it for what it is and can provide. Contrary to GW's insistance on "forging a narrative" - this medium just isn't as good as others.
Struggling with how to close this wall of text...so I'll just close it. If any of you will be at adepticon and want to share the great models you've been working on - I'm going to try to have a neat Tau of War t-shirt made so that everyone can identify me - I'm a rather chatty person, if a little rough around the edges and generally unkempt and unshaven. I plan on bringing models with me and I'd love to see your works of art - even if they are just conversions.
In the meantime, check out the latest on this Paulson Games battlesuit I am working on. I really like these parts that Paulson sells. The assault cannon arms really fits well with the existing Tau theme and the missile launcher is just a beast. Can't wait to finish this guy.
Then it's onto a new squad of them, using an airbrush to start the next time...should make painting them quicker.
10 comments:
Hey Tim.
I just checked Defiance Games website and they are up and running. They mention that they moved everything to Boston. Their online store is running also, and they are releasing new German forces now. Good news I guess.
Yea your battle suit mods really look natural and slick!
That is old news, Cobalt. None of it has panned out. The company has gone incommunicado for the last 2 months, they removed their forum, and are extremely slow to get orders out. Sure, their site says that "Germans now shipping" but do not spend your money there. Have a look at customer comments on their Facebook page to learn more.
Hey, you going to adepticon?
I will be driving again from DC to Adepticon, but unlike last year, I wont be driving solo. I am bringing a friend who just got into Warmachine andpainting. I have a feeling you and I will be in the same classes again :)
The weapon options from Paulson Games are just awesome! I just placed an order for a few different weapons and I can't wait for them to come in.
Did you just pin the assault cannon to the upper shoulder? I was thinking of magnetizing it so I could swap them out.
Last question, I know from reading you blog you used power fist fingers in the past but what did you use for the hand on this model?
Thanks!
Richard, I'm not sure how easy it would be to magnetize these weapons. The missile launcher would be simple, but the assault cannon arm might be tough.
To attach these, I had to cut the original arm off above the elbow. Then I essentially had the shoulderpad...I glued this to the torso via the ball mount and let that glue dry.
Then I pinned the assault cannon arm to the shoulder pad, by drilling through the shoulderpad and into the ball mount on the body.
Hmm, I think it might be best to document this on my next model.
Magnetizing could be doable, but you'd have to attach the shoulder pad to the body first I think.
The hand comes from the Grey Knight Terminator plastic kit. There are tons of options for hands there and they are about the right size.
Are you just getting one Tau of War T-shirt or can I pitch in to get a second copy?
Pete ;-)
You will learn amazing things from Jenn
I'd like to meet Jenn someplace and learn some amazing things too. ; )
Tim: I hadn't actually thought about it. It would be cool to meet and hang out there. From Toledo, it's just a scoot across Indiana to get there. I'll have to check the dates and see if I can. and thanks for the heads up on Defiance Games.
As always your painting is just killer, generating envy and respect at the same time. Loving the paint just wishing I could paint at that level. It gives me a good goal to work towards.
Just to let people know the missile launcher part has been updated slightly, but it's very minor changes. The sensor in the front was made slightly more shallow and the rear vent was modified. The overall size and the rest of the details are still the same.
How troubled is Mantic anyway? I have not seen anything, but that means little. CB, now there is an interesting one. They had, for all outward appearances, a good year-- a new and well-received book, tons of new releases, some of which are beyond phenomenal, a showing at Gen-Con-- but Spain is a troubled land these days, so, who knows. Wyrd, hmm, I have yet to see any of their plastics painted to a decent standard. I have heard mixed reviews of them.
The Tau are looking nice.
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