More Miragliani Marksmen...

I won five packs of these for $25! They should arrive in the next week or so. Not too shabby, I think.

Quick update:

I've been busy working on terrain as well. I have some new rock outcroppings and cliffs that are nearly finished. Also, I found some apple trees on clearance at Hobby Lobby, so there is a four tree orchard on the way. Finally, I have been working on a new canvas mat for the table top, suitable for Empire battles. Sadly, I really messed up on the first one. It will be transformed into a Martian landscape. The second one looks better, but is too dark - more like a jungle than European fields and such. Fine for Lustria and Venus, but not what I wanted for the Empire. So try number three is coming up in the next month or so.

Finally, I have nearly finished the Lizardman Stegadon (old metal version). The crew just needs a little touch-up and then to be glued in place in the howdah.

No work on Empire. Well, almost none. I started the last six flagellants. So far, just the flesh has been painted. Like I said, not much. I got a new pot of paint to help vary the dark reds of their robes.

Next week is Spring Break. I hope to get a lot of painting done

Poll Results, Purchasing and Monthly Goals

Wow... been almost a week since I last posted here. First month postings were pretty good, though. Hopefully March will live up to February's start. One can always hope.

So the poll. Obviously, more people thought winged lancers were the way to go. Personally, I was hoping for both. One thing I do not like is the winged lancer champion. Maybe I will do a weapon swap on him - its the mace I primarily do not like. Yes, I know a mace is a very effective weapon, especially against heavy armor. Don't care - I don't like them. So maybe a sword or lance. Anyway, I have decided I want both, and have already gotten 9 horse archers. Still need a musician for them (did they make one? I have to check my old Empire book).

Purchasing wise, I have got to slow down. First of all, I have tons of stuff now, waiting to paint (more on that in a moment). Second... I am running out of money! So, other than a little bit of stuff on eBay, and a private deal kinda in the works, I am done buying for the next few months. Yeah, right!

Painting goals for this month:

• Finish the crew of the Lizardman Stegadon.
• Finish the Empire Flagellants unit (4 down, 4 or 6 to go)
• Finish the Grandmaster of the Knights of the Blazing Suns
• 1x Sigmar Warrior Priest
• 1 unit of Halberdiers (Wissenland)
• 5x Kislevite Horse Archers

More later.

OwlCon 2010 Report

Okay, so this is only peripherally related to Warhammer. I did buy some things there for the Empire army that is budding in my game room. More on that in a second.

OwlCon is an annual gaming convention held in downtown Houston, Texas, on the Rice University campus. Rice's mascot is the owl, so... OwlCon. Anyway, it is a nice little con, with a wide variety of gaming going on. Boardgames, RPGs and minis. There is a movie area (I noticed GalaxyQuest when we registered). The dealer room is not real big, and is actually the periphery of a large gaming area.

My sons and I played a game of Gutshot, one of their favorites. If you are unfamiliar with Gutshot, it is a Western skirmish game. One of the authors, Mike Mitchell, hails from Houston these days and he runs many a game in the area. He's also a heck of a guy, and one I am proud to call a friend. Him and the boys get on like a house on fire. Anyway, we played in his game Saturday night. As usual, the Dice were Not Friendly to Me. I had managed to get right behind this fellow, with a double barrel sawed-off at absolutely point blank range. Need to roll a 4 or better on 2 dice. Snake eyes. "Click!" went the hammers. "CRAP!" says I. Gunfight erupts, I get half killed, so does the other fellow (did better with my sixgun). Then my youngest son comes around the corner, smiles, and lets me have it. So I am dead first.

Another highlight of the convention for us is the MechForce area. These are four large booths, self-contained Mech cockpits, which are linked together to play MechWarrior. It is really very cool and fun, though the fellows in the uniforms are a bit odd. My favorite was when a gaming buddy's nine year old son whupped the tar out of two grown men who were there in 'uniforms' of their Battlemech company.

Purchasing wise, I bought another copy of the Empire Army book, but this is the original one from back in the 90s. Only $5. I needed it for the War Wagon and Kislevite rules. But the real prize was the bag of 7 Kislevite Horse Archers I got for $15. What a steal! And yes, that included the horses. Miscellaneous other stuff was bought, including the Second Edition box set of Battletech, a Sigmarite Warrior Priest ($8, NIB) so we can field that unit of flagellants, and other minor bits and bobs. Saw a few things that I am gonna want to get my grubbies on, including the GW Fortified Manor Terrain kit. Very cool. eBay, here I come (after payday...)