Half of 40k is nothalf the fun

Woooohoooo!

 We have reached 20000 view and have topped that already.

That is pretty frakking amazing!

This screams for a party.
With cake...

Thanks lot viewers and archivists!

The Games Day is dead or RatCon 2014 or the unreal tournament

Greetings, everybody!

THE GAMES DAY IS DEAD!
LONG LIVE THE GAMES DAY!

 Did you know, that when you enter "Games Day" in google... you are not instantly pointed to the Games Day so many people loved over years?

It is as if it never existed.

So... what to do? I decided, that I needed to find my own, new Games Day.

But instead of Golden Demons and painting madness, this years focus was the thing that keeps on entertaining me for quite a while now: INFINITY

So I joined in on my very first official tournament at RatCon 2014

Basically it is a convention for pen&paper and hosting a mayor BattleTech event (I think it was the german championship...)

And some LARPing in "the garden"

All in all, the location was pretty cool. The eventhall was big enough to give some room to breathe (important when so many "nerds" crowd) but was small enough to be comfortable and create that feeling of privacy large halls lack.
One of the mercants on site was WarMage Games

A place all the MDF junkies out there should visit. Next to some pretty innovative concepts for multi-level houses...

... they presented their prototype of a landing platform WITH FUNCTIONAL ELEVATOR!

I was standing there, watching the yellow space marine going up and down for nearly 5min. The design was not final, but the mechanics work.

Definatly something to keep an eye on.

But enough of this.
Back to THE TOURNAMENT!

The first round, my brave contractors from H-Logs had to face off the not so primitive Ariadna in a Mission where supply boxes had to be gathered and/or destroyed.

It was probably one of the most adrenalin producing games I have ever had... so often was the fate of the game on knives edge.

A private highlight of mine, was a Intruder that climbed through a window, used the elevator and came up in the back of a Dozer (for those not to familiar with Infinity... this guy is an ingenieur, capable of using his remote control and detonating all the mined supply boxes... ruining my chance to win) and putting his HMG (=heavy machine gun) to best use. It was an all-or-nothing-maneuvre, but it worked.

My SpecOps was the hero of the game. She had managed to sprint along the complete frontline, taking  more fire than a bush in a bushfire, surviving snipers and autocanons, catching some supplyboxes.
In the end she got trapped by a mine layed right infront of her. Nontheless she managed to avoid all the other attempts to end her life...

In the end, she managed to destroy the last supply box with her CC weapon... something happening pretty rarely.
In the end I won by 1 point.

The next two games shall not be recorded... since I was little more than a VictoryPointSupply. I lost the 2nd game against my friend DER M horribly, being unable to put up any resitance against his strategy or his dice rolling. He mangaed to kill almost everything in the first turn.
The third game had some pulling and turning, but nothing as cinestic as the first game. In the end I resulted in being torn apart... again.

Congratz to all the winners by the way.

Although tournaments can be a place of sportive angryness and competition to the death, this tournamend had nothing like that.
Awesome opponents, fair, just and relaxed organisation and preparation and a alround great atmosphere resulted in an awesome day.

Here some impressions...

Again, a big thank-you to the organistors, the opponents and everybody else adding to this fun day!

Review: Customeeple's Decorative Banners

Greetings everybody!

As some of you might have nopticed, I am pretty addicted to Infinity these days.

And one thing that really got me hooked up, is the phenomenal way the terrain influences the game.
Of cause, you have the strategic and tactical aspect, but there are people ou there that can explain that, way better than me.
The reason why I love the terrain in Infinity so much is the looks. When you come from the 41st millenium of grim and dark war, you are used to the fact that the most inhabitants of buildings are dead and their heads are glued to their former homes. That is a tleast the only reason why appearently ever building has tons of skulls attatched to it.

Infinity is, like in many other ways, a stark contrast to that. The buildings are not just still intact, people actually seem to live there... there are hobbyists, that build whole internal decorations, like beds, workdesks and the like.

But I want to day focus on the outside of the buildings. A good while ago Micro Art Studio made a big leap when they made their Holo Ads. These add lots of life to the table...

Customeeple is pretty young in the Infinity licenced 2nd company production family (btw a brilliant company concept, if you ask me) and they started with acryl glass markers for the game.

I got hooked up by the product I want to review today:

The Decorative Banners

First Impression
As you would probably agree, these look pretty awesome. When I think about the few animes I have seen, these would fit one to one into Akira or Ghost in the Shell... fiting perfect in the setting Infinity provides.
The new future is bright and these signs support this impression.
Only downer is, compared to other manifaturers, the signs are pretty plain.

The large decorative banners

This what they shall look like in the end. But let's have a look at what you get shipped.

This is enough parts to build the 2 signs.

And this is how everything goes together.
Afterwards you can eaily fit the acryl-signs into the spaceholders.

Conculsion
The parts must be glued together (best by using PVA glue), but sadly you really have to be really carefull when doing so, otherwise the glued on parts will look out of angle. Another point is, that, aside from the pictures on the homepage, there is no info about which side goes up and which down. In the end it really doesn't matter, but maybe since I am german, I found the lack of instruction a bit confusing.
Of cause this saves production costs...

If I might give a piece of advise here to the developers. MAS Holo Ads have small pieces that works as a brace to keep everything in the right place and angle.I think it would be just a bit of extra work to develop such a tech, but the building of the signs mit profit big time from that. (This btw goes for both, big and small decorative banners)

Another idea might be to add a little variation into the sign-designs by making parts of the sign translucent by roughing the surface. Again, this would rise production costs, but, imho, would be worth a thought.

Aside from these points:

The small decorative banners

Here is what you get when you order 2 sets:

You can immerdiatly acknowledge the great work in cut-design. There are barely hair-thin leftovers.

These are the two "easy" signs...

... and this is the "difficult" sign layout.

A point I don't really understand can be seen here. Some parts seem to have had an angle, when they were cut out. For flat tokens, these angles are no biggy. But on these fine pieces the angles become quite apperant and look like you haven't worked properly.

Another thing I found curious can be seen on the next picture: the yellow plastic is half a cm thicker than the mdf. Normally that wouldn't be noticed, but thisway you have to cut the mdf at the right places to make everything fit.

The toughest piece was the YuJing sign with the three red lanterns, since there is no indication of where to glue to theholders for acrylic parts. I made some pencil marks to get atleast something like a symetry.

And this is how everything looks pre-paint:

Conclusion

I love the designs and arcylic glass makes every table more and more alive. But these signs are nothing for a beginner. MAS Terrain can be tricky from time to time, but these signs are way more complex, since you want everything to be in line. Since there are no indicators aside from the pictures of the assembled signs you have to have a pretty good eye-measurment to get everything straight. Or rip of pieces and adjust them... like I did.
Like with the bigger banners, I wonder if the wouldn't be an easy solution for these problems, since the lasers obviously can work up to hair thin lines.
With a big bonus for "they look SO COOL" they get:

Final Thoughts

I really love the stuff customeeple puts out there. The acryl-glass works so good on the table and really supports the feeling Infinity awakes.
I won't comment on prices, since this is a hobby... if it is not worth to you what the producer wants, then don't buy it...

If you are looking for a fast cool expansion for your MDF terrain or are fesh to our beloved hobby this, in its current state, is probably nothing for you.
If you love small independent companies, tricky constructions and acrylics on your table this is the stuff you will love.

I really hope this gave a little orientation on a absolut niche product.

Infinity is the new eternal

Greetings, everybody!

As some of you might have noticed, I have dissapeared from certain areas of the internet. On the other side, have I emerged at other places. This post shall enlighten those, who have wondered why this is so. Others might be able to identify with my situation or not.... ;)

I had never been as loyal to GW miniatures as GW would have liked me to. The lack of nicely sculpted female model invited me to some adventures across the border of Space Marines and the Grim Dark Future and even today, I can hardly resist when Hasslefree throws the next round of awesomeness into the ring.
Aside from picking up a model here and there (mostly on the SPIEL in Essen every year) I have never ventured further. I had my 40k Universe and lived under the impression, that everything I desired would fit in there.And for most of my tabletop life, this impression was correct. I found the escape from RL in games, campaigne, novels and ofcause the minitures. I joined a "community", took part in shaping that community and took responsibility for all the funny things that could happen there.

Especially over on Warpshadow I found people, that are like me and I have found many friends, who are more than just people that share a common hobby.
The fact, that I worked for GW was probably another reason for my so-long-loyalty. Lots of people from work turned over the years into friends, I don't want to miss and again, these friendships were not only funded on the fact that we enjoy toying around with metal and plastic miniatures.

My happy life in the 41st millenium could have gone forever...
...until I finished my studies, quit my job at GW and was overwhelmed by the tasks a grown-up-life throws at you.

I an instant everything changed. I have never been happy with the politics that work in GW and don't get me started on marketing and how employees are treated. But the more distance I put between me and everythng GW related, the more I didn't like what I saw.

The, out of the blue, Sedition Wars struck like a guilded missle.

I had everything I needed: A boardgame (so I didn't have to play in skull encrusted ruins anymore), a managable amount of models (no more 20+ Units to paint), a cineastic game setting I didn't had to come up by myself (take that "table-quarter-mission") and no more gothic-structures on scifi soldiers (have you seen the flying thing the dark angles sport? Looks like a flying cathedral... in a bad way...) and finally a game, that was playable in the time I could afford for it. Ahhh... plus an awesome little community and great customer services.

And part of my peers, that were willing to try something new. I guess that was the most important part...

Sadly the battle for Alabaster eventually came to an end. And coming up with missions on your own was way more difficult than we had expected. So before our newly found braveness in exploring new universes would subside again, we decided to venture out again and see were the tides would lead us.

Guess what...

But before we come to the obvious, a little something changed aswell. Games Workshop in all its wiseness fired almost all personel, that was standing in a store. The whole support structure, well working teams, friends and social structures torn apart in dubious stroke.
Not nessessary to say, that the doubts I had nutured all those years turned into a big blob of dissapointment, that covered the one thing that could have dragged me back: the new Tyranid codex.
When that was as dissapointing as I had feared, my heart and soul was finally free from the bonds that had tied me to that company.

And what do you do with freedom? Yes, you sell it instantly to the highest bidder :D

In this chase, it was Corvus Belli with Infinity.

I won't start the high praise-song. Let's put it this way: Infinity had to offer everything I had been looking for:
Cineastic scenarios, an ethusiastic community, awesome miniatures, great terrain options and designs, a company policy, that (as far as I can see it) I really like... and my peers, that liked everything above aswell.

Since then, I feel like I am  12 years old again, having my eyes pop out with all the awesome stuff available... but this time, I can afford most of it :D


So, I hope this explains a bit how I am were I am, and where I am not.

And as a visible sign of all this, I added a new section above, that leads you to all the Infinity stuff I am doing.

Expectations and other errors

Greetings everybody.
Hyrda has finally reached the actual state of technology. This enables me to share my ramblings, thoughts and other stuff in almost real time.

What has happened? Well, since Feb ( as you might recall, that was pretty much the time when is blog slowly turned to hiatus) I am proud owner of a fairphone.  Well, I don't want to advertise here for electronic goods, but this project seems to be one of the "good" (good as in Superman-good).

Back to topic, expectations. This phone is one good example... I expected... Well something that probably only exists on the Enterprise. But instead it had nicks and nuts and sometimes even refused to work properly.

I could have easily switched back to my old phone or to some other brand. But I overcame my... Frustration and found out, that one of the reasons for several mis-functions were my own fault.

The same happened to me with my Nomads. Yes, I have officially left the path of GW And Warhammerb40k. But that is written on another page yet to be written.
My new passion lies in hackers, drones, skirmish warfare and the reenactment of one of my favourite series ever (Ghost in the shell)... Infinity. I am highly addicted to this game...

My chosen fraction, nomads, can have to really dirty tricks up their sleeves.
And here is the part where I get back to the beginning. I had 2 Gamez in a row today, which both left me pretty frustrated. I have questioned the game, the army... Even the state my models were in ( am I the only one who thinks models tend to die faster if you haven't painted them properly?).

It took some time to realise something... It wasn't any of the above. If I was my bloody fault. And my expectations. On how things should be and how things shouldn't be.

Next time, I should stick to my survival-strategy that has helped navigate through all the Strom's life has thrown at me: look the maelstrom in the eye, don't make and plan and full force, Mr. Jonson.

Thank you, internet for listening to my brainwash.

How to: Bases Ark-Style

Greetings Everybody!

I have been asked a few times, how I did the Bases on my Infintiy Miniatures.

First of all, I use the bases from Sedition Wars. They are plain, give lots of details and variation and fit prtty much imho.

I guess the pictures are quite selfexplaining, but here are some thoughts in advance:

1. If you like the orange, grab GWs old Macharius Solar Orange where ever you can find it. Watered down it works wonderfull for rust, since it dries brigter than it looks, has differnt colours and tones and created this random appearance I like in rust. Sadly it is OOP...

2. Sponges: People playing Infinity will have come a cross tons of it and I have collected then ever since. These sponges work best imho, since others are to rough.

3. Vallejo Masking Fluid: First time I have seen someone use that was on these Infintiy Miniatures Step-By-Step thingies provided by Studio Giraldez ( StudioGiraldez ). Trick with this stuff is: Use old brushes, since they will be going down the drain. Use spronges for most of your work. The masking fluid will dry pretty quickly (withing minutes) and you won't be able to wash out your brush. So better use something disposable.
Best thing is to try it on something first to get a nick of things... before ruining one of your favourite brushes, like I did.

What you need:
-your bases
- black and white primer
- Paints. Since I still have lots of GW stuff I am using these, but the should be no reason, why you can what ever is to your liking. Only exception is the macharius solar orange I guess...
So, you need brown and orange tones for the "rust" and what ever you want to cover it up with.
- Sponges
-Vallejo Masking Liquid

Step 1 - Rusting
I primed the bases black and then gave them a dusting of white (means I don't cover every single inch of the base/model in white, but apply the spray so lightly in short bursts, that the lines stay black and the overall appearance is more grey than white)

Step 2
For starters I used a pretty watered down dark brown.

Step 3
With an  big random brush I mix some organe and lighter brown tones into the still wet dark brown. The brush helps to create random structures and swirls in the colour.

Step 4After everything has dried, I mix the Marcharius Solar Organge with lots and lots of water...

 

...and pour in generoulsy over the bases.

Step 5 - Masking
Prepare your masking stuff. Ofcause you can hold the sponge with your fingers, but I found it quite helpfull to use the pincers as seen on the picture.

 Step 6
Now comes the fun part. Soak up some masking liquid with the sponge. Depending on the size of paint laking you want toachieve, it might be wise to dab some of the liquid of the sponge. otherwise you will have big blobs of liquid on your bases.

Now you lightly dab some liquid on the base. Don't worry about not reaching every corner...

Step 7
... since now you can use an OLD brush to conncet the dots and fill out the deepest places, the sponge can't reach. Remind yurself all the time: what every you paint now, will stay orange. I  always forget that and get a little trigger happy...
Another hint at this point: The thicker the liquid is applyed, the easier you can rub if off afterwards.

Step 8 - Covering
For my bases I use a tourquise in several layers, applyed with a sponge. The reason for the sponge isthe texture it leaves on the even surfaces. I want the paint to be a bit bumpy and texturised. It also goes really fast. If you do this technique on model like tanks or TAGs, you probably want to use a brush or (if you have) an airbrush to apply the coverlayer.

 First with a slight mix of black in it.

Then a little brighter... and brighter...

 Step 9 - Unmasking
Here comes the fun part. I haven't found another technique than to rub with your fingers over the covered areas and the peel the making off...

In the end you will get something like this:

Now a couple of metallics and you are done. The trick with the metallics is to use a rather dark one first and the really slightly pick up the edges with a bright metal.


So. That's it. I really hope you found this usefull of some sort :D