Silva Towaa and Moar

Some motivation for you my fellows!  Happy Wednesday (or whatever day you guys are reading this, except Tuesdays, they can go rot in Hell).  Hope all of you are doing well!  Today I have lots of talk about Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower - nothing crazy like a review or anything, just some quick thoughts on it.  I'll also be discussing the future of my Skaven and my Bloodbound, as well as some of the plans for my other armies - INCLUDING A FLASH SALE!

Let's go ahead and get started on this amigos, and see if we can keep moving forward!

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Silver Tower.

This is a game that, quite frankly, has been one of the best purchases I have made in a long time.  For $150, you get 51 models, plus an entire board game!  $2.94 a GW model?  Uh, yes please.  Plus a board game, that's actually quite an exciting time!

Quest for the Amulet of Chamon in #warhammerquest #silvertower featuring a big win for the players! Great way to spend the evening!

A photo posted by Patrick O'Leary 🇺🇸 (@patrick_r_oleary) on May 28, 2016 at 9:45pm PDT

 I mean, our group has REALLY, REALLY enjoyed this game, probably more than any other board game that we have played lately.  AND as an added bonus, a couple of people from our gaming group have bought AoS models to use in the game, which means they are one step away from buying into AoS itself!  Truly, a win win for the community here in Atlanta.

As of this writing, we are 5 pieces into the campaign.  All we have left are the shards of Life, Fire, and Light to collect.  (Yes, the piece of light is the tutorial game.  Yes, we died.  Horribly).  I have been playing as the Fyreslayer Doomseeker.  Our group has evolved with their characters into a mostly chaotic group from there.  We have a Dark Elf Assassin, an Exalted Deathbringer with Impaling Spear, and a Slaughterpriest with the sword and hammer.  Tonight we will have a replacement for the guy with the Slaughterpriest, so there will be a new hero.

The game plays great, and each of the trials is unique - which makes its awesome for replayability.  My personal favorite trial has been the quest for the piece of Azyr and the piece of Ghur.  Not to get into the story too much, but both of those quests feel very much like they should, and if you are a fluff-nut like I am, then the story coming to a head in both of those is very satisfying.

After 5/6 hours of work from about 4 people, managed to get base coats down on all of the Silver Tower models and get first round of highlights on to about 80% of them. Another couple days work from myself and these will be fit for table top! Managed to snag a game in of course! Great game! #ageofsigmar #silvertower #warmongers #warhammerquest

A photo posted by Patrick O'Leary 🇺🇸 (@patrick_r_oleary) on May 30, 2016 at 10:09pm PDT

We all gathered together to try and get a good bit of it painted, and - as the caption states - we managed to get basecoats and highlights on just about everything from the box!  Which was awesome, because now everything looks pretty good on the table already.  These models just eat up the paint, they are a breeze.  Some of the best models in a long time (so since the last AoS release basically).

Disaster finally strikes! After 2-3 games going easy on us, my group stumbles into the realm of Death and gets ambushed by the Guant Summoner. nEedless to say, we didn't last very long. #ageofsigmar #warhammerquest #silvertower

A photo posted by Patrick O'Leary 🇺🇸 (@patrick_r_oleary) on Jun 4, 2016 at 9:03pm PDT

I highly recommend picking up the game.  The only complaint I have, and that our group has had, is that the beginning of all of the trials feel very similar, and not a lot happens until you get into the thick of the various trials.  From that point on you feel like you are completing the quests in unique ways, facing the myriad challenges with wild abandon.

11/10, would buy again.

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So, on to the second point!  What am I working on currently, and how will we continue to move forward?  Well, dear reader, that is an excellent question!  

I am finding myself more and more at a hobby cross roads.  I have always believed that one should have a couple of main games that they play and enjoy with people all around them.  However, that has - over the course of many moons - turned into a plethora of games that I no longer play or have the desire to even look at in some cases (Uncharted Seas you sad, wonderful game - RIP).  So I have many, many models.  

It is time to cut them down, dust out the cupboards, cull the herd, etc.  I have the following that is all going to be looking for a new home soon:

• Firestorm Armada - Terrans (Stripped)
• Firestorm Armada - RSN (Stripped/unbuilt)
• Firestorm Armada - Relthoza (Unpainted)
• Firestorm Armada - Dendrenzi (Unpainted)
• Firestorm Armada - Misc. (various)
• Guildball - Alchemists (everything but Compound from the line, all but 2 painted)
• X-Wing (I don't even know, I really just want to put all in a box and get rid of it)
• Malifaux - Lucius (unopened)
• Malifaux - Lady J (built, unpainted)
• Malifaux - Ten Thunders
• Misaki Box (unopened)
• Metal 10T Brothers (unopened)
• Samurai (2 assembled, 1 on sprue, unpainted)
• Malifaux - Misc (Again, just want to box and get rid of it)
• Age of Sigmar/9th Age/Kow 
• I have a box of misc. Dark Elves, nothing spectacular, mostly Corsairs that are not assembled and some other bits and bobs.  I would just want to pretty much give this away.
• Warhammer 40k
• This is an oddball for me.  I have a lot of Chaos Stuff, but none of it is very exciting.  I am just looking to get rid of this so that I can justify - in my mind atleast - starting fresh into a game that I have abandoned for so long.  
• I also have vanilla Space Marines that have some Black Templars painted up among their number.  I could be convinced to get rid of these too.

For all of these, just ask me what I have through email (olearypr@gmail.com) and I can send pictures and hash out prices.  I am looking to get rid of a lot of this, so I can't imagine asking more than around 50% Retail for any of it.  

I'd be willing to look for some trades as well, including the following:

• Imperial Guard - Catachans a plus
• AoS (ordered by level of desire)
• Skaven
• Khorne Bloodbound
• Tzeentch Daemons
• Savage Orcs
• Uncharted Seas (ordered by level of desire)
• Ralgard
• NEW SCULPTS Empire/Humans
• Elves
• Sky Pirates
• Dragon Lords
• Anything else would be a case by case basis.

As for things that I am actually working on, besides flash sales, I am just working on painting up more rats for the Rise of Empires in the Age of Beasts Campaign.  I have been slacking lately, and then with Silver Tower popping up all of my painting time has been sunk into that.  For this month, I would like to actually finish my half done Plague Censer Bearers and all of my Warlock Engineers and Arch Warlocks.  IF I get that done, then I would be happy to finish up my Stormfiends and get my Verminlord built.  

On the NEW 40k front, I would love to start building a Catachan force.  Something totally unique from all other armies I have collected.  Plus, I should probably play a good guy at some point in my tabletop escapades.   

Looking forward to writing to all of you again in the near future, hopefully with some painted models and empty shelf space!  Until then, happy gaming!

New Month, New Post!

Hey hey hey!  It's your favorite blogger here to talk to you about the dangers of goal setting - if you set em, more than likely you are going to complete them!

So, what have I been motivated to complete since my last post here a little over a week ago?  I HAVE A PICTURE FOR THAT TOO.

I did a thing in the bottom right over there and completed (to a tabletop standard) a couple of models from a range that I have never painted before.  I did this by getting my Alchemist team completed for Guildball in time to go and get some gaming in at the beach against some buddies of mine from Atlanta.  

Here is some photographic proof that I can indeed complete models in a rather quick fashion should I so choose to do so!

I really enjoyed playing Guildball over the weekend.  It is a refreshing change of pace from the types of games I was playing before in that you can get it done in a little over an hour in most circumstances.  These games that I was playing were learning games, and as such they were all more geared towards helping me along with the game system and learning the niceties of the system.  I played against both an Engineers Guild team and a Union Team.  I lost all three games, but as the weekend progressed it was closer and closer.  The final game I managed to score 6 to his winning 12 points.  Other games before this I had failed to score a single point with my team either time.  

I really am enjoying Guildball, but I definitely need to get more practice in with the team that I have and - of course - pick up the rest of the Alchemist models that I don't already have.  Which of course will lead to grabbing more Union team members, a Union team, and then grabbing another team after that as it snowballs out of control.  But that's ok! Who gets into tabletop games and doesn't have that happen to them over the course of their gaming life?

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In other news, I have postings about the news!  That's right folks, I have just a few items of business that I would like to bring to the attention of the model loving public.

First, the birth of the Skaven Pestilence Battletome and all of the delicious wonders that entails:

I have not broken down and purchased the Virulent Horde yet, but man alive that is a good looking box set if I have ever seen one.  I am not a huge fan of getting another Plague Furnace, but the thought of just about everything else in the box set makes it well worth basically getting a Furnace and a catapult for free an ok prospect.  I am giddy with excitement over this release, for fairly obvious reasons I think.  I love my Plague Rats almost as much as I love gaming in general, so these are near and dear to my heart as a Skaven player.  

The other Age of Sigmar news that has my blood and creative juices flowing is the grand entrance of the Sigmarite Cavalry, and the hints of Stardragons coming to their aid soon. These models, while pricy, are some of the coolest things I have seen.  I really dig the whole vibe of the crossbowmen armed cavalry, I think they are probably the best looking of the bunch with the axes coming in a close second.  

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Anyway, this is all I have for you today.  Look for the ever increasing tide of Clan Festerscar to make a reappearance on the Realm of Ghur, and for more painted Guildball models to show up on this page in the near future!  Until next time, dear readers, happy gaming!

Katalyst is the one who will break the secrets of life everlasting.  The same might not
be true for those that he is across from on the pitch.....

Clan Festerscar Rising

Hey all!  Happy to be here again, assaulting your eye holes with miniatures and words.

Things are going well with the Rise of Empires campaign - just got my second blog post up over there detailing the birth of the Vermin Crusade against the Realm of Beasts, with the initial waves being led by the rival in power to Malkk - Plague Priest Zulrot and his army of frenzied Plague monks.  There are also developments for the history of the fall of the city of Alpines and the rise in power of the Fire Mage Opstrum Painad (who knows how that will combine with the awesome power of Plaguemaster Malkk), and of course we have the introduction of new characters into the mix:

• Omer Bollen - High General of the Alpine Guard.
• Coruk the Illuminated, master of the Cult of Illumination within the army of Zulrot.
• The introduction of the one eyed doombull, who is perhaps a representative from the followers of the mighty Chlorothrax to the far East of the Realm of Ghur.

Time will tell what these characters have to add to the story of the Plaguemaster and his schemes... if they are truly his own machinations.

LINK to the new post.

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So what is next for the painting block, now that I have managed to swing through 40 plague monks, plague priest Zulrot, and the plagueclaw catapult?  Well, if rumors are true, I may be grabbing another box of fun rats within the next few days.  Rumors from Natfka say there is a "Start Collecting: Clan Pestilent" for £50 ($85) as well as something called the "Virulent Horde" for £105 ($150) coming out within the next couple of weeks. If these look like really good deals, they may or may not happen.  I am in love with the idea that I can build an entirely pestilent force for my rats in Age of Sigmar, its one of the greatest selling points to an excellent game.  

Other than that, the next phase of the painting for the Rise of Empires campaign will focus around the "Boiler Vermin" of Clan Festerscar, who are working to stoke the giant cauldrons for Plaguemaster Malkk's grand World Plague.  Led by an Arch-Warlock (name TBD) and his attendants, the forces of putrescent Skyre minions will be working to ensure that Malkk's schemes are not foiled by technical difficulties, or by enemies of the Crusade.  So that means Skyre Acolytes, Arch-Warlocks, Warlock Engineers, Weapon Teams, and of course the awesome power of the Warp Lightning Cannon will be added to the forces of Malkk.

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On other fronts, I am challenging myself to complete an entire Guildball team within a week in order to be able to play against a friend this coming weekend.  My Alchemists are getting a lovely coat of blue and brown, with cream as the tertiary color and red accents.  Still need to come up with a name for these bad boys, but so far they are a blast to paint.

They also help to satisfy one of the spaces on the year long Miniature Painting Bingo Challenge that I am trying to complete in order to further expand my skills as a painter. Here is what the challenge looks like:

I have already completed "Paint a new version of a mini you painted years ago" by painting up my Skaven Plague Monks to a higher standard than the way they were painted during my high school years.  The Guildball team will fulfill the "Paint a mini from a range that you have never painted before" which puts me at 8.4% Complete with the challenge at 2 months into the year.  I imagine that my putrescent Skyre Acolytes will fulfill the role of "Paint a Mini in a color that you don't like painting and make it work" by painting with various shades of black, mixed with the customary pale green that makes up my Festerscar Clan.  

All in all, I really am enjoying getting the hobby juices flowing.  It's been entirely too long since I put a brush to a model, and I have missed it greatly.  The narrative campaign is really getting my creative juices flowing and giving me an outlet for hobby, as the local scene here in eastern Alabama is a joke frankly.  When it gets to about May I will be able to get many more games in, which I cannot wait for, as that will give me a solid 2-3 months where I can get lots of battle reports up on the Rise of Empires blog, as well as have even more motivation to get paint on plastic or metal.

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Please comment if there is anything that you would like to see in the coming weeks and months!  Otherwise, it's full steam ahead with Clan Festerscar in the Age of Beasts, the Asset Liquidators of the Alchemists Guild, and so much more!  Here's hoping that I can stay on top of things and get everything done that needs to get done before the end of the year.  Happy Gaming!

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