Monday Sneak Peak

Hey All!

So, this week I'm going to be pretty skimpy on the Weekly Update, there's a lot happening around campus that makes it difficult to get things done.  I can tell you that there will be a review and some love towards another Spartan Games system, and that I'll be showing you some of my painting progress from this past week.  So, until then, here are a few pictures about what I will be reviewing!  Enjoy...

Intro to Weekly Updates

Hey All!

So, in an effort to keep this blog alive and kicking, and still have fresh material, I am going to try and make a commitment to post something once a week.  I have just started college at Auburn University, so it will probably take some adjusting, but rest assured faithful readers, that I will have something up every week - probably on Wednesdays from now on.

So, to start out this tradition, here is a brief update on everything that has been going on hobby wise for myself recently.

I ventured over to Fayetteville, Georgia, this past Sunday to get some insight into my "local" hobby store:  Treefort Games.  I have never been to a finer establishment, and would absolutely recommend it to anyone that is in the Atlanta area and has their models on them.  They are only open weekends during the fall and winter - college students are their main source of income - but they have a little bit of everything:  Spartan Games, Games-Workshop, MTG, Warlord Games, Privateer Press, and more.  Plus more board games than you could shake a stick at.  They have something like 15 tables to play on, personal booths for RPG groups, painting tables, hundreds of terrain pieces.  It is an excellent place to call your wargaming home, and I am more than willing to drive the hour and a half to get their from the prettiest village on the plains.

While I was there, I ran into not one but three Spartan Vanguards, and was swept up in a flurry of excitement.  So much so that I ended up agreeing to go back this coming Sunday and enjoy a few games of Firestorm Armada with the local player base.  And then this happened:

So I may have been so swept up into the flurry of Spartan Games rah-rah-rah that I purchased the old Shroud Mages starter box and a blister of Destroyers for them as well.  It was marked down a little, so it rounded up to about $40, so I was extremely happy.  So now I will have my mighty Shroud Mages in addition to the Terrans and RSN for Firestorm.  It is a good day for naval battle systems!

Also, on some rumors and announced awesomes from Spartan Games - Firestorm Armada and Planetfall are getting new rulebooks and new models for everyone!  We're talking a nice new rulebook, faction sourcebooks for the Zenian League and Kurak Alliance, and redone models for all the peoples!

On top of that, Firestorm Planetfall will also be getting a rulebook, alliance books, and models for all 6 core factions!  Thats enough to make me want to save some cash money back even!

And on the rumor mill, it is said from several gentlemen that Uncharted Seas is also due for a new rulebook and models to come out as well, which can only be good news now that my Dark Ironclads will be rolling into service this Wednesday probably.  Good times to be a Spartan Games supporter, as they prepare to launch themselves into a new whirlwind of releases!

On other games fronts, Space Marines are coming out next month, so we all get to see the ugly blue ducklings everywhere for the rest of the edition.

Other news from the fronts is pretty sparse.  New stuff everywhere for all games.  An awesome 2-player starter box for Dropzone Commander has been announced, but with Spartan Games Firestorm Planetfall inbound, it might be hard to break loyalty.  I'll have to compare prices for the games when the FS:P stuff comes out.

Warlord Games has dropped some new Hail Caesar kits and some new Bolt Action stuff, and that's pretty much everything I have for you today guys.  I will definitely get some pictures up of my Cerberus Heavy Cruiser and Terran R&D cruisers when I get them painted up - hopefully - on Wednesday.  And the Shroud Mages will definitely be getting put together on Wednesday as well.  Lots to do on Wednesday to get ready for Sunday!  And on top of everything I have classes (except Wednesdays) and a football game on Saturday!  So, until then, Tarum et clama dimit belli canes! 

On the road again...

Hey All!

So, starting tomorrow, I'll be headed out west on a road trip.  See the Grand Canyon, try not to die of heat exhaustion, dune buggy, the works.  It's going to be awesome!  But wait!!!  "How will he provide us with tabletop and wargaming articles and stories?  Whatever shall I read on the interwebs?!"  First off, thank you!  Second off, have no fear, the nerd in me wouldn't let me go out west and not take a little bit of nerdage for the evenings and nights!  

Dreadball, Firestorm (two fleets for a reason!), Power Grid, and Munchkins oh my!  3 weeks worth of traveling should let me get through at least one game of each, and there will be painting to be done - 21 Dreadball models to be exact - so that'll be covered.  And I'll always be able to talk to you guys about new and interesting games/rules/paintings/news etc.  So, just a little heads up about that, and who knows, I might post unrelated pictures too on here.... My other hobby is going fast...  Anyway, until then, Tarum et clama dimit belli canes!

Dreadball Unboxing

Hey All!

Just wanted to take the time to show you a little something that I got on vacation!  First, let me go on and tell you that Armchair Adventurer in Honolulu, Hawaii is one of the best gaming stores I have ever been in, and that - if you get the chance - you should visit the store.  The Mad Dragon - what the owner calls himself because of the sheer volume of stock he has - would be happy to see you!

Ok, on to business.  So, I have always had a slight love affair with sports games, mostly because I can picture an absolutely fantastic game of Blood Bowl... But alas, Blood Bowl is dying.  So, who comes along?  Plucky Mantic Games of course!  And they have made a winning product this time.

The box set comes with 2 full teams of 10 models each - Marauders (Orcs) and Humans - as well as a deck of 54 game cards, the game board, a referee model, 2 ball models, the full rulebook, hex bases, cardboard tokens, and a roster pad.

After reading through their Kickstarter and the rules, as well as a fair amount of research and thought, I think that - should my first few games prove fun and I get a league going in college this fall - I will be investing in both a Forge Fathers Team and either a Robots team or a future released Teratons team.  For the near future though, I have a feeling that I will be sticking to my Orx and Humans.  Anyway, enough banter!  You want to see an unboxing!

The Box!

The Rulebook, nice paper, well designed book.

 Honestly the rules of this game are fantastically simple.  I love it, and I am going to enjoy playing this game again and again until I am blue in the face, and then play some more because it really is just that awesome.

The Board itself, complete with visitor and home sides

Counters, dice, and roster sheets

Sorry for poor quality, will take better shots beginning of
next week, seeing as I'm still on vacation and dont want
to loose any of the bits and pieces before I get home.

So there you have it.  Not really an indepth opening.  The book and the paper products look fantastic, I can't wait to rip into those models and my Firestorm Armada stuff on Monday, but until then I have to stick with the internet and trying to figure out paint schemes for all of these new figures.  And on that, I'll see you next time, but until then Tarum et clama dimit belli canes!

Update

Hey all!

Just wanted to give you a quick update on whats going on here.  Mostly the following emails:

"Your purchase X has been delivered!"

"Your purchase Y is on route!"

"Your purchase Z should be there on Thursday!"

Lots of exciting stuff coming down the pike finally.  However, I have other exciting stuff going on at the moment, so I actually wont be able to see any of my Firestorm stuff until Monday unfortunately.  However, my family and I are currently on vacation, so it isn't all bad ;)

I am trying to get over to the local store sometime in the following couple days - something of a tradition in all of my travels - and I will probably purchase something to help out the local gaming community.  The store here mostly supports Flames of War, which is something I have been looking at getting into for a while now, but they might also be selling Dreadball.

This means that I might be making some purchases if we go to the store here.  I will let you all know about my adventures to the local store if it happens, but until then, Tarum et clama dimit belli canes!