Coolest meeple on the zombie apocalypse block

Fenland Gamers, game night

As yesterdays say nothing post pointed out, last night was the monthly gaming meet up for Fenland Gamers at our amazing host The Luxe Cinema.

I started my evening of gaming by being way too early. I should have checked the start time. For some reason I thought it was a 6:30 start instead of it’s actual 7pm start. Which is ironic really because I’m the one that created the repeating event on the clubs Facebook page! Instead I enjoyed the company of the staff with some banter, an iceblast, and some warm flavoured nuts.

It was a good turn out for a monthly meetup, with club regulars and some new faces.

With my copy still in the dhl transit system in the US (I’ve been stalking my package via its tracking number), we got to play Gavin’s copy of Tiny Epic Zombies that had arrived a few days earlier.

Had either of us actually read the rules before hand, or watch any how to play videos? don’t be silly, this is Fenland Gamers we are talking about. This was the first time the contents had been out of their seals and plastic bags. I did have some sleeves with me, so I presumptuously sleeved the cards for him, whilst he read the rule book about setting up the game.

Katie was given the honour of choosing how we would be playing the game. So Katie chose the competitive mode, with AI zombies. But there is a variety of modes you can play the game, so if the competitive side isn’t your bag, then there is a co-op mode. don’t like AI, then you can play one against many. With the one taking on the role of the zombies.

I think we got the basic turn structure right, and the core mechanics. But I’m also sure that we made some rules mistakes as well through out our game.

Gavin wasn’t too impressed with the rule book. But in the past I’ve not had an issue with other Gamelyn Tiny Epic rule books. I’ll have to reserve judgement not this until my copy has arrived and I have had a time to read through it.

Gavin and I did find that the text on the objective cards was a tad on the small side making it hard to read. But then again this wasn’t helped by the lighting. And I’ve found that an issue with one or two other games, in perfect lighting the smaller text is readable (just for the these aging eyes), but in less than optimal lighting it’s a hard task to make head or tales of things.

Component wise it’s up to the usual high standards you’d expect for a Tiny Epic game. The ITEMeeples look super cool with the weapons attached. Mine looked really epic with a chainsaw and machine gun. I didn’t care if I won or not, I had a cool looking ITEMeeple. The motorbike also has that “wow, cool” factor. And looks awesome on the game board. These have that wow factor now, but will that wear off over multiple plays?

Katie and I both managed to complete one of the three objectives needed to win. But the game clock for the AI kicked in meaning that everyone lost. The AI clock for us was the search deck (not clear on how the call it, and no rule book to confirm) running out. I did like this as a mechanic for stopping the game from just going on and on. Although I’m not sure with the objectives we had how they could have been completed in the time given.

It certainly was a fun experience. Definitely going to get more plays, and trying out some of the other ways of playing the game.

Our second game of the evening was another new game for me, Smash Up. I know I’m very late to the party for this one. But I really enjoyed playing this.

I was playing ninjas and an Irish lepicorn mash up. So I was able to like put curses on bases to punish other players, or punish them for destroying a minion with the lepicorn cards. But with the ninja side I was able to play cards when bases were being scored. Gavin had zombies as one of his decks and that had graveyard (or discard pile) shenanigans. Very thematic.

The whole majority control fighting over bases works really well. And it was fun discovering how the mash up of decks worked. I thought mine worked together really well. Despite that I don’t think I was playing it optimally, and my last place only emphasised that.

I definitely can see myself playing this again. I think it might even be good enough to add to my collection.

It was a really fun evening, great to see knew and old faces. Our hosts The Luxe Cinema were awesome as usual. And we are really grateful to them for allowing us to game there.

Pretending to have a social life

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Two days silence on this blog is more like I’ve gone walk about, or missing. But it’s the start of the academic year, things are real busy. Plus more importantly I’ve had nothing to say! Yeah shocking I know.

This week I’m pretending to have a social life. Last night it was our fortnightly D&D session. We are playing through the beginners starter kit campaign with our own characters. I’m playing Dram a halfling wizard, and why I sourced and painted the mini.

The sessions have been fun, although at times frustrating. But this is a beginners game where for the majority this is their first rpg. I played merps at poly, followed by a very very long gap. So I’m hardly a seasoned pro.

Tonight it’s the second Wednesday of the month, which means it’s the Fenland Gamers Monthly meetup. I’m hoping to get to play Tiny Epic Zombies (despite my copy not arriving yet, although it’s in “transit”).

Friday sees the every other week or fortnightly Friday Gaming session for Fenland Gamers.

So you can see that gives a pretty good impersonation of having a social life. It also means that there has been no painting taking place this week so far. Wave 4 may start on Thursday. I actually started cleaning my brushes with special brush cleaning soap Monday evening. It apparently cleans and conditions! Sounds like a shampoo.

There you have it a busy weeks gaming, making it look like I’m popular, and have a social life. How the illusion of it all.

Wave 3 Nearing Completion

miniatures painting

The last bit I had to do before spraying on the varnish was add some silver to the necklace and earrings, and a little crusted sore to key spots. Yes that’s a bloody bum she has! There was also a spot on the front of the jacket that I put a spot of glistening blood in.

The wave is now drying after I sprayed on the varnish. Which means tomorrow will see me complete the wave by doing the bases. I suppose I could have been doing that today, but I was feeling a bit lazy yesterday.

I do need to get some more light grey primer. Will the expense of this new “hobby” never stop?

Also need to work on my techniques. The washes still need to work, but a friend has given me suggestions how to fix that. Not happy with my dry brush work. So that’s my next thing to sort out.

Saturday Morning 8/9/18

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With Wave 3 nearing completion it was time to prime Wave 4. Which as you can see is only 6 zombies this time.

While I’m boring you I posted these 2 photos taken of Nico this morning.

Managed to watch the latest Netflix Marvel show to drop yesterday, don’t read any further if you want to avoid spoilers.

So Iron Fist season 2 has dropped. Thanks to mum having a scan yesterday I was able to watch the whole thing in a massive all day binge session.

Ok what was my overall opinion of this season? I liked it. It wasn’t amazing. But what I like about these Netflix shows is that they are a bit more grounded (well as far as a superhero show can be, they are not constantly relying on mass city wide destruction) and grittier.

They were bound to do one of the characters losing their abilities storylines. I’m kinda glad they did it here. I’m not sure whether the multiple different coloured iron fists is cannon (I don’t read the Iron Fist comics, and barely remember him when he was teamed up with Luke Cage in the 80’s). I kinda think this storyline is a bit lazy and predictable, and a standard superhero trope. So when they do it, for me it comes down to how well do they do it? I think they did an ok job.

Typhoid Mary a character I was not familiar with, I liked. I wouldn’t be upset if she turned up in the other series (Punisher?). I’d love Misty to get her own series. I really do like her character.

Was it lazy having the sister team up with a bad guy for this series? What will they do in season 3 (if there is one), have both brother and sister team up with the bad guy? As for the bad guy, not the most threatening, with the Ra’s al Ghul cleanse the city plot. I suppose we will see this picked up again at some point because we haven’t had the big bad that was being hinted at. Defenders 2 plot line where they team up to stop it?

I thought the last episode didn’t do a good enough job of explaining how Danny got the fist back, and why now they could use it with weapons.

Oh and on the last episode at the end there is a teaser for Dare Devil season 3 (out December).

Worth watching.

Some thoughts on GoR Spoilers So Far

magic, MtG

How have you enjoyed a week without Magic posts? Sadly that all ends with this post.

The spoiler season has just started for the next MtG set to hit us at the start of October, Guilds of Ravnica (GoR).

For me like the other times when I see these spoilers I’m looking at the cards for whether they will go in an existing deck (Which cards they replace is a whole different problem), or do they inspire brewing a new deck?


This wurm is apparently according to others with far superior knowledge on this sort of thing, the biggest creature WotC have printed in the history of MtG. I think it’s obvious why I like the new buy a box promo. I happen to have a big green stompy Commander deck. Which plays big green stompy creatures. This looks exactly like a big green stompy creatures to me.

There are some interesting mechanics in GoR that also fit in very nicely with one or two of my decks.

  • Jump-start – which allows a card to be cast from the graveyard by paying the cards casting costs and discarding a card. The card is then exiled. – I think this mechanic will fit nicely with my Kess spell casting deck.
  • Surveil – look at the top of your deck, leave the card there or put it into your graveyard. Yeah this mechanic will be so sweat in my Muldrotha deck. It wants cards in the graveyard.
  • Mentor – when creature attacks put a +1/+1 counter on a target attacking creature with a weaker strength. – this potentially will fit with the Atraxa deck and proliferate mechanic, doubling season would also be nice with it.

Hopefully there will be some great cards with these mechanics that just have to go in my decks. But there are hints that graveyard shenanigans will be a thing in GoR, which means hopefully lots of toys to go in my Muldrotha deck.

Talking of toys these bad boys are back…

Yep shock lands. I’m hoping fetch lands will be reprinted soon. But these will hold me over until then. I don’t care about Standard, I want these Commander staples dropping in price. That means reprints. This is a good start.

Dual cards are also back, along with dual mana. I can see this particular one going in to a deck. This might go in the dino, or dragon deck. Like these because it’s a two for one. You just need a good combo to choose between to justify using the card.

These next 3 cards are strong Muldrotha contenders, whilst Sinister Sabotage could go into Kess and the horrors from the deep.


I do have a bit of confusion with Sinister Sabotage though. A few MtG content creatures are saying this card is better than Disallow that it will obviously replace in standard. Ok Disallow doesn’t have the Surveil mechanic, but Disallow counters activated abilities. Which in this age of Planeswalkers would be of more use. Being able to stop a Teferi ultimating seems more useful to me. But hey I’m a relative noob what do I know?

Talking of Planeswalkers, this guy looks like a good fit for my Kess deck.


I love the atmospheric art on this next card, but I can also once again see it as potential Muldrotha material.


I have been toying with the idea of a goblin tribal deck, so this next spoilt card looks like I should be considering adding it.

So thats my picks from the current crop of spoilers. What cards have caught your interest?

Day 3 progress on Wave 3

miniatures painting

Well that’s embarrassing yesterdays post failed to publish, so it’s just gone up on the blog.
It’s now 3 nights in a row.

It was the turn of the jacket and skin to get washes this evening.

I do like the skin wash and the way it transforms the skin of the zombies.

Tomorrow we get bloody!

P.S. This arrived today, looking to getting it to the table at the monthly meetup next Wednesday.

Base coat complete

miniatures painting

Painting for a second night in a row!

Skin (zombie skin colour), and the jacket (faded suit I think they call it), along with the mouldy clothing looking like a piece of blouse were applied as base coats today.

I also applied a blue wash to the skirt to try and start adding some tone to the it. Because the paint is still wet the zombies look darker than they will be once dry. I’m hoping that in the morning I’ll start to see that solid slab of colour show some depth.

Tomorrow will see more washes applied to continue the process of bringing life to these zombies.

Gentlemen prefer blonde zombies

miniatures painting

I really don’t know who I am. Doing a little bit of painting in the evening!

After tea I thought I’d just do the base coat on the skirt (light denim – basically a light shade of blue) and the hair (babe blonde – or yellow!) An episode of Supernatural later and I’d done the goal for the evening.

What next, the top clothing tomorrow evening?

Help my body is in a pod, this isn’t me.

I guess this means Wave 3 has officially been started.