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.

Zombicide Zombies Wave 2 Started

miniatures painting

Have I just spent Sunday morning painting miniatures? OMG who am I?

This rather active morning started off with prepping wave 3 by applying the primer to them.

It was then back inside to start applying the base paint to what I am now calling wave 2. These are a little bit more “complicated” than wave 1. Mainly in details like they have ties, and the leg is showing.

I’m still amazed after applying the flesh wash to the flesh areas what a difference it makes. As for how the wasted jeans blue and the primer colour working together, I really like the look after just one coat. It’s like instant highlights!

There is still a couple of washes to apply to the relevant areas, along with putting blood in the wounds. I’ve been thinking about the minis in my favourite game of all time Scythe. I know some folks have painted them fully, but I think they might work with just a wash similar to the minions in Mechs vs Minions.

Although I started watching this yesterday, whilst painting this morning I had the brand new series starring that guy from the US The Office in Jack Ryan on.


I’m enjoying it a lot. Is it better than the recent tv series Condor? I give the edge to Condor. But both are really good if you like that whole spy thriller thing. This version of Jack Ryan is certainly miles better than the cinematic Chris Pine version that came out a couple years or more back.

Heck I might even apply the remaining washes this afternoon!

Hold them for 7 days, is that too much to ask?

Fenland Gamers, game night, miniatures painting

It just so happened that the fortnightly gaming session for Fenland Gamers fell on the very last day of the month. That’s about the only interesting thing I can say about the day really.

Earlier in the day I’d bought some PVA glue, and a cheap 20p brush to apply it with. Just before I was due to go out the door to the club night I decided I’d try doing the base of one of the painted walkers. I was quiet impressed with the results. So much so I had to do the remaining 5 before leaving.

It’s amazing how a little thing like this transforms the mini. I know there are errors in the painting of these figures, which are glaring when viewed up close. But when not looking at them really close, I’m beginning to really like how these now look.

I arrived a little early at our hosts for the evening The Luxe Cinema to get set up ready for everyone else. But the fantastic staff had already got my folding table out and put up. Not only that they had cleaned the surface too! The staff really are amazing at The Luxe.

While Justin and Edmund co-led a game of Vast: The Crystal Caverns, Jeff, Jonathan and I sat down to play Jeff’s birthday present 7 Days of Westerplatte.

7 Days of Westerplatte is a co-op game where the 3 of us played the polish trying to hold off the German invaders in basically what was I believe the start of WWII.

Jeff gave us the choice of wimpy easy mode or tough as nails hard mode. Naturally we decided to show how insanely stupid we were by choosing the tough as nails mode. Hey if we are going to fail, let’s do it spectacularly against overwhelming odds.

I can see where Jeff gets his tower defence like comparison from. Jonathan and I both really enjoyed the game.

Naturally the first 3 days seemed relatively easy, we were handling the invaders, and it would seem that the game is designed to lure you into that false sense of security before hitting you hard and fast.

This was so quick to teach, and get playing. There are some fantastic decisions to make as a team. Sometimes real tough ones.

We only just made it to the seventh day before we were worn down by the Germans and our positions over run. This may have jumped into first spot as my favourite co-op game.

Our second game was the latest addition to the Ticket to Ride family, Ticket to Ride New York. Jonathan had said it’s quick to play, and it is. It was ok, it gave you that quick fix of Ticket to Ride if that is what you are looking for. I suppose it might fill that filler game spot. But the game didn’t wow me. Jeff won the game.

We finished off our evening of gaming with a couple of games of the best version of Love Letter, Love Letter: Batman. The honours were split between John and myself.

Once again a great evening gaming, at a great location. The Luxe really are fantastic hosts.

Star Realms Frontiers KS arrives

new arrivals, star realms

At some point this weekend I have a job ahead of me that needs doing. Not house work, something more important.

Finally the mega slow UK fulfilment side of GamesQuest got their act together and sent me my Star Realms Frontiers Kickstarter stuff.


I doubled down on everything because Nathan has a copy too. He loves the game, so I always order double.

There is another Kickstarter somewhere between here and the US. But this one will keep me busy checking it’s all there while I wait.

Nottingham

Uncategorized

Some how in my first half century on this planet I’ve never been to Nottingham. I have to say I was pretty impressed with the city centre from the little of it that I got to see. I think I nearly liked it more than Guildford or Peterborough. But then again there are not many cities for me to compare it with. I’m not a big city type of person.

I had some spare time before my appointment that had bought me to Nottingham, so while drinking a cortado in Costa I googled “board game shop Nottingham”. One of the top results was a Warhammer shop (I’m assuming these are rebranded Games Workshop establishments) real close to where I was consuming hot milky coffee.

So while taking the unintended long winded route to the place (I literally just had to cross the road) I saw a familiar name from The Dice Tower coverage of their trips to the UK for the UKGE, the Ludorati board game cafe. Which was by luck round the corner from the Warhammer shop.

Although not teaming with customers the Warhammer shop did have a couple of young lads sitting painting miniatures. It was nice to see. I bought this new collectable magazine published by Games Workshop and only available from their stores. For the £1.99 it was worth getting for the paints alone, it also had a brush and 3 models to build and paint. The magazine was a bit disappointing on the how to front considering this is aimed at beginners. If it had been better I may have got future copies, but there isn’t enough in the magazine to justify buying it. If you like or are interested in the lore, and playing Conquest then this might be worth looking at. But these collectible magazines are a scam, and in the long run over priced for what they are.

While handing over paper tokens, I also exchanged them for coloured stuff that’s meant to be grass! to cover the bases of my figures with.


Sadly there wasn’t enough time for me to visit the Forbidden Planet opposite from the Warhammer shop. My wallet and bank account breathed a big sigh of relief.

But I did get to look quickly inside the Ludorati gaming cafe. It also wasn’t overly busy. It looked like a good selection of games to chose from if you were there to game, and lots of play space. But I thought they might have a bigger selection of games to browse and buy. It was a bit disappointing on that side. But I was able to buy a recent issue of Tabletop that I was interested in getting. Who would pay £5.50 for that “free” gift I don’t know? I certainly wouldn’t.

Next time I need to plan things better, because I think Nottingham is the stamping ground of an ol’ college friend from many many moons back. It would be good to touch base with him again after all these years.

6 Down, 72 to go

miniatures painting

So I applied that red wash to the shirt, attempted a dry brush of blood round the mouth and back of the hands, and touched up the wounds with the crusted sore paint. Finally sprayed with varnish.

Looking up close on the photos I can see the now glaring errors. Spots where I missed with the paint.

The poor job with the hair actually worked in my favour I think ( this time ).

These are far from perfect, and I’d say a poor tabletop quality, but I’m pretty sure by the end I’ll be half decent. Unlike the halfling wizard figure I’m going to keep these as they are so I can compare between these first ones, and the ones that come off the production line at the end.

Yes I know the bases need doing. I’ve got time to decide how I’m going to cover these.

Decided to prime the other 2 halfling wizard figures and the halfling in winter figure just in case the urge strikes me during the marathon zombie painting ahead of me for a break. Apart from the side projects that are on the way that I’ve already mentioned.

The Last Bank Holiday of 2018

miniatures painting

Yesterday evening I applied a flesh wash to the flesh areas of the zombies, and the zombie shader (that’s what Army Painter are calling the shader in their Zombicide paint kit) to the jacket. As I’m typing this bit of the blog post I’m debating whether to apply a shader to the jeans. I like the effect/look they have at the moment. I might just apply some red shader to the shirt/front, then some strategic crimson red and leave it at that. At best these will be tabletop ready, they certainly won’t be professional, win awards quality. But then I’m not aiming for that amazing pro level.

So that’s part of today’s plans. Who knows how the rest of the day will shape out? It may even involve some gaming!

Sunday Sunday Sunday

Commander, magic, miniatures painting, MtG, MtG Deck Building

Sunday morning was a very relaxed start, especially after listening to Radio 5 Live for a couple of hours in the middle of the night (loved the choice of the Star Wars theme by a listener for the sound of their generation). Supernatural season 11 on Netflix, choc chip brioche and a mug of my latest coffee from Pact Coffee, their Kayon Mountain Guji Washed bean.

That’s my morning routine each day. Amazing freshly brewed coffee (I use a V60 drip to brew mine) in my favourite mug and the brioche on my favourite plate, while watching usually the latest tv from the states. I’m a creature of habit. The mug and plate were gifts from friends I worked with. So they kinda remind me each day of those friends I no longer see on a daily basis.

This morning I followed it up with a little deck building. Using Nature’s Vengeance and Adaptive Enchantment from Commander 2018 I added cards to the ones I’d already gotten in for the 2 decks I’ve been slowly brewing. Which means the horrors from the deep and Muldrotha decks are nearly complete and ready for testing/playing.

I did look through the Exquisite Invention deck, which is the Saheeli artifacts deck. It kinda got me wanting to build an artifacts deck. But I want a splash of black, and Saheeli is red/blue. So I may have to go to Breya as the Commander. Which gives me access to Revel in Riches. Maybe I’ll try Breya after building a Saheeli deck. But while looking for cards I started putting goblins aside. So I guess a goblin deck could be thrown together also.

Here is the newest list of deck ideas.

  • Muldrotha, the gravetide
  • Infect/wither deck (Atraxa as the commander possibly)
  • Atraxa deck upgraded
  • Death and Taxes
  • Care bear
  • Abuse etb – Brago, King Eternal as the commander (possibly)
  • Saproling and fungus (go wide or go home!) possible Commander Slimefoot, the Stowaway
  • Goblin tribal
  • Artifacts with Saheeli
  • Ninja tribal

Yep it’s just getting longer (at the moment).

After a relaxed morning of brewing it was time to let lose with my inner Picasso and paint some zombies.


This afternoon I painted the base colour on 6 of the zombie horde. I’m not overly chuffed with the heads. But there is time to save them so that I have something I can live with.

I know one thing that will really upset/wind up more experience painters. I haven’t got rid of the lines from the mold/casting on the figures before painting.

I do like the colours that Army Painter chose for the Zombicide zombies, especially the wasted jeans.

Next I think I’m going to apply a shader/wash to get some depth on the figures. I’ve seen a friends painting and it has no depth, it’s solid colour, too bright as well. I’m a much more subdued colour person. I like that worn, faded look. So you are going to see that look a lot in my stuff, or an attempt at it anyway.

Well I’m spent now, I’ve had that flurry of activity painting. Time to chill out watching more Supernatural. I’ve been playing a mega catch up on that front.