Random Update: Making terrain

 Okay, it's been way too long since I've updated here. I have been working on things here and there, but sitting down at the keyboard has been a little hard to do. So I thought I'd share some terrain I made. I may do a How To article about it in the future, but time will tell.

If you're curious, I found one of those novelty check in a Dumpster years ago and bough it home. Over the years, I've used about 2/3 of it now, as well as some other pieces I've been able to find here and there. I do have a lot more projects I'd like to do, too.

First off, let me explain how I started. I drew some outlines on a piece of card stock and then used them as a template on the piece of foamcore, trying to fit as many of them on there as I could. All in all, I think I did a decent job.

Here's a picture of the pile I ended up with:

With this done, I started using some bones I picked up at the Dollar Tree, some tropical trees I ordered on Amazon, and then some rocks that came in a bag of stuff I also ordered on Amazon. That is something I'll need to talk about in the future, too...

Anyway, here's what it looked like when I finished:

Now, that pile to the right is everything left over. That circle piece is about 6" around, so I'm setting aside in case I need something in the future. The thing in the back with the skull and bones is going to be used as a "Shrine" in Reign in Hell (when I get a chance to play that again). 

When it came to making the various "forests," I wanted to have them work as terrain, rather than have them look realistic. That's why they have trees around the edges and not in the middle. To break them up a little bit, I used the rocks and bones. I also made a thing of bones to act as area terrain, as well as the collection of rocks. I left some of the smaller pieces aside to be used as some ponds or pools.

I also made myself a little graveyard.

Yeah, I know, I should have left some more space along that one edge. I don't care.

Anyway. The next step is putting some sand on them, putting down some primer, and then painting everything up. I already have some craft paint I've been using for other terrain, but I might wait until I grab a kind of sandy yellow color instead of the browns I've been using. 

Before all of that, I have a lot of other pieces I've put together that are further along, so it'll be some time before you get to see the finished product. If there's anyone actually reading this, let me know if you want to see some more of the terrain I've thrown together and I'll share it.

Looking Ahead: Stargrave

Howdy, everyone! As you might have heard, there’s a new game coming out pretty soon called “Stargrave” by the creator of Frostgrave and Ghost Archipelago.

 Now, I do like the ideas of these games, more so Ghost Archipelago, but I also like science fiction stuff. More than fantasy for sure. So, I’ve been following the news about this game since I first heard about it and I’ve been looking forward to it. Oddly enough, I don’t have a lot of science fiction minis so it’s given me a reason to pick up some here and there, mostly for fun. Since they released the captain and crew building rules sample, I’m now thinking about what kind of crew I want to make. And I just pre-ordered the book today, so you’ll get a review of it before too long, I promise.

However, maybe some of you aren’t aware of the sample we got or haven’t really looked into this new game. So, I decided to throw a few ideas out there for those of you who aren’t sure what you want to do. Let’s talk.

The first thing is that you’ve got a lot of choices for captains and first mates, which don’t have to be of the same type. And you can recruit up to eight additional members of your crew, choosing between basic crew types and specialists. So far, it looks a lot like Ghost Archipelago, which makes me happy. I like the idea of being able to find a crew that works exactly how you play.

 When it comes to building up your crew, the specialists include flame throwers, snipers, grenade launchers, and some other stuff that’s common to other miniatures games. Already, you can throw together a force using some Warhammer 40k stuff from the Imperial lines. I might actually use that to learn how to play (and play with friends, when that’s possible). That’s a good thing because, if you’ve already spent money on 40k stuff, you can get right into the game. If you haven’t got some of those laying around, you can pick up some NOVA Corp and IMEF stuff in Reaper’s Chronoscope line (which have Bones versions) for a quick and dirty way to start or build a second loaner force. Or you can just pick up the stuff that you like. Personally, I’d like to go for a Raygun Gothic look but they don’t make a lot of those these days. I do have a few but not enough to make a full crew right now.

Looking at the crew creation rules, I am a little disappointed because I was hoping to have some kind of melee monster specialist I could take but it looks like shooting is king in this game. Everyone has a pistol at the least. Yes, it makes more sense to have shooting be more powerful in a science fiction setting but sometimes, you just want to do something crazy. However, it is cool that you can make any member of your crew a robot, so I can use my Cyber Reavers for something. If nothing else, I can use them to fill out the crew while I’m figuring things out. Or maybe make that my loaner crew. We’ll see what happens…

Adios, 2020

 

I figured I would try to get one last post here before the end of the year.

Like most of you, I will not be sad to see 2020 over. I am worried about what 2021 will bring. And I have a few more days to see if I was right and we get invaded by aliens this year. I, for one, welcome our new alien overlords.

I do have some more stuff in the works and I feel bad for not posting the last month or so. Like most everyone, this year has been rough and my desire to do anything but watch movies and eat donuts is pretty low. I ran out of steam in October, tried to press on a few more weeks, and then needed to do something else. If you've been paying attention, I did start another blog here, this time about anime. And I'll be posting links there to here when it comes up.

Going forward, I'm going to try to keep updating here on Fridays but I don't know if I can do every week anymore. As always, it'll probably come and go. If you want me to cover something, or post pictures of stuff I'm working on, feel free to let me know. Hopefully, the vaccine for The Plague will be available soon and I can get in some games again. I have quite a few I'm itching to play but they aren't worth my life or the lives of others. I've also been fighting the new interface here, which you can see if you check the pages, they're all kinds of screwed up these days. I'm going to have to figure something out soon...

Since my drive has returned, I already have two posts ready to come out next month. I've been trying out the auto post stuff on the anime blog and I'm going to give it a go here as well. I think it works okay, I just have to remember to set it up and not post like I normally do, letting them out as I finish them. I also need to get some stuff finished for some of the games I can play solo, like have my space cleared so I can actually play them.

I've never been one to chase trends so don't expect me to post about some hot new thing all of the sudden. Unless it's one of the few things I'm actively waiting for (StarGrave, looking at you). I do pay attention to what gets hits and that does factor in a bit. I have a few things I want to do for Cyberpunk 2020, now that Cyberpunk 2077 has come out and people are finding my old review of the 2020 game, and I have more to say about it since I've expanded my collection of books for the game. That's just one thing I can see doing more of in the future.

Okay, I'm just rambling now, time to wrap it up. In short, I make no promises, but I will try to keep posting and spreading the word. If you have something you want me to do, let me know.

Let's hope 2021 is at least slightly better than 2020. Let's not get our hopes too high...

Off Topic: October 2020

 Howdy, everyone! I'm sorry I don't have a real article for you today but I thought I should put something on. So, I guess I'm going to ramble on about gaming, this year, this blog, and whatever else I think about.

Let's start with this year. 2020 has been a hell of a year. Every month feels like a year in and of itself. Some of us aren't working, some of us are working from home, and some of us (like myself) are working as normal, just waiting to catch The Plague and die. A bit of a hyperbole but not much.
The one good thing about all of this is that many people, like myself, have been able to turn back to solo hobby stuff. While I haven't been doing too much painting, I have been getting things put together and priming everything. And, you know, buying more stuff. I do this because I have some extra income and I want these companies to survive this year. I want to support local shops, too, but it's not easy with everything going on around here. If you can, I suggest you do what you can in a safe way. Look out for yourself.

Hearing that this show was cancelled is peak 2020 for me

If you're wondering why I'm doing this post, instead of my usual articles, it's because of my process. When I get ready to do a review, I tend to spend a week or so looking over the book or game I want to review. If I haven't played it, I tend to make characters, run some simple combat and etc, to get a feel for it. If I'm talking about a source book or something similar, I try to read it all the way through a few times and take notes. I'll use it to make a character or whatever, just to see how it works out. As such, you can imagine how much time this takes, before I even sit down to write the article. In fact, writing things out is probably the easiest part for me, taking only a few hours (at most) to finish a first draft. Of course, not all articles come easily and I have quite a few that are half done at most. Sometimes, the muse strikes and I can crank out 3-4 articles in a night and sometimes I have to push myself to get stuff done. Lately, things have been pretty stressful and I just don't have time or the mind to sit down and type things up. Since I take this blog seriously, I don't want to give you half-assed or incomplete articles. As you might have noticed, I refer to my entries here as "articles" not entries or posts because I've always looked at this blog as something like a magazine. While I am by no means a professional, and offer opinions on things, I do want to take this seriously. That's also why I rarely post things like this. And I don't monetize this blog as it's a labor of love. There's also some things that could cause me problems if I tried to make money (of course, if you do like my content, you can just buy my ebook.)

Sadly, this whole thing has killed my ability to play miniature games. I have a friend who's able to stay safe and can come over (you probably saw that battle report), especially since I have a ton of fans and an AC hooked up, so I was able to filter the air. I may have another guy that I can play with but it'll depend on some other factors.
Thankfully, some of the new games I've discovered allow for solo play, so I'm able to get something in. When I'm not working on a ton of other minis... I'm starting to catch up on what I have and cut down buying more. I won't lie to myself, saying that "I won't buy anymore until I finish these" because that's just not going to happen.
The last part of miniature games I want to talk about is about Warhammer 40,000. I was planning on getting back into this game (for some stupid reason) until they launched 9th edition. I'm sorry but I can't keep getting into something that has to update every few years. As much as I would love to play the game again, I'm probably going to pass for now. However, I am interested in Kill Team. I would play that and am looking into it for something in the future. I'm waiting to see what happens with it, if they'll update it to 9th or not. Or just completely drop it, as they've been known to do in the past.
if you're wondering, doing battle reports are quite time intensive as I have to make lists, set everything up, stop to take pictures, and try to take notes during the game. Writing one up can take a lot of time, too.

When it comes to RPGs, I really like playing them in person. I've played once or twice online (using Discord) but it really doesn't work as well for me. But it looks like I'm going have to make some changes if I want to get my fix now...
As such, I'm going to be running a one shot of Rifts for Halloween that I may do a Gaming Story about, depending on how it goes.
I really do like playing and running RPGs but they are quite possibly the hardest things to do. Unlike miniature games, they take longer to get into, longer to play, and requires more people. They are my preferred method of gaming. I love the experience of playing a game with a bunch of other people, the dynamics, the crazy things that happen, the jokes, and all that good stuff are why I play games. While I enjoy card games and miniature games, I do so for different reasons.
Hopefully, I'll be able to get a regular game going, somehow, some way, and I'll share it with you if I'm up for it.

Now, let's talk about what all I'm looking to do in the future. I won't promise you that this will all happen, because that's a fool's game, but I do want do these things.
First up, I want to finish my re-cap of the Ferner Five adventures. I had a lot of fun running that group and many of the players hold it up as the best game they've ever been involved it. Plus, I just love Deadlands.
Next, I'm hoping to finish my series about Silent Hill. I also need to finish that project, too. While it's probably the lowest preforming series of articles here, I write them for me. I enjoy doing it and it's my blog, so I'm going to keep at it.
I want to do some more In Depth articles as well. I really like talking about games in detail and this provides me with the chance to do so, since I've tried to rein in my reviews' length. There's also a bunch of stuff I like to discuss when it comes games, not just the books and mechanics, but things like where to find inspiration, what kinds of games you can run, and so on. I really like to pull out all the stops for these ones but they take so long, I don't have any others finished.
I'm also looking to but together more reviews and talk about settings and source books for games. However, I have a tough time figuring out which ones to do. While I usually pick the stuff that I want to talk about, I do admit that I pay attention to the games that get the most views (since no one ever leaves comments) when I sit down to work on these. As such, they tend to suffer from writer's block and lack of inspiration for me. Also, do you know how many source books I own? It's a lot.

With all of that said, if you want me to write a review of something I own (or can legally get for free), let me know. If you there's something you think I've missed, feel free to scream at me. I hate to do the "engagement request" thing but I'm not asking because I want to worship at the altar of the All Might Algorithm, but because I like to know if people are enjoying what I do. It's as simple as that. Not even to boost my ego but I like know that my effort has helped someone else.

For next week, I'm going to try and do a real article. Stay tuned to find out.

In The Grim Darkness...

Many years ago, I started playing Warhammer 40,000 with a group of friends. It was at the tail end of 4^th edition, so we were perfectly timed to get into 5^th when it was released. We played some games, bought some minis, and ended up starting this blog. After some things went down, I quit playing.

When I quit, 6^th edition was just coming out. I was interested in picking it up, even bought the codexes I needed for my Chaos Marines and Imperial Guard (no, I won't be calling them by that dumb new name), but didn't really need or want the new starter set. I had another friend who wanted to get me to play again and I asked him about it. It was because 7^th edition was coming out. Two years after 6^th. That's insane. I said no. Not only did it seem like they had screwed up badly in 6^th (thus requiring 7^th), the prices of models were increasing. And not just the new ones. The same models they'd be producing for years, over a decade in a handful of cases, were starting to double in price. Plus, every time a codex came out, the units you really wanted to have were of course all the new ones. I do understand why they do this but, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The last thing that really got under my skin was the whole Finecast debacle. I supported the idea of switching to resin. However, the quality control was ridiculously poor when it first came out. I know some people were really tried of the game timeline never advancing, which I can kind of understand. I'm not too upset about it but, I really wanted to get in on some kind of big event like the Third Armageddon War or the 13^th Black Crusade. But, if they weren't going to advance the setting...

So, I quit. I sold my Orks. I hadn't touched one of their minis in years. I pretty much gave up on most of the other games I was playing at the time, too. As you might have noticed, I did dabble in some other games and projects, but nothing serious.

A few weeks ago, I was going through some things and found the five Dark Angels that came with my paint set I bought before I quit. I'd thought about converting them to Chaos (like I did with my Assault of Black Reach guys) or keeping them and getting a few more to create a small force for my Inquisition force. But, since it had been several years, I decided to give them to a friend of mine who had his birthday. I knew he liked the lore and stuff from Warhammer, so I thought he might like them.

If you give a mouse a cookie... Or, a nerd some Warhammer minis...

We got to talking about the game and setting and all that good stuff, and I realized that I missed playing the game. I missed playing minis games. I've never been particularly good at them, just look at the battle reports I've got here, but I like playing them. I also missed painting, even though I'm not good at that, either. It's just something I find relaxing and get a sense of accomplishment when I finish.

That conversation ended which me saying “Well, if you really want to play, I do have a couple of armies and all the stuff for 5^th edition.” I then texted the friend who had tried to get me to play a few years ago and talked with him. He wasn't playing 40k proper but, still had all of his stuff. More conversations and now it looks like I might be playing it again. For right now, we're talking about playing 5^th because I have the stuff for it. I also picked up a few codexes, as 5^th edition books are dirt cheap right now. I might also end up playing an Apocalypse game, which I've always wanted to do after picking up the books. 

When if comes to 8^th edition, I've been doing some research. I'm very wary of starting up again. Not only because of the cost, but I've been burned by Games Workshop more than once. However, it looks like GW has changed. Time has moved forward. They're not trying to wring you dry (but it's still expensive), they seem to be trying to prevent doing 9^th edition, and the game looks fun. I've watched a ton of battle reports online and I've figured out most of the basic rules and stuff from those. I can still use my old stuff, so I wouldn't have to spend too much. Will I pick up 8^th? I don't know. I really don't know yet. What I am doing is getting my Chaos Marines finally painted and ready to go. I did discover that some of my paints had dried out, so I'll be spending a little bit of money.

Everything else? I guess you can watch this space...

2020 Update

Welcome to a very special update on Bearers Of The Word.

Why? Because it's been ten years since I've started doing this blog. Ten years. Let that sink in a bit. A decade of my life spent writing about games, off and on, here and there.

While I started off with some others, documenting our adventures with Warhammer 40,000, they've gone off to other things. So, now I run the show all by myself.

Since I run this solo now, the focus has changed, moving away from Warhammer and now includes all kinds of traditional games. Role Playing Games, Card Games, and even a few other Miniature Games. Whatever I've got laying around. Or some of the new stuff I pick up in the course of my adventures. 

In the past decade, the world of table top gaming has changed. It's become much more popular, especially in the last few years. It's a very weird time to be alive, let me tell you. Let me give you some background. I first started playing RPGs back in 1996, just after the Satanic Panic (look that up if you've never heard of it). I was told that I was going to Hell for playing D&D. Even a few years later, my dad was surprised that I would be willing to read one of my gaming books in public. When D&D 3^rd Edition came out, I was looking at it on the bus had had someone ask me if I ever played sober. I was in high school, so yeah... Now, there's YouTube channels all about D&D and RPGs, the conventions like GenCon are wildly popular, and you can find groups or people who play everywhere you look. Not to mention the ability to play with people online. It's a wild time to be alive...

But, there's more to gaming than just D&D. It's just the most popular, and I've had fun playing it in the past, but it's not all there is. And I'd like to “Bear The Word” of these other games, be they old or new. I figure if I help one person find a game that they like, I've been successful. I also like talking about games. Doesn't matter what kind of game, if I enjoy it, I'll sing its praises. I do try to be honest and up front about any problems I find.

One of the other things that has changed since I've started working on this blog is the amount of free time I have. Which is pretty typical of the adult world. So, not only do I not have a bunch of free time, but most of the people I like to play games with doesn't have the time to play, either. So, this blog gives me the chance to get something in with gaming that doesn't consume as much time. I can usually write an article in an hour or two, with editing taking half as long. However, I do aim to have one entry out per week, usually on Friday (or Saturday at the latest), as I think that's a healthy balance of time spent. In the past, my posting was very irregular. And I'm sure you've noticed that there were very low content years. However, I've decided to make this blog more of a priority these days. But, we'll see how long that lasts. I do try to play the games I look at before I review them, but that's not always possible. If nothing else, I take a good, long look at things before I sit down to work.

You see, this whole thing is a labor of love. I make zero dollars from this blog. I don't have any sponsors (nor would I accept any). I don't have a Patreon. I don't even have AdSense turned on for this thing. I could, but I'd rather not. I have several reasons for this, including legal ones, but I don't plan on changing this in the future.

The one complaint I do have is that I almost never get any comments. It's been almost three years since I've gotten one. And it's a little disappointing. I can see that I continue get hits from all over the world on a lot of my articles. And, while I do this for myself, it's nice to know that people are enjoying the content and what about it they enjoy. I'd like to think that my articles are amusing and informative. But, if no one says so, I might just be blowing smoke up my own ass, you know? Great. Now I sound like one of those guys on YouTube...

So, what's next for the Bearers Of The World? Well, I've started several different articles. Some of them have died off (along with the games centered around them), but I'm trying to keep the rest of them going for as long as I can.

Later this year, it looks like Cyberpunk 2077 game will be dropping. As such, I'm going to be focusing one article each month on something related to that genre of fiction/games. Of course, I've already done a review of Cyberpunk 2020 (which the video game is based on), so things will get kind of out there. Stay tuned and I hope you enjoy...

What happened to Comfy Chair Games?

So, I know I've been away for a long time. I won't get in to that right now, but I went to check on the CCG forums and they were gone. I check the main site and it's... Almost barren. This is disappointing. I like SpineSpur, but there were some problems. We all know them, but that's not the point.

I hope Merv didn't quit, but if that's the case, I guess I'll have to do some thinking...

If anyone still paying attention to this knows anything, leave me a comment.

Also, there's some more content and some new things coming "soon".

Giving Up On GamesWorkshop

About seven years ago, I started reading the Warhammer 40,000 novels. Starting with the classic gateway drug of 40k fiction, Eisenhorn, I quickly started Gaunt's Ghosts and wanted to play the Imperial Guard. I liked the idea of normal people facing the horrors of the Warp, the brutality of the foul Orks, the machinations of the enigmatic Eldar, and surviving the hordes of Tyranids. I was drawn to these stories and, of course, I wanted to get in on the action.

I had surplus funds and quickly bought the 4^th edition hardback rulebook, the Imperial Guard codex, and a IG battleforce box. I started putting together the minis and tried to rope my friends (the original co-contributors here) in to playing. Being foolish with money, I soon bought Chaos Space Marines to provide a force I could let others try out the game. Soon enough, we figured out that the Assault on Black Reach set was a sweetheart deal and I kept splitting it with people and had a pile of Orks. (Which, thanks to the price increases, I can sell used at a profit.)

Soon enough, I was painting, playing, and having fun with my friends. I was getting more and more in to the hobby, planning events, creating terrain, and losing... A lot. But, I was still having fun. We all were. I also had the idea for the blog and tried to get the others involved. Then, we all got busy, games happened less and less, and I got tired of being the driving force behind getting games together. In time, we pretty much quit playing. I quit painting and just about everything about the game except the books.

All the while, I knew the game was expensive. That was fine, Gamesworkshop makes a quality product. The minis are usually well made, the books always well done with fantastic art, and paints are some of the best quality out there. But, I started noticing 'codex creep' and how every year, the prices of things increased. Then, they started releasing codexes and editions faster and faster. While I agreed, to a degree, with the lawsuit against Chapterhouse, I soon began to see more and more frivolous lawsuits.

I don't know if there was one particular moment when I gave up on GW. It was a slow process, over the course of years. One of the turning points for me was the release of the 5^th edition Imperial Guard codex. I loved what they did with the army in the book... But, then they cut down the troop box for Guardsmen. Originally, you could get 20 Guardsmen in a box, which was great, because you needed that many for one of the two required Troop choices. With the new codex release, they got rid of the 20 man box and introduced a 10 man box. For about the same price. They also use to have an 'Armored Fist' box which came with 10 Guardsmen and a Chimera. Given that that edition was much more vehicle friendly, this would have been a great product for new players. But, it never returned to shelves. I can't begrudge a company for wanting to make money, it's their goal. That said, it has become more and more obvious that GW no longer cared about providing a quality environment for players while making money.

I know this may be late for many people who have already turned their backs on GW. That's fine. I wanted to express my own feelings, without lashing out in anger. I've taken time to think about why I don't want to play anymore. I'd rather be late but more balanced about the topic.

So, GW has started to increase prices. Then, they start going after people who sell their products below market price. Excuse me, GW, but you've made your money off of the sale. If someone wants to sell it below what you're selling it at, that's up to them. I've never ordered directly from GW. I always bought from a local store. As I once told them: I'd rather give some of my money to the people in my area then all of it to them. But, GW continues to cause problems. They allow stores to sell their products, make a market in the area, then they open an official store that only sells their product. I don't know if any of you remember, but about 15 years ago, there were Wizards of the Coast stores. And you know what the first thing I ever bought in one of their stores? My first copy of All Flesh Must Be Eaten. Not something made by them. Of course, they dropped other companies' products before the stores went under, but for a time, they weren't as evil an empire as GW.

There are so many issues with what GW has done and continues to do. They got rid of supported tourneys. They've made White Dwarf in to nothing but an ad for their products, not even bothering to be subtle about it. I've heard stories of GW store employees asking people to leave if they mention a game made by another companies or using models made by another company. It's disgusting. To top it off, they made it so you couldn't order a product from a third-party store using a 'cart' online, nor could they ship products outside their 'zone'. It makes no sense. Some people say that GW is afraid of the internet or is stuck in the 90's. I don't think so. I see it more that they're trying to make as much money as possible without regard to their public image. Perhaps they believe that the players will keep coming as they're the biggest game in town. I also think that they know that the rest of the world, people who don't play games, they're not going to pay attention to this kind of thing. If this was any other kind of company, one with a bigger image, there would be public protests and all sorts of things. But, while nerds are becoming more and more out there in the eyes of the Western World, most people could care less about 'little plastic space men'.

I think the final nail in the coffin for GW is their new focus: new players. I understand why they're focusing on new players. To start the game, there's a massive initial investment in this game (or any game for that matter). People who have been playing longer need less. Maybe a new unit here and there and usually things like paints and glue. But, those aren't making as much money for a company as someone who walks in, buys a codex, the core book, and a battleforce. That's hundreds of dollars (or pounds, for our friends across the pond) all in one sale. Then, they'll be back for the paints, glue, tools, and basing supplies. I can see why a company would focus on those new players. They make more money. Some people complain about the updates of codexes and editions, but it makes sense to provide a way to make money from older players as well as providing a means to allow the game to evolve.

The major thing about focusing on new players, to the near-exclusion, of older players is that it's not sustainable in the long term. If you don't keep some people around, keep them engaged and happy, you will eventually reach a point in which there are no more new players to be had. Sure, you've made hefty short-term profits, but you'll end up with dropping profits later on.

Let me put it in context: When I picked up Spinespur, I bought a rulebook and perhaps a dozen models. As I started playing more and more, I bought more and more minis. I also bought more copies of the book (one was a gift for a friend and another was to semi-replace my abused copy I had bought originally). I put up money for the Kickstarter and then bought more minis because of that. But, I haven't bought minis in over a year now. I have no more need to. So, there's not much I can do to support Comfy Chair Games. Not directly, at least. But, since I love the game and think CCG is good people, I can do something: I can talk about their products, I can get others in to the game, and I keep an eye out for their products that I want to pick up.

And that's the difference for me when it comes to GW: I don't want to support them because I can't agree with their way of doing business anymore. I'll paint the minis I bought, I might buy novels from time to time, but I'm not going to spend another dime of my money on any new models, rulebooks, or anything else to play the game. I may buy used, but that's it. I'll give my money to companies that try to create a community based on respect, not greed.

In time, I see Gamesworkshop trying to encourage older players to come back in to the fold. The question is, will any of them be willing to come back?

Febuary Update.

Okay kids, let's have an update post. I would rather be writing about another game of Spinespur, but the weather out here is plain terrible and one of the people I play with is having some issues right now and couldn't make it in. Such is life.

No, I don't know this woman, but I like the look on her face.

Let's start with Kickstarter, shall we? Got a few updates here. I received my stuff from the Spinespur KS and I'm happy as a clam... Except for the screw up with the Gladiator mini. I guess the arm got stuck in the mold so he's missing his left arm. Not a big deal as most folks are willing to sculpt their own. Comfy Chair Games says they'll send you a replacement body if you order something from their online store. I've heard of other companies doing this and it's not very cool, but there's one difference with Spinespur: We got, what, two extra models? Personally, I'd have rather have gotten those extra models and have an excuse to order some more minis from CCG. Because the funds went to make more stuff for the backers, I find the 'order something and I'll replace it' method used here to be more acceptable that I would if I got something from a KS and didn't get anything extra from the funds. Yes, CCG should have set aside some money for Murphy's Law, but this was the first successful KS. I cut folks a few breaks because nobody gets it right the first time. And at least you can actually get a replacement.

I also got my Tears of a Machine PDFs but haven't really looked over them yet. Nor have I received by CRC card... Which I need to message them about. Crap. I just haven't had time to look over the rules yet, but from the glances I've taken, it looks like a quality product. I'll try to get a game of it together at some point in the future, but things are far too busy right now.

Deck of Legends is massively delayed, which doesn't make me happy. I thought the deadline was a little optimistic. Oh well. I'll enjoy it when it comes in, I guess.

I haven't backed anything else lately, but I'm currently keeping an eye on the following: Kombat Kittens (because who doesn't like cats?), Pulp Heroes (because I need another minis game, right?) and T5: Tile City, which I'm on the fence about backing. Great looking product, but I'm not willing to plunk down that much cash quite yet. We'll see what happens when the deadline gets closer.

As for gaming, I'm once again in a dry spell. I got in that game of Spinespur and am making plans to keep playing once a month, but as the second time has been a complete failure, I have a bad feeling about the future of playing anything.

However, I am back on the priming/painting/assembling horse. I've gotten three minis primed in the past few days, got another one's head glued back on and am pinning some more so I can get them on the bases. Here's my plan of attack for the next few weeks:

Group 1: Bludgeoning Thugs (x2 currently primed), Molotov Thugs (x2, one primed, one glued back together). -also working on Ivanetta, on the side-
Group 2: Torrent, Twister, Inferno, Sand Woman (Currently pinned and waiting to be mounted on the bases I'm making)
Group 3: Chainsaw Thugs (x2, partly assembled) Big Bat and Bellsaw (neither of which have been touched yet.)

My plan is to finish priming Group 1, then get Group 2 based. Once I start priming Group 2, I'll start putting together Group 3 while painting Group 1. Once Group 1 is finished, I'll start painting Group 2, while priming Group 3 and putting Group 4 together (yes, there's more groups coming). Once I complete Group 2, I'm also going to shoot out an order to Reaper. There's a few models I've had my eye on for years, but I've been forcing myself to wait until I finish something. Hopefully, working on the groups will allow me keep focused and on track.
In addition to these groups, I'm also going to be working on four Bones minis and one Chaos Space Marine on the side, so to speak. I'm going to be a busy guy for a long, long while...

If I get the chance, I plan on posting something about my thoughts on GW and their craziness. Not a rant but just my thinking on their actions.

Keep gaming, you crazy people!

I forgot to mention that there's been a few changes on the Project List page. I sorted the Spinespur stuff by agenda and you might see a new agenda with no model in it. I just did an order somewhere and tossed in a few Spinespur minis I 'needed.' I already added them to my painting queue list. 

How the time does fly...

I can't believe I haven't written since September. Mostly busy with 'real life' stuff added with the collapse of my gaming group made it hard for me to find not only the time but also topics to write about. Let's go over some of the things I usually talk about, shall we?

Wargaming:

Not much going on here, due to lack of time to play. Spinespur is on the shelf until I finish up the last of my queue (which I had hoped to have done before the new stuff arrived...) plus I wanted to make some more terrain to use for the game.
As for Warhammer, I find myself just not motivated to play. Don't get me wrong, I like the game and have fun playing, but I just don't want to play. And when I don't want to play, I don't want to paint. I'll keep chugging along, however, and try to at least finish my Chaos Space Marines before too long. Once I get those guys finished, then it's on to the Imperial Guard... Oh, god, why did I buy so many minis and not paint them? Why, god, why?
Moving on to Malifaux, I've been putting my forces on hold while I waited for the 2e update as well as my Happy Seppuku base stamps (which I will discuss in a little bit here). Now that my stamp has arrived, I hope to get them standing and buy the new book so I can finally get a game in. I'm hearing some really good things about the game so I am very much looking forward to it.

Kickstarter:

Now it's time for a run down of the various Kickstarters I'm waiting on and have received rewards from -

SpineSpur:
Merv just sent out the Street Chum mini-game, so be sure to check your updates. I got mine and my computer refuses to figure out exactly what kind of file it is. I'll try a few more things before I send an email, but if you have any advice, let me know. As for the rest of the rewards, the minis, Merv has said they'll be a little late. That's fine. He's communicating the issues as they happen (books misprinted, screw up in the drafting program, etc) so I was expecting a delay of some kind. I can't hold the mistakes and just general bad luck of others on him. I'm looking forward to my minis and playing some bigger games.

Cyberpunk playing cards:
I got these a while back and they're pretty good. Good art, good quality cards and on-time rewards. These guys know what they're doing. I'm glad I backed the project and look forward for finding an excuse to use them. My only complaint, and it is a small one, is the box doesn't look like it'll take much abuse before it starts to fall apart. Like I said, small complaint.

Base stamps:
Well, again, these guys delivered on time, which is a point for them. I'm not so sure about the base stamp, however. I got the Old World: Flagstone stamp and I'm not 100% impressed. A friend pointed out that things got a bit rushed and they weren't able to spend as much time working on the stamps before they shipped them. The problem with my stamp is some flash and a large crack on the side of the stamp where the letter "R" should be. I can go over the stamp myself and clean up the flash, but the crack worries me about the longevity of the stamp. If I had bought this from them without a Kickstarter, I'd politely ask for a replacement. But since it was Kickstarter, I'm willing to cut them some slack. I'll write up some more about the stamp when I get a chance to work with it.

Tears of a Machine RPG:
Looking forward to getting my PDF and my little card thing. The scheduled release of the product for us backers is this month, but with the holidays going on, I'm guessing it's going to miss it. So long as the creator keeps communicating (which he does okay at), that'll be alright. Once it does it, I think I'm going to try a new semi-regular article trying to be 'journalistic' about RPGs. Something that goes in to the art, the content of the game, the mechanics and just trying to be fair about the thing. After I do that, I'm so going to run a game of it! This will also be a test for future backing of RPGs as I've never done it before this one.

Deck of Legends:
Well, this one has missed delivery date, and I'm not sure what's going on. I've been so busy (and had a problem with my email account), so I could have some gaps in updates. I do know that there have been a few changes with the art as well as a massively delayed stretch goal (which was something from another person, not the creator). But, since the art is fantastic, I'm willing to quietly wait a few extra weeks for a quality product.

Other articles and etc -

I haven't done another Past From The Past because I can't decide if I want to do Teenagers From Outer Space or Cyberpunk 2020. I'll be putting up another poll for you to vote on.

In other news, we found out a while ago that the World of Warcraft TCG went under because of Blizzard. I think it's a damn shame and shame on Blizzard for pulling the plug. I never played WoW but I do have fond memories of the RTS games, as well as knowing several people that got into the card game because of the MMORPG, or went back to it after playing the card game. I don't know what prompted the end of the project, but I wonder about it. I don't know if Blizzard didn't think they were making enough money off of the game (possible) or if they thought that Cryptozoic wasn't able to focus enough of their line as they wanted (again, possible). Either way, I'm bummed and haven't really played since I got the news. Because this is just what I needed: another dead card game to take up room in my place.

As some of you may have noticed, I commented that I had backed the Bones II Kickstarter but never wrote about it. Well, thanks to 'real life' I had to cancel my pledge and deal with some stuff. I could have kept it at $1 and then upped it later, but I didn't want to tempt myself to blow all my money on little plastic men, especially when there are several hundred others that need paint and bases and primer and... Well, you get the point. I'll gladly buy more Bones from Reaper when they get released in addition to the metals I already want. If there's a Bones III, I'll look in to backing that one, too.

There you go, folks. Let me know what you think and for those of you choosing to celebrate the holidays a merry 'Bah Humbug' to you all!

Edit: I'm also thinking about putting out some setting ideas for games up here. If you're interested in those, please leave a comment. I may or may not include rules, that will depend on the legality of doing so.

Poll, a poll for you.

As my Evil Campaign is off for the next few weeks and I'm not getting any SpineSpur games in, I'm made a poll for an entry next week. Vote for what you like. The highest voted item gets an entry when the poll ends and runner-up gets one if I need filler. Let your voice be heard!

Update:
It was tie between SpineSpur and backed Kickstarters. I'll be writing up a post about Kickstarters some time in the next few days, then maybe next week, I'll write more about SpineSpur.
Stay tuned!

'That Guy': a tale of WTF?

Tonight, for the very first time ever, I walked away from a game. I'm not happy that I did so, but to do otherwise may have resulted in actions I know I would regret later.

Let's start with the day: I had woken up after a bad night's rest, but had decided to go to a World of Warcraft TCG tourney at Pano's store, after the insistence of Remi. I had been being having a not-so-good week, and thought that this could help me get my head back in the right. Having completed the bare minimum of tasks I needed to do for the day, I headed out to the store, with a grey cloud over my head. I knew that I wasn't in the best of moods, and tried to cheer myself up by doing some 'trash talking' with Remi via text on my way in. I haven't won a tourney, only coming in second twice, and haven't played the game in months. I was looking forward to just hanging out and having fun, win or lose. Games are a social activity and I knew I should try to be social, in hopes of bring myself out of the doldrums. If I had but known what was going to happen, I would have barred myself inside my home, watched some Venture Brothers (always a good way for me to have a good time) and had a beer or two...

When I arrived, there was no one else there for the tourney, so I paid my way in, bought a booster and some soda, and settled in to tweak a deck I was working on. I thought I might trade with some people, as we used to have a very good, fun group at the store. I found out that the group had left the store while I had been out of the loop and a new group had moved in to fill the void. When the first people who were joining the tourney showed up, I knew that my night had just been shot to shit. There were three of them, two men and a woman. All of them overweight, abrasive and uncouth. I try not to judge people by their appearances, but in this case, in was their behavior that tipped me off. The woman settled into a comfy chair in the back of the store and began playing some very loud and annoying game on her iPad. The men had taken up a spot on a table and began talking about how powerful this card was and how great their decks were. I had my stuff sitting out and they made no attempt to engage me. I know I didn't exactly look like the friendliest person at this point, but whenever I show up from things like this, I think there's nothing wrong with walking up to people that aren't clearly busy in a game or a conversation and try to say 'hi' or something. As I continued to watch, I heard them going on and on about the 'best' cards and decks. I couldn't bring myself to even try to talk to them. Other people came in and began to talk with these three people, but I had made my choice to distance myself from everyone.

With a truckload of reservations, I decided to stick it out and got ready to pair up. My partner, whom I shall call 'Jay' (I've changed his name because I don't want to deal with anything that may result in my naming names). He was over six and a half feet tall and probably weighed over four hundred pounds, all of it fat. Now, I will be the first to admit that I'm overweight, but not morbidly so. I was working on losing weight last summer, until I suffered an accident that has left me with almost daily pain, after almost a year later.
As we sit down, Jay discovers that I am playing a Murloc deck. I freely admit that Murloc decks can be very broken and are abused by 'asshole players.' However, I am not an asshole, and I was playing my second-string Murloc Hunter Hero deck, which isn't all that great. I had just fooled around with the deck the night before and I had tried to make the deck more about Murloc synergy, rather than Murloc spam. I have another deck for that, which I had chosen not to play, to avoid being 'That Guy.'

As soon as Jay finds out that I am playing Murlocs, he gets up, puts his deck back, and gets another; because the deck that he had 'wasn't designed with Murlocs in mind.' I felt my heart and hopes sink at that moment. I had come looking for a fun time, to talk and meet new people. Now, the game had become Serious Business. I gave up. I didn't want to play anymore, and I didn't want to start a fight by calling this guy on being 'That Guy.' To continue the discomfort, instead of cutting my deck, Jay would shuffle it. I suppose I'm a very trusting person, as I do a cursory half-deck cut of the other player's deck. It's just a game. If you're really willing to cheat at a card game based around imaginary monsters and magical bullshit, you shouldn't be allowed to play. I went through the motions, playing the two games, but my heart wasn't in the game anymore. I wanted to just get up and leave, but I didn't want to look like I was the one being the  asshole. Perhaps, if I had had more sleep or was in a better frame of mind, I would have called him on the bullshit. Instead, I got beaten two times in maybe 20 minutes. During the game, Jay would talk to his girlfriend, (who was also playing) during my turns, forcing me to wait until he was paying attention as I feared he would do something that would make the situation worse. During the course of these little talks, I found out that Jay had been a 'Level 3 Judge' for Cryptozotic until they 'pulled their bullshit.' Mind you, Jay didn't speak a word to me unless it was in reference to the game, and even then, it was as short as possible. I don't think I have ever had so little fun during a game than I did in that one. I could feel myself losing fun from happy memories, it was that un-enjoyable.

As the last damage was dealt and he got up, Jay said that 'Murlocs are overpowered and broken. I don't think people should play them' or something to that effect. I told him that I rarely play in tourneys, haven't done so in many months and play for fun. At that point, we parted ways. I went to talk with Pano, and mentioned that Jay had switched decks when he found out what I was playing. Pano told me that decks weren't registered. I didn't want to push the issue, even though I was upset, but I needed a smoke. Before I continue, please let me say that I do not blame Pano at all for his reaction. He had a valid point, and as a the store owner, he must remain impartial. Personally, I view changing decks after finding out what someone else is playing, after sitting down with another deck, is borderline cheating, and would have forced the games to be played again, with the original deck selected. I would like to think that is an objective way of settling the situation, but I freely admit that my objectivity in this case is extremely compromised. Honestly, I wanted Jay to be booted from the tourney and perhaps excluded from the store, but I'm not exactly this... "Gentleman's" biggest fan.

After speaking with Pano, I went out for a smoke. Then another. As I was smoking the second cigarette, the shakes started. I only get the shakes when I am having a massive surge of adrenaline, or directly afterwards. I debated with myself, did I want to publicly call Jay out on his asshole-ness, or did I want to take it to the next level, with yelling and maybe even physical violence. I realized I was taking this too seriously. I needed to get my head clear. I went back inside, to see if the round ended. I told Remi want happened, and still couldn't calm down. So, I quietly picked up my stuff, after telling Remi I was bailing, said goodbye to Pano and left the store. I knew that I wasn't going to calm down right away. I felt that I was wronged, perhaps incorrectly, but I didn't want to make a scene. It's a card game, for god's sake! I clearly wasn't thinking right, getting bent out of shape because one guy wanted to be a jerk. I wasn't having fun, so it was clearly time for me to leave.

Did I do the right thing in leaving? I know that I did. Did I handle the situation in the best way I could have? No, I didn't. I wasn't in the best mood, and should have bowed out when there was an odd number of players, before the tourney started. I could have converted my entrance fee to credit or just said 'fuck it' and left. I could have also said something went Jay switched decks. I should have. But, as there is no use crying over spilled bovine lactose, I'm going to get on with my life. I'm not going to sell my WoW cards (although I would be lying if I didn't think about that as I was leaving, or for that matter, just giving them to Pano. Okay, I also thought about throwing them in a trash can, but as I have said, I wasn't at my best). However, I doubt I'll be returning to play in a tourney before the end of the year. I have better ways to spend my money and use my time. Oh, and also, I heard that Jay and his 'crew' might have been booted from another store, but I can't confirm that. However, I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if that was the case.

I've learned my lesson. Next time I'm having a bad day, I'm walking away. If someone pulls something that seems out of line to me, I'm going to call them on it. And, I will never ever play a game of any kind with Jay or the other people he hangs with. It's just not worth it.

Dem Bones

So, along with almost 18,000 other people, I got in on the Reaper Bones Kickstarter last year. Well, it looks like we’re going to start getting our plastic crack in the next month. What did we get? Well, this picture should help you:

Holy Plastic Men, Batman!

That’s a lot of stuff. Its 240 minis, not including the metal Sophie model. Towards the end of the Kickstarter, Reaper said you could trade in Sophie for an extra $25. I didn’t, but I was too busy writing my grandfather’s obituary (thanks for that one, dad) to care. What did I get? Well, I ordered the Vampire package pictured above, as well as an additional Undead Horde, one extra IMEF set and two extra NOVA sets. I play a lot of sci-fi games, so that made sense.

“What are ‘Bones’?” I hear you asking. Bones are cheap plastic minis, ready to paint right out of the package. They’re perfect for people getting started in the hobby or for people who need cheap minis for their D&D games. While I haven’t played honest-to-god D&D in years, I still have my books for it and wouldn’t be opposed to playing again in the future. I picked it up for a few reasons, mostly how good a deal it was, and I pledged early. How early? Well, if you check the map below, I pledged while Mr. Bones was still digging up the graves…

"Keep digging, Watson."

“But, what the hell are we going to do with all these extras?” I hear you wail. First off, I’m making offers for any of the ChronoScope models (including the stuff under the header of the same name, Zombie Hunters, NOVA and IMEF) for the crazy people who don’t want them. I’m also working on a board game, which will be posted here.

Oh hey. Guess what I just got? That’s right, my email telling me my Bones are on the way. That made my day. When it comes in, I’ll try to take some pictures and put them up here. I’ll also put up a review of them, too.

SpineSpur: Project list

A while back, I posted a list of things I need to do for my 40k stuff. Since I'm on a SpineSpur kick, I may as well put up a list of what I'm working on:
As of 04/05/13 05/10/13

Hack
Dante Hayte
Booth (counts as)
Aniel
Fists of GOD (x2)
Warriors of GOD (x2)
Torn (x6)
Sisters of Obscenity (x2)
Anti-Pope
Thugs: Bludgeoning (x2)
Thugs: Blade (x2) - Unassembled
Thugs: Molotov (x4) - 2 Primed
Thugs: Chainsaw (x2) Unassembled
Sex Star Six - Primed
Billy Burns - Ready to prime
Amy Brighteyes - Ready to prime
Cardinal Anhelitus - Ready to prime
Cardinal Inferni - Ready to prime
Cardinal Falcifer - Unbased

The models in italics are the ones I'm currently working on. 
By "Unbased" that means I have to put them on a resin base. Which requires pinning them, which is a bit of a process.

Research from the Black Library, The Horus Heresy

‘I was there,’ he would say afterwards, until afterwards became a time quite devoid of laughter. ‘I was there, the day Horus slew the Emperor.’

This is the opening line to Horus Rising by Dan Abnett, the first in the Horus Heresy series, telling the story of the founding and near destruction of the human Imperium in the grim darkness of the far future where there is only war and the galaxy is in flames and you can never find a parking spot and the toast always lands butter side down.

Despite the relentless "grimdark" of the setting, the Horus Heresy takes place in a very different time, a golden age of progress and rediscovery in which a united humankind led by the Emperor, looks outward and towards the future, conquering the galaxy in the name of the Imperial Truth. But of course things can't remain all smiles and happiness and after being betrayed and wounded nearly fatally by his favorite son Horus, is restricted to a near corpse like state encased in the life sustaining technology of the Golden Throne, the previous optimistic and rational outlook of humanity replaced by fear and ignorance.

The above is perhaps the briefest possible overview of the events that form this setting, but let us return to those opening lines: "I was there the day Horus slew the Emperor." This begins Horus Rising on a foreboding note, though it is quickly clear that this is a joke and reference to another emperor who seems to have deserved what he got.

Horus Rising is an excellent novel and the perfect start to this series, the first 4 novels: Horus Rising, False Gods, Galaxy in Flames, and Flight of the Eisenstien form a cohesive narrative that can and should be read in order. We are introduced to our characters at the height of their powers and innocence, we see Horus in all his original glory, powerful, honorable, and beloved by all, we see the relationship of Captain Garviel Loken and his brothers of the Luna Wolves at their best, even the notorious Abaddon (later known as The Despoiler) here is a character you would not mind getting drunk with, assuming Space Marines could get drunk of course.

But there is always a melancholy here, the seeds of the heresy are planted with skill, we see Horus' ego at work, his skill at political manipulation, and his resentment against his father The Emperor. We see Abaddon's nascent bloodlust and independence, we see the beginnings of the clashes between other legions. There is an atmosphere of inevitability to what we all know is coming that pervades the novels until events come to a head during Galaxy in Flames.

These novels are not really critically acclaimed due to the setting, but what we are reading here are tales of chivalry with a heavy dose of Christian and Egyptian symbology, though technically a science fiction series, these are really reminiscent of the tales of King Arthur's Court, with knights on epic and perhaps impossible quests, a golden age of civilization brought down by betrayal and treachery from those who should have been the closest of friends and loved ones, as well as by the very human failings of those in power.

The descent into rebellion is told in a very realistic (if that means anything in a universe where genetically modified superhumans kill aliens with chainsaws) manner, every step in Horus' fall is described and makes sense in the context given. Garviel Loken is a true knight, sticking to his beliefs and oaths of service to the Emperor even as his conflicting Oaths to Horus and his brothers attempt to draw him into the Heresy, and as all heroes in this style of story, he pays dearly for his loyalty.

These books have all been out for a couple years now and are fairly readily available in used form, I recommend them highly for both Warhammer 40K fans as well as anyone who likes a surprisingly traditional story of chivalry and doesn't mind it taking place in space.

Factions

The following is for future campaigns, so we can group players in to different forces.

Two-sided Factions

Forces of Order:
Space Marines (all types)
Imperial Guard
Sisters of Battle
Forces of the Inquisition
Eldar
Tau

Forces of Disorder:
Chaos Space Marines
Chaos Daemons
Dark Eldar
Necrons
Tyranids
Orks

Three-sided Factions

Forces of the Imperium:
Space Marines (all types)
Imperial Guard
Sisters of Battle
Forces of the Inquisition

Forces of Xenos:
Tau
Eldar
Orks
Dark Eldar*

Forces of Darkness:
Chaos Space Marines
Chaos Daemons
Necrons
Tyranids
Dark Eldar*

* Each Dark Eldar player may choose to be in the Forces of Xenos or in the Forces of Darkness.

Introduction

Hello and welcome to Bearers of the Word!

This is a blog by a group of Portland (Oregon) Warhammer 40k players. In this blog, we’ll be sharing battle reports, how-to articles, reviews of products, books, and units.

We’re not going to be some rumor-mill, reposting things that we don’t have confirmation on. Okay, well, maybe a few rumors here and there.

Our goal is to mostly to write for ourselves. We don’t care what you think us, or our projects. Pretty much, if you don't like it, kiss my fat white ass.

For right now, most of the pictures you will see posted will be full of unpainted models. Beginning in March, we are starting an oath system, like many on internet forums, to fight off the grey tide. We’ll be posting our oath rules, and progress reports.

DISCLAIMER:
We don’t own any trademarked items, and the items belong to their respective owners. If we use a picture that belongs to you, we will attempt to credit you for it, and will remove it at your request.
Any pictures we take belong to us, and we would ask that you let us know you’re spreading them around.
Any thoughts or opinions belong to us, and are our sole responsibility. You can disagree with them all you want.