Where Are the Pics? State of the Union at Mik's Minis

Fall is Here!

Woo!  Fall is here!  Cooler weather, better clothes, and maybe some more projects on the 

work bench getting done?  Maybe?  I don't know, but here's to you getting what you 

need done (and me getting what I need done) in this awesome hobby of ours!

A Two Titan Tale

Do you like towering engines of destruction?  Do you like incredible feats of resin building, modeling, and painting?  Are you amazed and in awe when you see a "miniature" that towers above the battlefield in the 20" plus range?  Then look no more:

Two Titans

Happy to say that not only do I just know this guy, he's a buddy of mine.  Definitely check out his blog, follow it while you're at it.  Even if you're not a huge 40K fan, my buddy Jon has got some great posts about the building aspect of our hobby, and he's no slouch with the brush.

Instagram Feed Fixed

Even though I'm not (currently or actively) posting new articles, I was hoping that my 

Instagram feed would suffice for keeping y'all in the loop.  Unbeknownst to me, the feed site 

changed a couple of months ago and things were screwy.  Breathe easy citizens, it's been fixed.  

What's been up?  That stuff.  Big gaming cabin recently and more.  Enjoy!

Reviving the Dead...

A Half-Orc Cleric Raises a Skeletal Soldier on the Field of Battle

It's October, or 'Zombtober' as a lot of hobby blogs like to tout.  That means lots of horror and zombie themed posts and projects are a must.  I'm hoping to have Chris Miller on board with some October themed art posts, but as of this writing I haven't locked that down...yet.  I will leave you with this photo, ironically done by Miller during a Pathfinder game months and months ago.  It doesn't get any more undead than raising a skeleton, so what a perfect kick off to October.  Enjoy!

September First: Mountain Challenge

It's no secret I've seemingly forsaken the blog, 'old faithful' here, for quicker pastures; Instagram.  In the circular pattern that is life (and minis), Chris from Miniature Woes on Instagram has started a minis painting / blog posting / lead reducing challenge.  Dave from Spider Web of History is in on it (I met Dave on IG and have gotten to game with him in person since then), and of course Spacejacker has found his groove and is in as well.

The official 'rules' can be found here by Chris.  For me, I need to paint for sure, but my last blog post here was two months ago?  That's just ridiculous, so in addition to painting figures I am going to focus on getting blog posts in the queue again.

The points for me; don't buy any figs...paint what's in house, paint period, get a blog post up weekly, in October do some zombie/horror themed projects.  Boom, that's it.  As always, thanks for sticking around and enjoy!

Clear for Go/No-Go

edit:  I changed the post title, because "Go/No-Go" always sounds cool in the movies.

Here's a pic of the game room, tidy and ready for the next adventure.  Recording device stands stalwart in the middle of the table.  Dry-erase grid map is clean and good to go.  Chairs, check.  GM's table, check.

What's been going on?  Lots!  Where's the posts?  Instagram!  What have I been up to?  Lots, I just said that!

I do need to wrap up those 90% complete sci-fi troops, yes, I'm guilty on many counts and they're near the top of the list.  They're on a rather clean and tidy paint desk as I type this.  Speaking of the paint desk, I also got in a fun, little Infinity order of a few more troops and a 'big guy', all for Combined Army.

Until then...whenever that may be, enjoy!

2013 Year in Review

It's that time of the year again, the special holiday year in review episode!  This makes the FIFTH year in review for Mik's Minis!  Let's look back at some of the past reviews:

2012 at Mik's Minis
2011 at Mik's Minis
2010 at Mik's Minis
2009 at Mik's Minis

Wow, looking back it occurs to me that I used to actually paint miniatures, haha!  The pendulum has been swinging, wildly I might add, back at forth here at Mik's Minis.  The past year has been filled with hanging out with friends at the gaming table, of which I am most thankful for; good friends and good games.

Looking back at those older year-in-review posts got me thinking, man this blog's been around for some time.  Sheesh, almost seven years!  In 2008 I didn't think of a year-in-review post, but I did have this post about some really cool 40K objective markers.  Going back just a wee bit more, the end of 2007 saw a "Warhammer work night" post where, inexplicably, it looked as if we were gearing up for some serious fantasy minis!  Alas, it wouldn't be the first time a promising project never got off the launch pad.  All right, let's get on with the reviewing.

Games Played:  84
So the first of my confessions seep through the text you read before you.  I lost track a couple of months ago.  The games were still going, but I stopped using my Boardgamegeek app to track what I was playing, and with the HUD being deleted, I obviously wasn't tallying them up there.  Up to that point though I did track them and solidly in first place is Smash-Up with a whopping fourteen plays.  A great card game for lots of players and lots of replay-ability, it belongs on everyone's shelf either as a filler game or all night smash-uppery.

Next up is City of Remnants at six plays.  I cannot say enough good things about this gem by Plaid Hat Games.  It's got all of the things I'm looking for in a game, it's no filler mind you, its got plenty of depth and is a worthy addition to your collection.

There's a three-way tie for third place at five plays each, three excellent games that all offer something solid, and since I'm saying 'buy this' and 'buy that', you may as well think about adding these to your respective collections as well.  Up first is 7 Wonders, which is fast becoming a classic.  Don't overlook this one, it's a keeper.  Core Worlds is up next, a galactic deckbuilder that is sometimes lost in the shuffle (see what I did there) with both Race for the Galaxy and Eminent Domain.  I dunno, if you were only going to own one space deckbuilder, I'm swayed to say make it Core Worlds over RftG.  I love this game, but get the expansion Galactic Orders as well because it makes a great game even better.  I've mentioned Qwirkle before, and here I am again saying how great this one is.  It's great for non-playing spouses, gamer-oblivious relatives, little kids, and seasoned hardcore gamers alike.  My suggestion is to get the travel version, it's cheaper and, umm, travels more easily.

Miniatures Painted:  10
So it has been another year of gaming, but not a lot of it (almost none of it) has been with painted minis going 'pew pew' on the tabletop unfortunately.  If you're not miniature gaming, you're just not painting miniatures, end of story.  So I have left the minis-posts up to the stalwart Rucht and his postings, even our part-time lurker, Chris has contributed more than I in the minis department.  So I painted up ten figs, yup, ten.  My moral victory is that I painted any at all, made better that I made it into double digits, err, barely.  Terrain making; also in the nada department.

Miniatures Bought:  None!
Last year I bought almost four hundred figs, which I thought would mean this year would see half that, a fourth that? painted.  Nope, I haven't spent a dime on figs, but haven't missed buying them either.  I have made some purchases in the gaming department mind you, boardgames and RPG books and the like, just no minis.  Now, trying to outsmart myself, I have also made some boardgame purchases that also include great minis as well, so if nothing else, I could paint those up and get a little bit of both worlds out of them.

So, I will avoid the usual parting shot and not make any resolutions to 2014 like 'paint more minis' or 'play more minis' games or the like.  I do hope Rucht continues to post his gaming exploits, as his contributions have helped keep this blog afloat during the doldrums.  I'd also like to see Chris post more, though I know his real life has his hands full to the brim.  He brings a whole new angle to our hobby and his stuff has serious fu to it.

Speaking of real life, I've taken a new teaching position that's been almost a year now and that's been great.  I've also ramped up a non-gaming hobby that I do by about 200%, so that has kept me incredibly busy.  On top of all that, over the summer I decided to get my health back on track and really put forth an effort to lose some weight.  Just using the age old, tried and true means of 'diet and exercise' I've seen some real progress, but am learning it's far more of a mental exercise than exercise of the body.  In the end I'm hopeful both mind and body will be the better for it.  So here's to tomorrow, to looking forward to another year of gaming and everything else that 2014 may bring!

Happy Holidays 2013!

A Kirby Christmas by the excellent Michael Cho

Happy Thanksgiving 2013!

So just the other day our very own Rucht texted me with a basic, "Dude, is the blog dead?" I didn't know how to answer him, but being a guy who used to track blog stats quite thoroughly I can say we're definitely in the doldrums.  A ship at sea with no wind in its sails would've been a more appropriate pic, but I like Star Trek.

And nothing says 'happy turkey day' like a two-fisted lumberjack strike to a Gorn's back.

I have deleted the HUD below to trim a little fat here.  Basically, I haven't painted anything.  I'm supposed to paint a Mice and Mystics fig for a buddy overseas, but he hasn't mailed it yet.  I'm also supposed to paint a bunch of Vikings, but I haven't even seen my buddy Andy in weeks and he's the gaming audience those will be primarily used for.

I also deleted the Boardgame Geek game tracker app thingie.  I have been playing a lot of boardgames, mind you, I just haven't been tracking them.  So there you go.  

But.  I do have a blog that has been kicking for many years, and it is not dead.  It has grown, evolved, and added new faces.  In fact, it's not even "my" blog anymore, Rucht has been holding the reins for a little while and for that I'm thankful.  Oh look, I just tied it back into the Thanksgiving theme!  That's a good one to end on methinks, tell your loved ones, the blog ain't dead.  

Rock on.

2012 Year in Review

As I type this I'm snacking on some homemade fudge, must be December.  Which also means it must be...the end of the year in review!  Well I'm glad we avoided that whole polar-shifting apocalypse, honestly that's the main reason I didn't paint more in 2012, which we'll be getting to in a moment.  All in all it was good year for gaming in general, I don't have any complaints or regrets.  Well, not really.  I don't want to hold you up any more, I'm sure you have parties to attend this evening, so on with it!

Games Played: 127
I'm up six games from 2011's total meaning I played a game a little less than every three days.  A good pace by my estimate!  This is about the same as last year, but this year saw a lot of variety without a single game totally dominating.  Way too light on tabletop minis games though, and RPGs were...well read on. 

Race for the Galaxy leads the way in the boardgame (though it's all cards) department with a solid fourteen plays.  I love this game, plain and simple.  As my compatriot Andy has said many times, it meshes theme with mechanics better than the rest of the field.  The always-fun Qwirkle is a close second with a dozen plays.  This is a game that should be on everyone's shelf, it's quick, it's easy, it's a blast...but it's also filler, it's not exactly deep.  Thunderstone rounds out the top three most played boardgames, but barely, with seven plays.  I had numerous games tied for fourth at six plays a pop, and many with five after that.

The aircraft skirmish game, Check Your Six! lead the tabletop minis portion with a respectable six plays.  Another great game, but honestly you need to play with the right people for it to shine, I'm lucky in that department.  Both the sci-fi skirmish game Infinity and the Dark Ages warband game Saga come in tied for second place at a woeful two games each, which is too bad because both of these games are more than excellent.  A single game play somehow garners Hordes Primal MkII the third place slot.  I expect this to go up considerably in the coming year.  There's my words, mark 'em!

I had said that the RPG department suffered, well after looking at the numbers it's kind of a 'yes' and 'no' ordeal.  Turns out I played quite a few roleplaying games, it's just that none of them were with any consistency.  First place, with just three games, is the new(ish) Marvel Heroic.  Lots of fun, slick system, nice format, this game has it all.  I want to play more of this, and soon.  In an unprecedented three-way tie for second place, with two games each are: Legends of Anglerre (saddest loss of potentially the best campaign that never got off the ground), Pathfinder (so much potential, but needs a dedicated DM), and finally Rogue Space (a sci-fi indie RPG I highly recommend).  In third place with just a single play, is Fiasco.  I said earlier I have no regrets, well I take that back.  One play for a game as great as Fiasco is shameful, that's all there is to it.  I regret not playing Fiasco more.

Miniatures Painted: 14
I almost thought about copping out on this category's writeup because I really don't have anything to say for myself.  There's no excuse that a blog with "minis" in the title only paints fourteen models in an entire year!  Looking at tabletop minis games played however does shed some light on it.  You paint what you play, and I just didn't play anything really.  Check Your 6! requires ZERO minis on my part, the guys I play with have entire armadas of airplanes from just about any historical time period with  engines and wings, so no painting needed there.  I played the two games of Infinity and guess what, almost half of these fourteen figs painted were for Infinity.  The addition of Hordes to the game table is a new development, as in this very month.  I have models for it, they have no paint, I expect that to change.  I wish I could say more, but there's nothing more to say.

Miniatures Bought: 372
Well, maybe the "minis" in the blog title refers to figures bought instead!  As my blog-brother Brad pointed out, a lot of these shouldn't count against my 2012 totals.  However, since much negotiating with the wife occurred over a couple of these key transactions, I went ahead and counted them.  Namely the Reaper super-haul that 15,000+ of us bought into.  Well that package alone accounts for a hundred and fifty plus figures right there.  Speaking of Kickstarter, the Loud Ninja Games' Chuhuac Space Raptors project was just too good to let slip by as well, and since I'm on the Loud Ninja roster it'd be kind of suspect if I wasn't on board, haha.  Chalk up another sixty plus space raptors.  We're already way over two hundred figs.  It's those 15mm figs that have destroyed this 'bought' category, you just get too good of a deal with the little buggers, and they come in large quantities to boot!  I dare not make any lofty statements like, "With this minis figs bought in 2012 I shouldn't have to by any in 2013!"

Ahem.

So, without any resolutions or promises for next year, any goals or even a mention of the HUD (which is now at the bottom of the blog mind you) I bid you a hearty happy new year.  2012 was pretty much brought to life here on the blog thanks to friends like you who just happen to care enough to read to the bottom of the post.  Rock on.

The Proper Wargamer Query, Conclusion

Here is the second part (and conclusion) of the wargamer questionnaire I began a couple of days ago.  Thanks again to Ian over at the Blog With No Name.  Here you go, the conclusion, enjoy! 


Had a proper stand up argument over a wargames table?

I have had silly moments of pettiness (on both sides of the argument) from time to time.  There have been legitimate arguments and arguments out of sheer frustration but nothing too out of hand.  Certainly nothing "proper" to say the least!

Thrown a dice across the room?

Heh, yeah, I've done that.  I've banished dice from the table for a number of years.  I've hammered dice in front of other dice to serve as a lesson.  I've chucked them into a burning fireplace.  I am not kind to dice who are not kind in return.

Rebased an army for another set of rules?

I have never rebased an army in order to use for another game.  I've rebased figs for purely aesthetic reasons, or because I messed something up, but never for another game.

Inflicted a whopping defeat on an opponent?

I have, on occasion, absolutely destroyed my opponent at the games table.  But on the flipside I have equally been destroyed.  Really though, I fall into the 'laid back' gamer category and I do it as a way to hang out with my friends, so there's not a lot of 'whopping defeat' situations.  When it does happen it's still in good nature.

Suffered an embarrassing defeat due to stupid tactical decision?

The above question kind of covers this.  I'm never in a situation where a defeat may come off as 'embarrassing' in the first place.  But, as to the second half of the question, I have made countless upon countless blunders, errors, stupid tactical decisions, and more.  I've statted up armies wrong, I've completely forgotten very key and special rules, and the list goes on and on.

Joined a Wargames Club?

I haven't, not officially, and I don't head out into the public sphere too terribly often.  But what I do have to call upon are no less than 8-10 close friends who all share the love of the game(s).  In a sense we could be called a club.  We have our podcast, that's got to be a club substitute.

Bought a ton of lead that remains unpainted?

Yes.  Do I need to say more, really?  I have unpainted lead and plastics that are measured not by the number of minis but but by sheer weight.  I could open a store with the amount of stuff I still have in the package, let alone loose.  They say a gamer dies when they paint their last mini, this is my way of achieving immortality.

Been to a wargames show?

Yes, both tiny and immense, local and hundreds of miles away.  I'm somewhat of a shut-in when it comes to public gaming but all that goes out the window when it comes to a wargaming con.  There is so much great stuff going on inside those four walls it's too good to pass up.

Have more dice than logically required?

Yes, since I am fickle with my dice, and since I've already shown that I can be cruel to the little buggers (all justified I assure you), so it's necessary that I keep a lot on hand.  As with unpainted lead, the number of dice is measured by weight, not numbers, haha.

Well this was fun!  I always like these types of queries, gives one a little introspection into what we do and why we do it as gamers.  As usual, a little interaction goes a long way, so I'd be curious to know how you guys differ from me (or what similarities we share).  Until next time, enjoy!

The Proper Wargamer Query, part 1

One thing I enjoy seeing across all of our blogs are the Q&A type posts that give us more of a glimpse not just into the life of gaming in general, but the specific gaming lives of all of us as individuals.  Last time it was the "Angry Lurker" questionnaire, which was a lot of fun.

One such blog I've started reading, and you should too, is The Blog With No Name.  Over there they have answered a new one, with an entirely different set of parameters, all gaming focused still of course, which is why I had to jump in.  As you could tell from my para-phrased title, this one delves into what makes you a "proper" wargamer.  Something I never really thought about, let's see how I stack up. 

Spent over £500 ($800USD) on figures/tanks etc.?

When I saw this first question my first thought was, "In what span of time?" If we go with the length of one's hobbying days, well this number could easily be ten times this, if not more.  I'm going with a one year period.  And yes, I have indulged in a few $800+ years during this fun hobby.

 

Pricked your finger on a pike block?

Easily.  It doesn't stop there; pike blocks, spearmen regiments, leader models with raised swords, terrain pieces, and more.  I once leaned down for a model's eye view and came up with two goblin spearmen stuck, by the tips, to my cheek!  Now if we're talking modelling disasters with hobby knives, I've had to go to the emergency room to get actual stiches in my hand while whittling away on some GW plastics a long time ago.

 

Tried at least 10 rule sets?

In a lifetime?  Not a problem.  In a year?  Still pretty close.  The wargaming world is in a great place right now in that there is no shortage on rules and new things to try.  I couldn't imagine playing just one game and never trying the rest.

 

Bought an Army off E-Bay?

Yup, there have been some great finds on ebay and although I don't really have the kind of spending freedoms I once did, it's still a great place to pick stuff up every now and then. 

 

Sold an Army on E-Bay?

Ugh, I don't want to talk about this one.  We all go through inventory "purge" from time to time, but if I think of all the armies I've sold off it makes me sick to my stomach.  I always got a price I was happy with at the time, but I'd pay twice that amount to have that stuff back now.

 

Spent Months painting an army and used it just the once?

How about spending months painting an army and NEVER having played it at all?  That's what happened with my 100+ model sci-fi army.  One of these days perhaps...

 

Tried Several Different Periods or genres?

I kind of do it all really; boardgaming, tabletop gaming, videogaming, roleplaying.  As far as genres, that too; horror, sci-fi, historicals, fantasy, modern, you name it.  There are some areas I love above all else, like sci-fi, and some areas I'd like to do more of, like colonial era historical gaming.  I've had a lifetime of roleplaying, but I can always do with more.

 

Dropped a box of figures from a great height?

It was when I was clear-coating the aforementioned sci-fi army that has yet to see the tabletop.  I had them on a piece of plastic outside when a huge gust of wind picked up the entire piece and threw it about ten feet across my concrete driveway, scattering a hundred plus wee figs all over the place.  It was not a good day, I can still see them bouncing across the pavement.

 

Lost a battle on the last throw of the dice?

Full disclosure up front, it's not like I'm always winning games.  I enjoy what I do, but I wouldn't be what you would call a master strategist or anything.  I also don't know when to give up, so I tenaciously hang on until the last roll of the dice.  Does that mean I could've won had the roll been different?  No, probably not!

 

Made an enemy for life?

An enemy for life?  That's a little harsh, and besides, gaming can get tense but it's not that serious of a business!  Having said that though there are some folks who just aren't invited back to the game table from time to time.  Life is just too short to game with people that you just can't enjoy an actual game with.

This is just part one of what is now a two part article I guess!  I'll get the second part up soon, I hope you've enjoyed it to this part.  Let me know where you guys fall in with these.  Until then, rock on.

YOU Can Save the Snake Cult!

Yes, that's right, you! I'm calling out to my friends of the blog here, all 312 of you. You guys know my friend and gaming buddy, Chris "Biscuit" Miller, from a lot of his artwork here on the blog.  Recently, and after much persuasion on my part, he opted to do a weekly feature here; Monday Night Miller.

Well we've been somewhat taken with the game Super Dungeon Explore, and his last few posts have been around new hero and villain designs for said game.  Last week he debuted the concept of the Snake Cultists.  These cultists were his own creation dating back more than a year ago over at the Minions of the Monster Master blog.  But he also put out the call:

"the big plan is to let the Miksminis readers decide what that creature will be. It can be any power level from minion/denizen to big boss. I'll consider* any and all suggestions for character concept and abilities. Let the contest begin!"

So there you have it.  Mik's Minis readers, that's us!  Let's pitch in some cool ideas to really make this Snake Cult slither!  Here's the original post to leave comments and ideas at.  Rock on!

400 for Instagram

Back in November I had posted that I started an Instagram account so I could put up random pics here and there that were 'sort of' blog related, if not just something you guys would appreciate in the same vein as the blog itself.

Well since then I've posted some four hundred photos. These are the same photos you see in the feed to the right labeled "Mik's Minis Mobile". To put that in perspective, I've only shown about three hundred photos in various posts for 2012, so I've already surpassed that number handedly. On top of that, Instagram pics are rarely (I don't think ever) doubled up in blog posts, so it's kind of like a whole different reel of supplemental material.

The feed contains a lot of WIP pics and "action shots" of games we're playing that just never seem to find their way into properly posted battle reports. It would be silly to do a batrep of Qwirkle for instance, but it's always cool to see a quick screen shot, so to speak. I guess the feed could be broken down into three categories; what I'm playing, where I'm going, and what I'm eating.

There's a bit of a networking aspect involved as well. I know that Spacejacker, theGonk, Jmezz382, (or as I like to call them; Ben, Andy, Joe) and myself have formed a quatro of gaming related symbiosis, but it doesn't stop with them. In fact, as with finding new blogs, I've found a few new gaming resources and people this way as well, such as El Blondino's Workbench. That's where you come into play, got a Twitter or Instagram account? Cygnus46 is the username connected with Mik's Minis here.

Instagram isn't replacing the blog or keeping me from posting material, but it does make it incredibly easy to "post" on the fly and from the road, as the numbers clearly show. Sorry, there won't be any pics of me standing in front of a bathroom mirror showing off my "rock hard" abs however, haha.

Reaper Bones: Too Good to Pass Up?

The sheer thought of adding 200+ unpainted figures to the queue is laughable really, in my neck of the woods anyway. Not to mention adding all of those figures in one, single shot. The Reaper Bones Kickstarter however may be too good to pass up.

For the 'Vampire' level you get all of the figs shown here on the left, by the time lunch rolls around here on the eastern seaboard there's a good bet owlbears and griffons will be included as well. This brings the total closer to about 220 figs, or about .45 cents each.

I've got a bit of geekin' out money squirreled away and I was eye-balling Super Dungeon Explore, which is a fun, light boardgame that comes filled to the gills with 52 cool looking miniatures. A game I can play with friends and family, and a lot of figs to paint. An extra thirty bucks and I get three times the number of figs with the Reaper deal.

A hundred bucks could also buy the excellent boardgame Eclipse, one of those games that you're always glad your buddies own because normally you wouldn't drop a hundred bucks on a single game.

Bah, I don't know. I'm an impulsive buyer, but often suffer buyer's remorse as well. I'm a minis gamer, but also not painting a lot of minis right now. There's other boardgames that have been on my wishlist for some time like Dominant Species, Eminent Domain, Alien Frontiers...heck, I could almost get all three of those.

So I don't know, with the Reaper deadline approaching (about 57 hours) I do have a little breathing room to think about it, but I still don't have a clue. The figs would be a great haul, and at a great price. Some boardgames would get more use though, without a doubt. Super Dungeon Explore solves both issues to an extent.

What do y'all think?

Five Years on at Mik's Minis

As I write this it is the first half of June and a couple of blogs have just celebrated their blog-birthdays; Lead Addict and Brummie's Wargaming. I've always tracked stuff like pageviews and posts and readers, but never thought about anniversaries. Being the savvy reader you are you have surmised from the title and the pic that Mik's Minis has hit the five year mark, no small feat! I also think it's funny that I just hyperlinked my own blog, since you're already here reading it.

So what do we have? 1100+ posts, hopefully 300+ readers by the time this airs, a quarter of a million plus pageviews, all kinds of good stuff. I wish I had been keeping track of minis painted and games played and all of that goodness along the way so I could report those numbers too, but alas that information escapes me.

Sci-fi leads the way with 437 posts and fantasy behind it with 233 posts, clearly my love lies with the leader. For specific subjects, 40K is in there with 183 posts and LEGO not too far behind with 108 posts. Fitting since my first post was LEGO related with a build I'm still proud of. Below is my "official" intro, of which I will add some director's commentary:

"Well, I've already got one post under my belt and I forgot to introduce myself! [as it seems lack of organization has been a hallmark since the beginning!] I'm going to try my hand at a journal here, [at the time I thought the word "blog" was too trendy so I opted for "journal", this is a blog, I'm a blogger, I blog, I admit it now] mainly reporting on all things 'geeky' in nature. My main interests are miniature gaming, roleplaying, and the like, so the bulk of articles on here will reflect that. [if this is a mission statement I can safely say I have faithfully clung to this] I'll also review books, movies, gaming supplements, and such, as I come across them.

I'm fortunate to have some great friends who share my interests, and no doubt it's because of them that I get to keep dabbling in these hobbies well into my adult years. [still true, still just as fortunate] Obviously, having a supportive wife who tolerates gaming sessions at the house, as well as counting her losses to some significant square footage downstairs goes a long way too! [even more true, even more fortunate!] So, pop in, check things out, leave some comments, peruse all those links, and enjoy! [I know I've said this numerous times, but without your input and comments, ongoing discussion and the like this thing would've never made five months let alone five years] Rock on..."

So much has happened these five years I don't even know where to start, both hobby-wise, personal, and everywhere else. It's kind of neat since I've basically shared all of that with you along the way, not as weird as one might think really, and only with just a hint of narcissism. We had a new baby, the old baby has grown up, I got a couple of college degrees, suffered through ER trips and injuries, planted a bunch of gardens, lost a bunch of tennis matches, on and on. Along the way I played a few hundred games too.

All in all not too shabby, if the blog ended today I would feel very good about it. For some reason I feel a particular quote from the end of Burn After Reading sums it up best, it loses some of its emphasis with the F-bombs edited out, but being a school teacher I pride myself on never having uttered a curse word here just in case a student or parent found their way to the place, though my real life vocabulary is a tad more...colorful.

CIA Superior: What did we learn, Palmer?
CIA Officer: I don't know, sir.
CIA Superior: I don't [beepin'] know either. I guess we learned not to do it again.
CIA Officer: Yes, sir.
CIA Superior: I'm [beeped] if I know what we did.
CIA Officer: Yes, sir, it's, uh, hard to say
CIA Superior: Jesus [beepin'] Christ.

Thanks again for a great five years, here to the what's on the horizon!

The Blog With No Name has got you Covered

I love finding new blogs only slightly less than free blog giveaways. Fortunately Ian, over at The Blog With No Name, has come through on both counts! To celebrate one hundred followers he is offering up some fantastic prizes; brushes, supplies, a 54mm fig, a fully painted unit of your choice, even half of a casting mold! So head over to The Blog With No Name before the 8th of September and get in on the action, and tell 'em Mik sent you!

Q and A: Angry Style

Over at the Angry Lurker, a blog I read on a regular basis as I'm sure most of you do as well, an "angry reject" set of questions has been posted. While "not a virus" it was suggested to have a go at the list, so I am up to the task.

Besides, I have a sneaky suspicion that Friday Rucht Hour is going to end up as a Sunday post once again, come on Rucht, let's put the Friday back in Friday Rucht Hour! But I digress.

If you haven't been over to the Angry Lurker you should check it out, lots of great projects and the sheer painting productivity that Fran cranks out is impressive enough, let alone the stuff looks good to boot! His cohort in crime, Ray, has answered the same set of questions and his equally cool blog, Don't Throw a 1, with responses can be found here. Now, on to it...

1. Favorite wargaming period, and why? It's gotta be science fiction for me, hands down. I love robots, aliens, laser guns, and the like and sci-fi is where you can game with all of that. Plus you've got so many options; fleet battles to skirmish, hard-tech to space opera.

2. Next period, money is no object? If I could wave a magic wand it would be French Indian War in 40mm. I've brushed up against this one before but have lacked the wherewithal thus far.

3. Favorite five films? It changes, but as of this writing; Land of the Lost, Silverado, Jaws, The Thing, and Aliens.

4. Favorite five TV series? Apparently I like comedy television; Seinfeld, Big Bang Theory, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Regular Show.

5. Favorite book and author? Sheesh, this is the toughest one so far. Favorite book might be The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, as for author, wow, so many choices. Probably will go with R.A. Salvatore because his pulp fantasy is pretty cool.

6. Greatest general (yourself excluded)? He might not have held the official rank of "general" but Ghengis Khan, who hammered out the Mongol Empire, the largest empire the Earth has ever known, takes the cake hands down.

7. Favorite wargame rules? Another tough one! I have never played a game of Check Your 6! where I didn't have fun and was able to just 'play the game' without focusing on the rules or what-not.

8. Favorite sport and team? When football season is in session I love watching American football, professional then college. Otherwise I love watching tennis only slightly less than I do playing it. Favorite team? I don't really root for a single franchise.

9. If you had a one-use time machine, when and where would you go? I'd sit off the coast in a ski boat with a rocket launcher and a crate of ammo and wait for all the sails on the horizon coming to "explore" the New World.

10. Last meal on death row? Wow, grim. My dad's chicken and dumplings, my wife's cheese grits casserole, a tall glass of cold milk, some fine Kentucky Bourbon, and my mom's Watergate cake.

11. Fantasy relationship, and why? Salma Hayek, because she gets me, haha.

12. If your life were a movie, who would play you? Leonardo DiCaprio.

13. Favorite comic superhero? Marshal Law.

14. Favorite military quote? It's debatable who said it first, but the gist is, "No battle plan survives contact with the enemy."

15. Historical destination to visit? Tenochtitlan.

16. Biggest wargaming regret? Selling off old armies, figs, collections, rulebooks, and the like.

17. Favorite fantasy job? I would have a food truck called Plan 9 Foodstuffs with a dystopian future vibe (think black with white barcodes, etc) and drive around making gourmet foods and selling them out of my truck.

18. Favorite song, top five? Song? I have no idea, I'm calling an audible and going with bands/artists; David Byrne, Rush, Clutch, Les Claypool, and Dream Theater.

19. Favorite wargaming moment? Oh man, I have no idea. I have a lot of favorite games I've played, and could probably answer 'favorite RPG moment' no problem, but I can't pin this one down. I'm copping out I know!

20. The "miserable git" question, what upsets you? Reality television.

All right, that was a very fun exercise all said and done, some of these answers were so ingrained I didn't even have to think about them. Others were a lot more mentally taxing however.

Well, you know the drill...enjoy!

Mega Supers Giveaway Contest!

It has been quite some time indeed since I've witnessed a massive blog giveaway the likes that Tales of a Tabletop Skirmisher is in the midst of performing.

ToaTS Big 100K Giveaway!

It's a massive, superhero figure laden prize indeed featuring the Pulp City rules, Pulp City figs, and a jaw-dropping amount of of supers related figs such as Reaper Chronoscope, card art, and tons more.

PRIZES

1) 2 Pulp City starter boxes, 2 extra Supremes and a full colour printed PDF rulebook (over £80 worth)
2) 4 Reaper Chronoscope Supers and a Beast - Thanks to Miniature Heros
3) 2 Lvl2 and 2 Lvl1 Pulp City Supremes of your choice - Thanks to Pulp Monsters
4) 3 x sets of Pulp City Artwork Postcards - Thanks to Pulp Monsters again

That there is plumb amazing! So I entered, I think you should too. Even if I don't win, which would be a bummer indeed, I think my curiosity is more than picqued about Pulp City, and the figs look stunning, so my overflowing plate just got that much more full.