Not Quite My Cup of Heroscape

I love Heroscape.  I still do.  I was thrilled beyond thrilled when Renegade brought it back from the dead.  If you've been reading my blog over the past year or so, you know that I have been less than happy with some aspects of the game.  Which brings me to something that has been bothering me - the games new characters.

Many of the new ones I think are cool: Space Pirates, Major -11, the Revan Acolytes for example.  Some of the others, not so much like The Tanuki Tricksters, Clockwork Combine, and the Chain Gruts.  Searching on the Internet, I saw that others share my disappointment.  

We, the loyal Heroscape fans, were originally enamored by the super cool figures and terrain we saw in the big plastic bubble in Toys R Us.  The waves that came afterwards were also awesome and helped us to build themed armies.  Hours of fun collecting, building, and playing were the result.

Sorry to be a Donnie Downer, but I feel like there is a bit of a disconnect with the original game in several ways (as previously stated).  Don't get me wrong, I will still play and collect AoA figures; just maybe not as many as I did before.  I am looking forward to getting my Twilight Clan Riders (to be released this week).  

SO dear Renegade, can we please get some better figures???  Less crazy ones perhaps and more in line with the original set.  Let us expand our armies.  More historicals please (a common request online) - Aztecs, Conquistadores, Zulus, Apache, Cossacks, Huns, Carthaginians (on War Elephants!!!)...you get my drift.   Also, thank for giving us back the game so many of us cherish!!!!

Until next time  - keep on 'scaping!

Horny Little Devil

With Halloween right around the corner, I thought I might try painting a figure that looked kind of Hellish.  This nightmarish creature is Tarrasque the Devourer.  It is a 3D print from Artisan Guild that I got online a few weeks back.  I loved the look of it and decided that this one fiendish creature was a must for my ever expanding collection.  Take a gander.

Be safe out there.  Be sure to look for the little ghosts and goblins running around your neighborhood Trick or Treating this Saturday (October 31st).  May your bag overflow with candy!!!👻

One Angry Ogre

I picked up a D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures Ogre Zombie a while back.  When I got it, I wasn't really thrilled with the concept of an Ogre Zombie so I decided to change it.  I thought I still had a shield or two from my Warhammer Beastmen.  I rummaged through my bitz boxes and came across one. I filled in the torn out stomach area with some Crayola Model Magic.  After it dried, I Super Glued on the shield.  I wanted it to look like he was wearing chest armor of sorts. The chain around his neck helped to pull it off.  Behold one paint job later, my thoroughly beat up angry-as-hell Ogre.  Check him out.

Join the Dark Side

Several years ago, my son's girlfriend at the time brought us a bag of coffee.  She knew we love coffee and have a fresh brewed cup every morning.  She told us that it was from a small company in Ligonier, PA called Dark Side Coffee Roasters.

Since she was working in the area at the time, when we ran out, she'd grab us another bag.  When she and my son broke up, our supply off their coffee ended as well.  We went online and found their webpage and began to order their coffee direct.  They ship it.  Yeah!!!  We were back in business!!!

Each day begins with a hot cup of their Laurel Mountain Reserve (we've tried several of their roasts and this one is our favorite).  The first sip brings a smile to our faces.  It will be a good day!

Besides ordering online, you can find their coffees for sale in local supermarkets in Western PA.  If you love coffee, do yourself a favor and buy some from Dark Side Coffee Roasters.  Click on the link below for more information.  

 Dark Side Coffee Roasters

It's Time to Harvest

I was recently turned onto Harvest Snaps.  They are a baked veggie snack that comes in different flavors.  I have tried several.  The Tomato-Basil ones are very good.  Love the Sour Cream and Onion.  My favorite so far is the Honey BBQ.

These snacks are flavorful and have a nice crunch to them which I really like.  A bonus is that they have protein and fiber.  Fat and salt content aren't bad.  They are pea or lentil based and baked rather than fried.  Trust me, a self-proclaimed snackaholic, these are quite tasty. Go grab a few bags and treat yourself.

OBX

I just finished watching season 5 of Outer Banks on Netflix.  I watched the previous seasons over the last couple of years and loved the show.  Kudos to all the young actors that did outstanding jobs bringing the characters to life and providing the viewers with a true treat to watch.

What made the show Outer Banks enjoyable was the somewhat naive spontaneity of the group (Pogues) to jump into adventures to find treasure and get rich quick.  The interactions of the group with each other  (coming from very different backgrounds and baggage) was tremendous and seemed very real.  Their drama with the rich people (Kooks) on the island and with the local police made you really root for them.  They made you want to be a part of their group.

They are often up against some great protagonists which include family members (several are their fathers) who thwart the group at every step as they are treasure seeking.  One villain even kills a Pogue. The tension and suspense these evil-doers provide adds to the enjoyment of the series.

The group (late teens/early twenties) travel around the world seeking fortune.  This aspect is a bit far-fetched.  It is cool to see some exotic places that most folks will never get to. It also adds to the somewhat comic book feel to the series.

Missing in season 5 (in my opinion) was some of the light-heartedness of the early seasons.  It seemed very dark (perhaps intentional after the loss of one of their own).  The season/series ender was fantastic - loved it!!!!  Great (if not semi unrealistic) closure for the characters and their many life issues. It made me want to shout "Poguelandia Forever!!!"

Fire and Ice

I thought I'd share a couple of recent pick-ups with you.  I was at Tractor Supply the other day and saw this way cool Schleich Frost Mammoth and decided for the price to grab it. The Heroclix figure is called Sindr.  She is a Fire Giant Figure from Marvel Comics.

I think both are crazy cool looking.  They will make nice additions to my collection.

On the way is a set of demons I purchased on Etsy.  I was inspired to get them because of my fondness for the Mazikeen character from Lucifer. Mazzikin are demons from Jewish Mythology.  I'll share the pics of the painted minis when I'm done.

Take care out there.  Stay safe and enjoy the day!

Frost Mammoth

Sindr

Tales of Brave Ulysses

Went to see The Odyssey with family yesterday.  It was decent. If I had to assign it a letter grade, I'd give it a B.  Not sure what all the hoopla was about. It's a very good film, but it wasn't great.

The acting across the board (Theron, Holland, Zendaya, Hathaway, Pattinson) was well done (some better than others).  Matt Damon was exceptional.  The story deviates from Homer's original at times which I was not a fan of (The Giants for example).  The pace is off.  Too slow at times and too fast at others.  The scene with the Sirens (which you can't really see) I thought was too short.  Special effects were bad (Cyclops, Scylla). There was just a lot that wasn't working for me.

I did like the take on Odysseus. He was a man who was tormented by his choices. He was also lost (more than geographically). Even as he sailed into the sunset at the end, he still seemed haunted by his past.

Was I entertained for nearly 3 hours?  Yes.  Do I think that I will ever watch it again?  No.  Go see it for yourself. If you know nothing about Homer's poem or have see other movie versions before, so much the better.  You will have nothing to compare it to and can accept it for what it is.

Caught in the Web

I binge watched Spider Noir Season 1 on Prime last night. I'll admit I feel a little tired this morning. I thought it was decent, but not great.  Nicolas Cage was too old for the part and his acting...well...was just Nicolas Cage.  Li Ju Li (Cat Hardy) steals the show.  Lamorne Morris was fantastic as Robbie Robertson. Karen Rodriguez was amazing. Joe Massingill was spectacular as Electro.

For the most part it played out like a comic book.  Semi interesting story line - American Soldiers experimented on by the Germans during WW1.  There was a cool take on the origin of Mr. Spider. That's about it.  Everything else was kinda meh. On a scale of one to ten, I'd give it a seven.  No season 2 is scheduled at this time. 

FYI: You can watch the series in color or black and white.  I watched it in color.  I think that was probably a mistake on my part.

Go Steelers!!!

I've often discussed the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pitt Panthers here.  The Pittsburgh Steelers, not so much.  I watched their first preseason game last night and it didn't disappoint.  New season, new coach, lots of new players and staff. The Black and Gold squared off against the Packers (Coach McCarthy's former team) and came away with their first win of the year.

The first half was pretty much of a tie. The Steelers roared to life in the second half with the two young QBs (Will Howard and Drew Allar) marching the team up and down the field for multiple touchdowns.  The receiving corps did an outstanding job. The running game was decent.  The defense held Green Bay to just 3 field goals.  A big negative was the penalties (Can't afford those in the regular season, gentlemen!!!)  All-in- all, it was a fun game to watch.

I'm looking forward to watching them take on the Jets next week.  Hopefully, the team can give Yinzer Nation something to cheer about!  Go Steelers!!!!

Side note:  I also watched the Hall of Fame Game.  It was a great way to kick off the season.  The Carolina Panthers took on the Arizona Cardinals.  Two rookie quarterbacks battled it out which made it fun to watch.  It came down to the wire.  Carolina's QB, Carson Beck, ran one in for a TD with 18 seconds left on the clock. Good game!

Eclipsed

I knew that there was going to be a solar eclipse today.  I set a reminder on my phone so that I wouldn't forget.  When the alarm went off, I headed to the back deck and grabbed a seat.  The event would be happening in 15 minutes and I was ready.

Three hours later I woke up, and much to my disappointment, I had missed the entire thing.  Looking on the bright side, I had a fantastic afternoon nap.  Well, I guess there is always next time...which just happens to be February 6, 2027.  I've already marked it on my calendar and set the reminder.  Maybe I'll have better luck then.