Four Fiendish Foes

I recently purchased these four D&D minis from The Vault in Greensburg, PA. I thought they looked super cool.  Our four-legged friend is a Hellhound.  The knight with the flaming spear is a Narzugon (Hell Knight).  The dwarf-like guys with the shields are Azer Warriors.

I had a blast painting them last night.  I put on some INXS and away I went.  I'm pleased with the outcome.  Check 'em out.  Enjoy your day and stay safe out there.

Un-Reliable

Reliable Exteriors is a home improvement company in Western Pa. I had them close in a deck for me. Issues from the start. Wrong windows, delays, work not done correctly. When finished, it looked nice. Now it leaks. They tried twice to fix it and it still leaked. Don (the owner) came out and said give him a week and someone would be out to take another look (that was in March). They've ghosted me since. Reliable???  They had my money and that was the end of it.

Around the House

My wife made a pseudo Peninsula Grill Ultimate Coconut Cake to take to a Fourth of July Party tomorrow. It looks amazing!😋 We had the real McCoy there a few years ago and she fell in love with it.

I ventured out in the heat (95) to get some pics of the Day Lilies blooming around my house. They look super cool!

Slitherin

No, not one of the four legendary houses from the Harry Potter series, but a couple of wee wigglies from Reaper Bones Miniatures.  I am planning (at some point) to do a dessert-themed fantasy army  (a la Tomb Kings) in the near future (maybe near??)  I bought these two belly sliders to be used as part of that ensemble.  Pictured below are a Giant Cobra (yellow and blue) and a Naga.

I love both sculpts (very cool looking).  The paint job on the cobra was one I mimicked from a pic I saw online.  The Naga paint is an amalgamation of ideas I saw on the Net.  Take a gander.  Don't get too close.

Up next, I think, will be these Wizkids warriors.  I picked them up recently for a decent price.  I thought they looked rad.  These guys are D&D Nolzur's Miniatures. Look for pics to come.

A "Texas-Size" Cake

Several decades ago I was born in San Antonio, Texas.  My wife decided it was time to celebrate my arrival on the planet since I had a close call and could have left said planet a few short months ago.  Needless to say, I happy to still be here and posting on my humble little blog.

We're having some guests over later (family and friends) for a cookout. Hot sausages, sliders, potato salad, corn casserole, seven layer salad, deserts, and of course cake.  I love chocolate chip cookies and am a big Dallas Cowboys fan, so my wife combined the two and made a chocolate chip cookie cake with a big blue star on it.  I LOVE IT and can't wait to dig into it.

I am thankful for my life.  My wife and sons are terrific.  My family and friends are kindhearted special folks who I am happy to have.  No present needed, I already have the best ones!!! 

The Mandalorian and Grogu

I went to see The Mandalorian and Grogu with my son yesterday.  He's a huge Star Wars fan and decided to take me to see it as a belated Father's Day present. I read a lot of hoopla online about the film since it came out.  Folks seemed to be torn into two camps about the movie: lovers and haters.

Personally I thought the film was pretty decent.  It was certainly entertaining.  Let me be clear (thanks, Obama LOL), it was no Rogue One.  It wasn't even as good as Solo.  Yet, I did find it to be a decent story.  The acting was good (Sigourney Weaver was just so-so).  Loved Rotta, Embo, Hugo, Zeb, and Gatori. Watching it with my son, was priceless. 

My advice, don't go in with any expectations.  Grab a bucket of popcorn (extra butter) and a drink.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Snack Time

 Like many of you I enjoy a good snack or two.  I like to much when I'm on the computer, reading, watching some sports on the tube, playing cards, or visiting with friends.  I enjoy trying different types of snacks to check out different brands and flavors.  Here are some I've consumed as of late.

Pirate's Booty Aged White Cheddar Snack Puffs - Like cheese curls but better.  Very addicting!!!! 

Utz Honey Wheat Pretzel Twists - These are fantastic!  Very flavorful!  Love the crunch!!!

Smart Food White Cheddar Popcorn - I alternate these with Cheddar Snack Puffs.  Grab a bowl full!!

liveGfree Gluten Free Sea Salt Brown Rice Crisps - A new favorite.  I use them like tortilla chips.

Some of these are healthier than others. Everything in moderation.  I enjoy them.  Try 'em out for yourself.

Scrapin' in the Scrapyard

It started with this guy.  He is from Bones Miniatures and is called Keryx the Cyborg Assassin.  While looking for him I came across a miniature that I completely forgot I had.  The figure is a Heresy Miniature called Security Sgt. Dove.  

Keryx (Tyler Dove)

Sgt. Dove (Taylor)

A story started brewing in my head.  These two were brothers; Tyler and Taylor Dove.  They were born on Damascus 12, a manufacturing planet in the Planetary Alliance.  Damascus 12 produced parts for the farming equipment on agricultural worlds, the military, and the enormous space fleet of the Alliance.  Their father owned a scrapyard on the planet.  Ty and Tay would play among the junk when they were kids.  One day while they were in the yard, they heard what sounded like lasgun fire.  It came from the building where their father's office was.  They ran towards the office and when they got there, their father was lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

The police investigation never found the murderer.  Both boys vowed that they would do everything they could to solve the case.  Ty was older and joined the police force and quickly rose to the rank of detective.  Tay joined the force two years later and was a rookie when his brother disappeared while investigating a local smuggler.

Reports of a cyborg killing local gangsters began to circulate in the precinct.  When Tay saw and image of the assassin on his com-screen, it looked a lot like his missing brother. He knew he needed to find him and stop the killing spree.  In his gut, he felt that his brother's investigation of the smuggler, his brother's disappearance, the gangster killings, and the cyborg were all connected. Little did he know how right he was.

Taylor's gut told him that he would find his brother at their father's long abandoned scrapyard. The cyborg, now a killing machine for his boss, the smuggler, who was eliminating all local competition was ordered to take out a young police sergeant who was poking his nose into the recent killings.  For some reason, the cyborg thought the police officer could be found at a nearby scrapyard.  The hunt was on. 

The scrapyard piece I cobbled together with a bunch of bits I had in a box along with some parts I had from old Tamiya kits.  The platform was to put metal scraps on so that a crane could pick them up and load them on to a transport.  It was a favorite spot for Ty and Tay to play on and under when they were kids.

* I gave Security Sgt. Dove (Taylor) a custom base (It was one I didn't use from Kabuki Miniatures.)  I wanted a Blade Runner/Ghost in the Shell feel for him.

Freebies

For many years, I have ordered minis from Reaper Miniatures.  A good number of my posts feature some of the ones I have painted.  I'm a big fan of their products and will continue to purchase more of them down the road.

One of the things that I have enjoyed is that with an order, Reaper will often give you a free miniature (of their choosing).  The two that I am featuring in today's post are examples of what I am writing about.  I received both of these great miniatures for free with past orders.

The one with the staff is Arkus Harn.  He is a dwarf witch hunter.  The other one with the two blades is Naus the Waghalter.  He is described as a Human Rogue.

I like them both. For free, I like them even better.  

Dragon Fire Five

A few posts back I shared a photo of a dragon toy I found at Walmart that I did a repaint on.  I also shared some pics of other dragons that were for sale at Walmart in a different post.  Well boys and girls, I am proud to say that I have bought several more of those dragons and did some repaints on them as well.

There were three more dragons that I missed out on.  They are no longer available.  Here's the whole crew. These five are sure to light up (LOL) any gaming table.  Check 'em out! 

Too Bad

These two are too bad!  The Ogre Clubber on the left is from Reaper Bones Miniatures.  The Efreeti on the right is a D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniature by Wizkids.  I started out with a Slap Chop Painting on them, but it wasn't working out (I needed to drybrush the white paint over the black more heavily...live and learn).

I don't think that they turned out too badly (LOL). I hope you feel the same way.  Adios for now.  See you again down the road a bit.

It's Not Just Me

 

I pulled some comments off the internet in support of some of my views of Heroscape Age of Annihilation:

Powers and Abilities

Based on community reviews and early analysis of the Heroscape: Age of Annihilation Master Set, several abilities and unit designs have been criticized as underwhelming, poorly designed, or "dumb" due to power imbalances or lack of synergy.

Design and Thematic "Dumb" Choices

• Poorly Integrated Bonding: The Vorid faction has poor synergy, where special bonding with the Frostclaw Paladins doesn't extend to the Glide Strikers, making them feel clunky in play.
• "Steampunk Animal" Aesthetic: Many players felt the steampunk animal theme, especially for the Vorids, was a jarring and "dumb" aesthetic shift for the Heroscape universe.
• Limited Synergy with Classic Sets: A major complaint is that many new units lack real synergy with classic (pre-2010) sets, acting more like a separate, unbalanced game rather than an expansion.
• Overpowered Squads/Underpowered Heroes: Some units, like the Knaves of the Silver Scimitar, are often seen as too strong for their point cost compared to other, more expensive hero options, leading to imbalance in competitive drafting.
• Unit/Sculpt Mismatch: Some units have a lack of cohesion between their visual model and their abilities.

Scale Creep

Also, the new figures are physically larger, with many standing "head and shoulders" over classic figures, making them appear scaled up.

A Little Crabby

I purchased this very cool looking crab awhile back.  Unfortunately, it got put in a container with a lot of  other items when I moved last year.  Out of sight, out of mind.  I was looking for another figure (which I also forgot I had) and came across Mr. Crab.  

I'm thinking about doing another pirate set in the near future and thought I might add my Crustacean friend to the group.  We shall see.

As always, thanks for taking the time to check out my humble little blog.  I do appreciate it. Enjoy your day and stay safe out there.

 

The Return of the Eisenek

Eisenek
Back Row:  Scavorith, Iron Lich Viscerot, Hellforge Mandukor
Front Row: Necrotech Wraithriders

According to Heroscape Lore, the Eisenek are a long forgotten species that were cybernetically enhanced.  They inhabited a planet called Noxdorma.  The Eisenek were the last remaining species when their world shattered into hundreds of asteroids.  What remained of Eisenek were resurrected and brought to Valhalla by Revna to join the force she was gathering.

At one point, Revna captured Cornelius Breech, the Derelict Prince, and had his mind scanned to reveal the battle plans of the outlaw Pirates of the Crimson Fleet.  It appears that his usefulness ended and he was cast out to survive on his own. 

I got these beauties to grow and enhance my expanding Age of Annihilation Forces.  I think they are amazing, great sculpts, cool paint jobs, nice poses.  Very happy with the purchase!

Cornelius Breech

Eye Candy

Over the past few weeks, I've posted some photos of my nephew's WH40K models.  I am proud to share his fantastic work.  Here are four more models to feast your eyes upon.  Enjoy!

Big and Bad

I have been down for a few weeks after having some surgery. I've not really felt up to any miniature painting.  I did however snag a couple of super cool figures for some great prices on the internet.

The Ice Dragon is by Safari Ltd.  I've seen it around for a bit and always thought it looked amazing.  The Mammoth Rider is a D&D miniature. The orc rider on top sealed the deal for me.

I can see these two battling it out on some frozen tundra.  Their clash would be epic.

More Good Stuff

As promised in my previous entry, here are more photos of some of the WH40K models my nephew has painted.  I am truly awed by his work. 

                                                        

                                                                                    

When You Got It...

...You got it...talent that is.  Recently I found out that my nephew and I shared a common interest.  We are both WH40K fans and enjoy collecting and painting their miniatures.  When he showed me pictures of some of the models he painted, I was blown away.  He's only been at the miniatures painting game a few years and he is a gazillion times better at it than I can ever hope to be.  His work is truly impressive.  I love his attention to detail and his fantastic use of color.  

I asked him to send me pics of his work.  Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing them with all of you out there.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Hunter and Hunted

Continuing with the theme of powerful women (see last entry), I completed this lovely pair.  The lady in red is a Reaper Bones Demon Hunter named Masumi. Masumi means "true purity," "true clarity," or "true beauty".  The Demoness is also a Reaper Miniature.  Her name is Virina.  Virina means "female" or "womanly".

Virina used her demonic charms to lure locals to their demise and an eternal suffering in Hell.  The villagers prayed for a savior to stop the demoness.  One morning, Masumi appeared out of the mountain mists.  She strode into the middle of the village, stopped, and called out the name, Virina.

Hearing her summoning, Virina smiled.  Darkness spread across the village.  Virina stepped out of it to confront her adversary.  

"You know, sister, that these mortals are not worth your time."

"I stopped being your sister, when you gave yourself to the Evil One, Virina."

"You can not defeat me, Masumi."

"We shall see."

Lighting struck the ground between where the two were standing followed by a a clap of thunder that shook the heavens. A second later, the combatants went for one another.  Tales of their epic battle would be passed down by the villagers for centuries.

Women with Weapons

L to R: Sarah Connor, Tess, Robocop, Female Pilot

I wanted to dedicate my hobby time in February (Women in History Month) to paint 28 (1 per day)  of the fiercest females you've ever seen in honor of all the lovely ladies that have made a difference in our world. The best laid plans of mice and men.  Needless to say that didn't happen.

I did get 4 finished (see photo).  I have another 9 in various stages of being completed. The rest got shelved for the foreseeable future. Sorry, ladies.

So, we have a female Robocop with her dog Copper (Get it?!). Next is Sarah Connor. There are also a couple of Reaper Bones figures:  A Pulp Era Pilot and a futuristic soldier (Tess).  Take a look.  I hope you like them.  Thanks for checking in. See ya down the road a bit.

Joining The Family

My son bought me Heroscape: Battle for the Wellspring Box Set for Christmas.  I finally finished painting the six figures that came with it.  I am pleased overall with my effort.  My only knock is that the base color is somewhat darker than the true ones. I guess you can't have everything. Take a look.  Picture below.

L to R: Master of Tides, Kita the Springrunner, Killian Vane III, Bok-Bur-Na, Bonnie the Void Siren, Onshu the Welkineye

Iron Mike

Mike Tyson

In the past, I have posted items that I have built using mostly parts from Dollar Tree toys.  Meet "Iron Mike".  I cobbled him together using parts from several Dollar Tree Final Faction sets.

The base of the tank was formed by combining the "tank" treads from one set and securing them together with plasticard.  The back was made from the rear portion of the torso armor.  The helmet was mounted on top.

I placed two twin miniguns on the sides of the helmet. A sound cannon was made from a  cut down weapon in the pack and attached to the top. I also added a laser guidance system (made from old bitz) to the front of the helm. An array window sits just above the laser.

Two turbine boosters (made from other weapons from the set) were added to the top of the base. I added some shielding to them from parts I removed the leg braces in one of the sets. An air intake vent was mounted to the front of the tank (made from old bitz). A debris bar was placed at the base of the front of the vehicle to keep rubble from the treads (made from old bitz). Lastly an exhaust vent was attached to the rear.

I then primered the model.  It was then painted olive green.  The treads, minigun barrels, and turbines were painted black.  Next everything was given a brown-black wash.  I dry brushed on some lighter green on the body to bring out the details.  The black areas were dry bushed with a medium gray. The laser was painted bright red.  Lastly I added some silver in some areas to illustrate paint wear on the figure.  The treads were placed on the model and I gave the entire figure a clear coat. Done!

I named him Iron Mike in honor of the Champ. This AI Mini Tank (inspired by this picture of a Russian AI tank I found online) is a tough little bugger.  It's able to take some good hits and deliver killer blows in return.  The sound cannon can rattle the enemy troops brains and the twin mini guns (with laser guidance) will deliver the body punches. The twin turbines give it the speed and power to take the battle to the enemy.  The AI system allows Iron Mike (Designation: MT - 03AI) to make crucial decisions on the spot.

Russian AI Mini Tank

"Iron Mike"