Monday, September 25, 2017

Sewing Circle - Widow Weaver and Bandersnatch

The Widow Weaver's one of my favorite Malifaux models, and I was glad that the plastic version was 90%+ just a materials update.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Creepy Crawlies - Spidicules and Kingdom Death Campaign years 5.1-10

The Spidicules was one of my favorite minis from the first Kingdom Death KS. I've griped plenty about how impractical it turned out to be, which is why it's not still a favorite, but think it's a cool model, and think its little spiderlings are just charming, in an ugly sort of way. I'm particularly happy with how all their eyes came out.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Don't Go Into the Jungle! - Pan Oceana Shock Army of Acontecimento, Part 1

Before working on this, it was actually a fair bit since I'd painted any Infinity guys, and it was a nice reminder how much I like the line (except for those flimsy antennae).

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Everybody Knows that the Bird is the Word - Codenames Review


I don't like "party games." I don't like yelling (or buzzers), interruptions, timers, or social stuff relying on poor information or hidden teams. That certainly doesn't mean I don't like having a good time in a social situation, and there are still plenty of times where I like things that become those things*, but what it actually comes down to is that I hate when those elements are essential to the game rules or the inevitable outcome, because I don't really like things that are that high energy.

So, when I had Codenames described to me as something along the lines of "There's lots of yelling and guessing who's the spy, and who doesn't like party games?!" I was skeptical, to say the least.  It basically sounded like the least enjoyable parts (most parts) of Taboo, Pictionary, and Bang!, rolled in to one mess, maybe with some Apples to Apples mixed in, where I'd tolerate a few rounds and then beg off.

Fortunately, that turned out to be a poor description of Codenames and, despite any reservations, in a few rounds, it became my favorite light-weight guessing game, which isn't saying a lot, but the fact that I actually bought a copy the next week does.

Given the game's popularity, I expect that party gamers are well aware of the game, but this strays well outside my normal interests and reviews as mostly a fan of strategy games and thematic games/RPGs, so is worth a review from a different perspective.

Monday, September 18, 2017

Wings of Shadow(?) - Nekima

The old metal Nekima is still a very impressive mini. She appropriately looks massive on the table with her huge wings and serious height, and I think just about every part of the old model fits a classic demon (or at least fantasy setting demon) look. She could have been a little beefier in demonstrating her complete lack of sublety, but Wyrd did give her some serious height and a fairly athletic build, so I can't complain much. (The horns are converted, but only because the kit was used and missing them, not because I felt they didn't fit.)

I went with a more natural/fleshy take on the equally-classic red & black demon color scheme, on some shiny black volcanic rock. As is often the case, my favorite bit of the model was getting to play around with the large surfaces of her wings, since it allowed me to get a bit more texture and personality into the model.

Friday, September 1, 2017