Books read January to April 2023

 Jan

The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Gamma Wolves by Ash Barker

The Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Castles in the Sky by Eric Farrington

 

Feb

House Divided by Bruce Campbell

Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

 

Mar

All Quiet on the Martian Front by Alessio Cavatore, Rick Priestly, Ernest Baker, Jeff Hall

How to Photograph Scale Models by Shepard Paine and Lane Stewart

Cinema Alchemist: Designing Star Wars & Alien by Roger Christian

 

Apr

Imperium Nihilus: Vigilus Defiant by Games Workshop of Nottingham

Imperium Nihilus: Vigilus Ablaze by Games Workshop of Nottingham

My top 10 video games

my top 10 video games

1 - Monkey Island – 1 + 2 - for Apple/PC - finished 1 + 2

2 - Diablo +Diablo 2 - for PC (also played the demo) - Finished 1 – and 2

3 - Hellgate London - PC - not finished

4 - Heroes of Might & Magic 2 + 1 – lesser 3 - for PC - finished campaign

5 - Moebius: The Orb of Celestial Harmony - for Apple - finished

6 - Ultima 4 – also 3 - for Apple - finished 4 +3?

7 - Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis - for Apple - finished

8 - D&D Pool of Radiance – not Baldur’s Gate - for Apple - finished

9 - Dragon Warrior - for Nintendo - finished – new one ongoing

10 - The Lurking Horror – and Infocom games – Zork, Planetfall, Hitchhikers Guide - for Apple - almost finished

Honable Mentions

Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness - for Game Cube - finished

Wasteland - for Apple - almost finished

Thimbleweed Park - PC - ongoing

Death Spank - PC - finished 1 – 2 ongoing

Autoduel (Car Wars) - for Apple - finished

Load Runner - for Apple

Theme Hospital - for PC

Real Steel - for Xbox 360

Astrosmash and Intellivision games plus Pitfall - for Intellivision

Die by the Sword - for PC

Loom and Maniac Mansion - for Apple - finished Loom

Gabriel Knight - for PC - not finished

Dino Eggs - for Apple

Castle Wolfenstein - not 3D - for Apple

Sim City/ World - for Apple

Castleville - until they kept adding buildings but not more spaces - but not Farmville - for PC

Not on my list

Doom/Duke Nukem

Link/Zelda

Final Fantasy

Bard’s Tale

Super Mario et al

Warcraft

What are your choices?

Figure Painting Total - March 2023

 I finally received the missing arms and bases from the Justice League set.

I was finally able to get some momentum going and completed some figures. 

The weather even opened up one day and allowed me to spray clear coat outside to finish them.

Bought

DCU – Justice League – 3 (three figures replacement arms)

 

Painted

Unmatched – Redemption Row – 1          (Ghost Rider)

DA – Plains Tribe Posse – 9

DA – Cross Roads Cult – 4 (? hired guns, ? Desperados)

DLB: Final Girls – 1

MU – Avengers starter – 1 (Captain America)

MU – Brotherhood of Evil Mutants starter – 1     (Pyro)

MU – Dark Avengers starter – 1    (Iron Patriot)

 

 

Mar total – 3 figures bought, 18 figures painted

Running total 2023 – figures bought 45, figures painted 18

New editions

 There are a few editions of games that I play (or collect) that have come out with a new edition.  Some of the most revised have been Car Wars, Warhammer, Warhammer 40K, Blood Bowl, and Space Hulk.

 

Some of the newer small games that I have picked up have done well enough for a second edition.  Sometimes this happens even before I get a chance to get the original to the table.  A few of the Osprey Wargame series have had this happen like Lion Rampant, Gaslands, In Her Majesty’s Name (confirm name).  Of these three I have only picked up the new edition of Gaslands so far. 

 

I even picked up Frostgrave on sale before the second edition came out.  I have picked up most of the older expansions but have not gotten the new edition yet.

 

 

There are three more new editions that are coming out this year.  One for a game I have not played.  One for a game that I have played.  One for a game that I used to play.

 

I have not yet played Street Wars NYC but am in the midst of painting some gangs for it.  I will probably pick up the newer edition, and look forward to a few clarifications on the rules.  There are also two more gangs that I need to pick up, so far.  I will probably not back the kickstarter if there is one but will pick it up afterwards.

 

I have played Don’t Look Back solo already.  The rules could certainly use some tightening up, but the game seems quick, and plays well for the theme.  I have picked up a bunch of the expansions but had been putting off getting the extra rules when I heard that they were going to release a newer edition.  They are running a preorder right now of their site, and I have already ordered the Tier 1 level – with the new book and new Core Heroes, and Killer boxes.  I did not get the Tier 2 level with the extra expansions and terrain, as I will get the expansions later and this will already be pushing the duty limits.

 

Warhammer 40K will be pumping out a new 10th edition.  I haven’t played since probably the 3^rd or 4th edition but have been picking up the new editions as placeholder sets.  I have not gotten much of 8^th edition codices, or any of the 9^th edition though.  Since it seems like this edition will probably be Tyranids vs Primaris Marines, I will probably get this as well.  It sounds like they might release the rules for the armies online, at least to start, so this would be a good time to get back into it.

 

Figure Painting Total - February 2023

 When Black Site Studios had their sale on Friday Jan 13, I was able to get a few more expansions for Don’t Look Back, as well as a few more figures.  I was also able to find a Marvel Universe Loki for a reasonable price.  The only Marvel Universe figure I am missing now is the Venom figure, as well as the alternate sculpt of Black Widow.  I have a good alternate Heroclix Venom figure to use so I am not worried if I can’t complete the set. 

If I can find some cheap, I would also pick up another Black Panther, Hawkeye, and Vision.  The Black Panther I would paint as the old White Tiger.  The Hawkeye I would paint up as the Dark Avenger’s Bullseye, but I already have a few Heroclix figures of Hawkeye I can use for that as well.  Having a second Vision would allow me to paint them as both the comic version as well as the movie version.  With just one, I am not sure which way to paint it yet.

I was able to get some work done on a bunch of figures in February.  I have four that are done but still need to be clear coated.  The weather was still a bit too cold to be spraying outside.  I was able to get the Black Site Studios figures primed when we had some nice days at the beginning of the month.  This should allow me to refresh what’s on my painting table with new figures.

 

 

Bought

BM – Gotham City Sirens – 5       

BSS – Horror Pack A – 6

DCU – Eradicator – 1

DCU – Saint Walker – 1     

DLB – Darkhearts – 4

DLB – Terror on the Sea – 6

DLB – The Gourd Reaper – 4

DLB – Multipart Killer – 1

MU – Loki – 1

 

Painted

 

 

Feb total – 29 figures bought, 0 figures painted

Running total 2023 – figures bought 41, figures painted 0

Figure Painting Total – January 2023

I picked up some more figures from Black Site Studios on their pre-Christmas sale.  I'm still hadn't found much time to get anything finished in January but was able to get these assembled.  We even had some above zero days in early February so I was able to get these primed.

Bought

BSS – Alien Mercenaries – 4

BSS – Paranormal Investigators – 2

BSS – The Grimchesters – 2

BSS – Zaibatsu Bounty Hunters – 3

DLB – The Seer – 1

 

 

Painted

 

 

Jan total – 12 figures bought, 0 figures painted

Running total 2023 – figures bought 12, figures painted 0

On the painting table

 When painting miniatures, some people like to focus on a figure or two.  Some people like to batch paint a squad at a time.  I’m somewhere between the two.  I’m not painting a lot of army games right now so I usually try to paint figures that will use the similar colors. 

With the skirmish games I am painting right now, I find it helps to paint a squad at a time so I can get a cohesive look across the models. 

 

Right now, and for the last three months, my painting table has contained:

 

Ten figures from my Dracula’s America Crossroads Cult posse.  These ones have more of a generic cowboy look.

 

Nine figures from Dracula’s America for my Plains Indian posse.  I have to finish the weapons, and feathers.

 

A Blood Bowl Treeman.  I’m hung up on the shades of brown as well as the gold cup/trophy inside him.

 

The nine man Braves (Warriors) gang from Street Wars NYC.  I have to finish the shoes, vests, and weapons.  I’m not looking forward to painting the tags on the back of the vests.  I’ll probably end up using the decals provided.

 

The last Final Girl from Don’t Look Back.  I’m struggling on deciding what to paint on her skateboard deck and what color to paint her hair and hat.  I also have the Supporting Characters, and Curse on Oak Hill sitting there.  I started painting the priest but not the demon ballerina.

 

The Ghost Rider from Unmatched Redemption Row.  The flames are giving me trouble right now.  I also have to paint the metallics – chains and spikes.

 

From Marvel Universe I have Thor, Captain America, Iron Patriot, and Pyro.

 

 

Just off my table, I have the Blood Bowl Ork team waiting to be painted next.