The Games that Define Us - Re-post

This is an old post of mine, from 2012, that I just re-read. It made me think, again, about the influences in my games as well as how Rhys has been influenced as he grows up with gaming.

The idea is to talk about ten games that define you as a gamer.  Some interesting things have come out of it.  More North American gamers seem to have gotten in through RPGs, whereas the UK gamers seem to have come into it through GW.

In my case, I definitely follow the trend, coming to GW late in my gaming life.  There are some on my list that I have not seen anywhere else.  Others seem to be on every list.

Welcome to 2020

It's been awhile. I've spent the last two years finishing the basement. I've done a lot of the work myself and we paid as we went, so it took a long time. The drawback to this is that all of my miniatures have been in storage for the last two years. I've done a lot of gaming but it has all been board or RPGs. Not bad, but not the stuff for this blog.

The basement after framing and wiring are complete.

Final Post for the 7th Annual Analog Hobbies Painting Challenge

This is my last post for a week or so. The boys are on Spring Break and we are in sunny California, where it is not quite as nice as it is back in Colorado, oddly.

This post is all over the place as it's made up of stuff that I've been tinkering with since the challenge started.

Entry 8 - 7th Challenge - A mix of models and some go backs.

This entry is an eclectic mix of models that have been getting bits of paint here and there and were close to finished. I like to keep spare models on the painting desk to soak up the bits of paint that are left after working on a unit. At a certain point they reach critical mass and I just finish them off.

The first entry does not count for today. It's the Celt unit from a week (2 weeks?) ago. I went back and finished the backs of the shields, since if I don't do it now it'll never happen.

Entry 7 - 7th Challenge - Eowyn, Maid of Rohan

This first entry is going to be solo because I don't think this princess deserves to be lumped in with the riff-raff that will be following.

Entry 6 - 7th Challenge - 11 28mm Uruk-Hai

My next entry is eleven Uruk-Hai from Games Workshop. I thought I had finished these off last year but then remembered that I hadn't painted the horizontal pikes because I hate them. On the other hand, we may be playing a Helm's Deep game and will need all of the nasty buggers we can field. I also picked a couple of captains up off of ebay, and they definitely needed paint.

More characters for RPGs

These are two more characters for D&D. One is Bones and one is a GW Ranger of the North from their LotR line.

Visit to Hobbiton

We are currently on a two week holiday in New Zealand.

Today was the day. The Day. The day that Owyn and Rhys have been waiting for. Today we went to Hobbiton. I was not at all sure what to expect, and was a little worried that they would be disappointed.

Owyn after the tour. Better than Legoland. High praise indeed.

King Theoden of the Riddermark

This entry is King Theoden of Rohan from Games Workshop's Lord of the Rings game.

The king.

Isengard - 54 Uruk-Hai

This entry is the majority of the remainder of my Uruk-Hai. As before these are 28mm Isengard models for Lord of the Rings by GW.

Entry 1 of the Painting Challenge - 28mm Uruk-Hai from GW

In keeping with tradition, my first entry is six models. It's a nice easy number that breaks the rust off without being overwhelming.

Gaming with the boys

I've been playing a few games during the last few months. My main opponent for X-Wing moved to New Zealand. I haven't had a lot of time to get down to the shop. My main opponent has been Rhys.

Rhys, prior to deployment. He set up the terrain.

Entry 16 - 11 28mm Dwarfs

This entry is the rest of the army from last week.  These are the eleven models that I wasn't able to prime until right before the weekend.

Eleven Dwarfs.

Entry 15 - Vth Annual Analogue Painting Challenge - Dwarfs

This next entry is 28 28mm Dwarfs from Games Workshop for Lord of the Rings; that being the unofficial theme of this year's challenge apparently.

Gimli leading a bunch of short and nasty Dwarfs.

Bonus round - Myth - 28mm Mumak of Harad

My entry for the myth bonus round was a Mumak of Harad for Lord of the Rings.  This is a huge model and dominates any table it is put on.

The base is amazing.

Entry 14, Part 3 - Vth annual Analogue Painting Challenge - The Raisuli

This last model was not part of the plan for the Challenge.  Of course once I hit my goal everything is extra, but I had no intention of painting Boromir any time soon.  I don't have anything against him.  He's pretty great in the game, but he's also very expensive.  I tend to shy away from the uber heroes and try to bring more guys.

Boromir.

Lion Rampant

One of my Christmas presents was a copy of Dan Mersey's Lion Rampant rules.  While these are designed for medieval warfare they will work just fine for any sword and board type of troops.  They are a skirmish level game, with units of twelve, or sometimes six models.  Much is simplified in the name of game play but they work very nicely and are very quick to pick up.  This, however, is not a review of the rules.

Cirion leads his men against Isengard raiders.

Entry 6 - Vth Analogue Painting Challenge - 6 28mm Haradrim Riders

This is my entry for the mounts and riders bonus round for the Analogue Painting Challenge.  These are six 28mm Haradrim from Games Workshop, for Lord of the Rings.  They are led by Suladan the Serpent Lord.  Suladan was killed by Eomer on the Pelenor.

Suladan with two infantrymen

Entry 5 - Vth Analogue Painting Challenge - 8 Uruk-Hai

This is the final entry of Uruk-Hai for this challenge season, if for no other reason than the rest of my unpainted models have at least one color put on them already so are ineligible for inclusion in the challenge.

Entry 4 - Vth Annual Analogue Painting Challenge - 8 x 28mm Uruk-Hai pikes

This post is eight more Uruks for Isengard.  These are eight pikes, one of the stronger features of the army.  I actually don't play with them as much as they warrant because I hate the pikes in game.  I don't mean the rules are bad.  I hate that I am always stabbing myself with them or knocking them or other models over because of them.  The physical limitations are frustrating.