* = I live by this mantra on a daily basis. In fact it might be the back bone of my personal philosphy. Tuesdays should be drug out into the street and systematically beaten like the dogs they are! That last part was for you Steve Miller!
Some days it’s hard to find a way to start off a blog, especially when you are knee deep in some surliness, and I don’t mean the delicious beer. Rather than give into my more negative natural tendencies though I’m going to endeavor to do the opposite of my mood and instead attempt to be positive and highlight some things that are hopefully worth your attention. Let’s be honest if you read this drivel then they most likely are, SO let’s get on with the POSITIVITY!
It was another week, and yet Skull & Shackles has done been all previewed out, but fear not oh lovers of pre-painted miniatures Wizkids & Paizo are throwing us into the deep end of the pool with Legends Of Golarion. Skull & Shackles hits I believe this week, and the follow up Legends hits in October. I know, my wallet is in a tad bit of shock as well. I get the reasoning of production catching up and that if the market bears it then why not, but less than a three month turn around on sets, especially at what their charging seems a bit quick. So bear that in mind as I go through this second grouping of miniatures.
Our second preview is another Iconic, this time it is Sajan the Human Monk. He is a Medium Rare. There are some solid Monk pre-paints out there, I can think of three from DDM alone. I have to say though I dig this one perhaps more than any previous efforts. I really like the blue and white paint scheme. I think it’s clean and somewhat elegant. The gold and then the design work in his clothing only serves to make him look even cooler. I have also liked the weapon choice for this particular Iconic, as it is not something you see that often and really helps him standout. Now onto the sculpt, I actually love it. Seriously, like love it a LOT! I think it looks fantastic, and has ‘bring it on’ look to it. This is a miniature I would want to represent my PC if I was playing a Monk in any game. This is just overall a great miniature and a MUST BUY for me.
Next up is the Paizo version of the Bugbear. This one is a Medium Common, I think. First you have to get over that this doesn’t look like your classic Bugbear. He isn’t all covered in fur, like a Fantasy Chewbacca, and instead looks like a massive demonic hairless Chihuahua. He would work perfectly as a Champion of a tribe or maybe a ‘mini boss’ for some nasty Big Boss, but as a rank and file Bugbear I’m not sure I’m sold. I do like the pose as its very imposing, and the paint is rock solid. If this one is cheap I can see grabbing a few, and using them as an elite guard, but the design just isn’t grabbing me currently. I guess this is a MUST BUY for me. How’s that for a luke warm reaction?
The follow up to that interesting take on an iconic monster is a beast I am COMPLETELY unfamiliar with, the Seugathi. This ugly mamma jamma is an Uncommon Large miniature. I know nothing about this beast, but it does have a distinctly Lovecraftian vibe to it, and I dig that. It’s a Large, which mean it could serve as a big nasty in an Encounter. The pose is a little weird, but in a good way. It seems like it’s almost throwing a barbed victim up in the air so it can catch it in that disgusting maw. It sort of reminds me of the monsters from the flick Tremors. THAT is a compliment by the by. The paint job seems a tad minimalistic. In addition I’m noticing that when Paizo wants to give us a Far Realm or Lovecraftian style miniature they end up being purple. It is a strange coincidence I think. This one won’t be high on my list to purchase, but if it is floating around on the Interwebs on the cheap then it’ll be MUST BUY.
As we hurtle towards the end of this week’s previews I have to admit that the Djinni knocked my socks off. It is a Large Rare and it is a knock out. First off this thing wouldn’t have to just be a Genie in your game, it has enough of a Far East vibe that it could be a strange ghost warrior, or some distant demi-god, or any number of other crazy ideas. The visual is spectacular with that faded green paint that has a truly ethereal feel to it, the gold and white pop right out of sight with that green below it. Then we move to the sculpt, which has a wonderful vibe to it. To me it just feels like this bad boy has just discovered you doing something you shouldn’t, and now your judgment is at hand! It is just a fantastic miniature, so it is no surprise that it’s a MUST BUY; however it will depend on the cost.
Last, but not least in this batch of previews is the mysterious Sandpoint Devil. It is a Large and a Rare. I have no earthly idea how I’d fit this miniature into any of the games I currently run. That being said it has a great looking pose and a decent paint job, although the lower jaw looks weird to me. If that thing is a Large then it is going to be MASSIVE, as its already hanging off the edge. The colors look solid, and there is a lot of shading and detail work there, I especially like those wings. I might have to steal that dull almost bloody red into flesh colored on something. The sculpt is cool and is very dynamic, I feel like this ugly sucker is going to trample me just looking at it. In the end though this one just isn’t for me, I don’t know where I would use it, it is a niche’ monster for a system I don’t run, it isn’t utilitarian whatsoever, and that jaw thing bothers me. For me this one is going to have to be a PASS.
That’s right we spent like two hours watching a documentary about Lemmy Kilmister, front man of the progenitor of Thrash metal, the mighty Motorhead. Lemmy is an interesting dude, he feels like he might be a walking talking cliché but then you watch how he lives and you realize, NOPE. That dude is that way all the time. He’s living a Rock N’ Roll lifestyle to the hilt not as a choice, but sort of as some ingrained genetic pre-disposition. I can’t tell if they were glorifying his choices or using him as a cautionary tale or really just showing us who the guy really is, either way it was fascinating. On top of all that the guy seems like a decent enough bloke who really has no idea what the fuss is about. It reminded me of something someone said in the Ric Flair documentary I’m watching, “The coolest thing about Ric Flair is that he has NO idea that he’s Ric Flair.” It is as if Lemmy doesn’t get what everyone is freakin’ out over, but is cool just doing his own thing. I don’t think you have to be a Motorhead fan to enjoy this documentary or find it interesting. The man is such a charismatic magnet that watching him in all his varied roles and interactions is just bewitching. If your intrigued by the man or metal at all give this one a watch.
I had high hopes for this strange Toho flick, but they never really materialized. It is just an odd flick. Part of it is a crime drama dealing with the cat and mouse of a hard-nosed group of cops dealing with the narcotic trade. Another part of it is a strange love story between a scientist and a night club singer. And the other part is a radioactive flesh dissolving monster movie. It is as if the movie can’t decide what it wants to be and devotes almost equal parts to each of the plot threads. Normally I’d be all about that, but here in the confines of a late 50’s flick, by the makers of the Godzilla movies, it just doesn’t work. In fact I was slightly irked by the lack of interaction between the main characters and the monstrous H-Men until the final act. The effects are fun and eerie, and there is a scene on a boat that is what this entire film SHOULD have been, as it is downright spooky. I think the other thing that bugged me as I was watching was the feeling like this was just a variation, a smart one to give it proper credit, on The Blob. That movie has two things on this one; the first is Steve McQueen, the second is that The Blob scared me poopless as a kid. This is an interesting and sort of fun flick, but I wasn’t as blown away as I had hoped.
Let’s put this baby to bed with some….
RANDOM CRAP!
- I got some painting done Saturday, and I hope to finish some more tonight. I could use a good relaxing session of painting to take the edge off of what was a day of irritations.
- I’m really not sure what I did, but I have a weird thing on my left side. It is as if right below my moob, man boob for those that don’t know, I did something to the muscle. It hurts quite a lot. I think I either tore the muscle, gawd only knows how, or maybe I have a hernia. Either way it sucks and is gross.
- It looks like the Calendar Gawds are conspiring against 1st Group D&D again in September. Hopefully this gives Zack plenty of time to figure out all the fiddly bits of what he has planned as well as giving Diamond Dave a chance to knock out his character so he can jump in on the action. 1st Group is the lynchpin of my little D&D homebrew world. What happens there drastically influences the setting. So much so that I’m really thinking of putting some huge changes on the forefront for 1st Group that would turn the world on its ear. This delay will hopefully give me some time to sit down with Zack Attack and hammer out how and if this will work. Also I’m genuinely interested in his thoughts on it.
- On the Ebay I was able to track down some Playmobil Pirate ships on the cheap and they should be here in the next 5 days. Hopefully these will be perfect for the 2nd D&D Group’s high adventures at sea. I’m really hoping to give that game a totally different vibe than either of the other two games, and one way is push the envelope with combat at sea. I’m also hoping it will continue to capture that group’s love of jumping on or over stuff.
- 3rd Group is upon Thursday. I have the set piece built, and it is magnificent. I have a decent idea about what I want to get accomplished combat wise which should be interesting to say the least. The big thing is the social Encounters I have prepared, it should give the group plenty of opportunity to stretch their Role Playing muscle. The hope is that this session helps galvanize the group dynamic and gives them another chance to solidify their characters before we move into the next phase. I’m looking forward to the Group getting to the end of this session. Hopefully they’ll be excited by what lays out before them when the night ends.
- Dungeon Roll came in the mail and it looks like the wait was TOTALLY worth it. I haven’t played it yet, but it looks fantastic. So excited to give it a go.
- I was able to finish seven more miniatures last night. Three Halfling ‘Marines’ for my Merchant Naval force. Painting guys that tiny isn’t easy for my big clumsy hands. I painted a female lady in waiting type. I went with a three color scheme of white, a dark blue, and a light blue. She turned out really well actually. I’m enjoying painting these non-combatants more and more. In addition they should add plenty of flavor to some of the games. Last but not least where the three Pirates I knocked out. Both were built with GW bits. I have to admit I painted one of them so garishly that he looks like a crazy quilt. I have a soft spot for this guy as I gave him both a crazy hook hand and a peg leg. That modding was harder than I thought it would be. I sort of like the over the top results. The other human Pirate turned out better than I could have imagined and makes me very pleased with the effort. He just looks fantastic. Last but not least is a Halfling Pirate who I really dig. I keep adding to my High Seas miniatures in prep for really getting 2nd Group knee deep into some craziness.
- I figure I’ll try and paint a bit more tomorrow night before I do cleanup for Thursday night’s 3rd Group D&D and then the weekend of having the Maddy Cat & the Seany Bear. This weekend we are hosting my niece and nephew. It should be a fun time. There will be lots of loudness, some board games, a TON of LEGO time, some baking, some finger and toenail painting, and if I have my way some cartoons. I’m hoping that we can make it one of those things that they talk about for a very long time.
- Sometimes I have to do things I don’t want to do; I mean I seriously don’t want to do at all. It doesn’t mean I get to avoid them just because they are uncomfortable or lame. They have to be done and they are my responsibility. Pretending to be an adult is hard.
“Open up
Pop 'em down
Just relax
Hear the sounds
Struggle not to be free
Tell us all what you see
Can you sense that we're here
You've got nothing to fear
It's alrightYou'll be fine
As you're sucked back in time
Are the walls of the house fading in, fading out?
Are you near?
Are you far?
Can you tell where you are?
Are you trapped?
Are you free? Simultaneously?
Can you see everything?
Is it black?
Is it gone?
Can you sense what's beyond?
Take a step further back
Just a peek through the crack
Are they force?
Are they space?
Are they dead or awake?
Are they far?
Are they near?
Do they feed on your fear?
Is it life inchoate?
Is it hate concentrate?
Concentrate! Concentrate!
From the corners and bends do they strike yet again and again?”
* = Suck it Blogger, you can't keep me down!
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