2026 Major Milestones

A very short post today with no hobby or games to share, but more of a personal celebration on three accounts. 

1. On the 1st of October, this humble blog turned 15! Crazy to think I've stuck with it so long. Many, many thanks to all who visit and who might have time to leave a comment on my poorly written posts. It's been said across many, if not most of the blogs I follow, that the connections made since I started writing here and sharing my hobby are the one thing that really do keep me coming back. 

2. As briefly mentioned in my last post, this coming Tuesday 20th of October will be my 50th birthday. As a younger man living (shall we say) a truly reckless and irresponsible lifestyle, I honestly could never in my then bullish mind image I'd live beyond aged 25, much less make it to become middle-aged. Yet here I am and somehow only a tad reckless and even less irresponsible in lifestyle than most of my similarly aged friends and colleagues. I'm constantly surprised that I'm not in some gutter or prison and instead a father, a husband and a long-time employee of 20 years here at my workplace. Funny how life works out. 

3. Lastly, the 11th of October was the 25th anniversary of my emigrating to the United States from the UK, a decision I've never once regretted. 

Current real-life situations restrict my ability to work on my hobby much these days, but I'm good with that and feel I still have a decent enough output from the hobby station and also amount of games played during the year considering that. Regardless, this humble blog isn't going anywhere anytime soon and I plan to update it as time allows until Blogger decides this format for recording our thoughts and hobby is no longer viable in their minds.

Thanks once again to all of you, especially those who read this post at all and even made it to this point! :)

- Dai

Another Year Incoming

Things here have obviously been quiet. 

As the none of you who've noticed, I haven't posted. There's been relatively little to post about in my hobby. Real life right now just isn't presenting many opportunities for hobby or gaming. I did not manage to get any more East Front scenery painted up as I'd hoped. 

I did manage to attend a 3-game Bolt Action event on Veteran's/Memorial Day last month with my goodest mate Densmol and finished middle of the pack. Fun three games with very pleasant opponents, two of which I'd never played against before. (No pics were taken though as I'd managed to guzzle a beer or two after meeting up with the estimable Stew from the Terrible Loss of Lead and Wealth blog. - He's a very bad influence I tell ya!) 

 Here are two old resin minis from a game that was originally Kickstarted (1st Edition) in 2014, Relic Knights, then a 2nd Edition was Kickstarted in 2017. Neither Kickstarter project was run well and only the first was actually fully fulfilled by the creators who are now a bankrupt entity. (I even posted about hobby activity on those original minis back in 2014!) So where does this leave the game? (I hear you not ask) Well dear reader, a new (way) smaller but far better ran game company bought the rights to the game title and all of it's existing sculpts based out of Texas (Ignition Core Games) and they have very selectively, slowly and cleverly been releasing product for the game's 2nd Edition under their own banner. So far it has a small and enthusiastic following on Facebook and Discord and I like the way the new owners are so interactive with that following. I hope to be afforded time next year to work on a number of minis for this new edition of the game in 2026 and even to try out the rules. Watch this space!

These resin figs are from the Cersi Speed Circuit faction. The guy on the left is Asger Faust. I kept his paintjob simple as his game art shows some designs on his coat, but I was not in the mood to try freehanding such nonsense. The pink-haired filly on the right is one of the Pit Crew girls (There is a second girl of the team half-painted as I type this) and with that quite insane facial expression she has, I fully do not trust her intentions on where she thinks that huge wrench should be placed. 

As far as Real Life: I got a small promotion at work in August and am currently doing my best to pass a 12-month probation period, so I've had to apply myself rather more than normal LOL. This blog also had a birthday at the beginning of October, turning an impressive 14 years old. AND I turned 49  that month and found myself regularly dour at the realisation that this is my last year of my 40's. So things have happened, just not much hobby. I'm not sure if I'll even have anything blog-worthy to post up before the New Year; free time as mentioned is hard to come by and there are a LOT of seasonal gatherings coming up. But you never know, lady Fate may well smile upon this humble hobbyist and afford him 2-3 hours for painting before January and the peace he finds in it?

Regardless, with a new year on the horizon, I once again turn to hope for opportunities to reveal themselves so that I might be able to work on some of my unpainted mountain and even manage to get some gaming in. Wish me luck. I have tried hard to not add much to my pile'o'shame, but priorities for my hobby this year are looking like: 

1. Painting more armour for my WW2 Greeks (Picked up a trio of rubbish light tanks on a Black Friday sale just to have more options for list building in Bolt Action)

2. Painting my WW2 Late War Canadians, namely that pair of Buffalo transports, outstanding infantry squads and the new pair of WASP Universal Carriers that were also bought in the Black Friday purchase.

3. Relic Knights - me and J bought into some of this new stuff. It arrived at his place yesterday. We are both jazzed about it, so out came all the 1st Ed stuff from my storage to see just how many options we'd have including the new additions for future games. Yeesh... that's a LOT to paint up. 

4. I need more time.

This short post ends with "Merry Christmas", "Happy Hannukah", "Happy Kwanzaa" and enjoy whatever other holiday celebrations are important to you at this time of year with your loved ones; I certainly intend to do so with my own. Stay safe out there in this far too frequently frightening world.

Much love, 

- Dai  

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It's All Greek to Me! (Part 4 - Some New Additions)

 It's a sobering thought to conclude that a full year has passed since the last time I published a post here. 

During that time this blog has had it's 13th birthday, I too leveled up and am now 48. I've played in two local Bolt Action tournaments (And came second place in both no less) and played two other games of Bolt Action with my friends Densmol and Stew, respectively. 

A little hobby has left the "Pile'O'Opportunity", with my previously posted WW2 Greeks now 2/3rds toward being fully painted (See below) and only have 44 infantry left to complete this project as it stands right now, and some terrain items constructed, though yet to receive paint. The Bolt Action rules have had a new 3rd
edition and I'm eager to have a new army painted and ready to try them out.

Real life itself has had some massive changes this year and my personal responsibilities have multiplied a hundred fold, but otherwise I'm happy, relatively healthy and only miss my freetime (Hobby time) a little. 

Forgive my not commenting on your respective blogs - I promise I have been dropping by from time to time when I find the odd moment to see what all have been up to. I'll try to work on that, though make no promises! 

So perhaps I'll have another post up before the end of the year should I manage to find time to paint or *shock horror* actually play and show pictural evidence of.

Display of the 1940-41 Greeks

Some Great Escape Games Evzones - the first of 4 infantry squads to be painted next.

A FatherandSonGaming German guard hut. I lost patience painting these annoying chevrons really quick so I'll not show the other sides to this small terrain piece. The cigarette smoking guard is a kind donation by Densmol.

Clever Hans - part 9 (Medic and a birthday gift)

 A quick post today to show off four more mini's painted to add to my quota for the year to date.

First off a WW2 German medic sculpted in a Winter theme. A very cool sculpt and was relatively swift to paint up once I figured out who's arm was where and so forth. Completely forgot to add my usual red wash to the exposed flesh areas like the rest of my Winter collection so I may well go back and do that at a later date.

Mini by Warlord Games. 

My Freehanded Red Crosses are pretty poor now I'm looking at them. 

If you've got a bandage over your eye, then there needs to be blood seeping through. It is so.

 Next up are a trio of Oathsworn Miniatures Burrows and Badgers figs. I painted them up for my friend Derek as a everso slightly belated birthday gift for his 43rd birthday this last St Patricks Day. We got together a bit ago and played our first game of this ruleset and as I'd hoped (Read: planned) he liked it so much he announced he'd invest in the rulebook and his own team in the nearish future. So these three can be added to his own planned warband or not - his choice. He at least seemed to like them. :)

First off a Bat Assassin. Or "Batssassin" as he's known. Simple paint job on a characterful sculpt as always.

Grass tuft's superglue dried white! >_< Told Derek to add a drop of brown wash over it and that shold take care of it.

Next up is a Mole warrior wearing some other critter's bones. He has a very low-tech look which I like.

Little blue markings to look like simple woad designs or some such. The Toad has similar markings on it's Bone pieces too.

This is a fearsome Toad warrior wearing (I believe) the skull of a Wildcat. I like to think he/she gets power from the dead spirits who formerly called that skull their "head".

Creepy Toad-ish sideways pupils.

Tried to make the cloak look like a Badgers pelt taken from a fallen enemy. Nasty bugger this Toad.

Note the simple blue woad type markings on the bone areas to key in with the Mole.

And that's it for a while. Taking a week off from the paint station so hoping to have more to show off in a fortnight. 

Hope all are staying well out there,

- Dai

03/21/2022, week# 12 - 24/100 mini's done (Still on target).

Zomtober 2014 Part 4! (Birthday Edition!)

Yesterday was my birthday, where I turned a balmy 25. Again.

I had a lovely weekend with a massive long Robotech rpg session, Sunday with my son to see the Oakland Raiders lose versus the Arizona Cardinals, saw Fury with a good mate (Amazing flick!) and then yesterday spent almost all of my waking hours painting. Can't ask for more really.

When in Oakland Colosseum, do as the Raider Faithful do. 

Paint-wise I finally got a little tutelage from Densmol on how best to start using my airbrush - and you know what, I did. And it wasn't as hard as I feared. I'm still no good by any means, but at least it's not the big scary thing to avoid any longer.

Panzer iv H platoon for my German SS list. My first time attempting German camo of any sort and not a crap effort I think. This is them with a brown wash on - Densmol thinks they look too dark, but I kind of like their sinister look. Lots of work still to do on these.

Also base coated my Pak40 Anti-tank guns and Nebelwerfers so their ready for weathering. Still on the fence as to whether I'll add camo to these...

 Also on the Flames of War front, I put together my Jagdpanzer iv platoon! Had some fun messing up their Schurzen too. Had some fun with these.

Commander (Front left) mini is from the new plastic Panzer iv kit.

And last but not least, a couple more zombies! 6 down, 2 to go. Until next time!

I like to think the one on the left has lost his spectacles. 

Group shot keeps getting getting each time more bodies are added!

Training Day

Sunday the 20th saw my 37th birthday come about and in fine form Densmol was on hand to play a couple games in celebration. Unfortunately my suggestion that he stop by was last minute, so he was forced to have to play some of my British Commonwealth mini's instead of his preferred filthy Hun!

We managed to get in two games and decided some easy quick lists were in order so I swiftly drummed up two armoured lists from the Market Garden source book, one 4th Canadian Armoured, the other British Armoured Recce. Each list was rather similar in composition in that there were HQ of two tanks, two platoons of 4 tanks each, an infantry platoon, a Universal Carrier Platoon and Typhoon Air Power. The only main difference is that the Canadians sported Shermans/Fireflys and the Guards Cromwells/Challengers
Being Canadians on Brit, we decided these were per-cursor war-games between the two forces in preparation for the actual Market Garden operation.



The first game I took the Guards and we played some defensive mission where I rolled low and got to be defender with only half my platoons on deck. Which was the story of the evening and the death of any hopes I had to pull a win out. The second game we switched it up and I took over the Canadians and once again had to deal with damned reserves and I was sorely beaten a second time. (It didn't help that the dice were not cooperating whilst Densmol's dice were loving his foul Gerry-loving taint!)

Just an example of how Densmol's rolls were happening. Git.

Per usual, I'll not go into too much detail (Especially as the cheap beer was flowing all too freely  the night and details are sketchy.) so here are pics I took during the evening with a little commentary.

Game 1 and my Cromwells are lined up next door to Densmol's Shermans who handily hide behind my new 4Ground houses. Trying to get through open ground to that objective in the top left of the picture was hell, even with 16" movement!

Densmol's view with ALL of his bloody army on the table. The objective on the right was the one I decided was best to head for as his infantry were bound to camp on the one closest to them.

Densmol's Air thoroughly raped my poor tanks who hid shivering in the cover of this hotel.

Needing a 6 to shoot my well placed Challenger, Densmol promptly does just that = one dead Challenger.

Not looking good for the Guards Armoured Recce.

The Guards Universal Carriers made a mad dash to hide behind the ruins and paid the price for their cheekiness.

This standoff should have gone another way.... but my dice said.... "No".

Anyone who says Air is too unpredictable to include in lists should have been in my garage to see otherwise. Ouch.

Game 2 saw me taking the reins of the 4CAD - (Not as many pics as along with my tactical decisions, the beer was running low in the fridge and large in our guts.)

Game 2's set up. Defending objectives is not what Shermans do best.....

Densmol's Cromwells were massed and ready to wipe my Shermans off the table. They followed through on this threat with impunity.

No more pics as I think I lost on turn two or some rubbishness. It seems Densmol's getting lots better at this game. I need to turn up my tactics to 11!

On other news, my birthday also had me traveling into the mountains to go enjoy the American national pass-time of shooting guns for no good reason. I am all for this as it makes me feel more manly. Sadly, when we arrived at our out-of-the-way destination in the California wilderness, we found all the side roads to the fun shooting spots closed due to the pesky Wildfires that plagued the area earlier this Summer. It was heart breaking to see so much life blackened and turned to ash, but still, the view was breathtaking and after a lovely beer and salad (Got to balance things in my old age) I quickly forgot about the dead and crispy trees and animals.

Lastly, my plans to go to the last NorCal tourney of the season fell through and so my Mid War urges have seen my attentions go in another direction. So ignore or forget that previous post about me putting together a British Motorised list - Instead I leave you with this teaser of the 1st buy for my new Mid War (And potentially Late War if I can make the right purchases.) list from the Eastern Front.

And as a hint, it's most certainly NOT Germans.

Interlude 5

This post brought to you by Pabst Blue Ribbon, my American beer of choice and the almost certain hangover it will deliver the day after.

(No kidding here folks, I really do prefer this over much else brewed over here. Not to say that it's better than my 1st choice beers, Stella Artois or Kronenbourg though.)

Yesterday was my birthday. Enough said about that. The reason I bring it up was because of the lovely gifts I received and of the wonderful hobby goodness contained therein.

1. Pegasus Hobbies Gothic church looking scenery boxed set: I am well happy to get this. The quality is fantastic and I fully aim to purchase the other sets they have available for my 2nd planned terrain board. Am thinking my 1st graveyard board needs a place of worship, right?

2. The new plastic Plaguebearers boxed set: as soon as I saw these I was hot for them. So much fun and sweet little details. Now I just need the Nurglings box and my Nurgle urges will be appeased.

3. Dark Vengeance boxed set: I consider myself bloody lucky to have the good friends that hang around my carcass. Dave was up for learning 40K after I convinced him 6th is a big step better than 5th (He had no interest in the last edition at all.) and so got me the starter set so we can try out 6th together. He's a good feller and needs to play more to boot.

4. Airbrush and Compressor: Yup, that's right, I made it into the 21st century. Now I only hope the thing isn't too tricky to learn how to use. No more do I have to anticipate trying to paint my Malcador Defender the hard way! ;)

That's it, a short post. There's (more) beer to drink, a movie watch with my lovely wife and yet another day off to anticipate and plan for. So far, best 3 days off in a long while. :)

(O and I recently hit 10'000 views! thanks to all who take the time out to visit this meagre blog, have a beer for you too!)