My New Hobbying Space
So, with the new kid here, we had to convert the home office into a nursery, which left me without much of a place to work on minis apart from the kitchen table or a folding table in the living room. Fortunately, we had a garage with a workbench in it that had mostly been used for storage. We've cleaned up the space (and are still working on it; it's a work in progress), and have officially made it into a "man-cave" of sorts.
I've got a magnifying lamp, a pegboard for all my tools, a couple of barstools (it's large enough for two people to easily work at it) and more than enough space to be working on a whole army at once. I've also got shelves underneath for all my various gaming books, so my BRB and codexes are never far away.
And yes, that is a lightsaber on the pegboard.
It's going to be great for this year, because I've got a cabinet full of models (also in the garage) for my Black Templar army this year...
I think all I need is a paint organizer or two, and to straighten up the workbench a bit, and I'll be set.
Stuck in Time
Apparently Google's RSS handling service has decided that my post on May 31st, Works in Progress: Finecast Huron, Tau Display Board, is so fantastic that it's refusing to see any updates afterwards. Google Reader, and thus any system using it, like Blogger's blogrolls, haven't picked up any of my posts since then. Unfortunately, this means that I'm dropping off of blogrolls right around my coverage of DieCon's GT. I've left a message on the Google Reader support forums, validated my RSS feed multiple times, made sure my copy of WordPress was properly installed and up to date, and have been left basically flummoxed as to why it decided to fail at this particular moment.
So, in the hope beyond hope that somehow this article will break the Groundhog-Day-style loop that my blog finds itself in, here's some links to the articles that you might have missed:
- 2000 Points of Tau - My army, all completed and ready for DieCon
- Updates from the Road - Initial impressions upon showing up at the convention
- Diecon 11 - The Tables - A selection of some of the tables at the DieCon GT, from the sublime to the damn-near-empty
C'mon, Google, you can do it!
Preferred Enemies is On the Air!
For months, I've been thinking about doing a podcast. I've had a chance to be a guest on UnderDiscussion, a gaming podcast run by my friends WDR and 8one6, but I haven't recorded my own podcast. Thanks to the guys at UnderDiscussion, though, that's changed. They officially have a spin-off, and I'm one of the hosts!
Preferred Enemies is the Undergopher network's Warhammer 40K podcast, and the first episode just went live. I invite you to join my friends Dennis, Richard, Jon, and I as we discuss how we got started with 40K, and our thoughts and recommendations on getting started with the hobby. We're planning on recording and releasing episodes bi-weekly, so look for new recordings to go up every other Sunday.
Preferred Enemies: Episode 1 - Let's Get Started
Picking a Summer Convention
I'm working on my summer gaming and travel plans, and I have a chance to go to one convention this summer. There are two that I have to choose from, though, and I'm still undecided. Both have 2000-point two-day tournaments, so there's no difference there. The big difference between the two is the location and the month.
Right now, my options are Die-Con in Collinsville, IL (just outside of St. Louis) and WAR Games Con in Austin, TX. The former is June 3rd through the 5th, and the latter is July 7th through the 10th. Now, how to choose between the two? Here's the current breakdown:
- Distance: Die-Con is just across the state from where I live, so it's about a 4 hour drive for me. WAR Games Con, on the other hand, is an 8-10 hour drive. Less time in the car and less (increasingly expensive) gas used are definite points in Die-Con's favor.
- Cost: Besides the reduced gas costs, a badge for Die-Con with tourney registration is half the cost of registration in the WAR Games Con 40K tournament. I imagine that the hotel room will probably be cheaper in Collinsville as well.
- Event Focus: WAR Games Con is exclusively focused on miniatures wargaming, so I'll be more likely to meet people there with similar interests, and to do more networking in the community. Die-Con, on the other hand, is a general gaming convention, so the 40K/wargaming portion is just a fraction of the attendees. I might get more out of WAR Games Con overall.
- Time: Die-Con is a month earlier than WAR Games Con. That means less time to get the last 250-500 points of my army painted in time. Granted, Die-Con doesn't require painted minis, but there's no way I'm traveling to a 2K tournament with any unpainted models. I'll also need a display board if I'm going to either. On another time aspect, though, Die-Con is a day shorter, which means only taking one day off of work. Paid time off is a scarce commodity, so parting with as little as possible would be good.
- Going with Friends: My friend Dennis has already expressed interest in going to WAR Games Con, although mostly to play in the team tournament. Still, it'd be nice to have someone go with me. I have a couple of social anxiety issues, so having a familiar face would be really, really good for keeping me sane. Still, I might be able to get someone to swing heading to Die-Con with me as well (although not Dennis - he has a different convention a week after Die-Con, so he's already booked).
I'm leaning towards Die-Con at the moment, but I haven't written off WAR Games Con entirely. Decisions, decisions...
One Good Turn Deserves Another
Aloh'Nan'El over at Shoot Tau Thrill just put a link to my blog, along with other Tau blogs that he commonly visits or references (such as OSH's Tau of War), so it's the least I can do to reciprocate. We may have our disagreements over tactics, but we're all one big happy Greater Good.
Proud Member of the FtW Blogger Group
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