Thursday May 1 2008 I Want One
Picture: a new Forge World Reaver Titan (this was NOT painted by BTP). I just love the look and feel of this model. I thought it was smaller than a Warhound, but evidently it is a lot larger. At $1100 it is really quite a large purchase. Well, a guy can dream!
I am still running the Rummage Sale!
I was up at 3am this morning, wide awake, so I put on a few episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise, ate some blueberry yogurt, and cleared ye ole Inbox.
I went back to sleep at around 5am, soundly. I had another “studio” dream, where I see BTP in a better place. In this one I was in my own studio/home out in the Oregon deep forest, but the older me was asleep in the other room. I was looking at my own accomplishments in the form of living paintings. Then I got in my van and drove back down the long road back to town.
The boys were fritzing around with their nerf guns this morning.
I have an assistant now. Today was his first day. He’s Johnny on the Spot. It’s pretty awesome. It really lightens the load. Don’t get emotionally attached, though, I don’t know if it’s going to work out. For all I know he’ll implode in a week. Like I always say, “you can’t hold in crazy for more than 30 days.”
Speaking of which, as a matter of trivia, my wife and I dated for 19 days before getting engaged. I wouldn’t recommend that for everyone, but it worked out for us. I remember sitting on the concrete stairs of her apartment complex (we couldn’t be inside alone together for the sake of propriety) and looking at her; in my mind’s eye it was as if a pillar of light came down to rest on her, that if I willed this would be a life match for me.
For those that are courting, I recommend putting the physical relationship on hold while considering the weighty matters of marriage. If need be, have a chaperone at all times, and only be in public. That’s the only way we managed to keep our hands off each other!
No other news really. There is ONE project (KODT) waiting in the digital photography booth. I’m expecting in a few more projects tomorrow.
Right now I am booking projects for painting the very last week of May, and for Assembly the two weeks just before that. If anyone is interested.
You’re the Important Thing
I have now cleared my Inbox.
I am never too busy to talk to a client. I am always biting my nails that a BTP customer will have a good experience.
So, when I mention that I’m working a long day to clear the Inbox, don’t be shy about contacting me. I’m not too busy.
Blue Table Painting is more than making money. For me, it’s a chance to get to know people. It may sound strange but I want to grow old with my clients. I want them to shed a tear when my children get married, or in forty years when my funeral arrangements are being made.
I have decided to NOT grow the business beyond a certain point. It’s got to be a fun, enjoyable, personal experience to be worth it.
Soooo, when I mention the full Inbox, that’s by way of apology/explanation and not a “closed” sign!
When you call, and I pick up you become the “Important Thing I have to do Right Now” and NOT an interruption.
Wednesday April 30 2008 The Beast Won’t Die
Picture: a wrecked Tau Hammerhead which is part of the BASE of a very special project.
Where to start? I am still fighting my way through the Inbox. I still have about twenty messages. No complaints mind you, just saying to hold tight if you’re waiting for a response from me. That’s the catch 22– if I need some help, I have to slow things down for interviews (I conducted three today) and then things can proceed more quickly.
Let’s work backwards!
Right now, the kids are in bed and I’m watching Scrubs with my wife. I am ashamed that before that we watched American Idol.
I earmarked some of the funds from the Rummage sale to buy some Iron Man toys (masks and nerf guns) for my sons. Tonight, after going to a soccer game with my beloved Daughter, I went to Wal Mart to pick those up. People bad mouth Wal Mart, but I don’t see the problem. Anyhoo, it was like a miniature Christmas, the boys fairly well freaked out. NERF has really improved over the years, I couldn’t believe how well those things worked. It was a little splurge and a little moment of joy. Very nice.
It was a typical day at the studio; artists coming and going. Angela came in with about half of the hundred or so Movement Trays (magnetized ones) that need to be constructed. That has been a problematic item over the years and Angela is tackling it nicely. In other news, she cut her hair (herself!) on Sunday. It actually looks good. I saw Mike, Renn and Jose as well. All with some really nice stuff to turn in. I’ve got about five projects on the digital photography table.
My two Forge World battlesuit commanders are together and I’m going to get those painted up for a game this weekend (probably Saturday, assuming someone will fight me).
I interviewed three people this afternoon for General Helpfulness and Assisting People around the studio. My general rule is three to six months before the public gets to see them. So as you don’t get emotionally attached to someone who might implode spectacularly.
Monday April 28 2008 Outside Time
Picture: one of my favorite Confrontation models, which would make an amazing Necromancer for a VC army. Yes, I’m a big fan of crossovers.
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Another busy and strange day. I got up at 5am, pounded the keyboard for two hours, went back to sleep. My wife and kids headed off to school and various destinations (she and Jonah went to the zoo today– field trip).
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It was Renn and I at the studio, working on getting things set up for Tuesday, which is the huge traffic day.
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I made various Youtube vids:
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Rummage sale
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You must check out the rummage sale. There’s a lot of good stuff on there.
Sorry for the short entry, I’m very, very tired.
Sunday April 27 2008 Springtime
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Today I have an immense sense of peace and well-being. If it weren’t for Sunday, I wouldn’t ever stop working. I would work myself to death, I think.
This is a magical time of year in Utah Valley. The mountains are still clad in snow, the air is crisp, the sun is warm, and all the trees have exploded in pink, white, and lavender blossoms. Paint into the picture brick houses; rose, shale, and rust colored. It’s really something else.
In church the lesson was on making course corrections in life. I’ve been thinking these last few years about the process of sanctification- a slow process of becoming better a little at a time. Maybe like petrified wood transforms over many hundreds of years. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever get over some of my faults. I am frustrated by my apparent lack of progress. But nothing to do about it except keep plugging away. And not beat myself up.
We rented some movies for the weekend. I thought “Hogfather” would be a dud, but maybe decent for passing the time while I painted up my Tau (speaking of which, I managed 1xSkyray, 2xDevilfish, 4xCrisis Suits, and 6x Stealth Suits). It really was quite good; entertaining, decent effects, humorous, and something to think about. Be warned, though, it’s three hours long.
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I’d like to thank those that take time to read this blog. For those that find your way darkened, I would like to give you a word of thanks and encouragement. I hope you keep your chin up and keep fighting. For those of you who are young and your way seems uncertain, I say keep going one foot after the other. Things really do get better.
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*I found this picture on the net. It’s not mine. Same as many of the Sunday pics.
Saturday April 26 2008 Adeptus Custodes
I came across this Adeptus Custodes army that we did a few years back.
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/124019.page#124019
It’s Saturday and I’m home with the kids while my wife gets a much needed break. She’s out gallavanting around the countryside.
You should also know that I’m running a Rummage Sale. And I put up about eight new items in the For Sale section:
Friday April 25 2008 Joseph Visits
Picture: a Khador Drakhun by Privateer Press for the game War Machine. See the others here.
War Machine is an amazing game. It requires only 10-30 models, a very modest amount. I highly recommend their product.
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http://www.privateerpress.com/ and here’s a great place to buy the figures: http://www.thewarstore.com/
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The boys have been bugging me about Bionicles for over a week. Griffin is now three and it’s all he can talk about. He is so sweet about it, too, gently explaining to me what he wants. So, today was the day I strapped those two young gentleman in the car and we headed to Wal Mart to pick up a toy for them. They spent the afternoon tinkering with them and “flying” them around the house.
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Having kids is really a great life adventure. People go off about how difficult it is to raise them, but I haven’t found that so much to be true. One grows accustomed to the rigours, but then gets to really enjoy the deep and abiding satisfaction and love of it all. I think that’s a secret of the universe: elevating others brings joy.
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I’ve also been watching the various X-men movies with Jonah and familiarizing him with the various characters. His journey to the nerd-side is nearly complete…
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I got back to the studio in time to interview a potential new Artist. It’s a sort of catch-22. I am very satisfied with the current crew but it never hurts to keep an eye out for good new talent. I look mostly for work ethic and love for the games.
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The following projects are up for painting this week. As usual, if you don’t see your project and are wondering what’s up, by all means contact me. However, don’t panic, this is only one week of four coming up!
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Vampire Counts 01 AS (multi-week)
Albino Orcs 01 JC
Fantasy Figures 05 GM (done, pics coming soon)
Marauder Destroyer 01 GF
Ultramarines 06 TO tanks
Angry Goats 01 (multi-week)
Orks 01 BW warboss on bike
Orks 01 CK warboss on bike
Orks 01 MP fixes (modifications done)
Vampire Counts 01 KS (multi-week)
Black Legion 01 RB
Vampire Counts 01 LE
Biel Tan 02 AS
Dark Elf Blood Bowl 01 CQ
Witch Hunters 03 AT
Dark Angels 01 MC
Mordheim 04 DF
Vampire Counts 02 DW
War Machine 08 BF
Albino Orcs 01 JC
Fantasy Figures 05 GM (done, pics coming soon)
Marauder Destroyer 01 GF
Ultramarines 06 TO tanks
Angry Goats 01 (multi-week)
Orks 01 BW warboss on bike
Orks 01 CK warboss on bike
Orks 01 MP fixes (modifications done)
Vampire Counts 01 KS (multi-week)
Black Legion 01 RB
Vampire Counts 01 LE
Biel Tan 02 AS
Dark Elf Blood Bowl 01 CQ
Witch Hunters 03 AT
Dark Angels 01 MC
Mordheim 04 DF
Vampire Counts 02 DW
War Machine 08 BF
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In other news, movement trays are being completely stocked this week. This is a great product that we put out. But it has also been a source of delays due to the fiddly nature of the whole process.
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Joseph is back in town, and he came over for dinner. We went out to an authentic Mexican place to pick up some dinner. I speak Spanish fluently and I didn’t recognize half the things on the menu, let’s just say that. We rented “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and watched that with the older kids. What a blast.
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I have prepped the first 1500 pts of Tau and I plan on getting those done in time for a Batrep next Friday. That’s a lot of guys to paint between now and then! Fortunately, I’ll have a little help with the bulk infantry.
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I think the missing link in most Tau armies is the Kroot, which most people don’t include for aesthetic reasons. Or they are OCD like me and want everything to match.
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At this moment it’s about 4am and I’m watching X-men 3. I will get some quick shut-eye before the house gets moving.
Advice on Tau List
This wonderful client responded with a huge-normous email to my Tau list. Thought you might enjoy. It has a LOT of good insights.
Shawn,
As you’ve already discovered, tau are one of the most difficult armies to build because of the number of choices available to the player (both in unit selection and in how those units are configured and equipped.) There is a bunch of material on the web that goes through the most mathematically efficient configurations for each unit and how best to combine certain themes for best effect (I don’t agree with all of it but that’s usually the case.) What would really help is knowing what you intend to do with the army and what the theme is going to be that you’ll be using. For example, I could easily convert this into an entirely air-moble tau hunter cadre that uses kroot as their advance scouts and counter assaults (all troops with jump packs or mounted in hover tanks.)
As you’ve already discovered, tau are one of the most difficult armies to build because of the number of choices available to the player (both in unit selection and in how those units are configured and equipped.) There is a bunch of material on the web that goes through the most mathematically efficient configurations for each unit and how best to combine certain themes for best effect (I don’t agree with all of it but that’s usually the case.) What would really help is knowing what you intend to do with the army and what the theme is going to be that you’ll be using. For example, I could easily convert this into an entirely air-moble tau hunter cadre that uses kroot as their advance scouts and counter assaults (all troops with jump packs or mounted in hover tanks.)
The army would look something like:
2x hammerhead with rail gun, smart missile system, decoy launchers, disruption field, 1 seaker missile.
1 Skyray gunship, smart missile system, decoy launchers, disruption field
1 unit of perhana with rail guns
2 units of 2 crisis suits with twin linked missile pods and targeting aray.
1 unit of Kroot 20 strong (can expand with whatever upgrades you want but you want them maxed out.)
3 units of fire warriors with pulse rifles, shas’ui with marker light, bonded, in a devil fish with smart missile systems, 1 each seaker missile
Shas’o with plasma rifle, missile pod, fail safe detonator, hard wired multi tracker (can’t remember if fsd is hard wired or on the suit. If it isn’t on the suit just give him a suit mounted multi tracker)
2 body guards each with plasma rifle, missile pod, target aray, and hard wired multi tracker.
One of the body guards should have a hard wired drone controller with 2 shield drones or 2 gun drones if you want a more aggressive configuration.
That list will give someone fits and is right out of your inventory.
Modifications to your current list:
Tau Empire Roster – Studio Tau Army
2x hammerhead with rail gun, smart missile system, decoy launchers, disruption field, 1 seaker missile.
1 Skyray gunship, smart missile system, decoy launchers, disruption field
1 unit of perhana with rail guns
2 units of 2 crisis suits with twin linked missile pods and targeting aray.
1 unit of Kroot 20 strong (can expand with whatever upgrades you want but you want them maxed out.)
3 units of fire warriors with pulse rifles, shas’ui with marker light, bonded, in a devil fish with smart missile systems, 1 each seaker missile
Shas’o with plasma rifle, missile pod, fail safe detonator, hard wired multi tracker (can’t remember if fsd is hard wired or on the suit. If it isn’t on the suit just give him a suit mounted multi tracker)
2 body guards each with plasma rifle, missile pod, target aray, and hard wired multi tracker.
One of the body guards should have a hard wired drone controller with 2 shield drones or 2 gun drones if you want a more aggressive configuration.
That list will give someone fits and is right out of your inventory.
Modifications to your current list:
Tau Empire Roster – Studio Tau Army
HQ: Commander Shas’o (7#, 351 Pts)
1 Commander Shas’o @ 351 Pts
Stimulant Injector; Crisis Bodyguard; Crisis Bodyguard; Missile Pod; Plasma Rifle; Multi-Tracker
1 Crisis Bodyguard @ [122] Pts
Failsafe Detonator; Hard-wired Drone Controller; Missile Pod; Shield Drone; Shield Drone; Plasma Rifle; Targeting Array
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Crisis Bodyguard @ [107] Pts
Fusion Blaster; Hard-wired Drone Controller; Shield Drone; Shield Drone; Plasma Rifle; Targeting Array
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
See my suggested hq above. Your stim injector serves little purpose where it is because someone will have to force you to take a wound on that model, or the unit will have to have taken so many wounds that you’llw want to allocate a wound to your commander. I like a fail safe detonator on him since if you’re going to lose your general anyway, best if he takes a bunch of the enemy with him.
Only one set of drones on this unit as the more shield drones you put on a unit the less points you are actually using to win the game and the more unwieldy and more visible your unit becomes.
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Elite: Crisis Battlesuit (4#, 141 Pts)
1 Crisis Battlesuit @ 141 Pts
Team Leader; Crisis Battlesuit; Hard-wired Drone Controller; Shield Drone; Shield Drone; Twin Linked Missile Pod; Targeting Array
1 Crisis Battlesuit @ [53] Pts
Twin Linked Missile Pod; Targeting Array
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
Lose the shield drones and the upgrade to team leader. The unit doesn’t even have to be bonded since with 2 models it will always be over 50%. In most cases you want this unit sitting behind the edge of a blocking piece of area tarain. When it comes your turn, jump out in your move, fire, and then jump back behind the tarain out of sight. Same deal with the hq squad which is why too many shield drones is both inefecient and makes the unit harder to hide.
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Elite: Stealthsuits (8#, 212 Pts)
5 Stealthsuits @ 212 Pts
Add Team Leader; Burst Cannon (x5)
1 Team Leader @ [62] Pts
Bonding Knife; Fusion Blaster; Hard-wired Drone Controller; Gun Drone; Gun Drone
1 Gun Drone @ [10] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines
1 Gun Drone @ [10] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines
I’d just drop the fusion blaster here. This unit will mess someone’s day up, the single fb just takes away from the units overall mass effectiveness. Add targeting aray if you can, they’re pricy but every little bit of help counts here (especially with that many shots.)
*****
Troops: Fire Warrior (15#, 245 Pts)
11 Fire Warrior @ 245 Pts
Add Shas’ui; Pulse Carbine (x11)
1 Devilfish @ [95] Pts
Burst Cannon; Gun Drones; Decoy Launchers; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker
2 Gun Drones @ [0] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines
1 Shas’ui @ [40] Pts
Markerlight; Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Target Lock
See my suggestions in my list for how this unit can be configured. The addition of the target lock is a nice touch. The landing gear and targeting aray are fairly useless since ideally you want this guy to stay behind cover to jump out and pick up the fire warriors later or to deposit them and stay in front of them (still can shoot through it since it’s a skimmer) to prevent assaults. You want as little upgrades on the devil fish as possible since it is a very expensive non scoring unit. Smart missile systems work well since it canhide behind terrain and still fire. A single seaker missile can be handy as well to spread out the anti tank love a bit. I’ve found that anything else is pretty much pointless.
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Troops: Fire Warrior (15#, 245 Pts)
11 Fire Warrior @ 245 Pts
Add Shas’ui; Pulse Carbine (x11)
1 Devilfish @ [95] Pts
Burst Cannon; Gun Drones; Decoy Launchers; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker
2 Gun Drones @ [0] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines
1 Shas’ui @ [40] Pts
Markerlight; Bonding Knife; Hard-wired Target Lock
See above***
Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (14#, 96 Pts)
12 Kroot Carnivore Squad @ 96 Pts
Add Kroot Hounds; Kroot Rifle (x12)
2 Kroot Hounds @ [12] Pts
You want these guys as big as possible as well. Kroot require numbers to win combat and more rifles is always good so they can thin out the enemy. Put them in cover and the enemy will be forced to dedicate a fairly large amount of their resources to remove them. Meanwhile with the preshure off your tau, they can blast those resources.
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Troops: Remote Sensor Tower Team (1#, 40 Pts)
1 Remote Sensor Tower Team @ 40 Pts
Markerlight (x1); Target Lock (x1)
Doesn’tmatch your theme much. This is more of a perimeter/fixed implacement model. I wouldn’t bother much unless you have points left over. I suppose the tower could be the unit that raised the alarm and summoned your army of doom in the first place.
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Fast Attack: Gun Drone Squadron (4#, 48 Pts)
4 Gun Drone Squadron @ 48 Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines (x4)
Max it out at 8 or don’t bother. At 4 it is at the minimum number of models to hold an objective. I’d rather see a sensor tower than 4 gun drones really.
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Fast Attack: Pirhana TX-42 (IA) (2#, 220 Pts)
2 Pirhana TX-42 (IA) @ 220 Pts
Twin Linked Rail Rifle (x2); Decoy Launchers (x2); Disruption Pod (x2); Seeker Missle (x2); Targeting Array
Lose the seaker missiles and the disruption pod. The first just runs your point total up on a very frajile unit and the second won’t be required since you’ll be moving while you’re firing anyway. The units are too delicate to warrant too much dedicated protection.
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Fast Attack: Pathfinder (9#, 246 Pts)
8 Pathfinder @ 246 Pts
Markerlight (x5); Pulse Carbine (x5); Rail Rifle and Target Lock (x3)
1 Devilfish @ [120] Pts
Burst Cannon; Smart Missile System; Decoy Launchers; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Marker Beacon; Sensor Spines
Lose the landing gear, disruption pod and decoy launcher. Non scoring unit. Add a seaker missile or two, god knows you’ll get your use out of it.
You may want to consider a team leader with target lock as well.
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Heavy Support: Broadside Battlesuit (2#, 180 Pts)
1 Broadside Battlesuit @ 180 Pts
Twin linked Railgun; Broadside Battlesuit; Twin Linked Plasma Rifle; Targeting Array
1 Broadside Battlesuit @ [90] Pts
Twin linked Railgun; Twin Linked Plasma Rifle; Targeting Array
Add team leader and 2 shield drones. You need something to soak up the fire these guys will be taking.
Not so much a fan of the plasma rifles without multi trackers on them so you can fire both at the same time…but that’s me.
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Heavy Support: Hammerhead Gunship (1#, 165 Pts)
1 Hammerhead Gunship @ 165 Pts
Railgun; Smart Missile System; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Targeting Array
Lose the landing gear and add a decoy launcher and seaker missile.
***
Heavy Support: Sky Ray Missile Defence Gunship (1#, 155 Pts)
1 Sky Ray Missile Defence Gunship @ 155 Pts
Turret Mounted Seeker Missles; Two Networked Markerlights; Smart Missile System; Target Lock; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Targeting Array
Lose the landing gear and the target lock (as more often than not you’ll be firing at the same target anyway.) add a decoy launcher. Your tuffer scoring units need that extra protection.
***
Total Roster Cost: 2344
There are my thoughts anyway.
Remember, everyone has opinion, it doesn’t mean it’s right;) Play what’s fun.
Matthew
Wednesday April 23 2008
Picture: an Arbitrator Squad. These would make a perfect Inquisitor and seven retinue (five Warriors, an acolyte with carapace armor and bolter, and a cyber-dog familiar).
Would you consider buying them?
My day began by naturally waking up around 8am. My wonderful wife cooked me some french toast (with plenty of butter and syrup like I like it), one egg over medium, and some peppered bacon. That’s a good breakfast. I spent the morning fending off my three year old son who adores me (I spent some time with him, of course) while I cleared the Inbox for the most part.
When I got to the studio I found Renn ensconced in the break room, which has become the de-facto assembly room for the time being. I am very happy with the current crew and feel that finally I can rest easy. Everything is smooth. Everyone’s heart is in it.
It’s been quite busy with comings and goings. I am currently booking projects for the last part of May. If you need something done, you’ve got to get started ahead of time.
As some of you may know, I finally sold the Tau Drone army which financed a huge splurge on Forge World stuff for my new Tau force. That should be done in the next few weeks. Do you want to know what I bought?
1x Barracuda
2x Broadsides
2x Specialty Battlesuits to make commander types
2x Sensor Towers (I’m a huge fan of these now)
2x TX-42 Pirahna conversion kits
3x Kroot Knarloc Riders
Fun! I picked only things that seemed like they would be interesting to play and look good.
Other news: I took a ton of pics of stuff that I’m putting up for sale soon. Nothing huge, just about eight new listings. See below for some teaser pics.
What else? Angela, Jose, and Renn were all in at the same time and we had a great ole time shooting the bull.
I got home around 6:30pm where my wonderful wife had a meal ready: grilled salmon, mashed potatoes, and peas. Then she headed out to traffic school (turns out she got a speeding ticked some time ago– my wise policy is to not get worked up about things like that, nor to give her a hard time or poke fun) leaving me with the kids. I watched X-Men 2 with my middle son, explaining each character to him and fast-forwarding through the scary parts.
Spanish Challenge: translate the following– ?Como como? Como como como.