"We must now face the long dark"

Awesome people will recognize the Gandalf quote of the post title.  A better title would of been "we must now face the long dark of mor -thelastquateroftheyearisalwaysreallybusyandhardtogamein - ria"

Winter is coming...  

(That's right, I went from LOTR to GoT, I am unrepentant).

October is usually the beginning of the end of actual gaming for the year.  It just happens that way.
Everybody gets too busy with end of year stuff, there's more other commitments, and there's a holiday at the end of each month (Halloween counts as a holiday when one has little kids whose needs must include getting a costume, a trip the the pumpkin patch, pumpkin carving, and being taken out to trick or treat).  This means less time for gaming.
I usually shoot for about 2 games a month which represents the happy medium of my life between goofing off and being a responsible family member, and now this will likely drop down to about 1 a month...or none.

"Yooouu  shall not mix LOTR and GoT!"  

Sorry Gandalf...

However last weekend I did play a game of Starwars Rebellion with the new Rise of the Empire expansion with my buddy Mr. G.    It took FOREVER!  but I think in part because we played the new combat system completely wrong.  But no matter, it was fun.  I won as the rebellion though I had to move the base not once, not twice, but thrice, which shows you just how tight the imperial net was.

I didn't take any pictures of the board game because pictures of board games are super boring.  Have this picture instead.

This is what the new cinematic combat rules are supposed to be like

and if you like board games, and who doesn't like board games I mean c'mon, this a gaming blog for crying out loud, then you should know that Starwars Rebellion is the BEST 2 player SW themed game EVER.

There is no debate.

No, I have not played Imperial Assault, why do you ask?  And while we're talking about Starwars games; I do like X wing a lot, but don't particularly like the fleet building aspect of the game nor the constant expansions, so I got the ships that I like and that's that.  It gets broken out once in awhile.  I also get bored of the lack of 3D while flying, I mean even Wings of Glory has a altitude aspect.

I played SW Armada a couple of times and did not especially like it.  Too many dials, and didn't really gel with the turn sequence, and why only 6 turns?   I gave away all the models I had, and I'll tell you why...
It's not that I hated the game, I would play it if someone said "I really want to do some SW Armada" and I wouldn't complain.  But I was unlikely to say any such thing myself because SW Armada would be way down on the list of 'games I want to play that evening' which means it's never gonna get played.  If it's never gonna get played then there's no point of holding on to it.

Paint'em if you got'em.   The 2 current projects.

On the Civil War front, I recently completed a bunch of Confederate soldiers.... and by completed I mean purchased.  A long time ago in an email far far away Dai (from the the blog found on the blog roll "Lost, Damned, and the Stunted)  and I started the ACW gaming together.  He did the CSA and I did the USA, and then I did some more USA, and then while he painted some WW2 Bolt Action stuff I painted up some CSA to add to his for larger games, and now I just purchased his CSA collection.  Probably his plan all along the mastermind.  Though it's QUITE a bargain when he threw in his unpainted CSA troops, fences, flags, and etc...

"Reinforcements at the ready suh!"
Better painted than my own troops.  

so the current strength of the CSA now comes in at:
126 infantry stands
16 infantry command stands (bases with flags, each unit needs one to look awesome)
12 cannons
7 Brigadier Generals
8 mounted and dismounted Cavalry
1 divisional commander.
in other words, plenty for most scenarios.

the only negative is that his stuff is based on 1.5mm litko bases and my stuff is based on 3mm litko bases, so the bases won't line up even when grouped next to each other so I'll have to rebase all his stuff.... I'M JUST KIDDING THAT'D BE CRAZY.

Nah, the only negative is that I blew my hobby budget for the rest of the year on it.  I allow myself a pretty generous hobby budget because I am grown ass man gainfully employed, but it's still a budget and only works if adhered to; so this large purchase means that the rest of the year the theme is Paint'em if you got'em.   No new purchases.

But first, for the Age of Sail project I want to finish these two 3rd rate 74 gun ships, one British and one French.

The ship yard.  British on the right, French on the left.  I tried putting a little more effort into the decks, though I don't know why as you'll hardly see it under the sails and rigging.  

The British is already basically painted.  So the plan is to paint the French; then both ships will get a wash in AP strong tone, dull-coat sprayed, sails and masts attached, and then rigged together.  Forever binding them together in shared experience and brotherhood so when they shoot at each other on the game table they will roll poorly...


thanks for reading!