Wednesday, October 16, 2024

And then I

 Hello again. 

Ever take one of those writing classes in school where there was an exercise where a writing prompt would be provided, and you had to fill in the rest?  
I know, those are lame and were never fun.  But let's try it anyway, wargaming blog styles.


And Then I

was super annoyed because I had to skip out of playing remotely in Jonathan's Freitag's remote ACW game.  I had to skip out because my wife volunteered to host a baby shower at our place at the WORST possible timey given mine and JF's schedules.  It just became impossible. Now children that aren't even mine are ruining my wargaming.  And I was in need of a good ACW game.
Does it even count as an ACW game without me?!
yeah, I mean, of course it does.  


And Then I

had to take my actual children out of the house on the day of the baby shower for 6 hours.  Spending the day with your children is, in theory, not the end of the world.  It is a challenge to find activities that a 3-year-old, a 6-year-old, and an 11-year-old can all do together.  
Plus, it was 100 degrees outside. 
In October.

So the usual ploy of packing a lunch and going to a park was off.  Instead, I cheated and did a bunch of indoor activities like Chuck e Cheese arcade, The Mall, a "Make your own slime lab" and spent a LOT of money.  
On basically nothing.  But the kids were tired at the end of the day, so I guess it bought me an easy bedtime routine.  

And then I

Went to a Gaming Convention.  On a Saturday I attended Conquest Avalon to host two miniature wargames.  I can say without reservation that I had the BEST miniature wargame of the con.
Because it was the only one.  This was a very small convention and centered on roleplaying and boardgames.  When I checked in the nice lady laughed and expressed "oh, I didn't know we had a miniature game."  So I had brought a miniature game to a roleplaying convention. 
I set the game up, another game of "This Quar's War: Clash of Rhyfles" for 4 players and waited...


Everyone there was super nice but not interested, kinda like I am when people talk about their pets.  And 10 mins after the game was supposed to start, I had no players, and was juuust about to start cleaning up, putting my phone down, when lightning struck, and 4 players arrived.  "We're here to play in your game."  Awesome.

Covering faces, because I forgot to ask...


other in game pics:





And it was kinda a great game.  Everyone enjoyed themselves, everyone had the right attitude, and the game is really just fun to play.
I was supposed to run the game again in the afternoon, but this time lightning did not strike twice, and 15 mins after the game was supposed to start, I was sitting there alone.  I packed it up.  I could have stuck around and found a game to play but I decided to go home early for extra hubby points. I'm low on hubby points anyway.

And Then I

played Quar again.  As I had missed the aforementioned remote game due to wife, I guilted her into another game day.  I arranged for the day after the convention game for some new friends and Quar fans to come over and play some more of This Quar's War.  Another 2vs2 game but this time I got to play.

yeah, it's all the same terrain. so what?



and it was a great day.  Once again the wife took the kids out so we mostly gamed in peace until they came home.  My wife also spent a bunch of money on the kids but at least it was on clothes.  
My gaming circle increased by 3 more dudes, and by 3 more dudes that like WW1-ish anteaters.  What are the odds? 






I'm really liking this game.  And it's kinda fun to go all in on something.  


And then I 

went crazy.  Super crazy.  And bought all new miniature paints.

There's like a brush taped on the outside of the box.
Thought that was funny

For a variety of reasons.  None of them really good by themselves but taken all TOGETHER, then maybe.  Overall, I wanted to start over.  And the price was good during Amazon Prime days.  
Still too expensive.  But we just spent all this money on children, and I just spent the last two weeks doing extra on call shifts, so maybe I get a treat.  
And maybe, just maybe, this will make painting easier and more enjoyable. 

And then I

ended the post.

Thanks for reading.
Double thanks for writing a comment.
Till Next Time.

46 comments:

  1. Bugger me - could I be first to post a comment rather than always last? There should be a prize. The blue uniforms on those Quar really pop and the pink trees look ace. Finding a couple of new gaming buddies is also a score. Apart from the wife making you bale on a Freitag invite - it’s all gravy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Double disappointment for sure, Mark, since Stew would have likely been facing off against you!

      Delete
    2. Yeah it would have been great to meet him, even if it’s only on line. Maybe another time?

      Delete
    3. There will (hopefully) be more opportunities for you two face each other on the field of battle.

      Delete
    4. Thanks Mark and Jon. I'm sure there will be another opportunity as it's not like any of us are going anywhere. For me, the appeal is more about the opportunity to meet interesting bloggers and play with them than it is the subject of the game itself. The biggest hindrance is my own schedule, as gaming opportunities are often limited to once or twice a month and often planned weeks in advance. 😁

      Delete
  2. And then I.....commented on Stews post. Pity you missed the ACW game Stew but the rest of it all seems to be positive....maybe the brush attached to your enormous box of paints is a Magic Paintbrush, and will paint the miniatures for you overnight, while you sleep?!!! πŸ˜‰

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kieth. I hope your visit with friends and family is going well.
      OMG if that is a magic brush then this giant box is worth every penny. 😁

      Delete
  3. And then I.........found the kids had grown up and spent all their time in their rooms and didn't want to interact with mum and dad......
    Just a matter of time......enjoy the kids while can (which of course while you are doing it, you can't.....)
    More seriously, there will be another opportunity for a JF game......
    And you played (the second best civil war?) games and made new gaming buddies.....
    Will the paints make painting more enjoyable? Probably not if you don't like painting, but new paints are new paints.....
    And if you wish really hard......maybe.....it is a magic paintbrush that paints all those figures...☺
    Neil

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Neil. I'll go cue up the cats in the cradle song. me and the Kids have been getting along recently so all is well enough. And while I missed the fun remote game I did have other fun games and that's a good thing. And I'm hoping these new gaming buddies will become regular gaming buddies.
      maybe paining will be just slightly more enjoyable. but if it is a magic paint brush then this giant box is worth every penny. 😁

      Delete
  4. Great to meet up with 3 new players. The pink trees look great (they shouldn’t …. But they do!). Good to see a lot of mileage falling from the Quar project. I have bought just 2 Fanatic paint droppers, Yellow and Red as they are the hardest colours when painting over a darker colour ….. they really are highly pigmented and perform really well, I’m sure you are going to love that box.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Norm. I appreciate you making comments when you are not doing the blog so I can comment in return.
      The FOUCs (Flora Of Unusual Colors) DO work don't they. I was rather pleased with the appearance. The whole presentation will become more distinct with even more quar specific terrain. 😁

      Delete
  5. Ooh, new paints. Does that mean that you are tossing out the variety of old paints, or have you just doubled the number of paints you own? Was the brush taped to the front the free one mentioned on the box, or a bonus?

    Super bummed that I missed the Quar game, but I am glad it worked out after all. The pink trees really add some whimsy and shift it further over in to "fantasy" rather than "North America".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks David. yes, the game at my place was a LOT of fun, sorry you missed it (salt / wound).
      I haven't even opened the box yet, so I'll find out. I won't be keeping the old paints, I'll go ALL in on the new ones (that's why I got the big box). I think when I go to Vet-con I'll take them all to the bring and buy and sell them for cheaps. 😁

      Delete
  6. A shame you missed out on the ACW game, but at least you scored with a Quar game, gained hubby points and gained some new friends.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Neil. In the end it was a good trade. 😁

      Delete
  7. Fancy missing Jon's game? ? But at least you got a few games with your Quar figures. Nice buy the box of paints!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ray. I did not fancy missing Jon's game. fancy means we like something. separated by a common language.
      But I am enjoying these Quar games. And the paints was a nice buy, perhaps an Over buy. lol😁

      Delete
  8. Some fun gaming, kids kinda happy and then a huge box of new paints ….life is pretty good πŸ‘

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks Matt. I could complain but then I would be ungrateful.

      Delete
  9. Speaking of writing prompts...in my former life, I was one of those people who assigned those. Whether you know it or not, you have used a writing conceit known as "parallel structure" here "And then I..."--and to very good effect! A+

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks Ed. Oh, I KNOW what I am doing.
      But I still have a lingering student in my head that an A+ feels good. 😁

      Delete
  10. Pity about missing the ACW game and missing a game at the convention but great to find three new gaming buddies who also enjoy Quar-lity wargames.
    And now it is time to buy a paint rack for 102 bottles 😁

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ben. It was a fair trade in the end.
      lucky for me my paint rack already holds like 96 bottles. so it'll do. 😁

      Delete
  11. That Quar table looks great Stew, and a deserved winner of Best at Convention. Nice to see a few of the roleplaying guys get involved. Keeping children entertained for a whole day warrants a reward.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Lawrence. Too bad there wasn't a prize for best table.
      part of my reasoning for buying the big box was that if i'm gonna spend close to that amount just for a day with the kids, might as well spend that for something I'll keep and use. 😁

      Delete
  12. An entertaining post as always Stew! Great to see you getting in some FtF games, back-to-back too:). The terrain looks great and as Norm has said, the pink foliage shouldn't work but somehow it just does! Oh and who could not resist playing games with anteater troops?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thaks Steve. The Pink trees do work don't they? though it's not that crazy because there are pinkish trees in the world. And no one can resist anteater soldiers. Least I feel that way. 😁

      Delete
  13. Great looking trees, pity about Jonathan's game but at least you got some other games in, the battlefield is definitely looking less like North America circa 1861, unless it's autumn maybe? As I'm looking on this on my phone and the Quar are tiny, they really look like beakie 1980s space marines, ultramarine in the ACW? I'll stop now as I seem to be doing the stream of consciousness theme instead of the and then I did shtick!
    Best Iain caveadsum1471

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lol. Thanks Iain. The trees do a lot of work in shifting the setting but more items are needed.
      I always did like the beakie Space Marines. πŸ˜€

      Delete
  14. And then I commented on Stews blog where the cool bloggers hangout. Finding appropriate entertainment for children of such wildly different ages is a mighty challenge. You deserve a prize. Like.....some paint. Maybe a large volume...couple hundred cc's. Possibly divided up into smaller volumes and different colours....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dave. I do deserve a prize. I know just the thing….πŸ˜€

      Delete
  15. It started off in a dark place but things got better the further it went along. While I have had different circumstances and goals (I just wanted to paint), I feel like I was similarly thwarted this week so I found it all pretty relatable. That looks a great set of paints and I know many people like Army Painter's paint so it is a great purchase I would say. Time to get back on the road to Golden Demon I'd say ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jeff. I didn’t think it was that dark of a start. Just a set up for the big paint purchase. πŸ˜€
      I’m hoping I’ll like the paint. I won’t be knowledgeable enough to do any meaningful compare and contrast. πŸ˜€

      Delete
  16. Haha! Hey, I know what it's like now to set up a game at a con and not be sure anyone will show. At least you got in some Quar games, and I haven't yet. Perhaps that should be my next post.

    I also understand the frustration of spending money on stuff that doesn't last, though in my case it's (too often) food and drink. And the joy of sending money on gaming stuff that might just end up in the closet of shame instead.

    And I understand not getting in on a Jon Freitag game. Hopefully you and I can meet up over the aether one of these days. Playing Quar, maybe?

    Don't forget your kids may be reading back thru this blog someday...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jennifer. I’m sure we’ll meet up over a remote JF game eventually given enough time. I doubt it’ll be Quar though as he don’t have any and I’ll be set up for remote gaming in the near never.
      Though there seems to be a Quar community over there in Florida.

      And my kids will never read these stupid posts. Why would they? They barely pay attention to anything I say to their faces. πŸ˜€πŸ˜

      Delete
  17. AP isn't done selling you paints yet: there are 162 Warpaints Fanatic acrylics in total, and this set only has 86 of them, so your triad sets are probably full of holes where there should be in-between shades (https://us.thearmypainter.com/collections/warpaints-fanatic). Good luck resisting the temptation. :-)

    I've been tempted by the Fanatic paints myself, because I like the triad system and they get great reviews... but I decided to just dip a toe in the water and see if the hubbub is warranted. I've been burned by AP paints before. I bought a few test triad sets and some experiments (a few metallics, a few tones, some Colour Primer matches), but the jury still awaits evidence.

    I went hog wild on the 2.0 Speedpaints after they tinted my ironclads most delightfully, so I've proven that AP can make products I like. I hope I like the Fanatic paints.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PS: Sorry about the unplayed con games. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt (and nothing else to show for it). Central California seems to be short of miniatures gamers.

      Delete
    2. Hi Ix! Well I have a paint station that can manage about 90 ish paints and for someone like me who doesn’t even like painting all that much, that ought to be enough. πŸ˜€
      I did break open the box the other night and was pleased with the selection included. No paint pot was all by its lonesome and many were actual triads.

      πŸ˜€

      Delete
  18. Well there are some great highs and super lows there Stewart, but let's stick to the positives. awesome that you got 4 players at a role play convention, and that you now have 3 new gaming buddies that like Quar, hope you get on well with your new paints.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dave. The lows weren’t that low, I’m just gifted with hyperbole. πŸ˜€

      Delete
  19. Highly amusing and readable as ever. I have no interest in Quar, but still really enjoy your posts about painting, terrain and games with them.
    I was super impressed that you blocked out the faces of people whom you had not asked if they were happy to have themselves posted to the world.
    I was disappointed that you went for a huge pack of ready-made paints instead of mixing your own.
    Only one of those last two is true.
    Regards, James

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks James. Blogging is like that sometimes. No real interest in the blog subject but still interest in the blogger. If that makes sense
      Someone who likes painting and is good at would mix their own colors.
      any decent person would think twice about what they post on the internet.
      Only one of those people is me. πŸ˜€

      Delete
  20. The trees help a lot with making it look more...exotic, although I do get a Japanese cherry tree vibe from them.
    And I quite like the Army Painter paints, so I think that's a good buy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks SD. That’s a good vibe to have.
      I haven’t tried the paints out yet, but I’m glad to hear that. πŸ˜€

      Delete
  21. Not knowing a lot about the Quar, I can only assume the game is based on complicated boundary disputes over their well tended gardens and ornamental trees because of their predilection for zig-zag fencing? ;) Great looking games and four gamers at an rpg convention is a result! Commiserations on the baby shower - either they're not a big thing over here or I've been mercifully spared them in the past.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Thant. That sounds about right. 😁
      baby showers are usually a stage of life thing, there's a period of time where all you do is attend weddings and baby showers.
      now it's mostly custody hearing and funerals.

      Delete