Another Batch of Axis

It'll be time for basing soon as I'm almost out of unpainted minis.

The (painting of the) Axis war machine continues, inching towards total domination of unpainted models.  This batch consists of:

• Snipers
• Spotters
• Brain Eaters
• Grenadier X
• Stefan
• Ludwig arms
• Flamm-Luther arms
• Wotan arm shields

I had another unfortunate Dust experience this week, akin to the previous one.  My Wednesday opened up unexpectedly so I headed out to roll some dice at Huzzah but found no other combatants.  The group there has taken a couple body blows over the past few months, but this was the first time I showed up in vain.  This saps my zeal for reinforcements as I don't want to sink money into a game that I may have no competition for, which is unfortunate on a couple levels.  With the recent release of Icarus there are a couple builds I want to try out with the new units, Brain Eaters among them, but said builds will require another couple boxes to manage which, despite Dust's reasonable pricing, is more than I'm willing to put towards something that might sit on the shelf.  While this is, in my mind, a reasonable response to faltering interest, it also reinforces the problem.  If less people show up to play because less people are showing up to play then even less people will show up to play.  Quite the spiral.  I'm not throwing in the towel yet, but with the Caps making the playoffs gaming time might be scarcer than it already is for the next few weeks, which could be the deathblow for Dust.

The last few posts here have been pretty down, so I'll end this one on an note of optimism.  I cut it pretty close without really meaning to, but I bought in on the Arena Rex Kickstarter just before it expired.  It's a gladiator skirmish game that looks fast to play while having a reaction system, like Dust, to keep everyone involved throughout the game.  The models are few at this point and mostly in progress, but what has been shown is gorgeous.  One of my Warmahordes locals bought in as well, so this won't be another Dreadball-esque solo leap of faith, and there's still the option on the AR site to kinda sorta get in on the Kickstarter via Paypal.  There are playtest rules in the works for "summer," which hopefully is in the near future.  In other news I'm still fighting the good fight against including flyers and dedicated anti-flyer tech in my Dark Angels army, but with EV fielding a pair of (unreasonably brutal) Heldrakes that time may be winding down.  I considered an Aegis Defense Line at Huzzah this week but balked at the $30 tag as I'd mentally figured $20 would do it.  High prices from GW shouldn't surprise me any more, but they still manage it every now and again.

Dust Regionals, Games And Stuff Style

If you like, I can save you some time: it didn't happen.

Want the fuller course?  I suppose I can oblige.  As with the Huzzah qualifier, I headed up to Games and Stuff on Sunday with little preparation, running late, no list, and only a general idea of what I wanted to play.  I nearly stuck the second Horten that arrived on Saturday in with the rest of my army, but my previous attempts to forge a dual plane list were unsatisfying so I left it at home.  The trip into the heart of darkness (aka Maryland) was uneventful and I found the new location with only one U turn.  Now GNS is in a strip mall with lots of obvious parking, food options, and a lack of the general unease for your bodily well being that I always got while walking from my car to the old location.  I arrived right on time, a minute or two before things were to kick off, paid my entry fee and rumbled into the gaming room where I found...the TO and the guy who won at Huzzah.  Without breaking my arm trying to twist it around to properly reach my back, I'd like to draw your attention to a bit of prophecy that I dropped in my Huzzah post a week back:

Another Wave of Reinforcements

Chipping away at the pile.

Got my paint on yesterday with an eye towards having a fully painted tournament list for this weekend.  I'm still not sure what I'll be fielding, but since most of my stuff is painted at this point I think I'll be able to plug any gaps that appear.  This particular batch finished off the (first) Horten (got another for $23 on Amazon yesterday while looking to fill out a free shipping order), one Wotan, arms for a Luther, Recon grenadiers, the last Battle grenadiers squad, and Lara.  With the exception of a Hans and the other pair of Wotan guns (but not shields), all my walkers are either "finished" or have had their initial wave of spray can painting, which makes them all but finished.  There's still a set of spotters and snipers to do, plus any infantry with a laser and all the non-Lara heroes, but at this point everything that I'm likely to field is painted (or close enough as previously detailed for the walkers).  This afternoon will see a massive cloud of varnish rise over the DMV as I seal up a bunch of stuff, then there will be basing.  I'd pay a reasonable amount to see a movie where Daniel Day Lewis rants away while gluing sand and drybrushing...

Dust Regionals, Huzzah Style

Not quite what I expected from a GIS for "gamer butts."

Round one of the Dust Regional Qualifiers was this weekend at one of my local stores Huzzah Hobbies.  They expanded at Huzzah last week and this was my first time there when the expansion was officially open.  The floor space doubled, in part to accommodate more and larger events, and it was just in time.  There was a Malifaux tournament going at the same time...and in the same room.  Things were close but there was still room for everyone.  To be fair we had one table in the expansion room, but it was an extra and didn't see use past the first round.  I don't think I mentioned my concerns on turnout previously, but it didn't matter as we had all the regulars including the folks that haven't been around for a while (but without EV, who is inaccessible on weekends).  Despite my nitpicking things went smooth and I never bumped butts with anyone behind me which is the highest praise I can give.

A Tiny Taste

Reinforcements, now in a reasonable diversity of color.

The past few days have been productive.  I've managed to get another big chunk of Axis painted.  I'd love to be able to say that this latest push allows me to field a fully painted army for the upcoming regionals, but that may not be accurate.  Or it could be.  Truth is I still don't have a list or even a good idea for what I want to run, outside the usual template that I've had so much success with.  The Lothar in the picture isn't necessarily a portent of things to come.  The big factor in getting it painted was that the arms were ready to go and straightforward to paint.  That doesn't mean I won't be fielding a Lothar as I find them to be effective if a little frustrating since they have to reload after every shot.  I'm still on the fence about the Fledermaus (which has already suffered a broken/about to be broken landing strut, which is very disappointing) but am leaning towards fielding it if only to get some more reps in with it and because I had a good time with it earlier in the week.  For tonight I'd like to go over the new tournament battle builder again and build up a couple lists, but that's going to be a stretch.  If I manage to settle on a list before the morning I'll call today a success.

First Flight

The camo actually worked.

My cup of flying enthusiasm overflowed yesterday so I broke out the painter's tape and spray cans and got started on the Axis plane.  In retrospect I should have left the area immediately around the cockpit the base dark grey primer so the cockpit itself doesn't stick out so much.  I'll have to put that into practice if I go in for a second plane.  The base and flight stand are very frustrating but I have some ideas for them.  In general the model has grown on me a bit but it's still far from attractive.  There may be a bit of an Axis painting push for Saturday since there's plenty of stuff, mostly soldier 3 units, that are ready for washing and final details.  I'd like to field a fully painted army for the batch of regionals, but that's probably not going to happen.  It would also require me to have a list in mind to play.  I had hoped that the plane would take my pants off and demand a permanent place in all lists going forward, but the results were less than hoped for.