Dino’s annual preview 2023
Aha, so it's 2023, anything special coming up this year? Well, I'm turning 42 and as everyone knows, 42 is the answer to all questions! To all questions? At least to one question I have the answer: do I need more minis? No, not 42...
The Great Moderation is a concept that I have been following for several years now, where I limit my budget to 20,- € per month, with the goal to increase my painting output of existing miniatures and to limit the new purchases in my hobby. As it turned out, 240,- € per year is quite a lot if you already have a bunch of miniatures at home and the pile just grows and grows. For this reason, I plan to cut my budget again - ironically, my strategy has also found approval in the forum of the Tabletopwelt and a group project has emerged from it, so to speak, the not so anonymous round of addicted hobbyists, in which if possible no new purchases should be made. However, everyone receives 150, - € annual budget - for slip ups. This seems feasible to me, since I have everything here, within the projects I pursue
But before I move on to tackle one of the leftover projects, I want to paint the new acquisitions from last year first, because there is also a part remaining. In addition, I will set myself a fairly small annual goal in 2023, since my hobby time continues to melt due to my professional commitments.
Dino’s December 2022
As announced in November, I painted the last lineman of the humans for my Old World Alliance team. With that, half of a Blitz Bowl team is already done and I'm considering stepping on the gas again in January and paint the remaining three players so that the next time I'm at the club in Bedburg, I can field a completely painted team.
As you can see, the players look much better with the decals, as it breaks up the large green areas better. While I think the contrast between the light and dark green is sufficient by now, the decals add a certain polish to the overall look.
Stargrave – a Star Wars Story isn’t shattered
So, while I'm preparing my own Star Wars skirmish on a squad based level with Stargrave ruleset - using the platoon level range of Star Wars Legions miniatures and after market 3d print files, Atomic Mass Games announced that they will release Stars Wars - Shatterpoint, a squad based skirmish.
But as I pointed out, why Star Wars is a problematic tabletop IP and why FFG/AMG/Asmodee isn't doing that kind of a proper job supporting SWL, I came across this meme and it really brings it to the point. From the first looks it is a white label of Marvel Crisis Protocol, so even from a Star Wars skirmish point of view, this seems to be a very high fantasty skirmsh-scale hero brawler. On top, with yet another scale, to cut of the repurpose of miniatures from other ranges.
Dino’s October 2022
Damn, it happened again - I'm late! Well, I can't really complain, professionally things are going well, but I'm afraid I won't be able to keep my goal for the year. Sure, I'll keep trying, of course, but before I move on to the next project, namely Oathmark, I think I'll have to declare my annual goal as a milestone.
Speaking of which, Robert, a.k.a. Wolpertinger, with whom I've been doing regular painting sessions via Discord lately, converted an old river troll for my Oathmark army.
Stargrave – A Star Wars Story Pt 3
What is Stargrave about? I covered the main rulebook and what it is about in a review on here, and now it is time to start with our Star Wars themed skirmish. We got the rules, what's next? The miniatures.
Asmodee, or Fantasy Flight Games as the coordinating company, has a bit of a problem ensuring the stock of Star Wars Legions, so you maybe not as flexible as you want to be - depending on what kind of army or warband you want to play. I had to order at multiple stores to get my hands on these boxes. Absolutely chosen by the rule of cool, so no meta, weaponry, rule decisions so far. I just bought what I fancied, and would make for a stock of Rebels as well as Imperial troops.
In detail I got to start with;
Stargrave – A Star Wars Story Pt 2
As mentioned in the first article, I bought the first models online on Etsy and printed the later ones at home, so let us see, what you get for your money online.
If you're not a patreon but buying the files individually (especially if you joined later) the question for make or buy was - especially without a printer - not that big of a decision. At 5,20 USD for STLs versus 10,99 EUR printed and shipped it is a close call (in low numbers).
Stargrave – A long time ago on a gaming table far, far away…
I covered my initial rant about StarWars as a tabletop wargaming IP, and where it works and where it does not. And in the mean time, between having ordered 3d printed models for this setting and printed my own as a patreon of Skull Forge Studios, I have narrowed down the rule set(s) and time frame.
As mentioned in the initial post, this is not going to be Star Wars Legions - for multiple reasons - but a skirmish on a troop / squad level and for that, in my opinion among other systems, Stargrave works quite well.
This idea started last year, that prior to me owning a 3d printer on my own, but I already fancied the 3d sculpts by Skull Forge Studios back then. With the models being outside of the patreon around 5-6 USD per sculpt on Gumroad and Wargames3D offering them for 9 to 11 EUR incl. free shipping from Spain via Etsy, I chose to order some. Among others I got myself these:
Dino’s April 2022
There is always something refreshing about this month, as it is a common tradition in western regions to pull a prank at the beginning of the month. Accordingly, I also tempted Bunker Boss Dennis to post an April Fool's joke on the Chaosbunker.
In our persiflage, we've taken the mickey out of a few topics that have recently found their way into the hobby in a lesser good way, but that's a topic for a whole series of articles. For now, let's just say that sometimes it helps to laugh a little!
Stargrave – Mercenaries
The third plastic kit from the initial Stargrave release are the SG003 Mercenaries. Probably the most colourful from the trio, and certainly worth a look. So, let's upon up this box.
Where the Troopers are the uniform wearing military force of a corporation or government, these mercenaries are coming along still as veterans of their trade, but a lot more specialised and unique. You get troops in once again heavy armour, but with more humanoid (and less humanoid) variation in terms of face and a wilder mix of their gear / weaponry.
Stargrave – Trooper
The next two plastic kits for Stargrave after the crew are far more combat orientated, and we cover the SG002. To be honest, if you wouldn't know about Stargrave being a skirmish with role-play elements, you'd assume this is a generic Sci-Fi soldier kit.
The Troopers for Stargrave are an 28mm scaled multi-part plastic kit and has a RRP of 20 GBP for 20 miniatures. This kit is compatible with the other Stargrave kits of the Crew and Mercenaries. And its content is spread across four sprues of five miniatures each, along with two additional sprues covering the 25mm round bases.
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