It’s been too long!
Depending on your perspective, we’re either spoiled, or deprived. I know I’ve written about this before, but here we are again. This is more of a comparison to the release of other GW dungeon crawls. We’ve been spoiled for past ten years. GW released five major dungeon crawls in that time. Though… we had all those games in the first seven years, and none since. The Timeline Note: I’m starting with Heroquest and I’m not counting Space Hulk since there isn’t a roleplay aspect to it. Nor am I counting video games or Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, since I don’t play either. So there! I’m also not counting Warhammer Quest: Lost Relics because it’s not a big box release. I’m counting the card game since it effectively relaunched the WHQ franchise. We’re approaching the time gap between Advanced Heroquest and Warhammer Quest. We’ve already blown past Blackstone Fortress to Cursed City.…
Electronics as Part of the Game
Oh boy, this may be device-ive. I only have experience with the HeroQuest companion app, and I don’t prefer it. I feel like it takes away from the minis and the board. I find that we often shortcut/neglect the physical board. Then we’re playing catchup to the app. I’d much rather look at minis on a board and live in that world than look at essentially a videogame. But that means you need a dedicated Zargon, which not everyone can manage. But, in my opinion, going app-free is a much better experience. Luckily/unfortunately(?) there are no Warhammer Quest apps that compliment the board games. Counterpoint, though I haven’t played the game myself, is Betrayal at House on the Hill. I hear this game (and app) are a TON of fun. I’ve read that the app is good spooky fun and can really freak you out sometimes. I’m intrigued, but also,…
How many 30 year old games still make headlines?
Warhammer Quest 1995: still the champ I started writing this post back in 2024 when I found this article on BoLS: https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2024/01/the-original-1995-warhammer-quest-still-holds-up-great-today.html But then, GW remembered the 30th anniversary and landed WHQ on Warhammer TV. They made a pretty solid post on Warhammer Community: https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/hjx3bwqb/celebrate-the-30th-anniversary-of-warhammer-quest-on-warhammer-tv/ It’s great to see WHQ getting some attention all these years later. What I think is great about WHQ95 (besides EVERYTHING) is that it’s just complex enough. It’s just crunchy enough. It’s roleplay-y enough. It’s a fun game that doesn’t go too overboard in any one direction. You’re not drowning in deck-building with dozens of cards. You’re not forgetting overly-complex multi-phase gameplay mechanics. There’s pretty much one way to win; you have to go through those rooms and I hope you roll well! I think some other classic games have more active communities, but WHQ is still thriving. Mordheim, Necromunda, and Man O’ War (just…
Gargoylian Follow-Up
A few weeks ago I wrote about the Gargoylian in Cursed City. Since then, I’m still thinking about gargoylians. Specifically, do I need to acquire more gargoylian models? The first step is, what sets come with these adorably blood-thirsty magical creatures? Quick note: The Cities of Sigmar Army box and Spearhead box both recycle the Cavaliers, so there are no unique gargoylians to be had there. I’ve identified five sets that come with gargoylians, with eleven total models: Freeguild Cavaliers Now, most people will tell you that this set comes with one gargoylian. I believe it comes with two. Look at that weird bird thing! Have you ever seen a bird with a chin?! GARGOYLIAN! Tahlia Vedra Lioness-of-the Parch This is a big hero model but Warhammer.com pictures don’t have a good shot of the gargoylian, so here’s a painted up version over at CAM2D at Tumblr. Freeguild Command Corps…
How much gaming stuff is enough? What are we reaching for?
How much is too much? I think it’s a common situation for any hobby. There comes a point when more material has been procured than strictly necessary. Even with budget limitations, purchasing often outstrips free time. The time-poor / disposable income quandary comes for us all! Well, maybe not those with self-discipline! In my mind, we’re not just acquiring something cool or desirable. Subconsciously, we’re trying to buy time. Just a little bit. Freeze time and work on something. The models and games turn into mementos of our lives. Unstarted projects are for another day. A time in the future that we’ll have time to sit down and pause the hurriedness of life. Save a moment in time while our kids are little, our friends and family are close, and we’ve snapshoted ourselves. But it’s easier to buy than to build, so projects can build up. The magic gets diluted,…
It’s the 21st century, why are we still playing in dungeons?
The age old question: why are there so many fully stocked treasure chests in the labyrinthine corridors? What is it about a romanticized semi-medieval setting that fires up the imagination? There have been plenty of medieval revivals over the years. The Wikipedia page on Medievalism is quite interesting. It ranges from what is now classic literature, to Danny Kaye in The Court Jester, to contemporary Renaissance Fairs and Larping. I think it’s because the fear of darkness, the unknown of rounding corners, mysticism of magic, and a general love of swords. Lots of kids go through a fear of the dark, it’s primal. We can’t see in the dark. There’s monsters there! We can’t see around corners either. There could be treasure! Also, there’s monsters there! Magic, fairies, wizards, and enchanted objects. That stuff goes back a loooooong ways. Just check out the Clan MacLeod fairy flag. Swords. So much of…
Who doesn’t enjoy a good April Fool’s Day joke?
Well, most people. Most people don’t enjoy April Fool’s Day. But I think this one is pretty decent. Happy April everyone!
One year of weekly hobby writing
This week marks one year of weekly hobby writing! The well of queued articles waxes and wanes, but I’ve had at least one come out every week for a whole year! The biggest surprise was that if I wasn’t writing about a specific game system or topic, I didn’t know what to do with the post. I’m doing the blog for my own personal enjoyment, but it’s fun having people check it out. So I didn’t know what to do with general hobby musings. I felt bad posting links on Facebook or Reddit because, well, nobody cares. Not in a bad way, but literally nobody cares what I think about where miniature painting fits in the cosmos. So I write those articles, and don’t promote them. No one gets spammed with my continuous posts, and no one reads them. But I said my piece and that’s enough for me. I…
Games Workshop
Games Workshop = Disney It’s easy to have a love/hate relationship with GW. On one hand, the minis are amazing. On the other, they’re OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive. $55 U.S. for three bats? Are you kidding me?! On one hand, the games are great. On the other, are they though? GW is the arbiter of our memories and nostalgia. Without them, we would forget what it felt like to be 13 years old. They’re also an easy target. When they make mistakes, they’re big. Cursed City for example. What the heck was that? All they had to say was “we’re having some production issues” at a time everyone on the planet was having production issues. We would have understood. At the same time, there’s a lot to love. They’re quirkily British. The minis are top notch, if you like that style. The back catalog of lore is voluminous. Their game properties are…
Abandoned Blogs
There’s something wistful about abandoned blogs. Someone started a site and poured their creativity into it, then, eventually… stopped. Maybe their interests changed, maybe they got out of the hobby, maybe they got too busy, maybe they had kids, or maybe the march of time caught them as it will catch us all. The most poignant aspect is the lack of a farewell. It’s a normal post with a future ahead of it. But then, that’s it. There’s no wrap up. No conclusion. It’s a cliffhanger. It could happen to any of us, even me. Disclaimer: I don’t know anything about the owners of these blogs. My most sincere condolences to those that are not longer with us. I hope everyone is still painting and playing. Take care of yourselves and others. Hug those kids, even if they’re all grown up! So here are some of the best abandoned hobby…