Pledge:

I’m assembling ‘City State’ miniatures from Para Bellum’s ‘Last Argument of Kings’.  Great miniatures!  Doing this at the same time as the OTT team are posting VLOGs on the subject feels nifty and a bit like I’m an unauthorized OTT team member.  Analysing every word my Hobby Coaches Gerry and John say and post.  Here’s hoping I can keep up.

Questions:

1. Alternative minis: If a game is meant to be played with specific models (like Warhammer and Battletech or Star Wars: Legion) how often do you find yourself replacing ‘official’ models with alternative skulpts?                 Answer: I usually like to stay with the ‘correct minis’.  I’m not against others using alternative minis but I generally want to know I’m playing a certain game the way it was designed.  Also, I don’t like having to explain what my minis are supposed to be in relation to a certain game context.  But mostly, when I was growing up we never had anything that was mainstream or name brand.  I dislike he feeling of too poor to have the right stuff.  But, I do still like to mod minis and sometimes completely chang one out for what I think is a cooler version.  I would never take said mini to a contest event where only company brand ‘A’ was to be used.!
2. Do “Lets Play” videos have an effect on you when it comes to making decisions on purchasing games?          Answer: YES!!!  I love to see a game played, first before I buy it.  Also, I really prefer watching the ‘Lets Plays’ where the players are truly in the form of teachers of the game and not “I’m here to kick that person’s butt”.  Game-Teachers don’t just play but show alt forms of a move or action.  I love seeing all the “What IFs”.
3. Battletech: Alpha Strike or Classic? Which do you prefer?                                                                                         Answer: Classic!!!  As in 1980’s style. We mixed Battletech, MechWarrior, and Aerospace.  All my minis were lead or some type of metal.  Sadly, I don’t think any of my mechs are still in my collection anymore.

This week’s pledge is to paint some more Raging Heroes prints.

1. Alternative minis: If a game is meant to be played with specific models (like Warhammer and Battletech or Star Wars: Legion) how often do you find yourself replacing ‘official’ models with alternative sculpts? – These days I’d happily swap any miniature as long as it still identifiable as the intended unit.
2. Do “Lets Play” videos have an effect on you when it comes to making decisions on purchasing games? – I rarely buy into new games, but a let’s play would help me make a decision.
3. Battletech: Alpha Strike or Classic? Which do you prefer? – I only ever played the classic game once back when I was at Uni (i.e. around 2004). I liked it but never got into it.

I finished painting another Raging Heroes print yesterday. https://www.beastsofwar.com/project/1794968/

• Alternative minis: If a game is meant to be played with specific models (like Warhammer and Battletech or Star Wars: Legion) how often do you find yourself replacing ‘official’ models with alternative sculpts?

All the time. Especially anything Star Wars related (though I mostly play “generic” (OPR-type) games on the odd occasion I do actually play anything tabletop-y). Though Space Hulk still gets an outing (at least the map sections do, my space marines are often replaced entirely with homebrew proxies and the rules are unrecognisable!). I haven’t amassed gigabytes of STLs just to use “official” minis only!

• Do “Lets Play” videos have an effect on you when it comes to making decisions on purchasing games?

Absolutely. I’ve only bought a few games “on a whim” and have been disappointed whenever I did (looking at you Dreadball). I don’t go for pre-releases and “lets’ play” will make or break a decision to buy a game for me. After all, I’ve got a 3d resin printer, I love printing minis, I’m happy playing games with proxies: for me, the game is *all about* the rules – and you only get a feel for them by watching a game being played. So if I decide I like a game (theme-wise or some clever mechanic that looks fun) I’ll always look for a let’s play for a reason *not* to buy the game. If after watching a play-through, I still like the look of a game, I’ll pull the trigger.

• Battletech: Alpha Strike or Classic? Which do you prefer?

No idea. Haven’t played either.

This week’s pledge?
Well, did I mention I’m over in Sicily at the minute (21 degrees and full sun most days, since you’re asking)? I’m not really in much of a position to pledge anything. Although I *am* already doing lots of research for a game idea I’m looking to develop when I get back (much to my wife’s annoyance!)

Music? Well, I’ve been raving about getting into “new old music” with Obey Robots last week.
And a few people (including work colleagues from Finland) have never heard of Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, let alone understand the indie music scene of the early/mid 90s here in the UK. So here you go…

I’ve got another couple of weeks out here in the sunshine – so hopefully Spring will have sprung when we get back (and the “proper spring” not the “fools spring” we usually get for a few weeks before “second winter” sets in). The whole idea of coming out here was to dodge the worst of the winter (which arrives later and later in the UK these days). I was so smug when, three days after landing, I saw the weather reports of thick snow “back home”.

I’m going to have to dig my bike out and get back to swimming when we get home – sitting in the sun, guzzling super-strength coffee and gobbling pistachio-creme-filled croissants is a lovely way to pass the time, but it’s going to get me in trouble!

Absolutely shocking news about @dignity. Hope you get better soon, fella.
Coming from a family with a history of heart problems, I recently decided I had to “up my game” and start taking a bit more care (as, I guess, quite a few of us start thinking about, as we get older). I reckon we all have to do a certain amount of exercise in our lifetimes, eat a certain amount of fruit and vegetables and can only eat a certain amount of junk.
It’s just a matter of whether you spread it out, sensibly over your four-score-years-and-some, or – as I’ve done until now – wait until a real health scare to make you realise that swapping doughnuts for broccoli and moving around a bit isn’t *that much* of an imposition after all!

We all look forward to seeing @dignity back in front of the cameras soon, with his bowl of carrot sticks, talking us through that week’s “yoga for Kill Team”.

You’re laughing now, but in about five years, we’ll all be dressed in lycra, tuning in to OnYogaMat on Twitch for a marathon paint-along

Just caught up with Peachy. Check out about 44 mins in!