Starbases

In my last post, I covered some of the changes that Spartan Games has made to Firestorm Armada in its new, second edition release. Spartan is also releasing a whole series of revised models to refresh the product line along with the new edition. I was thinking about waiting until I had a selection of those models in my hands before posting anything, but it looks like it might be some time before I get a hold of any, so I am going to comment on the new Directorate battle station that came with my rulebook.

Last time, I included this photo as a teaser. It isn't always easy to see detail in a picture of unpainted resin, but Spartan has certainly continued to improve both their sculpts and their casting quality as they have advanced their game lines. The first series of ships they put out were cool, but the ones I have definitely had some casting issues, especially the Dindrenzi cruisers that came in my original fleet box.

New Edition, New Models

Spartan Games has just begun the relaunch of Firestorm Armada with a new rules version, and, like any good miniatures company, a complete refresh of their line of models for the game. I have not ordered a new fleet, as of yet, but I thought that now, almost two years after my original review of the game, might be a good time to comment on the new version, and on its history.

The new rulebook was just released this book, and includes a substantial overhaul of the game system. The book is nicely put together, with beautiful photography showcasing the models in the studio fleets, and numerous example diagrams to illustrate the rules. A new feature of this edition will be dedicated fleet books for each race. Basic statistics for an introductory fleet appear in the main rulebook, but players will need to obtain more complete information to play more complex fleets. Fortunately, the fleet books should ship next month, and Spartan has made the fleet lists available for free on their web site.

Serendipity

I few weeks ago, I was out in the San Francisco Bay area on a business trip. I didn't have a whole lot of free time to spare, but I did manage to wander past a local game store to check it out, and see what it was like. I travel out to the Bay area every once in a while, and knowing where to stop in for a quick break can always come in handy!

The store in question is the Game Kastle, in Santa Clara, CA. I can't say much for its location, tucked into the corner between the 101 freeway and San Jose Mineta international airport, and sandwiched between an auto body shop and a trophy seller. Still, the store was friendly, and amazingly full of both popular and obscure miniatures of all varieties.

Even better, it turned out that I was there on the day of their semi-regular gaming flea market. People were in from all around the area with piles of used miniatures, books, terrain and other items to be sold off at discount prices. I got to talk to a few sellers, and even picked up a small number of bargain items that could be crammed into my overflowing suitcase. It was a great way to round out week on the road.

I gather that the unadorned garage space to the side of the sales floor is normally made available for gaming space. All in all, it seemed like a nice little shop which caters heavily to the metal and plastic crowd. I would say that it's worth a look, if you're in the are, and can manage to find parking.

I will try to go back on a future trip to see what it's like on a regular business day.

Multi-Tasking

I am not normally an advocate for multitasking, but, in this case, I am finding it quite pleasant. As I have blogged previously, I am working on a large dragon miniature:

As you can see, I have made quite a bit of progress. I have even mounted the beastie to its (his? her?) base, but the process of painting and shading hundreds of scales takes its toll on the sanity. In an effort to mix in a little variety, I started work on the shiny new TDR-1C Thunderbolt miniature from Ironwind Metals - released at Gencon last month.

Experience is Everything!

Sadly, no pretty pictures for this update.

I was at GenCon a few weeks ago, and I had a great time at the show. I was able to play some great games with gamers from all over, including some good friends that I only get to see once or twice a year at conventions.

The two miniatures-related highlights for me were the painting classes I got to take from Sue Wachowski (a.k.a. PaintMinion) and some time I got to spend pestering sculptor Patrick Keith for tips and advice at his booth in the vendor hall. Both artists were incredibly friendly, helpful and full of good advice. My big take away from the con is: "There is an easier way to do everything".

Think Big

As is probably clear from my past updates, the majority of my painting projects are more or less "conventional" single-figure sized miniatures. The largest things I commonly paint are usually Battlemechs, which are bigger than your average 32mm "heroic" figure, but are still not titans in the miniatures world.

With the arrival of my Bones Kickstarter I am awash in inexpensive plastic miniatures, including a variety of large monster models, perfect for terrorizing PCs in fantasy role playing games. Given the low cost of Bones (especially at the KS rates), I wanted to try my hand at painting a big model, so I buckled down to paint "Deathsleet", the Ice Dragon.

Patience is a Virtue

I have never worked on a substantial sculpting project before. I never really had to deal with the patience it takes to watch putty cure. It's almost exciting as paint, but it's much more monochromatic. Even so, there is something pretty satisfying about watching a three dimensional object slowly take shape, one tiny patch of putty at a time.

After last time, I had just about completed the chain barding along the bird's neck. You can see that I had also installed a series of brass loops along the armor and gear to attach to the straps and belts later on.