The Road Goes Ever On

Today, Games Workshop posted the new 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' products up for advance order. This has bipolarised the hobby community, perhaps completely understandably considering the seeming nature of the most vocal portion of the online community. You know what I mean.

So will 'The Hobbit' follow in 'The Lord of the Rings' footsteps as a supposed 'hobby flop'? Have 'lessons been learned'? Will 'The Hobbit' lead to, as Andrew King so eloquently put it, a fantasy renaissance? Join me after the jump where I'll be examining the facts and making a few of my own predictions.

Tournament FAQ, Q&A and Tips

I'm not normally much of a tournament player, having only attended two as a competitor, so it was with a little surprise that I found myself recently asked if I could give some tips and tricks for tournaments, by a friend of mine. Now, I'm not going to tell you tournament lists, or entertain the discussion of meta and tiers of effectiveness within codeces and army books, but after the jump we'll have a look at some ideas and common questions in regards to preparing yourself for battle effectively.

Models to Soldiers, Boards to Battlefields

I write this blog entry on a bus towards Kingston, to visit Tolworth First Founding, a wargames society that meets weekly to play various games. The iPad in my hand is asking me why I am doing this, so I thought I'd share my thoughts.

A Christmas Review - Pt1

Earlier in the week I said I'd do an unpacking, an examination and a review of a few of the new Christmas Special Edition releases, in particular; the 'Eavy Metal Edge Paint Set, and the four basing kits (Badlands, Northern Wastes, Death World and Under-Empire). I've had a few days of playing with them now, so I thought now would be a good time to share my thoughts.

Another Quick Update

Just a quick update, regarding Christmas... this arrived yesterday, much to my chagrin, as I had to price it all up and put it all away. Ah, the joys of retail!

Actually though, in fairness, it did have some rather cool stuff in it.

I'm really excited about those basing kits and the 'Eavy Metal Edge Paints too. I'll be cracking mine open on Saturday, so I'll be on here to let you guys know about them in an 'Unpacking and Examination / Review Blog'. Check back soon!

Plagued By Happiness

Christmas is fast approaching. I know this because: there is a stack of wish lists under my till at work; I walk home in the dark and cold; I hear Slade approximately eleventy bajillion times a day; and there is a box of tinsel and streamers looking at me guiltily in my stock room - waiting to be put up.

So, what does this season mean in GW Hobby Town? More after the jump.

The Forgefiend Experiment

On Monday 5th November, I was in Nottingham, at Warhammer World for a National Managers Meeting. I'm he evening, we all gathered in the Gaming Hall of a School League style tournament with each of the Battle Companies forming the 'School Teams'.

I took a Chaos Space Marine list, as discussed in a previous blog entry. I also mentioned then that I'd post a battle report for the games played. Those reports lie below.

Q&A

Last week, I asked you all to contact me through Twitter, Facebook and, in some cases, even face to face with questions you would like answered regarding the GW Hobby. Sadly, the stringencies of a National Managers Meeting (and by that I mean beer, gaming, food and, occasionally training) followed by a beyond-midnight stock check this week has pushed this post right back. Without further ado, let's go!

How I Paint: Dark Eldar

"We learnt long ago that the inscrutable universe turns upon an axis of suffering, because pain is inevitable."

- Urien Rakarth

Hekatrix Bloodbride of the Cult of the Dancing Blade

Apologies for the delays in updating. Work has been really tough this week, Managers Meeting on Monday and Tuesday, stock check til gone midnight on Thursday... and so my evenings have been mainly me sleeping. I've not even been on twitter, and missed my first #miniaturemonday in months. I'm going to be writing up a whole load of stuff properly soon, and the FAQ is just undergoing final edit.

How I Paint: Chaos Dwarves

We will remake the world into our doman; a land of cider, ash and the blackened bones of our enemies, until only we remain and those broken bodies that cower at our feet.

- Lord Asteroth

Chaos Dwarf Deathmask

A Note On Scheduling

My holiday week is already coming to a close, and I have successfully managed to do zero hobby... This depresses me.

Tyranid Winged Hive Tyrant

Fantasy Renaissance

The Muster of Rohan

I quite like this; at this rate, I won't have to think of any blogs - I'll just sit back, watch my comments and Twitter feed, and let you guys come up with my blog ideas! So, today is a bit of a 'mailbag' blog... But perhaps a little more exploratory.

Futuristic Fantasy

The Battlelines are drawn...

I just got this blog set up with a few decent entries all planned out ready for future posting, a nice ordered sequence. One of you guys comes along and says something that motivates me so much that I had to write a response immediately.

Damn you all.

Social Games and the Daemonforge

Word Bearer Chaos Space Marines seize and objective

On Monday 5th November, myself and a rather large group of Games Workshop Hobby Centre Managers (in fact, the vast majority of the UK ones, and possibly some of our Northern Europe brothers too) will be participating in a Schools League style Demi-Tournament, both as a way of showing us what the Schools League is like and, perhaps most importantly, to break ice and form bonds (much the same way Astartes Legionaries often fought each other in sparring cages).

Whilst we won't be duelling topless in spinning mechanical deathtraps, we will be having a lot of fun

How I Paint: Beastmen

From the darkling woods they come, On cloven hoof and twisted claw.
The beastmen they are called, these ones; Less than human, yet also something more.

- The Strange Tale of Doctor Malfeasant

Nazrak Bladestorm - Beastlord

From the darkest depths of the forests they come. Beast and man made one under Chaos. Since February '11, the Beastmen have been my army of choice, tearing up the battlefields of the Old World and churning the hacked remains of their foes beneath their cloven feet.