Swords of the Empire - various authors

This novel, hailing from the Warhammer line, is a collection of short stories set in / about the lands of The Empire.

Containing 6 stories in total, each one numbers between 40 - 60 pages long, and varies a lot in theme and antagonists.

The first one, The Vampire Hunters by Robert Earl, takes us along with an elder Kislevite as he joins two hunters in a quest to defeat a Strigoi vampire.

In Meat Wagon by CL Werner, a carriage is diverted to an abandoned, ghoul infested village in Sylvania, but unfortunatly for the inhabitants one of the passengers is a Witch Hunter.

The Case of the Scarlet Cell by Gordon Rennie is a Sherlock Holmes style adventure, where a Slaanesh cult is discovered while hunting a follower of the Blood God.

In Rest for the Wicked, we follow two Altdorf guardsmen in this tale by James Wallis as they must prevent an assassination attempt on the Elector Count of Middenland.

Jonathan Green's The Nagenhof Bell makes a band of mercenaries face off against a Skaven invasion in a small town, eager to reclaim the bell of the church of Morr.

The final story, Sword of the Empire by Dan Abnett, is also a prelude to the upcoming Storm of Chaos, and follows the journey of a Knight of the Reik into the frozen and savage lands of Kislev.

A really nice collection of stories, this book was a pleasure to read, and recommended for those loving a few human vs big bad evil thing stories.

About Biting Off and Chewing

Fact 1: When I got back into wargaming now about two months ago, I decided to take it slow, no pressure, no deadlines.

Fact 2: Restoring my Warhammer forces would be a small thing on the side, focussing on my historical forces first.

Fact 3: The 20th of August the Tin Soldiers of Antwerp host a mega battle for Age of Sigmar, following up on their big 40k game from last month.

Conclusion: I`m going to play in it, making Facts 1 and 2 completely obsolete now...

It is just stronger then myself, I love doing those big battles and as such this will also be not only my first game in the new edition of Warhammer, but my first game with self painted figures "per se".  Except of course that means I have to get a force ready by then.

The rules for the game limit players to 4000 points maximum, in order to ensure more players with smaller armies can join in and be more then a speedbump on the table when facing gargantuan armies.  I enlisted with a 1000 points "Grand Alliance Order", because if I dump together all my models, I *might* be able to get them done by then. 

Well, I am planning on including a force I bought just this week on Kickstarter as well, the Alpine Gnomes force as usual Empire halberds and spearmen (he, it's like having Halflings after all), which are estimated to be delivered half of july... so knowing my luck, that will mean I better start touching up and restoring more of my existing models.

Sure, non painted is allowed in these things... but I ain`t going there, my force will be completely painted... which at the moment means a full 5 models done for a value of 200 points out of the 1000 needed.

I hope to get some Teutogen (they count as Empire greatswords in the pdf's) done this week, and then it`ll be on to statetroops.  While perhaps not the most tactical sound force to build, I`m aiming to get about 6 - 7 units of 10 troops done by the big battle, and a character (I`ll call him the garrison chief) painted up. 

So yup, I have my work cut out for the coming weeks, but in the worst case I`ll have to pressgang some historicals as handgunners ;-)

Haul Report 86

Welcome all to another weekly oversight of stuff I obtained, and this week it's a big one, but not really an expensive one.

Because fleamarket season is in full swing, and some other bargains where found along the road as well...

It started last saturday with a booksale in the local church.  I dropped by, not expecting much, but came home with a real treasure trove that knocked me back less then 8 euro.

I love this book on the middle ages, full of gorgeous colour plates, and at 1.50 a real bargain.

Both the Napoleon book and the Jane's, this one on WW1 ships, where 2 euro a piece.

I also picked up some novels, the Knights was 2 euro as well, and as such perhaps the most expensive "find", but the other two where from the bargain corner (as far as all the rest weren`t bargains already), knocking me back a mighty 20 cents a piece.

At the sunday fleamarket I picked up three DVD's, each one at a single euro a piece.

Now, the GF had to go to the hospital on wednesday for a few days of treatment, and I quickly passed by the local scale model store on monday to pick up some brushes to spend those lonely evenings, taking along an extra 000 and two 0 size brushes.

Talking the GF, she gave me this Hufflepuff coaster as the glass one I have makes to much noise according to her when I put the cup on it *sigh*

This arrived thursday by mail, and I`ll be doing a nostalgia post on it in a few days.  I was strolling around eBay just having, well, a look, when I came across the old (and first) Empire book.  It still holds a special place in my wargamer heart and career, but more on that soon.

Friday I passed by the local Games Workshop store for the new White Dwarf, and managed to snag last months as well.  I had missed out on it as I just didn`t get in the vicinity.  Ow, and some state troops, for something I`ll be talking about later today.

The final haul was something Patrick, owner of Pat's Celtic Cross, brought along for me on friday evening at the club, namely the SAGA rulebook (C&C contains the full basic and updated rules, so I tokk that one instead of the basic version) and expansion for my Irish warband.  And some more Perry plastics for my Union army as well.

Not to shabby a haul at all, and I`ll be doing a lot of rulebook reading and regular reading as such these coming weeks ;-)

63rd New York Regiment (Irish Brigade)

The first of my Union corps that I`m restoring, I finished the 63rd New York, one of the regiments that make up the Irish Brigade.

I elected them to become the "skirmish" part of the II Corps, 2nd Brigade, for not really any particular reason, the Flags of War banner sheet was just the first I came across of my pile of Union flags.

The models, numbering 38 in total, are Perry Miniatures, and the Union infantry in sack coats skirmishing set to be precise. 

Painting on and off, it took me about two weeks to complete them as time isn`t really that much of a friend of mine these past weeks, but it does give a nice bump to the totals tally in one go now. 

The next one of the brigade will be the "Fighting 69", but first I got a deadline to meet for a fantasy megabattle in august...

TSA Clubnight 16th of June 2017

It's been more then a month, and it'll be another month before I get back there, but yesterday the calendar allowed me an evening to spend on the sacred ground.

I didn`t went to play a game myself, that will be for the 14th of july when I jump in in a game of fantasy Zombicide, but there where once more some nice things being played.

Reynolds and Jackson faced off again in the 7 Days campaign.

There was a fantasy battle raging between woodland spirits and lizardmen.  In august there is a big battle taking place, but that is something I`ll be elaborating on tomorrow.

Tanks!

And some more activities of the evening, ranging from boardgames to modern naval battling.

This game was the one I've been following mainly, in order to have at least an idea what I`ll be doing / need to do when I join in next month.

And so a nice (and very needed and very welcome) evening of relaxation amidst "my kind" was closed off.

Oh, and Patrick of Pat's Celtic Cross had brought some goodies for me to take along...

Gods of Egypt

Announced as a big budget movie that will bring epicness to the Egyptian pantheon, Gods of Egypt from 2016... doesn`t deliver at all.

Of course, the fact it was out of the cinema's here within 3 weeks and the dvd's can be found in the bargain bins is a decent indicator, but I found gems in there before.

But not this one, even though it has a more then average cast...

In ancient times, the earth was flat and the gods lived amongst humans.  Set invades a ceremony and overthrows the ruling gods, blinding Horus in the process.  A human thief, Bek, steals back one of Horus's eyes and as a result his beloved dies.
He now seeks help with Horus to overthrow Set and bring back Zarya before she passes the 9th gate leading to the afterworld, when she would be beyond all hope of bringing her back from the dead.

The reason Set is trying to defeat other gods and become the most powerfull of all is that he doesn`t want to follow in Ra's footsteps, as protector of creation and living in, well, basically a spacestation above Earth...  yeah, you read that right.  This results in him setting loose the demon Apophis however.  Horus has to face of and defeat Set, in order to restore ra to contain Apophis... or something like that.

Basically, this was a BAD movie.  The special effects are so-so, the story is just bleugh and the acting is to stiff at times, so nope, this wasn`t a bargain bin gem.

Turn: Washington's Spies season 3

Now that I benched through the third season of Turn, I`m all set for when the new series starts in a few weeks time.

And this year had some serious changes going on...

The main character, Abraham Woodhull aka Culper, is restricted to Setauket due to the events for season 2, and as such he has recruited another agent in York City itself.  This allows his little spy ring to continue operating right under the noses of authority...

And there is big trouble as the "redcoats" of Major Hewlett are at odds with the Queen's Rangers of captain Simcoe, the latter hellbend on getting his hands on Rogers, the former commander of the Ranger's.  The spy ring plays this well, as both sides set out to get each other, while they can continue informing Washington with information gained.  But then Abe's father sells him out...

In the meantime, the english spymaster, major Andre, has fallen in love with a girl in Pennsylvania.  However, in order to further his cause, he is forced to enlist her, and loose her in marriage, to another man, one he hopes he can enlist and inform him on american movements.  This is none other then general Benedict Arnold, who is out to seek his honour restored and finally be compensated with the money he is owned by congress.

In the end, both sides central spies are being caught out, but the end is very different for each of them...

Independence Day: Resurgence

After 20 years they have finally made a sequel to the highly amazing 1996 invasion film, and with great anticipation I sat down to watch it at last.

After 20 years I have a sour taste in my mouth and I pray the Earth will be blown up by aliens before a third movie happens...

Set indeed 20 years after the original, and no Will Smith in this one, Earth has evolved far beyond our actual current day technology level, due to reverse engineering the alien tech from the first invasion.  We have orbital defence grids, a base on the moon, high tech spacefighters... the whole deal.

Even world peace, though this apparently is managed by a collection of idiots, because when an unknown spaceprobe arrives, they just decide to shoot it.  Turns out this was a probe send to save as much of humanity as possible before the aliens from the first movie return in a vessel about a 5th the size of the earth, and it lands to drill and suck dry our planet's core.  Yeah, woohoo... it ain`t even an invasion anymore.

Heroes new and old rise to the challenge and we say farewell to quit a few of the remaining leads and support characters from the first movie, as of course we aren`t prepared at all after 20 years for their return.  What follows is a (granted, gorgeous on the eye) hectic fighter battle, and suddenly the Harvester Queen is at Area-51 and we defeat her.  What just goes to say what a quick and messy "invasion" it actually was, and the movie never comes close to the "impending doom" and the desperation of the first one.

Ow, and it ends with the promise they are now going in space and "kick some serious alien ass"... I surely hope not for one...