Pre-Convention Moratorium

   Does anyone else do this? I have put myself on a purchasing moratorium for the past couple of weeks due to my upcoming trip to GenCon next week. I figure I will save up my money for purchases at the convention.

   Plus it doesn't do me any good to get stuff in while I am not home to intercept it before the wife does...

Dealing with Battlefront... Unpleasant

   I have placed several orders over the years with Battlefront directly. Usually this is for items I just can't get in my local game store or that must be ordered directly from them. I've even had two occasions where I had a problem with a product I purchased that needed to be resolved. Once upon a time, that was a fairly easy process. No longer.

  I have written before about my problems with the Battlefront resin Amtracs. (see here) There never was a resolution to the problem, because, well, they had nothing better to send to me.

  Now my problem is in their direct orders. I placed an order back in October of 2017 that included a can of DAK Sand spray paint for my FOW Afrika Korps army I was buying. They held the entire order up for that one can of paint. Without telling me. I finally called them in January to ask about my order, and found out what was happening. The person I spoke to offered to send me the rest of my order and then send the paint along afterwards, if I would pay for shipping. I said no. This was about $150 order. They then offered to eat the shipping on the paint and sent the rest of the order to me. For the record, I never received the paint (nor was I ever charged for it, to be fair).

"You're never gonna get it.."

   The second order I placed directly with them was at the end of March 2018. This was for Team Yankee stuff, things that you could only order direct from Battlefront (a tank sprue, the aircon units, the extra floor for the factory, and the billboards). Again, no word for months, just the order held up. I emailed them last week. And again, the hold up is a single item, the extra floor. No contact, just wait for it. I again got them to send the rest of the order (still hasn't arrived) except for the backordered piece. Which, in a separate email, they confirmed would be another 4-6 weeks from receiving in their warehouse. I also cancelled the paint can order at this time.

The First Floor

   This is just bad service, period. I've decided that if I have to order directly from Battlefront to get something, I don't need it that badly.

Moving Blues

We are in the process of moving, so everything is packed away. But, once I get unpacked, I have a lot of neat stuff to share, I promise. So, sorry about the total lack of updates over the past five or six weeks. There just hasn't been much time for doing anything fun and less time to write about it. Heck, I just barely have internet service set up in the new house now. Thanks Comcast, you suck.

I did manage to get in a a day of Team Yankee back in February, where I played in two games. I lost both, naturally... but they were close, and I would have won the second game if we hadn't run out of time before my victory conditions were met (we had to call it at end of turn 4, I had to hold an objective at the end of turn 6). I have the photos on my phone. Which died a horrible death yesterday, naturally. I am supposed to be getting a new phone tomorrow, and maybe - maybe! - I can save some of the stuff on the old phone. I hope so.

I will say that I have gotten into very deep trouble with regards to the Pledge. I bought two boxes of Yuri's Wolves tanks for Team Yankee. That's ten T-64s and four BMPs. I also got a Soviet Motor Rifle Company. That's 79 infantry figures. And I ordered a set of the glow-in-the-dark Ogre Miniatures. The post office then lost them somewhere after putting them on a truck in my town. Grrrr... But I ordered some replacements. That's another, um... 43 vehicles. So I will update that counter.

And none of the terrain I have been buying should count against the Pledge, since it's all ready to play. Battlefield in a Box... lots of it. Like three sets of Modern Roads, Modern Road expansion, the Manor House, the Estate House, the Cobblestone Squares, the House Extensions, two Apartment Blocks, a Factory, a Department store, two oil tank sets, a Petrol Station, a box of the garages, another Desert Administration Building, Ruined Desert Houses, Desert Sandbag markers, the Overpass, a set of Carparks, and two Fast Food Restaurants (I am going to repaint one to be a Waffle House). I think that's it, so far. I want more apartments, some billboard signage, and at least one more Factory with the added floor that you have to order direct from Battlefront. I may get two. I think they make good office buildings.

Yellow and black roof, some signage... Waffle House

Plus... in the near future I will have photos of my new custom gaming tables and the painted gaming area... and an announcement hopefully in early April... So stay tuned, all 70-ish of you, and please share this info.

Recent Purchases

   Since the storm I have been engaging in a great deal of retail therapy. I know it's probably not real healthy, but I've spent a fair amount of money lately on a wide variety of games and accessories. SO, just to keep it in my mind, and give you faithful few an idea of where my madness has been leading me lately...

Rulebooks...

• Frostgrave Thaw of the Lich Lord

• Starfinder RPG Core Rulebook

• Bolt Action, 2nd Edition
• Armies of Germany

• Gothic: An Expansion for In Her Majesty's Name
• FOW 4E: Desert Rats

And Accessories...

• FOW 4e: Desert Rats Command Cards
• FOW 4e: Desert Rats Tokens

• Dystopian Wars: Cards
• IHMN: Tokens/markers
• Vallejo Paints and Brush On Primer

And boardgames...

• Machi Koro: Bright Lights, Big City

• SmashUp: Big in Japan
• SmashUp: Monster Movie Mashup
• SmashUp: Cease and Desist

And minis...

• Red Vectors Martian Skiffs (x2), custom scaled to work for 15mm.
• Trollbloods Starter Battlegroup

• Circle Oroboros Starter Battlegroup (old)

• Dystopian Wars FSA Valley-class Airship
• Ogre Miniatures: Hover Trucks and Light Artillery Drones (x3 each)

• Ogre Miniatures: Paneuro GEVs (x6)
• WH40K: Necron Canoptic Scarab Swarm (x6 bases) for use as Automaton Insects
• Bolt Action BEF Vickers MMG Team
• Bolt Action Home Guard Blacker Bombard Team

• Bolt Action BEF 3" Mortar Team

And a lot of terrain, too...

• Battlefield in a Box: Pacific Landing Mats
• Battlefield in a Box: Extra Large Dune
• Battlefield in a Box: Desert Escarpments

• Battlefield in a Box: Desert Scrub
• Battlefield in a Box: Desert Administration Building
• PlastCraft: Colored Desert Building Set (x2)

• PlastCraft: Colored Desert 2-story Desert Building
• PlastCraft: Colored Desert Dwelling
• PlastCraft: Colored Desert Dwelling with Stairs
• Ainsty 28mm wooden jetty
• Four Hirst Arts molds and plaster

   Ummm... I may have a problem.

Birthday Purchases

   Having just completed my 44th solar circumnavigation as of the 28th of last month, I found myself in possession of monies for which there was no immediate claim by my many creditors. So I went shopping online and bought myself some new toys. Not too much - mainly books to complete a collection (David Weber's Safehold series, in hardback).

  I did order a few gaming items, however, to include:

• Rise of the Runelords Items Deck, by Paizo. A deck of cards which have all the stats for some of the major items found (hopefully!) by players of the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path. I hope these help the players and me.
• Critical Hit Deck, by Paizo. Instead of just doing double damage or something dull, you draw a card and that's what happens. Might be fun.
• Sandstone Cobblestone Roads, Intersections Pack, by JR Miniatures. Some pre-finished 15mm roads. I have some already, these are to expand the set and make intersections look more natural.
• An Osprey Men of War book on Germans in North Africa and the Balkans. I forget the precise title and issue number.
• TIE Defender for the X-Wing Game, by FFG. Just adding to the collection of Star Wars toys.
• About 30-35 of the new Ion Age 15mm Xin figures. I wasn't going to buy any new unpainted figures until I got more stuff I already have painted, but free shipping did me in. Still, only about $30 worth, including the really cool Jade Ape battlesuit.

   I hope to do some painting in the coming weeks. Then I will have something to report!

Off to A Rousing Start

   Well, I am off to a rousing start this year already. I've even accomplished one of my goals for the year already. That would be Goal #10: Win a game of Ogre.

   I've made two internet purchases already as well. The first was some bases that I will be needing for some 15mm minis that I have almost finished (the 11 British Naval Brigade troops). They just need to be based and clear coated, and that puts me a good little step on the way to my 100 mini goal.

   The second purchase was from WargamesVault. I bought the PDF of the Olde Towne Bundle of Stoelzel's Structures. I need some 25mm Victorian city buildings, and these look as if they will fit the bill. I will print some out this morning and hopefully by this afternoon will have a building or two assembled. Eventually I want to put them on foamcore, but I think I will start with simple card buildings. One thing that I like about them is that I can print out a bunch of cardstock, and take that and some white glue to a convention. Spend the night before a game gluing it together, and just give them away afterwards. Ultra-portable convention terrain - it might get me to bring a game to Historicon again!

Historicon Purchases

   Two of my favorite things at Historicon are the Vendor's Room and Wally's Basement, the 'flea market.' Why? All the shiny toys! And of course I bought my share of them. Here's what I got.

HISTORICON FREE SWAG IN THE BAG: Usually this has been pretty good, but this year's was a bit disappointing. It consisted of a single metal figure by Warlord, a 28mm ACW cavalryman, dismounted, firing a revolver. Yes, it is a nicely done figure, and limited edition and all, but I don't have much use for it. Trade fodder, I suppose.

FIGURES:

• Battletech Flea 'Mech
• Battletech Hex bases (x4)
• Rebel Minis 15mm Steampunk Adventurers (x5)
• Splintered Light 15mm "Not Firefly" (x10)
• Perry Minis 28mm Plastic ACW Zouaves (x42)
• Frontier Minis 15mm FPW Chasseurs d'Afrique (x8)
• Frontier Minis 15mm FPW French Infantry (x18)
• Frontier Minis 15mm FPW French Garde Grenadiers (x18)
• Frontier Minis 15mm FPW French Command (x12)
• Frontier Minis 15mm FPW Mtd. Generals (x2)
• Frontier Minis 15mm FPW Limbers (x4)
• Dystopian Wars Prussian Armoured Battle Group
• Reaper BONES Ape-X
• Reaper BONES Kobolds (x18)
• Reaper BONES Eye Beast
• Reaper Savage Worlds Darius Hellstromme
• Reaper Shrend Alligator-Man
• Parroom Diabolical Weaponeer (x2)
• Parroom Manikin Automatons (x10)
• Cygnar Trencher Master Gunner
• Ironclad Miniatures Steam Tank 1
• Ironclad Miniatures Steam Tank 13
• GW Ork Killa Kan
• GW Empire Emperor Karl Franz
• GW Empire Reiksguard Champion
• GW Empire Battle Wizards (x2)
• GW Blood Bowl Kroxigor
• GW Ghoul
• GW Skaven (x9)
• GW Horses (x2)
• Battlemasters Halberdiers (x2)
• FOW DAK Panzergrenadier platoon
• FOW DAK Machinegun platoon
• FOW British Lt. Col. Frost
• Kneeling Camels (x2)
• Chariot Minis Turtle w/Howdah
• Small Sailboat

TERRAIN

• MBA 15mm Bridge
• MBA 25mm Jungle Adventure building
• JR Minis 15mm Vietnam Buildings (x2)
• JR Minis 6mm dirt road (2 pcs)
• JR Minis 6mm cobblestone roads (22 pcs)
• JR Minis 15mm river (blue) (16 pcs)
• 4-Ground 28mm Check Point
• Scenic Crafts Flock/Static Grass (Carnage Red)
• Scenic Crafts Flock/Static Grass (Oxidized)
• 6mm Sci Fi Buildings (x3)

MISC.

• Dave's Baggage Train trays (7 pcs)
• Hotwire Foam Factory 3 Tool Kit
• Foam Glue
• Molon Labe patch
• GF9 20mm square bases
• Paint (4 bottles)
• Dystopian Wars patch
• Decals (8 sheets)
• BK Toy: Wild Wild West Tarantula
• Dark Future Boxed Game