Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Adepticon Diary - Entry #5 - Other wargames

This entry showcases some of the other games going on at Adepticon.  I'm a big fan of seeing more variety of games at tabletop gaming conventions, and that direction certainly seems to be the wave of the future.

Unfortunately, I missed taking photos of the Malifaux tournament, the Kings of War tournament, the Lord of the Rings tournament, the Deep Wars demo, and the Freeblades demo, but here are a few pics of Warmachine and Wreck Age.

The Warmachine tournament room.

The #1 table.  An awesome trench board.  I want one!

The #2 table.  Bridge over a frozen river.  Fantastic attention to detail.

Here is the display case, showing studio paint-jobs.  Someone said Matt Wilson painted some of these.  I apologize for the yellow cast.  I thought my auto white balance would take care of all of that.  Nope.  I did what I could to correct it in Picasa.


Below is another pic borrowed from the Bad Dice Facebook gallery.  Those guys take better pictures than I do.  It looks like their white balance is right on.  I have no excuses.


Back to my shots, taken through an amber filter apparently.  Shows good detail, though.



My faves, the Trollkin.



This would be such an awesome model.  But I think Privateer Press has gone overboard with the multi-layered, super-filigree, spikey plate armor.  Still, I love this concept, and I always dug the cavalry riding the reindeer.





Now here's a newer post-apocalyptic game called Wreck Age.  I spoke with Matt, one of the founders, several times.  Matt has great energy and loves what he's doing and really cares about how he's running the business.  I wish him great success.

And I want these terrain boards.


But that's why I take pictures -- so that I can draw inspiration to make my own.



Matt was very kind to remove the glass so that I could take close-up pics of the models.



A great variety of characters.  So much personality and variety of kit.  Excellent basing, too.


The biker-looking dude on the right is one of my favorites.  I found out later that you got a free miniature, if you played a demo.  I had every intention to play a demo, but I got distracted all weekend.  Bummer.  I could have scored a miniature!


So Mad Max.



Nice to see a non-action pose in the mix.




The next post will explore more gaming figs for skirmish games, photographed in the vendor hall!

Adepticon Diary - Entry #4 - Warhammer Fantasy

Here is the Warhammer Fantasy tournament.  This shows only about a third of the event.


Here is the Maryland contingent.  Scooter is the redhead in foreground with his back to the camera.  He's talking to his brother, Caleb.  Beyond him, standing up and playing the game, is my gaming pal Oko, who was kind enough to transport my Crystal Brush entry up to Chicago on his roadtrip, and then transport it back, along with all of my purchases from the vendor hall!




Here is the most work I've ever seen put into building a "display board" for a Warhammer Fantasy army.  Incredible.  Where does he store it, and how does he transport it?! 






photo reused from Bad Dice Podcast Facebook album


Here is James Wappel's army.  He won best painted for the tournament.  He also won a Crystal Brush with one or two of the units, if I recall.


photo reused from Bad Dice Podcast Facebook album




photo reused from Bad Dice Podcast Facebook album


Incredible.

photo reused from Bad Dice Podcast Facebook album


A hand-made Despicable Me army.  Fantastic.  I wonder what army book he used, though...







Here is Ben Curry's Dark Elf army.  Ben Curry is the lead host for the Bad Dice podcast.  He and his two co-hosts flew over from England.  This was their first Adepticon.





Here is me and Mr. Curry...



Here is Gareth Dix, one of the other co-hosts.




Here is another massive display board.  Amazing work.


The top side...



What lurks below...   Skeery...



This is the Tomb Kings army that belongs to Mark Wildman, one of the other two hosts from Bad Dice podcast.  The dude has some real talent!






Sunday, April 28, 2013

Adepticon Diary - Entry #3 - Warhammer 40K

Crystal Brush aside for the moment, here is what Adepticon is all about -- the gaming.  Here is the 40K tournament in all its glory.  This is the showcase event for Adepticon.



Here is one of my favorite armies -- a Tau force, possessed by Necrons.





Some very nice color schemes.  These Stealth Suits inspire me for painting the ones I have waiting in the wings.



I love this vehicle.



Here is some serious conversion work.  Crazy.





An Ork army psyches themselves up for battle by jamming to a death metal concert.  The screen in the middle showed a home-made animated music video.