shmitty

And here's a blog post I wrote about my first impressions of the game: http://www.steelstrategy.com/2018/03/impressions-from-my-first-legions-games.html

Managed 2 800 point games yesterday, one with each faction. Enjoyed both games and felt like they played pretty differently. The objective focus is nice and should give some variety.

Iron Man 2 - (4/5 War Machines) I actually like this movie more now than after my original viewing. It fits better as a chapter in Starks story than as a stand-alone movie. It helps to watch it right after Iron Man. Always felt it would have been stronger if it had opened up with a scene of Iron Man “privatizing world piece”. Otherwise it continues to have the Marvel mix of humor, action, and fun. Wife says - I especially like the part where Black Widow kicks some ass in the hallway. Oh and wow is Don Cheadle so much better than Terrence Howard.

I’m hoping to get a game in tomorrow afternoon. Maybe hanging out at PGS.

The Incredible Hulk - (3/5 Smashes) This isn’t necessarily a bad movie, it just really isn’t any fun. And seriously, Liv Tyler’s voice is really annoying. The last time I watched this it was in a version that mixed it with Iron Man 2 and Thor as they all happen silmultaneously. That was better than watching it alone. Ross was good though, glad they brought him back at least. Wife says - I was kinda bored. Not as entertaining as the rest of the Marvel shows.

Iron Man - (5/5 Arc Reactors) The wife and I decided to rewatch our way through the MCU in anticipation of Infinity War next month. The first Iron Man still holds up really well. The casting is great and it’s fun seeing random hints at the universe they were building (ie Coulson and the SHIELD Agents). Good mix of humor and action. Wife says - She loves the Tony Stark character as a starting point and pretty much every scene with Pepper. She frequently quotes the movie at me “waiting on you now” Establishes the general theme of Marvel movies just being Fun.

Nice, I know that several local shops are running events for it this weekend.

Got mine yesterday and started putting some models together. Pretty good detail, although the plastic is a little softer than I would like. On the other hand, it made assembly much easier. The rules are basically Dust:Warfare with X-Wing/Armada chrome. That works for me as I really liked the Dust: Warfare rule set. Looking forward to getting a game or two in this weekend.

Which is why I am sad and still waiting for my tracking number. Looks like they are only shipping from their HQ this time too.

Broadchurch - Season 1 In some ways it’s a generic murder mystery. But where it really shines is in exploring the impact of the murder and investigation on a small town. Really well written and acted.

Black Panther - it’s a Marvel movie so by now you should kinda know what you’re gonna get. It was fun, well designed, and well acted. The antagonist had a stronger arc and motivation than most of the Marvel movies, which is nice. Fits well into the MCU and explored some real world themes at the same.

Really happy with both the Chimera and Profundity. Great models and some nice additions to the game.

That's right, there's going to be a team Armada tournament this year at the OFCC. The details that I know right now: 3 Person Teams - Same Faction - No duplicate uniques 5 rounds Sat-Sun 400 points I'll post more details soon, but wanted give people an idea of what to expect.

One I missed up above is Mechs vs Minions. Basically what you'd get if you crossed Robo Rally with a tower defense game. It also includes voice-acted audio files for each of the missions. Good times.

Infinity was all I could think of while watching it.

The wife and I play lots of different co-ops together. Mostly those with a campaign system, but we've played plenty of others. Here's some quick thoughts on those I have played. Let me know if you want more details on any of them. Pandemic - Save the world from nasty diseases. One of the first modern co-op games. At this point I think of it as being an average game at best. Gets pretty repetitive and can suffer from one Alpha player running everything. Best with 4. Space Alert - Crew a spaceship on missions scouting dangerous sectors of space in the SS Sitting Duck. I love this game, but it is damn stressful. Introduces a time mechanic that forces fast decision making. Really fun with the right group, but not for everyone. Still fun even when you are losing badly. Best with 4, but 5 players works too. The campaign system is a fun add. Designed by Vlaada Chvatil who is easily my favorite game designer. Forbidden Island - Explore and island and grab treasure before it falls into the sea. A good co-op for non-gamers as it is really light. Don't own this one, but have played a few games. Lord of the Rings LCG - Build decks and lead heroes through quests in Middle Earth. Mechanically this one is great and there are tons of cards available at this point. They've released campaign expansions that follow the books, but most of the game explores other quests and parts of Middle Earth. My wife likes to play, but has no interest in the deck building so I handle that. Best with 2, but works fine with up to 4. Kingdom Death: Monster - Can you build a settlement that can survive a nightmare world by hunting monsters? Super expensive and really dark, but the game is mechanically a lot of fun and easy to get invested in as a player. Best with 3-4 players. Somewhere between a miniature game and board game. The game we are currently playing the most. Red November - Save a bunch of drunken gnomes on a badly damaged submarine. Fun for the theme, mechanically its all about pressing your luck. We have a really low win rate. Supports up to 8 players and I wouldn't play with fewer than 5. Heroes of the Aturi Cluster - This is a mod for the X-Wing Miniatures Game that turns it into a mission based co-op campaign. You need a ton of ships to make it work, but the payoff is absolutely fantastic. Best with 4, but would work with 2-6. Mice and Mystics - Turn into a mouse, grab some friends, and save the kingdom from an evil sorceress. Mechanically fun, but simple enough for kids to enjoy it too. Good storytelling throughout the game. 3-4 players. Legends of the Alliance (Imperial Assault) - The recently released app for Imperial Assault allows a full co=op mode. We love it. Best with 3-4 players. I'm sure I've played others, but that's what I can think of right now. As I said, let me know if you want more details on any of them.

Nice. There is a pretty solid Armada community in the area. I am actually hoping to run an Armada event at the OFCC next summer.

Vancouver Barnes had their ships 50% off too, but the selection was limited.

And The Last Jedi did not disappoint. I like my Star Wars to be fun and full of big moments. It had that and more. Good times, looking forward to viewing number two.

Just re-watched The Force Awakwns for the first time since seeing it in the theater in anticipation of Ep 8 on Thursday. It actually held held up really well and I found myself enjoying the new characters more than I had remembered. The pacing was solid despite the occasionally clunky dialogue. Most importantly, it was fun. Which was made it feel like Star Wars to me. Cannot wait for The Last Jedi.

So far the work magnetizing has been totally worth it. It’s fun swapping the gear around and the wife enjoys things more when the people look right. Been busy painting and magenetizing, but also have a couple of campaigns going. I’ll put up some photos of the magentized survivors soon.

I’ll split gas if you want to drive up to the next one.

Yep, They are working well. I have had a couple of forearms split when drilling the hole, but nothing irreparable. I am only magnetizing wrists and necks currently. I'll get some pictures up later.

1/16 x 1/32 N52 discs from K&J Magnetics

Interesting, I hope it isn't too long before the Lvl 2+ expansion monsters see their rewards increase as well. Of course hunting a Lvl 2 Antelope risks the Lvl 3 lion ruining your day... Been working on magnetizing the models now. Totally worth it, but it is slow, frustrating work.