Ish

Bout damn time. I like Age of Sigmar mechanically, I even like most of the new factions, but the setting has never appealed to me. If all GW does is simply slapping the original Warhammer world lore on top of the AoS rules, I’ll be more than happy.

OPERATIONAL REPORT Operation Name: "Free Kevin" Operation Dates: 11/12/2080 - 11/13/2080 Scope: This was an extraction or data recovery exercise, to be executed within one week starting on 11/12/2080 at unknown location within Seattle Metroplex. Extraction of asset preferred, recovery of asset's data acceptable. Any person(s) accessing data to be sanctioned. Mission Area(s): Protection, Recovery Core Capabilities: Intelligence and Information Gathering; Data Recovery Participating Operative(s): Tux (Information Gathering, Close-Quarters Combat) Meat (Transportation, Close-Quarters Combat) Fluffy-Pants (Magical Threats, Information Gathering) Scenario: This was an extraction or data recovery exercise. Asset was Kevin Brokentooth (known to be a false ID) and Orc Male of approximately 20-25 years. Brokentooth was a shadow data courier who operated as a "gypsy cab" taxi driver as a cover. Client asked for operation to be completed within one week starting on 11/12/2080. Assets's location was unknown, but believed to be within the Seattle Metroplex. Extraction of asset preferred, recovery of asset's data acceptable. Any person(s) accessing data to be sanctioned. Threat(s) or Hazard(s): Magical, Street, Infected Client(s): Mr. Johnson Compensation: ¥39,000 Operational Summary: Based on information supplied by Client, we located an apartment belonging to Asset. Asset's apartment was located in the an neighborhood claimed as the "turf" of a minor street gang. Fluffy-Pants engaged the gang's apparent leader in a social dominance contest when he was initially uncooperative. Fluffy-Pants' unique style of aggressive negotiation proved useful in this instance and we gained access to Asset's apartment. Apartment appeared disused and poorly kept, possibly a "crash" or "bolt hole" and not primary residence. I encountered an animal in the apartment bathroom, animal was uncooperative and sanctioned. Asset's apartment was also decorated in advertisements for a specific band, we also located a hand-written note naming a private club. Research cross-referencing the name of the band and the name of the club showed that they had played a "gig" at the club approximately three nights prior. This corresponded with the time Asset had last been seen. Initial visit to the club was not successful. Club security was uncooperative. Fluffy-Pants' unique style of aggressive negotiation proved unhelpful. Second visit to the club early the next day proved successful. Fluffy-Pants' returned to club's front entry to engage security. Meat and I gained entry via rear door into basement level. Asset was located in basement, behind chained and barricaded door (Speculation: door was possibly also magically warded. Unconfirmed.) Asset showed symptoms of HMHVV infection and demonstrated unwillingness to cooperate with extraction. Asset was sanctioned. Data storage device (implanted into Asset's cranium) was recovered. End of report. Supplemental Notes (Personal - Not for Distribution): That damnable sukeban is going to get us all killed. Must continue to hope the ikumen can reign in sukeban's impulsiveness. Both continue to prove valuable when operating in urban core and kawaruhito demographic, will maintain working relationship. Team continues to have difficulties when operations involve serious Matrix use. I should try to recruit someone with expertise in that field. Perhaps develop my own expertise in that area? Night classes? Will research.

I was just distracted by the fact that the Aquilla that makes up the front of the podium has the incorrect number of eyes for a post-Heresy design.

I haven’t read the new rules, but are Canonesses still not allowed jump packs? GW’s whole “not in the box, not in the rules” design ethos these last couple years has been incredibly annoying.

Back in Michigan, a guy at my FLGS did a whole Dark Eldar army that really played up their pirate imagery, he used conventional conversion tricks like using lots of WHFB Dark Elf corsair bitz, but he also used real lichen, moss, and seashells. Had a really cool look, like the Flying Dutchman from Pirates of the Carribean crossed with Hellraiser cenobites.

Pretty sure.

Combined with the resurgence of Battletech and Shadowrun, rewatching The Rocketeer does now suddenly make me nostalgic for Crimson Skies...

Jodo Kast, confirmed.

Just rebase all your gobbos to look like they’re standing on soap boxes and small kegs, then green-stuff some trench coats on ‘em.

The Rocketeer was a favorite of mine as a kid, but I don’t think I’ve rewatched in in a least 20 years. Gave it a re-watch last night and it’s still great. Okay, sure, Billy Campbell is a bit wooden (Brendan Fraser, Brandon Routh, and Nathan Fillion are so much better at playing this sort of Square-Jawed, All-American Hero) but he’s not terrible. He’s mostly just upstaged by Alan Akron, Jennifer Connelly, and Paul Sorvino stealing the show... and Timothy Dalton is clearly relishing every bite of the set, gleefully scenery chewing his way through the whole film. Since he basically gets to play an Errol Flynn type swashbuckler, a dashing debonair romantic lead, and a Bond Villain simultaneously, you can’t help but enjoy watching him enjoy the part. Special effects are, well, they’re thirty years old. The flying scenes are quite as seamless as I remember, which might rob the movie of some of its magic... But everything else holds up great. Rumors of a sequel or remake have swirled around forever, but I don’t think it will ever happen. If you’ve never seen The Rocketeer or just haven’t seen it this century, give it a whirl. Four stars.

Warhammer Siege was always my favorite way to play WHFB. I’ve really enjoyed this siege scenario for Saga: Age of Crusades. It would work for Age of Magic too.

How about that, GW finally seems to have come up with an Acts of Faith mechanic that doesn’t stink on ice.

Ignorant question from someone whose never so much as skimmed The 9th Age rules, but, well... Couldn’t you use the siege towers as siege towers?

I was interested due to the service having Marvel Studios and the back-catalogue for Twentieth Century Fox and Fox Searchlight. My kids were interested because they’d have Marvel, Pixar and Disney. So I was going to bite the bullet and sign up... But then my cellphone company (Verizon) gave us a free year. We “cut the cord” back in 2002-03. At first with just DVDs and Netflix-by-mail. We switched to Netflix streaming when that became a thing... We also have had Amazon Prime forever as well, mostly just for the free shipping, so the streaming service is mostly a nice side-effect. I’ve tried Hulu, off and on, over the years but was never impressed. Gave CBS’s service a go when it was free for a month, binged Star Trek Discovery’s first season (and loathed everything it stood for). Also dabbled with a few others here and there. In all my years of streaming services, the only two I’ve ever seen fit to keep have been Netflix and Amazon... and I’m not really keeping Amazon because of the streaming video. Disney might be worth keeping. I’ve got it free for a year, so it’s definitely going to have a long enough chance to impress me.

Challenge accepted.

Running late. Might not make it before 6:00-6:30...

When nine-hundred years old you reach, many baby mamas you will have, hrmm?

Holy [big bad swear word]! A third member of Yoda’s species!

First episode of ‘The Mandolorian’ was pretty good. Great set design, costuming, special effects, and CGI; great performances from all the principle actors; and a very well-paced plot that keeps you interested in the events of the moment whilst slowly setting the hook(s) for the rest. Plot is a pretty by the numbers “bounty hunter drifter rolls into town, gets a job no one else can handle, and things go sideways” that was used in countless dime novels, western b-movies, and every other episode of ‘Have Gun Will Travel’ or ‘The Rifleman’. But the classics are classics for a reason and the show does it very well. I’ll admit I was skeptical and this was only the first episode. But I’m official moving myself all the way from from “watching out of morbid curiosity” to “eagerly awaiting the next episode.” Four stars out of five.

First episode of ‘The Mandolorian’ was pretty good. Great set design, costuming, special effects, and CGI; great performances from all the principle actors; and a very well-paced plot that keeps you interested in the events of the moment whilst slowly setting the hook(s) for the rest. Plot is a pretty by the numbers “bounty hunter drifter rolls into town, gets a job no one else can handle, and things go sideways” that was used in countless dime novels, western b-movies, and every other episode of ‘Have Gun Will Travel’ or ‘The Rifleman’. But the classics are classics for a reason and the show does it very well. I’ll admit I was skeptical and this was only the first episode. But I’m official moving myself all the way from from “watching out of morbid curiosity” to “eagerly awaiting the next episode.” Four stars out of five.

I wonder if Contrast paint can be used in an airbrush...?

Irony was what befell the Great Wolf, understand? He choked upon the very last potato in the land!