The Daniel36 Chronicles - Tabletop Adventures

[Daniel36]

Hey everyone,

Since my previous log featured more models I no longer possessed than it did models I still do, I decided to let it go. I had a great time with it (it started in 2007) but it was time to close it.

Getting rid of my unwanted models is turning out to be a very liberating experience. With every sale I feel more inspired to do something with the models I want to keep, and it is a great feeling. I have really experienced a change in how I perceive this hobby and some of the things I had were only keeping me away from enjoying the hobby in the way I wanted to enjoy it, and they took up a lot of space too.

I will start this log with a couple of pictures already featured in my previous log, to show those that don't know me yet what I am currently working on. Some old favourites will also return to show some of the plans I have for the near future, and hopefully soon enough there will be some new material to show off.

Let's begin with my current joy, Dropzone Commander. Whilst I am more of a fantasy gamer than a science fiction one, Dropzone Commander has really stolen my heart. The game is easy to get to grips with, doesn't get bogged down in endless special rules, the models look great, the setting is very gritty, which I like, and it's really easy to get a game started, not in the least because of the model size. They fit in a small box!




















Next up will be some in-game shots of Dropzone Commander, so you can get a feel of what the game looks like when played. We have bought the cardboard city set, which is a great way to get started with Dropzone Commander.

[Daniel36]

The first batch was a 4-player battle we did. We didn't get very far, still learning the game, but it was great fun. We are lucky to already have four players, as the game is still new.

The blue guys, called the Shaltari, are also mine. I haven't yet finished any of those models yet, though.









After that we decided a couple of 2-player games were better for us.



We even had a fellow DzC player come all the way from Utrecht to play a couple of games against me, as can be seen in the next two pics, agains his Shaltari.





And then, fighting against the Scourge is really scary!!





The battles are far more than just trying to completely obliterate your opponent. That mission exists, but it is one of many, and most missions focus far more on getting your men into buildings to find objectives, which I think makes the games far more tense.

Also, many people seem to think the start up costs are steep, thinking that the models are expensive. Well, given their size, they may seem expensive but you only need such a small amount to be battle ready, it's really not that bad. The city set is also a very inexpensive way of getting a cool looking table ready, and now that the 2-player starter set has been released, I am hoping more people take the plunge, as it really is a lot of fun to play.

[Daniel36]

Finally:

My mate's terribly scary Scourge general


The purpose of this is to look awesome

And since the models are in resin, sometimes you will have a miscast. No worries though, Hawk Wargames are very nice people, and they will always send you a replacement, leaving you to do something with your miscast.

Like this:


The molten part is just PVA glue, don't worry...


Recycling sprues

[Daniel36]

I am currently on a bit of a Warhammer hiatus. I just don't like the game that much right now, but I still have two armies that I intend to keep, one being my Empire army, hailing from Talabecland!













There, most of my finished Empire forces, except the Spearmen, which still need some work. I have more, but most of it is either not yet finished or almost finished... I just haven't been bothered yet to take any pics of those, as I am still sifting through which parts I intend to keep and which parts I intend to sell.

Speaking of which, with a small amount of pain in my heart I have also decided to sell my Wood Elves. I am only going to keep the cool looking hero models, but aside from those, they will be sent to greener pastures, or whatever... I know a new book is in the making, but I really can't be bothered with them any more. The Empire army I still kind of like... But the Wood Elves have only given me joy in the two Storm of Magic games I played with them, and well...

Like I said, I just don't really like Warhammer the game all that much any more. Some of the models I still like, but not all.

[Daniel36]

Some of my Empire models even do double duty for those scarce moments that I get to play a couple of Mordheim games, as Marienburg Mercenaries, as their colours are very close.













Oh, the scenery wasn't built by me, though I was there when this was built. Unfortunately, all my stuff has been lost.

[Daniel36]

One thing I will never stop enjoying is building scenery. Here is a ruined temple of Sigmar I did about half a year ago.











I bought two of those skully temples from GW a couple of weeks ago which I am hoping to work on in a couple of weeks. I bought them for our gaming club and right after I bought them my Warhammer enthusiasm was fully depleted, so... It is taking me longer than I had hoped. That said, once I get going, I am sure I will finish them real quick. They are going to be used in a Blood in the Badlands campaign I hope I will be enthusiastic enough for.





Did this one I guess a year and a half ago or something...

And I applied for a job at GW as a scenery builder:


They didn't like my design. "Needs more skulls" is what they said.

[Daniel36]

One thing I really do like about Warhammer is their monsters. While I am not a fan of some of the design choices as far as tacked on "details" go, they are really cool models.









I love this dragon!






Love this Cockatrice even more, and it was nicely "generic". It had no Chaos necklaces or something... Glad they didn't do that.




This culprit however, I had bought him for very, very cheap, completely new. Otherwise I wouldn't have bought him. Cleaning him up to turn him into a wild Gryphon, without breastplate and seat, was far more trouble than it was worth, but in the end I did really like painting him.

I am hoping to use these models one day in my own role playing game, called Chronicles. (gee, original)
I created a log specifically for that game a while back but it fell dead and I had also taken a little time off of the project, trying to find some new inspiration. Work has continued last week and I am very confident that the new version is going to be fun to play. I will keep you all posted here on the progress.

[Daniel36]

Speaking of Chronicles, I am sure the next few models are bound to make an appearance in one of the games. I already have great plans for a first campaign, and perhaps some of these guys and gals will show up in this campaign.




This one was actually painted by my wife. She did a great job, wouldn't you agree?



This Dwarf is actually my all time favourite model, ever. He, along with a couple of other models, I enjoyed painting so much, mostly because they DIDN'T have a use, I just painted them purely for the enjoyment. I also started to find out more and more that army games just aren't for me, I'd rather play skirmish sized games. Mostly because that means I can get an eclectic mix of models that I get purely because I like the look, not because my army is useless without them. The middle elf was again painted by my wife. She doesn't really like it, which is a shame, because she is quite talented.





And another Dwarf I really enjoyed painting, this guy is part of my Empire Militia, which is an eclectic mix of pirate-like models.





His name is Norton, as he was a gift to me from Emperor Norton, whom most of you probably know from his insane and awesome project log.

That's it for now. I do have some more finished models that I currently have no pictures from. In due time I will take pics of those as I sift through all of my stuff.

What you can expect from this log in the following period, is the following:
- More information on the tabletop RPG Chronicles
- More models I will use in Chronicles
- More Dropzone Commander models and in-game shots
- More pictures of my Talabecland Empire army and other assorted Empire miniatures
- Pictures from scenery, mostly fantasy things

And then there are still some projects I am not sure of whether I will sell them or keep them:
- Grand Army of Nurgle (Warriors, Daemons, Beastmen and everything else that might fit)
- Necromunda gangs of Orlock and Ratskins
- Necromunda / Industrial scenery

You tell me, keep or sell?

[Gargobot]

Having recently sold my Delaque and Orlock gangs and already regretting it, I would advice you keep your gangs around. It's not like they take away a lot of space. And you can always use that scenery for other projects.

[EmperorNorton]

I am happy to see you are keeping Dwarf Norton. I was just thinking about him yesterday when I went through a box of Dwarfs and came across my Slayer Pirates.

As for the Necromunda gangs, I agree with the esteemed Gargobot.
If nevertheless you decide to sell them, let me know first.

[Azendral]

That Cockatrice is a truly awesome miniature and that is a great paintjob!

And as you say, your wife is a really good painter, really got the highlights on the shirt and the shadows in the hair.

[Daniel36]

Having recently sold my Delaque and Orlock gangs and already regretting it, I would advice you keep your gangs around. It's not like they take away a lot of space. And you can always use that scenery for other projects.

Point taken. They were the most doubtful, to be honest. My Chaos army is more likely to go.

I am happy to see you are keeping Dwarf Norton. I was just thinking about him yesterday when I went through a box of Dwarfs and came across my Slayer Pirates.
As for the Necromunda gangs, I agree with the esteemed Gargobot.
If nevertheless you decide to sell them, let me know first.

How could I possibly sell off Dwarf Norton? He was one of my favourites to paint (I do see a pattern with models I enjoy here) and he was a gift from you. I wouldn't dare sell him. Plus, he works perfectly for RPG purposes, which is what I want to focus on primarily. I am still feverishly (okay, that's a lie) working on my game Chronicles and he will definitely be making an appearance. If I do decide to get rid of my Necromunda gang, you will be the first to know. (You are tempting me... I know that you would paint them if I did)

That Cockatrice is a truly awesome miniature and that is a great paintjob!

And as you say, your wife is a really good painter, really got the highlights on the shirt and the shadows in the hair.

Thank you and thank you! Yeah, I quite liked GW's paintjob so I decided to keep close to it. And my wife is doesn't really enjoy painting but she did at least try, so she knows what and how.

In other good news, my Wood Elves are close to being sold in their entirety (except the odd hero model which I will keep) and I am getting excited again to get some painting time in. Just been a bit busy with other things but at least the painting bug is getting back. I did play a game of Dropzone Commander yesterday, will add some pics. I intend to get all my Wood Elf stuff together so I will also take some pics of other finished models which I no longer have pics from, but all that will be a little later today.

Thanks for the kind replies everyone! Even this log feels like a brand new start!!


The sun cast a beautiful but eerie light on the abandoned city.


Foolishly I went head on. Never go head on with PHR.


Blinding light1.


Midway, half of my force was already decimated, but I had my objectives!


They raced away with the objectives...


... but were shot before they could head out. In retrospect, I would've lost regardless but could've left my infantry inside the buildings for safety, giving me at least two victory points. On the other hand, at least this way we played a cinematic battle and not merely a game.

[Sureshot05]

Lovely stuff. As you have Empire you have the perfect home for every character model you buy, free company! I kid you not, my free company unit has the fellowship of the ring, the empire militia box, a few dwarves, felix (of gotreks fame) and an elven warrior. Of course, they are all mostly unpainted, (except Boromir!) but it makes a fun little unit purely for spot the cameo.Your Empire army is a thing of beauty and I am glad you chose not to sell it. The colour scheme is lovely and bold, and very well done. I commented previously on your excellent DZC stuff, but I'll just repeat myself here by saying it is some of your best painting yet.

[Karak Norn Clansman]

Truly good hobby stuff. The sci-fi got even better with that molten tank. The old Empire Spearmen's equipment really are superior to the current plastics, which your horde shows. The rest is also nice, especially the Cockatrice and Dwarfs.

[Daniel36]

Lovely stuff. As you have Empire you have the perfect home for every character model you buy, free company!

Thank you. And yes, I know! Trust me!

Right now, my free company is sort of pirate themed (in Talabecland, I know...), and consists of:
- Sartosan Pirate (as the leader)
- Norton the Pirate Dwarf (as his sidekick)
- A Halfling Cook (they have to eat)
- A Vesperro's Vendetta model (because it looked cool)
- Some of those Lotr dogs (because some models are sticking out horribly, haha)
- and I usually throw in my Flagellants as well, they fit in nicely
- I probably forgot some
- A very old Elf Swordsman that looks like that guy from the Bold and the Beautiful (awesome model though)
- And of course a whole lot of militia models. But yeah, they are actually my favourite unit, but for some reason I can't really get through painting them. Don't worry though, it will happen.
Like I said, with every sale my enthusiasm to get to painting the stuff I keep is growing, and my militia are probably among the first to get finished soon(ish).

I commented previously on your excellent DZC stuff, but I'll just repeat myself here by saying it is some of your best painting yet.

And I will thank you again. They truly are a joy to paint. It's done so quickly. I do feel they are perhaps a bit too muted. I may go ahead and make the brown slightly more powerful. My friend and fellow DzC player thinks my stuff looks excellent but he did understand what I meant... We shall see, they do look nice.

Truly good hobby stuff. The sci-fi got even better with that molten tank. The old Empire Spearmen's equipment really are superior to the current plastics, which your horde shows. The rest is also nice, especially the Cockatrice and Dwarfs.

I know right? I sort of made it my mission for a while to snag up every single spearmen I could find on the Dutch eBay equivalent, but after 70 of them (and along with them 70 or so of those diagonal spearmen, 30+ handgunners and a couple of cannons) I sort of ran out of funds for that project. Would've loved to have hundreds of them though...

Oh well, they pop up way too regularly.

Thank you both for your kind words.

[juicytomatoes]

Ah I felt a little tinge of nostalgia hearing that you were closing your old thread, especially since that is where I read about the awesome-est Legend of Zelda on a beer-mobil bachelor party.

However, this new thread holds so much promise, O Daniel the 36th (remember that?), that I am sure it will more than make up for it. Love the DZC stuff, and the game you just had looks like a whole load of fun. I always play for the cinematic effect these days, never for the win. For me, it is the best way to play.

[Daniel36]

Teehee... Yeah... But it felt right. It was another part of my frustration, I suppose, knowing that hardly anything left in my previous log was still owned or at least played... I needed a reboot on everything.

Behold, the only three Wood Elves (four if you count the dragon) that I am going to keep!

[Jonahmaul]

Wow, great start to a PLOG, a nice bit of variety and some excellently painted miniatures. What is it about Warhammer that you're not liking at the moment? I know how you feel about selling stuff as I've been having a clear out over the past few months (even if I inevitably end up buying more miniatures to replace them!). Great to see some DZC stuff as not seen much in the PLOGs I follow on here. I've heard very good stuff about the game and the two player starter set looks very interesting.

[Boreas_NL]

Nice idea for a plog! Where did you get the DZC scenery? It looks splendid!

[Daniel36]

Wow, great start to a PLOG, a nice bit of variety and some excellently painted miniatures. What is it about Warhammer that you're not liking at the moment?

Where to start?

For starters, Warhammer really never was the game I wanted it to be, which was a tabletop adaptation of Dark Omen. As much as the folks at GW are trying to tell us that we can do whatever we want, the framework is just too limiting for me to pour some of my own imagination into it. Too many special characters, even in the Special and Rare selections.

Then, the mindset of too many players is all about the win and never about the how and why of the battle. I've seen too often things like armies of Khorne being led by an invincible Tzeentch sorceror and backed up by an invincible Nurgle Daemon Prince to care much for the "background" any more.

Finally, coupled with the previous two statements, any army I started always felt like a chore. Seriously, I haven't even received the money for most of my sales from the past week and already I felt liberated enough to enjoy myself painting up a Reaper wizard mini and 10 Skeletons, because I wanted to paint them, not because I needed to paint them. Too many models in any army are there because they have to be. I'm done with painting units I don't like... no scrap that, I am done painting units period. I want fun little characters. I want Mordheim warbands, roleplaying parties, post apocalypse surviving scavengers, with backpacks and the likes... Not rank and file uglies that I only paint to remove whenever Flickering Fire of Lame Ass Tzeentch or whatever it's called gets thrown their way.

Basically, Warhammer never was my game. I enjoy seeing people passionate about the game, I really do. We have one player in our club who gets such an insane amount of enjoyment out of building an army list and using it to full effect, I love seeing his face. But it's not my game. I like many of the models, they are easily accessible, I even like some of the background coupled with Specialist games, but I am just sick of the game. That said, I am going to give it one more try next Wednesday against my best friend. Hopefully my Talabeclanders will have fun fighting his newly bought Orcs and Goblins.

Great to see some DZC stuff as not seen much in the PLOGs I follow on here. I've heard very good stuff about the game and the two player starter set looks very interesting.

Don't take my word for it but go for it. The starter set has literally everything you need to get started, and the models are a joy to paint. Quick too.

Nice idea for a plog! Where did you get the DZC scenery? It looks splendid!

It's from Hawk Wargames. It's simple cardboard scenery but it looks great and is a perfect placeholder until we get some 3D scenery.

- I was going to try and keep replies without pictures to a minimum but it's too dark now to take a pic of my finished Wizard. However, what I can do is this:
Models finished since the start of this log: 1