AdeptiCon 2016 Registration, the First 24 Hours

Every year around Thanksgiving, registration for the world’s largest Table Top War-games Convention begins.  This particular year, AdeptiCon’s registration was on Monday, November 21st at 8pm Central Time. 

Last year was the first year that CVENT handled the Registration Cart and personally, I felt it went smoother than any other year that I had taken part in it.  This year would see me registering for my 10th AdeptiCon attendance.

So how did it go?  Is AdeptiCon still growing?  Did I get everything I wanted?

What’s A Little Scale Between Friends?

Ever since I began wargaming, there has always been issues with scale discrepancies between models within a game.  From FASA’s Battletech, to GW’s infamous Rhino that’s supposed to fit 10 Space Marines, to True-Scale debates, and so on. 

Lately though with my head-long dive into Infinity the Game, there’s been a seemingly steady creep of scale differentials between old and new models for Corvus Belli. It has been said before that not every human being is the same height, armor adds bulk and height in different ways from different makes and models, but it can’t be ignored that the newer, 3D sculpted models are of a larger species than the older, more traditionally sculpted models.

What I won’t do here is carry the "True Scale/Marines just need to not bend their knees" debate into Infinity.  That horse has been dead a long time.  But let’s address the supposed “scale creep” of Infinity, shall we?

The Road to Being a Healthier Gamer: October Update!

It’s not a sprint…it’s a marathon.

Try as I might to deny it, we’re coming up on the 1 year mark of me actually trying to get my health in order.   November’s Update will be that 1 year mark, even if I didn’t start these updates until January of this year.

Holy cow.  It’s been a year.

Throwback Thursday: Black Templar Deathwing Command Squad

When is something considered a “Throwback”?  After one year has gone by?  Two maybe?  What about three? 

It was back in 2011 that I completed a Deathwing-style Black Templars army commission for a friend, and it’s hard to believe that was 4 years ago!  Wow.  It was also before I owned an airbrush, so all my subtle blends for the blacks to make them not boring were done by hand across the whole army. 

This week in history, we’re going to take a gander at the Command Squad for this Templar-Wing army.  I’m sure by now the army composition has changed completely for a force like this, but that doesn’t make this any less of a fun project I had the pleasure of working on!

Starting Infinity with Yu Jing? Take a Look...

Recently I had the opportunity to share how I would start Yu Jing as a faction within Infinity the Game with a up-and-coming player.  This sharing ended up turning into a full-fledged article for the Wargamers Consortium!  I'm on the front page, folks!!

WGC Stories: Getting Started with Yu Jing in Infinity

A quick note though that I also make int he article:  This is not some written-in-stone law of how you should start the faction. Just like my "A Matter of Opinion" articles, this is purely my opinion after playing the faction for over a year now, casually and in about a dozen tournaments.

Head on over and take a look!  Eventually I'll post the article here, but I want to give the WGC some love, all of it well-deserved for all the content and love they give the community at large!  I'll also eventually be doing articles for the Sectorials within Yu Jing as well.

Drop a comment there or here and let me know what you think!

- Tim

The Road to Being a Healthier Gamer: September Update!

Where in the heck did this month go?!  No really, I want someone to answer this time, because I feel like it was September 1st just a couple days ago. 

Or maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part considering how this month went…

That last statement makes it sound worse than it actually is, really.  In truth, this month has been more of a test of consistency more than anything else.  What do I mean?  Well, I'm glad you asked…

The "Broken Record" Syndrome

For those of you who aren't familiar with my "Syndrome" series, I like to approach certain aspects of our hobby with a certain tongue-in-cheek style of writing where I liken them to a medical issue. 

If you'd like to catch up, so far we've covered the "Oooooh, Shiny!" Syndrome where you just have to buy the all the new things, the "Bandwagon" Syndrome when someone jumps on the proverbial bandwagon of the new hotness or whatever is broken this month,  and the "Collectors" Syndrome that plagues some of us into concentrating all our efforts on one focused collection.  We've even reached into the "Comfort Zone" Syndrome where some of us refuse to try new things/games/factions/etc., and finally we addressed the "Hobby-Hammer" Syndrome where you plan and over-plan a project until it gets to the point that you never actually complete said project.

If you've not read any or all of the above Syndromes I've analyzed so far, click their titles above for a link to each article.  Otherwise, let's dive into the newest of the hobby-related maladies that I've discovered recently…

The "Broken Record" Syndrome.

Remembering 9/11, Those Lost and Those Who've Lost

I may have been a little absent from the blog for the past two weeks (which will change by the way, I have a lot of stuff planned for this little corner of the internet), but I wanted to ask that we take a moment to remember this day.

Be you an citizen of the U.S.A. or not, I ask that you remember the lives lost, the sacrifices made, and the loved ones who still wake up on this date every year in mourning.  Not for political reasons, and not because you agree or disagree whatever your religious beliefs are or aren't.  I ask because I believe the gaming community I'm a part of is a good one to the core of who they are despite our myriad of differences, and this was a tragedy that did not have to happen.

If you comment, comment in a way to honor those lost and who've lost as this is a memorial posting.

- Tim

The Road to Being a Healthier Gamer: August Update!

Some small part of me is looking forward to ending the year-long commitment of monthly updates, and probably not why you may think.  No, it's not because I wish to stop this journey, nor is it because I no longer want to be held accountable by the very community that I'm trying to reach.

It's because I hate overly long blog post titles.  I can't seem to think of a better one for this series for this first year and it grates on me every time I type it.  It may be silly, but still.

All that said, let's dive into August, shall we?

Throwback Thursday: Centurions Terminator Conversions

2

It's been a while since we visited the past, hasn't it?  Since we took a look at my Black Templar Assault Marines last time, I thought we'd go back to my Centurions Chapter once more.

The Centurions were a labor of love those 5 to 6 years ago when I started them, and while I should have done a series of feature articles on them before (yes, KrautScientist, I'm looking at you), at least I"m able to bring them back now as a part of the Throwback Thursday series.

This time I'm going to highlight the 5 Terminators I created for them, paying special attention to the conversion work on them rather than lump the painting into it as well.

GenCon 2015 Infinity Seminar, Part 1

I had the pleasure of not only attending the Corvus Belli Seminar this year, but I got to help Doremicom with his live stream of it on his Twitch Channel!  GO HERE to check it out if you haven't already.

I would like to show all of the copious amounts of pictures I took from it, though I'll be splitting this into two posts, that will post at the same time.  Trust me, there are a ton of photos, folks.  It's better this way.

GenCon 2015 Infinity Seminar, Part 2

Starting the second half of this Seminar Recap, let's dive into the Concept Art and keep rolling!

The Road to Being a Healthier Gamer: July Update!

Yes, of course I realize it's August 6th.  I actually have three very good reasons to have delayed this particular update. 

1. GENCON!
2. DOCTOR VISIT AND BLOOD TESTS!
3. GENCON FLU!

…somehow, the first one was so much more fun than the second or third…

Infinity Live Stream from GenCon!

LIVE stream of a game between Lazlo and Doremicom from the Infinity Forums!!

www.twitch.tv/doremicom

Check it out folks!!

- Tim

The Midwest Massacre Recap!

The inaugural Midwest Massacre Was held this past weekend in Mt. Prospect IL, at Games Plus, and as mentioned last week, your very own Miniature Tim was one of the event sponsors! 

I was also one of the players!  The Gateway Region was well represented, even if a couple of team members weren't exactly from the St. Louis Area.

So what went on?  How did the event go?  How went the luck of the dice?!?!

Infinity Tables at the Midwest Massacre!

Infinity is one of the most terrain-intensive games out there right now.  Each table can vary in density, height and available cover so that no two tables are really ever alike.  Personally I find this not only refreshing, but also a very real part of the tactics of each game as well.  You could play the exact same mission on 3 different tables, and you would play the mission 3 different ways!

John and the Chicago crew have assembled a truly awe-inspiring amount of quality terrain for Infinity, and the tables at the Midwest Massacre showcase it!

Miniature Tim is an Event Sponsor?!

No, you didn't read that wrong.  I've decided to broaden my horizons in the tabletop, RPG and board game gaming industry and begin marketing myself.  This is the first step in my journey to get my name and skills out to a larger audience, beyond just showing personal hobby work.  I want to start slow and not get in over my head.  After all I still have a full time job and a family, neither of which I want to, nor can, neglect.

So what am I sponsoring, and how?

The Road to Being a Healthier Gamer: June Update!

What's the subtitle for this month's update?  Probably something along the lines of "When you're in it for the long haul…"

…though to be honest, it should be more along the lines of a sound born of frustration, want to revert to bad habits and lack of immediate gratification…

Maybe I'll just  stick with "When You're in it for the Long Haul".

Hey, I said I was going to be honest, right?

Infinity: USAriadna Teaser Speculations

One of the most anticipated upcoming releases is the U.S. Sectorial for Ariadna (USAr).  I wouldn't doubt that once released, we could potentially run entire tournaments where a restriction is in place that you have to use the USAr Sectorial and be perfectly fine.  It really is that looked forward to across the hobby base for Infinity.

True to form leading up to GenCon, Corvus Belli is teasing images once again.  One of the latest actually having "Independence Day" on it, so perhaps it will be revealed on July 4th, with a GenCon release?  Who knows.  What we do know is that the community is hungry for this and our cries are being answered. 

What I'd like to do now is dive into the latest teaser image and see what may be included in the initial roll-out for this faction.

Throwback Thursday: Penitent Crusade Assault Marines

A long time ago, in a  galaxy far, far away…

Well okay, maybe not that long ago, but it certainly feels like it!  Games Day 2006, to be exact.  This was my first ever official tournament, and I wanted to really push the envelope.  It took me about 6 months, but I ended up creating a Black Templar force that I christened the "Penitent Crusade".

This was my first real foray into converting and sculpting, and I dove in head-first. 

And the Winner is...

I wanted to tell everyone thank you for all the love, compliments and well wishes on the blog's birthday...blog-iversary...whatever it was, Thank you!!

I also wanted to say a special thanks to those of you who identified yourselves as long-time followers of the blog, even though you didn't "follow" the blog.  It's always great to know that I'm reaching, entertaining and retaining readers with my ramblings.

No, I won't make you click through to find out who won.  That's just begging for clicks, right?  Anywho, and without further ado, the winner is...

KRAUTSCIENTIST!!!

Which I find HILARIOUS considering the vast majority of the prize box is NOT 40K.  My son kept asking me why I was laughing when he picked the name out of the hat.

KS, contact me vial email (in the profile to the left) and shoot me your acceptance, as well your address within one week of this post to claim your prize. 

Keep reading folks, and I'll keep posting.  I'll be continuing the Throw Back Thursdays posts since yesterday's went so well, and I've got a lot planned for the blog's 5th year.  I'm also happy to continue the Community Topics series, so if you have a topic request, drop it in the comments!

Thanks again everyone!

- Tim

Throwback Thursday: Centurions Chaplain Dreadnought

As a nod to a certain KrautScientist, I promised a while ago that I would showcase my Centurions Marine DIY Chapter on the blog, as I really haven't ever done so.  Why I really don't know, as it was the most involved I've ever gotten into an army project.

…of course, I still haven't done it. 

That said, I have decided that I'm going to start a new series in the blog with the ever-popular social media tag of "Throwback Thursdays".  This week, we're going to visit a Chaplain Dreadnought I converted specifically for my Centurions Marines.

Only 2 Days Left to Register for the Giveaway!

Friendly reminder for everyone interested, pop back a couple posts, or CLICK HERE, and register for my 4th Blog Birthday Giveaway. The current prize box contains everything in the picture! If we hit 300 followers, I'll add in a secondary raffle for signed, limited edition Black Library art prints!

- Tim

 

The Road to Being a Healthier Gamer: May Update!

So it looks like I've unintentionally started a trend when it comes to these updates in giving them all some form of subtitle. I think this month's will be something along the lines of "Tackling the Plateaus of Fitness and Hobby Alike".

Trust me, it's a lot better than my first thought of "The scale said WHAT?! Nope, try again...Nope, try again...Nope, try again...#%$&!"

Miniature Tim's 4th Birthday GIVEAWAY!

So it turns out that this little corner of the interwebz has now been live for 4 years.   I'd like to say I'm surprised at this, that I would have never thought the blog would last this long and other various platitudes that make it seem like it's shocking in a way.

…but the truth is I'm not.  No, that's not overconfidence, I've made a commitment to continue this Blog, and I truly love writing for it, sharing my thoughts and conversions, opinions and works-in-progress with all of you.  If you truly love something, then there's really no reason to stop doing it now is there?  This was a revelation I came to earlier this year, and it's a good one.  Sure, I may not update as often as I wish I could, but I don't think I've ever let the blog drop to under 3 posts a month and I'm quite happy with that.

(read through for the birthday giveaway folks)

Infinity Philosophy: What Makes a Good List?

Ah, MathHammer™…Didn't I put you aside?  When did you decide to rear your ugly head in the realm of Infinity?

…or did you?

See, many people think that MathHammer, TheoryHammer, and any other term for figuring out the odds of success based purely on statistical data and equations is the key to building a good list for tabletop war-games.  Regardless of whether the word "Hammer" is actually in the name of the game you're playing or not, these are the terms that have been coined for this process of defining what is good and what is garbage.

So is there such a thing as "InfinityMath"?

The Road to Being a Healthier Gamer: April Update!

I think the working subtitle for this particular update is going to be "Even the Little Things Count". 

Whenever you begin a new routine for a healthier lifestyle, you will typically notice a huge change in the very beginning.  This is both very encouraging for your efforts, as well as very deceitful for the long-term success of your endeavors.  The key to pushing past the realization that the huge change in the beginning will not continue is making the little things count.

Heck, the same can be said for tabletop wargaming hobbies, right?  What if we try and equate this to being akin to learning or getting into a new game?

Judging a Firestorm Armada Tournament for Best Painted

Much earlier in the year I was asked by SeerK from the blog, " The Waygate" to be the paint judge for a little tournament he was running at Adepticon.  The "Schaumburg Prime Offensive" was a Firestorm Armada tournament that not only was the first ever at Adepticon, but they actually had to petition Adepticon to double their numbers for spots.  And they FILLED them!

Guess who's never been a paint judge before.  Yup, this guy right here.  Sure I've helped some folks in the past, and have most definitely been critiqued by the best, but I've never been a judge before.

So how did it go?  How did I prep for this?

Adepticon 2015: Final Thoughts and Future Thoughts for 2016

Pictured above, you see Carl from the Independent Characters Podcast, myself, and John from The Overlords Podcast.  No, I may not play 40K right now, but I love the universe, and these two guys' podcasts, along with their bevy of cohosts, really make me continue to hope for the game, and help keep my core interest in the game alive.  If you don't listen to them yet, go now and start.

Adepticon 2015 was a blast.  To be more specific, it was the most fun I've had at an Adepticon in a long time, and I attribute that to the sheer amount of new things that went on for me over the course of the weekend.

…though it's hard to call it a "weekend" any more with be being there for 5 days!

Adepticon 2015: 300-point Infinity Grand Tournament

Once I finished writing up the synopsis of each game for Saturday's tournament, I realized that to keep it with the other write-ups for the previous two days would be a huge mistake.  There was simply too much for one post!

…that should say something right there about how much fun I had in three straight days of tournaments, right?

Adepticon 2015: All Infinity, all the Time

Time and time again, I've said that this year's Adepticon has been a year of firsts for me.  Ever since my first Adepticon, I played in 8 straight years work of 40K.  This however, was my 9th year in attendance, and the first ever that I didn't get one game of 40K in at all.

Yup, you read that correctly, be it Combat Patrol, the Championships or the Team Tournament, the only time I stepped foot into the main gaming hall for 40K was to meet with friends, browse the vendor booths, or judge the painting comp for the Firestorm Armada tournament. 

…that'll be another post.

So how did a weekend full of Infinity work out for me?

The Road to Being a Healthier Gamer: March Update!

OR "How to continue being healthy while at Adepticon"

…I thought "March Update" was easier to swallow.

Let's be honest though, staying healthy while cramming prep for a convention isn't the easiest of things.  You're already short on time to get things done, and exercising, watching your calories and more just takes even more time away from that oh-so important prep.  Not to mention anything else that life decides to throw at you.  Which it did.  Throw at me.  Life's mean like that.

Adding to that, Adepticon is also in this month and you've got a recipe for disaster when it comes to maintaining a weight loss regimen. 

So did I succumb to the pressure?  Did I lose?  Did I gain?

Adepticon 2015: New Venue and Location Review!

In the previous coverage article, I mentioned that there was quite a few "firsts" for Adepticon and myself  this year.  Well, "quite a few" is a massive understatement actually.  This year was a year of firsts for many aspects of Adepticon, both for the attendees as well as the event itself!

I wanted to dive into the event this time around and take a good look at the changes made for this year.  The Good, the Bad and the Better.  Yes, I know I left out the "Ugly", but that's really because I don't see anything ugly in this years offerings, organization or presentation of the event.  Heck, I'm going to truly have to dig to find a "Bad" in there I think, and that's if I can find one at all.

I would change the "Bad" into the "Constructive Criticisms" in that phrasing, but it doesn't sound as catchy.

Adepticon 2015: Community Coverage!

This Adepticon held so very many firsts for me, it wasn't even funny.  They will all get their time in the limelight, but now is the time to address photo coverage of the 'Con itself!

…which I horribly neglected because I played in three straight days of tournaments.  See?  Two firsts right there!

I typically pride myself and this blog on being one of the top coverages, photo-wise at least, of the main events at Adepticon.  This year I dropped the ball on that severely.  Thankfully, the rest of the community did not.  Let's see take a look at some of the best coverage I've found!

Adepticon 2015: Prep, Prep, and More Prep!

Looking back through my archives, I've realized that this is the worst I've ever recorded my prep for Adepticon in the past 3 years.  That's a bit disappointing for me to be honest, as I truly enjoy recording how I do things, my progress and ultimately your feedback on how I'm doing, what I could improve, etc.

Busy is as busy does, I suppose, but still disappointing. 

Regardless, I wanted to show that progress has indeed taken place!  After Adepticon, not only will I post my usual 'Con coverage, but I will be taking some quality photos of the Infinity models I prepped for the event posting about them in groups.  How I did certain things, what worked, what didn't, lessons learned…  I'm looking forward to that, and I hope you will too!

On to the pictures!

The Road to Being a Healthier Gamer: February Update!

 Holy crap, where did the month go?  I swear I just finished writing my January update, didn't I?

Well while I figure out which incarnation of The Doctor stole my month from me, I suppose I should be thankful that somehow I still have gotten quite a bit of Adepticon prep done, as well as continued towards my ultimate goal of losing 81 pounds of Miniature Tim.  That doesn't make me sound so miniature, now does it?  Trust me, I'm Irish, I'm short.  The moniker is well-earned.

Anywho, let's see where we're at!

Being a Better Tournament Participant

So by now, everyone knows that Infinity is a thing for me.   What many of you don't know is that I also truly enjoy the tournament atmosphere of tabletop wargaming.  Yes, I love the hobby side of things, but I also have a competitive side of me that gets scratched by playing the game at tournaments.

The Dire States series of tournaments for Infinity is a great example of a community growing and gathering folks from all over the nation to get together and have a blast playing a game we all love.  Brandon, a WarCor for Infinity and an Organizer for the Rumble on Route 66 Dire States Event, wrote an amazing article on how to be a better Infinity Tournament Participant. 

All credit goes to Brandon for this folks.  It was just too good not to share.

Timelines, Deadlines and Adepticon, Oh My!

Considering we now have 4 weeks until Adepticon, I would think a topic discussing how to stay on task during a deadline would be very apropos.  Especially considering the need to do so while distractions abound.  You know, distractions like kids, trying to get healthy, a job and especially the wife.

…hmm, here's hoping she doesn't read this particular article.

Hobby Productivity means Organization!

Back in November of last year, my wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas.  I told her that I really wanted to get my hobby area organized and put together in a way that actually helped me be more productive in what little time I have to hobby.  I showed her all kinds of desk organizers from the industry, everything from acrylic shelving to the MDF organizers that are configurable. 

You know what she got me?

The Road to Being a Healthier Gamer: January Update!

The first in a monthly series of updates on this topic, January is the month that has flown by.  So much to do, so little time to do it.  Anxiety over deadlines, both freelance and Adepticon, my normal day job, and everything in between is cause for enough stress for me to have given up.  Or at least to justify to myself to "take a break" until after Adepticon.  I could always start back up after that, right?

Nope.  I've done that before, and I won't do it again.  I know what I'm like and "taking a break" for me is basically giving up.  So how are we combating that with the want for convenience and easy-mode during a stressful time?

Adepticon is WHEN?!

Have you noticed a pattern yet?  Things seem to be sneaking up on me lately.  Like 2015…and now Adepticon.  Good Lord, 8 weeks to go and I'm not ready yet.  How does this keep happening to me?

…don't answer that…

What I'd rather look at, is what makes Adepticon 2015 different than the rest.  What's changing, what's not, what I'm doing this year, and even what I'm not!

When did 2015 Start?!?!

Whoever decided that it was time to start the new year needs to be shot with a tranquilizer, severely medicated, and locked away in a room for at least a month.  I need more time to get ready for Adepticon, dangit!!

No, seriously, I need more time.  Adepticon was moved up by a month as opposed to last year, and i's going to catch up with me fast.  So while I continue to deny the fact that we are already over a week into January, why don't we revisit 2014 a little, and maybe see what's in store for 2015 when I finally decide to acknowledge it's existence.