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A Trip To Suffolk & A Tournament

By

On 28th November 2025

In Blog

This past weekend we took a trip to Suffolk to visit family, been a while since we got there, and we took the time to deliver Christmas presents and see some of my nibblings

We left early on Friday and stopped off at Warhammer World to have lunch, and I got told off for building some models in Bugman’s Bar!

We arrived in time for tea on Friday, which we then spent with my parents,

Saturday we went down to see my brothers nippers, and instead of taking them out and spending £45 at Wendy’s (which was what happened last time), we took some board games!

We played a lot of Just One, some Exploding Kittens and Taco, Goat, Cheese, Pizza.

and when we got back to my mums, one of my sisters kids was there, and we taught her Taco, Goat, Cheese, Pizza, and on Sunday morning, she and my brothers girl played a lot of that between themselves.

We meant to leave Taco, Goat, Cheese, Pizza for them, but somehow it got packed back in our bag, so a copy will get sent down before Christmas for them

It was only a short trip, but it was enjoyable, and we made our way back home at lunchtime on Sunday, getting home in time for tea!

Plus we saw my sisters dog Nessa

November Tournament

My first game was against the wonder Craig and his Space Wolves

It was a loss but his space wolves hit hard in close combat!

My second game was against Ed and his Aeldari

I live play Ed, an excellent dude and a lot of fun to play with

Alas he was injured and I was exhausted, so we both made the call to drop out of the event after our game, but it was fun and I enjoyed my day

What I Am Modelling

I started off by finishing the Astra Militarium rebasing project by rebasing the flying stand for the Valkyrie

Most of my time was spent building models, getting myself ready for the next few months of painting

I did manage to paint the Macharius tank for my Imperial Fists, although when played in game it will be manned by the Solar Auxilia!

And I managed to finish off a unit of 10 Ardboyz for my Orruk Warclans too!

So what’s coming up next?

  1. Blood Angels Landspeeders
  2. Heretic Legion Warband
  3. Tzzangors x 20
  4. Guardian Defenders x 11
  5. Lord Vigilant on Gryph-Stalker
  6. Endrinmaster with Dirigible Suit
  7. Imperial Fists Veteran Breachers with Volkite Chargers x 10
  8. Hearthkyn Warriors x 10 & Khâl x 2
  9. Windriders x 6
  10. Grey Knights Strike Squad x 5

What I Am Reading

I read the rest of the Call of Chaos collection, finishing up with Godless by David Guymer, which to be perfectly honest, was a bit pants. After that it was The Sacrifice by Graeme Lyon which was very good with a really cool twist! And finally Lord of the Cosmic Gate by Gav Thorpe, which was ok, not great, but not terrible either.

I also listened to Nagash: The Undying King by Josh Reynolds, which was fairly cool, very enjoyable and one of the better examples of early Age of Sigmar fiction.

I am now reading Dropsite Massacre by John French, so lets see how that goes

What Tabletop Games I Am Playing

I played Liam in our Combat Patrol League, and yeah I lost again, my mistake was thinking I should charge some Black Templars!!!

What Video Games I Am Playing

Very little, but I have spent some time dialing in the Logitech G920 I have and did a bit of playing around with Forza Motorsport

I did manage to get a session of streaming some Assassin’s Creed Syndicate – Jack the Ripper

What Achievements I Have Unlocked

Forza Motorsport

Technique

Score a 9 or better on any Track Segment		23/11/202515G
Built Not Bought

Completed 1 Series in Career Mode		23/11/202510G
It’s not the car…

Finished in top three of a series with a stock car in Builders Cup		23/11/202530G

Hell Let Loose

Excellent Choice, Sir

Drop 5000 Supplies		27/11/2025

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

The new terror of Whitechapel

Unlock 50% of the skills		28/11/202525G

What I Am Backing

My first crowdfunding project for a while is the project for Danger Mouse: The Official Console Game (although I have backed for a Steam Code)

What I Am Spending

During my time at Warhammer World, I purchased a Master of Executions for the World Eaters Combat Patrol, as well as a pot of Screaming Skull and some flying bases for Legions Imperialis.

I also picked up Peak on Steam as well as it was on sale and Chris says noting but good things about it.

Also picked up Far Cry 4 Gold as it was very cheap on Steam

And I added some DLC for driving

An Upgrade To The A1

By

On 9th November 2025

In Blog

With it being the Black Friday sale on Bambu Labs, Megan and Lindsay decided to pay for an upgrade to the printer with an AMS Lite.

The AMS Lite is a system that allows the A1 to print with up to 4 different reels of filament, so this can be either the same filament so you don’t need to reload when you run out, or four different colours for multi-colour printing.

Given the space constraints, we opted to mount it above the printer, which meant I had to first print the materials for that. I do find it cool that instead of selling you the top mount with moulded plastics, they just sell you the screws and give you the STL to print it yourself, we opted for white to match the printers overall look

The AMS arrived on Thursday, we also ordered a cool plate for better adhesion when printing PLA, which is the material we most commonly print with, and a stick of glue to give that a try.

But alas that package was delayed until Friday, one of the few times DPD has delivered a parcel later than promised to us.

So we set it up temporarily next to the printer

The Cool Plate and glue are pretty decent, so that should help with some adhesion issues we occasionally have

Paul took advantage of our order and got a new hot end and a textured plate in the order to save on postage costs for him

My first real test of the AMS was something for the Christmas box that I cannot show off, yet

The screws eventually arrived

So we were able to get the AMS top mounted at last and the machine now looks the part

Also printed off a few other upgrades for it as well

What I Am Modelling

I started out by painting a Command Section for the Solar Auxilia, which as per usual contains an extra Legate Marshall

Then I painted Terminator Librarian of the Grey Knights for Combat Patrol

And some Brotherhood Terminators to accompany him

And I followed that up squad of Death Korps of Krieg Lascannon Heavy Weapons Teams

After that I painted up a squad of Eradicators to add to the Dark Angels

I then did some work on some more members of the Red Brigade

Starting with the most important unit of the army, a Trench Dog

Followed by a couple of models I will be using as Lieutenants

Then a Shocktrooper

And a Combat Medic

A Sniper Priest

And Sniper Prioress

And finally three Yeomen

And finally for now, I rebased my Tempestus Scions to merge together my two Astra Militarium armies

Until now I have had a Krieg force and a Scions force both with a different basing scheme, but now I have merged the armies together and the Scions basing has been changed to match the Krieg

So what’s up next!

  1. Blood Angels Landspeeders
  2. Heretic Legion Warband
  3. Imperial Fists Macharius
  4. Ardboyz x 10
  5. Tzzangors x 20
  6. Guardian Defenders x 10
  7. Lord Vigilant on Gryph-Stalker
  8. Endrinmaster with Dirigible Suit
  9. Imperial Fists Veteran Breachers x 10
  10. Hearthkyn Warriors x 10

What I Am Reading

I finished Death or Glory by Sandy Mitchell which was incredible and then I listened to Duty Calls as an immediate follow up which is also incredible

After that I listened to Night Thoughts by Edward Young, which was very creepy

I also read Gorechosen by Andy Clark and The Eighth Victory by Grahame Lyon both of which were great little reads

What I Am Cooking

I am cooking Christmas dinner this year, but alas the family are uncertain as to my proposed menu

So we had to trot up to my sisters in law to prepare the dishes for people to try on a Sunday dinner

I am making garlic roast potatoes (been asked to change these to bigger potatoes from my preferred new potatoes), spiced roast carrot, parsnip, onion and leeks, honey glazed red cabbage (normally I would add sultanas but the family hate them, to be fair so do I), and buttered sprouts with chestnuts and almonds

Thankfully it all went down a treat, although I am being strong-armed into serving broccoli and Yorkshire Puddings !

What I Am Spending

I picked up this pot of Vallejo Thick Mud European Mud to try and replace Stirland Battlemire/Mud, it’s not a great match.

But with a coat of Brigadene Brown it will pass

Will still need Stirland Mud for tank treads however for the Astra Militarium

I managed to get hold of a copy of issue 60 of Combat Patrol for some

And to add to my video games library, I bought a Humble Bundle to aid the Trevor Project that got me Life is Strange Remastered and Life is Strange: Before the Storm Remastered

I also bought What Remains of Edith Finch, cause it’s a great little game!

It was Humble Choice this week and that got me

Must Do More

By

On 29th October 2025

In Blog

I have gotten back on track, but I do need to do more with my life!

The photo of Cassius is just cause I wasn’t sure what to use here and he is a very handsome boy!

I have been asked to do some more Combat Patrol Battle Reports, so perhaps that is on the table!

But that is about it this week, oh and needing to do more does include housework!

What I Am Modelling

I started off painting a Ratling which was Octobers mini of the month!

I followed that up with these Firestrike Servo Turrets for my Dark Angels, both armed with Lastalons

Then I painted these Krieg Heavy Weapons Teams with Autocannons (though in game they will count as Cadian Heavy Weapons Teams)

And then I painted up this Dracosan

And an Arvus Lighter to go along with it!

So what’s up next?

  1. Blood Angels Landspeeders
  2. Red Brigade Warband
  3. Grey Knights Terminator Librarian & Brotherhood Terminators x 5
  4. Heretic Legion Warband
  5. Imperial Fiats Macharius
  6. Dark Angels Eradicators x 3
  7. Ardboyz x 10
  8. Tzzangors x 20
  9. Guardian Defenders x 10
  10. Lord Vigilant on Gryph-Stalker

What I am Reading

I finished Manflayer by Josh Reynolds which was quite good, but I get the feeling that he had more places to go with the series, shame he no longer works with Black Library.

I read The Prodigal by David Annadale, which was short sweet and very bloody!

Then I read A Song for the Lost by Robbie MacNiven which was very good, it was a really interesting approach to take.

I am now listening to Death or Glory by Sandy Mitchell, which is as I remembered very good so far!

What Tabletop Games I Am Playing

I played Dale in our Combat Patrol league game, of course he beat me, he is one of the best players I have ever encountered in the game

Last Sunday I played a couple of games with Megan, first up Pandemic: Hot Zone – North America, which was a game that went very well as we got it sorted pretty simply and won

Then we played Ticket to Ride: Berlin, and I beat Megan in that game!

What Video Games I Am Playing

Not much this week, a bit of Ticket to Ride and I have started a Baldur’s Gate III campaign with Chris & Graham

What Achievements I Have Unlocked

Ticket to Ride (Steam)

Exclusive Loop

Win on the India map while stopping all opponents from scoring a Mandala bonus		28/10/2025
Mandala Apprentice

Form your first Mandala		28/10/2025
Mandala Maharaja

Win on the India map while earning a 40 point Mandala bonus		28/10/2025
Coastal Circle

Form a Mandala that uses at least two ferry routes		28/10/2025

What I Am Creating

I tested out my hobby desk streaming setup with a stream in which I built a StuG III for Bolt Action Ausf. G

What I Am Spending

Saved some money for Warhammer Day so that I could get that fancy leather dice pouch, and bought myself the Legions Imperialis Starter Set

I also picked up Battle Sister on Steam given that it was under £5 on sale

Masks!

By

On 22nd October 2025

In Blog

Two of my nephews begged me for some masks for Halloween, so I put the 3D printer to work and got them done

One asked for a Deadpool mask, which was the first I printed and easiest to do

The other asked for Mr Knight from Moon Knight which was a bit of a bugger to print!

They are now in the post and on the way to Suffolk in time for Halloween, and hopefully I will get some nice photos next week.

What I Am Modelling

I started off with a bit of terrain I printed for the new table I am keeping at home

I finally got the Tempestus Aquilions painted up, love these models and annoyed it took so long to get them ready for the tabletop!

I began a project to rebase my current Astra Militarium army and merge them with the Death Korps of Krieg, by rebasing these three commissars.

Which also allowed me to get them on the new correct base size for them which is the 28.5mm bases

And some Engineers for the Death Korps of Krieg

They are the first models I have painted from the launch box, got a lot of Death Riders to go!

Plus Unbroken from my Warhammer+ Subscription at last!

And I painted Hells Last too

And speaking of Minka Lesk, I also rebased her two other models, representing her as a Sgt and as a Lieutenant

So whats up next?

  1. Blood Angels Land Speeders
  2. Red Brigade Warband
  3. Dark Angels Firestorm Servo Turrets x 2
  4. Veletaris x 10 & Dracosan
  5. Grey Knights Terminator Librarian & Brotherhood Terminators x 5
  6. Heretic Legion Warband
  7. Imperial Fists Macharius
  8. Dark Angel Erradicators x 3
  9. Ardboyz x 10
  10. Tzzangors x 20

What Tabletop Games I Am Playing

I played George in the Combat Patrol League and lost 86-13!

On Thursday at Hartlepool gamers I played Dean and his Thousand Sons with the same Ultramarines list and 

 XIII - Ultramarines - 3k FB Fellblade - [3000 Point(s)

# ++ Crusade Primary Detachment ++ [1305 Point(s)]

Praetor [150 Point(s)]: Archeotech pistol, Paragon blade, One Apex Detachment

Centurion [125 Point(s)]: Power maul, Combi-melta, Frag grenades, Krak grenades, Melta bombs, Cyber-familiar, Vexilla
Centurion [100 Point(s)]: Disintegrator pistol, Power sword, Frag grenades, Krak grenades, Melta bombs, Prime Unit (Logistical Benefit (LB - War-engine))
Vigilator [95 Point(s)]: Nemesis rifle, Bolt pistol, Frag grenades, Krak grenades

Deredeo Dreadnought [215 Point(s)]: Arachnus heavy lascannon battery, Aiolos missile launcher, Twin heavy bolter

Assault Squad [170 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Sergeant [10 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Chainsword, Melta bombs
• 2x Legionary [22 Point(s)]: Power axe, Bolt pistol
• 7x Legionary [12 Point(s)]: Chainsword, Bolt pistol
Tactical Squad [125 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Sergeant [5 Point(s)]: Chainsword, Plasma pistol
• 1x Legionary [20 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter, Nuncio-vox
• 1x Legionary [20 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter, Vexilla
• 7x Legionary [10 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter
Tactical Squad [130 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Sergeant [10 Point(s)]: Lightning claw, Bolt pistol
• 1x Legionary [20 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter, Nuncio-vox
• 1x Legionary [20 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter, Vexilla
• 7x Legionary [10 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter

Rhino [65 Point(s)]: Pintle Mounted bolter, Pintle Mounted Combi-bolter
Rhino [65 Point(s)]: Pintle Mounted bolter, Pintle Mounted Combi-bolter
Rhino [65 Point(s)]: Pintle Mounted bolter, Pintle Mounted Combi-bolter

# ++ Auxiliary - Tactical Support ++ [330 Point(s), 1 Auxiliary Detachment(s)]

Heavy Support Squad [210 Point(s)]: Autocannon, Bolt pistol, Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Sergeant
• 6x Legionary [10 Point(s)]
Rapier Battery [120 Point(s)]: 3x Rapier Crew
• 2x Legionary: Bolter, Bolt pistol, Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Rapier Carrier (Gravis heavy bolter battery)

# ++ Auxiliary - First Strike ++ [160 Point(s), 1 Auxiliary Detachment(s)]

Javelin Speeder Squadron [160 Point(s)]:
• 2x Javelin Speeder [80 Point(s)]: Heavy bolter, Two lascannon

# ++ Apex - Army Vanguard ++ [545 Point(s), 1 Apex Detachment(s)]

Invictus Suzerain Squad [175 Point(s)]:
• 5x Suzerain [30 Point(s)]: Legatine axe, Bolt pistol, Argyrum pattern boarding shield, Frag grenades, Krak grenades
Seeker Squad [105 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Seeker Sergeant: Bolt pistol, Kraken bolter
• 4x Seeker [18 Point(s)]: Kraken bolter
  Prime Unit (Logistical Benefit (LB - War-engine))

Leviathan Dreadnought [265 Point(s)]: Grav-flux bombard, Leviathan storm cannon, 2 Heavy flamers, Phosphex discharger

# ++ Lord of War Detachment ++ [660 Point(s)]

Fellblade Super-Heavy Battle Tank [660 Point(s)]: Hull (Front) Mounted Twin heavy bolter, Two Sponson Mounted lascannon arrays, Pintle Mounted heavy bolter
• 1x Fellblade Super-Heavy Tank: Fellblade accelerator cannon, Hull (Front) Mounted Demolisher cannon

I did alright, to be honest the score doesn’t reflect how I did, I mean I lost, but I killed a lot of stuff!

And yesterday, I took thr same list to face Graham at Durham Raiders!

Of course I lost, but it wasn’t all that bad, the Fellblade got messed up with a status, and his high damage output stuff just got it killed

Next time I really need to take a Techmarine to get a status off my Fellblade!

What I Am Reading

I finished Of Honour and Iron by Ian St. Martin, which was ok, but you can tell it was very very early Primaris lore and now is very much out of kilter with the current lore, but worth a listen

I read The Last Gift by Josh Reynolds, which was ok, not the best, but quite enjoyable, and I followed that with Black Iron by Graeme Lyon which was extremely good, with a brilliant ending,

Currently listening to Manflayer by Josh Reynolds, and so far that is pretty canny, just as good as the prior books, I am currently 17% through it.

What Video Games I Am Playing

Still playing Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, and now I am on the Jack the Ripper DLC

I have been playing some more Ticket to Ride, and if I am honest, its not as good as the previous version, and lacks that ones killer soundtrack, and the controls are trash on Steam Deck, but I guess this is the game now

Also started playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider!

What Achievements Have I Unlocked

Ticket to Ride (Steam)

Lucky draw

On the North America map, keep all 3 starting tickets and complete them all		18/10/2025
The scenic route

Win a game without claiming any 6 length routes		19/10/2025
Ticket agent

Complete 25 tickets		19/10/2025
Gandy Dancer

Play 10 games		20/10/2025
Out of the station

Win against 4 Easy bots in one game		20/10/2025
Down the track

Win against 4 Normal bots in one game		21/10/2025
First come, first served

Win a game without drawing any extra tickets		21/10/2025

Hell Let Loose (Steam)

Medal of Honor

As US kill a total of 2000 enemies.		19/10/2025
Master Sergeant

Reach Career Level 70		19/10/2025

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Steam)

Path of the Stars

Decipher the Path of the Stars		21/10/2025

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (Xbox)

Put the fear of you into them

Scare an enemy and make him kill someone else by mistake		21/10/202525G
Keep calm and carry on

Kill a Brute while he calms down his panicked allies		21/10/202530G
Brutal

Perform 30 complete Brutal Takedowns		21/10/202530G

What I Am Creating

We published a new episode of Edge of Empire!

What I Am Spending

I grabbed the new Death Korps of Krieg Combat Patrol and the Chapter Approved Mission Deck from Games-At-Hart

Plus another Death Korps of Krieg Heavy Weapons Squad

In terms of video games, I bought Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, mostly for Lindsay, but I want to play it at some point!

Plus I got the remaining Dungeons and Dragons classics

I also got Geometric Sniper – Blood in Paris, Distrust and Blue Estate in a mystery bundle, and I got the Heart of Africa Map for Ticket to Ride!

Think I Am Getting There

By

On 14th October 2025

In Blog

So my efforts to get my life back on track and things back to a semblance of normality are working.

Other than my sleeping pattern which is as atrocious as ever, but that is a whole other matter.

Generally speaking, I think things are slowly improving and I have to just keep plodding away at fixing my life!

What I Am Modellimg

I finished up Myari’s Purifiers, but they were a bit of a slog, but they are done!

And with it, that’s all my Underworlds Warbands painted, kinda gave up after this wave because the prices got too high for the starter sets and haven’t gone back.

I also painted a Mortificator for the Ultramarines, to help manage the heroes of the Legion confined to the chassis of a Dreadnought

So what’s up next on the painting table?

  1. Blood Angels Land Speeders
  2. Tempestus Aqulions x 11
  3. Red Brigade Warband
  4. Death Korps of Krieg Engineers x 6
  5. Dark Angels Firestrike Servo Turrets x 2
  6. Veletaris x 10 & Dracosan
  7. Grey Knights Librarian & Brotherhood Terminators x 5
  8. Heretic Legion Warband
  9. Imperial Fists Macharius
  10. Dark Angels Eradicators x 3

What I Am Reading

Started listening to Of Honour and Iron by Ian St. Martin. you can tell its early days of Primaris lore, but its going ok.

I read Gift of the Gods by Ben Counter, which I was a bit disappointed in if I am honest, not great.

I also read The Gift of Khorne by Guy Haley which was very short but very good

I then read Jackalwolf by C Z Dunn which made me laugh out loud, it was very funny!

I then read Daemon of the Deep by Rob Sanders which was very creepy and just right for a Nurgle story

And finally I read Siegemaster by Chris Wraight which was very interesting!

What Video Games I Am Playing

I finished Cyberpunk 2077 and played through all the endings, but for one achievement I need to go to a much earlier save and make a different decision, which I will probably do in the new year.

Still streaming Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, I have now finished the main story, still have the Victoria memories to do, and Jack the Ripper, but yeah, its great, apart from the Duleep Singh DLC which was buggy, glitchy and god awful!

Fired up the new Ticket to Ride game, but it’s not got great controls on Steam Deck, so that’s a desktop only game!

What Achievements I Have Unlocked

Cyberpunk 2077 (Steam)

To Bad Decisions!

Complete Kerry Eurodyne’s storyline		07/10/2025
Ten out of Ten

Reach the max level in any skill		08/10/2025
The World

Complete the main storyline		08/10/2025
The Star

Leave Night City with the Aldecaldos		08/10/2025
Temperance

Let Johnny Silverhand keep your body		08/10/2025
The Sun

Become a legend of the Afterlife		08/10/2025
The Tower

Complete “Things Done Changed”		09/10/2025

Ticket to Ride (Steam)

Maiden Voyage

Complete your first game
11/10/2025
No Cancellations

Win a game without any uncompleted tickets		11/10/2025
Trainbow

Win a game using each colour train at least once		11/10/2025

Assassins Creed Syndicate (Xbox)

Cerevisaphile

Sample every beer brand in London		09/10/202510G
Language of Flowers

Collect all of the Pressed Flowers		09/10/202520G
Student of History

Collect all of the Historical Posters		09/10/202520G
A Quarter-Furlong at a Time

Finish first in 3 different Street Races		09/10/202520G
A Run on the Bank

Complete Memory Sequence 6		09/10/202520G
You Wouldn’t Steal a Policeman’s Helmet

Hijack twenty police vehicles		09/10/202515G
A Life in Letters

Collect all of the Royal Letters.
10/10/202520G
Guardian Angel

Successfully escort ten friendly cargo shipments		10/10/202520G
Godlike

Unlock all of the Secrets of London		10/10/202530G
Multitalented

Acquire ten Perks		10/10/202510G
Opium Scourge

Affect at least four enemies simultaneously with the Hallucinogenic Dart.
14/10/202515G
Look Out Below

Kill three enemies with a single stack of hanging barrels		14/10/202515G
All Is Fair in Politics

Complete Memory Sequence 7		14/10/202520G
The Joys of Freedom

Complete Memory Sequence 8		14/10/202520G
Shall We Dance?

Complete Memory Sequence 9		14/10/202550G

What I Am Creating

Just About Tabletop Standard is now done with the publication of the Alpha Legion video!

What I Am Spending

We expanded our server storage space with a 16TB drive, the biggest one we have added, up until now the most we have added is a 6TB drive, so this is a big addition

It’s Humble Choice week, so that got me

My Birthday

By

On 7th October 2025

In Blog

Twas my birthday this past weekend, and we had a quietish one!

On Saturday we went to Newcastle and I was able to hang out with some of my nephews and share a hot chocolate with them, whilst also popping into Warhammer for a bit of paint and for Lindsay to buy me a present, plus got the model of the month!

Sunday, we went to Megans parents, had a lovely beef dinner and some jam rolly polly!

My presents were nice, and I had a really nice weekend.

What I Am Modelling

This Captain was pulled out of a DOOMBOX and got painted up for the Blood Ravens, was a limited edition Captain, and had to be rebased onto a 32mm base as he was on a 25mm one

I printed out this Mortificator for the Word Bearers, and painted him up, to give myself a dude to prod around the dreadnoughts

And a Tactical Squad of Ultramarines I have had sitting in my pile of shame for well over a decade, they probably don’t have much of a life left in 40K, but hey, at least they got painted!

They came out of the DOOMBox and were also on 25mm bases and needed putting onto 32mm ones

Also coming out of the DOOMBox was Cypher, Lord of the Fallen

What’s next in the painting plan?

  1. Blood Angels Land Speeders
  2. Myari’s Purifiers
  3. Tempestus Aquilons x 11
  4. Red Brigade Warband
  5. Death Korps of Krieg Engineers x 6
  6. Dark Angels Firestrike Servo Turrets x 2
  7. Veletaris Section x 10
  8. Grey Knights Librarian and Brotherhood Terminators x 5
  9. Dracosan
  10. Heretic Legion Warband

What Tabletop Games I am Playing

Played my next Combat Patrol League game against Dave and his Arldari, and yeah that was a big loss because the Eldar move very quickly and my dice rolls were terrible

What Video Games I Am Playing

Still deep into Cyberpunk 2077 and I have now put in 84 hours and other than finishing the end of Kerry Eurodynes story, I am about to go to the point of no return!

Also still streaming Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

What Achievement’s I Have Unlocked

Continuing on with this little experiment, which I am finding rather interesting

Cyberpunk 2077 (Steam)

Judgement Day

Eliminate three bosses from the “Increased criminal activity” category		29/09/2025
The High Priestess

Talk with Hanako Arasaka		30/09/2025
Spin Doctor

Complete “Run This Town”		30/09/2025
Dirty Deeds

Complete every Gig in Dogtown		01/10/2025
Breathtaking

Collect all items that once belonged to Johnny Silverhand.		02/10/2025
King of Wands

Take Songbird to the stars		04/10/2025
King of Wands

Take Songbird home		04/10/2025
Bushido and Chill

Watch Bushido X with Rogue		06/10/2025
The APB is Not Enough

Become Dogtown’s most wanted criminal		06/10/2025

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (Xbox)

The Perils of Business

Complete Memory Sequence 5		30/09/202520G
Bartitsu

Learn every Fight Skill as Jacob		30/09/202520G
Phantom

Learn every Stealth Skill as Evie		30/09/202520G
Treasure Hunter

Complete ten Raids of any type with Jacob or Evie		01/10/202520G
Keys to the City

Acquire all of the Gang Upgrades		03/10/202520G
Wonder of the Age

Reach Level 10		03/10/202520G
Artisan

Craft a Level 10 Item		03/10/202520G
Street Sweeping

Conquer all the boroughs in London		03/10/202530G
Bedfellows, Strange or Otherwise

Reach maximum Loyalty with any Associate.
03/10/202520G
A Broad Base

Reach Loyalty level 1 with all Associates		04/10/202520G
Chimney Sweep

Synchronize every Viewpoint in London		04/10/202520G
The War at Home

Complete the World War I simulation		06/10/202530G
Blade from Above

Air Assassinate twenty enemies from a zipline		06/10/202515G
Furious

Destroy twenty vehicles by ramming them		06/10/202515G

What I Am Reading

I read By The Horns by Rob Sanders, which really captures the fickle nature of the Chaos Gods and the status of the Dark Prince in the early days of AoS

I am listened to The Traitors Hand by Sandy Mitchell in my quest to do the Cain stores again, and that was as good as I remembered!

What I Am Creating

We published the Raven Guard Painting Video

What I Am Spending

I grabbed issue 56 of Combat Patrol, which completed me a set of Leagues of Votann Hearthkyn Pioneers

In the Steam sale, we bought

Returning to Streaming

By

On 28th September 2025

In Blog

I have started streaming on the regular again, and I want to keep it up

I have been playing Assassin’s Creed Syndicate which is so far a lot of fun, the two characters are fairly different to each other

Took me a little while to get the setup back and working, but I think we are getting there with it

Had a bit of an issue where despite me telling it to record the streams at 1440p it was insisting on doing them at 720p, but that’s all sorted now thankfully, and they are being recorded in AV1 too thanks to the fantastic encoder in the 9070XT

I am gonna try and keep at it, I don’t want to be a famous streamer or make money from this, it just helps me do something that feels sort of productive!

I really should get a schedule together at some point, but I will discuss that with Lindsay and Megan at some point

Right now I am still dragging my life back together after a terrible summer, so lets get back into a decent situation first eh.

What I Am Modelling

I painted up this Ultramarines Praetor in Saturnine Armour

I spent a good chunk of the week working on Stormcast Eternals

I finished off two units of the new Liberators

But in all honesty, Thunderstrike Armour just isn’t as cool as Bastion Armour, it just lacks the presence for me

Ah well, it is what it is right

I also painted up two units of Stormdrake Guard

I am really trying to find some joy in Agr of Sigmar again, I will try and get my Stormcast out of storage and see what’s usable and what’s not, I probably do have a decent amount of Thunderstrike stuff that can be used, and some of my older Liberators can be proxied

So what’s coming up next for my painting table?

  1. Blood Angels Land Speeders
  2. Ultramarines Tactical Squad
  3. Myari’s Purifiers
  4. Tempestus Aqulions x 12
  5. Red Brigade Warband
  6. Death Korps of Krieg Engineers x 5
  7. Dark Angels Fire Strike Servo Turrets x 2
  8. Veletaris x 2
  9. Grey Knights Librarian & Brotherhood Terminator Squad x 5
  10. Dracosan

What I Am Reading

Since last I posted, I have read Final Deployment by R.S Wilt, which was an amazing book with the Tempestus Scions, my favourite 40k army!

I then listened to Other Lives by Gary Hopkins and Pier Pressure by Robert Ross as part of the Doctor Who Monthly Adventures, and to be honest they were both kind of middling!

And finally I read In Wolves’ Clothing by Ian St Martin, which was pretty good, interesting concept in that one.

What Tabletop Games I Am Playing

We played some DnD with CJ this past Saturday, I knew what was coming up cause Megan, our DM had me print the minis for the baddies, I wanted to tell Lindsay and CJ not to waste their Holy Water on the mummified cats and save it for later, but alas I didn’t

I am enjoying RPGs with this group and for a Christmas treat am tempted to ask them if I can run a one shot of something like Cyberpunk Red, WFRP or Soulbound perhaps

What Video Games I Am Playing

Playing a bit of Hell Let Loose still, me, Chris and Graham have a great time playing that as a tank crew, but only playing the good guys is certainly a disadvantage cause the Tiger is a bugger to kill!

Also getting my way through Cyberpunk and have so far completed all the gigs and scanner hustles and trying to deal with the side stories before I go and tackle the main missions

My character is maxed out, so hopefully that makes the main missions a bit easier!

Quite obviously I have been playing some Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

What Achievement’s Have I Unlocked

Trying something new here

Cyberpunk 2077 (Steam)


I Am The Law

Complete all Cyberpsycho Sightings		19/09/2025
City Lights

Complete all gigs and NCPD Scanner Hustles in City Center		22/09/2025
Greetings from Pacifica!

Complete all gigs and NCPD Scanner Hustles in Pacifica		23/09/2025
It’s Elementary

Complete all gigs and NCPD Scanner Hustles in Watson		23/09/2025
Autojock

Buy all vehicles available for purchase		23/09/2025
Mean Streets

Complete all gigs and NCPD Scanner Hustles in Heywood		24/09/2025
The Jungle

Complete all gigs and NCPD Scanner Hustles in Santo Domingo		24/09/2025
The Wasteland

Complete all gigs and NCPD Scanner Hustles in the Badlands		24/09/2025
To Protect and Serve

Complete River Ward’s storyline		24/09/2025
Little Tokyo

Complete all gigs and NCPD Scanner Hustles in Westbrook		25/09/2025
Life of the Road

Complete Panam Palmer’s storyline		25/09/2025
Judy vs Night City

Complete Judy Alvarez’s storyline.		28/09/2025
Two Heads, One Bullet

Kill or incapacitate 2 enemies with the same sniper rifle shot.		28/09/2025

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (Xbox)

A Spanner in the Works

Complete Memory Sequence 1		13/09/202520G
A Simple Plan

Complete Memory Sequence 2		13/09/202520G
A Modern Babylon

Complete Memory Sequence 3		14/09/202520G
Blade in the Crowd

Assassinate fifty enemies		14/09/202515G
Queensbury Rules

Reach combo level 40		23/09/202515G
Unqualified Success

Complete three Templar Hunts and their challenges		23/09/202520G
Thieftaker

Bring three Bounty targets back alive		23/09/202520G
Flawless Conqueror

Secure three Gang Strongholds and complete their optional constraints		23/09/202520G
Children’s Aid Society

Complete five Child Liberation memories		23/09/202520G
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU

Flip five vehicles by shooting their horses		25/09/202515G
A Quick and Reliable Remedy

Complete Memory Sequence 4		25/09/202520G
Friends at My Back

Recruit a gang of 5 allies.		26/09/202520G
Ordinary Criminal

Complete twenty Crowd Events		26/09/202515G
Bare-Knuckle Champion

Win three different Fight Clubs		28/09/202520G

What I Am Creating

I published the next two Just About Tabletop Standard Videos, those being Word Bearers and Salamanders

What I Am Spending

I bought a Filament Drier for the house, I have been having some issues with certain filaments, so hopefully this will help

Went for the Sunlu S2, just because it’s got a few more decent niceties compared to the S1

Two of my nibblings have demanded masks for Halloween, so I ordered some filament to print those

I also bought some more resin, cause yeah I use a lot of that!

And a new charger for my Steam Deck for beside my bed in Lindsay’s room

And I was able to grab issue 54 of Combat Patrol too

And issue 55 too

In terms of video games, I treated myself to

Getting Myself Back On Track

By

On 13th September 2025

In Blog

After a difficult summer, I am starting to get myself back on track, still need to work out a weeks schedule, but I am getting there

The studio is much tidier, I have reinstalled Windows to deal with my glitch gremlins, I am painting more, I am playing more video games, and working on my mental health more.

We have made some good investments in the houses infrastructure, replacing the homelab, getting new hoovers, and an FDM 3D printer, still have a few more things to pay for/pay off but we are getting there.

My next thing to tackle is getting on with some more physical exercise, but lets see how next week goes.

What I am Modelling

I turned my attention to the Blood Angels to get a bunch of them finished off so I can have the Combat Patrol ready to go,

I painted up the Intercessors from the Combat Patrol

Along with the Incursors, which got the patrol finished up!

Followed by a Captain in Terminator Armour

And a Chaplain on a Bike

And finally for this week, a Librarian I printed up for the Ultramarines

So whats next?

  1. Blood Angels Land Speeders
  2. Stormdrake Guard x 4
  3. Ultramarines Tactical Squad x 10
  4. Myari’s Purifiers
  5. Tempestus Aquilions x 11
  6. Red Brigade Warband
  7. Death Korps of Krieg Engineers x 6
  8. Dark Angels Firestrike Servo Turrets x 2
  9. Veletaris x 10
  10. Liberators x 10

What I Am Reading

I read Blood and Iron by Robbie MacNiven, which was flipping brilliant!

After that I read Divine Will by Andy Smillie which was short but sweet.

Then I read The Unending Storm by Nick Kyme which I was far less impressed with, you could really tell it was very early AoS fiction

What Tabletop Games I Am Playing

Had a great into game of Heresy with Ed on Friday, an incredible amount of fun was had, and there was much Chaos!

What Video Games I Am Playing

Making my way through Cyberpunk 2077, mostly working on gigs and side jobs to level up!

And I have started with a streaming playthrough of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

What I Am Creating

I got back to the Just About Tabletop Standard series and finished published the video for the Sons of Horus

What I Am Backing

I have backed the Assassin’s Creed Animus board game on Kickstarter, because, well its Assassin’s Creed, and I love that IP

What I Am Buying

I grabbed issue 53 of Combat Patrol!

I bought Legendary on Steam, because it was 59p!

I also bought Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Watch_Dogs 2 on Steam as well whilst they were on sale

First Blood

By

On 6th September 2025

In Blog

On Sunday, I ran the First Blood event at Durham Raiders

We wanted to have the hall available so people could come along and play some games of 3rd edition Heresy to get their head around the rules and figure out the game with all the changes

I took Ultramarines and had these two lists ready, this one for 2000 points

# ++ Crusade Primary Detachment ++ [970 Point(s)]

## High Command [135 Point(s)]

Praetor [135 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol (default), Paragon blade, One Apex Detachment

## Command [285 Point(s)]

Centurion [95 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol (default), Power fist, Frag grenades, Krak grenades

Centurion [95 Point(s)]: Disintegrator pistol, Power sword, Frag grenades, Krak grenades

Vigilator [95 Point(s)]: Nemesis rifle, Bolt pistol, Frag grenades, Krak grenades, Prime Unit (Paragon of Battle)

## War-engine [175 Point(s)]

Contemptor Dreadnought [175 Point(s)]: Gravis power fist with in-built ranged weapon, Gravis plasma cannon, Plasma blaster

## Troops [255 Point(s)]

Tactical Squad [125 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Sergeant [5 Point(s)]: Chainsword, Plasma pistol
• 1x Legionary [20 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter, Nuncio-vox
• 1x Legionary [20 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter, Vexilla
• 7x Legionary [10 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter
  Prime Unit (Logistical Benefit (LB - War-engine))

Tactical Squad [130 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Sergeant [10 Point(s)]: Lightning claw, Bolt pistol
• 1x Legionary [20 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter, Nuncio-vox
• 1x Legionary [20 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter, Vexilla
• 7x Legionary [10 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter

## Transport [120 Point(s)]

Rhino [60 Point(s)]: Pintle Mounted bolter, Pintle Mounted Bolter

Rhino [60 Point(s)]: Pintle Mounted bolter, Pintle Mounted Bolter

# ++ Auxiliary - Tactical Support ++ [270 Point(s), 1 Auxilary Detachment(s)]

## Support [270 Point(s)]

Heavy Support Squad [150 Point(s)]: Autocannon, Bolt pistol, Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Sergeant
• 4x Legionary [10 Point(s)]

Rapier Battery [120 Point(s)]: 3x Rapier Crew
• 2x Legionary: Bolter, Bolt pistol, Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Rapier Carrier (Gravis heavy bolter battery)

# ++ Auxiliary - Combat Pioneer ++ [220 Point(s), 1 Auxilary Detachment(s)]

## Recon [220 Point(s)]
Land Raider Explorator [220 Point(s)]: Two Sponson Mounted Twin lascannon, Dozer blade

# ++ Auxiliary - First Strike ++ [150 Point(s), 1 Auxilary Detachment(s)]

## Fast Attack [150 Point(s)]

Javelin Speeder Squadron [150 Point(s)]:
• 2x Javelin Speeder [75 Point(s)]: Heavy bolter, Cyclone missile launcher

# ++ Apex - Army Vanguard ++ [123 Point(s), 1 Apex Detachment(s)]

## Elites [123 Point(s)]

Seeker Squad [123 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Seeker Sergeant: Bolt pistol, Kraken bolter
• 5x Seeker [18 Point(s)]: Kraken bolter
  Prime Unit (Combat Veterans)

# ++ Auxiliary - Recon Demi-Company ++ [235 Point(s), 1 Auxilary Detachment(s)]

## Recon - Reconnaissance Squad Only [135 Point(s)]

Reconnaissance Squad [135 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Recon Sergeant [5 Point(s)]: Nemesis bolter, Bolt pistol
• 4x Recon Legionary [22 Point(s)]: Nemesis bolter, Bolt pistol
  Prime Unit (Combat Veterans)

## Fast Attack [100 Point(s)]

Scimitar Jetbike Squadron [100 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Scimitar Sergeant: Chainsword, Bolt pistol, Heavy bolter
• 1x Scimitar Hunter [30 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Heavy bolter
• 1x Scimitar Hunter [35 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Volkite culverin

For 3000 points I had this list

# ++ Crusade Primary Detachment ++ [985 Point(s)]

## High Command [135 Point(s)]
Praetor [135 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol (default), Paragon blade, One Apex Detachment

## Command [300 Point(s)]

Centurion [110 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol (default), Combi-melta, Frag grenades, Krak grenades, Cyber-familiar, Vexilla

Centurion [95 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol (default), Power fist, Frag grenades, Krak grenades

Vigilator [95 Point(s)]: Nemesis rifle, Bolt pistol, Frag grenades, Krak grenades, Prime Unit (Paragon of Battle)

## War-engine [175 Point(s)]

Contemptor Dreadnought [175 Point(s)]: Gravis power fist with in-built ranged weapon, Gravis plasma cannon, Plasma blaster

## Troops [255 Point(s)]

Tactical Squad [125 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Sergeant [5 Point(s)]: Chainsword, Plasma pistol
• 1x Legionary [20 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter, Nuncio-vox
• 1x Legionary [20 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter, Vexilla
• 7x Legionary [10 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter
  Prime Unit (Logistical Benefit (LB - War-engine))

Tactical Squad [130 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Sergeant [10 Point(s)]: Lightning claw, Bolt pistol
• 1x Legionary [20 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter, Nuncio-vox
• 1x Legionary [20 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter, Vexilla
• 7x Legionary [10 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Bolter

## Transport [120 Point(s)]

Rhino [60 Point(s)]: Pintle Mounted bolter, Pintle Mounted Bolter

Rhino [60 Point(s)]: Pintle Mounted bolter, Pintle Mounted Bolter

# ++ Auxiliary - Tactical Support ++ [600 Point(s), 1 Auxilary Detachment(s)]

## Troops [180 Point(s)]

Breacher Squad [180 Point(s)]: Boarding shield, Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Sergeant: Bolt pistol, Bolter
• 1x Legionary [22 Point(s)]: Bolter, Bolt pistol, Nuncio-vox
• 1x Legionary [22 Point(s)]: Bolter, Bolt pistol, Vexilla
• 2x Legionary [22 Point(s)]: Graviton gun, Bolt pistol
• 5x Legionary [12 Point(s)]: Bolter, Bolt pistol

## Support [420 Point(s)]

Heavy Support Squad [300 Point(s)]: Autocannon, Bolt pistol, Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Sergeant
• 9x Legionary [10 Point(s)]

Rapier Battery [120 Point(s)]: 3x Rapier Crew
• 2x Legionary: Bolter, Bolt pistol, Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Rapier Carrier (Gravis heavy bolter battery)

# ++ Auxiliary - Combat Pioneer ++ [440 Point(s), 1 Auxilary Detachment(s)]

## Recon [440 Point(s)]

Land Raider Explorator [220 Point(s)]: Two Sponson Mounted Twin lascannon, Dozer blade

Land Raider Explorator [220 Point(s)]: Two Sponson Mounted Twin lascannon, Dozer blade

# ++ Auxiliary - First Strike ++ [395 Point(s), 1 Auxilary Detachment(s)]

## Fast Attack [395 Point(s)]

Fire Raptor [235 Point(s)]: Two Sponson Mounted Gravis autocannon batteries, Four Centreline Mounted Tempest rockets

Javelin Speeder Squadron [160 Point(s)]:
• 2x Javelin Speeder [80 Point(s)]: Heavy bolter, Two lascannon

# ++ Apex - Army Vanguard ++ [334 Point(s), 1 Apex Detachment(s)]

## Elites [334 Point(s)]

Seeker Squad [159 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Seeker Sergeant: Bolt pistol, Kraken bolter
• 7x Seeker [18 Point(s)]: Kraken bolter
  Prime Unit (Combat Veterans)

Invictus Suzerain Squad [175 Point(s)]:
• 5x Suzerain [30 Point(s)]: Legatine axe, Bolt pistol, Argyrum pattern boarding shield, Frag grenades, Krak grenades

# ++ Auxiliary - Recon Demi-Company ++ [235 Point(s), 1 Auxilary Detachment(s)]

## Recon - Reconnaissance Squad Only [135 Point(s)]

Reconnaissance Squad [135 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Recon Sergeant [5 Point(s)]: Nemesis bolter, Bolt pistol
• 4x Recon Legionary [22 Point(s)]: Nemesis bolter, Bolt pistol
  Prime Unit (Combat Veterans)

## Fast Attack [100 Point(s)]

Scimitar Jetbike Squadron [100 Point(s)]: Frag grenades, Krak grenades
• 1x Scimitar Sergeant: Chainsword, Bolt pistol, Heavy bolter
• 1x Scimitar Hunter [30 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Heavy bolter
• 1x Scimitar Hunter [35 Point(s)]: Bolt pistol, Volkite culverin

We rocked up at 8am and got the hall set up, and at 9am the players started rolling in, we had 7 attendees plus myself

I started to play a game with Adam and his Custodes, and oh my word they are tasty, very tough to kill with the lack of AP2 weapons in the marines, and the Hawkmen scored 8 points on the first turn, 3 from Vanguard from killing my squad on the objective, 1 for the objective and 4 for First Strike!

We got two turns in before someone else turned up and needed a game, so I let them play out a full game

After that I moistly chilled as others played games, but towards the end I got another two round game with good old Paul, of course he beat me but I learnt a lot!

It was a good day, was hoping for better attendance, but it was fine, I only lost £20 on it!

But a ton of fun was had an we met some new guys which is always great.

What I Am Modelling

I painted up this Heavy Support Squad for the Ultramarines, armed with Autocannons in MKVI Armour

After that I painted up a Praevian, also for the Ultramarines

And the MKII Centurion from Saturnine for them too

Following that I painted up another pair of Armiger Heliverins to finish the five I printed off a few months ago

I then painted an Augur Command and Control Squad made from various bits from my Bitz Box and a few 3D printed parts

And a Warboss in Mega Armour for the Orks

So where does that leave me for next week?

  1. Blood Angels Land Speeders
  2. Stormdrake Guard x 4
  3. Blood Angels Intercessors x 5
  4. Ultramarines Tactical Squad x 10
  5. Myari’s Purifiers
  6. Tempestus Aquilions x 11
  7. Red Brigade Warband
  8. Death Korps of Krieg Engineers x 6
  9. Dark Angels Firestrike Servo Turrets x 2
  10. Solar Auxilia Veletaris x 10

What I Am Reading

I finished Singularity by James Swallow, which had an interesting concept and a well written story for the 5th Doctor

I then started listening to Final Deployment by R.S Wilt, which so far is pretty decent, a Tempestus Scions book is guaranteed to grab my attention

I read Without Fear by Aaron Dembski-Bowden which was pretty good, not his best work, but pretty good.

I followed that up with Midnight Rotation by Dan Abnett, which was exceptionally good, great concept and well written.

After that I read Glory from Chaos by Chris Dows, which was fine, not the best story he has done, not the worst, it was kind of middling.

What Tabletop Games I Am Playing

Had my first game in the Gamer-At-Hart Combat Patrol League, I am playing with the Astra Millitarium Combat Patrol, Strike Force Gorgonne VI which is a Millitarium Tempestus one.

I played Alex and his Vardenghast Swarm, and they absolutely wreaked me!

What I Am Spending

Technically I bought this last week, but it finally arrived, an Arvus Lighter for the Solar Auxilia

I ordered this on payday, but it has arrived today, an Arvus Lighter to add to the Solar AuxiliaFigure this will be great for getting some dudes into Objectives #Warmongers #WarhammerCommunity #Warhammer30k #Warhammer30000 #HorusHeresy #TheHorusHeresy #SolarAuxilia #ArvusLighter

— Michael Botterill (@biggeordiegeek.uk) 2025-08-29T16:41:52.049Z

I also picked up the Battle of Hoth that I preordered from Gamers@Hart earlier in the year

To my video game library I added, Son of a Gun, EVERSPACE, Fantasy Empires, Psionic Sentry: Infinite and Tandem: a tale of shadows

It was Humble Choice, so that netted me

I also picked up Issue 52 of Combat Patrol for an extra Khâl for my squats!

Finding the Fun Again

By

On 29th August 2025

In Blog

As Warhammer: Age of Sigmar turns ten, I’ve been reflecting on how much the game has changed. and, more importantly, how much my relationship with it has changed. Somewhere along the way, the joy I used to feel slipped out of reach. I still love the models, I still love the worlds, but playing? That’s another story. And honestly, I don’t want it to stay that way. I want to find the fun again.

I was there on day one. I tried the new rules, I liked the look of the Stormcast Eternals (even if they did get called “Sigmarines” by everyone on the internet), and I stuck with it. The early days were rough, no points, no balance, just arguments about how to make a fair game. It really was the Wild West, and plenty of people hated it. They hated the death of the Old World, they hated the move to high fantasy, they said it looked like a game for kids.

But I kept going. And when the General’s Handbook finally landed, it clicked. Suddenly the game worked. By Second Edition, I was all in. Endless Spells were amazing fun, the Sacrosanct Chamber gave me my favourite models, and the Nighthaunt were some of the best villains we’d seen in Warhammer. Add in writers like Josh Reynolds, and the Mortal Realms felt alive and fresh. That was peak Age of Sigmar for me.

Then came Third Edition. The new Thunderstrike Stormcast were… fine, but they didn’t excite me like the chunky Liberators and Sequitors had. More than that, the whole tone of the game seemed to shift. Competitive play had always been there, but now it felt like the focus. And by Fourth Edition, things just broke for me. My beloved Sacrosanct models — not even six years old — were squatted. Yes, the Stormcast range was bloated, but wiping away entire playstyles in one go? That stung.

I’ll admit it: I was bitter. Very bitter. I didn’t buy the new starter box, shoved my Stormcast into storage, and picked up Greenskins instead. I joined an escalation league, but even then, the magic wasn’t there. The narrative side of the game had all but vanished, terrain felt like a box-ticking exercise, and every match seemed to orbit around the latest “meta” list. I wasn’t showing up to play anymore, I was showing up to hang out with friends, with the games themselves feeling like chores I had to get through before the actual fun started.

The return of Chaos Dwarves should have set my heart racing, after all, they were my very first army in any system, my first love in the hobby. The models themselves are incredible, beautifully sculpted, and exactly the kind of army that should make me excited to get painting and building. And yet… the thought of playing them in the current version of Age of Sigmar just turns me off. It’s not the models; it’s the game around them. The overly competitive focus, the meta-driven play, the lack of narrative feel, all of it saps the excitement I should feel for something so personal. It reminded me that no matter how much I love an army, if the game around it isn’t fun, the joy doesn’t follow and that’s something I need to fix for myself.

And part of that’s on me. Since my brain injury, I can’t hold rules in my head the way I used to. I was sharp once, but now I forget things, I get muddled, and honestly? I lose a lot. I’m used to that. But when the whole culture around the game feels like it’s built for hyper-competitive play, it leaves me feeling like there’s no space for someone like me who just wants to throw dice and tell a story.

But here’s the thing: I don’t actually want to give up. I still love the models. I still get excited when I see a new sculpt, even if I can’t muster the will to buy it. And deep down, I still want to enjoy the game. I just need to change how I approach it.

So here’s my new plan: stop chasing the meta. Stop pretending I care about tournaments. Stop playing like winning matters. Instead, I’m going to lean into the stuff that actually makes me smile. If that means turning up with a weird, suboptimal list, great! If it catches my opponent off guard, even better. And who knows? Sometimes those “bad” lists surprise people, and suddenly you’ve not only given your opponent a more memorable game, but you might even scrape an unexpected win.

That’s the kind of joy I want back. Games where my Orks run around being loud, messy, and hilarious. Games where my Knights crash into things just because it looks cool on the table. Boards that look like real places with varied terrain, even if it’s not ITC compliant. I’ve got 17 boxes of terrain that the competitive crowd says are useless, but they’re going on my tables anyway. I want battlefields that tell stories, not perfectly symmetrical chessboards where people measure gaps for half an hour before rolling a single dice.

I need to play more Heresy, it’s the game I love most. I’ve seen how stepping back from the competitive grind can change the experience. Take Graham, for example. He was once the most cutthroat, WAAC-focused player I knew locally. But since he started playing Heresy more for fun, he’s mellowed out. He still likes to win, of course, but he’s way more relaxed and chill these days. Watching him enjoy the game without stressing about the meta has reminded me that maybe I can do the same, that the joy of gaming doesn’t have to come from trophies or “perfect” play, but from simply loving the game itself.

And maybe I’ll spread my wings a bit more. Try Trench Crusade. Dip into The Old World if I can decide on an army. Play some historical with Bolt Action and maybe even some Napolionics. Explore games that don’t have the same competitive baggage, where the focus is back on narrative, creativity, and having a laugh.

At the end of the day, I don’t care about trophies or titles. I don’t care if I’m not “keeping up.” What I care about is fun. I want opponents who smile when they see my army, not because they think it’ll be an easy win, but because they know it’s going to be a fun game. That’s the whole point of this hobby.

Because let’s be honest: most of us got into this for joy. For the excitement of a new box of plastic, for the thrill of rolling that clutch dice, for the stories we tell after the game’s over. Somewhere along the line, I lost sight of that. But I’m ready to start looking for it again.

And that’s why I’ve started drafting my own little manifesto for fun gaming: a set of rules to keep myself honest and make sure the hobby stays joyful, for me and for anyone I play with.

My Manifesto for Fun Gaming

  1. Play what I love: If I like the model, the lore, or the look, it belongs in my army, meta can go to hell.
  2. Every list needs a curveball: At least one “weird” choice that isn’t optimal but makes me smile, and might just surprise my opponent.
  3. Paint at my pace: If a model sits on my desk for two months, that’s fine. This isn’t a race, it’s a hobby.
  4. Terrain should tell stories: Symmetry is for chessboards. I want tables that look like real places worth fighting over.
  5. Winning is optional, fun is mandatory: A memorable story beats a victory every single time.
  6. Celebrate the silly moments: A goblin felling a gargant with a lucky stab should be cheered louder than a finely-tuned combo working as intended.
  7. Make the game fun for my opponent: If they walk away smiling, it was a success, win or lose.
  8. Keep exploring: Try new games, new armies, or new scenarios if they spark excitement. Stagnation kills joy.
  9. No guilt, no grind: If I’m not enjoying it, I step back, take a breather, and come back when the spark’s there.
  10. Remember why I started: Dice, stories, friends, and toy soldiers. Everything else is optional.

What I Am Modelling

I started out the week by painting this Knight-Draconis, with the scheme of a Blue-Eyes white Dragon which my sister in law, Jane will get a kick out of

After that I finished up this Griffin from the BattleTech Beginners Box for the Federated Suns

For the Red Brigade I painted a Yeoman

A Trench Cleric

And a Trench Dog

I also cracked on with these Armiger Helverins for my House Taranis force

So what’s up next?

  1. Blood Angels Land Speeders
  2. Stormdrake Guard x 4
  3. Blood Angels Intercessors x 5
  4. Ultramarines Tactical Squad x 10
  5. Myari’s Purifiers
  6. Tempestus Aquilons x 11
  7. Red Brigade Warband
  8. Ork Warboss in Mega Armour
  9. Death Korps of Krieg Engineers x 6
  10. Dark Angels Firestrike Servo Turrets x 2

What I Am Reading

I finished The Silent King by Guy Haley, that was a lot of fun and wove together a lot of the novels published since 8th Edition, bringing together the Pariah Nexus and Dark Imperium stuff along with a few other bits I have yet to read

Its a shame the Dawn of Fire series has ended, if they had all been as good as that book, it would have been amazing!

I am now listening to Singularity by James Swallow, only about a quarter of the way through but so far, so good!

Also made some great progress with Era of Ruin as well, and should finish that in the next day or two, on the last story now!

What Tabletop Games I Am Playing

Myself and Megan played Unlock! Game Adventures and went through the Mysterium pack, and that was fine, a little confusing at times however.

I also played a game of Heresy with Graham, and weirdly I won!

But later on we realised that Graham remembered his Comptroller rule, he would have won by 1 point instead of me winning by 3!

What I Am Spending

I bought myself a paint top up, so glad Gamers-At-Hart are now selling Fanatic paints

I also picked up Liber Astartes, and a third Dracosan for the Solar Auxilia

In terms of video games, I did buy The Expanse: A Telltale Series, Silver Box Classics and Gimmick! Special Edition

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