Last weekend, we took a flying visit to my parents in Suffolk.
We hadn’t been in nearly 3 1/2 years as a result of the Pandemic and it was nice to head down again, even if it was only brief.
It coincided with my brothers birthday, and he wanted to go to Cambridge for the day, so thats what we did, and we ate at an all you can eat buffet, which was interesting whilst on my current medication!
But it was a nice trip and I am looking forward to my next visit for my brothers wedding in April.
What I Am Modelling
I finished up the Ultramarines Lieutenants, all eight of them!
Repulsor: 2x Storm Bolters, Auto Launchers, Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon, Icarus Rocket Pod, Onslaught Gatling Cannon, Twin lascannon
So this means I need to paint:-
Assault Intercessor Squad x 10
Bladeguard Ancient
Bladeguard Veterans x 3
Outriders x 3
Eliminator Squad x 3
Eradicator Squad x 3
Repulsor
Primaris Lieutenant
Get my Weight to Under 100kg & Sustain it Below That
My weight as of publication is 115kg.
I have tried to do a couple days a week of exercise using the VR headset to gamerfy it, starting with Synth-Ryders and BeatSabre, but never really got that done, so do better next month!
Publish One Battle Report a Month – 8.33% Complete
I published the first battle report, a combat patrol game between the T’au Empire and Ultramarines.
It was published by the skin of my teeth, but it got done!
Megan spoke to me and Lindsay the other week about how she has been feeling since we moved, anyway long and short we are adopting a pair of rabbits!
Currently known as Harvey and Hudson, they are being renamed Perrigrin Took and Angron Eater of Cables!
So this past week and a bit has been taken up with the task of rabbit proofing, rabbits are utter hoodlums and will chew any fucking thing.
So all the cables are being sheathed in protective coverings, the board game units are getting doors for the bottom shelves and a couple of extension cables are going into boxes.
Tomorrow Megans mum is coming round and the cage will be built!
I like bunnies, but they are pains in the bum, just so bloody naughty!
What I Am Modelling
I started the week by painting the Lord Castellan for Shadows Over Hammerhal and his trusty Gryph-Hound.
Followed by the Darkoath Warchief, I love the whole Darkoath aesthetic and I tell you, if they ever made a whole army of Darkoath, I would be on it like a tramp on chips!
Played a game of Horus Heresy against Graham on Tuesday, it was a close game and I must admit my Dreadnought killing his Sicaran Punishers was beautiful!
This shouldn’t be controversial, but I know some people will choose to unfollow/unfriend me for this, but it needs to be said.
No one should buy or play Hogwarts Legacy, if you claim to be an LGBTQ+ ally.
If you buy the game, or play it, then please, stop describing yourself as an ally, because when it comes down to brass tacks, you ain’t.
JK Rowling has a verifiable and blatant history of transphobia and she uses her money and influences to spread hate and bigotry against our trans friends.
If you are asking for examples, well I am gonna be honest, fuck off, they are super clear, there are numerous articles and examples and if you can’t see that, then most likely you are a piece of shit yourself.
Any purchases or streaming of the game, only benefits her, it makes her richer and allows her to do more evil.
And no, donating money to charity doesn’t make it ok, because you still give her publicity and money.
Listen to your trans and queer friends, do not buy the fucking wizard game!
You might wonder why I care, given that I am not trans, well simple I have a lot of trans friends, and I care about them.
Also, if you take Joke Rolling and her dreadful GC posses proposals, that makes me not a man.
My sez chromosomes are not XY, they are XYY, I am, to be blunt, not a standard cis male
And under the arguments put forward by the GC lunatics, I wouldn’t be allowed to use men’s toilets, because my DNA isn’t “normal”.
But there are a lot of bodies out there that don’t fit the XY/XX binary, not all of our DNA matches what we feel we are, it know ourselves to be.
If we were to mandate ridiculous DNA based classifications of gender, what happens to women with Turner Syndrome (XY) or Swyer Syndrome?
Or if we start down the inspection of peoples gender characteristics, where does a lass with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia go to take a leak?
The truth is, that there are no perverts wanting to go through the process of attaining a GRC to assault anyone, why, that’s an utterly ridiculous idea.
If a sexual predator is going to attack you, they don’t need a GRC to enter the women’s toilets, this isn’t Hogwarts where men will be magically blocked from entering without a GRC.
Just give you head a wobble, either be an ally, or don’t be.
Don’t try and dress up your decision to buy a game which contributes to transphobia and helps the creator of the IP work to against LGBTQ+ rights.
Oh and the other argument, the devs got paid a salary, they aren’t waiting hungry having worked for years with no pay, they got paid.A
And frankly, if they are happy having their name in the credits of this game, knowing the harm that she does, well, I have little sympathy for them.
Anyway that’s my take, I understand it’s spicy, but frankly it’s shouldn’t be, this should be the accepted standard, be an ally, don’t be a piece of shit and try to justify making a decision that goes against being an ally.
What I Am Modelling
I started off by painting my UCM Vancouvers for Dropfleet Commander.
On the desk right now is the Lord Castellant, Excelsior Warpreist, Darkoath Chieftain and two Grpyh-Hounds.
So whats coming up next?
Warhammer Quest Heroes
Blood Angels Repulsor
Templar Brethren x 10
Hobgrot Slittaz x 20
Leagues of Votann Kâhl & Einhyr Champion
The Crimson Court
Ultramarines Lieutenants x 8
Battle Sisters Squad x 10
Ogroid Thaumaturge
Killaboss x 2 & Stab Grot
What I Am Reading
I listened to The Holy Terror by Robert Shearman, which was pretty good if a bit surreal, I forgot the time when the Doctors companion was a talking penguin!
After that I churned through the audiobook of Cthonia’s Reckoning, I have read the book, but needed something to listen to whilst painting and this was on the list.
Not the best Horus Heresy book, but not the worst.
After that my continuing journey into Doctor Who lead me to Storm Warning by Alan Barnes, the first 8th Doctor audio!
Plus I got Space Wolf: Special Edition from Fanatical which had a bunch of the DLC for just £1, code for the main game was given the a friend and I kept the DLC codes,
Having seen it on sale for £3 I decided to keep expanding my Doom collection with the 2016 Doom game, along with Micro Machines World Series.
I redeemed them because in the future I hope to get a Steam Deck and I can’t ever see GOG, Amazon or Epic offering their launchers on that device whilst still maintaining things like cloud saves, so if it’s possible, I am trying to only buy games on Steam now to future proof as it were.
I grabbed a sticker bomb pack of Sonic stickers, I only really wanted a couple to add to my task lamp, but it was cheaper to buy a big pack, but whatever!
I saw Taco, Hat, Gift, Cake, Pizza in Aldi the other day, so I grabbed it cause Lindsay was keen on a copy.
Ok well 2023 is here and I am really hoping it it’s not gonna be the massive bag of dicks that 2020, 2021 and 2022 were, I really want this to be a better year.
I have planned out some resolutions and ideas I want to carry out, which you can see here.
For New Years Eve I spent a couple of hours at Paul’s, but the damn cold/flu has still kicked my arse and I am struggling with spending time out of the house for far too long.
So I returned home and played some The Witcher 3.
New Years Day we went to Megan’s parents and had a roast dinner, but the ill left me barely conscious for most of it.
A Less Ideal Bit
Sadly our street saw a murder this week, and a fella was purposefully run over, we ended up stuck in the house for two days unable to leave as the whole street was a crime scene.
It’s left us all a bit shaken, I mean it’s the last thing you expect, but it is what it is.
What I Am Modelling
I started off by painting the Lord Veritant for the Stormcast Eternals, need to sort out a list for the AoS Weekender for them.
I also picked up some Command Strips to help me mount a few things on the wall, specifically an extension lead for Megan’s dressing table so she can easily use her hair straightens and hair dryer.
Plus it means at long last we can mount her Hue Light Strip, all 3 meters of it.
On Friday, from a yet to be announced sponsor, a new webcam, the Elgato Facecam, which really has elevated my setup above and beyond what the Logitech C920 did!
Well my resolutions for 2022 were a disaster because of stuff in my personal life so let’s do 2023 and do it right!
For all my painting resolutions, I will be using the Paintslam 2023 Hobby Log, I have used this before, but because of the disaster that was 2022, I kinda lost track.
Build & Paint a 500 Points Combat Patrol of Genestealer Cultists
Build & Paint a 500 Points Combat Patrol of Tyranids
Bring my Primaris Ultramarines to 2000 Points
Bring my Orruk Warclans to 2000 Points
Build & Paint Two Gangs for Carnivale
Get my Weight to Under 100kg & Sustain it Below That
Publish One Battle Report a Month
Stream Twice a Week
Complete my 2023 VideoGameGeek Video Game Challenge
Read 40 Books
Get Edge of Empire Running Like a Well Oiled Machine
A Bimonthly RPG Night With the Polycule
Build & Paint a 2000 Points Army of Drukhari
This was gonna be a 500 points combat patrol, but I was just gifted a box with a fair few Drukhari models in it, so yeah, it’s gonna be a full army now.
Start with a Wych Cult, and build from there.
That I know right now, I have 10 Wyches and a Succubus unbuilt in the sprue, so let’s build them and see where we go!
Build & Paint a 500 Points Combat Patrol of Genestealer Cultists
I have a bunch of Genestealer Cultists from various box sets, starting with a set of Neophyte Hybrids, two sets of Acolyte Hybrids, a Kelermorph and a Acolyte Iconward.
So they are going to be made into a 500 point combat patrol to do Battle Reports with
Build & Paint a 500 Points Combat Patrol of Tyranids
I also have some Tyranids lying around, specifically, a Lictor, two Termagant Broods, two Broodlords, and two Genestealer Broods.
So out of that I should be able to build a basic 500 point combat patrol for battle reports.
Bring my Primaris Ultramarines to 2000 points
I already have 500 points painted, so looking to add 1500 points to the army.
Starting this week with a Squad of Intercessors, well 5 plus a random 2 and the 30th Anniversary Primaris Sgt.
Bring my Orruk Warclans to 2000 Points
I already have a few Ironjawaz done, and one mob of Gutrippas, so looking to add to those.
Next on the table are two mobs of Hobgrot Slittaz!
Build & Paint two Gangs for Carnivale
Rather simple, already have the models, just got to build and paint them!
The two gangs will be The Guild and Rashaar from the 2 player starter set, but I also plan to add the models from Escape from San Canciano, with a plan to do at least one Carnivale battle report this year!
Get My Weight to Under 100kg & Sustain it Below That
A rare physical resolution for me, just want to get a little weight off is all, and keep it off, right now I am kinda between 111kg & 114kg.
Publish One Battle Report a Month
I enjoy doing Battle Reports, and I want to try and get properly focused on doing them regularly, probably initially at Combat Patrol sized.
Kinda thinking if aiming for 20th of the month or so to publish and I am busy planning the first one, which will be Ultramarines vs T’au Empire at 500 points.
Stream twice a week
I enjoy streaming, and I need to do it regularly and more often, so I am gonna get this sorted, with at least one video games, and one painting stream a week.
I will be carrying out some upgrades to the setup this year, the ones that are top of the list are to replace the Logitech C920, with a better camera, the favourite for that is the Elgato Facecam, its expensive, but considering the sheer amount of other Elgato stuff I have, it makes sense as its all designed to work together.
The second upgrade will be a third Elgato Keylight Air because that way I can have a hair light in every single one my configurations.
Complete my 2023 VideoGameGeek Video Game Challenge
I want to hjardcore 10 games this year as part of the 2023 VideoGameGeek Video Game Challenge, which means getting them all completed, and you can see my list here.
Quite simple, read 40 books, but I am struggling if I should include audio books in this, I am conflicted.
With my brain damage, reading has proven difficult these past 18 months and I am way behind on my reading, and audio books are way way easier for me to process when the pain is bad, but I am admit to a degree of snobbery and I expect more of myself.
Get Edge of Empire Running Like a Well Oiled Machine
Sounds silly, but my disaster of a year has lead to Edge of Empire, not being run as smoothly, its taking me far too long to edit and publish.
And I need to sort out a proper social media policy and guidelines for the guys so we deliver a consistent message, and I get promo for each episode done right.
And actually talk to the guys about a couple of content requests we have had from Patreon.
Either way we have agreed as a polycule to buy the Dungeons & Dragons Adventurer partworks to build up a way of getting us all back into RPGs slowly and competently.
There being 4 of us, it means we will be buying one issue each a month, and I will pay the additional cost per issue for the premium stuff, cause minis are cool!
Anyway that’s the plan, other things I am considering doing in the year, but these are more purchases I would like to make mostly.
Upgrade the home media server, which is currently a Raspberry Pi, to a an x64 based system and get Home Assistant up and running in the house to better link together our smart home stuff
Make the PLEX and AudioBookShelf services better organised and easier to use when away from home
Budget up and begin saving for a good NAS for the house
Upgrade my monitor to at least 1440p
Rearrange my budget to allow a subscription to PS+
Get under the desk and actually cable manage that disaster area properly!
Well Christmas happened, and I spent most of it ill, which wasn’t fun.
This cold/flu is kicking my arse and I just can’t shake it, it’s got my sleep cycle all to pot and taking away any pep I have.
Anyway I did enjoy Christmas, me and Lindsay went to Paul’s for Christmas dinner which was lovely.
Present wise, Megan got me a Lord Veritant for my Stormcast Eternals and Lindsay got me some Death Maidens and Wyld Runners for my Escher gang. I also got some tools off Paul which will come in lots of help, alongside a £15 Xbox voucher.
But alas most of it was spent dying in bed 🙁
What I Am Modelling
First up I painted up a Scout Squad for my Imperial Fists.
After than It Bleeds by David Guymer was an interesting little story, very interesting World Eaters story that shows how hate can consume you and turn you into that which you loath.
The final (probably) Edge of Empire episode of our 6th year was published and we delved into the Liber Imperium.
What I Am Winning
I won a copy of Warhammer 40,000 Darktide for Steam which was cool, alas I already owned it, so I gifted it to a member of the Edge of Empire Listeners Community in a contest of my own!
I also won a copy of Night of the Scissors on Steam too, which was really cool.
I also won a code for Cubic Parking for PS4, but the code was for Japan (sad face, make sure to read T&Cs) but I have a friend in Japan so the code was passed to her.
To continue the prize winning, I won a Steam code for Euro Truck Simulator 2.
