Tag: Bolt Action

Goodby Cassius

By

On 18th May 2026

In Blog

We sadly lost Cassius, our beloved one eyed dickhead of a cat 😢

He was a very loving and precious little lad, but also an utter dick head who bite your nipple if you weren’t giving him attention or snackies

He went off his food a little, something that was very unusual for him, but as it was hot and two of the others went off their food at the same time, we thought not too much of it, but a couple of days later and he was eating less and less

Initially we believed he had something up with his teeth as his breath was rather smelly, so away he went to the vets

After an initial examination followed by an ultrasound they discovered that his kidneys were failing, pretty badly and his bloods were really bad

They advised that the kindest thing would be to let him go, and that’s what we had to do, we were devestated

There were options for us, but the vet said these wouldn’t be great for his quality of life, especially given his spiciness when it came to medication

He was a beautiful boy, and we miss him so much, the house is very quiet without him as he was a huge personality

Barrington, Bonnie and Mango all seem a bit down without him around, but are slowly getting used to his absence

We aren’t getting another cat to succeed him, we are going to stick with three cats for the foreseeable future simply because we are just way too sad right now

I miss his cuddles, when he would randomly come to the studio, demand a cuddle and snackies, my nights have been very quiet without his presence

Good night sweet boy

Storage

We have now rented a storage space, annoyingly the only place we could find an affordable one was in Harrogate, which is an hours drive away, which is a ball ache, but we are paying a month, half of what most places wanted a week near us.

What is being stored in there right now is my Warhammer Scenery, 14.5 tables worth, with a couple more boxes going to join it soon, the Edge of Empire PA system and a bunch of Paul’s theatre gear.

This is great for all of us, because we have been struggling with long term storage of some stuff, my terrain has been stored in my in-laws attic, which will be replaced with some armies to clear space in my studio, but they will take up a lot less space.

What I Am Modelling

I started out by painting some bits for my Germans, starting with an officer and escort, these being from the Meuse to Volga project

Plus a couple of Anti-Tank Rifle teams armed with Panzerbüchse 39s

After that I painted a Panzer 38 (t)

And a Panzer I

Plus a Panzerjäger I

I have now also made myself a carry case for my early war German, will probably want a second cube to carry the entire army I have planned/building!

After that I turned my attentions to the Genestealer Cults and painted for them a Patriarch and his Familiars

Along with an Acolyte Iconward

Who will be escorted either by some Hyrbid Metamorphs

Or some Acolyte Hybrids

As well as a Death Korps of Krieg Command Squad

And some Combat Engineers

Plus an Artilery team, which is a fantastic little diorama piece

And finally a Squad of Kriegsmen to form the battleline!

And for a general transport case, I have now printed up a 2×2 case with the plan being to expand it to 2×3 for six cubes in total

I have printed off for it, two Edge of Empire and a Solar Auxilia and Astra Militarum cover

So what’s up next?

  1. Blood Angels Landspeeders
  2. Heretic Legions Warband
  3. Cadian Shock Troopers x 20
  4. True Wons Legionaries x 10
  5. Krieg Command Squad x 6
  6. German Pioneers & Officer
  7. Cadian Command Squad x 5 & Ursula Creed
  8. Ultramarines Saturnine Terminators x 6 & Centurion
  9. Neophyte Hybrids x 10, Magus x 2 & Primus
  10. Vanquishers x 10

What I Am Reading

I finished Trollslayer by William King, which was as good as the first time I read it!

I then listened to The Reaping by Joseph Lidster which was a really cool little Cybermen story, and a good story for Peri

I am currently listening to Skavenslayer by William King

What Tabletop Games I Am Playing

I played a game of Combat Patrol with Craig and his Space Wolves

Their new list is very spicy and it took me apart piece by piece

Really fun game and I really hope GW keep this mode in 11th edition.

I played a game of Bolt Action against David as part of the Escalation League

And somehow I came away with a rare win, 8-1 to me. My Snipers, Panzer 38 (t) and light mortar team did most of the heavy lifting.

At one point my Panzerbefehlswagen and Panzer 38 (t) shot all three of their machine guns at his anti-tank gun, and all 12 shots missed!

But still, it’s nice to get a win, although that rules me out for the wooden spoon!

What I Am Backing

We now have everything for Meuse to the Volga, with the delivery of the Sd. Kfz 251 pack, Panzer crew and the terrain.

I backed the German What-If (Prototype) Vehicles of World War II, it will have no value for game play for me, but could be interesting to model, or perhaps for Konflikt ’47, that delivered hella quick and I now have all the STLs.

The models are cool, as I said, more for modelling or for Konflilt ‘47 usage, where the Panther II will fit

Over There Part 2 continues to deliver and the fella who made it is a really cool guy, he is thinking of setting up a Patreon, which I will join!

I have backed STL Tabletop Printable Buildings – Part Two for some terrain I can print for my boards and potentially the club, and that’s already delivered everything!

I am also backing Cranes and Fire Engines of WW2 – Volume 1, might be cool to get some old school fire trucks for my nephews to paint

And finally, I am backing Desert Theatre: WWII North African Campaign STL System for some, well North African style terrain!

What I Am Buying

Issue 84 of Combat Patrol arrived, so now I can compete the Jackhals

I also picked up issues 87 and 88 for some Khorne Beserkers for the newer Combat Patrol

After a bit of a mixup, my Infinity’s Lament model arrived from Warhammer+

As well as Marshall Ashfield and Squire Udo

I also did I big hobby/3D printing supply top up, grabbing some much needed paints, a ton of filament and resin etc

For the planned DnD digital tabletop, me and Megan bought an old 32” TV which we are going to encase in wood and use for playing RPGs on using a digital tabletop, probably Foundry

I finally got myself the LinusTechTips Screwdriver and I have to say it’s pretty sweet, certainly the best consumer screwdriver I have handled in a long time

I also got the Shaft Extension, a set of Phillips head screwbits, plus a bit of PTM7950, not sure if I will put that in my current PC of hold it back for the next one!

Also got the Precision Screwdriver EndCap set which had to ship separately due to a checkout error

Also bought a smart plug for my studio fan

And my Humble Choice subscription got me

  • Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (donated to Chris)
  • Demon X Machina: Titanic Scion
  • The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
  • Until Then
  • Planet of Lana
  • Artisan TD
  • The Procession to Calvary
  • Buddy Simulator 1984

Plus I bought Over The Top seeing as it was on sale!

A Weekend In Nottingham

By

On 18th February 2026

In Blog

This other weekend we descended upon Nottingham to celebrate Chris’s 40th birthday, with a trip to Warhammer World and an in person DnD session

On Friday myself and Graham arrived at Warhammer World and had a game of Heresy with myself using the following list 

# ++ Crusade Primary Detachment ++ [831 Point(s)]

Legatine Command Section x 5

- Legate Marshall, Volkite serpenta, Power sword
- Auxilia vexilla, Augury scanner, Command Vox

Armoured Command Section, Battlecannon, Lascannon, Dozer blade, Flare Shield, Pintle Mounted multi-laser [10 Point(s)]

Tactical Command Section x 5

- Auxilia Captain: Laspistol, Charnabal - Auxilia vexilla, Augury scanner, Command Vox

Lasrifle Section x 20 Lasrifle w/ Blast-charger, Auxilia vexilla, Vox interlock 
- Prime Unit (Logistical Benefit (Heavy Transport))

Arvus Lighter

Dracosan Armoured Transport, Demolisher cannon

Armour Tercio

Leman Russ Strike Tank, Heavy bolter, Vanquisher cannon and one Co-axial mounted heavy stubber

Leman Russ Strike Tank, Heavy bolter, Vanquisher cannon and one Co-axial mounted heavy stubber

Leman Russ Strike Tank, Heavy bolter, Vanquisher cannon and one Co-axial mounted heavy stubber

Armour Tercio

Leman Russ Strike Tank, Heavy bolter, Vanquisher cannon and one Co-axial mounted heavy stubber

Leman Russ Strike Tank, Heavy bolter, Vanquisher cannon and one Co-axial mounted heavy stubber

Leman Russ Strike Tank, Heavy bolter, Vanquisher cannon and one Co-axial mounted heavy stubber

Armour Tercio

Leman Russ Assault Tank, Demolisher cannon Lascannon

Malcador Heavy Tank, Vanquisher cannon, Demolisher cannon, Two sponson Mounted lascannon, Pintle Mounted multi-laser

Malcador Heavy Tank, Vanquisher cannon, Demolisher cannon, Two sponson Mounted lascannon, Pintle Mounted multi-laser

Infantry Tercio

Lasrifle Section x 20 Lasrifle w/ Blast-charger, Auxilia vexilla, Vox interlock 

Lasrifle Section x 20 Lasrifle w/ Blast-charger, Auxilia vexilla, Vox interlock 

Dracosan Armoured Transport, Twin lascannon

Dracosan Armoured Transport, Twin lascannon

Lord of War Detachment

Stormhammer Super-Heavy Assault Tank

Of course he absolutely whipped my arse, but what else do you expect with Solar Auxilia

Was a great game and we met up with Dave and Chris there

For the evening we had a lovely kebab and a night of Cards Against Humanity, which was a lot of fun, and lead to a lot of laughs

The next day we returned to Warhammer World where I teamed up with Dave and his Dark Angels to play against Adam’s Death Guard

I took this 1500 points list

Crusade Primary Detachment

Legatine Command Section x 5

- Legate Marshall, Volkite serpenta, Power sword
- Auxilia vexilla, Augury scanner, Command Vox

Armoured Command Section, Battlecannon, Lascannon, Dozer blade, Flare Shield, Pintle Mounted multi-laser [10 Point(s)]

Line Command Section x 5

- Troop Master: Laspistol, Charnabal - Auxilia vexilla, Augury scanner, Command Vox

Armour Tercio

Leman Russ Strike Tank, Heavy bolter, Vanquisher cannon and one Co-axial mounted heavy stubber

Leman Russ Assault Tank, Demolisher cannon Lascannon

Malcador Heavy Tank, Vanquisher cannon, Demolisher cannon, Two sponson Mounted lascannon, Pintle Mounted multi-laser

Infantry Tercio

Lasrifle Section x 20 Lasrifle, Auxilia vexilla, Vox interlock 

Lasrifle Section x 20 Lasrifle, Auxilia vexilla, Vox interlock 

Dracosan Armoured Transport, Twin lascannon

Dracosan Armoured Transport, Twin lascannon

Adam has a reputation as an extremely good player, and I found it to be a well earned reputation!

My army was mostly wiped out in turn 2, and at the end of the game, all of Dave’s Dark Angels had been destroyed, and all I had left were ten Lasriflemen, a Line Command Squad and a Legatine Command Squad who were hiding to maintain that LD10 with the Vox Interlinks

I ended up taking a nap in the car after the game cause I was utterly shattered, whilst the others played some more

After we arrived back at the AirBnB, we had a Chinese and played some Dungeons and Dragons together for the first time in person after 3 years of playing together

It’s was a lot of fun, but by midnight we were all utterly shattered and had to go to bed!

The next day after a McDonalds breakfast we headed back to Warhammer World where we did a tour of the Hall of Miniatures, which has changed a lot since last time I was there, I failed to find the Assassin yet again!

And then myself and the Mills brothers had a doubles games of 4k a side, in which I took this list for my 2K

Crusade Primary Detachment

Legatine Command Section x 5

- Legate Marshall, Volkite serpenta, Power sword
- Auxilia vexilla, Augury scanner, Command Vox

Armoured Command Section, Battlecannon, Lascannon, Dozer blade, Flare Shield, Pintle Mounted multi-laser [10 Point(s)]

Line Command Section x 5

- Troop Master: Laspistol, Charnabal - Auxilia vexilla, Augury scanner, Command Vox
Prime Benefit: War Engine

Aethon Heavy Sentinel, Autocannon, Aethon missile battery

Armour Tercio

Leman Russ Strike Tank, Heavy bolter, Vanquisher cannon and one Co-axial mounted heavy stubber

Leman Russ Assault Tank, Demolisher cannon Lascannon

Malcador Heavy Tank, Vanquisher cannon, Demolisher cannon, Two sponson Mounted lascannon, Pintle Mounted multi-laser

Armour Tercio

Leman Russ Strike Tank, Heavy bolter, Vanquisher cannon and one Co-axial mounted heavy stubber

Malcador Heavy Tank, Vanquisher cannon, Demolisher cannon, Two sponson Mounted lascannon, Pintle Mounted multi-laser

Infantry Tercio

Lasrifle Section x 20 Lasrifle, Auxilia vexilla, Vox interlock 

Lasrifle Section x 20 Lasrifle, Auxilia vexilla, Vox interlock 

Dracosan Armoured Transport, Twin lascannon

Dracosan Armoured Transport, Demolisher cannon

Myself and Graham got a commanding lead as my Lasriflemen seized the objectives early on for the highest points.

We only got to turn 3 but it was a lot of fun nonetheless

What I Am Modelling

I had a busy and productive week!

I started off the week by finishing an Opel Blitz for my early war Germans

And then for my future late war Germans, a Sturmgeschütz III, one that Graham bought me last year!

I also painted some Heretic Troopers for the Trench. Crusade Heretic Legions

Used a painting scheme influenced by WWII Germany simply because they were as evil a group that ever existed.

And a Heretic General

After that I finished up painting 20 Tech Thralls for my Mechanicum

These models were 3D printed and I much prefer them to the plastic ones

I was also able to paint up a couple of Astra Militarium characters, yet another Commissar

And a Primaris Psyker

After that I painted up some Hearhtkyn Pioneers for the Leagues of Votann, which completed that Combat Patrol

So what’s up next?

  1. Blood Angels Land Speeders
  2. Heretic Legion Warband
  3. True Sons Havocs x 10
  4. Einhyr Hearthguard x 5
  5. Guardians Defenders x 11
  6. Myrmidon Destructors x 6
  7. Nemesis Dreadknight
  8. Death Riders x 5
  9. Howling Banshees x 10
  10. Ork Boyz x 20

What I Am Reading

I finished listening to Angron: The Red Angel by David Guymer which was ok, but felt a bit of a let down as Angron barely featured at all. Lots of good concepts but also so much missed potential.

After that I listened to Something Inside by Trevor Baxendale, which was ok, but the 8th Doctor getting amnesia is kind getting a bit dull now, I am Paul McGann can really act that very well, but it’s just too used

What Video Games I Am Playing

Not played that much which is disappointing but will try better next week!

What Achievements I Have Unlocked

Hell Let Loose (Steam)

Breaking the Geneva Convention

Kill an enemy medic while he is reviving someone.		16/02/2026
Death From Below

Destroy a vehicle with an AT mine		16/02/2026

What I Am Backing

The From Mesue to Volga, 1940-1942 project successfully funded and I should get the files sometime in March

Lindsay also backed the Cube Mod Carrier project by Txarli for me, I mentioned it looked cool, and couldn’t afford it and she backed it for me to pay her back later

What I Am Spending

At Warhammer World I bought myself a Leman Russ Strike Tank, some glue, another three painting handles and some pots of paint..

The tank is going to be built as a Demolisher, cause I like Demolisher cannons and they have proven quite useful in both 40K and 30k.

As for the painting handles, well I have a fair few of them already, but I want to get to 25 cause I am far too regularly painting 25 models at a time, this one gives me 24

I grabbed the latest issue of Combat Patrol to hopefully add a couple more Field Ordnance Batteries to the Astra Militarium

It was also Humble Choice week,- that bagged me

For The Love Of Hot Chocolate

By

On 19th January 2026

In Blog

This week, I have been doing my best to stay positive and trying to focus on the things that have been positive for me, instead of focusing on the bad in the wider world

So this well, I have been super happy with hot chocolate, sounds silly, but since my doctor was a bit serious with me about my diabetes I have worked to really cut down my sugar and whilst I am imperfect at it, I am doing better, and part of that is replacing my chocolate hit with hot chocolate, which is better than the sugar bomb of say a penguin

And cause we have some sugar free syrups, I like to add a shot of chocolate (bear with me) and a shot of vanilla, which is a really nice Yule Log flavour.

And in my studio I have a Dolce Gusto machine, which I use to make some Galaxy Light which is super nice and lower in sugar.

What I Am Modelling

I started out the week by painting a Luchs I had 3D printed for my future Late War German force to play Bolt Action with

And I finished off the Stormhammer that Graham gave me for my birthday

After that I painted some Cthonian Beserks for the Leagues of Votann Combat Patrol

I also painted this random arse Liberator sent to me as part of a little gift from Hachette for signing up to Stormbringer early

After that I painted up those Prosecutors

Finished the Prosecutors for my Celestial Vindicators Stormcast EternalsI much prefer the older models however#WarhammerCommunity #WarhammerAoS #StormcastEternals #CelestialVindicators

— Michael Botterill (@biggeordiegeek.uk) 2026-01-18T02:52:58.643Z

And then finally Lord-Commander Bastian Carthalos, the Thunderborn himself

I don’t play Hammers of Sigmar, but I got him with Stormbringer, so figured why not paint him up just for fun!

So what’s coming up next for me?

  1. Blood Angels Landspeeders
  2. Heretic Legions Warband
  3. Tech-Thralls x 20
  4. Lord-Terminos, Reculsions x 3 & Memorians x 2
  5. Hearthkyn Pioneers x 3
  6. Death Korps of Krieg Heavy Weapons Teams x 8
  7. True Sons Havocs x 10
  8. Einhyr Hearthyguard
  9. Guardian Defenders x 10
  10. Myrmidon Destructors x 6

What I Am Reading

I finished Demolisher by Andy Clark, which was very very good

I also listened to The Kingmaker by Nev Fountain, which was a long run with a cool little twist regarding the villain

I am now listening to the next Cain book, The Emperor’s Finest by Sandy Mitchell.

And I have made a bit of progress with Dropsite Massacre by John French, but I am finding it hard to concentrate with the headaches I am getting of late (related to the brain injury, perfectly normal for me, worse in the cold)

What Tabletop Games I am Playing

I played a 3k game against Graham with this list I am taking to Warhammer World in February

Cohort Doctrine - Mechanised Pattern

Crusade Primary Detachment 

Legatine Command Section
Auxilia Vexilla, Augury Scanner, Command Vox
Marshall - Power Sword & Volkite Serpentia

Armoured Command Section
Battlecannon, Lascannon, Dozer Blade, Flare Shield, Mulit/Laser

Tactical Command Section
Auxilia Vexilla, Augury Scanner, Command Vox
Captain - Charnabal Savre & Laspistol

Lasrifle Section x 20
Blast Chargers, Auxilia Vexilla, Vox Interlock
Logistical Benefit - Heavy Transport

Arvus Lighter

Dracosan, Demolisher Cannon

Armour Tercio

Leman Russ, Vanquisher Cannon

Leman Russ, Vanquisher Cannon

Leman Russ, Vanquisher Cannon

Armour Tercio

Leman Russ, Demolisher Cannon

Malcador, Vanquisher Cannon, Demolisher Cannon, Lascannon Sponsons, Mulit-Laser

Malcador, Vanquisher Cannon, Demolisher Cannon, Lascannon Sponsons, Mulit-Laser

Infantry Tercio

Lasrifle Section x 20
Blast Chargers, Auxilia Vexilla, Vox Interlock

Lasrifle Section x 20
Blast Chargers, Auxilia Vexilla, Vox Interlock

Dracosan

Dracosan

Lord of War Detachment

Stormhammer

Graham brought his Sons of Horus and it was a very good game, but damn man, those Vanquishers really have gotten so much worse in this edition!

Just really struggled to land hits, one of my Leman Russ’s didn’t land a single hit all game!

We also played a little game of Just One on Thursday when Paul came over for tea

What Video Games I Am Playing

I finished Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which was a really fun game, although a bit is preventing me from 100%ing it 🙁

What Achievements I Unlocked

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Steam)

Thread the Past

Restore 5 vestige outfit pieces
11/01/2019
Good Samaritan

Complete 8 Side Missions		11/01/2019
The Chosen One

Find the Silver Box of Ix Chel		12/01/2019
Chain Gang

Perform the Serpent’s Fury 3 times		12/01/2019
Back to Where We Started

Return to Paititi		12/01/2019
To the Nines

Restore and equip a matching vestige outfit		12/01/2019
Specialized

Earn all skills in one category		12/01/2019
Legendary Hunter

Hunt and loot 5 rare animals		12/01/2019
Hydro Power

Complete the Slayer’s Gauntlet Challenge Tomb		12/01/2019
Whole World Blind

Complete the Two Graves Side Mission		12/01/2019
That Was A Breeze

Complete the Path of Huracan Challenge Tomb		12/01/2019
Sixth Sense

Hunt and kill 10 enemies while Perception is active		12/01/2019
Go With The Flow

Complete The Age Makers Side Mission		12/01/2019
Last Known Position

Lose the enemy 10 times		12/01/2019
Como Te Llama

Pet 5 llamas		12/01/2019
Caiman Conquered

Complete the Zipacna’s Craving Challenge Tomb		12/01/2019
Leaping Lizards

Complete The Wrathful God Side Mission		12/01/2019
Bleeding Edge

Obtain the Grenadier Skill, equip the Umbrage 3-80 Shade weapon, and Brocken Shadow outfit		13/01/2019
Eyes Of The Storm

Obtain A Thousand Eyes skill, equip elite versions of Oathtaker’s Bow and Sinchi Chiqa Battle Dress		13/01/2019
Spoiled For Choice

Obtain Divine Bounty skill, equip Serpent Lash Godslayer weapon and Dragon Scales Legend outfit		13/01/2019
Ready To Rumble

Obtain the Volcano Skill, equip Whispering Scourge Pandemic weapon and Reptile Hide Leviathan outfit		13/01/2019
Mushroom With A View

Complete The Sixth Seal Challenge Tomb		14/01/2019
He Ain’t Heavy

Complete The Dragon and the Prince Side Mission		14/01/2019
Beast of Legend

Defeat the Nahual		14/01/2019
Tomb Raider

Complete all main game Challenge Tombs		14/01/2019
Dressed For Success

Obtain the Raptor’s Eye skill, equip the Silent Sting Scorpion weapon and Hunter’s Array Apex outfit		15/01/2019
Monkey Do

Complete the Howl of the Monkey Gods Challenge Tomb		15/01/2019
Harmony

Complete the Path of Fear Side Mission		15/01/2019
Creature Comforts

Obtain White Breath skill, equip Grip of Fear White Knuckle and Scales of Q Feathered Serpent		15/01/2019
Treasure Hunter

Find and open all the main game Conquistador treasure chests		15/01/2019
Queen of the Damned

Make an unlikely ally		16/01/2019
Dr. Croft

Complete all Artifact Collections		16/01/2019
Surprise!

Perform 5 Eagle’s Talon Takedowns		16/01/2019
Quite the Adventure

Finish the main storyline		16/01/2019
Rite of Passage

Complete Shadow of the Tomb Raider on Rite of Passage difficulty		16/01/2019
Smart and Resourceful

Complete Shadow of the Tomb Raider on Smart and Resourceful difficulty		16/01/2019
Total Party Kill

Kill 5 enemies with friendly fire		16/01/2019
In the Moment

Kill 10 enemies while Focus is active		16/01/2019
Put Herself Together

Complete the Mother Protector Challenge Tomb		16/01/2019
Moonlight Sonata

Complete the Eternal Reward Side Mission		16/01/2019
Seasoned Pro

Complete all 7 downloadable content missions and receive the Tunic of the Shorn One		16/01/2019
Moonlit Knight

Obtain Magic Touch Skill, equip Silver Strike Moonbeam weapon and Midnight Sentinel Farseer outfit		16/01/2019

Hell Let Loose (Steam)

Ding!

Kill 100 players with headshots		12/01/2019

What I Am Creating

Published the latest waited of Edge of Empire which marks the beginning of year 10 of the show

What I Am Spending

It was time for Humble Choice and from that I got

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén