My sim racing setup really has coming together nicely!
It’s taken a year if small upgrades to get it to this point, one of the most game changing, yet silly was getting some shoes for it, a cheap pair that stay in the studio only to be used for this, not going outside so they stay clean, they were a massive upgrade.
The 9070XT was a pretty sweet upgrade and got me amazing frame rates in Forza Motorsport, and the shifter is great, even if just being used as a handbrake.
I 3D printed a couple of upgrades, the first was just some clips to help keep the Playseat Challenge together when not in use.
A little stand to sit on top of the wheel, to hold my phone that can be used as a screen for SimHub, which is super helpful.
I then wanted to print some fittings to allow me to mount the pedals on the frame properly, they tend to slip off when stored cause the Velcro isn’t great.
But, the first ones were a failure because the description was utterly wrong, and misleading, and didn’t support the Logitech pedals at all, which was very very annoying, wasted a lot of time and a bit of money on that!
Thankfully I did find an alternative STL which worked with the bolts I had bought, but I needed to wait until I got paid to get the velcro this one needed.
Next upgrade that I am printing is going to be a mount for the shifter, but I am thinking if printing that in PTEG for strength rather than PLA, I have bought some PTEG to print some Christmas presents with, so should have some left over for that. The only issue seems to be finding a left-hand drive STL, especially one that won’t require a ton of other hardware to fit it.
I also upgraded the springs in the pedals, buying a set to get them to be a bit more responsive!
It was in a terrible state, it absolutely stunk and needed a ton of isopropyl alcohol to clean up and get looking good, with so much stuff needing fixing, but it was a fun project!
I haven’t been posting for a while, alas a lot of it comes down to going through my usual summer slump and a bit of depression I have been battling, but I am trying to turn myself around.
Giving myself some projects to do, and things to try and keep me occupied, I really think I am missing Company of Legends, it gave me something to focus on, something to look forward to and these last couple of years without it, well I have been doing a bit badly.
But let’s crack on and update you on my last few months, so let’s get into it!
Heresy Camp
This other weekend, I attended Heresy Camp, run by some amazing friends of mine, and how did a not “Company of Legends” weekender go?
On Friday I met up with James at Gamers-at-Hart and we played a warm up game with our armies, my Solar Auxilia and his Sisters of Silence
Aethon Heavy Sentinel Squadron [200 Pts]: • 3x Aethon Heavy Sentinel [65 Pts]: Aethon Missile Battery, Multi-Laser
Malcador Heavy Tank Squadron [350 Pts]: • 1x Malcador Heavy Tank [350 Pts]: Searchlights, Smoke Launchers, Vanquisher Battle Cannon, Demolisher Cannon, Hull (Left) & Hull (Right) Mounted Lascannon, Pintle Mounted Multi-Laser, Dozer Blade, Flare Shield
Malcador Heavy Tank Squadron [350 Pts]: • 1x Malcador Heavy Tank [350 Pts]: Searchlights, Smoke Launchers, Vanquisher Battle Cannon, Demolisher Cannon, Hull (Left) & Hull (Right) Mounted Lascannon, Pintle Mounted Multi-Laser, Dozer Blade, Flare Shield
## Lords of War [300 Pts]
Macharius Heavy Tank Squadron [300 Pts]: Macharius Vanquisher Cannon • 1x Macharius Heavy Tank [280 Pts]: Two Sponson Mounted heavy stubbers, Hull (Front) Mounted twin-linked heavy stubber, Smoke Launchers
After the game myself and James made our way to Moorhouse Adventure Centre where we hung out for a bit, I was going to play Zone Mortalis, but decided to come home that night cause I wanted us to pick up Graham the next morning, but there were some great games being played
The missions and environment rules were fairly punishing with vehicles and dreadnoughts moving within 3” of terrain having to fire on the nearest United friend or foe, which saw me destroy one of own Carnadons and Nick wipe out a Recon Squad of his
Deamon Fulgrim is a beast and basically ate two squads of Lasmen and my Command squad, in the end I lost by a lot!
Game 2 was on table 3 vs Johns Death Guard, which was a mostly infantry list, but damn Death Guard are tough
Combination of Mortaion, who kept healing the wounds I put on him, and a trio of Dreadnoughts just ripped apart my tanks and I was tabled again
Game 3 was against Chris’s World Eaters on Table 4 and I wasn’t tabled, which was a bonus, but his fast troops, and awesome advanced reaction made short work of my tanks.
After the game I had my tea, a lovely Chinese takeaway of chips and fried rice in curry sauce and salt and pepper chicken, after which we had a Heresy Quiz, which I did respectably in.
The next day I played Matthew and his traitor White Scars, which was tough game, the rules were a bit complicated and I was forced to keep my men out of their transports to carry the objective.
Then I painted up a test piece for a new terrain project, this one is going to be for a no man’s land board for Trench Crusade, but is also going to be generic enough that it won’t look out of place in Bolt Action or Warhammer Fantasy Battle
This year I want to finally play some Legions Imperialis, so I painted up the bases to make my Aeronautica models usable, went for a sandstone type scheme
And finally, myself and Graham had an intro game of Bolt Action in which I played the Germans (because I already have a German army) and Graham the British, I think he won, but really we were just figuring the game out
I originally bought it on GOG a few days after release, despite my system at the time only having a 1660 Ti, which wouldn’t have run it well, but I got it for under a tenner due to the very poor reviews of the state it was in at launch.
But my experience with GOG Galaxy and its cloud saves ended up having me buy it on Steam in a sale earlier this year, alongside Phantom Liberty.
I even bought Phantom Liberty on GOG, but losing all my saves in Control when GOG Galaxy crashed, has put me off GOG for anything I really want to invest time in.
So the reason I am only now just playing it now is cause with these kinds of games, I tend to wait until all the expansion are out, and then have a massive big playthough then, and well it took a bit for Phantom Liberty to come out and I was busy with other stuff.
I have still been playing some Hell Let Loose most Mondays at least and often a game on Wednesday nights as well, and the other week we had this score which was incredible!
I have started a new YouTube painting series Just About Tabletop Standard, in which I am going to paint a Marine from each of the 18 Legions from Horus Heresy.
We started out with an episode on the Dark Angels, followed by an episode on the Emperor’s Children
What I Am Spending
The grown up purchase the past few months was a new vacuum cleaner, we ended up getting a GTech AirRam Mk2 K9, and Lindsay is very happy with it, she always gets excited for new vacuum cleaners!
Our new car was also delivered, we got a Renault Mégane E-Tech which is a really nice car, quite a bit more range than our last and a few extra niceties as well, like a pair of USB-C sockets in the back and dual zone air-con
I managed to get all of the issues of Combat Oatrol I wanted, issues 37, 38, 39 and 40, to get me a Helbrute, some Chaos Terminators and some Wraithguard
Whilst at UK Games Expo, I did pick up the Battletech Beginner Box, I really want to play some of this game again, played it as a teenager, and want to relive my youth!
So I am in the middle of a doctor imposed period of rest and relaxation, not that I can do that much more, and I don’t think I have achieved any of what I was expected to do.
Its been four weeks of the six I was told to take, and I am struggling to center myself and sort out the things I am meant to do, and I think I need to sit and sort that out in the next two weeks.
So I am setting myself some targets over the next couple of weeks, lets say three weeks.
Finish Bayonetta
Get my studio into a constant state of tidiness
Sort out my desk (Its a huge mess)
Film a Battle Report
Cook something
Finish a book
Sort out my 3D Printer
Paint that Lascannon Squad for the Death Guard you forgot you needed
So here is what I need to do
Finish Bayonetta
Just sit and play on my Steam Deck for at least 30 minutes a day
Get My Studio into a Constant State of Tidiness
The big things are to get some stuff into the eaves, clean up the bookcase and take some old Codexes and rulebooks to a charity shop.
I also need to put this unexpected terrain into a box, so a trip to ASDA or Ikea is needed (so I need to ask Lindsay for help, or perhaps Paul) and put the new PLEX server in its permanent home, which may also involve setting up a KDM using a Pi.
Sort Out My Desk
Linked to the above but its a bit of an issue with the left side being a huge issue
Film a Battle Report
I think I have a workflow figured out, so I am gonna try and do this next week, and perhaps do an overview of one or two of my armies.
Cook Something
I have been struggling so much with the electric hobs, so on Sunday, I am going to cook a meal for the otters.
Finish a Book
The brain damage is an issue here, causing concentration to really suck, but I just need to sit down and read, force myself if I have to.
Sort Out My 3D Printer
I have yet to use it since I moved here, and its been over a year!
Paint that Lascannon Squad for the Death Guard You Forgot You Needed
I forgot I didn’t have a Lascannon squad for my Death Guard and I put it in a list, so yeah, I need to build one, I have the marines, just need to buy the weapons on pay day!
I know I will need the assistance of Lindsay and Megan, but I am gonna really try to sort this out
What I Am Modelling
I started out with the Praetor for the Death Guard I got a few months ago
And I listened to The Rapture by Joseph Lidster, and I forgot the mad lads at Big Finish did an audio in which the 7th Doctor went clubbing with Tony Blackburn in Ibiza.
