Episode 75: Getting Started

Episode 75

In this episode the hosts do their first count down ever. Don’t miss our thoughts on the top three things to consider as you get into wargaming. For you veterans, pleas drop us a line about what you think we might have missed in our countdown. We also gush about the new “The Dark Knight Rises” 2 player starter box for the Batman Miniatures Game as well as a couple of other surpises Knight Models included with this release. Finally, we wrap up the show with a review of “The Song of Ice and Fire” Miniatures Game by CMON.

Topics on this show include:

  • Top 3 Countdown of things new wargamers should know
  • Knight Models new Batman Miniatures Game 2 player starter
  • A Song of Ice and Fire Miniatures Game by CMON

With that, let’s roll those dice! Wisco’s for the win!!!!

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Review: Batman – Gotham City Chronicles

Monolith Games has recently started shipping the long awaited Kickstarter for Batman: Gotham City Chronicles. In this board game, in the normal play mode, up to three players take on the roles of Batman, Robin, and the rest of the Bat Family or GCPD members to take on the single Overlord player. The game re-uses a good number of the mechanics from their now very popular Conan board game. So, after getting my copy delivered a couple of weeks ago and getting a couple of games of it in now as the Overlord I am going to share some thoughts.

The All In Pledge For Batman: GCC Kickstarter
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Getting Started: Starting Out with Colors

If you have been keeping up, you should now have or be ready to purchase brushes, a palette, and know which vendor(s) paints you want to go with. The next thing to find intimidating is the number of colors in that paint rack. Most manufacturers churn out 40, 50, 60 or more colors and picking which colors you want to get started at a few US dollars for each pot or dropper bottle can stretch your initial hobby funds pretty thin.

In this article, I will go over some strategies you can use in deciding what colors you want to pick up first as you start to put the finishing touches on your starting paint kit. It shouldn’t take a ton of colors to be able to get started with painting. Down the road, as you expand your collection of paints or perfect your abilities to mix the colors you need to help with your growing and continued painting hobby.

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Getting Started: Choosing the Right Paints

So in the last getting started article, I talked about paint brushes and the basic tools of painting. Next up, I wanted to dive into paints and which ones you may want to select as your first purchase. Between paints, brushes, palette, and other hobby tools it’s very easy to spend more in initial purchases then it cost you to buy the first box of models. It’s hidden costs that make getting into wargaming expensive and daunting for the beginner. I hope to help guide you with some of my experience in wargaming.

Selecting a Paint Line

With so many different paint lines on the market right now, it can be hard to choose which paint line to use. Not to mention, it can be another big question as to maybe which lines mix and match the easiest. My best advise is as you get started to pick one paint line and stick with it for your first line of models. Even today, the vast majority of my collection of paints are from one single paint line with a small sampling of products from three or four other vendors.

Army Painter

As a whole, Army Painter puts together a paint line that will do the job for most beginners. To be honest, when they first came on the market I avoided them thinking they were not the same quality of paint and would give me issues. While I am still not a fan of how some of their colors coat and I feel there are better paint lines on the market, you can’t beat Army Painter getting started kits in particular and the price is much easier to handle. I think for anyone just getting started painting models Army Painter paints are a great starting point.

Reaper Master Series Paints

Reaper paints are my primary paint line for all colors and I own well over 100 different colors. The best thing I like about these is the triad system that their paints go in, starting with a traditional shade color, base color, and highlight color while not changing the consistency from color to color. They are high pigment and coat very well. If there was one thing I would criticize regarding the range, it is the metallic paints. While there are a number of shades, I find that they don’t coat nearly as well as another vendor on this list. Reaper paints aren’t as popular though and it can be hard to find painting tutorials that are using those paints. If you are one that needs to match color for color that they are using in the tutorial, you may also want to look elsewhere (or just ask me).

Citadel (Games-Workshop) Paints

This is where almost all of us got our start with miniature paint lines, even myself. I have never had a complaint about Citadel paints. It’s a great range of paint and the way they coat is something you can’t go wrong with. It’s popular so finding tutorials using those paints is pretty easy to do as well. Not to mention, it’s very likely some of the people that you will find playing wargames at your friendly local game store will be familiar with them which gives you some added places to get advise as you paint your first models. My one knock against them is that they still use paint pots. While not the only company that does this, I find that the pots don’t seal as well and can lead to paints drying out. There is nothing worse then going for that pot of color that you want and finding that the entire pot is dried out.

Valejo Paints

Velejo paints are fairly common and popular with a lot of people, particularly when people are painting historical models as there are many painting and color guides out there using Velejo paints (thanks largely to Flames of War). Another dropper bottle paint line (like most of the others) their paints tend towards both good coverage and generally good value. I do have a small sampling of Valejo paints in my collection, but only really there for matching historical colors on some of my WW2 Bolt Action armies where I had a hard time figuring out what the equivalent Reaper paint was. To be honest, I am finding that I really do like the few pots I own and will likely add to that small, but growing collection as time goes on.

Scale75

I don’t have a lot of experience with this range, but I did recently pick up some of their metallic paints. I am extremely pleased with these for their coverage and smooth flow. I don’t know that I would advise a beginner to go buy these for their first paints, but if you were looking to add to your collection some metallic paints and wanted to explore another range then I would point you here.

Sum Up

Overall, there is my first thoughts on paint ranges. You pretty much can’t go wrong starting with Army Painter, Citadel, Valejo, or Reaper paints for your first start into painting. Buying a beginners set with your base colors is always a good way to go, but in the next article I will talk about selecting your first paints and things to think about that might help you save a few pennies on your initial start up costs.

Getting Started: Picking the Right Painting Set Up

So, after a recent conversation at the game store this week with a couple of people I had just run through a demo of Star Wars: Legion by Fantasy Flight Games I realized it might be useful for people just getting into the hobby an idea of what it takes to get started with painting models.

Painting for new wargamers is one of the most intimidating things about miniature wargaming. When I started the game and you would go to the game store where you bought your products there was only one brand of miniature paints that had different colors of paint and hobby inks. Products like washes, mediums, glazes, base colors, highlight colors, air brush paint lines, and all of the other odds and ends just didn’t exist (least not as a something that the average wargamer talked about). Bases were painted Goblin Green and you would put a little model railroad flock on the base after painting your figure (if you even did that) and go on playing with your little toy soldiers.

Now days though, the market has surged with multiple paint lines, hobby products, paint brush manufacturers, and all sorts of things that can make the jump into painting intimidating. In this article, I am going to focus on talking about the accessories to painting like brushes, palettes, and cleaning supplies. In future articles I will talk about what paints and other hobby supplies you might want to pick up.

Paint Brushes

There are a number of brushes out there, but I recommend not going fancy here to start with. While there are a lot of paint brushes on the market and usually available at the game store, there are three sizes of brushes that I recommend you start with. Of course, these sizes are pretty traditional and standardized by artists who have been painting things far longer then we have been painting toy soldiers!

  • A size 2 brush
  • A size 1 brush
  • A size 0 brush

There are a number of other sizes I use or have including an 18/0 and a size 6. All brushes I typically use are round brushes.

Also as a recommendation regarding brushes, don’t go out and buy ridiculously expensive brushes for your first brushes. There’s a lot that goes into brush maintenance and you likely are going to do things that will beat up brushes quickly. On my paint desk are a number of brushes by Artist’s Loft which you can likely find on Amazon or at Michael’s (hobby and craft’s store).

Cleaning Brushes

To start with a simple old heavy cup, like a coffee cup and tap water should be good enough. After working with the paint you are working with just jiggle the brush in the water until the brush seems clean and wipe off with a paper towel. That’s pretty much what I do today and it works fine enough. No need to go any further.

Paint Palette

I strongly recommend you look at getting a paint pallet. Painting directly from the pot or if you go with a paint line that uses dropper bottles. For this, I am going to recommend that you start with a wet palette.

I started out with paint pots and sticking my brush straight into the pots and going to the model. This ends up with a heavy coat of paint that makes it hard to do fine detail painting. Next, I started using glass mirrors (small round ones) or old used CD and DVD ROM disks. These let me do a lot more with mixing different colors up and improved my blends, but the paints dried out so quickly on those that I would often have to remix a color or blend to get the color right. It wasn’t until I went to a wet palette that I really was happy with the palette.

While they aren’t complicated and you can hack one together out of a blister pack, a piece of foam and some wax paper, for about $10 US I picked up a Masterson’s Sta-Wet Handy Palette that’s about 8×6 inches in size. It’s great and I can easily get replacement sponges and paper that are sized and cut for it when I need them. It’s a little extra money here and there for my painting hobby, but the convenience factor for me was worth the few extra dollars a year.

Episode 74: Adepticon 2019

Episode 74

Well, it’s been more then a year. Our apologies for that, but life happens. We are hot off of Adepticon 2019 and pretty excited with new found time and energy to talk wargaming and all of our other shenanigans.

Topics on this show include:

  • Bolt Action
  • Konflikt ’47
  • Star Wars Legion
  • Batman Miniatures Game
  • Other things we will be bringing to the show in the future

With that, let’s roll those dice! Wisco’s for the win!!!!

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Gameholecon 2018 Star Wars Legion Tournament

Here are the promised rules for the 2018 Gameholecon Star Wars Legion event happening on Sunday. Please ensure you are familiar with the Fantasy Flight Rules Pack for tournaments. This is available in the Tournaments section of the Legion page on the Fantasy Flight Games website.

Tournament Tier: Relaxed
Stucture: Basic (No Cut)
Number of Players: 16
Points: 800
Rounds: 6 or less players, 2 rounds. More then 6 players there will be 3 rounds
Round Length: Rounds will be 120 minutes long with a 10 minute pre-game set up time

Lists: Players must have a copy of their list available for the Organizer, preferably printed using Tabletop Admiral. If a player does not have a printed copy of their list, then they will be provided a form at registration and required to provide a detailed list of units and purchased upgrade cards. A player found playing with options not on the list submitted to the Organizer will be disqualified from the event.

Schedule (rough):
8-8:30 AM: Registration
8:30 AM to 10:40 AM: Round 1
10:50 AM to 1 PM: Round 2
1 PM to 1:30 PM: Lunch
1:30 PM to 3:40 PM: Round 3
3:40 to 4 pm: Final Results and Awards

Ringer: As this is a relaxed format event, if there is an odd number of players the Organizer, who is also filling in as a leader will play as the ringer. The ringer will not be eligible for any prize support or be considered for final event scoring, however your result against the ringer will be your result. Thus a loss against the ringer is considered a loss in the event. The idea of the ringer is to ensure everyone gets to play as many games of Legion and have fun through the day.

Overall results will be posted to the WiscoDice website.

Prize Support: TBD

Star Wars Legion Tournament: Skirmish at the Temple of Eedit

We will be running a Star Wars: Legion tournament at Misty Mountain Games. A clash will occur in the Jedi temple of Eedit on the planet Devaron between Rebel Forces and the Galactic Empire.

  • Location: 4672 Cottage Grove Rd., Madison, Wisconsin
  • Entry Fee: $10 (All entry fees go to prize support)
  • Date: June 2nd, 2018 doors open at 10 am. Round 1 around 10:30
  • Rounds: 3
  • Points: 800 points
  • Round Limit: 2 hours with 15 minute timed pre-game phase (card selection, terrain definition)
  • Style: Relaxed
  • Lunch: Included. Pulled Pork and the fixings provided by myself
  • Painting: Not required, but highly encouraged
  • Lists: Please bring 1 copy of your list for the Organizer and 1 copy of your list to share with your opponent. Lists must be shared with your opponent at the beginning of the pre-gamed timed phase, before the mission cards are displayed.
  • See the Fantasy Flight Games Tournament rules pack for other rules. This event will NOT have player elimination.

How do I win cool stuff?

  1. Top spot is guaranteed some cool in store Legion product.
  2. Best appearance as determined by our Organizer will earn some cool in store Legion product.
  3. Door prizes. We’ll split the rest of the prize pool and randomly select winners from the remaining players in the event.

Pre-Register at Misty Mountain Games today or go over to the Madison Star Wars Legion group and let us know you are coming!

Getting Started: Joker

In my third article for Getting Started crew guides for the Batman Miniatures Game, I am taking a look at the Joker crew. Remember, in the Getting Started series I am going to focus on Batman Miniatures Game and specifically look at a crew at a time and give my thoughts as to what the starting point should be. The focus in these is getting started with the game, and not necessarily the greatest tournament winning and soul crushing lists. Each article is going to focus on ease and cost of ownership and provide a good first list beyond your starter box purchase.

With the Joker crew, it’s about tricks and getting the best out of low level thugs. Joker crews are considered a horde crew for the game where you are going to want to get the best out of the worst, quite literally! While this could mean that you are looking at a greater cost to get into the game from the start, Joker crews can bring in some great thematic free agents and sidekicks to help give the crew some needed bite as well. This can help you out with beginning model count as you get your crew to the table. As there is only one starter available for this crew in resin, both of my recommendations will use that crew box as a basis.
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Getting Started: Bane

In my second article for Getting Started crew guides for the Batman Miniatures Game, I am taking a look at Bane. Remember, in the Getting Started series I am going to focus on Batman Miniatures Game and specifically look at a crew at a time and give my thoughts as to what the starting point should be. The focus in these is getting started with the game, and not necessarily the greatest tournament winning and soul crushing lists. Each article is going to focus on ease and cost of ownership and provide a good first list beyond your starter box purchase.

With the Bane crew, it’s about powerful models that will dominate your opponent with strength. Bane crews tend to be elite models that play a very strong role on the table. Each one individually can be expected to serve their role and do it very well. With this article, I will focus on what’s available for resin purchases which makes your cost of entry in getting started with this crew easy and makes future growth expansions not too bad either.
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