General Status Update Type Thing

"Kiff, I have made it with a woman.  Inform the crew."

So, what's been happening in the world of George's nerdity since last I blogged?



Well, I went along for the first time to a local gaming group who I've spoken to online but never visited - Glasgow Gaming Group. Principally a wargaming group (although with a lot overlap into other areas) I figured it would be a great in-road into meeting some new players, especially for my more obscure games.
 

 

 Meeting at Woodside Hall just a minute or two's walk from St George's Cross underground this is a fairly easy location to get to, and one with plenty of space for a host of games.  I was actually surprised to enter and see a good dozen differnet board and wargames being played, as well as another three tables for RPGs.  I gathered from chat that it varies a bit - rather than being a "pick up game" kind of place, people usually arrange with their opponents in advance via the Facebook group.

While I have a fair few 40K opponents, a source of people to play other games like Dreadball, Dark Future, 7TV, Man'O'War or whatever is ideal - as is a source of people to teach me new games I don't own.  I've yet to try and historical wargaming, even though I own a couple of books, so perhaps this older crowd would be the people to teach me?  If nothing else, the club has an amazing stash of beautiful terrain and large boards which will make a change from fighting on my rather rough & ready battle terrain squeezed into my nerd room.

From the Facebook group - a picture of one of the tables in action.

Inevitably amongst the games of Warhammer, Infinity, Blood Bowl, X-Wing and what have you I recognised a few faces there. - some from Uni like Drew, others from my general nerdy circles like Charles.  Surprisingly I was recognised by a few people who I hadn't met before but had seen my ugly mug opining on the G3 Facebook group before.  In particular some of the organising committee type people took a fair bit of time to chat with me and definitely made me feel welcome.

One person I had quite a long chat with was Douglas, a gentleman who used to work with a friend of mine and whom I first met around 2001 or so - I hadn't spoken to him properly in years, but he still nerds it up and has a very broad taste in games.  Hopefully we can get a game in sometime soon!  Just for him, I ploughed through my hard drive and found a stash of pictures from when he and I (and a few other firends) played 3rd Ed Warhammer 40K when I was a singleton student living at home.  This is the only notable period of actual play (rather than reading) I had, so it's a pleasant little trip into the past for me.

Photo dated 24th November 2001: Simon's Blood Angels leap into combat with Ogryns.  I believe this was a Meat Grinder, with Dougie's Imperial Guard being the meat!

Anyway, I had some ulterior motives for going to G3.  You see, you may remember I tried a new game recently.  I quite enjoyed it, and decided that on my next payday I should get a copy of the core rules so I could try it again.  A few days before said payday someone of the G3 forum posted they had an unused copy of this box to sell and offered a very reasonable price for.

Therefore, I found myself heading to G3 partly to get a copy of the Star Trek: Attack Wing starter set.

All parts present and correct - already punched out but that's about it.

I was very chuffed to get this.  I was also chuffed to get it from a guy who I actually remember back from Glasgow Uni - I briefly attended the Cuckoos Nest LARPing society and he was one of the nicer people there.  I was even more chuffed that I saved some money.... so I could get another ship model to keep me busy for a bit!

The Pasteur's card from the Fajo Collection, a stupid expensive Star Trek card game set that only idiots with more money than sense bought.  (So, yes, I have one at my parent's house))

One of the most recent additions to the game, the U.S.S. Pasteur  as featured in the finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation is a ship design I've always liked - different to the other saucer-and-nacelle ships yet clearly still related to them.  It's popped up in our Star Trek RPG due to this love and the chance to fly it into battle was too tempting.  Pairing up with the Galaxy vs a Klingon/Romulan alliance it also lets me test a two ship vs two ship game on my own while I learn the rules more.

It seems repainting of the Attack Wing ships is very common - Kenny did a great job, but it seems a lot of people at least give their ships a wash and drybrush.  A wee splash of Army Painter Quickshade may be in order....

It was a bargain!

In RPG news, we're a few weeks into King Arthur Pendragon.  (Hence grabbing the above Arthurian encyclopedia on eBay.)  We've started the Conquest phase, in which Arthur has unified Britain only to lead his troops into war on the continent.  Chivalry and more middle ages aesthetic starts to bleed in over the previously Dark Ages stylings of anarchy, and magic & adventure become more common rather than historical grittiness.

On a more play point of view, four of the five players are playing the children of their first characters from way back in session one - the other, Chris, is a new start who I've played wargames with but haven't RPGed with before.  (Charles runs a game for him on another night - when Charles had to bail out this block, he reccomended he join us)

Some of the Coats of Arms of major characters.  (Though a few haven't be introduced in game yet, like Sir Lancelot or Sir Mordred)

Chris seems to be enjoying the game so far and the new block has gone fairly well, if slow - normally we barrel through a year per session, but it was two sessions for 519 then three for 520.  That said, 520 had a fairly epic quest and the slower pace has given us more time to establish personalities for our fairly new knights.

Expect a more details Pendragon post soon.  I've got a fair bit to ramble out when it comes to this game - but for now, let's end with a picture of another recent eBay puchase.  Since the last couple of retro White Dwarf reviews have gone down well, what would you guys say to another one?...

Coming soon!