A detailed account of my various commission/hobby projects.
Board Games - Norse mythology with a sci-fi twist do you really need to know more? Lords of Ragnarok is an interesting game that has so really cool miniatures. The massive statues you have to build during the game are well massive. The characters are interesting variations of the traditional depictions.
Board Games - Mysthea is a euro game where you manage resources on an ancient planet. It has some really weird miniatures that were pretty fun to paint.
Board Games - Mad Max is one of my favorite franchises so it’s cool to see other takes on a similar theme.
Description from Publisher:
Waste Knights: Second Edition is a post-apocalyptic game of adventure and survival for 1-4 players inspired by cult classics of the post-apo movies and set in dystopian Australia destroyed by experiments of a powerful corporation. Each player becomes a rugged hero, travelling through the wasteland, facing unnatural weather and enemies forged in long-forgotten laboratories as well as experiencing adventures full of dramatic choices and disturbing characters.
The game is adventure-based, with each Adventure branching out into a number of Plots revealed depending on the players’ narrative choices. Each plot offers unique game mechanics and stories that can be found in the Book of Tales – some of them are keyed to a particular adventure, some are generic, but all enable the players to immerse themselves in the setting and make decisions that change the world around them.
Each knight (player) has 2 actions at their disposal, which basically enable them to travel around the continent in their Vehicle, explore the area for ever-dwindling Resources (Fuel, Ammo, Meds), or camp in order to repair their Gear and heal Wounds or Radiation. Each adventure additionally offers a number of unique Plot Actions that let the players affect the story and fulfill their goals.
However, the heart of the game are stories. Each playthrough is based on an adventure found in the Guide. Some of them are co-op, others competitive, others still may end with the players grouping around different factions and forced to fight their former friends. The construction of each adventure offers lots of narrative choices guaranteeing high replayability and encompasses unique setup elements so that the basic game can be prepared quickly and the players can focus on the plot, not the rules.
Board Games - Bloodborne is a tabletop game based on a video game. I never played the game but it looks like a cool concept. You play as hunters trying to solve a mystery while fighting various monsters.
I’l painted expansions for this previously and finally got around to painting the core game.
Board Games - The Thing is one of those movies with practical effects that still holds up really well. I remember several board games that tried to play off the whole imposter hiden bad guy theme but none were really miniature games. This one is officially licensed so it has every character from both movies as well as the variations of the monster.
I enjoyed rewatching the film while painting these. The miniatures really capture the feel of the movie.
Board Games - I seem to have gotten very behind in posting my projects here. I’ve been busy with numerous projects and will try to catch up with the content I haven’t posted. Most of these projects are various board games which are painted to a basic to tabletop standard. Most of the time board game miniatures don’t need much to enhance the experience of the game.
Raptor Claw Island is a game that doesn’t come with miniatures out of the box it uses cardboard standees. It’s part of the Ulaya Chronicles Drowned Earth Miniatures Game and this is a simplified set of rules that serves as an introduction to the larger system.
It’s been quite a long time since I put together metal models and these got me feeling pretty nostalgic for the heft that metal models have. I enjoyed painting these and am pretty happy with the details on the dinosaur models.
Board Games - Often I get really odd games that I’ve never heard of crossing my painting table, ThreeTale is one of them. The miniatures are a very odd mix of styles that I for the life of me couldn’t figure out what this game is about. Looking it up on Board Game Geek I can see it has a pretty high rating and and interesting description from the publisher:
ThreeТale is a cooperative adventure game for 3 players who choose their fairytale heroes with stories going way back. Each hero has their asymmetric talents. The gameplay’s a combination of variable player powers in the form of virtues, strategic tile placement and a little bit of dice rolling.
As a team, the tree players go through four phases – Prophecy Phase, Past, Present, and Future.
In the Prophecy phase, three scenarios of future doom are mystically revealed, holding hints to help the players draft their heroes. In the Past phase, every hero gets the chance to develop their stats and talents to be mighty enough to save the world from eternal doom. The heroes’ miniatures move through the tile-built board, thus collecting Virtues, Shevitsa and Speed cubes. They also enter Battles, complete Quests and collect Treasures and Artifacts by drawing cards.
Upon completing the Past Phase, the heroes enter the Present, where it is revealed which of the three prophecies will be fulfilled. Then, the Future comes, knocking on the door. Each Future has its own backstory, inhabitants and win condition. What will it take to save the world? Will you battle a mighty enemy, will you aim to gather lots of precious recourses, or will you simply fight for your own survival? Come and see for yourselves…
—description from the designer
Board Games - It seems that I get quite a few games based on video game properties crossing my painting table. It’s interesting that many of them do a decent job pulling mechanics or theme from the source material to create a different experience.
Heroes of Might & Magic does this fairly well, you have a hero that loots town and fights monsters to move through the various adventures included in each expansion box.
Board Games - Sticking with the spooky theme Arkies is a Steampunk Adventure game that takes place in Egypt exploring a forgotten tomb. The game features a large amount of miniatures that were pretty fun to paint.
Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to play this but the description from the publisher is pretty interesting:
History is full of secrets...
As they explore an ancient Egyptian tomb, a team of archaeologists and adventurers stumble upon a mystery that History forgot. To uncover the truth, they will have to delve deeper and deeper in the pyramids, dodging deadly traps and fighting back swathes of monsters running after them. Has the old Pharaoh placed a curse on this expedition? Should some secrets remain untold? This story is now yours to complete...
Arkeis is a cooperative, story-driven, campaign game with minis set among ancient Egyptian ruins.
Each player takes control of an adventurer as they explore a modular board.
Players have up to two actions per turn: search, move, assist an ally or fight one of the numerous dangers waiting for them in the tombs! The results of their actions can be altered by the equipment and character upgrades they earn during the campaign.
They can push their luck at the risk of being cursed or suffering lasting traumas from injuries!
Each character has their own backpack to store their items (and curses) between adventures.
Each scenario has objectives that the players will try to accomplish during the game to earn rewards in the form of key items and upgrades that influence later scenarios.
It will take a team of skilled players to reveal all of Arkeis’s secrets!
Board Games - Euthia is an open world sandbox game that can be played with 1-4 players. It uses a tile system to generate a new world each time you play so you can take your band of heroes and have a new adventure each time. The miniatures are pretty big and decently detailed.
Board Games - The Witcher Board Game. Starting off October with an Image dump of the minis from The Witcher Board Game.
Board Games - Ignite is a weird little battle game where you track damage by sticking swords in the back of the models. These are a super basic paint job just to make them look a little better on the table.
Board Games - Robinson Crusoe is a pretty classic game that has released an Ultimate edition that has some really great miniatures. Each miniature has two identical versions that you use on two different boards during gameplay. There is also a really cool shelter model that stacks up as you improve upon your home base.
Robinson Crusoe - Shelter Model
I haven’t had a chance to play but the description from the manufacturer sounds interesting:
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island is a game created by Ignacy Trzewiczek, the author of Stronghold. This time Trzewiczek takes the players to a deserted island, where they'll play the parts of shipwreck survivors confronted by an extraordinary adventure. They'll be faced with the challenges of building a shelter, finding food, fighting wild beasts, and protecting themselves from weather changes. Building walls around their homes, animal domestication, constructing weapons and tools from what they find, and much more await them on the island. The players decide in which direction the game will unfold and – after several in-game weeks of hard work – how their settlement will look. Will they manage to discover the secret of the island in the meantime? Will they find a pirate treasure, or an abandoned village? Will they discover an underground city or a cursed temple at the bottom of a volcano? Answers to these questions lie in hundreds of event cards and hundreds of object and structure cards that can be used during the game...
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island is an epic game from Portal. You will build a shelter, palisade, weapons, you will create tools like axes, knives, sacks, you will do everything you can to… to survive. You will have to find food, fight wild beasts, protect yourself from weather changes…
Take the role of one of four characters from the ship crew (cook, carpenter, explorer, or soldier) and face the adventure. Use your determination skills to help your teammates, discuss with them your plan, and put it into practice. Debate, discuss, and work on the best plan you all can make.
Search for treasures. Discover mysteries. Follow goals of six different, engaging scenarios. Start by building a big pile of wood and setting it on fire to call for help, and then start new adventures. Become an exorcist on cursed Island. Become a treasure hunter on Volcano Island. Become a rescue team for a young lady who’s stuck on rock island…
Let the adventure live!
Board Games - After watching Frozen Empire I was able to convince my wife and kids to try out the Ghostbusters board game I got ages ago. When I originally back the game the kids were to young to play so it found its way onto my shelf and finally saw some table time during a Ghostbusters weekend earlier this year,
Board Games - Mythwind is a unique adventure board game with some very cute miniatures.
From the publisher:
Mythwind is a cooperative & solo "cozy" board game with unique characters, magical sprites, engaging story and an unending adventure.
During the game, the characters are working together to establish and build a new town in the magical Mythwind Valley. They work to achieve various goals by constructing buildings within the town, adventuring throughout the region, navigating relationships with the mysterious sprites who inhabit the valley, and developing their character-specific professions.
As an open-ended game, Mythwind has no distinct conclusion. Although many players may find a natural end point to their game at the conclusion of the story, players can continue to play the game for as long as they would like over as many game sessions as they wish. As players progress through the game, their town will develop and grow, reacting to changing seasons and to the members of the community over time. Progress made can be easily saved using the provided game trays, which offer a quick and easy solution for both tear-down of the current game and setup of future games.
Board Games - Tamashi is a cyber punk game with a unique look. I tried to paint these in a distinct style that mimicks the look of the board and cards.
From the publisher:
Tamashii is a cyberpunk adventure board game with a post-apocalyptic vibe. Players will struggle to survive and pursue their agendas in two worlds at the same time - the physical one, filled with deadly machines and merciless human survivors, and the virtual one, prowled by tracking software and vicious viruses.
Players will try to achieve their goals on a modular city map. They will find new locations, fight against strong enemies and search for important information and files needed to win the game.
The second part of the game takes action on a virtual map. Here you will try to hack your opponents, unlock special bonuses or get one-time bonuses for completing the sequences.
The game may be played in different scenarios. You might have to cooperate with other players, play against them or even make an alliances with your enemies. But watch every step you take; every conflict, cooperation or alliance might be a double-edged sword.
Board Games - Twisted Fables is a deck builder that combines fairy tales with old-school arcade fighting mechanics. The miniatures are great and the deluxe edition has a pretty amazing art book.
From the publisher:
Twisted Fables is a fast-paced fairy tale fighting game inspired by old-school 2D arcade fighters. In Twisted Fables players take on the roles of beloved heroines from some of history's most famous stories, myths, and legends. Plucked from their traditional settings, these characters have been thrown into a world of cybernetic assassins, magical manipulations, and malevolent darkness. These are not the classic characters you remember, but rather superpowered fables drawn from their own lands to battle across sweeping, bizarre alternate dimensions and realities. What mysterious force has drawn them together? What is the purpose of their war? Only the Weaver of Tales knows for certain.
Driven by deck building, Twisted Fables is a game for two players in 1v1 Mode or four players in 2v2 Mode (available with the separately released 2v2 Upgrade Pack.) In the game, each warrior will strengthen their abilities, learn potent new skills, unlock devastating special powers, and use unique asymmetric strategies to defeat their opponents. Even the same character may display completely different fighting styles depending on her player's decisions. The different specializations a character can choose from not only provide fantastically flexible tactical choices, but also offer one more layer of depth and surprise to this frenetic, frantic fighter. Twisted Fables brings a highly interactive experience to deck builders that you'll want to come back to again and again.
The book is opened. The fables have arisen. Let's begin.
Board Games - Ignite is a unique board game that tracks wounds via daggers in the backs of the models.
From the publisher:
Many ages have past since the use of magic broke the world. Since then, the races of Oshos have lived in an unstable peace. Yet as memory slips to myth, and myth slips to legend, the "Great Races" once more begin meddling with magic, and the tainted power corrupts the land yet again. Lava swallows up whole villages and a terrible famine spreads. "Lower" nomadic races begin rising up, pillaging and raiding nearby towns for food. Peace is no longer an option. War is here, and only one race can reign supreme.
Ignite is a dueling deckbuilder where players battle miniatures across a variably built board. Each player has 3 units of their chosen race, each with its own asymmetrical race ability.
Each unit has 3 hit points. When your unit takes a point of damage you insert a dagger into the back of the miniature. The player who inflicts the last point of damage keeps the unit as a trophy. Whoever has the most trophies at the end of the game wins.
Each card in your hand can be played for its honor value (allowing you to buy more cards) or for its battle effect (affecting your units and cards). Knowing when to battle and when to invest is incredibly important.
In the middle of the board is the bazaar. While one of your units is here it may sell a card. Selling a card allows you to trash it (removing it permanently from your deck) and gain honor equal to its original cost, allowing you to buy more powerful cards. The bazaar is powerful, but also dangerous as your opponents are often right there next to you.
There are 4 special types of terrain inIgniteand you'll have to choose how best to use them.
Village: Allows you to purchase a card, but a successful attack against you will do additional damage.
Forest: Protects you from ranged attacks, but fire attacks will spread through the entire forest.
Water: Necessary for certain powerful spells, but freeze and lightning attacks will spread through the entire body of water.
Lava: If you are pushed into lava, your unit immediately dies.
In Ignite there is a strength and weakness to everything. Invest too early in powerful magic attacks, and you won't have any honor to purchase more valuable equipment when you need it. Invest in bows and arrows to gain a range advantage over the enemy, but remember, you can only shoot arrows if you also have a bow in your hand. Prefer getting up close and personal with melee weapons? Just be sure you have mounts available to bring your unit within striking distance.
Ignite comes from our love of deckbuilders. The main complaints against deckbuilders are that they (1) have minimal player interaction, playing a lot like solitaire (2) have an anti-climactic end-game (3) often feel the same after a few games. We built a deckbuilder where negotiation, alliance-making, and begging were legitimate strategies. Where the end of the game is the most exciting part. And where you will never play the same game twice (between the asymmetric race abilities, variably built board, and incredibly varied weapons, items, and spells).
Board Games - Redwood is a unique spatial awareness game in which you are a photographer trying to capture the perfect picture of wildlife.
From the publisher:
Redwood is a game of movement estimations and angle of view where players have to take pictures of wild animals to compose the most beautiful panorama. The game is for 1 to 4 players, ages 10+ and the games last about 45-60 min.
During their turn, each player will have to choose between different movements and their angle of view (materialized by real plastic elements) to catch the animals in the picture (without disturbing them).
Collecting animals and decorative elements earn victory points.
During the game, new conditions for earning points will appear.
The game ends after 5 turns and players will be rewarded if they meet certain conditions to earn more points.
Board Games - Pest features some really cool Plague Doctor miniatures.
Description from publisher:
Our once great Empire was struck by a devastating plague… will you answer the call to save it?
Once standing tall and great, we now need to rediscover and rebuild our fallen cities. There are still survivors among the ruins – we must take them in our care and cure them. In order to stay ahead of the plague, we must implement new inventions and technologies. Our influence will expand as we rebuild, but the plague will still lurk in the shadows, ready to strike when we least expect it. Once it does, it will be difficult to adapt, but we will survive. In addition to the procurement of important resources, our imperative will be to get the plague under control.
In Pest, players slip into the roles of leaders of the ruling houses of a once great empire that was struck by a cataclysmic plague. The plague has left much of the empire in ruins, so now it is up to the players to restore it to its former glory.
Pest is played in 6 rounds. Each round before players take their turn, a plague card will be revealed which shows how the plague will spread in that round. On their turn, players will be able to select among many actions on their player board using a unique action selection system. Thus, players will be able to move their containment team on the board, quarantine and cure infected people, rebuild, assign workers, harvest for resources, and more.
As their house influence grows, players will be able to play more actions, generate more resources, and house more people. This will bring forth new technological advancements which are much needed to get the plague under control.
The game ends after the 6 round is over and players count their final amount of Renown (victory points). The player with the most Renown is the winner and declared the savior of the empire!
