Table Talk

   Hello again from the new headquarters for S.M.H.I.T., high atop the towering Ancaster mountain!

 

   This last week I had a chance to break out my paintbrushes, after a long move-induced painting drought. It felt good to wield the brush again.

 

   My first project at the new home was to paint up a gaming board and scenery for some upcoming games. I wanted something fancier than the traditional green matt, so I purchased two sets of Ex Illis gaming tables.

 

   For those of you who don't know, Ex Illis was a short-lived fantasy miniature game produced by Canadian company Bastion. The game had excellent plastic figures, a fully modelled sectional board, and used computer software to drive the rules. It was a clever and ambitious game.

 

   I particularly liked the modular playing surface they made. This gaming board is composed of twenty 9" by 9" interlocking tiles. Each tile is uniquely detailed with ruins, campfires, discarded banners and shields and plenty of other battlefield wreckage. The tiles lock snugly together with plastic clips. In fact the clips even come with rubber 'feet' to keep the surface from sliding around during play.

A painted Ex Illis gaming tile.

   All in all a very impressive set.

   I bought two.

   As you can see the two sets nicely cover the new table I bought for the War-nasium. I painted all these at the same time so as to avoid any variation in colour scheme. I wanted to minimize the possibility that the tiles would look like a patchwork quilt when all clipped together.

   I think it worked well. The patchwork effect is a trade-off for having smaller tiles than, say 2' by 2', but the smaller tiles are much more versatile. It especially works when you add additional scenery items like hills or craters.

   So there we are! I'm excited about this new table, and I'll be playing my first game on it this week -- the twisted Lovecraftian horror that is Strange Aeons!

 

Thanks again for stopping by!

-Andrew

Craftsmart Brown

Craftsmart Tan

My Dad's Model Collection - Part III

   "Testing... Testing..." *taps microphone* "Is this thing on?!"

 

   The Sinclair Memorial Home for Incurable Tyrants (and Kings) has once again opened its doors! We've been gone for a few months, but we are now back, coming to you live and direct from beautiful and history-filled Ancaster Ontario.

 

   This move has been an exciting one, as my new place has a fully finished basement, which is being converted into a gaming hall, called the War-nasium. I've already got three events booked for the War-nasium this month, and my new gaming table is being delivered this Thursday. The future is bright!

 

   To kick things off here's part III of my Dad's model collection. The Black Watch Highlanders.

  

 

 

    These striking figures are plastic Airfix 54mm Waterloo British Highlanders. My Dad painted this diorama as a gift for my Grandfather, years and years and years ago.

   My Grandfather treasured this piece, and kept it proudly displayed in his office for decades. It has always been one of my favourites, as well. You can really see my Dad's attention to detail and the careful love he put into these soldiers. Gluing and mounting those paper crossbelts and straps must have driven my Dad nuts!

  

   Thank you again for visiting my little corner of the web. It feels great to be back, and there's plenty more to come... including my tribute to the Great War!

 

See you soon!

-Andrew 

Ack! Zombeez!!!

   April! Always a busy month full of lots of S.M.H.I.T. and fun, including a couple of birthdays and my spring zombie game and movie celebration -- ZombieFEST!

   I like to have something new painted up for every 'FEST, and this year I finished off my copy of the excellent boardgame Zombicide.

Zombicide!

   Made by Guillotine Games and the good people at Cool Mini Or Not, Zombicide is a great blend of miniature action and fast-playing boardgame fun. And it is stuffed with minis... 71 in fact. When they're all painted up it looks like this...

Ack!!

   There are six survivors for the players to choose from. Each is an iconic character with his or her own unique style and skills. You'll no-doubt recognize some of them as being the spitting image of certain movie characters. Here, for example, are Ned, Doug and Amy...

Ned, Doug and Amy.

  ...or there's Wanda, Josh and Phil.

Wanda, Josh and Phil.

   See anyone you recognize?

   Hunting our desperate heroes are a veritable horde of the undead, including extra-zippy 'runners', loathsome 'fatties'...

A fattie and two runners, looking for lunch!

   ...normal 'walkers' and, worst of all, the 'abomination'.

   There is only one abomination, but only the rarest and most powerful of weapons can bring him down. The figures themselves were fun to paint, and again I used Army Painter paints and shades. They always give me great results with a minimum of time.

   Here, finally are some of my friends enjoying a knuckle-biting game of Zombicide at ZombieFEST! last weekend.

   A good time was had by all and almost everyone survived! Thanks again for visiting my little corner of the Interwebs.

See you soon!
-Andrew