Adepticon Wrap Up!

 Adepticon in an image.

 Adepticon is over!  Sorry for the belated post, but I had to dive right into packing to move and trying to catch up on sleep when I returned.  This year was by far the most fun ever.  It would take me hours to write out all the funny stories I took with me, but I decided to capture a few in an image before I left.

1.  Player's Choice for Display!  Woohoo!!  Thanks to everyone who came by and said hello.  Also to those that voted for the army!  The response this year was easily double last year.  I had people coming in from the 40k side on breaks to see what this "boat army" was all about, which was a real honor that it was such a buzz, and just in general it is always so much fun to see peoples reactions to a months worth of dedication and love for something.  My rambling to try and describe my excitement will be shorter this year as I know there is no point in trying to put it into words.  Even if I had won nothing, my army crashed to the floor on round 5 and fell apart, and the parts that were strapped to the roof of the car fell off on the way back, I would still be grinning ear to ear.

2.  My games didn't go as well as I had hoped, but none were terrible.  Both wins and losses were within just a couple hundred victory points of either way.  So there were no blow outs in either direction for what it's worth.  The land ship was a blast but a bit of a dud.  It was 300 points of either a little bit of goofy killing or goofy failure.  As far as I can remember off hand it only died once though. Opponents were all fun as they always are at Adepticon. I have never had an opponent in 5 years I would not play again.

3.  A friend I see every year at Adepticon (but of course at the moment I cannot remember his name...) was a hero and lent me his pocket knife to help get my models pried out of the display even though he was leaving before.  If you read this let me know your address!  I will surely remember his name in a bit and repost...

4. Brad Chester finger painting and assembling a last minute war walker for a certain someone gets super glue on a (we found out later) $500 coffee table...in our room.

5. Trading $5 for 5 pounds with the Bad Dice guys.  Cheapest souvenir ever, and those guys are fun to hang out with.

6. Survival food! 7 am to 2 am days with not much time to spare.  The problem with Adepticon is you want to spend as much time with all these people as possible but you have to get up at 7.  I say problem, but it is always worth it.

Five years of Adepticon, and a matching ride to carry them around in.

Paul Murphy and Mike Walsch.  The nicest Blood Angel and Space Wolf you will ever meet! 

I will post more images of the team army, along with putting the champ army up on the site officially in a few days.  I am currently in the process of moving, so for the next few weeks there wont be many updates other than these armies and the Wargamescon charity army. 

Here is a quick video I did further explaining the army for the guys at Ohiohammer who wanted to put something together.  Nothing special, but sometimes video gives a better sense of depth over images.

Until next...year!

Adepticon Army Finished! - Rime of the Merchant Marienburger -

All done!  Thanks to those who followed the progress for your comments and support. 

Rather than try and wrestle with the blog to get 75 images in, here is a link to Dakka, with all the images:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/521085.page

If you are going to Adepticon, please stop and say hi!  Look forward to seeing you all there.

Until next time.

Adepticon 2013 Blog Part 12 - So Close, Yet So Far Away

Just one more day until I leave! Both armies are offically done, although I still have to pack and take photos.  I will hopefully at least get photos of the Empire up before I go.

Until tomorrow, enjoy the top of the team display, featuring a spare Manaan!

Adepticon 2013 Blog Part 11 - A Poem

My Dearest Marie,

 Oh, it wouldve been couldve been
 Worse than you would ever know.
 Nine fathom deep he had followed us
 from the land of mist and snow

 It began with your humble Mariner,
 And at the docks he solicit me.
 "By thy mangy beard and lame eye,
 Now what for stopp'st thou me?

 He holds it with his skinny hand,
 "A Krakens lure," quoth he.
 "Hold off! This bauble tells your fate!"
 Into my hand dropped glass did he.

 I held him with his quivering eye,
 The beggar man sat still,
 And listened like a three years child:
 "This Mariner hath his will."

 The ship was cheer'd, the harbour clear'd,   
 Merrily did we drop   
 Below the kirk, below the hill,   
 Below the lighthouse top.

 With sloping masts and dipping prow,   
 As who pursued with yell and blow   
 Still treads the shadow of his foe,   
 And forward bends his head,   
 The ship drove fast, loud roar'd the blast,   
 The southward aye we fled.

 Till noon we quietly sail'd on,   
 Yet never a breeze did breathe:   
 Slowly and smoothly went the ship,   
 Moved onward from beneath.   

 Under the keel nine fathom deep,   
 From the land of mist and snow,   
 The Spirit slid: and it was he   
 That made the ship to go.   
 The sails at noon left off their tune,   
 And the ship stood still also.   

 And appear in their own forms of light.   
 A little distance from the prow   
 Those crimson shadows where:   
 I turn'd my eyes upon the deck—   
 Manaan! what saw I there!

 The Sun, right up above the mast,   
 Had fix'd her to the ocean:   
 But in a minute she 'gan stir,   
 With a short uneasy motion—   
 Backwards and forwards half her length   
 With a short uneasy motion.   

 Then like a pawing horse let go
 She made a sudden bound:   
 It flung the blood into my head,   
 And I fell down in a swound.   

 Beyond the shadow of the ship,
 I watched the water-snakes:
 They moved in tracks of shining white,
 And when they reared, the elfish light
 Fell off in hoary flakes.

 A bauble's curse would drag to hell   
 A spirit from on high;   
 But oh! more horrible than that   
 Is the curse in a dead man's eye!   
 Seven days, seven nights, I saw that curse,   
 And yet it would not die.

 Day after day, day after day,
 We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
 As idle as a painted ship
 Upon a painted ocean.

 But then those salty Batton Boys
 In selfless sacrifice
 Threw their favorite rum overboard
 Not once, not twice, not thrice!
 

He throwest best, who drinketh best
 All drinks both great and tall;
 For the dear Boys who loveth us,
 They threw and they threw all.

 God save thee, Marienburger!
 From the fiends, I plead, I beg!—
 'Why look'st thou so?'—With my pistol
 I shot the nearest keg.

 And soon I heard a roaring wind:
 It did not come anear;
 But with its sound it shook the sails,
 That were so thin and sere.

 The upper air burst into life!
 And a hundred fire-flags sheen,
 To and fro they were hurried about!
 And to and fro, and in and out,
 The wan stars danced between.

 It raised my hair, it fanned my cheek
 Like a meadow-gale of spring—
 It mingled strangely with my fears,
 Yet it felt like a welcoming.

 The western wave was all a-flame.
 The day was well nigh done!
 Almost upon the western wave
 Rested the broad bright Sun;
 When that strange shape drove suddenly
 Betwixt us and the Sun.

 Her beams bemocked the sultry main,
 Like April hoar-frost spread;
 But where the ship's huge shadow lay,
 The charmèd water burnt alway
 A still and awful red.

 And now this spell was snapt: once more
 I viewed the ocean green,
 And looked far forth, yet little saw
 Of what had else been seen—

 Oh, it wouldve been couldve been
 Worse than you would ever know.
 Nine fathom deep he had followed us
 from the land of mist and snow

 It did end with your humble Mariner,
 And at the docks he beckon me.
 "By thy mangy beard and lame eye,
 Now what for think'st thou me?

 He held out with his skinny hand,
 "The Krakens lure," quoth he.
 Into his hand dropped the glass did I.
 "Oh it should've been, would've been,
 Worse than you would ever see."

Adepticon 2013 Blog Part 10 - The Kraken Lure!

The Kraken Lure - part of the story and adpatation of Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

Also a sneak peek if you look (not very) hard!

I hope to have pics up soon, but I need to make headway on the team tournament army first.

Until next time!

Adepticon 2013 Blog Part 9 - Water, Water, Everywhere! And Oh Does it Stink...

Lots of progress, but very slow as this resin can only be poured about an inch per day.  The weather hasnt been cooperating either.

But three gallons of clear resin later, things are looking good!

Prepping for the resin to be poured.  I ended up cutting out the bottom of the box to reach the lower part of the boat.  The cracks were all sealed up with caulk.

Some of the barrels and crates were going to be in the water, so the I went ahead and painted all of them at once to ensure they matched.

It works pretty darn well!  The resin smells like a 24 hour spray paint party, but it is going in like a dream.  I had absolutely no problems with shrinking or peeling of paint.  The only thing that was tricky was the weather, as it requires either a really hot day or direct sunlight to cure.  It has been 50-60 here, so I can only pour when the sun is out.

I add water effects that go on white and dry clear.  The top layers I made thinner so after each one I could add some effects and stipple some white for bubbles.

Testing out the box! Starting to come together a bit more now.

Painting the edge of the smaller box to match, and adding more water effects.

Transition of the team display from basecoat to pouring resin.  I wanted to finish the top first so I could pour resin on both at the same time.  The pond ended up holding about a half gallon with 2.5 total around the ship.

Until next time!

Adepticon 2013 Blog Part 8 - Paint on a Boat

The wood and brass of the ship is finished.  Still needs a few small details then will be sealed away in the fake box.