Game Room Update: The Fortress of Arrogance

On June 10, 2015June 10, 2015 By James CastroIn Art, Games, Random FunLeave a comment

When I moved in to my new place last year one of the things I was most excited about was setting up my new game room. With a home-made 6×4 table and a wolrd of board games and 40k to play, I couldn’t wait to put up decor and set up my hobby room. I never thought of naming it until I shared with my RevPub partner my WIP of Commissar Yarrick’s legendary Tank, The Fortress of Arrogance.

I learned of this mighty armored vehicle from Chains of Golgotha and immediately loved the name. I knew when I started my guard army (built almost ENTIRELY from rage quitters and scrap and a couple of boxed sets admittedly) a version of Yarrick’s pulpit would have to be included. Here’s my version:

When I shared this she commented that it would be a good name for my game space, and I started work on a sign that night that mimicked the “official” markings on the tank as it appears in the Apocalypse expansion. Here’s what I’ll print for my door:

Fortress Of Arrogance — Built from some Skull line art, and some simple Illustrator work it captures enough of the original and still makes a good readable sign for the door!

As for the Fortress itself it’s progressed a bit. I was able to get my fantasy armies out of boxes with the addition of the two new inexpensive glass curios, and even added some shelves for the Blood Angels/Flesh Tearers that used to be crammed into the bottom shelf of my IG curio (a couple of chaos engines too big for my storage boxes are up there too.)

As I get things painted (which I’m working on now, my Vostroyan command squad is up first) I’ll share them. As can easily be seen I have a lot to paint, but I like to build and play, so painting always seems to take a back seat!

Table Top Home Brew

On December 10, 2014December 9, 2014 By James CastroIn Games, Random Fun1 Comment

I’m actually working on a couple of posts that are taking a bit more oomph than expected so I thought I’d post something my friend Mike and I made a few months ago and we just last week starting up again.

With the growing popularity of Wil Wheaton’s TableTop and board gaming in general, a lot of YouTube Let’s Players are moving to the real world and out of the digital one. There are a number of channels that play a variety of table top games on video and we, as avid fans and gamers ourselves, decided to start doing some of our own.

It’s VERY amateurish and has 0 production value (I used my Sony SLR which can only shoot 29:57 before it shuts off) and we had to set up a fixed position for the games we’ve played. We had some good runs at this game of Castle Panic though and we hope to do some more with actual editing and shots. Not to compete or become a “thing” just because we have a lot of “moments” in these games that are worht capturing, as many gamers do, and we feel it’s fun to share with the gamer community at large!

Beware there’s the language of a couple of people playing games…and not always so successfully in these vids!

Building the New Gaming Room

On July 30, 2014July 29, 2014 By James CastroIn Random FunLeave a comment

As I mentioned in my Gaming Table post after discovering Warhammer 40k I developed a new love for table top gaming.

After finally getting to move to a new, bigger place, I decided to dedicate my second bedroom to my hobbies, one of the first and foremost being table top gaming. With my new 6’x4′ table ready to go I put it in my smaller, auxiliary room and made what I think will be a great space for gaming! (And as I recently found out also a good place for building, painting, and going over rules!)

The room had a strange 45 degree angle, but the table fits in nicely with only one corner not really accessible. It can easily seat six players I believe, and maybe eight if everyone crams in! This shows a the old poster I had between the two curio cabinets (The one on the left is full of 40k armies, the one on the right is MOSTLY Warhammer Fantasy, though the bottom shelf is my little Blood Angels army. The poster in the middle is an old Codex: Armageddon poster I got on eBay. It features Ghazghkull Thraka and Commissar Yarrick in combat!

The two book cases at the bottom of the frame I’ve had since I was a kid. One was my sister’s and one was mine. My dad stripped and refinished them for me. The posters here I got from a guy on eBay who I believe used to work in a Games Workshop store or retailer. On the far left is a diagram of a Stompa (baneblade on the reverse) the diagrams of a Predator tank and Land Raider. The one nearest is the great Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes and the ones above that came in White Dwarf Weekly during the 7th Edition launch.

The bookcases house all my Black Library fictions, audio dramas, old codexes, and magazines. A BIT of room to spare. That’s my Danish War Axe on the left.

I replaced the Codex: Armageddon poster (it moved to a wall left of this frame under a Dark Angels poster that features the cover of the 5th Edition Codex) with my Imperial Aquila flag. The small poster under it is the famous Emperor confronting Horus. I love the Burn In Designs painting and supplies station. it’s been great for housing ALL modelling tools with my bigger stuff in the cart underneath.

Last but not least my gaming closet. These metal cubes are fantastic and are perfect for game storage as they easily fit MOST standard games and are sturdy enough to hold big box games on top. My bits bin is right underneath Fortune and Glory and the Horus Heresy!

What kind of gaming space does everyone out there prefer to game in?

Building the New Gaming Table

On July 10, 2014 By James CastroIn Random FunLeave a comment

After discovering the world of Warhammer 40k and later the proliferation of board games stemming from Wil Wheaton’s Table Top I have discovered a love for table top gaming as a hobby that greatly surpasses any other purely entertainment hobby I currently have.

Moving into a new place I shed the limitations of space and decided I wanted to have the proper environment to play all the games I love. To do so I needed a gaming table. And since I have yet to find enough money tree seeds or magic beans enough to buy one, I turned to making one as the next best thing with the added bonus of making it to my personal specs rather than finding one that’s “close enough.”

My own carpentry skills are minimal at best. My friend Mike and I once tried to make a smaller skateboard from a bigger one and created something that was somehow completely incapable to be placed in either the “skate” or “board” category. Mike said we wouldn’t even be able to make a 2×4. In his words we would end up with a “2×4-5-6.”

My dad however is quite skilled so I enlisted him to do a lot of the woodworking, with me there to support and guide design.

I originally wanted a large 4×6 table (standard games of 40k, big enough for full Arkham Horror) with pull-out player places and shelves underneath. The realities of moving a table that size quickly set in and I went with basic 4 legs, solid top, moulding on the edges. All in all it worked very well and after a coat of red chestnut stain, it has a nice antique furniture look to it:

The top is sanded ply, light, strong, and surprisingly attractive.

My dad’s design for the legs made them right angles that wedged into the corners of the table. This makes them very strong and prevents shaking or bowing as much as possible.

The moulding on the top is actually crown or window moulding. It gives the table an attractive finished edge and provides a natural lip to prevent cards, board, or game pieces from sliding off and even a place to firmly hold a Realm of Battle should I ever buy one.

The legs are bolted on with two decorative bolts each. This makes them removable so the table can fit through doors and down hallways.

By forgoing shelving underneath it ended up being very spacious and it’s a comfortable 30” high.

After all was said and done the cost was between 150-175 after stain and brushes. The largest single expense was the sanded ply, which was $49.99 the rest of the wood pieces being pretty inexpensive, especially seeing as how several of each were needed.

It was a great project and will hopefully be the home for many good gaming sessions to come!

5 Reasons to Play Board Games

On April 6, 2014April 5, 2014 By R. PettyIn OpinionsLeave a comment

“The way a man plays a game shows some of his character. The way he loses shows all of it.” — Unknown

Ticket to Ride

In honor of the second annual International Tabletop Game Day and all the fun we had, here are the top reasons to play board games:

1. Have fun. This is most important. It’s not about winning or ego, and there shouldn’t be any drama. We have a rule in our house: If you start to get upset or cop an attitude, we quit. It keeps things (and people) from getting emotional and ruining a good game.
Examples: Any board game as long as everyone stays cool

2. Get together. Guess what? It’s REALLY hard to play a board game and stay attached to your phone. Board games get everyone off their devices and allow people to spend time together. Many board games involve teams or strategies, so you have to work together to accomplish a goal or win. This may create a bond between people who normally would not connect.
Examples: Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, Castle Panic

3. Be mean. This is probably my favorite reason. I LOVE to screw people over in board games. It’s nothing personal, and I expect the same thing in return. Most times, you like the people playing with you, and you wouldn’t try to really hurt them, but sometimes they deserve a game back stab. And most times, they know they do. Harmful vindictiveness can be very therapeutic, too.
Examples: Zombies!, Small World, Sorry!

4. Meet new people. I’ve met at least one person every game day we’ve attended. I may or may not have something in common with them, but it doesn’t matter because we’re just playing the game. You also learn a lot about people while tabletop gaming. You learn their interests, strategies, and weaknesses. People tend to open up a little, which helps you learn about them without the awkwardness.

5. Make memories. We spend so much time documenting every miniscule moment to social media sites, but will your best friend remember what you had for dinner last week? Probably not. Will they remember you sending 20 zombies after them in a game? Oh yeah. Making memories and having a story to tell is what life should be about – not the daily grind.

As far as game titles, play anything you want. Don’t be afraid to get creative and try something new! The TableTop series produces great videos showing the game play, and you can buy most of the games online.

Feel free to share your favorite games in the comments below!

4 Ways to Stay Young at Heart

On March 9, 2014March 7, 2014 By R. PettyIn OpinionsLeave a comment

By: Joey Petty (guest writer)

With healthy diets and workouts sweeping the nation in efforts to live longer, it’s important to remember those won’t necessarily keep you young at heart.

I am fast closing in on the big 40 and am still in great touch with my youthful side. So, I thought I would share some tips that will keep all of us from turning into that old geezer we swore we would never become.

Try some new music. We all have favorite genres and artists, however, try something completely different and see if it fits you. Recently, I have become hooked on female-fronted pop-core or punk-pop. Paramore was the first band I tried. After realizing how much I enjoyed this upbeat, feel-good music, I found similar bands that were harder (Picture Me Broken) or softer (Darling Parade) that provided me with an energizing youthful feel. I am among the older fans at the concerts, but I am never the oldest!

Read a young adult book. If you have not read Harry Potter, shame on you! Books can help you remember the problems you faced as an adolescent and all the joys that followed. As I got older, I became more work and family focused. Not that it is a bad thing, but I love getting lost in a fantasy that reminds me of my past aspirations. It also helps me realize it is never too late to follow my dreams.

Watch cartoons. There is nothing that simple, slapstick, nonsensical humor can’t cure. Cartoons are one of the best stress relievers. A simple episode of SpongeBob can make a bad day disappear into laughs. “It could be worse, you could be bald and have a big nose,” is my favorite quote whenever someone is having a bad day.

Play a game. If you’ve ever watched Tabletop, then you see how board games can help you relive the “glory days”. There are numerous simple card games as well (Flux, Munchkin), and they will have you laughing and hanging out with friends like you used to. If you are a hardcore gamer, there are now more ways to connect online and play than ever before. If you are the athletic type, try an adult athletic league (even kickball) to rev up your engines.

You may feel younger, and be surprised when you better understand your kids and his or her friends when you can remember that it is alright to let out a bit of your wild side.

Feel free to share your tips and comments below!

Revenant Publications

Tag: Board games