Fear my Camera Skillz!

A quick video by Iren Bear concerning Templecon. I was the camera man for this, and provided an occasional still, some of which you will recognize from my previous entry.

Templecon 2010

I went to Templecon 2010 last weekend. This year, the convention was less exclusively about Warmachine (although there was still a lot of Warmachine). It had also moved venue to something that wasn't seven floors above ground, which made moving equipment and bulky packs stuffed with miniatures a lot easier.

The main event was Warmachine. And there was a LOT of it.


I never personally saw all the tables being played, but that is a load of tables, and that's a lot of people playing.

Other games were present in the periphery: Monsterpocalypse, Warhammer Fantasy, 40,000, Heavy Gear (I'd play if I could field all hovertanks. Yes, I'm an enormous Hammer's Slammers geek) and and Flames of War. I took this picture because it was the absolute epitome of the Flames of War game for me: A gentleman in a French cap playing a guy wearing a sweatshirt with a German Tiger Tank on it.


That is what Flames of War is all about.

I did not play. I've lost my taste for Warmachine. But I hung around the scenario table my brother set, called "Incoming!" which distributed dice, T-shirts, and artillery fire to anyone who wanted some. "Incoming!" proved popular, because it was well set up, and run, as well as providing an extra dimension to the experience it doesn't usually have: sound.



This is Tristan and George playing on the "Incoming!" table. Note the stacks of craters piled up at the base of the big, black bomb (they look like hamburger patties), just waiting to be used.

As always, many of the figures were gorgeously painted. I find that painting is an enjoyable aspect of the hobby, and it makes the force on the table look good.


Makes the table look smart and engaging.

In order to attract a more diverse crowd, Templecon's theme this year was retro-futurism. Warmachine has long had a steampunk theme, and this year there were a fair number of steampunk costumers about. I regret missing the burlesque dancers.

I also spent time with writer C. J. Henderson. CJ has appeared in every notable anthology I've appeared in, and was writer guest of honor this year. We had some good chats; like me, he's deeply into Lovecraft, and even ran a Call of Cthulhu game (My character, predictably, was eaten).

So a good time, and I drank enough water to not get dehydrated in the dry motel air.

Falling Out of Love

My relationship with certain media franchises can best be described as a romantic one. Certain things I just fall in love with: Godzilla, the undead, Klingons, Fallout, the Diskworld, Ancient Egypt, Cthulhu, Wing Commander, and many others. Some stay. Godzilla, for example, is something I can return to many times a year with complete enjoyment.

Every now and then, however, I fall out of love. Something switches, either in me, or the franchise, and it loses its luster. It happened a few years ago with Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Le Comte Saint Germain, I'm sad to say. I'll always look back on those books with fondness, but I don't think I'll ever read a new one. It's kind of sad, because it's a part of my life that I enjoyed, and now am leaving behind me.

Over the last two months, I've fallen out of love with Warmachine. Which is a pity. I played the game pretty much on a weekly basis for two years, and spent a lot of time painting up my little miniature army. I like the painting, but the game has evolved into something that is unbalanced. It has become frustrating to play. Much as I hoped Mark 2 would fix the problems that annoyed me, the game still had problems which made it unplayable for me.

The sad part is, the loss of me has resulted in the implosion of Warmachine in Bennington. I was the guy who started off Warmachine, and it appears that without me, there isn't enough interest to sustain itself. Partially I feel guilty because this means the store has a lot of stock that is going to just sit on its shelves. And I don't get to socialize with some of the Warmachine players anymore. I've started a mini painting night, and that's providing me with a good hour and a half of serenity, the aspect of the hobby I enjoyed most.

What am I painting, you ask? Tyranids from Warhammer 40K. And yes, I can already see the signs of love. I bought the older Tyranid books in order to have a sense of their history. I've even bought a novel that involves them, but in my defense, I know the author.

WarMachine!

This is the first half of the Warmachine battle report my brother put together last month. I'm pretty impressed... it's the distilled action of what happens in a Warmachine game, without the dice-rolling, the animated argument, and the tedious waiting for a player to make a decision. It establishes a good narrative, the background music is excellent, and it moves along at a good clip. Enjoy.




Two points I'd like to make. One, this wouldn't have looked half as good if the models weren't painted.

Two, I suggested the Adventures of Baron Munchausen reference.

What did You Do This Weekend?

I was incredibly geeky. My brother came up, and recorded a battle report for a Warmachine fight against the Master Painter and his mercs. Here's the first part of the battle report, which look to be more interesting that the battle itself.



Thanks, Iren Bear. This looks awesome.

Templecon was Fun!

Mood:

Havin' fun playin wiv mah bruvva

I had a good time playing with my brother at Templecon, a large east coast Warmachine convention. I didn't win any prizes, because my style of play, which is to not commit fully until the enemy makes a mistake then pounce on him, really isn't as consistently effective as having an well thought-out plan.

And I still have that competitive edge that makes losing a too-personal experience for me. I get that uncomfortable feeling in my stomach, and the face-too-tight sensation when I watch my opponent really gain the upper hand in a match. Although after six months of play, this has eased off a bit. I doubt it will ever actually stop bothering me, but I think repeated defeat in public will continue to erode that humiliating feeling of utter failure when I am beaten.

The games had many interesting moments, the most visual of which is below. My Iron Lich Asphyxious (in black) fighting a Seraph (in blue and orange) on a tall rocky pinnacle. Asphyxious did not actually kill the Seraph; he severely hurt it and threw it off the tower. It was the Slayer jack (at bottom right) that struck the killing blow.



Outside of the game itself, I'm enjoying painting Warmachine models (you can see some on my website). It takes a bit less talent than I had originally feared. And it's a good rest when I'm brain-tired from writing.