Slowfuse gaming Bomb Wick brushes - a non-pro painter's review

  So, a few months back I ordered a set of these brushes from Slowfuse gaming.  I did it mostly because CK Studios recommends them for brush work.  After using them a while, I can see why.  They are really nice brushes, at a decent price and they have a lot of the things I like in a brush.

  Please, keep in mind, I am not a pro-painter, I'm just a tabletop ready kind of guy.  But I do like my tools to be good, and I do hope to improve my paint game as I go.  With the likes of Warhammer Community, Vince Venturella and others, I think my paint game is improving.  But you'll be the judge of that!  I say this so that you know not too place more stock in my review as opposed to a real pro painter.  But if Caleb recommends them, I'm certain I can't be too far off the mark.

The Shipping and Presentation

  The brushes shipped in a very nice, big tube, all had nice brush sleeves to protect the bristles.  No complaints on how they shipped.

  As you can see, I got 7 in total.  A #3, #2, #1, #0, #00, #000 and an x10.  I also picked up a tin of their brush soap.  Glad I did too, it's very good.  More on that later

  The brushes feel very solid, no loose crimps or manufacturing defects I could see.  They are light and have a good thickness to the handle that fits my hand well.

First clean

  Interestingly, there is a warning on the side of the tube that tells you to wash the brushes in a good brush soap before the first use.  This is because they ship them with a brush saver coating on them.  Brush saver is just a thick liquid that dries on the bristles and holds them in their pointed shape nicely and also helps keep the bristles free of moisture and contamination.  It's like putting conditioner in your hair.

  A lot of brushes ship this way, at least high end ones (Raphael, Winsor Newton etc.) but this is the first time I have seen the warning on the packaging.  Normally it's on a website or something.  Experienced painters know about this, but those new to the hobby might not, so I thought this was a very good touch.  Kudos to them for thinking of us 'little people'

Using the brushes

  As you can see in the picture, each of the brushes is long, and 'fat' and they come to a nice point.  The long and fat part means they can hold a fair amount of paint giving you more time 'on the mini' and less scooping up more paint.  The nice point means you can be accurate and, if you have a steady hand, get decent results with you brush strokes.

Snappiness

  One thing I look for in a brush is how 'snappy' it is.  I have no idea what the professionals call this, or if they even care about it.  To me, the snappiness is how the brush reacts as you finish your stroke and come off the mini.  Some brushes will snap really hard, sometimes even flinging paint at places you don't want.  Others will hang there limply in the same shape it was at the end of your stroke.  Then you find yourself having to 're-shape' the fine point before another stroke.   I'm not sure if that was a great description, but it makes sense to me.

  One of my issues with the GW brushes over time has been that they snap really hard when you end your stroke.  While this is ok sometimes, when I am blending or doing detail work, it's not great.  The Winsor-Newtons have a lot of snap also, less on the Raphael's. 

  These brushes seem to be a very nice middle ground between snapping back and retaining their shape.  The do return back to a nice straight shape quickly, but they also hold their point really well also.  It just seems to me to make them more enjoyable to use than other brushes in my stable.  Again, I'm not sure if this is really a thing, but with brushes, it's usually just a little thing that separates one brand from another.

  Using them also seems to be a very nice experience as well.  The paint flows well off of them (if it is thinned properly, of course).  The have a good feel in the hand and the hairs/bristles are fine enough that they do a great job without a lot of brush stroke marks (again, if you're properly thinned.)  I guess the best thing to say about them is that I keep going back to them to use rather than some of my others.

Brush Soap

  As you can see in the pictures, I also grabbed a tin of Jentastic's Drunken Brush Goop.  This is just a tin of brush soap, and if you know about caring for your brushes, you know brush soap is a must.  I have always used Masters Brush soap, it comes in a beige/brown plastic tub and is the almost universal go to for artists of all types.   Well, I tried the brush goop, and I have to say, it is different from masters (not just repackaged) and I kind of like it.

  It has a different look, and when you swirl a wet brush in it, it does not immediately lather up like the Master's does.  Instead it gets very soapy and slick.  Then when you whirl it around your palm, it lathers up nicely and seems to me, anyhow, to clean the paint out quicker.  Sometimes I have to soap, swirl, rinse and repeat with the Masters multiple times.  With the Jentastic goop, I was usually cleaned up in one pass.  It also 'seems' to me that the hairs are a little softer when they dry?  This is not a scientific comparison, it's all just observation and gut feeling, so you mileage may vary.  I would say if you don't already have Master's soap, then look into this.  If you have some already, you will never need more, so...

Reflections

  So, overall impressions.  I really like these brushes a lot.  They do everything you expect a brush to do.  They have great feel to them and they feel really good to use.  As a non Pro painter, I definitely give them a serious thumbs up.  And since Caleb Wisenback also does, and he is a pro, I can safely recommend them to anyone looking to step up their game.

  One thing I should add, I bought these and did not receive them to review.

New Video series! - The Crucible Chaotica

Hey guys,  Just sharing a video from the new series where I will cover anything and everything hobby related.

So... you think you know Nagash???

Was going through some old WD last night...  lookie what I found :)  I have to say, they're getting better at this stuff :)

and the link to the ad from the WD Magazine...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7798976/Naggy.pdf

A pretty far cry from...

We've come a long way baby :)

Sanctus Reach: Stormclaw unboxing

Did a quick photo/narrated unboxing.  It looks like a very nice set for what you get vs. what you pay.  I'm on my way out on a trip, so I couldn't do much more than that...

Enjoy... see ya soon!

Sergeants Miniatures Game - A++

  I know, I know, this has nothing to do with 40k.  Well, not every day is a 40k day, and with all the talk about Malifaux, Warmahordes and all the others, I thought I would give this a review for you. So...  Sergeants, Day of Days

If you need a break, or side game from 40k...

If you like or are even interested in WWII  (That's World War II for you Albuquerque Public School folks)


If you like GREAT, simple gaming...

RUN, do not walk, to go get this game.

  This game is beyond a lot of fun, it's a hoot.  My wife learned it in about 10 minutes and is playing a great game.  Anyone can learn this game quickly, and it will not push out any of the W40k brain cells you have trained.  It really is easy and fun. 

  Now, I am a veteran of years of ASL, ATS and even Combat Commander.  I rate it higher than ASL, since ASL is simply broken and is just a game, not a simulation.  It's more fun than ATS and easier than Combat Commander.  Bang on good times!

Pros

-- The miniatures are painted already.  Yes, they are 20mm scale, so they don't fit with other WWII mini games that well, but that is not a factor.  More later.

-- The map is dead easy to set up.  It's laser cut wood heavy cardboard that feels just as heavy and durable as wood. (I was corrected, sorry) and fits together like a puzzle, each tile is double sided and geo-morphic, so no two games will ever have to be the same (After you leave the printed scenarios and design your own).  The options are incredible. 

-- There is ONE over-arching game mechanic, and that is how to count distance and compute the modifiers for the look/shot/cover attempt.  Once you figure out that, the entire game is playable in 2 minutes.  It is really easy.

-- The figs have stands that have a lot of info and keep them in good order when you put them in a box/plano/whatever container you have.

-- The game is card driven (and action oriented).  Once you have gone through the first turn, you will "get" the system and how it plays.  There is now convoluted wacky systems to learn that 'don't quite' work the same as everything else.  Everything works the way you think it should.

-- NO DICE!  everything is resolved using the action cards

-- Soldiers have identities, you get to know them, you feel their pain, live their glory, you live vicariously through your men!  (ok, got carried away there.)  But really, there is a story in every scenario, and it's a blast watching it play out.

-- Soldiers are not 'cookie-cutters'.  They are all unique and have different values and 'stat-lines' if you will.  Each one brings his own set of abilities and foibles to the table.  You can build your squad with a hodge-podge of soldiers, or tailor make a unit for objectives you need to achieve.

-- (Added) it's also all made in the good ol' US of A, Maryland to be exact.  

Cons

-- I don't think any of them have arrest records, so no cons...  LOL... sorry couldn't resist.

-- Expensive game.  Yes, there is big Dollahs here, but come on, we pay GW top dollar and the components in this game are 20 times the value.  Painted miniatures, laser cut maps and components,  Full vivid color everywhere, great card decks.  You get a lot more than you pay for with this one!  (I kinda made that a pro... not a con...  ok, I'm jazzed about this game.)

The Game

   Gameplay is pretty straightforward.  You chose your squad from the available pool of VPs in the scenarios.  The printed scenarios may also list certain soldiers or Sergeants you have to take.  You add the Action Cards for each soldier (They all have 7) to your deck. shuffle up and deal yourself a hand and get ready.

  The Story Cards control the action directly.  Of the 4 actions in the game (Look/Move/Shoot/Hide), the story cards each have only two.  You turn over three story cards for each turn.  On your own display, you have to play action cards in each phase that match one of the two actions on the story card.  After you have done that, the turn starts and you resolve all those actions.

  The uniqueness of the game is how the Story Cards dictate the action, for both players, since you each have to respond to them, and how the Action Cards tell the story during the turn, controlling how each soldier behaves and interacts.  It makes for a highly balanced game where tactics and knowing how your soldiers will perform win games, not dice rolls or charts.

  Right now, there is the basic game (Day of Days) and some expansions, as well as a few extra squad and leader boxes out there.  The new set (Red Devils) is on the way soon and it sure to be a hit as well, after all, they're adding Brits to the mix!

Overall

  Again, if you like WWII games, or even just FUN games, this is something very much worthy of picking up.  I was at ConSimWorld last week and got to speak to the designer and even learned the game from him.  I was totally impressed and everywhere this game seems to go, it hits like wildfire.  You will simply not go wrong if you want to do something on the side that is not W40k.

  And the mini's are already painted, how Freakin' cool is that????

Pegasus Hobbies Terrain

  Quick note on something I found at my FLGS (Active Imagination) Friday night.  These are snap together kits from Pegasus Hobbies that go together rather quickly and easily.  I am including a pic of the of the box, the completed power plant and the plan next to my unpainted Manufactorum.  As you can see, these are not GW terrain pieces by any stretch of the imagination, but they are very cool pieces in their own right.  They have a very good, 40k-esque look to them.  I think, with some seam work, mold line work, some glue, primer and paint, these will rock.

  Also, in their favor, they are completely modular.  If you were to get another kit, they would fit right together and you could build an even bigger complex.  I am thinking about doing just that.  Anyhow, just a quick note on these.  Very cool, and a decent alternative to the standard GW Terrain pieces.

 
 

The Templars Mordain - My own Space Marine chapter

Well, it's been a while since my last post, and I do apologize.  In the next few days I will explain why.  Work has been crazy, the holidays have come and gone and travels have abounded.

I have had a couple of major projects  come up that took all my hobby time, but they were worth it.  There was also a small disaster that had to be recovered from, but more on that later, in another post.

I did however, solidify the new Chapter Banner and decided on the back-story for my made-up chapter of Space Marines.  I wonder if anyone can tell that they are an off-shoot of the Black Templars?  Am I that obvious?  LOL.  Designing that chapter banner took WAY longer than I would have ever imagined.  It is not very artistic, but rather highly stylized.  All the imagery on the banner has a meaning.  (I will make a post later to explain all the elements of the banner.)  My Templars Mordain are a rather plain jane chapter, but I did not want to create a chapter that stretched reality or bent/broke rules.  They have no special abilities and are in fact, Codex Marines.  The one thing this allows me, is Librarians, unlike the Black Templars.

The backstory is kind of simple, add 1 part angry Helbrecht, 1 part rebellious crusade Marshall and two parts very angry Adeptus Terra and you have the idea.