Frontline Gaming's TableWar Mats - awesome

  Yes!!!  Finally I have the second (in my life) kickstarter that has actually worked!  Frontline Gaming's Tablewar Mat Alpine  arrived yesterday (Friday 22 Feb).  I have to tell you, I am so damned impressed it's crazy.  This things is way better than I imagined.

  I have heard about this thing since Reecius announced it on a podcast I was listening to (I think the Independent Characters, but don't quote me).  It sounded like a great idea then, so I jumped on the Kickstarter as quick as I could.  As always, I have some trepidations with kickstarters, since a lot of them seem to start out really well, then kind of fizzle out.  Not so with Reece and Frontline gaming.  Awesome communication through the whole process, I NEVER felt like my money was gone.

  But back to the Mat itself.  This thing is the cat's meow, the bee's knees, the serious shit for anyone who plays miniature games!!!  If you went to the LVO, you played on these mats, or at least saw them.  I couldn't go, so I was pretty green with envy toward the folks that did.  But true to their word, as soon as the Frontline guys got back from LVO, they hustled all these mats to the shippers and now I have mine.

  Imagine a HUGE, 4 foot by 6 foot mouse pad and you have the idea.  They are not super thick, but they are very sturdy feeling.  The graphics are just gorgeous, they look amazing on the table.  Trust me when I tell you, you will be proud of owning these things.  I only have the Alpine board, but I can guarantee I will be getting others.  Let me load up the pictures and describe them to you... hang on...

   So, here is a quick look at what the terrain looks like.  They are truly a sight to see.  The top is the kind of cloth that you see on mouse pads, very thick and durable.  A sharp piece of terrain or a few dropped minis are not going to rip or tear this thing, no way.  It also makes a GREAT surface to roll dice on.  Very quiet, but the dice roll, they don't just stop.

Tablescapes (Secret Weapon Minis) Kickstarter is UP!

  Just a quick note to let everyone know that the kick starter is up for the Secret Weapon Miniatures Tablescapes boards.

  The link, direct to the kickstarter is here.

  If you don't know, these are some great boards made by SWM.  They are 12" x 12" and will fit together modularly (Is that a word?)  Anyhow, they'll butt up together in all kinds of configurations.  The first version is for the scrap yard sets, a good choice since it is relatively generic and can represent any kind of modern through Sci-Fi setting.

  They have a very cool system to link the tiles together, WAY better than the GW clips.  And cost?  ROFL, yeah, they're WAY cheaper than GWs boards...  like 40% cheaper, according to MrJustin.

  So roll on over and buy you a set, you'll love them!

Realm of Battle WIP

  So, I took the plunge a few weeks back and picked up a Realm of Battle game board set from GW.  I know, I know, I can hear you saying "What a slobbering fanboi".  Yup... and proud.  Listen, I have my homemade MDF terrain boards here and I even built a custom frame to wheel those 2' x 2' beasts around.  BACK off!! - LOL,  j/k.

  Yeah, I have heard all the complaints about the GW boards, but I liked the look of them.  Besides, GW could release the 2nd coming of Christ and they would get knocked for him being too expensive and way overpowered compared to Necrons.  My favorite complaint was that models slide down the hills on these boards.  I have to laugh my ass off at this.  If any of you think plastic minis are going to hold their position on slick plastic boards, you're too stupid to play 40k, turn in all your crap and get out your checkers set! (Yes, I heard this complaint on a podcast.  Somebody was stuck on stupid that day).  I have also heard people bitch that the hills are too gentle and people don't measure elevation changes during movement correctly.  Umm, SLAP THEM, they are cheating.  If you let it ride, then its your fault, get over it.

  I knew the board would need to be flocked going in so I laid in supplies.  I used thinned down acrylic tube paints blasted through an airbrush to do the terrain.  I find these paints tough and durable and they spray pretty well through a .5mm airbrush.  I used;

Raw Sienna (Liquitex Basics)
Burnt Sienna (Liquitex Basics)
Raw Umber (Liquitex Basics)

Payne's Grey (Liquitex) (Super secret wash...  more later)