The Great Wargaming Survey 2020

It's that time of year again! The Great Wargaming Survey 2020 is up and it's time to let your voice be heard about the state of the hobby. I mean...it's not like we have much else to do what with the pandemic and all. 😑

Did I mention that they also give you a gift voucher for taking part? AND enter you into a raffle for some cool prizes?

 You can take the survey here!

* NOTE: I am not affiliated with the Great Wargaming Survey or WSS in any way, shape or form.

To Boldy Go...

For the last month or so, I've taken a break from miniatures and returned to one of my first hobbies from long ago: customizing action figures. I only ever did Star Wars figures though. But also I grew up collecting Playmates' line of Star Trek action figures and have come back to it after over 20 years. So I decided that I needed some random crew members working in the background and it seemed logical to start customizing again. 

These are all pretty simple head swaps. Since boiling water tends to discolor the plastic these days, I've been using a hair dryer. However, I had to use silicone sealant on a few because either the neck pegs broke off or the neck post was too thin. It works though.

Firstly, I wanted an Andorian for my crew. They're a classic alien species and were one of the founders of the United Federation of Planets. It's bugged me (and others) that they weren't seen in The Next Generation, Deep Space 9, or Voyager. I decided to make him a Command Division ensign because I wanted to have that sort of representation that we didn't get in the series. Beside him is a Science Division lieutenant.

I wanted quite a few Operations Division officers, as they seem to be the most ubiquitous aboard the Enterprise. Most of these figures were made from SeaQuest DSV figures that Playmates also put out at around the same time. I really wanted the figures to have that awesome 1990s hair that everyone knows and loves, and I was lucky to get a good deal on a lot from eBay. 

All in all, this has been pretty fun! I've got enough different figures now to satisfy my needs (though I still have a few bodies in search of heads...sounds weird taken out of context). I'll probably do a few more of these random crew members then call it good. 

Odyssey Games

In a surprising twist, it looks like Game Empire Pasadena may not be quite gone after all! It appears that it’s going to be reborn as a new store: Odyssey Games.

The new owner is a member of the Game Empire community and promises to continue its legacy. Everyone was always friendly there, be it staff or patrons. The vibe around Game Empire was a positive and friendly one to be sure.

The store is currently undergoing renovations and hiring new staff. They're really taking a lot of care in refurbishing the space and it's really nice to see. I can't wait to check it out the next time I find myself in California!

An Ode to Game Empire Pasadena

Okay, this one hurts an awful lot.

Game Empire has been my absolute favorite game shop for over a decade. Going up to Pasadena for games with Ben, or just going to hang out and scrounge through their amazing bits bins, it was always a friendly and positive vibe going on. A lot of that had to with the owner Chuck, who sadly passed away earlier this year. I found out yesterday that Game Empire is closing its doors permanently.

I always made a point of stopping by the shop whenever I was in California. I was always chomping at the bit to go. I’ve found some amazing things there over the years, but they pale in comparison to all the wonderful memories. 

The famous bits bins! 

I actually knew Game Empire through two locations. The current shop was their home after 2011 (I think). Their first space was considerably smaller, but filled with just as many awesome memories...such as when my lone rocket team blew up a Baneblade in an incredibly lucky shot.

Land o’ thousand games

It’s closing really hurts the most 

Thanks for the good times 

Campaign Against Cancer: Cancelled

Unfortunately the 2020 Campaign Against Cancer X-Wing Miniatures Event has been cancelled. Given everything that’s been going on in the world, I support the organizers’ decision full heartedly. Better to safe than sorry. Way better.

I would be lying, though, if I said I wasn’t a bit disappointed. This is such a special event – and not just to me either. But there’s always next year. I suppose we’ll just have to raise double the amount in 2021!

Lunch Break Hobby Time, Part V

Nearly five years ago, I made a few wargaming hills while I was working on a (unfortunately abandoned) Peninsular War force. I recently modified them by adding a few sections of – wait for it – Italian seasoning to add a few interesting patches.

This in turn inspired me to use up the remaining insulation foam I’ve had sitting around since 2015. With a trusty little steak knife, I carved out a few more hills over my last several lunch breaks. The next steps are where I’m stuck: trying to remember what exactly I did last time (this is why I write things down now). Thankfully I did a post about them so that helps quite a bit. It’s also starting to come back to me as well...which is quite nice.

Campaign Against Cancer: Postponed

It’s not surprising that the Campaign Against Cancer didn’t happen on May 2. This of course was due to COVID-19. It has, however, been rescheduled to July 18 (depending on how things are looking of course). No idea if things will be normal enough by then, though, but I’m cautiously optimistic.

This year is significant to me in several ways: September 15th marks the 10th anniversary of Grandpa’s passing, this will be my 5th time participating in CAC, and now my little cat bro Jimmy has been diagnosed with cancer. It was a highly emotional year even before the pandemic and all its stresses hit. When the event does eventually happen I’ll be happy to take part.

So until then, we sit and wait.