instasis

We had a staff painting competition at work a few months back, and I think it was a couple of the events/WarhammerTV team judging it. There was never going to be any overall winner, just Bronze/Silver/Gold badges. The rumour ahead of judging was that everyone was locked in for a participation badge (Bronze). This turned out to be Not True. The reasons given for placing/not placing were fair, but also super strict. There was a wonderful Blood Angels marine, absolutely stunning, but the painter had missed a vent on the backpack. Instant disqualification. Another painter did a Horus Heresy marine - the style of HH not having edge highlighting - and that got disqualified because of the absence of edge highlighting. The level of stress, disappointment and excitement on the day was palpable. I think I'd enter again, but even on a true 'hobby' competition where you're just going up against your own abilities, it was mentally exhausting. I felt like an absolute chancer (and given 90% of my model was contrast paints, that was justified). Judging GD versus a bunch of staff chancers....well, I don't envy them at all.

Ok. Interesting point on the winner - it was apparently entered at the last UK GD, but had a whopping great stained glass window behind it obscuring the rear of the model. He's removed the window and the back of the model is stunning.

I mean, every time there's a Golden Demon awarded you disagree with the winner. Suggesting winners are selected on the basis of what models have been announced is a new low though.

Trimming the pegs down is a default thing I do now. They are routinely too long on most models. The vampires on the arches were the most problematic models in Cursed City for me.

UKGE is great. Been going for about 12 years I think (my first one was the last one in the Masonic lodge). I don't think I've missed any except the COVID ones since. I always avoid Saturdays, but both Friday and Sunday are good days to go. I've tended to do Friday with Moose and Donk and then started going with the family on Sundays. They're starting to merge now. I actually prefer the Sunday sessions in terms of experience. Everyone's knackered, everyone's calmed down a bit and there's generally less people. I don't enjoy the Friday morning maul to queue to get your tickets and then queue to get in. It's frustrating they still haven't sorted that. Sunday removes that frustration. Lots of people swear on the Bring and Buy but I really can't be arsed. It always feels like a maul for little pay off. It's worth checking prices while you are there. Some things are fantastic, many things are good but in some instances they can be more expensive. Gameslore, Zatu and Chaos Cards tend to be good for bargains. It doesn't bother me that on a Sunday there is less to choose from, but you will spend a lot of money if you are inclined to do so, so budget accordingly.

Oh, I'm a parent and I 100% leaned into the choice Joel was making and understood the base emotions driving that choice. At a character level, it's 100% the right choice for Joel. I'd make the same call for my kid - fuck humanity, he's coming with me. It's not the right call though, for humanity or Ellie, and Joel knows that.

Christ, some of you guys are psychopaths Team Joel was never right!

This is completely wrong. Sleeping on it , I think my big issue from the last episode hang off of... But I get that it's landing well with others so I guess shoulder shrug? Potential season 2 spoilers, though I'm not going to explicitly reference events in the second game

That felt cut short, at almost every turn. Which isn't surprising given it had the shortest runtime of the series. The cut to the credits felt super abrupt. Disappointed.

I totally understand that, ultimately it's all pointless back slapping I guess.

Angela Bassett, Kerry Condon and Stephanie Hsu were all better and more impactful in their respectful roles than JLC's comedic turn as a bit part in Everything. An utterly bizarre win. That said, I'd have voted for Banshees for best picture, and Farrell for best actor. I also can't believe that The Whale got best makeup and hairstyling for a fat suit. That's pretty astounding when you're in the running with Black Panther and The Batman (Farrell's Penguin was an absolute fucking marvel). Hey ho.

Cheers guys. Cheap enough to not be worried coupled with good enough to not make it harder is the key balance. I've got old black handled Citadel brushes which are still good after years (but my output has been slow until recently). "One brush one model" would be acceptable given how awful I am to them.

What's everyone using for brushes these days, and where are you buying from? I refuse to jump on the Artis Opus bandwagon because I think they're overbranded and overpriced as a result. I'm disappointed in how my Citadel STC White Handled brushes have lasted (or have not) - most of them have a 'lick' on them now. The black handled Citadel brushes are fine, but if I'm going to spend money as my painting output ramps up I'd like some stuff that lasts. I've a couple of Winsor & Newtons Series 7 Miniatures - the size 2 is pretty wonderful and holding up well, but the Size 4 was a disaster for basecoating. I'd get a couple more size 2's, but they are super expensive so I'm interested in other people's thoughts.

1. Assassin's Creed: Odyssey I've played this trilogy completely out of order (Origins > Valhalla > Odyssey), and I think Odyssey has suffered because of it. Kassandra is great, the story is meandering, I never really cared what was going on and - ultimately - I much preferred Valhalla's structure, atmosphere and game systems over what's here. Having spent less than half the time in Greece that I did in England, I'm completely burned out on this. The "depth" of the world is wafer thin. What's that farm owner, your crops are failing? Is it because of this pile of dead bodies 100 feet from your face that are leaking their guts into the river? Let me sort that for you. Do that times 1 million, and yawn. Having completed the main questline - which ends with absolutely no fanfare at all and just goes "New Game+ now available" - I found myself longing for more of the mystical and incredible. The world building was great - random mega statues invoking excitement - but so much just didn't work. For the last third of the game I had more than 100K gold, for the last two thirds of the game I died twice (due to getting mobbed). Glad to have played it, glad to have finished it, but Valhalla hit the mark so much more for me.

I'm 6' 4", but long in the body. My lad has the next size down and it is not right for me at all.

I have the Titan XL (with the integrated lumbar support), and have had serious lower back issues in the years preceding it. Had it for a little over a year now. I work from home, and it's in my hobby space, so use it a lot. It's great - the seat is a little hard but my arse got used to it. Totally worth the money for me. It's wearing really well - i.e. not at all.

4. Day Of Ascension A WH40k novel written by an author who doesn't just do WH40k novels? HERESY! However, it's really very good. I liked that it takes two factions (Genestealer Cults, Adeptus Mechanicus) and makes them accessible. It lowers the universe specific techno-babble nonsense to such a point that the story is accessible without decades of reading the lore. It also satirises the factions and the context better than most; despite best efforts, I feel that sometimes gets lost as the virtues of brotherhood amongst super soldiers are explored. I really enjoyed it; all the main parties were sympathetic but ultimately deluded in their actions, it's well paced and it's a good setup to go and explore more.

1. Kings Of A Dead World Interesting kinda post-apocalyptic dystopian novel that's a little bit too on the nose really. I quite enjoyed it but it did not quite stick the landing. 2. The Cabin At The End Of The World I absolutely loved this, and thought it was brilliant. It very much stuck the landing! 3. Salvation City I did not love this. Written in 2010, it predicts the pandemic we just had and then does some other really lightweight stuff with it. Not good.

Column A merged with Column B, surely. GotG3 has gotta land well, or surely this phase is a bust before it gets started?

This was at Warhammer World yesterday. Absolutely bonkers. It's so big you could use it as a custom Killteam table (you couldn't here though).

I still have premium and it's locked out to me also having previously downloaded it through the service, both on the store and in my library. Fortunately I already completed it so whatever.

This film was a huge disappointment, but a fitting end to Phase 4, in so many ways. Angela Bassett and Danai Gurira were both fantastic. Loved every moment they were on screen. I'd say roll on Phase 5, but at this point it could very well go either way. Think I've burned out on MCU now but, let's be honest, it was a good run!

Assume they've all gone now? Back up at £90.

Have just watched this and it was deeply, deeply disturbing. Fucking brilliant. As a male interpretation it toxic masculinity I think the film is pretty much fucking perfect. It doesn't just capture the essence of it, it also reflects on all the fucking excuses we make for ourselves. Gonna be chewing on this one for a while.

To help him get started, if they haven't already, see if he can get his school to sign up to the Warhammer Alliance programme. https://warhammer-alliance.com/uk/