The Inner Geek state of the Union Address

First update of the new year, and only in May! Sad.

So what have I been up to? I've been going to school, working, and enjoying the family life with my wife and kids. Hasn't left a lot of free time to be honest. My school schedule is picking up signficantly till this coming December (CCNA here I come), so I'll probably have even less time till then. Damn education. But, it's what's best for my family and myself and I'm happy.

So now you know what I've been up to, but why am I writing a post now? Well, what time I have had has been spent introspectively (don't get to use that word often). I've decided that I'm really just about finished with Games Workshop. It's been a great ride the last (shudder) 24 years or so, but I'm not getting out of the hobby what I used to. Maybe the mood will hit me again in the future, but for now it's not there.

I think part of my problem is the fact that I try to build and paint as though I'm going to play the game... and lets face it, I'm not. So, I speed through stuff in a hurry to finish so that I can be ready for a game I'm not really that interested in playing. I think I'd be just as happy to drink a beer and watch someone else play... though that may just be because of the beer?

So will I dissappear in a poof of ninja smoke? I rather thought I already had? No, I'll always hobby in some way. When I have time again I imagine I'll work on one off type models. I have some lovely resin monstrocities I'd like to build around here... and a couple I'd like to see gone (more on that in a bit). I've recently been enamoured with my first (hobby) love, giant robots. As a kid I probably built about a million robot model kits. Now that I'm a big kid, I think it would be nice to do some and finish them nicely with paint and all that fancy stuff I neglected as a child.

What will happen to my blog? I'm not sure? Maybe it will be overhauled into a different themed blog? Maybe I'll move to a new blog? I haven't really thought that far ahead. It will definitely stay up in some form because I need the blog roll to check on all my friends... though I guess RSS feeds would accomplish the same thing.

In the meantime, I'll be letting some stuff go. Not all my GW stuff, but some of it. I've already put the WarHound1 and Warhound2 on ebay, as well the Macharius Vulcan. More will go up soon(ish), maybe even the Reaver Titan. And yes, this paragraph is a shameless plug for my ebay auctions. Spread the word!

So, I'll be around. I'm always available by email if anyone needs me. I encourage all my fellow bloggers to keep posting good blogs, I'll be lurking... *POOF! ninja smoke*

Need Some WHFB Empire Advice

I'd like to get something out of the way right off the top. I'm not asking for advice because I'm too lazy to research, I've done that. It's more a matter of incompetence.

On to the blog...

Being a well rounded Geek I dabble in a wide variety of Geeky things. One thing I've always wanted is an Empire army for fantasy. While I technically have one, it is mostly in boxes... packed safely in bigger boxes. Having some precious free time recently I decided to take an inventory and see if I had enough Empire junk to make an army. When I was done I looked at the list and realized, I have no idea what it takes to have a decent Empire army? So, I would like to show to you the Grand List of Empire minis and solicit advice as to the following; is there enough for an army here, how should I build some troops (still on sprues you know), and what will popular in 13^th edition as that is how long it would take me to get this all together.

On to the list!

2x General/Standard sprues
4x wizards (two boxes)
1x Empire Champ w/mace
1x Empire Captain w/sword & shield
1x Freelance Knight on foot & mounted (from Mordheim but cool looking)
1x Warrior Priest w/2 hammers
1x Warrior Priest w/hammer & Shield
2x Champion w/pistol & hammer
1x Marius Leitdorf
1x Kurt Helborg
1x Pirate Ogre (I was going to use him as "filler" in a state troops unit or a pirate themed free company unit)
24x Knights
25x Pistoliers/Outriders (still on sprue can go either way)
40x Militia/free company
40x Flagellants (20 assembled)
87x State Troops (37 assembled with swords, the rest on sprues)
60x Handgunners/Crossbowmen (20 partly assembled as handgunners)
20x Greatswords (10 finished)
1x Cannon/Mortar sprue
2x Hellgun/Rocket sprues

I also have some old loose metal minis from long ago...

12x metal Flagellants
3x metal Engineers w/repeater musket (outrider equivalent)
2x metal Pistoliers
5x metal knights of the white wolf (two missing legs, all missing horses)
1x metal volley gun with crew


Behold the Empire in all its glory...
I know it is a lot of stuff, I just don't know if it can be carved down to a decent Empire army? For State Troops, Sword, Halberd, shield? The interwebs can't seem to decide. HandGunners or crossbowmen, what are the cool kids doing? Pistoliers or OutRiders, they both look cool but which typically sucks less?

So, if you have any knowledge of Fantasy or Empire, I'd love to get your thoughts. If you don't but you have a friend who does, send'em over!

So, What Ever Happened to The Inner Geek?

Blogs come and go. This one hasn't gone, but it is on pause. Here is to the whys..



It's hard to say where I lost my GW Hobby oomph exactly. I know I had it before Games Day in Chicago. I got to meet some awesome bloggers there and hang out with all the coolest folks. Really, I think that was the high point and the Games Day was just kind of going on at the same time. Whatever the reason, interest waned. I started thinking about other things I could do with my time, and going back to school seemed a likely candidate.



I signed up for a couple of classes at the local College and away I went. Between school, working full time (until recently), and family, I've had very little time for distraction (and that tiny bit has been squandered on Battle Field3).

I've tried to keep up with at least a few blogs and comment now and again. I really do enjoy the antics of my fellow bloggers. I just haven't felt too bloggy myself of late. Maybe this post will break the ice? I was recently laid off work so you'd think I'd have more time, but seeking work and a newly expanded honey-do list has left me about the same amount of free time as before! Even as I write this I'm looking at a pile of stuff I need to mail off to people (Drax I need your address again).

I have been looking longingly at the Scratch Built Titan and thinking I need to put some detail on it. Not to mention some other projects I'd like to find a little time to mess with. When I do, I'll be sure to share it here on the rusty old blog. While the lack of hobby time has me looking longingly at some projects, it has me feeling like letting some of them go. I have too many armies, too many minis, and not enough time. Maybe there is some ebay in my future? Some of these thoughts, no doubt, come from the fact that I recently reorganized the closet where the game stuff lives. Holy crap you can accumulate a lot of stuff over twenty years in a hobby!

Anyway, I pegged out the ramble-meter some time ago, so I'm going to close for now. There will be more posts, there will be more hobby, but it may be slow. So be patient... or go away. Till next time!