350kilotons

Just had to let everyone know I persuaded my LGS (Wargames Inc) to get a taster selection of Malifaux goodies in. Out of 6 starter boxes, 4 fate decks and 3 rulebooks we have 1 starter box left (which I might get). More importantly, I have the Malifaux rules, a fate deck and a starter (Zoraida - droopy boobies rule)! We have a lot of interest in it, and we will be running tournaments just as soon as I get my head round the rules. Thanks to Wyrd for producing such an awesome range of stuff. Now I have to paint my crew and get some water on the terrain table. (If you can't tell, I'm excited to have one ... no, two starters)!

Ok, so I got to get an early game against Alessio 'The Annihilator' Cavatore last Friday. After getting the stock into the shop Alessio bought us all cake and Dave (Wargames Inc manager) cracked open the demo copy. Initial impressions are great. You get a 12x12 board that folds down into quarters, 2 bags of plastic chess pieces (big bags), 8 terrain blocks and 2d6, along with a multi-lingual rulebook. The board also has a regular chess board printed on the reverse side if you want to go 'old school'. The rules of Shuuro take up a page and a half, the other half page has some variant gametypes, including a 200 point game played with 2 terrain blocks on a quarter of the board. You get 800 points to buy your force (we played with the example force in the book) and the regular chess deployment comes in at about 600 points. You dice to set up the terrain, then dice to see who deploys first, deploying each piece in turn, starting with the obligatory king. You can get enough forces to deploy into the third row, but only the Royal pieces (King, Knight, Bishop etc) can deploy on the back row. You then dice to see who goes first and play chess. There's no castling and pawns deployed on the third row cannot make the normal double initial move but that's all. Unfortunately for me, I suck at chess. I know how each piece moves, but that's about it. As a result, I inadvertantly cheated (took a pawn with my bishop, handily changing squares from black to white to do so) and when Alessio encouraged me to use the bish in question (I just left him on the white square) I took one of his pawns and scuppered an attacking move he was making. All this availed me nought as Alessio handily won, but it was a bloody game with me taking 90% of his pieces and him taking 99% of mine. It's a fantastic game, it makes chess fun without destroying what chess is. The planned expansion, Turanga, is a 4 player 2v2 variant where you can't actually talk to your team-mate during the game (like Bridge). It's available in the UK from Wargames Inc, who are the UK distributers. £30 is the introductory price, but it's really cool and worth more in my opinion. You guys in the US can get it from Diamond Comics or from Dave, I imagine. Thanks for letting me bend your ears about this, I hope you get yourselves copies and join the Shuuro revolution!!

The current price is an introductory one (so I'm told) but I don't know how long for. I'll be playing a game against Alessio a week on Thursday so I can tell you all about that if you'd like.

Alessio Cavatore has made a game independent of GW called 'Shuuro' (from the Sanskrit word for General, I think). It's only available at Wargames Inc right here and I thought you guys might like to know about it. I spoke to Alessio on Thurs 13th Nov at Wargames Inc and he seemed like a really nice guy. I'm also trying to convince Dave it would be a great idea to stock a range of Wyrd minis, so if any of you guys are in the Loughborough area please pop in and raise the banner of the cause, as it were. It is the only indie games store in the East Midlands area (I think) that stocks Hordes, Warmachine, Infinity etc and I think Malifaux would be a wonderful addition. Also, I need more opponents to beat my Cryx to a smear!

Sculpey is used in the FX industry (along with other polymer clays like Chavant NSP) for creature sculpting (the extras on Star Wars: Attack Of the Clones, where George is shown a load of small busts for the diner owner is a prime example of this). Check out Glenn Southern's Creature Tutorial for a look at working with it, and don't forget to check out the Sculpey homepage.

Do something completely different (and I mean completely different). Miniature painting is very taxing on a number of levels (eyes, concentration etc) and it is a mental activity, so do something physical. Go to a boxing class to whale on a set of focus mits/heavy bag/random passer by, go fencing, running or ... hey, you're American - go target shooting and let rip with some firepower. After a week of getting your frustration out physically you might be more refreshed mentally. Just don't vent on co-workers or in-laws.

Hum. Sounds like someone has been mining British Sci-Fi for inspiration *cough*envoy corps*cough*. Much too anime/guyver for me.

Great for the Lizardmen players, it's just a shame there aren't 20-25mm bases included. You can have a look at the full range in their shop.

I quite like the Saracen faction, but it's either the Westerners or the Demons to buy first for me. I really like the look of the demon starter, especially the female demon/cenobyte with the whips, but I also like the fact that most of the Westerners are Papists. Hmm. Undead dominatrix or leather-clad nun. Tough choice.

It's all gone now! Smooth as the reputed bottom of a young'un. Well, the ladies like it, so I've been told. I suppose the only downside it now there's more of my face to see, which keeps the ladies away ...

Welcome to the site. I hope you do enter the competitions as the feedback you get on your entries is top notch and from excellent painters to boot. They have helped me improve no end.

Happy bidet to you both!

Excellent stuff. Voted 10's on them as they really really deserve it. One day, I'll be close to that level ... I have my JBT DVD ready! [edit] What's the casting like on the bust? Was it difficult to remove the mould lines over the chain mail at all?

Yeah, but as I'm both an arsehole and jealous of her great talent, I had to find fault with something. It's all I have to warm the cold embers of my shrivelled heart.

This thread was Shawn R.L.'s OSL classroom on CMON. At 27 pages long, there's lots of reading and great advice. Also, in the CMON articles section there's a translation (traduction en anglais, if you'll pardon my awful French) of Cyril's famous glowing marine eyes tutorial, available from his Neomodel site. Hope this helps.