Exiles review of a busy week

Well what a week I have had from the high of Blog-Con to a very low at work mid week. I want to thank every one who was at Blog-con for making my 40th Birthday weekend one to remember.

I may have shared this one but the second was all mine :)

Always great to start the day with a sunny smile

Not Christmas yet but we had our own three wise men.

I am looking back at Blog-con and see many positives, the venue was perfect Foundry made us very welcome and kept us supplied with plenty of hot drinks.The atmosphere was all I hoped and wanted it to be, very relaxed and friendly. A few bits I will drop going forward, the demos just did not fit in with the relaxed schedule I wanted, I am most grateful to Andres and his family for showing up and it was great to put a face to another blog but I think demos would need a more planned and scheduled event. The pick up games were just not needed as every one there was either playing a demo game or chatting. Talking to guys who where there we have decided that next year will be a one day event but with a planned meal and night out after for any who wants to. I plan to speak to Foundry once we have nailed down a date about maybe opening longer for just the one day. I will also encourage people putting on demos to pair up so they do not spend all the day demo running and get a chance to join the fun. I am happy to say that both Dave and Ian have agreed to continue helping with the Blog-Con 2014 planning, so keep an eye on the blog and like our Face Book page.
I was truly inspired by Dave's Blazing Dice game and along with the Zombicide board game I got for my Birthday I see a great an fun table top game. I have been buzzing all week about it and used all the birthday money (its great when family find you hard to buy for so give cash) to invest in a dozen or so figures and buildings to start my village. I have completed the first draft of the rules and once I have doctored a deck of playing card will start some play testing. I will be refining the game over the year and bringing it along to Blog-con 2014. Following Dave example i will be sharing all the materials I create with you either on this blog or on its own dedicated blog.
I was so happy to get an email from Curt drop into my email inbox this week inviting me to join in the fun of the Winter Painting Challenge this year, as you will have seen I preempted this invite and have started prepping away, I have almost prepped all my NWF figures, started on some SYW and FIW figures and I will have loads of Zombies and survivors.

A Very British Zombie War

I have been truly inspired by Dave’s great game BlazingDice, my Birthday Present Zombicide and Michael’s fantastically quirky Zombie survivor figures. I have an idea for a game bumping around my head, I have approached Dave to ask permission to use his rules as a base and Mike who will help with play testing and painting. But in a nut shell it will be as the post title says a Very British Zombie War, imagine wargaming Shaun of the Dead.

A few brief ideas I have so far are that the Zombie apocalypse will have happened so quick that the only groups to survive will have banded together where that were at the time so the factions will be along the lines of work places and groups for example Michaels great Sixth form and the police (Hasslefree do great Hot Fuzz style figures) I even have two figures in mine for some night watchman..... the Zombies will move towards the noisest area or towards blood, so a big gun may not be your best weapon. The Zombies will spawn more each turn so the quick you complete your mission the less of the undead you will face.

Also the game will be fought over truly British battle fields, Private school grounds, country Halls, picture postcard Villages. I plan to develop this game and share it on the blog any cards/ sheets I create I will make available to anyone (much as Dave does with his blazing dice). Best of all I have piqued the interest of my Daughter and her friends as play testers.

 

If all goes to plan the game will be my contribution to Blog-Con 2014.

Watch this space.

Blog-Con Eve

Well it is almost here tomorrow is the first Blog-Con, it seems to have been in the planning for ages but is was in fact only 27th June when I posted that Blog-Con was on. I think that as a whole community we should be patting ourselves on the back for pulling together at putting on what I am sure will be a fantastic event, it is so great how things have come together, in only the last 48 hours I have been able to add a Napoleonic 6mm game and a Rouge Trader game to the list of games, I am so please that we have such a great painter and Andres to share his skills.
As to how I feel well I am excited, nervous, tired, hyper and many other things all at once, I did not sleep well today I awoke at 13:50 and my brain switched its self up to 11 so no chance of catching more sleep (I usually sleep to 15:30). I am at work as I type but have taken tonight off. This means I can sleep before travelling over to Foundry but more important lets me have a family meal tonight as our celebration of my 40th, I do not know many wives who would be happy for their hubby's to disappear for the weekend but Liz is a star. So tonight I will enjoy a Chinese banquet with my family before loading the car and hitting the sheets. I will be up early to get my boys walked and fed before I jump in the car and set off. I am picking up Mike at Stoke-On-Trent and onward to Nottingham and Foundry for 9.
I will try and take as many pictures as possible but I may find myself buzzing all around the place and forget. I am happy to say that the offer of Birthday Cake I teased you with before has come to pass my Mum has kindly cooked a couple of cakes for all to enjoy, and if you were not aware I am not the only one having a "big" Birthday +Gary Amos is also do the celebrate his birthday over the weekend so double fun.
I have packed almost all the stuff I plan on taking and I am taking the chance to offload recycle some of my lead pile with some 1/350 planes going to Ian and a large box of old GW stuff going towards the Oldhammer boys.
Anyway not much of a hobby post but wanted to get something posted as it may be next week before I have time to post again.

Me with my Wife Liz and Mackie and Toddy (our Scotties) and Tango

Me and my Boy Mackie chilling on Holiday last month