steinbergshedspace

Then there was everybody’s favourite villains… The pirates

Everyone loves pirates, right?

We had been talking about getting into a pirate game for a month or two when we went to Warfare in Reading. Talk about good timing…

On display there were the new Black Scorpion pirate ranges and their pirate game, Cutlass. 3 rule books later we were all off and digging through our bits boxes for figures that could be pressganged into a pirate crew. Fortunately some old Games-workshop Empire sprues were kicking about in my drawers which, with a little effort, would do just fine.

The first crew were based on planking made from blue craft foam, cut and carved to size. Only problem was, it melts when exposed to plastic cement. The second attempt worked better but the glue then reacted with the matt varnish leaving the boots of the crew looking a little odd. Matt varnish has often been problematic for me as you will come to see.

Second crew were based without making as much of an effort and worked more to my liking.

The buildings in the photos are mostly made by 4Ground and are excellent examples of their prepainted, lasercut, MDF range. I love these and they often find their way into many of our games.

Cutlas has a unique and fun initiative steeling mechanic which keeps you wondering just how long you can keep going before you fail something and lose the initiative to your opponent.

As usual though, before too long, we found a new shiny thing in the form of Saga to distract us…

Buildings, buildings, buildings…

Buildings, buildings, buildings...

All that free space in a new shed. It kind of goes to your head. With me it was the first time that I had found space to store my gaming collection all in one place.

Never before had I been able to keep everything to hand and be able to pick and choose what table elements that we wanted from shelves all about us…

Friends will likely remember when my terrain was stored in their homes (in stairways especially) as a fix for me never having enough space to store it at home…

I know many gamers that never have the luxury of space. I had never had this luxury before. In the years before, I had stored gaming boards in an old, leaky shed, a garden storage box or under a spare bed… Setting up for a game could sometimes involve a minimum of 3 trips upstairs and 2 to the garden. All that had to be done before searching for where I had put the figures I would need for a game.

I guess I went to town (excuse the pun) by buying half a city’s worth of buildings. The starting point was a range of town houses by Sarissa Precision. Great looking builds and easy to work with. Quickly followed by buildings from Warbases and 4Ground.

The picture shows the first of these. The others you will see in time, they are a staple for most games played in the shed and cover a wide range of periods.

The Steinberg Stingers

I was asked today by a friend to remind him again why I use the name Steinberg as an online identity. I guess it would be wise to put this in the blog early on, as others may find this explanation helpful too. The story predates the shed. Predates the house even… You may have noted that my gaming history started in my childhood (early teen years really). It has not been continuous though. Lots of other gamers appear to have followed a similar path, where early gaming is full on and takes up most of our time. Then life takes time back! Work and family commitments begin to kill off many things we love. It would seem that some things never truly die. After being away from gaming for about 8 years, a job change and relocation led me to rediscover gaming when I attended a game club in the new area. The club was not entirely to my tastes as the competition gamers there were more hard core than I wanted to be. However, many gamers there were into gaming for the love of playing, and I found firm friends in that environment. The main reason for going in the first place. Enough history… Time to tell you about The Steinberg Stingers. In those first steps to restart my gaming life I agreed to join a Bloodbowl league. I guess it was an easy way back in. Buy and paint 13 figures and you are in… In hind sight a 14th player may have been a useful addition as their first league results show how 13 is never a lucky number. It could never be the fact I have had a loosing streak that has lasted for the past 12 years. So the team only lasted for another season but the name Steinberg has lasted much much longer. Therefore, if you find a forum user by that name, with very few posts to his name, it is highly likely that my very short attention span has been there and done that…

Menoth Warband

Menoth Warband As I’ve already told you about our short foray into Warmachine, it seems only fitting to show you where I got to. One Warcaster and his retinue.

Enough to play, and enjoy, this very different game. I had plans to expand the force with some Zealots, for a extra troops option, and I even picked up a few more heavy war jacks to add to the mix. All these extras got undercoated, but were never fully finished.

One of the reasons for starting this blog is to try and direct my focus. If this works out I will be aiming to complete and display each new army I start. It may also push me to revisit some of the older models that I have started and never completed.

Let’s hope…

Then there was Warmachine… and an large unfinished terrain project

October 2012 and with the colder weather creeping in we ventured out to the home of citadel miniatures, Games Workshop Nottingham… The trip got me thinking about terrain for our games and tunnels especially. The Zone Mortalis board on display there was ripe for the copying and I returned home to brew up some ideas and make my own copy.

While that idea was growing in form and complexity our next gaming venture was beginning. We uncovered the world of Warmachine and as usual immersed ourselves completely. Menoth was my faction of choice. Nothing like religious zealots to get the blood moving.

Putting the two together the result was yet another unfinished army and a set of terrain boards that still reside in a box in the shed in a form unchanged from this photo.

What came first?

I’ve been thinking back to what was first seen on the painting table when I got the shed finished and what was played most at that time…

These guys are likely the first to be seen when the grand opening was done…

We had just discovered Malifaux and as usual we all started with a buy in at starter pack level. Not a game we played for long but some great little figures for painting. If I’m honest, they have probably been out more often as an Empire of the Dead Gentleman’s Club crew than anything else.

The shed today…

The shed today...

So that was then. This is now. Some fond time had here.

My next posts will be a little retrospective with photos of past projects and will lead me upto the current state of play… I also hope these posts will add some basic keywords to that little search button at the top of the screen.

Guess I have a few things to learn about this new game.

A shed…

Expect teething problems and random text as these are the first posts on a new venture for me. I am told ‘blogging’ can be fun and interesting. Let’s hope it is for anyone reading this…

So… It starts with a space of my own. Actually my daughter claims it’s a shared space but if I fill it full enough of my stuff she won’t be able to fit into it. So, here goes.

Built in 2012, after I was told gaming in the new conservatory was not working for my family, the ‘game shed’ is officially a summerhouse that I use all year through. Sometimes by choice, sometimes when I am sent there by the ladies in my life.

These will be my adventures in what I like to call my shed space.

To be continued…