Northern Conspiracy Game Night - May 2021

With a majority of our club having viable vaccinations and the NH Governor softening up restrictions on social gatherings, the Northern Conspiracy held our first face-to-face game night since the pandemic shut us down twelve months ago. Attendance was very good with I think 23 members present. Masks were still used just for good measure and the hotel gave us two conference rooms allowing for a generous ten feet between tables.  

Show to the left was a 15mm brigade level Fire & Fury game run by Phil (in blue, center). So great to see miniatures and terrain on the tables and to be able to push figures around and socialize with fellow club members.

 

 

Michael ran a Cruel Seas scenario with Warlord Games PT boats and other small boats. 

Not knowing if we would get enough attendance for a third miniatures game I brought the board game 'Colt Express' as a backup game. It also ran with five players. The game has a 'board' made up of cardboard train cars and gunslinger 'meeples' that look almost like miniatures. We played twice with players rotating in. It was my first time playing the game and I have to admit, it was a lot of fun, even in the first game where I came in dead last.

Game Room Update - Figure Storage, Tables and Laser set-up!

Short video of my wargaming room including my new wargaming tables, figure storage and engraving laser.

 

Wargaming Room - ALMOST DONE!

This past weekend my girlfriend and I installed the flooring in the game room. We're ALMOST DONE! Next steps are to get the gas heat professionally installed. This is scheduled for tomorrow. Once that's done I can have final inspection from the building inspector and I can move in, set up the laser and get back to gaming and painting miniatures. The whole project has taken 2 1/2 months, mostly because I did a lot of the work myself nights and weekends. The sweat equity savings was significant. Doing it myself also means some things were able to be done 'exactly' as I wanted. 

I'm looking forward to moving in and getting back to my hobbies. Thanks to everyone for your support.

 

Overview of Room

Finished Floor

Wargaming Room Update - Baseboards Installed

 More progress. Flooring arrives so I could finally start working on the baseboard trim.

Wargaming Room Update

Wargaming room video update by request.

 Some photos as well...

28mm Gaul Archers

These are twelve Gaul 'Tribal Archers' figures from Warlord Games SPQR range of figures. They're resin figures. I tend to be a 'lead snob' but so far I've been quite happy with all of the SPQR range of resin figures. These are no exception. I've painted these up to be my 'levy archers' for my Carthaginian army for Saga Age of Hannibal. Once I get my wargaming room finished and my laser back on-line I'll cut up some bases for them. The basing will be 1" circular bases made from 3mm arctic birch plywood per my usual for Saga infantry figures.

Twelve figures added to the 2021 painting totals. Until I get my laser back on-line I'm counting figures as they are finished in ready-to-base condition. This is not my usual, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

28mm Samnite 'Colorful Legion' Mercenaries for Saga Age of Hannibal

Eight Samnite 'Colorful Legion' warriors. These will be a mercenary unit for Saga Age of Hannibal. 

Old Glory figures. I'm still experimenting with contrast paints on tunics and larger areas with mixed results. 

Eight figures to add to the 2021 totals. Next up on the painting table are twelve 28mm Gaul Archers to start my Carthaginian force for Saga Age of Hannibal.

 

Hobby Room Construction - Part 4

Construction continues! Drywall is up and ready for 'mud' and tape next week. It's pretty amazing how just getting the flat white drywall up on the walls makes the room look bigger, and much closer to how it will eventually look. I still have a lot of work left to do after the carpenters finish the drywall, but once they're done a lot of that work consists of things I'll be doing myself.

Video tour below.

Game room lighting plan

Sorry for the fuzzy screen-shot but here is the lighting plan for the game room and painting/laser studio. All lighting will be daylight spectrum LED flat panels, with dimmer capability should I have selected 'too much' light. I'm not sure there is such thing at my age, but just in case.

The game table will obviously be put under the eight (8) 2'x4' lights and the painting table under the pair of lights on the far left. The green area is a low area of the ceiling where a beam is. It's still high enough to walk under comfortably unless you play center for the NBA, but it does segment the space as far as lighting is concerned. 

I've always struggled with getting enough light on my gaming table. Starting over fresh has let me attack the problem with a good portion of overkill. If it's worth doing, it's worth OVER-doing!

 

Hobby Room Construction - Part 3

This update - a video update for those of you that do not follow my YouTube channel. I've finished all of the "rough-in" work, and have passed the building inspector's inspections. I'm ready and waiting for my drywall contractor to start putting up the walls! I'll still have plenty of work to do after that doing the trim work, painting and flooring. The final step will be having a hung ceiling professionally installed. I think I'm on pace to have the room completed before enough of my friends have their vaccine and are ready to come over for a game!