...and Beyond!

Last night I discovered Infinity The Game. The concept art & stylized minis brought back everything I loved about Mass Effect and Gundam Wing and when I recalled those happy memories, the subsequent flood of dopamine had me spiraling out of control... long story short I bought $100+ worth of minis. Yep, THAT happened. Glad Friday is payday. 

I absolutely love Corvus Belli's high standard for dynamic & detailed 28mm minis like this (links provided below)

I bought them both. After watching some of the Getting Started videos, I think I'm hooked. So far, I haven't been truly exposed to wargaming or futuristic tabletop gaming. In fact, I've only painted Reaper miniatures exclusively. However, after reading more about the overall campaign in their introduction (see below), I definitely want to learn more.

One hundred and seventy-five years into the future Humanity has managed to survive despite itself, but for how much longer?

The human race has reached the stars. Travelling through worm-holes, enormous commercial ships, run by the international community, known as Circulars, jump from one star system to another. Circulars are controlled by O-12, an international organism that is the second generation United Nations but with much greater capacity for decision-making and for taking action. A single, massively powerful Artificial Intelligence that is present in the entire Human Sphere, and indispensable for the great powers, assists the O-12 in maintaining a fragile balance between them.

The old nations have grouped themselves into great international federations and have allotted between themselves the star systems that have been shown to be adequate for human life. These new powers, much more powerful than the old ones, continue to be moved by the age-old driving forces of human history: the quest for living space, resources and power. They all want the same and that makes peaceful co-existence difficult. Confrontation and conflict are the constant norm, whether they be open or concealed, of high or low-intensity, of long or short duration… the profession of soldier in this epoque is far from dull…
— InfinityTheGame.com

I spent 3 hours perusing, adding, and whittling down my checkout cart. It was difficult. While I wanted to buy the Rule Book and two solid starter packs, there were miniatures that I just couldn't pass up. (Hello, Zondcat). In the end, I had to go with my gut. When I purchase miniatures, I look for these qualities:

Dontnod Entertainment/Capcom

  1. Dynamic Poses
  2. Well-Rendered Details
  3. Proper Proportions
  4. Expressive Faces
  5. Overall Visual Impact

I'm attracted to strong female characters & my favorite miniatures fit that description-- ones that aren't hyper-sexualized. In fact, my biggest Geek Woman-Crush is Nilin from the video game "Remember Me". Someday, I will pick up running, lose 20 lbs, grow a whole foot taller, cut off my long hair, add some highlights & cosplay as this BAMF. Wishful thinking, but I haven't given up hope! 

In the meantime, I'll broaden my horizons, continue to seek out awesome sculpts, and learn more about mecha-style miniature painting techniques. My shipment of Infinity minis should arrive this next Monday. I'll plan to have more pictures for you at that time along with some solid research examples. See you next week! 

Painting Withdrawals

Work has been intense while I've been running point for my team during a new store opening. I've encountered long days and I haven't had a day off for two weeks. Any downtime has been spent watching the World Cup (yes, I'm a soccer fan) or taking a late afternoon trip to Beaumont  to "get away". In fact, I'm writing this in a race against the clock since I need to get on the road. I'm helping facilitate panel interviews today. 

Needless to say, I haven't painted. And it makes me creatively itchy. I've thought about it often, but knowing how much caffeine is coursing through my system to support my effectiveness at work, I've decided it's a bad idea. My next day off is June 28th and I'm going to paint the &#@% out of some minis. I still need to patch up Maralise after her untimely basing mishap. I've bounced back from my failure funk and I'm positive I can salvage her.

[Update: I did it! Check her out here]

In the meantime, I've realized I need a new painting setup. Currently, I'm painting at an unfinished pine table I bought for $70 at IKEA in 2010 along with its matching chair. It's not a long-term solution. I've been saving up for something better ever since I read Meg Maples' blog post about ergonomic desks & chairs. I've learned many insights from her Arcane Paintworks site and I can't wait to try some of her suggestions!

I admit, I've spent some of that desk/chair money on minis-- in fact, a box showed up yesterday for me and I thought "Wait, this isn't mine!" and when I opened it, they were minis I'd bought on eBay that I'd forgotten about #HoarderProblems.

However, I'm committed to finding a more sustainable desk & chair setup. I want to learn from others' successes. I want to put into my hobby what I hope to get out. It's worth it. I'll take some pictures along the way in my hunt for a new desk & chair-- I'll let you know what I find! 

Basing Blues

I admit it: Basing terrifies me. I can't explain why. It's like one of those mental blocks that keeps you shackled to your comfort zone-- like why I've had the same [lack of] hairstyle for 3+ years because I'm afraid if I change it, I may not like it. Needless to say, I'm not a risk taker and I like to stick to what I'm good at. For me, the fear of being bad at something often keeps me from jumping in and trying something new.

Today, after some encouragement and courage-gathering, I decided get over myself and give this a shot. A few weeks ago, I ordered some bases from MicroArts, bought some Milliput & a micro drill at the local hobby store, and purchased some Loctite super glue on a recent trip to a hardware store. Wish me luck!

[fast forward 15 minutes] 

Ok, I know I sound dramatic, but this... THIS is why I don't take risks: fear of failure suffocates me and I just now choked. I was attempting to separate Maralise from her metal base and my hand slipped and I pretty much cut off her feet. I ruined her. I shouldn't have tried basing this already-painted mini. I should have left her alone and now I'm battling a minor panic attack. I don't know how to sculpt. I don't know how to fix her feet. I'm chalking this up as unsalvageable until I know more about basing. I'll figure it out another day-- maybe base her & hide her feet in tufts of grass. I won't give up, I just can't look at this objectively right now and need to walk away. 

 Argh, I'm so incredibly mad at myself right now. I should've known better. I need a drink.