From: signal9 Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2025 23:55:06 +0000 (-0600) Subject: new article X-Git-Url: https://git.vexinglabs.com/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=30d9a7dd04056be1f6ca7fa3a6598033ea2f5e66;p=vexingworkshop.git new article --- diff --git a/content/images/IMG_0114.jpg b/content/images/IMG_0114.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..341a354 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/images/IMG_0114.jpg differ diff --git a/content/images/IMG_0115.jpg b/content/images/IMG_0115.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1fcc616 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/images/IMG_0115.jpg differ diff --git a/content/images/IMG_0116.jpg b/content/images/IMG_0116.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d8c278a Binary files /dev/null and b/content/images/IMG_0116.jpg differ diff --git a/content/images/IMG_0118.jpg b/content/images/IMG_0118.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f1285a2 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/images/IMG_0118.jpg differ diff --git a/content/images/IMG_0119.jpg b/content/images/IMG_0119.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ae4a61d Binary files /dev/null and b/content/images/IMG_0119.jpg differ diff --git a/content/images/terrain1.jpg b/content/images/terrain1.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..68b0762 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/images/terrain1.jpg differ diff --git a/content/images/terrain2.jpg b/content/images/terrain2.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d008857 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/images/terrain2.jpg differ diff --git a/content/images/terrain3.jpg b/content/images/terrain3.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ad88d71 Binary files /dev/null and b/content/images/terrain3.jpg differ diff --git a/content/pages/strange_artifacts.md b/content/pages/strange_artifacts.md index 8d8bfce..48d2fca 100644 --- a/content/pages/strange_artifacts.md +++ b/content/pages/strange_artifacts.md @@ -6,10 +6,17 @@ Title: Strange Artifacts Strange Artifacts is a collective of grimdark weirdos in the Rocky Mountain Region. -If you are local and seek companions for kitbashing, +If you are local or visiting the area and seek companions for kitbashing, painting, sculpting and games, get in touch! ## What _Else_ Is Strange Artifacts? Strange Artifacts is a narrative, invitational wargaming event to be held in the fall of 2025. + +## What Are We Playing? + +* [Forbidden Psalm](https://www.forbiddenpsalm.com/) +* [Void Admiral](https://www.wargamevault.com/product/470062/Void-Admiral) +* [Cauldron](https://hillgiant.itch.io/cauldron) +* [Mini-Gangs](https://ramshacklegames.co.uk/ramshackle-publications/mini-gangs/) diff --git a/content/tacticon-2025-09-07.md b/content/tacticon-2025-09-07.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..870a29d --- /dev/null +++ b/content/tacticon-2025-09-07.md @@ -0,0 +1,110 @@ +Title: Tacticon 2025, Denver, Colorado +Category: Events +Date: 2025-09-07 +Tags: events, wargaming, forbiddenpsalm, flamesoforion + +Occurring at opposite ends of the year, Denver has two fairly major gaming +events: GenghisCon in the late winter, and Tacticon in the late summer. Where +GenghisCon is dominated by role-playing games, Tacticon predominantly features +tabletop miniature war games. Someone among the [Strange +Artifacts](/pages/strange-artifacts.html){. .anchor} crew suggested we get a +table of our own for the event, so we did exactly that. + +While I have attended GenghisCon for the last couple of years, this is the first +time I've attended Tacticon. Where GenghisCon was divided up among many +ballrooms and conference rooms, the bulk of the con was in one massive hall, +with tables upon tables. The vendors, a far smaller array than the winter event, +took up the circumfernce of the room. A full third of the hall was dominated by +[Star Wars Legion](https://www.5280legion.com/){. .anchor} players, with large and +beautifully appointed tables. The rest was a mix of Bolt Action, Warhammer and +Battletech. + +![Tacticon Main Hall]({static}/images/IMG_0119.jpg){: .image-med} + +Our intention for the event was to demo three games: Forbidden Psalm, Flames of +Orion and Void Admiral. Our goal, if we indeed have one, is to gather all the +28mm, independent weirdos in the area to play our favorite games. I started out +wanting to bring everything, but found that even three games was perhaps too +many. This selection, however, does a good job of covering both fantasy and +scifi as well as including modern classics, a new release and in Void Admiral a +game I feel could be a sleeper hit in the community. + +We were assigned a table for four hours. While we'd expected a full, 6'x4' +rectangular table among the other games, we were given a single 6' round table +off on the periphery. Not to fret, we set up two boards. Strange Artifacts +foundin member, [Kitbash Chaos](https://calixiscrusade.com){. anchor} built his first +static board, a beautiful red desert scene suitable for fantasy, scifi and +post-apocalyptic settings. For my part I brought a recent, modular desert board +with an assortment of hand-built and 3D printed terrain and buildings. + +## Flames of Orion + +![Flames of Orion]({static}/images/IMG_0116.jpg){: .image-med} + +With an odd number of us in attendance, the best way to get started was to array +our models on the table and to start playing a game. As one of us had never +played Flames of Orion and another only having played one game, I chose to +adjudicate a game between my friends. After a brief overview of the rules we +rolled for scenario, landing on _Scavenge_ in the core rule book. I brought two +fully painted lances and plenty of terrain so we were off to the races. + +For those not familiar, [Flames of +Orion](https://underthedice.com/flamesoforion/) is a small-ruleset, miniature +agnostic battlemech war game by Steve from the Hive Scum podcast. The game +successfully kickstarted over the summer and should fulfill in the next several +weeks. Each player fields a number of mechs or units, frequently four each, and +either plays a stand-up fight - which like in any game takes to long and is +boring - or you chose an objective-based encounter either home grown or from the +book. Units are built either by rolling randomly or by spending a certain number +of points per force. Before the event, I rolled up two lances so we could get +down to it. + +![Kitbash Chaos]({static}/images/IMG_0118.jpg){: .image-med} + +![The Board]({static}/images/IMG_0114.jpg){: .image} +![The Board]({static}/images/IMG_0115.jpg){: .image} + +I'm unprepared for a battle report, but at the end both players said they +enjoyed the game. The rules are fairly intuitive and easy to pick up. I feel the +game benefits from having an established narrative, something to drive the story +along and enrich the experience. I can see it being especially good if combined +with a sci-fi role playing game, like [Death in +Space](https://deathinspace.com/){. .anchor} or [Salvage +Union](https://leyline.press/collections/salvage-union){. .anchor}. Flames of +Orion seems like a good ruleset for dropping out of pure RPG to act out combat +encounters on the table. + +## Forbidden Psalm + +After the game of Flames, one of our buddies needed to leave, so Kitbash Chaos +and I set up for a game of Forbidden Psalm. Mike built a beautiful new board for +the occasion, that we were both excited to try out. Sadly for the blog, but not +so much for us, we were both too in the moment to take any pictures. Having +played the first scenario in the Endtimes Edition last time we got together, we +played the second, My Heart Has Joined The Thousand. I played a warband +consisting mostly of [Ramshackle Games](https://ramshacklegames.net/){. .anchor} +[Boglanders](https://shop.ramshacklegames.co.uk/66-boglanders){. .anchor}. You +can find Mike's [YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@KitbashChaos){. .anchor}. + +Mike did provide some pictures of his wonderful board to share with you here. + +![Kitbash Chaos Terrain]({static}/images/terrain1.jpg){: .image-med} + +![Kitbash Chaos Terrain]({static}/images/terrain2.jpg){: .image} +![Kitbash Chaos Terrain]({static}/images/terrain3.jpg){: .image} + +## Overview + +How was Tacticon? I think for what we wanted to do, to hype our favorite indy +28mm games, it might not have been the right scene. While to groups did stop by +and ask a few questions, for the most part attendees knew exactly what they were +going to do before they got to the event. Tacticon is a great place to get +together with your friends and play epic wargames for four days straight. For my +part, had I been able to, I'd have been at the Battletech tables for hours. + +On the other hand, and this is the most important, a few friends got to get +together and play fun games on cool terrain with beautiful painted models (if I +do say so myself). Like any time the Strange Artifacts crew can get together, it +was a great time and I look forward to when we can do it again... + +...perhaps during the Strange Artifacts Forbidden Psalm Invitational next month? diff --git a/pelicanconf.py b/pelicanconf.py index d6703ec..7abdcd9 100644 --- a/pelicanconf.py +++ b/pelicanconf.py @@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ LINKS = ( # Social widget SOCIAL = ( ("Instagram", "https://www.instagram.com/vexingworkshop/"), - ("Mastodon", "https://hackers.town/deck/@signal9"), + ("Mastodon", "https://hackers.town/@signal9@masto.hackers.town"), ) DEFAULT_PAGINATION = 10