CoastalCon 2021: Caverns, Crypts & Catacombs, oh my!

 Despite the Covid hit, the folks at CoastalCon (a small indie-game developer convention in Beaufort, South Carolina) were able to run a trimmed down convention this year.

I attended and was able to run three games of Caverns, Crypts & Catacombs.  Much merriment and death was had.

A revised exploration card with a jab at a friend of mine...

The table set up for Friday's game.

Group one on Saturday suffered a brutal defeat when jumped by spiders, ghouls and then orcs immediately following.  The Thief, alone, managed to escape back through the dungeon's entrance.

Group two on Saturday were met by spiders and an angry Sorcerer in the first chamber, not even getting down the first flight of stairs.

Encountering the massive Stone Golem the wounded party manages to sneak two Heroes past it...but the Barbarian and Elf are left behind.

The Barbarian slips, rolling one or more Skulls...the Golem steps up to crush him and the Elf sees his chance to escape...

Further down the bridge, the Halfling and the Dwarf encourage the Elf to spend his Luck dice and bolt for the gap to the bridge!

The Elf escapes, but the Barbarian is left broken and shattered by the Stone Golem.  The party escapes onto a narrow bridge that the Golem cannot cross - they later cut through Zombies to escape.

Having picked up a set of Metallic paints from Pro Acryl, I found a store at the convention selling the paints so I picked some up to try - some normal colours.  Really liking the metallics so I hope these are as nice!

MkIV Churchills from PSC

 So, finishing up my box of five PSC Churchills in 15mm...I did the last two as MkIV Churchills with the spare fuel cans, and front mud guards.  The performance is identical in game, but I decided I wanted it to look like two separate units - so they differ from the MkIIIs I did yesterday.

I did a made-up camouflage scheme as well.

Stumbling awkardly into 2021...

 Hobby has been slow in 2021.  Most of my time has been spent working behind the scenes on the dungeon crawl rules - a lot of photoshop, and lots o' typing.  Sadly that removes time spent on actual hobbying.

Over the past two days though I've managed to start clearing out some projects that have been sitting on my work desk

Some older trees that have been sitting around in a garage for 20 years since I first hot-glued them to some balsa wood stands around college.  Now updated to match the basing of my other trees - and something that's not cluttering up my hobby space!

 

On a complete whim I ordered a replacement set of metallic paints.  I've had the same line of Vallejo metallics for about ten years - some good, some bad, etc.  Heard great things about these, figured I'd just swap them out - prepare myself for the next ten years or so...

 

Build up three Churchill tanks from PSC yesterday - planned on at least priming them today.

Then got carried away and finished them (better pics later!)

 

The Soviet armour/vehicle depot is expanding beyond my storage capacity (basic infantry are in another bin entirely!)

 

So, some very slow progress.  I have also ordered a seventh iteration of test cards for the dungeon crawl, and will be attending CoastalCon in Beaufort, SC this upcoming weekend.  It sounds like it may be a pretty small shindig this year though.  It's being held at a local church in place of a hotel, etc.

Really happy with the Churchills from Plastic Soldier Company.  Nice kit, loads of options for variants (can only use two of the five though for Lend Lease).  Really pleasing kit to build and paint.  I just ham-fisted my way through the tanks and I'm happy with the result.

 

 

 

Games!: Battlegroup Kursk in 20mm.

 Got in a game of Battlegroup Kursk today in 20mm at a friend's place.

I lost narrowly, though it went pretty poorly for the Soviets most of the game.  I had to steal some pictures, since I forgot to take any.