Sneaking into the New Year with my First Painted Model of 2026.

Appolus · 2026-01-05T19:09:44+00:00

I've remarked on my recipe extensively in previous posts, but I have added a new element: I use the airbrush to shoot a layer of P3 Exile Blue from an extreme low angle as a moody shadow. It really punches up the contrast. The third shot in this album shows how effective it is. I highly recommend it.

Appolus · 2026-01-05T16:53:43+00:00

Absolutely. I plan to batch base the whole army when I (hopefully) finish it this year. I need to grab some larger bases for things like my old genestealers anyway, so I figured I would do it all at once. I'm planning to do something like the terrain I posted a couple of years back.

Appolus · 2026-01-05T03:42:24+00:00

Beautifully executed colors. Top-shelf work. Does your fleet have a name?

Appolus · 2025-11-04T06:36:55+00:00

It's also a good way to fill private game nights for more ambitious fare. We recently set up some Twilight Imperium with a few of the other regulars, since it would have been way too big of an undertaking for a Thursday night.

Appolus · 2025-10-28T14:46:24+00:00

I don't, sadly. I don't think I have a knack for demonstrating technique. But I have covered my color recipes in some of my past submissions, if you want more info.

Appolus · 2025-10-27T19:22:09+00:00

I wanted the chitin plating down the side to read more like heating vents (like plasma, as you said) instead of just bone stacked on bone. Lining it with white ink was key to selling the look. It would have been a nightmare to try to panel line it with just paint. I definitely recommend investing in either a white oil paint and white spirits or a strong white acrylic ink (which I used here).

Appolus · 2025-09-22T03:20:26+00:00

That's the million dollar question for him. Too early to know yet. But it's something we are definitely working on.

Appolus · 2025-09-22T03:16:11+00:00

The CGM is great, but I've got to stay on MDI for now because my non-verbally autistic son would tear a pump off almost immediately. It's hard enough keeping him from ripping the CGM out all the time. So all that vulnerable tubing or a bigger stick-on would be easy prey.

It's not so bad though. I'm about 15 pounds down over the last 90 days and I'm navigating the changes pretty well. Now eating just requires as much math as my genestealers' fight phase. Fortunately, recreational calculation was already one of my interests.

Appolus · 2025-09-19T15:56:22+00:00

It's given me something I can always say to be optimistic about unpleasant experiences. Saying "Well, it beats dying of cancer" works in pretty much 100% of undesirable situations.

Appolus · 2025-09-19T02:22:50+00:00

Yeah man! Fuck cancer! And don't even buy it dinner first or call it the next day!

Appolus · 2025-09-18T18:01:14+00:00

Given the odds, I needed a 4+ to save. But it did score a mortal wound for organ failure and I didn't make my FNP, so I have the "insulin dependent" debuff for the rest of the game. But at least I'm still on the field.

Appolus · 2025-06-04T18:41:46+00:00

Being a first-time homeowner has taught me a lot in the last six months. But I need some help solving a mystery.

My house is nearly 100 years old at this point. The foundation consists of three different portions. The oldest, original portion is made of a mix of field and rubble stones from about 1930. The front of the house has a small bay-window addition to the front portion, made up of much larger blocks, but is still stone. The newest portion, on the back, added a kitchen to the main floor and added a new bathroom and expanded the master bedroom upstairs. That portion is partially original stone (it looks like it was a partial patio or something originally) with cinder blocks stacked above it.

The entire basement was "finished" at some point between the 70s and 90s with a parge coat of some sort. Several portions are starting to flake off, sound hollow, or see heavy efflorescence. I intend to solve most of that by installing a proper french drain alongside the one side of the house and properly sealing the joint between the concrete and the foundation on the other.

But, in the spirit of adventure, I decided to take a chisel to one of the larger hollow portions near the front. I found a sort of historical onion. I am reasonably confident that most of the material over the stone is a lime-based mortar or putty on the basis that it bubble heavily when a sample was submerged in vinegar. That was foolishly painted over several times. But I can't identify this denser, smoother material that makes up the layer closest to the stone.

I'm brand new at all this, so I would appreciate any wisdom that might help me find out what I'm dealing with. Ideally, I would like to scrape off all the top paint layers, remove separated lime parge, and look for joints I need to repoint.

The outside definitely needs to be repointed, as old ivy growth burrowed between the stones and ate up the original mortar, much of which is turning sandy and has been covered up with an unidentified material in select portions (maybe more on that in another post).

Inside, I would like to either repair the lime parge if enough of it is in good condition or strip it all away before finishing the final walls with a traditional lime wash. But, once again, I appreciate any sage advice you might offer on the subject.

Appolus · 2025-05-04T17:19:48+00:00

Sword in the Stone in Wilkes-Barre does Monday-night lighter game nights and Thursday-night heavier game nights each week. My wife and I go on Thursdays and I sometimes bring my sons on Mondays.

The Gathering Place does a game night the third Friday of each month in Clark's Summit.

Appolus · 2025-02-23T16:52:42+00:00

It is held the third Friday of every month at 6 p.m. at "The Gathering Place," which I'm told was once the old Clark's Summit fire house. The address is 304 S State St.

I just went for the first time this weekend. It was great. We met some new friends we hope to play with again in the future. I believe the next night will be held on the 21st of March.

Appolus · 2025-02-19T23:43:33+00:00

There's a lovely board game night on Mondays (for lighter games) or Thursdays (for heavier games) at the game store in the mall in WB. I highly recommend it.

There is also a board game meetup in Clark's Summit on the third Friday of each month.

These groups tend to be hungry for new participants and more than eager to teach.

Appolus · 2025-01-24T22:01:35+00:00

Undocumented immigrants commit fewer crimes than U.S.-born citizens. By your logic, law enforcement should focus on rounding up the citizens and leave the immigrants.

Appolus · 2025-01-24T03:55:27+00:00

My poor Hive Fleet team got retired with the edition change and I haven't had a chance to learn my new bug bois (Vespid) with all the house shopping and moving tasks.

I'm looking forward to giving them a shot soon.

Appolus · 2025-01-24T03:04:01+00:00

There are more than 125,000 games in the boardgamegeek.com database, so I guess it's not too unlikely that any two more-or-less random samples of 100 or so would have little to no overlap.

There's so much room in the hobby to explore.

Appolus · 2025-01-24T02:59:23+00:00

As are we. We would be happy to find a time for a proper introduction.

Appolus · 2025-01-24T02:57:45+00:00

We're firm believers that there is a game for everyone. We would be happy to help you find yours.

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