Morning thoughts and eldritch ramblings...

I'm having a slow morning. The low pressure system is making my head feel like I stuck it in a vice and have Billy Barty jumping up and down on it.

I've been working long hours and getting lots of real world stuff done, but nothing on the gaming end.

As I nursed my head with a hot cup of joe, I took a little 'me' time and surfed my usual miniatures haunts online. I found myself looking at the Games Workshop main page and my guts churned a bit.

Warhammer 3rd edition is where I got my first taste of wargaming proper. Yes, I admit, before I got in touch with my Humanity I was a nancy Wood Elf player. Hell, I was 6' tall and weighed 135 pounds soaking wet; which makes for one skinny elfling. I was intellectual and agile to boot, so Elfdom made sense. I fondly remember Scarloc's Wood Elf Archers as my first Warhammer boxed set. Thrilling that was.

But I digress. Games Workshop had my loyalty and pocketbook for the next 19 years. I sold more of the GW product line in my time in the hobby shop business than any other item or line. I was even an Outrider. Ahhh the halcyon years!

But now I won't touch 'em. Nope. Not a drop. Why? Simple economics: Low product value and high cost. I have no problem with paying heavy coin for a beautiful miniature. I have a big problem doing the same for a guy who is posed in the most unnatural position so some 12 year old has an easier time of lopping off his arm and gluing it to something else. Frankly, I'm like a former cigarette smoker who has quit the habit for years; I'm more disgusted by it than someone who never inhaled.

I am a Black Templar. But I sold mine off because of GW's sad drift from the position of leadership they used to be. There have only been a couple of minis in the past few years that look anatomically correct to me, and that's not enough to grab my wallet.

As you'll see below, some of their finer works are going on my desk from years gone by. Jes Goodwin & Juan Diaz are superstars in my book, so their figs are on my desk. But for the rest of my purchases, I've gone over to Heresy, Hasslefree, Infinity, Urban Mammoth, and Blue Moon. They are still trying to compete, and therefore have not become complacent.

Well, enough GW bashing from a guy who never thought he would. Growing up is a bitch...

Noch Weiter!