Saturday 31 January 2015

Vampifan's Views 60 - Monthly Musings 38

Miss Vampirella January 2015 - Alisa Kiss
Every time I post one of my Monthly Musings I always start off with a picture of my favourite vampire - Vampirella. This year, I have decided to do something slightly different and show you 12 of my favourite real life Vampirella models - one per month. I am showing them in alphabetical order by Christian name. I have my favourites as some I like more than others but all 12 have something going for them that I like. Some of the ladies are professional models posing as Vampi and some were official models when Vampirella was published by Harris Comics. Some, like Alisa here, are cosplayers. Alisa is certainly one of my favourites. She has such a cute smile and a great body that is very close to that of the comic heroine, i.e. well proportioned without being too busty.
What I found interesting when I was building up this collection was noting how Vampi's costume changes depending on who is wearing it. It seems the ladies all have their own ideas on how this iconic costume should look like. Most get it right. Alisa's version is near perfect. However, as I'll show, some don't quite get it right. One model does something I wouldn't have thought possible. She takes Vampi's skimpy costume and makes it a lot more skimpier! Sorry, guys, but you'll have to wait until August to see it. Yeah, I know, I'm such a tease! Anyway, in the meantime you have plenty of lovely eye candy to look forward to.

Moving on to hobby news, it has been another busy month for me, with most of my spare time taken up with Super Dungeon Explore. On the painting front I have finished painting all the figures from the Von Drakk Manor expansion set and all are worthy of a place on this blog, which is after all, dedicated to all things undead. I have made a start on painting the figures from my second SDE expansion set, Caverns of Roxor. In addition, I have painted all the individual SDE figures I was able to buy from Amazon UK and eBay. These were all rare figures and I'm thrilled to have been able to purchase so many of them. My collection of SDE figures is not complete but I do have all the figures I want, so I feel lucky in that respect.
My collection of Impact Miniatures Chibi Adventurers and Monsters
Towards the back end of last year I discovered a figure company called Impact Miniatures who made a range of 28mm scale Chibi Adventurers. These perfectly complemented the official SDE figures. They do a large range of Chibi figures and so I decided to send them an order. The photo above shows you what figures I received. Not shown are a load of dungeon tile bases that I ordered. They are a close match to the sculpted bases used in SDE. The figures I ordered were mainly bought to supplement my monsters from Von Drakk Manor. From left to right are four giant Pumpkins, two Pumpkinheads and a Pumpkinhead General. The reason I bought these is because one of the Von Drakk Manor Spawning Points depicts a spooky tree holding a large Halloween Pumpkin. So they were an obvious tie-in. Next up are four Skeletons and four Zombies. They were "must have" figures for me. The four individuals are a Pit Lord Demon, a Fire Mage, a Mummy and Red the Barbarian Warrior. The Pit Lord and Fire Mage will be alternative Dungeon Boss and Mini Boss to replace Starfire and Rex respectively from the basic boxed set of SDE. The Mummy is yet another undead type, who could either be used as a Mini-Boss for Von Drakk or held over for when the Desertlands expansion set is released. Red is an even closer match to Red Sonja than the Claw Tribe Barbarian I showed you last week. Heck, Impact even called her Red, so she has to be Red Sonja. Finally, are a pair of Gargoyles, who won't look out of place in Von Drakk Manor. These figures are all resin-cast and can be rather fragile if not handled with care and respect. I'm not a big fan of resin figures and would have preferred to see these in metal or plastic. I'll be reviewing these later but for now here's a sneak preview of the two Gargoyles.
Impact Miniatures Chibi Gargoyles.
I said in my last Monthly Musings post that my New Year's resolution was to play more games in 2015. Well, I'm off to a good start, having played two games of SDE already. The first was a simple 8-Bit game played on two boards with two Heroes (Ember Mage and Riftling Rogue) against Rex the Kobold Ogre Mini-Boss and a few Kobold Minions. It was a very one-sided fight which the Heroes won easily in less than half an hour. Still, it did what it was meant to do, which was to give me a flavour of the rules and how the game is meant to be played.
Then I played a 16-Bit game played on three boards with three heroes against Starfire the Dungeon Boss, Rex the Mini Boss and a lot more Denizens and Minions. This was a much tougher fight and took a lot longer to play but was also a lot more fun. The Heroes I chose were what I thought were a good mix - the Deeproot Druid (who is a Healer and can transform into Angry Bear), the Glimmerdusk Ranger (an elf archer with good ranged attack ability) and the Hearthsworn Fighter (a dwarven fighter specialising in melee attacks). I felt I'd covered all bases and was confident they'd do well. They didn't, despite getting off to a good start by destroying two Spawning Points very quickly.
But a horde of Kobolds Mob attacked the Ranger and swiftly killed her. When Rex the Kobold Ogre Mini Boss arrived he cleverly positioned himself at the entrance to the third board. That meant if the Heroes wanted to destroy the third Spawning Point, they'd have to go through him. Destroying ALL the Spawning Points before the Dungeon Boss arrives is the key to winning the game if you're playing the Heroes. Angry Bear tried his hardest to defeat Rex but he proved to be too tough. In the turn after Rex appeared, Starfire the Dragon arrived. Because there was still one Spawning Point left, it meant that Starfire could activate twice per Turn. Believe me, you do not want any Dungeon Boss activating twice per turn! The Heroes stood no chance against him and he killed them both. I knew that Starfire was tough (he really is rock hard!) but until I saw him in action I never knew just how powerful he actually was. Despite the Heroes losing I thoroughly enjoyed playing this fun game. Because I have so many expansion sets and extra figures for it, its replay value is incredibly high. I can't wait to play it again.
In my next post I'll review the Glimmerdusk Ranger, Deeproot Druid and Angry Bear but for now here's another sneak preview just to whet your appetite.

25 comments:

  1. Please stop posting SDE Bryan... I'm badly wilting... That Deeproot Druid has to be my fave mini yet, with his green hair, fantastic gems and 'Don't f@#% with me, I'm seriously tough' look in his eyes... and he turns into that bear.!!! Really!?! Superb :-) Lovely blue eyes on the Glimmerdusk ranger too but I'll hap on about that when you post her properly. I'm scared to ask but is the Druid in the starter SDE set?

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    1. Ha, ha! I'm so sorry, Simon, about these SDE posts but there's a lot more to come. I can't wait to show off the Von Drakk Manor figures because they'll just blow you away!
      The Deeproot Druid is such a cool character. Yes, he can transform into Angry Bear and yes, he is part of the starter set.

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    2. Well I have birthday coming up I suppose... and that Druid does look cool... oh and Amazon seem to sell it for a reasonable price... and then there's that huge bear... What's that dear? I've inadvertently clicked buy on what button.!?! Oh Crumbs... guess I have a parcel coming ;-)

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    3. YAAAAAAAAAAAY! Good man, Simon! I assure you that you won't regret it... although your wallet might! LoL!

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    4. Entirely your fault Bryan. I don't think I'll be getting Von Drakk Manor any time soon though, but at least I lasted three SDE postings before I took the plunge... damn you ;-)

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    5. Actually, Von Drakk Manor is getting increasingly hard to find and often goes for silly prices on eBay - £100+ is now the norm!

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  2. It's good to hear you are having fun with the SDE already!

    I don't have much else to add, without the risk of sounding repetitive, but I can let you know I did notice the Ranger's eyes!

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    1. Thanks, Mathyoo, and yes, I'm having SO much fun with this game. Best of all, it has restored my interest in fantasy gaming but in such a way I could never have imagined.

      The Glimmerdusk Ranger is undeniably cute!

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  3. What a lovely lady! Awesome work as well I found paint the bigger chunkier miniatures (Relics) a lot easier and quite a lot of fun. Looking forward to seeing these all painted. If your looking for some other fun characters check out meridian miniatures tooth and sword range

    http://meridianminiatures.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/tooth-sword-now-on-kickstarter.html

    http://meridianminiatures.com/tooth-and-sword/

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    1. Alisa is VERY lovely, Simon!

      Those Meridian Miniatures would fit in very well with SDE. Thanks for bringing them to my attention.

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  4. Good start to the new year's gaming. I like your idea of using real models for the Vampi. My jury is out over the SDE thong but the painting and modelling is top notch. Keep up the good work.

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    1. That should be SDE THING, THING, right not THONG. One can get ones self into all sorts of trouble publishing stuff like that. :-)

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    2. I just wanted to do something different with my Vampi pics this year. I have enough Vampi artwork to last decades but seeing her as a real life person is a refreshing change. I'm glad you like the idea.

      I can see where your mind was straying when you typed in THONG. Methinks you were distracted by the lovely Alisa! I certainly don't blame you, Bob!

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  5. I really like those Gargoyles, they came out well, she came out nice as well...Urm the ranger miniature that is ...Hmmm yes, Hehehe

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    1. Someone else who has been distracted by Alisa's charms! LoL! Thanks, TE!

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  6. Fine work again Bryan! Great idea for "live" Vampirellas. I'm still not into the whole SDE thing but at least your having fun. Impact seem to be a pretty cool company, they have a whole dude thing going on with their Urban Achievers line, that I can respect.
    Bring on Zombicide season 3!

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    1. Cheers, Bob. The "live" Vampirella idea seems to have gone down well.
      As for Zombicide season 3, I really can't wait for my large parcel to arrive. Bring it on, dude!

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  7. I'm really quite jealous of this, as I know I cannot afford the time to get into SDE. Still, I'm delighted that you're enjoying it!

    If you are looking for further figures in a similar style then the "Warheads" range from Urban Mammoth has some more medieval figures (including some rabbits and a jabberwock, as well as grubby peasants and knights): http://www.myriadminiatures.com/store-ecwid.php?langs=en&a=urbanwarthegame.com#!/Warheads-Medieval-Tales/c/3801698/offset=0&sort=normal . I'm not sure how they compare in size, mind...

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    1. I am thoroughly enjoying SDE, Hugh! It brings a new level of fun to the hobby which I love.

      Whilst those Warheads figures you highlighted aren't really Chibi they are still undeniably cute. They look like they could be very compatible with my SDE and Impact minis. Thanks for the link.

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  8. Best SDE post from you yet Bryan.

    I won’t go on about the painting, we do that in emails enough, and you already know my wife and I think you are a top notch modeler (thanks for the last photos btw). What I will mention is te smile it brings to me face to see you so very happy with Super Dungeon Explore; and I don`t just mean painting the minis...no, you are so obviously enjoying PLAYNG the game and that make s me sooooo glad to see. So often, you see a new collection get painted, enthused over, but not really played with and enjoyed beyond this initial excitement... but YOU are really into the game side of it too, and that is a delight and a treat to witness.

    As you know Bryan, I am a gamer first, and the painting/modeling is... to me... the means to an end. The end being TO PLAY A GREAT GAME, end of the day, that`s where my passion for the hobby lies; augmented by nice, lovely, beautiful playing pieces to enhance the game.

    What I like about you is, you obviously take great delight ad pride in your work, but it doesn’t just stop there, you enjoy the play aspect just as much, and this really shows in your writing.

    Super Dungeon Explore is a mighty game, it combines great colour, great minis, great game boards, and truly great rules, and it all melds seamlessly into one hell of a great box game which, in all honesty, stands alone just fine without any of the expansion sets.... but combine it with add-ons and boy oh boy, you have an entire new genre to enjoy for many happy gaming years ahead.

    And yaaaaay!!! Blaxkleric, you will not be sorry you bought this game. I`m almost jealous. I will never forget the moment of sheer delight I felt when I first received my base set copy and opened the box for the first time (there`s so much in it, and it looks so WOW). I`d love to re-live that moment again.

    As a side note, I am almost embarrassed to say, my misses`` has the same figure shape as “Alisa Kiss”, dress `er up in Vampirella clothes and she`d look the part.... now there`s an idea hmmmm!!! *thinks*


    Steve :))

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    1. Much appreciated response, Steve. I can only agree with every word you said. Whilst painting figures and making models and scenery is a big part of the hobby and a part I absolutely enjoy doing, it is all for an end. That end, is as you said, the game. I created my version of Mayhem City to play zombie apocalypse games in. Creating the groundwork to play such games takes time as I slowly built up my collection of figures and scenery. But it was all for the ultimate goal of playing the game.

      This is also true of Super Dungeon Explore. I could have started playing as soon as I made the figures from the basic boxed set. But I deliberately waited until they were all painted because I knew I'd enjoy playing the game with fully painted figures far more than playing it with unpainted figures. The fact that the figure painting became such a labour of love was a huge bonus.

      But the real thrill came a couple of days ago when I played my first 16-Bit game of SDE and learned the hard way just how powerful Starfire the Dragon is. At its heart SDE is a simple concept game - Heroes explore a dungeon, collect treasure and defeat the bad guys. Pretty basic and simple with no thought to characterisation or advancement through experience. But that fails to take into account the tactical decisions that have to be made. And this is where the game really scores. Some rules, like the Hearts and Potions on the dice only favour the Heroes, whilst others like the Dungeon Boss activating twice per Turn if any Spawning Points are left intact when he arrives only favours the Consul. It's checks and balances, isn't it? It makes the game a lot more tactical than it may at first appear.

      Yes, it is true, you can play MANY games with just the basic boxed set. But once you add in the expansion sets and characters then the world really opens up. I suspect you'll be right in saying that many years of happy gaming lies ahead of me. I certainly hope so.

      Thank you so much for noticing my enthusiasm for gaming. I wonder if it's because I don't game as often as I wish I could that when I do game I relish every moment of it. Or maybe it's because, like you, I just love gaming.

      I, too, envy Simon/Blaxcleric for the first time he opens SDE. I remember when I first opened my copy the first thing I said was "Oh my God, this looks gorgeous!"

      As for telling me that Hils looks just like Alisa Kiss all I can say is you lucky, lucky, lucky man! If you do get her to dress up as Vampirella I will be insanely jealous of you!

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  9. You tease! You bloody tease!

    Chilbi figures are not my taste but must admit well painted the gargoyles in particular.

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    1. What can I say, Clint? I know I AM a tease!
      I'm glad you like the Gargoyles. Although they were essentially just two colours - grey and orange - there was still a lot of work that went into painting them with ink washes and dry brushing.

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  10. Alisa is indeed a lovely model and I am looking forward to seeing you get the chibis all done up.

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    1. Thanks, FEM. Alisa is a bonny lass as we say here in Geordieland. As for the Impact Chibis, I'm working on them now. They should be finished very soon.

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