The End of My Blogging Journey

This is it guys. After an entire year of blogging, this is the last one in my challenge. It's been a lot of fun, and I want to thank all of you for joining me on it. The video is about 26 minutes long so you may want to play it in the background, but I think it's a nice capstone to the entire year.

It's hard to believe this is done. I'll post a quick giveaway results video tomorrow, but otherwise I'm not too sure what my blogging schedule will look like. I'm always willing to discuss any topic you guys want to see, so let me know if you have any ideas. Make sure you follow me on Facebook since I'll still be posting links to my posts and interacting with you guys on there, so keep an eye out!

See you in 2014!

Remember to follow me on Facebook! I'm doing a blog post every single day for 2013, and Facebook is a great way to stay up-to-date as well as take part in my monthly giveaways. This is my last month of guaranteed giveaways, so don't miss out on a free copy of Super Dungeon Explore, a painting project, and more! Click here for details!

My Next Year of Gaming

Rage Against the RNG

My Top 10 - 2014 Resolutions

Orange-Flavored Armies

Art Appreciation

Am I Getting Too Old for This?

Desolation of Smaug - A Neverending TV Show

My Top 10 - Posts of the Year

Malifaux - First Impressions

Bringing a Sword to a Bomb Fight

Don't Play Games With Me

Rest Time Reviews - HearthStone (Beta)

Math vs. Instinct

Gaming Stole My Words

Xbox One - Three Weeks Later

My Top 10 - Settings

How I Passed the Bar Exam

A Community of Twits (Or Is It Tweets?)

DoomSanta - Let It Snow!

Final Giveaway Announcement!

DoomSanta - Hoarluk, the White-Stubbled Warlock

DoomSanta - The Night Before Painting

How Important Is an Online Community?

Helping Others Play Like Me

Realistic Water for Blood and Profit

Done with the Undead?

My Malifaux

Stripping to Metal

To Train a Noob

November Giveaway Results

Better with Friends

What Was Your Haul?

My Top 10 - Happy Thanksgaming

Perfect(ly Bad) Storms

Strike a Pose

My Top 10 - Bad Decisions in My Favorite Games

Hoarluk DoomSanta

Loving the Limits

A Day of Gaming

Competitive Easy Mode

Playing Keep-Away with My Time

Getting Stir-Crazy

(Sort of) Rest Time Reviews - Project Zomboid

YouTube Shoutout - theDMsCraft

November Warmachine Scenario Giveaway

My Contribution to the World of Malifaux

Improved Redos

More Than a Player

Failed Game Purchases

My Top 10 - Spoiler-Free Reasons to See Thor 2

Call of Duty: Challenge Mode

A Case for Net-Decking

New Toys!

My Low Focus Stat

Xbox Is Dead. Long Live the Xbox!

The Series that Lost Us

"Get a Life"

I Need a Healing Potion

Avengers Assemble!

The Incredible Hulk, er.... Mountain King is finished!

October Giveaway Results (And Then Some!)

WarmaChess: Stalling Out

The Wiggidy Whack World of WYSIWYG

Too Many Next-Gen Games?

MK WIP - Hulk Smashed My Compressor

No Cure for the Terrain Bug

Starting Them Young: Checkmate in PInk

Behemoth WIP - Flawless Victory

Behemoth WIP - The Writing on the Rock

Behemoth WIP - Overt Subtlety

Beta-ful

Are "Timeless Games" Timeless?

Brain Training

Gaming Table Trials - A Tale of Fail

The Kids Aren't All Right

My Top 10 - Tabletop Games I Want to Play

October Giveaway

Too Many Minis

Scratching That D&D Itch

Hardcore and Loving It

Hierarchy of Player Skill

Gaming Table Trials - Touchdown!

Evolution of a League - Constructing the Skeleton

Diminishing Values

Teaching a Newbie to Fish

Gaming Table Trials - Terraforming

Ready to Be Back In Commission

September Giveaway Results

Escaping Escapism

My Top 10 - Video Game Features

Would You Rebuild?

Where's the Line?

Evolution of a League - Ground Floor Planning

Success Is Enabling

Sick of the Swarm

[There's no real conversation to tonight's post. It's more of a personal musing - you know, what blogs were created for!]

Gaming Table Trials - Terrible Order of Activation

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - First Impressions

Gaming Table Trials: Taking Shape

Gaming Table Trials: Takeoff

D3 AH 404

Rating the Ratings

September Giveaway Announcement - FPS Freeks

The video:





The entry page: http://bit.ly/110kFCH

Hardcore Diaries - Minecraft Is Hard(core)

When playing a game on hardcore mode, there are no continues and no extra lives. If you die, all of your progress is completely deleted. I've never played a hardcore game because the pressure of spending hours, only to die because someone was talking to you while playing is a heartbreaking thought.

That being said, I decided to take my own advice and try an aspect of gaming I'd never explored before. With that in mind I downloaded Minecraft, set it to hardcore mode, and began what could be a new series to the blog. Enjoy!

Thank You for Who We Are, Yamauchi.

Looking Out Both Windows

Is Bad Appreciation Better Than None?

All Day, Every Day

Warmachine 101 - Introduction

Foundations First

No Words

My Top 10 - Advice for Commission Painters

Starting Them Young: Lego-maniacal

The More Things Change

Change of Plans

Paint to Play?

Facebook Likes and Giveaway Results Extravaganza!

Brush Blush

Eternally Addicted

Watch Dogs - Worth Watching?

Ben "The Bat" Affleck

Making Corny Look Cool

This One Time, At Gamestop...

Cork-tastrophe

My Top 10 - Atypical Comic Book Movies

My Top 10 - Warmachine Rules Mistakes

My Top 10 - Experiences My Kids Will Miss

My Top 10 - Birthday Presents

August Giveaway - All Your Bases...

Check the video for a look at this month's giveaway!

Platforming's Problems with Propellants

Greyed Out Productions Giveaway Results

Dropping the Joysticks

We're All a Little Mad Here

YouTube Shoutout - TonyIsntGood

Faction 101 - Feedback and Writer Info

Casting Call - Warmachine Faction Writers

Table Full of Promises

Form vs Function - Terrain Edition

Staple Instability

Dying Light - Reveal Impressions

Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Budget

Alternate Realities

Know Your Role - Fluff Fanatic

Know Your Roll is a series designed to encourage discussion between you and your group about the different personalities gamers bring to the table. To read previous Know Your Role posts, check out the Rules Lawyer.

His and Hers Paintbrushes- Finally Giving In

Why You Should Always Listen to Your Wife

My wife and I are horrible at sitting and watching something without keeping our hands busy.

Clash for a Cure - The Finished Project!

Leaderboard Madness

Seeing Red

Splinter Cell: Blacklist - Multiplayer Thoughts

Privateer Press's Plethora of Products

[Because Ray loves alliteration]

"Battle for Hope" Charity Event

How Do You Roll?

Show Stopper

It's Genetic

Preorder Burnout

Kill Characters with Class

Finishing Kick

What Have You Written?

At Least Make It a Challenge for Me

Geeks and Costumed Girls

Through the Wringer

[Warning: most of this was written using my iPhone's voice-to-text feature. I've tried to go through and clean it up, but I'm fairly certain something will have slipped through. For added fun, read the "bonus content" to see what it looked like originally.]

Painting Tip - Fixing Stray Paint Lines

Building the Vision

July Giveaway Announcement!

Hug Your Instigator

Ignore Your Health

Inside Scoop

Resurfacing

Facerolling for Fun and Profit

Starting Them Young - A Family that Terrains Together...

Stand and Deliver

My Top 10 - Why Pauper Magic Rocks

Music for the Geeky Mind

The Lone Gamer

Cursed Projects

Warmachine Tactics - Kickstarter Impressions

The Last of Us - Gaming's Greatest Story

If you haven't played The Last of Us and don't want any spoilers, this is not the post for you. Call in to work, send your family off to a friend's, and spend the next few days playing it, then come back.

For the rest of you, let's talk about the best story I've ever experienced.

Warmachine Tactics - Photo Breakdown 2

Seduced by the Dark Side

June Giveaway Results!

Warmachine Tactics - Photo Breakdown

I'll be honest, I had a lot of fun with my Countdown to Cyriss series. The excitement of a new army was one thing, but I really enjoyed taking limited information and trying to extrapolate what the army could be. I'm getting excited for the Warmachine Tactics Kickstarter project that starts on July 10th, so I hope you'll indulge me as I take a walk through the three images they've released so far and try to figure out what it could mean for this potentially amazing game.

Land of the Freemium

Here in the states it's Independence Day. In the spirit of festivity I thought I'd write about something that's vaguely related to a synonym of "independence." Let's talk about "freemium" games.

Queen Ayn, I've Returned!

Like a Hot Knife Through Polystyrene

Happy 6 Month Anniversary!

It's official, my year-long goal of blogging every day has reached the half-way mark without missing a single day! I thought I'd take today to look back at the experience and share what it's meant to me.

My Top 10 - Zombie-tainment (It Goes to 11!)

Mostly Painted, Most of the Time

Commanded to Relax

Lose With Purpose

I'm really happy with this article. I use Warmachine as my main example, but I believe it can apply to any game you play.

Warmachine Tactics (i.e. Privateer Press Made My Week!)

Today is the day that challenges my ability to use a minimal amount of exclamation points.*

MTG 2014 Duels of the Planewalkers - First Impressions and Review

I Can't Stop

Today's article is brought to you by McDubstep. I'm wubbin' it!

Just When I Thought I Was Out

Time After Time

Why is this song stuck in my head? Why is it actually inspiring a blog post? Shame on me.

Is Mobile Gaming Really Gaming?

X-COM Enemy Unknown Giveaway

Back to Square One

If you're one of those who makes it a point to ignore all gaming news, you probably missed the announcement that Microsoft dropped some of its more controversial policies after E3. Namely, the new system will no longer require "always online," and the used game market will remain as it is, allowing us to buy, sell, and trade games at our leisure.

A Bundle of Humble

Rest Time Reviews - Warhammer Quest (iOS)

Rest Time Reviews is a series for those with limited time to play video games. While I'll discuss the game as a whole, I also focus on whether or not a game is literally a waste of time. This RTR is all about Warhammer Quest.

My Deepest Geeking Secrets

Is Superman Really Super?

Starting Them Young - Emma's First Game!

Emma and I finally sat down and played RPGKids using the figure she painted. We were both very excited, and as I reread the rules I realized that it'd probably be more fun if she controlled 2 (at least until my son is ready to join her!). I grabbed a dwarf from my Warhammer Fantasy starter set, to which she immediately replied "Um, Dad? Can I have a painted one?" Find a dad who was more proud at that moment!

Gamer GIFs Volume 3 - E3 Edition

Give Me Lore or Give Me a Different Game

Where's My Gameplay?

My Top 10 - Why I'd Buy Xbox One After Today

Gaming Wives

Minor Details are Minor

May Blogging Giveaway - Results!

And the winner is....

Fixing Player Toxicity

My Top 10 - Video Game Genres

Farewell, Worthy Painting

Comfort in Random Results

Rest Time Reviews - Card Hunter (BETA)

Guest Post - Being Married to a Gamer

I'm very excited to feature my first guest post. I'm doubly excited because my wife has secretly been working on this since I first announced guest posting, and I think you will really enjoy it!

Countdown to Cyriss - Week 12

First Impressions of Lego Games

Points of Light vs. Established Settings

What Does It Take?

Starting Them Young - Emma's First Painting Lesson

Some of you may remember when I took my daughter to our FLGS to buy some supplies for her first miniature. Here's the highlights of our first time together!




If you have kids who have expressed interest in your painting hobby I can't recommend this bonding moment enough. She had a blast getting to be like Daddy, and I got to see her do something I honestly didn't think she was ready for. The full video only clocked in at about 26 minutes, and she was ready for more by the end of it! Keep an eye on my Facebook photos - when I get my painting/photo area rearranged I'll be posting her fully painted and based miniature.

See you tomorrow!

Remember to follow me on Facebook. I'm doing a blog post every single day for 2013, and Facebook is a great way to stay up-to-date as well as take part in my monthly giveaways!

My Top 10 - N64 Games of All Time

May Blogging Giveaway

What's Your Name?

The Xbox One Reveal - Brilliant or Catastrophic?

Countdown to Cyriss - Week 11

Tilting Towards a Loss

Time to Stop Hoarding

Star Wars X-Wing - Info and Quick Review

Starting Them Young - Emma's First RPG Purchase

Emma's been asking to help me paint "daddy's guys" for awhile now. I found her a kids version of D&D, so today we took a trip to my local gaming store to get her some much-needed supplies!

What Are You Up To, Nintendo?

Which Hill Is King?

Countdown to Cyriss - Week 10

A Problem with Proxies?

Poké-Auction

Supermom

"This is why we can't have nice things!"

Why Do Painted Models Matter?

Gamer GIFs Volume 2

Countdown to Cyriss - Week 9

IKRPG GM Toolkit Review

Today I finally got my hands on the GM screen for IKRPG and wanted to share my initial thoughts.

Producer vs. Product

My First Time

Getting in on the Ground Floor

Next Giveaway - Readers' Choice

April Dice Giveaway - Results

Countdown to Cyriss - Week 8

Welcome back to another installment of Countdown to Cyriss where I try to breakdown Privateer Press's Wednesday spoilers and give my evolving thoughts on the army. We got a shorter spoiler this week, but wow is it a good one!

Games Workshop & the Silly Knee-Jerk Reaction

For those who haven't been part of the recent internet uproar, a few news and rumor websites that deal with GW content have been removed or flagged for copyright including BellofLostSouls.net, Faeit 212/Natfka, and ChillingEffects. I'd like to shed what information I've found so far, and my thoughts on how GW and their fans handle situations like this.

Justifying Expensive Models

Teaching the Game

Two weeks ago I taught a friend to play Warmachine. On Saturday, I had that privilege once again!

Quality vs Quantity

When it comes to gaming, I have always had the tongue-in-cheek version of A.D. D. When I was younger I was more focused in my gaming and would take 1 aspect of a game and run it in to the ground. In middle school I was really in to wrestling video games, and I would pick one character and play him nonstop. The same was true of Mortal Kombat, Pokemon TCG, YuGiOh... if something gave me numerous options, I would pick my favorite and stick to it no matter what.

Painting Adjectives

You'll have to indulge the English geek in me today.

Playing to Win - Intro

I decided to start discussing David Sirlin's book Playing to Win slowly, because he starts off with some pretty big ideas in the first few chapters. I also tend to get a bit wordy and didn't want to overwhelm you all with 15 pages of my thoughts.

Each chapter is a very easy read, and I really recommend the book for anyone wanting to challenge their play style. I will always include a link to the relevant chapter so that you can follow along and read it for yourself. With that being said, let's get in to the meat of today's post!

Countdown to Cyriss - Week 7

This week... heavy infantry!

New Series Announcement - PTW

A few weeks ago I did a series of articles discussing Win At All Costs players (type "WAAC" in to my blog's search bar to find them). At the end of it I hinted at a new series based off of David Sirlin's book Playing to Win. This week I will be starting that series, so I want to take a moment and let you all know what to expect.

Painting Tip - Washing Flesh

First, let me welcome all the new guys from the Wargamers Consortium group. If you are curious why I am posting every day, here's my first post of the year.

Opponent or Enemy - Who Are You Playing Against?

Is the person across the table from you your opponent or your enemy?

My Top 10 - PS3 Exclusives I Want to Play

With my buddy Chris subtly brainwashing me in to buying a PS3, not to mention the fact that there's Microsoft seems dead set on performing seppuku with their next console, I've started thinking about all those times I read through Game Informer and got excited by a game, only to look at the sidebar and realized it's for PS3 only. So here it is, the top 10 PS3 exclusives I want to play once the brainwashing is complete.

WoW... Really?

Hate me guys, for I'm a terrible person.

Rest Time Reviews: Tomb Raider

Rest Time Reviews is a series about games for those with limited time to play games. Rather than placing an emphasis on a game's graphics or controls, I focus on whether or not a game is literally a waste of time. This time we'll be looking at Tomb Raider.

Countdown to Cyriss - Week 6

Today we get to look at Cyriss's other living warcaster, Aurora. Alongside her Clockwork Angels, I think this is one of the reasons people will want to play Cyriss.

"**** Happens" - A Perspective-Altering Statement

I got to learn a fun life lesson today.

Mountain King, Smash!

Sometimes there's a model so awesome that it simply must be painted. I've felt that way about a few models, but there's one that has been at the top of my "to paint" list since it was first revealed.

Magic to Warmachine: An Easy Transition

A Giveaway Already? Believe it!

Who wants free stuff?

Promising Kickstarter and a Question

Secret Weapon Miniatures has a really neat Kickstarter going on right now. Follow the link here to see their video showcasing their idea.

Today On Dr. Phil...

April is always a bummer month for me. But I'm feeling really good today, so I feel like counting my geeky blessings.

Countdown to Cyriss: Week 5

This week we get to take a look at some models whose names will be nigh impossible to remember: the Optifex Directive and the Algorithmic Dispersion Optifex.

What's Been Learned Cannot Be Unlearned

Sometimes learning new painting techniques can be awesome because it helps me grow as a painter. And then there are the times where it drives me nuts because I feel dirty for painting any other way.

One of Us! (Gooble Gobble)

After 3 months and 8 days of posting, I've shared a lot of opinions. Some have been popular, others not so much. Now it's your turn!

Graduation Day!

I just got a commission project I never expected to get.

Giveaway Results

And the winner of the $10 gift certificate to Miniature Market is...

Countdown to Cyriss Week 4 pt 2 - The Bummer Edition

For the first time in over a year, Privateer Press has disappointed me.

Woohoo! Skull Island Expeditions!

Today's post will be a quicky but a goody.

Countdown to Cyriss: Week 4

This week we get a peak at how Cyriss will support its battlegroup, and I'm in love with what I see!

What a Grand Tuesday It's Been!

Some days suck. Others don't. Today seems determined to be the latter.

So Long, Bad Game!

There's been talk in my gaming group about dropping Games Workshop (GW) in favor of Privateer Press (PP). Initially I was all for the idea, but after some thinking I fear I'll have to change my mind.

For Your Listening Pleasure

Something that's helped maintain my sanity during painting sessions is podcasts. I know it's nothing new, but it's one of those things I just can't recommend enough for anyone with free time and a desire to learn more about a subject. Tonight I'd like to share a few of my favorite Warmachine podcasts that you may also enjoy.

Giveaway!

It's a day early, but we all know I'm not missing tomorrow's post.

You Vex Me, GW

Games Workshop is notorious for making decisions that seem to go directly against their customers' best interests. Price increases, power-creeping codices, and short-sighted policy changes have pushed many gamers out of the hobby, while many more are at the breaking point. There is gobs that could be written about their company, but I saw something today that was positively head-scratching.

All Painted, All the Time

Last month I started the Play It Painted 2013 challenge with Muse On Minis. After getting bitten by the painting bug (again), I think I'm ready to take the plunge and only field a fully-painted army.

Countdown to Cyriss: Week 3

Another Wednesday, another post by my new favorite person, Will Shick.

Starting Them Young

I think my daughter is obsessed with dice.

Know Your Role - Rules Lawyer

Every group has "that guy." That guy who memorizes all the rulebooks, or that guy who hardly tries to remember the basics. That guy who paints, and that guy who plays an army of bare metal and plastic. That guy who plays to relax, and that guy who plays for blood. This new series will take a look at several of "those guys" and explore the advantages and disadvantages of each, and some tips on peacefully coexisting with (or as) them.

What Do You Want?

With a giveaway (hopefully) coming up in about a week, I'm trying to figure out my giveaway prize. I thought I'd turn to the people looking to win something and ask what you think would make for a good giveaway prize.

I really enjoyed doing the free painted model. The only downside to that is that it's only appealing to a few. My xbox/ps3/etc was fairly popular, but it also seems the least inventive. So I'm looking for input - what are some things you think would motivate you to enter a giveaway? Is something broad like a gift card the most desirable? Do you like more relevant prizes like painted models or the book giveaway I just did?

Sound off anywhere. You can email me at Ray [at] RayofPaint [dot] com if you'd rather keep it personal, otherwise here and Facebook work as well. Seriously, give me ideas. I want to give you guys stuff you like!

See you tomorrow!

Milestone Giveaway - 5,000 Views Results

Only two entrants this time, but I used to adorable representatives to decide the winner!

Playing to Win - Quick Overview

Tomorrow I'm giving away a copy of Playing to Win by David Sirlin. For those who haven't entered yet, I'd like to give you a few reasons why you want to read this book.

More Airbrush Love

It's been awhile since I've publicly declared my love for the airbrush. But seriously, I love this thing.

Countdown to Cyriss: Week 2

Last Wednesday I got pretty excited about the Convergence of Cyriss info that PP gave us. Since it's going to be a weekly thing until the faction releases at Lock & Load, I think I'll continue spewing my excitement right alongside them.

So Much to Work Toward!

Often times I like to think that I'm growing as a hobbyist. I'm learning new techniques rather often, and I'm at least decent enough for people to pay me money to do it.

Sticky Floors and Empty Wallets

Do you guys remember arcades? Man I'm feeling nostalgic about those tonight.

Milestone Giveaway - Page Views!

A giveaway in the middle of March? Madness! (get it?)

Peace, Love, and Harm.

Tonight is the night. Circle Orboros is going to put a stony smackdown on some dirty Cryx or gun-loving Cygnar!

Comfort Zone Shmomfort Zone

Sometimes commission work can be mind-numbing. Painting 10 of the same tri-color troopers, especially before I discovered podcasts, is enough to suck the life out of you like you're vacationing in the Pit of Despair. But sometimes I get a project that really gets my paintbrush moving.

Painting Tips - Painting Black

One of the harder parts of painting is figuring out how to do black. You can't really do shadows, so the only thing left is to make highlights that don't look weird.

Convergence of Cyriss - Image Breakdown

Privateer Press has started releasing more info about their new upcoming army, the Convergence of Cyriss.

Charity Army - Ribbons!

As promised yesterday, here's the idea I'm working on for my Clash for a Cure donation.

Clash for a Cure

As some of you may remember, I've been excited about a big charity event I'll be taking part in this year. I've been talking to Richard Courtney, the man who heads up Clash for a Cure. He graciously agreed to take time to answer a few questions, and his answers were so good I'm just going to give you the Q&A.

Is WAAC Wack? Pt 3 "Finding Balance"

In part 1 I discussed my tendency toward being a casual player, and what I've found wrong with that. In part 2 I confessed how extreme my WAAC attempts took me. In this final post, I'd like to talk about the balance I've tried to find.

February Blogging Giveaway - Results

Rest Time Reviews - Hero Academy

Alright, let's give this review thing a go.

Gamer GIFS, Volume 1

Looks Aren't Everything

When anyone is interested in a wargame, their first question is often "which army should I choose?" To which many respond "whichever army looks best to you!" Unfortunately, this advice rarely comes with a footnote.

Losing Steam

With most of the painting out of the way, my competition piece for Wyrd Miniatures is starting to stagnate.

IKRPG Side Quest - Thievin' Pigs!

Last week I only had one player interested in IKRPG, so I decided to run a one shot, one man adventure for another character he'd created.

Is WAAC Wack? Pt 2 - "What is WAAC (to me)?"

Here is part 2 in my series that looks at my experiences as a casual and "win at all costs (WAAC)" player. Although I've spent less time trying to be competitive, I think many can still relate to being "that guy" who will do anything it takes to get that W.

You can read the other posts of this series here: Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

Rest Time Reviews - A New Series

I've been trying to come up with a weekly or bi-weekly series for the blog. After some brainstorming, I think I may have come up with a good one.

Blogging Giveaway - February

Another month of flawlessly posting flawed posts can only mean one thing... free stuff!

Is WAAC Wack? Part 1 - "What is Casual (to me)?"

This is part 1 of a multi-part article series that will explore the idea of casual vs. WAAC (Win At All Costs) play. This series will not be objective - I'm speaking purely from my experiences and how I view the assumed dichotomy of the two. You can read the other posts of this series here: Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

In this article I will explore the goals (and pitfalls) behind my time as a "casual player." Keep in mind that this is my experience of trying to be an extreme case of casual, and this is not an indictment of other casual players.

Conflicting Sewer Ideas

I'm having second thoughts about the sewer.

Hunt for Goreshade - A Hat-Wearing Third Wheel

The magic-wielding priest and relentless mage hunter squinted as they emerged from the deceptively simple hunting shack. With enough evidence to prove a dire threat was coming to this small town, the two silently picked their way through the forest.

Stolen in the Deep

Pretty standard contest update today guys. Also the title is an Adele reference... my apologies.

IKRPG Has Ruined Me for D&D

If you're a hardcore roleplayer who finds the combat system of an RPG to be tedious, stop reading now.

Charity Announcement #1

I thought I would share the smaller charity project I'm doing this year.

Bodgering Apps for IKRPG

The iPad arrived today, which happened to coincide nicely with me being under the weather and taking it easy. With an IKRPG game tomorrow (health permitting), it seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring my game to the next level.

The Hunt for Goreshade 1 - The Odd Couple

I thought it might be fun to do a sort of session recap of my IKRPG sessions. As you know, I played my first game Saturday with two players. Keep in mind that I had an entirely different adventure planned until I was left with 2 people, so a lot was made up on the fly.

Rollin' with the Stolen

Just a quick update on how my competition piece is coming along.

I've Got a Golden iPad!

I'm finally getting hip and jumping off the bridge with everyone else.

Addiction and Progress

As promised, here's my second PIP2K13 February pledge.

IKRPG - First Impressions

Last night I ran my first game of the Iron Kingdoms RPG. I'd like to give some initial impressions on the game.

Choose My Own Adventure

Sorry guys, no giveaway for me missing my PIP2k13 pledge... yet.

Thumbs Up for Badger

I just wanted to give a little shout out to Badger Airbrush Co.

Rats and Stolen and Shifting Stones (Oh Yeah!)

Just three updates and a teaser today. 

Ah, Rats!

I've run in to a rat-sized road block.

Musings of a DM

My group will be starting an Iron Kingdoms RPG campaign. For the uninitiated, think Dungeons and Dragons with a steampunk vibe. In keeping with the idea that I'm just a giant geek, I'd like to talk about  my history as a Dungeon/Game Master.

The Sewers that Ray Built

Today I played construction worker and began working on the sewer for my contest piece.

Playing It Painted for 2013

Just when I thought I couldn't be convinced to dedicate any more time to painting in the coming months, Muse on Minis has found a way to convince me otherwise.

Going Postal

This week's mail has been very kind to me.

Giveaway #2 - Results

And the winner of my second giveaway is...

I Hate Chemistry

You know those times when you take something and mess with it, assuming that your messing will only improve it? I tried that and was almost tragically wrong.

Slow and Steady

So... I'm a little bummed.

Lollipop Guild, Represent!

I started a commission today that's proving to be no small task.

Sewer? I'll Take Her for All She Has!

After sitting down and figuring out how I wanted Hamelin and his swarm of rats to look, I realized that I just couldn't sell it without some appropriate scenery. Here's what I'm thinking.

Rat's Gonna Be a Problem

Good and bad news. I think I figured out how to make my swarm, but I have no idea how I'm going to do it.

Painting Contest - Chittering Mass Idea

I have my idea for the painting contest, and it's a doozy!

Free Stuff. Enough Said.

You guys stuck with me through an entire month of blogging. That can only mean one thing: free stuff!

Looking That Gift Horse Right In the Eye

A painting contest... a video contest... and now another opportunity!

So Many Contests!

Yesterday I talked about the Wyrd Miniatures contest I will be entering. Today I found another contest that I have a hard time saying "no" to.

Can Dreams Come True?

Several days ago I made a post about my goals as a painter. Well today I found an opportunity to pursue one of those goals!

Feeling Sick and I Still Feel Good

When I started this blog-a-day thing, I wasn't sure how it'd go. Friends had been nagging me last year about posting more content.

"It's coming" I'd say, and that was the truth. I had content to write, but I don't think anyone would want to read it. But you guys have shown me that maybe I do have something worth saying.

Dreaming Big - Building a Gaming Table

Several months ago, a friend introduced me to the idea of Realm of Battle Gameboards. Essentially, these are 2x2 boards with grass and hills build in to them. They're great because they are an easy-to-store gaming area that adds a greater sense of immersion than a green felt cloth draped over a table.

Since $300 is a bit high, we started talking about "do it yourself" options. We found several guides, but it never left the "what if" stage for us. However, since then I've always dreamed of having an elegant board to play games on.

Coat of Paint Battle Reports - Which Style?

With the possibility of a camera in the near future, I thought it was time to talk about the details of my Coat of Paint Battle Reports.

The Great Rayzini Predicts Gatecrash

Gatecrash releases for Magic tomorrow. Odds are good that I won't make a release event, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on the different guilds and how I think they'll stack up in Limited play.

Everyone Loves a Rant

I really wanted to paint today. But since our furnace was being replaced and the house never got above 50 degrees, I thought it best not to completely ruin a model with paint splatters. Instead I decided to assemble some Grey Knights that have been sitting around my shelf for awhile. And boy oh boy, did they remind me of what I hate most about this hobby...

Freaking. Mold. Lines.

Kraken Ain't Easy

I came down from my euphoria and found ways to improve the Kraken's base.

Take it away, Liam Neeson

Swamp Thing Better Run!

Things have finally picked back up with the Kraken! With his body all painted up, it was time to move on to the base.

Is It Drafty In Here?

My Return to Ravnica draft is done. This is the second draft I've ever done, so it was a bit intimidating going in, but my experience was much different than my first time.

Back to the Motherland?

After being honest about my feelings for Khador, I decided to throw myself in to a painting project to see if I could re-ignite my love for the big red machine.

Giveaway #1 - The Results

The results are in. Who's the lucky winner of the $5 gift card to Miniature Market?

Dreams of a Painter

Everyone loves lists! As I've been jotting down ideas, I've also noted things I'd like to accomplish that don't exactly fit in to a blog post. Random ideas have started turning themselves into lists, and I'd like to share some of them with you.

Commitment Issues

I glared at her from across the room. She sat there quietly, as she always did. Nothing about her had changed. Same clothes, same hair, same skills. Heck, I'm pretty sure she hadn't even gained any weight. But I just couldn't stand to look at her anymore.

Maybe I'm the one who's changed. When we started out, I had no idea what I was doing, and she was safe. I never worried about surprises, and it was nice. For a time. But now I've outgrown her, and I'm ready to move on.

Pride Before a Fail... and Upcoming Content!

While waiting for the stuff to arrive for the Kraken's base, I could hear my Behemoth begging for some TLP (that's Tender Loving Paint, naturally). While I was working, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was too clean. I think spending so much time beating up the Kraken has altered how I like my models to look.

I decided to add some battle damage, but I was confident I remembered the steps for painting it on. I was wrong.

That Randy Newman Song About Friendship

This isn't related to gaming, nor is it necessarily aimed at geeks. But I found a new take on an old movie, and I wanted to share it with you guys.

Lore? A Bore? Nevermore!

I love fictional history. I'm not talking about made-up history that says that Lee Harvey Oswald, not aliens, assassinated Kennedy. More like what makes a fantasy world tick. While there's nothing wrong with this, today I found myself bordering on the obsessive, simply because of some Magic card art and a single line of flavor text.

Go Make Some Friends

Tonight is game night, and I'm stuck home being sick. I'd like to preach to the choir tonight and discuss my feelings on gaming with friends.

What's Kraken?

A contest, that's what!

On the Final Lap...

And it feels so good!

To Grime or to Slime?

Does being sick make you better at dirtying up a model? Today I put that theory to the test.

Going Green

Today didn't feel like grime time. Instead, the Kraken decided to balance some awesome airbrush work with equally frustrating inks.

Rust What the Doctor Ordered

I love my airbrush, and I'd like to show you why.

A Twist on Tennyson

I'm not sure where I'm going, but I hope you'll come along.

I started this blog not really knowing where to take it. The stated goal was a general blog focused on geeky things I enjoy.

But with this Post A Day commitment, I'm finding that I need to have something with a bit more depth to it. What follows is a jumbled assortment of musings. Tread with caution.

Paying Admission to Have Fun

It's 2013, and money is a thing. Most of us have uttered the phrase "I"d love to buy that, but..." at least once this week. We have to cut corners and closely monitor every penny we spend, and it can really get us down.

So go put your wallet somewhere out of earshot, because I'm going to encourage you to spend money on yourself.

The Great Airbrush Adventure

No paint on the walls. No missing digits. I have used my airbrush and survived!

Goodbye Base Coating!

Who has zero patience for base coats and a new air brush to remedy that?

Setting Goals and Giving Swag

I hate New Years resolutions. I've always believed that if there's something you want to do, do it now; why wait for an arbitrary start date to start eating healthy or quit smoking? While I still maintain that the right time to improve yourself is always now, I'm going to have to recant a bit of my ravings I've made to friends, because I've found a good reason to use January 1st as a start date.