Miniatures Update February

Bit late on this one, wanted to get the recent Burrows & Badgers models that I just got in with this as well. Also, sorry for the poor quality of the photographs, will make sure that the painted versions are done better. This was sort of a late minute rush job just so I could get something up to show progress. Also, due to the basing paint, it seems the bases have blended in on the blue cloth I had them on for some reason (may have been the light I used). So let's start with Moonstone:

The First Set is Boris the Bunny Summoner and his Murder Bunnies, The Jackalope, Gloom and Chubs. After I undercoated them I noticed the gaps more clearly and have begun fixing them with green stuff.

The Second consists of Drunk Fritz, Anotnia, Danica, Zorya, KS exclusive Zorya, KS exclusive Gwendoline and KS exclusive Loubard. Fritz was probably the hardest to put together, but a few of these minis were also difficult to clean up.

Finally there is the Burrows & Badgers stuff that arrived. We have a Magpie, a female Hedgehog archer, a male Squirrel warrior, the KS Mole and a large female Border Collie warrior. The first three will be added to my own crew collection, while the last two will be the start of my second crew collection, which I'll start adding to later this year.

With any luck, I'll start feeling well enough to begin actual painting of these miniatures. I know that with the cooler weather coming over the next few months, that it should make it easier for me to get back into painting again. Let's hope so.

The Quest For Footage

So one of the biggest problems I found when I first started Animated Reflections was that there are many shows out there that have little to no footage on the internet. This problem is made worse when you realise that many of those ones also don't have DVD versions either and that the ones that do tend to be region locked to places like the USA/Europe. Thankfully, there are things like multi-region DVD/Blu-ray players and even video player programs on PC that allow you to view these, which has been a big help lately (recently I've begun looking back at the 80's/90's Alvin and the Chipmunks cartoons and thanks to a few programs I have I can now acquire some of the limited available US DVD options to view the shows).

But it's not just limited to animated shows, but to a large variety of them, including puppet based ones. Over the last few months I've been trying to find out anything I can on a show called Commander Crumbcake and as such there is little to no knowledge on it available. Even the few clips I've found a poor recordings of the theme and a few short clips of the first episode (which really doesn't give me much to go on). There are a couple of VHS tapes on ebay, but I need to unpack my old VHS player first to see if it works and even then there is no guarantee that the will work. At least Puddle Lane has a few clips up I can watch.

And these are for the shows I can remember. There are a few in my head where I remember a single scene and for the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the show or even find something that comes close to it. Robo Story was one of these ones that I only recently discovered over the last few years and so had to do one on it.

Hopefully with the way old footage keeps popping up more recently, I may get a chance to finally find or at least recognise some of these great classics from the past.

Sonic Movie Was Amazing!

OK, so let's start off by clearing a few things up. I am a Sonic fan and as such that probably helped swing my enjoyment of this movie a little. Second is, this is clearly set up as an origin story for both Sonic and Dr. Robotnik/Eggman and as such, this isn't going to please all fans off the bat. That said, thank goodness they re-designed Sonic from that original abomination, cause damn did that make a difference in being able to view this movie. So I'm going for a spoiler free round up, so as such there are a lot of things I can't talk about sadly. That said, their choice of actors for this movie was brilliant.

There's no looking past it, but Jim Carrey was the perfect person to play the outlandish Dr. Robotnik. His performance has been refereed to by many as 90's Jim Carrey, but for me it just seems he was having a blast playing the character and really enjoyed getting into the role. The character of the Doctor is an egotistical genius who cares only for himself and his machines, with a complete disdain for humanity and believes himself to be always right and unbeatable. This leads to some really great moments between Robotnik and other characters in the movie. To Robotnik, he is the greatest person ever to have existed and everyone else is as nothing to him. It really is all about him and his invulnerable brilliance and he can't stand it when it isn't.

Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic was another great choice. He nails it as a lonely, but fun loving youth who just wants to belong and have friends, but is forced into a life of hiding because of his powers. As the movie goes on, the character begins to slowly evolve into one we are more commonly familiar with, but still lacking some of that full confidence of the current version from years of battling the Doctor. He's a mixture of 90's Sonic mixed with things associated with modern kids, which may not appeal to all fans. He is also incredibly hyperactive, so also keep that in mind. I also believe (theory) that the energy he uses is also an explanation for why he can smash robots up like he does in the games, though he doesn't really spin dash in this movie much (he doesn't really understand the power or know how to really control it. So yeah, origin movie).

While I hate movies that take characters from their settings into our modern world (WTF Smurfs, Seriously?), this movie was probably one of the least problematic ones, given that it made some sense from a story stand point and Sonic has interacted with modern earth like elements in the games, so it has a better believably to it. Another problem with such movies is that it focuses too much on the human character rather then the main stars and feeling more irritating then adding to the story, but in this movie they seem to have avoided a lot of that, with a focus on fewer characters and more on the main ones and their interactions.

This is where the character of Tom Wachowski (played by James Marsden) comes into it. He's a small town sheriff who wants to join a big city police force in an attempt to feel like he can save lives and not just be someone who spends his time on pointless animal chasing and empty roadside speed camera runs. He is given enough time to get the audience familiar with him with out the character overstaying his welcome and his interactions with Sonic do come off quite genuine, as does his annoying of Dr. Robotnik. For a human companion to a cartoon hedgehog, this one worked really well.

There are also some rather nice references to not only the parts of the Sonic lore, but also to the fandom and online jokes (Sanic anyone). Also, stick around after the mid-credit sequence (done in a classic Sonic game style) for a scene which sets up a sequel.

Given the reaction in the theater, many of the kids and adults really like this movie. I absolutely loved it. Not only did it succeeded in satisfying the Sonic fan in me, but the movie overall was just fun in general. I have no doubt that if given the chance, I would definitely go see it again. It may even be my favourite video game movie now (going to really have to compare the enjoyment or re-watching it vs the Mortal Kombat movie, as that one was the original top spot to see which one now has that spot). Needless to say, I want a sequel and I want it badly. There is so much they can do with this now and the fact that they changed the movie for the better before release means they are on the right road to creating an even better sequel.

Either way, it's a great kids movie and a must see for any Sonic fan (might also be if you're a Jim Carrey fan too).  

February Update

Quick update, just recently started a new medication and damn have those side-effects have hit me like a train. So heads up if you don't see too much over this month.

Positive side, my Moonstone Kickstarter has arrived. Due to the casting and molds used for the models, there is quite a bit of cleaning up to do (they're a small company, so I'll let them off the hook for that), but once I clean them up and base them I'll do a little update and review on them. Needless to say, I am looking forward to getting a Faun/Animal crew up and running.

Update 9/2/20:

So quick update, while trying to clean up the miniatures, I ended up cutting myself. Blade slipped off while trying to fix up one of the models hair and pain ensured. Fun times. Anyway, there may be a slight delay on the clean and setting of the models because of this (due to not being able to hold them properly with the cut), but will try to get back on track as soon as I can.

2020 Plans and Goals

Trying to look back at 2019 is pointless for me as I have great difficulty pointing out all the good from the bad, so instead, I'll use this to focus on what I want to work on in 2020 in the hope that I can achieve some of it, so lets go.

Miniatures:

So cutting back on the whole 'big armies' thing this year. It seems that due to the current situation, trying to build and paint so many miniatures is just not possible at this point in time. As such, my focus will be on smaller projects, mostly based around Skirmish games. This includes expanding on Warcry, completing my Daemon Kill-team, an Escher Necromunder crew, finishing that Skaven/Goblin Blood Bowl team along with adding some more to Malifaux, Burrows & Badgers and finally Moonstone.

I'll probably look at adding more scenery too so I can have enough stuff to run games with however games with me.

Moving:

Yes, at some point this year I really want to move into a place of my own. For those who don't know, I have been lodging with an old school friend for some time now in a Unit. While it was meant to be temporary, the rental market has made getting housing all but impossible. As such, much of my stuff is cramped up or boxed up and there isn't the kind of room to work on projects (which only adds to my lack of motivation).

While there are some new options for me in this regards, there is no guarantee that I can find a place suitable for one with the mental health conditions that I have. Still, must try to keep positive about this.

Puppet Project/VFX Project:

The main goal out off all things, this one has by far been the roughest by far to deal with. Limited space to work and trying to find solutions to all the problems associated with such an endeavor has still left me stuck in a sort of planning phase. While I do have some materials and a tone of various tutorial videos, nothing has really moved forward.

This year I hope to change all that and get progress moving again. Recent videos have also shown me that you can still achieve the basics even in limited space and while I doubt I'll get much more done where I currently live, should I find myself in a place of my own then I'll have the space to really get the ball rolling. This is one of those things I really want to achieve in getting base completion done this year, so will have a little more focus on it later in the year.

Animated Reflections:

So behind on this one. I've really been questioning the format of these short look backs as they still feel too much like a full on review instead of a nostalgic reminder of past shows/movies I watched over the years. I do expect to get back into it soon (I've watch a number of animation show Youtube reviewers, so I am trying to motivate myself to get back into this one too).

Blog:

Which finally brings us to this site/blog itself. It is still woefully in need of a serious update and some better content. I plan on trying to add more to it in the future, but am still trying to figure out what to talk about. Maybe I'll do some actual reviews or perhaps talk about current things that are happening, but I want to steer clear of a lot of negative things (we all have strong opinions and sometimes mine my slip the gaps of this rule) and ultimately just want to talk about things that I feel comfortable talking about or that I enjoy talking about.

Again, what that will be is still unknown, but then 2020 is still very much an unknown year to us all, so let's see where it takes up.


Till next time. 

2020 - Still Here

Just a quick update, 2020 is here and so am I.

Last few months have been bad (holidays + mental illness = no good), but I'll probably do a post on plans for the year and all that.

Should be out sometime during this month.

My Thoughts on Cities of Sigmar Battletome

So I know I should have done a short review on this book by now, but I don't think I can review this one in the format that I normally do. I feel that the best way I can look at this book is through a more 'thought's on' type format.

So what do I think of this book? Well, to me this book is Games-Workshop's ultimate compromise. What do I mean by this? Well, GW has been wanting to remove a lot of the Old World miniatures, but in doing so would result in a massive consume backlash from more classic Warhammer players. As such, they picked a bunch of miniatures from each of the now classified 'Order' factions and put them together into a single Battletome. So how bad was the shafting?

Empire:

Kept most of what was left of their range, though lost their engineer character, the horse mounted General, Warrior Priests and their War Alter and more confusing, Witch Hunters. I say the last one is confusing as even in the many cities, Witch Hunters are still prominent (so I can only hope that somewhere down the road they get brought back as part of a Warcry Warband or something similar).

Dwarfs:

Your old battleline units are gone (so no more Warriors, Handgunners or Quarrelers). You also lost the Unforged (the old Slayers), but also your artillery too. Yep, beyond the Gyrocopters and Gyrobombers, everything else is gone so you'll be relying on manlings for most of your ranged firepower. It seams they are going for a more armoured and elite style for the Dispossessed now, which still works in their favour, though not all the warscroll changers are positive.

Dark Elves:

Probably the faction that suffered the least out of all these as far as model losses go, most of their range is still there (minus the Daughters of Khaine of course). They still have that Dark Elf feel to them, with the only exception being that Assassins and Dark Riders are more akin to Sigmar's dagger then being more traditional Dark Elf like.

High Elves:

The ones that got screwed the most. Unless you played a lot of Phoenix Guard, not much else survived this. All things related to the Phoenix Temple (their hero who is the only High Elf hero, the guard and the birds) are in here, but beyond them, the Shadow Warriors were the only other unit to come out of this (and that appears to be because they are made using the same box set as the Sisters of the Watch) and are now under the Shadowblades keyword instead of Swifthawk Agents (which when you think about their playstyle, makes more sense. Maybe my brother was right to abandoned the High Elves with the end of the Old World.

Wood Elves:

The Wanderers lost a few more units, but secured enough to keep then quite viable. Like the High Elves, they also suffered a big hit to their heroes. They now are limited to a Nomad Prince. Not great, but still could have been a lot worse.
                                                                                                                                                                      

So yeah, there were a few casualties that I really do question as to why, but at least we still got to keep most of what we have. I would say that this is my biggest annoyance with this book, the second being the cities themselves. I'm not saying the cities are bad, far from it, but it is the lack of Realms that annoys me. There are suppose to be cities over all the Mortal Realms, yet only two Realms are represented, Ghyran and Aqshy. Both have three cities each, with the seventh being the twin city, which can choose which Realm of the two they are apart of. The problem lies not only with limited representation and creativity (White Dwarf had been pumping out articles on giving your armies a theme from a particular Mortal Realm, so most couldn't take advantage of this now), but this also meant that if you were using a Realms Artifacts of Power, then you can now only pick the items from the Realm of your city. With only two Realms available, it really limits what you can do with those creative option.

The book is also designed to encourage you to incorporate Stormcast into your army, with one in every four units allowing you to take a Stormcast unit. While not mandatory, I'm not going to be adding them no matter what. Some cities have extra options like this, with Tempest's Eye allowing you one in every four units being a Kharadron Overloards unit and the Living City letting you have one in every four units being Sylvaneth (so yes you could have a more classic Wood Elf like army with Wanderers and Sylvaneth units). These units replace their main faction keyword with that of Cities of Sigmar, so they benefit from all the same rules as that city (which is good).

There are no Endless Spells or Terrain, but I think this was a great move as I find having to rely on faction Terrain to be annoying and this faction has a better focus on the Malign Sorcery Endless Spells. On top of that, if those Endless Spells have the ability to be empowered, then they count as the Empowered versions, regardless of the Realm they fight in. The cherry on top is that each City has three spells of it's own, with Hollowheart having six spells, with these spells themed more in line with their respective city. This means that there are a decent number of magic options out there and with the Battlemages, you can theme your magic around your playstyle.

If your the kind of player who prefers their General on foot then riding a massive mount, this book has you covered with a bodyguard unit (as long as he is a 6 wound or less model, which most are). Between 5 - 20 one wound models, your General (as long as he is standing next to them) can pass on a wound to that unit on a 4+. Even better, if another hero on foot of 6 wound or less is also close to the General, he can be the army advisor and give a command point on a 4+ each hero phase, which makes this really feel like an actual army.

The Cities themselves have unique themes and styles. The Living City mentioned earlier is about things like wound restoration and ambushes, while Hollowheart is dedicated to magic and spells. Anvilgard feels very much like old style Dark Elves, while the Greywater Fastness is very reminiscent of the artillery city of Nuln. As such, there are seven cities with unique rules, spells, items and abilities, so there is enough there to find a particular playstyle you like and work your way around that.

I still possess many of my old Empire models from back when I was doing the Army painting challenge with my brother, so I have enough to start rebuilding a new army (too bad the models already re-based are no longer usable and are not in this book). I had thought of using the Living City rules for this new army, but after some discussion with my local store, it was pointed out that I do have a lot of Battlemages and I do like to use magic, so it was suggested that I go with Hallowheart instead. As such, I will be designing my own city and lore, but will use the Hallowheart rules (so more like an expedition from that city has reclaimed a lost city and set up there, which is why that use those rules).

Like I said earlier, this review is different, mostly cause I just don't know how to feel about it. On one hand, it's great to get better rules to use for these troops then the standard Order rules, but on the other hand I wonder if the cost was worth it. I feel we lost a few important things and didn't get nothing new to replace them (I mean the artwork for Greywater has humans manning a giant cannon, yet the book has only two artillery pieces and the unique dwarf ones are now gone, so not much of a black powder city is it).

I guess well have to see if this book gets expanded on in the future. I know White Dwarf brings out rules for a new Stormcast chamber every now and then, so why not one for a City, perhaps in a different Realm with some unique rules to match. Something to re-look at in a few months time maybe.



Sorry this wasn't the best. Perhaps I'll come back at some later point and rework it.