CanCon For Hippos

I have just put my name down for the 40K Friendly at Cancon 2018, leading the massed greenskins of Waaagh! Snaggatoof; richest of the Bad Moon tribes (although I feel this particular version is from early in his rise to riches, before the real over indulgence and opulence set in...) I have spent some time this morning hammering away on army lists which seem about right, but need testing. They are mostly based on what I have and what I plan to build next, although disappointingly, I couldn't fit the Grot Tanks since the tournament is using patrol detachments, therefore only two fast attack choices. Grot Tanks don't really feel like fast attack, but they're certainly not heavy support, and I can't fit them in with the more important stuff, so out they go. Pity - they're the only vehicles I actually have painted.
What does this mean?
It means I have to do the following:

1. Finish painting Blingboss Snaggatoof himself (a conversion based on the chap from Black Reach)
2. Finish painting a mob of Black Reach slugga boyz
3. Paint the Deff Koptas
4. Paint the buggies
5. Build and paint four bikers, including a nob who will be temporarily promoted to warboss
6. Build and paint a trukk
7. Build and paint three killa kans (I've got the kits, and have had them since time immemorial...)
8. Time permitting, build a table of Orky terrains.

So, in the coming months you can look forward to some more orky madness...

TFH at Cancon: The Aftermath

Cancon is once more over. Time for photos and ramblings about the event.

But first, some pics I took of tables. I didn't take any photos of the Warhammer tables, because they made me embarassed to be affiliated with that game. A printed paper cut-out of a Hampton Hill with a single tree on it is NOT a forest. Please enjoy these photos of various 40K, Infinity and Historical tables. Sorry for the odd blurred shot, these are from my phone.

15mm ww2 table from the Flames of War tournament (I think)

Dry river bed of same.

And another shot. I took rather a shine to this table - the workmanship was nothing special, but there had been plenty of time and effort invested, and someone was clearly very happy about it all.

Another 15mm WW2 table. I like the way hills have been stacked on modules to make a really tall ravine.

The Demo Gamers' Demo Table.

Which features a Chirstmas tree. I didn't get a pic of the TARDIS.

A nice big landed Imperial shuttle on one of the 40K tables (I think this was one of the Apolcaypse tables, so plenty of titans...)

This piece reminds me a lot of the stuff in the GW red book, but made with modern materials.

A nice spot of Infinity. All laser cut MDF, and a game mat, but well presented and painted.

Also over in Infinity (or maybe 40K, they were close together), this modular jungle board made up from a variety of tile sizes.

This spectacular Infinity table reminds me of Halo levels. Although modular, it can only be assembled into this layout.

And now to my own stuff:

The demo table as it appeared on Monday afternoon. Nice room, good AC (mostly) but hidden out of the way so very little passing traffic.

Topiary hippo and dinosaur, before they were bought by Moruya Chris.

The peasant cottage, forlornly waiting to be sold.

Creepy trees - these were not completed during the session, I painted them up the next day.

Concrete bunker from the very first session. This was actually completed within the three hours (actually, it took me about an hour, but my student was slower)
This one got damaged when I got it home, so it's not for sale on ebay...

HEDGER! The new wonder shrub! (not part of a session as such, but I had some spare time)

Orky hut, up for sale from F.W. Guzzblat & Son, Orky Realtors.

Th verdant labyrinth of the HIPPOPOTOMAZE! Can there be any greater thing?

The watch tower. This was completed within the three hour session, but my student was slower.

And now, pretty pictures taken with proper lights in controlled conditions!

Or semi proper lights in somewhat controlled conditions.

Ork Shak for sale on ebay

Ork Shak for sale on ebay

Topiary bear for sale on ebay

Peasant's cottage for sale on ebay.

Watchtower for sale on ebay

The bunker got damaged after I took this photo when the lid resisted removal - I fitted it when the paint was a but damp I think, so it got stuck. It's not for sale as a result.

Spooky trees for sale on ebay.

Hippopotomaze for sale on ebay.

Most of this stuff is now for sale on ebay! Go there now using the links above and bid wildly! Wildly I say!

There's also a new reader's choice poll at the top of the blog, and the sinister announcement that the next ishoo will be about the Cthulhu Hedge Maze...

Cancon bookings closed - but places still available on the day.

Due to the inscrutable policies of the Canberra Games Society, Cancon registrations are now closed. You can, however still enter TFH terrain tutorial classes on the day. Make sure you bring the right materials and equipment - I am travelling from Melbourne with friends, so I do not have space to bring enough materials for everyone.
If you want to reserve a place, either post a comment below or email me.

Cancon Sessions: What they all mean.

Here's a run down on all the sessions I will be running at Cancon, along with what they are all about, and some pics of the projects. You can still book into sessions here. Some spaces will be available on the day, but as you can appreciate, I cannot bring all the materials from Melbourne to run ten people through each session, so extra spaces are going to be limited, unless you bring the materials with you.

All the way from Ishoo Nin, please welcome: the bunker!

CONCRETE BUNKERS (for hippos)

Saturday, January 24^th, 10:00apm-1:00pm

Skill Level: Knows which end of the knife is the hurty end

2-3 hours

$15/ticket in advance, $20.00 on the day

10 seats

Join notorious terrain crusader and hippo enthusiast Owen Top of Terrain For Hippos and Terrain Crusade fame to learn how to build a concrete bunker with removable roof and detailed interior.

Students are required to bring a craft knife, foamcore sheet (about A4 size) and any interesting detail-y miniature bits they want to use as control panels in the interior. Owen will provide hot glue guns, steel rulers, and paints.

Space Orks are the greatest of slum hut builders.

RAMSHACKLE SLUM HUTS (for hippos)

Saturday, January 24^th, 2:00pm-5:00pm

2-3 hours

Skill Level: Knows which end of the knife is the hurty end

$15/ticket in advance, $20.00 on the day

10 seats

Join notorious terrain crusader and hippo enthusiast Owen Top of Terrain For Hippos and Terrain Crusade fame to learn how to build ramshackle scrap metal slum huts, as used by 40K Orks and slum dwellers everywhere!

Students are required to bring a craft knife, foamcore sheet (about A4 size), scrap cardboard and any interesting detail-y miniature/toy bits they want to use to detail their building. Owen will provide hot glue guns, steel rulers, corrugated cardboard sheeting, more scrap cardboard, detail parts and paints.

Most ubiquitous of buildings, the peasant's cottage.

MEDIEVAL STYLE COTTAGES (for hippos)

Sunday, January 25^th, 10:00am-1:00pm

2-3 hours

Skill Level: Knows which end of the knife is the hurty end, can spell ‘medieval’ five times out of ten.

$15/ticket in advance, $20.00 on the day

10 seats

Join notorious terrain crusader and hippo enthusiast Owen Top of Terrain For Hippos and Terrain Crusade fame to learn how to build medieval style timber-framed cottages, so beloved of European peasants and those fine upstanding citizens of the Empire in Warhammer.

Students are required to bring a craft knife, powerful scissors, foamcore sheet (about A4 size), and an old towel (or about 20cmX20cm of an old towel). Owen will provide hot glue guns, steel rulers, balsa, and paints.
NOTE: This project has a long drytime – we will not get to paint the thatch during this session.

Ah, topiary. How can I have never done an Ishoo on this?

THE GENTLE ART OF TOPIARY (for hippos)

Sunday, January 25^th, 2:00pm-3:00pm

1 hour

Skill Level: Knows which end of the knife is the hurty end, can expain what ‘topiary’ means.

$15/ticket in advance, $20.00 on the day

10 seats

Join notorious terrain crusader and hippo enthusiast Owen Top of Terrain For Hippos and Terrain Crusade fame to learn how to turn anything into a small, carefully sculpted bush in mere moments!

Students are required to bring a craft knife, and plastic toy animals or miniatures to turn into topiary. Owen will provide hot glue guns, steel rulers, flock and paints.

CREEPY TREES (for hippos)

Sunday, January 25^th, 3:30pm-4:30pm

1 hour

Skill Level: Knows which end of the knife is the hurty end.

$15/ticket in advance, $20.00 on the day

10 seats

Join notorious terrain crusader and hippo enthusiast Owen Top of Terrain For Hippos and Terrain Crusade fame to learn how to make haunted creepy trees of sheer horror and mighty creepiness!

Students are required to bring a craft knife. Owen will provide polystyrene, modelling clay, branches and clump‚ foliage.

How can I have never done an ishoo on these either?

Fantasy Watchtowers (for hippos)

Monday, January 26^th, 10:00pm-1:00pm

2-3 hours

Skill Level: Knows which end of the knife is the hurty end, can eat Pringles with the best of them.

$15/ticket in advance, $20.00 on the day

10 seats

Join notorious terrain crusader and hippo enthusiast Owen Top of Terrain For Hippos and Terrain Crusade fame to learn how to build a fantasy watchtower from a cardboard tube.
Students are required to bring a craft knife and a large cardboard tube (such as a Pringles tube). Owen will provide hot glue guns, steel rulers, and paints.

It's the world's leading producer of steaming punks.

Steampunk Factories (for hippos)

Monday, January 26^th, 2:00pm-5:00pm

2-3 hours

Skill Level: Knows which end of the knife is the hurty end.

$15/ticket in advance, $20.00 on the day

10 seats

Join notorious terrain crusader and hippo enthusiast Owen Top of Terrain For Hippos and Terrain Crusade fame to learn how to build a small steampunk factory complete with smoke stacks and more rivets than you can reliably shake a stick at.
Students are required to bring a craft knife, an A4 sized sheet of foam core, and a small cardboard tube (such as a toilet or paper towel roll). Owen will provide hot glue guns, steel rulers, more rivets than you can reliably shake a stick at and paints.

Cancon For Hippos: Bookings now open!

As mentioned previously, I will be running some master classes at Cancon 2015. Well, the Canberra Games Society have beaten their website into submission with a large whacky-stick, and the ability to book into these sessions now exists!
You can go and check out the sessions on offer here (towards the bottom of the page)
You can go an book sessions here.
Places in each masterclass are limited to ten rabid patrons (non-rabid patrons may be turned away), and you can sign up on the day, although that costs more, and there may not be enough materials, depending on how much I can cram into Greg's car, while still leaving room for the Cookie Monster and Pete, and (more importantly) a change of clothes.

For those who cannot be bothered clicking links, these are the sessions that will be running:

Saturday Morning: Concrete Bunkers
Saturday Arvo: Corrugated iron slum shacks
Sunday Morning: Timbered cottages
Sunday Early Arvo: Topiary
Sunday Late Arvo: Creepy trees

UPDATE:

The Victorian school year starts unusually late in 2015, which means I can run sessions on Monday.
Monday Morning: Fantasy Watchtower
Monday Arvo: Steampunk Factory

Thanks to Pete the Scatterlaser for wrangling accomodation and allowing this!
Rousing cheers all round.

Terrain For Canconists: TFH masterclasses at Cancon 2015

Those notorious tournament-y convention-y thing running men, the Canberra Games Society have asked me to come and run some masterclass-y workshop-y things at Cancon 2015! We still finagling details with powerful finagling sticks, but so far, it looks like the following will be happening:

• Concrete Bunkers (with removable roofs and interior detail)
• 40K Orky ramshackle huts/slum huts
• Timber framed cottages
• Topiary
• Creepy Trees

Students (their term, not mine!) will need to provide some of the materials and tools used, since I will be traveling many hours to reach the workshops, and space in my luggage is limited. Places in each session are limited, and they also cost monies. A quantity of monies as yet undetermined. Who knows, actual meatspace Grot might even put in an appearance!