Black Friday/Cyber Monday Haul 2024

It's been quite awhile since I published one of these posts. There's a couple of reasons. First, many of my tabletop gaming purchases these days are PDFs. Which don't make for great photos to attract eyeballs. Second, many of my tabletop gaming purchases aren't for the games they were written for. It's to ruthlessly pillage for ideas to use in the games I actually run. This year is actually something of an exception. Third, my previous holiday deal shopping posts feature a fair amount of "these are the exciting plans I have for this stuff!" Which gets depressing when I go back and realize how few of those plans actually materialized.

But let's do this thing again anyway.

The only physical products I picked up during the sales.

From Drive Through RPG (all of theses are PDFs):

BattleTech: Periphery
The original version. These days, I'm more interested in reading BattleTech lore than playing any version of the tabletop game. It's also handy for looting ideas for use in other games.

Dark Star Violet Magazine Issue #1
A sci-fi TTRPG zine. I saw a bunch of what I suspect is AI generated art and not much useful content when I flipped through it. I'll give it a more through read through later.

Delayed Blast Gamemaster Issue #1
A fantasy TTRPG zine. Has an OSR feel. Could be fun and maybe even useful. If nothing else, I like the name.

Technophobia
Something unusual - a horror themed adventure for Lancer. I'll give it a look once Lancer moves up the list of games hitting the table.


From Exalted Funeral (all of these are physical products for Old School Essentials):

Carcass Crawler Issues #1-3
The official Old School Essentials zine. Lots of additional material. Not sure how much will be hitting the tabletop.

Old School Essentials Deluxe Referee's Screen
My relationship with GM screens is complicated. I got this more for the vibe than any expectation that's I'll get much use out of it.

The Incandescent Grottoes
I'm eventually going to need a low level adventure to start a new campaign. This one got good reviews, so it's the one I bought.


From itch.io:

The Karrakin Trade Baronies
A supplement for Lancer. Sourcebook for a bunch of space feudalists - a trope that I'll need throw scorn at sometime. Also has some optional rules that were the main attraction of the book for me. I would've preferred a physical product, but a PDF will do for now.


Those are my holiday sale retail therapy purchases for this year. This lists also serves up some clues about my upcoming tabletop gaming plans. I've found that what I purchase on Black Friday and Cyber Monday tends to influence what I'll be playing and running in the coming year. Previous posts in this series are below:

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Haul 2019, Part One

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Haul 2019, Part Two

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Haul 2020

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Haul 2021, Part One

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Haul 2021, Part Two


Happy Holidays!

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Haul 2021 - Part 2

Here's the last couple of tabletop gaming related items that a combination of crass commercialism and lack of self-discipline put into my possession. Since I've done a fair job of getting things done lately, I don't feel too guilty about adding to the project pile. We will see how long they sit around until I get to them.

From left to right - Magic Portal, Demon Gate, 

Zealot Miniatures

This is a company in the United Kingdom that offers a variety of resin miniatures, terrain pieces, and conversion bits for fantasy and sci-fi settings. My order was processed quickly and arrived as soon as could be expected given the state of international shipping. This order is my first purchase from them.

Magic Portal (Blue)
I've had my eye on this one for awhile due to its resemblance to the means of interstellar transport of a popular sci-fi franchise. It also wouldn't look out of place in a fantasy setting. The acrylic insert is also available in red.

Demon Gate (Red)
A more ominous looking alternative to the above terrain. The appearance is more fantastic than the Magic Portal, but it could work in a sci-fi game as an alien construct. A blue insert is also available.

As the names suggest, these pieces represent generators for space-time distortions that can be wandered through to end up at a far away destination. Both are part of Zealot Miniatures' Dungeon Scenery line. Each is made of resin with a clear acrylic insert representing the distortion. The resin body comes in multiple parts, requiring assembly and painting.

Zealot Miniatures also included some Christmas freebies with my order. These are tiny resin pieces resembling a stocking and Christmas decorations. I'll put these aside until I get around to a Christmas themed board.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Haul 2021 - Part 1

As with previous years (2019 Part 1, 2019 Part 2, 2020) here's the first batch of tabletop gaming stuff I couldn't quite resist getting at sale prices. I'll present the rest when it shows up.

I need to make sure I have enough glue.

DTRPG

Both of these products were purchased in .pdf form.

Five Parsecs From Home Trailblazers Toolkit
An expansion for Five Parsecs From Home, 3rd Edition. It adds all kinds of options for running a campaign or battle. I've only flipped through it, but I can see the appeal for a player who already has a campaign or three under their belt. For me, still starting out, it has limited utility at this time. I'm looking forward to exploring these options a campaign or two down the road.

Desert Moon of Karth
A setting for the Mothership RPG. It's a desert world that pulls inspiration from a variety of sources. Mostly sources that take place on desert worlds. The western vibe is strong and mixes well with Mothership's quirky feel. I'll be waiting for the Mothership boxed set to come out before running it, but a setting book like this is a handy source for ideas in any sci-fi game.

Ah, the smell of freshly lasered MDF. Smells like future terrain projects.

Warsenal

Garbage Dumpsters TR-MDF-INF003-2
This is a pair of identical terrain pieces. They are mostly MDF with a plastic rod to work with the hinges on the lids. Although other companies offer similar terrain pieces in plastic, I wanted something more durable and the price was competitive. Best of all, since the lids open there is enough space for a figure to stand inside.

Comanche Tower Lamps TR-MDF-TWR-LMP
Three street lamps for the urban terrain tiles I made awhile ago.

REM Shack TR-MDF-TER-REM-SHK
I got this for its potential as a multi-scale piece. At 28mm, it can serve as a small workshop. At 15mm, it can represent a garage for servicing a small vehicle.


Now I just need to finish some of my current projects to make room to work on these. Another shipment is on the way from further off - I'll post that stuff when it arrives.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Haul 2020

As with last year, I took advantage of the post-Thanksgiving sales to pick up a few gaming-related items. This year's sales-inspired online shopping spree was more restrained than previous occasions. Adding to the project pile didn't interest me, so I focused on things that would aid me in finishing the projects I already have lying around.


From Secret Weapons Miniatures

I developed a liking for washes put out by Secret Weapon Miniatures over the past year. Their washes offer specialized effects for specific projects. They act as glazes - shading and providing an additional tint over the base color.

Brighter than I thought they would be.

W015 Acrylic Wash - Blue
W016 Acrylic Wash - Green
W017 Acrylic Wash - Purple
W025 Acrylic Wash - Just Red

Many projects use these colors as a base. I purchased these washes as potential replacements for the old Citadel products Asurmen Blue, Thraka Green, Leviathan Purple, and Baal Red. The name of W025 - Just Red - reflects the number of red washes on offer from Secret Weapon Miniatures. These washes are much brighter than I expected and the Green is more of an aqua - more towards blue than yellow. We will see how these turn out.

A couple of things that looked interesting.

W001 Acrylic Wash - Soft Body Black
W006 Acrylic Wash - Parchment

Soft Body Black is intended to provide shading without too much of a change to the overall color. The other "soft" washes I've encountered tend to be browns, so I'm interested in seeing how it turns out. I got Parchment to fill a niche that used to be filled by watering down Citadel Washes Gryphonne Sepia - shading a color representing paper or an off-white cloth like undyed linen.

Do I own a base big enough for what's in the box?

W008 Acrylic Wash - Baby Poop

I got a couple bottles of Baby Poop with a specific project in mind. This product worked great for the Reaper Bones #77113 Eldritch Demon I finished early this year. The particular green/brown/orange color over a green base provided the "cosmic horror awakened from a long nap in a pit of deep sea slime" appearance that I was looking for. That project tested the color scheme for something I'm planning on tackling next year - Reaper Bones #77194 C'thulhu. I hope that two bottles (plus what's left of the one I already had) will be enough!


From Warsenal

These look a little dull due to the packaging. Note the one on the right where I removed the protective backing.

Fluorescent Scifi Screens - Communication Array in Blue, Green, and Red

I purchased these to provide more detail for the various "bash bits together" projects I have in the works. These were originally made by Warsenal for their Communications Array (the original one, not the one currently available from their site) and they also offer the screens used for their Tech Console. Note that the dull appearance in my photo is due to the protective backing - I removed it from one screen to show the piece's transparent appearance. I have to commend Warsenal for making these available for scratch building.


Kudos to both Secret Weapons Miniatures and Warsenal - both for offering their products for sale and for their customer service. My orders were filled and shipped promptly.

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Haul, Part Two

This is "gaming related stuff I picked up inexpensively at recent holiday sales" part two. Part one can be found over here. My comments explain my reasons for purchasing these specific products and present my first impressions. More detailed opinions will come later, after I've had the chance to actually put these products to use. Fortunately, I've got a couple of projects in the pipeline for next year that will give me a chance to experiment.

Secret Weapon Miniatures

This is a company that's been on my radar for awhile. I backed their Tablescape Kickstarter way back in 2013. Before that, I heard positive things about their paints and washes from various sources. Their recent sale gave me a chance of pick up some of their products and try them out for myself.

So, let's see how many words I can throw up on the screen about washes and weathering powder.

Acrylic Wash - Armor Wash - W003

As the name implies, this is marketed for shading surfaces coated with reflective metallic paints. The color is a black/brown strong enough to significantly darken the surface that it is applied to. It should work well for armor plate and chain mail as well as any time a dark brown wash is appropriate - weathered surfaces, dark cloth, and leather come to mind.

Acrylic Wash - Flesh Wash - W005

This wash is a mix of orange and brown tones. Most of the flesh washes that I've tried use red rather than orange for shading. I'm not sure what effect that it would have or how it might throw things off for me. I suspect that the difference might be too subtle to notice.

Acrylic Wash - Baby Poop - W008
I'll fully admit that I got this one because I was amused by the name. It's mostly green and brown with a hint of red. Speaking from experience, real baby poop does contain these colors, but also has a strong yellow tone. Let's attribute the difference to "artistic license" and all that. I'm pretty sure that it is intended for a certain sci-fi wargame army with a green color scheme and featuring themes of physical illness, decay, and warm hugs. I'm thinking that this wash would work well for shading zombies, aliens and alien technology based on the works of H.R. Giger, swamp creatures, and adding to a corroded appearance on a metallic surface.

Acrylic Wash - Dark Sepia - W010

I've been looking around for a burnt sepia wash since my gradual return to tabletop gaming awhile back. Back in the day, my go to was Games Workshop's Gryphonne Sepia. It was handy for shading flesh tones, cloth, and gold metallic surfaces. Unfortunately, that product is long out of production. This purchase is the latest step in finding a "close enough" substitute.

Weathering Pigment - Rust Red - WP1013

I don't have any experience with weathering powders except that they seem pretty expensive for the amount that's in the container. Given this product's sale price, I decided that it was a good way to start experimenting. The strong red color took me by surprise - I was expecting something with more brown mixed in.

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Haul, Part One

The short sales season immediately before and following the Day of the Turkey here in the United States has come and gone. The idea behind Black Friday and Cyber Monday is for stores to take advantage of the time off and need to do Christmas shopping that many folks have after Thanksgiving. Then there are people like me who like to take advantage of the deals to do a little shopping for themselves at the same time.

The better looking X-1 Viper Droid miniature of the two I bought. I can't decide if it reminds me more of a beetle or armadillo.

From Modiphius Entertainment

Star Trek Adventures: Voyager Player Characters - PDF

This Star Trek Adventures product was introduced at a discount on Black Friday. It's a PDF with the official stats for USS Voyager and key crew members. The release version had some issues - the math for the character stats was off and the graphics looked pixelated. Modiphius put out an updated version a few days later.

I'm not sure if I would have picked this up if it wasn't available at a reduced cost. The stats are handy for comparison when making characters, but I already own The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine character PDFs for that purpose. And Star Trek Voyager is honestly not my favorite series from the franchise.

That said, the game rules for holographic and liberated Borg player characters may come in handy. Besides, I was curious about how they would stat out certain characters. Neelix has enough useful quirks to explain why Janeway would keep him around. And, as I've long suspected, Seven of Nine could arguably do Harry Kim's job as well as he could.


From Miniature Market

X-1 Viper Droids

From the Star Wars Miniatures game published by Wizards of the Coast from 2004 to 2010. I've been considering this purchase for awhile. These are inexpensive war machine models that fit a variety of scales from their intended 34mm to 28mm to 15mm. Even though they are from the Legends continuity (Dark Empire II), they are fairly obscure and shouldn't break immersion when put on the table for a non-Star Wars game. This versatility promises to be useful in the coming year, since I'm planning on dipping my toe back into sci-fi miniatures gaming.

One is in excellent condition. The other is scuffed and was stored in a way that pushed the left arm in. This isn't a huge issue, as I was planning on touching up the paint and weathering them anyway. Or I could just repaint them - a new color scheme would help conceal their Star Wars origins.

Close up of the scuff marks on the worse off of the X-1 Viper Droid miniatures. It looks to me like it was dropped at some point. A little paint should fix it up.

Star Trek Deep Cuts Unpainted Ships: Jem'Hadar Attack Ship

From Star Trek Attack Wing by Wizkids. I got these for menacing player characters and their Eaglemoss starship in Star Trek Adventures. These scarab-shaped ships made a strong first impression by blowing up the Galaxy-class USS Odyssey in the last episode of Star Trek Deep Space Nine's second season ("The Jem'Hadar" DS9 episode 2x26) and continued to threaten the Federation and its allies throughout the rest of the show. The "Deep Cuts" in the name refer to the more pronounced detailing. It looks like these models will take a wash and highlighting well. The fact that these figures come pre-primed saves a step. I just need to do a little more research for a screen-accurate paint scheme.

Star Trek Deep Cuts Unpainted Ships: Cardassian Galor Class

Also from Star Trek Attack Wing by Wizkids. The Galor-class is the mainstay of the Cardassian fleet. Vaguely resembling an ankh from the top, these ships first appeared in Star Trek The Next Generation ("The Wounded" TNG episode 4x12) and even showed up on Star Trek Voyager, but most of their screen time was on Star Trek Deep Space Nine. These models are smaller than I expected, being way out of scale with the Jem'Hadar Attack Ship.


This is post one of two. I'm waiting for my last shipment to arrive. Then we'll see how many words I can type about paint.