The Mike Lung Gallery #92 - Fear of a Cheese Planet

Friend of the Blog and AWARD WINNING GM Mike Lung has returned to some interesting projects, a possible return to the Cheese Planet!  

He's dove into kitbashing and modeling sci-fi figures who could fit on my Death Planet Iota, but would have far more fun on a mousling mining colony.

He's also gone down the rabbit hole of re-basing his figures with clear bases, so they fit well in forest, plains, deserts, and even cheese planets.  

Historicon 2027?   It's a possibility!

The Compleat Strategist is Closing. Which One? All of Them?

 The saying goes, "When one door closes another door opens."

The doors opening after this are going to be pretty freaking epic.

Initial reports had The Compleat Strategist, the near mythological hobby shops mentioned in old issues of Dragon, brimming wall to wall with gaming throughout the ages, closing its last two stores in NYC (Manhattan) and Philly (King of Prussia) near the end of Apirl.

After the initial shock of the news hit the world, they produced an ominous statement, stating that no determination had been made when and the NYC location would be closing. 

 I never got the opportunity to visit the Manhattan location (my friend Wooly recently did, and the words "bloated and archaic" are words he didn't use but inferred... and I immediately felt some jealousy, because that is exactly my type of game store.

 I didn't get the chance to get down to the one in King of Prussia, until my girls started playing in basketball tournaments around the corner.  I was never disappointed, almost always come home with something knew, and the girls loved stopping in... and pushing my gaming budget for their own needs.

Pictures taken from Ron Meischker (Philly Gaming Expo)

Of course, they are closing when I have a little more money than normal, but no time.... to make it down one last time... maybe around Easter, probably not on or around the final clearance push.  

Happy First Day of Spring 2026

 

🔰(Georic Gazetteer) Principality of Phennantia

The Principality of Phennantia

Pantheon:  Xellenism, dominated by worship of Poseidon, Athena, and Hephaestus

Ruler: Prince Alexios Drakonis III

Government: Hereditary Principality with a Council of Elders

Capital: Heraklion (20,000)

Other Cities:  Cannan (15,000)

Language: Xellnic, (Common), High Elven, Minotauran

Flag/Emblem:  A golden fish leaping, on a field of blue

Coinage:  Phennant Standard

Important Personas:  Various nobles, 

Alliances: Direct trade agreement with Argivia, Danaan, Amond Coast.

Hostilities: Oliva

Open Warfare/Skirmishing: None

Intrigues: Unknown

Demi-Humans:   Elf 10%, Minoatur 8%, Dwarf 2%

Magickal Devices: The dreaded Knife of Nethersummoning is wielded in public by Prince Alexios, the Doubleaxe of Asterion, 

Thumbnail Sketch:

The Principality of Phennatia is a fiercely independent island domain, renowned for its naval power, labyrinthine cities, and a unique blend of human, elven, and minotaur cultures. This island has been called a vassal to almost every culture in the Mer Med:  Barthey, Danaan, Khemmet, and even Lybboss, and the culture is mixed, but the true roots currently return to Xellnic culture. With recent decline in Barthey influence, Phennantia shed all semblance of their relationship with Barthey two generations ago, asserting its autonomy, forging its own destiny as a hub of trade, magic, and seafaring might across the sea.   With towering white cliffs, sprawling olive groves, and legendary ruins, Phennantia is a land of both natural splendor and deep historical mystery.

The Council of Elders, composed of influential merchants, sea captains, and mages, serves as an advisory body to the prince, ensuring that power is not held too tightly by one ruler. While the monarchy is respected, Phennantia prides itself on its political pragmatism, allowing for shrewd maneuvering in the ever-changing tides within the region.

Cretans take pride in their seafaring traditions, martial prowess, and independence. Many young men and women train in naval combat and spear-fighting, while others dedicate themselves to the mystic arts, particularly magic tied to water, wind, and the stars.

Minotaurs, though once seen as mere labyrinth guardians and warriors, have become integral to Cretan society, serving as elite palace guards, shipbuilders, and even advisors to the prince. Their long oral traditions have merged with human and elven influences, creating a rich storytelling culture.  Yes, there is good chance you will encounter a singing or dramatic Minoatuar on the island. 

Phennantian festivals celebrate the sea gods, particularly Poseidon, with grand naval games, feasts, and sailing competitions. The greatest of these is the Tideborn Festival, where the prince himself leads a fleet in ceremonial voyages to the island’s sacred grottoes.

Geography & Major Cities

Heraklion (Capital) – A bustling port city, Heraklion is Phennantia's beating heart, filled with white-washed houses, winding stone streets, and towering bronze statues of Cretan heroes. Its great harbor, protected by enchanted sea walls, serves as a gateway between East and West.

Knossos – Once an ancient elven and minotaur stronghold, Knossos is now an eerie mix of crumbling temples, deep underground tunnels, and arcane ruins where scholars and adventurers seek lost knowledge. The legendary Labyrinth of Daedalus lies beneath the city, still said to be haunted by forgotten creatures.

Cannan – A city of merchants and sailors, Chania is famous for its shipwrights, pirate lords, and hidden coves where smugglers conduct secretive dealings. Many believe that the city harbors agents from every major power, making it a hub of espionage and intrigue.

Notable Locations & Attractions

The Labyrinth of Daedalus – In Knossos, a sprawling underground maze said to house ancient minotaur relics, arcane traps, and possibly even the last remnants of the original labyrinth-dwelling Minotaur King

The Ruins of Zakros – An abandoned palace, rumored to have been a stronghold of the lost elven tribes, prior to their emigration onto the Talaishian mainland. Now home to ghostly whispers and hidden vaults of knowledge.  It's labyrinth has not been conquered.

Mentions of Phennantia in the Blog: None

(Review) Alchemist's Cove Comics and Games, Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania

I have the pleasure of taking back to back trips up to Albany to see the girls for the remainder of the month, so it was fitting and expected to run down to check on my mom, grab some lunch with her and run some errands, and leave by 3pm.  After a quick trip to Hobby Lobby, detailed on Sunday's post, I decided to go back to Wilkes-Barre the roundabout way to finally see the new location for Alchemist's Cove Comics and Games 

Four years ago I stopped by and reviewed their original Schuylkill Haven location.   I enjoyed the store, it was a great in-town location, and tons of positive thoughts (and the ever-elusive 5-out-of-5 gnome rating). 

Since then, they left their Schuylkill Haven location and physically BUILT their new location on PA 61 in the great Orwigsville metropolitan area (Those of you who know the Hamburg area, it's a few miles north of Cabella's.)

New Location:  I knew they had built their own structure, across the highway from a red brick church, I follow them on social media and have seen pictures. of the inside and outside.

I still gasped and giggled a little as I saw it coming up on the left hand side.  I also had a grin of astonished glee as I realized the sizable but still packed parking lot was dedicated solely to the store. 

Rows and rows of parking dedicated to comics and games...

Let's get my two pet peeves out of the way.

Greeting:  This has been a problem, as I've expanded my store reviews.  It was NOT a problem here.  It was quick, friendly, and they had a crowd around the display cases, so I was delighted with that. 

Cleanliness: It's big, it's spacious, there are multiple bathrooms, and it's very welcoming.  It is definitely a place to bring your friends, family, and non-gamers with zero hesitation.  

CCGS:  The right hand side of the store is the register, and a long series of display cases joining all the way to the back of the store., showing a LOT of Magic and Pokemon.   Behind that were multiple shelves of various boosters, starters, decks, gift sets, etc.   From the look of their schedule they also have events for Riftbound, Gundam, and.... Overpower???  I'm assuming they have product for those games as well.  

Only drawback, looking at the old review, the Schuylkill Haven location had cards in the case priced out, and one of the delays in handling the crowd was pricing out something from the case... and the probable million variants it could be. 

Board Games: Yes, if you're inquiring about popular board games of the last 15 years, and a little bit more, they had it, with the smaller games nestled off in their own section.

RPGs:  The rock solid selection of D&D, more Call of Cthulhu then I've seen in quite a while, and a few other random items.  

Miniatures:  Classic GW assortment (with fully stock paint rack and overpriced spray paint/primer.  Much impressed!), some Mantic (Kings of War/Armada), a section for Battletech (and a whole lotta Savannah Masters!) and a dominant selection of Warlord that rivals vendors at an HMGS convention.  some game stores with a "historical" interest.   They even covered the lesser lines from Bolt Action, including Gettysburg, Black Sails, and Konflict-47.  

Throw in a boatload of the D&D/Wizkids minis in blisters and sets, and fun display of no frills fantasy figures from Wildspire minis, and a decent line of Heroscape they should cover most folks' wants.  

Amenities:  The entire second floor is dedicated to event and open gaming, complete with a command center at the top of the steps for management of tournament evens.  It is spacious, it looks comfy, and it was probably responsible for 2/3 of the vehicles in the parking.  It is an event destination for sure.

The first thing that I noticed when I walked in was the kid's area.    A section dedicated for the little ones with activities to keep kids occupied as long as they want to be occupied.    It's an interesting choice, but has probably paid for itself already.  In my short time there, I  saw it used twice, with kids running to the area and letting mom and/or dad get at least five minutes of peace to look around (... and both families purchased stuff.)  

Comics:  They are a full service comic shop, with the one entire long wall dedicated to it, including back issues, a pull service, and a hefty library of graphic novels.

Events:  With the space upstairs, there's more than enough room for CCGs pre-releases, regular tourney and Commander leagues, plus not only Heroscape and D&D Adventurer's Guild material (including 16 and under events!), but board game nights, and even a painting session in the next month.  

Staff:  It seemed well-staff, with one person overseeing the upstairs gaming area and three on the sales floor,  although they just couldn't break up/check out/ shuffle through the multiple players and some families crowding the case.  Twice I went back to wandering around the store instead of checking out because I couldn't figure out if there was a line and who was doing what.    When I did finally check out on attempt number three, they all seemed like good dudes.  

I picked up a Wildspire Fantasy minis pack of housecats, plus my first major buy of the year, the TMNT Redux GM Screen (review pending).  

I was little disappointed when a small town store moves out, but these folks have built their dream location for Central Pennsylvania,   On the Gaming with the Gnomies 5-Gnome rating system, I give them their second score of five out of five gnomes!

I was pondering giving 4.5 out of 5 gnomes, for a few minor issues, but the old location got a perfect score, and this was a huge upgrade from an already successful operation.

Alchemist's Cove is located at 1284 Centre Turnpike, Orwigsburg, PA 17961 (PA 61).    Easy access to get in, with a Pennsylvania take on a Jersey jughandle to get back onto PA 61 North to continue my way home.  

You can check them out on their website (which has pictures of the old shop) and on Facebook.

(Gamma World) Not a Test #108 - Lair of the Spider-Man

The De Facto Explorers have found a tribe of Hoppers, right next to an underground facility in the Glow Zone wilderness across the Big River. They've entered an area that was once a mine.  An area populated by hostile bestial primitives.

=============================================================== 

Lathar Bracken: A pure-strain human from River Bend.  He's got the muscle, the face, and a mount for most encounters.  Lathar's trusty beast of burden, No Name, travels wherever he does.   Looking for trouble in all the right places. The two-time champion of the Fair-Town Queen's Joust.  Recently married Thunnelda Haycock.

Sneaky Pete: A mutated weasel scout.  Pete's telepathy and night vision take a backseat when he whips out his electrical powers.  Apparently addicted to his newly uncovered yellow powder found at "The Pool House"

Sonny Helianthus: a nearly 10' tall sentient sunflower artifact examiner with four arms, and trusted Restorationist ties. Knowledgeable,  but not a good one with device repairs or upgrades. 

Slitheran Wurmtail (aka Squiggles): a mutated earthworm scout, in impromptu power armor, looking for trouble in all the wrong places,  and finding it often.   He  has been subject to genetic testing and developed super-human strength, a more human body, and a thick coat of shaggy white hair.  Recently gave birth to a pile of baby worms. 

Luna of the Restorationists:  Recent recruit of the Restorationists, who had uncovered artifacts across the River.  

================================================================ 

The Explorers had uncovered a huge facility full of living metal that once made energy cells, but a deranged spider mutant had emerged out of a hole in the ground and had paralyzed Lathar with its webbing. 

The rest of the the group tried to scurry into position, Sonny even managed to get a shot off before being paralyzed himself.  

Things were looking bleak, but Pete jumped onto one of the conveyor belts and pulled out his disintegrator pistol. 

*ZOT!*

The creature seemed to turn to dust.  The webbing still remained, and it took awhile for Sonny and Lathar to move again, but everyone was still in one piece, even if Lathar's chest had a burn circle on it from where the webbing struck.

The focus turned to the large crack in the ground that the spider-thing emerged from.  They tied a rope around Pete's waist and lowered him down.  The combined team of Lathar and Luna holding the rope made his descent a bit herky-jerky, but with flintlocks in each hand, he scanned the area.  

The rock cavern below was covered with webbing, but the weasel gingerly moved around.  He found a metal box with the White Hand symbol, partially filled with a number of vials.  He also found and incredibly large power cell, almost two foot long, the clear center with a glowing amber substance.  

The light from this power cell was enough to see the Troglodytes trying to grab him!  

The weasel eluded the three troglodytes's grasp, scurrying up the rope, still holding the energy cell.  Lathar pulled furiously to help his friend up, giving Pete enough height to kick the lead troglodyte in the head.  (Nat 20!) 

Pete hadn't even starting climbing over the lip when a Molotov cocktail from Luna flew over his head and crashed into the cavern, setting everything on fire! 

When the cries of the troglodytes disappeared, the Explorers decided it was more prudent to start opening doors.  

Searching a warehouse area with crates of empty energy cells, they opened the first door to a cloud of noxious green gas!  

Lathar staggered out of the cloud, choking, while Sonny lingered inside a moment, until the gas seemed to infiltrate parts of his bloom, forcing him to finally evacuate, desperately rubbing his petals. 

Inside were a series of racks with now-empty plastic containers, and a large panel full of buttons, switches, and one conspicuous dimmer-style switch.    Sonny played with the dimmer switch and the room shook.  

Further searches revealed another room with two skeletons, a series of key cards, and elevator doors, which they ascertained may be controlled by the devices in the other room. 

And most importantly, a place to rest for awhile. 

Next: #109 - The Executive Suites

"Tomten" by Victor Rydberg

Deep in the grip of the midwinter cold

The stars glitter and sparkle.

All are asleep on this lonely farm,

Deep in the winter night.

The pale white moon is a wanderer,

snow gleams white on pine and fir,

snow gleams white on the roofs.

The tomte alone is awake.

Gray, he stands by the low barn door,

Gray by the drifted snow,

Gazing, as many winters he’s gazed,

Up at the moon’s chill glow,

Then at the forest where fir and pine

Circle the farm in a dusky line,

Mulling relentlessly

A riddle that has no key.

Rubs his hand through his beard and hair,

Shakes his head and his cap.

“No, that question is much too deep,

I cannot fathom that.”

Then making his mind up in a hurry,

He shrugs away the annoying worry;

Turns at his own command,

Turns to the task at hand.

Goes to the storehouse and tool shop doors,

Checking the locks of all,

While the cows dream on in the cold moon’s light,

Summer dreams in each stall.

And free of harness and whip and rein,

Even Old Pålle dreams again.

The manger he’s drowsing over

Brims with fragrant clover.

The tomte glances at sheep and lambs

Cuddled in quiet rest.

The chickens are next, where the rooster roosts

High above straw filled nests.

Burrowed in straw, hearty and hale,

Karo wakens and wags his tail

As if to say, “Old friend, “Partners we are to the end.”

At last the tomte tiptoes in

To see how the housefolk fare.

He knows full well the strong esteem

They feel for his faithful care.

He tiptoes into the children’s beds,

Silently peers at their tousled heads.

There is no mistaking his pleasure:

These are his greatest treasure.

Long generations has he watched

Father to son to son

Sleeping as babes. But where, he asks,

From where, from where have they come?

Families came, families went,

Blossomed and aged, a lifetime spent,

Then-Where? That riddle again

Unanswered in his brain!

Slowly he turns to the barnyard loft,

His fortress, his home and rest,

High in the mow, in the fragrant hay

Near to the swallow’s nest.

The nest is empty, but in the spring

When birds mid leaves and blossoms sing,

And come with her tiny mate.

Then will she talk of the journey tell.

Twittering to all who hear it,

But nary a hint for the question old

That stirs in the tomte’s spirit.

Now through cracks in the haymow wall

The moon lights tomte and hay and all,

Lights his beard through the chinks,

The tomte ponders and thinks.

Still is the forest and all the land,

Locked in this wintry year.

Only the distant waterfall

Whispers and sighs in his ear.

The tomte listens and, half in dream,

Thinks that he hears Time’s endless stream,

And wonders, where is it bound?

Where is its source to be found?

Deep in the grip of the midwinter cold,

The stars glitter and sparkle.

All are asleep on this lonely farm,

Late in this winter night.

The pale white moon is a wanderer,

snow gleams white on pine and fir,

snow gleams white on the roofs.

The tomte alone is awake.

Saturday Drivers Are Worse Than Sunday Drivers

 With trips to Upstate New York for the rest of my weekends in March, this was the Saturday grab some early morning overtime, drive down to check on my mom, run whatever errands she had for me, and probably just head home to chill.

Except I showed up on time to the building... and the parking lot was 100% empty with no weekend access with my badge.  

Oops, someone forgot to tell security to revise badge access for me, other employees, and even the floor manager.  

I decided to forgo overtime and head to my mom's, a wise choice, as access wasn't granted to anyone until the time I was planning on leaving anyway. 

And despite the entire Pennsylvania internet screaming about second winter was coming, PennDOT was flat footed handling quick squalls, drifting snow, and icy roads.  Thank God I took a straighter route, as my usual path was filled with cars in ditches and similar wrecks. 

I got to my mom's, task list handed to me, and I ran errands with horrendous traffic, worse than the snow: dense, drifting, and forcing me to take the long way back to her house.

But here's the surprise.  A half hour after returning, and putting away groceries, we placed an online order for Wawa and I went out in the direct again. 

Ten minutes to get there, five minutes to wait for our order, and here's the shocking point. 

Three minutes to get back.

One mile, multiple traffic lights, zero cars on my side of usually packed streets. 

This is the first weekend where I did make some game-related purchases, but more project related.  

The trip to Dollar Tree for my mother (she loves their tissues for some reason) netted me the egg necklace for a potential Easter game, and extra masking tape for a project. 

I have stopped avoiding Hobby Lobby, simply because the other outlets are not stocking things and it's rarely been worth the trip.  After a late lunch I left my mother's and swung in the nearby shop for enough Easter stuff to implement into a game, discounted brushes, some foliage for that aforementioned project, and cheap primer/sealant.  

With part of the afternoon still open, I decided on a road trip on the fly and stopped at a located I had never visited.    That resulted in the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness GM screen and a pack of... housecats.   Reviews are forthcoming, but one of them involves this oddly darkened photo. 

No, I did not break into daycare on a Saturday.

Perhaps the best purchase of the week is behind all that swag: finally, a new printer! With Mepacon a month away I'm about 20% prepped for all my events.  Hopefully I can get that number a little higher this Sunday, plus some painting, plus some prep for the Monday night Gamma World game. 

.... and I'm happy to report that once I got back on the interstate from this undisclosed location, I drove almost an hour at or above 75mph without braking.  I did get a little reprieve from the traffic gods. 

Another Month of Meeples (April 2026)

 It was an early morning for me, one where I was pondering grabbing some overtime before my shift.   Just some coffee and checking e-mails while I ponder just how much scanning and printing I'm going to do over the weekend with my new printer beside me.

And despite losing all hope for any consistency with my old projects, I clicked on ACD, and lo and behold, the latest issue of Meeple Monthly is on it.

ViscountEric's Want List

Nothing

ViscountEric's Money-Is-No-Issue Want List

Critical Kit

All Night Breakfast at the Midnight Owl .......... $20.00

A solo RPG where you are a host of a supernatural podcast oddly hits right for me. 

Severed Books

Sickest Witch RPG Core Rulebook .................... $49.99

The Imaginary Store List (Infinite Shelf Space Games & Hobbies)

25th Century Games

Bullesye ........................................................... $24.99

Alderac Entertainment Group

Misfit Heroes ................................................... $39.99

AMP Adult 

Prose & Cons ................................................... $24.99

Arcane Wonders 

Pyradice ........................................... $44.99

Aquatica Duellum ........................... $44.99

Archon Studios

World of Tanks TCG:  Twinfire  Boosters

Asmodee

Castle Nightingale ........................................... $29.99

Arkham Horror RPG:  Kingsport Mysteries ... $44.99

Ghosts Galore ................................... $29.99

Carnuta ............................................. $27.99

Atomic Mass

I'll just make a note here that despite my desire to stock game that require low figure counts, that Marvel Crisis Protocol and Star Wars Legion are simply NOT game I can justify stocking on my shelf (special orders are always accepted from my imaginary customers).  The vehicles are barely acceptable price-wise and there is no universe where I want any customer paying sixty bucks for three figures...  or fifty for ten freakin' ewoks. 

Catalyst Game Labs

Battletech: House Kurita Ranger Lance Force Pack .................. $34.99

Critical Kit

Weird, Whimsy & Wonder .............................. $27.00

Dead Punks Society Vol 1 ............................... $20.00

Cubicle 7 Entertainment

The Laundry 2nd Edition: Supervisor's Guide.................... $49.99

The Laundry 2nd Edition: Operative's Handbook .............. $49.99

The Laundry 2nd Edition: Introduction to Applied Occult .. $34.99

The Laundry 2nd Edition: Black Bag Jobs Reopened ......... $39.99

Victoriana Corebook ....................................... $59.99

Warhammer: The Old World RPG - Player's Guide ........... $44.99

Warhammer: The Old World RPG - Gamemaster's Guide .. $44.99

Warhammer: The Old World RPG - Collector's Edition ..... $159.99

Warhammer: The Old World RPG - Character Sheet Pad ... $14.99

Warhammer: The Old World RPG - Allies & Antagonists Card Deck ........ $29.99

Warhammer: The Old World RPG - Prayers & Miracles Card Deck .......... $19.99

Warhammer: The Old World RPG - Weapons & Armour Deck .................. $19.99

Warhammer: The Old World RPG - Wounds & Conditions Deck .............. $19.99
Warhammer: The Old World RPG - Grand Duchy of Talabec Dice Set ..... $19.99

Warhammer 40K RPG: Imperium Maledictum Voll Adventures ................ $39.99

Deep Dark Games

A Perfect Rock ................................ $25.00

The Rock Oracle Deck .................... $30.00

Dolphin Hat Games 

GOAT (Greatest of All Time) ........ $14.99

Risky Rolls .................................... $ 9.99

Dyskami Publishing Company

Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM): Imago: Realitypunk Anime Adventures .... $34.95

Ikarion Bane:  A LitRPG Adventure ............. $39.95

Anime 5e: Dungeon Crawl: Labyrinth of Lysandra ........................................ $34.95

Tri-Stat Refined: Universal RPG ................... $24.95

Hearth Attack RPG ........................................ $49.95

EN Publishing

What's Old is New: Bestiary .......................... $50.00

Free League Publishing

Vaesen: Adventure: City of My Nightmares ...................... $39.99

Heltung Storytelling

Pilgrimage RPG .............................................. $25.00

Konami Digital Entertainment

Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG - Rarity Collection 5 Booster Display 

Loke Battlemats

Add On Scenery Pack: RPG Maps Cyberpunk ............... $14.99

Magpie Games

Root RPG: Ruins & Expeditions Corebook .................... $39.99

Root RPG: Ruins & Expeditions Clearing Booklet 2  .... $24.99

Root RPG: Ruins & Expeditions Clearing Booklet 3 ..... $24.99

Root RPG: Ruins & Expeditions Dice Bag .................... $14.99

Root RPG: Ruins & Expeditions Faction Dice Set #2 ... $ 9.99

Root RPG: Ruins & Expeditions Dice Tray ................... $19.99

Root RPG: Ruins & Expeditions Map Pack #1 .............. $19.99

Root RPG: Ruins & Expeditions Map Pack #2 .............. $19.99

M Allen Hall

Mausritter:  The Baron's Grip .......................... $29.00

Mayfair Games

Oliva .................................................. $44.99

Makoto .............................................. $24.99

Media Lab

Game Master's Book of Magic & Mayhem for Kids ......... $16.99

Mongoose Publishing

Traveller 2300AD: Invastion Part II Campaign ................ $49.99

Traveller: Cluster Truck .................................................... $49.99

Modiphius Entertainment

Five Parsecs From Home: Planetfall ............................... $54.99

Monte Cook Games

The Magnus Archives: Make Your Statement .................. $44.99

Mr B Games

Nuclear Destruction ................................ $49.99

Osprey Publishing

Kings Mountain 1780 ............................... $25.00

US Soldier vs Japanese Infantryman ........ $23.00

Beaufighter vs German Flak Ships ........... $23.00

D-Day Fleet 1944, British Sector ............. $23.00

Nagato-class Battleships 1920-1946 ........ $20.00

Renaissance Polish Armies: 1492-1569 ... $20.00

The House of War ..................................... $18.00

T-72 Main Battle Tank .............................. $40.00

Italian MAS & MS Boats ......................... $20.00

Iraq 2003 ................................................... $25.00

Pelgrane Press

(Gumshoe) The Paragon Blade ................. $54.95

Pokemon

Pokemon TCG: 2025 Pokemon TCG World Championships Deck

Pokemon TCG: Mega Evolution 3 Perfect Order

Portal Games

Race to Berlin ....................................... $89.00

Renegade Game Studios

Werewolf the Apocalype 5th Edtion:  Chronicle of the Black Labyrinth .... $40.00

Mycologist's Primer ................................... $59.99

Mycologist's Primer Flash Cards ............... $39.99

Heroscape: Elites of Ultar and Ranoc Vipers Army Expansion ................... $50.00

Heroscape: Chain Gruts and Ramosaur Rider Army Expansion .................. $50.00

Herocaspe: Forest of Valhalla Terrain Expansion ....................... $40.00

D&D Lords of Waterdeep Board Game ...................................... $55.00

D&D Lords of Waterdeep Scoundrels of Skullport Expansion .. $40.00

Scryptid Games

Assemblage .................................... $30.00

Severed Books

Oldest Child .................................... $21.00

Sickest Witch RPG Core Rulebook .................... $49.99

Sickest Witch RPG Players Guide ...................... $22.99

Sickest Witch RPG Blood Property Adventure Zine .. $21.99

Sickest Witch RPG Hayride Adventure Zine ............. $21.99

Sirius Dice

D&D Castle Ravenloft Treasure Packs 

Space Penguin Ink

Thievin Gitz .................................... $20.00

Stations 

An Infinity of Ships ......................... $35.00

Instant Star Ships Card Deck .......... $20.00

Steve Jackson Games

Munchkin Vox Machina: A Critical Role Game ............ $39.95

Wonderful World Board Games 

Dragonarium .................................... $39.99

(Kickstarter) Idols of the Neon Dark: A D&D 5e K-Pop Adventure and Setting

There's not much that's been tickling my fancy on Kickstarter recently.  This doesn't hit many of my buttons either, but Idols of the Neon Dark: A D&D 5e K-Pop Adventure and Setting does that the tropes of something recently popular and puts them in an easily digestible form of Dungeons and Dragons.

...and let's be honest, the music you can play in the background is pretty addictive. 

(Gamma World) Not a Test #107 - Miner Treasures

The De Facto Explorers have found a tribe of Hoppers, right next to an underground facility in the Glow Zone wilderness across the Big River. They've entered an area that was once a mine.  An area populated by hostile bestial primitives.

=============================================================== 

Lathar Bracken: A pure-strain human from River Bend.  He's got the muscle, the face, and a mount for most encounters.  Lathar's trusty beast of burden, No Name, travels wherever he does.   Looking for trouble in all the right places. The two-time champion of the Fair-Town Queen's Joust.  Recently married Thunnelda Haycock.

Sneaky Pete: A mutated weasel scout.  Pete's telepathy and night vision take a backseat when he whips out his electrical powers.  Apparently addicted to his newly uncovered yellow powder found at "The Pool House"

Sonny Helianthus: a nearly 10' tall sentient sunflower artifact examiner with four arms, and trusted Restorationist ties. Knowledgeable,  but not a good one with device repairs or upgrades. 

Slitheran Wurmtail (aka Squiggles): a mutated earthworm scout, in impromptu power armor, looking for trouble in all the wrong places,  and finding it often.   He  has been subject to genetic testing and developed super-human strength, a more human body, and a thick coat of shaggy white hair.  Recently gave birth to a pile of baby worms. 

Luna of the Restorationists:  Recent recruit of the Restorationists, who had uncovered artifacts across the River.  

================================================================ 

The Children's Alchemical Laser had worked... like it always did.  

Sonny Helianthus, mutant sunflower, had meant to liquify the giant leader of the mine troglodytes.  Instead the machine had a mind of its own and transformed it into some cylindrical monstrosity encased in the Ancient's plas-tek.   It bit the sunflower with terrifyingly straight and white teeth, and swung at him with his new white bulbous hands, but the attacks were ineffective, the leader not knowing his new body.  

Meanwhile, the other simply couldn't finish off the initial prong of the counterattack.  Energy cells depleting, melee weapons just not causing enough damage, the cuts and scratches from the trogs' claw were simply accumulating.  

Sonny and Luna were getting overwhelmed, but Sonny held only the limited commitment to his fellow Restorationist and teleported away from combat....

... far enough that he could pull out his blaster and miss wide right were the giant, grinning cylinder's shoulder would be.  

The was enough for the leader, who looked back, astounded to the feat the sunflower just performed, and ran away with the trog fighting Luna.... running right out the main doors for the mine and into the facility... or worse yet, the Hoppers' lair. 

Once the other trogs were dispatched, they let Lathar lead the group backtracking through the facility.  There was little sign of the odd duo in the rooms, so they went under the stairs and through the portal back into the Hoppers' lair.  A single Hopper guard was napping near the entrance, with no trace of an intrusion.  Going back into the facility, Pete noticed the odd shaped footprints of the leader going up the stairs. 

The stairwell went up to a small room, which emptied out into a vast manufacturing room, Multiple conveyor belts lined the room, with a host of deactivated living metal alongside it.  The ceiling stood 50 foot tall with gangway and windows to other levels visible.

At one point, this place was manufacturing.... energy cells. 

The ones most interested in the tech were distracted by the missing agents of chaos.  Pete had follow the disturbances in the dust to a metal open stairwell, and the open grate third story gangway which wrapped around half the room before disappearing into the rooms and windows above.  There was a second metal stairway that looked like it led to the space behind the glass and walls on the second story.  

Lathar had boldly stepped forward, going along the back wall of the massive room to investigate.  A bolt of some kind of substance flew from the center of the room and hit Lathar in the chest.  

A huge, mutant spider emerged from out of the hole in the floor, flanked by lengthwise two conveyor belts....

GM Notes:  Gamma World is a tough enough setting when you're cryptically describing somewhat common items in modern society as magical curiosities after the apocalypse, but the lack of artwork can make things even more difficult.  You can argue what type of orc or kobold is attacking you for D&D.  But a post-apocalyptic population where just the normal humans have strange mutations.  Troublesome.  

We're in the midst of Batteries Low, Getting Dark by Thom Wilson and I'm quite appreciative of the artwork provided in this 40-page module.  

Like I just said, even a well produced adventure won't cover all contingencies, so as the alchemically transformed leader of the troglodytes retreated from combat by leaving the mines, the players initially worried about a giant walking-talking tube of toothpaste rampaging through the hoppers' lair.  

The best efforts of Pete and Squiggles have ensured them that was certainly NOT the case, but at the end of this session, a single picture popped up in the chat from ChatGPT: 

Next: #108 - Lair of the Spider Man

Make the Best & Free! Table Top Terrain by 52 Miniatures on YouTube!

Another video I stowed away for future washing (and now caught up with) was "Make the Best & Free! Table Top Terrain by the YouTube channel 52 Miniatures.

Different types of cardboard, a few nice tips, and healthy use of oil paints for weathering creates a simple system for the "holy grail" of fantasy wargaming. 

Dungeons & Defense?

I know I saved this two months ago, but I finally got the chance to watch Dungeons and Defense posted on the Kansas City Chiefs Youtube page.   

Nerds... jocks... nerd/jocks, it doesn't matter, it's all too familiar.  Fabulously familiar. 

The Gnomes of Steven Tickner

As I casually descend the rabbit hole known as kitbashing with junk bits, I do follow Poor Man's Tabletop Miniature & Terrain Crafting on Facebook.  

I was pleasantly surprised two posts by Steven Tickner that happened to prominently display Gnome Wars figures! 

I absolutely adore the "Michael's Rocket Birdhouse" getting the German science experiment it so richly deserves.  Kudos, Sir! 

Staying Close to Home

While the #CharacterCreationChallenge in January and the impromptu #RPGCampaignTour filled up my blog with daily goodness, it hid and ugly truth:  I would only have 33 posts over those 59 days without them, a veritable desert compared to my normal production. 

I'm writing this because, I have no material.   Sure, I have my draft posts overwhelming me with ideas, and a painting bench getting gleefully cluttered, but it's a winter of taking care of my mom, trying to see the kids, and a new job.  

Finally.  It's nothing glamourous, but I'm back in insurance operations. And while I may hate it everyday, it's enough money covers bills, it's cheap on gas, and apparently I'm beloved by my team.  A nice reminder that despite problems in previous jobs, I do know what I'm doing. 

Gamma World is still going on Monday nights.  We're almost to the climax of the big epic quest that started thirty weeks ago, and I need to relax with a beverage and perhaps ChatGPT to figure out the options and ultimate fates of a few characters after this week's session.   

Contrary to the title, I am heading out to Upstate New York to see Maja in a volleyball tournament, then the following week in the school play.  Nothing like some dedicated Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff time, plus a Spotify DJ list that adding a lot of Bad Bunny and 90's chick rock.  Hopefully, I will add some Upstate game store reviews on my Sunday afternoon drives home. 

You start listening to the Spanish station for a couple weeks and the algorithm just knows...

I'm definitely locked in with my events for Mepacon 50 in April.   Part of the appeal of my convention games have been their quirkiness, but it is fun to see old school folks and newer folks sign up for my stuff. 

Historicon registration started on Monday, but the Stout Gnomes are at a bit of a standstill, with some logistics issues (beyond the normal hotel chaos).  The goal is to get Maja's Mepacon registration paid for,  then start setting up the Thursday-Saturday games.  

And beyond scrouging up the funds for Macrocosm's latest Kickstarter, there isn't much else I'm actively looking for.    I am still trying to rid of my uncle's wooden model ships kits, as well as the last of my Alpha Magic cards...

Games:  The consensus from the girls is a return to Savage Showdown for our Mousling game.  We're finished with part one of Temple of the Serpent and I can break out my desert terrain once again.  Once more terrain and figures are finished (see below), I'm certainly returning to the Fistful of Lead games for Death Planet Iota. 

Painting:  I now have three buildings for Death Planet Iota sitting on the bench, as well as two new vehicles for the Gnomish Space Marines that just scream "kitbash!" After that is an old Star Wars boxed set of minis, then heaven knows what.  

Project 350:  #RPGCampaignTour and some good episodes of Ken and Robin added some ideas to the backdrop of the blog, thus a stagnant/negative  453 (283/170)  from  451 (284/167) in mid-February.  

(Review) Green Dice Games, Slatington, Pennsylvania

Super Bowl Sunday was a long slow drive down to Allentown and my friends' Steve and Angi's house.  

Part of that slow drive was a diversion to Slatington, Pennsylvania to Green Dice Games, located inside the Slatington Farmer's Market.

Location:   It's my second attempt to visit, as I was in the neighborhood this past summer, there was some sort of event and traffic snafus that made me drive by.    On this second attempt, even with bitter winds, and piles of snow, I found parking to be accessible and ventured inside. 

A very nice picture off of their Facebook page that does the counter area justice.

Green Dice Games is a quick right turn and the main door and there you are!  It's a series of vendor stalls for product, and an entire corner of the building is open areas for gaming.  Originally I thought this was a step above a weekend indoor flea market, and I quickly realized that I was sadly mistaken.

Miniatures:    Games Workshop, Star Wars Legion, and Marvel Crisis Protocol.  Plus there were bins of "loose" sprues and a few bags of other terrain.  

Board Games:  Nada

RPGs: Nada

Accessories:   They had a decent selection of dice, Citadel paints, and different types of glue.  

And immense and diverse Marvel Crisis Protocol board....

CCGs:   They carry Magic, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and I believe Star Wars Unlimited a

Events:  They do have weekly CCG and Miniatures events and their were few players there doing CCGs.  But as I wandered into the Farmers Market, I came upon a room "Slatington Expo Center." Inside were a good number of 40k players participating in tournament, sponsored by the store, and administered by a third-party tournament organization. 

Pretty elaborate setting

Food:  Drinks and snacks! 

 I'll be honest, on my normal Five-Gnome grading scale, I'm feeling generous with Green Dice, giving them three out of five gnomes. 

It's obviously a unique business.  It is lacking certain features I look for in a full-service FLGS, but it more than adequately services to area it's at.  Heck, I'd say so much that it punches above the belt from what I expected. 

It's 30-40 minutes to get even near to a full-service game store, so this is a godsend for this area. 

They get bonus nostalgia points for setting up in such a complex, plus the food options were quite good, and attached antique mall had reasonable prices.   The antique baking dishes alone gives me a good reason to visit there again. 

And in all honesty, besides the opportunity to see my friends, it was one of the best outcomes from Super Bowl Sunday.

Green Dice Games is in the Slatington Farmers Market at 8281 PA-873, Slatington, PA 18080