tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87623310942569209852012-01-30T11:00:03.529-05:00Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.comBlogger5811100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-32679584996746620642012-01-30T11:00:00.000-05:002012-01-30T11:00:03.571-05:00

Hello everyone!  It's another opportunity filled week here at the House of Paincakes. What opportunity you say?  Why, the opportunity of a lifetime - blog promotion!   For the last few Weekly Top X's, I've been experimenting with a new format.  The basic idea is to create a sort of topic guide using the HoP blog roll search engine to dig as deeply as possible into your output.  But here's

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-43116893087919225372012-01-29T11:55:00.001-05:002012-01-29T11:55:10.105-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. The lovely, luminous Loquacious is doin' the gamestore thing at a Hobby Convention somewhere, which means I'll be filling in today. Uh...yeah. Sorry 'bout that. But hey, when Lo' and theDude come back, I'm sure they'll have lotsa cool pics and whatnot, so there's that to look forward to... In the meantime, let's hang out a bit, shall we? We'll talk about our guilty

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-89833826569993666722012-01-28T06:53:00.000-05:002012-01-28T06:53:35.988-05:00

Yes yes yes I know the numbering's slipped.  This is what happens when you change your mind halfway through a three-week dump of pre-recorded footage that you hastily edit while you should be working.  Normal service, i.e. the single-week dump of fresh-recorded footage that I hastily edit while I should be working, has now been resumed.  I blame any factual errors, lapses into slackjawed silence,

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-37432321256633890862012-01-27T14:31:00.000-05:002012-01-27T14:31:27.479-05:00

For one brief moment I was going to do this week's Top X on the 6th edition leak.  But I pulled back at the last second.  I just can't shake the fact that most of you out there just don't care about a rule set that is  maybe half real or probably mostly fake. The last attempts with this new 'search and return' format have been focused on the written word.  But what about a more visual

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-60820877837183646042012-01-26T17:54:00.002-05:002012-01-27T03:38:51.229-05:00

Hey everyone and welcome to another episode of gaming on a budget!  Dethtron's tied up with a little something he likes to call "ensuring I can pay my mortage" - whatever THAT means - so I'm filling in. As usual, my contribution will be a little off beat, but I won't be asking you to spend a bunch of money or trying to stretch a paragraph's worth of information on plastic bags out to a full post

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-80558403658064110112012-01-25T11:00:00.000-05:002012-01-25T13:50:00.279-05:00

Hey, folks, SinSynn here. Man, do I love me some Tau Crisis Suits. I mean, seriously, I'm an anime, sci-fi kinda guy, and...I love me some Crisis Suits. Well, everything except the little 'ball in socket' ankles, which sit in their big, mechanical feet. ...cuz they always break. If a Crisis Suit takes a tumble, and does that hideous 'skittering across the floor' thing that models do when

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-25572104614570962882012-01-24T11:00:00.000-05:002012-01-24T11:00:20.735-05:00

I don't like change. The saying "If it ain't broke don't fix it" seems entirely fine as a philosophy to me.  Of course with Games Workshop involved we need to also add the slightly paraphrased saying "If it ain't broke don't break it..." As pretty much all 40K players who have been paying attention are aware a certain 'document' has hit the internet which is supposed to be the 6th edition 

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-63470146814754929902012-01-23T15:00:00.000-05:002012-01-23T15:00:00.903-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. In Flames of War, list design begins with picking your flavor- Infantry, Mech, or Tanks. After that, a 'combined arms' list seems a safe approach, doesn't it? A few mandatory core units, supported by some anti-tank assets and artillery certainly sounds like a good idea. Combined arms is how war is done in real life, after all. Flames of War is a game, though. Despite

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-46429655543714386512012-01-23T11:00:00.000-05:002012-01-23T11:00:05.719-05:00

Hello and Welcome back to the House of Paincakes!  It's, perhaps, been a while (maybe).  Have you lost weight?  You look great!  Very sexually harassable. So, so harassable. This message approved by Herman Cain Incidentally, have you ever tried to have a serious conversation about the House of Paincakes?  I know I have, and boy howdy does our name make it difficult. Anyway, we're fired up

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-28255660691832463562012-01-22T13:08:00.002-05:002012-01-22T13:08:55.951-05:00

This week, I'm taking the basic "pillars" of mechanics and looking beyond the basics. I'm examining what works, what doesn't, and ways to make the basics work for a more fun game. I'm talking to a lot of folks, and I've gotten some great feedback. Let's get to it. ACTION-Most of the folks I talked to had other things on their minds, but David Morgan-Mar's article had a lot to say about

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-65788014169352671252012-01-21T11:26:00.000-05:002012-01-21T11:26:44.153-05:00

Funnily enough, after the comments on the last two weeks' instalments that suggested the death of player characters and the differences between games as Important Things To Discuss, this week's third and final instalment of the increasingly-poorly-edited 'Balance of Power' conversation touches on just those things.  Hark waxes philosophical about under-achieving goblins, being crushed by tanks

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-75448642627682877992012-01-20T14:06:00.000-05:002012-01-21T14:53:16.029-05:00

Right, right, right - it's Friday, the HoP blog roll search feature is humming along at full power and you're all waiting for a post.  It's Top X time!  All we need now is a topic. Let's go with a topic torn from yesterday's headlines and see what the new Vampire Counts release has to offer us besides an epic WTF moment. you could say I'm 'reanimating' the topic.  As I was last time, I will

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-78100523697372624842012-01-19T12:03:00.001-05:002012-01-19T12:52:52.756-05:00

I apologize in advance to anybody who was looking forward to it, but today there shall be no 'Gaming on a Budget.'  It's not that Ive run out of ideas (that'll be my excuse for next week [I kid, we've got stories for years, like Marge becomes a robot...]), but I've developed a rather large ingrown hair in my ass regarding a certain necromancer.  I'm feeling the need to deal with that and eschew

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-78072392027084841562012-01-18T10:59:00.001-05:002012-01-18T10:59:50.307-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. The Hamster that lives in my head is a lil' tired today, it seems. 'It's your fault,' he's muttering morosely. 'I'm sorry, Hamster...what's that you say?' Uh, oh...he looks disgruntled, and grumpy. 'I said it's your fault. How can you possibly be this annoying and deaf at the same time?' 'Uh...I'm sorry. I'll try to be less...deaf, I guess.' 'No change on the

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-55109109135737621662012-01-16T14:02:00.001-05:002012-01-16T14:02:51.849-05:00

Hello everyone!  It's another fantabulous week at the House of Paincakes.  I don;t know why I have to keep telling you that.  You guys should really mark your calendars.  Like, for serious.  If it helps, think of the suggestion as a continuation of Dethtron's most recent and always excellent Gaming on a Budget. For those of you who didn't know, it's  Martin Luther King Jr. day here in America

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-9665331477215278512012-01-15T12:22:00.000-05:002012-01-15T12:22:10.628-05:00

I started out this series by talking about the elements that make a “good game”. I brought up art, mechanics, tone (also called setting or world), emotional connection and the ability to pull it all together. I’m hoping to break each of those pillars down even further, so that we can examine them and see how each one fits into a well-designed game. What do I mean, break down? Well, maybe not

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-34057375225511459562012-01-14T16:24:00.004-05:002012-01-20T14:34:44.893-05:00

Continuing from where we left off, with ref: sticking d4s up noses and things GMs have to put a stop to.  No lengthy introduction this week, I've got to get down the shops for my Vampire Counts book, about which I will no doubt have some words to say later over 'ere. As a player, you have to at least try and keep yourself under control slightly, and if not you at least have to know that when

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-37703876258867791802012-01-13T17:00:00.000-05:002012-01-14T16:47:28.646-05:00

Hey, folks, SinSynn here. So, having survived my first two FoW Tournaments, I return to you filled with deep thoughts and much wisdom.... Or, maybe not so much...heh. ;) For starters, I'd like to give a shout-out to the Cellar Dwellers, a fine bunch of gentlemen who apparently roll into rival clubs wearing cool matching shirts, flashing gangs signs....and then leave with all the prizes...

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-24532199584514910602012-01-13T13:37:00.000-05:002012-01-13T13:39:52.632-05:00

Contrary to at least one person's fears, the Weekly Top X is not a dead duck.  It's a very much alive duck.  It still floats and everything!  It just needed some time off so i could enter almost 400 URL's into the House of Paincakes Blogroll Search. See, I told you this would keep coming up. Today's Top X is going to be quite a bit different than the normal formats. Today I'm posting up a

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-11231037219765777322012-01-12T21:50:00.000-05:002012-01-12T21:50:44.404-05:00

Porky took some time out of his busy schedule over at the Expanse to drop us a line concerning something he felt we needed to promote.  He explained everything to us and we immediately agreed with his appraisal of the situation. We also mentally noted how awesome it was that his promotion request wasn't for himself, but for Hereticwerks.  That's community, people! Anyway, I'll  let Porky do

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-4516003549791886262012-01-12T11:38:00.001-05:002012-01-12T11:39:50.034-05:00

Hey there kiddos, I'm back after surviving Gathering all the Magic of the past that I could.  Today's class will be on a topic near and dear to my heart- time. Simply put, there's never enough of it and it becomes quite valuable, much like money.  Budgeting your time is just as important as budgeting your.... budget? While I could spend all day extending the multimedia explosion begun last week

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-53989178136507069722012-01-11T10:41:00.000-05:002012-01-11T10:41:50.029-05:00

'Just because we have the internet doesn't mean we all have to play the same.' -James S, of Warp Signal fame Hey folks, SinSynn here. I imagine if you look at any particular gaming 'community,' whether it be RPG's, mini games, or card based games...or board games or anything really, one might perceive it as 'fragmented.' This so-called fragmentation can caused by anything, really, but here on

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-11543444929121276952012-01-10T10:53:00.000-05:002012-01-10T10:53:02.767-05:00

I started a blog for no reason other than I thought it would be a good idea, I also thought that I would always have something to talk about...All I needed to do was find my 'Niche' and all the Internet could bask in the warm glow of my brilliance..... I play games a lot of the time so I figured that there would always be some tactical insight to share or at the very least I could do a

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-12701672685415099432012-01-09T17:17:00.001-05:002012-01-09T17:17:59.776-05:00

Hello all!  It's another week at the coolest blog network ever (that's the House of Paincakes, btw) and we've got a nice new batch of blogs to share. But first, did you notice the new HoP blog roll search?  It's over there on the right.  Plus, you can read about it here.  Which you should do.  Which you HAVE to do.  Obviously, if you already saw the announcement on Friday then you're excused

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-31887098582675895002012-01-08T10:13:00.001-05:002012-01-09T15:28:02.467-05:00

I know I said that this week I would be talking about mechanics and game design- and the intelligent design series will return next week, I promise. However, since we didn't move to a larger location, we decided to improve the one we had. Yesterday I spent the day making physical improvements to my store. This was an exceptionally long project and any chance at writing I thought I would have went

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-72354318762521217522012-01-06T15:36:00.002-05:002012-01-20T14:51:51.823-05:00

A'right.  This week I'm trying for something a wee bit different as we're talking more about things from the player's perspective, and that's not something I know too much about, so I've recruited Hark and we've done a bit of a double-header.  In fact we've done a lot of a double-header - there's about five times as much material as I usually record (this is what not having a script will do for

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-37952254139824127852012-01-06T14:38:00.000-05:002012-01-06T14:39:03.978-05:00

Normally on a Friday, there'd be a Top X to read.  But not today. Normally, someone from our crack staff of ace journalists would sift through the blog rolls and select 5-12 posts to promote.  It's actually some pretty solid  fun with a hefty dose of self edification.  But there are a couple of flaws - it's time consuming, it's not all that guided and it leaves people out. That last bit is

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-69176096622395817552012-01-05T10:38:00.001-05:002012-01-05T10:38:51.720-05:00

Paul Destroys the Universe All right guys and gals, it's the final day. Everything has been building to this. We've even added ANOTHER commentator to the mix since today is very special to him. What we have here is a multimedia explosion. I only mention it because it's literally the first time I've gotten to use that phrase for serious.Uglyraincoat: Next Year’s Only Hit Single. dethtron:  

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-47284521928370993372012-01-04T14:00:00.000-05:002012-01-04T14:00:02.350-05:00

dethtron:  Lauby, I don’t think I can adequately dedicate myself to discussing this card.  Every time I look at your art I lose my shit. Lauby:  Haha!  This was the pinnacle of my skill with going dumpster diving in Google images.  You know...  now that I think about it, I’m just now noticing the kind of War in Heaven theme we have going on in this set- Jesus, the halo on Billy Ruben, the use

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-17184809903270481902012-01-04T04:50:00.024-05:002012-01-04T09:58:47.144-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. During my interminable stay on this miserable globe, I've notice many strange, recurring behavior patterns you Humans exhibit. For example, every year around this time, you like to look back, and reflect upon what has occurred during your previous Terran calender year. Also, you like to hand out meaningless awards. *I purchased these on E-Bay* While I find these

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-9940106244376841472012-01-03T14:00:00.000-05:002012-01-03T14:00:01.152-05:00

Lauby:  This actually would have been a nice land if we tweaked it a bit.  Either add a second mana option or ditch the sacrificial aspect of it I’m thinking  Yes, it’s a totally boring reference to the challenges of fishing in man-made lakes, but in an alternative universe, a card series like this is the kind of thing that could skew an entire metagame.  I declare the alternative universe us’s

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-7340207534356904262012-01-03T04:40:00.001-05:002012-01-03T09:59:42.122-05:00

A few of my friends are practising for a tournament in the near future and as usual my home became the 'training ground' for the test of these new armies. While we were 'helping' each other with the tweaking of these lists, the inevitable discussion about playing against cheating bastards occurred..... However while relating these amusing tales to one another it became evident that what each

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-15751293832295954672012-01-02T15:00:00.000-05:002012-01-02T16:17:21.544-05:00

Lauby:  Speaking of drunk driving...     Uglyraincoat: It is funny because it is offensive to a certain group of people’s lifestyle.  [Face palm.]  Lauby:  What are you talking about? This is a perfectly fine salute to our country’s proud yokel heritage.  It’s pretty much the most powerful card we made and my favorite card to play as a result.  It IS America to me.dethtron:  AMURICA!!!!!

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-80132714770650144042012-01-02T12:22:00.002-05:002012-01-02T12:22:37.023-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!  I trust you've all recovered from your massive hangovers.  If not, then what the hell happaned!?  It's a new calendar year at the HoP and our first crop of new members is a great way to start things up (especially nice when paired with the amazing post by Lo on Monday). But first, I need to do a little bit of a public service.  Now, It's a couple days late, but the

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-24025730973163177882012-01-01T14:00:00.000-05:002012-01-01T14:00:00.900-05:00

Lauby:  Here’s a nod to the bane of camper’s everywhere.  The raccoons that hung around out campsite were particularly well fed since even if you’re a classy drunk, you’re still a drunk.  I guess what I’m saying is that properly storing your food is not likely to happen.  And then all your paella and port are gone. Uglyraincoat:  However, they are extra cuddly in case you forget your pillow.  

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-85225539505530390572012-01-01T11:03:00.001-05:002012-01-01T14:17:09.273-05:00

Welcome everyone and Happy New Year! I hope your hangovers aren't too bad, because I'm doing some serious discussions about art and its place in game design. Last time around, I mentioned that there are various stages in the creation of art. I really only touched on what I meant; giving the merest of hints at what's in store for you today. I gave an overview of the factors of art in game

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-49331861533795976112011-12-31T14:00:00.000-05:002011-12-31T14:00:00.636-05:00

dethtron:  even if this has nothing to do with Fishmas, this card with its super convoluted rules will always have a special place in my heart. Lauby:  Mine too.  It’s not just the fact that we created a card just to justify our use of the banding mechanic, but the fact that we forgot to write ‘legendary’ on the card type.  An amazing fact that we didn’t realize it until there were two Jesuses

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-40978683847278447582011-12-30T14:00:00.000-05:002011-12-30T14:00:00.052-05:00

dethtron:  finally, a card truly worthy of a trip to the hospital. Lauby:  I’m going to go on record as saying that this is our best designed card.  It’s super aggressive but with just enough of a draw back to really make using it a risk.  A risk that Bernie was ALWAYS willing to take despite the fact that it was constantly being burned off the table as soon as it hit.  Which is a good way to

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-61253571034419813352011-12-30T09:08:00.000-05:002011-12-30T12:17:05.796-05:00

Lauby leaves the HOP control room to take care of some personal business... and the cameras shift to what appears to be a set of a dungeon, almost like a television show....but not quite.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hearing the door to his cell open, the tiny Xeno hung his head.  They were coming to beat him again, surely. He had

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-15640862661374461082011-12-29T12:00:00.000-05:002011-12-29T12:00:01.322-05:00

Lauby:  see... this is the thing that really irritated me about the whole Bill-bo Shaggins incident.  Bill already had a damn card!  It just didn’t have his name on it. Uglyraincoat: Yeah, but it doesn’t capture the essence of Bill, even if he looks cool.  Which brings us to our next card, the source of the conflict: Uglyraincoat: A tribute to the driving force

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-5316164329808754572011-12-28T14:22:00.000-05:002011-12-28T14:28:43.316-05:00

dethtron:  Ok, I know I don’t like being photographed (due to my Amish heritage), but was there not a picture where my jeans and sweater don’t look like the same color?Lauby:  Oh no!  Your secret identity!  Now everyone will know what you looked like 6 years ago.  And that you were a boring corporate drone.  Actually, yeah... sorry about that.dethtron:  Well this isn’t exactly the first

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-36507077728299956842011-12-28T06:08:00.015-05:002011-12-28T09:49:57.127-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. Hey, did you ever get all psyched up to play a game of...whatever, and after you deployed all of yer lil' troopie guys and whatnot you looked over the table and you thought to yerself, "Meself, there is no way in hell I can win this game." ....and then you get pounded into lil' red meaty chunks for the next hour or so? Did you ever have this happen at a Tournament?

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-22533815033369384372011-12-27T14:02:00.001-05:002011-12-27T14:02:27.965-05:00

 Lauby: I had a lot of fun making the art on this one.  Googling for images of people on fire was a rate treat.   Uglyraincoat: The elemental’s portly shape is pleasant, accentuated by his can-do body language.  Additionally, the upkeep cost is the single most poetic use of a game mechanic to represent life that I’ve ever seen.  If you don’t tend your elemental it will slowly burn out.  

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-11272304619747709522011-12-27T11:00:00.000-05:002011-12-27T11:00:06.462-05:00

So then...soon we'll be switching from one year to another, new years resolutions will be made and then broken almost instantly and a good few people will be using this 'landmark' as motivation for a change. Of course there's always people with the opposite view-point that say that change is a bad thing. They do have a point... But as this is a war-games site rather than a place to go to

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-85937402940611558552011-12-26T14:08:00.000-05:002011-12-26T14:09:09.234-05:00

Hello and welcome to another week at the House of Paincakes!  I trust that if you're reading this, it means that you survived the first leg of the holiday season.  If not, then my condolences to you and your loved ones - but good on you for still being able to read! Our posting schedule will still be a bit off until we get past new years and the annual "massive hangover we only sort of regret".

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-86681646134435951002011-12-26T11:00:00.000-05:002011-12-27T14:03:37.121-05:00

 Lauby:  Ah yes.  Banding.  We were so totally into that for this set.  Some kind of hilarious nod to the card design of our youths.   Uglyraincoat: Perhaps this would have gotten used if it was an enchantment, rather than an instant.  Or if it didn’t require only one type of creature.  Plus, I am allergic to this many cats.  Dethtron:  I would maybe pay 0 mana to play this as an instant.  

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-62146354023448668602011-12-25T14:00:00.000-05:002011-12-27T14:04:23.128-05:00

Uglyraincoat:  It is good sometimes not to know things.  For example: this is a real fish.  They are a freshwater species that can jump some 6 feet out of the water to catch food (including birds), earning them the moniker “water monkey.”  It reminds me a lot of other big blue creatures in its ability to gain flying, and it nails the true spirit of island magic way better than djinn’s and other

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-20982163735617403002011-12-25T10:00:00.000-05:002011-12-25T10:00:00.993-05:00

It's, umm.  Special.

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-64314241407851624382011-12-24T13:40:00.002-05:002011-12-24T13:41:28.393-05:00

A Holiday Message from D. Tron Boys and ghouls do we ever have a treat for you this Christmas. Back in the annals of history the gang had an annual spring fishing trip known only as Fishmas. While this is sadly now a thing of the past, we thought we’d share a little Magic the Gathering set we created to commemorate 2007’s Fishmas the Gathering. The HoP’s Christmas gift to you all will be to

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-82829326581804309782011-12-23T17:09:00.002-05:002011-12-23T17:09:40.818-05:00

Well HELL yes it's bold! 1) Gone to Ground - Warmachine the Way I See It: The Intro. A  BOLD  new series for a BOLD game!  I know I'm looking forward to future installments.  It'll be like those "let's play X' threads you see on Something Awful - only I'll actually care about the game being discussed. 2) The Buddy Times - SUPER! Dungeon Explore - Review, Part: the 2nd We've seen some

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-65105763245690755592011-12-22T11:35:00.000-05:002011-12-22T11:35:38.927-05:00

Yeah yeah yeah, there's no such thing as a free lunch and all that, but barring any emotional debt that your family and friends might put on you, the holidays are a great time to pad out your gaming collection for free- all you've got to do is let people know what you want.  And with Chanukah now underway, Christmas around the corner, Kwanza coming soon or having just happened (?), and your

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-7137363232810748522011-12-21T01:39:00.017-05:002011-12-21T09:59:50.353-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. There are certain phrases that get bandied about in the 40k Community, and at this point they are quite annoying to me. This one gets me every time: '40k is a beer and pretzels game, it was never meant to be played competitively.' Usually another favorite of mine can be found lurking in the same thread/post/comment section: 'You're ruining the game.' Nowadays, I

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-33457853017005811972011-12-20T11:16:00.001-05:002011-12-20T12:05:32.504-05:00

Taking a big X-mas sized break from my usual fare, I'm going to talk to you all about role-playing today.  More specifically, I'm going to give you a list of the top 5 reasons I'm no longer allowed to be a player character. You see, I generally am the one running the show as a DM, GM, or whatever.  I'll brag for a second and flat out say that I can weave a pretty good yarn and can keep a group

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-46336652726981145492011-12-19T15:00:00.000-05:002011-12-19T15:00:00.927-05:00

A big HoP sized apology to all of the Von Show fans.  We totally forgot to post this on Saturday, so please to be enjoying episode five today. Before we begin: I am not actually as fat as my slouchy couch and the ruddy camera make me appear to be in this video.  I am slightly potbellied, all right? Rah rah, script after the cut, you know how it is. Loquacious had some words to say

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-18758459797092709512011-12-19T14:01:00.000-05:002011-12-19T14:01:48.751-05:00

HELLO AND WELCOME TO ANOTHER WONDERFUL WEEK AT YE OLDEN HOUSE OF PAINCAKES!  WE'VE GOT A PRETTY EXCITING SURPRISE FOR YOU CLOSER TO X-MAS... ACTUALLY TWO SURPRISES.  IT'S WHY I'M SHOUTING.  BUT IT'S NOT TIME TO TALK ABOUT THAT NOW.  BUT I'LL CONTINUE SHOUTING ANYWAYS SINCE IT'S THE, ADMITTEDLY, THIN PREMISE THAT TODAY'S UPDATE IS BASED ON. BEFORE I GET STARTED ON THE NEW MEAT, I JUST WANTED

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-36686610201583862011-12-18T19:26:00.000-05:002011-12-18T19:26:57.944-05:00

By Odin's beard have we got a doozy of a contest to share with you from one of our member sites.  Paul (if that is indeed his real name) over at For Holy Terra is holding a reverse painting contest.  While perhaps not exciting in the same way as a reverse cowgirl contest, this one still looks like a great time.  In the spirit of the season Paul is giving away a Space Marine Battleforce on his

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-82382642036171873892011-12-18T09:26:00.001-05:002011-12-18T14:51:05.242-05:00

Last week, I started a series on Intelligent Design in gaming.  I identified elements that seem to be common among gamers- including our first subject: Art.  Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect.- Wikipedia.org  I find this particular way

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-43119012406491690832011-12-16T13:29:00.000-05:002011-12-16T13:29:00.774-05:00

Last week I finally figured out exactly what kind of title will draw the most people into a Top X.  I've tried jokes, strange literary references, making fun of Brent - to name a few.  But it turns out that you're all a bunch of damn drunks! This week I'm combining in a new idea.  Or at least introducing it slowly.   If you've made it this far, then I'm sorry to say that alcohol and

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-51039067506383498372011-12-15T09:00:00.002-05:002011-12-15T09:00:04.363-05:00

The week of me discussing my the folder full of Magic the Gathering decklists I recently found on my lost flash drive from 2006 continues.  This time I'll be putting the Gaming on a Budget spin on it. Oddly enough, this entire article was written over 5 years ago in its entirety (intro and minor editing notwithstanding), proving that a) mid-twenties dethtron is pretty much as big of an asshole as

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-51241488816963875692011-12-14T16:30:00.000-05:002011-12-15T02:25:57.590-05:00

A looooong time ago, 40k for the New Professional had a different URL.  There was lots of great content including a very cool series about the interchange of ideas between IRL and the games we play.  Then Google ate everything without any explanation and he was never able to retrieve it.   It was a pretty sad day.  The House of Paincakes flag was flown at half mast.  But not the US flag since

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-83710665398035206642011-12-14T11:00:00.000-05:002011-12-14T11:00:07.020-05:00

Hey folks, SinSynn here. So when it comes to like, 'popular culture,' I'm probably not the most tolerant of Xenos. I pretty much universally hate everything, for no good reason. Whatever it is that the Normals are discussing around their water coolers, I'm usually dead set against it. *Dancing With the Stars is amazing, but not as good as America's Got Talent!* Like many discerning aliens

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-15002740354910401942011-12-13T16:00:00.004-05:002011-12-13T16:00:00.659-05:00

Next on the tour of MtG decks  that I randomly found on a flash drive I lost in 2006 is a little gem I've named "The Angel of Discard."  It, like most of my other decks, is built on a delightfully shaky premise guaranteed to frustrate opponents and put you on the list of people not to play against- well, if it works anyway. Ok, so I like really obnoxious decks.  This shouldn't be a shocker, so

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-23947579742379971432011-12-13T11:00:00.000-05:002011-12-13T11:00:02.570-05:00

When I talk about tournaments to people who don't go to them I quite often get the same two statements thrown at me..... 1) I only play for fun and, 2) I had a bad experience at 'insert name here' and It put me off. The first one I'm going to completely ignore as I actually enjoy playing competitively so am most likely going to be having fun anyway.....however the second statement deserves

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-67496458247614627032011-12-12T11:30:00.000-05:002011-12-12T11:30:00.929-05:00

We've got a bit of a mixed bag this Monday - Sure we've got a new blog on the rolls, but we've also lost a few. First up, our New Member: GopherDave Abides...  Keywords: Running a Game Store, Mostly pictures... with occasional words and deep thoughts... For those of you who have been following Lo's weekly series, this is THE Dude she mentions all the time.  I think they're married or something

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-22838920522414084892011-12-11T18:31:00.001-05:002011-12-12T02:26:16.724-05:00

I quit playing Magic the Gathering in about 2007 prior to Lauby and another friend of ours, representing the sum total of people I enjoyed playing MtG with, moved from the central coast to the east coast.  Given the local scene at the time here in Chicago, I simply couldn't deal with driving to my preferred in Niles to play against strangers whom I would most likely not enjoy being around.  Don't

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-29671508925119212482011-12-11T11:27:00.002-05:002012-01-15T23:41:43.995-05:00

Oh, that game is really great. I love it! What makes it great? And thus begins the trial and tribulation of my job, almost daily. Having knowledge and experience in a wide variety of games is an essential skill, but discussing them intelligently and with wisdom and forethought is even more important. What a particular customer shows preference to is intrinsic to the process of conversation

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-72224091951498632662011-12-10T17:30:00.000-05:002011-12-11T01:54:10.524-05:00

THIS IS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT. IT WAS VON'S BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK. HE'S STILL RECOVERING. TURNS OUT YOU SHOULDN'T GIVE JAEGERBOMBS TO AN INSOMNIAC. WHO KNEW? This voyage through the land of instances, DPS meters, raids and grinding is brought to you courtesy of Frontline Gamer, who said: "I also know of friends who have really found it difficult to get their groups to stay

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-4165005044721968012011-12-09T12:00:00.001-05:002011-12-09T13:06:29.510-05:00

All right ladies and gentlemen, we're back with the Top X!  No tricks, not crazy gimmicks.  Just good old fashioned promotion of knowledge and art. Well not completely...  I've got it in my head that 'Tequila' is a good metaphor for to hang this post on.  Think of me as a kind of gringo jimador. News: First, something of interest by way of Auberoun over at the Digital Waaagh.  This is our

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-43650961651617362482011-12-08T09:00:00.002-05:002011-12-08T09:00:10.624-05:00

Having set out on the quest of proving that the short run holiday Megaforces and Army Boxes released last weekend from GW definitively prove that GW's sales of WFB are very slack compared to those of 40K for my blog Dick Move, I whipped up some quick charts on their pricing.  The proof would be simple.  All I'd need to do is show that the discount % for the WFB boxes was far greater than the 40k

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-41368839674419513062011-12-07T12:09:00.001-05:002011-12-07T12:10:17.772-05:00

Hey, folks, SinSynn here. I was doing a lil' cleaning and organizing this past week, and I came across my old 40k 'army list book.' Does anybody else have one of these things? It's like, a completely innocuous school-kid 'marble pattern' thingy, exactly like this: *Contains Phases 1 through 25 of my plan to conquer the....never mind, moving on* I have several of these books, one for my Tau,

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-79670382587291814332011-12-06T06:17:00.001-05:002011-12-06T11:00:39.094-05:00

After my brief break last week in that extremely poorly constructed dungeon I'm refreshed and raring to annoy go. Lets get straight to it then, Can a pure 'foot and/or 'assault' army compete in the current world of shooty bang bang death that is 5th? I'm a big fan of martial arts but lets be honest no matter how cool this guy is..... This little girl could take him as long as they started

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-46550787215881165722011-12-05T16:00:00.000-05:002011-12-05T16:00:04.199-05:00

We like it when people ask us to help promote their own efforts.  It's fun, it gives us a feeling of satisfaction and it's a key part of our whole deal here.  So here are three such projects people want you to be aware of. (Though apologies upfront to the people who asked us to do this.  You see, with last week's deadly struggle against our negaverse bizarro selves we weren't able to post these

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-12073530236544507212011-12-05T10:37:00.000-05:002011-12-05T10:37:00.090-05:00

It took some doing, but last Saturday we finally managed to force our evil (or more evil) doppelgangers back through the fiery portal from which the came.  There was trickery and even a spot of the ultra-violence but after it was all said and done, nobody died and Dethtron was the only one who had to have sex with their own bizarro self.  We will be fielding no questions on any part of the ordeal

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-80778610201991482392011-12-04T11:30:00.000-05:002011-12-04T11:30:11.545-05:00

The division of labor at our store is pretty lopsided. TheDude does all the frontline work-he's the manager, the sales man, the customer service representative, the purchasing agent, the shipping/receiving clerk, the sales analyst and the janitor all wrapped into one bundle. I work a day job.  This is actually not terribly uncommon. It's pretty standard in the industry for FLGS owners to have

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-17443710758821757902011-12-02T13:10:00.001-05:002011-12-02T13:48:50.293-05:00

Not Brent: Who’s this dude with the monocle? Where’s Lauby? Von: Come with me now, on a journey through time and space! Through the uttermost bleakness of the night eternal that lies betwixt the joyless stars we’re bound, this thin shell of silicon and plastic around us creaking and cracking, bashed by cosmic waves. The light of the Astronomican falls behind us. We pass outside the Imperium

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-80884050174808974202011-12-02T11:59:00.000-05:002011-12-02T11:59:56.036-05:00

This was supposed to be a reminder, callously calling out the barely literate members of the audience  who have yet to notice that we're in the middle of a theme week at the HoP, but then I remembered that bizarro dethtron is nice, so instead here's a picture of a puppy in a snail shell: But on a serious note, Bizarro Week, where alternate, opposite doppelgaenger versions of the HoP writing

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-15343413624555841862011-12-01T10:11:00.000-05:002011-12-01T13:40:39.358-05:00

Hello and welcome to another installment on how to lord your disposable income over poor neck-beards.  Today we're going to be spending way more money than we need to with just a touch of a  "This Old House" vibe. Let's get to it. Special Lady Friend and I recently started up Malifaux and we're having a grand old time at it.  But after a few test games it became apparent that we were in dire

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-54071399779009729502011-11-30T10:36:00.000-05:002011-11-30T10:36:29.257-05:00

Guess what? SinSynn couldn't make it here today. That's right, suckas.... 'Pink isn't well, he's back at the hotel.' Instead, you'll be dealing with me. ....the hamster in his head. And yes, I totally just hit you with a Pink Floyd reference. *Let's party...Bizarro style* Y'know what, people? I've been living in this idiot's skull a long time, spinning endlessly on the wheel that powers his

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-64329773696084976632011-11-29T16:00:00.001-05:002011-12-01T11:24:26.360-05:00

ahem... is this thing on? Good. 'Cause I'm only saying this once. You, over there. It's taking you TWO HOURS to buy fifty CENTS worth of Magic cards?  You are wasting my time and annoying as hell. I don't care about your stupid red burn deck, I want you to effing BUY something, dickmunch. It's time for you to go. Moronic scumsucker on the phone: no, I will not look for 30 cards for you "

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-15689898524678431052011-11-29T11:58:00.004-05:002011-11-29T11:58:00.170-05:00

Somewhere in the dungeons below a generic evil fortress..... " The prisoner is secure?" " Yes my Lord, though I don't see why you didn't just drop him in some lava or feed him to the Clawbeasts like normal....." " We may need him later.....and what could be worse torture for him than seeing the fluff filled article were going to write on his behalf using the evil clone?" " I'm pretty sure being

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-35553165869135146402011-11-28T15:41:00.002-05:002011-11-29T11:30:48.926-05:00

Hey Kids!  Don't forget that it's Bizarro week here.  I mean, seriously.  DON'T FORGET!  Eh.. you're not gonna forget.  You guys are smart. AND handsome. New Member Monday  iWARGAME Keywords: Warmachine, Warmachine, some more Warmachine and a little Warmachine on the side Whelp Slayer Keywords: Warhammer 40k, Warmachine and hordes, hobby, painting, battle/event reports, discussion,

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-12123663285129930092011-11-27T14:00:00.002-05:002011-11-27T14:00:00.538-05:00

When we decided that we were doing this whole bizarro week thing, I knew right away that I wanted to write Loquacious' normal column from the customer perspective.  Luckily, when drawing straws to see who got what, the sheer force of my personality saw to it that random chance and fate were on my side and I would indeed get the opportunity to do this.  Well, either that or I bullied my way into

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-43715574014461258342011-11-27T10:00:00.001-05:002011-11-27T10:00:01.315-05:00

You kids ready to get freaky?  Good, because it's Bizarro Week here at the HoP. But what the shit is Bizarro Week?  It's simple really.  All you need is an advanced degree in theoretical physics and an intimate understanding of how string theory allows for the possibility of parallel universes to understand.  Ok maybe not, but a girl can dream, no? This week here at the HoP, we're

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-32639011958620242972011-11-26T08:31:00.000-05:002011-12-10T03:38:26.021-05:00

It's occured to me that I failed to answer James S' question in the first week as thoroughly as it deserved, and so I'm devoting this instalment of the Von Show into doing a better job of it.  As per usual, the script-not-transcript lies beyond the cut. A particularly flattering choice of clip there... I don't think. Mornin'. The prompt this week comes from James S of Warp Signal,

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-61455189396688118102011-11-25T08:22:00.001-05:002011-11-25T13:24:53.759-05:00

Hello ladies and gentlemen.  There will be no Top X today since I want the following to be the focus for the day.  Our very own Loquacious is doing what she does best - being a good human being - and wanted to get as many eyes on this as possible.  This is not an advertisement for Armored Gopher or anything like that, they just happen to be the face of the good deed.  So please, with the spirit

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-26616974425760139062011-11-24T06:54:00.009-05:002011-11-24T06:54:00.139-05:00

Happy Turkey genocide day for our American readers.  Later today you'll most likely be tucking in to a lovely spread of food just before going into a carbohydrate related coma (yeah many would allege that you're sleepy due to the tryptophan in Turkey, but that's a bunch of bullshit).  This article is going to have a bit of an interactive component to it, so make sure you help out your fellow

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-54624248532522341892011-11-23T01:44:00.029-05:002011-11-23T10:50:22.607-05:00

Hey, folks SinSynn here. Welp, it's that time of year again. The time of year when Terrans gather in familial groups, and gorge themselves on large quantities of flesh torn from a large, virtually flightless bird that was bred and raised for the sole purpose of being slaughtered and having their corpse roasted on this very occasion. Poor sods...they ARE quite tasty, though. The birds, not the

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-61006376926088293882011-11-22T15:34:00.000-05:002011-11-22T15:34:00.107-05:00

If you despise hatred, bigotry, and single mindedness as much as we hear at the HoP do, please go to Frontline Gamer's blog today to learn how you can help support the S.O.P.H.I.E. Foundation. Having been the victim of a quasi-hate crime myself for looking different, this group and the story behind it strikes pretty close to home for me.  Please visit Frontline's site and see how you can help.

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-78001144556007453402011-11-22T05:10:00.002-05:002011-11-22T10:52:11.438-05:00

The internet isn't exactly short on personalities who'll tell you what the next most awesome tournament list ever is (or is going to be) and a few of those might occasionally be correct about it. Finding a viable 'Razorback Spam' list or a decently worked out Grey Knights list (though it may not have many Grey Knights in it) is fairly easy. If your really lucky there might even be a brief

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-33713689657051287932011-11-21T11:00:00.000-05:002011-11-21T11:00:12.696-05:00

It went up pretty late in the day (Americanly speaking) and even later if your across the pond (technically a day late).  If Von hadn't flat out told us why he picked Saturdays, I could easily guess.  The transcript doesn't do the video justice.  So go watch it after reading this post.  Seriously.  It's a cracking good time. You'll also get a good liberal arts style education on how to use the

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-17929797015737461192011-11-20T11:25:00.000-05:002011-11-20T11:25:42.335-05:00

Last week I talked about what a game store does. I talked about the positives a FLGS offers the hobby crowd and tried to give a sense of "what's good" about a place that "just wants money" (quote from a customer this week- sort of a joke, but fitting). Now, a little about what the customer often wants in exchange for all the things we offer them. TheDude and I have been very progressive about

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-15942964683869139042011-11-18T13:48:00.001-05:002011-11-20T16:52:45.598-05:00

Hi ho there everybody!  Welcome back to the only recurring series where the 'x' in it's title is a variable. As opposed to it being a roman numeral or an indication of soft core porn satus. I'm sorry to say that after last week's super dose of Top X goodness, that this week is a bit anemic.  So it's not 10 selections or a novelization of Femalien.  Funny story about that actually (the anemic

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-40963633605167667252011-11-18T09:12:00.001-05:002011-12-10T03:38:51.238-05:00

I won? That was... unexpected.  Thank you so much if you voted for me, hope I can live up to your expectations, and if you didn't... well, I hope you can find something to enjoy about the series, and I really hope that Lantz and HotPanda end up sharing their thoughts on 40K6 and WFB8 down the line, 'cause their entries were pretty damn interesting if you ask me. As before, there's a script

Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583821960347555993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-71177944549977655072011-11-17T09:00:00.001-05:002011-11-17T09:00:01.458-05:00

I've made a promise to myself that I must keep regarding this article.  I will not make mention of a certain band oft linked to magnets in the popular culture.  Let's all hope I can make it because even I, ever late to a new meme, am sick as hell of that one. Having turned in my black V-Neck and coca cola cup at the end of the HoP Idol competition, I'm free to start blogging again.  After

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-21220258889955217652011-11-16T01:07:00.029-05:002011-11-16T10:43:31.084-05:00

> PLAYBACK BEGIN *sound of chains clinking, links scraping against a stone surface. Several muffled voices are moaning in obvious discomfort. A single set of footsteps is heard, heels clicking a deliberately timed pace, back and forth. After every second step, a sliding sound is heard, as if there's something...heavy being dragged. A very faint, rhythmic sucking noise accompanies the footsteps

SinSynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12352693991857976930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-33797495343560865222011-11-15T05:14:00.001-05:002011-11-15T14:22:34.845-05:00

You all knew it would happen eventually, so don't act surprised..... So after many years of waiting the Necron players have finally got themselves a new Codex and I suppose the big question is "was it worth the wait?" Lets look first at the obvious changes to the background and how that effects Necrons as a whole. Firstly, They've decided to give Necrons a bit of personality as for many people

GMort.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00018939871578423347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-28990926680357427012011-11-14T16:21:00.000-05:002011-11-14T16:21:00.211-05:00

Congratulations to Game Over's Von for becoming the first ever HoP Idol, beating out the competition by a mere hair's breadth this week.  Starting soon, Von will now be you all his own weekly series here at the HoP.  I want to thank everyone who wrote for the contest, read the entries and voted.  You all helped make this the best HoP idol yet! Don't worry about the chaps that didn't win,

Dethtronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257162715130436403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-47058667707791769782011-11-14T11:30:00.000-05:002011-11-14T11:30:02.946-05:00

Hello again, everyone!  It's an exciting week here at the ol' HoP.  The results of the HoP Idol finale will be announced and our new author will be formally introduced?  Will it be Von and his soothing Theatre voice?  HotPanda and his madcap zaniness?  Or Lantz with his rumors and various last name puns? Well, you'll just have to wait and see. New Member Monday Political Dice Keywords:

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-31308594470911153142011-11-13T12:12:00.000-05:002011-11-13T13:36:00.206-05:00

I saw a comment on a blog earlier this week. It was asking why one should frequent a FLGS, when they had a hobby basement and there was the internet. It went something like: "A game store's great, but what does it do?"  My humble reply:  I sell games. Board games, roleplaying, miniatures, card and dice games. I sell teeny tiny space menz. I sell paper crack. I sell “poncing about

Loquacioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01667591498679385934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762331094256920985.post-88009374488266117632011-11-11T11:11:00.000-05:002011-11-11T11:11:05.295-05:00

 It's a looong Top X today, so this is gonna be a short intro.  Just a couple of quick notes before we get started: I just don't know what to think of the Fiat 500 now that it's being sold in the states. Has anyone really considered the benefits of owning a fine set of encyclopedias recently? If this was in the set, I would buy the shit out of some encyclopedias 1) Bear's 40K blog -

Laubynoreply@blogger.com0