Excited about the upcoming Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk live action series coming to the Disney+ streaming service, my daughter and I had some game night fun this weekend with these new leading ladies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Carnage is on a rampage in New York City and it is up to Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk to foil the villain's master plan in this game of MARVEL UNITED. It won't be easy as this alien symbiote has a number of offspring to battle before you can go head to head with him. Plus he is continuously transforming more people around the City into dangerous clones of himself that speed up the time frame of his master plan coming to fruition.
Why is Carnage trying to infiltrate the labs of Stark Industries and Oscorp while flooding New York City with an army of monstrous Symbiotic clones? Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk leap into action to battle this evil threat! They don't have much time though ... if Carnage completes ten turns he WINS and that timeline speeds up as he assimilates innocent bystanders as hosts for the Symbiote organisms that make up his alien army. There is no time to waste in stopping Carnage!
Carnage belongs to a race of amorphous extraterrestrial organisms known as Symbiotes, which form a symbiotic bond with their hosts and give them super-human abilities. Carnage has no regard for life and a desire to promote total chaos. Yet he can be methodological and meticulous in his plots to become the dominate lifeform on the planet.
Ms. Marvel is a leading character in Marvel's development of a diverse lineup of superheroes appealing and relatable to new generations of young fans. This Pakistani-American hero has the power to shapeshift being able to transform her body to do feats such as elongating her limbs or enlarging her fists. Ms. Marvel often teams up with Squirrel Girl and America Chavez to create an amazing trio of girl power that can give any bad guy a run for their money!
After getting a blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner, Jennifer Walters gained all the powers of the Hulk without losing her personal consciousness or sense of conscious in fighting for justice as the She-Hulk. She is a combination of brains and brawn! In addition to her solo crime fighting endeavors, She-Hulk has also been a part of the Avengers and Fantastic Four superhero teams.
Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk have a lot to take on in a limited amount of time. Before the can even tackle Carnage head on, this super duo must clear threats from four locations and either defeat nine Symbiotes or rescue nine bystanders. Plus, in this MARVEL UNITED game scenario the heroes must also defeat three of Carnage's henchmen in combat before unlocking the big boss char acter for a final showdown.
We focused on the tackling the henchmen and clearing location threats as our first priority. She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel tore through the henchmen and unlocked three of the four locals trying to move forward to battle one-on-one with Carnage. Unfortunately, Carnage was able to capture numerous people off of New York's streets adding them to his alien army and speeding up the completion of his master plan by giving him some extra jumps ahead on the Spawn Track further reducing the number of turns She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel had to work with. BAM! The villain was victorious this game night.
Doah! Unfortunately, you can't win every game; but it is fun trying! Win or lose it is always a good time playing MARVEL UNITED during a family game night. Looking forward to a rematch against Carnage and watching the Disney+ Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk tv shows.
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During the pandemic, I dipped my toes into the hobby of tabletop gaming. The wargaming and roleplaying that people were sharing on social media of Warhammer 40,000, Star Wars Legion, and Zombicide among other games captured my attention. Plus, the images of the miniature playing pieces for these games were amazing!
So, I started off my involvement with the hobby last year by buying a brand new game called Marvel United that was being introduced through a Kickstarter campaign. I've had such an entertaining experience with Marvel United that I've also bought some Zombicide games and am going back and forth about maybe investing in some Blood Bowl teams. Here are a few lessons learned from my beginner experience in tabletop gaming and miniature painting that I hope may be helpful to other people just getting into the hobby who may stumble upon this.
LESSON 1 -- MINIATURES ARE UNPAINTED
Miniature figures, game pieces, and scenery for tabletop game are unpainted. Those stellar images you see of incredible looking miniatures that are posted online didn't look like that coming out of the box. Someone put effort into decorating the miniature to look that way! When you get that same miniature it will be a one color piece of plastic that looks just like it did when coming out of the production mold.
Also be prepared that the miniatures for many games don't come assembled. That means you need to snap out parts from panels and put together pieces with crazy glue. Then you may need to sand out rough spots and imperfections. Finally, it is time to paint!
If you don't want to deal with the assembly aspect of miniatures, the figures and game pieces from CMON tend not to need to be put together. There was no assembly required for the Chibi style figures that come with the Marvel United game. Understanding what you are getting before making a purchase is important because the miniatures used in wargaming and roleplay games can be a considerable investment. You don't want to buy boxes of miniatures then be too overwhelmed to prepare them for actually playing with.
LESSON 2 -- PAINTING MINIATURES TAKES TIME AND TALENT
The miniatures you paint right off the bat are going to look nothing like the jaw-dropping displays of awesomeness that are posted on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Still, anyone who puts some time and effort will still be able to do a decent job painting miniatures. You don't need to impress the world if you are happy with decorating your own miniatures for your own gameplay. It is about having fun when it comes down to it. Remember that!
It isn't just about picking up a paint brush and slapping some paint on a miniature. There are different techniques for coloring, shading, washing, glossing and more that make a huge difference in making miniatures stand out. Take some time to watch YouTube video tutorials to get great tips and suggestions for miniature painting. Do a search with "the name of your game + miniature painting" and you are sure to find some great videos to watch. I've learned quite a bit about improving the look of my miniatures through watching these types of videos.
I'm not very artistically gifted or talented, but the more I've painted I keep find myself getting a little bit better every time. Stick with it and keep going and over time you are sure to continually improve. Don't give up! Remember too as long as you are satisfied that is good enough. If at some point you just aren't satisfied with how your miniatures are looking, you can always check around with local hobby shops for skilled painters who will decorate your figures for you on commission.
LESSON 3 -- PRIME BEFORE PAINTING
Don't just start painting your miniatures! The paint won't bind to the plastic and will easily flake off as it dries. Spray a coating of primer on the miniatures before you paint.
A lot of paint supply companies offer some expensive primer options. I've found a can of flat coat grey Rust-oleum from the hardware store works just fine. With as expensive as this hobby can be that is a nice way to do some cost-cutting without sacrificing quality.
Varnishing is also recommended to avoid the paint chipping from your finished miniatures. I just keep my miniatures around the house for family game nights and haven't notice a need for that extra protection. If you are taking your miniatures places to play games at friends' homes or game conventions and tournaments it may be wise to safeguard them with a coat of varnish. Note varnish will dull the overall brightness of the color of your miniature so be prepared for that before giving a coating.
LESSON 4 -- PAINT CAN BE EXPENSIVE
Wow! Paint is expensive! And it is hard to know what you actually need when just starting out.
I purchased a starter kit from Army Painter to have myself a base set to work with. The paint does a decent job but if you want to kick your details up a notch it would be wise to buy some more expensive Citadel paints for highlights. Citadel Colour is pricey but if you use it to provide contrasts to your base coat it can compliment Army Painter while keeping your paint budget reasonable.
Just be prepared for sticker shock when it comes to buying paint. For glazing or creating colors you can also water down paints or mix them together so you can get what you need without buying a bottle for every color under the rainbow. You can find online guides that will help you create a spectrum of colors from combing a few basic ones. Whether you are just creative or are trying to save money there are a variety of ways that being a mixologist can benefit you.
I've found good paint selection and prices at gamenerdz.com. This online hobby store has discounted pricing, free shipping on orders over $75, doesn't charge sales tax and has a loyalty rewards program that can provide additional savings. Well worth checking out!
LESSON 5 -- BRUSH SIZE MATTERS
When I bought my first tabletop games, I just picked up a bundle of #1 sized brushes for painting miniatures. Figured a basic brush size should do just fine. That was a mistake! The brush was too big for highlights all the different aspects that I wanted to stand out in the miniature.
Brushes actually go down from sizes 0 to 00000. 0x5 is actually my preferred size for miniature painting now. When you want to have intricate details stand out with different colors and shading these 0-sized brushes really let you pinpoint aspects of the miniature.
Size matters! For larger models of big creatures, buildings and vehicles you can go all the way up to a 6-size brush. For miniatures that don't have bigger expanses of space to cover a 1-size brush can be just fine too. You don't want to overload 0-size brushes with paints so if you can mix in some larger brushes too that extends the life of your more delicate brushes.
The main point of this lesson is to keep in mind there is a variety of brush sizes and make sure you have an understanding of that before you start painting. I was seeing other people working on details that I just couldn't do with a 1-size brush and realized that going to a smaller size would improve on what could be done.
LESSON 6 -- DON'T WORRY ABOUT LOOKING SILLY
A big problem I had with painting miniatures was that my eyes weren't focusing in well enough to see all the details of a figure. I bought a set of wearable VISION AID magnifying glasses and it has done wonders on the quality of my work. It has done wonders with my hand-eye coordination and has been a wonderful purchase. It has a number of lenses ranging from 1.0x magnification to 3.5x. Plus, it has a light built-in that is directed at what I am looking at and is rechargeable with a usb cord.
My wife and kids laugh at me when I wear my VISION AID; but I don't care because it is so helpful when I'm using it. The difference in my miniature painting from before and after using VISON AID is like night and day. I don't care if I look silly wearing these magnifying glasses. This has been a great purchase and I am so glad I bought one. It earns a Geek Daddy nod of approval because I love using them!
LESSON 7 -- CREATE A DEDICATED WORK SPACE
At first, I would bring my games, miniatures and paints out and then pack everything up and put it back in the closet. Large gaps of time would go by between my paint sessions because it was such a pain to set up and take down everything every time. Once I designated a dedicated space in a corner of my basement as a hobby studio my time spent miniature painting became much more consistent.
It wasn't complicated to make a space. I just set up a card table and purchased a brush/paint stand on Etsy. The items I bought from SnarkySayings have worked out great. Check them out if you are looking for some miniature painting storage solutions. They earned a Geek Daddy nod of approval for quality products and customer service!
SHARE YOUR HOBBY TIPS
There you have it! Some lessons a beginner in the tabletop gaming and miniature painting hobby learned through trial and error. If you are just getting into the hobby, I hope you found these tips useful. Have tips and lessons learned of your own to share? Please let the rest of us know about your experiences by leaving a comment here at ageekdaddy.com so we can all get better with help from each other.
Being a collector can be an excellent hobby. People across the world engage in this sort of activity, and it’s becoming increasingly common to see websites, stores, and other businesses that are dedicated to helping people to build a great collection for themselves. No matter what you want to collect, there are always loads of options available for those who want to get into a hobby like this. Here are some tips on the elements that will help you to build a collection that you love.
Space
Space is one of the most crucial aspects of any collection. It’s likely that the items you build up over the years will slowly take over your home if you’re not careful, and this means that you need to take the time to make space in your home for the items that you love. It’s important to make sure that you have room for your collection before you start it, or this could negatively impact the people you live with.
Displays
Alongside having space, it also makes sense to figure out how you will display your collection. You don’t need to do this with all of your items, but keeping your favorite pieces on display can be a great way to enjoy the collection you’ve built. Glass cabinets, shelving, and even custom-built furniture can all help with this. Of course, though, the way that you display your collection will depend on the type of collection you’re working with.
Sharing It With Others
Having the chance to share your collection with others can be exciting and fun. You will be able to show people the hard work you have done, while also getting the chance to talk to other like-minded people about what you love. There are loads of ways to achieve a goal like this, from sharing your collection online to attending events and bringing your collection along for the ride. It’s crucial that you take the time to protect your items when you do something like this.
Getting Your Collectables
As the last area to think about, it’s time to consider where you will be getting your collectibles from. There are a lot of online stores and physical shops that can help you with this, and getting items like Dragon action figures can be easier than many people expect. You need to do some learning and research before you can buy loads of items for your collection, but this is worth the effort that you will put into it.
With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to take on the challenge of starting a collection within your home. Many people struggle with this process, finding it hard to gather everything they need to make their collection shine. As time goes by, though, you will slowly be able to change this.
In 2016, Star Trek fans can have some fun with their mail by highlighting it with postage stamps that commemorate the 50th anniversary of the science fiction franchise. These Forever Stamps are legal tender for postage or can be kept as a nice collectible item to display if you'd rather not mail them out. Forever Stamps will always be valid to be used as the current First Class Mail one-ounce rate no matter how many years have gone by or how much the price has risen for postage. The four stamps being issued by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) which honor the first airing of a Star Trek TV episode on September 8, 1966 will be comprised of illustrations inspired by important elements of the original television series. These Star Trek stamps can be purchased together as a set which includes a display panel that consists of a background of stars with the words "Space...the final frontier" imprinted on it.
The four 50th Anniversary Star Trek stamps will include:
The Starship Enterprise inside the outline of a Starfleet insignia with a gold background to reference Captain Kirk's uniform.
The silhouette of a crewman in a transporter against a red background to reference Starfleet's security and operations personnel's uniform.
The silhouette of the Enterprise from above against a green background in reference to the fact that Captain Kirk's costume in the original Star Trek episodes was actually that color but the studio lighting made it appear to look gold on TV.
The Enterprise inside the outline of the Vulcan salute (Spock's iconic hand gesture) against a blue background which is the color of uniform assigned to Starfleet's medical and science personnel.
If you are interested in real life space exploration, the USPS is also releasing a panel of 16 Forever stamps from NASA images that showcase the planets in our solar system. The panel will feature eight new stamps with each being provided twice in the set. Some of the images on the stamps show us the "true color" of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune as they would be seen if you have the chance to visit them firsthand on a trip through outer space. Others will be images that use colors to represent and visualize certain features of a planet based upon imaging data. A few of the stamps will also have images utilizing near-infrared spectrum to show things that cannot be seen by the human eye within visible light.
There will also be text on the back of the stamp pane to explain what these images reveal and identifies the spacecrafts or telescopes that obtained them. While a release date hasn't been provided yet for the Star Trek stamps, the Views of Our Planets collection will be dedicated between May 28th and June 4 at the World Stamp Show -- NYC 2016 and should be available for purchase shortly afterward.
While astronomers don't identify it as one anymore, Pluto will always be a planet to me. Poor Pluto being demoted from a Pluto every student in elementary school had to memorize to being defined as an orbital object. Pluto is getting a bit of respect from the USPS this year though with the release of a four stamp souvenir sheet of stamps honoring the recent New Horizons spacecraft mission by NASA that provided us with our first glimpse of this far off place at the far end of our solar system. The USPS actually has a close connection to this particular mission. In 2006, NASA placed a Pluto: Not Yet Explored 29-cent stamp within the New Horizons spacecraft. As the spacecraft accomplished its mission in 2015 that stamp was along for the ride.
“The New Horizons project is proud to have such an important honor
from the U.S. Postal Service,” said Alan Stern, New Horizons lead
scientist from the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, CO. “Since
the early 1990s the old, ‘Pluto Not Yet Explored’ stamp served as a
rallying cry for many who wanted to mount this historic mission of space
exploration. Now that NASA’s New Horizons has accomplished that goal,
it’s a wonderful feeling to see these new stamps join others
commemorating first explorations of the planets.”
The collectible sheet will feature two brand new stamps twice. One will
be an artist's rendering of the New Horizons spacecraft and the second
will show an image taken by the spacecraft of Pluto.
The view of Pluto — which is color enhanced to highlight surface texture and
composition — is a composite of four images from New Horizons Long Range
Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI). These stamps
will also be dedicated between May 28 and June 4 at the World Stamp Show –
NYC 2016.
Astronomy buffs, stamp collectors, and Star Trek fans will all want to keep an eye out for these interesting stamps from the U.S. Postal Service. I know I'll be picking these up for myself to add to a few other stamp sets I've collected over the years. If you have a child who may be interested in stamp collecting as a hobby these could be the perfect ones to get them started!
