Space Marine Preview

IGN has posted a battle trailer for the upcoming game "Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine".

The game is a 3rd person action game that brings the player down to a personal level, controlling a Space Marine through a campaign. Unlike other Relic games (Dawn of War series, natch.) this game doesn't feature the Blood Ravens, but the Ultra Marines (at least based on the trailer). I'm not sure why the switch, but based on the awesome awesomeness of the video, I don't care. It wouldn't matter what Space Marine chapters were used. The game just...looks...so...%&#@$*!@#...cool.

Now I have to buy a console, since this game will be specific to the XBox 360 and Playstation 3.

You can read the preview article and watch the trailer over at IGN.

The Joy of Painting

[UPDATE] We updated the picture with a new one of Bob Waaagh!, courtesy of my buddy Jason Lorenz.

For the first time in a month I painted minis last night.

Yes I know the shame I have carried with me for the last month as real life intruded upon me and all of my energy was focused elsewhere. First it was my step-son moving home for the summer and taking up residence in my painting/computer room. Then it was my step-daughter's graduation and open house...and the mile long honey-do list my beloved wife gave me.

And then yesterday when I was exultantly sitting down, work went to hell and I spent a couple hours on the phone troubleshooting and prodding other troubleshooters along.

But finally. FINALLY. I was victorious. I was home. I was painting.

God I had missed it sooo much. It was good to be back.

And now I have a 400 point challenge I need to make up lost time for. And I still have that nasty little DoW II campaign bugging me to finish it up (I hadn't done much on my computer in the last month either). But for now, for now I paint like a mad fool. Like I was Bob Ross, only without the hallucinogenic hippy drugs.

Man, I really do feel good to be painting again.

The Lazy Jerk Is Finally Updating...or is he?

Obviously there have been no updates lately. The reason is real life has picked my schedule up and killed it like that Dreadnaught in the DoW II intro did to the Eldar. I haven't played DoW II, I haven't painted. My computer/painting room has been taken over by my step-son who is home from college, and my step-daughter just graduated so I've been swamped with getting ready for her open house too. Combine that with my new job and the complete lack of slacker time that has come with that, and well I'm pretty much a walking shell of a man who's seen his free/fun time gone.

So to keep people from writing off this blog completely, and try to keep people up to date, I bring you this update of our 400 Point Challenge I'm in. My buddy Steve decided to show off just how far ahead he is in the challenge. His quote was "show your readers the army that's gonna pound your Green Tide some day... ;)"

The FOOL!

Doesn't he know that Mork and Gork will NOT stand for that kind of insolence. Dey's gonna bring down all dem soft pink skinz. Deir soft skin's gonna pop 'n 'splode wit all the dakka dakka we's gonna bring down on deir heads.

Dawn of War II - The Sound of War

Relic has released the Dawn of War II soundtrack free for fans to download through Steam.

First of all, this is completely awesome by Relic and Games Workshop to release this music free.  It's a lot easier for me to get these free things by my wife.  And this will save that kind of battle for where it counts (more minis).

Second, after immersing myself in the soundtrack for the weekend, I've come to acknowledge that the Dawn of War II soundtrack is a much better album than the original.  This is a lot from me considering the first soundtrack is composed by Jeremy Soule, one of my favorite game soundtrack composers.  And while the original soundtrack has a couple pieces that I miss ("Blood Ravens Approach" and "March of the Emperor" to name a couple), track for track the new soundtrack is better.

Each track grabs hold and won't let go.  My personal favorites are "For the Craftworld," "March of the Waaagh! (Ork Theme)," "The Green Horde Rises," "Show Me What Passes For Music Among Your Misbegotten Kind (credits roll)," and the Voltron opening-esque "Meridian Nights (Noobie's Grim Dark Future Remix)".  But every track is enjoyable.

Kudos to Doyle Donehoo for 20 tracks of complete awesomeness that have now become my goto soundtrack to paint minis by.

Now go download it and enjoy.