A Brush With Destiny: Sam's Introduction

Painting's my Game!

     Howdy folks!  My name is Sam.  I've been involved in table top gaming for almost four years.  Compared to the numerous veterans out there, that might not seem impressive.  It's not meant to be.  I just want to establish a frame of reference for what brought me here.  I play 40K (Space Marines, Blood Angels, Orks, Grey Knights, and Imperial Guard), dabbled in Firestorm Armada (Dindrenzi, and Aquans), and I'm looking forward to trying a few new games very soon (Warmachine, Infinity, and Relic Knights).  I've participated in exactly one (1) tournament (I did win it though) and a couple painting competitions (did very well in those) and I've become a huge fan of miniatures gaming.  I run a blog currently called Painting in Space, and there I chronicle my hobby achievements and sometimes I share some of my gaming experiences as well.

My first completed model on the left, and one of my latest completed models on the right

Where did I come from, where did I go?

     I was introduced to Warhammer 40K through the popular Dawn of War computer games series produced by Relic and published by THQ.  Specifically it was Dawn of War 2 that set the hook.  My initial interest was specifically set on the painting side of the hobby.

     I didn't have the amount of money required to jump into the game with both feet, and I didn't know if it was even something I would be interested in.  I purchased the Assault on Black Reach painting set.  This set had six horrible paints, one sub-par brush, and five finger-fit Bolter Space Marine models.  I diligently painted them up and felt pretty good.  I knew then what I must do: PAINT!

Let's Paint!

What do I bring to the table?

     What I hope to bring to you are bits of practical painting advice.  I've been working on improving my fundamental painting techniques, and I believe that these are techniques that almost anyone with a passing skill with a brush can emulate.  I hope to bring tutorials, tips, and spot light features on techniques that can improve your miniatures.

     I hope to help others get started in the hobby, expand their abilities and get the most enjoyment out of their investment into their miniatures.

We are the Dice Gods

The Dice Gods are coming!

     Some say they aren't real.  Some say it's all about averages.  It takes those that live beyond the averages to know, in their hearts, that the Dice Gods are real.  The twists of fate favor the bold, but just as quickly they can teach a memorable lesson in humility.

What are we about?

     Greetings dear readers!  You've found The Dice Gods.  The current list of contributors includes Kris, Sam, and Ash.  All three of us aim to deliver content pertaining to table top war gaming.  We'll likely focus on 40K but we're all about trying out various games within the same arena as the Games Workshop monster.  The list of other games includes Warmachine, Hordes, Firestorm Armada, Battletech, and Infinity. That's not all, we intend to mix in some other games that people in the traditional war gaming community might not either be accustomed to or haven't had table time with like Heroclix, Super Dungeon Explore, and many other yet unnamed games.  We're going to try and expand what people might consider for their own tables.  This is a glorious time to be in table top gaming.  Numerous companies are out there with innovative new games, amazing models, and it's ripe for exploration.

What makes you different?

     What we will start with, here on this blog, is a simple editorials, reviews, or tutorials that might be thought provoking, insightful, or useful.  Eventually we have plans to expand to video battle reports, podcasts, and much more.  We want to improve on what has been done before.  We'd all like to build the community up, looking for the positive angles, and seeking to focus on the entertainment factor of these games.  We play because it's fun, not because we want nothing more to win at a game of toy soldiers.  We want something with more meat on the bones.  That means narrative games, expansive campaigns, and just general alternatives from the "out of the box" games.  We hope that you'll join us and help us along the way, because your feedback, your input makes a difference.  Should you choose to, we can turn your efforts into something bigger that gives back to the whole community.

Stay tuned...