That was the year that was!

 

Greetings Hivers!

The last 12 months haven't been the best for me and unfortunately my hobby adventures have suffered as a result....But I'm back....

2023 will definitely go down as a year to forget, even if it is seared into my memory.
For the last 4 years I have been suffering from a nerve condition (Trigeminal Neuralgia) which resulted in me struggling to eat, talk, brush my teeth or even touch my face without suffering intense pain. 

Throughout all of this, my adventurer-in-arms, Rob was there for me, doing all the talking when I couldn't talk and drawing me back into our own world where anything could happen (and often did), these infrequent adventures helped keep me (relatively) sane....Cheers Rob, you've been a lifeline!

Despite high doses of two medications, the pain became unbearable last year and our games became something of a rarity. My condition deteriorated to such an extent that I couldn't bow my head to look at the gaming table let alone paint.

While all of this was going on my mother lost her longstanding battle with Alzheimer's and passed away. This is a cruel disease and in the last 18 months she had no idea who I was....I hope no one ever has to experience this cruel and heart-breaking condition.

While arranging the funeral I finally got a date for my operation and the day after the funeral I was admitted into hospital....only for it to be cancelled after waiting 8 hours with a Cannula in the back of my hand. Another 3 dates were confirmed and cancelled and on the 5th attempt I finally got my brain operation...turns out I do have one!   

Thankfully the operation was a success, I'm now pain free and don't feel like I'm off my head on drugs. I'm back at work and I feel like my old self again, so I feel like I've got my life back.

2023 was a year to forget and I'm hopeful for the future 😁 

What I've been up to

Three weeks after the operation I met up with my old mates to try out Combat Patrol. Rob was supposed to go down with me but the day before he phoned to say he had the Flu and couldn't make it. It turned out he had bacterial Meningitis and was ill for quite a while. Thankfully, he's fully recovered now and back to his best 😃 

Combat Patrol

It was great to see Alex, Neil, Steve, Iain and Michael again. I turned up with a barely painted Space Wolves Patrol and faced off against Orks, Sisters of Battle, Death Guard, World Eaters and Ad-Mech. The games were fast paced, especially once we had got used to the rules, which I liked.

I really wanted to like this game (and 10th edition in general) but for me the game is a bit too limited to play more than a few times before it becomes repetitive. 10th edition mechanics aren't designed for something as small as what is essentially a 2nd edition sized 40k army IMO.

10th Edition

I had all of my old armies laid out looking at what I could use for 10th edition and was excited to try out the game. I attended a doubles event and watched several games and I've had a couple of games of it but to say I was disappointed is an understatement.

I think Necromunda has clouded my opinion on what makes an interesting game. The best analogy I can give is 10th is like an old analogue TV and Necromunda is like a 4K TV, once you've seen it you can't go back.

10th edition is so far removed from what initially inspired me that I have little to no connection with it anymore. I still love the models and the universe but the game no longer has that immersion that used to capture my imagination. Necromunda on the other hand is more like 2nd edition, games feel more like an adventure rather than an exercise in number crunching.

Obviously I'm still a big kid at heart so I'll be sticking with Necromunda for the foreseeable future.

Necromunda

As I mentioned earlier, I haven't been getting a great deal of games in with Rob. I'm hopeful that will change soon because my shift patterns are changing and we'll be able to get a game in once a week now instead of the once every three weeks. Hopefully this will give me more time to post and I'll be writing up a brief post on the state of our corner of the Underhive before we delve into more campaign games.

I have however completed another terrain tile for the sump swamps.

For those in need of medical care, Salvatore's Chop Shop offers excellent service 

Spanning a sump tributary.... 

...the surgery is easily accessed on all sides. 

For those with mobility problems Salvatore's has you covered.

Patients can enjoy the stunning views over the sump while convalescing.

Salvatore's offers the best medical care this side of Sump City...

....with a dedicated surgeon eager to improve your health.

Family and friends can enjoy Big Sal's Sump and Lump Diner.

Specialising in locally sourced produce...

....Big Sal's has something to suit everyone's taste.

Try something from the Sump and Lump grill and you'll want to come back for more!

Until next time....may the Hive Spirits watch over you 😉