Add-Ons

The Kickstarter for Corsair Leader launches tomorrow afternoon.  I’ve already decided to back it.

One of the more pricier add-ons is naming a pilot in the game.  You pick the type of plane, and the name you choose will be the pilot for that plane, in all copies of the game.

As I pondered whether or not to use my own name, I did a quick Google search for Filipino World War Two pilots, and came up with a couple:

Jesús Antonio Villamor

César Fernando Basa

So there’s precedence for a Filipino WWII pilot.  Those these two flew P26 Peashooters for the Philippine Air Force’s 6th Pursuit Squadron.

And I’m gonna have him fly one of the first WWII models that I ever built, a $2 kit from Woolworth’s, circa late 1970’s.

Not the model I built…

F4F Wildcat

Prepare for Ground Assault

Solitaire wargames update!

I picked up Tiger Leader a while back, in a ding-and-dent sale at Game Kastle.  I never got around to playing it due to other games that occupied my time.

After playing a couple more of DVG’s ‘Leader’ games, I decided to pick up Sherman Leader, and this one came with an upgrade kit for Tiger Leader.

And after punching the counters and sorting the cards, both are ready to go.

I don’t know which one to try first.

Do I invade Poland or defend the Philippines, both of which are campaigns in their respective games.

Or recreate the North Africa campaign?

 

Though I did pick this up last year (and haven’t played) as well:

Decisions, decisions…

STD: Despite Yourself

After missing the previous 6 episodes of Star Trek Discovery, I decided to take a peek at the second half premiere to see if I’d like it any better.

I didn’t.

The characters and story are still meh, and I’m simply tired of them dancing around the idea that this show is NOT set in the Prime universe.

They’re currently in *a* mirror universe.  They started in another mirror universe.  Tonight they made reference to the Enterprise episode “In a Mirror, Darkly” by mentioning the USS Defiant, but that schematic in the screenshot is not of the Defiant that appeared in that episode.

The nacelle struts are wrong.

The primary hull has notches.

Yet the producers/showrunners still want us to believe that this is the Prime universe.

Sorry, no.

I guess I’ll sit out the rest of the season.

Game Play Update

  1. Hornet Leader
  2. Gato Leader
  3. Corsair Leader
  4. Philippines Ablaze
  5. Carrier Strike Force
  6. Bataan!
  7. Comancheria
  8. Field Commander: Alexander
  9. Tiger Leader
  10. Star Trek Attack Wing
  11. Batman Miniatures Game
  12. Star Wars: Rebellion
  13. Warhammer 40K 8th Edition/Kill Team/Shadow War Armageddon
  14. Massive Darkness
  15. 7TV
  16. Ghostbusters II

Gato Leader has been played!

Dismal result, I chalk it up to learning the game.  Though I did manage to sink the Yamato.

Corsair Leader is going to Kickstarter this week, so that may stay on the list a bit longer.

And with Sherman Leader arriving tomorrow, this list is still as long as it has been since November.

Actually, it’s longer, with Gloomhaven, Dinosaur Island, and a couple of Legendary deck building games (Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

  1. Hornet Leader
  2. Sherman Leader
  3. Corsair Leader
  4. Philippines Ablaze
  5. Carrier Strike Force
  6. Bataan!
  7. Comancheria
  8. Field Commander: Alexander
  9. Tiger Leader
  10. Star Trek Attack Wing
  11. Batman Miniatures Game
  12. Star Wars: Rebellion
  13. Warhammer 40K 8th Edition/Kill Team/Shadow War Armageddon
  14. Massive Darkness
  15. 7TV
  16. Ghostbusters II
  17. Legendary: Firefly
  18. Legendary: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  19. Dinosaur Island
  20. Gloomhaven

I think I’ll be playing some sports games in the near future.  A year ago I meant to replay the 2010 World Series, which I didn’t.

Most Exciting Thing of 2018 (so far)

I was going to Lucky’s Supermarket for some lint traps, and as I pulled into parking lot, I spotted one of my dream cars.

I actually said “OH MY GOD” a few times as I parked my car.

I excitedly got out of the car, forgetting to grab a reusable grocery bag, and even forgetting to lock my car, as I walked, transfixed as the Wienermobile was within walking distance to me.

I kept my geeky enthusiasm in check as I walked up to the little table next to the car, with a family talking to the lady who was at the table, handing out stickers and Wienermobile whistles.

She asked if I had ever seen the Wienermobile before, I told her “never this close,” and she went on to give me the rundown on this particular model, the 2016 version, which has already traveled over 300K miles up and down the West coast and as far as Idaho and down to Texas.

As I tried to take a selfie with it, the lady offered to take a picture for me, since it’s such a big car.

She then gave me a sticker and a whistle, and I went on my way to get lint traps.

Best day of 2018, so far.

John Young

I was 14 when Space Shuttle Columbia first flew.  It was the first space mission that I followed from beginning to end.

I got up early the morning of April 12, 1981 and whispered ‘godspeed’ as she began her ascent into the sky.  I have no memory of any of the Apollo launches as I was only 5 when they stopped.

Two days later, I watched in awe as a spacecraft landed safely back to Earth, to be used again in a later mission.

And then out came these two people:

Astronauts in general were always my heroes, but these two were the first to fly the ship that I’ve always considered my shuttle, Columbia.

Shuttle commander John Young and Shuttle pilot Robert Crippen.

Today we lost one of them.

As usual these days, I found out via Facebook.

As usual I find myself feeling older, as the icons of my life die.

Godspeed, John Young.

The 50s

January 5, 1968: premiere date of Star Trek episode ‘The Gamesters of Triskelion’.

Captain Kirk, Chekov and Uhura are kidnapped by powerful disembodied aliens and forced to fight in gladiatorial contests for the aliens’ gambling entertainment.

Not a big fan of this episode, truth be told.

“300 quatloos on the newcomer!”

’nuff said.

This Time…

Unlike last year, if I miss a day (or two or a week) of posting here, I won’t back date any posts.

I just hope I have something to say every now and then.

I’m surprised that I didn’t put up a review of Jumanji (which I enjoyed a lot).

I’m still hoping that they release a Ruby Roundhouse POP! figure.

Corsair Leader

Last year I bought the print-and-play version of this game.  I printed it, but never got around to actually cutting out the parts to play it.

Next week, Dan Verssen Games is starting a new Kickstarter for a printed version of the game, updated and improved from the print-and-play version.

This may be one of the few Kickstarters that I do this year, since I’ve cut back considerably on my KS pledging.