Gaming on a Budget

From the Warp asks:  if it’s a money saver, let’s hear about it

Financial Budget:  keep a record of all hobby spending.  Its not so hard to do – keep a spreadsheet with all your hobby cash in and cash out.

• Set a yearly budget
• Keep a running total and wait to be surprised by your expenses after six months or so
• For those of us with families its easier justify large purchases (new armies, air brush, convention trip) if the hobby expenses are under control

Time Budget: gamers are notorious for starting (and not finishing) too many projects.  Stop wasting money on products which never make it to the gaming table.  Only buy figures and supplies that will actually get used.

• limit yourself to 2-3 projects at a time
• set a due date for each project – if you have no plan to finish, will you ever finish?
• clean out the back stock – paint 2, buy 1

Quick Links: TableTop-World

Table Top World is a new resin terrain company creating fantasy buildings.  Not only do they have 3 three very nice kits to launch their web store, but their build style is completely unique.  When creating a stone effect, they literally use stone to create the model.  Read all about the method in this interview with the owners/sculptors on Cianty’s Tabletop Wargames. Additional images posted to photobucket.

Ruined Castle – Complete

Took about 10 weeks of hard work, but I’m rather satisfied with the result. In the end, the 8×4 table was consolidated into a tightly packed 4×4 table – perfect for a skirmish game like Legend of the High Seas. The event organizer was please with the terrain & apparently the castle was a hit with the players.

Looking at the finished project, I would to add a few taller pieces.  The jungle plants are nearly as tall as the castle structures – I’d like for the castle to break through the forest canopy.  Guess that’s a project for next year.

Pirate Castle Series:

1. Ruined Pirate Castle
2. Its a Jungle out there
3. Ruined Pirate Castle – layout
4. Ruined Pirate Castle: paint list

Pirate Castle At Play:

1. Cursed Treasures:  Cursed Isle at Adepticon
2. Plastic Legions:  Give it up for the Pirates!!