May 21st, 2026 (Due at 6pm May 20th, 2026)

[crisp patrol]

We always talk about hobbies here. What are you making and whatnot.

But there is another central part of our hobby that we haven't really talked about.

What are you reading!

What nerdy thing have you been reading lately? Anything BattleTech or Shadowrun? I've been listening to Gotrek & Felix audiobooks lately and reading the Trench Crusade rulebook while I've been debating whether to crack open Herbert's Dune (I've never read it!), Thurston's Way of the Clans, or Sapkowski's The Last Wish!

My tastes are all over the place.

[quiet kindle]

Other companies’ minis allowed for this one? It’s related to the reading.

[crisp patrol]

I won't be able to show them off on our socials, but if it is clear that they aren't to be used for BattleTech, Shadowrun, or Leviathans, I am okay with you showing them here.

[quiet kindle]

Oh yes definitely very different

[north oxide]

Ok. I love Necromunda. It is the ONLY GW game I still play. I just got and read the new Enforcers book, and am doing an Enforcer patrol. Here are a few of mine:

Magnetized Sanctioner Automata, with flashing red/blue LED and swappable arm weapons

SWAT Ogryn(Ogryn Servitor with furnace plates and augmetic fist)

[quiet kindle]

I have some Battletech ones for later, but have been rereading Patrick Obrian’s Aubrey-Maturin series (inspired the film Master and Commander)

The reading has informed my painting of Warlord’s Black Seas Line which I got into somewhat concurrently. Neat little beer and pretzels game that showcases the models well too.

HMS Surprise and the Acheron-inspired razee frigate were finished a while ago, USS Congress and Santa Ana are recent additions.

[north oxide]

Fully magnetized captain with swappable weapons, Palanite Sergeant, also with magnetized spots, and mounted Palanite Sergeant on Waster Dirtbike, again, with swappable weapons. Just about every guy in my Enforcers has, at LEAST, a magnetic spot on their back for a slung weapon

[north oxide]

Very cool

[quiet kindle]

As for Battletech I recently finished some Swordsworn which means I now have all the mechs on the cover of Dominions Divided/Damocles Sanction painted. Both of which I enjoyed.

[north oxide]

Is that meant to be Julian's MAD II? It looks fantastic.

The Swordsworn also look great. Are you open to a small suggestion with the photography?

[quiet kindle]

Sure, bring it on

[north oxide]

More light, particularly from 2 different sources, set like 45° apart, directly facing the minis. A couple of cheap Amazon ring lights are perfect, and you won't have the huge shadows from overhead-only lighting

Also, if you add a piece of linear terrain, like a wall, to hide the junction of your diorama and backdrop, and set the backdrop 6-8" further back, you get a lot better depth, and no shadows on it

You can really see thr difference, before and after, when I was taught that

[quiet kindle]

Yeah, I rushed these ones and just used the lighting in my cheap little light box. Good eye.

[north oxide]

They look fantastic, and I love the basing, so it's a shame not to display them at their best

[old wolf]

What someone hasn't read the Dune books, heresy. Shai-Hulud 🪱 will drown you in the sand and take your water.

[north oxide]

Oh, I've read them at LEAST 4 or 5 times!

[crisp patrol]

Please no!

[oblique ivy]

Been reading all the TROs I can get my hands. Something I dearly missed in wargaming was the feeling of wanting to field a unit because of it's description (stats coming second).

BattleTech is bringing me nostalgia to days when I'd read wargame manuals on my way to highschool.

I'd love to read TROs on all the installations. In the meantime, here's some 7th Samarkand Regulars gun emplacements I finished!

[north oxide]

Those really look fantastic. The turrets and the tanks

[gilded compass]

Read Objective Raid in advance of Snowblind coming out and pained up Bjorn the Bearslayer:

(Needs some snow basing)

[wooden oar]

Played a 1v1v1 Alpha Strike game earlier this month - teaching and learning the rules. Single mech per pilot, going up a point value level when losing a mech and "respawning."

[pure lichen]

I'm slowly making my way through Dark Age right now. Just finished Sword of Sedition.

[old wolf]

Here are a few photos from our painting event at the FLGS. I host this event every other Sunday, where like-minded people get together to paint miniatures. Sometimes Oliver "1N51" from CSO helps me paint BattleMechs. 😉

[neon fox]

My gaming club's display this year at our annual local comics and gaming convention

[frail creek]

Oh ok not CGL???

I finished working on this yesterday and pretty proud of it haha

Basically it’s ALL the khorne heralds + the cool fw one

Needed a break from painting mechs so I went back to the pure evil

[rough python]

I feel like it's been long enough that I can post this here now.
I painted this metal Warhammer -6D as a tribute to a fallen MechWarrior.
Miss ya, Tandy.

[crisp patrol]

Hey Ed. Great job on the minis. I am going to have to ask you to remove the dropship photo though. I am okay with non-CGL minis in this thread, but that one specifically is not allowed on this server.

[iron nebula]

As a bias, fanfiction. Of late, Battletech fanfics with a heap or dose of what else it could be crossed over with.

One of them I'm considering doing a writing take, is how BATTLETECH could potentially be like, if it were crossed over with Tom Bloom's CAIN.

[crisp patrol]

That's really neat!

[rain heath]

Been reading up on a bunch of Gundam UC Century lore, also to help inspire me for more Battlemech paint schemes

[brittle geyser]

I figured Hextech was friendly. Okey dokey.

[full hamlet]

Haven't got in a game of my Scouring Sands campaign for a while, so I've been spending my hobby time preparing for Draconis Reach and eventually the new Core book.

[lavish hound]

Fianlly an excuse to use this photo for a Hobby Hangout!

I recently re-read Roadside Picnic, and am currently listening to Redemption Rift during my commute. A lot of the videos I make are inspired by events and humorous moments found within BattleTech literature, manuals and source books!

(I’m more of an artist than a player, rule books hurt my eyes)

[rain heath]

Not sure if I'll be back from my trip to have finished the paper dropship for this week, so here's a anachronistic Wolverine alternate scheme Dire Wolf D.

[north oxide]

Brrrrrt

[pallid kayak]

Thought I’d share some metal IWM’s. These all support my Davion Heavy Guards. The Glory is cool. Really hoping it gets a modern resculpt.

Oh and a few more current sculpts I finished recently.

[agile wave]

Been rereading some Battletech books.

[north oxide]

Those perfectly match Fox's Teeth

[wooden oar]

Oh yes, Roadside Picnic. A good healthy dose of banned Soviet era sci-fi is always good

I am in a group that also plays Xwing and we have been using Btech terrain for some stuff. Some Pod Racing last night.

[wary stratus]

Joining the Marauder IIC are an Adder (Puma), Hunchback IIC & a Nova Cat. One more and I'll have a star for Clan Nova Cat's Xi Galaxy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DYhRzQGCFGP/?igsh=MTV5ejdxM3RtNzY5bw==

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18iRmkpcF4/

Bookwise I am getting a start on Zardu Lyak the Crimson Apostle from Warhammer The Horus Heresy character series.

[low siren]

Prepping new "alien" terrain landscapes and "organic" objectives for BattleTech because I get sick and tired of playing on generic grasslands and deserts (when we have thousands of worlds to choose from). Plus I really hate fighting over tokens. So those landing pads give me control radii that actually blend in with the map.

Also included, a shot of a mining facility on alien volcanic terrain. It's not on the matching mat—I had to use a store mat that day that was too light-colored. And my volcanic "woods" templates aren't ready yet, but they'll eventually be rock formations and such.

[crisp patrol]

That's a really cool idea!

[north oxide]

Niiice!!!!! I'm working on an urban setup, a jungle setup, and a desert/underwater setup