Nightstalker

Alright,

I know I have absolutely no reason to be posting in the art section! But here me out on this one, because it's cool!

Among the many things on SSLF that I see are ads. We all hate 'em, especially me! However, on a random whim I decided to investigate one of them. That one link was for Hero Forge, a site where you can design your own miniatures. I played around with it for a bit, because it's a neat little site.

Then I showed my bro (who will be referred to as AfroMan)...

Let's just say, he took off with this and is loving this! It has given him a fun little hobby, and honestly, I rather like his work! So I figure, why not show you all, and hear some feedback!

While I won't give away who these people are or the stories behind them, I will say that are from a work of his own creation.

So without further ado, here they are!

Alrighty ladies and gents of SSLF, it's that time again!

Every year I attend BFVA and generally show off something SSLF related (except last year). This year, I feel the need to bring us all together for a little bit of a bloodbath. That bloodbath being the arena! However, as with all SSLF related builds, I need you to make this build what it is!

So, how can YOU, the great folks of SSLF, help me? Glad you asked! Here's what I'm going to need:

1) Spectators (Everyone)

- What is an arena battle without a crowd of spectators? For every forum member, I will take up to a maximum of five different spectators. Just build a minifig (or five), and post a pic in this topic. If you don't have the parts, feel free to head on over to bricklink.com, find some pieces and give me a list. If your minifig requires decals, please just give me a description so I have something to request from Scorp. Given that this build will be 48x144, I'm going to need a lot of figs! If your figure is someone special, please feel free to include the following:

Details:

- Name (including title)

- Piece list or picture

Current Spectators

1. Nobleman Dalton - (Dalton Westmoore)

2. Nox - (Maverick-Werewolf)

3. Caiden - (Maverick-Werewolf)

4. Percy - (Burger Warrior)

5. Agnar - (Sephsekla)

6. Dargnin - (Sephsekla)

7. Yel - (Sephsekla)

2) Combatants (Novas and higher)

- Okay folks, this is going to be a tad different than spectators. For starters, as to avoid any issues of bad character representation, all combatants will be on the same team. So, if you were hoping to slay another member's minifig, you're out of luck there. The other thing to note is that I will only be accepting a total of 15 10 combatants (technically 13 8, because of Admin reserved spots). So here's what I need from you guys:

Details:

- Name (including title)

- Crest: This is an emblem that will appear on a triangular shield. Feel free to use an already existing emblem, or come up with your own! Again, if it is custom, I'll just make a decal request!

- Picture or piece list

Current Combatants

1. Hawkin - (Saber-Scorpion) - Ellipsis Crest

2. Tom Drake - (Maverick-Werewolf) - Family Crest

3. Amanon - (Dalton Westmoore) - Amanon Alliance Crest

4. Sigmar Oathbreaker (Lord_Capulet) - Broken Hammer Crest

5. Garandros - (Sephsekla) - ???

6. Althenia - (Nightstalker) - Twin Axe Crest  

7. Rynne - (Thrawnie) - ???

8.

9.

10.

- In the event of receiving more than 15 10 combatants, I'll sort it out by rolling a d20 for each spot. Feel free to use gray market items as well! If you are using a character that I've already made for you, just let me know!

3) VIPs (Mods)

- Among the many spectators, there will be very important people. This follows the same rules as the spectators, with the exception that I'm limiting it to one person per Mod. Just need a name and picture/parts list.

Current Mods

1. Inquisitor Marcus Capulet - (Lord Capulet)

4) Honored Guest (Admins)

- As always, our Admins will have a specific spot designed for them. At the current moment for Scorp, I was thinking of using a variant of King Scorp (from SYWBAA) and an entourage of Scorpion Guard. For Mav, well, I have my Wolf Queen Mav fig and an entourage of werewolf guards that will be supplied. If these sound good, just let me know, if not, just tell me what you want!

Current Admins

1. King Scorpion - (Saber-Scorpion)

2. Wolf Queen Mav - (Maverick-Werewolf)

5) Out of Place Minifigs (Everyone)

- For this category, just leave a minifig that sure as heck shouldn't be in a fantasy setting, or is just plain out of place. Given the high amount of figs I want to have here, I have room for some cameos. The number I use ultimately depends on how easy it is to sneak them in.

That's it for now! If you guys have more questions, feel free to ask! If not, then get building! 

- Nick  

Ladies and Gentlemen of SSLF, today I present a review on the BrickForge Hexibrix. I hope to shed some light on this relatively new custom piece. I won't be covering the huge specifics about this piece or its usage, I'll be covering my opinions on it as a whole. If you want more information on it, please see the links below:

https://www.brickforge.com/Hex.html

https://www.youtube....I9Vni-fg/videos

Let's begin!

Why did I buy these things?

- I personally bought them because I've wanted a hex shaped brick specifically for army building. As of now, I can say I own close to 400 of these little bricks (if you ever check for the 2 stud, black ones, you'll notice they're always out of stock).

What are some uses for it?

- Minifig display, army building, board game building, and MOC displays.

How durable are these things?

- Pretty darn durable. They hold a very similar quality to TLG bricks. 

Are they expensive?

- For $0.85 you get a hexibrix, hexibrix link, and either a 2 or 4 stud plate for the center. I should also note that the center disk can be swapped out for TLG pieces. You can also buy a pack of 6 for $5. However, if you buy a 6-pack, be aware that you get 3 2-stud disks and 3 4-stud disks. So, if you're looking for one or the other, I would not recommend spending the $5.

How big are these things?

- Slightly bigger than a typical hex based unit in a tabletop game. If I had to compare it, they are probably about the size of a standard Heroscape hex.

Any cool features?

- Yes! First off, the disk in the center can be popped out an exchanged for other pieces. This includes other round plates that are the size of a 2x2 round plate or tile. Also, 1x1 round pieces can also be placed in the center. Using the hexibrix link, you can connect hexibrix together from the underside, creating group minifig displays. Furthermore, they can be stacked on each other, so no minifig gets stuck in the dark, blotted out by the more popular figs! You might have noticed that I mentioned board game building earlier. Because of the way these pieces work, you can actually create a massive landscape for table top games using the different colors of the hexibrix. Also, you'll notice 2 studs on the pad that: one in the front, one in the back. These allow for other cool uses such as additional accessories. I personally use them for flag poles for commanding units and an inventory slot.

So, is there anything wrong with them?

- Yes! This is where I have to drop my, "Buyer Beware!" First off, the disk that goes in the center is advertised as being able to rotate easily when a minifigure is on it. From the +350 units that I own, I can easily say that is false. The round disks are firmly in once they're inserted. If you happen to set it at a weird angle, you will need a standard pipe (like a lightsaber pole or a medieval axe) to poke out the disk. On rare occasions does it actually work as advertised. It should also be noted, like other BrickForge items, they sometimes don't stick to minifigs as well as they could. Now, this could just be the individual minifig part, so don't rule that out; I've found that swapping out a set of legs sometimes solves the problem. Some people might also be put off by the overall size. While this does not bother me in particular, I would make sure to check the measurements against your standard hex pad.

Would you recommend buying one?

- For a custom piece, it has a lot of potential. Furthermore, for $0.85 you have a pretty cool piece. Yeah, it has a disk flaw, but I can personally overlook it because of the overall quality of the product. However, if the rotating disk is one of the main points you were looking forward to, you might want to give it a pass.

That's about it for now. Feel free to leave any questions. If you all want, I can post some pictures!

*Warning: THIS TOPIC IS PICTURE HEAVY*

Ladies and Gentlemen of SSLF,

It has been yet another amazing Brickfair Virginia. Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet any of you all this year, but then again, there is always next year. Now, I know you're use to seeing the swag I got, but this year, there ain't anything new to show off.

"Wait, you didn't get anything this year?" Apart from a ton of figs, no new gray market items. That means no new BrickWarriors, BrickArms, or BrickForge stuff to show off. Instead, I'm going to show off some cool MOCs from this year! So, grab a snack, and get ready to see some amazing stuff!!!

First off, my badge!

New Additions:

- Brickfair 2017 Brick

- Word of WarCraft Tile

- Cute Genji Tile (yes, I have this one in-game)

- Cute Mercy Tile (yes, I have this one in-game)

- "is not Saber-Scorpion" Brick (Was still asked if I was Saber-Scorpion once)

- New EclipseGrafx Brick

- Genji's Ultimate Quote

With that out of the way, let's start off with what I brought:

This is Fort Asdale. What you are seeing here is an attack on an unaware Ankoran outpost. Three factions are currently represented in this battle. First off, you have the Ankora, which is led by none other than Prince Melanes. Their force consists of 42 units. The second force is the ambushing Altrairians, who are led by Kagaz Urgol. Their force consists of roughly 58 units. Lastly, the third and final force is... *drum-roll please* the Lizardmen! Their force consists of two units.

This MOC consists of three main highlights:

1) Kagaz Urgol and the Vorgan

Built in 1hr30min on Wednesday (first day of BrickFair), this dragon caught the eye of a lot of folks during public hours. Now, a quick note about the vorgan. First off, this was built as a request from Dalton. He wanted to see one of his favorite dragons in LEGO form. Now, stop and go look up what a vorgan looks like. 

*Readers realize this doesn't even look close*

BINGO! So, something I failed to mention was that I am pretty terrible at building creatures. That being said, I wasn't going to back away from a challenge. Despite it not looking close, I still liked how it looked!

2) Dwarf "Big Boomer" V2

So, this was not suppose to be in the build, but it still ended up here. This is V2 of a cannon I made long ago. This time, it is more detailed and looks better than the original. More importantly, I was able to make it look like it was firing, which seemed to impress a lot of viewers.

3) Saleena and the Water Hydra

With the display finished, my bro suggested that I add something into the water. Seeing as how Ankora was outgunned, I decided they needed a bit of Black Lance support. In comes Saleena, who is summoning a water hydra to lash out at the big trolls.

Now, let's get some battle pictures!

That's all from me this year! Next year, I'm hoping to run a massive, fantasy battle for a collaboration. But more on that at a later date. All you need to know is that I'm planning for it to be bigger, badder, and more violent than any other collab I've been in!

Anywho, let's take a look at some cool stuff from this year!

Micro City

Castle

Best Castle MOC - Beorn's Hall

My Favorite Lighted MOC - ET's Home

During the World of Lights, an event that happens at 11:00pm during exhibitor hours only, all the lights go off and light up MOCs and show off! This MOC was my favorite light up one this year. It utilizes a black light, which causes certain transparent colors to light up. This is what it looked like during the event.

<Stay tuned for Part 2... coming tomorrow!>