Martin Ralya

he/him • bisexual • happily married dad • 60% coffee ••• lifelong avid tabletop gamer • RPG blogger and author since 2005 • publisher since 2009 ••• I mainly post about TTRPGs and Warhammer 40k miniatures

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npub15k8jzytls95sf8cv6ztj0rpv9ushqsgtet3zspxnhzthkf2p9jzsw8ws7h

NIP-05 Address

martinralya_at_dice.camp@mostr.pub

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nprofile1qqs2trepz9lcz6gynuxdp9e83skz7gtsgy9u4c3gqnfm39mmy4qjepgpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qgvprtj

Publishing to

relay.mostr.pub

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npub15k8jzytls95sf8cv6ztj0rpv9ushqsgtet3zspxnhzthkf2p9jzsw8ws7h

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Last Notes

2024-06-26 23:48:27

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@npub1z00…j4g9 That book is A Lot. Even moreso than The Road, which is saying something.

2024-05-28 03:23:20

Every so often I like to check in on this BGG thread that asks the question "Can you shuffle one card?"
It's been running for eight years and has over 5,500 posts.
People are now citing ChatGPT (picardfacepalm.gif) in their arguments, which is new since the last time I had a peek. The camps are still just as divided as they were back in 2016, though.
https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1576647/please-give-your-vote-can-you-shuffle-one-card

2024-04-11 14:26:43

Rolled up an AD&D 1st Edition magic-user last night, and it was a hoot.
I've never played an MU in 1e before. We're starting at 8th/9th level, which is a golden opportunity to skip the early days where MUs die to a stiff breeze.
Rolling my 55% chance to learn each spell I wanted was so much fun. I missed nearly every staple I went for, so my spellbook is full of weird shit.
Doctor Baron Archduke the Unwise and his WIS 7 are ready to venture into White Plume Mountain.

2024-03-08 16:49:09

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@npub1axx…v3tt Rapidly unscrambling jumbles of letters into words. Like sometimes so quickly that it feels spooky.

2024-02-01 02:11:06

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@npub18s6…c4cg Totally! I've seen "Jose Chung's" at least four times, maybe five.

2024-02-01 01:47:42

I'd put season three of "The X-Files" up against any season of any TV show.
"Jose Chung's From Outer Space" is my all-time favorite episode, with the masterpiece "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" not far behind.
It introduces my favorite entity, the black oil, in "Piper Maru." Big, meaty conspiracy episodes are a highlight.
And the one-off/MotW episodes "War of the Coprophages" and "Hell Money" are both bangers.
The balance is perfect.

2024-01-20 19:33:45

I got a wild hair this morning and decided to crunch a little data about where #ArsMagica sits in terms of my #TTRPG play since 2008 (when I started logging sessions).
And damn, the numbers really contextualize my love for this game:
- Longest single campaign I've played in the last 16 years
- Among my most-played RPGs since 2008, it's number three
- One of only nine 10/10 RPGs out of 196 played
https://www.martinralya.com/tabletop-rpgs/longest-campaigns-ive-played-from-2008-2022-and-other-data-neepery/
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/111/789/939/577/398/130/original/e1d5545b383e4b80.jpg

2024-01-14 22:29:26

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Shambling undead #BloodBowl team member number four assembled, a zombie.
I have to say, not owning the game and not building these lads on even a vague timetable or with a real target in mind -- beyond the fuzzy notion I might buy the game at some point -- has been just lovely.
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/111/756/662/402/117/085/original/1624499ed121ffe9.jpg

2024-01-12 03:29:15

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Third #BloodBowl mini assembled tonight, the ghoul runner on the right.
Tentative names, starting with the mummy on the left, are Ivan Bigwood, Wight Schrute, and Ra's al Ghoul.
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/111/740/851/649/312/382/original/f4e1bc794619f2f0.jpg

2024-01-09 00:41:38

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Today's #BloodBowl mini is a wight blitzer for my shambling undead team.
Yesterday's mummy is on the left. I love the dynamism of that pose. You can see and feel the character's weight and motion.
Even though I prefer flexible models to monopose, GW does this stuff so well that I'm rarely sad to assemble a monopose lad.
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/111/723/206/391/850/912/original/5e3a196f110933f6.jpg

2024-01-08 01:41:16

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Somewhat predictably, when deciding how to sail out of my #MiniaturePainting doldrums I chose the stupidest option: start painting stuff for yet another game.
So tonight I'm building some of the shambling undead team for #BloodBowl.
I've always been curious about BB, and even if I never pick up the game these lads should be a fun change of pace.
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/111/717/772/181/702/908/original/c98e074b29945287.jpg

2024-01-06 20:53:10

Figured I'd try a little 2024 #MiniaturePainting thread for my daily stuff. We'll see how it goes.
Today I'm drybrushing these #40k pipes from the Manufactorum line. I think I'm almost out of pipes after these lads.
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/111/710/983/929/899/554/original/76719a541ff410f5.jpg

2023-07-15 17:09:31

I played my second 10th Edition #Warhammer40k game last night (tons of fun!), and the binder I put together was super useful.
I wrote about it on Yore, with links to everything in it. My "old man eyes" version of Team Hivemind's excellent USR reference sheet is the MVP.
With free core rules, quick start, datacards, and points, GW has made this sort of DIY solution a really great option. I love that they went that route!
https://www.martinralya.com/miniatures/warhammer-40k-10th-edition-usrs-in-readable-font-size-and-my-binder/
#WarhammerCommunity
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/110/719/200/393/777/364/original/7574ad62d7a229a0.jpeg

2023-07-14 23:26:11

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@npub1um7…2mt3 Thank you! That's kind of you to say, I appreciate it.
Starting up BattleTech minis again was what made me reexamine my washes and highlights. Punched-up 40k style looks weird at 'Mech scale!
And then I found I liked the more subtle highlights. Every fifth line or so I really nail one, and it feels great. (We don't talk about the other four lines...)

2023-07-14 22:12:51

Here's a little old/new paint job comparison. It's not night and day, but I can see the benefit of experience!
Left to right: Infiltrators are July 2023, May 2020, July 2023; Chaplains are July 2020, July 2023.
The biggest changes are attempting proper edge highlighting, pin washes rather than all-over washes on armor, and being sparing with the final highlights. My brush control isn't where I'd like it to be yet, but it has improved.
#MiniaturePainting #warhammer40k #miniatures
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/110/714/699/334/867/945/original/d6cc6e5affa4a182.jpeg

2023-07-12 01:02:27

I jotted down some thoughts about the paint-play-paint motivation cycle:
https://www.martinralya.com/miniatures/the-paint-play-paint-motivation-cycle-and-a-chaplain-color-guide/
This isn't, like, revolutionary stuff. But I'm getting to experience it for the first time, and it's neat!
#MiniaturePainting

2023-07-11 02:07:07

Hello, resin, my old "friend."
#miniatures #warhammer40k #MiniaturePainting #WarhammerCommunity
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/110/693/001/738/612/802/original/f08acc3fc2b478b1.jpg

2023-07-10 18:12:07

Three years in, I've encountered a new-to-me #MiniaturePainting dilemma:
If I half-finished a model three years ago, and would now paint it differently, do I commit to the old approach or bite the bullet and paint over the original work?
It's one thing when the models are done and varnished. I'm playing with models from 2020 all the time these days, and I'm never sad about it. But this feels like either an opportunity or a needless time sink and I'm not sure which it is.
Hrm.

2023-07-10 05:18:04

Over the past week I've gotten to play my first game of 10th Edition 40k and my third and fourth Kill Team matches, all tons of fun.
I posted some light battle reports with pictures on Yore.
40k Dark Angels vs. Blood Angels, 500 points: https://www.martinralya.com/miniatures/mini-40k-battle-report-first-game-of-10th-edition/
KT Tyranids vs. Blood Angels: https://www.martinralya.com/miniatures/kill-team-battle-report-blood-angels-vs-tyranids/
KT Blood Angels vs. Veteran Guardsmen: https://www.martinralya.com/miniatures/kill-team-game-four-blood-angels-vs-veteran-guardsmen/
One pic from each match below, loads more in the links.
#warhammer40k #WarhammerCommunity #miniatures #KillTeam
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/110/688/082/795/421/287/original/284376f5e68c1515.jpeg
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/110/688/084/044/144/587/original/9d5801a52aab8284.jpeg
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/110/688/086/469/513/861/original/0f02beb2e1efd30c.jpg

2023-07-09 00:07:09

Today's #MiniaturePainting:
- Roughed in the main base coat on a Grey Knights Strike Squad +1, the next #KillTeam I'm trying to finish
- Slapped the texture paint on a sixth Infiltrator, who will join his five painted brothers to form another Kill Team
Spraying the Knights Leadbelcher would be faster, but also less satisfying and more likely to slow my momentum. There's something about leaving bits white that propels me through the various base coats.
#WarhammerCommunity #miniatures
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/110/681/202/178/052/516/original/9a52fc5a9c548afb.jpg