Weekly Hobby Update 8.28.23

 Hello and happy Monday everyone!  I hope this week is full of Warhammer and health for you, but it's that time to reflect on the prior week of Wargaming fun.  To kick it all off I began moving some Dipossesd models from my Cities of Sigmar army back to my fantasy Dwarf army as with the updated rule set I do not see them performing very well and with Anvilgard now well and entirely gone as a subfaction I decided it was time to look ahead to building a new Cities of Sigmar army by proceeding the new box set.  My Anvilgard army also had a few humans in it as well and these are heading into Mordheim in the near future.

Weekly Hobby Update 3.27.23

 Hello and Happy Monday friends!  Thankfully, I got home from my four-day Warhammer gaming marathon to write today's blog post on time!  While Adepticon was going strong over in Illinois I was lucky to attend a smaller, but just as exciting event in Adeptiwont (as in won't be going to Adepticon this year) over in Ohio with some great friends!  Plenty of games, hobby, and purchases are below after the break!

NEW Fitness Program! Super Strong Warhammer Astartes Buff Men Muscle Catachan Bro Sormcast 5 day Program

 Hey All!  Today is the release of the first true program I ever had a part in making.  My good friend Aleks (@fit_hammer) and myself sat down to write a program to do together and if we liked it we would release it in full to everyone that follows our content.  Today sees the release of that program which you can find after the break in full!

Strength Hammer Content Update

 Hey Everyone!  Today is a shorter post, but I wanted to layout the new schedule for all the Strength Hammer content coming out.  Ever since I began blogging regularly again I have been wanting to keep a regular post schedule every week, but I had yet to really set any schedule for the podcast other than doing one or two per month.  The new schedule will be as follows and will begin in full next month in November.  

Happy Hobbying and stay Stormcast Strong!

Chuck Moore

Upgrading the Hobby and Gym Space!

 Over the past year, I finally began the process of taking back my overcrowded basement.  While half of it was carved out as my personal hobby space it was still chocked full of old junk in need of tossing and donating.  I craved a space for not only wargaming but also for working out and I am finally able to say I now have that space!  After many months of sorting and cleaning and moving what I am calling "The Anvil of Apotheosis" is now ready to go.  Wargaming and Lifting shall begin in great quantities!

Keep Nurgle at bay this tournament season!

Hey Everyone!  We are well underway in this year’s tournament season with the upcoming Adepticon looming vast on the horizon.  While “con crud” is a real thing and we all do our best to come away from an event without catching any illness it is always a threat be it flu, cold, it otherwise.  While there isn’t a need to panic or cancel plans due to what we hear on the news it is always a good idea to refresh yourself on how to keep you and your health safe while attending a large event.  Today I want to help with the refresh and list out the best ways I know of to keep Nurgles blessing at bay.

#StormcastStrong 6 Week Challenge Thank you!

We want to congratulate everyone who recently took part in the very first #StormcastStrong Six Week Fitness Challenge.  We saw 69 participants sign up to work toward improving their physical health through nutrition changes and regular exercise.  Some participants took to it very well while others had a few struggles along the way.  However, everyone took a very important step in changing their lifestyle in a meaningful way.  We have really enjoyed seeing the WhatsApp group grow and having so many Wargamers commit to improving themselves.  The regular chats and workout posts have been motivating for us to look at expanding the next challenge. There will be more to come in the future so be sure to keep an eye out.  We will be reviewing the final submissions and reaching out to the winners over the next week.  Thank you again for joining us and stay #StormcastStrong .

Chuck & Hayden

Life Lessons and Wargaming: Surround Yourself with Who You Want to Be

Hey Everyone!  Today I wanted to head back to my continuing article series, “Life Lessons and Wargaming”.  The purpose of the article series is to take those lessons we learn over time and how we can apply them to our Wargaming Hobby.  In today's article, I want to talk about how surrounding yourself with the type of hobbyist and person you wish to become is key to accomplishing your goals.

Prepare So Your Future Self Will Thank You

Preparation is a key part of success in your life, in fitness, and in wargaming.  Taking active steps toward better preparing yourself will cause your future self to thank you and make you more successful in life and on the tabletop.  Recently, The Honest Wargamer launched their Workbook which I worked through as part of the preparation for an upcoming two-day event I am attending.  As I gave it a read through I began to feel silly for never having thought to prepare so fully for an event.  You have likely seen my article series "Life Lessons and Wargaming" that takes lessons we learn in life and how to relate it to our wargaming hobby.  Usually looking at Goals, being motivated, and developing dedication and habits to reach your goals.  I never looked at being properly prepared in for a Warhammer event before, but I plan to remedy that today.

Life Lessons and Wargaming : Are you Hungry?

Hey Everyone!  After several months since the last one of these articles, I felt it was time to add another installment to my ongoing series "Life Lessons and Wargaming".  The point of this article series is to look at the little lessons we learn throughout life and how we can apply these to our Wargaming hobby.  Today the focus is on something that had awoken in me a few years back and how it has shaped my past few years in wargaming, life, fitness, and every aspect of my life.  It is less of a lesson you learn and is more of an idea you suddenly realize.  It is about being hungry.

Guest Article : Paul Wagner's Journey to Becoming Stormcast Strong

Hello all, my name is Paul Wagner (better known as Pjschard) and I will be writing a few posts while Chuck is off on his exciting British adventures.  I play Age of Sigmar, am part of the Mortal Realms Podcast, and in general am a proud AoS superfan.

This post is going to be about getting Stormcast Strong, but not the kind you’re used to. This post is not about the muscle-bound Pennsylvanian Adonis that is Chuck. This will be about the fat, old, Dad-body that is Paul.  You see, I just started on my Stormcast Strong journey a month ago.  I joined a gym, or rather, I joined a babysitting service with 2.5 free hours every day, and it just so happens I can’t leave the gym while they’re being watched so I might as well work out.

Eating at a Warhammer Tournament

Hey Everyone!  The NOVA Open Age of Sigmar Tournaments are in full swing as of today and I thought I would talk a bit about fueling your body for a long day of fighting in The Mortal Realms.  Food is the fuel for our body and what you put in will equal what you get out of it and with Warhammer Tournaments often being long days fo standing as well as exerting a lot of mental energy you can find your tank running low very quickly if you are not prepared.  Here are a few tips I often use in order to perform at my best throughout a long day of Wargaming.

Life Lessons and Wargaming: You Are Doing Better Than You Think

Hey Everyone!  Today I return to my ongoing series "Life Lessons and Wargaming".  The point of this article series is to look at the little lessons we learn throughout life and how we can apply these to our Wargaming hobby.  After my last article in the series, a commenter gave me the idea for today's post "You are Doing Better than you Know.  I had received this advice a while ago as I was beginning my journey in fitness with weightlifting daily.  When we set long-term goals it is easy to feel like we are not making any progress, but in reality, you are and it is something you need to always keep in your mind.

Life Lessons and Wargaming: Mental Well-being and Happiness

Hey Everyone!  Today I add another article in my ongoing series "Life Lessons and Wargaming".  The point of this article series is to look at the little lessons we learn throughout life and how we can apply these to our Wargaming hobby.  A friend of mine pointed out I had been neglecting the concept of mental Well-being in the series.  If I am honest I have been avoiding the subject for a while as there are a lot of people who suffer from anxiety, depression in our world and I cannot hope to understand what these people go through.  I have loved ones close to me who struggle with these and I have learned, and am still learning, how to sympathize with it.  However, I have never struggled with it from their perspective so I worried I would come off wrong in an article about Mental Well-being.  All that said mental disorders are not the focus of the article.  The focus is on working toward developing your own Well-being and Happiness.

Life Lessons and Wargaming: Finding your support

Hey Everyone! Today I wish to add another article to my series "Life Lessons and Wargaming".  The point of this article series is to look at the little lessons we learn throughout life and how we can apply these to our Wargaming hobby.  In today's article, I want to talk about building your support group (outside of your partner if you have one).  The best way to accomplish your goals is to have friends and peers supporting you along the way.  As you work toward your goal you will bear a lot of the burden, but there are always people willing to help you carry the load with supportive words, sage advice, or giving you their honesty so you can course correct along the way.  So how do you go about forming your support group?

Developing your Hobby "Routine"

Hey Everyone!  After last Friday's post Life "Life Lessons and Wargaming: Motivation vs. Dedication" I was asked to go into more detail about how to set up, manage, and maintain a dedicated routine for your Hobby.  It goes without saying that setting up a routine is the same as if you were doing it for Hobby, Writing, Working Out, or anything else you wish to improve on over time.  However, I must admit I am not a fan of calling regularly dedicated time a routine.  A routine is a comfortable thing you do regularly and while we are all creatures of habit I feel the best way to improve and really grow is to go outside of your comfort zone.  In my opinion, you need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Life Lessons and Wargaming: Motivation vs. Dedication

Hey Everyone!  Today I decided to go back to an article series I left off in December last year entitled "Life Lessons and Wargaming".  The point of this article series is to look at the little lessons we learn throughout life and how we can apply these to our Wargaming hobby.  I felt I wrapped up all the thoughts I had back in December, but as I continue to work toward my goals and see them evolve I felt it was a good time to return to the series to take a look at the concepts of Motivation and Dedication.  At first look, they can be seen as very similar, but they are very different.

Warhammer and Project Management

Hey Everyone!  This weekend we see the first wave of another great Age of Sigmar army release and many, myself included, are very excited to get out hands on the new Idoneth Deepkin.  We are in a great time for our hobby, especially Age of Sigmar, as Games Workshop rapid release schedule has seen numerous armies coming out one right after the other.  While this keeps a healthy buzz and excitement within the community I have also seen a fair number of people who get very excited during a release only to quickly lose interest and focus as the next army begins to appear.  While this isn't anything new it does create a bit of a rollercoaster ride and today I wanted to look at how to manage your army project in some basic detail.  With a solid plan, it is easy to finish your current army project while being excited and planning out your next!

Why Do We Hobby?

Hey Everyone.  To wrap up The Realm Gate's birthday week I wanted to propose a question to all of you as well as offer my answer to this simple question.  Before I do, however, I want to give a shout out to Vince over at Warhammer Weekly who proposed a similar question in his Topic of The Week series recently, albeit a bit more focused.  Go check out his channel if you haven't already as it is my favorite Youtube channel around this Hobby and well worth your time.  The question I wish to put forth is "Why do we Hobby?" or "Why do you Hobby?".  It is a strange thing we all do and for a community to form around, but yet we all hold a very close attachment to it all and cannot imagine our lives without it.

Life Lessons and Wargaming: Continuous Improvement

Hey Everyone!  Today I will be continuing my series on "Life Lessons and Wargaming".  The point of this article series is to look at the little lessons we learn throughout life and how we can apply these to our Wargaming hobby.  In today's article, I plan to talk about continuous improvement and wrap up my thoughts and hopefully persuade you to go after your goals and use all those lessons you have learned throughout life to help you become better hobbyist and gamer.  I might return to this series in the future, but today I will place a bookmark on it here.