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Phil, Ziapelta Games

@gruefodder.bsky.social

Research scientist. Sometime game designer. https://ziapeltagames.com/

32 Followers  |  318 Following  |  16 Posts  |  Joined: 17.08.2025  |  1.8261

Latest posts by gruefodder.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Played Don't Look Back from Black Site Studios recently - a 1980s horror miniatures game. It was fun! Lots of accruing terror and running away from a maniacal killer. Very evocative theme.

03.10.2025 17:18 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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I also have some really old #oldhammer paper buildings from waaay back that I'm thinking of assembling to build out the Traitor's Toll town. Nothing like finishing a project 35 years after you picked it up.

03.10.2025 17:12 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Made some progress on the Traitor's Toll characters from @wargamesatlantic.bsky.social! Lots of customization options. This is only two of the six sprues included. These are close to builds shown on the box cover, but I may branch out more after this.

03.10.2025 17:10 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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Picked up the base set for Guards of Traitor's Toll this week, and started the time intensive process of assembling miniatures. I've been painting more old school-ish minis for so long that I forgot how involved that could be!

Plenty to work with for now, and not even 1/2 through the sprues.

30.08.2025 19:39 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Really hit that Gen Z demo for LH 2E.

29.08.2025 18:51 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
A Knucklebones minis corpse frame model, some Fenris games rubble and some DiceVerse shrines in front of a new World War Ruins backdrop.

A Knucklebones minis corpse frame model, some Fenris games rubble and some DiceVerse shrines in front of a new World War Ruins backdrop.

A Knucklebones minis corpse frame model, some Fenris games rubble and some DiceVerse shrines in front of a new World War Ruins backdrop.

A Knucklebones minis corpse frame model, some Fenris games rubble and some DiceVerse shrines in front of a new World War Ruins backdrop.

A Knucklebones minis corpse frame model, some Fenris games rubble and some DiceVerse shrines in front of a new World War Ruins backdrop.

A Knucklebones minis corpse frame model, some Fenris games rubble and some DiceVerse shrines in front of a new World War Ruins backdrop.

A Knucklebones minis corpse frame model, some Fenris games rubble and some DiceVerse shrines in front of a new World War Ruins backdrop.

A Knucklebones minis corpse frame model, some Fenris games rubble and some DiceVerse shrines in front of a new World War Ruins backdrop.

Been shooting the World War Ruins Backdrop Book, with a @knucklebonesminis.bsky.social corpse frame, some DiceVerse trench shrines, and some @fenrisgames.com rubble.
You can pledge for this new book at @badsquiddogames.bsky.social Resistance kickstarter, which is on right now.

28.08.2025 19:10 β€” πŸ‘ 57    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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A Comprehensive Guide to TTRPG Art Commissioning & Licensing | Araukana Get more from Araukana on Patreon

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO TTRPG ART COMMISSIONING AND LICENSING

It's done! Here is my guide to art commissioning, licensing, and art direction in TTRPGs. It's free to see, has contract and brief templates, and plenty of resources to aid in art literacy in the space.

www.patreon.com/posts/compre...

26.08.2025 04:31 β€” πŸ‘ 502    πŸ” 262    πŸ’¬ 18    πŸ“Œ 14
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Women of WW2: Resistance (Hand Sculpted & Cast) Top Quality 28mm Pewter Miniatures for WW2 Historical & Pulp Gaming & Painting

AND WE'RE LIVE

www.kickstarter.com/projects/bad...

27.08.2025 19:06 β€” πŸ‘ 150    πŸ” 75    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 11

I definitely lean towards spending way more time on graphic design than I need to or should, though. Partly it's just fun, even though I'm mediocre at it.

The downside is you really don't want to get attached to mechanics just because you like some graphic design thing.

26.08.2025 21:04 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Wrote up some thoughts from recent playtest of Watermelon Mountain at a local con here (Bubonicon). The TLDR: it's good to not spend much time on graphic design for prototypes. But! Sometimes you can hurt accessibility and make it unplayable for some people.

boardgamegeek.com/thread/35657...

26.08.2025 21:02 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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I also painted some Bob Olley ogres for a game called Fantasy Warlord (which I neither own nor have ever played). They do have an #Oldhammer feel, which makes sense given Bob Olley did work for Citadel as well. They have massive shields which I decided not to use for now.

26.08.2025 17:57 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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One thing I've done recently (only took decades) was to shy away from White + Black for eyes. Went with a pale sand and red leather for these halflings. Red leather might be a little too muted, but in general the lower contrast looks much better.

Most of my miniatures have had raccoon eyes.

26.08.2025 17:55 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Just about finished these #Oldhammer halflings (Old School Miniatures and Citadel Miniatures). Just in time for some more halflings to arrive and add to the unit! Really like the rabbit in the bag for the farmer-looking guy.

26.08.2025 17:52 β€” πŸ‘ 23    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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Also got into a game of _Guards of Traitor's Toll_ yesterday. It's fascinating - a non-wargame miniatures game, where you run around town solving plots, breaking up brawls, and trying to keep the peace. A confluence of RPGs, miniature games, and boardgames.

24.08.2025 17:47 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Tried _Fate of the Fellowship_ this weekend. It's solid. Big step up in complexity from pandemic. Instead of disease outbreaks, it's a much more complex shadow troop movement system. But very thematic and tense, thinking about picking it up.

24.08.2025 17:45 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Promo graphic for the World Wide Wrestling RPG reprint campaign. Text reads (across top) Sign up now, you don't want to miss this! (across bottom) Reprint Campaign, Coming Soon. Featured WWWRPG sun logo with text "Action, Drama, Lucha" in the center, and two character illustrations. (Left) Muscled woman in dark purple and black gear, with half-face paint and teal hair and lipstick, one hand drawn up in a clawing motion while the other is clenched in a fist (Right) Male luchador in pink-and-purple mask and tights, in lunging motion like he just leapt from something, reaching out with grabbing hand extended.

Promo graphic for the World Wide Wrestling RPG reprint campaign. Text reads (across top) Sign up now, you don't want to miss this! (across bottom) Reprint Campaign, Coming Soon. Featured WWWRPG sun logo with text "Action, Drama, Lucha" in the center, and two character illustrations. (Left) Muscled woman in dark purple and black gear, with half-face paint and teal hair and lipstick, one hand drawn up in a clawing motion while the other is clenched in a fist (Right) Male luchador in pink-and-purple mask and tights, in lunging motion like he just leapt from something, reaching out with grabbing hand extended.

New to World Wide Wrestling? You'll use all the skills you already have playing rpgs to create the high-drama storytelling of professional wrestling!

Your characters? In conflict. The people in the tights? All working together to wow the crowd.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/ndp...

24.08.2025 17:02 β€” πŸ‘ 50    πŸ” 26    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 8

The reprints have a slightly larger form factor, at least compared to the US versions I used to have, which is nice!

20.08.2025 18:51 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Played the new reprint of Warlock of Firetop Mountain by @stevejacksongames.bsky.social last night. This wasn't one of the ones I had in the 80s (I had Forest of Doom and Scorpion Swamp). Mostly did well, but get lost in the maze.

Notecards were not the best choice for mapping!

20.08.2025 18:50 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Current painting project is a unit of 12 #Oldhammer halflings, mostly from Old School Miniatures (www.oldschoolminiatures.co.uk), with 3 of them being old Citadel miniatures I found buried somewhere.

18.08.2025 01:09 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

This is amazing. That 3E WFB image is etched in my brain, and I've long dreamed of recreating it.

17.08.2025 21:40 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

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