May 2026 review

Post-Chaosbunker Classics

Welcome to June! It’s almost the halfway point of 2026, and I’m still catching up on the things we did during that weekend. I started covering the individual army shots in separate posts, including the icons you might know from old White Dwarf battle reports.

I took a lot of pictures and screenshots from old magazines and recreated them. Unfortunately, due to a file error, all of the Ork icons I had already prepared were lost, and I have to redraw them. That is something I might tackle on the next long weekend.

In addition, we talked about the event on two different German podcasts, on the latest episode of Games ’n Dice as well as on Beim Imperator Nichts Neues.

Catching up on reviews

As promised, now that the Classics are behind me, I was able to catch up on some reviews. I covered the US Cavalry for Dead Man’s Hand in both variants, Mounted and on foot, as well as the latest boxed set for Age of Sigmar Spearhead City of Ashes.

I picked up Stargrave again, beginning with the Quarantine 37 and The Last Prospector review, and there will be more to follow about every three weeks or so.

As the coverage of the Chaosbunker Classics is not just hobby content, there will also be retro reviews. To provide proper reference material, I bought a few vehicles for reference and scale comparison, which we will also include in the reviews.

Preparation for CONflict

CONflict Rhineland 2026 took place this weekend, and I did some more hobbying to fill the table with suitable terrain. We brought our retro armies along and played a King of the Hill scenario with three players. That will be covered in a separate article. I have mostly been busy finishing the remaining rock formations and building cacti, with tutorials on those to follow.

Imperial Assault Campaign

We had two sessions this month. The first was the Chewbacca side mission Celebration, and it got off to a good start thanks to a lucky opening shot (Havoc Shot of Fenn Signis) and the amount of damage we dealt in the first turn. It was still a close game, though, as the Imperials can capture more Wookiees if they go for mass, while you can only free with your group of heroes.

The second mission we played was the forced mission Captured. It is a bit unsatisfying that you can only deny the Imperial player his reward, but do not get one yourself when you win. Our group and the game master have progressed quite a bit, and some combinations are now quite efficient. I just noticed that the effects are rather harsh, as the players do not lose a die or bonuses, but usually the entire action when they are affected by stun or bleed.

Listening to the Horus Heresy

I am surprised myself that I managed to pull through another batch of Horus Heresy audiobooks this month. I had less than two hours left of The Crimson King at the beginning of the month. I had some long drives and hobby sessions building terrain, where I managed to put quite a bit of time into both Tallarn and Ruinstorm, and I have now arrived at Old Earth.

Tallarn is another collection of stories, but they are tied closely together, so it works as a long story told from different points of view. It is one of the books that brings the Auxilia forces more into focus. In Ruinstorm, we return to the Imperium Secundus and see how the three primarchs try to reach Terra. Both books are entertaining.

As for Old Earth, I expected it to be another book about Vulkan and was not too keen on the previous ones, as I felt they dragged a bit. But Old Earth is rather another Shattered Legions story, telling the story of how Vulkan met Shadrak Meduson and what came of it. I am not done with this book yet, but I am about two thirds of the way through, and it has been captivating so far.

As we are getting closer to the Siege of Terra, and I noticed that there are further books added as side-stories in the final 10-book arc, I need to update the overview on the audiobooks.

Diversion

After the Chaosbunker Classics, and after going completely into the zone to get everything done, I took some time in May for rest and recreation. Forza Horizon 6 was released, my third game in the series, and I got the premium edition, which provided early access.

I built some LEGO sets during the month as well. I even took a boxed set with me on my business trip to fill the evenings at the hotel, and I brought along the very well-made Razor Crest polybag for my son.

What’s coming in June?

In June, I will finish and publish some of the articles that I am currently working on, mostly the retro terrain series and the next steps on the Imperial Fists. I have also been invited to a historical battle report, which I am looking forward to as well.

As for events, there is actually not that much going on until September. FeenCon will take place in the meantime, but that is not a fixed event for me. The next one that is really marked in my calendar is the Rhein-Main-Multiversum on September 12th and 13th.