Gazing out over the PanOceania

 So, it all began on a Thursday, as it so often does. I'd gone into the new ABZ store with the intention of buying The Lone Marshall or some Tengu following an especially brutal kicking from Ben's Gremlins (Yan Lo is in utter disgrace; Izamu not quite so). However no sooner had I stepped into the door than I saw the new Operation: Red Veil box, and I sensed a sudden shift in the wargaming balance. I needed to have Infinity models, and now, dammit!
However there was a snag... I owed Sky this month's payment (regretting hiring London Has Fallen now!) so Operation: Red Veil wasn't really an option. Plus I have a trip to the NFL in London next month so it wasn't really that viable. So, what else to buy? And then I saw it, descending on a chorus of hallelujahs and suspended in rays of sunlight from between the clouds....

I was instantly sold and bought it without a second thought. I rushed home to assemble them, download the rules and brow-beat Ben into collecting. By morning that was done, so Sean was next to be persuaded: another 'natural 20' later and we were a team once more, so it was time to inform Stephen. I dug out the set of Limited Edition models I'd acquired last year; the cosplaying NeoTerra Bolt, 2 Bounty Hunters and a CSU (how convenient, all can be used for PanO). I was set for now-stick with my collection, get it painted and try a few games. 

Then came the dreadful news... Ben and Sean had bought Operation: Red Veil. Oh hell. Ninjas with hunting bows, Master Chief with an anti-tank rifle with under-slung grenade launcher, cyber-Samurai.... And a shopping mall? Oh, it was ON!! This Arms Race was going to a whole 'nother level (cue 90's beats and Dane Bowers pining over Katie Price/Jordan). So I rushed back to ABZ, via a detour on EBay and made some purchases. One Squalo later, plus a Neiss HMG, a Trauma Doc, and a Kamau Hacker and I was top of the foodchain again (except for Stephen's stuff, but he's all at sea so I see myself as the King of Infinity). Then came the tricky bit. Building my first TAG. There is a special place in hell for the person who mixed up WHSmith's £1.35 superglues as my force disintegrated when my fiancee cast a disapproving eye over them. Thankfully Locktite was on hand to save the day and we were good to go. I had originally decided to use MicroArt Studios bases but eventually settled on plain bases with the GW Technical Textured Paints, namely Martian Ironearth (will fit in with Ben's idea of terrain; the shopping mall....).

Then today the curse of PanO's low WP kicked in and I bought the Bagh Mari boxed set; sniper, hacker, rifle and shotgun. So, I'm set; we've got the four main factions covered. What could go wrong?

Ben messaging saying he's thinking that actually he wants to Ariadna...