August 2016 Newsletter!

Started by Leon, 17 August 2016, 10:17:50 PM

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Leon

17 August 2016, 10:17:50 PM Last Edit: 24 September 2016, 06:20:44 PM by Leon


Welcome to the Pendraken Miniatures newsletter!

This past month we've had some frustrating times, but there's always new shiny goodies on the horizon!


Website Problems

We'll start this month with an apology to everyone for the recent troubles with the website.  For several months now we've been repeatedly labelled as 'Hacked' by Google.  This is a result of us being on a shared server at our hosting company, so whenever any other website on that server has any security issues, Google labels all of the sites as hacked, regardless of whether they are or not.  Every time this happened, we had to raise a ticket with Google to get ourselves taken off this blacklist.  We were also in contact with the hosting company as well to see what the issue was.

In July, these issues escalated dramatically, as we were taken off of Google search results and any supposed links to Pendraken actually took visitors to a fake shoe website instead.  The hosting company refused to accept that there was a problem with their servers, so in the end we had to switch our hosting to a different company, which took a few days to go through.  

The good news is that the website is back up and running in it's new home, so if you've missed out on your usual Pendraken fix during these past few months, head over to the website and scratch that itch!  In better news, work has started on a brand new website, which we're hoping to have online sometime around the end of October/early November.  We'll keep everyone updated on this as work progresses.

And finally for anyone who might have been concerned, the Pendraken website and its contents were never hacked or compromised in any way.  Matt who runs our site works in cyber security and our website is as secure as it possibly can be.  The issue was always with the hosting company and their flat out refusal to accept any responsibility.


Latest Releases!

> Napoleonic Prussians - This extensive range is now online, giving your beleaguered Brits some valuable reinforcement!  We've got the Brunswickers in the moulding queue here as well, so those should be ready in the next couple of months.




> WWI Tractors - We've added a couple of heavy Austrian tractors to the ranges, along with the 30.5cm Morser they were used to pull.




> Shermans and SU's - The Shermans are next to get some revamp treatment, with new Fireflys and 75mm's available, plus some M4A1 variants and a new Grant ARV as well.


In The Pipeline!

The sculpting work has slowed slightly over summer, but we've still had a few packages land here in recent weeks.  Firstly we've got some more WWI sculpts to add to the other recent additions.  We'll get these all moulded up and released in a couple of months time.  Elsewhere, Mart has been busy working on more armour, so we've had the Tiger II and a T-35 arrive with us at Pendraken HQ.  These are excellent models and should be well received once we get them moulded!




Finally, after some requests for more resin hedges, John at Ironclad Miniatures has just finished some new pieces which should arrive here early next week.


Shows!

The 2016 show season is well past it's halfway mark now and we had a cracking day up in Edinburgh earlier this month, our best ever day up there.  Coming up in September we've got the double header of Border Reiver on Sept 3rd and then Colours on Sept 10th.  As always, we'll need your pre-orders sending through at least 7 days before the event please, so don't leave it too late!


Website Photos!

We've just started work on making some new moulds for some of the Napoleonic French cavalry, but once those are complete we'll be adding painted photos of all the recent ranges.  


Wargamer Survey!

For the past couple of years, Wargames, Soldier and Strategy magazine have been conducting a huge survey of wargamers to find out what's hot and what's not.  This year's questionnaire has only got a couple of days left to run, so make sure you've gone and completed it here.  The resulting data from surveys like this is always helpful to the companies as it gives us a bit of insight into what people are gaming, what their plans are, where they see things going in the future.

Keeping with WSS, we were lucky enough to be interviewed for their new podcast and the latest edition is online now.  Head over and listen to Leon discussing a variety of topics centred around the design and production process of our little men.


Bill Braham, RIP

We end this month with some sad news that many of you may already be aware of.  Bill Braham, a long standing member of the wargames community and a close friend of us here at Pendraken, sadly passed away on July 15th.  He was a gentle and kind man, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of a wide range of subjects, and his loss will be felt by many.
www.pendraken.co.uk - Now home to over 7000 products, including 4500 items for 10mm wargaming, plus MDF bases, Battlescale buildings, I-94 decals, Litko Gaming Aids, Militia Miniatures, Raiden Miniatures 1/285th aircraft, Red Vectors MDF products, Vallejo paints and much, much more!

Techno

Quote from: Leon on 17 August 2016, 10:17:50 PM
The sculpting work has slowed slightly over summer,

Not at Techno Towers, it hasn't !  :P  ;)

Cheers - Phil


Lord Kermit of Birkenhead

FOG IN CHANNEL - EUROPE CUT OFF
Lord Kermit of Birkenhead
Muppet of the year 2019, 2020 and 2021

fsn

I think what he means is that there hasn't been a summer where he is.
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

Duke Speedy of Leighton

And it is, indeed, an August newsletter, in all senses of the word!

Better save that joke for next year too.
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

Techno

18 August 2016, 10:35:39 AM #5 Last Edit: 18 August 2016, 10:37:35 AM by Techno
Quote from: fsn on 18 August 2016, 08:27:54 AM
I think what he means is that there hasn't been a summer where he is.

There never is, Nobby.

I think Tuesday & Wednesday this week, were probably Summer, for me.  :'( :'( :'( :'(

Cheers - Phil

O Dinas Powys

Quote from: Techno on 18 August 2016, 10:35:39 AM
There never is, Nobby.

I think Tuesday & Wednesday this week, were probably Summer, for me.  :'( :'( :'( :'(

Cheers - Phil

It better be good weather next week! ;)
(I know, even though it's fantasy  :o  ;)  )

O Dinas Powys

Quote from: mad lemmey on 18 August 2016, 08:31:15 AM
And it is, indeed, an August newsletter, in all senses of the word!

Better save that joke for next year too.

Bo-boom; tsck!!  ;) :-bd
(I know, even though it's fantasy  :o  ;)  )

Techno

Quote from: O Dinas Powys on 18 August 2016, 07:24:02 PM
It better be good weather next week! ;)

We have our own micro climate, Meirion.
It could be hissing down here, and bright sunshine where you're going...even though it's only 10ish miles from Techno Towers, as the crow flies.

Cheers - Phil

fsn

19 August 2016, 08:13:48 AM #9 Last Edit: 19 August 2016, 08:18:15 AM by fsn
Well it's your own fault for those twenty years practicing as a weather wizard in the 1300s.

You'd still be doing it now if Mistress Cwmcwicly hadn't dobbed you in. She had a point, but then again, how were you to know that that wind daemon was such a saucy fellow? Poor Mistress Cwmcwicly couldn't go out the house weeks without her skirts being blown over her head. Of course, it got better when she cut a hole in the hem so she coould see where she was going, but that was only a partial solution to the problem.

Whatever happened to the wind daemon? Full of air, always blustering about, wanted to climb aboard anything with two legs and a pulse? Is he still Foreign Secretary?
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

petercooman

Quote from: fsn on 19 August 2016, 08:13:48 AM


Whatever happened to the wind daemon? Full of air, always blustering about, wanted to climb aboard anything with two legs and a pulse? Is he still Foreign Secretary?


I think i spotted him running for president in the USA

Leman

The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

Westmarcher

 =D>  ;D

Agreed, a good edition (did anyone else receive the e-mail three times?). Also good to see the website problems have been resolved and I can get the YouTube links on the forum again.  Hurrah!  :)
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.

Techno

Quote from: Westmarcher on 19 August 2016, 09:06:10 AM
Agreed, a good edition (did anyone else receive the e-mail three times?).

No, Westie.....But that reminds me.....I always used to get two identical e'mails for the new releases.....Just realised that, that hasn't happened for a while.

Cheers - Phil

paulr

Yep, I got it three times :-/

Definitely good to hear the websites is now stable and orders are hopefully picking up again
Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!