A Look into the New Bowie Battle Bunker (with pics of painted models)

Old School here and in case you aren't from the East Coast, we are having a little bit of a hurricane here (Earthquake, typhoon, pretty much a 90's WWF re-union), so gaming may or may not happen this weekend, but since I am stuck in doors for now, I would like to post some thoughts on the Bowie Battle Bunker and throw some pics of of the location and the models in the display case. With that being said, this article will include a store review followed by pics of nice looking models. Enjoy.



Ok, so my first thought when I approached the front door, was "where the hell is the bunker. It can't be behind this little door!" But, it turns out, the bunker is wedged between a couple businesses in the front, but once you enter and go down the hallway, it opens up into the very large space seen below (note that this pics doesn't include the cash register or the product area at all).

In terms of game space, there is plenty. Each of those tables you see in the background is two full size 6x4 tables with space for your gear underneath. Half the room is outfitted with fully painted tables and Fantasy terrain, while the other half is for 40k.

The fantasy area is well done and there is plenty of terrain (of course I took photos of spots that didn't have a lot, my bad). What I like is the well painted and flocked tables. A nice game table is something I have learned to respect after a few years of playing on felt cloth or foam. The same can be said for terrain as I have spent a lot of time hanging out in primed ruins!

As you can see, the 40k stuff is also well done. My only real beef is that the realm of battle boards have the damn hills, which aren't the best thing to place models on, but such is life. Before I move on to the painted displays, I want to touch on a couple more things about the store itself. First, the AC is outstanding (I doubt gamer funk is much of a problem). Now, the bad stuff. One thing I seriously dislike is that I have to leave to go get drinks or snacks if I didn't bring them. It's an easy problem to overcome, but I like to have that stuff on hand. Also, while one of the staff seemed knowledgeable and was pretty laid back with us since we looked like we might own a model or two, another associate hung on us like a vulture while we were in the product area. Once again, not a huge deal and certainly not something that would dissuade me from coming back in (the man's gotta eat after all).

Overall, the location seems like the perfect location for a WHFB or 40k tournament, as long as you bring snacks. I will say though that it would never serve as my FLGS since I prefer to have non-GW products on hand like GF9 flock and green stuff (just superior products) and I have always preferred the feel and atmosphere of indy stores (as long as they have their stores in order). Anyway, enough of that, let's look at some models!

This Imperial Fist force looked really cool and had lots of nice touches like freehand writing and lots of little frills that I expect to see in a display force.

This Huron is outstanding and the base really makes it work for me. I have always preferred his little parasite on HIS base rather than a seperate one and this is a great way to do it (along with some amazing paint and basing!).

How many times can I just say that I love plastic Libbys! Here is a great example; look at these bits! I can see CSM, Blood Angles, Dark Angles at least.

This was the first model I noticed when I came in; a 54mm scale Chaplain. The conversion work here is amazing, especially considering that the model and the majority of the conversion parts are all metal.

Nicely done Pedro and Eisenhorn!

A big group of Khorne termies with some great Khorne Oblitz in the back (I am a bit partial to the blood go though).

A great Zagstruk and of course another plastic Libby! Did I mention that I like plastic Libbies?

And finally, a stearnguard that appears to be done up in Howling Griffons colors. There were a number of other models on hand that looked great and a diorama or two that I recognize from magazines. If you are local or passing through, you should stop in just to see some of this stuff in person (even if you don't like GW stores).