Rat Re-inforcements

The news of the two ratmen victories in my campaign has caused a tidal surge of excitement down the sewers not seen since last curry night, and new recruits have arrived to tak their place in the force reserves list.

When looking to upgrade my warband I realised that I didn't have very many rats in armour, so I managed to pick up the command of some old Games Workshop Storm Vermin and get them painted up before the campaign ended (2 battles to go), which would see my interest/urgency flag in favour of my new campaign warband. But more on that later...

Harlequin Completed

Well that's one off the table - the well traveled Harlequin that I was painting for Tristan (from GWpertinent), who is assembling a squad all painted by different folk around the globe. As alluded to in a previous teaser I took inspiration for my colour scheme from my favourite football ("soccer") team, Dundee United FC as Tristan is such a big Chelsea FC fan - but the football chat stops here.

After a good bit of humming and hawing I chickened out of trying a diamond pattern on the trousers and tried an orange-to-white graduation instead. I hope Tristan likes it - it'll be in the post very soon!

Urban War Skirmish

Well last Saturday saw the charity wargame event that was Skirmish. Not so much a show, more of lots of organised games/tournaments with a few demo games thrown in. I couldn't enter any of the organised events (tournaments aren't really my bag anyway) but Arabiansquire and I went down to support the charity (Erskine, caring for war veterans) and see if we could pick up a game of something new or different. One of the tables was being held by Urban Mammoth demo-ing their newly released 2nd Edition of Urban War. I've seen Urban Mammoth at quite alot of shows up here in Scotland over the years but never played. They had disappeared for a while, so it was nice to see them back. So nice in fact that we had a game to see how it went. Very well as it turned out. The game using a couple of starter boxes was simple, quick and fun. I lost as usual but we both enjoyed the game.

So much so that I blew all the cash in my beleagered wallet on a couple of starter sets. I picked (with help, of course) Viridian and Vasa. I like the pseudo russian look of the Vasa (which will hopefully keep me away from Warmachine Khador temptation) and the "generic" marine look of the Viridian. The models are also not tied into the game so much that I won't be able to use them for other games, which is also a big attraction and good value for money. I also picked these as they should be relatively unfiddely and quick to paint. As I'm still trying to finish my Warmachine Cryx this was also an attraction.

The starter sets come with a mixed force of 7 or 8 models, stat cards, quick start rules, reference sheet and a couple of dice. The rulebook (which was also on show) is a lovely full colour A5 affair with loads of pictures and all the stats for the forces, which will be quite usefull for those with version 1 stats. I didn't have enough cash on me to pay the reasonable £10 for the book at the show, but it is available via the website at the same price, but I bought the more frugal pdf to print out for just over a fiver (6 Euros). With a host of scenarios downloaded from the website aswell, I'll have to get the figures glued and get going...

SoBH #4

Battlefield: Open Ground
Weather: Heat Wave
Scenario: Place of Power
Defender: The Blightvale Autho-RAT-y

Forces:
(New additions/changes to the warbands are in italics. Full stats shown for new recruits)

Valgen Maest's Warband

• Valgen Maest : DWARF COMMANDER (0/3XP) 95 Pts
  Training applied; 3XP for Free Disengage
• Ovthur Whurdar: Crossbowman (0/3XP) 32 Pts
  Equipment: Ammunition.
  Training applied: 3XP for 1 improved Quality
• Falster Vonlyr: Elite Warrior (0/3XP) 52pts
  Training applied; 3XP for Free Disengage
• Harthic Urduum: Warrior (0/3XP) 40 Pts
  Training applied: 3XP for Fearless
• Klob Garathal: CROSSBOWMAN (1XP) 24 Pts
  
• Delgar Faderg: MAGIC-USER; (dagger)
  Quality 5+
• Baz Farthal: Skirmisher (javelin, shortbow or small crossbow) 18 Pts
  Quality 3+,Combat 2. Short Move,Shooter: Short.

The Blightvale Autho-RAT-y

• Skeener - Leader (0/3XP) 75 Pts
  Quality 2+
• Hasnaar - Shaman 46pts
  Quality 3+, Combat 1. Fearless, Magic User [Equip: Magic scroll]
• Rusineth - Swarm Master (0/3XP) 46 Pts
  Mounted
  
• Masssch - Warrior (2XP) 27 Pts
  Combat 4
• Griszarr - Warrior (2XP)27 Pts
  Combat 4
  
• Durlik - Thrower  (2XP)27 Pts
  Combat 3
• Ikineth - Standard Bearer (2XP) 27 Pts
  Quality 3+
• Rat Swarm (x2) 22 Pts

 Setup:

The magical place of power was a temple overlooking the battleground. The scenario conditions meant that any magic user in the temple at the end of the game would get 3 Victory points.

Both commanders realised that the key to getting to the temple was the foot of the stairs, and both camps risked multiple 3 dice rolls as they sprinted to their goal. Despite most quality checks being 2+ (with leader bonus's, etc) double fails were inevitably being rolled, not only stretching out the warbands, but also causing fatigue in the Heat Wave conditions (1 dwarf and 2 skaven warriors tiring in the first 3 turns!).

The forces reached the foot of the stairs at the same time, if not in tight formation. A dwarven crossbowman took position to block the ascent to the temple, whilst a rookie skirmisher thought to prove himself and rushed in the affray, knocking down a rat warrior.

The rat swarm rushed in from the flank to increase rat numbers, though, and the new dwarf recruit was gruesomely killed, causing a morale check to the front line of dwarves. But the new training of the dwarf warrior, and the abilities of the Elite warrior left them unmoved by they comrades death. The crossbowman however wasn't so strong, and fled away from the fight.

The skaven pushed forward to block any more dwarves reaching the steps, whlist a warrior met the crossbow man blicking the way to prevent his losing off a ranged attack. The now mounted beastmaster and his pets dashed over to tackle the isolated dwarf crossbow, who put up a fight but eventually fell to the swarming bodies.

final moments of the battle the dwarves made a push, but were held by the newly trained up rat ranks, and as a bitter final blow they watched their other bowman fall. No-one had made it up to the temple, but it didn't matter, the rats had won.

Battle Result:

Blightvale Autho-RAT-y: Victory

Monsterous Fun

The giant spider shoots a web round Electotron

With the start of the October break for schools upon us, Arabiansquire and I headed to our ocal club for a game of oemthing, this Saturday. As it was his holiday break, I let th small lad choose any game he wanted (I usually at least get a guiding opinion in) and he picked out a game we've not played in ages - a previous favourite Monster Island.

Another monster falls foul of the web.

Over the last few years I've collected up a variety of 6" plastic toy figures to battle with, so we press ganged our local Press Ganger Alan into a game and battled away. Top fun, and Alan thought it captured the feel of the old monster movies well. (Electrotron was the last monster standing by the way)

Electroton looks on as the entangles Stegataur is grappled
his arachnid foe.

As a related aside I've just noticed that all the rule pdf's are available for a paltry $1.99 (with support material only $0.99). I'll have to complete my own ruleset at that price, but I would heartily recommend at least picking up the core rules!

Tristan's Harlequin - WIP

After months of inactivity I finally started to put some paint on the well traveled Harley in my desk. Not much to show so far, but enough to get a general idea. Hopefully Tristan won't think the whole postage and experience was a waste!

Still not decided what I'm doing with the legs yet. I don't think my free-hand will stand the diamond pattern I'd love to do, we'll all have to wait and see...

SoBH Battle#3

Battlefield: Forest
Weather: Heat Wave
Scenario: Assassination
Defender: The Blightvale Autho-RAT-y

Forces:
(New additions/changes to the warbands are in italics. Full stats shown for new recruits)

Valgen Maest's Warband

• Valgen Maest : DWARF COMMANDER (2XP) 95 Pts
• Ovthur Whurdar: Crossbowman (1XP) 24 Pts
• Bolbir Dwifik: Thief (2XP) 30pts
• Falster Vonlyr: Elite Warrior (2XP) 46pts
  Equipment: Healing Potion
• Harthic Urduum: Warrior (2XP) 34 Pts
• Klob Garathal: CROSSBOWMAN (Chainmail, Crossbow) 24 Pts
  Quality 4+, Combat 3
  Short Move, Medium Shooter
• Delgar Faderg: MAGIC-USER; (dagger) 41 Pts
  Quality 4+, Combat 3
  Short Move, Magic-user

The Blightvale Autho-RAT-y

• Skeener - Leader (2XP) 60 Pts
• Rusineth - Swarm Master (2XP) 46 Pts
• Masssch - Warrior (2XP) 27 Pts
• Griszarr - Warrior (2XP)27 Pts
• Durlik - Thrower  (2XP)27 Pts
• Ikineth - Standard Bearer (2XP) 27 Pts
• Rat Swarm (x2) 22 Pts

Setup:

Rats at the nearside, Dwarves far edge (ranged on road, melee off road)

The whole table is considered to be forest, with the exception of the road running the length of the table and a circular clearing in the table centre. This meant that for the second battle running the dwarves would need two actions to move if they were away from the road or the clearing (as well as all the usual line of sight restrictions). The assanination scenario had the dwarves trying to kill the ratmen leader.

The rats and the ranged attacking dwarves took advantage of the better movement up the road. The melee dwarves battled through the undergrowth, although early on the heat wave took effect on the Dwarven Elite warrior, worsening his quality by one due to fatigue.

The rats cut west towards the clearing and the melee dwarves, hoping to pick off an insolated warrior, but with the going slow they were not quick enough to get round before the crossbowmen moved into support positions. Not wanting to get caught battling in the clearing the rats cut east across the road to the safer forest undergrowth there, knowing that the dwarves needed to attack their leader.

A new recruit, the dwarven magic user decided to make a name for himself and raced to the edge of the road to crack off a fire ball, but with little effect. Despite his struggles (knocking down a swarm) he was swamped by rats and fell.

As time for the game end approached, Valgen made one last effort, ordering his troops i range further down the road to try and get a shot. Unfortunately for them the Rat leader stayed in the shadows of the forest, and the rats rushed the short legged thief, taking him down in the last action of the battle.

Battle Result:

Blightvale Autho-RAT-y: Victory

Arabian Squires, Knights and Bishops

Arabiansquire has recently discovered Chess (via a class mate and a chess set in a holiday cottage we were in a couple of weeks ago). I'm not going to get into the whole "chess isn't a wargame, it's an abstract boardgame" arguement because, quite frankly I don't care! Most of the time board games don't make it into this blog (with one or two exceptions) but this time it's comes with a bit more geek attatched. Once home his interest finally gave me reason to break out my Star Wars Saga edition chess set I was given one year "A long time ago in a another house far, far away...." if I may paraphrase for a second.

Whilst a bit confusng at times (the chess symbols are on the figure bases) it does bring a bit more "cool" of sorts to keep interests up...

The forces of Good.

The Dark Side of the board