Call of Cthulhu Yig

 

It's been slumbering for an eon, but the Yig is finally awakened.

WIP - Majestic 13 Troopers

 

I picked up a copy of Snarling Badgers new solo\coop ruleset "Majestic 13" this week, or at least the pdf with the hard copy on it's way. If you've not heard about it think "XCom", linked campaign missions of small squads taking on an Alien menace with different objectives and hazards. The game is miniature agnostic, so despite technically having figures already painted up that could step into the action, what better time than to delve into the depths of the lead pile and get some new painted figures done. It's almost as if we are forward planning or something!

Additional Chaos Dwarves and more

Two more to add to the Chaos Warband. Both from Ral Partha again. Not really any notes to make about them other than they were yet again fun to paint. (Shame I forgot to brush off some loose flock before taking this picture!)

Also, as before, I painted up a single 15mm adventuring Knight. The thought originally was that he was to be clad in the same coloured armour as the two 28mm Dwarves, but once I started painting him I realised that we wasn't entirely clad in armour. In the end he looks like he's picked up pieces of armour as he's managed to afford them - very much an RPG character.

And finally a quicky to bump up the monthly painting total. A stretch goal from a Ral Partha Kick Starter (but available online) is the animated broom - even if my wife does say it looks like the Peperami guy in a hoola skirt! Will no doubt appear in a Frostgrave game as a construct.

Introducing A New Convert?

Arabiansquire had a friend over for a "sleep-over" on Friday, returning on the Saturday. With the weather in-climate, and looking to drag the two boys away from the video games console I decided that a morning at our local wargaming club was a good idea. But with the friend's lack of tabletop gaming experience, what to play?

Simplicity, and fun were key (especially considering the lack of sleep the two lads had between them, so Monster Island (by Firefly Games) was pulled out. An introductory game with the 3 of us was played, with the new arrival winning in the end as his Godzilla slugged it out with Arabiansquire's giant spider.

Godzilla is entangled in the Spider's steel web

There was time for a second game with different monsters that the two lads played themselves (the game simplicity and Arabiansquire's experience making that possible).

The end result? Quote: "I would like to try wargaming again".

Simple fun game with friend was key, but I think that the setting also helped with the introduction. We have room to play games here at Arabiantowers, but the club environment adds to what would just be playing a game at home. Other club members coming up to see the game and introduce themselves and a variety of other games being played adds interest one a quick wander. It also helps that there is quite a young membership so it didn't seem like a Dad's club.

As a note to those interested, Firefly games have permanently put their Monster Island downloads are reduced to $1.99 US for core books and $0.99 US for supplements. As you can see from the pictures any toy figures can be used to play with, which can be an advantage.

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!

Monster Mash

Having just painted a new SoBH warband it was only natural the ArabianSquire would want to play something completely different -  Firefly Games "Monster Island". We were joined by my brother, ArabianOtherknight, so a 3 way battle ensued.

For the first set-to the monsters chosen were ElectoTron (Robot), Kajiro (Not-Godzila) and Komukade (Insect). The Island Terrain included a central swamp area, a handful of geysers and a pletora of trees & (blue) rocks. Not-Godzilla started at the top of the picture.


Everyone made a move to the center of the table (avoiding the swamp)

Kajiro and Komukade tangled first, exchanging blows, with ElectoTron slowly making its way round to join in.

With the giant dinosaur distracted the robot sneaked round behind him and hacked him down, out of the fight, with a savage Razor sword attack.

Komukade then took advantage of the celebrating Robot to grab and throw onto a geyser. Fortunately it didn't errupt. 

After an exchange of ranged attacks (rocks thrown by Komukade and an electric blast from ElectoTron) Electro came into Hand-to-hand, and with the advantage of it's powerful swords cut down the giant insect to rule the island.





A second match up was decided with different monsters this time. The combatants were the MegaKong, Giant archnid Macrocheira and the armour plated dino Steg-a-atora. 

Steg-a-tora moved to the hill crest to roar his challenge over the island. Macrocheira responded by cocooning him in it's steel-like web and moving in to grab whilst the dino struggled to release itself. 

MegaKong closed in and threw an uprooted tree at the pair, but missed.

The giant spider responded by throwing the grappled Steg-a-tora at the giant ape, and before the dinosaur could respond it was pushed into the geyser, 

which this time went off. Fortunately Steg-a-tora is built like a tank and it survived the watery assault.

The spider rushed over to and piledrived MegaKong into the turf, letting Steg-a-tora recover and sneak round the back for an attack.

Poor Macrocheira ended up as the filling in a monster sandwich and it was crushed.

MegaKong moved forward and grabbed Steg-a-tora. The armoured dinosaur was no match for the awesome strength of the mighty ape, and over the next 3 rounds, despite it's desperate thrashing, was held and squeezed to its end.

Mega Kong reigned over the island....until the next challenge.