Viridian Test Paint

The first quick test paint for my Viridian Marine force is now done. Always worth doing to get to know the figure style and details. One strange thing i noticed is that the scuplts of the boots are different on left boot from the right! I checked the other figures and they are the same? Weird.

Anyway, time to note down the colours used for my future reference, so feel free to skip this paragraph.

Prime: Black

• Armour: Miniature Paints Stone Green
• Clothes: Miniature Paints Earth Brown
• Boots and Gloves: GW Foundation Brown
• Webbing: Miniature Paints Rust
• Bedding Roll: Miniature Paints Pale Flesh
• Gun: Black
• Face Mask: Miniature Paints Dark Grey

Wash entire figure in GW Devlan Mud and highlight with watered down versions of base paints.

The end isn't quite as dark as the photo but looks OK at the standard speed tabletop arms length visual. A bonus for this starter pack (as far as speed painting is concerned) is that there are no character pieces - everyone is in standard Marine uniform (to be honest, one of the reasons I picked them!)

TALES of Blades and Heroes

Unexpectedly, I now have a copy of the long awaited RPG based on Songs Of Blades and Heroes. I say unexpectedly because up until I saw the notice on TMP, I had no real interest in it. Suddenly I saw the news and immediately "rushed out" (ie clicked through to the Ganesha Games website) to buy it. I then read a review - I know, I know it should be done the other way round, but what-the-hey!

Now I've not been able to start reading the rules yet so can't pass constructive comment. The review above sounds pretty positive to me. I'm especially looking forward to seeing how the magic rules work out (using magic words to create an player chosen effect) as they sound quite flexible.
For the meagre amount of money you have to splash (< $10 US) you get a download with a full colour (and I mean full coloured pages) copy and an ink saving version (which is a nice option) of the 56 page core book. The artwork through the book will be familiar to anyone who has the "Songs of..." rulebooks, as half of it is literally same but with colour, which is fine as it's function here is to add flavour and break up the text. The various sections are colour coded, so as you flick through the book you can clearly see where they start and finish, making finding those magic or special rules easier. When you've wasted as much time as me endlessly flicking past the same few pages in a book in search of a chapter as me this is very welcome. There isn't an index to the book, but the contents is very comprehensive and the sections short so it shouldn't be too much of a pain. The various tables are also collected in 3 quick reference pages at the back to help speed things up.
Basically I'm hoping that this will build on the SOBH/Roleplay experiment I tried a while back. If the system is as simple to pick up as SoBH I hopeful that ArabianSquire will be able to play. Anyway, I need to read it first.

VASA Starter Pack

My speed painted Urban War VASA starter force (+1 an extra Suppressor) are done now (barring perhaps a couple of weeds on the bases if I can decide!). Painted as per the quick test. Only took a few hours on and off over the last few weeks (I was doing them in tandem with my 10mm rats for a while as a change in eye focusing). They've had a trip out ion the table as well already, with Arabiansquire and I having a second session of 2nd Ed Urban War last Saturday at the local club. With the help of some 1st Ed players we managed to get a few rules clarified so it was a useful game.

Next up (for Urban War anyway) is a test piece for my Viridian Starter squad.

Bigger boys came and stole my pants!

So the party are heading back home for a rest and hopefully a reward. We've been marching and (not) resting through a day long storm when we are approached by a beast. This beast turns out to be The Werewolf of Mirkwood, who starts to batter everyone to make a point, without breaking sweat (as the GM is at pains to point out). Then he whistles and his pet comes over the mountain and lands.

Then to add insult to injury he stole the Hobbit's Mithril pants (which apparently were his in the first place) and made off on the back of his tame Elder Dragon.

Sometimes its obviously worth underlining that you are not the most powerful beings in your gaming world! And also setting up future encounters that we'd rather not have. Mission accomplished I believe.