Sunday, November 17, 2013
Junta -- politically incorrect and hilarious
It was an easy sell when Joel suggested we break out the board game Junta after at least a year or two since the last time we've played. Before we even opened up the game, emails were flying around the group arguing over who should begin the game as El Presidente. Joel has the original West End Games version of this politically incorrect spoof of the shenanigans going on in an anonymous Latin American banana republic.
The players represent families vying to tap the most foreign influence money being channeled into the country from the America. Whoever can squirrel away the largest amount in their Swiss bank account is the winner. Players divide up positions -- such as Minister of Internal Security, President, various Generals, Admirals and Air Force Commanders. These become important when the frequent coups break out. Surprisingly, we had only two coups -- if I remember correctly -- during our game. One replaced Joel as President, and the other deposed his brother Allen and installed Ptom.
Another feature of the game is players sending out assassins to kill the other players -- particularly, when they decide to visit the bank! For some reason (perhaps the oft-repeated cries of "Mike's winning" on Sunday nights?), I was a frequent target of assassination attempts. I decided to hold off visiting the bank until I had two turns in a row of very low amounts funneled to me. Hoping it was out of players' mind that I had yet to visit the bank, I snuck off only to be gunned down by Mike S.
This caused a piranha frenzy over the money I'd been squirreling away all game waiting for a chance to visit the bank. Mike S and Ptom decided to split it up, which immediately made it a three-way race between them and Steve. I'd used my university faculty influence earlier in the game to peek at Steve's total in Switzerland and it was impressive.
Next week, Allen will be running a WW II Naval battle here at my place, and the following meeting will be the Battle of Manzikert. Soon after, I will run a second Pulp Alley game. So, stay tuned for more Sunday night gaming...!
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Chickens and Goats
A few of my purchases at Historicon 2013 this year were farm or village animals in 28mm. I figured they'd be useful for skirmishes for everything from the Dark Ages to the French & Indian War to Pulp or modern games. I already had painted up cows, horses, and pigs. I jumped when I saw a dealer selling 28mm chickens and goats, and snagged a pack of each. Sorry, I can't remember which dealer it was (but I do remember they were very reasonably priced). If anyone recognizes these figs and knows the manufacturer, feel free to comment.
Anyway, here are the chickens first. I was happy with the color patterns and think they turned out well. They will probably appear in a number of games from this point on. I mean, everybody likes chicken, right? It tastes just like....well, chicken! I based them up first on tiny washers, then used white glue to attach them to cardboard to hold onto while painting. I used a base coat of "Autumn brown," then dry brushed them Khaki very lightly. I added splotches of white after pulling up some images of chickens on Google. I think it is very important to look at photos of the animal you're trying to paint and not just do it form memory. There are often subtle colorings that you may have forgotten about that make them look realistic when complete. I added a red-brown "combs," dun-colored beaks, and black dots for eyes and they were done.
The goats to a little more time -- mainly because I decided to paint them in a variety of colors. I used a Google image search to select 6 colorings and saved the photos onto my desktop. I then painted them either white, "Bambi Brown," or dark brown for a base coat. A lighter dry brush was followed by splotches of white or darker coloring to reproduce the photos. These painted up quickly as well, and will also likely see use in a variety of games. Sometimes, it is the little touches like barn yard animals that can make a game table look realistic and complete.
Next up are some Pygmy Cannibals of the South Pacific...seriously! Or was that Pygmy Headhunters? I painted a batch of 10 a little more than a year ago, and now I've got the rest of the pack to finish up. And yes...expect them to pop up in my Pulp skirmish games...!
28mm chickens doing what chickens do... |
Anyway, here are the chickens first. I was happy with the color patterns and think they turned out well. They will probably appear in a number of games from this point on. I mean, everybody likes chicken, right? It tastes just like....well, chicken! I based them up first on tiny washers, then used white glue to attach them to cardboard to hold onto while painting. I used a base coat of "Autumn brown," then dry brushed them Khaki very lightly. I added splotches of white after pulling up some images of chickens on Google. I think it is very important to look at photos of the animal you're trying to paint and not just do it form memory. There are often subtle colorings that you may have forgotten about that make them look realistic when complete. I added a red-brown "combs," dun-colored beaks, and black dots for eyes and they were done.
28mm goats near a Celtic hut from Acheson Creations...Jenny insisted the white one be called "Cuddles" after a goat her aunt owned...! |
Next up are some Pygmy Cannibals of the South Pacific...seriously! Or was that Pygmy Headhunters? I painted a batch of 10 a little more than a year ago, and now I've got the rest of the pack to finish up. And yes...expect them to pop up in my Pulp skirmish games...!
Monday, November 11, 2013
Dakota Smith's Oriental Adventures - Part 1, Brother Virigi, Wherefore art thou?
Keith, Mike S, and Tom hot on the trail of Brother Virigi -- a Portuguese monk from Macau in the 1930s |
Fraulein Blucher is escorted by two German sailors, while Von Jaeger and Ottom Tulmann interrogate Brother Malachi by the pig pen |
Reporter Eric Bylan and socialite Dolly Flanders, tagging along uninvited on Dakota Smith's expedition, approach the monastery graveyard |
Harold Fortwine guards the rear of the American column, unaware of the agent from the secret martial arts society, Order of the Fire Coral, hiding in the shadows behind him |
Keeping together tightly, the British party is shadowed and harassed by the Order of the Fire Coral all along its advance towards the church |
Brother Malachi points Von Jaeger towards the major plot point, Brother Virigi's journal inside the church Chancery... |
The players said the rules were "interesting" and seemed willing to give them another go. They understood it was our first time playing the game. Everyone seemed to have fun, well, except for the German player. And he seemed to be having a good time until his league got pinned down. There are a lot of subtleties -- especially in the use of Challenges -- that we need to wrap our head around. Tom, the French player, did the best. He seemed most attuned and goal-oriented of the archeologists. His leader, Pierre Fournereau, was the only European to enter the church, though he never made it to the Chancery.
And all five leagues come together in the middle! The French had an advantage, and were able to elude the concentrated attacks of the others. Of course...I *have* to say it: "Tom's winning!" |
Sorry this is more of an analysis than straight-up, after action report. I did not take notes on the nitty gritty. I did snap some close up shots of the action, so I hope you enjoy those. Next game will see them follow the trail of Brother Virigi to the mainland and the Portuguese mission station in the Ta-bo Hills. Feel free to comment on my thoughts about larger games, or make suggestions.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Medieval Monks
I just finished painting up some 28mm medieval monks for my upcoming Pulp skirmish game....wait! What? Yes, even though the figures were purchased primarily for my Dark Ages skirmish games, I have a need for monks in my upcoming Pulp scenario. You see, it takes place at a Portuguese monastery in Macau in the 1930s, and monks being relatively conservative when it comes to dress and all...
These five figures were either unarmed ones or figures I converted to appear unarmed. The guy with the flail is meant to be threshing wheat. Of course, if a raiding Viking happens to get in between his flail and a sheaf of wheat, well, God will forgive him, I'm sure! These Old Glory figures have a lot of character. I particularly like the portly monk with the turkey leg and loaf of bread. My favorite, though, is the bare-handed one with his right fist raised. He looks like he's about to pound the table (or a brother monk) to make a particularly salient religious point. Although Old Glory sculpts vary in quality, I thought they did a very nice job on his face. They eyes look intense and the teeth and jaw show his emotion.
The one holding the torch was a conversion, of course. It was a club in his left hand, but I snipped off enough of it, then added a cloth pom-pom. I know it is not the world's best flame, but it is passable, and players will understand what it is supposed to be. The flail is also a conversion. I chopped his club he was wielding two handed over his head and drilled out the hands. I slipped in a brass wire spear shaft. The metallic thresher is simply a left over bit of jewelry, and the chain is a spear tip with pennant shaved down, trimmed and twisted around. I also felt it came out so-so. No conversions were done to the one with the gold cross clutched to his chest. I like how his bald head came out with the dry brushing and ink wash.
So, all things going well, these medieval figs will see their first action as "extras" in my first Pulp scenario this coming Sunday. Each will be one of the five clues, or "Plot Points", that the players need to obtain to locate the information source they're looking for. Hopefully, the game will turn out well -- or at least as well as these guys came out...!
28mm Medieval Monks from Old Glory. Doubtless, they will perish at the hand of many a Viking during my Dark Age Skirmish games... |
These five figures were either unarmed ones or figures I converted to appear unarmed. The guy with the flail is meant to be threshing wheat. Of course, if a raiding Viking happens to get in between his flail and a sheaf of wheat, well, God will forgive him, I'm sure! These Old Glory figures have a lot of character. I particularly like the portly monk with the turkey leg and loaf of bread. My favorite, though, is the bare-handed one with his right fist raised. He looks like he's about to pound the table (or a brother monk) to make a particularly salient religious point. Although Old Glory sculpts vary in quality, I thought they did a very nice job on his face. They eyes look intense and the teeth and jaw show his emotion.
One monk supervises while the other fleshes wheat with his flail. Figures are 28mm Old Glory. |
The one holding the torch was a conversion, of course. It was a club in his left hand, but I snipped off enough of it, then added a cloth pom-pom. I know it is not the world's best flame, but it is passable, and players will understand what it is supposed to be. The flail is also a conversion. I chopped his club he was wielding two handed over his head and drilled out the hands. I slipped in a brass wire spear shaft. The metallic thresher is simply a left over bit of jewelry, and the chain is a spear tip with pennant shaved down, trimmed and twisted around. I also felt it came out so-so. No conversions were done to the one with the gold cross clutched to his chest. I like how his bald head came out with the dry brushing and ink wash.
So, all things going well, these medieval figs will see their first action as "extras" in my first Pulp scenario this coming Sunday. Each will be one of the five clues, or "Plot Points", that the players need to obtain to locate the information source they're looking for. Hopefully, the game will turn out well -- or at least as well as these guys came out...!
Monday, November 4, 2013
Zombywood -- a Halloween Sunday Night Thriller
Mike looks over his set up of Zombywood -- a back lot movie studio. Allen plans how his government agents will close in and recapture the Gerdys, while Keith moves forward some of his zombie hordes |
In honor of Halloween, Mike S had brewed up a skirmish game using Fear & Faith rules (the horror equivalent of Song of Blades & Heroes and Song of Drums & Shakos). The action would take place on a seldom-used Hollywood back lot, featuring building props from all periods of history. Government agents were tracking down the fugitive Gerdy Family -- a brood of geniuses that had recently escaped their heavy-handed control. Thrown into the mix were a tour group with really bad timing, the laid-off actors in a high-tech bounty hunter show, a redneck family whose Duck Dynasty spinoff had been recently axed, and a secretive pack of werewolves, who had been using the back lot as their den.
Carnage reigns as zombies shuffle towards the government agents sent to recapture the Gerdys |
To defend themselves from the government agents, the Gerdys had invented a virus that turned civilians into zombies, which they could then control with hand-held remotes. Keith and I were the Gerdys, and we set up in the middle of the board with our family atop roofs to better control the zombies. The government agents (Allen), bounty hunters (Steve V), and rednecks (Mike S) came in on the board edge. The werewolves did the same, but we had no idea what their mission was. We knew the others had it out for us and our zombies, though.
Zombies swarm into hand-to-hand with the rednecks and one government agent, while more rednecks take pot shots at them from the rooftops |
Part of our goal was to have Gerdy family members escape off board. I sent two off to an adjacent mission style building, only to have them chased down and slaughtered by the werewolves. The rest of the zombies surged slowly towards the oncoming humans with high-powered firearms. As the other three began to gun down our zombies, more surged from our central bunker. We were able to kill a few of them here and there, while losing swaths of zombies. Our biggest loss occurred to a government grenade, but at least it landed a tad short and killed one of their own agents!
Horrified at watching his wife and daughter ripped apart by werewolves, Father Gerdy frantically summons zombies back to rescue him |
Father Gerdy called some of the zombie reinforcements over to escort him off the board while more swarmed the werewolves. We managed to kill the alpha male werewolf, which temporarily scattered the pack. As the game wound down, we'd driven back the agents, but were a long way from thinning the ranks of the bounty hunters and rednecks. With zombies engaged to hold them in place, the rest of the Gerdy family high-tailed it for the safety of the far board edge with some zombie body guards to hold off the werewolves.
Zombies respond to Father Gerdy's call and swarm the werewolves, providing an escort for him to escape offtable |
The game was fun, and featured lots of horrific mayhem. Mike's 15mm zombies looked great. Most of them are from Rebel Minis, I'm fairly sure. There is an incredibly variety of them in all kinds of clothes -- cheer leaders, children, National Guardsmen, guys in Hazmat suits, etc. Mike plans on continuing to tweak the scenario for a convention game, so we may find ourselves defending the back lots of Zombywood again, one day...!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Southeast Asian Temple, Part 8 -- Finished!
So, kind of an anti-climax for the last installment. Here are the photos of the interiors. I went with CG Textures' website http://www.cgtextures.com/index.php,
suggested by someone on the Lead Adventure Forum. I simply downloaded the images,
resized them in Photoshop, and printed them off. Looks so much nicer
than trying to scratch-build the interior. I know some purists may feel
it is crossing the line between modeling and cardstock buildings. I just
didn't want to spend lots of time on the interiors, seeing how much
time I spent on scratch-building the temples themselves!
Here is the interior of one of the temples. I painted the interior solid
black, then cut the floor and four walls in separate pieces. I painted
the interior lightly with white glue and voila! Instant stone wall or
floor. The wall with the door was done using photoshop, as well. I found
a likely door, cut it out electronically and pasted it onto another
image of a stone wall. I am really happy with how realistic it all
looks.
I went ahead and did an interior floor for the stupa, as well.
Technically, these buildings are usually solid -- there are no rooms on
the inside. But hey, these are also for pulp games...so there HAS to be a
secret room with a hidden latch that opens it...!
I plan on doing at least one larger one, now that I have the techniques down. Hope you have enjoyed the tutorial...feel free to leave a comment. Or heck, even subscribe (or become a Follower) of my blog!!!
The interior of one temple, showing the door |
CG Texture images downloaded (free!) look very realistic when printed out and glued in |
I plan on doing at least one larger one, now that I have the techniques down. Hope you have enjoyed the tutorial...feel free to leave a comment. Or heck, even subscribe (or become a Follower) of my blog!!!
Monday, October 28, 2013
Southeast Asian Temple, Part 7 - Exteriors complete!
Von Jaeger and the German archeological party discover the first of my small Southeast Asian temples. I think the printouts of the bas relief carvings on the corner columns turned out fine. |
Wide angle shot of the first small temple...definitely captures the "lost in the jungle" look -- at least in my humble opinion! |
As Eric Bylan gazes up in wonder at the stupa, Dakota Smith hears a noise in the jungle off to his right... |
A final spray of dullcoate and the exteriors are done! Note that I specify this because I have plans for the interiors, as well. I will print it out more resized images from CG Textures and glue them on the inside of the boxes. Hopefully, the sides are straight enough to look nice when I glue the images in. So, until I get that part of the project done, the temples and stupas are complete. I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial, so far. These have turned out every bit as nice as I'd have hoped for. I look forward to using them on the tabletop...!
Storming the Breach at Badajoz
Keith, right, set up a Napoleonic era skirmish for us featuring his newly-painted walls and buildings. Allen joined him to command his right and try to hold off the English assault on the fortress. |
My buddy Keith wanted to host a game to celebrate finishing his Alamo walls and buildings. Since his cowboys weren't completely finished, though, he reconfigured it to be a the besieged fortress at Badajoz during the Napoleonic Wars. He dug out a bunch of individually mounted 28mm skirmish troops and set up a scenario where the British are storming a couple breaches made by artillery. We use Ganesha Games' Song of Drums & Shakos for blackpowder era skirmishes. With six of us in attendance this Sunday evening, Keith, Allen, and Joel were the defending French and allied troops, while Steve, Mike S, and myself were the assaulting British (and allies).
My British light infantry head towards the breach carrying a ladder (which they won't need), while Steve's Brunswick troops are almost at the wall |
Steve opted to play the Brunswick troops, and Mike S snatched up the 95th Rifles, leaving me with two commands -- a squad of British light infantry and another of line infantry. Each of our squads had a ladder we could use to climb the walls, or we could go up one of the two breaches on either side of the table that our artillery had made. Half of the French troops start in the guard room, while the other half are deployed on the walls when our assault begins.
Keith watches as Mike's 95th Rifles storm towards Joel's troops on his left |
I advanced steadily, with the lights heading towards the breach and the line aiming their ladder towards the battlements. On my left, Steve raced towards the walls ahead of me, drawing the attention of Allen's troops away from my lights. On my right, Mike S stormed forward, and with a well-placed bullet, pegged Joel's officer. His troops broke in momentary panic, abandoning the walls and allowing him to seize them.
"Up the ramp, lads!" My lights ditch their ladder and race up the rubble breach. Note my ensign in the rear of the formation -- a caution or French opponents did NOT employ to their dismay |
This was a harbinger of our success all across the line. Steve slowly battled his way up his ladder and faced down Allen. My lights surged up the rubble ramp and surrounded his meager guards. My line sheltered beneath the walls for a breather, while they set up their ladder. The French were having trouble getting their troops out of the guard room, and were outnumbered at the point of attack. My lights soon overwhelmed the French facing them, and my line were able to storm up the ladder and chase off the Bavarians guarding the battlements. Meanwhile, the 95th Rifles were making short work of Joel's command.
The scenario gives the French 60% of our force strength, but nowhere was the point total at a greater disparity than the Rifles against Joel's command. His Nassau allied troops were the worst on the board and he was outpointed by several times. My line troops actually fought their way to the top of the ladder against a superior force, albeit one that had half its strength still straggling from the guard room. Allen was facing both Mike and myself, so was also outnumbered.
The 95th Rifles, led by Sharpe and Harper, mow down the Nassau allied troops opposing them |
At least for the English, it was an enjoyable game as we wore down the French and soon achieved our victory conditions. We made some suggestions on how we would balance things better the next time it is played. A big advantage of ours was tactical, though. We were able to kill the leaders of all three forces shortly after contact (or before, in the Rifles' case). This caused panic and confusion among the troops and allowed us to seize our objectives relatively unopposed.
The bitter end for the French: My lights have taken the breach and are advancing down into the courtyard. Their opponents panic and run back towards the guard room. |
Song of Drums & Shakos is a good set of rules, and provides enjoyable games. We did make a few tweaks, though. One of which is to drop the weapon differential rules for hand-to-hand. The other is to reconfigure group moves to include the leader as part of the rolled-for movement. Keith's walls and buildings looked great on the tabletop, I thought. It was good to finally get all those troops he'd been collecting out on the tabletop, too.
Next week we have a Halloween-themed game that Mike S has dreamed (nightmared?) up. So, that should be exciting. And the following week will be the debut of my pulp-era games using the rules Pulp Alley. So, stay tuned for lots more gaming fun...!
Thursday, October 24, 2013
A batch of Frontiersmen to add to my French & Indian War troops
28mm Frontiersmen for the French & Indian War |
When I came back from Advance the Colors 2013 last month, I was really jazzed up about the success of my French & Indian War games. That next Monday I was sifting through my unpainted lead and set out these seven frontiersmen. I believe most of them are by 28mm Foundry, but I wouldn't swear to it. There looks to be two different sculptors' styles, at least.
These guys are meant to be able to play the role of settlers, French courier de bois, or even Rangers |
The first week I blazed away at them fairly quickly. Then I got sidetracked by my Southeast Asian Temples, which started stealing more hobby time from finishing these guys off. So, they say about 3/4's of the way completed on my painting desk for a couple weeks. I finally got back to work on them last weekend and forged my way through "Strap Heaven." These figs have more straps with various bags and other equipment festooned all over their bodies. I like that word...festooned. I try to do each set in a different color to add interest.
A French Canadian militia man with a pirate figure able to stand in as courier de bois or other assorted inebriated frontiersman |
Anyway, I am happy with how these guys turned out. The one guy is obviously a French Canadian militia, while another is a pirate figure that a friend won as a prize in a game at Historicon 2013. He looks like he'd pass as a drunk-as-a-skunk French courier de bois, so that is how I painted him up. I expect most appearances he makes on the tabletop will be as eye candy or simply window dressing. You never know, though. He could be some sort of objective in a pulp game...try to coax clues from the belligerent, drunk French woodsman!
"Zut alors, Reny! Beaujolais again...?" |
I am definitely stocking up on my collection of European troops for my French & Indian War skirmishes. I suppose I'm getting close to having enough to run an Indians on settlers game. I like these figures to be able to, well, wear several hats on the tabletop. I want them to be good settlers or frontiersmen. I also want them to be stand-in courier de bois or even Rangers. Outside of regular troops, very few men wore uniforms in this period. Most had civilian dress, which I tried to recreate with these guys.
Three assorted 28mm frontiersmen |
On the painting desk now are 5 Benedictine monks. They are meant to used for Dark Age skirmish games, but since monastic attire didn't change much through the centuries, I could use them in pulp games, as well. Speaking of which, the first batch of temples is nearing the end of the painting stage and about to enter the flocking one. Hopefully, I'll have figures of them soon!
I really like how the equipment -- especially the Indian-style bags -- came out |
Monday, October 21, 2013
Elephants and Warbirds...oh my!
15mm Elephant Race on Steve's home-made felt track |
Steve V would be taking his Elephant Race miniatures game up to the World at War Game Day at Fort Meigs next weekend, so he wanted a chance to get it out and shake the dust off of it. The game is a variant on the classic Avalon Hill game Circus Maximus, but with miniatures and racing elephants instead of chariots. He's thrown in random events like someone hurling a dead cat out of the stands at an opponent, flaming pigs appearing on the track (actual battlefield anti-elephant tactic by early Roman legionaries), and suddenly appearing mud holes.
Steve had created our elephants and drivers ahead of time, so it wasn't long before the jumbos were off and lumbering around the track. My Numidian elephant driver quickly proved to be clueless. Without fail, every time I "pushed it" in the turn, my elephant would go careening off the track and lose a lot of ground before getting back on. You are allowed to push it by 1-9 speed points over the recommended lane speed, making a 3d6 roll on the chart. Like clockwork, my rolls were awful and typical. Eventually, I switched dice and began to turn things around a bit. I even worked my way into second place when Allen's elephant was injured barreling through a mob of flaming pigs and stumbled. Joel was playing it slow and safe, so Keith cruised to an easy victory.
Wings of War -- I got to fly the my favorite Hanriot for the Belgians! |
The game went so quickly, we decided to break out the Wings of War WW I planes for a quick game. Since there were five of us, Keith offered to set it up and let us play. Allen and I were the Belgians, matched up against Joel and Steve as Germans. The startup positions had me between Joel and Steve, so I hightailed it across the field to Allen, then swooped into a tight turn to face off against the other two. There was a lot of swooping around and Joel and I were flying in almost Blue Angels formation -- so close we couldn't target one another. I dealt out some damage to both my opponents, and so did Allen. I took some in return -- including a jammed rudder which prevented right turns. However, Joel pulled the unlucky explosion card when his brother lit into him. I saw that as perfect, poetic irony. Joel always insists we include that card, while Tom (who was not present) and I lobby to take it out. Steve was heavily damaged and limped off the battlefield with two points remaining. Victory to the Belgians, and my Hanriot biplane. Back in my Aerodrome-playing days, the Hanriot was my favorite plane, and one that I always seemed to do my best flying in. So, when Keith offered it, I snatched it up!
A little bit of fratricide, as Allen shoots down his brother Joel (and one of Keith's beloved Litko markers) |
A good evening of Sunday gaming at Keith's...two games in, and we got home at a reasonable hour!
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