Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts

Sunday, September 21, 2025

First Batch of 28mm Gripping Beast Goblins

 

    My first batch of Gripping Beast 28mm metal goblin archers from their Ragnarok line
Having "warmed up" painting two batches of Warhost Orcs from Hobday & Hicks, it was time to begin work on the main purchase of my 28mm Orc army for Dragon Rampant. Awhile back, my friend Rusty and I split a large batch of 28mm Gripping Beast metal orcs & goblins that a friend was selling. Many were still in the packs, but others had been based up on 1" MDF circles in preparation for painting. However, when he pulled the plug on his project, he offered it up to me. Not needing as many as he had, I offered to Rusty to split it with him, and we agreed.

    I love the faces on these "nasty goblinses" as Gollum, would say -- great poses and personality!
Most of the figures are from the Gripping Beast Ragnarok Miniatures fantasy line. All are metal figures, which as my readers likely know by now, I prefer. When I split the purchase with Rusty, I tried to do it as evenly as possible. These eight goblins are a good example of that. In the batch, there was a pack of 8 Hill Goblins and a pack of 8 Night Goblins. I made sure we each received four poses from the packs. I chose goblins as my initial batch in case I decide I want to do a game of Sellswords & Spellslingers sometime. Once I finished these, I would have both orcs and goblins, hand weapons and bows -- a bigger variety of foes.

    The Hill Goblins are on left, bare headed, while the Night Goblins were a hood or cowl
The poses were very cleanly cast and had almost no flash. The Hill Goblins wear a long-sleeved robe of some sort, but have no armor or headgear. The Night Goblins are hooded and have a two-part robe. The looks are both very similar, so I figured they'd be a great batch to pair up. I don't intend to do anything to make my goblins look different from orcs. I'll use the same skin tone, the same basic look for their clothing, and similar equipment. My reasoning is that splitting them into two different "breeds" is more of a gaming innovation. In The Hobbit, they are called goblins. In the Lord of the Rings, they are called orcs. Although they're split into different bands and locations, to Tolkien they were the same breed. So, mine will look similar, with the only difference being the size of the castings.

    I used either dark or pale colors for heir clothes and tried to make them look dirty
After priming them with Liquitex White Gesso, I did the flesh first. Same recipe as with the Warhost Orcs -- Walnut base coat, Leather dry brush, and Khaki highlight. Once again, I'm very happy with how the goblin/orc flesh tone came out. I pulled out my list of color suggestions for orc clothes that I'd made prior to painting the Warhost orcs, and selected eight colors. It wasn't until after I had painted the base coat that I noticed the Night Goblins are wearing two different garments. Really, it could be three if you count the hood as a cowl and not part of the loose tunic. Underneath the tunic is a long skirt that comes to the ground. Don't make fun of them for wearing skirts, or they'll "...gut you like a bonefish!" Ha, ha! So, I had to pick colors for the skirts, too.

    For the quivers, I decorated them with "Orc writing" -- from a crude, slashy font I found on Google
Next, I dry brushed the base coat and did the skirts, highlighting them the next day. I actually made a trip to the local craft store to pick up more "orc clothing colors," as I called it. I found only two I really liked enough to buy -- a dark navy blue that had a dull, grayish cast to it and a dark burnt orange. You can see I used two of those colors right away on the Night Goblins' skirts. I'd be interested to see how my clothing color choices sit with my readers. Do they look orc-like enough? I could easily paint them all blacks and grays, but I felt the army would look more visually appealing if they're painted in a variety of dingy pale or dark colors.

    The goblin archers creep out of the ruins and stalk towards their prey
I was curious how quickly the Ragnarok figures would paint up, mainly because I bought so many of them! I do have to qualify that, though. For some, who are used to armies of 200 figures or so, my force is pretty small. However, I have been painting for skirmish games mostly the last several years. So, a batch of around 100 of anything in 28mm is a lot for me! I was pleased that these goblins went very quickly. They don't have a lot of equipment -- just their bow, quiver, sword strapped to their waist, belt, pouch, and then their clothes, which I talked about above. I'm hoping that is a good sign and means this project should paint up quickly.

I pre-ordered Dragon Rampant's 2nd Edition rules, which are due out next month, from Fireland Games. I don't think they'll have them in time for when I see them at Advance the Colors, Oct. 10-11. I'm pretty sure they'll have them in hand when I see them at Fireland Games' own Hold the Line convention, Nov. 14-15 at Camp Perry in Port Clinton, OH. Rampant armies are not huge, maybe just a bit bigger than a Saga army (in some cases). I plan on making 2-3 Orc armies out of the figures I'd purchased, though. I suspect I'll want an entire side of a 6-player game to use my orcs and goblins.

    A final look at all of them lined up, ready to commit murder and mayhem in Dragon Rampant!
After I finished up all of the equipment, I looked over the figures. I liked them, but they looked a little....plain? I briefly thought about giving them bloodstains on their clothes, but felt that could get out of hand! So, I decorated their sword sheaths and quivers. I did a Google Image search for Orc writing and found one that looked all slashy and vulgar, like Tolkien describes it. I adapted the orc runes to the quivers and was pretty happy with how they looked. 

After brown and black vehicle washes, flocking, and spraying with matte clear, they were done! One batch down, SO MANY more to go...! I'm actually taking a break from painting orcs and goblins for a batch or two, though. I've got something else I decided to work in. Stay tuned for what that is soon! 

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Miniatures acquired in 2025: 288
  • Miniatures painted in 2025: 208

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Terrain acquired in 2025: 40
  • Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  • Scatter painted in 2025: 200

Sunday, September 7, 2025

Orc Archers from Warhost Added to 'Horde'

 

8 Warhost Orc archers from Hicks & Hobday that I painted up for my eventual Dragon Rampant army
The 28mm Orcs are starting to gather. They're not a horde, yet -- but it has begun. These eight Orc archers from Warhost (Hobday & Hicks) join the Linebreakers painted last week. As I thought, with less armor and more cloth, this batch seemed to go faster. More clothing means I'm more methodical about what colors I paint my Orc tunics and such. I'm noting which color combinations seem to look right and which ones are too bright or fancy looking.

    A look from above of the various interesting poses in the two packs of Orc archers
Once again, very little flash on these Hicks & Hobday sculpts. The poses are interesting, as well. I like that you get two packs of four Orcs and no repeats in poses. I remember the days of painting Ancients when you were lucky to get two different poses in one pack. Of course, some folks like the uniform nature of armies, with all the same marching or shooting position. I don't think that would look good with orcs, though. Too rowdy! And too irregular and hard to control. I liked that three of the eight poses had metal helmets or even chainmail aventails suspended from their helmets. The rest were bald-headed or had hoods. Good variety! I hope my 28mm Gripping Beast metal orcs (that are the bulk of my purchase) will be similar in that respect.

    I'm not sure I'll use the dull purple color again for orcs, but I will definitely use the olive green
After priming them with Liquitex White Gesso, I went to work on the orc flesh. I'd liked how the Linebreakers came out, so I used the exact same recipe -- Walnut base coat, medium leather dry brush, and khaki highlight. One thing that makes this flesh tone look particularly orc-like is that the Walnut base coat is not 100% opaque. Somehow, combined with the other colors, it gives a nice, dark olive-toned flesh. Honestly, I lucked into this combination more than anything else. However, I will likely use it for the entire project. 

    The dark reddish orc is probably my favorite --I'm disappointed the back photo is out of focus
Next, I arranged the orcs, with their flesh tone completed, in a single line. There was some complaining as you'd expect from orcs -- "We ain't had nothing to eat for three stinkin' days!" was my favoriteIn fact, I was muttering that Lord of the Rings movie quote regularly throughout the painting process. Once the orcs were lined up, I picked out a base coat color for each orc's main article of clothing. Earlier, I had made a list of my paints that I thought would look appropriate for orcs. I set the bottle behind each figure. Typically, when painting 28mm Dark Ages or other figures, I will glue them to a square of cardboard first. I would then scribble down on the cardboard what color I would use for the tunic, trousers, etc. With the orcs, I can't do that since I am basing them up first. I'm actually not sure why I decided to change my usual method and glue them first to their 1" plywood circles with magnetic bottoms. Maybe I figured there wouldn't be as much to write on that cardboard as, say, those Canadian militia I just finished a couple days ago??

    Is the salmon colored clothing too much? I like it -- looks like a faded version of some other color
From this point on, it was a matter of adding in a new base coat followed up by a dry brush for each color of clothing. Some had only one article of clothing, so only one color combo. Others had several. Either way, the variety of poses added not only interest and variety to the painting process, it made me focus and be more careful. One thing I need to be careful of, though, is what I am doing prior to handling the figures. I had painted some 28mm French & Indian War tents right before I did the flocking on the orcs. Somehow, I got the light tan all over my fingers during the process. And then, as I picked up the orcs to do their flocking, I splattered a way-too-bright light yellowish tan all over them. I had to go back and "repair" three figures after this step -- just when I thought I was done with them!

    I liked the poses with the archers wielding a sword -- nice variety! I think I will do more black clothes
Still, I am happy with how the "Orcses...filth!" (as Gollum would say) came out. I am looking forward to seeing how the Gripping Beast figs paint up, too, whether similarly or differently. Meanwhile, expect a flurry of posts soon, as I am working on tents for my Jumonville Glen skirmish game tomorrow morning at the museum and also other various bits. The next big batch, though, is actually two bases of 28mm Saga warlords that I am am painting up for the Advance the Colors tournaments on Friday and Saturday. My tradition is to paint up a 3-igure (or so) Warlord stand for each tournament as a prize. So, look for those soon, in addition a post about the Jumonville Glen skirmish game.

    Honestly, the Hicks & Hobday orcs are some excellent poses with lots of great variety!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Miniatures acquired in 2025: 288
  • Miniatures painted in 2025: 194

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Terrain acquired in 2025: 36
  • Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  • Scatter painted in 2025: 159

Saturday, August 23, 2025

Last of the 28mm Fishmen

    My 2nd batch of 28mm Fishmen -- the center three are from Beldolor Studios I picked up at Origins
Right after I finished the last of my 28mm Vietnam figures, I was kind of at a loss what to paint up next. I got several batches of things ready to go, though. One of which were these five 28mm Fishmen to go with the others I painted up for the heck of it, awhile back. Three of them are excellent, 3-D resin printed figures from Beldolor Studios that I've seen the last two years at Origins Game Fair. The other two looked vaguely fishman-like from the D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures line, Kuo-Toa & Kua-Toa Whip. As I mentioned when posting the last batch, I'm really not sure what I'll use these for. The most likely possibility is to work them into my Tales of the Splintered Band using Sellswords & Spellslingers.

    Definitely my favorites of this batch, the two 28mm Pikes -- I love how their skin came out!
Of the Beldolor Studies fishmen, two of them are Pikes and one a Bass. My favorites of the batch are the two pikes. I decided to paint their coloring up similarly, as they had different weapons to tell them apart. I really like how they came out. I used a dark olive green as a base coat (after priming them with Liquitex White Gesso). I dry brushed them with a light olive. I made the underbelly of the fish lighter, highlighting that area more heavily. Next, I replicated some fish patterns I'd seen on Google Image searches by doing rows of dark green splotches going from head to tail. The rows stopped at the lighter underbelly, and I think it gives a nice effect. 

    The Bass is a cool figure, too -- I like his two swords and gaping fishy mouth (I added the teeth)
I did the weapons in normal wood and metal, though in my mind I debated the physics of an aquatic species armed with a buoyant piece of wood...! I decided they would know how to balance the wood's buoyancy with the metal head to give a more neutral weight, like scuba divers! I know, I know...it's fantasy. It doesn't have to make scientific sense! Still, if you know my group of friends that I game with, I wouldn't put it past one of them bringing up that point. It is good to have a ready answer when confronted with a gamer know-it-all (anyone want to guess who I'm referring to...? Ha, ha)! I even Google Image searched "fish eyes" so that I could give them the right effect. I really like how those eyes turned out -- especially on the Pikes. The tiny black pupil was done with a micron pen, by the way!

I wanted the Bass fishman to look different than the two pikes, so I gave him a much darker green base coat. He received a medium green highlight that doesn't show up very well, unfortunately. For his fish pattern, I chose to do lines of yellow dots. I was happy with how his pattern, too. I went back and forth on how to do the fish lips -- yes, these are the things miniature painters debate with themselves! I ended up repainting them to make them darker than the skin pattern for the pikes, and lighter for the bass. The important thing was I wanted them to show up clearly. I mean, after all, "fish lips" is a kind of description isn't it? For the Bass, I even added some tiny teeth that weren't sculpted on the figure.

    I also like how the Kuo Toa came out -- the plastic they're made with is a little too bendy for me
I had Googled various fish images, so used some that I liked for the coloring of the two Kuo Toa. One was done in a gray green and the other in a brighter "leaf green." They also got lighter colored highlights, a bright but light green for the leaf green one and very light gray for the other. Since patterns were looking good on these fishmen, I had do ones on these figs, too! All in all, I was happy with all five of the patterns. After all this effort, I certainly hope they do see the tabletop sometime!

The equipment for the Kuo Toa were done in leathers and browns. I used bone for their cutting edges on the one Kua Toa's weapons, because that's how they appeared to be sculpted. These guys had clothes, so I had to decide what color to do those, as well. I simply went with a nice contrast to the skin tones. I really like the dull purple color that I did the net fishman in. It is a color I try to work in from time to time on my miniatures. I also like the little details on these miniatures, such as the bone necklaces. I really don't like the plastic material they are made from, though. It is too flexible and bendy. I honestly prefer metal figures and you can't get much more opposite than these!

    Over the sound of the surf, you hear an ominous, wet-sounding tramp moving up the beach...
I debated with myself whether to give these guys a dark wash, eventually deciding to do so. I liked how the sand flocking worked out on the first batch, so I replicated that here with these five. Sand is a nice neutral basing look -- they could have just staggered out of the sea and onto the beach, right? At this point, the poor fishy dudes sat on my painting desk for at least a week. I wanted to do a spray matte coat, and it has been the typical Columbus, OH, Southeast Asia type weather this summer. Once I finally got a day that was BOTH cooler and less humid, they finally got their spray. The last step was to give their skin a brush on gloss coat. I mean, they are dripping went having just come out of the waves and onto land, right??

So, what else is on my painting desk? Seeing as how a week or more has gone by since these were finished...quite a bit! My first batch of 28mm Orcs is nearly complete. Plus, I've begun another six large jungle scatter pieces. They're just underway, really. Only the central palm tree is done. I haven't even cut up the pieces of plastic plants yet to put on the rest of the base. I've been pretty busy otherwise with my 28mm Vietnam project. I did my second playtest and put the first draft of the rules together to send out to other playtesters. So, that's been keeping me busy. I have a few other odds and ends that I'll be working in, so stay tuned!

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Miniatures acquired in 2025: 288
  • Miniatures painted in 2025: 172

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Terrain acquired in 2025: 36
  • Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  • Scatter painted in 2025: 150

Thursday, July 10, 2025

Some 28mm Fishmen: Why? Blame the 'Coolness' Factor!

    28mm Fishmen from Miniature Building Authority that I painted up for...well, I'm not sure why!
I purchased these figures mainly on the "coolness" factor. Like with the Beldolor Studios fishmen I bought at Origins, I don't technically have a project that requires 28mm fishmen armed with melee weapons. Who knows? Perhaps they will appear in the storyline of my Tales of the Splintered Band. Maybe the fishmen have something to do with the Wildcat Legion becoming turncoats and helping the rats? I picked these six up from Miniature Building Authority at Siege of Augusta this past January. They are soft resin figures kind of along the lines of the ones Reaper Miniatures sells in most game stores (though less bendy).

    The Fishmen emerge from the sea, confident they are the Eldest -- the First Spawned of all beings
Like I do with most figs nowadays, I primed them with Liquitex white Gesso. I decided that since fish are all different colors, I would paint each differently. I briefly considered using color shift paints, but that would require me going and buying several more bottles of them! They seemed to have raised enough detail on the scaly flesh (not always the case with plastic or resin figs), so I decided to do a base coat and dry brush effect on these. Some of the color combinations worked better than others. I think I like the darker fishmen better than the lighter colored ones.

    The short stout wizard-looking fishmen were my favorites -- I love their expressions!
I bought two packs of three (same pack), so there are duplicates, of course. When I first opened them up, I liked the guys with the tridents best. Once I primed them, my favorite pose was the ones with the barbels or whiskers coming down from them. Now that I have painted them up, I think I like the stocky little "wizard-style" ones holding a staff. At first, they seemed a little boring. However, once painted up, they really came to life. I love the facial expression. More than a few times, I would pick one of them up and involuntarily say, "Hey Bub!" -- which is what the expression on their face seems to say to me. Their thick, well-defined fish lips have a dour expression.

    I painted mystic symbols onto the backs of the Fishmen wizards' robes...
As I mentioned, each figure got a base coat and lighter dry brush to hopefully highlight the detail of the scales on their flesh. The spines or fins were done in a contrasting color or tone. All of them are wearing clothes of some sort, so I tried to pick colors for those that would look good with their skin tone. I did the same with any equipment they were carrying. Each piece of equipment and the clothes also got a highlight. So, there were multiple steps for each figure that necessitated drying overnight before progressing. As such, it felt like they went fairly slow, but hey! They're done now.

    I liked how my Fishmen came out -- wasn't expecting a lot, but I think the color combos worked well
I gave each fishman solid black eyes and a little dot of white for reflected light in the upper part of the circle or oval. I also did a highlighting eyefold above and beneath the eye for some. Clear coating them was interesting. I had decided early on that I wanted the skin of the fishmen to be glossy. However, I didn't necessarily want all their equipment shiny, so I did both a matte coat and a gloss coat once I was done with the colors and lighter black wash. I'm still not certain I like them glossy. I have been such a solidly "matte finish" painter, ridiculing all miniatures that are painted with their candy coated shell, that it is hard for me to look at them and say, "Yeah, they look right!" Ha, ha!!

    Having accomplished their mysterious mission, the Fishmen return to the sea...
What's next on my painting desk? Well, I have the final three Vietnam buildings that I bought from MBA at Buckeye Game Fest almost finished. They're coming along well, enough so that I expect I will post about them before I leave next Wednesday for Historicon. After that, I may as well do the other five fishmen I have, next. For terrain, I have spray primed a bunch of Acheson Creations terrain that may get done in time to take to the Historicon flea market. They will have to move along quickly, though! I'm running out of time before I leave! Stay tuned, and we will see if they make it...

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Miniatures acquired in 2025: 237
  • Miniatures painted in 2025: 144

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Terrain acquired in 2025: 21
  • Terrain painted in 2025: 43

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  • Scatter painted in 2025: 112

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Splintered Band: Bloody Harvest in the Fields

 

    Badger mage Jemmy Tar & Yo-dee the Coyote barbarian catch sight ahead of an armored ratman
It has been too long since the Splintered Band took to the field in my solo Sellswords & Spellslingers campaign. If you'll remember, these were adventures following four of my Splintered Light Miniatures anthropomorphic animals. In the first mission, they escorted a wagon from the river town of Porthewn to the forest monastery of Brother Barnibus. The way through the Great Forest had been nearly cut off by the ravages of a large warband of rats, but Jemmy Tar's band fought their way through -- barely!

    My scenario featured 5 objective markers that the Splintered Band (starting at bottom) must reach
Meanwhile, preparing for a string of spring gaming conventions had kept me from following up their initial adventure with a second mission (even though it had been written and ready for months!). However, with Origins Game Fair done, it was time to return what was going on in the perilous Great Forest...

    True to his barbarian nature, Yo-dee howled and sprinted forward to attack the ratman
Fortunately, the healing powers of Brother Barnibus and the Monks of the Emerald Robe were able to nurse the nearly lifeless Yo-dee back to health. The gratitude of the mice monks and their students upon the band's arrival with a wagon full of food and supplies was boisterous and welcoming. 

    As Abraxis the armadillo scurries ahead, the pine marten ranger Woodbine is ambushed by a ratling
Brother Barnibus explained to Jemmy that they were the first wagon to arrive from Porthewn in weeks. What's more, the horde of rats plaguing the area had kept the monastery from harvesting any of their crops or orchards. Monks or workers sent out were captured by the rats and dragged off squealing into the woods, likely to a grim fate. Quite simply, the mice of the monastery were starving. The rats had also twice attempted to swarm their walls, but Brother Barnibus' hastily-armed monks, students, and workers had driven them off, though with grievous losses. The fate of the monastery hung in the balance. As the inhabitants got weaker, they would likely not be strong enough to repel the next attack. The Splintered Band had arrived just in time.

    An overview in the early turns showing where the advance of the Splintered Band 
Jemmy talked to Abraxis and Woodbine about what Brother Barnibus had said, while unwinding from the horrors of the forest over an ale in the monastery's brewery. They let Yo-dee sleep, and hopefully recover quickly from his deep wounds sustained fighting the powerful Bearman. Woodbine and Abraxis agreed that the band should do all in their power to help the monastery. Payment was irrelevant when the lives of the mice scholars and their young students were at stake! The next morning, the three approached the elderly abbot of the monastery and told him their skills were at his disposal. The monk bowed his head in prayer, and then quietly blessed each of the three. He asked if at least one of the three could help stand watch on the walls, rotating shifts, so they were there at all times? Jemmy nodded, but asked, "Surely, there is more we can do?"

    Ratling 'horde' arrives on board in response to the character's activation failures
Barnibus said they should wait for several days, and let his folk recover their strength by feasting on the supplies they had brought through safely. "Then, when your companion has recovered, perhaps we can better utilize your skills...?" The abbot explained his plan. Jemmy and his friends would burst out from the monastery's gate and scour the nearby treeline, driving off or killing any rat sentries spying upon the monastery. While Jemmy and his friends were fighting the rats, Barnibus' folk would rush out from the gates, as well. They would begin hurriedly harvesting all they could carry from the fields, protected by the adventurers. Once they had gathered enough food to last for a week or so, he would ring the monastery's bell, and Jemmy and his friends could withdraw back through the gate. 

    The arrival of those ratlings aroused a huge, angry bear -- bad news for the rats!
"A clever plan, Brother Barnibus!" Jemmy nodded. "We will see that your folk have their time to harvest, though we pay with our blood." The abbot said he would give each of the four a healing potion to use if they were wounded while out protecting the fields. "If you need it not, it is still yours to keep. The Emerald Robes will never be able to repay your generosity and stout hearts!" 

    Other event cards in the game would cause ratlings to leap out of ambush and attack the band
This solo game would be the second scenario of my campaign. The 3'x3' battlefield would have four fields nearest the edge of the battlefield where the characters would start. The other three board edges would be bordered by thick woods, forming an upside down "U-shape" facing the Splintered Band. Inside the woods would be five objective markers, each within 6"-10" of their respective table edges. A member of the party would have to contact each objective marker and roll on a table to see what enemies lurked nearby. This would simulate the band scouring the woods edges and springing any ambushes the rats may have laid for unwary monks. 

    One of the mouse monks scurries out of the monastery to 'help' the characters defeat the rats
Once the marker was touched, there was a 1 in 6 chance there would be no enemies near the marker. However, in all five cases I rolled up either a horde of ratlings or a wildcat legionary. The fact that the Wildcat Legion was now in the hire of the rats would be dire news for the mice of the Great Forest. The legion was the force that initially drove the rat army out of the forest, many years ago. To find that they had betrayed the trust of the mice would worry Brother Barnibus and his folk greatly.

    Yo-dee out in front nears the first objective marker on the left, approaching cautiously
I decided to split the four members of my band into two groups of two, each starting near opposite side edges of the battlefield. The stout armadillo fighter Abraxis would partner with the Pine Marten ranger Woodbine on the right. Jemmy Tar, the badger mage, and his bodyguard Yo-dee, the coyote barbarian, would take the left. I figured that I needed a fighter and a missile-armed character on each side. Woodbine's arrows and Jemmy Tar's magic darts would doubtless come in handy, keeping the rats and other enemies at a distance or killing as many as possible before they closed to contact.

    Meanwhile, Abraxis moves with uncharacteristic speed and closes in on the first marker on the right
There was a complication, though. Two cards in the event deck would lead to monks appearing in the fields ontable in their work harvesting. There was also a card representing a brave but foolhardy mouse monk rushing from the table edge to join the Splintered Band in their dangerous job. The adventurers would have to prevent them from being killed by enemies, in addition to investigating all five objective markers.

    The angry bear charges into a ratling slinger that unwisely did not flee in terror as it should have!
I decided my order of activation would begin with Abraxis and Woodbine, followed by Yo-dee and Jemmy. At the end of my turn, any monk harvesters or would-be warriors would move. Abraxis took off like a shot, not failing an activation roll for his first three turns! His haste belied his slower 3" move compared to the others. In Sellswords & Spellslingers, characters choose to roll 1, 2, or 3 twenty-sided dice to activate. Each failure leads to a draw of an event card, which can bring on new enemies or activate those already on table. To make up for Abraxis' unexpected speed and successes, Woodbine rolled his share of failures (less than an 8 on 1d20). 

    Touching the objective marker triggers a roll on a table, this one bringing on a horde of 5 ratlings
The game began with three rats deployed randomly on the tabletop. One, an armored ratman, began in the field nearest Yo-dee and Jemmy Tar. On turn one, Yo-dee saw him and let out a long howl. Rolling four successes on three dice ("20" on 1d20 = two actions), he charged towards the rat, leapt the fence, and eventually cut him down. An auspicious start for the Splintered Band!

    Battle on the right: Woodbine (bottom) shoots arrows, Abraxis strikes down enemy, & the bear rages
Abraxis continued to scurry ahead, with Woodbine shaking his head at his companion's recklessness. His sharp eyes spotted a group of three ratlings emerging from the trees near the two ratling slingers that he had noticed earlier in the distance. The ranger paused, seeing a darker form moving through the trees. The roar confirmed what his eyes thought he had spotted -- a huge, angry bear! He noticed the ratlings cringe, surprised by the bear's appearance nearby. Woodbine chuckled -- the foolish creatures must have disturbed it somehow. Once they moved to attack he and Abraxis, the bear charged. They would keep the bear busy for awhile! His own attention diverted, he was himself startled as a ratling leapt out from behind the gate to the field he was moving along. The creature leveled a spear and charged. Woodbine turned and fired quickly and the ratling dropped, an arrow in its chest.

    Yo-dee triggers the objective marker on the left and unveils a wildcat legionary...employed by rats??
On the left, Yo-dee charged off towards the first patch of woods and objective marker. Following behind him, Jemmy noticed the bulging pouch at the belt of the armored ratman, who lay covered in blood, felled by the coyote's two-handed sword. "This will buy a few ales," Jemmy laughed as he snatched it from the lifeless creature's belt, hearing the satisfying jingle. He knew his band wouldn't have time to loot the slain for the most part on this mission, but no harm in taking what was all but shoved into his hands! Thinking similarly, Woodbine snatched a pouch from the ratling his arrow had killed. 

    Jemmy Tar tells Yo-dee to clear out & unleashes a flurry of magic darts at the treacherous mercenary
Woodbine heard scurrying feet behind him, and saw one of the brother monks puffing along down the path from the monastery towards them. He was carrying a staff in both hands like a weapon. Woodbine sighed. He saw more movement to his right and noticed a harvester with a spade enter the field, digging up potatoes and putting them in his burlap sack. He imitated a birdsong that he knew would catch Jemmy's attention. When the badger looked over, he pointed to the two monks, so he could help keep an eye on them.

    Wounded, Abraxis continues to hammer his way through hordes of ratlings with his mace
Up ahead, the ranger noticed Abraxis nearing the edge of the woods. He also saw the three ratlings running towards the armadillo -- or were they running away from the bear? Left behind, the ratling slinger squeaked and whirled his leather sling over his head and loosed a stone at the charging bear. It missed and the bear leapt upon the slinger. The bear's jaws closed and the slinger gave one final, urgent squeak and went limp and lifeless. Woodbine jogged forward as Abraxis entered the edge of the woods. He was waddling forward faster than he'd ever seen the armadillo move before! The ranger saw movement deeper in the woods. Dark forms were creeping towards Abraxis. The ranger counted five shapes, and shouted at Abraxis to back out of the woods to where his bow could cover him. The armadillo hefted his mace and looked about to protest, but finally saw the ratlings edging towards him. He began backing into the meadow. Satisfied, Woodbine sighted his bow and sent a shaft hurtling towards the ratlings running from the bear, seeing one stumble and go down.

    Hearing the shouts of his master, the barbarian coyote returns to strike down the wounded wildcat
On the left, Yo-dee slowed down and crept cautiously beneath the trees. He saw a glint of steel through the trunks. Out of the gloom, a wildcat walked towards him, pulling its sword from its sheath. He wore a steel breastplate, bronze helmet, and long red cloak. Far behind him, he hurried Jemmy Tar gasp. "It can't be...the Wildcat Legion -- fighting for the rats? What treachery!" Yo-dee looked from the armored wildcat to Jemmy. He was unafraid, but something about this creature bothered his master. He growled low and deep in his throat. Jemmy shouted to him, "I will deal with this traitor, Yo-dee! Search the next woods!" Red blasts of magic crackled past Yo-dee's head, rebounding from the red shield of the wildcat. Yo-dee looked back at Jemmy again and heard him shout, "Hurry, we haven't much time!" 

    The bear, wounded by Woodbine's arrows, turns to face a new threat -- a very upset giant boar!
Yo-dee darted out of the woods and to the next treeline, advancing stealthily. He heard before he saw the chittering of a group of ratmen. As his eyes picked out their forms, he saw them whirring slings over their heads, their black eyes intent upon him. Behind him, the coyote heard the Wildcat hiss in pain as one of Jemmy's magic bolts struck home. Yo-dee heard it snarl a challenge, and wavered. He was bloodguard -- sworn to protect the life of Jemmy Tar! He bolted back into the woods he'd just left and charged the Wildcat, who saw him coming. Swords clanged. The wildcat was fast, his sword cut the coyote's side. Yo-dee howled in anger and battered his two hand sword down upon the bronze helmet. The creature reeled, then Yo-dee's followed up with a two handed slice which struck home. It fell, nearly cut in two. Good armor, Yo-dee thought, but not enough to protect against "Rat-Cleaver" -- the name Abraxis had given Yo-dee's huge, curving sword. The coyote howled in triumph as the wildcat lay still.

    Midway through the game and only two objective markers remain for the Splintered Band to search
Back on the right, Woodbine fired three arrows and watched ratlings fall beneath the trees. Meanwhile, the four running from the bear crashed into Abraxis, who swung his spiked mace to the left and right, crushing a ratling lifeless with each stroke. Woodbine called, "To me, Abraxis! There is a more dangerous enemy than rats on the prowl!" The ranger paused, breathed slowly, and aimed at the bear and let an arrow fly. A roar told him his shot had struck home. But why was it not charging? It had dispatched the two hapless ratling slingers. Instead, it was snuffling and glancing back at the trees the ratlings had emerged from. Woodbine squinted his eyes and saw movement in the greenery. "What now?" he thought. He gasped when the creature emerged from the woods, its red eyes intent on the wounded bear. It was the largest boar he'd ever seen, with huge curving tusks and hooves that pawed the ground. 

    The cruelly curved tusks of the boar and its fury are enough to overcome the powerful bear
The boar charged the bear and the two swirled in combat, curved tusks against claws and teeth. Woodbine tore his eyes away from the swirling melee. He had enemies of his own to worry about. He sent shaft after shaft into the ratlings, as Abraxis swung his mace at all that came into contact. After a moment, all the ratlings lay fallen, feathered or smashed to the ground. "Abraxis -- hurry! Over the fence of that field. I will join you! We have only a moment before one or the other of those forest creatures charge us." Sure enough, just as Abraxis clambered over the wooden fence and propped his shield against it, he heard the enraged squeal of the giant boar. It stood over the motionless bear, its head swaying back and forth, tusks dripping blood. Then it caught sight of the armadillo. It let out another terrifying squeal and charged. Abraxis wisely shifted position behind the stoutest fence post he could find, bracing his shield and weight against it. The boar took the bait and crashed into the fence. Braced by Abraxis, the post held. The fighter swung his mace overhead, cracking it down on the boar's head. Woodbine raced to his companion's side and swung his axe, aiming for its neck. The two battered at the creature until it finally let out an explosive snort and sagged to the ground.

    Tragedy! One of the monk harvesters is pounced upon by a prowling mountain lion
The roaring of the bear and boar had drawn the attention of other predators of the woods, though. Creeping silently through the trees was a large mountain lion. It saw one of the monk harvesters digging plants from the ground and then placing them in its sack, oblivious to the feline's presence. When it had crept close enough, it sprang from cover and raced noiselessly towards the unsuspecting mouse. It leapt the fence and only when almost upon its prey did it roar, paralyzing the monk with fright. The lion crashed upon him and drove him to the ground. Claws and teeth rent the mouse's form, who never had a chance to cry out. Jemmy Tar, at the opposite end of the field, heard the lion's roar. "Oh, laddie no!" he cried, as the mouse went down. Hands waving with arcane gestures, the badger summoned up his red bolts again and hurled them, one after another, at the lion. It roared in pain, and then again when it was struck a second time. Finally, it sprang towards the badger, closing the distance rapidly. However, Jemmy did not panic and waited till it was close and he could not miss. The final bolt of red pierced the lion, and it tumbled through a patch of pumpkins and then lay still.

    Abraxis & Woodbine use the fence to help hold off the explosive charge of the giant boar
Jemmy looked from the fallen monk to where Yo-dee waged battle with two different groups of ratling slingers. He hesistated, unsure which way to go, when he heard his friend Abraxis shout, "I've got the wee poor mousie! You help Yo-dee!!" The badger smiled as Abraxis stumbled through the pumpkin patch,  pumping his short legs as fast as they would go. Jemmy turned and began hurling magic darts at the slingers, who had obviously struck the coyote once or twice. He called over his shoulder, "Get these mice back to the monastery, Abraxis! The rest of us will finish this!" Jemmy jogged forward towards Yo-dee, as did Woodbine. The three companions whittled away at the ratlings. Suddenly, the monastery bell began to clang. 

    Woodbine advances beneath the trees & triggers the final objective marker, revealing another wildcat
"That's the sign," Jemmy shouted. "Let's go -- make sure all the monks are out of the fields. We don't leave any behind." As they retreated, Jemmy saw the monk that the lion had pounced on supported between Abraxis and another monk carrying a staff. He thought he saw the bloody mouse open its mouth and squeak in pain. "Alive...how?" Abraxis saw him looking and held up the empty healing potion. He nodded his head and smiled at his friend. Soon, the entire Splintered Band, along with four mouse monks, were hurrying through the paths between the fields. Up ahead, Jemmy saw the monks waving from the open gate, urging them to hurry. He didn't have turn to be able to tell the rats were following them. He could hear their angry chittering at his backs. Errant sling stones fell around them, but they were too far away to be accurate. They'd made it! Jemmy smiled and knew exactly which of the monastery's ales he would celebrate with!

    Another bear prowled onto the board (the first's mate?), but it was dispatched by Yo-dee's sword
This was an epic length game of Sellswords & Spellslingers. It lasted 17 turns. I'd started out rolling fairly well, but hit a stretch where I failed well move half of my activations. Several times, I had characters fail all three activations they rolled for! The larger predators showed up on the "Wandering Monster" event card. I didn't mention it in my story, but there were actually two more that showed up. One was another bear slain by Yo-dee and the other was another boar that arrived directly behind a horde of six very surprised and disappointed ratlings...ha, ha! Do I want that many "wandering monsters" in this scenario? I'm not sure. Maybe I'll change the scenario rules I've written to have the player roll each time after one appears. First time, remove the card on a "6" on 1d6. Second time, on a 5-6. Third time, 4-6, and so on. That seems like it will make more sense (though this is a fantasy campaign...ha, ha!). 

    Abraxis and the brave monk helper tend to the monk harvester, administering a healing potion
I had fun playing the game, though. The rules do an amazing job of creating an unfolding story, and the cards play off of each other well. The frequent shuffling of the event deck means it remains unpredictable with occurrences like the giant boar showing up to gore the angry bear. I will now begin brainstorming Scenario 3. I'm thinking that Jemmy and Brother Barnibus will be interested in investigating the mystery of the Wildcat Legion fighting on behalf of the rats. Stay tuned, and we'll see...! 

    With the monastery's bell clanging, the Splintered Band & their helpers hurry off the battlefield

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Miniatures acquired in 2025: 232
  • Miniatures painted in 2025: 117 

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Terrain acquired in 2025: 21
  • Terrain painted in 2025: 40

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

  • Scatter acquired in 2025: 93
  • Scatter painted in 2025: 100