'Barbarism is the natural state of mankind,' the borderer said, still staring somberly at the Cimmerian. 'Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph.'

-Robert E. Howard
Beyond The Black River

Corrupt Cliffs

Corrupt Cliffs
Get your FREE Narrative Terrain Deck today!
Showing posts with label Skirmish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skirmish. Show all posts

Monday, April 18, 2016

Great Magics of the 1890s: In Her Majesty's Name.

This past Sunday the Skirmish club got together and played a three way scenario devised by one of our members.


Each player was given a primary and secondary objective and a starting point.  Initiative was randomized via a small deck of cards.  This deck also included effects such as Dust, Darkness and Wind.

I believe VP were awarded as.
20 - Primary
10 - Secondary
5- Leader kill
2- Regular kill



Our original deployment.  Three companies approach the ruins of an old temple.  Rumors say that within it are objects of great magic.

Central Asian Agency deployment.

Our first moves.

Mongols ride for the cover of the forest, feinting towards the breech in the wall to gain access to the magic items.  The objects are secondary to me though, striking down the enemy and killing their leaders is my primary goal.  Crush your enemies.  See them driven before you.  Hear the lamentation of their women.  Sadly my dogs took a bullet, but being the troopers they are, remain in the game.

Second round, Mongols continue their feint, Jeremy's forces split moving through the gate and towards the temple, I rush my dogs in to attack and pin some forces effectively splitting his forces.  On our right Greg moves his units unmolested up to the walls and proceeds to gain entry into the temple complex.  Dust clouds sweep into the valley causing reduced visibility and essentially reducing ranged weapons.  This favors my units.

Dogs rushing into combat!

Mongol leader continues to move towards the entrance! 

Mongols move into the attack, pressing their advantage of strength into Jermey's now split forces.  The Dust has settled but Darkness has settled across the land causing confusion and reducing ranged combat again.  Gregs forces continue to take up firing positions on the wall while I fight against Jermey's forces in hand to hand.

Result of the close combat results in one of my dogs dying as well as Jeremy losing two of his units.  The Mongol leader pulls Jeremy's two other units away from their search for treasure.


(I think I missed a turn of combat in here, pretty sure I eliminated Jeremy's leader in my leaders first move across the trees, freeing the dog to attack)

The next round sees howling winds sweep down causing a small amount inaccuracy to long ranged weapons, but generally does not effect any of us.  The Yeti also moves into combat to help the war dog.

The Mongol leader leaves Jermey's last two isolated units to cross the trees and enter combat

Greg's firing positions.  This turns poorly as conditions finally favor shooting and he begins to unload arc cannons on us.

The Mongols move in and attack the robot, on moving into combat each Mongol has a +8 to hit, but with only a -1 to pluck rolls they fail to do more than harass the machine.

The next round sees the Yeti free and able to move into combat.  Also enjoying a +8 to attack rolls and a -2 to pluck the group finally brings down the Robot.

(The next round has the Mongols ride out into a line and open fire on Greg's leader, but as he retreats into cover we are unable to score a hit.  Unfortunately I am not so lucky and an arc cannon lights up a horseman and he falls dead)


Now I have two options.  Flee the field as I have no chance of killing the rest of Greg's forces or......Charge into combat against his leader. 

I choose combat.

Our first round ends in s stalemate, and in the second round I lose initiative, but I am able to move my war dog into combat as well.

The unfortunately proves bad for me as his attack kills my leader first before my Mongols manages to bring down his leader.

At this point Greg has not managed to uncover any of the Magic Items, and despite killing a few of my guys my victory point total is higher at the end due to a lot of bloodshed and killing of leaders.  One as an objective and one just as a combat.

Overall it was a fun game with decent rolls on my side, Jeremy was just learning the game and getting his forces split really hurt him, as well as a few rounds of reduced range.  I enjoyed the initiative system combined with battlefield effects.

The reduced range gave me a fairly large benefit I think.  Half of my units don't have ranged weapons and the ones that do, don't use them that much. 

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Frontier Cabin

"He hurried down the road, crossed Scalp Creek and came in sight of the first settler's cabin—a, long, low structure of ax-hewn logs. In an instant he was pounding on the door. A sleepy voice inquired his pleasure."

-Beyond the Black River
Robert E Howard.

The following is a build of a frontier cabin, maybe something that might fit into the Aquilonian frontier as found in Beyond the Black River.  In the end the logs on this cabin have a more rounded look than perhaps axe hewn logs should have, but I think it gets the point across.


Experimenting with log texture on foam core.

Dimensions for cabin end.

Dimensions for the main wall.

Main pieces laid out with textured piece.  Paper removed from foam core in preparation for texturing.

Lines were drawn with a ball point pen and then these are pushed in to form the crevasses between the logs using a rounded clay tool.

Textured cabin glued with PVA and pinned to wait for it to dry.

Cabin with 25mm Bones Pirate for scale.  Glue is dry, main structure is complete.  I end up putting in a floor and an interior wall to combat some of the bowing I was seeing in the main walls.  I also reinforced the wall joints with hot glue on the inside.

Simple chimney.  Styrene with ball point pen texture.  The texturing could have been deeper, I lost a fair bit of detail when I painted.

Main cabin now with card roof cut from box can boxes (12 packs).  Doors and windows framed with stir sticks.  Cabin walls painted dark brown and dry brushed with a lighter brown.

Cutting the shingles.

Each shingle was cut and glued on with PVA.

First row of shingles.

Completed side.

Shingled roof on the cabin.

More or less finished cabin with various scatter terrain.  Inside of the cabin has been painted black.  Stone door step has been added as well as a door made from stir sticks.  Ridge beams added along the top of the building to join the two shingled sides, this was hot glued into place.  Roof is removable, if players need to be inside, but the inside is unfinished. 

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Central Asian Agency - IHMN

Quite a bit of progress on my company for "In Her Majesty's Name".

First up, a mission statement:

A loose confederation of governments with interests in the steppe regions. Using their collective strengths they attempt to recover supernatural and technological marvels before the West.


What this means?  I am largely ignoring the politics of the steppe region.  In my world the governments there openly fought over their interests in that region, but globally knew the West was a far greater danger and so formed a loose alliance.  Mongols, Russians, Tibetans.


First up:
Mongols.  I have been detailing my horse painting, but as our first game approached I moved onto the riders.



Mongols on their temporary steeds for painting.  Various stages.

Mongols painted and pinned to their horses.  Riding into battle.
Next up:
Tibetans.  I have very few fantastical elements in my force so I went a little more fun with my Tibetan guys.

Yeti with a base coats of various blue colors.


Yetis more or less leady to kick some ass.



Finally:
Russians.

Nothing even remotely close to completed here.  I have on the table some riflemen from Siberia and a female heroine to lead the company.
Central Asian Agency.




Friday, March 11, 2016

Horses.

The clubs next planned set of rules is "In Her Majesties Name".  Essentially a VSF/Steampunk type ruleset.  It is set in the 1890s with the World's powers seeking new technology and artifacts.

My band will be an alliance of those types found around Central Asia, not wholly a government that existed, or that on the surface were talking hospitably in those days.  In the back rooms, in the dark corners, an alliance was reached and a band of Russian and Mongols formed to seeking power for both their people.

The current band is planned as a unit of Mongols (Mounted), a unit of Siberian riflemen (foot), some dogs and a couple of yetis.


The first few posts in this series are going to focus on the Mongol side of things and the first will go over horses.



Basic horse crazy glued to cavalry base and then smoothed out with 2 part putty.


Base with Vallejo Grey pumice added for texture.


Horse blocked out in a Black Brown for a base color.


Horse with color layers built up over the body of the horse. Saddle and reins painted as well.


Black wash applied at creases.


Umber and soft tone washes added to entire model.


Essentially finished model.  Ended up redefining the reins again, as I felt the washes diluted things too much.

Finished horse.


Wednesday, March 9, 2016

I'm a WIZARD mind you! 400 point Song of Blades Skirmish.


This past Sunday we had a game day.  Six of us showed up, which is pretty much our whole club at this point.  Two of our members were hot into a game of Galleys and Galleons, so the remaining 4 of us played a 4 way, hold the center scenario.  30 points of death reigned on an enemy was worth a victory point, as well as holding the central crates uncontested at the end of a turn gained you a victory point.  The sides were Orcs vs Halflings vs Elves vs Undead.

This also marked the first appearance of my Goblin Shaman to support the Orcs.  He was a low combat, high quality, Magic using, leader.  This report mostly focusses on my end of the table which involved the Orcs and Undead.

Goblin Shaman and Orc Butcher, A Savage Orc with Q4+ and C6.

So it Begins



The first few turns involve the Undead and Orcs simply free moving forward towards the center.  The Elves and Halflings took their chances a few times making quality checks.  In the end the Undead and Orcs got to a choke point which forces them to stop using free-moves.

e8ea3d801464047

The Orcs and Undead approach each other cautiously, while off in the distance the Halfing Giant begins to flank my Orcs.  The Orc Archer contingent is almost dispatched to deal with him and split the Orc party up when the Elven Hero unleashes a storm of arrows killing the leader, a wizard, of the Halfling band causing them to rethink their role in this battle.  The Giant flanking the orcs decides this battle is not for him and flees from the table leaving the Orc Archers to stay with the original warband.

9e75059871f1305

From the ranks of the Undead a Banshee slips forward and howls at the Orc Butchers in an attempt to strike terror and death into them.  Unimpressed the two Orc Butchers rush forward confident their Cave Troll will follow up to support them.  In their blind fury the banshee stands no chance and is struck down in a feat of Orcish violence.  Unfortunately the Troll refuses to move and stands it’s ground, leaving the Butchers alone against the Undead.  The Goblin Shaman, sensing favorable winds of magic, begins his chant and is able to transfix one of the ghouls which is then cut down by the arrow from an Orcish bow.

ButcherDead_transfix

With the two Orc Butchers left to fend for themselves things turn ugly quickly. The Undead Horde sweep against them killing one while the other barely manages to hold his ground before the Troll finally comes into the fray.  The Shaman’s chant is again heard, and the last ghoul freezes transfixed long enough to earn it’s death.  Unfortunately the Orc Butcher and Troll are unable to take advantage of this to move against the fearsome Vampire.

53ffcdb0cf7e5c3

Meanwhile…….The Elves continue to move up to try and take the objectives while their Giant Tree fights valiantly to kill the Giant Slayers from the Halflings.

e3ec5d017e9a02d

Sensing his moment the Vampire moves to slay the Goblin Shaman causing so much havoc among his warriors.  Unfortunately in his haste he fumbles and is unable to move up and so choses to move back away from the onslaught.  Sensing the tide of battle shifting the Orcs press forward killing the winged horror in the line of Undead.  Through a bloody battle the Orcs finally bring down the creature, but their advance leaves their shaman horribly exposed……

99772519dc272eb

 As it was feared the two undead wolves, sensing blood, captapult around the orcs and fall on the hapless Shaman.  Powerful in magic, weak in combat he falls quickly under their slavering jaws and is torn apart.


First overcome with disbelief that their Shaman could die, the Orcs fall back slightly before their confusion turns back to howls of RAGE and they fall on the two Wolves, killing one and leave the other one to be locked in combat as the Troll relentlessly approaches him under a volley of Elven archer fire.

As the Troll comes face to face with the Undead Wolf, the Elven arrows aimed for him strike home against the Undead killing it.  With it’s death, a shudder is felt through the Undead horde as they begin to crumble to dust, the entire host vanishes as if it had been a nightmare…..

48cb54a9741867

Seeing their chance to crush the stinking Elves, the remaining Orc Butcher, utters a mighty war cry and charges the Elves.  Initially things go well as the Orc’s brute strength cause the Elves to falter…

df521956c6081c6

But the Butcher can not finish the job quickly enough and with their Shaman gone the raiding party is unable to react as a cohesive force to support him. The Dryads sweep in to surround him falling on him and tearing him to pieces.

ba177d62f4ceb25

Only three remain from the might raiding party, unable to stand due to their massive losses the Orcish Horde falls back and regroups…

94dce16f2395484

But even as they flee an Elven arrow strikes home killing another of the Orcs.  In the final moments of the battle the Troll sensing blood as an Elf came forward abandoned his idea to flea the field and rushed head long to his death.  The final Orc Archer thought better and left to fight another day.

paragraph-clipart-RTA69qebc

Overall this was a very enjoyable game.  The addition of the Shaman was instrumental to having success against the Undead.  In the end I killed a lot of Undead, The Elves killed a lot of Halflings and Orcs and controlled the centre for the longest and so not that surprisingly, had the most victory points.