The LOOOOONG Weekend

Evening folks... or morning? I really don't know. The bank holiday weekend has been a super busy one this time around. Thankfully it wasn't work based I've just been traveling around a lot.

So a few shout outs to the people that made my first bank holiday weekend off for about a YEAR a super memorable one. First up a big thanks to everyone at Swansea Comic and Gaming Con. I attended their first event last year and was only able to visit this year as a last minute decision. I was able to catch up with an old friend who was selling at the show, (Go check Kathryn's stuff out HERE) meet some awesome designers of wargames scenery (Check out that HERE) and pick up some swag for myself. Two other highlights for the day; and they come in the forms of Ed and Tom, collectively known as JOLLYBOAT. If you are in the area and you see these guys listed at an event I can't recommend them enough. Absolutely hilarious band and really friendly to talk to.
I know a lot of people were up in London for MCM this weekend, but for me, it was nice to relax and visit a smaller and friendly convention than fight my way through hoards of people in London. I will definitely be going back next year, possibly as a vendor if all goes well. What's more, this weekend allowed me to chat up a few creative types regarding the Age of Savagery,so hopefully I'll be seeing more of them in the future.

Now onto Sunday. It started early and by god did it end late. Though I avoid London like the plague in most situations there is one thing that will convince me to make the pilgrimage. The mighty IRON MAIDEN.

I don't think I need to say much more. The band were in top form as ever and the stage show was astounding. The aztec theme of the the new album was put to good use in the stage and has given me some cool ideas I want to work with. I'll see what forms out of the fever dreams as right now I'm running on fumes having only got back to the house around 5 in the morning. Well worth it though.

I don't usually give write ups to this degree on events as it all seems a bit personal where everything else is aimed at whatever project I working on, but as I've not posted much in the last week I thought I'd show some love to the people that have kept me preoccupied these last few days.

Work continues on my submission for Age of Savagery as well as some other project, but for now I'll play you out with something I picked up at the con from the very nice people at the Blotz table.

Don't ask me why I bought a tiny piano, nobody could stop me at the time if they tried.

Beasts of Shadow War (cont)

GAME 2

With Orks riding high on their early success, the Scouts decide to take revenge and stage an ambush. The majority of the Ork squad formed up in the centre of the shanty town, then the Scouts took up concealed positions on the southern board edge.

Additionally, the Scouts had sold off their hard earned promethium cache from the last mission to enlist the help of a specialist: A Deathwatch Veteran, Brother Captain Doakes

Against the Orks' greater numbers, it was up to the Scouts to learn from their last encounter and keep the greenskins pinned before they could do any damage. There was just one problem, Gortankk had found the Scouts first.

Shocked at the sudden arrival of the Ork leader breathing down his neck, Bjern and his fellow Scout struck first. A Ork yoof was quickly put down, but Gortankk could afford the bodies at this stage. He was eager to repay Bjern for the plasma scars he suffered in the last mission.

The other Scouts made their presence felt against the bulk of the Ork force, raining death from behind the scaffolding. Caught in the open, the Ork response was slow to gain any momentum. Even the support fire given from the heavy shoota wasn't enough to inspire the Orks to charge. Mostly likely since the Ork gunner had taken down as many of their own number as he had enemy targets. furthermore, the heavy weapon ran out of ammo there and then, leaving the Orks caught between the Scout sniper and the lethal bolter rounds of Captain Doakes.

Elsewhere, the grudge match of the age was taking place as Gortankk squared off in single combat against Bjern. The Scout Sergeant was a skilled fighter, but it was the brutality of the Ork Kaptain that won in the end.  With the Bjern out of action at the hand of the Ork Leader, the nearby Scout went into over drive! facing off against the surviving Ork boy and the Gortankk himself. Trading minor blows against the two brutal aliens, the loan Scout sought to defend his fallen Sergeant and himself, but it was to no avail. The Heroic Scout was cut down in his turn and the Orks turned their attention to remaining Scouts hiding amidst the scaffolding.

By now the Orks had managed to get themselves rild up enough to force a charge. The sudden burst of enthusiasm and stray bullets caught the Scout sniper off guard, taking  round to the head, the last sight the sniper saw was an Ork axe aimed at his neck. Captain Doakes had seen the fall of Bjern and assumed control of the mission. With the majority of the Orks converging on the snipers position and unlikely to pursue, he ordered a withdrawal. Once again the Orks had claimed vistory, but this time they had claimed a prize.

POST GAME 2

The Scout sergeant survived his injuries, but would not be able to lead a mission for a while. In his stead, the Scouts offered up their only promethium cache to secure Captain Doakes to lead the next mission. The Scouts had been badly mauled by the death of their sniper, but another member of their team was unaccounted for.

The Orks fared better, claiming another two promethium caches and the victory, but the real cause for celebration was the trophy. The feisty Scout who had put up a good fight against the Ork Kaptain had been captured. What's more, that same Scout was responsible for the grenade that cost an Ork an arm. Needless to say that the Scout's time in the care of the Orks was far from pleasant.

GAME 3

Tooled up and ready to save their comrade, the Scouts set up along the North of the Ork encampment. Not expecting too much from the twice-battered Scouts, the Orks took a leisurely approach to sentry duty.

Remaining hidden on the approach, Doakes would be taking  a huge risk in dispatching the Ork yoof that wandered past his position. The Orks were spread out and would be slow to form  a threatening response, his decision could mean a successful rescue or cost more lives. He pulled the trigger and the Ork dropped. The few seconds that followed were tense. The silencer had been a wise investment on his part, but with the Ork going out of action in a single shot, the remaining Orks were none the wiser.

The Scouts good fortune held for several minutes more. Just enough time to get into position to catch the Orks in a crossfire. With a shouted warning and a flash of plasma weaponry, the Ork warning sirens came to life.

Doakes had played the Orks perfectly. Attacked on two fronts and spread too thin to mount a decent counter-attack, the Orks had failed to hold any ground. A few returned shots had injured a Scout, but the Orks had paid for every transgression over the last few missions.

As the dust settled, the Scouts entered the Ork encampment to find it deserted. The Orks had fled, leaving their captive behind. The Scout, Agnar, was badly hurt and missing most of his teeth, but he would live to fight another day.

POST GAME 3

Having fled, the Orks had to forfeit a promethium cache from their lost territory, though this was quickly replenished by new surroundings. Ork injuries were nothing the docs couldn't fix up, though there would be a few with serious anger management issues in the future. After losing the third mission, the Orks ended the campaign with a total of three promethium caches.

The Scouts took their well earned victory with typical gusto. The mourned the loss of their sniper, but celebrated the rescue of the their brother Agnar. Also, the capture of the Ork encampment had heralded further success in the form of FOUR promethium caches. One from the Orks and three from a successful mission, leaving the Space Wolf Scouts as the 4-3 winner for the evening.

Well done to Gaz for the games. We've decided to keep the rosters for the Kill Teams and use them in the future. We'll be continuing this little saga as it progresses.

Beasts of Shadow War

I spent most of this week dashing around getting various bits ready for posting. So, seeing as one of my regular sparring partners was off work, we arranged a game night at mine for a change and with the recent release of Shadow War, we thought it would be rude not to give it a go.

We decided the best way to run this was to play a short campaign to get a feel for the rules and to give the progression part of Shadow War it's spotlight. We would play three games through the evening where the winner over-all would have the most promethium caches at the end. For those not familiar with the rewards of the game, you gain 1 cache for losing or drawing a game, D3 caches for winning and some missions offer bonus caches. Just to make things trickier, players can also spend their hard earned caches between games for extra equipment or hiring out specialists.

With the ground work laid out, the dice in hand and the mead-a-flowing, it was time to crack some skulls.

THE KILL TEAMS

First up, the Red Blade Kommandos. Fresh out of the wars on Elohi 7, Kaptain Gortankk returns to dish out pain and violence to all. Supported by a new squad of boyz, the Kaptain seeks to continue his bloody work against the veteran scouts of the Space Wolves.

Well trained and even better equipped, the scouts from the Space Wolves Chapter take the term elite and really show it off. Led by Bjern Redclaw, the Wolves are looking to score a foot hold in Ork held territory.

GAME 1

First mission was a straight up brawl. The Orks deployed on the hill, whilst the Scouts took cover amongst the  ruined warehouses.

The first few turns were nothing exciting as both Kill Teams advanced through Ork shanty town. Gortankk and one of the boyz took the left flank whilst the rest of the squad advanced on the right. The orks had the advantage of numbers in this game, it was up to the Scouts superior weapons and training to tip the balance. Bjern, sensing movement, took half his team with him to intercept the Ork Kaptain.

Whist the two leaders played a nasty game of cat-and-mouse (neither quite sure of their role) The bullets started flying on the other side of the battle field. The Scout plasma gunner had spotted a gang of Orks on the advance and opened fire. Though it managed to pin down an Ork Yoof, his impetuous action would prove dangerous.

With the Scouts' position revealed, the Orks sprinted full pelt towards the ruins. In true fashion, the Ork with the biggest gun held back from the charge and decided on a different tactic. Screaming a battle-cry that only a hulking, six-foot tall, green monster could put forth, The Ork heavy gunner unleashed and salvo of high caliber rounds into the street.

When the smoke finally cleared, the Scouts well and truly had their heads down, one had suffered a round to the chest, downed, but not out... not yet. Another fighter was not so lucky, an Ork boy had taken a stray shot to the back of the head. Though not a fatal blow for an Ork, it had taken him out of the mission. No doubt the gunner would suffer a beating at the hands of his squad mates after this was over.

As the sound of gunfire echoed through the shanty town Gortankk continued the hunt for a decent fight amongst the machine shops. His prayers were answered as bullets and plasma bolts began streaking in his direction. The Ork boy was first to drop, Gortankk took a plasma round to the shoulder, but thinking little of it. Glaring up the stairs in front of him Gortankk met his opposite number: Scout Sergeant Bjern Reclaw for the first time.

The following fire fight was short lived. Before Gortankk could react, Scouts took the initiative and opened fire again. Gortankk was pinned down and out numbered. The Ork boy he'd brought with him as a meat-shield was lying in the street. Gortankk looked around the corner he was sheltering behind just as a Scout kicked the downed Ork in the head. The Ork had been reaching for the pin on a grenade when the Scout had spotted the intent. This was looking ugly.

Things were not looking so great for the Scouts at the ware house ruins. The Orks had made good of the distraction provided by their over enthusiastic gunner. Two of the Scouts were down and the Orks wasted no time finishing the job. Watching from behind a wrecked door frame, the Scout Sniper fired off a few suppression rounds before radioing his Sergeant.

Bjern listened to the transmission from his sniper. Though his team held an advantage by the machine shops, Bjern had spotted the hulking brute retreat down an alley, he was loath to risk the lives of his team hunting the Ork Kaptain. Spitting on the downed Ork as he passed, Bjern gave the order to fall back. The Orks had this day.

POST GAME 1

With Orks taking the victory, it was time to see what became of the casualties.  The one Ork boy survived his brush with friendly fire without too much complaint, but the other Ork was less fortunate. As a final spit-in-the-eye the Scouts had removed the pin from the grenade the Ork had been trying to prime.  The Ork returned to consciousness just in time to spot the act and sling the grenade. It wasn't a quick enough throw however and the Ork Boy lost an arm. He'd be back, but not for the next mission.

The Scout casualties were almost as forgiving. Though both Scouts would survive to fight another day, the Orks had dealt them several broken bones. It would take them time to heal. They would also miss out on the next mission.

After a bit of scrounging both Kill Teams managed to dig up a promethium each and enough funds for some extra kit.

That's all for now, I'll be posting the next two games some-time in the next few days.

Something Fun For A Change

The past few weeks have seen me carrying a lot of pressure. I've been dealing with real life stress and nonsense and that was followed by all the other arty based nonsense that you guys normally get to see. So I managed to find some time over the last few days to sit back and do something for myself.

GW released the stand alone rules for Shadow War recently and I'm a big fan of old school Necromunda. Rather than just dig out an old Necro gang or re-purpose my Orks I decided to build a dedicated Kill-Team. These little squad sized games are great opportunities to put a lot of character into just a few models. For my Kill-Team I looked to a recent purchase from my trusty local flea market (God bless Splott Market. As long as you don't ask too many questions you can find anything)

The whole box of marines had two dreads and a whole biscuit tin of paints and it only cost me a tenner. I passed the dreads onto a mate and the rest of the box has gone straight into the grinder. Between the core materials and my bits-box I had a lethal five man Kill-Team ready for painting. I decided to go with a Chaos Marine team from the Night Lords chapter; the kings of shadow warfare.

The idea behind the look of the team is a gang of scavengers. These boys have been behind enemy lines for a while now and most of their kit is either re-purposed or stolen form enemies. At this stage they look overly hodge-podge, but the painting will solve that problem.

I've also been mucking about on Photoshop. It's been a while since I've had a proper play about. The over all image is very dark, but I'm happy with the atmosphere it gives off.

Commanding Stature

I've been posting a few pictures of these lads and lasses on the Twitter and the responses have been very promising. A big thanks to Phil Hynes and Annie of Bad Squiddo Games for the advice and in put on sculpting in general. You guys have made these little vanity projects possible. Also massive thanks to Mark at CPModels again for taking this new batch off my hands before the last patch of green-stuff has even set.

That's the credits done, on to the sculpts themselves. A dwarfish command to lead the troopers finished back in March.

Mark made mention that the Captains looked a bit unremarkable next to the rank-and-file so I added a crest to the helmets. I like it and fancy doing a similar thing to the next batch of dwarf minis I do.

I'll try and actually get a set of these dwarves I spent so long making actually painted and onto the gaming table. I just have other things to get finished first.

Leave a comment, any constructive criticism is welcome, be it about the design or even advice on sculpting. I'm still kind of new at it.

It's A Mad World

Just a bit of show case today of a slow burn painting project I've been doing. A fellow at my FLGS is running a Post-Apoc themed campaign and I couldn't say no. I've still got a little work to do on them, but I'm super excited about this.

This is a blurry photo of my mate's bounty hunter gang. Lovely bit of work I thought.

I took the painted crew out for a test drive earlier on last week and got a sound kicking. Clearly I needed more meat-shields and possibly another truck. Lucky for me, I have those in hand... better get painting.