Some More WIP Stuff...

I am rebasing some minis I painted a very long time ago (hence the dubious paintjobs on some of them) for various purposes, as I now want to use them for Sellswords & Spellslingers.

The Heresy Vampire below has lived a haunted life - first he lost his head, and then, recently he had a metal bear fall on him, damaging the paint on his left sleeve, so in addition to finishing his new base I have to reconstruct the paintjob...

This bunch is waiting for a black undercoat, but I am not going spray them, until I have finished painting that blasted female Barbarian for Lea's Sellswords & Spellslingers party!

With my current mojo and speed, I shall probably not paint more than one or two minis before 2019 - unless I focus on models I can speed-paint with block'n'wash or drybrushes. December is a bitch to get through when working every second weekend, and still having kids around, methinks...

An Old Troll Getting a Base

The ancient Ral Partha troll is getting some attention.

I pondered long and hard, whether to remove a portion of the very thick integral base, before gluing the mini to the washer, but as it is a bit small as trolls go, I decided to keep the added height.

Tomorrow, I have a lot of tasks scheduled, so I shall probably not get much hobby time in, but as soon as I find an opportunitu to sit down at the prepping station, I shall put quite a large amount of filler on the base to make it look a bit more natural when textured, panted, and flocked.

2018-05-05: SS&SS, First Co-op Game, Part 3

So, after visiting one of my oldest friends and gaming buddies for a test run of Black Powder (more about that later) Sunday afternoon, and spending most of Monday sitting idle in Odense University Hospital, waiting for Anna to have her left knee surgically altered, waking up from anaesthesia, and getting the last instructions from the surgeon (we had to wait two hours, while he was doing another operation, because Anna had not woken in time before it), picking up a parcel from Miniature Giant (also more about that later), and spending another hour in the garden removing dandelions, I am now finally able to spend a little time with the laptop.

Finghal ran to safety, while Argesïl dragged himself along, and Rhagador stepped in a trap!

An Orc Brute spotted the crippled Rogue, and moved in for the kill. Saimon hit him twice with Magic Darts.

Argesïl spotted the approaching Orc, and made an extra effort to get away (three successful Activation Rolls, one result of '20' for an extra Action). Rhagador failed to break free.

Kentosh dispatched the Orc, while Duregar was looting, and Saimon helped Rhagador.

Argesïl finally made his way to safety. Only Rhagador remained of my party on the table, and he still struggled with the trap.

Kentosh avoided the Troll and moved closer to the edge. Ulitari joined Saimon's attempt to break Rhagador free, while Duregar placed himself to intercept the Troll, should it suddenly decide to eat some adventurers.

With the aid of two fellow adventurers, Rhagador broke free of the trap, and started following Kentosh.

More Orcs appeared, but Kentosh avoided them and left the area. Duregar and Ulitari both started following Kentosh, and I think Saimon was shooting Magic Darts after the Orcs, but either failed the spell or missed.

Rhagador made his way off the table.

The other party tried to avoid the Orcs, but they were caught by the horde, and Saimon went down!

The other two rushed in and killed the Orcs and as it turned out, Saimon had only suffered minor wounds.

More Orcs closed in!

The adventurers decided that they had seen enough blodshed for that day, and did not want to risk sustaining further injuries so close to escaping, so they ran off in the same direction as the others.

This ended a five-hour session (I have no idea why it took than long), and I shall chronicle the Campaign Activity Period of my party in another post.

2018-05-05: SS&SS, First Co-op Game, Part 2

After writing the first part of this AAR, my stomach acted up, and I fell sick. About an hour after going to bed I had to run to the bathroom where my entire stomach contents were vomited into the sink.

I then went to the living room to lay down on the couch with a heating pad on my stomach, and watch some telly as long as I could not sleep, anyway.

I placed a tub with a bit of water beside the couch, and of course I dropped the remote for our TV box into it, and it stopped functioning (I have now placed it in a bag with some rice). Mishaps never travel alone. So, I had to figure out how to change channels by operating the very few buttons on the box, so I spent 10 minutes lying on the floor in front of the telly, while experimenting. I somehow figured it out, but I shall have to do it some more, before I know it by heart.

I ended up getting a bit of sleep, and have not had to throw up further, but my stomach is a bit cramped, and I have to remind myself to breathe deeply to relieve it a bit.

Well, I have managed to edit the last pics from yesterday's game, and I am now (obviously) trying to finish the AAR.

Finghal stepped in a Bear Trap, and he and Argesïl were soon to be attacked by some Orcs.

All the while the other party was hanging back to loot some of the slain Monsters.

Shaggram prepared to launch a Fireball with surgical precision (targeting the ground behind the two characters though the gap between them and the Orcs).

The +4 Mana Flux withstanding, his energy fizzled away and left him with no power for the rest of the game. Dang!







Rhagador, sensing the predicament of his friends, hurried across the bridge. Argesïl was ambushed, and went down!

Saimon and Duregar finsished looting, and began moving towards the bridge.

Shaggram ran to the rescue of Finnghal and Argesïl, while Finghal was fighting for his life. Rhagador tried to heal himself, but failed.

I think this was where Kentosh also stepped in a trap, and Ulitari ran to help him. Nasty contraptions! Saimon started crossing the bridge (he is an old metal Warhammer mini with plastic slotta-base, so he could not stand securely on the curved bridge) and Duregar got ready to loot another orc.

An orc was catching up to Duregar, while Rhagador managed to heal himself and hastily closed in on his friends. Finghal kept failing to break free of the trap.

Duregar turned, slew the Orc, and hurried across the bridge, while Ulitari helped Kentosh break free, and Saimon followed Rhagaod up the track.

Shaggram prepared to help Finghal with the trap, all the while a Troll and an Orc Brute threatened to move in on the party.

The Swan Knight and Ulitari were busy looting corpses, while Saimon and Duregar followed Rhagador closely up the track. Finghal broke free, and hurried towards the board edge (with only Speed 3), Rhagador examined Argesïl, who came to, but with only one HP and a Speed of 1. Shaggram, deciding that the loss of his spellcasting ability made him too much of a dead weight, then ran past the Troll and Orc Brute and disappeared from sight.

Burdened by his armour, Kentosh stumbled and fell in the river, much to the amusement of Ulitari, while Saimon, to no avail, sent Magic Dart after Magic Dart after the nearest enemy, and Duregar catched up.

I shall end this second part of the AAR here, as my stomach seems to be gettingn better, and I have to go outside and remove a lot of dandelions form the lawns...

2018-05-05: SS&SS, First Co-op Game, Part 1

Today, Ulolkish and I played our first co-op game of SS&SS together. He brought a starting party of four, and I used the party from my solo game.

Although the rules prohibit playing the same scenario twice in a row when campaigning, we never the less played Through the Badlands, as it is the most basic scenario in the book, and Ulolkish had not played the game before.

I had set up a somewhat more interesting terrain than for my first game, as I wanted to try the 'Broken Ground' rules.

Finghal rolled for his 'Heavy Drinker' trait, but again showed up sober.

This was the initial set-up after placing the Monsters.

I rolled highest for order of players, and my party was assailed by Foes right from the start.

The other party moved forward to engage the enemies right ahead, while Finghal slew another Orc, and it started pouring down (marked by the aquamarine beads all over the table).

Finghal finished off the third Orc, while Shaggram had to fight off an Ambush, and Rhagador dispatched a Brute. A mana Flux occurred (marked by the purple beads), giving a +2 to spellcasting). Later, another Mana Flux brought the bonus up to +4, but I forgot to mark it in a noticeable way.

The other adventurers were slowed down  by a couple of Brutes.

I mixed up the rules for Broken Ground (I should have read up on them before the game!), so counted it as BOTH slowing all models down, AND triggering DL10 Terrain Rolls. Well, I shall not forget the rules again...

My Party rallied at the bridge...

...while their companions mowed down the Orcs in their way - and the rain stopped!

A single Brute engaged Rhagador.

Rhagador fought the Orc Brute, while the rest of the party crossed the bridge. He killed the beast, and looted it.

Rhagador kept guarding the bridge, while the green adventurers ran for safe passage.

Shaggram successfully cast two Fireballs, killed some Orc Brutes, and crippled the Troll, while Finghal and Argesïl, as usual. tried to sneak off. Finghal stepped in a bear trap...

Kentosh the Swan Knight swept in and helped Rhagador, while Duregar the Dwarf went for some valuables in the bushes. Saimon the Sorceror must have felled the Troll with some Magic Darts, although LOS should have been blocked by the bushes, as per scenario rules, but Ulolkish may have used actual eyes view of the Wizard (I was peeling potatoes for dinner while he finished the turn, so I did not actually see what happened).

It is getting late around here now, so I shall continue this AAR tomorrow (or maybe Monday, as I have a Black Powder appointment in Glamsbjerg tomorrow afternoon, we shall see...)

Sellswords and Spellslingers: First Solo Game, Turn 13, 14, and 15 (The End)

TURN 13

Rhagador triggered a single Event, which activated the 'original' Troll, and the Monster blundered further to the North.

Rhagador then hurried towards the table edge, weary of fighting the Orcs, and hoping to avoid further combat.

Shaggram got three full Actions, and he ran off the table.

I forgot that his Speed was reduced by one, and he should stopped two inches from the edge - but in retrospect I think it just evened out the couple of times I played an extra Event Card by mistake.

I only became aware of that error after finishing the game, so I just had to let it stand.

It was now time for

TURN 14




Alone in the Badlands, Rhagador wanted to make his way to safer grounds as quickly as possible - but he must have upset some higher powers, and triggered two Events.






The first was Mana Flux, which would have no effect on the game with no spellcasters present, so I simply ignored it. The second activated the Troll, which now, all of a sudden, seemed to have noticed our lone adventurer...

Of course, Rhagador then hurried towards the table edge - fighting a big bad, regenerating Troll all on his own was definitely NOT on his bucket list right now!

This brings us to

TURN 15

Rhagador missed one of his Activation Dice, but as he also rolled a '20', he opted to cancel the Event, and two actions were enough for him to exit the table.


Success!!

The objective, moving from one side of the table and off the opposite, was met, and the party gained 4 XP.

No individual XP were gained, as no Wandering Monsters were slain in hand-to-hand combat.

Rhagador collected a meager 14 XP, and two Cheap Swords which he may sell off for some additional coin.

How the XP are divided, and what the party members did after the scenario, I shall muse about in a separate post.

Lessons learned:

1. Characters probably need a more aggressive stance to be able to collect more Treasure during a scenario.
2. In retrospect, Argesïl would have been better employed collecting Treasure from fallen foes than just crossing the table at full speed.
3. Fireball is a powerful spell - it lacks the ability of being used to support friends in combat, though, and a spellcaster would probably be well off getting Magic Dart as soon as possible, if not as his first spell (I think, Fireball is probably still the better option for the first Spell, but I can see a lot of use for Magic Dart as well).
4. There is strength in numbers (d'oh!). A party is probably more efficient with its members in close support (Rhagador would not have been tied up as much with, for instance, Finghal fighting beside him). Next game, I shall try to keep them together - but different levels of success with the Activation Dice may cause some dispersion.
5. Monster Minions are not all that dangerous - especially if the fighting heroes have Shield and Armour.

I think that is it.

If I find the time tomorrow, I shall work out the 'Between Scenarios' actions of the party members. I have a feeling, much arduous labour will occur...