Zombie Pikemen - Antediluvian Miniatures.

Despite the disappointment of missing Hammerhead it's been a pretty good weekend on the brushes.

Plenty of prep on the last of the Fire Forge Games - Forgotten Realms kickstarter, villagers, both live and dead, I also got to finish the last of the recent kickstarter from Antediluvian Miniatures.

More Conquistador in style than Pikemen but I figured they fit and painted up to match the recent output, it gives the bad guys something a little tougher, what they lack in attacking power they will be harder to kill (again).

That's the last from last years kickerstarter painted. It will be interesting to see if they expand this range. The Zombies are a little on the thin side, but they fit in well with the wider collection.

Meanwhile as the paint dried on the armoured zed's I got to work on the last of the beguiled villagers and recently turned. These should be hitting the paint table in the week ahead.

This should give me 3-4 more units for the forces of darkness, which should be plenty for the humans to chop and hack through. After the last encounter we have made a tweak to the Zombie rules to get them to stick around on the tabletop a little longer. Ignoring the excess pins to destroy them, which should tie down more human units whilst not increasing the number of kills the Zombies achieve.

So still plenty to do if we have to spend 2 weeks locked in doors.

In the words of Simon Pegg - "Let's go down Ye Olde Winchester, have a nice pint of ale and wait for this all to blow over"

Stay Safe all.

The Elizabethan Zombie Chronicles #3 - The Batlle of Barnford

Having regrouped after the attack on the camp the Spanish under Captains Fanez and Cabanellas marched towards the Hamlet of Barnford, they had to clear the village if they were to secure a base of operations for future campaigns.

By now the Spanish Captain's had become cautious to the ways of the dead, the archway into Barnford was clearly a trap...

The cavalry flanked the village and galloped into the village square charging down a werewolf before it had a chance to counter charge. The square was full of the dead, the cavalry commander swallowed hard, had they bitten off more than they could chew this time?

Wave after wave of evil creatures scrambled to attack the cavalry, each time they beat back the dead and foul beasts until finally down to two valiant souls they were forced to retreat.

Meanwhile the Spanish main forces spread out to attack the village, with the cannon covering the main gatehouse.

The dead when not under the direct command of a witch have no concept of control and shamble forwards looking for living flesh to feast upon.... 

The Spanish had quickly become veterans from their first encounters and teased the dead out from the village, waiting behind the hedge row and shooting several down before they could reach the defenders.

Fanez spotted an opening in the ranks of the dead and charged into the Witch and her escort, she had been sitting back casting a chill wind across the Spanish troops but was caught cold by the lightening attack, stripped of her escort she broke and ran.

Battled was joined on all fronts as the dead clashed with the living. slowly the dead fell and their number became fewer...

In a final act of defiance the dead overran the cannon consuming the crew before they were dispatched by a group of sword and bucklermen.

The bulk of the dark forces destroyed the Witches fell back from the village leaving Barnford to the Spanish who mopped up the remaining zombies who without their controllers were no threat to the victorious spanish.

Another fun encounter.

The Witches and their spell casting created a new treat for the humans, who lost a number of soldiers to the chill wind cast across the battlefield. 

Next up the Spanish go on the offensive.
But the dead will be waiting....

The Elizabethan Zombie Chronicles #2. Attack on the camp.

After their first encounter on English soil Captains Fanez and Cabanellas and their detachment made camp at a small holding on the road to Barnford, they ordered their men to pitch their tents and the cavalry were sent off to scout the surrounding area.

As the sun slipped below the surrounding hills, the camp was attacked by forces of the Army of Darkness.

Cabanellas rang the alarm and his troops rushed to defend the camp...

Half the Spanish forces were able to deploy with 12" of the centre of the table, whilst the remaining forces rushed to reinforce the camp from the second turn.

The forces of evil attacked from all sides with half their forces deploying on the first turn and the second half appearing on the second turn, they are able to appear on any edge as along as it is not immediately following a human unit.

The Witches had learned from their early skirmish and stood back casting a deadly chill across the Spanish defenders. Troops cowered under the evil spell and picked up early pins. 

However the early successes were not to last as Spanish reinforcements rushed to defend the camp from the evil creatures they caught a number of the old hags in the rear, killing them and their zombie body guards.

In the confusion of battle and as day turned to dusk, zombies pushed towards the centre of the camp. Closing with the defenders, the decaying husks were struck down but not before they had inflicted a number of casualties on the camp defenders.

Meanwhile in the woods to South of the camp Spanish troops attempted to clear the woods of attackers only to be set upon by more evil forces being drawn to the sound of battle, wolves charged into the Spanish Calviers who were torn to shreds by the foul beasts and the Werewolves.

The wolf pack and the werewolves prepare to charge again.

Captain Fanez rushes to support his men killing a number of the werewolves before the Vampire swept in killing his bodyguards and striking him down.

Meanwhile the shambling dead entered the camp but with each passing turn their number got less and less as the Spanish struck them down with sword and shot.

As the Spaniards secured the camp the final attack from the werewolves charged in killing several defenders before they were destroyed and the remaining attackers slipped into the darkness.

A closer scenario than the first, the Werewolves are vicious on the attack but lack the numbers to sustain more than a single round of combat. The zombies have the numbers but with such a low resistance score don't last long...… but that's what I had in mind, I guess I will need to paint more...

Next up the Spanish reach the village of Barnford…..

The Elizabethan Zombie Chronicles #1 - Beachhead.

First game in a series of encounters set in a zombie infested England...

After storms off the English coast had wreaked havoc to the ships of the Grand Armada remnants of the Army of Flanders came ashore somewhere in Southern England, the army gathered its shattered units and regroups and elements of the army march inland to seek a suitable position of defence to await further reinforcements and local Catholics to rally to their cause.

Using the Warlords of Erewhon Rules the Spanish field 1000 points to patrol this foreign land seeking shelter when they are confronted by elements of the Army of Darkness.

Two Ships Captains are present Alvar Fanez and Miguel Cabanellas, with Calviers, Sword and Bucklermen backed up by Cannon and Horse. To win the day they simply have to destroy more points of an enemy also fielding 1000 points.

Following a stream inland the Spanish forces find their path blocked by a mass of dead and other fowl beasts, 

The Spanish forces advance to the hedge row over looking the farm house, when the air is turned black as crows poor from the trees diving straight for the advancing Spanish, they slash with their swords hacking the Crows down as they flew into their human foe.

The dead advance through the valley, whilst other evil forces swing left taking the high ground to the West of the farm house.

Fanez orders his cavalry forwards.

They crash into the recently turned firing their pistols as they charge in, the warhorses trample the dead under foot, while their heavy swords send the dead back to where they belong.

Miguel Cabanella on the West Flank is faced by the stuff of nightmares, a vampire type creature sweeps into attacking him and his defenders time and again they force him backwards slowly gaining the upper hand.

Meanwhile the cavalry continue their bloody work tearing into mass ranks of the rotting dead, despite their numbers the dead fail to land a blow on the well armoured cavalry.

A creature half man and half wolf skirts the farm house and rips into the advancing Spanish catching one unfortunate soul before he is killed by the human defenders who shoot him down before he can inflect further casualties.

Facing increasing pressure from hill top the Spanish Captain is set upon by a mass of the dead, but is able to defeat them his body guard sacrificing themselves to drive the dead back.

The Cavalry continue their advance striking down yet more of the evil dead, it is only when the Witch sends a chill wind towards them that unhorses one of the valiant knights that they begin to question their mortality. But the heavy lifting had been down and the valley was clear of the risen.

The skirmish was over and the dead retreated under the cover a thick mist that appeared on the battlefield. The Spanish were content to hold the field, they had suffered minor losses but knew the dead would sure to be back.

An interesting encounter and a good scene setter for a number of linked games, it was nice to get some of the new stuff on the table. The heavy cavalry make short work of the zombies. The dead have the numbers but the chances of striking a blow and securing a kill is very slight, they need to think about picking their targets next time. The cannon would be better to target single creatures such as the Werewolves and Vampire as ball did little to slow the dead advance.
The likes of the Werewolves and Vampire perhaps need a couple of "supporters" to keep them in play a little longer.

Plenty to think about whilst I plan up the next games.
I am sure the make up of forces will be different as the Spanish look to clear the hamlet of barnford in the next encounter which will give them a base of operations or will they be beaten back and be forced to fit with their backs to the sea.

Antediluvian Miniatures - Kickstarter - Conquerors of Mictlan - Painted (Finally)

Time to catch up on some of the outliers. Last September I picked up the Antediluvian Miniatures - Kickstarter - Conquerors of Mictlan Range. Well a year later they finally made it off the paint table.... Shameful.

These will be perfect for the Ghost Archipelago or the Elizabethan Zombie War Projects, as always with Antediluvian some great sculpts and really rich in character.

Spanish Officer types, the chap on the left with his two handed broadsword has a full face mask, whilst the second character even comes with his own monkey.

More Spanish men-at-arms lets see how the rapier fares against the wandering dead......

Born adventurers, it must be over 20 years since I last painted a dwarf but these guys should come in handy in the campaigns ahead.

The scholars and the young prince. Already thinking about the scenario's for these characters.

I was pretty impressed with Warlords of Erehwon Warlords fantasy rules when we first gave them a run out. With plenty of scope for some of the odd ideas I had for the Elizabethan games.
I think these figures might just push me over the edge to make the purchase.

Saturday Evening Round up.

Well so much for no new projects - Thanks Karl @Crooked Dice.

Being of a certain age, who could not be tempted by the latest release from Crooked Dice, I have no idea how these not "V" figures will fit in with any of the other projects, but that's half the fun.

Having raided the understair cupboard for the original mini series box set, I also picked up a bunch of novels for under £2.00 each. I minor distraction from the current projects honest :-)

I figured with so few colours if you on the average Shock Troopers I could get them finished over the weekend. The only challenge is to go for Red or Dark Orange as both seem to be in use in the TV show.

I got them undercoated and ready for painting tomorrow, it will be a welcome break from Haitian Infantry.

Meanwhile I finally got around to painting the doors and windows on the Spanish Church. It does look far better. I have an order coming from Tablescape in the days ahead to build my Haitian Village and the doors and windows will definately need an upgrade.

Meanwhile lead mountain got a little larger with the arrival of Antediluvian Miniatures Kickstarter, I am a big fan of their sculpts and they will fit in with some of the future Ghost Archipelago games.

Right back to the brushes....