Rummaging the Collection: Ere Come the Boyz!

 Hi!

As part of my attempts at organising my hobby stuff, I've rummaged out all my Orks and was surprised by just how many of the greenskins I actually had!

The Horde

Looking at my collection, its possibly a bit puny compared to the more modern versions of 40k and indeed even 2nd edition but its perfect for games of Rogue Trader and other skirmish games!

The Nobz

My boss is a modern Ork nob which looms suitably over the rest of the horde and is accompanied by a second modern plastic on the right and a classic 2nd edition Goff skarboy/nob that I converted quite a while back now.

The Boyz

The main bulk of my force is the big unit of Goff Boyz consisting of a mixture of Rogue Trader era plastics and some 2nd edition box set boyz as well as a single modern plastic figure. I FAR prefer painting the old style to the newer ones as they've got tons of character, even the monopose ones compared to the rather soulless modern offering and I think I've got enough to bump up the unit size a bit kicking around my bits box somewhere...

Sneaky Gitz

My second mob consists of five Bloodaxe Kommandos made from a classic Rogue Trader Ork, a 2nd edition Kommando and a trio of Restic Mantic Marauders from Deathzone. I do like how they turned out and really need to add a couple more to round out the unit!

The Grotz

The Grotz are a mixture of 2nd edition starter set monopose with a modern plastic Gretchin that came with the new plastic Nobz, a converted Gnobblar with a classic Warhammer Goblin head, an ancient solid base GW Goblin and a 15mm scale Demonworld Goblin. They're a bit of a mixed bunch but work well together as a mixture of disposable cannon fodder and helpful underlings.

I've also got a couple of savage Orks lurking around but not enough to make a decent unit out of so I may eventually add them in to give my force some savage charm.

One of the interesting things I've found from the process of sorting through my collection is that I am finding myself inspired to get back to painting and sorting out figures to round out the collection and am getting a lot of inspiration for new games, scenarios and battles with what I've got which has been rather fun!

I do want to add some more clans into the mix as I do love the multi coloured splendour of a 2nd edition force with some of the wacky units that they could choose but I suspect this will be done very gradually and sporadically as I'm so easily distracted with other projects, ideas and doodads!

I do hope to play out a decent sized game in the next few days featuring this lot against an Imperial expedition and it may spawn into a mini campaign if I get myself moving...

This process has been both a constant surprise as I keep finding bits and bobs that I'd forgotten I had (case in point half a dozen Goff boyz including the veteran skarboy!) and I've found myself with a more interesting and usable collection than I thought I had and its getting me using my existing collection rather than worrying about needing new stuff all the time (although I do want to keep adding to it!). 

I do think I need to swap the bases out to match and may eventually rework the metallics to fit my current painting style but its a small thing really and the general look of the lot of the greenskinned menaces is fairly cohesive. I am again struck by how much more fun the older sculpts are to work with and will need to keep my eyes peeled for more suitable stuff to add to it, only going for modern bits and pieces if there's no other alternative as half of my hobby revolves the enjoyment and relaxation of painting and these old sculpts are so characterful that they almost paint themselves!

My next update will hopefully cover the forces of the Imperium and following that, some mercenary scum but until then, All the best!

Orks and Necromutants

 Hi!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been slowly getting some of the figures I've painted over the last few months photographed so I can get them on the blog so here's the latest batch in the form of some Orks and a Necromutant!

Some of you may remember from a few months back me bemoaning the fact that I'd painted an Ork that was so dull that I'd all but given up, and here he is. The modern plastic GW Ork is an incredibly uninspiring figure to work on and I have no idea how folks can manage to churn out an entire army of them but he's done and dusted and will probably be classed as a Skarboy for my small warband. 

The other figure on the left is a classic plastic Ork which I completed the other week and he was an absolute blast to work on compared to his modern descendant. The detail is softer, the pose a bit less dynamic but despite that he oozes character and almost painted himself and I'm glad I've still got another dozen or so of these guys sat awaiting a coat of paint as I really don't think I can bear painting another modern GW figure.

Next up, Ironically is another modern figure, this time a Mantic Marauder converted into a Necromutant for some Warzone skirmishing:

The figure itself is a Manic Marauder body from their Deadzone set with a GW head and old early 90's shoulderpad from the Ork set by GW. If I was to do the conversion again I'd probably sculpt a more suitable head but he'll do until I can get my hands on some official miniatures! 

On a side note, the figure is made from Restic, a weird slightly rubbery plastic that had some truly appalling mould lines which needed carving off and doesn't fit particularly well together either but with a decent coat of paint he's turned out quite nicely.

My next post will cover some wild ramblings about solo gaming and scenario design but I need to get my notes into some sort of order so it may be later in the week before I get it posted up so until then, All the best!

Skirmish On New Viridia

 Hi!

I figured it was high time that I actually posted a bit of an actual hobby update so spent a bit of time this evening playing a quick skirmish using some home brewed rules and featuring a squad of Viridian Assault Marines skirmishing with a Goff warband for control of an abandoned outpost on New Viridia.

The Setup

New Viridia is a megacorporate owned planet that consists of untamed rainforests and large, warm oceans. Settled at great expense by the Viridian Megacorp, it has been used to harvest all manner of rare plants and other compounds for the pharmaceutical sector as well as targeted mining for rare earth minerals and also contains several large farming and fishing franchises all under Viridian control. 

Recently several isolated outposts have gone quiet and when a garbled call for help arrived from one such settlement, the Viridian security force dispatched some Assault Marines by VTOL deployment to secure the site and destroy whatever force was responsible for the raid. 

Upon arrival, the Viridian force found the settlement in ruins, bodies of settlers strewn around the site showing obvious signs of brutal violence and several Ork glyphs daubed on the few buildings that remained standing and as the marines began to sweep the settlement, their scanners recorded incoming blips from the north.

The scenario sees the Viridian troops tasked with driving the  Orks from the settlement while securing as many buildings as they could. In return, the Orks only objective is to wipe out the humies and carry off their loot to their encampment.

The Forces

The Viridian force consisted of a combat squad of three power armoured Assault Troopers armed with blasters, one heavy blaster and led by a sergeant with a power sword and plasma pistol. 

The Ork force consisted of two squads of four Orks led by a Nob and a squad of five Gretchin. The Orks had blast pistols and axes while the Nobs had power weapons and Kombi Blasters (potentially potent but possibly useless depending on a random dice roll each time they were fired) whilst the Grots had a mixture of swords, clubs and a few rusty Autoguns.

The Viridian's would be badly outnumbered but have better arms, equipment and training but would that prove to be enough against a larger Orky onslaught?

The Game

The Viridian's seized the initiative and while the heavy weapon trooper and his number two took up position on the scrap pile in the centre of their deployment zone, the sergeant led his two remaining troops towards the ruins on the east of the settlement.

Bellowing foul Orkish oaths and battlecries, the Ork troops began rushing forward blazing away enthusiastically with their guns, keen to get to grips with the hated humies.

Fire from the heavy weapon trooper in the first few turns saw the lead mob pinned next to a building and after taking ineffective fire from the Gretchin, blasted three of the diminutive greenskins to pulp and sending the survivors running back towards their own deployment zone.

Unfortunately, this distraction allowed the second Ork mob to sweep around from cover and assault the Viridian's in the ruins to the east. 

This assault saw the two troopers cut down by the larger Ork force and while the sergeant fought bravely and succeeded in slaying the mobs Nob, he too was eventually dragged down by the remaining Orks.

Realising their predicament, the heavy weapon trooper and his comrade atop the scrap pile blazed away at the until now pinned Ork mob but bellowing curses, the Nob in command managed to shrug off the intense fire and lead his underlings forward with a roared WAAARGH! The Viridian troops managed to fell one charging Ork but the Nobs surprisingly effective Kombi Blaster managed to vaporise the heavy weapon trooper at which point the remaining trooper fled to the LZ to escape the greenskin onslaught that had killed the rest of his squad.

Conclusion

The game was rather fun and it was great to spend 45 minutes playing with my figures and getting an actual skirmish in. I must admit I expected the Viridian's to do a bit better so next time may reinforce them with a few more troopers to bulk up the force. The Orks on the other hand were brilliant and played in suitably Orky style by charging headlong into their foes and krumping them.

I'll need to get some more stuff painted so I can play some more slightly larger scale skirmishes as they're great fun and may even add a small vehicle or two to the mix to see how things go!

Hopefully I'll have chance to play another skirmish or two in the coming weeks but until then, All the best!

Rogue Trader in 2022

Hi!

Just a quick post today. I managed to play my first game of 2022! 

I went for Rogue Trader and used my Orks and Inquisitorial Agents and it was utterly fantastic to get a game played after quite a few months. Instead of going for any sort of scenario I just went for a straight up battle which saw the Orks getting a bit of a beating from the forces of the Imperium. 

While the rules are a bit clunky and slow compared to more modern rulesets, Rogue Trader is such fun to play I always enjoy playing small skirmishes with a couple of squads and the odd character a side. I suspect that larger games with lots of characters and vehicles would slow things down massively.

The highlight of the game was my Ork warboss killing two Space Marines in close combat and almost breaking through the Imperial line before his small force got shredded and the lone Kommando sneaking within bolt pistol range of Inquisitor Fisher and managing to wound her before Glitterberry the Eldar shot him down with a burst of Shuriken Catapult fire.

I really need to paint up more Orky boyz as they need some decent sized mobs to soak up fire and still have enough bodies to pile into combat and want to add some more characters to my collection to give me more options for my games. 

For my Imperial forces, I want to get my ships crew up to a couple of full strength squads as they get squished in literally every single game they've been in as there just aren't enough of them!

I've got quite a few assorted odds and ends lying around that will need painting up for both forces over the coming months but I also have some Eldar in the works which should give me enough to use in small skirmishes using Rogue Trader and Planet 28!

In other news, my copy of Rangers of Shadowdeep has arrived and I got a copy of Supersystem on the cheap too which I'm keen to give a try at some point too. I've also been working on getting a couple of Worm Cultists finished for my Somewhere on the Border project and will share photos once they arrive. 

I've also got some more bases ordered up so I'll be able to get stuff based and painted in the coming weeks too which is handy.

Hopefully I'll get chance to play the first scenario for Rangers of Shadowdeep this month once I've got the odds and ends finished but will be posting the odd battle report for some other games and will be posting whatever random bits and bobs I manage to paint in the meantime. 

In the meantime, All the best!

Battle Report: Unexpected Encounter in Freeport City

 Hi!

As promised, I managed to play another game last night featuring Inquisitor Fisher and her loyal retainer Geralt the Wolfbane who encountered some old foes in the slums of Freeport City!

The Background

Inquisitor Fisher has heard rumours of more Orks than usual being sighted in the rundown slums of the capitol of Farpoint, Freeport City and has decided to investigate. While it is not uncommon to see several of the more 'civilised' clans such as Bloodaxes, Badmoons or even Deathskulls, the rumours identify the Orks as Goffs and such warlike Xenos infiltrating the Orkish enclaves no doubt is a sign of trouble to come.

While heading to meet with a local Ork representative in one of the less salubrious parts of town, Fisher spots furtive movement and as the Inquisitor and Geralt draw their weapons, a group of Goff Boys burst into view, their ambush spoiled by Fishers keen eye and charge forward bellowing warcrys and firing wildly.

The Forces

As I am using a bit of a hodgepodge of rules, I put together a sample of the forces stats and feats that they can carry out by using Hero Points. 

Inquisitor Fisher is accompanied as always by Geralt the Wolfbane while the Ork force consists of four Goff Boyz all armed with bolt pistols and axes.

The Setup 

The game takes place in one of the slums of Freeport City. It is a warren of dark alleyways, buildings constructed from a plethora of materials ranging from adobe to plascrete and scrap. The street, such as it is, is littered with junk and smells vaguely of boiled cabbage, a sure sign of Orkish inhabitation.

Fisher and Geralt begin the game on the southern edge of the board whilst the Orks begin at the north. The Inquisitor needs to survive the encounter and if possible exit the board's northern edge. The Orks are out for blood and must kill Fisher but will settle for Geralt if the opportunity allows it.

The Game

As I already mentioned, I am using a bit of a random mix of gaming elements, some of which may get bodged further as I play.

Each turn begins with a dice roll to see if any Hero Points are generated using my old Space Crusade dice with the red dice being the Hero's and the white the Villains. These points can be used to perform feats, be they impressive attacks, extra moves or in the case of Fisher, glaring.

Turn one begins with Fisher seizing the initiative and moving confidently forward towards the approaching Orks, snapping off a shot at the distant figures with her las pistol but failing to hit the leering xenos. As the Orks move towards the Imperial agents, Geralt uses his Move It! feat to sprint forward towards one of the Boyz who has foolishly split away from the rest of his companions.

Turn two sees no Hero Points rolled and the Orks take the initiative with the lone boy on the flank rushing towards Geralt firing wildly with his pistol but failing to damage the Wolfbane. In return, Geralt bellows his clan's warcry and charges the Ork.

A stellar couple of dice rolls sees the surprised Ork badly wounded by Geralt's blistering attack and things may be looking up for the Imperials.

The second Ork, seeing the approaching Inquisitor, opens fire with its bolt pistol and despite her armour, Fisher takes a point of damage.

 

Cursing as blood begins to trickle from the graze on her cheek caused by the shell exploding on her shoulder pad and hearing Geralt's warcry, Fisher activates her power sword and lunges at the Ork who fired upon her. Unfortunately, she fails to damage the Ork who nimbly ducks under the glowing red blades swing and loses the spike from the top of his helmet instead of his head.

The remaining two Orks rush down the alley on the western flank, determined to get behind Fishers party and attack from the rear.

The Imperials win initiative in turn three and roll a Hero Point too and Geralt runs his blade through the Ork he had been fighting. As he kicks the corpse of the greenskin off his blade, he hears hobnailed boots pounding down a nearby alleyway and hurries towards Fisher, aware that she's about to be outflanked.

Fisher uses a Hero Point to perform her Imperious Glare feat on the Ork as it tries to swing at her and her piercing ice blue eye makes contact with the red of the Goff and he quails under the judging stare (he had rolled a really good attack dice and the re-roll resulted in him rolling poorly!) Taking advantage of the creatures momentary pause, Fisher sweeps her power blade and sends the beasts head flying from its shoulders.

Unfortunately Fisher doesn't get chance to savour her victory as the two remaining Orks burst out of the alley behind her and one opens fire with his pistol at her unprotected back and sends the Inquisitor sprawling. Bellowing in victory, the greenskin rushes forward to finish the job brandishing its axe but is surprised to find the supposedly deceased Fisher pull herself to her feet and meet his charge with a curse.

The second Ork, sees Geralt emerging from the other end of the alley, covered in green blood from the Ork he slew and opens fire but Geralt avoids the shells and they scream past his head before ricocheting off a nearby wall. 

Turn four begins and once again no Hero Points are rolled. Inquisitor Fisher and the Goff in melee with her exchange a flurry of blows but fail to find their marks but Fisher is keenly aware of the fact that the shot to the back has pierced her armour and she is bleeding pretty badly.

Geralt rushes the Ork that fired on him and in another brutal attack wounds the beast, driving it backwards with a flurry of swings with his punisher sword. In response, the Ork fails to damage the Wolfbane.

Turn five one again sees a decided lack of Hero Points and the swirling melee that continues sees Geralt stagger as the wounded and now throughly enraged Ork smash his axe into Geralt's side, cutting through his armour and into his flesh. Grunting in pain, Geralt swipes at the beast, failing to damage it but driving it back somewhat.

Things are looking equally grim for Fisher as the Ork fighting her proves that a wounded Ork is a dangerous Ork as it scores another wound on her and she fights down the pain and snarls at the beast, determined to wipe the sneer off its face if its the last thing she does.

Turn six begins with no Hero Points being rolled once again but Imperial pluck wins out as focusing all her rage into a well timed thrust, Fisher runs the sneering Ork through and disembowels the greenskin. Pausing to kick the dying creature in the head, she staggers towards the Wolfbane who is bleeding like a stuck pig as the Ork he is fighting scores another hit, breaking his sword arm. 

Before the creature can celebrate, Geralt lifts his pistol and sends an explosive bolt into it's head sending it sprawling to the ground, skull shattered and quite dead.

Conclusion

Geralt slumps and groans, not sure where hurts more, his cracked and broken ribs or his badly mangled arm but sees an equally bloody Fisher glaring down at him. "Come on Geralt, there's no time to lie around feeling sorry for yourself. I'm sure there are more of them out there so suck it up". Sighing, the Wolfbane pulls himself to his feet and painfully follows his boss towards the safety of a local agents compound wondering if he can have a day off after this and plaintively wishing for a drink or ten.

So there we go! Fisher and Geralt have avoided an ambush but what are the Orks motives? Is this a simple attack of opportunity or is there more at work than it appears. Hopefully once they've both been patched up, the Inquisitorial team will be able to get to the bottom of it!

The bodged rules went pretty well and it was a good fun game with the two heroes fighting off a group of goons and my only regret was I didn't get enough hero points to perform any really powerful attacks but I had great fun playing the game and will need to play another soon!

I'm really enjoying playing games with only a handful of figures a side as I can get a game in quickly and don't have to paint too much to get a new force into play either which is a definite bonus.

I've got today off and have a vague plan of playing a game of Planet 28, one of Song of Blasters and one of Brutal Quest which will give me lots to post about in the coming days so watch this space but until then, All the best!