Personal Challenge Update

 Hi!

Just a quick update this morning as we're off to the Lake District for a wedding so I'll not have chance to update until next week and I figured it was high time I updated my Personal Challenge project log!

First up, I've managed to grab myself an incomplete copy of 2nd edition 40k for the princely sum of £2.99. It's got Codex Imperialis, Wargear in perfect nick and lots of the templates, cards and whatnot from both the original box set and Dark Millennium. There's still lots of odds and ends to source including the original rulebook but as it's a slow burn project, I'm not too bothered as I'll pick up the stuff I need when I see them.

As I've already mentioned, I've been slowly basing up the cardboard ruins from the original box and they made a bit of an appearance in the battle report in my last blog post:

They're based on mounting card with EVA foam used to make the stone slabs and a bit of green flock to match the green tables of yore. I've still got loads more of the terrain to finish but I must admit its pretty tedious but I'll complete it when I can. I used a grey artists marker to go over the white edges of the cardboard which does improve the look somewhat too.

Figures wise, I already have a load of the original mono pose Orks and Gretchin from the original set that I traded a chap in Singapore some old plastic Battletech stuff many moons ago and while I don't have the original 20 Orks or 40 Gretchin, I've got enough to keep me entertained and create a decent sized Ork warband.

I'm supplementing the originals with some of the newer plastics which I've had lying around for ages (the older stuff is far more fun to paint by the by!)

As for the forces of the Imperium, I've already painted up some of the EM-4 Miniatures Space Rangers that are nice and cheap and have the same monopose charm as the old Space Marines so will be painting some more when I get the chance to flesh out my two squads of Marines.

Having progressed thus far, I must admit that I have mixed feelings about the project. On the one hand, its been great fun and reminding me of those nostalgic days of the 90's when I was playing 2nd edition at my friends at high school but on the other hand, I'm also beginning to wonder if I should select a different game as an army focus.

Games Workshop has a huge following and 2nd edition has been seeing fresh love from many quarters of both the Oldhammer community and Youtubers alike but there are so many other great games that nobody plays with fascinating forces that were great fun back when they were released but now largely forgotten apart from by nerds like me who still pore over the old books and have the odd miniature for sitting painted in the cabinet. What about bringing some notice to these fine games that are sadly gone but still worthy of a bit of love?

A fraction of my rulebook collection

I'm not sure what to do at the moment as I do wish to get my solo 2nd edition challenge completed but think I may modify it somewhat so I end up with a painted approximation of the original game so I can play some retro 40k when I want but at the same time feel that once I have that objective done, I want to move onto looking at doing something similar with other games that have fallen by the wayside.

Tiny Void Junker Troops

With this in mind, I've been cracking on with my tiny troops Void painting and have got enough stuff painted up to play a game or two so will post a battle report and review of Void when I get back from my mini holiday and with the tiny troops it will at least be a visual representation of the game rather than using counters which is always more pleasing.

Moving forward, I think I'm going to construct tiny troops for each of my long forgotten games so that I can showcase how each plays and if any really catches my imagination, I aim to paint up a squad or two of a force from them and incorporate them into my own reimagined Imperium so that the amazing creativity of the original game designers, artists and sculptors who produced them can live on in spirit and once again these long lost games will see use!

I've got an entire shelf of rulebooks of old and forgotten games, newer indie stuff and file after file of PDF's for games that really deserve some love so we shall see what I can come up with in the coming months and I've also got 2nd edition of Planet 28 to look forward to which is fast becoming my game of choice and allowing me to incorporate all the old and random figures in my ramshackle collection into small warbands that are getting regular use.

I guess I've rambled on enough and really should be getting on with the more important job of packing the car so until next time, All the best and if there's an old game you'd like to see featured in tiny troop battle, give me a shout and I'll see what I can do!

Tiny Troops: Junker Convict Legionnaires

 Hi!

I've found myself rather obsessed with making tiny troops and following a bit of pondering I've settled on throwing together a horde of Junker Convict troops so I can play a solo game of Void 1.1 in the not too distant future once I've got enough gubbins made!

I wanted to start the project with a couple of large units of Convicts as they're the bog basic choice for the Junkers of Ironglass forces.

The more of the tiny troops I make, the more quickly I get and while they're never going to be super detailed, they're giving me enough to quickly and easily make some tiny armies to play a few games in the coming months!

The basic head and body are made from Sculpey while the details are put together from EVA foam which is really easy to work with and flexible to make handy helmet crests, neck guards, arms and guns, not to mention combat shields!

Each squad consists of a sergeant with crest, flamer, thermite lancer and nine troopers and I suspect they'll get wiped out pretty quickly in any game screening more valuable troopers once I have sculpted them.

Its actually quite liberating just blasting through eight stands or 400+ plus points of troops in a single day and I'm seriously contemplating this approach for all the larger scale games I have in my collection as I think I'm going to be able to make an entire army in a single days work and while simple, they have enough recognisability for me to have an enjoyable gaming experience with them.

This approach may also get use in Epic gaming and an as yet undecided fantasy project in the future as I can see myself continuing in this obsessive tiny troop sculpting binge for some time...

Worry not though as I do plan on getting on with my Rangers of Shadowdeep project this week as I've got some hols and plan on putting it to good use by sculpting as much as I physically can for the duration as I've got tons of ideas I want to try out and these tiny troops are proving to be good to get a bit of basic sculpting practice in!

I'll see what I can finish over the course of the coming week so watch this space and until then, All the best!

Magistracy Infantry Platoon

 Hi!

I found myself a little distracted yesterday, having looked through my collection and decided to work on some more of my SD scale Battletech stuff and revisit a project that had kind of stalled out so following a bit of head scratching, I set to work on making some lowly foot sloggers for my Mechs to stomp

Now having decided to make said tiny infantry, I realised my last attempt at them had been overly complex as you can't really notice detail on small infantry figures, especially when they are going to get beaten up almost immediately so spending lots of time and effort on them seems like a wee bit of a waste!

With that in mind, I went for a simple body, head and weapon look that while simple does give the impression of a tiny infantryman and with a quick coat of paint, there we go! I went for a small 20mm round base for the figures as I felt that I larger 30mm was a bit of a waste and I can group the little guys together quite tightly to represent a mass of troops milling around.

Comparing them to the vehicles and mechs I've previously made they may be a wee bit on the big side but thats ok as they're more representative of a squad than an accurate squad of troops.

Having completed them, I'm rather pleased with how they've turned out and I'm seriously contemplating using a similar approach for my 4th edition 40k project as they're rather fun to work on so I may have a bit of a bash at putting together some sample stands of Imperial Guard, Space Marine, Eldar and Orky figures to see how they look!

My next task will be to add a fourth vehicle to my Magistracy light armour and I'm also thinking about adding some Technicals with a Periphery truck or two armed with a motley assortment of machine guns...

I've got a fair few other bits and bobs finished that need photographing but I just seem to be on a bit of a roll so will keep putting together figures and painting assorted gubbins and will try to get some games in too but in the meantime, All the best!

Rangers of Shadowdeep Project Log Part 3: Zombies!

 Hi!

I've finished the last of the zombies I need for the first scenario of my Rangers of Shadowdeep project:

This gives me enough stuff to play out the scenario as I have a load of giant rats and spiders done already as well as some random civilians but looking at my heroes and characters I find myself wanting to make a more varied cast of figures to choose from rather than just heavily armoured Boar Company troopers and characters.

This may mean that I've got to put off playing the first game a wee bit but I think it's going to be worthwhile in the long run as I'm really enjoying sculpting and painting my own stuff!

Speaking of which, I have been soldiering through my lead and plastic pile painting whatever odds and ends I have needing done and for the most part it's been pretty fun but I picked up one of the multipart Orks with the intention of adding to my Goff Ork warband but I found the process incredibly tedious as the figures lack character and I almost gave up. 

I'll post pictures of the warband as it grows as I do want to finish off the rest of the handful of Boyz but the more of the stuff of my own that I make and paint, the more I tempt myself to have a go at just sculpting all my own figures. Sadly this is a somewhat slower process but rather rewarding so I'll see how I get on with the next of the leadpile figures and find out if I enjoy painting it more as it may just be the more modern figures that I find tedious.

I'll try and get some more pics of the other gubbins I've been working on up tomorrow but in the meantime, All the best!

Rusty Robot Reinforcements Arrive!

 Hi!

I've been plugging away on getting lots of my older sculpts and assorted goodies from my lead and plastic pile painted up and have finished a pair of Black Tribe Rusty Robotic minions:

First up there's an Electro Grub:

Electro Grubs are simple robots that the Black Tribe make use of a scouts and sneaks at the edges of their territory. These robots are roughly snake like with a bulky and crude head mounted atop a thick, flexible column of a body that can propel the Grub through The Scrapyard at surprising speed. While not the most impressive of robots, the Grub tends to hide itself in some shadowy terrain before launching itself at any unsuspecting foe and delivering an electric shock powerful enough to short out even the largest of robots CPU.

Second we've got a heavily armed Minion:

Minions are the most commonly encountered Black Tribe robot and come in a bewildering array of weapons and gear but are universally rubbish individually and tend to use weight of numbers to make up for its lack of individual quality. This particular specimen is equipped with a pair of Rattleguns, multiple barrel and unreliable weapons that blast out a lot of short range fire when they aren't exploding spectacularly.

Here's the gang so far:

I'm really pleased with how the project is slowly shaping up and I've got a Bully and a Brute still to paint to finish them off before moving onto some more Reds!

Reds and Blacks Rumble in The Scrapyard

I've almost got enough of the little guys painted to allow me to play a decent sized game but do want to make a few more assorted robots so I can play a Gorkamorka style skirmish with the two tribes duking it out in the depths of The Scrapyard for valuable scrap!

I've also been rummaging out some of my ever increasing pike of rulebooks and am finding myself assailed with ideas and while it can be overwhelming, its also really giving me loads of ideas I'm keen to try out!

Hopefully I'll get my remaining Zombies finished for my Rangers of Shadowdeep project finished this week as well as making some more characters for my games and have loads of other bits and bobs that I'm working through so watch this space!

Until then, All the best!

Magistracy Of Canopus Armour Reinforcements!

 Hi!

I am trying to work through painting all my sculpts that have sat languishing unpainted since I made them and this evening I rummaged out my Scorpion light tank for my Magistracy of Canopus armoured force:

Scorpion Light Tank accompanies a pair of Hunter Light Support Tanks

As with my other SD scale gubbins, I went for a super stylised sculpt that kept things simple and it took virtually no time to paint too which was a real boon too. I could do with picking up some decals to finish the trio but they're game ready as they are.

I really need to get the pirate Hunchback that I'd sculpted done too which will finish all the stuff for my Battletech project that's currently outstanding and I'm also pondering what to make next as I need a fourth vehicle for my Canopian lance and my Wilson's Hussars mercenaries need some tlc!

It's been super satisfying to paint something quick and easy and I want to keep the momentum going and keep blasting through whatever catches my eye from my unpainted pile, not to mention get some more games played but in the meantime, All the best!

Rangers of Shadowdeep Project Part 2

 Hi!

As part of my Rangers of Shadowdeep project I needed some zombies for the first scenario and have just finished the first trio!

I made them rather scabby, scarred and gribbly and really enjoyed working on the little guys and gave them a mixture of worn military and civilian attire to represent the unfortunates who have been afflicted with the gift of unlife by the Children of the Worm!

I also rummaged out another of my Boar Company troopers who had been sat primed and got him painted too!

Armed with a two handed flail, this little guy means business and adds some heavy hitting power to my Boar Company force. I actually have four of them all together so will be able to field a unit of them in larger games. 

Adventurers disturb a group of shambling Children of the Worm

I've got three more zombies to paint and will post another update in the next few days once they are done along with the intrepid rangers who will be exploring the Shadowdeep, or the wild frontier of Aeroth!

I've also got another post that I'm putting together with some musings about playing some other games that I've got lying around and one or two I'm contemplating picking up and having a bash at in the future but more on that next time as it doesn't really fit in with my Rangers project.

In the meantime, All the best!

Lockdown 2.0 Project Log Day 107: Spider Swarm!

 Hi!

Following on from my swarm of Rats, I've now got a swarm of Spiders to menace my adventurers with, be it Fisher's Inquisition team or my Boar Company!

Now I fear and hate spiders so I was in a bit of a quandary as to how to represent the eight legged beasties in my games but after a bit of experimentation, I churned out eight of them using super sculpey.

Much like the rats, they're not very detailed but do the job for low level menaces for adventurers from throughout time and space and will be making a handy addition to my collection. Yes I know they're not anatomically correct for proper spiders but they're as accurate as I'm willing to sculpt them!

In other news, I have been struck by the very different approaches by two different companies who have the licenses for some of my favourite games, namely Res Nova with Warzone Eternal and Clockwork Publishing with Chronopia.

Without getting into the ins and outs of it all, I can't help but feel that Res Nova is developing a very professional approach that will have a tight focus on a small skirmish game and a kickstarter that should deliver just what they promise as everything we hear about the process has been professionally done with people who seem to know what they're doing. While it would be awesome to see lots of figures and artwork, I'm really pleased and reassured by the approach they're taking and feel a great deal of confidence that this new Warzone is going to be just my cup of tea!

 Clockwork publishing on the other hand has been showing sneak peeks of digital renders for a while now and seem to be trying to cover everything from solo and coop gaming to skirmish to mass battle all in one go which I can't help but feel would be better suited to future releases rather than trying to jam it all in their first release. Similarly, the digital renders we've seen thus far aren't inspiring me with too much confidence. Yes digital sculpting allows for dynamic poses but just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be done. Also the poses chosen for some have been awkward with ropey or soft detail. I can't help but feel they are trying to do too much and will end up pleasing no one but hardcore fans of the original, many of whom still prefer the old sculpts...

Only time will tell as to which will succeed and I really hope they both do but even without any physical product to show, I'm much more inclined to put my money towards Warzone Eternal than Chronopia.

But enough of my ramblings! Tomorrow will see another game of Planet 28 being played with Inquisitor Fisher venturing into the sewers beneath Freeport City in search of a nameless horror so until then, All the best!

Lockdown 2.0 Project Log Day 106: Brutal Quest Battle Report

 Hi!

I played a quick game of Brutal Quest last night and rather enjoyed it so without further ado, on with the report:

The Background

Sir Roderick, Knight of the Eternal Light is on a quest to recover an ancient tome of knowledge from the Order of the Tower's library. Accompanying him is his young squire, Kes Westlake and following a long and arduous journey from the fortified city of Sunpeak, they have reached the Axeblade mountains. 

Unfortunately the snows arrived early and they were forced to winter in the trading outpost of Arch as the passes through the mountains were blocked and Roderick hadn't managed to secure a pass to the Dwarven Realms. As the spring arrives and the passes begin to open, Roderick and Kes have departed, climbing ever upwards and along the Pinecliff road towards the eastern flank of the mountains. Finally after a week of travel the two adventurers approach a small hamlet and a much needed Inn to rest in but as they walk closer to the settlement, the place seems abandoned with no smoke rising from chimneys and nobody moving around.

Cautiously the two approach, easing their weapons from their scabbards and move to investigate. As they do so hunched and unlovely figures emerge from the shadows, their eyeless heads turning as if to listen before letting out guttural snarls and shambling forward towards Roderick and Kes. 

The Forces

Sir Roderick is wearing light plate and has a shield and a longsword whilst Kes has leather armour and a shortsword.

The monsters are a trio of Cavern Dwellers, shambling mutants who often leave the safety of their subterranean lairs to raid settlements. They are unarmed and unarmoured but have the Brawler ability making them pretty dangerous in combat.

The Layout

The settlement lies at the centre of the board and is surrounded by rocky outcrops and sturdy trees. Sir Roderick and Kes enter from the bottom right corner whilst the Cavern Dwellers enter from the top left.

Each building can be investigated by performing a successful melee attack to break down the door. On a roll of a 1, the character is attacked by a giant rat, on a 2-4 they find nothing, on a 5 they discover D6 gold and on a 6 they discover a survivor.

Do they try to enter buildings quickly or deal with the monsters!

The Game

Kes has the highest Agility followed by Roderick and finally the Cavern Dwellers.

Keen to discover any survivors, Kes rushes towards the nearest building despite Roderick's warning. The youthful but headstrong Squire kicks at the door but fails to gain entry. Sighing at his squire's impetuousness, Roderick moves to the barn and puts his shoulder to it but fails to get the sturdy door to open.

Meanwhile the shambling Cavern Dwellers split up with two rushing towards the settlement intent on getting to grips with the two adventurers. The third one, possibly more cunning or cowardly than his compatriots splits off and begins skirting around the edge of the settlement, intent on sneaking up behind the adventurers.

Turn two sees Kes succeed in opening the doorway to the building finding no survivors but four gold pieces in her search. Roderick kicks down the door to the barn and is immediately confronted by a giant rat who launches itself at the startled knight. Uttering a most ungentlemanly oath, Roderick takes a swing at the rodent but the creature is too nimble and scurries up his leg and begins gnawing on his cloak.

The Cavern Dwellers continue their advance and end their activation dangerously close to the adventurers. 

Uttering a shrill battlecry, Kes hurtles out of the building she's just investigated and engages the closest Cavern Dweller who was stalking towards Sir Roderick who seems to be performing some sort of jig with a rat hanging on his cloak.

The charge catches the creature unprepared and Kes scores two respectable hits with her shortsword, wounding the Cavern Dweller and earning herself a Brutality Point. Meanwhile Sir Roderick isn't having a good day, the Rat keeps avoiding his swings and his cloak is getting decidedly gnawed upon (game wise, Sir Roderick was rolling terribly and the rat kept hitting him but failing to damage due to his plate armour)

The now wounded Cavern Dweller swings its filthy claws at Kes but the speed and violence of her charge has obviously unnerved the beast as it fails to hit the Squire. Things start getting a bit dicy for Kes as the second Cavern Dweller charges her but she spots it and manages to fend off its first attack while her leather armour absorbs a second swipe from the creature.

The third beast, hearing the clamour of battle rushes into the village from the west and moves towards the outnumbered Squire.

Kes is starting to worry as she is badly outnumbered and shouts to her boss for help whilst fending off the hideous beasts. She manages to hit the second Cavern Dweller, wounding the beast and seems to be holding her own but how long can she hold out?

Roderick finally manages to kill the rat and glances over his shoulder to see his Squire in a brawl with two unlovely beasts whilst a third creeps up behind her. Such ungentlemanly behaviour requires punishment and Sir Roderick bellows his warcry and bowls into the beast but it spots his approach and his longsword only grazes the creature.

The two Cavern Dwellers in combat with Kes redouble their efforts to drag down the plucky Squire but a combination of bad rolls to attack and some impressive armour saves sees Kes survive, bloodied but unbound.

At this point, I couldn't remember how many turns had been played and realised I had forgotten to take photos so apologies!

Drawing on her training, Kes thrusts her shortsword into one Cavern Dwellers face, sending the beast stumbling away, blood pouring from the deep wound. Her second attack drives her other opponent back with a badly mangled claw.

Roderick meanwhile succeeds in repeatedly hitting his foe but rolling rubbish damage so while his longsword is capable of doing eight points of damage with a single hit, he's only causing one or two points of damage but with a massive overhead swing, he finally causes some real damage and drives his opponent off.

At this point, the Cavern Dwellers have all been badly wounded and shamble away from the battlefield leaving Kes with 4 Brutality Points and Roderick with 3 to save towards advancements.

Conclusion

Sir Roderick binds Kes's wounds and chides her for her impetuous actions but is relieved that his plucky squire has survived and ruffles her hair before bemoaning his badly chewed cloak. Kes, stifling a giggle at her bosses mournful expression volunteers to sew the ravaged cloak. 

Further exploration of the settlement reveals that it has been abandoned and Roderick and Kes barricade themselves up in the inn for the night, lighting a fire in the hearth and preparing to move on towards Pinecliff in the morning.

Well that was a fun game! I really enjoyed playing it and feel that Brutal Quest is going to be a staple for my small fantasy skirmishes moving forward. I've still got to fully master the close combat section as it's a bit more in-depth than Planet 28 but it's rather fun. The Brutality Points also look like they are going to add a really awesome element to games, allowing for re-rolls on skill tests, extra actions or attacks which will allow for damaging even heavily armoured foes.

Hopefully I'll get chance to play some more games today or tomorrow as well as continuing with my Sci-Fi shenanigans but until then, All the best!