Dispatches from the Front VII

Another week in lockdown it's desperate times for the kids as they are forced into playing games with dad...

So a family game of Zombicide people hinding in doors looking for food whilst the infected are running around in the streets definitely not practicing social distancing, what does that sound like?

Meanwhile the club Diplomacy game keeps the club talking, it looks like history is repeating itself with the French pushing into Spain, the Italians cruise around the Med and the Germans attack the low countries. Meanwhile the peace loving Turks hold there own in the corner of the board :-)

Well that's frustrating..
Having sold this Warhammer supplement 6 months ago, I find myself buying the very same copy off E-bay, I recall it having some really good segments on the Hittitie Kingdom and New Kingdom Egyptians which will be useful for the summer ancient project. 

Next time I must remember to scan a copy before selling off.

It appears Warlord have been inspired by my Elizabethan Zombie games as they have published some extra rules for Werewolves and Vampires you can down load them here.
Definately some tweaks needed to me evil creatures.

Elsewhere in gaming land a few of us tinkered with scouting mechanisms at table top level, its surprising how your game play changes when you can only see a few feet in front of you. Suddenly hills become really important and behind every hill is an enemy.

In this scenario I was a detachment of 7th cavalry and surprise surprise behind the hill was a war party.

The game got me thinking about revisiting one of my first ever projects which was the Sioux Wars, having played it before in 15mm Frikorps and 28mm Dixons, I not sure how I feel about repeating the exercise over all over again albeit 20 years ago in the same scale.

Then chatting it through with a fellow club member he sent me this.

We are in the final stages of layout and planning.   The rules themselves will be a stand-alone project done outside of Baccus.   The rules are generic in terms of figure scale, originally being staged using 15mm castings and they will be aimed at the whole wargames market, not just 6mm.   They will be funded by subscription and pre-order.   I will be posting more information and details in the next few weeks as the project takes shape.    Alongside this however, Baccus will be releasing a full Pony Wars range.   These will be based directly on the requirements of the rules and provide all the colourful bits and pieces demanded to play the game.   I am also working on getting a range of game-specific scenic items produced.   The aim will be to allow anyone to play this spectacularly fun game on a reasonably sized table for a reasonable cost.   The theme will be Hollywood rather than History….the prime source material will be John Ford films, Wagon Train and the Lone Ranger.   I hope that this will delight more people than it disappoints.

I could be tempted.... But 6mm cavalry..hhhmmmm. I think it must be a touch of cabin fever.

But it would certainly give that sense of open plains and expanse which you might not get in 15 or 28mm.

It looks like a project several years in the making I shall be watching with interest and if the joy of six happens who knows,

Finally as I continue to clear down the various 'fillers' I found myself making a couple of web purchases from the likes of Timecast and Ironclad with a 21 days wait for some of the goods it will give me a chance to clear the decks before they arrive.

Until next time..... Stay in doors and keep painting.....

Zombicide: Black Plague – Murder of Crowz

I was looking for something a little extra to add to the zombie games whilst it's a fantasy setting I wanted to keep it realistic as possible so not to many strange elements. A Murder of Crowz is perfect an evil feel without being to strange.

Google throws up plenty of singular crows but I wanted mass for what I had in mind, Zombicide's offering was perfect.

Zombicide extra's seem to go for silly prices on e-bay, anyhow finally picked up a set for a reasonable price. 

 

I did think about rebasing then but kept then on the original bases so I can return them to the board game but also the expanded Elizabethan games. With 15 models in the box more than enough to generate 3-4 units.

Add in a few witches and your have yourself an air wing....
Sufficiently dark and scary without to much of a fantasy feel....

The last post of the year.

Welcome to the last post of 2018.

It's now traditional in the blogosphere to throw up a review of the past 12 months efforts but more of that in a later post, the last 3 months seemed to have slowed to snails pace on the gaming and painting front, a new job closer to home which actually turned into less free time rather than more, coupled with a few DIY projects which curtailed much of that painting and gaming time, so hopefully 2019 brings a bit more free time to get some hobby time in.

I did manage to sneak in a couple of games over the Christmas break which all seemed to have an undead feel to them.

First up a zombie horde chased off a band of Elizabethan Spanish looking to fill carry out a short run to fill a bucket of water.

 

It all started so well bring the oxen out and keep quiet, the last thing you want to do was awaken the dead from their plague pits.

You definately don't want to fire a musket in the middle of the table and awaken everyone within 100 yards of you and your water party. Looks like the trip to the river bank will have to wait.

Meanwhile on Boxing day whilst most people were sleeping off yet another large lunch and far too many chocolates. a few valiant souls were intoduced to Zombicide.
 

This should have been an easy scenario but the turn of the cards and some bad decision making turned into a nightmare. Running down a blind alley and finding their way blocked by a nasty wolf thing... they watched as the undead kept on building into a swarm.

Our heroes were taken down by sheers numbers, not sure how many Zombicide virgins will be back for more, but my new doors looked nice :-)

The wife and kids did me proud on the present front amongst the usual offering of socks and ale. (what do people think I do at weekends?) was a copy of Warlords latest offering Cruel Seas, it looks like a fun system and perfect for a quick evenings gaming without the need for masses of terrain which will need packing away. The boats look great, I am seriously tempted by an armed trawler...

It takes me back to my childhood of reading commando comics at the local newsagent but when did they become £2.00!!! They were 10p in my day.

So what for 2019?

I would like to think I can get a little more game time in, I have plans for a Haitian campaign at the club which should spur on the painting activity, I stll have several gaps to fill and have committed to putting on a game at Hammerhead so no time to waste.

The Pirate adventuring has been fun and with Northstar releasing tribal warriors that could make for a few evenings entertainment, the Irish need a few more extra's for Dux and then their are a couple of projects which I am being tempted by once I have cleared some of the back log.

Have a great new year all....

Fantasy Old and New.

It's been a strange couple of weeks, I had great plans to crack on with some extra's for the Haiti project but the hot weather has made that rather difficult, with the paint drying before it had barely touched the figures.. so a chance to go adventuring instead.

First up something new - The first outing of Zombicide Green Horde.

I am a fan of Black Plague but have to say for me Green Horde is a step to far, I can see why it will appeal to the diehard fan, but it is to gimicky for me, Bowie, Freddie and Jimmy as adventurers right through to the super Zombie Dragons who look great as models but fill the table and unbalance the game play.

I am sure many will be happy with this latest release after all who does not want to fire a trebuchet at Zombies but in it's attempt to add in a raft of extra zombies its lost some of it's initial fear factor and sense of pending doom as the zombies at the door build up and you creep about in doors looking for an alternative exit.

The quality of workmanship is fantastic and with more spare time would love to paint up the mini's but in the attempt to supercharge Zombicide Black Plague something has been lost along the way.

Let's see what Zombicide in space brings.....

Then back after a gap of only 30 years.

D&D Basic - The famous Red Box is back.

I have not played D&D since school and was persuaded to take part in adventure last Sunday, flicking back through the rule book, OK PDF brought back some great memories.... I opted for a Level 1 Cleric and joined Dwarf and Human fighters to clear the guard house which had been taken over by Skaven.

Paul had done a great job of turning the rooms into physical terrain, which added to the adventure as we cleared the barracks and tunnels looking for the Were Rat leader...

A very different experience to slash and cut of Zombicide and a far more relaxed afternoon where you had to really use your grey matter to avoid the cunning traps of the dungeon master.... Great fun.