The Viking Invasion - well a Kings of War battle.

So for this festive season my brother and his family are over from Daneland. My nephew the little Dane was keen to try some miniature games (I have bought him the GW mini starter sets for Age of Sigmar and 40k for the last two Christmas'). 

So I set up a 1600 point elves versus orcs (Hobgoblins) in a Kings of War battle. 

Initial set up the little Viking's wolf-riders on the left flank with the trolls in the centre. 

The next few moves were manoeuvring and the elves shooting enough arrows to remove an Ax unit and exchange a troop of Silverbreeze cavalry for a regiment of Wolf-riders. 

Top stop the elf knights getting a charge on the second regiment of wolf-riders the Hogoblin hero charged - this was a key moment. 

The elf infantry got the first charge in on the trolls - causing significant damage. .. But not enough to rout them!

After getting a couple wavers on the trolls the elves finally routed them - but the regeneration was a pain to deal with. But the Hobgblin hero and the wolf-riders overwhelmed the elf Knights and a regiment Spearmen......

The hobgoblins surrounded the last of the elves - the King, Standard Bearer, Mage and a regiment of archers. At that point I had to concede as there was nothing more that could nbe done for the elves.  

So the first win to the little Dane .... 

Then we played a quick game of the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game - quick because I hadn't read the rules or played the game in years and years .... Anyhow the little Dane's  2 warg riders and Uruk scouts defeated the 3 warriors of Rohan and to rangers of Gondor. 

Hopefully the two wins with encourage my nephew in the cool and in no way nerdy world of wargaming and boardgames......

Morts

Its nearly Christmas ...... Where has all the time gone.

Well Christmas is nearly upon us and what have I been doing ..... Well on the gaming front not too much. I have started painting some Chaos Barbarian types (not too pleased with the paint job to be honest).

A couple of weeks ago Steedo and I played two games of the Kings is Dead. One a standard game - win to me for NOT playing the last card. Second game with the Mordred rules - win to Steedo for playing the last card (the change in the rules in the Mordred variant). 

The King is Dead is a cracking little game - probably best with 3 players to make it more challenging, as Steedo and I matched the followers counters in both games.  

Last weekend was the better half's works do in Isca with my good self on driving duties, so I took the opportunity to organise a session in Board with Steedo and Sylon (DK was on his works do and Snake-eyes didn't give a reason ....). 

We played Betrayal at the House on the Hill - a first for all of us (apparently Snake-eyes has had an unplayed copy in the year for a couple of years). 

The initial ground floor and upper floor layout, until it was pointed out we had space out the different floors (making the game take up a lot of space). 

The floors more spaced out. 

The game plays fairly easily to start with, the players placing tiles and investigating rooms, collecting equipment and hopefully improving stats. The game changes with when the 'haunt' starts when the number of Omens is rolled on 6 dice - then one of the players becomes a traitor trying to stop the others reach the objective. In this game I was the traitor, with impossible to stop assassins - Steedo and Sylon tried to wrestle the spear (I had picked up earlier in the game) from me and needed for them to win ... But I killed them. Go me - a win! 

There is quite a lot of replayability with this game and it was fun, but with the 'haunt' we had pretty much impossible for the others to win - which is a criticism of the game. It is also quite a light game - mechanics are simple and I think it is accessible for non-gamers, sharing some similarities with Dungeonquest and 221B Baker Street the Master Detective Game. But there wasn't massive amounts of stategy required.

Then we played Pandemic the Cure - a dice based game. Played it twice, mashed it the second time. 

Nice game - plays well, but I found the original more challenging and fun (but probably not really a fair comparison after only 2 games). 

Then we moved on the intellectual giant that is Rhino Hero -Super Battle (photo off inter web as I forgot to take one as we were under time pressure as the call to collect the better half had come in). 

It was alright .... Sorry didn't add to the madness of the original in my humble opinion. We didn't actually finish this due to the need to be elsewhere, but I was the highest up the structure, so I'll count that as a win. 

Might try to get something else on before the end of the year..... If not Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Morts

Arrived today! New Skitarii Kill Team

Well my eBay bargain arrived today!

Now got to plan it and build it.

But got all the cards and tokens. 

Morts

Kill Team - finally finished one.

Right so I have completed my first Kill Team - A Militarum Tempestus Scion (Imperial Guard Stormtroopers in English). 

They are based on Starship Trooper Models (which to be honest are an pain to paint - a lot of fine detail, but not that clearly defined in my opinion) - hopefully these will see some action before the end of 2018. 

Kill Team - Rico's Marauders/Bug Hunters

Tempestor Bolt-pistol and Chainsword 10

Scion Gunnar Melta-gun 10 + 3 = 13

Scion Vox-caster 9 + 5 = 14

Scion Gunnar Plasma-gun 10 + 3 = 13

Scion Gunnar Flamer 10 + 3 = 13

Scion Gunnar Hot shot Volley-gun 10 + 3 = 13

Scion 9 

Scion 9

Total 94 points 

I also plan to use then in the Starship Trooper setting as well as the grim dark of the 40k universe. 

I have a 3 or 4 figures to get the Imperial Guard Kill Team finished (Light Armour Mobile Infantry) - Recon Section of the 17th Klendathu Regiment. 

Also painted a sacrificial goat thing for Fantasy/Dark age games .....

A few figure prints on the base. Oops.

Morts 

Imperial Guard/Starship Troopers Kill Team

So this Kill Team is made up of the Light Armour Mobile Infantry that I have already painted - well apart from a heavy weapons trooper and another sniper. 

Sergeant 5

Guardsman Gunner sniper rifle 5 + 1 = 6

SW Gunner sniper rifle 5 + 1 = 6

SW Gunner grenade launcher 5 + 2 = 7

SW Gunner grenade launcher 5 + 2 = 7

Guardsman with Vox-caster 5 + 5 = 10

Guardsman (11) @ 5 = 55

Total 91 

From reading some forums on Kill Team Imperial Guard should be spammed with as much plasma as you can but I only have 2 rocket launcher and 2 sniper figures (pictured without the unpainted sniper - last seen in the loft) - and although I do have some spare minis I am a little loathed to cut some up for (especially as I can still use these for Starship Troopers the miniatures game) to make more plasma or sword for the sergeant. 

If I used the launchers as plasma that would increase the points to 93 - I could also add another trooper or drop a couple for extra command points. So I reckon I'll lose a trooper count the kneeling guys as plasma .... Still thinking about cutting up a mini ....

Steedo gave me the following scenery from his Deathguard start set to paint. 

What a pain to put together and I reckon it will be a pain to paint!

Morts 

Making a Kill Team

Right so cos I'm a cheap skate I have been working on converting some old Starship Trooper power armoured plastics for a Kill Team using some GW parts that DK picked up for me years ago at a show. To be fair I was going to use the bits for making an elite Starship Troopers squad - which they still will be but Kill Team has got me off me backside a little quicker. 

These lot are going to be a Militarum Tempestus Scion team (Storm Troopers).

Early stage with the Plasma gun/Flamer/Melta guns - and chain sword. 

The Tempestor, Flamer and 2 Scions - basically done but needing green stuff touch ups. 

Needing a bit more work the Plasma/Hot-shot Volley and Melta gunners and a Scion Vox-caster - but I'm having some trouble with the radio part .... Also I had 8 shoulder pads with skulls on which I have semi-replace the usual Starship Trooper pads - I have missed laid one so I have press moulded  one - but I might have taken it out the mould too early - hopefully I will be able to sort it.

So the "Bug-Hunters"* Kill Team is;

Tempestor Bolt-pistol and Chainsword 10

Scion Gunnar Melta-gun 10 + 3 = 13

Scion Gunnar Plasma-gun 10 + 3 = 13

Scion Gunnar Flamer 10 + 3 = 13

Scion Gunnar Hot shot Volley-gun 10 + 3 = 13

Scion Vox-caster 9 + 5 = 14

Scion 9 

Scion 9

Total 94 points 

Not sure how competitive they will be but it's a start. 

Hopefully more later when they are ready for action. 

Morts

*Provisional - might ... Probably will change.

Catch up ......

Been pretty busy with work and some gaming recently, so thought I should post an update.

A couple of weeks ago the team headed down to Snake-eye's in Kernow and restarted our Pirate RPG with Steedo as the GM .... But it RPG so I don't want to talk about it ..... Good fun but some appalling decisions made by DK and Snake-eyes, the fools. Almost killed a character for some perfume! Madness I say!

Then last week it was DK's birthday bash - approximately 11hours of gaming (drinking and gorging on pizza and a very rich chilli - Thanks DK). 

So what was played during this marathon session?

First up was Dune the boardgame. 

DK has been wanting to play thus for ages (years and years) and he has be banging on about how good it is .... Even after 40 years. We ran through the set up with DK getting the Bene Gesserit (can use the voice - stops other players using certain cards), Slyon the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, Snake-eyes - House Atreides (can look at treachery cards), Steedo - the Fremen (can move around more easily) and myself House Harkonnen (get extra traitor cards). The game is quite involved with plenty of negotiation and back stabbing - with traitors being picked in the set up. We played without the Navigators Guild as there were only 5 of us - however the Spice they would have be paid for transporting troops would have balanced the Spice Sylon was getting as the emperor from the bidding and purchasing of Treachery cards. Alliances can only be set up with when a sandworm card is drawn from the Spice deck. 

Roughly the game turn runs something like move the sand storm, place Spice from the spice deck, bidding for treachery cards (used in combat and other situations - money goes to the Emperor, deploy and move troops (might have bought troops first) to the planet (pay Guild if there is one), fight battles - heroes first - if killed then the winner gets their value in spice - compare combat values, loser loses all troops and winner loses the number they committed to the battle) - or if the hero is revealed as a traitor it is an automatic loss .... Then check for victory conditions - 3 strongholds for one player, 4 strongholds for an alliance of 2 players and all 5 for and alliance of 3. 

Our game ran for about 4/5 hours and I think we completed about 5 turns - early on we got a sandworm card and alliances were sorted - almost matching the books with the Harkonnen, Bene Gesserit and the Emperor aligned against the Fremen and the Atreides. The power of the Emperor's money and the use of traitors caused Steedo to have a board flipping moment .... So a win to Sylon, DK and me.

The game is very involved and I did enjoy it and the banter - but it is an event game needing a fair amount of time put aside to play - it was ok. Might be better with more plays, but I'm not sure. 

After Dune it was a quick game of the classic brain burner Rhino Hero (which I lost), then down the pub for more drink and pool - where Steedo and Snake-eyes got some revenge ....

Then back to DK's for chilli and a Cthulhu cooperative game which name escapes me for now - but the monsters won (even though my character was kick-ass). 

A good days gaming .....

Morts