Spirit Island - Play

After DK’s birthday there had been some rumblings about trying to get together more regularly and play games we actually knew the rules to rather than trying the next new shiner thing someone has read on BBG is the best game ever. Therefore it was suggested that we meet once a month to play a regular game chosen by the host that month. This has been suggested before but failed to get any traction in the group whose butterfly mentalities were always drawn to something new … So we will see how long this lasts. 

Month 1 in the new system was at Tiger King’s to play Spirit Island - a cooperative game where the players are the spirits of nature try to get rid of the pesky settlers from afar (Europeans). Only Snake-eyes and myself were able to join in for this game (although I believe that Steedo and DK have played before).

The game is a resource management in reverse as you try and remove the explorers and settlements which are damaging the earth with blight (which if is all in play you lose). The sim is for the player to synergise their powers to wipe out the settlers, cause fear and remove blight. 

The picture shows the start, middle and end game … imaginative that. 

The turn operates in that the players chose a top line action, which puts down influence, gains power cards or power (or a combination of those). The players then use cards to prevent the settlers ravaging or building or to heal/protect areas. Some of the cards work instantly but others work after the settlers have there actions - which are ravaging, building and exploring. Ravaging is where the settlers attack the earth and locals (forgotten there name) which can cause blight, building is where the explorers build towns or cities and exploring is where more explorers are placed in a terrain type. Each round the terrain type moves to from exploring to building to ravaging - so the players know what they will need to stop. 

The game is a puzzle as the players try to work out the optimal way to play there hand and support each other and the explorers breed like rabbits … there is always too much to do. 

We did make a couple of errors by playing too many cards (scopula of times) and getting too much fear for destroying a settlement … about half way through we started using the tactic of stopping the settlers build which seemed to help reduce to pressure on us a bit - we did lose much or any influence over the course of the game. Which I think played in about 3 hours. 

But we did win - which was nice. 

An interesting game which I would happily play again - perhaps with more advanced rules (apparently you can have English settlers with special rules). It was tough enough on basic starter level … but we could try. 

A good evenings gaming. 

Morts

Work in progress and finished - Chaos marauders

I have been playing with the Speed Paints again. 

Some Chaos Marauder types for Kings of War, Dragon Rampant or some other games. Thy are at the point where the speed paints are finished and I will finish off with normal acrylics. 

I am finding speed paints fun with this type of figure (hobgrots) - simple to do, I think the celts I have floating about will be done with speed paints. I will probably have to get some more constrast paints to get more of a range of colours.

The paints did rather well for these flames for the mantic beacon I painted a while ago  

More on the Chaos Marauders when they are finished  

Well rather than just post a picture on another post I  thought I’d add the finish picture here  

The speed paints, then with details with normal acrylic works well - when I have enough I’ll do the spray varnish on this lot. The Hobgrots and other Chaos dudes are ready to go   

Morts

All Quiet on the Western Front - my view

Last night (after 4 pints of strong ale, so possibly not 100% focused) we sat down to watch Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front. Now I have watched the version with Jon-Boy Walton (and Ernest Bourgnine) and read the book. They both describe Paul’s journey from young student to soldier to cynical veteran - iirc. Possibly the original story created the cliche of recruit to soldier to combat seen in so many films (Full Metal Jacket etc). 

The Netflix film is visually stunning in showing the horror of the First World War - but for me it was lacking something - perhaps because they ditched the training we didn’t get to know the characters, so when they were dropped into battle we didn’t care … or I didn’t. Which is a pity as obviously so much effort had gone into the production . 

I found the armistice talks an irrelevance to the story of Paul and the soldiers on the front - i understand that the idea was to show the poor piece which would lead to the “stab in the back”, nazis and war. The non historical German attack on the French on the 11th November 1918 although well executed visually was nonsensical for the story and didn’t happen. And I don’t understand why writers keep thinking that they can improve on a classic by changing what made it a classic in the first place …

Rating for the film - disappointing. 

Morts

Hobgrots Speed Painted

I have managed to find some time to continue my speed painting experiments. 

This time on some Hobgrots - black undercoat, then a dry brush of white. I then painted and put a black wash over the metals. 

The skin tone was a mix of crusader flesh and yellow - the cords blood red and plaid bone. 

Then the metal was touched up and highlighted (although I then had to do another wash due to heavy handedness …), teeth were done, as was the skull. Like the chaos space marines this lot will need a spray varnish, then I will do their bases. I have another 12 Hobgrots to do - these one will have shields - although I have to change out the metal ones I have used for plastic one as there is an imbalance on some of the minis.

Overall I am happy with these - a much better experience and practice in using speed paints. They seem to have a decent level of shading on them - I am going to try on some Chaos marauder types, but I will check the coverage of the dry brushing a bit more carefully but I start applying paint properly.   

Been away

The good lady and I had a mini break - must still be love after all these years. 

We visited Chester - a very nice city in indeed. 

Loads of history there - English Civil War, Romans (apparently a zoo too - but we didn’t visit).  The city walls are still pretty much intact and worth a stroll around - double level shopping (lots of shops shut due to the poor economic situation) with the Rows. We had a good wander around and saw reactor trying to get some kids to do some Roman drills. The streets are pretty - a bigger version of Ludlow. 

I would have to say a prettier city that Exeter - where the good burgers knocking down the city walls by 1819, who then followed up the Luftwaffe damage and demolished Bedford Circus and built some nasty 50s and 60s things which have been since replaced. 

On the return journey back we stopped off a Chirk castle just over the Welsh border. 

A nice little castle - with access to the dungeon and other rooms (the state rooms were shut in the time we were there). There appeared to be some good walks in the area including part of Offa’s Dyke - which I wanted to look at (as we had done part of the southern end around Chepstow a few years ago) … but the path was closed. Would visit again sometime, with more time. 

Morts 

More Chaos Marines and speed paint experiment

So I think I have finished the last 2 Chaos Space Marines. 

I am not sue that they were the right figures for the speed paint experiment - but they are done. Need to do bases and spray varnish - as the paint reactivates. Well I might paint the tongue on the paulrons faces. 

I have started some Hobgrots - I have painted the metal work and intend a wash over that before applying the speed paint over the black and dry brushed. 

A couple in this basic state - just got to pick the  skin colour and wash the metal with black/brown. 

Morts

DK’s Warrior Knights Birthday bash!

So on Saturday the collective gathered together for DK’s annual birthday bash of games and food - apart from Sylon who had a better offer of hospitality at Sandy Park … although the result went the wrong way.  

We started at Helen’s diner for full English. 

Very nice - but you can’t go too wrong with a breakfast. Over the course of the meal there was some vigorous fingers pointing between DK and Snake-eyes over the roles and responsibilities of sales and purchasing …

Best move on to the games. DK had selected Warrior Knights (2006 Fantasy Flight Games edition).  So after about 90 minutes of rules explanation we were ready to start …

Then after and 69 minutes plus we finished the first turn … of what is a really a simple game - pick 2 cards out of 12 to play in 3 rounds, add 2 random  cards to each round, shuffle and play the rounds - by revealing the cards players put in …. Factor in the raising of money to pay for troops, the risk of revolt, the blessings or otherwise of the faith and that’s the game. 

Tiger King tried to keep the leader of the church and the speaker of the parliament for most of the game as these seemed to give some serious advantages.  The game played very closely without any taking  any major advantage. Mainly because we didn’t know what strategy to take. 

Key moment were when Snake-eyes attacked DK and took his stronghold - meaning that DK couldn’t score victory points in what turned out to be the final round …

This then caused some debate as DK had to give up a city, part of the penalty for losing the stronghold, which DK retook with the garrison which had just been evicted .. Snake-eyes was bit best please - but it was DK’s birthday party, so we couldn’t be too mean. 

The final scores were 19 to me (for just trying to hold on to the cheapest cities in could take and very little else), 17 for Steedo (usual trying to get others to do his fighting) and Tiger King (testing out various strategies - controlling the church and parliament, trying to block expeditions), Snake-eyes on 16 (after valiant attempt to steal victory by beating up DK) and DK on 13 (but unable to score in the final round). The game did improve once we got to grips with it, but there is still lots of depths to explore - but I’m not sure that I actually enjoyed the game that much - it just didn’t spark for me - perhaps after another game it will (possibly the long first turn…). 

DK then provided us with a very nice pork casserole. 

DK did get into some trouble with his better half by feeding us his children’s chocolate and cake … 

After the feast we tried War of Whispers - where you work to secretly influence the world powers fight - so sometimes you are working with somebody to improve a faction or against them to weaken a faction - it reminds me of the King is Dead. But with bells and whistles. 

I enjoyed this game - the mechanics were simple - and with the cards (which I didn’t really explore), plenty of depth to investigate. 

The result were Tiger King 29, Steedo 24, DK and myself on 20 (Snake-eyes sat out the game to get the rules right). Then I had to go - the reminder played another game of War of Whispers and as I understand it Mission Red Planet. 

A good day of games and food.  

Morts