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Author Topic: The Grumpy Gnome‘s Fantasy Projects Blog (latest update on page 61)  (Read 102820 times)

Offline scatterbrains

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 434
Job done for the dwarves! Time for some Ale.

Offline Grumpy Gnome

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5333
    • The Grumpy Gnome
Funny you should say that... I was thinking we need some Dwarven Ale before we get to the Ruins of Annuminas....
Home of the Grumpy Gnome

https://thegrumpygnome.home.blog/

Offline mirjeki

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 98
I managed to finish som odds and ends this week, terrain and minis.

https://thegrumpygnome.home.blog/2020/06/26/more-odds-and-ends/

Lovely terrain piece as usual. The little wildlife details are what really make them shine in my opinion (and the tiny mushrooms!).

I quite like the armoured dwarf leader. He's definitely a bit more ostentatious than most Middle Earth dwarves but I think that's okay. The Iron Hills dwarves are pretty ironclad compared to the rest of the dwarven folk.

Offline mirjeki

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 98
Another battle report, this time my Dwarves versus the NPC company Ozzy's Outlaws as the Defend the Gate.

https://thegrumpygnome.home.blog/2020/06/29/take-the-gate-a-battle-report/

Nice little report. If the outlaws gang is feeling a bit underpowered, why not break from the rules a bit and give them a little advantage which fits with the narrative? Maybe the new orc has brought along some tools or weapons from an evil 'benefactor' who wishes to see the forces of good waylaid?

Something which gives them a little advantage in keeping with their ruffian lifestyle, like some booby traps such as snares/pits. Or maybe a one-use blackpowder bomb to help deal with armoured clumps of opponents (not sure if blackpower exists in Middle Earth - I seem to remember the Uruks using it at Helm's Deep in the films, but Peter Jackson did take some liberties).

With the booby traps you could have the ruffian player put a set amount of markers underneath bits of terrain at the beginning of the game (without the other player looking), and if any model gets within 1" of that terrain, then the trap is sprung. Maybe played as an opposed combat test against the trap - if the model loses they cannot activate unless rescued by another model as they are trapped in a pit/swinging from a tree by a rope.

Offline Grumpy Gnome

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5333
    • The Grumpy Gnome
We already modified the Ruffian stats to give them some help... most importantly they all have manacles, so basically a paralysis attack. Good against high fight, heavy armored troops as long as they are the same strength. It is a rewrite of the ability the Ruffians normally only get against Hobbits.

The main strength of the Ruffian company is numbers. Most companies are limited to 15 models, these Ruffians can go to 20. But it takes time to earn the influence to get the recruits.  And with these additional numbers the Ruffians should find it easier to surround and trap opponents, trap being a mechanic to double number of strikes in a fight where the victim can not back away.


We made a house rule to help with their fragile morale, allowing Oswald to have a greater range on his Stand Fast call, the whole table in fact, which basically gives all the Outlaws two morale checks when they are Broken... for as long as Oswald is in play.

The Orc does allow better kit to be bought for the Outlaw heroes but we decided to spend influence on recruits rather than kit, unlike my Dwarves, since their strength comes in their numbers. And with numbers comes the trapping.

Being aware of the risks of trapping however, I work hard to try to avoid situations where my low model count Dwarves can get easily surrounded.

You will see this again in the next battle report, where I make use of terrain To limit the chances of being swarmed, surrounded and trapped.

As for the kinds of traps you are talking about mate... we Are planning to add them, using modified rules from the Scouring of the Shire expansion book but I have yet to get around to making the trap models.

Gunpowder is arguably in Tolkien’s work but right now we only have Isengard using it.

Thanks for the kind words regarding the terrain and mini. The movie armor of the Iron Hills Dwarves does help reduce my concern about being too over the top. At least he is not riding a boar or goat....
« Last Edit: June 30, 2020, 01:13:10 PM by Rick W. »

Offline darthfozzywig

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 145
  • When the going gets tough, the tough go cyclic.
Good stuff!

Offline Grumpy Gnome

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5333
    • The Grumpy Gnome
And the Battle report from Sunday.... my Dwarves versus the Outlaws again.

https://thegrumpygnome.home.blog/2020/07/01/rescue-a-battle-report/

.... and yeah that is an unusual proxy for our Raven in the background.

Quick rule question for those familiar with BC or SBG... do flying Units have to Land every turn and therefore be vulnerable to a melee charge? That seems odd for a Raven....
« Last Edit: July 01, 2020, 05:48:34 PM by Rick W. »

Offline Grumpy Gnome

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5333
    • The Grumpy Gnome
I broke one of my usual rules and used unfinished minis in the last couple of games... now I have them finished! Plus a bit more.

https://thegrumpygnome.home.blog/2020/07/02/upgrades-and-more/

As usual more photos and info on the blog...

Offline scatterbrains

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 434
Nice clean paint jobs and cool smoke markers!

Offline Grumpy Gnome

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5333
    • The Grumpy Gnome
Thanks mate!

Offline Grumpy Gnome

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5333
    • The Grumpy Gnome
Our battle report from yesterday... my Dwarves try their hand at the Ruins of Annuminas!

https://thegrumpygnome.home.blog/2020/07/05/ruins-of-annuminas-part-3/

For those familiar with the rules for SBG and BC...

Do flying creatures need to land every turn? I can see this making sense for game balance but logically I do not know why my raven would need to land and make himself available to be hit by an Orc sword rather than circling the fight in the air and only risking arrows.

I understand how throwing weapons work as you charge into combat against a single unengaged model.. but what if you charge in to help a model being attacked? Can you not throw because of the in the way rule and how Good models are restricted from missile fire into possible friendly in the way rolls?
« Last Edit: July 05, 2020, 10:41:21 AM by Rick W. »

Offline Grumpy Gnome

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5333
    • The Grumpy Gnome
And the next Battle Report.... my Dwarves against the Outlaws....

https://thegrumpygnome.home.blog/2020/07/08/seize-ground-a-dwarven-battle-report/

Edit: I got the answers to my two questions elsewhere. Flying creatures do need to land every turn and as a Good model you can not throw a throwing weapon into a melee, so if you have more than one model charging the same model make sure your model with the throwing axes goes first!

There is something unsettling about asking questions and getting silence in return. Considering how many folks open the thread I find it odd that no one is familiar enough with the SBG rules to answer my questions.

This is not the first time questions have gone unanswered or the first time I have mentioned my discomfort. I get that folks may not want to raise their head over the parapet and commit to an an answer but I really wish folks would feel comfortable enough to discuss things here.

I am not on reddit, Twitter, Facebook, etc... so the only input I get on my gaming is my blog, here and The One Ring Forum (Even less input there than on here). I would very much enjoy hearing what people think even if people do not know “official answers”. I thrive on feedback, even constructive criticism. My painting has improved in part because people encouraged me to work harder on eyes for example.

Various ideas I had at the beginning of the thread have changed, so for example my plan to incorporate skeletons into our game (similar to Lord of the Rings Online) has been dropped and the skeletons I painted went to a friend.

If folks can see something I can improve on, please let me know. Even if I may not necessarily agree with your view... I still want to hear it! Especially in this time of COVID, when contact with folks is so limited.

« Last Edit: July 08, 2020, 05:43:38 PM by Rick W. »

Offline AKULA

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Galactic Brain
  • *
  • Posts: 6231
There is something unsettling about asking questions and getting silence in return. Considering how many folks open the thread I find it odd that no one is familiar enough with the SBG rules to answer my questions.

I can understand that - unfortunately I’ve never played the SBG rules otherwise I’d give you my tuppence worth.

Personally I enjoy checking your thread for the great looking miniatures, and the battle reports.

 :)

Maybe it’s worth starting a separate thread on the rules in question ...might attract the attention of those familiar with them, while a question can get lost in a thread (particularly if someone is just scanning through for the eye candy)?

Offline Darksider

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 71
To answer your question about flying units in sbg. Yeah they do land every turn and can be attacked by melee units.

Otherwise some units like dragons, or the balrog would be really hard to defeat and they are certainly hard enough to bring down even when not swooping the whole time in the air.

Hope that answers your question.

Edit: Oh I see you got it already answered. Than sorry for not seeing that.

I will answer your other questions also, even when you already have an answer, maybe it helps to give you more insight on the rules.

Throwing weapons can't be thrown in a melee in general (but evil faction can shoot into melee, with the risk of hitting their own guys, the good side can't do that).
Throwing weapons are good cause you can move your full movement rate (but not charge) and than throw the weapon at your enemies, when shooting bows or crossbows you have to stand still or only move half your movement rate and get a -1 to hit your target.

« Last Edit: July 08, 2020, 08:10:58 PM by Darksider »
They say we come from nothing and to nothing we will return, but in between is gravity and bridges left to burn.

They worshipped, so they said, the Great Old Ones who lived ages before there were any men, and who came to the young world out of the sky.

Offline Grumpy Gnome

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5333
    • The Grumpy Gnome
Much as I dislike Facebook, there is something to be said for positive feedback via the like system. Nothing substantial to it but atleast you can get a sense that people enjoy something or not.

I have avoided starting separate threads because I am quite active and did not want to flood the forum but maybe you are right AKULA. Thanks for your kind words by the way. You and your work continues to inspire me.

Fair point Darksider, my wife and I figured the flying rule was about balance. We understand the need for there to be a balance between game and simulation. I had not considered the Balrog but I had thought about dragons, eagles and Nazgul on Fellbeasts. Maybe the 33% bow limit makes it necessary to give melee a way to deal with such things.

The risk of friendly fire is an interesting one. My wife was frustrated when her Elves could not take the risk but my Minas Morgul company could. But she got used to it,  so when she was playing the Outlaws at first she declined to shoot into melees... and then when she changed that to shoot at the Wight she shot one of her own by accident. Frustration returned.

Throwing weapons are pretty powerful, I saw that right off the bat in our first test games with Rohan from the Pelennor starter box. But when you are so few, as my Dwarves are, you can start to over rely on them instead of treating them as the bonus they really are... and you want to make the most of every throwing opportunity. One turn I thre three times and rolled a one each time. Another I killed all of my charge targets by throwing. It felt random but powerful at the same time. My wife wants throwing daggers for her Elves now!

 

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