Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Fantasy Adventures => Topic started by: jet on February 28, 2009, 04:16:45 AM
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Gro'ghall, chieftan of the dark dwarves of Delving Rock, leads a small scouting party across the plains in search of the abandoned tower of Thrad'mo, his honoured ancestor.
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_01.jpg)
The party rounds a copse of trees near a stream, and there it looms before them...
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_02.jpg)
...but it's far from abandoned. "Cross the river if you dare," shrieks a booming voice. "I am Jikatta the Vampire Queen, and all who pass here shall be feasted on by my minions."
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_03.jpg)
Gro'ghall and his giant hounds ford the river and face the first of the Vampire Queen's skeletons.
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_04.jpg)
The skirmishers find places near the riverbank and provide covering fire, their arrows having little effect on the undead creatures shambling towards their chieftan.
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_05.jpg)
With lighting speed, Jikatta is upon the hounds. After some combat, a skeleton is dispatched by the hound...
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_06.jpg)
...and the vampire dispatches the hound.
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_07.jpg)
The skirmishers get a couple of lucky hits and slow the horde down (as if they weren't slow enough already)
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_09.jpg)
In the meantime, the battle at the ford has escalated. Bone and claw collide in a savage melee with Gro'ghall driving his hounds hard.
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_10.jpg)
The undead seem to be winning...
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_11.jpg)
...however, thanks to the overall unreactive nature of the majority of undead minions, the dark dwarves are not outnumbered by much.
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_12.jpg)
Finally, Gro'ghall brings his mighty weapon to bear as the hounds begin damaging the undead queen in earnest.
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_13.jpg)
Suddenly, in a burst of necromantic magic, the Vampire Queen disappears...
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_14.jpg)
...and a cackle resound on the evening air. "Come hither, chieftain of the dark children. Your doom awaits within, if you have the strength to come and receive it." And with another crackle of smoke, Jikatta and her minions vanished, leaving Gro'ghall and his henchmen confused in the eery mist.
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/sbh_first_15.jpg)
So that was my first, learning game of Song of Blades and Heroes, and for that matter, my first solo game of any wargame. Love the game, love the feel. There were a couple of areas of confusion however.
First of all, how do you determine who takes the first turn of each round? Is it the attacker/defender or a roll?
Secondly,... zombies.... with the 6+ quality, they spend a lot of time standing around. Is this normal? I got the impression that it was best to save them for last, (i.e. after the opponent had likely activated everything), and then roll three dice for each, hoping for a 6.
Just to be clear, does every model get one activation per game turn? i.e. Every model acts once, and when all have acted, a new turn begins?
I'll post more questions as they come to me,
Thanks,
JET
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nice set up, I like your dark dwarves, and hounistly have never thought make some up like you did.
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Great report and good-looking terrain and figures! You've done your bit to help sell Song of Blades and Heroes - as if it needed any extra help selling ;)
I also like the Dwarves. The colour scheme is very refreshing and I had to do a double-take when I realised that you had paired them and wolves, rather than the "somewhat" [ lol ] cliched goblin/wolf combo. That's an idea well worth exploring.
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Hey Jet :) Excellent write-up and very nice looking minis - seems like you had a great SBH game!
When we're playing a two-player game we just roll for highest, rolling off ties, and then just alternate turns.
When we're playing a three-player game we also roll off and then head round the table clockwise or anti-clockwise, as the whim takes us at the start of the game, but we keep it constant.
When we're playing a four-player game, we dice at the start of each turn, rolling off ties, then the winner decides whether play is going to go clockwise or anti-clockwise that turn. At the start of next turn we dice again, and so on.
I love the zombies in the SBH book - they're so wonderfully useless :) But oh so cheap!! :D
Yeah, if you've got some, use them last of all ;) there seem to be two tactics we've developed for rolling zombie activation - either you roll three dice in a do-or-die manner, as you suggest, or just roll one die for each - then at least each one will have a change of activation and doing something, even if it isn't very much. Of course - use three dice on the last one, whatever! ;) Doesn't matter if you lose initiative on the last model in your warband!
I hope those answers are of use :)
First of all, how do you determine who takes the first turn of each round? Is it the attacker/defender or a roll?
Secondly,... zombies.... with the 6+ quality, they spend a lot of time standing around. Is this normal? I got the impression that it was best to save them for last, (i.e. after the opponent had likely activated everything), and then roll three dice for each, hoping for a 6.
Just to be clear, does every model get one activation per game turn? i.e. Every model acts once, and when all have acted, a new turn begins?
I'll post more questions as they come to me,
Thanks,
JET
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Great write up and beautiful game!
Just to be clear, does every model get one activation per game turn? i.e. Every model acts once, and when all have acted, a new turn begins?
Yes, potentially. If any model in your warband fails 2 or 3 dice on an activation roll then they finish any actions they do have (if any) and turn order passes to the next player.
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excellent story and beautiful scenery and miniatures!!!!! Congratulations
SBH is calling me :o :o :o
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Looks like it was a fun game, and I must echo the praise of your dwarves, they are great looking.
Ryan
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First of all, thanks for the answers to the questions. We played three games last night (with actual human opponents), and the guys who played seemed impressed by the rules. As for turn order, we rolled for first activation at the beginning of each turn and found in worked well.
Also, thanks for the comments on the dwarves. Those models, as some of you have guessed no doubt, are built primarily from GW plastic dwarf torsoes & heads, and different combos of dwarf, goblin, and catachan arms. The rest of my collection (of which there are a good number) have different combinations of laspistols, autopistols, and so on. They were actually converted and painted to be Traitors for my Lost And the Damned WH40k army. I've since lost interest in 40k, but it was nice to find some use for at least some of the models.
Finally, a question about SBH. Some guys in the group have shown interest, and there is some talk of fleshing out with the Fantasy Expansions, or perhaps experimenting with the Arthurian expansion. And thoughts or comparisons on the Fantasy and Arthurian expansions?
Thanks,
JET
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So are thouse the only darkdwarfs you have or did you make more of them?
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I have more painted, but they have various additions of futuristic weapons. I could take some picks of the whole lot if you are interested in seeing them.
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And thoughts or comparisons on the Fantasy and Arthurian expansions?
Thanks,
JET
I've only bought the Fantasy expansions, so far, but I've heard that they're all good. We have found the extra rules in the fantasy exansions good for adding more variety into our campaign games, though.
Have you joined the SBH Yahoo group, yet, Jet? http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/songofblades/
You're likely to get a pretty good answer there :)
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Since a few of you have made comments about the dark dwarves pictured above, I took a shot of the rest of my collection. As you can see, they are all armed more futuristically than those in the original post. Either way, I really like the models, and it's a shame I don't use them since I got out of WH40k
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/DSC00335.jpg)
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Looks like it was a fun game. I enjoyed reading the game report with all of the great pictures. Thanks for sharing and inspiring us!!
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Maybe your blaster armed Dark Dwarfs can be used in Mutants and Death Ray Guns, which uses the same mechanics as Song of Blades and Heroes. ::)
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Beautiful scenery and miniatures.
I bought SBH a few months ago, and I haven't even looked at it yet... but you've piqued my interest by posting this report. Sounds like a fun game.
-Alex in Alaska
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I've heard a lot about those rules over the last couple of years, but this report really got me interested.
Who sells those rules, and are they electronic or printed, please?
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I've heard a lot about those rules over the last couple of years, but this report really got me interested.
Who sells those rules, and are they electronic or printed, please?
Available for download or hard copy here:
http://ganeshagames.blogspot.com/2008/04/mutants-and-death-ray-guns-is-available.html
:D
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Thanks, I'll have a look... :)
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love the figures! the dark dwarves are most excellent!
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I think I will make a proper warband with the dwarves. At 300 points, I only need a total of 7 or 8 models. My plan is something like this:
Gro-ghall; Chaos Dwarf Warchief - 92 points
- mounted, tough
Chaos Dwarf Warriors x 3 - 102 pts
Chaos Dwarf Archers x 3 - 72 points
That's a total of 266 points in all. I could make it easy and have one more warrior, but I was thinking I could add something colourful to this list. Chaos Dwarves might have something non-dwarvish in their mix... slaves, a underground beastie or atrocity of somekind. I'll get back to you.
J
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What profile have you got for those CD Warriors at 103pts, Jet!?
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I'm using the straight up dwarf warrior profile from the SBH rules - 34 points x 3 = 102 points. Of course, I don't have the rules in front of me, but I thought it was 34.
J
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OK, time for an official update:
I'e decided to try creating an actual 300 point Chaos Dwarf warband using models from the collection. Here's what I've come up with:
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/warband_01.jpg)
I've created (not particularly original) units and unit names for them. It's all here with individual photos: http://geektactica.blogspot.com/2009/03/chaos-dwarf-warband-song-od-blades-and.html
Enjoy,
JET
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Quite so... :)
I ordered and paid the rules (pdf) yesterday after reading the preview. Gonna paint up some of my old Citadel Minis for this ;)
I blame you!
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I'm using the straight up dwarf warrior profile from the SBH rules - 34 points x 3 = 102 points. Of course, I don't have the rules in front of me, but I thought it was 34.
J
D'oh! And there is me thinking you've spent 102 points on each warrior! Now I feel silly ;D
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On the Edge of the Darkwood:
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/SBH_01.jpg)
I took the Chaos Dwarves out for a smash-up against Chris's Border Patrol.
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/empire_01.jpg)
More importantly, I made up a simple system for adding random encounters to your games. Here, soldiers are set upon by skeletons.
(http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq189/JasonFromNF/SBH_03.jpg)
For those who are interested in trying my encounter system, as well as the accompanying table, it's all right here with lots of battle photos: http://geektactica.blogspot.com/2009/03/on-edge-of-darkwood-song-of-blades-and.html
I blame you
and so you should. However, fear not, you won't regret your purchases. I stand by my conviction!
JET
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Nice system. I will probably use it for some encounters of my own :)
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Printed, and read the rules yesterday evening. Have to finish painting a couple of Supers for Supersystem right now, but then I'll go searching for old painted fantasy minis for a quick solo-game...
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Thanks for the report and pictures. I really like your encounter system and will probably use it myself. I also like the idea of the localized maps for a campaign. Can't wait to see your next entries!
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In SOBH - you continue your turn, activating each character (or group if you have a leader) with 1 -3 die rolls ... roll over the characters (or group lowest) to get an action. So a Quality 4 will get an action with every 4+ you roll on 1-3 dice. SNAG is if you roll two fails (say a 3,2,5 in Q4 case) your turn is over and play passes to the opposing player!
So saving the zombies til last doesn't let you throw 3 each for them ... best thing is to leave them til the end and activate them as a group with a leader near bringing their Q to 5 and then throw 3 dice and hope for the best!
Not all characters will neccessarily activate in your turn and when your opponent fails 2 (or acivates everyone, whichever happens first) the play passes back to you but you can try and activate anyone, doesn't need to be the characters who didn't go in your last activation or anything.
The rules are simple and it is the interplay of the activation sequence that makes it a great game to play :-)
Rich
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Not all characters will neccessarily activate in your turn and when your opponent fails 2 (or acivates everyone, whichever happens first) the play passes back to you but you can try and activate anyone, doesn't need to be the characters who didn't go in your last activation or anything.
I think I've been misunderstanding the activation. I need to clarify...
So, if I activate 3 of my eight models, and then play passes because I got two failures on the third, then my opponent activates hald of his models, and fails two rolls so play passes back to me... what happens now:
a. I pick up where I left off and start activating one of the five remaining models in my warband
b. It's a new turn, and I start activating any one of my eight models, and keep going until I fail.
If the answer is B, I've been playing the game wrong up until now,
J
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It is a completely new turn as far as you are concerned and you can 'activate' any figure.
SO B
It is a subtle mechanism which gives the game great 'ebb and flow' ... also increases the tactical choices ... do you play it safe and only roll 1 die, risk a bit with 2 or go for it with 3. Leader's in SOBH are very important as they make a characters Quality better.
The rules have taken our club by storm seeing people drag out all sorts of figures to make bands up with. I have done a Samurai supplement that can be found in the yahoo group.
Their horror set is soon to be out which we have been playtesting and is great fun .. after that it is a modern post 1900 skirmish set which we have been using for gang wars and modern war stuff.
Rich J
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Nice system. I will probably use it for some encounters of my own :)
Just had a look - I'm working on the same principle for different settings, making tables based on the minis I already have painted - then altering the tables as I get some new suitable encounter-minis done.
I think it adds a nice touch when the players can never know, exactly what they'll find when examinating a marker :)
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I've created 2 warbands out of old GW minis.
There are no profile for, for instance, Dwarf Warriors with sword, shield, and chainmail.
Anyone knows where to find points costs for armour and weaponry?
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There are dwarf warriors in the other supplements as well ... join the yahoo group and there is an on line points calculator in the files where you can custom build.
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Anyone knows where to find points costs for armour and weaponry?
I'm under the impression that such distinctions don't come into play here. I think a dwarf warrior with 3+ Quality and Combat 4 could be depicted with a sword / shield / axe / mace / pole-arm / armour of some type.
Someone who knows that they are talking about will be along shortly to correct me :D
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Yep you are right :-)
A human with sword and shield is Q3 C2 - other things factor in to alter the combat value - heavy armour such as full plate or very thick skin etc has the 'heavy armour' ability.
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Yeah, OK - it was just that the Dwarf Commander (as well as other personalites) are listed as having a certain kind of armour - so I had the impression that it was probably worked into their profile/cost.