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For quite a few years now I’ve been struggling with my hobby mojo, mostly I think due to mental overload, a symptom of my autism. I just couldn’t settle on anything for longer than 5 mins. Around the time of the first lockdown I got the kids into HeroQuest and ended up creating a narrative campaign for them to play through over the summers 2020-22 and they loved it.
I had a few classic HQ minis and printed the rules etc from Ye Olde Inn, which was enough to start, but in the end I built my own compact HQ board and amassed a tidy collection of minis. Each year the kids faced off against new adversaries allowing me to expand my collection in waves, making the painting and the mental load much easier to handle.
Anyway, looking back I can now see that this really narrow focus helped to stop me getting overloaded which is great but while fun it was, mostly, for the kids…so I set out to try and come up with a new project just for me. To cut a long story short I’ve been trying to focus in on what sort of wargaming I prefer and what I’ve been working on is a ruleset I’ve called…
(https://i.imgur.com/bqDTjky.jpg)
While I’ve been tinkering away on the ruleset I needed some terrain and minis (in an effort to clear my mental overload I sold off almost all my collection). Just like with my HQ games I wanted to keep things focused so decided on a 2ft square board, it fits nicely on our dining table with plenty of room around the board for gaming whatnots.
While I was making my 2x2ft board I was also building myself a wardrobe so in an effort to help keeps things nicely contained I made sure the board will fit inside along with a couple of plastic tubs I grabbed for terrain; the idea with the terrain is to have some generic bits as well as some sci-fi and fantasy specific bits. Again, nothing too fancy just some solid choices that’ll work for multiple scenarios. Here’s what I’ve got so far…
(https://i.imgur.com/iOUE777.jpg)
Along with the terrain, I’ve been working on some small RT inspired forces for a short narrative campaign based on the Agri-World of Alesia. I’ve also just started an RT inspired Spacewolves force using the new plastic beakies as well as plans, and minis, for a couple of fantasy forces, humans vs. goblins…with dwarf allies.
But, that’s enough of me rambling for now, I’ll try and post some more of what I’ve been working on later this week.
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Very interesting topic, I like your idea, will be following tour progress with great interest. :)
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Thanks Jambo1! 8)
Tonight I thought I'd share the terrain I've made so far...first up are some rocks...
(https://i.imgur.com/FVcuTsN.jpg) (https://i.imgur.com/lbG04Ik.jpg)
I know, not exactly exciting but they make for great terrain, blocking lines of sight and offering height for shooting from. These ones are plastic and made by Monster Fight Club, though they came pre-painted I decided to paint them myself so they fitted in with the rocks I paint on bases. One nice trick with them is that they can be placed bunch up, interlocking to create one large rock feature if needed. Monster Fight Club also make some nice looking trees...I think I'll have to pick some up at some point...
Next up are some hard foam buildings from Micro Art Studio...
(https://i.imgur.com/S2gALmg.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/IGF2Lyd.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/QiIjqCp.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/FdFZlgG.jpg)
There are a few little easter eggs scattered across these including an advert for Bubba Cola...
(https://i.imgur.com/6aOhEeQ.jpg)
I rather think Inquisitor Needleman sums up the beverage rather well...
Bubba Cola is a repulsive drink; it’s thick and oozes chokingly down the throat so that it’s almost something you eat rather than drink…even thinking about that damn stuff is enough to make me shudder…
...speaking of which some bub-bub trees...
(https://i.imgur.com/6g4w5wy.jpg)
These spiky plants grow all over the grasslands of Alesia, but more on that another time. Now, what settlement would be complete with randoms piles of boxes and a buggy to go cruising in...
(https://i.imgur.com/w7DKUlI.jpg)
These are a mix of fuel cans and barrels from Zinge Industries and some crates from Mantics Dreadball. I also used a couple of bits from my bits box and made a Bubba Cola can from a frag grenade.
Finally some objectives from Micro Art Studio again...
(https://i.imgur.com/bfQKL1V.jpg)
In one of the scenarios from Classic Wargame you have to track down and capture objectives...though they might turn out to be nothing, booby traps or if you're lucky something shiny.
For the future I'm going to add a shuttle (Mantic Hornet) and some walls (I'm thinking dry stone but I'll try to make them fit for both fantasy and sci-fi). Once I move onto my fantasy forces I'd like to make a cottage too. Oh and some of those Monster Fight Club trees methinks...
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Excellent stuff and a commendable project; getting back to a simpler, less piles of hobby everywhere, kind of lifestyle. I like the look of it all but I’m susceptible to bub-bub trees in particular - old school and spiky - awesome.
Keep up the good work,
Andrew
BeneathALeadMountain
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Really interesting project - and great ideas for keeping things contained!
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Interesting project and good progress so far!
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Looks brilliant and sounds like a fun and, more importantly, achievable, project.
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Looking good.
I really like the rock piles. I've never heard of Monster Fight Club, but I've stuck them on my "things to look at" list.
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This is a really interesting project and I'm looking forward to seeing how it progresses.
I can appreciate the temptation for a compact table and a small scale game. Since Covid I've been concentrating on games/scenarios that will fit on a 3x3 feet table (I picked up a selection of 3x3 printed mats in a sale a while back.
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Thanks all! 8)
Tonight you can see the early start on another little project I'm working on, Spacewolves. And, I thought I'd start with this guy...
(https://i.imgur.com/FN4pdpt.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/aaZyssd.jpg)
...Chaplain Priestly and his power warhammer. Charged with looking after the spiritual welfare of his brother marines he's more than willing to inflict punishments or erase troubling memories.
As some may be able to tell from me calling the chapter Spacewolves I am taking inspiration from Rogue Trader itself...well that and the Wolf Time campaign from the First Book of the Astronomicon.
Last year when I was playing with the idea of returning to marines I found myself getting tied up in knots what with all the conflicting fluff and, preferring the idea of marines as barely controlled killers I thought I'd go back to the book that started it all. At the same time I heard an interview where Rick was talking about RT and he said that he originally wanted to include the WT campaign in RT but there wasn't enough space. I found this interesting as the two seemed to mesh so well. In the interview Rick says with RT he saw it as his job to open as many doors (opportunities for players to explore in their own games) as possible whereas since then GW has been all about closing doors. In some ways all the White Dwarf articles and books have watered that idea down by explaining everything, making the galaxy and the setting a smaller place.
I was intrigued by his idea of opening doors so I compiled all the marine and Spacewolves fluff from the two books into a mini-dex. It has been quite the interesting rabbit-hole. Anyway, my aim to to build a small force mostly for the fun of it; it'll likely be a slow burn project.
Space marines are the shield of humanity…thick as two short planks and only good for hurling in front of the enemy!
Inquisitor Needleman
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I guess what really started this project was reading back through Rogue Trader and the Battle of the Farm. I fancied doing something similar but with the Imperium cracking down on their own. At first it was going to be a chaos cult but the more I thought about it, from the perspective of the original book chaos wasn't really a big thing, it seemed more fitting for the totalitarian regime to be killing their own.
I also started to wonder about the farmer...in the end what I came up with is a small band of angry civilians fleeing from 'justice' head out into the sticks where they find a lone farm house; the farmer and his wife put up a defence and attempt to take as many as they can before retreating.
In the following game the angry civilians have holed up and prepared to make a stand against the pursuing Arbites. The farmers then decide to return to see if they can help. From this idea of a small 2 game narrative campaign I started to think about the world it would be set on and why they were fighting...
The Agri-World of Alesia
A geologically young planet, Alesia consists of a single, equatorial land mass, with a central spine of mountains. Most of the habitable land is covered in grass and yet its climate is hot, more like a desert than a steppe. The most striking feature of the landscape are the spiky Bub-Bub trees, a type of spherical cacti farmed on many planets across the Imperium. A mature plant can grow as big as a tank but if you explore under the surface you will discover that this is only the tip of the iceberg; their immense, bulbous root structure stores considerable amounts of water which is then tapped into by the various species of parasitic grass, keeping them lush even in the arid climate.
Alesia is of limited interest except for its minor strategic value due to the production of the infamous Bubba Cola, manufactured from the juice of the Bub-Bub trees. Known throughout countless systems this unappetising yet filling drink is highly nutritious and a common choice for the less fortunate Imperial Citizens; there are countless hive worlders who rely upon it for sustenance as well as scores of servitors.
There are only two cities on Alesia, both located within the mountains. The planet’s capitol is Alesion, a minor city by Imperial standards with a small cluster of spires from which Planetary Governor Pierce, and the other noble families, hold court. However, most citizens live in the surrounding areas, their simple dwellings crowded and stifling. The second city is to the south and is the base of operations for the production of Bubba Cola. Here the Adeptus Mechanicus hold sway having long ago promised to oversee the drinks cultivation and production. Some say that the Cogs, as the adepts of the Mechanicus are often called by the rest of the populace, are the true power on Alesia while others say it is the Governor and his ancestors who wield some unknown power over them. One thing is for certain, the Adeptus Mechanicus have their own reasons for their presence on Alesia and anyone who asks too many questions is likely to disappear.
From the manufactorums of New Cog City, the great harvester machines roam forth across the grasslands, draining the Bub-Bub trees of their juice before returning with their precious cargo. These immense machines crawl on four pairs of giant wheels nestled under a beetle-like carapace. When a harvester draws up to a Bub-Bub tree it extends an arm that punctures the plants tough hide, drawing forth its juice as the hull expands to accommodate the liquid.
(https://i.imgur.com/UOzWLid.jpg)
Once back at New Cog City the manufactorums drain the harvesters and refine the juice; some is reserved for the city’s servitor population while most is pumped north to Alesion where it is canned and sent forth into the Imperium.
The Fall of Cog City
The people of Alesia are no strangers to conflict, nearly two decades ago Ork raiders emerged from the warp and descended upon the planet en masse. Though both cities came under attack, it was Cog City that bore the brunt, yet fearing for the safety of Alesion, the planetary governor kept much of his defence forces close at hand, leaving their sister city to its fate.
Though largely abandoned by the governor the Adeptus Mechanicus reacted swiftly, sealing the sub-surface levels of the city from the Greenskin menace; security protocols were activated, and the populace rose to its defence making the orks pay for every inch of ground they took. Luckily for the beleaguered defenders their prayers were answered when two regiments of Imperial Guard made planetfall.
Though the orks were driven back it came at a great cost, for much of the surface levels of Cog City were destroyed. But the rapid response of the Adeptus Mechanicus in sealing the sub-surface levels saved much. Now nearly ten years later New Cog City has risen from the ashes stronger than ever.
Unimpressed with the loyalty of the governor and the planetary defence forces, the City Magos sought to cultivate their own loyal faction within the populace. They invited many of their veteran saviours to settle, ousting scores of the populace from the unspecialised areas of production. This move cast a shadow over relations between the two cities and resentment among the dispossessed.
Chaos in Alesion
Anger brewed in Alesion. Those left homeless in the clearances by the Magos of New Cog City struggled to find work and many sought to alleviate their frustration through drink, drugs and petty criminality. The more brooding the populace became the heavier handed the response from the authorities. Some say that prophets from beyond the stars stirred up trouble, while others say the governor himself sought conflict.
As the populace reached boiling point, violence erupted across the city. At first Governor Pierce refused to act, leaving the Arbites to restore order but they were soon overrun. The situation rapidly spiralled out of control and within hours the limited Imperial forces were besieged by the angered populace. For now the violence was limited to Alesion and so the Magos of New Cog City responded by sealing their great doors, for now it was their turn to leave their sister city to its fate.
(https://i.imgur.com/6SpikgK.jpg)
Unknown to the Arbites and the governor, Inquisitor Needleman was already working behind the scenes on the planet and as soon as the depths of the situation became clear he declared his presence, executed the governor, and assumed control of the defences. His first act was to issue a call for aid. Then the angels came.
Though the populace had overrun the imperial base and were now well armed there was little they could do to stand against a force of Legiones Astartes. The Spacewolves made planetfall and waged a bloody month-long campaign that saw the destruction of all but a few shattered bands of rebels who fled into the grasslands. Without a backwards glance the Emperor’s chosen took a handful of potential recruits, leaving what remained of the planets arbitrators and defence forces to mop up the survivors.
(https://i.imgur.com/J1NLhu1.jpg)
So above you can see some of the angry civilians of Alesia and the Arbites they've been struggling against. The civilians have been raiding armouries and one of them has even managed to get hold of a sentinel...perhaps it was part of the PDF or maybe it was from a factory and fitted with an assault cannon. The minis here are mostly from the Hive Scum box though I did use some arms from the Neophyte kit and a head from a Blackstone Fortress Chaos psyker. The assault cannon on the sentinel came from a land speeder kit I think...though I did reduce the length of it as it was really longer and looked out of place. The Arbites are classic 2nd Ed minis but I trimmed off the champions headress thing which was never a good idea for someone who's going to be kicking in doors. The rhino is standard but with a Kromlech dozer blade. Painting-wise I though I'd contrast the almost lurid palette of the civilians against the dark and brooding look of the Arbites.
A blade that’s never sharpened will always go blunt.
Captain Storm, 2nd Company Spacewolves
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Really enjoying this so far, would love to hear about the rules themselves.
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Interesting read so far.
I've been playing on a 1x1 with blocks so I'm looking forward to this larger board and see 28s used rather than 15s.
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Thanks guys. 8)
Really enjoying this so far, would love to hear about the rules themselves.
I've played 3 fantasy games and one sci-fi so far; given that I'm not going for a competitive style of play I think they work well. I've got some minor proof reading corrections to go through and I'd like to at least play through each of the 4 basic scenarios then I'll be happy to share more.
Though I'm on an Easter break at the mo (I work in a school) my hobby time has been a bit limited, plus with the entire family at home (my wife works in a school too) my heads a bit fried with all the social demands. So, I've been playing about with the sizes of ships and shuttles; in Classic Wargame there is a bare bones background, in which space travel is limited to a naturally occurring network of worm holes called the Space Lanes. Though they allow for travelling great distances quickly they also have the problem of size restrictions for ships with even the largest no bigger than a 5-a-side football pitch. On top of this the 'currents' of the worm holes can become churned up and unstable after a passage so they are less like a tunnel and more like a metro system with time between each use, lest ships be lost.
I've also been playing about with some Stargrave sprues I've had kicking about for a while. I must say I've enjoyed kit bashing again, a part of the hobby GW seems determined to stamp out right now.
Hopefully I'll have enough head space to take some pics tomorrow and share my creations so far.
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This is really great! I’m very interested. This is basically a problem we all have, and you are working on a superb solution!
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Thanks DivisMal! I must admit after several sort outs it's quite pleasing to have everything much more streamlined...of course I have a fair few bits still to sell...that might take a while. o_o lol
Now, let's find out a wee bit more about Alesia...
The Shepherds of Alesia
One of the most common roles taken on by the retired guard, or Cog Lovers as the natives call them, is that of shepherd to the harvesters. One of the most pernicious threats to these giant machines are the lowly scrats; small, fluffy, long-tailed creatures not much bigger than a fist.
(https://i.imgur.com/y2ndKGp.jpg)
In the wild, scrats live in communities and burrow themselves into the thick skin of the Bub-Bub trees, hiding from predators. But, unless their numbers can be kept in check the scrats will gladly burrow themselves into the harvesters; being so small they can go unnoticed and cause considerable damage, bringing these immense machines to a halt. So, it is the shepherd’s job to keep these pests under control, regularly checking the harvesters that roam across their land and culling these troublesome creatures with juralix, a native breed of domesticated hunting cat.
(https://i.imgur.com/hhmQVfA.jpg)
Here you can see spot with its owners Mrs & Mr Balkin, shepherds from Hut 314.
A guard's home is their fortress.
Mrs. Katryn Balkin, Serg. (Ret. with hons)
Spot was fun to paint but damn, the shepherds were a drain...I think it's because the models themselves were a pain to put together...she's converted from a BSF cultist and the modern GW style of building minis is awkward to convert, while he was easy enough to convert but with parts from different Catachan kits all seemingly at different scales. Considering GW sell themselves as making the best minis in the world I think its a poor show. Anyway enough of my mumblings...
...a year or so ago I picked up some Stargrave sprues off eBay to play around with and then they sat in a drawer for aaages. I could never quite muster the enthusiasm to play about with them. The other day I found myself sighing at the thought of painting the shepherds again (I hadn't finished them at that point) and finally started to have a crack to see if I could build some new shepherds I'd be happier with. Do you know what...it was fun, I'd forgotten how rewarding kitbashing could be. Within a day or so I'd built a few minis, as you can see.
(https://i.imgur.com/nGZywvi.jpg)
The first chap is an attempt to build an Imperial Guard (RT inspired), then its Mrs Balkin mk2 & 1, Mr B Mk2 & 1 then an attempt at an Ork and finally just an armed civilian. I'm not sure yet if I'll actually replace the Balkins or use the mk2s for something else. I think for now I'll focus on playing through the 4 basic scenarios in the Classic Wargame book.
Since building these guys and gals I've ordered a couple of Oathmark sprues and have lots of ideas for conversions. I think I much prefer the size of weapons, the GW ones are massive in comparison, and the fact that Stargrave, Frostgrave and Oathmark minis can be kitbashed together so easily means there is plenty of scope. I think you can assume you'll be seeing much more of these minis in the future!
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This is very inspirational, Lost Egg! I really like what you're doing. I'm glad to see you're getting into the 2' x 2' side of things, which I heartily approve of! I too have struggled for years to get anywhere with this hobby, but I think things are starting to turn a corner now at last, and seeing projects like this come to life are really encouraging to me.
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Excellent stuff. There is something comforting about seeing those classic alien cacti with the red spikes. :)
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Great stuff, loving the vehicles too, for me a Amtrak Wars feel about it
Cheers
Matt
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Thanks all! 8)
Last week I was going to play through the 2nd scenario...but I just felt soo disorganised. As I'm mostly solo gaming at the mo I much prefer to do it when there is no one else in the house (less distracting) so that leaves me maybe a couple of hours on a Thursday afternoon. It all felt so rushed so in the end I packed everything back up again.
Over this past week I've been prepping so I put together a Play Sheet (Quick Reference Sheet), laminated some scenario cards and tidied up some force lists. Feeling much more organised I decided to start again, playing through the scenarios, loosely linking them into my mini Alesia campaign...not in any direct way, more just kinda exploring the events of the setting...if that makes sense...
(https://i.imgur.com/EB8JIK2.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hXyTEdz.jpg)
Well...that was quite brutal for the civilians, but things won't always go the Arbites way as in the next game the civilians will be getting some re-enforcements...a seer!
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It's been a couple of weeks but I've not been idle...
(https://i.imgur.com/kpN7aij.jpg)
My shuttle and her pilot. The shuttle is the Hornet from Mantic but after fluffing the legs (I was never really happy with them anyway) I decided to just leave them off and add some landing skids. I also left off the gun and added something from my bits box instead. As its a terrain piece I decided to do a fairly grubby paint job which I think works well.
(https://i.imgur.com/i4WLu3X.jpg)
I wasn't planning on making a pilot, the thought never occurred but I've been having fun playing about with the Stargrave kits so I decided to build one. The only real change here is the pistol as I'm not convinced by the ones in the kits. This one is from the Confrontation Hand Weapons sprue by GW; the pistol seemed a bit butch to me so I trimmed it down a touch and I think it looks much better.
I'm hoping to play the second scenario tomorrow but after that I'm not sure...I might build some Spacewolves...or I might work on some fantasy minis...
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Wow, two posts in two days! That's gotta be a first...anyway...
(https://i.imgur.com/c7xjDdk.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/1gYXFOT.jpg)
So...that was a bit one sided. The poor Arbites rolls were as unlucky as the civilians rolls were lucky! lol That's was my third sci-fi game I think and it worked well on the whole. It was the first outing for the seer and he did a cracking job Binding that trooper and then bursting his head all in the same turn. Powerful but then he'd have spent the rest of the game legging it across the battlefield if the Arbites had lasted longer.
One benefit of such a compact board size is the action kicks off faster. While this does reduce the manoeuvring game a bit this can be catered for in the scenario and game set up...of course the scenarios I'm playing through at the moment are just basic ones, I have plenty of ideas for more narrative scenarios once I've got more games under the systems belt.
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Amazing! I love this project. Keep 'em coming!
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Ask and you shall receive :D
So...I got a bit distracted from sci-fi as I fancied a change. Once I've played through my planned series of games I'd like to do some fantasy so I thought I'd make a start on some humans; first a shot of my 100pt Human Warband...
(https://i.imgur.com/7s75BgI.jpg)
On the left is a Hero leading a couple of spearmen, then a veteran leading a couple of archers and finally another veteran leading three spears. Got a bit carried away and have built a few more than I need as I plan to paint them up in units of 5...
(https://i.imgur.com/nEP0BHJ.jpg)
I will be adding some veterans to accompany the hero as well as a seer / wizard with some bodyguards. I also have a classic plastic HeroQuest ogre I've converted up.
Plus...once I started to paint the spearmen I started thinking they'd look good as a unit on a movement tray so I ordered a few...
(https://i.imgur.com/HMjaFrg.jpg)
That's what inspired me to convert up the standard bearer and sculpt a horn hanging from the belt of one of the spearmen. In my Classic Wargame rules units are 3-5 minis so this is beyond the scope of this project really...not that it stopped me from jotting down notes and coming up with ideas lol
And...finally I was going to play the next sci-fi game before the half term but I started thinking it'd be cool to have the two forces searching for a VIP holed up in the city, then I thought it'd be cool if they were an Ad-Mech specialist as the civilians REALLY hate them right now. While I have Ad-Mech models they are too big and too busy for my tastes (will off load them at some point) so I looked through my Stargrave sprues and built this young(ish) lady...
(https://i.imgur.com/iVMkMGM.jpg)
I like the rifles on the Stargrave sprues but the pistols seem a bit wimpy-looking so first off I grabbed a sprue of Rogue Trader hand weapons, made for Confrontation, but most of them were still a bit too big (even though the weapons were on the same sprue they look like they were sculpted to slightly different scales). For my pilot (a few posts above) I trimmed one of the weapons down which looked much better but this time I thought I'd have a go at sculpting my own...you can see my progress above so far. This is the first gun I've sculpted and I think I've still got a way to go as its quite chunky. My aim was to make it an 'inspired-by' laspistol...but it seems to be heading in a different direction...
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Good luck with the las-pistol. My few attempts to sculpt weapons have been unmitigated disasters :(
You could try Anvil and Hasslefree (to name but two), as there are plenty of folk out there making weapons.
Personally, I prefer the smaller weapons, rather than pistols that scale up to over two feet long ;D And don't get me started on rifles that are taller than the people carrying them :o
Anyway, mini-rant aside, this is progressing nicely :D
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Wow Steller work at a scale I am leaning into myself. A 2 to 3 foot square playing surface is more than enough room for a good game.
Look forward to seeing what more you have to share.
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Thanks Warlord Frog, my thoughts exactly.
Progress has continued to be slow but I am now finally happy with my pistol sculpt. Here are both sculpts alongside some classic Rogue Trader weapons...
(https://i.imgur.com/h8kgmfX.jpg)
This is the hand weapon sprue made for Confrontation; the weapons to the side are a plasma pistol from the sprue with a copy of my first attempt below it, top right is a Stargrave pistol then below that is a classic RT laspistol.
You can see it a bit better in the next pic...
(https://i.imgur.com/Jw7VWqe.jpg)
As I said I'm much happier with the new sculpt which is thinner and smaller than the first. In fact, it's actually the same dimensions as the Stargrave pistol but looks a little chunkier and so fits better with the Stargrave futuristic rifle. Hopefully today I can copy it with bluestuff and fit the copy to my Ad Mech operative then I can finally paint her and get cracking with game 3...hopefully...
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Quite a few weeks later than intended I finally finished my Ad Mech operative and played the 4th scenario, 3rd game of this mini-campaign. First up, Ad Mech...
(https://i.imgur.com/TYTTTBE.jpg)
This young lady is built from the body of a Frostgrave Wizard 2 with the saddle bags trimmed off and replaced with gubbins from SG sprues. The arms and head came from SG sprues too while the pistol I sculpted myself. Now it's on the mini I do think it's a bit chunkier than I'd like...though I'm not sure if that's because it didn't copy well with the blue-stuff and milliput. I'll likely go back and have a third go as I'd like to use these pistols again, and sculpt more parts so it's all good practice.
This afternoon I played the next game...
(https://i.imgur.com/8BvOcgZ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/b6SBSB3.jpg)
So, that's 2 wins for the Arbites and 1 for the civilians, with one more scenario to play through before the big game.
I'm still happy with how the game played, though I do keep forgetting to make use of smoke grenades o_o I plan on using an MSU (Mechanised Support Unit) in the next game so we'll see how that goes...
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It's taken a wee bit longer than I'd have liked but I finished my second unit of spearmen...
(https://i.imgur.com/FfphRtR.jpg)
As you can see the Veteran leading this unit is carrying a banner, though it offers no benefit in Classic Wargame I thought it'd be fun to do. Blimey the colours in the pic have come out a bit flat...maybe I shouldn't have rushed taking the pic...never enough time.
I also took a pic of the spearmen together on a movement tray...
(https://i.imgur.com/Ee4ozMu.jpg)
Not really sure why as units are 3-5 minis in Classic Wargame but part of me fancies adapting things for slightly larger games at some point...maybe...
This afternoon I undercoated my archer unit and a skirmishing tray for them. I've also been working on something a bit bigger...but more on that soonish. Hopefully.
I'm also hoping to get a game in tomorrow, the final scenario from my Classic Wargame where I plan on fielding an MSU (Mechanised Support Unit) for the first time so we'll see how that goes.
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Looking great! Really like that Ad-Mech op!
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Thanks Tik!
Well I played the 4th game...
(https://i.imgur.com/5QXAlyv.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/JwkHzvy.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/2YvDSnw.jpg)
After the first turn I thought the civilians were stuffed but they pulled it back. The light MSU performed well though it kept rolling a 'Reload' on its burst dice so only got a couple of shots in; I was concerned that it would be too powerful but I think I got the balance about right. The summer holidays is almost upon us so I'm not sure when I'm going to get my final game in.
Haven't quite managed to make a start on my human archers yet but once they are done it's just my hero to go before I start on my goblins.
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Things have been fairly quiet here in the lands of the Lost Egg but I have finally managed to finish my bowmen...
(https://i.imgur.com/jA9znfB.jpg)
These guys seemed to take aaagggeeesss to finish...though a 2 week holiday did kinda stretch out the painting a bit. I'm glad they are done though as for now it's just the hero to go and I've already started on him.
Game-wise I'm thinking of mixing fantasy and sci-fi so my humans might be facing off against some more advanced foes soon...ish...
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Nicely done.
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Thank you krieghund.
Less than a week and my Hero is painted. Behold the Warband of Sir Bors the Bold...
(https://i.imgur.com/tJqqwOz.jpg)
Just realised I forgot to take any snaps of Sir Bors himself (beyond this one) but he's easy to spot leading the first group of spears. He was built using the Frostgrave Knights Sprue so his wargear is a little fancier than his men though he is painted much the same. With my Classic Wargame rules the characters leading a force are Veterans and Heroes but they are a long way from the death dealing machines of other games. Hopefully, Sir Bors will fair well against his opponents in the next scenario I am brewing up...
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Very nice collection - looking forward to see them in action.
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Thank you 8)
Now while I've been quiet on this plog recently I have been busy, I've made an entry for the Build Something Small Competition here on LAF but I've also have a few other projects on the go.
First up, a pulse pistol...
(https://i.imgur.com/fwfveJr.jpg)
As I've said before I think the pistols on the SG frames are a little small, especially compared to some of the sci-fi looking rifle so I had a go at sculpting my own (see my Ad-Mech earlier in the thread). But, I wasn't too happy with it so I decided to have a go at making a physical version I could hold then at some point I'll go back and resculpt it for minis.
Next up is a smaller board (18" / 45cm)...
(https://i.imgur.com/d9axGtL.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/Ld9N3Zd.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/dBlhVEf.jpg)
I'm not really sure why I decided to build this, the idea has kinda been hanging around in my head so I though I'd have a go in an effort to try and exorcise it lol At some point I'll try gaming on it. In the WIP pic you can see where I added domed aluminium rivets to break it down into 15cm squares.
Finally, I've been thinking about a new setting for my CW games, inspired by my entry into the competition and the human warband I've been building...
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=142725.0
You can find the WIP pics of my entry as well as some fluff. I've also had a go at designing the actual buried ship. I did a few sketches and whatnot but decided to first design a shuttle as a warm up.
(https://i.imgur.com/c0uvXxx.jpg)
At some point I'll have build this bad boy up, I fancy making it with a removable roof. I've drawn it up to scale so I can always colour it and use it for gaming if I wanted. My aim is to build up a number of ships then I can kinda use them like dungeons plans for games.
On top of all this in one of the board pics above you can see a unit of 5 Protectors who I've been working on; I still have some work to do to finish them but that'll take a back seat for a while as I have so many jobs to do at home and at work...plus a Krampus mini from Yule last year to build and paint courtesy of my wife.
Too...much...to...do... o_o
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Nice!
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You sir are a god of doing stuff. Especially with cardboard.
I wish I could get even a portion as much done.
Keep going, never give up etc. :D
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Thanks guys. Tactalvanic you are too kind 8)
It took me a while and three different versions but I finally settled on a design for my cargo ship thats buried beneath my food bunker. Heres the food bunker WIP...
(https://i.imgur.com/WycNOdb.jpg)
...and here's the ship design...
(https://i.imgur.com/okJKOYk.jpg)
If you look at the ship side on then the blue lines represent the food bunker. As before I drew the plans to scale with the Stargrave minis so I can actually use the floor plan in games. I might have to have a crack at colouring them in at some point...
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Coming along nicely.
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Thanks krieghund.
The past few weeks I've been busy with work and home stuff but I have managed a few conversions. First up are my Protectors that I kinda revealed last time (in one of the 45cm board pics)...
(https://i.imgur.com/KHgu0C2.jpg)
These guys are Stargrave Troopers with Tau Breacher heads and shoulder pads from Anvil Industries. I'm really happy with how these guys turned out and the different parts blended well together.
Next up I had an idea for some Space Elves that I've been playing about with...
(https://i.imgur.com/814yYZu.jpg)
The first guy was attempt 1 and mixes a Stargrave Merc 2 body with an Oathmark Light Elf head...but it didn't really work for me so I built the next guy. He uses a SG Merc 1 body and arms with a head from the Merc 2 frame (I think) and some more Anvil shoulder pads. Now, I was pretty happy with him but he needed a helm ( I like to give my unhelmed minis helms on their belts) plus I'd need some helms for his comrades so I had a cruise on tinternet and found the one on chappie 3. This is a drone controller for Maelstroms Edge and I think it works really well, standing out from the helms of the Protectors above and though it lacks the height of an elf helm it still has that curvey & pointy look. So for guy 2 I carved the insides out of another helm and stuck it on his belt.
Finally, here's my converted Space Races so far...
(https://i.imgur.com/5I3Lh8P.jpg)
Here we have a very well equipped orc, 2 elves, a human trooper and an armed human civilian.
My next project is to paint the Protectors and a Krampus mini that my wife gave me lat Yule. It's my aim to get Krampus painted up and fitted in a display glass-thingy before Yule...
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Those Protectors with the Tau heads really pop!
What a great idea! :-*
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Thanks Ray, though I can't claim credit for the idea as I ruthlessly stole it from someone else on LAF...can't remember who it was.
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Tau heads look ace and I like the harder sci-fi space elves.
Andrew
BeneathALeadMountain
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Very impressive set of conversions.
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Thanks guys.
I've not been idle the last month or so and aside from my BSSC entry (finished ages ago but I forgot to share) I've almost finish my Protectors...almost. With my birthday and Yule last month I ended up with a bit of cash to spend so once my purchases have all turned up I'll show them off which will give you a bit of an idea for my plans this year.
First off here's my finished entry for the BSSC...
(https://i.imgur.com/XjNCYBK.jpg)
Next up is a bunch of trees from Mantic (via Northstar) I got for my birthday...
(https://i.imgur.com/BKaHFHA.jpg)
Originally I was going to just paint them but in the end I decided to fuzz them up with some foliage...which was a right royal pain, but I got there in the end. I did order up a Warhammer Quest Giant Spider to hide in one of the trees but he was a VERY big boy so have tucked him away in my bits box for future use...
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Nice to see the BSSC entry in action - hope it gets on the 2'x2' next :D
The trees came out nicely, well worth the effort.
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Thanks Vanvlak.
Life is busy at the moment so not much time for gaming and with the new year I've been doing the traditional reassessment of my projects and whatnot.
I am hoping to play a game of sci-fi vs fantasy sometime soon...well once the protector squad is finished so I'm sure the food bunker will make an appearance then. I'd like to build some more buildings to go alongside but more time is the one thing Santa refuses to bring me.
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Yeah, Santa keeps all the time for himself to make sure stuff gets delivered in one night, I guess.
Hope you'll find a bit of it to get stuff going again in 2024 :D
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Thanks Vanvlak!
The Protectors are reporting for duty!
(https://i.imgur.com/IpsAKK5.jpg)
As I said before these are Stargrave Trooper bodies with Tau Breacher heads. They are all armed with pulse rifles except for the chap on the right who is wielding a grenade launcher. They all wear jump packs for rapid deployment and extraction too.
Hopefully this coming week I can get a game in with them...apparently some feudal scum are causing trouble so someone's gunna be called in to bash some heads and straighten them out.
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So tomorrow...hopefully (it's been a hell of a week) I shall be playing a game pitching a Sci-Fi force against a Fantasy force to see if it works...or not. Here's the scenario and the force lists...
(https://i.imgur.com/aednvle.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qSZrLdl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Sectmgs.jpg)
As you can see the forces come out about the same points but its 5 vs. 15. Let's see if fancy armour and rifles can stand up to bows and spears, I'll let you know how it goes.
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It was a bit of a rush but I managed to squeeze in the game and, well...it didn't quite go as I expected.
(https://i.imgur.com/BdlIFq3.jpg)
Here you can see Sir Bors the Bold deployed his forces flanking the food bunker, expecting the Protectors to arrive in the clearing which they duly did. However much the troopers expected the locals to be surprised, they were sorely disappointed as Sir Bors won the initiative in the first turn and while one group of spearmen rushed forwards the archers let loose a volley that brought two Protectors down! Maybe their advanced armour isn't up to much after all.
The Proctectors responded causing...no casualties at all, doh! A turn of ineffective fighting ensued then the Protectors decided they worked best at range and activated their jet packs to fly right across the board...
(https://i.imgur.com/TYFueho.jpg)
The forces of Sir Bors continued to win the initiative and the archers managed to score a point of damage on Veteran Carla...it was then the whole situation flipped. The Trooper with the grenade launcher fired over the food bunker...the shot scattered...and three members of Sir Bors unit were blown to pieces plus the big man himself took a point of damage. At this point he took stock of what happened...the whole death from above thing...and thought sod this! promptly legging it off the table.
To rub salt in the wound, Carla opened fire on the archers and gunned down two (a third had been injured earlier climbing down the rocks) and the survivors promptly fled too. This just left the three survivors of the unit with the banner...
(https://i.imgur.com/mFoWhVc.jpg)
Heroically they gritted their teeth and charged at the lone trooper on the right of the battle field. Calmly he opened fire, gunning one down but they ran on. In the following turn he moved back, luckily just out of reach, as the spearmen continued their charge. Carla and the grenade launcher trooper attempt to cut them down across the field but to no effect. The lone trooper cut down the spearman, leaving the banner bearer alone...who then decided that enough was enough and fled the field.
To be honest I had expected the troopers to fair better from the start but loosing initiative and two of them being savagely turned into pin cushions in the first turn didn't help. I think I'm pretty happy with the result of the game and the way fortunes swung. If the Protectors had been stubborn and not activated their jet packs they would have soon been mobbed which is only right. But, their advanced wargear offers them not only a better save and improved mobility but also the ability to cause horrendous damage if the dice gods are on their side.
So yeah, it was a fun game and I'd say the mix of sci-fi and fantasy worked well without the need to level things off with extra points or special rules or anything. Of course one game isn't exactly a great guide...so I just suppose I'll have to play some more.
Hopefully next week I will be concluding my little Alesia campaign with the final battle, the one that kinda inspired me writing Classic Wargame in the first place. I'm also waiting on just one more parcel then I can show you what's in store for this year...
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Sadly, things have been far to quiet here...but I haven't been idle.
Now back in Jan my plan was to try and do something about all the projects and jobs I had hanging about cos my head was starting to burst and my brains were beginning to dribble out my ears. I have autism and so it's easy for me to get overloaded, especially with work getting busy too. SO I sat down and tried to come up with a plan of action...
My first step was to finally get around to putting everything I didn't want to keep on eBay...but that got scuppered after I realised I was rapidly approaching the sales limit. While not a big problem (I can put them up for sale in the new financial year) it does leave me with a job half done which is never good for someone on the spectrum.
After a couple of weeks (at least) mentally realigning myself I decided to try and get some jobs done around the house, fixing a loo, repairing a tumble dryer and making a training qiang (spear). With that lot done I also finally got back on a VERY long running project of fitting a handle to my Ewart Park Bronze Age sword blade...this is still on-going but almost there now, all parts fitted so just a refining of the shape then a blade polish.
As part of my eBay sorting I did compile everything unpainted that I wanted to keep and this is it...
(https://i.imgur.com/PRWGutZ.jpeg)
Well, apart from some old HQ minis and a classic Marauder treeman who didn't make the pic. Not a very revealing pic I know but the sharp-eyed among you may be able to spot some classic RT plastics here, namely Squats, Marines, Orks plus metal RT Eldar and some Kev Adams goblins (not citadel). There are also some plastic sprues for a human farm I'd like to build at some point; I have enough for a farming couple and some animals.
I've also been tweaking my Classic Wargame rules and put together a box to keep everything neat and tidy, plus with the inside of the lid lined in foam it makes a handy dice tray.
(https://i.imgur.com/exqgihm.jpeg)
It's also a handy place to keep sketch books (in green), warband lists and some notes and ideas as well as all the templates, cards, dice and a tape measure. It's hard to see in the pic but the updated rulebook has a clear plastic cover front and back and is bound together with a classic Japanese bookbinding technique I copied off youtube.
I can't remember if I showed this before but I made a mock up of a pulse pistol to help when I next attempt to sculpt one.
(https://i.imgur.com/7e0G3O7.jpeg)
Here's another quick mock-up I built last week for a future goblin settlement...
(https://i.imgur.com/LJAWu1b.jpeg)
I'll go into more detail down the line but the basic idea is to build a full size goblin warband using my CW rules, complete with a settlement, and play some themed games.
Finally, though I had originally wanted to make the goblin warband first I decided to go with some classic plastic minis. When I first conceived of CW I wanted to build an orc warband using the minis from HeroQuest; though mono-pose these guys are great.
(https://i.imgur.com/MQEuDI5.jpeg)
I gave them all shields, much more fitting for a battlefield, and converted both the ogre (changing both his arm positions) and the boss, giving him a plastic RT head and changing the position of his shield arm. I do have a few more of these old plastics so may well expand it in the future...but they need painting first.
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The game was rather neat.
I know how hard it is to keep juggling painting queues and keeping all the lead mountain in their various locations. I have stuff from ancients through to Five Parsecs so I know it is a struggle.
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Thanks Khusru2.
I found I kept loading up on projects then offloading them once it got too much...then I'd slowly load back up again. I'm now trying to be strict with myself; I nailed down the projects I wanted to stick with and some I'm kinda on the fence about then I'll offload the rest; I'm also going to try and be strict with my purchases, only picking up what I need to finish my current project and maybe the odd fun little palette cleanser.
That's the plan at least...
One advantage with my Classic Wargame rules is that even a 'big' force is at most 30 minis or so.
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Had a bit of a rethink about the settlement...
(https://i.imgur.com/L2vXeGD.jpeg)
It occurred that making it more flexible would be better so as you can see I decided to separate the hoose from the wall, now the wall will be in three parts so it can be built as a pen, a pen connected to a hoose or even as a wall across the corner of the board. Obviously this is still just a mock up.
The orc is from the first unit of the warband that I've started painting...I thought I'd chuck him in the pic for scale.