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Miniatures Adventure => VSF Adventures => In Her Majesty's Name => Topic started by: Rich H on December 17, 2015, 10:36:03 PM

Title: Just starting out...
Post by: Rich H on December 17, 2015, 10:36:03 PM
Hello all,

There are 3 of us just about to start our adventures into IHMN.  
Currently we have nothing but the rulebooks, enthusiasm and a moderate budget (but little discipline...)
We play Chain of Command, Bolt Action and have recently started Gates of Antares, but we all fancy a little change...

I've been reading the forum looking for scenery ideas and thanks to Mr Thunderchicken's threads I'm planing on a Victorian village but my plans are growing rapidly!  My inspiration is going to be the Black Country Museum in Dudley as it's got a good mix of buildings in a very small area.

I generally build a lot of scratch built tanks  (http://warlordgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=10505) so I'm looking forward to a bit of steam punkery!  

I'm looking at the Bobbies, probably looking at Ripper St characters and probably the Brick St Commune.  For minis I'm going to start with the Northstar starter packs, they are a tad expensive but look nice enough and for the commune the Miners from Sloppy Jalopy.

The only real snagette is the campaign system seems a bit flimsy - We were looking at adapting Necromunda but any tips and hints would be appreciated!

Cheers
Rich
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: timt on December 18, 2015, 01:51:28 AM
Hi Rich

As someone else who is just starting out, I think you have a lot of fun coming your way. I started some three weeks ago and now have a dozen games under my belt.

If you want more details on the campaign system I suggest that you buy the first add-on book - "Heroes, Villains and Fiends" - where there is quite a bit of elaboration. I only got my copy a few days ago so I have not had time to do much more than read it through. If you need more help I am sure the grognards of the forum can help. The details are more in the way of outlines with examples because of the wide scope of the rules so you will need to adopt them to your own settings and Companies.

In my somewhat limited view this is a set of rules that requires good imagination on the part of the gamers to design scenarios that work for you. You set out with what is in the book and elaborate to your own ends.

Bon chance!

Regards
Tim
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: LCpl McDoom on December 23, 2015, 12:17:02 PM
A simple suggestion for the three of you: you each draft a simple scenario and a second one slightly more involved/dangerous. Keep them all linked in the same area/region - e.g., British Isles. Also share some common characters and themes - maybe the core storyline is a threat to HM the Queen - or to the Empire itself - or the new production of a wondrous new battleship for the Royal Navy, etc.

Aim for simple tasks like:

* Secure a certain artefact/item - the plans for a new weapon; a high-value treasure; a map or a book; etc;
* Capture of a certain person (a non-Company VIP perhaps);
* Destroy a certain location - e.g., the offices of a particularly troublesome shipping company;
* Survive an ambush.
* And so on. As already stated, there are some good prompts and ideas for lots of scenario details in HVF.

If you then have three players, lets label them A, B & C.

Then put the simpler scenarios in a 1-2-3 order;
* A plays B - using C's Scenario;
* B plays C - using A's scenario; and,
* C plays A - using B's scenario.

Add the more involved scenarios as 4-5-6, and then ensure a last one - the seventh game - has a suitable set-up to have a three-way free-for-all, whereby each Company/Gang has a unique victory condition it must achieve at the exclusion of all others - and/or factor in the 'Last-Person-Standing' aspect too.

I'll add, this is just a quick suggestion - totally un-trialled or played by myself.

Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Rich H on December 23, 2015, 03:59:51 PM
Cheers we'll have a go after christmas.  I've got loads of scenery ideas to get built too.
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Craig on December 24, 2015, 11:13:47 AM
There are a lot of people here also that love and discuss IHMN: https://www.facebook.com/groups/InHerMajestysName/
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Rich H on December 26, 2015, 12:18:41 AM
Cheers, already signed up :)
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: archdukek on December 27, 2015, 06:04:24 PM
Actually I find the looser narrative framework for an IHMN campaign to be quite refreshing with the scenarios following on from each other in a more natural way than in campaign systems like Necromunda. Often each game can generate an idea for the follow up.

In our first Club campaign involving 6 regular players, I had followed the guidelines and sketched out a kind of 4 Act drama, nothing more than 4 possible locations in a quest format the clue to which was the objective in the first game. After each game I assessed the situation and decided in discussion with the players what might happen next. We then explored those options in further games. For example the first game generated an immediate follow up attempt to release some captives taken the day before, but also the winner needed to secure the services of an expert who he decided to kidnap rather than hire (fitted his villainous nature) which in turn spawned a follow up rescue mission which even generated a new company used in the rest of the campaign. It worked well.

On a practical note each player had a pool of 400 points worth of characters and equipment from which they could draw each game, but could only field 250 points worth. The winner of the previous scenario got a bonus of 25 extra points to augment their company in the next game. The company which did least well got a 15 point bonus since they clearly needed help. This might everyone had a decent chance each game even if they had lost badly previously.

The Campaign largely wrote itself!
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Rich H on January 02, 2016, 12:01:51 AM
So my Company is begun. 
Don't mind the bases they are going to be cut back and pinned to clear bases.

(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f127/richardhumble/Mobile%20Uploads/20160101_235455_zps3e26xvlj.jpg) (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/richardhumble/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160101_235455_zps3e26xvlj.jpg.html)

(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f127/richardhumble/Mobile%20Uploads/20160101_235500_zpsuoxb68jj.jpg) (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/richardhumble/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160101_235500_zpsuoxb68jj.jpg.html)

(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f127/richardhumble/Mobile%20Uploads/20160101_235509_zps4s4ccscq.jpg) (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/richardhumble/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160101_235509_zps4s4ccscq.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Craig on January 02, 2016, 10:48:51 AM
I do like the natural look that you have achieved with these so far  :)
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Rich H on January 02, 2016, 06:52:00 PM
Nearly there
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f127/richardhumble/Mobile%20Uploads/20160102_183306_zpsonm5jijn.jpg) (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/richardhumble/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160102_183306_zpsonm5jijn.jpg.html)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f127/richardhumble/Mobile%20Uploads/20160102_183259_zpssvqnpprf.jpg) (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/richardhumble/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160102_183259_zpssvqnpprf.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: wulfgar22 on January 02, 2016, 07:51:03 PM
Nice!  :-*
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Craig on January 03, 2016, 10:03:53 AM
What do you use to glue the figures to those clear bases?
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Rich H on January 03, 2016, 10:24:44 PM
Just superglue.  The runners are pinned as well.
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Maddoc on January 03, 2016, 11:37:11 PM
Show 'em the buildings guv..
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Rich H on January 03, 2016, 11:37:54 PM
Look harder ;)
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Rich H on January 10, 2016, 11:02:04 PM
Great Scotland Yard's finest are pretty much done.  They need a coat of varnish but are otherwise complete.  Now with their own transport too.
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f127/richardhumble/Mobile%20Uploads/20160110_213807_zps1thpf13t.jpg) (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/richardhumble/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160110_213807_zps1thpf13t.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Genghis on January 13, 2016, 07:44:52 PM
Some lovely painting (not to mention building of the steam truck & police station).

How do you cut the bases off the painted figures without trashing them?  I have the devil's own job cutting bases off figures & generally end up bending the legs out of shape and/or knocking other bits of the model (I cut before painting, so I can usually put any damage right-ish, but's still a pain in the proverbials).
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Rich H on January 13, 2016, 08:01:33 PM
Carefully!
A set of snips to get rid of the majority then a fine file (and quite a while) to finish.
Only had to do a couple of paint touch ups - probably just lucky!

Got my next company to start now see if I an do it again!
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Craig on January 14, 2016, 09:51:23 AM
How do you cut the bases off the painted figures without trashing them? 

One stands well back and then take them off in a single swipe of your sabre. It just take a little practice so line up a GW Space marine army first.
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Rich H on January 14, 2016, 10:02:23 AM
One stands well back and then take them off in a single swipe of your sabre. It just take a little practice so line up a GW Space marine army first.

While practising said flourish, ensure one's house staff are ready to make good any mishaps that may occur, lest you suffer the wrath of the lady of the house for broken trinkets...
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Genghis on January 14, 2016, 07:47:34 PM
Hmm, I hadn't considered snips, I'll try them next time.  I've been hacking away with a knife, which tends to blunt the blades at a rate of knots.

One stands well back and then take them off in a single swipe of your sabre. It just take a little practice so line up a GW Space marine army first.

 lol lol lol
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: paintedlead on December 30, 2016, 05:23:03 AM
Little late in replying, sorry, been away from things for the past year. Heres a link to an article showing how I remove figures from their integral bases and pin them. I'll be doing a update to it shortly, I found these things called Lok-joints. They're used for joining chipoard  etc but they work fantastic for holding a mini, that has pins in its feet, while you paint it.
https://henryspaintshop.wordpress.com/category/tutorial/basing/
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Craig on December 30, 2016, 01:52:32 PM
Thanks for the link  :)
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Richard on December 30, 2016, 06:13:16 PM
Thank you for a interesting read and great ideas.
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: vodkafan on December 30, 2016, 10:58:02 PM
Such lovely painting.
Title: Re: Just starting out...
Post by: Rich H on December 30, 2016, 10:59:07 PM
Thanks!