[Doodler's 15mm] 5 Leagues from the Borderlands campaign turn 3 (20 June)

[LoxIslay]

There is never enough town folk, villagers and militia 

[LouieN]

Looking good. 

I just got my five leagues from the border lands book. 

[Reed]

I wouldn’t worry too much about scale issues. You have the Alternative Armies adventurers, and the difference between some of them is noticeable. For instance, many of the rogues looked like children.

[Idle Doodler]

A tio of possible adventurers or followers, origins unknown. Pretty sure the two on the sides are from the same source, and with the blond in blue probably haaving lost whatever he was gripping in his left hand. Not sure about the fellow in the middle, but he scales up better with these two than with the others.

She is definitely Two Dragons, as I have her on my painting table at the moment from the massive pile of Two Dragons stuff I bought in the 90s and am now getting around to painting. If I recall correctly, which may well not be the case, there were two sets of Dark Age peasants, basic peasants and wealthier peasants. The miniature figurines website only lists the former, not the latter, so she may not be listed there.

Ack, does that mean the latter range is lost to the winds of time? That would be a shame; while quite small in comparison to others, they have plenty of character packed in.

There is never enough town folk, villagers and militia 

I quite agree. I'd love to see more 'open to interpretation' models, rather than everyone appearing to be on the front line. Unfortunately it seems mostly limited to RPG-focused minis, which in general haven't yet seen the wisdom of 15mm...

Looking good. 

I just got my five leagues from the border lands book. 

Nice! I've just splashed out on a Doxzoo-printed version with chapter dividers. Ring-bound for an easy lie-flat use at the table, and normal paper so that I don't feel so guilty about scrawling errata and house rules in the margins.

I wouldn’t worry too much about scale issues. You have the Alternative Armies adventurers, and the difference between some of them is noticeable. For instance, many of the rogues looked like children.

Hah, very true. I'm just finishing off a MESBG hobbit who compares quite nicely with this trio. Once he's done, I'll do a side-by-side photoshoot to celebrate the variety of heights!

[LoxIslay]

The thing about height, I always find a bit funny. This weekend I was on the Boarder between Germany and the Netherlands. Visiting two towns 30 min apart. I’m taller then average, but not tall/huge (2meters is huge for me) I would say. In the German town I’m for sure tall, in the Netherlands I feel much more like a average joe. Last summer in north Italy I was always able to spot my girlfriend and Italian friend in the crowed, because I had nobody who hindered my view

People are very different in size and shape, so I’m definitely more relaxed in scale. Especially in 15mm. But somehow we tabletop players tend to get some kind of size fetish like Friedrich Wilhelm I… 

[Idle Doodler]

The thing about height, I always find a bit funny. This weekend I was on the Boarder between Germany and the Netherlands. Visiting two towns 30 min apart. I’m taller then average, but not tall/huge (2meters is huge for me) I would say. In the German town I’m for sure tall, in the Netherlands I feel much more like a average joe. Last summer in north Italy I was always able to spot my girlfriend and Italian friend in the crowed, because I had nobody who hindered my view

People are very different in size and shape, so I’m definitely more relaxed in scale. Especially in 15mm. But somehow we tabletop players tend to get some kind of size fetish like Friedrich Wilhelm I… 

Oh indeed, one just needs to watch a few episodes of Taskmaster to see the wondrous variety in heights humanity can produce. And I fondly remember at two friends' wedding the photographer coming up with ever more inventive ways to get pictures of the happy couple's faces in the same frame, struggling to work around the near two-foot difference in heights.

I still think a fantasy world will need some giant bloodline explanation of some sort to account for quite so many Andre the Giants walking around, though!

Anyhow, got the plastic hobbit done. Scraped off and greenstuffed over his toes and foot hair, and now he makes for a decent well-off and well-fed adventurer.



He's the only mini in this line up not described as a 15miller (well, apart from the chap in light blue, but he was advertised as being part of a 15mm job lot) but seems to fit in well enough; at least he doesn't broaden the range any further.

[DivisMal]

People are very different in size and shape, so I’m definitely more relaxed in scale. Especially in 15mm. But somehow we tabletop players tend to get some kind of size fetish like Friedrich Wilhelm I… 

So true! 🤣



The „hobbit“ looks excellent! I hadn’t dreamt about just how well he would fit in with 15s. Awesome model and great painting!

[LoxIslay]

Looks like a well prepared adventurer. Great Idea!

[Reed]

Huh, I didn’ realise the GW Hobbits were THAT tiny.

[Idle Doodler]

I'm not sure the metal hobbits work quite so well at this scale - they're chunkier than their plastic counterparts - but I've got enough duplicates to see how some of them fair as humans.

Got some more plastic hobbits to add to the adventuring party, once they've had some surgery to remedy the issues they face from having a careless owner.



Keeping my fingers crossed that the frying pan survives - not sure I trust my hand enough to dry drilling through a 15mm fist...

Also had this figure lying around from an Alternative Armies purchase - I think from their 2000AD range, if memory serves - when going through a sci fi phase, and felt he could serve some time in a fantasy cast. He has a sword, after all.

[Ruarigh]

Keeping my fingers crossed that the frying pan survives - not sure I trust my hand enough to dry drilling through a 15mm fist...

Also had this figure lying around from an Alternative Armies purchase - I think from their 2000AD range, if memory serves - when going through a sci fi phase, and felt he could serve some time in a fantasy cast. He has a sword, after all.

I think I need adventurers with frying pans and other improvised weapons. Feeling inspired by your work here.

The sci-fi figure is from the Laserburn range that Alternative Armies took over from Tabletop Games.

[Idle Doodler]

The sci-fi figure is from the Laserburn range that Alternative Armies took over from Tabletop Games.

Ah, yes - that's the range. Something not strictly swords & sorcery, anyhow!


Finally got the stage where I feel I've got enough of a collection for a 5 Leagues campaign to be Proper, so I grabbed a fresh notebook and rolled up an adventuring area and warband:







Starting with the Laserburn chap in red and going clockwise:

Agoztio – noble hero
Duhin – frontier hero
Erlea – yeoman follower
Fede – servant follower
Caraile – mystic hero
Boluaga – zealot hero

Had them go to an unexplored location in the north of the map, and they immediately found themselves set upon by a pack of wild zombies. I've gone into a bit more detail on my blog, but for those who'd rather not click through here are the in-game thumbnails:























The adventurers' careers got off to a shaky start with all the melee-inclined characters going down with barely a whimper, the archers both running out of arrows in short order, the mystic struggling to get any spells off until he was finally able to refill one of the empty quivers. The lack of any serious firepower meant that while it was easy enough to hit the shambling dead (and if the number of 1s and 2s rolled were anything to go by, it wasn't actually easy enough), taking out tough targets immune to stuns and morale was decidedly harder. It boiled down to the last two characters running full circle around the playing area, magically eluding the shamblers and hoping that the last archer's arrows didn't run out. They did, but thankfully just after the undead had been brought down to half their starting number. Technically a success.

Still, the post-battle rolls were relatively kind, Agoztio having to use his Luck point to avoid death aside, and the warband found the entrance to a monster lair. I rolled up a wraith which seemed fitting for a zombie-infested area.



















They sent in Duhin to have a scout around, which he managed - spotted and avoided the wraith inhabitant, and rescued a captive. He then ushered in the rest of the party to take the big baddie out, which went a lot more smoothly than anticipated until Agoztio took a counter attack to the vitals, leaving Boluaga to finish the undead monster off. The loot was a bit underwhelming, and the warband leader died from his wounds, but the captive-turned-follower promoted herself to hero status, so we're just one Luck point down after the first campaign turn.

Could have been worse.

[blacksoilbill]

This project looks great. I really like the terrain for the first game: small but perfectly formed!

[DivisMal]

Totally in love with what you did! Just great to see such a dedication to the background and scenery.

[Ruarigh]

Brilliant stuff and a lovely set-up. Sounds like your archers are getting their arrows from the same place mine does. He always seems to get one shot off and then run out!