Review ShadowSea rulebook and models

[WarGameGuru]

Today I posted an in-depth review of the ShadowSea rulebook and a handful of the models from AntiMatter Games...



http://wargameguru.weebly.com/in-focus-review---shadowsea-from-antimatter-games.html

Enjoy!

[Wolf 359]

Thanks for posting this, WGG. I've been paring down my games over the last few months, but once I saw this one I had to give it a closer look. Your review just made it easier to select a new game I intend play.....!!!!!!
Great blog, too!

[YPU]

For me, the expedition reports that you can find on the website really sells the game, it indeed has a high indiana jones/tomb raider meets hollow world + fantasy feel to it all. And I do love it. I think reaper has miniatures that cover quite a few of the factions, for instance they have some that might quite work as dark marines. Also GW makes some amazons that might serve the purpose.

Another selling point to me is the fact that it has alternative magic rules, which is perhaps the one weak point of SoBaH.

Question to those that have the rules, the website describes the sunless kingdoms as mercenary in nature, willing to ally with all groups trough the diplomacy of the troglodytes who have a knack for languages, are there any particular mercenary rules in the game?

[Conquistador]

<snip>

Question to those that have the rules, the website describes the sunless kingdoms as mercenary in nature, willing to ally with all groups trough the diplomacy of the troglodytes who have a knack for languages, are there any particular mercenary rules in the game?

troglodytes as diplomats/knack for languages - wow, that alone is pretty darn interesting!   

Gracias,

Glenn

[WarGameGuru]

For me, the expedition reports that you can find on the website really sells the game, it indeed has a high indiana jones/tomb raider meets hollow world + fantasy feel to it all. And I do love it. I think reaper has miniatures that cover quite a few of the factions, for instance they have some that might quite work as dark marines. Also GW makes some amazons that might serve the purpose.

Another selling point to me is the fact that it has alternative magic rules, which is perhaps the one weak point of SoBaH.

Question to those that have the rules, the website describes the sunless kingdoms as mercenary in nature, willing to ally with all groups trough the diplomacy of the troglodytes who have a knack for languages, are there any particular mercenary rules in the game?

The factions in the game don't have any specific "faction rules", each of the models are defined solely by their character profiles, which is usually the Q and C numbers and any special abilities and equipment that they may have and that's it. Again being a SOB-driven game, a lot of stuff is kept simple. The differences are in the special abilities, types of magic and technology used and the scenarios provided. You are right about Reaper tho, they do make a ton of models that would make great proxies for the official models, many of which may even be less expensive than Cavalcade Wargames options for sure.

[TheSnackist]

I'm really loving this game. I ordered the game not long after then put out a print version. Like YPI said, the Expedition Log entries on the blog (click here) is really what sold the flavor of the game for me. I'm actually working on a number of minis for the game at the moment (a couple for each faction except Sunless Kingdoms and Dark Mariners), though I'll need quite a few more before I have some viable warbands for any faction. I kind of need to pick just one or two to focus on. Right now, I've got some a couple cultists and demon type things for Yosoth, a couple conversions for the Axibalan, and a couple of GW lizardman for the Draconid faction, all unpainted, to mixed with a handful of DnD prepainted. *whew* None of which are enough for a warband. I'll probably go Draconid and Axibalan (love the Mesoamerican vibes), but...

I really want to play Dark Mariners (just so cool!), except their distinctive and evocative style makes them kind of hard to work up with just whatever I have on hand. I'm relatively new to this hobby, so I don't have large numbers of unpainted minis sitting around to work with in tubs and boxes. @YPU: You mentioned some Reaper minis that might fit for Dark Mariners. Which ones caught your eye?

One of the things that drew me to the game was the relatively limited number of 'official' models, as it left plenty of room open for conversions and using a variety of other company's minis. Well, that, and the hugely evocative background. So, hopefully, this will make for a good 'first' wargame.

Oh, a few notes about the book:
-The PDF is entirely black and white, but the book has a handful of color pages, a really nice two page spread near the fron, and some color movement and weapon markers in the back. A pleasant surprise, and makes it that much richer.
-The Sunless Kingdom as mercenaries doesn't have any real 'formalized' rules, just a note that you can use Sunless Kingdom units to fill out a warband for another faction as you see fit, just like summoned creatures (well, without the summoning bit).
-The scenarios in the book are generic but good. The blog shows how they can be combined and edited to show specific kinds of encounters well.
-Trogs may have a knack for language, but they aren't what I would call 'diplomatic'. They just want the gold, and they don't seem to concerned about being underhanded about it. One of the bits of flavor text describes how a Trog guide leads a group of Fortune Hunters into a forest... Before dashing off and leaving them to die at the hands of carnivorous plants and animals.
-The Order of Yosoth is comprised of sorcerers, wizards, scholars, summoners, cultists, and necromancers, since the Fortune Hunters's Templars hunt all magic users. As such, you have chaos cultist types, scholars of forbidden lore, summoners of Cthulian like 'etherals', and mad scientist type necromancers. Pretty wide breath of flavors.
-Fortune Hunters forces (at least as per starting lists) have lots pirates as the sort of base unit. No mages. But you can use your Warmachine models here, as they get steam constructs.

Most of the rest is pretty much spelled out on the site and whatever. Well, I better get back to working on the models and terrain for this game. I may post some pictures of models when I finish painting them.

-TheSnackist

[WarGameGuru]

I'm really loving this game. I ordered the game not long after then put out a print version. Like YPI said, the Expedition Log entries on the blog (click here) is really what sold the flavor of the game for me. I'm actually working on a number of minis for the game at the moment (a couple for each faction except Sunless Kingdoms and Dark Mariners), though I'll need quite a few more before I have some viable warbands for any faction. I kind of need to pick just one or two to focus on. Right now, I've got some a couple cultists and demon type things for Yosoth, a couple conversions for the Axibalan, and a couple of GW lizardman for the Draconid faction, all unpainted, to mixed with a handful of DnD prepainted. *whew* None of which are enough for a warband. I'll probably go Draconid and Axibalan (love the Mesoamerican vibes), but...

I really want to play Dark Mariners (just so cool!), except their distinctive and evocative style makes them kind of hard to work up with just whatever I have on hand. I'm relatively new to this hobby, so I don't have large numbers of unpainted minis sitting around to work with in tubs and boxes. @YPU: You mentioned some Reaper minis that might fit for Dark Mariners. Which ones caught your eye?

One of the things that drew me to the game was the relatively limited number of 'official' models, as it left plenty of room open for conversions and using a variety of other company's minis. Well, that, and the hugely evocative background. So, hopefully, this will make for a good 'first' wargame.

Oh, a few notes about the book:
-The PDF is entirely black and white, but the book has a handful of color pages, a really nice two page spread near the fron, and some color movement and weapon markers in the back. A pleasant surprise, and makes it that much richer.
-The Sunless Kingdom as mercenaries doesn't have any real 'formalized' rules, just a note that you can use Sunless Kingdom units to fill out a warband for another faction as you see fit, just like summoned creatures (well, without the summoning bit).
-The scenarios in the book are generic but good. The blog shows how they can be combined and edited to show specific kinds of encounters well.
-Trogs may have a knack for language, but they aren't what I would call 'diplomatic'. They just want the gold, and they don't seem to concerned about being underhanded about it. One of the bits of flavor text describes how a Trog guide leads a group of Fortune Hunters into a forest... Before dashing off and leaving them to die at the hands of carnivorous plants and animals.
-The Order of Yosoth is comprised of sorcerers, wizards, scholars, summoners, cultists, and necromancers, since the Fortune Hunters's Templars hunt all magic users. As such, you have chaos cultist types, scholars of forbidden lore, summoners of Cthulian like 'etherals', and mad scientist type necromancers. Pretty wide breath of flavors.
-Fortune Hunters forces (at least as per starting lists) have lots pirates as the sort of base unit. No mages. But you can use your Warmachine models here, as they get steam constructs.

Most of the rest is pretty much spelled out on the site and whatever. Well, I better get back to working on the models and terrain for this game. I may post some pictures of models when I finish painting them.

-TheSnackist

Nice bit of info there. Yeah you could make use of Warmachine stuff nicely too as you mentioned, as it does have a bit of a steam-punky-vibe to it as well with the Tech and Black Powder bits included.

Glad to see others are enjoying it as well.

[YPU]

@YPU: You mentioned some Reaper minis that might fit for Dark Mariners. Which ones caught your eye?

Basically most of what pops up when you search for "tentacles" on their website, (not as much as one would think, actually)
Using DnD prepainted miniatures can also be useful, in fact I quite often use them, tough repainted most of the time. try looking for some Thri-kreen, they might work well for those bug things.

In fact if your ever looking for models don't fret to ask for pointers in the bazaar of obscurities or appropriate section of the forum (fantasy adventures for most) together the forum as knowledge of pretty much all miniatures out there and sometimes somebody comes forwards who is willing to trade appropriate models for very reasonable prices or trades.

[TheSnackist]

Basically most of what pops up when you search for "tentacles" on their website, (not as much as one would think, actually)
Using DnD prepainted miniatures can also be useful, in fact I quite often use them, tough repainted most of the time. try looking for some Thri-kreen, they might work well for those bug things.

In fact if your ever looking for models don't fret to ask for pointers in the bazaar of obscurities or appropriate section of the forum (fantasy adventures for most) together the forum as knowledge of pretty much all miniatures out there and sometimes somebody comes forwards who is willing to trade appropriate models for very reasonable prices or trades.

Thanks for the tip.

[antimatter]

Thanks for the game review. I hope you had fun playing the game There are some very different mechanics compared to Song of Blades and Heroes for physical activites like jumping, breaking things and moving objects, as well as the spell and technology aspects. It is still very easy to play though, and there are no real hard and fast rules for building a warband. The mercenaries from the Sunless Kingdom will work for gold, or food, but the way this is handled in gameplay is by their special abilities, like greedy, coward, squabble and bloodthirsty. Anyone can buy the services of the mercenaries, but dealing with their unpredictability is another matter.

The blog has been fun to do, and most of those scenarios will make it into a new campaign suppliment and updated color version of the book. I just need write faster. There is a new scenario on the blog now, and one more big one to finish that particular story arc.

As for proxies, one could probably use Reaper for most of the models but the Dark Marines are tricky since they also include big biomechs. Those could be converted from any old mech model, battletech, GW robots or whatever. I'm working on the concepts for those, as well as the ancient mechs, but models are a long ways away. There is one in the works though that should be done soon by Jason Weibe.