Oldhammer In Moria: Tempt not the Valar, You Proud Hobbit!

[Aethelwulf]

I love the idea of Middle-Earth and gunpowder mixed together! Very good work on those Haradrim by the way.

[Mars Miniatures]

@ LordOdo,
I believe Hogwarts has been woven into the narrative several times before. The Istari, perhaps Merlin from years ago had ties to Hogwarts? I forget my own mish mash imagi-history. Oh, also! The wizard Otto (who was secretly Grima Wormtongue) was a Slitherine wizard in the Dwarf Quest battle reports before the blog "nearly died" a few years back. So maybe I will bring back more Harry Potter-isms into the narrative via the White Tower AKA the CIA of Middle Earth. They are kinda like the Ministry of Magic really. Warhammer Empire Colleges of Magic in Altdorf must be a rival school to Hogwarts. And whatever the name of the magic school in Kingkiller chronicles is called is another. You really should stop encouraging my madness! ;p

@ Cacique Caribe,
The Perry miniatures Mahdist Ansar box set has parts to build Beja Hadendoa (Fuzzy Wuzzies) and/or Kordofan Ansar Tribesmen.

@ Aethelwulf,
My condolences, friend. I feel like patient zero spreading an infectious and dreaded hobby disease. Muskets in Middle Earth is a blight, I tell you! ;p

[LordOdo]

@ LordOdo,
I believe Hogwarts has been woven into the narrative several times before. The Istari, perhaps Merlin from years ago had ties to Hogwarts? I forget my own mish mash imagi-history. Oh, also! The wizard Otto (who was secretly Grima Wormtongue) was a Slitherine wizard in the Dwarf Quest battle reports before the blog "nearly died" a few years back. So maybe I will bring back more Harry Potter-isms into the narrative via the White Tower AKA the CIA of Middle Earth. They are kinda like the Ministry of Magic really. Warhammer Empire Colleges of Magic in Altdorf must be a rival school to Hogwarts. And whatever the name of the magic school in Kingkiller chronicles is called is another. You really should stop encouraging my madness! ;p

...and it gets even more complicated once one realises Griffindor was founded by a distant Lannister cousin named Goderic. But why he chose to use the lion Aslan for his emblem  (just like the Pevensies) is not sure..

[Aethelwulf]

@ Aethelwulf,
My condolences, friend. I feel like patient zero spreading an infectious and dreaded hobby disease. Muskets in Middle Earth is a blight, I tell you! ;p

You've certainly infected me! I'm now casting my dreadful gaze upon my poor innocent unpainted Napoleonic troops! Wondering how they'd look... No, I must resist!

I feel like Gollum arguing with himself

[Mars Miniatures]

Taken from full post here: https://mars-miniatures.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-terrain-is-not-territory-i-want.html

The Terrain Is Not The Territory (I Want)

 Quick post for now.

Fuzzy or complex flooring on terrain, especially when layered on top of each other looks awesome but single based figures have difficulty standing on it.

I was going to post pics of my new larger multibases and setup some densely haphazard and diverse layered terrain flooring.  Welp, now I think I want to move away from single based skirmish gaming again (sigh). For one thing, larger bases will not tip over on awkwardly angled terrain. And thats the terrain I want now. And for a second thing, I had been thinking that it would be cool to have small specialist teams of 3 to 4 figures per base. So both points can work together AND I will have more amazing gaming layouts.

I have to give this more thought. I think I did do this in the past. So here we go yet again. Big rebasing project may happen? Well here's pics of what Id like my games to look like in the future - proof of concept pics...

[LordOdo]

The terrain (and thus the photos) looks awesome! I completely get why you would want to got that way.

One con would be the loss of indiviuality of all the amazing characters you have created over time. I'm pretty sure you will find a way which fits best with all your ideas, though!

[Mars Miniatures]

@ LordOdo,
I agree that losing total individuality is something to consider. However, I do plan to put some thought about the grouping together of figures to form a base.
So the idea would be to have a lead character supported by her/his closest advisers/ bodyguards/companions/etc... And the rules for that base would reflect the powers, abilities, spells of all the characters on that base.

For example, Lady Elerina would have her bodyguard Anais on her base (I suppose she has recovered from rivendell rehab!) and also prince Arioch of the Grey Havens (from Balthazar's team). And that would be the Elven Aristocrat base.

But I will think about it more. For the time being I will multibase simple henchmen types (archers, hobbit militia, foot knights, etc)

[Mars Miniatures]

Taken from full post here: http://mars-miniatures.blogspot.com/2023/10/battle-in-debatable-lands-south-of.html

Battle In the Debatable Lands South Of Gondor

So buddy Joe and buddy Steve came by to playtest my new fantasy blackpowder rules set MUSKETS & MAGICK. Ive playtested it a few times already but Im too close to it and was glad to have feedback and see it with fresh eyes and see how others approach the rules. But in a nutshell, Ive tried to keep the simplicity I like and add just enough mechanics to provide choices in command and control. Mix in dueling wizards with secret card draws. And not make this a wargame about simply wiping out the enemy army, but something about wrestling for position on the battlefield - the push and pull of the frontlines.

Anyway heres some pics of the playtest...



The Haradrim deploy with a strong center.



Their Wizard watches atop a ruin.



The Gondorians approach! The Gondorian Wizard sends a Fireball arching toward the center of the Haradrim defenses. But the Harad Wizard uses a Reflect counter spell to send it back towards the Gondorians and the casting Gondor Wizard uses a Counter spell to nullify it altogether. Ultimately the combined fire of the Haradrim muskets bring the Gondor advance to a grinding halt.



On the Harad right flank, the Gondorians take that side's objective.  In the center, the Gondorian Wizard casts another Fireball and it is unopposed. It weakens and leaves 2 of the Haradrim Fusiliers shaken.



On the Harad left flank, the Gondorians find that without a commander nearby to rally their troops from being shaken they can make no advance. So the Gondor commander leaves the center and rushes to support this flank. Gondorian Dragoons charge into close combat after supporting volleys from their fellow Fusiliers.



The Haradrim Wizard uses Teleport to transport himself and 2 units of Fusiliers unto the center objective. Nearby the Gondor Wizard readies himself for a final showdown. But the Haradrim Wizard decides to leave his units here in the center and Teleports himself again to capture the objective everyone thought was safe in Gondorian hands deep on the right side.



With 2 Objectives in Harad hands, all seems lost, but the Gondorian Commander sneaks in and captures the left side objective with help from his Dragoons. But when all the Victory Points were counted up, the Gondorians actually win by a score of  9 to 8! Somehow in the final two turns of the game, the Gondorians managed to eliminate enough enemy units to squeak out a victory.

The Debatable Lands are in Gondorian control... for now at least.

~~~

I can dream up schemes when I'm sitting in my seat
I don't see any flaws 'til I get to my feet
I wish I never woke up this morning
Life was easy when it was boring

I could make a mark, it weren't so dark
I could be replaced by any bright spark
But darkness makes me fumble
For a key to a door that's wide open

Instead of worrying about my clothes
I could be someone that nobody knows
I wish I never woke up this morning
Life was easy when it was boring

~~~

Next post we return to the goings-on over in Tharbad. Something about destroying a bio-weapon facility before their latest research fall into the hands of Nyarlathotep! No fate but what we make. Sarah Connor intends to blow up Cyberdyne Industries!


Cheers,
Mar

[LordOdo]

Ha, great to see you are working on a new set of rules (after HAMMER OF THEE OLDE GODS that is!)

Nice battle and I totally see your new idea of richer terrain. The idea of gunpowder in Middle Earth keeps being intriguing!

[Mars Miniatures]

@ LordOdo,
Hammer Of Thee Olde Gods needs a complete rewrite to be what it actually is now - a simple toolkit to create heroes, villains and scenarios for a story based skirmish set.
Muskets & Magick still needs tweaks and streamlining.
So Im going to keep figures based for Hammer as they are. I love telling stories in my strange Middle Earth atrocity.
And Im going to keep adding multibased figures for Muskets for that game. And it is more of a wargame with nice visuals, but yeah it doesnt really lend itself to storytelling.
So two home-brewed rules for two different types of games in my hobby life.
Oh and Ive already written the basic outline of a 3rd rules set. 
Soemthing like harry Potter type duels between wizard teams. 3 or 4 wizards per side. Somewhere between Magic Gathering cards and D&D.
Calling it temporarily Warlocks of the Astral Plane. 

[Luigi]

These has been rather lovely read from the first page to the last. And these latest staged scene really look amazing.

[Mars Miniatures]

@Luigi, Thanks for reading buddy.

Warlocks Of The Astral Planes

From post here: http://mars-miniatures.blogspot.com/2023/11/warlocks-of-astral-planes.html

 Hiya buddies,

Here we have some pics of some repurposed Heroclix figures that Ive painted up in what I think could be otherworldy Astral-ish colors. So Im going to use them for my version of "superhero" gaming. So are they superheroes or warlocks? Same difference to me. Of course I could use them for other rules as well such as Super Mission Force, Wasteland Warriors, Power Legion or maybe even Savage Worlds. Also, Ive decided to take time to make the bases a bit more different from my usual figures. So I added lots of chopped up plastic sprues and odd bits I found laying about. Im thinking each faction or team will have their own base color scheme to help differentiate the figures during a game.

Onwards to the pics...



 Left to Right: Eruleth, Infirmox, Korsa

This trio of Warlocks are known as the Cult of Barbaroi - a coven dedicated to mutations and elemental sorcery.



Infirmox is the team's "Blaster", a ranged specialist with his magical blasts of disease ridden energy. He can also summon creatures to bolster their numbers.



Korsa is the "Speedster" and can maneuver at great speed to confound their foes. She can also create force bubbles of invisible energy that can act as walls to trap, divide or slow the enemy.



Eruleth is one of  the last endangered forest spirits. She has focused her rage into melee based magical attacks. So she is the "Brawler" of the team. Root Nibblers and Leaf Munchers of the world beware!

~~~

So there is the first test figures for a new range for "superhero" gaming. I really enjoyed painting them up... and I painted all 3 in one day. I cant wait to paint up their nemesis. I already got their name too. Its the Cult of Wyrmish.

Cheers,

Mar

[LordOdo]

I wonder where this may go...

[Mars Miniatures]

From full post here: https://mars-miniatures.blogspot.com/2023/11/return-to-tharbad-part-1.html

Return to Tharbad, Part 1

 When last we saw Balthazar and his team in the Battle of Carn Vorn, the team discovered that some evil magic was imbueing creatures with the rejuvenation abilities of a Troll. The team lost their scout Adeline but they won the battle. They have been tracing the source of these creatures. The team encounters a caravan of human peasant refugees fleeing the area who tell them of a research facility in Tharbad. The peasants say a Night Hag conducts experiments there and has attracted the eye of Nyarlathotep himself who has sent a Shoggoth to make sure the Hag's R&D continues. Balthazar sends Prince Arioch, McGirk, and Mordecai the Butler to escort the peasants to safety. A group of dwarves from Moria appear and present themselves as allies. King Gourd of the dwarves means to destroy the Shoggoth. So the current mission is set. Destroy the Tharbad Research Facility and then... destroy the Shoggoth! King Gourd also says, the ruins of Tharbad might have mystic items that could help destroy or at least weaken the Shoggoth.



Left to Right: Karnov the Barbarian, Lenore the Valkyrie, Balthazar the Blue, Malekith the Anti-Paladin

Balthazar: Alrighty team. We are down a few members from our usual roster but we must destroy the Tharbad Research Facility or Trollish nature will be on the rise.

Lenore: I shudder to think of such a world! Those pesky Valar-damned trolls!

Balthazar: So here's how I feel about what we gonna do here. Either you're in 100% or your out. I dont like to effin dabble. If I go in, I like to go deep under cover. Thats where I go in. Know what Im saying buddies? Im going in like Gandalf did! Full force!

Lenore: Got it boss, full force.



Left to Right: Dwarf soldiers, King Gound, Priestess Phoebe

King Gourd: Dwarves! We have our 1st assignment since returning to Middle Earth, lets give it our best, eh? Lets show these humies that we dwarves dont mess around.

Dwarves: *cheering* Moria! Beer! Roast meats!



On the eastern half of the board, Balthazar and King Gourd and a few dwarves deploy.



Closer to the Tharbad Research Facility, Malekith leads a contingent of knights, archers and handgunners.

Malekith: Shoggoths are timid, easily frightened creatures. It's best to greet them with a twitching, thrashing peace dance while wearing a garland of goats entrails.



On the western half of the table, Lenore, Karnov, and their henchmen deploy.



Closer to the Tharbad Research Facility, Priestess Phoebe leads dwarf warriors and some ranged troops.


Priestess Phoebe: Well, the army seem to be in good spirits at least. Valaya preserve us in our hour of need!

~~~

THE BATTLE OF THARBAD PART DEUX

Summary
The Nighthag Esmerelda has been experimenting with imbueing monsters with Trollish Regeneration. She has been using the local monsters of Tharbad for her experiments. She must be stopped before she creates more abominations. Nyarlathotep is interested in supporting the Nighthag's research facility to help him in his Mythos invasion of Middle Earth. A Shoggoth has been sent to Tharbad to protect these bio-weapon factories from any meddlesome humans. Our heroes, Balthazar and friends, have received orders from the White Tower to sabotage the Tharbad facility and slay the Shoggoth. Dwarf allies have arrived on scene to assist!

Board Setup
The table size is 22" x 60" (two mats). Place a ruin in the center to represent the Research Facility. Also place 4 clumps of terrain - trees, rocks, walls, statues. Clumps must have at least 4" of open space around them and at least 2" from a board edge. Also place 4 small ruined buildings or crypts.

Deployment
- Esmerelda the Nighthag Witch and 3 Beastmen are placed in the center Ruin. 6 more Beastmen are placed in two groups within 6" of center ruin. Place 6 Item Counters face down around the board but no closer than 6" to each other or board edge. Monsters are not aware of Heroes. Monsters alerted if in LOS and in 12" of Heroes or already alerted monster.
- All Heroes and allies must deploy within 3" of southern edge.


Reinforcements
- DM Only Info

Special Rules
- The Heroes may search an Item Counter if adjacent to it. On a roll of 4+, they may pick it up. Dwarves get a +1 to the roll. 3 counters are cobwebs (useless), If 3 items are brought together and crafted as an action, a Mythos Bomb-Omb is created that can be activated at any time to cause 6 Wounds on a Shoggoth in LOS. One time use.
- The Research Facility has 10 Health and no Save.

Victory Conditions
- Game ends on Turn 10. Heroes win if the Research Facility is destroyed AND the Shoggoth is slain.



The game begins with King Gourd approaching a crypt. He avoids being spotted by some Beastmen, but something stirs in the crypt... something slimy. Its the Avatar of Dagon!

Avatar of Dagon: The Beercart Pony might have escaped my grasp last game and that loss still sticks in my craw... so, I will make these dwarves suffer greatly!

~~~

For the rest of the battle see all 3 parts on the blog here: https://mars-miniatures.blogspot.com/2023/11/return-to-tharbad-part-1.html

[Mars Miniatures]

Bonus post here: https://mars-miniatures.blogspot.com/2023/11/thanksgaming-day.html

Thanksgaming Day

 So I spent Thanksgiving with my landlords' grandkids, 6 girls and 2 boys. Left me drained physically, but it was good for my soul. I had some cute little pop dolls that I gave to the girls. Took some pics of them before I gave them out.



Every girl got 2 dolls each. I think they liked them even if they are creepy cute. Then again, Im sure they are used to creepy cute because Ive been giving them fantasy miniatures for the past 2 years. Sometimes I think the figures in my collection are too scary. There are lots of monsters in my room. But the girls seem to like the monsters. Maybe even sympathize with them like I do. I heard one of the girls say the monsters werent really bad and shouldnt be judged by their fangs and claws. Exactly my thoughts!

~~~

For the rest of the post: https://mars-miniatures.blogspot.com/2023/11/thanksgaming-day.html