This one will hold a full 12 man unit on the Trukk. I have one more conversion in the works and then I think I will get the current model.
7 hours ago
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
First Ork Trukk
This is my first Trukk for my 40k Ork army. This started life as the old Ork Truck but it has been heavily modified. The old Trukk model is just too small so I stretched it out a few inches. I build the cab to hide the fact that I am missing the drivers.
This one will hold a full 12 man unit on the Trukk. I have one more conversion in the works and then I think I will get the current model.
This one will hold a full 12 man unit on the Trukk. I have one more conversion in the works and then I think I will get the current model.Sunday, March 21, 2010
Rules of Engagement - First Game
Today Tim and I got together in the garage game room to try out the Rules of Engagement. We were looking to try out the basic rules first, before trying any of the cools stuff like artillery or tanks. The game uses a unique army selection that does not use points. Your force is centered on an infantry platoon and you have required elements and optional elements. For most armies you must take a Platoon HQ and two infantry squads. To keep things simple we just used the basic force for each side.
I went with the US Infantry. The picture above is my force which had a 5 man HQ and 2 twelve man squads. The US gets a nice ROF from the M1 Garand but the BAR as a support weapon leaves a bit to be desired.
Above is Tim's German platoon. He had a 6 man HQ and 2 nine man squads. The basic German rifle only has a ROF of 1 but has a longer range than the US riffle. In addition, the Germans have a light machine gun in each squad which can really put out some firepower.
I went with the US Infantry. The picture above is my force which had a 5 man HQ and 2 twelve man squads. The US gets a nice ROF from the M1 Garand but the BAR as a support weapon leaves a bit to be desired.
Above is Tim's German platoon. He had a 6 man HQ and 2 nine man squads. The basic German rifle only has a ROF of 1 but has a longer range than the US riffle. In addition, the Germans have a light machine gun in each squad which can really put out some firepower.We selected the Advance to Contact scenario. This is basically a meeting engagement type of battle. It is supposed to use a hidden deployment but we opted for the quick - throw stuff on the table - approach.
The terrain was pretty basic with a few hills and some woods. Again, we just wanted to keep things simple.
The terrain was pretty basic with a few hills and some woods. Again, we just wanted to keep things simple.The turn starts with the Discipline phase, which is where you do various checks and tasks related to morale. On the first turn there is nothing to do. Next is the Orders phase. There are four basic orders that relate to how you want each unit to behave in the following phases. Depending on the order selected you unit may move fast or slow, it might be able to shoot and assault or it might not. The orders aren't complicated but they add an interesting aspect to the game. In the order phase you must also declare your targets for each unit to shoot at in the Shooting phase as well as any units you wish to Assault in the Close Quarters phase. This declaration of targets is really different and takes some getting used to.
In the first turn we both just issued Advance orders and moved up and started shooting. The US was able to get in the first kill. Discipline is a big part of the game and it is mostly centered on how many hits are scored on a unit in a single Shooting phase. If you score a number of hits equal to the size of the unit after casualties are removed then the unit becomes Suppressed. If you do double the number of hits than the unit has models it becomes Shaken. The different levels have there own drawbacks and limit what the unit may do and how it may act. We quickly learned that the umber of hits on a unit is, in many ways, more important than how many kills are inflicted by those hits.
After a couple of turns of trying different orders and shooting away at each other we had managed only a couple of kills. Tim did manage to get my HQ to Shaken and it took the next couple of turns to get them back in good order and back in the fight.
On the US left, the Germans advanced behind a small wood and prepared to assault a US squad that was defending a wall. The US would get a turn of shooting before the Germans were in position so I tried lobbing some grenades. This did not work out but it was neat to be able to do it. Many games just ignore grenades or make up some sort of abstraction to explain them away but they were an important part of WW2 combat and really add flavor to the game.
On the German's turn they swung into position and opened fire. The scored 5 hits but no wounds and 5 hits were not enough to Suppress the unit. In the close Quarters phase the Germans launched their assault against the troops defending the wall...turns out this was a bad idea. The CQ combat system uses a target number that is then modified up or down based on a series of factors. Each soldier in base to base fights separately and the fights are resolved one at a time. Each side checks there modifiers, rolls the dice and modifies the score. The side with the high score wins and the looser is removed as a casualty. Repeat for each model in base to base. This is quicker than is sounds and much bloodier than you think.
The Germans launched the assault with 8 men, six of which made it into contact. They lost every fight and the two survivors surrendered. This turned out to be the climax of the battle as the Germans were reduced to their break point. We got in a couple more turns but it was over for the Germans.
In the first turn we both just issued Advance orders and moved up and started shooting. The US was able to get in the first kill. Discipline is a big part of the game and it is mostly centered on how many hits are scored on a unit in a single Shooting phase. If you score a number of hits equal to the size of the unit after casualties are removed then the unit becomes Suppressed. If you do double the number of hits than the unit has models it becomes Shaken. The different levels have there own drawbacks and limit what the unit may do and how it may act. We quickly learned that the umber of hits on a unit is, in many ways, more important than how many kills are inflicted by those hits.
After a couple of turns of trying different orders and shooting away at each other we had managed only a couple of kills. Tim did manage to get my HQ to Shaken and it took the next couple of turns to get them back in good order and back in the fight.On the US left, the Germans advanced behind a small wood and prepared to assault a US squad that was defending a wall. The US would get a turn of shooting before the Germans were in position so I tried lobbing some grenades. This did not work out but it was neat to be able to do it. Many games just ignore grenades or make up some sort of abstraction to explain them away but they were an important part of WW2 combat and really add flavor to the game.
On the German's turn they swung into position and opened fire. The scored 5 hits but no wounds and 5 hits were not enough to Suppress the unit. In the close Quarters phase the Germans launched their assault against the troops defending the wall...turns out this was a bad idea. The CQ combat system uses a target number that is then modified up or down based on a series of factors. Each soldier in base to base fights separately and the fights are resolved one at a time. Each side checks there modifiers, rolls the dice and modifies the score. The side with the high score wins and the looser is removed as a casualty. Repeat for each model in base to base. This is quicker than is sounds and much bloodier than you think.
The Germans launched the assault with 8 men, six of which made it into contact. They lost every fight and the two survivors surrendered. This turned out to be the climax of the battle as the Germans were reduced to their break point. We got in a couple more turns but it was over for the Germans.The game played well and if you are familiar with Warhammer 40K or Flames of War you will quickly pick-up the rules. It is not the same as either game but it has enough in common to allow for points of reference. I can't wait to play it a few more times and try out some of the more interesting units and rules.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Rules of Engagement
While on a recent vacation to Disneyland I made a quick stop at Brookhurst Hobbies. The last couple of times I have stopped in I haven't found much to get excited about, but to be fair they have been doing lots of work and the place has been in disarray. I did not have big expectations this time but I was very surprised to find a copy of Rules of Engagement.
This is a set of World War II rules for 28mm figures. The rules are published by Great Escape Games in the UK and are a bit of a bitch to get in the US. In fact, I was not aware that Brookhurst had these rules. The only place listed on Great Escape's site where you can get the rules in the US is On Military Matters. The main reason I did not order these from OMM is they want $65 for the book and a set of templates...ouch. Brookhurst not only had the rules, they were on sale for only $35! No templates but who cares?
Now, on to the good stuff. The book is a nice hardbound edition. The rules are fairly well written but have the typical English rules style that Americans can find a bit frustrating. There is a nice table of contents as well as an extensive index.
The rules section covers everything you need to know to play the game. The rules are infantry centric and seem to be inspired by Warhammer 40K 2nd through 4th editions. There are also some influences from Flames of War. There are rules for vehicles, fortifications, and artillery support. There are nine scenarios and well as a simple ladder campaign.
After the rules section there is a brief history of World War II centered on the Western Front from the Normandy invasion to the end of the war. After this there are several Orders of Battle for creating forces for the game. These include 5 different German armies, 4 British and Canadian armies, 4 US armies, and a French Resistance army. Each of these lists includes the weapons stats and support options. In the middle of the book there is a hobby section with some painting and modeling info. At the end of the book is a quick reference chart and the templates and counters for the game.
I have read through the rules and so far it seems like it will play well. As a fan of 40K I was really looking forward to trying these rules. The plan is to get in the first game tomorrow. I have been looking for a game like this for a very long time but have failed to find anything that I liked. It has been so frustrating that I started work a few years ago on my own rules. The problem with writing your own rules is you become 'that guy.' You know, the beardy git who carries around his rules binder. I never wanted to be that guy, so hopefully, these rules will play well and I can get out of the rules design business.
More to come...
Thursday, March 4, 2010
2250 Beastmen List
Back in 2008 I acquired a collection of beastmen models. I tried to get a painting and model building challenge going in by local game group. I managed to get a few models painted but thinks kind of tapered off. The rumors of a new codex for the Beasts of Chaos helped to slow my enthusiasm.
Now that the new codex has been released I have put together my first real Warhammer list. The primary design consideration for this army is to focus on the models I have in the collection. I also wanted and army that looked like an army. Many WHFB armies are nothing more than a few monster models and maybe a single unit of infantry.
Here is what I have come up with for a first try. I am sure the WHFB pros out there can pick it apart.
Characters
Beast Lord
Axes of Khorgor
Blade-Blunter Armor
235
Wargor
Heavy Armor
Extra Hand Weapon
93
Battle Standard Bearer
War Banner
Heavy Armor
129
Brey-Shaman
Level 2
Gnarled Hide
Dispel Scroll
Jagged Dagger
160
Total - 627
Core
28 Ungor
Spears
Full Command
183
24 Ungor
Spears
Full Command
159
24 Gor
Shields
Full Command
217
24 Gor
Extra Hand Weapon
Full Command
217
Tuskgor Chariot
80
Tuskgor Chariot
80
10 Chaos Warhounds
Poison Attack
Scaly Skin
100
Total - 1036
Special
20 Beastigor
Full Command
270
4 Minotaurs
Bloodkine
Standard
Great Weapons
292
Total - 562
Army Total - 2225
There it is. The beauty of the army is that it is built and the painting is well under way. I will take a few pictures and do some more work in progress posts. And I will certainly do up a Battle report as soon as I get it on the table.
Now that the new codex has been released I have put together my first real Warhammer list. The primary design consideration for this army is to focus on the models I have in the collection. I also wanted and army that looked like an army. Many WHFB armies are nothing more than a few monster models and maybe a single unit of infantry.
Here is what I have come up with for a first try. I am sure the WHFB pros out there can pick it apart.
Characters
Beast Lord
Axes of Khorgor
Blade-Blunter Armor
235
Wargor
Heavy Armor
Extra Hand Weapon
93
Battle Standard Bearer
War Banner
Heavy Armor
129
Brey-Shaman
Level 2
Gnarled Hide
Dispel Scroll
Jagged Dagger
160
Total - 627
Core
28 Ungor
Spears
Full Command
183
24 Ungor
Spears
Full Command
159
24 Gor
Shields
Full Command
217
24 Gor
Extra Hand Weapon
Full Command
217
Tuskgor Chariot
80
Tuskgor Chariot
80
10 Chaos Warhounds
Poison Attack
Scaly Skin
100
Total - 1036
Special
20 Beastigor
Full Command
270
4 Minotaurs
Bloodkine
Standard
Great Weapons
292
Total - 562
Army Total - 2225
There it is. The beauty of the army is that it is built and the painting is well under way. I will take a few pictures and do some more work in progress posts. And I will certainly do up a Battle report as soon as I get it on the table.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Gathering in the Desert 2010
I have managed to let nearly two months go by without a post. It is not as if I haven't been doing anything I have just been so busy that updating the blog fell way down the list. For the last several weeks I have been working on terrain and models for the Gathering in the Desert LOTR:SBG Indy GT. I have also gotten in a few practice games. The event was held last weekend at Empire Games in Gilbert AZ and was a huge success. I was not last and managed a record of 1-2-2 for the weekend.
Here are some pictures of the terrain pieces I did to support the event.
This creepy statue is from one of the Halloween village lines. I got it for about $1 a couple of years ago. I finally got around to basing and painting it.
The next four pictures are of a set of the LOTR ruins from GW mounted on one of the forest bases. I mounted the trees that should have been on this base to their own individual round bases. I used some of the extra limbs and leaves to tie the piece into a woodsy setting.
I also built a total of three sets of the Citadel Woods for the GiTD and painted them to match the set a did a few weeks ago for myself. I forgot to get pictures but they look just like mine. I painted two of the GW modular hills and two of the regular hills to match the Realm of Battle set I had already painted for the event.
Here are some links to more coverage of the event:
Here are some pictures of the terrain pieces I did to support the event.
This creepy statue is from one of the Halloween village lines. I got it for about $1 a couple of years ago. I finally got around to basing and painting it.The next four pictures are of a set of the LOTR ruins from GW mounted on one of the forest bases. I mounted the trees that should have been on this base to their own individual round bases. I used some of the extra limbs and leaves to tie the piece into a woodsy setting.
I also built a total of three sets of the Citadel Woods for the GiTD and painted them to match the set a did a few weeks ago for myself. I forgot to get pictures but they look just like mine. I painted two of the GW modular hills and two of the regular hills to match the Realm of Battle set I had already painted for the event.
After all the terrain was done I needed to do a few little projects for my GiTD army. This year I decided to take a Cirith Ungol army lead by Gorbag. Most of the army was Orcs which where already painted. I took Cirith Ungol because I wanted to use my Shelob model.
To round out this force all I needed to do was paint a Mordor Troll, Gorbag and finish the Banner Bearer.
To round out this force all I needed to do was paint a Mordor Troll, Gorbag and finish the Banner Bearer.
Here are some links to more coverage of the event:Saturday, January 2, 2010
First Post of 2010
Wow! It is 2010 already. How did that happen? It is hard to believe that I started this blog three years ago, almost to the day. In all the time I have been doing this blog I have avoided the whole "New Year's Resolution"/"Here are my grand plans" type of posts. This blog has always been about whatever I was doing/thinking at that moment. But times have changed. For the first time I think I will go on record with what I would like to do the for year ahead. Planning anything for me is usually a bad thing....
So here we go. The items listed below are in the order in which they entered my mind.
Warhammer 40,000 - From a player perspective this has been my main game for the last couple of years, and it looks like that will be the case for 2010. Over the past summer I started work on an Ork army and after a few games I am really liking them. So the plan is to expand this army over the coming year and get in a bunch of games with them.
Warhammer Fantasy Battles - A couple of years ago I acquired a Beast of Chaos army and I started working getting it painted. At the time I tried to get my friends to to join in...with limited success. With the new Beasts Codex coming out next month I will definitely be getting back into this project. It also appears that my game friends will also be building armies and playing games.
Necromunda/=][=munda/Inquistor - Tim and I started working on some small skirmish games based on the 40K setting. We have yet to settle on a rules set and will probebly use a mix of Necromunda and 40K 2nf edition (=][=munda). I would like to keep working on this in 2010.
Black Powder Era - This is a very broad and vague category. I have lots of interesting in games set in various battles from 1700 to 1900. I am mostly interested in the American Civil War and the Napoleonic Wars. I have the start of a large 28mm ACW collection but I need a reason to paint it. I would also like to build some armies with the new plastic Perry and Victrix Napoleonic figures. Rules for this period have always been and issue. I want something fun and easy and I am not sure there is anything out that fits the bill. The Warlord Games Black Powder rules look interesting so I may be checking those out this year.
Warhammer English Civil War - I played this game several years ago and really liked it. I started building an army using figures from Renegade and Bicorne. The figure were terrific but very expensive. I also had a huge block when it came to painting them. It took a long time to make any progress on the project and before I knew it everyone had moved on and sold their armies. I was bummed and eventually sold my army as well. Warlord miniatures has released a new line of plastic ECW figures that look fantastic! The prices are good and I may just start working on this again. This time I will do it for me and plan on both sides.
Flames of War - Last year I started building any army for FoW. I spent lost of money on an army and the books. I have painted up about 600 points of British 8th Army for North Africa. Sadly, I have yet to play and my dislike of 15mm minis is starting to take hold. I am not sure where this project will go in 2010. It seems to me it is about 50/50 whether I continue the project or sell it all off. Playing would probably help.
Legends of the Old West - I have lots of Cowboys and the start of a town. I would like to play some games and paint some more terrain and figures. This could be a fun distraction.
Lord of the Rings: SBG - Funny. I have no real plans for this game in 2010. I have a couple of figures to paint for the Gathering in the Desert in February. Other than that, I probably will not be doing anything for this game.
28mm World War II - This is my true love when it comes to miniatures gaming. I have a huge collection and a desire to do so much more. The last several years I have been working on a set of rules based, loosely, on 40K with some LOTR mixed in. I even sent it into Warhammer historical in hopes of getting it published. Alas, it was not to be. There were big changes at WHW and they now how their own plans for WW2. This was a very discouraging development and lead to my experimentation with FoW. You see, I don't want to be one of those beardy gits that plays their own, home-made, rules. This year will be the year of finding a published set of rules for 28mm WW2. Right now I am looking at the Iron Ivan stuff. I have played it a couple of times and it look like it might do the trick.
Other Games - I really want to get in some more games of Descent this year. I have played a couple of times and I really like it. I would also like to get into Wings of War, either WW1 or WW2. Memoir '44 is also looking interesting. I like the fact that they have so many expansions.
So there you have it. This is what is on my mind right now. In a while I will have something else on my mind and will probably end up forgetting half of this. Throughout the year I will try and come back to this post. Maybe it will help to keep me on track.
So here we go. The items listed below are in the order in which they entered my mind.
Warhammer 40,000 - From a player perspective this has been my main game for the last couple of years, and it looks like that will be the case for 2010. Over the past summer I started work on an Ork army and after a few games I am really liking them. So the plan is to expand this army over the coming year and get in a bunch of games with them.
Warhammer Fantasy Battles - A couple of years ago I acquired a Beast of Chaos army and I started working getting it painted. At the time I tried to get my friends to to join in...with limited success. With the new Beasts Codex coming out next month I will definitely be getting back into this project. It also appears that my game friends will also be building armies and playing games.
Necromunda/=][=munda/Inquistor - Tim and I started working on some small skirmish games based on the 40K setting. We have yet to settle on a rules set and will probebly use a mix of Necromunda and 40K 2nf edition (=][=munda). I would like to keep working on this in 2010.
Black Powder Era - This is a very broad and vague category. I have lots of interesting in games set in various battles from 1700 to 1900. I am mostly interested in the American Civil War and the Napoleonic Wars. I have the start of a large 28mm ACW collection but I need a reason to paint it. I would also like to build some armies with the new plastic Perry and Victrix Napoleonic figures. Rules for this period have always been and issue. I want something fun and easy and I am not sure there is anything out that fits the bill. The Warlord Games Black Powder rules look interesting so I may be checking those out this year.
Warhammer English Civil War - I played this game several years ago and really liked it. I started building an army using figures from Renegade and Bicorne. The figure were terrific but very expensive. I also had a huge block when it came to painting them. It took a long time to make any progress on the project and before I knew it everyone had moved on and sold their armies. I was bummed and eventually sold my army as well. Warlord miniatures has released a new line of plastic ECW figures that look fantastic! The prices are good and I may just start working on this again. This time I will do it for me and plan on both sides.
Flames of War - Last year I started building any army for FoW. I spent lost of money on an army and the books. I have painted up about 600 points of British 8th Army for North Africa. Sadly, I have yet to play and my dislike of 15mm minis is starting to take hold. I am not sure where this project will go in 2010. It seems to me it is about 50/50 whether I continue the project or sell it all off. Playing would probably help.
Legends of the Old West - I have lots of Cowboys and the start of a town. I would like to play some games and paint some more terrain and figures. This could be a fun distraction.
Lord of the Rings: SBG - Funny. I have no real plans for this game in 2010. I have a couple of figures to paint for the Gathering in the Desert in February. Other than that, I probably will not be doing anything for this game.
28mm World War II - This is my true love when it comes to miniatures gaming. I have a huge collection and a desire to do so much more. The last several years I have been working on a set of rules based, loosely, on 40K with some LOTR mixed in. I even sent it into Warhammer historical in hopes of getting it published. Alas, it was not to be. There were big changes at WHW and they now how their own plans for WW2. This was a very discouraging development and lead to my experimentation with FoW. You see, I don't want to be one of those beardy gits that plays their own, home-made, rules. This year will be the year of finding a published set of rules for 28mm WW2. Right now I am looking at the Iron Ivan stuff. I have played it a couple of times and it look like it might do the trick.
Other Games - I really want to get in some more games of Descent this year. I have played a couple of times and I really like it. I would also like to get into Wings of War, either WW1 or WW2. Memoir '44 is also looking interesting. I like the fact that they have so many expansions.
So there you have it. This is what is on my mind right now. In a while I will have something else on my mind and will probably end up forgetting half of this. Throughout the year I will try and come back to this post. Maybe it will help to keep me on track.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
40K Game Images Part 3
A couple of weeks ago a few friends and I met up at Imperial Outpost for a day of 40K. We had five players - me, Tim, Tom, Brandon and Lonnie. The armies that took the field were Tyranids, Sisters of Battle, Imperial Guard, Space Marines and Daemonhunters. We managed to get in three games.
The Sisters fought the Tyranids and...well...the Sisters got wacked. It was not pretty.
The Imperial Guard fought the Daemonhunters and it was a close game that ended in a draw.
The last game was Imperial Guard vs. Space Marines. This was another close battle that also ended in a draw.
The Sisters fought the Tyranids and...well...the Sisters got wacked. It was not pretty.
The Imperial Guard fought the Daemonhunters and it was a close game that ended in a draw.
The last game was Imperial Guard vs. Space Marines. This was another close battle that also ended in a draw.
It was good to get the guys out for a day of gaming. Two of the five players played their frist games of 5th edition. Everyone had a great time.
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