Friday, May 24, 2013

on Kickstarters and other distractions



Many thing going on in the non-gaming world for me. I have a batrep from my last Flames of War game to post, and fingers crossed, will be getting in another game of Mighty armies this evening.

However, if you need a little extra reading, let me recommend this article by Matt Forbeck, no stranger to the industry, discussing the top ten tabletop Kickstarters. This is one of the biggest talking points in the gaming world today, and Mr. Forbeck's comments echo what we've been saying here as well.

Now if you will excuse me, I will go back to dreaming up a Victorian scifi campaign for 7tv...

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Mighty Armies: first game


Last week, Maurice, Aaron and I sat down to play Mighty Armies for the first time. I brought the Dark Elves of Hyperborea to bear arms against a fierce goblin force and an army of Leonines and their allies. (All figs either Rebel or Splintered Light.)



The battlefield. My elves come in from the north, a terrifying Dragonman at the center, with veteran armored Swords on his left and skirmishers on his right. Those sword infantry proved to be rock solid, and held their own to the bitter end. And the Dragonman was a nightmare, taking on entire enemy units singlehandedly.



Goblin cavalry take shots at the leonine infantry. Two turns into the game, we jokingly decided it was a secret 'king of the hill' scenario. No one knew!



Goblins to the east? Leonines to the west? Time to charge right into the middle!

Above you can see my sorceress, hiding behind the elite polearm guards. (I forgot to base my general and the sorceress, will have to correct that before we play next time.) The sorceress accomplished.... very little all game. Chalking that one up to my inexperience with how movement works in the game. Line of sight is crucial, even if spellcasters are squishy. Especially from ranged attacks.




Speaking of ranged attacks, this pic commemorates when my skirmishers took a random shot at the leonines on the hill, and eliminated their general. (Hello, Harold!)

It also commemorates the sweet measuring stick I made on my lunchbreak at work, since I had forgotten my measuring tape, but we had a bunch of coffee stirrers. 



 The Dragonman follows up after crushing his opponents. So mighty.

The remaining Hyperborean elves form a defensive square to fend off assaults from two sides. It doesn't help. My veteran troops were hella tough, but numbers took their toll.


Attrition was massive, as forces were whittled down. The Dragonman was finally eliminated, but only through dedicated effort. After my elves were routed, the last few stands duked it out, until the goblins reigned supreme, with only the warlord and maybe another stand or two besides.

So, highly enjoyable game. Plays fast, but includes enough tactical depth and variety to keep us entertained, I think. We're already talking about different armies to try or how to expand next. (We're also going to expand these armies, so we can use them to try out Pride of Lions as well.) Maurice also wrote his side of the story, check it out on his blog here.



 
Two of Maurice's figs, because that guy can paint.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

more found terrain

Since I work an odd shift, I do most of the shopping for the household, which means I have the time and opportunity to check out the bargain sections for things to... appropriate for the gaming table. Yesterday I lucked out and found these charming treats:



Five Below (everything there is $1-$5) had these marketed as solar-powered lanterns for cookouts, a mere three bucks each. Whereas I see some excellent kiosks or small buildings for scifi terrain, pretty much anyplace outside the 'Dark Gothic' vibe with a Far East flavor. Infinity, Relic Knights, I could even see these in Pulp City. Only have to figure out if I will leave them generic, or put a little effort into making them into advertising/communications hubs. My basement is chock full of unfinished projects, but these are close enough I can easily put in the labor to get them table-ready.

Tragically, I think they're a bit out of scale for 15mm, at least not without significant adjustment. Nonetheless, worth picking up.