Thursday, 26 December 2019
Wednesday, 25 December 2019
Gaming Xmas Presents
I now have a new brand hobby mug to make the essential "painting brew" to keep the spirits up during those long painting sessions of 2020 (see below, a sporting theme in honour of England's ODI World Cup win!):
A new board game, playable solo or up to four players, "Escape The Dark Castle". A cooperative style of game play - everybody gets out alive to win or nobody wins (see below, a Gothic atmospheric fantasy - variations allow for three boss monsters and 45 story cards (15 needed for a game) making for many combinations on "Game Nights" ahead):
Plus the first expansion pack, "The Cult of the Death Night" (see below, ideas for many D&D spin-offs into my dungeons methinks):
Game on in 2020! And not to forget that I an reading a very interesting book (see below, which could have an alternative title of "What I learned during my life and times as a promoter of, and an active professional wargamer"):
2019 has ended on quite a high!
A new board game, playable solo or up to four players, "Escape The Dark Castle". A cooperative style of game play - everybody gets out alive to win or nobody wins (see below, a Gothic atmospheric fantasy - variations allow for three boss monsters and 45 story cards (15 needed for a game) making for many combinations on "Game Nights" ahead):
Plus the first expansion pack, "The Cult of the Death Night" (see below, ideas for many D&D spin-offs into my dungeons methinks):
Game on in 2020! And not to forget that I an reading a very interesting book (see below, which could have an alternative title of "What I learned during my life and times as a promoter of, and an active professional wargamer"):
2019 has ended on quite a high!
Tuesday, 24 December 2019
Talking about a "Matilda", but not the Roald Dahl one, even though it is Xmas!
The "Master of Leipzig" from Battleground 2019 placed a special request, to play some more Blitzkrieg France 1940 (Panzerblitz, Avalon Hill style) in early January 2020, with the BEF. To the spares box I went and found a covey Skytrex 1/200 Matilda I's and II's Battalion which beckons forth the Battle of Arras. A "Battalion of BEF infantry" and an "Infantry Tank Battalion" should suffice to represent "Frank Force". The only 'fly in t he ointment' being the Matilda I assembly process (see below, this tiny micro tank comes in 'four pieces' - out with the superglue):
The first company (Coy) of Matilda I's completed (see below, equivalent to the German Panzer I albeit much slower, armed with a single HMG - the redoubtable Vickers machine gun):
The 7th RTR had two companies of Matilda I's. Each model represents approximately 4-5 actual vehicles therefore the Company has three models [in the Arras battle 4th RTR had 35 Matilda I's and 7th RTR had twenty three Matilda I's and sixteen Matilda II's]. I have six Matilda I's and four Matilda II's tanks, along with two BEF Bren Carriers and a MkVI Light Tank to represent the 7th RTR (See below, that is thirteen models in total using Command Decision and Spearhead OoBs):
The three tanks of the heavy company (Matilda II's) are shown below, plus a fourth tank for the Battalion command tank (see below, the only issue I have with the metal models are the "Western Desert" external "extended range" fuel tank - I may have to "snip" them off):
The origins of this Order of Battle sates back to 1990 when I first started a rejuvenated interest into wargaming (a second birth) when I was living in Aberdeen, UK. I picked up Frank Chadwick's "Command Decision I" from Virgin Games on the high street, long before the Internet when you had to find stuff in shops. Inside the CD rule box was a quarterly newsletter (called The Command Post), in Section S-2 Intelligence the Order of Battle Section the British Infantry Tank Brigade, France 1940 by Jeff Glasco was given (see below, it seems to have lasted the test of time given my reading of France 1940 since 1990):
First Army Tank Brigade
4 RTR (Battalion)
7 RTR (Battalion)
Note on actual strength: Prior to engaging in combat, total Matilda strength dropped to 58 Matilda Is (12 stands), and 16 Matilda IIs (3 stands) due to mechanical breakdowns.
Background References:
http://www.4and7royaltankregiment.com/1940-1941/
The first company (Coy) of Matilda I's completed (see below, equivalent to the German Panzer I albeit much slower, armed with a single HMG - the redoubtable Vickers machine gun):
The 7th RTR had two companies of Matilda I's. Each model represents approximately 4-5 actual vehicles therefore the Company has three models [in the Arras battle 4th RTR had 35 Matilda I's and 7th RTR had twenty three Matilda I's and sixteen Matilda II's]. I have six Matilda I's and four Matilda II's tanks, along with two BEF Bren Carriers and a MkVI Light Tank to represent the 7th RTR (See below, that is thirteen models in total using Command Decision and Spearhead OoBs):
The three tanks of the heavy company (Matilda II's) are shown below, plus a fourth tank for the Battalion command tank (see below, the only issue I have with the metal models are the "Western Desert" external "extended range" fuel tank - I may have to "snip" them off):
The origins of this Order of Battle sates back to 1990 when I first started a rejuvenated interest into wargaming (a second birth) when I was living in Aberdeen, UK. I picked up Frank Chadwick's "Command Decision I" from Virgin Games on the high street, long before the Internet when you had to find stuff in shops. Inside the CD rule box was a quarterly newsletter (called The Command Post), in Section S-2 Intelligence the Order of Battle Section the British Infantry Tank Brigade, France 1940 by Jeff Glasco was given (see below, it seems to have lasted the test of time given my reading of France 1940 since 1990):
First Army Tank Brigade
- HQ: 1 x Matilda I (Command Tank)
4 RTR (Battalion)
- HQ: 1 x Matilda I (Command Tank), 2 x Carriers, 1 x MkVI Light Tank
- Light Squadron: 1 x Matilda I (Command Tank), 2 x Matilda I
- Light Squadron: 1 x Matilda I (Command Tank), 2 x Matilda I
- Light Squadron: 1 x Matilda I (Command Tank), 2 x Matilda I
7 RTR (Battalion)
- HQ: 1 x Matilda II (Command Tank), 2 x Carriers, 1 x MkVI Light Tank
- Light Squadron: 1 x Matilda I (Command Tank), 2 x Matilda I
- Light Squadron: 1 x Matilda I (Command Tank), 2 x Matilda I
- Medium Squadron: 1 x Matilda II (Command Tank), 2 x Matilda II
Note on actual strength: Prior to engaging in combat, total Matilda strength dropped to 58 Matilda Is (12 stands), and 16 Matilda IIs (3 stands) due to mechanical breakdowns.
Background References:
http://www.4and7royaltankregiment.com/1940-1941/
Monday, 23 December 2019
November Wargaming Show: Stockton Battleground
Looking back to November this year I had the good fortune to help out with an exhibition game at the Stockton Battleground Wargame Show. A 10mm epic Napoleonic feast, the last day of the 1813 Leipzig battle, the largest Napoleonic battle. The battlefield set-up and rules were a hex driven (Kallistra scenery) tribute to the Avalon Hill era - you could say an Avalon Hill rule appreciation society. The goal being to be able to play epic sized Napoleonic battles "quicker" than they actually took (see below, these 10mm figures came from the Pendrakon stable, which seemed appropriate as they organised the show):
In addition to playing I managed to do some shopping between dice rolling and figure moving (see below, following on from the Wargames Illustrated "freebie" - after several good recommendations from friends I took the plunge and bought the starter set, yes yet another Napoleonic Naval scale!):
Catching the corner of my eye I saw a "must have" throwback to my childhood, 2000AD tribute to Judge Dredd (see below, get ready for Block War .. mine is the JRR Hartley Block, fly fishing anyone. Watch out from those no good perps from the Homer Simpson Block, they are trouble and they will catch some "rod"!):
The last purchase was looking forward to my communal 2020 project, the Western Desert in 10mm, my bag is the Italians (see below, a party pack from Pendrakon):
So plenty of painting planned for the festive break!
In addition to playing I managed to do some shopping between dice rolling and figure moving (see below, following on from the Wargames Illustrated "freebie" - after several good recommendations from friends I took the plunge and bought the starter set, yes yet another Napoleonic Naval scale!):
Catching the corner of my eye I saw a "must have" throwback to my childhood, 2000AD tribute to Judge Dredd (see below, get ready for Block War .. mine is the JRR Hartley Block, fly fishing anyone. Watch out from those no good perps from the Homer Simpson Block, they are trouble and they will catch some "rod"!):
The last purchase was looking forward to my communal 2020 project, the Western Desert in 10mm, my bag is the Italians (see below, a party pack from Pendrakon):
So plenty of painting planned for the festive break!
Sunday, 22 December 2019
It is the Season of Party Games: "Munchkins", "The Pretender" and 'Pandemic: The Cure'.
Unexpectedly or rather totally unplanned on my part, I notice it has been a canny while since I last bogged, as this December seems to have been a most hectic affair, but in a good sense. I seem to have dropped out of the blogging habit (partly because I find one of my kids constantly in front of the family computer) but on the plus side too I have been "doing" plenty of "stuff," just not getting to report it. It does also seem to be the party game season. Two separate instances of old friends bringing their families together with mine caused much hilarity through 'Pretenders' and 'Munchkins' (see below, 'Pretenders' is a family favourite as one player has to guess what the others are miming before it's their turn to mime, so are you faking it or just bad at miming?):
'Munchkins' is the deadliest of games, addictive and unforgiving - a D&D spoof as it is a race to get to 10th Level through a combination of kicking in doors, killing monsters, looting treasure, stealing treasure off other players or cursing other players and basically getting lucky at other players expense. "You are dead to me!" is a frequently used phrase in our games as backstabbing and mischievous double dealings are 'normal behaviour' (dystopian or what). The game really assumes its best form when the players "go dirty" in a bare knuckled free for all, running away and dying (getting busted back to Level 1 with no possessions) is all par for the course (see below, a pile of 'door cards' and a pile of 'treasure cards' and a foursome of players adventuring around them):
The third of the trio of games is my personal favourite genre, that of collaborative problem solving, "Pandemic: The Cure" which a remodelling of the original Pandemic game using smart (intelligent rule driven: dice and cards) playing pieces to reduce the 'required pre-game reading' and rule memorisation. Instead of small car manual it is reduced to eight A4 sheets of large print rules and diagrams. Good job by the designers as the play flowed smoothly (see below, the game is in progress, we are three players trying to find the cure for four diseases, you can sense the game mechanics are finely mathematically balanced between winning and losing):
With the exception to "Pretender" which is a classic pick up and play in 30 seconds, the other two "Munchkins" and "Pandemic" had to be first played with a dry-run round (or two) to get the feel for the rules and a sense of what the strategies were. In fact richness in the "Munchkins" cards and interactions were revealed with more and more play. Being nasty (for "Munchkins") was a characteristic of play that had to be learned (counter intuitive in many ways to be so overtly nasty and in your face). We were not getting the rules wrong (the sequence of play was very simple) but combinations of cards "worked". "Pandemic" is a little more frustrating because after playing it four times I "think" I have the rules now .. and the designers did a good job making it simple .. something about how the dynamics pull together. It makes me think I should make better of You Tube instructional videos and the like, games like Chain of Command fro the Two Fat Lardies unashamedly use it wisely. The classic statistic from the 1970's/80's Avalon Hill/SPI period was that 55% of games never got played - those that did, I wonder how many were really played correctly? Are we any better off now in getting games played?
'Munchkins' is the deadliest of games, addictive and unforgiving - a D&D spoof as it is a race to get to 10th Level through a combination of kicking in doors, killing monsters, looting treasure, stealing treasure off other players or cursing other players and basically getting lucky at other players expense. "You are dead to me!" is a frequently used phrase in our games as backstabbing and mischievous double dealings are 'normal behaviour' (dystopian or what). The game really assumes its best form when the players "go dirty" in a bare knuckled free for all, running away and dying (getting busted back to Level 1 with no possessions) is all par for the course (see below, a pile of 'door cards' and a pile of 'treasure cards' and a foursome of players adventuring around them):
The third of the trio of games is my personal favourite genre, that of collaborative problem solving, "Pandemic: The Cure" which a remodelling of the original Pandemic game using smart (intelligent rule driven: dice and cards) playing pieces to reduce the 'required pre-game reading' and rule memorisation. Instead of small car manual it is reduced to eight A4 sheets of large print rules and diagrams. Good job by the designers as the play flowed smoothly (see below, the game is in progress, we are three players trying to find the cure for four diseases, you can sense the game mechanics are finely mathematically balanced between winning and losing):
With the exception to "Pretender" which is a classic pick up and play in 30 seconds, the other two "Munchkins" and "Pandemic" had to be first played with a dry-run round (or two) to get the feel for the rules and a sense of what the strategies were. In fact richness in the "Munchkins" cards and interactions were revealed with more and more play. Being nasty (for "Munchkins") was a characteristic of play that had to be learned (counter intuitive in many ways to be so overtly nasty and in your face). We were not getting the rules wrong (the sequence of play was very simple) but combinations of cards "worked". "Pandemic" is a little more frustrating because after playing it four times I "think" I have the rules now .. and the designers did a good job making it simple .. something about how the dynamics pull together. It makes me think I should make better of You Tube instructional videos and the like, games like Chain of Command fro the Two Fat Lardies unashamedly use it wisely. The classic statistic from the 1970's/80's Avalon Hill/SPI period was that 55% of games never got played - those that did, I wonder how many were really played correctly? Are we any better off now in getting games played?
Sunday, 8 December 2019
GW LOTR Balrog (Post 2)
From a collection of shiny parts to an assembled model (see below, it is an ill fitting beast that will require a great deal of additional filing and Milliput filling - quite atrocious in all honesty):
Fear not my dungeon adventurers it will probably not be painted in time for Friday's game. Although if I pushed hard enough the Moria Cave Troll could be finished :)
Fear not my dungeon adventurers it will probably not be painted in time for Friday's game. Although if I pushed hard enough the Moria Cave Troll could be finished :)
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