Rank and File Fantasy Pondering

 Hi!

I've got my second batch of Orcs for Longmyre finished and ready to photograph and have started on some character models too but alas I've run out of daylight to get photos so I'll need to leave that particular update until my next day off!

My previous post has got me to thinking about the possibilities of a rank and file sort of fantasy project but this has left me with a bit of a quandary as I am fully aware that undertaking such a project is utter lunacy! 

I've got an absolute ton of wonderful wargaming rules that would make for a great basis for a mass battle style game and I've also got the options of going smaller scale be it 15mm, 10mm or 6mm which would save both time and a great deal of money but still the hankering for a bit of a blast from the past keeps raising its dreaded head and the urge to do a proper Oldhammer style army in full 28mm scale.

While I'd love to do a massive mental 4th edition Fantasy battle (or more likely 6th edition which is much more streamlined and less mental character wise), I do have some sense and am aware that such a project is impossible.

Similarly I've got a few much more original rulesets that would make for an exciting project in its own way but I still have the problem of the feasibility of such a project as the figures required are pretty unique and getting in some cases getting either hard to find or expensive (not to mention in the case of Leviathan, massive resin monsters!). While proxies are doable, they lack the originals uniqueness which is the very thing that draws one to the game!

One other option that I'm thinking of exploring is the generic games which would possibly be a nice compromise between the assorted bits and bobs I'd previously mentioned. Both Oathmark and Dragon Rampant tend to use smaller numbers of figures, be it regiment size or overall armies.

Similarly, the rules are pretty streamlined and modern which allows for games to be played quickly and keep me engaged while incorporating forces that wouldn't be out of place in the more niche, unique games that I love the setting of.

With this in mind, I am going to dip my toe in the waters in a decidedly limited way and possibly try to paint up a regiment of 10-12 figures and see how I get on. I think they'll be based in the growing unrest that is happening in Longmyre as part of my ongoing low fantasy campaign!

We'll see how it goes but if nothing else, I'll have some reinforcements for my skirmishes!

In the meantime, All the best!

Back from Holiday!

 Hi!

Well I'm back from my hols and been busy at work over the course of the week with no real opportunity to get much done for my Longmyre campaign other than getting some bases done for the new additions to my Orcish raider party which I hope to be able to showcase in the next couple of days once I've got the last one finished!

In other news, Nic Evans' In the Land of the Sundering Flood has successfully funded which is rather exciting and from the bits and bobs he's posted as updates, I'm looking forward to getting my hands on my copy too!

With all this fantasy shenanigans, I've also been looking through my assorted rulebook collection to see what other games would fit my low fantasy skirmish that I've bee slowly developing and I've found a few likely titles which I'll post about over the next few days along with some mini reviews of them too.

I've also been casting envious eyes at some other blogs to see what exciting stuff the authors are working on and it never ceases to amaze me how creative you all are! Apologies if I don't always post comments but I do love perusing folks gaming projects and speaking of which, I'm amazed to see how the new Old World Army Challenge is developing this year and it's giving me the mad hankering to try my hand at doing something a bit more than a handful of figures over the course of the year.

I'm trying to tamper my enthusiasm for such an insane project because I suspect I'll never get it done but still...

Hopefully I'll recover my senses but we shall see and hopefully tomorrow I'll get the 8th Orc for my painting challenge finished!

In the meantime, All the best!

Literary Distraction: Defoe 1666

Hi!

Just a quick post this morning as my holiday reaches its last day! We're going to be driving back to sunny Dundee tomorrow so today requires laziness to counterbalance it and I've been sat reading my way through Defoe 1666 volume 1 that I picked up in a charity shop in Shrewsbury yesterday.

Set following the Great Fire of London which sparked a zombie apocalypse, it follows the exploits of ex Leveller Titas Defoe who has been recruited as Charles II's Zombie Hunter General and embarks on a rather gruesome quest to deal with the menace.

As usual with Pat Mills and 2000AD, its peppered with lots of pop cultural references and pretty much every historical figure one can imagine from the latter 17th Century makes an appearance. Leigh Gallagher's artwork is suitably gritty and grim for the setting itself in which science has made a massive step forward in a world gone decidedly to the dogs.

If I didn't have a long term project, this would possibly be a great basis for a Mordheim style project where different gangs duke it out in a burnt out ruin of London.

Similarly it fits the Turnip 28 and Trench Crusade sort of vibe that is so popular these days but coupled with the grimness of Mordheim with guns and a mixture of Steampunk and Lacepunk technology which makes for a remarkably interesting sort of game.

Sadly I don't think there are too many miniatures out there that would properly fit the style so lots of conversion and possibly sculpting work would need to go into it but I do recommend folks pick up a copy of the graphic novel if they can as its a rather entertaining read with tons of bits and bobs that could easily be incorporated into any game with relative ease.

I do suspect some small elements may sneak into my fledgeling campaign but at present I'm not sure what!

In the meantime, All the best!

Longmyre Holiday Sketchathon!

 Hi!

I'm off on my hols and have taken a small sketchbook with me to doodle out some ideas for my Longmyre campaign.

Now while adventurers do all the glamorous stuff like exploring dungeons and saving the day, the bog standard security for the region is being performed by the lowly Longmyre Militia commanded by Captain Stone Ward, a curmudgeonly old fart who drinks too much but can be relied on in a scrap.

I've based their appearance on the Frostgrave figures that I painted last year:

I'm planning on reworking them a bit to do NMM as I was never that happy with the metallics and their bases will be getting redone to match the style of the Orcs who they will be fighting. 

Before we headed down south, I did manage a quick game of Song of Blades and Heroes for a bit of a retro experience and it was pretty good fun and I may use it again in the future for simple skirmishes (with a few modifications to make combat more decisive!). The game saw the militia facing an equal number of Orcs but taking a pasting as my leader, Captain Ward failed to activate at a critical moment and got shot for his indecision which saw the rest of his company turn tail and flee.

The Barrens

Ward is made of sterner stuff though and still managed to drag himself off the battlefield and is recuperating in Longmyre but his militia have proved not up to the task of dealing with the Orcs who have ventured south from the snow covered endless plains that forms the northern border to Longmyre.

I've been mirroring events from the real world for the setting too as we had a storm earlier in January which has then wreaked havoc in Longmyre and unexpected visitors, travelling and a trade war are also going on in the game which has proved to be a rather fun way of developing the setting in an organic fashion.

The Caravan Route

Once I get back from my hols, I'm hoping to get some adventurers painted up to represent the Farpoint company as well as working on getting more of the Orcs painted and ready but the fact that everything seems to be combining together rather nicely has kept me very much more engaged than I was expecting and I'm compiling a bit of a journal to represent notable events that take place in Longmyre as the year goes on!

Hopefully I'll get more doodles done over my holidays and be able to showcase some actual games too but in the meantime, All the best!

In the Land of the Sundering Flood

 Hi!

I’m off on my hols to sunny Shropshire for a week but spotted that Nic Evans of Mammoth Miniatures has a new game going through Kickstarter at the moment and immediately backed it!

Based on the art and stories of William Morris, I’m fascinated to see how the game goes and combined with Nic’s evocative artwork, William Morris fonts and style and some lovely characterful sculpts, not to mention Nic’s trademark quirky rules, I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!

Here’s a link to the Kickstarter:  In The Land of the Sundering Flood and if you fancy backing a rather unique project, give it a bash!

Ramshackle Games

 Hi!

Just a quick update today as I'm still busily painting some more Orcs for my Longmyre project but wanted to post a quick post about Ramshackle Games.

Giggles Clanner

Over the years I've painted a few of Curtis's sculpts and I do love the sheer personality he gets on each of his figures as they've got absolutely tons of character and almost paint themselves.

I noticed a post over on Facebook from Curtis saying he was in danger of going bust as orders had dried up and it looks like he's now got the opposite issue as several hundred orders have piled in but I thought I'd add my two pence worth with a bit of a recommendation as his stuff is a perfect antidote to the modern trend towards 3d printing and I do recommend folks take a peek at his site as he's got a wonderfully eclectic range.

Heres a link to RAMSHACKLE GAMES  site if you're interested in having a peruse. His Nuclear Renaissance game is rather fun too and I do like the equally quirky setting he's created as well.

I've also produced some assorted fan art of Curtis' gubbins:

If I didn't have a tight budget on the hobby front, I'd be placing an order too and possibly even basing my 2025 project around a Nuclear Renaissance style post apocalyptic shenanigans!

Hopefully I'll get some more Orcs finished before we head off for a much needed weeks holiday in Shropshire this weekend but if not, All the best!

Longmyre Progress

 Hi!

I've got the day off work and have managed to get the pics taken of my Orcish raiders that I'd picked up a couple of weeks back.

The miniatures themselves are chunky plastics made from a Restic type material which does take detail quite nicely with the only downside being that the mould lines are a wee bit difficult to clean off as they need carving rather than filing.

Style wise, they're maybe a bit more realistic than the older GW style cartoony Orcs but they will do the job for a low fantasy setting like Longmyre!

The Orc Gladiator is quite a nice piece and the set comes with two identical sculpts so I'll have another one to add a second higher level fighter to encounters.

The spearmen are nice figures and the first I painted of the miniatures in the set. There's enough detail to make for an interesting and satisfying figure to paint without it getting overwhelming. I believe the figures are digitally sculpted and it does showcase the issues with the medium as the spearmen's faces are a bit soft in detail and I feel it's the case of what looks good onscreen doesn't always work too well in physical form, especially with plastic casts.

Saying that, they're still nice additions to the bestiary that will give me some goons for my heroes to do battle with.

The archer is possibly the most intimidating of the figures of the group which is interesting as he seems more physically imposing than the spearmen or gladiator. Again the face has a bit of soft detail around the mouth that gave me pause on what was supposed to be what. With that said, he does look great once painted!

I've played a couple of skirmishes using Brutal Quest with them against some mercenaries and while they've lost both times, I've come to fear the archer as the amount of damage he does when he hits is absolutely brutal (no pun intended!) so think that I'll be limiting how many I'll be featuring in most skirmishes so they don't unbalance encounters.

In other news, I've sent a bunch of games that I've got the PDF of to get printed and bound with the idea of playing some more small simple skirmishes and re-exploring some of the games I played years ago but have fallen by the wayside over the years and plan on posting a wee review of each once they arrive.

Longmyre Frontier Watchtower

The setting of Longmyre continues to grow and I'm looking forward to delving into the project as the months progress and I'm now needing to paint a few hero types to do battle with the marauding Orcs I've painted!

Fingers crossed, I'll get another few Orcs painted over the coming week but in the meantime, All the best!