Lockdown 2.0 Project Log Day 87: Bodging Rulesets

Hi!

I've got a load of figures midway through painting and sculpt just needing a coat of paint so I decided to have a look at some of my other rulebooks to see what I've got and what I can use to play some skirmishes.

Warzone

Warzone 1st edition is a great start for conversion into a small scale skirmish game as it has alternating activation, plenty of existing profiles which can be used and a good amount of customisation possibilities for characters to boot.

I've tried out a game using counters earlier in the year and think that I shall be using this ruleset for my first test as I'm reasonably confident of how to play it, despite only playing a single game in about 20 years! 

With the use of the Dark Legion gifts or the Art of the Brotherhood, I can easily introduce psykers, espers and all manner of interesting elements too.

While it doesn't have a custom force maker, it is a really great set of rules that allow you to play small skirmishes with shoot and scoot tactics, diving for cover and all manner of elements that lend themselves to a really dynamic game which I think could be perfect for my own small character based and scenario driven games.

Void 1.1

Void 1.1 is also a skirmish game at heart, although aimed at slightly larger scale than Warzone. It usually has a few squads backed up by a character or two and the odd small vehicle. 

It's also an alternating activation system and like Warzone, each model has a number of actions that can be carried out in whatever order they want making it a bit more dynamic than GW's games of yore. 

I plan on having a bash with a small force using Void once I have enough stuff painted as its more suited to a platoon level game than a single squad a side.

Again although it doesn't have a custom force generator, it does have a good variety of model profiles that can easily be bodged into whatever character one likes and I look forward to getting a game or two in using the rules!

Vor The Maelstrom/No Limits

Vor is a totally customisable game and uses action points rather than the two previous games that have a number of activations per model. Its spiritual successor, No Limits is a generic ruleset that uses the same mechanics but has refined force generation and I've played it a fair few times but not for about ten years or so.

It's a bit crunchier in style than Void or Warzone but I have fond memories of the rules and it will make a really interesting small skirmish game with only a few small modifications, such as giving characters more wounds and action points and having each activating separately.

Worthy of note, the terrain rules for Vor are really fun that allow you to roll all manner of interesting terrain and unexpected events (some of which are really destructive!) and can add a random and interesting element to games without bogging things down.

We Can Be Heroes

We Can be Heroes is a pulp style game that features bands of dashing heroes, dastardly villains and sidekicks, minions and whatnot. 

I've had the rules for ages but never tried them out and am keen to have a go of using them as the basis for a skirmish or two on the frontier. 

Having glanced through the rules, they seem to be fairly straightforward and well explained and could be just the thing for a fun character driven game.

I particularly like the fact that heroes act heroically and are able to do more than the sidekicks who in turn can do more than the lowly henchmen and feel that the system could lend itself to a really entertaining mini campaign but I need to re-read the rules and try them out a time or two before posting a battle report using them to make sure I get things right.

Aertherverse

Aetherverse came out in the early 2000's if memory serves right and I picked up a copy having read a few battle reports back in the day and it's languished on my shelves ever since.

It's a generic skirmish game that is scaleable which is good and allows you to create whatever force you like and the battle reports I read of it made it look rather fun. There's also a small scale skirmish version called Aetherverse Upheaval which is specifically aimed towards small warband style games.

Sadly my knowledge of the actual mechanics are vague as I've not really done anything with it since picking it up but I aim to dust off my copy and have a bash!

Rogue Trader

Ah Rogue Trader! The original sandpit sort of game where anything is possible. 

It's a really retro system now which isn't going to result in a dynamic fast moving sort of gaming experience like some of the other rulesets I've mentioned but I don't feel I can skip it, if for no other reason than it's retro charms. 

I've used it for sci-fi and fantasy games in the past and it's always resulted in a good game and if memory serves, it's campaign system would be fun to use for seeing how my various warbands cope between games!

I doubt I'd be using the robot programming rules and random equipment rolls or some of the other esoteric stuff from the game but one of the charms of Rogue Trader is the fact that you can pretty much pick and choose or bodge stuff and it is flexible enough to work.

Fantastic Worlds

Fantastic Worlds is another Pulp themed game, this time aimed specifically at retro sci-fi and I picked it up at the same time as We Can Be Heroes. It uses an archtype system that looks interesting and I really want to have a go at playing a game or two with it, especially as it really focuses on character and story.

Interestingly, the game has hit locations that can effect how a model activates which looks like it could be fun and decidedly cinematic but the rules are a bit dense if memory serves correct so I suspect I'll need to give it a few read throughs and games before I get it correct.

I think Fantastic Worlds will be one to try once I've got into the swing of playing different game systems and ramp up the number of games I can play a week but it's definitely one I want to try!

Laserburn

Laserburn is the granddaddy of Warhammer 40k and I've got a copy lying around that I picked up some time ago, had a flick through and put down again.

It's typed layout really put me off back then and although I'm curious to see how it goes, it's a game I'm a bit cautious about trying. However it's been compared to Inquisitor so it could be an interesting game to try out if I can summon up the courage to brave the layout.

Like many of the other games I've mentioned, I suspect that once I get the hang of the mechanics and get a game or two under my belt, it may end up being rather fun (and may result in the appearance of the Red Redemption too!)

I'd love to hear of other folks experience with the rules so if you've actually played it, please feel free to drop a comment!

Rogue Planet

Rogue Planet is a game I've heard fantastic things about but when I bought the download was a little underwhelmed due to the slightly weird mechanics. Saying that, I've not actually played a game using it so I'm keen to give it a bash as it feels like it might be akin to Planet 28 which was great fun.

It's aimed at a science fantasy setting which is just my cup of tea and I'm going to see if I can find any battle reports from the interwebs to get an idea of just how it's played.

Chaos on Cronos

Chaos on Cronos is another pulp sci-fi game that uses the Herosystem which is in turn inspired by the old Trinity Battleground game by White Wolf (a ruleset that's well worth a peek in its own right!)

I've got quite a few of the themed games using the system such as Chaos in Carpathia and the Supersystem rules but haven't actually tried them out. They feature individuals backed up by groups of supporting troops and I think it could make for a fun game that leans heavily on characters doing awesome stuff while the supporting troops get slaughtered like all good movie extras.

I must admit that I've not looked at the book for over a decade now so it's high time I remedied it and gave it a bash!

Star Mogul

Star Mogul is a great little game that relies not just on killing one's enemies but also recovering salvage and with a little bit of work would make for a great basis for the likes of competing Mechanicus teams or mercs on the frontier or pretty much whatever you fancy.

The rules are good and the campaign system is excellent but I'll need to paint a few more miniatures for each of my warbands to make the most of the game.

The flexibility of creating your salvage companies is really good too as you can specialise in combat, recovery or any number of other skillsets that give each of the teams a real sense of personality and it will be fun to play again after over 15 years!

Nuclear Renaissance

Nuclear Renaissance is by Curtis Fell of Ramshackle Games and is a more post apocalyptic sort of game featuring a more Gorkamorka sort of gaming experience with small warbands hurtling around in bodged vehicles and shooting each other up. It's writing style is quite fun and is aimed towards having fun rather than super serious grimdark which is a big plus for me. 

I backed the Kickstarter for the original box game but sadly sold much of the figures and vehicles during my Uni clearout but did keep the rules and the supplement. 

It's a good fun game to play and I suspect it would be a great way of representing vehicle combat in a scenario too and it also has the notorious Giggles Clan who will be making more of an appearance in my future games too as they are rather fun!

Now the list above isn't by any means all the rulesets I mean to try out this year as I've got at least a dozen others in my collection that really deserve a try out but these will be my initial objectives to play along with more games of Song of Blasters and Planet 28 (as well as Brutal Quest when it arrives!).

If anyone has any experience with any of these rulesets or can suggest a good battle report to read or watch, please feel free to drop a comment or link but in the meantime, All the best!

Lockdown 2.0 Project Log Day 73: Planet 28

Hi!

I'm taking a quick break from my usual updates to post a quick look at Planet 28 by Nicholas Evans. I have heard good things about the zine sized game but not a huge amount of details so backed the Kickstarter for Nicholas' new game Brutal Quest.

I also downloaded Planet 28 and its assorted supplements as having read the blurb, it sounds just my cup of tea!

Planet 28 is a simple set of sci fi skirmish rules for quick narrative games between warbands of warriors, mutants, and outcasts.

Inspired by the amazing work of kitbashers and converters the world over, planet 28 is intended as a pick up and play rule system for quick games when a longer rule system isn't viable.

Rules include -

Custom character creation.

Basic weapons and custom weapon creation.

A story generator for setting up and adding narrative to your games.

A campaign system that lets you build and develop your warband between games.

At a mighty 16 pages, Planet 28 seems to manage to jam in a really nice, simple game that has enough detail to it to allow me to play small skirmish games and indeed a campaign with character progression.

I'm a big fan of simple rules and Planet 28 looks like it will be great fun with models having stats for Fighting, Shooting and Agility as well as how fast they move and how many hits they take. 

Playing requirements are also minimal with one just needing a handful of figures, a small playing surface (the battle report I've read featured a 30x50cm surface and a total of about 5-6 figures), and a selection of Dice.

Activation is handled by using the characters Agility score rotating down through Agility from the most to least agile which is a really interesting little mechanic that I do like. Each activation allows a model to perform two actions, be that to move, shoot, fight, use abilities or hold. The players may chose to perform these actions in any order or indeed do the same twice so it's possible to move and shoot, shoot and move into cover or indeed shoot twice!

Although it's a simple game and as mentioned, only 16 pages long, I keep finding nice little creative touches such as characters losing stats when they take 50% damage which I prefer to a model playing normally until they are dead.

There's a neat little warband creation system which allows you to personalise your figures stats and really seems to be geared towards fast skirmishes with small numbers of figures centred around a strongly narrative scenario based encounter.

Not only can you alter your stats, you can add traits and abilities which while simple, can really add personality to your force. There is even a magical system to allow the use of Psykers and whatnot which looks like fun.

Weapons use different dice to damage on a successful hit and the selection given seem to be aimed towards a small, skirmish so there's no massive cannon or deathrays, more small arms and melee weapons that one could imagine a small retinue carrying rather than a large military force.

I do like the fact that the author has included the method of creating new weapons and adding some special rules to give them a bit of a quirk for each.

Finally there's a nice little scenario designer and campaign system that even includes an injury chart!

Although not lavishly illustrated, Planet 28 does have some really nice line illustrations that remind me of the old school Laserburn and are rather fun.

I plan on putting together a bit of a skirmish using Planet 28 for later this week once I have some more odds and ends painted up and will post my impressions and a battle report when I get chance but at first glance, I am really liking what I've seen thus far and am a bit surprised that I've not seen it used more.

I'll also do a bit of a review of the two supplements, The Death Machines and Death on the Periphery when I've got the hang of the basic rules.

In other news, folks may have noticed I've added a couple of new pages to Tales From Farpoint as I explore my reimagined Imperium setting. I've posted up some initial waffle for it but its still a bit rough and liable to be revamped as I keep thinking of more odds and ends and things seem to be developing into something a bit different from the Grimdark of the 40th Millennium into the renaissance/neoclassical 45th Millennium.

I'm in the process of reacquainting myself with all manner of mythology, both classical and from further afield which I am incorporating into the Imperium and am rather enjoying the experience. I'll update the pages as I go and will introduce fresh elements into the odd update too.

In the meantime, All the best! 

Lockdown 2.0 Project Log Day 13: Void 1.1 Rulebook Review

Hi!

As promised, here's my read through of Void 1.1 along with some initial thoughts.  

The book itself is from 2000 and is actually the revised edition with the purple cover (originally there was a blue one which was more of an introduction to the game and later there would be a starter boxed set edition). Initially produced by i-Kore but later Urban Mammoth, Scotia Grendel and now Seb Games.

The book itself runs to 64 pages which is a pleasingly short volume and better yet, the rules themselves are only 14 pages with the rest of the book covering the background of the Void universe as well as the four human and one alien forces.

Looking back, Void came out soon after the demise of Warzone so rules wise there's some similar elements to it but the background is very similar to the old Kryomek game featuring a fractious Human empire stumbling across a technologically advanced alien civilisation. 

The first segment of the book covers the background of the Viridian Solaris system, the homeworld for humanity and the great powers that have developed there before taking a quick overview of panhuman space but it keeps things pretty open which give folks a lot of flexibility with how they want to play things with the frontier being the main hotspot between the human powers and the alien Koralon with humanity not only facing the threat of an unknowable alien species but also squabbles amongst the great powers.

While it doesn't have tons of background, there's enough to get you going and the setting did get fleshed out further in the army books and Battles With Miniatures, i-Kore's in house magazine. The artwork was largely produced by Stuart Beel, the ex Warzone illustrator and the colour artwork is rather more akin to anime or computer game art with a high tech and generally sleek look to the forces but there's also some nice black and work artwork that looks more pen and ink. This artwork is a bit more rough and ready and is more sketch like than final illustration but does break up the text nicely and helps illustrate the setting.

The art and background are a bit less grimdark than GW with humanity under threat but very capable of defeating the alien foe if they can stop squabbling amongst themselves. It's a smidgen more hard sci-fi but there's still lots of swords and close combat so maybe it's closer to Star Wars than Star Trek.

The next segment are the rules themselves which are fairly straight forward while not being simplistic and allows for fast playing and fun games that don't require much record keeping or memorising tons of special rules.

The rules cover model activation, shooting, morale, close combat and vehicles and I'll look at them in more depth another time but needless to say, a couple of read throughs of them should set folks in good stead for playing out a quick game.

The final section takes a more focused look at the individual forces and includes armylists. The forces covered are the megacorporate conservationalist Viridians, the despotic and brutal Junkers, the high tech Syntha, the peacekeepers of VASA and the alien Koralon.

The armylist gives stats for core units and a couple of characters for each but one thing I do like is that each human force can take some of another forces troop types (for example Viridian's can still take Junker Convict Legionaries) 

Each force is interesting and plays differently enough to give folks a good variety of gaming style, with the Viridians being good at close combat and shooting, the Junkers having numbers and brutal close combat troops while the Syntha have terrifying firepower and VASA being fast and very good at close combat.

Overall each force is well thought out and interesting but I do find the Koralon to be the weak spot of the lot as the concept of an aquatic invertebrate being the big bad doesn't really work and the figures they produced in the first attempt were a bit shonky and the later sculpts (designed by Adrian Smith of Chronopia and GW fame) were more akin to a cross between Tyranids and The Thing. 

That being said, I must say that they have some really interesting rules thanks to their Phazons ability to warp spacetime.

I suspect I'd replace them with the Kryomek if I'm to collect a force as they are a far more sinister and stylistically pleasing foe as they really have the Xenomorphic menace that a sci-fi game needs!

All in all, Void 1.1 is a good addition to anyones game collection with solid rules and some interesting forces to play around with or incorporate into your own setting and as it's free to download, its absolutely worth downloading a copy to peruse.

I plan to post up a bit of a battle report in the coming weeks but I also hope to write up some more rulebook review for some of the other old games I have and try some of them out too so watch this space!

In the meantime, All the best!

Osprey's Ragnarok: An Angry Review UPDATED

Hi!

I recently picked up a copy of Osprey's new wargame, Ragnarok and thought I'd share my initial thoughts on it.

I'm sorry if I upset anyone with this review but rarely do I get so angered by something to the point of having to post a massive rant about it and Ragnarok has really annoyed me and sadly reading through this post again makes me sound like a loon so apologies for the raging that follows!

Ragnarok

I'd heard rumour of Ragnarok a while ago and really liked the idea of epic skirmishes in a post apocalyptic Viking world and pre ordered a copy from Waterstones (my store here in Dundee!). I must admit that I was a bit hesitant as it comes in at a hefty £25 which is a fair chunk of change for a rulebook but I really wanted to give it a bash.

 Berzerker

On first perusal, I was pleasantly surprised as the artwork throughout is pretty fantastic, as is the case with all of Osprey's games range but when I got down to the nitty gritty, things started to go a bit pear shaped.

I have now read through the rules three times to try and figure out how close combat works in the game and am still no clearer on it than I was the first time I read it. The rules seem to have been noted down by someone who knows the game and therefore doesn't need to explain how it works which is incredibly frustrating. 

Even after my third attempt at reading it, close combat doesn't appear to be explained unless from the attackers point if he's charging or the defender's if he decides to attack back. The stats you compare for the opposed roll isn't mentioned in this section of the rulebook but further back in the Morpheus Engine section (this is the authors generic rule system which I think he's planning on using for multiple different games).

There are few if any examples featured and even then they are badly worded to the point that they don't actually help at all and the layout itself irks me too as it just seems to be jumbled in with the background and rules for campaigns. 

A perfect example of this is the Success Table, the basis for all rolls made in the game. The table itself makes little to no sense but the wording that goes with it makes it even more obscure to the point of madness! 

Another thing that irked me was the poor quality of the miniatures pictures. It's a miniatures game and the rulebook is pretty expensive so the least they could do is feature some decent pictures instead of this:

Meh

I get the impression that Osprey have spent quite a bit on the book so why is it ok to feature tabletop quality figures on a game mat with some polystyrene hills? Worse yet, quite a few of the pictures in the book are decidedly blurry or pixelated and it looks suspiciously like they've been taken on a phone. 

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've had very mixed feelings about Osprey games releases but this one has really frustrated me to the point that I'm actually considering returning it to the shop which is saying something.

Annoyingly it looks like there may actually be a good game hiding in there and the campaigns look like they may be fun to play BUT it's all let down by seemingly not having anyone who isn't experienced with playtesting the game sit down and read through it to see if it actually makes sense! Ooh it makes me cross!

I must admit that by the time it got to covering the interesting stuff like Godspark (the ability to harness the power of the dead gods to perform heroic actions) and the assorted equipment, denizens of the nine realms and so on, I had lost pretty much all enthusiasm for Ragnarok as no matter how pretty looking a game is and all the shiny bells and whistles of super special abilities or innovative campaign systems it may have, if the rules don't mesh or are so poorly laid, missing out as to be unclear to the point of unusable, they are going to fail!

My angry advice would be to give the whole thing a miss and save a waste of £25!

All the best!

UPDATE

Tim, the author of Ragnarok has contacted me to showcase some examples of play and mentioned that Osprey had edited out all the examples in the game to fit the word count.

I apologise to Tim for raging about his rules which he is clearly passionate about but I don't feel that I can remove this post as it's still my honest opinion that there is something wrong with Ragnarok that needs serious attention and it's a waste of what could been an epic game. 

If anyone has played and enjoyed Ragnarok, please do drop a message here and let me know how you got on with it! 

All the best.

Richard

Quick Update

Hi!

It's another lovely day out there but I've been spending my evenings painting my way through some of my lead and plastic pile and just need to sort out a few bases and I will have another small batch of figures done!

The figures in question are Mantic Dwarves and I must admit that I have not really enjoyed the process very much. The sculpts themselves aren't great and some of the detail is rather soft and obscure, especially around the heads which I have found really quite irksome and am looking forward to getting them out of the way to be honest.

More interestingly, I have been working on another SD sculpt, this time Marik Goldhelm, rogue mage and am finding the process far more rewarding. Maybe it's because I sculpted him myself or that the detail is rather more chunky and stylised, but I far prefer sculpting and painting my own gubbins than I do other folks stuff.

I must admit that its rather odd to say the least but I have a sneaking suspicion that there's going to be a lot more self directed sculpts and rather less of working on other miniatures for the time being...

But enough of the navel gazing! I have a bit of a plan that involves my SD figures! I am going to try and sculpt up a couple of warbands worth over the next few weeks and try out a few different rulesets that I have kicking around:

I've had most of these rules for years but have only ever tried out Bladestorm, No Quarter and Song of Blades and that was a couple of years back for the most part so I think it's high time that I got myself sorted out for some skirmish gaming with an eye towards playing out a campaign somewhere on the border.

With that in mind, I will be posting semi regular sculpting and painting updates as I begin to assemble my forces before moving onto a series of games featuring reviews of each ruleset and full battle reports. I have two weeks off in August so the aim is to get the campaign run over that period with at least a couple games of each of the rulesets which should give me a decent feel for the rules and how well they play.

I plan on also sculpting up a few random encounters, be it wandering monsters or beasts as well as a few NPC's as well as I am finding the experience of once again simply sculpting for fun and painting the little chaps is rather rewarding too and seems to be breathing a much needed bit of fresh air into my hobby!

My only concern at present is that I don't actually have a decent surface to play on so will also be attempting to sort out a gaming mat of sorts (probably more vinyl tiles) as well as some suitable scenic madness. I've set myself quite the challenge but look forward to blogging my progress as I go and hopefully I will succeed in my target and may even tempt a few other folks to try out something other than the various GW and Oldhammer rules families.

If all goes well, I will continue working my way through my large catalogue of rules and expand the campaign with new forces, characters and whatnot but I don't want to get too far ahead of myself so for the time being, All the best!

15mm Scale Skirmish Gaming

Hi!

As I have limited gaming space I have been limited to playing games in a small area, at most 2x3' so have had to adapt my games to suit and have found using vinyl tiles ideal. I first got the idea from PROJECT QALPHA who has used them to great effect in the past.

I mount mine on a cork tile to give them increased strength and grip on a table and as they come in a variety of interesting stone patterns I dont need to do anything else to them:

Vinyl Tile Board!

With the addition of a few pieces of terrain I have an interesting board to game on which can be easily dismantled and put away ready for the next game.

As I have also got a limited gaming budget, I tend to play games that have a limited number of models and over the coming weeks I hope to start posting some battle reports using a variety of rulesets using my miniatures so folks can see what they look like painted and on the board as well as giving you a bit of a review of the rulesets themselves.

Hopefully I will have something to post soon!

All the best!

Leviathan Review?

Hi!

Well I am still busy with all sorts of uni work but am planning on writing an in depth review of Leviathan and Levyathan, the upcoming 10mm game by Urban Mammoth.

I will try to cover them in as much depth as possible and if anyone has any specific questions needing answered please feel free to post any suggestions they may have here and I will see what I can do!

All the best!

Bladestorm Battle Report and Review

Hi!

I managed to play a quick game of Bladestorm this morning and even managed to get a couple of half decent pictures of it so without further ado here we go:

The Scenario

Grimli, Flint and Gunnar have ventured into the abandoned mine workings following the battle with the rogue sorcerer Marik Goldhelm. In search of treasure they don’t realize that the mine is the lair of a gloom hulk until they stumble into it.

This is a variation on the first scenario from the Bladestorm rulebook and uses the introductory rules, which cover the basics of movement and combat.

The Battlefield

The Abandoned Mine

A subterranean cavern with a number of columns holding the ceiling up.

The Forces

The Dwarves

Grimli
Movement Rate: 6” [15cm]
Melee Attack: 2d6+d10+3
Melee Damage: High+Low+2
Defense: 9
Endurance: 18

Flint
Movement Rate 5” [13cm]
Melee Attack: 3d6-2
Melee Damage: High+2
Defense: 7
Endurance: 10

Gunnar
Movement Rate 5” [13cm]
Melee Attack: 3d6-1
Melee Damage: High+2
Defense: 7
Endurance: 10

The Fallen

Gloom Hulk
Movement Rate 7” [18cm]
Melee Attack: 3d6+4
Melee Damage: High+2
Defense: 10
Endurance: 51

The Game

Dwarf Turn 1

The Dwarves get to move first with Grimli leading and Flint and Gunnar following closely they move along the corridor.

The Dwarves Begin Their Exploration

Fallen Turn 1

Enraged by the Dwarves presence the Gloom Hulk rushes them bellowing.

Seeing Grimli as its main opponent the Gloom Hulk attacks him, sorely wounding the stalwart dwarf and causing 8 points of damage.

Grimli attacks back with a mighty swing of his sword causing 11 points of damage to the Hulk. Flint and Gunnar both strike at the fell creature Flints blow strikes home causing 8 points of damage but Gunnars sword strikes off the Hulks armoured hide without effect.

Dwarf Turn 2

Despite his wounds, Grimli strikes again causing another 8 points of damage to the gloom hulk. In return the raking claws of the Hulk causes a further 8 points of damage to the embattled boar company commander.

Flint strikes the hulk for a further 7 points of damage but once again Gunnars blow fails to damage the beast.

Combat Hots Up!

Fallen Turn 2

By this point the hulk has taken 35 points of damage and is gravely wounded but sensing Grimlis strength is failing him, the creature once again lunges at the hapless dwarf hoping to drag him down with it. The blow strikes home felling Grimli but as the mass of the Hulk crushes down on him, he manages to run his great sword into the beast belly before darkness claims him. Enraged by the loss of their commander Flint and Gunnar proceed to hack the beast to death with a total of 14 points of damage.

Aftermath

It takes Flint and Gunnar some time to heave the Gloom Hulks carcass off their fallen leader and is alarmed to see the extent of his wounds. Gunnar produces a small bottle of evil smelling liquid; a potent brew of fermented wildling sows milk and forces it down Grimli's throat. Grimli's eyes flicker open and he moans as the fiery liquor burns its way down his gullet.

Although gravely wounded Grimli has survived the Boar Companies first brush with the Fallen. He will wear the scars for the rest of his days and has an abiding hatred of the fell creatures, which will see the Boar Company attack on sight, any of the Fallen they meet in future.

The mine cleared of the Gloom Hulks evil, the Dwarves set up camp at the mine while they await the arrival of a group of miners who will take over its workings.

Review

In the game players take turns activating all of their models with movement being given in both inches and centimeters.

Bladestorm allows each combatant to choose one opponent per turn. This resulted in the combat between the Gloom Hulk and Grimli being a bit of a race against time as the dwarves needed to cause as much damage as possible to the Hulk before Grimli succumbed to his wounds.

During this combat both sides get to attack simultaneously which is a good idea as it means both sides get to participate in the combat rather than one killing the other without ever having the chance to fight back.

In order to damage an opponent one must roll their attack dice, in the case of the Gloom Hulk, 3d6+4 and beat the defenders Defense stat or 9 in Grimlis case.

If you succeed in damaging, you then look at the dice to see how many points of damage has been caused. The Gloom Hulk causes High+2 damage which means that it chooses its highest dice roll and adds two to the result, for example if it rolled a 6,4 and 1, it would cause 8 points of damage.

Grimli on the other hand causes High+Low+2 damage so if he rolls a 10,5 and 3, he would cause an impressive 15 points of damage.

I must admit that I like this method of combat as its nice and simple and can result in a wide range of damage ratings rather than the more usual one or two wounds.

Another element of note is the large amount of damage most combatants can take, with the Hulks impressive 51 points and Grimlis 18. This does result in some extra record keeping but adds a more roleplay style element to the game.

The rules themselves give plentiful examples of each stage of play both visually and clearly described which is an excellent element that doesn’t get used enough by other rules. Also by splitting the rules into basic, intermediate and advanced sections the game has been nicely designed to ease the player in slowly and makes sure they understand each rule before moving on to more advanced stuff.

About the only criticism I can come up with is that the illustrations throughout the book are of a somewhat basic standard. It would have been nice to see pictures of actual miniatures or some higher quality illustration but it’s not a big problem really!

As I have only covered the introductory rules, I don’t want to make any premature comments about Bladestorm but even at the most basic level it makes a rather fun game and I look forward to trying out the intermediate rules that add a host of new options for play.

All the best!

Fire At Will Battle Report and Review

The Scenario

The boar company has finally draw near to the dwarf keep of Dur Zamor, only to find their way impeded by a horde of goblins who are attempting to cut off a smaller dwarven force from reacing the safety of the fortification.

The scenario objectives are for the goblins to overwhelm the dwarves by killing alf their number while the dwarves must break through their lines and exit the opposite table edge.

Special Rules

The boar company is deployed behind the goblins at the start of turn 3 and may begin the turn within charge range representing their stealthy approach.

The Forces

Dwarves

1 formation of 10 heavily armoured infantry

2 formations of 5 heavily armoured infantry (one of which is the boar company)

1 formation of 10 crossbows

1 formation of 5 crossbows

Goblins

1 formation of 20 goblins

1 formation of 10 goblins

2 formations of 10 archers

1 formation of 5 cavalry (carnodon riders)

The Battlefield

The battlefield consists of a broken rocky plain with a rock pile to the east. The dwarves start the game in a defensive formation here with the goblins spread out facing them from the confines of a broad canyon that leads to the keep.

East to west the dwarves deploy their smaller crossbow unit defending their flank, followed by the larger infantry unit and larger crossbow unit. Their other flank is defended by the remaining small infantry unit.

East to west the goblins deployed a unit of archers, the large goblin unit, the small goblin unit, the second archer unit and the smaller goblin unit. On the extreme west flank their small cavalry unit anchored the line.

The Game!

Turn 1

The goblin horde moved out in a ragged line attempting to close to within bowshot of the dwarves but failing to find the range, meanwhile the dwarven line moves out in a staggered formation with its crossbowmen slightly to the fore.

Turn 2

The goblins break into a shambling run, with their cavalry just failing to close with the dwarven infantry formation on the west flank. As they have moved this turn the goblin archers miss out on an opportunity to fire at the dwarven line which may cost them dear as the disciplined dwarven troops march steadily forwards. The small infantry formation in the west makes contact with the goblin cavalry resulting in an inconclusive swirling melee. Meanwhile the dwarven crossbows fire at the goblins, resulting in five goblins from the large unit dropping to the ground dead. The smaller crossbow unit fares less well, causing no casualties.

The casualties cause the large goblin unit to pull up short and mill around confusedly. This in turn breaks their morale and they flee the field showing just how cowardly they are.

The smaller goblin unit moves towards the large crossbowmen unit, in an attempt to engage them in combat but the dwarves prove to be just out of range. Seeing their companions turn tail the two goblin archer units let fly at the ten dwarven infantry facing them causing the loss of a base. This proves to be too much for the dwarves who turn and flee!

In a final twist for the turn the goblin cavalry is killed outright by the stalwart dwarven infantry in the west.

Turn 3

The large goblin unit reforms and turns to return to the battle, while the smaller goblin unit charges the larger of the crossbowmen units. The goblin archers prove ineffective against the small crossbowman unit defending the dwarves eastern flank. The combat that ensues between the goblins and the crossbowmen sees another stalemate.

The dwarves turn sees the arrival of the boar company who herald their arrival by charging into the rear of the eastern archer unit! The short but brutal combat sees half the archers dead and the remaining goblins running for their lives!

The survivors of the larger dwarf infantry unit, heartened by the boar companies arrival rally and return to the fray, hurling themselves into the exposed flank of the goblins attacking the crossbowmen. The combat results in a loss of a stand of crossbowmen but the goblins have been wiped out.

Turn 4

The fleeing goblin archers rally and turn to face the dwarves and the western unit opens fire on the victorious dwarven infantry but fails to cause any casualties. Meanwhile the large goblin infantry unit again tries to move on the bloodied dwarven line.

The dwarves spend the turn consolidating their position with the boar company moving back to join their lines and the western infantry unit moving forward slightly. The crossbowmen once again let fly killing another stand of the approaching goblins resulting in them once again turning tail and fleeing.

This sees the end of the battle as the goblins lose the will to keep fighting and have lost half their numbers.

Aftermath

The battered but victorious dwarves marched to the keep carrying their with them. Grimli and the boar company are received by no less than Hrothgar the Bellower, the thane of Dur Zamor. Taking the opportunity to enjoy the hospitality of the keep to rest and recover before beginning their expedition to scout further into the borderlands.

Conclusion

The game was actually a lot closer than it seemed as the goblin archer regiments were proving to be quite deadly and the breaking of my main dwarf unit was almost disasterous. Fortunately they rallied and the line held, annihilating much of the goblin force piecemeal.

Played using Fire at Will, another free ruleset aimed at 6mm fantasy. Despite being my first game using the rules it was a rather fun game, which allowed me to play larger battles quickly and simply.

Review

Fire at Will is a free ruleset available from HERE.

The game is separated into four phases, which cover movement, shooting, close combat and morale. The players take turns to activate their entire force rather than alternative activation which is a tad disappointing but it plays very quickly. My game lasted about an hour despite me taking lots of notes.

The mechanics are simple to understand with different types of units moving different rates, for example heavily armoured infantry move 3 inches while goblins and lighter infantry move 4 inches.

Shooting is resolved by the attacking player rolling a d6 and adding several modifiers such as range and target armour. If they then get a high enough result they cause a kill (this actually made for very bloody results as the goblins did really well against the heavily armoured dwarves).

Close combat is resolved by an opposed d6 roll with both players adding modifiers from a table reflecting

It’s a very simple ruleset that doesn’t actually have any specific force lists or points costs but does cover all sorts of troop types as well as monsters, heroes and magic users.

Incidentally the way heroes work is rather interesting. They bolster troops morale and in combat with each other they toss a coin to see who wins with the best of three being victorious. Also the players are encouraged to be heroic with them and will be penalized for cowardice such as retreating from single combat with another hero.

All in all its a nice little game that allows decent sized forces to fight it out rapidly. My only real criticism is that the shooting is a tad lethal!

All the best!

Skull Crusher Battle Report And Review!

Hi!

As part of my attempt to get more games in heres a quick battle report and review of Skull Crusher, a freely available ruleset:

The Forces

2 Dwarves, Heavy Armour, 2 Handed Weapon, 16 points

1 Dwarf, Heavy Armour, Throwing Weapon, 8 points

4 Dwarves, Heavy Armour, Shield, 32 points

2 Dwarves, Light Armour, Crossbows, 22 points

78 points

8 goblins, shields, 32 points

1 goblin, light armour, 2 handed weapon, 5 points

4 goblins, short bows, 24 points

2 goblins, heavy armour, throwing weapon, shield 14 points

1 goblin, sling, 4 points

79 points

The Scenario:

The boar company sets out to the frontier but runs into some unexpected trouble in the form of a large group of goblins. Unsure as to their intentions Grimli orders his troops into battle in the hopes of wiping the goblins out before they can report on the location of the small dwarven force.

Despite being heavily outnumbered, Grimli is confident that his dwarves superior training and equipment will see them through safely.

The scenario requires at least three goblins to break through the dwarven line and exit their table edge. The dwarves must kill as many of the goblins as possible.

The Battlefield

A few stunted trees clinging to life in an otherwise barren landscape.

The Map

Deployment

The goblin force lost the initiative so had to deploy first. Forming a ragged line with their basic warriors forming a group in the centre and the archers and slinger guarding their flank. Mingled into the mass stride the goblin leader and his bullies.

Meanwhile on the other side of the table, Grimli forms his troop into a tight ranking formation with his crossbow-armed hunters holding one flank and his axe-throwing standard on the other.

The Game!

Turn 1

Grimli leads his troops forward in a somewhat ragged line, possibly caused by their relative inexperience at operating as a unit. On his right flank the hunters move forward steadily in an attempt to outflank the goblins. The hunters open fire but fail to hit. The dwarven turn saw the boar company reform their tight line.

The goblin chieftain let out a shrill battle cry, which was soon picked up by his ragged troops who broke into a shambling run in an attempt to close with the hated dwarves as quickly as possible. One of the goblin bullies out distanced his fellows in a fit of enthusiasm. On the right flank the goblin archers scurried forward with the aim of angling round the smaller dwarven force. Meanwhile the right flank archers moved towards the dwarf hunters. The goblin slinger skulked around in the rear, obviously less eager than his fellows to engage the armoured line.

They fired a crude arrow each at the opposing hunters and one actually managed to hit and take a cursing dwarf out of the battle, a barbed arrow embedded in his shoulder. The left flank archers were less successful, merely embedding arrows in the ground around the dwarven standard bearer.

Heartened by this early success the goblins rushed forward with their leader and his bullies showing unexpected courage by actually leading the charge.

Turn 2

The dwarves retained the initiative and charged the goblins. Grimli spotted the goblin chief and engaged him in single combat while Flint took on one of the goblin bullies and the remaining dwarves also chose opponents. Enraged by the plight of his companion, the remaining hunter moved to defend his fallen comrade while the dwarven standard skirted the combat on the right flank in an attempt to close with the goblin archers.

The combat proves less than impressive as not one of the dwarves manages to damage their foes, meanwhile the hunters crossbow bolt once again flies wide of its mark. On the other flank the dwarven standard manages to hit one of the goblin archers with a well placed throwing axe, planting the blade in the goblins head.

The goblins slowly start to envelop the dwarven line while their archers and slinger angle in for the kill. The combat saw blows traded and a single dwarf fall to a rusty cleaver. Again the goblin archers fired but this time the remaining hunter was left unscathed. On the other flank the dwarven standard fell from a goblin arrow. Things were starting to look grim for the dwarves.

Turn 3

The goblins seized the initiative, possibly sensing the dwarves were crumbling. The goblin archers finally struck down the last hunter, however they failed to kill a single dwarf in combat. Bellowing his clan’s battle cry Grimli stuck the goblin chief’s head from his shoulders along with an unfortunate goblin that had attempted to sneak behind him. This was more like it! Obviously inspired by his leaders courage, Flint similarly struck down one of the bullies and a second goblin attacker. One of the other dwarven troopers also managed to strike down his opponent.

Turn 4

Suddenly things were staring to look less grim for the dwarves as the goblins began to lose courage. Seizing the initiative, Grimli waded into the remaining goblins, striking down another of the vile creatures, Flint also succeeded in running another through. Seeing their standard lying bloodied, one of the dwarf troopers hurled himself at the goblin archers killing both outright!

Meanwhile another goblin fell to dwarven steel and the remaining goblins decided that discretion was the better part of valour, running from the bloodied but victorious dwarves of the boar legion!

Aftermath

The dwarves underwent a real trial by fire, but survived to fight another day with two lightly injured and two seriously injured. The lightly injured standard and trooper would be able to return to duty in a few days but the hunters would be missing for several weeks, leaving the unit very short of ranged firepower. Fortunately they were within a few days journey of the dwarven outpost of Dur Zamor, a fortified keep high in the mountains where expert medical attention and fresh recruits could be found!

Conclusion

Well that was quite an exciting game as it looked like the more numerous goblins were simply going to overwhelm the dwarves for a while but the boar company came through in the end

This was the first game of Skull Crusher that I’ve played and have to admit that the four page document did not initially inspire me with confidence as its just a word file

Playing the game itself was really rather fun though with some quite bloody combat and some nice touches. For example the goblins are penalized when shooting as they are poor archers or their arrows are sub standard, meanwhile the dwarves are very hard to kill (mostly!)

Review

Skull Crusher is a free set of fantasy rules that

“is a skirmish war-game developed by, and for, those of us who (a) are fantasy fans, (b) have purchased our fair share of fantasy miniatures and (c) have neither the finances or time to commit to a proper war-gaming hobby-BUT who still want to kick some orc-butt when we have a spare hour to kill !!”

It is available from HERE and is a small PDF running to four pages. Aimed at quick and fun games between small numbers of models it has stats for creating orcs, dwarves, goblins, elves, humans, skeletons and zombies, along with some basic equipment such as armour and weapons.

The players must choose whether they be good or evil, which is supposed to limit your choice of troop with the good getting humans, dwarves and elves, while the evil gets humans, goblins and orcs.

Once you have created your warband both sides roll a d6 for initiative with the looser being forced to deploy first. There are some basic rules about deployment such as all members of a warband must start the game within 2 inches and at least 16 inches from opposing troops.

Next up comes movement, the player must roll a d6 and add the models racial modifier, dwarves have 1, while elves have 3 which results in dwarves moving generally quite slowly while elves will quickly move over the battlefield.

This roll must be done for each model which can result in them spreading out somewhat. Alas it doesn’t make it clear if they have to move this amount or up to it. I took it as common sense that I could chose to move them up to the distance required, but the option of forcing a berserk dwarf the maximum has real possibilities.

Once movement on all of ones models has been completed they may fire their ranged weapons, with hits being effected by the range, either short, medium or long. Next both players roll a d6 and add any modifiers. If the attacker rolls higher than the defenders modified total, the defender is removed as a casualty otherwise there is no effect.

If a model ends within 1 inch of an opposing model, combat ensues with a similar opposing d6 plus modifier roll being made. Again if the attacker rolls higher, the defender is removed. Unfortunatley it does not make it clear whether or not if the defender caused damage by rolling higher than the attacker.

Once all this has happened, any model that has not either been in combat or fired a weapon may move a further d6 inches. Play then moves to the other player.

All in all it’s a nice simple little set of rules that allows players to easily have a quick and fun game without getting too bogged down. I did feel that about a dozen models a side is the maximum one should go for with the game as theres quite a lot of dice rolling required.

There is also no morale to be taken into account, but I simply had one side retire once they had lost 50% casualties.

I suspect I will be using Skull Crusher again as its both simple and fun and allows for a game to be played quickly and without too much record keeping. Despite having a few minor quibbles with the rules I quite like them and with the addition of a little narrative, had a good time using them!

Incidentally I decided to roll a d6 for each casualty with a 1 being dead, 2-3 seriously injured, 4-5 lightly injured and 6 fit for duty. This will allow me to re-use characters and models throughout the campaign.

Also serious injuries take two games to recover from, while light only one. This will limit my choices in future but as the boar company have found shelter in the keep of Dur Zamor I am sure I will be recruiting some fresh blood while allowing the injured to recover some of their strength!

Hopefully the review will encourage folks to give the game a go!

All the best!

Crucible: Conquest of the Final Realm Review

Hi!

As promised heres a review of the core rulebook for Crucible: Conquest of the Final Realm.

Crucible

Background

The background itself is rather interesting, the long lost continent of Crucible has been discovered by human explorers after the impenetrable fogs that have shrouded its shores for centuries have finally lifted.

The continent itself is a mix between North and South America, along with quite a bit of African savanna which makes a welcome change from the usual dark age Europe.

This discovery has led to all the races of Ashkelon, the other settled continent of the world to launch a colonisation race to settle these new lands, especially as ruins discovered in Crucible are rich in lost and arcane magic devices. The new land is however settled by the Orcs who believe these ruins to be sacred and will fight to defend them.

The Forces

The rulebook itself contains a basic force listing for eleven different forces each with a very different feel and appearance to them:

The Principate

An aggressive human culture which is ruled over the eternal queen, a woman who led them to freedom from their Elven overlords some centuries before and have ever since set up a militaristic culture.

The Prinicipate forces revolve around solid infantry and supported by cavalry, with some more unusual troops such as ogres and barbarian mercenaries thrown in for good measure.

Command comes from Dukes, heavily armoured and trained nobles with magic users present in the form of the Arcane Masters, a fusion of man and magical device that act as the Queens eyes and ears on the battlefield.

Orcs

The Orcs are really rather original and are reminiscent of African Zulus. Almost an entirely infantry force the Orcs have a rather nice hit and run ability that allows them to assault an enemy force before withdrawing before their targets get chance to strike back. One of the most impressive figures of the range is the River behemoth, a hippo riding orc which acts as a powerful shock troop!

Command revolves around tribal chieftains, and masked shamans bringing magical support.

The Royal Elves of Tyren

The Royal Elves used to rule much of the world in the service of the dragon gods, but have fallen somewhat from their lofty position. A mixture of powerful infantry forms the bulk of their force, but their appearance is not that of the typical elf, they are savage looking and aggressive with spiked armour and weapons. Their elite wear winged armour and dragon masks and can actually fly while their cavalry comes in the form of Wyrms, powerful land dragons.

The elven command are also magic users and are some of the most powerful in the game.

The Witches of Selene

The witches are a rebel faction of humans whose failed assassination of the eternal queen led to their fleeing to Crucible. The bulk of the witches force comes from animated scarecrows, with a smattering of allied light cavalry, twisted experiments and giant ravens.

Their command is not surprisingly formed of the witches themselves!

The Tauren Protectorate

The Taurens are an artificial creation of the Elves, created through magic these beastmen once formed the majority of the Elves armed forces and still have a close relationship with them. Their highly structured civilisation has many different castes of creatures which range from werewolves to beastmen and satyrs. Unlike other game systems they are not actually evil but rather honourable.

Their command are all minotaurs, one is a Blood Fiend, a huge axe armed beast, while the other is the spell casting Guardian.

The Infernal Elves

The Infernal Elves are an offshoot of the Royal Elves who were exiled for their forbidden magical experiments. They fled to the Infernal mountains, a volcanic range and set up in this inhospitable region to nurse their hatred. Their force consists of an assortment of aggressive looking infantry supported by snake riders and even the warped Hydra, the unfortunate result of one of their forbidden ceremonies.

Desolators lead the Infernal Elves into battle and have the ability to leech life from surrounding units to sustain themselves while their magic user, the Spoiler is a terrifying flying unit capable of casting some truly unpleasant spells.

Goblins

The Goblins are a very original take on the usual view of the green skinned hoard. They dwell in marshes and swamps and are renowned for stealing the children of other races. Chaotic looking creatures that defy description they march into battle in chittering hordes, while bat riders swoop overhead. They also have deadwoods and swamp terrors, the result of Goblin spirits inhabiting trees and even patches of swamp.

Their leader is a Goblin king and is both hard to hit in combat and a magic user!

Dwarves

The Dwarves of Crucible are a nomadic people whose armoured caravans trade with many other races. They are a rather high tech force armed with firearms, ornithopters and oddly a number of halfling assassins, not to mention savage warbeasts who they use to guard their caravans.

Their command is formed from the Grandfather, the patriarch of the clan who is armed to the teeth. The magic user in the Dwarf force is the Knome, a technician whose many devices have magic like effects.

Necromancers

The necromancers are a force who animates the dead, but rather originally were not once evil but became so over the centuries. The bulk of their force consists of zombies and skeletons, with elite units of savage ghouls and the occasional bone construct or flesh golem to act as shock troops.

Their command is the necromancer himself who isn't fantastic in combat but vital to the force as without his nearby presence, a unit will begin acting very erratically.

The Bane

The Bane are a demonic race who abide on a barren rock between the continents and raid passing ships. They are a mixture of small demons, feeble individually but often forming large hordes, and larger more powerful beasts including magical armoured suits called Gargoyles.

The Banes command are the Fallen, massive winded humanoids who often bring arcane relics to battle.

The Legion

The legion are a race of demented humans who passed through a dimensional portal and communed with ancient and dread gods. They fight in large masses of crazed cultists, supported by gorgons, wyvern riders and cyclops's.

Their command comes in the form of Void Dwellers, mutated humans who can transport themselves around the battlefield by use of Void gates and Invokers, mad spell casters who have the ability to summon terrible godlings to battle.

The Rules

As you can see theres quite a range of unusual forces to choose from and the rules themselves are rather well thought out too.

The game uses 12 sided dice which is a bit unusual but is well considered and makes use of different formations ranging from pickets to hordes and phalanx. Each has a different effect in battle which effects the units effectiveness.

The rule section itself is well illustrated with plentiful illustrated examples to aid the players understand the rules more clearly.

The turn is separated into several phases, the Initiative phase, where players roll to see who activates first with each sides command effecting the roll. Next up comes the Rally Phase where routed units may attempt to re-form.

Following this comes the missile combat phase where players exchange ranged combat, this allows missile troops to pepper assaulting troops!

The movement phase follows on from this and the magic phase ends the turn. The game is alternate unit activation so you are not left waiting for ages while your opponent decimates your force which is a real plus in my opinion!

Forces are chosen from the lists provided with units being common, uncommon, rare and unique. Each force has a required minimum required troop selection, for example the Principate needs to have a minimum of one Duke and five spearmen.

Although intended as a mass battle game, Crucible works really well as a skirmish with a couple of units of about five to ten troops each along with a single individual which means one can start small and build up their force over time without spending a fortune!

Artwork and Miniatures

The artwork in the book is very high quality throughout with the likes of Clint Langley, Wayne England and Ian Millar producing illustrations for the book. Being it was produced by FASA its not too surprising they went to town on the images!

Elves by Clint Langley

The miniatures themselves are a somewhat mixed batch with some fantastic sculpts mixed in with the occasional stinker, but that has to be expected in any large range. My only problem with the range itself is that its incomplete! FASA ceased trading not long after its launch and subsequently some of the miniatures themselves are missing. Also in most cases only two sculpts were produced for each troop type which is a tad limiting.

Infernal Elf Serpent Riders

Conclusion

Crucible is a really nice game and well worth looking into getting a copy as the background, forces and rules themselves are rather good! Also its one of the few games where different formations can be used to good effect. On the minus side its not supported any more and there is no plan for any more miniatures. Saying that the miniatures themselves are still available from Ral Partha Europe and Iron Wind Metals!

Hopefully that will give folks a brief overview of the game itself! I hope to put the rules to use with my upcoming Axebite Pass Campaign so I will be able to give a bit of a better idea of the game in action!

All the best!