Further Non Oldschool Gubbins!

Hi!

Well I'm just back from a really busy day at work and I still find myself perusing the interwebs with the vague idea of having a bash at trying out a new game. I think the reason for this is that I am wondering if it is possible to use some of the principles of the Oldhammer movement in other systems, namely the use of scenario driven play with a sense of fun rather than an urge to simply destroy ones foes.

There's been a lot of posts over the last few weeks about the fact that the increase in popularity of Oldhammer has resulted in it losing its way somewhat. Sadly an utterly nebulous concept as that of Oldhammer is by its very nature impossible to find two people with the same idea as to what it exactly is. While most adults are capable of agreeing to disagree and finding a way round their differences and concentrating on the fun aspects of what is, after all a hobby, some folks just can't seem to act like adults.

I don't want to denigrate the community as a whole, as in my experience at least, the vast majority of Oldhammerers are great chaps, but like all communities, there's always a few who can't seem to play nice. There's a time and a place for this sort of navel gazing, and its not here so back to topic!

I am guessing that it is possible to use the principles and concepts of Oldhammer gaming in other games too which gives me an excuse to explore some of the fascinating settings and miniatures that have been coming out over the last decade or so!

I still can't decide on which system to have a bash at as I do like the looks of Infinity but there's a new edition due out later this year  so I may have to hold off on the idea for now but I have noticed that there's some rather good deals to be had on Dark Age figures too, not to mention any number of other games that look really great too so I suspect that for the time being, I am going to just crack on with painting my Oldhammer project and wait and see!

Hopefully I will be able to decide before too much longer but in the meantime, I may use whatever figures I may pick up in Oldhammer instead!

All the best!

Non Oldschool Gubbins

Hi!

While I've really been enjoying my jaunt into oldschool miniature gaming, I've taken a bit of a hankering for trying out something a bit more modern and there are two games that have really caught my eye.

The first is Dark Age, a post apocalyptic skirmish game set in the far future on a planet that has been abandoned by a vast empire and its inhabitants must fight to survive amongst the ruins.

Originally inspired by the art of Brom, its a rather interesting setting with lots of weird and wonderful characters, races and factions and by all accounts is also a really good system too.

 A large plus is the fact that the rules and even the forcelists are available freely online and the miniatures themselves aren't too shabby either in a grubby sort of way and there are also several really interesting races to choose from, each with their own very different look and style.

 


Similarly its a skirmish game so I wouldn't need a vast number of figures to get myself going and with a little work it could also tie in nicely with my ongoing oldschool Rogue Trader project, representing some long forgotten planet outwith the Imperium that has had to survive by itself since losing contact with human space during the long dark ages.

The other option I am looking at is Infinity, a game set just over 100 years in humanities future and featuring a more high tech and anime inspired sort of look which I am rather fond of and thats a bit of a change from the grittier look of Rogue Trader and Dark Age

Again the rules and stat cards for units are available online and the system is apparently utterly brilliant too with a very cinematic style of play and are free which is a boon.

The miniatures are top notch, with a range of very dynamic looking sculpts with lots of variety of forces, races and units that could really make for a great game. Admittedly some of the poses are a bit OTT and the figures come in a lot of different pieces that then need pinning but looking at the finished pics, it could well be worth the effort.

I've heard some rather mixed reviews of the rules as they were originally in Spanish and the translation is a tad ropey in places but with the release of 3rd edition imminent, I suspect that they will be rather well done this time. Another plus to the rules are that they are based around a scenario driven game rather than a straight up battle with small groups of characters battling it out to secure objectives, hack computer terminals and so forth!

I must admit that both have a great deal of appeal to me but rather than jumping in without thought, I am going to do some research to check out reviews of rules, figures and so on so if anyone has any experience with either system, I'd love to hear your views!

All the best!

Rogue Xenos!

Hi!

I've just finished painting an old Mindflayer that I picked up in a wargames stores 2nd hand box a few years back and thought he would make a fine addition to my space pirate crew so without further ado here's a bit of background on the notorius Yggotho Tokot!

Yggotho Tokot: Villain with style!

No one is sure exactly what species Yggotho is but he appeared as one of the henchmen of the villainous space pirate captain Midas Blackstar some time ago and his unique abilities have come in very handy. 

A powerful Psyker, Yggotho has the ability to invade the minds of others, steal information and even exert control of them. Midas has used this uncanny talent to discover the scheduled routes of Imperial shipping and the patrols of the navy. A more insidious use for Yggotho's powers allow him to control the many slaves that Midas captures and keep them docile before delivering them to the Pharon.

Yggotho himself is quite the clothes horse, wearing only the finest robes, finest shoes and when not devouring the brains of his unfortunate victims, he can be found shopping for a new wardrobe in the many boutique stores that dot the galaxy. The fact that he is a hideous, slimy octopus headed freak doesn't seem to have occurred to him and he always attempts to dress in the latest of villain chique.

I do like the miniature itself and it took virtually no time at all to paint. I especially love his little baggy thing that he is carrying around which I am guessing is either his purse or juju bag.

Hopefully I will be able to add some more fantasy gubbins into my Rogue Trader warbands soon!

All the best!

State of the Imperium: The Rule of Law

Hi!

We are back from our Highland excursion which was loads of fun, despite me proving once again that no matter where I go, I am a midge magnet and losing my hat on top of a mountain!

Now back the topic in hand with the next in my articles on the State of the Imperium, this time focusing on the forces of law in the 41st milleneum and the challenges they face

Law Enforcement

The vast sprawl of the Imperium has presented a unique challenge to the law enforcement community. Faced with everything from Hive Worlds with populations in the billions to frontier outposts and mining stations the Imperium has split enforcement into several distinct departments, each with their own responsibilities and tactics.

Arbites

Once the heavy handed thugs of the Dark Ages of the Imperium, the Adeptus Arbites have learned from past mistakes and now instead of responding to every situation with a shock stick or volley of shotgun fire, the Arbites have developed and expanded into a more modern police service and are now a force for good, rather than suppression within much of the Imperium.

Patrol

The most commonly seen members of the Arbites are the patrol units who manage everyday law and order. Equipped with flak jackets and side arms they present a more professional if no less intimidating sight than in past times. Tasked with keeping the peace in the urban sprawls of the Imperium they are increasingly being given better and more advanced equipment ranging from camera drones to communicators and even new AI units.

For the most part the Arbites Patrols are capable of dealing with general law enforcement tasks and have the power to act as judge, jury and at times, executioner which makes them an object of fear with the general populace, something the Arbites heartily approve of as a healthy dose of respect or even fear makes handling potentially dangerous situations more manageable.

All Arbites Patrol units are also trained at riot control and small tactic actions as the galaxy is becoming a more violent place, despite the advances in civilisation in recent centuries and to counter this, the Arbites have recently begun recruiting non humans and abhumans into their ranks as it has become apparent that their specialist talents and fresh views on law enforcement are a much needed shot in the arm for the Arbite department.

While most of the department deal with patrolling the urban sprawls and regular law enforcement duties, some crimes are so unusual or heinous that they require a special response and when this occurs, the Patrol calls in one of the following departments to deal with it.

Detective Department

The Arbites also field an extensive department of plain clothes detectives for dealing with serious crimes such as murder, organised crime, netjacking and so on. Trained to think and act as individuals, the Detectives job is often difficult and dangerous, involving undercover work and infiltrating crime organisations and the mortality rate is rather high but most detectives are utterly dedicated to their jobs. 

Within the Detectives ranks are specialist teams who are trained in dealing with some of the more unsavoury crimes such Psyker related incidents and the dramatic increase in cyber crimes since the technological breakthroughs of the past centuries. As such, the Detective Department is always on the lookout for new members and as with much of the Imperium, many non-human races have been recruited to the Arbites and especially into the Detectives as they are capable of operating in areas that normal humans are incapable of. Similarly a number of posthumans and cyborgs have also recently been recruited as their special abilities are much in demand in an increasingly technologically advanced Imperium.

On several worlds there are now fledgling Pskyer specialists, Espers and Precogs who use their powers to solve crimes. These somewhat secretive sections are mistrusted by many, even amongst their colleagues on the force but even their harshest critics cannot argue against the spectacular success rates these newest members of the Arbites have become in solving some of the most fiendish of crimes.

ESWAT

In an environment where many criminal organisations have access to advanced weaponry and cybernetic implants, let alone lawless xenos species, the Arbites have had to respond with the creation of a new force trained in military tactics and with heavier and more advanced weaponry. Known as Extra Special Weapons And Tactics or ESWAT, their ranks are formed from veterans from the Arbites department and ex military. Each Arbites station will have an ESWAT team who are often called in to clear dangerous criminal elements. 

With the emergence of dangerous Psykers and rogue AI units, ESWAT troops now incorporate combat Espers and new combat cyborgs and equipment is also being upgraded to include cutting edge military equipment including power armour and even tactical dreadnought armour. This, along with their specialist training allows them to deal with pretty much any threat they may face and in any environment, including zero g space. 

Imperial Marshals

While the Arbite Patrols deal with the urban sprawls of the Imperium, many outland stations and smaller settlements don't warrant having an entire section house so the wild frontier relies on the Imperial Marshal service. 

These highly individual characters are as tough as nails and must bring law to the lawless with a combination of low cunning, brutality and original thinking. Not surprisingly, this tends to attract the more eccentric types and a typical Imperial Marshal will wear whatever they want, be it power armour or hawaii shirt and be armed to the teeth with an eclectic selection of exotic weapons and equipment ranging from Imperial to local and even Xenos manufacture. 

Depending on the lawlessness of the planet, a Marshal will sometime operate by themselves but will more often than not recruit some trusted allies to help them about their duties. These duties range from dealing with Grox rustling to pirate raids and Xenos marauders so these bands of law officers tend to shoot first and ask questions later. This cavalier attitude has made them the darlings of the Tri-D movie but the citizens they protect often have more mixed views of their protectors, sometimes finding the destruction they cause worse than that done by any hapless criminal.

Non Gaming Interlude

Greetings!

It's my lovely girlfriend Amy's birthday today so we are off to brave the highlands (and hordes of midges who thirst for our blood!) for a couple of days camping!

Wish us luck and a supply of bug repellant and normal service will resume this weekend with lots of articles on the State of the Imperium including Posthumans and Mutants as well as Law and Disorder!

All the best!

State of the Imperium: Abhumans

Hi!

As part of my ongoing series of a reimagined Imperium, I've decided to spend a little time working on the various subspecies of Humanity!

Abhumans

Abhuman is a catch all term for stable strains of mutations such as Squats, Ogryns, Ratlings and Beastmen, all of which have in the past had a very difficult relationship with the Imperium. Often seen as subhuman and different, the average Imperial citizen once treated these beings with a deal of suspicion and fear.

In the last thousand years or so there has been an explosion in the subspecies and most have been accepted into Imperial society and many have even risen to positions of authority and in most core sectors they are such a common sight that they don't even raise an eyebrow from passers by. Further out on the frontier, they are less common but mostly accepted, other than by those who follow the old teachings of the Ministorum.

Squats

Perhaps the most common of the Abhumans, the Squats are the descendants of human settlers who formed communities towards the galactic core on a number of high gravity worlds. Over generations these hardy peoples adapted to the new conditions they found themselves in by becoming shorter and more sturdily built. 

Unlike most of the Abhumans, Squats retained a high level of autonomy in the Imperium being classed more as valued allies than subjects and the current incumbent on the Golden Throne, Lionstone, thinks no differently. Squats form their own Imperial Guard regiments and even their own fleets and can be relied on to be staunch supporters of the Imperium itself.

Squat Mining Facility

Squat civilisation centres around ancestor worship and each of the guilds that form its core are led by honoured ancients, many of whom are well over three hundred years old. While Squats will happily settle pretty much any world, they excel at exploiting heavy G worlds which contain large quantities of metal deposits. These planets are less likely to be mined by normal humans as the crushing gravity makes such operations prohibitively expensive but the Squats can cope with anything up to 3G's without difficulty and their extensive use of robotics and heavy machinery allows them to exploit mineral wealth that other races cannot.

It is the duty of any young Squat to work in the family mine until they reach the age of  50 (a mere whippersnapper in the eyes of most Squats) when they can choose to stay on in the mines or go out and explore the galaxy to earn honour for their clan. As such, it is common to see Squats out on the frontier as members of guild run mining teams or ships engineers as well as traders and merchants. These fiery individuals are still intrinsically linked to their homeworlds and often act as prospectors for larger expeditions and it is not uncommon for the appearance of a small number of Squat miners on a frontier system to herald the arrival of a larger mining fleet should they strike paydirt.

Squats are fiercely independent and as such will not submit to unreasonable demands from Imperial governors and there have been a number of conflicts that have risen out of the stubbornness of Squattish pride. Similarly, Squats take great pride in solving problems themselves so it is unlikely that protection rackets, pirate raids or similar situations will be brought to Imperial authorities such as law enforcement. Instead the Guild takes care of its own and thugs trying to shake down a Squat trader are known to either get a beating or simply vanish and if the situation is serious enough, a Squat security detachment won't hesitate to draw weapons and blast their way out of a confrontation. 

This gung ho attitude often causes friction with local law enforcement but many Imperial citizens like the no nonsense approach and it isn't uncommon for Imperial colonies to contract Squat security forces to protect them from the less savory elements of society. In recent years a few Humans have even been given membership of one or two of the more progressive guilds, much to the outrage of the more traditionalist elders.

Ogryns

Ogryns are another offshoot of Humanity that settled on high gravity worlds. Unlike the Squats, the mutation that effected the Ogryns ancestors resulted in them growing to almost twice the height of a normal human and bulked up skeletal structure and large amounts of muscle mass resulted in a being that resembled the Ogre from ancient Earth mythology. Unsurprisingly the name stuck and even now the hulking humanoids are seen as muscle bound oafs by many.

Interestingly, evidence has recently surfaced that the Ogryn genome was artificially created hinting at an early attempt by Humanity at genetic engineering to create a form more suited to heavy gravity. It is also worth noting that the increased muscle mass, heavy skeletal structure and impressively thick skull also make for excellent warrior material and it is surmised by Imperial scholars that the first Ogryns were developed as soldiers but their lowered mental facilities meant the project was abandoned.

This isn't to say that the military doesn't want Ogryns, quite the opposite in fact. Their unquestioning loyalty, resistance to damage that would kill a normal human and brutal effectiveness in combat makes them highly sought after as shock troops and most Ogryn worlds make much of their income from raising companies of troops for the Imperium.

It is a mistake to think of Ogryns as stupid. While they may appear dim, they do have intelligence, even if it is a certain, low cunning and the development of the Bonehead bionic upgrade has resulted in some really rather smart Ogryns who have risen to surprising heights. Sadly Ogryns also act as hired muscle for organised crime and even Orkish warbands who appeal to the more brutal members of the race.


Ratlings

One of the rarer Abhumans races are the diminutive Ratlings, so called due to their child like stature and tendency to scuttle around in the shadow of normal humans. While Ratlings don't have the vast physical strength of Ogryns or the engineering knowledge of Squats, they do make excellent scouts due to their light footedness and ability to move almost anywhere undetected. 

Ratling colonies are formed around extended family groups and can be found pretty much anywhere in the Imperium if you know where to look. Settlements range from farmsteads on frontier worlds to concealed townships in the pipeworks of hive worlds and even in forgotten holds of spaceships. 

A retiring people, most Humans will never see these small folks, even if living within a stones throw of them as Ratlings live quite happily beneath the radar. Living such an existence leads to all manner of rumour and speculation amongst the Imperial population and a certain level of mistrust, not helped by the Ratlings having no concept of personal property and tendency towards light fingeredness resulting in the discovery of a Ratling settlement being met with concern and the occasional vigilante action.

Unsurprisingly, Ratlings are found extensively in the underworld as their natural abilities make them excellent burglars and pick pockets. It is usually following their arrest for assorted misdeeds that most Ratlings find themselves with the option of a long prison sentence or joining the Imperial Guard. Surprisingly, many Ratlings enjoy serving in the Guard as it gives them chance to feed their insatiable curiosity and when they eventually finish their tour of duty, they can return home and tell wild tales of their adventures.

Beastmen

Long reviled in the Imperium with the image of the stereotypical savage and brutal goat headed humanoid, the Beastmen have undergone a huge turnaround in fortunes in recent centuries. Born from mutation caused by a mixture of poorly shielded colonies, contaminated supplies or even genetic manipulation, the Beastmen actually come in a bewildering array of shapes and sizes but all appear to be some sort of combination of human and animal. 

Beastmen are now an accepted part of Imperial society, seen as exotic and different but not generally to be feared, these beings form a significant minority in many Imperial worlds and have used their unusual abilities to further their standing in all fields of Imperial endeavor, especially the military.

The change in attitude came back in the mid 40th Millenium when the then Empress, Maud, while on tour of the Imperial world of Rudox Vult was attacked by an assassin who had infiltrated the Imperial household. She was saved by the quick thinking of a servant Beastmaid called Nala who jumped upon the would be assassin and tore out his throat with her catform claws. The Empress made the lowly servant a noble there and then and for the remainder of her reign, Maud pushed Imperial opinion until it accepted the Beastmen as full citizens. Nala became the Empresses constant companion and bodyguard and her descendants still fulfil the role as Imperial bodyguards.

The modern Imperium raises full regiments of beastmen as their ferocity and ability to adapt and live off the land is highly rated while many Megacorps also make use of Beastman specialists as do the Arbites and even PDF forces. This isn't to say that all Beastmen live within the law as many form criminal gangs or the rebellion but most of these malcontents come from worlds where Beastmen are still stigmatised.

Whee!


Hopefully that will help lay out my thoughts on the Abhumans and I will be moving onto the Posthumans next including Psykers, Next Generation Space Marines, Clones and more!

All the best!

Abandoned Water Processor

Hi!

I'm getting my holiday underway with some scenics for my games as well as getting on with painting some figures so without further ado, here's the pics!

Farpoint is still a frontier world and despite it being the sectors capitol world, it is underdeveloped and very rough around the edges. At some point in the past, before the great rebellion, the original settlers of Farpoint began work on terraforming the dry, desert world into a more suitably water rich planet but progress stalled with the breakdown in stellar travel following the rebellion.

Even now as the Imperium begins expanding out again, the high technology that the core sectors enjoy is still only arriving on the frontier at a trickle and replacing and updating the vast, subterranean atmospheric processors on Farpoint are way down the list of priorities. Subsequently, the planet is littered with rusted pipe farms, junked machinery and abandoned settlements.

Despite this, the boom in mining on the planet has led to many of these relics being scavenged and put back to use and the abandoned water processor that sits on the outskirts of Dirt has been retrofitted and several of the wells that supply it with artesian water are once again beginning to operate to supply the township with much needed fresh water.

As a natural gathering point for the town, the processor has been used as an impromptu news stand where locals can read about the goings on from the town, planet and even sector as well as posting notices of their own. It is also used by the local authorities as a wanted notice post.

Wanting to find out about the news in the Farpoint Sector or just looking for your lost cat?  

Pudding cultists also post advertisements for the dubious pleasures of their weird religion.

 A Catachan pauses to read the daily rag

Constructed from some old till rolls and assorted plastic gubbins, the processor gives me some much needed high scenics that looks suitably abandoned while the base just has some cardboard patches with some polyfilla roughly applied before being flocked and painted!

The next piece I plan on building involves a few storage tanks as well as the town of Dirt itself but I need to keep painting more figures to flesh out my warbands before I go any further and speaking of which, here's another Catachan, this time the squads support trooper with his trusty heavy bolter:

 Eat Lead!

He's originally a Void 1.1 Viridian Commando but fits in very nicely as a Catachan trooper, being suitably muscled and with similar kit. Here's a pic of the squad so far:

While not quite as muscular as his brethren, he does it in rather well and gives me a much needed heavy weapon that doesn't rely on the silly wheeled weapons that the Catachans are usually equipped with.

I am hoping to have the full squad of 8 done by the end of my holiday as well as several more pieces of scenery. I am also on the lookout for some suitable civilians to act as random events and background characters in games. I may also have to put together a Viridian facility for my Catachans to defend but thats probably getting ahead of myself!

All the best!