Gaming with Jess

While I have been continuing to paint, I'm well past my 2011 goals so I've been trying to play more. Now that Jess has turned 8, she has become a formidable opponent.

We still play simple games like Bendominos. Above you can see that she has become more aggressive, turning the ends of the lines back on themselves and (a first for us) completing a "circle" thus ending the game prematurely (and catching me with a butt-load of points still in my hand).

More exciting is that we've graduated from Forbidden Island to Pandemic. We've played four times and won twice on the intro setting and split the two games we've played on the normal setting (which is better than the boys at the club did last week...). Next up is playing Battlelore with the lore rules.

Up next: I'm working on my MayDay game (epic Battlelore, perhaps Mount Badon) and need to create some new terrain and finish off a few mounted units. I also have 100-odd 1/72 Egyptians on the go--finished their flesh yesterday and will start on their robes today. Then onto looking at some terrain to represent Gotham, which will be my major 2012 project.

FS 15mm DBA War of the Roses Army

My club had its annual fundraising auction this past week. In the flurry of bidding, I ended up buying a painted 15mm DBA army (IV/83a War of the Roses English). I quite like this army but I don't play DBA in 15mm so, after some soul searching, I'd like to pass it on to someone who would use it.

The army includes two 3Kn and one 3Cv stands. The knights also have dismounted bases with flags that match the mounted so you can tell who is whom. There is also a 3Sp base.

The figures are Essex and are base don a thick card with appropriate sized bases.

There are three bases of 4Bd (above) and six bases of 4Bw (below).

There is also an artillery piece.

I'd like $65 plus shipping (about $15 in Canada or the US). I will individually wrap each bases in bubble and then pack them carefully. Offers to bob.barnetson@shaw.ca.

28mm sewer rats

Last summer I squirreled away some odds and ends from a GW skaven set with the idea of creating a warband opponent for my superheroes. Sort of a sewer-rats group that could play the henchmen role for supervillains.

I finally painted and based these guys (another box emptied! yay!). First up is this posse of generic bad guys. I think skaven fit the sewer bill pretty well with scavenged clothes and home-made weapons.

There is also a gun-toting skaven hero (not sure what he'd shoot--goo? disease?) that I've put with Bats and Robin to give you a sense of scale. And below we have a two-man team--perhaps they are out to poison Gotham's water supply?

Finally we have a mutant (that I need to make a larger base for) rat. You'll note that Robin headed for the hills when this guy showed up at the photo shoot. After what happened to the last Robin, you kinda can't blame him.

And while I did promise the end of the supers for awhile, I found and finished this Dr. Doom figure so threw him into the mix.

Up next: I have some 1/72 Egyptians underway--need to glue shields on and prime them. I'm also sorting boxes in the basement and may dig a 15mm Ancient Spanish DBA army that I picked up at the club.

EWG new venue

We had 15 guys out last night for our first evening at the new venue and autumn auction. The new digs are very nice.

Terry hosted Chris and Dennis is a game of Merchants and Marauders. I was looking forward to playing in this bit ended up running a game of Pandemic instead.

Guy, Craig, Justin, Bruce and I managed three games between us, each time loosing the world to one contagion or another. Glad I chose labour relations and not public health as a career!

Dave, Chen, Scott and Kevin ran a four-player game of Saga. No idea what happened there.

We also held out annual auction, with Mike (MIKE!) and Alan-and-son dropping in to see what was what. We raised $390 (plus whatever dues were) so we are solvent into the future. I will post a treasurer's update when I get time to count the dough. Thanks to everyone who donated items as well as those who bought them.

Up next: Some 28mm skaven for the sewers of Gotham are drying on their bases and I will be prepping a bunch of 1/72 New Kingdom Egyptians.

Epic Battlelore

Craig and Arlene invited Jessica and I out for a playdate. While the girls played upstairs, Craig and I duked it out playing a game of Epic Battlelore. Frankly, this was awesome--taking Battlelore to a whole new level.

The scenario was part of the For Troll and Country expansion and was really big (to my eyes). Lots of units, lots of separate clashes and my first chance to play the epic rules. I played the Scottish/dwarf side and quickly moved my stout fellows to take a line of hills on my right. This was perhaps my best play of the night.

Craig rushed his goblins forwards on the left (I never did get anything going there) and we then saw a grinding series of battles where I couldn't seem to decisively defeat him.

His troll was all bark and no bite throughout the game, stuck against some dwarven crossbowmen on a hill.

At one point I was sure I had Craig's troll, caught between two of my heavy cavalry but he used some lore to squirt out of that trap. Then I rushed forward with three cavalry units on one of his medium infantry and managed to only to take half of his troops. He then reversed the attack and pounded the snot out of my heavy cavalry for the win. A good and dramatic end to the game.

Overall, epic is a much superior game to regular Battlelore. The common pool of cards, extra troops and greater room to maneuver makes it seem more like a battle. I can't wait for my expansion to arrive. I also leaned a few things about the rules that are helpful to remember.

Up next: The club is tomorrow night, I have some skaven underway on the painting table and then I have a stack of 1/72 New Kingdom Egyptians that I'll be starting on.

Last of the Superheroes for awhile

These are the last of the 28mm superheroes for awhile. I'm looking to switch up my painting some and get back into something a bit more historical for a few weeks.

These fellows are most of the Justice League of America from when I used to read it (in the mid-1980s). First up we have Superman, Hawkman and Hawkwoman.

Then we have the Human Torch (a Marvel extra that I did when I had the red paint out), Firestorm and Zanata.

Yet another round of Batman, Black Canary and Green Arrow. I'm sure I have a Green Lantern somewhere to join them.

And finally The Elongated Man, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and someone named Ice who must have joined after I stopped reading.

Up next: Some skaven are currently underway and I'm off to play a game of Epic Battlelore with Craig this afternoon. Then I'll be back to either some renaissance guys or perhaps some Roman auxilia. There is also the club and our auction on Tuesday.

A few more superheroes and villains

I finished a few more 28mm superheroes today and based them for Power Legions. I ended up with a bunch of duplicates so some of these you will have seen repainted before.

The first bunch includes the Huntress, Black Canary and Green Arrow. Not sure why the pictures is so soft?

Then we have the Hulk. Not really the same universe but he got mixed in with the DC figures so I knocked him off while I had green on the palette.

Then some villains for the streets of Gotham: The Joker (with fish guns), Harlequin and the Riddler

Then the Penguin, Poison Ivy and Bane. I'm not thrilled with how the wash pooled on the Penguin's coat (us fat guys can never get a break with the way clothes look) so I will go back and fix him. And finally Catwoman, Man-Bat and the Mad Hatter.

Up next: A few more JLA re-paints and then a bunch of Skaven to create a group of minions who arise from the sewers.