Fistful of Dice Endgame Mechanic

For the past couple of weeks, Bruce and I have been playing some Gangster scenarios using the Fist of Dice rules. The rules work very well for skirmish games and I played a short superhero campaign with them the spring.

One of the mechanics Bruce has been experiencing with is a turn limit one. Instead of a fixed turn limit or the game ending when an objective is achieved, he's been rolling 1d6 at the end of each turn and adding the following:

• +1 for gunfire having occurred in the game
• +1 for machine-gun fire having occurred in the game
• +1 for each figure KIA'd in the game

(Each modifier reflects how player behaviour increases the priority the police would give to responding to game events.) When the roll plus mods equals 12, we enter the end-game staged.

At this point, a random number of cops appears at a random board edge and play continues. At the end of each subsequent turn, the cops on the board take two moves towards (1) any visible figure or (2) towards the objective. If they make contact with a figure, then the figure is arrested and removed from play. A random number of new cops also arrives at another random board edge. Players can shoot the cops but the cop figures just recycle. 

The effect of this is pretty cool. The game plays on but there is much more pressure on the players to take action (i.e., chances) to win before the cops nab all of their figures. Basically, it feels like sudden death overtime. The random arrival also make its hard to plan and adds to the sense of pressure.

This mechanic could probably be used in almost anytime there is some kind of authority structure. For example, a shoot out in a space port could trigger the arrival of stormtroopers who detain everyone, including maybe any Imperials they run into (you never know who is secretly Rebel scum).

Overall, a pretty neat mechanic to change the tempo of the game at the end. It also encourages players to think about when they want to shoot and kill. In a hostage rescue, sooner may be better. In a search-and-rescue game, players (or some players) may want to avoid gunfire.

In a bloody game, the average point at which the end phase would be triggered is likely turn 6. But it could happen as early as turn 3 and as late as turn 9. You can, of course, fiddle the target number to shorten or extend play. Anyhow, a fun little add-on idea.

BSG Land Ram

A couple of years ago, I got an mdf kit with an order of figures. I promptly mislaid the kit, then rediscovered it, and finally built it.

This is my first mdf model and I had to learn a few things "(Gentle, Lenny. Gentle."). Overall, it went together pretty well, even without the instructions. I added a gun to the cupola from the bits box and also made a hatch cover.

There was a lot of laser-etched detail that I didn't want to ruin with heavy paint so I sprayed and drybrushed this and then used a wash. I think I should have done something to fill in the glass but I was too far into the build when I figured that out. Guess I could make and add some kind of blast shield? Meh?

No joy finding useful decals in my boxes so I handpainted these based on the movie. 

I also cut a plastic figure to make a removable commander to it in the hatch.

I also found a piece of plastic to drop in show the hatch as buttoned up.

Overall, kind of fun and it more or les looks like the movie version (just shorter).

15mm mounted

Today, I have a job lot of plastic 15mm mounted. These are from the Joan of Arc board game.

There were four of these Genghis Khan horse archers. I also ended up with five armoured knights.

I was really surprised how bad the sculpts were (especially the horses) until I primed and drybrushed them and realized that they are undead riding skeleton horses. Which explains the poorly define musculature on the horses!

Up next: Probably some HO scale buildings and some 15mm goblins.

28mm furnishings

I'm not sure where these bookcases, chairs, and sofa came from (they are a touch big for 28mm).

Whatever! They are close enough that they'll work and they add some much needed furnishings to my collection.

Up next: Some 15mm mounted.

HO-scale buildings

Today, I finished some of the beat-up HO-scale buildings I got at the model railway swap meet in April. 

These required some significant work to salvage and, I see now, that I should have taken them apart entirely to adjust the joins. Oh well. A box of buildings for $10 means you get what you get.

Up next: Some 28mm furnishings and 15mm mounted.

15mm Billmen

Welcome back! This week, I've got the last of the 15mm billmen from the Joan of Arc game. I did two groups of 10: one with red and yellow tunics and one with yellow and white.

I also had some dudes with horns and swords to finish. There are still a few mounted guys in the paint pile before I turn to some goblins.

Up next: Some more refurbished HO-scale buildings.

HO-scale pulp buildings

In the spring, I picked up a bunch of model buildings at the railway swap meet. One box was 10 or 12 badly beat up buildings for like $10. I fixed up four of them.

Three I painted using full strength colours over a black primer. The fourth (the orange one) I primed back, dry brushed white, and washed. They got similar detailing. Honestly, there isn't much to choose between approaches.

The buildings required a lot of rehab, including being disassembled entirely in two cases. They all needed roofs, and window glass. I also had to fabricate a front door (and then hide the fabrication with an awning). 

For like $5, this was a helluva a deal! I have no shortage off buildings but more is always better. They could use some decaling when I get a chance.

Up next: I'm going to take August off from posting to enjoy the summer. I'll be back in September with some more 15mm medievals and HO-scale buildings.