More Artizan Designs' The Midnight Workshop Figures

As I'm a bit backlogged in cool stuff to report to the world (woo!), those of you who checked out my last post on the Artizan Designs Borderlands figure may have noticed some dystopian Victorian Steampunk figures and a few British Stiff-Upper Lip Military types.  These are part of their FOG line (The Red Planet) within their non-historical umbrella of The Midnight Workshop. 

The military figures are part of their 28mm Martian line they plan on adding to.

Colonel Lattimer

 At first glance, I saw nothing wrong with the officer, outside the requisite goggles, but upon the fourth viewing I finally saw the mechanical leg! 

Rifleman Moore

Great looking figures, decently priced (about US $4), and absolutely fabulous moustaches!  Like the Borderlands figures, these should be carried by Brigade Games in the States as well.

Gnome Wars at Spring Fever '14

It looks like there will be a Gnome Wars at Spring Fever '14, April 11-12th at the Highwoods Ave Holiday in Raleigh, NC. 

Title: Gnome Wars

GameMaster: Brian Robinette
Description: The Kaiser and the Jagermeisters are preparing to deploy yet another notsosecret weapon in an effort to bring the war to a rapid conclusion. Can the Allies stop the Hun’s evil plans in time? Parent/child teams are encouraged. Troops provided, but feel free to bring your own 320 point unit.
Maximum Number of Players: 10  Ruleset: Gnome Wars from  Brigade Games  Scale: 28mm  Genre: WW1ish


Brian's also co-GMing an Old West game and a Savage Worlds game set in Medieval Spain.  If you're anywhere near Raleigh, take a drive there and have a hoot!   Spring Fever '14

Artizan Design The Midnight Workshop

From TMP:

Artizan Designs, which I better know for their WW2 figures that Brigade Games carries, also has a small line of fantasy figure called The Midnight Workshop. 

To quote directly from their website:
A Midnight Workshop range that could be described as the Fantasy range 'that never was' from the 1970s or early '80s. It is set in a mythical Borderland that is populated by creations drawn from my early inspirations, inspirations that got me in to making miniatures in the first place. These sources are the illustrations of John Bauer, Rodney Mathews, Arthur Rackham and Brian Froud, and films like the Dark Crystal and Excalibur.

Forest Troll (40mm base)

 

Goblin Knights (25mm base)

 

Goblin Moss-Troopers

There's something about these figures that I love and my wallet will probably hate.  After accumulating some Warhammer Goblins for sci-fi conversions (one day), if I ever did a Warhammer army, these goblins would have to stand front and center.   There's so much personality in these figures that I hope they keep making more and more models.

And for those of us in the States, it looks like Brigade will stock them as well.

(Kickstarter) City-State of the Invincible Overlord

After some delays, Judges Guild has officially launched their Kickstarter for a new version of the the legendary City-State of the Invincible Overlord.  For many, this was their first "monster" campaign setting, with reams of maps and tons of raw data in tiny font crammed into the product.

The new version is largely a polished version of the original, with stats weighted towards Pathfinder.  While I would love more "generic fantasy" stats (read..  some old-school edition of D&D with the serial numbers filed off), this would sell better nowadays, plus I must admire the way they set up the stretch goals. 

Unlike most stretch goals I've encountered, where most of them are add-ons to the main pledge, it looks like every stretch goal is additional product available at a nominal price.  Most are more detailed maps to specific regions with an additional $5 charge.  For the sheer size of them, each one is probably worth it.

The only flaw for me, besides the Pathfinder stats, is the fact that it closes the day after Tanner Jones and the Quest for the Monkey Stone does, and with two girls who are far crazier about teddy bear pirates than Invincible Overlords, my pledge is a measely dollar.  Perhaps some crazy attendees of my birthday party/con will shower me with fundage to qualify as a BLACK LOTUS OF THE INVINCIBLE OVERLORD (Mwahahahahaaha....)

Edit:  Ask and ye shall receive.... This appeared on the FAQ after I typed up the post:
This is written with both Judges Guild's Universal (read 0E/1E generic) and Pathfinder stats side-by-side making it completely flexible to suit your individual campaign's needs. So if you prefer Old-School systems or retro-clones, this can easily be ported.

Edit #2: Due to overwhelming response, it looks as if the Universal and Pathfinder stats will be in separate printings.  No chance of getting your musty OD&D on my Pathfinder or my sour Pathfinder in my OD&D.

Now I just need to rob a bank, or make new friends with piles of disposable income.

Apathy of the New Releases (April '14)

Oh joy of joys, another month of exciting pre-solicitations from Alliance and their Game Trade Magazine. I'm beginning to be true to the title of this monthly post. The apathy is truly creeping in...

My Want List9th Level Games
Kobolds Ate My Baby Color RPG ...........................................................$23.00

But with that little entry on the front page of the pdf, my outlook on other products seemed greatly improved.

My Money-Is-No-Issue ListNothing else of Note to be excited over.

The Imaginary Store List
Alderac Entertainment GroupLegend of the Five Rings RPG: Sword and Fan ............................................................ $39.99
Istanbul .................................................................................................................... $49.99
Pagoda .................................................................................................................... $29.99
Valley of the Kings .................................................................................................... $39.99
AEG has been releasing a number of board games these past two months, but these are the first three that seem to have half-decent artwork for the covers. Sometimes, presentation means everything.
Ares Games
Sails of Glory Ships ...................................................................................... Between $15.90-$23.90

Atlas Games
Ars Magica: Faith and Flame ..................................................................................... $29.95

Battlefront
Flames of War 3rd Edition HC .................................................................................... $60.00
Flames of War 3rd Edition Pocket Edition ....................................................................$15.00
Desperate Measures ................................................................................................ $30.00
Know Your Enemy: Early War 2013 Edition ............................................................ $10.00
Nuts! ....................................................................................................................... $30.00
Market Garden Compilation - Allied ......................................................................... $30.00
Open Fire! ............................................................................................................... $70.00
Normandy Battles .................................................................................................... $12.00
Overlord .................................................................................................................. $50.00
Red Bear (Revised )................................................................................................. $50.00
Rising Sun ............................................................................................................... $30.00
Tour of Duty 1965-1971 (Vietnam) ........................................................................ $30.00
 Flames of War will be making (or breaking) stores this upcoming quarter.


Blue Orange
Battle Sheep  $30.00

Burning Wheel
Burning Wheel: Torchbearer Player's Deck ......................................................... $12.00
Chronicle City
Savage Worlds RPG - War of the Dead - Chapter 1 .......................................... $24.95
Savage Worlds RPG - War of the Dead - Chapter 2 .......................................... $24.95
You couldn't just do one Zombie book covering both the spread of the infection and then the aftermath?


Cubicle 7
Doctor Who Card Game, 2nd Edition ................................................................$29.99
The Laundry RPG: Unconventional Diplomacy  ................................................... $24.99

Days of Wonder
Ticket To Ride: 10th Anniversary Edition ............................................................. $100.00
A game board that's 50% larger the the original and "premium" playing pieces?  I don't see the hundred buck price tag...

Enterplay
My Little Pony CCG: Canterlot Nights Boosters and Theme Decks

Dreamscarred Press
Pathfinder:  Psionic Bestiary ................................................................................. $24.99
Pathfinder: Ultimate Psionics ................................................................................ $79.95

Fantasy Flight Games
Battlelore Second Edition: Dice Pack ................................................................... $ 9.95
Eldritch Horror: Forsaken Lore Expansion ........................................................... $24.95
Star Wars RPG: Age Of Rebellion Core Rulebook .............................................. $59.95
Star Wars RPG: Age Of Rebellion Game Master’s Kit ........................................ $24.95
Star Wars X-wing Miniatures Game: E-wing Expansion Pack .............................  $14.95
Star Wars X-wing Miniatures Game: Z-95 Headhunter Expansion Pack .............. $14.95
Star Wars X-wing Miniatures Game: Tie Defender Expansion Pack ..................... $14.95
Star Wars X-wing Miniatures Game: Tie Phantom Expansion Pack ...................... $14.95

Konami Digital Entertainment
Yu-gi-oh! TCG: Primal Origin Booster Display (24)

Lamentations of the Flame Princess
Lamentations Of The Flame Princess RPG: Core Rules Hardcover ....................... $24.95
Lamentations Of The Flame Princess RPG: Forgive Us ........................................ $24.95
Lamentations Of The Flame Princess RPG: Scenic Dunnsmouth ........................... $23.50
Lamentations Of The Flame Princess RPG: The Seclusion Of Orphone Of The Three Visions
                                                                                                ............................ $14.99
Here's a perfect example on how NOT to do solicitation.  The description under the Core Rules sounds like a description from everyone's "cutting edge" or "deep" D&D campaign since 1994.  Two of the scenario/sourcebooks are the same price as the dirt cheap hardcover and there's no artwork.  Unless I missed an article in GTM going into detail on the setting, I'd rather order five overpriced Pathfinder Psionic books from Dreamscarred Press.  At least they have a chance of selling.

Mantic Entertainment
Mars Attacks: The Miniatures Game .................................................................... $74.99
Attack From Space Set (4) ................................................................................. $24.99
Martian Grunts Set (10) ...................................................................................... $24.99
US Soldiers Set (10) ........................................................................................... $24.99
These might be fun to paint, but just like All Quiet on the Martian Front, I question long-term playability.  Twenty-five bucks for ten US soldiers looks like a bargain, though.

Modiphius
Achtung! Cthulhu RPG: Investigator’s Guide ........................................................ $29.99
Achtung! Cthulhu RPG: Keeper’s Guide .............................................................. $44.99

Monte Cook Games
Numenera RPG: Character Options ..................................................................... $24.99
Numenera RPG: Character Sheets ....................................................................... $14.99

Mr B Games
Alien Uprising
Alien Uprising:  Zothren Expansion
Another example of something I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.  Nice concept in the blurb, but no price (Listed as "Please Inquire" aka lower lower store discount) in the book from a company I've never heard of?  No thanks...

Osprey Publishing
Collision Of Empires ............................................................................................ $21.95

Paizo Publishing
Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Spires Of Xin-shalast Adventure Deck  ........... $19.99
Pathfinder Adventure Path: Mummy’s Mask Part 5 - The Slave Trenches Of Hakotep ... $22.99
Pathfinder Cards: The Emerald Spire Superdungeon Campaign Cards Deck ......... $10.99
Pathfinder Legends: Rise Of The Runelords - The Skinsaw Murders (audio Cd).... $15.99
Pathfinder Legends: Rise Of The Runelords - Burnt Offerings (audio Cd) ............. $15.99
Pathfinder Pawns: Bestiary 4 Box ........................................................................ $39.99 Pathfinder Campaign Setting:Numeria , Land Of Fa llen Stars .............................. $19.99
Pathfinder Module: The Emerald Spire Superdungeon ......................................... $34.99
Pathfinder Player Companion: Blood Of The Elements ........................................ $12.99
Pathfinder Map Pack: Cave Chambers ............................................................... $13.99
Pathfinder Tales: The Crusader Road................................................................... $ 9.99

Studio 2 Publishing
Savage Worlds RPG: Timezero ........................................................................... $24.99
Savage Worlds RPG: War Of The Worlds - The Remains ................................... $19.99

Vallejo Paints
$3.29 for 17ml?  I know it's a bargain compared to GW paints, but I still think it's watered down too much.

Wizards of the Coast
Magic The Gathering CCG Duel Decks Jace Versus Vraska Display

WizKids
Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Miniatures: Set One Standard Booster
Dungeons & Dragons Fa ntasy Miniatures: Set One Starter .................................. $19.99
Marvel Heroclix: Guardians Of The Galaxy
Marvel Heroclix: Guardians Of The Galaxy The Inhumans Fast Forces Pack ........ $16.99
Star Trek Attack Wing: Expansion Packs:  Borg Queen Vessel Prime ................... $14.99
Star Trek Attack Wing: Expansion Packs:  USS Enterprise - E ............................. $14.99

Star Trek Attack Wing: Expansion Packs:  Independent Val Jean .......................... $14.99
Star Trek Attack Wing: Dominion Faction Base/pegs Set ...................................... $ 4.99 each


edit (3/31- formatting)

(Kickstarter) Teddy Bear Tales on Indiegogo

Still trying to discover who the mysterious gentlemen who purchased the formerly Eureka Teddy Bears, but I did fall upon this in my searches:

Teddy Bear Tales

Not familiar with the source material, although it looks right up my alley.  The figures, on the other hand are going to be made out of resin which still puts them in a acceptable price range for novelty sake.  It just lowers the possibility of forming a knightly order to go on crusade against the dust bunnies.

Pull Up Your Damn Pants!

The world of Magic: The Gathering has been in a mini-uproar over the past few weeks. They claim to uphold their high standards of sportsmanship and competitiveness, but I just wished they kept their pants to a reasonable level.

Recently, a Magic player took a series of pictures of himself, posing behind some his seated competitors whose major sin was an excessive amount of exposed rear end, the infamous "butt crack bandits."

link to the pics via Huffpost

His actions earned him a six-month ban from sanctioned tournaments by the DCI (the old Duelist's Convocation International, the governing body of Magic). While a bit harsh, it was understandable that the mocking of opponents, regardless of intent, should be heavily discouraged, if not outright banned.

As I navigated around the gaming sites, I made the continual mistake of stopping at rpg.net. Instead of the regular chorus I've heard locally of (a) the dude's crazy, but it is kind of funny, (b) that's a lot of crack, and (c) six months is a bit too long for this minor shenanigan, a horde of people vilified the poser for being insensitive and then went around and defended the posterior exhibitionists as if they suffered some debilitating physical handicap.

You can scream for expanded definitions for ADHD, Autism, Mad Cow disease, and fever for more Cow Bell, and even if I don't agree with it, I will acknowledge that there may be medical basis beyond my limited comprehension for this change. Being a lard ass who only wears sweatpants or not having having the manual dexterity to properly put on a belt is NOT a disability. Even if you have an eating disorder and are taking steroids for some injury that makes the local Chinese buffet quake from your hunger pangs, being called out for you lack of proper decorum in public IS not discrimination. It's probably long overdue.

As a fat dude myself, I understand the dangers of crack. Even if my milk shake brought all the boys to the yard, you're not supposed give out free samples. Hell, even the sight of most women showing the elusive thong is more disconcerting. In the comfort on my own home, I still have a wife who yells at me if there's crack showing (and she likes my sweet patoot when my pants don't droop like a gangsta rapper wannabe.)

I spent eight years working in gaming stores and either running, judging, or participating in various tournaments. This is not a new problem. Outside of the infernal hygiene issue and overreaching smack talk, it's probably the third biggest problem a store faces when they sponsor any sort of gaming event. The sight of a disruptive derriere is a major turn off to a new customer, or worse yet, the parents of a younger customer. Would you drop off your kid at a store for a tournament when 20% of the participants have either hygiene issues, no sense of social decorum, or can't even dress themselves properly in the morning?

Guys, even if there was a Homosexual with No Standards Magic Tournament, NO ONE wants to see prodigious amounts of posterior squeezing out the open area of the folding chair you're sitting on. NO ONE. We all have bad pants days, we may have forgotten a belt in our rush to play and have fun, we may have playtested our new deck concept and forgotten to do laundry, thus forcing us to play in the loose-fitting sweatpants. Our playing posture might force our pants down to a revealing point.

Just

Pull

Up

Your

Pants

Please!

...and keep them pulled up, or wear an appropriately sized shirt to cover your butt.  Some of us haven't been a normal XL in a looooonnng time. 

Again, it's not just Magic players.  I only caught one major violation at Cold Wars, and that was a five compared to the tens of those pictures.  Perhaps it's the idea that most (historical) wargamers are bit more self-conscious of their appearance, as we move around, bending across tables to measure and move units.  At least the HMGS conventions are family affairs, so if you see one offender, you certainly don't want to embarrass your own kin (at least that way).

But seriously, people of the world, keep your trousers high.  I'd rather see the psoriasis on your ankles than the badly placed tattoo that is too far south to be considered on your lower back.  Don't make all the tournaments black-tie, though from the looks of some of these people, they might still pull off the crack kills look.

The world thanks you.

Maja Paints 25mm Bears... and Other Family Time.

Saturday was a such a beautiful day that I threw open the windows and suffered a small chill in the air to blow out the stink of being cooped up inside for nearly six months. 

The wife took little Millie to run errands, so it was my 4-year old daughter Maja and myself for the afternoon.  After dishes, vacuuming, and going through the paces of piecing a house with two kids, two dogs, and two cats back together, it was cups of hot cocoa and one of Maja's normal demands.

After observing enough kids, I realize that I am truly blessed to have Maja as a daughter and some pre-K hellion.  Yes, yes, every parent thinks their child is some special flower full of potential and who can do no wrong, but I've been around the tantrums to know better.     Still, she usually does what she's told, she can follow moderately complex directions,  and I'm constantly told by daycare how she's far more mature and well-mannered than most of the grade school kids who are there in the summer.  Throw in some pretty decent coordination from dance and gymnastics, a love of music, and wanting a "real" basketball hoop to start practicing for high school and I've got a little girl with a whole world of potential (She is the average height of a 7-year old boy, I only half joke about teaching her the Skyhook and getting a UConn scholarship.)

There are three "Daddydaddydaddydaddydaddydaddydaddy..." demands that occasionally drive me mad when they're at inopportune times:

1. Can I have the iPad?:  At times I intentionally put my phone away to avoid wasting time on it (Hi my name's Eric and I haven't played Candy Crush in 12 days... "Hi Eric!").  This child has had a full knowledge of Apple products since the age of two and can help my wife tweak a photo on Instagram.  I simply need to keep technology out of her hands, because she plays pretend so well, and I don't want to sacrifice that for an hour-plus of piece and quiet.  Mom's been controlling her apps, so it might be time for good ol' Dad to take a look and find some nice phonics and numbers ones.  Kindergarten is coming up fast...
2. Wanna Wrestle?:  In an age of helicopter parenting and insta-lawsuits, I will firmly declare right here and right now, I WANT my child to get hurt.  I'd like her to fall between my tentativeness as a child and kids in the neighborhood who ushered in Summer with their yearly broken arm like the robins announce the beginning of Spring.  Rough housing (and cart wheel practice) has been our exercise for this long and dreary winter.  Michael Vick had it all wrong, Toddler Fight club is where the money's at.  I'd go into more detail, but I'm already breaking rule #1.   She and her sister can turn into vicious animals at the drop of a hat, so I'm thinking we're in the right direction with "kicking and screaming if a stranger tries to take you."   My princesses will know how to pack a punch (and take one, if the playground demands it), I just wish she didn't enjoy beating on the heavy bag, I mean Dear Old Dad so much.
3. Can I Paint?:  I know, heresy!!!  But painting with kids is more like a series of safety checks to go on the roller coaster than simply slapping some paint on a plate and having them going to town.  The whole idea that next Saturday will be painting the dining room wall to cover the disasters of the previous year (Valspar, you lie!) makes precautions and procedure the norm.  Setting down the newspaper, grabbing the smocks, and settling on a paint palette is time consuming for a child and a pain in the tookus for Dad.

That being said, we have started the slow process of teaching her to paint minis, and not just the rainbow swirl that a few of my figures currently have from her previous endeavours.  I've had two short stints teaching her how to paint "like Daddy" and it's slow and a little painful, but I think it's going to pay off in spades.  

We've started working on the Teddy Bear Pirates I picked up from the flea market at Cold Wars.  Session one involved her finding all the flash on the figures for me to remove with knife (she has a much better eye than me) and then she washed and dried the figures so I could prime them.

This latest session was her first foray into "coloring within the lines."  I had her paint just the exposed fur on the bears.  Painting the clothes a little brown by accident was okay, the whole vest, pants, etc, was very bad.  Despite giving her three shades of brown to work with, all of the bears got a healthy coat of Honey Brown.

She also grabbed two sickly looking banana trees that never got finished and packed up for my Samoa game.    We'll work on painting the clothing sometime this week, then the eyes, and we'll work from there.  Of the 16 bears, I put five aside.  One Maja wants to paint pink, and that was put away at the time, the other four I'd like to paint myself, and keep it close to the bears in the Tanner Jones and the Quest for the Monkey Stone. 

If she enjoys this, and I give her lots of practice, perhaps she can paint 15mm Soviet tanks to get herself through college, if the UConn basketball scholarship falls through.

Sunday, we were lazy homebodies the whole day, except for running down the mountain into Wilkes-Barre for some cheesesteaks and wings.  Maja tagged along for the drive and was a non-stop font of questions I never expected.

Last week, we went to go see Mr Peabody and Sherman as a family.  Great movie, heartily recommend it to anyone nostalgic for Rocky and Bullwinkle, loves Whibbley-Wobbily excellent adventures in time, and loves historical puns more than life itself.   Maja got a Mr Peabody in her Happy Meal earlier in the week and decided it was a good time to test Daddy's knowledge of all things Egypt.

You didn't see this movie?  Tut, tut...

Considering her two constant questions about anything are "Tell me everything about..." and "And then what happened?"  I believe a did quite admirably, considering I haven't had an interest in Ancient Egypt since the 8th grade.  We covered the pyramids, the Pharaohs,mummies,  irrigation, and I quelled her desire to forgo rings for her wedding and use blood bonding instead.   I'll see if she keeps this up, or if it was a one time barrage and we may have to organize a trip to a "real grown up" museum.  If that goes well, I may need to dig out my DBA and see how she paints 15mm Middle Kingdom Egyptians.

New Gnomes From Brigade Games

A few new gnomes arrived from Brigade Games at Cold Wars, but nothing had been cast in large quantities yet.   

Here are the pictures of the new releases slated to go up on the Brigade website shortly:

Florence Nightingale - Nurse

British Marine Officer

Gnoman Archer

British Marine Musician

British Marine Cavalry

British Highlander



British Doctor?  French? 



Post Cruise Book Review

I survived my cruise in February, plus I got some actual reading done that didn't consist of Facebook posts and message boards.

George F Kennan: An American Life -

When I mentioned my reading choices for the cruise on social media, my friend Bob, who is a history professor, gave an electronic yack of disapproval.   I ended up stopping at "Mr X" and had barely made a dent in the book.  I was a big Kennanophile over  a decade ago, and despite getting access to all of his journals, John Gaddis added very little in this biography that wasn't alluded to in Kennan's own Memoirs.  Trying to show Kennan's insecurities, the journal entries are dropped in some odd places in the book, sometimes completely interrupting a solid passage with some emotional "Flash Fact."  I realized in the middle of the ocean that this was not the biography I was looking for.

For the sake of the review, I'll give it 2 out of 5 gnomes, and leave them unpainted to reflect the fact that I have yet to finish the reading.  With the majority of my TV viewing ending in the next week or two, I should be able to get some quality reading time back, but I question if this constitutes quality reading. 

House of R'lyeh-
House of R'lyeh is an interesting collection to scenarios that tie in after some of the Lovecraftian stories have taken place.   All are good examples of what can occur if the foul Mythos is inflicted on other characters.  Some results may not be the best for all campaigns.

• The Art of Madness follows up on one of Lovecraft's characters. It's labelled as a introductory adventure and the author goes out of his way to allow multiple "ins"to involve the investigators. Foolproof success?  By all means, no, but there are a full range of character options that could take advantage of this scenario.
• The Crystal of Chaos feels a bit more like a D&D quest than a traditional CoC scenario.  I would anticipate the request for help to retrieve the artifact to happen in a tavern.  Regardless on the non-traditional start, the scenario evolves nicely, and the more the investigators can lurk around Providence, the better.
• The Return of the Hound begs for a Keeper with a steady hand.  Three words:  Rare Book Auction. Of course, just letting the investigators drool over the forbidden books is not enough, the antagonists are more than an inexperienced group could handle.
• The Jermyn Horror drops a lot of Mythos information at the feet of the investigators to piece together, and then throws a monkey wrench into their plans while they're looking elsewhere.
• Nameless City, Nameless Terror just screams pulp, one for the truly epic journey, the amounts of wanton violence they must commit, The near heretical abuse of canon, and the sheer fact that not playing it as such will result in a TPK where hit points and SAN are simply vaporized.  Investigator action may still result in that, but most want a (foolish attempt at) a fighting chance. 

The scenarios do have some room for abuse (Return and Nameless City especially), and I can see campaign where these five scenarios can be tied in, but for the most part, these are a nice collection that you should be able to drop into the right campaign with minimal issue.  I won't be adding any of these to my future timeline of scenarios in my current campaign, but a few misadventures in England could easily change that.  It's a solid, mid-range product from Chaosium that nets 3 out of 5 gnomes.

Osprey Men-at-Arms: Imperial German Colonial and Overseas Troops 1885-1918

There was a time that I considered each and every Osprey book that came out to be essential to the period.  As I study more subjects on the fringe of military history, the subsequent Osprey books have been found wanting.  Although throwing some troop numbers in the middle of colonies' history, the author gives very little to work on, that isn't in previously published Ospreys.  The section on the South Pacific was particularly disappointing.  To add insult to injury, many of the color plates, while nice reference pieces, are worthless from a modelling perspective.  For example, the Fita-Fita, an honorary police force of chieftain's sons and others with political connections get a picture on the plates, even though I can not imagine a time
when they actually saw any physical confrontation.

This was one of the few new Ospreys I was excited about over the last few years, and I'm quite disappointed.  1 out of 5 Gnomes.

I also picked up Osprey Men-at-Arms: Armies in East Africa 1914-18 after the my cruise, and in my opinion, it is a fantastic resource.  It is well organized,  and particularly well-detailed in regards to troop numbers and similar details.  It not only covers the better known German and British components, but gives sufficient space towards towards the Belgians and Portuguese.

The artwork does not look as high-quality as other Osprey books, but it covers the appropriate ranges of uniforms adequately.  If I wasn't already tied up in Samoa, this book would motivate me to collect and paint all four nationalities (starting with the appropriate Askaris).  Combined with the rules and troop lists from CLA's Africa supplement, I have plenty of information to run the multiple campaigns in and around German East Africa.   I'll give this book 4 out of 5 gnomes, a fine addition to anyone's Osprey library.

(Kickstarter) Tanner Jones and the Quest for the Monkey Stone

So, I've already blamed my friend Mike for a lot of things.  Everytime I get an ounce of inspiration, a deluge of ideas, pictures, and follow-up shows up in my email from him.  When I announced that I would be working on Teddy Bear Pirates, another pack of pics showed up:

Working backwards from the artist's Deviant Art page, I discovered that not only does this guy, Travis Hanson, have a ton of cool art and a webcomic with updates on Monday and Tuesday, but the Teddy Bear pirates are part of a Kickstarter campaign, Tanner Jones and the Quest for the Monkey Stone. 

The preliminary pages of the the Kickstarter, his other work, particularly the ones with dinosaurs, and the fact that he already has four successful Kickstarters have given me an excitement about comics that I haven't had in well over five years.  His work evokes childhood imagination, adventure, and most of all, fun.  Even his webcomic, Bean, which I've only gotten through 21 of 571 episodes, appears a wee bit dark, but that sense of adventure and excitement is already ingrained in the first few panels.

I'm going out on a limb here, but the the first few pages remind me of a much more subdued version of a boy and his homicidal jungle cat.   I don't feel the manic tone of childhood adventure that most people would force feed Ritalin to.  Adventure doesn't need to be turned up to 11 every second (although it does sometimes), this feels more like the reality of my childhood daydreams. 

I'm going for the $45 plege level right now, since it will get most of the ad-ons from the stretch goals.  Even if it doesn't hit the $35,000 needed for the coloring books, he does have the coloring books on his website from his last Kickstarter, and Daddy wants some quality coloring time with daughters.

Bones II Mouslings Painted

After weeks of late night painting, and crazy work hours, I'm almost back to normal scouring the web for cool stuff.

I'm still relying on my buddy Mike for pics and links, and he's been delivering in spades.  On top of all the other cool stuff he's doing, he discovered painted Mouslings from the Bones II Kickstarter on the Reaper website.

The good news is the paint jobs make the add-on look even better.  My biggest complaint (which I already know the answer to is why we can't have a 10-pack of Samurai Mouslings... or archers... or even Mousling Bee Grenadiers.

www.reapermini.com

Eureka Teddy Bears No More

Checking Eureka Minis main site from Australia, I came upon this announcement:

March 15, 2014

MBD sells Teddy Bears

With effect from 15th March, Eureka Miniatures will no longer be producing Mike Broadbent Designs 28mm Teddy Bear range.
We have thoroughly enjoyed retailing and manufacturing these models and wish the new owner Phil Mcinerney every success with the range.


This formerly confirms the news I heard at Cold Wars.  It's a bit sad that Eureka's losing this line.  They're a quality company, so I can't imagine anything creating this arrangement outside of additional financial gain.   Actually, I can, but nothing can be confirmed, so I'll just hope this Phil fellow gets his act together and gets the bears back up pronto.

Game Day Onboard the USS Olympia

While my schedule is usually packed for Cold Wars, I do go over every page of the on-site book just to see if there are any cool games not in the PEL and to check out the ads. 

The Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, with sponsorships from Tri-State Historical Education Simulations, Inc. and NJCONG-Fire in the East present a Game Day Onboard the Cruiser Olympia, Saturday May 3rd.

•$20 Day admission from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. that includes day of games and self-guided tour of Olympia, or


•$50 All Day/Night admission from 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. the next morning, which includes gay of games, self-guided tour of Olympia, and an overnight onboard Olympia (must bring own sleeping bag).

This is ridiculously cool, plus all the proceeds will go towards the preservation of the Olympia.  If I didn't have Cold Wars, Mepacon, and my birthday party con on my Spring schedule, I would so add this to my schedule.  Heck I may have to talk to the wife anyway.   http://www.phillyseaport.org/GameDayOnboardOlympia

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Sometimes an Irish Goose is just an Irish goose.  Sometimes it's a marriage proposal.

Mepacon Spring 2014 Event List is Ready

Amongst  all the other hubbub of the past week on my blog, Mepacon player registration is open, thus the event list is up!

www.mepacon.com

Okay, the events are technically on warhorn.net.

If you participate in Greyhawk Reborn or Pathfinder Organized Play, the con has everything you need in spades.  Regular RPGs look a little sparse, but there is a fantastic Second Samoan Civil War game Saturday afternoon.  I'm shocked to say that there are non-tourney 40K events.  The world may still have hope...

Of course, don't forget the dealers, the raffles, and the always enjoyable everything starts at a dollar auction!

Dwarven Forge's 2nd Kickstarter is Live... and Exploding

It's been years since I collected Dwarven Forge.  Their dungeon set-up and accessories was something I always aspired to as I ran my Hackmaster campaign over a decade ago, but other expenses and hobbies took over. 

Dwarven Forge just started their second Kickstarter, this time for their Caverns set.   It's set up economically, with one hand-painted set going for $110, but unpainted versions of the sets in "Dungeon Gray" for $75, and the discounts get better from their if you pledge for multiple sets.

Dungeon Gray

Expertly Hand Painted

I held off on posting about this for a few days, as I just posted about my Samoa game, and I have another post planned for Friday already.   I don't think my little blog promotion will affect whether they meet their goal, as their $100,000 initial goal was met in TEN MINUTES!    As I type this post on Thursday, a mere 29 hours after kickoff, the pledge total is over $775,000 with eight different stretch goals unlocked. 

At the time this is getting posting the first 1,000 pledges for one set will probably be met and the next batch will get listed for a slightly higher ($5-10) price.  With $80+ retail value in the free stretch goal product, it will still be a bargain.

ViscountEric's Horns of the Buffalo

Earlier, I had set up a poll on my blog, simply asking, "What should my next project be?"  The poll ended, and what do you know, there was a tie.  That tie, coupled with feedback I received about the blog while I was at Cold Wars, resulted in a three way tie.

• Samoa - The con games went off without a hitch, it's fairly unique, and I enjoy painting the figures.  I could split this off into two distinct projects: (a) The Siege of Apia, which might require a few more Samoan spearmen, and a LOT of buildings and (b) A "What-if?" game for Fall-in!'s Great War theme.  "What if German/Samoan forces were significant enough to resist the New Zealand occupation. I'd need to find New Zealand ANZAC figs in bulk and on the cheap, but this one might be fun.  Regardless, it's time to become the lone Samoa expert in HMGS.
• Gnome Wars - Like I could avoid this?  Outside of a LOT of touch up and some major repainting of figures, I'd be looking into a unit of French so I could run the Skirmish Elite Great War Campaign with a Young Erwin Rommel to celebrate the 100th Anniversary. 
• Teddy Bear Pirates.. and Beyond!  With the purchase of the Teddy Bear Pirates, the girls went totally ballistic and have been bugging me to start painting them already.  I also had demand from some readers I met at Cold Wars for more Daddy/Daughter gaming, and this fits the bill perfectly.  With a few ships, Teddy Bear and Gnome enemies, and some Mage Knight treasure chests, I can easily throw together something small at a moments notice.  Then, Mike Lung caught wind of my plan  and sent me this:

Of course, I took this for my new picture on the front of my blog.  It covers the feel for my recent gaming, and direction I want it go further, perfectly.  Major plug to Travis Hanson, who Mike first discovered on www.deviantart.com.  I'll have a whole write-up of the fellow in the near future.  I sense a bit of the Eureka Teddy Bears in his art, a bit of the Gnome Wars fun feel, and a vibe that would scream "Let's Go Exploring"  in another cartoon.  I haven't even read anything and I'm hooked.  Hopefully I'll get the girls hooked in short order.

(Cold Wars) The First Battle of Vailele AAR

My final post from Cold Wars is the AAR for my scheduled game, the First Battle of Vailele from the Second Samoan Civil War using Contemptible Little Armies.

Physical Set-Up:  Special thanks to Mike Lung who provided the trees, the beach, and the snazzy water.  Blue cellophane, whodathunkit?    Two minor problems were the picket fence I was using was not the type I remember as a child that you could make a small fenced in areas or large straight stretches.  A drop of glue remedied the situation.  The second issue were the makeshift trenches that I had constructed last weekend.  For quickly dug trenches on a berm, they fit the bill, but using a cardstock base isn't wise when you're using fast-dry clay to sculpt it.  One picture here will show how the cardstock warped.  If I expected perfection, I would have dropped to much money for pre-painted trenches that wouldn't be appropriate for the scenario.  Oh well, c'est la vie.

Game Set-Up:  Following the historical events of the Siege of Apia, the American and British forces secured the capital and began organizing Samoans still loyal to the crown for military action against the rebel forces of Mata'afa.  Their first large offensive would be an attack on a rebel stronghold at the old German banana plantation of Vailele.    They marched up the coast from Apia, trading skirmish fire with rebels until ultimately reaching the plantations.  After a British naval bombardment of the fortifications, the troops moved forward.

Order of Battle
Samoan Loyalists and their Allies - Objective:  Seize and hold one of the trenches for one turn.
Royal Navy Sailors (8) Tactical 4 - Morale 4
            Lt Angel Hope Freeman - treat as commander-in-chief

United States Marines (12)   Tactical 5  - Morale 5  Marksman
            Lt Philip Lansdale - treat as a Staff Officer per the rules

Samoan Loyalists (2 units of 10)  Tactical 4 - Morale 3
Samoan Morale - first morale test failure, the unit moves d6 inches away from closest enemy,  on a second failure they move 2d6 inches away, and if not rallied by an officer with two turns will automatically rout.

Mata'afan Rebels - Objective: Prevent the Loyalist's objective
Mata'afan Elite Guard (8)   Tactical 4 - Morale 4
Samoan Rebels (3 units of 10)  Tactical 4 - Morale 4
One commander-in-chief and one staff officer

Rebel Reserves  - Reserves could not make an appearance until after the naval bombardment finished
Samoan Rebels (10)  Tactical 4 - Morale 4
Samoan Rebel Spearmen (2 units of 10)  Tactical 3 - Morale 4  Ferocious

One note on the officers for this game.  The British and American officers were represented by two Great War infantry figures.  I did this for two reasons (1)  I admit, I got lazy trying to find the appropriate figure without buying an entire new unit and (2) This allowed them to stick out, thus preventing them from being moved accidentally with an adjacent unit.  I did get positive responses from this, although for future games I will correct this anachronism.  The Rebel officers were represented by German Schutztruppe, the C-in-C in Tropical Dress Whites, the staff officer in khaki.  No Germans were actually reported in the battle, but there was some influence among the rebel leaders.

Vailele, April 1, 1899

The rebels deployed their units as expected, two in the trenches, one hiding in the banana trees, and one unit in reserve in the plantation house.  The loyalists took up only half the board, with the British sailors protecting the flank. 

US Marines, Samoan Loyalists, and British Sailors cut through the jungle

 After a turn of getting used to the CLA, the first bomb dropped, quite literally. The naval barrage commenced, hitting to the left of the one trench, but still killing two rebels.  The following turn it hit the other trench, killing six rebels, but sparing the staff officer.  The player's unit decided against the trench and pulled his unit next to the plantation house.  The unit took a morale hit, but the staff officer quickly removed it.

Naval Guns did the trick in some trenches...

 While the rebels adjusted, the Marines could only push forward faster if they were cavalry on open ground.  Faster than anyone could imagine, they were at the tree line, staring down the rebels and waiting for the Samoans to catch up before beginning their assault.

That would be easier said than done, as a lone shot rang out from the jungle, hitting Lt Angel Hope Freeman right in the head.  A second sniper opened up, but the loyalists continued their slow trudge through the jungle.  They weren't stopped until twenty Samoan rebels, armed only with melee weapons charged through the underbrush.  The British caught the brunt of the first ten, and by the time a unit of Samoans could get into position to counterattack, only two staggered behind the line to recover.  Despite not breaking morale, they were quickly picked off by the snipers.

The Loyalists were far braver than they were historically, trading blow for blow with these rebels until the last of the wildmen scurried back into the jungle.

The flank gets caught in an ambush, but the Marines keep pushing

Samoans race to secure the abandoned trench

 The Marines decided to forgo support and slowly assaulted the trench.  Their Marksmen skill (firing 6 inches further without any penalties) was offset by the protection the trench offered.  The rebels finally pulled their unit out of the plantation house to support the trench.

Of course, there was still the abandoned trench in the middle of battlefield.  It  was a  race between the Samoan Loyalists charging towards it, and the out of position Elite Guard, who attempted to flank them, but unfortunately needed to charge the trench in an attempt to expel them.    The Loyalist held, the Elite Guard fell back, conceding victory.  Lt Lansdale, who had been nearby the Loyalists in support ran over the trench post battle.  I'm certain he earned a medal for being the only white combatant who reached the trenches, even if the Samoans did all the work.

...and fight off Mata'afans Elite Guard to win the battle.

Historically, the naval support was ineffective and the Loyalist forces trudged through the jungle until they were ambushed by hundreds of rebels hiding there.  In game, I ruled the Marines had moved so fast that they got to the tree line before the rebels had gotten into position. I still had at least another rebel unit to appear in the jungle, but decided against bringing them out.

The only revisions I might make into the game are some slight variations to the naval barrage, and perhaps either dropping the morale of the Samoan Loyalist, or making them Irregulars, thus decreasing their hand-to-hand effectiveness.

For a six player game, it played with ten very smoothly.  One of the secret reasons I ran this game was to avoid the "amateur expert" who (supposedly) knows more about the subject than anyone else.  Ironically, the game did draw one fellow who professed an interest in the subject.  However, he was the best type of the amateur expert, nodding accordingly as I gave the back story, and even smiling early as I covered some amusing anecdotes, such as discussing the naval losses of the First Samoan Civil War.  All in all I was very pleased with the game and hopefully I'll work towards a historically accurate version of the Siege of Apia for next year's Cold Wars. 

(Cold Wars) More Gnome Shenanigans!

Outside of the impromptu Friday game to fill in the cancelled one, there were three separate events: the mega-game, the joust, and the super secret race game.

Our 3rd annual Gnome Wars mega-game covered three tables, had over thirty players, and somewhere around a thousand figures.  This year's theme was the Battle of Saragarhi.  The two tables with forts bookended the signal station table, manned by a mere 21 Sikhs.  

The most "amusing" mechanic was the use of the signal tower.  The other two boards could attempt to contact Fort Gullistan via signal giving statuses, requesting reinforcements and calling in artillery barrages. Unfortunately each communication required a roll to determine if the message got through completely.  If it didn't, the GM would rip a third (or more) off of the standardized message form and let the commander of the fort decipher it.  Artillery requests for 20 inches to the right of the last shot and 25 inches forward turned into 20 inches right and 2 inches forward.    One of these miscommunications resulted in the near destruction of the signal tower on Fort Lockart

I only have one half decent picture of one of the boards.  A long and exciting Friday ground my Saturday to a halt and I had to excuse myself for a nap.    As always, there were ridiculous levels of bravery on both sides, but reports had every Sikh on all three boards slaughtered to the man.

After an awesome dinner break, we had the Gnome Joust.  Over 30 players grabbed a mounted gnome and attempted to knock the opponent off their bunny, kangaroo, pony, Komodo dragon, wiener dog, or wild goose.  The kids reigned supreme, knocking out most of the veteran players, until, through the mud and the blood, Elias reigned supreme! 

The last event was the semi-invitation only Gnome Racing, where the Gnome mounts race around a track while the their riders pummel each other with lances, swords, guns, rockets, and clubs.    As I missed the first few races at Historicon and Fall-in, I got a bit confused and fell to the rear of the pack.  Some bad die rolling by others on the backstretch let me finish intact and in 6th place.  Congrats to Canadian Kevin, whose Irish Goose  passed Mike Lung's fading weiner dog late in the race and never looked back.

The pack rounds the turn while chasing a tired weiner

Anything in base-to-base contact is beating the crap out of each other

There were a few new Gnome releases at the con.  The only one that I managed to snap was the Gnoman Archer.

(Cold Wars) The Siege of Apia Using Gnome Wars

Cold Wars had four different Gnome Wars events.  Two went off without a hitch, one was cancelled but rose again in a new form, and one was invitation only late night silliness.

As I said in my general post about the con, Jim's sudden cancellation worried us all, but its not too selfish to say we were delighted that he showed up on Saturday to cap off a great weekend. 

The loss of the only Gnome Wars event was too much to bear, so Mike Lung put our heads together, and the resulting game was pure genius.

Last year at Cold Wars I ran the fictional Battle of Apaula Heights, which,  if you compare it to my Saturday Second Samoan Civil War game with "real" miniatures, looks surprisingly similar.  I figured I would take a chance and assemble a rough layout of the Siege of Apia.  If the game went well, I could start thinking about what I would need for a "real" version. 

Minor rant time:  I hate hate hate hate HATE the numerous condescending remarks that we hear around the Gnome Wars tables.  They may look silly, they may have bier stein grenades and cheese throwers, but the figures are well done, the boards usually rival the award winning ones (if Jim Stanton doesn't win an award himself), and I see just as many idiotic tactics and actions on the "proper historical" boards.  Hell, if you played in the games I either ran, or helped co-GM, you could have learned about (a) Tanga 1914 (b) Tulgas 1918 (c) Samoa 1899 (d) Saragarhi 1897 (e) Roarke's Drift 1879 and (f) the US Cavalry involvement in Yellowstone Park 1886-1916.   Thank you for your time.

One more thing - this event slot for "The Sikh Stronghold" was for 8 players (plus anyone who brought their own Brigade Games Gnome Wars unit) and slotted for ONLY 2 hours!  We were going to need to move quickly if we were to finish anything.

Backstory in Layman's Terms: 1899. The Western Powers (Britain, Germany, and the United States) have held a shaky agreement regarding commercial interests on the islands of Samoa.  When the King dies, the already volatile process of electing a new king is heavily influenced by these countries.  Germany gleefully transports exiled rebel leader Mata'afa back to Samoa to brew even more dissent.  As the violence grows, members of the government flee the capital of Apia  for the safe haven of their own villages.  Only the Chief Justice of the Samoan Supreme Court remains as a figure of authority.  In an attempt to diffuse the situation, he declares a date for the tribal election of the kings, and rules that all eligible to be considered, with the lone exception of Mata'afa.

This does not go over well...

Historically,the Mata'afan followers show up at the Judge's home for some nefarious purpose.  The Judge catches whiff of this and runs for his life to the safety of the British warship in Apia Harbor.   In our game, things are very similar conceptually, but thing look a bit different.

The Government
The Judge - Objective:  Reach the British or Swiss ships in harbor OR reach the British Consulate without getting captured.  In melee the Judge rolls d8 vs the opponent, and if he wins, he eludes capture and moves an additional three inches.  The Judge may also self-heal himself (5+ on a d8) at the end of the turn, if he is shot.

The Rebels
Mata'afan Rebels (3 units of Eureka frogs) - Objective:  Capture the Judge and control as many buildings as possible.  The frogs move 7 inches and shoot, or run 14.  All rifles have a maximum range of 24 inches. Once a unit is completely annihilated, it may respawn in full back at it's initial starting point.  This ability goes away once the British and Swiss come ashore.

The Confederates (aka German "Advisors") - Objective - Seize the Hotel Tivoli.   Keep the British and Swiss from getting involved.

Apia Harbor, Samoa - I switched the Sikhs to the British Consulate five minutes before game time

The Loyalists

Russians (2 units) one defending the Hotel Tivoli, one defending the Dock Warehouse.  Objective:  Defend and expel the rebels from the town.

The Confederates march alongside the banana plantation

The Western Influence
Sikhs at the British Consulate  - Objective:  Protect the British Consulate

British Marines aboard a warship - Objective:  Clear the town of the rebel scourge.  They may not disembark their vessel until either (a) the Judge reaches it (b) the news of the Consulate falling under attack reaches them.  2d6 per turn after the first shot is fired there, they may leave the ship the turn after their rolls cumulatively reach 20.

Swiss Infantry - aboard a warship - Objective:  Clear the town of the rebel scourge.  They may not disembark their vessel until either (a) the Judge reaches it (b) the news of the Hotel Tivoli falling under attack reaches them.  2d6 per turn after the first shot is fired there, they may leave the ship the turn after their rolls cumulatively reach 20.

The Confederates

Apia (L to R) Judge's home, Hotel Tivoli, Dock Warehouse, British Consulate

Wild Cards
Pirates!!!!!!!   - Not historically accurate, but that is the fun of playing with gnomes.  The pirates are looking to take advantage of any situation within the chaos.

British Highlanders - are there to keep the Pirates in check, as well as defend British interests, whatever they deem them to be.


The Game
The Judge sees the oncoming mob and decides to high-tail it to the Hotel Tivoli, but the frogs are way too fast.  They surround the Judge, but he is slipperier than a greased pig in a July county fair and hides on the hotel's porch (successfully eluding 3 different men... err.. frogs.)    The Russians by the warehouse move up to help the Judge, while the ones inside the Hotel trade horrific fire with the other units marching out of the jungle.

The Judge high tails it out of Apia, but the frogs are fast...

The Judge eludes the rebel frogs, the Russians clean up the mess.

The Judge runs behind the Russians and slowly works his way towards the docks.  The rebel frogs all around the town are gunned down, but the second wave of them charges the Hotel and the British Consulate.   Three waves of frogs climb the stairs to the second floor of the hotel.  The first was cut down to a man by a lone Russian. The second managed to make it onto the floor before getting gunned down.  The third finally evicted the remaining Russians out of the hotel.

The second wave of frogs reaches the second floor

...and the third wave finally takes it.

The British Highlanders and Pirates traded some quick blows, and once the Pirate Captain was killed, the threat quickly dissipated.  The Highlanders, not knowing the political scene, worked a uneasy truce with the Rebels, pushing the Russians out of the town square where the hotel was and toward the British Consulate.

Over at the British Consulate, the Sikh Guards were getting slaughtered left and right, their only saving grace was that the attacking rebel frogs failed a morale check and routed (only to be redeployed 30 inches away).  Four surviving Sikhs did think about leaving the compound, but the arriving Russians lifted their spirits and they defended against one more deadly wave of attacks.   

The rebels decide to attack the British Consulate

 When the smoke cleared, only a handful of Russians had survived, and nary a Sikh, except for the one the was forgotten inside the building. 

The survivors: One Sikh guard and eight Russians

The arrival of the British Marine and Swiss forces into the town was negated by the strong position of the rebels and their new ally, the rogue Highlanders.  The marines were cut down quickly and the Swiss decided it was better to secure the docks. 

Our Judge friend?  He decided to go on a well needed self-imposed exile, I mean, vacation.


"Take me to Tahiti, it's a magical place!"

In all, we had ten players and finished the entire scenario in just under two hours.  I'll need some more building, trees, and a cool judge mini that looks good in Samoan skin tones, but I think this scenario is definitely workable in the "proper" setting.

Many thanks my friend, Mike Lung, for providing the frogs, trees, cool water, and co-GMing duties and pictures.