Past Games...Part 2 - Walking Dead and SAGA!

Howdy folks,

Another post, another new month, another snowfall, lol...I think we're supposed to get about a half a foot of snow today, and maybe some rain later this afternoon.  As promised from my last post, here are some more pics of games gone by...this time a little Walking Dead that we played in November/December timeframe and most recently some SAGA in the new year.

The Walking Dead was entertaining as usual; Duncan had an opportunity to showcase some more of his terrain...it looked very cool...and this time he tried out setting up some alternate objectives for each player rather than the usual slug/shoot fest.

The layout from my perspective...my crew (a lost family) had the task of searching for some family members who had become separated; we entered from the bottom of the table and headed towards the Blue Motor Inn.  Mike's team entered table right...I think they were a bunch of bikers, etc...and Ed's team entered table left, they were a bunch of rough and tumble convicts looking to make a break for it.

 

From this angle you can see Ed's crew decked out in orange...their leader looked a little rough so I immediately took the opportunity to put a few rounds into him. I think I put him down after turn 3 or 4...a little proactive defence.

 

From here you can see Mike's crew...if I recall, for the most part we kept each at length with no exchange of gunfire. The family makes its way to the second floor to look for their lost members.

along the way we find a supply cache with a desert eagle in it...good find!

We successfully find the twins in one of the rooms, but there are zombies to deal with before we can make our egress.  The twins take care of business and the family is reunited.  Over at the gas station, Mike and Ed are having a small tete-a-tete punctuated with shotgun and grenade blasts.

Final shot of the game before I departed...I had a party to get to at my house...Ed's cons rushing into the gas station and contending with some distractions at the same time.  All in all...a very good game.

Early this year, I had the chance to try out SAGA 2.0...it had been some time since I tried it out, but it was great to try the new rules and to get my Crusaders on the table again.

Initial setup...Duncan on my left with a very mobile cavalry type force (can't remember who he was fielding); MIke on my right with a mix of foot and horse (again, can't remember who he was leading); me occupying the difficult to pass "high ground" with my foot heavy force of Crusaders.  Crossbowman deployed in an L with apex facing the bad guys...hearthguard hanging with the boss behind them, and 2 groups of soldiers/knights armed with shields and one handed weapons.  No levies for me.

Looking right...

Looking left...

We really like this hill...

I mean, it feels very comfortable...

And funny enough, first charges and moves look to be directed straight at me...

throwing some bolts at Mike...taking some in return as well...Duncan and Mike sparing outside of my range but well in front of my line.  Mike pushing horse traversing my 6...

Duncan and Mike mixing it up at my 1 O'clock...my own knights mixing it up with Duncans troops as well pushing from our sacred hill...

troops moving back and forth...starting to get the hang of the battleboards...

Duncan getting ready to let loose with his cavalry at my stick of knights...

horse everywhere...some mutual swipes at each other...

Duncan heads his cavalry over to do battle with Mike's horse...via my lone stick of knights...it was a little punishing.

starting to take some noticeable hits...

Cavalry furballs behind me...

My leader and Duncan's leader drop the gloves and have a donnybrook! If I recall, I rolled fairly well for this and I took his horse and leader down...chalk one up to the grunts!

 

All in all, another fun go at SAGA...and two excellent games in the end and beginning of the years.

WHATS NEXT

1. some pics of the first painted figs of the year, completed in January and February

2. some pics of a new game I just picked up as well...

Vikings!!

Evening everyone,

Hard to believe that February is nearly at the half-way mark...wow! Over the past couple of weeks, I have been at work prepping, basing, and painting a mixed array of Crusader Miniatures, Gripping Beast, and Artizan Vikings for: 1) personal shits and giggles, I wanted another warband for SAGA, and 2) for our clubs SAGA Age of the Wolf campaign.

So far, I am up to 4 points...and if I remember correctly, I think we're going up to 6 points for the campaign.  I chose the Vikings because there is a plethora of figures to choose from, I was able to find a couple of packs at North Bay Hobbies on clearance (Artizan figs, thank you Terry), I could have Berserkers, there was some great reference material (if I ever didn't want to read, I could just turn to the History Channel and watch Vikings...thank you Katheryn Winnick ), and hey, they're Vikings!!

For Christmas, I did get an awesome reference book which has come in very handy, The Vikings by Rene Chartrand has a great mix of overview and artwork that works for me right now.

Ok, so here's the Warband so far...4 points along with Ragnar leading the crew.

the Ragnar figure is from Crusader Miniatures adventurers 1 pack.

 

The warband...I am trying a new lighting setup...for the longest time I never wanted to use my flash, but in my latest attempt it sure makes a difference for me.

 

 

I have to admit, the Berserkers were a HUGE draw for me...I couldn't wait to paint them up...they were the first ones of the Warband that saw the brush...these are from Gripping Beast.

I chose to paint these fellows up in mid-combat pose with various wear and splatter that comes with close quarter axe combat...

The flash did a great job of showing the skins...

 

and a great job of showing the splatter and painting...I'm very happy with how they turned out.

VERY HAPPY!!

 

These Hearthguard figues are from Artizan...I really enjoyed the chance to paint up some great colours...I elected to go with 2 hearthguards...the difference between them is that one has capes/cloaks...and their base work has different coloured rocks.

I really like the variety in armour that these Hirdman are sculpted with...

 

I also took the opportunity to show some wear on the cloaks of the white rock Hirdman...I like the weathering effect and am pretty happy with the results.

 

 

Finally, rounding out my 4 pointer, I went with a group of Bondi...these guys have a great mix of armour, heads, and poses...the shields I attempted to freehand and keep them individual yet trying to have some common element amongst them...

 

My latest flash attempts are certainly growing on me...

 

Enjoy folks...more Viking goodness to come in the future.

 

Painted Totals:

 

28mm: 20

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Adventurer or Two...

Howdy folks,

I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of summer...over the past week or so I've continued with my Frostgrave painting.  I've been focused on Frostgrave a lot over the past few months and in that time I've certainly been able to put some pieces together and integrate some of my other Dark Ages/Medieval figures, but I recently decided that I wanted to have a distinct looking Adventurer Company.

This is by no means an immediate desire, the figs as they get completed will be able to fit nicely with their compatriots, but I thought I'd make a 10-ish figure company each very distinct but aligned along the potential soldier/minion types in the rulebooks.  This may have been an unrecognized goal when I decided to try my hand at painting Death Knights, but I guess it really came to hold in my noodle when I was at one of our LGS's and I saw a couple of figures that really screamed Fantasy Adventure.

So, with all this swirling in the back of my mind...I managed to complete a 'generic' Spellcaster, another Death Knight inspired dead-teuton, and the first of my new warband/company...

Enjoy the pics.  Take care.

I finished up these Reaper Bones mummies in time for Cangames but never got around to taking pics...you never know what you'll find when you're treasure crawling and these figs were pretty easy to get finished...I think the basing took more effort than actually painting them.

 

While I wasn't really in the market of increasing the number of Frostgrave figs I was planning on painting, this Dwarf Wizard from Bones seemed to fit in well and could work with any of my possible warbands...

 

 

This Teuton is from Gripping Beast as part of a command blister IIRC...the helmet looks outstanding and really works in any setting.  This DeathKnight actually took me a couple of tries to get the way I wanted...at first I wanted to avoid any similarities with Teutonic, but the colour choice I had just didn't look or feel right...in the end I went with a Teutonic Knight inspired graphic that I found on google...I also went a little more subtle on the deathknighty effects than on my previous DK...

 

And finally, the figure that really got me inspired to try an Adventurers Company, the Iconic Skald from Reaper Pathfinder line...I do not know any of the inspiration for this figure, but when I saw it I was quite taken with it.  It very much makes me think of the Hobbit and Thorin...but that aside, the figure looks pretty badass and is very expressive...I can only hope that I've painted it justice. 

 

 

Oh distraction...though art a temptress!! - edited 03 December

Howdy folks,

A few months back, North Star Miniatures announced their most recent Nickstarter as an expansion to their Frostgrave game...while I did not buy into the original Nickstarter...I couldn't help but be somewhat taken by the expansion.  I'm not sure why, but I do like the various storylines behind the Lich King.

Without a doubt, my favorite storyline stemmed from a small online diversion by the name of World of Warcraft...yes, me to Julius...I did dabble in the realm for a small time and my favorite part of the WOW universe was definitely Northrend, the legend of Arthas, and his corruption by the Lich.  I had long ago left Northrend...I thought for good...but alas, North Star's supplement really got me re-hooked into the Lich.

Now depending on the forum, age group, and whatever random variables you can think of, the WOW  Death Knight character that came from their Lich King story was definitely a guilty pleasure of mine in the game.  With all of this in mind, and no idea of North Star's plans for the Lich or his servants, I was inspired to take one of my Teutonic Knights figures (unfortunately manufacture unknown...can't remember.  I just found the figures online...they are from Gripping Beast ) and turn it into my version of a WOW Death Knight.

I really tried to present a resurrected soul, serving the Lich, heralding from the Northern city...I intentionally put in a lot of blue hue colours to give a sense of frost and cold...I like the results, I hope it works.

Enjoy.

Death Knight...bloodied and died in battle...

 

Death Knight...frost presence visible in his eyes and blade of his sword...