Thursday, December 18, 2008

Legends of the High Seas

Today I would like to give my impression of one of the Warhammer Historical games that is available. The game is called Legends of the High Seas(LotHS) and is basically about playing pirates. Personally for me this is a great adventure. I love pirate movies and paraphernalia, so when I found out about this game, it was an instant 'I must own this game' reaction.

For an early Christmas present I treated myself to the rulebook, ordered through www.thewarstore.com which I always recommend for buying gaming material not normally found in your Local Gaming Store(LGS). Please though, continue supporting your local gaming stores also as they are your local location to gather and play games!

Anyway, I digress, so to continue on, last night I finally got a chance to play out a basic learning game of the mechanics of the system. Lucky for me, I was able to match off against not just anyone, but the author of the game himself. This was great as it gave me a little found opportunity to pick his brain when I encountered situations that I had questions how a rule was worded versus the intention of the rule. This was great for me, not that many circumstances came up, as the game plays very smooth!

As to the game play, we only played the skirmish level stuff facing 5 basic navy men against 5 basic pirates. Sorry I don't have any pictures, as the models we used with Tim's so I didn't have any shots of them. The game played very similar to the Lord of the Rings(LotR) game style, which makes the learning curve very easy as I am very familiar with that game system already.

Overall the game was great. I did learn a couple tactical tricks that will help me in future games, mainly in movement and placement of models in confining locations(such as town streets ;) ), which I will be able to use in both LotHS and also my LotR games! By the way, thank you Tim for those lessons.

The only somewhat cumbersome part of the rules was the reloading of weapons which had the effect of having to handle counters. This was a necessary part of the game(flint lock weapons weren't fast to reload) but having to manage the counters was kind of annoying, but understandable.

Final thoughts on this game are: If you like historical gaming, but do not want the size of say Warhammer Fantasy Battles and instead prefer skirmish gaming, this game is for you. If you like pirates and the thought of playing a pirate army and managing a pirate ship sounds like fun, this game is for you. If you enjoy the LotR game system, and want an opportunity to play something new that uses the same rules to play, this game is for you. Basically, this game is for you!

Look forward to future posts as I start working on my pirate band of cut-throats!

~Aaaaargh!!!!!

Let me know your thoughts. Have you also played LotHS? Have you entertained the idea of getting into this game or other Historical gaming? I want to know.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Batrep: November 1st GT Primer

Hello everyone,

Just finished my games and the drive home from the GT primer held at Talon's Hideout in Mesa AZ. First I want to say, that although the drive was long, Talon's Hideout is a great store. Plenty of Gaming tables(Although space may get cramped with a lot of gamers in store) and the tables were well designed at standing height!

Additionally, although I wasn't there for video games, Chris has a serious pimped out video game setup with 2 separate rooms. One for computer games and another for X-Box which had multiple stations and looked like it would be a blast to play in. For me personally, I will be staying home to play, but in the absence of a computer or X-Box, Talon's would be an ideal store to get your gaming fix done!

Now that I got that out of the way, lets get on to the LotR games!.

First my list:

Dol Amroth Fiefdoms

Captain of Dol Amroth
12x Knights of Dol Amroth
9 Men-at-arms of Dol Amroth(1x Banner)
10 Rangers of Gondor(2x Spears)

Total Models: 32
Bows: 10


The Primer had 3 rounds; Storm the Camp, Reconnoitre, The Last Alliance. That last one is a new one that Dean and Tim have cooked up as a possible scenario for the February GT!

Game 1 (Storm the Camp) - Opponent Chris

Dol Amroth versus Wood Elves(Led by Legolas). This was a very one sided game from the beginning. Round 2 saw me use bow fire and get 3 wounds on Legolas that forced Chris to use all his fate and still ended up taking 1 wound. The remainder of the game was a slaughter as my Armored Knights moved up and chopped through the un-armored wood elves. This game ended with me killing the elves to a man(Or I guess and elf) and moving 3 models into his deployment zone for the major victory.

Outcome: Major Victory(15 pts)

Game 2 (Reconnoitre) - Opponent Sean

Dol Amroth version Black Numenorians. Ewe, this was not a good match up for either of us. Bumenorians of course are about the equivalent of an Evil based Dol Amroth army. Ultimately the highlights of this engagement was my Captain getting transfixed 3 straight turns but surviving the ensuing combats. The final of the game was called on time(and I think both Sean and I played as fast as we could go!)

Outcome: Draw(10 pts) Both of us accomplished getting 2 models each off the opposing table edge.

Game 3 (The Last Alliance) - Opponent Anthony

OK. When I said the last match up was bad, I didn't know this one was coming. Apparently, both Sean and I were tied for 2nd place in battle points and Anthony was 1st. As such it was a toss up and luck me, I got to play Anthony and his 'broken' ;) Fighting Uruk-hai. I say broken as a joke though. Really, this was the first time to play against these guys and MAN are they tough. Anthony killed me to a man, and had I understood how tough his guys were, I may have tried to alter my setup. Anyway, I was able to this his numbers down enough to prevent a Major Loss!

Outcome: Minor Loss(7 pts) This games outcome is based on Victory Points and Anthony needed to win my a margin of 176 to get Major. Alas I was able to kill enough to only leave a margin of 123... phew!

In all, I was 4th out of the ten players. I had a great time and Dean put on another great LotR tournament!

EDIT - Updated to include results sheet!

Monday, October 27, 2008

Fiefdoms Update (Part 2)

Well I decided for the sake of my sanity, plus not really being sure I liked the ranger models, that I would use some of my Ranger of Middle Earth as Ranger of Gondor. This saved me time as they were already painted so I was able to focus instead on my Dol Amroth models.

Overall I think my converted figures turned out well. My Captain has a very dynamic pose as if sending a challenge, or maybe issuing the command to start a charge. In any case, his paint job turned out well, and I am happy with him.
Photobucket

My other converted figure was the Banner Carrier for Dol Amroth. I chose to use a Men-at-arms model. First because I didn't want to give up a Knight, and second, because the pike it comes with screams to be made into a banner.
Photobucket

I also completed all the work on my Men-at-arms models and my Knights on foot. This included finishing the paint jobs and completing all the bases to fit my base scheme for my army.
Photobucket

I also finished the bases for my mounted knights, but I neglected to take new pictures of them. Maybe I will get those done when I work on their display for the GiTD GT in February. Till then, here is the final pictures of my completed 350pt Primer army.
Photobucket

Photobucket

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Fiefdoms Update

Well, It has been an amazing month and a half since my last post. :( I apologize for this greatly, as I really have no valid reason for this. Just life.

Anyway, I have the upcoming 350pt LotR game on November 1st in AZ and need to seriously update my list for my Dol Amroth army. To that end I have been working on first, a new 350 point list for use in the games on November 1st, and then an updated list of 600 points that will likely become my GT army for the upcoming Gathering in the Desert in February next year.

For details on either of these great LotR events, I would recommend taking a trip over to www.adeptusarizona.com for information and the option to sign-up.

So, for a 350 point list I am thinking of dropping Imrahil and instead adding a Knight Captain and a Banner. Well I don't have either of these models, and funds are a bit on the low end so I decided to convert the models using what I did have(an extra Men-at-arms, and even an extra Imrahil on foot> As I have Imrahil normally I knew I needed to make some changes to the model to make it clear that they are different models.

Here is the primed Knight of Dol Amroth Captain.
Photobucket

As you can see. It is based on the Imrahip foot model. I have removed Imrahil's head and added a Knight of Dol Amroth head in its place. Additionally I have filed down the additional Shield detail to leave only the flat boat instead of the boat and swan. Last I partially repositioned the arm, hand and sword to indicate a more pointing with the sword pose.

I admin that the conversion of Imrahil to a simple captain was a bit drastic. My other conversion isn't nearly as crazy. For my other converted model I took a Dol Amroth Men-at-arms and chnaged the pike position. This will now act as the banner pole. Additionally I repositioned his head so he was no longer looking to the side but more head on.

Here is the newly converted primed model:
Photobucket

Photobucket

I also picked up a few odds and ends for Gondor Rangers. First were 3 citadel guards and the other 4 are actual Faramir's rangers. I thought they would all work well as Gondor Rangers for my Fiefdoms list. What do you all think?

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Last I figured I would give a group shot of my 8 Dol Amroth Men-at-arms. These are hopefully what I need to provide the extra backing for my Knights to hold their lines against any enemies they come up against.

Photobucket

Photobucket

I am looking to use this as the base of my 600 point list and look at adding Imrahil and mounted knights for the GitD GT. I look forward to fielding this new army. Stay tuned for more updated pictures as I work to get these models all painted prior to the 350 point Tournament game.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Dol Amroth Completed

imrahil-foot1

OK. I finished. It only took two days longer than expected. Considering that I used only regular paints available at the local Michaels, I think the look came out exceptionally well. The only exception to my paint usage was the Metallics which are GW and the wash which was a mixture of green and blue WonderWash.

Now if only I could accomplish taking solid photos that do not blue the images. I guess its one step at a time.

imrahil-foot2 imrahil-foot3

So the first model to highlight is the Commander of my forces, Imrahil. Both the Foot and Mounted versioned I received through a trade and so were already assembled, although they were still unprimed. This allowed me to design my paint scheme from the ground up, without having to cover up someone's style. My painting method is similar to the GW standard except my capes are all blue instead of inside white and exterior blue. I think the solid blue give a lot of definition against the armor personally.

imrahil-mtd1 imrahil-mtd2

I chose to go white for the horse, in fact all the horse you will see are white. First, I did this as it was my primer color, and secondly, I wanted to try my hand at painting white which isn't very easy.

knights-mtd2

Next, we take a look at the knights of Dol Amroth. These are the elite warriors of Dol Amroth and are without equal on the battlefield. First, I worked on the mounted knights. These are the biggest part of my new army, and the one unit set I am most interested in playing as I have had no cavalry in my past army (Grey Company). I hope to use these warriors to bolster my lines and help with engaging other mounted units or making quick dashes to the enemy back lines to eliminate bow fire.
knights-mtd1

knights-foot3

Last, we see my standard knights on foot. Overall I have 15 of these, but initially will only be playing 10 - 12 of them. This will allow me spare models for knights knocked from their mounts. These models with their high defense should be used to center my offensive and defensive lines with strong fighting models. Behind these I will be supporting the knights with Grey Company rangers to give the much needed Bow fire to the army and provide spear support where needed.

knights-foot2

Eventually, I plan to add a Captain, Banner and standard Men-at-arms to fill out the army itself to 600 pts. By doing this, I will also have options for fielding the Dol Amroth knights without Imrahil, who is actually quite expensive of a model. My substituting a standard Captain and Banner I could save points providing more models on the table. But that is a plan for the future.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Fiefdoms update.

Well, I missed my date of Monday for finishing and posting my 15 Knights of Dol Amroth on foot. That is the bad news. :(

The good news is that I am actually about 90% complete with ALL my knights (both mounted and on foot). I am now estimating I should have my bases painted this evening and the first coat of paint applied to all the shields. That will leave the second coat and the emblem embelishments for Thursday.

Stay tuned as I should have everything completed by the weekend and most likely will be posting up picture this Friday or Saturday.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Fiefdoms - Dol Amroth


So I have amassed the majority of the models needed for my Fiefdoms army. Total count of models include Imrahil mounted and on foot, 7 Knights of Dol Amroth mounted, and 15 Knights of Dol Amroth on foot.

Remaining models are 6 - 12 Men-at-arms of Dol Amroth and some basic rangers(Still thinking on this though)


So without much more discussion, I completed painting up 1 of my foot Dol Amroth Knights. Mainly did this to compare the look and see how I like them painted. Took me a few days, but that did include time to base coat most of the other models. So probably only a day to finish him. I figure if I go with this paint scheme I should complete the remaining Knights on foot by Monday of next week, and maybe get the Cavalry done by the end of next week.

I really want to bring this army with my to Chicago for some friendly games with the AWC guys. We shall see if I get done in time.

Let me know what you all think, and stay tuned as I get more models done once I hear from everyone on my paint scheme.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

The fleet has arrived

Well. It has been a bit of time in the making. I acquired these wonderful models a few months back (like four) and only recently got enough time to actually do something about them. It might have something to do with my new display cases I picked up, as now I have a great place to store and show them off.



Overall I have no idea how good or bad this fleet would be in actual games as I have never played any Battle Fleet Gothic, but I am eager to start playing just for a chance to try out this fleet.


I had a good time assembling the models. Many were already painted so first I had to strip all the old paint from the models and get them ready for new colors. I think the original color scheme was an Ulthwe force, but I decided that the colors needed something more. I chose instead to create my own craftworld color scheme that was a base of a mix of Dark Blue and a Basic Purple. After that I added highlights in a bright red. All the painting was completed using my airbrush with provided me a nice smooth finish over all coats of paint.

Here are some additional shot of the models. Hope everyone likes. I don't have a good studio photo area, but maybe that will be a future purchase so I can get better pictures.



Thursday, July 17, 2008

Batrep: Erebor vs. Easterlings

Had a chance to play a little bit of LotR last night. Had a great time playing Sean(aka dvdhwk) and his Easterlings force from the GT. Sean figured he would try a new trick and dropped 2 of his captains to allow him to field Khamul. Khamul is a great model and I look forward to seeing Sean's fully painted at our next meet up.

I played an Erebor army with stand-in models as my Dwarf box wasn't in yet. I look forward to refining that army list for the
November 350pt meet up and then the February GT.

Overall Khamul worked ok. He led a force of Kataphrakts which went head to head with my dwarf line. They held well, 4 turns before I killed all of them, but Khamul fell after only the 2nd round of combat. Khamul did get a chance to reduce Balin's will and tried once to transfix him but failed.

Mission was Higher Ground(basically King of the Hill) which we decided to place a largish 3 level hill in the center and made a run for it. I tried to get my dwarfs to the hill early but made a tactical decision to move part of my force to block an Easterlings unit. This worked great as I held up a 10+ man unit with only 5 dwarfs. Unfortunately, the Easterlings did start the climbing of the hill first and got a better chance to mob my dwarfs as they climbed up. Luckily, my dwarfs held their ground and at the end of turn 9 I killed the last model to force break tests on the Easterlings.

Turn 10 started with an Easterling priority and the defection started. First the Captain failed his Courage negating his Stand Fast, and then the remaining models started running. Overall Sean had saved enough models to engage my units on the hill, but my movement enabled me to get 3 additional dwarfs on the hill giving me the greater number of models. Combat that round was bad, no kills on either side, which granted Erebor the Minor Victory.

Second Thoughts
Heroes. I had both Gimli and Balin and think I would be better served using Balin's points for additional Dwarfs. Also, I had no bows for any ranged combat. This needs to be looked at to see if Dwarfs with Bows or Rangers are the way to go. Additionally, I could look at using Throwing weapons.

Throwing Weapons. I NEVER once used the ones I had and should have been. Kept forgetting :(

Banner. Had a banner, but also forgot to use it until the final 2 or 3 turns. This resulted in a number of hits missed that could have been better.

Again, this was a great game and a great time I had. I look forward to my next gaming match up.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Batrep: 1st Annual LotR Independant GT (Phoenix, AZ)

Cost of models: $60
Tickets to Event: $20
Diesel fuel to event: $20
Assembly and painting time: 2 weeks
Time away from family gaming: 2 days
A Chance for some Great Gaming: Priceless

Honestly, that about sums up my first ever GT experience for any game system (LotR or 40k). It was a great time in an awesome environment. It was nice seeing so many good players and having the opportunity to learn from each and every one of them. Mainly we saw players from across the entire state of Arizona, but also were graced by the attendance of even a Florida player out to also have a good time.

To give an idea of the tournament and my overall performance, here is a brief outline of the events, my opponents, the goods, the bads, maybe a few of the uglys, and overall the outcomes. So sit back and enjoy the ride here. Hopefully this will be only the first of many GTs to come for myself.




First my army: Aragorn’s Return. Basically, I designed this off of a pure Grey Company list using Aragorn with Anduril as the returning King to unite the Northern people of Arnor to his banner.

Army consisted of:
Aragorn (bow, armour, cloak, Andurril)
6x Rangers of the North (3 spear)
22x Rangers of Arnor (8 spear)








Round 1: Reconnoiter
Opponent: Shawn
Army: Easterlings
Outcome: Major Defeat



Overall a great start to the tournament. Even with a loss I was able to see tactical things I did that were mistakes which would help me further along in the GT. Additionally, Sean is a great opponent who is always willing to give suggestions and recommendations when you really do something wrong.

This was a fun game and the goods here was first, I had never fought the Easterling army before, so everything was very new and second, my bowman literally chewed through the Cataphrachs. The bad was the slight error in leaving a de-horsed rider alone and allowing him to escape the table edge for the victory.




Round 2:
Storm the Camp
Opponent: Rob
Army: Angmar
Outcome: Major Victory


Now here was a game I had originally written off as another in a string of major defeats. Storm the camp with only 28 guys on my side, and double that in orcs on the other, not to mention the 3 giant trolls and 2 Barrow-wights on the Agmar side.

Little did I realize that my Arnor Rangers took the Angmar/Arnor hatred to new levels as they killed both wights, 1 troll and wounded another before any models even made physical contact. Then Aragorn did what he does best and carved a way to the light on the other side of the army.

Goods here was the never give up attitude, and the ugly was allowing Aragorn to get trapped not once, but twice. You would have thought I would learn my lesson after the first instance.




Round 3:
Meeting Engagement
Opponent: Carl
Army: White Tower/Grey Company allied
Outcome: Major Defeat

Oops, first good/good fight. Turns out I will play the ‘evil’ side this time. I guess it was bound to happen. Actually, Carl and I had squared off before and so were pretty familiar with each others strengths and weaknesses.

Here I used the terrain to my advantage for most of the game, even funneling his troops in the end through a tight pass limiting what he could actually attach with.

Unlike before, I was able to clear away his entire Gondor force, but couldn’t get enough of his rangers to drop to force the ¾ casualty to him. Alas I eventually lost enough to drop to 7 remaining models. Since he retained 2 Dunedain, he pulled out the Major Victory which was so close to being a Major Victory to myself.

Goods were great bow fire, but bads would be the same from his side. Also the ugly was taking 4 turns to finally drop Denethor.




Round 4:
Seize the Prize
Opponent: Tom
Army: Durin’s Folk
Outcome: Minor Victory

What? Are we even supposed to be seeing this? Two good/good fights in a row, where are all the bad guys? Hmm, wait, oh… he is ‘evil’ this time. Ok. I guess it will be a race for the prize.

Here my tactic was pretty straight forward, move as fast as possible to the center to dig up the treasure and then run, run, run away.

Goods were I got there first. I know, against Dwarves that was pretty likely. Bads, was losing priority and having to waste a might to move first. Luckily I won that and tied up the Dwarven line. This of course leads to the next bad, as I committed too many models (probably 3 more than necessary which allowed the Dwarves to force me to break and claim only a Minor Victory. I guess I will learn from that mistake now. And Ugly was rolling snake eyes for my Aragorn’s courage test when I became broken and nearly losing him but being saved by spending enough might to bump the rolls.




Round 5:
Contest of Champions
Opponent: Dragi
Army: Tower of Ecthelion
Outcome: Major Victory

Ok, Finally I get to the match I should excel in. A match made for Aragorn. How could I not want to do this battle? Here is how, my opponent is fielding Aragorn also. So unfortunate.

So here I had to adjust my tactics again and instead of the normal run for his line and have Aragorn go to town, I instead used the tried and true move and shoot. Retreat and shoot.

Given the opponent it was my only real chance of success, but still vey unlikely given the 6 defense and his Aragorn having a 7.

Well, the good here was bow fire! Succeeded in making Aragorn King lose all his fate and a wound prior to half the board as he advanced. Bad was taking 4 more turns to drop the other 2 wounds.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Batrep: Classic Battletech is on the Rise

I had my first game of Classic Battletech last evening (sorry no pictures this time). Boy has it been a long time. 15 years to be exact. Most of the game has stayed the same with only a few minor tweaks in the current edition. I was amazed at how quickly I was remembering aspects to the game, but how slow it actually resolved itself. I truly hope that the slowness of play was more an aspect of my long absence and trying to remember the game and not that is just is always that slow.

Overall the game I played was fun. I think officially it was a draw, but I think I was losing the game. I arrayed a Panther, Dervish, Dragon, and an Atlas against a Centurion, Dervish, Grasshopper and an Awesome. After 2 hours of play my Dervish was literally on fire from heat, and my Panther had been downs to a lost leg.

For game mechanics I can see very early that placement is important and cover is important also. Additionally, its very important to understand the level conditions and their effect of LOS. Many times we could see model to model, but the true LOS due to level terrain said otherwise. Using the level terrain to mask your 'mechs from the enemy is a great tactic and one I 'should' have used given the placement of terrain and my starting side.

Finally, I wanted to comment on the game rules themselves again. This is a game I hadn't played in over 15 years. In GW terms that is 4 versions ago. What amazed me is that the rules for the most part were the same ones I used before. A couple minor tweaks had been made, but overall it was the same game. Considering Battletech has been sold off multiple times during that time its great to see that the original game designers created such a great rule set that it truly has lasted the test of time.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Aragorn

Well, I actually completed Aragorn 2 weeks ago, but with life and batreps I just never got a chance to take some pictures.

I chose to use this model of Aragorn as it's not too flashy and it appears to be the lesser seen model of him on the table. This is sometimes an advantage as my opponent can lose track of him in the game. Not something I thought of originally, but something I found out during my game of To Kill a King.

Any way. Here he is.



Batrep: Grey Company vs Angmar and vs Mordor

Played this yesterday afternoon. Great games overall.

Good: The Grey Company (Aragorn's Return) - 599pts
  • Aragorn(Anduril, Bow, Elven Cloak)
  • 2x Rangers of Arnor(Spear)
  • Rangers of Arnor
  • Ranger of the North(Spear)
  • Rangers of Arnor(Spear)
  • 2x Rangers of Arnor
  • Ranger of the North(Spear)
  • Rangers of Arnor(Spear)
  • 2x Rangers of Arnor
  • Ranger of the North(Spear)
  • Rangers of Arnor(Spear)
  • 2x Rangers of Arnor
  • Ranger of the North
  • Rangers of Arnor(Spear)
  • 2x Rangers of Arnor
  • Ranger of the North
  • Rangers of Arnor(Spear)
  • 2x Rangers of Arnor
  • Ranger of the North
  • Rangers of Arnor(Spear)
  • 2x Rangers of Arnor
Model Count: 28
Might: 9 + Mighty Warrior
Bow Count: 28

First game: To Kill a King

I played my Grey Company and was arrayed against a nicely modeled Angmar force. Unfortunately for them the scenario rolled was to kill a king. As we lined up I was able to use terrain to great effect by forcing my opponent to cross a river slowing his movement.

Basically my tactic here was to set Aragorn with 3 Arnor rangers and 3 Rangers of the North with 3 Arnor rangers each as roving squads who made slow advances towards the enemy lines shooting. I also had 3 Rangers of the north with 9 Arnor rangers who grouped in a double line for Volley fire.

Volley fire in the past has been very hit and miss for me(Mainly miss) but it worked out this time as in the first round I scored a hit on the enemy leader(Buhrdur) causing him to burn his fate right away.

The second round accounted for 2 more wounds on Buhrdur and then a final wound was scored at the beginning of round 3 ending the game. It was the fastest game I had ever played, but I see how my force is uniquely designed to succeed at that scenario.

Outcome: Major Victory

Second game: Reconnoiter

In this match-up I played my Grey Company and was opposed by a horde of Mordor Orcs. Oh the humanity! As we lined up terrain was less of a concern as the objective was to move to the other side anyways. I got the honor of lining up first, but in hindsight given my lower number of models I think setting up last would have been better!

As it turned out the enemy force lined up on my side of the river leaving a single Ranger of the North a 3 Arnor ranger on the far side alone. This allowed him to move up the side of the table basically unbothered during the game.

The main force I arrayed in 2 sets of volley fire lines. Aragorn set up with one group on the right side of my line allowing the other group to cover the middle and rivers edge. The enemy lined up with a large force of Warg riders on Aragorn's side and Orc spearmen in double rows behind. The middle was held by Mordor Uruk Hai and an Armored Troll. And finally the other side by the river was being held by a line of Orc archers and orcs with hand weapons for support.

Here again my shooting was both a blessing and a curse. I was able to whittle down the Wargs to only a single model left. Once combat started Aragorn was an absolute monster taking down all opponents he came into contact with. His might hero ability really stood out here.

Unfortunately, the Troll was able to make contact with my other line and was about to eat through it when time was called.

Outcome: Draw (but had time continued I didn't have the sufficient numbers to stop all the orcs and most likely I would have received a Minor Loss had the game continued to the 2.5 hour normal game time limit.)

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Batrep: Grey Company vs Gondor

So I finally got a chance to try out my LotR army list in a primer game. Jerry, aka Incitatus, was gracious enough to field his Men of Gondor against my Grey Company.

Scenario: Contest of Champions

Good: The Grey Company

Aragorn's Return(Grey Company) - 600pts

  • Aragorn(Anduril, Bow, Elven Cloak)
  • 3x Rangers of Arnor
  • Ranger of the North(Spear)
  • 3x Rangers of Arnor(Spear)
  • Ranger of the North(Spear)
  • 3x Rangers of Arnor(Spear)
  • Ranger of the North(Spear)
  • 2x Rangers of Arnor(Spear)
  • Rangers of Arnor
  • Ranger of the North
  • 3x Rangers of Arnor
  • Ranger of the North
  • 3x Rangers of Arnor
  • Ranger of the North
  • 3x Rangers of Arnor
Model Count: 28
Might: 9 + Mighty Warrior
Bow Count: 28

Evil: Gondor/White Tower

  • Boromir(Horn of Gondor, Horse)
  • Beregond(Longbow)
  • Warrior of Minas Tirith(Banner)
  • 8 Warrior of Minas Tirith(Spear)
  • 8 Warrior of Minas Tirith
  • 9 Warrior of Minas Tirith(Bow)
  • 6 Guard of Fountain Court(Spear, Shield)
  • 6 Knights of Minas Tirith(Lance, Shield)

Model Count: 39
Might: 7
Bow Count: 9

In the haste to get started, I neglected to get a table shot to show the terrain placement, but basically Gondor was funneled around some hills placed closer to Jerry's table edge while The Grey Company had an open field of fire, but limited cover options.


Grey Company lined up at the start in a Volley Line.


Gondor grouped their force along the side of the table with the Knights able to race down the edge.

After the first round of movement and firing (which only The Grey Company ever fired a single bow) the first casualty was taken by Gondor. Killed the Horse and threw the rider.


Rider Down.

So basically the game flowed with Gondor moving full towards the Grey Company, while the Grey Company advanced more cautiously and continued to fire bows. Bows worked well for me, even given the superior army and defense values that Gondor presented. Of the 6 knights and Boromir, only 2 Knights and Boromir ever made combat, and the combat was stolen by The Rangers of the North who used a Might point to move into combat preventing the charge from the cavalry. During the combat, 1 Knight was outright, 1 survived, and Boromir was de-horsed. The following round saw a massed amount of combats taking place with few casualties on either side, however Boromir had a dismal day of fighting as his only kills totaled 2 models.

On the other side of the hill, the remaining Gondor forces, led by Beregond, engaged the remaining 3 groups of Rangers and Aragorn and his rangers. This started out to look like it would be a blood bath with Aragorn carving his way through the Gondor ranks, but alas I misjudged the terrain and forgot about the higher ground rule, which Godor held. Unfortunately, due to this oversight, Aragorn failed to break the line, even after calling a Heroic Combat :(. As such, Aragorn also only claimed 2 kills for the day (one of which was sadly by bow, which means his Mighty Warrior, plethora of attacks, and Anduril only accounted for a single kill. Not really a value given the cost of Anduril and Aragorn in general.

Overall it was a great game and I think both Jerry and I learned a lot about our individual armies and the game flow. Here is how the game broke down.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Rangers of the North

After getting other things sorted in my daily life I have now had enough time to complete the work on my unit of Rangers of the North which I feel came out very well. The pictures don't do them justice I feel, but you have to have pics to see them so oh well.

I chose to use a different coloring scheme for these versus the Rangers of Arnor I completed last. The cloaks on these I chose to go more grey with a green Wonder Wash overcoat. I think it makes them stand out very nice against the basic troops in my army.





Remaining on the list of to-paint items for the upcoming Indy GT include 6 Dunedain, Halbarad, and Aragorn. Hopefully, I can get some practice in soon with this force so I am use to playing them. I look forward to having the MIght bonus that Aragorn provides in the game

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Conversion: Grey Knight Grandmaster

Well. I got my GK Grandmaster conversion done. Nothing too crazy and honestly it was a basically simple conversion.

Parts used:
  • Terminator Chaplain Body - 9947010131501
  • Grey Knight Force Halberd 1 - 9947010700613
  • Grey Knight Psycannon - 9947010700610
  • DA Hooded Head w/ Face - Bit from DA Upgrade Sprue

To create this conversion I had to use my dremel and a grinding bit to grind out the skull mask head from the metal Chaplain body. A bit tricky as I needed it completely removed without removing any of the surrounding detail on the armour. Also had to remove the wings(BA) above the head and the wings(BA) on the left leg. Arms attached using pins to secure them and the hooded head was cut to match the placement in the new socket created from removing the old face.

Nothing painted yet, but here are the pre-primered shots. Hopefully I will get a chance to finish this model up sometime.