The more things change...

 I've come to realize that I miss blogging.

As such, I will actually re-start this, but with a new focus.

Over the past years, ever since Spartan Games folded, I have jumped a bit back and forth between various game systems, Gates of Antares being a major one, but not really sticking to anything for any longer sense of time.

Sure, some 15mm projects here and there (more on what I have actually done here later), but so far no rule system has ticket all of my boxes.

The reduction of pandemic restrictions earlier this year (has it only been 6 months? Feels like so much longer) has enabled me to travel for work again, bringing some potential for gaming along with it (family obligations leaves little time for gaming in an ordinary day).

To that end I have had to reconsider my engagements in the hobby a little bit. Don't get me wrong, 15mm is an amazing opportunity for experimenting and putting your own spin on things, but in the end you need to have a community and opponents to play against. Bringing your own DYI project means selling it to at least one more person, and that itself is an investment in time and energy.

To get around this I have had to look at what actually gives more bang for the buck, what is easy to get gaming with, and pay some attention to what is easy to travel with.

To that effect I have re-discovered the game that brought me back into the fold all those years ago: Epic Armageddon. I bought some Vanguard Miniatures Eloi last year, but this year a flurry of recent releases has really promoted it to my primary game. As an added bonus I have managed to get buy in from my usual partner in crimes, so regular opponents is not an issue either. The fact that there is no shortage of gorgeous models these days is not exactly a downside, either...

Apart from that I have a small project ongoing that really re-connects with my gaming roots; building a fantasy force of Wood Elves, using a little bit of mix and match to get the kind of warband that I really want. This fills a nice DYI niche, and fantasy models is something most opponents have lying around, so a good rule set is all that is needed.

To that end, I am a little bit going back to the origins, proving that the more things change, the more they stay the same...

 

Lost in space

"What gets put online stays online", or so I've heard.

This seems to be true, as this blog is still available, despite all the cobwebs and dust gathering...

Let's see how long I manage to keep activity going for this time, but only time will tell...

Initially, I have some material to put up for my current whim; 15 mm sci fi, and if energy permits I will possible make some kind of summary of the past few years as well...

A first attempt can be seen just previous to this one, a quick test round of From Ashes, and there will be more coming on that front.

Welcome back, one and all!

Initial thoughts: From Ashes 15 mm rules

I've been on a bit of a 15mm foray lately, reading up on various rule sets, while getting some paint on my pile of shame.

One of the rules I came across is called From Ashes, published by Void Scar Miniatures, currently in a bit of an open Beta.

As I'm bound to do I set up a quick demo game, getting a feel for the game flow, using available minis.

The forces used were on one side two units of Relthoza infantry (from Planetfall, but they cross over into 15mm very well), using the official Vanguard rules.
On the other side two Squads of Khurasan War Force Reserve suits, using rules of my own devising, so this session doubled as playtest of those rules.

First turn:

Initial setup, two squads on each side, but with a points differential:
The spiders clock in at 90 Req, while the Marines, despite only having four units, stand at 115 Req.

Three data caches are placed around the central line as objectives.

From Ashes has a wide variety of scenarios, but this is a little bit home cooked, to have something simple; jut go for the objective markers.



First activation: the Marine Command Squad
takes cover in a small building, and orders the
Grenadiers to Advance (hence the red die)

Each side performs one activation at a time, so next up is the spider cyborgs!

The first squad march ahead, with dual Advance actions.
Each Action has a corresponding number for each, so which orders has been given is tracked by the dice.

The Grenadiers march on, taking one Advance and one Engage order.

This would be a first learning opportunity; if the Advance action had been taken after the Engage, the "Scope" rule on the Plasma Rifles would have come into effect, making it easier to hit the opposition.

Also, the command team would have benefited from advancing further upfield, lending support in the second round as well.



The first actual dice roll, for the Grenadiers
to hit the Target spider squad, turns out quite
OK. 12 D12 in total, hitting on 8+, and
managing 7 hits in total is way better than average.

This in turn means that the poor spiders gets 5 Blast Markers, 3 from the Rockets (red dice above), and an additional two for more than 6 hits in total. This is a quite large amount of blast markers from a single action.
The are placed 1" from the target unit, as per the rules.

Then comes the next step; Damage! The plasma rifles wielded by all Martian Marines comes with a Damage rating of 3, same as a chain gun or other medium support weapon. This means that the roll needed to damage Def 7 Targets, like the poor spiders, is 4+ on a D12.

After assessing the damage the dice are allocated to individual bases (or Units in game terminology).
The rules for critical damage means that every third step above the bare minimum to cause damage cause one additional HP lost, ensuring that high powered weapons can cause a large set of damage!

In this case three of the bases end up with damage dice, with one getting 5 HPs worth of damage.

The rules for Vanguards gives them a 11+ 'save' of sorts for every HP lost, which means committing damage to individual bases can be a good idea.

In this particular case only the third base managed to reduce the amount of damage taken, hanging on with a single HP left.

To lend assistance, the second squad of spiders starts to Advance across the field, using what will probably become a standard of Advance+Engage action combo.

In this case the targeting involves the rules for Cover as well, since the Target has quite a good position behind a building. The way this is handled in From Ashes is that each piece of covering terrain triggers a 'cover roll', having a 50/50 chance to hit the cover instead.

Each base has 3 shots using low powered rifles, so 15 dice in total is rolled, giving worse than average with only 6 making the cut.
Then again, it evens out when 5 / 6 actually hits, 3/5 cause damage, and cause a full base of Grenadiers to bite the dust!





In the end, the house bore the brunt of

the fire, taking three Blast Markers from the 10 hits it received (enough Blast Markers can cause certain terrain to be removed!), while the Grenadiers only got a single, but took 3 HPs worth of damage instead.

This action concludes the first turn, all that is left is the SitRep phase, where victory conditions are checked (N/A this turn) and Blast Markers removed.

Tune in next time for a second turn, with some thrilling conclusion!

Outcasts step by step

For the longest time, I've though about making a step-by-step guide to how I paint Outcasts, simple enough so that I don't like it is a chore, but detailed enough so I don't feel like I'm cheating.

Step 0:  

Assemble the models, and prepare the bases. I use cork and sand to build up the base, and to cover the integrated base common with Warlord figures.

On some I've cut down the cast base, but usually I just cover with cork.

Step 1:

Foundation layers. I use Army Painter Skeleton Bone primer to cover all of the figure, touching up any missed spots with a brush later (the AP line is great like that, with bottle paint to match the primers). Then I go over the base with Vallejo Game Colour Terracotta, with VGC Ghost Grey to indicate more rocky patches.

Step 2:

Moving forward, I paint the skin with a VGC Parasite Brown, and the metal parts with VGC Bright Bronze. This will later be used to help the Quickshade provide depth to the model.

Step 3:
Using VGC Elf Flesh, with a hint of VGC Khaki if I feel adventurous, I make a coarse highlight of the skin, picking out muscles, fingers and sinews.
The base gets a drybrush of <red brown>, and parts of the still visible Skeleton Bone gets picked out with Khaki, to provide some visual interest and noticeable details.
On some models I glaze the metallics with a mix of Glaze medium, water and VGC Tinny Tin, to bring down the sheen a bit (Ghar aren't exactly know for careful equipment maintenance...)

Step 4:
Magic time! Army Painter Quickshade is used to tie it all together,  using a cheap brush and some care.  

 

Step 5:

Paint eyes, and pupils. I usually go over the feet and hands picking out the nails too, and the base gets a drybrush or two of Khaki (yes, even the grey parts). Then GW Purity Seal is applied, in two thin layers. The larger models gets Vallejo red-brown pigments applied, to symbolize dust buildup on legs and lower chassis. 

Step 6:

Photograph! I've made a simple light box out of a plastic storage container and some LED spotlights.

I've added frosted plastic film to the sides (usually used for bathroom windows) to help soften the light, and everything can be stored inside the box between sessions. 

More Ghar Penal Legion progress

Previously I showed my Scout force for my Ghar
Penal Legion, and now I've finished most of the next batch: One more squad of Outcasts, another Distort Cannon, and a Bomber Squad.
The Bomber Squad is supposed to contain a Ammo Scutter too, but so far it's still in progress, as can be seen to the left.

I need to come up with something for the ammo (both for the right arm, and the canister on the back), and add some more greenstuff before I can call it complete.  The movement tray and tokens are both from War-bases.co.uk.

Coming up next is the final piece of the puzzle to bring my force up to 1000 points, a suitable vehicle for the clone with the big ego, the high leader of Legion ZY-86V:  

Still only in early stages, but at least it is started...
But once I get some khaki and skin on the pilots it should start to look decent. It is a very impressive model, both physically and rules-wise.

For next time, I hope to have a little bit more to show, at least the Scutter above finished.  

Ghar Penal Legion ZY-86V

As mentioned, I've branched out my Antares forces to include some degenerate clones with radiation leakages... 

Nominally I'm using the Rebel list from the Xilos book, although I'm playing it as a Empire Penal Legion, using a lot of disposable Outcasts to put pressure on the enemy while the heavy hitters move in and and take whatever objectives the scenario calls for...

For my Scout Force (500 points) I've gone for lots of cheap units, with as much fire support squeezed in as possible.

This means:
Two units if Outcasts; Cheap, numerous, but can tear a enemy line unit to shreds in the right circumstances (no, seriously! 2 shots each is horrendous, for a five point model!). Keeping them away from X-launchers is a priority, though; a single shot can without problem get rid of half a unit, with their low Res, and no cover bonus. 

They get some support in the shape of two Disruptor Cannons, either in a unit, or stand alone (depending on how many Order Dice I need...)

A unit of Attack Scutters, or as I like to call them; Discount Battle Suits... Almost 100 points cheaper, but with the same firepower, they have never disappointed me, and on several occasions won me the battle.
Need to get a unit across the table? No problem, just kick in the Plasma Amplifiers and take two Run Actions every turn...
Enemy unit dug in giving you problem? Disruptor shots to really add the pins, or RF 3 Dispersed to get
rid of the cover Res bonus...

The models being what they are helped make them the primary reason I choose to go with the Rebel list instead of the Empire list (where you can only get them once you hit 1000+ points).





Speaking of units a bit too cheap for their utility, we also have the Tectorists. Mad even by Ghar standards, they run ahead of the main force to act as spotters for their brethren, allowing a very nice re-roll. The fact that they can be used to dump the Distort Dice is just gravy, to be hones.
One thing to look out for is that only a single shot per shooting action may be re-rolled, no matter the number of Tectorists in range (all the more reason to spread them out, if you ask me!)

And last but not least, we have my Commander, Borag 566-8-B4, cautiously hidden away inside a Battlesuit. He still hasn't been shot even once, although he does have a tendency to... ehrm... 'Make a tactical withdrawal' towards the end of games. This is really a feature of the Antares morale mechanics; once his bodyguard bites the dust, every pin means a break test, and once one comes up with a 10, it's bye-bye commander... Totally in character, though, why waste time seeing the enemy degenerates being mopped up, once he has lead the force to victory?
Borag will, in due time, get a modified model created, with parts from a Bomber and some other odds and ends. However, sooner or later his duties to lead the force on foot will be taken over by his lieutenant/bodyguard, Flöng 566-10-X8, while Borag himself ascends to a loftier perch inside a Command Crawler (the perfect place for a careful commander!).

That is my 500 pts list, I'm soon to be finished with reinforcements up to 750, and then there is only a single model left to take the force to 1000 (no prizes for guessing which!)

Hello.... Is there anybody out there? AKA Lost in space

<tsssk....>
<ssssssssstttsk.... kaklick>
- Is anyone out there? Anyone rec<tsssk...>ing this?
  Do you copy?
<...tssskkksssss>

So... A little bit over 6 months of radio silence. Why? Well... Mostly real life issues, buying, selling and moving houses, with the corresponding backlog of things that needs doing at work...

Things haven't been all work and no play,  though. I have managed to squirrel away some time here and there, both painting and gaming; and if nothing else I've officially planted a flag in Warlord Games Fanboy territory...

Accomplishments:

• Fully painted 750 pts C3 Drop Force for Gates of Antares (ok, so I need to varnish two X-launchers, and take a picture of the actual army... )

• Fully painted 500 pts Ghar rebel force for Gates of Antares, with another 250 pts a good way along.

• Fully painted the Terquai Recon Helix for the Planetfall Paint Comp in February 
  

• Finished one, and halfway along with the second Aerial Helix for Planetfall

Gaming wise, there has been mostly Antares:

• 4 games with my Drop list, 1:1:2 going by the Win:Draw:Lost syntax (where the 'Draw' part is debatable, but my opponent was the one having to leave...)
• 3 games with my Rebel Ghar list, actually going 3:0:0! And one of those games was against my own Drop list, played by Avalon.
• Planetfall: a few games, but I do not have them as well documented as the Antares games (documentation is one of the reasons for this blog, after all!)
• Taskforce: One trial game, back when it was first released. At the time we both felt it lacked something; we'll have to see if the stats added in May can give it some more depth. 

And that is basically it: looking forward it looks like Antares will be high on the agenda, but some Planetfall might make an appearance, as 2.0 seems to be moving forward...