Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Bird House Buildings from Michael's

  Quick one this time just to show two Bird Houses that work as Wild West, etc. type builds I got from Michael's, the Arts & Crafts store. One of the war game magazines I get, "Miniature Wargames with Battlegames" has an article every issue by Diane Sutherland, the "wargames widow" on making great terrain/building piece yourself for a minimal cost with stuff you might have around the house/garage or get from a arts/crafts store. When I saw these pieces, I knew I had to get them to paint & use (at a later date), something she has done in her articles.



The Log Cabin



Saloon/ Store?

    The figure I believe are from Monday Knight Productions Desperado Figures line and are 25mm. Sure some of the parts of the building are a wee bit out of scale (it is a birdhouse after all) but each building was $9.99 (assembled) and with a quick paint job will fill the bill quite nicely (IMHO).

  Also, if you have not checked out "Miniature Wargames" magazine, please do so. Great articles & photos every issue.

TTFN

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

"A Balrog of Morgoth....What did you say!?!"

  You bet! But it looks like I will have to postpone the Bridge at Khaza Dum till the February 2015 Orccon convention. I was cutting it a bit close thinking about making a gaming board for the September Gateway con but my Mother is having her gallbladder surgery on August 15th, so I need to be free to help take care of her. This just gives me more time to get things done for February.

  Anyway, I have done a cardboard mock-up of the game board in order to see how the scenario plays and to help with making the game board.

   

















       The photo on the left is the exit board, that blue line is the exit the Fellowship have to go out of. The right photo show the 3 entrances the Goblins and the Balrog may com in on, their choice. It is the full Fellowship vs 24 Goblins & the Balrog. 10 Goblins a turn may come in after the Fellowship sets up (Turn 1), then on turn 2, 10 more Goblins and on Turn 3, last 4 Goblins and the Balrog. The original scenario was published in the first rulebook in the first boxed set. The Fellowship of the Ring (pages 70-71). So far I plan to use the Fellowship and the Balrog as written up in the hardbound rule book, The Lord of the Rings - A Strategy Battle Game. 

  Having not been able to play games recently I ran a couple of solo games of the scenario, trying different strategies. This led to the following sets of photos....Oh and the brown patches are piles of rubble.

Boromir has won (!?!) a fight against the Balrog and pushed him back off the bridge - a lone goblin is running toward Gandalf
Gimi! Keep them moving, I have a plan.....

Run Frodo, run!
"I, Boromir of the Gondor fear you not, foul Balrog!"
"You hold him Boromir.I'll get the bridge....1...2...3...SORCEROUS BLAST!!"
"BLAST WHAT!?! Oh bugger...."

    And so Boromir, Captain of Gondor, fell in battle against the Balrog and saved the rest of the Fellowship (and winning the game!!) I played out the combat of the Balrog vs Boromir, who was cut into many pieces....
The Good side had to exit with over half the Fellowship still alive (especially Frodo) and destroy the bridge, which Gandalf did. Being a gamer I was sure that is how many people would have done it....Sacrificing Boromir for the win as Legolas and Aragorn had already fallen. Bit of fun that!

TTFN

Almost forgot....here are some photos of a terrain piece a friend made for me...can you recognize it?  :)