Objective Markers - Flag Bases

   For my game at  Gateway 2012 coming real soon now, I needed some objective markers for the 1st scenario, the First Assault on Cair Andros. Depending how many of these are secured by either the Good or Bad side will effect troop set-up in the 2nd game. So what to do....

  



 These are 30mm plastic round bases. I glued in a length of brass rod.  as the centers were recessed, I wanted to add some short of texture help it look good. So a friend of mine, Harold, who is far and away better in using that 2 part epoxy stuff than me, offered his services to make a textured base for not only these but for the bases of the statues.

 

 

   I added a Gondorian shield to one and a spear point (of shorts, I told you I'm not very good) on the other. Then black primed them and painted the stones gray & white, poles brown and the Gondorian shield it's usual black & white.

    You can see one of them finished in this photo of what is going to be the ruined keep area. I just printed the flag in color, touched it up with some paint and it's done! The other one will be finished soon. And in my next installment I will cover the statues.

TTFN

The Assault on Cair Andros

Very soon now, it will be time for the last Strategicon Game Convention for this year, Gateway 2012. And I am running Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Games on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will be The First Assault on Cair Andros for the Seige of Gondor supplement and on Sunday, the Second Assault.  Here are som photos of what the baord will look like, the area is only 4' x 4'.

One corner of the board has the one remaining intact keep at Cair Andros. Instead of making a keep, a friend suggested just using part of the Minas Tirith set to make it. And it looks good and I believe it will look very good on the table. After all, it has that "Gondorian" look about it.

 Another view of the layout. I like to do a set-up before the Con in order to see have things look and if any corrections are needed. The wooden wall is a fortress I got at a earlier Strategicon Flea Market of all places! I can be set up as a wall or square fort.

 Another view showing the rocks shown in the Layout map. I don't have alot of these but I don't know how important they will be.

 This shot shows the intact and ruined keep (in the other corner) which has one of the objective markers in it (more about these in another bolg). Also visiable is a statue, which is another objective marker,

 Back of the wooden wall. They will be ladders up during the game for the defenders to use.

"Knock - Knock"! Who is it?

 Part of the ruined keep with objective marker. I plan to add more to the area when running the game, like rocks, etc. as this area is "difficult terrain".

The objective markers and the statues are going to be the subject of a "How I did it" bolg real-soon-now. I just have to get the photos, etc. together.

TTFN

What's Done for June!

I'm back! After beginning out of comission for awhile due to a bad back, I am getting better and getting back to work on stuff..

Finished WWI German Infantry & NCO's - Figures by PULP Miniatures German Seebataillon

A close up of the same figures - one guy has glasses!

APE-X Super Villain by REAPER Miniatures - To be used with AE:WWII rules

I am getting more stuff done now that I can sit in a chair for awhile. I am getting started on the few figures I need for my Lord of the Rings Game at the September Game Con. I have started painting Faramir and Damrod, more Morannon Orcs and I need a couple of banners for the Gondorians. I also need several "objective markers" for this battle. A friend of mine has offered to do the terrain on the marker base.  I will be posting pictures soon of the wooden fortress I have that I am going to use for Cair Andros.

TTFN

Gamex May 2012

Now that Strategicon - Gamex 2012 is over, it's time for a brief report and some photos of the games! But first, a little background - at Haleth's Steading (farm) a group of Rohan Warriors are trying to fend off an attack by forces of Isengard (Uruk-hai and Orcs).  If they can kill 50%+ of the the attackers, that will force them to roll each turn for the game ending, on 1-2 on a d6.

At the rear of the steading, some of the forces of Rohan await the attack of the forces of Isengard

First Blood to the Rohan archers!

Orcs prepare to assault the wall

After several rounds of melee -The Orcs are rolling hot for melee, the Rohan, not so good, even with wall in the way.

WE ARE THE FIGHTING URUK-HAI!!

After many turns of melee, the Uruks manage to get over the wall...

The courage of Rohan is no match for the Uruk-Hai. One of the farmers comes out to help..too late!

By the way, the Rohan figure in the foreground survived this attack (once) losing the fight and was hit with 6 attacks (!!) , all of which failed to wound! Had he survived, Captain material for sure.

   These are all photos of the Saturday game. The Forces of Isengard won both days, but it was a much more drawn out game on Sunday. Photos for the whole game con can be seen at:

http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/bb44/juggernought57/Strategicon%20Game%20Convention%202012/Gamex%20May%202012/

   The Sunday photo also show Erkenbrand (Rohan figure with a white base) at last falling with a ring of dead foes around him surrounded by Uruk-Hai and their captain Gogdush (both had NO Might left during this combat). I have my Good Forces Captains, etc. painted with a white base edge and of course, Evil has a black edge. The Sunday game also had a LOT of tied rolls for melee. As it was just myself and one other player (a great player who has played in my games before) we just rolled of, one d6 each, as opposed to how it is done in the rules. We matched dice rolls on one combat's dice-off  3 times and I stated "If we tie again, our dice will implode!"

  Even tho it was only one player both Saturday and Sunday, they had both played in my LOTR many times before and I had a great time! Quality can be better sometimes than quantity.  My plans for the next Strategicon in September, Gateway 2012, is to run the First and Second Assault on Cair Andros from the Siege of Gondor book. I now have a wooden fort that can be made into a wall I bought at the February con. I just need to see if I have all the figures I need and get/paint those I don't.

SAY TUNED...

TTFN

More Photos- Villager/Farmers

Here are some photos of the villager/farmer types for my LOTR games

Pitchfork (looks more like a salad fork) & Staff + Sword

 2 children - one with a sling and the other with his hobby horse (what else would a Rohan child have?)

 2 of the women folk- one with bucket of water and the other, a stern motherly type

                                  Child throwing rock and a man running around screaming (HELP!!)

This is a Magic-User with staff but makes a good old man w/walking stick/staff



   All of these figures are from Mega Miniatures USA - http://www.megaminis.com/ I got them via the on-line store. No. they are not the best figures out there, but they are cheap! The child with a sling with be allowed to fire it (Range: 8"/ 5+/ hit-Str 2) and the child with the stone can throw it (Range: 6"/ 6/hit-Str 1). Neither may move and fire. The gentleman with the pitchfork can use it, but his FightValue is 1. However, the idea is to keep them alive so using them as front-line fighters isn't a good idea. But the kids could throw/shoot from inside the building.

TTFN

What's Up?

Long Time...No Blog! Anyway, I have gotten so stuff done. Above are 2 photos of the WWI German Askari's I have finished for the "TANGA 1914" project.

   And here are 2 shots of my WWI German Askari NCO's.  These and the infantry figure are form  Brigade Miniatures - Great War in Africa line. I quite like them! Now I have to finish my German infantry and German NCOs. Once those are done I will them do my British (I got both sides !)

I seem not to have take photos of the village/farmer types I painted up for Lord of the Rings. I will try to have shots of them in the future. And speaking of LOTR, that is what I am running in a couple of weeks at the May games convention - Strategicon - GAMEX 2012 (May 25th-28th). It will be Haleth's Steading -
and the description is as follows - Urk-Hai & Orcs from Isengard are rampaging throughout the Westfold! Come and play as Rohan and defend Haleth's Steading from the forces of Isengard, who seek to slay everyone at the farm in the name of the White Hand! Or play the Forces of Evil, rout the forces of Rohan and take the Steading for Saruman and Isengard! All players are welcome, novice or experienced. There will a few farmers to save or slay, depending on which side you play. The playtesting went well, and it should be a good game. And here are a few photos of that playtest...

                                               Uruks and Orcs attack the rear of the farm...


The Forces of Isengard advance!



                                                       The Men of Rohan stand ready!

                                                The battle at the rear wall grow more intense!

                                                   MEN OF ROHAN STAND FAST!!!

                                                  "AAAHHH! The Orcs are over the wall..."

                                                                  A last line of defense

                                                                 The Last Stand!

   In the playtest the forces of Isengard won but the Rohan archery rolls were terrible.  Arrows, arrows everywhere but in our enemies! Hopefully at the Con the dice rolls will be better, but that's how it goes!

   More again soon!

TTFN!

New Figures & Finished Figures

SO WHAT'S FINISHED?

   7 of these Italian CV3/33 tankettes for my Early War Flames of War Italian Army. Normally they are armed with twin MG's, but some had the MG's removed and replaced with a 20mm Anti-Tank Rifle for a little extra punch.

These in the bottom photo have the 20mm ATR.  These really are sardine cans (very little armor) with treads and have hatches only the top. Thus turning them upside-down, you couldn't get out. Against infantry they are OK, but against anything with a gun bigger than a MG they are toast! Next in line are the M11/39 tanks...

M11/39

   In this rare color photo you can see one, twin MG in a small turret and a 37mm gun in a hull placement. Again, good against infantry and maybe very lightly armored vehicles but not against a proper tank. Still, it's what they had and one must make the best of it.

NEW FIGURES

  Some figures from Mega-Miniatures at: http://www.megaminis.com/   I got these from the FANTASY Town Folk, with the exception of the "Aging Wizard" from the FANTASY- Human NPC list. I wanted these figures for village types for some of my Lord of the Rings games.

 

                                From Left to Right: Yelling Man - Woman with Bucket - Bar Keeps Wife

 Left to Right: Aging Wizard - Traveler with Staff - Farmer with Pitchfork

Left to Right: Boy throwing Rock - Boy with Sling - Child with Toy Horse

   The Child with the Toy Horse is great! After all, every Rohan child should have a toy horse, if not a real one. Have to get these painted! I plan to do a playtesting next month of my scenario for my LOTR game for the May game con. It is based on the 1st scenario from the "Scouring of the Westfold", Rohaners defending a farming stead from Uruks & Orcs from Isengard. I have a couple of adjustments to make in forces, as the 1st time I did this it was not right. With wall, ect. the defenders have alot of cover to take into account so I need to adjust the Evil forces up (that's what playtesting is all about!)

TTFN