Thorgrimm's Return! (a 40k post)

A little something different today, a 40k post.  Yesterday I went down to the corner store (AetherStorm Games) for a little 40k Tournament. 

This event was a little different from the standard fare that is usually run down there.  This event was an effort to raise some Toys for the local Toy Drive through Lower Township.

The event was a good turn out, one of the local radio stations covered the event and we had 12 players show up.  Which is good considering the local event usually only gets about 8 on average.

After much debate (with myself, which is quite a site) I decided to give the Iron Warriors a little break and dust off my Space Wolves.  With more than 10000 points painted, I thought I should be able to come up with something at least viable.

I must have left the list at the store, but here is the general make up from memory:

1850 Points

HQ: Wolf Lord Thorgrimm, in Runic Armor, Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Space Marine Bike,

Saga of the Beast Slayer

HQ: Wolf Priest on a Bike

Troop: 10x Grey Hunters with a pair of Melta and all the other goodies in a Drop Pod

Troop: 10x Grey Hunters with a pair of Plasma and all the other goodies in a Drop Pod

Troop: 8x Blood Claws with a Flamer, Plasma Pistol, Power Axe in a Drop Pod, with a Wolf Guard in Terminator Armor with combi-PG and Power Fist

Elite: 5 Wolf Scouts with Melta

Elite: 5 Terminator Wolf Guard in a Pod with a couple of Combi-PG an Assault Cannon, and a Fist

Fast Attack: Bike Squad with Attack Bike, Melta gun, Melta Bombs, Power Fist, Wolfguard with Combi-MG and a Power Fist

Fast Attack: Bike Squad with Attack Bike, Melta Bombs, Power Fist

My Thought was to overwhelm my opponent and quickly cripple my opponents forces.  Well that was the thought...

First round challenges came up, and I was challenged by some young upstart named Brandon who also plays Space Wolves, the young man wanted to challenge the Alpha Wolf!

His list was quite different from mine.  Crusader with Blood Claws, Pod with Grey Hunters, 2x Long Fang packs, couple Rhino units. 

The game was an absolute blood bath as one would expect from a Wolf vs. Wolf battle.  My Wolf Scouts were actually the ones to gain me first blood with the destruction of a Razorback

At the end of the game I won holding 2 objectives, I also had First Blood, Line Breaker, and Slay the Warlord giving me a solid 12 points going into round two.

I should note here that for this tournament we were using the Mechanicon style points system for Battle Points.  I find this a superior system as Power lists are not as reliable, because we don't use a win-loss system.  It's all about the amount of Battle Points you manage to gain, and pairings are done that way.  This leads to interesting pairings, and interesting games.

Above you can see me pushing hard I don't think he managed to get out of his deployment zone the whole game.

The down side to doing well in your first game, is the pairing you have to face in game two.  In this case it was an Eldar list.  Farseer, and Council all on bikes, Dire Avengers x3 all in Transports, a Trio of Walkers, and 3 heavy support skimmers with the Torrent weapon thingy...   Now before I even continue, you should all know I hate the Eldar.  No, you don't understand, I really, really hate the Eldar.  I will never even paint one.  Now Josh (the young man playing this army) is a nice kid, he typically plays up the road at Jester's Playhouse.  He tends to play the flavor of the month and I swear he designs his lists just in an effort to stir me up.

Anyway, I won the roll off for first turn.  I decided that all was lost if the Farseer didn't die immediately so I deep struck my 2 pods in, bringing my Plasma GH pack and the Terminator pack and just pushed forward as hard and fast as my bikes would travel.

Then it happened, I caused enough wounds through his stupid invuln saves to force a break check, he responded with box cars and fled off the board.  Now the real problem is after first turn I chased over 800 points off the board and I still struggled the whole game.  The Eldar are stupid.  They break all the rules of the universe and is one of the reasons why I am so frustrated with 6th edition.  Anyway, at the end of the day no troops survived on either side and I won 3-2 with First blood and Slay the Warlord, his two points were from Slay the Warlord.

Well, after such a minor win I was looking forward to a relaxing 3rd game, maybe vs. the disgusting Mechguard list that was floating around.  

But nooooooo, I would have to face against Stephen's Eldar!!! fuck...

His list had a Farseer and a Council on foot, some Aspect Warriors in the form of Howling Banshees, Fire Dragons, Dire Avengers, two squads of Guardians, all the Transports he could manage, a Fire Prism, and of course that giant Knight thing.  Oh and his army Warlord was that special character Autarch guy.

His army is for the most part painted quite nicely (its not finished yet). but have I mentioned that I hate the Eldar?  Anyway, again I got the first turn and went for the same tactic.  Go for the Farseer and Seer Council.  I killed 8 of the 9 leaving his Farseer and 1 Warlock alive.  They however passed their leadership and stuck around. 

Oddly enough, Russ saw fit to reward our bravery and his last Warlock died to a perils of the warp also awarding me with first blood!

This game was another blood bath, with Thorgrimm taking out the big Knight guy in close combat, and ending the game locked in combat with his Warlord (we are now sworn enemies)

I held a 4 point objective and took another minor win with 7 points to 0.

So thus ended the day with 3 wins, but nothing convincing enough to place.  Not a bad day considering my match ups.

I have a bit of a rant to go on with my thoughts concerning the current state of affairs 40k is in with 6th edition, but sadly that is for another time as I must get to work.

Next up another Mordheim update.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

A Kragensburg update, just some stuff I've been working on

I said I needed some scatter terrain.  Well here is the set I ordered (I actually got two, the other is still in the box), they came in on Wednesday!  I think I said they were from Infinity.  I was wrong, or the seller on Ebay was wrong.  They are from Micro Mini.  A nice set, all resin, not a whole lot of flash on them.  After a quick wash, and some scraping I primed them black then gave them a coat of Brown Army Painter spray.  When I hit them with the brown, I didn't give it a very thick coat, as I wanted to leave some of the black showing as a sort of shading.  Worked out pretty well I think.
Next I'll put some details on them, a quick coat of wash on the bags, and done.

I have also been working on more miniatures to populate my town as NPCs

Above we have the Grave Digger from Reaper.  He is the metal version of this model.  One of my favorites from Reaper truth be told.  A simple paint job, but I think he painted up nicely.  I have his Ogre companion primed and ready for paint as well.

I also finally got around to opening up and taking a closer look at my figures from Lead Adventures.  Here you can see one of them mounted on his base.  I love this company, the models are clean with crisp details, the one pictures below has had no work done to it other than gluing it to its base.  Hardly any flash at all.

Above we have one that I painted up, nice detail.  I played around with this guy for about an hour, simply enjoying the model.  Kind of silly I guess on a simple Villager, but I have just been getting a little caught up with this project.  That's a sack he has slung over his shoulder, might be a bit hard to tell from this angle.

I also started some work on some pieces for objectives or key mission pieces, below you can see a baggage cart

I think the name of the company is Blue Moon miniatures, I'd have to double check if anyone wants to know specifically.  The cart itself isn't too bad, the horses are one piece metal, and had lots of flash to be removed, they are a little smaller that GW scale, but once I mounted them you can hardly tell.  I also think that a piece of the hitch was missing, but again not a big deal, I simply glued a piece of balsa wood in its place, problem solved.  The cart itself has been mounted on a piece of movement tray cut to fit as a base for the miniature.  I think it will paint up nicely.

I guess that's about it for now, I'm itching to get back to working on this stuff, but there is a Tournament at AetherStorm games tomorrow and I still don't have a list written up...

Practice, Practice, Practice...

Yesterday I got a few practice games of Mordheim in, as I am trying to re-familiarize myself to the rules.
I also wanted to check out my board layout at this point to see what still needs to be added.

Above we have Kragensburg as it stands now.  While I like the density, I really need more scatter terrain.  

So of course me, being me, I ordered some.  I found a nice kit by Infinity online, so got 2 sets of it.  They should be in by the end of the week.

Anyway, on the South side of the wall, you can see "Old Towne" most of which lies in ruin, as border skirmishes, and Chaos raids have happened over the centuries, the borders of the town itself have changed, new walls and buildings constructed over old ect... 

The Castle wall represents the border to "New Towne" right now I only have a Manor House on that side, but that will change as I am still waiting for my order from Armorcast which has 3 cottages, and a town well.

As I shift south and add a second board, there will be an ancient cemetery, a shrine to chaos, along with more ruins, hills and some forest as we head from the mountain area and towards the foothills of the Middle Mountains.

I managed to get 3 games in yesterday with my old Reiklanders Warband, they were led by Lt. Bombay under orders from Captain Kallilor to scout the area and set up a base of operations for their future ventures.

Lt. Bombay found an ideal spot, unfortunately a group of Dwarven Treasure Hunters were eye-balling the same territory out in the ruins of Old Towne. 

We played the 3 games in a sort of mini-campaign so I could play with the after action stuff as well as get the hang of the rules.

I didn't take many pictures though, as the Dwarves were unpainted, and I was more focused on game play than doing any real battle report.

Above you can see a quick picture of my Warband after 3 games.  I quickly hired a Wizard after the first game, and after the 2nd game added the Free Lancer.  This proved to be critical as after the second game Lt. Bombay suffered an injury and had to sit out game 3.

I wasn't sure how balanced things would be against the Dwarves, but I think things turned out well over-all.  I had a ton of shooting, but the hardiness of the Dwarf Treasure Hunters allowed him to take a lot of punishment.

I'm still getting the hang of this new PC, but I played with the map just a bit, and managed to pinpoint Kragensburg on the map

I know, not the best, but as I have more time and actually get a mouse rather than working with the stupid pad on the laptop, I will play with it more, and maybe even add more details.

So, I had a discussion with my buddy Les last eve, and he said he reviewed my rules.  They all got his approval with one notable exception.  He raised concerns about the Hochland Bandits Warband.  This Warband comes from the Nemesis Crown Expansion, and while it has a lot of character many of the rules seem a bit, well off or unbalanced.

After our discussion I have to say that I agree, and my knee-jerk reaction was to just pull the Warband from the list.  Les has a lot more experience with Mordheim than most in my area, and also comes from a Magic background, so certainly knows how to crunch a rules set and find the combos.

One player however has already expressed a desire to play the Hochland Bandits already, and seems pretty pumped about it.

I think what I'm going to do, is play test them myself in the next week or so.  I think in the end I may allow them, but with a tweaking of the rules.

Right now I'm thinking of dropping the Foraging rule, the Huckster and the Poachers.  The area is just too dangerous for the Huckster to want to hang out in, and the town is considered cursed by the Hunters of Hochland, who refuse to go into the region so close to the Brass Keep for fear of becoming cursed by Chaos themselves.  So with no Poachers, there is no one in the warband to forage.  

I think that will solve the problem, while still allowing for a characterful Warband that can represent a group of Bandits in the area.

Populating a City

I recently got my Lead Adventures order all the way from Germany

In an age where plastic and resin is all the rage, I'm really excited about this line of miniatures, as they are all metal.  They are very characterful, very detailed, and very suited to Mordheim game play.  I cant recommend them enough. http://www.lead-adventure.com/  check out their online store if you are looking for some ideas on a Warband.

Myself I am going to place another order with them, but that is for another post.

So, what have I been up to, preparing for the campaign?

Come right in and let me show you around. (sorry about photo quality, I've been using my cell phone)

I have been playing around with the new Bones miniatures line by Reaper.  While not the best miniatures I have ever painted, they are extremely cheap and paint up quickly.  I did some research prior to painting the Bones Minis, and in the end decided to break the rules.  

They all get a prime coat of a black spray.  This does leave the model a little tacky as the spray paint doesn't completely cure on the model.  But I found that once I paint the model with a good base coat, then wash and apply highlights, the model finishes decently enough.  Then of course I break another Bones mini rule and apply a clear coat. 

 Above you can see one of my "Ladies of the evening"  she is standing out in front of my freshly painted Manor House.

Next up we have a shot of the Manor House with a woman out front sweeping, the Black Smith, and of course a few Guards out front.  

Here is a Money Changer, Lender, Tax Collector, Pay Master, whatever.  I am sure he has a role to play in the upcoming campaign especially with such a large chest of coin!  He is a long out of print Pay Master for the Dogs of War from WHFB.

A close up of some village folk hard at work.

And finally above we have a The Hermit.  He was a promotional Scibor Miniature from the WarStore Weekend in 2012 that I figured I would press into service.  A bit of an odd sculpt, but he was free, so what the hell...

I'm looking to get a couple of practice games in here shortly, just so I can get back into the swing of the rules set, and to test out some of my house rules.  I'm particularly interested to see how the strength table shift for armor modifiers works out.

I'll be sure to snap a few photos you can all see how my table is coming along.

Welcome to Kragensburg, a WHFB skirmish campaign using the Mordheim Rules set

Welcome to Kragensburg a walled city located in the Southeastern most part of the Middle Mountains of the Empire.  Shown below is a map of Middenland, Kragensburg itself is not shown on the map, but is about 35 miles Southeast of the Brass Keep.  The city itself sits in an area bordered by Nordland, Hochland, Middenland, and Ostland and has been the subject of many border skirmishes.

Kragensburg with its location sitting on so many borders has been fought over for many centuries, destroyed and rebuilt many times.  The city is a favorite place for Mercenaries, Adventurers, and other less savory sorts to seek their fortune, or hide from the authorities.

The estimated start date for the campaign is February, but I may shoot for an earlier start as I am ahead of schedule with my terrain building.

I am limiting this campaign to 10 players, most games will be played on a 4x12 with each player having their own objectives and coexisting in our little section of the Empire, fighting and assisting each other as suits their individual goals and objectives.

The Warbands

• Reikland
• Middenheim
• Marienburg
• Witch Hunters
• Sisters of Sigmar
• Undead
• Skaven
• Cult of the Possessed
• Carnival of Chaos
• Beastman Raiders
• Dwarf Treasure Hunters
• Marauders of Chaos (Follow the Darkest Tribes rules are not in use)

The House Rules

• All intact buildings are impassable terrain, all doors have been magically locked by local wizards protecting the citizens of Kragensburg, NPC characters can of course enter buildings at the Game Masters discretion (exceptions to this rule will be clearly stated)
• All other Empire in Flames terrain rules are in effect.  Note that all hills are considered difficult ground when changing levels.
• The Critical Wound charts at the back of the Mordheim rule book are in effect
• Escape from Combat rules in effect
• Rewards of the Shadowlord in effect
• Black powder weapon misfire chart in effect
• Mounted warriors rules as per the Mordheim rule book.
• The Sling provides a +1 to a warriors armor save when saving against a wound from this weapon
• Armor and Injuries: If a Hero rolls a death result on the injury chart there is a chance his armor will save him.  The Hero is allowed an armor save in this case and if the save is made death has been avoided!  For Henchmen, if they die after a game, they too are allowed an armor save.  If the save is passed, they are allowed a 2nd chance to live and a re-roll is made.
•  The Armor Save Modifier Chart is being shifted by one, so penalties do not begin until S5.
• WYSIWYG is going to be enforced within reason, if you are not sure if something is appropriately represented check with me.
• ALL MODELS WILL BE PAINTED!  I have been spending an incredible amount of time working on terrain, and models to populate the city I expect everyone playing in this campaign to have their Warband fully painted.  This includes later additions and the hiring of sell swords, so plan accordingly.
• I will be using the Blood Pact rules, however not all Hired Swords will form such a bond with all Warbands, so check with me before making any rolls.

The Hired Swords 

• Pit Fighter
• Ogre Bodyguard
• Halfling Scout
• Warlock
• Freelancer
• Elf Ranger
• Dwarf Troll Slayer
• Grave Robber
• Bard
• Beast Hunter
• Road Warden
• Highwayman
• Old Prospector
• Human Scout
• Runesmith Journeyman

I think that's it for now, I will post more as I think of it.  Please any questions don't hesitate to ask.  Next I'll post some pictures of what I've been up to!

A New Start...

Well it has been awhile since my last post, but PC issues have kept me from blogging proper.  That however, does not mean I haven't been busy on the hobby front.  I have been quite busy, playing 40k, attending the Mechanicon GT and generally causing all sorts of mayhem with my Iron Warriors Chaos army.

It is now that time a year, when a specialist game takes up the vast majority of my hobby time.  Some of you may remember my Necromunda campaign from last year, well this year it's Mordheim.

No, I'm not giving up on Necromunda, I have lots planned for a future campaign, it's just time for something fresh, and I have a Fantasy itch to scratch and a good Mordheim Campaign always does the trick.

I have been hard at work on building a table, and will be running the campaign out of my local game shop, Aetherstorm Games.  Excitement is already being generated even though I don't plan on actually starting the campaign until after the holidays.

I will post some campaign details this evening, and will get some WIP pictures of my city, and its populace as well, so stay tuned, there is lots more to come.