Last two games played for this year

Managed to squeeze in a couple of games of Sentinels of the Multiverse before the end of the decade, sadly with all to familiar results. We tried out 2 villains that we had not fought before, and watch of us took on a hero that we had not played before.

Well the chosen heroes were good, however the villains worked out to counter any good aspects that they had. On the plus side they dispatched us with such speed that we were able to play two games and still have spare time.

It does mean that in 2019 we played board games at least 75 times, and we played 37 different games.
Sentinels certainly stands out as the most played games, at 24 times.

Pulp Alley and What a Tanker were the most played miniature games in 2019.

I was also able to play a few games of the RPG Chivalry & Sorcery, a long time favorite of  mine. We got through one introductory adventure, that explored the hidden background of the main character, and opened up a major reworking, and deeper exploration of the world.

Another board game weekend, and catching up on some other recently played board games

This weekend we set up another game of Defenders of the Realm. It went a lot longer than the first time we played it and it felt like we had a better chance to win, despite some bad dice rolls, and disjointed tactics by me. We still lost, but had killed one general, so, better than last time.

Future project?!?

 Not certain what I will do with this, but who doesn't need a 16" Godzilla!

Godzilla resting on my easy chair in the game room, after all if you are Godzilla you pretty much sit where you want to!

Another nice item from Value Village (the radar dish is from my parts box)

This certainly has seen better days, but I think there is enough to make something from it. It is missing some doors, and maybe some weapons (I see holes that I assume would hold weapons)
Certainly good bones, and doors and weapons can easily be replaced.

What to do, what to do? (Subtitle: A privilege problem)

As 2019 draws to a close, I ponder the imponderable, what shall I do in the new year?
This is no mere traditional end of a year/new year resolution thing (I do not like traditions, particularly the whole tradition of New Year resolutions). It is true, that I am assessing my involvement in the gaming hobby, evaluating my interest level and trying to come up with some idea of what I will do in the new year. I'm sure you know the thought patterns; what will I work on, should I just play board games, how do I motivate myself to tackle the unpainted pile, how do I become more productive, will I ever pick up a paint brush again, that sort of thing.

Beyond the whole gaming introverted navel gazing, another non gaming matter is impacting on my life, namely that as of January 2020 I transition from the ranks of the employed to a retired man of leisure.

UPDATE 12/22

It's a bug hunt

This past weekends game day turned out to be a board game day. While the siege game was indeed still set up, the participants decided to forgo playing it out to it's conclusion. Instead the Aliens board game occupied most of the afternoon! Who am I to argue?

It's baaackk!

The powers that be have seen fit to return the missing part. Keen eyes will no doubt note that this is essentially the same picture that I previously used, just filtered a bit differently. Rest assured the actual part has returned to me, appearing before my eyes on the floor. The fact that I was finally cleaning my room just prior to a Saturday game day surly had nothing to do with it, as I still maintain that it was poltergeists!  Certainly where it appeared was at least three feet, and on the other side of the table from where I sat and where I had placed the part originally.

Once found I immediately reunited the part with the other piece in the pictured container.

I would of course show you a picture of the two together, if not for the fact that two days after the return of the missing part, I , well, I seem to have somehow mislaid the container. Surely the spirits would not be so cruel as to take it a second time.

Well at least they are together once again, somewhere in my room....

Sigh!

ULLA!

No one would have believed in the last days of November 2019, that Martian forces that had for so long remained unassembled, and buried in boxes would soon see the light of day as fully built and primed models. Few friends even considered the possibility that I could start and finish a project, and yet for reasons only minds immeasurably superior to mine, could fathom, I started to think about the game All Quiet on the Martian Front. I started to regard the pictures of the great work done by other gamers, with envious eyes, and slowly, and surely, I drew up my plans, to work on my collection.

First I got the music to listen to while I worked. Next I located the unassembled miniatures, all that was remained was the motivation.

Guess what, I found that too!

Excuse for only priming about 30 figures today

Another great day for priming, something like 5 degrees Celsius, so with the heater on in the garage it would be okay, but  it was also a good day to decorate the house. I gave in and went with the house decorating, should annoy the neighbors a lot more and for longer...

Saturday, primarily a priming day

Who knew you could over exert oneself snipping bits of metal off of the feet of metal miniatures...?

Bombs awaaaayyyy! The siege has begun.

The long delayed siege game was started at last.

We used Tactica siege rules, and translated Orcs and Dwarfs into the system. All the siege towers were scratch built many, many years ago, as was the hoarding, and the mantlets.  Some items weather the ravages of time better than others, but none escaped any damage. The walls are of course the old Warhammer mighty fortress walls. GW also supplied the defenders weapons, most of the attackers and defenders, and the classic cardboard buildings.

Day two of the great search

Well, 24 hours later and still no sign of the missing part!
As you can see, I have carefully placed the remaining piece in a sealed plastic container.

It's happened again...

Scene of the extra dimensional event

...but this time I know I did not move!
Therefore I can assume I have finally witnessed, and can confirm the existence of micro wormholes.

Once more unto the breach...

So here is the last(hopefully) set up of the now infamous siege game. The plan remains to use the Tactica Medieval Rulebook, siege rules for the game. It was easy to adapt the fantasy elements of the game to those rules, and the rules look like they should provide a quick game.

Space Cadets awaaaayyyy

Another Saturday come and gone, no miniature game, but the gift of trying out a new (to me) board game.

Another Wednesday, another board game night

We wound up playing two games on Wednesday night, we started off with Villagers Attack, and ended the night with Sentinels of the Multiverse.
 
Fresh from losing at Villagers Attack last week, we tried it again this week. It was a sound theory from my gaming partner, to try a game again that we were still familiar with, to see if it is really as bad as I think. I mean it is possible that I have missed some nuance of the game, and that repeated play will make it 'better'. Well this time around I am thinking this is just not a game for me.

Yet another dollar store find

I have been deliberately trying to avoid the dollar store, as I keep finding stuff, that I then buy and store for future use. As a result of this buying habit I have accumulated a very large collection of:

"I am sure this will come in handy someday"

So today I found myself in a Dollarama for some boxes, when, well, my eyes strayed away from the target and found this 9" x 12" peel and stick 'tile'.

Latest board game night

Just finished (1 AM) another board game night. It was another somewhat impromptu night deciding what we would play when we got together. Tonight, er last night, saw us play two games, Village Attacks and Dark Gothic.

I see an evil genius tapping some thermo energy to further some nefarious plan

A small find but could be a nice find. Found this at a local Value Village. Hopefully a quick paint job will see this go from toy to a seething cauldron of potentially explosive energy!

Return to VSF?

Found this at Fandom II just the other day. I may well have seen this at the store when it first came out, really not certain, I do know that I saw it online a couple of years back, and really liked the look of it, but I just could not rationalize the cost.

Return to Cairo

Recently picked up some more buildings, and some paved areas, medians, and walls from Crescent Root and was really keen to set them up with my older purchases. I had always wanted to add to my collection as I really liked the gate and towers, but when I found out that the line was about to be retired I realized that I would have to strike quickly or miss out!

Future, future project

Found in a second hand store in Ottawa.

Pulp Alley Zombie

Pre-game zombie action pictures.

I'm Baaacck....

Sort of.

Sort of because I was never truly gone, been here all summer, but then again I have not posted for months.

Why?

I have not posted because I have not had much to say. This summer has been largely devoid of miniature gaming, or any activity related to miniature gaming.

More work done towards quick siege game

Background info:
Back in the 80's and 90's I got into Warhammer, played a lot of games, bought a fortress or two, and built a lot of siege equipment, kits and from scratch. It has been three, maybe four moves since I last did any real fantasy gaming. My collection has been packed and unpacked moved and jostled many times, each time causing varying amounts of damage.

Siege time, and a need to rebuild

Last year at Cangames, I was able to buy a complete, assembled collection of old Warhammer cardboard buildings. They are very well done, they have been braced, and based, and have a real nostalgic feel to them. They also go well with my mighty fortress, released around the same time. There are 39 buildings/bridges,tents etc, and I have managed to jam them all onto the table. So, it is time to do a siege, something I have not done in a long time.

Look what just arrived!!

Promised for June, delivered in May, best Kickstarter ever!

Cangames aquisitions

  Some of this years purchases!

So another year and another Cangames convention has come and gone. As usual it is the stuff that is for sale that draws me to the event, that and a chance to scope out the state of the gaming scene in Ottawa. This was the 43rd annual convention, I still remember stumbling upon the first convention all those years ago back in 1977!!!

New how to make a mat, posted on my painting and building blog

I finlly start work on a 'fur' mat.

What a Tanker second time playing this game.

 This past weekend we were able to play three miniature games and one board game, not bad for the group! Already posted pics of the Chaos in Carpathia game, working on the Pulp Alley game AAR, and here is the third game What a Tanker!

First Chaos in Carpathia game in many years

It has been many years since we last tried this game, and I figured it was long over due for another test. Three players fought in out in this one, in a variation of one of the Cairo scenarios.
Set up saw one random character from each group placed in the centre of the table while members of their group formed up some distance behind them. There was no subtlety in this scenario, just fighting! As such it was a good test of the combat rules but, of course, did  not allow us to explore any other aspects of the game, but combat is what I wanted to see!

Pulp Alley - Caravan Attack

Not a comic book report this time, as too few pictures were taken. The game was an interesting game that pitted a regular league, The agents of OZ vs Frankie and her boys, a new league that I had recently made. The new league is a challenging league to play, one leader with no shoot or brawl, but 5D10 dodge,and the swarm ability and three Allies each with an extra ability (companions perk) , and each with either the goon or beast ability, and therefore no ability to complete plot points!

First go at What a Tanker!

Saw this game in action at Hotlead, and thought it looked like it might be fun to play, and you know what it is! It is a game with a lot of random elements to it, so it could be frustrating for some, but I like the chaos, the fact that your best laid plans can be ruined by poor command dice rolls, just when you see the enemy in the open ahead of you, you fail to get the acquire or aim dice that you need or worse everything but the fire die!

Hotlead 2019 in pictures Part 3 of 3

My final picture posting of Hotlead. After reviewing part 1 and 2 I realize that I teased everyone with only one picture of the 1/32 scale What a Tanker game. Well, I took a lot more pictures than just the one shot, so just as this photo odyssey started with that game, this last posting shall end with it.

Hotlead 2019 part two of three

Part two of my picture posting of Hotlead 2019.

Hotlead, March 29th - March 31 2019 my pictures of the convention games part 1 of 3

What a Tanker game in 1/32 scale!

 
Just back from a trip down to Stratford Ontario to check out the gaming action in Southern Ontario. Only my second time making the 6 hour trek to the show, but both times the drive was worth it! Excellent convention, great array of games being played, and a great one day bring and buy, which to be honest is the main motivator for me attending.

Fellowship of the ring, first two scenarios for the Lord of the Rings strategy battle game (2005)

So, I have had this game just kicking around ever since it was first released, just never played it! Over the years I have picked up a fair amount of the miniatures, many at a significant discount, all with the plan to play out all of the scenarios in the three companion books to the main rules. Finally got around to it this past weekend.

It was a good day today

A trip to Value Village and a Dollarama store, a location that I do not visit often, has netted me a fine catch! A submarine, a hill/escarpment, Bonsai trees and hair clippers (for my teddy bear fur battle mat project).

Possible game mat for Congo games

So, found this at the Dollarama store. It is a soft furry throw blanket.
To me of course it looks like possible material for grass lands. At only $4.00 for a 50" x 60" mat, I figure it was priced right to experiment. Now I have been thinking of making a teddy bear fur gaming mat, but I have just never gotten around to it, even though I have some that was bought at a particularly good sale price.

Lemuria scenario Caravan attack episode 3 (to be played)

Terror troops stand ready to attack the helpless refugee caravan that is led by high priestess Iloracen.
Can anyone save them....

Some more pages from the Flora and Fauna book of Lemuria

Recently located these additional pages illustrating the denizens of Lemuria.

Pulp Alley The Lemurian Campaign: Chapter 1 Arena of Terror

Our first Pulp Alley game of the new year, playing the first scenario of our new campaign, in our version of The Lost World of Lemuria!

Three leagues have arrived in Lemuria via various different routes, but all have been captured by the locals, and have been sent to the Arena of Terror to fight it out with each other, and the arena beasts! However the leagues, uncertain of the lay of the land, have decided to band together to confront what ever terrors might appear to fight them.
 

Unexpected, but should not have been "Easter" egg find

A while ago I made a find in a dollar store, this dinosaur egg, that contains a dino skeleton. I actually bought this for the egg, it had an interesting texture to it and I thought it might work as a hull of a boat. Unfortunately it did not open up the way I hoped. At any rate I figured at least I had some bones for an archeological dig. 

Some of the flora and fauna of Lemuria

Prep work for PA Lemuria campaign

Countdown to the start of the campaign, game to be played January 19th 2019.

The Queen

Pulp Alley game set in Venice updated Jan 17 2019 with ending pages

This game was played just before Christmas of 2018, and was an opportunity for players to test out their leagues for the up coming Lemuria campaign, set to commence on January 19th 2019.
It was also a chance for me to test out some scenario ideas.

I discuss the scenario in detail after part one...