Last 2 Weeks

I've been back to Lancaster Wargames Club again these last two weeks and played a couple of new rule sets (Exciting!!).

Overview of board

Last week I joined in a 6 player game of Dracula's America. Set in the post American Civil War USA,the basic rules are basically Wild West (we didn't play any undead etc). I'm not sure but it did not seem massively deadly and almost impossible to actually get an outright kill. However I think this may have been due to a misunderstanding with regards save rolls. (We were saving with fails being per hit rather than the amount below the save value).

Left Flank - Nutter running across the street - survived and ran back.

With a lot of these games (this one included) there is an error in the set up of terrain - no one wants to cross the "valley of death" (or street as in this example). So it almost just becomes dice wars.

Having said that the card mechanic by which you drew 4 cards for a turn then bid with your cards for where you were to go in the turn had a good blend of luck and game theory.

This week myself and AE played our first game of Rommel. (Unfortunately I forgot my camera so no pictures). So we felt we could judge the rules correctly we played a scenario which was half based off the Breakthrough mission and a Spearkrieg game we played a few year ago over the Battle of Prokhorovka. Scaled down we played 1st SS Panzer Grenadiers against 52nd Guards Rifle Division.

The game worked well with the Germans having to peel a way through the defensive lines (reinforced by the "Workers to the Front" event. Maybe I wasn't sufficiently aggressive early doors (new game syndrome) and it took a while to get through. Eventually a whole appeared and I was able to widen it out. By turn 15 the aggressive use of Recce, Armour and Armoured Infantry allowed me to take an objective where we called it.

Things we learned:

• Tactics and defences really help to reduce casualties; in reverse the fact that my entire force was motorised meant I could evade to reduce hits against myself. As ops dice disappear and attacks are going in by brute force, combat becomes more deadly.
• If you can lure an attack onto yourself and pinning attack has already been used and surprise attack isn't in effect then withdraw is a really good way to make your opponent burn and waste ops dice.
• Recce units with their free scout turns are really useful (even with a 50% success rate). I had a full battalion of recce as the Germans formed their Recce units as fighting battalions which really helped.
• Always plan for the worst. I attacked a single infantry company with one remaining hit in the open with 3 stands. Missed and I hadn't left enough space to retreat. Up until this point these were my only units destroyed.
• Attacking across the narrow part of the table is grim.
• All in all the rules are simple whilst giving a seemingly historical result. Could be really interesting to battle the whole campaign although we discussed it and think we'll go for an ops sheet per division. The ebb and flow of resetting etc could be absorbing as the various attacking divisions have to pause at different times.

As a side piece I also based Schy'yrk. I'm going to do the rest of Gronne Flamme like this to complete my raiding party for Frostgrave.

Schy'yrk

Update

Still advancing through bits and bobs (any painting this week will be reward for study time on Driving Theory). I got one of the 2 Hungarian Regiments painted (still awaiting colours) and it looks good; with their red trousers they really stand out compared to the Austrian units.

I also did some more work on Sch'yyrk. Painted the base black (think I'm going to make a rubble base?) as well as repainting his shirt and breeches black which I think looks good. His boots and gloves will darken as well when I wash them in brown, whilst I'll be less heavy on the green wash on the cloak.

Any feedback is appreciated :)

Sch'yyrk Revan'tyl

I've finally got a mini for Sch'yyrk and his back story has changed a little so here it is.

Converted Mini from Frostgrave 

This was a mini I got in a Nickstarter for the Barbarians Frostgrave set - I'm regretting choosing it for this in some ways - it looks like I wanted Sch'yyrk to look except it was a woman who I've modded (with a craft knife). Now I don't care too much about that except I've got so few female minis for Frostgrave or DnD that converting one probably wasn't sensible - I'll just have to find a pack of female adventurer's online. I've also converted the (I assume) wand into a pretty vicious looking shortsword. This mini will represent Sch'yyrk out of the sun (I will be keeping my eye out for a similar model but with a heavy hood up.

The mini will have dark skin with dirty white hair, the cloak will be grey/green mottled with tan boots. A snow wolf pelt hangs around his neck.

He is now a Rogue using the Criminal background (in reality a Spy, who will evolve into an Assassin).

Sch'yyrk was brought up under the Weapon Master of a minor house, specializing in stealth and subterfuge. He always queried the way of things (for which he has received many bruises and scars) but excelled in his training.

The "Drizzt"incidents set in motion the events which have led Sch'yyrk here. Sent out to find the "traitor" and any others who  have followed the same path, Sch'yyrk discovered an abandoned camp of Drow who had fled and found teachings of the goddess Eilistraee. This discovery as well as finding the surface world to be totally unlike that taught to him back in Menzoberranzan, have led him to turning his back on the teachings of the Dark Seldarine.

Prussian Army Update

This is taking a while - with an hour here and an hour there though I'm getting there. I've done the other 2 artillery batteries and have added colours to another 3 Infantry Regiments. So I'm getting there and I've prepped the Austrians ready for undercoating. Also realised that I'm short 3 Infantry Regiments for the Austrians even I used all of the Hungarians (only 2 present at Lobositz) which is a bit of a pain.

13th IR, 17th IR, 20th IR

I managed to get a decent "furl" on my colours by using Loctite and shaping whilst dried. With Lobositz being the first battle of the war I'm going to keep the colours intact rather than shredding them as I would further in or with larger models. I picked whether to chose the "Leib" or "Regimental" colour purely on which one stood out most.

6 Regiments of Infantry backed by 2 Grenadier Regiments

I've also got the artillery done and I think it looks good - I've removed a member off one of the battalions (its not as if it looks short) to use as part of a command stand. When I do the bases on these I'll add some extra fences and things as well as wheel ruts.

Gunners!

I thought I'd get a picture showing where I'm up to - to be honest it doesn't do justice, I've done work on most of the rest of the Prussians.

The Army so far (Kuirassiers to right, solitary unit of Hussars to rear)

To recap I still need the following to finish up for Lobositz (besides painting what I have already):

• 1 Pack Austrian Infantry
• 1 Pack Prussian Kuirassiers
• 1 Pack Generals
• At least 2 packs of 3"x 1.5" bases (not sure how many I have left)
• 1 pack 1.5"x 1.5" bases for Grenzers
• Bases for command Stands

See how much this will cost (don't think a huge amount) after I've paid for massed family birthdays as well as mother's day (fortunately already got one of these decided upon with order sat ready to confirm on pay day!

This weekend I'm hoping to play DnD with a group I mentioned and we recorded our session (although I'm not sure who has it). We may be a member down so Schy'yrk may get a run out after I was unable to join in that game :( as a guide? to the party.

Sch'yyrk Revan'tyl

So tonight I am hopefully playing D&D as a player rather than as a DM, which is awesome as I am really struggling to get regular times free to do things at the moment. Anyhoo, I thought I'd post my character background here. Will thicken this up as campaign progresses.

Sch’yyrk Revan’tyl

Height	5’11”
Race	Dark Elf (Drow)
Class	Ranger (Hunter)
Deity	Eilistraee
Alignment	(True) Neutral

If it weren’t the chaos caused by Drizzt Do-urden’s return to Menzoberranzan, it is unlikely than Sch’yrk would be alive. Born as the third son of a minor house (Revan'tyl is his name by adoption), he was due to be sacrificed (as is the practice) to the god Lolth when he was smuggled away by a – to this day – unknown ally. His only memento of that time is a steel forge pendant and large scars along his arms.

Sch’yrk spent his infancy in Sshannoth, learning the ways of a Drow weapon master, before his conscience (and astonishment at the beauty of the world above) led him to flee to the surface. The actions of Drizzt may have had no small part in this way of thinking.

Since then he has wandered from town to town – taking occasional beatings for being a Drow. In response he has taken great lengths to hide his past, wearing a long grey/green mottled cloak, leather armour and a leather thong across his eyes with a single thin vision slit to protect his eyes from what is still not a natural environment on the surface. This also covers a bleached tattoo strip he has across his nose. At his hips hang twin short swords and at his back is a longbow (further evidence of his attempt to move away from his Drow heritage).

Sch’yyrk is conflicted, his upbringings as a child (and the history of his race) oppose what he has witnessed and his core beliefs. As such he is often sullen and withdrawn, seeming harsh. However, this is interspersed with seemingly random acts of kindness and occasional heroic acts. His discovery of the goddess Eilistraee (who was perceived as abhorrent within the teachings of his youth) has turned his thinking somewhat (previously he avoided other Drow at all costs) to see the Drow as manipulated by the Dark Seldarine – could others be taught the ways she can offer.

Sch’yyrk is tall for a Drow at 5’11” but has the usual dark skin of his people. His eyes are a deep purple whilst his ears are not as elongate as you would expect from an elf of any kind.