Chillcon

Hello again.

Last weekend saw the advent of the Chillcon show, held at the Woodlands School in Allestree, Derby. I was not meant to be going, as it was time for second daughter to head off to university and I was driving, but the car was going to be so full that there could be only one (to misquote the "Highlander"), so my wife took her instead, which left me with a free day.

Anyway, whilst visiting Nephew Nick a couple of days earlier to meet my new great nephew, Edward (aka "Little Ted" or "My young apprentice" - congratulations to Nephew Nick and his wife Claire on the arrival of said baby on 12th September at over 10lbs in weight!!!), Nick got a free pass for the day too so we decided to go.

The show was spread over three halls, had a number of traders and games as usual, but a lot of the games were small, participation games, which was a bit different, with things like Taiyo Dynasties, Rattlebones, Stormhaven and Odin's Pyre all new to me and others new (-ish) on the market such as Adeptus Titanicus, Gangs of Rome and Blood & Plunder. I loved the look of Taiyo Dynasties, a mythical Japanese/ Far Eastern set up on a 2x1 foot board of cherry blossom and classic Nippon architecture. The green gorilla with double hammers and the Kung Fu Panda lookalike with the pole weapon were awesome! I have already decided that the gorilla needs to become my avatar, especially as my son calls me "Gorilla Dog" and my PlayStation name is GorillaDog67!

Anyway, a small show by some standards, but I went with a "to buy" list and stuck with it!

There were a couple of things I found very interesting about this show. I know some are done elsewhere, but one at least is unique to me.

1) As simple paying customers, we got a carrier bag of leaflets and a free Viking shield maiden figure. Also in the bag was a voucher for a discount at Sarissa Precision, which was most useful.
2) In addition to the standard carrier bag, you could pre-order a goody bag. I believe there were three sorts on offer for increasing amounts, but with figures and the like inside. The bigger offer you bought, the more you got!
3) The GAMER CARD. My carrier bag had a card in it. I had to collect two orange and four blue stickers on my card to gain entry to a prize draw. Orange stickers were issued by traders with whom you spent £10 or more, blue ones by game organisers whose game you played. Prizes were varied, but three £20 vouchers was not to be sniffed at.

So, a few pics and purchases to end on and I can get on with walking the dog and painting some more figures.

Finally, a big thank you and recommendation. All our long suffering, hard working traders deserve all the best for enabling us to enjoy our hobby via their often wonderful and innovative products - we simply could not be gamers without figures and the accoutrements of gaming - but I wish to give a very special mention to the guy at Laser Cut Architect (henceforth LCA), from whom I bought my sci-fi/ Necromunda terrain. Having bought a few pieces from him and wandered off to browse some more, I got a tap on the shoulder. The fellow had only come to find me around the show to give me a freebie of something I had not bought! If I had spent a fortune with him I might not have been surprised, but I only spent £57! A wonderful gesture form the man (whose name I did not get...) and well deserving of a massive THANK YOU for excellent customer service and for supplying a niche product I recommend to all who game this sort of area of interest. Check out LCA on Facebook or the web.

G

I think this was the "Stormhaven" game.

And I think this was "Rattlebones"...

One of the big attractions for me, having seen some posts on Facebook beforehand, was the planned "Burrows & Badgers" demo game, a shot of which you can see here. Some very  nice buildings.

The game also featured an out of town area, the town walls in shot at the left edge of the picture.

I like windmills! And I have also just painted the Otter Ranger figure standing next to the windmill, though mine is in rather more subdued colours!

Wildcat and Starling rogues hiding somewhere in town. The Bill Sykes lookalike wildcat rogue is one of the more enigmatic figures in the Oathsworn range. I love the figure, but am not quite sure how I would use it, but Nephew Nick is not a fan.

Those pesky zombies are bothering the good citizens of Mid-west USA again.

Purchase time! Oathsworn tapped me for another wad of cash!!! I needed some small stuff...

The £5 off vouchers in my goody bag mean this set of buildings for Burrows & Badgers (and other rules sets) came in a t just £30, over £10 off the list price of buying each individually. The £35 price tag itself was a reduction in the individual price, so double discount!!! Had to be done!

Torhild, the freebie in my goody bag

A new range of B&B buildings was out so I bought a couple more, which I will get around to building asap.

They also do a pack of doors to enable you to build your own more easily, so I added these to the list of purchases.

I need more bases for my 28mm stuff and 40mm square mdf is my material and size of choice.

I also wanted some specific terrain for sci-fi gang warfare a la "Necromunda", so bought these from Laser Cut Architect.

Rufus Hopkins, Witch Hunter

Hello again.

Having temporarily finished playing with pirates, I decided to start on some potential opposition for the Black Pi-rat and the crew of the good ship "Blackberry".

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I give you the darker side of the "Burrows & Badgers" world, at least in my head, with the completion of Rufus Hopkins, Witch Hunter, aka "Ruthless Rufus". In my little piece of whimsy, there exists a military order known as the Knights of the Order of the Lavender Garden, their badge a purple lily/ fleur-de-lys on a white ground. They represent the noble defenders of the faith, the right hand of the ruling classes and protector of the masses. But, it has been recognised that clanking around in armour performing feats of derring-do is all well and good, but you can hear them coming a mile off!

Enter the Secret Police/ MI6/ Stasi/ NKVD/ Gestapo/ Mossad/ CIA/ Lord Walsingham arm of the Lavender Order - the Witch Hunters.

Rufus is an English Cocker Spaniel Witch Hunter (I know this because it said so on his packaging). His leather coat, leather waistcoat and leather hat either A) mark him out as a heavy metal fan-cum-cowboy or B) provide a modicum of protection from blades and elements as he roams the wilds of Northymbra seeking ne'er-do-wells, traitors, dark magicians and undesirables.

As befits someone who frequents the darker, scarier places of the pseudo-English countryside, he and his band do not tread soft, sandy beaches like the pirates I have done so far, but will have "graveyard" as their basing mantra, so Rufus himself treads a flagstone path almost overgrown with grass and weeds, with skulls, grave furniture and the like appearing as I get on with his companions. As members of the wider Lavender Order, they will have some sort of reference to the purple and white colours of the Order in their clothing, be it a tabard, an edge to their tunic, a hood halved in the two colours or whatever. Rufus' coat is lined in purple silk, his hat band of the same material, his neckerchief a flash of purple cotton amongst the weathered leather of his main clothing.

His companions will join him once I work out exactly who they will be!

G

Rufus treads solidly along the overgrown path, his twin blades ready for the foes he knows are close by, his keen senses alert to the danger...

I attempted weathered leather for his clothing, using an edge highlight of GW "Fenrisian Grey", a technique I saw in a recent "White Dwarf". I like the effect, as it gives a sheen that in my mind illustrates him treading his path on a windy night under a full moon.

Has he seen something out of the corner of his eye?

A Bit Of Muscle (Aka "Thug goes rock-pooling")

Hello again.

After all the small stuff for the good ship "Blackberry", it was perhaps inevitable that something a little more meaty would eventually come forth form the sweet-scented hold of that fair vessel. More anthropomorphic magic from the talented people at Oathsworn in the form of a badger, the "heavy-hitters"/ Tiger tanks of the Burrows & Badgers world.

Badgers come in a couple of varieties in the range so far, the first one being armoured soldiery you really do NOT want to mess with, the second being Thug, an unarmoured, ill-tempered bruiser you really do NOT want to mess with. Thug comes with his very own shrew minder/ tormentor in the form of Gnarls (see Shrew with whip in the previous post). In my world, Gnarls rescued Thug from his brutal existence in some hellish fighting pit, so the two are almost friends, as far as that concept goes in Thug's dense grey matter, and the whip is more a status symbol than a threat, but you never know.

The problem with Thug is that he only has chains to fight with, other than fist, tooth and claw, so would suffer combat penalties if you let him loose on his own in the real world against all those proper weapons. However, if you make him second-in-command, you can give him a skill, and "Unarmed Fighter" is my skill of choice! On the other hand, I could always talk an opponent into believing that he is adept at the chain-wielding thing so it does count as a proper weapon. Hmmm.

Anyway, the project continues apace and the beach theme continues with my attempt at a bit of a rock pool. Thug likes anemones and starfish, especially with a splash of chilli sauce, and crab is to die for...

G

Thug in all his brutal, sartorially-challenged glory

The rocky part of the base was built up with layers of card and plastic, then the edges in-filled with sand-coloured, textured paint from Coat d'Arms, all suitably washed and drybrushed until I was happy with the "it hasn't rained for a few days so it's dry" beach look I wanted

I rarely, if ever, do water blue, but wanted something pure looking and contrasting with the evident brutality of Thug's rags and chains.

"You won't get me, I'm part of the Shrew-nion"

Hello again.

With all due apologies to The Strawbs for abusing one of their songs for the title of this post, I felt it was time to add a few extras to my burgeoning crew of animal pirates for "Burrows & Badgers". The game features a number of "lesser creatures", the sort of thing that seems to get a short deal in the real animal world, comprising mice, rats, shrews and the like. I went with the shrew option for my first, lowly crew members.

This figure just had to feature in my pirate crew. He might only be small, but the sartorial elegance and obvious attitude won me over!

And he is almost as menacing from the back!

This figure too has obvious pirate heritage, veritably screaming "Mary Reade" at the camera.

A nice line in throwing daggers is a bonus too. Missile troops are a bit thin on the ground so far in my piratical assembly.

This figure is marketed simply as a "Shrew-zerker" by Oathsworn, but again the obvious attitude and more than borderline Napoleon syndrome on display meant he was "in" as well.

As you may have noticed, I have kept the beach theme running through the bases. This chap gets a mooring post and lengthy of rope for company, simply made with a scrap of MDF from a Commission Figurines storage tray and a length of suitable cotton.

One of the usual perks of fantasy games, and "Burrows & Badgers" is no exception, is the inclusion of magic. Here we have a Shrew Shaman trying his best to look menacing despite his small stature.

One of the treats of this project has been to paint fur again, surely one of the easiest paint jobs to make a reasonable show of. The strange, grey spike at the bottom right of his base is another piece of driftwood courtesy of the Woodland Scenics plastic tree armatures.

Finally, we have Gnarls, who features in a set with a sort of Badger Pit-fighter called "Thug". He looks rather older than his crewmates, but the metal barb on that whip must surely hurt anyone unlucky enough to be on the end of it...

 

And the obligatory (?) rear view shot.

This will not be the end for the crew of the good ship, "Blackberry", as I have several other figures already that would be suitable to join the crew and ring some changes in eventual games. Some much-needed muscle to accompany all the tiny shrews would not go amiss and maybe some more mid-ranged potential as provided by another weasel, a ferret, perhaps even a rogue otter, would blend in nicely.

When I started this project, the old cogs started whirring about different warband options, story threads and the like. Whilst I freely admit that this sort of set up is not to everyone's taste by any stretch of the imagination, I would also argue that neither are Napoleonics or World War 2, that broad range of options being an oft-quoted boon of this marvellous hobby of ours. For me, some decent-looking figures on a decent-looking table, a decent set of rules and a good scenario/ story are the optimum, regardless of period. Finally, even though I favour bigger games with armies rather than bands, my work/ life balance and other factors mean I am very firmly in the "bands territory" for the foreseeable. Whilst I will obviously try and build up my bigger forces when the mood takes me (FIW, Crimean War, some of the GW stuff I have waiting for me, for example), this little diversion will more than satisfy my need to apply paint to metal or plastic for a while yet!

G

Wild Weasel

Hello again.

Now, it may surprise you to know, but this particular Wild Weasel has absolutely nothing to do with aircraft equipped to take out enemy radar and SAM defences, but it is a weasel and it may well be wild.

Yes, I give you yet another offering in the growing range of Oathsworn Miniatures' anthropomorphic animals range for "Badgers & Burrows" which, for those who have missed it, is a skirmish game of the "Frostgrave"/ "Mordheim"/ "Ghost Archipelago"/ insert any sort of fantasy or swords skirmish game to taste that pits small bands against each other for treasure or whatever and enables them to develop between games in a campaign-like way. This one is specifically branded as a "Weasel Rogue". With his club and semi-hidden dagger, I see him more in line for pressganging some poor unfortunates so have roped him in as accomplice to the Black Pi-Rat I posted about a week or so ago. So, with that in mind, it looks like the first band will be pirate-themed and you can expect more scurrilous characters going forwards.

I must say that after painting regiments of British and French for most of the past 12 to 18 months, painting single figures is a welcome change. Whilst I always try and shade and highlight all my regiments, not to mention painting the flags by hand, I can go a bit further still with single figures, especially on some of the bases. I selected a beach theme for my pirates, so will pursue that option, especially with some of the bigger figures that might join the Black Pi-Rat's nefarious schemes. But the option to paint in the eyes, to add an extra highlight, to experiment a little with rust or other effects is there and I intend to use it on these single figures.

For those who have battled through these last few fantasy-orientated posts, please note that I am still painting "proper" stuff - His Majesty's 35th Regiment of Foot is underway, for example - but I am also hooked by the need to paint less than a dozen, quality figures in the vain hope of getting a game some time soon. And, make no bones about it, the Oathsworn Miniatures range is quality in my opinion, spawning not only a lot of ideas for different groups but also bringing some joy back into my painting, as it had become a little bit of a chore churning through 18th Century infantry.

"What about the need to research?" I hear you cry.

Well, whilst I may not need to check out my Haythornthwaites, Funckens and Ospreys, who knows what colour a shrew is? What about a weasel? What varieties are there? What colour eyes and claws do they have?

Another much-valued aspect of this project has been the need to check out images of our countryside's natives (no, not some Yorkshire farmer tending his flock!), the small, hardly noticed but always present inhabitants of our land who go about short and often brutal lives missed by everyone until one turns up on TV and we all go "ahhh". For the record, my weasels will be reddish brown, like the Common Weasel variety, and my shrews will be tricolour brown, starting with a dark brown back and fading around to light at the front. I had to do research to find that out!

G

As the figure stoops somewhat as it walks, getting both the head and the body in focus was a challenge, especially for my limited photographic skills.

The beach theme is here typified not only by the sand but by some driftwood. This is a piece of plastic armature sold by Woodland Scenics to make trees from, aimed primarily at the model railway fraternity, but eminently suitable for wargames purposes too. You might just pick out the rust tinge on the dagger in this shot too.

Club at the ready to pressgang some poor unfortunate into the crew of the Blackberry. And more signs of rust development on his scavenged pieces of armour.

Opportunities

Hello again.

There I was, minding my own business, when up on the TV screen pops an interesting little advert about a new part work - "Warhammer 40000: Conquest", blah blah, weekly in so many parts, blah blah, issue 1 only £1.99.

"Check it out!" I say to myself.

I did. I bought a copy.

As a sometime dabbler and would be dabbler in various GW things, rather than a committed "hobbyist" (sic), it is most debateable whether I would ever want/ need/ desire the three Space Marines supplied with issue 1. It is highly uncertain whether I will read the little magazine that comes with part 1 or whether I will now feel a massive need to actually crack on with a 40K project (of which I have at least a couple of part done examples...) It is wholly incredulous to imagine I will collect the whole thing, however many parts are involved, or will take up any of the special offers advertised with this issue...

So why buy it?

Three pots of usable, decent colour (i.e. not weird stuff, despite the names) paint, that's why! Issue 1 comes with not only 3 Space Marines but 3 pots of paint, namely a dark blue, a bronze and black (whatever they are actually called in the GW range, my description suits well enough). That is 66.3 pence per pot! BARGAIN!!! Issue 2 also comes with 3 pots of paint and 3 more figures, but the cost rises to £4.99, but that is still just £1.66 per pot. ANOTHER (not quite so lucrative) BARGAIN!!! Future issues will feature brushes, probably more paint, some terrain and probably more figures, but they are at the usual price of £7.99 I believe. Probably time to tip out at this point for me.

Even if you do not play GW games, I am sure you can think of a few options to dispose of the non-paint bits. The figures could go to a relative who does play, or to a young person who might like to if given such a start. You might play sci-fi but not 40K, so paint them up as combat robots or something. Some schools at least have games clubs, so you could donate them there. Or just swap or sell them on if that is your wish.

See you soon.

G

The Black Pi-Rat

Hello again.

When I first heard about "Burrows & Badgers: A Skirmish Game of Anthropomorphic Animals", written by Michael Lovejoy and published by Osprey Games, I was enthused. When I found a copy whilst browsing around Asgard Games in Walsall on my first ever visit there, I had to buy a copy.

The game looked interesting. The genre looked like engaging. But where to find the figures? Oathsworn Miniatures was the answer to that one and, a quick order later, coupled with a hefty purchase at the Barrage Show, I was in possession of a number of widely varying animal warriors and magicians, ne'er-do-wells and malcontents, heroes and rogues, not to mention a multitude of ideas for how to form them into disparate warbands for the aforementioned games.

How about a Military Order led by a Border Terrier? What about a band of brave-hearted brigands from north of the border led by a ferocious wildcat? How about a beleaguered police force trying to protect the waterways of the land from piracy, led by an otter or two? What about the pirates and rogues out to smuggle, murder, steal and generally keep said river police busy? Then there are the nefarious schemes of foxes, the depraved depths of society as epitomised by a colony of rats, the inscrutable, dreamy plans of the cold-bloods. A multitude of choice, a plethora of options, a veritable cornucopia of potential gaming fun in a world ripe for imagination and creativity.

All of those and so many more are there for the making!

These figures are not cheap - the cheapest is £3 and they range through to around £12 I think for something like a badger - but you only need around six or seven for a band. I do feel they are fairly priced given the likely sales volume - these are not exactly your "I need a couple of hundred line infantry" Napoleonics! I also like the quality of the figures and, with the rules being self-contained, your outlay will not break too many banks. Unless, of course, you are like me and enjoy the collecting and painting probably more than the actual game...The figures are also metal, do not need gluing together and come with a base sized appropriately for their role in the game (30 or 40mm circular slottabases). As each figure is usable with every other one, as you make your own warband up from whatever you want up to your starting figure of 350 pennies, there is never likely to be a wasted figure. Also, the rules contain campaign rules too, so your little group can grow in stature and numbers as you play the game.

So, first up, is a figure I bought at Barrage, which I do not believe was available when I placed my first order. The fact that the range is expanding is a good thing and a good sign.

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, I give you...

The Black Pi-Rat!

Having a sort of soft spot for historical pirates (if only as a game subject - I am not sure I would want to meet or get involved with any of them!), it was a fair guess that some sort of pirate theme would emerge at some point. I have a liking for many of these figures, but this guy is one of my overall favourites, so he got first dibs on the paint, brushes and my time.

G

"Come and have a go, you scurvy dogs!" could be taken very literally in "Burrows & Badgers"!!!

Rather than do generic bases, I thought a bit about what sort of base would suit a pirate. Perhaps the boards of a ship? Yes, but limited for land-based games. How about a quayside? Yes again, but a bit too specific. So, I went for a beach, which would also pass for sandy soil. For a bit of added interest, I added a small section of broken down breakwater/ fence.

And the first one is done. Now for some crew to sail on the good ship "Blackberry".