More Mentor characters.

I knocked out a few characters assembled from random plastics I'd picked up on ebay.  One is a Librarian (opted for blue robes instead of armor, deal with it!) and I fashioned a kit-bashed Techmarine from a terminator, using some random robot bits and some arms from some Dust Tactics suits I had laying around.

Opted to skip the force weapon piece on this guy - preferred a simple chainsword.

 

As with my other terminator bashes this is a modern torso/legs, Cataphractii arms and shoulders, a MkIV helmet (from a devastator), and some bits from a couple of Dust Tactics walkers I had laying around.  Armed with a chain fist and a combi-weapon (flamer/bolter).  As I won't be playing 40K the equipment is not important.

Ermergerd, Werhermmer Qwerst!

So, a few weeks ago my buddies and I decided to whip out the old copy of Warhammer Quest my friend had shoved under his gaming table.

Bear in mind, I hadn't played this since 1995-1996...though it is my all-time favourite Games Workshop product.  I was excited to say the least.  We met up yesterday for a couple of games.

Prior to the games, I had decided immediately I would resume my role as the Trollslayer, the only character pack I bought in high school. I secretly built and painted up a Trollslayer using an Avatars of War plastic box I had sitting in a bin. I wanted to go with something unique, something very different from the angry-Scottish red-mohawked Trollslayers of the Warhammer world.

This is the result!

Not your normal looking Trollslayer...

Below is a photo I took during one of our games - the "yep, this is Warhammer Quest" moment of the day.  We tried two starting adventure groups, both of which were slain/killed/useless.  We'll try again later this week I hope!

Night Goblin archers forced us to draw another card...a trap...which in turn added another event...a Minotaur, who in turn forced us to draw another card, more orcs! 

Before heading out, I was bemoaning my lack of fantasy miniatures (as I'd got the dander up to paint some!) and my buddy tossed me a new-in-blist Pit Fighter from 1995!  I don't think I've painted a 21 year old miniature before.

I hope  I've done him justice, as I'm definitely on the lower end of skill for the fellas in my gaming group.  I hope it's worthwhile and will see much bloodshed in the future!  Here is the wildly uncomfortably dressed Pit Fighter! 

The base was left undone so my buddy can paint it up to his other stuff.  I don't love the figure but the end result was better than I had hoped I could do.

More marines!

I finished up seven more jump marines for my force.  This was limited by the 12 studded shoulder pads I had available and a similar number of beakie helmets.  I figured of all the forces, assault marines flying through the air deserved the sleeker helmets etc.  Ground marines will share some regular MkIV stuff.

My force now consists of two offices (terminator and techno-chaplain) and the dozen jump marines.  I'll probably add another squad or two of normal guys and devastators and a few more characters.  I've been perusing online for cheap rhinos as I wouldn't mind having a few vehicles - hoping for some old school ones.

New recruits - seven more jump marines.  Armed with a mix bolters, close combat weapons and special weapons.

The combined jump force.

Lieutenant Dan got hisself some new legs! (the others were the subject of a dip accident where it pooled horribly overnight while drying, so I broke the torso off and placed it on some newer legs!)

The techno-chaplain, terminator officer alongside one of the sergeants.

Space Marine "Techno Chaplain"?

I took the chaplain figure from the 30K Betrayal at Calth box and put him together (again using a Mechanicus head).  It came out okay, though I'm not in love with the model - a bit busy compared with the other marines.

Nothing too fancy, I "thinned" the dip...and this time it came up a little too runny!

Here is a teaser for another model I'm working on (my goal is to assemble a small Space Marine force which is suitable for play with any small sci-fi skirmish game.  Likely end up with a few squads and some characters, a vehicle or two).

New inhabitants for Drake's Branch!

Drake's Branch is the name of my fictional New Mexico town where I play my games of Shoot N' Skedaddle.

After a long hiatus, I've added a few new figures (I'll be phasing out older, crappier figures as I replace them).

 A new Knuckleduster 32mm digital sculpt - these are the finest metal miniatures I've received from any manufacturer...absolutely great!

 Another Knuckleduster 32mm - this time a Pinkerton with a sawed off shotgun.

A third 32mm Knuckleduster.  Their current range mirrors the characters from the wonderful movie Tombstone.  I've chosen not to mirror their clothing/paint schemes, so the characters will be more versatile --- the above figure is one of the Clanton brothers I believe.

A Conquest Plains Indian - wonderful figures.

Another Plains Indian by Conquest miniature (now sold under Warlord Games I believe)

I've had a "Soldier" character in Shoot N' Skedaddle since the beginning...been lazy about painting up an actual figure till now!  One of Great Escape Games U.S. Cavalry figures.

And the assembled portion of the new cast...also my first time using 25mm rounds on the Renedra bases as well --- added grass tufts from Army Painter. So far, so good!

Clearing the table...(some more!)

Again, in the desire to clear stuff off my table and starting cleaning up fringe projects and stuff that's been sitting idle for months/years, I knocked out the following small terrain bits.

One is a slightly dry-brushed boat which was too dark to begin with.  Then I completed two small 4-5 space bridges for use with my dungeon project, and two "tunnel" entrances for use with Shoot N' Skedaddle (they'll be adorned with some grass tufts when they show up in the mail!).

Simple and unexciting.  Breath of fresh air though getting some stuff out of "that" corner of my painting table.

And a mechanic shall lead them!

Continuing with my quasi-Mentor Legion fellas, I decided to bash up a terminator for fun.

Going with the older fluff from the Mentor Legion, I decided to add some Mechanicus flair to the unit.  In the ole' fluff, the Mentor Legion serve as a test bed for new weapons and technology.  They work out of a secret home-world, known only to the highest tech priests of the Mechanicus.

As such, I've decided that the Mentor Legion have officers/agents from the Mechanicus added to the Chapter.  Why not?  Seems fun.  Makes sense for those who exist to test weapons and tech.

Here is a kit-bash for ya: (please ignore the legs, they were ruined in a dip accident and I can't figure out a way to save them!)

Modern terminator body with Horus Heresy era arms/shoulders, and a Mechanicus head. 

First Space Marines in 20 years!

Like most people in my age, I stumbled into wargaming through games like Hero Quest, Battlemaster and eventually 40K.  I picked up some packs of cool looking figures when I was maybe 12-13.  They turned out to be Space Marines.

That led to 14 years of gaming 40K (where I actually ended up fielding Eldar).

When Betrayal at Calth popped up I was immediately intrigued.  I have no interest in 40K but I enjoy the fluff and I loved the Horus Heresy stuff.  I picked up a box in the off chance I wanted do something with it (play another game using the models etc.)

In my head I immediately jumped back to Mentor Legion, discovered in an old White Dwarf I picked up at a used book store when I was a kid.  Loved the paint scheme, loved the idea (veteran cadre, testers of all new military equipment, etc.).  Not a normal Chapter by any stretch of the imagination.

I found some MkVI beakie heads and ordered up some fan-made jetpacks from Spellcrow in Poland (easy to find and purchase via ebay).

This is the end result.  Possibly more coming in the future depending on how far I want to go with this stuff.  I can see doing a few more squads and characters, maybe some terminators etc.

Now, for the purists...yes, none of it technically matches up.  I wanted retro-beakie jump marines without spending a ton and this is the result:

Clearing the table...slowly.

I managed to paint up some stuff yesterday.  I'm trying to clean up little bits and pieces as I may need them in my soon-to-be (at least that's what I said 12 years ago) dungeon crawl game.

I threw together a Thief from some Frostgrave bits I acquired in a sprue-trade.  I painted up an Otherworld pack mule which had been sitting on my table primed for...nigh a year.  I used some Perry foot knights to make a couple of armored skeletons (may do more of those later).

Painter's block...damned Ratmen.

Finally got over my hesitation to paint the rest of my simple dozen ratmen (Skaven with some spikes and icons removed and given wicker shields).  Just really didn't enjoy painting these guys at all.  They turned out fine and I'm glad to have them done...hoping this breaks my painter's block as of late.

Shoot N' Skedaddle V2 : Playtest

So I convinced a couple of friends to drive South and take a swing at Shoot N' Skedaddle this week.  I was looking for additional play-testing for the revised edition of this game I'm looking to produce shortly.

We decided to play a three-way gunfight, with no particular scenario rules.  Each player drew up six characters and their equipment.  We placed three characters on two roads (six roads on the table edge).

While turn one was predominantly moving, turns two and three became a bloody spectacle.

The town as it was laid out...

Audrey's Outlaws creep into town...

 

Audrey's Outlaws waiting for John's Lawmen to show up.

 

John's Lawmen anxiously approach Audrey's Outlaws

 

John's Drifter puts a slug into one of Oscar's Rangers.

 

At the close of the second turn, three gunfights had erupted in separate areas on the board.

 

John's Priest fires at point blank into Oscar's Prizefighter - while Audrey's Pony Express Rider gallops around.

 

Moments later the Priest is dead...the Prizefighter stuck a knife in his neck.

 

John's Sheriff shows up with a vengeance, gunning down the Prize Fighter.

 

Nearby, the Drifter had slain the Texas Ranger and stolen his horse...a nearby Caballero ran up, firing wildly with his sixguns...accomplishing nothing.

 

On the far side of the board Audrey's Outlaws go gunning for Oscar's crooked Lawmen.

 

Audrey's Outlaws get properly stuck in with John's Lawmen, blood being shed on both sides as the Thief breaks his disguise.

 

Oscar's Cowboy had galloped off the table to bring back help...upon returning he found his previous friend, the Shootist had turned traitor and joined Audrey's Outlaws.  Hurling a stick of dynamite he shocked both of the baddies - failing to kill either!

 

The traitorous Shootist shows his true colours, systematically gunning down the Cowboy and the Sidekick he'd brought to aid their cause...

 

Across the board, in a flurry of commotion John's Crazy went on a killing spree, gunning down all three of Audrey's Outlaws in a spectacular effort.  Behind him a trail of bodies.

 

All in all and absolutely wonderful game, with a lot of brilliant and terrible dice rolls and a huge amount of bloodshed.  After turn three, we called it - each having three characters remaining on the board.  John's Lawmen were free of wounds, whilst Audrey and I had numerous wounds to count...so we gave the day to John's Lawmen.  If time had permitted more bloodshed would have followed.

Great game, and a great time!