The Wizard's Bookshelf

The joy of small things

In the UK we’ve slowly been creeping back into the comfort of artificial light, enclosed spaces and real models. It started in back gardens, then gaming clubs and now tournaments. Of course, this has all been under the auspices of the “not quite sure what’s going on” normal. In sunny Bristol (this is not irony we’ve been bathed in the damn stuff for weeks) clubs have been back for a while, but tournaments had yet to reappear.

A few have been taking place in the UK and I’d been considering packing up my toys and venturing abroad in the hope of getting some practice in ahead of Clash of Kings. Chief amongst my many weaknesses and shortcomings are clocks, so I really wanted to get in at least one timed event before October. Fortunately, local tournament supremo Matt James (also of rules committee fame) decided to organise a 750 point a side session the Sunday before last.

It was an unusual sized event, but Matt had put some thought into it, and in addition to the points limit there were a number of additional restrictions on army selection, such as only one flyer and a further points limit on units.

Initially, I was excited about the event because it was a chance to get a day of gaming in, and to remind myself of the joys of clocks. However, as the day approached it started to dawn on me just how much of an interesting challenge it was going to be because deciding on an army list was damn near impossible.

Army selection

My immediate reaction was to go for my tournament faithful – the Ratkin. However, after a lot of thought I couldn’t really get my head around what an army I’d be comfortable playing would look like. I love my synergies, but with a low point count and the other restrictions in place it became difficult to see how these could be maximised. There was an additional impediment due to me and my rats not being on good painting terms. This further limited my options in terms of what I would have ready, and what I would be prepared to rebase.

The other thought that took roost in my mind was what other peoples’ armies might look like. I had a hypothesis that most people would go for a list that favoured winning the charge. I was expecting to see knights and flying characters. I didn’t fancy facing off against those sorts of lists with an army primarily composed of defence 4 and a reduced nerve due to a lack of rally.

So no longer convinced the rats could handle it I reached for the Basileans and went in completely the opposite direction to what I assumed the rest of the field would bring. A Spear horde to provide a big slug of unit strength and discourage cavalry and fliers, supported by foot Paladins with shields to provide another slug of nerve, unit strength and a predictable (if not wildly exciting) damage output.

The army would be led, and healed, by a Priest with the Shroud of the Saint – I figured having heal 6 would wash away most chip damage from shooting as well as keeping the infantry in the fight. A regiment of Elohi would provide a seriously irritating roadblock to stop faster armies having an easy time choosing their charges. They would also have a chance at knocking off thunderous charge, which I expected in abundance. The final choice was quite difficult because, to cut to the chase, I wanted an Ur-Elohi but points and restrictions wouldn’t allow it – the answer came in the form of an Ogre Palace Guard Captain. Not a go to for many but as a scoring unit, that self inspires, has brutal, crush 2 and is pretty much all round rufty tufty, it struck that in a pinch this was the budget angel I was looking for.

The List

Priest with Shroud of the Saint

Ogre Palace Guard Captain

Elohi regiment with Pipes of Terror

Knight Paladin regiment on foot with an Aegis Fragment

Spear horde

The Games

Six games were played in all and so many things prevent a blow by blow account (such as your sanity), so here’s a brief overview.

Game 1 – Goblins, Control – win

This game came down to a grind off in the centre of the table between the Spear horde and a Rabble legion, and a charge on the Paladins by a mincer mob troop. The Paladins withstood the charge, and with the help of the Elohi destroyed the Mincer. The Spears, supported by the Priest stayed in the fight with the legion, the grind continuing to the end of the game.

Game 2 – Kingdoms of Men, Pillage – draw

The choice of a Spear horde really came into its own. A regiment of Knights and General on flying beast stripped out all my other units, but the horde was able to hold two objectives whilst presenting a really unattractive target for the mounted warriors who backed off to claim two other unguarded tokens.

Game 3 – Northern Alliance, Invade – win

This was my first-time facing Ice Elementals, and they are a pain. Fortunately, they spent most of the game chasing my Elohi, who with a little help from the Priest, managed to stay alive and keep them occupied. This game was really close, as a ruck in the centre of the table involving almost all my troops and a horde of snow trolls prevented all but one of my units from crossing the line, but fortunately that was enough.

Game 4 – Basileans, Dominate – win

My opponent had gone for the alpha strike version of the Basileans. Mounted Paladins, Ur Elohi and Gur Panthers. It was a close game that came down to foot Paladins slugging it out with each other. I had one of those moments around turn 3 where I accidentally moved the Priest out of inspiring range of my foot Paladins, fortunately they survived their combat, and having realised this mistake I promptly, but also accidentally, moved the Priest out of inspiring range of my Spear horde who were not so lucky!

Game 5 – Forces of the Abyss, Loot – loss

The Forces of the Abyss carried the day going completely unbeaten and tabling everyone! Brave Basilea was the exception. The Priest survived! The rest of the army was completely shredded in short order. This army was one of the few that didn’t depend on cavalry for its punch, instead relying on a Chroneas and Abyssal Fiend (wingless) that chewed their way through everything on the table without having to worry about phalanx.

Game 6 – Kingdoms of Men, Kill – draw

This became a bit of an infantry off in the centre of the table, as both armies consisted mainly of human infantry. For me it all fell apart because I failed to take into account what I would do if a regiment of Shieldwall I flank charged with the Spear horde and Paladin regiment double 1’ed. Of course, they double 1’ed.

With the benefit of hindsight there was so much more I could have done differently, but it had been a long day. Overall, I think this game could have ended up being very different, but I think both I and my opponent were a bit tired by the end of the day. In another stunning example of “oh yeah, should have thought about that” his Foot Guard scrapped with my Paladins whilst our respective sources of inspiring duked it out. He opted to resolve the infantry combat before the commanders. The inevitable happened – my Paladins survived on the second role of the nerve dice before his Warlord slaughtered my Priest. Let’s quickly move on.

Takeaways from the day:

Clocks are still my weakness – there never seems to be enough time! I timed out on two occasions although, fortunately neither affected a final result. Timed games are still something I’m relatively new to, having played just 4 tournaments previously. I don’t have an issue with timers, it’s just something I need to work a bit more on and it was good to get this event in before Clash to remind myself to get a damn move on.

Ogre Palace Guard Captain – whilst this guy doesn’t get seen that often in larger lists he made a great addition to this force. He was intended to play a similar role to an Ur Elohi, and for the most part it worked (although speed was somewhat lower). It’s certainly given me an insight into how he could fit into a larger force. Also, it gave me the excuse I needed to paint up Mantic’s awesome Paymaster (all that remains now is to find an excuse to paint up the Matriarch, Brave Bully and Goblin Slasher, surely there must be some kind of army that would allow me to field them all together).

Getting to know a different army much better – although I’ve had my Basileans for a little while they’re an army I’m only just starting to warm too. Probably one of the most challenging things about this kind of event is not just the restrictions on the lists, but the further restrictions that are self-imposed. In my case this meant units I had available for use and how far I was willing to go in terms of building new stuff and rebasing existing elements. Consequently, my choice of army was driven more by necessity than anything else, but I was really impressed by their performance and my interest in the army has been rekindled. In addition, the experience will definitely have an impact on my army build in the short term.

Exhaustion – It’s been a long time since my first, or even last event, and I genuinely forgot just how tiring it can be on the old brain.

A really fun day out – played competitively Kings of War can be quite unforgiving and the smaller the army size the less opportunity you have to fix mistakes or oversights. These games certainly required a fair bit of thought and I definitely felt the presence of the clocks. But just as in pre-covid times a good event is always more than the sum of its parts. Between the overall organisation, some friendly opponents and some games that got the old brain in gear it was a good day out and I’m feeling excited about Clash.

Halpi’s Rift battle report: The Material Plane

It’s been a while since I last wrote one of these, but now I’ve finally got around to playing my first Halpi’s Rift game it seemed the right time, what with the Mantic back to gaming month and all, to get creative.

It was a relatively straight forward decision on which plane to play on – the first one. I decided to go with my Basileans for this game because it felt a good fit narratively. The army was built through a slow grow campaign that took place on an undiscovered island. The army’s leader, a self appointed Priest named Sha’leis, is a charismatic preacher who walks the fine line between righteous devotee and heresy. In Basilea she would undoubtedly attract the attention of the authorities, but she is largely unheard of in the hegemony because she, and her followers, spend all their time spreading the word of the Shining Ones outside Basilea’s borders. Consequently, the idea of taking a trip to an alternative plane of existence, or several, would undoubtedly be her kind of thing.

I’m trying out a new format to show what’s going on turn by turn. The pictorial representations of the battlefield aren’t precise, but hopefully it will make things a bit clearer than dodgily angled photos – there are also a decent number of pictures as well.

Points: 2,000

Scenario: Invade

Plane: Material

The armies

Basilea

1 – Sha’leis – Priest with Shroud of the Saint

2 – Anyta – War Wizard swapping Fireball for Lightening Bolt, Alchemist’s Curse, Pointy Wizard’s Hat

3 – Mounted Paladin Knights with Aegis Fragment and Caterpillar Potion

4 – Gur Panther regiment

5 – Ogre Palace Guard horde with Brew of Sharpness

6 – Phoenix

7 – Ja’y’ll – Ur Elohi

7 – Sa’y’ll – Ur Elohi

8 – Elohi regiment

9 – Spearman horde

10 – Foot Paladins with the Defender upgrade and Aegis Fragment

Goblins

1 – Grupp Longnail

2 – Wiz

3 – Fleabag rider sniffs regiment

4 – Mincer Mob troop

5 – Goblin Blaster

6 – Giant

7 – War Trombone

8 – Goblin King mounted on Fleabag

9 – King with Jareth’s Pendent

10 – Rabble horde

11 – Rabble regiment with Mawpup

The army marched as armies are want to do: with purpose. Anyta wandered if the rank and file, or for that matter the sergeants-at-arms and officers who marshalled the neat ranks and columns into place, had even noticed the change as they had crossed from the physical world of Panithor to here. A moment’s reflection led her to conclude there was something decidedly reassuring about the army’s apparent indifference to their new location – after all they were here to fight, not see the sights.

Anyta had been uncertain when she was approached about joining Sha’leis’ expedition to the outer planes of existence. The scarred Priest’s enthusiasm seemed dangerously close to naivety, but the Ur Elohi who attended her, one at each shoulder, indicated her vision and motivation was rooted in something deeper. Besides she thought, how many other mortals would get to see the Material plane?

The landscape was a strangely familiar place. Rooted in the world of mortals, but somehow more. A frozen lake lay to Anyta’s left, with a tap house beyond it, yet this was not a cold place. Far from it, the ground was arid, baked brown by a sun that did not seem to show its face. She wondered briefly about the tap house which looked so out of place in such a lonely landscape.

Anyta’s meditations were interrupted by the flurry of wings. Elohi landed close by. She turned to look at the new arrivals glowing and resplendent in their highly polished armour, flaming blades dancing in their still hands. The Ur Elohi Sa’y’ll approached her, silently extending his arm towards her.

“Take it.” The angel said.

She took the object the angel offered her and inspected it thoroughly. It looked like a battered wizard hat from the stories her gran had told her when she was barely able to walk.

“Put it on.”

As much as she wanted to do as the angel said she could not help but raise an eyebrow, “Surely this is not the time for childish dress ups?”

“Surely you of all people understand that all stories, no matter how childish, are an embellishment of a truth. True, not all wizards wear pointy hats, but one did, and it was that wizard’s wish that I should pass it on to you when you arrived here.” The angel replied.

Anyta stood in shocked silence doing her best to process the implications of the angel’s words. She had known no other wizards. Her magic had not been learnt in a university or college. Her magic had arrived with the wind that had destroyed her village and left her homeless. Was this some pittiful attempt at humour, angels were not known for their wit, or had Sa’y’ll simply made a mistake, something he was also not known to do either.

“I would suggest you put the hat on and focus on the present. Now is not the time to worry about sartorial stereotyping and I can guarantee it’s the last thing on their tiny minds.” said the angel nodding towards the goblin ranks that seemed to have appeared from nowhere on the other side of the plane, “Focus on the present now, and there will be time for the past later.”

Turn 1

Almost as soon as the angel had stopped talking the horns sounded the advance. Anyta was hardly surprised Sha’leis had taken the initiative. She’leis was not one to hold back, and the superior training of the Basileans meant they were prepared far quicker than the goblins, who even as the armoured warriors moved forward, seemed to still be milling around deciding what would go where. The confusion was most evidence around the giant’s feet where a mount king pointed frantically, yet never in the same direction twice, which resulted in the giant either hitting or standing on each of the units around him. Only the King managed to escape, instinctively wheeling his mawbeast away from the flailing giant.

As the drama around the giant died down, the goblin army suddenly seemed to realise the humans had started their advance. They responded slowly, moving forward, firing off a flew poorly aimed arrows that for the most part either fell against the rocks in the ground or thudded into shields.

Turn 2

The mounted paladins and panthers on the left flank had ranged forward of the infantry and found themselves facing a bewildering array of war machines. Thinking better of going head to head with the mincers the panthers charged the war trombone sending the crew fleeing from the field. The paladins charged the blaster in the entirely accurate belief that anything with that amount of gun powder in it and a goblin in charge should be the first on the kill list.

Sa’y’ll watched the cavalry strike, breaking their targets. Concerned that the paladins had left their flank exposed to the rabble horde the Ur Elohi charged into their front flaming sword slashing left and right, holding the goblins at bay.

Inspired by Sa’y’ll the Elohi regiment on the far right charged a regiment of rabble cutting a handful down, but failing to route them.

The goblin attack was now gaining momentum. The giant let out a savage battle cry as it smashed into the spearmen. Despite the initial impact the soldier’s training and experience kicked in allowing them to quickly reform and prepare to fight back. To their right the foot paladins received a charge from the fleabag sniffs, raising their shields to fend off the slavering beasts.

The mincers started their blades spinning and began their relentless march forward. The mob on the right piled into the flank of the Elohi, shredding the angels leaving broken wings and golden blood on golden armour. The mob on the left charged into the front of the panthers scattering the creatures and sending them running from the field. Spurred on by the success of the mincers the sniffs and their king charged the mounted paladins, but failed to make the same mark on the armoured warriors.

Turn 3

Ja’y’ll felt a surge of energy rush through him (+5 attacks in melee as a result of the channelling table). Raising his sword above his head he flew into the flank of the central rabble horde. Despite being caught between the two angels the goblins managed to stand their ground and muster the courage to fight back against Sa’y’ll, knocking him to the ground.

Concerned by the menacing mincer to their left the mounted paladins counter charged the sniffs, routing them before wheeling out of their field of view. Seeing the mincer was now unable to charge the knights in a rare moment of leadership and heroism the goblin king on foot charged into the front of the paladins, holding them up while the mincers positioned themselves for the next charge.

With Sha’leis and the Pheonix casting heal to keep her loyal soldiers fighting, and the spearmen and foot paladins locked in their respective combats Anyta watched the goblin forces on the right flank advance. Only the ogre horde stood ready to stop their advance, and whilst these brutal warriors would fight to the last and take many of the creatures down with them she knew they would eventually be overrun. She set out towards them preparing to cast a lightening bolt, but as she uttered the words of the spell she felt a far greater power stir within her. An energy rushed through her, setting her spine ablaze, but despite the raw power there was something comforting and familiar. The warmth of a bed time story blanketed her mind and she heard her gran’s voice speaking unfamiliar words. Without thinking she repeated each word and the fire in her spine spread to her chest, then to her arms, exiting her body through her hands. Whatever this was it was no lightening bolt. a swirling vortex of orange and white energy flew from her hands and smashed into the war trombone. As the smoke from the explosion cleared Anyta was shocked to see the crew and weapon remained but no longer moved, their flesh stripped away and recast in bronze.

Turn 4

Anyta took a sharp breathe as she surveyed the goblin statue. The removal of the war engine combined with a surge of magical energy (+5 attacks in melee from the channelling table) gave the ogres the opening they had been waiting for. They rushed forward hitting the mincer head on. Blows rained down on the goblin machine, and despite it’s heavily armoured front it eventually gave way and collapsed. Despite the ogre’s victory they were now surrounded by goblins. Anyta reached out and let her gran’s words guide her, seconds later the rabble regiment on the ogre’s flank would stand ready to charge for eternity.

Following their victory the ogres had drawn back behind the wall, which meant when the rabble horde charged them they were force to fight around the obstacle, breaking the little coherency they had making no impact on the ogres.

In the centre the impasse continued. The giant had been joined by the mounted goblin King, but the reinvigorating powers of Sha’leis’ words and the Pheonix kept the spearmen in the fight. The foot paladins shared the relentless battering of the men-at-arms, finally routing the sniffs, only to take a charge from another rabble regiment.

Grupp had been spent much of the battle skulking besides the central rabble horde. As they finally broke, enthusiasm and bodies burnt by Ja’y’ll’s blade Grupp charged the angel punching indiscriminately with her armoured gloves. The angel was unable to block every blow and those that landed sent electric waves surging through his body, tangling with the sounds of breaking men and horses as the mincer ploughed into the rear of the mounted paladins, shaking him to his core.

*The grind continues and Grupp charges Ja’y’ll.*

Turn 5

As the goblins flooded across the plane Sha’leis felt defeat reach out to her. She bowed her head and prayed that her soldiers would be protected whatever fate had in store for her. As she spoke the Pheonix flared and flew towards the centre of the plane. The creature had felt the energy of the ancients and sent its healing energies towards Ja’y’ll (the spell reached it’s target due to an additional 6 inch range provided by the channelling table). Refreshed, Ja’y’ll struck back at Grupp, but with his mind still affected by the shock from the gloves he failed to do any meaningful damage. Seeing the wiz in trouble the goblin King, buoyed by what would soon be the legend of how he defeated a regiment of mounted paladins single handedly, went to her aid, but even with the combined efforts of the goblin leaders the angel endured.

Things took a desperate turn in the centre as a regiment of rabble joined the melee against the spearmen. The sheer weight of opponents finally proved too much for the men at arms and the spear block crumbled. On the right the ogres remained bogged down as the horde of rabble refused run despite the terrible damage inflicted upon them, but hope only requires the smallest of cracks to allow her shoots to grow. And so it was, that the foot paladins put the last of the rabble in front of them to the sword and surged forward in triumph bidding their bothers in arms to follow them.

Turn 6

The Pheonix burned brighter than ever Sha’leis had seen it. Somehow the bird had made a connection with the plane and once again its energy course through its molten veins (+5 attacks in melee from the channelling table). The bird shrieked before soaring towards the last mincer, grabbing it in it talons, soaring into the sky and dropping it. The machine broke apart as it hit the ground showering the immediate area with chunks of metal, splintered wood and any number of screws and nails.

On the right the ogres finally broke the rabble horde, running forward to ensure every last one of the escaping goblins were cut down.

Seeing the tide turning Ja’y’ll broke from his combat and ran for the shelter of the woods in case the goblin leaders tried to take their frustration out on him.

*Anyta supports the ogres as they hold the right flank whilst the Phoenix takes the Mincer for a flight.*

Final thoughts

That was one hell of a close game and despite Basilea winning 8:5 it really was on a knife’s edge because the sheer number of goblins meant they were able to keep the Basileans in their own half for most of the game. In fact, because this was a 6 turn game the orges had to remove the goblins from the table and roll a 4+ on the follow up move to secure the win (thanks to Sha’lei’s prayer they managed to roll a 6!).

Overall the setting was massively fun to play. It’s a really nice alternative to the standard game and I’ll definitely be taking the Basileans onto another plane. What I found interesting about this game was army choices. My opponent choose a pretty regular force without any of the goodies from the campaign magic items section, or the plane specific spell and magic item lists. I, on the other hand, decided to lean pretty heavily into the setting. For the first time not only did I take a war wizard, but also tooled her up with the pointy hat to give her an extra magic level and the Alchemist Curse spell on its highest setting, dropping a second ogre horde to accommodate the change.

It’s arguable that the magic gave my force the edge. I had more channeling dice and a spell capable of doing up to 12, piercing 4 hits a turn. Certainly I felt on three occasions the channeling dice could not have landed more perfectly: the additional range to the healing spell that kept Ja’y’ll in the game and the extra attacks for the orges and the Pheonix that allowed them to one shot the mincers. That being said, if my opponent had spent more points on items and spells this would have been at the expense of boots on the ground, so… I think we all know this is the not even a scratch on the surface of post game analysis that could occupy months and provide no meaningful outcome. So I’m going to stop right there. So whilst this is a wholly insignificant sample size of one my first impression of Halpi’s Rift is massively positive, as for me it delivers on flavour, whilst maintaining some wholesome balance.

I’m really looking forward to the next adventure.

First Impressions: Witch Hunters in Burrows and Badgers

I’ve now played my first couple of games using the lovely new Witch Hunter models from the most recent kick starter, and the rules in the second and third Oathsworn Journals, so I thought I’d share my first impressions.

I think Witch Hunters in fantasy settings are a really interesting faction. Historically speaking, witch hunts were simply murders of innocent and vulnerable people who either wouldn’t or couldn’t conform to society’s norms (I mean I tend to start from the position that most victims were probably not having it away with the Devil disguised as a gate post/cat/oddly shaped rock or carrot).

Of course, in the realms of fantasy magic is real – and that changes everything. Our real-world fantasists and psychopaths have a reason to exist. The enemy is real, no longer imagined. These shady operatives provide useful services, waging a secretive war against the occult and the obscured, the threat from beyond the veil. They have a story to be told that could, on occasion, see them considered heroic; dare I say even… noble?

So now my band of shady, paranoid and totally untrustworthy slayers of weird stuff have started their tabletop adventures I thought I’d share my first impressions.

Building the band

Warband wise I think the models are fantastic. They provide a great starting point of instantly recognisable beasts, guaranteed to make even the loyalist Royalist a little nervous that their name might be on the top of a suspect list.

The wider range provides some great options to build out some characterful warbands, whether it’s adding a local scout to show them the location of their current most wanted, town watch to provide a bit of extra muscle, or a baying mob of locals keen to burn something down. There are loads of great options to create warbands with a strong narrative feel.

*From left to right… Something’s up at Mrs. Miggins place, local watch show visiting dignitaries sights of interest, release the grubs.*

Faction rules

Rules wise this faction is quite different from the initial four. There is a free characteristic upgrade for Fortitude for up to three characters. Whilst this isn’t the stat that probably jumps to mind as the most useful, it does provide some characterful support against some magic spells and gives a bit more staying power when the route roll offs come around (I always see witch hunters as being very determined and dogmatic, so a little extra stoicism is always welcome). The Fortitude increase also helps activate the ‘definitely not magic’ Divine Might powers which, as previously stated, are definitely not magic. A bit more on those later.

The additional core faction rules are optional paid for upgrades. The first of these is the Malleus Maleficiarum (The Hammer of the Witches), originally a book published in 1486, which takes on a much more literal interpretation in Northymbria. It’s a weapon upgrade for the warband leader which increases the damage of a normal weapon when hitting undead and magic users. It’s a nice touch thematically and the damage increase against magic users gives the boss a buff against living warbands as well (albeit the magic users amongst them).

The warband also has the option to give two of its members Critter Boss, a new skill that allows the warband to recruit Stag Beetle grubs (a Northymbrian stand in for hounds). There are three different types of grubs that bring different skills to the warband. It’s a great differentiator and allows warband access to some relatively cheap beasts (made cheaper by not needing equipment) with useful skills. There is the added benefit that if the character with the Critter Boss skill dies the grubs become berserkers, which not surprisingly drops the priority of the character with that skill on the enemies’ ‘To Kill List’ pretty rapidly.

Finally, there is Divine Might, righteous powers that augment these warriors of god (gods?) in a mystical, but totally unmagical way. These function in a similar way to magic and target rolls use Fortitude, but there is a key difference – there is no weak or delicate offset (although armour still restricts use). Understandably this makes these powers a little more expensive than spells, but it opens up a number of different ways to build and use the faction’s ‘not spell casters’ which I’m having fun exploring. These powers are a mixture of roll off buffs and anti undead/magic user options so its worth giving a thought to what you’re likely to be facing out there, because if you’re not facing necromancers once the two spell mouse magician is dead you could have quite a few redundant tools rusting in the box.

The verdict

It’s early days, but I’m really enjoying the faction and I can see loads of potential for different types of builds. I was initially worried that the warband rules might overly focus on smashing the undead, leaving the warband with a bit less in the tank when fighting mortal beasts, particularly those warbands who don’t have the courteously to include a magic user. But I don’t think that’s the case.

Whilst its fair to say there are some Divine Might powers and the Malleus Maleficiarum that will pack more punch against certain foes than others there is plenty to explore and the fact that most (pretty sure all) anti undead magic also affects magic users means there will generally be targets for them amongst the original four warbands.

The most interesting thing for me has been considering what skills I pick for my leader and second, and who gets Divine Might and the Critter Boss options. It’s worth remembering that additional skills cost valuable pennies, so you can find characters quickly building in cost.

I’ve decided to have a go at picking skills that give me a better chance of picking my fights. Fighting the undead currently is all about taking out any character with the Invocation spell – the extra bodies it allows the necromantic faction to bring to the table is seriously disruptive so stopping these creatures early is important. To that end I’ve chosen Burst of Speed for my leader to give him loads of reach.

My second has Slippery. Not only does this allow him to move from fight to fight at will, but as I have given him some Divine Might it means he can also exit a combat and cast if this looks like the better option. In both cases these characters are tooled up to allow them to pick, or support the right fight. That being said I’m taking a bit of time working out what the ‘right’ fight is!

I’m also having a go with a mouse critter boss, and three grubs, who also has some Divine Might – the theory is that because people are less inclined to target him whilst the grubs are still on the table he is free to buff characters in a ‘not magical way’ and so far this is working.

Moving forward I see lots of scope to try out skills that I wouldn’t have previously considered, like Paladin and Critter Master. So far, I’ve only scratched the surface of these reasonably maligned critters, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what else they have to offer.

How is my warband shaping up?

Being honest, two games into the current campaign, and its not looking good! Their first game was against the first iteration of the undead list (very scary) which saw all but the leader and a grub go out of action. One grub died, my mouse picked up a niggling injury and the weasel had to miss the next game. Fortunately, I made enough pennies to replace the dead grub.

In the second game I faced off against a Wild Beast band with no magic users (no benefits from the Malleus Maleficiarum) and was one beast down! Not surprisingly that didn’t go well. Fortunately, the permanent injury table was ‘kind’. The Fox is now Fearsome, but there wasn’t enough food to feed everyone one, so I’m going into the next game on the back foot, and that’s if the mouse manages to make it! On the plus side though, if I lose the next game at least there is the promise of a sympathetic Freelance to look forward too. What can go wrong?

The Fyrefur Clan goes Mantic: part 4 – Mummies, mistakes and motivation.

Its finally happening… the UK is slowly being released. Actual physical gaming is once again on the table, as it were. After so many months locked away from the Covid it is great to be meeting with friends and getting the dice rolling once again.

With my local club opening its doors last Sunday I’ve already managed to get a game in, and it couldn’t have come soon enough as my enthusiasm for painting rats has been on the wane. Hence, it’s been a while since my last update on how the Manticisation of my rat hordes is going. I had hoped to combine the next update (this one) with a bit of a battle report, but aside from some of the lovely big resins and characters I haven’t been keeping up with the rank and file which means unlocking units are a bit thin on the ground.

On the plus side I have now completed all the new individuals, and what a lovely bunch they are. Mantic have done a great job with these and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there may be some mounted characters in the pipeline. Not only are they useful on the table, but I also have a bit of Goblin envy, which is not a good look.

*Mantic have created a great selection of individuals.*

The call of the dice

My lack progress on unlocking units for my rats was good news for my first lockdown project, my Abyssal Dwarfs, giving them a chance at an outing. It was great to get them on the table against the Lazy Pirate, Steve Evans, and his fantastic Empire of Dust force. As a first game it was hugely enjoyable. My fluffy Abyssal Dwarf army (no Golems, no mortars), combined with Aura of New Army (all units receive -1 to hit, -1 to wound, defence 2 and nerve 3/5), against a nice crunchy solid grind list featuring the Idol of Shobik and the Soul Snare ended in a largely expected loss (admittedly far greater than expected).

*Win or lose, its great to be back on the table.*

And what a loss it was, not only was I tabled without Steve losing a single unit. But thanks to the Soul Snare I believe the undead were pretty much back to full health by the time my final figure (the Hexcaster) left the table. Of course, a bit of post-game reflection highlighted just how many fundamental mistakes its possible to make in a single game. The highlights (lowlights?) include: forgetting Shobik is shambling, forgetting that units that kill an individual can over run into units behind them, putting the Helfane in the wrong place, sending Ba’su’su off without any real purpose, bringing 305 points less than my opponent to the table… yes dear reader 305 (so glad army lists get checked before tournaments). But none of these things are to be dwelt on, because for the first time in many months a game was actually played and, most importantly, I have my mojo back.

The first 2K

Getting back to gaming has got my enthusiasm for rats back, and in the last few days there has been serious progress. In order, to get some unlocks I’ve focused on finishing a second warrior regiment and rebasing some Tunnel Runners. Whilst its not exactly what I want to take to Clash of Kings it means I now have 2,000 points available to start getting some games in, and my focus is back. Happy days.

If you’ve made it this far why not give the post a like, or follow the blog.

Find parts 1, 2 and 3 here.

Book Review: Moon over Soho

What is it?

The follow up to Rivers of London, a murder mystery set within the mythic and modern city of London.

Who’s the writer?

Ben Aaronovitch is a London author whose early career in screen writing saw him write for Doctor Who and Casualty.

What’s it about?

PC Peter Grant is now a year into his wizard training. Whilst London seems to have put the explosive climax of Rivers of London behind it, the scars remain very real for Peter and his closest colleagues, but there is no letting up.

A number of seemingly natural deaths amongst jazz musicians kicks off an investigation that brings Peter’s personal and professional lives awkwardly close.

Is it any good?

Loved it.

This is a great second instalment that moves the story on beautifully. Aaronovitch delivers yet more fantasy, thrills and humour with a side serving of jazz and careful observation. London continues to be a powerful influence on the story, and as you might expect the majority of the action takes place in Soho.

The relationship between Grant and his Master, and commanding officer, also moves forward. This is an interesting dynamic that allows Aarnovitch to explore a number of important themes such as race and policing, important to both the main characters and the city of London. All in all this is a great second instalment.

I now have a bit of quandary – book number three or try something different?

Hobby Scrapbook: 2021 – the story so far…

It’s slightly unnerving that even without the joy of regular gaming the first few months of 2021 have already disappeared. However, the upside to this, certainly for those in the UK, is that there is the scent of gaming in the air as we move towards a bit of a relaxation of lockdown (first game organised, list chosen and army painted).

Despite the scarcity of games the mini producers, games designers and content creators have delivered some fantastic stuff for our continued delight. So I thought I would pull together a few of those things that have brought a smile to my face over the last couple of months, or will keep me smiling in the coming months.

Halflings have arrived in Oathmark – March saw the release of the unofficial army list written by Joseph McCullough. It’s limited by the standards of what’s available to other races so no linebreakers or cavalry, but they have their own characters and spell list. There are also a range of metal miniatures that have been added to the Oathmark section of the Northstar website to support it.

Burrows and Badgers Kickstarter – After, it’s fair to say, quite a bit of teasing The Dark, The Devout and The Heroic has landed. This is BnB’s latest Kickstarter which brings with it, not only another influx of anthropomorphic awesomeness, but also two new factions with the undead pawing their way out of the ground and the Witch Hunters intent on crushing their bones. Although it’s now closed, it’s scheduled to land in June so it shouldn’t be long before the these awesome models reach the Oathsworn webstore and the table. New rules are also on their way to support the factions, so I’m sure I’ll be having a look at these a bit more in due course.

Northumbrian Tin Soldier Kickstarter due in – The Gnomes are growing, in presence rather than size, with The Gnomes of Agaldur’s Keep. This typically fun faction went up on Kickstarter at the end of last year. I’m looking forward to it arriving in April as I’m have a number of the models earmarked for my Saga: Age of Magic force.

The League has finally arrived – Back in 2019 Mantic’s dungeon crawler with a twist went up on Kickstarter. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a delay in the delivery of this one due to Covid, so a little over schedule it has now arrived. Hats off to Mantic for the way they managed this one. I can imagine there were more than a few premature grey hairs grown in Mantic Towers, but they did a great job of keeping in contact and explaining what was going on. Well managed guys. And by the way, if you aren’t aware of this game, the twist is that the playable characters in the game are all villains. So whilst this is a co-op, messing with you’re fellow adventurers is not just encouraged, its written into the rules. I’ve managed a couple of games so far and am really enjoying it.

Mantic rats and tiny undead ships – If you’ve looked at this blog over the past three months you’ll be aware Mantic are now doing their own Ratkin range for Vanguard and Kings of War. Mantic have worked up a pretty solid formula for army releases with a plastic set to cover off the core troops and resin sculpts to cover off the special units and characters. I loved their Abyssal Dwarf range that was released last year, and the rats build comfortably on that success with some beautiful resin miniatures. The first wave is now out, with a second wave out towards the end of April. Mantic have mentioned in podcasts that everything in the army lists will be represented, and it almost is. I’m hoping there will be a final wave after the next to cover off the handful of mounted characters not yet supported, especially given how great the mounted Goblin characters are (surely it’s not right to be envious of a Goblin?).

In addition, the Empire of Dust has taken to the water with their very own range of ships for Armada. Whilst I’m not a big fan of ship games Armada has been really well received, and visually this is my favourite faction so far.

Something to listen to

I’ve been flitting between various podcasts and Youtube channels (as you do) and thought I would share some of my highlights:

The Andy and Rem Show – Traditionally an Age of Sigmar show, the boys have been exploring other fantasy games and inviting some interesting guests on. Recently they had the founder of Warploque miniatures on to talk about his journey in the industry and show case some of his fab Arcworlde minis.

Exploding 8’s Steve and Sean – In their most recent episode the guys have been talking about painting armies. As someone who loves rank and flank games, but is not a fan of the painting required to get these armies on the table, this is a great overview of some ideas and approaches to getting large to-paint-piles battle ready. Both are seasoned gamers and painters, Steve has around 17 completed Kings of War armies (I say around because the number just keeps going up), so bring some valuable insights to the topic.

Small Scale Chatter – A new podcast on the scene with Anjuli Smith, aka GeekGirlBookWorm off of Twitter, talking to various guests from within the miniatures community. The first episode kicked off with Annie from Bad Squiddo in the hot seat talking about her community miniature development project which I found fascinating. Great energy and I look forward to more.

Direct Misfire – After a bit of a hiatus the guys are back with some general Kings of War hobby chat, a review of an event in Australia (yes they are still allowed them over there) and their awesome theme tune to warm up your ears.

So that’s a brief round up of what’s been keeping me sane. If you’ve got this far why not follow the blog, click the like button thing, or you can follow me on Twitter Eddie Bar @EddieBe77 for the same sort of stuff, just much smaller and bit more regular.

The Fyrefur Clan goes Mantic: part 3 – Spot the difference

Over the last few weeks I’ve been moving house, which has translated to minimal hobby and a somewhat erratic painting output. Normality is slowly returning, so the time is right to break out the typing machine.

The last time I properly sat down with the automated writing wotsit the rodent reveals and pre-orders were flowing fast from Mantic, and I was getting a bit concerned about how high the inevitable backlog pile would grow (it’s still growing). I’ve made no secret about how much I like the new releases. They are definitely a confirmation that Ratkin have now gnawed their way into their rightful (albeit dark, run down and icky) place in Pannithor. Getting a proper look at the range, both in images and up close and personal got me thinking about all the Games Workshop rats I’m gradually retiring (from Kings of War at least).

I think it’s fair to say that Skaven have cast a long shadow over Pannithor. GW was the only company (to the best of my knowledge) to offer a full range of warrior ratmen. I know I’m not alone in having started out as a Ratkin player in Kings of War because I had a bunch of square based rats lying around gathering dust. However, times have changed, progress has progressed and now Ratkin have more lore, a revised army list and their own swanky new miniature range. But the big question is – have Mantic banished the minions of The Horned Rat from Pannithor?

*Another big question is a far more practical one.*

Lore

Watching Ratkin lore fill out in Halpi’s Rift has been interesting. Not least because, for me, the prospect of games returning heralds a return to battle reports. I now have a better understanding of how Ratkin integrate into the world around them. So, I need to work out what it will mean for those loveable rogues Old Mother Cinderpaw, Strayrat and Chief Warlock Sparkthrower. The Skaven character definitely influenced my portrayal of the leading lights of the clan. A rethink is required and I’m looking forward to working through what those changes will be.

*A selection of Mantic characters with their GW counterparts.*

The differences in lore between the races could not be more stark. Whilst from the off we knew Ratkin were slave beasts created by the Abyssal Dwarfs (as opposed to the children of a Chaos God, with their own creation myth that neatly smashes the Tower of Babel, and the Norse myth about Loki tricking a giant into building a wall around Asgard together) there wasn’t much wider context.

Theories did abound. I remember listening to a podcast where Ratkin were compared to Spartacus. It was a neat idea, and for me it kind of stuck. I liked the idea of an almost noble race planning the rescue of their kin from the nasty, angry short dudes. This was a concept that ended up shaping the Fyrefur Clan narrative and was a key motivation for my Mother Cyza proxy Old Mother Cinderpaw. However, Halpi’s Rift blew that idea away. Ratkin look down on their enslaved kin and their society embraces (maybe even magnifies) the brutality of the Abyssal Dwarfs. They are a classic case of the bullied turned bully.

There are many other differences between Ratkin and Skaven, and I’ve thought long and hard (2 beers and a generous whisky) about how best to sum it up. For me, the key difference is that Skaven are the crazy, insane super villain of the Warhammer World, terrifyingly ingenious (they built a machine that moved a moon!!), morally vacuous, paranoid, verging on insane and utterly selfish. Of course, Ratkin are no saints by comparison and many of the charges laid at the feet (claws?) of the Skaven, the Ratkin are equally guilty of. Morally vacuous, check, ingenious, check. But I don’t get the feeling they take these things to the Olympic levels (with a Doomwheel load of performance enhancing warpstone for good measure) that Skaven do.

Does this make Ratkin a bit, you know, well, boring? Maybe a bit more of a run of the mill evil race? Absolutely not. Halpi’s Rift introduces some really interesting questions about their relationship with the Abyss. Their slave rebellion was allegedly inspired by a Wicked One. The structure of their layers and the Warlocks’ experimentation all beg any number of questions about the full extent of their understanding, involvement with, and relationship to the Abyss. It’s early days lore wise for Ratkin, but some solid foundations have been laid.

As we have seen the miniature range roll out there have been some interesting commentary around their pragmatic approach to developing technology based on what they have seen in the halls of the Abyssal Dwarfs. The Death Engine is a great example of this, with its tank like exterior, powered by a dismembered night terror (because it’s easier than inventing an engine). This suggests a race that is trying to keep up in technological terms, however, I don’t think it’s as straight forward as this. Compare the results of their fleshcraft to that of the Abyssal Dwarfs, and a different picture emerges. Abyssal Dwarfs have the brutal, but fragile Grotesques (that essentially get a promotion if they haven’t fallen apart at the end of their first battle). Ratkin have managed to bodge together Mutant Rat Fiends and the Demonspawn with the incredibly awkward name, two of arguably the best titans in their respective classes. They might be C- students when it comes to engineering, but are definitely taking home easy A’s when it comes to Biology and Integrated Demonology.

Rules and Minis

I’m not going to get too much into this for now (or probably ever). Partly because I only have so much time to write, but also because I think the lore for the respective races really gets to the heart of the differences we see on the tabletop.

For both armies the basic warriors are not fantastic, and benefit from rules that use weight of numbers to sure up morale. The similarities largely end there. Skaven play to the evil genius trope bringing unstable weapons with special rules that either randomise damage and outcomes, or allow potential damage output to be ramped up, but the player runs the risk it will be applied to their own force. Ratkin have a more measured set of rules, that draw out the benefit Ratkin gain from being in large numbers through synergies and support pieces, favouring fleshcraft over machines.

In terms of miniatures, I think Mantic have done a great job bringing Ratkin to life. The World War 1 theme is undoubtedly an interesting choice. It’s not a go to for fantasy I would have gone to, but only the briefest reflection is required to see how they got there. On an aesthetic level it provides context for units like nightmares, tunnel runners and night terrors ported over from the Deadzone universe. But more importantly, for me, it underlines the brutality that the Ratkin were born from, and which permeates their continuing existence.

*Resin Shock Troop add ons give the plastic warriors a very different feel.*

So, have they pulled it off?

In lore terms I think Mantic have done a great job in establishing Ratkin as a distinct faction in Pannithor. The changes in the army list from its original version to the present day give players a wide range of options and lots of flavour. I think its fair to say not everyone has enjoyed that particular journey, but I believe we’re now at a place where we know what Mantic rats are all about, and I’m a fan.

*Enforcers through the ages – 2nd Ed GW, 3rd Ed GW, 3rd Ed Mantic.*

The miniature question is a slightly more nuanced one. Kings of War is a miniature agnostic game. Its part of the appeal for many people. That means we’re going to continue to see Skaven on the tables. Personally, I’m really happy about that because there are some fantastic miniatures that bring back a lot of great memories for me. However, for me, what Mantic have done on the miniature front provides a great alternative and I think new players looking to get into Ratkin who don’t have legacy armies will make Mantic their first port of call. The general view I have from my corner of the internet is the range has been very well received. Its reflective of the massive steps Mantic have taken with both their resin and plastic, and I can’t wait to get my first game in with them.

Click here for The Fyrefur Clan goes Mantic part 1 and part 2.

Book Review: The Rivers of London

What is it?

A murder mystery set in both the real and spirit worlds of modern London.

Who’s the writer?

Ben Aaronovitch is a London author whose early career in screen writing saw him write for Doctor Who and Casualty.

What’s it about?

Peter Grant is a police constable in the Metropolitan Police when a seemingly random, but particularly messy murder happens on his patch. He is guarding the crime scene when he receives a tip from a less than substantial source.

He ends up assigned to a small, and equally mysterious department of the Met to track down the killer and learn magic. All this whilst trying to make the department’s luxurious, yet decidedly dated, headquarters compatible with the 21^st century, or at least the tail end of the 20th.

Is it any good?

This is one of those books I got engrossed in pretty much from the first couple of pages. It is a fabulous blend of crime, comedy and the supernatural. Aaronovitch’s London is beautifully observed, and brought to life through honest, but loving, eyes and described in a warm voice with a wry smile. The characters are well rounded and supernatural London draws you in gently, but before you know it, you’re in amongst the ages and worlds of this ancient city. There is one other great thing about this book – it’s part of a series, so now I just need to remember where I left my copy of Moon Over Soho.

Quick game review: The Quacks of Quedlinburg

Quick game reviews aren’t just quick reviews of board, or card, games. They’re also intended to give an overview of games that are quick, both to get to grips with and play, for those who love a good game but are short on time. Over the last month or so we’ve been playing The Quacks of Quedlinburg, designed by Wolfgang Warsch. We’ve been playing the English version released by North Star Games.

Because these reviews are intended to look at games for people with limited time, and equally limited desire or capacity to spend pouring over rulesets they need to be:

Quick to learn – understand the game mechanics within a couple of attempts.

Quick to set up – out the box and ready to play by the time you’ve made a cup of tea.

Quick to play – possible to go from deciding to play to back in the box on the shelf in around an hour.

There is also one more vital ingredient – depth. The game needs to have something that will get the brain working and make you want to revisit it again and again.

What it’s all about

The concept of the game is really simple: players purchase ingredients to make potions to sell, but you have to be careful your potion doesn’t explode as you prepare it.

I love a good back story and fun artwork. The Quacks of Quedlinburg have both of these in spades, and that definitely drew me in. Add to that the playing time is given as 45 minutes, it sounded like the perfect combination.

When I opened the box, I started to have some reservations. There are a lot of counters, rubies, cards and bags. Then I read the rules which didn’t seem to be as clear as other rulesets I’ve read, maybe I was already getting preoccupied with set up and packing away times? I had a quick cup of tea and reached for the internet. Fortunately, how to play videos are pretty easy to come by, so after a couple of viewings and some time spent popping out counters (which in itself is pretty calming) I gathered the team for a first play through.

This is undoubtedly one of the most involved games I’ve reviewed for this site, and whilst the play time is under the hour mark the number of bits add some extra minutes to the “from shelf to set up, play and back to shelf” time. The number of different bits also adds an element of complexity, so if your gaming group like things to be really straight forward they may need a bit of gentle encouragement, but it’s worth it. The actual rules are fairly straight forward. The complexity comes from the different effects of the ingredients, which offer loads of different ways to make potions and allows players a variety of strategies to explore. This, in turn, makes it really replayable, and so worth the extra time spent getting to grips with the game.

The verdict

Quick to learn – How to play video first, followed by a couple of play throughs – not the end of the world.

Quick to set up – The tea will probably be made before you’re set up, unless you like a strong brew, but it will still be hot.

Quick to play – No more than an hour.

Depth – The ingredient mechanic creates loads of different ways to build potions and there are two game variants in the box, so plenty of reasons to get it off the shelf again and again.

Book Review: Carmilla

What is it?

A gothic vampire tale.

Who’s the writer?

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu, born in Dublin 1814, was a leading horror and mystery writer of his time.

What’s it about?

A carriage accident results in a mysterious stranger being offered hospitality at an Austrian castle. The stranger, a young woman, strikes up an intimate friendship with the daughter of the castle’s owner, Laura. Outside the castle walls a sickness ravages the countryside, but it is not long until the same sickness strikes at Laura.

Said to be the vampire story that inspired Dracula some 20 years later, Carmilla is a beautifully twisted gothic tale. Its easy to see the elements of the story that Bram Stoker drew on to develop his own vampire masterpiece, however this is a very different tale. Much shorter in word count, but every bit as engaging, bloody and beautiful.

Is it any good?

If you love vampire stories, especially Dracula, this book should absolutely be on your reading list.