Work-In-Progress Wednesday - 2 October 2024

 It's Wednesday.... so here is what is haunting my workbench at the beginning of the "scary" month!

Still a bunch of Sylvaneth on the workbench... I'd been trying to work these up along side all the others... but then in the push to finish the Spearhead Army for the Game on Sunday... I set these aside to finish up later... It is now later... 

Ylthari's Guardians - Warhammer Underworlds warband... but still usable as "legends" in an Age of Sigmar Sylvaneth army. 

Five more Tree-Revenants. I did not build a Champion, Musician, or Standard Bearer... so these are pretty much decicated to reinforcing the unit I already have, bringing it up to 10. Not sure if that's a smart thing to do in the game... but no one has ever accused me of being a canny player... 

Spite-Revenants!

I've assembled and primed the Awakened Wyldwood I picked up at the Dragon's Den Anniversary Sale... Seems like an essential bit of faction terrain for the Sylvaneth... but also, just a nice little copse of trees for anyone else. I'd been thinking about getting some of these for a LONG time - way before I ever considered the possibility of playing Sylvaneth! 

I was still pretty stoked about the Sylvaneth a few days ago...!?!

Most of my thinking and focus has shifted to Path to Glory - as that it what is happening next at the Warhammer store - a Path to Glory campaign!

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what army to do - because I really should just FOCUS ON ONE for now... and that COULD be Sylvaneth... and if I finish up everything above I'd have 1050 points. If I dug out Skaeth's Wild Hunt and painted them up as well, and substituted them in for Ylthari's Guardians, I'd have EXACTLY 1000 points... (and Ylthari's to bring in as reinforcements, when I gained enough Reknown!). That army would look like this:

Treelord General's Regiment 

• Hero - Treelord (1) 260 points 
• Unit - Kurnoth Hunters with Kurnoth Greatbows (3) 200 points 
• Unit - Spite-Revenants (5) 110 points
• Unit - Tree-Revenants (10) 220 points

Total: 790

Branchwych's Regiment  

• Hero - Branchwych (1) 120 points
• Unit - Skaeth’s Wild Hunt (5) 90 points

Total: 210

Army Total: 1000

The only problem is... that's IT!? I don't HAVE any more Sylvaneth... If the army expanded beyond 1140 points (and that's kind of the idea of the Path to Glory campaign, is you start with 1000 points and slowly build up the army...). So I'd have to go out and BUY MORE STUFF... and I'm not super excited about doing that right now... Especially when I have SO MUCH OTHER STUFF I could paint for SO MANY OTHER FACTIONS!? 

So... what faction to use...? 

I have two that I could cobble together something close to 1000 point and just play tomorrow - Blades of Khorne and Hedonites of Slaanesh. Both have LOADS of stuff that could be used to expand the army - stuff that's already painted and more that could be painted! 

Because you can only buy complete units and most of them start at 100 points (but more are NOT nice even numbers like 100 or 150... there are loads of units that are 110, or 130, or 140, or 179, etc)... it's often difficult to get a force that is exactly 1000 points. Also, with the regimental limitations, you can't always add a unit that you have to a regiment that would make a nice even 1000 points because it's a type that just won't go in the Regiment lead by a hero of a particular type - this is especially true for most Chaos armies. There are Daemon units and then there are mortal units (Bloodbound for Khorne, Sybarites for Slaanesh) and lesser leaders of one type or another can only have units of the same type... so... tricky. 

In both Hedonites and the Blades of Khorne I have forces I have a few options for 1000 point starting armies but often they end up being 890-930 points and I don't have any units that are exactly (or less than) the number of points needed to get to 1000... In a few I could do it if I painted ONE MORE UNIT (but in some cases, I'd have to BUY said unit!?) 

One of the Khorne option only needed one units of Blood Warriors... 

So the second unit of Blood Warriors is back on the workbench and finally getting rebased! An additional unit of Blood warriors would make this 930! 

This option would look like... 

Slaughterpriest General's Regiment 

• Hero - Slaughterpriest (1)  160 - Any Bloodbound
• Unit - Blood Warriors (10) 210 - Bloodbound, Infantry
• Unit - Blood Warriors (10) 210 - Bloodbound, Infantry
• Unit - Bloodreavers (10)  100  Bloodbound, Infantry
• Unit - Mighty Skullcrushers (3)  - 250 - Bloodbound, Cavalry

Total: 930

This is basically the Spearhead Army, plus one additional unit of Blood Warriors. 

The Khorgorath never left the table... it's been sitting in a state of SO CLOSE to being done I just couldn't bear to remove it from the table... also, I noted while I was tinkering around last night, that if I dropped the Bloodreavers, and added the Khorgorath to the above army, I'd be even CLOSER to 1000 points!

Slaughterpriest General's Regiment 

• Hero - Slaughterpriest (1)  160 - Any Bloodbound
• Unit - Blood Warriors (10) 210 - Bloodbound, Infantry
• Unit - Blood Warriors (10) 210 - Bloodbound, Infantry
• Unit - Khorgorath (1) 150 (-20) - Bloodbound, Monster
• Unit - Mighty Skullcrushers (3)  - 250 - Bloodbound, Cavalry

Total: 980

While I was looking at all the Khorne stuff I brought these Skullreapers to rebase and prime over. I have no immediate plan for them, they just look fun and if I've got the red and brass out, I might as well try and knock these out as well!?

The Mighty Lord of Khorne and Bloodsecrator have also been haunting the workbench since I was working on the Spearhead army... the Bloodstoker was brought up to rebase and prime with the Skullreapers... I had a couple ideas of forces that could include one or more of these... but then I wouldn't have a priest... and I'm not sure how fucked I'd be without one in this edition (I know in cerain editions of Warhammer Fantasty that I fielded an army without wizards against an army WITH wizards, I was doomed from the get-go!). I have to admit, I haven't really read any of the advanced rules about magic or manifestations or priests or anything, as I've been mostly focused on Spearhead for the last few months, which has it's own rules to cover these things... 

I also have an option for an ALL DAEMON Khorne army, that seems like it would be fun... but that would require buying one more box of Flesh hounds... 

Bloodmaster General's Regiment 

• Hero - Bloodmaster, Herald of Khorne (1) 150
• Unit - Bloodcrushers (3) 200
• Unit - Bloodletters (10) 200
• Unit - Flesh Hounds (10) 220
• Unit - Flesh Hounds (10) 220

Total: 990...? 

and I think that's the closest I get to 1000 points with a Blades of Khorne army. 

Not having exactly 1000 points isn't THAT big of a deal... if you start with 50 points less than the agreed upon point level of the game (i.e. if you're playing a 1000 point game and you have 950 or less) you get a bonus Command Point to start the game...? 

Still a lot of Nighthaunt haunting the workbench... I should really box these up as they haven't been worked on for weeks... or... months maybe... 

I DO have enough of these that THEY could potentially be used in a Path to Glory campaign - IF I finished up the Sriptor Mortis, the Myrmourn Banshees and the Craventhrone Guard... 

Scriptor Mortis General's Regiment 

• Hero - Scriptor Mortis (1) 120 - 0-1 Black Coach, Any Infantry 
• Unit - Bladegheist Revenants (10) 160 - Infantry
• Unit - Craventhrone Guard (5) 100 - Infantry
• Unit - Glaivewraith Stalkers (4) 80 - Infantry

Total: 460

Spirit Torment's Regiment 

• Hero - Spirit Torment (1) 130 - 0-1 Black Coach, Any Infantry
• Unit - Chainghasts (2) 100 - Infantry
• Unit - Myrmourn Banshees (4) 120 - Infantry
• Unit - Myrmourn Banshees (4) 120 - Infantry

Total: 470

Army Total: 930

But I'm kind of just not feeling it right now... Also, these are pretty much in the same situation as the Sylvaneth... I'd HAVE to buy more stuff to expand this army any... 

Darkoath Chieftan on Warsteed and a unit of Darkoath Fellriders (actually old Chaos Marauder Horse... but basically the same thing...).

Also under consideration are the Slaves to Darkness... This army would need the most stuff assembled and painted - though I already HAVE the stuff... and maybe that should be the point of this campaign - motivation to GET STUFF DONE... one option involves a bunch of Darkoath Riders... 

Darkoath Chieftain General’s Regiment

• Hero - Darkoath Chieftain on Warsteed (1) 160
• Unit - Darkoath Fellriders (5) 150
• Unit - Darkoath Fellriders (5) 150

Points 460

Ogroid Myrmidon's Regiment (Hargax's Pit Beasts!) 

• Hero - Ogroid Myrmidon (1) 170
• Unit - Fomoroid Crusher (1) 140
• Unit - Mindstealer Sphiranx (1) 170

Points 480

Army Total: 940

Instead of Fomoroid Crusher, could take Darkoath Wilderfiend (1) 170  - for a total of 970

Need to assemble and paint Darkoath Chieftain and 10x Fellriders (and the Wilderfiend…). 

Mind you, again, that option has no wizards... 

Another Option for Slaves to Darkness includes a Chaos Sorcerer Lord and Chaos Knights...

Chaos Sorcerer Lord Generals Regiment

• Hero - Chaos Sorcerer Lord (1) 120
• Unit - Ogroid Myrmidon (1) 170
• Unit - Chaos Knights (5) 250
• Unit - Chaos Knights (5) 250
• Unit - Mindstealer Sphiranx (1) 170

Total: 960

This would require assembling and painting the Chaos Sorcerer Lord and the ten Knights... but it would be pretty cool... 

I could ditch the (ALREADY PAINTED) monsters and build something COMPLETELY NEW!?

Chaos Sorcerer Lord General's Regiment

• Hero - Chaos Sorcerer Lord (1) 120
• Unit - Chaos Knights (5) 250

Total: 370

Darkoath Chieftain's Regiment

• Hero - Darkoath Chieftain on Warsteed (1) 160
• Unit - Darkoath Fellriders (5) 150
• Unit - Darkoath Fellriders (5) 150
• Unit - Darkoath Fellriders (5) 150

Total: 610

Army Total: 980

All that cavalry... I mean, I wouldn't have to buy a thing and I'd have piles of stuff to ADD to the army... but Id have to assemble AND paint ALL of it (except for the Chieftan and five of the riders... they're already assembled!) 

I just don't know... so many cool ideas... 

I finally got around to assembling/basing/priming Brakky the Guilded Key/Auric Runesmiter miniature... 

Also the Saviours of Cinderfall are still lurking on the desk... 

So, yeah, I'm really tornabout what faction to focus on for and Age of Sigmar Path to Glory campaign... 

Do I just go with something that's nearly already done - like Blades of Khorne or Hedonites of Slaanesh... (and have time to work on stuff for or play Five Men in Normandy or Devilry Afoot...!?) 

Or do I do something that is NEARLY done, and would finish up ALL the stuff I have for it - like Sylvaneth or Nighthaunt... But then also would need MORE STUFF once the campaign gets going and the army builds reknown and starts to expand... 

OR Something that gets a BUNCH of new stuff done... Like Slaves to Darkness - or Daughters of Khaine!!

I easily have over a thousand points of Stormcast, but I'm not really even thinking about those... I could probably do Skaven too... ugggghhhh... 

WHAT IS EVERYONE ELSE WORKING ON THIS WEEK!?

Game Matts

I've been wanting to get a few game matts for a LONG time... I first encountered them at the first 40K tournament I went to... like... SIX years ago... I've kind of wanted to get a few ever since. It was agreed upoon that I should get them after the Game Room was renovated.. It's been renovated for over two years now... It was time... 

HOWEVER... 

WHAT SIZE TO GET!? 

Six years ago I would have said 4'x6' without even thinking about it... (initially I didn't really consider matts... because I had a 5'x8' table and terrain tiles I'd made that could cover it completely!? My table isn't QUITE that big now, though... though I kept the two large chunks of MDF that made up the table to make into a tabletopper of sorts... I doubt I'll ever play a game THAT BIG again... I'm not even sure I have the patience for something that would be played on 4'x6' - Warhammer Games aren't even played on 4x6 anymore, the suggested size is 44"x60"!? But I don't even LOVE playing games that big... Do I get 2'x2' for small skirmishes...? or 3'x3'...? There are games I have that suggest both sizes... or 22"x30" - the size used for Warcry and Kill Team and Age of Sigmar: Spearhead...!?

In the end I settled on 44"x30"... it's the size recommended for 1000-1500 point Warhammer games... any games that are meant to be played on 3'x3' or 2'x2' can easily be played on with with little modification... They should fill a good chunk of the table for fairly large skirmishes or role-playing game encounters, but leave plenty of space for dice trays, character sheets, quick reference charts, books, reinforcements and dead... 

I ended up ordering three from FLG matts... I liked the pattern. I settled on a Grassland, Desert and Cobblestone... I was thinking about getting a Martian and/or Snow matt as well... but thought maybe I should just start with the three and see if I DO use them and maybe order more later... 

The parcel arrived while I was out.. I was a little disapointed to arrive home to see a box that was not nearly as long and skinny as I'd imagined... I had hoped they'd be shipped rolled up properly... 

Not-so-much... they were folded in the packaging they were sold in... and those were folded into a box... 

So...  they're pretty wrinkled... 

This one's called "Prairie"

"Civic Cobblestone"

Honsetly... those cobbles are a LOT larger than I'd imagined... 

I'll get over it... 

maybe... 

eventually... 

"Badlands 2"

I'm sure once they're flat... IF they're ever flat... they'll be really nice! 

I was further soured on the whole experience by the $59CAD I had to pay for taxes, duties, and fees on an order that only cost $210CAD (of which $35CAD was shipping!?). Now I don't mind paying taxes... I like roads... and firefighters... and other public services... but the fucking $45 "brokerage fee" UPS charged seemed like a much. Fuckers... Canada Post charged $9.95 for that service... But no, keep telling me that privatization and "competition" will mean basic services will be cheaper for me... 

So all that along with the wrinkled matts... I think I might look elsewhere for a snow or martian surface matt - or if I decide I need a different size... 

Anyway... 

Luckily I have NO SHORTAGE of heavy books, so hopefully a few days of this might sort out SOME of the wrinkles... If we get sunny days again, I could try leaving them outside for a bit... We are fully into fall it seems, today, and things are very grey indeed... 

Really want these to be flat NOW so I can get on with PLAYING Devilry Afoot or continue on with the Five Men in Normandy campaign...

Devilry Afoot - Dramatis Personae

In a comment on a recent post on this blog, someone brought my attention to the fact that Nic Wright had a new set of rules out for solo/co-op monster and witch hunting in the 16th/17th Centuries... (I'm so sorry, I'm blanking on who it was or where the comment was... but THANK YOU!!!) Now, I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed EVERY game by Nic Wright that I've played... 

So, OBVIOUSLY, I HAD to pick it up!?

And over the last week or so, I've been rebasing and painting and organizing and making characters... and so, below, I present the first batch of Monster Hunters I've made up for Devilry afoot. 

Most of these were rebased and touched up to bring them up to more recent standards... 

Except this little pupper... I'm not entirely sure where it came from... but I found it in the Critters drawer while looking for a dog for my main character and this one was PERFECT and so I quickly painted it up! 

The whole crew. 

I'll admit, I got a little cheaty with some of the gear... I went ahead and equipped each character with what the miniature was holding or carrying - even though, in most cases, there was no way they would be able to afford it, even if they rolled 20 for starting shillings.... 

Doña Francesca Velázquez (and Milu!) 

Doña Francesca Velázquez is a woman of great passion. She was married at a rather young age to Don Pablo Velázquez. Her life in Don Velázquez's estates was a one of comfort. For long periods the Don was absent, along with Hernando and Fernando occasionally coming back injured. It was only years later she discovered he was a Monster Hunter! She asked many times if he would train her and take her along, but he insisted it was a Man's work... 

After he died, Doña Velázquez insisted that Hernando and Fernando train her to be a monster hunter. When they refused she threatened to dismiss them, denounce the Pope, and become a protestant - and to prove the point, took on a dour Puritan to teach her the ways of war. To make sure she stayed true to the faith, they acquiesced.  

Archetype: Gentlewoman
Resolve: 4+
Move: 4”
Attack: +1
Shoot: -
Wounds: 3
Shillings: 34
Experience: 0
Traits: (None)
Skills: (None)
Secrets: Lustful
Lasting Injuries: (None)
Equipment:

• Sword (Hands: 1, Att: +1 , Sht: -, Rng: -, Notes:  )
• Daggar (Hands: 1, Att: - , Sht: +1 , Rng: 2”, Notes:  )
• Dog - pg. 45 

I absolutely LOVE this miniature, it is one of my favourite figures ever... 

Hob 

Hob is Francesca's Manservant. Not a full character, but a Follower, in game terms (as a Gentlewoman, Francesca starts the game with one follower). 

Archetype: Follower
Resolve: 5+
Move: 4”
Attack: -
Shoot: -
Wounds: 3
Shillings: 0
Experience: 0
Traits: (None)
Skills: (None)
Secrets: (None)
Lasting Injuries: (None)
Equipment:

• Blunderbuss (Hands: 2, Att: -1, Sht: -1, Rng: 8”, Notes: +1 to wound, action to reload)

Isabella Velázquez

Isabella is Francesca's Sister-in-Law. For the longest time, Isabella despised Francesca, thinking her a brainless floozy only after her brother's money (nevermind that their entire marriage was arranged and Francesca had absolutely no say in the matter!) and made no effort to conceal her contempt! Recent events have made her reconsider. Shortly before his death, Don Pablo's had intimated that he had indulged Isabella for too long and upon his return, he would be finding her a proper husband! 

Isabella's only true love had ever been books! She feared upon inheriting all of Don Pablo's wealth and estates, Doña Francesca would put her out of the house and trade her off to a husband like an old horse... but when Doña Francesca did NOT do that... and instead asked if she would stay and aid in her training - of knowledge - she began to have a change of heart! 

She's not just a pretty face and brilliant mind, she's also packing some heat! 

Archetype: Scholar
Resolve: 4+
Move: 4”
Attack: -1
Shoot: -
Wounds: 3
Shillings: 0
Experience: 0
Traits: Erudite - may apply +1 or - 1 to all rolls related to Scholarly skill
Skills: Astrologer - roll 2d10 before game that may be substituted for any roll involving character - before roll made
Secrets: Doubting
Lasting Injuries: (None)
Equipment:

• Pistol (Hands: 1, Att: -1 , Sht: +1, Rng: 6”, Notes: action to reload)

Hernando

Hernando (and his brother Fernando) were Monster Hunters along with Don Pablo. Hernando is a jolly fellow and much more forgiving and pleasant that most catholic monks. He secretly has wondered if Luther may have been right... 

Archetype: Religious
Resolve: 3+
Move: 4”
Attack: -1
Shoot: -1
Wounds: 3
Shillings: 0
Experience: 0
Traits: Religious - Roll 2d10 when quoting scripture, take highest
Skills: Alchemist - +6” to range of Blackpowder weapons
Secrets: Backslider
Lasting Injuries:
Equipment:

• Blunderbuss (Hands: 2, Att: -1, Sht: -1, Rng: 14”, Notes: +1 to wound, action to reload)

Fernando

Fernando (and his brother Hernando) were Monster Hunters along with Don Pablo. He is considerably the more serious of the two. He often pushes the group toward hunting vampires and other revenants. He secretly practices witchcraft! 

Archetype: Religious
Resolve: 3+
Move: 4”
Attack: -1
Shoot: -1
Wounds: 3
Shillings: 0
Experience: 0
Traits:

• Religious - Roll 2d10 when quoting scripture, take highest
• Devout - +1 to Resolved when Intimidated or Charmed

Skills: (None)
Secrets: Secret Witch!?
Lasting Injuries: (None)
Equipment:

• Pistol (Hands: 1, Att: -1 , Sht: +1, Rng: 6”, Notes: action to reload)
• Sword (Hands: 1, Att: +1 , Sht: -, Rng: -, Notes: )

Thomas

Thomas is an English Mercenary of German descent. He has spent years battling back and forth across Europe and has seen many horrors, on and off the battlefield. He came into Doña Francesca service along with Jedediah. 

Archetype: Soldier
Resolve: 4+
Move: 4”
Attack: +1
Shoot: +1
Wounds: 3
Shillings:
Experience: 0
Traits: (None)
Skills: Musketeer - When shoot, roll 2d10, use highest
Secrets: Slovenly -1” to first move action, each activation
Lasting Injuries: (None)
Equipment:

• Matchlock (Hands: 2, Att: 0, Sht: 0/-1, Rng: 12"/24", Notes: action to reload)
• Sword (Hands: 1, Att: +1 , Sht: - , Rng: -, Notes: )

Jedediah

Jedediah is a dour puritanical Calvinist. Like Thomas, he has spent many years in battle across Europe, though Jedediah was a bit more selective when it came to whom he served. He is savage in despatching the monsters of Satan as well as his human servants. He does not like Hernando or Fernando at all and is highly suspicious of them... 

Archetype: Soldier
Resolve: 4+
Move: 4”
Attack: +1
Shoot: +1
Wounds: 3
Shillings: )
Experience: 0
Traits: (None)
Skills: Steady Aim - +1 to shoot if they do not move and shoot in same activation
Secrets: Sadist -2 to activation and resolve tests when in base contact with dead monster or out-of-action Human
Lasting Injuries: (None)
Equipment:

• Dragon (Hands: 1, Att: -1 , Sht: - , Rng: 6”, Notes: +1 to wound, action to reload)
• Sword (Hands: 1, Att: +1 , Sht: -, Rng: -, Notes: )
• Helmet -1 to monsters attack from front, +1 from rear!
• Buffcoat -1 to wound rolls
• Cuirass +1 to be hit, but 2s10 to wound rake lower result, may not sneak, roll2d10 when climbing take lower

It's a start... I will probably develop these characters as I go... 

Now to play a GAME with them!!

(mind you, I'm still pretty excited about continuing the Five Men in Normandy campaign!? So I'm not quite sure what I will do next!?) 

Game Plan 2024 - Q4

We are three-quarters of the way through the year! Where did the time go!?

As with the last few Quarterly Plans, I'm not here to make any hard and fast PLANS, per se… Just set some general intentions which I will look back in 3 months, without judgement, and see what I DID manage to do! Did I do the things I said I would…? Did I do something completely different (but still SOMETHING!?) 

What DID I plan for this past quarter? What DID I end up doing? You can see the plan here:

Game Plan 2024 - Q3

As for what I did manage to get up to... 

GAMES

Things were a bit slower over the summer... I'd like to say it was because I was getting out lots and going for long rides and just generally enjoying the outdoors... instead it was HOT and SMOKEY and I didn't get out much at all... People were just busy with other things. 

Here is what I got to playing in the last three months... 

• Warhammer Age Of Sigmar (Fourth Edition) x7
• Warhammer Quest: Shadows Over Hammerhal x4
• Warhammer Underworlds: Deathgorge x4
• NMBR 9 x2
• Betrayal at House on the Hill x1
• Carcassonne x1
• Dixit x1
• Five Men in Normandy .30 Cal edition x1
• Warhammer 40,000 (Tenth Edition) x1

Total: 22 games! 

Yiiiiiikes... that's like half the games I played in each of the other quarters so far... 

Here's what we've played so far this year:

• Warhammer Underworlds: Deathgorge x75
• Warhammer 40,000 (Tenth Edition) x7
• Warhammer Age Of Sigmar (Fourth Edition): Core Rules x7
• Splendor x4
• Warhammer Quest: Shadows Over Hammerhal x4
• NMBR 9 x2
• Wingspan x2
• Abyss x1
• Betrayal at House on the Hill x1
• Carcassonne x1
• Castles of Mad King Ludwig x1
• Century: Golem Edition x1
• Dixit x1
• Five Men in Normandy .30 Cal edition x1
• The Hanging Gardens x1
• Lacuna x1
• Mysterium x1
• RoboRally x1
• SET 1
• Stone Age x1
• Tokaido x1
• Wingspan Asia x1
• Wyrmspan x1

Total: 117 games!? 

That's a little better... Hopefully Q4 will be better still! 

Role-Playing Games

STILL havent' managed to get a role-playing game going... maybe by the end of the year!? 

Solo/Co-op Games

We DID, finally, start playing Warhammer Quest! There have been some hiccups and a LOT of cancelled games... and we did not get nearly as far as I'd hoped... (I'd had this idea that we'd be DONE Shadows over Hammerhal and well into The Silver Tower by now...) It was all very disappointing. There has been noise about getting it going again in October... But Amanda will be out for the first two weeks as she's heading off to a course and a short vacation. 

Still have a LOT to do to finish up all the Cursed City miniatures (having been thoroughly distracted by Age of Sigmar 4th Edition and Spearhead!)... but it doesn't seem like there's much of a need to rush... Or... Maybe there is... Maybe I'm just going to have to play through that one on my own... 

I DID however pick up a new game from Nic Wright called Devilry Afoot that I've been getting things ready for... 

And I DID just start playing a little solo campaign of Five Men in Normandy! 

So... there's that... 

Board Games

There was a hiccup around the beginning of July and Board Game Night fell off my radar and no one else brought it up and it kind of died… 

Miniature Games

I bought Warhammer Age of Sigmar Skaventide in July - my first ever core release of one of GW's Flagship games!? And I have been thoroughly distracted from all previous plans (Warhammer Underworlds, Warhammer Quest). I got VERY excited about the Spearhead format of play - smaller, fixed lists... there was an element of it that reminded me of DBA...  

I managed to paint THREE full Spearhead armies (Hedonites of Slaanesh, Blades of Khorne, and Sylvaneth) and played in the Spearhead at the local Warhammer Store (though that only amounted to six games... and I played one other at home with Orion one night...) 

Also... I managed to acquire FOUR MORE Spearhead armies, which I HAVEN'T finished painting (Skaven, Stormcast, Daughters of Khaine, and Soulblight Gravelords!?) 

(I had most of the Daughters of Khaine army already, I just needed two units... which I picked up in a deeply discounted battle box... along with a deeply discounted Starter box from 3rd Edition...)

Oh, and I picked up a Dark Oath Army box... 

And Hargax's Pit Beasts... 

Yeah, shit got a little out of control this past Quarter.

Warhammer Underworlds

I still played a few games of Warhammer Underworlds! Things have definitely slowed down though. Like, a LOT! Part of that is a general slow down in the community as everyone has been distracted by the new edition of Age of Sigmar and the new Spearhead format of play! I've played FOUR GAMES this past Quarter!? Compared to the SEVENTY-ONE games I'd played in the first half of the year!? 

Tournaments/Conventions

There was a small Warhammer Underworlds tournament at The Warhammer Store at the very beginning of the Quarter. Both Amanda and I went. 

Warhammer Underworlds: Rivals Event

MINIATURES

Acquisitions

In previous plans I'd done acquisitions as an afterthough... AFTER the section about what I actually got painted. This time around I've decided to do Acquisitions first... because... things went a little overboard... but then it gives me a chance, in the painting section, to go over what, of all that, I managed to actually PAINT!? 

Initially I’d thought I’d get the Skaventide box and sell off the Stormcast AND Skaven and just keep the rules and board and cards and terrain for spearhead… but by the time it was actually released I’d decided that Spearhead was going to be super fun and I was cranking through models very quickly and it was decided I’d at least keep the Spearhead forces of both Stormcast and Skaven and maybe sell off or trade away the extras… But so far I’ve not done that either. I’ve assembled most/all of the Stormcast... I have wavered on whether or not to keep Skaven.

THEN I bought a Soulblight Gravelords box (telling myself that I needed the Vampire Lord for Cursed City anyway)… 

(adding to the Soulblight army box that I'd bought a few weeks earlier at the end of June -because I had a Soulblight army now… and the bats were needed for Cursed City)… 

And then Hargax's Pit-Beasts... for... REASONS!? 

and then MORE BOXES that were deeply discounted and gave me MORE terrain and the models I needed to finish up a Daughters of Khaine Spearhead force… 

and then the Darkoath Army Set… 

Also, in the middle of all that nonsense, I made a MAJOR trade - I gave away my three 40K Knights in trade for an entire Blades of Khorne Age of Sigmar army!? 

In total I acquired:

28mm Foot Figures

• 1x Kroot (Free Miniature-of-the-Month July 2024)
• 1x Lord-Terminos
• 1x Lord-Terminos' Memorian
• 1x Lord-Veritant
• 1x Gryph-crow 
• 1x Knight-Questor
• 3x Reclusians 
• 2x Reclusian Memorians 
• 10x Liberators
• 1x Grey Seer
• 1x Warlock Engineer 
• 3x Rat Ogors
• 6x Warplock Jezzails
• 40x Clanrats
• 1x Vampire Lord
• 3x Vargheists
• 20x Deathrattle Skeletons 
• 2x Bloodsecrator 
• 2x Bloodstoker
• 1x Mighty Lord of Khorne 
• 2x Slaughterpriest 
• 20 Blood Warriors 
• 40x Bloodreavers 
• 5x Skullreapers 
• 1x High Gladiatrix 
• 5x Khinerai Heartrenders
• 10x Sisters of Slaughter/Witch Aelves
• 1x Scriptor Mortis
• 5x Craventhrone Guard
• 10x Bladeheist Revenants
• 1x Spirit Torment
• 2x Chainghasts
• 4x Myrmourn Banshees
• 1x Lord-Imperatant
• 1x Gryph-hound
• 3x Praetors 
• 5x Vindictors
• 1x Swampcalla Shaman
• 1x Pot-grot
• 10x Gutrippaz
• 10x Hobgrot Slittaz
• 20x Darkoath Marauder
• 6x Saviors of Cinderfall
• 1x BranchWych
• 5x Tree Revenants 
• 10x Spite/Tree Revenants 
• 1x Brakki the Guilded Key

Total: 282 x28mm miniatures and 

Yeah.. that was a bit much… But also...

28mm Mounted or Smaller Beasties!

• 3x Hargax’s Pit-Beasts  
• 1x Lord-Vigilant on Gryph-stalker  
• 1x Clawlord on Gnaw-Beast  
• 3x Prosecutors  
• 5x Blood Knights  
• 1x Khorgorath  
• 3x Mighty Skullcrushers 
• 5x Doomfire Warlocks 
• 1x Darkoath Chieftain on Warsteed  
• 1x Wilderfiend 
• 5x Darkoath Fellriders 
• 3x Kurnothi Hunters

Total: 32 x 28mm Mounted miniatures or Smaller Beasties 

28mm BIG Beasties/Vehicles

• 1x Chaos Gargant (Q2)
• 1x Ratling Warpblaster (Q3)
• 1x Treelord  (Q3) 

Terrain

Little Bits/Markers/Tokens

• 2x Skaventide/Spearhead Terrain bits(Q3) 

Medium Terrain Bits

• 2x Skaventide/Spearhead Terrain bits (Q3) 
• 1x Nexus syphon (Q3 AoS3 Extremis Starter Set) 
• 1x Guardian idol (Q3 AoS3 Extremis Starter Set) 
• 2x Domicile shells (Q3 AoS3 Extremis Starter Set) 
• 1x Pile of pillars (Q3 AoS3 Extremis Starter Set) 
• 3x Awakened Wyldwood (Q3) 

Total: 10

Painting

The Plan was to finish painting the Hedonites of Slaanesh Vanguared Box, so I'd be ready to play Spearhead when the new edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar was released... 

...and I DID do that!!

Beyond that, the plan was to just carry on painting up Warhammer Underworlds warbands and Warhammer Quest stuff - and mix in some more of the other Warhammer Age of Sigmar models that I had (Daemons of Slaanesh and Daughters of Khaine). 

That changed quickly with the news of the new mode of play for the new edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar - SPEARHEAD. I got a little TOO excited about that and Age of Sigmar in general and ended up acquiring a LOT of new minis - as detailed above... mostly purchased, but a good chunk just through trade... 

Here is what I DID get to painting this past Quarter:

28mm Foot

• 5x Putrid Blightkings
• 1x Shardspeaker of Slaanesh
• 3x Slaangor Fiendbloods
• 11x Blissbarb Archers
• 2x Slaughterpriests
• 3x Blood Warriors
• 7x Blood Warriors
• 10x Bloodreavers
• 5x Garrek's Reavers
• 1x Melusai Ironscale
• 1x Dez, the Space Sloth
• 1x Spirit Torment
• 2x Chainghasts
• 1x Knight-Questor
• 1x Space Marine Scout
• 4x Black Ark Reavers
• 4x Lumineth Aelves
• 10x Bladegheist Revenants
• 1x Green Swashbuckling Handgunner
• 1x Red Pikeman
• 6x Blue Swashbucklers
• 2x Highlanders
• 1x Branchwych
• 5x Tree-Revenants

Total: 88 x 28mm Foot

28mm Mounted/Smaller Beasties

• 5x Slickblade Seekers 
• 1x Ogroid Myrmidon 
• 1x Fomoroid Crusher 
• 1x Mighty Skullcrusher 
• 2x Mighty Skullcrushers  
• 3x Kurnothi Hunters 

Total; 13 x Mounted/Smaller Beasties

28mm BIG Beasties/Vehicles

• 1x Treelord

Total: 1x Vehicles/ BIG Beasties

Little Bits/Markers/Tokens

• 1x Beastgrave Tentacle Terrain Bit
• 1x Warhammer Underworlds Terrain bit 
• 2x Small Terrain Bits from Skaventide 

Total: 4 x Little Bits/Markers/Tokens

Medium Terrain Bits

• 2x Walls from Staventide 
• 4x Slit Trenches 

So... that's ONE Warhammer Underworlds warbands (totalling 5 minatures)...

But... I completed THREE spearhead armies completed totalling 54 miniatures (including eight mounted, and a GIGANTIC Treelord!?) 

Miniature painting production Continues to pick up momentum this quarter! In the first quarter I only managed to paint 38 x28mm foot miniatures, Second Quarter I painted 76 x28mm foot miniatures, this Quarter I painted x28mm foot miniatures! So far this year, that's xx x28mm foot miniatures. In 2023 I painted only 66 x28mm foot miniatures in the entire year... In 2022, only 57 x28mm foot miniatures!? 

So I DID get a Blades of Khorne Spearhead Army done (though there are still a LOT of Khorne Bloodbound to paint!) 

I DID paint all of Hargax's Pit Beasts... 

The Sylvaneth Spearhead Army

Disposals

I traded away three 40K knights - one completely painted, one mostly painted, one unassembled and on the sprue... 

I traded/gave away a few other unpainted 28mm foot miniatures

GAME PLAN 2024 - Q3 

GAMES

Well... things have slowed down over the summer, but there is no need for that trend to continue!!!

Using a lot of the same categories as previous Game Plans... 

Solo/Co-op Games 

This is one area that I'm hoping will take off this fall... 

I hope we do get back to playing Warhammer Quest: Shadows Over Hammerhal... 

I am DETERMINED to start Cursed City by the end of the year if I have to just start playing through it myself!? (Though it would be nice if I could at least get Amanda and/or Finnegan to play!?) 

I don't know about Silver Tower... Maybe I'll get to that one next year...?

There are a number of other Solo/Co-op games I'd like to toy around with this fall/winter...

I'd love to pick up the Five Parsecs from Home campaign I'd started... AGES ago... 

I'd like to continue the Five Men in Normandy campaign I just started. 

I would REALLY LOVE to try out Devilry Afoot and maybe run a short campaign of that as well! 

Or any of the other games from Nordic Weasel or Modiphius that I've picked up (Five Kilometres From Leipzig or Five Leagues from the Botherlands, etc) 

Warhammer Underworlds

Interest in this has flagged a bit... maybe we'll get it going again in the fall... 

It's surprising there hasn't been two more warbands for Wintermaw!? October is usually when the new "season" core release takes place?!

Age of Sigmar

There is talk of a Paths to Glory campaign at the Warhammer Store this fall... I am considering joining in on it... I am a little underwhelmed by the Paths to Glory system included in the Core Rules of Age of Sigmar 4th Edition (compared to the ones included in 3rd Edition...) but I'll give it a try. 

Part of me has thought about coming up with something of my own to run... more like 3rd... or a Map campaign... but I've decided I should focus my own energies elsewhere. 

Will there be more Spearhead...? I don't know... We'll see... Despite my initial excitement, I have to admit, I do not LOVE the game. I don't hate it... but it has a lot of the same problems a LOT of GW games have these days - the games feel more like a sporting event than any sort of combat simulation - having to constantly react to ever-changing nonsensical objectives each round... ugh... 

Other Board Games

Wow... we have really not been playing board games much... 

It would be nice to get some regular board game night going again... but I'm not holding my breath. 

Other Miniature Games

Well I got a lot of solo and co-op miniature games planned... I'm not sure if I'll get to any others... 

I guess I am interested in exploring options with games by Dan Mercy (Dragon Rampant, etc) and One Hour Wargames... but that may very likely be played solo... 

I'd also love to return to Song of Blades and Heroes... but it's entirely likely that those games would be played as co-op or GM (me) versus players... 

Role-Playing Games

Will THIS be the quarter that I FINALLY get a game of Soulbound going on...? I don't know... I sure hope so!

Tournaments/Conventions

I don't know of any coming up in Q4... not sure I'm interested in any. 

Game Weekend 

There was some brief chat about hosting a Game Weekend this fall... but that's all fallen by the wayside as no one in interested enough to actually commit to showing up any particular weekend. 

MINIATURES

On the plus side, the miniature painting has drasticall increased over the year... unfortunately not as much as the miniature PURCHASING has increased... If I managed to keep pace with what i've painted this past quarter or two... I totally won't even be close to painting more than I've purchased... ah well, maybe next year!? 

Painting

I will probably paint miniatures. 

It feel foolhardy to try and decide, NOW, what I might paint over the next few months. 

GENERALLY SPEAKING

I will probably paint stuff for Age of Sigmar - whether that is the fantasy battle game (either Spearhead OR Paths to Glory), or Warhammer Underworlds, or Warhammer Quest (Cursed City) or characters and encounters for the Soulbound role-playing game... there will be some stuff for that setting... 

I have a feeling I'll paint some other stuff, too, though... whether for Devilry Afoot or any of those other solo games... 

I also have a LOT of stuff I'm still slowly rebasing. It takes time - time away from painting NEW things (which is the main metric I seem to use to track "progress") but will ultimately make more miniatures available for games I might actually PLAY...!?

Acquisitions

There will likely be a few new things released for Warhammer Underworlds. If the pattern of the last few years is any indication, there should still be two expansion warbands for Wintermaw and a pair of rivals decks.... I may or may not pick the warbands up. I will probably pick up the decks. 

The new starter box (which will be in a whole new setting - Mosscairn, in Ghyran - if the rumours are to be believed!) would normally be expected in October... but as we haven't seen the last of Wintermaw, it could be later in November... 

I don't really NEED anything else... 

There are a few things I've thought about as possible additions to Age of Sigmar armies I have that I could use in a Paths to Glory campaign... I should probably just do something SENSIBLE and run an army that I already HAVE loads of stuff for... like Blades of Khorne... I easily have over fifteen hundred points of stuff painted for that... maybe eighteen...? 

If anything, I'd like to get a bit of terrain... maybe some cheap simple laser-cut stuff - Generic European row houses for urban combat... or maybe I'll just build it myself.