November Games

September and October were pretty slow months for gaming... (I mean, I was pretty busy, just with OTHER STUFF!). I was pretty determined to get playing games again in November, however! I sat down at the beginning of the month to try and figure out how many of which games I'd have to play to actually complete either a 5x5 Quarterly Challenge or a 10x10 Annual Challenge (or BOTH!!) and, at that point, things weren't looking great... I don't want to make playing games UNFUN, by feeling like I HAVE to play a game TEN TIMES in ONE MONTH, just to complete a challenge...  or.. MULTIPLE games... 

Wednesday, 2 November 2022

Azul!? 

We'd planned to start playing Warhammer Underworlds on Wednesdays again, and I was pretty excited to try out Mollog's Mob... But, when Amanda got home, she was just feeling too tired to play that... but she said she'd play Azul. 

We played a pretty quick game and I squeaked out a win... 

Amanda decided that just wouldn't do, so we played a second game... 

And she just crushed me - I got less points than my first game and she nearly doubled her score!? So then we called it a night...  

Friday, 4 November 2022

Amanda and I finally got back to playing Warhammer Underworlds. This was the final game we were playing in Beastgrave (for now). For the rest of the year we are planning to play game set in Harrowdeep on Wednesday evenings (plus two extra games over the holidaze), which will get in 10 games of Harrowdeep - for the 10x10 Challenge. My plan is to also paint a new warband every week for Morgwaeth's Blade-Coven to face... 

This evening the Blade-Coven faced Mollog's Mob - a Dankhold Troggoth and assorted squig-beast followers and hangers on. Normally, when trying a new warband, I generally try using the cards that come with them - to get a sense of what they're supposed to be about and how well those cards work. Mollog's Mob is one of the Shadespire releases (the first group of releases) and... it shows... Just a quick glance through the cards it became pretty apparent that a LOT of the cards were just garbage and playing them would be very, very frustrating. So Friday evening before playing, I quickly edited the deck... and totally won... With a bit more deck editing, it could be a really nasty warband to face! 

You can read a full report and see lots more pictures of the game here:

Warhammer Underworlds - Morgwaeth's Blade Coven vs Mollog's Mob

Sunday, 6 November 2022

Sunday afternoon, despite our first big snowstorm of the year the previous evening (our power was out for a few hours, but luckily it wasn't terribly cold!) Neil and Jasper joined us to make characters for the Dresden Files Accelerated Role-Playing Game campaign that Finnegan is going to be running for us. 

We are playing Agents and consultants for the Vancouver office of the RCMP Special Investigations Division. A Division that is not well known and even less understood. They look into cases that seem strange and inexplicable. 

I'm playing a Weregoose that was first recruited about five years previous to the start of the campaign. My Character has previously been an adrenaline junkie/backcountry guide living in Squamish. The character have no control over the changing and blackout during the episodes. During one such episode that involved a number of people being terrorized and/or injured by a giant Canada Goose in Stanley Park one night, and ended up with them waking up in an observation room at a Mental Health facility after they were found in the area at dawn, naked and very disoriented... well that drew the attention of the RCMP Special Investigations Division. 

I have some other nebulous background ideas... haven't settled on a name... or gender... I guess I better sort that out, soon-ish! 

Wednesday, 9 November 2022

Warhammer Wednesday happening again - we played our first game of Warhammer Underworlds: Harrowdeep. More or less the same as all the other Warhammer Underworlds - a few rules added, others tightened up. 

Morgwaeth's Blade Coven faced Xandire's Truthseekers in The Hall of Sublimination and The Tortured Coil (actually from Nethermaze)

We tied at 9

You can see more pics and read the complete battle report here:

Warhammer Underworlds - Morgwaeth's Blade Coven vs Xandire's Truthseekers

Friday, 11 November 2022

Friday Evening we played Carcassonne with Traders & Builders and Inns & Cathedrals.

 Amanda was kind of tired and not super into it. So, I won. By a lot. Like, 243 to 190. 

Amanda lamented that I win this game a LOT. And maybe suggested that's why she doesn't love the game. Because it's "[my] kind of game, and [I'm] very good at it..." And... that's not UNtrue... but I resent her suggesting that I win "all the time..." 

I actually keep track of these sorts of things on Board Game Geek for this very reason... 

I have logged 44 games of Carcassonne on BGG. 11 of those I did not note the scores. Of the remaining 33 games where I did record wins and scores... The kids played in less than ten of them. Ananda played in 28 of them. I played in all 33. 

There were three ties (Finnegan and Keiran, Amanda and me, and... I forget the other...?) 

Amanda won 12 - 43% of the games she played in. 

I won 13 - 39% of those games I've played

The kids won the remaining games. 

Sunday, 13 November 2022

Wrath & Glory 

I forgot to take a pic DURING the game... Fun was had, I got to make use of all the EPIC stuff I'd been painting over the last month and got to run a role-playing game again... which I kind of missed. 

You can read more about the adventure and campaign here:

Campaign on Xoxigar - 3rd Squadron  - First Contact

Wednesday, 16 November 2022

Warhammer Wednesday was postponed due to dog yoga. 

It's a thing. 

(which worked out well, because I wasn't actually DONE this week's warband!) 

Thursday, 17 November 2022

After pointing out the stats regarding the statistical reality of our Carcassonne play outcomes, Amanda was a little less grumbly when I suggested it again this week. 

And as if the universe just needed to strike that point home, Amanda could just not stop drawing THE EXACT PIECE SHE NEEDED ALWAYS and beat me by 50 points... Before the end game scoring, she was well over 100 points ahead of me. Only massive unfinished cities and super farming saved me! 

Saturday, 19 November 2022

Warhammer Underworlds! Finally got to try out Da Kunnin' Krew. 

You can read the full game report here:

Warhammer Underworlds - Morgwaeth's Blade Coven vs Da Kunnin' Krew

Saturday, 26 November 2022

Distracted this week again and didn't get a new Warband finished for Wednesday... so we didn't end up playing any games until Saturday. Played another game of Carcassonne, but instead of just playing with Inns & Cathedrals and Traders & Builders, I also broke out, and reread the rules for the Abbey & Mayor and River II expansions - which was fun. We hadn't played with those for a few years, I think. I hope we'll be able to keep them in the regular play from now on... 

Sunday, 27 November 2022

Since we weren't getting to play a Warhammer Underworlds game this week (because I was distracted painting Oni) we decided to get in another game of Carcassonne...  While I won Saturday's game, but a LOT (308-233!?), this game was SUPER close (308-305!?) with Amanda just squeaking ahead! 

So that WAS a few more games played than last month! 

I'm not so sure I'm going to complete any challenges... 

Games Played so far this Quarter:

• Carcassonne x4
• Azul x2
• Dresden Files Accelerated x2
• Warhammer Underworlds: Harrowdeep x2
• Warhammer Underworlds: Direchasm x1
• Wrath & Glory x1

Not looking like any 5x5 challenge getting completed... I mean, it COULD happen... but I feel like it would all be quick games and very forced. 

Games Played so far this Year!

• Wingspan x11
• Terraforming Mars x10
• Warhammer Underworlds: Direchasm x10
• Carcassonne x9
• Azul x8
• Five Tribes x8
• Wrath & Glory x6
• Quebec 1759 x5
• Splendor x3
• Andean Abyss x2
• Dresden Files Accelerated x2
• Stone Age x2
• Warhammer Underworlds: Harrowdeep x2
• Wizard Kings x2
• Angola x1
• Bananagrams x1
• For Sale x1
• Kingdom Builder x1
• Marrying Mr. Darcy x1
• Mutant Crawl Classics Role Playing Game x1
• The Silver Bayonet x1
• Space Base x1

That's 88 games, so far... and that's not a bad thing... I just can't see getting to play ten different games ten times each for a 10x10 challenge... and that's okay... 

Am I still going to play a lot of games in December? I sure hope so! I'd like to bring that total to 100! Twelve games over the holidaze? That seems totally doable! I just don't think I'm going to even try to finish a 10x10 Challenge. 

I would like to get in a few more games of Warhammer Underworlds - and finish up a few more warbands. I wouldn't mind another game of Carcassonne and two games of Azul and Five Tribes. That would get those to ten plays this year! Then I'd have about six or seven games that I've played ten time each. Over half of a challenge done, and that's not nothing. 

Other than that...? Few more games of Stone Age and some role-playing games (Dresden Files and Wrath & Glory). Maybe some games we haven't played in a while... 

I like the IDEA of a 10x10 challenge - I like the idea of playing a game a bunch of times, in a relatively short period of time to really LEARN the game! Part of the reason I like the idea is I have a really hard time READING and understanding rules, so it would be nice to just have to read a few new rules and really learn a game well enough that I wouldn't have to re-read them again every time we played!? It'd be really nice to really learn TEN new games every year... but I just don't think these challenges really work out for me. They always feel a bit forced by the end of the year. 

I need SOME kind of roadmap, though, or I end up going NOWHERE... I'll have to come up with something different for next year. Maybe just the Quarterly 5x5 Challenges...? I'm not sure they went so well either, though... 

Legends of the Five Rings - Kamu No Oni

So, I've been looking at my Legends of the Five Rings: Clan War Miniatures... 

I... I can't even begin to explain how that happened. 

It probably had something to do with the imminent arrival of Xenos Rampant got me thinking about Dragon Rampant...? And that got me thinking of possible campaigns I could run with that...? Maybe it's because it's the time of year I start thinking about the Birthday Bash/Winter Wargaming Weekend in February...? The Clan War collection is one that I could, once they were all painted, easily host an entire campaign of SOME sort, with 6-7 complete armies. 

(I got a little out of hand buying these a few years back...) 

Regardless... I got to looking at them and thinking about the different clans (and other factions) in terms of Dragon Rampant forces and, when I was looking at the Shadowlands stuff, thought painting these up would be easy and fun! 

Could also be used as weird alien creatures in Xenos Rampant! 

Kamu No Oni

They are pretty big - here they are facing off against a band of Kuni Witch-Hunters.

I think the Kamu No Oni will be Greater Warbeasts (2 - Reduced Model Unit) for 6 points. As Greater Warbeasts they move pretty fast (10" - same as heavy cavalry), but not super fast (like Light Cavalry or Lesser Warbeasts - 12"). The get a Wild Charge and deal some SERIOUS damage with an attack value of 3+. They aren't so great on the defence (Defence Value 6), and only have 6 Strength points... but have Armour 4, so that will keep them in the game and charging. 

I was thinking of adding FEAR for another 2 points... Because they DO look terrifying... but I will probably have LARGER Oni in the Shadowlands force... And how will I differentiate them? Other than they will likely be Single Model Units. Also the fact that two models will be removing a lot of enemy from the field, one could assume more than a few of those would be those that flee in terror when the first members of their unit are shredded in the gaping maws of these demons! 

Warhammer Underworlds - Morgwaeth's Blade Coven vs Da Kunnin' Krew

Morgwaeth woke with a start... AGAIN!? She had been slain, AGAIN, by one of Sigmar's golden warriors. She cursed Khaine and Morathi, they had escaped the nightmare of the Beastgrave, but not the curse! 

Lethyr sat nearby with bound wounds. She had clearly escaped the Stormcasts, but none of the others. The two gathered up the rest and set off through the labyrinth in search of answers. Surely there was some way to escape! They were so close to home! 

Amanda had to stay on campus late on Wednesday to teach a dog yoga class...? So we didn't end up doing Warhammer Wednesday this week (which worked out, because I didn't finish this week's warband - Da Kunnin' Krew - until FRIDAY!?). So, Saturday afternoon we sat down to play this week's game. 

THE GAME

I won the roll off for setting up boards, for once, and had Amanda choose her board first, then I set up. She chose the Profane Larder and I chose The Tortured Coil and set it up long edge to long edge with hers. 

Objectives and Gloom tokens were set up and warbands and we were ready to go!

I won the roll off to determine who goes first and let Amanda. 

ROUND ONE

Lethyr stepped onto Objective #3

I wasn't quite sure where to go or where to attack first... so I just had Krookgrin step onto Objectve #1, before one of the Daughters of Khaine danced over onto it and Amanda scored points for holding stuff in both territories... 

Kyrssa jumped onto Objective #4

I had to start attacking SOMEWHERE, so Grikit charged into a Gloom hex and attacked Kyrae. I totally wasn't expecting him to do anything of use... I just wanted him to get next to her and just survive her inevitable counter-attack, so he could provide support for... well...someone bigger and meaner to step in and kill her. 

(Grikkit counts as two fighters when providing support. Also, making an attack while being supported or supporting another friendly fighters attack is how Da Kunnin' Krew inspires!) 

Grikkit exceeded ALL expectations by rolling a crit and dealing TWO damage, leaving Kyrae with one wound remaining (vulnerable - an actual key word describing a fighter with only one wound remaining - DaKunnin Krew has all sorts of cards that give bonuses or Glory points for attacking or taking out vulnerable enemy fighters!) 

Well... Kyrae did not hit back... MORGWAETH danced onto Objective #5 and slashed at Grikkit. I figured it was all over  for him... but we TIED, with one success each... 

So Amanda pushed him away... and scored Bold Conquest (+1 Glory Point after an activation in which her leader made a charge action and was holding an objective) 

Being pushed away would have spoiled all my plans... except I had a handy plot card called Creeping Doubt, which allowed me to push one friendly fighter 1 hex closer to a chosen enemy fighter - so I pushed Grikkit right back into the Gloom Hex. Then, if that pushed friendly fighter is adjacent to the chosen fighter, I get to stagger the chosen enemy fighter. which he was... so I did... 

Then on my turn Torka Tuffskul moved up into a position where he could hit both Kyrae and Kyrssa and/or support attacks on either - because he can count as supporting an attack against an Enemy fighter that is within TWO hexes of him! 

First, however, he was attacking Kyrae, with help from Grikkit counting as two supporting fighters... the only result that could fail was SMASH (hammers) 

So of course he rolled two hammers... Oh, but wait, Grikkit Staggered Kyrae, I get to re-roll one attack die.... ANOTHER HAMMER!?!? FML.

BUT!!! Both Torka and Grikkit inspired... because the Inspire condition just says make an attack supported by a friendly fighter, or support a friendly fighters attack... doesn't say SUCCESSFUL attack!!

Khamyss danced right past Torka to attack Krookgrin (it just occurred to me, writing this, that Krookgrin should have counted as supported for defence, due to Torka being adjacent to Khamyss... not sure it would have changed anything... But I'm pretty sure I forgot about that). Khamyss hit with the first part of her combo attack, dealign two damage to Krookgrin, but luckily missed with the second (or he'd have been dead!) 

Mannock charged and attacked Khamyss - and was supported by both Torka and Krookgrin - and took out Khamyss! This scored me +1 Glory Point, inspired both Krookgrin and Mannock, and I was able to upgrade Krookgrin with a potion he was able to use to heal the two wounds Khamyss had dealt. 

ROUND END

In the round end Amanda scorred Ritualized Formation (+3 Glory Points for holding three objectives... 

So Amanda was down one fighter, but lead in points 4-1... 

ROUND TWO

Round two started with a LOT of fighters within attack range of each other... I won the roll-off, so thought I best start the stabbing!

Torka attacked Kyrae again, and this time finished her off. I got +1 Glory for taking her out and then scored two Surge Objectives; Malicious Blow (+1 for taking out a vulnerable fighter) and Gristle for the Mill (+1 for taking out a fighter with a wound characteristic of 3 or more). This tied up the game... 

Until Amanda scored Hidden Purpose (+1 Glory for holding two objectives)... 

Then Amanda started upgrading everyone... Morwaeth got Great Strength (+1 Damage) and Duellist's Speed (push one after an attack action) and Lethyr got Great Fortitude (+1 Wound) and Grim Tenacity (cannot be driven back) 

I played Intimidating Phosphor on Gikkit making all attacks against him -1 attack dice until the end of the phase, he's the target of a gambit or dealt damage (I figured if anyone deals him damage, he'll be dead anyway... but -1 attack dice is pretty good) 

Morgwaeth tried to attack Gikkit anyway... and missed. 

Standing right where he was, Mannock attacked Kyrssa, supported by Torka, and took her out of action! (+1 glory for me!) 

Morgwaeth Attacked Gikkit again...  and missed.... again...  

Torka charged Lethyr and took her out! (+1 Glory for me!)

Morgwaeth attacked Gikkit again... and this time tied and pushed him back one...  

Mannock charged Morgwaeth - and I got to use Mannock's special ability. After the move action part of his super action, he make Grikkit take a move action and move back into contact with Morgwaeth (providing support again!). Mannock's attack hit and dealth two damage! 

Morgwaeth attacked Gikkit AGAIN!? This time she managed to take him out! (+1 Glory for Amanda!). She also scored Swift Sacrifice (+1 glory for Morgwaeth making an attack that takes someone out of action)

ROUND END

In the round end I scored two Objective Cards: Mind of Mork (+1 if Mannock is alive and I'd scored two or more objective cards during the Round) and Born Survivors (+1 Glory if the number of Friendly Fighters out of action is equal to or less than the Round number!) 

I managed to just squeak ahead with 8 glory points to Amanda's 7... but things were looking DIRE for Morgwaeth at this point....

ROUND THREE

Torka charged Morgwaeth and missed, Morgwaeth scored Steadfast Defender (+1 for being attacked while on an objecive and still holding the objective at the end of the activation - game is tied 8-8) 

Morgwaeth attacked back and missed - Tuffskul rolled a crit for defence which trumped Morgweaths two successes! She then pushed one off the objective. 

Krookgrin moved up one and then I played a Gambit - FIRE BOMB! it missed exploding right on Morgwaeth... but it blew up close enough to deal one damage - she was now at one wound remaining (Vulnerable!)

 

Morgwaeth charged back onto the objective and attacked Tuffskul... and hit... and would have dealt enough damage to kill him... but I played Skin of their teef - a reaction played when a friendly fighter is attacked and dealt exactly the amount of damage needed to take them out, -1 damage... so Tuffskul survived. 

I upgraded Tuffskull with Dirty Fighter (Used after a friendly fighter's failed Attack action, if Tuffskul was supporting that fighter. Deal 1 damage to the target of that Attack action). Then I proceeded to attack Morgwaeth with Mannock - supported by Tuffskul - even if Mannock missed, Tuffskul would automatically finish her off. 

(at some point I'd also upgraded Mannock with Practical Joke - used as a Reaction after the fighter's activation in which the fighter made one or more Attack actions, if a target of one of those Attack actions is vulnerable, this fighter makes this Attack action. It must target a vulnerable fighter)

But it was Mannock's attack that did her in. None of the back-up plans were needed... (+1 Glory for me!) 

and that left Da Kunnin' Krew alone on the board. 

Both of us spend the rest of our activations discarding and drawing objective cards - hoping for something we coudl actually SCORE

GAME END

I did manage to score two more Objectives: Showy Taktiks (+1 Glory - Scored in an end phase if two or more friendly fighters are Inspired) and Superior Skulkers (+1 Glory - Scored in an end phase if one or more surviving friendly fighters are in cover hexes that are not in your territory).

Despite taking out Morgwaeth's entire warband - and losing only one grot in the process, it was a pretty close game! I ended up with only 11 Glory to Amanda's 8! 

There are a few less than entirely useful cards in Da Kunnin' Krew's deck. If they were replaced with cards that made them more maneuverable - cards that push friendly fighters or enemy fighters, anything that can bring more into contact to gain those bonuses for and inspiration from supporting other friendly fighters - they could be really NASTY! 

Won't be trying that out any time soon, though, I have OTHER WARBANDS TO PAINT AND TRY OUT!!!! 

Warhammer Underworlds - Da Kunnin' Krew

I have to admit, didn't get these done until Friday afternoon ( a little late for Warhammer Wednesday!). Amanda was very obliging and played on Saturday instead. 

These, along with Xandire's Truthseekers, were one of the two warbands that came with Warhammer Underworlds: Harrowdeep - which was released just over a year ago! 

Da Kunnin Krew. 

Having a brief look through the cards, they actually look not too terrible, on paper. They have a pretty strong them of mutual support and killing things. They all inspire if there are 3 enemy out of action (not always easy... especially against the harder hitting warbands that only HAVE three in them), OR they inspire after an attack action in which they were supported or were supporting another friendly fighter... 

Mannock the Kunnin'

Five wounds is nice. His special ability is a reaction that allows an adjacent fighter to move after some other friendly fighter has made a move action. 

Torka Tuffskul

four wounds Attacks from two away with ensnare and grievous AND counts as supporting if within 2 hexes of the target of an attack action... NASTY!!

Krookgrin

Meh... lies somewhere between Mannock and Torka... 3 wounds.. deals two damage... but, honestly, the minions below seem more useful.. 

Gikkit 

Gikkit, and Shank below, both have only two wounds and deal one damage... BUT both count as TWO fighters when supporting! Which is pretty cool! 

Shank 

Overall looked pretty interesting - just with the starter deck... filtering out some of the weaker cards and adding in some stuff to make them a bit more maneuverable - pushing to get them within support range - could make them downright NASTY! 

Not sure which I'm going to do next... Feeling a little distracted by Astra Militarum rebasing projects. Myari's Purifiers seem like they'd be a good idea, as they are partly painted... and now it's Saturday and I only have half a week to get another warband done... if I want to have it ready for Wednesday! There are others Id be more interested in doing at this point... but they're ones I'd like to actually do a good job on, and so, don't want to rush... like Elathain's Soulraid (which seems like it would fit right in to this setting!) or The Crimson Court or The Shadeborn or Blackpowder's Buccaneers... I don't know.... 

Reaper Miniatures- Bones: Disapproving Hand Spell Effect

I actually finished this AGES ago... sometime between now and last July when the Reaper Bones V Kickstarter arrived. But I'm pretty sure I never got around to posting a picture!? 

Disapproving Hand Spell Effect

I'm not really sure when I'll EVER use it... Maybe I could use it as some kind of proxy Endless Spell in Age of Sigmar...? or some summoned thing in Frostgrave...? 

It made me laugh, so... 

It's also kind of huge, which makes it all the more hilarious... 

40K -Assorted Imperial Guard - Rebased and Touched Up

 With renewed interest in 40K - brought about by a mix of actually getting to play Wrath & Glory and the whole 40 Days of 40K thing AND the imminent release of a new Astra Militarum Codex... I've been pulling miniatures out of drawers and considering things and reorganizing and dreaming. No interest in BUYING anything NEW - just wondering what I can DO with what I already have... 

First I rebased and partially repainted some Astra Militarum tank crew. They were all painted at different phases and had a mix of colours and I just made them more uniform and looking like they were part of a Tallarn tank crew - in case I needed them for the in-person Wrath & Glory campaign. 

I also wondered about reorganizing and possibly rebasing some of my Astra Militarum forces... In case I wanted to actually PLAY Warhammer 40000. The Guaiacan Commando jungle fighters seemed most likely - as they are pretty much COMPLETE - and weren't so HUGE a force that slowly re-basing and touching up would be too arduous... 

Also they're a good size that could be used in a Crusade force for a smaller Narrative Play campaign. If I fielded EVERYTHING, I'd have 115 models and a 69 Power Level force (according to the 8th Edition Codex). 

To get things going, over the weekend I rebased a few character figures... 

Guaiacan Commando officers and... their equivalent of Sly Marbo... 

I've started basing Astra Militarum character models on 32mm bases - so they could stand out a bit more and not get lost in the units. As Company Commanders have been character models for the last two editions of the game, I based all the officers on 32mm bases... THEN I started reading some of the rumours about the new Codex... It seems like Company/Platoon Commanders may now come with Veteran Command Squads and might not be Character models anymore!? GAH!?

Okay... so maybe no more reorganizing or rebasing UNTIL I actually SEE the new codex!? 

Looking at the Tallarn Infantry (and not including the armour)... I have about the same number of painted models and Power Level as the Guaiacan Commandoes... PAINTED models... but I have SO MUCH MORE Tallarn still to paint... Though I AM running a role-playing campaign involving Tallarn... So MAYBE I'll be getting to these sooner rather than later...? 

ANOTHER force that is, more or less, complete is a small collection of old metal generic guard/Cadians I have... Like the Guaiacans, I decided I'd start with rebasing the character models... who may not be character models anymore... 

Since the jungle fighters will have greenish-jungley bases. The Tallarn will have dry-brown-desert bases... I decided I could probably do this small force of Cadians on urban Sector Imperialis bases for fun... 

Assorted Cadian(-ish) Characters - officers and commissars. I also did weapon swaps on the officers. They all had laspistols, which are useless... gave two of them plasma pistols and the other got a bolt pistol. 

Also, Grim Jack... 

Not Imperial Guard. I just decided it was time to rebase him. I thought it might be fun for him to show up as a bounty hunter in Nercomunda or something like that...