Warp Riders Releases Today

Today is the release of The Sword's third album, Warp Riders. If you haven't checked these guys out, do so immediately. Their first two albums (Age of Winters and Gods of the Earth) are incredibly good and the third promises to keep going strong. For a new-to-the-scene "hard rock American underground" sound, these guys are, excuse the pun, rockin'. Below is a video of one of the songs (Tres Brujas) off the new album. Enjoy!

4-Game Game Night

Last "Friday night" game night we set out to play Small World by Days of Wonder. Bob of Might of Arms had been curious about it so we put it on the agenda. We had a short crew that night, consisting of myself, Andy, Bob, and fellow gamer regular Ken.

I've spoken on Small World before ("almost" an actual review!) and this one is a keeper. It's a fun game that is light-hearted in scope and offers a lot of replay value. The main draw of the game is the combination of fantasy race/power choices that pop up. You populate a diverse map with your army, take over as much territory as you can while your race is still powerful enough to hold on to said territory, then let them decline (fall off the map) as you conquer new territories with a new race/power combo. The combos are going to be different every game. For a boardgame this one has excellent value packed under the hood and if you shop around (ahem, Amazon) you're not paying an arm or a leg for it. Is it a game you're playing week in, week out? Maybe not every week, but it's certainly worthy of a spot in your gaming stable.

One way to perhaps overcome this however lies in this deck of cards called "Tales and Legends" which is a new expansion that's just come out. I picked it up just today, err, as of this writing anyway. It looks to be a lot of fun, as it adds random events to each game turn from the small to the cataclysmic. I flipped through it in the parking lot, and at first glance it looks pretty good with great art and nice, large text. After our first game or two with it I'll let y'all know how it went.


Shadows Over Camelot is another Days of Wonder game, and about halfway through this game I was thinking to myself we should play it more, for sure. Its scope, unlike Small World, is more serious and grounded in the fantasy side of the King Arthur genre. Players work together cooperatively to bounce from quest to quest keeping threats to Camelot at bay. There is a catch, which makes this game so great, and that's the traitor factor. One of the knights may (or may not be) a traitor to the round table. As the traitor works through the quests with his fellow knights, they shift the balance in subtle ways towards the forces of shadow. If a loyal knight can ferret them out, they can accuse them and win honor for Camelot. If you accuse the wrong person however, darkness creeps in further. Each game will more than likely have a traitor, but not always, it's completely random. This one is much more involved than Small World, but its mechanics have you in the action in no time. Andy and I hadn't played Shadows Over Camleot in a couple of years at least, and both Bob and Ken were brand new to it, but still we rolled along at a good clip without missing a beat. Production value on this, as I'm finding is the case with most Days of Wonder games, is very high and again you can also find it on the cheap.


Sherlock is a great game, end of story. Go buy it, it's maybe ten bucks I think? It's a memory game and works for all ages and all levels of sobriety. I have played this game with middle school kids, elementary school kids, adults, and a mixture of the above and had a blast every time. It does seem a bit "kiddy" at first, but even the most stalwart gamer will be laughing and enjoying themselves within the first couple of turns. As for the mixed sobriety factor, this game is perfect to break out after the kids have all gone to bed as well, just make sure everyone is on an even playing field or someone will have an incredibly unfair advantage!


Such trigger discipline!

Ca$h 'n Gun$ is one of those "party games" that equally deserves a place in the boardgaming stable. It's a wacky concept, but executed well. You're playing bank robbers, post-heist, trying to split up the loot in your hideout. Often, as negotiations are bound to become tense, the "gats" come out. It is a game of bluffing, standing your ground, acquiring fat stacks o' cash, and fake foam pistols! There are lots of variant scenarios and rules built into the main set, but we've never messed with since the basic game is so much fun. Expansions for the game include a "Yakuza" set with foam throwing stars, tanto knives, and a sawn-off shotgun and the like. A pair of machine pistols recently popped up too in another expansion. As you may have guessed, this is not a cerebral game in the slightest, but it is fun, and that's exactly what it delivers.

From the "What-If?" Files

Hardsuits take up position amongst the infantry...


Dino-frenzy! German troops prepare to close with hungry carno-raptors!

FoW: Better Late Than Never

As the title states, better late than never indeed! This Flames of War game Andy, Miller, and I played occurred many, many days ago. Perhaps even weeks ago. We got together just for a quick game without a specific historical battle in mind. The forces arrayed were my Guards Armoured tank squads (an inaugural first for them) against some late-war German forces. We rolled up a scenario from the primary rulebook, and came up with some allied forces moving in from off-board in waves, trying to take the central town.


From what I recall of the game it swung wide from one end of the victory spectrum and back. The first three turns were abysmal, my forces were smashed to pieces and woefully short in numbers (because most of my army was off table and couldn't get their reserve rolls). However when my Shermans did happen to roll in, they steamrolled the Germans. At the end of turn three I was, literally, an inch or two from defeat. By the end of the fourth turn I felt confident in in perhaps pulling out a victory, which I eventually did. It wasn't tactical genius or anything, but my tanks came on strong, were getting lucky hits, and shrugged off lots of enemy fire.


I don't mean to cop out here, but I'm going to have to let the photos stand on their own. Thanks to Andy I was able to get these photos in the first place, otherwise I wouldn't even have these to post. I had to post it though, like I said it was my tanks' first game.



KA-BLAM!


My tanks, languishing in off-table reserves...


The Germans move to within breathing distance of the objective


An Airborne bazooka team slags another Jerry tank


German halftracks move through the town



The German forces at game start

Hairy Horrors, Charismatic Characters, Adept Agents, and Savvy Civilians

Two hair horrors recently seen in the last Strange Aeons game. I did not paint the Werewolf on the left, that one was done (quite well I might add) by Flounder over at Imaginary Lives. The Sasquatch on the right however I did paint. Both figs are from Reaper, and both are great models even before you start to paint them up! Mine was the 'Yeti' figure, but I painted him up as a bigfoot nonetheless. Honestly, I had Alpha Flight's Sasquatch in mind in terms of color scheme. In Strange Aeons the Werewolf is, obviously, the Werewolf, and the Sasquatch represents the 'Missing Link' creature, both from the main rulebook.


I have been dutifully sitting on my entire collection of Chaos in Cairo figures since first edition came out. I never got around to painting them until now, and I'm glad I did. These paint up fast, but still retain a lot of depth and character. Technically the bald guy up front is a bad guy, in the Chaos in Cairo universe, here I'm using him as a Theshold character (leader). The blonde in the back is also going to be a Threshold character. For him I did do a simple weapon swap with his right hand, upgrading his knife into a bolt action rifle.

On the far left is a stalwart 'agent' level figure. I didn't notice until I was painting him that he had some pretty bad mold lines on his left arm I'll have to go back and fix. I like his look of composure and his gentlemanly stance. The last fig on the far right is another agent (although he did play a civilian in the last game). He was fun to paint up as well.


I had taken all of these photos to go along with the last Strange Aeons batrep. I realized the quality was pretty decent though and I could by with these as my 'gallery' photos, and not have to a second shoot with a better light source (ie, outside). Because of that, these fellas like the Werewolf, were not painted by me, but again by Flounder of Imaginary Lives, and again executed rather well. This agent team was smaller by a man, which meant more build points for equipment. They're led by a great "Indy" knockoff and supported by a trenchcoat/fedora wearing tommy gunner and a heavy gunner with a BAR. I love the BAR model but why, oh why, aren't there stats for these things in the book?

The figs in this post were all of the ones we used in our last game. Both Chris' took control of one of the Agent teams above, while I played the lurker models. Points-wise it was rather interesting because just two of my models equaled the same as the seven Threshold agents you see here. Overall, though we're still learning the rules, this continues to be a great game. It also really inspires you paint figs for specific scenarios. Well that's all I've got for now, enjoy!

Threshhold Agents; They're What's For Dinner

If you hear strange growling in the woods at night, it might be the stomachs of creatures better left forgotten. Thus was the case on that fateful evening in the Spring of 1922.

A logging camp in the backwoods of the Pacific northwest had to shut down operations unexpectedly. Several of the workers had turned up missing, and no amount of searching turned up any clues, save one. An impossibly ancient building made of dark stone was found deeper still in the woods. The architecture resembled that of medieval Europe than anything else, which in and of itself was baffling. Two mysteries were now at hand; first and foremost, the missing loggers needed to be found, or at least there fates determined. Secondly, the structure found needed to be investigated, cataloged, and its origins ascertained.


Threshhold agents were dispatched immediately. Two teams of agents with different specialties were to converge in Seattle, then take locomotive to the last stop on the line, then ride by flatbed truck, and eventually horseback from there to the abandoned logging camp.

One team was a combat specialist team, with expertise in xenobiological conflict resolution. They came prepared for anything, hefting a 1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, a Thompson Submachine gun, and led by whip wielding, 1911 pistol sporting character.

The next team had combat individuals on hand as hand, but also a scholar who specialized in dark age and medieval histories. The leader of the second team was also well versed in the arcane writings and forgotten tomes of the old world.

It wasn't long until the agents were able to get to the camp itself, and thanks to directions from the logging search team, they found the structure as well. Its stonework was impossibly old, and it was covered in runes and glyphs that would be unknown to most. The scholar was making good headway translating some of the symbols that were reminiscent of a Byzantine derivative. That's when the agent teams heard the howls, and movement crashing through the woods.

It sounded like they were surrounded, noises coming from all around them. The agents spread out and prepared, not being daunted by the noises, or the animalistic growls. They did have trouble pinpointing the beast's direction. Or was that "beasts", plural? The answer came quickly as an agent rounded the bough of a large tree and locked eyes with a large creature standing upright twenty yards away. It was the shape of a hunched man, a large hunched at that, covered in fur, and had the head of a snarling wolf or dog. It was an animal, through and through, yet it also had a cunning about its gaze that spoke of something greater within.


The agent fired off his Thompson, but to no avail as the beast charged him, long canine teeth gnashing, and large, powerful hands ending in wickedly sharp claws. To the agent's credit, he did not lose his nerve as the beast closed in hand-to-hand combat with him. He threw his Thompson to the ground and drew his stag handled Bowie knife from under his coat to defend himself. Unfortunately he was no match for the beast who towered over him.


The leader came running to aid his fallen agent and came up short seeing the carnage. He knew immediately what foe he faced and cursed himself for not being properly prepared. His hunch had told him a rogue Sasquatch was in the area, he didn't consider a Werewolf. He fumbled with a belt pouch with one hand as he ejected the magazine on his pistol with the other. As one magazine loaded with lead bullets hit the ground, another magazine with silver bullets was seated in the pistol. He was quick, practiced, and flawless, but not quick enough as the Werewolf closed with him next. He held his own, moreso than the Thompson agent, but in the end the Werewolf powered through the leader as well. The strength, the teeth, the claws...all more than a match for a man, no matter how well schooled, experienced, or not.


The other team of agents couldn't act as backup because there was still movement in the woods, they had to guard the flanks. It was difficult for them to hold their ground as they heard the gunfire, and the screams of fellow agents. As they rounded another of the large trees they too were greeted by a sight unfamiliar to most humans. This was no Werewolf however. Standing nearly twice the height of a man, with twice the thick fur of the Werewolf stood this newcomer to the fray. Whereas the first adversary had an elongated snout, this one had a head and face more akin to a man. This "missing link" wasn't unknown to the agents though, and as the Sasquatch bellowed its inhuman roar, all but the scholar held their ground.


While the second team came to grips with the Sasquatch, the surviving member of the first team squared his shoulders to face the Werewolf. He fired off round after round with his BAR, wounding the creature, but not killing it. Like the two agents before him, the heavy gunner put up a brave fight, but it was to no avail as he became the third to fall.


The Sasquatch was as formidable as the Werewolf, and its thick, fur-covered hide seemed to repel the agents' bullets. His large, lumbering arms seemed to swat agents aside left and right like dolls. It was as if there was nothing they could do to stop them. Of what is known of Sasquatches they are mostly solitary creatures, not prone to outward violence. This one however had an odd bent to it, and had they not been fighting for their lives, the agents might have noticed the excessive foam at the missing link's jowls. It had been bitten by the Werewolf, was rabid, and was slowly becoming a hybrid Were-Sasquatch.


The agents saw their doom as both hulking monsters linked up. One-on-one, each team might have had a ghost of a chance with their foes, but with the first team out of commission, the second team now faced both creatures at the same time. The scholar fled.


The scholar wasn't fast enough, and was yet another to fall at the claws of the Werewolf. The agent who excelled at dueling pistols was next to fall, but he was still in the fight firing blindly from a prone position and kicking out with his feet. He didn't know that he was the last agent still conscious, nor did he know that both creatures bore down on him.


As if they were two children at the dinner table fighting over the last bit of cake, the two hulking monsters tore into the last agent. He screams were cut short and echoed throughout the woods where no other human ears would hear. The mystery of the ruins would remain just that, unknown. As for the missing loggers, they must have shared a similar fate.

Deathwatch: Final Sanction

Well we finally got to play Deathwatch! It was the Free RPG Day booklet, but it had more than enough to get you started, and frankly about three, possibly even four, sessions worth of game between the front and back covers. As part of my birthday "party", me and the boys got together early in the day and played through 'til about midnight. We had a few food breaks in between, cold beverages, and all the usual antics around the table. Rumor has it that some podcast even recorded the event for posterity as well, ahem.

The adventure takes place in the sprawling city of Lordsholm, on the Agri-world of Avalos. An unremarkable world, Avalos rests on the edge of the Orpheus Salient between Hethgard and the Well of Night, but has thus far been spared the attentions of the Imperium’s enemies. Recently the world came to the attention of the Ordo Xenos and Inquisitor Kalistradi, who arrived with her retinue to uncover rumours and signs of a Genestealer infestation. What she discovered was far worse that she could have anticipated.

The Deathwatch Space Marine drop pod crashed through the upper levels of one of the main chapels in the Portica District. As luck would have it, this cathedral was also home to a makeshift HQ being used by the last remnants of the Lordsholm Planetary Defense Forces. The marines' primary mission was to find the Inquisitor, but the PDF were in dire need of assistance, and it was obvious that they would not last the night. The Deathwatch went into action, with tactical marines manning positions at crude barricades surrounding the inner courtyard of the chapel. The assault marine, true to form, fired his jump pack beyond the barricades into the heart of the opposition while the apothecary went back inside the cathedral to tend to the wounded PDF soldiers. The remaining marine, the devastator, took their heavy bolter and climbed up to the roof of the cathedral. With a commanding view of the surroundings he had an excellent field of fire. What that Blood Angel devastator saw from the rooftop was about a thousand humans, garbed in renegade and militia gear with a variety of autoguns and heavy stubbers. With the arrival of the marines, the firefight increased exponentially.

[Missions provide a framework for the GM to create adventures for his players and capture the military nature at the heart of being a member of the Deathwatch. Missions are divided up into sections, known as Objectives, each one representing a portion of the overall adventure and contributing to its success.

There are three kinds of Objectives:

• Primary Objectives: All of these Objectives must be completed for the Mission to be considered a success.
• Secondary Objectives: These Objectives are not as vital but materially contribute to the Mission’s success and increase the margin of victory.
• Tertiary Objectives (also known as Targets of Opportunity): These Objectives are not vital to the Missions success but offer a chance to earn extra glory or renown.

Final Sanction is designed around the concept of a Mission to overcome a planetary uprising and uses Objectives to provide the players with a guide to the tasks they must complete to save Lordsholm and purge the Genestealer infestation. GMs should remember, however, that Objectives are a guide and a tool, and can be altered, replaced, or disregarded depending on the flow of the adventure and the development of the plot. They are a useful benchmark of success and a way in which the players, in the role of a Deathwatch Kill-team, can feel they have succeeded or failed in their duty.]

Brother "Mac" Gregor mows down cultists with his Astartes Bolter

You really can't use miniatures for a game like this, mainly because even in 15mm scale you still won't have enough figs on hand. On the other hand, figs are cool, and enhance any roleplaying game, so we "wung" it. In the pic above, each cultist figure (ones outside the barricade) would probably represent about a hundred foes. It was this introduction of the "hordes" concept that really sets apart Deathwatch from its brothers; Rogue Trader and Dark Heresy.

[The enemies of Mankind can attack in vast numbers; howling heretics, skittering tides of aliens, or ranked warriors. Alone, such enemies would stand no chance against the might of the Adeptus Astartes. Together in large groups, however, they can pose an overwhelming threat. Hordes have the potential to defeat the Emperor’s finest by sheer weight of fire and numbers. The rules presented here are intended to help Game Masters reflect these massed forces that the Deathwatch may face in battle.]

Demon dogs! What do I see before my super-genetically enhanced eyes?

Once the firefight was joined by the Deathwatch it was only a matter of time before the cultists broke and ran in total rout. The marines' firepower was too much for the poorly equipped renegades and the ground around the cathedral's barricades was piled high with enemy bodies. Lordsholm PDF troopers, although weary, still managed a rousing cheer for their saviors. If only those troopers knew the truth. Near the end of the battle a single figure emerged, obviously a leader, and to the trained eye, obviously a mutant or xeno of some kind. The Dark Angel assault marine led his charge in this figure's directions, intent on taking him down immediately. The Ultramarine apothecary heard the exclamation of "XENO!" on the comm, and came to join. Once the mysterious figure was cut down the two marines inspected the body. It was a genestealer hybrid, part man and part insidious alien monster. The Ultramarine took tissue samples while the Dark Angel spat upon the remains. Not out of dishonor or disgust, but the Dark Angel was using his Betchers Gland to spew acidic poison over the corpse to melt it into an unrecognizable form. If Lordsholm PDF troops caught sight of the true face of the enemy, their spirit might break for good, and even the presence of the Emperor's Finest wouldn't bring them back.

Oaths are given in the presence of clergy

Once the firefight dust had settled the marines now had a course of action. They had several options they had to prioritize and still keep on their main mission. It was decided that first and foremost they needed to fight their way across the city to the Officio Adeptus Telepathica and send word that the planet was under invasion, both within and from beyond. The Genestealer presence was only a precursor to a larger, in-bound Tyranid hive fleet. After that their mission priorities dictated they go and support the Lorsholm PDF barracks which were under siege, freeing up more allied troops that could work at clearing the city while the marines moved on to their other mission parameters. Opening the Spaceport back up was also given high priority. With the hive fleet moving into the system, parking ships in orbit to ferry down troops and supplies via shuttle was not a sound tactic. With the Spaceport open, reinforcements could land safely dirtside and have a solid foundation for a staging area. Of course, finding the Inquisitor was not going to wait either. With a confirmed infestation, she could already be in a desperate situation as well. They would seek out her coordinates and find her, dead or alive, and strike at thee heart of the cult; the Broodlord.

Beleaguered PDF Troops man the walls of their fortress-barracks

Cultists man heavy siege cannons, trying to breach the fortress walls

After successfully sending off their message with the Officio Telepathica, the marines made their way to the barracks, caught off guard by what they saw. Cultists had four huge planetary defense guns that they were using as breaching artillery pieces. Large haulers held multiple rounds, and they kept feeding the artillery, pounding away at the walls.


The Cultists' "Southpaw" Siege Gun

This would prove to be one of the hardest challenges yet for the Deathwatch. As they advance on the cultists, they took heavy fire, injuring a couple of the members of the team surprisingly. Aquila power armor can only withstand so much punish before something slips through its defenses. Concentrating on the ammo haulers first to deny the siege guns the ability to reload was the primary tactic and after disabling half the guns in fiery explosions, the cultists once again broke and ran. The marines were taking a heavy tole however.


The Spaceport looms in the distance

After liberating the barracks, the Deathwatch commandeered a couple of Chimera troop carriers and requisitioned a couple of platoons of PDF troops. They made their way to the Spaceport, where the cultists were dug in with heavy defensive capabilities. Occupying the Spaceport command tower gave the cultists superior fire support in all directions. The Deathwatch split up, each half of the squad taking a PDF platoon with them. The Storm Warden Gregor, Ultramarine tactical trooper, and the Ultramarine apothecray were going to stealthily work their way way around in a flanking position while the other team made a large frontal assault to provide distraction. Sitting atop the Chimera, the Dark Angel armed with an acquired PDF belt-fed heavy stubber, and the heavy bolter armed Blood Angel opened fire with a withering torrent of projectiles. Surrounding them on foot were the Lordsholm PDF soldiers, adding their own firepower to the attack.


When Genestealers attack!

The flanking team methodically worked their away into position without giving themselves away, until...two large, multi-limbed forms emerged from the shadows. They were purestrain Genestealers, true threats to the Space Marines. Chainsword and bolter round tore the monsters to shreds, but not before they took their own toll on the marines. Razor sharp alien claws ripped through the marine armor plating as if they only had on flak jackets. Jagged rows of sharp teeth were able to rend as well. It was a tough fight, but the marines prevailed, it was good for them however that the apothecary had been with them for healing.


The frontal assault on the tower was a bold move, and it did not pay off. The amount of cultist firepower poured into the troops and the chimera was incredible, eventually blowing up the transport and sending those on it (including the marines) flying.

The Deathwatch sprang up, and without delay hefted the burning wreck into a makeshift barricade at the edge of a crater. They called to the PDF forces to take cover as they waited on word from the other team. Once both teams were in position and ready, they launched their final assault on the Spaceport, and thanks to their tactics, they were able to wrest control away from the cultists. The Dark Angel was near death, and many of the other marines were equally wounded, as well as an entire platoon of PDF troops being dead to a man.

There remained one vital objective left, they had to locate the missing Inquisitor and then find and kill the Genestealer Brood Lord...

Updates Abound in Post #666

Another signpost and another "milestone" for the blog as this makes my 666th post at Mik's Minis! Wow, that seems like a lot! Sci-fi takes the lion's share of posts here with a whopping 259 tags with Fantasy at about a hundred posts behind in a fairly distant second place. It blew my mind so long ago when I had thirty something readers, so I don't even know what to think now. Thanks for all the support and y'all are the reason I try to keep it interesting and what drives me to keep writing.

I also realize that this post is going to kind of mark a turning point at Mik's Minis, and not in the same vein as Duck Sauce with his recent 'declaration to get things done' vows either. No, I do believe things are going to slow down around here, out of professional necessity if nothing else. Noted in my "big announcements" post (I'm not going to link to it, it's the one below this one) I have a new job, an "official" job, and as a first-year public school teacher my hands are going to be more than full. I went in today to look at my classroom and was equally exhilarated and terrified all at the same time! Mind you, I've been almost a post-a-day kind of guy, so I'm just saying that's going to slow down, nothing too terribly drastic.

Last weekend we held our "Bolterpalooza" event for my birthday. Basically we just played the Deathwatch introductory RPG adventure all day. It was a blast, good food, friends, and good drink. I've got photos lined up, I just haven't written it yet.


I've still got Flames of War pics I can't get off my phone too and I still can't find my tiny usb card reader thingie. I went to buy a new one, but it was $20 bucks! Forget that, I'll just keep looking here.

Now for our all-day Bolterpalooza my mom and daughter made me and the guys cupcakes. Not just any cupcakes as you can see, but Sleestak Cupcakes! Originally they were supposed to be aliens in little UFOs, but my daughter pointed out (all on her own) that the eyes were "wrong" and they should be Sleestaks instead. Once they put the green sprinkles on as scales, they were perfect! That's why when non-gamer friends of the family ask if I'm hoping for a boy this next time so I can 'geek out with him' I respond rather quickly I'm geeking out just fine with my girl already! Gender neutral geeking out is finally becoming more widespread fortunately.


I had a little birthday money, so I spent it on rulebooks. An important note here is I did NOT spend it on more miniatures! I could have, I could have very easily, but no, I showed some restraint. We all have boxes of unpainted minis anyway, right? So, I went with rulebooks, and I went with ones that have been on my mind for a while now.

I mentioned Malifaux some time ago, and looking back at that post, I'm surprised I've waited this long really. It's received enough positive word of mouth and solid reviews I have been curious, almost eager, to get to grips with it. Not to mention the figures look stunning, but I think I'll proxy a few games before I even think about those!

The next one is a relative newcomer in the, "Hmmm, I'd like to play that..." department, but it's near and dear to my interests and that's AE:Bounty. Again, word of mouth and preliminary reviews have me intrigued. It's sci-fi skirmish, but doesn't use points, focuses on small squad aliens, humans, and the like, and has lots of mini-campaign mechanics for the long run. The figs look great, but sheesh, not at those prices! Besides, I think I can kill two birds with one stone and play this in 15mm, accessing lots of great figs I already have.

Since Photobucket is completely failing me this evening, all I can do is tell you about the Strange Aeons game we played tonight. Not giving away too much, the pic at the left should be a big hint. Since Duck Sauce is taking the Deathwatch reins, I vowed to run a minimum of four linked Strange Aeons games. Tonight was just a warm-up, look for the reports soon, taking inspiration from the fine folks over at Geektactica.


All right, that's all I've got for now!