Joe F. ToFG: A couple additions

So as usual I've been working on some things between the usual stuff and this time I've built a Plague Claw Catapult.  Its a conversion from the last edition Screaming Bell that I had sitting.  As I had all the bits for the Warp Lightning Cannon/Plague Claw Catapult kit having built two of the Cannons I decided this seemed like a great way to utilize it.  I also wrote a conversion article for the Skavenblight Gazette which is the e-zine for The Underempire Skaven Forums so check that issue out.  It should be hitting around December if I'm correct.

Just a Rat Ogre holding a hapless Empire captive.

My Plague Claw Catapult converted from the last edition Screaming Bell.

Ryang G. ToFG: 500 Pt. Wrap-up

The other night Joe, Dave and myself played a three player game for the wrap up of the 500 point month. I won't go through an entire battle report since Joe already has, but I will more or less just give my opinion on my army at the 500 points. Also, now that baseball season is over, I will be able to get more painting done. I have fallen behind a bit, but Congratulation Cardinals!

Leadbelchers at 500 points are awesome. They always got their points worth, and really helped me win this final battle. They are great at shooting the smaller things, and can still hit just as hard as normal Ogres in combat as well. These guys are going in every Ogres army that I build.

Then there was the Ogre Bulls, or just Ogres now I guess, but they were also amazing at low points. It just seemed that both Joe and Dave could do nothing about them in combat. It's just too many attacks, and too many wounds.

Overall, I am still happy with my choice for Ogres, and can't wait to get the 2500 points done so
I can take them to a tournament.

Thanks,
Ryan

Chuck ToFG: Mourn Fang Banner

These are the additional images requested for the Mournfang units banner top.  Hopefully we'll get some army pictures together in November when we hit 1,000 points.  Enjoy!

ToFG: Big Game #1

So a few days ago Ryan, Dave and myself got together for our 1st end month game of our article.  I wrote up a set of storyline scenario's for us to play.  We gave Ryan an additional contingent of 20 Empire Spearmen with shields and a musician as well as 5 Empire Handgunners to defend a small Empire village.  (6 Buildings in the center of the table)  Dave's job was to have his Beastmen just raiding about burning buildings by either entering them or throwing torches on a 5+ when within 4-6" of a building.  My job was to collect slave tokens by entering and then exiting buildings.

After deployment here is our Board.  Dave was lined up along the small forest of trees in the back while I was coming up from a sinkhole represented by the green base.  Ryans Ogre Bull unit faced me while he sent the Spearmen after Dave.  I tried to be cheeky and send my Gutter Runners in by that far building in the back, but on turn 1 Ryan was able to see them with his Lead Belchers and smoked them.  I was most displeased.

Turn 1 for me and Dave was pretty shoddy.  Dave moved forward in a most threatening manner charging Ryans Spears and not only defeating them but catching them.  My Skaven hardly moved waiting for some damage to be done to the big Bull unit, but fate was against me and my magic not only failed but the WLC also misfired and turned the other direction.  I was betrayed I say!  Dave tried to throw torches at buildings but failed all his rolls.

Turn 2 you see Dave's Gors running away there in the back.  Ryan s Bruiser though hard to see on the right was going to hit them in the flank after their successful kill of the Spearmen block and he decided to skidaddle away from that thing.  He continued to unfortunatly fail at burning houses while Ryans Lead Belchers destroyed his Warhounds that were between the Bruiser and his Gors.  My WLC failed again, but as you see the Ogre Bulls running away I managed to irresistibly kill 2 of them along with 7 of my own Skaven with a Warp Lightning Spell from my Engineer.

With the Bulls rallied I moved the Skaven off to go around that far side of the building to attempt to get a token before games end.  Dave rallied his men behind that far building and the turn ended pretty uneventfully.  Lots of rallying leads to lots of nothing much happening.

Here you can see my Clanrats are no longer near the building.  His bulls managed to see the last rat or two and declare a charge in my flank.  I was having none of that so I took off.  Dave decided at this point to charge his Gors into Ryans Lead Belchers and though he won combat they held.  The Bruiser who you can't see at this point was behind the little church in the center.  I had teleported my Engineer into that building to the left of it and irresistibly Warp Lightninged 3 of his 4 wounds off but insultingly killed myself.

 
This is the point where we ceased taking pictures.  I know Ryan has some on his phone that perhaps he'll post later in his own report.  He turned those Bulls around after that last shot as he didn't see me doing much.  Daves Gors did indeed die and at the very end of the game he managed to finally get lucky and burn a house down, while on turn 5 I rallied those Clanrats and on turn 6 managed to make it into a house.  All in all, I feel that Dave and I were really fighting the uphill battle.  Not necessarily because any one reason, but Ogre are very strong at 500 points it seems.  We could never quite do the damage we wanted to, not with magic or anything else.  I think we both lacked the troops to deal with him honestly.  Our single blocks were just no match for his 1 block.  Something we both plan to remedy in our 1000 point lists that you'll see us discuss in a few 5 short days on November 1st!

The Scenario's weren't terrible, I think I definitely need to work a little harder on them.  There were some questions brought up and things I missed on the initial writing.  Still I think it gave the game a more interesting feel than just, hey we're killing eachother.  I'm looking really forward to November, both from the painting perspective but definitely from the gaming side of things.  As a bonus in November we're running one of our Gryfalia's Aerie tournaments which means that Chuck and while running will be able to get in a game with our 1,000 point lists.  I'm very excited to give it a whirl.  Hopefully you all are enjoying the articles!

Chuck ToFG: MFers Added! :)

Just wanted to Give a picture of the progress I have done on the Ogres. We will get better pictures in later and the bases still need static grass. But the plan is to have 4 Mournfang Cav. ready to go in the 1,000 point list coming up for November. These are modeled a little high to give them a staggered height look. Also contining with the kit bashing from the Orcs and Goblins kit. The banner is my first actual free hand try. I will get better pics of that too.

Chuck

Ryan G. ToFG: 500 Pts Down, 2000 to Go.

Ok, here we are on the 16th of October, and I just finished basing my first 500 pts. Figured I would throw up some pictures to show off my progress. Again, I am going for a African Plains theme. Let me know what you think and any suggestions you might have.

First up is my Bruiser.

Next is my unit of 6 Ogres with full command.

Finally, we have the LeadBelchers.

I have enjoyed painting them so far, and hopefully I can continue my interest in them.

Thanks,
Ryan G

Board Game Review: Crokinole

If you've ever played Jenga than you've played at least one Dexterity game in your life. One of the things that I learned when I started really getting into board games is that Dexterity games are hard to make well and even harder to get into mass production. I also discovered that most of these games are large, heavy and I find them to be way fun.

Crokinole is a game that was created in the 1800's in Canada I believe. Crokinole is a large circular game board with a number of circles on the board representing scoring areas and the innermost circle has a set of pegs around it helping block the very center of the circle where a small hole is drilled into the board. Your goal is to score points up to a pre-determined amount and that center hole is the fastest way to do it.





Each player is given a number of playing pieces generally called discs although I've heard other names and the goal is to place your disc on the outermost circle line of the board and flick it into that center hole. If you get the center hole then you retrieve your piece and earn 20 points. If not than you simply sit in the middle until your turn comes up again. The catch here is that once there is a piece on the board of your opponents than you must hit it at some point during your move with your piece. This is where the skill comes into the game.





Ricochet shots are key. You bounce your piece off of the pegs in the middle, off of your own pieces and off of your opponent’s pieces. If your piece fails to contact an opponents or contacts one of your own and then it or the one it hit fails to contact an opponent’s piece than your pieces are removed and you'll get nothing for them. After each opponent has flicked all his pieces scoring is completed. A Crokinole Board has 3 quadrants for scoring. The outer most quadrants is worth 5 points, 2nd is 10, the middle circle inside the pegs is 15 and the hole in the center is 20. Scoring is done in a negation way. So if I scored 30 and you scored 20 I would only actually earn 10 points.

I'm not certain what is about this game that really makes me happy to play it. I suppose it’s the direct player confrontation that exists. You’re specifically playing against an opponent. I suppose it’s the same thing that made me like Chess even though I was terrible at it. There is more strategy than you'd think looking at it. That strategy involves high amounts of skill also. You have to be able to flick well and judge your geometry. I guess it’s kind of like a board game version of Pool. Another game that is in the same ilk as Crokinole is Carrom and that really is tabletop pool, but using wooden discs instead of balls and flicking the cue ball/disc instead of hitting it with something.

One of the most bothersome things about Crokinole is that a game board is generally made of really nice high quality wood. That means the game is not only a beautiful game but also very expensive. Just like a fine piece of art or furniture you can expect to pay upwards of $200 USD for a board. This is because nearly all the makers of these boards hand build them and it takes a lot of effort and love. There is a company (Mayday Games) who has begun producing a mass production board for $150 USD that is okay quality; but if your really going to buy a board than you may as well spring the extra $50 and buy the really nice one.





There is a cheaper entry into the game. A tournament board is 26" across and then they have an outer area or ditch for pieces that fly off the playing surface or are knocked off to keep them from flying across the house. However in the late 1800's early 1900's the Carrom Company was mass producing smaller boards as family game deals. These boards are seen quite often but many have no idea what they are. They were double sided, usually one side would have the Crokinole Board and the other side would be a Carrom Board with a checker print/backgammon and other games of those types made on the board so that you could averagely play 5 to 10 games or more on the single board. You can find these older boards at garage sales, estate sales, or even eBay for fairly cheap.

This is the board I got.  I got it for $35 USD from eBay. As these boards were smaller the game was made with wooden rings instead of discs; but it still provides a great entry into the game. Honestly if money wasn't an object to me (Sadly it is) I would happily buy a handmade board because I have seen some truly majestic boards on-line from the companies that make them. I highly recommend this game as I find it extremely entertaining and it can accommodate 4 players at a team level. Super fun, I suggest you all check it out!

Link to the BGG Page for Crokinole

Joe F. ToFG: Warlock Engineer

New Warlock Engineer. Pictured next to the previous one I painted for comparison. Both are the same model from IoB. Left is model as comes. Right is modified. Arms re-positioned. Weapon swapped on left hand for hatchet that was attached to other IoB hero. Wires, backpack and end of barrel removed. Head swapped with another rat head. Can't remember where from; probably basic Clanrat sprue.

Joe F. ToFG: Lord on Bonebreaker

Okay, so it is very likely that this model will never be used during the ToFG; but I wanted to paint him up really badly and since I was done with my 1st month list I took the time.  I converted him out of the Hero from the Island of Blood set and 1 of the Rat Ogres.  Mostly just re-positioning of arms, a little modding with the jewelry chain and a big poleaxe from the Orc Boss kit.  I think he looks really awesome as a model; but in game he just can't do what he needs to do in combat and he's too easy to single out.  Also I tried to lighten the picture a little so you could see him because the i-Phone for all its wonder takes the crappiest pictures.  Eventually I'll dig my real camera out again.  I swear!

Warlord on Bonebreaker

Chuck ToFG - BSB Conversion Painted

Same as the last 1992 Ogre; shields added, face cored out and black orc banner top added, new arms and weapons added. The banner consists of Giant Bits, a Steam Tank wheel, and standard Gnoblar Basket.

Front

Rear

Fresh Meat!

Joe F. ToFG: Rats vs. Beasts

Met with Dave tonight to get in a quick game with our 500 point lists and had some good discussion afterward on ideas and thoughts of list development.

This photo was after turn 1.  There was a unit of Centigor in front of the Gutter Runners.  They were gone at this point naturally.  The lightning cannon turned and misfired off into the woods.  The Warlock Engineer Miscast and blew a chunk of his own unit apart forcing them to panic away.  Stupid rats...

This is around turn 4.  I'd rallied, the Runners had killed the dogs on the right and the dogs on the left got the WLC.  Things we're shifting around to stay out of charge arcs and distances so I could keep putting magic and shooting pressure on him.

The eventual end of the game combat.  Dave made that super charge against me with the last 5 Gors on the bottom of Turn 5.  I killed them of course, well all but 1  which got killed by the run down.  Afterward on turn 6 I charged the dogs killing all but 1 and while I didn't catch it, the last did manage to flee off the table at the bottom of turn 6 giving us a difference of about 60-70 points.  A draw by the book.



So it was a fun game that I thought could have gone either way for a little bit.  After I got his Gor block whittled down to 5 though I was pretty confident in a victory.  The WLC did nothing; damned thing...  We discussed dislike of the hounds and the fact that perhaps in a differing environment that he may be able to get the Centigors to work somehow; but unfortunately both Ryan and I have mobile gun platforms in the form of Leadbelchers and Gutter Runners meaning that they are likely never to survive.  Magic while quite active never really added a huge impact to the game.  Well, the Engineer got sucked into the warp on the last turn, which was the second time I'd miscast on 3 dice in 1 game.  Dice hate me.  Really looking forward to next month along with the end of this month when we get together for the 1st big 3 player battle that I have yet to write a scenario for, but I plan on it.

Chuck ToFG: 500pts vs. Beastmen

Well I changed my list, what a shocker. I traded out a Leadbelcher for 2 Sabretusks and combined my Leadbelcher unit into a unit of 3. I still kept my 6 Bulls the same and Bruiser.



For Turns 1 and 2 I pointed my leadbelchers at the likely targets(Minotaurs!). The dogs harassed the flanks of the enemy and ended up getting in the way where they could.





The bulls played excellent. On the Charge they hit with varied strength-ed impact hits. The Bruiser Str 6, and some bulls Str 5 if they had a rank behind them. The Bruisers 4 attacks did wonders. Especially hitting on 3's and needing 3's to wound. But the pain came with the 18 attacks from the bulls and then 4 stomp attacks. I did enough wounds to make him flee and eventually catch him the following round.



I can definitely say that having the dogs as first turn deployments, harassers, and getting in the way of charges allowed my bulls to focus on combat longer without the chance of getting flanked. During this game i did not roll a 10+" to charge but if you do you get d3 impact hits vs. 1 per bull in the front rank. I can definitely see that as a game changer. Additionally, the impact hits sometimes finished whole units off(when there were only a few remaining of course.

Joe ToFG: Rats...

So, as you could all see from the start pictures most of my 500 point 1st month project was finished from the word go.  Hoever I did have to paint a Plague Wind Mortar and 5 Gutter Runners with Slings.  I finished those models up just this afternoon having gotten most of it complete at our 1st joint paint night.

The picture isn't super, but you get the idea.  Also I hadn't gone over the Plague Wind Shells with 'Ard Coat yet so they aren't glassy in this picture but that was done also this afternoon.  With these done and Ryan and I having snuck in some games earlier I'm technically done for the month; but that doesn't mean I wont keep working.  I have some other ideas I want to plan up and I could certainly stand to play a little more with the list. 

Chuck ToFG: 1992 Ogre Conversion 'Bruiser' Painted

Well Started last night when I was home alone for hours on end. Started with basic base coats of foundations. Then used Badab Black wash over everything and then rehighlighted with the same foundation. I matched the closest regular GW paint I could to the same color like catachan brown and snakebite leather. Used them 1:1 and then worked my way up to pure snakebite leather. If I went any further i would would highlight with Snakebite leather:Bleached bone 50:50.



The Green starts with Gnarloc Green, Green Wash, Gnarloc Green highlight, then Gnarloc: Goblin Green. After that I start streaking the Goblin Green for the muscle look. Finally just a little bit of Gnarloc Green:Rotting Flesh. Somtimes Badab Black or Ogryn Flesh washes in the recesses but not always.





I had the picture the Right Great Toe coming out of the Shoe!



Going to work on each Ogre and get them eventually to this caliber or better. Basing next, but right now I don't have a base for him...

Chuck ToFG: 1992 Ogre Conversion

Just wanted to point out the old model that is on the Ogre Stronghold Website: That big black ogre in there is this guy:

I cut the arms off and added bits from the Sabretusk box set I picked up at the local store, Gryphalia's Aerie.



I am currently painting him up and hope that the big guy splatters some blood!

Ryan G. ToFG: Ogres Vs Rats

      Here it is, Oct 1st and the Tale of 4 Gamers has officially begun. With that being said, Joe and I cheated a bit and played a few 500 point games the other day, so I figured I would do a quick battle report on them. We played 3 games in total, and I think it only took us about an hour and a half in total to play all 3.

Game 1:
      Game 1 was probably the fastest game I have ever played. Joe got first turn, and went to cast a spell at my Ogres and miscast, causing his wizard to became level 0. I was smiling ear to ear, because I knew I now had this game in the bag. He then fired his lightening cannon into my unit of 6 Ogres and killed 3 of them. My Unit, including the Bruiser, then proceeded to fail their leadership 8 panic test and I rolled high enough to flee off the table. I had not even got a turn yet, and all I had left was my 3 Leadbelchers. So much for having this game in the bag. We called it at that point and set up for game two. Solid victory for Joe, and I just kinda stood there in shock. Stupid dice!

Game 2:
      Joe was nice enough to let me go first this time, and I quickly closed the gap. My Leadbelchers took out his Gutterrunners, which are ridiculously good for a unit of skirmishers. His magic and shooting took my 6 Ogres down to 3 plus the Bruiser, but I then got into combat with his Clanrats. His rats held for a few turns due to steadfast, but I eventually broke him, and that was the game. Victory to the Ogres and we were now tied one game a piece.

Game 3:
      Joe again went first this game, and I thought it was gonna be a replay of game 1. His cannon once again took out two Ogres on turn one and I again panicked. However, my Bruiser was not in the unit this game, and this time I remained on the on the table and was able to rally. My Leadbelchers again took out the Gutterrunners, and my Bruiser was headed towards the cannon. My Ogres made it to the Clanrats, but were only 3 strong, and only lasted a turn before they were broken and fled from combat. The Bruiser took out the cannon, and my Leadbelchers charged into the remaining Clanrats and broke them. Overall, this was a very close game, but I pulled it out in the end.

Overall:
      Overall, 500 points is a very frustrating, but fun points level to play. One bad dice roll really changes the outcome of game, but it is also very fun to play and laugh at the truly randomness of these small games. Going first I have found is also a big deal at small points. I look forward to playing the other 2 Gamers and see how those games go.

Adios,
Ryan G. www.ryanshouseofblogs.blogspot.com

Tale of Four Gamers Introductions #4

Chuck Jiardina:
Well my name is Chuck and I have been in the Fantasy hobby for over a decade.  I've helped run a Tournament series and Co-Hosted the Waaaghcast.  Additionally, I've worked on many armies; DoC, WoC, HE, O&G, Brets, and VC.  During my work on O&G in 2011 I painted and converted up some Ogres with Orc parts thus the OrcOgre was formed!  Over the past few months i have worked on basic units but nothing special with the advent of the new book its time to test out the army at a small level and work my way up!

OrcOgre list:
Bruiser General: Ironfist, Heavy Armor, Ogre Pistol
6 Bulls: Standard, Crusher
2 Leadbelchers
2 Leadbelchers

Cost 496

Ideas/Strategy:
The general idea of the list is to deploy the leadbelchers on the flank of the bulls with the bruiser in the middle.  Use is leadership 8 for any psychology tests I have to take.  The leadbelchers can take a pot shot at any incoming threats or redirect them for a turn.  The bulls with the Bruiser will be able to either take a charge or break any enemy units.  My common opponent will be Orcs and Goblins so I will have to deal with small cheap units with multiple ranks.