Reaper Strumpet

Another Civilian figure to serve as decoration or a pot point in Games of En Garde.  I particularly liked the ruffle on the under side of the Dress.  Obviously its to catch the eye while dancing.  The rather solid shoe it also reveals indicates this is a practical woman who wants reliable foot wear if she has to run for it,

She's clearly read to temp our hero away form his duty or perhaps she has a key piece of information

The hair is not one of my better results, I may need to hit it with some more wash or some highlights.

War Galley for En Garde (3)

Last Night I was a 3 Trolls for their Painting and Project night. I got a little painting done and made some progress on Galley.

As you can see I started making some walls for the fighting platform and cut out pieces for the ram/bow of the ship.   I have also cut two masts though I haven't decided yet if I will use one or two masts in the final design. I also set up a magnate and washer system that will hold the main mast in place.

War Galley for En Garde! (2)

My First up date on the actual construction of the galley.  

 As you can see I have stuck mostly to the original lay out I removed the front all of the cabin as I intend that space to be a where the rowers benches would be. I also flipped over the rear wall of the cabin.  I will probably clip out the center bar making the two windows one entry.  I plan to add a ram to the front, and cutting it out to look right will be the hardest part of this project. I also have to design a fighting platform for the front and perhaps look for a cannon or two.

A little preview of a miniature I painted up for En Garde! to help bring a little color to an other wise bland post. Clearly she's trying to catch an officer's eye.

War Galley for En Garde (1)

I was inspired by the use my friend Mike made of a 3d-Puzzle to build a ship for war gaming 

I looked at it and said hey with some modification I could make a Galley that would be a great ship for my Spanish En Garde War Band.

This is what the puzzle is supposed to look like when it gets done...

This is an example of the historic version of a war galley... how do I get form one to the other.  The truth is I can't and won't try.  My goal is to build something that my figures will fit on ad will be recognizable as a galley rather than being a true replica.  I'm not going to worry about rowers, though I may add some oars. I need to build a ram and a fighting platform on the bow.  Gaming convenience will trump accuracy in all cases.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vs Avengers

Austin has been having Sandy paint up a bunch of Marvel miniatures for superhero game of the same name. I'm not a comic book guy though I do enjoy most comic book movies, so I am going to screw up some characters name so apologies in advance

 I had control of Drax and Gamora.  Drax is tough but doesn't do a lot of damage, Gamora is something of a jack of all trades.

 Austin created these great cards to track the characters powers and abilities.

  We are faced off against a force of Avengers or I presume have mistaken us for evil alien invaders. They have Thor and Hawk Eye for high cover

 We have Star lord and Rocket doing the same.

 Nova and Groot advance up the middle..

 while I stick to cover along one flank.

The Avenges are doing the same

  I get off a couple of shots at Tony Stark as does Star lord (who can shoot through buildings, pretty cool)

 Rocket Raccoon shoots Thor after he leaps down to the central building

 Drax Protects Nova from a number of attacks using body guard

 Drax throws a car at Captain he can't hit him but does do damage to his cover.

 Groot throws another car at the buildign hopping to build it down under Thor

 Goot goes for more "ammunition"

 At this point the battle ground has been chosen and the fighting get serious  

 After a ferious exchange of blows stabs, and energy related powers of all types Gamora is down, so is Black Panther and Drax has been knocked down but not killed

 Groot ads a flying car to the mix... smacking Iron man rather hard.

 If you are Rocket Raccoon it makes perfect sense to blow up a building to clear the line of fire.  He then hits Black Panther hard (he shouldn't have but we are all missing powers.

Despite a last inmate effort by Star Lord the Guardians are unable force a tie with another kill.  The system was fun I think I would enjoy it more in a scenario based game.  I also would like a system that rewards players for playing in character.  I was a little miffed when an unconscious Gamora was kill by Captain America.

Big Lee's Big number

Its not every day that a gaming blog hits 2,000,000 its but Big Lee has done it.  He's offering people lots of amazing prizes too zip on over to his blog and check it out

The three prizes are as follows:

• First Prize : A Warlord Games Gift voucher worth £50 
• Second Prize : A Warlord Games Gift voucher worth £25 
• Third Prize : A Warbases gift voucher worth £25

That's a pretty cool offing don't you think?

I cam across Big Lee in 2009 though AJ Blog (also worth looking at) and I have always been impressed with his games, his painting and his postings on museams and historical sites his content is impressive. 

Brigade Game: Running Musketeer

 I got this fellow to add to Alatriste's war band he's form Brigade Games "town militia set".  Originally I had intended for him to be Sebastian Capones(and did in our En Garde at sea game) but in rereading the books decided he's far to elegant for that blunt soldier.

 Now I am thinking of using him for an older version of Inigo Balboa as he might have appear a year or two after the events in "Pirates of the Levant"  I went with muted colors and I think I got the impression of a brown velvet jacket quite nicely.  The lace collar really pops.  I can imagine this fellow staking dear or boar on a royal hunt.

I'm also pleased with how the cloak came out. The sculpture is just wonderful at once balanced and dynamic a new favorite of mine.

En Garde: Alatrieste' Hidalgos (1)

The concept for my En Garde! war band is drawn form the characters of Arturo Perez-Reverte Captain Alatriste Novels. This is a long way form all the options (and I am painting more) but I wanted to share my thinking.  Copyright for the characters below belong to Arturo Perez-Reverte.   I will be doing some additional characters. Please note I am using an elite war band structure from En Garde! 

"Captain" Diego Alatriste y Tenorio the title Captain is apocryphal but the leadership is real (at lest among such rough and ready types). A skilled hand with gun, sword or dagger Alatriste a deadly opponent. A man of few words and even few words when under threat, he meets fortune good or bad with silence and an ironic smile. He is not at great strategist, but is a master of the simple and brutal tactics of close in fighting.

Íñigo Balboa y Aguirre Alatriste's "page" a capable and brave lad with quick wits and a nose for trouble. Despite his youth he usually handles himself well in fights. I'm using on of my pirate miniatures as I haven't found another figure with the youthful look I want. Íñigo is Alatriste's chronicler keeping a record of their adventures.

Sebastien Capones served with Alatrieste in Flanders. He's a crack shot and almost as skill in hand to and fighting. Like Alatriste he is a man of few words, he has a good head for tactics and Alatrieste relies on him as his second in command and is one of the few men he trusts implicitly.

Bartolo Cagafeugo met the captain in prison and after sizing each other up he became the Captain's fast friend. More Braggart than brave Bartolo is never the less a good humored companion (a man with the sir name "shit fire" must be good humored) and more than willing to lay his life of the line to back up a friend.

Saramacho El Portuques an educated master swordsman. Like Alatrieste he's man who clings to a thin line of morality. He's willing to kill in a fight but never takes a contract to murder. He spends his money printing a long epic poem of his own composition. If he's not fighting or fence you will invariably find a book or pen in his hand.

"El Bravo" A pimp and ruffian from Seville with a high opinion of himself.  He claims to have been a soldier but there is not much doubt that this is a lie.  He is brave enough in a fight but not very disciplined and likely to question orders and he may well try to steal something for himself on the side, its best to watch your back around him.

En Garde! at sea

Dave hosted a game at his home Sunday, we had decided on En Garde! but we wanted to us some ships Dave and Mike have been working on. 

Mike's Ship and Pirate crew a Chinese Junk maned by European pirates but He has two of my new civilians on board, we have to rescue them.

Alatriste and his Hidalgos have captured a small sampan and as they move to rescue the grandee and his wife.  They have unlikely Allies in this...

Dave's Puritans with their praying Indian allies in a long boat (we removed the cannon) the only ship we have that is truly to scale.

Pirates guard the Grandee and his lady....

Mike must sail out and off the board.  Ships move 2d6 inches per turn, Ships provide those on board with medium cover.

Mike also got to put men on the islands to snip at us (not exactly shore batteries but we didn't want to get into rules for sinking ships. We also let men within 9" make a shooting attack against the ship with a grapple.  Two Grapples on a ship mean it can be boarded. A character can cut a grappling line with an attack that does a "grievous wound or better" the rope is assumed to roll on die for 6 each time the attacker rolls 2d6+fight.

Shots ring out on all sides.  No hits are recorded as we close in though a few figures are stunned.

Both sides are blazing away... but with little effect.

Dave gets a grappling line across...

but Mike cuts it down quickly.

More guns blaze and Mike kills one of Dave's soldiers.

Mike almost drives thorough us!

Dave Gets another line across!

Saramonch leaps from one deck to the other easily clearing the gap!

Bartolo throws up a grapple and Mike fails his roll to cut it loose

el Bravo gets a second line across!

Mike cuts on of the grapples but his sailor takes a light wounds in the process.

Inego scurries up the lines onto the quarter deck of the pirate vessel

Dave gets another line Mike is now held fast with Spaniards swarming the deck as Alatriete also leaps across!

Inego deals and takes blows only barely surviving the attacks thanks to his buff coat

Saramonch and Alatriete kill first one, pirate then Saramonch storms up the quarter deck and kills a second.

Alatrieste kills a second pirate and then a third...

Mike's pirate "two Guns" empties his pistols into the gallant Captain and he goes down with a critical wound.

Dave mean while has his natives joining the party on the quarter deck

Sebasien Capones and his musketeers reload and race to the rear of the ship to guard their comrades on the quarter deck.

Mike's spear armed pirate finishes of Inego but goes down to blows from Bartolo and el Bravo

Dave's Indian's  kill the last pirate on the quarter deck and the rest of Mike's crew surrender leaving the Spanish and English to split the spoils.