Two Games of Xenos Rampant

I wasn't going to buy Xenos Rampant. I like Dan Mersey's rules  - I own most of them (with the exception of the Pikes one) and always enjoy playing them. But I don't really play Sci-Fi games, so this wasn't on my list. And then it came out, and it looked nice and I tried to order it with a free frame from Northstar but my card had some sort of fit so I couldn't, so that was that but the seed was planted and I found it on the Hive for a good price. The Hive, unlike Amazon, supports local bookshops and pays taxes, so you should probably buy books from them if you're shopping online.

Anyway I bought the rules thinking it might give me a chance to get the 40K toys out. I have zero interest in learning a new version of 40K and certainly no will to keep up with the endless rules buying and updates but I do kind of like the models, and I do have quite a few painted.

Martin and Matt were both up for giving the game a go, so I threw down a table and statted up a couple of forces.

Apologies for the picture quality - these are all phone snaps.

The board was a 4x4 (as recommended by the rules) jungle board. We decided most of the jungle pieces were impassable (you can't move the plants and there's no room for model bases) but some bits (where the terrain is moveable) were rough ground and soft cover. None of the jubgle blocked line of sight, but it did up the armour for troops on the other side of it.

The Orks had three units of Sluggas (Berserk Infantry) one of Shootas (Light Infantry plus a heavy weapon) and some Nobs (reduced model count Heavy Infantry, Close Combat)

You don't get many Marines in 24 points. There were two units of Elites, one with Armour Piercing and one Close Combat. The CC unit had an "Inspiring Leader" - the Emperor's Champion. The Scouts were Veteran recon infantry. We all agreed this didn't quite feel right for Marine Scouts, but I didn't have time/inclination to work out a better match.

We thought the spiker plants should probably have some sort of exploding/poisonous rule, but we had enough on with mastering the basics,

The Orks razzed forwards.

While the Marines held a line.

The Scouts were a bit sneaky.

Some good shooting by the Shootas thinned the combat squad a bit (6s count a 2 hits if you have a heavy weapon) and then the Sluggas went in. But were no match for Marines.

The EC, his dander properly up went toe to toe with the Nobz and did for them as well.

With the tactical squad easily forcing the Ork boys to wild charge them in a defended position, pretty soon the Waaagh was a wimper and the field belonged to the Astartes.

All over in fairly short order we had another go. I replaced two of the Slugga Squads with a Combat oriented dreadnought - mostly for giggles and partly to see how walkers worked.

Klankenstein and the Shootas bought the pain to the Emperor's Champion.

And they then stumbled toward the tactical squad.

There followed a fair bit of to-and-fro with neither side much able to hurt the other.

With the rest of the Marines fled, but unable to turf the survivors from their defended jungle we called a halt to the game.

This was good fun - Xenos (like all the Rampant games) plays fast and furious. The Free Moves in this one add some tactical grist to the mill and this was very much a learning experience so there's clearly tactics and whatnot to work out.

Great to get the old 40K toys on the table and Matt and Martin both seemed to enjoy it.

I think we'll be playing again.

Warhammer Triumph and Treachery times two

Despite moving to the Isle of Mann Stephen was still determined to have his annual birthday get together gaming and drinking session. Although work has begun on his off-shore gaming gaff it's not ready yet, so I hosted. Originally it was to be five of us, but first Spandex cried off citing "faaaahm-ly" (he's down south, so has gone a bit 'enders) and then on the morning of the game Kiwi Keiran announced he'd put his back out. So it was to be just the three of us, me, Stephen and Kenton from Lenton.

As with attendees, so with plans. As conceived this was to have been All Elves, All the Time (Wood Elves for Stephen, High Elves for Spandex (borrowed as he only paints Skaven) Dark Elves for Keiran and I and Dead Elves for Kenton (as he only owns Vampires). However a Rugby League World Cup and no real desire to finish painting the Dark Elves I began about 30 years ago meant I ruined everything for everyone. Apparently.

So I took an all goblin force with some Ogre allies, Stephen had Bretonnians with Wood Elf allies and Kenton (Straight Outta Lenton), in a surprise move, had Chaos with Vampires filing the allies role. 1200 points with 300 allies.

The Chaos Hordes deploy

The Goblins occupy the hill

Flappy horses ready to go.

Wood Elves in their natural environment.

The Chaos horde marched toward the Goblins. Kenton (von Lenton)'s favourite trick is to attack me for no reason.

So I sent the big lads to deal with them.

The squigs didn't do so well, partly because we got the rules wrong.

Now I had flappy horses all up inside my grill.

The Night Goblins legged it away from some cavalry

The giant went hunting for catapults.

Fanatics had little impact on red daemons

Flap, whinny, flap!

And on to their next victims

The knights went in, but daemonic saves kept them hanging in there.

Soon after this time was up. We'd let Stephen win as a birthday treat.

Due to not drinking too much and there only being three of us we'd finished early afternoon. So we decided to have another game. Two games in one day - Warhammermungous!

A river bisected this field.

The FlappyNags were pointed in my direction.

The Mournfangs headed for the ford.

The Chaos horde was near a mystic portal which didn't really affect them as much as Stephen and I had hoped.

The Spiders went a scuttling.

I sent the Giant and the Squigs off to hand out the pain.

Knight buses pointed at the Chaos men.

The Night Goblin Shaman unleashed a MAHOOSIVE Curse of Da Bad Moon. Just because he could, really.. It footled toward the Bretonnians.

The Big Lad went in, despite the Wood Elvis sticking him in the back.

The Errant Knights found Zombies hard work, especially when they had to re-roll their armour saves.

The giant took a tumble.

Grail Knights v. Chaos Warriors.

The Squigs lined up to charge.

The FlappyNags decided to pick on the Night Goblins, who wisely reformed and did surprisingly well.

Soon after this time was up (and we were hungry).

The Chaos and Vampires won this one.

I had not won anything.

But really, as always, Warhammer was the winner.