River Trolls

Some years ago (I reckon four or possibly five - Steve thinks much longer) Steve very kindly gave me some River Trolls for my birthday.
He did this because my unit of six trolls half of which are metal stone trolls and half of which are plastic river trolls made him very sad.
Since then it has become a running joke that I haven't painted them.

However I recently decided to get them finished.

Annoyingly I dropped this one and snapped his angler fish bait off. Before he even made it to battle.

Hilariously I had them ready for our game on Sunday to surprise Steve with.
Then I left them behind.
Obviously.

Greek Shades for Of Gods and Mortals

Someone at Hereward was selling Greeks by the sprue (Immortal/Warlord ones I think) so I bought one for the purpose of making a few shades for my OGAM games.
Slightly fiddly assembly followed by white spray undercoat then a covering with Contrast Aethematic Blue mixed with a little bit of Thrakka Green wash. Base and done.

Quick and dirty, done by 5.30.

Orctober - Warhammer v Skaven

Steve and I have not managed a game of proper Warhammer 8th edition for some time.
So we rectified that.
As usual we were playing a 2,000 point standard game.
We rolled the diagonal set up and I chose the corners we'd be using

Steve had elected to take Skaven - I was debating taking Daemons but then remembered it was Orctober, so there could be only one choice - Da Greenskins.
I tried to go All Orcs (plus some trolls) but discovered I don't have enough core Orcs painted. However rather than undermine the purity of Orctober I simply borrowed some from Steve.

We deployed and then ate some pig to get us in the mood.

As the game was about to begin Steve rolled to try and steal the first turn. He succeeded. Then decided he didn't want it after all. Which seemed quite Skaven-y.

Th North Nottingham Gaming Hall has less than ideal light for photography. Sorry.

So the game began with the Orcs rumbling forward.
Toward the waiting Skaven.

The Rats had their big brothers along for the ride.

Waaagh Gruzzkupp surged forward.

A giant ethereal green hand plucked the chariot and pushed it forward.

Whilst the Big 'Uns motored on.

With the Trolls stumbling along in their wake.

The chariot ran down some ratty ninjas.

The Stormvermin stayed firm.

Screened by slingers.

The Boarboys tried a charge. There was a whoosh of flame, the smell of smoked bacon and the boarboys turned tail.

The first chariot killed a Rat Ogre before they smashed it to kindling, then the second one caught them in the flank.

The Black Orcs caught a ratling gun in the open.

And the Big 'Uns smashed into the slaves.

After mowing down the Rat Ogres the chariot raced through a blood mere, sending waves of blood surging in its wake.

The Arrer Boys did what Arrer Boys do best. Fightin'. Not Shootin'.

The Big 'Uns disposed of the slaves, then they and the Black Orcs smashed into the Stormvermin.

However the Stormvermin, astonishingly held firm with a roll of snake-eyes!

So the chariot joined in.

Finally the General sprayed the musk of fear and turned (pink) tail and fled.

And with that Gruzzkupp claimed a victory!

Hurrah for Warhammer!
I am now determined to paint up some more Orcs so I can field All Orcs All Da Time.
I left Steve pondering a bunch of End Times Rat models he has undercoated and mithering about painting 160 skaven shields...

WarCry Campaign Game 1

Around to Ballroom Towers (as we're playing WarCry we've shifted to the interior of General B.'s palatial abode, rather than the Ilko Gaming Hut) to begin our campaign.
After some furious speed painting I was able to field my Cabal of Corvids.
Steve took the Kowardly Lion Krew.
General B. has clearly invested in some of those energy saving illuminations ne hears so much about. As a result the pictures all came out a bit weird and dark. Still, think of all the Humpback Whales he's saved.
9

 The field of War (Cry)!

 Caw Blimey!

 Stone the... etc.

 But Emily loved him.

 This chap's torso is modelled on my own

 Whip me baby one more time

Harpoon versus stilts with scissors on the bottom. The classic match up

Fast and furious action.

I got distracted by killing Bagpuss which allowed Steve to grab an objective in the first round. After that it was objectives even, but that slim lead meant he was the winner.

Not enough time for a second game. Steve got ten glories and I got three.

Two Games of The Men Who Would Be Kings

James and Matt came around to the Sherwood Soldier Shack for a NWF game of TMWWBK.
I'd set up the terrain and promised to GM, but as I'd had a sleep or two since I read the rules I'm not sure I was much help. However, we muddled through.

The first game involved a punitive British expedition to burn down a few Afghan dwellings.

James had three units of Regulars (A Co. and B Co. of the 99th Humberside Regiment, together with a Co. of the Royal Dilshad Rifles) and a well drilled Field Gun.

Ranged against him Mad Mullah Matt commanded two units of Tribal Infantry and four units of Irregulars.

Meanwhile the Humbersiders began to force their way up the pass.

Though the Dilshads at first seemed reluctant to join the advance.

Commanded by one of the CO's favourite nephews the sharpshooters of A Co. made good progress.

Soon, however tribesmen came swarming down from the mountains

A Co. were caught by the Pathans!

Fortunately the field gun came to their rescue

Though their rifles were obsolete, their aim was pretty good and the Pathans in the village manged to rout B Co. from the board.

Soon more tribesmen had arrived to defend their homes.

Apart from these laggards.

Ominously the field gun came within rifle range.

And more fire from the buildings took its toll.

With the crew being picked off the gun soon fell silent, and the British decided to withdraw.

On reflection James pushed on a bit hard with the  British. Trying to close the range just meant the Afghan firepower began to tell. More softening up (and concentrating on the buildings) would have forced Matt to advance when British range and rate of fire would have told.

Second Game

We had time for another go. James had the same force, Matt had to drop some Irregulars.

This time the Pathans were defending a hill at the far end of the table.

The Humbersiders ploughed forward.

With the gun keeping pace.

A Co. took the lead.

With the Dilshads again lagging behind.

Soon the Pathan defenders on the hill came under steady fire.

Backed up by sharpshooting from A Co.

B Co., keen to recover their reputation, also pushed on.

Wily Mad Mullah Matt kept his fighty tribesmen behind the crest of the hill, like a Northwestern Wellington.

The rifle armed Afghans took cover among the spectacularly coloured flora.

But the Field Gun took a dreadful toll.

The British firing line kept up a murderous rate of fire.

Whilst remembering to stop for a cuppa.

Finally judging his moment James ordered the Humbersiders to fix bayonets and take the hill!

Despite B Co. being thrown back as the battle ended neither side controlled the heights.

However British fire had wiped out a single Afghan unit and not suffered any reverses themselves and so James was able to claim the victory.

At around turn ten I think we all (including James himself) thought the British had left it too late for their final assault. However some fortuitous pinning meant they were just able to contend the objective as night fell.

Two good fun games. TMWWBK cracks along at a fair old pace and all the toys looked very jolly.