Sunday 28 November 2021

Gaslands at the Ruddington Raceway

Chum Scrivs has gone big on Gaslands. To be fair he seldom does anything by halves so it's no surprise that from a standing start a month or so ago he now has a complete raceway, plenty of scenery and enough cars for a whole fleet of games.

He and Martin invited a bunch of people for an afternoon of raceway action but a combination of busy pre-Christmas and some late breaking man-flu meant it was just me and Scrivs on the day.

I picked a small group of cars from the extensive selection available and after a brief explanation of the rules we roared off from the start line. Foolishly I forgot my camera so I'm afraid you'll have to make do with phone pictures.

The start line. I have the red car on pole, the blue truck on the second row and the Beetle bringing up the rear.


The Ruddington Raceway in all its glory.


Gentlemen, start your engines!


My truck managed to spin shortly after the start



And soon after my first car was wrecked.


Leaving a smoking wreck in the way


We paused for raceway appropriate snacks.


The rusty Beetle went the same way as my other car - leaving just my truck in the game.


But he managed to get the blue Scrivsmobile broadside on.


Scrivs misjudges things and ran into a bunch of tyres. So I rammed him (it'd be rude not to) wrecking it!


Sadly the motorbike was gunning his engine and running away with it



And despite my truck taking lumps out of Scrivs' version I couldn't catch the bike and he was soon performing victory donuts*. 


This was great fun. Took a few gear shifts to get the hang of the mechanics but it was soon rolling (and gunning) along. 
I had to resist driving home via Sainsbury's to buy a few Hot Wheels cars...

* I know the sweet thing is properly spelled doughnuts, but for spinny wheel tricks I think the misspelling is correct.

Friday 19 November 2021

Midgard: Norse Mythology

A return for the first time in a couple of years to the Rose and Crown club for a game of James' Midgard rules. I pointed out that for a game called Midgard we'd not actually had a Norse myth game using the rules for quite a while. So James obliged. Kev came down from the (frozen) north to join James, Paul and I bringing some of his lovely Norse models. I just bought along my Witch on a Moose as if you can't use her in a game like this, when can you?

The scenario involved assorted giants, trolls, wolves and elves assaulting vikings and dwarfs on a hill. Thor was due to help out the defenders, but had been delayed getting a last round in at the mead hall...

The attacking hordes of trolls and wolves, led by Fenrir.


Assorted Jötnar - having them in different sizes is true to the myths - not all "giants" are...errm...giant.



Stout Dwarf defenders





A mix of trolls and elves





A few vikings hug the treeline. Most are still in the mead hall, waiting for Thor's round.




The three standing stones are objectives - whoever holds them from turn three onwards gains added "Reputation" 


The wolves raced forward.




Followed by the trolls


Some of the wolves crashed home



Muching the archers


While another pack sneaked around the edges




Fenrir challenged the Dwarf hero


And devoured him!


The elves struck home


But the dwarf line held firm





The brutal trolls were having rather more success



Summoned by the Moose riding witch hordes of undead battled the Vikings




Finally, Last Orders was called at the mead hall and Thor arrived.




Unfortunately he wasn't exactly where we needed him (must be all that mead)



We were running out of stout dwarf bodies on the left flank.




And the giants were climbing the slopes



Wolves in the back field were held off by desperate dwarf archers



Thor finally got stuck in


And the undead began to be driven back



But the giants were dealing destruction to the dwarfs.





Still the archers defied the wolves



The giants had taken the left of the hill but Thor was moving to control the centre






Angry giants, hurling rocks


Thor waving (but not throwing) Mjolnir



Sadly the game drew to a close before Thor could wreak ruin on the giants and he was left impotently (too much mead will do that to you) waving his hammer in their general direction.


All that was left was to count the reputation to see who could claim victory. After being reduced to just one by the fourth turn the dwarfs had rallied to have four reputation, but the giants had manged to pip them with five remaining in their goblet.
Less mead, more slaughter next time, Thor!

Really great game with splendid company. The rules work really well for this kind of thing.