Friday 23 October 2015

The demon's name is....?

This figure has waited very patiently on my painting table for about 10-14 years. So Long in fact that I have forgotten why I bought it in the first place.  The Harpy is a foundry Harpy and only included as a size comparison, and nothing more.

No Fran it is not called Raymond. No Ray it is not called Francis! But If I need 2 imps I have an idea what they will be called. And it is far to big to be called "Postie!"


There is nothing clever about the painting, except that it was done with a single GW "Tank" brush, except the eyes, teeth and claws. I just picked up the single brush and never put it down. All the colours are the obvious colours and required no deep thought at all. Yet they all seem to wok just fine.

He probably will be used for Frostdave and as my wizard is called Dave and my apprentice is Nigel (or Nige for short) I needed a suitable name for this creature (should I ever summon a major demon.


 I think I have settled on a name having tried a few out. Derek is currently my favourite but maybe you have a better idea. Maybe you do not.

But what should I call him? I do not want a fantasy name, but something more like Derek, Bernard, Colin, Russell or Phillip. Other names are of course available so feel free to help it get a name. but nothing too fancy. Just an honest British first name that is a little old fashioned but not biblical in nature. So NO Ezekiel's or Jedidiah's. Your help is appreciated!


Tuesday 20 October 2015

BUF (part 10)

Yes this may be the last BUF post. I believe I have painted over a platoon now for Matt. I suspect these last 5 figures will draw the BUF to a close for a while if not permanently. Matt has mentioned both Anglican League and Socialists as being next but I will wait and see and at this stage can offer no better clues.

So we have an officer (Copplestone castings I believe) and a flag bearer (who is footsore miniatures). The Flag is by Pete Barfield and sold by Solway.

Additionally Matt has asked me to paint 3 females. While they all have Khaki trousers I have given them all white blouses.  This serves 2 purposes, one it clearly identifies them as ladies on the table top, secondly it allows them to be used by different factions if Matt chooses to. Generally though I suspect he will use them as BUF troops though. He does now have the option of some other faction if he chooses. Yes I can see 1 still wears a BUF Cap but if I paint the socialists  caps the same way (I just might you know) she may be more of a socialist.

Anyway, now I am to paint some medieval Turkish (possibly Tartar) Cavalry for Peter at the club. As he does not want them based I may not put them on my blog especially as I have no idea what colours to paint them. So instead on Friday (when I post next) I would expect a fantasy figure as I am painting it at the same time, and yes it is for Frostgrave.



Monday 19 October 2015

Frostgrave campaign start.

Well it was 2 weeks since our start and will be at least a month before the next game of Frostgrave, but we are now up and running. 4 of us are all playing on the same board at the same time! Ian (Witch) Relfie (Necromancer) Kev (Elementalist) and myself as an enchanter. In fact the same types of mages we played in the pre-campaign. We had all changed spells a few times though having seen how goo or bad our first selection was. Mostly for convenience I stuck to almost the same retinue as last time just swapping an infantryman for an archer. Spell wise I decided on the following:
  • Animate Construct (8+)
  • Grenade (10+)
  • Telekinisis (8+)
  • Elemental bold (14+ Aligned)
  • Absorb Knowledge (10+ Aligned)
  • Fog (10+ Aligned)
  • Leap (12+Neutral)
  • Heal (12+ Neutral)
And only a slight change in my retinue 4 archers and 2 Infantrymen (as opposed to 3 of each)

Pregame spells were cast and I got a single Medium construct, my apprentice Called Nigel) missed getting another medium construct by 1. So I was just a little under strength from last time, but not greatly.

We played on a board that Kev had made for nothing or next to nothing. Which really did look very good indeed and even better when you knew what it was and what it cost. needles to say not all the terrain fitted in exactly but we do not generally worry about that too much. The first turn saw a group activation from me and my wizard cast Telekinesis to get the treasure close enough for an archer to pick up. And in the Apprentice phase the archer and loot counter were leaped from the table but the apprentice did have to empower the spell by 3 points to secure my first loot counter on my first turn. There was voiced concern from the other players both at me taking the damage from empowering the spell and also if this was allowable in the rules as the archer had already been activated and the Leap spell would mean that he could do nothing else that turn. But as he was then off of the table I had no further plans for him. Kev Cat a wall (the beige building on the right.) and Ian cast Fog all to stop me getting more loot. Their plans worked! No More loot in turn 1 for me, not that I would have been able to anyway, but both spells did force me to change my plans! (The rotters) Relfie did pick up some loot as well, but Kev had his crossbow man shoot the thug. Which then shuffled of his mortal coil and passed into eternal night. But picking up the loot had bought on 2 skeletons right behind kevs front line. While me picking up the loot had not generated anything!

Turn Two. Ian was getting happy with the Fog and laid down 2 more strips (one from wizard the other from apprentice. I used another archer to move and pick up another loot counter. Which Kev then shot with another crossbowman. Again straight out of the game in a single hit. So I moved another archer to pick it up. Again my apprentice did manage to cast leap spell and the loot was finally moved from the board.. But there were no more easy loot counters to snaffle up. The closet was to Ian but behind the fog so my archers were useless being unable to see and shoot beyond this curtain. Ian's tactics were working well. This did generate a random monster (an Ice spider) right behind me.  (Yeak!).Ian was battling another random monster (a wolf) and snaffling up as much loot as he could while Relfie and Kev were deep in battle with each other and doing physical damage to each others wizards through spells arrows and knowing them harsh (but friendly) banter. The Ice spider badly wounds my infantry that was sent to kill it while my other one just seems to provoke it more. I gernerally move up using the Wall Kev created as cover and get my construct close to Kevs apprentice. Next turn I will strike!

Well again my plans did change as I did manage to kill one ice spider but then another appeared in exactly the same place. I have come to hate Ice spider.

Turn 3 my construct engages Kevs apprentice in melee . Kev and Relfie continue the wizard battle and both take serious wounds. Ian Gets 2 loot counters from the board while Both Kev and Relfie manage to bag one each. I don't get any this turn  but do move an archer ready to pick up another one just before Kev sends an infantryman to attack him. So we both stand over it and neither of us can pick it up as they are fighting. Ian continues to cast fog and cuts all lines of sight and while he does try to move an archer to shoot my Wizard (who is called Dave!) the fog is too high and he cannot see over it despit3 his elevation. But He can shoot at one of Relfie's, so he does do that instead. There is a little sparing between the archers of mine and Kev's but it is mostly indecisive.

The battle with the Ice spider continues to rage and I do loose an infantryman and have another seriously wounded. These two ice spiders have cost me dear in terms of both men and time. But eventually they do both die. but have cost me 1 dead infantryman and one severely wounded (2 HP left) and have kept them out of the fight in the game so far.

Turn 4.Kev's wizard is badly wounded and takes the very wise choice of getting out of the way and out of line of sight. Seeing how badly battered I am Ian takes the fight to Relfie and picks up another loot counter. It does generate a mosnster (Wild dog) and guess where. Yep right behind my wizard. The places are all rolled randomly, it just does not feel like it sometimes!

Some of the fog starts to disappear, as does The wall I am using for cover. leaving my wizard and apprentice in the open. Both severley wounded and both only on one action. I scurry them both into cover out of sight as best I can. Kiev still gets a crossbow shot at my wiz but the dice gods smile and he misses.

My construct also has some favourable dice and puts Kev's Apprentice out of the game. Things are not good for Kev as his Wizard is also hit and put out of the game by Relfies Necromancer (I think he used a "Steal life "spell). But Relfie is also in a bad way as well and taking his second loot counter moves his wizard of table.

Turn 5. I am down to my last few men and everything is wounded. Kev is able to pepper my construct with arrows and crossbow bolts and it goes out of action. I have one wounded archer one wounded infantryman as well as both my enchanter and apprentice on 4 hits or less. With his single action the enchanter kills the wild dog. While the single action of the apprentice fails to cast a spell and instead takes a single wound leaving him but 1 left. At this stage Relfie runs his final figure from the board and the game ends.

Aftermath:
Ian ended on 290 Exp and 3 loot
Relfie on 270 exp and 2 loot
I was on 200 exp and 2 loot
Kev's wounded Wizard failed to recover from his wounds and will be starting again from zero in a months time.

Loot wise managed to replace my losses (except the construct which rolled a natural 1. Kev must have hit a vital component and I will have to make another one before the next game. I also scored a ring of power (1) which I sold and bought 2 healing potions. And I also had a Grimoire with the "beauty" spell. We did have a brief discussion and decided that the effect of the Beauty spell would be on all forms of attacks including spell casting and arrow fire so for one of my 2 advances I did learn the spell. My second advance was fight +1. This is because it is used in both melee and  shooting and also the apprentice also benefits.

So with two healing potions and 30gc in the bank I start the next game also being able to cast beauty. I also have a nice cosy laboratory as my base.

Overall a good fun game and at several points I had different options which may have changed the balance of the game. I have learnt a lot more about how to play and when to use certain spells as I am sure the other players have,

Thanks for reading, I know it was a long read . And may your dice roll high.