Cold Wars 2013 Friday

Here's random photos I took on Friday. Sorry I didn't have time to organize them or explain what is going on. Just finished gaming at 1:00am.

Cold Wars 2013

Here I am at Cold Wars, HMGS's first convention of the year. We made it out here, despite the all the news channels talking about this huge snow storm that was gonna hit from PA to CT. We saw a few snow flakes when we left NJ, but that's it. They got everyone all worked up over nothing. Well nothing for PA,NJ,NY. I hear VA, DC area got hit pretty bad.

Anyway, made it out here by 4 or so. The drive passed with quickly with much talk of Wargames, past, present, and future. We check in no problem and then wander around looking at some of the pick up games going on. At 6:30 we line up to Register for the convention(idiots we forgot to pre-reg). At 7pm the registration does NOT open, cause they can't connect to the internet. At 7:30 we get registered. I did not get my Saturday Morning Flea Market table, sold out, so I got Saturday afternoon. Good but not great.

After a nice steak at Texas Roadhouse, we head back and get in a game of Merchants and Marauders. A fun game of trading and pirates in the Caribbean. You can choose to trade goods, steal goods or a little of both. I did both. Started life as a trader, made some money then upgraded to a pirate ship. I was in really good position to win, but took a big chance and a Dutch Frigate caught me, boarded me and ended my life.  Pic below is after I had died. The Blue player won, by accumulating the most victory points and gold.

Tomorrow we are signed up to play in a Battlestar Galactica Game. It's late, got to get to bed.

Xin

Buried Treasure or Toxic Waste

Cold Wars 2013 in Lancaster PA is next week. As is my custom, I am going to get a Flea Market table. I need to sell off all the crap I don't or won't likely use. You know those over ambitious projects that we all fall prey too.

Digging through lead my lined basement, well increasingly plastic lined, I came across a box of figures from my early D&D days. Some of my first miniatures for our roleplaying sessions. It would be years before I discovered tabletop wargaming.

Is it worth it to sell them off?  I know mint condition boxes of Grendier D&D figures are worth some money, but these have rattling around in a tin box for well, dare I say 30 years. I know a lot of you will say Ebay, but I hate ebay and I just take my crap to the flea markets.

 Heartbreaker?

  No idea, Gladiators?

 Dark Sun?

 Monster Set 1

Monster Set 2

Monster Set 3

 Spellcasters

 Skeletons and I think one Zombie

 Women adventurers and oops one Mindflayer

Adventure Set1

Adventurer Set 2

Rangers of Middle-Earth

 Dang it, I only got one post up in February? It was a crazy month with work, and kids school all that family stuff. Well Here are some Rangers I picked up at the Fall In flea market, maybe 2 years ago. They were painted to an acceptable level, just needed some touch ups.

I redid the bases as I find, a uniform base really pulls together different style painting to make it look like a more cohesive force. Plus I'm pretty obsessive about getting my nicely figures based.  I have system down pat now, so it's easy to get done.

 

The last thing I did was a simple wash with Nuln Oil, (the artist formerly known as Badab Black. Nice enough to fight along the rest of my boys.

Ciao for now, Xin

My first LOTR SBG Game.

Well technically not the very first, I did do the Mines of Moria intro fight.

So I have a force of Minas Tirith that is the process of being painted and I bought some painted Haradrim at a flea market. We had enough to put on the table so we set up a battle.

The Set up:
Faramir leading some Knights, Warriors and Rangers of Minas Tirith are sent to defend a river crossing in southern Gondor. Meanwhile Suladan, Warriors and Raiders have reports of an undefended river crossing and make to raid into Gondor.

Minas Tirith: Commanded by me
Faramir and 5 Knights
7 Warriors/Capt w/ Sword and shield
6 Warriors/Capt w/ Bow
7 Warriors/Capt w Spear and shield
Damrod and 5 Rangers of Ithilien

Haradrim: Commanded by my friend, Thor

 Suladan and 6 Raiders w/ War Spear
7 Raiders/Capt w/Bow
7 Warriors/Capt w/Spear
7 Warriors/Capt w/Bow

Suladan(Thor) set up south of the river.

I was marching in from the north edge of the board.

Haradrim cross uncontested at the ford.

 After a few turns of movement and very little bow fire, the lines close on one another. Haradrim split it's forces in a 2 pronged attack, while Gondor is trying to form a solid line as it moves closer("None shall Pass")

 Suladan's Bow armed Raiders got too close and my spearmen charged! "For Gondor!!!" This fight on my right flank becomes a blackhole. After a few turns he feeds in his bowmen and I feed in some Swordsmen.

My Knights on the left charge the Spear Armed Raiders supported by Ranger bow fire. I killed , I think, 2 Raiders. But not by bow fire. In fact I don't think anything was killed by bow fire. See Suladan hiding behind the shrubbery?

2 Knights, bowmen and some Swordsmen push up the center. The Warriors of Haradrim bar the way. The little orchard there with my swordsmen proved to be a bit of a trap. I didn't know how in the rules to deal with it since he was right up against it. Defended obstacle? So I just edged closer without making a big push.

Back on my right the meat grinder was still going on. I'm missing about half my spear, but he's missing half is raiders. I think I'm getting the better of it.

Inching closer in the middle, bow fire still completely ineffective.

Missing one knight, but 3 Raiders are dead. Suladan joins the fray and kills one of my knights.

This draws the wrath of Faramir and he charges Suladan. I think Suls had to burn a fate point.

In the center I charged with 2 Knights into the road block of Haradrim spear! One lone swordsman that jumped the fence to help. I lost one knight and he lost one spear. Not a good trade.

One the right, I only have 1 Swordsman, 1 spear and the Captain left. But the Raiders are almost all gone. He had to bring over his bow guys to help out. Again, this right flank was a meatgrinder. But in the end, I think I got the better of it.

Last shot of the battle. He was strong in the center but both flanks were pretty much crushed. It was getting late and he didn't feel he had the strength to push into Gondor, so he fled back across the river.

I'm sure we did a bunch of stuff wrong, but it was fun. I need to get those flea market Warriors of Haradrim properly based. So much to do, so little time. Hope you enjoyed. You can click on pics for bigger views. Feel free to comment.

Ciao for now, Xin