Saturday 31 May 2008

Painted captive



This is the painted captive that will be used as the target in our next campaign game (though we may run a small recce mission first for the Guard to locate him).

I've tried to keep his expression pretty aggressive, as if to suggest he's going to kick someone's butt as soon as he gets free rather than looking like a 'victim'!

Friday 30 May 2008

Cultists & Hybrids


Here are some of the genestealer cults Hybrids and Purestrains.

A mix of mordheim, catachan and tyranid plastics (oh and drawing pin and green stuff peasant hats...)

Why We Play

We’re publishing this blog firstly because it amuses us to do so. But just as importantly we’re doing it because we want to inspire other people to do the same sort of thing. We don’t plan to present a definitive set of rules or a system, because that’s not how we do things. This is old-school wargaming, how it always used to be played before everyone decided they couldn’t play without an FAQ and needed a scoring system to measure their worth as a gamer!

As with many ‘veterans’, we’ve developed our own gaming tastes over the years, and fancy trying out a hybrid of all our favourite rules mechanics. Many people look to gaming companies or to the web to provide rules specifically tailored to their own tastes, but fail to find them and end up getting bitter with those companies, who are just catering to the widest market possible. Some people even get so angry they try to set up in competition to the big guys, trying to publish their own, clearly superior version of the rules.

But the point is we do this for fun, because we want to, not because we’re angry about something! Wargamers have been making up rules to suit their own groups since the early 20th century, so there’s no reason we should lose this skill.

Anyway, we’re using the Necromunda rules, and tweaking them as we go along. We’re also using the Necromunda campaign system, with some minor changes. To start off with, we’re simply counting the territories as their equivalent on Jeriko Reach. Each game we play we try out a new house rule, which we’ll post here for ours and your entertainment (and because we’d lose our notes if we just wrote them down).

Thursday 29 May 2008

Captive WIP



Just spent the lunch hour making the captured version of the corporal who'll be the target of the next mission - will paint him tomorrow.

An armed uprising... trouble in the hills.


I was disturbed prior to evening devotions today by brother Shal, he informed me that Arik Karem of the Bethaljinn tribes ( a respected elder no less) had arrived at the chapter house in an excited state and demanding an audience with me.

Arik Karem was soon admitted to my chambers where I served him warm k’vash to calm this noble warriors nerves but the tale he told me soon unsettled mine.

Nearly a year ago, Arik told me, the Bethaljinn had received a visitation from a mighty being, they had seen the fire fall from the sky and followed it to its destination in the hills, there they apparently met an angel accompanied by a mighty host of warriors.

This angel had helped the Bethaljinn realise that they were merely slaves of the Imperium and that the true emperor and his warriors had sent the angel to free them of their chains.

This in itself was nothing new to me, our missionaries to the hill tribes have seen the emergence of the Bethaljinn tribes spider cult and believed it to be closely based on our own belief of the all protecting emperor whose many arms surround us, what Arik was to tell me next has disturbed me greatly and I fear for the future.

Arik continued his tale to tell me that the Bethaljinn had hoarded vast amounts of wargear and supplies over the last harvest season and intended to stake out a new land for the servants of the spider emperor and now the time had come.

I knew of the small clashes between tribesmen and farmer and of the clumsy ‘policing‘ conducted by the Imperial forces on Jeriko Reach but Arik informed me that in the last month they had ambushed an Imperial patrol. He claimed they had done their best to make it appear as if a landslide in the hills had obliterated the patrol and I know from my conversations with local dignitaries that this patrol had being considered ‘missing’.

Today it appears however the Bethaljinn had used this stolen transport to ambush a patrol of the garrison, massacring them to a man and looting an imperial supply drop outside of a vapour distillation plant.


As I inclined my head to listen better Arik continued his tale…

The Bethaljinn approached the plant at a steady speed so as not to attract suspicion, the garrison sentry waved cheerfully at them believing them to be the lost patrol. To his horror he realised his mistake far too late as the holy warriors spilled from the access ports of the stolen chimera - unleashing a fusillade of las fire that cut the man down before he could even unsling his rifle.


Within seconds the tribes men were racing for the drop canisters and hauling their contents back to the vehicle and at this point, presumably attracted by the sounds of gunfire, the patrol sent for the drop doubled onto the scene.

Arik’s warriors split into two groups and dashed for the remaining canisters, Arik ordered his men to set their las-guns to maximum overcharge, a risky manoeuvre that paid off – nearly every shot that struck home claimed an imperial life but his men soon found their ammunition supply running dangerously low.

A major firefight erupted near the hab units with both Arik’s warriors and the garrison troopers finding themselves diving for cover among the amphora, Arik felt his men needed fire support and sent their single rocket launcher to assist. Struggling for breath the gunner reached his brethren and levelled his sights on the cluster of guardsmen he pressed the firing stud but to no avail, shaking the weapon rapidly to clear any sand blockage he smiled as the rocket motor engaged with a whining sound only to be sent flying seconds later as the warhed exploded prematurely within the tube… wounding him lightly. Throwing the wrecked and treacherous weapon to one side he dived for cover.


At the other side of the plant a trio of tribal warriors gained the height advantage in the hills and ambushed two guardsmen attempting to recover a drop canister.

As Daram Var placed careful las shots into the guardsmen causing htem to take cover, Alem Sol praised the gods and unleashed a hail of plasma fire upon the infidels badly wounding both.


Back at the habstead the warriors were still deadlocked by the tenacious defence of the troopers. Suddenly, crying a battle cry to the gods, Kolak Shuh unsheathed his dris blade and launched himself through a hail of lasfire at the nearest man.

Stunned by this recklessness the man barely had time to gasp as Kolak’s blade found the gap between the hard plates of him armour and sent him onwards.

Arik’s men, he told me, had now recovered a substantial horde or weaponry and so he ordered his men back to the transport, Kaseem Orah kept a watchful rear guard as his warriors inched their way back to the armoured safety of Chimera 153.

Realsing the day was lost the guard patrol too seemed to relaise further bloodshed would only fare badly for them and retired away form the drop zone dragging their wounded with them.

As Arik checked each man in he smiled as he saw Daram Var struggle back with the burley form of a an Imperial Guard Sergeant over his shoulder – knowing full well the angels would thanks him for this trophy above all others… this elation was only dampened when one of the brethren failed to return, presumably cut down in the battle for the habstead units. Further tragedy struck when Ulin Kel fell silent and died of his wounds in the back of the transport.

As Arik finished his tale I poured us both another drink and feigned congratulations upon his victory (not wishing to anger the elder), although I was shocked at this outward violence I had suspected the oppressed hill tribes would one day rebel,. I shudder to think what will happen next.

I pray the governor does not decree martial law or worse still summon for outside intervention.

Peace be upon you children of Jeriko Reach

Campaign progress 1 (out of character)

Following the ‘Loot and Pillage’ battle between the hill tribe and the garrison patrol, the campaign stats are as follows.

The Cult controls the following territory:
Old Ruins
Holestead
Old Ruins
Slag

After income and six rolls on the Rare Trade chart, the Cult has 186 credits left, and bought (or looted from the supply drop) hallucinogen grenades, an auto repairer and a bionic eye.

As all the fighters engaged in the ambush were ‘henchmen’, no experience was earned.

The Garrison controls the following territory:
Settlement
Slag
Mineral Outcrop
Settlement
Settlement

After income and two rolls on the Rare Trade chart, the garrison has 55 credits left, and bought (recovered from the one supply canister they retrieved) a power fist and a power sword.

During the income phase, the settlements yielded 3 ‘juves’ (press ganged locals) who will take part in future games once miniatures have been put together.

No experience was earned, but the heavy with the grenade launcher suffered a serious injury, which resulted in a leg wound (-1M) and the corporal leading the patrol didn’t return. The next mission will therefore be a Rescue scenario to recover him, as soon as a special hostage model has been made.

Action points – let’s name our territories and main fighters?

Thursday 15 May 2008

Battle of Our Souls End

Contact report

At sunset last night, a civilian demolitions vehicle accompanied by 5 (five) Regimental Provosts of Garrison HQ Company was passing through settlement D44 (local desig. 'Our Souls End') when it was obliged to pause.



Whilst dismounted, the vehicle was attacked by unknown assailants.



The RPs called for aid, and within minutes a section of 2 Platoon, A Company was on scene. Despite the efforts of all involved, the assailants destroyed the demolitions vehicle, though they were driven off in the process, suffering heavy losses.



4 (four) RPs were wounded, though all were recovered. We believe 1 (one) assailant was killed and the remainder wounded. Control of Our Souls End appears to be precarious, with hostile enemy forces excercising increasing influence there.



Furthermore, the NCO commanding reports at least one of the assailants may have been some form of beast or xenos. As this creature was eliminated by frag missile fire, we have no way of confirming this.