Historical Games Day at Guardian - Welsh kill Viks and Feast for Crows

Day after Christmas! Hope this post is finding you well and happy. Day off for me and I just ate a big bowl of oatmeal for breakfast as I've eating so much meat in the past few days I am sure that oatmeal will come in handy. It will be a chill morning here and then it's off to meet the in-laws again for lunch/dinner.

Some of the minis-related gifts I got yesterday were a new Ottlight, a pin-vise to replace my old broke one (a GW I bought over 10 years ago), and $70 worth of gift certificate at the venerable Guardian Games. Good haul! I also got an Amazon gift card and am thinking it's time for some new Winsor Series 7 brushes. Maybe I'll upgrade to some Raphaels? Maybe I'm just not that awesome a painter?! Haha!

Also, my Old Glory order came early and my part of that (shared with Spencer) was a 30 pack of Norman Archers and my Viking Long Ship. Nice model that long ship - all resin and it comes with oars and a removable top deck.

Last Saturday was our December Historical Wargame meetup. Good turnout with a ton of guys coming up from Salem to visit us here in the Rose City. I was sold a bit more on some Bolt Action but the majority of the day was with Saga, one game was Spencer and I while the other was a 4-way Feat for Crows.

First Game - Welsh vs. Vikings 6-point, Clash of Warlords.(Spencer Welsh and Me Viking)

Welsh wins it after a Viking surrender.

If I had seen my own strategy earlier it'd been a different game. Instead I opened up my own flanks and met the Welsh in the center at a terrain feature. Duh.

See what I missed? Instead of turning my far left flank in I should have just hit his right flank hard and rolled in.

Hoping for a good flank attack of my own I just opened my own flank to the Welsh.

Welsh muster up on the hill and whittle me down with javelins.

 

It's a good victory for them as we get to the last round and I realize there is not much I can do to pull a win.

"Screw these curs! Let's get out of here."

Our Second Game was a Feast for Crows. Kyle (Anglo-Danes), Raven (Normans), Spencer (Welsh) and I (Vikings), 4 points each.

This would be our first time with this scenerio - main rule differences were:
Top of turn all players roll Saga Dice and place them. THEN we rolled to see who goes first.
Your kills are your points. Highest points at 6 turn wins.

The game opened up with The Normans coming down to my Vik side and scouting out the lines with his mounted warriors. I put my Old Men With Bows up to them and the Normans promptly pulled back. The Anglo-Danes formed up on the hills surrounding them and the Welsh took to the woods for cover.

The Normans shot at the Welsh while the Welsh drew in the Norman horsemen and ate them alive.

See all those Norman (unpainted) figures in the back? The dead.

Seeing the blood-shed the Viks decided to wait it out a bit and make some moves. Oh, except the Old Men With Bows - they took to the woods and started shooting at the Normans as they were in range. It would prove to be a brutal day for the Normans.

On the Vik left flank the Anglo-Danes were stirring but some Val'Serkers were there to deter anything too aggressive.

Meanwhile, the Welsh were doing tricksy Welsh things and sticking to the woods. Effective. 

The game went on like this - basically Welsh drawing weakened forces to his woods via "Taunt" and killing them for points. My Viks watched and, in the final round, had an opportunity to take some points via both Norman and Anglo-Dane. First, a final attack on the Norman Warlord from the woods and some Viking Warriors. I killed a crossbowmen and the Warlord.

Then, I turned on the Anglo-Danes and took some points there with an opening attack from my Val'Serkers (who all died and also gave points) and then finished with a charge from my Hearthguard and Warlord..

My turn ended with me ahead 15 points. The Welsh only had 9 but they still had a turn. Anglo-Danes went first and charged the Welsh in the woods and the Welsh countered and took those 6 points he needed and we tied the game 15 to 15. Damn Welsh.

Welp, it was a good and long day of wargaming last week. I'm going to get back to my painting this weekend and I hope you all do well and have fun. 2015 here we come.

Thanks for reading.

Almost Christmas!

First, cross blogging here: >>D.D. Tinzeroes<<
Gaming buddy Spencer posted about his Welsh from Old Glory. Welsh Spearmen DA-21 is the code in the catalog. He's got them all painted up and even did some research for historical reasons (as did I when we were talking about it and I learned a bit about the Welsh, some blood of which flows through my veins).

Spencer's Welsh - Old Glory Welsh Spearmen DA-21

 Having played against these Welsh minis a few times - MAN! that is a tough faction to go up against. On top of  that Spencer knows how to play them. My advice? Hit them and hit them hard (if the scenario calls for that). With my Normans I range them to death... or try to at least. With my Vikings I try to just get up into their grill and just dice it out face to face. I've seen the Welsh javelins be both hot and cold. Then, you've got the mounted Welsh. My Norman Crossbows did well against that, what with a general +1 to attacks on top of mounted figures being -1 to armor vs. ranged.

Anyways, it's always fun to figure these things out. M-F I paint, Saturday I play! That's the life of a Neo-Grognard.

Anybody have some Xmas wishes? Like World Peace and stuff? I try to be more pragmatic. My family (Wife's side) is really into the gift-giving and it's kind of nice. We put out "wish lists" via Amazon and share them so we know what to get for each other. Being a husband I also have a duty to remember hints and the like throughout the year and I try. I'm not too good at that but I try. We'll see how it turns out this year. Being a step-daddy to a 13 year old girl is hard. She wants video games and to text her friends. I am not willing, anymore, to sustain that so I bought her some other fun things like a coat she said she wanted earlier this year (which she probably doesn't want anymore) and a cool cosplay sword from an anime character I don't know. 

My new tradition is to get my kid a "Solstice Gift" from Odin every year on Solstice. This is due to my pagan background in the past... if it matters to anyone I am an atheist now... and how I always wished I had someone in my life to gift for Solstice. So, I do it for my kid. Every Winter Solstice I will gift her a weapon or tool. She's 13 now so the "weapons" are foam cosplay weapons - 2 Xmas ago I got her a target bow, last year a cosplay Zelda/Link sword.

Don't worry, I am responsible and stuff. No rifle for her until I train her first. We did start her with a BB gun. At Trackers camp she learned to use a knife well and I keep up with that, Her first fix-blade knife is a Mora Clipper I had laying around. I have a lot of Mora knives laying around and a gear-dude like me likes to buy Moras.

I am wishing for some modeling tools. I would like some new files, a hobby vice, an Olite lamp, and I am hoping to pick up some new paint brushes on my own ... I am rather picky for such an amateur painter. I like the Winsor-Newton sable brushes which seem to be hard to find right now. Hrumph.

Non modeling things I'm wishing for are some of those fancy Duluth sweat/cargo pants, a Wustoff pairing knife, a good tri-stone sharpening system, maybe even a fishing pole and reel.

Next few days are filled with hanging out Xmas style too. This Wednesday The Family, my Dad, and I are going to the Portland International Raceway Lights. You pay a small fee and get to drive around on the track where they set up some fun Xmas lights. Then, Gretchen and I are going to see our friend in her play 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche. Friday night is a night with our friends at Hollywood Babylon for an Xmas themed movie night were we will watch our favorite Rare Exports - a Finnish film with an old/new twist on Santa.

Saturday is a Holiday Party with my PDX Gamers group. Ugly sweaters... I'm hoping the one I ordered comes soon. That day is our monthly Historical Wargames Day at Guardian Games. Some Saga will get played. Sunday is aforementioned Solstice and dinner with another set of friends, this gang is called "The God Parents" as they are my kid's God Parents. Invariably, Odin will visit while we are away and leave my kid her new pink sword. 

The following week leading up to Xmas is work and prep for when my in-laws come in from Mississippi. I like those guys a lot.

My big gift to myself this year is the time off i will have between Xmas and New Year. With my time off, Hollidays, and weekends I will be off work for 11 days or some such. Maximizing my PTO! I really hope to kick up my feet and burn some logs in the fire place and, maybe, just play some video games or binge-watch something on Netflix. Maybe I 'll even paint something!

End of the year thoughts, Holidays, Saga Normans vs. Welsh Battle at Fords

2014 is winding down. In hind site I realized I barely did any outdoor stuff this year. A couple camping trips and a couple day hikes but not much else in that manner. Going to have to pick that ball up again.

I'm hoping to get in some fishing in 2015, mostly trout and whatever little pan fish I can find. I don't know many spots so that's another thing I need to look into. I also want to try to get some "sport" fish like salmon or steelhead, will gladly pay a guide for that.

I didn't even get to go clamming or mushroom hunting this year. Combination of busy, lazy, and other interests. I did get them crawdads though!

2015, more gym and more outdoors.

Halloween is down, Thanksgiving is down, 2 more to go; Xmas and New Years. Looking forward to them. I've got family from out of town coming in that I genuinely love. Looking forward to Xmas Eve with them. Then it's annual Xmas Day at Russell's. He just got married so his house is full. Still, nothing beats Xmas at my brother-in-law's house. We start it off with breakfast at my Mother-in-law's, which is a tradition I love. Then we go to Russell's and open gifts, have a drink, socialize, have dinner, and usually linger too long. Luckily it's 2 blocks away from my place so it's not a bother.

Last year I took time off from work in between Xmas and NYD giving me the whole week off. I'm doing the same this year but I hope to not catch a cold like I did last year on New Year's Eve. Our normal NYE the past few years has been dinner at NoHos, a Hawaiian restaurant. They have their annual buffet, the owner flies in his family from Hawaii and they cook for the masses. They also have music. It's a good tradition. We usually stay in after that but since I caught a cold last year I want to go to a party this year. regardless, kissing my wife at midnight is all I really need.

Another new tradition I started last year was to get a Yule/Solstice gift for my wife and kid every year. It's like a smaller gift a bit early. I play like Thor showed up and stuck some things in the tree for my kid. Last year it was a foam Zelda sword. This year it will be some other cosplay sword for her to use and play with.

Last Friday the 7th of December I went over to Spencer's to get in a game of SAGA. Realized it was our 1 Year Anniversary playing that game. I bought some PBR tall boys to celebrate and we had a good game of SAGA Battle at the Fords, Normans vs. Welsh. It was a very tactical game, we played like old men play chess. Nudge, move, nudge, move. In the end it came down to points and the final score was 15 to 15, a draw.

No pics, no report really, this was just a game between 2 guys on a Friday night.

One thing I did pull from this last game though? Screw Norman Knights. Not worth the point. Mine get killed all the time.

Probably not my last post of the year but pretty dang close... the busy time is coming.

Regardless, I hope your 2014 was good, I hope your 2015 is better, I hope that whatever you're into you keep up and get better at, I hope you find new interests, I hope you learn to dump old ones that are just not interesting anymore. 

Thank you for reading-

-Gabe "ninja-elbow"

Saga - Battle at the Bridge

Ship Master Svart Hrolf went on a scouting party and saw a nameless bridge spanning a nameless stream. Not finding much else but this bridge and a lone hut nearby he decided he'd take it as it would be useful when the main fleet comes in a day. This would assuredly gain him an arm ring and increased split of any loot gained.

HWAET! Normans were afoot though! Ulr's skis! Must every raid be a fight?

This was a quick game for Raven and I. We played at Guardian last night. His Normans vs. My Vikings. Modified Bridge Battle - one bridge, river fordable (uneven terrain). Victory was points on other side of river at round 6. Field was 4x4.

Normans:
Baron
Knights x4
Knights x4
Sgts Crossbow x8
Sgts Foot
Levy Archers
Levy Archers

Vikings:
Svart Hrolf
Val'Serkers
Hirdmen 2x4
Bondi x8
Bondi x8
Thralls - the now infamous Old Men With Bows x12

Hrolf, seeing the Normans arrayed on the other side in a position to greet us not-so-kindly, decided to be "grand" and shift all to the left using the hut as cover and ford the stream there. The Old Men With Bows would stand ground at the center on our side of the bridge, all willing sacrifices to Odin who likes such things. Spared the spear in younger years these men are ready for an opportunity to go to Valhalla.

The Normans opened with those damned longbows of theirs. Arrows became storm clouds that rained upon us. Three quarters of the Bondi were lost while crossing the river, the last four making it to the hut for cover. Those archers did not bring enough arrows to kill us all though and took a bit to replenish*.

*meta - being levies they were exhausted, needing a round to rest so that they could move and shoot again.

The Normans also pulled a gran maneuver of their own and began crossing on our far right flank. They would face The Old men With Bows.

On the left, Svart Hrolf made it across the river with his doughty warriors, all bearers of silver arm rings - spears, axes, and swords notched in the song of war - mail and helms glittering as they were just cleaned. They engaged the archers on the left and pushed them back. Now a threat to the whole left flank the Hirdmen of Hrolf stood their ground. In answer, the Normans pelted them with arrows. Many of the Hirdmen's shield and mail held true but not all.

The Old Men With Bows stood like stone. They saw the Normans (crossbow, Baron, Knights) coming on the right where there was cover of woods. They wheeled then and shot their arrows into the knights. Horse screamed in pain and knights fell, shields and chests pierced with good Norse iron and feathers*.

*meta - my levies got a lucky roll with 5 hits, Normans only saved 1. Wiped out a whole mounted hearthguard unit.

The Normans finally crossed with the Baron, some knights, and the feared crossbows. They took cover in the woods right in front of the Old Men With Bows.*

*meta - We were into round 5. The game was becoming about getting across the river now as that was the victory conditions. The score was tied as the Normans ended their turn. Saga dice not cooperating with Raven.

There was a slim chance for The Old Men With Bows to take the victory for Svart Hrolf.

Meta - here, there was just 2 options. Get at least 3 levy across the bridge for 1 point to win, as I went last. Or I could shoot into the woods and hope to kill off a point of Normans and take the win that way. My levy had one one fatigue on it already. Either way I would need 2-3 levy activations to do anything at all.

I rolled my Saga dice and got 4 (of 5) dice that could be used as levy activations, and those activations looked like this:
1) Rest levy (remove fatigue)
2) move them towards bridge (first move, no fatigue)
3) Move across bridge (gain one fatigue)
4) move onto Norman side (gain one fatigue) (score 4 points) (win game)

From Viking perspective

From Norman perspective

It wasn't the bloodiest of fights, and the Normans opened up by killing the heck out of my warriors. In the end it was about points and it was close. If not for the Saga dice being with me it would have been different.

End of game aerial shot, Norman side

Terrain was all Raven's. Space was at Guardian Games in Portland, OR. Total game time was 1 hour and 45 minutes including set up and clean up.

Savage Worlds - War of the Dead

It's been a few months - I had more time to put into my Telling Performance and then there was all the other stuff we do that makes it so we can't game - but my RPG group finally got another session of War of the Dead in yesterday.

For posterity, this group is totally different than my Wargaming group. It consists of my wife Gretchen, my friend Brandon who runs the WofD game, Jason and Karin. This RPG group has been together for awhile the "newest members" being the wives Gretchen and Karin. Jason, Brandon, and I have been RPGing for over 10 years now. For this group PRGing is social time too. We play, eat, and hang out.

The Cast:
Gabe is Benjamin "Bee Bee" Booya - Rookie NFL nose-tackle and loyal friend with a violent streak.
Gretchen is Ninon - Hipster Chef from NYC, does not think any of this is real.
Karin is Dr. Kathleen Brennan - Genius level doctor, so much so she lets everyone else know how genius she is.
Jason is Randy - 7 time world champion of the World Champion Logger Championship of the World.
Surviving NPC Lt. Kirkman - She is the former head of security of the Pinnacle (cruise ship) and currently our wounded companion.

In this new "episode" of War of the Dead our heroes find themselves in a quandary. Bikers have surrounded the house they were staying at and are demanding supplies. We tried to fight back but got some of our NPCs killed as well as took some permanent injuries. Also killed were Henry and May, the old couple that owned the house and took us in a week ago.

In that fateful fight in the basement, where Bee Bee also lost his sister, Ninon finally stepped up to end the fight we were losing badly. We did kill 8 bikers and wounded a few more, including the leader.

The leader of the bikers is named Hell and he has an Old Lady named Spider-Bait. After the fight ended Hell was missing an ear and had a bullet hole in his neck but he took it in stride and beat the heck out of us. Plus, even with 8 of his gang dead, there were still 24 armed bikers to reckon with.

Really the Undertaker from the WWE but it's what I imagine Hell the Biker to look like.

Hell took some pity on us and made us a deal: Distract the walkers in the nearby town so they could loot the pharmacy. If we do this and live Hell will give us an RV and some supplies and send us on our way. To assure our cooperation they took Kirkman hostage.

We then came up with a perfect plan that will, assuredly, fall apart on us:

No real time limit was set before us though we understand that the bikers need to get into that pharmacy sooner than later. This allows us a little flexibility in the time we take in the town setting up the diversion. Time we can use to maybe collect weapons and gear of our own, maybe lay down some booby traps, or even tamper with the pharmaceuticals themselves which will give us a bargaining chip just in case...

... they decide to go back on their promise if we happen to be successful.

We ended the tense session there with making our big plan. We will find out in our next session how this all turns out. I'll make sure to fill you all in.