Some Pulp Figures

I have really enjoyed playing Pulp Era games, but have yet to paint any figures for the period as I already had quite a few figures that would work, especially for Pulp Alley leagues. I do however need some civilians and maybe some NPC's. I had ordered some stuff for Graham recently and rather than asking him for payment, I asked him for some figures from his lead mountain.

After having a little look, I decided on for 8 nautical figures. They will work for China Station which myself and P-Y are playing now.

They were sprayed with the Grey Seer primer with the hope that the AP speed paints would work ok on this primer. I have had some problems with re-activation especially when I try to layer with acrylics.

Three on the left from Bob Murch and others from Brigade Games.

I am generally happy how they came out but the AP Speed paints again gave me a bit of a challenge. Anyway they have been treated with polyurethane now so they should be good. I have to say that they were lovely figures to paint and I am happy to add them to my collection.

Dracula's America-Panic in the Streets

 

Last Sunday my friend Luis put on a game of Dracula's America at the Abyss for myself, Christian and Graham. I had heard about this game and despite my reluctance to get into yet another genre it seems pretty cool so I thought why not. It seems a combined publication of Osprey and Studio Tomahawk. I am a little unsure what the Studio Tomahawk contribution is but it is on their website as one of their universes. 

The game is set in the United States just after the civil war, but in an alternate universe. In this universe, Dracula has assassinated Abraham Lincoln and is now President of the USA. Most of the scenarios are set in the south where alternating forces of good and evil are vying for power. Northstar Games has miniatures for the game but substitutions are pretty easy to make. Each faction requires 6-10 miniatures and there is a campaign system where the characters can grow in abilities. There is a strong supernatural aspect to the game and I believe we played a game from the Forbidden Powers source book.

This is one of the two supplements to the main rulebooks which adds 2 more factions which have a definite Lovecraftian twist. Luis set up the Panic in the Streets scenario from the supplement. Myself and Christian played what I believe were the evil factions while Graham and Luis played the good factions. There were a lot of spells, some of Lovecraftian origin and others from Voodoo tradition. This supplement sets games in the bayous of the Deep South which was cool.

I have to say that there were a lot of moving pieces in this game, and at times it was a little confusing but Luis moved the game along well. I had watched several videos before the game which did help me but I believe the supplement had a lot of changes and additions. Anyway I had a lot of fun and Luis put together a great terrain as you will see. I got a lot of the basic mechanics down and did cast some spells. The initiative is driven by a card draw so there was quite a lot of back and forth with multiple NPC's arriving on the table. The game has similarities to both Pulp Alley and Congo, but might be a little less streamlined. Not withstanding, I had a great time. Some photos will follow, but I would not be able to put together a linear report on the action.

What a terrific table!

Luis's faction I believe.

Here are my troops

I got to say this game is a lot of fun and I think myself and Christian eked out a victory as we were pretty good at killing the high value NPCs. Certainly, a game I would play again. In fact, I have already ordered some figures to put together a faction but more about that later. I probably would like to play a non-weird version (you can do this without all the supernatural bits) next to get a better sense of the mechanics.

Thanks to Luis for putting together a great looking game and teaching us the rules.

If you are looking for an excellent review of the mechanics as well a general review this post does an excellent job.

Congo-The Rescue of Dick Longspike

 

Four of us got together at the Abyss this past Sunday for a couple of skirmish games. First up was a game of Congo put on by Graham. This was a 3 player game that Graham put together himself. I played the African Kingdoms column which was the first time they had seen the table. Luis played the Forest Tribes, while Christian played the Zanzibaris. 

It was quite a good scenario, an European Explorer has been lost and then found by the African Kingdoms. Dick Longspike apparently found some maps to a lost treasure, so the rescuers were being pursued by both the Zanzibaris and the forest tribes. 

Initial setup, half my column was placed about 18" from the far edge of the table with the lost explorer. The other half was in the village. The Forest tribes were started in the upper left of the table while the Zanzibaris started in the upper right. I attached the explorer to the Fanatical Warriors.

Fanatical Warriors

I was quite excited about my column which contained a Witch Doctor. I did not realise that the Forest Tribes had one as well, although interestingly enough they had access to different spells. The scenario design gave me the first move and the initiative. I started to move the Fanatics toward the village. I had my Askaris and Bowmen covering their retreat. I advanced my Young Warriors towards the Zanzibaris in order to slow their advance, knowing that they would probably end up as cannon fodder. The other two columns advanced and before we went to the next turn, I decided to cast a spell on the Forest Tribe's leader with the hope to taking him out early. I went with a two dice throw, drawing one token from the stress bag.......and can you believe it I drew a red hand and a blast of lightening came from the heavens and blasted him to smithereens.

Well so much for the Witch Doctor. Anyway the game went on as demonstrated by the following photos.

The Zanzibaris in the foreground going after my Fanatical Warriors

The red markers reveal the number of the dead

The Zanzibari advance

Luis sneaking his Forest Tribes across the stream to attack the village

I left the King and a couple of units in the village, the Married Warriors and the Warriors. They did eventually leave to take on the advancing Forest Tribes. 

The Zanzibaris wiped out my Bowmen, Scouts as well as the Fanatical Warriors.

Forest Tribes

Dick Longspike safely in the Village.

It was really a fun game, I think we got in 6 turns before it was called. I was given a marginal victory as I got the explorer to the village but it was quite expensive as I had 3 units wiped out, while my adversaries were pretty intact. So a Pyrrhic victory to be sure. This was a great scenario and I am hoping that Graham will publish it as it gave a very good three player game. You will also note that the terrain as usual was quite impressive.

Pulp Alley China Station-Big Trouble

Last week myself and PY had our 4th game from the China Station campaign. This time we shifted to my place. I have been working on quite a bit of mdf terrain from TTCombat. Some of it I have had for quite a long time as it was acquired during the first kickstarter for the game Carneval. I recently added to the terrain by buying several pieces from their WWII collection. 

The Setting

So it was a bit of a challenge to blend pieces for a Venetian landscape with city pieces for WWII. I felt thought that I could make this combination work for China Station as described in the following.

China Station is a ‘Pulp Era’ international trade settlement somewhere along a sparsely settled coastline of South East Asia. Some have likened it to a more remote, smaller and more dangerously seedy version of Singapore, infested with rival gangs, pirates and foreign spies. The ‘Station’, as its foreign compound residents call it, is located at the mouth of the Boo Kong river delta, a tropical hothouse of sweltering mangrove swamps, crocodile sandbars and triple canopy jungle. The Station itself is partly built upon stilts and it juts out into the main branch of the river not more then one half mile from the open ocean. Its been said that there is nothing that can’t be bought in this seedy little port-for the right price.

At various times throughout recent history the area has been controlled by the British, French, Germans and the Imperial Chinese but, in the wake of the Great War, the area has been left in a sort of treaty limbo and as such, most of the great powers have commercial compounds in the settlement but no firm hold. An international coaling station makes China Station a frequent stop for naval and commercial shipping. Though French colonial authorities are present, both the American and German navies patrol the Boo Kong River, the only semblance of law in the region.

I had a lot of platforms, as Venice is of course canal bound. As different European countries had been involved in its occupation so a varied housing style is reasonable. I actually spend quite a few months putting together the pieces and painting them. I also did a water-based 3x3' mat to set everything on. I am quite happy how things came out, and I also can move things about to represent different areas of China Station as 4 of the scenarios in the campaign are based there. 

I still need to add some scatter terrain as well as some vehicles. I have found quite a number of French vehicles in the 3D Print world but unfortunately my resin printer just bit the dust. I also believe I have to work a bit more on making it look a bit more tropical. I started with some vines on the buildings etc but I need a bit more vegetation. I also need to make it a bit more sweltering....not sure how to do that but I am thinking about it. I used quite a bit of weathering dust, maybe a bit more may help.

The Game

We went with the same leagues as previous as required in a campaign. PY has stuck with his original version of his Followers of the Eye, probably because they work. I have been playing around with my Baker Street league but I changed little from the last game except for bringing back Watson in place of Mycroft as my sidekick and bringing in Inspector Hopkins as a new follower. Still not working really that well, my Order of the Jade Dragon is a much better league.

As usual, I took few pictures but I have a general memory of how the game went. In this scenario, there were only minor plot points which were represented by 5 characters who start on the table. We also have NPC's deploying at the start of the game and at the end of each turn. These NPC's can actually also capture the minor plot points which made it an interesting scenario.

I started in the bottom right while PY started his cultists in the top  right. I should also note that PY has an ability which lets him capture one of my characters quite easily and add him to his league. This has been a bit of a hassle in this and the last game.

Our characters started quite grouped together, as you can see. We were both able to capture a minor plot  point in the first turn. As it was 2 other plot points favoured PY's edge while only one favoured my edge and this was inside the centre building's courtyard.

I did not use Holmes that well, he captured the first plot point easily, I should have handed off the plot point to one of my other characters and advanced him to the centre, my mistake which cost me.

The Cultists have now captured 3 of the plot points, but one of the NPC's took one back and started to move to my edge. 

Watson got in the Courtyard quite easily but really had abysmal dice and ended up finding one of the NPC's to capture one of the minot plot points. He never did. 

So the game ended with the Cultists getting 3 of the plot points with the Baker Street lads getting just one. It was not even close. PY got the secret map so got an extra reward card.

So we have now split the first 4 games, but PY is ahead on the Rewards and I believe has a better league, not sure what I am going to do about it. As per the rules the Leader stays the same and we have been playing it once one of the other characters is put into play, they are not allowed to change out their abilities. 

I believe we have misunderstood how the campaign progresses in respect to rewards so I have had to work backwards to see where we are. I am hoping it is correct.

Campaign Tracker (cumulative)

Scenario 4

Baker Street

Reputation 8

League rewards 6

Experience 1

Investigation Points 0

Followers of the Eye

Reputation 11

League Rewards: 8

Experience 2

Investigation Points 0

Scenario 3

Baker Street

Reputation 7

League rewards 5

Experience 1

Investigation Points 0

Followers of the Eye

Reputation 8

League Rewards: 5

Experience 1

Investigation Points 0

Scenario 2

Baker Street

Reputation 4

League rewards: 4

Experience 0

Followers of the Eye

Reputation 5

League Rewards: 2

Experience 1

Scenario 1

Baker Street

Reputation 3

League rewards: 3

Experience 0

Followers of the Eye

Reputation 0

League rewards 0

Experience 0

 

Pulp Alley-The Serpent's Eye

Last Sunday myself Luis and David met up at the Abyss for a game of Pulp Alley. This was going to be the first 3 player game of Pulp Alley that I was going to play and I was curious how it would work. Luis set up a terrific terrain as usual and brought all the ancillary figures. I believe the scenario comes from Pulp Alley Expansion Tomb of the Serpent. It was really quite a good scenario and different than I had previously played.

This was not a cooperative game, so it was each man for himself. I brought my Order of the Dragon Tong league, while David played the Serpent Cult league. I am not sure what Luis league is called but I believe it is one of the main leagues from the rulebook. I am sure some of you will recognise the figures from below.

All 3 leagues are in pursuit of the Serpent Relic and the one who finds it achieves victory. It was an 8 turn game which is quite long for Pulp Alley but we had no problems finishing the game. The game is set in Casablanca, and the minor plot points were recognisable to me from the film of the same name. The premise of the scenario is that a thief has just stolen the Relic which is the major plot point and to find the thief you have to gain the the minor plot points to do so.Wandering about are both thieves and police so the game was a lot of fun. 

Unfortunately I took few photos and those I took we really not that useful in retrospect. But here we go anyway.

The basis

The terrain layout, I started in the SE, while while David started in the NE with Luis starting in the NW.

The thieves in yellow with the police in blue

The Serpent Cult

Luis's League

The Fat Man minor plot point

I am really sorry that these photos that I thought were cleverly took are absolutely useless to tell a story.

Turn 2

Turn 3

Turn 4

Turn 7

Turn 8, the final battle was on the roof of the building markedly the dice.

Well if you can figure it out good on you. Generally both myself and David went for Luis league, mostly I think because of initial positioning. I lost a sidekick (I have 2) and one of my followers almost immediately. David had more success with the Serpent Cult (all sidekicks) but by the end of the game had lost at least 2 of them. Luis did lose some characters but was able to hold on and capture the the Relic and held on to it until the end of the game.

This was really a fun game and I definitely would play it again, thanks to Luis for putting it on.

SAGA-A Story of Challenges-Irish vs Anglo Saxons

 

This past Friday myself and David (I will call him Korrigan doing ahead) got together for another game of SAGA. I wanted to get a bit more experience with the Anglo-Saxons so I played them again. This time rather than the Bretons, Korrigan played the Irish. I have encountered the Irish before (one of my friend Adam's favourite war bands) so I knew I had to watch out for the bushes!

Korrigan puts together excellent battle reports, so rather then trying to do one myself and will just link to his excellent report on his blog.

As you will see it was a great game. Rather than using the Chaos system to generate a battle we used one of the 10 scenario offered in the book. This was quite an interesting scenario as we had to generate our own challenges, but you will hear more about that by going to The Korrigan's Lair.

As a side note our next encounter will feature forces from the Age of Invasions rather than the Age of Vikings. Past that I know David is quite keen to get in some Age of Magic games, so lots to which look forward.

Bridge over the Kuurtojoki-Chain of Command

This past Wednesday I had a virtual Chain of Command game. I have restarted work on my Winter War campaign and am starting to test some of the scenarios. I played with Tom who I believe is based in Northumberland, I met him through the Fangs of the Wolf campaign that Eero is putting on from Finland. he offered to playtest this scenario and I had a sense that he is quite an experienced player...which he certainly proved to be. I am also planning to present this game at the Huzzah gaming convention in Portland, ME in May of this year.

This is scenario 2 in my campaign and is based on the Going with a Bang scenario from the Blitzkrieg sourcebook. The scenario sees a Green Soviet Rifle Platoon advancing south towards Soumussalmi in early December 1939. A Finnish Regular Rifle Platoon has been tasked with blowing up a mobile kitchen and a bridge to slow the Soviet advance. Victory if the Finns blow both objectives or drive the Soviet FM to 0. The Soviets rolled up a 4, so they had 10 supports while the Finns had half. The Soviets did not have AFV's available this early in their advance

Forces

Finland FM 8 (5CD+Red Dice)

Regular Rifle Platoon with Demolition Team

Supports (5)

Pregame Barrage

Demolition Team

Molotovs for each of the 4 Squads

Soviet Union FM9 (4CD+Blue Dice)

Green Rifle Platoon from the 163rd 

Supports (10)

Wrath of the gods

Maxim MMG Team with 5 crew

Quad Maxim Team with Gaz truck and 5 crew

Game

Photos will tell the story.....

The JOP's are circled, Tom (the Finns) definitely won this part of the game. I should note that we both had 12" of PM movement but the Soviet Daisy Chain was 12" while the Finns had 18".

Mobile Soup Kitchen, had a task roll of 6 to blow, a JOP is within deployment range.

Bridge had a task roll of 12, again as you can see there is a JOP within deployment range.

Unfortunately, the game became quite busy and I forgot to take photos but I will do my best.

I initially placed yellow Soviet squad in the forest to the left and a MMG team as well as another green Soviet squad and a SL in the centre forest. The Wrath of the gods definitely slowed down the Finns deployment, as they were only able to deploy their green SMG squad. I had also placed my blue Soviet squad in the forest on the far edge.

My MMG team got shot up before I could advance the green squad in support by the ......

......green Finnish SMG section that deployed within close range.

Many photos were not taken, but now I had my yellow squad blasting the Finnish green squad and had advanced my green squad towards the cabin. You will also notice that a Quad Maxim has advanced up the road to fire their 16d6 at the green Finnish squad who now has attached a SL. By now the FM on both sides was rapidly falling. It still appeared to anyone's game.

A lot had happened in the farground around the small cabin, the Finns had deployed a demo team who successfully set the charge in one go. I had deployed 2 squads on this flank and the Finns had deployed 2 as well. You can see one squad on the frozen pond, another squad had already been destroyed to protect the demo team, but the Soviets had paid as well having one of their green squad broken with a JL. Tom threw a treble 6 and the turned ended. I believe our FM was respectively 1 for the Soviets and 2 for the Finns. The Finnish demo team as been unable to set off the charge to blow the mobile kitchen and were retreating.....

.....but despite having just 2 CD left the Soviets were able to activate their SL who was in range of both the Gaz Truck and the squad in the woods. They blasted the Finnish squad, the SL was hit and wounded. A roll on the Morale Table resulted in a minus 2, the Finn's FM dropped to 0.

The Soviet blue squad advances to take the soup kitchen hoping there might be some hot food while the Soviet green squad with the Gaz truck advance to the Bridge over the Kuurtojoki. The route has been secured for the Soviet advance to Suomussalmi.

So a very close game indeed. I felt it went pretty well but the tasks would be quite difficult to achieve. Once the charge is set, in the Demo Rules as written it requires a CoC dice to set off the charges. We are now discussing some modifications to this.

Thanks very much to Tom for helping me play test the scenario.