Let There Be Light

 Playing With New Stuff

I recently bought a light box studio (from Green Stuff World - during the sale) to see if I could improve the pictures usually I take of my minis. Now, these are still taken with a trusty iPhone 11. I have had a bit of play with the settings and overall I am pleased with the results.  

The only real issue, that it is quite large and I haven't quite got enough space to leave it setup when not in use. 

Work continues on preparation on the Scouring of Shire campaign, with some 'new' hobbits. Just looked them up and the moulds are now twenty years old!

Friday is beer night and something I got given over Christmas. 

Rob 

Post Christmas MESBG Mini Tournament

 Its Becoming a Bit of Regular Feature 

After 2023's mini tournament, we did it again last year between Christmas and New Year, This time there was five players taking turns over four different armies.  This year Stevie turned up with his own Moria goblins* so I only had to provide three armies. Again the armies were quite small (225 pts) but actually that is enough to provide a nice mix of troops and a fast game. 

*He actually used a very similar army to the one I built last year with a troll and goblin captain as the key elements. 

Sharkey didn't have much of an impact in the tournament until the last game when he faced the troll and was able to immobilise it at a key turning point in the game.  

The chittering hordes and mountain dweller rules, made these goblins very tough to beat in spite of their low profiles. 

Looking at the mix of my Grenadier Halfling army and the few MESBG Hobbits, was one of the spurs to get a few more hobbits this year. So, I can build a completely separate army for next year. As the minis don't quite match up. 

I did theme both the armies and the battle boards with the Escape from Goblin Town scenery on one board and Scouring of the Shire terrain on the either. I did also work a way to squeeze the company of Thorin into a 225pt force but with Stevie bringing his Moria goblins we didn't use it. It was a bit of challenge but it would have been interesting to see how it would have fared against the more numerous opponents. 

For each of the games we placed three objectives on the board and then rolled for sudden death after each of the objectives had been claimed. Starting with a 6 on the first turn after the objectives had been claimed, followed by a 5+ on the second turn and so on until the game finished. This made for a number of tense game as one side hung on for sudden death and victory. 

Game 1 - Goblins vs. Sharkey's Rogues

Objectives - Two tree stumps and the log pile (Yes I need to make some proper objective markers!). 

Here the goblins were able to use their numbers and chittering hordes rule to good effect and slowly whittled down the rogues. 

Worm bravely seizes the middle objective. But not for long.

In the end Sid was surrounded and the goblins claimed the victory. 

Game 2 - Goblins vs. Hobbits of the Shire

Objectives - The cart, the statue and the out house.

In the end the objectives were a bit to far towards the goblins the hobbits couldn't quite make the gap before the goblins won in sudden death. 

Game 3 - Moria Goblins vs. Sharkey's Rogues

Objectives - The cart, the statue and the out house.

With Stevie's arrival the Moria goblins took on the Sharkey's rogues. With a troll in play, Sharkey finally had something to target with his Immobilise.  This time the Rogues are victorious by keeping the troll out of play by a combination of Sharkey's Immobilise and a few brave rogues. 

A brave rogue pins down for the rogues to just about hold on to claim a victory in sudden death. 

Game 4 - Goblins vs. Hobbits of the Shire

Objectives - Two tree stumps and the log pile 

Obviously concentration was failing at this point and i didn't take too many pictures of the final game. But in a tense final game, the hobbits managed to overcome the goblins but grabbing the objectives and running out the clock. 

Rob 

A Little Side Project

 I Noticed a Trend

I was looking at my painting output this month and I noticed an unintentional trend. The minis are getting smaller. So, I needed to find an even smaller mini. 

After a look around my unpainted section, I came up with a Eureka Miniatures sprite. I  don't think I can find a smaller one in my collection. 

After painting up the sprite, I decided to add her to the base of the dreadnought. 

Next can I find a bigger mini...

Rob 

Back to The Shire

 One More Time

Ok, so I am going to take another go at Scouring of the Shire*. Using the scenarios set out in the MESBG  source book - Scouring of the Shire to form basis the campaign but with my own force adjustments and some kind of minor progression for heroes and warrior advancement between games. 

So, some more hobbits and ruffians have been ordered, some new scenery started and some of the existing minis have been given had a face lift. 

*Got to be the third or fourth time. But the little battles and very non-elite nature of the combatants really appeals. 

CHANGES TO SOURCE BOOK RULES

Farmer Maggot before his tidy up

HOBBIT CAMPAIGN RULES

For the hobbits I am thinking of taking half of the published force and randomising the other half. Keeping any special characters for the scenario. Most of the games in scenario pack seem heavily weighted in favour of the ruffians but I will have to adjust on a scenario-by-scenario basis.

For each hobbit militia to be replaced (up to half), roll one D6 on the Locals Table. Any ‘special’ hobbit rolled is replacement for a hobbit militia mini on a one-to-one basis. With exception of the hound which is an additional mini. 

The Hobbit character pool starts with one local hero. Use the Battle company rules for experience, injuries and influence (to buy equipment from the armoury).

One named character may be added to the character pool but may be only advanced to have a maximum of two wounds, two attacks, two points of Might and two points of Fate. Influence points may still be used to equip a named character.

Instead of taking the victory conditions listed in the scenario or by using two points of Influence, the hobbit player may choose to replace one of the hobbit militia with a character from the character pool in a future game.

Farmer Maggot after his tidy up. 

AFTER THE BATTLE

Because warriors are not kept between scenarios, they are not progressed in the same way as warriors in a battle company. They are promoted in one of two ways either instead of taking the victory conditions listed in the scenario, the hobbit player may choose to promote one hobbit warrior to a local hero or if any hobbit warrior has caused three wounds (even if they are saved) then roll on the table below.

RUFFIAN CAMPAIGN RULES

For each ruffian (with hand weapon only), roll one D6 on the Ruffians Table. Any ‘special’ ruffian rolled is replacement for a ruffian mini on a one-to-one basis. With exception of the hound which is an additional mini. 

AFTER THE BATTLE

Because warriors are not kept between scenarios, they are not progressed in the same way as warriors in a battle company. They are promoted in one of two ways either instead of taking the victory conditions listed in the scenario, the ruffian player may choose to promote one ruffian warrior to a bully or if the ruffian warrior mini has caused three wounds (even if they are saved) then roll on the table below. 

Instead of taking the victory conditions listed in the scenario or by using two points of Influence, the ruffian player may choose to replace one of the ruffians with a character from the character pool in a future game.

The ruffian character pool starts with one bully. Use the Battle company rules for experience, injuries and influence (to buy equipment from the armoury).

One named character may be added to the character pool but may only be advanced to have a maximum of two wounds, two attacks, two points of Might and two points of Fate. Influence points may still be used to equip a named character. 

Some of my new scatter terrain

Rob 

Four Years Old Today

 It Doesn't seem That long...

So, over 400 posts and 800 comments later. I have still managed to keep the blog going and I am still enjoying it. Like many people I used the Christmas break to have a bit of a tidy up and look at what has been sitting on the paint bench for a bit of a while. 

So, first up was the lizardman hero who was probably one of the the oldest minis still on the paint bench  at over 13 months old. So, it was his turn to get a slap of paint, at least to an army standard. 

I also managed to finish off the classic Legolas from the 80's Citadel Lord of the Rings mini range. The horse got finished over six months ago but I couldn't quite bring myself to finish him until today. The Legolas on foot mini was painted mid 2021, so these two minis highlight the progress that I think I have made in painting over that time. Or at least a change in style. 

It's a bit early but I reckon I have earned it. And on to the next four years.

Rob