Rhino Clan Hunt

Back in the Holocene

It feels like the right time to play a few games on the wargames  table. After some reading, I have decided to return to Paleo-Hunt (again), with the possibility of adding a little Hide, Bone & Stone if needed.

As my last game was a couple of years ago, I thought it best to start again with the basic rules.

‘Despite the wintery chill, Grog smiled as he looked out across the frozen landscape. The little gods of stream and stone had guided him to the bloodstones on the first day of the new hunt. Surely this was a great omen, and it had led him in turn to the lone woolly rhinoceros.’

This marks a change of pace, as I begin a new mini project and return to Paleo-Hunt: Eat or Be Eaten. Over the last couple of years, I have quietly added a few miniatures to this collection, and I have not quite given up on the idea of getting a few games played. The plan is to use existing figures where possible, draw on the pile of opportunity where needed, and keep new purchases to a minimum.

Since it has been a while, I returned to the starter scenario, Vanilla Skies, in which four hunters take on a lone woolly rhinoceros.

I split the hunters into two teams: one moved south, while the other circled north around the rhinoceros.

When Agg finally drew close enough to charge, he badly mistimed his spear thrust and was battered aside for his trouble. His brother Igg followed up with a successful blow, but he too was punished by the now enraged rhinoceros.

With two hunters wounded, Grog could delay no longer and charged in to support them. Proving his worth as leader of the band, he struck true, and the rhinoceros fled north with the hunters in pursuit.

Igg proved the swiftest of the hunters, catching the rhinoceros before it could escape and landing the killing blow.

After the hunt, both Agg and Igg recovered from their wounds and were ready for the next hunt. The hunt trophy went to Igg, who gained the Alert trait.

‘Grog sat silently, staring across the campfire. The little gods had deserted him today, and Igg would now be the first to place a hunter’s mark upon the bloodstones and wear the rhino-hide cloak. Yet Grog could not go against the gods, even if he suspected the old crone had favoured her grandson.’

To the victor the spoils - Igg with his new cloak. 

Some future prey, a predator and the trophy stones - 'The Bloodstones'

Once I have painted up the trophy stones, I plan to add to it as the campaign develops. 

Rob 

A Day at the Races

 A Bit of Money was spent

A grand day out at the Colours war game show at the Newbury racecourse today. A great mix of different traders and games. I managed a nice little haul including the new 2026 Oakbound advent calendar. It is quickly becoming my favourite show of the year. 

Once again Geoff from Oakbound has produced a eye-catching looking calendar. And while I haven't had a proper look yet as there still as a couple of months to go. It has a resin boat with a ratman captain, a map and a game book. As well as the mystery boxes. 

I also played ‘Will the Portcullis Fall at The Castle? – Écorcheurs’ which was a fun and straight forward skirmish game set in the hundred years’ war. I did lose but at least I went down fighting.

In case you are wondering I was the blues (Lancastrians) against the red Yorkists. And got caught in the narrow lanes behind the houses. It didn't help when my second in command ended up at the back and couldn't get through and then my leader got surrounded by a couple of Yorkist thugs. But Écorcheurs was easy to play and we quickly got the knack of the rules. 

Rob 

C08 High Elf Adverts

& It's Colours Tomorrow

A quick post before Colours (in Newbury tomorrow). So, I have nearly completed my C08 high collection, with just one mini left (on order!). And Since I did one of these finished mini cards, I had to do a couple more.  Obviously thanks to Stuff of Legends for quick access to the originals. 

The last one is from White Dwarf 59. 

Cover is by Peter Andrew Jones

And as its Friday Night, another French beer. 

Rob 

Having fun Painting on a Sunday Night

Or Back to Painting as Normal

OK, so I managed to get a bit of painting done tonight and return to my normal Sunday night painting sessions. I didn’t try too hard with any clever techniques or complicated paint schemes; I just had fun painting up my second copy of the Witch-king of Angmar. I deliberately wanted to make him look a bit different from the first one I painted for my ‘official’ set of Lord of the Rings minis.

So, plenty of dry brushing and washes to bring him to un-life. I deliberately went with a purple and green colour scheme instead of the blues and greys of the original paint job. Not surprisingly, it didn’t take that long, so I was able to paint him in a single sitting. I’m pretty pleased with the results, and he will take his place as a new captain of the zombie horde.

Plus, as a bonus I managed to also finish off the Gondor citadel knight.

Since it’s Sunday night and I can’t be bothered to go to the shops to get any more beer, I had to drink what was left in the house, which was this alcohol-free beer. Hey, don’t knock it until you try it.

Anyway, enjoy the rest of your evening, and have a good week.

Rob

Painting at a Snail's Pace

 And Very Obscure 90s Tabletop Magazines

With work and family commitments, there has been very little time for painting recently. However, I did manage to finish this Rider of Rohan, though. Rather than painting the horse in one flat colour, I added some brown patches to give him a bit more character.

The sculpting of the face is really well done and the painting was nice and easy. Mark Copplestone perhaps? 

Also, found time to start fixing up my rather battered Rangers of Ithilien. 

Gamesman Magazine, March 1992

With a slightly uncomfortable

 looking 90s glamour model

Staying with old gaming finds, I also dug out a very obscure tabletop gaming magazine from the 1990s: Gamesman. This issue is from March 1992 and claims to be “Britain’s best-selling independent gaming magazine”, probably because GMI magazine had already stopped publishing.

Back in the day, I bought this issue for one reason: an article on the Battle of the Five Armies by Martin Hackett, who wrote a fantasy wargaming book. A quick Google search suggests he is still active, though now more on the historical side of wargaming.

The issue also contains a number of interesting adverts with plenty of Oldhammer significance.

For me, the standout is the Kryomek artwork, with its obvious Aliens influence. It is exactly the kind of atmospheric, slightly grimy sci-fi art that makes these old magazines so enjoyable to revisit.

Rob 

A Bit of Sunday Painting

And Alternate Lurtz Done

And time to finish a mini including sculpting a quick white hand. 

And time for a beer before back to work. 

Rob 

I Seem To Have Been Here Before

Work Before Painting 

Been busy away for work in the last couple weeks So, not really any painting until this evening. When I managed to splash on some paint on my alternative Lurtz Uruk-Hai captain. Who  actually only has a very minor change with the Eye of Mordor shield design covered over with Green Stuff. And I just realised he has also got an Eye of Mordor design on his belt buckle that needs sorting. 

Plus picked up some damaged Rangers of Ithilien as one of the many next classic LotR minis that need painting. 

And I made up with the lack of painting with a couple of away beers.

Have a great weekend 

Rob