The Tangerine Marine

 Turns Into a Blood Angel

Looked more orange than in the photos...

With the terminator I decided to do a zenithal highlight (slap chop?) with orange and white mixes. To try and avoid the grey coming through and I think it has largely worked.   he did look like a tangerine marine until the contrast paint went on and then suddenly the Blood Angel appeared. The chapter was sorted decided when I realised, I had bought Blood Angels red contrast paint. 

The Ruffians Arrive

Outcome: An odd hobbit win! 

After a couple of very successful turns at the beginning with the hobbits winning both fights on the bridge. The ruffians steadily worked their way through halflings. With the ruffians being able to out flank them by jumping the river. Once again, the hobbits suffered from being out gunned in both the shooting and melee. And once again Bill got killed this time by Robin Small Burrow on the battle for the bridge. 

But the halflings did run out the clock because the chief shirriff – Holfoot Bracegridle managed to fight off the ruffians until turn eleven and the ruffians had no time left (twelve turn game limit) to get two hobbits off the table. So, it didn’t feel a win for the hobbits as all of them were either killed or captured. But according to the scenario rules, the hobbits had won. 

Holding the bridge

Last hobbit standing

The Old Mill

Outcome: Ruffian easy victory

I didn’t have high hopes for this scenario, and I wasn’t disappointed. As there are equal numbers of hobbit militia (twelve) and ruffians (twelve plus Ted Sandyman), the fight was really going only to go one way. And as expected this provided to be an easy ruffian win (GW really don’t play test their scenarios). The ruffians beat up the militia in a couple of turns, making this scenario was no fun to play really. I can only hope the campaign balances out!

Guarding the mill

The melee begins

The Mayor's Arrest

Outcome: Ruffian victory, as the mayor nearly Escapes!

I also, played The Mayor's Arrest, which was a dramatic game with Mayor Whitfoot almost escaping only to be caught by Sid Briarthorn at the edge of the board and bundled off for an evil victory. However, this would have been a much less interesting game if the hobbits hadn't won an earlier game allowing the mayor to move on the first turn. But again, the game seems totally unbalanced with the ruffians having 101 points against the hobbits 70 points giving the ruffians over a 40% advantage. And again, with no missile weapons*, so the hobbits can't even soften the ruffians up before they arrive.

The mayor's ability to use Will to act as a banner for turn certainly helped, but since Sid also acts as a banner it sorted cancelled out in this scenario. 

The mayor dashes to escape using his only point of might

*Yes, technically the hobbits can throw stones, but they have to remain stationary and for a scenario which relies on the hobbits moving, this doesn't seem of an advantage. Plus, it is only a strength one weapon, so not many (any) ruffians will go down on with a full volley. 

Sid grabs the mayor and exits the table. 

Grrrrrr…

Honestly, I am trying to let this go. 

Again, simple mathematics predicts that the ruffians will win the majority of combats due to their higher fight value (plus another bonus for whip armed ruffians) and will wound more often due to their higher strength.  Adding this up gives the ruffians a kill 29% of the time in a melee against hobbit getting a kill only in 14% of melee fights. Add in the additional advantages for using whips and heroes, then these combats are always going to go to the ruffians. 

Then factor in that because the ruffians win over twice as many combats, they will quickly outnumber the hobbits further accelerating the imbalance between the two sides. Making it even less balanced. But GW seem have completely missed this point in the design of most of their scenarios. 

And finally giving equal number of the figures on each side, the ruffians are able to mark every hobbit on the board and then given that they have a much better chance of winning in both combat and usually with better missile weapons. Means they don't have to tactically think very hard about how to win the game. Surely by reducing the ruffians by a few figures in each game will mean that the ruffian player has to be much more tactical with how they place their figures to avoid being locally overwhelmed and give the hobbit player a better game. Even a couple of archers for the hobbits would force the ruffian player to work much harder because they can't hang back.  

The Campaign So Far

The Ruffians are starting to rack up a string of victories, so can the hobbits turn the tide?

Rob