The Big Baddie & the Elf

Voltan

Goods knows how they managed to get Jack Palance on a budget of £600K but he chews his way  through the scenes in exactly the way you expect as the big baddie. 

I could spend a very long time writing about the film career of Jack Palance but I reckon you can look it up if you need to!

Voltan alongside his son Drogo (right)

Crow the Elf

“We have sat waiting like this many times before. Sometimes I tire... of the fighting and killing. At night, I can hear the call of my race. They wait for me. When I join them, we will be forgotten.”

Crow

I could have sworn the bow was also white but these photos from the film tell a different story. Crow has been the trickiest one to paint to so far. Because his clothing is all a one colour patchwork. But in the end it was just a matter of taking the time to highlight all of the main panels. 

Ray Charleson played played Crow. His acting career is a bit quieter although he did appear in a number of British TV dramas such as  Dempsey and Makepeace. 

Right time for the beers.

Rob 

Happy New Year

Baldin the Dwarf

Just managed to finish him him off before the new year.These sculpts by Crooked Dice are excellent and the details are very crisp.

Baldin was played by Peter O'Farrell who has a number of other interesting genre credits to his name. He has in Legend as one of the goblins and was in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as a newspaper photographer.

Rescue the Barmaid

This is turning into a mini campaign, so I rolled for Gort after his first encounter and he will only have one point of might for this game. Might and fate are recovered after each game on a 4+.

Rather than the film version where he is rescued by Hawk from being sacrificed to a river god.  In my version, he sets off  to rescue Wendy the Barmaid in return for a generous amount of ale. Wendy has been kidnapped by Grog the hobgoblin. Gort arrives at the inn shortly after Baldin has left and sets off after him.  

Game Notes

• Gort will arrive on a 4+ after turn 4.  
• The goblins have posted two  sentries which are moved randomly (using rules from Scouting of the Shire).
• The remainder of the goblins will activate on a  4+ after the alarm is raised.
• Wendy will not move while a goblin is in base to base contact.

The goblin camp

Baldin sneaks up.

The alarm is raised but Gort has not yet arrived. Baldwin has to hang on waiting for Gort.

Gort evens the odds.

Gort eventually overcomes Grog but not after losing another point of might and fate. Baldin also loses a point of fate.

The Heroes escape with Wendy. And onwards to join Hawk.  They both carry depleted levels of might and fate to the next encounter. 

Happy New year

Rob

Gort the Giant

 The Heroes Begin to Muster

First of the heroes from Hawk the Slayer. Gort the giant played by Bernard Bresslaw. Probably best known for the Carry On movies. At six feet five inches, he was an imposing figure. His other important genre credit was as an ice warrior in Doctor Who.

Bernard as an ice warrior in Doctor Who

Gort 'I'd sooner Sat cowdung '

Soldier 'That can be arranged, and you can wash it down with your own blood if needs be'

Gort vs. A few ruffians.

Gort and Balin debate sharing food...

A Small Disagreement

I decided to replay Gort's opening scene where a merchant tried to double cross Gort after he fixes his wagon. When merchant refuses to pay for the repair to the wagon. Gort breaks the wagon. And the merchant, calls some ruffians to sort Gort out. 

I used Middle Earth strategy battle games rules as they are easy to play and ideal for a quick skirmish. Gort has to take on five ruffians. When I writing this up and looked for some pictures, I found he actually took on six ruffians.

Still no home PC, so I have had to take a picture of the stats as the PC can’t connect to the internet 😨.

Gort has few harsh words for the merchant.

Gort moves away to avoid being surrounded. And takes down two.

But the remaining ruffians still manage to surround Gort.

Gort (yellow dice) loses the combat against the three ruffians and has to use his two points of might to win the combat. Remember Gort has a -1 on his dice due his two handed weapon.

The last ruffian flees. Similar result to the film!

Rob

Warfare 2023

First Time in ?

So, I have been to Warfare before but it was so long ago that I can't even remember when it was. This felt like a very different show to Salute, as its focus is really on the tournaments rather than the display games. However, there was a very good selection of traders and display games. 

Most of my time was spent looking at all of the trade stands and catching up with friends. So, I didn't take many pictures.  But I was particularly impressed by the Hex Wing game (See pictures Iron-Mitten - Hex Wing Game) which involved a trio of witches on broomsticks making a bombing run on the Houses of Parliament.

There seemed to be a lot more offers about, especially on paints, and while they might not be full ranges there was plenty of choice. But my mate did pick up a full range of 10 speed paints for £20.   

Got these little bits of scenery for a £1 each.

Paints £2 each or four for a fiver. 

'A Crown of Thorns' - A game set in 1938 Palestine. I do really like these odd pre-war planes and tanks. 

An Operation Sealion  game. 

As expected there were plenty of 3D printers and these ones from Disain Studio, caught my eye. Both were impulse buys  with this Ankylosaurus joining the Slann army. 

And as expected the Doedicurus didn't take long to paint and looks good finished. I really need to play some more games of Paleo hunt. 

Also finally got a set of Raven's Revenge from Crooked Dice which will get put away for Christmas. Which is clearly is Hawk the Slayer and his companions.

'What do you mean you have never heard of Hawk the Slayer???'

Hawk the Slayer is a very low budget fantasy film from 1980. But somehow managed to employ a very large number of British character actors and Jack Palance as the main baddie. Given the very (and could are a very large number of 'very's to this) low budget still decided they needed an elf, dwarf and a giant. Yet despite all of the obvious financial and technical limitations still managed a fun and exciting film (at least to a very young me!). Expect to see more on this later...

Sharkey's rogues can expect to do double duties as Voltan's evil henchmen when I finally get to play a game. 

Rob

Troll Attack Pack

It was 1984 or Troll Pack Attack or Pack Attack Troll 

I didn't read advert properly the first time and decided I liked my version better. 

All 80's Citadel Goodness

Whilst setting up the latest high elf for photographing, I decided I needed some contemporary opponents to match against them. And these early eighties C20 trolls nicely fitted the bill. 

But this reminded me of a half-forgotten advert in White Dwarf (Turns out it was White Dwarf 65 - August 1984). Ok these high elves aren't the Tom Meier ones but they certainly fitted the vibe. With a very nice little illustration. 

Just to point out that my memory isn't that good, I just happened to be looking through this White Dwarf recently whilst looking for something else I couldn't find. And hadn't put the magazine back. 

Also this issue of White dwarf also had an advert for Citadel's collector cards. Were you could get free figures if you could match all of the cards in a set. Certainly time for a comeback (Citadel take note!).

And finally I had to include the picture on the cover by Chris Achilleos. Proving that not all of the White Dwarf covers of the 80's had a scantily clad female. 

After all of this nostalgia, I had to casually mention that the top 20th film of 1984 was Dune. Since I already went through my top three films of 1984 (Top 3 1984 films). This  classic sci-film that got pushed out of my top three but still deserves a mention. 

Anyway back to a few WIP shots of the high elf. 

Rob