MillenniumCon XX Flash Report

   Just got home from Round Rock. Overall, I had a really good time at the convention. Photos will follow soon (ish). Highlights:

• My game went really well. A few bumps, but everyone seemed to enjoy it, and I got some good feedback for a future refinement... this one may return.

• I played in five games. Of those, I won four (one was a co-operative win). The other was determined a draw.

• Bought a good deal of new toys.

• Met a lot of new people, mainly gamers from Texas.

• Ran into a lot of people I have met over the years at various other stores and conventions.

• Best of all, I ran into someone I knew a long time ago. Tim was one of my fish buddies when we were in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M. We are both Class of '94 members of Company A-2, 7th Btn, 1st Reg't. We hadn't seen one another in almost 24 years, but we got a chance to catch up some while we played a game of OGRE together. Information exchanged.

   Basically, I have to say that MillenniumCon is the best small convention I have ever attended. The atmosphere is fun and relaxed. The venue is good (could use food service) and clean.

   That's the FLASH report.

Zombicide Black Plague: First Game

   One of the things I received for Christmas this year was a copy of Zombicide Black Plague, the fantasy/medieval version of the hit boardgame Zombicide. I'd played it once before, last May I think it was, and had enjoyed it a lot, so it went on the list for this year.

   Today we broke it out and played for the first time. The players were myself, my son Dane, his girlfriend Elysia, my friend Zach, and his son. Setup was pretty quick. I ran through the rules with everyone (it took about ten minutes to explain the basics to everyone), and then we set off on the Tutorial Quest.

Not us playing - but it is the tutorial quest

   It took a bit longer than anticipated - about an hour, as opposed to the projected 45 minutes - but we made it through the quest, all hale and whole. We moved on to the first 'real' quest (there are ten in the rules). 

The 'dashboard' - one of the things I like about Black Plague

   We had two objectives, either of which would win the game for us: activate all the objectives, thus finding the laboratory, or killing one of each Necromancer and Abomination. We started with the objectives. Things started off well for us in the quest to destroy the laboratory of the foul Necromancer. We cleared a couple of objectives, and then... Dane (playing Ann the Battle Nun) went off by himself and pulled an objective - the laboratory! Which caused a Necromancer to spawn there. And his zombie protectors. Down went Ann. The Necromancer then proceeded to attempt to escape from the board, as they are supposed to do.

   Luckily, we had one player running two characters, so we just put that character (Samson) under Dane's control. Lesson learned, we did our best to stay in a fairly tight group, especially when an Abomination spawned. In our tight group, we ran away from it, because we had nothing that could stop such a terrible monster. At least not until we found a vial of Dragon Bile! Luckily, we moved faster than the Abomination, so we kept out ahead of it. In the meantime, the wizard, played by Elysia, cut down a Necromancer, meeting one half of our objective. Change of plan! Now we wanted to find that Dragon Bile, kill the Abomination, and win!

   Two turns later, we found some. I already had a torch to light the stuff, so off we went, through the subterranean vault to get near the monster. Elysia gave me the Bile, and we lured the Abomination closer. Just as it got close, I threw the bile and touched it off with the flaming brand in my hand! With a roar, the intense flames flashed up, instantly burning the Abomination to ash, and ending the game.

   At this point we called it a day. The game is lots of fun, and I have already been given three expansions to it, including the Deadeye Walkers (zombie archers!) and two of the Guest Star packs of heroes (Joven Nerd and Paolo Somethingorother). Maybe we will try to work some of those into the next Quest.

Game Day Today...

   Today was a really busy game day for me.  I attended a sort of mini-convention near my home. My buddy Zach went along and we spent the day playing a variety of games - more games combined in one day than I've played so far this year.

   First up was an Infinity demo. Zach is quite keen on this game, having played in one other demo previously. I took a small Nomad force and he took a PanOceania force. The terrain was pretty heavy - something I understand is pretty important for the game. I ended up winning by eliminating three of his four troopers at the cost of two of my own. We kept to just the basics, but it seems like a fun game. I'll have to talk him into buying some terrain. Maybe if I offer to paint it for him... Anyway, thanks to Duncan and Curtis for helping put this together.

Lots of nice terrain for Infinity - laser cut MDF from various manufacturers.

   Next we played a couple of games of Zombicide: Black Plague, which is the medieval fantasy themed version of Zombicide. The first game ended rather abruptly as our victory conditions required that all six of the survivors (players) had to exit the board through a particular space. One of the survivors was killed, ending the game for us. We re-played the same scenario a second time (the fifth scenario "The Commandery," if you are familiar with it). We succeeded this time, despite one player doing exactly the same thing he had done in the first game that led to his demise the first time around!

Hordes of zeds headed our way in Zombicide: Black Plague.

   After that I went and played a few games of King of Tokyo. This is a fun, relatively quick game that combines kaiju monsters, Yahtzee-like dice rolling, power-up cards, and 'king of the hill.' I lost the first game, but won the second on Victory Points. Judicious use of a power-up card (Wings) kept me from being eliminated by some pretty heavy attacks.

   The last game in which I participated was a weird little card game called Exploding Kittens. Essentially, you don't want to draw an Exploding Kitten card. If you do, you're out. Last man standing wins. You play cards to make other people draw cards, avoid having to draw them yourself, steal a card from their hand, and so on. It's alright, but maybe a little odd in terms of art and card titles and such for me.

Society of Thule Todtruppen

Just a few photos.

Zombie Zeppelin Scenario

Good for either Pulp or VSF gmaing, and inspired by photos of this 28mm zeppelin table:

The Scenario: 

   On your way home from an safari in the picturesque highlands of Bongolesia, a problem arises aboard the zeppelin carrying your group. One of the servants was apparently infected with a terrible tropical disease, and has died. Sadly, he did not stay dead, but has risen as a zombie. Infecting several passengers and crewmembers, the plague has spread throughout the vessel. Now, they all suffer from an insatiable hunger for flesh. Your flesh.

1. You need to gather weapons. Luckily, you have just returned from safari, so there are guns in the baggage.
2. You must keep the control cabin zombie-free until the pilots land the airship.
3. Then you must make your way out of the zeppelin.
4. Finally, to prevent the spread of the infection, you must destroy the zeppelin and kill any zombies which escape the burning wreckage.

  Good luck. You're going to need it.

An idea whose time has come.

Pike? Check.

Shot? Check.

Zombies? Che - what!?!?

Yep, that's right: Renaissance zombies.

From AB One Games, written by Stephen Danes.

Available at Wargames Vault.

Oi! Its only been four days!

In the words of that MacArthur chap, "I have returned." Hmph. As if we wouldn't have known he returned, waht with all the film crews taping his wading ashore scene for the newsreels of the world. Man's an egomaniac, what?

Quite little to say on the gaming front. Thanks to a bout of illness, haven't been up and out to get any work done on anything. Hard to paint with a hacking cough, what? I am tempted to some zombie-blasting fun thanks to having read the excellent World War Z by Max Brooks over the weekend. Can you imagine redcoats dealing with these undead horrors?

Sergeant Bourne (to well-dressed zombie): "Right then, be a proper gentleman and put the vicar down, sir."
Private 116 Jones: "Oh, look Sergeant! 'E's gone and bitten the vicar!"
Sergeant Bourne (to soldiers): "That's two rounds rapid for you lot, then. And if you don't remember to aim for the head this time, I'll have you in front of the Colonel, I will!"

Now all I need are Victorian-era zombie figures. In 15mm. Or even some good Victorian civilians to zombify. I wonder if Ded Bob would be available to help with that?