On the Frontier...

The Boys (Greyson and Dane, my sons) and I played our first little bit of Star Frontiers last night. I think everyone had a blast, and we ended on a cliff hanger - more on that in a bit.

We started slow, creating characters using the Basic Rules, with one change - we did each attribute seperately instead of in pairs. Dane (11) chose a Yazirian Technologist named (I hope I get this right!) Yanshack'A of the Zingara. His friends call him Yan. He's strong and bright and fast, but gets winded very easily (STA 25!). Greyson (14) plays a Human Military Specialist named Bahud. He's tiny, but mighty. Using the optional rules we found in Issue 4 of Star Frontiersman, we generated a height of 1.5 meters and a weight of only 40 kg. Considering this child is actually 185 cm tall (6'1" for us 'Mericans), I find it funny. Bahud also has a Strength Attribute of 70 - well above average. One tough little person!

Anyway, we played through the first scenario in the Basic Rules, where you are working for Pan Galactic Corp to discover the security breach. Of course, it's an inside job. The boys managed to take down two of the spies (a Vrusk and a Dralasite) with doze grenades and captured a third (the Human) who was running off with a stolen data crystal. A quick call to Star Law resulted in the Yazirian's apprehension at the starport of Port Loren.

Later that evening, the Boys accepted a permanent position as agents of WarTech, Inc., a major weapons manufacturer in the Frontier. Their first assignment was to infiltrate the planet Torrent (as described in Issue 8) and capture specimens for the Biotech Warfare division. Specifically, they want dinosaurs!

After successfully landing their shuttle on the planet, the Boys disembarked in their modified Explorer. It took a few days, but they decided that they were never going to catch anything running around in this loud vehicle (the animals kept running away). So, they got out and set up camp. Waiting a few hours, a small herd of giant herbivores came through nearby, followed by a lone predator. One (lucky!) shot with the gas grenade rifle later, and the ten meter long carnosaur was down and sleeping. Bahud tried to determine the gender of the dinosaur, but he just couldn't get the biosensor to give him that much. He was able to get a species: Torrentus leapyclawclaw, common name the Ripclaw. Bahud restrained the sleeping beast with webbing straps while Yan brought the explorer close and they winched the heavy beast into the cage in back.

After a brief rest, the Boys went hunting, looking for signs of Ripclaws in the area. They found sign, alright - followed by a swift, running attack by a pair of angry, hungry carnosaurs! The carnosaurs flashed past, clawing and biting as they ran (nipping Bahud), then turning to make another pass. As they turned, Bahud pitched his frag grenade at them, only to fumble with it and drop it just outside the blast radius. Yan took aim with his grenade rifle... and we ran out of time.

Tune in later this week for more exciting tales. I promise you, my sons are not going to let me rest until they get these dinos!

Fresh outta 1980 what?

Look at what I found. My original Star Frontiers books. And the maps. No box or counters, but then I can always print the counters off from Star Frontiersman.

Who says compulsively holding onto a game for almost thirty years isn't a good idea? I think the boys and I are gonna be playing this weekend! Oh yeah!

Reikland Halberdiers

My first unit of ten Empire Halberdiers. These are all plastics from the State Troops boxed set that I purchased from eBay. They arrived primed in black. I have more that will be added to this unit in the future, but it is a start.

Second Reikland Halberdiers

I painted the unit in the dominant white of Reikland, with a lot of red accents. To be honest, I really don't like to paint white. You get a bit snow-blind before you get finished. That's why I stopped at 10 for now. I'll need to do at least 3 more so that I can swap the unit in and out for a detachment. I will probably end up doing another ten or even fourteen eventually, so I can field a large block.

Standard Bearer (converted from regular halberdier)

The standard was printed off the computer and glued to the staff. I made streamers out of greenstuff as well as the brass knob at the top of the staff. the standard bearer is currently unarmed, though I may add a pistol from my bitz bin someday.

Closer shot of halberdier and drummer.

Like the standard bearer, my drummer is unarmed. He depends on the skill of the unit champion just to his right to protect him, I suppose. Sorry about the lousy lighting, but I just took the photos about an hour ago, and there is not much light to be had without disturbing others this late.

6mm Terrain: The Clinic

Kalian Memorial Medical Clinic

Okay, so here it is: the first piece of custom 6mm terrain I have ever made. Finally, with photos and everything. The clinic started life as the blister packaging for an OmniPod, which is a type of insulin pump that my son uses. [Note: He loves it. Highly recommended for Type I diabetics.] Started by cutting a piece of thin plywood to attach as a base. Glued the blister to the plywood base, then sprayed it with a gray primer. Drybrush lighter gray over it. Green paint for the grounds around it (still considering flocking that). Paint in windows, road markings, etc.

Details include an emergency room drive, multiple entrances, and lots of skylights. The yellow triangle is a VTOL pad for bringing in serious injuries.

With a Locust of the Recon Lance of Wulf's Hussars for scale.

[EDITED 4/5/2010: I am making changes to the clinic. I will replace the Red Cross symbol with a dove symbol. This is the symbol of the Goddess Shallya in the Old World (Warhammer Fantasy). She is the goddess of mercy and healing. Plus, it is a little different from a contemporary Red Cross symbol. Makes it seem more futuristic to me. Finally, I have gone ahead and flocked it around the edges, which looks much better. I'll repost photos when I get done.]

Wal-Hammer Discount Battles, 94th ed.

Gothic Horror in Discount Retail

In a grim world dripping with skulls, yellow smiley faces and spikey bitz, hordes of grossly distorted people struggle with massively oversized weapons in order to dominate the Express Lane.

-Actual Game Play Dialogue -

"I've got eleven items in my Basket of Sorrow, cutting to the front of the line in the '10 or Less' lane - but my eleventh item is Emperor Pillsbury's Crown of Extra Golden Flaky Awesomeness, so I can get away with it. Cower before me and wait in the queue like all the regular people."

"Ah, but in the new Weekly Codex Circular, they got rid of the Emperor's Crown and replaced it with the Too-Tight Spandex of Garish Blindey-ness. MY army (which was totally re-vamped in the WCC) includes two units of Greenback-bearing Migrant Workers, which cost only 2 points each but have M4 (6 when running from ICE Agents), WS8, BS100%, S8, T7, W4, A3, and Ld2. They should easily destroy your unit of Imperial Mega Super Wonderknights, with their measly 1+ Ward save. They are led by ACLU the Mighty, with the ACORN of Mischief. Your puny pre-painted collectible army is doomed! DOOMED!"

Wal-Hammer Fantasy Discount Battle Superstore

Coming in April 2010 to everywhere you look, next to the Starbuck's that is already there.

Games Bilkshop

11.99 Metal Infantry Mini Street

Gimme-Your-Dough, Willingly, YUK