So far behind...

   I haven't talked about so many gaming things happening in my life the last few weeks.

  First, I went to DesotoCon, in Kansas, back at the end of July. I started a blog post about it and will finish it, I promise. It's even going to be back dated so it will appear before this one. Not many (any?) photos from it though. Well, a few, I think.

  The next week I went to Indianapolis for GenCon. Met a lot of great people, hung out with some friends from Thread Raiders, Saving Throw Show, and Dragons and Things (best Pathfinder liveplay stream, Fridays at 6:00 Pacific on Twitch). Bought a bunch of stuff. Again, it deserves it's own post and I will work on that. A few more photos there.

   I've also released the first product from Goblyn Head Press on DriveThruRPG. It's a supplement designed for D&D 5e called Sacred Sites. It was written by Eli Arndt, who you ugys have seen me mention before around here. Nine different places you can encounter the sacred or profane. It has sold a few copies already and it's only been up about a week. Very excited about that. Probably deserves it's own post, too.

  And we've gotten a few more sessions of Starfinder in. Kicked one guy out of our group, got another new player. Still sitting at three players so if anyone wants to join us in Santa Fe, TX (in Galveston County, on the mainland)...

   And I painted a few minis. Not much. I really need to get to work on the Pledge or I am screwed.

   Oh, two new display cases came in and I got one put together. Detolf from IKEA.

   And I have been drawing more maps on my Wacom tablet. So that's getting me closer to done with another Goblyn Head project.

   All in all, I guess I have been busy. Just not very good at reporting. I'll try to get caught up on all of that the next few days.

Back from DesotoCon

   Over the weekend I went to DeSoto, Kansas, to the home of a friend of mine who was transferred away from his post here in Galveston County. He grew up there, and has a lot of friends still in the area with whom he gamed for years. These guys go back to high school (Class of 1991). Anyway, he invited me to come up for the weekend of gaming that he holds every year at his house there and I accepted.

   There were about 20 guys there. We had four six-hour sessions, Friday night, two on Saturday, and Sunday morning. A variety of games, from Nintendo Switch to boardgames to minis games to TTRPGs were played.

   On Friday, I played Star Wars Miniatures. I managed one photo, and it's not a good one. I took the Dark Side and played a band of bounty hunters acting as mercenary bodyguards for the Emperor. Boba Fett, IG-88, LOM-4, Bossk, and Greedo. We lost to the Light Side, but killed Padme, Leia, Luke, and Obi Wan Kenobi, plus a couple of rebel troopers. Chewbacca killed the Emperor and Mara Jade. I left the scene with three of my five (Bossk and Greedo did not survive).

   Saturday morning was a game of Age of Conan the Boardgame. It's a long game, and I managed to win as Aquilonia, more by luck than strategy. Fun, but one of the guys wasn't into it and kept saying that.

   Saturday evening was a high level Pathfinder game. The five players took the parts of classic D&D characters: Mordenkainen, Bigby (me), Rigby, Yrag, and Melf. We went to collect a crystal from a temple sucked down into the Nine Hells, and ended up killing a pair of pit fiends. We then raised the temple out of the Hells and back to the Material Plane. I almost died from Strength loss but got restored just in time.

   Sunday morning was D&D 5e. I don't recall much about it now (I'm writing this a month later), but I do recall a green dragon who fled the battlefield just before we could put it down. And my dwarf cleric fell off a cliff. Survived, but it put me out of the fight for the most part.

Made it home from GenCon 2018

   Wow, what a trip. Almost 3,300 miles by car. Saw tons of neat stuff, had a great convention. Best part was spending most of that time with my 19-year-old son.

The Boy

Beer.

Satine Phoenix

Gaurav Gulati

B. Dave Walters

Pathfinder Playtest Stream

Jason Buhlman, Diana Restrepo, and Jamie Mills

Lots of Great Cosplay

Joe Manganiello

We Must D&D

Wise Papa Grant

Pathfinder in the Paizo Ballroom

Jared, Clairet, Quigley, Kimbulton, Hope (l to r)

Cast of Dragons and Things, my DaT Family

Matthew Lillard

He-Man is no match for us! HA HA HA

Shiny!

Best Wizard Dog. He has a hat.

I 'borrowed' Krag's hammer

And food.

ROAD TRIP!

   Dane and I are on the road starting today, driving 16 hours to Indianapolis for the legendary GenCon 2018. It's a first for both of us (at this convention).

   Plus, afterwards, we are driving up to Toronto, then Buffalo (for hot wings), then Cleveland (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), and then home.

   He's already working on the playlist. I asked if he would rather drive or fly, he said "Dad, the best part of the last time we went to Historicon [2017] was the road trip. Let's drive." Yeah, my 19-year-old said that. Done. Road trip. By the time we get to Indy, the back seat is gonna look like a couple of 9-year-olds were given $100 and no supervision at the convenience store.

I am so looking forward to it. And, as much as I am looking forward to the convention, the best part will be the road trip with my son.

Pre-Convention Moratorium

   Does anyone else do this? I have put myself on a purchasing moratorium for the past couple of weeks due to my upcoming trip to GenCon next week. I figure I will save up my money for purchases at the convention.

   Plus it doesn't do me any good to get stuff in while I am not home to intercept it before the wife does...

Brian Weathersby Reports on MillenniumCon Post Captain

https://mymodelsailingships.blogspot.com/2017/11/post-captain-at-millenniumcon-in-austin.html?showComment=1511154879724#c1200619701041397451

IHMN at MillenniumCon XX

   The third game I participated in at the convention was the game I brought: In Her Majesty's Name. It's a Victorian Science Fiction skirmish/warband game. 

   I provided four factions: the Society of Thule, the Servants of Ra, Lord Curr's Incorrigibles, and the human Minions of Otto Maton. The mission in this game was simple: escape oncoming death. Having disturbed ancient secrets in the Sahara, a curse of flesh eating scarab swarms is chasing all of the factions. Their only hope is to make it to the river boats.

The village of Ruh Naway and the all important boats moored at the docks.

   In order to escape on a boat, a faction had to have control of it - there could be no members of a different faction aboard. Then, on the following Movement phase, it could leave - but not if anyone boarded that turn. Boats then moved up to 9" in a turn (just off the board was sufficient).

The setup.

Lord Curr veers his Incorrigibles away from the Society of Thule

The Society and the Servants mix it up on the right.

One of the Servants, Sairah the Assassin Queen, dashes far ahead of the rest.

Every cultist would lay down his life for Akhenaton.

Maton's Minions move in a disciplined group along the far left flank,

led by the quadcycle.

   The fellow who played the minions stuck strictly to the mission, and it paid off. He got every one of his forces onto the boat, gaining a game-winning 45 points (plus two kills).

In the village square, "Mad" Mick stands alone against the Jaegers and Todtruppen

of the Society of Thule.

   This is the first time I have managed to get the Todtruppen (zombie jaegers) on the field. They are fun, but slow. Mick was abandoned to his fate by the rest of the Incorrigibles.

The boats casting off. In the lead is Akhenaton.

   Note that one boat is missing: Sairah stole it by being first to the docks. This ensured that one team would not be able to escape. A clever strategy. As it turned out, the Society of Thule was doomed. Even more fun, the mummified priest used his power of the Path of Shadows (essentially a teleport spell) to board the boat after it launched.

   After the game ended, we had a bull session about how to improve the scenario. The best idea was to change the motivation of the Servants of Ra. The suggestion was to use them as a blocking force in the village, and reduce the number of boats to three - or maybe even just two. Most importantly, everyone said they had fun, which was the whole point.

   I want to give a special thanks to Jim Johnson for helping me out by bringing a few pieces of really nice terrain. A couple of those buildings are his, made by Crescent Root, and excellent pieces. 

Game 2: Frostgrave

   The second game I played in at MillenniumCon was on Friday afternoon. This time, I was trying out Frostgrave. This is a set of fantasy skirmish rules with a definite campaign / warband building aspect. It's quite popular, and the minis are nice. You can also use random other fantasy figures to help fill in your warband. I bought the rules back in the summer, so it was time to give it a try.

One part of the magnificent lost city of Frostgrave

  It is a terrain intensive game, I think. Is this a dichotomy of wargaming, that the fewer figures you need, the more terrain you want? It seems to be...

The Witch and his apprentice.

  I chose the witch as my wizard because, well, it's a cool looking model. Also, I have this pair already, though not painted.

Fallen columns of frost-rimed stone...

A rapid retreat with the loot...

   You always want to be sure to secure some treasure. That's the point of the game. You use treasure to build up your warband over a series of games.

A giant worm erupts from the frozen ground.

   This worm would be responsible for the death of the archer you see there. And also my wizard. Darn it.

   All in all, I had fun. I won somehow, as the rules count how many spells you successfully manage to cast, and I cast one more than my opponent. All other factors being equal, that meant I won the game by a slim margin. Even though I lost a lot more of my warband including my wizard. Well, I didn't set the victory conditions - I'll just be glad they favored me.

Posting about Post Captain

   So the first game I played at the convention was on Friday morning. I tried out a set of Napoleonic naval rules (Age of Sail) called Post Captain, which are produced by Old Dominion Game Works (ODGW). They also make Close Action and some other rules I believe for nval gaming in other eras as well as land gaming. But I digress.

   Being a total Anglophile, and the first to arrive, I got to choose which ship I would captain. I took the British vessel. Hearts of oak, and all that, what? After a couple of turns maneuvering, the French let fly at my rigging from a great distance, doing little damage. We closed to more effective ranges and began hammering one another.

The French (on the right in this photo) have the wind gage. 

I maneuver upwind, eager to bring them under my guns.

My ship, Northumberland (74), the pride of the Royal Navy.

Miniature is Langdon, I believe.

Custom rigging by the owner, Brian Weathersby.

The French fire at my rigging...

I cross his T and stern rake the Frogs!

Up until this point, my larboard battery had not been fired.

   Eventually, I managed to cause some pretty critical damage to his vessel, hitting both his pumps and smashing the wheel. Stuck on a single course, I could maneuver right up behind him for the fatal blow. My last broadside was from my previously un-fired larboard battery, at virtually point blank range, right into his stern. This is about as good a situation as one can find oneself in from the standpoint of being the giver. This cannonade killed his captain, shattered his mizzenmast, sprung the main top, dismounted about half of his remaining guns... he hauled down his colours.

Jeff Hunt, owner of Portsmouth Miniatures.

They make nice ships too.

He's running a different game here.

   I had fun, but don't think I will be getting deeply into this sort of gaming. First, Brian is local and I figure I can get him to come beat on me anytime, and he has plenty of ships. Plus, his are spectacularly rigged out, taking hours of concentration and skill. Really, they are beautiful. Second, I am already working on so many other projects now... and third, it does take a good deal of time. We managed as two beginners to have a one-on-one duel to a conclusion in just under four hours. A fleet action would have been an all-day affair.

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.

Prep for MillenniumCon, Chapter 3: Terrain

   I have ordered and received several 28mm buildings and a bit more terrain - desert oasis, sand dune, and piers.

   These have several advantages: they are lightweight, they are easy to assemble, and they are already painted. So I just have to glue them together and toss them into the bucket. I bought a total of seven buildings to give the impression of a small riverside village.

   For the base, I am using my Cigar Box Battles desert cloth. I love these things. Again, lightweight and portable, but they drape well, and they don't pill up.

   I'm still working on the layout of the whole setup. And I hope to get a playtest or two in before the convention. Next I think I need to finalize which troops each force will be fielding. I'd like to give most of them a vehicle of some sorts, because if not, I fear the minion quadcycle will race ahead to secure the landing stage with its machinegun. I might be able to use buildings to give cover to approaching companies though.

Prep for MillenniumCon, Chapter 1

   I will be running a game at this year's MillenniumCon XX, held in Round Rock, Texas, the second weekend of November. I'm running a game of In Her Majesty's Name, my current favorite skirmish VSF rules. Here's the basic story:

  After weeks of exploration in the desert, the Tomb of the Lost Pharaoh was found. Unfortunately, the myths about the Regalia of Osiris being hidden there were just that: myths. Even worse, your rivals followed you and one of those fools triggered the Lost Pharaoh's Curse. Now, a storm of flesh-eating scarabs pursues you across the arid wastes. Your only hope is to be the first to reach the safety of the coastal town of Al Maja, where you can board a ship and escape the doom which follows close behind you!

  I plan to have four Adventuring Companies in this game:

• Lord Curr's Company, 
• the Society of Thule,
• the Servants of Ra (naturally), 
• and either the Sapphire Club or Otto Maton.

   I also have the figures for a werewolf company, or a Scotland Yard company, but they don't seem right for an adventure in the North African desert. My other mad scientist company, belonging to Professor Vardu, isn't ready yet either, and I don't think they'd fit in very well anyway.

   The scenario is pretty simple: 9.1.7: Death at Your Heels, with the following modifications:

• Table size: 4' x 6', with coastline along the long edge.
• Two boats, not one, each having a jetty 18" from the table edge
• Must convince captain to sail*

*Convince the Captain to sail: any figure with a Leadership characteristic can attempt to get the Captain to cast off, but only if there are no enemy figures on the boat. To make an attempt, roll a die in the figure's Movement phase. Add the Leadership characteristic and the total number of figures on the boat. Modify the roll by +1 if the scarabs are past the center of the table; add +2 if they are within 12" of the boat. A total of 8+ indicates the ship leaves, stranding anyone not aboard. The ship will automatically leave when the scarabs would reach it.

   For terrain, I don't have much, all of a sudden. Dammit, Harvey! I have a Cigar Box Battle Mat desert mat, and a few desert palms. That's about it for 28mm compatible desert terrain. I just ordered a number of Plastcraft Colored Desert houses to build a small village along the coast. I think I am going to embellish this with the addition of a few fishing nets hanging to dry, easy enough to make a simple frame and net. I do have some of the sand colored cobblestone roads and some older dirt roads to put out, as well.

   So, any ideas for improvements? Especially terrain. I was hoping to put some sort of ruined wall up on the desert side.

Survived Historicon and the Move

  Hello all! Just a quick note to let you know that I did, in fact, survive Historicon and the move that took place immediately after returning. How immediately? We got home late Monday, and the movers arrived Thursday morning bright and early. So, pretty immediately.

  So how was Historicon? It was a lot of fun, as usual. I think I came home with less stuff than I left home carrying, thanks to a decent showing at the Sunday morning Wally's Basement (aka gamers' flea market). I got to play games with and chat with a lot of people that I usually only get to see at the convention: Buck Surdu, David and Kalissa Skibicki, Jon Lundberg, Lon Weiss, Martin Goddard, James (whose last name I can never remember, but he runs lots of 40K themed games), Frank Chadwick, and others. I missed Howard Whitehouse this year, as he couldn't attend. I also made a couple of new acquaintances, so new folks to look forward to seeing in future years.

 As for the games, well, I played in several. I posted photos to Facebook from my phone, since that was the only camera I took with me. I'll get a few shots up here soon, I promise. The table for the Frostgrave games was truly amazing, and I need to get some photos of it up. Sadly, I couldn't get into any of the games they put on, but they looked just great and the players all seemed to be enjoying it. I ended up buying a set of the rules and a few figures for a pair of starter bands (a Witch and Apprentice and a Sigilist and Apprentice). So the games I did get to play...

• Dystopian Wars 2.0: Just about the same as far as I can tell to older versions, though we didn't get into deeper strategies, so maybe that's where the difference lies. I did hear that a newer edition is on the horizon. I played as part of a Japanese force against a FSA fleet. We lost, but it was a near thing.

• Congo: Probably my favorite game this convention. I tied for the win. The system for initiative and activation is really interesting, as it requires planning ahead but is still pretty flexible. It's also a pretty simple resolution system, which I liked.

• Empire of the Dead: While I did horribly in this game (the victim of two factions ganging up on me and killing off all of my guys, barring my Packlord), I had a lot of fun with it, too. The 28mm scale Martian screw galley (a Whispering Death-class, IIRC) was amazing. So amazing that I bought a kit for it. God only knows when I will get around to building it. Anyway, I had the werewolves, and did my best to make sure it was 'night' throughout the game, but to no avail. If I had a bit more influence, it would have been night and a full moon. I did manage an eclipse, which lasted six turns with the help of the vampires. Anyway, Jon Lundberg put on another great game on the Miniature Building Authority table.

• Bolt Action 2E: The Defense of Grammercy, Sicily. This game was amazing - it won the award for Best Theme Game (100 Years of Tanks) as well it should have. A big table with great scenery and models. The Skibickis (David and Kalissa, two of my favorite gaming folks EVAH!) really went whole hog on it and it showed. I was on the victorious German side, leading some Panzers and a few hapless infantry who never really got a chance to do much until the very end, where they assaulted and killed a Canadian Sherman. So that was fun.

• And One I am Forgetting: I also forgot what time one of my games was and flat missed it.

  As far as toys purchased, I mentioned a couple already - the Frostgrave stuff that I bought from Brigade Games. I also bought a lot of trays and stuff from Dave's Baggage Train to help me organize my existing collection of minis. I bought a few test figures for a 15mm fantasy line by Battle Valor Games, mostly because they looked fun to paint. I got a paint rack and some 15mm huts from Impudent Mortal (nice folks, turns out the wife went to school with my sister a few decades ago) - and check out their upcoming Kickstarter. The giant ship I bought in the flea market, and I bought a few gifts for friends back home, also mostly in the flea market.

  Offspring #2 (Dane) who also went, spent a bit of time in the Hobby University, and has mentioned an interest in painting. I will need to get him a good basic set soon. He did spend a little of my hard earned money buying a few figures to paint, primarily Reaper Bones.

  So there's my brief, un-illustrated convention report. It's a long three and a half days, and a long five days of driving roundtrip, so I got home really tired only to have to pitch in to the move, but it was a good time and I really enjoyed the time I spent on the road with my son who is about to head off to college (uni for my UK friends) in a few weeks.

On the Road to Historicon 2017

   Hi guys and gals! Long time, no post. I've been crazy busy - we are moving! This means lots of packing over the last month or so and not much gaming. So I have been very much looking forward to this trip with my youngest son (who just graduated high school and earned an Associate's Degree at the same time !). We are driving from League City, Texas, to Fredericksburg, Virginia. That's about 1,550 miles (2,460 km). One way.

   We are taking it in easy stages going out but have to hustle back home after the convention. So tonight, after two days in the car, we are in beautiful Charleston, WV. Actually, I don't know if it's beautiful or not - it was dark when we got to town. But the hotel is nice (Embassy Suites Downtown, got a heck of a deal on Priceline).

  So that's what is going on here in my world. I have been playing a weekly game of Pathfinder with a small group of adults, which is nice. The GM is right at my age and does a good job of storytelling. I've died three times already, but it is more an issue of each of the players dong their own thing rather than supporting one another. Oh well. My newest character is designed to be supportive. Maybe that will work out better.

Historicon Purchases

   Two of my favorite things at Historicon are the Vendor's Room and Wally's Basement, the 'flea market.' Why? All the shiny toys! And of course I bought my share of them. Here's what I got.

HISTORICON FREE SWAG IN THE BAG: Usually this has been pretty good, but this year's was a bit disappointing. It consisted of a single metal figure by Warlord, a 28mm ACW cavalryman, dismounted, firing a revolver. Yes, it is a nicely done figure, and limited edition and all, but I don't have much use for it. Trade fodder, I suppose.

FIGURES:

• Battletech Flea 'Mech
• Battletech Hex bases (x4)
• Rebel Minis 15mm Steampunk Adventurers (x5)
• Splintered Light 15mm "Not Firefly" (x10)
• Perry Minis 28mm Plastic ACW Zouaves (x42)
• Frontier Minis 15mm FPW Chasseurs d'Afrique (x8)
• Frontier Minis 15mm FPW French Infantry (x18)
• Frontier Minis 15mm FPW French Garde Grenadiers (x18)
• Frontier Minis 15mm FPW French Command (x12)
• Frontier Minis 15mm FPW Mtd. Generals (x2)
• Frontier Minis 15mm FPW Limbers (x4)
• Dystopian Wars Prussian Armoured Battle Group
• Reaper BONES Ape-X
• Reaper BONES Kobolds (x18)
• Reaper BONES Eye Beast
• Reaper Savage Worlds Darius Hellstromme
• Reaper Shrend Alligator-Man
• Parroom Diabolical Weaponeer (x2)
• Parroom Manikin Automatons (x10)
• Cygnar Trencher Master Gunner
• Ironclad Miniatures Steam Tank 1
• Ironclad Miniatures Steam Tank 13
• GW Ork Killa Kan
• GW Empire Emperor Karl Franz
• GW Empire Reiksguard Champion
• GW Empire Battle Wizards (x2)
• GW Blood Bowl Kroxigor
• GW Ghoul
• GW Skaven (x9)
• GW Horses (x2)
• Battlemasters Halberdiers (x2)
• FOW DAK Panzergrenadier platoon
• FOW DAK Machinegun platoon
• FOW British Lt. Col. Frost
• Kneeling Camels (x2)
• Chariot Minis Turtle w/Howdah
• Small Sailboat

TERRAIN

• MBA 15mm Bridge
• MBA 25mm Jungle Adventure building
• JR Minis 15mm Vietnam Buildings (x2)
• JR Minis 6mm dirt road (2 pcs)
• JR Minis 6mm cobblestone roads (22 pcs)
• JR Minis 15mm river (blue) (16 pcs)
• 4-Ground 28mm Check Point
• Scenic Crafts Flock/Static Grass (Carnage Red)
• Scenic Crafts Flock/Static Grass (Oxidized)
• 6mm Sci Fi Buildings (x3)

MISC.

• Dave's Baggage Train trays (7 pcs)
• Hotwire Foam Factory 3 Tool Kit
• Foam Glue
• Molon Labe patch
• GF9 20mm square bases
• Paint (4 bottles)
• Dystopian Wars patch
• Decals (8 sheets)
• BK Toy: Wild Wild West Tarantula
• Dark Future Boxed Game