Monday 25 January 2016

Wolfs, Dire Wolves and a werewolf

I’ve had these wolf-kin on my painting table for at least a year. They were primed white and had a black wash and waited for some proper painting. I looked at a lot of photos of wolves and… well, they are rather difficult to paint as their coats are grey-brownish and not uniform. So the minis sat there waiting.
Warg from Reaper
Dire Wolves from Otherworld
The other day a saw a pic of a wolf in winter-dress and that did it for me. I could paint my wolves for Frostgrave! Their winter pelts still have greys and browns in them and I got this by washing the minis with several coats of Army Painter Strong Tone and Dark Tone inks. Drybrushed white. Snouts black and also inside of ears and mouths/lips. (One of the wolves were previously painted dark grey and I washed it with Strong Tone and drybrushed)

Wolves from Castle Ravenloft
The two slender Dire Wolves are from Otherworld (Wilderness Encounter series, WE8b, sculpted by Jo Brumby) while the other one is Reaper (Dark Heaven legends 03490 Warg by Jason Wiebe or plastic Bones 77202). Wolves and werewolf from the Castle Ravenloft boardgame.
Female werewolf from Castle Ravenloft

Friday 22 January 2016

Chthon from Reaper, or maybe a grick?

A tentacle monstrosity from Reaper, a Chthon. I have no idea what that is but I might use it as a grick in our D&D campaign, or just an unspecified disgusting tentacled monster.
Mine is from the Bones range (77228) but you can also get a metal one from the Dark Heaven Legends range (03603).

Another fast paintjob. Vallejo 881 Yellow Green with an Army Painter Strong Tone Ink wash, followed by a drybrush of 881 and finally a very light drybrush of 912 tan Yellow. Tentacles got a wash of Citadel Washes Baal Red. Fangs are Bone White.

Gamer pal Gunnar has written a piece on our latest Pulp Alley adventure that is very well written and fun (but a bit short on truth). Go check it out if Pulp Alley is your thing.
If you want the true story you will find it here J

Wednesday 20 January 2016

Blood Rage – Soldier of Hel

What would a game be without a zombie?
This is the closest thing to one you’ll get from the Blood Rage boardgame. Hel is part of the underworld, some sources says it is where evil men go when they die (instead of Valhalla) and this Soldier of Hel is probably one of these men.
A decent sculpt but nothing special.
As a bonus you’ll get a Dwarf Chieftain also. One of my least favourite minis from the game and I’m not at all satisfied with how he turned out. Ah, well, he is painted and that’s that.

Monday 18 January 2016

Pulp Alley – Perilous Island Campaign – Lagoon of Terror #2

The leagues are struggling to get enough clues to find out what has happened to Lord Darrow and one of these clues could be in another wreck in a lagoon close to the one where we landed.
All the usual suspects were there, except the Phrenologists that unfortunately had other pressing matters to attend to. We miss them and especially Nurse Sigrid.
The CSSS - Corpo di Spedizione Santa Sede - at it's best. Led by Monsignore Cadaverico in the middle and flanked by his trusted sidekicks Soura Innocenza and Padre Sicario. In the back row from left to right - Padre Scuro, Padre Peste (lvl 2 Shooter backup), Soldato Morto and Maria (lvl 2 Animal backup)
The Belgian League led by Roland Castroulle (second from the left in front) and as always supported by the dreaded Miss Mayhem (second from the right).
The International Egyptological Society, also known as The Cult of Ra led by white suited Ike Naton. They have a different horde today. We see Skinny Tut the mummy as always and also Nefertiti Jones. New in the cult are two grey-clad cultist armed burst weapons) and a red-clad Gang.
The set-up. The lagoon in the middle - it's perilous terrain and from turn 3 and onward there is a chance that a Lagoon Terror appears. We find the major plot point on the boat. We placed the other four plot points randomly with a direction dice and a D6 for the distance in inches from the shoreline. This was a more fun way of placing plot points as they otherwise tend to be so spread out so that every league gets one nearly automatically. They have to be placed at least 6" away from each other, though.
Sight is limited to 12" due to fog so there is no long distance shooting.
The leagues are placed one figure at a time. A figure have to be more than 6" away from plot points and enemies. We can see some clever figure placement to exclude enemies here. Note for example Padre Peste in the near right corner. His placement dominated that part or the beach and no enemies could be placed there.
The CSSS wins initiative and Padre Sicario removes one menace with a well aimed shot. 
The cowardly Belgian tries to hide in a crevice as Both Padre Scuro and Soldato Morto blasts him. He survives the ordeal... for now. (He runs away when he activates later in the turn)
Maria attacks another Belgian but is knocked down. Initiative goes to the Belgian league.
The use of burs weapons have proved to be very successful and all leagues have adopted them. A Belgian stick of dynamite flyes towards Ike Naton that just ignores the effects. 
Miss Mayhem advances towards one of the plot points, Ready to try to unlock it next round.
Another cultist is shot down by a Belgian. Those blast armed league members are prime targets as everyone knows the danger of them.
Time for the CSSS again and Soura avenges the poor puppy and with a well aimed shot the cruel Belgian falls. That should teach you! Animal cruelty will be punished!
The mummy advances on Mr Castroulle and Ike gets into contact with the savage fisherman (plot point) so he can try to befriend him next turn.
Monsignore has advanced towards the major plot point and is attacked by the cultist gang - they wound him but looses two of their kind when he returns fire. With that the first round is over.
All figures in this part of the board revives at the start of the round but the other cultist is removed from play.
Monsignore shakes of the effects of the previous shooting and starts the round by unlocking the major plot point with his Gadget X (automatically passes one plot point), Things are going according to plan.
Maria tries to take out the flame-thrower cultist but he survives the attack and retreats.
Soldato Morto starts up with his SMG and the blast gets two Belgians! (wrong fig used here, i moved the Padre Sicario but that was rectified , see pic below)
We really don't want that cultist to survive, seeing how powerful Blast weapons can be. Padre Sicario tries to take him down but misses: (And here we see Soldato Morto where he should be)
Soura is the stong arm of the CSSS and takes care of the pesky cultist once and for all.
Meanwhile the other leagues fight it out and even secures a plot point.
Padre Peste unlocks his plot point only to find out that it is a Red Herring. Blast! The real plot point is close by, though, and he secures it in a later turn.
Nefertiti Jones starts unlocking her plot point but doesn't finish it this turn.
The pesky cultist gang have a go at Monsignore, wounding him again, but he wipes them out with his well aimed shots. 
Another turn and all Belgians and downed cultist on ‘my’ half of the board misses their chances of revival and are removed from play. Monsignore misses his chance to regain a hit-point and unfortunately the Lagoon Terror appears, far too early. The cultist have initiative and place him by Monsignore. Sigh… been there before…
We start with Nefertiti securing one plot point for the Cultists.
Soldato Morto lets go with his SMG again, but unfortunately with no effect.
Miss Mayhem moves from the Blast radius, a bad move as we shall see.
A well aimed stick of dynamite and Skinny Tut is knocked down.
World record sprinter Soura Innicenza (she's got the ability Speedy) rushed Miss Mayhem and knockes her out! The plot point is now up for grabs!
Monsignore tries to fend of the Lagoon Terror. We've seen this before... he's got another wound...
The round ends with the Terror having a go at Monsignore who actually survives and escapes haevily wounded.
A new round and Nefertiti Jones has escaped with one plot point and she takes the opportunity to shoot at Monsignore.... and he goes down, loosing his plot point. It was a risky business having a go at the major plot point and it didn't work this time (either...)
Ike Naton has also secured his plot point and he has fled into safety close to Nefertiti.
Chaos reigns by the mysterious remains plot point. Skiny Tut makes a desperate attempt to unlock the treasure and succeds partially. 
Maria proves her worth downing a Belgian.
And Soura shoots at Skinny and succeds in hitting him. He is down and loses the partial unlock.
Roland Castroulle have a go at the plot point but is immediately targeted with a blast and wounded.
A new round and Skinny Tut is removed from play while the Belgian red-head revives. Roland starts by a partial unlock of the plot point. 
Monsignore fials his revival and the major plot point is lost for all.
Soura goes hand-to-hand with Roland and he receives another wound. 
and the red-headed Belgian avoids the attacks from Maria and retreats...
...but not for long as Soldato Morto places a burst on her. She falls.
Padre Scuro wants a piece of the action and targets the Belgian dynamitard but to no use...
...and he he felled in return fire.
The final round is a rush to get the final plot point. It starts with the dynamitard attacking Maria the dog to prevent her from joining the fight against Roland Castroulle. They both fall.
There is a minute chance for the CSSS to capture the final plot point if they can take out Roland and have one figure left but Roland survives all assaults and the game ends.
Final score in this match is
Cultists – 2 plot points
The CSSS – 1 plot point
The Belgian League – nothing
Another great game of Pulp Alley! A partial success this time as my gamble to get the major plot point didn't work out. I think it was worth it, but... well, best laid plans and all that...

Stay tuned for more adventures on Perilous Island!