Being Lazy

Really, that's about the only excuse I have for not doing more work on my hobby stuff. Too much playing video games and writing for my RP. Anyway, I did some stuff. With tools. And magnets. Oh, and some painting too.

 On the left, PHR Ares walker. PHR Phobos AA walker on the right. PHR Neptune Dropship to the rear.

On the left here, Traktor Mul (Uragan), and on the right a Zouave.

A little bit completely smash-ed — BattleCry day 2

So, yeah. Not a single win today. But some very fun games, especially against Kevin's Scotsmen (who are now owed one right phonging) and Rob's vikings, who are now owed two beatings. Against Steve's shooty chariots the dice just hated me. I have never seen so many 2's and 3's for cohesion tests in my life. From shooting!

So, pictures
Kevin's scotsmen, set up against my Spartans. Just look at all that medium foot in the open. As you can probably guess from the intro, didn't go so well for me.

 This is after the first impact phase. In total, 40 hits were inflicted spread across 8 battlegroups. Arms and legs and spleens and various other body parts went flying in all directions when our lines clashed.

Best combat round in the tournament (of any game played by anyone), hands down. There's nothing like two massive battlelines slamming home.

Melee, where Kevin's luck abandons him, but he manages to pass all his cohesion tests anyway.

Jammy Git.

Lower right, Perioikoi fleeing after—after—cutting down nearly half a unit of spearmen. Well done guys.

Not pictured: Spartans winning anything.

And splat go the scotsmen. Those two units on the left flank were the only points I managed to get off Kevin.

And here we have the set up against Rob's Vikings. Next time, Mr Wood, next time…

And a little picture of the battle in progress.

It was all going well until that unit in Rob's centre managed to make a CMT to turn, then flank charge the Spartans in the middle. Spartans who utterly failed to sweep before them the completely inferior Viking spearmen.

Also on the lower right, Thracians chewing through another unit. I begin to suspect this unit is special—after all, it's decimated 6 enemy BG's this tourney. And it's only Light Spear/Sword. And Average…

Last game set up, against Steve's Mittani. Lots of shooty chariots. All the terrain kind of vanished. It went bad from the get go, with me failing every cohesion test the entire game, bar two (once when the fragmented Phokians got charged, and once when the Thracians lost a combat).

Steve was a very gracious opponent, and his army looks amazing. Can't really say much else.











So the race for the coveted Wooden Spoon award was between me and Chris at the end of the day, but I wound up with it (dead last) due to Chris finally winning a game against Kevin's scotsmen in devastating style.

I can point out two reasons for that:
1) All these guys (except Chris) have played a lot more FoG than I ever have.
2) My dice rolls were, frankly, terrible, with the sole exception of the Thracians, and managing to kill Hannibal yesterday.

I claim a moral victory for being the only one to slay Hannibal. :P

A little bit smashed – Battlecry Day 1

So, Battlecry Day 1 was awesome. Despite me losing horribly. Twice. First up was Richard, with his Trojan War Greeks. Light Chariots,  Y U no stay and fight? Yeah, then he manoeuvres around and manages to rear charge some units. Bam. Done.

Game two was against Arthur's Lydian Greeks. Average start, not much in it. He gets a couple of points off my Thracians, and everything goes south when his dice fail to roll lower than a 4. Hmm… anyway, we both agreed that one was purely down to the dice. It really could have gone either way.

Game three was against Chris's Later Carthaginians. It went hilariously well. Starting with my Javelinmen charging his, then breaking them in a single turn. Then my Thracians messed up his cavalry. Chased his light horse off the board. Then got smashed by veteran African spearmen.

Then, the most crucial combat of the game, Chris commits Hannibal (Inspiring Commander 80 points, +2 to virtually every test known to man) to the front rank of a unit of Gallic Foot. All well and good, and the re-rolls helped them, until…

Yup, Hannibal's head now decorates my commander's tent. So half of Chris's army (it was blobbed up in refused flank) disrupts because of that. Next turn the Gallic Foot break, and some more tests, and everything that disrupted gets fragged. And that handed me the game.

I feel kinda bad for Chris, as he walked away from day 1 with no wins, and only managed to get a single point off my army.

Anyways, some pictures.

 The terrain vs Richard. Not too bad.

 Armies lined up. Painted armies, painted terrain. Just looks so much better. (insert Captain Obvious quote :P)

 Near the end. That's a unit of Spartans sandwiched between lots of chariots. Blargh.

 Terrain & armies set up vs Arthur. Not so bad. Except for all the terrain I'll have to slog through to get to him.

 And slog through it I did.

 I thought this was a portent of things to come. 7 hits off 8 dice. Unfortunately it was about my only good roll the whole game.

Lining up vs Chris on his awesome mat. Centre left, note the large blob of units. It's going to be important later.

 My javelinmen had successfully cut down his in close combat. Always funny seeing skirmishers fight.

 Remember that large blob being important?
Yeah, here's why. I killed Hannibal, the CinC of the army. This means everyone within 3" of the unit he was with has to take a test.

Three units in range. Two fail.

I break the central unit, provoking another flurry of tests. Look, more failures.

Yeah, I felt bad for Chris after seeing his army crumble like that, but when you blob up in refused flank, you either win, or everything suffers.

Finishing Touches

 Forest. Which, disappointingly looks more like a plantation due to the type of trees. Which is okay, 'cause the Plantation looks more like a forest anyway.

 Village. Those Baueda buildings painted up really nice. They're kept in place with magnets.

View from the other side of the village.












And now that's everything. Pumped for the tourney tomorrow. It's gonna be epic. I'm probably gonna get smashed. Let's see what happens.

Terrain

So, now I've got my terrain to show off. Just a couple of finishing touches before the end of the day tomorrow and everything's set.

 Plantation. I love woodland scenics stuff, even if it is fragile and fiddly at the best of times. The end result is always worthwhile.

 Hills. Gentle or Steep as you please. The badly dyed static grass doesn't look quite that bad in person. I was in a hurry, and didn't think to stock up on "savannah" static grass.

What's done is done. I can live with it.

 Vineyards & Gully. Woodland scenics. Mininatur tufts. More badly dyed static grass.

 Fields. Fences. Not really a lot to say. Carpet tile, just over the minimum size. Popsicle stick fences. Done.

 Forest. You may not an abject lack of foliage. That will be corrected tomorrow.

Houses, for the village. Need ink-lining on the stones, washes on the wood, then varnish and done.

And when all that's complete, it will be the first complete army (and terrain set) I have managed to do in three years.

Three.

Years.

God I'm lazy sometimes.

It is done!

Thracians, left side.

Thracians, right side.

Spartan cavalry, outriders

Spartan cavalry with Enomotarchos

And now I shall begin the "invocation of the completed army".

For the Sun!
Commanders, in all their glory.
A camp, a home to protect.

For the Wind!
Our allied javelinmen will darken the skies with javelins.
Our allied Hoplites, from the oracle at Delphi.

For the Rain!

Blood shall rain upon the Earth where our cavalry pass.
Our companions from Thrace will see their glory.

For the Thunder!
Our host of mighty hoplites.
The enemies of Sparta beware.

For the Storm!
Let all who face our army tremble at the sight!

Should any enemy tell us to lay down our weapons, we have for him but one answer:
Molon Labe!
Come and take them!

Not long now…

So, only did a little bit of painting today. I fear I'm getting complacent, with a week left, and only being the barest hint shy of a completed army.

Basically it's just the weapon handles for the Thracians, and manes, tails, and some dappling for the cavalry's horses. Cav still needs washing, then flesh highlights. Thracians need flesh highlights. Both need drybrushing for their bases, then varnish, and then basing tufts.