A couple of games played.

 With the Holidays and sickness we didn't get many games in. The last few weeks things have begun again. 

First up was a game of Beef & Beer. Late 17th century on a gridded table. We used Howard's 10mm figures by Jim Brokaw.  I'm enjoying this game as I like using grids for movement and firing and the command phase allows for a fair amount of decision making. 

Behind the Hanoverian line.

Overview of the battlefield.

The center engaged.

Next we played LotR SBG. It's been a while since we played, ten years?, but the game is strait forward and moved along well. The Rohan force was trying to destroy a cave troll. 

Rohan fights off the Moria Goblins.

The Troll emerges from his lair

Rohan overwhelms the Troll.

Fun all around.

The 6x6 Challenge and other gaming experiences of 2017

Around this time last year Kaptain Kobold of  The Stronghold Rebuilt organized the 6x6 Challenge. The idea behind it is participants would choose six sets of rules of which they would play six games each. The thinking behind it is that it takes playing six games to really get to understand them. It sounded like a good idea and so I joined. Playing thirty-six games in the year was going to be challenge enough. The Rules chosen were; Chain of Command (CoC), A Gentleman's War(AGW), Mad Dogs with Guns, Saga, The Lion Rampant family and Sharpe Practice.

So how did it go? Ok. I felt it achieved it's goal for the games I played. I didn't get the chance to play Lion Rampant or Sharpe Practice and only played four games of Saga.

I got the six games of CoC in.  It took about four games to become comfortable with the rules. The last two games I found I was focusing more on the tactics than the modifiers and other mechanics of the rules. I'm still on the fence as far as liking CoC and will still look for another set but will happily play them. I do wonder if the two hours I generally have for a nights game is not enough for these rules.

AGW was played nine times some of them were the 19th century version others the Colonial or 18th century variant. This is my favorite set of rules. The mechanics are fairly simple. There's enough decision points and I feel it captures what Toy Soldier gaming is all about. Both the variants play well for their eras.

Mad Dogs with Guns was chosen to motivate me to paint up the figures and buildings. The rules were being published by Osprey mid 2017 and so I started with the original publication. The learning curve on these was quicker than CoC, of course having the author at the gaming table helps. These are a fun set of rules that lead to lots of banter among the players.

A campaign had been set up for Saga so it looked like this would be an easy way to get six games in. With family obligations, work and distance among the participants it didn't quite work out. I did get in four games and enjoyed them all. I liked these rules, the battle boards add to the decision making and forces a small enough that they can be built quickly and you could do more than one. I'm waiting for the new version to come out before committing more time to these though.

I see the challenge as being successful. I would think that a 3x6 or 4x4 challenge may be another approach, by the fourth game either you like the rules enough to learn more and continue playing or the system just isn't for you. Picking games others in your group are interested in helps to get the games in or maybe doing something solo would be a way to go.

I played forty games this year. Twenty-two were part of the 6x6 challenge. There were three extra games of A Gentleman's War. Several others were part of Howard Whitehouse's stable of rules, Battle Troll, Flint & Feather, Alien War and a Darkest Africa game. I enjoy Howard's rules the systems are similar but tweaked enough to capture the feel of the period that's being played. Other games were LOTR SBG used in a Dungeon crawl using Matt's beautiful terrain, The AWI rules from Der Alte Fritz of Fife & Drum miniatures, theses were easy to learn and quick to play. It took us two game nights to set up and finish the battle with Matt spending some extra time breaking down, Thanks for that. Lastly, The Portable Wargame was played using 15mm Romans and Carthaginians on a 2.5 inch grid. This is a game I hope to explore further next year. I like the grid movement and firing system.

Since no blog post is complete with out pictures here's a few from our game of Battle Troll the other night.

My men defend their women folk and beer barrels.

The Hero of the village mostly fend off blows whilst an unnamed karl does some real damage to the attackers.

Twin sisters of the attacking warband offer encouragement.

As the men folk fall back the women step up to nag the invading Warlord. 

Rather than face the women rushes off to battle my Hero.

Sub coming to his wounds my Huscarle dies.

The fight rages on until realizing it's the Hero's life or loosing some chickens and beer my men run off and the game ends.

2017 was a good year for playing games. Many exciting nights were spent in great company with nice miniatures and terrain. Over the next week I'll start to look at rules to be played in 2018 and how they'll dovetail into painting projects and purchases.
Thanks for reading!

The Way Out!

We met this week to finish out our game on Matt's excellent table. Last week left us with Howard attempting to escape from Balin's Tomb and not lose any more men and my Dwarfs preparing for an assault from a Cave Troll and more Goblins.

We send in the Gollem to do battle with the Troll and Goblins. He makes quick work of the Goblins but the Troll proves a powerful adversary. After several rounds of combat the Troll is put down.

Meanwhile Howard's troop comes across a strange creature who advises them on the direction of the exit. Un-trusting fellows they head off in the opposite direction. Good idea as I was to later discover.

Seeing a build up of Goblins at the far end of the corridor my Prince seeks a hidden passage out. He finds a likely spot and with the help of the Gollem but through into the caverns. The Dwarfs split up again and send the Stone Gollem to fight off the Goblins.

We encounter Howard's troop in the hallway and let them pass. Thinking they had missed the easy way out of the Mines we head off in the direction they had come with all of my band back together.

We meet the creature who gives us directions which we foolishly follow.

Howard's troop continues on and stumbles into a room loaded with treasure and Goblins. He gathers what he can and fights his way out of the mines.

His King and a companion are all that are left as the cross out of the deadly mines.

I had been sent off on a circular path by the creature but in the end found a door out and exited the mines the way we had entered. None to soon as more Goblins and another Cave Troll awaited us.

Lot's of fun and just spectacular terrain. More photos here

Pretenders enter Moria.

Another game night at Matt's. This time our host decided to umpire the game. I should remember some more of the details of the scenario, like my characters name but I was anxious to get gaming in the fantastic terrain that had been laid out before us.

The scenario had to Dwarven Kings who wished to become the High King venture into Moria with he who returns with the most treasure given the crown. The two groups enter the Mines while the Goblins await.

My King enters Balin's Tomb.

Howard's King is attacked by Goblins in the Armoury while mine falls into a trap and is attacked. A Cave troll moves down the corridors to feast on dwarven meat.

My Prince moves into another chamber and are surprised by a another group of Goblins.

The other King forms a line inside the tomb to fend off the attacking Goblins and the assault the Cave Troll. In the other room my Prince's group prepares to defend against another Cave Troll and Goblins.

We called the game because of time but decided that we would like to continue next week so Matt graciously said he would leave things set up and we will play again. The game was loads of fun. I hadn't played the rules in quite a few years and then only once or twice but really liked them. Dragon Rampant were the rules I was thinking of using for LOTR battles but I may have to rethink that. 

Here's the link to Matt's blog with more pictures of his great terrain.