Through the Mines

Once again Matt laid out his dungeon terrain and we played a game. He's been working on using the Flint & Feather game engine for LOTR and it's shaping up nicely.  The scenario has Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli escorting the four Hobbits through the mines hoping to get out the other side.

A Wraith awakened while getting a treasure. 

Surviving the fight our group head to the next chamber.

Attacked from all corners Legolas and Gimli make short work of the skeletons.

Winding through the narrow passage.

Dinner time in the mine.

The fight is costly but won. 

Two of the Hobbits are down before Aragorn and Boromir can move in.

A vicious battle but in the end Good prevails.

It was a great game with the victor unknown until the last die roll. One of the great things about playing at Matt's is he has all the little details that add color to the table.

See some more pics of the action on Matt's blog.
Saltflats1929

What I did last Summer.

 With the start of school I'm reminded of how often our first assignment was to write about what we did during the break from school. As adults our summers don't contain the long break for summer and for some Summer is a busy time for work.

As September began I started to think about The Pledge from TMP and realized I hadn't painted anything in three months. A bit depressing but I started looking at what I had done and saw that despite being busy at work the Summer had been filled with activities though not all gaming related ones.

Our two year old niece had a baby sister in July so the niece came to visit us for a week while Mom, Dad and little sister got acquainted. We had forgotten had labor intensive a small child was but also managed some fun times with her. She did enjoy playing with the horses from my Civil War Playset.

Next came a ten day visit of my daughters dog. Another break in the routine but one that gives plenty of opportunities for hiking.

A day at the beach offered  some scenario inspiration.

Last of the big adventure was a seventy five mile ride around New York City. It was the last year for Transportation Alternatives NYC Century Ride. Always a fun ride I wasn't in shape for the whole event but squeezed out a good ride. It's fun to see the city from the seat of a bike and to take a more relaxed pace through some areas not usually seen. 

While painting miniatures was not an activity I did much of I was able to get a few games in.

Flint & Feather 

Lord of the Rings

A Gentleman's War Skirmish.

Chainmail Bikini in the Scottish Highlands.

I guess I lose points for turning this in late but hey it was fun and that's what counts in a Hobby.

No gaming tonight

A week into March finds the weather too cold to get out and seal coat painted figures or prime new figures. Fortunately I've enough primed and half painted figures to keep me busy. Fifty three figures need coating showing a productive painting month. We squeezed a game in on the 31st and gamed three of the four Thursdays in February. Three games of A Gentleman's War and one of Chainmail Bikini.

The first AGW game takes place in the foothills of the Khyber Pass. Matt held the fort as the British with a relief column arriving from the south. A good run of cards brought the cavalry into the fort reinforcing the garrison but the infantry were held up by the Pathans. Despite gaining a foothold in the fort the Pathans were pushed back and a forey by the Gurkhas pushed the enemy  cannon off the hill ending the attack.

i

The Pathans fire on the fort

The Relief force breaks through the pass. 

The Pathans swarm over the hills.

Reinforcements make it into the fort

The remainder of the relief column fight off the Pathans.

The Gurkhas push the natives out of the fort.

A rearrangement of the fort and replacing Pathans with Madists brings A Gentleman's War to the Sudan. Here Nate defended against the attacking Madists. The cards worked for the natives with Howards troops moving as a group on a facecard and getting in close with out being shot up. I was able to move up a unit and get into the fort but was not strong enough to hold on. Outside Nate's men made short work of my cavalry but were held off long enough that the garrison was overrun.

The gallant defenders await the attack.

A horde of camelry threaten from afar.

Despite heavy losses the Madists gain entry into the fort.

Across the parade ground the British and Egyptian troops are over run.

Making off with a captured British officer.

The last game was an 18th Century AGW  game loosely based on the battle of White Plains played at Toywiz. Howard commanded the Patriots and I the Crowns troops. My artillery opened fire doing little damage. I was then able to bring up both my brigades easily chasing off the skirmishes on my flanks. On the left the Hessians underestimated the Continentals and were quickly dispatched. On the right the British with the aid of Green apples ( a card which causes a negative effect on a unit drawn at the turn of a joker) pushed back the militia defending the fence line.

American militia defending.

Third NY hold the hill.

the British brigade form up for the assault.

The German brigade.

The British move up to the fence line.

Heavy firing on the British right 

The British persevere despite mounting casualties.

The Militia hold as reinforcements move up.

The firefight heats up.

More Americans enter on the left.

Things get tense.

Finally the Americans are pushed off the fence.

The Hessians move up against the Continentals.

More Americans show up.

The Hessians take casualties while closing in and then are crushed in close combat.

A playtest of Chainmail Bikini finishes out the games. Matt set up the table and the scenario. Three groups of Heros set out to find and rescue the Hobbits. Combat began right away and remained steady throughout the game.

Legolas, Gimli and their kinsman prepare to rescue the Hobbits.

Fighting around a pool results in the rescue of Sam.

Goblins appear behind our Heros.

Down in the tombs Gimli fights off a Wraith.

Gandalf & Aragorn are attacked by Warg Riders.

The men of Gondor battle in the tombs and find another of the Hobbits.

A good month for hobby pursuits.

 

More on the last game 

http://saltflats1929again.blogspot.com/2019/02/hobbit-hunt.html

Matt's Colonial game reports

http://saltflats1929again.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-great-game-part-2.html

http://saltflats1929again.blogspot.com/2019/02/once-more-into-desert.html

More on the AWI game on Howard's blog

https://thegatlingsjammedandthecolonelsdead.wordpress.com/2019/02/22/back-to-the-revolution/