Jungle scenery

This week my partner Frances made her first piece of wargames terrain - a base of jungle scenery, which turned out amazing!  Incredible detail, & it fits right in with my existing Lustria jungle terrain. It inspired me to model-up a blank hill that I had waiting to be finished - as another jungle piece.  Put together with the rest, I have a decent amount for running small skirmishes on my 2' x 2' Ronin board (I've been thinking of trying Lustria skirmishes using the Ronin stat-builder & my Warhammer Quest figures).  Could do with a bit more variety for this jungle set now - some overgrown ruins, murky pools, & perhaps a river!

Frances's scenery was based on an old CD, which first received a cardboard top, & then several layers of 3mm & 5mm foamboard cut to resemble a slight hillock (the depth was necessary to fit the plant stems into).  The foamboard was slathered in moulding paste to make a smoother hill, & when dry was painted dark brown, with splotches of olive green where the grass would be.  After various flocks & Gamers Grass tufts were glued on, the plastic aquarium plants were glued into holes drilled into the foamboard.

My hill followed the same recipe, but the base was entirely foamboard, with some 2p coins glued into recess in the bottom layer, to add some weight.

Below are some photos of the assembled terrain, with some of the denizens of the Lustrian rainforests lurking amidst the steaming undergrowth.

While I've made no progress on my Lustrian-themed Warhammer Quest dungeon tiles lately, I was pleasantly surprised how much 'above-ground' scenery I already have to hand for the same setting.

Ronin game: Escort

My third Ronin game against Frances - this time, the Escort scenario from the North Star Magazine website, modified slightly to suit the story arc of our trilogy of games.  This will be a pic-heavy post.  In the previous game, Lady Ishida Mitsu's sister, Sakura had been kidnapped by the villainous Yakuza 'Black Hand' gang (played by Frances).  Lady Ishida ('the Red Widow') has used her influence as a member of the Samurai class to rouse the local villagers to one last act of resistance against their Yakuza oppressors.  Sakura is being escorted to the Yakuza hideout for ransom, & my Peasants (with a little help) were to attempt a rescue en route.

We upped the points value to a larger game again - 150pts each this time.  This allowed a bit more variety in our factions, & enough points to hire some mercenary swords for our generally poorly-skilled fighters (especially for my lowly mob of Peasants).  Frances's Yakuza - escorting Sakura to their hideout - consisted of a Lieutenant & five Thugs with a katana (sword) each; two Thugs with a matchlock & katana each; two Ruffians with ararebō (cudgels); plus two hired Ronin, one with a katana, wakizashi (short sword) & Kenjutso (sword skill) attribute, & the other with a nodachi (great sword), wakizashi & Powerful (extra strength) attribute.

Facing these Yakuza, my Peasant force consisted of Lady Ishida & her loyal Yojimbo (bodyguard), each with katana, wakizashi, & Kenjutso; Bokusui the Warrior Monk with bō (quarterstaff), & the Acrobatic & Bōjutsu attributes; two Peasants with bamboo yari (spears); & eight Peasants with improvised weapons (farming tools).  I had also hired a swordmaster, Kuma ('the Bear').  He was a notorious drunkard, but said to be possessed of prodigious fighting skills in the art of Niten ('two swords').

Ronin game: Capture

Another Ronin game against Frances - this time, the Capture scenario.  My Peasants were trying to reach Lady Ishida Mitsu's sister, Sakura, before the dastardly Yakuza 'Black Hand' gang could kidnap her.  Sakura was placed in the centre of the board, & the deployment roll resulted in setup on opposite edges.

We scaled-up to medium-size (100pts-a-side) forces this time.  I deployed Lady Ishida - 'Akai Mibōjin' ('the Red Widow') - On the track leading through the village on the right flank, with her bodyguard beside her.  My peasants were stretched out behind the smaller house, & in the field behind it, with the warrior monk Bokusui leading the left flank.  Opposing them, Frances set-up her lieutenant on her left flank, backed-up by a pair of ruffians with clubs, & a thug with a matchlock. On Frances's right flank, she placed her five thugs with katanas.

Ronin game: Skirmish

This weekend my partner Frances played her first ever miniatures game, against me.  We played Ronin from Osprey Wargames, & she beat me, slaughtering my entire force!

We chose a small-size (50pts-a-side) straightforward Skirmish scenario to begin with.  I played as the upstart Peasants of Sangawe village, who were out looking for a fight with their oppressors, the local Yakuza 'Black Hand' gang.  My 50pts of Peasants were led by the traveling warrior monk Bokusui with a bō (quarterstaff), who has taken a shine to the villagers after discovering the Black Hand gang runs a gambling den in the abandoned temple at the edge of Sangawe.  Bokusui has the Acrobatic, Bōjutsu, & Fearless Attributes, meaning that he ignores Difficult Terrain effects, gets re-rolls when fighting with his bō, & has unshakeable morale.

Bokusui led five Peasants - very feeble fighters, four armed with farming tools (improvised weapons), & one armed with a bamboo yari (spear), the latter at least benefiting from a +2 Initiative bonus from his weapon, increasing the likelihood that he may strike before his opponents.

Frances's Yakuza force consisted of  four thugs armed with katanas (one acting as leader), & a ruffian armed with an ararebō (studded cudgel).  The ruffian is as feeble a fighter as my peasants, but the thugs are a level above them in skill (& properly-armed!)

Giant Ants

This week I finished 'D12' bases of Giant Ants for my Lustria-themed Warhammer Quest collection.  I will use the Giant Insects stats from Warhammer Quest Chronicles for these critters, minus the Fly ability, & therefore reducing the gold for slaying each base to a meagre 4g.  For comparison, Giant Spiders are worth 15g each.  Giant Ants are the least deadly foe in Warhammer Quest, so I may make them 'D6+6' or even simple '12' in quantity when they are encountered in the game.  I used cheap rubber joke shop ants for these, gluing two to each base as they are a little smaller than the Giant Spiders, & to better give the impression of a swarm.

These were really straightforward to paint - it was preparing the 12 jungle bases that took the time!  Next I will try chopping-up some of the many leftover ants & gluing body sections together to make some Giant Centipedes/Multipedes (they will probably only have 12 legs!) - a slightly more threatening prospect for the Warriors, at 30g each for slaying.

Gigantic Snake

I recently finished this gigantic snake for my Lustria-themed Warhammer Quest collection.  It's a hard rubber toy that I've had since my childhood (retrieved from my parents' attic).  It took model paints well, & I'm pleased with the outcome.  I'll be using the Giant Snake rules from the excellent Warhammer Quest Chronicles website.  Those stats make this a tough Monster for the adventuring Warriors, worth 570 gold for slaying.  For comparison, a basic Ogre is worth 400 gold, a Gigantic Scorpion is 450 gold, while a Kroxigor is 750 gold.

As with my Gigantic Scorpion, following the size logic of giant & gigantic spiders in Warhammer Quest, I termed this huge snake 'gigantic', & will count it as a Large Monster, because it required a Ø60mm base (2x2 dungeon squares).  It will probably need a few Wounds added to it's profile to account for being potentially open to more Warriors attacking it at once, & a slightly higher Gold value as a reward for defeating it.

Amaxon Serpent Priestess

This week I converted & painted a figure as an Amaxon* Serpent Priestess for my Lustria-themed Warhammer Quest collection.  I purchased the miniature via Fenris Games, but didn't want the 'male-gaze' bare breasts & bum look for these fierce matriarchal warrior women - therefore with my limited Green Stuff putty skills, I sculpted a top & skirt.  I'm pleased with the result, which is somewhere between the original 1980s fully-clothed 'punk-Native-American' vibe, & an 'Aztec-jungle-warrior-woman' look.  Initially I instead tried sculpting a hanging fan of feathers around her neck, & then multiple beaded necklaces, but both were too challenging, hence the plain top.  I may yet add a necklace of fangs from my Lizardmen bits though.

The Amaxons of Lustria are said to be descended from the womenfolk of a Norscan raiding camp.  When their barbarian menfolk disappeared venturing into the jungle, they survived & thrived alone, supposedly discovering powerful artefacts amidst ancient ruins which have granted them immortality & negated any need for men in their society.  Although descended from pale-skinned Norscans, I will be painting my Amaxons with a collection more befitting the climate, as they are generations removed... & perhaps the story is a myth - perhaps they were already protecting the ruins of the Old Ones, long before the Norscans (& then the Empire) came to plunder!

Priestesses are part of the religious sisterhood that governs the mysterious Amaxon society, possessing shamanic powers to harness the forces of nature against interlopers in their sacred jungles & Old One ruins - for instance hurling a swarm of bees, calling grasping vines, raising gales, or even escaping threats by turning into a cloud of butterflies.

* = I've chosen to go with the 'Amaxon' spelling rather than 'Amazon', because these matriachal tribes reside on & around the river Amaxon in Lustria, & the spelling is more fitting with that of the Lizardmen cities.

Wood Elf

This weekend I finished my second Warrior (player character) for Warhammer Quest (original version).  Following on from my Marienburg Noble, this time it's the Wood Elf, one of the classic four Warriors included with the base game.  Again, I picked a figure to fit with my Lustria-set dungeon, so I didn't want the usual cloaked Elf - it's hot & humid in the Lizardmen-infested jungles!  Another twist on the usual trope is that I picked another female figure.  Again I went with another excellent Hasslefree miniature, one that I felt had a real 'wild woods' vibe, while still looking suitably Elfin.  One minor thing about the figure is that it was very flat, which wasn't helped by the firing pose, & I'm a fan of WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), so as the basic Elf begins armed with a sword as well as a bow, I added a sheared sword from the Empire Greatswords sprues.  I think this helps to bring a bit more '3D' to the pose.

Maika von Ostwald, the wealthy daughter of a Marienburg merchant lord, tired of life among the trade guild elite, & traveled to the New World in search of adventure.  The Wood Elf Eelyn Greenblade joined Maika on her voyage through a shared wanderlust, becoming one of her first questing companions.  Finally, here's a photo of the Noble & Wood Elf together...  Next up, the Wizard!

More Foreign Legion support units

As part of a long-running series of gifts to my friend & gaming comrade, Tim, I've painted some more support units for his 15mm-scale Crossfire 1980s French Foreign Legion (2e REP paras).   Here's a photo of Section Bleu (the first platoon that I've finished for him, with all their attached support options (including an AMX 30 B2 Main Battle Tank).

I've now put together an additional Forward Observer, two more sniper teams, two 51mm mortar teams (plus smoke markers), & a .50cal team. Added to the support units which I already made for Tim, thats a total of two FOs, four sniper teams, two mortar teams, and three HMG teams (including one .50cal).  Next up for this force is to finish the second platoon, Section Rouge; & then a few APCs & a couple of 105mm-cannon-armed armoured cars.  I may also add a Company Commander squad & a combat engineers squad to round the force off.