Looking back at the last 18 months or so

It has been a good couple of years on the hobby front and this blog has benefited from both the variety and intensity of my indulgences.

In early 2012 -13 I had been playing Warhammer 40k, my Dark Angels and put a lot of time and effort into the new models and some real learning from the games we played. Very enjoyable but large scale and a lot of effort required.

A change of pace was needed and so Star Wars X-Wing was discovered. We loved it. Totally new game mechanics and each game was of short duration. A blast to learn and play.

The game acted as inspiration. We had played many games over over recent years and recognised the joy of getting away from the large scale stuff for a blast of fun to break things up. Short sharp games with lots of action and dice rolling. Heroic acts where you could risk all and maybe, just maybe it would come off. A new game was born - Dark Crucible

Myself and the Dark Templar spent several months developing the game. The idea was to have something that most people with a small collection of models could play on a coffee table. We started with an agile, lightly armoured force, the Celts against the more heavily armoured and regimented force, the Romans. We wanted each side to have 5 -10 models and so it began.

We tried a few different systems of game mechanics. This was not easy but definitely great fun.

I had the pleasure of being the Celts and coming up with ideas to bring them to life. I wanted them to be fast and lightly armoured Tribesmen.

War band by Michael at 28mm Victorian Warfare

I started doing some reading and really liked the idea of having reckless, body painted/tattooed , semi naked freaks to give character. We also discussed the influence of magic or the druids. This was very important to the Celts. The idea of The Morrigan was born, influencing all on the battlefield.

I have recently discover this model, I just need to figure out how and where to buy it ;-)

Game development was great fun. We came up with the concept and the starter rules in the first couple of months and then began to develop stage two. To be honest I think we should have bedded in stage 1.  Finished it off properly and then launched into stage 2 but ..... excitement got the better of us. It was a great break from the norm though and something for us to revisit maybe later in the year.

At this point we rediscovered a long lost friend Blood Bowl!

There followed a manic few months where first I played by Orks and then my Skaven. It was pure joy. 

I launched myself into scenery building first for the Orks and then for the Skaven. This was all new to me and it added to the joy in a big way.

We had been away from the large scale games now for a while and Gameworkshop brought out the 7th Edition for 40k. We couldn't resist and new rules were purchased, new models bought and new armies developed.

First my 1500 point army which was victorious and then my Ultimate 2500 point Walker Army which did not fare so well. But it was fun all the way with great banter and name calling!!

Christmas has been heralded with the arrival of a new venture - Zombicide.

I am already deep in the painting phase and my Zombies are gradually becoming drenched in blood. Now that just has to be a great start to the year!!

Roll on 2015 and all the fun that it brings.

Happy gaming out there in hobby land.

Blood and Gutz

Had some fun last night throwing some paint onto the goblin orderlies. White can be a really difficult colour but the up side is that it really stands out. I brought this up in layers from brown and the result is ok. I used a shade wash around the edges and was particularly useful in pulling out the knots on the stretcher. White works particularly well with splashes of red blood.

McMourning hollered - 'bring me a new one'. So off they went to find another victim with their blood splattered stretcher.

The models are very comedic and make for a completely zany addition. I love them.

They both have their tongues hanging out and look suitably 'spaced' with mad eyes. I imagine them as slavering lunatics addicted to blood and gore. Lets face it, in the world of Blood Bowl they would fit right in. They make a wonderful addition to the Orcland Raider entourage.

The Skaven will be borrowing them on Saturday so lets hope they will be busy ferrying Dark Elves to their new dugout!

Goblin Orderlies in Da House!

He he - they have arrived. Another fun project to keep me occupied. Couldn't wait to get at them.

The first interesting issue is the bases. There are no good joint spots for the goblins to grab the stretcher so having separate bases just was not going to work. The whole thing would need proper pinning or a single base - maybe both.

I dug around and found something suitable.

I think it is from the Dark Angels and probably for the bikes. As you can see the models are metal (unexpected - I really need to read the small print) and that makes them quite heavy so I needed to get them well and truly stuck into position. I cut down their metal tabs to form triangles under each foot and then followed a very careful measuring exercise.

I drilled out the plastic base to insert each triangle and then used glue and green stuff to get a really solid fixing.

It worked really well however we will have to wait and see if the stretcher is going to hold or will I need to get pinning. I am suspecting the later.

The models themselves are quite good fun and a little bigger than expected. They have 'mad' facial expressions.

They are definitely bigger than my other goblins and nearly the size of the pain boy. No doubt they picked the biggest goblins for their strength ;-)

I am looking forward to painting them up.

The next big game is on Saturday - it is a rematch between the Skaven and the Dark Elves. I could do with a win and am looking forward to it. Might get some paint on them by then.

Orc Painboy

I have been working on the Orc Painboy. It is a really cool model with lots and lots of detail. I think I will be working on it on and off for some time but he is coming along nicely.

I struggled to get a decent photo of him because of the position of the right arm. It casts half his body in shadow.

I love all the knives and scissors and various other 'medical' devices he has about his person.

I have gone with a white head piece and mask in the hope that it will tie in nicely with the goblin orderlies, when they arrive.

I can see!

I have just had a present delivered and I have my good lady wife to thank for the gift. It is a magnifying glass surrounded by a daylight lamp to help me with all this new painting activity.

I have just given it a bit of trail run and it is superb. You can see the detail on the models so much easier. Eyes have been transformed - obviously it is still just as hard to get the paint in the right place, but at least I can see where the issues are now.

The trick is to hold the model back from the glass. This is good because you have plenty of room to operate the paint brush.

No doubt I will learn a lot over the new few days but this is a fantastic addition to the hobby area.

The more keen eyed amongst you will notice that I found my Painboy and a Banner wielding nob! The Orcland Raiders will be an off field force to be reckoned with.

I have also put an order in for ..... goblin stretcher bearers.

They are so cool!!!! Can't wait for them to arrive - the magnifying glass has been a timely purchase indeed.

Da boyz are back in town

The postman came on Saturday with a delivery! Drummers!

I am building a band and its going to be loud.

Also a Lizard crew are about to emerge to do battle so I thought it only polite to use one of their skulls as a drum :-)

The troop are coming along nicely and will be a great addition to growing collection of Orc hangers on.

I am sure I have a pain boy somewhere ...... back to the garage for another rummage.

Orcland Raiders Banner

I had a bit of fun this morning and ended up with this.

My Orc Blocker, Vultug Flame Basher leading 'da boyz' on to the field of play. Ha ha!

Come on you Raiders!!!!

Orcland Raiders

An image to strike fear into very souls of the opposition. A new brand is born. (or is that franchise?)

The Orcland Raiders are here and very much in your face.

It has been a busy Christmas on the gaming front. The Blood Bowl has been first class entertainment. I have had great fun growing my squad of Orc's. They were only a few in the beginning. And they lacked colour and personality.

I added some reds and blues to the colour scheme and applied lots of 'wash' to give them that dirty, 'lived in' feel.

Next I paid a visit to ebay. I needed some more Blockers, Blitzers, and a Troll. Highly successful, I got an entire team for £16 including postage. A real bargain!

Da Boyz were starting to look like a team. I needed a goblin and a visit to my 'bits box' allowed me to scramble together what I needed to construct a suitable model. This got me thinking about the Orcs them selves. My team had three identical Blockers, it also had three identical Blitzers. It would be nice if they were different. I had a look around and discovered the Warhammer Savage Orc plastic box set. Fantastic models that oozed personality. I love the open mouth posing.

I am still working on the new Blitzers but overall a great gathering of orcs.

The team grew over the course of three games of Blood Bowl and this has allowed individual heroes to emerge. Yakstick the Goblin was the super star of game one. My Blitzer Karfu and Blocker Vultug made their names in game 2. And finally in game three Karfu became a rampaging beast, Vultug made an unbelievable interception and Blitzer Pergu, number 11, scored two touchdowns.

Thanks to the Dark Templar for the new Orcland Raider brand. I feel the need for cheerleaders and banner waving fans!!

New Orc Blitzer models

I have been working on some new Blitzer models for the Orcland Raiders. I have four in the team at the moment and three of them are the same plastic orc blitzer model. I replaced one standard model for Karfu last week using one of the Savage Orcs from Warhammer. This was a great idea because the new model is oozing personality and was great fun to play.

Here he is at his intimidating best closing in on the Dark Elf ball carrier.

Well one of the other Blitzers had a great game, scoring two touchdowns and gaining MVP. He deserved to have his own model. I thought I would replace all 3 when I was at it. There are actually four Savage Orcs models that are in running stance - so very appropriate. I give you the new orc Blitzers.

Still early days on the painting front but they do look intimidating. Pergu Nail Snapper has just gained the Guard skill so he will be the guy on the right with the single spike on his shoulder.

The next project will be a Skaven team. I think the Boomtown Rats will be a suitable name.

I used to really like playing the Skaven in the past. So fast, so fragile, so funny.

Skilling up

After our game this week I had acquired a lot of SPP's. Three players had new skills to choose. A new Black Orc, A new Blitzer and Karfu my Orc super Blitzer who already had the Mighty Blow upgrade.

I think the easy choice is to give the Black Orc, Block. It had worked well for the first Black Orc upgrade.

The Blitzer is questionable. Number 11, Pergu Nail Snapper, scored two touchdowns and was awarded Most Valuable Player. His current tally of SPP's is fourteen and therefore very close to his next upgrade. So do I make him into another Killer Blitzer following Karfu's footsteps or do I go for a Support Blitzer. I am leaning towards the Support role.

I am looking at Guard and Tackle.

Guard means you always assist in a Block even if you are in another players tackle zone. I can see that being used a lot.

Tackle means that players standing in my tackle zone can't use their Dodge skill. On the whole, at at this early stage I think that Guard will be used more in the games. So Guard it is.

And now to the main man - Karfu!

He had a great game and has become a real menace. Giving him a second skill will only increase his threat. But what to give him. I am looking at Piling On and Frenzy as my main options.

Piling On sounds good but has a downside in that you finish as 'Prone' lying face up on the field, vulnerable. The upside is that you can force a knocked down player to reroll either the Armour or Injury dice. Good at increasing your casualty causing.

Frenzy sounds great - the player turns into a 'slavering psychopath'. Here, if the opponent is Pushed Back or Defender Stumbles you must follow up and Block him again. This could be great for opening up holes in the line or breaking through cages. Perhaps the downside is that the action must be taken. There is no choice. The second Block might not have the assists that the first had. So there is potential downside.

I am swaying towards Frenzy, probably because you finish standing up, but some more thought required.

All advice gratefully received.

Da Boyz are ruling the roost

Another fantastic day of Blood Bowl. Today I travelled to the home of the Daggeroth Darkblades. A totally different experience. We are starting to get a real grip on the game and today was much more tactical. The Dark Templar had done his homework and came to the game with a plan. Instead of standing up to the orcs he would fade away, dodge, pass and look for opportunities to open up. The heavy scale Blocking was a thing of the past. Today was for tactics.

The pity was that The Orcs had had a couple of victories with some SPP's and picked up some extra's. They were powerful. The Darkblades were virgin and as such they were up against it. However the plan was in place and the game began.

The difference between the undead and the dark elves is that you need to commit to the Dodge. Mentally this proved a challenge at the start of the game but over time the Dark Templar began to 'feel' his way to confidence.

The start was brutal! And the Dark Elves started positively.

Both of my newly skilled orcs were on their ass on turn one. Could the fortunes be changing?

Not only this but the Darkelves had actually picked up the ball. This was different all right. Much more control.

However my Blitzer 'Valtrog' had acquired Mighty Blow and was rampaging around the field. He was applying pressure and beginning to be a real thorn in the Darkblades side.

Block and Mighty blow really gave me confidence. The double handed blows of the Blitzer 'Karfu' were becoming an intimidating presence. Here he has worked his way around the back and is applying pressure on the ball carrier.

However the Darkblades were up to the task. The ball carrier squirmed free and was ready to pass the ball to a free Blitzer. Nooooo....... I had been sucked in. I was in trouble. The Pass went over the head of my upgraded Black Orc 'Valtrog Flame Basher'. He reached into the sky and attempted an interception. He needed a six and the big hand was raised into the sky. I rolled the dice and Nuffle was in my corner. Six!!! I had the ball. The laughing was loud!

And with that ...... I headed to the touchline. A hand-off to Blitzer number 11 and we are in. Can you believe it? We are ahead.

Karfu, my upgraded Blitzer, was doing some damage began to knock people over and cause some casualties - 4 on the day. Big SPP's for him. This was predicted on the blog comments. Well done guys. He was a maniac!!

Interesting Bolgrot was proving to be difficult. The troll must have had at least three turns of being Stupid. I can see why people don't like him in the Orc lineup.

There was some 'to and fro' in the following moves. The Darkblades were down 3 players by the half so gaps opened up and I scored a quick touchdown early in the second half.

But then the Darkblades returned to full strength and it was very different. The Darktemplar had begun to get some confidence about the strengths of his new team and it showed. They reacted well to receiving the ball and opened up a door in the middle of the field.

Their running Blitzer was away and  Going For It. I took some big risks and knocked the Blitzer down. My goblin picked the ball up but was knocked down himself. The Darkblades took control and walked in for their first touchdown!!! Gratz gratz.

A great game with lots of twists and turns. I think the Dark Elves suit the Dark Templar so will this team grow?? Lets see.

Thanks to the Dark Templar for hosting today. Great fun and a big step forward.

Will the 28mm Victorian step forward? So many questions.

To the Victors ...

It only seemed right that the developing players should get a little tender loving care. Two players had moved along and picked an extra skill.

Black Orc - 'Vultog Flame Basher' acquired Block which seriously improves his blocking skill. (by 16.66%) I thought that I would add to his model making him stand out from the other Black Orcs.

First I built a hat from green stuff and some bits from the Orc Bitz Box. I went for the 'broken horn' look.

I also added another shoulder pad. I went for something smaller than the one on the left.

Finally I added a disk to the bottom of the left shoulder pad. This can be used to write his number on and keep him looking the same as his team mates.

Blitzer - Karfu Eye Cutter acquired Mighty Blow. In future when he knocks down opposition players they will have to add '1' to their AV roll or add '1' to the Injury Table roll (Ouch!!) making it more likely that he will cause serious damage. My existing Blitzer model are the same. I figured that a 'new build' was appropriate. Karfu actually has the most SPP's on the team with 10. In game 2 he caused a casualty, scored a touchdown and was the MVP. A bit of a superman really. He is therefore closest to getting a second skill and becoming a bit of a monster.

I returned to the Warhammer Savage Orcs box set. There is a running orc model with only one foot on the floor (in fact 4 of them...how fitting) So I picked the one I liked best. I do like the head, a broken undead limb in his mouth.

I went for the 'both hands in the air' look. You can feel the 'mighty blow' that he is about to deliver.

I added shoulder pads and again used some green stuff to make the metal disk for his number.

Now if it would only stop raining I could get outside to put some primer on him. But that doesn't look likely today.

In summary our narrative is developing nicely.....

Yakstick Sticky Hand (chief goblin) has acquired a reputation. Super scorer, dodger supreme and target for the 'bucket' treatment!!

Bolgot Bone Snapper (troll) has proved to be the much needed immovable object in the middle of the field

Popeye Wind Rider (Thrower) has become the lead ball handler / Thrower having completed an accurate pass in game 2.

Vultog Flame Basher (Black Orc) has become the lead casualty causer, with 3 so far.

Karfu Eye Cutter (Blitzer) is the current 'super star' and will be the one to watch going forward.

What next? - we are discussing an away match later in the week and not sure who the opposition will be yet, Dark Elves, Humans, Undead or maybe even Khemri? Will Nuffle be sated by the much anticipated Auzzie coloured Block dice? Bring it on.

2-0 but Da Gobo bites the bucket

Hi there Blood Bowl fans. Today saw the much awaited rematch between the Orcland Raiders and the Gravesend Gutchewers. What a day, what a day.

Had the Darktemplar managed to organise some coloured 'Block' dice? Would the god 'Nuffle' hamper his efforts? Would the goblin be 'Da Man'? Had the Black Orcs learned how to foul in true Orc'ish style? And would the Mummies be able to do their job, in spite of their tendency to trip over bandages? So many questions........ anticipation .......... and Blood Bowl mania.

The Gutchewers were in town.

The Dark Templar had painted up the MVP Zombie from game one and he was looking good. Couldn't resist the double skull in front of the Mummy - but surely it couldn't happen again? Could it?

Well the first thing to say is that a big thank you is due to the Dark Templar for his visit today - great fun indeed! A gent.

The game was much different to the first. We were both much more aware of tactics and the game reflected this.

The interesting thing is that the Undead seem incapable of picking up the ball. This is serious in terms of bringing any kind of predictability to the game. This proved a real problem at the beginning of game 2. I took advantage by Throwing Team-mate in the middle of the problem, very funny to have a goblin arrive where he is not wanted. I also applied some Blitzer pressure.

It felt so good to throw the goblin for the first time. Very orc'ish.

However it was tough for the Goblin. Old Yakstick Sticky Hand was bashed about a bit and finally the Gutchewers ganged up and badly fouled him. Foul ref, foul!!! The referee didn't see it and Yakstick ended up in the injury bin.

There was a certain amount of jubilation as a promise made on Dark Templar blog was delivered. 'The goblin was going home in a bucket!' I must admit to being somewhat dismayed.

But this was to ignore the 'Nuffle effect'. The Darktemplar has been in total fear of white dice for sooooooo many years. Every time he has tried to use them they have burnt him badly - I'm am being really serious about this. We joked beforehand because coloured 'Block Dice' had been ordered, from Australia but they had not arrived. We talked about the double, double skull and laughed .......

I kid you not - it happened again!!

The Gutchewers couldn't roll dice to save their lives, well they are undead. It was amazing. I felt for the Dark Templar. There was a plan but ......... Nuffle had intervened and did so regularly!

I got the ball and opened up the right hand side of the pitch.

The new Thrower 'Popeye' did the business, picked up the ball, carried, threw the ball and it was successfully caught. Touchdown Orcland Raiders!

Towards the end of the half the Gutchewers lost some players to successful Blocking and Fouling and so started the second half 2 men down. A big disadvantage.

The Raiders were also receiving! A good offence position. We suffered a Blitz at Kickoff. Wow - that was interesting. Puts you on the back foot a bit.

I had stood off the Gutchewers but the Blitz allowed them to get right in my face. A painful start to the the half. However I did manage a second Touchdown  to make it a 2-0 result.

The new look Orcland Raiders are now looking good.

I have some new skills, a Blitzer with Mighty Blow and a Blocker with Block. I also have a new team reroll. Getting stronger all the time.

The orcs remain the team to beat but I got to say that 'Nuffle' played a big part and I am eternally grateful. Thank you great god.

Going tribal

Well as the team develops I figured that I needed each player to have some individual personality. Over the christmas I was having a look at the Savage Orcs from Warhammer and really liked them. I purchased a box set and have had a bit of fun creating some new Black Orcs.

Plenty of broken bones on display, well they were scattered all over the field following the visit by the Gravesend Gutchewers. It was only right to make use of them ;-)

And it is always handy to have a 'weapon' now that we will be be doing a little more fouling!

Bring on the rematch.

New Thrower revealed

Yes folks, its true - the Orcland Raiders have signed up a new Thrower. Mr 'Popeye Wind Rider' a very popular choice with fans. Here he is in his first team photo wearing the Raider colours.

You can see old 'Boghat Dragon Shooter' in the back there sporting the yellow stripe on his helmet. He is missing the next game with a mear 'gouged eye'. This is not going down well with the fans and talk has started about that yellow stripe travelling further south, right down his spine.

This is a real opportunity for 'Popeye'. If he can put in a good performance and earn some Star Player Points he may find himself being first choice. Old Boghat didn't see much of the first game, being pushed off the field in turn six and certainly did not earn even one Star Player Point.

And folks - rumours of a rematch surfaced today. We understand that this could be as soon as the weekend. Oh my - this is exciting!

We are also hearing stories that the Orcland Raider coaching staff felt the first game was far to 'clean'. Not one of da boyz 'stuck the boot in'. This is very unorc'ish indeed. Some of the players were held back after practice today and did some 'additional work' away from prying eyes. Emmmm - I think that a few more of those Gravesend Gutchewers might be coffin bound after the next match.

Bring on the Christmas Gaming.

Blood Bowl lessons from the Orcland Raiders

The game against the Gut Chewers was great fun. It moved fairly slowly as we were getting back into the rules but at the end of the day a lot was learned?? So this is me thinking out loud .....

The edge of the board is not your friend! In Blood Bowl teams are supported by large crowds of enthusiastic supporters. Should any player leave the field of play they are set upon. This is not a good thing. There are no saving dice rolls applied and the player goes straight to the Dead / Injured box. You miss the rest of the game and there is potential for longer term trouble when rolling on the Casualty Table at the end of the game.

In short this is the best way to damage the opposition and therefore something to be very aware of both on offence and defence.

It is worth taking a risk to push an opposition player off the field!

I lost my Thrower from this 'safe looking' position. A few well organised 'Push Backs' and I was off the board.

Team rerolls are important. They are expensive but they are your one protection against the vagaries  of the dice gods. I started with 2 but I had a Cheerleader and an Assistant Coach which increased my chance to get another free reroll on the Kick Off table. A roll of 6 or 8 triggers this. For two of the three halves that we played I benefited from this.

Don't waste a reroll. When you are out of rerolls bad things can, and usually do, happen at crucial points in the game. Think before you use a reroll. Is it really worth it early in the game? What is the upside you are looking to achieve?

You have to pick the ball up! Seems obvious but if you are not in possession then you can't score. It is good to have someone that has an increased chance of picking the ball up. Failing to pick the ball up is also a Turnover so it is even more important to have the right player doing the job. The orc Thrower is the best person on the Orcland Raider team for the task as he comes with 'Sure Hands', a free reroll should he fail to pick up the ball first time.

I lost my Thrower during game one and really missed him. The ball seemed to turn into a bar of soap after that ;-)

Doing nothing is better than doing something stupid We all feel the pressure to move and score but there is no need to over commit. Be patient, apply some slow pressure, let things develop, sometimes you can just get plain lucky.

It is better to not risk a chancy Block so that your player stays on his feet with his tackle zone intact. This puts a different kind of pressure on the defender who may, in turn, make a mistake. This is particularly true of the troll. His use in the game is to be a road block - this can rapidly turn into a large hole if he is forced to the ground.

Zone defence. You can reach a point where it is more important to fall back than to continue to pressure the ball. Its about having a plan B if plan A is stalling. A regroup can be a good thing and can allow time for players to get back on their feet.

The half is 8 turns long Remember that you have to have a plan to score within the turns that remain. This puts pressure on slow moving teams and sometimes you have to take risks to give yourself the chance. You have the 'Go for it' rule and there are times when it essential to use it. Factor it into your plans.

At the end of turn six, in game one, I managed to get myself out of a very tricky situation. There was both judgement and luck involved. At the end of the turn as I proudly surveyed the safe position that I had achieved (my Blitzers in possession of the ball tucked in behind a Black Orc alongside the troll) I realised that I could not score in turns remaining.

That feel good moment was short lived!

Fouling has its place We didn't really do this at all which was a missed opportunity. It is another method of getting rid of players from the field and remember that assisting players force +1 per player to the Armour roll. It is worth ganging up on a downed player and sticking the boot in, especially a high value player.

We play for fun at the end of the day we play this mad game to have a good time, to be with friends, to laugh out loud and revel in the stories that develop. We had a great day. I have not laughed so loud in ages. The build up was also fun. Assembling the team, poking fun at the opposition, buying on ebay, painting up the team and crowing loudly. I reckon that we had a good months worth of fun from this one game. Blood Bowl we love you. May the next venture be equally good.