100/100 - Painting Objectives Completed by Painting Objectives

Last week I did not think that I was going to be able to hit my 100 model goal for this year.  I wanted to get some more of my owls done, but they are not really fast to paint and it is a crazy busy time of year.

So I started to look through my "shelf of unpainted shame" for something that I could work on in short bursts (between wrapping presents, baking and seeing friends/relatives).  I found in the very back a few objective for Batman Miniature game that I converted up when the new addition came out but never painted.

What a better way to hit my painting objectives by painting objectives.  I had an ace chemical container, titan container and an ammo crate ready to go.  I was still missing two objectives, so I made a Wayne Tech objectives by taking the brief case off a Infinity civilian model.  I then picked up some of the pre-primed DnD crates and made a medical supply objective. 

These painted up fairly well and fast.  Since I was using some converted objectives instead of the ones released by Knight Models, I decided to paint the name and Victory Points on each of the bases to avoid confusion while playing.  I then went back and did the same thing to all my old objectives that have bases. 

When I play games I also tend to use the same objectives (Ammo, Titan, Riddles and Batsignal), mainly because I can never quite remember how the other ones work.  To help me with this I made some objective cards that I can place to the side of the game table as a quick reference for the objectives that I am using in that game.  For the most part I just cut and pasted the info from the BMG rulebook (I had to remake a few of the tables). 

Cant wait to try out the medical supplies and Wayne Tech in my next game!

Kevin

A Holiday Heist: The Scenario

Scenario:  The Holiday Heist

Overview:  With Gotham’s rampant crime and murder rate, instead of visiting everyone individually, Santa has decided to place all of the children’s gifts at convenient well-lit Christmas trees throughout the city.  However, Gotham’s criminal underworld see this as an easy score.  It is up to the cities vigilantes to ensure that the gifts get to where they are most deserving! 

Game Length: 6 rounds or when we run out of time

Objectives:  3 Present laden Christmas Trees.  No other Objectives will be used during this scenario.

Victory Conditions:  The team that controls the most presents (see below) during the recount phase of the last turn will be the victors! 

Special Rules:

-          Christmas Trees – In the center of the board there are three Christmas trees with 5 presents underneath each.  To retrieve a present from under the tree a model must be in base to base contact with the tree and manipulate it (1MC).  Remove of the presents from the tree and place with beside that model.  Christmas Trees cannot be harmed or destroyed.  They provide Ping! Roles like other terrain.  Any model may do this, even if they are not normally able to manipulate stuff. 

-          So Many Pretty Lights – Christmas Trees function as Lampposts that illuminate a 1inch area around the trees base.

-          What Thoughtful Gifts! -   A model carrying a present marker is considered to be controlling it.  EVERY model may control a present in this game.  If a model wishes to move while carrying a present, they must spend 1 additional MC before the move. A model can only carry one present marker at a time. Models may drop the present marker any time, and present markers may be stolen like weapons with the appropriate special rules.

If a model carrying a present marker drop it or becomes KO or a Casualty, place the present marker in base contact with the model where they became KO or in base contact with the model prior to removing it as a Casualty.

-          I saw it first! – If a model without a present is in base to base contact with an enemy model holding a present, they may attempt to wrestle it out of their grasp.  The model may make an unarmed melee attack action.  They may spend as many Attack Counts as they would like, PLUS one Special Counter.  Your opponent may then spend Defence Counters to Block the attack.  If any of the attacks hit, then both the attacker and the defender immediately roll a D6 and add their STR bonus to their roll (See table below).  Whoever rolled higher gets the present.   After who gets the present is resolved complete the attack as normal (roll for Damage, armour etc).

Models STR	Roll Bonus
2+	5
3+	4
4+	3
5+	2
6+	1

-          Urban Terrain:  The Game Coordinator will set up Lampposts and Sewers.

-          Strategies:  Strategies will not be used during this game.

-          Crew Composition:  Up to any three models from a single Crew (including available Free Agents) with a total Reputation cost of 150 and $1000 Funding.  You do not need a Leader or Sidekick.

-          Tis the Season of Forgiveness: You may ignore the Aversion rule when making your crew

The Holiday Heist: A BMG Megabattle

This past weekend we played a holiday themed Batman Miniatures game megabattle at Lords of War Games and Hobbies.  The scenario was that Santa had left all of Gothams presents by 3 brightly lit Christmas trees (it is simply too dangerous to go home by home in Gotham).  The players had to rush and hold onto the presents till the end of the game.

We had eight people attend the event, and each brought with them a crew of up to 3 models and 150 reputation cost.  Since it was also the holiday season players had $1000 funding.  They could bring any three models from a crew and did not need a leader or sidekick (so they could bring only henchmen or free agents etc).

The teams were roughly as follows:

Good guys:

Arkham Knight Batman from the Batfamily geared up

CW Flash with Harrison Wells

Gordon with 2 SWAT guys

DKR Bane with two Arkham inmates out on a work release program

Bad Guys:

Clayface with 2 Arkham Prisoners

King Shark and Reverse Flash

two court of owl talons with the Butcher

Deathstroke

Both side focused early on grabbing as many presents as possible.  Both Flashes kept running up grabbing a present then running back and dropping it off with a slower model.  Clayface kept grabbing presents and absorbing them into himself.

The game went back and forth a few times (I love seeing that in a megabattle).  The bad guys grabbed an early lead (mainly from Clayface and Reverse Flash) but the good guys where able to claw back a 4-3 victory at the end of the game.

One of the issues that we had with this custom scenario was that there was too many presents.  I was thinking more people would bring full 3 person crew or maybe more players would come out.  Each tree had 5 presents (15 in total). There was so many presents that people where not really stealing them from each other. In retrospect it was probably better to have 9-10.

One of the players, Ben, gave a good suggestion  that we implemented at the end of turn 2.  At the end of every recovery phase 2 random present exploded, dealing 1 automatic hit to whoever was holding it, dealing 1 stun and 1 blood with CRT: Casualty.  If no one was holding it, the present was just removed from the game.

It was fun and random.  Dealing some damage but not crippling anyone (except king shark maybe, but Batman already softened him up). It  also lowered the amount of available presents as the game moved forward.

Everyone seemed to have a great time,  the game moved well with not a lot of down time.  The store was also nice enough to donate some awesome prizes too.  If you held a present at the end of the game you actually received a present from the store. 

A big thank you to everyone who made it out, I had a blast running another one of our megabattles.  And thank you to Chris and Jay from Lords or War for the gaming space and wonderful prizes.

We will be starting a new challange league in the new year.  I hope to see many of you out for it! 

Kevin

95/100 - The Night Before Hogswatch...take 2

3 years ago I made a little Hogswatch display box.  I was not  happy with the printed background that I had put in the box back then.  So I decided that I would update it a little by making a three-dimensional fireplace this year. 

I built the fireplace by gluing individual bricks to a plastic card backing.  The bricks were made out of strips of foamboard with the paper peeled off.  I added a thin layer of plaster over the foam to give the appearance of mortar (and some extra texture for the foam).  The plaster was a little to think after it dried (I will thin in out more for the next project).  As I started to paint it, the plaster started to flake off though.  I added a layer of Mod Podge to protect it.

While I was going for the 3D effect, I did not have a lot of space to give the fireplace much depth.  I decided that I would disguise the fireplace opening with a decorative grate.  I took 3 old Warhammer Bretonnian Men-at-Arms shields (also the name of one of my favorite Discworld books) and glued them together.

I did some rearranging of the scenic pieces and removed the bases for Albert and the Hogfather for better atmosphere.

The piece has a much more finished feel to it now.  It also was great practice for my next display box that is in the works, the Canting Crew Caroling.

Kevin 

94/100 - "Beware The Court of Owls"

It has been a while since I have updated this blog.  That sadly means that I have also not been doing much hobbying.  However over the last week, between being sick...twice, I was able to finish a new model finally. 

I have started another crew for the Batman Miniatures game, the Court of Owls.  They have been one of my favorite villains for a while and I always wanted to paint up a crew.  Then Knight Models releases 2 amazing looking box set for the court (I cant wait to put Damian Wayne into the crew).  The Court of Owls will be an interesting crew.  They are an elite elite crew.  You don't get many models in your team, but most of them have mid-range Free Agent stats (Willpower 6, Attack, 4, Defense 4).

To help me get pumped and stay focused, I started a little BMG escalation league with a few good friends.  My hope is to finish 4 models (200rep) by the end of December.  The first member of my four was Ephraim Newhouse.  I used a brown colour palate with this model and lots of shading with watered down black.  I tended not to mix the paint much, and went more with multiple very thin layers to build  up the transitions.

Ephraim is a great model I think.  He has above average stats for a henchman.  His Scimitar deals 2 Blood Damage with the ability to deal an additional blood on a critical (instead of a stun damage).  Weapon Master gives him +1 to hit with his Scimitar as well.  He should be more then able to deal with most henchman in the game (and some leaders).

However I dont think that he is only a beater.  With Acrobat (+1 Movement and Dodge) he is fairly quick.  I was thinking of giving him the Camo Vest (stealth) and the Genetic Alteration (Fast) upgrades.  He would be harder to see from my opponents and a little faster, which would help him get to his Primary Target: Loot quicker. 

Whether I use him as a Loot Runner or a Beater (or more then likely a combination of both), I think Ephraim Newhouse will have a bright future in my Court crew.   

Kevin