Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

9.02.2013

Book Review: In Her Majesty's name

This is a book review for a set of steampunk skirmish rules. We've not yet played the ruleset, a new review will be posted as soon as we do.

The ruleset caught my eye in the Wargames Illustrated. Greet mini's and great setting. We are playing Chaos in Carpathia but that is more Victorian horror. This is more the steampunk variation in my opinion. The book is accompanied by a blog with latest findings, errata, additional material and reference cards.

The book is good: Nice size book, softcover, good pics and not a ruleset with 500 pages. Read the book within the hour and flipped through the warbands. I love the setting and quick paced skirmish rules (as they read, how they play has to be experienced yet!).
I am enthusiastic on forming a warband and the fact that you can come up with your own themed warband is great. A solid ruleset for creating warband members including the formula's to calculate the points for your warband members is ace. Playing these kind of games leads to coming up with ideas of your own. It is then difficult to create such a thing. You need a lot of playing hours with existing warbands to get a feeling for points value. When eventually you come up with your own it needs loads of play testing and tweaking (and discussing with fellow gamers) until you have a balanced set (if you didn't quit in the process).
This set of rules bodes well for creating your own warbands in the steampunk setting. Love to get to grips with the game!

6.22.2009

Review: Felix and Gotrek first omnibus

A blog about Mordheim gaming is linked to stories of fabled heroes wandering the realms. Therefore I found it appropriate to add a small review of the latest book I'm reading.


The stories of Felix and Gotrek exist for some time and they are now available in a handy paperback omnibus (there are 2 actually, the second omnibus I also have, but first this one has to be read of course). As said an omnibus containing 3 books, giving you approximately 800 pages of reading material. I'm now half way the first book and I have to say it reads quickly (more info on the book on amazon).
For those of you who don't know who Felix and Gotrek are: Gotrek is a Trollslayer and Felix a human with some noble (educated) background. The story is that Gotrek saved the life of Felix (he was almost trampeled) and they got drunk and took a blood oath. Since then Felix is sworn to follow Gotrek to note down his heroic adventures and write down the story of Gotrek and how he eventually dies in some epic fight. The Trollslayer has undergone some crime in which he lost his honor and now he is sworn to roam the lands to meet his death in some fight against a truly big enemy.
Felix and Gotrek take up all kinds of adventures in this first book. It mostly are small quests where they start in a city, adventure out in the lands and mountains, find some gang of beastmen, chaos warrios, troll, slay them and head back to a city. In that sence it is a bit tedious that the same concept returns. But reading the fights they get in is high tension reading and a lot of fun.
I was already thinking of starting a dwarf Mordheim warband and when reading Felix and Gotrek this becomes more and more appealing. The dwarf society (and specifically the trollslayer) is definitely a good idea to start a warband with. Also reading this book gives some background on how dwarfs also venture to cities and are not alone to be found in the mountains burrowing deeper and deeper! I think the new dwarf warband will have a Gotrek theme around it.
When I'm a bit further in the book a new update will follow. Tips for other books are welcome of coarse!