First game with samurais

In between Mordheim games and WHFB's we decided to plan an evening playing a new game. After we went to Crisis'11 in Antwerp, new games, war bands and miniatures we were inspired. Now it was time to play Red Sand Blue Sky the Samurai version. After reading some posts on this blog we took up the idea as well. RSBS lends itself perfectly for converting it to a samurai version.

We played this game for the first time and we were with the three of us. All having one samurai in the field to make it less confusing.
The Japanese garden I made was of perfect size. With small stones we denoted the different zones of the RSBS arena. We chose to make a simple samurai based on the two sworded gladiator. Now all samurais were quite similar only difference in weapon being 2 swords or a 2-handed sword. Furthermore the difference was in the dice rolls and division of attribute points of course. This was for us enough for now since we were learning the rules of the game as well.
I think it worked out well actually. It took us 2 hours to play this version the first time including making the samurai rosters. No campaign just a simple fight to the death. Good for the first time.
I think we will be creating our own samurai rosters and the major change in the rules being the fighting styles. We just have to create some fighting styles for samurai and the game is as good as converted. Campaigns can be played just the same not having gladiator schools but samurai families/schools and we're off! Next games will be play testing our own created samurai fighting styles which of course will be posted here.
Good fun this new game and when more familiar with rules can be a quick game to start or finish a gaming evening!

A gobbo worth more than it's weight in stones...

My former neighbor is a dental technician by trade and offered me to cast (heaps and heaps of) stones using my Hirst molds. As a 'thank you' I built a small watch tower using some of these nerd bricks, manned by this Goblin.

C{z/h}eck this..

Finally some movement in the Flames of War department: After some disappointing attempts to paint Czechoslovak roundels myself, I started searching for alternatives. Luckily I found Black Lion Decals, a Dutch(!) company that produces decals and let's you order your own as well (at a reasonable fee).

In the meantime some serious reinforcements for my army arrived: Ten T-34 models of the Plastic Soldier company. These models use the same scale as the 'normal' Battlefront models and have the nice option of coming with two turrets each, allowing you to use them as the /76 or the /85 model.
The picture above shows on T-34/85 with a Czech roundel attached. The model needs some finishing, like dirt and battle scars. Hopefully I will find some nice paints and tools for this last job at the Crisis Event tomorrow.

The second picture shows four of my T-34's: The two on the left are Battlefront T-34/76's, the two on the right are two examples of the Plastic Soldier /85 variant. All of them off course with Czechoslovak roundels(!).
With some minor(?) work left, I now have a 'legal' late war Tankovya force. Time to go to battle!!

Red Sand Blue Sky: painting the samurais

With the three of us we've bought two sets of samurais and we ended up with 4 models each. I started to paint the first one in the color theme: red and black with gold features.

This something completely different than painting fantasy figures. Also very refreshing in painting approach and I found out stuff that I can use for fantasy painting. For example the dragon on the back of the kimono pas simple and easy to do but gives a lot of character to the mode. Painting flesh is something that should look more human skinned and is a challenge. All in all I think the first steps in painting samurai came out nicely.
I decided to put them on a simple round base with simple sandy cover to keep it tight with the japanese garden terrain I made.

The next samurai has already some paint splashed on so I will give you the first work in progress picture as well. Again the same colors but now reversed. The other 2 samurai carry armor and more battle gear so they will be a lot different then these two, but that is for the next post!

New dwarves here

Yep, I've been busy finishing some projects lately. A couple of dwarves were waiting the final stages of paint and matt varnish for protection. It's been done. They were already on the battle field but not in this finished state. Now they can shine in their own pictures in stead of in the fray on the battlefield.


First up are the hammerers. Command group and a couple of em. They blend in well with the theme of the rest of the army. The beige and red colors come back in all regiments making them fit together easy. A lot of metal and gold details on these boys to make em look good and hammery (if that's a word?)


Next up are there lads that form the command group for my thunderers. Good looking models, nice pose for the standard bearer, calling commands and the champion with his brace of pistols. He will also do good in my Mordheim war band I'm guessing. Purely as a character he fits there nicely (overprices because of the brace of pistols, but fluff is something you can't buy of course)

Red Sand Blue Sky: Samurai version

Besides gaming, new games are in the pipeline. After finding some cool blog posts on several cool tabletop boardgames that can be played quick and do not involve huge amounts of miniatures we bought the rules for Red Sand Blue Sky(check the site out: Two hour war-games has more cool rulesets, buy your own mini's and go!). Originally this game is for playing with gladiators but after reading this post on the possibility of playing it Samurai style we decided to go for it.

I built me a game board that should resemble a Japanese garden. With the cherry tree and specific placing of stones and nice lined gravel it really resembles what I had in mind. The sand you see, is a mixture of fine sand and watered down wood glue (PVA glue). WOrks like a charm! I thought the sand would still come off and my house would be all over after playing with it once, but it is rock solid! Good stuff.


We've ordered our samurais at Perry miniatures. Painting them just started so only basecaoted miniatures on the battlefield to show you the size.

Of course the game for gladiators we also will be playing, the arena is already made (look at this post on our blog). 4th of november it is Crisis in Antwerp, Belgium were we are heading: gladiator miniatures are on the wish list!

Sigmarites Cleansing Mordheim campaign

This is the first scenario of a short series of our own Mordheim campaign. A couple of games lead to a big end game. Each of the preliminary games lets you earn benefits for the end game. Choose one side with your war band: good or evil.


First battle: Foresstad Goblins
Sigmar is gathering minions to cleanse Mordheim for once and for all of all the filth occupying the derelict and devastated city of Mordheim. We are speaking the imperial year 2025, more then 25 years after the comet crashed down in the city. It has been long enough according to all followers of Sigmar. The acolytes are gathering enough crowd and forces to rid the city of all evil.
These plans are widely known to all inhabitants in the city and in no time around the city as well. The woodland village Foresstadt is known to be gathering all sorts of greenskins to block the plans of the Sigmarites. A nearby trade village along the river: Kindwater is said to receive all kinds of goods concerning the cleansing of Mordheim. Also in the mountains in Oberstone some evil forces are gathering and said to protecting some holy relic needed for sweeping through Mordheim.
All these cities and villages around Mordheim have something to do with the cleansing plans of the Sigmarites. Good and evil forces are gathering and plotting for the big day: midsummer year at the start of the turning of the sun festival.
First threat is the orcs and goblins gathering at Foresstadt. The city is swarming with the greenskins. The little buildings there are have to be burnt down in order to rid the village of the evil threat. Villagers are seeking refuge in their homes and need to be rescued first of course.


Setup: Put d6+3 buildings as the Foresstad village. Warbands setup at the edges of the village

The village is infested with orcs and goblins to represent this the following rules apply:
1 goblin leader + d6 goblins are roaming through the streets: random movement and cannot move of the board, will charge when in range.


Each turn throw a d6 on a 1 or 2 the equavalent goblin warriors appear and on a 3 an orc appears near the goblin leader. They will move with the leader each turn. Up to a max of 1,5 times the warband members in the biggest warband present.
Each building can be entered to:
-rescue/slay a villager (cost 1 turn no movement)
-set the building on fire (1 turn no movement)
-always roll d6 on a 1 a random encounter happens (see BTB random encounter list)
XP can be earned by:
+1xp for a rescued/slayed villager
+1xp for a building set on fire
+1xp for killing the goblin leader/escort the goblin leader of the board
+1xp for the winning leader
+1xp for surviving

Surviving warband wins (multiple warbands may win if they are of the same allignment and all warbands of other allignment are off the battlefield).

If the forces of Good win: for the final cleansing battle they gain the use of trap doors during that battle
If the forces of Evil win: They get the help of a goblin shaman during the final battle.

The battle report
Three war bands are taking part in this battle (each of the scenario's is devised in a way always multiple war bands can take part): Dwarfs, Goblins and WitchHunters.



The dwarfs take the entry road into the village to see if they can free some villagers and take out a couple of green skins. The WitchHunters enter the city from a hill side and struggle to enter the city quickly. The Goblins on the other hand, found out a rivaling war band is taking over the town. Of course this Gobbo war band wants to have the riches and is out for a good reckoning with Goblin boss in Foresstad.
In no time the Goblins found each other. From all streets reinforcements arrive but the goblin boss is soon in combat.
In the meantime the dwarfs are still strolling along the road to enter the town and the witchHunters let loose a couple of rabid dogs!



The fighting between the Goblin war bands is well along the way when some Dwarf thunderers take aim to shoot at some gobbo's. Some WhitchHunters enter the fight but meanwhile the Goblin boss is already taken and the rivaling war band is running of with him. The Dwarfs and WhitchHunters have a small skirmish. The Dwarf slayers demonstrating their skill against 5 WhitchHunters the battle is already reaching its end.
The Goblin war band won the fight. The Goblin war boss was taken and one way or the other: Goblins won!