CD Based Scatter Terrain

After joining the The Terrain Tutor's Terrainiacs Facebook Group, I was bombarded with ideas. Some of these new and flashy, others old, tested and true. While I have heard stories of people making Scatter Terrain using old AOL disks back in '90s, for me I had never seen this sort of scatter terrain before and it seemed the perfect solution to my wobbly trees and empty feeling forests.

I made about a dozen or so of these bases, most with forest trees from Woodland Scenics, but a few I added some old Games Workshop Gothic Ruins onto the bases. These allowed me to set up forgotten ruins in the forest, whether symbolically or fleshing out the actual location

The trees I selected specifically to work with both 15mm and 28-32mm figures. My main purpose for them would be setting up forest scenes in JADE's Hymns of a Vagabond Campaign, or the Arachnophobia Campaign as seen above. But I also knew I would be using them for Warhammer 40k, so they need to look good at any size.

And the varying tree sizes work well, giving the impression of a dense forest with different types of foliage at any scale. I have used these bases a few times in my games since I created them and are truly an asset to my tabletop, creating that perfect forest scene or providing interesting cover for advancing armies.

I have lot's more bases planned as I would like to be able to field a dense forest across a 6ft x4ft playing surfaces, as well has have a varying degree of terrains from Laae Worlds, to Deserts to Alien Jungles.

So there will be a lot more bases to come, and I will probably even go over how to make them in the future, and some of the mistakes I learned to avoid.


Written by: Andrew Gregory

Fokker M.5's

Like the Allies during the first World War, Germany also saw the importance of air power and what it could bring to the battlefield, and so with the funding of empires, the famous Anthony Fokker got his start. Fokker began his company in 1912 at the age of 20, and by the beginning of the war was manufacturing aircraft for the Germans.

For those that saw our Morane-Saulnier Type G you will recognize a similar design in the Fokker M.5. That is because the M.5 is in fact a licensed copy of the Morane-Saulnier Type H purchased before the war. With the exception of the Type G having a passenger seat, the two planes were considered virtually identical.

While the Type G would be retired by the Allies in mid 1915, The M.5 was in service until September of that year, and would later serve as the prototype for the far more famous Fokker EIII "Eindecker" the first plane to be fitted with a forward-fixed synchronized machine gun.

For those familiar with Canvas Eagles you will notice that we have done it yet again. Like the Morane-Saulnier Type G, and the Albatros BII before it, the Fokker M.5 is not a standard aircraft available in Canvas Eagles. So again I had to get creative and make my own sheet to simulate this era of combat.

Take a look:

Identical in its performance to the Type G, the Fokker M.5 has only a minor advantage in that the standard sidearm issued to German and Austrian pilots had 10 rounds, as opposed to the 6-7 the allies weapons had.

Using our modified "Rifle/Carbine Rules" which enforces ammo restrictions, it can make a big difference.

The model for the M.5 comes from Shapeways, which have really let me expand my available aircraft for Canvas Eagles. They are a little pricier than their pewter counter parts, but the detail on them is great!

Written by: Andrew Gregory

Mark 1 Plague Marine Rhino

While I was repairing and re-arming my old Plague Marine army I discovered that I had quite a few Plague Marine Models form 2nd and 3rd Edition Warhammer 40k. As regulars to this site will know, I started playing Warhammer 40k about 6 months before they introduced 4th edition, and a lot of the old minis were still in regular use then. However the Rhino had recently been replaced with the model we know and love today. So I had never actually seen an old one in person.

Big size difference between the old (left) and the new (Right)

So I got it in my head a few years ago that I would set up a squad of entirely old-school plague marines, and grabbed myself an old Mark 1 Rhino. Since my sister Sarah and I have started playing again, I found myself wanting some more rhinos and this seemed like a fun and easy project to start.

With this being an old model of some rarity, I didn't want o mess up the exterior with all the usual Nurgle-Flare. So instead I chose to go for a Rhino in the beginning stages of corruption. It's metal is caked with an unyielding rust, and a strange dark fluid seeps from each crack.

My only real edition to the super structure was the seal of Nurgle on the top door doors, which I split in half to give the impression that it could open. It was pretty common to have your heavy weapons models firing from the open-topped vehicle back in the day... But I am not sure if Rhino's work like that any more to be honest. I mainly use them to move my lumbering Plague Marines from point to point these days.

This was by far the oldest Warhammer model I had painted, and I must say that they have come a long way. While the model was easy to assemble, it's lack of detail, and overwhelmingly smooth-sided surfaces, made it difficult for me to decide how to approach it.

Its small size also makes unsuitable for the newer plague marine models that Games Workshop is producing. It will simply look out of place and too small if escorting a brand new squad of Plague marines. It might work for the still in use Chaos Space Marine models, but even then it is a little small.

For me, it works excellently with my old-school squad and I wouldn't mount them in anything else!


Written by: Andrew Gregory

The Maps and Sketches of Klaus the Nikovarian Spy

In Game 24 of JADE's 2nd Ed AD&D Campaign: Arachnophobia, the party encounter an Elven Thief named Klaus. He claimed to be a disgraced member of the Darfield Thief's Guild seeking protection as he fled the city, and offered to help the party escape Darfield. At the time the group had been accused of kidnapping and were wanted by Lord Kilgour himself for questioning. So with little options they accepted the thief's offer.

Klaus however was not, nor never was a member of the Darfield Thief's Guild. He was in fact a Spy from a the Northern neighbouring state of Nikovaria: a militaristic society with spy networks that stretched across the world. Klaus had been following the party for some time, and unable to follow them through the North Gate unnoticed, had entered Darfield through sewers.

Using some charcoal and a bit of paper from a stack he carried, he drew a map of the sewers to help him avoid the dangers and find his way back to his hidden camp site.

Klaus had planned to lead the party out through the sewers. he had killed the giant spider guarding the entrance, and they could easily leave the city unseen. However, when the party refused to leave Darfield until they had recovered the TARDIS from the castle stable, Klaus had to find a way to get them inside. Through his explorations he had learned that the chamber with the Cockatrice was directly underneath the castle courtyard, and his cataloging of the dangers in the sewers helped the party achieve this goal with minimal losses.

Once inside the TARDIS, Thomas the Chronomancer Cast Timeslip and sent the party back in time. However, Instead of flickering in and out of Darfield as planned, Thomas convinced the party to go back in time and rescue their beloved home town of Barleydale from the coming spiders that wiped them out more than a month ago.

It was here (back in time and the Dale) that Klaus had an opportunity to learn more about Toby Ryder and the mysterious events that lead to him becoming the potential saviour of the world.

Above is a sketch he took of the mural on the wall of the buried temple. He assumed the figure in the center was supposed to represent Toby, and the gem embedded in his left hand.

I created both of these images using GIMP (free photo editing software), and printed them double sided for Jeff (who is playing Klaus) to use in game. So far this map has come in handy, but since he only took this spider sketch during last game he hasn't had much of a chance to use it.

I am sure however, that having a record of what was shown in the temple will come in handy one day.

Written by: Andrew Gregory

Check Your 6! A Review

Ever since JADE got into Canvas Eagles I had my eye on another hex and counter air combat rule set. It was called Check Your 6! and Check Your 6! Jet Age. Rather than the WW1 setting of Canvas Eagles, CY6! was set in World War II and CY6!JA  was set during the Cold War. This meant faster planes, and more recognized aircraft on the table. I only had one problem: I had no idea where to buy the rules.

Well a few years back I finally found where the rules are available. You can get them from Raiden Miniatures which is where I get most of my 6mm aircraft. However, after getting the books, I was met with yet another road block. The game required that I use at least a 6ft x 4ft playing area with a similarly sized 2" hex grid, and far more stands and aircraft then I had at the time.

So I shelved it and slowly started collecting what I needed.

Based of the scenario set up descriptions and this chart, a 6ft x 4ft 2 inch hex mat is the smallest feasible playing area.

It took me another three years to get together enough pieces to get a game going and generate some interest in playing. Since we had basically abandoned our air combat games for dungeons and dragons. But finally I have had a chance to play it and I honestly love the rule system.

Now,  the rule book is a little difficult to navigate, and could certainly benefit from the inclusion of an index to look up those specific terms that are hard to remember. So while going through, I recommend taking your own notes and make sure you make a separate copy of the Quick Reference Pages in the back, as you will be looking at them constantly.

This is the sheet for a Messerschmitt Me 262 a WW2 fighter jet!

Check Your 6! is very similar to Canvas Eagles in how it functions. Each plane has a list of possible maneuvers and turns, and when combined with weapons, and abilities, you can make dozens of aircraft.

To pilot these planes in game players simultaneously select a combination of a turn and a maneuver for each plane they are controlling. This will determine how the aircraft will move horizontally on the hex grid and vertically on its stand. Setting it's heading, position and altitude.

Unlike Canvas Eagles, in CY6! you don't have declare whether or not you are shooting. You simply declare targets in range during the shooting phase, and you have a much wider front firing arc. This makes it much easier to score hits, but due to CY6!'s damage system, it is actually quiet difficult to destroy aircraft making for a game with far more gun fire than its World War I counterpart.

Where Canvas Eagles is really about two knights dueling in the air, Check Your 6! reflects the more modern era of air combat that it simulates. While you can have a simple dogfight, CY6! really excels  in the pre-made scenarios included in each rule book. This is a game about completing your objective and getting out of there, not honorably battling in the skies until you can no longer fight. The way Elijah and I like to think about it, is that in CY6! we are not gentleman seeking glory, but officers flying government property. That idea helped change our view of disengagement from cowardly to tactical.

If you are interested in any specific battles in either World War Two or the Cold War then on top of the different scenarios presented in the rulebooks (of which there are around 10-20), there are entire campaign books both officially and unofficially published for this game: all of which you can find at Raiden Miniatures.

Elijah and I are currently playing through the Crisis in Kashmir Campaign, which I will do a review of when we have finished! So far it has been a lot of fun, though quite weighted towards an Indian victory. I know that they won the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War. However, it is a game after all, and it looks like I might take the win as India having only played 3/19 games and Elijah as Pakistan having a shut out victory in one of our previous matches... So we shall see.

As you can imagine, as aviation technology increased, so did the complexity of the aircraft being produced. And this is also reflected in Check Your 6! For those not accustomed to how hex and counter air combat games function, it can be very overwhelming. Check Your 6! requires you to make speed calculations based on the turn and maneuver you did before, and command in the upwards of 15 aircraft at a time depending on the scenario. Becasue of this if you are new to air combat games I recommend first trying out Canvas Eagles. It is free and has a simpler movement system, intended for you to command a single aircraft at a time. If you like that game then you will love CY6! whether it is in the Jet Age or World War II.

I can honestly say that our years of Canvas Eagles experience help us quickly understand how the game worked and honestly identify the mistakes we were making, and how to effectively utilize many of the tactics involved.

For those who have already played air combat games, there is practically no system better than Check Your 6! I can recommend it more!


Written by: Andrew Gregory

Sarah's Venerable Space Wolf Dreadnought

During the years Sarah and I took off from playing Warhammer she took the time to slowly perfect her painting skills. One of the first projects she set out on was to finish her Venerable Dreadnought. It had become a mainstay of her forces and she of course fell in love with the look of the Blizzard Shield and Fenrisian Great Axe.

Like I had discovered when I tried a similar set up in my youth, giving a Dreadnought two close combat weapons isn't the best idea. The additional attack in my opinion is not worth getting rid of the Heavy Weapons choices that a Dreadnought can wield. Luckily, the JADE table is not a tournament room, so as far as I am concerned she can run the Dreadnought and say it has whatever weapons she wants. And the axe and shield just look awesome!

Sarah has had a chance to field this Dreadnought twice since she painted it, both times during our last two 6th Ed games. Since we are now finally moving on to 8th edition, and sadly as of writing this the Space Wolf Codex has not been released, we don't get to see what interesting options a Space Wolf Dreadnought can have. Hopefully we will get a better sense soon. And who knows, maybe the axe and shield are the best way to go!


Written by: Andrew Gregory

The Cockatrice in 15mm

The Cockatrice is a classic D&D monster, with a terrifying twist for those not wearing metal armour. While the cockatrices, attack may not be much more then a firm peck, the after effects are truly terrifying. The species has evolved to peck at exposed skin and if its attack lands its target must pass a save or get turned to stone!

In Arachnophobia Game 24 such a fate befell Chris' character Ceryl Figgus in the sewers beneath Darfield. As he entered a dark chamber of the Sewers, a Cockatrice lunged from the shadows striking him on the face. He failed his saving throw and turned into stone blocking the door way. Using him as an obstacle the party was able to force the Cockatrice to retreat injured to its lair, but it was to late for the Gnomish Cleric.

This was Chris' third character to perish in Arachnophobia, however there was a glimmer of hope. Lethoras the Elven Fighter was strong enough to lift the now stone Figgus (which we calculated to weigh 150lbs) and was able to carry the statue into the TARDIS. In a recent spin-off campaign, Thomas the Chronomancer took the TARDIS and all of its contents with him, abandoning the party and setting off on his own adventure. One day he plans to find a priest powerful to reverse the Ceryl condition, but until then he makes for a good hat rack.

As a monster I think that Cockatrices are great, but given that their petrification ability is effectively an instant kill, it is best to run that sort of thing by your players first. All you have to do is let them know that some of the traps, monsters, etc. in the dungeon have lethal strikes. A friendly warning like that can go a long way for the party... Though some people never learn.

This 15mm Cockatrice from the always fantastic Splintered Light Miniatures - the makers of some of the finest fantasy and historic minis in this scale. I believe it is in one of their dungeon encounter sets. I don't recall which one, but they are all worth taking a look at!

Written by: Andrew gregory

Battle Report: Space Wolves vs. Death Guard Game 2

Less than a week after our last game, my sister Sarah and I decided to rework our armies and have a rematch. This time we upped the points to around 1500, and completely reworked our army lists into more effective fighting forces

I also spent time going over the rules in detail and creating cheat sheets for us, so that we wouldn't have to look up those specific rules (like embarking, cover saves etc.) I paid particular attention to weapon effects (Rapid Fire, Assault, etc.) and a detailed break down of the turn order, which for an old 3rd ed/4th ed player helps me keep the rules straight - I get a little mixed up some times. I am really not sure why I never created rules cheat sheets before, and I highly recommend it to any new players, or players switching editions. It really got how 6th ed works into my head.

The Armies

Like last time we are using the only two armies we have: my old and repainted Death Guard force against Sarah's Space Wolves. Like last time Sarah was building her army using the 7th ed Codex, which I think is a better match for my 6th ed Chaos Space Marine Codex.

Here is the break down:

Forces: Space Wolves vs Death Guard

Points: 1507

Edition: 6th Ed Warhammer 40,000

Space Wolf Force

HQ
Njal Stormcaller (180pts)
Rune Priest (60pts) -Terminator Armour (25pts) -Helm of Durfast (20pts) -Lvl 2 psycher (20pts)
ELITES
Dreadnought (95pts) -Venerable (25pts) -Extra Armour (10pts) -Fenrisian Great Axe and Blizzard Shield (25pts) -Dedicated Drop Pod (35pts)
Wolf Guard Terminators (99pts) – 3 Models -1 Assualt Cannon (20pts)
Wolf Guard Terminators (99pts) – 5 Models -2 Additional Terminators (33pts/Model) -3 Power Fists (30pts) -2 Wolf Claws L/R (25pts) -2 Assault Cannon (40pts)
TROOPS
Grey Hunters (70pts) – 10 Models -5 Additional Grey Hunters (14pts/model)
Grey Hunters (70pts) – 10 Models -5 Additional Grey Hunters (14pts/model) -Plasma Gun (10pts)
Grey Hunters (70pts) – 7 Models -2 Addtional Grey Hunters (14pts/model) -Plasma Gun (10pts)
FAST ATTACK
Thunderwolf Cavalry (120pts) – 3 Models -1 Power Sword (15pts) -3 Melta Bombs (15pts)
HEAVY SUPPORT
Long Fangs (30pts) – 3 Models -1 Additional Long Fang (15pts/model) -1 Lascannon (20pts) -2 Multi-Meltas (20pts)

Sarah took the week between our first and last battle to really re-think her forces. She combined her small 5 man Grey Hunter Squads into more powerful 7-10 man squads, added in a squad of long Fangs, and re-armed her Terminators with a better heavy weapon spread.

She felt this would give her more power and the ranged damage she needed.

Death Guard Force

HQ

Chaos Lord (65pts) -Terminator Armour (40pts) -Combi-Plasma Weapon (7pts) -Mark of Nurgle (15pts) -Blight Grenades (5pts)

ELITES

Plague Marine Squad (120pts) – 10 Models -5 Additional Plague Marines (24pts/model) -Power Fist (25pts) -Plasma Pistol (15pts) -Plasma Gun (15pts) -Flamer (5pts) -Rhino Dedicated Transport (35pts)

Hellbrute (105pts) -Twin-Linked Las-Cannon (25pts) -Extra Armour (10pts)

TROOPS

Chaos Space Marines (75pts) – 7 Models -2 Additional Chaos Space Marines (13pts/model) -Mark of Nurgle (7X3pts) -Power Sword (15pts) -Plasma Pistol (15pts) -Flamer (5pts) -Meltagun (10pts)

Chaos Space Marines (75pts) – 7 Models -2 Additional Chaos Space Marines (13pts/model) -Mark of Nurgle (7X3pts) -Power Sword (15pts) -Plasma Pistol (15pts) -Rhino Dedicated Transport (35pts)

Chaos Space Marines (75pts) – 5 Models -Mark of Nurgle (5X3pts) -Power Sword (15pts) -Meltagun (10pts)

Chaos Space Marines (75pts) – 5 Models -Mark of Nurgle (5X3pts) -Power Sword (15pts) -Plasma Gun (15pts)

Chaos Cultists (50pts) – 10 Models -Mark of Nurgle (2pts/model) -Flamer (5pts) -Autogun (1pts)

HEAVY SUPPORT

Chaos Havoc Squad (75pts) – 10 Models -5 Additional Chaos Havocs (13pts/model) -Mark of Nurgle (10X3pts) -Power Weapon (15pts) -Missile Launcher (2X15pts) -Heavy Bolter (2x10pts)

I also heavily modified my force. Last game I did not have the numbers to properly hold the line, so this time I increased the number of Chaos Space Marine Squads quite dramatically. This meant that I also had to lighten my HQ and Elites choice in order accommodate these changes. But I thought the more units the better.

The Battlefield

Like last time we created a ruined and overgrown city using our Urban Matz Ruined Gothic Buildings and our Game Matz 6ft x 4ft Grass Mat as well as my home made CD wilderness scatter terrain.

Evetually we hope to add in denser wilderness, with more scatter bases, standing stones using 3D printed models, and an Eldar Webgate - which is the objective these two forces are slowly working towards.

Scenario: Purge the Alien

Because we are just getting back into it (and soon to be leaving 6th Edition behind) we decided to keep it simple and a Purge the Alien Scenario is just that. Each Squad you destroy earns you a victory point. You get an extra victory point if you get the first kill, and HQ's are worth two victory points each.

Turn 1: The Plans Are Set

Unlike last time, this game's set up was a meticulous process. We both placed our armies, and during our first turn (Space Wolves went first), we were both on track to get into position.

Sarah, commanding her Space Wolves was moving her army along three fronts. She had a left and right flank, as well as a middle section: all well supported and given enough space to maneuver. 

My Death Guard were ready to create a ring of fire around the center of the table. Using tightly knit groups of Marines to encircle this area, trapping Sarah as her largely close combat based army charged.

Turn 2: Rhino Down

On turn two, Sarah's Wolf Guard Terminators Deep Striked on to the field. They scattered quite a bit from their intended location, ending up on top of one of the two story ruined buildings. At first Sarah was disheartened, thinking ths squad was wasted, but during their shooting phase their Assault Cannons ripped through one of my Rhinos, causing it to explode with a 7 man squad inside!

I thankfully didn't lose anything aside from the Rhino in the explosion, but I still needed at least one more turn to get my army into position and return fire.

Turn 3:  Couldn't Hit an Elephant at This Distance

This turn my army would be completely in position. Sarah hadn't been able to close the distance between us fast enough, and I would really get a chance to open up the guns at her charging army.

Sarah prepared for this keeping her distance to limit my fire power as best she could, and weakening my strikes with some heavy weapons fire of her own. But I still had dozens of shots to take.

And so when it became my turn, I unleashed hell! Or at least I intended to. Out of all the Bolters, Plasma Guns, Melta Guns,  Heavy Bolters and Missile Launchers I fired... I failed to score a single wound. This was my chance, and the dice failed me. Without trying to being too dramatic, in all of my years of gaming, I do not recall a worse series of rolls than I had that turn.

Turn 4: Muted Thunder

With my "army weakening" volley's ending in failure, Sarah was free to charge into the field. However, she wasn't quite close enough to guarantee she would lock me in close combat. So fearing a more successful second round of fire she held her force back, only charging in with her Thunderwolves. and continued to pound my positions with Heavy Weapons.

During her Thunderwolf Charge, my guns were able to cut them down during Overwatch before they ever reached the squad.  On my right flank she had also charged my Plague Marines with her Venerable Dreadnought. Luckily I had a Power Fist in that Squad, and was holding my own.

Slowly I was clawing back some ground, but was it too little too late?

Turn 5: The Long Slog

We continued pot shots at each other trying to do as much damage as we could. Sarah managed to take out my Plague Lord, who had an unfortunate Deep Strike scatter roll sending him headlong into enemy territory. He put up a good fight, but in the end he was overwhelmed... and again I rolled terribly for him!

I did manage to take down the Dreadnought. But it wasn't enough. I simply could not make up the victory points.

Turn 6: Njal The Victorious!

Or last round was an uneventful shooting match that neither side benefited from. Sarah didn't risk taking on my tougher units in a charge and pulled them back out of the range of any retailiatory charge I could make.

The game came to a close on Turn 6, and I had lost it. The final score was Death Guard 3vp, Space Wolves 7vp.

Conclusion

This was an incredible game, with a lot of back forth and a lot of tactics. We both clearly learned form our mistakes! Sarah had a fantastic game. She went for the right units and concentrated her fire to guarantee those hits. Sure, my bad rolls helped that a little bit, but you don't automatically win a game because your opponent rolls poorly. You still have to wield your army effectively and seize the advantages. So that victory was all Sarah's!

If I were to redo this, I would include more plasma and less melta in my army, but I honestly wouldn't do anything that differently. While Sarah seized the day, my dice rolls meant my strategies regularly failed to reap an benefits. I also probably should have been a little more aggressive in my advances, pining her smaller units.

Regardless, I will have to reconsider my army and opinions yet again as Sarah and I have agreed this is the last game we are going to play in 6th edition (for a while - we'll be back). Our 8th Edition Rules just arrived this week, and we are anxious to give them a try.

So come back soon for our next battle report covering 8th edition.


Written by: Andrew Gregory

Image Sources

Space Wolf Image: https://spikeybits.com/2017/11/8th-space-wolves-new-stratagems-traits-revealed.html

Plague Marine Image: http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Death_Guard

IAF MiG-21PF's

During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war, India had only just purchased the MiG-21PF from the Soviet Union. It was India's only super-sonic fighter and given how recent the plane was (first introduced in 1959) they were expensive to buy, and in limited supply. On top of that very few pilots had enough training in the aircraft to effectively use it in combat, meaning there were few experienced pilots at the outbreak of the war.

The MiG-21 PF is a missile platform, lacking any kind of forward guns. While the more famous MiG-21F-13 does feature a forward fixed cannon and India purchased both, the PF's main role was as an interceptor; designed to strike at enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and observers, for which guns are not entirely needed And missile were the preferred tactic. Despite their soviet built planes, the Indians were not using Soviet missiles. They were using American and British made Gar-9 Sidewinders (the Original designation for the AIM-9). Since Infra-Red Homing Missiles were still quite new in 1965, when war broke out between India and Pakistan it was seen by NATO as a good chance to further field test some their new technology.

The Mig-21 is considered the best fighter-craft of it's era. It was maneuverable, well armed and reliable. One major design flaw however, was that the cock pit provided the pilot with limited visibility giving only about a 180 degree field of view.

In Check Your 6! Jet Age's Crisis in Kashmir Campaign, I (as India) will get to use these in mission four. We are currently going into mission 3, and it is entirely possible that the game will end in a total victory for India. It seems as if the campaign is not properly balanced, and while yes I know that India won, it is a gamified version.... There should be some balance.

So whether or not I get to use these will be up to how well Elijah handles Pakistan in the next mission. From what I have seen the MiG-21's maneuverability is reflected in the Check You 6! Jet Age and with this honestly being my favourite Jet of all time I can't wait to use it.

These minis come from Raiden Miniatures. While, there a lot of places that you can get 6mm MiG-21's, Raiden has the best balance of price, to quality, to selection of 6mm fighter jets out there. So most of my 6mm jets come from them.

Fingers crossed I can get this guy out on the table top before the campaign is over!

Written by: Andrew Gregory

John's Map of the Hellenistic Isles

In Game 23 of Arachnophobia the party agreed to rescue the Wizard of Darfield, who had gotten himself trapped at the top of his 12 story and magically protected Wizard's Tower during a failed experiment in Time Travel. During thi adventure, as John the Greenwood Ranger passed through "The Map Room" he blindly grabbed a map off the shelf hoping it would be useful.

As the DM I expected the players would want a map, and created four possible maps I would roll for when they tried to grab one. It was interesting that only John grabbed a map. I expected at least half the party would try, but they said it simply wasn't appealing to them at the time as they had bigger fish to fry. So in the end, only John was curious enough.

The map he pulled (and I rolled for) was the only useful map out of the four: detailing the Hellenistic Isles and ultimately where the Wizard of Darfield was sending the party once they rescued him sent. A lucky roll!

The Hellenistic Isles are a Greco-Roman themed set of islands that allows us to use the historic campaign sources books from 2nd ed in our campaign. The guys are looking forward to getting there, I know I am as we have never done any roleplay in that kind of setting. So it should be interesting.

In my Arachnophobia world a body called the Map Makers League. Any map with this stamp on the back, has been certified by them. This does not mean that the map is always correct, just that another certified cartographer believes it to be.

I created this map in gimp using assets from the Civilization II computer game. It just made my life a little bit easier when creating this Greek/Roman themed area that the players would be heading towards and needed tyo know as much about as they could.

Written by: Andrew Gregory

Battle Report: Space Wolves vs. Death Guard Game 1

Well, it has been three yeas since my younger sister Sarah and I agreed to stop playing games and start working on getting her Space Wolf Army into a playable state. We were using it in pieces before but after some confusion as to who was who,  we realized we really needed to get some finished units onto the table.

So after all of this time, we are finally ready to go and on Friday March 30th we got the tabletop set, the rule books out, and started planning our armies.

The Armies

Currently the only two armies that we have available are my Sister's Space Wolf army, and my Death Guard army comprised of many pieces that I owned (and had to drastically repaint) in my childhood. So of course those were the armies.

Now when we stopped playing, 7th ed was just getting started, so we decided to pick up where we left off, which was 6th edition. We will likely move forward and check out 7th and 8th, but at JADE we tend to hope around from Rule Set to Rule Set when we feel like it, so for this game we played it in 6th.

Forces: Space Wolves vs Death Guard

Points: 1435

Space Wolf Force

HQ
Njal Stormcaller (180pts)
Rune Priest (60pts) -Terminator Armour (25pts) -Helm of Durfast (20pts)
Wolf Guard Battle Leader (50pts) -1 Fenrisian Wolf (8pts/model) -Replace Bolt Pistol with Bolt Gun (0pts)
Elites
Dreadnought (95pts) -Venerable (25pts) -Extra Armour (10pts) -Fenrisian Great Axe/Blizzard Shield (25pts) -Dedicated Drop Pod (35pts)
Wolf Guard Terminators (99pts)
Wolf Guard Terminators (99pts) -2 Additional Terminators (33pts/Model) -3 Power Fists (30pts) -1 Chain Fist (15pts) -2 Wolf Claws L/R (25pts) -1 Assault Cannon (20pts)
Troops
Grey Hunters (70pts)
Grey Hunters (70pts)
Grey Hunters (70pts) -2 Addtional Grey Hunters (14pts/model) -Plasma Gun (10pts)
Grey Hunters (70pts) -5 Addtional Grey Hunters (14pts/model) -Plasma Gun (10pts)
Fast Attack
Thunderwolf Cavalry (120pts) -1 Power Sword (15pts) -3 Melta Bombs (15pts)

So rather than using the 5th ed codex, as is legal in 6th edition for Space Wolves, Sarah has built her army using the Space Wolf 7th ed Codex. Personally I think it is a better match for the 6th ed Chaos Space Marine Codex, as they are written in the same style.

This army was largely made so that Sarah could field a large force with as many intact models as she had available. It is certainly not the best list but a good simple introduction back into the game.

Death Guard Force

HQ

Typhus (230pts)

Chaos Lord (65pts) -Terminator Armour (40pts) -Combi Weapon (3pts) -Mark of Nurgle (15pts)

Elites

Hellbrute (105pts) -Twin-Linked Las-Cannon (25pts) -Extra Armour (10pts)

Chaos Chosen (90pts) -2 Additional Chosen (18pts/model) -Mark of Nurgle (3ptsX7) -Power Fist (25pts) -Power Weapon (15pts) -Power Weapon (15pts) -Plasma Gun (15pts) -Gift of Mutation (10pts)

Troops

Plague Marine Squad (120pts) -5 Additional Plague Marines (24pts/model) -Power Fist (25pts) -Plasma Pistol (15pts) -Plasma Gun (15pts) -Flamer (5pts) -Icon of Despair (10pts) -Rhino Dedicated Transport (35pts)

Plague Zombies (50pts) -10 Additional Chaos Cultists (4pts/model)

Heavy Support

Chaos Havoc Squad (75pts) -Additional Chaos Havocs (13pts/model) -Mark of Nurgle (10ptsX3) -Power Weapon (15pts) -Icon of Despair (10pts) -Missile Launcher (2X15pts) -Heavy Bolter (2X10pts) -Rhino Dedicated Transport (35pts)

I built this force to match Sarah's Space Wolf army; Not to destroy it, but to provide something that I thought would be a fun match, and to give me a chance to try out a few of my more powerful units that I have only recently painted myself.

The Battlefield

Scenario: Purge the Alien

While our terrain might not be the best in the business, for us this was the best looking tabletop we had ever played on. For the first time since I was a teenager we had access to an appropriate playing area: three tables we could combine into a 6ft x 4ft area. 

We also had better looking terrain then we ever had before. Over the years I had purchased a number of gaming mats and terrain pieces from a company called Urban Matz. They are a little pricey, but their products are of excellent quality. All of my ruined gothic buildings, and the grass mat come from them.

My tree bases are homemade using blank CDs, model railroad trees from Woodland Scenics, and some flock. They make for great scatter terrain pieces and fit out overgrown and ruined city perfectly.

Turn 1: The Stage is Set

Like 99% of Warhammer 40k games our first turns were incredibly uneventful. However as we began moving our forces I realized that my Right flank would easily be over powered by the mass of troops that Sarah had inching towards me. I also realized that I had not set up my units in the most advantageous position. My Rhinos where getting blocked by my own troops and I hadn't decided exactly how or where I was going to deploy everything. It was a bit of a mess.

On the other side of the table I thought Sarah's advance was much more organized, however she felt that she had also setup her forces incorrectly; spreading her infantry across to large an area for them to effectively control.

Turn 2: One Lucky Shot

As the Space Wolves thundered towards my Plague Marines I began to move my troops into better firing positions. However my poor setup meant it would take me yet another turn to get them anywhere useful, and by that time I would have a force of Thunderwolf Cavalry supported by Wolf Guard Terminators and Grey Hunters within charging range. It seemed my faulty setup had doomed me.

Sarah, however, had also made a mistake. My Dreadnought (Hellbrute) had been able to move a full 18" thanks to a lucky "run roll" and by turn two I had a clean shot on her exposed HQ Njal Stormcaller with a Lascannon. My shot hit, and wounded, she failed her invulnerable save and given a Lascannon's strength, it was an insta-kill.

Being "First Blood" and a "Slay the Warlord" Kill it was worth 3VP. A strong start for me and a devastating loss for Sarah: a look you can see in her face as she removed Njal from the board.

Though disheartened, her Venerable Dreadnought and additional Wolf Guard Terminators arrived during her turn strengthening her forces on her left. With these reinforcements she would break through my right flank in a turn or two. 

Turn 3: Dreadnought Down! 

In a feeble attempt to hold the line, I blasted with my Dreadnought's Lascannon, only to have Sarah's Space Wolf Dreadnought shrug it off with a successful invulnerable save. I then positioned my Plague Zombies in a desperate plea to block and delay the coming assault.

It worked! Sarah charged her terminators at my Plague Zombies, hoping to clear the 20 man obstacle as quickly as possible, and set her Dreadnought against mine, thinking that her dual close combat weapons and charge would give it a distinct advantage. Unfortunately she was wrong. Her Dreadnought only managed a single glancing blow, while mine got a penetrating hit and I rolled 6: Vehicle Explodes. Even with the Venerable Re-Roll, I rolled yet another 6 and its fate was sealed.

The Score was now 4 to 0 Plague Marines, and Sarah's morale was shaken, but it wasn't over yet.

Turn 4: The Charge of Wolves

As I mopped up a small squad attacking my left flank (giving me yet another victory point), I fired a few volleys at the Thunderwolves that were getting dangerously close; but no luck, not a single shot landed, not even the plasma.

Using their great speed Sarah charged ahead and into my line of Plague Marines. The rolls were in her favour and she cut my force in half, while I only dealt a handful of blows and did not take down a single wolf.

It was now 5 to 0 Plague Marines, but the tides were changing. I was running out troops.

Turn 5: A Champion of Nurgle Falls

My 5th turn was a disaster. My shooting phase was a waste, and during my assault phase I lost my Plague Zombies on my right flank, followed by Plague Marines in the center of the board. I had anticipate loosing the Plague Zombies (that is what they are for), However not wanting to lose the Plague marines I had tried to support them with my Plague Lord, but his attacks fell short. The dice had turned against me, but he was still standing.

While my round was a disaster, Sarah's round on the other had was exactly what she needed. After some Storm Bolter fire, her five terminators (four with power/chainfists) attacked my still standing Dreadnought. I didn't event take down one Terminator before she pummeled it to ruins.

The remaining Thunderwolf Cavalry in the center of the table then charged against my Plague Lord, and again the dice failed me. Her power weapon wielding wolf took him down dealing 3 wounds and granting her first "Slay the Warlord" bonus, while I didn't score a single hit.

In a single turn she had tied the game. It was 5 to 5, and could go any way now. And things were getting desperate.

Turn 6: Typhus Toe to Toe

At this point my line had collapsed. I had managed to pivot my forces, but I had very few options. So I decided to risk it and charged in with Typhus (who I had been holding back) against a Wolf Guard 

Battle Leader, 2 Grey Hunters and a Thunderwolf.

My gamble paid off. And while Sarah was able to take out one of my rhino's giving her a total six points, Typhus wiped out the remaining Grey Hunters and the Battle Leader and Thunderwolf were not able to take him down.

Our game ended here at a tie. My Plague Marines had destroyed 4 units and Scored 6 points, Sarah's Space Wolves had destroyed 5 units and also scored 6 points: a Tactical Draw.

Conclusion

Honestly I really screwed up here and only by virtue of some lucky rolls was I able to tie this game. My lucky shot against Njal, was a well exploited mistake, and the destruction of the Venerable Dreadnought was a lucky hit in my favour that gave me an incredible lead. But in the end my initial army design and placement of my units really effected my game.

I even had a Squad of ten Chaos Havocs, that due to my indecisiveness were never able to to fire their heavy weapons. By the time I had a fair shot with them the game was over. It was a waste of squad that I could have use to support my lost Plague Marines who fell to the Thunderwolves on Turn 5.

Next time I plan to rework this army into a more effective fighting force, and pay way more attention to my setup.

Despite all my errors and Sarah clearly having the better game (luck aside) she also felt that she had made some mistakes. She had split her forces, meaning that many of her Grey Hunter squads never got a chance to get into combat much less fire off a shot. Next time she plans to combine her multiple smaller squads into 3 larger forces and keep them together

Our next battle is actually happening the evening that this was posted so I will certainly have updates on how our force changes effected the battle soon!


Written by: Andrew Gregory