JADE's Two New Warhammer 40k Armies (Finally!)

For years now the only Warhammer 40k armies that JADE had at the ready where my Death Guard, Sarah's Space Wolves and the badly damaged, and incomplete remains of my friend Wesley's Eldar Army  Even with these three options (since we only recently got the the rules needed to play the Eldar force) most of our battles for the pasted 4 years had revolved around the Space Wolves and the Death Guard. Frankly it was getting a little stale, and we needed some fresh forces and some more players to change things up.

So I am pleased to announce that after their last game, both Connor and Casey decided to snag Warhammer 40k Starter Armies! Connor has decided after humming and hawing to start a Necron force. Connor has long loved the Necrons, but never actually got into them as an army. So after years of indecision he finally took the leap. Casey decided to start an Ork Army. Aside from their goofy and fun aesthetic, he also read through each factions lore and decided that the Orks were the only faction that hadn't committed some terrible sin or made a horrific mistake in the past. They were simply war incarnate.

With these two new forces on the table (and another buddy of mine having recently bought a Space Marine Army), we should finally be able to change up the stories we are telling and the games we are are playing. So look forward to more battle reports to come! Featuring some new armies and with some new stories to tell!

Written by: Andrew Gregory

Warmaster: 10mm Fantasy Gone but Not Forgotten

Recently Mike from our Age of Heroes D&D Campaign gave me his old Warmaster army. He explained that he and a friend had gotten into it in the early 2000's, and really hadn't touched it since then. He figured that given my affinity for games I could at least find something to do with it. Little did he know that I am completely obsessed with discontinued game titles and Warmaster is just that. 

Warmaster is the epic scale version of Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy table top miniatures game. Where a regular game of Warhammer is played in 28mm scale and is meant to focus on a small slice of a greater battle, Warmaster is played in 10mm and represents the entire battle or at least or a much large slice of the conflict. Using 10mm miniatures makes this possible, because the figures are so small, that an entire unit can be represented on a base no longer than 2 inches. As you can imagine such a drastically different scale, requires some very different rules and of course that means Warmaster has had a very different history when compared to Warhammer.

Warmaster is a relatively new game in the grand scheme of things. It was produced by Games Workshop  from 2000 until 2013 when they discontinued their specialist games. Essentially, Games Workshop just let their stocks run out and then never made more. So there are a limited number of Warmaster minis out there. So when looking for another army I certainly wasn't going to find any official support from Games Workshop.

Minis aside, my first goal was to find a copy of the rules. That was the easy part. A Warmaster "Living Rulebook" is available online free download. It has been updated over the years by the community, and is hoenslty a really neat project! However, if you are like me you also like to own a physical copy, which you can easily find on eBay for around $10-$20 plus some shipping and handling fees. As I was searching for rules and discovering its low price and seeming availability, I began to figure that maybe this game simply wasn't that popular and was far enough underground that no one played it any more. I was thinking I could get some official minis for a reasonable price. It was seeming hopeful; but I was wrong.

To get a Warmaster "Starer Army" (one of the Games Workshop premade kits to get your army going) you have to do a bit of digging and once you find one, be prepared to spend around $100-$200 depending on the army you want to play. Individual mini blisters sell for any where for $40-$80 per blister, or even per figure row. I was a little disheartened. I already play an expensive table top miniatures game and was hoping this would be a little more affordable. You know, something I could dabble in.

Dealers in Plastic an Pewter Crack since 1975

But I wasn't ready to give up yet. As I explored eBay I kept finding 10mm minis that claimed to be Warmaster that were not produced by Games Workshop. So there was something there. I broaden my search of internet and found an amazing list of online stores that sell 10mm figures. Searching through this list I found support for all 6 standard Warmaster armies, and further I found full support for the additional armies included in the short lived Warmaster Magazine.

It seemed the despite being discontinued 5 years ago, Warmaster was very much alive and well. Starting kits from these companies range closer to the $30-$50 range, and sure they are third party and "counts-as" but in the end it doesn't really matter. There is no official support for this game, other than the fans who have rallied around third party manufactures and each other to fill that gap.

I have not actually played this game yet, but I have decided the first battle will be done against the Chaos Force shown and a proxy army of something else before committing any money. I have made that mistake before and want to make sure I will actually this game before I drop any real time or funds into it. But I am optimistic. I have read it is fantastic game, and there are even version for hosting historic battles. So I can't wait!

Have you played Warmaster? Tell us about your army!

Written by: Andrew Gregory

There are No Alignment Restrictions in D&D 5E

Over the years that I have been rolling the #characteroftheday using our RPG Character Dice, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook I have rolled some pretty strange characters. Back in the day when we were rolling the D&D 3, 3.5 and Pathfinder dice this posed a bit of a problem, as in the older editions of Dungeons and Dragons classes feature alignment restrictions. So for example Paladins have to be Lawful Good, Barbarians had to take a Chaotic Alignment, etc. etc.

So occasionally When the 3rd Ed Dice where rolled, we would get a class/alignment combo that simply wasn't legal. This sparked a lot of comments, and complaints about the character I rolled across all our social media platforms. For some people alignment was an integral part of the rules, and an important thing to consider when choosing a class. Other's however largely ignored it, treating the alignment as an after thought.

Monks for example needed to take a Lawful Alignment. Meaning this is an illegal character.

In my experience many DMs chose to ignore these restrictions opening up the class and alignments as they saw fit; much in the same way the race/class restrictions are often ignored in Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. And so moving forward, as of D&D 4 Wizards of the Coast removed alignment restrictions on class.

This is just as true in D&D 5 as it was in 4th. There are no longer any rules about which class can take which alignment; it is entirely up to player.

There were a decent amount of confusion  when this one got rolled

Since we released our D&D 5 compatible RPG Character Dice,  I have noticed something interesting. New players and those who have only played D&D 5, act confused when I comment on some of our our D&D 3 dice rolls that the alignment /class combo is illegal. On the other side, I get old veterans asking whether the combo I rolled on the D&D 5 dice is a legal alignment/class combination.

It seems that over the years Wizard of the Coast has been downgrading the importance of alignment in D&D: treating it as more of guideline then a hard fast rule. For older players this is a fairly major change in the game's thinking which requires some getting used. Before this sort of thing was up to the DM. Now it is up to players to interpret their character's morale compass, and select an alignment that they feel is appropriate. This leaves the definitions of each alignment a little more open to interpretation and thus less hard-fast.

As DM who has hosted every edition out there, I think that some alignment restrictions actually make sense given the context of a few of the classes. Making Paladins take lawful alignments makes sense to me. Being Lawful is about following a code much like the religious and chivalrous codes followed by Paladins. On the flip side, Rogues really shouldn't be allowed to take a Lawful alignment. Their very nature and defies lawfulness. Of course these are simply my personal opinions, and you could probably convince me otherwise if you had a good case and well reasoned backstory for your character. But it would be a discussion, and you would need to convince me.

It appears that for now Wizards of the Coast has decided to do away with the arguments about alignment and just remove the restrictions all together. So once again, a friendly reminder that there are no alignment restrictions in D&D 5. Your players may freely choose any class and alignment their heart desires.

What do you think? Are alignment restrictions important, or a relic of an older time in gaming not really applicable today?

Written by: Andrew Gregory

D&D Maps! The Village of Palyos

Whenever I am starting a campaign I usually draw a map of the town, village, city or wherever my players are beginning the story. I don't draw a map for every location they will go to, but if I am having trouble figuring out what a town looks like I will whip something up.

For a starting location in a campaign however I always draw a map. I want my players to feel connected to the world, and have a real sense of where their in-game home is. Whether it is a sense of nostalgia, a place they feel they must avoid, or an actual base camp from which to set out on adventures I always want my players to feel familiar with where they came from.

This village of 200-300 people is called Palyos and is where our ancient Greek inspired Age of Heroes campaign will begin. The village is divided between several levels. At the bottom you have the beach, then up the cliff face you have the Fisherman's Ledge, further up the Town Square, then Farmer's Ledge, and at the very top, the ruined temple watched over by the mostly blind Seer Idomeneus, who acts as the towns priest and spiritual guide.

A traditional Greek Kome, Palyos has is an independent town ruled by an elected council that has pledged its service to King Plades of Delphi in exchange for protection from the many bandits and pirates rumoured to be in the area, though it has been many years since an incident occurred and the people have grown content in their lives... But boy is that about to change.

The people of Palyos are about to have their peaceful existence thrown into absolute chaos, and only our player party will be able to save them.

Written by: Andrew Gregory 

Age of Heroes: JADE's Second Spin Off Campaign

Since my recent move I have started to get together with a couple of old friends who still live in the area. And while they all wanted to play Warhammer 40,000, they also all wanted to start a Dungeons and Dragons Campaign.

To make my life as the Dungeon Master a little easier, I decided to set the campaign in my larger Arachnophobia World. That way I didn't have to make anything up from scratch. I even decided I'd set the campaign in an area that the Arachnophobia party would eventually be heading. That way I would be mapping out future areas while I played with the new group. So at the end of the last chapter, the players learned that they needed to head south across the Mortal Sea towards the Hellensitic Isles, and specifically to the Kingdom of Delphi.

The Hellenisitc Isles are a Ancient Greco-Roman themed area that uses the 2nd Ed AD&D green historic campaign setting books. For this area we will be using the Rome, and Age of Heroes, however right now I am limiting the players to only Greek characters. I want to start in Delphi, and I want everyone to be part of that culture. If/when this first round of Greeks meets their fate then they can bring in new characters and I will open up the entire world for them to choose from.

The first spin off campaign in the Arachnophobia World (still thought of a planet name yet) was Thomas's Time Travel Adventures. Thomas the Chronomancer was a member of the Arachnophobia Campaign Party who decided to set out on his own adventure at the beginning of Game 25. During this course, he semi-unintentionally stranded the party back in time at the beginning of the campaign: hundreds of miles from their objective in the Hellenisitic Isles, let alone a seaside Harbour. Thomas' Spin Off Campaign had huge game changing effects on the Arachnophobia Party, however our Age of Heroes campaign will be a little different as none of the characters are associated with the Arachnophobia Campaign and it takes place over 1000 miles away. So as it stands, our Age of Heroes campaign has nothing to do with our Arachnophobia Campaign, with only two exceptions:

1) It takes place in the same world around the same time period. 

2)Tthe Hellenistic Isles are no strangers to giant spiders. Though not as numerous by any means as the invading hordes, a species of Giant Spider has lived around the islands since the dawn of time.

Do the Greeks or Romans know something about the giant spiders that the rest of the world doesn't? Certainly the Library of Athens has records going back further then any civilization except perhaps the elves. Maybe there is something there.

I am quite excited as a DM to host this adventure for the group, as it lets me prepare an area that my Arachnophobia party will be eventually heading and flesh out an area of the world that I have had planned since the beginning. The Ancient Greek setting should also be a refreshing break from our typical medieval fantasy setting. 

We haven't actually had a full game of this yet, as we are still making characters, which given our massive six page character sheets takes some time. I ahve asked the four new players to create level one "heroes" and fit them into the small fishing/farming village of Playos on the
Island of Delphi. Like in most AD&D games at level one your class is more of an aspiration then what you actually are. I have found that it takes until around level 3 before you start feeling like a fighter for example. So Rangers are aspiring hunters in the village, Thieves are known ne're-do-wells, a Fighter's armour has been passed down from generation to generation in the family. It is a hard in AD&D, but it make victory all the sweeter.

The Age of Heroes Book, states many limitations on the Class and Character Kits that each player allowed to take. A paladin for example doesn't exactly have a role in traditional ancient Greek society, and thus you are not allowed to play one. There are equal limitations on most character kits, and even on magic-users, forcing them to be specialists.

It wasn't an easy choice for anyone figuring out what they want to be, and we honestly still haven't finished these characters. But here is our spread so far: Connor has decided to play as a Ranger, who is an apprentice of the Hunter in the village, Casey has chosen an aspiring Priest of Aphrodite, Mike has chosen a Fighter who's father has long gone, leaving his equipment behind, our fourth player Dan unfortunately couldn't make it for the character building session so we shall see what he chooses, and I have recently learned that we will be joined Joe next game bringing our party a total of five: a solid number to start an adventure with.

The Current Arachnophobia Party

At this point this I wouldn't even say that this campaign is off the ground yet, so the plans are still quite loose. Whether or not I will have these guys cross over with the Arachnophobia Party is still undecided. As a DM I don't really like to force that sort of thing and prefer to let the game roll and see what happens. There are a lot of moving pieces so while it would be interesting to have the two groups cross paths it is likely it will never happen. But we will see.

Our first proper game of the Age of Heroes Campaign will be at then end of next week. It will be every player's first time playing 2nd Ed AD&D, and it should make for an interesting game! So look out for more art and stories to come around JADE's Age of Heroes Campaign.

Written by: Andrew Gregory

Image Sources
Roman d20: https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?491643-Ancient-Greek-D208

Age of Heroes book: https://picclick.co.uk/Age-of-Heroes-Campaign-Sourcebook-ADD-2nd-Edition-323262870479.html

Battle Report: Craftworld Eldar vs Death Guard Game 1

With JADE's recent move to a new town and larger gaming space, we have a found a ton more people who want to play games with us; particularly Warhammer 40k. My brother-in-law Connor and his friend Casey have been wanting to play for months, and since I am up here in Newmarket now, I finally had a chance to teach them the game.

So I quickly assembled two forces 8and refereed a battle for them. They both found this very helpful, as I was able to interpret rules for them and give them advice on how to wield both of the armies they were using.

The Forces

Unlike our last three games of Warhammer 40k We finally got a chance to change up the forces for the first time in years! with my Death Guard force being one of the few armies we have that is playable and near completion, they formed one of the armies we used. The other army however is a little different than normal, and saw the long awaited return of my friend Wesley's Ulthwé Eldar. 

Many figures in my Death Guard army were part of the original army that I bought 14 years ago when I first started playing. My most common opponent was Wesley and his Eldar force. Years later he gave me that Eldar army on the condition that I would return it to its former glory. After years of being in a box, the Eldar are in pretty rough shape. For example, the Wraith Lord we are fielding is little more than a single pewter leg attached to a 40mm base, but there are enough pieces there to make a usable if small army.

So these two force will always have a lot of nostalgia for me and I was happy to introduce Connor and Casey to 8th Ed with thesm.

One major difference I made from the last 8th Edition game I played was that the armies were built using Points rather than Power Levels. Sarah and I found them so unbalanced last game that I didn't even bother to explain them this time around. Now there are some rules that rely on Power Levels, such as Daemon Summoning, so I have included those totals below for posterity.

The Armies: Eldar vs. Death Guard

Points: 598

Edition: 8th Edition

Eldar Force

HQ	POWER	POINTS
Farseer (100) -Shuriken Pistol (0) -Witchblade (0)	6	100
TROOPS
Guardian Defender Squad (8pts/model) - 13 Models -3 Additional Guardians (8pts/model) -Shuriken Catapult (5x0) -Plasma Grenade (5x0) -Weapons Platform (5) -Starcannon (15)	5	124
Guardian Defender Squad (8pts/model) - 14 Models -4 Additional Guardians (8pts/model) -Shuriken Catapult (5x0) -Plasma Grenade (5x0) -Weapons Platform (5) -Starcannon (15)	5	132
HEAVY SUPPORT
Dark Reapers (5pts/model) - 5 Models -2 Additional Reapers (5pts/model) -Exarch (0) -Aeldari Missile Launcher (25) -Reaper Launcher (4x22)	7	138
Wraithlord (103) -Shuriken Catapult (2x0) -Wraithbone Fists (0)	8	103
	31	597

I am not an Eldar Player, and frankly this army probably wasn't the best layout. However it matched points wise,  gave a good spread of weaponry and abilities for a small force, and I had every model on the list in my collection; which is less confusing for new players.

My idea with this army was to use the Defenders as decoys while the Dark Reapers hung back with the Farseer and delivered the killing blows. The Wraith Lord was there to help balance any close combat situations, hopefully turning it in the Eldar's favour.

Death Guard Force

HQ	POWER	POINTS
Malignant Plaguecaster (110) -Corrupted Staff (0) -Bolt Pistol (0) -Blight Grenades (0) -Krak Grenades (0)	6	110
TROOPS
Plague Marines (19pts/model) – 7 Models -2 Additional Plague Marines (19pts/model) -Plague Sword (1) -Plague Knife (6x0) -Boltgun (6x0) -Blight Grenades (7x0) -Krak Grenades (7x0) -Icon of Despair (10)	10	144
Plague Marines (19pts/model) – 7 Models -2 Additional Plague Marines (19pts/model) -Plague Sword (1) -Plague Knife (4x0) -Boltgun (4x0) -Blight Grenades (7x0) -Krak Grenades (7x0) -Plasma Gun (13) -Melta Gun (17) -Icon of Despair (10)	10	174
Plaguebearers (7pts/model) – 14 Models -4 Additional Plaguebearers (7pts/model)	12	98
DEDICATED TRANSPORTS
-Dedicated Rhino (70) -Combi-Bolter (2)	4	72
TOTAL:	42	598

Heavy on Infantry my Death Guard Force is a fairly traditional list for a small pointed game. My idea was to use one of the Plague Marine Squads as a decoy and then use remainder en-mass to divide the 

attacker into smaller portions defeating them in detail.

It was a much better thought out force then the Eldar Army, but I didn't know that at the time.

The Battlefield

Like our games before we set up the battlefield using out CD base Scatter Terrain and game mats. The theme for this game was a battle over an ancient ruin, featuring one of our Standing Stones. This gave the field some focus and despite it not being an objective marker, both Connor and Casey found themselves gravitating towards it.

With the armies chosen, and the table set is was for the two decide what armies they wanted to play. After some discussion they decided that Casey would wield the Death Guard force and that Connor would try out the Eldar.

Scenario: Annihilation

Again this being Connor and Casey's first 8th ed match (and Casey's first Warhammer game ever) we kept it simple and easy for the guys to play, choosing an Annihilation match form the open-play scenarios. All they had to do was kill one another, and start to figure out the rules. A Good introduction.

Turn 1: Dark Reapers Are Awesome! Assuming They Hit Something...

Casey took the opening move, and started the slow advance of his Death Guard army. He kept the force largely together and moved towards the center of the table en-mass. He wasn't in range to get any shots off yet choosing to hide his forces behind cover as best he could.

When it came for Connor's Eldar to respond, he only moved a tiny amount and started unloading with his Star Cannons, and Dark Reapers. The Dark Reaper weapons are truly awesome (as they have been throughout most editions of the game I have played) and the range, volume of fire power and strength of each shot is truly impressive.

The dice however were not on Connor's side, and not a single shot from his opening volley damaged a target. It was an unfortunate shooting phase at a time when Connor really needed to take the advantage.

Turn 2: The Firefight Begins

On our small 4ft x 4ft table, both sides got within a reasonable firing range by Turn 2. Casey's opening volleys with his Death Guard were little more then pot shots but a few hits landed, slowly starting to chip away the Eldar's superior numbers.

This round Connor's Eldar managed to to some damage crippling Casey's Rhino and a killing a single plague marine (not an easy task).Despite this, Connor was beginning to worry. He needed those shots to land on the first turn, and was starting to feel severely outgunned as the Death Guard closed in.

Turn 3: Daemons on the Field

On Turn 3 Casey summoned his squads of Plaguebearer Daemons, dropping a powerful close combat force onto the field, and dominating the center of the table. In response Connor tried to move his Defenders into better cover, and continued to fire desperately at the fast approaching Plague Marines.

A few hits were scored widdling the PLague Marine's down further, but Connor was feeling that he was about to get overrun. His army just didn't seem capable of dealing enough damage fast enough.

Turn 4: Revenge of the One-Legged Wraith Lord

By Turn 4 Casey's Plague Marines were in melee range, and charged the field. They locked most of Connor's Eldar in close combat greatly limiting his field of fire. Even Casey's damaged Rhino managed a charge (which is weird that Vehicles don't seem to have different close combat rules in 8th) locking the Dark Reapers in Melee.

With the Eldar getting shredded Connor decided to rescue his Dark Reapers and charge the Wraith Lord in. It easily destroyed the rhino, but it was honestly too little too late. The rest of his army was getting cut to ribbons by plague knives and overwhelmed by Daemons from the warp.

Turn 5: Game Over Man! Game Over

Many of the melee's from the turn before continued into the last round. Casey's Plague Marines managed to wipe out one squad and reduce another to a single man before the round was over.

On Connor's turn he used his Dark Reapers to pick off any of the straggling Plague Marines no longer locked in melee. But it simply wasn't enough. The Plague Marines had dominated the field from the start of the game and Connor's small Eldar force simply couldn't keep up.

At the end of turn 5 the final count was: 

Death Guard: 17 Models 

Craftworld Eldar: 4 Models

Victory: Death Guard

Conclusions

One of the things I have been reading about 8th Ed Warhammer 40k, is that players often seem to be able to call the game on Turn 2. Many people have claimed that once the game starts slipping it is very difficult to return from that, which ultimately means good dice rolls will beat good tactics every time.

I was unsure if these claims were true after my first game of 8th Ed. In the last game many of our balancing issues could be blamed on the unbalanced Power Level system. But this time around, despite using Points and having similarly valued armies, the same thing happened: The outcome of the game was decided well before it ended.

Perhaps my Death Guard army (which 8th ed only increased their effectiveness without really changing the structure for most Death Guard players from previous editions) just works better in 8th, and the other forces need some tender love and care to get them into an effective fight force. Even Casey, who just played his first game realized as so many new players do, that each army is complicated enough that you really need to take the time to study and set up your force to truly wield them properly and to adequately strategize.

Connor, who had played 4th Ed and 6th Ed Warhammer 40k, said despite getting crushed this game that 8th ed still very much felt like 40k, and that while he didn't like some of the rules changes there were many changes to the system that he found to be a great improvement. It is simpler to understand the rules, everything you need to play the unit is listed in their codex entry, etc., etc.

So we are going to keep playing 8th Ed for now. Both Casey and Connor have recently purchased armies (Orks and Necrons) and since they are just getting into the hobby it makes sense to start them on the most recent edition.

Now,  as any one who knows JADE can attest to we don't really care what edition we are playing of any game, so we will certainly be going back in time and playing the older ediitons, to see which rule set we like the best. But for now I am going to get the guys used to the most recent edition, and using their own armies.

Keep your eyes open for more Ork and Necron minis to come!

Written by: Andrew Gregory

Images Souces:

All Non-Photo images from: http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Warhammer_40k_Wiki

JADE has Moved: Andrew's New Space!

Well, it took me two weeks but my new games room is starting to take shape! At the beginning of this Month after 11 years of living in Toronto, my wife and I moved back up North (About 45 min away) to the suburban town of Newmarket; saying goodbye to what had been the JADE headquarters for the past 5 years. It was a little sad to leave our home, but our old space was simply too small and we were bursting at the seams trying to fit everything in!

The 15ft by 15ft room that doubled as my games room and home office for my computer business had severed us well, but with the games only getting larger I needed way more space! And so when my wife and I started looking, one of the main things I was hoping to find was a basement that gave me enough room to game, and boy did I find it!

My new space takes up half of my current basement and is around 40ft long and 18-24ft wide depending on where you are standing. I have no idea how I fit all of this stuff into my old space, and honestly I am still sorting through everything, but it looks like all of my game stuff made it safely to my new home.

Aside from more space, we also have a few amenities in the basement that we didn't have in the old space. These include a 42" Smart TV, a Popcorn Maker and a Mini Fridge. All in all it has been a drastic improvement but I still have a problem: I don't have enough furniture!

As you can see from just about every picture, I have boxes on the floor, boxes on tables, boxes on shelves, etc. etc. It is not that I haven't had the time to unpack these things, but more that I have no where to put them! Currently my parents and my in-laws have a volunteered a number of bookshelves, tables and cabinets to start filling the space, but I still need to figure out how tog et those over there in my all too small Mazda 3. So over the next couple of weeks I will be bringing in more shelves and trying organize this space bit by bit as I go along.

Despite the game room's chaotic state I have already played my first game of Blood and Plunder and my first game of Letters from Whitechapel with my old friend Tom who was down from Kenora and visiting family in the area this week. After that my wife and I baby sat for an old friend looking after their 11 month old baby, who I was showing him the effects of terrain in tabletop games and how to use FATE tokens. And then I introduced my Brother-In-law Connor and his friend Casey to 8th ed Warhammer 40k, by refereeing a game for them. so it has been a busy couple of weeks.

We now also have new Dungeons and Dragons campaign in the works and plans to continue old ones both remotely and in person in the new space. So there is tons of stuff to come!

For those wondering, our RPG Character Dice will resume shipping shortly, and are still available on our store.

Look for more updates as I get this massive new space sorted out and while the games keep coming!


Written by: Andrew Gregory

Sarah's Very First Grey Hunter Squad

Before I get going here, Sarah insisted that I make it abundantly clear that these are some of the first minis she ever painted. Based off of a handful of old Space Wolf minis I grabbed and then never finished, Sarah took them, assembled them and finished them up. And so it formed the first Grey Hunter squad she ever finished.

For a first go at painting minis I think Sarah did a fantastic job on these guys. It takes years of practice and study to get to a point where you are really happy with your paint jobs, and from a table perspective these guys look great. The colours are solid enough that you can tell the different parts of the mini and vibrant enough that they stand out. Sure the lines aren't neat and not everything is painted as she would today but these things take time and as you can tell she has put in the effort going forward and has and greatly improved.

Out of all 5 of these guys, the one on the left in this picture is absolutely my favourite. I think it is the most solid paint job, and the pose looks mean: Just like a Space Marine should look.

I think another lesson to take away here is just how much a decent basing job perks up a mini. With the combination of painted sand to look like dirt, grass and snow, these Space Wolves really look like they belong on their homeworld of Fenris.

So despite these not being the best minis in her collection I think they are something to be proud of to show how far she has come, and that she clearly had some natural talent to begin with.

Written by: Andrew Gregory

The Unusual Combat of 2nd ED AD&D

Over five editions and 40 years combat systems in D&D have changed drastically. Whether you are used to the combat matrices of 1st Ed AD&D or the modern d20 based initiative system in D&D 5, switching to a new edition usually means that you will have to take an afternoon to learn a new combat system. Luckily, 1st Ed AD&D, D&D 3, and D&D 5 all use a familiar format:

1. Roll initiative

2. During your initiative step you may move and preform actions.

3. Repeat Step 2 until combat has concluded.

It is simple, straight forward and provides for a fairly entertaining tabletop battle.

However, 2nd ED AD&D is kind of the odd one out. And yes I know that D&D 4's combat system is quite different; but seriously why are you still playing the worst version of this game ever made?

So, where other editions attempt to gamify combat for ease's sake, the makers of 2nd Ed AD&D chose to try and create something more like a simulation. Here is how it works:

1. The DM decides the actions and movement of all monsters and NPCs during the coming round

2. Players explain what their characters will do during the round.

3. Initiative is rolled.

4. All chosen actions are executed.

5. Repeat until combat has concluded.

You must choose your action before you know what order you will act in, and you must re-roll initiative each round. This means that there are far more opportunities for your character's actions to be ineffective, or potentially dangerous to the rest of the party. Without proper planning, a fighter could easily charge a group of monsters only to be blasted to pieces by a caster's fireball spell. 

There are no take backs in 2nd Ed AD&D. You do not get a chance to look at the table and decide what you want to do when it comes to your initiative step. It has already been decided and you now have to sit back and watch it unfold over the combat round. For new players I have found this makes 2nd Ed AD&D's combat the least forgiving of mistakes. Even a small encounter, if poorly planned, can turn into a disaster.

This simulative style of combat really does make for an interesting and authentic experience. It just feels a little more real, and adds a little bit of suspense into each encounter, but it is of course not without its drawbacks.

Despite JADE predominantly playing 2nd Ed AD&D, we actually do not use this combat system and prefer the traditional order of Initiative, Action, Repeat. The problem with 2nd Ed combat style is not that it doesn't nor that it isn't entertaining it is that it takes forever.

A small 4v4 encounter can take a full hour to resolve, and larger encounters can take up half the game session for that day. Simply put, having to reroll and record initiative, on top of the players having to sound off  their actions every round takes too much time out of the game. Perhaps if we do another "hard-core" style game like JADE's Hymns of a Vagabond then we will use the proper 2nd Ed system, but for now we'll stick to how we have been doing it.

What do you think? Does 2nd Ed Combat sound exciting to you,, or like too much work?

Written by: Andrew Gregory

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