December 2015

Nice close out to the year. Great books for Christmas, painted some figures, and even got in a game.


PAINTING
 66 x 15mm pirate figures: 66 points
 6 x 28mm pulp figures: 12 points
Total: 78 points

On the table: 150 pirates/civilians, and 4 ships.

GAMES
1 fantasy game with "Bear Yourselves Valiantly" rules.

PURCHASES and BUDGET
$35 this month--- few rule books and supplements for holiday reading
Total for the year: $2794
Budget: $806 under budget for the year!
Plan: I met my adjusted plan to spend less than $100 per month to close the year...down from my original $150/month plan. Adjusted target was less than $3000 (originally $3600) total for the year That will be a 40% reduction from 2014! Plus I sold $400 worth of figures, and received a $367 refund from a failed kickstarter (I reinvested this kickstarter refund money into more Demonworld figures for the fantasy project...not counted in the expenses above).

4th Quarter Plans:
1- Finish 1/4 of the Pirates in October- Done (finished 1/2)
2- Pulp Figures in November- Done (+6 more)
3- Fantasy Samurai in December- Done

Painted figures for the month:

Part 2 of 4...will base them all when done.

6 new additions for Pulp Alley

Christmas Loot

Merry Christmas to all.

Some very nice items for Christmas from my wife and son.

Light holiday reading.

Will need this when I start 6mm.

The Trees Wept

I finished a game of Bear Yourselves Valiantly tonight. This may be the last game of the year.

The forces of the human City States took on the Elven King's army in a vicious battle over a holy Elven grove just inside the borders of the City States' border.

I did not set a turn limit at the beginning, but after five turns, I decided the game was halfway done. The first few turns did not play out as enjoyably as I had hoped, but I am glad I stuck it out for an exciting finish.

I need to read the rules again, but I think I am getting the hand of things. I also need more command stands.
I forgot to count ammo from the start and the Elven archery almost won the game. My units are double the width of the bases called for in the rules so I need to create a house rule to allow a little more maneuver and passage of lines.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.

The Elven grove is in the center just past the two fields. Humans on the left in this picture.

The Elven center...matched pairs of bowmen and warriors with the Grove Guard prepared to advance to defend the trees.

Massed Elven cavalry on elk and unicorns.

Nomadic Wood Elves prepare for a flank attack.

The human center, elephants and mixed swordsmen, axemen, and spearmen; the Ronin are in reserve.

Human cavalry leading hoplites.

The elephants advance rapidly but suffer from the Elven arrow storm.

The ambush is sprung on the human light troops protecting the flank.

The Magnificent Zuron blasts the Grove Guard with magic bolts as they prepare to throw the island slingers out of the grove.

Both sides prepare for a whirling cavalry battle on the flank.

Confusion sets in...the Elves pull back across the stream.

As the human center disengages at the same time.

The humans get the short end of the stick on the flank...losses are severe.

They break and stream to the rear.

Elven cavalry comes out on top at the beginning.

And the Grove Guard scatter some archers.

The counter-attack is fierce.

The Grove Guard is defeated!

But the Elven archers get revenge by emptying many saddles.

With the rest of his command destroyed, General Greco leads a band of horse archers back into the fray.

The Ronin absorb the Wood Elves' volley and begin to slaughter the unarmored Elves at the edge of the forest.

In a shameful display of cowardice, the human commander retreats to a safer position with his best troops.

The Elven center gets the upper hand...but will they prevail in time.

No...the dastardly humans have cut down two sacred trees for their holiday feast screened by the slingers.

Both sides are exhausted on this flank.

The Elves could have succeeded with just one more turn.

The Wood Elves slink off into the forest to lick their wounds.

The field is short a dozen or so units.

November 2015

Good progress on the painting front. I also hit 7 years back in the hobby this month.

PAINTING
35 x 15mm fantasy figures: 35 points
31 x 28mm pulp figures: 62 points
Total: 97 points

On the table: 300 pirates/civilians, 6 pulp figures (on the way)

GAMES
1 fantasy game with "Bear Yourselves Valiantly" rules. Another game set on the table for next month. I also want to get in a Pulp Alley game in December.

PURCHASES and BUDGET
$50 this month--- splurged on some pulp figures and cards for Pulp Alley
Total for the year: $2759
Budget: $584 under budget for the year.
Plan: I am planning to keep remaining spending to less than $100 per month to close the year...down from my original $150/month plan. New target is less than $3000 (originally $3600) total for the year That will be a 40% reduction from 2014! Plus I sold $400 worth of figures.

4th Quarter Plans:
1- Finish 1/4 of the Pirates in October- Done
2- Pulp Figures in November- Done; but I bought 6 more figures to be finished in Dec.
3- Fantasy Samurai in December- Done (in November)
---Remaining December plan: 6 pulp figures and another batch (about 100) of the pirates.

Mercenary Ronin from the City States

News Hounds

Adventurers

More hooded cultists

Gunslingers

Yangtze Pirates

Steadfast Dwarves

While the seemingly endless wars over possession of the Golden Idol have taken a brief pause, all is not right in the world. The Overlord has taken an opportunity to launch a quick strike to destroy a Dwarven border post.

With my hobby motivation renewed (good painting progress for the month already), I took an opportunity to get a fantasy game of Bear Yourselves Valiantly on the table. These rules are from the Look Sarge, No Charts stable...I have enjoyed their fantasy, ancients, and WW2 games at conventions.
I played without the base labels (used a roster), made my own dice, and kept my units in their standard 4 x 40mm configuration (the game calls for 3" wide units). I fiddled with movement a little to compensate, and I increased the ranged combat distances.

A very fun game...ran quickly, decisive results, and the combination of card activation and special dice are perfect for adding drama to my solo games. I think I will get the Elves on the table next.

This was a smaller game than I usually play since it was a learning game. I do need to read the rules again as I am sure I missed a few items.

Honors for the game go to the Dwarven Clan Warriors that launched the early attack that forced six Skeleton units into retreat!

Dwarves defending the border against an undead legion. Reinforcements are on the way.

Skeletons on the right, Zombies in the middle, and the elite undead on the left for a flank attack.

The King is on the way lead by the bear mounted cavalry.

Pick these up if you can....don't be fooled by the no charts things...they are very well done.

Not a good start to the attack, a brave Dwarf clan shrugs off some arrows and launches a counter attack. The Skeleton archers fall back disrupting the whole line...leading to a failed morale role that sends the entire command in retreat. I think of undead retreating as more of a loss of necromantic power that must be re-asserted (rallied).

The Zombies are trying to bash through the center.

I used a "horde" rule...+1 for every additional unit, and Zombies don't retreat...the losses are applied to the back unit until it is destroyed. The Dwarves hold the line with crossbowmen supporting from the tower.

I think The Overlord is going to turn this Necromancer into a Zombie...the whole command is in retreat,

Zeds are falling, but they keep on coming.

The Chaos Warriors defeated the first line, but the ballistae are tearing holes in the Zombies. 

On the left flank, Skeletal Knights crush one Dwarven band and breakthrough to cause havoc.

This draws in the Dwarven reserves as the Bear Mounted Warriors meet the Vampire Thralls and Spectres...Dwarves lose.

But counter charge to hold the line.

After their initial success, the Knights throw back the Dwarven Berserkers, only to get hit with massed crossbow fire.

And then destroyed by the Berserkers' counter-charge.

The Dwarves have stiffened the line since there is no longer any threat from the enemy right wing.

The Chaos Warriors head for home, leaving the Zombies to cover the retreat.

The Vampire Lord decides to withdraw with honor,

The Dwarves hold the field.