September 2016

Closed out the month with a solo game of Pulp Alley using the new solo cards. Very nice. There is so much to offer with the Pulp Alley system and supplements.

I saw a post on another blog about dice. Below are my original dice from playing D&D many years ago. An odd collection, but I have fond memories of that blue 20-sider.

PAINTING
0 completed :(

TOTAL: 0 points

In Progress: 12 x 12 figure units for "The Imperial Army" in my Katzenstein project

GAMES
1 x Pulp Alley game

PURCHASES and BUDGET
$0 this month: Nothing! My Wargames Illustrated subscription is due in October.
Total for the year: $411
Budget: $489 under budget, 
Plan: <$100 per month; on target
Reminder: bases (round), paint, and brush supplies...plus some shield transfers.

At Death's Door- A Pulp Alley AAR

I played a solo game of the third scenario in the Pulp Alley "Perilous Island" Campaign. This is the "At Death's Door" scenario involving a search in a customs warehouse for more clues leading to Lord Darrow's location.

The Duke's Tsarist Eastern Brigade approached the warehouse from the West while group of American mercenaries led by the mysterious Phantom Ace approached from the East. I rolled initiative to decide who went first each time, a slight change from the solo rules as published.

Phantom Ace was joined by his sidekick, Mak O'Reilley, two hired guns, and three brawlers.

The Duke used his "call to arms" league perk and "wealthy" abilities to add three of Lord Darrow's college chums.

My warehouse...more of a stock yard. The stacks of crates and gates were all extremely perilous.

A barrel fell on one of the gunmen as he sought cover when the Americans spread out.

The Duke's party had the advantage of numbers.

O'Reilly convinced one of the night watchmen to help.

While Boris shot down a charging enemy in the dim lighting.

Don't bring a bat to a sword fight.

Four to One...the redhead decided to slip around to the other side of the wall.

Phantom Ace takes a second plot point by convincing the clerk to hand over the stock manifest.

Girl on Girl action once again...down goes the redhead.

Cutting off the escape route.

Three drop after getting caught in the open.

The shooter final falls.

The action moved to the office in the corner. The Duchess faced down O'Reilly while Phantom Ace gunned down folks left and right.

He could not disengage at the end while The Duke and the Duchess each ended with two plot points.

6 Points plus the bonus items- 1 each, Gear, Tip, Experience, Backup, Contact, and Lady Elaine will join the Duke for the next scenario.

Ace had to settle for a single point.

A fun and fast game with the solo deck. The action developed quickly with a big gun battle in the center, and then the action in the corner. Although the results seem lopsided, Phantom Ace and Mak were still in action at the end against The Duke, The Duchess, and Boris. My league leaders are not very combat oriented, so with another turn or two, Phantom Ace very good shooting and brawling) could have done some real damage.

The Duke will now follow the clues to search for Lord Darrow in Indonesia.

Labor Day Weekend gaming

I was invited to join some local gamers over the holiday weekend. Despite being distracted while simultaneously preparing for the storm, I enjoyed the game. The rules will be published shortly by On Military Matters.

I was on the British side at Pegasus Bridge. We took the bridge from both ends at the same time (as the recommendation goes), and held off two counterattacks. A few shots below...that MDF bridge is fantastic.

Unfortunately I had to leave before the 15mm Wild West game with "Dead Man's Hand" rules.

Massacre at the Lizardmen Temple

I played a solo game with my fantasy rules mash up based on the Piquet/Hostile Realms rules. The undead forces led by the Evil Overlord (trademark EO) sought an ancient relic at a Lizardman temple. The local Lizardmen called on their neighbors in the Great Kingdom and the Hillmen tribes to defeat the unholy threat.

The undead had a better card deck but otherwise the sides were evenly matched.

Undead in the foreground with the best troops in the center headed for the temple.

Skeletal Knights face their living counterparts and get flanked by additional horsemen.

The undead hunters and Lizardmen reach the temple and set up a stout defense.

While a huge demon tears into the Hillmen warbands.

The action is focused in the center and on the undead's right flank.

More Hillmen (and women) take on their skeletal enemies.

Cavalry destroys the Mummies...in their first battle.

The fanatics (naked and clothed) slam into more skeletal warriors. This would turn out poorly.

Dismounted skeletal knights caught between the cavalry. This went on forever...the cavalry could not finish them off.

Things were looking good on the allied left; the warbands have turned the flank.

The demon keeps chewing up the opposing warbands, but they held out to the end.

Despite taking their sweet time getting into action, the Vampire Thralls send the naked fanatics running for some clothes.

The best allied command on the table was unwilling to get their hands dirty...rolled three "1s" on a row to activate.

These guys turned the tide...Dracula would be proud.

It was like a dog fight on the opposite flank.

The Zombie Horde could not take the temple, but they kept the Lizardmen engaged while others closed the noose.

The Kingdom and Hillmen forces began to withdraw to avoid being destroyed.

Surrounded on three sides, most of the Lizardmen were slaughtered at the temple in this devastating defeat.

A fun battle that came down to the wire. Both sides could have pulled it out and although they still held the temple, the allied side eventually failed the Army Morale Card roll.

Some key points of the battle:
- The Undead Hunters and Lizardmen reaching the temple so quickly on great rolls/cards.
- The demon chasing the warbands all the way back to the baseline, but not finishing them off. The demon was really needed at the temple and almost cost the undead the game.
- The failure of the cavalry to destroy the Skeletal Knights despite taking them from both sides.
- The Vampire Thralls defeating the fanatics and turning the tide of the battle.