Game Last Night

I got to play a game last night!  I want to get in a least one game a week during the Crossroads League so I get my participation coin.  It feels a little like how everyone got a trophy in little league but I am going to take it!  I played against Kenneth and he was a great opponent.  He took time to go through his forces with me, which was great because I had never battled against a Cephalyx themed force and it was certainly different.  Their use of focus is almost a blend of focus and fury.  The Monstrosities Subduer and Wrecker (the two 'jack like beings) are huge meat mountains able to soak up a ton of damage.  The Drudges are cheap and able to tie you up in melee.  He played the caster Cognifex Cyphon. 

We also played the league game Ol' Jeb in a Rumble Format.  If I could kill Ol' Jeb, I would win and gain the achievement point.  The Rumble format is played on a 30" x 30" table with a max of 35 its and felt like the equivalent of starting on turn 2.  Unfortunately, this did not help me against a melee heavy opponent!  I lost the match and Darius hung his head in defeat.  

Cognifex Cyphon with Dominator, Mind Bender and Drudges, 

Darius with maxed out Trencher unit, Ironclad, Hammersmith, and Hunter.

Archer's Tower for Bandit Fort part 1

My "Plan"  I based the floors off of 2" tall.  In order to cover a  small based miniature, the obstacle must be 1.75" tall.  The rules in Season 1 say "The Archer’s Tower terrain feature is treated as an obstruction that grants cover and should be no larger than 4 ̋ × 4 ̋."  

I made the skeleton of the tower from foam core board.  I haven't used this in years and I was not expecting the jagged edges, even with a new blade.

I found craft sticks at the hobby store that were 12" long and then.  I used my pliers to break off the "popsicle-looking" ends and laid them on with PVA glue.  I left breaks in the sticks to show the archers' windows.

I broke some of the sticks in the middle to add to the ramshackle look.

Same technique on the room

I made the door separate and glued it on as I was finishing the bottom.

I glued the top, bottom, and base all together.  The base is 4" x 4".  The top of the roof is 8", providing some cover even for huge based miniatures, which are considered to be 5" tall.

I am considering using stain on the wood to bring out the definition.  My default is to paint it but maybe stain would be more interesting...

Tents Terrain for Bandit Fort

One point can be earned each week of the Crossroads Campaign for terrain creation.  The choices available are listed in Crossroads season one rules.

I am looking at the tents.  The rules say they should be no larger than 2"x 2".  They grant concealment (+2 DEF).  I found a good video of how to make tents and I decided to give it a try.

This was the pattern for 2 tents

Bases are made from MDF that I rounded off the edges with a Dremal Tool

Draped in paper towel that had been dipped in 3:1 PVA glue (white glue)/water 

Straight PVA glue was painted on the edges to help seal the MDF.
Extra bits from bits box, larger stones, and an extra "patch"

Sandbags from bits box

I painted them first in brown.  I should have skipped this step because my primer was brown.

An awful color of primer that ends up looking like the red dirt outside my house.

Dry brushing and my first try at water effects.  Got a little too much blue but oh well!

The rest of the water effect mixed in a measuring cup and a dribble of it running down the drums.
The base is from Ol' Rowdy.

Crossroads of Courage Season 1, Week 1

Privateer Press Crossroads

I mentioned this before but here is the basics of the Warmachine league:

My local game store is running Crossroads of Courage, the year long Warmachine/Hordes league that will guide the choices of a young man.  It begins Sept.1 and each week, players get to answer survey questions that will shape what he becomes in the future.  The model will be launched next year based on the outcome of the survey and the league play.

The main page is here.
The core rules are here.
The rules for Season 1 (September) are here.
The fiction for Season 1 is here.

I have chosen to play the side of the Reapers. The survey links are now live and this week I get to play Holden the Last (Courage).

Not my favorite picture but it is what pops up when I filled out my week 1 survey.

Crossroads of Courage League

Privateer Press Crossroads

My local game store is running Crossroads of Courage, the year long Warmachine/Hordes league that will guide the choices of a young man.  It begins Sept.1 and each week, players get to answer survey questions that will shape what he becomes in the future.  The model will be launched next year based on the outcome of the survey and the league play.

The main page is here.
The core rules are here.
The rules for Season 1 (September) are here.
The fiction for Season 1 is here.

I have chosen to play the side of the Reapers as opposed to the Sowers.  This seems a little against my personality.  However, in Season 1, you can either paint casters or 'jacks each week for points and I can't afford 4 new 'jacks.

Each can be achieved once each week - original here

I am excited about painting.  Even if it is just one extra point a week, it gives me some motivation.  So here is the plan:

• Week 0 - Week before league starts, I can assemble and paint Ol' Rowdy.  I already own him, but he is bare metal bits in a box.  However, if I can get him assembled, Stryker2 will be that much better.

• Week 1 - Paint and Play Stryker2.  I already own the model, he is put together, based, and primed, though I will have to reattach an arm.

• Week 1 - Order Nemo2 for $17.

• Week 2 - Paint and Play Haley2.  Again, I already own the model.  She is put together, based, and primed.

• Week 2 - Order Brisbane1 for $15.

• Week 3 - Paint and Play Nemo2.

• Week 4 - Paint and Play Brisbane1.

In preparation, I am starting to paint at least 15 minutes every weekday.  I want to build Ol' Rowdy this week and try to get him painted by Sept 3.  That will be pushing it for me on a warjack but we will see.

I want to focus on my queue on the right, starting with the ones closest to complete.  I think Eiryss has been in the queue for several years.  Well, she is getting painted this week!!

I was going to focus on my queue but that changed when I started trying to build lists for the various weeks.  I moved Stryker2 to Week 1 and Haley2 to Week 2.  I would love to get Thorn for Haley but that is an extra $30 and an extra 'jack to paint.  Probably won't/shouldn't happen.