Skaven Rat Ogre

This is where I am up to with the Rat Ogre, not easy because of the original model and its pose. Yes, if you were wondering, it is based on one of my sons toys from some 18 years ago: namely a midgit wrestler model.

I have used 6 previously to create a unit of Trolls for my WFB Orcs and I still have a few left over, my son doesn't seem to want them any longer, wonder why?

He has a certain Sad expression to my eye, certainly not violent!

Still need some little bits filling and finishing, like round the base of the tail and under the chin. Its never going to be brilliant but then I was under no illusion that it would be :-)

Skaven Censor Bearers

Completed these last night so thought the best thing was to get them on the blog. Funny really because I was thinking that these miniatures were going to be one of the longest to create, but actually they weren't too bad. I made quite a few bits off the model, like the handle for the censors, and the censors themselves from some old beads I had lying about and thin green garden wire for the chain.

Recon that just about completes all the standard troop types I'm going to do for our Quest games, just the Rat  Ogres and a good variety of characters and all is done :-)

Starship Furniture: Larger Consoles

I have been working on these and wanted to show how they are put together, didn't want to just present the finished product.

They are made from card stock, cereal packet card, foam card and a lolly stick. Also paint as well, mainly cheap acrylics.

With basic colours.

In its raw state, I used the foam card to create two legs them joined them with a lolly stick.

Another lolly stick up the back for more stability and strength, all glued in place with PVA and left for an hour ish to dry.

I think some in purple might look nice too.

Censor Bearers and Rat Ogres: so far

Yesterday I just about finished the Censor Bearers and did some bits on 2 of the 3 Rat Ogres, so I thought I would share. One thing that has come from making these later Skaven models is that I have a better understanding of how to construct hands, all be it, Skaven hands. I'm not using as much green stuff, and using the modelling tool more carefully instead of rushing. Not gonna win any awards but they are better.

Five Parsecs Furniture

Some pictures of the furniture I've been putting together recently in between the Skaven challenge. My ideas for the overall look are coming together and I will continue to temper them with cribbed designs from Battlesystems.

Five Parsecs from Home Review

General
Well from the outset the whole idea and feel of Five Parsecs really grabbed my attention. Years gone by I had played both Laserburn and, more often, Traveller and Five Parsecs immediately took me back to my 20's, it gave me the opportunity to play out Star Wars or Blakes 7 and later films like Firefly. Small groups of individuals banded together, for whatever reason, to carve out a fortune, investigate the mysterious or battle against fascist imperial forces.



Character Development
The core rules start out with the development of your crew, whether you decide to have all characters or just one and several grunts is up to you. I enjoyed the whole process of character generation so much that I opted for the whole crew being fully rounded characters. Through a series of tables the crew gain a background with which to approach all the skirmish games that are to follow. How they interact with each other, whether they have their own agenda, what their motivations are. By the end of the process I felt like I had invested some effort in the creation of my crew and as a result have enjoyed, more I believe, the ups and downs of their adventures.


Some classic 70's haircuts from the cast of Blakes 7

Core Rules
The core rules for Five Parsecs come from the original Fivecore rule system, which you will need in order to play. It is a straight forward no nonsense system which gets the job done and works well. The biggest concept to get your head round is the lack of a stat line. Characters develop skills which can, along with the weapons they carry, define the difference between them and their enemies or their crew mates.



Campaign Play
Now this is where the system really shines for me. The whole reasoning behind the game is to encourage campaign play, which for me is groups of linked games with a theme running throughout. Continuity of characters, befriending or aggravating other individuals or groups makes Five Parsecs come to life. The surrounding campaign play informs and develops the outcomes of the tabletop game and encourages you, because of its existence, to make decisions with the background in mind.

So far I have only played this solo in order to get the flavour of it and to get most of the rules in my old head, but soon "she who must not be named" (or photographed) intends to use the Copplestone figures I bought to create her own crew. I can't wait.

Later I bought Every Star an Opportunity, and again this is loaded with all the tables you need to create a whole sub-sector of  interesting planets to play in. I have a whole raft of names for planets that will be rolled up before long and then my crew will be liberating aliens, confronting Unity and generally trying to make a living across the galaxies.

Many thanks to Ivan Sorensen for creating all of the Fivecore series.

April Challenge Update; Jezzails

This is where I am with the April challenge. Feels like I am hurtling towards the end of the month and don't have much time left!

But I am getting to the end, although I don't have many old models left to work with, at present I am waiting for 10 plastic clanrats to appear from Ebay. Little do they know what horrors await them, amputations and decapitations galore!


12 Clanrats
6 Gutter runners
6 Assassins
3 Warpfire thrower teams
6 Jezzails
9 Stormvermin
12 Plague Monks
6 Censor Bearers
6 Globadiers
3 Rat Ogres. could be a problem
Grey Seers, as many as I can make
Characters, as many as I can manage.

Here are the completed Jezzails; I used Kroot rifles, it was all I had: rebuilt their hands, the first was a bit poor; then I added a bead to their backs to look like a container of some sort.

Five Parsecs from Home: Mission Three, Film

Five Parsecs from Home; Mission Three
Film version of last game report
The Rendezvous

Which do people prefer, written or film, let me know :-)

Five Parsecs Report: First Quest Mission Three

Mission Three: Part 3

The Unoleg Affair:
Sarin was proving to be a difficult planet to put behind the crew. By now all Junke wanted to do was to get off planet, she didn't feel happy handing over Halo Jobes to Unoleg via Plade. Rumours had been circulating, since they had taken Jobes from the punks, that they were actually protecting her from medical vivesection at the hands of the very people who had employed Junke and the crew.
Feeling ill at ease Junke, Krat and Vassily led Halo to the rendezvous point.

Anxious and somewhat twitchy the two groups faced off across the grim depot buildings. Two of Plades henchmen moved quickly forward toward the mid point... Far too quickly for Vassily who opened up at he nearest henchman with his cling fire pistol, later he swore blind that the henchman had drawn his pistol. He missed but the henchman bailed. Following his action both Krat and Junke also blazed away all three henchmen bailed.

The rendezvous point is reached and nervously the crew wait.

The henchmen move forard to take up positions, but the crew trigger a firefight, causing 2 henchmen to bail and one to go down.

Firefight brings on extra henchmen.

Krat uses his psychic power to push back henchman about to shoot. Then the crew move to rear of complex.

Scurry brings on one more henchman at same entrance.

Henchmen move forward but can't shoot.

Vassily led Halo to safety.

Junke lobs a frak grenade towards the moving henchmen.

Several bounces later the Frag grenade goes off, causes henchman to flinch.

Scurry move for henchmen brings them through the door and round the wall in numbers.

A henchman appears just where crew don't want him.

Krat throws grenade and downs 3.

Junke shoots and kills one henchman.

Vassily and Krat were blocked by the latest henchman as they had thrown a scurry and couldn't move into combat!

Scurry, Junke moves into the corridor and uses her covering fire ability to shoot at end of scurry, she downs henchman.

The henchmen scurry, but crew escape with Halo Jobes.

The crew and Halo step over the last henchman, who lay stunned on the ground.

Junke ordered the three crew and Halo to make for the Dennis Dennis, to get off planet as quickly as possible. They would not be welcome on Sarin for some time and may even be hunted by Unoleg off world.

The Crew gained no loot for this adventure, they hadn't actually completed their task and it didn't seem right to profit from an unfulfilled contract. 

When they reached the SS Sulimann, Kassel was still being medicated by Jazz who was limping about. Kassel wouldn't be taking part in any more adventures, he was just too badly hurt. But he would continue to work on the Sullimann and man it as off world support. This left a gap in the crew roster and a roll on the Loot table had actually suggested a Captive, it seemed only right that Halo Jobes should become the new member of the crew.

Having now completed several missions my next Five Parsecs Post will be a review of the game system.