LCG's and Modelling

So not really so much board games as card games, LCG's, that's living card games as opposed to CCG's, collectable card games, like Magic the Gathering. LCG's are marketed by selling a starter set that has fixed cards and then extra fixed content supplemental packs are sold on a regular schedule. In this manner the purchaser knows exactly what they are buying and can make decks as they want while a CCG's marketing model is to sell random packs so you cannot be sure what you are buying. Every pack is a surprise. I prefer the LCG model but everyone likes something different.

It seems like I have played quite a few LCG's since the last post. All the games are from Fantasy Flight Games. Netrunner, Warhammer Invasion, Star Wars, Call of Cthulhu and Lord of the Rings. The games of Star Wars, Netrunner and CoC were all learning games and I enjoyed them though I lost all. With one game of each played I would rank them in order of Netrunner, Star Wars and CoC. Netrunner has a good depth of play and a well executed theme, while Star Wars seemed to be missing something though I would like to give it another play before I make a final call, it's Star Wars after all, and while I liked CoC something about having mytho creatures seemingly fighting alongside human factions just seemed wrong.
 
I played a game of Warhammer Invasion LCG as well. It has been quite some time since I played it so it was almost like learning again but I do enjoy the game and will have to get it out more often. Again another loss if I remember right.

I also have played The Lord of the Rings LCG 3 or 4 times solitaire trying to beat the second scenario to no avail. I will continue on the quest though and after reading on the forums I have switched to playing 2 decks even for a solo game, basically playing a 2 player game but controlling both hands of cards. I did this the last game I played and came closest to winning until a bad run of threat cards overwhelmed me.

I also ran another game of pathfinder using the Roll20 program. This time I had 4 players and the system seemed to work fine. There were a few glitches getting the 2 new players in but for the most part it worked quite well and I think everyone had a good time. One of the players is chronicling the adventure on another blog for those interested though it may be a week or so before he updates after the current game session. You can find the blog here.

I have also finished off my 15mm USMC forces by Elhiem Figures, after realizing I had unpainted figures I needed for the next scenario. I still have to finish off the last AAV-7 but I need to get some black paint to spray the camouflage pattern.

The complete USMC. Elhiem figures. Dragon vehicles. The AAV-7 on the right needs to be finished.

Command team.

One of the 2 squads.

Javelin team and SMAW

Sniper team.

Insurgents by Caesar. Techicals by S&S miniatures

US Army. Caesar figures. Dragon Bradley IFV.

Insurgents again.

 

Games, Post Holiday

I did a little gaming over the holidays but generally just relaxed enjoying a variety of European beers I had received, the hops part of my blog title!

Tristan and I usually throw down a fairly large miniature game over the holidays but this year the interest just wasn't there so we gave it a pass, maybe next year.

We did play a couple of games of Conquest of Nerath, a fantasy themed board game of world conquest, which he had received for Christmas. One game between just him and I which we played using 1/2 the board and then a 4 player game with a couple of his friends. Both games were fun with Tristan winning both. We also played a game of Ascension, a deck building game,which I won by 1 point, a surprise to us both because it really looked like Tristan had it in the bag.

I did play a fair bit of Pathfinder, acting as the DM and 2 more players will be joining next session which will make a 4 player adventuring party. It has been awhile since I DM'd for a full group of PC's so there will be some relearning but it should be fun. I am running this game over the internet using the Roll20 web based program which seems to be working out pretty good. I have started a blog about the campaign, mostly for the players but anyone can check it out here.

One of the next miniature games I am planning on playing is another Force on Force game set in Iraq from the Road to Baghdad book. Unfortunately I thought all I needed was to build and paint the USMC transport, an AAV-7, but when I looked at my forces needed for the scenario I realized I had not painted up the second squad of 13 men. So the last few days I have been prepping and painting up the second squad and should have it done fairly soon. While I am at it I am taking the opportunity to paint up the rest of the troops I have which isn't that much extra but does include a sniper team and a few special teams. Once they are completed I will post a picture of the complete force. Down the road I think I might want to get a few more HMMWV's, maybe a LAV or 2 as well as a MRAP(Mine Resistant Ambush Protected).

I hope everyone had a good holiday and got some gaming goodness in.