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.

Infinity Terrain

I have just started to build some dedicated terrain for Infinity. I think, in general Infinity might look better on a table that has not been previously destroyed by battle or covered in skulls. Infinity also needs a lot of terrain to block lines of sight and elevations to give advantageous positions.

My idea is to make some structures that would fit in with a mining outpost or something similar. So I have started by making some "prefab" looking buildings and then I will make a landing pad and maybe some piping and gantry walkways to give some height. I have also made some "rock" bridges out of high density foam.

On a slightly different front I am continuing to run the Pathfinder role playing game via the internet using the Roll20 web program. I am starting to get used to both the program interface as well as the Pathfinder system so I am hoping to recruit 1 or 2 more of my friends to play. I think 4 players would be the maximum I could run using the computer.

I am planning to have a gaming weekend in a few weeks with a number of friends over for a weekend of games, both miniature and board games, so that should be a lot of fun.

Foamcore board with the main structure marked out. The dotted lines are where I will cut a 45 degree cut part way through.

My plans, or what amounts to plans.

The foamcore cut out, 2 ends and the main structure.

The main structure held together with elastics.

Once again with the windows and door cut out, and the removable roof in place.

The structure with a figure beside it. Details are yet to be added.

My "rock" bridges.

Hal-con 2012 Ready or Not

A quick post before Hal-con.

I am only going to be able to make it one day this year due to some personal business that came up so seeing as I have a limited time to do game demos I have thinned it down to Malifaux(of course), Infinity and Dust Warfare.

I am out of time but have things pretty much where I want them if not quite the grand vision I had 1 year ago just after Hal-con 2011.

After Hal-con it will be time to start prepping and playing all the games that I have been saying "after Hal-con" like running Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and some Flames of War.

Last week I also played a short session of Pathfinder over the web using Roll 20 web program. This was a first for me running Pathfinder as well as running a session online. As I said I ran the game while my son, Tristan joined in from his computer in another room and my friend Pat joined in from Ontario. There was a few glitches and I wasn't well prepared as this was somewhat of an impromptu session after a brief phone conversation with Pat but it worked better than I thought and was fairly easy to run. I had to get used to the audio lag which made conversation a little awkward but over all it went well and I anticipate that we will try it again pretty soon.

The Haqqislam force for the Infinity demo. They are not quite finished but close(enough).

The PanO demo team.

The Infinity table.

Most of the buildings are empty mushroom containers.

Getting down to street level.

The Dust Warfare table.

 
Maybe see some of you there.
Rob