Categories
Unplugged GT

2017 UPGT – Tickets on sale

The players pack is ready (pretty much the same as last year) and tickets are now available for purchase over at the 2017 UPGT site.

Our goal is to use the 2017 Clash of Kings rules under the assumption they will be out soon (whatever that means) and well before our event.

The event will remain the same price as it has in years past at $75, which includes lunch on both Saturday and Sunday.  We do this as a service to the players because getting food at our venue is either difficult or expensive due to the location.  Given the meals are included, I think it’s a good value!

This year we are taking the plunge and moving to gaming mats instead of textured tables.  It seems that mats are the way of the future and we want to be on top of that trend.  Not only are they nice to play on since the units slide easily, but we’ve been able to get some custom UPGT mats that will be available for sale at the event, and also some will be given out as prizes.  We are very excited to see how this plays out!

And last, this is our 5th anniversary.  So much has happened since the Unplugged Gamers became a thing and we’re happy to reach this milestone still going strong.  Come celebrate with us!

Categories
Warhammer

Kings of War Campaign – Week Eight

The eighth week of the campaign represented the last regular campaign turn. It was a mad scramble to claim last minute shards and experience points. The players did not know what would be in store for them the following week, but knew with a desperate certainty that they would need all the help they could get!

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On the outskirts of the Hunter’s Wood, the Abyssal Dwarfs and Elves fought with reckless abandon. In the end, Ar’noth prevailed. He strode victorious into the heart of the Wood, where the Green Lady gifted him with a shard of the Fenulian Mirror for his bravery.

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Perhaps it was madness that drove him to it, but Istvaan once again led his Ogres into the harsh sands of the Hadross Desert. There, he was forced into brutal conflict with the Abyssals who, under the cruel leadership of Apollyon, proved too difficult to defeat. In the wake of the battle, however, Istvaan abandoned his kin and roamed the desert, spying the telltale glint of a shard of the Fenulian Mirror poking out from beneath the dunes.

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On the main crossroads of Valundar, the Undead waged war against the Rhordians. The fight was cagey, with each General making careful, calculated moves. The resultant draw left both Generals free to explore the territory, and each General discovered one of the precious few remaining shards of the Fenulian Mirror.

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Last, but certainly not least, the Forces of Nature stormed the Goblin Hills in the Northeastern corner of Valundar. The cunningly cruel Goblins put up a hasty yet vicious defense of their homeland. In the end, Lord Adular took their leader captive and forced him to lead the way through the tunnels to the fabled Goblin treasure hoard. In the end, Adular recovered an impressive three shards of the Fenulian Mirror, among other loot.

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When the dust settled, the standings were as follows:

Jon, Peyton, Keith – 5
Chris, Jim – 4
Scott – 3
Kevin – 0

Tomorrow marks the final campaign turn, in which the Generals will be forced into an epic struggle to determine the future of Valundar, and perhaps even Mantica itself! Stay tuned for updates!

Best,
Greg

Categories
Warhammer

Kings of War Campaign – Week Seven

The seventh week of the campaign was perhaps the most exciting yet, with many Generals walking away from the turn with upgraded units and newly discovered (or stolen) shards of the Fenulian Mirror. This was also the first week that EVERYONE was in attendance!

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Lord Ar’noth and the Elves ventured into the Goblin Hills to challenge Duke Barnabus Mumblepeg and the Rhordians. The fighting was fierce, and the casualties were many. Much to his dismay, Ar’noth could not “win one for the Gipper.” As he prepared to swoop in on his mighty Dragon and claim an objective (thereby securing a draw), he was shot in the back by the Goblins, waivered, and lost the battle. In the aftermath, Lord Baranabus received a shard of the Fenulian Mirror from exploring the Goblin Hills. It seems an unlikely friendship may have formed between the two short-statured races.

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Istvaan and the Ogres headed up to the Northern Plains of Valundar to challenge Lord Adular and the Forces of Nature. The Unicorn commander put up a valiant fight, but in the end was forced to retreat as the Ogres relentlessly crashed into his defenses. Istvaan went on to explore the only known human settlement on the island, threatening the Stablemaster into giving him two shards of the Fenulian Mirror, and then promptly eating him.

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Further South, the Abyssals finally came to blows with the Abyssal Dwarves. Once thought to be coordinating their campaigns in Valundar, the two mighty armies clashed with the force of a hammer blow on a red hot forge. The battle was tense, with both sides gaining the advantage only to have it taken away time and again. In the end, Apollyon reigned victorious, stealing a shard of the Fenulian Mirror from Hazdra’khan for his impudence.

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To the East, Long Toof da Blood Drinka found his Undead army ambushed by the native Goblin tribes. Springing forth from the tunnels originally constructed by Halflings, the Goblins proved only a minor annoyance. The disciplined ranks of Undead responded with emotionless efficiency, spilling Goblin blood across the countryside. Long Toof himself slaughtered a pack of ravenous Maw Beasts and found a shard of the Fenulian Mirror that had been swallowed by one of the brutish creatures.

The current standings are:

Jon – 5
Peyton, Keith – 4
Jim – 3
Chris – 2
Kevin, Scott – 0

Tomorrow will be the last NORMAL day of the campaign!

Best,
Greg

Categories
Warhammer

Kings of War Campaign – Week Six

I’ve been crazy busy this week, so I apologize in advance, but I’m not doing a write up. Instead, you get pictures. Things happened, dice were rolled, burritos were consumed, laughs were shared, and tears were spilt (on account of the acrid gamer funk).

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‘Til next time,
Greg

Categories
Warhammer

Kings of War Campaign – Week Five

The intensity was turned up as the campaign entered its fifth week. Lord Commander Adular and the Forces of Nature reemerged from the mists, striking at the Undead with newfound purpose. Inspired by their first victory, Ar’noth guided his Elves to set an ambush for the unsuspecting Rhordians. Meanwhile, both Hazdra’Khan and Istvaan attempted to lead their armies to the peninsula, and so were forced into conflict upon the hot sands of the Hadross Desert.

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The Forces of Nature quickly advanced across the battlefield, only to hastily retreat in the face of Long Toof’s might. What appeared to be indecision and foolishness on the part of the Forces of Nature turned out to be the tactical brilliance of Lord Commander Adular. The Forest Shamblers, Tree Herders, Griffon, and Owlbear launched coordinated strikes that ground the Undead bones to dust. Long Toof da Blood Drinka was forced to cut his losses and retreat to the safety of his warship, confident that his practitioners of the dark arts could rebuild his Undead legion over time.

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Elsewhere, the Elves cut down the Rhordians with cold efficiency. Arrows rained down across the battlefield, finding purchase in the exposed flesh of the heavily armoured Rhordians with unnerving accuracy. Early on, Duke Barnabus Mumblepeg was forced to abandon the battlefield after suffering a rather painful broken wrist. In the end, only Lord Reginald, the aged Rhordian wizard, was left standing. He slunk away with his head held high. In the wake of his second victory, Ar’noth was gifted with a shard of the Fenulian Mirror by the spirit of Elithanora herself. She must have seen purity within his soul.

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The harsh conditions of the desert took a severe toll on the Abyssal Dwarves, as their heavy armour burdened them and their automatons struggled to trek across the sand. The Ogres, meanwhile, were used to dealing with extreme climate and pressed their advantage. As the Abyssal Dwarves fled the desert, Istvaan became obsessed with finding the fabled oasis. He struck out on his own and wandered for days. He was eventually discovered by his fellow Ogres, huddled in the fetal position, running a terrible fever, and muttering incoherently to himself. Although he was nursed back to health, it is rumored that his mind simply “isn’t all there.”

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The current standings are:

Peyton – 3
Jon, Keith, Jim – 2
Kevin – 1
Chris, Scott – 0

Looking forward to Week Six!

Categories
Warhammer

Kings of War Campaign – Week Four

The intensity of the fighting increased significantly in the fourth week of the campaign. As the Generals began to familiarize themselves with the layout of the terrain, they found all manner of ways to hunt down, trap, or evade their enemies. Battle broke out across the center of the island, with Apollyon and his Abyssals challenging Duke Baranabus Mumblepeg and the Rhordians, Hazdra’Khan and his Abyssal Dwarfs launching an attack on the Undead of Long Toof da Blood Drinka, and the Elves of Ar’noth stalking after Istvaan and his Ogre tribe.

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The fierce ranged attacks of the Abyssals proved devastating for the Rhordians. Halflings headed for the hills as bolts of lightning scorched across the battlefield with alarming speed. In the few melees which took place the Rhordians exacted revenge. In the end, despite winning the battle, Apollyon decided to pull his minions back and allow the humans and halflings to tend to their wounds. After the battle, Ba’su’su sneaked off to investigate the surrounding countryside. It is believed that he may have, indeed, come across a shard of the Fenulian Mirror. However, in his vanity he was consumed with gazing upon his reflection until he could feel Apollyon’s summons, at which point he tossed the shard and flew back to the monstrous daemon.

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Meanwhile, the Abyssal Dwarfs and Undead took to battle with grim determination. Neither side was willing to cede an inch of territory to their enemy, and the combats were dragged out with bloody consequences. As the dust settled on the battlefield, no clear winner could be determined. After the battle, Hazdra’khan realized his precious shard of the Fenulian Mirror had been stolen during the previous night. With an impressive fury, he smashed apart the nearby Armory until he discovered a replacement. Heading to the Gatehouse, Long Toof stumbled upon an ancient journal containing many descriptions (and pictures… he’s illiterate) of the trials and tribulations of Captain Grizzlebeard Brandywine, the famed halfling leader of Valundar’s highway patrol. Delighted, he felt better prepared to Inspire his troops to victory.

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After suffering many defeats, Ar’noth’s tactical prowess gave the Elves just the advantage they needed to achieve a victory against Istvaan and the Berserkers. To be fair, he was also aided by the local Goblin tribes, who popped out of their myriad tunnels at just the right moments to rain destruction on the Ogres with their arrows and war trombones. As the battle drew to a close, Ar’noth dismounted from his trusty Dragon and decided to enter the Goblin tunnels. After a few hours of wandering his was ambushed by a ravenous pack of mawbeasts. After a close brush with death he cut down the last of the mawbeasts and discovered a shard of the Fenulian Mirror among the bones in the lair of the vile creatures.

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The current standings are:

Peyton – 3
Jon, Keith, Jim – 2
Kevin – 1
Chris, Scott – 0

It’s still anyone’s campaign as we cross into the second half of the adventure!

Categories
Warhammer

Kings of War Campaign – Week One

Last week was our first meeting of the “Quest for the Fenulian Mirror” – a narrative map campaign for Kings of War. As we gear up for our second meeting tomorrow evening, I thought it would be worthwhile to write up some of the highlights.

The Player Pack for the Campaign can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eNW0fD5xzb6e_9zRDX1FIyMv_h7XGWpFJn0fyG7f3rM/edit?usp=sharing

First of all, the following Generals (and their armies) bravely set sail from their homelands and landed upon the shores of Valundar.

-Duke Barnabus Mumblepeg, League of Rhordia, played by Peyton
-Apollyon, Reaper of Despair, Abyssals, played by Jon
-Hazdra’Khan, Grand Forger of Zarak, Abyssal Dwarves, played by Kevin
-Lord Commander Adular, Forces of Nature, played by Scott
-Ar’noth, Elves, played by Jim
-Long Toof da Blood Drinka, Undead, played by Chris
-Istvaan, Ogres, played by Keith

Valundar is an island that was swallowed centuries ago by the Infant Sea and has recently resurfaced for reasons unknown. It is rumored to contain the broken shards of the Fenulian Mirror, a powerful artifact that split the Celestians in half and began an era of unprecedented horror when it was shattered. The Generals seek to gather the shard, reassemble the mirror, and use it to serve their own purposes.

During the first two campaign turns, the Generals explored a bit of the island. Some of them found a shard of the Fenulian Mirror, while Apollyon found a stash of Halfling weed that he is just crazy enough to smoke.

Duke Barnabus Mumblepeg was unexpectedly waylaid when attempting to ford a river. The water reached a roiling boil and he was forced to send his army back, delaying them for a turn. Fortunately, he wandered into the Hunter’s Wood where he was met by the Green Lady herself. Impressed by his courage, the Green Lady gifted him with the protection to safely cross the river.

Long Toof da Blood Drinka found the fortress of the famed Necromancer Nicholai. After several unsuccessful attempts to enter the Fortress, Long Toof found his way in and ransacked the library. Despite being illiterate, the Undead Orc gleaned a considerable amount of arcane knowledge from the experience.

The army of Hazdra’Khan led an attack against the Forces of Nature. Though the Abyssal Dwarves claimed a bloody victory, Hazdra’Khan sustained a brutal head trauma during the course of the battle, seriously shaking the resolve of his troops. In the end, the Abyssal Dwarfs and the Forces of Nature forged a temporary alliance, temporary being the operative word…

Ar’noth attempted to cross the treacherous Hadross desert, where he was ambushed by a nefarious gang of Elf mercenaries (played by Pat). The evil Elves proved too strong, and Ar’noth had the good sense to retreat.

The army of Istvaan has yet to make an appearance on the island. Rumor has it that the Ogre ship was besieged by the infamous Kraken of the Infant Sea.

The current standings are as follows:

Jon – 3
Kevin, Peyton, Scott, Jim – 1
Chris, Keith – 0

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Until next time,
Greg

Categories
Painting Terrain Warhammer

KOW Movement Trays – My Conversion to diorama bases – prt 2

Before getting too much farther ahead, I wanted to get some soil down on a tray to get a feel of how easy the process is.  Getting paint, glue and soil between all the mini’s might be tough (it’s a little tricky in areas) and could affect my density of minis going forward.

First a base coat.  The sculptamold soaks thin paints like a stain on wood, but that leaves the high points a little lighter colored.  I’ve tried to find a color that would match the soil, but even a mottled look should be ok.

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Having done a lot of reading on high end terrain/diorama artists I’ve consistently seem them use fine soil (actual soil) for their basing.  The scale is much more appropriate and depending on the look desired, it comes pre-colored.  (You can add pigments to it if you want to alter the color.)

Since this will be my technique for all my future terrain work, this is a great time to start practicing.  I dried a cupful of soil from my garden and then sifted it, and sifted it again, and then made my own ultrafine mesh to get the particle size small enough.  I punched hundreds of very small holes (~.5mm or so) in a sheet of copper screen for crafts.  Sifting was too slow so I punched another hundred or so.

Between making the screen and all the sifting, it took a little while.  IMG_9042

It took two applications to get good coverage.  Using thin glue, it didn’t cover the high points very well (similar to the paint).  Extra challenge – get it all covered before areas start drying.  I want to get this down to a single application if I can.

First layer was soaked with dilute pva and before it was dry I sprinkled on the second layer.  Second layer was much faster as a result and I might adopt the technique for the first layer using a syringe.

This photo shows the color pretty well but it’s not exactly right.  I’ll need to white balance my camera for the next shots.

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I really, really like the effect.  So much more natural and realistic.  If you soak the second layer to lock it down the color darkens a lot.  Looks like damp soil.  I though it was too dark for my tastes so I left the soil as is on the trays.  It seems to be bonded pretty well once the loose bits are brushed off.  IMG_9041

Styrene strips have arrived so tray assembly ‘should’ go quicker now.