Reality's Edge: Sprawl bystanders

Reality's Edge need bystanders in the streets. This is a pretty cool element and I remember the author getting inspired by Gangs of Rome for this.

We've had a couple of Reality's Edge games and the bystanders haven't really done much - they're keeping their cool well. But it is awesome having civillians on a board.

My first thought was to paint up, fully detailed models, to use as crowds and bystanders. But that task would have been absolutly impossible - or at least take way too much hobby time.

In the end I ordered some train passengers from ebay. These fit nicely in size when based. My models are all over the place anyway, from true 28mm to heroic 32mm.

Took all the models, lined them up with double adhesive tape on a stick. Then used first black primer all over the models. I then higlighted with two different greys. Spraying top down on the models, for easy shadow/highlight. 

There's 100 models in the bag, with around 10 different sculpts. I sorted them out, getting one unique each single bystanders. I then sorted the rest into piles, the maximum possible crowds is around 6 - when rolling the right 'The Hitch' for a scenario. Made a couple extra crowds as well, because my regular opponent and I have the 'Iduro App'.

I glued the models in random patterns, filling out the 4" bases as good as I could. Then made sure there was room in the middle for a minuature blending in.

I added a heavy layer of strong tone to half the models and dark tone to the other half - making further differences in the nuances of grey on the crowds.

Last I found some news papers for print on google. Also added small pieces of black plastic bags. I wanted to keep the bystanders in grey scale - that's why I haven't added anything else to the bases.

Review: Zona Alfa

Osprey Wargames have been kind enough to send mne a copy of Zona Alfa - a new blue book skirmish game, out by the end of January 2020.

I've had a few reads through the book and is currently painting up the models needed to play the game. Here's my initial thoughts about the system.

Zona Alfa is written by Patrick Todoroff who's already put out the neat little cyberpunk solo game Hardwired (which I'll be playing this year). And after reading through both systems, there's a few designs elements that'll be seen in both.

Welcome to the zone - super short summary
Zona Alfa is a small scale skirmish game. Between four and ten models pr player. It's alternate activation with each model. Being an Osprey blue book it's streamlined and fairly simple. Best of all (for me) it's oozing russian post apocalypse be it S.T.A.L.K.E.R. or Metro 2033.

Layout
The book is 64 pages, comes with a good table of contents - so it's really easy to find your way around the rules. Having giving it a through reads I'm very happy with the amount of page references through out the book, making the first read extra easy. This is missing in a lot of rule systems.

I've had a few blue book now and some have been too full of material to my taste. Zona Alfa seems better rounded this way and doesn't cram too much into too little space (which makes a bad read for me).

As I've come to expect from Osprey publications there's awesome atmosphere setting miniature photos and artwork. 12 full page coloured art pieces in such a small book.

And speaking of 'setting the tone' there's some neat little fluff pieces at the begenning of each chapter. Small 'quotes' from other zone scavengers, telling small tales from the zone. I love this kind of thing - can't read them without using a bad russian accent in my head.

There's nothing to put on the layout on this one. And if you have been on hold for blue books because of size and layout - this might change that view. It did for me.

Rules
The system is d10, action point, based. You roll to beat your skill/ability level. Better soldiers have higher stats, and you roll to get below you skill level. There's modifiers as we know them to different rolls.

All models have a personal statline - wounds, combat ability and will (overall training, intelligence etc). There three levels of soldier: Rookie, hardened, veteran. They'll have 1, 2 or 3 action points depending on level.

All weapons have stats as well. Each weapon will have a different number of dice to roll and different armor penetration. So hitting an enemy is depends on amount of firepower dice from the weapon and if you're able to make the skill roll with them.

There's simple rules for making skill checks and a few standard skills. Being a better shot, being a medic, being good with explosives.

There's critical succes and critical failures on roll, which is always nice in a game with modifiers and skill levels. And a critical succes will also give you an extra action points, which I know from Reality's Edge can make all the difference to a game!

Shooting and pinning
Sticking to cover seems to be the way to go in this game. There's some heavy modifiers for staying in cover and being camouflaged. But when a model is hit it will likely go out of action. If it survives or applies a medkit, it'll get some pinned counters.

These take actions to remove - so if you a rookie, you'll be out for a few turns. Making for some interesting choices when building a team. Will you go for veterans with lots of action or rookies for lots for firepower.

Scenarios
The book comes with a few scenarios and a mini campaign. But really what this does is provide a simple frame work for easily coming up with scenarios of your own. Build a battlefield make a few quick objectives for why your crew is there.

Each game takes place inside 'The Zone'. An area that's filled with danger and riches. You'll choose how deep you go into The Zone. The nearer the centre, the more hot spots will be there. Hot spots is where the real gold is, the riches and the great items. But at the same time they will spawn monsters. Deeper in the zone? More treasure, but way more dangerous monsters!

And you won't bee needing a lot of different stuff. You'll really only need 6 critters, 8 zombies, 4 humans, 2 mutants, 1 large mutant - and you're covered for random encounters.

AI
The rules offer super simple rules from the randomly spawned enemies. Enemies always spawn and act as a group and will try and take out the nearest enemy first. You cannot loot a hotspot before you've taken out the enemies spawning there.

Combining the nature of different action points per model, a limited number of game turn and randomly spawned monsters - you'll really find yourself prioritizing while on the battlefield. Because you'll not be able to get around to do everything, The Zone is too dangerous and you'll have to choose. For this reason the rules will also work fairly well for solo play without any real adjustments.

Campaign - making a team
The book introduces a super simple way of building a team. You choice a team value based on combined action points. A standard game is 12 action points per side. The leader takes up 3 action points - leaving 9 points to be used on rookies, hardened or veterans. For simplicity (and fuck micromanagement) you then choose armor, gear, guns and skills from all available normal stuff. No price counting or anything like that - is matters little anyway.

I like this as it goes very well with a using WYSIWYG models from your collection.

Items
There's a nice collection of weapons classes, armor and items to choose from. Both standard gear and rarer stuff you'll have to find in the zone. There's plenty of one use items - that needs replenishing. There's also cool stuff like binoculars (which let you inspect hotspots and affect the dangers within). Scopes for rifles, to help take the camouflage bonuses away from enemies and so on.

Soldiers have equipment spaces depending on gear (load carrying vest) and rookie, hardened, veteran type. So they can't bring everything with them into The Zone.

Experience and factions

After making a team, if playing a campaign, you'll get experience points for your team - that you choose how to use. You can freely upgrade the dudes you want, building the team you want, not being depending on rolls. Experience can be used on skills, veteran level, stat increases, equipment space etc. And you can spend money to gain the same effect.

The standard goal of a campaign is to earn enough money in the bank to get retired, kick back and enjoy some vodka. But money won't come easy as grenades and medkits are one use - and really need to be replenished after a game.

There's six factions to choose from when building a team, all inspired by the factions you'll meet in a game like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Each faction will come with a small advantage when starting and offer different bonuses after each game - but you'll also have to pay taxes to them. Come out without any loot? They'll take taxes from that pension fund you're making.

Final thoughts
I love the s.t.a.l.k.e.r. and Metro PC games. I've read the Metro books and Roadside Picnic. I've been playing LARPs and Airsoft games with the settings. And been intrigued by the Chernobyl disaster and the Exclusion Zone for years.

I had no intention of getting Zona Alfa. Because I felt This Is Not A Test could easily work it's post apoc magic on a post soviet setting.

But I'm very happy with this book. For the kind of gamer I am, it does something with my interest in a game to read the right setting in the rules. It inspires me. And Zona Alfa really captures the style of those games.

Blue books are cheap, and this Osprey Wargames title is the best I've read. I'm really looking forward to entering The Zone. You should as well.

Facebook: Fancy some more info? Jump into the community facebook group.

TNT: Snipe Hunt 1

Time for another TNT AAR. This was the second game I played against a mate using the s.t.a.l.k.e.r. inspired crew. I brought my team of Cannibal Mutants - still hoping for them to actually work out. ... they always seem to ahve a hard time.

The battlefield
We played a scenario with various hotspots, these hot spots had to be cleared of loot - gaining more caps and gear after the game. For the game we decided to setup a board with an old industrial harbor. We placed an old cargo ship, silos and similar terrain.

The hotspots were chosen to be evenly split on the board after setting it up.

This skirmish fight quickly seemed to be split on two fronts. Both the warbands were split evenly between the ship on one side and the road on the other. Knowing the the stalkers had the superior firepower (from our clash with a zombie infestation), my plan was to hug the cover, get close, take down the enemies with ganging up on them.

The Game
Four stalkers (not a stand in for their new elite) are clearing the cargo ship, loot being scattered in some of the old containers.

Quickly finding some potential gold in an old container.

The degenerates in the family, have really poor stats, and the campaigning haven't started good for them. Skulking through cover, they tried to get close and pin the ranged heavy stalkers down, prevent them from getting away with loot.

Staying close together the plan for my opponent was to take on the degenerates in melee, when they got close. Try and soften them up with a few shotgun shells and a molotov cocktail.

On the other flank of the battlefield my plan was the same. My tiny (a big brute) and mongrel would hug the cover, get close and deny the enemey their superier firepower. The less stupid youngins would take hold of the loot and carry it away.

A crossbow armed youngin getting into combat with a strong stronger, fighting over some potential loot.

A picture of the battlefield. Most of the terrain is made from scrap materials and have step-by-step guides here.

Moving slowly up the highway. The obese maw-maw can't move as quick, so she's taking it slow with her sons. A few steps and then fire some (super ineffective) shots at he enemy. The enemy carrying amongst other stuff a plasma rifle - a lot more dangerous than arrows and black powder.

A degenerate on the harbor, breaking from cover, getting ready for the sprint towards the enemy. A dangerous trip over open land.

We marked out the searchable areas with a concrete block on top. Here you can see their something to find in the excavators and the green shed.

Armed with an old black powder rifle a younging managed to get some good shots in on the stalker leader - eventually taking him down. Very nice to take the plasma rifle out of the equation.

The entire battlefield shown from another angle.

The stalkers, wanting to use their better skills in shooting and better weapons, took up position in one end of the road. Then a melee expert skulked forward to claim loot in front of me. In the end (absolutly against all odds) the mutant cannibals one the firefight and made it into melee with some of the stalkers.

On the other side of the board, near the harbor area, the stalkers did way better. Easily taking out the mutant degenerates and claiming the loot in this area of the board.

Aftermath
This was the second game for the team of stalkers and again they did good. In the first game the managed to get a hold of both a plasma rifle and a minigun - and enough cash to bring in another elite soldier.

After this game they got a bunch of caps for other upgrades - and found a wounded wasteland critter. With good a good dice roll, the stalkers now have four wasteland dogs to help out. A huge benefit - free cannon fodder to run forward and tie up enemies in combat.

On the other hand the mutant cannibals, for the first game yet, managed to not have anoyong die. For once the little family got a few caps in the bank, gained some good expereince points and didn't end up with a loss. Unfortunately the managed to fail all mettle rolls on the explorations rolls - despite drawing three picture cards.

Not a bad day - just not the best...

Anvil Industry - Black Friday bit bag

Anvil Industry run a nice black friday sale of miscast bit frames. I got one last year and it was full of absolutely amazing bits (many of which I haven't used yet).

So this year I got another bag, for the fun of it, I feel lucky. These bags (and Anvils bits in general) are super popular, so their new website broke down from all the black friday traffic. I managed to get through though - so yeah me!

I do have a feeling that there were more bits in the bag I got last year - but that might just be sweet memories as I didn't weigh them last year. And last year I got 10 complete (legs, arms, torso, heads) models in the bag (that's sweet).

This year it was 6 model, if I get some old space marine arms and heads and some feet greenstuff fixed on one body.

Here's all the goodies I got this year. Let's take a closer look. 

Super happy to have more bergen backpacks (was running low) and the assault shields I didn't have. These are perfect as I want to do some Spetsnaz types for Zona Alfa, inspired by the Order in Metro 2034.

The shotgun is huge, have to go on a big guy, like a marauder body or something. I might still have one of those, so he'll join my v8 cult. One of the arms is wielding a knife, that's a damn cool pose for a model someday.

Got some sweet modern military heads, that I don't have yet. These are nice to have for a lot of things. Some resin candles will come in handy for my dungeon terrain. And there's even three weapons for Gaslands conversions.

I don't play Warhammer 40k. But that big exo lord is super cool! I like his size. I think I'll be using him as a true scale deathwatch marine for an inquisitor someday.

These two are cool. One will become a neat cyberpunk drone. The smaller one will need repairs or it'll become an objective marker, return the broken drone thing.

Is the bit bag worth the money this year? Yes, I think it is. Great fun for me as I play so many different systems. I was hoping for a bit more of their modern stuff, as those ranges have expanded so much over the last year.

Crossing my fingers for the next time they do a sale.

2019 is over - 2020 is coming

This is a 2019 hobby write - looking back over the year to see if I have completed my overall goals. 

Two for one

This year´I jumped on a 2-for-1 challenge. I had to paint two models for each model I bought, making sure the pile of unpainted models would become smaller. 

The consequence of not reaching the goal, would be to sell stuff from the collection to make it fit. 

2-for-1 has been excellent for me! I've skipped a bunch of kickstarters that would (most likely) have ended in storage anyway. I've only jumped on a few auctions, to get great bulks of miniatures and bits - often with reselling in mind. Reselling a lot of the aquired bits and models to in the end sit back with some almost free stuff.

I have bought the awesome Dunkeldorf Miniatures. First and foremost to support an excellent project a dream of fellow Danish hobbyists. And I could see use for most models when pledging. And even before getting the models, I was sure of backing a second kickstarter as well.

Only other kickstarter is Terrain Crate 2, that'll add so much to my modern and post apocalypse tables. And some of that will be resold instantly as well, to bring down the price.

I won't go into all the boring numbers. But this year I've accuired some free Killteam and Necromunda gangs (for some day) forexample. I also cleared out the rest of the models, I don't have concrete plans for. So when I went over the collection in november I couldn't find more than 35 models to get rid off - all the rest is planned for something (even if that something doesn't get made into anything). 

So all in all (here start December) my collection haven't grown this year - the last sell made me hit 0. And I sold all my Dreadball (breaking even on it, so it's been sitting here for free). So actually my collection is now 184 model lesser than when the year started. 

Opposed to this I've managed to paint 258 models so far this year - that's a lot. A bunch of these were for my Roman Risk project. But for my own collection, for 28mm gaming, I've painted 180 miniatures. So I consider 2-for-1 a very huge success. And I will probably try and do it next year as well. 

Terrain

I love building terrain and complete boards. And with the super cheap MDF kits out there, it's both affordable and fast to make cool thematic boards. We always play on completed, densely packed boards, with a common theme. 

2019 saw me finish a lot of new settings for different games I wanted to play. I build a huge wasteland board during a weeks break from work. Having a cool time with my 5 year old kid. It's all in the wasteland page. 

2019 was also the year I finally intered the Ghost Archipelago. For that I made a bunch of jungle terrain, enough to cover a 3'x4' and make different setups. All in the jungle terrain hub. 

The last 'new' board this year have been making a huge amount of cyberpunk upgrades. New buildings, scatter and details to turn my modern stuff into a full cyberpunk layout for Reality's Edge. I'm not done posting blogs about all the stuff I've build - but it's all going here.

Gaming
I had a plan when the year started, to play more different people. I don't get out to conventions and have no club nearby. So this year I've been inviting old friends (wargamers or roleplayers no longer in the community). I've been building and painting warbands and let them choose the game system.

It's been great. Catching up with some pals from the old days and getting more games in this way. So that's some nice This Is Not A Test done this way. Overall it's been a year of skirmish gaming. With Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago, Last Days and Reality's Edge also taking up some game time.

The blogging

I still blog for my own enjoyment. I've never intended to make money, do advertisement or spend any time on it other than my hobby time. That being said, it does fill me with joy the interaction I get from other gamers. 

There's some super great communities on Facebook, and it's nice when people find inspiration in some of the cheap scratch build stuff I do. It motivates me to do other stuff. 

I've also tried this year, to do some review writing - it's hard to do right. But each review have gotten around 1000 reads - and that pretty darn cool. 

Osprey Games reached out, and asked if I wanted to guest blog on their page. Since I do the blogs anyways, it's a cool recognition of the work I do. I've written a few for them and I have plans for a lot of content for 2020. 

Social media

I'm no expert on social media. But I do spend time on it, sharing my stuff around. The facebook page have grown nicely. Got to 500 likes when 2019 started and moving towards 900 now. It's good, never spend any money on getting bigger reach. 

I've also started a twitter and instagram page, but those platforms is harder for me to get - perhaps it's due to there not beeing groups like on Facebook. I would however like a bigger reach there, especially for the review part of the blogging. So I'll look into it in 2020. And if anyone want to help out, please drop a follow on Twitter or Instagram. Or perhaps drop a follow on the blogger page - link on the right side of the page.

2020 - the year of solo gaming

My hobby goal for 2020 is to try out solo gaming. I want to game more and I don't around to playing enough games with my friends. So the 2020 hobby goal is:

Play at least two solo miniatures games every month

This should provide a good amount of motivation for me. I'll be trying out multible new games, I'll need to plan terrain and model painting for specific scenarios. It's gonna be awesome.

In 2020 I'll be flying solo in:
Rangers of Shadow Deep (classic fantasy), Frostgrave: Perilous Dark (frozen fantasy), Zona Alfa (russian survival horror), Hardwired (cyberpunk) and The Walking Dead (zombies!).

And then the super important Frostgrave 2nd edition! Wuhhuu! That's gonna be awesome. I've already ordered three high tower like buildings for my board - it needed som more height.

Suggestions?

There's a nice amount of followers of this blog. Do you have any suggestions? Anything I should focus on? Change around? Any good ideas? Please let me know, I want to expand my skills in this blogging thing - it's good fun.

Thank you for follwing, commenting, liking, sharing and so on. Happy holidays and have a great new year.

Ghost Archipelago: Snake-Men

Another part of the core book bestiary is the snakemen. You won't roll up many at a time with the core rules, a lot more when you get around to one of the expansions.

I think the snakemen are a very weird kit, proportions on the models seem super weird - I'm not really a fan of these sculpts. I got them to see if they looked better as bits than they did on the photos.

I managed to get the snake men as part of a sale and resell 10 of the 20 models in the box. This will have me covered for the entries needed (or a complete warband) and the resell made my own models really cheap.

So fair deal. I've added some old GW lizardman shield to the models, as the shields form the kit are way to small for my taste. Been using blue as the color on the clothing parts. To make a contrast to the other cultures on the islands.

My Tribals are black and red. My Dricheans are purple.

For the skin tone on the snakemen I plan to use different nuances of red and green on all of them.

Terrain: Torii and Machiya

One of the things that make a cyberpunk board right is mixing in some asian pieces. As always the lovely TT Combat will provide cheap little pieces for something like that. So these are going into most Reality's Edge setups.

Torii Gates
These come two gates to a set. Originally these should be with round poles and you can finde those one the market - just not as cheap at these.

I base coated the gates with red and black spray before assemble. Then used a fine marker to draw up random 'asian' symbols - non of these are real. I just scirbbled randoms signs.

I also used my Posca markers to make some grafitti on the gates, a quick gang tag and a dragon pieces. Then used a few printed posters from the RE Facebook group.

Machiya Shops
A machiya is a traditional Japanese town house made of wood. I looked around on the internet for some inspirational photos and found that must are actually a dark brown wood. So I base coated mine dark brown outside, then made the inside grey.

These pieces come with a few sliding doors (that have to be glued in place). There's enough to make an open entry on the front and use the last to add detail on the back. There's also some banners with a logo on, made sure to use these in different places.

This is some nice little pieces to put next to the larger brick buildings for the mixed urban sprawl.

As with all my cyberpunk terrain I've added grafitti and posters to the buildings.