Goblin Prowlers

Well, finding myself short on cash, but long on extra goblin bodies I thought I'd do up some goblin prowlers because I'd like to do a goblin battle company and need some! I also wasn't a huge fan of the big official prowler models, not sure exactly why.

So I hacked up some spear guys, added a big weapon head and added some crazy hair to the top of them.

So they're nicely different at a glance from my normal goblins thanks to the crazy hair. 

I think 8 will do both for any proper game and for the battle company.

Storage

Not necessarily the most exciting post of all time, but pretty cool for me. My wife found a great glass front cabinet going very cheap on eBay so...

My son helped me organise all the miniatures so that they look good with the doors closed and are all sorted out into warbands.

Top shelf is quite high (cabinet is over 2m tall) so you don't usually see it much. It has my few Space Wolves in it.

Next shelf has some miscellaneous stuff like the Fellowship, ents, eagles, wizards, wild wargs, fell wargs and Burdhur.

Then come the Harad army, about 912 points worth (mostly in the Mumak and Wraith on Fellbeast.

Then the goblin horde! 2197 points worth of Balrog, trolls, warg riders, spiders, bats and lots of goblin warriors.

Finally it's the dwarves looking VERY short with no tall models like the other armies have. 1828 points all up!

So there you go, for about $40 (which is less than some of the metal minis cost nowadays!) I now have a much more dust free and nice to look at place to store all my miniatures.

Etako's Expeditionaries Battle Company - Narrative Mission 2 Battle Report

After being beaten several times by The Falcon and the Harad group, Etako's band is hot on his heels, but get lost wandering through Mirkwood. Finally in a clearing they stop to rest and then notice eyes peering out from behind web-shrouded trees. Uh oh.

Seeing how close a match it was for my brother I was quite despairing of this mission, I don't have cavalry and my high defense isn't as good against the strength 5 spiders, especially if they web me up! So it was with heavy heart that we set up the board for me, fortunately I have healing herbs still saved up, so hopefully there won't be too much mess afterwards!

Round 1. Byrnmor charges with Boggle at the purple spider, win the fight and they each score a wound against it, slaying spider number 1! Only a bazillion to go! I really wish I had horses to charge with!

Both archers let fly, Loki scores a hit on the green spider, which leads a pack of giant hairy legged creatures towards the stalwart dwarves.

Round 2. I forgot to take a photo! Brynmor killed the already bow-shot green spider and Loki shot and wounded the yellow spider.

Round 3. Boggle attacks the purple spider, who wins the combat (Boggle rolled double ones!) and wounds the dwarf twice (even though he has Heavy Dwarf Armour AND a shield! His fate saves one of the wounds so he fights on!

Hilda hunkers behind the massive Iron Shield and deflects the orange spider while Kara stabs past with her spear and wounds the monstrosity!

Etako charges in and uses his iron fist to pummel the yellow spider into a gooey patch. But not before it paralyses Loki!

Round 4. The green spider rushes in, paralysing Mighty Monty then taking him out of the game! The first casualty! The yellow spider spits web and paralyses Skodi!

Brynmor and Boggle team up to take out the purple spider while Etako uses a point of might to kill the orange spider after he, Kara and Hilda roll terribly!

Round 5. Boggle uses a point of will to overcome his failed courage tests and charges towards the green spider in an effort to help the poor, paralysed Skodi. His throwing axe thwacks into the spider and he and Rocky take it out a moment later. Unfortunately Skodi falls beneath the chittering yellow spider, unable to do anything while covered in sticky webs!

The rest of the troop rally around Loki, who has been paralysed for some time and clear the webs from him!

Round 6. At the start of round 6 calamity strikes! the purple spider kills both Hilda Greatshield and Archie, rolling four 6s in a row! The dwarves are falling rapidly as the spiders seem to only roll 5s and 6s! As a matter of fact, my brother swapped dice to try and save the dwarves!

Loki draws and shoots, hitting and wounding the oncoming green spider. Boggle and Rocky together take out the yellow spider. Brynmor and Etako use a point of might to take out the orange spider.

Round 7. By this stage I was tempted to run for the edge to escape rolling on the injury table! But the spiders are way faster than me! 

Boggle uses a throwing axe as he charges in at the orange spider and wounds it, then Etako joins him in combat. The spider wins the combat and kills Boggle (dwarves rolled all ones, spider rolled a 6 to wound!)

Fortunately Loki kills the green spider in close combat, showing that he is quite a skilled dwarf!

Unfortunately the purple spider overwhelms Brynmor and Kara Longspear and kills Brynmor!

Round 8. Only four dwarves are left standing! Kara and Rocky take on the purple spider, who beats them back and kills Kara Longspear!

Meanwhile Etako and Loki attack the orange spider, win the combat and somehow manage to fail to wound it - even only needing 4+!

It's not looking good, the dwarves need two alive at the end of the game to win and there's only three of them left!

Round 9. Fortunately for the game, unfortunately for Rocky, three spiders are close to him so charge in and completely overwhelm him on his first ever game! However, his bravery is recognised by Etako and Loki who take out the orange spider.

And then the elves arrive, saving Etako and Loki from certain doom and helping disentangle the other fallen dwarves!

It's victory, but at what cost!?!?

Actually we get off fairly lightly, Rocky, poor brave dwarf, is injured and will miss the next game. But the worst of it is that Boggle gets an arm wound and can no longer use a shield - even though that's his whole, you know, thing! As a dwarf, not being able to use any two handed things is pretty rough!

However, all those dead spiders make for quite a lot of experience and my rolls for rewards were pretty amazing so let me go through Etako's Expeditionaries now...

Etako Ironfist, a warrior with Heavy Dwarf Armour, a two handed axe and throwing axes, with fight 5, 2 wounds, Furious Charge and Parry
Brynmor Deepminer, a warrior with Heavy Dwarf Armour, a two handed shovel and throwing axes with fight 5, strength 4 and 2 wounds.
Boggle Bootmire, a warrior with Heavy Dwarf Armour, an axe and throwing axes, fight 5, Blademaster and Furious Charge and suffering from an Arm Wound.
Skodi Strongarm, a warrior with axe and shield.
Loki Lightfingers, a ranger with a dwarf bow.
Archie Longsight, a hero in the making warrior with dwarf bow.
Mighty Monty, a warrior with axe and shield.
Definat Diva, a warrior with axe and shield.
Hilda Greatshield, an Iron Shield.
Kara Longspear, a Foe Spear.
Rocky, a warrior with two handed axe.
and the newcomers...
Yet to be named Mirkwood Ranger who was so impressed by the dwarves that he/she has joined their team.
Yet to be named Iron Guard!

So it's a pretty cool squad now of 13 (there's a maximum of 15, so hopefully will still get some more cool guys, would really like a Khazad Guard =)

Anyway, that was quite a tough battle! Next time it'll be back to versus games against the Harad force!

Falcon's Honour Battle Company - Narrative Mission 2 Battle Report

The Falcon's Honour have long since come out from under the Misty Mountains where they rescued their comrade from the goblins. Having had a few encounters with Etako's Expeditionaries they have well and truly entered the depths of Mirkwood now. 

Finding themselves in a clearing, lost and bewildered in the dense woods, they hear a chittering sound and suddenly the source of the thick white webs that can be seen become clear...

In this mission the company starts in a clearing surrounded by trees, every turn there will be 4 Mirkwood Spiders. They appear randomly (you'll spot some dice in 6 locations on the board). When a spider dies, on the next evil movement phase it rolls a D6 and comes right back from whichever location that matches.

The goal is to last for 9 rounds without being reduced below 25% of your starting force. For the Harad team, that means 2 figures.

My brother set up his table with bits of cotton wool here and there to look like webs! Really cool!

Here's the Harad force, ready to roll, the figures on horseback are surrounded by those on foot.

Right from the get-go we saw just how awesome cavalry with poisoned war spears could be on the charge! The Talon and The Fox charge the yellow spider and take it out beneath the hooves of their charging horses! 

The Falcon and The Tiger likewise charge in to battle to destroy the green spider. 

The Fang takes a long shot and hits the purple spider, wounding it.

In round two, the next yellow spider shoots a gooey web and paralyses The Serpent! More spiders rush towards the Falcon and his band.

In round three The Fox and The Sparrow charge the green spider... which rolls double 6s! Then the Harad team also get two 6s! Fortunately their fight scores are higher and they smash the spider to goo!

Meanwhile there are two spiders on the western side of the board, the purple spider is smashed by The Pincer and his horse. The orange spider wins its combat but rolls snake eyes!

The Falcon and Black Cloak fail their courage tests! The Falcon spends his point of will to charge at the yellow spider to rescue The Serpent, knowing that while paralysed he'll be easy prey for the spider. Again, the charging horse and war spear easily dispatch the low defence spider.

Round four! At this point in the game we thought that we should have made the mission harder, so far it's just a massive grab for experience! With this high spirited feeling, the Harad team passed all of their courage tests this round!

The Fox and The Sparrow again team up to slay a yellow spider.

The Fang and The Hawk team up to help The Serpent recover from paralysis.

Meanwhile, The Wolf is paralysed by the orange spider, who is counter charged and slain by The Talon. The Falcon uses a point of might to take out the purple spider.

Round five. The yellow spider spits webs at The Serpent and paralyses him AGAIN!

Priority was with the spiders and unfortunately there were some courage tests failed this round. The orange spider takes an arrow to one of its many eyes from The Pincer. The green spider charges at The Wolf who, poisoned and strung up by webs, cannot fight back and is out of the game. Bad news, but it's already round five and that's the first loss, so all is going really well still!

Round six. Four of the Harad team fail their courage tests this round.

The Fang shoots at the yellow spider, who is about to devour the paralysed Hawk. Thanks to his poison arrows he kits and wounds the yellow spider! Unfortuantely, the yellow spider has enough health to weather the arrows and takes The Hawk out of the game.

The Falcon kills the orange spider on the charge in the southern part of the clearing.

The Tiger charges and kills the purple spider, taking a dangerous move to attack by himself!

The Talon has to use a point of will to charge as his courage wavers. However, once spurred on he slays the green spider.

Round 7 and things are still going really well! 

The Tiger, having left himself out by himself on the previous turn is charged by another purple spider, and this time falls beneath the eight legged monstrosity. The Fox, with a little help, dispatches another green spider.

Black Cloak shoots at the paralysed Serpent, aiming for the yellow spider beyond. His arrow misses the spider, hitting his fellow, but the arrow doesn't penetrate far... but it's a poisoned arrow and the poison finishes off The Serpent! Oops! Black Cloak's first mission and this is not a way to get on the good side of your teammates!

Round 8 and three courage tests are failed!

The Fox is attacked by the purple spider, wins the fight and wounds it! Meanwhile his less courageous friends can only stand and watch as elsewhere...

Having priority, the spiders do not hesitate to skitter in for the attack, yellow spider crawls up The Fang's horse and drags the man down screaming. The Talon is taken out by the orange spider. Suddenly the game is not a certainty any more. There are four spiders and five humans. If the spiders win priority again at this stage it's quite likely that they'll take out four humans and the Harad team may lose! What to do, what to do!?!?!

Round 9. Well, the spiders are dumb, we ruled right from the beginning that they always charge the nearest model. So the brave Harad foot soldiers position themselves in such a way as to guarantee the last two riders will not be attacked.

It does not go well for them, all three remaining foot troops are taken by the giant spiders!

But on the plus side, The Falcon's Honour as a team have won the scenario, having made it through nine rounds, the sounds of battle have drawn the attention of nearby elves, who come to the rescue! The spiders are quickly dispatched, though the elves quickly depart afterwards, unsure whether to be friendly towards these very unusually dressed men.

Wow, what a match!!!

We were so sure up until the last couple turns, that this was just a massive xp grab (which it was, just from combat xp the Harad team got 24xp) but once a few courage tests failed and the spiders got priority things were very different. The poisoned war spears and charging horses are awesome... when they get the charge. Otherwise they're still relatively low defense humans!

After all the xp and influence were tallied up, here is the Falcon's Honour.

Abd al Alim "The Falcon", A warrior with heavy armour, war spear and a horse, extra defence, extra wound, extra point of might, Bane of Kings special rule and an old battle wound.
Borak "The Talon", A warrior with armour, poison war spear and a horse, extra fight, extra wound, Fell Sight special rule.

Gadi "The Fang", a warrior with armour, poison bow, war spear and a horse, Steady Aim and Master of Poisons special rules.
Dabir "The Hawk", a raider with war spear.
Faris "The Tiger", a warrior with spear.
Hakim "The Pincer", a warrior hero in the making with Lethal Aim and a poisoned Elf Bow that was found beneath a dead spider after the elves left the area.
Ibrahim "The Serpent" a raider with poison bow.
Jabbar "The Wolf" a warrior with poison bow.
Kaseem "The Fox" a Serpent Rider with poison war spear.
Malik "The Sparrow" a warrior with spear.
Black Cloak, a warrior with poison bow.
And new to the company, a Watcher of Karna... more on him next game!

Fell Wargs and Goblin Riders

So I got some fell wargs just for fun. My son would like to make a battle company out of wargs. So we thought of what that might look like.

After making that up we decided we needed some Fell Wargs so that there could be some sort of upgrading.

Given that they're likely to be used for a Battle Company I painted them all slightly differently so we could tell them apart. Also because we can use them mixed in with our other wargs (some with a gray kind of palette, others with brown).

Here are some snarling beasties! These sculpts are soooo much better (in my opinion) than the original wild wargs. more dynamic, more hairy, more wolfy, just more fun to paint and look at!

Probably using the Wild Warg Chieftain as the Lt. I made a black and white fell warg to use as the Sgts.

I don't know if we'll ever actually play with them, but it's nice to know we can field so many wargs now!

And I just realised I also didn't show you the goblin riders, or if I did, I've forgotten!

As I've mentioned, we just finished reading "The Hobbit" and my son wanted some goblin warg riders ('cos... why not?!?!).

So I modified some goblin archers and sword and shield guys. Here is an archer that we will use as a captain (hence he's on the chieftain). I added a spear to the hand that is usually reaching back for an arrow, took off the arrows and added a sword hilt as though in a back scabbard, put a shield on his outstretched arm (that used to hold a bow) and green-stuffed some chainmail all around his legs.

And similarly, these other goblins have just been cut away a bit so that they ride on the wargs (though they're just blu-taced on at the moment, not glued so we can quickly de-warg them if they dismount or one or the other is shot).

So there you have some crazy cavalry and fast moving warg packs, ready for adding to a normal army list, battle company or whatever!

My brother and I are always happy to add things that make sense (as long as they're appropriately costed!)

Dwarf Army - Warband Edition

As has been noted, the new rules (actually, even the not so new rules, but waaaaaay back when there wasn't a warband structure so I'm slow to change!) are based on leaders with warbands of varying sizes.

So my son chose warbands for the leaders and we realised that I'm short a few captains for this type of army.

I may be missing something, but there doesn't appear to be a dwarf leader for rangers or archers so there are a few mixed bands there.

Feel free NOT to click to see larger pics this time, the close range shots aren't always pretty! You can see (hopefully) which dwarves I spent more time painting than others, also a skill level increase, oh, and just the ones that are better since washes were introduced!

Here's the dwarves in their warbands (you may need to click to see this at proper size as it's quite wide).

Durin with a lot of Khazad Guard, a banner, some Iron Guard and some Vault Wardens. As High King he has a powerhouse of a warband!

Etako is my special character/king so he gets a big warband too, though not as impressive as Durin's, of course. My son decided that all of the important dwarves should have at least two Khazad Guard accompanying them, so you'll notice behind each main leader there will be some Khazads. I think it's a nice touch.

The King's Champion band is smaller, with a mix of melee troops. I kept all my archers to two warbands rather than scattering them.

Boggle, the shieldbearer, has a squad of throwing axe rangers as they'll probably be rushing around to protect leaders.

One King/Captain has his two Khazad Guards and ten archers. I actually did a bit of fairly intricate work on painting this guy, there's some freehand on the bottom of his cloak etc. I don't think I have the eyesight to do that anymore!

Another King/Captain has the same set of troops.

And finally, Brynmor has a squad of two Khazads, a Vault Warden team, some shields and some 2-Handed guys. A multi-purpose squad. As long as the purposes involve closing with the enemy and chopping at them.

So there you go, I need another couple captains to get all my dwarf minis on the table. Not sure what to do about that at the moment. Not that we're likely to ever get them all on at once anyway! Still. Have to think about what to do. GW prices are a bit nuts, so might have to hit eBay and hope for a cheap dwarf miniature!