A tale of many bloggers...... Nachster bitte

So it's month 3 of the tale of many bloggers,  I haven't done a lot with my gang, only managed a couple of games with them, and have done very little to my gaming board.  I do have an excuse though,  I've enjoyed Malifaux so much I've been on a little spending spree, I have bought Taras box set, Jack Daws box set, pack of Nurses, Hans and a Hodge Podge Effigy, so had quite a bit of painting to do.

Anyway this month's purchase has been Lazarus,  the model has been my favourite to put together as all the joints are articulated, allowing you a chance to alter the pose. I've put him in a bit of a charging position,  whilst he will rarely charge into combat (would be a waste of that lovely grenade launcher) he will run around firing grenades off everywhere.

Lazarus doesn't have a large enough flat surface to paint on my Gangs symbol of a White Key (Coat of arms for Bremen),  so I painted the Prussian tricolour (black,  white and red) on a shoulder instead. In World War 2 this Tricolour was painted on a shield on the Helmets of Das Heer (German Army),  as you can see I'm keeping the gang heavily themed to early 20th century Germany.

Month 3 cash -  £15
Leftover cash - £0.18
Lazarus.          - £10.20
Total left.        - £4.98

Nearly got all the Freikorps models,  just Strongarm to go, well that's probably next months purchase taken care of....

A tale of many bloggers..... Bekampfen

So month 2 starts, and I finally managed a game.  Big thank you to Ben for being a helpful opponent for my first game.

Gangs as follows
Ben: Arcanists.
Ironside - Iron Determination,  Warding Runes, Challenge the Crowd. The Firestarter - Warding Runes.  2 Gunsmiths. 2 Oxfordian Makes - Blood Ward, Doom Ward. Willie. Johanna.
Schemes - Assassinate, Line in the Sand.

Me: Outlaws.
Von Schill -Engage at Will, The Shirt Comes Off, Oath Keeper. Freikorps Librarian - Spoils of War. Freikorps Specialist.  Freikorps Trapper. 2 Freikorpsmann. Steam Trunk. Sue.
Schemes - Line in the Sand. Bodyguard.

Strategy - Turf War.
Deployment - Corner Deployment.

Looking back at things I'm not sure my Librarian could take Spoils of War, Ben said she could, if she can't then it's his tough luck! I would have given it to Von Schill instead if that's the case and the Librarian Oath Keeper.

Ben started with his crew spread out, Willie on his right flank, a Gunsmith on the left flank, and the rest loosely in the centre of his zone.  I had my Trapper in no man's land hidden in a bunch of Bamboo (played on Bens Japanese themed board), Specialist on my right flank and the rest of my crew in a bunch centred round the Steam Trunk on the left of my centre. First action of the game was my Trapper Focusing and then one shot killing one of Bens Mages, and the game didn't get much better for him after that.

Ironsides charged Von Schill in turn 2, and didn't do a lot, the rest of my crew piled in and eventually killed Ironsides and anyone getting too close.  Although Ironsides is a bit of a combat monster, she was always going to struggle as I kept getting free cards or soulstones (Spoils of War) and my crew were able to heal themselves (Steam Trunk), Von Schill managed to get from 3 wounds left back up to 7! Engage at Will was incredibly handy as it allowed me make additional (0) cost actions, mainly the Steam Trunks Fire Extinguisher to counter The Firestarter.

Amazing moment was when Willie died in combat with the majority of my crew. On his death he placed 4 Blast Markers, to which I pointed out 'Freikorps Suit, immune to blasts', Ben was not best pleased, we noted Sue was just in range so took some damage which him up.  However most of the damage was then healed by the Steam Trunk!

Halfway through Turn 4 Bens last model died and it called it a game,  6-4 victory to me.  If we'd carried on Tournament Style till the end of turn 5 it would have probably ended up a 9-1 victory,  as my crew were well placed to place scheme tokens and lift Bens.

Points I have taken from this game
1 - Trapper is awesome,  when Focused is super awesome!
2 - Spoils if War and Engage at Will are amazing,  1 SS each, never leave home without them.
3 - Don't forget the Strategy and Scheme, with all his models dead, Ben scored 4 VPs,  very different to other skirmish games I've played where if you loose all your models you generally get 0 VP and your opponent gets maximum VP.

So now for the important bit of the month,  buying new models.  Well I have £4.73 left over from last month so was able to get myself something shiny, Hannah, Chief Archivist. Model was easy enough to put together,  now just to paint her and baptise her in battle.....
Month 2 cash - £15
Left over cash - £4.73
Hannah -            -£19.55
Total -                 £0.18
18 pence left over! Mustn't spend it all in one go!

A tale of many bloggers.... And so it continues

Well I've done it,  painted my first months models and read the rules.  Seems an easy enough game,  few rules, should be easy,  apart from the fact that almost every single model has its own special rules and unique weapons, quite a bit different to Necromunda (where everyone had a autogun, shotgun or flamer - I played Redemptionists).   Still needing to get a game under my belt,  but hopefully will manage that in the next few weeks.

I have also been making some scenery,  when complete the board I'm making will be a Germanic version of a French Foreign Legion outpost in Africa.   So first things first, Officers accommodation,  or in this case the pub, 'Die Pferde Kopfe' (The horses heads),  named after the crossed horses heads above the main door. This is a common feature of traditional houses in the Neidersachsen area of Germany (where I lived for over 7 years).   It's made from construction board and clad in Balsa wood,  first time I've made a building and I'm happy with the results.

Next up was a sentry box, this was an easy build,  carved from a single block of Balsa.  I'm working on a couple of tents for the troopers,  hopefully it'll work ok.

Well off to arrange my first game with Martin,  what are the chances he'll be nice and let me win...... Non-existent I think!

Tale of many bloggers.... Malerei

So all models are assembled,  now the small matter of painting them (and learning the rules,  but one thing at a time).

The real Freikorps were a German Militia and Mercenary force who existed from the 18th century up until about 1934.   I thought I'd use their 1920s uniform (grey with brown leather shoulder and knee pads) as my main inspiration,  along with some Heer elements from the 1944 uniform (in tribute to my Flames of War 352. Infanterie-Division).

Reading some of the Malifaux blurb I saw the Freikorps have connections with the Railworkers,  as such I'm basing my gang in the desert like badlands area, so 'European Dust' powder liberally coating the models.  I will make a gaming board and scenery to match,  but more on that later. Meanwhile please see my first painted models.

Tale of many bloggers....Entscheidungen

So Ben asked me if I wanted to do a "Tale of many gamers type thing" (pretty much a direct quote there) for Malifaux.  I thought how hard can it be,  then Martin started talking me through it, a skirmish game (good), with no dice but playing cards instead (my response of "what the frack" was greatly appreciated).

Ok, first things first,  pick a gang, 7 factions, each with their own play style, ok, not too much to choose from. Then I'm told there's 7 masters per faction,  and many don't follow their factions main playing style, not making my choice of what gang to make any easier here (thanks Martin!), so I did it the simple way, what looks good, narrowed it down to 3 choices...
1-Von Schill and the Freikorps,
2-any Gremlin posse,
3-any Guild posse,
Having a rather large Flames of War 2nd Panzer Division Army at home I figured stick with what I know, so Von Schill and his Freikorps won.

First purchases,
Hired Guns Box Set - £28.89
Sue (because who doesn't want Johnny Cash in their gang) - £6.38
Total - £35.27
Leftover lolly - £4.73

Models were fairly easy to put together,  although the Trappers head did decide to hide on the gaming room floor, thank you to Judy for finding it. Trunkie has his lid closed which give me a couple of little leftover bits to add elsewhere (additional Kukri to the Librarian and a tow hook on Trunkie).

Now to paint them (and maybe start making a board for them to battle over).