Con Report - Gateway 2013 Saturday (Ron)

The boys will be having their own con reports from Gateway 2013, the last of the Strategicon 2013 events. This is my personal experience.

Not being able to go to the Con on Friday really locks out the most popular RPG events. Even though we made it to the con at 8:30, got our badges (Strategicon is the best badge for media I've come across so far, took all of 2 minutes!! NICE.), and headed up, only to find out that nearly every game we REALLY wanted to play in were already full. So we signed up for alt spots, but weirdly enough, people showed up for those games anyway.

I was really looking forward to playing in Chris Czerniak's Doctor Who Time War game, but since it was full, I headed down to play some miniature games.

   I had Seen SAGA being played at At Ease, so when I saw Octave Vilare (sorry if that's misspelled Octave), doing demos for it, I had to give it a try. He had Welsh and Anglo-Danes as the two options, me being Welsh in descent it was a no-brainer, Welsh it was. Welsh in saga are very good at throwing pointy sticks...as in they all have javelins. The system used in Saga is VERY interesting, no tracking wounds, and you need to plan out your attacks using the battle board, and the Saga dice (sold separately, and quite expensive, though you can use normal d6...1-3, 4-5, 6 equalling the standard rolls.). The game was no going in my favor at first, I lost 2 elite hearth guard units, and his warlord ended up attacking me, however he lost and I ended up driving him back from me. Where during my third turn I used 8 warriors t launch a fusillade of javelins at him with "deadly precision" ending up in 4 hits, he immediately absorbed on of those hits, sacrificed the last warrior with him, and promptly failed both armor rolls resulting in a pincushioned Warlord, which Octave said was the first time he'd seen a Warlord die to a ranged attack...very nice.

   I had gotten Rezolution by Aberrant, last year at Kingdom Con, with the premade battlebox. I have this issue with reading and comprehension, unless I've seen it in action, sometimes, I get confused, so I decided to give the Rezolution demo a try with none other than Tony Knealy himself. . It was a 2 turn game, turn 1 I lost initiative, and so Tony went first. He moved up his troopers, I moved my psyker, and tornadoed his troops, killing two and severely injuring the other 2...this was my downfall, I didn't get him close enough for cover.But yes, normal troopers, have a hit track...making this game quite interesting for the less casual wargamer. It is skirmish based but incorporates some RPG style feats into the game, giving it more depth. Tony moved his hero up, missed my hero, but when initiative came up for the 2nd round, he didn't miss...he killed my hero, and EVERY SINGLE one of my other units Failed their Command roll, and fled the battle. I definitely need to play this some more.

  While I was playing the Rezolution demo; Sean and Ian came back down...Ian REALLY wanted to play Warlands, so he and I faced off in a car+buggy on car+buggy match that resulted in a 4 car pile up, where my buggy ACTUALLY bumped both of Ian's cars twice (each!!!) since he was pretty much pinned in there....hilarious...until my car cruised out of there, and whipped a Bootlegger reverse, and shattered both of Ian's vehicles, the buggy exploding and crashing backwards a full 6 inches. As always, a fun fun game.

  We went and cruised the dealer hall for 30 or so minutes before we went up and did the Short Order Heroes RPG demo...let's just say "Gonzo" was the order of the day. So with the GM free-forming, we decided on a Post-apocalyptic Steampunk game...Ok..My character was dealt Complicated, Nosy and Sneaky, so I instantly formulated a plan, I was on the train incognito as an agent, So I started out as the lady Josie James, but in reality I was REX HANDCANNON (it's complicated...), the nosy Pinkerton agent, and master of disguise. We were on the train with a merchant protecting a priceless piece of Romantic art, which I promptly steered the game toward calling it the "Velvet Elvis", hilarity ensued as the entire party started maneuvering to their own agendas...probably the most Gonzo hilarious game this side of Paranoia....I'll let Sean and Ian describe their experience with "SOH"

Anyway, to bed with me...more on this later.

Thor's Day Trope - Post Apocalyptic

After the End

The End Of The World

Of course, with out development of the Gamma Crawl Classics idea, I'll be talking about post-apocalyptic tropes.

Post-Apoc has had lots of great games, Gamma World being the most well-known, followed by Deadlands Hell on Earth, and the amazing yet less well known Atomic Highway. Car Wars is post-apocalyptic as well, based upon Mad Max of course. WarLands is a great miniature game set in a Post-Apocalyptic world. My personal favorite is Rifts for setting.

Post Apoc is my favorite type of game, it not only has wide open variety of encounters from mutations, but it can be an effort just to find enough to eat, and keep yourself well-armed. Exploration of high-tech sites is always fun as well. Rifts takes it a step further and brings supernatural elements into the game, from magic to demons, to the rise of Atlantis. Rifts has EVERYTHING, except a system which is fun to run. (Ran it once, when I figured out that I had to track 700 MDC on a Robotech mecha that I used to bring the characters into the game, I realized I didn't like that so much...Also 1 MDC destroying a 10,000 SDC building...)

I'm a huge fan of the Fallout line of video games, and now I'm playing Borderlands (first one).

Anyway, back to writing....Enjoy checking out the tropes!! Lots of fun stuff on those links.

Review - WarLands Core Rulebook

*Note I am reviewing a PDF version provided for review purposes.*


I reviewed WarLands back in July, now I have the full core version,


WarLands Review (CORE Rules UPDATE)

Edit: I had to correct the scale, I had listed it as 15mm, but it's actually 20mm.


This is a review of WarLands miniature game produced by Aberrant. www.aberrantgames.com

What is it: WarLands is a 20mm scale miniature war game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Mad Max in 20mm scale. (1/64 or 1/72 is a comparative)

Rules: If you’ve always liked vehicular combat games, but hated how long they took to play, this may be the solution, Movement is simplified into Slow/Cruising/Fast, the exact numbers based upon the type of vehicle, fast for a truck is only cruising for a bike. The system uses 2d6, with modifiers, such as RC or CC (ranged or close combat). Damage is based upon the rolled damage, each die calculated separately, using exploding dice is always fun. Double sixes on the attack roll automatically cause a critical. Criticals can be brutal, and one can turn the tide of a combat in seconds, everything from a lucky escape, to a ruptured fuel, to a vehicular explosion. Balance is maintained using point buy for vehicles and pedestrians. On aberrantgames.com there are free ezines called Data Dump which covers all of Aberrant’s games (Though there aren't currently new zines). With the release of the full rulebook, Mac's Bodyshop is where it's at, while the addition of more background is nice, the real meat of this product is the ability to field unique models, a la Car Wars. I scavenged parts off my old Epic minis to get lots more turrets and large bore guns to put on the vehicles, so whether I'm running a Rattler or a more beefy truck, this just plain rocks.

There are full "army" lists, with 4 levels of play based upon points. 0-150 points is patrol level, 150-250 Skirmish, 250-750 Battle, and 750+ full-on War. The play-test game we played was about 300 points. I had a champion kicking it on the watch tower with a 50cal rifle with a laser sight, that was fun, I also fielded 3 scrap mechs. At 20 points each these are under-priced. Wielding a mini-gun but having the ability to aim is a bit unbalanced. I want to see the ability for scrap-mechs to have interchangeable weaponry, but at our house, that's an easy fix. Twin 50Cals? Oh, that sounds FUN! The main force you can choose from is the Warriors of the Wastelands force. The second list is Nomads. The last is Lotek. Nomads and Lotek have specific special rules which apply to the forces, the Lotek forces have poor tech weaponry, but are brutal in hand to hand. Noamds don't fight for control of the force, so no power struggles mid-game between leaders and champions, making it a more stable force, but as they barter more, they have to roll on a special table for loners.

Loners are individuals that join for pay, aka Mercs, or The Stranger and his Dog...I think he might be named Max the Mad or something like that....If you want a sniper for your Lotek force, a loner might be what you're seeking, since he won't be subject to the Lotek rules. It's an interesting way to make your force more varied.

There are some errors in the book, but many of them have been addressed in the FAQ on the Aberrant Forums. No big deal, that's first print for you, at least they're addressed quickly, unlike some companies.

Miniatures: Decent, the vehicles are resin cast, with white metal accessories and figures. Being 15mm scale it’s easy to pull in WW2 miniatures for additional pedestrians, even axis and allies figures work pretty well scale-wise. (Though I wish there were some good post apoc 15mm mini lines out there, until Aberrant can get pedestrian figs made. Though using paper minis for the pedestrian minis is an option as well, there are already some of those out there, even if there are only 25mm ones, just printing them at 80% size makes them 20mm.)

Comprehension Level: Excellent, The rules are simple, the action furious. It’s one of the fastest miniatures games I’ve played. You can get lucky penetrating shots that change the course of the game very quickly. When you roll doubles, you automatically get to roll on the devastating table, if you roll a 1, Kaboom, vehicle destroyed. Makes for a pretty fun game.

Family Rating: 10+, rules are easy enough though it deals with shooting, destruction and killing, so as always, parental discretion is advised.


Price Tag: As a miniatures game, you’re paying for the figures mostly.

Warlands CORE Rules PDF $18.00
Battle Box $37.99 (Basic Rules, 2 Buggies and a Utility Truck) [cheaper to buy 2 buggies and a truck]
A pair of bikes, $9
Cars cost $13,
Buggys, $11.99
The Rattler Gun Truck $15
Utility truck $9.99.
Sand Surfer #1 or #2 $13

The PDF Core rulebook currently runs $18. (bit pricey for a rulebook for a mini game...)

The quality isn’t bad, but it’s not incredible, for a niche market, it’s pretty good.

Value: For us, it’s well worth the money. No matter how many times we play WarLands, it’s always fun. We have A Battle Box, plus 2 more buggies, and a Rattler. Next purchase will be a couple cars, 1 more buggy.

Overall Rating: EPIC! The game is fun and fast, the tide can turn very quickly, good tactics and good rolls can change the game lightning fast.

Warlands - Using Mac's Bodyshop

So while we didn't get around to actual play today, we did get our forces sorted out using the new Mac's Bodyshop. I really liked how it all worked out for creating the vehicles, it was pretty simple.

I believe there's an error in the ET-5 Engine, as the acceleration numbers are the same as the ET-3, I think it's supposed to be the same as the Maxwell engine. (EDIT: I was correct, this was addressed in the erratta.)

Now as I read through the rules, I do find one thing a bit odd. I think it's weird to have Target numbers attached to a speed category where the speeds vary. The TNs should be based upon the speed of the vehicle, not it's category. A Slow vehicle that travels 12 should not be the same difficulty to hit as the fast vehicle that travelled 22, even through they're both in the same fast category. It doesn't change the fun I have playing the game, just a design choice that's weird to me personally...and I'm vocal about what I think. Obviously I wouldn't have a blog if I didn't. 

OMG IT'S OVER 4000!!

Hey we're over 4000 hits now, thanks for your support and understanding when there's nothing new, and I'm just rambling. This is after all a family based blog, and since schools in, we don't have quite as much time for games during the week...that being said, We do have two reviews I'll be posting in the next few weeks, the first is with Matt Rivaldi, owner of Wiggitybang Games, and the second is with Ron Kent, owner of At Ease Games. In addition to the Interviews, I'll have my Store Spotlight of At Ease Games up. We're going to be playing and reviewing the new Warlands PDF Core rules. The boys will be reviewing Killer Bunnies.

I'm looking at doing full video reviews, so I've been setting up for that, unfortunately I don't have an incredible camera, but we'll have to make due.

Thanks.

Happy December, it's almost 2012, I'll have to do some post-apocalyptic reviews soon.... =D

Thoughts on Miniature Wargaming

   So my first Miniature based wargame was Battletech, I used to love that game. Then I came across other wargames, Car Wars being my next, now I still love Car Wars, though I'm not sure I like the newest version put out by Steve Jackson Games as much as I enjoyed the old version. It seems to be suffering the Beer & Pretzel mentality as well. I remember reading the various convention reports from the cons when they built these massive  arenas and used Matchbox scale cars. I would soon move away from "tick" based games, as I considered them archaic, it's one of the reasons I'm not a big fan of Rifts, once you get to the mecha, you're dealing with like 700 ticks on the main body of lots of big mecha.

   I started playing Warhammer 40k in 1992 or 93, back when there were Vehicle Data Cards, and the wargear cards, when you could customize like crazy. I had a Howling Banshee exarch on a jetbike with a holofield...beautifully modeled. I also got into Warhammer as I moved down to Fresno in 1994. We also got into EPIC while I was there. That still is one of my favorite games I never play these days. We played Necromunda, and Mordheim when they came out. Back in those days I had time to devote to painting minis, since I didn't have kids. After I got out of the Navy, I got into Warzone. I absolutely loved Warzone, with my Cybertronic army, we even played a big campaign down at Game Empire back in 1998. The system was great, while the miniatures were decent.

   Now as far as the newer games, Warmachine and Hordes by Privateer Press has a big presence, especially after people started becoming disenfranchised by Games Workshop's price increases, and the increase in edition publication. Though their miniatures are starting to creep up in price as well. Mantic is providing both Fantasy and Sci-Fi miniature games Kings of War and Warpath.  The boxes of minis are nicely priced 20 miniatures for around $30, this makes for lots of minis for a nice price.

   However now that the boys are of an age where playing Battletech might be fun, let them get into the design aspect of the game, which was also one of the really fun things about Car Wars as well. With the Battletech 25th Anniversary seeing the Intro Box being released with 26 minis for $59.99 by Catalyst Games, it might well be worth a visit to the past. I bet the boys would love to make new mechs, and as always, it would be a great math exercise.

   For those who like to wargame on the cheap, there's always Savage World's Showdown rules, which can be used to play with stand-up paper minis. (this is where I'm headed.) I have always preferred to play more than paint. Also WarLands, by Aberrant,  is fairly cheap as a post-apocalyptic skirmish game, set in 15mm.

EDIT!:  I almost forgot one of my favorite wargames that I recently played...Dystopian Wars. I totally can't wait to be able to afford a couple armies for that game, it's really fun, nothing like a few frigates getting a lucky shot on a capitol ship, then having it's magazine explode. It's a brilliant system. I also wouldn't mind trying out Spartan Games other systems as well.

Table-Top Thursday

WarLands Review

This is a review of WarLands miniature game produced by Aberrant.

www.aberrantgames.com

What is it: WarLands is a 15mm scale miniature war game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Mad Max in 15mm scale.

Rules: If you’ve always liked other vehicular combat games, but hated how long they took to play, this may be the solution, Movement is simplified into Slow/Cruising/Fast, the exact numbers based upon the type of vehicle, fast for a truck is only cruising for a bike. The system uses 2d6, with modifiers, such as RC or CC (ranged or close combat). Damage is based upon the rolled damage, each die calculated separately, using exploding dice is always fun. Double sixes on the attack roll automatically cause a critical. Criticals can be brutal, and one can turn the tide of a combat in seconds, everything from a lucky escape, to a ruptured fuel, to a vehicular explosion. Balance is maintained using point buy for vehicles and pedestrians, the expanded book presents Mac’s Bodyshop, which will allow for customized vehicles. On aberratngames.com there are free ezines called Data Dump which covers all of Aberrant’s games.

Miniatures: Decent, the vehicles are resin cast, with white metal accessories and figures. Being 15mm scale it’s easy to pull in WW2 miniatures for additional infantrymen.

Comprehension Level: Excellent, The rules are simple, the action furious. It’s one of the fastest miniatures games I’ve played.

Family Rating: 10+, rules are easy enough though it deals with shooting, destruction and killing, so as always, parental discretion is advised.

Price Tag:  As a miniatures game, you’re paying for the figures mostly.

Battle Box  $37.99 (Basic Rules, 2 Buggies and a Utility Truck)

A pair of bikes, $9

Cars cost $13,

Buggys, $11.99

The Rattler Gun Truck $15

Utility truck $9.99.

Sand Surfer #1 or #2 $13

The expanded PDF rulebook currently runs $9.99.

The quality isn’t bad, but it’s not incredible, for a niche market, it’s pretty good.

Value: For us, it’s well worth the money. No matter how many times we play WarLands, it’s always fun. We have A Battle Box, plus 2 more buggies, and a Rattler. I’d like to get a couple cars soon as I can.

Overall Rating: EPIC! The game is fun and fast, the tide can turn very quickly, good tactics and good rolls can change the game lightning fast.  

Kingdom Con Interview with Tony Kenealy

Here's the interview with Tony Kenealy of Aberrant. Enjoy!
(there's a slight issue with the audio at the end) Creator of Rezolution and Warlands.

Kingdom Done

Well, that was a great time!

On Friday, we spent lots of time with the MIBs from Steve Jackson Games, playing Cthulhu Munchkin, Lord of the Fries, Zombie Dice and FRAG!. Sean and Ian also did the demo for Killer Bunnies and the Ultimate Odyssey , then played in the tournament for fun and prizes! Ian got second place...EPIC! Later that evening we got to play Cubicle 7's Doctor Who RPG. The game's got a point based system to balance out the doctor with the other characters, the vortex generator for Captain Jack Harkness seemed a bit too powerful and should have required a point each time it was used.  Though I think it had enough points to pull off all the vortex jumps I did. It was a fun one-shot game, Ian enjoyed playing the Doctor and Sean played K-9, when he was constantly hacking the system. I liked the ladder system for success.

On Saturday, we played more Munchkin and SJG games, including Cthulhu Dice. The Epic boys played in the Killer Bunnies tournament again, but got knocked out in the first round...not so EPIC! I went to play Dresden Files RPG while they were in the tournament, and I must say that is one of the best games I've played. I can't see Dresden Files being done justice under another system. The last thing we did was learn Battlegrounds, the card based miniature war game, $15 gets you all you need for an army, another $15 gets you an expansion to that army. (Though I learned future armies will be combined base and expansion in one box for $25.) No painting required. Ian won his Lizardman deck, then we also bought the High Elf deck and the Monsters & Mercenaries deck.


Sunday, was a lot less crowded, started the day with more SJG games, Zombie Dice, Lord of the Fries. We made our way down to the War Game room and finally got in on the demo for SUPER DUNGEON EXPLORE!, the 8-bit table top game, great game lots of fun. After that we got in on the Warlands demo, a fast and deadly post-apocalyptic game, we had, no survivors.

More on all the games we played as individual reviews as time progresses.

Sean and Ian interviewed Ross Thompson, founder of Kingdom Con; Jeff Bellinger, creator of Killer Bunnies; Tony Kenealy, co-owner of Aberrant, one of the creators of Rezolution and Warlands; and finally The creator of Super Dungeon Explore!, John Cadice.

Can't wait til next year.

Now the task of editing and uploading the interviews.