Friday, February 19, 2016

A fantastical return to form...well possibly maybe

First off I am still here, in the land of the living. When there is nothing good to say, say nothing at all....so I haven't for over a year. It's not for want of trying, it's just that I haven't been that inspired. I have tinkered along with bits and pieces, but nothing of particular substance that I wanted to share on this blog site.

However, my creative edge has been peaked by a return to fantasy gaming. Tomorrow I will be playing my first fantasy battle in over a two years. Yes I have dabbled in some fantasy skirmish games here and there but nothing I have felt warranted being discussed in depth. I will be heading up to the local wargames club for my first game of Kings of War. My opponent and I are both using a Bretonnian themed army so we'll see how they compare and how the rules play out. I must say I am really looking forward to it.

A couple of players have dabbled with the rules and quite enjoyed them. In a fit of fantasy madness and inspired by the rise of Oldhammer I decided to buy the Rules Only version of the Kings of War Rulebook (KoW), without all the fluff. I must say from what I have read of the rules they appear to be clear, concise and without too many exceptions as was the case with Warhammer Fantasy Battles.

Following on from the game I will give a review of the battle, with the addition of some photos. I am not promising anything. I dare not use the word 'try'!

So what else do I have in store? Well first up, I have a substantial Bretonnian army to complete. It's lain in its army case waiting to be finished since 1994 when I was given the 4th edition boxed set by my brother. Since then I have amassed a sizeable army of knights. I always like knights, especially on horseback. I just wish they weren't so much of an eye bleeder to paint! I will probably stick with the Games Workshop names for my fantasy armies as pretty much all of the models are from Citadel Miniatures.

When it comes to gaming I am no tournament player - I prefer scenario based games as that is where I tend to have the most fun. Let's face it, it is rare for warfare to be a balanced affair! What I liked about the KoW army lists are the ambiguity, a bit like the old Warhammer Fantasy lists from times passed. The open army lists allow players to create their own setting. Something which I think is long overdue. Not wanting to get into a them and us scenario the kids of the 70's and 80's sure do think creatively. Anyhow I digress. I think that KoW will be a refreshing charge, no pun intended,  back into the realm of fantasy wargaming.

I have also pulled from storage my old castle buildings, including a Citadel Miniatures Mighty Fortress purchased back in 2004 for the GW Summer campaign - Storm of Chaos. It even had a roll out at the GW Gamesday 2004. Since then, like many castles it fell into ruin, so much so that art mirrored life. I was storing the model in a greenhouse tunnel at a friends farm. As any castellan knows, rats and mice can be quite an issue if not dealt with. One of my castle towers did have, I repeat did have a nest of some rodent kind. Bloody Skaven! I have since brought the model back home where it now lies in a crate in a dry room waiting for its overhaul. It has been washed and cleaned thoroughly and I am hoping to bring you all some test updates in the near future with regard the modelling and paintwork I wish to undertake to give it a facelift.

So that's it for now - let's see how it goes. I do hope that it won't be January or February 2018 before I post again!

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