First Impressions - Marvel Universe Miniatures Game

Way back in April I along with my fellow gamer Aaron were attending Salute. We made a point of each buying a starter set for the Marvel Universe Miniatures Game; I picked up the Guardians of the Galaxy set, while he grabbed the Avengers set. Recently I finally managed to get both sets painted up.

This week we played a small test game using two characters each (Captain America & Iron Man against Star Lord & Rocket Raccoon) so that we could start to learn the basics of the rules.

 

Elliot was good enough to bring his newly purchased Battle Systems Sci Fi Modular Card Stock terrain for us to play on. This terrain is fantastic for the price and perfect for these sorts of skirmish games. It certainly looks better than any plastic or resin terrain that I'd have to paint for myself; it all slots neatly together once it's been punched out of the sheets. 

Scatter terrain plays an actual role in the Marvel Universe miniatures game (it can be thrown around!) so having access to a variety of chairs, crates, tables and consoles is fantastic.  

 

The game uses a d8 based system (a criminally underused dice!) to work out attacks and statistic tests; two d8s are rolled and compared to the relevant target numbers. For an attack to succeed a model rolls two d8s and adds their 'Attack' stat and compares it to the target models appropriate defence stat (of which there are 4 - Physical, Energy, Mental and Supernatural). If the total is higher than the defence value, the attack is successful. Statistics tests (e.g. agility, willpower, stamina) require the model to roll equal to or under the statistic on the total on two d8s.

The fundamental mechanic is the 'Power Point' system. This is very similar to many other games' action points systems; each model has a Power statistic that dictates how many things they can do in a turn. A model must spend these Power Points to move, perform attacks and activate special abilities. Every model has a range of attacks and abilities unique to them, along with a number of 'skill' keywords that are of a more generic nature (for example. fly) that can be found shared amongst different characters.

The Power Point system offers a number of tactical choices for the player: Movement is split into different distances dependent on how many points are spent (which differ between characters, some move faster or slower than others), Attacks and special abilities cost varying amounts of Power Points (more powerful attacks and abilities costing more) and are assigned a colour which informs the player how many times they can be used in a turn: green = repeatable blue = once per turn, red = once per game. Deciding when to use specific attacks and abilities can heavily influence the outcome of a turn, especially the one use per game red abilities!

 

The turn sequence is broken down into alternate activations (I activate a model, you activate a model and so forth), the initial activation in each turn determined by drawing counters from a bag. This blind drawing system is reminiscent of the method Bolt Action (Warlord Games) uses to activate individual units; it is mathematically more fair than rolling dice since the likelihood of going first in multiple consecutive turns is decreased as counters are removed from the bag (conditional probability). In contrast to Bolt Action, this system only determines the initiating player each turn, as opposed to the order unis are activated.

In addition to these basic rules the rulebook goes on to cover throwing objects, rules for destructible terrain, how to put together a team of models and details of three scenarios.

Currently there are three factions - Superhuman, Mutant and Cosmic. The rulebook mentions the Inhuman factions, but at the time of writing this has yet to receive any miniatures. These factions are further split into three alignments; Hero, Villain and Neutral. Each model is also given a 'Level', the equivalent of a points value in other games.

Sculpt wise, of the two sets I put together and painted, he detailing and quality varies somewhat. The Avengers set was very easy to put together, whilst the Guardians of the Galaxy set required a bit more work. Both Gamora and Drax needed some green stuff work (on the shoulder and hands respectively) to create a neat fit.

Detailing on some of the miniatures is very shallow. A heavy or dark undercoat could easily make some of the details hard to identify or simply disappear altogether. This was especially the case with Drax's tattoos and Captain America's shield (the painting of the which drove me quite mad).

These models would probably be quite daunting for a novice modeller or painter. I myself am unhappy with how I painted Drax, but Thor and Rocket Raccoon came out brilliantly.

Overall I'd say that I'm looking forward to playing more games of the Marvel Universe miniatures game. Any wargamers who happen to also be comic book fans should definitely consider having a look at it.

Oh, perhaps you're wondering who won our little game?

Aaron thoroughly destroyed me.

I think I need to get myself a Groot.

Comic Book Comments - June & July 2016

A couple of months ago I made the mistake of being persuaded by my friends Aaron and Tallow to visit the local comic book shop, Comics and Fantasy.

I've always had an interest in comic book characters in other media (films, video games etc.), but never actually bothered to read any of the source material. So it was decided that I would drill another hole in the bucket that is my wallet and add another hobby to my repertoire. At least this one doesn't require any additional work, right?

I made the choice of sticking to purchasing only collected volumes, known as trade paperbacks. These collections generally compile a specific story arc together (especially relevant for older comics), sit much nicer on the book shelf, are absent of adverts and are a lot easier to lend out to people. That's my train of logic anyway.

Here's a look at what I've been reading during June and July:


Mad Max - Fury Road (Vertigo)

Mad Max: Fury Road, as perhaps indicated in previous posts, was my favourite film of 2015. This collection of four stories, written by George Miller himself (director on all four Mad Max films), acts as a prequel to the namesake film. Given to the respective character's actors during production to add depth and history to their roles, these tales tell of the origins of the film's protagonists and main antagonist.

The first follows the rise to power of the despotic tyrant Immortan Joe; following Colonel Joe Moore's initial actions during the fall of the world to his subsequent discovery and takeover of what would come to be known as the Citadel. Included alongside this is a short story concerning the entry of the Warboy Nux into Immortan Joe's army.

The second story deals with the abhorrent actions of Immortan Joe and his 'family' that led to Imperator Furiosa's betrayal and subsequent breakout of the five wives. Some very mature themes are explored here; rape, misogyny, abortion and slavery to name a few. These themes could perhaps have been dealt with better, but I'm glad they are dealt with at all. The implied plight of the wives' in the movie is fully explained here; their actions given much more motivation.

The last two stories centre on Max Rockatansky himself, filling some of the gap between Beyond Thunderdome and Fury Road. Places and people featured in Fury Road, namely Gastown and the Buzzard clan are fleshed out here. Max's V8 Interceptor almost serves as it's own character; their reunification his main goal. This contrasts with Max's ultimate inability to save any of the people he cares about, a theme touched upon in all the films.

A must read for any fan of the films.


Red Skull Incarnate (Marvel)

Red Skull, Johann Schmidt, is probably my favourite Marvel Villain. He is never portrayed as a particularly complex character. His plans and schemes are certainly complex, but his goals are generally pretty one dimensional; global domination, kill Captain America, global destruction. Megalomania, if you will.

Red Skull Incarnate takes us back to 1920s Germany. Schmidt is in an orphanage, Nazi Brownshirts are marching in the streets. A bag of salt costs 16 billion Reichsmarks. We follow Schmidt as he grows up, bearing witness to hyperinflation, the Bierhalle Putsch, the Great Depression, the Reichstag Fire, the rivalry between the SA and SS, the Night of Long Knives and finally the assassination of Ernst Rohm. The would be Red Skull is cleverly woven into these events (sometimes slightly bending the true version) whilst developing the character's own narrative.

The cleverest aspect of this comic is its ability to teach history to the reader without even realising they are being taught. A lot of the major events that led to the rise of the Nazi party are covered here.
A series of end notes helps to explain the real world historical events and atmosphere as they occur chronologically in the story, even providing citations for further reading (which I am sure to take a look at).

Uber - Volume One (Avatar)

I have a soft spot for Weird World War Two dieselpunk supernatural super-science, and Uber certainly ticks those boxes. All weird war fiction has a divergence point; some time, place or event where the time line splits from our own. Uber's version of World War Two remains concurrent with our own right up until the 30th April 1945. The Battle of Berlin rages outside the Fuhrerbunker. Hitler points the gun to his head. He does not pull the trigger. News has reached him just in time:

The Wunderwaffen have arrived.

Panzermensch. Human tanks. Formed by exposure to the crystalline compound 'Woden's Blood', they are are nigh indestructible, able to manifest arcs of energy capable of annihilating both flesh and metal. These Panzermensch are lead by three 'Battleship' class individuals, who have the ability to decimate entire armies by themselves.

With Berlin saved, Hitler is quick to retake the offensive. The Panzermensch lead the attack, routing the allied armies on all fronts. The allies' only hope lies with an undercover biologist, Freya Bergen, who must escape back to England with information on how the allies can fight these Tank Men, and potentially create their own.

Incredibly violent and graphic, Uber fills a somewhat unique little niche within the Nazi super-science genre. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.


Chrononauts - Book One (Image)

Danny Reilly and Corbin Quinn are the world's first chrononauts, explorers in time.On their maiden time jump, Quinn is knocked off course missing his intended destination (the landing of Christopher Columbus on the American continent). Danny goes in after him, ending up in the city of Samarkand (located in modern day Uzbekistan) in the year 1504. What follows in a rather fun, if somewhat stupid and unbelievable, romp throughout time.

There isn't really much I can explain about the story without spoiling it, but if you want to see Romans with M16s fighting alongside Samurais in sports cars attacking a medieval castle, this is a comic you want to read!


Monstress - Volume One: Awakening (Image)

Five years ago, Humans and Arcanics were at war. An uneasy peace now exists between the two races; a great wall now separates the Humans in the west from the Arcanics in the east. Arcanics, hybrids of Humans and Ancients, share characteristics of both their progeny; appearing as humans with animalesque characteristics. Many posses the tails, wings or ears of animals, clearly marking them as Arcanics. Others, including our protagonist Maika Halfwolf, appear outwardly human.

We find Maika, alongside other younger Arcanic children interred within a research facility, run by the Cumaean Order (a human religious organisation). Arcanics are experimented upon and killed to facilitate the harvest of Lilium from their bodies, a substance with extraordinary healing properties (capable of even raising the dead).Maika manages to engineer her escape from the facility; we follow her on her subsequent journey, both to safety and process of self discovery. She soon discovers that she knows less about her past than she thought, and knows even less about the monster stirring within her...

Monstress does an excellent job of building a fantasy world unlike any other; the world combines both western and Asian influences, technology is combined with fantastical elements, all framed by a beautiful art deco, vaguely steam punk aesthetic. Both Human and Arcanic societies are matriarchies; positions that would generally be held my men in our society are held instead by women. Women make up the bulk of the soldiers in the army and hold positions of power within political, religious and educational spheres.

Humanities' treatment of the Arcanics (perhaps deliberately) echoes the treatment of Jews and other minorites by the Nazis during the holocaust. Arcanic children stand behind barbed wire fences while Human overseers look on. The experimentation on Arcanics definitely mirrors Jospeh Menglele's human experimentation at Auschwitz. The parallels are clear to see and are certainly chilling.

I would like to praise Monstress most for its portrayal of an amputee protagonist; Maika's left arm is missing at the elbow. It is fantastic to see a handicapped character portrayed in such a positive light; she is quite capable of fighting as effectiively as any 'normal'able bodied hero. Hopefully her missing arm isn't reduced to some horrendous plot device in future volumes.

Oh, this comic also has talking Cats. With eyepatches. And swords.

Beastmen vs Skaven 500 Points WHFB 7th edition.

So, the planets aligned, the correct number of goats were sacrificed and the right cosmic powers appeased; I finally played a game of Warhammer Fantasy 7th edition: 500 points border patrol, my Beastmen against Rich's Skaven.

Chieftain (No Upgrades) (General)

21 Clanrats (Spears)  + Warpfire Thrower

20 Clanrats (Spears) + Poison Wind Mortar

3 Rat Ogres + 1 Handler

Wargor (Heavy Armour, Sword of Might) (General)

14 Gors (Shields, Full Command)

15 Gors (Shields, Full Command)

10 Ungors

5 Harpies

We played the 'Capture' scenario in the border patrol rules pack, representing the central objective with a small stone obelisk. The winner would be the one who controlled this objective (by having the highest unit strength near it) at the end of the game. The terrain and armies we're set up as follows:

Rich finished setting up first, but despite the +1 modifier to his roll I won the dice off to go first. My first turn consisted of advancing both units of Gors and the Ungors straight ahead, whilst the Harpies advanced up the flank using their 20" flight move.

Rich's first turn also consisted of advancing his army forward, with the Rat Ogres taking the centre ground, flanked by the two units of Clanrats. The Poison Wind Mortar attached to one of the Clanrat units declared a shot at my unit of Gors nearest the board edge (on my left). Rich rolled a a misfire, and a 1 on the misfire chart for the weapon, taking out both the Mortar and a few Clanrats in tow.

My second turn started off with declaring a charge on the Rat Ogres with both a unit of Gors and Ungors, which was successful. The other unit of Gors advanced further up the flank, whilst the Harpies flew behind Rich's army.

The combat resulted in five dead Ungors and 1one dead Rat Ogre. The Beastmen won the combat, the Rat Ogres subsequently fleeing, pursued and caught by the Beastmen. The nearby Clanrats passed their panic test.

Rich started his turn two by declaring charges with his Clanrats on both the Ungor unit, and the Gor unit on my right flank (which had just fought the Rat Ogres). The Ungors chose to flee and managed to successfully retreat through the woods. The Clanrats charging the Gors wheeled round into their flank.

During the shooting phase, the Warpfire Thrower turned around to shoot at the looming Harpy unit. Rich once again rolled a misfire, but luckily this time he rolled a 6 on the misfire chart, meaning that the weapon simply wouldn't be able to fire this turn.

The Clanrats beat the Gors in close combat, killing three Gors with no casualties in return. The Gors fled but were not caught by the pursuing Clanrats.

Beastmen turn three began with the unit of Gors on my left flank and the Harpies declaring a charge on the unit of Clanrats behind the wood. Both the fleeing Gors and Ungors we're able to rally, turning to face the Skaven opposition. The combat was resoundingly won by the Beastmen, the Clanrats fleeing towards their board edge; both Beastmen units passing the test required to restrain from pursuing.

At this point Rich chose to concede, partially due to time constraints, resulting in a Beastmen victory.

I think if we had continued the game may well have resulted in a draw, since the large unit of Clanrats in the centre would have contested the objective (assuming it didn't take too many casualties).

I think we are due a rematch - Rich had horrendous luck with his weapon teams (effectively wiping out a fifth of his points on his first turn). This game had a lot of rules referencing and rulebook reading; games going forward should be smoother and quicker.

I look forward to playing again!

Gathering the Beasts - Part Two

Human beings have an uncanny ability to underestimate the scope and time investment required from a task. 'Build 500 points of Warhammer Fantasy' I said, ' you can knock that out in a few months easily' I told myself.

That was a... while ago.

The train might be late, but what matters is that it got to the first station on the line - 500 points.

So how does one play a game of Warhammer Fantasy 7th edition at only 500 points? Surely you can build an extremely skewed list at such a small points level? Will the 6'x4' board be too big? What's to stop me taking huge units of cheap infantry? The answer? Border Patrol.

Border Patrol is the fantasy equivalent of the '40K in 40 minutes' rules guidelines, both of which were released in White Dwarf (remember when that was good?), the idea being to introduce a set of restrictions that would allow you to play small games fairly within a restrictive time period. The army restrictions are as follows:

• You must choose an army of no more than 500 points.
• You must have a single Hero to lead the force. They may not be an army standard bearer. 
• The army must consist of between 2 and 4 units, excluding the Hero.
• You must have at least one Core choice.
• You may take one Special or Rare choice, but not both.
• You must include at least one infantry unit of  at least 10 models.
• No unit may be larger than 25 models.
• No unit may carry a magical standard.
• No single model may cost more than 125 points.
• An army may have no more than one chariot or war machine.

 
The scenarios provided also restrict the play area to 4'x3', deploying along the short edges.

With these guidelines in mind, I put together the following list:

Heroes

Wargor (1) - 109
- Heavy Armour
- Sword of Might

Core

Gor Herd (14) - 137
- Full command 
- Shields

Gor Herd (15) - 145
- Full command
- Shields

Ungor Herd (10) - 50

Special

Harpies (5) - 55

Border Patrol looks like the ideal format for relearning how to play the game; the limited number of units will make sure its not too intimidating; we'll be able to complete multiple games within one session and can use this 500 points as a foundation for expanding up to 1000 points and beyond.

I'm looking to be playing against Richard's Skaven next week. This means I'll have to do some homework (or more likely we'll just bumble through the rules on the night). I will attempt to put together a battle report, or at the very least post some pictures, over on his site at Special Fried Dice, so stay tuned over there to see how badly we manage to butcher the rules.

Video Game Ruminations - The Darkness (2007)

I've been on a bit of a hobby lull for the past couple of weeks, so I figured I'd switch gears and get through one of the many video games that have been sitting in my library unplayed. I perused the vast collection and choose to play 'The Darkness', a game which unfortunately never made it's way to PC and was released exclusively on consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360) in 2007.  Having played through the game over the course of a week, I am able to say it easily makes my list of recommended games.

The Darkness (2007)

The Darkness tells the story of Jackie Estacado, an Italian-American hitman working for the New York mafia. On his 21st birthday, Jackie finds himself the target of an assassination attempt enacted by his adoptive father 'Uncle' Paulie Franchetti, following a failed effort to retrieve a large sum of money for him on a previous job. Jackie survives this attempt on his life, escaping to the nearby Trinity cemetery and hiding in the public bathroom nearby. Jackie subsequently finds himself possessed by a being known as 'The Darkness', an ancient entity inherited by every first born in his familial line which manifests on their 21st birthday.With this new found power, Jackie embarks on a crusade of revenge against Uncle Paulie and his associates.

 

The Darkness is a first person shooter at it's most basic level; Jackie has access to a range of different guns: dual pistols, shotguns and assault rifles amongst others which are picked up over the course of the game. The shooting mechanics are satisfactory for the most part, although at times can feel rather loose or floaty (especially when auto aim randomly interrupts your crosshair movements).

The unique gameplay elements are provided by the Darkness itself. Jackie can manifest two eel like tendrils which both defend him from attacks and possess a variety of abilities; 'creeping darkness' for example allows the player to control one of these tendrils, attacking enemies from around corners or accessing otherwise unreachable areas. Imp like creatures, 'Darklings', can also be summoned by the player to assist in combat and provide their own distinct brand of commentary.

 

Light plays an important role in The Darkness, Jackie can only manifest the Darkness if has been able to feed off 'darkness energy', present only in unlit areas. The player is thusly more powerful if an effort is made to destroy any light sources in the vicinity; the darkness is actively hurt in the presence of light.

So apart from being a middling first person shooter with some original mechanics, what makes The Darkness worth playing? Excellent storytelling and characterisation.

The majority of people in Jackie's world are deplorable, horrible people; murderers, crime lords, drug dealers. Yet despite this, they are all inherently likeable, they feel like real people. Many of the game's side missions involve simply helping people solve small problems; finding a lost bracelet, finding a lost friend or intimidating a bully. Even the Darkness itself is an enjoyable, if psychotic, character, suffering from a constant need for control and insatiable desire to feed on human life.

Jackie's girlfriend Jenny plays a pivotal role of the game's plot; she is the only character presented with any innocence. Upon first meeting in her new apartment, it is possible to sit with her and watch the entirety of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' on the television. You as the player actively want to care about this character.

A refreshing emphasis is placed on player initiative; the player must work out where to go in the small semi-open world (there are no big waypoint arrows) using street maps, sign posts and subway information terminals for directions. No hints are provided at particularly difficult puzzle or gameplay sections, the player must work out which abilities to use to advance. I will admit to having to consult a walkthrough at times, although I consider that a positive; too many modern games hand-hold and direct the player constantly.

The game deals with a number of emotional themes, combining these with both mundane and supernatural elements, leading to a satisfying, if not predictable course of events. The Darkness is well worth picking up if you want to enjoy a decent first person shooter with a more mature subject matter.

The Darkness 2 is also sitting in my game library; I look forward to continuing Jackie's story.

Centenary of the Battle of the Somme.

Today, July 1st 2016, marks the centenary of the first day of the battle of the Somme. 100 years ago, thousands of British and Commonwealth soldiers left their trenches to attack the German lines. 

A week long preliminary bombardment, consisting of 1.5 million shells, had been carried out; the goal of which was to obliterate German defences, cut the barbed wire, knock out machine guns positions and prevent opposing artillery from conducting counter-battery fire. Many officers told their men to expect little to no resistance:

“You will be able to go over the top with a walking stick. You will not need rifles. When you get to Thiepval you will find the Germans all dead. Not even a rat will have survived.”

At 07:20 the mine under the German defenses at the Hawthorn Ridge redoubt, which had taken seven months to dig, containing 24,000kg of explosives, was detonated. At 07:28 the Lochnagar mine, containing 27,000 was detonated. These and 17 other mines of varying sizes contributed to what was then the loudest man made sound in history. The German soldiers in the tranches immediately above these explosions were vaporised.

At 07:30 officers all along the line blow their whistles to mark the beginning of the attack. Thousands of soldiers leave the trenches to be met with an alien landscape, scarred and deformed by years of artillery fire. The German defenses across the front are largely intact; German defenders soon re-man their positions.

By the end of he day it is estimated that were 57,470 British casualties (of which 19,240 are dead) and 10,000 German casualties. At the conclusion of the battle on the 18th November 1916, an advance of 6 miles along a 16 mile front had been made. The cost? 419,654 British casualties. 202,567 French casualties. 465,181 casualties.

Such terrible losses are almost incomprehensible; human lives reduced to mere statistics.

Statistics. A word all too relevant to the demographic that I belong to: miniature wargamers, specifically historical wargamers. Miniature wargaming has managed to reduce the carnage and horror of warfare to a set of rules, the movement of figures around a board and the rolling of dice. Is this not disrespectful? To dehumanise, even trivialise those who lost their lives in conflicts throughout history?

To some extent I think it does, but only if we allow it to.

It is our duty as wargamers to respect the history we are retelling; research the conflict we are recreating, find out what actually happened, the names of those involved, and most of all why it happened. By educating ourselves, we can educate others. We can tell stories in an interactive, compelling way unlike any other medium.

The next time you play a historical game, take a moment to think about the people you are representing. Lest we forget.

A reflection on the EU referendum campaign.

A monumental, historic event occurred yesterday; I feel I cannot let it pass without commenting. On June 23rd the people of the United Kingdom voted in a referendum deciding whether or not they wanted to remain a member of the European Union. A 52% majority voted to leave, 48% desired to stay.

 

The people have spoken; this is democracy in action. It was fantastic to see so many people exercising their right to vote (72.2% turnout). Democracy, however, is a strange thing; it is essential to modern civilisation, wars have been fought (and are still being fought) solely to to defend the right of the people to choose who governs them, but it isn't perfect. Democracy doesn't rely on a populace being able to make an informed choice. Many voters, whether wilfully or not, are often ignorant of the consequences of the choice they are making.

Politicians will often cultivate ignorance, it is in their best interests; pre-election promises that go unfulfilled lead to disillusionment (just look at the student fees debacle in 2010). The campaign leading up to the referendum was rife with this practise on both sides. Whilst I am disappointed with the overall result (and to an extent, genuinely worried about it), it is the campaign process that has concerned me more.

Both sides' campaigns resorted to appeals to emotions, appeals to fear, appeals to consequences. ad hominem attacks, straw men, exaggeration, cherry picking,  flag waving patriotism, oversimplification, assumptions, non sequiter reasoning and seemingly intentional vagueness. In essence, propaganda at it's finest. Many leaflets I received in the post had glaring inconsistencies and illogical lines of argument. Having studied critical thinking I was able to spot these fallacies; some even made me genuinely angry - do people really believe what they are reading at face value?

  
The whole campaigning process was an absolute shambles. What this resulted in was people having to vote based on either scattered contradictory information, gut feeling, patriotism, nationalism or worst of all, prejudice. The information presented by both sides was so contradictory it was impossible to make a genuinely informed choice. It was truly disheartening. I'm not sure which is worse; voting based on poor information or not voting at all.

 

My ballot paper should have had a third option:

'I cannot make an informed decision and wish to abstain'. 

I wonder how many people would have put a cross in that box?