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I was pretty disappointed that the Open Day in May didn't originally have a DreadBall tournament planned. The Open Day last year was the first tournament I'd ever been to, and got us both into the tournament thing. When first announced, they said 'bring a team – get a few pick-up games.' Coming from Bristol, it's a pretty long way to go since we don't play Kings of War, Deadzone, or any of the other Mantic games and we're not likely to pick up new toys on impulse. Three hours drive each way, a B&B and getting babysitters for the weekend are just too much for a seminar which may talk about the games we're really interested in and a look at the shiny DreadBall Xtreme models currently in development.
So when they finally announced the tournament at the event, I was over the moon. The fact that it's an Azure Forest tournament is even better, as I like the changes it introduces. We may still miss the seminars (like we have previously) but I think they did a good job last time of trying to give everyone the chance to attend, and I've heard that this year there's a seminar specifically for event participants timed around the games so we should be able to have a look this time.
In the 2013 ManticBowl, Jen and I went on our own. For the November Charity Tournament, we managed to drag Oli up to Nottingham too. This May, Oli was busy but we convinced Dan and Chris to come along with us. Both are new to DreadBall, have played a couple of games each, and convinced they are going to come last but at least only one of them can! At the last second, Jen got ill and wasn't able to attend – but the other three of us were on our way.
Dan took the S1 Corporation team (the one Jen usually takes, since he had practiced with those and Jen wasn't using them) and Chris took the Judwan, as he figured using a team of all Strikers would be less to remember. I painted up a Nameless team, putting my faith in extra ranks rather than cards. I put an ability on two Strikers (hoping to get Skill 3+) and an ability on each of my Sticky Guards (hoping to get 360 Vision, so I can sit them in the three-point Strike zone as a super-defender). Without cards, I'll be vulnerable against bad weather events but hopefully that will be as much of a hindrance to my opponent.
Adam and I have an Open Day history – we played in the first ManticBowl (I beat him by a landslide), the Gamers For Life charity tournament (I beat him), and we were drawn first in this tournament. He took his Marauders again, and for the majority of the game the weather was 'heat haze' that lets us get away with fouls. Despite that, neither of us had to foul to get the advantage. My luck was awful here – I flubbed pick-ups, evades, dashes, and when I got there – strike attempts too. The game ended at a one point loss to me.
My second opponent, and again someone I've played before (since I taught him the game and brought him with me…) Again, my luck was foul. Dan managed to get me six points down – I pulled it back with a four-pointer. He jumped up to five points… I pulled it back to two… he got back to four points, and there we sat on his last turn. I'd just failed a strike attempt, so the ball was in the high-scoring zone with my Striker. He slammed me, I doubled the dodge and stepped onto the ball. Doubled the pick-up, threw the strike, and pulled it back to another one point loss in his turn (for a couple more fan checks). Still, not making great progress in the tournament.
I met Charlotte at the 2013 Nationals back in March, but hadn't played her. She's the only other Veer-myn player that I've seen in a tournament, and was able to match me bad roll for bad roll. This was the first game that I rolled skill upgrades for my Strikers, so I was able to score quite easily. I killed a Guard and managed to get a landslide win! Quite a reverse from my other fortunes today.
We suffered for most of the game with a Scorcher weather effect in play. It forced me to make more slams, and with less players, he was unable to use all five tokens most turns. It started off tit-for-tat scoring, but we both failed a few and I was getting my guards up to the full 3-pt defence to try and get some more opportunities. In the last couple of turns, I killed four Judwan – clearing out that nasty defence, failing every strike up there, and taking a two-point loss.
So with a barely-positive strike difference, I wasn't anywhere near the top. There were 7/8/9 players total, probably because of the Open Day, Kings of War game, Deadzone campaign, Loka tournament, and everything else happening. Several people I'd seen playing previously were also working as Pathfinders on the day, so there's some more potential players out.
I don't think my plan was too bad, but the dice failed me on the day. I didn't work hard enough to push my guards to the back to open my opponents defence, or maybe I need to write off the first couple of turns to just smash my opponent's scoring potential. I'm still not sure I've worked out how to use the Nameless – or bashy teams in general – yet.
The overall winner was also using Nameless, and there was a third somewhere around that I hadn't seen. Chris managed to take away the Wooden Spoon prize – a Rebs Starter Box for Deadzone!
I walked around the Open Day, but I didn't really dip into anything other than the tournament. I went to the 'tournament players' scheduled seminar and heard a lot about Dwarf King's Hold, but didn't get into anything else. I had a quick chat with many people I'd seen at previous Open Days, which is great fun, and picked up the prizes for the Cardiff Regional next week. I was also just about coming down with something nasty that knocked me out of work for three days, so I think that affected my enjoyment on the day – I was exhausted, I didn't bother taking any pictures (after promising myself that I would) and didn't make the time to try anything out (Project Pandora and Deadzone were high on my list to sample between games). If I'd known the seminar would be dominated by Dwarf King's Hold, I might have gone for another game or to have a better look at the 'studio' – a table with painter, sculptor, and lots of unfinished/pre-release models. I really regretted not talking to the Mantic painter, but didn't realise this till later when I had the time to run the day through my brain and work out what I'd missed.
Tags: Open Day, S1 Corporation, Judwan, Marauders, Veer-myn, Nottingham, DreadBall, tournament
I finally got around to playing a game of Warhammer with the new Dark Elves, against my regular opponent (once every year or two is regular, right?) with his Warriors of Chaos. We made it 3000 points, to get a few neat toys in, and stuck with the Pitched Battle to keep things simple.
We managed to remember a good deal of the rules between us, and everything just seemed to work the way that I intended. I took a horde of 30 Corsairs with a Battle Standard Bearer, a horde of 30 Witch Elves with the Cauldron of Blood, 10 Cold One Knights, 21 Black Guard, 3 Bolt Throwers, some crossbowmen and a Death sorceress (level 2), a Kharibdyss and finally Morathi as the general.
I was up against a Tzeentch force led by Vilitch the Curseling – there were some knights, a Fire wizard, two units of warriors, some Forsaken and Marauder Horsemen, a chariot, a Mutalith Vortex Beast, some Warhounds and a Hellcannon.
We placed a Bretonnian ruin, and grabbed a Buddy Christ dashboard ornament to sit inside it – flicking through the rulebook, this was designated a Sinister Statue and we completely forgot to roll for it about 30 seconds later. Still, it looked good.
On my left flank, the Warhounds kept running, rallying, regrouping, and running again from the Kharibdyss. By the time I got the hint and pulled it back to deal with other threats, it was almost too late to reach anything. It's last action was to declare a charge against the Warriors with the Fire wizard, who fled right off the table. It never saw combat.
Morathi was extremely powerful. I took Dark magic, to get the maximum benefit, and loved the fact that all the little things that should work together did. The Hellcannon focused on destroying the Black Guard, while Morathi snuck behind the tightly packed lines and successfully cast Shroud of Despair. Just outside of the effect, the Cold One Knights destroyed the Chaos Chariot easily – causing a panic test in the Marauder Horsemen who were inside the Shroud's bubble. The following turn, another unit caused a panic test over there, and the effect just kept stacking… At the same time, outside of the effect, my Death wizard cast Doom and Darkness on the Chaos Knights while the bolt throwers caused casualties enough to make them run off. They probably would have gone off of the table, if I hadn't taken Doom and Darkness off of them at that point, thinking it could do more good elsewhere.
It didn't all go well for me – the Witch Elves were charged by the Vortex Beast, and dragged out of the way of being able to slam the fleeing Chaos general's unit in the flank, Morathi was charged by the Hellcannon and needed to be rescued by the Cold One Knights, the Black Guard crumbled to the Forsaken and the Corsairs fell to the other unit of Warriors, who overran into a bolt thrower.
The Forsaken moved onto the Witch Elves, but they were destroyed in short order. Once the Hellcannon was dealt with, the Cold Ones charged Vilitch's unit (now rallied) and broke it (even though Morathi's second Shroud failed) and the Chaos Knights charged Morathi. The game was called at that point, as I still had more than half of my army and there was only the Warhounds and 2 Chaos Knights left, but I insisted that we finish the turn and the Chaos Knights finished Morathi off with that, so it wasn't a complete rollover.
I think the main boost in that game was the Shroud of Despair scattering and disorganising the Chaos lines, and being pleasantly surprised that Morathi isn't too bad in combat. In particular, her Leadership test for Enchanting Beauty (designed to be failed) along with the Shroud of Despair (everyone suffers from failing Leadership tests) means that you could end up with a big penalty to a unit's Leadership, for crossbows or bolt throwers to force a panic test in.
On the Warriors side, the Chaos knights did alright to kill Morathi (even with that crippling penalty), and the Hellcannon did impressive damage against the Black Guard in a single shot. I think the top unit had to be the Warhounds for getting the Kharibdyss out of the game, essentially, and being the only Chaos unit to not suffer a single wound.
So what do I think of the new Dark Elves? The magic I used was mostly the subtle stuff, but in concert with other effects it was devastating. Getting everything lined up, in the right place and at the right time, might be a challenge if the opponent knows what is coming though. Murderous Prowess was a nice bonus, and occasionally gave me an extra wound, but nothing special. Always Strikes First is a massive boost, much better than Hatred was in the previous version. The Dark Magic lore attribute was too difficult to remember, and feels a little weak for what it does. Maybe if I wasn't using Morathi, I'd be throwing more dice at spells and then would be doing a little more with it, but by the time I remembered that 'hey, I have a lore attribute!' I only cast a couple more small spells and didn't get a double or triple to trigger it.
I wasn't too impressed with the Cauldron of Blood. It's a nice Ward save for the Witch Elves, and makes them a little more deadly in combat, but I didn't get into any big units to really try that out in this game. It's a very expensive way of boosting Witch Elves as well, being 200+ points of Hero allocation. In a smaller game, I don't know that I could justify it.
Next time, I would either repeat the Shroud of Despair with a Bloodwrack Shrine nearby to try and really force the issue, or I'll replace the 'powerful wizard' magic with some Doomfire Warlocks, and completely swap the subtle stuff for the big blasty stuff. Hopefully, the next game will be less than 12 months away…
Tags: battle report, dark elves, warriors of chaos, victory - solid
Our group is taking a break from the 'Four Islands' RuneQuest game, and a new GM is trying out a new system – the Firefly RPG. The other players had created characters the previous week, and the ones that turned up on the first 'real' session were: Dave Cocknocker, a fightin' sort; Hammy, a slightly weird type; Bacon, a decent pilot (good friends with Hammy – both grew up on Persephone); and a cleric whose name escapes me.
I rushed through my character creation since I'd been warned it can take a while. I asked what characters they had and what they needed – we had a medic and engineer on top of the ones above, but those players weren't there. The one thing that no-one had taken was the leader, the captain. So I slipped into that one and grabbed a quick but focussed build – I'm fair with guns (specialising in the exotic energy weapons), but not a fighter. I put many points into Influence – both Leadership and Persuasion, with high Intelligence and Willpower.
As my Assets, I chose Leadership (I can give people a bonus if they are working towards my stated goal) and Steady Calm (should come in handy to maintain control in a panic situation) – both minor. I was given two minor complications – Traumatic Flashes (I may lose control while I relive a terrifying memory) and Greedy (mo' money, yo).
Since I was greedy, I put a few points into Gambling – if I ever get the chance to play Poker, then a high Persuasion (for bluffing) and a good Gambling should give me a fair shake.
So without further ado (or the time to think up a decent name – I've gone with 'Not Mal' and the nickname 'Sir'), we began our first session!
Our crew was meeting for the first time on Persephone. They had met on a Cortex hub (OKCrewpid) and some of us had bought shares in a ship – a Firefly class vessel with nice sensors and a full tank o' fuel. There's enough fuel for 16 days flying and food for a month. A box had been delivered to the ship – inside was a lady cleric. Dave and Hammy had no immediately obvious skills, so I expect them to pay their way at some point and in the meantime to do the heavy lifting tasks.
Introductions out of the way, we checked the local Cortex for available jobs. There's only one worth our time – a chap called Randall Lee wants a box delivered to Londinium (an Alliance world near the core), for 50K credits. Bacon stayed with the ship while Dave and I headed to meet Mr Lee and try to find out more about the job.
The box is 6ftx4ftx4ft, approximately 90kg, wooden, no special transport requirements, and a 'no-open' clause (payment is reduced to 25% if it's opened). Sounds very much like it contains a small human.
Being a jolly persuasive fellow, and Mr Lee having extremely low Willpower, the terms of the job were renegotiated. 56K for delivery, 50% if it's opened, and 30K bonus if we make it in 5 days (Bacon had plotted a course that would take 4 days).
When the 'negotiators' got back to the ship, they found that the Alliance had sent some 'blue-hands' over to inspect it and to advise the crew that there were pirates operating between Persephone and Londinium. They left without incident when the crate arrived, along with all the papers that we'd need for passage and landing and so on.
Despite dire warnings, we actually made it to Londinium without meeting any pirates. We did salvage a small crate of high-grade protein foods which should be good for some cash out on the rim worlds. We also landed on time without any problems, delivered the crate to the Alliance Security centre and got paid. We were not allowed back to the ship though, and everyone had to follow the guards and goons (of which there were dozens and dozens!) to a small office. After a short while, we were released back to the ship.
As we approached the ship, we spotted a guard leaving our ship on his own. Since there were no other guards around, we 'coerced' him back onto the ship once Hammy had told us that he wasn't really a guard, and was trying to rob us (though just opportunistically, not targeting us specifically). And so we had a prisoner! Stripped naked and interrogated, we intended to turn him in for a meagre bounty when we got back to Persephone. However, he suggested we decided to keep him on board (tied up in the airlock) when he tipped us off that we'd been double-crossed and our payment had vanished!
We immediately suspected Randall Lee of doing something dodgy, so devised a plan to get our money back. He was well known as a gambler and mule-racer (the little quad-bike, not the donkey thing) so we challenged him anonymously to a race. While preparing for the race we realised that he was unguarded in the shed with his winning Mule, so we dropped a Stun grenade through the window and kidnapped him, and stole the Mule.
As is our standard procedure when interrogating prisoners, we stripped him naked and put him in the airlock (our other prisoner was cuffed to a table in a shuttle, out of the way) and interrogated him while Bacon put us in orbit around Persephone.
It turns out that even though we robbed the poor sod blind (I have a new hat and laser pistol, as well as the contents of his wallet) he had also been double-crossed by Ton Ting, the Pirate King, who had given him the job (that he farmed out to us) in the first place. We had to take on the Pirate King to get our cash back.
Ton Ting's base (or lair, if you will) is on an abandoned asteroid mining station between Persephone and Londinium (hence all the pirate raids). We took the ship in close (but hidden), and flew a shuttle off to the asteroid. We landed in secret, thanks to our cleric's covert operations training, and undetected by the guards nearby.
And so we wait for the next session to assault the Pirate king base…
Tags: roleplay, RPG, Serenity
When last we met, the party were sailing away from Ogre-land to rescue the captive boy-king Uther of the Bretons from Drow/Drannei.
Shortly after setting off, Captain Rengrave changed our course away from the Drannei ships towards the island of Sanctuary to get some help from the wise man there (who may or may not be a wizard, magic being illegal nudge-nudge wink-wink). He couldn't join us as he sort of stole a sword from the wise man; we discovered later that this sword belongs to the King of the Bretons and that Rengrave had given it to Uther. So it's not completely stealing.
The Island of Sanctuary is full of hippies who don't enforce rules as stringently as other nations and this makes it a prime location for pirates (like our dwarf Ungrud) to visit and trade. That being said, it's not a thriving metropolis or a bustling port or any other cliché, instead it's a rather sleepy little village.
The wise man told us that the Drow had probably taken the boy because the Island of Lost Time can only be entered by a prince or king of virtue and that being only 12, Uther was probably virtuous enough. First, he would be taken to the Drow capital in order for them to ascertain his virtue. What they want with the Island of Lost Time is a complete mystery, and we were referred to the one person who claimed to have been there – an ex-associate of Ungrud, to whom Ungrud owed about two ships-worth of gold. Ungrud declined to join us in our interrogations. We were also left with a couple of zen statements – "when there is no time, there is always time" and the like.
In the pub, we found our adventuring dwarf who was only too happy to give up information. Apparently, the island appeared frozen in movement. Clouds moved overhead but no wind was felt, branches on trees did not shift and nothing moved on it's own. No sounds. At night, the dead moved and watched him, with lips sewn shut, accompanied by faceless beings. He believes that they didn't attack because of an amulet that he had, and freely gave to us (mentioning that wearing it felt like it took part of his essence). We left the amulet in our bags and headed back to the ships.
The only place to land on the Drow island was a place called Safe Landing. It had a temple on stilts that looked like a boat, dedicated (so a plaque said) to 'The Only God'. Not a good sign to people with as varied a pantheon as us. We followed the river to the capital, and en route were ambushed by ten camel riders. We hunkered behind our horses, and defended ourselves well (while trying to retrieve my war boomerang, I ended up leading two riders on a jolly chase where one fumbled and threw themselves to the ground to be trampled later) while the dwarfs and single human cut down the remainder.
As we looted the bodies, the sun set rapidly. We set a watch and a camp, and used looted blankets to keep warm in the cold desert night. During the night, we were awoken by a crowd of people who could apparently see in the darkness. We were invited to their camp for the night, guided by a 'skrillfex' – a fox that they call their 'day guide'. After a nice sleep in a comfortable yurt we did some investigating. The yurt was being guarded by two blindfolded men, and we learned about this tribe from a foreign mercenary called Tankred. He explained that these are the night people, and they never take their blindfolds off in the day. They are not fans of the Drannei, but would not help us recover the boy. Instead he directed us South, over the river, to a temple where we might find help.
The temple was a large, magnificent structure with domes and minarets, and many pillars all made of marble. Inside, the floor was covered in sand and as we walked across it, a small dervish whirled up in front of us and formed into a Djinn, who attacked. We defeated the Djinn and were greeted by the priestess of the temple who informed us that we had 'passed the test'.
We were given a guide to aid us, who had taken a vow of silence – but seemed to have a pad of paper, so that wasn't too bad. On our way through an abandoned and partially buried village, we took shelter from a sandstorm for the night. During that night, I had an odd dream… I woke up in the room as it would have appeared long before, when it was populated. I looked in a mirror, but the reflection was gone. Out of the window, I saw a beautiful city filled with life. A woman came into the room and started pouring water, and said "Find us" – but did not interact with me, or show any sign that she knew I was there.
Outside of the building, I tried to get breakfast from a market seller but my hands went through everything and he didn't seem to know I was there. I headed to the nearest baths, and there saw Neptune. As a devout worshipper of the sea god (makes sense for a sailor), I genuflected and kneeled before him. He told me to bring time back to this place – time was taken, and time has to be brought back. It appears to be a spear with an hourglass scribed on the point.
Waking up, I explained the whole thing and am filled with a holy purpose. It's not every day that one's god gives them a mission personally! Our guide showed us an underground cavern filled with granite statues that looked exactly like the people I had seen in the dream. There were also hundreds of soldiers, all in granite. Our guide asked us (through passed notes) if we felt older (apparently, we did), and that we should leave immediately.
Resuming our journey to the capital to get the boy (who can go to the Island of Lost Time, being a prince of virtue, where we think we can find the spear), we are ambushed by desert warriors. Ungrud wandered off towards a mirage, I was trapped by bolas, the Ogre merchant fell into a ditch and our rigger was almost attacked by a bandit… who fumbled, and stayed underground, apparently. It took us a while to take them all out, one even continuing to fight after losing a leg (completely chopped off, fell on the floor, bleeding heavily, etc etc).
I'll finish this off with a guest recap from one of our party, an elf (not me) that has unfortunately missed most of our sessions – may not have turned up since before we got to the Ogre capital!
Here we go!
Our intrepid heroes wandered the desert for many days, looking for a way out. They were tired and hungry and more than a little bit mad when they came across a strange sight indeed.Sat before them, atop a small mound of rock, topped with the symbol of th e god of time, was a fat, bald man, who looked to be in his twenties. Around him were similar mounds of rock, each with a different holy symbol above it. In front of the man were bowls containing assorted nibbles. Some of the nibbles had been nibbled."Who are you?" Asked an adventurer.The bald man replied; "I am... actually, I can't remember my name.""Deckard Cain… that's a name…" Mused one of the adventurers."What?""Oh, nothing…"The heroes turned back to the bald man. "Why are you here?" Asked one, curious."In my youth, I murdered a man for sleeping with my wife, and then I murdered my wife for being unfaithful. Now I seek atonement from my god." Answered the bald man."How long have you been here?" Asked a third adventurer."Enough with the questions! If you must know, it's been 100 years, 10 months and 11 days... do you want the minutes?""No, no..! 100 years? Bloody hell, mate, you look good for your age.""Yeah, well, my people are immortal, you see, on account of them worshipping time and all that.""That's pretty cool. From whence do you hail, oh bald man?" Asked a forth adventurer.The bald man looked at him wearily, clearly tired of this incessant questioning. "I'm from Niceass. It's a lovely city in the desert." His eyes glazed over as he recall ed his home town with longing.The adventurers looked at each-other, in uncertainty. One piped up, "Er... bald man..?""What is it?" Snapped the bald man, "I'm not used to visitors, y'know. I do hope you'll all bugger off soon, so I can enjoy the afterno on sun in peace.""Well it's just... You see...""Out with it, man! I don't have all day, you know! This atonement business is busy work!""You might as well just tell him," said another adventurer."Look. Your town's dead. Everyone is dead. Niceass is a dead town. It's been dead for ages. Dead."The bald man sat in shocked silence for a few minutes."Way to break it to him gently..." One of the adventurers muttered. There was some shifting of feet."Right. Well... Bugger."[Later that day, the group stands once again before the bald man with no name.] "Well he clearly gets his food from somewhere...""Yeah, a bunch of dark elves drop it off every week." Chipped in the bald man, munching a mushy banaramitz."Right, so we j ust wait here for a bit. Follow the elves back... get the girl and hightail it out of there.""Boy," came a voice from the back."What?""Boy. Get the boy and hightail it out of there.""Since when has any story been about rescuing a boy?""Look, I don't write them, okay? I'm just here, in the desert, with a pocket full of mouldy bananaramitz and sunburn, just like the rest of you.""Mouldy banan... you've still got your bananaramitz??""Yeah..!""Damn... I wondered what that stink was..."Most of the group of adventurers, as one, step away from one of their members, who looked a bit redder.[Later still, a small band of dark elves appears on the horizon...] "They're here, look busy!"The adventurers scurry around. One of them tries to hid e behind a small pebble, before following the others to sit atop one of the remaining piles of stones.[The dark elves come...The dark elves leave...The group follows the dark elves... ] As they thought, the dark elves travelled back to their city in the desert. It was a monstrous place, with high walls and a closed gate. In the shadow of the wall sat a slum – a ramshackle place of lean-to houses and mud. As the group entered, they were assessed and the two elves were inked with a "B" for "Breeding Stock". There was much jesting, and the human was much put out at the fact the ugly elf was marked for breeding, yet he was not. During the night, it was established that breeding might not necessarily be a good thing… The group hatched a plan that involved sneaking out of the cam p and through a secret entrance in the wall. Their guide had got them this far and was sure he could get them into the city.Sadly, the best laid plans sometimes fail, and this one wasn't one of the best. As the group snuck out of the camp, one of their members tripped over and was spotted by a lookout. Before he could try and talk his way out of trouble , one of the other heroes tried to slit the throat of the lookout, but only scratched his neck. The lookout screamed out in pain and woke several others. With the campheating up, the group ran for it, almost leaving behind the unfortunate adventurer with the blunt knife.And so we leave our adventurers, having entered the city and headed towards the temple in the centre. Will they find the boy they seek there? What of all the female elves in the city – perhaps our men wish not to leave after all (*wink wink*) ? Will they meet the queen of the dark elves herself? Find out next episode… maybe…
Tags: Four Islands, Runequest, RPG
This was another local tournament, like the Bristol Blitz last year. It would be nice to bring every different team to a tournament at some point, to get proper use out of all of them, and given that I've been using Zees a lot this year (especially in the Cardiff League) it would be a good chance to get those out for a bit.
The tournament has a slightly different format to the traditional tournaments we've been to, and instead of just being four plain identical exhibition matches this was more of a surrogate league – each game is an exhibition match with more credits, and the team you use each game is based on the team you had in the previous game. Unlike a league, any rank increases are rolled at the beginning of each game, and deaths are ignored (instant, free resurrection between games).
In addition, it's a five-game tournament and the final game was an Ultimate multiplayer game.
Andy was great fun to play against – I got a good six-point lead early on but he refused to let me get the landslide. We made it through to the end of the game, where I got a final point to put me on four and with the three-point strike hex blocked up with two on the bonus lane, it was going to be impossible for the Corporation to score a win. This is one of the games that I expected to be the hardest, since the Zees had the fewest upgrades. The Monkey Business dice didn't favour me much, but the Offensive coach was very useful.
He did kill a monkey though.
The Asterian Dirty Tricks and Dive-Taking failed to do too much to the monkeys, as expected. Rob played well and blocked the three-point strike hex from me, and with their 3+ Speed there was nothing I could do to open it up. Like the last times I played Asterians (at the Charity Open Day and 2013 Nationals), I was permanently on the back foot trying to slow down what seemed like an inevitable loss. I managed to hold off until turn 12, which is pretty good for a Skill 5+ Jack team against one with Skill 3+ Strikers.
The best moment of this loss was pointing out that he hadn't called any fouls all game, and I'd had ten models on the pitch uncontested for almost the entire game. It clearly didn't help me, but it was rewarding nonetheless. On the flipside, I didn't notice that he'd had 7 players on the pitch for at least half of the game himself.
Cai was a sharp player, he knew how to use the Teratons to best effect and made it difficult for me to pick up the ball by applying threat hexes to it. At one point, I played the Ball Shatters card to my own player because he wouldn't be able to safely Evade out of two threat hexes. When relaunched, the ball landed in the only spot with two threat hexes on it, so it didn't really help me at all. He called foul almost every one of my actions, but found it difficult to kill off the monkeys quickly enough to stop them scoring.
I wasn't too sure how I would end up doing against the Robots, and Josh didn't know about the Zees. I managed to kill a Robot Guard by slamming them in the back (with plenty of threat hex support, obviously) and in my final turn, took a one-dice 4+ chance at a 4pt Strike to get the landslide… and got it.
I don't think Josh is used to someone fouling against him, and I feel a little bad about fouling, but the Zees require the foul to be able to do anything. Still, he called more fouls than Rob did and got a few monkeys sent off – just not enough.
Josh had a great, simple paint scheme for his robots – white undercoat with a coloured wash for position. One of the big problems with robots is determining player role, since they are all so similar, but this made it so easy for me to tell what was a Jack, a Striker or a Guard.
The Ultimate game involved Andy, Rob and Josh from my previous games, as well as a Nameless team and an S1 Corporation team (Tom, who I've played in previous tournaments) to make a full six players.
I called Defensive plays for the first couple of turns, but didn't need the dice and didn't get much done in those turns. I'm not sure whether it was subsequently calling Offensive plays or just having more Zees on the pitch closer to the action that did the trick but I started scoring again. At one point, I was tied for first place with Tom's Corporation and Rob's Asterians but Tom scored an extra couple of points on me to pull himself ahead and push me down to third place when the time ran out and we ended the game.
I think I liked this game more than the others in the day – I even managed to pull a couple of nasty surprises on people (Running Interference cards!) and took a Nameless Hard Guard off for three turns thanks to many threat hexes and a slam in the back (with a few unused Monkey Business dice).
Overall, Jen and I did pretty well – she won her Ultimate game by a landslide, and we were both tied on tournament points with Tom (who won our Ultimate game). Taking into account strike difference, Tom came in second, I was third and Jen was fourth. I think that's a brilliant turnout for the Zees. I think it was even better for Jen, who had misunderstood the format and was reducing her tournament bonus each game, instead of adding it on, and effectively was being outranked by her opponents in games two and three. I think – although I'd need the complete results to be sure – that if the Ultimate game hadn't happened I would have been in second place.
The overall winner was Rob Taylor with his Asterians – I'm definitely going to have to arrange some practice games against them, since they are the team I do the worst against.
The aim of the 'league-ish' format was to encourage other teams to come who are perceived as needing a bit more development to be competitive – teams like the Zees, the Robots and Z'zor. I think it definitely helped the Zees to be able to spend more than 20mc since they need an Offensive coach to really push for the big scores but 5+ Skill (and unpredictable coaching dice) is even more crippling for them than it is for the Veer-myn. On the other hand, every other team had the same number of upgrades as I did so it was still a set of four balanced matches.
I like the different format, it kept things interesting and I was really pleased to have done so well with the Zees. I hope that other people will take them in the future, since I have not yet played against them – I think they'd be an interesting challenge. It was also very good to have two full Ultimate games – no dead Strike zones – with all the chaos that entails. I'd like to play another tournament in this format one day, but it's quite tiring – four hour games and a two-hour Ultimate game to cap it off is a gruelling schedule.
The giveaway for this tournament was a set of custom acrylic tokens with a Bristol Vanguard logo on them (a Banksy bear throwing a dice) – Jen and I picked blue and red to supplement the green Kickstarter ones we already have.
Tags: Zees, Teratons, S1 Corporation, S2 Corporation, Nameless, Asterians, Landslide victories, DreadBall, DreadBall Ultimate, tournament, Bristol Vanguard
After my disappointment that they had not gone ahead in November, and then the slight irk as I felt they had been replaced by the Ultimate game I passed on at the Charity Open Day, I was understandably thrilled when the Nationals were announced, postponed, for March 9th.
Not the most convenient day, as it means travelling across the country and arriving home quite late on a Sunday, but there was no way that I could miss this one. I got my 'crew' together – Oli's S2 Corporation (borrowing our Steelbridge Emperors again) and Jen's S1 Corporation (our Starport Starlets, as usual) and that left me to decide how to go ahead.
What with one thing and another, there's been no time to practice or paint. I wanted to stand a chance at winning so that left either Judwan or Veer-myn, two teams I felt that I could do quite strongly with and were already painted to at least a playable standard.
There was some sense to bringing the Veer-myn, as that's what got me there in the first place. On the other hand, they didn't really rampage quite as well at the Open Day as they had at the Welsh Regional tournament, and maybe I needed a little more skill (hence the Judwan).
The other consideration was whether or not it would be immodest to bring the metal pitch I won in that Regional, especially since with the extreme lack of practice (I think I had two or three games since Christmas, including teaching new players) I was not confident in being able to think my way out of any problems.
After all that to-ing and fro-ing, I ended up with the Veer-myn. I'd packed both, just in case, but if someone clogged up the three point strike zone, the Judwan would never be able to get the points needed to come back.
The venue was amazing. I thought it was being held in a church hall, it was actually in an abandoned church. It fits the purpose of a gaming hall perfectly, with plenty of space but was very cold. I imagine this will be sorted in time, but they've only been open since October after the church was empty for 12 (or 20?) years. It'll be nice to see what it's like in the summer. A nice bonus was lunch included in the ticket price, I like this as it keeps everyone together rather than spreading out and keeps the cost of the day down for everyone.
Shaun was a great player, I had a really fun game here. He also had a special wipe-clean mat with spaces for coaches, spent action tokens, cheerleaders, etc and he could write notes on them for every game and wipe it off when it was no longer needed. It's a really good idea and I'll see if he's put it on the DreadBall Fanatics Facebook group.
Shaun was playing his Corporation aggressively, and did a good job defending his strike zones. We hovered both sides of the 0-point mark all game but in the last rush, it was one point in his favour. The Veer-myn had completely failed practically every Evade test that they had to take. I normally risk one or two without thinking because a three-dice 3+ test is almost a certainty.
So I was off to a bad start, but it was the best lose that I could go for (only one point conceded and a pile of cheers).
As Shaun was bottom of the winners and I was top of the losers, we were picked to play again but instead swapped with two others. I got placed against Gareth's Marauders, and again he played aggressively. So aggressively, he killed four of my players! Kills don't count, however, and I managed to get a hard fought landslide win – back in the running.
Gareth was another great opponent, good fun to play against and really polite as he murdered my rats. He went on to win Most Bloody, after he took out three of Jen's players in a later game. We accounted for more than 75% of the casualties that got him there!
Dan had terrible luck this game, and his Judwan were totally unable to dislodge me from the three-point strike zone – or at least, were unable to do so when they had the ball and could get up to score. By the time he had, I had replaced the Striker and blocked the gap. I mashed the three-pointers and pulled another landslide win.
I'm not a nice enough person to open that three-point strike zone, and I feel bad about giving Dan a game he found very difficult. Hopefully he still had a good game, and I enjoyed having a chat with him – another player who knows his stuff, and is good fun to play against. There's not a lot that can be done against that sort of defence, especially when the Judwan have had their speed reduced. I think they're pretty competitive in general (and too competitive in skilled hands) with the good speed, and not competitive enough by far without it. I don't have any better ideas though, so have to leave it at that.
Asterians… why did it have to be Asterians? I got lucky in this game – his Jacks threw themselves down but few players got sent off, Dirty Tricks was fired from the Guard without anything, and Inattentive Ref came out early and wasn't replaced for half of the game. That deterred any further shenanigans, for the short term. This was also the first game were none of my players got the Skill upgrade, meaning I was playing against a team practically the same, but a little bit stronger. He also adapted to my focus on three-pointers quickly and moved to block that off, since 5+ skill will make it difficult to get two-pointers in the lower strike zones.
I managed to kill an Asterian, but that didn't help too much. He focused his upgraded Strikers (who did get the Skill bonus) on two-pointers, and I barely managed to scrape it until rush 13 when the landslide loss hit me. I was pleased to keep the game going that long, and Ian had a mastery of the game – he was perfectly clear on everything, and we clipped through the rushes at a good pace.
I loved every minute of the day! The venue was excellent, albeit pretty cold, there were plenty of tables and lots of space, the tea was nice, lunch was plentiful (several trays of Subway) and opponents wonderful. I hope I get to see them at another event this year. Jen and I are planning on going to the Mantic Open Days – one in May, and possibly another one later in the year – if they have DreadBall tournaments again.
The winner was Leon Chapman, the South-east Regional Champion using a Nameless team. I'd be interested to hear how he plays the Nameless, I've only tried them a couple of times and feel like there's never enough action tokens to make full use of their team synergy. Second place was Ian with his Asterians, the only person he didn't get a landslide win against was Leon. I think this shows that in the right hands, any team can do well.
Overall, I had a slight loss, a landslide loss and two landslide wins. This gave me six tournament points (just behind James M Hewitt himself) at fifth place. Oli had two landslide losses, so ended up down in tenth place with hardly any cheers – his worst result, I believe. Jen had a better day than both of us – she took a landslide loss with Ian, but got two landslide wins and a plain win and ended up on seven tournament points in third place! I am so incredibly proud of her, I didn't even think about my own placing. I am happy with how I placed, but ecstatic with Jen – she puts it down to luck, but she beat Oli by a landslide in a practice game the night before. I think the lack of practice recently hit me and Oli hard, but Jen has managed to keep her skills sharp (possibly sharper?) over the Winter months. I think that also means that officially, she is the third best DreadBall player in the UK?
Because the top positions were taken by pathfinders or staff members, their prizes trickled down to the first civilians… which meant Jen and I walked away with new toys! Having gotten everything in the Kickstarter, we called up a friend to find out what they wanted and donated it to their collection.
Unlike recent tournaments, Season Two Corporation teams were very thin on the ground – only Oli brought one. Nameless and Teratons are still popular with two teams each, two Judwan teams, two Veer-myn (on the rise?), only one Marauder and Asterian team (down from the last tournament) and, as usual, three Corporation teams. Plain old humans are always popular, it seems.
We had a few chats with James and Tim from Mantic who both told us that the DreadBall community was one of the nicest gaming communities that they'd ever seen. Apparently other game systems can have less friendly people at the top tables (and I've heard something similar from the Warhammer podcasts that I listen to), but DreadBall tournaments all feel like club games and friendly atmospheres. There were two Teraton players at the Nationals who weren't even looking at winning, necessarily – just trying to outdo each other on body count (and were both outstripped by Gareth's Marauders!) This event cemented my love of the hobby and the scene and I aim to attend as many local tournaments as possible and whichever of the official Mantic events we are available for. I love that it's something I can do with my wife, and my friends.
The next tournament on the horizon is the Bristol Megalofunotron at the end of March, and then there's nothing planned until May. I need to get out of my painting funk and start getting something done again – I'm OK for Bristol (I intend to take the Zees) but I still have a lot of other teams to paint before my Xtreme Kickstarter delivers at the end of the year!
Leon Chapman, who won the tournament, has written his own experiences of the day on the Mantic forums.
Tags: Judwan, Nationals, Veer-myn, S1 Corporation, Marauders, Asterians, tournament, DreadBall
Having finished off some guards last time outside the bandit cave, we cautiously entered. We were met just outside the cave by some Ogres sent by King Rulf to assist us – two players who can't attend as often as they'd like to. They're brothers, twins, and very strong (even if one is a little short). One is a merchant, the other a priest, who supports the general Ogre religion and was clearly sent to us by Rulf because he didn't want to be told he wasn't warlike enough.
We just loved the view of Ogre merchants and priests. "You will buy this for 10!" and "REPENT!" being repeated while the target is lifted and shaken until they give up and do as they're told!
Investigating the caves, we found a very small shieldwall in a narrow corridor, big enough for only three to stand abreast. It was hard to break them since our missile shooting was poor (and mostly rocks) – even though I gave my bow to someone with twice the skill I had. We charged in, such as we could and then smash. Slowly. Their shields were good. When we finally broke a gap in the line, our Ogre merchant took advantage of the gap by tossing our rigger (a Dwarf) into it to cause surprise and smash heads. Thankfully, he got a special roll on the throw and the Dwarf landed perfectly.
Then out of the melee the bandit leader came out and shouted to us, asking if anyone would challenge him on-on-one. Since even with his clan around him we outnumbered them, I thought 'why bother? it only benefits him!' and that was the majority view until one of our party chose to sacrifice himself (the player wanted a new character). We didn't want to throw his life away though, so he cast Strength on himself, and we cast Demoralise on the bandit chief. He lasted a few rounds, and at some point I thought we'd all best sneak around and kill off the chief anyway – one-on-one honour for a thief? Pah! Then a good hit took him out, and the clan surrendered. We have stripped them, looted every nook and cranny of the cave and got some good gear for our new recruits (and some of us still wearing animal furs) and intend to take them back to King Rulf for a bounty.
I missed the next week, but the party made it back to the King's camp, managed to sell the loot and buy some nice full suits of armour (the problems of missing a week, you miss the good gear), and got a new boat to take us to the capital – the SS Sea Otter Foreplay. It's like an Ogre yacht, and I think it's fair to say that we were all thinking of the Lonely Island video "I'm on a boat".
Our Ogre merchant almost lost an arm to a shark (gaining in return a crippling fear of water and finding himself the religion of the Earth god), and the party stole a farm. They were told that they found some good grazing land, and as I understand it they forged some ownership documents to prove that they owned it?
When I rejoined the party, we were sailing to the capital. We found a couple of uninteresting islands (no more vulnerable farms, armour merchants or deadly sharks) and then came upon the capital just in time to see a bunch of nasty looking, sleek and rapid ships leaving the harbour. They were recognised as the Drannai, the evil Elves that use magic who live on the central island. We pretty much guessed what they had just stolen.
The party were told that 'slaves' – non-Ogres – could not wear armour or be armed, even when we offered to help against the Drannai. I successfully claimed that my stiff leathers weren't armour, just ordinary (tough) clothes. Good thing too, as we made our way to the shipyards to find Captain Rengrave, we saw a Dwarf helping them who used to be the first mate of the SS Shagnasty. He called the guards, who didn't actually care too much about him, even when he claimed that we wanted revenge for his betrayal and defection to the Ogres.
We challenged him to a duel – a rather simple affair, we were given weapons at random by the Ogres. He dodged my scythe, he missed with his flail, then I critical-kicked his leg and almost killed him. We claimed the Dwarf as our slave and took him back to the boat to interrogate, but not before another member of the party was dragged into another, unrelated duel. Both sides rolled poorly, neither landing a blow on the other, till the slave he was fighting fumbled with a kick and broke his own leg.
After interrogating the Dwarf traitor, we found out that the captain was being held at the castle. We used the captive to trick our way into the castle, and found Rengrave lying on a hospital bed. He told us that he was the Ogre King now – the King must accept a challenge every year, and lost to Rengrave somehow. Which made the next request easier. We got the best ship that the Ogres have, and made ready to go rescue the boy that the Drannai, surprise surprise, had kidnapped.
We set off into the shiny blue ocean, to track down the boy.
Tags: Runequest, Four Islands, RPG, bandits
DreadBall as a game has grown rapidly, and now has a violent younger sister – DreadBall Xtreme. If you've seen the game, tried the game, and want to know where to go next, this page is for you.
This is intended to be a guide to new players, to plan their progression through the DreadBall universe. If you love the Z'zor and want to play Xtreme, what do you need to buy?
Important note: As Xtreme doesn't actually exist yet, some of this information is speculation and subject to change as more information is released from Mantic. To get it on the Xtreme Kickstarter, or pick up DreadBall components at an excellent discount, go to the DreadBall Xtreme Kickstarter!
There are two flavours of DreadBall – 'Original' and Xtreme. Original represents the official, licenced, major league sport. Xtreme represents the 'illegal boxing' version, played without the same regulations as the mainstream game.
Kick-Off and Extra Time together will give you practically the same as Deluxe, for £5 less. The Deluxe set will give you a few extra models and hex bases for all of them (these are really useful). It will also give you a full-size physical copy of the rules – Kick-Off gives you a half-sized basic rulebook, with a digital version of the Deluxe rules. I prefer proper rulebooks that I can carry with me, and I don't have a tablet to refer to things digitally.
You need Deluxe or Kick-Off to play the game, as a bare minimum.
This is very dependant on what version of the game (Original or Xtreme) you want to play. I've included everything that you'll need, to avoid confusion. Season Three contains a summary in the back (also available in the free rules on Mantic's website) which will 'get you by' for Z'zor and S2 Corporation, but you will need the Season Two book for the new skills for the Robots and Judwan.
Quick key:
* S2 Corporation have a summary in Season Three (and in the free rules on Mantic's website), and no skills that aren't in the main rulebook.** Asterians start with a Defensive Coach, the rules for which are in the Season Two book.*** Asterians and Zees both have special rules that depend heavily on Ref Checks/Fouls - these require either the Deluxe rulebook or the digital version of that rulebook in the Extra Time pack. The small one in Kick-Off doesn't cover Fouls or Ref Checks. It's possible to play the teams without them, but the full experience will be missing!
Like teams, MVPs are dependant on which variant of the game that you want to play.
* Some of these MVPs have rules printed in the Season Two rulebook. There is a short, one-line summary in the back of the Season Three rules (and in the free rules on Mantic's website) but for the full background and rules descriptions, it's recommended to use the Season Two book.
I was missing playing DreadBall regularly – tournament season appears to be in the Spring, and it's been difficult to play against people other than Jen for a while. I eventually approached the Cardiff League guys to see if they would allow me to join, given that I could only attend in person every fortnight (at best) and would have to play most of my games remotely via Vassal. They seem to be more organised than the last couple of leagues in Bristol – the first one followed the rules from the book and people failed to challenge or complete their assigned games in the fortnight provided each round, the second was a more open double-round-robin but I had a couple of people stand me up and found it difficult to attend on the busiest club nights, no-one else was able to attend the same nights that I was and many didn't try to arrange games on the forums (or reply to my calls for the same).
The Cardiff League has a very disciplined organiser sorting out the match-ups for each week, rounding up the results and making sure it all keeps ticking along. I've jumped in to replace one of his teams, with the team ranking and league points that they had accrued so far – 2 losses and a draw.
I decided to take my Zee team along for this league, since I think a developed Zee team could be interesting to play with, and I'd like the practice to try and perfect their tactics. Since I was replacing a Zee team, I only got 17 credits to boost my team rating – I bought an offensive coach and saved the rest for later. As I'm starting in week five, I'm hoping to organise some friendly games via Vassal so I can get some experience on the monkeys and make them better for the league games.
The Cylon Conspiracy had a huge lead on me, having a few landslide victories behind them and on top of the league table. Being the underdog that I am, I got a bunch of free agents here. I got an Asterian Guard, a Sticky Nameless Guard, and two more Zees.
I swarmed the pitch and managed to get a few good scores, but couldn't keep the three-point strike zone defended well enough and ended up six points down when I had to concede the game early and run to catch a train. I made enough cash after the game to buy two cards, and replace a dead Zee. Two of them managed to get experience, but not enough to gain a rank.
I was hoping to squeeze this in on the same day as against the Cylon Conspiracy but the schedule was against me. Instead, we arranged this game by Vassal. It's not as hard as I thought it would be to play via Vassal, and doesn't get in the way too much.
Squad Sonny had a huge team rating, 250 against my 134. This meant my underdog bonus was more than I could possibly use. I bought Buzzcut for the game, and got a few free agents – Asterian Guard and Jack, and a Teraton Jack. The Teraton spent the whole game on the bench because I've not played with them yet, and I'm not sure how best to use their abilities. Buzzcut I used for some muscle, but wanted to keep the scoring to the Zees (as poor as they are) to try and get some experience. This worked well, with my two experienced monkeys scoring early on and getting me a six point lead before half-time.
Unfortunately, good luck doesn't last and I wasn't able to score again – Squad Sonny managed to push enough models around to get a four-pointer, and ended up winning by two. However, with the underdog bonus I had enough to max out my cards for the next game, and still have plenty left over to buy something else. I don't know if I'll buy more Zees, since there is a limit of fourteen and I would like the space for MVPs if I am the underdog again. I could buy some Cheerleaders to try and capitalise on scoring, so the cards can get me easier scores, the scores can get me fan checks, the fan checks get me the coaching dice that I'll need to help guarantee the score for next time.
My two happy scorers both got Skill increases after the game, so given how close I was to a win this time (landslide, even!) I could actually get it to work next time!
This was another Vassal game, but a little trickier without voice communication. I worry enough that I might be misunderstood with my voice, let alone in plain and emotionless text. The first half of the game was a frantic score-fest, with my two 'striker' Zees running and scoring three-pointers every rush, but having them negated instantly by a three-pointer from the Corporation Strikers. After a couple of fumbles from the humans, and a break in the scoring, I finally managed to pull ahead and started to get a lasting lead, and the game ended as a win five points up to me.
Because of all the scoring, I got man monkey of the match, and another ability on one of my 'striker' Zees – who got Misdirect.
After this game, I'd maxed out on cards and had oodles of cash left. Looking at team rankings, I can't expect to get too many more free agents so I bought a couple more Zees (never a bad thing) and a pair of cheerleaders, just in case.
Yet another Vassal game – I will be trying to make it to the store at some point, as I need to get some paints and I think I've earned the leave at home. This was my first experience with Teratons, on either side of the pitch and they were formidable. Lots of upgrades (two Keepers) and the Teleport ability is incredibly useful! Why ever Evade again?
First score went to the Teratons, and they kept the pressure up high throughout the game. Even with my new hires, there were times I only had 5 on the pitch and no subs to bring on! While not quite so back-and-forth as the previous game, the tit-for-tat was a spread out a lot more and the score didn't come near my cheerleader till near the end. My Monkey Business dice only gave me a little luck near the beginning, and I realised that Teleport can't stop a determined Zee from Stealing the ball from a Teraton – but rolling low will scupper that.
My favourite points of the game were having more than half of my team in the Sin Bin thanks to injuries and fouls, and using a Running Interference card to snatch the ball before a Teraton Jack could pick it up… then doubling and running off with it! That Zee eventually sprinted off to a far corner of the pitch, where a Teraton Keeper attempted to teach him the error of his ways. It worked, but the ball scattered off the wall and straight back into the Keeper, who flubbed the catch, and a weird bounce dropped the ball into the almost undefended three-point Strike zone. That was the rush lost, and my final rush for one of the new Zees to sprint up, grab the ball (doubling with 5+ skill), and score (doubling with 5+ skill) to end the game on a 5 point win.
Monkey of the Match was mine again, same Zee as before (both times, he'd done nothing) and that meant a rank increase. He got Running Interference. Another Zee got a Skill increase, and three more are close to advances.
I'd love to play these Teratons again, it was a real challenge – but after the game they did buy a new Guard, so maybe I'd best save some cash for resurrection bills…
Tags: league, Robots, Zees, Cardiff League, Firestorm Games, Vassal, Teratons, S1 Corporation
We've had a couple more sessions of our Four Islands Runequest game. After making a safe camp last time, we carried on looking for the rebel city.
On the way, we discovered a field of sheep which my elf companion decided to butcher. No XP earned. While butchering, he fell down a hole in the ground, and met a hermit in a cave who gave us directions to the rebel city, as we had gotten lost (again).
Leaving (some of) the sheep alone, we made our way along a cliff edge to the city. Dangling off the edge of the cliff were two iron cages, occupied. One contained a thief who'd been caught by the ogres and the other contained the rigger on the SS Shagnasty (our ship). The rigger is played by a new member of our group (fresh blood…). We (and by we I mean mostly the Dwarf) managed to pull the cages up, smash them open with a rock, and rescue the prisoners. Any enemy of the ogres is an ally, we say. We also salvaged some of the iron to take to the city with us.
Arriving in the city clad in furs, carrying savage weapons, we made our way to the guy in charge. We were shown to the regent who gave us a brief overview of the situation – these are the rebels, the rebel king is away on the frontier fighting against the ogres, and we were pointed to a blacksmith who can give us some better equipment. The Ogres had captured Captain Rengrave and the young king of the Bretons and although no-one knew where the boy was, the captain (my character's father) was being forced to help build ships for the Ogres. We were also given a guide (human, a returning player) to help us get to the ogre capital and find our way around there.
The blacksmith was almost entirely incompetent, and managed to flub a lot of the iron that we gave him to fashion into better weapons. For this reason, I had to a work for a day in the fields to try and pay off the longsword I requested but the first attempts gave me a war boomerang instead. The other guys got similarly rotten luck producing simple weapons and arrowheads.
While I worked, the other guys went to a pub, where they started (inadvertently) a brawl. The Dwarf took the part of Vin Diesel, kicking arse and not spilling a drop. Our elf ended up more like Benny Hill, being slid across the bar, hitting his head at the end and upsetting an Ogre eating a ham hock. Which we misheard to tragically comical effect. Our GM is the greatest, and this became a part of the story now and battered pig penis is apparently an Ogre delicacy. The Ogre and his wife attacked the elf, while our rigger was distracted trying to pick up a barstool as an improvised weapon (it was bolted to the floor) and the guide picked up a table and threw it across the room. Thinking that it might get out of hand (fighting is one thing but murder is another), I figured out that my day in the fields must be almost over and started my way back. When I finally got there, I passed a few lucky Orate rolls and got everything moved on (with the help of the new, slightly greenish longsword I picked up on the way home).
A quick pint and a rest, then back to the Regent to secure a boat to go and see the rebel king on our way to the Ogre capital. We were given a serviceable yacht, and ended the session having safely landed near the rebel encampment.
When we rejoined the game after Christmas, we were met at the camp by Lord Jubrox – a Breton regent who advised us of the current political situation. The 'rebel' king, King Rulf, was an Ogre and the rightful king of the Ogres. He's not very Ogrish, however – too short, too weak, not a martial person at all. And he's quite sensitive about it. It was decided by the ruling court to pass over him for succession and instead crown his younger brother, who exemplified the physical properties and attitudes of the Ogres. Hence, the rebel king and the war. We were then allowed to see the King. We were also told about the rebel Ogre General Gabrax.
We explained the situation – we want to recover my father and the Breton boy king. During this audience, we noted that Lord Jubrox doesn't appear to be happy about the Breton king being a boy. We asked the king for any supplies to try and accomplish our goals, since freeing the captain would deprive the enemy of shipbuilding skills and freeing the boy would get some goodwill with the Bretons. He was unable to spare anything; most of the fighters we saw were human, not Ogre, and they were a raised militia rather than trained soldiers. The King indicated that we can keep anything that we find in a cave nearby being used by bandits, who both the ruling king and the rebel king were too busy to deal with. He also had a plan for us to get into the capital, possibly assassinate his brother and rescue the prisoners.
We struck out for the bandit camp, and I attempted to snipe them from afar with my long bow. I kept missing, and missing, and missing, and when they came closer to find me they were jumped by the rigger and the Dwarf (the only others who could attend this session). We finished them off easily, and I learned that the 'greenish tinge' on my long sword was an acid effect which grants disruption – a Runequest term for immediately and permanently destroying armour. If I don't get through it the first time, it'll be easier to get through the second time.
Time pressures meant that we had to leave it there for the evening. Next time, we'll be attempting to assault the cave and hopefully have more players to help!
Tags: roleplay, Runequest, Four Islands
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Lift High the Cross
By Sydney Nicholson
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Lift High the Cross composed by Sydney Nicholson. Arranged by Hal H. Hopson. For SATB choir with optional Congregation, Brass, Timpani & Handbells. Concertato, Cross of Christ, Devotion, Discipleship, General Worship, Holy Week, Mission, Lent, Sacred. Brass parts. Published by Hope Publishing Company (HP.C5088B).
A rousing setting with much built-in versatility, this Hal Hopson arrangement can be performed with SATB voices and organ or, with the addition of congregation, it becomes a concertato. Additional features include parts for handbells and/or brass quartet or quinitet and timpani.
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resistant eater support thread - come and join me.....(276 Posts)
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Kavindu Ranasinghe, 10, who has cerebal palsy with spastic quadriplegia, was named as co-winner of the Wembley National Stadium Trust Primary-Aged Achievers Award.
19-year-old Alfie Cawley will stand trial at Isleworth Crown Court in December
The Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner MP joined campaigners to tell BBC London news about the impact of HS2 on Ickenham and Ruislip
Andrew Britton, 34, was fit and healthy when he suffered multiple heart attacks while on his honeymoon, triggered by a common virus.
A man, thought to be in his 20s, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries
Councillor Mo Khursheed, leader of the opposition Labour group on Hillingdon Council, says his team is fighting hard for the people of Charville and candidate John Oswell is the best man to represent the people of the ward.
Hillingdon Council and HS2 Action Alliance suffered a blow at the High Court in August but are continuing their fight against HS2 safeguarding directions at the Court of Appeal
Charity fundraiser Sandra Broad lovingly stitched 18 covers to keep the animals cosy during the winter – and her colourful creations are proving popular.
11-year-old Malik Bebiche from Harefield dreams of becoming a Paralympian - and the experts believe he could go far
Dennis the Menace's dog Gnasher is getting microchipped and Marion Garnett
has details of how you can get your pets chipped too.
The Uxbridge branch of the RNLI has been fundraising for more than half a century but elderly volunteers are struggling to keep the charity group going
'Crime awareness group for the Ruislip & Eastcote area' – an invitation-only site – has been logging suspicious activity in the area, further burglaries and swapping home security tips.
The Conservative MP paid a visit to a Northwood pharmacy to see how it has used a government tax cut to create a new job role
HS2 has been nominated for community forums but Hillingdon campaigners argue they were less than engaging
An alleged fraudster's wife boasted she was friends with sports presenter Gabby Logan while blowing thousands of pounds of stolen cash, a court heard.
Eamonn Reilly opened the library at Harefield Junior School which has been built and stocked thanks to the school's fundraising efforts
Three-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rose is being nursed back to health by Dogs Trust Harefield following her ordeal.
Coach Chris Ampofo insists his boys will take plenty away from their 4-1 loss
Sandra and John McKelvie married in Ickenham in 1964. Now living in Canada, the couple hope to find their bridesmaid Maureen and invite her to their 50th anniversary celebrations
This year Remembrance Sunday falls on November 9, and across west London there will be parades and ceremonies to remember those lost.
Family members of both men attended the ceremony. Also there was Lance Sergeant Johnson Beharry VC,
Paul Thrower from Hayes was stabbed up to 10 times and hacked with an axe, Old Bailey jury told
A 14-year-old relative discovered his grave by chance during a school trip.
Hillingdon Council has arranged for the plaques to be laid at the Harefield War Memorial on Tuesday, November 4, in tribute to Robert Edward Ryder VC and Cecil John Kinross VC.
Retired dressmaker Mrs Broad has spent the last six months stitching 18 colourful covers for Dogs Trust Harefield.
Jeremy Hunt sparked anger from nursing staff by overruling the independent NHS Pay Review Body's recommendation of a one per cent pay rise for all staff
Emergency services were called shortly after 4pm to reports that a person had fallen on to the London-bound carriageway, sparking hours of traffic chaos.
Martin Hill's airship was off to a flyer but it only had a short run when it flew out of sight and later landed in a cricket pitch
Villagers oppose plan to build a 405-home dementia care centre on green belt land - but the developer argues there is a 'real need' for it in the borough
Hillingdon People is printed six times a year and delivered free of charge to homes across the borough.
Harefield is in Borough of Hillingdon and is famous for its local hospital, Harefield Hospital, where pioneering heart surgery techniques were developed. Remarkably for a village its size, it has produced three Victoria Cross recipients.
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text:
Things couldn't have gone much better for Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson than they did during his debut fight in the UFC.
Thompson stepped in on short notice to make his UFC debut and then even got a little extra treat when his opponent changed just a few days later.
The 57-0 kickboxing prodigy didn't bat an eye at the changes however, and instead uncorked a headkick knockout of opponent Dan Stittgen late in the first round to win his first fight in the Octagon, and a few hours later took him 'Knockout of the Night' honors.
"Words can't describe it, I was definitely on cloud 9," Thompson told MMAWeekly Radio after his fight.
It's sometimes tough to get attention when you're on the undercard for a major UFC pay-per-view, but 'Wonderboy' certainly did his part to get more than a few eyes on him. Even UFC President Dana White raved about his performance, but he already knew a lot about the karate kid after hearing so much courtesy of UFC commentator Joe Rogan.
"Joe Rogan has been talking about this guy in his sleep. Every time I talk to Rogan, he was going crazy about this kid and then for him to come in and pull off a kick like that was awesome," White said about Thompson following UFC 143.
"You keep doing (expletive) like that, you're going to be very marketable, and people are going to love to watch you fight."
It's hard to imagine a fighter with a 63-0 professional record between kickboxing and MMA still having an ounce of humility left, but that's pretty much all Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson is made of. Hearing about Rogan's compliments only made him throw some back at the Eddie Bravo trained grappler.
"It's a tremendous feeling, especially someone like Joe Rogan, he's the man. He's out there commentating and he knows the game so well, he's like a guru of the martial arts," Thompson said about Rogan. "It's really good for somebody like Joe Rogan or Dana White to talk about you, even though it was my first UFC fight. It gives me a tremendous amount of confidence and I'm ready for the next one whenever that is."
One aspect that just about everyone was talking about after Thompson's debut was his unique stance during his fight with Stittgen. Well, technically it was only unique to those not from a karate background.
See, Thompson learned karate almost as early as he learned how to read, and he's carried his father's martial art with him every step of the way. He now proudly displays it in the Octagon, and while he may not pull off a crane kick anytime soon, expect 'Wonderboy' to be a proud karate fighter for years to come.
"Karate's what I started with from day one. It is my life," said Thompson. "It's good to see karate come back into the fight game. I've heard so many other MMA guys talk bad about karate, and how it shouldn't be used in MMA.
"I mean look at Lyoto Machida, he's at the top and he's a karate guy. It's really good to see karate get used in MMA. There's a lot of things karate can help out with in MMA, especially with the movements, the awkward angles karate gives you, and it definitely helps out with your striking."
Now with his initial UFC fight behind him and a 'Knockout of the Night' bonus in his pocket, Thompson isn't slowing down. On Monday just after his fight, Thompson was already back in the gym teaching his students and getting back into his normal training regimen.
It might be hard for some fighters to top the kind of debut that Thompson had, but there's a reason they call him 'Wonderboy'. He's already looking forward to the opportunity.
"It was my first fight and really whoever Dana White puts in front of me, I'm going to be ready for it. My ground game is getting better everyday, my wrestling is getting better everyday, and I'm just going to go back," said Thompson.
"I'm not going to take a day off, I'll be ready for whoever he puts in front of me."
Follow @DamonMartin on Twitter or e-mail Damon Martin.
For more UFC News and UFC Rumors, follow MMAWeekly.com on Twitter and Facebook.
The Valentine's Day UFC FIght Night in Broomfield, Colorado, is starting to take shape. On Thursday the UFC announced that a welterweight clash between two of the division's biggest intrigues -- Colo read news >>
After being sidelined for a year due to injury, Brandon Thatch will return to the Octagon on Feb. 14 to take on Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson. read news >>
After more than a year away from the Octagon due to injury, Brandon Thatch will make his return at a yet to be titled UFC Fight Night event on Feb. 14 against Stephen Thompson. read news >>
Brandon Thatch is set for a big homecoming fight on Valentine's Day when he meets Stephen Thompson near his home city of Denver. Filed under: MMA Rumors, News, UFC read news >>
Colorado's Brandon Thatch gets a homecoming fight against fellow welterweight striker Stephen Thompson. The UFC has been ultra busy with bout announcements in recent days, and this latest one will su read news >>
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has added the welterweight showdown between Brandon Thatch and Stephen Thompson to its upcoming "Fight Night" mixed martial arts (MMA) event on FOX Sports 1 insid read news >>
Chico Camus makes successful flyweight debut at UFC Fight Night 57, upsetting Brad Pickett in split decision. read news >>
Japanese star Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon to face Roman Salazar in a UFC 184 bantamweight bout on Feb. 28. read news >>
The UFC owes more than just a tip of the cap to men like Joe Soto, who more often than not, step up to the plate when another scheduled fight card begins to self-destruct. Without Soto, UFC 177 would read news >>


text:
Stumbled across this video that's pretty good at illustrating some important areas that may or may not be done properly in the various AR brands. We get into a lot of heated debates here so it's good to visualize what is being argued. Not saying this is a comprehensive video but it hits on quite a few high points.
Do you need these features, do you need to pay extra for them? It's up to you and what you intend to use your rifle for.
The biggest issue with assembling an AR isn't so much getting the parts together right - it's getting the right parts together. You'll remember the quality of a gun long after you forget how much you paid for it.
US Army 1966-69, VFW Life Member, Retired Geek
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i like the vid explains the basics pretty good but two things.
shot peening only hardens the very top few layers of steel molecules. this makes a part many many times more durable. a must have if your going to shoot a lot of rounds. a non shot peened bolt will pit and wear out a lot faster nearly ten times faster than one thats been shot peened. the cost of a bolt that has been peened is cheaper than buying just one replacement when the nonpeened wears out
any lower receiver will accept a milspec or commercial buffer tube. the type of tube does not affect receiver strength. only affects how easy it is to crush the tube itself. milspec diameter is a slight bit more rugged.
so if you choose to go a cheaper route its wise when you build yours up to invest in a very good carrier. it IS the heart of the firearm. a stock dpms will go from meh to good just changing that crappy bcg to a bcm or colt bcg
"Gun control: The theory that a woman found dead in an alley, raped and strangled with her panty hose, is somehow morally superior to a woman explaining to police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound." L. Neil Smith
The problem with being stupid is you cannot simply decide to stop doing dumb things...
Good find Q.


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extremely fun, random word, used instead of lol
oh funess!! that gig last night was funess!
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Six Best Club Parties in Miami This Week
By Laurie Charles
Roca, Patron's New Tequila, Now Available in Miami
By David Minsky
Top Chef Talks Pizza and Siena Tavern Miami
By Jen Mangham
Five Reasons to Join a CSA for Fall
By Hannah Sentenac
Miami Icons: The Bacardi Complex
By Travis Cohen
By Travis Cohen
Sound Garden to Bring Ambient Tunes to Bayfront
By Hannah Sentenac
Choices Kitchen Now Offers Full Menu
By Hannah Sentenac
As you set out across the glassy shallows of Biscayne Bay toward the mangrove-covered humps dotting the horizon, you'll know why we continue to choose this spot for superlative snorkeling. Because the place is a national park, boat traffic and commercial activity are limited. The reefs have flourished. Tangerine-color clown fish, spectral triggerfish, and barracuda, are abundant. The snorkeling boat, run by a Hollywood company called Divers Unlimited, leaves once per day at 1:30 p.m. (For scuba divers another departs weekdays at 9:00 a.m. and weekends at 8:30 a.m.) The snorkeling trips return about 4:30 p.m. The cost of $27.95 includes rental of all equipment: mask, snorkel, safety vest, and fins.


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My name is Tracy. I am so excited for the chance to be working with you. Here is a little background on my musical training and experience.
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NEW :GUITAR LAB PLUS MUSIC CREATOR 6 SOFTWARE; Learn how to use GUITAR PRO 6,Basic PRO TOOLS RECORDING and FL STUDIO 10 (Fruit Loops)I will show you how to do things the best way from the start. We will pick up the best book for your level, there are too many to list just one. Also: alternate picking, sweep picking, tapping, two hand ...
Hello! My name is Cristina and I have been playing drums since I was a child. After graduating high school, I decided to continue to pursue music. For the past 4 years I have been studying Percussion and Drums, first at the University of Houston, and presently, and the University of Texas at San Antonio with plans to finish my Bachelor of Music degree. I specialize in drumset, and percussion instruments such as marimba, snare drum, vibraphone, etc. I also am able to teach marching band percussion and drumline instruments. Along with teaching, I am a gigging musician with great versatility and experience in many genres of music. Not only am I able to teach basic fundamentals of music such as technique, reading music, styles, etc., I can make learning to be a great musician a very enjoyable ...
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~ Hello, my name is Dustin and I am passionate about playing piano and empowering others to learn to play.
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text:
Ed Turzanski
Stigall Show Log 9.11.14
Chris discussed President Obama's speech laying out his plan to attack ISIL in Iraq and Syria. He talked to foreign policy analyst Ed Turzanski at 6:50, Comedian Gilbert Gottfried at 7:20, and Author James Andrew Miller at 8:20.
Philadelphia Foreign Policy Expert On Response To Malaysian Plane: Pres. Obama 'Has Very Little Interest In Foreign Policy'
Chris Stigall spoke with foreign policy analyst Ed Turzanski on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT about President Obama's response to the missile strike that downed a Malaysian Airlines flight.
Stigall Show Log 6.18.14
Chris reviews Hillary Clinton's interview last on FOX News, the capture of the mastermind behind the Benghazi terrorist attack, and a Wall Street Journal op-ed from Dick and Liz Cheney. He talks to foreign policy analyst Ed Turzanski, Joe Kerry from the Glenn Beck Show, and Tom McGrath from Philadelphia Magazine.
La Salle Professor Turzanski On Iraq: Troop Withdrawal Created 'Jihad Summer'
Chris Stigall talked with Ed Turzanski about political turmoil in Iraq as the radical Sunni Muslim group ISIS marches toward Baghdad.
Stigall Show Log 6.13.14
Chris details Hillary Clinton's trouble answering questions on gay marriage, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's appearance on Jimmy Fallon, and the declining state of Iraq. He talks to CBS 3′s Beasley Reece, Steve Cordasco on Finance Friday, and foreign policy analyst Ed Turzanski.
Stigall Show Log 4.29.14
Chris covers the latest in the saga of Donald Sterling, the latest union ad against liquor privatization and Secretary of State John Kerry comparing Israel to an apartheid state. He talks to Wendell Young from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1776 and Foreign Policy Analyst Ed Turzanski.
Foreign Policy Analyst Speaks To Stigall About The Current Situation In Ukraine
Turzanski, the John Templeton Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and a Political Science Professor at LaSalle University, said the Russians are not taking the current actions against them seriously.
Stigall Show Log 3.19.14
Chris discusses the media's coverage of Russia's move into Ukraine, rumors the Eagles may trade Desean Jackson, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's latest performance at a town hall. He talks to foreign policy expert Ed Turzanski and Tom McGrath from Philadelphia Magazine.
Stigall Show Log 3.3.14
Chris assesses the latest snowstorm, Ellen Degeneres performance as host of the OSCARS, and President Obama's handling of the crisis in Ukraine. He talks to Jeff Roe and Mark Greenbaum on the Monday Morning Matchup, Foreign Policy Expert Ed Turzanski, and Keltie Knight from The Insider.
Stigall Show Log 10.30.13
Chris reviews the apology given by the Obama Administration for the rollout of healthcare.gov, Chris Christie's huge lead in the polls in the leadup to the election for Governor in New Jersey, and NSA spying on foreign leaders. He talks to Tom McGrath from Philadelphia Magazine and foreign policy expert Ed Turzanski.
Stigall Show Log 9.10.13
Chris cover the Eagles huge win in Chip Kelly's coaching debut and Secretary of State John Kerry's gaffe that may lead to a solution in the crisis with Syria. He talks to foreign policy expert Ed Turzanski and CSN Philly's Ray Didinger.
Stigall Show Log 8.28.13
Chris discusses the escalation of sabre rattling against Syria after the regime's use of chemical weapons, the return home of lung transplant recipient Sarah Murnaghan, and the banning of a vanity license plate in New Jersey. He also talks to Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and foreign policy expert Ed Turzanski.
Stigall Show Log 8.5.13
Chris addresses the Republican spat between Chris Christie and Rand Paul, Governor Tom Corbett's decision to defend Pennsylvania's version of the Defense of Marriage Act, and the closure of U.S. embassies around the Middle East. He talks to Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel, Michael Bronstein and Jeff Roe on the Monday Morning Matchup, and foreign policy expert Ed Turzanski.
Local Experts Weigh In On Ousting Of Egyptian President
A local expert on Middle East affairs says former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was doomed from the start.
Stigall Show Log 6.7.13
Chris discusses Governor Chris Christie's appointment of the next Senator of New Jersey and the NSA's surveillance of cell phone users. He talks to Steve Cordasco on Finance Friday, CBS 3′s Beasley Reece, Comedian John Dore and National Security Analyst Ed Turzanski.