Lord of the Rings (Kings of War) and XCOM

Kings of War rules available here (FREE). Thank you Mantic Games!

Lord of the Rings army lists for KoW available here. Thank you Crucium Giger!


FORCES OF GOOD
Heroes:
Gandalf
Aragorn
Theodin
Boromir
Faramir
Gamling
Standard Bearer

Units:
Rohan Infantry Regiment (16)
Rohan Archers Troop (8)
Rohan Eored Regiment (8)
Peasants (Rohan) Warrior Regiment (32)
Gondor Warrior Horde (32)
Gondor Archer Horde (32)
Gondor Warrior Horde (32)
Gondor Warrior Regiment (16)
Gondor Archer Troop (8)
Warriors of the Dead Horde (32)
Dwarven Warriors Regiment (16)
Dwarven Ranger Troop (8)
2535 points (247 models)



FORCES OF EVIL
Heroes:
Nazgul on Felbeast
Goblin King
Orc Chief on Warg
Orc Banner

Units:
Mordor Orcs Horde (32)
Mordor Orcs Regiment (16)
Mordor Orcs Tracker Regiment (8)
Mordor Orcs Tracker Regiment (8)
Morannon Orcs Half Horde (24)
Warg Riders Regiment (8)
Warg Riders Troop (4)
Uruks Regiment (16)
Uruks Regiment (16)
Wild Warg Regiment (8)
Wild Warg Troop (4)
Goblin Bows Regiment (16)
Goblin Spears Regiment (16)
Goblin Warriors Regiment (16)
Troll (1)
Troll (1)
2600 Points (198 models)

 

After it was clear Good was going to come out on top, we switched gears and jumped over to the new XCOM board game by Fantasy Flight Games.

Placed in command of the elite military organization known as XCOM, you and your friends must find some means to turn back an escalating alien invasion. As UFOs appear in orbit and worldwide panic threatens to undermine national governments, the game’s free companion app and its push-your-luck dice rolling mechanics immerse you deep in the tension and uncertainty of a desperate war against an unknown foe.

You are humanity’s last hope…

You're welcome humanity.

Terrain Project: Forests

A few "work in progress" photos...

I forgot I had picked up a bag of trees from Village Games before they moved from Anoka to Champlin. I started by mounting them onto steel washers. The box I'll store them in has a magnetic sheet on the bottom which will help keep the trees stationary during transport.

The forest floor is 0.8mm plasticard that can easily be cut with a scissors, yet is firm enough not to warp when painted. So far I've just done a brown basecoat (mixed with sawdust for texture) and a single highlight. The plan is to add some flock/sticks/etc for interest. Quick. Easy.

Pathfinder RPG Session 07: Thistletop

The group has found a hidden entrance to a very thick area of thistle bush.

As always....*!spoiler alert!* for those planning on playing Rise of the Runelords adventure Path by Paizo Publishing.

Gilly the halfling scouts ahead.  She discovers drag marks on the ground.

The group follows the path to discover where the drag marks go.

Gilly moves silently ahead.

She hears the sounds of crashing ocean waves.

There is a whole in the ground...the party discovers that they are on a cliff and, the ocean is crashing against the rocks below them.

The group moves on and....

...comes upon a group of goblin dogs!  They do not notice Gilly.

The goblin dogs are tied up!  This is their pen area.  Dried meat rations are thrown to them and they ignore the party.

A lair with red and black tufts of fur is discovered, but there are no other signs of what uses this area.

Ambush!

A cougar, hidden in the lair, leaps out and attacks Gilly!

Rolf, Gilly,  and Tuihirdock engage the cougar.  Gilly has been wounded by the ferocious bite and claw attacks.

A goblin spellcaster joins the fray.  Gilly retreats from the melee.

An injured Gilly retreats.  Spells and well placed bladework bring the cougar down.  The goblin begins to chant....

...an entangle spell is thrown to stop Gilly, Oswald, and Cinart.

The make their saves but are separated from the rest of group by the entangled area.  The plants writhe trying to find someone to hold.

Attacks are made against the goblin spellcaster.  He proves skilled and resilient. 

The goblin steps into the thistle wall and moves uninhibited by the thick branches.  He seemingly disappears into the vegetation and comes out of the hedge wall to attack Chance Arcane.  The goblin forgot about Gilly, who sends an arrow into his back from the other side of the entangled area.

Chance, Rolf, and Tuihirdock circle up so they don't expose themselves to a back attack.

The goblin returns, but is brought down.

The goblin's loot.

Emerging from the thick thistle area the party comes upon a rope bridge...

To be continued....

The player's characters have just reached level 3!  Although we didn't get too far this evening, the group decided it was a good natural break point and worked on leveling the characters.  Rolf of Nybor grows more dangerous at battle, Chance Arcane gain more spells, Tuihirdock rolled a 12 for hit points (giving him 45...not bad for level 3), and Gilly has a dizzying amount of skills!

The group will need it as they continue their assault on the goblin strongpoint.