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The Empire Responds to the invasion of the Uruk Hai

The Empire Responds to the invasion of the Uruk Hai

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Project Blog by jmsstockwell Cult of Games Member

Recommendations: 622

About the Project

I have spent a few years building a large terrain board, some small armies and one large army of Uruk hai. I now want to build up another army to match the size and force of the orcs (Uruk hai) and goblins (Moria). The only two forces I have of any scale is undead and Empire, my mates have some empire too so I shall do my empire principally. And we can use the allies from other human provinces during games to top us up in points as high as possible while the forces slowly come together. Though I may get distracted from the slog again from time to time. This is now part of the process! So expect: undead, Men of Numenor , Eregion Elves, Morian Dwarves and maybe even some dungeon saga. Possibly a small bit of sci fi too as I’ve wanted to get on to my Aliens from the film for ages! But mostly, FOR THE EMPIRE!!!! And dogs of war…..

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The undead amass

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That’s 5500 points of undead. Not bad looking I’d say👌That’s 5500 points of undead. Not bad looking I’d say👌
I like adding troop choices to my forces. Undead should be able to be combined like of old, no dry and wet undead for me. No sir. Just undead, there is Wraiths and Mummies in this lot, along with extra artillery and missile troops.  I like adding troop choices to my forces. Undead should be able to be combined like of old, no dry and wet undead for me. No sir. Just undead, there is Wraiths and Mummies in this lot, along with extra artillery and missile troops.
Sauron is my Nagash. I always liked Nagash he should never have been cut from 6th. The mummies and wraiths I’m using variations on ushabti and ogre rules. Should be fun to try out.Sauron is my Nagash. I always liked Nagash he should never have been cut from 6th. The mummies and wraiths I’m using variations on ushabti and ogre rules. Should be fun to try out.
And I’ve started my Graveguard. Lots more to come though. And I’ve started my Graveguard. Lots more to come though.

So what’s left for the undead?

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Quite a lot, enough skellies to do 40 more pikes (I like pikes), 24 bow armed skellies and 30 sword armed. 2 more big units of zombies, one from Mantic and one of amorphous fun stuff from loads of companies. Watch out for Reg Shoe!Quite a lot, enough skellies to do 40 more pikes (I like pikes), 24 bow armed skellies and 30 sword armed. 2 more big units of zombies, one from Mantic and one of amorphous fun stuff from loads of companies. Watch out for Reg Shoe!
This is a lovely sculpt from the Perry’s, it’s a siege bombard, I shall be inducting it’s crew into the ranks of the dead.This is a lovely sculpt from the Perry’s, it’s a siege bombard, I shall be inducting it’s crew into the ranks of the dead.
Some of those models I will be using for Zombies.Some of those models I will be using for Zombies.
Some extra graveguard including some Gorgeous undead samurai.Some extra graveguard including some Gorgeous undead samurai.

Part two

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While not strictly speaking on the undead side, these will form part of my dogs of war unit Richter Krugers cursed company.While not strictly speaking on the undead side, these will form part of my dogs of war unit Richter Krugers cursed company.
The other unit of graveguard, entirely lord of the rings undead models and all in glorious metals!The other unit of graveguard, entirely lord of the rings undead models and all in glorious metals!
I’ve never been ecstatic about dire wolves, however these reaper dark heaven legends dread wolves are quite nice metals.  I’ve never been ecstatic about dire wolves, however these reaper dark heaven legends dread wolves are quite nice metals.
Heresy miniatures ghouls, enough for a regiment of twenty, the mother carrying baby makes me a touch queasy to consider so I haven’t painted them yet!😂Heresy miniatures ghouls, enough for a regiment of twenty, the mother carrying baby makes me a touch queasy to consider so I haven’t painted them yet!😂

The final count.

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These mummies are great. I had to have them in the army.These mummies are great. I had to have them in the army.
I’m saving these classics for when I’ve reached a certain stage of completion as a reward.I’m saving these classics for when I’ve reached a certain stage of completion as a reward.
Some miscellaneous models that shall be ghosts. It’s a great use for those odds and ends that don’t have a specific place in an army or project.Some miscellaneous models that shall be ghosts. It’s a great use for those odds and ends that don’t have a specific place in an army or project.
The rules I shall be using for my Nagash. The only other things I’ve got on the go for the undead is a zombie dragon and some undead cavalry. I’ve got a unit of Lord of the rings black Numenorean heavy cavalry that shall be good undead nights or vampire cavalry. But I need some undead horses to do light cavalry, here’s hoping wargames Atlantic does a good job. Especially as I’ve got Celtic chariot sprues awaiting their bloody skeleton horses!!! I want undead chariots!!!!!!!!!!The rules I shall be using for my Nagash. The only other things I’ve got on the go for the undead is a zombie dragon and some undead cavalry. I’ve got a unit of Lord of the rings black Numenorean heavy cavalry that shall be good undead nights or vampire cavalry. But I need some undead horses to do light cavalry, here’s hoping wargames Atlantic does a good job. Especially as I’ve got Celtic chariot sprues awaiting their bloody skeleton horses!!! I want undead chariots!!!!!!!!!!

Yes. Yes I have done this…

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Ooooooo what’s this?! A tasty supply train to raid? Let’s go get it boys.Ooooooo what’s this?! A tasty supply train to raid? Let’s go get it boys.
Why is the top dropping down boss?Why is the top dropping down boss?
Oh Zog!!! Run away!!!!!Oh Zog!!! Run away!!!!!
What about the other one!? Damnit!!!!!What about the other one!? Damnit!!!!!

It also pops out

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Just in case I want halfling/dwarven artillery. Or a wagon carrying supplies. Just in case I want halfling/dwarven artillery. Or a wagon carrying supplies.
4 more wagons to use. Bring on the citadel journal scenario, Hellblaster wagons!4 more wagons to use. Bring on the citadel journal scenario, Hellblaster wagons!
Was also given this. This is definitely going to distract me. I was challenged to make fantasy fly in these rules. Undead hail Caesar here we come.Was also given this. This is definitely going to distract me. I was challenged to make fantasy fly in these rules. Undead hail Caesar here we come.

Dead photo shoot

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Experimentation

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This board is 3 foot by 2 foot. I’ve recieved wargames illustrated with the free ECW epic sprue from warlord. I bought one extra and a cannon sprue. Split the strips in half and am playing 28mm games using cm instead of inches. This board is now a 8x5 foot equivalent. I’m very surprised it has worked but I don’t know why I’m surprised. There is some kind of hobby mental block sometimes, I’ve gotta have x cos it’s official etc etc. you really don’t. I’ve made this in 3 evenings at about 1.5 hours an evening. The magazines, extra sprue and railway trees cost me £46 in total. That’s quite cheap compared to this in 28mm scale. We are having fun too. The icing on the cake is it only takes 10 minutes to set up or pack away. Not ages, so I can have a quick game on the fly of kings of war or hail Caesar or pike and shotte. Play through a scenario to see if it’s worth the effort setting it all up in 28mm for a wider audience. I think I will just spray them one colour. Blue team and red team kind of thing. This board is 3 foot by 2 foot. I’ve recieved wargames illustrated with the free ECW epic sprue from warlord. I bought one extra and a cannon sprue. Split the strips in half and am playing 28mm games using cm instead of inches. This board is now a 8x5 foot equivalent. I’m very surprised it has worked but I don’t know why I’m surprised. There is some kind of hobby mental block sometimes, I’ve gotta have x cos it’s official etc etc. you really don’t. I’ve made this in 3 evenings at about 1.5 hours an evening. The magazines, extra sprue and railway trees cost me £46 in total. That’s quite cheap compared to this in 28mm scale. We are having fun too. The icing on the cake is it only takes 10 minutes to set up or pack away. Not ages, so I can have a quick game on the fly of kings of war or hail Caesar or pike and shotte. Play through a scenario to see if it’s worth the effort setting it all up in 28mm for a wider audience. I think I will just spray them one colour. Blue team and red team kind of thing.

Speculations.

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What would Uruk hai heavy cavalry look like? Wargs are wolves by nature and their backs would not take the strain . So some form of oxen? A horse from the black numenoreans? What would they be armed with? Would it be more Cataphracti in style or Roman heavy cavalry type or later knights?

My army could do with one unit of heavy cavalry and it should be Uruk-hai flavour.  I could test out a spare warg rider and blend it somehow?

Also my empire baggage train is coming along nicely and I’m onto the very last kislevite, the Tsar Queen on polar bear! Brilliant.
With the baggage train has come some learning, I was googling war wagons and seeing £150 and thinking no. But during the google something came up, war wagons where real things. Muskevites had them. The Chinese had them and some medieval Europeans had a version of them. I didn’t know this I always thought it was GW high fantasy! I now need to make my religious wagons rules that reflect war wagons in history and make two war wagons to go with my train. 1st corp seem to have a couple nice ones as do an Spanish company for 35 euro. Where else may have some?

Philosophy. Ish.

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I’ve heard it asked before but it has only resonated with me recently. A friend said he doesn’t want to invest in a dead game.

When is a game dead? It struck me he was talking nonsense on stilts, covered in Jam. Is Chess dead? It must be, I haven’t seen the original company supporting their chess creation? But I do suspect people are playing it. Expanding on it. Enjoying it even!? The strangest of thoughts, enjoying a game that has outlived its creators. What next, reading books by dead bastards too? I only read books that are supported by the living, speaking for myself. Necrophilia is outlawed after all.

Im playing Warhammer. And having a brilliant time with it. I have recruited 4 new players to my game and they are all local bods that I’ve bumped into through various life situations. Fellow parents at my children’s school, old friends that like playing board games and want something different. Work colleagues, suggestions from my wife who was told a friend of her friend has a husband who has warhammer on his shelf……etc etc. only one two out my 6 players have done and like doing the hobby side. The other four love the social and enjoy a game that is different from the others they have played. There are some others on the periphery who are interested too, who may want to buy proxy models and download or buy old copies of the rules.

The game is a blend of 4th Ed (early 90’s) and 6th Ed (early 2000’s) with some group house rules adopted from various other games. All of which are this mystic dead game status. But we play it. We invest in it. We enjoy it. How the fUck is that dead!?!

If it’s the hype of newness you want then that is subjective as this old game is new to all these others who bring different playstyles to this old game. I very much doubt that these people have played this game in all its iterations and variations, all its factions with all its scenarios and tactical situations and challenges. If they found a group of people who like it and are willing to play more than the bland, here’s an army either side, they are ‘balanced’ (whatever the hell that kettle of fish means) and they clash head on. Boring. What about the all the variations from history you could drag in? All those battles and engagements from history which where never, ever, at all, balanced. Use your imagination for Feck sake!!!

So we played gaslands instead. 🙄

 

 

 

My mate got me the push of pike starter set……

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Based them for 28mm pike and shotte rules and hail ceasar. There is two gigantic armies if you use this method! We tried it out using cm instead of inches. It worked a treat, we can now set up very quickly of an evening to try out scenario suitability and feasibility in prep for the full 28mm scale game days. I’ve bought a couple 15mm additions for a fantasy twist……..oh dear.Based them for 28mm pike and shotte rules and hail ceasar. There is two gigantic armies if you use this method! We tried it out using cm instead of inches. It worked a treat, we can now set up very quickly of an evening to try out scenario suitability and feasibility in prep for the full 28mm scale game days. I’ve bought a couple 15mm additions for a fantasy twist……..oh dear.

I’m never going to paint these, I shall spray them in group colours and perhaps add dots for those troops who need to be distinguished in some way. It’s going to be my jobbers set of easy evening gaming. A proper posh version of risk. Everything I wished risk was. That way it won’t detract from my passion for 28mm.

This whole lot plus a couple fantasy additions pack into the core push of pike box. It takes up such a small amount of space.

Wagons on the way for the New year mega game!

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Wagons on the way for the New year mega game!
Wagons on the way for the New year mega game!
Wagons on the way for the New year mega game!

Ice Queen, completed. Now for paint.

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Ice Queen, completed. Now for paint.
Ice Queen, completed. Now for paint.
Ice Queen, completed. Now for paint.

Kislev complete.

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Kislev complete.
Pleased with my converted ice wizard.Pleased with my converted ice wizard.
And my converted Boyar, legs from Khandish charioteer, torso from winged hussar leader.And my converted Boyar, legs from Khandish charioteer, torso from winged hussar leader.

The wagon train, so far….

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Yes Mate!! We are doing this this Xmas. Might not be all of it but we are doing a raid on the supply train.Yes Mate!! We are doing this this Xmas. Might not be all of it but we are doing a raid on the supply train.
The wagon train, so far….
The wagon train, so far….

Dungeon. Complete…..admittedly it’s sci-fi. Close enough though.

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This project has been a pleasure to bring together. It has been cheap, dirty and quick. But it looks just fine. Its crudity and speed of assembly has been masked by the process of layering details and spray finishes. It becomes a backdrop to the real focus of the board, the miniatures. Much of the supremely detailed and high end finishes on some boards leaves me flat when I experience it in anything like real world situations, it’s too detailed. But for photographs and dioramas the high end finishes are breath taking and leave me droooling. But to game and experience as a gamer? Too much going on for a game, I get lost and lose miniatures in it. So for gaming, this system is perfect, it shows a scene while emphasising the playing pieces. The miniatures.

Part 2, more future dungeon

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The overall time it has taken is 35-45 hours. The cost in the end is principally paint, glue and a couple items like the stargate, and a couple bits of second hand GW gribblies like a crane, some scatter terrain and some second hand Mantic sci fi doors. The rest is entirely rubbish. Bits that fell off my van, broken dishwasher spares. Some stuff from a toilet cistern, a boiler manifold and good old Dyson hoovers with fridge packaging. Overall the cost is around £85-95.

Mini bat rep

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Ambush the Imperial wagon train. First turn and the hidden surprise has not been revealed. The orcs surge forwards and the imperials turn to face the threat. Minor orc and goblin damage from imperial fire power. The light cannon unlimbers and turns to face.Ambush the Imperial wagon train. First turn and the hidden surprise has not been revealed. The orcs surge forwards and the imperials turn to face the threat. Minor orc and goblin damage from imperial fire power. The light cannon unlimbers and turns to face.
The surprise reveals itself, a halfling howitzer! It unleashes an abominable amount of firepower on the Uruk general and his unit, half the Uruks dead. Then, the empire get nasty and open up a grape shot on the remainder, only the general survives on two wounds! The surprise reveals itself, a halfling howitzer! It unleashes an abominable amount of firepower on the Uruk general and his unit, half the Uruks dead. Then, the empire get nasty and open up a grape shot on the remainder, only the general survives on two wounds!
Turn 3 and the howitzer explodes and leaves the wagon a burning wreck! The bolt throwers turn the empire cavalry into mush and the empire general is totally destroyed by two Uruk hai units converging on his flanks. Turn 3 and the howitzer explodes and leaves the wagon a burning wreck! The bolt throwers turn the empire cavalry into mush and the empire general is totally destroyed by two Uruk hai units converging on his flanks.
Then in an unbelievable feat of battle fury, the Uruk hai general passes his moral check, charges the empire Arquebusiers and causes them to panic and flee. He catches and destroys them! Fprcing neighbouring empire units to flee en masse. The head of the empire column collapses and one wagon exits the table. Then in an unbelievable feat of battle fury, the Uruk hai general passes his moral check, charges the empire Arquebusiers and causes them to panic and flee. He catches and destroys them! Fprcing neighbouring empire units to flee en masse. The head of the empire column collapses and one wagon exits the table.
At the rear of the column the empire start to flee from loosing their general. The game ends on turn 5 with a minor victory to the Uruk hai. The empire managed to get one wagon off the board but the orcs failed to capture any wagons by the end of the game. But it was agreed that with the empire fleeing bar the crossbowmen that it was pretty much fish in a barrel at that point. The rules for surprise halfling howitzer wagons proved great fun. As was the objective of capturing wagons. I did not manage a full mega game this holiday (too much illness and re arranged family commitments decimated my player base) but I shall definitely try this scenario again this half term but aim to do it with 3x the forces on a 12x6. Can’t wait!At the rear of the column the empire start to flee from loosing their general. The game ends on turn 5 with a minor victory to the Uruk hai. The empire managed to get one wagon off the board but the orcs failed to capture any wagons by the end of the game. But it was agreed that with the empire fleeing bar the crossbowmen that it was pretty much fish in a barrel at that point. The rules for surprise halfling howitzer wagons proved great fun. As was the objective of capturing wagons. I did not manage a full mega game this holiday (too much illness and re arranged family commitments decimated my player base) but I shall definitely try this scenario again this half term but aim to do it with 3x the forces on a 12x6. Can’t wait!

Old school terrain.

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Firsts time I’ve made one of these in 20-25 years. Inspired by the old GW red book of terrain dreams I re-did my last efforts. All cardboard and stirring sticks. One evening to make then one evening to paint. Really enjoyed it.Firsts time I’ve made one of these in 20-25 years. Inspired by the old GW red book of terrain dreams I re-did my last efforts. All cardboard and stirring sticks. One evening to make then one evening to paint. Really enjoyed it.

2 out of 3 on the way

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I like Blue it seems. ‘I’m blue and a de boo doo die a adabo de da o’ or some such. I never was good with remembering song lyrics I like Blue it seems. ‘I’m blue and a de boo doo die a adabo de da o’ or some such. I never was good with remembering song lyrics

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