Preview; Riot!

Little Mo pushed a full glass of Canadian whiskey across the table towards his guest, "It's the good stuff Bull, not the watered down rubbish I sell to the Top Hat."
Bull Carr, leader of Purgatory's other gang the Pirates who specialised in robbery, sipped the amber fluid.
"What you want Mo?"
"A truce. This Fed stuff ain't doin' my business no good. How about youse?"
"Same, so whata you want to do about it."
I was thinkin' maybe we could get together create a disturbance and some of the boys could slip out unda the screen."
"A riot is an ugly thing... an' I tink it's justa 'bout time we had one." (shamelessly stolen).

The riot scenario is next in my campaign. I recently read report at 'Welcome to Lazarus', which is excellent if you haven't got there yet, and I struggled with the rules. However I ran a paper and pencil ('cause I'm not allowed pens) exercise and it all became clear. The mob rules (LOL) are very good once you get the hang of them. To save time on the Batrep I'm posting the stats for my mob here. It goes type of character, Rep, Weapon

1. Protester (3) (Y);2. Rioter (4); 3.R4Y; 4. P3Y; 5. R4Y; 6.P3N; 7. R4N; 8. P3Y; 9. R4N; 10. R4N; 11. P3Y;    12. P3N; 13.P3Y; 14. P3N; 15. P3N; 16. R4N; 17. R4N; 18. R4N; 19. R4N; 20. R4N.

I'm now quite looking forward to this scenario. There's going to be a riot.

Good luck out there.

Finished Buddha Project

Well I finished this project. Buddha based and workies et al. finished. I'm pleased with the Buddha Statue for an experiment and plastic figures are a forgiving medium. The washes usually fill in facial features but they must have been to runny as they didn't take, particularly on the medical crew. All figures were from Revell's Confederate Pioneer box. A few slices, a bit if green stuff and a paint job, works wonders.

The Work Gang

Old Doc Holmes & Staff

Grafton & Jimmy Street sons of  'Old Glory' Magazine's owner/editor.

Photographing the Buddha

'Jimmy on Location'
 by
Grafton Street

It looks like I need some tips from Grafton on photography, this close up stuff is still a problem. Must try harder.

Crates: Discovery; All things Zombie; Batrep; AAR

Prologue

Hamilton Square and Conway park have left the cordon line and ventured down into Donkey Drive. Their mission is to locate some of the crates that were shed a passing train, information gleaned from Jim Bob Joe (Domestic Dispute) before his sectioning. Squatting in number 31 until daylight the two agents venture into the backwoods of Purgatory Shanty Town. Three PEF's created Rep I in zones 1 & 3. Rep 4; zone 6.




Field of Play; from the left flank



Turn One (4-2)

"Got a plan Hamilton?"
"Yes. We'll check out the still first, Jim Bob Joe may have left something there. Then straight into the bush, find those damn crates. Seize the manifest and get the hell out of here."
"Simple and effective," said Conway Park, with a grin as he headed for the still complex.
"Christ!" he exploded as a figure burst from behind the apparatus, a revolver in hand.
Hamilton, swung up his Mauser and loosed a double tap. The threat dropped.
Conway made his way over to the body and retrieved the pistol, "some gangster's moll, Hamilton."
"Conway, shape up man! Not being alert is the quickest way to the grave in this game."
Conway, realising his error, nodded in acknowledgement, "yes Major."
Conway pulled a small flask from the woman's bag and sniffed the contents. All was not lost he thought as he pocketed the spirit.

Surprise!



One Dead Gangster's Moll

I chose to treat any base as a room for an R&R card. Revealed one ganger and a food token.

Turn Two (1-3)

Something is moving in the bushes

Hamilton and Conway push their way through the underbrush. Suddenly, Hamilton stops, raises his cane above his head and squats. Conway Park does likewise. Indicating to the bushes Hamilton and Conway  strain to hear any sound of danger.

PEF's only pass 1d6 and all move towards the nearest PEF which is in zone 2.


Turn 3 (1-6)

Bush noises.

Warily Hamilton crept forward, automatic at the read, wishing that he'd attached the stock to the broom-handle of his weapon. Conway gently pulled back the slide on his Thompson.

No move for the players but the PEF's get 6/6;2/2;1/3. The Rep 4 moves towards the humans and finishes behind the large bush to their front.

Turn Four (4-4)(4-3)

Sweat dripped from Conway's brow as he watched his comrade move carefully towards the sound. As if with a mind of its own the cocking mechanism slipped from his grip and loosed a round into the bush.
"What the hell man!" hissed Hamilton to his companion but had no more time as a figure burst from the underbrush. Hamilton put pay to the assault with a 9mm parabellum bullet to the chest.

Arggggghhh

'Sorted'

"Christ Conway. Are you OK?"
"Yes, Hamilton, I'm sorry. I'm having one of those days."
"One of those days. We can't afford 'one of those days'. Listen if you're not up to it get back to the cabin and I'll pick you up on the way back.
"No Hamilton, it won't happen again."
"See it doesn't."

The double 4 created a random event, the firing at shadows. the rep 4 PEF resolved to be an unarmed but hostile civilian. HS had no bother passing 2d6 'in sight' and putting him down with one shot. The other two PEFs did not move. Zero zeds.

Turn 5 (1-3)

Hamilton used the end of his cane to move away the ground detritus as Conway checked the body. Broken earth and snapped twigs revealed a small track.
"We'll go this way, they don't like difficult terrain so we may be on to something."
Conway rose from his corporal inspection and followed Square.
Peering hard into the bush Conway thought he spied something. Clicking his fingers he brought Hamilton to a halt, his colleague turned and faced him. Conway placed his free hand to his face, index and second fingers to his eyes. He extended them into the brush. Straining hard both men could make the outline of discarded crates. Hamilton raised his thumb and the two agents made their way towards the goal.

On the Forest Trail

Conway had not been to good so far. I therefore gave him a trial and see if he could see the crates hidden in the bush. He passed 2d6 and located them. Partially making up for his previous faux pas'. The PEF's passed 1d6 and moved into the same zone. Menacingly behind the crates to which our heros' are headed.

Turn Six (1-4)

Entering the small clearing Hamilton and Conway spied the reason for their mission. Two large black crates, identical to those they had encounter on Pier 13, rested at the far end of the gap. Weapons at the ready the men moved into the clearing.
"OK boys, you've gone far enough," a voice sounded from behind the crates.
Hamilton and Conway lowered their weapons.
"We mean you no harm, we're just interested in these crates," Hamilton hailed.
"So are we," the voice morphed into five men clambering over and around the giant crates.
Hamilton cast a wary eye over them, the two in front of him had an air of confidence that the sub-machine gun gripped in the left hand person's arms gave them. The other three were armed with baseball bats and were far less sure of themselves.
"Gentlemen," started Hamilton, "we're just interested in the paperwork. My colleague and I are from the insurance company and have no interested in what has happened to the contents," he lied.
"Just the paperwork?" asked the 'Tommygun' man.
Hamilton nodded.
"OK, you got five minutes and we'll be back. Anything gone and we'll hunt you down before you make it to Jim Bob Joe's place."
"Obliged," said Hamilton as the men backed away into the forest.

Confrontation.

I struggled with this bit. The PEF's were resolved as two gangers and three civilians. I went a bit awry here. The various rolls showed up that they engage in chit-chat and do as requested by HS. I was expecting a draw down. But then again I treated all five as one group and I think I should have treated them as being individual groups and therefore provide more tension.



They disappear into the forest as Conway is surprised.



Turn Seven (3-2)

"Check out that crate will you Conway?" asked Hamilton as he made his way to the left hand box.

Finding his box open Hamilton threw open the lid and stepped back, the box was empty apart from a document pouch. Snatching the bag Hamilton searched through the paperwork and let out a shout of glee as he located the manifest and recipient information.

Only paying half attention to his task, Conway swung open  the lid of his crate, now on its side. He staggered back as the odour of rotting flesh assailed his nostrils. A scream tore from the box and a dark haired zed burst from the containers darkness and fell upon the black agent.

Conway snapped up his Thompson and squeezed the trigger, a cold ball of fear hit the base of his stomach as the firing pin jambed. He staggered back under the impact of the creatures blow. He swung the useless weapon at the beast forcing her from him, he followed up with a strike to the head with the wooden butt.

The undead sidestepped the blow and clawed at the black agent's legs.

Conway gasped as he felt the flesh from his thigh shred.

Hamilton swung on the balls of his feet and tried to draw a bead on his friend's assailant.

Conway ducked from the snapping jaws and meet a knee on its way up. The lights went out in Park's world.

Hamilton squeezed the trigger and the Bolo Mauser did its job.

A Zed

The fight goes on!

Conway Goes OOF

Each character was given a task. HS passed 2d6 and found what he was looking for. CP passed id6 and got a Risk & Reward Card (revealing 1 zed. A 2d6 failure would have resulted in a 1d6(-1) zed assault. Passing his insight test he snap fires but throws 3 x 1's. Out of ammo. The melee continued; 2254/1124:16/246;1/3;2/5. CP out of fight, HS has no problem dispatching the zed.

Turn Eight (2-6)

Hamilton ran to his colleague. Dropping to his knees he checked out Conway. Unconscious but alive. The laceration of his thigh looked serious. Hamilton knew the dangers of such a wound, he ripped the cloth from Conway's thigh and pulling the flask of moonshine from his friend's jacket pocket he said to the unconscious man, "thought I didn't see that hey old man?"
Conway groaned.
Hamilton grabbed a stick and pushed it, crosswise, into Conway's mouth, "brace yourself." He poured the illegal hooch onto the wound. He struck a Lucifer and dropped it into Conway's leg, the alcohol flared, Conway woke but thankfully passed straight out again. Hamilton extinguished the flames.
"I hope you'll be OK matey. Come on lets get you back."
Hamilton hefted his colleague in a 'firemans' lift' and started back to the cordon at the other end of Purgatory.

I gave HS a chance to save his pal with a Rep roll. Scoring 2d6 give + 2 on 'Harry you OK' ;1d6 +1; 0d6 no benefit. HS rolled a 1d6 pass. Now all that was left was his HYO roll. a 4! 4 + Rep 4 + 1=9. CP survives. I'm pleased as I like the character. I won't field him for a while as he needs to recover and I'll drop him a Rep point.

Epilogue

Conway survives. Hamilton has his evidence and that will lead him into the 'Giving up the Goat' scenario and hopefully link the Haven police tales to the military scenarios. 'Riot' next as this was just an inter-rimmer episode.


Thoughts
A game that lends itself to the whole idea of THW. It took 2 hours. Great! The table needs enlarging, it's a story in itself. But as a put together tale I liked it. I need to get a grip of the PEF resolution, I was not happy with the way things turned out. Other then that I enjoyed the expedition.

Thanks for all your blogs on 'Salute' I enjoyed them immensely. I'll finish off the Buddha statue project this week and get stuck into the Haven scenarios again.

Take care out there.

Buddha Statue Project Pen-ultimate Part

Hi, nearly finished. This little project took longer then I thought.

The photos speak for themselves.

Start Position, using bradawl as Dremel is U/S

Drilled 3 holes in base of statue. Measured cocktail sticks to insert and affix to base.

Tools required

I wanted to granitise the base and used an idea I found on terregenises, which directed me to this site http://www.gamedecor.com/abasworld/index.htm. If you haven't checked it out do so its very inspiring. You dilute white paint, dip an old tooth brush into it and run your finger over the brush. This 'sprays' the paint onto your model.

Granitization

The technique looks better on the CD then the model. In hindsight I'd use a lighter shade of grey as a basecoat.

Penultimate Stage

Penultimate Stage Overhead

Some filler covering the CD and left to dry. Final stage is the completion of the base.

I know there's a load of you off to Salute. Enjoy your weekend. I'm looking forward to the reports. Bags of photos please!

A Buddha Statue - An Experiment in Painting & Weathering - Part 3

If you are looking for parts 1 & 2 they have been rolled into this one as the fuses in the house blew and it took me a couple of days to realise that it was the fridge that was doing it. A new appliance bekons. Hey Ho.

I have been admiring the painting skills on your sites, a skill I am sadly lacking, and thought I would give something different a bit of a go.

End of Stage 1

I picked up one of those brown resin Buddhas for a couple of quid, read some of your tips, watched a youtube upload and got to work.

I painted the statue gold. Cut up a pizza base and scored it with a pencil. I then dropped some glue onto the polystyrene (to hole it) and glued it to a CD.

Start of Stage 2

Using a ripped up sponge I dabbed the statue with two different shades of green, getting it into the nooks and crannies of the figure. While that was drying mixed up some paint and applied it to the base.

End of Stage 2

Stage 3 saw me wash the model with a black and spray it with 'hairspray'. Whilst drying I did something similar to the base.

1/2 way through Stage 3

Whilst all that was drying I did the likewise to the base and pottered with my workers.

Pottered with Workers/Newspaper Gang & Med Team

Then using a Q-Tip: I dipped it water and took off the hairspray and some of the lower shading paint 'shining up those areas that would have been stroked and touched.

End of Stage 3

Just need to mount the Buddha (no jokes please!) and finish off the basing.

I feel a relaxing game coming on this weekend. Hamilton Square's 'Discovery' scenario in 31 Donkey Drive.

Those of you are going to the big convention at the weekend; 'Have a Great Time', I'm so envious, maybe next year.

Ahhh 7's

Well I survived. Team got beaten, pulled donkeys from the sweep and had one or two too  many ciders. All was saved bby 7's.

Home Ground

It was a lovely day for it. One of the teams came for the weekend and turned up in fancy dress.

Batman....

and the Queen of Sheba turned up

Even a Roman Body Guard ('Who's Spartacus')

The rugger crowd are great. The local team, the heir plays for them, put on a brilliant show, thanks to the organisation of the Junior Team Volunteers.

Men Only Bar-B-Que

There was even some time for rugby. Home Team in blue.

What it's all About

NBRFC break the line!

Sadly, the heir got his hand stamped on and endedup with a fractured knuckle. The local hospital must have been really chuffed with the Club! There were a number of visits and these lads are under 14's.

It is too bright to see the bruising

They made it to the semi-finals and lost to the ultimate winners. All in all a fabulous day, even the heir is good with it.

Despite everything its a great life in Castle PZ.

Back to gaming this week and my figures are looking forward to it as I've only those on the paint stick to finish for a while.

Hope you all are having a great time also.

Rambling Early Post

It's been a quiet week in Castle PZ. Just been taking it easy, convalesing as much as the two young viscounts and the Viscountessa  allow, so not much time for gaming. But I did finish off some Zombie babes, a pack of zombie dogs, made some corpses, a few cordon barriers and started on my workies and a converted newspaper team (Photographer and reporter). I need to blog now as well. I may not to be up to it later (see below.)

Ladies Day (headbags seem to be the order)

On the painting stick

As some of you may have gathered I come from the Merseyside area and this weekend is HUGE here. Firstly there is a local derby at Wembly (Liverpool vs Everton for those unaware) in the FA cup semi-final (this is THE professional soccer tourney. Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs). The Viscountessa and the youngest heir are Liverpudlians (reds), whilst the eldest and myself are Evertonians (blues), someone's not going to be happy tonight! After that there is the Grand National, so there'll be sweeps galore at my club, where we will watch the match. Once all this excitment is over on Sunday there's a 7's Tournament in which the eldest is playing. Those of you who don't know 7's rugger its an all day, knockout, competition werein the boys run about a field, whilst the men cheer on from a beer tent! (second only to touring as a day out).
Sadly, it's back to work Monday and straight back into the fray.

If I'm up to it I may post a little Sitrep as to how it all went.

Take care out there.

Quarantine-ATZ, Batrep.

Prologue
The outbreak of an unknown illness had swept through the shanty town of 'Purgatory' (on the outskirts of Moor City NC). The first responders were the MCPD. Whilst the Officers were battling crazed residents, Moor City burghers imposed a quarantine on the town. Old Doc. Holmes had purloined a mess tent from the local National Guard Unit (152nd North Carolina Infantry Regt.) and set up a First Aid post on St Anne's Field. Police Captain Hough Green established a Forward Control Post in Arch. Wright's store, whilst Sgt. Al Lynch and a re-enforced night section secured the quarantine line. They are accompanied by two Special Agents from the proto FBI.

The Night Shift

The Field of Play as per HAVEN Scenario: Looking from the right side.

Turn 1 (5-3)

"Right lads it's simple," the Donegal Sergeant began, "no one gets in or out of that place without my say-so. OK?"

No one dissented.

"Now Jack and George, here, have briefed us all on what to expect, but we still need to be prepared for the usual stuff. Major Square and his comrade are making a foray into Purgatory in order to locate a possible source of this illness. Somewhere down by the railway?"

"Quiet so Sergeant. Mr. Park and I will make our way down to thirty one and take it from there. We hope to be back by dawn and we would appreciate being let out."

The night shift tittered.

"Right you are."

Sergeant Al Lynch briefs his shift

Turn 2 (3-2)

Hamilton Square and Conway Park slipped through the cordon and disappeared into a dark Purgatory.

The Moor City PD night shift dispersed to their assignments.

Hamilton and Conway slip away

Turns 4, 5, 6, 7 (3-5)(4-5)(5-4)(6-1)

"Whose a pretty boy then? Yes you are, yes you are," cooed 'Nozzer' ruffling the cheeks on his dog, Sonny. "When this nonsense is over me and you will take some furlough and go a-huntin' and you can chase rabbits all you like. Yes you can."

Nozzer and Sonny Patrol the Cordon 

Al Lynch watched the display and shrugged. Turning to the rookie that accompanied him he said, "don't take it to heart Dickens. Oswold might be an ejit but his dog has the sense He should have given to 'Nozzer'

Charlie Dickens yawned and snorted in reply.

Turn 8, 9, 10, 11 (5-3)(6-1)(1-6)(1-4)

"This is bloody tedious Jack," moaned George Carter pulling on his umpteenth cigarette of the night. He kept the glowing end shielded from view in the palm of his hand the way Jack had shown him.

Jack Regan took a sip from the boiling coffee that had been supplied from the store, "there's worse duties George at least we're not being shot at."

"Jack you want to see this movie on at the Astoria. Yeah it's a space one, this guy fights a villain to save the world on like a gantry above a huge hole. And you'll never guess but this feller turns out to be the goody's father!"

Jack looked at his partner in disbelief, "thanks for that George! I was hoping to take Vera to that movie when we got off."

"Vera from typing?"

"Yeah, why?"

"It's not her sort of flicker."

"Oh. Really!"

George shut up and continued his beat.



Turns 12(2-3)

Al gets his troops together for one final push before dawn

Turn 13, 14 (2-1)(5-6)

Little Mo sat at his private table in his own shebeen holding a council of war.

"The word in town is da feds got the place sealed tighter then a duck's ..." he said.

"Mo, please," this came from the only female in the quartet, Gloria.

"You takin' orders from a dame now?" this from Turkey Sub.

"Oh yeah sooner that then a screaming chicken."

" I wasn't screaming it was an ancient Apache war cry, and anyway you wasn't that far behind me!"

"It was a tactical retreat! OK!"

A Council of War

"Still don't solve da problem. We gots a delivery to da Top Hat Club in town. Any ideas? Sammy?" Little Mo addressed the brighter of his two lieutenants.

"Boss, de truck's loaded. why don't we do like we did in de old days?"

Little Mo shrugged.

"TS climbs aboard and runs de Fed's blockade."

Turkey Sub left the shebeen, happy.

Turn 15 (6-6)(9-2-3)

Dawn was creeping over the horizon when Turkey Sub's engine alerted the cordon. Sergeant Lynch moved to the barriers as a bootleggers vehicle hove into view.

TS floored the accelerator and drove straight for freedom.

Al Lynch jumped from it's path, "holy sh..." he cried as a couple of rounds spat up the dust in front of him.

The Bootleggers approach the Cordon

Doubles produce an encounter the dice throws revealed a moving vehicle. This turned out to be an SUV in the rules which became the Bootleggers truck. The 'Halt Quarantine' Test revealed AL:55443/TS:55665. It didn't look good for the cops. Round 2: AL:3/TS:664443. Letting TS charge the cordon and AL to dive out of the way.

Turn 16 (2-5)

Jack Regan drew his pistol and fired at the charging truck. Boh shots hammered into the engine truck's engine block. The bootlegger felt the shudder and pulled hard on the wheel. The engine revved as he struggled to keep control. Turkey Sub cried out in pain as his thumbs got caught in the spinning steering wheel. Little Mo's contraband wagon slid to a halt.

Jack and George brought their weapons to bear.

Turkey Sub Loses Control as Relief Arrives

The Spinner in Action

 All the action caused an 'in control' test which TS failed and the vehicle slid to a halt and stalled. The spinner determined the direction it would end up in.

Turn 17 (6-6)(3-1)

"HOLY SMOKE!" cried out George as he saw fire begin to stream from the Mission.

The Mission Ablaze

Jack took no notice and banged two more rounds into the cab.

From behind the Irish brogue of his sergeant sound, "Now Stuart, we know who ye are. So you may as well give yourself up."

Thomas 'Turkey Sub' Stuart realised his game was up and climbed from the cab, hands clutching at clouds.

Turkey Sub Surrenders

Doubles again, and the Mission begins to blaze, too late for it to have any effect on the game. A straight melee between TS and AL is diced for to see if TS surrenders without any more blood shed. TS:6665/AL:3332. Al wins.

Epilogue

Al Lynch and his crew have had a successful, if generally uneventful, episode. Little Mo has lost one off his Lieutenants and more importantly a wagon full of hooch. Purgatory is still locked down and vengeance is on the gangsters mind. The next scenario is RIOT.

Hamilton and Conway still have to make their way through the shanty as they attempt to locate the cause of incident 1.

Thoughts

Having spent many an hour on cordon duty it is bizarre that this is just how it happens. You do nothing most of the time but chin wag and drink caffeine. Then all of a sudden something happens, and just as the lads on duty in MC found that it is contained. I know for a fact that as Jack climbed aboard his vehicle praising their fortune he muttered the copper's second favourite phrase, "One day the bloody wheel will come off."
I LOVE this game.