Escaped from Colditz!

The boy and I managed to get a game of Escape from Colditz in over the half-term. It has been at least 30 years since I've played the game but reading the rules brought everything back.

The boy wanted to play the Brits so I got to be the Germans. We placed the turn marker on 50 as recommended in the rules for beginners and off we went. My son played quite cautiously...slowly picking up pieces of escape equipment and taking few chances...though I did get to arrest a few of his chaps and send them to solitary.

I was beginning to think the game was mine as there were less than 10 turns left and my son hadn't even attempted an escape yet. I also knew that if he was going to go it would be from the canteen as he was trying to get as many chaps as he could in there...but I was still confident. I had a guard on the other side of the wall waiting and a couple more in the barracks ready to go if needed. I also had my trump card...a shoot-to-kill Security card...should I need it. There was no way he could get two chaps out in so few turns and win the game.

So my son finally gets a double on the dice roll and, therefore, a decent movement...he goes for it. My guard gives chase....ending up just a few spaces behind. My son then plays an opportunity card...diversion.

This sends the guard giving chase to the Commandant's office. Okay. No sweat. I send another guard after him but roll poorly so he doesn't even get over the fence. My son, on the other hand, rolls another double for another high movement. Dammit. He's getting cocky now, though, sending another chap out of the canteen, over the walls and over the fence. Big mistake, I think. I play my trump card...shoot-to-kill. I'll get one of them and so there's no way he can win (you need to get two guys out to win).

My son smiles and plays his trump card...talisman. Damn. Okay, I can still get one of his guys if I roll high enough. I don't. I roll low and miss. My son makes another couple of decent rolls over the next couple of turns, managing to keep ahead of my guard. Finally getting both of his chaps out on the same turn...and winning the game with just two turns to go.

Guess what? My son loves Escape from Colditz! And despite the loss so do I. Great fun!

Rogue Stars Coming Soon!

Not long now until North Star begin their Rogue Stars Nickstarter on November 1st. I'm really looking forward to this one. Most of the miniatures that North Star have been showing off on their Facebook page here look great....

The Rogue Stars book will be released by Osprey in December. More things to distract me from getting my NWF armies finished. 

The African Kingdoms for Congo

The African Kingdoms

Here are all the figures from which I can muster an African Kingdoms column for Congo.

The King

The Prince and the War Chief

The Witchdoctor

Sacred or Fanatical Warriors

Married Warriors or Fanatical Warriors

Fanatical Warriors

Married Warriors or Scouts

Young Warriors

Archers

Askaris or Bodyguards

The Princess and her Bodyguard

All the figures were painted for me by Matt Slade of Glenbrook Games and are a mix of Copplestone Ngoni and Foundry. 

Escape from Colditz is here!

My copy of Escape from Colditz arrived yesterday! The boy and I are pretty excited and hope to be able to have a game or two over the half-term holidays.

The artwork is superb and the components all of excellent quality...as I have come to expect from Osprey.

You can find out more on the Osprey page here.

More Tribal Warriors

I just got my latest lot of figs back from the inimitable Matt Slade of Glenbrook Games. This is the latest...and probably last...lot of tribal warriors for my Congo African Kingdoms column.

As always Matt has done a brilliant job on them...especially the Sacred Warriors in their warpaint!

Tribal Chiefs

Sacred Warriors

Veteran Warriors

Tribal Musketmen

And here's a pic of all my African Kingdoms figs...mainly Copplestone Ngoni with some Wargames Foundry mixed in.

African Kingdoms

The Warmaster and his Blade Wife

The postie brought a surprise package from the wonderful Tony Yates today...the Warmaster and his Blade Wife! These lovely figs are available from Wargames Foundry...though they aren't up on the site as yet.

Here's a pic...pinched from Tony's excellent blog Shadowkings...of the pair painted up.

I look forward to them joining my Northern Tribes!

'A Couple of Bastards' Wargames Illustrated Giants-in-Miniature

Wargames Illustrated have just put up for pre-order the latest figures in their 'Giants-in-Miniature' range... the glorious 'A Couple of Bastards'!

A lovely pair of figs!

The Amazon Queen - Pulp Alley League

And here is another Lost World Pulp Alley League...the Amazon Queen!

Leader	Health	Brawl	Shoot	Dodge	Might	Finesse	Cunning
The Amazon Queen	d10	3d10	3d10	3d8	2d10	3d8	3d10

• Commander (4) – Add +4 slots to your League roster to use for Level 1 and Level 2 characters only.
• Fierce (1) – Add +1d to your Brawl (included above).
• Relentless (2) – Once per turn, when you knock an enemy down or out in a brawl, you may immediately move up to 3” towards the closest enemy. If you engage a new enemy, this fight is not resolved during the same activation.
• Speedy (1) – You may run up to 16” instead of 12”. Any move over 6” counts as running.

Ally	Health	Brawl	Shoot	Dodge	Might	Finesse	Cunning
Amazon Warriors x6	d6	2d6	2d6	2d6	1d6	1d6	1d6

• Fierce (1) – Add +1d to your Brawl (included above).
• Speedy (1) – You may run up to 16” instead of 12”. Any move over 6” counts as running.

League Perks

Companions (1) – see p.6 Pulp Leagues

Keen Senses (1) – Once per turn, you may give one of your characters a +1d bonus to dodge a peril.

Zan-Tar, Lord of the Jungle - Pulp Alley League

Here's another League I shall be using for Pulp Alley...Zan-Tar, the Lord of the Jungle!

Leader	Health	Brawl	Shoot	Dodge	Might	Finesse	Cunning
Zan-Tar, Lord of the Jungle	d10	4d10	2d10	3d10	4d10	2d8	3d8

• Fierce (1) – Add +1d to your Brawl (included above).
• Mighty (1) – Add +1d to your Might (included above).
• Muscles of Steel (3) – Your Brawl and Might dice-type are not lowered due to injuries.
• Savage (3) – Once per turn, after determining the results of a brawl, if you are still engaged then you may immediately fight the same enemy again. Resolve the second fight as normal.

Sidekick	Health	Brawl	Shoot	Dodge	Might	Finesse	Cunning
Ne-Ja, Consort of Zan-Tar	d8	2d8	3d8	4d8	2d6	2d6	3d6

• Agile (1) – Add +1d to your Dodge (included above).
• Savage (3) – Once per turn, after determining the results of a brawl, if you are still engaged then you may immediately fight the same enemy again. Resolve the second fight as normal.

Ally	Health	Brawl	Shoot	Dodge	Might	Finesse	Cunning
Chee-Ta	d6	3d6	0d6	2d6	1d6	2d6	2d6

• Animal (Free) – Add +1d to two of your skills. You have no Shoot skill.
• Fierce (1) – Add +1d to your Brawl (included above).

Follower	Health	Brawl	Shoot	Dodge	Might	Finesse	Cunning
Apes x3	d6	2d6	0d6	2d6	1d6	2d6	1d6

• Animal (Free) – Add +1d to two of your skills. You have no Shoot skill.
• Fierce (1) – Add +1d to your Brawl (included above).

League Perks

Animals (2) – see p.7 Pulp Leagues

Next up...the Amazon Queen!

Lord Blackwood in...The Lost Temple of Kos! - A Pulp Alley AAR

I played my first game of Pulp Alley a few days ago using the new Solo Deck. What a fun game! Can't believe it has taken me so long to give it a go. 

The rules are really easy to pick up and play...though I still managed to forget the odd one here and there in all the excitement. At the same time, there is a real feeling of narrative to the game. This is partly down to the Solo Deck (or Fortune Deck, if you are playing real people) which adds both an element of narrative chance to the game with perks and drawbacks as well as challenges which can be passed or failed. 

The narrative feel is also partly down to the Leagues themselves and the individual characters that make them up. Leagues consist of around a half-dozen characters each with their own special abilities. Creating a League is easy and also lots of fun...with the individual's abilities and the League's perks really helping to give each person and the League itself a character of its own. 

I can see myself playing a lot more of this! Highly recommended! 

Without further ado, let me introduce Lord Blackwood in...The Lost Temple of Kos!

So a great fun game...despite forgetting to play the odd Solo card here and there! This was the basic 'Smash & Grab' scenario with the Plot Points slightly adapted to the 'story' (very easy to adapt things as you want). I'm looking forward to trying out more of the scenarios and additional rules soon!

For those who are interested, there is a bigger and easier-to-read pdf version on Google Drive here or Dropbox here.

All figures were painted for me by Matt Slade of Glenbrook Games. The scenery is all aquarium decorations.