Big Ivan and the Duchess - Pulp Alley League

It's been a couple of months since I posted a new Pulp Alley League, so here is the most recent one my son and I have put together. This time a dynamic duo...

Who hasn't heard of the famous explorers Big Ivan and the Duchess? Did they really reach the mystical city of Shambhala? Or discover an entrance to the Hollow Earth? Is the Duchess really Her Royal Highness, the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov? And is Big Ivan her one time bodyguard, Count Konstantin Dmitri Ivanovich...and now her lover? And is it true that Stalin has put a price on both their heads as he wants nothing more than the death of the last Romanov? You can be certain of one thing...it won't be long before we hear of their next adventure!

Leader	Health	Brawl	Shoot	Dodge	Might	Finesse	Cunning
Big Ivan	d10	3d10	3d10	2d8	3d10	2d10	3d8

• Rugged (4) – You may re-roll 1 Health check die per fight when brawling.
• Two-Guns (3) – Once per turn, after determining the results of your shooting, if the enemy did not go down then you may immediately fight the same enemy again. Resolve the second fight as normal.
• Veteran (3) – You may ignore the multiple combats penalty when rolling your Shoot dice.

Sidekick	Health	Brawl	Shoot	Dodge	Might	Finesse	Cunning
The Duchess	d10	2d6	3d8	3d8	2d6	3d6	3d8

• Clever (1) – Add +1d to your Cunning (included above).
• Eagle-Eyed (2) – Your close range is up to 12”, and long range is over 48” - instead of 6” and 24”.
• Veteran (3) – You may ignore the multiple combats penalty when rolling your Shoot dice.

League Perks

Duo (4) – see p.7 Pulp Leagues On The Run (1) – see p.6 Pulp Leagues Tenacious (2) – see p.7 Pulp Leagues

Allan Quatermain, Wargames Illustrated's Latest Giants-in-Miniature

Allan Quatermain, one of my favourite literary characters...now available for pre-order from Wargames Illustrated here as their latest 'Giants-in-Miniature' offering.

Sword Masters for Open Combat plus Pulp Alley Deck Boosters

My copy of Sword Masters...the new swashbuckling supplement for Open Combat...arrived yesterday. I've not had much chance to do more than skim through it so far but it looks to be full of new skills, abilities, weapons and scenarios focusing on swordplay, promising to add more depth to combat...and at £8 it's a bargain.

I also noticed that Second Thunder are now offering a cheaper paperback version of the rules. Containing the full rules and three scenarios, it is significantly cheaper than the £30 hardback at just £15 but it does strip out the Campaign Rules and Appendices. Definitely offers a cheaper entry point into the game, though.

I also noticed today that Pulp Alley are offering for pre-order some boosters for their Horror, Solo and Fortune decks. Sally 4th are doing a 10% discount on their pre-orders here.

So many shiny new toys...

Pulp Rally

I noticed this on the Lead Adventure forums here. Not a lot of info about Pulp Rally but there are pics of some accompanying cards.

Sadly it won't be released until next year but the good news is...that is because they have a supplement due out later this year called The Lost World of Lemuria!

Can't wait for that!

Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines!

This month, along with the Cossacks, Matt did these three wonderful figs for me...Dick Dastardly with his Vulture Squadron sidekicks, Zilly and Klunk!

I asked Matt to do Zilly and Klunk in leather versions of their colours from the cartoon which has worked out great. I wasn't that keen, however, on Dick Dastardly being in blue and red as in the cartoon so instead I asked Matt to do him in 'bad guy' black leather and field greys...looks great!

I'm not sure how I will fit these chaps in to my Pulp Alley games...perhaps the Vulture Squadron can be allies of The Mad Baron....?

Cossacks!

I got my latest lot of figs back from Matt of Glenbrook Games yesterday. This time some Cossacks for my Pulp Alley games. As always, Matt has done a superb job on these wonderfully characterful minis!

The figures are all from the Artizan Designs Thrilling Tales range apart from the big chap with the moustache below who was one of Bob Murch's Movember Limited Edition figs.

I did get a few more figs from Matt but I shall be putting them in a post of their own!

Two North Star Pre-Orders - Frostgrave Ulterior Motives and Mad Dogs with Guns

North Star are doing a small Nickstarter for the upcoming Ulterior Motives set of cards for Frostgrave.

I'm not overly interested in the cards as I'm not that keen to keep on adding additional layers to the game...but I do like the look of the Terrain Set. Still I think I shall give this one a miss.

Mad Dogs with Guns, on the other hand, I have pre-ordered. A set of wargaming rules from Osprey set in the Gangster era written by Howard Whitehouse, this sounds right up my street.

There is also the added incentive of special offers on Copplestone Castings Gangser figs for those who pre-order through North Star. That decided me.

Finally, today is the last day for the Strongsword Kickstarter it's due to end this evening so if you're going to jump on best do so soon!

Two Fantasy Kickstarters - Strongsword & The Legend of Fabled Realms

Westfalia Miniatures' Strongsword Kickstarter went live today (see here) and has already funded.

From the blurb, it is a 'slightly quirky but simple-to-learn set of rules' for fantasy wargames by Dan Mersey of Lion Rampant and Dragon Rampant fame. They are also offering a range of great looking minis, though 'the game will work with pretty much any collection as long as there are some humans and evil short folk'.

It certainly has me interested, although I prefer my fantasy games to be more 'sword & sorcery' so the need for 'evil short folk' might put me off*. Anyway, one I'm watching...especially if I can play with the figs I already have.

*[edit] Just heard back from Westfalia that you can play anybody against anything. The humans vs evil short folk thing is only relevant for the Kobold Wars campaign included in the book. So I can use all those Frostgrave and Dragon Rampant figs. Sweet! And so I'm in!

And there is another Kickstarter due to go live in June from 4Ground...The Legends of the Fabled Realms.

The latest issue of Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy (issue 90) has a detailed article on the forthcoming game which is well worth picking up if you're interested. There is also a Facebook page here already dedicated to the game.

The Kickstarter will offer pledges for starter sets of different factions of minis that include an A5 rulebook as well as the dice, tokens and cards needed to play.

I have to say that this interests me less as it seems the rules are built around the specific factions and I much prefer rules that allow you to make up your own...so I shall probably be giving this one a miss.

All in all it seems that fantasy skirmish will be giving colonial skirmish a run for its money this year!