IHMN: Some thoughts for the Beginner in Designing an Adventuring Company, Part 10a (Location, Location, Location)

 I knew I should have bought a better map.

It's 1895: So . . . where do you want to go? Another one of the great advantages of In Her Majesty's Name is that most games only require 4 feet x 4 feet of table space - but of course you can have bigger games! When I started playing IHMN, most of my terrain was for 15mm scale gaming and cardboard buildings I had picked up playing Warhammer and WH40K. In other words, no real 25/28mm terrain for 1895.

 My favorite piece of terrain. An old card stock house from the first Warhammer set I bought in 1993 or 4. I have used it for the English Civil War, Napoleonic, Fantasy games and of course In Her Majesty's Name. The hedge is flexible and is also a GW product.

At the same time as my interest was growing in IHMN, I was also working on 2 other projects in 28mm: The English Civil War and Colonial Gaming primarily in India. After browsing the internet I was able to find some cheap and easy ways to make some terrain. I primarily used Train model supplies, pet aquarium pieces and what I had from my earlier Sci Fi/Fantasy days.

Since I did not have a lot of Victorian Style buildings, for now I am shying away from large urban settings. There are some beautiful urban kits available and I have seen some fantastic urban layouts (Sigh). Some day. So where do I go in 1895?

1. Trees. For me the basics.  I need trees. Your average model railroad tree is extremely versatile and unless you are playing against a Dendrology professor, you can use them in various locales. Fortunately Hobby Lobby (in the USA) has a 40% coupon just about every week and after a quick stop I picked up 6 trees in the model railroad section for $14.00 US - what a great deal.  In addition I purchased 1/8 inch think beach oval plywood that is roughly 100 mm in diameter for the bases for $.84 US.

These 6 trees have found themselves in the jungles of Africa, the jungles of India, North Piddle, England, the USA . . . etc. They are generic enough to fit almost any locale and off course I use them for historical gaming too. Here is the link on my blog on how I made them: MAKING TREES LINK.

2. Scatter Terrain. Something else I discovered I needed for a skirmish game was what is affectionately known as scatter terrain and it is very easy to make.

Make sure your figures can use your scatter terrain. Private Hook was a great help as I used him to make sure the scrub grass ad the rock allowed figures to fit on the base. Notice that now I am spraying painting the wood black - I forgot one of the basics that paint and other objects stick better and paint easier with primer.

Great for the plains of Africa, the Wild, Wild, West, India and even Barsoom (if you ignore the green scatter grass.

Here is the link to my post on making what I call SCRUB GRASS.

3. Jungle terrain. One of the great discoveries I found on a gaming blog, and I wish I could remember which one, was the use of aquarium plants for making jungle terrain. This time I used old CD's as the bases. Talk about inexpensive.

Quick and easy. By the way, the rocks are from my stone path in the back yard.

Aquariam plants make great elephant or tall grass also. In the background you can see various palm trees from toy dinosaur kits and model railroad accessories.

4. Ancient Ruins. Speaking of aquarium, virtually every ancient ruin or temple I have came from a pet store and I don't thing any of them cost more that US $40 - especially when you use coupons or reward points (it pays to have 2 dogs that like to eat.)

 Perfect Scale for 28mm Figures.

I think the treasure and totem were from Reaper. Good for terrain and an objective!

Here are a couple more aquarium pieces; by the way they are all resin:

 How can you not have at least one adventure without a suspension bridge?

The entire bridge. The rock formation is from Gale Force Nine's Battle field in a box. I have also purchased several of their products for hills, rivers and rocks.

Starting on my Egyptian Ruins collection courtesy of the local Pet Store.

Next: Lost Cities, India, The Wild, Wild, West, The Valley of the Kings, and the quaint town of North Piddle, England. 

Classic Warhammer: The Empire, Part 1

Standing between the hordes of bad guys and unspeakable horrors was the Empire in the Warhammer Universe. A combined arms army, it took skill and guts to be successful on the battlefield. Our Empire Army was commanded by Honorable Son #4 (The greatest 18th Century General who ever lived). These are pictures are from before the time we had gaming mats and was definitely a Dining Room Battle!

 The might of the Empire.

The Army standard bearer next to his general.

 Pistoliers, excellent light cavalry.

 Halflings, crossbowmen and handgunners provide fire power.

 The Knights Panther; a hard hitting order of heavy cavalry.

 Grandmaster of the Knights Panther

 The toughest infantry in the Empire; the dreaded two-handed great swords!

 Empire Spearmen.

 Empire Swordsmen: The Black Eagles.

 Wizards and Battle Clerics.

 Canons are cool.

 Another view of the Army standard.

 Another view of the "Black Eagles" sword regiment.

 I had fun painting the flags. I love flags.

 The Captain of the Pistoliers.

 My skirmishers, drawn from the ranks of foresters and huntsmen. Love the powder monkey.

 "Hold until relieved!"

Great musician with horn, one of my all time favorites.

Favorite Games: Oldhammer (Warhammer)

I saw an article the other day about how us "Boomers" loved the old Warhammer which is now referred to as Old Hammer. Dang how I loved this game; according to the article we could not adapt (even though most of my "boomer" friends also like other skirmish games!). For me Warhammer 4th Edition, and then 6th Edition was the fantasy big battle game (we will talk about Warmaster later!). An innovative concept provided everything you needed straight from the box: two armies, rules, terrain, etc. Everyone has an opinion on the rules and I personally felt it reached its epitome with Edition 6: Heroes and Monsters were Heroes and Monsters but you still needed an army to win.

 Who doesn't like trolls? Just lay off those Billy Goat jokes that make them mad.

I was never a tournament player searching for that "perfect" army. I was the guy who saw something and thought to myself. "Self, that will look cool in such and such army." I was lucky that I had my 5 Honorable Sons who liked to play plus several friends who were not into the tournament aspect of the game. By the way, I'm not criticizing tournaments, just not my thing.

Yikes! Night Goblins!

Then came the other editions (sigh) which just didn't feel right to me.. Some of the models were great, the prices rose (I know, the purpose of a business is to make money), and unfortunately for me, all of the armies became too "gothic" with a definite feel of darkness. Suddenly the new Warhammer wasn't fun. With the drop in sales of "big battle" fantasy games (though I would still argue that the prices and not giving the consumer what they wanted) turned Warhammer into the monstrosity that is the "Age of Sigmar." Needs more skulls. (Just my opinion that others also share - I also know some guys and gals that love the Age of Sigmar)

 The Empire to the rescue!

 The Imperial Knights Panther.

 Artillery is cool.

Anyway, the armies my Honorable Sons and I did were the Orks and Goblins, The Empire, The Kingdom of Bretonnia, the High Elves and the Dwarves.

Of course you have to have Knights and a Jester for the Royal Army of Bretonnia.

Stout Men-at-Arms.

 Speaking of Stout - who doesn't love Dwarves?

 Dwarf Troll Slayers or maybe football hooligans. I'm not sure which.

The Grey Beards. "The Orks and Goblins were bigger, smellier, and meaner in the ole days."

 It was a good run but now the White Dwarf and Josef Bugman have one last toast for an epic Fantasy Game . . .

The two veteran warriors meet to have one last toast . . .

 Josef sighs, "Who would have thought that we would have to fight Chaos Space Marines now?"

 "I know . . . I laughed silly when I saw the Space Marines on our side!"

 "Back in the day those Chaos Space Marines were a lot tougher . . . these new ones have round bases!  They have no rank bonus and will be easy to cleave in two! "

Well . . . at least the XXX Brew is still a trade secret!

 Oh well, to each his own. My preferred rules for Fantasy Gaming is now the wonderful Dragon Rampant by Daniel Mersey. I usually don't editorialize on my blog but now I'm inspired to show off my "old" Warhammer armies - a separate entry for each! See you next time.