Saturday 25 February 2017

Upcoming Osprey Wargames Titles

So I was looking at Osprey's upcoming wargames titles on Amazon (here) and, as well as several Bolt Action (looking forward to Campaign Sea Lion!), Frostgrave and Konflikt '47 titles, there were a few completely new games...to me, anyway...


It is 1875, and Count Dracula is President of the United States of America.
In the wake of the Civil War, with the country struggling to regain its balance, Dracula seized power. The Count's thralls assassinated President Lincoln and his entire administration in a single night and, in the ensuing chaos, their master made his move. Dominating the Senate, he declared himself President-for-Life, and now rules the Union with fear and an iron fist. His vampiric progeny, the Coven of the Red Hand, infest every strata of society, and enforce Dracula's will with ruthless efficiency.
Drawn by the shadows gathering across the nation, secretive cults and evil creatures emerge from their lairs to thrive in the darkness of the new regime. Fleeing from the oppression and menace of the East, hordes of pioneers head to the West, hoping for a new life.
Dracula's greed, however, knows no bounds, and his reach is long.
Dracula's America: Shadows of the West is a skirmish game of Gothic horror set in an alternate Old West. Secret wars rage across the country - from bustling boom-towns to the most remote wilderness - as cults and secret societies fight for power and survival. Players will throw their support behind one of these factions, and will lead a Posse of up to a dozen individual models in fast-paced, cinematic battles for dominance and survival.




In 1919, the US Government declared the production, distribution, and sale of alcohol illegal. America officially became a 'dry' land. That didn't stop people from drinking, however, and the rise of the 'speakeasy' offered huge new opportunities for organized crime. Soon, cities both large and small became battlegrounds as various crime syndicates vied for control of the underground alcohol trade. In Mad Dogs With Guns, players form their own small gangs of fedora-wearing, tommy gun-wielding gangsters and battle it out with their rivals. With numerous different gangs to choose from, including cops and G-men, a fully integrated campaign system, and rules for special situations such as car chases, the game offers a huge variety of tactical challenges. Bribe public officials, attend a gangland funeral, but always watch your back - there is always another gang waiting to poach your territory.




Whilst I'm not particularly interested in Gaslands, the first two look interesting. Osprey really are producing a lot of interesting games!

Thursday 23 February 2017

More Pulp Alley Figures!



I got my latest lot of figures back from Matt today. A superb job, as always! These are all Pulp Alley miniatures from Statuesque Miniatures with the exception of the big robot which is Reaper.

The bad guys...




The good guys...




And the rest...





I'm looking forward to putting some more Pulp Alley Leagues together!

Tuesday 21 February 2017

Gothic, A Dark Companion for In Her Majesty's Name



Just in case you haven't heard...Gothic, A Dark Companion for In Her Majesty's Name is up for pre-order from North Star here. Due out at the beginning of March, this is a must-buy for me...for the Airship Pirates and Flying rules alone!

Here are some pics from the In Her Majesty's Name Facebook page:





Thursday 16 February 2017

Pandemic Reign of Cthulhu


When I said 'Coming Soon...' I'd forgotten it was half-term and the kids were at home so I'm afraid putting our Pulp Alley AAR together has taken a back seat. Sorry. That said we have done some gaming...but of the boardgame variety! Mainly, Pandemic Reign of Cthulhu....in fact, we finally managed to defeat the Old Ones! Hooray!


If you haven't played it before I would highly recommend it. It's a great co-op game that can be easily picked up by kids (my daughter is 7 and had no problem)...though it is hard to win. It can also be played solo.

Here's a teaser...




And here's some blurb...

Beings of ancient evil, known as Old Ones, are threatening to break out of their cosmic prison and awake into the world. Everything you know and love could be destroyed by chaos and madness. Can you and your fellow investigators manage to find and seal every portal in time? Hurry before you lose yourself to insanity.
In Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu, you'll experience the classic Pandemic gameplay with an horrific twist that'll have you face twelve Old Ones, each threatening the world with their unique powers. As players take on the roles of investigators attempting to seal a series of portals before monsters of unspeakable horror pour into our world there is, of course, a high risk of the investigators losing their own minds.
Instead of curing diseases like in the original Pandemic, players seal portals and shut down cults in the classic New England fictional towns of Arkham, Dunwich, Innsmouth, and Kingsport. Can you and your fellow investigators manage to find and seal every portal in time? Hurry before you lose yourself to insanity and the evil that lurks beneath your feet...

And some pics...




I'll hopefully be able to get the Pulp Alley AAR finished next week. I should also be getting my latest lot of Pulp figs back from Matt. 

Monday 6 February 2017

Back of Beyond Reading

My gaming interests over the last year have been mainly focused on the Colonial and Darkest Africa periods along with 1930s Pulp. Recently, however...thanks to Martin Cookes' blog 28mm Heroes and Chris Schuetz's blog Major Thomas Foolery's War Room...I've become increasingly interested in the early 20th century Back of Beyond in central Asia.

And so this little lot has arrived over the last week or so...


I read Peter Hopkirk's The Great Game several years ago and really enjoyed it. Hopkirk seems to have been something of an expert on the Back of Beyond and wrote a number of other books which have been recommended to me at one point or another. So with Martin Cooke's praises for The Great Game ringing in my ears I went ahead and got them.


I also picked up Kipling's classic on the 'Great Game', Kim...which, I'm ashamed to say, I have never actually read despite being a huge fan of H Rider Haggard and Conan Doyle! I have read Buchan's classic The 39 Steps but not its sequel, Greenmantle, which is set in the Back of Beyond. Finally, I have heard lots of good things about Frankopan's The Silk Roads which provides a 'new' history of the world very much focused on central Asia...the Back of Beyond.

Should keep me busy for a while...

Thursday 2 February 2017

Section O (Delhi Office), British Secret Intelligence - Pulp Alley League

A couple of days ago, I posted up one of the Leagues we will be using (The Mad Baron here) for this weekend's Pulp Alley game. Today it's the turn of the plucky Brits who aim to put an end to the Mad Baron's nefarious evil schemes!



Established shortly after the end of the Great War, Section O is a secret department within the British Secret Intelligence Service dedicated to protecting the British Empire from all things Occult, Paranormal and Supernatural. 

The New Delhi office is run by the famous Great War flying ace, Capt. Henry Ironside, with the help of pioneering aviatrix and adventuress, Amelia Johnson, and eminent linguist and anthropologist, Professor Arnold Grey.

Leader
Health
Brawl
Shoot
Dodge
Might
Finesse
Cunning
Capt. Henry Ironside
d10
2d10
3d10
3d10
2d8
3d10
3d10
  • Danger Sense (4) – You automatically pass the first peril you encounter each turn.
  • Extraordinary (4) – Increase one of your starting d8 skills up to d10 (included above).
  • Inspiring (4) – Once per turn, one colleague within 12” of you gains a +1d bonus for one challenge.
Sidekick
Health
Brawl
Shoot
Dodge
Might
Finesse
Cunning
Amelia Johnson
d8
2d8
3d6
3d6
2d6
3d8
2d8
  • Daredevil (2) – Once per turn, you receive a +1d bonus when rolling for a peril.
  • Indomitable (3) – You may re-roll one recovery check per turn.
Ally
Health
Brawl
Shoot
Dodge
Might
Finesse
Cunning
Tubby McDonald
d6
3d6
1d6
1d6
2d6
1d6
1d6
  • Fierce (1) – Add +1d to your Brawl (included above).
Ally
Health
Brawl
Shoot
Dodge
Might
Finesse
Cunning
Lt. Frank Younghusband
d6
1d6
3d6
2d6
1d6
1d6
1d6
  • Marksman (1) – Add +1d to your Shoot (included above).
Ally
Health
Brawl
Shoot
Dodge
Might
Finesse
Cunning
Professor Arnold Grey
d6
1d6
1d6
2d6
1d6
1d6
3d6
  • Clever (1) – Add +1d to your Cunning (included above).
League Perks
Resourceful (1) – see p.6 Pulp Leagues