Okay, so Privateer Press’ Crossroads of Courage event is going on, which means I’m getting some games in–and getting a ton of painting done.

I’ll be doing a separate post for the story of Holden the Last through my game experience, so you can check that portion out elsewhere.

First, as always painting. And there’s SO MUCH. Largely because I’m finally pushing hard on my Protectorate of Menoth force.

First up, I finished Amon Ad-Raza, as I wanted to have an answer to terrain-heavy battlefields. He’s a buff caster, who casts buffs (absurd muscles joke). I like how he turned out, as the red works well for me when there are the neutral colors and metals. 

I also finally put all the finishing touches on my Judicator. I really like how it turned out. I need to add some scrub grass to the base, but otherwise I’m really pleased. 

Two Allegiants of the Order of the Fist, otherwise known as “punch monks”. Much debate was had on whether they should be “kick monks”, but I think they’re stretching or practicing their balance in this pose, rather than in mid-attack (very few Privateer Press models are depicted “mid-attack” it seems). 

A Hierophant. Man, I love this model. Its ability to reduce the cost of a Warcaster’s spell is huge, ultimately letting me camp more Focus or get another critical spell out in early turns. 

A bit blurry, but I also finished a Wrack. Can you tell I’ve been worried about Focus issues? The Wrack is a very solid solo, and at 1 point the ability to give potentially limitless rounds of and extra Focus is huge (though 1/3 chance to blow up is still pretty high). 

I finished a Crusader as well, as part of the Crossroads of Courage is choosing a side and getting painting objectives based on your side. My side is Sowers, so it’s a heavy warjack or warbeast each week for me. 

Finally, my Holden the Last conversion (for season one–I’ve got some later season Holdens planned too as he advances through the faith). It’s a Sea Dog Rifleman unit attachment, with a shoulder swap and the removal of the drinking cup (I put in power charges on his belt instead). 

What really pleases me about this progress is that I’ve now hit more than 365 points painted in 2016 (actually I’m at 384). My goal is 500 by the end of the year, which is pretty absurd if I thought about it in January, but currently looks entirely manageable.

I got five games in with my Protectorate of Menoth these past two weeks. One practice before the league started, and then three league games.

Small practice game versus Brandon’s Khador. They gave Amon a scare, but he narrowly survived–which meant that a quick slam of a Juggernaut over Sorscha followed by generous application of a Devout in melee managed to win me the game. 

My first Crossroads league game was against Roger and his woodland critters Circle army. This was one of those games where I realized how Warjacks can be a bit more limited than Warbeasts–even in Mark III. I came up short in an assassination, and Kaya2 beat Amon to death. 

My third game was against Andy and his cool wasteland-theme Cygnar army, led by Stryker2. It was a clash of two very compact forces that were largely battlegroup in composition. Stryker moved to take out one of the Monks, but failed to kill him despite repeated attempts. Which left him too low on Focus and with his back to two of my Warjacks… which let a long Mobility-driven attack finish him off. 

My fourth game was against a brand-new player, Scott, who is starting a Cygnar army. We played battlebox sized games, with the two battlebox casters. Through an astonishing number of bad rolls, I came up short again and again with attacks–which culminated in an assassination gone wrong and Beth Maddox using her feat to boost herself and her attacks on my Warcaster, finishing him off. 

My final game of Week 1 of the Crossroads campaign was a loss to Ryan’s Bane Witch Agathia. I was winning the attrition war pretty handily, yet left a damaged Amon just a half inch too close to Barathrum. I forget how fast Cryx heavies can be. 

500 Points Challenge Progress (2016):

384/500

Battles (Privateer Press):

Overall Totals 2016: 89 (Win/Loss: 53/36/0); 2015: 43 (Win/Loss: 29/14/0)

Protectorate of Menoth:

14 Wins (Agathia x3, Tanith x2, Helynna, Lord Carver, Terminus, Beth Maddox x3, Ragnor, Sorscha, Stryker2) / 5 Losses (Agathia x2, Haley, Terminus, Kaya2)

Skorne:

23 Wins (Butcher x2, Deneghra, Shae, Sorscha2, Feora2, Severius, Skarre x2, Kreoss2, Borka, Kaya2, Stryker x2, Ragnor x2, Agathia, Malekus, Durgen, Kozlov, Bart, Terminus x2, Tanith)/ 16 Losses (Rask, Xerxis, Butcher3, Thagrosh, Zerkova2, Stryker x2, Magnus2, Terminus x2, Tanith, Vlad x2, Rahn, Arkadius)

Trollbloods:

11 Wins (Karchev x2, Vayl2 x3, Lylyth x2, Kaya, Skarre, Thagrosh, Asphyxious3) / 11 Losses (Adeptis Rahn, Kromac, Caine2, Borka2, Kaya, Rhyas, Ashlynn x2, Twins Saeryn and Rhyas, Butcher3, Thagrosh, Vayl2)

Cryx:

4 Wins (Caine, Karchev, Skarre, Vlad)  /  4 Losses (Asphyxious, Lylyth2, Goreshade3, Stryker)