Some local gaming updates, my own list progression, some shots from games, and painting progress all to share in this post.

Recently our local store, Drawbridge Games, hosted a Winter Rampage event. We had two tables where two different team-ups happened, and it was a lot of fun to run the event and watch the carnage.

Top are shots from the big Khador versus Circle, two-vs-two game. The Winter Rampage scenario had defenders in the middle with attackers coming from all sides. Circle chose to stick to one side, so the Khador wedge formed in the middle. The lower shot is from Cygnar versus Skorne. Despite some big heavies coming in and destroying a lot of stuff, defenders win when model count drops too low on the attackers, and they managed to stave off Skorne and triumph. Was a very close thing!

As for my gaming, I’ve been reading through an extensive forum blog about Minions that Nicholas in the Minions facebook group put me on to: Azahul’s Experiments with Sturm & Drang and a Dracodile. I’ve been starting to paint up some Farrow to explore that side of the faction, and this was a perfect way to enter that side while still using some of the pieces I’ve already done. I really like the combo of Sturm & Drang with a Dracodile, all the more now that I’ve played it some. I got in three matches, and I think I’m going to keep experimenting with them going forward for a while.

(Clockwise from Left) First up, I had a good game against Ryan’s Cryx, and Gaspy2. Their access to ghostly was tough to manage, but the Farrow warbeasts did a great job cleaning up threats so that there wasn’t enough on the board to stop the Dracodile from getting to Gaspy. Ended with assassination and no points scored by either side. Second game was against Mike’s Cygnar and Siege1. I took a lot of losses in the game, but got to the point where Siege1 had committed his feat and resources to taking out all my stuff. Sturm & Drang had to get the job done themselves. So they switched to Drang mode, rumbled in, and smashed Siege1 pretty handily. I’m definitely liking the pocket potential for personal assassination. Having Puppet Master and Hunter’s Mark from solos can turn up Drang as well as any of the beasts in the list. Finally a match against Patrick’s Retribution and Kaelyssa list. With two standoff sorts of abilities on each side, this became a positioning game. The Dawnmower battle engine was one that I couldn’t effectively cope with, and it got to the point where I couldn’t stop it from getting to Mire. That effectively ended the game despite the Dracodile being able to guard much of the board well. My first loss with S&D. 

I also got in one non-Sturm & Drang game. I tried out a Maelok list with a Sacral Vault, against Michael’s Trollbloods led by Horgle2. The Sacral Vault is just no good with Maelok, at least the Gatormen Posse version of his list. They get in each others’ way, and it doesn’t gain their souls as they die (because they’re undead). Just not enough clicking there. There were some abysmal dice on both sides, but I managed to get to a stronger spot thanks in part to Enliven letting me back away from Mulg, to heal and go back another round. Ultimately I won, but it was a slog–a fun slog!

Finally my painting progress. There’s a lot here, and while I have the last couple parts of Sturm & Drang’s battlegroup to tabletop quality, I still need to touch them up to complete them. Until then, here’s what I’ve got complete:

Sturm & Drang. Really like how the model turned out. I’m realizing that I just plain like painting red colors, and love the red armor portions. So far they’ve been fun to run too, so I’m really pleased I got them done and onto the table. 

The one part of Sturm & Drang’s battlegroup that I’ve completed: a Battle Boar. I use yellow as my “energy” color for this faction, so felt that it was a good choice for the Battle Boar’s “rage liquid” apparatus as well. Definitely pleased by the outcome. Makes the model part of my faction, but still draws the eye. 

Can’t run Sturm & Drang with a Dracodile without Underchief Mire! Great model, and I definitely like the scheme I chose for my Croaks. Have I said enough how happy my painting of this faction is making me? Because they really are fun. And I’ve been able to play tabletop painted all year so far. 

The Dracodile itself. This big beastie was fun to paint up, and I really like the way it looks on the table. Excited to find other spots for it. Definitely want to try it with some of the other Warlocks soon. 

Finally, Orin Midwinter. Had fun doing him, and I like his one “wild” left eye. He’s a pretty integral part of the Sturm & Drang list. If the Dracodile gets rebuffed in a way that keeps him from being effective, things can go pretty bad pretty fast. So Orin got painted up to help with that problem. 

All told a good couple of weeks of gaming and painting. More updates to come as I finish up some Farrow and get more reps with Sturm & Drang.

365 Points Challenge Progress (2019):

230/365

Battles (Privateer Press):

Overall Totals 2019: 21 (Win/Loss 15/6); 2018: 129 (Win/Loss 78/51); 2017: 120 (Win/Loss 86/34): 2016: 123 (Win/Loss: 74/49); 2015: 43 (Win/Loss: 29/14)

Minions: 

15 Wins (Nemo1 x2, Irusk2 x2, Helynna, Maddox, Thyron, Harbinger, Magnus2, Rahn, Madrak1, Gaspy3, Siege1, Gaspy2, Horgle2) / 6 Losses (Xerxis1, Goreshade4, Dreamer, Makeda3, Irusk2, Kaelyssa)