It Snows In Hell: Battle Report

Just to prove I haven't been completely idle in July  I want to share with you what I have been secretly working on. It's a Zombie Apoc game set in a rural village in Finland. It grew out of a challenge on Lead Adventure Forum, to make a game that would fit into a PAPPIS storage box from IKEA. The box is roughly 25cmx33cm and 25 cm high- not very big really.  With very careful planning I managed to cram in a whole village. It's not quite finished, a few of the building need painting, but the deadline is the first of August, and this is as finished as it is going to get before then. It's good enough to use for a play-test battle report. 

I used the FUBAR modern horror rules, with a few minor adaptions. This is as free to download set of rules which comes on a single A4 paper and is very easy to learn. This has the advantage that I can easily fit several copies of it in the PAPPIS box without having to compromise on space. 

We found FUBAR to be a good system for a one off game. I played with my son Charlie, and he found it was easy enough to pick up. We both found that there was a good narrative to eh game, which was evocative of the zombie genre. In FUBAR the characters don't always do what you want them to do, and this can lead to some exciting and unexpected moments. I hope you enjoy the dramatic style of the battle report, as I have tried to capture that feeling. 

Introduction dispensed with: Now on with the show...

The survivors are, from left to right Arttu aka Grandpa, an old hunter; Nico,  an ice-hockey jock; Tapio, a tough poliisi detective; Johannes, an inquisitive journalist and Helena, Arttu's teenage granddaughter. 

Tapio is the toughest, and Arttu is the best shot. Helena has her grandfathers hunting rifle, but she's not a great shot. Nico doesn't like guns, and prefers his machete. 

 The survivors minibus has run off the road in a blizzard, and they need to find some transport out of the village. There are a couple of ski-mobiles at the far end, by the police station. The only trouble is that the village is crawling with The Dead. 

Johannes spots the first pack of The Dead moving in from behind the red house. Johannes fires, but misses. Arttu gives them both barrels with his shotgun, and decapitates two. Nico charges in, killing another with his machete. 

Moreof TheDead arrive from behind the red house, and threaten to overwhelm the party. Nico cuts down two more in a fierce fight, but staggers back clutching his wrist: He has been bitten!

 The others see a look of fear and desperation in his eyes: He is under no illusion what this means. The look turns to hatred. He points at Helena- "Get her out of here!" he yells. "I will buy you some time." He hefts hes machete and charges into the horde of The Dead.  

Nico cuts down two more of The Dead before he is dragged down and ripped apart by the ravenous creatures. 

Seeing her childhood friend killed, Helena panics. She is separated from her companions as they move up the street towards the ski-mobiles. Two of The Dead who have been tearing at Nico's flesh spot her in the open and charge towards her. She manages to shoot one dead, but the other one closes on her. 
Hearing the shot Tapio turns and sees the danger. Without thinking of his ow safety the policeman charges back to help.

Tapio kills The Dead and drags Helena back towards the others. Out of the corner of his eye he sees something big advancing from near the sauna. It's one of the Abominations!

Johannes and Arttu move up to the corner of the police station, close to the ski-mobiles. Johannes spots more of The Dead moving towards them from the direction of the radio mast.

The Abomination rushes towards Tapio and Helena. Tapio gets off a shot, but the bullet bounces off the Abomination's ice encrusted hide. Helena and Tapio have no choice but to run for the ski-mobiles. 

 Arttu and Johnannes get the ski-mobiles started and race towards their companions. Tapio leaps onto the back of Johannes ski-mobile and, thinking the others are right behind, Johannes and Tapio race off to safety. 
Meanwhile Artuu and his granddaughter are surrounded by The Dead. The old hunter can't get his ski-mobile started, and the two are forced to fight a desperate battle, fending off The Dead until the engine finally roars into life. The two of them escape, racing off into the blizzard after their companions, leaving the village, and their fallen friend, behind forever. 

I hope you enjoyed this battle report. I will get round to finishing the rest of the buildings soon. I promise. 

Freebooters: Pirate Captain Rosso and Crew

Captain Rosso, high seas reaver and scourge of the waves, and his crew of salty, weather-worn sea dogs are just the sort of crew you want if you are going to beat the tar out of those hoity-toity brotherhood chaps. 
Looks like rum, adventure and booty are on the horizon for me!

These four pirates are from the freebooters fate starter box, and were a pressie from my good mate Leon, aka Pulp Citizen. I am rather pleased with the way they came out. Pulp Citizen has been painting his own starter kit. Hopefully if he has finished his starter box we will be able to get some games in. 

Freebooters: Cookie

Due to a catastrophic computer failure I am struggling to post this using my IPad. Hopefully I have managed because I do hate to miss a deadline. Here is the latest of my dreadful pirate crew for Freebooters's Fate. In this week I have painted a deck hand who seems to be some sort of maniac knife wielding ships cook. 

Time is really tight at the moment as I struggle with real world commitments and certain self imposed hobby deadlines, but I am delighted to say that, thus far, I am on schedule for Freebooters July 

Curly Sue and some scummy,scurvy sea dogs looking for boot; Argh!

Freebooter: Curly Ann

I have just finished my latest freebooter's Fate pirate, a named character called Curly Ann. She is a slick, bad ass pirate wench with a massive gun.

I apologies for the substandard picture again, but I didn't have time to set up the lights right. It seems that life is just too busy at the moment. What I will do is promise to take a good group photo of all of my pirates in August, when Freebooter Month is compete. 

Anyway... there is number two done. I hope you approve. 

Freebooter: Deck Hand

For my Birthday this year my old mucka Pulp Citizen bought me a stater pack of Freebooters Fate figure- namely some pistol wielding piratical scurvy dogs. In order for Mr Pulp Citizen and me to actually get round to painting these figure up in a reasonable time frame he called for yet another themed painting month- and so July is Freebooters Month. 

We have both promised that we will churn out one Freebooter figure per week, which will mean by the end of July we will both have a painted starter faction for the game, so then we can get some action in.

Here is my first entry- a scurvy, rum soaked deck hand soiling for a fight. I don't like this photo, but I was very busy and I only had a few minutes to set up the shot- you will have to forgive me. 

Four Colour: Agents of DEFEND

  DEFEND is the Department for the Enforcement of Extraordinary National Defense is a top secret government paramilitary organisation. Their brief is to protect the nation from all treats related to super-humans, super technology, alien and mystical threats.

  Their agents are highly trained, and equipped with cutting edge technology (much of it reverse engineered from tech captured form super villains and aliens). They are skilled at identifying weaknesses and exploiting them, as well as containing captured super-powered individuals. While an individual agent might be no match for a powerful superhuman, their sue of tactics and team work mean they can overwhelm most superhuman threats. 

  They are well funded,  channeling resources from the government 'black-ops' budget. Their existence is not well know, even in the highest circles of power, and many of those who do know about them question who exactly leads them, and who they are accountable to. 

These super-agents are made by crooked Dice for their 7TV game. I painted them for the Lead Painters League. 

East End Apocalypse: Moh and Parker

Moh is Alysha's boyfriend, and one of Gary's 'crew'. He was born in Eritrea, and came to the UK as a young boy to escape the conflict in his country. His father had hoped that he would make something of his life, but he fell in with the wrong crown and was always in trouble at school. He is sixteen and short for his age, but that just makes him more determined to prove himself by taking risks, especially when Alysha is around

Parker is a wana-be gangster. He is only twelve, but likes to think he comes across as a lot older. He has started following Gary and the other gang around as they patrol the estate form zombies. The older boys have tried to get rid of him, but he is very persistent and now they have resigned themselves to the fact he is part of their 'crew'. He tends to run errands and act as a look out for the others, and has yet to make his first  zombie kill. 

Parker and Moh are both Hasslefree miniatures. Moh has the same basic body as Lenard from the previous post (the boy with the chainsaw) which is why I used Green Stuff to convert Lenard. The change of posture with him stepping off the curb helps too. 

East End Apocalypse: The Boys

Before the zombie apocalypse Gary had a reputation on the estate as a bad man. At fifteen, he has an ASBO, and had already been excluded from school. He saw himself as a gangster, while most of the other residence of the estate saw him as a menace. 

 The zombie Apocalypse changed everything for Gary. Gary responded to the zombies he met in the only way he knew how: with extreme violence. The neighbors on the council estate who has always avoided him and had been afraid of him now flocked to his side, hoping he could protect them. As the authorities failed to stem the tide of the living dead Gary has found himself the unofficial leader of an armed resistance group striving to protect the estate from the hordes of zombies.  

Lenard is Gary's best mate and right hand man. He is as surprised as Gary to find himself in the role of local hero and defender of the people, but he his starting to relish the role. His preferred weapon is a chainsaw he stole from B+Q. It's noisy, unwieldy and unsubtle, but Lenard says you can't beat the growl of the engine as you saw your way through a zombie. 

Both models are from Hasslefree. Lenard has had a bit of Green Stuff applied to his trouser legs, and the cargo pockets filed off, to make them into shell suit bottoms. He also had hair added with GS.

East End Apocalypse: The Three Sisters

During a zombie apocalypse only the tough, or the lucky, survive for long. These three young sisters would defiantly fit into the 'tough' category. Growing up on a rough, rundown council estate in east London, they are used to looking after themselves. When the zombie apocalypse started, they responded with characteristic family loyalty. Ignoring the authorities, who insisted everything was under control, Alysha 'bunked' school and went to get her sisters. They armed them selves, and prepared to fight!

#

Alysha is the oldest of the sister, and the responsibility weighs heavy  on her young shoulders. there is nothing she would not do for her siblings. Her preferred weapon is a hockey stick she stole from school. She is just as than happy to beat the living daylight out of of anyone who looks at her sister funny as she is knocking a zombies brains out. 

Princess is a rock chick (not call her an emo, or she will kick your ass!). She has a large dose of 'lack of respect for authority' and even chaffs when Alysha tells her what to do. Her weapon of choice  a baseball bat!

 Little Minnie is the youngest of the three, and doesn't really understand what is going on. She is very scared most of the time, but hides it well, copying her bigger sisters by making a show of aggressive bravado. She misses home, and her school, and is glad Alysha is here to look after her. Her preferred weapon is a rounders bat, but as she can't do much damage it is mostly for self defense. 

Alysha is by Crooked Dice, while Minnie and Princess are from Hasslefree. I painted them for Lead Painters League  by the photo I took didn't do them justice, so I am posting them here individually with better pictures.  I am going to post the boys soon too. 

SAGA: Norman Warriors

Here are some more Normans for my SAGA warband. I painted them for Lead Painters League. These ones are from Black Tree Designs and are very characterful sculpts. In my Saga army they will be counted as Warriors. Norman warriors can be armed with either hand weapons or crossbows.