Part VIII - Repainting the 3rd Edition Wood Elf Army, Archers

More Wood Elf Warhammer stuff to share. Over the last few months I have done lots of work on my Dark Elf force along with my Wood Elves I have been chronicling here on the blog. Interestingly I have been working on the Wood Elves in the autumn and the Dark Elves in the echoing their basing choices.

Quick aside: the progress on the Dark Elves can be found here. I will have some new photos up soon of their progress.

As we all know, Wood Elf forces in 3rd Edition Warhammer are heavy with bow armed troops. This also carried over to later editions. In 3rd the compulsory choices are archers of which the minimum to field is 30. Aside from my Skarloc Wood Elf Archers all the bow armed units in the army are the result of the PBS3 -Plastic Warhammer Regiment Boxed Set. I know I have said it before, but while not the best miniatures that GW ever produced they are some of the best value around, even now as everyone and their brother has some spare ones to sell on eBay or trade. Additionally, to me at least these "look like Warhammer to me" in much the same way 3rd Edition Talisman "As I know it"

So with all this here are the units I have completed, not one but two units, 20 strong of Wood Elf archers. As you can see green predominates but I continued with the black and white accenting to tie them into the other units of the army, along with the autumnal basing of red, orange and yellow. This now brings the fire power up to 82; three units with 20 and the Skarloc Archers having 22 in the regimental box set.

The 2nd unit (2nd as in I pictured the first unit here and Skarloc's counts as unit #1 for my army) followed by the 3rd.

To close out, I will also need to get pictures up of my Elven Attack Chariot that I painted up for the Wood Elf force. It came out well and I realized I finished it several months back. I now have a sizable force of Wood Elves repainted and have come a long way when they were simply an Ally force for my mega-battle with Dave and Jeff.

Nippon Castle for Warhammer- Part IV

Wow, the Nippon castle has been garnering a lot of attention on the web, keep up the comments guys and many thanks; especially the shout out here, thanks Scot!

I've stepped back and taken stock of where I am with the project at this point which is to say a lot further along then when I really picked it back up in October. Overall I'm pleased with the pace I've been on and have been enjoying the whole project. I've even found time to work on other projects like the siege equipment, paint a few units and other things that strike my fancy.

But, the title of this post says Part III so what am I working on right now in relation to the Nippon castle you ask: As I mentioned in Part II I've been re-reading my stack of White Dwarf magazines from the range of #220-235. In particular, in #225, Nick Davis' "Jungle Fever - Part 2" where he covers the creation of his Lizardman Castle has been of particular interest. #224 is where the rules appeared for 5th Edition Siege rules for moats which I'm drawing on as well, so here is the point of this post, moats.

As you can see, I've started on the beginnings of a moat for the castle. The moat will obviously surround the entire castle to simulate a Nippon fortress situated on the lowlands of Nippon (or Nihon?) near rice patties perhaps? I deliberately started at the most difficult part of the moats, the corner towers knowing the wall sections would be far easier. I also took inspiration from the corner board sections of 3rd Edition Talisman.

From there, once finished I also have been formulating ideas to create a way to raise up the entire thing so it will sit on a series of cliff walls to simulate a mountain top type of castle. That is further off and I will be using fair amount of paper-mache to make the mountainside.  In this, the 6th Edition High Elf Army Book has some interesting photos of minis and mountains so we'll see.

Note- my overall progress of my Nippon Army is tracked over here at Dogs of War Online.

Speaking of paper-mache, I took a brief side track to work a tomb/barrow, first seen in the 6th Edition General's Compendium on page 52. I started out when I looked at a barrow I created about 15 years ago. I was going to pull that apart but just decided to create something from scratch. Then remembered the barrow in the a fore mentioned General's Compendium. You'll have to excuse this photo as I remembered to take it as I was applying the paper-mache. But I digress, here is the barrow:

As you can see, the top will be removable because I'm insane apparently and need to add all kinds of stuff to the interior..

And if the barrow/tomb were not enough of a bonus, I've also been working on redoing the river pieces of the terrain that Jeff and Dave created 25+ years ago! I widened them a few years back but now I've added gravel to the river edges and will be painting them shortly. Need to add a few more bends and another river crossing part. You'll have to excuse the quick photo on this one too, I only remembered to take a picture after I had already started on it and undercoated one.

I think that's all for now. Good gaming in the new year everyone.

WM

Warhammer 3rd Edition Oldhammer- Army Status and Plans

As I outlined here I have really returned to my roots as it were in regards to 3rd Edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle. For me that version remains the pinnacle. As time had gone by less and less folks have stayed with the old editions. And with the demise of the traditional rule set of Warhammer Fantasy Battle this is more pronounced with folks going either the Age of Sigmar route, 9th Age or Return of Kings.

For me it is why bother? Yes it is cumbersome, but with the good old orange rule book and Warhammer Armies you have all you need to play a great game of Warhammer

Talk about value on this thing: It has 11 of the 12 armies contained within (Norse appeared in White Dwarf 107). In addition there are new rules for war machines, and great rules in my opinion for allies and mercenaries which Warhammer always seemed to struggle with to find a good balance for. So with that in mind here is where I stand for each of the armies and potential future plans:

Dark Elves When complete they will total around 4,000 to 5,000 points. Details on the progress of the army can be found here. For the most part I largely have all the minis needed and just need to round out a few here and there to fill up certain units rank and file. They also have 25 hobgoblins as allies which I am looking forward to painting (see below).

Wood Elves As I have been outlining here on the blog they will come in around 4,000 points when complete. Like Dark Elves these pointy ears are a repaint of my existing models. As I also noted they originally served as allies for my Empire force, but over the years I collected enough to field a force in their own right. Almost all the models are 3rd edition ones with a few 4th edition ones mixed in like the Glade Guard serving as Kin Band warriors.

One of my first successful miniature conversions.

 

High Elves

This will be tougher. Not because I do not have minis but because I have a force of at least 10,000 points of High Elves painted and another 4,000 points unpainted. But they are a 5th edition force in composition and models. This is not a problem per se, but I am not going to convert them back to 3rd. Easy enough to play 3rd edition games with them, but unlikely to get a lot of the 3rd/4th edition range save for two: one being that ever elusive Elven Attack Chariot (for me).

The Empire Actually my second army in 3rd Edition (more on that in a bit). Like my High Elves these guys are more configured for 4th through 7th than 3rd edition. The good news is it is easy enough to use them in 3rd edition which I did in a battle around December.

Bretonnia When I first played 3rd Edition I played my initial force as a Bretonnian force. Now I cannot stand Bretonnia due to certain posters on a website that promotes them (you know the one). Ever wonder why the Word of Hashut #10 is is the way it is? There you go. Right now I have a mixed force that is probably around 1,000 points. I do not really see myself doing anything with them anytime soon. I will be finishing up a Bretonnian cannon however as it was one of my first mini purchases ever. Maybe even a small scenic base too.

Chaos My chaos force is largely done. It dates back to 1991 and sports a lot of original paint jobs from that time. As of late I have been splitting out the 5th/6th edition minis from the earlier ones. One "new" unit is a repaint of chaos warriors on foot. Right now I have 16 and have been scoping out the remaining 4. Highly unlikely to field 20 at once as the point cost would be over 1,000 points, but they will look cool nonetheless. A unit of 25 Beastmen with some gors from 5th/6th and Talisman plastic Beastmen is also under the brush, but back burner right now.

Skaven As my buddy Dave collected them way back when he got all of them from the joint plastic regiment boxes. As a result of this over the years they never had much appeal. I would say I have 10 to 20 plastic ones. I could see a unit or two for allies, but I am highly unlikely to gather a full force especially when one considers the amount of minis needed to field a Skaven force.

Orcs From my Chaos Dwarfs force I have more than enough to field an Orc and Goblin force but not too many in the way of 3rd edition minis. If I did I would be looking for the orc and goblin war machines to round it out. Hell I might just get them anyways as the minis are so cool.

Dwarfs Like the Wood Elves the Dwarfs are an outgrowth of needing allies for my Empire force in larger battles (as I was the only one playing the "good armies"). The Dwarfs are the force I have changed the least over the years. What I have done is add more minis to them. The leftovers from the Battle for Skull Pass box set have also made their way to the army. Right now I have four units to go with the 6,000 points of painted minis I already have. They were also the first force I thought of painting in a coherent scheme rather than individuals except for one unit where I purposely painted each mini different. As a result the unit is a mishmash of colors but the army is predominately green and yellow. All in all the force works.

Slann Ahhh Slann. I have zero Slann minis unfortunately and I think I only ever actually saw a few in person painted (Dave had some). For some reason they were fairly hard to come by in the States in the late 80s and to try and collect them now? Expensive.

Undead This will be a bit easier. Due to summoning spells in 3rd edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle everyone had an Undead plastic box set. Because of this I have one unit of cavalry, one unit of infantry and some extras. Coupled with the zombie plastic box set from 6th means I have the nucleus of a small force but needs some touching up on the first two. At some point I envision a small force along the lines of the ones presented around White Dwarf 142.

Extras Norse Only appeared in White Dwarf 107 and I have to say it left me with a meh feeling for the army. I have a few scattered Norse minis, but do not see myself undertaking this task for another human army largely composed of infantry. Do not get me wrong the minis are cool, but where are the Norse riding war mammoths???

Nippon My attempts at Nippon have been on again and off again as the mood strikes me. Now not a 3rd edition force the army list for 2nd could be modified to work with 3rd. I have a sizable force but it is going to take a lot more time and a lot more lead. I do have almost every ninja model from the range which is kinda cool! I think if I could get 1 to 4 of those damn Temple Dogs it would help!

Mercenaries and Allies Based on having so many armies I can usually field any allies needed. In terms of the mercs? I have the following:

• Chaos Allies: both chaos dwarf war machines, a mortar and multiple bazookas!
• Old Worlder Ally contingent: toyed with the idea of converting my Bret force to this contingent.
• Halflings: Got a fair amount of these for a small ally force.
• Giants: Two giants, one old school.
• Ogres: Unit of 8 detailed here.
• Half Orcs: this is going to be a quest. I want the 2nd edition range which goes for big money on eBay.
• Hobgoblins: 25 old school hobgoblins including Baron Brightgore on the painting table!

That about rounds out where I stand in Oldhammer. A lot done, quite a bit to go but that is the fun of it.

How about you, what is your favorite Warhammer army faction?

Talisman as I Know It – A Fond Look at the Fantasy Board Game

One great game that one of my gaming buddies Simrion owns is Talisman 3rd edition. It’s a very fun game with many twists and turns. I’ve tried to purchase it for myself many times, but these days even the base game (without expansions) is costly on the second-hand market like eBay. The Realm expansions push auctions into the $150 range. Along with Lost and the Damned, it’s one of those items that keeps eluding me.

Talisman is one of our go-to games when someone doesn’t show up for game night. Looking at it overall, it’s one of Games Workshop’s better releases. The rules are not overly complex, the playtime is just right, and it remains engaging with several viable strategies. It’s a true classic, and many players still remember the older editions fondly.

The goal of the game is to amass enough power, obtain a Talisman, and ascend the tower to slay the Dragon King. In theory a player can accomplish this in a number of ways, but remember that everyone else at the table is trying to do the same thing.

All three of the Talisman expansions for 3rd Edition.

To get the full experience you’ll want the three main expansions: The Dragon's Tower, City of Adventure, and The Dungeon of Doom. The latter two add the additional Realms to the board. A word of warning: 3rd Edition has been out of print for a long time and commands high prices on the secondary market. I completed my full set plus expansions back in 2013 and it wasn’t cheap.

Character Selection & Gameplay

To start, each player randomly draws character cards and their matching minis. Many classic GW favorites are present: Chaos Warrior, Goblin Fanatic, Chaos Dwarf, Witch Elf, and more. Each character has its own special abilities. While some are stronger than others, all start within a similar basic range. (There’s still an active online community that creates fan-made characters for the game.)

The Outer Realms (Forest, Mountains, City, and Dungeon) are stand-alone expansion boards that connect to the main board. When traveling in these realms, players roll a d3 instead of a d6, which slows movement.

Game play is fairly quick with some classic Games Workshop flair: “If a rules conflict arises, roll a d6 — on a 1-3 you are right, on a 4-6 the other interpretation stands.” You roll a d6 to move, land on a space, and draw the appropriate cards. Early encounters can be deadly depending on your character. Combat is resolved through Strength or Craft. Warrior types excel at Strength fights, while spell casters fare better with Craft. Another player rolls for any enemies, so everyone stays involved even when it’s not their turn.

I’m of the mindset that warriors are generally the stronger choice if you want to win consistently. Good characters like the Ranger or Templar, and neutral ones like the Barbarian, are solid. Spell casters feel weaker early on due to lower Strength and limited spell capacity.

Magic is handled as a random draw from a recycling deck. Some spells are far stronger than others, and certain magic items or character abilities boost spell casting.

Strategies

There are several viable strategies. One strong approach is to become powerful enough to claim the title of High Wizard or Sheriff for big boosts to Craft or Strength. Attacking other players is allowed when you land on the same space, but I only do it occasionally, usually only when someone has a Talisman I need.

Evil characters often hunt for the Doom Sword (which restores lost lives on successful hits). Other strong items include the Sword of Power in the Forest and the Hammer in the Mountains. I’ve had good success heading to the Mountains or Forest once strong enough. In all my years playing I’ve mostly avoided the Dungeon, something I should try next time. The Mountains usually offer the best return on time invested.

Two things to keep in mind. One. with experienced players its possible the game can go on for basically "forever," especially if the opposing players have certain spells and another player is making a run against the Dragon King. 2. The nature of the rules is such that randomness can still effect even well built out characters with cards like the Toad, Witch or Imp. Be forewarned this game can go on for hours!

I’ve enjoyed many great games of Talisman with my friends and usually come out on top (much to Simrion’s wife’s dismay). In fact, I’ve won the last two times we’ve played! EDIT: Since I originally wrote this my family and I played quite a bit. I have even manged to win with the halfling out of all the characters!

If you can find a copy of the 3rd Edition, it’s well worth it. For me this gets a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

What about you? Is 3rd Edition you preferred version of Talisman?