fictional reality 2

Upload: alaling1

Post on 02-Jun-2018

227 views

Category:

Documents


6 download

TRANSCRIPT

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    1/46

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    2/46

    At New Wave you'll find all of your old favorites and lots of new gamesfrom around the world.

    Get ready for the new60mm miniature gameby Cell Entertainment.Ronin is a customizableminiature game ofgigantic mechanizedbattle. In Ronin youdesign your own uniquebattle armor and equip it

    with heavy turbo rocketlaunchers, jump packsand assault cannons ofyour choice.

    Excalibur is a well establishedminiature company in Germanywith 3 unique lines with over 250miniatures: FEARLESS - their Sci-Fiminiature game is a fast-pacedskirmish science fiction miniaturegame played by two or moreplayers.

    From the land down under comesShardowforge Miniatures whospecialize in female miniatures. They

    make a wonderful line of femalefantasy football teams, withcheerleaders. There is a Sci Fi linewith gangers, marines and more, aFantasy line with great figures, andan anime that is totally unique to thisindustry!

    More lovely miniaturesfrom Germany. Thistime from AssassinMiniatures. Hack theBarbarian will be morethan happy to take careof any pesky snake cults that happen to berunning rampant in your neck of the woods.

    www.newwavegames.com www.newwavegames.com

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    3/46

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    From the Editor

    Chronopia Army The Nefertem 2

    Battle ReportMecha! 13

    The Slave PitDwarf Standards 20

    Battle ReportConfrontation 24

    Terraforming in MiniatureThe Sea Wall 32

    VOID FictionWhen all else fails 38

    Miniatures ReviewArmorcast 42

    Chronopia ConversionDwarf Dark Tusk Standard 42

    Game ReviewSkullbrawl 43Krash 44

    ADVERTISERS INDEX

    New Wave Entertainment IFCI-Kore 11I-Kore 12

    Ravens Forge Miniatures 14Crunchy Frog Enterprises 19Crunchy Frog Enterprises 23New Wave Entertainment 31Jeff Valent Studios 33Jeff Valent Studios 42Ravens Forge Miniatures 44

    Fictional RealitFrom the Editor

    And here we are for another action packed issueof Fictional Reality. I'd like to take a minute tothank everyone who has made putting out this'zine such a pleasure; the contributors,advertisers, and readers! I hope that each issuecontinues to provide you with quality miniaturegaming articles and information. I'd also like toremind people to send in a subscription request.Being on the subscription list gives you access tothe 'zine a couple of days ahead of everyone else.

    Last issue's contest featured a drawing by my 5year-old (back then, he's 6 now) son Alexander.

    As almost everyone that submitted an entryfigured out, it was a picture of the Powerpuff Girls.The three winners were announced on thewebsite and have all received their copy ofFlashpoint! Please enjoy it with my compliments.

    Down to nuts and bolts now. In this issue you'llget two battle reports, each representing adifferent genre of miniature gaming. Mecha! willget you your anime/mech fix and Confrontationwill get you hacking and slashing in no time.

    Regular features like the Slave Pit, miniature andgame reviews, and Terraforming in Miniature arestill here along with a new army for Chronopia andnew fiction for VOID.

    As this is the December issue of Fictional Reality Imust wish everyone Happy Holidays and I hopethat Santa Claus brings you all lots of nice littlemetal men to play with, or in some of our casesthe hope that our wives will let us buy more littlearmy men.

    Later,

    "Gigga-who?"

    Just to be nice and clear, if you own the onsomething and I fail to mention it, guess what, youstill own that ! I'm not out to snatch anyone'shard work or intellectual property. The picture onthe front cover is Crunchy Frog Enterprises.

    11

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    4/46

    22

    e eer eme eer emA New Army for

    HISTORY AND ORIGINS

    Tiamat, the Great She Serpent andMother of the Gods, loved hermortal creations more than herdivine children and set the Stygianabove her children's followers.When the other Gods gathered inprotest, Tiamat declared theStygian destiny to be sacrosanctand scribed it so upon greatmagical Tablets. The written wordhas the power to bind and the Godswere rendered powerless to directlyoppose Tiamats will in this matter.

    Tiamats foremost daughter andminion, the lion-headed Sakhmet,was called the Vengeance of theGods and was especially instructedby her mother to punish hubris.

    The Stygian planning their owndestinies was as close enough tohubris for Sakhmet to be partiallyfree of the Tablets geas. Shescoured the world for a proper tool

    to depose the Stygian and foundthat they had created the perfecttool for their own destruction.

    As the Stygian came closer tosupplanting the Gods, their rites ofsacrifice took on more power. Inany place of death, there are rats;the vermin fed upon the scraps,gaining sustenance and sentience.Sakhmet quickly became theirpatron and taught them the waysand worship of vengeance, namingthem the Nefertem after her childthat Tiamat had eaten in a fit of

    jealousy.

    The Nefertem bred and grewquickly in size and knowledge, soon

    gaining the power to seize the riteof sacrifice from the Stygian.Having grown slothful anddependent upon their sacrificialrites, the Stygian were easily thrown

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    5/46

    Generic ArmyListGeneric ArmyListVANGUARD LITTER PACKSRank is often determined by age in Nefertem society and these are the lowest of thelow. As young as three months of age, these warbands compose of mates from thesame litter with an Overseer to drive them into battle. Shieldbearers usually comprise

    the front line, absorbing enemy missiles with their warshield or their bodies. Followingclose behind are their brothers and sisters with swords and spears. Bringing up therear is the Overseer, ready to slay any that would disgrace their familial unit.

    CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    Shieldbearer 11 10 - 9 2 1 0 3 20 0 1 17Swordmate 11 10 - 9 2 1 0 3 18 0 1 11Spearmate 11 10 - 9 2 1 0 3 18 0 1 16Overseer 14 10 - 12 2 1 1 3 20 -1 1 25

    Special Rules:

    If a Vanguard Litter Pack fails a Panic roll, the Overseer may automatically Rallythe unit by killing a panicked littermate.

    All Overseers have the Secondary Weapon Special Ability.EQUIPMENT:Shieldbearers are armed with a Large Warshield and a Sword.Swordmates are armed with a Sword.Spearmates are armed with a Spear.

    Overseers are armed with two Swords.STRUCTURE:WARBAND4-12 littermates (any combination of Shieldbearers, Swordmates, or Spearmates)1 OverseerRECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:Harlequin: VerMen Slave FightersBlack Knight Games: Verminion with Sword, Verminion with Polearm

    THE AGEDAfter several battles, a Litter is generally reduced to the point of being unfieldable.Nefertem who have survived the loss of their family members are extensively trained towork with other such veterans. These elite units can demand, and usually receive,better quarters, equipment, food and drugs. Known as the Aged for their now patchyand grey fur, they tend to perform mop-up duties on any foes surviving the tide ofLittermates. Adding to their effectiveness are Qurai and Gozu-Tenno mercenariesswelling their ranks.

    CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    Aged 13 10 - 12 2 1 0 3 20 0 1 20Aged Spear 13 10 - 12 2 1 0 3 21 0 1 22

    QuraiCorroder

    11 14 - 11 2 1 1 3 20 0 1 38

    Gozu-TennoAssassin

    16 10 - 13 2 1 0 2 20 -2 1 37

    AgedChampion

    14 10 - 14 2 1 0 3 20 0 1 23

    Special Rules:

    Aged and Aged Spear have the Group Attack Special Ability. Gozu-Tenno Assassins have the Feint and Disguise Special Abilities.EQUIPMENT:The Aged and Aged Champion are armed with a Sword and Shield.The Aged Spear are armed with a Spear.The Qurai Corroders are armed with a Sword and Globes of Corrosion.The Assassins are armed with a Poisoned Blue Steel SwordSTRUCTURE:

    WARBAND4-9 Aged (any combination of Aged and Aged Spear)Up to 1 Qurai Corroder and Tozu-Genno Assassin**You may purchase an allied specialist for every 4 Aged you purchase.1 Aged ChampionRECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:Harlequin: VerMen Warriors, Nest Guard Warriors, VerBombers and AssassinsBlack Knight Games: Verminion with Sword, Verminion with Polearm and VerminionCharacter

    33

    down by hordes ofNefertem and their lessintelligent Brethrenpouring forth from theearth. Tiamats powerwas broken for amoment and was quicklysubdued by her children,bound in slumber andplaced within a Stygianziggurat tomb. TheStygian, leaderless,scattered across theworld.

    Some escaped the red-eyed gaze of the fanaticNefertem, but not many.In truth, the Stygianwould have been utterlydestroyed but for theother Gods. Fearingreprisals from Tiamatwhen she awoke and notwanting the precedent of

    genocide, they actedtogether in calling cursesdown upon their saviors,Sakhmet and theNefertem.

    The blood-frenziedSakhmet was easilytricked into pursuing anillusionary Stygian army

    and so could not shieldher subjects. Many fellto the Black Hunger,feeding upon the fallen,and when there was nomore, upon each other.

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    6/46

    44

    Others fell victim topestilence, cast down inthe form of arrows fromthe heavens. TheNefertem fled theirsupernatural opponentsand the Stygian retiredto their Chaos Tombs, tobegin the long processof healing. In theirescape from the Gods,the Nefertem split off inmany directions andbecame separatecultures from each other.

    Their lifespans wereshortened drastically bythe curses, but theywere prolific andsurvived.

    Most escaped bysplitting off into smallnomadic bands,scouring the land for

    Sakhmets enemies atthe bidding of herProphets. The Jarri arethe most infamous ofthese sub-cultures,remaining above groundand casting down theirfoes with mortal copiesof the Gods pestilentarrows.

    The Nosophorus tookthe study of strikingthrough disease toanother level. Saved thescourge by casting

    RAT CLAN NEST GUARD

    The Dwarven Rat Clan has gained much from their alliance with the Nefertem. One ofthe many concessions the Rat Clan has had to make to the Nefertem to assure theirprosperity is providing and equipping elite guards. Nearly every Nefertem Chieftain hasa personal bodyguard of Rat Clan guarding him and the breeding nests. They areusually only deployed in battle in the most dire of circumstances, when the Chieftainhimself must enter combat. The Nest Guard is well supported by mercenaries from theQurai and Gozu-Tenno (showing just how good their powers of disguise are) and is a

    staunch defensive force, as difficult to root out as a rat in a hole.CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    Rat ClanHalberdier

    15 10 - 14 2 1 2 3 22 -1 1 22

    QuraiCorroder

    11 14 - 11 2 1 1 3 16 0 1 16

    Gozu-TennoAssassin

    16 10 - 13 3 1 0 2 20 -2 1 20

    Rat ClanStandard

    15 10 - 14 2 1 2 3 22 -1 1 22

    NefertemChieftain

    16 10 - 16 3 2 2 3 24 -2 1 24

    Special Rules:

    Rat Clan Halbadiers and Standard Bearers have the Ferocity Special Ability. Gozu-Tenno Assassins have the Feint and Disguise Special Abilities.

    Nefertem Chieftains have the Ferocity Special Ability.EQUIPMENT:Rat Clan Halbadiers are armed with a Halberd.Qurai Corroders are armed with a Sword and Globes of Corrosion.Gozu-Tenno Assassins are armed with a Poisoned Blue Steel Sword.Rat Clan Standard Bearers are armed with a Halberd and Standard of Defiance.Nefertem Chieftains are armed with a Halberd.STRUCTURE:WARBAND4-8 Rat Clan HalbadiersUp to 3 allied specialists (any combination of Qurai Corroders and Gozu-TennoAssassins)Up to 1 Rat Clan Standard BearerUp to 1 Nefertem ChieftainINDIVIDUAL1 ChieftainRECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:Heartbreaker: Horned One Spearmen and converted Wolf Clan Legion

    Harlequin: Vermen Black Horde, Command and VerMen HeroesBlack Knight Games: Verminion with Polearm, Verminion Standard Bearer

    BLESSED BRETHRENThough the small size and flexible skeletature of the Nefertem are great advantagesunderground, they often lead to them being physically overpowered on the surfaceworld. Early on during the Massacre, Sakhmet acted through her Prophets to createspecialized breeding programs for a new warrior caste. Though this moved quickly dueto the short lifespan and large litters of the Nefertem, the goddess has never beenknown for patience and interfered directly. The Blessed Brethren swelled to prodigioussize but were reduced to a rudimentary intelligence and an even shorter lifespan.Nefertem Care-Takers are assigned to the Brethren from birth to train them nearlyevery waking hour and guide them to trouble spots on the field of battle. During themass confusion after the Wilding, it took little persuasion to convince surroundingDwarven Clans that the Blessed Brothers were actually Rat Totems.

    CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    Blessed

    Brother

    15 10 - 13 3 3 3 4 22 -2 2 72

    Caretaker 14 10 - 15 3 1 1 3 20 -1 2 45

    Special Rules:

    Blessed Brethren are Immune to Fear.

    Blessed Brethren Cause Fear. For every attack Action spent in Close Combat, the Blessed Brother get 3 attacks

    (1 Gnaw at Damage 11 and 2 Mauls at 13 Damage). Caretakers have the Secondary Attack Special Ability.

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    7/46

    themselves down beforethe Gods in abjectworship, they gatheredin great undergroundmonasteries to praisedecay and develop ever-deadlier plagues toloose upon the world.They preach infection asthe highest form of beingand seek to convertevery living being to theWay of the Flea.

    Some of the Gods

    despaired for the act ofCreation and quit theworld, but otherspersevered and gave lifeto the Dwarves. Evenafter this success, someof the creators retireddespairingly. The QuraiNefertem struck quickly,infiltrating the

    abandoned DwarvenClans and using them ascover against the otherGods scrutiny.

    Combining their ancientknowledge and skillswith the strength andresilience of theDwarves, they slowly

    grew into a secretsociety of far-reachingpotential and massivepower.

    55

    EQUIPMENT:

    Caretakers are armed with two Swords.STRUCTURE:WARBAND1 Blessed Brother1 Care-TakerYou may purchase a Blessed Brethren Warband for every 500 points in your army.RECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:

    Harlequin: Giant Vermen Ogre or VerMogre and VerMen Hero or ChampionBlack Knight Games: Verminion Character

    Nefertem ArmyListNefertem ArmyListJARRI ARCHERSThe Jarri have lived on the surface world for generations as wandering clans of hiredkillers. Unlike the underground world, missiles are viable weapons and the Jarri striveto master them. They are regarded as demons in the Southern deserts for theirlightning-fast raids and black-fledged arrows killing with a scratch. With thereemergence of the Stygian, the Jarri have joined the rest of the Nefertem for onlytoken fees. The Gozu-Tenno, realizing the urgent need for elite missile troops, haspoured much of their wealth in securing Jarri commissions for years to come.

    CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    Jarri Archer 10 13 - 11 2 1 0 3 18 0 1 34

    Jarri ArcherLeader

    11 14 - 12 2 1 0 3 18 0 1 36

    Special Rules:

    NoneEQUIPMENT:Jarri Archers and Leaders are armed with a Diseased Bow.STRUCTURE:WARBAND2-4 Jarri Archers1 Jarri Archer LeaderRECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:Black Knight Games: Verminion ArchersHarlequin: Vermen Crossbows

    BRETHREN CHARIOT

    One of the highest ranks that Nefertem may hope to attain is that of the DivineRetribution Warriors, or Maahes. These veterans are rewarded by Sakhmet with an

    extended lifespan and are completely independent of all mortal authority. Theyfunction as traveling judges of religious law and have been known to subsume controlof Nefertem armies in the field. While the Prophets are the goddesss voice inpeacetime, the Maahes are her knife in war.

    CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    BrethrenChariot

    10 10 - 10 2 3 1 5 16 0 3 112

    Ma'ahesWarrior

    15 10 - 15 3 2 1 3 22 -2 1 -

    Jarri Archer 10 13 - 11 2 1 0 3 18 0 1 -

    Special Rules:

    The two Giant Rats each have a bite attack, Dam 7. The Chariot gives a +2 Armor bonus to the Maahes Warrior and Jarri Archer.

    If the Chariot is destroyed, the Maahes Warrior operates as an Individual and theJarri Archer becomes a one man Leaderless Warband.

    EQUIPMENT:

    The Maahes Warrior is armed with a Long Spear.The Jarri Archer is armed with a Diseased Bow.STRUCTURE:INDIVIDUAL1 Two Rat Chariot1 Maahes Warrior1 Jarri ArcherRECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:

    Black Knight Games: Verminion Rat Chariot with a Verminion Archer

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    8/46

    The Gozu-Tenno neverstopped hunting theStygian and otherenemies of Sakhmet.Persevering through theheavenly assaults, theybecame masters ofstealth and quickdiscrete strikes. By thetime the Stygian had allsealed themselves up inChaos Tombs, theGozu-Tenno were athinly-spread network

    spanning most of theknown world. In theirexploration, they cameacross resources ofgreat wealth that theyspend liberally. After all,they can always kill theircreditors and take theriches back. The near-fabled blue steel

    weapons of the Dwarvesare common in theGozu-Tenno ranks andelite mercenaries fromother Nefertem sub-cultures swell theirranks.

    Whether using othergroups as fronts, living

    deep underground, orwiping out anysettlement that havelearned of theirexistence, the Nefertemhave remained relatively

    PROPHET

    Most Nefertem are considered ancient at five years of age. Prophets are truly blessedby their goddess, for they are seemingly ageless; a handful of the most powerful claimto have been among the original Nefertem so many thousands of years ago. AnyNefertem managing to survive to his twentieth year is transformed by Sakhmet into awhite-furred Prophet, becoming a mouthpiece of the goddess and a powerful clanleader in his own right.

    CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    Prophet 10 10 15 13 3 2 0 3 20 1 1 45

    Special Rules:

    Prophets are Immune to Panic and Fear.

    Prophets may buy spells from the Prophecy list.EQUIPMENT:Prophets are armed with a Sword.STRUCTURE:INDIVIDUALYou may purchase one Prophet for every 1000 points in your army.RECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:Harlequin: VerMen Wizards, Verlock Skveek (Great VerMen Lord)Black Knight Games: Verminion Mage

    Nosophorus ArmyListNosophorus ArmyListWAR MONKS

    War Monks focus their worship on the pestilence aspect of Sakhmet and are violentlymissionary. Their efforts to convert a population tends to begin with a flood of plague-carrying rats, airborne pests and crop diseases. Once an area has been thus preparedfor the Word, the War Monks descend en masse. The Deacons, pummelingunbelievers with their spiked censer bearers and blinding them with choking fumesprecede them in battle. Supported by a Standard of Corruption trailing clouds of fliesand the jarring rhythm of their Musicians drums, the War Monks are truly a holy terror.

    CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    War Monk 13 10 - 15 2 1 0 3 18 -1 1 24

    War Deacon 13 10 - 15 2 1 0 3 18 -1 138

    StandardBearer

    13 10 - 15 2 1 0 3 18 -1 1 55

    Musician 13 10 - 15 2 1 0 3 18 -1 1 57

    Special Rules:

    War Monks, Standard Bearers and Musicians are Revolting and have the Berserkand Secondary Attack Special Abilities.

    War Deacons are Revolting and have the Berserk Special Ability.EQUIPMENT:War Monks are armed with two Serrated Knives.War Deacons are armed with a Censer of Pestilence.Standard Bearers are armed with two Serrated Knives and the Standard of Corruption.Musicians are armed with two Serrated Knives and the Drums of Panic.STRUCTURE:

    WARBAND4-8 War Monks2-4 Censer Bearers** You may purchase 1 Censer Bearer for every 2 War Monks you purchase.Up to 1 Standard BearerUp to 1 MusicanRECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:

    Harlequin: VerMonks and VerPriestsBlack Knight Games: Verminion with Standard

    CHALICEBEARER CREWThe most effective way to quickly consecrate an area and its inhabitants is by forcedbaptism. The Chalicebearers spray determined defenders with virulent germs andviruses, acidic bile and poison as the liquid medium; those who arent immediately slainare truly reborn as boils, sores and cancerous growths erupt from them. The Chalice isincredibly inaccurate, but all the better for spreading the beauty of plague.

    66

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    9/46

    77

    CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    ChaliceBearer

    13 13 - 13 2 1 1 3 22 0 1 82

    Special Rules:

    You may not buy more Chalice Bearer Crews than you have other Warbands. The Chalice Bearer Crew works as a team and must remain in be contact to

    operate efficiently. If the begin their turn in base contact with each other, theymay expect Actions simultaneously in order to Move or Fire.

    If the Chalice Bearer Crew uses an Action to Move, it may not Fire that turn. The Chalice uses the Flame Template.

    The Chalice must be fired as a missile weapon and may not be used in CloseCombat.

    The Chalice Bearer Crew must separate to Charge, Countercharge or Dive forCover.

    If a fumble is rolled while firing the Chalice, center the template on the crew andcalculate victims and damage as normal. If one of the crew is dead or separated,a fumble occurs on a roll of 18-20.

    EQUIPMENT:

    The Chalice Bearer Crew are armed with the Chalice and Swords.STRUCTURE:WARBAND2 CrewRECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:Harlequin: VerBurna Team

    BISHOPWorshipping disease is not a practice for the weak. Between the daily handling ofplague vectors, the research and development of new diseases and fighting in thenever-ending holy wars, any Nosophorus who lives to his fourth year is unbelievablyrare and probably destined to join the ranks of the Bishops. Tools of Sakhmetspestilence aspect just as Prophets and Maahes are of her vengeance aspect, Bishopshave reached a symbiotic relationship with their countless infections and have grownunbearably strong. Fierce in close combat with both sword and barbed tail, they mayeven issue sicknesses to hinder and weaken their enemies.

    CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    Bishop 14 10 13 15 2 2 2 3 20 -2 1 57

    Special Rules:

    Bishops are Revolting.

    Bishops have the Berserk Special Ability. However, they do not suffer the normal-4 penalty to Armor, they lose their Def modifier instead.

    Bishops have the Secondary Attack Special Ability. Bishops have prehensile barbed tails that they use to grasp their enemies. If the

    tail hits, the Bishop may spend an Action to crush its opponent, both making aStrength test. If the Bishop wins, the victim takes a Wound. The victim may donothing other than attempt to Break Away. However, if he Breaks Awaysuccessfully, he is still in CC and must make a further Break Away test if it wishesto move away. Bishops have a 360-degree attack arc with their tail and mayattack models up to 2 inches away.

    Bishops may buy spells from the Plague list.EQUIPMENT:

    Bishops are armed with a Sword.STRUCTURE:INDIVIDUALYou may purchase one Bishop for every 1000 points in your army.RECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:Harlequin: VerMen Wizards, Verlock Skveek, Plague WizardBlack Knight Games: Verminion Mage

    Qurai ArmyListQurai ArmyListLESSER BRETHRENThe Gods had abandoned the Rat Clan long before the Wilding. Though this protectedthem against the ravages of the Wilding, they were never able to develop full-fledgedKeepers. Through observation of the other Clans, however, the Rat Clan Herders havepicked up the basics. They are now constantly accompanied and protected

    unnoticed andunmolested by the otherraces. Not so withthemselves, however.Internecine conflict is rife

    between the variousfactions and sub-cultures. The fightingfinally reached such apitch that it threatened touncover the Nefertem tothe world when the Daysof Dread came. Takenby surprise, theNefertem were badly

    hurt by the Devoutexplosion and were slowto react. In theconfusion, smallnumbers of Nefertemwere discovered by theother races, mistaken asa new Devout menaceand wiped out.

    It took twenty-one years,seven full generations ofthe Nefertem, for theProphets to quell the in-fighting and unite thehordes. Great Maaheswarriors had returnedand readied theNefertem for battle.Sakhmet herselfchallenged the Dark One

    to distract his full attentionfrom the Nefertemcampaign to restore thestatus quo. . Just as thehordes began to advance,

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    10/46

    88

    unswervingly by dozens of the Lesser Brethren, man-sized rats who serve as labor andpets for the Nefertem.

    CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    LesserBrethren

    13 10 - 10 2 1 0 5 15 -1 1 17

    Rat ClanHandler

    13 10 - 13 3 1 2 3 22 -2 1 40

    Special Rules: Lesser Brethren all have the Group Attack Special Ability.

    Lesser Brethren do not need to make Morale Tests as long as the Musician isalive.

    Lesser Brethren have a bite attack, Dam 7.EQUIPMENT:Rat Clan Herders are armed with a Sword.STRUCTURE:WARBAND4-12 Lesser Brethren1 Rat Clan HerderRECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:Harlequin: Giant Rat PackHeartbreaker: Wolf Clan Legion Leader

    ARQUEBUS TEAM

    Nefertem, being mainly parasitic society, are not known for inspired breakthroughs inscience or the arts. However, they have an enormously long racial history to draw onand excel at synthesizing ideas from separate sources into a cohesive whole. TheArquebus Team is one of their greatest achievements, combining the blowguns of theSwamp Goblins, fireworks of the Blackblood Empire, blue steel of the Dwarves andmobile missile troops of the Elves. Essentially a stripped-down primitive cannon, theTeams consist of a Trigger-Hand to aim and a Steady-Hand to brace. The Arquebus istoo unwieldy to be aimed and shot by a single Nefertem, so the Teams are extremelyvulnerable to casualties. The Qurai are not known for being crack troopers, preferringto fire on foes that cannot respond in kind.

    CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    Trigger-Hand

    15 10 - 11 2 1 1 3 20 0 1 36

    Steady-Hand

    15 10 - 11 2 1 1 3 20 0 1 35

    Special Rules:Arquebus Teams may only fire once a turn.Arquebus Teams require two models in base contact to fire.EQUIPMENT:Trigger-Hands are armed with an Arquebus and Sling.Steady-Hands are armed with a Sword and Shield.STRUCTURE:WARBAND1-4 Trigger-Hands1-5 Steady-HandsRECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:Harlequin: VerGunna Team

    ARCHIVIST

    The Qurai were always great schemers and have a great love for gossip andinformation, no matter how trivial. When they first infested the Rat Clan, they dug greatconcealed storerooms and therein stored every scrap of knowledge and stray inventionthey could lay their paws on. A special caste was created to live in and care for thesesecret caverns, the Archivists. Sheltered from the disease and violence rife within themajority of Nefertem, the Archivists enjoy longer lives and spend this time absorbing

    data and tinkering with the machinery. They have perfected a number of technologiesat great expense to the Clan, a debt that they are paying off by applying these gadgetsin a battlefield role. Though lacking any extensive combat training, their miniaturearquebuses and smoke bombs keep them safe at a distance. These combined withtheir ball lightning generators and other strange weapons, make them as deadly as anylegitimate spell-caster.

    however, they wereimmediately thrown intodisarray. The One Kinghad awoken the Stygian!

    Distracted by Sakhmetschallenge, the Dark Onewas unable to direct hisarmies. Stygian rushingto engage the Nefertemcrashed into the Devoutattempting to face theNefertem. The Nefertemwisely withdrew, leaving

    the Devout and Stygianto weaken each other.Nefertem spies plantedinformation to increasethe unity of the surfaceraces against theStygian and the Devoutinterlopers, but weresoon enraged by theirweakness and theirpathetic rallying aroundthe living God of theFirstborn. Such hubriscould not gounchallenged and theNefertem have nowarisen as both thenewest and oldest playerin the Byzantine politcsof Chronopia.

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    11/46

    99

    NefertemNefertemArmoryArmory

    CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    Archivist 13 13 14 14 3 2 0 3 20 0 1 57

    Special Rules:

    Archivists are Immune to Panic and Fear Archivists may replace either member of an Arquebus Team that has sufferedcasualties. The Archivist may not cast spells while doing so. Archivists may buy spells from the Archivist list

    EQUIPMENT:Archivists are armed with a Pistol.STRUCTURE:INDIVIDUALYou may purchase one Archivist for every 1000 points in your army.RECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:Harlequin: VerMen Wizards, Verlock SkveekBlack Knight Games: Verminion Mage

    Gozu-Gozu-Tenno ArmyListTenno ArmyListTHUGEESThe Gozu-Tenno still concern themselves almost exclusively with hunting down andutterly destroying Sakhmets enemies. The hunting down and rousting out of theseenemies falls to the more-than-capable Thugees. Falling upon defenders through

    routes believed secure, Thugees and Swordmasters slay all those who dare to fight asthe crack-shot Slingers and Netmasters down those who wisely flee.

    CC MW PW LD AC W ST MV A Def S Cost

    Thugee 14 10 - 10 2 1 0 3 18 -1 1 25ThugeeSlinger

    14 13 - 10 2 1 0 3 18 -1 1 31

    ThuggeSwordmaster

    14 10 - 10 2 1 0 3 18 -2 1 29

    ThugeeNetmaster

    14 15 - 10 2 1 0 3 18 -1 1 35

    ThuggeAssassin

    16 10 - 13 3 1 0 2 20 -2 1 39

    Special Rules:

    All Thugees have the Outmanuever Special Ability.

    All Thugees have the Hunter Special Ability. The Thugee Swordmaster has the Secondary Attack Special Ability.

    The Thugee Assassin has the Feint Special Ability.EQUIPMENT:Thugees are armed with a Sword.Thugee Slingers are armed with a Sword and a Sling.Thugee Swordmasters are armed with two Swords.Thugee Netmasters are armed with a Sword and a Net.Thugee Assassins are armed with a Poisoned Blue Steel Sword.STRUCTURE:WARBAND4-7 Thugees and/or Thugee SlingersUp to 2 Thugee Swordmasters** You may purchase 1 Swordmaster for every 3 Thugees you purchase.Up to 1 Thugee NetmastersUp to 1 Thugee AssassinRECOMMENDED PROXY MODELS:Harlequin: VerMen Sewer Runners and AssassinBlack Knight Games: Verminion with Sword

    JARRI ARCHERSUse the same statistics and point cost as the Jarri Archers in the Nefertem Army list.

    APDEMAATAfter the Thugees locate prey, the Apdemaat brings it down. Their name implies thatthey are living embodiments of Sakhmets judgement upon mortal life. If any know thesecrets of the Apdemaat, they are either silent or silenced. What is whispered of is thedeadly skill of these stealthy assassins. Several reports have come from armiesforewarned of Stygian ambushes by eviscerated Tree Devil corpses and nearly adozen Nightwalkers have gone missing recently while probing the Labyrinth.

    Serrated KnifeSingle Handed Weapon

    CR MX RM DAMCC 7

    SwordSingle Handed Weapon

    CR MX RM DAM

    CC 9

    Poisoned Blue Steel SwordSingle Handed Weapon

    CR MX RM DAMCC 10x2

    SpearTwo Handed Polearm

    CR MX RM DAMCC 11

    HalberdTwo Handed Polearm

    CR MX RM DAM

    CC 14

    Long SpearTwo-Handed Polearm

    CR MX RM DAMCC 12

    Censer of PestilenceTwo Handed Weapon; Uses BoulderTemplate, may hit wielder

    CR MX RM DAMCC 2 10

    ChaliceRanged Template Weapon; uses theFlame Template; continuous damage

    CR MX RM DAM6 12 -3 14

    SlingMissile Weapon

    CR MX RM DAM12 18 -3 6

    Diseased Bow/Arrow

    Missile Weapon/Single Handed WeaponCR MX RM DAM16/CC 24 -4 7x2/6

    PistolMissile Weapon; usable in CC

    CR MX RM DAM8 12 -5 10

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    12/46

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    13/46

    ARCHIVIST SPELLS

    Smoke Bomb

    Cost:10; Range:LOS 24; Level: 2; Actions:1; Save: YesEffect: The affected Unit has its LOS reduced to 6 until the Archivists next activation.Bal l Lightning

    Cost:15; Range:LOS 18; Level: 2; Actions:2; Save: YesEffect: Ball lightning arcs from model to model, affecting them as a Damage 14 boltwith a maximum range of 18 from the Archivist.

    Elemental RiftCost:18; Range:LOS 20; Level: 4; Actions:3; Save: YesEffect: Essentially the same as the Devout Warped Lord spell: Vortex.Cracks Cal l

    Cost:24; Range:Personal; Level: 4; Actions:3; Save: YesEffect: Place a Chasm template with one end touching the Archivist. All models

    touched (other than the Archivist) must make a LD test or fall in and areremoved from the board. The template stays on the board and may only becrossed by models with the Leap and/or Climb Special Abilities.

    peca especa esDisguiseA model with this ability is not deployedwith the rest of its Warband. A basicmodel of that unit type is added instead.At any time during the game, the playermay switch any model in the Warband

    with the Disguised model. This does notcost an Action to perform and does notautomatically Activate the model.

    RevoltingA model that is revolting is so hideousthat is draws shudders from those notaccustomed to looking upon itssickening visage. Revolting modelsmay ignore the Feint Special Ability andcause their enemies to suffer -1 to hit inCC.

    1111

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    14/46

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    15/46

    1313

    BATTLEBATTLE

    REPORTREPORT

    The first battle report for this issue features a game that I picked upseveral years ago, in fact my wife bought it for me almost nine yearsago. Mecha! is a very fast moving game of giant robot combat thatwas originally published by 7th Street Games and is now availablethrough Flagship Games at www.flagshipgames.com

    Even though this is a battle report and not a review of the game I'llgive you all a little overview of how things work since this may be yourfirst exposure to Mecha! You make an Initiative roll each turn. If youwin you get to power up and take actions, if not.well, I hope youhave leftover energy for defensive action. You can only win Initiativetwice in a row and if you won last turn your opponent gets a bonus tohis roll. With that said, you can see how the action can get fast andfurious and things can go BOOM rather quickly.

    I've drafted Christopher Carr, you'll remember him as my opponent inthe Warzone battle report from the debut issue, and enticed him to sitdown and play a game of Mecha! It didn't take me long, Chris is a bigfan of this game and will take just about any excuse to sit down andplay a game. Our objective: blow up all of the other guy's toys of

    course!

    Chris and I decided to play a 1500 point gamewith stock mechs from the Mecha! rulebook, butno powersuits (think Dreadnoughts andWarwalkers in Warhammer 40K, HurricaneWalkers and Eradicator Deathdroids in Warzone,etc) were allowed. In Mecha!, the mechsthemselves can be your standard humanoidwalking tons o' fun, battle tanks (surface andhover versions) and aerospace fighters. You caneven take vehicles that can transform from onetype of vehicle into another. We would be playingon a 4' x 8' game table with moderate, but notheavy, amounts of intervening terrain.

    Mark's Magnificent Menagerie of Mechs

    The first mech that I'll be taking will form thebackbone of my force: The Imperial Destroid. Ithas two crewmembers, two ranged weapons anda butt-load of missile pods. It's kind of light onarmor, but it has a force shield so if I can keep thebad guys in front of me I should be ok. TheImperial Destroid sets me back 400 points.

    Next on the block is the Snapshot. It's a battle

    tank with a long range multiple ROF gun that

    could be a bit more powerful, but it's fast and hasa good number of missile pods so there goes 400more points.

    Ok, with 700 points left to spend I have a fewoptions. I can take a super heavy mech,which will cost 600 points and then throw 100points out the windownot too likely! I can pickup a couple of mid-grade mechs, like the onesthat I already have, or I can go for some lightermechs and hope to outnumber and outmaneuverChris.

    I decided to go with a couple of mid-sized mechsand pick up the Dagger, which has decent regulararmor and a few missiles an no gun at all. On theother hand, literally, is a force weapon that willshred enemy mechs.

    With 400 points to go I am tempted to grabanother Imperial Destroid, but their lack of armorworries me a bit and I decide to grab the Eagleinstead. It has decent armor and a shield, arespectable ranged weapon and a good numberof missiles.

    MECH Class System Regular Heavy Main WeaponIntegrity Armor Armor Dam/Range/ROF

    Imperial Destroid Mid 20 1 0 4d6/60"/1 (x2)Snapshot Mid 16 2 0 2d6/50"/2 (2 in battery)Dagger Light 15 3 0 1 Missile PodEagle Mid 20 3 0 4d6/40"/1

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    16/46

    1414

    MECH Class System Regular Heavy Main WeaponIntegrity Armor Armor Dam/Range/ROF

    Marauder Super Heavy 30 3 2 5d6/60"/1 (x2)Eagle Mid 20 3 0 4d6/40"/1Lancer Light 8 2 2 1d6/40"/2

    Hardpoint Slave 10 1 1 4 Missile Pods

    maximum amount allowed. Its guns are puny(1d6 of damage each), it hardly has any missiles,and it lacks the dodge ability. This mech isdefinitely not taking anyone done alone, but itsports more armor than the Eagle. The Lancer is

    intended to be the bullet sink for the eagle. It cansoak up shots, and might even finish off adamaged mech. Who knows: it might roll a criticalon its puny guns. The Lancer was a hundredpoints cheaper costing only 300 points. Witha mere 200 points left over I went looking forslaves. Slave robots are small and very fragile.They must be assigned to a non-slave mech to tellit what to do. The Hardpoint would do just fine. Ithas a mere 2 points of armor plus a shield so itwould probably fall to one turn of firing, but it hasa 3d6 damage gun. My baby slave can deal outmore damage than the Lancer. I decided toassign Hardpoint to Marauder because if yourmaster mech dies the slave shuts down for a bit.ThereI am done. Two fast moving mechs toflank and a hard to kill mech with a baby to anchora flank.

    Christopher's Cavalcade of Colossal Carnage

    AKA - Volvo's, theyre boxy, but theyre good.

    When I select mechs for Mecha I try to come upwith mission specific designs. Given my

    unfamiliarity with the strength of hand-to-handcombat I decided on a ranged combat force. Myanchor for my entire team would be one massivesuper-heavy. For this job I chose the Marauder.With five points of armor plus a shield it could takea lot of shots and still dish out punishment. Thirtypoints of system integrity allow it to fire both of itshuge guns (5d6 damage) and still be able to moveand defend itself comfortably. The other point tolook at was that it had 6 missile pods and 1 fullbay of missiles. That comes out to be 40 missilesin all if my opponent leaves something in the

    open. At 600 points this took up almost half of mytotal points. The only flaw in the Marauder is thefact that it is slow. To counteract this I chose arelatively fast mech, the Eagle, to help keep theenemy from out maneuvering my troops. TheEagle can move up to sixteen inches on the

    ground. With twenty point of energy the Eagle canmove all sixteen inches, fire its 4d6 weapon andstill be able to dodge. It too has a decent chanceof survival as it has three points of armor plus ashield. I believe in durability. The Eagle cost 400points so I have 500 left to spend. Next I choseanother fast mech to run beside the Eagle. Forthis role I selected the Lancer. It is a surfacevehicle, a.k.a. a tank, which has a one-turnmovement of 40. Can you say Indy car material?Its drawback is its low system integrity. It onlyhas three energy points left if it moves the

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    17/46

    TURN 1TURN 1

    Since I won the roll to determine sidesI also win control on the first turn.

    CONTROL PHASE: Mark

    MISSILE PHASE: No action taken

    MOVEMENT PHASE:

    Dagger - Skims forward over tosome more cover.

    Eagle - Runs towards the center ofthe board, but still finds coverbehind some rocks.

    Snapshot- Decides to move out intoLOS of the Marauder and so hecan take a shot.

    Destroid - Being careful not toexpose himself he moves upclose to the Snapshot.

    RANGED COMBAT PHASE:

    Snapshot - Unloads on theMarauder who manages tododge the incoming shot.Dammit!

    TURN 2TURN 2

    Chris lost the control roll last turn sohe receives a bonus to his roll thistime around. He wins and his mechspower up while mine pucker up.

    CONTROL PHASE: Chris

    MISSILE PHASE:

    Marauder- Goes postal and unloadsall of his missiles in a Deathwindattack at the Snapshot. Fortymissiles come streaking at thetank, which is able to reduce thenumber by five through defensivemissile fire. Of the thirty-fivemissiles that clear the attritionzone sixteen slam into the tankand leave it a smoking pile ofjunk.

    MOVEMENT PHASE:

    Marauder - Sits still as he is running

    at negative power right now dueto the Deathwind attack.

    Lancer - Skims on over by theEagle.

    Eagle - Moves over a bit. Hardpoint - Moves up in front of the

    Marauder.

    1515

    DEPLOYMENT AND TURN 1DEPLOYMENT AND TURN 1

    TURNS 2 AND 3TURNS 2 AND 3

    RANGED COMBAT PHASE:

    None.

    Ok, well I guess that's what I get forsticking it out there right at the start ofthe game. It certainly was a risk, buthad I won the control roll it's prettylikely that Chris would be one mechdown right now instead of me. Ofcourse, I could have played it safe andnot rushed in like a bull in a chinashop.

    TURN 3TURN 3

    Ok, now it's my turn to get the bonusto the control roll and it does meabsolutely no good whatsoever! Argh!Losing control two turns in a rowguarantees me getting it next turn.

    CONTROL PHASE: Chris

    The grey areas are mountain elevations. The dark green areas are wooded sections.The solid brown area is an undamaged large building and the fuzzy brown areas are

    former buildings that are now rubble.

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    18/46

    1616

    turn 3 continued.

    MISSILE PHASE:

    As Chris has no targets in LOS thereis no missile fire this turn.

    MOVEMENT PHASE:

    Marauder - Moves up towards thebuilding that is still standing. I'msure that a huge mechanizedbattlebot moving to use theirhome as cover must be quitereassuring to any residents stillthere.

    Lancer - He heads over towards thecorner of the play area behindsome mountains.

    Eagle - Ditto. Hardpoint - Follows the leader, the

    Marauder.

    RANGED COMBAT PHASE:

    None.

    Knowing that he'll automatically losecontrol for turn 4 Chris wisely tried totake up positions of increased cover,while still trying to get himself intostriking range if he is lucky enough towin control for turn 5. TURNS 4 AND 5TURNS 4 AND 5

    TURN 4TURN 4

    CONTROL PHASE: Mark

    (Automatically, no roll needed).

    MISSILE PHASE: No action taken

    MOVEMENT PHASE:

    Dagger- Flies towards the center ofthe board while trying to makesure that he cannot get picked offif I lose control next turn.

    Eagle- Moves up a bit and gets LOSon the Marauder.

    Destroid - Moves up towards therubble of a previously destroyedblock of low-rent housing.

    RANGED COMBAT PHASE:

    Eagle- In addition to being at prettylousy range for the gun that theEagle is using the Marauder is

    also dodging. Guess whatImiss.

    Not a whole lot of action, but I had totry and reposition my mechs to getsome offense going while minimizinghow open I left myself.

    RANGED COMBAT PHASE:

    Destroid - Takes two shots at theMarauder and manages to hitonce (ok, we're doing betternow), but causes no damage due

    to the Marauder's thick armor.On the upside I do manage toblow off two dice worth of HeavyArmor

    HTH COMBAT PHASE:

    Dagger - I power up my energyweapon and try to pretend thatI'm Mike Tyson about to waylay ameddling reporter and I miss.

    Ever wonder what a deer feels like asa pickup full of liquored-up redneckscome barreling through the woods?I'd bet that my mech pilots know that

    feeling.

    TURN 5TURN 5

    CONTROL PHASE: Mark!

    Holy Cow! Ok, now here is mychance to begin to turn things around.I power up and get ready to go towork.

    MISSILE PHASE:

    Eagle - He unloads all four of hismissile pods, twenty missiles inall, at the Marauder. Elevenmanage to hit, but fail to causeany damage because my dicehave been cursed by the BlairWitch!

    MOVEMENT PHASE:

    Dagger- Charges into hand-to-handcombat with Chris' Eagle.

    Eagle- Doesn't move and hopes thatthe Marauder didn't notice themissiles that just came his way.

    He's not moving because he'sout of power right now, notbecause he's scared or anything.

    Destroid- Gets up behind the rubbleand sets his sights on theMarauder.

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    19/46

    1717

    TURN 6TURN 6

    CONTROL PHASE: Chris.

    MISSILE PHASE:

    None.

    MOVEMENT PHASE:

    Eagle - He turns around to face theDagger that just whiffed.

    Lancer - He backs up and turns toface the Dagger.

    Marauder - Gets completely behindthe building.

    Hardpoint - Moves up behind theMarauder and gets into as muchcover behind the building aspossible.

    RANGED COMBAT PHASE:

    Lancer - He shoots at the Daggerand somehow misses.

    Eagle - Takes two shots at theDagger and hits twice. TheDagger turns on his force screenand by some strange twist of fateI take no damage from the shots.Everything kind of twists back theother way as a critical hit causesa pod of missiles that the Daggeris carrying to explode in the bay,destroying the mech. "Yes, thatis a missile in my pants, and noI'm not happy to see you."

    Marauder - He takes two shots atthe Eagle and hits twice andcauses a critical hit, but no directdamage is caused. The critical

    hit reduces the armor of themech and blows off his shield.

    TURN 8TURN 8

    CONTROL PHASE: Mark.

    MISSILE PHASE:

    None.

    MOVEMENT PHASE:

    Well, since the end is upon me Idecide to pull a Kamikaze and chargeright out in front of the Marauder.They only chance I have now is to hurtthe Marauder and win control nextturn.

    RANGED COMBAT PHASE:

    Destroid - Shoots twice, hits twice,and it all bounces due to theMarauder's force screen andarmor.

    TURNS 6 AND 7TURNS 6 AND 7

    TURN 7TURN 7

    CONTROL PHASE: Chris.

    MISSILE PHASE:

    Hardpoint- Dumps a pod of missilesinto the Eagle and causes 14points of damage and a criticalhit which rips off some armor anddestroys his ranged weapon.

    MOVEMENT PHASE:

    Marauder - Moves up to the cornerof the building.

    Hardpoint- Follows the Marauder. Lancer - Moves towards the center

    of the board. Eagle- Same as the Lancer.

    RANGED COMBAT PHASE:

    Marauder - He takes two moreshots at the Eagle and justdismantles the enemy mech.Oh, so very dead.

    TURN 8TURN 8

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    20/46

    1818

    TURN 9TURN 9

    CONTROL PHASE: Chris.

    MISSILE PHASE:

    Both the Lancer and Eagle launch aDeathwind missile attack that tearsthe Destroid apart. In addition tomassive damage it also suffers acritical hit that causes missiles in apod to explode in the launch bay.

    MOVEMENT PHASE:

    All of Chris' mechs prance arounddoing the happy dance afterobliterating the last of my mechs.

    AFTERMATH

    Chris - The success of the Yuppies

    Well the Volvo was the car of choice

    for the 80s for a reason. My choice ofthe super heavy allowed me to takefull advantage of Marks mistake onturn 1. He took a gamble by leavinghis tank in the open and hoped that hewould win the next initiative. Evenlosing it I do not believe he thoughtthat I would deathwind attack. Thiswas maximized by the fact that he hadvery little or no power left after hemoved. I realized that if I destroyedhim I was in a position where I couldnot be attacked next turn. After sucha spectacular turn I out-pointed Markby a couple hundred points. Mytactics worked. The Marauder took up

    a firing position that added more diceto its already massive armor. TheHardpoint stayed close by to be usedif necessary. The two fast movingmechs stayed together, andexperienced a very close call in theform of a close combat attack. HadMark succeeded in destroying theEagle the turn he charged we wouldhave both had 3 untouched mechsand he would be back in the running.With a miss I simply backed up withboth mechs and had him stare downthe business end of my weapons. Helit up like a Ford hit in the fuel tank.Losing a second mech was easily thenail in the coffin. Another missile

    attack and a few shots from theMarauder and a third mech fell, butnot before it did some damage toMarauder. Still a four on one was aforgone conclusion, and my fastmechs raced across the board to helpgang up on the survivor. In hindsightthe first turn kill was crucial. As I

    stated before, when picking mechschoosing some with lots of missilesjust to execute the deathwind is agood idea. Remember that if you waitfor the perfect opportunity to use it,

    you just missed it. Yes there isdanger in it (you could be shut downfor a turn or two), yes it is lesseffective than single firing the missiles(lacks the overwhelm effect), but manit is devastating when it is pulled off.My rule of thumb is if it looks remotelygood (i.e. he is in the open) take it.The fact that one of Marks remainingthree mechs had absolutely no gunsexasperated the problem of an earlyloss. Anyway, it was a good game.The game really lives up to its animestyle heritage, and I hope to playagain sometime soon. Perhaps nexttime we will make our own mechs. Ican see it nowthe return of theNissan

    Mark - A view from my hospital

    room.

    Nurse, may I have my chainsawenema now please? Ouch, what abeating! I can see that my severedrubbing can be attributed to a coupleof things: luck, dice, and mechselection. You can toss out the firsttwo right off the bat as either of uscould have had bad dice and luck cango either way or no way at all. Neitherof those are reasonable excuses.Had I won initiative on the turn after

    sticking my tank out there to be seenChris could have been one mechdown and had a slave with no masterquite easily. It was a chance, I took it,and I have to live and die with it. Asfar as dice go, blaming the loss of agame on die rolls may seemreasonable, but I'd rather not.

    Everyone has good and bad dice. I'veseen die rolls swing back and forththrough the course of a game andhow you react to these swings mattersa lot. This, along with my mech

    selection helped do me in. TheDestroid was probably a bad choiceas it had no real staying power.Having one heavy hand-to-hand mechwith no combat partner might haveworked well if I could pick off lonemechs, but Chris was smart enough tokeep his guys in pairs, I was not.Congrats to Chris on a well foughtbattle and I hope to play again soon.With a different result, of course!

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    21/46

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    22/46

    2 02 0

    THE SLAVE PIT

    Xavier [email protected]

    In the last article, I talked aboutmaking a dwarf standard bearerfrom a Dark Axe miniature. Themini's axe was removed and a1/16

    th inch tube pipe was installed

    in its place and a tassel wasadded. In addition, the unit useda 20mm square base instead orthe default circular base that iscommon to Chronopia models. InPart II we will now add severalstandards, three to be exact. Feelfree to add as many or as few asyou like. The good thing about

    this modular standard bearer isthat you can add standards instages and not have to do a lot ofre-work to make this miniaturelook totally different.

    Well in part two I will explainmyself. See, I play two gamesystems Chronopia andWarhammer. I have playedWarhammer off an on for morethan a decade. During that time, Ihave been pretty faithful to onearmy, and that is the Bretonnianarmy. Yet for years I have had a

    strong affinity towards theDwarven army, and often thoughtof starting up a Dwarf army.However I am really a one armyperson so I decided to stick withBretonnia, the land of Honor andChivalry.

    When I was introduced toChronopia, I saw the opportunityto get a fresh start and build aDwarven army. So of I went on abuying spree, trying to collect allof the Dwarven units that I could.Unfortunately, by the time I had afull army Chronopia, in San Diegoanyway, had completely died.This happened even beforeTarget had any financial issues.This left me in an awkwardsituation, I now had a Dwarvenwith nobody to play Chronopiawith.

    Now I was faced with a problem,to me tabletop gaming is all aboutthe miniatures. It was Citadel'sminiature lines that got me startedwith Warhammer and it wasTarget's miniatures that got me

    playing Chronopia. Now I knowthat this sounds really shallow,but if it was WAR gaming that Iwas into I would stick strictly withvideo games. In video games,nobody whines about cheesyarmies, if you have LOS or not, orargues about some weird ruleinterpretation. In video game ifyou unit dies, its dead.

    I had an army for a game systemthat I no longer played. However,I really liked the miniatures. I wasreluctant to sell my Dwarven armyfor scrap pieces and I knew that Iwould not ever meet someonehere in San Diego that still playedChronopia.

    After some though, I came up withwhat I thought was a great idea, Iwould give my Dwarven army adual role. These armies would be

    easily converted back and forthfrom Warhammer and Chronopia.So from that point on all newDwarven units would use the20x20mm base, a base that isneeded for Warhammer gaming.

    Also my standard will be modularenough that I could change thestandards depending on whatRune banner I take or what gamesystem I am playing.

    That was what lead to the birth ofthe Dark Tusk standard bearer.

    A Bit of Philosophy AboutCreating Standards:

    Many people have opinion onwhat they consider be a trulypainted miniature. Some peoplefeel you can only take credit forpainting a model only if youpainted every detail by hand, andthat using decals is alsoconsidered 'cheating'. On theother side of the camp, somepeople feel that buying paintedminiatures from eBay or somepainting service is a perfectly legit

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    23/46

    2 02 02 12 1

    process for fielding nicely paintedminiatures on the battle ground.

    I really do not have an opinion onthis matter. I have more of apractice than anything. Thatpractice is what ever makes the

    hobby fun. For me convertingand painting models is more funthan playing the game itself, so Iwill never buy pre-paintedminiatures. I do not use decals,because I do not like any decalsthat exist today. As for standards,I have painted my own fromscratch, photocopied b/w copiesof images and then added color tothem, and I have even printedthem straight from a computerimage. The latter is a technique Iused, for the first time, whenwriting this article. The advantage

    here is that one can save a largeamount of time by modifying anexisting picture, and have asubstantially different standard. Ifone chose to paint all of theirstandards they will findthemselves painting everystandard each time, even if theywant a similar look across thearmy. However, going back to mystandard practice list above, if thatis what is fun for you, then keepon doing it.

    Now lets get back to the article ofcreating a multipurpose standardbearer.

    Theme:

    There are there are three themesI wanted this unit to represent.The first theme was to representthe Dark Tusk Clan. For thesecond theme, I wanted atraditional Dwarven image.Something that represented theDwarves true spirit andphilosophy. For final theme I

    wanted a standard that wouldrepresent my interpretation of theDwarven culture. Mind you, Ihave not spent years, days oreven hours pontificating on whatthe true essence of the Dwarvenculture is. However, I have readenough about Dwarves to know

    That there is something morethan just greed and grudges.

    The first theme was easy. TheDark-Tusk emblem (seen above)can be found in almost anyChronopia literature, copying theicon and printing out a standardwas done in a mater of minutes.

    The second theme was a bit moredifficult. I spent hours on theInternet looking for a saying thatwould really sounds Dwarven,and not too clich. I finally cameacross a Latin saying

    FORTI ET FIDELI NIHILDIFFICILE

    which translates in English to "Tothe brave and faithful, nothing isdifficult." I knew instantly thiswould be the phrase I would use.This phrase truly summarizes the

    Dwarven philosophy in just a fewwords. I could just picture a

    towering "Army" standard with thisline written on it. All Dwarveseyes gazing on it for inspiration onthe battlefield, all enemies' eyesshivering on it, for fear of whattwisted Dwarven thought itrepresented. The next task wasto find a font that would lookDwarven. I finally settled on thefont "ElectroHarmonic" whichsound more futuristic than it looks.The next step was to look for asymbol that represented strengthand discipline for Dwarvenculture. So I looked at myDwarven miniatures trying to findthe most intimidating miniature inmy collection. As I picked him upand stuck him right under mynose, for further inspection, Inoticed he was wielding a mightywarhammer, yes that would be it.The symbol would be awarhammer. I would addwarhammer on the top of the

    standard (see section parts to seehow I came up with this wonderful

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    24/46

    2 22 2

    idea) and a painted warhammer inthe middle of the banner.

    The last task was to find an imagethat would make this unit standout anywhere, and yet lookDwarven. However the most

    important goal was to create astandard that reflected myinterpretation of the Dwarvenculture. The astute reader wouldhave noticed that each of the lasttwo standards complimented theworld, which was defined by thecreators of Chronopia andWarhammer. This was mychance to make my Dwarvenarmy just that, mine. When mostpeople talk about the Dwarvesthey only mention their greed,grudge-fullness, beer drinkingability, their stubbornness, or the

    great fortresses that they build.No one really probes in into theirbeliefs or their tradition. I wantedthis standard to reflect theirmysticism, profound respect forheroes and loyalties to theirpatrons.

    So off I went this time and spentmany hours on the Internetlooking for the right image, then Ifinally found it. The basic imagewas a poster of the Lord of theRings, ironically I had bought thissame poster several years agoand have it tucked away in mygarage. The image had thecorrect foundation, it was darkand serious, and on the leftborder lied images of good and onthe right border lay images of evil.I removed the words lord of therings and replaced them with twowords "Life" and "Death" usingthe symbol fonts (Greek fonts)Life was written on the left sideand Death on the right side. I alsoremoved one of the heroes on thebottom left and added another

    dwarf hero. The centerpiece wassomething that I completely cameup with and will let the readerinterpret this for himself.

    Parts:

    For the standard I used astandard 1/16

    th of an inch pipe.

    was perfect for the Dark-Tuskstandard. Luckily I do not throwaway anything as they often proveto be useful later on. For thesecond standard I wasdesperately looking for a goodmantel piece, when by chance Ihappened to knock over a dwarfminiature that had a hammer onit. I cringed because I knew theminiature would break the secondit hit the ground. I picked up thehammer and was reaching for my

    supper-glue when I realized, heythis would make a perfectmantelpiece for my standard. Asfor the dwarf, who lost hishammer, he is now touting a newbattle-axe, which has not brokenyet. A wise choice indeed! Forthe last standard I went strait tomy Bretonnian bits box. With allthe variety of adornments theywear on their helms I knew itwould not be hard to find a perfectmatch for the standard. Afterlooking at all of the possibilities,my choice came down to a deerhead versus a dragon's head. Forsome reason, the deer head hada strong appeal to me, eventhough it did not look as nice asthe dragon head. After a fewminutes of thought I decided to gowith my gut feeling and use thedeer head.

    Mantels

    This was also the original sizethat was used for the dwarfstandard bearer in Part I. For themantels of the standard I lookedin my bits box for something thatwould complement the theme ofthe standard. The Dark Tusk axe

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    25/46

    2 32 3

    Standards Under Construction

    they really make your army standout.

    There are so man ways to createstandards with today's technologyand today's global market.Standards can easily be

    photocopied, bought, and evenhand painted. There is no realreason why every unit should nothave a standard. Even a poorlyphotocopied standard looks betterthan the one that does not exist.You can start by photocopyingany of my standards.

    Just remember a unit without astandard is like an army without ageneral.

    If you have any samples youwould like to show me, or haveany questions/suggestions onwhat miniatures you would like tosee on the next article pleasesend an e-mail to

    Color Scheme for the standard:

    The body of the standards wouldbe red to match the Dark-Tuskstandard bearer. The mantelpieces where painted either goldor bronze.

    Assembling the standard:

    After the standard was painted Ithen glued on the standard usingregular white glue. Note, be sureto add a very light amount of glueor else the colors of the standardwill smear.

    Conclusion:

    As I stated in the last article,standard bearers are an importantpart of each army unit. Not only

    do they give you bonuses whenplaying games, but they give acustom look to each army andeach unit within the army. Also,

    [email protected]

    and

    [email protected]

    The author grants the reader theright to copy and use andstandards in this article forpersonal use.

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    26/46

    2 42 4

    Battle ReportBattle Report

    Welcome to what is likely to be thefirst of several Confrontation battlereports to grace the pages of FictionalReality.

    Until recently, the only way for USgamers to get Confrontation figureswas to either order them fromoverseas [Don't you just love the priceof airmailing lead from Europe?!?] orpaying through the nose when somefigs were auctioned off on eBay orYahoo. Ok, there's a third way, whichis trading with people who had the

    figures available where they lived inEurope. We even did this for a while,but you still get hit for the priceyshipping.

    Well, now the figs are available herein the US through New Wave MailOrder and aside from the rules beingin French, we told you where to get atranslated version last issue, there'sno reason not to sit down with some ofthese wonderful figs and tap intosomeone's vein.

    So, I hit up J. Michael Tisdel, who hasthe English translation of the rules onhis website, and asked if he'd like to

    throw some dice around and play agame of Confrontation. I think heactually agreed before I was done withmy question. For all he knew I wasasking if he wanted to play a game ofConfrontation for pink slips! Anyway,we decided on a 500-point game witha requirement that each and everyminiature that was going to be usedhad to be painted. That might notsound like the strictest stipulation inthe world, but Michael and I rarelyhave loads of time to just sit down andpaint, so this was some extraincentive. No paint - no play!

    I'll be slappingMichael aroundwith myBarbarians, orBarbares as theyare called inConfrontation. I've

    found them to be light on the missileend of things, but in hand-to-handthey are quite a formidable foe,

    especially with the likes of Minotaursand Centaurs bolstering the humantroops.

    Since there are no 'army lists' inConfrontation and you put togetheryour army from the cards that youhave, which will correspond to thefigures that you have purchased, allyou really need to do is pick the guysyou want and make sure that you areunder the agreed-upon point value forthe game.

    Oh, wait a second. Before we get toodeep into this let me say one thing.Michael and I worked separately ontranslations of the rules, cards, charts,etc, but by no means do weconsider them perfect so if we dosomething wrong and you catch itplease let us know. This battle reportis meant to give people who areinterested in Confrontation a taste ofwhat it's like to play the game. I hopewe accomplish that and you end upliking it as much as we do.

    Ok, back to the business at hand. I'lltake care of my heavy hitters first.These are the guys that I plan on

    winning the game with. My firstchoice was Baal the Conqueror. Baalis a centaur warrior and he has theoption of buying a Vorpal Axe thatcauses kills on any head hits. Uh,yeah I'll buy that. Next is a Minotaur.In hand-to-hand he has a FORCE of14, which is just awesome. Now I'lltake some mid-level single models.Guys that are above the rank and file,but could have trouble taking downother monster characters on theirown. I took two Barbarian Giants, onewith a Halberd and the other carryingtwo swords. The Giants are moreOgre-sized than Giant-sized, but theyare both guys that can take care ofbusiness. My last mid-level guy isCron the Unsubmissive. Cron is ahuman that carries a massive double-bladed battle-axe and also has theCommand skill. Ok, time for thegrunts. I'll take the following groups oftroops, each taking a single card; twoBarbarian Warriors, three Berserkers,two Female Barbarians and two moreFemale Barbarians.

    My army clocks in at 499 points andtry as I might I don't think that I'll findsomething that will cost me just onepoint.

    I'll try to use me grunts to tie up thosethat Michael brings while my combatmachines rip into his better troops.Unfortunately, with Michael playingthe Living Dead I have this sinkingfeeling that I'll be outnumbered by lotsof crap troops that will eventually bringme down. Oh, the hell with that,Valhalla is calling!

    It is time for thehordes of Acheronto come forth fromtheir crypts and theonly thing thatstands betweenthem and the

    Verdant Farm are some namby-pamby barbarian girly-men.

    Mark and I have been playingConfrontation since we got out figuresand a very rough translation of therules. In this battle, his KeltiosBarbarians versus my Living Dead ofAcheron, is actually a rematch from a

    previous battle. This 500-point battleis a bit larger than most of our gamesand will give me a chance to bringmany of my Living Dead figures.

    Having no regular army list makes iteasy to put together an army. Forother games, I usually have to bringthe figures down to make sure that Ihave the correct weapon matches, butwith Confrontation I just use theglorious pictures on the unit cards!

    I know that Mark has a few Giants andMinotaurs and he will definitely havethese in his force, so I must havesomething that can stand toe to toewith them. It's gotta be the WolfenZombies. These guys are the bestfighters that I have in my force, butthey are also expensive at 65 pointseach. Now, these guys alone cannotdo too much. I need to have someforces to support them. For that Ihave two units of Zombies, one withthree members and one with just two.All Zombies have the Regeneration

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    27/46

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    28/46

    How things looked for me.

    The POV from Michael's side of the table.

    2 62 6

    DeploymentDeploymentJust like building your army inConfrontation is done differently thatin other games, so is just abouteverything else, including deployment

    of troops. We shuffled all of the troopcards together and then drew the topcard of the deck and began deployingtroops. When one of your cardscomes up you can opt to deploy thetroops or hold the card in your handand deploy it later. You can never

    hold more than one card in your handthough. Here's how deploymentplayed out, in order that the cardswere drawn, Living Dead in red andBarbarians in blue.

    Zombies, group of threeZombies, group of two

    Female Barbarians, group of twoBarbarian Giant with SwordsBaal (held in hand)

    Barbarian Giant with HalberdBarbarian Warriors, group of twoBerserkers, group of three

    Cron

    Melmoth (held in hand)

    Skeleton Centaurs, group of twoWolfen Zombie #1(held instead of

    Melmoth) Melmoth is deployedinstead

    Female Barbarians, group of twoWolfen Zombie #2

    MinotaurAzael (held instead of Wolfen Zombie

    #1) Wolfen Zombie #1 is deployedinstead

    Skeleton Centaurs, group of twoBaal (deployed from hand)Azael (deployed from hand)

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    29/46

    Movement for turn 1.

    subtract the RESISTANCE of thetarget, 6, to get a final damagescore of zero. See, not too hard.Requires a brain, but it's certainlynot brain surgery.

    The other Skeleton Centaurs takeaim at the Female Barbariansthat are coming their way. Onemisses and the other scores a hitto the body for a SERIOUSwound.

    HAND TO HAND

    Minotaurvs. Skeleton Centaur

    The Minotaur wins the INITIATIVE testand decides to FRENZY, putting all ofhis dice into attacking. The SkeletonCentaur gets a real bad feeling andfigures that he might as well put all ofhis dice into attacking also just in casethe Minotaur slips on a banana peel orsomething. With a body blow thatshakes the earth the Minotaur shattersthe Skeleton Centaur into billions andbillions of little bone chips. He thentakes a follow-up move towards therest of the baddies.

    2 72 7

    One ass whipping coming up!

    Female Barbarians, group of two -they went up and around thehouse in a flanking maneuver.

    Minotaur - he charges one of theSkeleton Centaurs!

    Wolfen Zombie - moves up towardsthe melee going on by thefarmhouse.

    Skeleton Centaurs (held instead ofAzael) she moves down the hill.

    Barbarian Warriors- they move up tothe river.

    Skeleton Centaurs, group of two -they move into the river at thebottom of the board.

    The Giant with the Swords that was

    held since early in the movementphase goes now and he movesup the side of the farmhouse.

    SHOOTING / MAGIC

    Azael - she manages to raise oneMorbid Puppet that emergesfrom the ground in the area of thefight between the Minotaur andSkeleton Centaur.

    Skeleton Centaur, group of two butone of them is in HTH with theMinotaur so he's not doing anyshooting - He sends a shot intothe Giant with Swords and hitshim for a STUNNEDresult.

    Quick 'n Dirty shooting damagelesson.

    Once we determined that theSkeleton Centaur hit his target, theBarbarian Giant, we need to workout damage. You roll 2d6 and addthe FORCE of the weapon. In thiscase Michael rolled a 3, plus 3 forthe weapon results in 6. Then we

    Turn 1Turn 1Before this report gets deep into thecombat of the game I'll let you allknow that Michael and I used theplethora of d6's that we have for usesother than just rolling to hit, damageresults, etc See that big blue d6 inthe middle of the board? That wasused as a turn marker and soon you'llsee lots of little white d6's next tomodels in the game. Well, inConfrontation your models go throughseveral stages of wounds beforedying. The game comes with a cardof nothing but wound markers, each ofa different color and with a differentpicture. They are nice and all, butkind of a pain to use when you areactually playing the game. Sincethere are four stages of wounds weused the 1-4 on the d6 to represent

    these stages. Yeah, we could haveused d4's, but I don't know anyonethat has that many on hand and theseworked just fine.

    Also, when we drew cards formovement each turn we only listedthose that either moved or were held.Those stuck in combat that did notwant to try to disengage were notlisted in the draw order.

    MOVEMENT

    Cron - moves up towards thefarmhouse.

    Baal- crosses over the river.

    Skeleton Centaurs, group of two(held).

    Melmoth(held instead of the SkeletonCentaurs) the Skeleton Centaursmoved up behind the woodstowards the Berserkers.

    Barbarian Giant with Swords(held).Barbarian Giant with Halberd -

    moves up towards the river.Wolfen Zombie - advances towards

    the farmhouse.Berserkers - moved up towards the

    opening between the farmhouseand the woods. One movedtowards the river to cross over.

    Zombies, group of two - moved upbetween the Berserkers and theWolfen Zombie.

    Zombies, group of three - they cameup and around the farmhouse.

    Female Barbarians, group of two -they backtracked towards theSkeleton Centaurs down by theriver.

    Azael (held instead of Melmoth thatMichael had been holding)Melmoth moves forwards up bythe group of two Zombies.

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    30/46

    2 82 8

    Turn 2Turn 2MOVEMENT

    Female Barbarians, group of two -one charged Melmoth and theother charged the SkeletonCentaur that the Minotaur did notbutcher.

    Baal - he charges into one of theWolfen Zombies. Don't you loveguys with 40cm charge range!

    Wolfen Zombie, the un-engaged one- he charges Baal. Oh, crap.

    Zombies, group of two - bothZombies charge into theBerserkers.

    Skeleton Centaurs, group of two -they move further across theriver.

    Azael(held).Zombies, group of three - move up

    and around the farmhouse.Skeleton Centaur, the lonesome one- he tries to disengage fromcombat with the FemaleBarbarian and is successful.

    Melmoth - he also tries to disengage(no doubt he's too scared to hitsuch a pretty girl) and he does soand then charges Baal. Did I say"Oh, crap." already?

    Morbid Puppet- charges the FemaleBarbarian, what a stud!

    Giant with Halberd- moves up to theriver.

    Barbarian Warriors - they also moveup to the river.

    Berserkers - the two that were

    charged by the Zombies breakaway and hit the ones that justcame around the house. Theone on the other side of the rivermoves up.

    Female Barbarians, group of two -they move up towards thewoods.

    Cron - charges in against twoZombies. He's a manly man!

    Giant with Swords - charges inagainst one of the WolfenZombies.

    Minotaur- he also charges one of theWolfen Zombies.

    Azael - from Michael's hand shecharges into the mess o' melee.

    SHOOTING

    The group of two Skeleton Centaursfire off a couple of shots at thedeparting Female Barbarians andmiss. The lone Centaur takes a shotat one of the Female Barbarians closeby him (it?) and scores a SERIOUS

    body hit. Wait until the NOW sees allof this violence against women!

    HAND TO HAND

    The combats broke down like this:

    Berserkersvs. Zombies

    The Berserkers win the INITIATIVEtest and FRENZY, duh! Result is onedead Zombie from a head-shot and afollow-up move to kill another Zombie.The remaining Zombie with aSERIOUS wound after multiple hitsand a LIGHTwound to the leg of oneof the Berserkers.

    Morbid Puppetvs. Female

    Barbarian

    The Morbid Puppet takes the worst ofit and ends up with a SERIOUSwound after a couple of hits.

    Cronvs. Zombies

    Cron goes all out and puts everythinginto attacks and it does him absolutelyno good, unless he's playing Yatzeeand going for 1's. Unfortunately, he'snot and gets ripped a new one by theZombies. Not such a manly man anymore.

    Azaelvs. Giant with Swords

    The two trade blows and each endsup with a leg wound. Azael with aLIGHT one and the Giant with aSERIOUS one.

    Minotaurvs. Wolfen Zombie

    This combat comes off simultaneouslyand each one scores a hit and eachone avoids the hit. Duck and cover!

    Baalvs. Wolfen Zombieand

    Melmoth

    Baal hits the Wolfen Zombie once, butit saves. The Wolfen Zombie missesBaal twice.

    Ok, a lot more fighting going on. Asmuch as I'd have like to get lucky andpull a head-shot with Baal against theWolfen Zombie and win the game, itwould have been a bit anti-climactic ifthat had happened on the second turnof the game.

    I was very surprised that Cron wentdown so quickly, and with havingaccomplished nothing. It's not like hecan't take care of himself, but rollingall 1's and having no defense dicereally did seal his fate.

    The Berserkers tear into the Zombies.

    Cron - RIP

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    31/46

    2 92 9

    Minotaurvs. Wolfen Zombie

    If the Giant with the Swords had notgotten a follow-up move after killingAzael this would have been all threebad-uns against the Minotaur. As itturns out the Minotaur takes a LIGHTwound to the leg and cannot manageto hit the Wolfen Zombie.

    Giant with Swordsvs. Zombies

    The Giant chooses to FRENZY andpromptly misses with all of his attacks.The Zombies strike back and bumpthe Giants wound up to CRITICALstatus.

    Things are really moving now. Thereare not too many people outside of themain area of combat by thefarmhouse.

    Except for summoning a single MorbidPuppet I'd have to say that Azaelended up being pretty worthless, butthen again she was jumped by twoguys that both frenzied.

    As if the Wolfen Zombies are not hardenough to kill, and let me assure youthey are, they have theREGENERATION skill, which justmakes my life so much more difficult.Especially when the whole game rideson me bein able to kill one of them.

    Turn 4Turn 4MOVEMENT

    Female Barbarians - after regainingtheir courage one tries to chargeMelmoth (again) and succeedswhile the other gets all scared

    (again) and runs away (again!).Morbid Puppet - charges Baal (justbegging for death!).

    Skeleton Centaur, one - stands still.Skeleton Centaurs, group of two -

    they continue to move up theriver bank.

    Female Barbarians- move up aroundthe woods by the farmhouse.

    Barbarian Warriors - they put ontheir water-wings and head intothe river.

    Giant with Halberd- gets through theriver and heads over towards thehouse.

    Berserkers - The one that wasfighting Azael charges into

    Melmoth and the one coming outof the river meets a Zombie inHTH.

    Wolfen Zombie - tries to withdrawfrom combat with Baal and fails(oh, how does it feel).

    Everybody wang-chung tonight!

    Turn 3Turn 3MOVEMENT

    Female Barbarians - well, after onedisengages from HTH with theMorbid Puppet they try to chargeMelmoth, but they blow theirFEAR test and run away. Sissygirls!

    Barbarian Warriors- truckin' on overto the river.

    Giant with Halberd - goes splashinginto the riverwheeee!

    Berserkers- one charges Azael, oneis fighting a Zombie and the thirdis moving out of the river.

    Morbid Puppet- charges Baal.Skeleton Centaur, one - falls back

    away from the fighting.Baal - disengages from combat and

    charges the other Wolfen

    Zombie.Skeleton Centaurs, group of two -they move up the riverbank.

    Wolfen Zombie - Considering thatBaal just left him to pound on hisbrother he charges Baal.

    Zombies, group of two - both chargethe Minotaur.

    Female Barbarians - they move upby the forest, close to the action.

    SHOOTING

    The single Skeleton Centaurfumblesas he tries to light up a FemaleBarbarian.

    Skeleton Centaurs, group of two -

    both fire at, and miss, theBerserkers.

    HAND TO HAND

    This turn saw the following fights:

    Berserkervs. Zombie

    A head-shot with decent damage killsthe Berserker.

    Giant with Swordsand Berserkervs. Azael

    Both attackers frenzy, dumping 6 diceinto attack and they kill Azael. TheGiant takes a follow-up move into thecombat between the Minotaur vs. theZombies and the Wolfen Zombie.

    Baalvs. Wolfen Zombie

    Baal hits several times and leaves theWolfen Zombie with a SEVEREwound. Come on and die already!

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    32/46

    SHOOTING

    Skeleton Centaur, one - takes a shotat a Female Barbarian andmisses.

    Skeleton Centaurs, group of two -both shoot at a single Barbarian

    Warrior. One hits and causes aCRITICAL wound.

    HAND TO HAND

    Berserkerand Female Barbarianvs.Melmoth

    Both of the barbarians FRENZY andrip Melmoth a new one. All sorts ofdead!

    Giant with swordsvs. 2 Zombies

    The Zombies overwhelm the giant andbring him down.

    Baalvs. Morbid Puppetand WolfenZombie

    Everyone's kung-fu fightin', but notmuch connecting.

    Minotaurvs. Wolfen Zombie

    Another stalemate! Argh, just die yourotting piece of worm food.

    Berserkervs. Zombie

    WhiffWhiff, saaaawing batter!Whole lot of nothing going on here.

    Turn 5Turn 5MOVEMENT

    Zombies, charge the Minotaur

    Female Barbarians, they miss theirFEAR test and head back to milksome cows.

    Female Barbarians, 1 passes aCOMMAND test and returns to thefray while the other blows her test andruns away.

    Skeleton Centaurs, being quite theopportunist he charges the FemaleBarbarian that is running away.

    Giant with Halberd, He moves up bythe house.

    Berserkers, One is fighting a Zombieand the other moves up towardssomething to fight.

    Skeleton Centaurs, They continue tomove across the river back towardsthe action.

    Wolfen Zombie, He disengages fromthe fight with Baal and charges theMinotaur.

    Baal, He also backs off and chargesback in with a Wolfen Zombie.

    SHOOTING

    Skeleton Centaurs, The ones movingacross the river take shots at aBarbarian Warrior and kill him.

    HAND TO HAND

    Minotaur vs. Wolfen Zombie and 2Zombies

    The Minotaur manages to kill theWolfen Zombie (and end the game,but we decided to finish the combat..)

    and the Minotaur is taken down by theZombies.

    With that combat done my objectivewas met and the game ended.

    If I had not taken out the WolfenZombie and ended the game here arethe other fights that would have takenplace on turn 5.

    Skeleton Centaurvs.Fianna

    Since she was under the effects ofFEAR I think that the Centaur couldhave taken her out.

    Berserkervs.Zombie

    Not a critical fight, but if I won Initiativethe Zombie would have probably beensent back to whatever hell he camefrom.

    Baalvs.Wolfen Zombie

    This fight would have been the pay-offif the Minotaur had not taken care ofbusiness. I would put my money onBaal to drop the Wolfen Zombie.

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    33/46

    Aftermath: Michael

    Well, that could have gone better. When determined theobjective was to kill my most expensive character, I figuredthings were going to be rough. With both Wolfen Zombiescosting the same (65 points), killing either would give Mark thegame. The problem there is that they were also the backboneof my army! If I held 'em back, then the rest of my force wouldbe whittled down rather quickly. I had to commit them.

    I deployed on a corner of the board and forced Mark to comeat me. The river helped slow a good portion of his force downand kept them out of the game. The rest of the terrainchanneled his forces into a few avenues. I tried to plug thoseholes with my smaller troops to slow Mark further. However,once he got his guys in charge range, he was able to easilymove around my forces.

    In the end, some troops paid for themselves and some didn't.Azal really wasn't worth her points; she was only able tosummon a single Pantin Morbide before having to rest forthree turns and then die. One spell wasn't worth her cost.Melmothwas also a disappointment; his command ability didn'thelp at all and he wound up being only a shadow of theWolfenZombies. The Zombies d'Achron did as well as I expected;

    they survived most fights and regenerated about a third of thetime. The Wolfen Zombies did very well (until one died andcost me the game) standing toe to toe with Mark's meanestmodels.

    Well, if I had it to do over again, I would have purchased moreZombies instead of Melmoth -- of course a third WolfenZombie would have been very nice too).

    Then I would have deployed the majority of my force furtherback, with theCentaure d'Archeronas my forward most units.

    All in all, a fun game -- there was only one turn left , and I waswhittling down Mark's forces. It came down to one melee,which is about as close as any battle can be. Next time mydaisy-pushers will be triumphant!

    Aftermath: Mark

    "And if you come back around here they'll kick your ass again!"Heard being yelled by a small farm boy as the undeadshamble into the night after being beaten back.

    Overall I am pleased with how things turned out. I felt that Ireally hurt myself during deployment when I placed guys onthe other side of the river. Since I had to come to Michael andnot the other way around he could easily nullify those troopsfor several turns as they would have to cross the river.

    I was disappointed in Crom, but that was really my fault forsending him in against too many foes. There were severalheadshots in the game, but Baal could not manage to evennick someone's ear!

    When fighting the Living Dead you have to be very careful

    about them causing Fear. Had I blown more Fear tests thingscould have been much different.

    At the beginning of this report I said that we were using version1.2 of the translated rules. Michael is now on version 1.7 andwe found out that we did a few things wrong, but nothing thatwe weren't both ok with. You can look forward to anotherConfrontation battle report next issue!

    Mark

    3 13 1

  • 8/10/2019 Fictional Reality 2

    34/46

    3 23 2

    Terraforming in MiniatureFun, Blood, and Cover brought to you by

    Christopher Carr andGabe Ratliff

    Here we are again with another terrain article. Aswe pondered what to do for this issue we kept trying tocome up with ideas that were bigger and better thanlast time. We had successfully made two sets oftrenches, and decided to go bigger and better. Onceagain drawing on World War Two for inspiration wedecided on a recreation of Rommels famous AtlanticSeawall. We envisioned an Omaha beach landingwhere the attacker would have to overcomeunimaginable odds to win. With that in mind, wepondered how to construct such a monstrosity (the walland bunker measures seven to eight inches fromground level). A group of friends had pooled their

    resources and bought a large quantity of Bruce Hirstcastle molds. These bricks (although meant for fantasycastles) resemble cinderblocks when glued togetherand would serve fine as the basis for the sea wall andbunkers. Before getting to the planning steps of our board wefeel compelled to explain what we mean by thesemolds. Bruce Hirst, some guy in Missouri that has WAYmore artistic talent than we do, has sculpted up smallbricks (1x .5x .5 is the base size). He then took thesebricks and made molds of them. Using plaster of paris,hydrocal, or resin, one can cast an unlimited supply ofbricks. He has sculpted numerous styles of floor tiles,cobblestone, and sooo much more stuff. Visit hiswebsite www.hirstarts.comto see the complete list of

    his molds. The average price of a mold will run aroundthirty-five dollars. These molds are, in our opinion, oneof the best ways of creating buildings. You can use theplans that he supplies you, or even better, you candesign and create your own buildings. There are a few points to consider before jumping onthe bandwagon and running over to the website andordering up a batch of molds. First is the enormousamount of time that this will take you. Our bunkersconsumed about 300 regular bricks. If one only ownedthe Dragons Inn mold you would be running the moldaround 43 times. Ouch!! Thats a lot of filling andscraping. To solve this problem we encourage you tobuy more than one mold. Our gaming and modelinggroup pooled our resources and bought 20 molds. We

    spent over $450 as a collective. Singly, none of us(some of you maybe, but not us) have the spare cashfloating around for such an endeavor. We simply passthem around from person to person as they are needed.This allows us to run molds in quantity. Even with ourlarge selection of molds, and two of us running molds inan assembly line fashion, it still too