Research - probably for 2023!

Some new books have arrived over the last month or so. The first two cover the Great Northern War which is going to be the subject of a project in the near future. The original plan was to start and complete in 2022 but I have received a shedload of the new epic Warlord ACW figures and feel I need to get these done first. I suspect that will take quite a chunk of time so my eta for GNW is now 2023. 

The third book is "Every Bullet has its Billet, a wargaming guide to all things late 17th century by Barry Hilton of the League of Augsburg. Very much looking forward to diving into all three.

Cursed City

More time at home, like everyone else, has led to more time on the internet and as a result I've started to succumb to nice shiny stuff, again. This time the purveyors of original plastic sin, Games Workshop, caught my eye with their latest boxed game Cursed City.

Thus far I have avoided Age of Sigmar mainly because I don't need another collection and I already have a backlog of Warhammer Old World stuff to get through. But I really did enjoy Blackstone Fortress especially since it could be played solo and had a handy way to pack the game up mid-campaign. So, when I saw this would use the same base rules, I made my sniveling self-justifications for adding a new game system and purchased.

Front of box

Promises of lots of plasticy goodness

The good folks are in cream, the bad grey so I guess you could play without painting - I know heresy!

One of the sprues - as I would expect from GW these days highly detailed, delicate and push fit - no glue needed!

A very crowded box - books, cards and board

Lots of counters to punch

And boards to explore

Finally three books - rules for the models in Age of Sigmar, the quests and rules for Cursed City

Because of its grim dark setting Blackstone Fortress had little appeal for the rest of the family but I'm hoping with a fantasy slant I might just get them interested in this. It would make a change from the sedate pace of Ticket to Ride and Formula D!

Warlord ACW

On Christmas day I succumbed, I'm weak, feckless and they offered me 10% off. Tell me you wouldn't have done the same?

Enough of my emotional and financial issues, the box finally came this week!

A big, heavy box

Just what I always wanted - brown paper

A Union Brigade and Confederate Brigade box peek out

The main event!

ACW Epic supplement

                      

A5 rulebook

Lots of sprues - 24 battalions, cannon and officers

Indistinct but resin versions of Lee and Meade

Some Sarissa buildings and fences

The ACW supplement for Black Powder

Another three buildings

Some Gettysburg specific buildings

Finally in the big box, loads of flags

Brigade box

More sprues and flags

At some point I'm going to be very, very busy!

"Look at the size of that thing..."

Lego... birthday gift from the other half.

Guess that's Winter sorted (or the next lockdown!). Better clear a space in the garage.

A Taste of Victory

Hot off the presses and straight through my letter box came this latest tome from the League of Augsburg, A Taste of Victory.

Penned as ever by Mr Barry Hilton this is a scenario book for Beneath the Lilly Banners third edition (though I'm sure could be used for any rules set covering the late seventeenth century).

Its my birthday this weekend (I'm not going to say which one) and I have a couple of days off work. That should provide an opportunity to curl up on the sofa with a good cup of tea and let Mr Hilton's battle plans fire the imagination.

The book can be found for sale on The League of Augsburg website.

Indomitus Box Set

What's in the box? 

Every time GW release a new version of Warhammer 40K I immediately pledge not to get sucked in again. I have books that go back to the original Rogue Trader tome from 1987 and given I've only played the game a couple of times in the last decade (solo at that) it should be easy. But... then GW publish another new box set with another collection of fine sculpts and there goes this months spend.

There is no doubt, like countless others, I am addicted to the plastic crack that GW are pushing.

The latest box set proved no exception. It sold out in minutes on release in July and GW nearly had a customer relations disaster having promised that anybody who wanted one would get one. But GW are not the company they were ten years ago and within 48 hours announced that they would take orders for a few weeks and then do a second run.

Mine arrived last week and as is usual with GW the standards are very high.

The back reveals the potential for a moulded plastic Nirvana.

The GW Trolls like to tease with gorgeous cardboard sleeves before you reach the actual riches beneath!

Finally the heavenly sprues are revealed in all their intricate glory.

These are push fir models which GW have gradually been getting better at over the years. It does cut down the pose options but in general GW's figures are pretty much unique this doesn't matter. Hopefully a combination of quick assembly and the Contrast paints I drone on about incessantly will mean getting them to a table top won't take long. There are two armies Primaris Space Marines (as always) and Necrons.

In addition there is a scenario book:

 And a limited edition version of the new rules:

Guess I'm off to the Grim Dark Future, again.