Saturday 28 April 2012

Grammar for gamers (or do I mean vocabulary?) - a short illustrated rant


I have recently started noticing the expression 'per say' to the extent that it is now really getting under my skin. It's PER SE, people, not PER SAY. If you're going to be pretentious and use classical Latin expressions, then get them right! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Thursday 19 April 2012

Saucy Sue Stories: Kidnapped, Part 1

Rules: Gloire
Figures: Black Scorpion, Privateer Press (Warmachine)

Dramatis Personae
The Crew of the land-sloop Saucy Sue
  • Charity FitzCharles (Buccaneer, grade 3): Together with her trusty pistols, Faith and Hope, she seeks to turn a profit wherever she can. Charity likes helping people and hitting things.
  • Ser Theophilus Montanus (Doctor of Letters, grade 2): A neo-primitivist united reformed Lutheran minister sent to convert the natives in Pacifica. Ser Theophilus likes reading scripture and smiting things hip and thigh.
  • Belvie Hawkland (Guardist, grade 1): The daughter of a shanghai prostitute and a sailor of uncertain origin, Belvie is the strongarm member of the crew. Belvie likes hitting things and then hitting them again.
  • Sally Pipkin (Foretopman, grade 1): Sally, aka Simple Sally and Sweet Sally, is an able crewperson, though a bit ditzy. She likes fluffy bunnies and hitting things.
Others
  • Sundry evil government forces (various grades and types): they like getting in the way of honest traders and hitting things.

Captain's Log
The 17th day of April in the year of our Lord 1745

Lord Bethany had sent a sent a servant requesting our attendance and aid in a delicate matter. It would appear that his daughter, Lady Katherine Mountjoy, had been kidnapped in a nefarious plot by the evil usurper, Charles V. Lady Katherine is the betrothed of the rightful king, James. Our contacts informed us that one of the gang that is thought to have kidnapped her had been sighted near his mother's house. We raced to investigate. If we could capture him, we could force him to show us where the kidnappers were hiding.

(Red dice are objective/encounter markers. Black dice indicate figures needing to reload, because I could not find the cotton wool!)


I divided our force into two parties. Sally and Ser Theophilus would take the high road and enter the house from the top window. It should be easy enough to reach the window because the house was built up against a cliff. Belvie and I would take a more direct approach to the front door. As we approached, government agents were also in attendance and a brisk fight ensued. I got close enough to one of them to discuss with him the benefits of aiding our side and he agreed to turn on his erstwhile companions. I fear that my rather skimpy combat attire might have had something more to do with his decision than any noble thoughts of aiding a lady in distress.


Belvie headed for the house, pausing only to fire a shot at one of the agents, who promptly ran despite not even being hit. As she headed for the house, I and my new companion drew our swords and waded into the melee.


On top of the cliff Ser Theophilus and Sally were making rapid progress, narrowly missing being engaged in a long and rambling conversation by an ancient man. "I'm ninety-three years of age you know ..." They quickly entered the house from above and descended through it, ascertaining that it was empty apart from a few minor structural flaws that could get someone hurt if they did not notice them in time.



While this was going on, Belvie had entered the ground floor of the house and found no one there. I and my new ally had brought the fight to the bridge across the river and skewered two of the enemy, while tipping a third over the railing into the water. I hope he can swim. The remaining enemy ran and we were able to search properly in peace. We found Lund asleep in the barn, sleeping off a drunk. He awoke bleary-eyed and was very quick to co-operate in the face of Faith, Hope and myself.

We must now get Lund to the Saucy Sue before we can question him properly.

Wednesday 4 April 2012

April Objective - Urban War

S: "We have not played Urban War in a while."
R: "True."
S: "We should play more Urban War. It's good fun."
R: "Yes, it is. I agree. Right, so we are going to play some Urban War in the near future."
S: "Yes."
Time passes. Urban War remains unplayed. The conversation repeats again. More time passes. Urban War remains unplayed. The conversation repeats in March 2012. This time it has a little addition.
R: "So, why don't we make Urban War our April project?"
S: "Great idea. Let's do it. I have some figures still to paint for Urban War."

As a result of this, our April objective is to paint our remaining Urban War figures and play a game of UW: CLAU Team Actions. I only have a small number of figures to paint for my forces so I shall continue with my secondary objective of completing my Bwendi sci-fi forces. They have continued to make slow but steady progress since the beginning of the year and I now have a full company of infantry painted and based. The first tank troop is on the painting table and is mostly done, and the APCs have their first coat of paint. So, 15mm sci-fi is progressing. I have enough to play a company-sized infantry battle and we can return to Tomorrow's War to see if we can actually learn the rules. Pictures of the Bwendi will follow when the vehicles are completed.