Welcome to Haitabu! (some town terrain for 15mm fantasy and medieval)

 Welcome to Haitabu. Haitabu is the central marketplace in Utavoll. It was once a small nomad encampment but its central location has made it a meeting place for all who travel across Utavoll. Merchants come here for the big markets and the chance to hear of lucrative opportunities across the land, and many have made Haitabu their base. Unfortunately, this has also made it popular with the Thrappled Lemmings too, but they are out of town, so let us take a look around while the chaos they bring is at a minimum.

I needed buildings for my games and bought the Usborne cut-out models Make this Viking Settlement set because it was cheap, readily available from the local museum, and would only require the effort of building the houses. I do like a set where I don't have to paint anything! The set is closer to HO/OO or 20mm than 15mm, but that is a compromise I am willing to make in favour of the price and the ease of getting it to the table.

The Viking settlement is a card-model set that I have reinforced with foamboard inside. The roofs are removable, as is evident in the pictures below, because some have been knocked and sit slightly out of place. All I did for them is to add a triangle of foamboard to keep each roof in the right shape. Because the roofs are removable, the interiors are playable spaces, even if they are not pretty and decorated at all. The buildings are all stuck to mdf bases and some texturing added. I hope that this makes them prettier and more durable, even if my terrain making efforts are never going to win an award.

The base for the town is the Dave Graffam Cobblestone Streets mat that I printed out and put into a cheap picture frame. I play Five Leagues from the Borderlands at 60% scale in 15mm, so this 70cm x 50cm picture frame offers a playing area equivalent to approximately 45" x 33", which makes it ideal for Rangers of Shadow Deep and Frostgrave too (and, no doubt, many other skirmish games).

The trees are from a local model railway shop and I really need to get more of them. The figures in the images below are a mix of Essex Miniatures, Alternative Armies and Two Dragons.

So, let us start our tour of the town.

Haitabu overview shot

Another overview shot

Young Ketil is throwing stones at a rabbit, while Gunnar is planting turnips in the back yard. Jarl Atli has sacrificed a pig on the platform over his door recently and stands there taking in the view, while one of his serfs, Marit and her child Moldi, watches over his sheep. Jarl Atli hopes that the pig will bring him favourable attention from the gods.

It is turnip planting season all over. Helgi the Leatherworker and Thorbjorn Hammerbreath are also planting turnips on their plots

Meanwhile, a thirsty traveller takes a drink from the town's freshwater spring. (This is a rock pool from the Warlock Tiles Mushrooms and Pools set. It's nominally 28mm but it works for me)

Lady Greta chases sheep and goats from her plot. Her serfs must soon plant turnips too, but she sent them on an errand to collect mushrooms earlier, so her turnip crop will be planted a day later than everyone else's

Lars the Apprentice and Guthorm the Boatbuilder are discussing the best ways to split logs. Lars has lots of ideas and thinks that Guthorm does not think big enough, but he is wrong as usual. Old Forsi, Guthorm's father has just got up and is off to see what the market has to offer. Meanwhile Young Forsi Guthormson is planting turnips just like so many others.

Svarti the Swineherd is tending the pigs in the woods near Haitabu. He knows that the winter sacrifices will be along soon and he is planning on making a lot of bacon out of them. It is traditional to sacrifice a pig at midwinter for luck and good fortune in the new year.

A merchant caravan passes through the streets of Haitabu watched by Jarl Atli and Lady Greta's husband Jarl Tovi. Jarl Atli dislikes Jarl Tovi because Tovi's house is bigger than Atli's. The merchant notices them watching and orders his slaves to stand straighter and put on a show. He hopes that Atli or Tovi will buy the slaves and the other goods he has brought to market. His assistants hope that they will buy the other goods first, because they are sick of carrying them. A goat and a sheep look on incuriously. They know from experience that merchants are not a good source of food for them.

Roadside encounters for Five Leagues from the Borderlands

 Travelling in Utavoll can be dangerous, what with the weather being so changeable and the possibility of meeting bandits or hungry wild dogs. With dangers like these around, most travellers will travel in larger groups and prefer to wait for a merchant caravan that they can join, rather than setting out on their own.

Dust hounds

Wild dogs are a nuisance to most, but can be deadly if encountered in large packs. Utavoll is home to packs of wild dogs. Mostly they avoid settlements, but they are opportunistic when food is scarce and will enter a settlement in the winter to pick off whatever they can get their teeth into.

I'm not particularly happy with the rank and file here, but I like the look of the two leader figures. Can't be bothered going back and repaintng them all yet though.

Iceborn curs (RPE Demonworld)

Petty robbers

These minor thieves are only minor in the sense that they are poorly armed and equipped. If there are enough of them and few enough of you, they will pick your corpse clean.

Unarmoured bandits (Two Dragons and Essex Miniatures)

Roving fiends

The beastmen of Utavoll are rarely seen, but they are generally hungry and not interested in pre-dinner conversation.

There are many different types of beastmen and I am using my werewolves here until I have painted up the beastmen for my Gnawling Horde.

Werewolves (RPE Demonworld)

Rag-tag Brigands, Organised Robbers and Infamous Marauders

Petty robbers aspire to become rag-tag brigands with better equipment and organisation. Rag-tag Brigands are more experienced and better able to take on larger groups of travellers. They may be based in a nearby village and supplement their earnings with a little light larceny.

Similarly equipped to the Rag-tag Brigands are the Organised Robbers, who are outlaws of the greenwood. These well-organised brigands live outside normal society in the forests of Utavoll. They are prone to singing, slapping their thighs and knifing you in the back so that they can take all your wealth.

The most dangerous of the outlaws, the Infamous Marauders have survived their time as Rag-tag Brigands and Organised Robbers to become the most feared and well trained of the robber groups a traveller is likely to meet. Woe betide the poor traveller that is set upon by them.

Light armoured bandits (Two Dragons)

Bandit leaders (Two Dragons)

Goblin war party

There is a reason they call it goblin mode. Mostly goblins want to stay in their caves and slob around. This makes them happy. As long as they are left alone, goblins keep to themselves and rarely bother anyone except on the occasions that they steal a sheep from a local farmer. That can be avoided by not putting your sheep out to pasture near a goblin cave. These guys are not in goblin mode. Someone upset them and now they are on the warpath. They are organised and can be deadly when met in large numbers.

N.B. Goblins rarely go anywhere in small numbers.

The Goblin entry here calls for slingers, but I cannot find any suitable figures, so my Goblins will have bows.

Goblin warriors (RPE Demonworld)

Goblin archers (RPE Demonworld)

Goblin heroes and leaders (RPE Demonworld)

Goblin shamans (RPE Demonworld)

More Goblin shamans (RPE Demonworld)

Stumbling dead

Sometimes the dead do not stay in their tombs, because they have unfinished business on this side of the veil. That said, they seem to have difficulty communicating what they actually want. As a result, Zombies can occasionally be seen roaming the wilderness. They are slow but that does not mean you should ignore them, because they are also relentless and do not need to sleep, unlike you.

Zombies (Alternative Armies and RPE Demonworld)

Northern wolves

Wolf packs generally avoid human settlements unless it is a hard winter. However, this does not apply to travellers in the wilderness, whom the wolves consider to be fair game. It is always best to travel in larger groups if going off the beaten track, because lone travellers may be set upon by a pack that is not able to find its usual prey. If the traveller is particularly unlucky, the pack will be guided by a goblin captain.

Wolves (RPE Demonworld)

Robber baron patrol

Not all hazards are outlaws, brigands and feral beasts. Sometimes the local lord decides that taxation is not enough and sends out his troops to encourage travellers to contribute to the lord's retirement fund. Occasionally, the minions will be accompanied by the baron's champion, or even by the baron himself!

A robber baron and his minions (Two Dragons)

Strange troops

Travellers occasionally report being attacked by troops "who b'ain't from roun' 'ere." No one knows where these troops came from or where they go to, but all report that they are unrelenting in their savagery.

I must admit to feeling a hefty dose of nostalgia while fettling these figures for the table. I have had some of them since the early 1990s and even got them painted then! I've lost track of the number of times I have repaired damage to their paint jobs and rebased them, but they are still here and ready to be fielded.

Partial armoured bandits (Two Dragons)

Half-fey raiders

The half-fey are often not welcome in human or fey society and are driven to the edges of civilisation where they are forced to prey upon others to survive. They are vicious and strong.

Elven warriors and Archers (RPE Demonworld)

Elven heroes and leaders (RPE Demonworld)

Lurking Foes: Dungeon denizens for Five Leagues from the Borderlands

 Lurking foes are a mixed bag of different opponents that you can encounter in dungeons. Here you will find everything from Rodents of Unusual Size (if they really exist) to giant omnivorous worms to undead warriors left to guard their liege's tomb for all eternity, which makes them a bit short-tempered.

I have mixed and matched from various different scales and ranges to put together a selection I am happy with. As a result, the ROUSs range in size from that of a medium sized dog to that of a pony. The dungeon worms are huge despite being 10mm figures, and so on. I have also reused figures from other factions to save time and money.

Giant rats

These are rodents of unusual size, ranging in stature from medium dog-sized to being as large as an average human being. Some people say they do not exist...

Rodents of unusual size (Ral Partha Europe 28mm rats)

Giant bugs

It is said that the larger the scorpion, the less venomous it is. That may be the case but these giant scorpions still hurt when they sting you, and their pincers are enough to take your arm off if you are not careful.

Giant scorpions (Pendraken)

Winged Imps

The imps of the third level of Hell take the form of giant flies in Utavoll. Their infernal buzzing can drive a person crazy even before they attack.

I took the cheap option with these and got a big bag of plastic Halloween flies. I really need to base the rest up too.

Giant flies (plastic Halloween decorations)

Skeletal defenders

Sometimes a necromancer just won't let a body rest in peace. These are the least of the undead, but they should not be discounted as foes. They can still kill you if you are not careful.

Skeletons (Ral Partha Europe Demonworld)

Decrepit worshippers

Sometimes the caverns and tombs under Utavoll are filled with the insane remnants of unspeakable cults. These people were formerly upstanding members of their communities until the Elder Gods called them to their service. Now they shamble round the tombs drooling and perform exotic and obscene rituals to honour their gods.

Sinners (Ral Partha Europe Demonworld)

Goblin infestation

"See the little goblin

See his little feet

See his little nosey wosey

Isn't the goblin sweet? Yeah!"

Goblins get a bad rap. They are just little guys trying to make it in a big person's world, and that makes them irritable and cranky when forced to confront larger people. It makes them inclined to attack big people in the hope that they can bring them down to the goblins' level. Seeing eye to eye with a goblin usually does not end well for the big person. Of course, you can avoid this situation by not going into goblin caves. So, knowing this, why are you in this goblin lair?

Goblin warriors (RPE Demonworld)

Goblin heroes (RPE Demonworld)

Cave Runners

There are only a few breeds of bear in Utavoll. The cave bears are the largest and most dangerous of those breeds, and yet you occasionally see a goblin captain leading the bear pack. No one is sure how the goblins have succeeded in developing a relationship with the bears, but it seems to work out for both of them, although some say that the goblin captains riding bears only did it for a dare, and now do not know how to get off again without being eaten.

Bears, one with Goblin rider (RPE Demonworld)

Gargoyle sentries

No one knows who summoned these stone demons or why they stick around after so long, but they are dangerous foes and the casual adventurer should be careful round them.

Gargoyles (Pendraken)

Tomb shades

Sometimes a person is just not done with everything they were planning to do in life, so their spirit hangs around after death. Sometimes that spirit finds company and they start to take out their anger on adventurers that raid their tombs. It seems unreasonable to the living but that is just the way things are, and these ghosts will not be happy to see you. The worst ones and the leaders of the other ghosts are those whose sheets got mixed in with the colours wash and turned pink.

Ghosts (Alternative Armies)

Delve crawlers

When people talk about the dead being food for the worms, this is not quite what most people have in mind. Nevertheless, tombs are a source of nutrition for the giant worms known as Delve Crawlers, and they do not care if the nutrition is still moving or not.

Giant worms (Pendraken)

Giant worm captain (RPE 28mm)

Crystal wards

It's nice to have your tomb decorated with crystal statues and some people in the past took it a step further. They summoned crystal demons into those statues and animated them to protect their worldly wealth from those who would seek to redistribute it in the nearest tavern.

Once more I am reusing figures in a different role. These figures are also the Fog Born (humanoid demons) from The Whispers from Beyond list.

Daughters of Xeribulos (Ral Partha Europe Demonworld)

Eternal Guard

The richest lords and ladies of the past hired necromancers to transform their personal bodyguards into undead personal bodyguards that would guard their tombs forever. No one fully understands why, but perhaps it was a test of those that came after. Only the bravest and the strongest would be able to seize their wealth. Or perhaps the rich were just greedy and heedless of the effect of hoarding their wealth instead of using it for the common good.

These look very like the Skeletal defenders earlier in this list. That's because I am being frugal and using exactly the same figures.

Skeletons (Ral Partha Europe Demonworld)

Burstwick Orecrushers vs Rise Roaches (Dreadball)

 Steve and I have started a little Dreadball league to give our games more colour. I have set up a separate page for the league where the current standings will be recorded. The league will be intermittent because of my working away most of the year, but it gives a framework for our games and offers a more organic option for team building, as our teams gain Megacredits and experience, get injured and buy new players. We played the first game in our league and it was a tight game between two quite tough teams.

In the inaugural match of the Tripe Marketing, Mining and Management Board League based in the East Thirding of the galaxy, the Burstwick Orecrushers hosted the Z'zor at their arena, The Quarry.

The Burstwick Orecrushers are a Crystallan team from the Eddon subsector of the East Thirding. A semi-crystalline race, they are strong and tough but slow. However, they work particularly well together and that teamwork compensates for their disadvantages when used properly.

The Rise Roaches are a Z'zor team, an insectiform race endemic to Bevvehleh subsector of The East Thirding. They are also quite tough, but scuttle much faster than the Crystallan can. Their chief advantage is a decentralised nervous system, so they do not feel the pain of being hit. This is a significant advantage when facing a team like the Crystallan, who hit like a ton of granite, because that is pretty much what they are made of.

The first rush begins and the Orecrushers charge the Roaches

The Orecrushers set up in a single line to cover all approaches to their scoring zones. The Roaches deployed in depth. The ball was launched into the arena and the Orecrushers moved. Their guards slammed the Roaches and one of their jacks went for the ball, but fumbled the pick up. The Roaches took the initiative and began a rush that saw them score a single point. The ball was launched again and the Orecrushers slammed the Roaches some more. Several Roaches were knocked flat and one was sent to the medbot for treatment. It would be a couple of rushes before the magic sponge had fixed the poor Roach.

An altercation between two of the substitutes on the benches ensued and the ref gave the red card to a guard from the the Orecrushers and a striker from the Roaches. This seemed to rile up the crowd and suddenly a streaker raced across the pitch, causing one of the Orecrusher's guards to fall over in surprise as the naked entity raced past it.

The Roaches make the first score despite being down a player and two of them being knocked over.

Order was restored and the match continued with the fans yelling for blood and the Orecrushers doing their best to appease the crowd's bloodlust. The Roaches were soon reduced to half their numbers on the team while the other half had their injuries treated. Despite the hammering they took, only one Roach went home in an ambulance. Their powers of survival were amazing! (Literally!! I rolled three heavy hits on three separate players where they should, but all normal odds, have been carted off to hospital, but Steve rolled so many sixes that all his armour saves worked and the Roaches only suffered minor injuries.)

Injured Roaches awaiting their turn with the magic sponge

Suddenly, the Orecrushers got their act together in the mid-game. Working properly together they got the ball and moved up to the scoring zone. A pause as the jack lined up the shot with the two guards supporting it. They launched the ball at the goal. Score! The crowd went wild. The jack had scored from the bonus zone and suddenly the Orecrushers were ahead by one point.

At this point, the Orecrushers tried to shut the game down but hammering on the Roaches and they succeeded for most of the rest of the match. But, in the final rush a Roach substitute came on and sprinted up the pitch to pick up the ball. They charged towards the open strike zone and, in the dying seconds of the match, they shot. The ball sailed towards the goal. It hit. The Roach had scored from the bonus zone. As the final horn sounded, the Roaches won by 1 point.

Only three Roaches left on the pitch versus six Orecrushers but that was enough to seize victory with a last second shot with the last possible action of the game.
Sorry for the blurry mobile pics by the way.

After the match, as we totted up cheers from fan checks (things that the crowd particularly liked, like smashing up your opponents or scoring) and experience, it quickly became evident that the crowd loved the Orecrushers more than they like the Roaches. The Orecrushers' assaults on the Roaches and their willingness to sucker punch them had netted the Orecrushers three times as many cheers as the Roaches got. The Orecrushers also dominated on experience gained, mostly from knocking Roaches over. However, the Roaches begin the league in the lead, despite all this. The crowd cannot wait for the return match at the Roaches' home, The Permethrin Arena.

This was a great match and very close. I should probably have focused more on trying to score, but honestly I played to my teams's strengths, which is knocking their opponents over. Despite that, it was a very tight match with several missed scoring opportunities, and a lot of potentially nasty outcomes avoided by good dice rolling. I need to learn to use the Orecrushers' Harmonics ability (bonuses for starting an action close to other team members) better, because they are not particularly skilled at scoring, but I was having too much fun hitting things. Next time, eh.

For a relatively simple game, Dreadball offers great game play and a lot of meaningful decisions that will have consequences later in the game as you try to keep your players in the right position for the next rush, as well as in the right place to help you succeed in the current one. It rewards planning, and you cannot just rely on special abilities, at least not with the teams we have used so far. It's a shame Mantic is no longer supporting it, as far as I can see. Still, we have a good range of teams and star players already, so it's not like we actually need more stuff and neither of us is the sort of person that needs a game to be actively supported for us to remain interested. A good game is a good game regardless.

If in doubt, accessorise!

 I've been very busy for the past month or so, and have had little motivation to set up and play a game or to paint figures. It happens every so often. Also, the weather is nice here, so walking in the hills and visiting fjords I have not previously visited is higher on my list of things to do. However, I managed to stimulate my interest in gaming once more by buying a packet of foamboard!

One of my gaming goals is to focus on the figures I have rather than buying into new things. I've been quite successful in this. I've bought new rules like Five Leagues from the Borderlands to use with existing figures, and I have bought new figures to expand existing collections, but I have not been distracted by entirely new projects. Obviously, stopping expanding existing collections and ceasing to buy new boardgames would also be a good thing, but I have not quite managed that yet. One way to slow these processes down is to accessorise existing projects. This is where the foamboard comes in.

Over the past week I have cobbled together a dice tower and card holder for Warfighter, and a dice tower for Five Leagues from the Borderlands. They are built from foamboard and decorated with artwork from the respective games that I printed out and glued on. I could have spent more time resizing the artwork and making the images fit better, but, honestly, I just could not be arsed. The Warfighter dice tower was the first one I made, using a pattern from Instructables and it is a bit wonkier than the Five Leagues dice tower. If I make another, I am sure it will be less wonky still. Doesn't matter though. I have new dice towers and am satisfied enough with them. Also, dice rolling through the foamboard baffles sounds really cool. I need to stop rolling the dice to hear the sound long enough to actually play a game!

The card holder is from Adventures in Creative Software:

I needed to cobble together an insert for the Warfighter action deck using boxes the cards came in, because this card holder is not large enough for the 100 or so cards in the action deck, but it is functional and keeps the cards together better than just placing them on the gameboard. Like the first dice tower, the card holder turned out a bit wonky, but it is still satisfying to have for the game, and keeps the cards together.