snakeeyes may 2015 issue # 19

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ISSUE # 19 MAY 2015 GARAGE GAMERS GROUP

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Snake Eyes is a monthly production of a digital magazine on War Gaming from Garage Gamers Group. Garage Gamers Group are on Facebook and adopt a Gamers for Gamers attitude.

TRANSCRIPT

  • ISSUE # 19 MAY 2015

    GARAGE GAMERS GROUP

  • S N A K E E Y E S 2

  • games (in my opinion at

    least) of the time. Man O

    War was a Fantasy Naval

    game. Dreadfleet was

    never a reboot of Man O

    War but the same philoso-

    phy. Mordheim was a simi-

    larly styled game to Necro-

    munda but with Fantasy.

    BFG was a game based

    upon battles in space with

    the gigantic ships of the

    40k universe.

    Epic 40000, was 40k un-

    der different rules and us-

    ing tiny figures, tanks etcet-

    era but also Titans and

    Monstrous figures in huge

    battles.

    Space Hulk and Blood

    Bowl were board games.

    Space Hulk has recently

    had its 4th release, with

    Terminators versus Gen-

    estealers, set in a Space

    Hulk, and Blood Bowl used

    Warhammer Fantasy

    teams, in a Grid Iron style

    of game, although some

    people assumed it was set

    in the Warhammer Fantasy

    arena, but, not true.

    Play any of these games if

    you ever have the oppor-

    tunity as they were all

    great. I wish they were still

    as readily available now as

    they were back then, in the

    dim dark days of the 80s

    and 90s.

    SEE YOU THERE

    Just back from a nine night

    cruise of the south pacific is-

    lands and am refreshed and

    ready to game I trust in hope

    that everyone has had at least

    a good month.

    This issue includes more of

    what the critics have asked

    for, for criticism is good as

    long as its constructive.

    As mentioned last issue,

    Snake Eyes is forever a work

    in progress, with new addi-

    tions this issue and if well re-

    ceived will be a mainstay.

    I love the cover of this issue,

    once again thanks to Michael

    Colcloughs great work. A lot

    of advertising Anzac Day is

    normally done in the lead up to

    the event. We think that it

    should be remembered al-

    ways.

    Was exploring Facebook

    groups that I belong to, con-

    sidering a niche for GW spe-

    cialist games now out of print,

    but found that there was/is

    already such a group being

    run by Stephen Bissett.

    Say what you like about

    Games Workshop games but

    in their heyday they did pro-

    duce some excellent games,

    and WH40k of course is still

    here. But what about the for-

    gotten games, not the Old-

    hammer style stuff (Older ver-

    sions of Warhammer and

    WH40k), but the games that

    held their own, like Necro-

    munda, Man O War, Mord-

    heim, Battle Fleet Gothic,

    Blood Bowl, Space Hulk,

    Epic, and Warhammer

    Quest.

    There were pre versions of

    Necromunda and BFG such

    as Confrontation, and Space

    Fleet. Dark Future, was an-

    other oldie, and the oppor-

    tunity to own them or even

    play them was before my

    time in GW wargaming, how-

    ever there are still gamers

    that do.

    But, back onto subject, you

    can still grab hold of most of

    these games. Even board

    games like Heroquest and

    Space Crusade, their expan-

    sions and Advanced series,

    are all out there if you can

    afford it, if you dont already

    have access to them. There

    is still a special joy to old

    players and new, when you

    get these games out and

    have a go.

    These old games had so

    much potential. The expan-

    sions and reboots could

    have kept GW at the top of

    the list in this genre of

    games.

    Necromunda, a gang style

    game set in the Hive Primus

    (picture a city, called a hive,

    that has expanded up, not

    out), allows players to have

    one off and campaign games

    against a single or multiple

    opponents. It was an old 40k

    spin off, and one of the best

    Garage Gamers Group (GGG)

    G A R A G E

    G A M E R S

    G R O U P

    SNAKE EYES M A Y 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1 9

    Cover: Michael Col-

    clough - Lest We

    Forget

    Editorial

    Reviews on the Run

    Playing for a Reason

    The Collector

    Penny for your

    thoughts

    Special Feature

    Battle Reports:

    Bolt Action &

    War Machine

    Member Spotlight

    S N A K E E Y E S

    3

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    4

    REVIEWS ON THE RUN With GGG Member Peter Toh

    TERMINATOR GENISYS: THE

    WAR AGAINST THE MACHINES

    Contents:

    Full-colour rulebook: 128 pages

    Exclusive metal Kyle Reese model

    (brings special abilities, command options

    and heroic feats)

    10 Terminator Endoskeletons (Two differ-

    ent posses, advancing and relentlessly ad-

    vancing!)

    5 Terminator Crawlers (You thought the

    ENDO was done?!)

    16 Resistance Soldiers (with a selection

    of weapons from missile launchers to plasma

    rifles!)

    Quickstart rules: 16 pages

    2 punchboards: Includes all the scenery,

    tokens and gaming aids needed to play!

    1 full colour double-sided 2x3 gaming

    mat

    1 full-colour double-sided rules reference

    sheet

    13 colour-coded dice: 2 sets of D4, D6,

    D8, D10, D12, D20

    1 custom made metal colour Fate die

    River Horse and Warlord Games want to

    make sure that this game was everywhere so

    more people would discover it and start play-

    ing, even those who have never wargamed

    before! The twist and push-fit components

    eliminate the need for hobby tools making it

    the perfect introductory product for those that

    have not yet discovered the wonders of war-

    gaming.

    With this in mind we have created Ter-

    minator Genisys: The Battle for the Fu-

    ture. The main difference is that this sim-

    plified product only includes plastic min-

    iatures and a 16 pages ruleset to play

    with the components in the box. We did-

    nt want to scare newcomers with a 100-

    odd page rules or metal miniatures. We

    leave that for us wargamers!

    You can expect to see Battle for the

    Future truly everywhere, not only in spe-

    cialised hobby and games stores, allow-

    ing us to reach those that have yet not

    discovered River Horse and our great

    games through a comprehensive and

    approachable starter set.

    BATTLE FOR THE FUTURE

    Contents:

    10 Terminator Endoskeletons

    5 Terminator Crawlers

    16 Resistance Soldiers

    Quickstart rules: 16 pages

    2 punchboards: Includes all the

    scenery, tokens and gaming aids needed

    to play!

    1 full colour double-sided 2x3 gam-

    ing mat

    1 full-colour double-sided rules refer-

    ence sheet

    13 colour-coded dice: 2 sets of D4,

    D6, D8, D10, D12, D20

    1 custom made metal colour Fate

    die

    Warlord Games is the exclusive distribu-

    tor of The War Against the Machine, a

    skirmish miniatures game designed and

    produced by Alessio Cavatores River

    Horse Games, based on the upcoming

    Terminator Genisys movie by Paramount

    and Skydance Productions.

    Assasinorum Execution Force

    Well I made the mistake of walking into my

    LGS on the first (official) day of the release

    of the new GW boardgame Assassinorum

    Rebel and Imperial fleets fight

    for the fate of the galaxy in Star

    Wars: Armada, the two-player

    miniatures game of epic Star

    Wars space battles! Massive Star

    Destroyers fly to battle against

    Rebel corvettes and frigates.

    Banks of turbolasers unleash tor-

    rential volleys of fire against

    squadrons of X-wings and TIEs.

    Engineering teams race to route

    additional power to failing

    shields. Laser blasts and explo-

    sions flare across the battlefield.

    Even a single ship can change the

    tide of battle.

    In Star Wars: Armada, you as-sume the role of fleet admiral, serving with either the Imperial Navy or Rebel Alliance. Its your job to issue the tactical com-mands that will decide the course of battle and, perhaps, the fate of the galaxy.

    However, battles between capi-tal ships are fought on a massive scale all their own; the more powerful your ships, the harder it is to adjust their actions on the fly. Capital ships cant easily vary their speeds or execute hairpin turns like the star fighters that buzz around them, so successful admirals must learn to master every aspect of the ships in their fleet and learn how best to im-plement their strategies well in advance of the initial engage-ment.

    STAR WARS - ARMADA

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    5

    Execution Force. Admittedly I had not heard of

    this game at all so it was a bit of a surprise to me.

    Also not much fanfare in the store either ad-

    mittedly it wasnt a GW store so that may explain

    things.

    First impressions: Very expensive (RRP $210) but

    also very heavy and very shiny. The sales rep,

    being a very good sales rep, allowed me to open

    one up, obligation free to have a look at the

    contents, because even though it was heavy it

    was a rather thin box (about the height of

    Space Hulk) so I was really curious about what

    was in it. I shouldnt have done that I was sold

    at that point. Resistance was futile. The almost

    20% off RRP helped here.

    Now at this point I must admit that I balked at

    Space hulk because of the price (and because

    having previously owned it I didnt feel like spend-

    ing that much), but this was worse. It was new, it

    was shiny, it has ASSASSINS!!!. (There has been

    some mention of exclusivity of the assassin

    minis to this game, but meh wasnt a selling

    point for me)

    So unboxing. All the minis came on sprues ( 4 as-

    sassins,1 Chaos Sorceror Lord, 1 Chaos Familiar, 3

    Chaos Marines, 6 Chaos Cultists with autopistols,

    and 9 Chaos cultists with autoguns). You do need

    glue and have either clippers or a hobby knife to

    properly construct the first 5 minis, the others are

    snap together. Some will see this as a major

    downer, but hey its GW; and to be honest any-

    one who has done any plastic kit modeling at all

    (minis, aircraft etc.) will find these no trouble at

    all. Only people who are expecting to unbox and

    immediately play will find this a problem.

    The boards are very thick and heavy (they are

    most of the weight in the box), and the tokens

    and tiles are in good thick punch out card stock.

    Only the character reference cards and event

    cards are of normal card stock I will have to try

    to find protectors for those, but they are an unu-

    sually large size. And all are glossy.

    Gameplay there have been some negative im-

    pressions about gameplay bandied about because

    of a couple of factors:

    Static board there is only one board con-

    figuration, so it I assumed after a few

    games you will know the best tactics to

    move around the board with ease.

    The AI for the renegade enemies is simplis-

    tic compared with some other sys-

    tems.

    Only one scenario provided.

    There is a lot of luck involved with the

    dice rolls (GW+WH40k = duh); mainly

    because theres not many dice used (I

    think max 3 for any rolling, usually

    only 1 or 2

    A lot of people are saying these will restrict

    the re-playability of the game.

    My impression is that it wont. I havent

    played some of the other AI board games,

    but imo the game gives enough randomness

    with its mechanic, and its 40k, so I dont

    expect it to be a cakewalk.

    The first game:

    Well the learning curve wasnt too bad,

    though the line of sight (LOS) rules were a

    bit different to what I am used to, and we

    played them incorrectly until after I did a re-

    read after the game. It made it a lot messier

    the way we played it (read as harder for us

    to win), but perhaps more in line with what

    most experienced gamers would expect

    from a game like this.

    Game rounds were easily managed and

    moved through reasonably quickly once we

    got the hang of it (took 2 rounds).

    The four assassins (one from each of the

    major schools, Calidus, Calexus, Eversor, and

    Vindicare) each have their own special abili-

    ties as would be expected. Additionally each

    has character specific tactics, but they can

    only be used a limited number of times per

    game.

    The AI model wasnt too bad, but without

    the random events thrown in would be quite

    boring.

    The need to search for specific rooms be-

    fore you can move to the endgame does

    make the game more random and challeng-

    ing. All rooms are kept in a face down pile

    until you search a room to discover what it

    is, at which point you may draw between 1

    to 3 rooms, and will place the lowest num-

    bered room and replace others to the pile,

    which is then re-shuffled.

    CONTINUED BACK PAGE

    [email protected]

    Assasinorum Execution Force

  • Playing for a reason With GGG Member Lewis Cairns

    P A G E 6 I S S U E 1 9

    unfortunate circumstance of not having a local store. Any models/paints/brushes and accompany-ing items are purchased online. Yet this hobby lives on for me because of the dedicated com-munity that Warhammer, Kings Of War, Dreadfleet, The Lord of The Rings, BloodBowl and almost every other game has. Through online forums I have managed to keep my passion alive with each post we grow together, building our confidence and trust in our abilities.

    To actively search for this sense of belonging and community I created a YouTube channel. The channel (so named The Solitary War Gamer) is dedicated to interaction. To fun. To furthering my own enjoyment of the game through camaraderie and con-versation.

    Lets be honest here, a dedicated War Gaming channel was never going to challenge Pew Die Pie for subscriber count or channel views. But the channel has given me is a sense

    of being with my hobby. It sounds clichd, but to be able to engage with like-minded people has rejuvenated this hobby in my life. Instead of buying novels or video games, I find myself saving up for an Imperial Knight, or just one more Warjack (it cant hurt, right?) just to show those few subscribers and active community members I have.

    In retrospect I have never had a community for war-games untill now. The game has come alive to me once more and the fun has once again returned to those little plastic models with so much potential.

    If my community keeps on growing, in few months time I shall have to re-name my channel from The Solitary War Gamer to The Truly Humbled War Gamer.

    In creating my community I put my neck on the line. By uploading videos I left myself to vulnerable to the entire

    in whatever genre you are

    searching. There are many

    sellers that utilise this area so

    have a look for your bargains

    there.

    If you find something on

    ebay have a look at the sellers

    other items for sale. If you

    intend to purchase several

    items the seller will most times

    offer a bulk discount on post-

    age.

    If you are looking for a no

    auction style sale, there are

    many pages now on Facebook

    that sell and buy via a first in

    first served, or the first to PM

    with the right price environ-

    ment. These generate quite

    quick sales, and you dont have

    to wait, but I recommend us-

    ing Paypal or similar to pur-

    chase to offer protection

    against the unscrupulous. I

    recommend Leftys Historical

    Wargames Trading Page, War-

    hammer Australia Buy, Swap &

    Sell, MiniTrades, Rogue Trad-

    ing: Warhammer 40k buy sell

    and swap. Good luck...

    Where do you get those ob-

    scure games and miniatures

    from. Ive mentioned ebay and

    swap meets and other trading

    sites to go to before. So I

    thought this month I would

    help you hone in on those bar-

    gains...well not always.

    Did you know that if you

    were searching say for Necro-

    munda figures on ebay, rather

    than type Necromunda in the

    search bar, search instead for

    OOP (Out of Print/Production)

    Necromunda, or place an OOP

    From the Collectors Vault

    S N A K E E Y E S

    6

    Last month I spoke about the very beginnings of my War Gaming hobbies this week I would like to talk about my most recent ventures.

    Last week I told the tale of my early battles and failures, and the truth is, in recent times War Gaming has both changed and remained the same for me. Prices have hiked, paints have been renamed and the miniatures have a frightening level of detail now and yet, the game remains the same for me. I cant play a lot my local store has closed down. Most of my friends no longer play War Games so recently I found myself asking the inevitable question Why do I keep it up?

    Why do I keep spending money on models I will agonise over for a week and then lock away for the rest of their lives?

    The simple answer is the War Gaming community is one of the greatest communities in the world.

    I have found myself in the

    The Collector is a

    gamer with over 40

    years in collectable

    games and wargam-

    ing...

    world of War Gamers, yet, they embraced me. Those who didnt like what they saw simply clicked away, leaving not so much as a thought. Those who liked it stayed, and my war gaming hobby and quite simply, my life has been made so much the better as a direct result.

    Keep on War Gaming.

    Lewis Cairns.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    7

    S N A K E E Y E S

    Forward Scout

    By GGG Member Glen Taylor

    Anzac Day has come and gone. This one was the 100 year anniversary, so important to us here in Australia,

    and our neighbour New Zealand, for the memory of the loss of armed forces in the Great War, and of course

    in the memory of the other nations involved, and the people back home.

    Anzac Cup was run by Ty Casey, of the ADF Wargaming Association in Brisbane, last month. A successful

    tournament in its 3rd year saw Bolt Action, Star Wars X-Wing, Infinity, Warhammer 40k and 30k, and

    Warhammer Fantasy, have great player support for the weekend of competitive gaming.

    The other great news is with this tournament all proceeds go to Legacy. Players had a huge amount of priz-

    es to compete for, donated by multiple suppliers. Id like to share the tournaments players and ratings with

    you here. At the time of printing I could not get my hands on the Infinity list, but here are the others.

    For more info and photos, visit https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?

    id=431274870332782&__mref=message_bubble

    I love the fact that a local tournament can have the variety of

    games, players and prizes, that we have seen at this event. Dont get

    me wrong, Brisbane has great tournaments, and very competent

    event organisers, but the tournament is usually only what type of game. For example Rod Franze runs The

    Gauntlet which is a great tourney but is 40k only. There are many tournaments of War Machine and Hordes

    every weekend. Star Wars X-Wing and Bolt Action events create many high calibre tourneys.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    8

    S N A K E E Y E S

    May your dice roll high,

    Glen

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    9

    www.riverhorse.eu

    Terminator Genisys: The War Against the Machines features 31 stunning plastic miniatures designed to be ready for

    action in minutes. No glue is required, thanks to their push-fit design, and they come in two clear different plastic colour

    (metallic grey for the Terminators and army green for the Resistance) to make sure you recognise your forces easily amidst

    the fog of war.

    As a bonus, The War Against the Machines includes a superbly sculpted metal Kyle Reese character to join the Re-

    sistance fighters, providing them with special command abilities and heroic traits, Kyle Reese is a perfect to lead the brave

    Resistance soldiers against the endoskeletons.

    Terminator Genisys: The War Against the Machines includes a 128 pages rulebook that allows you to explore every game

    possibility; starting from the contents of the box but allowing you to expand with the upcoming range of heroes, command-

    ers, troop types and vehicles expected during the year ahead. We will keep you well informed about all these new exciting

    releases.

    While you can play on your regular gaming table, we have included a 2x3 double-sided gaming mat, cardboard measuring

    templates and a set of cardboard terrain to make it a game truly ready out of the box, so youll be up and running in no time

    at all.

    Finally, the unique dice game system invites you to play without the need of modifiers or tables and the chaotic Fate acti-

    vation system ensure youre always involved in the action.

    You will be able to get Terminator Genisys: The War Against the Machines and all the upcoming new releases directly

    from Warlord Games online store or through your local store. Pre-orders for the game start in May.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    10

    No Senator's Son Going Upriver with the Brown Water Navy with Mike Haught

    Its hot and unbearably humid as the boats wander up the river. Each sailor and soldier is

    on high alert, fingers tensely pressed against their weapons triggers as they scan the

    riverbanks for anything out of the ordinary. A small movement in the bush is all the warning

    the Brown Water Navy gets before a salvo of rocket-propelled grenades smashes into the

    convoy

    For US armed forces in Vietnam, 1965 was a year of rapid expansion. A major communist

    offensive was narrowly defeated by the rapid deployment of Free World forces to the Re-

    public of Vietnam (South Vietnam). It was quickly recognised that one of the major keys to

    the enemys success was the ability to supply the communist National Liberation Army via

    the waterways of the Mekong Delta. This allowed the armed forces of the National Libera-

    tion Front, also known by their enemies as the Vit Cng; a contraction of Vit Nam Cng-

    sn (Vietnamese communist), to move war supplies from the famous Ho Chi Minh Trail in

    neighboring Cambodia directly to the gates of Saigon, the nations capital.

    While the South Vietnamese navy marginally patrolled the region, it was clearly not up to

    the task of stopping these supplies, let alone taking on the enemys armed forces directly. Reinforcements and a new approach would

    be needed to conquer the Mekong.

    The Brown Water Navy

    During the reoccupation of French Indochina, the French pioneered the use of a brown water navy, so called to distinguish it from blue water navies that operated at sea. The concept was to interdict enemy supplies, allowing conventional land and airborne forces to take care of the weakened enemy directly.

    The French Dinassauts, as the patrol detachments were called, succeeded in their mission and when the US Navy arrived on the scene almost 10 years later, they took the knowledge and experience of those units to form their own river assault squad-rons. Basic WWII landing craft were modified with arms and armour to serve as a riv-er-based flotilla, backed by heavily armed monitors and fast patrol boats. These were

    further reinforced by the addition of the 2nd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, an Army infantry unit. Together, these were known as the Mobile Riverine Force, a truly unique formation.

    While fast patrol boats interdicted enemy supplies being trafficked on the river, the MRFs mission was to directly assault enemy

    strongholds and secure the Mekong Delta region.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    11

    The Viet Cong

    In the communist camp, the failure of the 1965 offensive led to a period of rebuilding and posturing. The arrival of the US and ANZAC forc-

    es meant that more careful planning and patience would be needed before the next major offensive (which would be eventually known as

    the Tet Offensive). This involved secretly moving more supplies into forward positions near Saigon and the other provincial capitals of

    Vietnam.

    The Vit Cng were the military arm of the National Liberation Front, made up of local communist volunteers and reinforced with a

    cadre of soldiers and leaders from Peoples Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). The units got to work recruiting, rebuilding, and preparing

    for battle. This put them on a collision course with the recently arrived Brown Water Navy.

    A New Tour

    The arrival of Brown Water Navy represents Battlefronts fourth tour in Vietnam wargaming. It takes Flames Of War into uncharted wa-

    ters, so to speak, with the arrival of boats and adds a whole new dimension to amphibious combat. New models and challenges await veter-

    an and new players alike in Brown Water Navy.

    Local Forces

    Initially featured in Tour Of Duty as a support option for the PAVN infantry battalion, the Local Forces are a force in their own right in

    Brown Water Navy. These dedicated troops represented the main opponent of the MRF during its tour, so it made sense to include them

    here, fully expanded and developed.

    The army plays similarly to the PAVN infantry battalions, but they rely more on hit-and-run tactics. To that end, they have the ability to

    ambush closer to the enemy than other PAVN forces and can preserve attached weapons when the company returns to Guerilla Reserves,

    so that they can be repositioned for another ambush. This means that the Local Forces companies can hit a riverine column, then fade back

    into the jungle to set up another ambush further along the riverbank.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    12

    They also have their own boats in the form of Sampan miniatures. These act as resistance teams, allowing the Vit Cng player to not only use the Resistance Fighters abilities on the river, but also create river traffic that can interfere with the MRFs movements.

    The concept of the force is simple: strike the enemy when the odds are good, then fade away. Do it again and again until the enemy tires

    and is defeated.

    Riverine Boats

    The opportunity to make boat models was too great for us to resist. They are impressive and imposing models on the battlefield, with guns pointing outward in any which direction! Riverine warfare is a truly unique style of combat. Its like traditional amphibious assaults, but

    with land surrounding the landing craft on both sides, which gives the enemy more opportunities to ambush and thwart the attack.

    To deal with this threat the French, and later the Americans, relied on overwhelming firepower. The hallmark of riverine craft, including

    troop carriers, was high rate-of-fire machine-guns or cannon. Gunboats would combine that with a versatile high explosive weapon, such as

    a flat-trajectory 81mm mortar, or flame-throwing weapons. The boats were also armoured, first with plates and then later with more effec-

    tive stand-off bar armour.

    Each boat was a floating fortress. Heavily armed and armoured, they could go anywhere up and down the dangerous waters of the Me-

    kong River and its tributaries.

    The Boats

    The ASPB

    The Armored Support Patrol Boat (ASPB) were known as Alpha boats, owing to the A-designation on their hull numbers. These

    were the only boat in the MRF purpose-built for the riverine mis-

    sion and they entered service in September 1967. Each river divi-

    sion could rely on eight ASPBs to lead patrols upriver.

    The ASPB had the unenviable responsibility of leading the col-

    umn patrol because of its radar equipment and reasonable re-

    sistance to underwater mines. Alpha boats were built durable,

    with layered armour plates spaced by styrofoam to make them

    virtually unsinkable. Two turrets were placed with excellent

    fields of fire and a mortar pit was emplaced in the stern.

    Compared to the ATCs and Monitors, the ASPB was fast and

    could rapidly respond to enemy threats, leading to them being

    referred to as the MRFs destroyers.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    13

    Armoured Troop Carrier

    The Armoured Troop Carrier (ATC) was a rebuilt WWII-era LCT-6(M) landing craft. The ATC served as the MRFs primary transport and sup-port boat. It could carry a full rifle platoon, a single artillery piece, or a single transport, such as an M113 tracked vehicle. They were known

    as Tango boats due to the T-designation on their hull numbers. A river division had up to 13 ATCs available to move a battalion of infantry

    upriver.

    However, experience in-country led to upgrading most of the ATCs with the helicopter pad so that troops could receive supplies from UH-1

    Huey helicopters. The helipad also served as overhead protection against mortars and falling debris. The ATC(H) were known as the worlds

    smallest aircraft carriers.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    14

    Monitors

    The Monitor was based on the ATC, but the boats ramp was replaced with a blunt-shaped bow and the forecastle extended. Known as the

    MRFs battleship, it could carry a large number of weapons. A river division had up to three available for operations to provide serious

    firepower to patrols.

    Four Monitors were equipped with a pair of M10-8 Zippo turrets and the mortar pit was replaced with a 1350-gallon (5140 litre) tank

    (compared to the 200-gallon tank in an M132 Zippo half-track!). These were given the designation ATC(F).

    Each river division had a Command and Control Boat (CCB), which was a modified monitor. The boat served as the Navys division HQ and

    the Armys battalion HQ for the battle and coordinated the efforts of the assault from the command bunker in the middle of the boat.

    Patrol Boat (Riverine)

    The Patrol Boat (Riverine), or PBR, was a common and iconic sight on the Mekong Delta. The PBR fleet was a part of Operation Game War-den, whose mission was to patrol the rivers and interdict communist supplies along the waterway. Occasionally, their mission overlapped

    with the MRFs and the two worked together.

    The PBR was immortalised in the popular film Apocalypse Now, as Captain Benjamin Willard wound his way upriver in search of the de-

    ranged Colonel Walter Kurtz.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    15

    Skyraider Redux

    The US Navy supported its task forces with everything they had, including the venerable A-1H Skyraider. This model was introduced in an

    issue of Wargames Illustrated using the usual aircraft rules. While that certainly still works for ad-hoc or limited flight time air support mis-

    sions, it didnt capture the feel of the Skyraiders imposing and certain presence on the battlefield.

    This also gave us the chance to refine the Skyraiders incredible payload. You can fit rocket pods, napalm canisters, Willie Pete smoke

    bombs, bomblet dispensers, and mini-gun pods to the planes basic 20mm cannons and high-explosive bomb load. WIth 15 hardpoints to

    load ordnance, youll be sure to find the right combination to support your force!

    Free world players can now rely on the Skyraiders impressive arsenal to keep the enemys head down. The

    Pocket Guide to Vietnam gives all Free World forces access to either the new On Station aircraft or normal air

    support from A-1H Skyraiders and brand new A-4E Skyhawk jets.

    The Mekong

    The Sng M Kng (or Mekong) and the Sng Hu (or Bassac) rivers are the setting for the battles featured in Brown Water Navy. The river is a unique battlefield and adds new challenges for all players. It can make simple objectives suddenly more difficult, and force players to

    change tactics and open up new opportunities.

    The Jungle

    The common image of the Vietnam battlefield is of thick, impassable jungle. While this is certainly true in some places, it is far from accu-rate of the Mekong Delta. This region is the most heavily modified by human endeavours. Less than 10% of the entire Delta region is classi-

    fied as forested, the rest being predominantly rice paddies, canals, and rivers.

    However, much of the Deltas riverbanks are lined by dense patches of nipa palm where the local population has cleared the area immedi-

    ately behind for rice cultivation. These strips of jungle are narrow, but provide excellent cover for ambushes.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    16

    Dogtown howler 7Edited & Published by Jacob Adams Esq.- Journalist & Photographer - Established 1867 Dogtown County - Member of Professional Newspapermen of N.Y. May 1869

    Tournaments for the Month

    Ace Comics Annerley

    Magic Tournament

    Sat/Sun 16 & 17 May

    Irresistible Force Tanah Merah

    Super Series (War Machine/Hordes)

    Saturday 23rd May

    The Dark Magician Ipswich

    1500 point 40k Battle Forged Tournament

    Sunday 17 May

    Club: 2nd Legion

    Located at Uni Club building near Carpark 5 at the

    University of the Sunshine Coast at 90 Sippy Downs Drive,

    Sippy Downs

    Club Times/Days: Every second Sunday

    Membership Cost is $2 per meet

    Plays: Large selection of GW games, but also variety of oth-

    er games

    Club: Pubhammer

    Located at The Junction Hotel at Annerley, Corner of Ips-

    wich Road and Annerley Road

    Club Times/Days: Every Sunday night 1800-2230

    Membership cost is a gold coin donation

    Plays: Warhammer 40k, Deadzone, Werewolf, Malifaux,

    Kings of War, Cthulu Wars, War Machine, Bolt Action and

    board games

    Club: Bray Park Alliance

    Located at Bray Park Community

    Church, 10 Youngs Crossing Road,

    Bray Park

    Club Times/Days: 1st Sunday of every

    month

    Contact: Jason McDougall

    0421 283 044

    Membership Cost is $6 for the day or

    $15 family and includes lunch

    Plays: 40k, Zombiecide, Star Wars X-

    Wing, The Hobbit

    Club Tournament The Hobbit

    0800hrs Saturday 16th May

    500points

    $20 entry fee

    Club: Blind Pig

    Located at the Finnish Hall, 62

    Newnham Road, Mt Gravatt

    Club Times/Days: Every second

    Saturday - May 16th and 30th

    0930-1630

    Membership cost is $10 for the day

    Plays: The Blind Pig encourages any

    game system that can fit the terrain

    tables supplied by the club. Games

    played at present cover a wide spec-

    trum, the forum on WAU is the best

    place to see what games are being

    organised by members, it can also be

    used to seek games from others.

    NB Swap Meet this weekend

    Shop: Irresistible Force

    Located at Colonial Square, Shop 16, 2 Grevillea Street,

    Tanah Merah

    Contact: 07 34584324

    Hours of Business: Monday to Friday 1000-1700

    Every second Tuesday until 2100 and Saturdays 1000-1600

    Plays: Has gaming area for 16-25 gamers Bolt Action, Star Wars

    X-Wing, War Machine

    Stocks: Bolt Action, War Machine/Hordes, Star Wars X-Wing,

    Flames of War

    NB: Conducts in store painting classes

    Shop: Ace Comics Annerley

    Located at 478 Ipswich Road, Annerley

    Contact: 07 3848 7362

    Hours of Business: 7 days 1000-1730

    Weekends 0900-1700

    Wednesday night until 2230 & Friday nights until midnight

    Plays: Has gaming area to provide for up to 75 players

    Stocks: Comics, board games, card games, X-Wing, Role playing

    games, Miniature games, War Machine

    Shop: The Dark Magician

    Located at 1 Bell Street, Ipswich

    Contact: 0426 732 577

    Hours of Business: Wed-sun 1000-1700 Thu/Fri open late

    Plays: Has a gamers area for up to 30 players

    Stocks: Warhammer 40k, Board games, Yu Gi Oh, Magic the Gathering,

    Vanguard, Pokemon, Infinity, Star Wars X-Wing, Dropship Commander,

    RPG books and games

    NB New Magic the Gathering Modern Masters launch Friday 22nd

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    17

    BOLT ACTION BATTLE REPORT

    The Battle for Carenille Farm

    This battle report presents a turn-by-turn, blow-by-blow account of an actual game between the Germans and the Americans. It gives a good

    overview of how to play Bolt Action as well as a few tactical tips!

    The players are Andrew Chesney Bolt Action veteran and Graham Davey an experienced gamer but new to Bolt Action. Their armies

    are based around the contents of the Bolt Action Starter Set: D-Day Firefight, plus a selection of other models chosen using the Requisition

    Points system from the rulebook to create evenly matched sides.

    Andy: Having played Bolt Action from an early playtest stage there was a lot of pressure on me to show this

    young whipper snapper how we do things round here! I always enjoy putting armies together from what is at

    hand, and in true Old School Battle Report fashion I was happy to select from the expertly painted figures avail-

    able in the studio.

    I started by adding two more full units of Infantry with light machine guns (LMGs). The extra dice these weap-

    ons add to a fire fight could be invaluable. My command options were simple, a Lieutenant with his bodyguard,

    a Medic to keep all my infantry alive a little longer and a Forward Artillery Observer. He would be crucial if I

    wanted to stall the American advance. An MMG, a flamethrower, medium mortar and a howitzer light artillery piece added fire support. The

    whole thing was rounded off with an Sd.Kfz 251/10 Hanomag and a Panzer IV one of the most iconic tanks of the period, and a pretty de-

    cent Sherman hunter.

    Graham: While Ive played lots of 40K, Warhammer and other wargames, this is my first ever game of Bolt Ac-

    tion so Im intrigued to see how it plays. Its also cool to be trying out a World War II wargame its a genre Ive

    enjoyed on film, TV and video games but never on the table-top.

    The first step was assembling my force of brave US troops. I included a good amount of infantry, with a Lieu-

    tenant to lead the army and specialist support such as heavy machine gun (HMG), mortar and bazooka teams. I

    also went for an M3A1 half-track to carry one of the infantry squads into action, a solid M4 Sherman tank and a

    57mm anti-tank gun to take on enemy vehicles. Lastly I added an Air Force Forward Observer after Andy generously pointed out that these

    are particularly good in US armies (more on that later).

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    18

    TERRAIN We were lucky to have a fantastically modelled board and beautifully painted terrain pieces to play over, including the ruined building from

    the starter set. We set everything up to represent a small farm with a few ruined out-buildings and surrounding woods. We also used sec-

    tions of stone wall to mark out some roads leading up to and through the farm.

    SCENARIO

    We chose the first scenario from the Bolt Action rulebook, that involves one side trying to bypass and envelop the enemy by moving units

    across the table and off the far side of the board. We quickly decided that the Americans should be doing the enveloping, imagining that our game was part of the historical Allied advance

    following the D-Day landings. The Germans would have the task of defending the fictitious Carenille Farm and resisting the US attack their

    objective was simply to destroy as many enemy units as possible and prevent the American advance.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    19

    ORDER DICE Before starting we took one Order Dice for each of our units choosing green dice for the Americans and grey for the Germans and put them

    in the dice bag, and with that we were ready for battle.

    DEPLOYMENT Following the instructions in the scenario, Andy set up half of the German defenders up to 12 on to the board with the rest of his force waiting

    in reserve to enter the battle later. Not knowing where the weight of the US attack would fall, he spread out his forces and left his more mobile

    vehicles off the table.

    The entire American force remained off the table at the start, apart from the Air Force Forward Observer, whose special Hidden Set-up

    rules allowed Graham to deploy him already in position in the woods.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    20

    PREPARATORY BOMBARDMENT Graham was pleased to discover that the scenario allowed the attacking forces to call down a bombardment to soften up the defenders before

    the battle. After rolling the dice, a number of German units were inflicted with Pin Markers, including Andys mortar team up on the hill.

    P I N M A R K E R S In Bolt Action pin markers represent the suppressing effect of incoming fire, as troops fear for their lives and keep their heads down instead of

    doing what theyre told. The more pin markers a unit has, the less likely it is to follow orders! Pinning is a great way to keep an enemy unit from

    bothering your troops even if you cant destroy it outright.

    TURN 1

    The players started to draw dice out of the dice bag, one at a time. Whichever sides colour is drawn, that side gets to choose one of its unit and

    give it an order to do something like moving or shooting. This means that you never know who will get to act first or how the action will unfold! As the US force had started off the table, almost all of Grahams units were ordered to Run, to get them into a good position as fast as possible.

    The bulk of the force moved towards the crossroads where the fields of fire were more open, while Graham also sent two infantry squads ad-

    vancing down the right flank where the buildings gave more cover. The Sherman tank was moving on a road, allowing it to go even faster and

    lead the advance.

    Andys German forces were also mainly still getting into position, and his Panzer IV tank and 251/10 both rumbled on from reserve to meet

    the threat of the American Sherman head-on.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    21

    The German medium mortar team was already in a good spot so Andy gave it an order to fire. However, as the mortar had a pin marker

    from the preparatory bombardment, Andy first had to take an Order Test to get the unit to do what he wanted. Unfortunately, with a -1

    penalty to his roll thanks to the pin marker, Andy failed the roll, and instead the mortar team went Down, too rattled to stick their heads

    up and fire their weapon!

    Finally in Turn 1, Grahams Air Force Forward Observer radioed for an airstrike. This is a special kind of Fire order, and meant that a war-

    plane might appear at the start of a subsequent turn

    O R D E R S

    FIRE: The models in the unit do not move, instead they open up with their weapons at their chosen target at full effect.

    ADVANCE: The unit can move and then fire its weapons. The units shots will be less accurate than if it chooses to remain stationary, and

    some of its weapons may not be able to fire at all. RUN: The unit moves at double speed, but cannot fire any of its weapons.

    TURN 2 The US airstrike promptly arrived at the start of Turn 2, in the form of a strafing Allied fighter plane flying in low over the farm buildings. It

    targeted the German infantry defending the farm building. The pilots poor aim (Grahams bad dice roll) meant that there were only a few

    casualties but the squad was severely alarmed by the sudden attack and took 2 more pin markers, giving it 3 in total.

    Next, the opposing forces started to exchange fire as both players issued Fire orders and Advance orders to various units. The Shermans

    machine gun killed two of the German howitzers crew but the remaining crewman meant it would stay operational. The Panzer IV moved to

    get line of sight to the Sherman its shot was accurate but failed to do any damage. Infantry squads and machine guns exchanged fire re-

    sulting in various casualties and pin markers for either side.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    22

    The German medium mortar once again failed its Order Test to fire and stayed Down!

    Knowing that his heavily pinned Infantry squad was even less likely to follow orders, Andy chose to give them a Rally order, allowing him to

    remove more of the pin markers and get them back into the fight.

    Lastly, the German Forward Artillery Observer called in a bombardment. Just like the American airstrike, this would arrive in a later turn.

    O R D E R S

    AMBUSH: The unit does not move or fire. Instead, the soldiers take up firing positions and wait for a target to present itself.

    RALLY: The unit does not move or fire. Instead, the troops pause for breath, patch up the wounded, pass ammo around and regroup ready

    for the following turn. DOWN: The unit does not move or fire. Instead, the troops hit the dirt and keep their heads down as far as possible, making maximum use of

    whatever cover is available.

    TURN 3

    Andy rolled for the arrival of his bombardment but the result was Delayed he would have to roll again at the start of the next turn. The battle was now really hotting up as the US forces surged forward. Leading the charge, the Sherman drove between the farm buildings to

    keep out of sight of the Panzer and straight through the German infantry squad taking cover there. This is worked out as a special Assault

    order, and quickly saw the German troops scattered (or crushed!) and removed from the table.*

    * V I C T O R Y P O I N T S Each scenario sets out how the victor of the battle is decided. In this case points are awarded for achieving objectives. You dont have to add up

    victory points until the game finishes but it can be quite fun to keep a running total.

    For this scenario, the Germans receive 2 points for each enemy unit removed from the table. The Americans receive only 1 point for destroying

    enemy units as thats not their main goal. However, they get an extra 2 points for each US unit in the enemy deployment zone (the last 12 of

    the table) at the end of the battle, and 3 points if a unit has moved right off the far side of the board.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    23

    Poor shooting meant that the Panzer IV was unable halt the advance of the US Halftrack, which then opened up with its machine gun on the

    German squad defending the crossroads. Its cargo of US infantrymen then leapt out and gunned down the remainder of the enemy squad at

    close range.*

    Andy in turn sped forward his Sd.Kfz 251/10 Hanomag from which disembarked a flamethrower team. The lethal weapon unleashed gouts

    of burning fuel into the US infantry, and though it only killed a single man, the horrible effects of the weapon inflicted 4 pin markers and a

    Morale Test. With the -4 penalty from the pinning, the unit failed the test and ran from the battle.*

    Elsewhere, the US anti-tank gun hit but failed to penetrate the Panzer IVs armour, while on the other flank, Andy moved a Hanomag

    carrying his last infantry squad to counter the US advance through the garden into the courtyard.

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    24

    The US Mortar found its range and killed two of the German HMG team the remaining crewman failed his Morale Test and the gun was

    out of the battle.*

    Andy groaned as his medium mortar yet again failed its order to fire, despite still having just 1 pin marker on it. Finally Graham took advantage of the US Armys special rule which allows its Air Observers to call in a second airstrike (as opposed to the

    normal one per battle). The team spent the rest of the battle cautiously advancing through the woods towards the German lines.

    A R M Y S P E C I A L R U L E S Each country in Bolt Action has a couple of unique special rules that apply to the army as a whole. For example, German armies have the

    Hitlers Buzzsaw rule, reflecting their superior machine guns, while US armies have the Air Power rule giving them access to extra airstrikes.

    V I C T O R Y P O I N T S : US 3

    Germany 2

    This battle concludes in the next issue of Snake Eyes

  • S N A K E E Y E S

    25

    Misfire by Brian Solomon

  • WarmaHordes Battle Report Skorne vs. Cygnar 50 pts

    This battle depicts the forces of Alex and Ben, going head to head, as recorded by Mr Mayhem.

    Alexs list:

    Rasheth (Chain Gang Tier 4)

    Bronzeback Titan

    Titan Sentry

    Titan Gladiator

    Titan Gladiator

    Min. Beast Handlers

    Max. Gatorman Posse

    Min. Bog Trog Ambushers

    Min. Farrow Bone Grinders

    Paingiver Task Master (utilizing Mortithurgy-powered, thermo-opitc camouflage in the pic below)

    Agonizer

    Agonizer

    S N A K E E Y E S

    26

  • Bens list:

    Stryker1

    Stormwall

    Lancer

    Max. Long Gunners

    Stormblades

    Rangers

    Aiyanna & Holt

    Journeyman Warcaster

    Squire (yes, not fully painted)

    The Piper of Ord

    Deployment:

    Alex won the roll off and opted to go first, with Ben choosing the side of the board with the hill. From the top down, Alex deployed: Bone

    Grinders, Gladiator, Beast Handlers (one behind each Titan), Agonizer, Sentry, Rasheth, Agonizer, Bronzeback, Gladiator, Gatormen and the

    Task Master, with the Bog Trogs Ambushers, believe it or not, ambushing. From top to bottom, Ben deployed: Long Gunners, ADd Rangers,

    Styker, Squire, Stormwall, Aiyanna & Holt, Lancer, Journeyman, Stormblades and the Piper.

    The scenario for this game was Outflank which, though we used the recently released SR2015, hadnt changed in the slightest. Starting on the

    second players second turn, 1 control point can be scored for controlling a zone, 2 for dominating a zone and both zones can be scored simul-

    taneously. The terrain is all fairly obvious, consisting of an obstacle (the house), a hill, a patch of rough terrain (the crater), two linear obstacles

    (the walls) and a forest. Due to Alex playing Rasheths theme force to tier 4 he gained an additional 2 of deployment zone, his Gatormen

    gained +2 SPD turn 1, his Agonizers began with 3 fury each and the point cost of each his Titans was reduced by 1.

    S N A K E E Y E S

    27

  • Skorne turn 1: As turn 1 began, the Gatormen ran forward after using the Dirge of Mists prayer and the Task Master advanced and gave them

    Tough, with the Temper Flesh slave driver special action. Rasheth then used the Rush animus on the Sentry and Bronzeback, waddled up slight-

    ly and channeled a Breath of Corruption through the lead Gatorman (dealing 1 point of damage to it) at the center Ranger, but the AOE deviat-

    ed harmlessly near the center wall. Both Gladiators used Rush on themselves then trampled forward and the Sentry and Bronzeback ran, with

    the Sentry still slightly in the rough terrain. The Agonizers and Bone Grinders simply ran up a bit.

    The Skorne Army moves up

    Cygnar turn 1: Stryker allocated 3 focus to the Stormwall, 1 to the Lancer, advanced onto the hill and cast Snipe on the Stormwall. Next the

    Rangers advanced and took some shots. One picked off a Beast Handler, two either missed or failed to damage, but two other Rangers shot at

    an Agonizer, hit and, with some crazy damage rolls (needing to do 8 damage at dice -5), killed it outright. The Stormwall then advanced up 5

    and fired both big guns at the remaining Agonizer. It missed the first boosted shot, but hit and killed it with the second. It then dropped a Storm

    Pod into the zone to its left and placed one covering fire template in front of the Stormblades and one on the hill between the Long Gunners

    and the board edge for a little Bog Trog protection. The Journeyman advanced and cast Arcane Shield on the Stormblades and the Piper gave

    them Heroic Call. The Long Gunners maneuvered slightly and almost effortlessly killed a Gatorman with a 3-man CRA and some more stellar

    rolls. Aiyanna & Holt advanced and stealthed up and the Squire shuffled.

    The exposed Agonizers get picked off early.

    S N A K E E Y E S

    28

  • The central Agonizer in the sights of

    the surprisingly deadly Rangers.

    A Skorne perspective

    A Cygnar perspective

    Skorne turn 2: First off, the Trogs spring up exactly where

    they were expected.

    Rasheth reaved fury, leaving 1 on a Gladiator who had no

    fear of frenzying courtesy of the Bronzeback. The Bog

    Trogs got a run/charge order and went into the Long Gun-

    ners, killing 3 and engaging others. The Posse got Tough

    from the Task Master, prayed for Dirge of Mists again and

    charged, took no damage from the covering fire and killed

    3 Stormblades, the Storm Pod and 2 Rangers (who passed

    their CMD check). The Bone Grinders missed a Ranger

    with an Arcane Bolt and Rasheth waddled out a bit from

    behind the crater.

    S N A K E E Y E S

    29

  • Next, he channeled a fully boosted Sunder Spirit through the forward most Gatorman at the Journeyman to kill him and then cast Castigate,

    camping 2 fury. The Sentry cast Locker on itself and charged, but, as it was not Rushed and still in the rough terrain, didnt get as far forward as

    Alex wouldve liked. The Bronzeback (the wood-colored, 50mm base with the red upkeep token with Bronzeback written on it in the pic be-

    low) ran up next to the Sentry and the Gladiator on Rasheths left charged a Ranger and eventually killed it. Lastly, the Gladiator on Rasheths

    right ran into the forested zone.

    The Journeyman gets spell sniped

    and Gators charge in and clear the

    right zone

    Cygnar turn 2: Stryker unsurpris-

    ingly let Snipe drop, took 1 focus

    from the Squire and allocated 3 to

    the Stormwall. Aiyanna & Holt acti-

    vated first. Aiyanna advanced and

    cast Kyss of Lylyss on the Gators

    and Holt aimed and blew away a

    Gator. The Rangers went next;

    some advanced and one aimed.

    One failed to damage a Trog, one

    killed a Bone Grinder and one

    rolled box cars to kill yet another

    Gator. The remaining Stormblades

    killed one Gator as well and then

    the Long Gunners activated. The

    ones in melee failed to do anything,

    though the others were able to

    shoot 4 of the 6 Bog Trogs, forcing

    them to take (and fail) a CMD check. Stryker advanced to the center of the hill, used his feat, killed a Bog Trog in melee and channeled an Earth-

    quake through the Lancer (that was outside of Rasheths CTRL area) at the Sentry, knocking down the three side-by-side Titans. The Stormwall

    then charged the Gladiator in the hill adjacent zone and, using all its focus on attacks, killed the Gladiator. It also shot a Pod into the forested

    zone and did 2 damage to the remaining Gator. The Piper Heroic Calld the Stormblades again and ran into the zone, hiding in/behind the for-

    est. The Lancer advanced into melee, but missed its initial attacks.

    Gators get whittled, Trogs get busted up and

    Stormwall squashes a Gladiator

    Game continued in next issue of

    Snake Eyes...

    S N A K E E Y E S

    30

  • S N A K E E Y E S 31

    I've been asked to provide a "brief" expose of my gaming life. How can

    one who has lived as long and gamed as long be brief? Oh well I shall try,

    if I succeed, who knows.

    I have been gaming since the 1960's, becoming an active participant in

    the gaming community from 1978. I've been involved with more clubs

    than I can sometimes remember, sometimes with fondness, other times

    with bitterness. So here's a list of clubs I've been part of; Griffith Universi-

    ty Tacticians and Strategists (early 80's), Queensland Role Players, Club

    Tanelon (founding member), QMGC (Warhounds), The Praetorians

    (founding member), and currently with Blind Pig.

    I have been involved on many levels of gaming, as a designer/play test-

    er, club executive, tournament/event organiser, organised play demon-

    strator, and the list goes on. My family have been involved in the game

    and hobby industry since the 60's. Being involved with Hobby and Toy-

    land, Exec-u-games/Leisuretronics (my wife worked there), Napoleon's

    Military Bookshop (yes my wife worked there again), The Emperor's Le-

    gion and a number of other businesses that have consulted with me over

    the years.

    My initial interest in gaming was role-playing. As time went on I be-

    came interested in miniatures and wargaming. My favourite role-playing

    game is Empire of the Petal Throne. I don't have any particularly favourite

    wargame, as I like to dabble in all areas and periods. Historically I enjoy

    Napoleonic's, using a set of rules printed in 1979, namely WRG Wargame

    Rules 1685-1845. For Fantasy I have started to play 3rd/4th edition War-

    hammer Fantasy Battles with my old friend Glen Taylor. With Science

    Fiction I have been taken with Deadzone by Mantic as well as Dreadball, a

    sci-fi football game.

    My collections are many and I have a room dedicated to just painted

    figures stored in 40 litre under bed storage boxes, and have too many to

    count. My collection spans the decades and I have been reliably informed

    that the crowd that will appear at my widow's doorstep when I am gone

    will stretch down the street. Nice to be wanted if only after death! Paint-

    ed figures would have to be in the 10,000 plus range with that or more

    waiting paint. Most in the 25mm+ range. Of course I'd hate to think how

    many thousands of figures I have sold or given away in my lifetime.

    I currently operate out of the Blind Pig Games Club where I assist the

    owner with the duty of internet monitor and publicity manager for club

    activities (I like to think of myself as the Master of the Web-"way"). I take

    note of what games are played and take photo's of games in play. I do

    this religiously, and it surprises me no end that other clubs are reticent to

    do so. I take photo's regardless of numbers on the day, sometimes num-

    bers are low, sometime high, but it all about showing people gathered

    together to enjoy a game or two. The Blind Pig is renowned for being

    antidisestablishmentarians, we don't have to worry about elections for

    committee and the people who assist in running the club are true volun-

    teers in every sense of the word.

    What else am I know for? I guess my exceedingly bad luck with dice and

    winning games (of any sort), so much so that when I do win a game it is

    MEMBER SPOTLIGHT - John McDonnell

    often the cause of much debate by others as to how I

    achieved this. I play games for social interaction, more so

    than any desire to win, that and the chance to show off how

    well I can paint. Though with my now advancing years my

    quality has dropped to the level of just getting the figures

    painted sufficient enough to play with on the table.

    I'm also known as a quick and proficient painter, able to turn

    out armies in a very short period of time. I did commission

    paint jobs when I was younger, but I now find that while I

    could make a living of sorts from doing this I find the passion

    to paint for others is just not there anymore. If I have to force

    myself to paint, my quality of work drops and I am extremely

    uncomfortable taking money for a commission in this way,

    which is why I don't do it anymore.

    What am I currently working on at present? Undead for my

    WFB 3rd/4th Edition, Ultramarines for WH40K 1st/2nd Edi-

    tion, Normans for SAGA, Undead and Dwarves for Warband

    Fantasy Rules, actually far too much to list. Ask me what I

    don't dabble in?

    Will I ever stop playing games or painting? The answer to that

    is simple, No.

  • ALL THINGS MINIATURE

    *Prices listed do not include postage & handling ***Second price indicates Trade value Contact Editor for Item enquiries

    **Local pickup available

    S N A K E E Y E S

    32

    Warhammer Quest

    Chaos Warrior

    (unpainted) OOP &

    Rare - $25 sale $30

    trade

    Red Duke GW

    Vampire (without

    mount) unpainted

    $12 sale $15 trade

    Black Templars

    Limited Edition

    Captain combi

    Melta & Power Ax

    OOP Metal $20

    Blood Angel

    Astorath NIB

    Finecast mould

    $25/$35

    GW Brettonian

    Green Knight

    (Undercoated)

    Sale/Trade $30 sale

    $35 trade

    Warhammer

    Fantasy Chaos

    Sorceror miniature

    OOP metal $15

    WH40k Space

    Marine Vindicator

    Tank (painted)

    Sale/Trade $45

    Imperial Guard

    Catachan Tank

    Riders OOP metal

    unpainted sale $12

    trade $15

    Warhammer Chaos

    Warrior NIB -

    Plastic 3 Figures

    $10

    Greater Daemon of

    Slaanesh - Painted

    Sale $45 Trade $55

    LOTR Fellowship of

    the Ring sprue

    (multiple items)

    $20 each Sale or

    Trade

    Karloth Valois, a

    Scavvy gang Char-

    acter option for

    Necromunda. For

    sale/trade is un-

    painted - $20/$25

    Blood Angels

    Mephiston without

    sword-bare metal

    $10

    Imperial Guard

    Outpost OOP NIB

    Sell $60/Trade $75

    Imperial Guard

    Cadian Officer with

    Shotgun unpainted

    metal $12

    Imperial Guard

    Cadian Heavy

    Weapons Team

    Missile Launcher

    Metal unpainted

    $15

    Harlequin Death

    Jester NIBcitadel

    finecast $25/$35

    Bolt Action: Tank

    Wars & Hard Cover

    Rulebook

    For sale only,

    Unused and in

    excellent condition

    $60 for both.

    Mordheim - The

    Thing in the woods

    OOP painted metal

    $45/$55

    LotR Samwise &

    Frodo metal un-

    painted

    $20

    Praetorian Officer

    conversion

    $10

    2nd Edition

    Terminator

    Chaplain

    OOP metal $20

    WH40k

    Novels

    $6.50 each in great

    condition

    Multiple Titles

    Enquire for titles

    available

    Warhammer

    Novels

    $6.50 each in great

    condition

    Multiple Titles

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    available

    Picture

    Coming

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  • S N A K E E Y E S

    33

    28mm American Civil War from

    Perry Miniatures

    Alan & Michael Perry have what

    you need to cover this and other

    periods of war

    Check out their website

    www.perry-miniatures.com

  • Phone: 0419 729794

    E-mail: [email protected]

    Or [email protected]

    Facebook: Garage Gamers Group

    GGG or Garage Gamers Group is a collection

    of gamers with similar ideals about what

    makes a game fun and how to have fun with

    it

    Snake Eyes is the GGG magazine, available

    for free to members and selected

    organisations

    GGG supports a gamers for gamers attitude

    Garage Gamers Group

    S N A K E E Y E S

    Trademark names in the newsletter have been used without permission & only used for promotional purposes for GGG. They include: Games Workshop & associat-

    ed trademarks, Wings of Glory, Zombiecide, AD &D, Army Painter. Eureka miniatures, Riverhorse, Perry Miniatures, FFG (Star Wars X-Wing) are used with permis-

    sions. Pictures are the property of Snake Eyes & have been used with the permission of members of the GGG. Other pictures have been used with permission

    where possible to promote event or products. Promotional pictures are used with permissions.

    34

    Snake Eyes Creators & Contributors

    Editor: Nick Chase

    Regular Contributors/Columns:

    Glen Taylor, John McDonnell, Kris

    McKiernan, Darian Chase, Michael

    Colclough, Peter Toh, Roy Wells,

    Lewis Cairns , Brian Solomon

    For any further information on

    where to buy Michael Colclough

    artwork please see

    http://www.warintheskies.com

    Misfire Comic Strips by Brian Solo-

    mon http://www.facebook.com/l.php?

    u=http%3A%2F%

    2Fwww.belloflostsouls.net%

    2Fcategory%2Fmisfire&h=ZAQEAS87u

    and also available at http://

    www.belloflostsouls.net

    Continued from page 5

    Given that there are only 16 rounds in the game, and 12

    rooms to search, you have to be quick more than lucky

    to do this effectively.

    We died a horrible messy death about round 6, mainly

    because we played the LOS rules incorrectly, but it was

    actually an enjoyable game. The box states 1-4 players,

    but this could easily be extended to 5, or even 6, if you

    let one or two player play the renegades turn. This

    should also make the game a bit more interesting be-

    cause it will bypass one of the sloppy AI issues what to

    do if I have 2 assassins equidistant from a renegade?

    All in all I enjoyed this game, and will definitely play it

    again. Also, now that I know what I am doing, I will in-

    troduce it to others.

    For other reviews and opinions, the links below are in-

    teresting.

    https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1362654/

    assassinorum-execution-force-initial-impressions

    http://www.talkwargaming.com/2015/05/product-

    review-assassinorum-execution.html

    Happy Gaming.