Tale of..... Late Result!!

Totally forgot to put the final table up for the tale of round robin!
The details of the game elude me slightly (as it was so long ago!) but it went a little something like this:

• The High Elf and Lizard combo shot and flamed the Dark Elf and Rat mash-up
• Dark Elves and Rats miscast, a lot, and blew their own wizards up
• High Elf and Lizards smashed the remainder of the Delf/Rats from the table
• One small highlight for the Dark Elves was the cold ones slaying all the silver helms
• Result: Massacre for High Elves and Lizards

Feel free to add any further detail!

This left the table looking like this:

Elemberels Expeditionary force - 20

Kraken Host - 15

Chee-Ti Lizards - 8

Sneek Sneek’s Rats - 3

Elves top the table and the lizards just about save some face! However we all now have to face the power of a fully functional Lizardman army!

See you soon for next years "Tale of............" contest!!!!!!

I've seen a House Fly.....

I've seen a crane fly......
But I ain't never seen a Dark Elf fly.
Well, not until last Wednesday anyway!

Wednesday nights game was a frustrating affair. Mostly for Zed!
The game started with limited movement from the High Elf and Rat combo and arrows and warp magic rained upon the Lizards and Dark Elves (the Corsairs were already eyeing up some nice new scaly cloaks!), well mostly the dark elves!
Drain magic kept the worst of the dark magic from the table and it was all looking like a mop up operation for the Helf rats, even with the warlock engineer being consumed by his own magic.
Then turn 4 arrived! The salamanders had been threatening to cause trouble all through this set of games (and not just to their own handlers) and after taking out several rats they spied a particularly juicy target - Elemberel's spear bodyguard.
3 bouts of flame later and half the spears were nothing but ash. At this point Elemberel remembered he'd left some magic potions cooking on the stove and had to rush off to check they were OK.
In the following turn panic checks were caused on the silver helms, reavers and 1 unit of archers, all failed along with storm vermin's break check (re rolled for a battle standard!!) and the game was essentially over bar a few more shots to attempt to grab some victory points.
Result - Salamanders win by a massacre!

With Binx finally getting some points it leaves the table looking quite interesting and certainly means its all to play for in the final week.
Either of the Elves can make the top spot whilst the last place is being fought out by the lizards and rats.

Elemberels Expeditionary force - 16
Kraken Host - 15
Chee-Ti Lizards - 4
Sneek Sneek’s Rats - 3

Tale of.... Two Elfies

Nothing to add to the Zed's write up (below) other than the league table:

Elemberels Expeditionary force - 16
Kraken Host - 11
Sneek Sneek’s Rats - 3
Chee-Ti Lizards - 0

The Elves have it!
But this week one of them HAS to lose (well, unless its a draw!) as the Good Elves rub shoulders with the rats (Ewwwwww) and the Naughty Elves get personally acquainted with the lizards (EWWWWWWWWWWWW!!).

More importantly can Binx get ANY points in the league....stay tuned!

Elfy Competiton

This week saw the first of the doubles games for the Tale of ... armies. The High Elves and the Dark Elves put aside their petty differences and fought the unholy alliance of the Skaven and Lizardmen armies.

A conventional line of battle for the Elven host saw a solid infantry centre with missile troops on either flank and the cavalry and giant eagle on the extreme left and right flanks to sweep round into the cold blooded cowards.

The Lizards and Ratmen infantry blocks also in the centre were flanked by Jezzails and Salamanders. The alliance advanced at a breakneck speed behind a screen of skinks, the combined volleys arrows, bolts and magic from the Elves doing little to slow them down.

After three turns of magic and missile fire exchange the largely untouched infantry were closing to fight in the centre. The Silver Helms were still locked in a combat with the Salamanders on the Eleven right and looked as though they would be ground down over the course of the battle.

As is often the case in Warhammer the game can be won or lost on a chain of events, none significant in their own right but in a series cause the rout of an army. This is that series of small events.

A unit of Stormvermin fail their fear test to charge the Cold one Knights, the following turn the Cold one Knights swinging in from the left flank attempt to charge at the limit of their range a unit of skink skirmishers, who opt to flee. This leaves a rattling gun to panic and the second exposed to missile fire and is killed. The following turn the Skaven miscast and it results in the High Elves to cast a spell automatically which causes the Stormvermin to lose 50% of their number as a persistent spell the Stormvermin lose another 25% of their start number, panic and flee. The Cold One knights charge the Skaven slave unit, destroy them and over run into the Temple Guard allies. A frontal charge followed and an unfortunate round of low rolling saw the end.

This small series of events, a failed fear test, a miscast and the destruction of a unit due to a flank charge was enough for the Lizards and Rats to be destroyed.

Can anyone catch Lordybloke as he tucks his fourth massacre result under his belt.

The photos (poor due to phone) show the casualties each commander took.

Tale of .... Elvish victory!

Just a quick update on the gaming league for Tale of.....

After rattling through the first games quickly we had time for a second and complete the singles part of the challenge, next week doubles!

Cortez vs Lordybloke
Much magic and many missiles flew across the battlefield but the Elves were wise to much of the skaven warp lightning, draining the winds of magic to limit their power.
In the end the elvish archers took their toll and the clan rats fled and (following a further barrage were unable to rally) ran from the field.
The stormvermin found the elvish spears too quick for them and after being poked in the eye many times, turned, fled and were eventually cut down.
Result: Elves score another massacre.

Binx vs Zed
A similar exchange of magic and missile occurred on the other table. The game eventually ending when a combined charge from the corsairs and spears caused the temple guard to falter and run, only to find their legs were entangled by the corsairs sneaky entanglers!
Result: Dark elves score a massacre

Cortez vs Zed
The skaven magic and missiles proved telling in this game. The evil green lightning accounting for a large majority of the naughty elves (until around turn 4 when a quick bout of gaming tourettes saw the rats run out of their special high powered ammo!).
It looked to be all over until the black horror ripped through the storm vermin leaving only around a third of the unit standing.
A sterling last stand from the corsairs, aided by the assassin and master saw them fight off the clanrats that had charged their flank. More entanglement saw the dirty rats run into the dirt.
The storm vermin had had enough at this point too, panicked and fled with no time to rally.
A real "snatch victory from the jaws of defeat" if ever there was one!
Result: Dark Elves Solid Victory

Binx vs Lordybloke
This turned out to be a little on sided! Having seized the first turn a long range shot across the battlefield saw the bolt thrower bring down a terradon, much to his chums horror and they fled off the table.
This gave the elf eagle free range to get around the lizard army and block their march moves meaning the pointy ears had plenty of time to fire at the cold blooded ones before they could reach their lines.
Only 2 reavers lost their lives compared to the lizards only having half a temple guard unit and the scar vet left.

Result: Yep, a massacre for the elves!

So the league table stands like this:

Elemberels Expeditionary force - 12
Kraken Host - 7
Sneek Sneek’s Rats - 3
Chee-Ti Lizards - 0

Next week's first doubles game sees the top of the league take on the bottom!

Tale of the end........Or is it a new begining

Right a little later than everyone else but they are here in all there glory (1pt over admittedly).

From left to right :-
24 Stormvermin with Ratling gun, being lead by the Chieftain Battle Standard Bearer.
30 Slaves.
5 Jezzails.
29 Clanrats with Ratling gun and being lead by a Warlock Engineer.





Whilst doing this project some extras were painted just to see how easy they were to do.


A Grey Seer on his screaming bell.
4 Swarm bases.
A Warplightining Cannon.




Now that the Tale of......is finished as far as the painting goes I've been challenged to show willing and finish off my entire Skaven collection in preparation for a Warhammer Apocalypse style game this summer. The two armies are to be my Skaven vs Binx's Lizards which he has worked out will come to around 6500 pts. Now that's a lot of models when you look at how cheap the rats are, so with that in mind I totalled up the costings of my Skaven horde and came up with a total of nearly 4500. This is still 2k short of the lizards but with the possibility of a Vermin lord and the new rule book supposedly coming around the same time it could be easily raised. With this in mind the challenge was set by Mr Zed that I couldn't get them done by midnight 31st July 2009 and a £10 side bet was also placed, with the bet set and models looked at I hassled Lordybloke and he went for the bet too :-).



Now down to business, the models to paint are :-
1 Greyseer on foot
1 Warlord
1 Plague Priest
1 Warlock Engineer
1 Assassin
29 Clan Rats
30 Giant Rats with Pack Masters
6 Poisoned Wing Globadiers
10 Night Runners
58 Plague Monks
9 Gutter Runners
6 Rat Ogres with Pack Masters
10 Plague Censer Bearers
1 Warp Lightining Cannon


This is the 1st months work, all the Characters with the Night Runners, Globadiers and weapon teams.

Clan Rats, Cannon, Gutter Runners.

Plague Units.


Big unit of Giant rats.

Another big unit, the Rat Ogres.




Now just need to paint them all.............

Tale of.....Fight Time!!!

Time turned.
The heavens shifted.
Slowly the planets moved into the sacred alignment.
Wise men watched through their telescopes, not daring to move as they witnessed the spectacle that was unfolding.
Finally everything was right and all members of the Lone Wolves involved in the "tale of...." challenge turned up for the games!!
Momentous indeed!

First mention has to go to the Zed-meister for providing us with a new home (in his new home!) with excellent facilities! 3 tables available and 3 games in action! Nice!

The Live draw finally took place.
Week 1
Zed vs Lordybloke
Binx vs Cortez

Week 2
Binx vs Zed
Cortez vs Lordybloke

Week 3
Binx vs Lordybloke
Cortez vs Zed

Week 4
Zed + Lordybloke
vs
Binx + Cortez

Week 5
Binx + Zed
vs
Cortez + Lordybloke

Week 6
Binx + Lordybloke
vs
Cortez + Zed

Game 1 Zed vs Lordybloke
The Clash of Elves

The elvish grudge match began with both sides maneuvering a little and exchanging bow fire. A few elves were lost on both sides but it remained even.
Then turn 3 happened.
Having been halted by their stupid mounts the cold one knights were facing a salvo of arrows from their hated cousins.
The High elf cavalry had been corralling the corsairs for a few turns and finally had them! The reavers charged the front whilst the silver helms smashed into the side.
The sky darkened above the Dark elf knights as arrows and bolts flew at them and then cleared as the arrows and bolts whizzed past them or pinged off their armour!
Things looked grim for trapped Elf pirates, even when a dark assassin threw off his dragon cloak and launched himself into the fray.
After a furious fight the reavers lay dead and the silver helms wavered.......but held! The tables had turned!
The magical battle had largely been a stalemate despite the extra power the sorceress was pulling in through arcane arts and stabbing her own warriors.
The corsairs, hero and assassin looked set to smash the silver helms from their mounts just as the cold ones ploughed into, over and through an archer unit.
Amazingly the High elf knights armour held to the barrage of attacks that landed causing the dark elf corsairs to panic, turn and be cut down.
The final turn (as it turned out) saw the high elf spearmen charge into their dark elf opposites and their extra ranks and numbers saw them easily scatter their targets.
With the dark elf army mostly decimated or running the end was declared.
Result: High Elf win by a massacre.

Game 2 Binx vs Cortez
The game started with a magical barrage from the rats frying lizards with their warp lightning.
Then the skaven guns opened fire causing skinks to explode into fleshy flowers.
With a swoop the terradons ended the ratling guns fun with rock and javelin.
After a little jockeying for position for a few turns the face off between the temple guard and storm vermin ended when the temple guard surged forward, their cold blood suddenly warmed (a bit like the garage occupants when the "fireball" kicked in!).
The elite lizards sliced through the elite rats like a hot knife through, well air, really! Not even the warpstone infused armour could save them.
Luckily the lizard bodyguards had caught a rat horde on the way in and along with the storm vermin's war banner their numbers kept them in the fight.
After a few rounds of fighting each elite unit was reduced to a handful of numbers but as the clan rats kept the body press on the temple guard could no longer hold them, they broke, were cut down and the game ended.
Result: Skaven win by a solid victory.

Or did they........

Its since emerged that the rat list is over the 1000pt limit by a whole point! The gaming world has been rocked and Binx is calling foul!
What should we do with a such a blatant cheat???
There's only one way to find out....FIGGHTTTTT!!
No actually I thought a poll was better, go vote for justice to the right!

Yeah!!! Rat Fans!!!

Well here they are the clan rats from my Tale of.........not sure how many gamers!!! army.

I'll apologise for the terrible picture but it's as good as your gonna get, but then this is the reason why I've not posted them. I'll be getting my dads camera this weekend so that I can get some good pics of this unit and hopefully the entire army.

Tale of.............. a Scandal!?!?!?

Tonight's live draw has been called off pending reports of match rigging!

The investigation will proceed with an eye to getting back on track next week.

Thank you for your patience.

Tale of......The Rules of Engagement

This Wednesday is what we've all been waiting for, the start of the fighting in:-
Tale of Some gamers who could be bothered!
Hooray!

It will consist of 6 rounds, 3 single battles and 3 doubles.
Players will score points depending on the result of each battle.
The player with the highest total will be declared the winner.
In the case of a draw at the top the winner in the drawees individual game will be declared winner!

Points are awarded as follows:
Draw - 1 pt
Marginal Victory - 2 pts
Solid Victory - 3 pts
MASSACRE - 4 pts

So don't forget those table quarters etc!!
All battles will be standard pitched battles unless all players agree.

The draw for who will play who will be made LIVE during Weds night.

I like the pretty lights...

We are the eldar race, all will swear fealty to me...

Next week the Kraken Host goes to war

I've never met an Elf I liked...

I'm trailing in third placed with my completed Dark Elf army of 1000 points. With the end of January nipping at my heals I have to say that I'm quite happy to have made it. A house move, and the on-going DIY projects, significantly impacted on my time to get this finished. I have to thank my wife for allowing me to get some brush time despite the chaos that surrounds us.


















Looking at my force and the pictures of my friends armies I begin to wonder if I've spent my points wisely. The High Elves have a lot of fire power and some hard hitting units, the Lizardmen are well Lizardmen and the new book may make them worse +++Sigh+++ and although the Skaven have yet to appear on this blog completed they are quite bent and only likely to get worse.

At least I can adjust my fall of shot after a few games with my new army. I have plenty of figures to build and a Hydra is certainty.











Writing this has made me realise that whilst it has taken 5 months to collect, build & paint this army, I really could have done it in 3! No, no no, NO! I wont be doing the next 1000 in 3 months. Or will I????

Of all the things we've tried as a group of gaming pals this is one of the most successful. Far better than the Annual painting challenge (a year to paint a single figure) . I've still to undercoat mine and the comp finished 2 weeks ago.

Tale of....... the End?

Following the completion of the Mage I can now post my 1000pt "Tale of...." army in all its glory!

Well in its slightly squashed up glory anyway! 

Looking forward to seeing how this lot play out in game. There should enough elves to deal with whatever is thrown at them and will provide a solid core for future expansion.

So with the Tale of.... coming to a close what are my thoughts and would I do it again?

I definitely think a monthly deadline helped with getting things painted and finished. Over the years many models have got to 85% + done but never get finished. With a deadline you HAVE to say "that's enough, they're done". The silver helms, for example, could have dragged on with little details being applied sporadically for months.

I would most definitely do something similar again. 

With that in mind over the next couple of months I'll stick with Elves as follows:

Feb - Shadow warriors

March - Dragon Princes

April - White Lions

May - Chariots (1 lion and 1 horse)

June- various characters

That should take me to 2000pts or thereabouts and will make new plans from June onwards.

So, who's with me on Tale of.... the next generation??

Mage ya look, Mage ya stare......

My final installment for "Tale of...... whoever fancies joining in" is done.

Elembarel the Elf mage, leader of the expedition to uncover lost High Elf treasures in the Old World .

Rumours abound that he has found something of interest and has sent petitions to Ulthuan for reinforcements..................

Only having one model to paint this month made it quite easy! I was planning to add a lot of free hand (runes etc) to the back of the cloak however I didn't in the end as:

a) Couldn't decide what to do

b) Couldn't be bothered!

c) I'll leave that sort of stuff for an archmage

I do plan to add more Elves to the force quite soon, lets hope the motivation holds up!

As I would say "Looks better in the flesh!!"

The Old Ones are the Best

Here it is, my 1000pts of Lizards

The actual list for the round robin games may change slightly once I get the new Army Book but I have spare Terradons and Temple Guard if needed.









In the Army we have...

3 Salamaders
16 Temple Guard inc Command
3 Terradons
30 Skinks
1 Skink Shamen
1 Saurus Scar Veteran

Guards!, Guards!

They think its all over......

6 months ago we started the tale of what would become 4 gamers and now I have a further 1000pts of painted lizards.

The last of my Temple Guard are done giving me overall about a 2000pt painted army.

Over the next 3 months I plan to paint 2 Stegadons, a unit of 26 skinks and 3 Kroxigor and a unit of 20 Saurus with hand weapons and shields. This should get me near a 3000 point painted army.

A full 1000pt army photo will follow soon.

Sometimes You Have To Delf Deep

Here at long last are my two missing units for the Tale of competition. Both units require shields but as the Kraken shields i want are unavailable to mail order until tomorrow, they will just have to wait,

Only a sorceress to do and I will be back on target with 1000 points of untried elves with attitude

I've hit the wall!!!!!!

Happy New Year to one and all, well I've finally hit a brick wall this last month and a bit with the rats and have nothing to show for it..........No really I've nothing to show other than about 10 out of 30 rats and even they are only 1/2 done. This months quota is a no go for me.

On the good side of things I have done Jon's Chaplain and also built my Xmas present from the wife, one paint and one tool holder as per Neils advise, they are great and I just need to get myself another paint holder to complete the job. Really does tidy up my painting area and has now made me look at it and want to start the new year with a big promise.

2009 WILL BE MY PAINTING YEAR, SKAVEN + CRIMSON FISTS WILL BE DONE BY YEAR END!!!

Happy NewT Year

Well finished with 5 1/2 hours to go!

My quota for this month and next was 8 Temple Guard, so this month I did 10 and I shall do the same next month to finish off all the models I have built.

With the new Lizard book out in Feb this should cover me on any points changes that appear.

Hi (elf!) Ho Silver!!!

Silver helms - Done!!

Cavalry models! 

Not sure what it is but they really seem to trip me up, painting wise! 

Tanks and bikes in 40K are the same. 

Anyway the bulk of the army is now finished! 

Hurrah! 

That was easy!!!!?

Just the mage to go for Jan and I plan to make all the movement trays for the units too. 

I'll also try and finish off all the extra bits I thought I'd do for the army (extra spearmen, another eagle, reaver command) each month. As each deadline got closer the extras got forgotten in a frenzy to get the main unit/s done! 

Happy New Year to all!

Usual blah blah re photo quality!! 

May try and take some better angles at a later date too!