Miniatures Finished: Black Scorpion Tong

I thought I was done with my Tong for Empire of the Dead, but I picked up a few Boxer Chinese for free and decided to paint them up. Also, I was playing in a campaign and wanted to try out one of the vehicles, so needed something for that.

The model with the Jingai is a stand-in for a Death Ray when I need a bit more punch, otherwise the Boxers fit in well with my other Tong. 

 

The cart is from 4Ground and the Ox from Eureka, I tried to keep it generic enough to use for Samurai as well, but the Boxer just looks too Chinese to pass.

Minatures Finished: Big Lads

Some weeks I seem to get a whole lot of work done on supers, others it feels like I struggle to get even one done. Oddly, the handful I've finished lately are all larger than human-sized, which is a nice switch-up to the normal and makes for some fun pictures.

Sobek: After re-reading 52, I decided I needed a Sobek, Isis and Osiris to go with my Black Adam. Oddly, I came across Sobek first, so he got done. Tempted to do another version where he's eating Osiris, but we'll see. Reaper Bones. 

Baymax: I mostly wanted the "soft and cuddly" Baymax first up, as you may have seen way back, but the option of this one as well was pretty tempting. Nano Metalfigs. 

Thrak: As I've been playing Empire of the Dead again, I thought it may actually be fun to try and put together a version of the "Victorian Justice League" I did years back. J'onn J'onzz here will use the "Mister Chop" character stats with no modification needed. Tin Man. 

Maestro: Couldn't resist this alternate-future Hulk with shaggy hair and megalomania after reading the new Contest of Champions. Will have to work him into some Sci-Fi gaming soon. Heroclix. 

The Destroyer Armour: I needed the head off this guy for my Kill Team Aesir Dreadnought, but he was too big, so my old one got beheaded and this guy got a coat of paint. Looks better bigger anyway. Heroclix. 

Bushmaster: One day, I'll have enough painted Serpent Society characters to get a game in, but until then, I can have fun painting them up. Heroclix. 

Miniatures Finished - 28/07/19

What's this, more ecletcic selections of painted miniatures? I'm feeling a lack of motivation as far as the supers are concerned right now, which is why some of these are more in the "Supers and Systems" line.

Hela: What else could my Deathwatch Chaplain be than the Goddess of Death herself? Especially after Thor Ragnarok, her whirling blades of death are known to slice through foes with ease. Converted Games Workshop. 

Tarzan: As well as seeing use in Empire of the Dead as my Lycoan Wolflord, this King of the Jungle is perfect for Colonial/Victorian games  and maybe even a modern Afrian team-up; Black Panther, The Phantom and Tarzan Vs Local Warlord anyone? Tinman Miniatures. 

Black Knight: I was using Black Knight for Empire of the Dead in my MI-13 Holy Order faction, but as I never got that to a state I was happy with, they got bumped for the Tarzan Lycoans. He got a recent touch-up for the last session of my MI-13 SS4RPG. Heroclix. 
 

Mr Hyde: Back when I played VSF games, getting the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen together was one of the first things I did. Of course, me being me, I never used the damn things in a game. Now that I've been on an Empire of the Dead kick, I'm going to change that, so Hyde got a touch-up. Malifaux. 

King Tut: After experiencing how amazing Adam West Batman was for myself, I had to start getting his villains. King Tut is one of my favourites and there are plenty of Egyptian miniatures around if I feel like adding henchmen later. Heroclix. 

Hawk-Owl: I warned you he was coming. Marvel's Hawk-Owl is one of the obscure gems I wanted to bring to the table-top back when I got started with my Ultimate Alliance project, a character who never really got the chance he deserved. Mentally-stable Chicago Batman with an Owl theme, what's not to love? Expect to see him in action soon. Converted Heroclix.

Miniatures Finished: Killer Plants

When I started playing Empire of the Dead, I was interested in playing the scenario where factions fight it out in a greenhouse full of killer plants, so I started picking some up. It took me a while to realise that I had more than I would really need for a game, but they can work well for Supers as well. Think of Poison Ivy or Flourinc Man, maybe even Swamp Thing, summoning plant "minions" to fight for them.

Shadowforge Dryad, Fiendish Fabrications Ladyflower, Heroclix Swamp Thing 

 

Dreamblade, Shadowforge, Reaper 

 

 Reaper, Games Workshop kitbash, D&D Miniatures, Victoria Miniatures 

These "killer plants" represent the kind of "mini-project" I've been focusing on recently; something I can knock out quickly, but still useful to have around. Sure, it's not all that often that I'll play an Empire of the Dead game in the greenhouse, or have a team of heroes menaced by Poison Ivy, but keeping a handful of plants isn't a big ask either.

Miniatures Finished: Like nothing you can understand...

Ok, so I've posted my David Lo Pan before, but now I've finally finished the rest of his crew. 

 Northstar and Eureka Miniatures. 

 So you'll notice that they're more Doctor Who "Tong of the Black Scorpion" than Big Trouble in Little China "Wing Kong", this is because I use them for Empire of the Dead, but take out the muskets and they're perfectly serviceable for the modern age.

 I picked up Tribal and Brutal at the recent Little Wars Melbourne, so once I get Jack Burton Painted up, I may have to do some Big Trouble in Little China games. 

Miniatures Finished: 13/03/2018

Steady progress is the best progress, I find. 

 Earthworm Jim is a 3D print a friend found on eBay, he's a little small, but captures the look of the cartoon nicely. 

"Sewer Monster" from Big Trouble in Little China, part of a North Star miniatures set. 

The Spoiler, Heroclix, but another pretty nice one, especially given the character's relative obscurity. 

 Dracula from Studio Miniatures, supposed to evoke Christopher Lee, but reminds me a little of Leslie Nielsen. 

Doctor Doom, a Heroclix I use with my SOTR Latveria army, probably a little big, just did some touch-ups on him. 

Mad Jim Jaspers, Eureka Civilian, was the best I could find, I think the white hat and purple umbrella help bring this class Captain Britain villain to life. 

EotD: Villain Mission Force

My club-mate Brendan and I decided to try out the "Botanical Gardens" for Empire of the Dead (skirmish game by West Wind Productions) with a couple of scenarios, "Lost Artifact" and "Entrapment". The Botanical gardens include a variety of dangerous, and occasionally deadly, plants that add an extra element of danger to the fight. Quite by coincidence, I fielded my Tong faction, the Wing-Kong Exchange and Brendan took his Gentlemen's club, led by Harvard "Ha'penny" Dent. In the end, the mystic might of David Lo Pan was too much for Dent in both games, but here are a couple of pictures anyway.  

 The Tong are poorly armed, but throwing weapons help even the score up close. 

 The blunderbuss can be deadly, but the range is short. 

 Lo Pan and his minion manage to hold off the enemy to take the artifact in the first game. 

 The "New Zealand Razor Fern" (played here by a mushroom) is unlikely to do too much harm, but in the heat of battle, both sides stayed clear. 

 Lo Pan and "Ha'Penny" Dent come to blows whilst the Tesla Projector charges up. 

 Dent and his "Deputies" are here to lay down the law. 

A couple of fun games, even if luck was more with me than my opponent, the plants worked well adding a little more danger to the game. This is a great example of how simply choosing the right miniatures can add that Supers element to any game. By replacing the "Fu Manchu" character in Empire of the Dead with David Lo Pan, "Big Trouble in Limehouse" is a pretty easy concept to play out. Once I get the Wing Kong Exchange and my VSF MI-13 painted up, expect to see them here. 

Team Ideas: Victorian Avengers

Well, after playing a fair amount of Empire of the Dead at club, the question of Victorian Superheroes reared its ugly head again. Just to reiterate, I'm not against the concept of Superheroes in a Victorian/Gothic Horror/VSF setting, but I do, however, have several issues with the execution: 
1. I am an avid reader of both Victorian Literature and (surprise surprise) Superhero Comics, so when I see them combined, I like it to be with sensitivity for the tropes and traditions of each. 
2. Most people get lazy with the idea. "Wouldn't it be cool to have Steampunk Batman?" Yeah? But all you did was put Batman on your Victorian table, nothing really changed, he's still the same character playing in the same way. We may as well have kept playing normal Batman games. If you're going to do it, go the whole way. 
3. How is this different to what we normally do? If we're playing SuperSystem, how is the game changed by being in Victorian London? The terrain has changed, but do we really need a new set of minis to use it? Supers gaming can happen anywhere; time travel is just as good an excuse as a new era to break out the cobblestones. 
4. I have to make a new era's worth of heroes? I already have Modern Age, Silver Age and French Revolution Supers under development (plus plans for Future/Cyberpunk), now I have to do Victorian age as well? Ok, maybe, I'm a bit tempted... very tempted... 

The Avenging Sons 
Unlike the League of Justice, not every extraordinary individual in the world is looked kindly upon. Often ostracised from civilised society, these "freaks and monsters" have nonetheless taken it upon themselves to use their extraordinary abilities to defend the innocent and battle evil. Though they began individually, a team formed on a day unlike any other and they battled a threat over which no hero could triumph alone. That day were born The Avenging Sons!

Son of Frankenstein's Monster (The Vision) 
The living-dead abomination created by Victor Frankenstein escaped into the Arctic after its creator's death, spawning speculation and myth about a "Reanimated Empire" poised to invade Europe from the North. These fears are well-founded, as The Monster has been busy trying to replicate its "father's" work. The greatest success, so far, is The Monster's "Son", his "Vision of the Future". Sent to spy on humanity, this Vision has instead embraced it, becoming one of its most stalwart defenders.
Miniature: Rebel Minis have a couple of "Franken Gangers" that would make an ideal "perfected" Frankenstien's Monster.

The Elephant Man (Beast)
Many who have met the unfortunate fellow known as "The Elephant Man" make the assumption that he is naught but a simpleton, taken in as they are by his grotesque visage; how mistaken a person can be. The Elephant man is not only possessed of a fine intelligence, a gregarious and loquacious manner, but is also an accomplished scholar, athlete and combatant. To feed his growing thirst for adventure, The Elephant Man has taken to disguising his face and abounding at night, aiding those he can and punishing the evildoers he encounters. If the public knew the truth behind this nocturnal "Beast", many a monocle would be lost due to shocked dismay.
Miniature: West Wind do a slightly comical "Freak" with a hidden face that is currently the best approximation out there. 

Richard Sharpe (Captain America) 
Once thought lost overboard and drowned during the battle of Trafalgar, the great British Hero, Richard Sharpe, was, in fact, preserved by the ice-cold water and lost for decades. Close to the dawn of the new century, a whaling ship recovered the legend and, once he was thawed, the Ministry of Intelligence put him to work fighting enemies of the empire. Sharpe has taken to the "world of the future" (as he calls it) with trepidation, but has proven repeatedly that there is no task he cannot accomplish or inspire those he leads to accomplish, in the Queen's name! 
Miniature: Any era-appropriate British Rifleman will do, but there are plenty of "Sharpe" figures available. 

Lady Hyde (She-Hulk) 
Not all of Doctor Henry Jekyll's ill-fated chemical formula was destroyed when he burned down his laboratory, unbeknown to the good doctor, his cleaning lady, the mousey and overlooked Jennifer, had taken a bottle for herself, dreaming of revenge against a world that had slighted her. The formula had an unexpected affect on the female form, granting Jennifer increased size, power and confidence. In her transformed state, Jennifer had lost her desire for revenge, but not her taste for adventure; deciding to live the kind of life she had only dreamed of when reading stolen "Boys' Own". 
Miniature: Plenty of scope for cool ideas here, but I'd consider one of the Warmachine "Staxis" character minis for the right combination of flesh, monstrosity and size, just paint her green. 

Clint "Hawkeye" Bumppo (Hawkeye) 
Orphaned of a Mohawk mother and white trapper father, Clint Bumppo, called "Hawkeye" by his mother's family, led a nomadic existence growing up, honing his skills as an archer and tracker. Feeling out of place among the full-blooded Mohawk, Clint left to find his fortune, eventually joining Buffalo Bill's Wild West show and traveling to Europe. 
Miniature: Any late-period "Old West" Native would suit with a blonde head of hair and portable arsenel. These Black Scorpion ones have the right look. 

Well, there you go. Now get out there and start saving London!  

Superhero Media: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Another one a bit out of left field, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was something I watched on a whim, yet again whilst painting Superhero miniatures. I'm glad of two things, one, that I didn't pay to watch this film, and two, that I've been playing Empire of the Dead of late and that I've been thinking about Vampiric silliness a bit. In terms of story, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is about what one would expect; a young Lincoln encounters Vampires when one kills his mother and is set upon a path to hunt them down by a mysterious benefactor. In terms of story, the film isn't actually too bad; it's cheesy and a bit silly, but doesn't muck about with history too much, it was very close to being a fun romp. 

Where the film falls down is in the effects, stunts and sound mixing. I know complaining about the sound mixing may be going a bit heavy on the film graduate vibe, but I honestly couldn't hear the dialogue half the time because the background noise and soundtrack were far too loud. Speaking of the soundtrack, with all of the fantastic music that came out of the American Civil War, why go with a synth-rock soundtrack? It's just distracting. As distracting is the overuse of CGI in every single fight scene, making parts of the film look like a video game cinematic. Finally, I don't know what the stunt team were doing, but none of the fighting or gunplay looks at all realistic, I've seen more convincing use of firearms in Z-Grade shlock out of South East Asia. 

If you can put up with its many flaws, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter makes alright fodder for VSF/Colonial Horror or Superhero games, especially Empire of the Dead. I certainly won't be watching it again anytime soon, but given the 10 odd miniatures I painted while watching, I don't feel that it was time wasted. 

 

Superhero Media: The Society of Steam Trilogy

A friend and fellow wargamer gave me a trilogy of books by Andrew P. Mayer, The Falling Machine, Hearts of Smoke and Steam and Power Under Pressure which form The Society of Steam Trilogy. The novels tell the story of Sarah Stanton, daughter of New York Steampunk Superhero, The Industrialist and her battle against Lord Eschaton, a Villain powered by Fortified Smoke.

These books are terrible. They are poorly written, with extended passages that go nowhere and add little to the story, the trilogy could have easily been two or even a single novel with a decent editor behind it. Andrew P. Mayer is a designer of video games by trade, which shows in his lack of understanding of Victorian Society, literary syntax and even Superhero tropes. I'll point out that my education was in Literature, lest I seem to be too harsh, but I have little time for poorly edited books when there's so many good books out there I haven't read yet. 

The characters in The Society of Steam are mostly two-dimensional, the Victorian Woman wants to be treated the same as a man, the villain is an evolutionist, the black man has to hide his race to be taken seriously, however; every person seems to be in such a constant state of flux that there's no point getting attached to a character anyway. Any powers come from Fortified Steam and Fortified Smoke, magical substances that reek more of fantasy than Steampunk or VSF. 

Society of Steam is redeemed by one thing; the Heroes and Villains would make pretty cool VSF Super System Teams. The Industrialist, Anubis, The Sleuth and the Automaton have a legitimate Victorian "feel" to them and Jack Knife and his cronies would be a characterful team for Empire of the Dead.

As a Novel, even a Superhero Novel: 2 out of 10 worth a look for ideas if you're heading down the VSF supers path, but otherwise pretty dull. 

Supers and Systems: Envoys of Doom - Part 1

So I tend to post a great deal about SuperSystem and my Ultimate Alliance variant, but I do play other games as well. Probably my favorite kind of game is the "gang skirmish", when a small team of minis gains experience and new members over the course of a campaign; I played Necromunda almost exclusively for a good 5 years. Having grown away from the GW market, I find myself playing gang games like Empire of the Dead and the Judge Dredd Miniatures Game, both of which are a great deal of fun. 
However, just because I'm not playing SuperSystem doesn't mean that I can't play with supers. So this will be the first in a series of attempts to sneak Superheroes into other games and genres. The idea is a narrative game of Empire of the Dead to run in a "convention" style, a quick and fun little game that demonstrates the system. 

The Envoys of Doom

I'll improve the game blurb as I go, but the basic idea is that Victorian and Gothic heroes have to stop a ritual being held by foul cultists attempting to usher in the end of the world. The usual Penny Dreadful/Doctor Who/70s BBC setup, a ruined church in the wilderness, dark magic, poor lighting and gravel quarries. 

The Heroes
Players will be able to choose from individual or small teams of heroes to take on the cultists. 

At the moment all I have are Alan Quartermain and Edward Hyde, I'm thinking about adding Tarzan, maybe Victorian Batman, Holmes and Watson or anything else that takes my fancy. I'm not too keen on Batman, I've found that nothing kills a game faster than Batman. 
Alan is Ironclad, Hyde from Wyrd. 

The Cultists
Can't have the end of the world without insane cultists, and everybody knows that Cthulhu cultists are the best insane cultists. 

In game terms, the cult will be a Holy Order with modified Arcane Powers. I'll be getting a few more Eureka cultists to help with the unholy ritual. 
Minis from RAFM, Reaper and Games Workshop. 

Aggressive Flora
Strange magical transformations of the local plant life have been happening. 

I may get another couple of shrooms, these will act as a potential hazard to the heroes and I'll probably use the Clicker or Lycoan Rules. Minis are Reaper and Dungeons and Dragons.

Big Nasties 
Should the ritual be completed, varying forms of alien creature will turn up to wreak havoc. 

Not quite sure how to run these yet, will burn that bridge when I get to it. Minis from Fiendish Fabrications, RAFM, Reaper and Horrorclix. Realised as I posted this that I have an already-painted Black Cat Bases Shoggoth to work in as well. 

Watch this space, more to come...