Superhero Media: Justice League - War

Want to know a secret? Well, remember when I said that I had a blacklog of "Superhero Media" posts to do? So that I wouldn't forget my impressions about what I'd seen, I'd jot down a couple of notes on each draft page for the article. The only note for Justice League - War was "The reboot where everyone is a massive dick." Based on the New 52 series of reboots (many of which are actually really good), this animated film decided to go with one of the least popular of all of those options, Justice League. So how does the Justice League form in this day and age? Well, they all encounter parademons individually and are forced to team up to fight them and prevent an invasion from Apokolips, culminating with a battle with Darkseid. That all seems like pretty standard JLA fair, but it's the execution, rather than the concept that really lets War down. 

Alright then, let's get a roll-call; Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern (Hal), The Flash (Barry), Cyborg and Captain Marvel (I refuse to call him SHAZAM). Leaving the usual complaints about gender-balance in super teams aside, the group is pretty bland, not really taking any risks, like dropping the big three or bumping up some Titans and Outsiders. Worse yet, everyone (bar Diana and Barry) are total jerks. Even Cyborg is a jerk to his dad because he won't come to his football games, he's too busy trying to create prosthetics that will save the lives of millions. What an arsehole. Also, Billy Batson is a tweenaged tearaway, committing petty crimes, which is, no doubt, why the Wizard Shazam thought he'd be pure of heart. Jesus, I barely read any of the "main" DC lines and I still know that Justice League - War has no idea what the characters are about. Before I finish my extended bitch, Diana is so dumb she does not understand the concept of money ('cause that didn't exist in Ancient Greece apparently), Darkseid is a mute giant and Superman is a brooding frat boy, more "the big blue bro-douche" than "Big Blue Boy Scout". I'm guessing the word "edgy" was thrown around a lot in the editing room of DC Comics when this was being written. 
 

Yes, ok, so that's not really Superman and there are other considerations that come in to play with the comics, but that's not what these Warner Premiere releases are about. I'm simply baffled that with all the great "New 52" titles (Flash, Booster Gold, Animal Man) that Justice League was the one chosen to carry the brand. I'd like to think that it was more than a case of "look, we've got a black guy now", but I'm struggling to think of an alternative that doesn't involve DC being completely oblivious to their fanbase. Give this one a miss, unless you're a completionist or feeling masochistic. 

Miniatures Finished: Von Doom I of Latveria

Finally regaining traction on the Ultimate Alliance project with a couple of villains. 

 Vector of the U-Foes (Clix) and Victor Von Doom (Knight Models). 

Vector was basically just a rebase and got some subtle washing to bring out the details. Doom was my first Knight Model, and I have to say that he looks great finished. That said, I got him with a gift voucher and given the filling I had to do to get the cape to sit, I'm not sure I'd pay the $25AUD for one out of my own pocket. I had to get Doom though, he's one of my favourite Marvel characters and this beauty just had to be the centerpiece of my SOTR Latverian army. 

Superhero Media: Kung Fury

For a little while, people have been telling me to check out Kung Fury, a tounge-in-cheek Sci-Fi/Action/Martial Arts/Fantasy film that has all the gloss of a bad, straight-to-video 1980s z-grade indy film. When I got Netflix, Kung Fury came up as a suggestion pretty quick, so, on a quiet night, I checked it out. For those who don't know, Kung Fury started out as a fake trailer, just a joke, really, but it was crowdfunded into a half-hour romp. Much as the content of Kung Fury is intended to titillate, with elements such as Triceracop, Kung-Fuehrer and viking babes on dinosaurs, I found I was left cold by its charm more often than not. Overall, Kung Fury reminded me most of Axe Cop, frantic and silly, but in a juvenile way. 

Aside from Axe Cop, the comic that I'd be most inclined to compare Kung Fury to is Next Wave: Agents of H.A.T.E.; a "pirate superhero fight comic" about five z-list heroes saving America from bizarre weapons of mass destruction. I freaking love Next Wave. As well as being balls-out crazy, the characters are well-rounded and there are many clever and quotable sections. In contrast, most of the jokes in Kung-Fury are in the characters themselves; "Hackerman" is a 1980s computer hacker, that is his entire character. One may argue that in under 30 minutes, there is little development of character to be had, but there are a plethora of indy films to counter that point. Should I be that mad? Clearly, Kung Fury is intended to be dumb from the outset, but I guess I was hoping for more under the surface, like in Rick and Morty or The Venture Bros. 
 

Although I didn't really enjoy Kung-Fury, I can't honestly tell people to avoid it. I think a lot of people will get the intended kick out of it that I didn't, and hey, it's a half-hour of your life. The final battle in the Nazi compound may be of some inspiration for supers games and dinosaur men are always worth the time in my book. 
 

AAR: Minons of Robespierre vs NewGen

Got in my first SS4 game of the year, a teaching game against Steve, a new player who seemed to enjoy the experience and pick it up pretty quick. The mission was The Rescue, with an anachronistic clash between The Minions of Robespierre [FR] and the mutant terrorists called NewGen [EQ]. Not really a narrative game, this was more of test to see how some newly painted and statted teams played in a proper game. 

The Minions of Robespierre have captured the VIP and are holding her near the statue. It will take a little while to complete the spell to return back to 1793.

 

Glock Roach and Creepy Crawler approach from behind a shack. 

 

The Freerunner, Chupacabra and Natural Selection are spotted and Monsieur de Paris charges towards them. 

 

Creepy Crawler summons a horde of rats and bugs to provide some cover. 

 

Unfortuantley, Les Enfants Terribles can scent their enemies and fly over the landscape like wailing banshees. They swarm the mutants but don't manage to drag them down.

 

With his friends in trouble, The Freerunner speeds across the graveyard. 

 

Chupacabra uses his super senses to scope out Tarrare's weaknesses. 

 

Creepy Crawler calls in his "pets" for help and the vermin make quick work of the vampiric children. 

 

Glock Roach opens up on Hommes de Bonbons, wounding him, but failing to stop the Hermetic chant.

Natural Selection and Chupacabra start out strong against Monsieur de Paris, but struggle to drag him down. 

 

The Freerunner hits Hommes de Bonbons with a super-speed punch! Whack! The frail old man proves to be tougher than expected though. 

 

Robespierre deigns to enter the fray, but cannot strike the speeding mutant. 

 

With time running out, NewGen make an all-out attack on Tarrare, who holds the captive above his head and weathers the blows like a seasoned boxer. 

 

Monsieur de Paris lashes out, finally connecting and leaving NewGen's leader worse for wear. 

 

The whirling melee of mutants cannot drag down the eternally-hungry Frenchman and the Minions of Robespierre vanish in a flash of eldritch energy, taking the hostage and victory. 

Despite being, essentially, a glorified play-test, this was a great game and a lot of fun. Despite it being his first game, Steven picked up the mechanics quickly and tried out the abilities of all of his characters. A couple of different dice rolls would have delivered a much different game, which always makes me feel like the game was good. 

Things I took away from this game; I need to proofread the character sheets better, both NewGen and the Minions had more than one mistake. I also need to write some more scenarios for SS4. The ones in the book are great, but most limit the amount of heroes and Rooftop Rumble and Base Battle require specific terrain to play. Once I get my city roads mat, I'll play more on my city table, and I'd like more scenarios that make use of that space. I'll take a look at some of my old rulebooks for other games and even some comics and see what I can come up with. 

Superhero Media: inFamous 2

I need to start this review off with a quick explanation of my understanding of Art and video games as a medium. My undergraduate degree focused on two disciplines, Literature and Film, both of which manage to communicate ideas and emotions in a way in which I consider them a from of art. I am yet to be convinced that video games are an art form in the same way as literature and film. I heard a few arguments and been close to a truly emotional moment in a couple of games, but, by and large, I find that the interactive medium just can't quite get there... yet. I'm not inviting an argument in the comments section, I'm just putting my current hypothesis out there to provide some clarity to the following review. inFamous 2 tells a really compelling story about Cole McGrath, a former bicycle messenger and traceur who gained electrical powers in the first game. Why am I reviewing inFamous 2 instead of inFamous? For some reason, inFamous wouldn't install properly on my PS3, so here we are. 

In the opening of the game, Cole fails to save Empire City (New York) from a gigantic beast spawned of the same source that gifted Cole his powers. Cole flees to New Marais (New Orleans) in order to buy time to train up his powers for round two; while there he deals with other powered people, monsters and heavily armed locals. The core mechanic of the game focuses on Cole's (and the player's) choices on achieving their goals through "good" or "evil" actions, new powers and story elements unlocking along those lines. I really enjoyed this idea, working along the "good" path by delivering medicine, helping the police keep order and even exposing local political corruption. The problem is that the "evil" path isn't as well defined. To be "evil", Cole beats up random civilians, trashes cars and is somewhat rude to his friends; it's not evil, it's petulance. I have zero motivation to do an "evil" play-through. 

  

The best parts of inFamous 2 are the ending, which is seriously well-told, and a mission in which Cole earns "good" points by meeting his friend for beers and a movie, it really humanises the character. This would have been a truly grate game actually, if not for a point right before the finale where the player can choose which power set they want. That's right, there's no point playing good or evil, because you can choose to override your choice right at the end anyway. If not for that misstep, I'd be giving a glowing review of inFamous 2, its well-rounded characters, colourful city and strong narrative. As it is, a single choice to pander to interactivity really soured the final experience. Still worth a play-though and plenty of inspiration there for supers gaming if you're inclined though. 

Miniatures Finished: The Minions of Robespierre [FR]

Progress on this project is looking pretty good, but there are still a tonne of scenarios to write and civilians to paint. At the rate I'm going, 2017 is looking more for the campaign than 2016, but I may as well keep plugging away. 

The Minions of Robespierre 
Many a student of history will be familiar with Maximilian Robespierre, the Jacobins and the Terror, but that is only part of the story. The secret war for the future of the world that was waged in the hidden, magical places of France would have ramifications that would not be felt for centuries. 

 Monsieur de Paris (Wyrd), Robespierre (Eureka) and Tarrare (Helldorado) 

Robespierre

Seeking a fast path to power, Robespierre discovered the ancient Hermetic traditions, also known as Magic. Not possessing the patients for the extended study required, he became the first modern practitioner of "Chaos Magic", a blending of schools and styles to create a powerful, but unpredictable affect. Robespierre's quest for powerful magical artifacts would form the basis of the conflict in the years to come, he was a master manipulator, even faking his own beheading. 

Monsieur de Paris 

Famous during the years of the Revolution for being the greatest executioner in France, the man known only as "Monsieur de Paris" was far more brutal and deadly than pulling the cord on a guillotine. His true history lost to the obsfucations of time, Monsieur de Paris was taken on board by Robespierre early in his career and subtly "improved" by the applications of magic, alchemy and mechanics. How much of the man is left, none can say, but those caught on the wrong end of his claws do not doubt the animal ferocity that still lingers. 

Tarrare
A former solider and circus freak, Tarrare is cursed with an insatiable hunger and the ability to eat anything. Seeking help to cure his condition, Tarrare sought out Hommes de Bonbons, an infamous alchemist and begged him for aid. Hommes de Bonbons helped Tarrare shed the last of his humanity to become a being of pure hunger. Robespierre now uses Tarrare as a weapon of terror against his enemies, few things can be more terrifying than a beast of flesh devouring everything and everyone in its path. 
 

 Les Enfants Terribles (West Wind) and Hommes de Bonbons (Privateer Press) 

Les Enfants Terribles 

Hommes de Bonbons is nothing if not an experimenter, and perhaps his greatest achievement is Les Enfants Terribles, a group of vampire children bound to be loyal to their master. Les Enfants are a terrifying foe, laughing like children as they chase down their prey and rip it to shreds. The Knights of Dracul are desperate to know how their nature was compromised and warped into these living weapons of the night. 

Hommes de Bonbons 

Much of the secret work Robespierre does would not be possible without the assistance of the master alchemist Hommes de Bonbons. Though not much of a fighter, Hommes de Bonbons' mind is the greatest of his generation, creating wonders of science that would baffle men of the 20th Century. Just what dark pact Robespierre made with Hommes de Bonbons to have them work together is unknown, but it cannot bode well for the people of France. If even half of what is whispered about Hommes de Bonbons is true, the entire world is in danger. 

Name: Maximillian Robespierre

BP: 85

Affiliation: Minions of Robespierre

AP: 14

Strike: 6

Strength: 3

Dodge: 4

Sense: 3

Toughness: 4

Mind: 7 (1)

Resolve: 6

Damage: 3

Powers

Elemental Control Pool – 3 Full, 2 AP to change slots

- Flight

- Entangle 5 – 3 AP 15” range, Target is Immobilised. TN3 Strength to damage, 5 Vitality

- Dispel – 4AP 15” Range, Mind vs Power Dice, turns off Active Powers  Supress – Can target Attributes and constant effect Powers. Attributes lose super and drop to 2D

Super Mind 1 – May use Mind for Initiative

Edge 2 may add +1D after or +2D before a roll per level once per game

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

KO

Name: Tarrare

BP: 85

Affiliation: Minions of Robespierre

AP: 6

Strike: 4

Strength: 8 (2)

Dodge: 2

Sense: 2

Toughness: 8 (2)

Mind: 2

Resolve: 2

Damage: 8 (2)

Powers

Slow Footed – Cannot Charge

Drain 6D (Boon) – 2AP, Physical Stats only, Max 2 per Stat per turn, Restores Vitality

Super Strength 2, Super Toughness 2, Knockback Resistance 4”

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

KO

Name: Les Enfants Terribles				BP: 85
Affiliation: Minions of Robespierre				AP: 8 (3)
Strike: 6	Strength: 4	Dodge: 6	Sense: 5 (1)
Toughness: 5 (1)	Mind: 2	Resolve: 2	Damage: 6
Powers
Soulless – Immune to Mind-based attacks and Healing. Automatically fails KO Checks
Climbing - Can move up and down vertical surfaces, may Charge.
Super Sense 1 (X-ray Sight) – May Ignore Terrain when determining LOS for Charges
Implacable Charge - +1D Strike on Charge
Shrinking 1 (Mighty Mite, Always On)
Henchman Team, 8 Members, Weapon +2D, Extra Move 3

Name: Hommes de Bonbons

BP: 85

Affiliation: Minions of Robespierre

AP: 11

Strike: 2

Strength: 2

Dodge: 2

Sense: 6

Toughness: 5

Mind: 7 (2)

Resolve: 5

Damage: 2

Powers

Flare – AP3, 15” Range, Mind vs Mind, Blinded

Terrifying Aura – Enemy Models within 15” Radius must pass TN4 Resolve roll or be Terrified

Super Mind 2 – May use Mind for Initiative Rolls

Limited Mobility – Moves 1” per 2 AP and may not Charge

Tactician 3 – 3AP, Grant 1 Re-roll to friendly model within 15”, up to three times a turn

Healing – 4 AP, Mind Roll, every 2 Goals heals 1 Vitality, base contact only

Banter – May make an additional Soliloquy Attack each game.

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

KO

Name: Monsieur de Paris

BP: 85

Affiliation: Minions of Robespierre

AP: 8

Strike: 5 (1)

Strength: 6 (2/3)

Dodge: 3

Sense: 2

Toughness: 6 (2)

Mind: 2

Resolve: 2

Damage: 8 (1)

Powers

Super Strength 2 (Rage) - +1 Super Strength at half starting Vitality

Foresight – Counts one less for in Multiple Combats, may re-roll one scenario die

Bodyguard – May become the target of Toughness Damaging attacks targeting friend within 3”

Extra Attacks – May Flurry for +1AP

Super Toughness 2, Knockback Resistance 7”, Weapon +3D (No Grabs), Reach 2”, Super Strike 1

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

KO