Weekender: Delving On The Best D&D Table Ever & The World Of BattleTech Explored
August 20, 2016 by warzan
Welcome to the Weekender where we're going to be delving into all the awesomeness from this week in tabletop gaming.
As a quick heads up check in to see if you won the Konflikt '47 Boxed Set! If you did then make sure to fill in the Claim Form HERE.
Scatter Terrain Challenge Update
Firstly an update on the Scatter Terrain Challenge. It will come to a close on August 31st at 1pm BST so you have around a week and a half to get your entries into the Hobby & Painting Forum.
We also thought we'd show off some great work by some of our community members.
- Wrecked Roman Artillery by thedoctorwhowargamer
- WW2 German Field Camp by joe190barmybrit
- Frostgrave Scatter Terrain by dugthefug1644
Let us know what you think of the work you've seen so far and maybe have a go yourself.
The Best D&D Table Ever?
Talking of excellent terrain we also HAD to show off his amazing Dungeonscape, put together by the marvellous Ryan Devoto.
Big thanks to Jamie Gogarty for sending this one in. You can check out some more of Ryan's work HERE too.
In the spirit of D&D don't forget to also check out Community Member ceasar's work on these excellent Web Comics.
News
Let's find out what's been happening this week...
- Escenorama Ancient Ruins Terrain - Build yourself a masterful Fantasy table with these resin kits.
- Dark Tower AD&D Range - A taste of the old school from Otherworld Miniatures.
- ZEN Terrain's Badger MTV - ...just what does MTV stand for again?
- Rogue One Star Wars Trailer Hits - Bothan or Botham? Either way the film looks ace!
What did you catch from the news this week that got you talking tabletop?
Talking BattleTech With Oriskany
Coming on Monday we have a new article series starting with community stalwart oriskany. He is putting Historical aside to talk about a classic, BattleTech!
We talk with him about the series aims and the basics of what you need to know about BattleTech.
Kickstarter Time
We're also taking a look at what's out there to be pledged for!
- The Gods War - Which Gods will you side with as you fight to control this fragmented and broken world?
- Unfair - Like take that mechanics and the old Theme Park PC game; try this awesome card game.
Grab A Backstage Free Trial & Join Us For The Weekender XLBS Tomorrow
Have a great weekend folks!
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Happy Saturday!
great show,
here’s one for you @Warzan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CehVgQ43pn0
Apparently Kylo Ren was wondering about Bothans as well
Bothans , technically may not be as that was/is Expanded Universe , which has now been shunted off.
Bothans now may just be a planet ala Corilleans or Alderaanians ?
But cat/dog/horse man are lots more appealing
Always had a soft spot for the lore behind the Battletech universe, even if I came to it from the Mechwarrior & Mechcommander videogame series. Always tickled me that it effectively spun out of a love for Macross/Robotech’s mecha designs (the “Unseen” as they became known), then the team at FASA took the shattered post-Roman Empire period and dropped it a thousand years into the future, with tech levels fluctuating as singular facilities are destroyed and caches of LosTech are rediscovered, complete with it’s own barbarian hordes in the form of The Clans. Impressively it currently encompasses over a hundred… Read more »
I’d love to see a new line of minis for Battetech based off the updated designs from Mechwarrior Online it would defiantly help the game get more traction as the currently available minis look very dated in comparison to the rest of the market. When I had access to a good 3D printer I tried test printing some of the updated designs in the Batteltech scale and even with the lower resolution I was working with they looked amazing. If someone in the industry could start producing a range of minis based on the updated designs, not necessarily in plastic… Read more »
@dawfydd – I agree that BattleTech deserves more traction than it seems to have in today’s gaming market. In the days before 40K, BT was huge, and THE sci-fi wargaming franchise in the world with the possible exception of the UK (where 40K was just coming onto the scene) and Japan, where franchises like Mobile Suit Gundam (Gundam Wing wouldn’t come out until 1995, remember) and Robotech (1984, same year as BattleTech). When FASA fell on hard times in the mid 1990s, I think other franchises like Gundam Wing and 40K were there to step into the void, especially in… Read more »
@oriskany totally agree dude. Hell, I was only really aware of the franchise via the PC games and even then only got into them with Mechwarrior 3 (then 4 & 4Mercs) when I was at university. Didn’t even get into the fiction proper till a few years later when I went to work for Borders and found the first of the Dark Age novels by Mike Stackpole, a name I was inclined to trust for quality military SF action with great characterisation from his work on the X-Wing series of books & comics. I’ve still got tubs full of those… Read more »
You said there was something you didn’t know. I don’t believe it!
@dawfydd and @unclejimmy – just had a four-on-four game today, and used AFVs for the first time. 😀 Still so much to explore in this great universe!
(The following comments are solely in jest, at myself as much as anyone else. I’m really looking forward to Oriskany’s articles on Battle Tech) The greybeard slowly awoke from his decades long slumber, roused by the sound of pen to paper. Somehow, in mystical fashion, he sensed that the lore of the greatest of all the games was being spoken. Leveraging his creaking bones into position he cast his eyes upon the long-forgotten ‘Mechs which stared down upon him from their perch near the ceiling. “Come!” he called to the others of his kind. “It is time for us once… Read more »
🙂 I like it, @basilard99 – but what’s this antipathy against the Clans? I get it, to be honest. I lot of the really old-core BT gamers feel about the Clans the way I feel about elves in Fantasy or Vulcans in Star Trek … just pointlessly over-idealized races that love flaunting how much better than they are than everyone else. Well, except Clan Ghost Bear. 😀 Not only were “we” one of the first to assimilate into Inner Sphere society (almost Viking-like into the kingdoms of medieval Britain), but … yeah! We’re Clan Ghost Bear! We really ARE that… Read more »
Actually, I liked the back story of the clans. It was a cool way to shake up the universe. What I didn’t like (and this is pure personal preference) was the changes they caused in play style. One of the things I enjoyed the most about BT was the minutia of managing heat, especially on earlier (pre-3050) mech designs. But, let’s be honest, that’s what a lot of people DIDN’T like about BT. And softening those rules up through new technology brought in by the Clans was also a lead-in to being able to play larger battles in less time.… Read more »
Oh . . . trust me, sir. As much as I am getting into BattleTech now, I was definitely into Renegade Legions back in the day. Here’s my whole library from 1,000 years ago 😀 . . . Designed my own grav tanks, APCs, had all the technical updates, etc. Interceptor, Centurion, Leviathan, Prefect, Legionnaire . . .
http://www.beastsofwar.com/wp-content/uploads/forumfiles/rl-01.jpg
Awesome! Looks amazingly similar to mine. One of these days I’ll have to break it out again. (Full disclosure: I never actually got to play Prefect.)
Best hobby knife injury for me. I dropped my knife, panicing I brought my hand down to try to catch it, I did this just as the knife had landed handle down on my leg. I then proceeded to karate chop the blade forcing the entirety of it into the side of my hand.
Bloomin hell!
Non hobby related but I also stabbed myself in the stomach with a brand new kitchen knife, trying to remove it from its plastic packaging.
Looking forward to watching the Battletech series from @oriskani we broke out my old copy at the club recently and had some great games. The means may look a little dated now but the game system still works. Having to manage your heat is a favourite mechanic of mine and really makes you think about when to take the risk to unleash everything.
Good timing on the Battletech front – I always loved the sprawling universe they created and I’ve been playing it with my kids for the last few months. I just have to paint up the mechs I ordered for them and we will start on a little campaign which I’m really looking forward to 😀
I might even track down some 15mm scale versions of their mechs just to put on their shelves so they can look up at them and say “I piloted that!”
Thanks, @tonysilvey and @siygess – Managing your mech’s overheating is indeed one of my favorite mechanics in the game, for a whole list of reasons we’ll cover in detail in the articles. Of course, one of the big ones (especially if you play Clan mechs armed to the teeth) is the decision to sometimes NOT fire off all your weapons at once. And siygess – man, 15mm versions of the BT mechs! That must look awesome! Scale has always been kind of an issue with the old games (minis have been manufactured by four different companies I think and the… Read more »
I’ve got a Tundra Wolf stood next to an Atlas and no heavy chassis should tower over the King like that….
Haha yeah my son really likes the look of the MWO Thunderbolt so I put together a TDR5-SS using the TDR-1C legs and body, with arms from a 9M to slim it down and a little conversion work on the weapon and a scratch built SRM. I was pretty happy with it until I put it next to the metal Marauder I purchased and it is huge in comparison! Just one of the things you have to contend with I suppose.. a noticable gap in terms of sculpt quality, scale and design between each of the eras of mini production.… Read more »
Happy Saturday! Ah ah it’s always nice to have more John on the weekender … well and everyone else … you need a bigger table mates! I just love the dynamic between all of you. And battletech … man how much i love this universe. I never played the wargame a lot, thanks to the fact there where not many players in my region. But i just loved the story, the mechs, everything. How much i miss the good old novells. I wish they would make more of them again, but i guess that time is long gone now. I… Read more »
Thanks, @querion – I think the Dark Age was set up as kind of a “reboot” for the setting, level the playing field with the collapse of the HPG network for FTL communications, break up (or at least weaken) all of the old factions and empires, and basically let any player jump in anywhere he / she / they want, with whatever mechs they want, in any play in the BT universe. I agree it’s not my absolute favorite part of the timeline (I like the Clan Invasions through the Word of Blake / Jihad). Thanks for the post! Of… Read more »
It’s the weekend! Time to finish painting the 30+ Malifaux models I’ve been catching up on the last few days. Clearing the decks for Dropfleet Commander and a few other items on the backlog.
Question is… does spending time watching this help or hinder that goal?
In the day where I put the finishing touches to my terrain entry, that table gives me something to aspire to. Actually a terrain project with fewer cock-ups would be something to aspire to but ah you know.
That table is outstanding is what I’m trying to say!
is it something saga’ry?
There is a Saga piece in there. I’m currently working on the Youtube vid. Just 17 clips to edit 🙂
huzzah, I need to finish off a watch tower and pop the vid up myself
Ooh splendid.
I also am looking forward to @oriskany having a go at Battletech.
Mechs have always been a temptation. Actually I think I have a MadCat somewhere..guess I’ll have to build and paint it up today 😎
Have a great weekend all!
Thanks, @suetoniuspaullinus – the Mad Cat / Timberwolf is indeed one of those iconic images from BattleTech. It’s been on more book covers, video game covers, websites, etc, than probably all other mech types put together. And holy crap do they maul out some damage on the table! I have three myself. 😀 Not all in the same faction, that just wouldn’t be fair!
Few blade saftey tips: 1) As mentioned sharp blades prevent accidents 2) Always cut away from you, so if you slip you stab thin air not your self 3) If you use scalpel blade holders (good enough surgeons, good enough for me, if standard round craft knifes were that good that would use them) follow this guide for blade changes: http://www.swann-morton.com/view_reading.php?reading_id=1 4) get a good set of forceps (fishing tackle shops sell them) or pliers for gripping broken blades 5) If you have a resistance when you are cutting with a sharp blade your angle of attack is to steep,… Read more »
Sharps bin is a great idea from both a safety and general blade management perspective – often find I’m trying to separate my dull from sharp blades.
@coxjul scuse the pun but good point 😉
You can also get them for free if you ever have to administer injections at home either to pet or family…
On the Rescue the Wounded game idea: best setting for that would probably be WWI rescuing wounded soldiers from no man’s land because then you could just reuse the board for regular WWI games 😉 On the genesplicing tangent: @warzan, your mind hoed to some scary places sometimes. O.o On orangutan watching: you might want to be careful with that @warzan – a few years ago on QI they mentioned that in a Dutch zoo there was a gorilla and a woman went to see him every day and looked into his eyes thinking she was connecting with him, then… Read more »
Bothans… look like the Grinch…
I can speak from personal experience in regards to safety when using blades: Towards the end of May this year I slipped with an Xacto knife and stabbed myself in the wrist, the wound was no larger than a cm in length but this meant emergency surgery and a weekend in the hospital (with just a half dead kindle, no means of charging it, to keep me entertained, rationing reading is not fun). turns out the wound led to three blood clots from my wrist to my elbow, resulting in me now sporting a (un)sexy skin graft down my forearm.… Read more »
@bcup nasty, hope your on the road to recovery physio can help with regaining strength in the wrist…, I have nerve damage in my left thumb from stabbing my palm so can sympathise with the random things you find the injury causes down the line…
Battletech! Get in! I’m going to be glued to these articles; Battletech has always struck me as being the most grounded sci-fi setting, in fact reading Battletech novels awakened my teenage mind to real world history and politics. I’m really looking forward to the new computer game when it happens – looks like it’s being done so well and if a new range of miniatures happens, I’ll be back into the boardgame, too. Just a pity that that stravag, Oriskany is writing the articles with his Ghost Bear bias… you better pay due respect to Aiden Pryde, or you’re going… Read more »
Always been a fan of the Battletech universe and got into it pretty much the same way as John. I have to admit I have never played it as a tabletop game although I did play the RPG for a bit due to the lovely mech sheets that you used to get. Unfortunately it is not supported at any of the gaming clubs that are local but would love to have a game sometime to see what it is like.
Thanks – @chillreaper – I too am really looking forward to Hairbrained Schemes new 2017 BattleTech PC title next year. They have Jordan Weisman on board (the original developer) and seems to be a true PC adaptation of the original BT tactical wargame (as opposed to the WoT-style 12-on-12 shooter in MWO). I think each player will have a lance of 4 mechs, campaign or scenario style play, mercenaries-based, set in the Third Succession War of 3025 (to placate those who dislike the Clans or feel they unbalanced the game). Thanks, @noyjatat – very glad to hear you weren’t “put… Read more »
Battletech complex?….Really?
One of the things that I love about about the boardgame is that there are different levels of complexity, depending on how people wanted to play it.
Personally, I spent most of my time just playing Level 1 rules with the odd bit of Level 2. Level 3 just intimidated the hell out of me and I went nowhere near it.
We more or less stick to the basics most of the time. Today was our first game with AFVs, which was great since it gave our Rasalhague player more of a chance to use the combined arms doctrine more common with IS armies. Next week we may try some infantry (something else I have to paint now) . . . Not playing too much with customization / mech construction yet, tagging / target acquisition for indirect fire weapons, nothing with Aerotech yet, etc. We’re building into it gradually. 😀
Yas! I finallly get to do the jammie dance!
Congrats – enjoy 😀
Happy Weekend Weekenders 🙂
so I do like the discussion on @oriskany and his new Battletech series coming in like two days from now 🙂 I enjoy reading them during the coffee break at work. Plus, I recently bought the first and only Polish edition of Battletech and Aerotech. It waits for me at my parents’ place. I hoped I will get to visit them last week but I didn’t manage.
Battletech is a setting I’ve loved since I first booted up Mechwarrior 2 on my old PC back in the day. Honestly, if someone (Catalyst probably) produced a 28mm battletech wargame I’d be all in. Of course, if they ever got around to producing their Shadowrun: Street Gangs skirmish game I’d also be all in.
Get your crap together Catalyst.
I warned you this was coming, @yavasa . 😀 I have heard (I don’t know first hand) that Poland has (or used to have) a huge BattleTech community. I admit Aerotech is one part of the ‘verse I haven’t looked into yet outside of some battle report videos on YouTube), I look forward to hearing what you say about it. 😀 @zethnar – While I admit that BattleTech in the Catalyst Game Labs era isn’t as big as it used to be in the glory days of FASA, I think they are doing a pretty good job at getting this… Read more »
Anyone remember the old Armourcast 28mm-scale Madcat, Vulture and Atlas? Damn those things were BIG…
I am very much looking forward to this series. I actually have one of the Armorcast Timberwolves, and I have been able to get my hands on some of the newer 28mm ‘Mech’s: MWO-style Atlas, T-Wolf IV, Archer… and we’ve had a couple games. It’s BIG.. but fun..
I recently began using a scalpel for cleaning minis. Before I used a small knife. With the knife I always cut towards my thumb, which I used as a stop for the blade. Since knives aren’t super sharp (especially fter a year of cutting plastics/resin) my thumb was never cut. When I switched to the scalpel I went around cleaning minis as usual but cut my thumb almost instantly, I forgot to take into account its sharpness 😉
Also, GO WARREN! I can always trust you to make at least one lewd joke in the weekenders ;P
Thanks again lads see you tomorrow ….. normally I agree with most things you say , but hoping into a bath with Ian Botham holds no appeal at all for me ……………..
if you like the human animal hybrid have a look at the Ito Clan for Bushido