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sundancer 5 years, 3 months ago.
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Getting ready for a live web game of Darkstar tomorrow.
August 3, 2519:
Scenario: Xi Boötis is a Second-Band star system about 22 light years from Sol, currently hotly contested between the United Kingdom and the Holy Russian Empire. In this star system, the British have key military, industrial, and economic installations orbiting the moons of three of the outer gas giants. One of these orbital platforms, Ravenwood Station, is in trouble.
Sensors on Ravenwood Station have detected an incoming gravimetric ripple, the tell-tale sign of ships in a Darkstar Wave. The speed of the wave clearly indicates warships. The amplitude of the wave indicates at least a cruiser strike force. Yet although the wave is too fast for civilian traffic, it’s not fast enough for just a Russian cruiser raiding force. The incoming warships are only doing a 9th-magnitude wave, about 150 c.
This probably means troop ships. The Russians are coming to Ravenwood Station to stay.
Sure enough, as the Russians drop out of their Darkstar Wave and begin to decelerate to attack speed, British sensors identify the threat. This is the battle-hardened Lazarev cruiser squadron (reinforced) under Captain Piotr F. Myshaga, a bloody-pawed bear with a plasma-scorched record extending back to the Psi Serpentis Wars of 2512. The last ship in his battle line is perhaps the most chilling … the Zhukov-class assault destroyer Katukov. Small and practically unarmed, she instead carries almost 200 elite Russian zero-g assault troops. The Russians mean to take Ravenwood Station.
The only British force that is both powerful enough to match the Lazarev squadron and fast enough to make the intercept this far out in the Xi Boötis system is the Bellerophon battlegroup. Accelerating to short, slow (but thereby hyperaccurate) intrasystem Darkstar wave, the Bellerophon and her escorts drop out of FTL just a few thousand kilometers from this moon and Ravenwood Station. The Russians are already on their approach.
General Quarters!
The full map sheet:
Matchup of the approaching forces. The British have the heavier guns, especially aboard HMS Bellerophon and the installation itself. But the Russians are much faster and more numerous. CPK Katukov is the troop ship, carrying six assault boats and 168 shock troops. If she manages to dock with Ravenwood Station …
Xi Boötis is where the battle is taking place.
Some of the rarely-used charts to resolve boarding actions, the firefights that may be taking place while the naval battle is still ongoing.
The station sheet and the sheet for CPK Katukov, a modified Zhukov class assault destroyer (troop ship).
Myself and some friends stormed area 51 yesterday. Turns out it’s a hobby shop in Bristol. Came back with these
Hello all.. its been a bit but work has been rocky to deal with. Doing solar panel installation on days in the range of mid 90s (°F), though it did peek a little over the 100 mark last week, has been rough for hobbying. Getting up well before the asscrack of dawn to get to work and start before it gets hot has made for early mornings. Getting home in the early afternoon has been good but with the AC down for the past week and no definite time for addressing the matter by the landlord free time is just meaning I lay around. I’m saying enough of laying about as a consistent client popped by and dropped off more minis. Money is an unforgiving motivator. The only one I can talk to and try to make excuses with is myself as to “I don’t feel like it”. Cold hard cash can help chip away at debt and pay for stuff I need. No, more minis does not count as a need (I keep telling myself). I pledge, this week, to get one of the minis I was entrusted with done.
Ok, on to questions… and maybe a cool adult type beverage containing boozamahol.
1: I love hardback core rulebooks. PHBs and GMGs are very pleasant to hold and experience the heft of a tome that will see much use. As far as errata the softcovers are great as the smaller, more specialized rules, are better in functionality for the occasional glance and delve into fluff. PDFs have been a boon to the fact that I have moved so much and the emotional connection to my books can be kept without the astounding weight and space requirement. If I had a tablet I guess I’d do quite a bit more reading with my time but it does begin with having the time to read.
2: I’ve not tried to sit down and make stories to surround the forces I’ve played. In Malifaux the storylines have been fleshed out as far as dramatis personae so the game is the actual story for the moment. Guild Ball, I feel, is much the same with the narrative having been written by the game company and the gaming session just another note in the long saga.
For games at skirmish level where the general forces are overall vanilla and each unit a blank canvas this isn’t the case. Blood Bowl has been a favorite of mine for years and I’ve been in love with my Deep Drek Chukkaz (orks). I have gone so far as to make a fan cheer of the team (“Maim! Murda! Mutilate! Dats whut makes our team so great!”) aside from naming the players. I’d say this was probably a byproduct of growing up as a military brat and being exposed to Italian Serie A soccer early on. Thinking about that I will get off my butt and finish them off next after my commission. That will be a fine point to say that they are lovingly painted and to have one less project on the year end list which @lawnor had graciously put out earlier this year.
3: The most frustrating hobby build that I’ve dealt with I’m still dealing with. Its a scratchbuilt display base inspired by the likes of pirate movies that have the wrecks/old or abandoned ships. Broken boards dotted with barnacles, seaweed covered rusted swords and lines tied with floats that are fed through the skulls of the fallen have been a pain. I’m still building up with the project as I got some resin crates and boxes to put around. I’ve begun the debate as to whether I’m going to drop the cash for a resin showcased for armor builders that is a product used to plasticize very lightweight paper. I was going to use it as a means of getting realistic tarps draped over the cargo. There has also been the nautical fittings that so far have been the worst in trying to source and deal with. Cast metal tackle of double and single blocks in scale have not made ship builders friends to me but I appreciate their hobby in lending help to mine. There are pics from April in my blog Base:The Final Frontier. I normally start back to front with building a base and then finding the figure to fit the environment. I have one for this and it will be great once I actually get the thing done.
Now time to put the thread on its ear.. or knees.. whatever. Listen to the music or the dog gets it.
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