Evercreech 2014 #2 - Dystopian Legions

So last Saturday I headed over to SG to play some DL with the new alpha-stage rules.

Into reception....

Then through the warehouse to the office and into a large 4 vs 4 game of Dystopian Legions. Here the game is being set up with Chris from SG on the right going over some rules basics.

So I was playing a Federated States of America force, facing off against some Prussians. Next to me were  more FSA troops, again facing Prussians. Next along were Brittanian troops facing Empire of the Blazing Sun, and Covenant of Antarctica facing the French. The other side won initiative and chose to go first, Ben (of SG) moving his infantry and Luftlancers up around the bocage...

The other Prussians (including two Teutonic Knights) then crashed through a gap in this terrain and lumbered towards us.

The Empire of the Blazing Sun  moved their ground and air infantry towards cover...

Whilst the French advanced confident that engagement range was not yet upon them (the cavalry are in fact proxied air units!)

Then it was our turn! I advanced my troopers over the bridge, with my air gunners jumping up to the river;

My FSA colleagues also advanced, hugging cover...

Whilst the plucky Brits and the cold steel of the CoA forces advanced out in the open.

And yes, the CoA troops ARE being led by a Penguin! So state of play after movement;

We then won initiative, and my FSA troopers moved over the bridge, where they could see the Teutonic Knights, loosed off a concentrated volley of fire and managed to put a wound on the mighty concoction!

More FSA troops moving up...

And Brits...

And robots...

Unfortunately on the enemy activations my neighbour suffered at the hands of the Prussians...

Although the iron men of the CoA did rather better against the French, destroying most of the aerial troops for just a single wound.

The next initiative went against us, and the Prussians were not kind - the Knights and infantry chopping my fly-boys to pieces;

My neighbour suffered similarly;

Whereas at the other end of the table the French were pinned down in a farm building (probably searching it for wine?)...

Time for revenge! My FSA troops advanced firing into the Luftlancers....killing a single man! Terrible!

My comrades in arms were not having much luck either...

Kingdom of Britannia and EotBS forces still testing each others mettle somewhat...

Whilst things weren't looking good for the French...

Now was an important time to win initiative, and we did! My FSA troops advanced steadily, cutting down the Luftlancers to a single man, who fled in terror - hurrah!

Meanwhile the FSA armoured troops that were left took up defensive positions and picked off a Prussian infantryman...

...but they didn't fare so well against the return fire...

I was also subjected to an intense barrage of German guns...after which I wasn't in too good a shape. My battle was done, as was the other FSA players - against Prussians we were seriously outclassed.

 On the other side of the battlefield, the CoA were taking the odd casualty, but grinding the French into mayonaisse...

But for me the most memorable duel of the match was this stunning attack by the elite flyers of the Japanese against the British. They attacked....18 dice...

....and had one of the worst dice rolls I've ever seen! 3 successes from 18 dice! Not a single six!

The Brits replied with;

5 successes! Take that, evil minion of an imaginary steam-powered nation!

The KoB flyers chose to break off, and then torch the remaining Japs....not really cricket, but very effective!

Meanwhile back on Ben's Prussian front, this is the last view they took of my troops before dowsing them in electrical mayhem.

Whereas the single armoured FSA trooper stood his ground against overwhelming German force, before being mowed down in a hail of Teutonic lead.

Still, I had to feel for the French, two men and an officer sitting in a farm cottage with an implacable army of automatons advancing towards them...time to go home, methinks!

The game was called at that point, we had some lunch and then broke into individual games with armour, where my FSA troops once more became fodder for the German guns, though my tank proved to be completely indestructible!

All in all it was great fun, and was followed by a meal and a couple of pints at the pub the DL guys (sorry I can't remember all your names to list them here - "DL guys" will have to do as a catch all for now!) were staying over at. 

Dammit, another game to collect minis for! 

Painting update - Works Raptor, Terquai & Dystopian Legions

A couple of weeks ago I finally got around to giving my faithful Badger 150 airbrush a proper strip-down and clean, using cellulose thinners to burn off the built-up paint on many of the internals! It's now flowing like a dream, and encouraged me to break out my Tamiya & Testors paints and get on with some proper airbrushing. As such, I thought it would be a good time to have a quick update on my painting activities of late.

My last venture into airbrushing of any note was my Works Raptor ships, and although washed and drybrushed since, they've not been finished for want of a clean airbrush to use! Since the clean, however, that's no longer the case - the power cores, drives and weapons could get their proper attention. First up were the Interdictors;

This is just a misting of green over and around the power core. The more "internal" elements then get a couple of successively lighter coats like so;

The same goes for the weapons port;

Final internal highlights will be completed by handbrushing. Next up is the Attrition;

And last the Tyrannies;

I'm quite happy with how they've turned out. Next up for the airbrush were a bunch of Terrans, but I just basecoated them, so won't put any pics of them. I also broke out a set of Terquai Arual and Makalu cruisers and got into them. These a basecoated in Tamiya light blue, followed by stripes of darker blue and green. Here's one that got the treatment;

Now this looks a little rough (out of practice with the old Badger!), but don't worry...here they are again after a wash with Asurmen Blue and drybrush with Space Wolves Grey;

I'm quite pleased with how they're coming out - the effect I wanted was that shifting light pattern you get through water. Just detail painting and then engine glow a la Works Raptor above to go!

As I've had the opportunity to get into Dystopian Legions recently, I'll also give you a quick preview of what I'm doing on that front, as I've not painted any actual figures for some time. These are a couple of Tuetonic Knights from the Prussian Empire, great minis and they've been fun to paint so far.

The top halves have been sprayed light blue, washed and drybrushed, and the legs are just in the process of being painted dark grey before a black wash - this is basically the same colour as Prussian mounted rifles from the late 19th century - my Prussians are going to be very traditional! This also explains the red shoulder guards - the "Cuffs" on the arm armour will also be red (in fact as we speak they already are!).

OK, that's about all I have so far, I'll cover the other DL stuff in the separate (and future) post(s) on them, the Knights were just a bit of a teaser!

Until next time, happy modelling/painting/gaming - may your airbrush always be clean :-)