Heroes of the Sky...

Back in 1914, the First World War started.  Shortly after, airplanes were used to scout out enemy positions.  Then someone decided that putting machine guns on them was prudent.  The game called Wing Of Glory is a tabletop war game of WWI air combat.  Series 5 recently came out and has Early War planes that were used in the earliest part of the air war.

This is the entire series 5.  3 different paint jobs per plane.

Fokker E.III/A.III
Halberstadt D.III
Airco DH2
Morane-Saulnier Type N

Each plane represents a different pilot from the war.  Some of the very famous pilots, like in this series, you have the German Immelmann, the inventor of said maneuver.  It's where a plane does a "loopty loop" up and around.

Ares Games makes these and other miniatures, including WWII planes, and even some other games.  Check them out here:  Ares Games

And check out here for all the WWI planes that have been released under the Wings of Glory Banner.  (Wings Of War planes are the same, but when the game was owned by a different company)

Zombicide Custom Map Tiles Set 1

Ok, the delay has been long enough.  I am now releasing my first Zombicide Custom Map Pack.   This consists of 19 various tiles depicting a highway.  In this case, I'm depicting Highway 85

Over the past month or two, I've been working on a custom tile set for Zombicide.  This tile set is based on Highway 85, the highway that Rick Grimes, Dale, Glenn, Shane, and the rest come upon a traffic jam and can't take the Winnebago any further.  Granted, it's based on the scene, and not accurate at all.  Glenn's charger wasn't there.  the canopy wasn't open on the Winnebago, and other stuff.  Each tile represents a small section of the road.  There are 19 tiles in all, you can combine them to form any size road you wish, AND they can be combined with the original tiles and other custom tiles.  Here is the contact sheet.

Graphics for this tile set come from a variety of sources.  Most notably is the Dundjinni Art fourms, of which I'm a long standing member and collaborator of.  Also, Miah Terry, of boardgamegeek fame as well.   Here's his blog if you want to visit.  He also makes custom Zombicide stuff that is quite fantastic.  Tell him I sent you!

Inside the MASSIVE 84 meg zip file are all these tiles, the contact sheet, a read me about printing them and a PDF of clarifications to the tiles in case you can't understand the zoning laws.  I mean seriously, how hard is it to not walk on your neighbor's lawn?  That's what Zoning Laws are for.  To keep you off my lawn.  I've got a shotgun and I'm Clint Eastwood from Gran Torino. Get Off My Lawn.

Anyway... enjoy these tiles, and don't forget to leave feedback here if you like them.  The more feedback I get the more likely it is that I will continue my pursuit of creating tile sets depicting Woods, Herschel's Farm, a prison, etc. etc.   Zombicide map making program zip file coming soon...

Oh, and I think you need a link to the tile set huh?   Ok, here it is.

REMEMBER, the Zombicide tiles are printed at 25 Centimeters in size. Your local print store will be able to help.

D&D Weekend

On Saturday, I sat down behind the screen, the first time in a long while.  I was a little bit rusty, but made it out ok.  My adventure planned was short, as I didn't know how fast the group would get through it.  Luckily, I could wing a little bit near the end.

The group fought Kobolds, the vile little reptilians that cause panic wherever they go.  Shier numbers are massive, yet their strength is weak.   they scare easily . Prone to fleeing the fight instead of staying for the slaughter.   In the end, the group found a baby black dragon.  It seems that the drow of the group has gotten to be friends with the dragon.  We'll see just how far along the creature goes with them, and how tolerant he is of the rest of the group.

I also introduced a special character to the group that might make appearances from time to time, or just might hang around just to be the comedy part of things.  His name is Richard.

  Only three players of the group know who this guy is and what he's about.  He's from a web-comic called Looking For Group  It's a great comic with lots of humor.  He's a Necromancer ad funnyman.  I don't want him to detract from the overall enjoyment of the game, but yet, he's already had some greay funny moments. Like when the drow chained him up and had his stay behind, somehow, he miraculously had unchained himself and was following the cleric around, right next to him, rubbing his shoulders during the combat and giving words of encouragement.   But when the drow saw him, he was still chained up.

We'll see if the group likes him and wants some comedy relief from time to time....

Of Hobbits and Dwarves....

I went to see the Hobbit movie over the weekend.  It was a good movie, and it is recommended to go to see.  I will warn you, if you're looking for the wow factor of the LOTR movies, you won't get it here.  You've seen all of this before.  Nothing super new in special effects.

The effects are cleaner, crisper, nicer looking.  When you saw LOTR, the wow factor came in the massive sets, the special effects were awesome and new, etc. etc.  The Hobbit didn't really have new stuff.  But then that's ok.  it didn't need it.  Pete Jackson didn't succumb to the Lucas effect by updating special effects for a prequel.  Doing that makes the older movie look like crap compared to the new one.   Yea, lookin at you Episode 1, 2 and 3...

But anyway, The Hobbit is a great film, it's broken into three parts, so you don't see the whole story.  There is a lot of back-story  and stuff that's not in the books.  I only know that because someone told me, since I've never read the book.  I know..  blasphemy...

The Dwarves song was cool, but we saw and heard it in it's entirety during the trailer that came out a while ago.  That sucks really.  I'm hoping for that extended cut that has the full song, not just one verse and a chorus line.  No, I don't mean the dwarves were dancing.  the sang is meant to be a somber song, which was equally cool.

I know it's a fantasy story, but I didn't care for the scene with the "Stone Giants".  It was completely unrealistic that the dwarves could ride the knees of these things and still remain attached with the amount of movement they were doing.  The battle itself was fine, but they should not have been along for the ride really.

All in all, great movie.  Next year is part 2.  I actually find myself waiting for it since they did glimpse Smaug. A deep, dark "Red Dragon".   Yea, classid D&D Dragon look.  If Jackson makes him walk on his wings, I'll boycott...

Zombicide Custom Map Clarifications

Soon to be released as part of my next scenario for Zombicide, is the map pictured below.  I wanted to show it off and do some clarifications.  My tiles line up nicely, but I wanted to do some clarification on the zones of the map.  Zones are easy to see on my tiles:

The blue areas are zones, you can see the areas that break the zones apart.  sidewalk lines, and the black pavement areas.  You can also see on the map shown above that there is a brown sidewalk line in the grass. that also separates the zones.


 Here is the map from The Walk of the Dead Scenario 2:  Get Outta Town.

On this map I've highlighted several areas with light blue and green.   The zones highlighted showcase the intersection and how it works for the map.  A quick look at the map shows that the three zones in the intersection would connect to the two zones in the wide road.  However, this is not the case.  The green highlighted zone can only be gotten to by the two blue ones on each side of it.  you have to enter a blue zone on the side of the green to be able to move down the road into the other blue zone.   Yes, you can enter the zones in the road by going through the grass.  You cannot go from the green zone up the map towards the exit without going through one of the blue zones on either side.

Hope this helps.   If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment here.   I will be more than happy to answer them.   You can also make requests.

Yes, My scenarios are based upon the Walking Dead TV show and comic book.  If you want me to build a scenario based on a scene from the show, let me know.  I might be able to make an accommodation, providing that I've not passed that episode of the show.   As a side note, I'm only using the basic characters from the zombicide game, as well as the kickstarter promo figures.

Rick = Phil
Amy = Michonne
Josh = Glenn
Doug = ?
Ned = Dale
Wanda = Andrea
El Cholo = Daryl
Nick = Shane
Eva or Claudia = Maggie
Marvin = Tyreese
Dave = ?


If you can, help me to fill out who's who.

The Walk of the Dead....

Zombicide Scenerio 1


Phil’s been running for quite some time now, alone desperate to find some meaning in this world.  Ever since he woke up in that hospital bed, and found he was alone, he’s been searching for an answer.  He’s seen some strange things so far, but none stranger than the dead walking.  He had heard from another survivor that there was a safe-house downtown that everyone was going to.  Perhaps his family had gone there.

Survivors used here:  Phil (starts in the street starting square and with a pistol), Josh, Wanda and Doug start in the building.  This building is clear.  Josh starts with a bat, Wanda starts with a pistol, and Doug starts with a crowbar.

Objectives: 

Blue Objective:         Token can only be picked up once you enter the middle circle of the tank.  Once Phil picks up the blue objective token, he receives a shotgun, and can use the tank’s top mounted machine gun.  The blue doors then become unlocked and can be opened normally.

Supplies:       The blue doors are locked until Phil gets to the tank* and the center circle.  The rest of the team can search this building as normal.  Josh, Wanda and Doug need to find one supply each. 

Phil:    Once the doors are unlocked to the building, then everyone needs to get to the exit.  Phil cannot move out of the tank until the rest of the group gets to it.  They do not need to enter the tank; they just need to be in the zone the tank is in.

*This scenario requires the tank tile from my walking dead vehicle pack.  

Download the scenario here:

Be on the lookout for scenario 2, where they must "get outta town".  This features the start of my new tiles.

Yes, you DID notice that this is similar to "The Walking Dead" comic book and TV Series where Rick (Phil)  gets trapped in the tank and Glenn (Josh) has to rescue him.  Amy(Andrea) and Doug(just an extra).    

Enjoy!

Valla Morr

OK, so my group wants me to DM.  I've dusted off the old campaign world of Valla Morr.  I've talked about that place already.  Hextor rules, elves as slaves, etc.etc.

The group wants to run as if their characters are not privy to the info that hextor is evil and needs to be overthrown.  So a quandary takes hold.  Eventually they will learn this, but I need to create adventures with evil and hextorian based in mind.

I've got tiles, I've got maps,  I went through my minis and trimmed down what I would take along to the game.  Now, for the adventure.  We've got many ideas swimming around my head.  I do know that the group is not a mystery solving group.  They are definitely NOT Mystery Inc.   Hack-n-slash and a bit of political intrigue is about right.  A good dose of RP to sweeten the plot, and toss in a curve ball once in a while and wha-la, game on.

We'll see if my dungeon mastering skills have faded or not...

NEW Custom Zombicide tiles.... and a question...

Ok, I am invariably going to be asked how the zones work on my new tiles....

Here is three of the new tile set, sitting on a map I'm making to co-inside with the release of the tile set.   First off, the sidewalk lines that show in the grass as dirt are zone edges.  Pretty standard.   The black asphalt along the edge of the road is also a zone edge, similar to the sidewalk itself, which is also a zone edge.  The black asphalt in the middle of the road, next to the concrete barrier is also a zone edge.  The big question will be the road itself.

How should I proceed?  Should I make the zone the area between the black and the sidewalk lines?  Or should I split the zones so that the dividing line between lanes is also a zone?  Your thoughts on this are encouraged....  I'm leaning towards the zone being between sidewalk lines and the black asphalt    AND because my lines on the road-end tile (LI1)  don't match zombicide tiles, I have to come up with special ruling on that zone or "zones"

The Walking Dead...

Mid-season finale has happened.  it was non-stop action.  I won't go tinot much detail, but it was good.  and here's a clip for next episode in Februrary...

The next episode...