MEST Basic Rules version 1.5.1 [ abridged ]

New Format

The existing rules are in a 68-page document containing about 30 pages of actual rules with illustrations.  It also contains bunches of sample assemblies, boiler-plate text, play-aides, and a glossary.  And it uses lots and lots of color making it hard for many people to print out.

Well, I've created an abridged version that removes the background artwork and cuts back all but the essentials.  It is a total of 32 pages and I'll continue to improve its appearance because I intend to eventually make these in booklets to hand out.  Although there is yet some colorful text and section headers, these should print out just fine on a black&white or gray-scale printer.  

The format is still 9"x11.5" which designed for an US Letter printer but might be adequate for A4 printers.

UPDATE: I've also added a plain version that takes out all formatting and illustrations.  It presents the rules as 10-pages of very printer-friendly text.

Download

Visit the downloads section here for a copy. https://sites.google.com/site/mesttactics/downloads

Kubla Con Fantasy Battle

I initially thought I wasn't even going to make it to this event (thanks to work). But at the last minute I was able to go after all.  Robert supplied the terrain and I supplied the miniatures.  We did no pre-planning so we grabbed some random miniatures and came up with some hastily assembled warbands.

It took us roughly 10 minutes to write the lists up which is pretty good considering I stink at math.
The wargames room was a little dark so the photos didn't come out so great.

Wee Aggro joined us, so I let him play Vs. Robert and I offered up some occasional advice.
:)

Wee Aggro's group, a Leader Wizard, a Marksman, three Brawlers and a Fiend.

Robert when for cheaper troops, an Elite Wizard, 3 Marksman, a Sidekick and some Average profile peasants with clubs

The board from Robert's side

The board from Wee Aggro's side.

Normally for a 500 point game we would use a slightly smaller play area. The first turn ended up being both sides moving forward into position.

Robert's troops sneaking forward.

Wee Aggro's Fiend.

During turn two, Robert moved his Wizard a little too far forward. Wee Aggro's Fiend sprung forward from the shadows and took the Wizard out with a Charge action. Wee Aggro then used an Initiative token to get an extra action and sprung back into some trees and hid,

One of Robert's Marksman avenged the Wizard by detecting and then blasting the fiend with his blunderbuss.

I can't remember which of Wee Aggro's troops wounded this Marksman, who subsequently failed his Morale test.

This Beastman took out one of Robert's peasant's.

Wee Aggro started dominating Robert's forces.

This fellow managed to hold his own in the center of the board for a long time before eventually being cut down.

After turn four, Robert's group was pretty batterd and Robert failed his bottle test.
Wee Aggro was triumphant!

It was a fun short game that played out quickly.

Saturday at KublaCon

I managed to make it to KublaCon Yesterday after all.

I forgot to take pictures but I managed to snap off a few in the wargames area.

Some Infinity boards were set up

Mechwarrior

The rest of the photos were are of a huge Jurassic Park game

nice em-4 minis

Pulp, Reaper and Copplestone

Nice boat

Cutting Foam Hills - Part V [ final ]

I got as much done as I could.

Here's all of the hills laid out on my 48" x 48" green-field battleboard.  I did a fly over; I'm not much of a photographer but I hope that you'll see the variety I present.  I've got a lot of trees  here; these are just my smaller coniferous trees which stand about 6" [ 150 mm ] tall.  The others need either priming or flocking.

While getting everything ready for KublaCon I found a number of unfinished terrain bits that I'll want to continue effort upon. So next time!

Starting at the corner.  These four quadrants
hang over my coffee table/game table.

I took some time to add brown and green washes
to the sides of the hills.  The results make them
look a bit more natural.  I also added flocking.

This is above the corner about 2 feet.
The trees vary from 6" to 7" tall.

Here's the far corner.  My burned out
cottage rests upon one of the large hill pieces.

Above the battlefield. My terrain kit is
becoming much more interesting. I've got
lots more trees.  I'll just need some roads and
boulders.  Maybe a rail track or stream as well!

Cutting Foam Hills - Part IV

Almost done!

I did an insane amount of manual labor just now given that I should be relaxing.  My hope is that I get these hills in a good enough form to bring them up to KublaCon.  I'm not sure I'll even be able to attend but one can always hope!

Recap:

1. Use soldering gun with a scratch-built copper filament; 10-awg.
2. Cut out from 2" foam board that originally measured 24-in x 48-in.
3. Primed with Krylon H20 Brown.
4. Primed again lower parts with Krylon H20 Black.
5. Dry-brush with medium brown.
6. Dry-brush with tan.
7. Dry-brush with cream.
8. Acquire a flock-box [ big cardboard box with side cut-off ]
9. Use Elmer's Glue [ PVA ] on bases and tops.
10. Use bunches of Light Green flocking material upon the glue.
11. Go as fast as possible.

Re-spray over the brown with black.

Another view. The black is for the crevices.

After dry-brushing the medium brown.

Another view of the medium brown.

After dry-brushing the tan.

More of the tan.

After dry-brushing the cream.

More of the cream.

After flocking.  This is a rush job.

Other elements flocked.

Stacking some of the hills.

Stacking stacking stacking.

Yay! More stacks!

If I get more time I'll start adding moss, rocks, and other touches to make the hills look more organic.  Until then these should be playable once I spray them down with fixative.

Cutting Foam Hills - Part III

I got some more time and did a lot of grunt work.  I wanted to mount my foam hills upon some MDF and so I bought a 24" x 48" pre-cut board from Home Depot.  For the smaller hills I mounted those on plasticard and also poster-board.  These bases should help in keeping the foam from fragmenting at the bottom when I use them.

Here's a large pre-cut MDF board.  2 by 4 feet!

I marked out the sizes that I want to cut.

To scale.  That's a 28mm figure.  These are large bits.

One of the smaller elements mounted.

Another larger piece.  I used liquid nails for the
initial mounting glue.

The smallest pieces I mounted on card-stock.
All pieces used a glue-gun glue on their sides.

I used H20 Brown.  Looks like steak!

Waiting for everything to dry.