VSF Campaign Map

I have a work-in-progress update for the VSF campaign that I'm designing for the MEST rules.  I have several key concepts that will drive mission generation.

The first and second concept is the Region Map with a Calendar.  This allows players to seek out assets during game-play, determine travel times, timing for moon phases, and the amount of delay from the last mission.  This last part is useful for allowing skills growth for each player's Champion characters.  It can also serve as a backdrop - as it will in the VSF campaign - as to world events such as a causing cities to become war-torn and then ruined.

Travel between cities is normally a week of time which is also the minimum time between missions.  Travel modes can be by roadway, railway, or port.  If a destination city is neutral or enemy it will increase the travel costs which may prevent entering that city unless a political or wealth assets is played.  Arriving during a new moon will decrease the cost as well.  Bypassing a city during a longer path will reduce the travel costs as well.  Indexing the travel cost to the mode of travel determines the amount of time that it will take.

I've got in mind several artefacts that can be retrieved during the course of the campaign that will make travel easier such as aeronefs, walkers, autocarriages, earthborers, and moon-gates.

UPDATE: This is 11x17 and the attachment is 300 dpi.  Made Austria with Italy playable.  Russia, Serbia, Switzerland, and the Nederlands are still neutrals.  

This map is the early period of the Cold Steam Empires campaign.

November 23rd, 2013, Thoughts and WIP's Fantasy and VSF

Here's a WIP shot of some Heavy Thugs (and a bowman thug). I used weathering powders for the first time on these. The powders were applied by adding Mineral Spirits to them and brushing the powders on. Not bad for a first go I thought.

Various Citadel minis in various stages of completeness. I have added some plumbers putty mushrooms to some of their bases. There's also a couple painted shield WIP's in the foreground.

I have been wanting to make a modular cobble stone city board for a few years now. I found these 2 foot by 2 foot pink insulation foam sheets at my local DIY mega store.

And these sheets of pre-cut dry erase board to mount the foam to.

I then cut some bits of paper to plot out how I would want the roads and waterways to be.

I didn't want to start drawing all over the foam and chopping up without laying down some terrain to see how it would all fit together first.

I will eventually carve out the roads and waterways.

I was fairly pleased with how it would all go together.

I will also create a couple different cobblestone stamp tools so I don't go crazy carving everything by hand!

Next, Robert and I have been talking about running a 6 game VSF campaign. I thought I would use these two fellows as British Vetrans who have enjoyed many off world big game hunts on Cytheria.

I painted these Cytherian Parrotmen (they only look like Kroot) a few years ago. I don't believe I have ever shared them before. I will use only one or two of these in the campaign. I will probably cut off the spikey bits from the muzzle and the butts of their rifles before I use them though. (silly GW).

I have about 5 of these DnD pre-paints that I will repaint and use as Cytherian Hounds for the campaign as well. I doubt I will use all 5 though. Next, I will have to decide who will lead this merry band.

November 10th, 2013 VSF Game

Kitrok and I met for a game at Game Kastle in Santa Clara CA last night.
It had been a while since my Lead Adventure minis saw some action some I brought them along to game with.

My group, I couldn't help slipping in some mummies.I figured my Leader, the chap with the umbrella, was an Egyptian Mystic who could control the Undead. I also took two dogs the help sniff out Kitrok's Hidden troops and tie him up.

Robert's group. Sort of a hodgepodge. The lovely lady with the rifle was his Leader.

A view from my side of the board. Normally, I wouldn't have used the cars for this genre, but I forgot to bring more items of terrain along. I had left my walls in another box from Pacificon a few months ago.

A view from Kitrok's side of the table.

Early on in the game I was the first to engage one of Kitrok's Elite models.

I engaged one of Kitrok's Hero's and one of Kitrok's  Brawlers rushed to the Hero's aid.

Another view.

The mummy failed it's Fear Test after being wounded and ran off. Yes, the Mummy took a Fear test. We used the basic rules with basic archetypes. The mummies were all the "Beast" archetype. It would be nice to stat mummies up though.

A overhead view at the end of Turn 1. In a rush to collect Objective Markers, many of out troops overextended ourselves.

This chap of Kitrok's captured an Objective Marker (the crate), however; he drew a booby trap card that managed to wound him.

One of my mummies quickly finished him off.

This fellow chased after the mummy he had wounded and finished him off.

This chap started raining bullets down on Kitrok's men.After rolling an "out of ammo" result during Turn 1 that had forced him to reload.

The first of Kitrok's troops to fall to the portable Gatling gun. The fellow with the spear was also wounded.

So of my hounds finished him off.

Another one of my mummies falls to one of Kitrok's Elites.

The second kill from my portable Gatling gunner. This fellow had been Hidden, but he had spotted by one of my dogs.

The Gatling gunner then paused to admire his handiwork.

One of my dogs falls in close combat to pistol fire.

I swarmed this Kitrok's Elite with a heavy shield and took him out. We ended the game after this. It was a close fought battle me tied for Objectives but I won by one victory point for the most KO's

More Pics of finished minis, plus a basing decision

I finally managed to get some better pics of my latest batch of finished minis.
The lighting was okay.
Since I don't have a lightbox I am sort of at the mercy of the elements.
I have found pictures of my miniatures come out best on overcast days.
I should probably construct a proper light box one of these days.

This guy sat half finished for months. I am more or less happy with him.

A skull faced thug.

a ghoul

These aren't Citadel minis. I have no idea who made them as I got them as part of an eBay lot. I was going to paint this in the standard blue High Elf theme you normally see. I decided on a darker ancient race look for them.

Shield close up.

I was very pleased by the way this thug turned out.

I was happy with this fellow as well.

Another not Citadel. This guy is a Grenadier Demon.

Don't know who made this tombstone either.

I am calling these guys done. Now I can't decide if I want to add shrooms and flock or not.