Big Battle HOTT..

Every time we play Big Battle HotT (Hordes of the Things) I say the same thing: this game has a profoundly different feel as games go. With each side consisting of three 24 point 'commands', it is certainly different to the more tradition al 24 point game. So last night Andy and I got some figures out onto the table for a big battle bash.

I used a mix of semi historical./mythical Romans (old Airfix Romans) and some Huns as nomadic barbarians. The left and centre commands were the Romans (the left with a contingent of Celtic war band in the mix), while the right was the nomadic barbarians with two mammoths as behemoths. Our armies are created from a range of 20mm plastic figures. Many of my Romans are the very old Airfix figures, and the 'Huns' are 1970s conversions from the Airfix Napoleonic Hussars (yes, you read that correctly).

Initial deployment, Martian/Egyptian force on the left, Romano-European force on the right

Andy used his martians (complete with walkers) for two of his commands (right and centre) while his left was a semi-historical Egyptian force.

Martians

Egyptians

Romans

Those mammoths

First clash on the Roman left

Warband attacked by Martian shooters

and walkers (behemoths)

Two units of Romans hold off the Martians in the centre. The 'Romans' (the old Airfix figures) are deployed as HotT Blades.

Action on the Roman right, the nomadic barbarians against the Egyptians

One barbarian behemoth is eliminated and the other recoils

The Martian right is in trouble, one shooter eliminated on the extreme left of the photo, allowing Roman 'Blades' to swing around to attack the line in the flank

That Martian right looking very ragged

Shooters play 'argy bargy' in the wood that dominates the centre, the Romans getting the better of the exchange

Still going in the centre

The nomadic barbarian command under pressure, the gaps show the losses

The behemoth (walker) in the Martian centre is eliminated .. shot away by the remaining artillery (its companion having been eliminated after being assaulted by the same behemoth)

The Martian right has become demoralised, followed soon after by their centre

There is little left of the Martian centre, but at the time their army melted away, the Egyptian ally on their left was still standing strong, having taken no casualties, and their opponent the nomadic barbarian command is close to demoralisation.

This was one of those nail biting games that teetered all along the way. There were probably three specific die rolls that determined the final outcome, and it was much closer than the pictures might suggest.

But what a cracking good game.. 

'Lurkers' lurking in amongst the rubbish

Things have been pretty quiet on the hobby front over recent months. I have been heading for that stage in life for which some would use the age related 'R' word. I like the 'R' word 'Re-focussing, that's how I see it. That said, that word does have multiple meanings right now, as I have (as a result of earlier eye surgery) developed a cataract which has 'developed' very quickly. It makes things hard to see, reading requires close proximity to the face, and so it goes on.

This means that figure painting is not an option until after the cataract operation in about 5 weeks time. So, having now stepped back from my 7 years of Principalship, with time more freely available, but unable to paint figures just yet, the only option for hobby activity is things that don't require precise close up vision. 

In that light, this happened. I found some of those 'plastic egg' shapes in which sweet treats etc come packaged for kids. Lorraine had won a raffle basket with two   these. She managed to successfully give away most of the treats (thank goodness), but these remained.

The 'egg'

It splits in half to this

I wondered about a 'lurker' for my Lost Worlds HotT army, perhaps one of those pods from 'Alien', or a man eating plant found deep in the jungles of the 'Lost Worlds'.

The taller ovoid part of the 'egg' shape, cut four ways across the top, a little heat applied underneath.

To create outer 'leaves' I cut a cardboard template and then applied a layer of 'NoMoreGaps' to give texture, thickness, and flexibility

The 'egg' assembled and undercoated

The 'egg' assembled

The 'Lurker' alongside a behemoth, and a 'beast' base.

The finished 'lurker', more colourful than the 'Alien;' version, but in keeping with the 'Lost Worlds' army aesthetic

I'll make a second one, just in case.This is very much 'old school' modelling, isn't it. Many today would 3D print what they wanted. The challenge for me is to use what already exists, a type of recycling, if you will. I enjoy the creative challenge, and until I get that cataract operation, it's about as good as it will get. Who knew that a 'lurker' might be lurking in amongst the rubbish.