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 Alfndrate wrote:

 Cyporiean wrote:
The Miasma War campaign will be getting its own book in the near future.

This is what I get for missing company meetings huh?!

I told you this, you just forgot about it.. like putting a wash on your models.

*shrugs* I put washes on all the models... No one ever believes me though

 Alfndrate wrote:
*shrugs* I put washes on all the models... No one ever believes me though

now now, its not nice to lie about your dirty dirty models

Visiting Hours 7/20/13 - Fluff

The Brushfire Missions are now up in the current 2nd Ed update on WargameVault, thanks again for everyone’s input. I’ve still got some work to do on EFT’s Scenarios, just a basic review at this point, not the same overhaul that Brushfire got. So a change of topics is in order.

Fluff. It has a ring of negativity to it, the extra junk you slap on top of the Crunch. During my first pass through a book, I usually skip the history and short stories littered throughout. As a gamer, I NEED to know how the game works before I make any emotional investment in the world or the characters. Even when I’m trying to find my favorite faction, I balance between the background and the special rules of the models to arrive at a decision.

My writing process for 2nd Ed has shifted quite a bit from 1st Edition Brushfire. In the original text, I wrote much of the world history from a real world human perspective. The section constantly broke the fourth wall, as if I was sharing some alternate dimension with the players that I could see. I used phrases like “Their Earth” and “Our Egypt”. Sufficed to say, this was silly at best, and insulting at worst. Simply from reading the history a reader should get the idea that Aquitar is an analog of France, I shouldn’t have to slap you over the head with it.

Disgusted with my own work, or at least the writing style implemented. Second Edition is getting a complete overhaul. Aquitar’s history has already received this treatment to show you what I am aiming for. All the fluff will be written from an In setting perspective, but more specifically, as if you are reading the actual texts or experts from world historians.

To lend to this style, I’ve been studying numerous translations of historical records and encyclopedias, seeking to mimic the scientific/debate qualities of many of these articles. At the same time, I hope to lend personality to the country as a whole, when you read it’s section. Each historian will perceive the world differently, slanting the perspective that the reader sees. For example, Ardan Michelet, the Aquitaran Historian, has seen his country’s rise and fall as an empire, and now living in a waning nation, his view upon their entire history has been tinted, resulting in a ‘woe is us, Aquitar never gets a lucky break’ sort of view. Or, at least, I hope it comes across in such a manner.

This entire rewrite process will lead to a longer development time for 2nd Ed, but I feel Brushfire is worth getting everything right, and including everything we’ve learned since the release of 1st Ed.

Q&A

On Topic Questions
How invested do you become in the setting of a game?

Do you create new characters to represent parts of your army?

In your local area do you treat the results of Campaigns as having an impact on the setting?

What is your preferred presentation of setting information? Articles/Encyclopedic Entries? Short Stories? Model fluff Entries?

Off Topic Questions
Is there a topic you would like me to ramble about?

Any Images/Secret stuff you would like me to share next week?


On the Topic of Fluff, my content to share today is the first two chapters of a short story I am writing for Endless, The Quiet of Castle Graybasin along with the original first chapter which was abandoned in favor of a rewrite. I hope you enjoy the sneak peek.



The Quiet of Graybasin


Chapter 1 - Out of Practice

As the skirmish ended, Edrin stood over his latest kill. A firm foot and a swift arm pulled his arrow from the warped figure. A favorite curse escaped his lips as he examined the prize. The bodkin head had not come away with the rest of it and the bolt was now useless. A downward glance at the quiver at his hip confirmed to the young archer that only a pair of missiles remained to him.

Until yesterday, the Kingfishers had not held a contract for nearly a month. Supplies were running low and Laird had pressed the importance of frugality. Impetuous as ever, Edrin had paid little heed, but an archer without arrows was of little use to the guild. To vent his frustration, the Hallefordian youth gave his fallen foe a swift kick in retaliation for his current woes.

“Ya Idjit! They were once yer kin, Halleford.” The scathing remark came from behind Edrin, in the Zeuten brogue of the guild’s ‘Procurement Officer’, Raetan. Before the archer could share a rebuttal, a bundle of arrows was slung in his direction and awkwardly caught in surprise. “Best be keeping better care of your quiver.” A smirk left the thief’s face as he slipped a loose coin into his belt-purse. Without Raetan, Edrin was sure the guild would have starved.

“Kingfishers! We are moving on.” The authoritative voice of the guildmaster, Laird, beckoned to the few members of the guild not already at the treeline. Edrin nodded silently, and the archer and thief made their way across the battlefield.

Nearly a dozen bodies lay still about the clearing. As the Zeuten had claimed, the corpses had once been human. This was no longer true, as they had been touched by the corrupting fog known as Miasma. Crystalline formations erupted from their skin. Some simply were coated in minerals, like the dirt on the unwashed or boils on the diseased. Others, more affected by the Miasma, had great spikes jutting out at odd, macabre angles. In either case, they were now dead. Released from their torment by the guild.

Edrin hated the creatures. He prefered the last half a year they spent in the north. Zeutenheim was known for its warmer climes and being far from the frontlines with the Miasma’s forces. As they closed on the treeline, his mind wandered to the last time they had been in Halleford, waiting out the Siege of Plainskeep. The whispers out of the fog still ingrained on his memory.

A painful groan from Filin, broke Edrin from his reverie. The young woman sat propped against a tree, gripping her spear tightly in one hand, and her free hand holding in the gash along her stomach. She smiled weakly as the two stragglers arrived. “Ronji was a little distracted,” the young warrior let out meekly. Ronji Nis was Filin’s Runespear.

Those who bore Runeweapons built a rapport with their companion over decades, allowing both weapon and wielder to work in unison to augment their skill as a warrior. Unfortunately, Ronji Nis was an ancestor’s weapon, gifted to Filin two years before. The two did not get along, and Edrin was sure the Runespear was trying to get Filin killed.

Drast, the guild’s resident cleric, chanted silently as he held his wizened hands over the girl’s wound. “Move your hand child...” The familial prodding in his voice reminded Edrin of his grandfather, for whom Drast could pass if need be. The follower of Numina had been born again a decade past, after living more than a half a century without heeding the gods.

Edrin had met many since the Miasma War began that had renewed their faith, and those that had ‘seen the light’ felt the instinctual urge to prove their decision correct. Like many of them, Drast was overly missionary. Edrin waited for the eventual scolding or scripture verse.

“Numina protects child, but we cannot blame our failings on others.” A glow built up around the wound and Drast’s hands. The damage incurred to Filin’s stomach was undone. Her blood rose back up from the puddle on the ground and into the wound. As the last droplets returned to where they had come, the gash sealed itself behind it.

“Fair enough to walk?” Edrin offered his hand to Filin, who accepted it readily. On her feet again, Edrin offered his shoulder as a crutch to the Rune Fencer. After testing a few steps, he released Filin under her own power.

“Done?” Throughout the proceedings, Laird had stood to one side, her armored boot tapping the ground impatiently. “If there is one patrol, there are likely more.” The charismatic guildmaster turned on her heel and trod off in the direction they had been heading, before the unexpected interruption of the Miasma Thralls. This far from the frontlines, the Kingfishers were surprised to run into anyone, let alone those wicked creatures.

Quickly following after the brusque knight, Edrin stepped in line with the others. A grand mercenary company of only 5 members, the Kingfishers had seen better days, and they were unlikely to see any soon. Edrin, however, did see their objective, Castle Graybasin, it’s parapets rising up through the trees into the endless sun.


Chapter 2 - City of Windmills

Despite living in a land of endless sun, the eclipse of dark clouds made it as dark as night. Talan hated the night. His Inebian nursemaid had told tales of the far side of the world, where everyone lived in endless darkness; of the wicked dragons, of the Dark Lord and his minions, and of the horrid behemoths that crushed entire villages beneath their feet. Over the last few days, these memories welled within him and the Yoraki nobleman was sure he was not the only one recalling bedside horror tales.

Laird, however, seemed unphased by her surroundings. Talan was sure the woman thrived on adversity, or perhaps, on the adversity of others. The thought made the pugilist pause. Maybe that was a requirement for any mercenary, especially a member of a Hallefordian Guild. The great rolling hills and expansive riverlands of the country were too large for army patrols or regular wayforts to protect the outlying villages, or the remote baronies or duchies. Guilds had been an ancient, if not elegant, solution to this issue. The woes of the people were posted in major cities for Guilds to take up and resolve.

The Kingfishers had started out as just Laird and Talan. The two had met in the Duchy of Lowglen, along the border of Yorak and Halleford. The Yoraki had just severed ties with his family, and was seeking a new outlet for his youthful exuberance. He remembered well the towering form of the lady knight, still clad in the vestiges of her former life. They had stared at the postboard together for several minutes, cursing in their own heads their lack of a guild. If one of them had not muttered their issue, perhaps they both would have walked away discontent, but into a better life.

The sobbing of a street urchin brought Talan back to the present. Convenient timing, as Laird turned a corner into an alley, with little warning. Talan followed, “Where is this contact of yours?” Images of black market dealings and desperate muggings jumped into his mind. If the Kingfishers had a coin to their name, Talan would have cradled his coin purse to protect it from would-be thieves.

Around another corner, the alley got narrower. Several outlets could have hidden attackers, but none of this seemed to worry Laird, who left Talan’s question unanswered. The desperate nature of their current predicament, Talan would have forgiven them their trespasses. The last few days had not been easy for anyone, least of all, those on the bottom rung of society. Rumor was, the King alone was enjoying himself.

“Here.” Laird stopped short after rounding another corner. She turned to her companion and sternly focused her gaze upon him. “Not a word of this to the others. The Baron’s words are for us alone, but you gotta trust that this is for everyone’s good. Not just the Kingfishers. The world’s.” Laird’s accent was starting to show through her Knightly veneer. That scared Talan more than her words.

Stepping out of the Alley, the two walked across a larger thoroughfare and up to one of the finer manses. In the current climate, government offices had been taken over by Dukes and Barons far from their realms, in what was supposed to be a safer place for they and their families. Talan did not recognize the banner hanging before this particular building offhand, though he was sure that would be answered before long.




Many of the Elements are similar on the following passage, but I'd struck upon an idea that forced a rewrite. I thought everyone would still be interested in seeing my iterative writing process.

Abandoned Chapter 1

Edrin pulled the arrow from the poor creature’s body. A disappointing grunt escaped his lips as he examined it. Unsalvageable; the arrow head broke off in the wound. Checking the quiver at his hip, the young archer frowned at the last pair of bolts that remained with him.

“Edrin! Hurry up, we are moving on.” The clash of a sword on shield rang across the clearing, pulling Edrin out his review. Laird, the guildmaster, beckoned with one gauntlet-clad hand.

Edrin nodded, “Aye sir...” He punctuated his sentence with a swift kick to the miasma thrall’s still corpse. The young Hallefordian hated the creatures. Like many of his fellow guildmates he had reinforced the defenders of Plainskeep, during the bleak siege the city had suffered at the hand of these creatures.

“Wit’ya be doing that fer ye fool?” the guild’s resident ‘Procurement Officer’, Raetan, tossed a nearly full quarrel at Edrin, interrupting his reverie. Where the thief had found the arrows, Edrin could not guess. “Those wretches used be one of ye kin, Halleford.”

Raetan had joined the Kingfishers during a job up in Zeutenheim, helping them steal into the home of a corrupt minister, and, as he would phrase it, ‘procure’ vital documents. His uncanny ability to find supplies, at just the right moment, has endeared him to the mostly Hallefordian guild.

“Just releasing a little stress...” The Archer muttered as he and the Thief made their way toward the rest of the guild. At the edge of the clearing, the oldest member of the guild, Dranst, focused his healing powers on the wounds of a fellow Kingfisher. No one appeared infected, such a result would have devastated all of them. They were too small a guild to handle the loss of a member.

Edrin hoped that this group of Miasma creatures was merely a fluke. This far behind the lines, the corruption of the Miasma could devastate entire cities, changing defenseless villagers into soldiers for the Crystal.

Dranst completed his spell, and the gash on Filin’s leg sewed itself shut. The power of the Light would cut Filin’s recovery down to a few hours. Without Dranst’s Clerical spells, Filin would have spent months out of action. The Rune Fencer clutched her Rune Spear closely as the spell finished its repairs.

“Fair enough to walk?” Edrin offered his hand to Filin, who accepted it readily. On her feet again, Edrin offered his shoulder as a crutch to the Rune Fencer.

Laird hefted her sword onto one shoulder, the blade’s sheath smashed in the battle. With one last look the Knight surveyed the battlefield, before leading the guild toward Castle Graybasin, its parapets just visible above the trees.

~~

The Kingfishers were, perhaps, not the most famous guild in the Graybasin region, but their reputation must have preceded them, for they had not been in the Barony a whole day when a letter arrived at the Inn they had booked, requesting their presence. Laird dragged Edrin along to the meeting, the Council Hall in the town of Riversmouth.

The military presence was still relatively high, the town being the last foothold in the Barony. Before the Zeutens broke the siege of Plainskeep, freeing up thousands of knights to press the attack against the Miasma, Riversmouth was the staging ground for defensive operations.

Baron Gareth Graybasin sat at a grand table in his makeshift war-room. A rough map of the Barony and surrounding regions lay out, along with dozens of army markers, many cast aside. Edrin’s quick survey hinted that the war was going well. Laird nudged him in the side, bringing him back to the war-room. Edrin followed the Guildmaster’s lead and bowed before the Baron.

“Welcome, Kingfishers.” The Baron’s pale, rough hewn face barely moved as he spoke. Edrin could just imagine the lordly man being carved right from the stone, with eons of Hallefordian waters eroding his frame down to his current age. By the Archer’s reckoning, the Baron was in his autumn years, but prior knowledge told him that the lord was barely middle aged. The war had not let him age gracefully. One rough year, fighting creatures that had once been his citizens, was all it took.

“Fair evening m’lord Baron.” Laird stood patiently, as Edrin sat in an empty chair. A sharp glance from his leader did little to make the bowman vacate his seat.

“That is far from how I would describe any day while those creatures roam the night.” Gareth Graybasin motioned for the Knight to take a seat and shifted the orientation of the map for the guild leader benefit. His stony finger tapped the largests landmark, Castle Graybasin, his ancestral home and capital of the Barony. “With my forces deployed by our late-King across the country, my land was left nigh undefended. T’would not anger me so except for his ineffectual rule, and catastrophic deployment of our defenses.”

Edrin furrowed his brow. Angry would not be how he would describe the Baron’s mood. Even now the Baron remained stoic despite the tale he now unraveled for them.

How invested do you become in the setting of a game?

Like you said. The original 4th wall breaking fluff in the rule book kinda sucked. When ever it broke the 4th wall, it broke the flow of what I was reading and make it feel like I was reading a laundry list. it made the setting feel more like a joke then to be taken seriously. It was only after I read the short stories under "Tales from Brushfire" that I started becoming truly invested in the setting. Despite the flaws I did see the great potential that was their thow, and the reason I feel in love with the game.

I am VERY excited to read the new fluff!

Do you create new characters to represent parts of your army?

I almost always like to create my own charaters in my head with the modles. Giving Heros and Exemplars names and back stories.

In your local area do you treat the results of Campaigns as having an impact on the setting?

Not realy. We usely like to explain it was something like. "Here is this island we are all fighting over."

What is your preferred presentation of setting information? Articles/Encyclopedic Entries? Short Stories? Model fluff Entries?

A mix of all three in all honesty,
-A time line/over view of the faction done in Articles/Encyclopedic
-A one page or so short story to give the "flavour" of a faction.
-Fluff Entries for the unit to explain the in universe context of it's use. (That also hopefully will shed light on what the unit will vaguely do on the table top, but with out breaking the 4th wall.)

The time line is read when I'm choosing a faction to play, I read he unit fluff well I read the rules, and once I choose a faction I start reading all the short stories for each faction.

Thanks for the input Lockark!

I'd love to hear some examples of the 'original characters, do not steal' that everyone has come up with. Other than Tajir, what creations do you bring to the table?

I definitely feel the same way about the three types of fluff listed there. BUT...If you had to choose one?

 miskatonicalum wrote:
Thanks for the input Lockark!

I'd love to hear some examples of the 'original characters, do not steal' that everyone has come up with. Other than Tajir, what creations do you bring to the table?

I definitely feel the same way about the three types of fluff listed there. BUT...If you had to choose one?

I just can't choose one is all honesty, I feel they all build off each other and add to the richness of a setting.


As for characters. I never really full got all of my charterers in brushfire set in stone quite yet. What I got so far is:

My Mole Tactician is a melancholy sole, who "Looked into the darkness, and the darkness looked back into him". After encountering the Demons and devils of his ancestors, he found himself turning away from the light of science, and trying to look to the past for the answers to explain what he saw that day. He leads archaeological expeditions to try and learn more.

As for my Rat Lord, he's bassicly meant to be the most scrub Rat Lord ever. He's Cocky and hot headed, but really doesn't have much to show for it. Threw intimidation and what little charisma he posses he has gathered what he can call a warband. But he has no goals, besides to make the world burn as he blindly thrashes ageist what he calls "The injustice the world as thrown agien him and the Vanderland People's". In reality he's just trying to carve out his own domain for his own ambitions.

Some of my old 40k Generals:
"Chaos Lord Chucklenutz", he is a khorne lord. He got the nickname from his troops for his lack of humour. Really lack of any emotions besides the cold rage that sits below the surface. Well other khorn lords scream bloody murder, he fights with cold calculating anger.

"Master Lokrieg", a Sorcerer of Slaanesh who's journey dates back to the time of the HH. He bassicly uses his magic as drugs for his followers to keep the space marines and Mortals under him loyal as to get their "next fix". He is their drug.

"Kaptin Komandar Krommel Kriwig", A Ork Blood Axe "Kaptin", who has surprised many Imperial Commanders with his moments of tactical brilliance.
"Odd-kult boy Krimp-ka", A wired Boy who is Krommel's main source of advice and Intel.

How invested do you become in the setting of a game?

I don't really become all that invested. Like if a particular piece of fluff changes how my army is, then it changes. So if say Red Claw in Chugoku was eaten by bugs, I wouldn't care too much, though it would most definitely become a "squatted" sort of thing when I play my army. Which would give me an opportunity to perhaps explain why my army wasn't decimated when the Exomorphs devastated parts of Chugoku.

Do you create new characters to represent parts of your army?

It depends on the game really. In a game that is character and hero driven, then no I don't try to create new characters, because it could easily become an issue of the ever present "Mary Sue" where my character, 'Senor Vorpal Kickass-o' has become a powerhouse because in game I've managed to create a character that is powerful on the table, so his "fluff" must also be powerful. One aspect where I tried to avoid this was when we were developing Alfindrate. Alf has been an RP/DnD character for almost 10 years, and as such has done some pretty powerful things, and given the opportunity to put him on the tabletop in another setting meant that I could create another powerful version of him, but I wanted to keep him toned down and less "OMGOVER9000!!!1one!1!" which is fine because I like where he sits in EFT, and I'm more than excited to play him .

In your local area do you treat the results of Campaigns as having an impact on the setting?

Not really, I feel like most games have settings that are large enough that the results of a campaign or league shouldn't really have an impact on the game as a whole. Campaigns are fun little events for me to play weird missions, create "fun" restrictions, and see how they pan out. If we have campaigns that have far reaching effects, and every game after the conclusion of the campaign would become a convoluted series of increasingly complex house rules

What is your preferred presentation of setting information? Articles/Encyclopedic Entries? Short Stories? Model fluff Entries?

I can't choose just one, but I would say Articles/Encyclopedic Entries and Model Fluff entries. I feel that those two can encompass 80% of all the fluff someone will ever need about a model/nation/etc...

(for last weeks post)

I have no problem with asymmetry, but when the sides doesn't have equal chance to win at the start, that could be a problem. Noone wants to play on the loosing side. I don't like the Last Stand scenario because even if you win by point, it doesn't really feel that way.

I just got a Puppet Wars Unstitched game and lost the first few matches with the Resurrectionists, because I wasn't got the hang of it. Both the Order and the Outcast (the other two armies) are going for quick agressive play, while the Resurrectionists are more a late-game fraction. After I figured out how to prolong the game until I get the edge, then I was able to crush the opposing forces.

For a simple asymmetrical game, check out Thud (Games of the Diskworld)

These games are balanced however, just the two sides are different. Maybe one is harder to learn than the other, but if both sides have similar understanding of the game and it's strategies, both sides have the same chance to emerge victorious.

I don't know how this "switch sides" should work in a wargame like brushfire. Like you switch armies? Aren't you supposed to play with your army and miniatures, What if you don't even read about the other army yet because it's in the other book? You just switch roles? But with an asymmetrical scenario, the armies are built differently. So both player should prepare two army lists?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
How invested do you become in the setting of a game?
I will eventually read the fluff. Really.

Do you create new characters to represent parts of your army?
No. I'm still experimenting with different army lists.

In your local area do you treat the results of Campaigns as having an impact on the setting?
I had no chance to play a Campaign yet in any game.

What is your preferred presentation of setting information? Articles/Encyclopedic Entries? Short Stories? Model fluff Entries?
I think the best it if the game tells you, or at least gives you the hint that there is something to discover about the lore. Like the "technology exchange" thing between Civitas and Vandalands. It made me interested to find out more about that.

I mean even if the story behind some units is interesting, if you are not a kind of player who read these, you will not do so. Unless something make you interested.

The "switching sides" means that if you and your friend are playing Last Stand, one person is the attacker, and one person is the defender. When you "switch sides" that means that the attacker plays that game as the defender and the defender becomes the attacker.

And Scenarios like Last Stand aren't the be all, end all of missions you have to play. We provide scenarios so you don't have to play a basic kill point mission where you just see which army is the last one standing. That way armies that excel at certain aspects can play towards the objective and not play against the army.

As to your Puppet Wars Unstitched, I think you mean the Guild and not the Order

I just checked the new Last Stand, and it still says that the attacker needs more units - or models - than the defender, so switching sides can be an issue. Granted, only a minor one.

Also, it sound's much more cool to be the defender than the old last stand variant. Nice work!

Generally, people do not know what scenario they are going to play before they come to the table. They bring a standard army and then pick. In such cases where both players do not bring extra, you can scale back the actual limit until the amount you brought represents the extra minis.

I do think that some of the points things would start to resolve themselves as people start to play more. If you look at Warmachine, Malifaux, Warhammer 40k, and Warhammer Fantasy Battles (games most people are aware of if not have played before), all of these games have a standard point value, Brushfire does as well, but like every game it'll change depending on your local meta and model availability. If you get RiTides, Catyr, and Cyporiean in a game, average point size becomes like 500+ . If it's me, probably 200 to 300.

 Alfndrate wrote:
If you get RiTides, Catyr, and Cyporiean in a game, average point size becomes like 500+ . If it's me, probably 200 to 300.

That was a fun battle at Templecon, we should do it again next year.

My full Vandalands army now costs 105/55/50

I have some Warpborn Skinwalkers to join as Hamsters / Viklanders if I need them.

 WhiteRoo wrote:
My full Vandalands army now costs 105/55/50

I have some Warpborn Skinwalkers to join as Hamsters / Viklanders if I need them.

I think my demo warbands have more than that step up yo game son!

Speaking of which, I've got less than a month to paint up some Lem Han... It needs to not be 90+ degrees so I can use my airbrush.

How invested do you become in the setting of a game?
It really depends. The more I get into a game, the more I get into its setting. However, as I play far too many games, only some of those I do really get into. It still is important, as theme and looks are what I base my decision on when I choose a faction. Game play is usually important only if I get a second or third faction in the same game, not to get too similar play style.

Do you create new characters to represent parts of your army?
When I played only WFB and 40k years ago, I did create characters. Special, or named, charcaters were shunned back then, so we named our own. However, most game I play now are character based skirmishes. For those games, I'm not against converting a model, changing its name and making him a cool backstory, but I usually don't go that way.

In your local area do you treat the results of Campaigns as having an impact on the setting?
Nope. Our group is to gamer-ADD affexcted to even run campaigns.

What is your preferred presentation of setting information? Articles/Encyclopedic Entries? Short Stories? Model fluff Entries?
May all time favorite in fluff presentation was the Tribe 8 rpg books from Dream Pod 9. Everything fluff related was presented as first person stories. Nothing was ever set in stone, you only had half truth about any faction, as nobody everhad a full picture of other factions/events. Really fitted the dark mood and theme of the game.

I also like what Malifaux and Privateer press are doing: an ongoing story that is spread around the book, between chapters. That way, it's not too massive and easier to read while browsing the book the first time. You can take in some fluff knowledge between hard rules.


By the way, I really like the new version of the short story. My English is not good enough to really see the differences between the two versions, but it does read more smoothly and got me more into the characters and tone. Great job, can't wait to read the rest.

 Alfndrate wrote:

 WhiteRoo wrote:
My full Vandalands army now costs 105/55/50

I have some Warpborn Skinwalkers to join as Hamsters / Viklanders if I need them.

I think my demo warbands have more than that step up yo game son!

Speaking of which, I've got less than a month to paint up some Lem Han... It needs to not be 90+ degrees so I can use my airbrush.

I'm waiting for the plastic/resin casts because I really not like to work with metal, although I'm getting better at it. That's why I skipped units that are planned to be released in plastic later from my last order. The redesigns also look way better. This was one of the big selling point of the Puppet Wars Unstitched for me. It's all plastic. I wouldn't have been bought it if the puppets would been made from metal.

The Workbeast also looks awesome. I thought it will be smaller, but it's even better like this. I can't wait to work on it.

You know, if Endless would have any werewolves in it's unit lists... (hint-hint).

 WhiteRoo wrote:
This was one of the big selling point of the Puppet Wars Unstitched for me. It's all plastic. I wouldn't have been bought it if the puppets would been made from metal.

Puppet Wars (the original one) was okay, but the rules were lacking, and a majority of the minis had to be purchased in "pawn booster" boxes. PW:U is a much better release, although a massive misstep by Wyrd for not including the updated rules in a way that people who bought the first game could continue to play it with the better rules.

The Workbeast also looks awesome. I thought it will be smaller, but it's even better like this. I can't wait to work on it.

You know, if Endless would have any werewolves in it's unit lists... (hint-hint).

If I can get that in solo, I will. But looks like it's part of a box set or something.

 WhiteRoo wrote:
If I can get that in solo, I will. But looks like it's part of a box set or something.

It is :-\ It's part of the Von Drakk Manor expansion for SDE... I don't know of any lycanthropes that currently match Brushfire or EFT's aesthetic besides those (and those even seem cartoony for Brushfire)

Okay so I really want to answer your questions but I haven't had much time. Here are my thoughts but I should preface them by saying that I don't game much at all. I am one of what is becoming a less and less rare breed of hobbyists who are more into the fluff and miniatures than the gaming. The rules are still very important to me though, they structure my collections and allow me to really enjoy the small amount of gaming that I do.

On Topic Questions
Do you find Campaigns, Leagues, or Tournaments more memorable?
I think so, it's more of an event and you get the anticipation of the next game, also, a story always helps to invest you in what's happening.

Do a variety Scenarios/Missions keep you interested?
I definitely like to have a few options to keep things fresh, even if it's just a change up of terrain.

Have you played games with asymmetrical balance?
I don't think I have yet, if I have I certainly don't remember doing so. It probably hasn't come up because it doesn't interest me, I don't mind different army sizes as long as their is still a balance created by some other element. In the end, I want a fair fight so me and my opponent can go head to head, I don't like the idea of the game playing me.

How does being the weaker player feel to you?
In terms of skill that's part of the fun and just part of life in general. In terms of balance I prefer it to being the stronger player but ideally we'd be equal.

Any Objective Types that particularly stand out as must haves?
Not really, I always expect a capture ground type mission and maybe a capture the flag style one too. Anything else is fine.

How invested do you become in the setting of a game?
Massively. Miniatures and fluff are equally important to me. If the setting is no good then I'm not interested in getting involved.

Do you create new characters to represent parts of your army?
Always, I really can't abide using named characters, if my opponent does I just pretend it's a generic character. I really hate the idea of tampering with the canon of a games universe and using a named character feels like that. Also, I think of a serious injury or defeat being a major event for a named character, something that should be decided by the writers not the outcome of my game. I try and avoid even using the statistics of a named character, rather I'd use a generic one. With Skirmish scale I name and backstory every personality, larger scale games might only get squad leaders and generals with the same treatment depending on how invested I am in my idea.

In your local area do you treat the results of Campaigns as having an impact on the setting?
As in does it effect something in future games? Like terrain or an event? That's something I've considered as it sounds like great fun but I haven't actually done it yet. If you mean in terms of canon then not at all.

What is your preferred presentation of setting information? Articles/Encyclopedic Entries? Short Stories? Model fluff Entries?
Seems that the strongest format is that someone who is in the know and in an official role is informing those who are not, all within the setting. This is a strong meat and potatoes layout for the majority of my fluff intake but I like a spread. Individual unit entries should give a little insight into that unit but no more. Short stories should be shorter rather than longer most of the time, I like a few longer stories for deeper reading but as I flick through a rulebook I want to take in the odd paragraph to set the scene.

Off Topic Questions
Is there a topic you would like me to ramble about?
Eh... Just anything really.

Any changes you would like to see in this feature?
It's hard to say this early but it looks good to me so far.

Any Images/Secret stuff you would like me to share next week?
An update on Lox and the Highlanders would be lovely! I'd really like to see how many bits the Highlanders are getting.

How invested do you become in the setting of a game?
-I like the setting to be in the background. I want a game/setting to have its own individual feel , but not get in the way of my game experience, if that makes any sense. I want my skirimishes to feel like they could be happening in that game world.

For an example here is a quick story:

I have played Warmachine on and off since its inception. In fact I still have my first printing copy of Prime mk1. Over all this time I have never dove whole-heartedly into the game. Something was always holding me back. I have never felt invested in the setting. The world is cool, the units and warjacks have good fluff. It is just that I always feel like I'm intruding into someone else's world. Battles tend to have so many named characters that it always feels like bad fan-fiction, using the same characters as the "real" narrative, just changing up the story. That Haley vs Denegra skirmish I just witnessed couldn't actually happen in the fluff because, based on the stories in the book, these warcasters tend to travel around with vast armies, not 20-30 infantry and maybe 3 jacks. Plus if Haley and Denegra did meet in a skirmish that size one of them would not be going home. It would instantly go against canon.

No matter what happens in my games the story will continue as the writers have planned it out for years. One would think that there would be many battles involving just standard infantry and cavalry given how rare warcasters are supposed to be, but there is no way to play those battles on the tabletop.

In my tabletop war games I want to be able to carve out a little section of the battlefront and fight the opposing army over that strategic border town, or production facility, or planet. Whoever wins can say they pushed the border a few miles forward, or secured vital resources. In the grand scheme of things it may not change the outcome of the war (game book fluff), but at least you can say you did your part. I can pretend my deeds are actual events in the world even if they have no effect on some overall plot. I like to play the unsung heroes. Someone has to destroy the factory where all the Death Star thermal exhaust port covers are manufactured

...it feels like I've begun rambling again.

I've got more answers but they will have to wait. I have been running short on sleep lately so off to bed for me

Do you create new characters to represent parts of your army?

I prefer games that lend themselves to this. I like being able to personalize equipment on my leaders. Overall though I don't go out of my way to build my own characters. If it happens it usually just comes about organically. If one particular squad keeps getting killed game after game they will become known as the new recruits or cannon fodder and I will joke about my other units not respecting them. If a particular squad or character does something memorable during one of my games I might think up some back story about their combat history or special training to explain their apparent effectiveness. Occasionally I will upgrade a squad member or unit leader to character status if they do something cool like single-handedly kill a powerful enemy or perhaps if they are the only member of their unit left alive.





Automatically Appended Next Post:
In your local area do you treat the results of Campaigns as having an impact on the setting?

No. We usually assume that the setting is too large for our battles to have a significant impact.

What is your preferred presentation of setting information? Articles/Encyclopedic Entries? Short Stories? Model fluff Entries?


Articles/Encyclopedic entries all the way, though it seems like Model Fluff entries could include either of the other options so I'm not sure I understand how it is a distinct choice.

My favorite piece of Brushfire art might be the new Rat Raider concept sketches. I might be in the minority but I love a good clean black and white sketch. If you threw some scribbled notes around the image it could be a scouting report from a neighboring nation on the Rat Raider infantry. A little arrow pointing to one of the head/helmet options with a hand written note "often seen on dishonor guard rats" could make it seem both immersive and informative.

Little fluff blurbs could be added to almost anything. You could add notes or sidebars next to the equipment section giving examples of how the weapons differ from nation to nation: "swords and daggers used by the Soqotran Corsairs are often a mix of styles and materials because most of their equipment is stolen or scavenged from travelers and expeditions of other nations."

I love the idea of fluff written from a specific perspective within the world. You only mentioned factions explained from their own point of view. Don't dismiss the option of a character from Faction A giving us their perspective on Faction B. For example I would love to here about Mare-Civitas from a Scyzantine point of view.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
Is there a topic you would like me to ramble about?

-You could talk about one of the armies you like to play and why.

-You could discuss a specific unit (or model for EFT) and talk about, fluff, tactics, and the pros and cons of the unit and any equipment options. Sticking with the Rat Raiders, when would you take Militia over Ordenstaat training. You could then talk about your thoughts on the unit from a game design standpoint. For EFT, do you have preferred items for your archers?

-Your thought process when picking a list to play for one of your own games.

-Skew lists. What's it like when people take extremely lopsided lists? Heavy Ranged/Artillery lists? Infantry (hamster?) Hordes? How do you beat 5 Sorcerers in a 10 crystal battle?


Any Images/Secret stuff you would like me to share next week?
New art for... Minor Demonite? Kappa? Vandalands Warlord? Badger Grenadier? Come to think of it I haven't checked out the new Brushfire PDFs too closely. I might have to check those again before making too many requests.

Is there a topic you would like me to ramble about?
Tell me about the Seven Wanderers. I want to talk about the Seven Wanderers. Because I have problems with the Seven Wanderers. (On the same note, the Axony Experts are also looking like they have the same OP problem)

Any Images/Secret stuff you would like me to share next week?
I want to see the new Viklanders/Berserkers. Or any concept art, really.

 WhiteRoo wrote:
Is there a topic you would like me to ramble about?
Tell me about the Seven Wanderers. I want to talk about the Seven Wanderers. Because I have problems with the Seven Wanderers. (On the same note, the Axony Experts are also looking like they have the same OP problem)

Any Images/Secret stuff you would like me to share next week?
I want to see the new Viklanders/Berserkers. Or any concept art, really.

Is it the 7 Wanderers that are OP, the points level that you're playing at that makes them OP, or the things supporting them that are OP?

You have your battle report thread, give us batreps, let us know what they did and why they're OP.

I was looking to their stats and some of them are really damn strong, but so does some other exemplars.

I played against them in a 100 RS match.

I believe their OPness lies in their activation circle. Many of them hits like a train and you canot even answer because you don't get the activation back.

On a 100 RS match, the Seven Wanderers is 70% of your army's power. You move them without the enemy being able to answer.

I'm not going to be anywhere near internet next week, so maybe we should talk about it after that.

I'll talk about it with misk, but I feel that your issue with them is the points level. They're expensive exemplars, they hit like trucks, and they have a special rule that allows them to activate outside of 3 inch cohesion (as to the Experts). But at 100 points yeah they're going to do a lot of damage when they make up 70% of an army.

When you're playing 200, and they only make up 35% of the army, they're going to be less effective, and you have more things to deal with them at that point.

I would try playing against them at larger point levels and see what you think (I know you only have about 115 resources of models), but proxie things. Get some bases or models from another game and try it out. You may only find them to be an issue at lower point games.

That's probably true. Once I have enough stuff, I'll try it. In the meantime, what should I do with them? I'm kinda stuck in Ribenguo Vs Vandalands (and now Aquatar)

Another problem with the Wanderers is that they are the only exemplars of Ribenguo, but they have no synergy with any Ribenguo units at all, except with other wanderers trough their activation rule. So you cannot just ask the other player to leave them out, because what else he is going to bring and there is zero point in taking less than you could.

So you cannot even build an army by not taking as many as you can and feel like you are doing something right.

Same goes for most of the Axony Experts(apart from the Sean and the Agent). I did not had the chance to play against them, but they have the same activation rule and they also not play well with anything else in the Axony army. At least Axony has other Exemplars than them.

I will say, this is partly how we balanced them in the first place. Their lack of synergy with Ribenguo units, is intended to counteract their power acting together.

Additionally, the best that the Wanderers wear is Medium Armor. Two successful attacks, and you're already dealing damage to any of them.

Inoshishi has 8 VY, but only 1 AR. You're looking at very few successful attacks to take down. 4 successful Rifle attacks, or 5 bow attacks. That's difficult to pull off with a 5 ES, but you're getting rerolls, or double attacks, so you could easily pull it off with your second ranged unit.

We've debated increasing their cost again, but this is something that requires more debate. A cost increase is an inelegant way to solve a problem.

I still feel their survivability is very low since they cannot join squads, and along with a lack of synergy really reduces their OP quality.