Friday 29 March 2013

Bring out your lead, Oldhammer day(s) - Amazing Tables.

Being amazing hosts Foundry have had Rob really working hard finishing off a whole load of tables. So far three 6X3 tables have been finished and a  7X7 is in process. Thoughts are even being given to another 20 tables. And its still 5 months till OH-day! Just take a look at these finished table and WIP photos and see if you all agree that these are the perfect balance between modular easy to use and thematic diorama style tables.






With tables like this it makes me realize, I only have 5 months to raise the game of my painted armies to do them justice!

Wednesday 20 March 2013

Another Three to Watch.



Continuing on with the theme of pointing out blogs that chime with oldhammer I have another three sites that should form part of every enthusiasts weekly perusal.

We start with a couple of Oldhammer 40K sites:

Classic 40,000

This blog has only been going since the start of the year but has collected a good number of us oldhammerers as followers already. Currently the posts on this site by Ork Lords of Legend are mainly collecting and game history posts including an interesting article by Jervis Johnson from the mid 90s . So far it is all good stuff and OLoL is clearly helping lead the charge for old school 40K but we’d love to see some paint on minis and gaming write-ups!!

Rogue Heresy

Second in our pair of Oldhammer 40K blogs is Jason Fulford’s Rouge Heresy also started in January. Currently this is mainly a painting blog with some cracking paint jobs on some classic RT miniatures. There is some collecting and history bits and pieces dotted about and just the hit of true Oldhammer creeping in with Jason's project for the up coming Realms of Chaos game at Bring out your Lead.

The Boarder Princes

 

This blog has been going a long time and it may be that it is very well known, hard to tell without a follow function. The WHFB content of the blog is however relatively recent starting again in January.

The blog consist of many considered and erudite posts on DnD and as mentioned latterly Oldhammer. Starting with an excellent series of reviews of Oldhammer and its races Evan goes on to look at lethality over editions and Alcoholism. With such scholarly articles I’m certain that Evan will be contributing a great deal to the Oldhammer community.

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Oldhammer awards, a good idea?



We are I think officially a community now, we continue to grow with more members of the BLOOD forum each week and more blogs starting on a regular basis. We have an event to look forward to in the summer and people are getting together and having games, either in their local area or across the internet. Indeed as with everything else on the internet our community is world wide. Another thing I’ve noticed is people who don’t necessarily feel they belong within the community are talking about what we are doing, blog and forum posts mention us and link back to us.

Assuming it is desirable to do so how do we as a community promote excellence within the projects, posts and participation that make up our community. Excellence both for our own consumption but also to really fly the flag for passing browsers on the web.

My proposal is simple we give out annual awards. A nomination period would be opened for say a month each year. People and or blogs would be nominated within categories by say at least two people. All nominations after light touch vetting by the organiser(s) (nothing too distasteful allowed no matter how many nominations) would be posted on the BLOOD forum for people to vote upon. The voting could be transparent or possibly kept secret until close of the voting period, I’d suggest a month for this too. The person/blog with the most votes in the given category scoops the award to display on their blog for a year, or if we date them always.

Possible categories that spring to mind:

Oldhammer hero, for promoting the community through their blog and or forum posts.

Oldhammer general, for the best battle report, either through one outstanding contribution or a multitude of them.

Oldhammer wizard, for someone who has really turned the magic on. That one spectacular post that you keep going back to. A catch all category that rewards creative, magic posts.

Oldhammer army. Best post, set of posts about a complete painted collection old or new.

Oldhammer painter, no fancy in game name for this one unless some body can think of one. Awarded to the best post detailing a great paint job or how to.

Oldhammer Cartographer, awarded to the best post or series of posts about terrain construction, map building, you name it.

Oldhammer Historian, awarded to the person who comes up with the goods detailing insider information and or histories of the way we used to play. This could be interviews, detective work on previously mentioned but rare sources or reenactment, replaying the game as it was back then and writing it up.

Oldhammer mentor, who always encourages people on the forum or through their blog to bring out our best?

Oldhammer recruit, best new blog on the scene.

I guess if we gave people a few months to get posted that set of posts they have had in mind for some time it would only be fair. With a month for nominations and a month for voting we could be ready to award these by the time of the Oldhammer weekend and what would be about the anniversary of when we first really got together.

Monday 11 March 2013

Hitting the nail, what is Oldhammer?



I’ve had an idea for a regular post knocking around my head for a few weeks now. I’ve noticed a number of posts by fellow Oldhamerers detailing exactly what Oldhammer means to them. Often but not always the opinions expressed are a little to a lot different from each other but rarely do they show outright contradictions. In these regular posts I’d like to link to meaningful expressions of what Oldhammer means to various Oldhammerers around the Oldhammersphere. Please do follow the link to what may be a fairly old post, have a good read and perhaps leave a comment here or even there (preferably both). So please remember these are people’s opinions, we may disagree with some points and I’d love to here why but there is no wrong or right. I’ll leave my own opinions until the comments so as not to muddy waters before hand.

To start us off I figure it would be good to return to the chap who first coined the phrase Oldhammer and have a look at his philosophy. From Zhu this dates back to October 2011 and is perhaps more of a list than a philosophy but we have to start somewhere:






Saturday 9 March 2013

The Rituals of Combat: Detailing the Oldhammer Weekender Warbands Game




And it is said that even the deaths of ten thousand men cannot move these Dark Lords to pity. And that they play with mortal lives like a child plays with its baubles - tiring of them easily and throwing them aside for new pleasures. But unlike the playthings of infancy, mortal pawns can bleed, and feel pain, and die beneath the uncaring gaze of their masters. 

And it is said that even when two mighty Legions of Chaos meet in battle, the Powers of Chaos cannot stay their meddling hands. As Daemon faces Daemon, Champion faces Champion, and the very lands quake with fear, the great powers pass down rituals to bind their cohorts. As if skillful advocates in a royal court, the Dark Lords argue the slightest points, the most obscure procedures, the least significant of details, vying one another for slim advantage. 

And sometimes the ritual is of great import: "You shall not use the Dark Magicks nor speak words of power" perhaps, or "No weapon iron or steel shall you use, nor any wooden shaft, but only the natural claws and long fangs that we have given." And sometimes the ritual is petty and beneath contempt, as: "No blue shall be worn, nor shall the mauves and purples be seen upon this field." And sometimes the ritual is such as to make no sense to the limited minds of mortals: "There shall be no killing, nor nay blood spilled." But in the immeasurable minds of the Dark Lords there is purpose that cannot be guessed and schemes unfathomable.


And the ritual shall be agreed, and it shall be binding, even unto the least creature, even unto the greatest. When once the Dark Powers have spoken there is no Daemon that can gainstay their word.

And the battle shall begin...





Bring Out Your Lead 2013: Realm of Chaos Warband Mega Game Scenario Rules

What follows is the current step up and rules structure for the Realm of Chaos Mega Warband battle that I will be running at Bring Out Your Lead 2013. The following rules should be seen as 'official', as far as we can have 'official' rules in the Oldhammer Movement, and have been inspired by the many emails that I have been sent in recent weeks, comments on forums and advice from other influential and sage leadheads. 

They can be tweaked further if you so wish. So, if you have an idea or a suggestion, just let me know and I'll see about including it. 

The general ruleset we will be using will be Warhammer Fantasy Battle Third Edition, supported by Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness. 

Scenario Set Up

Depending on numbers, the game will be played over a rectangular table set up. This may be many tables pushed together, or more than one table within the Foundry wargaming space. All these tables will be viewed as the same battle and in the case of a multi table approach it will be possible to move from one to another table and vice versa. The exact detail of how this will work will be established on the day. 

All table edges will be possible entry points to the game, though one will be selected as 'Khorne Only' and other as 'Slannesh Only', leaving the player with three possible entry points to enter the conflict. A player may enter the conflict at any time, or elect to withdraw his or her warband at anytime, similar to the way that you can drop in and out of online Xbox 360 games as you wish, though withdraws will need to be moved as part of the game turn. This should provide a great deal of flexibility about where you choose to start with your warband, and would represent the champion selecting the best possible position for his forces upon arrival at the battle. You could even play for a while, move out of the action, and return later if you so wished. Any rewards won would be retained.

Players will need to arrive with two copies of their Army Roster. One for their use during the game, and one for the GMs if disagreements occur. These Rosters will need to contain all the stat profiles that your warband requires, both for units and named characters as well as all special rules that you intend to use. The Lost and the Damned contains some very useful Rosters that can be photocopied or converted to Word. We shall provide an 'official' one shortly, so don't worry if you don't have access to this book. 

Nurgle, Tzeentch or Undivided Warbands may choose a side to support on an individual basis, or may act out their own hidden agendas. Those Tzeentch and Nurgle Warbands will be subject to Hatred for the opposing power and CANNOT be fielded withing 15" of a rival powers force if electing to fight on the same side. If a Nurgle or Tzeentch warband come withing 10" of each other, they must move to engage each as soon as possible and ignore other units.

Just before joining the game, players without a steed, may roll in the Chaos weapon chart in Slaves to Darkness to establish the nature of any weapon. 


General Rules 

Models can be treated as character models (they move independently) or as units. Units can be mixed on racial grounds, so dwarfs, goblins and skaven all in one unit is fine, with the restriction that movement will be calculated by the slowest moving member of the unit and that base sizes need to be consistent with the unit as a whole. 

Character models to be named on the front of the model's base for easy game recognition. Ig you wish to name all of your models for narrative purposes, please do. I, for one, would like to know the names of the foes I crush. 


A player may only field ONE warband at any one time. Though on the withdrawl or, or destruction of, a player's warband the player may re-enter the game with a new warband that can be of any chaotic power. So if you wish to field both Khorne or Slannesh warbands during the game, you can, though just not at the same time.

Upon the death of a Champion the player can;
1) Remove their warband from the field - this will represent them fleeing as individuals, or slipping way to join the retinues of successful warbands after the battle. The player could then decide to field a new warband  to the same, or different, chaos god.
2) Nominate a model to 'take command' of their warband. I am sure that all forces would have a second in command waiting in the wings, and Chaos Warbands would be no different. The character would receive an 'instant' reward of a chaos weapon (or take the weapon previously used by the champion), chaos armour or random chaos attribute depending on a D6 dice roll. 1-3: Chaos Attribute, 4-5: Chaos Armour and 6: Chaos Weapon.
3) Use the Skeleton Champion rules to 'raise' their champion from death. To use this rule you will need an undead model to represent your Champion in his undead form. So, if you are hoping to use this strategy, plan ahead a choose an appropriate model.


Reward points will be given to champions for different actions and should look something like this:

Champion killing a follower of another god = 1 reward point
Champion killing a champion of another god = 5 reward points
Champion killing a monster (e.g. anything on a 40mm/50mm square base) = 3 points
Champion of Khorne killing a Champion of Slannesh = 10 reward points
Champion of Slannesh killing a Champion of Khorne = 10 reward points
Khorne Champion killing an ally. = 3 reward points
Slannesh Champion killing through pleasure (acquiescence spell, chaos weapon etc) = 3 points

A further 10 Reward points will automatically be given to any player arriving with an 100% genuine mullet and handle bar moustache.

General Note: Any undead models, being already dead, will NOT count towards reward points. The exception to this rule will be Undead Champions. Reward Points are NOT to be used to roll of the rewards table after the battle. They will convert as 10 Reward points = 1/2 a roll on the rewards chart in Slave to Darkness. Only the greatest champions will be rewarded!

This should provide contributors with three things.
1) Rewards that can be spent on developing your champion and warband after the event.
2) A tally of points which allows us to identify the champion of champions (the model with the most points after the game is over) 
3) A tally of points which allows us to identify which side (Chaos God) has won the battle over all.



The Restrictions of the Gods

When constructing your Army Roster, you must consider the following decrees of the Dark Lords. These decrees exist purely for the Realm of Chaos Mega Battle, if you wish to play additional RoC battles away from the main table you need not follow these.

1) No daemonic weapons.
2) No daemonic entities (fielded, mounted or summoned), this is to be a conflict of mortals, though undead auxillaries are not forbidden.
3) Magic to be drawn from Battle, Illusion, Necromantic or Chaos God specific spells, avoiding those that summon daemonic entities.
4) No magic items, banners or weapons. Cold steel, claws and other normal weapons only. The only exception to this, are chaos weapons granted to the Dark Lord's champions.
5) No technology. Technological weapons are banned from the battlefield. This prohibition does not include weapons 'bonded' to the model as a chaos attribute.

Winning and Losing 

In theory, all contributors of the game are winners. After all, you will have the experience of fighting a narrative battle with a lovingly created warband with a rich backstory developed by you. After the battle, you will have plenty of material to take the story of your force further. 

The battle will end by mutual consent of the players, or at the end of an agreed time limit or when the narrative has reached a natural end. The game will be played on the Saturday, probably beginning in the morning after much faffing about and chatting. There will be an agreed break in the game for lunch (approx 1 hour) and will continue as long as necessary.

However, there will be two winners of sorts.

1) The winning side, Slannesh or Khorne, established by the side with the highest number of Reward Points. 
2) The winning champion, who can be drawn from any Power, will have the HIGHEST number of Reward Points and is still on the field at the end of the battle. 

Well, that is the game as it currently stands. Please, if you have any more ideas or suggestions please don't hesitate to contact me or post a comment below.

And, don't forget to book your place!

Orlygg

Friday 8 March 2013

Music and Fashion, he's a real Oldhammer man.

Now I've let the, "Bring out your lead", news sit on the top of the page a few days and you'll find it has its own page that you can get to from the top of the side bar. However I thought it worthwhile continuing this blogs self appointed roll to document all that is new and vibrant in Oldhammerland.

And I have to say darlings this spring we are all going to be looking simply divine. Zhu's gone and done it again. 

 I went for fiery chaos myself and apparently it shipped this morning, not bad for a midnight purchase last night. I could be wearing it by Saturday more than in time for mothers day. Mrs Erny is going to be so pleased.  Anyway don't miss out the chance to look like this idiot only in newer nattier threads:






But you'll also see he has opened up his Oldhammer play list for contributions.

I'm pretty confident we will have a stonking sound track for the day after last months metal fest (and a bit of punk) :

http://ernysplace.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/fight-for-pleasure.html

http://warlordpauluk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/challenge-accepted.html

http://fightingfantasist.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/oldhammer-theme-music-is-it.html

http://broadswordsandbeasts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/oldhammer-anthem.html

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Oldhammer - Bring Out Your Lead! (2013)

Oldhammer - Bring Out Your Lead! (2013)

The Oldhammer community are pleased to officially announce Oldhammer - Bring Out Your Lead! (2013). Of course, you've heard about it already. But this is the official announcement, so now you can officially start panicking about how long it will take to grow a mullet.

We are also extremely pleased with and grateful to our hosts - Foundry Miniatures in Nottingham. The event is taking place over the weekend of the 31/08/2013 - 01/09/2013.

So, first things first: This is a gaming event. The entire idea and surely the primary purpose for attending is to play games.

BUT - it is NOT a tournament. Nothing can be won. Your victory over your opponent is purely moral and for retelling in a pub later. There are no ladders, no leagues, no recognition of your amazing army building talents and keen interpretation of the rules. THIS IS NOT A TOURNAMENT!

Which makes things a little harder to organise. In a traditional tournament, the organisers would set a points limit, army restrictions and painting guidelines in order to ensure that everyone has a fair chance. There is no need to worry about who matches who, as once the first game is completed, better players will be faced off against better players and the whole thing is supposedly fair.

Because it's NOT A TOURNAMENT, we can't do any of that.

This means we need your help. In order to understand the numbers attending, we have a booking form. BUT, because it's NOT A TOURNAMENT, the organisers will not allocate you an opponent on the day. Read this as the organisers do not guarantee you a game.

You, aspiring gamer, CAN ensure a game, however, by following up your booking with an entry on the BLOOD Forum Looking For Game thread. In this forum, you will be able to tell others what you're planning to bring, how many points/figures you plan to field and what sort of game you want to play.

You are still welcome to simply turn up at Foundry with your army and no booking, but if there is more demand than supply, preference will be given to those who are registered.

How much is this gonna cost me?


Entry to the event is free. Our generous hosts, Foundry Miniatures, are not charging us for the venue, and as it's NOT A TOURNAMENT, we're not offering any prizes.

Of course, you still have other costs to consider - if you're travelling a long way, you might need a place to stay overnight. You will need to get there. And, of course, you'll probably want to get an army ready. Start saving now!

Where and when is this all happening?


The even takes place over the weekend of the  31/08/2013 - 01/09/2013 at The Wargames Foundry:


View Larger Map

Saturday (31/08/2013) from 10:00 until 20:00.
Sunday (01/09/2013) from 10:00 until 17:00.

Foundry's Address:

Foundry Miniatures Ltd
24-34 St marks Street,
Nottingham NG3 1DE
United Kingdom.
+44 (0)115 8413000

Please feel free to call Foundry if you have any questions on how to get there or where to park, etc.

We do ask that you arrive on time, as you will need to factor in finding your game, meeting your opponent, unpacking and packing of figures and copious amounts of pointing at things and going "Wow! Is that (delete as appropriate) [your amazing paint job / that ultra rare figure I've never seen in real life before / really your sister*]?

*Okay, probably not that last one. 

Foundry? They're in Nottingham! That's miles away!


Yes, it is. As mentioned above - they have offered their facility free of charge. They have the space, the tables and the interest in the hobby and so stand head and shoulders above any other option we've considered to date.

To be clear, we have no official relationship with Foundry - they've offered because they have an interest in what we're trying to achieve and they've offered us the facility as a result.

Also, they have provided a list of suitable accommodation for travellers. These are just suggestions - neither the organisers nor Foundry benefit from these suggestions or are accountable for the quality of the establishment you select.

That's awful nice of them!


Yes, it is. So lets talk about Foundry. Perhaps you've heard of Bryan Ansell? No? Once upon a time, he ran Games Workshop. Take a look at your Warhammer 3rd Edition books - that's right, he co-authored some of them. Marcus (Bryan's son, following in the family footsteps) runs Wargames Foundry. They have a clear 'spiritual' connection to the Oldhammer movement.

We mention this because we ask that the Oldhammer community respect the facility and the effort that Foundry (and the Ansell family) have gone through to host this. When you're on site, please don't litter, or break things, or steal, or do anything that would bring the Oldhammer community into disrepute. We would dearly love to be invited back to the Foundry. Keep this in mind when you attend.

I remember reading about cream cakes somewhere. Will there be cream cakes?


No. 

But - the Ansell family also conduct business in catering. As a result of this remarkable good fortune, Foundry are able to offer hot food and are licensed to sell alcohol. Of course, you'll have to pay for this (expect typical pub rates), but you won't need to go out onto the mean streets of Nottingham in search of lunch. 

A note of warning: if you are unable to handle your alcohol, you will be ejected from the event immediately! The idea here is to fulfil every gamers fantasy of playing cool games whilst having a pint -  not to lose your temper and get involved in a fist fight. 

I've heard there's some sort of Realms of Chaos Open Table game. What the hell is that?


More details on the Realms of Chaos Open Table game can be found over at Realm of Chaos 80s.

And the Rogue Trader Open Table game?


More details on the Rogue Trader Open Table can be found over at Fighting Fantasist

Tell me about the participation events?


The participation events are showcase games, where the figures will be provided and players will be able to just 'jump' into a command and play. The form has options for the participation games simply so that we know how many people are interested. The actual 'bookings' for the various scenarios and commands will be arranged on the day. 

There is no intended participant for these games - its as much an opportunity for an experienced wargamer to participate in as it is for someone with casual interest to 'have a go'. That said, if there is a lot of demand for these games, we will apply a 'one player, one scenario' limit in order to allow everyone to have a go. 

We are offering two scenarios:

Bloodbath at Orc's Drift. If you're interested in Oldhammer and you haven't seen Thantsants' superlative efforts with this 2nd edition scenario, either you need to go there right now, or you need to pack up your desk, check in your oldhammer badge at reception, and leave. 

Forenrond's Last Stand. The scenario in the back of the Warhammer Fantasy Battles 3rd Edition rule book. If you haven't ever played this scenario with the photocopied cutouts in the back of the book, then you need to:

  • Stop what you're doing, get the copies immediately and fill in this heinous gap in your upbringing, or...
  • Register for this game, or...
  • Pack up your desk, check in your oldhammer badge at reception, and leave. 


What's the Golden Gobbo?


Full details of the Golden Gobbo have yet to be worked out, but this is a painting contest. This is a minor exception to the fact that this is NOT A TOURNAMENT. Andy Craig has offered to be the judge, so you'd better get started. 

The theme of the contest is The Spirit of the 80's. Any figure, from any range, from any era is eligible. It could be your own sculpt, a scratch build from a power ranger, a monster, a vehicle, a lone goblin. No restrictions - just in keeping with The Spirit of the 80's.

I need more lead! Can I get some there?


Yes you can! There will be a bring and buy stand where you can trade OOP figures. We would recommend a realistic pricing strategy, however - don't use the Buy It Now prices on eBay as a guide, because they're mostly wrong (and too high!). We would recommend trades over cash buying, but both will be allowed. Note that the bring and buy has nothing to do with Foundry Miniatures.

We do ask, out of respect to Foundry, that you don't trade or sell anything that is currently in production and available.

Did you know that Foundry Miniatures still produce figures from Citadel moulds from the 80's?

Foundry will have these, as well as the rest of their range - including many contemporary items from famed 'GW' sculptors (such as Kev Adams) on sale.

These are their ranges from the Citadel moulds - very relevant to the Imperial and Bretonnian armies:



Foundry also have other Perry sculpts which would fit in perfectly with your existing Citadel ranges:



What else do I need to know?


  • In case you missed it: this is NOT A TOURNAMENT!
  • The only unpainted figures we're expecting to see are those being traded. If you are playing a game, you must play with painted figures! You effectively have seven months from this announcement to get your figures ready. We acknowledge that there might be latecomers -  tough. Painted figures are a sign of respect to your opponent and to the community. 
  • Chances are, you're not as familiar with the old rules as you think you are. Take some time to read the rules before you arrive, but please allow for the fact many of the 'classic' rulesets are badly organised, badly written and sometimes just plain missing. You should expect that your game will involve lots of reading and discussion as you try to work out how to resolve whatever is happening. Don't panic - this is normal!
  • You may bring figures from any manufacturer and from any era. Although the Oldhammer movement is rooted in the 80's, we are interested in the spirit of Oldhammer, not the manufacture. You are as welcome bringing a heroic scale 28mm modern plastic army as you are bringing your soft lead pre-slotta army. 
  • There is a question on the form about scenery. Foundry have offered to supply some scenery, but if you are able to bring something, please do - every little bit helps. Where possible, we'll do our level best to ensure that scenery remains table specific - both to satisfy the aesthetic 'it all looks the same' perspective and to help ensure that your scenery is all in one place (for easy identification and care).
  • Ultimately, you are accountable for the fun you have. This event is a framework for you to create the ultimate oldhammer experience that you never had in your youth. We're trying to make it as flexible as possible, but we can't do that without your participation and effort. Let's be clear: you will have to do something for yourself before you arrive at Foundry this summer!
  • Neither the organisers nor Foundry Miniatures accepts any responsibility or liability for you. Although we've tried to make this as 'formal' as possible, it is absolutely an informal get together arranged by enthusiasts who have never arranged an event like this before. 

Okay, I'm in. What am I supposed to do again?



Oh - did we mention that this is NOT A TOURNAMENT? Good.



Monday 4 March 2013

Updating the list of old school manufacturers.



I noticed the side bar was missing a number of purveyors of fine old school miniatures and thought it prudent to update the list. The side bar should be updated but just click on the name of each company/supplier bellow to take you straight there.




So it would be foolish of me not to include The Foundry on the list now that so many packs that were originally citadel are back on sale. Back in the day I bought quite a number of their Viking packs and as you would expect they measure up identically to the citadels except they have a solid base rather than a slotta. Not really a problem. Their recent undead and beastman ranges are spot on for oldhammer and earlier fantasy ranges such as Kev Adams orcs and dwarves are a different but wholly acceptable take on oldhammer favorites.




A really top set of dwarves with a renaissance vibe from White Knight. If you loved the marauder renaissance dwarf line you will love these. Have some myself and I’m very glad I sent them a mail.
Goblins and Halflings are also available, well worth a look.



 Some nice goblins by Kev Adams (on offer) in their store plus a few other gems. You'll have to search though.


What White knight is doing for Renaissance Dwarves Clam is doing for Chaos Dwarves, I mean Ewal Dvergar. Good figures, will be buying at some point in time if he has any left.