Big Game 2014: Preliminary Maps

I've come up with 2 maps of the big game main table.

I don't know which one of these, if either I will use.  Right now neither of these include the large walls.  In the previous comments, Mark wanted me to use them so these maps will probably be modified.

I like this map quite a bit.  The green and red rectangles are where armies on either team will be deployed.  Sizes of armies are not yet determined.

Turn 1 I am thinking of having 4,000pts per rectangle with the deployments in the forest and beach landing being larger either 6000 or 8000pts.

The blue circles are objectives.  The grey square in the center is the large 2 foot cube bunker.  The green and red circles are also objectives.  They will play a different role than the small blue circles.

Now for map 2:

This map has 2 tables.  The forest table being separate from the other table.  The beach landing is larger here and so can play a bigger role with more players vying for control of the beach head.

Map 2 is not fleshed out as well as Map 1.  It does not have objectives or deployment zones on the forest table.

On each map the black rectangles are supposed to be 6' by 8' tables as a point of reference.

Any ideas or suggestions? I will try and come up with a different map that includes the walls and post it later.

Big Game 2014 - Some initial Ideas

Its that time again.  Time to start planning for my gaming group's annual BIG GAME!  I ran one of our big games about 3 years ago.  I built giant walls which when assembled together formed the focal point of the battle - a giant fortress which needed to be destroyed.

This year's primary architect of destruction is backing out of running it.  It is understandable because real life interrupts everyone's gaming habits from time to time.

I have thrown my hat in the ring and said if no one else wants to organize it I will.


I am not going to build terrain on the scale of which I did for my previous game.  (see above image)  I would like to not build any terrain if I don't have to.

If we look at the terrain we have built already as a group we can see that there is quite a bit of pieces and variety of terrain as well.

We have the following types of terrain:

- Forest with low hills and trees with folliage as well as dead trees.

- Desert with low hills and orky desert buildings

- City with lots of ruined buildings including all of the extra bits like garbage bins

- Airfield with landing strips and pads and hangar buildings

- Fortress with wall sections and 2 giant 2' cube bunkers (see above image again)

- Underground tunnel terrain which I made for Zone Mortalis

- Ice planet with white trees and hillls

With this variety we should be able to set up an interesting table and side tables.


Several ideas in the past I want to combine:

- The world clock - multiple tables or areas of the big table playing on different turns.

- The ability to drop in or out as the weekend goes on

- Multiple games played before and during the big game


How does Apocalypse play a role in this game?

One idea I have thought about is using the idea of strategem points that are accumulated during the game that also act as victory points which can be spent to purchase the afore mentioned strategems.

I do not have the book yet but will purchase it at Gen Con.  Once I do, I will have more ideas I am sure.

We will use Datasheets for formations and Superheavies/Gargantuan creatures.

I reserve the right to disapprove of any formation at my discretion.



My initial idea for the game will be that we begin on Friday afternoon.  Basically anyone who shows up after 12pm on the Friday of the big game can start playing.  Friday afternoon games will be small one on one games until enough people show up for a bigger game.

There will be multiple tables set up that are multiple sizes each with its own mission attached to it.  The games on the small tables will impact the big table which will be described in the mission packet for that table.

I want these small tables and games that are played Friday to be very characterful games. I want Zone Mortalis to be played on at least one table.  If people want to play Book of the Arbitrator I will have at least one mission for that.  We will have a Aeronautica Imperialis table as well as a Battlefleet Gothic table if people want.

These missions on these tables will impact the big table.  The winner of each game on the small tables will contribute 1 or possibly more than one strategem point for their team.  This will count for victory points for the weekend or can be spent on Apoc strategems (or possibly others that I come up with).

On Saturday the big game table will begin.  As early as possible; 10am perhaps.  The strategem points earned from Friday can be spent at any time (that is appropriate for the strategem that they want to use) during the big game on Saturday.  If more strategems need to be earned the teams can pick a player to play another side mission.  The team then will challenge another team who will pick its champion to play a side game.  The winner gets another strategem point or points depending on mission.

These are my initial thoughts.

Oldhammer - Whats old is new again!

A few months ago I stumbled on a blog called Realm of Chaos: An 80s Warhammer Enthusiast Blog.

I have added it to my blog list on the side of this blog.  While this blog covers mainly old Warhammer Fantasy Battle things, it was also my introduction to what has become a growing internet community called Oldhammer.

For an introduction to what Oldhammer is check out The Realm of Zhu's post called: The Oldhammer Contract.

The Realm of Chaos blog has interviews with people who used to work at GW in the 80s, people like Graeme Davis, Tim Pollard, Bryan Ansell Rick Priestly and more.  It also has been doing blog posts about old White Dwarf articles, old GW artwork and miniatures as well.

While I didn't get into the hobby until the early 90s I love the old art style and the old miniatures.  In the late eighties GW was a very different company than it is today and their games were based around their experiences with role playing games moreso than our current ideas of what miniature games are supposed to be.

Warhammer Fantasy Battle 3rd edition is what Oldhammer is all about.  3rd Edition is also what Rogue Trader (40k 1st edition) is based on.

Rogue Trader and 3rd Edition Fantasy battle had a lot of similar ideas revolving around the idea that a GM was still an integral part of the hobby and that any miniatures could be used in your games.  The ideas that a 'balanced' game didn't necessarily revolve around points costs and the game would be set up by the GM before the two players would play it.

In this way these games were more similar to D&D games than the current miniature wargames that exist today.  Games were about telling stories and there were not necessarily winners and losers.

I find this mentality very appealing and I love playing story driven games like this.  A few years ago I didn't know if I would really like this sort of play or not but I embarked with my friend Pen Dull on an adventure with a game called Book Of The Arbitrator.  This is a modified Necromunda ruleset.  If you click on the label on the side of my blog labeled Book Of The Arbitrator you will see all of my posts about this adventure.

Book is the same idea as Oldhammer, its a game that ideally uses a GM along with 2 players to tell a story using miniatures.  While the idea of playing Chaos Warbands created from the Realm of Chaos books from the 80s is very appealing I have latched onto Book Of The Arbitrator because all of the rules are available free and legally online.  Necromunda from the GW website and Book Of The Arbitrator from the link above.

I am quite intrigued though by 3rd Edition Fantasy and all of the figures that go with it after reading the Realm Of Chaos blog and want to try and find the rule book along with the other Realm Of Chaos book I am missing when I go to GenCon in 2 weeks.

If I can find these books there I will let you all know.  Until then check out blogs mentioned above if you, like myself, are also old school GW enthusiasts.

Until Next time....