Dark Fable: The Return of Cleopatra

Dark Fable has launched their latest Kickstarter: The Return of Cleopatra.

With this new kickstarter, Dark Fable will have over 60 sets of Sword and Sandal goodness for you to put on the tabletop! Below are some of what is coming in this campaign, and some of what has come before. If you want to see more I suggest you check out Dark Fable's site and the kickstarter link above.

Why am I posting this here, on the Tekumel Project blog? Because the Dark Fable miniatures are perfect as proxy figures for Tekumel games. By investing in Dark Fable I am investing in my Tekumel games! :-)

Tomb Guardians

PCs or NPCs, you tell me! Is that a Thumis priest on the right?

Everybody Ought To Have A Maid

Priests of Qon, on a mission...

just paint them as if wearing masks...

Tomb Raiders

Aridani Archers

Temple Guards, Town Garrison, or Sakbe Road Guards

Priests or Temple Guards: Thumis, Hnalla and perhaps others

Undead

I highly recommend checking out what Dark Fable has to offer!

Get Your Free Figure!

Did you contribute to any of Dark Fable's previous three Egyptian Indiegogo campaigns? If so, don't miss out on your free reward figure!

Contribute now! :-)

22 days to go and lots of cool stretch goals left to unlock...

And, yes, I am a contributor. I think this range offers a great many figures that are perfect for Tekumel!

Worm Grubs!

By Troll Forged Miniatures

Wait until The Drune gets a load of these puppies! Ix will never be the same! :-)

For more typical Tékumel gaming they are perfect denisons for one of Lord Sárku's temples or shrines...

They can be found here: Troll Forged Miniatures

A Worm for Lord Sárku

Over on the Frothers forum, Hive Trygon has posted some pics of a sculpt he has been working on. To my mind it would make a perfect servitor for Lord Sárku, whether in the depths of the Underworld or in some Inner Shrine of the Temple of the Worm Lord.

It would not look out of place as an encounter in Ix's Humanspace Empires, either...

In from the "Cold"...

"Cold Wars" that is - we arrived back from the HMGS-East "Cold Wars" convention in Lancaster PA this afternoon after a nice seven hour drive. (Unlike the trip down which was taken in rain and, in some places, very thick fog.)

I had a great time: played a few games, caught up with some friends and bought a bunch of stuff. Made some good buys, including some sort of [Battletech] Drop Pod (?) from Iron Wind Metals which I think will make the nice basis for one of the spherical tube car designs. They had a few "seconds" that they were selling for half-price ($15) as there were slight irregularities in the molding. The thing isn't really a sphere, but is shaped more like a 3" round resin teardrop with the "tail" cut off flat just where it starts, forming - for my purposes - a handy base for the car. I think that once the car is placed in the appropriate circular tubeway entrance this will not be visible and it will appear like a perfect sphere. The slots for the leg struts from the original pod just need to be covered with card and a door crafted and it is done. I think the door could be one of those card pieces that will cover the slots or, perhaps better, one of the conveniently placed rectangular panels in the side.

Update: It is a "Union" drop pod per this painted example on CoolMiniorNot. In this example, one of the slots for the legs is front and center in the pic. There are four of theses spaced about the body. The flames are where the truncated part of the "teardrop" is. Front-left is one of the rectangular panels that I am considering converting into a door.

Update 2: Here is the link to the thing on the Iron Wind Metals site.

I also took a gander at the new Qól figures that Rod has done for us - they are Sweet! :-) I have asked him to do a couple of more figures:

(1) a figure standing "at attention" such as a guard - this could then have one of the halberds, standard or lanterns that are borne by the other figures, and

(2) a figure with a large open book. I previously showed a picture of a Qól carrying an ornate box which some took to be a book so I thought I should add a book.

The Temple of Sárku, Lord of Worms

The Visbaronetess Delour Aulamaxa, by Reaper Miniatures

Chammady Drovenge, by Reaper Miniatures

I have had occasion to think about the temple of Sárku the last few days, and of his cohort, Durritlámish. Coincidentally I came across the Reaper figures shown above in the friendly local brick-and-mortar and, always on the look-out for Proxy figures, I snapped them up.

Both will, IMO, make fine Priestesses for either of the two temples in question. The Visbaronetess is exceptional, not only for stepping out of the norm for female fantasy figures, but for the character the figure exudes. Her hair style looks like it belongs to the Worm Cult!

I see her being pure evil, like Cruella DeVille.

The Chammady figure has some sort of stole with wings wrapped around her shoulders - not sure quite what it is supposed to be as it seems to have a cat-like head. I'll be cutting the wings off - unless somebody can enlighten me as to what they are meant to be.

But never mind that, the main reason she would make such a great Priestess is that the dagger she is holding in her right hand looks to me very much like one of Sárku's ceremonial daggers! (Can't remember the proper name...)

Excellent figures both. The Visbaronetess matches our figures height-wise, if not in girth, and Chammady also matches pretty good - slightly tall, but not overly so, IMO.

Painting Háida Pakálan Pirates 1

Made a bit of progress today on various stuff...Halberd designs for the Qól (thanks Jeff!) and deciding how to proceed with the mapping now Mark has left the project. Jesse is going to try a hand at it - the thing is what to do with the map Mark already made. I don't think I want to mix styles...

Anyway, I digress - the main point of this post is that I put paint on figures for the second day in a row! Woo Hoo! This is almost unprecedented as I can go years without painting a single figure! Generally what happens is I have to paint 800 figures for some game and it just burns me out.

Yesterday I cleaned up and primed the figures - today I started on the flesh. I'm using one of Foundry's Flesh Triads: #119 South American. Only I may just use the two darker shades as I tried them when I first received them in the spring and I thought the highlight shade was too - umm - "waxy." It spoiled the look I thought.

#119A-Shade with #119B over top looks quite nice, however. Man these guys are ripped - straight from the set of 300, some of them! I suppose the life of a Háida Pakálan ruffian is a bit of work. And so it should be, I wouldn't want to think their Tsolyáni and Salarvyáni victims were pushovers!

I also did a couple of Fortress Figures' Amazon hoplites who I converted a while ago by chopping off the helmets and giving them green stuff hair. These figures are by Bobby Jackson and are sporting a LOT of flesh - all of it, to be exact! ;-)

How better to try out flesh paint? :-)

Not sure if they are still available. The conversion was a real bugger as the metal wasn't very easy to cut through. I've still got about 8 more i was going to convert, but now that John is almost done our Light Infantry blanks that problem is solved!

(Obviously, I should have commissioned them in the first place!)

Today I Converted a Llama...

Hma

...into a Hma - or rather, I started to.

MegaMiniatures has a blister of Ilamas for about $8-10: 1 x adult male, 2 x females and 2 x calves. I think the basic size and shape is about right though the picture in the Tekumel Bestiary (see above) gives them more of a hump and the neck is shown more horizontal (mind you it could be feeding.)

The main difficulty is that the Hma have six-legs so my conversion involves cutting a groove over the middle of the body in order to wrap a wire around so I can use some green or brown stuff to make the extra pair of legs. I might build up the back a bit and maybe lengthen the male's snout a little, but otherwise I think that should be that.

I also worked on making some funky polearms for my new Háida Pakála pirate rabble and started to paint the archers, as they don't need any conversion work. I really like the poses - especially the one starting to draw the bow back. The archers are probably my favourites of the Wako Pirates from Cavalcade Wargames.

And then we had a terrific Thunder Storm - Hail, the Whole Bit - and the power went down. Sort of: we had power but some stuff didn't work any more - like all the kitchen appliances, freezers, TV, DVD player, and computers. I thought we had been hit with a spike and that maybe everything was fried. Then the power went off totally. It's back up now, and as you can see nothing was fried - it was just a period of low-voltage for about 20 minutes before the power went down.

Proxies: Undead Legions

Despite it being illegal to use them in the field, the Temple of Sárku, Lord of Worms, maintains large contingents of undead soldiers. These the Imperium tolerates as long as they are restricted to the confines of Sárku's own temples or the city of Sárku itself.

What happens in the Underworld (or Tsuru’úm) is another thing altogether...

There are loads of undead figures currently available - zombies, skeletons, ghouls and the like. Practically every fantasy manufacturer makes undead of some sort. Some are nicer figures than others, of course. Some are not that well sculpted, while others have a distinctive medieval flavour or are too comic for our needs.

I have found a few that, IMO, would be suitable for Tékumel:

Viking Forge have a single pose from the old Asgard range which is quite nice. Even better, however, are the new Revenant Undead figures just released in hard plastic by Mantic Games. I haven't been too keen on the rest of the range (skinny elves) but this latest release is quite nice.

Now be aware that they have two types of skeleton foot - the ordinary skeletons and the Revenants. The difference being that the latter have more armour and fancier armour at that. This is what makes them so suitable. The armour is very ornate looking and there are lots of plumes on the helmets. There are even some exotic looking swords and axes. All-in-all there is quite a bit to give them a Tékumel "feel"!

Size-wise they are slightly tall, but not overly so. They are not bulky either so this size difference isn't so noticeable.

Overall, I like 'em and will be filling the ranks of my Sárku legions with them. Whew - another unit type I don't have to pay to have sculpted!

Háida Pakálan Pirates - Update

Sure enough, these guys arrived today. Yay! I always like getting new unpainted lead. The only thing better is getting [well-] painted lead, as the unpainted stuff often stays that way for a looonng time. ;-)

I have torn off the wrapping and done a quick comparison to a Legionnaire of Serqu archer. I have to say I am impressed - these guys match up really well. They are slightly more muscular but not so much as to cause "issues".

The verdict:

These guys are keepers. Cavalcade Wargames' Wako Pirates have found a home as proxy Háida Pakálan Pirates! :-)

Check them out here!

The Pirate Princes of Háida Pakála

Cavalcade Wargames Wako Pirates
- used with permission.

With the order of battle for Tsolyánu alone totaling some 90 legions, it is readily apparent that making miniature figures to cover all the possible Tékumel subjects is an impossible task. One must accept the use of proxies at some point or other, to represent the more obscure troop types.

Cavalcade Wargames recently released their Wako Pirates line.

Personally, I think they might make good proxies for the ruffians found in the service of the lords of Háida Pakála - or possibly Tsoléi. I've ordered the "collection" to see how they look up close.

They won't be perfect, of course, as the Source Book puts the males in "loose, knee-length trousers" and doesn't mention them using bows - seemingly preferring slings. I'm willing to accept these differences, however, as the Source Book has a number of contradictions in it's pages. And - in the end - it is My Tékumel I am gaming in, after all - YMMV.*

I am considering taking greenstuff (or more likely, brownstuff) to the sword blades so they are not so katana-like. Ditto for the yari. I think the bows look fine, but will probably scrounge up some slingers from somewhere.

I haven't seen them in the flesh, of course, but I am hoping they will show up this week. The only thing that is bothering me - just a little - is that there are several guys with only one eye; and it is always the left eye they are missing! Why is that? Punishment for thievery, perhaps?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to these figures. I recommend you guys check them out also. And it seems they are running a sale until July 15th. I'll be sure to post a report when I have the figures, in case anyone is wondering about sizes.

* Your Mileage May Vary

The Stirge - Wait! That's Not Tekumel!

We did some more playtesting of "A Band of Joyous Heroes" last night, sending a party down into some sewers to search for a missing priest. The scenario derived from some D&D terrain tiles Bruce owns, one of which had a body floating in it (the priest - but I didn't tell him that!)

We took our time starting as I had to fill him in on the updates to the rules. The talents and flaws are almost completely done, and he made some suggestions on how to fill in the missing descriptions. I have been playing around with a points system, though I loathe such systems in general. And we discussed the creature creation system from the rules, in particular the Zrne stats, as they seem a bit too deadly.

After that we started the game proper - just something simple to test spell use and new reaction tables.

I introduced the Stirge into My Tekumel, working up some quick stats and throwing what ended up being three swarms at the party. Why bother - you ask? Doesn't Tekumel have enough beasties of its own? Well yes, it does, but I like the D&D Stirge figures quite a bit - with the double set of wings, I think they look the part - and couldn't resist trying them out. Besides it let me try out swarms as well.

Here are the stats I came up with:

Stirge
Dangerous = base 3d6;
Size = technically, each Stirge should count as small, or very small, but as they attack in swarms they get: large +1 or huge +2;
Speed = Fast +1

Total = large swarm: 5d6, huge swarm: 6d6.

One thing we also determined was that the creature's Rep is it's Base Dice, in this case 3.

Vitality = large swarm: 2, huge swarm: 3

Vitality is basically extra hits a creature has. Essentially to kill a Vitality 3 creature, you have to get 3 Obviously Dead (OD) or Out of the Fight (OOF) results.

Bite Impact: 2 - something I'd been forgetting from previous creature stats.

Lightning Bringers - by Blue Moon Manufacturing

This picture is from their website and is copy-righted by them - used w/o permission but will withdraw it if they object....

Picked up a superb, proxy, Lightning Bringer at Fall In! in the form of one Blue Moon Manufacturing's new Alien Heavy Weapon sets:

My Choice

Zrné - “the Barbed One”

This vicious, six-legged hunter is one of the most dangerous animals of Tékumel. It is found in deep forests, jungles and mountainous foothills. A slightly larger subspecies is also found in the highlands of Jánnu and Kilalámmu.

Instinctual; Aggressive; Very Dangerous (4D6); Moderate Size (+0) to Large (+1); Very Fast (+2); Move: 16”; Ambush; Poisonous Bite (Spd 1, Tox 3, Incap).

Reputation: 6 (7, if Large)

I would really like to get one of these made...but in the meantime I am making do with this plastic D&D Figure, called a "Warbound Impaler":



It's not bad, really. It's certainly "barbed". And it already exists - that is a plus. Not quite like the artist's concept, however. YMMV, as they say.

Hyahyú’u - “the Whooper”

A pack hunter, this 6-legged wolf-like creature it gets its name from the weird “hyaa-hyuu” cry it makes as the pack corners their prey. They generally only attack humans if they significantly outnumber the party, otherwise they tend to avoid contact. It is said they will flee if the party has a Páchi Léi in it; they seem to have a special dread of that nonhuman species.

Instinctual; Aggressive; Dangerous (3D6); Moderate size (+0); Fast (+1); Move: 12”; Wary.

Reputation: 4

Reaper Miniatures makes a good proxy figure: the Bloodwolf.

Note: The picture shown above is from their website, painted by Anne Foerster, and is copyrighted by them. The beast is #02754: Blood Wolf ($5.99), and is sculpted by Sandra Garrity.

Home Sweet Home

Ahh...back home after a "wargamer's weekend" in the north - North Bay, Ontario, to be exact. Had a pleasant couple of days of gaming but glad to be back - for one thing I had no email and no opportunity to write anything. (And I am trying to make up for last years lack of posts!)

Visited my friend Terry Peacock, proprietor of North Bay Games and Hobbies, and gamed in his store with frequent breaks between turns to browse his well-stocked shelves!

The only Tekumel-related things accomplished: I picked up a second warmachine boxed set so as to have a full contingent as discussed previously, and also a blister of Mordhiem Amazons with a view to possible headswaps. (The poses are a little wooden but I like the hairsyles of some.)

War Machines 3 - The Legion of Mengano the Jakallan

The Legion of Mengano the Jakallan, 12th Imperial Artillery, is based in Jakalla but typically was broken up into elements and distributed where needed. At the start of the war with Yan Kor it was largely posted to Khirgar, and presumably served in the Western Theatre for the balance of the conflict.

The Armies of Tekumel, Vol 1: Tsolyanu book lists it as having light, medium and heavy ballistae (dart throwers), medium and heavy stone-throwers and trebuchets. There is an obvious problem with terminology and the crew levels stated are higher than the models provide, but for my purposes I am going to ignore all that. The WG set provides the bolt throwers and the stone throwers. I can safely ignore the trebuchets for the moment as they would not be likely to see battlefield service.

How large should the contingent be? A second set would give two bolt thrower sections (of two machines each) and a single section of stone throwers, also of two machines. That is probably good - I could later upgrade them to three machines each with a third boxed set. I wouldn't want the war machines to dominate the battlefield however.

As far as painting goes, the brief colour guide gives:

helmet - base: blue, no plume, trim: green;
body armour - base: blue, kilt: white, trim: green;
shield* - base: green, 2nd colour: silver, trim: blue;
standard - base: blue, 2nd colour: green, 3rd colour: white.

*the shields would be those borne by the guard contingent and officers, but also the mantlets the book says the legion also uses. I'm planning on using Assyrian Siege Mantlets from the Wargames Foundry range for this purpose. I think, being from Jakalla, that the legion might have greater access to reeds than wood.

Mantlets: scroll down, way down

War Machines 2 - Corrections.

Checking the box details, I see that the "Centurian" is actually an "Optio" - oopsio. And two of the scorpian crew are also unique to the boxed set, same as him.

Looking at the figures, I'm going to add a plume taken from one of our helmets to the top of that baton or staff that he is wielding. It will make a nice staff of power.

And I think I've found a suitable oval shield (with a raised pattern) from my Foundry Gladiators to take the place of the standard one he comes with. So, still technically a Roman shield, just a little less run-of-the-mill.

War Machines

I picked up a boxed set of Warlord Games new Roman War Machines last month to add some artillery to my armies. I already have some RAFM ballista, and some catapults and dart throwers from Mega Miniatures, but this set had some nice crew and extras that tipped my hand. I think I will use the Warlord machines for one of the Tsolyani legions and the others for Yan Kor, with crew scrounged and converted from our YK figures.

Boxed Set

The set I picked up wasn't cheap - at $59.95 CDN - but none of the WG stuff is. It comes with one large, stone-throwing ballista and two dart-throwing scorpions. These are all in resin, light-weight and nicely detailed. The ballista had a bit of flash and some tabs that will have to be trimmed off. The "extras" are a pile of round stones for the ballista and a tub of darts each for the others. Each scorpian is in two pieces, the ballista in four - plus the "extras".

There are eight crew figures. Two for each dart thrower, three for the ballista and a nice Centurian figure. Warlord games also does metal versions of these weapons but my understanding is that the centurian only comes with the boxed set. Obviously they are dressed as Romans but I don't think that will be too much of a problem. Some are unarmoured, the others in chainmail or lorica segmenta. I think the Roman helmets that some wear will make fine "siege helmets" and overall, when painted in Tsolyani colours I think they will suit the part. The Centurian's helmet has two small plumes at the front and he is directing fire with a wooded mace, resting his other arm on his shield. This is separate and will be swopped out for something more exotic. One of the figures has a headband - any ideas for a symbol or slogan to paint on it? The figures are slightly shorter and a little stockier than our figures but I don't see a problem. I stopped being anal about figure scales a long time ago.

I am now debating whether to paint the machines Tsolyani blue, perhaps with colourful designs somewhat in the fashion of Indian War Elephants. I am mindful of something the Professor wrote once about the shields and armour being elaborately decorated in Hindu fashion. (It's in the "Miniatures for Tekumel" booklet.)

War Machines page