2011 In Review

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Nowhere near as much painted as I would have liked, but I have had a number of other painting diversions (including more Zombies finished than I would have anticipated at the start of the year). That said, I still have only 5 minis remaining to complete my Pulp City collection so it isn't all bad.

So here is my retrospective collage of minis I completed in 2011. I am already looking forwards to the new releases of 2012!

Happy New Year to everyone reading.

Sgt. Bale & Stoner Hawk (Mini Team)

These guys are a 'Mini Team' for pretty much only one reason - Elemental Mastery: Fire and Earth. While they have some nice potential synergies (use Stoner Hawk to try and Knock Down a target (probably one with low to mid Strength) and follow-up at the earliest opportunity with a Sgt. Bale Combat Action, this can be achieved with any Supremes really.

What Elemental Mastery: Fire and Earth does is unlock some extra available Actions for each eligible Supreme. The wording of Collapse allows that it is a cheap way of Damaging buildings for Stoner Hawk (think Destroy in the Destroy or Defend Plot). Smoke allows Sgt. Bale to protect his Team-mates - especially those with low Agility - from long range attacks (more than 8 inches), since it moves with him; definitely worth considering if likely facing Gentleman with Sniper Rifle, Virgo, Vector or Xyllian, Master Sagittarius for example.

However it is Lava Flow where Elemental Mastery: Fire and Earth comes into its own. It can be expensive and is best used either early-game, or if your enemies are clustered up and fairly close by. Potentially very destructive to terrain, Citizens and sundry others (Destroy or Defend again, Invasion), it can also offer a creeping area denial. Do not consider it as a targeted attack (its movement is too random after all), but rather use it to imply a threat, which is where can wok as area denial (useful in Take and Hold) - especially against Water Supremes and Minions.

Welcome

It is funny how these 'welcome' posts seem to go in twos and threes. A nice peculiarity I should say.

This 'welcome aboard' goes out to Zabadak, who among other blogs I notice follows my alternative minis blog - The Eclectic Tabletop Gamer. Even though I have said so before, it is always rewarding and encouraging (for me, to keep blogging, that is) to see not only hits on the blog and individual posts, but especially when a new Follower signs up. So a big 'cheers' to Zabadak and to everyone else.

Gemini X & Gemini Y (Mini Team)

Besides the previously posted Super Duos, there are a few recognisable 'Teams within Teams'; pairs or trios of Supremes who naturally work better when played together.

The rules of these 'Mini Teams' (for want of a better tag) may offer mutual immunities or buffs, or both. And while they may not have the Super Duo Trait benefit, they still have advantages if used in the same larger Team.

Taking Gemini X and Gemini Y as the first pairing to look at, one glance at their Team Powers strongly shows that they are intended to be fielded together. One tricksy thing to consider is that the 'shared' Damage is that a total of 10 Damage can be taken while still leaving both in play; what about using one withdrawn from the other to limit incoming damage (Blasts, Rays) while making best use of this benefit? With blocking and healing opportunity-creating Actions (Gemini X), and area and Close Combat denial Actions (Gemini Y), they can be used to help shield you other Ulthar, or even potentially to hold objectives.

I cannot claim to have mastered these guys - in fact I struggle with Ulthar for some reason (I think it takes a while to get a good 'handle' on the Ulthar Sub-Faction), but if viewed as a small countermeasures type of unit rather than two (fairly weak) Level 1 Supremes, that may go some way to explain how to hopefully best utilise them.

Welcome

This 'welcome to the blog' post goes to myincubliss, author of the excellent dead lead project blog. I always take heart to see that I am not alone in my minis purchasing exceeding my minis painting, so blogs like the splendidly eclectic dead lead project are a reassuring read. Check it out.

On my own minis front, night shifts are still playing havoc with my painting focus/motivation, so little has been done. Add in a festive virus of some form (Oh joy! Shivering and sweating profusely all within the same night! That is the stuff of the festive period!), some writing distractions (some gaming-related, another Pulp City-related, and a non-fictional essay about a comic book interest of mine), and well painting fell down the list. I expect that as soon as I can purchase some new Pulp City minis I will regain some impetus.

Thanks again to myincubliss for joining up - much appreciated.

Merry Christmas 2011!

Just a quick post to wish a merry Christmas, or your festive observance of choice to anyone reading the blog.

Have a great time guys.

Dark Solar - Hero Equinox

The power of primal Nature unleashed in a Team of Heroes led by Dark Solar - the ultimate iteration of Solar/Avatar of the Jaguar.

Although I have listed this as a Sub-Faction (as with the Dead Eye team), it isn't strictly a Sub-Faction, but with Dark Solar in charge shares enough commonalities with a Sub-Faction themed Team that it is simply more convenient to list it as such.

As things stand, this can currently be an EL 21 Team - no mean feat.

Supremes pictured above:
(back row, left to right):

• Stoner Hawk: native American Earth-controlling Hero seeking redemption.
• Tritonious: Ulthar-hating alien-human hybrid.
• Father Oak: parks warden reborn as a mighty agent of Gaia.
• Guerilla: ferocious co-leader of the ARC revolution; a great fighter at range and close quarters.
• Perun: Slavic Thunder god embodied on Earth.

(middle row, left to right):

• Virgo: renegade Ulthar.
• Stalker: feline companion to all aspects of Solar, empowered by ancient mystical forces.
• Dark Solar: ultimate incarnation of Solar/Avatar of the Jaguar.
• Harrier: vengeful mutant.
• Jade Hawk: failed by justice in the past, she metes out her own version today.

(front row, left to right):

• Riposte: master tactician and expert swords-woman seeking to topple her father's corrupt empire.
• Acorn: an agent of Gaia on earth, believed to be the offspring of mighty Father Oak.
• Le Murtiple: arrived in Pulp City from the jungles and cities he terrorised in South America; stealthy self-replicating saboteur.

Christmas Madness 2011 - The Return Of Bad Santa

The second annual Christmas Madness game.

Thanks as always to my main gaming buddy Rob (assume the better pictures are his).

Special thanks also to Rob for the markers made specially for this game - great stuff.

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Christmas Madness (2010 - Redux)

Reformatted in Comic Life (the Pulp Citizen's version of hi-def I guess! LOL):

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Christmas Time...

I am working on this year's Christmas Madness Battle Report and plan to 'rerun' last year's at some point in the Comic Life format I have adopted, so stay tuned!

Working nights (again) this month, which plays havoc with when I feel up to painting (tiredness as one factor, daylight as a preference being the other main issue here), but hopefully at least one or two minis will be finished this month. I have also been working on a terrain piece that is definitely more suited to summer weather, so that may see an appearance at some point.

I also plan to produce a few more Team photographs and listings soon, all built around a Level 3 Supreme:

• Dark Solar Heroes
• Dark Solar Villains
• Mysterious Man

Super Duo: Avatar Of The Jaguar & Stalker

The flip-side of the Solar/Stalker Super Duo, Avatar of the Jaguar is much more close combat-focused than Solar, so suits a more aggressive approach. In addition, to maximise the effectiveness of the Avatar of the Jaguar with Stalker, it is important to plan your moves wisely.

Since Avatar of the Jaguar has overall better defensive Traits and greater Damage total, it makes sense to move him first, moving Stalker into position at the next opportunity.

With high value and Trumped Agility Traits, with the Super Duo bonus they are ideal for weathering the storm against ranged attackers targeting against Agility. Use them in tandem to take out high Damage-output ranged attackers, freeing up the rest of your Team to go about their business.

Alternatively, they can be very useful against high Defense models like Iron Train. Build up by stacking a Prowl Token onto Iron Train. This can and should be done in an earlier Round to what follows. The plan is that Avatar of the Jaguar and Stalker weaken Iron Train enough for him to be heavily Damaged in a single round (plus subsequent Effects Phase).

Follow up with a Charge* and Rip from Avatar of the Jaguar to maximise chances of success - there is no guarantee and this is a risky option, but with Quadruped Skill and Charge* Avatar of the Jaguar has a net +1 over Iron Train in Trait differential before any Power-Ups are applied. If successful follow up as soon as possible within the same Round with Stalker also using Rip and Charge* - if Avatar of the Jaguar succeeded and equal Trump Rolls were expended, then Stalker should be attacking with effective Strength 7 against a Defense of 5. Assuming that Avatar of the Jaguar and Stalker have optimum remaining AP Allowance, this allows for anything up to 2 Strikes from Avatar of the Jaguar and another from Stalker - combine Prowl* with Stalker's Strike to maximise effect. These Strikes will be against Iron Train's modified Defense of 4 and any AP he expends to defend with Power-Ups limits return attacks. While this will likely only shave a few Damage from Iron Train, it then leaves the model open for a well placed attack within the same Round against either Defense or Agility from another model on your Team.

Super Duo: Riposte & Arquero

The new kids on the Pulp City block, Riposte and Arquero are very much about team-work and complementing each other. One focuses on close combat, the other on ranged combat - each maximising those specialised types of attacks. Both offer counter-attacking options, and with close working encouraged by Super Duo, they can maximise their nuanced Actions.

Unlike the previous example of Solar and Stalker, Riposte and Arquero have slightly varying ranges for their Super Duo bonus. This means that Riposte can be utilised slightly further forward to achieve Arquero's bonus as he hangs back, but would not benefit herself.

However with these two it is not just about the simple Trait bonus. There are other synergies available also.

Consider using Fatal Flaw* and Strike against a target that Riposte is in Base to base with. the typical order of play would be Fatal Flaw* then Strike. However, if say using a Resource such as Heroic Surge: Battlefield Control, you could use the Strike first for possibly some Damage, follow up with combined Fatal Flaw* then Activate Arquero to make use of either Arcing Fire or Rain of Arrows targeting the same model Riposte is engaged with. The advantage here being that Arquero can Power-Up his combat Action, so benefiting from +3 from Fatal Flaw* (if successful) and the Power-Up die to maximise Damage output, to a potential result of 16 in contrast to Riposte's potential result of 13; assuming some Damage is inflicted, that is +1-3 extra Damage. Even if using Rain of Arrows and risking catching Riposte, she should be at an increased Agility so lessening the chance of Damage. This can work with many other models besides Arquero, it is just that in tandem even the riskier Rain of Arrows option improves the odds for Riposte.