Christmas party at the library

Yesterday the Hamilton Road Games Group held it's annual pre-Christmas party at the Crouch Branch library in London, ON. Traditionally (meaning we've done it for more than 2-3 years), we play a game of Wings of War, a WWI aircraft game with miniatures. We add Snoopy on his doghouse as well as Santa's sleigh to the game for a seasonal feel. We added a game of Where Heroes Dare, a Pulp Era small group game from Iron Ivan. It was a variation of what was done last year.

Martin, Katie, myself, Kevin, and few of the local kids who come to the library prepare for the game.
Since we also bring cookies, hot chocolate, cupcakes, and other goodies, it gets to be a popular place.

Snoopy, the Red Baron, and Eddie Richenbacher take a go-round in the air.
I "flew" the Baron's plane and was the first to be destroyed by an in-air explosion.
The first player downed comes back in as Santa in the sleigh.

The Snoopy miniature counts as a Sopwith Camel and is a home-make paper model based on a down-loaded one.

More planes in a swirling dog fight. Katie liked the pusher.

Can't you just hear it? "I'll get you, Red Baron!"

The sleigh enters the fray although we broke for lunch soon after.
Kevin and Martin and one or two others when to the laundromat across the street for pulled pork sandwiches.
Yes, you read that correctly.

The Where Heroes Dare game was almost the same as last year's: Santa and the elves have been captured by the Krampus and the Grinch and their muscle - some gangsters and some Stormtroopers, both the Imperial/Star Wars and the Freikorps/trench raider varieties. A number of teams of heroes are tasked with freeing Santa and saving Christmas. As games master, I took the Krampus and hid the hostages in various places on the board.

Here were the other teams:

• Bear captained the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
• My son, Rob was Sherlock Holmes and Scotland Yards finest
• My daughter, Katie led the adventurers from the music of Steam Powered Giraffe, her favourite band.
• One of the local girls handled the Shadow ("The weed of crime bears bitter fruit!") and his team with Kevin's help
• Martin upheld the tradition of the Force and had Sergeant Preston and a team of the RCMP with warrants to arrest EVERYBODY!
• My wife, Beth fielded a fearsome patrol of the Toyland Fencible Infantry, teddybears all.

The Shadow and his team including Moe Schrebnitz, Margo Lane, the Physicist, the Waiter, and a street tough.

The Steam Powered Giraffe team - Professor Walter, Bunny, Captain Albert Alexander, Rex Marksley, and Lily who flew a mean aeroplane... until Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard damaged her engine with his two pistols.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - Alan Quartermain, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jeckyl/Mr. Hyde (that the Hulk-ish guy in the centre. It takes a turn to change.), Mina Harker, and the Invisible Man (the empty base in him being invisible.)

The Toyland Fencibles at the advance! Bravely led by Captain Edward "Pooh" Gund-Steiff (seen here on his trusty steed)
and First Lieutenant Teddy von Tedenberger, the entire rescue force was named "Ted." My wife painted the majority of these figs; I will admit to doing the flags.

Sergeant Preston and King with their stalwart Mounted Police. "The Commissioner" (lower right) joined them but had no real part in the adventure.

Santa, chief Elf Bernard, Dominic the Christmas Donkey, Chris or die Weihnachtsmaus, the hippopotamus everybody wants for Christmas, Christmoose, and a few elves who look like aliens. (Why not?)
Die Weihnachtsmaus is the fellow who is blamed for anything that goes wrong at Christmas time - a handy German custom!
("Who ate the cookies and got into the gingerbread?" "Don't look at me! It was Die Weihnachtsmaus, of course!")

The Toyland Fencibles with their field music.

Sherlock Holmes, Gladstone the bulldog, Dr. Watson, Inspector Lestrade, and a few PCs from the Yard.

The Krampus, the Grinch and his dog, Max, four mobsters, and seven stormtroopers made up the evil destroyers of Christmas cheer.

Rob and Kevin discuss what-ever as the teams take the table.

The North Pole village

Actually a rather inviting place, with surprises in many of the houses.

The League advances to confront the evil doers. Dr. Jekyll has not changed yet and the Invisible man still wears his over coat and hat - It IS the North Pole, you know!

Holmes and Watson deduced that Santa was in the big house. They made short work of the Grinch and his stormtroopers, who actually DID hit what they shot at, taking out 3 police constable and the Hippo everybody wants for Christmas. Our sturdy adventurers now had to hustle Santa off the table.

The Shadow and his team confront the great four-armed snow ape, which appeared as they entered the circle of standing stones. Was this the source of Santa's magic power? We may never know!

The Toyland Fencibles and the RCMP assault the house holding the Krampus and the elves. Beth's Fencibles dragged off the severely wounded Krampus to face justice in the Toyland courts, while Martin's RCMP detatchment arrested everyone else, even the dead mobsters. Martin got a little RCMP-OCD  and repeated he had warrants to arrest the entire table.
The teddybears ignored him.

Lily flew a strafing mission over the great four-armed snow ape and really hurt him. Between this, the Shadow's automatics and Sergeant Preston's amazing sniping, the ape was taken down.

How did the RCMP get into the Krampus' house? Well, they met a friendly Time Lord who agreed to use his TARDIS to bring them all into that building. I think Martin tried to arrest the Doctor, but you can guess how that worked out.

The League overwhelms a Russian mobster who was on sentry duty with his PpSH SMG.

A big-time overview of the action.

Lily attempted to stop Scotland Yard and the Baker Street team from spiriting Santa away. All she got as a damaged engine for her trouble.

The Toyland Fencibles advancing into the village. A lone Freikorp stormtrooper is surprised by the bears' quick action.

The Grinch and his stormtroopers (Imperial and Freikorps) open fire on the Baker Street team. The constables and the hippo everybody wants for Christmas took the brunt of it. Holmes, Gladstone, and Watson took the stormtroopers down in hand-to-hand combat while Lestrade took out the Grinch with his two Webleys.

The Shadow and his team free Dominic the Christmas Donkey.

The League heads off with Santa's bag of toys as their victory swag.

Each team captured something of great value to the Christmas legends, like Santa's toys, the Christmas Donkey, the Krampus' remains, or Santa himself. If there WERE a winner, Rob would be close since he actually got Santa and die Weihnachtsmaus off the table where they could be picked up by airship or some-such vehicle. It was all for fun anyway.

My thanks to all the Hamilton Road Games Group members for playing along in both games, to Iron Ivan Games for letting me mess with their fine set of rules for pulp adventure games, to Steam Powered Giraffe for allowing my daughter to set up a team in their honour. (I hear they're great gamers themselves.)

Merry Christmas - however you celebrate it - and Happy New Year to all the readers!

"And I heard him exclaim ere he flew out of sight 'Merry Christmas to all and to all, a good night!' "

 

Christmas is saved! Ring the bells!

It's getting close to Christmas. We lit the fourth candle on the Advent wreath today. Well, it went out, so we blamed the Christmas Mouse. (It seems that there's a German custom that blames anything and everything that might go wrong at Christmas time on die Weihnachtsmaus. So why not?)

At the Hamilton Road Gaming Group, we usually lead up to Christmas with the famous duel of Snoopy vs. the Red Baron. That was done last week to accommodate Martin who was leaving to go to the family estates (as it were, a-hem) in Timmins, ON... where there be gold mines! Anyway, this week, we played a scenario-based game of Iron Ivan's Pulp Era game, Where Heroes Dare! Beth developed the scenario where Santa is being held captive at the North Pole. It seems that the Krampus has decided that everyone has been naughty, so no gifts of anybody! He and his main confederate, the Grinch, gathered their band of gangsters and storm troopers and are holding Santa in the Christmas village! Teams of adventurers have mobilised to free Santa and same Christmas. Could there be a more noble mission?

Here are the teams:

From Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes, Dr, Watson (bare-headed), Inspector Lestrade, and a constable. Gladstone the bull dog rounds out the party. (Sad to say, no one chose this party.)

The always get their man. The RCMP sends their best. Sgt. Preston, PC Trueaxe, PC Frasier, and PC Witherspoon.
King and the rest of the dog team are standing in front of "The Commissioner." Beth ran this team.

Andy dubbed this guy "The Commissioner." It seemed right.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, at your service! From left, the Invisible Man, Mina Harker, Mr. Hyde, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jeckyll, Special Agent Tom Sawyer, and Alan Quartermain. Hyde replaced Jekyll when the potion was drunk. Quartermain is a Copplestone figure available only to those who made a purchase at Historicon a few years ago. Quite rare and we take good care of him. (Bear and "Team Bear" ran this outfit.)

Hyde (Reaper Miniatures) and Jekyll

The US Rocket Corps under the command of Lt. Rex Steele. Andy's crew
All Pulp Miniatures and I really like them.

<Que maniacal laughter> "The weed of crime bears bitter fruit!"
The Shadow and his crew - The waiter, Moe Schrebnitz, Margo Lane, the Shadow, the Physicist (soon dubbed "Sheldon") and a street thug. Kevin was skipper of this crew. (Reaper, Pulp, and Copplestone figures)

The hostages - an elf, Santa, the Christmas Mouse, another elf, Bernard the head elf, and Dominic the Italian Christmas donkey. (Reaper, Copplestone, Games Workshop, and Mithral miniatures)
They were being held in one of the village buildings.

Santa and die Weihnachtsmaus

The Krampus' gang - The big guy is the Krampus, two gangsters, the Grinch, a Russian gangster, and two Stormtroopers (were you thinking Brown Shirts?) This is a real mixed bag of figures and Derek ran this group.

A disgusting close-up of the Krampus, the Grinch, and two gangsters - one by Copplestone, the other by Ral Partha

Santa's village at the North Pole - view from the west
The yarn defines the edge of the pine forest. The reindeer landing strip is in the foreground with the stables.

from the east
The little blocks are "Dare Points" where something happens - maybe a clue, maybe a trap, who knows?

From the south east

"Jingle Bell Square" with the Christmas tree to "rock around."

Santa's house

 

Santa's workshop  --  There was also a headquarters building and a records shack for the "naughty-n-nice" list.

Before the guys arrived for the game, some of the local kids wanted to play. Each one took a member of the League and went to save Santa. Your humble blogger wa the gamesmaster.

"Can I move this far? Can I still shoot?"

Mr. Hyde trades punches with the Krampus while Mina Harker sneaks up in her vampire form to bite the Krampus.
Iccch!
In the end, the girls freed Santa and, having found his sled earlier, took off to safer places
... like Macy's or a Hudson's Bay store.

When the guys all gathered, each brought their team in from a different point. Bear took all the little girls and formed "Team Bear" with each taking a member of the League. As Andy entered, one of his Rocket Corps took off with his rocket pack and promptly exploded! (It's a "Mad Science" gizmo and you roll a d10 each time it's used. If you roll a "10", the ref consults the "Mad Science" table and some sort of malfunction happens. As luck would have it, I - the gamesmaster and Santa - rolled a "10" for the table and the poor trooper exploded in mid-air. We all responded with sympathy: "Oh, look! Fireworks!"

Poof goes the Rocketman!

Team Bear doing their best!

Constable Whitherspoon buys the farm and the RCMP is pinned!

The Krampus and some gangsters face down the Rocket Corps. Tommy Guns all around!
"Awright, youz guyz! Take care-a them gold helmets!"
"You mobsters can't win while Rex Steele is on the case!"

Having searched Santa's residence, two of the Rocket Corps finest search for more goals.

"Da Krampus iz down! Let's revenge 'em!"
"Stand where you are, your blackguards, or feel my Thompson's wrath!"
(Yeah, it's hokey, but it is Pulp!)

The Thug takes a hit.
"Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"
The Shadow can cloud people's minds and possesses an Eerie Laugh.

Stormtroopers commanded by the Grinch fight it out with the League.
Here Mina attacks a Stormtrooper with a vampiric bite. Quartermain and Sawyer had been busy, sniping and hitting the Grinch and one Stormtrooper. The "blank" stand is the Invisible Man. He took a wound (hence the white ring) before he threw his coat off and was invisible. While invisible, he could only carry a knife.
Where he'd hide it, I'd rather not imagine.

Another view of the same action with Mr. Hyde joining the fray. Dr. Jekyll could take his potion as his only action for his move and the next turn Mr. Hyde would take his place, a stronger but less controllable member of the team.

Hyde and the Grinch square off. The Grinch carried a scoped sniper rifle and had wounded Quartermain and knocked Captain Nemo out of the game earlier.

... and the Grinch is down!

Meanwhile at Santa's workshop, the Rocket Corps made short work of the mob, giving them the "Big Sleep" as it were.

A view of the table from the League's point of view. Nemo is down. Quartermain and Sawyer shoot from the woods. Mina and the Invisible Man move toward the hourse and Mr. Hyde prepares to rush the house and the Grinch from the edge of the pine forest.

Having disposed of the Grinch and his guard of Stormtroopers, the League moved into the village. The final two Stormtroopers passed their morale and broke for a tunnel entrance in Jingle Bell Square. The tunnel let to the place where Santa and his companions were being held and the Stormtroopers intended to ruin Christmas for everybody (except the Emperor, I suppose) by putting Santa on ice, permanent like. They got into the house and opened fire with a light machine gun (a BAR, I'd guess). Die Weihnachtsmaus, game trouper that he was, threw himself into the line of fire and took the two bullets meant for Santa. Dominic the Italian Christmas Donkey then kicked the living life out of one of the Stormtroopers while Santa let go with his Eerie laugh and the remaining Stormtrooper lost his nerve. He ran out of the house and Quartermain took him down with his custom hunting rifle, Matilda. The League had discovered Santa's sleigh at the landing field at the beginning of the game, so they rescued Santa and flew off with him, having received the agreement of the other teams. The Shadow's crew, the RCMP, and the Rocket Corps all agreed that since the goal was to save Santa and Christmas for all the children (and the grown-ups who believe!), they wouldn't dispute this. Team Bear took the honours with high-fives all around!

I enjoyed gamesmastering this game. Beth created a good scenario, but the curve ball was the fact that Derek chose the Krampus and his evil underlings as his team. I expected to captain all the evil folks while the other players ran the rescuers. It still worked and we enjoyed the silliness of the game for a Saturday afternoon before Christmas.  Just for the record, almost all the figures were painted by your's truely, Beth having painted the others. Andy brought two of the houses and at least half the trees. The rest were from my collection.

A few days before, the Crouch Branch Library, the place that gives us a place to game on Saturdays, held an open-house and asked if we'd run a display game during the two hours of the open house Wednesday evening. Andy, Beth, and I agreed to come up and run a game. Kevin was held back by family things, Martin was packing to trek home, and Bear, with his mobility problems, couldn't arrange the needed transport. Still, we set up a Wings of War display and ran a short game with Snoopy, the Red Baron, and another German flyer. Snoopy came up with the short end of the stick.

We set up out in the main part of the library to attract more traffic. As it was, there were only a few people who came by.
The small building are not a necessity; they just add to eye-appeal.

Snoopy finds himself in trouble. Andy flew the Sopwith Camel Snoopy prefers. I was the Red Baron in his Fokker. Beth flew the Pfalz fighter.

Our hero is in real trouble! The Baron was on his tail for two straight turns, and down he went, shaking his fist and cursing in some ridiculous beagle-ese. Not to worry though! He'll be back! He always returns!
The German planes are the Wings of War miniatures. Snoopy is a paper model taken from the Internet and made 3D.

I hope all you reader of this blog have a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! If you don't celebrate Christmas, I still wish you the best for the close of the year and the beginning of the new. Good gaming, All!