VBS

I've been thinking that a pinned-thread compiling all "Extra-AoS-Rules" designed by people would be a good idea. Otherwise, the different posts get lost as they are further pushed back. That way it would always be visible on the Narrative subforum. But we need a mode for the pinning (yes?). Thanks for the interest in the skirmish game! Soon going to start the first phase of testing for the game and hopefully set up a website with all free for download further down the road (and printing physical copies ) . It's quite "out there" for a tabletop skirmish game as it doesn't use dices, model stats are built on a very varied but easy to understand sort of RPG-system and it is balanced (hopefully haha) without using points! But I don't know if non-AoS-games content is allowed on this forum?

Lots of great stuff going on here! I struggle to find people that like AoS beyond its generic approach, so my plans of campaigns or other crazy stuff are swiftly thrown out the window. In any case.... A while back, I started adapting the whole Dark Shadows campaign book into AoS rules. The scenarios, Albion weather table and inclusion of the Truthsayer and Dark Emissary were soooo cool. It's now stuck but might one day find the motivation to continue. Currently, I'm painting up a random assortment of heavily converted models for skirmish. Going to test some additional skirmish rules (they may be found on another thread in this subforum) as I see lots of potential for a full-blown ruleset. Might post battle-reps! I'm also designing a skirmish game with unique gameplay and sand-box structure, which in itself is not an AoS game, but could very well be used to play in the Mortal Realms as it is not tied to any setting or miniature line. It's quite exciting

For wargaming in general, I think narrative sections will always be in the shadow of the "official" way of doing things (unless it's historicals). Your average creative player/collector will often be found in his man-cave, garage or small gaming group, paying little attention to online toy soldier opinions as the topics discussed will rarely add value. On the contrary, I think it is quite obvious that people interested in crunching numbers and netlisting will want to engage in endless discussions over the internet, as it offers a way wider public and disparity of opinions, enriching their interest. This probably makes narrative/open/testing/indie games/etc... invisible by default. Not necessarily because it's better or worse, but rather the people behind it are less prone to voice and share their way of hobbying, or sometimes lack the tools. On the contrary, a mastodontic corporation will make sure every corner of the internet knows what they are doing. Visibility is key. Happens on this forum and every other too. This also has a consequence that I'm not a big fan of, such a creating a tunnel vision that will make some perceive one way to play more popular/better based on a completely insufficient metrics (ex: number of posts on a forum), contributing to the false split between "narrative vs match play" and that sort of nonsense (as if you had to choose, right? ). Besides the tips already given, I wouldn't say balsa require any particularly treatment. PVA glue should work fine (it's referred to as wood glue for a reason ). For cutting, if it's not too thick, the average cutter should work. A saw otherwise. For painting, buying cheap acrylic paints/spray cans at a craft store is the best option, as large sections will be covered. Then, spraying varnish to protect is fine. Pretty much the same process as miniatures. I would also recommend practicing craft skills if you don't have much practice. For example, a full fort is very ambitious. So maybe starting with a totem or some barricades is a good start to have a feeling of how things work. The first terrain I built as a kid was a big abandoned fortress, and it was terrible! I had no skills. Another youtube channel I love and has awesome content is "Lukes Aps". Videos are quite straight to the point which is most welcome.

Thinking about it, I agree that it changed form. Not only with 3D printing but also on how it is transmitted. Companies will no longer publish books or "how to" guides as they will want to sell their own products. But with youtube, blogs, etc... there is an endless source of guides and tips which weren't possible 20 years ago. 3D printing flourishing is also a consequence of this, with all those sites that share files (or sell them). It's basically exchanging crafting terrain using toothpicks and pva glue with designing terrain on programs to print on machines. Must say that toothpicks, pva glue and getting your hands dirty does have an appeal and satisfaction feeling like no other Though I think 3D development still requires a few more years till it becomes more mainstream and user friendly. The amount of technicalities to take into account when printing is a bit daunting, at least when I looked into it (not very tech-savvy, doh!). The SW group has some super neat stuff! I'm all for people creating their own stuff, no matter the means, to improve the experience. Coz as mentions @JPjr, I do find it a bit discouraging how everything around the "wargaming hobby" seems so sterile, tight and controlled in some areas. Walking into a store and seeing the same 3 or 4 mats and straight out the box terrain feels sort of "empty", for a lack of a better word. Not to mention the abomination known as 2D terrain It's actually easier (and cheaper) than most think to build some decent terrain and a real board to exponentially increase the gaming experience quality, but it seems forgotten/avoided by many nowadays. I get that being spoon-fed is appealing to some, but it's shooting yourself in the foot. And for a hobby that is supposed to promote art, crafting skills and spark the imagination in every way, it's a bit of a shame.

Not a story on how I got started (yeah, that's not too interesting ) but I recently got back into building terrain. I made a 24"x24" table which is perfect for skirmish and warband games. Mostly just different types of flocking and some tufts for a nice grass field-like table. Also made some jungle-themed terrain after dusting off the magnificent Lustria supplement. Overall, I think it looks half decent While building the table, it got me thinking how DIY attitude is no longer promoted, as the terrain and gaming mats industry exploded in the last years. I thought it was cool to have tips on how to make your terrain unique. The 1996 "How To Make Wargames Terrain" book is a goldmine (back in the days at least), and the kind of thing I'd love to see done again. I know that GW sells every hobby necessity from A to Z and so will never tell you to make a landspeeder with a deodorant anymore , but the organic feel of playing on a table careful built and customized is fantastic, while gaming mats and plastic terrain always has that sterile feeling, especially when a store or club have all tables looking so similar. Maybe a simple reflection of a hyperconsuming/instant gratification society? Longbeard grumble grumble!

True that about the ballista, I completely forgot! Well, I'm not much of gamer nowadays (would like to play more though) but converting and painting is great fun so it's always motivating! My fuel is mostly switching between different projects to keep the hobby fresh. So waiting 6-7 months to receive the KS minis seems like the perfect excuse for a pause with this army while I concentrate on other exciting stuff (such as testing an innovative skirmish game I'm designing ).

In terms of fluffy flavor, I think running an Anvilgard list would be the most logical since the Elves of The Order are scummy backstabbing traffickers. Though the Principality is supposed to be set in Ghyran, so perhaps Hammerhal could also work as it seems as "fit all" type of rules. Currently, the army would be: Sorceress (Mistress Moriath) 90 Anointed General (Master-Censor Noirythe) 100 10 Phoenix Guard Battleline (Order of Censors) 160 10 Bleakswords Battleline (Reckless Sea Dogs) 90 5 Drakespawn Knights (Mortuary Guard) 170 1 Celestar Ballista Ally (Port-Watchers' Bolt Thrower) 110 It would be cool to continue adding stuff up to 1000 points, which is a nice size. I would probably add a Nomad Prince and Eternal Guard based off some minis I ordered from a KS, but I have to wait for next year to receive them. I suspect there will be some point adjustments with the next GHB (I'm looking at you DrakeKnights...), so lists aren't much of a concerns as they will always change.

I can't clearly remember the last NIB GW models I bought... a box of corsairs a few years back? I do get the odd paint or book from time to time from a lfgs with -15% (no point in going to official stores). The price conversion to Euros always made me uncomfortable, more so when currency exchange has been massively favoring the company for the last 3,5 years (and 75% of their sales are overseas...). Having money to spend is not a reason to get ripped-off, so I could say their prices do have an effect as I currently don't plan to buy more GW products, unless they release a totally awesome model that would make me forget the price tag (which didn't happen in a looooong time). Also, seeing how other miniature companies or second hand sales offer better options, the decision is quickly made.

I don't think that Lovecraft influence is particularly strong in WHFB, and probably even less in AoS. It is a bit more apparent in 40k, with the great menacing vast space and underlying nihilism.... and Tyranids! Perhaps more in the early years. I do think Chaos could be considered to have some lovecraftian flavor, with crazy nightmarish monsters like Spawns or the simple fact that Chaos in itself can make a person go crazy just by trying to understand the whole scope of it (like Archaon?). But Lovecraft doesn't seem to be mentioned as inspiration. Moorcock/Tolkien seem to be the common answer, but apparently Jack Vance and Clark Ashton Smith were equally important (maybe less known?). There is a cool interview with Brian Ansell discussing this: https://realmofchaos80s.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-mighty-avenger-interview-with-bryan.html Another bit of WHFB fluff that makes me think of Lovecraft are the Old Ones. Maybe obvious reference to the "Great Old Ones" although the way they are presented in Warhammer (being the creators and hanging out in Lustria) makes me think more of Anunnaki Mythos. But of course, one could argue there is maybe a link between both? Who knows! I really think that AoS could use the Old Ones as narrative development now that it's all about Gods flying around and magical stuff everywhere. And would make sense considering Lizardmen hang out in space, there a dimensional portals and all that.

^this (if you don't play in GW-enforced places). And besides all the obvious stuff mentioned (ebay, etc...), I would add: Kickstarters: If you don't mind waiting, you can get insane deals on bundles and many choices (KS overload is real). For example, I'm getting 100 minis for 90 Eur in April. Enough for a full army, keeping me busy for a long time for an unbeatable price. Wait for discounts: If you don't mind waiting (I notice a trend...), just wait for Black Friday or similar events. Add that with other ways to get cheaper minis (3rd parties, ect) and you automatically get another insane deal. For example, I got some very very cool looking Chaos stuff from another company whose equivalent in GW would be 87Eur, but I payed..... 28Eur!! Tbh, it's no longer about being able to afford the minis or not (imho, wargaming isn't a particularly expensive hobby) but getting great deals is sort of addicting! So I almost only buy minis this way. And I no longer feel getting value for money when buying directly from high-end price companies when you can just get much better offers.

@Zanzou Supposedly, next year we will have Warhammer Legends treatment for all squatted stuff including points! I think this can bring a lot of interest back from people that have old collections and simply can't connect with the current AoS direction. I for one cannot wait (my big high elves, wood elves and chaos mortals fantasy armies could definitely use it ). I totally agree with your post, and this bit in particular. Using miniatures across multiple systems is super useful and absolutely refreshing to keep the hobby exciting. Since we are (I guess?) in a miniature gaming renaissance, there are (too) many choices and fun stuff to discover. Plus, I don't feel the need to buy as many miniatures (alleviates the pile of unpainted shame) and perceive higher value in the minis I own (more usage, instead of staying on a shelf). Branching out really helped me to keep interested and motivated in wargames. Staying always in a same game/setting/rules makes me very weary and hobby-depressed, so I'm grateful for all the options.

Right on time for the Free Cities book, the project is finally complete! (pic heavy) It's a small army, but the idea behind it was to give old left-overs models and some bits a second chance, as well as writing some cool fluff. Maybe I'll add new stuff (getting some desert elves+halflings from a KS next year) but for now I'll concentrate on other projects. Developing further fluff is always plausible, as there is much to say Army shots: Also, some pics with the last additions: Port-Watchers' Bolt Thrower (SC ballista) Reckless Sea-Dogs (bleakswords) Champion of the Light Tower, mounted on a glorious Cowzilla. (since mounted FG General and Dragon Noble were removed, not sure what count-as could it be. Thank you GW!) That's it!

Concerning the scale, I don't think it should be an issue. It's a dwarf after all I think GW only sculpted 3 dwarf wizards, back in 1991 (second line): If you want another Wizard that might have a slighter larger scale, check the Scribor one, it's great and not too expensive:

Modelbrush has mats specifically done for the Mortals Realms, including Ghyran, Ghur, Aqshy, Shyish, Ulgu.... I don't know if they ship outside of Spain, though. Shyish mat:

Warscrolls for Free Cities are UP! https://www.games-workshop.com/en-NZ/searchResults?N=737771287+78046592

Thanks for the input. Well, the rules aim at implementing some of the Mordheim/Fantasy-Skirmish, so Critical Wounds was a given. I toned them down by not multiplying x2 but I think that overall, they serve their purpose: Skirmish in AoS has the issue of making a lot of the weaker units quite useless, and heroes/brutes really tough and capable of wrecking a whole warband by themselves. So I think that rules like Overwhelm and Critical Wounds are a way to balance them out, as units that are hitting and wounding on 4s or 5s without rend or multiple damage have much more to benefit from them. So your little skaven now have a minimum chance of actually doing something against a glorious elf noble, but at the same time, that same hero will not benefit as much when causing a Critical Wound on a unit that just has a 5+/6+ save (barely has a impact if you already have a -1 or -2 rend). MW are strong, but if everyone has access to them through a lucky roll regardless of the model, it makes weaker units (no rend, bad stats) benefit more comparatively to stronger units, that have much more to lose (good save + multiple wounds). So that's the idea behind it, balance the far stretched performance within a small amount of models game. And yeah, the injury table could work well for all members of a warband, but would require a few changes. AoS has limited stats and options, so it is more difficult to come up with an extensive injury chart that ain't reduced to the same 4-5 options, though. I found that annoying when looking for ideas. Not sure I'd write further stuff (I'd like some jump/fall rules of some sort) or campaign rules. I often do all this in one go when inspired. Which is not often

I can understand people not liking a Hammerhal painted army using Anvildgard rules, for example, as both are represented in a clear way fluff wise and have distinct rules represented in the book. I don't share the issue, but maybe someone can find it confusing or saying it's not thematic enough (narrativeee) or whatever. But if you are going with your own painting scheme and basically have your made up city, I think it should be fine using any of the available rules in the book. I'm sure Greywater Fastness isn't the only city in the entire mortal realms making heavy use of warmachines, so nothing stops one from adopting a similar military style for their own creation. But in any case, I'm quite happy with the previewed stuff for now. Seems like an expansion on the Firestorm concept and a few tweaks, which is reasonable albeit predictable. Retinue thing seems like a good idea, though I was hoping for something like the imperial guard, where a Commander picks a few veterans and specialists with different equipment.

This idea is BRILLIANT! Submitted mine a few days ago. Quite happy with the quality, tried to make an effort adopting a "black library-style" writing, even if I'm not super fan. Coming up with a story wasn't too hard, it's the prequel to the whole narrative of my army project, which already had a lot of fluff developed. Was going to write it at some point anyway. It's maybe a bit too out-the-box for BL, as it's basically Order against "Order" within a Free-City, Sigmar's followers are presented as bad bois and there are no Stormcasts involved (Triple Hereeeesy!). Instant rejection

The very nature of the setting is going to lean more towards the epic side, but I suppose it is somewhere in between (or should?). There is probably room for both the mega-ultra-epic-magical heroes and the lowly life of a filthy starved peasant, even if the former seems much more prominent. Maybe the later comes with time, as the setting gets further foundation. I personally prefer the later. It simply is what I enjoy in all these fantasy worlds. Could also explain why I have a hard time getting interested in the fluff.

It does look a lot like something straight out Rogue Trader, the old Genestealer artwork was somewhat similar... But that mini is actually the mount of a "Prole Diabólica" from the brand Gamezone. It is their Mounted Daemonettes proxy. Now get that mini painted! You are welcome

Progress is being made as the Free Cities book approaches, I finished up 5 Censors to join the other 5 that were already painted to form a little unit of 10 Phoenix Guard. Now aiming to paint during next week the Port-Watchers' Bolt Thrower and the Champion of the Light Tower (dragon noble or something, don't know due to squatting!). Nearly done with the whole army (it's a small one), as afterwards I will just be short of a unit of 10 Reckless Sea-Dogs (bleakswords based off corsairs with lots of bits added).

Love those old models! They look very impressive when you put 20+ in ranks, real feeling of disciplined army. Sadly, I lost mine many years ago... I also like the painting. Seems simple, but the heavy contrast between the gold, red and little amount of clear blue makes them stand out. Well done

I think the most interesting aspect of the old Warband rules was the flexible unit size to adapt to very small games. The scenario with different deployment and victory conditions was also very interesting. Some time ago, I made something similar for AoS but trying to stick more to the original rules, it case it might be a decent reference:

I like skirmish games. Kind of a pity that it is no longer supported. So like in previous cases, I put together a few rules to add new ways to play or further depth to AoS (similar to the "Warbands" supplement I made). Below is a page of rules that pick up many cool aspects of Skirmish from the old warhammer. It's super simple but should make the games pretty cool. Even the smallest of changes can have a big impact. Will try it out whenever possible! DOWNLOAD: Skirmish-Additional Rules.pdf

I don't think the point is to force others to do what you enjoy, nor to force others to spend as much time on the hobby as you do... But for many of us, playing a decent looking table with painted models (no matter how good/bad the paint is) is an essential part of the hobby. It is the way we understand and enjoy the hobby. This does not mean others should adhere to this way of gaming/hobbying, because there are dozens of ways to do so (none of them being right or wrong). However, it means that if I encounter someone that is only interested in rolling dice no matter how pitiful the conditions, I will simply walk away. Because I do not enjoy spending my time playing against a plastic grey mass. I'm sure other people actually do. Good for them. That's why we should stick to like-minded individuals when hobby-socialising (gaming ,etc). I suppose that for tournaments, there are other factors that influence the need of paint, as others pointed out (visibility, etc). So avoiding those type of tournaments wouldn't be a bad idea if it is not the way you like the hobby.