This is a thread for all you wargamers, be it board, computer, or miniatures. Anything along these lines have a home on this thread.
So, lets talk wargaming!
So, lets talk wargaming!
CurtisLemay's All Purpose Wargaming Thread!
- Thread starter CurtisLemay
- Start date
So, I've recently started playing battletech (and mechwarrior, though that's more to help me learn the names of all the mechs. Or some of the mechs, at least). So far I've just got a lance of assault mechs, with some thoughts of expanding that by adding another lance or two, some tanks, and maybe one of those superheavy tripod mechs. So far I like it, it's a bit slow (mostly because I'm new to the game), and I'm not a huge fan of metal minis, but OTOH it's nice to have a game where you have just a few units to keep track of compared to a whole army, and where stuff is cheap enough to collect I can pick up a new unit on a whim instead of having to carefully save up.
I also got mechwarrior 4 reinstalled and working on my new PC, and for a game that's nearly 20 years old it still looks pretty great, though since I grew up playing it that might just be the nostalgia goggles kicking in. Coming back to it after all this time, I've noticed my custom mech designs are a bit more varied, back when I started playing it I just bolted as many lasers as would fit onto the mech and called it a day, now I'm starting to make more use of heavier weapons like PPCs and gauss weapons with lasers as a secondary. I've also been slapping a CSTRK-6 on anything that will fit it, for reasons I can't quite figure out. I would like to use more conventional ballistic weapons, but so far I've found very few compared to the vast laser and missile collection I've built up.
I also got mechwarrior 4 reinstalled and working on my new PC, and for a game that's nearly 20 years old it still looks pretty great, though since I grew up playing it that might just be the nostalgia goggles kicking in. Coming back to it after all this time, I've noticed my custom mech designs are a bit more varied, back when I started playing it I just bolted as many lasers as would fit onto the mech and called it a day, now I'm starting to make more use of heavier weapons like PPCs and gauss weapons with lasers as a secondary. I've also been slapping a CSTRK-6 on anything that will fit it, for reasons I can't quite figure out. I would like to use more conventional ballistic weapons, but so far I've found very few compared to the vast laser and missile collection I've built up.
Last edited:
I would suggest finding somewhere to play first, and asking there. Wargames are very meta dependent, if most people at you local store use lighter mechs or smaller games, you'll want to find something that fits.
That said, the current box set seems to have a decent selection of mechs, that would be where I'd start (hell, if not for the lack of a mad cat mk 2, it's were I would have started).
So, speaking of battletech and thier kickstarter, they updated thier stretch goals. Most of it's kinda so-so, but they have some neater bits. It's also 300 grand away with 5 days left, so I'm not sure they'll unlock it (then again, it was 400 grand away this morning). The new stuff includes:
- a magazine of at least 4 issues
-More updates to the paint scheme paint guide from an earlier stretch goal
-an urbanmech model
-an urbanmech plushie
Some are free to all backers, others for certain pledge levels only.
I kinda hope they make it, I want a free urbanmech. I shall paint to look like Judge Dredd, and call it the Karl Urbanmech.
- a magazine of at least 4 issues
-More updates to the paint scheme paint guide from an earlier stretch goal
-an urbanmech model
-an urbanmech plushie
Some are free to all backers, others for certain pledge levels only.
I kinda hope they make it, I want a free urbanmech. I shall paint to look like Judge Dredd, and call it the Karl Urbanmech.
I might get the plushie for my wife.
Well, only 250 k left to go. It's nice to see all the memes about that trashcan finally coming to some productive use. Granted, it's mostly just to perpetuate the urbanmech meme, but what can you expect.
Got my first battlemech painted up and ready to go:
It was a lot slower and harder than I expected, the skillset involved in painting a 6mm scale mech vs a 28mm scale soldier is a lot differant, because even though they're about the same size, the intended look of the model is totally different. I'm not 100% happy with how it turned out and there are things I'll do better next time, but for a first attempt it's pretty solid, and since CGL is coming up with a new daishi inside the next year, I can try again when that hits shelves.
It was a lot slower and harder than I expected, the skillset involved in painting a 6mm scale mech vs a 28mm scale soldier is a lot differant, because even though they're about the same size, the intended look of the model is totally different. I'm not 100% happy with how it turned out and there are things I'll do better next time, but for a first attempt it's pretty solid, and since CGL is coming up with a new daishi inside the next year, I can try again when that hits shelves.
For your first? That is a hell of a lot better than my efforts.
However, I got better!
However, I got better!
Last edited:
Well, first mech, as I said I've painted other stuff so I have some experience.
I'm assuming your two mecha are using some transfer sheets or something for some of those insignia and logos, right?
I'm assuming your two mecha are using some transfer sheets or something for some of those insignia and logos, right?
Yep, mix of Fighting Piranaha Graphics and I-94 Enterprises.
Oh, Piranaha has a whole set of Ghost bear transfers. I need to get some of those.
Edit: and also a website design that hasn't been updated since about 1996 or so.
Last edited:
Well, this is the piece I am most proud of.
And this guy
And these fellas ain't too bad either.
Last edited:
So, speaking of that newly painted Dire Wolf, anyone got a suggestion or preference for a good variant to run it as? I've been running mine stock, but it just builds up too much heat with all those large lasers and so few sinks.
Most of my other mechs are long range gauss/missile platforms, as is the next set of models I have on order, so I've been leaning towards building the dire wolf as a more short range ballistic mech, maybe based on the D or S model (I have similar thoughts for the Kodiak II I ordered. Swap the LRM 10 for an ATM, the LRM 20s for Streak SRMs, fit some really melee weapons in place of those cosmetic claws, maybe get some heavy small installed lasers, etc. Build it for melee and almost melee range combat).
Thoughts?
Most of my other mechs are long range gauss/missile platforms, as is the next set of models I have on order, so I've been leaning towards building the dire wolf as a more short range ballistic mech, maybe based on the D or S model (I have similar thoughts for the Kodiak II I ordered. Swap the LRM 10 for an ATM, the LRM 20s for Streak SRMs, fit some really melee weapons in place of those cosmetic claws, maybe get some heavy small installed lasers, etc. Build it for melee and almost melee range combat).
Thoughts?
Assault Mechs are by their nature, slow. So, I'd set her up for bracket fighting, but that is the way I roll.
Well, I just got back from my first game of Battletech. It was a lot different than I expected from the HBS videogame.
For one thing, hit percentages are skewed and you can't wear down a mech's evasion with multiple attacks. Because of the way GATOR works, a zippy light mech like a Locust is nearly invincible when running at full speed. There were several rounds where we declared actions, and then realized that there was a zero percent chance of hitting each other because the To-Hit was more than twelve.
It actually rewards risky behavior and penalizes alpha strikes. There was one round where my Shadowhawk and my Commando were caught in a bad position, but both escaped without a scratch because my opponent missed all his attacks. But heat management is a lot more important in this game, because the negative effects start stacking at the low end of the heat scale. Compare to HBS Battletech, where there is no reason to not do alpha strikes until you approach the 70% heat threshold.
I dunno. I had fun, but it's going to take me a while to learn how this game plays.
For one thing, hit percentages are skewed and you can't wear down a mech's evasion with multiple attacks. Because of the way GATOR works, a zippy light mech like a Locust is nearly invincible when running at full speed. There were several rounds where we declared actions, and then realized that there was a zero percent chance of hitting each other because the To-Hit was more than twelve.
It actually rewards risky behavior and penalizes alpha strikes. There was one round where my Shadowhawk and my Commando were caught in a bad position, but both escaped without a scratch because my opponent missed all his attacks. But heat management is a lot more important in this game, because the negative effects start stacking at the low end of the heat scale. Compare to HBS Battletech, where there is no reason to not do alpha strikes until you approach the 70% heat threshold.
I dunno. I had fun, but it's going to take me a while to learn how this game plays.
PsihoKekec
Swashbuckling Accountant
It helps to play a few games against bot in MegaMek. It helped me stop forgetting to roll the PSRs.
I actually got into mechwarrior first and then tabletop, but the transition had the same issues. Most of your mechs can't shoot straight, heat is a way bigger deal, alpha strikes are a huge gamble instead of a something you fire off 3-4 times and then need to avoid, light mechs are nigh invulnerable instead of being minor inconveniences, etc.
I also just had my first lance on lance game, with the other guy bringing a bunch of IS mechs upgraded with clan tech. I now see why mechfactory doesn't let you do that, because that kind of mixed tech stuff is crazy strong*. Mostly it was a bunch of pulse lasers linked to targeting computers, along with a mostly stock highlander.....and then there was one mech that had a shield (as in a big metal shield, not a deflector shield or something). That shield was annoying, it covered most of the mech's torso, absorbed 5 points of damage every time I hit one the areas it covered, and it could withstand 18 hits before failing.
So between those mechs constantly running crazy fast but still bring able to shoot accurately and my own mechs not being able to hit them nearly as well....yeah, bad time. My mad cat mk II D was destroyed, the mk II Prime was crippled, and the rest were either out of ammo or badly outnumbered. On the plus side, I was happy because at least a newly painted model that I'd brought survived the battle for once (that rarely happens, anything I bring in that's freshly painted almost always dies/explodes/etc), and the other guy was a bit unhappy because he wasn't trying to curb stomp me that badly, so I'll call this a draw.
Also at that game, the store owner brought out his collection of dark age models, though mostly so his kid could play with them. I've got a bunch of the wizkids halo figures, and I had assumed the mechwarrior ones were in the same scale. They are not, the mechwarrior models are comparatively huge, like 3 inches or so tall for even the light mechs (they're also not usable in the same game as the regular clix minis, so my dream justice league vs halo + mechwarrior battle will not happen). So now I'm looking to buy and repaint a few of those for my knickknack shelf. To my immense irritation, even though the mad cat mark II, aka my favorite mech ever, was the iconic flagship mech of the dark age line:
They do not actually have a mad cat mk II model. They have models called a mad cat mk II, but the actual model is clearly a mark 1:
I'm starting to see why people hate the dark age so much. At least the mk IV looks cool.
*and now that I know it's allowed, I am 100% going to fit a C3i system to all my mechs, and grab a scout mech or two. Good bye annoying range modifiers.
I also just had my first lance on lance game, with the other guy bringing a bunch of IS mechs upgraded with clan tech. I now see why mechfactory doesn't let you do that, because that kind of mixed tech stuff is crazy strong*. Mostly it was a bunch of pulse lasers linked to targeting computers, along with a mostly stock highlander.....and then there was one mech that had a shield (as in a big metal shield, not a deflector shield or something). That shield was annoying, it covered most of the mech's torso, absorbed 5 points of damage every time I hit one the areas it covered, and it could withstand 18 hits before failing.
So between those mechs constantly running crazy fast but still bring able to shoot accurately and my own mechs not being able to hit them nearly as well....yeah, bad time. My mad cat mk II D was destroyed, the mk II Prime was crippled, and the rest were either out of ammo or badly outnumbered. On the plus side, I was happy because at least a newly painted model that I'd brought survived the battle for once (that rarely happens, anything I bring in that's freshly painted almost always dies/explodes/etc), and the other guy was a bit unhappy because he wasn't trying to curb stomp me that badly, so I'll call this a draw.
Also at that game, the store owner brought out his collection of dark age models, though mostly so his kid could play with them. I've got a bunch of the wizkids halo figures, and I had assumed the mechwarrior ones were in the same scale. They are not, the mechwarrior models are comparatively huge, like 3 inches or so tall for even the light mechs (they're also not usable in the same game as the regular clix minis, so my dream justice league vs halo + mechwarrior battle will not happen). So now I'm looking to buy and repaint a few of those for my knickknack shelf. To my immense irritation, even though the mad cat mark II, aka my favorite mech ever, was the iconic flagship mech of the dark age line:
They do not actually have a mad cat mk II model. They have models called a mad cat mk II, but the actual model is clearly a mark 1:
I'm starting to see why people hate the dark age so much. At least the mk IV looks cool.
*and now that I know it's allowed, I am 100% going to fit a C3i system to all my mechs, and grab a scout mech or two. Good bye annoying range modifiers.
So, I just got my hands on the MWDA Mad Cat mk IV, and am in the process of repainting it. Thus far, it's not going well. Wizkids should start selling whatever they paint these things with, because after like 4 hours in a bath of simple green, it's not coming off, while citadel paints comes off in a quarter of that time.
I've also mostly refitted my battletech lance with C3i and some heavy duty ECM (in case anyone gets funny ideas about trying to disable my C3), but otherwise everything is running mostly stock loadouts. The exception is the mad cat mk II 4 (the quad large laser one), I've been unable to rejigger it's laser battery into something that doesn't suffer heat issues, so instead it's now a 90 ton version of the mad cat D.
I've also mostly refitted my battletech lance with C3i and some heavy duty ECM (in case anyone gets funny ideas about trying to disable my C3), but otherwise everything is running mostly stock loadouts. The exception is the mad cat mk II 4 (the quad large laser one), I've been unable to rejigger it's laser battery into something that doesn't suffer heat issues, so instead it's now a 90 ton version of the mad cat D.
PsihoKekec
Swashbuckling Accountant
Are you expanding lance to six mechs to get full advantage to C3i?