Goats sacrificed to fix Nepal jet
Nepal's state-run airline has confirmed that it sacrificed two goats to appease a Hindu god, following technical problems with one of its aircraft. Nepal Airlines said the animals were slaughtered in front of the plane - a Boeing 757 - at Kathmandu airport.
The offering was made to Akash Bhairab, the Hindu god of sky protection, whose symbol is seen on the company's planes. The airline said that after Sunday's ceremony the plane successfully completed a flight to Hong Kong.
"The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights," senior airline official Raju KC was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Nepal Airlines has two Boeing aircraft in its fleet. The persistent faults with one of the planes had led to the postponement of a number of flights in recent weeks. The company has not said what the problem was, but reports in local media have blamed an electrical fault.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Just Because.
37 years ago a witch done put a spell on me
A spell where when I'm talkin' I'm singin' it with glee.
When you're always singin' you got to live alone
That's why I made this mountain shack my home.
And when you're on the mountain, you got no guarantees
That life will turn up roses or turn out as you please.
When you're on the mountain, there's lots to be a'feared
That's why this here old mountain goat's prepared!
Be prepared, be prepared,
This lesson must be shared,
This lesson must be shared,
Be prepared!
Be prepared, be prepared,
And unless you got a spare,
You got one life, so handle it with care!
(goat yodelling)
I got horns that open bottles,
And I got horns that hold my keys,
I got horns that when you turn 'em right, they help me watch TV.
I got horns that open pickle jars,
And horns that come with hair,
I got horns that hang my other horns -
I always come prepared.
Be prepared, be prepared,
This lesson must be shared,
This lesson must be shared,
Be prepared!
Be prepared, be prepared,
And unless you got a spare,
You got one life, so handle it with care!
Yeeeheeeee! Keep your hands and feet inside of the vehicle at all times!
(goat yodelling and more)
Ooooooh, an avalanche is comin' and I do not feel prepared,
It's rumblin' like a mountain lion - I must say that I'm scared,
And if not for the witch's spell you'd hear just how I scream,
But since I'm only singin', I'll just yodel 'til we're creamed!
(goat yodelling...)
Baaaaa!
A spell where when I'm talkin' I'm singin' it with glee.
When you're always singin' you got to live alone
That's why I made this mountain shack my home.
And when you're on the mountain, you got no guarantees
That life will turn up roses or turn out as you please.
When you're on the mountain, there's lots to be a'feared
That's why this here old mountain goat's prepared!
Be prepared, be prepared,
This lesson must be shared,
This lesson must be shared,
Be prepared!
Be prepared, be prepared,
And unless you got a spare,
You got one life, so handle it with care!
(goat yodelling)
I got horns that open bottles,
And I got horns that hold my keys,
I got horns that when you turn 'em right, they help me watch TV.
I got horns that open pickle jars,
And horns that come with hair,
I got horns that hang my other horns -
I always come prepared.
Be prepared, be prepared,
This lesson must be shared,
This lesson must be shared,
Be prepared!
Be prepared, be prepared,
And unless you got a spare,
You got one life, so handle it with care!
Yeeeheeeee! Keep your hands and feet inside of the vehicle at all times!
(goat yodelling and more)
Ooooooh, an avalanche is comin' and I do not feel prepared,
It's rumblin' like a mountain lion - I must say that I'm scared,
And if not for the witch's spell you'd hear just how I scream,
But since I'm only singin', I'll just yodel 'til we're creamed!
(goat yodelling...)
Baaaaa!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
LoveFilm
If any of the UK Hobblings are interested in getting film rentals, then I can benefit from referring you to LoveFilm. Just follow the link!
Any questions should be on the site, I've been using them now for several months and have had no problems at all.
Any questions should be on the site, I've been using them now for several months and have had no problems at all.
Archie sighting?
From Aero-news.net...
Kansas Aviation Museum Investigated By Paranormal Researchers
Looking For Things That Go Bump In The Night... And The Day, Too
Great Plains Paranormal Investigations recently spent a night investigating one of the burning questions of our time: Is the Kansas Aviation Museum haunted?
Ok, well, maybe it's not burning, exactly... but it is kind of interesting. Lead investigator Sam Tyree and his team had heard a lot of stories about the facility... like of the man wearing a fedora that appears in front of you then vanishes, 40s style music playing somewhere, voices of a crowd in a distance -- where there are no people.
At the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita, such goings-on are apparently pretty routine.
Tyree was so intrigued by the stories; he requested permission to spend a night at the museum. He also wanted to perhaps validate a picture he took there. It shows this wispy looking little orb that could be something on the lens or…maybe not.
Museum Director Teresa Day thinks that kind of stuff is fun.
"From my perspective, we are doing this out of curiosity," she said. "It could bring attention to this old building and make it more interesting. At the same time, I don't want people thinking we are off track from our mission."
Back in the day, the Wichita Municipal Airport (ICT) was a major stopover for the airlines and was one of the busiest airports in the nation with something taking off or landing about every 90 seconds in the 1940s, according to the Wichita Eagle.
Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh have been said to have graced the facility, as well as Fred Astaire and Gregory Peck. The airport was eventually closed, after the military took it over and ran off general aviation first, then commercial airlines, and it was turned into an aviation museum.
So, Saturday night, Tyree and his team arrived and set up camp brining audio and video equipment and an electromagnetic field indicator and stayed until 4 a.m.
Tyree said they heard sounds like public announcements from another era.
"Stone buildings can sometimes get events recorded and under the right conditions will replay themselves," he said.
Is that all?
"We did have an exceptional experience," Tyree said.
He said the electromagnetic field indicator gauge needle began jumping when readings were taken near the skeleton of a 1931 Stearman. The aircraft went down in Alaska many years ago.
"We asked emotionally charged questions and it responded to our questions for 10 minutes," Tyree said. "We need to go back in and double-check but we believe it's the pilot who died in the plane. He was a crop duster and did not want the plane scrapped. He wants it restored to flying condition."
According to Tyree, the pilot said the accident wasn't his fault and a defective engine brought the plane down.
"It's definitely unusual," Tyree said. "You normally don't get that level of interaction."
Museum volunteer Cyndi Rhodes has had some weird experiences herself in the museum. She recalls one instance while working in the gift shop.
"It was quiet that day yet I could hear voices in the next room," Rhodes said. "It was a babble of voices. They were happy."
The she heard a door slam upon returning one night after closing, "like somebody was really irritated, but there wasn't anybody there," Rhodes said. "I decided we must have disturbed the ghost for whatever was planned that evening."
Tyree denies being a ghost hunter, he just uses scientific methods and equipment to rule out what has explanation and document what doesn't. Anything that cannot be explained is "preternatural."
"People talk about the supernatural," he said. "The supernatural only refers to God. Preternatural is everything else."
The team wants to return for further study.
Kansas Aviation Museum Investigated By Paranormal Researchers
Looking For Things That Go Bump In The Night... And The Day, Too
Great Plains Paranormal Investigations recently spent a night investigating one of the burning questions of our time: Is the Kansas Aviation Museum haunted?
Ok, well, maybe it's not burning, exactly... but it is kind of interesting. Lead investigator Sam Tyree and his team had heard a lot of stories about the facility... like of the man wearing a fedora that appears in front of you then vanishes, 40s style music playing somewhere, voices of a crowd in a distance -- where there are no people.
At the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita, such goings-on are apparently pretty routine.
Tyree was so intrigued by the stories; he requested permission to spend a night at the museum. He also wanted to perhaps validate a picture he took there. It shows this wispy looking little orb that could be something on the lens or…maybe not.
Museum Director Teresa Day thinks that kind of stuff is fun.
"From my perspective, we are doing this out of curiosity," she said. "It could bring attention to this old building and make it more interesting. At the same time, I don't want people thinking we are off track from our mission."
Back in the day, the Wichita Municipal Airport (ICT) was a major stopover for the airlines and was one of the busiest airports in the nation with something taking off or landing about every 90 seconds in the 1940s, according to the Wichita Eagle.
Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh have been said to have graced the facility, as well as Fred Astaire and Gregory Peck. The airport was eventually closed, after the military took it over and ran off general aviation first, then commercial airlines, and it was turned into an aviation museum.
So, Saturday night, Tyree and his team arrived and set up camp brining audio and video equipment and an electromagnetic field indicator and stayed until 4 a.m.
Tyree said they heard sounds like public announcements from another era.
"Stone buildings can sometimes get events recorded and under the right conditions will replay themselves," he said.
Is that all?
"We did have an exceptional experience," Tyree said.
He said the electromagnetic field indicator gauge needle began jumping when readings were taken near the skeleton of a 1931 Stearman. The aircraft went down in Alaska many years ago.
"We asked emotionally charged questions and it responded to our questions for 10 minutes," Tyree said. "We need to go back in and double-check but we believe it's the pilot who died in the plane. He was a crop duster and did not want the plane scrapped. He wants it restored to flying condition."
According to Tyree, the pilot said the accident wasn't his fault and a defective engine brought the plane down.
"It's definitely unusual," Tyree said. "You normally don't get that level of interaction."
Museum volunteer Cyndi Rhodes has had some weird experiences herself in the museum. She recalls one instance while working in the gift shop.
"It was quiet that day yet I could hear voices in the next room," Rhodes said. "It was a babble of voices. They were happy."
The she heard a door slam upon returning one night after closing, "like somebody was really irritated, but there wasn't anybody there," Rhodes said. "I decided we must have disturbed the ghost for whatever was planned that evening."
Tyree denies being a ghost hunter, he just uses scientific methods and equipment to rule out what has explanation and document what doesn't. Anything that cannot be explained is "preternatural."
"People talk about the supernatural," he said. "The supernatural only refers to God. Preternatural is everything else."
The team wants to return for further study.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The Apocalypse cometh
Thou art the whisper in the gloom, The hinting tone, the haunting laugh:
Thou art the adorner of my tomb, The minstrel of mine epitaph.
- Lionel Johnson, "The Dark Angel"
I haven't posted anything on here about the new release of "Apocalypse" that is coming this autumn. Partly as there were so many rumours on Warseer that it was hard to really see what the new rules would bring.
Recently, more information has been 'leaked' at the recent conventions in the US, and I'm finally getting excited.
Okay, those of you who aren't gamers (and that is probably almost all of the people reading this) won't get the attraction at all.
Anyway, most games use a fixed points limit for the game, usually up to 2,000. However, many veteran players have collected armies of considerably more points than this, from which we can pick selective forces for a particular game.
Games Workshop have realised that there are a lot of players out there in that situation; so they have compiled a variation on the game that does away with the points limit. Basically, you field as much as you have.
Enter Apocalypse.
The game is designed for games of 5,000 points upwards, and goes back to the basic gaming intention - lots of fun. Grab yourself a team mate if you haven't enough points, add some really nasty strategies (orbital bombardments, reinforcements...) to make up any shortfall and off you go.
To enjoy gaming you need a good imagination. From watching media like Starship Troopers, Halo, Halo2, Star Wars, Gladiator, 300, you name it, there is plenty of imagery of mass armies landing on the battle field from space-launched drop pods, troop carriers, multi-launch rocket systems firing salvo after salvo.
Now, I get to control them all.
I can launch a drop pod assault with the entire Fifth Company of the Dark Angels Chapter, over 110 men, supported by assault troops landing from low flying transport ships and batteries of tank weaponry.
I can defend against an unstoppable green horde of Orks charging the last stand of a heavily outnumbered force.
Yes, I am a sad geek, but right now I don't care.
I'm waiting for the Apocalypse.
Thou art the adorner of my tomb, The minstrel of mine epitaph.
- Lionel Johnson, "The Dark Angel"
I haven't posted anything on here about the new release of "Apocalypse" that is coming this autumn. Partly as there were so many rumours on Warseer that it was hard to really see what the new rules would bring.
Recently, more information has been 'leaked' at the recent conventions in the US, and I'm finally getting excited.
Okay, those of you who aren't gamers (and that is probably almost all of the people reading this) won't get the attraction at all.
Anyway, most games use a fixed points limit for the game, usually up to 2,000. However, many veteran players have collected armies of considerably more points than this, from which we can pick selective forces for a particular game.
Games Workshop have realised that there are a lot of players out there in that situation; so they have compiled a variation on the game that does away with the points limit. Basically, you field as much as you have.
Enter Apocalypse.
The game is designed for games of 5,000 points upwards, and goes back to the basic gaming intention - lots of fun. Grab yourself a team mate if you haven't enough points, add some really nasty strategies (orbital bombardments, reinforcements...) to make up any shortfall and off you go.
To enjoy gaming you need a good imagination. From watching media like Starship Troopers, Halo, Halo2, Star Wars, Gladiator, 300, you name it, there is plenty of imagery of mass armies landing on the battle field from space-launched drop pods, troop carriers, multi-launch rocket systems firing salvo after salvo.
Now, I get to control them all.
I can launch a drop pod assault with the entire Fifth Company of the Dark Angels Chapter, over 110 men, supported by assault troops landing from low flying transport ships and batteries of tank weaponry.
I can defend against an unstoppable green horde of Orks charging the last stand of a heavily outnumbered force.
Yes, I am a sad geek, but right now I don't care.
I'm waiting for the Apocalypse.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
More than meets the eye (spoilers - beware!)
I forgot to add a mention on here about Transformers. I guess you either love it or hate it, and I suspect anyone who loved the generation one toys and film will be in the former group.
Apart from the robots losing too much of their disguise (not enough bits that were obviously car body panels, and so on) it looked great. Getting the original voice for Prime was a Good Thing.
I've seen it three times now, and still enjoy it. Definately one for the DVD colleciton later.
Best bits...
- The Spectre opening a large can of whoop-ass on Scorpinock.
- Bumblebee dinging the door of the VW Bug next to him in the car sales. Take that, Disney!.
- Bumblebee going off in a huff when called a heap, then returning as the newer model.
- Those memorable lines from the original cartoons that found their way in.
- The Decepticon Jar Jar Binks taking it's own head off by mistake with a blade.
- Ironhide threatening the 'rodent'.
- The Autobots (including Optimus) trying to hide from Sam's parents.
Apart from the robots losing too much of their disguise (not enough bits that were obviously car body panels, and so on) it looked great. Getting the original voice for Prime was a Good Thing.
I've seen it three times now, and still enjoy it. Definately one for the DVD colleciton later.
Best bits...
- The Spectre opening a large can of whoop-ass on Scorpinock.
- Bumblebee dinging the door of the VW Bug next to him in the car sales. Take that, Disney!.
- Bumblebee going off in a huff when called a heap, then returning as the newer model.
- Those memorable lines from the original cartoons that found their way in.
- The Decepticon Jar Jar Binks taking it's own head off by mistake with a blade.
- Ironhide threatening the 'rodent'.
- The Autobots (including Optimus) trying to hide from Sam's parents.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
A call to arms
Finally, a glorious victory for the Order of the Raven.
1,400 points against Jay's High Elf army. He's taken an interesting approach to WHFB: large units. Very large units of troops. One of 35 spear, one of 16 archers and 16 heavy cavalry. Each led by a character.
Against him I had two units of Raven Knights, one upgraded to Inner Circle, led by Marcus himself (looking much better now he's mostly painted!). My usual unit of 20 spear, led by the Battle standard bearer and magician, with two hand gunner detachments. A unit of 20 swords, plus the cannon and volley gun.
With the speed of the cavalry, the Elves were close to my lines on their first move. In two ranks of 8, they were heading straight at the unit of spearmen in my centre. With one unit of knights on each flank (although with the Inner circle farther away on the other side of a wood) I was aiming to pincer the cavalry with my own. I advanced my Inner Circle knights and Outriders on the left flank, making sure I didn't block the view the cannon had at the flank of the Elven cavalry. On the right, I advanced the swordsmen and manoeuvred the knights there in preparation for a flank charge once the Elves arrived.
As against the Dwarves, magic against High Elves is pretty much a non-starter, and I wasn't able to successfully cast anything all game.
The cannon should have been able to bounce a round down the length of one rank, however the Dice Gods were not with me and the cannon misfired, killing the crew. The volley gun also managed to jam on the first barrel. My hand gunners were their usual useless selves and couldn't hit a thing.
Not a good start.
The Elven Cavalry charged my spearmen and one hand gunner units with both Hand gunner units standing and firing (but to no effect). My Wizard issued a challenge, which the General, laughing so hard he almost fell off his horse, allowed his champion to meet. Victor von Doom calmly revealed Van Horstman's Speculum. This rather sneaky, backstabbing and downright dirty little magic item swaps the fighters' Weapon Skill, Strength, toughness, initiative and number of attacks. As you can imagine, Wizards are not very good at any of these, whereas enemy champions and/or generals are pretty natty. Oh, and if the challenge is refused, the chickenshit has to skulk at the back of his unit, unable to fight or provide leadership. Alas, both managed to miss each other and not cause any wounds. However the rest of the Elves managed to kill 9 spearmen and hand gunners.
Both units broke, and were cut down by the Elves...who moved so far they left the field of battle completely. They would be returning on their next turn, in the same place the left.
The archers cut down several of my swordsmen, who broke and ran, panicking the hand gunners next to them. The knights, however, held their ground.
I prepared my revenge. The hand gunners and swordsmen rallied, and the knights manoeuvred to face the returning Elves. On my left, the Outriders fired at the approaching spearmen (spearelves?), killing a couple. More were killed by the volley gun, forcing a panic test which they passed.
In the Elven turn, the spearmen then charged the Outriders whom they wiped out in combat (not surprising, really, given the difference in numbers!). The knights turned returned from their tea and biscuits, and (unable to march) moved juuust far enough to be close to the knights, but outside the line of sight of the swordsmen.
My turn...and revenge is sweet. The Inner Circle Knights charged the spearmen flank. The Champion accepted the challenge from the character, and calmly took the blows on his armour. Meanwhile Marcus and the Knights butchered several elves. In a mirror of what had happened to the Empire on the previous turn, the spearmen broke, and were cut down by the cavalry.
The other unit of knights charged the Elven cavalry. The well-armoured knights were more of an even match (despite the numbers) and managed to win the combat, but the break test was passed by the Elves.
In the Elven turn, the knight combat remained again at a stalemate, both sides' armour proving too hard to cut through with hand weapons. The archers fired again, killing more of my hand gunners, who refused to break again. The volley gun crew were also wiped out by a spell.
Back to the Empire, and the swordsmen were able to charge the flank of the Elven knights. My Inner Circle knights reformed, ready to re-join the fray, and the hand gunners advanced on the archers.
The swordsmen were enough to swing the melee in my favour. The combat bonus from the flank charge, the ranks of troops and the additional unit standard were enough to reduce the Elves' leadership...coupled with a roll of 10. The remaining 14 Elven knights broke and ran from the field of battle.
This left the Elves with only the remaining archers. Taking a stand against the approaching Inner Circle knights, they were able to cut down one. The Inner Circle knights charged, losing another to the hail of arrows on the way in, but were able to butcher the entire unit, save the wizard. After a check to see if "Immune to Panic" also applied to "Your Unit was wiped out and you need to make a Break Test, bub" we decided the lone Elf should take a test. In the end, the issue was a moot point, as a double-6 was rolled and the pointy-eared one ran.
Marcus could have left the Elf alive, but he wasn't sure of the fate of Ulrik who had been leading the spearmen. Driven by anger, he spurred his warhorse forwards, and cut the Mages head off.
The field belonged to the Empire.
So...
I was left with the general and 3 Inner circle knights (from 5), 3 knights (from 5), most of the swordsmen, about six hand gunners. Not a lot, really.
Knights...Great! They more than made their points back in this game. They form the only hard-hitting units I can get (other than Great Swords). They held their own against superior numbers, and with Marcus to help out were not so much an effective fighting force but a natural disaster. Had I charged the front of the spear unit, things may not have gone so well (far more elves would have been able to fight back, and they would have received their full rank bonuses).
The pincer attack worked very well, however I should have swapped the two units of knights over. The Inner Circle and General would have been more effective against the Elven cavalry should things not have gone so well, and the 'basic' knights would still have been useful against the spearmen.
This tactic is something I'll be using again, especially against those Elves.
Hand gunners. I'm still not convinced these are of much use, but I am reluctant to retire them and leave me with no ranged foot troops. I think that in all the games I have played they have killed maybe 5 enemy, and have been wiped out in most games. In this game, I should have used the second unit to flank charge the Knights. This would have given me a +2 combat resolution, in addition to removing the Elven rank bonus. Perhaps enough to swing the result to a Leadership test that didn't require snake-eyes to pass. Had I fielded my usual unit of halberdiers, the strength bonus may have helped as well.
Artillery...well, some you win and some you lose. Have both the cannon and volley gun worked properly, they would have decimated the Cavalry charge, perhaps even wiping them out completely. The volley gun did redeem itself later in the game by killing several spearmen, then some of the archers. However these are clearly two items that I cannot reply on to win the game for me.
Spearmen...wiped out again! the Speculum was a great idea, just I was unlucky with the actual combat. Definitely something to use again. I'm tempted to go for a larger unit of 30 spearmen as my standard basic unit size. The additional four models in the combat will be useful. Keeping the Inner Circle knights closer, with the General's leadership, would also benefit the unit. I'm also tempted by the Griffon Banner, that doubles the rank bonus of the unit. Although it would leave Ulrik with no magic armour, or upgraded weapons, this would give a basic +8 combat resolution (2 standards, 3 ranks doubled). That would have meant my losing to the Elves by only 3. With the General's leadership of 8, and the re-roll from the Battle Standard, there is a fair chance the unit would have remained in play.
Swordsmen...these guys saved the day again. Despite panicking on the first turn, these guys helped kill the Elven cavalry and still had enough troops left to start advancing on the Elven archers! The shield/hand weapon bonuses are useful, and I think I'll be converting some of my left-over spearmen back into swordsmen.
Regiment size...The large units used by the Elves was an interesting idea, but it means when things go wrong, they *really* go wrong. I only killed maybe a dozen models in all the combats, yet wiped out the entire army as they broke and ran. The Empire can effectively employ similar numbers but are better off using the detachments for the flank counter charge.
Tactics...30 spearmen with Griffon standard and 10 hand gunners and 10 swordsmen detachment. Inner Circle Knights on opposite side of spears to the swordsmen. Spearmen get charged - the swordsmen flank charge. Wizard issue a challenge, using the Speculum and hopefully killing something nasty. The unit should be able to withstand the combat. On my next turn, the knights flank-charge, and should be able to cause enough additional casualties to win the combat. The two units of 5 knights can go a-hunting artillery and skirmishers. 20 swordsmen to cover the artillery and flank charge anything else coming at me.
1,400 points against Jay's High Elf army. He's taken an interesting approach to WHFB: large units. Very large units of troops. One of 35 spear, one of 16 archers and 16 heavy cavalry. Each led by a character.
Against him I had two units of Raven Knights, one upgraded to Inner Circle, led by Marcus himself (looking much better now he's mostly painted!). My usual unit of 20 spear, led by the Battle standard bearer and magician, with two hand gunner detachments. A unit of 20 swords, plus the cannon and volley gun.
With the speed of the cavalry, the Elves were close to my lines on their first move. In two ranks of 8, they were heading straight at the unit of spearmen in my centre. With one unit of knights on each flank (although with the Inner circle farther away on the other side of a wood) I was aiming to pincer the cavalry with my own. I advanced my Inner Circle knights and Outriders on the left flank, making sure I didn't block the view the cannon had at the flank of the Elven cavalry. On the right, I advanced the swordsmen and manoeuvred the knights there in preparation for a flank charge once the Elves arrived.
As against the Dwarves, magic against High Elves is pretty much a non-starter, and I wasn't able to successfully cast anything all game.
The cannon should have been able to bounce a round down the length of one rank, however the Dice Gods were not with me and the cannon misfired, killing the crew. The volley gun also managed to jam on the first barrel. My hand gunners were their usual useless selves and couldn't hit a thing.
Not a good start.
The Elven Cavalry charged my spearmen and one hand gunner units with both Hand gunner units standing and firing (but to no effect). My Wizard issued a challenge, which the General, laughing so hard he almost fell off his horse, allowed his champion to meet. Victor von Doom calmly revealed Van Horstman's Speculum. This rather sneaky, backstabbing and downright dirty little magic item swaps the fighters' Weapon Skill, Strength, toughness, initiative and number of attacks. As you can imagine, Wizards are not very good at any of these, whereas enemy champions and/or generals are pretty natty. Oh, and if the challenge is refused, the chickenshit has to skulk at the back of his unit, unable to fight or provide leadership. Alas, both managed to miss each other and not cause any wounds. However the rest of the Elves managed to kill 9 spearmen and hand gunners.
Both units broke, and were cut down by the Elves...who moved so far they left the field of battle completely. They would be returning on their next turn, in the same place the left.
The archers cut down several of my swordsmen, who broke and ran, panicking the hand gunners next to them. The knights, however, held their ground.
I prepared my revenge. The hand gunners and swordsmen rallied, and the knights manoeuvred to face the returning Elves. On my left, the Outriders fired at the approaching spearmen (spearelves?), killing a couple. More were killed by the volley gun, forcing a panic test which they passed.
In the Elven turn, the spearmen then charged the Outriders whom they wiped out in combat (not surprising, really, given the difference in numbers!). The knights turned returned from their tea and biscuits, and (unable to march) moved juuust far enough to be close to the knights, but outside the line of sight of the swordsmen.
My turn...and revenge is sweet. The Inner Circle Knights charged the spearmen flank. The Champion accepted the challenge from the character, and calmly took the blows on his armour. Meanwhile Marcus and the Knights butchered several elves. In a mirror of what had happened to the Empire on the previous turn, the spearmen broke, and were cut down by the cavalry.
The other unit of knights charged the Elven cavalry. The well-armoured knights were more of an even match (despite the numbers) and managed to win the combat, but the break test was passed by the Elves.
In the Elven turn, the knight combat remained again at a stalemate, both sides' armour proving too hard to cut through with hand weapons. The archers fired again, killing more of my hand gunners, who refused to break again. The volley gun crew were also wiped out by a spell.
Back to the Empire, and the swordsmen were able to charge the flank of the Elven knights. My Inner Circle knights reformed, ready to re-join the fray, and the hand gunners advanced on the archers.
The swordsmen were enough to swing the melee in my favour. The combat bonus from the flank charge, the ranks of troops and the additional unit standard were enough to reduce the Elves' leadership...coupled with a roll of 10. The remaining 14 Elven knights broke and ran from the field of battle.
This left the Elves with only the remaining archers. Taking a stand against the approaching Inner Circle knights, they were able to cut down one. The Inner Circle knights charged, losing another to the hail of arrows on the way in, but were able to butcher the entire unit, save the wizard. After a check to see if "Immune to Panic" also applied to "Your Unit was wiped out and you need to make a Break Test, bub" we decided the lone Elf should take a test. In the end, the issue was a moot point, as a double-6 was rolled and the pointy-eared one ran.
Marcus could have left the Elf alive, but he wasn't sure of the fate of Ulrik who had been leading the spearmen. Driven by anger, he spurred his warhorse forwards, and cut the Mages head off.
The field belonged to the Empire.
So...
I was left with the general and 3 Inner circle knights (from 5), 3 knights (from 5), most of the swordsmen, about six hand gunners. Not a lot, really.
Knights...Great! They more than made their points back in this game. They form the only hard-hitting units I can get (other than Great Swords). They held their own against superior numbers, and with Marcus to help out were not so much an effective fighting force but a natural disaster. Had I charged the front of the spear unit, things may not have gone so well (far more elves would have been able to fight back, and they would have received their full rank bonuses).
The pincer attack worked very well, however I should have swapped the two units of knights over. The Inner Circle and General would have been more effective against the Elven cavalry should things not have gone so well, and the 'basic' knights would still have been useful against the spearmen.
This tactic is something I'll be using again, especially against those Elves.
Hand gunners. I'm still not convinced these are of much use, but I am reluctant to retire them and leave me with no ranged foot troops. I think that in all the games I have played they have killed maybe 5 enemy, and have been wiped out in most games. In this game, I should have used the second unit to flank charge the Knights. This would have given me a +2 combat resolution, in addition to removing the Elven rank bonus. Perhaps enough to swing the result to a Leadership test that didn't require snake-eyes to pass. Had I fielded my usual unit of halberdiers, the strength bonus may have helped as well.
Artillery...well, some you win and some you lose. Have both the cannon and volley gun worked properly, they would have decimated the Cavalry charge, perhaps even wiping them out completely. The volley gun did redeem itself later in the game by killing several spearmen, then some of the archers. However these are clearly two items that I cannot reply on to win the game for me.
Spearmen...wiped out again! the Speculum was a great idea, just I was unlucky with the actual combat. Definitely something to use again. I'm tempted to go for a larger unit of 30 spearmen as my standard basic unit size. The additional four models in the combat will be useful. Keeping the Inner Circle knights closer, with the General's leadership, would also benefit the unit. I'm also tempted by the Griffon Banner, that doubles the rank bonus of the unit. Although it would leave Ulrik with no magic armour, or upgraded weapons, this would give a basic +8 combat resolution (2 standards, 3 ranks doubled). That would have meant my losing to the Elves by only 3. With the General's leadership of 8, and the re-roll from the Battle Standard, there is a fair chance the unit would have remained in play.
Swordsmen...these guys saved the day again. Despite panicking on the first turn, these guys helped kill the Elven cavalry and still had enough troops left to start advancing on the Elven archers! The shield/hand weapon bonuses are useful, and I think I'll be converting some of my left-over spearmen back into swordsmen.
Regiment size...The large units used by the Elves was an interesting idea, but it means when things go wrong, they *really* go wrong. I only killed maybe a dozen models in all the combats, yet wiped out the entire army as they broke and ran. The Empire can effectively employ similar numbers but are better off using the detachments for the flank counter charge.
Tactics...30 spearmen with Griffon standard and 10 hand gunners and 10 swordsmen detachment. Inner Circle Knights on opposite side of spears to the swordsmen. Spearmen get charged - the swordsmen flank charge. Wizard issue a challenge, using the Speculum and hopefully killing something nasty. The unit should be able to withstand the combat. On my next turn, the knights flank-charge, and should be able to cause enough additional casualties to win the combat. The two units of 5 knights can go a-hunting artillery and skirmishers. 20 swordsmen to cover the artillery and flank charge anything else coming at me.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Order of the Raven and Altdorf Raven Guard
This is dome fluff for my Nemesis Crown campaign army. Since I am fairly ignorant with regards to the official background to Altdorf and surrounding area, there may be some things here that are technically not possible. But I don't care.
Oh, and before any Hobblings read this, I never claimed to have an ounce of originality.
The Order of the Raven and Altdorf Raven Guard
The Order of the Raven, a knightly order based near Altdorf, is led by General Marcus Corvinus. His family have ruled land near to the city for generations.
Family legend tells the tale of Stefan Corvinus, who was the second son of the local landowner. With his elder brother as heir to the lands, nothing more was expected of him than to attend court and marry an Empire noble woman. Dissatisfied with this future and wanting something more exciting, he decided to run away and become an adventurer. Stefan was only marginally successful at this, joining various groups, mercenary bands and brigands over the next few years. Finally, whilst wandering through the World’s Edge Mountains dodging tribes of Goblins, he came upon a wounded raven being tormented by a Night Goblin.
Stefan killed the Goblin, and was surprised when the Raven spoke to him. It transpired that the Raven was in fact a powerful Wood Elf wizard, who had been turned into a Raven by a night Goblin Shaman the previous day. He told Stefan that he would be greatly rewarded for killing the Shaman and thus breaking the spell. Stefan agreed, and went in search of the Shaman.
Whether luckier than the Wood Elf, or blessed by Sigmar himself perhaps, Stefan did not suffer the same fate and was able to kill the shaman. True to his word, the Elf regained his normal shape, and as promised rewarded Stefan by enchanting his weapons and armour.
This was a turning point for Stefan. He decided that he would return home to his family, and raise an Order of knights in honour of the Raven shape the Elf had been turned to. With them, he would fight the evil creatures of the world.
The gift from the Wood Elf was handsome indeed. Stefan’s armour and weapons were all magically improved.
These include the Raven Armour, the Corax Sword and the Raven Arrows are fletched with raven feathers, and this gives the archer the same effect as if he held the Bow of Something. Stefan returned home, and started the Order of the Raven.
Over the following years, Stefan and his Raven Knights became famous for their support to the Empire army in times of need, as well as embarking on raids on the nearby tribes of Orks and Goblins. The jet-black armour became a familiar sight on battlefields and strike fear into Goblins in particular.
After Stefan ’s death, and with no direct heir, his brother’s second son took over as Preceptor of the Order. Thus began a tradition that continues to this day – the eldest son takes over the running of the family’s lands, and the second son leads the Knights. The second son dedicates himself to the Order.
In addition to the Order, the Corvinus family supports several regiments of foot troops to support the Knights in battle, and to join with Altdorf troops in time of need. Whilst maintaining the blue and red colours of nearby Altdorf for their uniforms, the troops often add black feathers to identify themselves as members of the Raven Guard, as the Corvinus regiments are known.
Today, Marcus Corvinus leads the Order of the Raven with Ulrik von Lederhosen as second in command. Ulrik fought alongside Marcus’ uncle when he was Preceptor, and the grizzled veteran trained the young Marcus from an early age. Ulrik usually carries the regiments Battle Standard, fighting on foot with units of spearmen instead of from horseback. He is trusted enough to act as leader of the regiment should Marcus be engaged elsewhere.
The Raven Guard are frequently supported by wizards from the Altdorf College of Magic, and by artillery from Nuln. The Order maintains links with the Wood elf tribe that Stefan helped, and will occasionally be joined by a unit of rangers in battle. If required to send troops to aid Altdorf against Wood Elves, the Order itself is permitted to decline to fight, however other troops are not exempt from supporting. No knight from the Order is permitted to raise a weapon to a Wood Elf – an agreement that is reciprocated by the elves.
Game rule notes:
Note that all the rules below confer no benefits to the army, bit do limit certain options over and above the Empire army book. They are merely to add a degree of uniqueness to the force!
Magic Items: the Raven Armour etc is taken in place of Dawn Armour – it would not be possible to field both at the same time, in the same way that two identical items cannot be taken. Similarly, the Corax Sword replaces the Sword of Justice and the Raven Arrows replace the Bow or Something or Other.
Preceptors: Units of knightly orders may not take a Preceptor as Marcus holds this position.
Marcus Corvinus: If fielded, Marcus will always be the army general. In addition, he must wear the Raven Armour and wield the Corax sword; thus no other characters will be able to take the equivalent items. He will always fight either on a barded warhorse, or his Griffon. Marcus will always join a unit of Knights if available, although if fighting with his Griffon this will not apply.
Ulrik von Lederhosen: If Marcus is fielded, then Ulrik, if taken, must be the Battle Standard Bearer.
Wood Elves: The fortune of the family and the Order itself derive from the favours of the Wood Elf mage; however occasionally the Empire is in conflict with this race and requires troops to be supplied. The Emperor does, however, respect the honour of the Order and their history and so whilst troops are still supplied in times of need they are not required to include knights from the Order itself.
When fighting Wood Elves, the Raven Guard may not include Marcus as General (or any other General of the Empire), Ulrik von Lederhosen or any units of Knightly Orders. All other troops, including Outriders and pistoliers, may be selected as normal. Other Lords choices may be taken as normal.
Wood Elf Rangers: Occasionally, Wood elf rangers support the Raven Guard. In the game, Wood Elf models may be used as foresters i.e. same points, stats and rules as per the Empire army list – it is only the models used that changes. The army will, of course, not include these if fighting against Wood Elves.
Oh, and before any Hobblings read this, I never claimed to have an ounce of originality.
The Order of the Raven and Altdorf Raven Guard
The Order of the Raven, a knightly order based near Altdorf, is led by General Marcus Corvinus. His family have ruled land near to the city for generations.
Family legend tells the tale of Stefan Corvinus, who was the second son of the local landowner. With his elder brother as heir to the lands, nothing more was expected of him than to attend court and marry an Empire noble woman. Dissatisfied with this future and wanting something more exciting, he decided to run away and become an adventurer. Stefan was only marginally successful at this, joining various groups, mercenary bands and brigands over the next few years. Finally, whilst wandering through the World’s Edge Mountains dodging tribes of Goblins, he came upon a wounded raven being tormented by a Night Goblin.
Stefan killed the Goblin, and was surprised when the Raven spoke to him. It transpired that the Raven was in fact a powerful Wood Elf wizard, who had been turned into a Raven by a night Goblin Shaman the previous day. He told Stefan that he would be greatly rewarded for killing the Shaman and thus breaking the spell. Stefan agreed, and went in search of the Shaman.
Whether luckier than the Wood Elf, or blessed by Sigmar himself perhaps, Stefan did not suffer the same fate and was able to kill the shaman. True to his word, the Elf regained his normal shape, and as promised rewarded Stefan by enchanting his weapons and armour.
This was a turning point for Stefan. He decided that he would return home to his family, and raise an Order of knights in honour of the Raven shape the Elf had been turned to. With them, he would fight the evil creatures of the world.
The gift from the Wood Elf was handsome indeed. Stefan’s armour and weapons were all magically improved.
These include the Raven Armour, the Corax Sword and the Raven Arrows are fletched with raven feathers, and this gives the archer the same effect as if he held the Bow of Something. Stefan returned home, and started the Order of the Raven.
Over the following years, Stefan and his Raven Knights became famous for their support to the Empire army in times of need, as well as embarking on raids on the nearby tribes of Orks and Goblins. The jet-black armour became a familiar sight on battlefields and strike fear into Goblins in particular.
After Stefan ’s death, and with no direct heir, his brother’s second son took over as Preceptor of the Order. Thus began a tradition that continues to this day – the eldest son takes over the running of the family’s lands, and the second son leads the Knights. The second son dedicates himself to the Order.
In addition to the Order, the Corvinus family supports several regiments of foot troops to support the Knights in battle, and to join with Altdorf troops in time of need. Whilst maintaining the blue and red colours of nearby Altdorf for their uniforms, the troops often add black feathers to identify themselves as members of the Raven Guard, as the Corvinus regiments are known.
Today, Marcus Corvinus leads the Order of the Raven with Ulrik von Lederhosen as second in command. Ulrik fought alongside Marcus’ uncle when he was Preceptor, and the grizzled veteran trained the young Marcus from an early age. Ulrik usually carries the regiments Battle Standard, fighting on foot with units of spearmen instead of from horseback. He is trusted enough to act as leader of the regiment should Marcus be engaged elsewhere.
The Raven Guard are frequently supported by wizards from the Altdorf College of Magic, and by artillery from Nuln. The Order maintains links with the Wood elf tribe that Stefan helped, and will occasionally be joined by a unit of rangers in battle. If required to send troops to aid Altdorf against Wood Elves, the Order itself is permitted to decline to fight, however other troops are not exempt from supporting. No knight from the Order is permitted to raise a weapon to a Wood Elf – an agreement that is reciprocated by the elves.
Game rule notes:
Note that all the rules below confer no benefits to the army, bit do limit certain options over and above the Empire army book. They are merely to add a degree of uniqueness to the force!
Magic Items: the Raven Armour etc is taken in place of Dawn Armour – it would not be possible to field both at the same time, in the same way that two identical items cannot be taken. Similarly, the Corax Sword replaces the Sword of Justice and the Raven Arrows replace the Bow or Something or Other.
Preceptors: Units of knightly orders may not take a Preceptor as Marcus holds this position.
Marcus Corvinus: If fielded, Marcus will always be the army general. In addition, he must wear the Raven Armour and wield the Corax sword; thus no other characters will be able to take the equivalent items. He will always fight either on a barded warhorse, or his Griffon. Marcus will always join a unit of Knights if available, although if fighting with his Griffon this will not apply.
Ulrik von Lederhosen: If Marcus is fielded, then Ulrik, if taken, must be the Battle Standard Bearer.
Wood Elves: The fortune of the family and the Order itself derive from the favours of the Wood Elf mage; however occasionally the Empire is in conflict with this race and requires troops to be supplied. The Emperor does, however, respect the honour of the Order and their history and so whilst troops are still supplied in times of need they are not required to include knights from the Order itself.
When fighting Wood Elves, the Raven Guard may not include Marcus as General (or any other General of the Empire), Ulrik von Lederhosen or any units of Knightly Orders. All other troops, including Outriders and pistoliers, may be selected as normal. Other Lords choices may be taken as normal.
Wood Elf Rangers: Occasionally, Wood elf rangers support the Raven Guard. In the game, Wood Elf models may be used as foresters i.e. same points, stats and rules as per the Empire army list – it is only the models used that changes. The army will, of course, not include these if fighting against Wood Elves.
Friday, July 20, 2007
A Fistful of Honey
At last, I finally finished painting these fellows.
The Good...
The Bad...
And the Cuddly...
The Good...
The Bad...
And the Cuddly...
Thursday, July 19, 2007
A call to arms - victory at last!
Finally, a significant victory for the Raven Guard!
Facing the Dwarves who had defeated me so soundly before, the Altdorf Raven Guard were eager to avenge their comrades.
Knights from the Raven Order, led my Marcus Corvinus himself, led the charge on the left flank into a unit of rangers. These were butchered to a man (well, dwarf) as they turned to flee after seeing their champion hacked to pieces by Marcus. In the centre, the solid line of foot troops advanced whilst on the right the Outriders advanced to take up position opposite one of the many bolt throwers, and the Empire artillery climbed the hill in front of them for a better field of fire.
As the centre advanced, one of the Hand gunner detachments was wiped out after almost every ranged weapon took aim at them. Embarrassingly, the spearmen unit panicked and ran, despite the best efforts of Ulrik von Lederhosen, bearer of the Battle Standard. The swordsmen unit held firm, however. The spearmen were to rally immediately in the following turn. The organ gun, however, decided to avenge the Rangers. The knights disappeared in a cloud of fire, smoke and debris. After a pause, Marcus charged through, unscathed but angered by the loss of the entire unit from around him.
The tone was set for the remainder of the game. The mounted troops attacked and destroyed one group of crewmen after another, whilst the foot troops engaged the Dwarf crossbow men and warriors.
Finally, as night drew in the remaining two units of dwarves withdrew from the field, leaving the Empire troops victorious.
Battle honours are awarded to:
- the crew of the 'borrowed' Dwarven bolt thrower, who finally managed to hit a target on turn five. This was, I believe, the first time the crew had hit anything in three games. They even managed to kill four spearmen, and narrowly missed Ulrik!
- the empire Volley Gun, which wiped out most of the Dwarven warriors unit with a final volley of 18 shots, from which nine kills resulted. The command squad that was left decided they would record the Grudge and withdrew.
- the crew of the bolt thrower that withstood the Outriders attacks for three rounds before being killed. The Outriders returned to the weapon after the battle, and buried the Dwarves with full honours alongside the bolt thrower the had been so protective of.
Facing the Dwarves who had defeated me so soundly before, the Altdorf Raven Guard were eager to avenge their comrades.
Knights from the Raven Order, led my Marcus Corvinus himself, led the charge on the left flank into a unit of rangers. These were butchered to a man (well, dwarf) as they turned to flee after seeing their champion hacked to pieces by Marcus. In the centre, the solid line of foot troops advanced whilst on the right the Outriders advanced to take up position opposite one of the many bolt throwers, and the Empire artillery climbed the hill in front of them for a better field of fire.
As the centre advanced, one of the Hand gunner detachments was wiped out after almost every ranged weapon took aim at them. Embarrassingly, the spearmen unit panicked and ran, despite the best efforts of Ulrik von Lederhosen, bearer of the Battle Standard. The swordsmen unit held firm, however. The spearmen were to rally immediately in the following turn. The organ gun, however, decided to avenge the Rangers. The knights disappeared in a cloud of fire, smoke and debris. After a pause, Marcus charged through, unscathed but angered by the loss of the entire unit from around him.
The tone was set for the remainder of the game. The mounted troops attacked and destroyed one group of crewmen after another, whilst the foot troops engaged the Dwarf crossbow men and warriors.
Finally, as night drew in the remaining two units of dwarves withdrew from the field, leaving the Empire troops victorious.
Battle honours are awarded to:
- the crew of the 'borrowed' Dwarven bolt thrower, who finally managed to hit a target on turn five. This was, I believe, the first time the crew had hit anything in three games. They even managed to kill four spearmen, and narrowly missed Ulrik!
- the empire Volley Gun, which wiped out most of the Dwarven warriors unit with a final volley of 18 shots, from which nine kills resulted. The command squad that was left decided they would record the Grudge and withdrew.
- the crew of the bolt thrower that withstood the Outriders attacks for three rounds before being killed. The Outriders returned to the weapon after the battle, and buried the Dwarves with full honours alongside the bolt thrower the had been so protective of.
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