Five Parsecs From Home - Starfire Scoudrels

 The crew of the Starfire Scoundrels has been finalized.

Captain's story here 

The Starfire Scoundrels' Origin

In the bustling starport of Nexus-9, a place known for its seedy bars and shady deals, fate brought together a group of unlikely allies. It all started in a dimly lit tavern called The Rusty Wrench, where Captain Aria "Starfire" Voss was nursing a drink after a particularly grueling job.

Elias "Tech" Thorne, a wealthy merchant's son turned tech-savvy troubleshooter, had just finished upgrading the emergency jump drives on a retired troop transport he had found in a scrapyard. Spotting Aria (who he had a bit of a crush on), he approached her with an offer she couldn't refuse—a ship, fully restored and ready for action. Aria accepted the gift, and the Starlight Vanguard became their new home.

Meanwhile, Kai "Ghost" Tanaka, a former subjugated human turned special agent, was in the same bar, gathering intelligence for his latest mission. Her keen eyes noticed the exchange between Aria and Elias, and she sensed an opportunity to join a crew that could help her in his quest for survival and justice.

At another table, Lyra "Hex" Tanis, a human genetic uplift with obvious cybernetic enhancements and a penchant for mercenary work, was negotiating a contract. Her enhanced abilities and alien upbringing made her a formidable ally. Intrigued by the dynamic duo of Aria and Elias, she decided to join their crew, seeking new challenges and a chance to prove herself.

Rax "Wrench" Thal, a tall, lean xenomorph engineer from Xalor Prime, was tinkering with a malfunctioning droid in the corner of the bar. His skills in fixing things and his desire for freedom led him to approach the group, offering his expertise in exchange for a place on their ship.

Finally, Jaxara "Jax" Morgan, a savvy hacker raised on a research outpost, was in the bar's back room, hacking into a local network. Her curiosity and drive for discovery brought her to the attention of the newly formed crew. Recognizing her talents, Aria invited her to join their ranks.

And so, in the heart of Nexus-9, the Starfire Scoundrels were born. United by their diverse backgrounds and shared motivations, they set off on a journey across the stars, ready to face whatever challenges the galaxy had in store for them.

Ship Name: The Starlight Vanguard

The Starlight Vanguard is a retired troop transport vessel, once a proud member of the Galactic Navy's fleet. It served valiantly in numerous campaigns, ferrying soldiers and supplies across war-torn sectors. After decades of service, the ship was decommissioned and left to gather dust in a scrapyard on the outskirts of a bustling spaceport.

 

 

Left to right, Rax "Wrench" Thal - Kai "Ghost" Tanaka - Jaxara "Jax" Morgan

 

Captain Aria "Starfire" Voss - Lyra "Hex" Tanis

 

 Left to right Elias "Tech" Thorne - Rax "Wrench" Thal,

 

Jax and Kai

 

 On to campaign turn one!

 

 

40k Space Skaven er no, Skulker Brigands!

 I started painting up a bunch of Skaven I had and knew I didn't want to paint all 19 (there were 20 I swear, but lost one priming them outside).  While looking through the enemy options in 5 Parsecs from Home, I saw the rat like Skulker Brigands.  So out came the bits box and I went to work (that Cawdor gang really was a great investment!).  This was really a speed paint, but I think they turned out pretty OK.

 

The gangs all ready on some Tinker Turf crates,

 

 

 

Thanks for looking!

Frostgrave Dark Alchemy

It's been too long.....

The Wizard Nik and Witch Maxine had a deal.  After the untimely passing of Maxine's apprentice Geoff, they had decided to bury the proverbial hatchet and work together.  You see, they both had in their possession halves of the same map, which when put together showed the location of a lair of a Dark Alchemist.

After making preparations and selecting their most trusted companions, they embarked on their journey into the Frostgrave.  After a day of searching they found their prize.  A collapsed whole in the ground that clearly led to somewhere....

After lowering themselves down into the buried chamber by rope, they found themselves what was looked to be a large storeroom of sorts.  Visibility was low even in lantern light, but Nik's keen eyed tracker clearly could make out large doors in opposite corners of the room.  The stood on one side of the room, and in the center of the room there appeared to be a grate in the floor...a grate out of which a giant rat emerged.  Then Max's war hound began the bark.  Nik's captain yelled a warning....coming for them was some sort of monstrosity, a misshaped mishmash of creatures fused together in an alchemist's experiment gone horribly wrong!

 

 Nik and Max take up positions to confront the Alchemical Monstrosity 

The monstrosity was as terrifying as it was difficult to put down. Max's war hound and soldier suffered grievous wound, as did Nik's Captain Triss.  Luckily, Nik was able to ease their wounds with potion and spell alike.  During the melee, Nik's tracker tried one of the two doors to no avail.

After defeating the horrible creature and rats, they flee to what must be the exit only to be confronted with a rat man wielding a rusty scimitar!

After defeating several waves of vicious rat men denying them exiting, the group was able to make it through the doors.  There they found themselves in a large chamber full of pipe works and broken ceramic urns scattering the floor around them....there ahead, what is that....a flame of a torch perhaps?

Five Parsecs from Home meets Infinity the Game

Over the years I have quietly collected miniatures from the Corvus Belli game Infinity because they just look cool.  But they have just been languishing in a drawer.  Recently I started painting some of their new JSA (some of which I have posted here and here).

 

Recently I have become slightly obsessed with a game called Five Parsecs from Home.  I actually bought the game book during last years black Friday sales.  Recently I came across Me, Myself and Die's run through of this solo game and I really want to give it a go.  So, I started with rolling up a crew.  I then realized I actually had the perfect miniatures for my game...the Infinity miniature I have been stockpiling!

Here is my captain and a crew member.  These two were definitely my best rolls.

Captain  Aria "Starstyker" Voss - A Strange Character with a Mysterious Past.  A Military Brat from a War Torn Hellhole, motivated by Glory and leading life as a Mercenary.  Strong combat rolls here with higher reactions.

 

Lyra "Hex" Tanis - another Strange Character.  A Genetic Uplift, born into an Alien Culture, motivated by the survival and leading a life as a Mercenary.  The genetic uplift part of this character makes her very strong and being a merc just enhances her already above average combat skill and she is very tough.  She would have been the captain in many campaigns I think.

 

I knew I had the perfect mini for the Captain.  The Ariadna Intel Spec Ops mini.  I originally was going to use a 40k gene-stealer mini for Hex but think this one is actually better. Trisha N33 from  Dire Foes Mission Pack Delta.

The terrain they are staged with is the TinkerTurf SciFi Cargo container, very awesome terrain.

 

I promised myself I wouldn't paint these according to the box art, but it seems I did with Trisha N33.

 

Oathsworn Into the Deepwood

So, me and some friends played Gloomhaven and really enjoyed it.  When Frosthaven cameout (which we backed on Kickstarter) we were very excited.  The game however just never had the feel of Gloomhaven.  All the character classes seemed overly complex for no good reason and what we thought would be a fun addition, the Outpost building phase, was just a major drag on the fun.  So after quite a few hours and missions, we decided to make a change.  

Enter Oathsworn Into the Deepwood.  So far so great.  We have played two sessions and the story mode is really fun and interesting and the boss battle part is a lot of fun and very engaging.  

I painted up our starting party, left to right, the Priest, Penitent,the Huntress, and the Warbear.

 

 

 

Frostgrave: The Treasure Phantasmal

 Max the Witch gazed across the frozen landscape.  There had been a noticeably growing chill the deeper into the frozen city her and her war-band delved.  She had sent her snow leopard and owl ahead to scout.  She knew the wizard Nikodemus must be nearby.  He seemed determined to dog her every footstep.

A large clump of ruins materialized in front of her out of the mist.  Her eyes seemed to be playing tricks on her...a glowing phantasmal figure seemed to levitating on the top of the central.  That was no trick of the mist, that was a wraith.  Her owl lighted upon her shoulder, whispering into her ear.  Nik was here then...on the other side of the ruins.  She barked orders, her chill breath seeming to freeze in the air before her.  She sent one group to the the nearest ruined building to search for treasure, another she bid make haste with her in the lead for the central ruin where certainly the biggest prize would be.  

Nik eyed the cold and lonely set of ruins.  An owl across his field of view....he chuckled aloud.  Max was certainly here then. He motioned he War-band forward into the misty ruins of Frostgrave....

 

Max motioned her apprentice to take her snow leopard to search nearby ruins.  Out of the heap of rubble a wraith appeared, striking her apprentice down cold.

 

 

 

Nik directed his apprentice to investigate deeper into the ruins while he took a group up the nearest rampart, only to be met by a wraith, springing from a pile of loot! 

Team Max made their way to the central treasure only to be greeted with a very a phantasmal figure floating above a large chest....a wraith!

 

 

Nik's apprentice skulks below the melee above at the central treasure, thinking better them them than me!

 

 

 

Nik's tracker looked on in silence as Max's war-band battled the wraith, pity in her heart for Max's apprentice's lifeless body... she then directed Nik's captain and treasure hunter forward.  Eventually the wraith was defeated.  Seeing her apprentice's cold lifeless form, Max summoned a demon who she directed at Nik's war-band who now stood over her fallen comrade.

 

Nik ascended a nearby tower "Max, my men's didn't harm your apprentice!"  Max ignored his words and sent her automaton up the tower's ladder to attack Nik and his crossbowman....and out of anger threw a dagger at Nik with all of her might..... nearly taking out his eye!  Nik countered by shooting the owl off of her shoulder with his elemental bolt.

 

 

The final treasure was taken and both sides withdrew, Maxine carrying the body of her fallen apprentice back to the safety of her base.  But alas, Geoff could not be revived...

RIP Geoff, Maxine's brave apprentice.

 

JSA Shindenbutai Senku Troops

These are the JSA Shindenbutai Senku Troops from Operation Sandtrap-  I really like these guys and how they turned out. 

 

 

Infinity N5 Operation Sandtrap - Fennec Fusiliers

 So I am taking the journey into Infinity by Corvus Belli.  I really like the lore and the miniatures.  I saw a post on X by Corvus Belli that they would have early access pre-release of copies of the upcoming battle pack Operation Sandtrap to those that wanted to demo the game.  This corresponds with a rule refresh from N4 to N5 rules.  One just needed to email them an enthusiastic email as to why you wanted Operation Sandtrap etc.  I actually didn't expect a reply, but I got one with an invitation to the pre(?) pre-order....

Here are the first miniatures from this set, built and painted.  Very high quality metal.  I painted them in the Canyon Snake camo pattern that was shown in the optional color patterns of the Kestrel Colonial Force

Frostgrave stuff - Loot Studios Terrain + Reaper Bones

I did not get painted what I expected to get painted over the summer and really didn't have nearly the amount of hobby time that I thought I would have.  Then I somehow tried to start one too many projects which caused a massive backlog and a general hobby funk to set in.  In the midst of that I started a game of Frostgrave with my daughter (see previous post - Frostgrave Well of Dreams and Sorrows).  I was able to get my daughter's warband built and painted and mine built but just my wizard painted.  Eventually I will post pics of each.  However, I just had a hard time lately getting more done.  Painted terrain has always been a great way to get motivated as it is pretty quick to get good results.  So, I printed up quite a few pieces of ruins I had from a past Loot Studio subscription.  These are perfect for Frostgrave or quite frankly any fantasy game.

These turned out great, so easy...primed dark brown, then primer grey with a zenithal of light grey and/or  Zandri Dust (or both).  Then a heavy dry brush with an antique white craft paint followed by a dingy oil wash.  Done.  And that got me back in the mood to paint so I grabbed the miniature I picked for my Frostgrave tracker, which happens to be a Reaper Bones mini.  Not a huge fan of the bendy soft plastic they are made with but I was really happy with the result....see below!

 

 

 

 

 I quite like the way she turned out!