Here at Bad Goblin Games, we have been using Tabletop Simulator to playtest games over the internet when we can’t meet face-to-face. This works very well for testing game play multiple times using the same setup. You can construct the virtual table with terrain and miniatures and save it. Then, if you want to use the same setup again, you just reload the saved game.
Continue reading Playtesting Using Tabletop SimulatorAges of Conflict is a game of battle. Opponents square off to destroy or drive their enemy from the field. As such, combat is an essential element to the game and so it’s time to give a brief example.
We have two small battalions of Roman and Celt warriors facing off.
The Romans have a Hand value of 3d10 and Defense Target Number (TN) 6. The Celts have a Hand value of 3d10 and Defense TN 5. A unit’s Hand value determines how many dice it rolls when attacking; the more dice in the pool, the more effective the unit is in hand combat. The Defense Target Number determines what each individual die must roll to be a success.
A sample stat line for a unit of human warriors with basic training is below. Elite troops, levy, and some fantasy will differ.
Continue reading Combat in Ages of ConflictOne of my major pet peeves with games is a rule that exists just because that’s the way it’s always been done. It’s akin to performing some task at work with a process you know isn’t good, though when you ask why you are doing it this way, you are simply told, “Because that’s the way we’ve always done it.”
Why do modern RPGs and war games continue this behavior? Why do RPGs continue to pretend as if studded leather was a real thing? Why do many miniature war games continue to ignore cavalry’s reluctance to charge into a wall of spears? The answer is that’s the way the developer learned. That’s the way they’ve always done it.
And so, when working on a rule for Ages of Conflict, I often ask myself, “Does this rule exist because it’s the best way to handle this situation or because this is the way it’s always been done?”
Continue reading Movement in Ages of ConflictThere’s never been a better time to dive into the world of 6 mm war gaming. There’s a wide variety of miniature and terrain manufacturers providing nearly everything you could want in nearly every genre. The hobby has long been dominated by metal and plastic miniatures, though recently laser cut MDF has become popular for terrain. Even more recent is its use in miniatures.
I recently came across Iliada Game Studio on Facebook and thought to give their product a closer look. Iliada Games Studio makes available 6 mm terrain that fits sci fi and modern settings. They also offer a variety of bridges, communication or power pylons, buildings, and futuristic tanks.
Continue reading Iliada Game Studio ReviewAn important element of Ages of Conflict is customization. The many empires and kingdoms of the ancient world didn’t organize their armies identically. They didn’t all adhere to a strict structure as modern armies utilize.
Though there were exceptions. Rome, for example is well-known for its organizational structure of Legion -> Cohorts -> Centuries with a legion consisting of ten cohorts of six centuries each.
Though Rome wasn’t the norm. It wasn’t until King Gustav II organized the Swedish army into regiments consisting of companies did the various armies of the world begin to standardize. The armies of the Napoleonic Wars began to settle on a structure that looks quite similar to what many armies use today with divisions, brigades, regiments, battalions, and companies.
Continue reading Tactical Units in Ages of Conflict
We chose the name Ages of Conflict as we wanted a name that reflected the multi-genre nature of the game. Ages of Conflict is a rules set that will allow you to play war games of different genres without having to learn a different set of rules for each.
Each genre will be covered in its own book that will include genre-specific rules, background material, and army lists. It is important to note that rules that are introduced in genre books can be used with other genres if desired. We simply made the design decision to introduce certain rules if the situation they represent were not universal.
Continue reading Ages of Conflict GenresWe used Tabletop Simulator for the first time Thursday to conduct a play test of Ages of Conflict. It isn’t the same as sitting around a table face-to-face, though I believe it will be a valuable tool that will allow us to test more frequently.
We used small squares to represent the units. We opted to not use miniatures as that seemed like a bit of overkill for play tests. Each unit is numbered and has a small spin counter on it to represent its Presence. (Presence is a measurement of a unit’s ability to withstand damage as well as its ability to project as a threat.) We used index cards to list each unit’s other characteristics and equipment.
Continue reading Ages of Conflict Play Test Report
Fielding a painted 6 mm army is a rewarding experience. Painting 6 mm miniatures is relatively easy if done correctly.
Your first step is ensuring you have the correct tools. Like any other situation, not having the correct tools will make your life more difficult.
Some of the tools you’ll need to paint your 6 mm miniatures.
First up are the essentials. You need paint and brushes. Both are available in many different qualities, from many manufacturers, and at a wide range of prices. I tend to use hobby store acrylic paint, such as those found at craft stores. You’ll find a wide range of color options at a reasonable price, though the quality of the paint consistency can be an issue on occasion. Same with brushes, I go small and inexpensive. There are several companies that make paints and brushes specifically for miniatures. These are typically superior quality, though certainly more expensive.
A selection of paints.
While you are at the hobby store you should pick up a few additional items. First are popsicle sticks. These are cheap also; you can buy a box of 1,000 for a few dollars.
You will want some clippers for cleaning and if you intend on separating miniatures that are based on strips.
You will want a hobby knife for cleaning your miniatures. You can find this at the hobby store.
Buy a bottle or two of white PVA (e.g. Elmer’s) glue. This stuff dries clear.
You’ll want some spray-on acrylic sealer. I tend to use a matte finish, though you can go with a different sheen.
You can find primer at the hobby store also, though I’ve recently switched to using flat automotive primer found at discount stores and automotive shops. Miniature manufacturers also make their own primer, which works well, though can be expensive. I use white primer for miniatures that I plan to paint with brighter colors and gray or black primer for those with darker colors.
You may be able to find flocking at the hobby store. If not, you’ll need to order online.
Last up at the hobby store is a magnifying glass. These can be useful to make out some of the detail on small miniatures.
Pick up some cheap rags. You can use old t-shirts or buy a cheap pack of paint rags at the hardware store.
You need bases to mount your miniatures on. You can make your own (We’ve provided a how to here.) or buy some online.
A selection of bases. 60 x 30 mm, 40 x 40 mm, and 40 x 20 mm are commonly associated with 6 mm games.
You may want some dip to quickly add shading to your miniatures. Dipping has been around for a while and likely started with the use of wood stain. Since that time, Army Painter has released their own dip product specifically for miniatures. I tend to stick with wood stain from the hardware store as it is much less expensive. I buy Minwax Polyshade in either Antique Walnut or Pecan depending upon how dark of a shade I want.
Lastly, if your vision isn’t like it used to be (As is the case with me.), wear your glasses. I stopped painting 6 mm altogether until I had my eyes checked and found I needed glasses. Now I can once again paint and rarely resort to using my magnifying glass.
Mounting your 6 mm miniatures on popsicle sticks makes painting them much easier as they are too small to handle individually. I tend to mount three or four per stick using a small amount of PVA glue. That leaves enough room to handle the popsicle stick and be able to access all parts of the miniatures.
A few knights mounted on popsicle sticks for painting.
Here you want to remove flashing and mold lines. This is where your clippers and hobby knife will come in handy. Use the clippers to remove flashing and the hobby knife to trim down mold lines.
Prime your miniatures after mounting them to popsicle sticks. Make sure you do this in a well-ventilated area, such as outdoors or in a garage with the door open. I space mine out on top of a box, shake up the can well, and give each side of the miniature a pass. Give them plenty of time to dry; they shouldn’t be tacky when you touch them.
Check your miniatures again after priming. Some of the more difficult to detect defects only reveal themselves after priming.
Now we can start painting. The advantage of painting 6 mm miniatures is that they don’t require the level of detail as larger pieces do. In fact, it’s only necessary to perform a base coat. You can certainly go for better detail, though my goal is tabletop quality.
I paint my miniatures in batches. This process involves painting all the same items on the miniatures at the same time. For example, with the Nubians below I start with their skin. I then paint their garments, followed by their hair, and then their slings. I save their small bases for last.
The dip method is a quick way of shading a miniature. The challenge with 6 mm is that sometimes the dip can accumulate where you don’t want it to due to the size of the miniature. For this reason, some choose to paint on their dip. Of course, you don’t have to use dip at all. You can use the standard method of using inks or no shading at all. Make sure you allow the dip to dry completely.
You’ll need to remove the miniatures from the popsicle sticks next. If you used a small amount of glue you may be able to just pop them off. Be careful as more fragile miniatures may snap in half. As a precaution you can stick the popsicle mounted miniatures in a freezer for a few hours. The cold weakens the glue bond allowing you to easily remove the miniatures.
Next, you’ll need to mount your miniatures on a base. Exactly how you do this is up to you. If the unit is primarily skirmishers then perhaps mount them as such. If they are organized then you can line them up in straight ranks and files. (How dense is up to you.) I use PVA glue for this step, though you can use stronger glue if you’d prefer.
Give the miniatures sufficient time to dry after gluing to their stand and then flock the stand. I use a two-step process for flocking. First, I apply PVA glue to the base with a brush and then more-or-less bury the entire stand in a bowl containing the flock. I let this dry at least 12 hours.
Next, I apply a second coat of flocking to the stand. With this second coat I use watered down PVA glue. Watering down the PVA glue allows you to more easily coat the entire base and acts as a seal for the first coat. Bury the stand in the flock again and allow the glue to dry.
Finally apply some spray-on acrylic sealer. I use a matte finish as dipping leaves a shiny sheen.
Completed Celts ready to charge into battle!
Confederates ready to unleash a volley.
Join the Bad Goblin Horde for fun and games at Ancient City Con this September 7 – 9! We will be wearing our new logo but will not be demonstrating any of our games. Our mission this year is to find local artists who may illustrate our next game. There looks like a lot of talented artists signed up for the Artist Alley.
Once our mission is accomplished, you will find us enjoying other people’s games in the d20 GameSpot Game Room. After all, all work and no play will make us all very grumpy goblins.
We would love to meet you! Look for our logo and say hi to a Bad Goblin while you game at the Con.
Ancient City Con 2018 will be held on September 7-9, 2018 at the World Golf Village Renaissance St. Augustine Resort, St. Augustine, Florida.
A common question for newcomers to 6 mm is, “Where do I get the miniatures?” Unfortunately finding 6 mm miniatures in game stores isn’t common as store shelf space is consumed by 28 mm. And so, it’s online we go! Fortunately, there are more than enough quality 6 mm manufacturers to choose from. Below are the manufacturers we tend to use for our ancients/medieval and fantasy games, though there are many others to choose from.
Continue reading 6 mm Miniature and Terrain Manufacturers|
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