15mm Superhero Gaming - Nevermore Character Sheet

Nevermore the cyber-raven is Blue Raven's new sidekick and loyal companion.  Released from evildoers during a dangerous mission, the cyber-raven's programming was reset.  He now obeys, protects, transports, and accompanies Blue Raven on all her operations.  Nevermore can lift her to normally unreachable heights, or transport her quickly across any theater of engagement.

15mm Superhero Gaming - A Christmas Crisis Session Report

I ran a holiday-themed 15mm Superhero gaming session for my daughters, nieces, and nephews last year.  It had been many months since since the last of our most recent three sessions - Rise of the Dead, Desert Rescue, and When Aliens Attack.  Below are the details for this holiday adventure....

A Christmas Crisis

At the North Pole, the mistletoe was hung, the elves were busy... and trouble was brewing.... Herr Kürbiskopf's hatred of Christmas - only exceeded by his love for Halloween - threatens the holiday itself. His dastardly plan - kidnap Santa and destroy his North Pole workshop so that Halloween will be the most popular holiday. The Repulsers superhero team has been called in to safeguard Santa, protect his workshop... and save Christmas.

Superheroes:
*America Girl
*Ice Princess (with Snowflake, her ice golem)
*Star Flare
*Blue Raven
*Major Blasto

NPCs:
*Santa Claus
*Santa's Elves

Villains:
*Herr Kürbiskopf

*Zombies

Aboard the Quinjet, the team (led by America Girl) discussed the mission and formulated a plan to inform Santa about the threat.  They will prepare his elves to mount a defense of the workshop and then engage and eliminate Herr Kürbiskopf along with his zombie horde.

Ice Princess warns Santa and his elves, who are very worried and consider abandoning the North Pole.  America Girl promises to protect them and and starts mounting a defense perimeter.  Meanwhile, Blue Raven eliminates the first few zombies encountered around the defensive perimeter.  Ice Princess, Star Flare, and Major Blasto engage the zombie horde, fighting their way to Herr Kürbiskopf.  They know if they can defeat Herr Kürbiskopf's and stop his sinister magic, the zombies will all cease their macabre walk toward the workshop.  After heavy fighting, America Girl engages Herr Kürbiskopf, defeating him and the zombie threat.

Christmas is saved and Santa is safe, along with his elves and his workshop. As a reward, Santa provides a gift to each of the superheros:

• America Girl is presented a single pulse glove, providing her with a new "Pulse Glove" ranged attack,
• Major Blasto is gifted a new transport shuttle, providing future air/space transportation for the team in future missions,
• Blue Raven is provided a new companion - a cyber-raven named Evermore,
• Ice Princess is granted karate lessons, allowing her to perform a new melee attack called "Frost Strike", and  
• Star Flare is handed the keys to a fighter jet, allowing her to provide in-air protection for Major Blasto's transport shuttle, give close ground support in ground engagements, and arrive quickly to future battlefields.

Best Moments:

*America Girl demonstrates her leadership skills by rallying Santa's elves to hold the line against the zombies.

*Snowflake the ice golem, no longer suffering from the effects of his "Melting" special rule, crushes zombies left and right.

*Major Blasto lures some the zombies to the center of a frozen lake, at which point Star Flare uses her magical flame powers on the lake surface, melting the ice. The zombies fall into the lake and then are trapped beneath the surface by the surface ice, which was quickly re-frozen by Ice Princess.

Ice Princess warns Santa and his elves about the imminent danger!

America Girl holds the line against the zombies....

The zombies march toward Santa's workshop...

Snowflake - in his element - crushes the zombie invaders!

Santa provides gifts for saving his elves, his workshop... and Christmas!

15mm Superhero Gaming - Stardust Character Sheet

An agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Stardust is a trained martial artist and is extremely adept at various fighting techniques. She is also highly trained in disguise, espionage, infiltration, firearms, and computers.  Although she has no superhuman abilities, she is blessed with extraordinary agility and reflexes.  Stardust is also a skilled military tactician and is well known for bringing good fortune to each operation in which she takes part.

15mm Superhero Gaming - Reignstorm Character Sheet

Reignstorm is an enigma.  Where did she come from? More so - WHEN did she come from?  No one can say, except for her... and she isn't talking....  

All that is known is that her cybernetic body possesses enhanced strength and durability, and her techno-organic eyes give her enhanced eyesight, allowing her to see farther than a normal human and in the infrared spectrum.  It appears she is also able to interface her techno-organic body parts with other types of machinery, an ability that allows her to hack into computers, open electronic locks, and just maybe, somehow, travel through time.  She has indicated she is from one possible future.  A future with advanced technology and weaponry is certain.  She had indicated she would like to partner with The Repulsers, but to what end?  No one knows, because, again... Reignstorm is an enigma. 

"Perturbers, Assemble!"

Nick Fury recognized that a new post-Avengers superhero team was needed after the events of Avengers: Endgame.

A team that could handle important, but less universe-impacting threats than greater superhero teams.

A team that would compliment and work alongside The Repulsers,...

I introduce to you... The Perturbers!

Winged Hussar has been chosen to lead this new team, (and he comes with his sidekick Wotjek 3000).  Remaining members of the team were recruited from a list of occasional allies of The Repulsers, including Taffy Man, Bronze Basilisk, and The Legacy.

15mm Superhero Gaming - Winged Hussar and Wotjek 3000 Character Sheets

Winged Hussar was created in a laboratory experiment by HYDRA.  Franciszek "Frank" Danielkiewicz was a member of the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade - the Polish Black Brigade.  After his capture in 1939, an early experimental prototype super soldier serum was injected into Frank to test its effects.  The serum worked well, and gave Frank super strength, speed, and stamina.  HYDRA immediately froze Frank in an cryogenic tank, where he remained until his recent release.  He now fights for the freedom and honor of his homeland Poland, and well as for all those who value freedom and democracy.

S.H.I.E.L.D. quickly recruited Winged Hussar and provided him with some of its most advanced technology.  Wotjek 3000 is a meta-physical spirit projection - a spectral bear, and Winged Hussar's sidekick, (don't say ghost - most ghosts can't rip you from limb to limb with one swipe of a claw). Winged Hussar can summon Wojtek 3000 via his spectral projector console which is part of his left handed-gauntlet, (which also magnetically attaches to his vibranium shield).

"Forgotten Heroes" 2019 - Update #5

For my Forgotten Heroes 2019 submission, I present Winged Hussar and his meta-physical spirit projection - Wotjek 3000:

I will soon post the origin stories and the character sheets for Winged Hussar and Wotjek 3000 for use in my custom 15mm superhero ruleset, (loosely based on Flames of War rules).

I'd like to thank the Carrion Crow’s Buffet website for hosting this year's Forgotten Heroes event.  It was a fun event and provided a great encouragement for me to create and paint up a superhero!

"Forgotten Heroes" 2019 - Update #4

To start on the bear, I used the Citadel Technical paint called Hexwraith Flame.  It provided the ghostly green I was looking for with just one coat.  I then lightly dry-brushed using pure white and I was done!  For my Polish superhero, I simply started with a primary basecoat of red, white, and black.  I then added a few details for the lower face (flesh) and eyes (blue wash).

I then painted each base in a leather brown, similar to my other superhero miniatures.  I used my normal dipping method on each of the figures, (but did not use any dip on the green portions of the bear - only the base).

Next up - just a quick matte finish (to take away the shine), a few additional details on the superhero, and then will come the flocking of the bases....

"Forgotten Heroes" 2019 - Update #3

In developing my superhero for the Forgotten Heroes 2019 event, I decided to create a custom superhero based on the country of Poland, as well as giving him an appropriate sidekick.

I took inspiration from the Winged Hussars - a type of shock cavalry used by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th through 18th centuries that were known for their prowess on the battlefield. The Winged Hussars are celebrated for their important role in the Siege of Vienna in 1683, when the Polish army led by John III Sobieski, King f Poland, saved Vienna (and likely all of Europe) from Ottoman domination. For my superhero's colors, I decided on the colors of the Polish flag - white and red, with some black and gold accents.

For his sidekick, I decided on an idea to have a physically-projected meta-ghost/hologram of Wotjek, the the beloved brown bear that officially served in the Polish army during World War II. As for the color of his miniature, I decided on a ghostly green to test out one of Citadel's green technical paints....

"Forgotten Heroes" 2019 - Update #2

To continue this year's Forgotten Heroes 2019 event, I pre-based the miniatures using my normal method - model sand.  I couldn't find any of the finer sand I usually use, so I opted for a thicker sand which I hoped would provide similar results.

Once the superglue was set, I primed both figures white with a cheap white "paint plus primer".  Unfortunately, it had to go on a pretty thick in order to fully cover the sand I decided to use, which meant I lost some of the detail of the models.  I also needed the bear to be a bright white for the idea I had for him, so I also had to over-prime that miniatures with some quality Citadel Corax White spray primer.

The painting method I work to achieve for most 15mm miniatures is "extreme contrast", so I don't rely as much on the detail of the miniature itself for differentiation of color.  I'm hoping the thick prime coat won't matter too much for the final result.

"Forgotten Heroes" 2019 - Update #1

I kicked-off this year's Forgotten Heroes 2019 by choosing and assembling my wargaming miniature superhero.  The superhero is from Old Glory SuperFigs S15B - 15mm Supers # 2, a collection of 15mm miniatures of which I have used most of the other figures in the pack for various custom (as well as licensed) superheros over the years:

• The Legacy
• Bronze Basilisk 
• Star Flare 
• Plasma Man (and Minions) 
• Captain America and Black Widow

I also wanted my superhero to have a bear sidekick....  That miniature is from Copplestone Castings FM09 - 15mm Cave Bears, which was ordered once I entered the event.

More on the planned identities of these new superheroes later - for now I just want to focus on the simple assembly of the miniatures themselves.  I just glued the miniatures to old Flames of War bases, which I continue to use because I started my superhero wargaming by having Captain America available in Flames of War sessions.  For the superhero, I decided to give him a round shield, which was punched out from plasticard.  Next up - pre-basing and priming.

Happy Halloween!

A few years ago, just before Halloween, I led my first 15mm Superhero gaming session.  It was called Rise of the Dead and used a number of zombies from Rebel Miniatures.

Herr Kürbiskopf has completed his dark ritual in an abandoned church near a small village, raising soldiers from the dead to be his minions.  Nick Fury has quickly assembled a small team of new superheroes to confront Herr Kürbiskopf and his undead horde.  The mission: to protect the villagers, stop the zombies, and defeat Herr Kürbiskopf.

The superhero team needed to call in some US Army (NPC) reinforcements, but the village was saved from the zombie horde and Herr Kürbiskopf was defeated!  Along the way, some Galactic A-Holes joined the fight....

Herr Kürbiskopf will return in... "The Dead Rise Again"!

15mm Superhero Gaming - Major Blasto Character Sheet

"One Man Army"...  "Death Incarnate"... "The Walking Armory"...  "Your Worst Nightmare"....  Major Blasto has been called many things, but this above all - "The Best Damn Soldier in the World".  This is the man who once killed four agents of Hydra with one grenade -- before the damn thing exploded.  His weapon of choice is his custom BREN gun - along with its Infinity Clip - which allows him to slow march, all while raining down an unending hail of bullets on anybody unfortunate enough to be considered his enemy.  Although he prefers to work alone, he has been persuaded by Nick Fury to accompany the Repulsers superhero team from time to time.  He feels the need to share some of the glory once in a while - just to be fair....

15mm Superhero Gaming - When Aliens Attack Session Report

I finally ran a large 15mm Superhero gaming session for my daughters, nieces, and nephews.  It has been a year or two since our last two sessions - Rise of the Dead and Desert Rescue, and I was excited to use all my Team Yankee modern 15mm scenery for the scenario.  Below are the details for this new adventure....

When Aliens Attack

In a small rural town, aliens have landed. Glowing purple crystals have appeared near the landing site of their flying saucer. With the Avengers in disarray after the events of their civil war, Nick Fury sent Taffy Man to investigate, but the superhero has not been heard from since entering the craft. Recently, a group of aliens assembled around one of the glowing crystals. Nick Fury has now assembled the Repulsers superhero team to rescue Taffy Man and stop any threat the aliens may pose.

Superheroes:
*America Girl
*Plasma Man (and Minions)
*Ice Princess (and Snowflake the ice golem)
*Star Flare
*Blue Raven
*Major Blasto

NPCs:
*Taffy Man
*United States Navy SEALs
*Local Policemen
*Townspeople

Villains:
*Aliens (Greys)
*Alien Guard-Creatures
*Alien Monster

Aboard the Quinjet, the team (led by America Girl) discussed the mission and split into task forces:

• America Girl / Plasma Man - enter the flying saucer to rescue Taffy Man and research the aliens
• Ice Princess / Star Flare - evacuate the town and protect its citizens
• Blue Raven / Major Blasto - engage the aliens and eliminate any threat they may pose

Due to their military training, America Girl, Major Blasto, and Blue Raven were able to parachute down while the rest of the team aboard the Quinjet landed in a airfield outside of town.

America Girl defeated the two aggressive alien creatures guarding the flying saucer and entered the alien craft. She found the captured Taffy Man and defeated the aliens guarding him. Taffy Man then informs her about the aliens - they are evil and seek the town's destruction! The glowing crystals will spawn huge monsters that will destroy the town, unless the aliens are stopped. Taffy Man also found out a secret hidden deep within the ship's computer - the alien monsters will melt when exposed to water!

While American Girl is aboard the alien craft:

• Major Blasto goes to a fast food restaurant and finds a group of US Navy SEALs, who he recruits to defeat the aliens,
• Blue Raven assumes command of the local police force,
• Ice Princess and Star Flare persuade the townsfolk to take shelter in a nearby building, and
• Plasma Man races to the scene of the landed craft and summons his Plasma Minions.

Just then - one of glowing purple crystals explodes, and from the rubble emerges an alien monster!  The aliens head to the next crystal, ready to summon another alien monster.

Once America Girl emerges from the flying saucer, she shares the information she obtained while aboard the ship. The team focuses on new tasks:

• America Girl and Taffy Man race to the scene,
• Major Blasto and the US Navy SEALs take up a good firing positions and light up the alien monster from atop buildings,
• Blue Raven and the police force engage the alien monster while on the bridge,
• Ice Princess summons her ice golem Snowflake to fight the alien monster,
• Star Flare destroys the remaining glowing purple crystals, preventing any additional alien monsters from being spawned, and
• Plasma Man and his Minions defeat the remaining aliens, (other than the alien monster).

Snowflake fights the alien monster, but the alien monster lumbers past him and crosses the bridge.  Although missing the chance to destroy the two bridges over the river, the team inflicts heavy damage on the alien monster.

Then a plan emerges - Major Blasto and his Navy SEALS take positions atop the water tower and draw the alien monster toward them.  They set explosive charges, and after a slight delay setting the blasting cap, cinematically jump from the water tower (and into a nearby corn field) seconds before the explosive blast releases a rush of water which finally defeats the alien monster.

Best Moments:

*The superheroes direct townspeople to take refuge in the nearby building -- which turned out to be a chemical factory and the intended target of the large alien monster.

*The superheros firmly, but politely commandeer civilian's cars in order to drive to the action sooner.
*Major Blasto explains his plan to throw a grenade into the crowded melee of aliens and superheroes, (and only at the last minute is persuaded against taking that action)
*The team considers having Star Flare make a flame attack on Snowflake the ice golem (familiar of Ice Princess) to melt him into water and damage the alien monster.

The initial setup of the table....

The town and its people, going about their normal day...

The townspeople, unaware of the danger that awaits them.

The flying saucer, guarded by two alien creatures.

Behind the police barricade some citizens get a closer look at the aliens.

Major Blasto interrupts a group of dining US Navy SEALs and recruits them into his squad.

Ice Princess summons Snowflake - her ice golem - to engage the alien monster.

America Girl finds the captured Taffy Man aboard the flying saucer, guarded by some angry aliens.

The team and the police retreat while attempting to defeat the alien monster as it heads toward town.

Major Blasto and the US Navy SEALs fire at the alien monster, drawing him toward the water tower.

Explosives destroy the tower, releasing a deluge of water near the alien monster. 

The water - deadly to the alien monster - destroys the alien monster and saves the town.

15mm Superhero Gaming - Nick Fury (MCU) Character Sheet

Recently I painted up a suitable (Marvel Cinematic Universe) Nick Fury for 15mm Superhero gaming.  The model is from Rebel Miniature's 15mm Civilian Hunter's Pack.

15mm Superhero Gaming - Doctor Who and the TARDIS

I recently painted up a suitable Doctor Who model for future superhero gaming. He is from Rebel Miniatures's 15mm Civilian Hunter's Pack 2.  I also painted up a TARDIS model that I took from the Risk: The Dalek Invasion of Earth boardgame, along with a number of Dalek miniatures from the same boardgame.

15mm Superhero Gaming - Aliens and Civilians

For future superhero gaming sessions, I bought some 15mm aliens ("15mm Science Caste (Greys) in Evaluation Mode" from Khurasan Miniatures) and painted them up recently.  I added a flying saucer (from the Mars Attacks: The Miniatures Game from Mantic), which seems to fit in nicely.  I also painted up some civilian miniatures from Rebel Miniatures to add to future scenarios using aliens, zombies... or other threats to humanity.

15mm Superhero Gaming - Blue Raven Character Sheet

Blue Raven is the newest member of the The Repulsers superhero team.  Trained by Black Widow herself, Blue Raven is a master gymnast, acrobat, spy, and tactician.  Her Raven's Claw - which can deliver electric shocks up to 30,000 volts - is capable of incapacitating almost any foe, while her Needle Pistol can expel a flurry of poisonous darts.  Despite her advanced technological weapons, she prefers engaging enemies up close, relying on her martial arts skills for attack and her remarkable agility and dexterity for defense.

Showtime, A-Holes: Guardians of the Galaxy with the Milano

A few years back I picked up the Galactic A-Holes from Highlander Studios.   With the recent release of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, I thought I might go back and add their plucky starship - the Milano.  I think it scales pretty well with the 15mm miniatures.  The sci-fi landing pad mat is from Soda Pop Miniatures (for their Relic Knights game).  I'm looking forward to playing 15mm scenarios with it -- I'm planning to base one on the already classic opening scene from the movie.