Played our first game of Dragon Rampant. I like the series of rules for the most part and was really looking for some rules other than GW's LotR rules to use our old Ral Partha figs. This game is really just an excuse to use these beautiful old figs; the first ones we ever owned. Most were bought from 1976 to 1978 or so, painted when we were kids and refurbished a few years ago with washes and touch ups.
This game featured Goblins of the North vs North Mirkwood Elves somewhere in the great forest. This isn't too much of an AAR but rather an exhibition of the great models. I'll be throwing in game terminology but it has no bearing on the purpose of this post.
The set-up. I wanted the stream as it represents a 'linear obstruction' per the rules. The actual streams are J&R Miniatures. I've had them forever and really like them. The woods are 'dense' terrain and slow movements for most units.
Bellicose foot. These models are too cool! They are from the old Der Kriegspielers Fantastiques line of miniatures. I'm not positive but think that line was eventually sold to Heritage Models. Their drivers are old Heritage. I think they are 'stone trolls'.
Heavy foot. Ral Parths goblins with skull helmets! It's kind of unnatural how much I love these guys.
Back in the day, they were $4 for a box of 12. No blisters, they all came in little black and white boxes. Bully for you if you remember those too.
Light riders. Unfortunately I only have 4 rides left, though I have about 8 or more wolves. The rest were sadly lost through time. I still look in boxes just because you never know...
Great Warbeasts. Ents make their way through the forest. Anyone still have any of these?
Light foot and light missiles in the background. I changed the skin tone on these when I re-did them. They were all like elf flesh white. I've painted some with purple skin, some with light blue, others with orange. It just makes it all more 'fantastic' to me.
Scouts. Great figures; I still have about 30 of these.
Light foot. Same with these. I have a lot of 'wood elves', as they were called once upon a time.
Elite foot, or 'sea elves' as Ral Partha labeled them. As my brother pointed out, they can be used as anything, like Numenorians, for example.
Greater warbeasts vs Lesser warbeasts. These spiders may be GW or Warlord, I'm not sure but they are the only figs not from the 70's.
Light missiles. Elven archers take the high ground. Unfortunately for Chris, they failed to activate three turns in a row and essentially doomed the rest of their force to ignominy.
Cool. Got a bunch of these in different poses. I can't believe these still have their original spears.
Yeah, their eyes bulge but I couldn't resist painting the models as sculpted. I find them charming.
One of the few shots of the actual action. You can see the ents in the upper left moving toward the goblin archers. However a few Wild Charges later by the venom packing spiders knocked the ents out of the game. The elves were butt hurt as it was too much like Ungoliant and the Two Trees.
'Branch out!' 'Leaf me alone!'
Elvish scouts are yummy! "Looks like meat is back on the menu boys!'
Great models. Four freaking dollars for 12!
The Elven leader and Heavy Foot bodyguard. I'm not sure of the maker of the leader model; there was no markings on the base. If anyone knows, let me know. The other guys are part of the Ral Partha Sea Elves line; note the same shields as the spear men, er, spear elves?
Battered light foot. The leader is in the background, if you want another look at him.
Shoulda brought arrows I guess,
We're scouting a retreat path home.
Warg riders, not hyena riders. Effing love these models.
Well, there's a few good looks at some models that will be turning 50 in three years!!!!! Dragon Rampant is a good system to get these old favorites on the table. And we have so many!!!! We originally bought these to play the old Chainmail rules Gary Gygax wrote, so we bought armies! We have everything from Haradrim to Rohirrim, Gondor, Isengard. We even have scattered Dunlandings,, axe men of Lossarnach, fishermen of Belfalas and even the odd Knight of Dol Amroth and Ranger of Ithilien. I'm not sure how I hung on to these through all the years and moves and mileage, I'm just glad we still have them!
