Pass in Review: Champions of Faith

 Champions of Faith is another Biblical boardgame my wife and I have. 

In this game, 2-6 players take on the roles of Old Testament heroes and try to achieve the objectives listed on their character cards. 

Each character has traits in Leadership, Wisdom and Endurance.

As the players move around the board, they'll land on spaces containing challenges that will test them against either their Wisdom or Leadership. The respective values become die roll modifiers.

If the player wins, they gain a blue token.

Endurance is similar to Hit Points in other games.

Collect 3 blue tokens and one gets a key. 

Obtaining the required number of keys, will give the player a chance to enter the Hall of Faith (Heaven).

The first player to enter the Hall of Faith wins.

The game contains high-quality miniatures, and tokens, along with a sturdy game board and character cards.

The clay tokens, colored green (leadership), white (wisdom), red (endurance), and blue (successful challenges), have a nice feel to them.

The only problem my wife and I had with the tokens was it was hard to read the denominations printed on them.

These came in increments of 1, 5 and 10. The blue token has no printed value and just indicates a player succeed in a challenge. 

So I took all the tokens and slathered them in various shades of ink wash: Blue, tan, green and red.

This also help keep the color of the tokens from coming off. The red tokens especially, left stains on our fingers.

If you're in the mood to play a game representing some of the challenges faced by the heroes of the Old Testament, then Champions of Faith is a nice family game to play. 

Pass in Review: Miracles and Pitfalls

 

Several years ago, I bought my wife a couple of Biblical games.

One such games is, Miracles and Pitfalls.

The rules are simple: Draw a card, and answer a question regarding verses in Scripture. Answer correctly, roll a six-sided die (1d6), and move your playing piece the indicated number of squares. Then the next player takes his turn in the same manner.

The rules recommend children can look up Scripture verses in order to answer the question.

The first player to reach the finish, wins.

Think of it as Biblical Trivia Pursuit, for 2-6 players. 

The game is made of good quality items.

However, I found the “Parcheesi” style playing pieces to be bland and boring.

So, I decided to make alternate playing pieces.

I downloaded and printed several cardboard figures from Junior General—Ancient series.

My wife bought a couple bags of Banquet Card Stands on Amazon.

I cut out the figures I wanted to use, folded and glued them, and inserted them on to individual stands.

I painted the bottom of the stands, and wrote the names of each character.

There are 11 characters from The Old Testament:

Each figure represents a specific Old Testament hero or heroine:

My wife and I came up with five New Testament characters:

And these are:

My newfangled playing pieces neither add or detract from the game.

I made these merely to improve players’ immersion into it.

(Image from the film poster: The Ten Commandments)

Modifying "Liberia: Descent into Hell"

(Cover art for Liberia: Descent into Hell)

 Just over five years ago, my friend Joe and I played a session of Liberia: Descent into Hell.  This is Counter Strike Mini-Game, by Platinum Dragon Productions, published in 2008, and currently out of print.

(Cover Page for our Liberia AAR)

We liked the game.  However the subject matter of The First Liberian Civil War (1989-1999), isn’t for everyone.

The game designers didn’t spare any gory details: Cannibalism, child soldiers, prostitution rings, and the drug trade; just to name a few topics that factor into the game.  

(A Second Civil War erupted shortly afterwards and ended in 2003).

Nor does the game spare any international relief or charity organizations, because all the donated money from such groups go towards lining the pockets of the two faction leaders.

The first big problem Joe & I had was playing on the small 17” x 11” map.  During playtime, the districts would become crowded with unit and leader counters.  During combat, we'd have to line-up counters off the gameboard.

We also wish the map colors were more natural, or at least subdued.

Shortly after our game, I went to a local print shop and had 2 poster-sized maps made (3’ x 2’).  I gave one to Joe, and put my copy in a closet.

(Poster-sized map mounted on cardboard)

And there it stayed until a few weeks ago.

(A comparison of the original with the enlarged map)

I’m still dealing with health issues, mostly chronic pain and fatigue, as a result of my lung transplant in December 2021.  However, I’m a bit stronger and more mobile than I was last year.  So I figured I could tackle an easy game project.

I thought it was long over due to dig out my Liberian Poster Map from its hiding space.  My wife unrolled the map and secured it on a large sheet of cardboard using clear packing tape.  She’s asked me throughout our marriage if she could help with any of my game projects.  Now, after all these years, she got her chance and did a great job.

Another issue Joe and I had was with the game’s several charts & tables.  For such a small game, spreading them out took up nearly all the table space.

To remedy this, I photo copied all the info-graphics, except for the optional Random Events Chart, which wouldn’t fit in my copier.  I trimmed the excess white spaces and taped them on to a display board.

(The game’s status board)

My original idea was to make a “gamemaster’s screen,” with the display board standing upright. Unfortunately, there were two too many charts to fit on the single side of the screen, and 5 of the charts required counters to be placed on them to indicate the status of various leaders, money, international support, and Juju.  

Yes, “magic” is an issue in this game and treated as popular support.  The side which has the most in a combination of money and Juju, wins the game.

When Joe & I get a chance to play this game again, I’ll write another post about whether or not my upgrades made the session more player-friendly.

Game Report--Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar

(Image from Restoration Games)

A couple weeks ago, I got together with my friend Joe.  Instead of playing any of our usual wargames of military mayhem, we opted for the more family-friendly adventure game Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar.

This is a remake of the 1986 Milton Bradley game, now published by Restoration Games.

(Image from Milton Bradley)

Back in 1986, I felt I was “too old” to play such “kiddie games.”

Fast-forward a few decades—add one pandemic—and what free time I may have to gather with friends, evaporates.

So I'm desperate  willing enough play anything.

No matter which version you have, think of Fireball Island as “Indiana Jones on the Volcanic Island of Chutes and Ladders.”

Up to four players are dropped off with the mission of collecting all sorts of treasure, pictures and souvenirs.  All while dodging “fireballs” (marbles), and their light-fingered fellow players, who can swipe an item from you as they run past.  

The game’s big MacGuffin is The Heart of Vul-Kar, a large red jewel prominently placed on the island’s summit.  Because The Heart is the single largest source of points, it can have a mesmerizing effect similar to “The Precious-s-s-s.”

But the Geological Clock is ticking, so players can’t dawdle. Sooner or later the island’s volcano god, Vul-Kar, will get fed-up with the foreign devil fortune hunters, and unleash a cataclysmic eruption.  

(Image from:  Krakatoa East of Java)

Ars Technica has a full review, and there’s a How-to-Play video, along with one of several play-through videos available on YouTube.

The game is rated for anyone age 7 years or older.  Joe’s two boys are about 5 & 6 years old and seemed to grasp the basics of the game rather well.

However, when playing with younglings, adults need to forgo their usual desire to “...crush your enemies, see them driven before you...”.  

Instead, us grups have to encourage fun & fair play, even as fireballs are flying and the island is coming apart at the fault lines. 

(Image from Ars Technica)

Our game session lasted over a couple of hours due to explaining the rules and breaking for lunch about half-way through the table-top treasure hunt. 

I can’t remember who ended up with “The Precious-s-s-s,” but it changed hands a time or two before the Final Cataclysm.  

I didn’t bother going after it, and instead contented myself with swiping all the minor jewels I could get my hands on.  

I was also the first one to get to the choppa before the island blew, and got the “lucky penny,” worth some bonus points.  Joe’s boys were right behind me and piled into the helicopter. 

(Image from:  Jurassic Park)

What about Joe?

Alas, Joe was hit solid by a fireball as he sprinted to the helipad.  The boulder pushed him down to the very bottom of the hill.  As a result of this critical hit, he didn’t have enough movement points to get off the island... 

(Image from: Raiders of the Lost Ark)

So if this sort of fast & furious looting-spree sounds like more fun than another plodding round of  “...do not pass Go...”, consider adding Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar to your family’s Game Night Library. 

T'was the Swap Meet Before Christmas...

(Image from: Boardgame & Miniature Quarterly Swap Meet #13) 

A few days before Christmas I ventured up to the Angel of the Winds Arena for the 13th Boardgame & Miniature Swap Meet hosted by OOP Games & Hobby.

The venue was nice, large enough to accommodate all the vendors and easy to get to once off I-5.

Since I left 30 minutes later than I planned, I rushed off without my cameras, so I don't have any "man on the street" pictures to post.

My usual quest at these affairs is purchasing items I don't have to cut-out, paste together or paint.

For the most part I was successful in this endeavor.

One vendor, I'm afraid I didn't get his name, was selling off spare items from the several Warhammer 40K Rogue Trader Kill Team Starter Set.

 For a mere $10, I obtained the rulebook...

...the supplement guides...

...the double-sided, mounted playing board...

...and the status counter sheets.

Okay, that's one item I have to punch out and trim, but there's less than 50 counters, unlike many boardgames which contain hundreds of them. Even over a thousand if you consider monster games.

I've never been good at haggling.  But when I asked another vendor about these near-future, pre-painted figurs, he said it was $25...

...But then added prices could be negotiable.

When I offered him $20, he accepted.  Upon my return I conducted  a quick Google search an extensive on-line research and found these figures sell for about $20-$33.

So I got another deal.

The most expensive item I bought turned out to be this WH40K-ish looking dice tray made by Carrie Emmerich, artist and proprietor of Omnibusy.

She also runs a Tumblr blog called Iris of Ether.  The dice tray cost me $30.  But as we concluded my purchase, some of the furniture figures on her display table caught my eye.

Specifically, these wine/beer casks:

Carrie originally wasn't planning on sell them, but offered them to me for $5 each.

Unlike previous swap meets there were a number of non-gaming vendors, specifically artists and authors.

While I spent some time chatting with these folks, along with other game vendors, I didn't spend any more of my money.

I always feel rather bad when I don't help out small/at-home business owners.  My late mom was an artist and attended art & craft shows throughout her life.  Plus I'm a wannabe writer myself.  So I know how hard it can be to make a profit at various shows, conferences and conventions.

However, I couldn't bring myself to buy anything else I was interested in, or something I have no room for, like this:

(Image found on eBay, not from the vendor I spoke with)

One vendor did have this Star_Wars_Miniatures AT-AT but I had to pass it up due to lack of shelf & storage space.

Here's a list of the game vendors, artists and authors I talked with and picked up business cards from before departing:

Authors 4 Authors Publishing

Almost Critical

Moon Dragon Games

Arcanum Miniatures

Ink Gasket

Ford 3D Printing

This has been the second swap meet I managed to attend. The last one two years ago, which I didn't even get a chance to write about. What keeps me away is my rotating work shift.

Hopefully it won't be another two years before I can attend the next one.

Happy New Year everyone!

Airfix--The Introductory Wargame, Product Review and Game Report

If you’re a gamer as old as I am like me, you probably got started by playing with Airfix toy soldiers.

These 1/72-scale, soft plastic figures were a staple part of my childhood.  We use to line them up in the back yard and toss pebbles at our opponent’s troops.  The kid with the last man standing won.

This turned out to be a “gateway drug” for my life-long addiction to wargaming.  (But I’m not really addicted—I can quit any time I want to).

Fast forward to 2018.  I was cruising around an on-line gamestore’s site, The Miniature Market I think, and I was delighted to stumble across Airfix Battles The Introductory Wargame by Modiphius Entertainment. 

The game comes with the following—

—A 16-page rules booklet

—A 16-page mission booklet with 10 scenarios

—10 dice

—2 double-sided, grid-square maps

—2 sheets of double-sided die-cut counters representing German and Allied soldiers, vehicles, terrain and various status markers

—A 54-card Command Deck, and

—2 27-card Force Decks (German and Allied)

The counters representing the vehicles and soldiers are top-down views made to the same scale as the 1/72nd scale figures.  In fact, players are encouraged to replace the counters with figures.

All the components are high quality in a sturdy box.  My only complaint is the ruined house counters are identical on both sides.  Modiphius Entertainment missed out on an opportunity to provide players with a variety of buildings for their game.  I imagine this was done to cut down on printing costs.

Anyway, players assemble troops using the Force Deck, based on the scenario being played.  The cards list the weapons and capabilities of the leaders and squads.

My friend Joe and I played Scenario 1:  Link up with HQ!/Halt the Allied Breakthrough!

This covers the German counter attacks immediately after the D-Day Invasion.

The Americans (Ted):

The Germans (Joe):

The game is played on a cardstock map with faint white “+” marks to indicate the grid squares.  (Note:  No diagonal movement is allowed).

Here’s the terrain set-up for Scenario 1:

The forces assemble:

Each square can be occupied by only one unit (a single vehicle, or a 5-10 man squad).

The fire-fight unfolded as follows:

The German veteran squad occupies the southeastern ruined building.

The American veteran squad occupies the northwestern ruined building, while First Squad advances along the road.

Meanwhile, the German Zuerst Squad advances along the southern flank, and the Zweite Squad advances toward the northeastern ruined building.

The American Second Squad charges the German flanking squad...

...with the Americans getting the worst of it.

Despite the lopsided outcome, the Americans manage to inflict a few casualties among the Germans.

The Germans though, finish-off the handful of survivors from the Second Squad.

The American First Squad advances to the southwestern ruined building in an attempt to shore-up the south flank.

The German Zuerst Squad fires a devastating volley into the American squad (by playing a "Fire" Interrupt Card)...

...then beats the Americans in the race for the southwestern ruined building.

Undaunted, the Americans attempt to evict the Germans...

...first with a “commando assault...”

...then with an infantry assault.

Neither attempts succeed in ousting the Germans.

The German company commander joins the Zwiete Squad...

...and orders the men to charge the American veterans.

Over half the American veterans fall, but the pair of survivors, "stayed frosty" (by playing a "Stay Frosty" Card) and were able to hold off the Germans...

...long enough for the First Squad to come to their rescue.

Caught in a crossfire, the German Zweite Squad is annihilated when the American First Squad opened up on them.

However, the American First Squad is caught in the open by the German Zuerst Squad and nearly wiped out.

The final stage of the firefight:

While both side have been mauled by the short and intense firefight, Joe felt he was not in a position—to hold his positions.

Joe and I enjoyed playing Airfix--The Introductory Game.  We both made a couple mistakes during our session, which could have changed the outcome.  While we like card-driven games like this, it’s often hard to remember every bit of capability each of your units have during the heat of battle.  I think hand grenades were the most forgotten about asset squads possessed.

Still, I recommend this game for anyone just getting into the hobby, introducing others to wargaming—or for those of us desiring a bit of nostalgia.