Wednesday 10 October 2012

Zombies

Here are a few more for the horde. I don't spend any time painting zombies, as they are not really the stars of the game. You will also no doubt remember that I  paint them in Black and White (monochrome). I only use four shades of grey, straight from the pot. I don't feel they need any more they are after all a horde. I will be adding to the horde of zombies in the next few weeks (unless I get sidetracked), but with such a limited colour palette they can be churned out in next to no time.
These last two are Mantic Ghouls. I just got the two from eBay and again went with the usual colour palette. But with these I added some bright green eye dots (GW Scorpion Green). I am though relying on the poses to show they are "Rage Zombies". As with all the zombies I have added a tuft to every other one, this allows me to have two different activations for zombies, those with tufts and those without. The reason for this is that in some games once the zombies had moved certain players were exploiting this to make sure they could not be attacked in the following turn. This is diminished using this method, but does not totally eliminate the problem. But it does help to make the games less predictable, which does help to make the game less predictable and therefore more tense.
 
As mentioned previously I want to start a zombie campaign, it's still in the planning but has at least started to be jotted down. I have roughed out the map, It will get detailed and populated later possibly with the help of other bloggers and the ZBA (Zombie Bloggers Association). When the campaign starts it will be "In Media Res" by which I mean I shall skip the first days of the out break and later run them as "Flash back" scenarios. This is because none of us are actors and table-top play is very very different from real life. It will allow a realistic detachment and stop the players having to do things like shoot family members which in real life would be for most of us very difficult but all to easy on the tabletop.
 
If I can manage it I will run the "Outbreak" of the zombie campaign as an on line discussion with different bloggers and followers taking different roles like Police Chief, Mayor, Hospital CEO, etc, but this is a way off yet. I see the benefit of running it this way as being that it will generate the "History" for the players taking some of the control from both them and me. It will also (I hope) create certain areas of the city and surroundings reputations. Time will tell if I can pull this off but it is in the planning as I type this.
 
Thanks for Reading, all the best Clint.
 

23 comments:

  1. You have some ambitious plans going on there, Clint, and I hope they pan out for you. Your figures look fine and I do like the use of your background photo.

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    1. Yes I have ambitious plans, "dream big it does not cost any more!" My theory is to try for something big and if it only gets half way that is better than trying something small and getting 1/2 way!

      Yes I agree the background helps, Not perfect, but a good start. I will improve as I do more with backgrounds.(Until I get complacent).

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  2. A really nice and ambitious project you've got here, I wish you the best in it ( so, with your upcoming reports I'll have a nice read ahead of me!! ;P ).
    I'll definitely steal your idea for the background of pictures, usually I use the box of an old diecast car with urban landscape printed on it for the pictures of my survivors/zombies, it works well but, being a really small "stage" it tends to be a little dark for taking good pictures of the models....
    ciao.
    http://gnotta.blogspot.it/

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    1. Thanks Gnotta, I saw other bloggers using backgrounds so I though I should try as well, Just to see if it works. (which I think it does).

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  3. Good plans Clint and I'm sure the guys at the Board of the Living Lead will be glad to help - I know I will!

    I am looking forward to watching this progress!

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    1. I should have said; the black to white palette for zeds is a fascinating idea which I must have missed when you mentioned it before :(

      Any chance of a group zed pic to show how it looks with a group please?

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    2. Progress will be slow. I can promise that. I'll try to organise a group shot soon then. (I'll have to get a bigger background picture.... hee hee

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  4. You do yours black and white? That sounds interesting, cant wait to see how it turns out in the game!

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    1. Yes black under coat and three shades of grey. Very little mixing of colours if at all.

      Time will tell how the campaign goes! At this stage I can only guess..... I do foresee problems, but if it works it should work well.

      Can the Bloggers stop or even limit the outbreak or are we all doomed from the start. Who knows at this stage.

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  5. Nice models, nice background, and I call the Tech support role! Absolutely no life skills, but can help you reboot your computer and turn the monitor on when you think the internet is not working! :)

    Looking forward to seeing more of this unravel.

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    1. Thanks mate. No tech support role as such, but maybe could use a Government Scierntific Advisor in the City of Newtown. But that role would be quite limited.....maybe.

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  6. Some brilliant plans. Like the flashback idea. The Zombies all add to the horde :D

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    1. "Flashback" scenario idea shamelessly stolen from TV. Most TV series start In Media Res, and then you get flashbacks to fill in the characters back story. I see no reason this should not work for zombie games, I already have my first scenario in the planning, the figs for which arrived this morning! But before I can start that scenario I need to move the pre-campaign forward to a certain point. (I like to make things hard for myself!)

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  7. Looking forward to the campaign ideas blooming - flashback type scenarios sound very interesting.
    The use of the backgournd phot is excellent and just using greys for the zombies very effective.

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    1. Thanks Joe. I have the 1% inspiration now just to sweat through the 99% persperation!

      As for the background of the pic, just trying to catch up with so many other bloggers.

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  8. Those are good looking zombies, and I like the greytones that you decided on.

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    1. they are not by any strech works of art, but they do function on the tabletop. And I did not want them to be drenched in blood and gore. SO I swiped the idea from Left for dead.

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    1. No just bashed these out. Nothing fancy or kleva!

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  10. Damn nice Clint, are we seeing you on Sunday?

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    1. Barring Accidents, misshaps and British Rail yes I will see you Sunday. Ray has emailed me already.

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  11. Great Zombies there I love the monochrome look too as it is very effective. Which rules are you going to use for the campaign

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    1. 3 different sets of rules!

      For the tabletop I shall be using All Things Zombie Final Fade out (ATZ-FFO). For the pre-campaign I shall be using a variation of the "Mega Games rules" (these are not comercially availible but cater for games of up to 200 players at a time (All playing at once). Yes I am that crazy.) The final set of rules will be a "home brew" set which will allow me to manage all the player actions in the game that don't occur on the tabletop. This will take on a semi roleplaying aspect as who can guess what players will wat to do, Previous campaigns (At another club) have involved so many things from "Beau Gest" dummies to making clock work bombs! In a Zombie Setting it could include creating anti zombie vehicles to anything else like trying to make a zepplin or blowing up a certain building. At this stage Who Knows what they will want to try.... one thing I do know is that they will not do what I expect!

      I hope that helps and has not confused you too much.

      Short arwnser is ATZ FFO!

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