Chris Carr: Spanish Buildings from 4 Ground Things from the Basement

Brian and I popped into 4Ground in sunny Warminster back in October while going to the Fleet Air Arm museum to put on a game of Blood and Plunder. After a brief tour of the facilities, including the laser cutter, a warehouse full of sets for all manner of game systems (40k, Bolt Action, Napoleonics, WW2, ranging from 10mm to 32mm) and seeing some new designs (including a cracking harbour set up) we were given  some of the fantastic Spanish buildings and the first ones I've built...

Really, for any game systems, you should have a browse.

https://www.4groundpublishing.co.uk/index.php?route=common/home

First up is the 2 story Spanish house, all the parts seperated and sorted.

First part of the build was to get the central walls built so I could line everything up neatly.

I dry fitted the outer walls together to make sure everything fitted properly before the next stage

Applying the powder. This part wasn't as messy as first feared. Following the instructions, the powder goes on pretty easily. Put the powder onto 1 of the 2 bags and spread it out evenly 

from the initial applying the PVA glue  to the first dip in the powder and then smearing it around it actually make a nice change from when you usually have to be neat and tidy. All you have to do is put PVA in random place over the walls, jam the wall piece into the powder and then just spread it out over the walls, spray a tiny bit of water from an atomiser then press it back into the powder and done. Biggest mess was from the tidying of the powder and even that wasn't to bad. If your careful it'll go back into the bag a breeze.

I did all the walls together just so I didn't have to keep getting the powder out. The Stuttico effect plaster this gives off is really unique and sets the building apart.

while the walls were drying I made up the roof. Now this is a really neat way of doing the "corrugated effect". Basicly you build up the frame, attach the roof supports to the base of the roof and the attach the terracotta roof "shingles" which are made from  card stock. Ends up with a nice strong "terracotta" tile roof which you couldn't  get without cutting a ton of material.

After the walls had dried I stuck all of the walls together and then applied all of the window/door frames and all the other bits. I had to clean a few bits off the wall from the stucco effects, but this was easy and just scraped straight off.

The completed kit. 

This is a great kit to go together, nice and easy and looks fantastic once built. For the price point of these buildings and the way they look once done, they look a whole lot more expensive than the cost

The 2 Storey building is from 4Ground Things from the Basement and can be bought separately or as part of Farm building 1 set...

https://www.4groundpublishing.co.uk/indie-design/things-from-the-basement/tftb-two-storey-house

The yellow powder for the rustic walls is very straightforward to use and the finished effect is amazing!!! This is the powder laid out for the application to the buildings. It's not actually that messy and it's very easy to apply.

Putting the internal walls and floors together is always the first step as per the building above. First step was to lay out the floor as it comes in 4 pieces.

I dry fitted the walls to work out which ones/sides need the glue/powder paste attaching to. The pieces fit together well and wood glue is definitely the right glue for use on the building.

Applying the powder with PVA mix is easy if you simply follow the instructions, the powder goes on nicely. Put the powder onto 1 of the 2 bags and spread it out evenly.

Its important to let the powder dry. I did all of the walls together just to make it easier on myself to clean up.

All the walls stuck together and left to dry

While the main building was drying I got on with the roof.

When the house is done you really have to varnish it to keep the powder attached, if you don't do this your going to end up with a yellow powder all over the place. I have done it but  it will still take a while for all the excess to drop.

The completed Farm Buildings Set 1 contains the building on the left (Small Building with workshop) and the 2 Storey building on the right...

https://www.4groundpublishing.co.uk/indie-design/things-from-the-basement/tftb-farm-buildings-set

The middle building is from the small farm building from Farm Buildings 2 set. This set also has a lovely three storey building...

 https://www.4groundpublishing.co.uk/indie-design/things-from-the-basement/tftb-farm-buildings-set-2

The figures used are from Firelock Blood and Plunder...

These buildings are excellent. We will be using them for Blood and Plunder in the Carribean, for Bolt Action in Italy and the Mediterranean and Sharpe Practice Napoleonics for the Peninsular Campaign in Spain and Portugal...

Blood and Plunder Demonstration Games at Recon 2019

Chris and I travelled over the Pennines to put on a demonstration game of Blood and Plunder at Pudsey, near Leeds. Recon 2019 is run by Wakefield and District Wargamers https://wdwgamers.weebly.com/ and was quite a busy little event...

As per usual, Chris did the rules and demo's and I chatted about the ships (from Firelock Games https://www.firelockgames.com/ ), the figures (Firelock again, usually bought from https://www.gamingfigures.com/ ) and buildings, predominantly 4Ground https://www.4groundpublishing.co.uk/index.php?route=common/28mmhistorical )

The battlefield...

The busy harbour...

The full set up at the top of the stairs. Plenty of room and light...

My Cabalerrio's and Soldado's guard a Spanish building

The Bring and Buy was busy early on...

Chris and passers-by...

Chris engages with the public...

Explaining the mechanics...

The Iron Gate Scenery market stalls really set off the town (and provide some cover) https://www.irongatescenery.co.uk/ 

They were present at Recon, and got some of their camp fires and bedrolls for a diorama I've planned...

One of the new Spanish building from Things from the Basement range at 4Ground. Chris has a few more of these and he's doing a step-by-step guide to building them (hopefully coming early in the New Year). Have to say, they are excellent...

https://www.4groundpublishing.co.uk/indie-design/things-from-the-basement

A Song of Ice and Fire: Renly Baratheon v Roose Bolton

Raymond was keen to use his Baratheon's and opted for Renly in their first outing down at Justplay Games in Liverpool. https://justplaygames.uk/ It was another busy night at the store, but as always, Richie and the guys re-jigged table to ensure everyone was accommodated. There was some Star Wars: X Wing, Age of Sigmar and the new Avengers Crisis Protocol being played, which does look awesome...

But I digress, and I opted to take Roose Bolton leading a force with Boltons, Cleganes and Lannisters against Baratheons and a Mercenary unit.

We played a Game of Thrones at 40pts.

My force was as follows:

NCU's: Roose Bolton (C), Pycelle
Units: Knights of Casterly Rock, Pyromancers, 2 x Mountains Men including one with Brienne of Tarth, Bolton Cutthroats with Dreadfort Captain

Also, Jaime Lannister, Maimed Captive

I've had these two painted for ages, but this is their first outing

Raymond's Baratheons are as below:

NCU's: Tycho Nestoris, Alester Florent

Units: Baratheon Wardens, Baratheon Wardens with Renly Baratheon (C), Stag Knights (with Jaime attached and Master Warden), Baratheon Sentinels with Brienne and Stormcrow Mercenaries with a Master Warden.

The charismatic heir... The Baratheon figures are excellent!!!

My Brienne used her Knightly vow to target the Stag Knights with Jaime, while her alter ego for the Baratheons targeted Brienne's Mountains Men.

We set up with a palisade on my far left, a spiked fence mid-table in my half and a corpse pile and a Weirwood tree. I won the roll off and opted to take second activation.

The objectives were clustered centre, with one off to my left. We kept them blind until taken.

We also stuck to 1.4 rules, with exception of the new panic rules...

I set up Mountains  Men to take left, then Brienne's Mountain Men central beside right of centre Pyromancers, CutThroats and Knights on extreme right. Facing me, bunched centrally were (left to right as you look) Brienne and her Sentinels, Wardens, Stag Knights with Jaime, Renly and Wardens and then Stromcrows...

TURN 1

As per usual, Raymond's first activation was to get the extra cards. I then put Pycelle on the horse to move the Pyromancers up...

The Stag Knights activated and Jamie proved a handful and caused 3 casualties...

Alester Florent promptly healed them back up though...

Back to strength, and looking menacing!!!

I used Roose and put a few panic tokens on it...

Raymond kept his forces tightly bunched and limped forward under their heavy armour...

I swung a unit out left and swung the rest right to try and roll the flank. The Pyromancers took and objective that allowed an extra tactics card, while the Baratheons would heal D3 when they scored points of it...

TURN 2

With first activation, I threw my Knights into the Stormcrows, hitting 8 times despite the Baratheon Warden. Raymond saved 4, and the 4 casualties were saved by Renly's tactic card when they passed their morale. Talk about blunt my right hook!!!

Baratheon Brienne swept up my left, and I countered with my Mountains Men to threaten their flank (or so I thought), while I marched up the Cuthtroats to add weight to the attack. Stag Knights and Jaime advanced onto the centre objective, but took 3 wounds from Roose tactic card by spending a panic token, but saved Jaime's hits from unruly captive. The objective gave the scoring side a free move or retreat for a unit...

I took the bait and made a charge with Brienne for 10 attacks hitting on 2 + but didn't score much damage...

And the three wounds were healed again anyway. I had also taken the swords as Tycho had taken letters again, so my knights did score some wounds on the Stormcrows and also suffered some panic casualties...

A countercharge was used to get Renly into the Knights flanks but they were weakened by Pycelle

so the few hits were saved well...

End of turn 2

Looking busy in the centre, but I'd erred with Pyromancers and they were stuck out the way...

We then scored, and  the left flank objective gave me a weakened and vulnerable on opponents units. I also got an extra card in hand but this was cancelled by one controlled by the Baratheons. The Baratheons also got to heal D3 wounds (on Stag Knights) and gave Brienne's Wardens a free advance to threaten my Brienne's flank!!!

End of TURN 2. Baratheons 3 VP's, Lannisters 2 VP's

TURN 3

After much thought, with regard to taking swords or activating Stag Knights to block a flank assault on Renly, Raymond went with Brienne into Brienne's flank...

Charging  over the spikes did cause a few wounds, but with the Knightly vow, it hit hard!!!

I took the opportunity to repay the favour into Renly's flank with my Cutthroats, halving the unit strength. Baratheon Brienne then finished the job on my Mountains Men Brienne with the swords, moving down toward my Pyromancers. I had a nice Roose card, so used Roose to give out two panic tokens. When the Stag knights moved up, I played calculated cruelty, they took 3 wounds from expending the token by being in short range of my cutthroats, and then Jamie took a few more off. And they were now in range of my Pyromancers...

And with a flash of Wildfire, and the Hear me Roar card, the Stag Knights narrowly failed their morale and lost the remaining 4 men, freeing Maimed Jamie and giving me a chance...

Although, another counter charge into the Pyromancers flank would doubtless hurt...

With 8 hits incoming, my Pyromancers were in trouble. Until I rolled 4 6's.... And then passed the morale check!!!

I was behind but with first activation I felt I could pressure my right and hope my Pyromancers held up Brienne for a bit. I felt I needed to take the risk of bringing up my left Mountain Mens, leaving the objective they had been sat on. Tycho Nestoris also had been used to heal up Renly's unit which had been given a bit of a mauling!!!

At the end of turn 3, it was still tight with Baratheons on 6 VP's, Lannisters on 5 VP's...

TURN 4

I took the swords with Pycelle, weakening Brienne and her Wardens and attacked the remaining 7 men defending Renly with my cutthroats. I scored 3 wounds, and due to the vicious and flank, Renly failed his morale, taking a further 4 wounds and the charismatic heir fell...

That was a serious blow to the Baratheons, and Brienne and her weakened wardens were lacklustre again v the Pyromancers, and the other Wardens moved to take the central objective.

I dropped more green Wildfire into Brienne, killing 4, and despite her morale bonus, they failed narrowly (again) and Raymond rolled maximum wounds (again) wiping out another unit!!!

We both played cards, with my Pyromancers healing 4  with fealty to the crown, as the Wardnes "counter charged" into them!!

The Pyromancers took heavy casualties at last, but were still in the game!!!

My Knights attacked the Stormcrow Mercenaries, reducing the unit. When the Mercenaries struck back, I took a wound and passed morale, Lannister supremacy finishing of the Stormcrows when they failed another panic test. My Mountains Men moved up and completed a very lucky win for the Lannister forces...



End of TURN 4. Baratheons 6 VP's, Lannister 11 VP's

CONCLUSION

Well, despite having made error's in deployment and in early manouvering, I actually managed a win. I left my Mountains Men out of the fight and the numbers centrally were in Raymond's favour, especially with my Pyromancers languishing in the rear. When I got my Knights of Casterly Rock stuck in melee and lost Brienne and her unit, I thought I was going to be overrun with relative ease by the Hammer wielders!!! Then a few good cards, some very lucky dice (with my Pyromancers) and also some really bad dice from Raymond, the game turned on its head. At the end, we were both fairly flummoxed by not only the result, but the scale of the win... The new Morale rules are fair and though they may have looked skewed in my favour, it was more due to Raymond's ability to roll a D3 and always roll a 3.

Another great game, the Baratheon's are very tough and hard hitting, and had the game sewn up in my mind end of turn 2. Then, I got some lucky dice with my Pyromancers and my Knights also held up two units, while the cut-throats in the flank finally killed the man who would be King...