RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE .... Can you dig it?

Padre

Member
‘Rumble in the Jungle’
Current Situation (if the posts from earlier in this thread are still correct)

I have looked carefully through the thread at the posts of Harry, Hetz, Myself and Thantsants. There was also a very interesting one with lovely pics from Ernie, but that remains a mystery. We discussed ideas, going from my original idea for a vampire leading pygmies and undead, through Weazil’s suggestion of instead having a Voodoo Pygmy Shaman leading pygmies and undead, to Harry’s interest in lending forces to the game, to Hetz’s promise of a greenskin force, to Thantsant’s hopes of joining in if possible. We vaguely discussed scenery and scenarios, fixtures and figures, and ruminated on the rules.

What follows is my best attempt to present the point we got to, including some logical leaps based on suggestions made and the resources we have at hand. If this is wrong, please say so. I am hoping to get a solid idea of what, when and who before the event.

Oldhammer Weekend Battle: The Rumble in the Jungle

The Southlands.
A long forgotten valley of temples has been discovered, revealed when a volcano/earthquake incident collapsed what was thought to be a rocky ridge but what turned out to be the ancient and crumbling remains of a massive structure walling off one end of the valley. Once the valley’s existence was discovered various creatures rushed off to tell their respective rulers. Now a disparate array of forces have rushed to the lost valley in order to loot and plunder the temples. They hope for ancient artefacts and rich treasures, perhaps even the chance to obtain the relics and possessions of ancient gods.

Although the collapse of the wall revealed the valley, there are in fact several possible entrances that are useable. And now that its existence is known, the different forces are gonna use them!


General Format of the Scenario

The Tabletop is strewn with several stepped temples (mine, two of Harry’s and maybe Thantsants) as well as a plethora of jungle scenery (of which I have quite a lot). Every force is trying to be in possession of as many temples as possible by the end of the battle. Whoever has the most at the day's (or the weekend's end), has won. But whoever has even one will feel good, as that means they get to steal a lot of good stuff. Even having one for a little while might mean you snuck a few choices pieces of treasure out.

Armies arrive from different corners of the table, one, two or three units at a time, as if they are emerging from a rocky rift or through a waterfall or along the slimy rocks of an overgrown river.

Armies arrive whenever players join in - representing the fact that although this is a fantasy world, surely it would be too fantastical to have every force turn up in the middle of a massive jungle at a lost valley all at exactly the same moment in time? Vampires, orcs, magic - yeah, of course. But massively the coincidental arrival of several forces all at the same moment. That's just silly. Or, more truthfully, a mechanic that allows anyone to join in as and when they can. (I'm thinking of you especially, Thantsants.) I suppose players could leave whenever they like too. Their forces would scatter (they suddenly get the eeby jeebys in such an ancient and powerful place and basically run off), and they wouldn't get to win the game 'cos they wouldn't be there at the end BUT if they held a temple for a turn or to, then there would be that to boast of. For the rest of your days you could brag how you held the smallest of four temples for two turns and managed to steal a pretty goblet and a jade stick which whispers in a forgotten language whenever you rub its knobbly end.

Nor, I think, should we worry about having equal points, either as individuals or alliances. I think it would be way more fun just to bring what we can and enjoy ourselves. (Here I refer you to the above discussion re: silly levels of fantasy, and ask you to apply the same thought process to the idea that everyone just happens to arrives at the lost valley with exactly equal strength forces.) It will seem more ‘real’ if it isn’t carefully balanced like a chess game.

Participants and their Forces

Padre (me)
Undead and Pygmies.
A very able pygmy witchdoctor has employed voodoo magic to animate an undead force to increase the fighting strength of his pygmy tribe. He did not want to re-animate his own kind (it’s simply not the done thing!), but got a thrill out of re-animating 'big men’s' corpses. He has skeletons raised from the bones of a long dead desert men expedition, and zombies raised from the rotting corpses of a force of pirates who perished in the swamps looking for just such a city as they are now shambling towards (aaah, the irony).

Why: The witchdoctor wants the magic stuff. All of it.

Composition: The undead are easy. I will use my undead. As for the pygmies, I am aiming to use as many of my figures as possible, but as they are fashioned as a counts as lizardmen army (salamanders, stegadons, terradons etc) am gonna have to have a real good think about what they count as in 3rd edition. Luckily the pygmies themselves come right out of the 3rd Ed Warhammer Armies.

Hetz:
Plundering greenskins, lots of them.

Why: They wants all the shiny things they can get their stinkin’ hands on. Then they’ll be stinkin’ rich (like stinkin’ Kevin – 80’s film quote, get it?).

Composition: If you haven’t got as many painted as you wanted to, I could bring some of my oldest greenskins for you to use too. I have a regiment of loverly old orcs, and a massive block of oldish (metal) gobbo bows, as well as a whole bunch of newer stuff, and non-GW stuff. But I could certainly lend you a good, solid, Oldhammer unit or three.

Harry
Slann and Lizards.

Why: To secure the temples so that the gods can be venerated and the treasures kept safe in the hands of their rightful inheritors.

Composition: A force made as 3rd edition as possible.

Thantsants
A force of desperate allies “Norsemen and women, and Amazons and Slann and any Lizardmen”.

Why: Because if they’re gonna get rich, then they’re gonna need help. Picture a weird fantasy version of Kelly’s Heroes.

Composition: I respectfully refer you to the bit under ‘Thantsants’ above.

Others

Ernie? (You mysterious fellow you, with your gorgeous old slann.) Maybe you could start off in the valley, the last remaining defenders?

And ….. who else?

So what'ya'll think? Is this a reasonable projection from where we were going? Is this truly in the spirit of the event? (Oldhammer, for fun, and flexible too.)

Oh, and wow - it's just occurred to me: A player could even bring two forces, and have one invade at one point, play for a while or until dead), then later come back to the table, and have the next force invade.
 

Thantsants

Member
This sounds like a right old laugh Padre!

Here's what I have painted so far - I'm happy to donate Slann, Lizardmen, Amazons or whatever to augment other similar forces. As you'll see I should have a decent number of Norse painted up so they'll make a good raiding party in their own right.

Bollrbrjotr (Ball Breakers)



The Stoutbacks



Kremlo + Karl Ustracutter (one of the Magnificent Sven's Magnificent Seven and 5 Berserkers)



These two likely lads will join the rest of the berserkers



Sven and the rest of his Magnificent Seven + a champion for the unit of Norse warriors (formerly known as Karl Ustracutter's stunt double). Juggo now has blue hair now by the way!



A few Norse warriors, another archer and an Ulfwerenar painted way back - the Halfling and chap in green with the axe will be on duty in Linden Way in the Orc's Drift game though!



The drunk fellow who's on his back used to do duty as a Musician - singing out those sagas even when he couldn't even stand up!

You might recognise him here...



20 Norse Warriors (soon to be painted)



5 Archers (soon to be painted)



Amazons





I have another 7 Sisterhood Novices in a base coated state who should be done in time...

Slann and Lizardmen













Gribblies



There's all sorts of stuff I'd like to add to the Slann and Amazon factions but I'll have to see what I have time for.
Karnac's Lizardmen
Troglodytes and lesser Lizardmen as well as the C19 chaps...
More Giant frogs as well as spider, snake and frog swarms

and if we wanted to be totally off the wall -

the Lesser Spotted Lustrian Bog Goblin



 

Harry

Moderator
I don't have any Slaan ... except the 5th edition Mage priest ... and not enough Lizardmen painted to make up a sensible force.
I may have to add to Thansants desperate alliance.
I do have about 40 Amazons painted ... and about the same for Norse.

I will try and get some pictures posted to show you what I have.
 

Thantsants

Member
Sounds good Harry - we could always put any Slann and Lizardmen in the control of the GM - perhaps in a wandering monster role or in control of one of the temples at the start of the game? They could even become one of the objectives - stop them leaving the table to call for reinforcements?
 

Padre

Member
Harry":2mib7nzu said:
I don't have any Slaan ... except the 5th edition Mage priest ... and not enough Lizardmen painted to make up a sensible force.
I may have to add to Thansants desperate alliance.
I do have about 40 Amazons painted ... and about the same for Norse.

40 amazons and 40 norse sounds like a darn fine force on its on to me. I can understand why the norse like hanging around the amazons, but I can't quite work out why the amazons want the norse with them. Whatever the answer, I doubt theirs is a platonic relationship! Perhaps the amazons have ritually joined the norse in order to birth the next generation of amazons, and want to see the potential fathers in action before the other kind of action?

Do you reckon I should GM? Someone else commanding the pygmies and Undead? Or can a GM also play in a game set up like this? I mean if my army enters the field first, and we have several contenders arrive through the day, is there any real chance my boys will still be around at the very end?

Of mabe my army got there first, and my army is the one everyone else is attacking? (As well as each other!)
 

Padre

Member
And Thantsants, the generous donation of your units to other contenders would be fantastic.

Hopefully we'll hear from other willing participants soon, though we could rely on people joining in on the weekend.

Would like to have a scenario solidly agreed upon before we start - yes, maintaining the looseness and massive flexibility of 'enter the field when you like' but at least knowing who's on the field first, if we have defenders, and how many temples we definitely will have.

I do remember playing multiple player games in the past so there must be a way of doing turn sequencing with three or four different sides. Yes?
 

Thantsants

Member
Padre - I don't see a problem with you GM'ing and playing your force at the same time - am I right in thinking yours is the largest force so far?

How about having your Pygmies as the inhabitants of the valley - the collapse of the retaining wall being the result of some magical experiment gone wrong? They could be lying in ambush to defend their temples from all us treasure seekers. A quick sketch map of units hiding in ambush and Bob's your uncle - Pygmies popping up out of every tree and bush and Undead warriors rising from the ground before your very eyes! They could of course get recycled as they are killed as a trailing force or as further ambushes.

As for my Amazons - I would see them as a small expedition of powerful Sisterhood Mages with their bodyguards and attendant acolytes, searching for lost Kalimist treasures - the Golden Statue of Rigg pictured above perhaps...

Or they could join Harry's lot - anything but be associated with those misogynist heathens!

As for objectives - how about getting into the temples, nabbing some loot and carrying it back out to the table edges? We could make up some simple rules about moving at half rate if carrying treasure alone - add 1/2" or so for each assisting model. Or if you come prepared like my Norse, bring some of these ;)



We could award victory points for treasure successfully carried off and Pygmies, Undead, Monsters and enemy characters killed.

I quite like the idea of holding the temples too - could you make a rule that treasure is only found each turn on some kind of a dice roll with a positive modifier for each assisting model in the search?
 

Padre

Member
Thantsants - all darn fine ideas.

Love the idea the Lost Valley has been home to the pygmies for centuries, under the illusion that it was their job to defend the Temples. As for the undead, they must be the remains of two large expeditions in the past that managed to penetrate the valley even before the walled defense fell in the earthquake. A bunch of thieving pirates recently, and an expedition from hundreds of years ago (zombies and skeletons). In a desperate attempt to better defend the valley now that it is no longer 'hidden' the voodoo witchdoctor has summoned every corpse he can.

I might, however, have the pygmy, zombie, and skeleton units visible on the field (apart from the sneakiest of the blowpipe mobs), and instead have hidden traps (like those in the Lustria supplement from a few years ago) marked on a rough map. The pygmies could have made the traps in a desperate attempt to defend the gaps in their defenses.

The grab the loot and run to your own table edge idea is genius.

I will come up with solid scenario 'rules', but first ought to hear some more ideas.

Oh, and I have those exact same mules/donkeys.
 

Thantsants

Member
Fair enough - the square inch pit traps that you could prepare for the Slann in the Magnificent Sven scenario were pretty nasty - D6 strength 6 hits :shock:

Reanimated expeditions sounds good for the Undead.

I think mules and donkeys should somehow attract predators like Giant Spiders - just to spice the escape up a little! :twisted:
 

Padre

Member
I have counters for quicksand, mushrooms, insect swarms, native curses, lashworms and carnivorous plants. Might throw a few of them in too.

Thantsants":fvdd96i2 said:
I think mules and donkeys should somehow attract predators like Giant Spiders - just to spice the escape up a little! :twisted:

Oh yeah! I have giant ants (just toys, but hey, an ant is an ant, and I could paint and base them before the event).Surely giant ants like munching mule as much as spiders? (I am pretty sure I didn't type anything naughty there. Not certain, just pretty sure.)

Or there are your 'gribblies'. Let's face it, a diet of pygmies for centuries is gonna mean your gribblies will jump at the chance at something different to chew upon.
 

Thantsants

Member
Giant Ants sound good - I think Harry has a few too...

If I have time I might be able to put together some swarm bases of snakes, frogs and spiders/bugs too.

I have counters for quicksand, mushrooms, insect swarms, native curses, lashworms and carnivorous plants. Might throw a few of them in too.

Starting to sound as dangerous as a Rogue Trader Death World - any Catachan Devils or Face Eaters?! :shock: :lol:
 

Padre

Member
Oh yeah - I've got 6 jungle swarm bases too. I forgot about those. But must look at how swarms were modeled back in 3rd .... (goes off mumbling 'Where's that book?')
 

Golgfag1

Moderator
Guy's,

Reading these messages it looks like you've got a pretty good game here, but do you still need more Slann? I've a fair collection of pre-slotta stuff, I could let you use, to give you a better figure ratio, if, it would help.


Paul / Golgfag1


Padre":29idzkel said:
Harry":29idzkel said:
I don't have any Slaan ... except the 5th edition Mage priest ... and not enough Lizardmen painted to make up a sensible force.
I may have to add to Thansants desperate alliance.
I do have about 40 Amazons painted ... and about the same for Norse.

40 amazons and 40 norse sounds like a darn fine force on its on to me. I can understand why the norse like hanging around the amazons, but I can't quite work out why the amazons want the norse with them. Whatever the answer, I doubt theirs is a platonic relationship! Perhaps the amazons have ritually joined the norse in order to birth the next generation of amazons, and want to see the potential fathers in action before the other kind of action?

Do you reckon I should GM? Someone else commanding the pygmies and Undead? Or can a GM also play in a game set up like this? I mean if my army enters the field first, and we have several contenders arrive through the day, is there any real chance my boys will still be around at the very end?

Of mabe my army got there first, and my army is the one everyone else is attacking? (As well as each other!)
 

Padre

Member
Golgfag1, that's a great offer. Whatever Slann you can bring would be cool, then you can join in or create a little participation force for someone to enter the field with. Both options mean we get another bunch of robbers (though, if you're slann, you'll probably say it's all yours in the first place) entering the field.

I think with a thing like this it really doesn't matter what size a force enters the field, as long as the player has something sufficiently meaty for a smash and grab raid.

'Points schmoints' should be our motto. Although, everything so far looks like it belongs somewhere in the southlands jungle - pirates, amazons, norse, pygmies, slann, lizards, even orcs. We should definitely keep it that way.
 

Harry

Moderator
Golfag If you like the sound of this ... maybe you would like to GM it ... None of us know the rules. :grin:

I have also have some Pygmies (Foundry not citadel) I was going to paint up.
I will have about 40 of those as well somewhere.

So that is 40 Amazons, 40 Norse, 40 pygmies and ...

My (5th edition) Lizardmen consist of 2 Stegadons, 4 kroxigor, 4 Jungle swarms, 4 Razordons, a slaan mage priest and a unit of lesser spined red crested skinks.
 

Golgfag1

Moderator
Thanks for the offer Harry,
But at the moment - I'm trying to put together a 'Stop the Horde' game with a group of willing volunteers (2+?), if I don't get any more volunteers - I might be persuaded - but at the moment this is my main focus of attention.
Also, I have never played 3rd Ed. and the last time I played 2nd Ed. was twenty plus years ago; so, I wouldn't be confident in my abilities to GM - especially when you guy's have put so much effort in already, as it would be my interpretation of your current plans and that might be totally different from your original idea.

Paul / Golgfag1


Harry":2zwjqfc4 said:
Golfag If you like the sound of this ... maybe you would like to GM it ... None of us know the rules. :grin:

I have also have some Pygmies (Foundry not citadel) I was going to paint up.
I will have about 40 of those as well somewhere.

So that is 40 Amazons, 40 Norse, 40 pygmies and ...

My (5th edition) Lizardmen consist of 2 Stegadons, 4 kroxigor, 4 Jungle swarms, 4 Razordons, a slaan mage priest and a unit of lesser spined red crested skinks.
 

Padre

Member
I'll GM it. I came up with the initial idea, and then the scenario, so I ought to see it through. I've played since 1st ed, and recently learned the rules just enough to run the 1st ed reenactment game (elsewhere on this site). I stuck with 3rd ed through 4th and 5th and so I should be able to re-learn it with a re-read through.

I've spent my life GMing, either RP or WG. I'm GMing a WFB campaign now.

If I GM, the defending pygmies become NPCs - no chance against the multiple attackers, but who cares if they are a GMd force?
 

Golgfag1

Moderator
I'm sure Harry didn't mean it seriously Padre - thanks for the laugh.

Paul / Golgfag1

Padre":2rx2q9bt said:
I'll GM it. I came up with the initial idea, and then the scenario, so I ought to see it through. I've played since 1st ed, and recently learned the rules just enough to run the 1st ed reenactment game (elsewhere on this site). I stuck with 3rd ed through 4th and 5th and so I should be able to re-learn it with a re-read through.

I've spent my life GMing, either RP or WG. I'm GMing a WFB campaign now.

If I GM, the defending pygmies become NPCs - no chance against the multiple attackers, but who cares if they are a GMd force?
 

Padre

Member
Now I am confused. Still, that's situation normal when it comes to the internet I suppose. I must've missed something in another thread or something.
 
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