Conan board game - In the Clutches of the Picts

'...let me tell you of the days of high adventure!'

After painting up everything needed for the 1st scenario - 'In the Clutches of the Picts', some friends and I sat down to give the game a first whirl at one of our game days. For this post I'll just share a few photos of the game and some initial thoughts. This is not a review!

In this scenario, Conan and his partners Shevatas the thief and Hadrathus the mage must find and rescue a princess from a Pictish village. They know she is in one of the huts, but not which one. As well as finding her, they need to kill Zogar Sag and take his head as proof of the deed.

To start, let's take a look at some pictures of the heroes in action.

You'll see:

• A giant snake
• Pict hunters and warriors (green, red, and purple bases)
• Conan
• Shevatas
• Hadrathus
• Zogar Sag

The giant snake awakes...

The pict village board.

Conan faces some picts, while Hadrathus looks on.

Board and dice...only 9 in the core set.
Some player aids I downloaded are visible.

Shevatas and Conan are outnumbered!

The man himself...

Picts in their huts, along with their treasure chests.

The pict village from above.

Hadrathus is in danger here!

Conan finishes off the giant snake. Another victim

We actually played two games. There were three of us, so one player took control of two of the heroes each time we played. Naturally we didn't get the rules right the first time - even though I had watched lots of videos and run through the rulebook many times! Still, by the end of the second game the mechanics were pretty clear and thanks to my fellow players the game was shaping up.

I really enjoyed getting these models on the table. The maps are really high quality. Great printing, very detailed and atmospheric. The minis looked good for the tabletop (even if I do say so myself!) and I didn't mind the different coloured unit markers that you clip onto the bases (however they will chip off any paint on the rim of your mini - even with varnish.)

Aside from getting the rules wrong, a couple of frustrations crystallized.

1. During the game there are not enough dice in the core set. You get nine (three of each necessary type), and you often end up managing multiple re-rolls and having to remember your total attacks etc.
2. Two players managing three heroes is not ideal (at least for beginners). I guess that this can't be helped as each scenario seems to be very different and written carefully. There was no 2 player version provided (for this particular scenario).

After the game, my friends and I started to appreciate the tactical challenges the Conan boardgame presents. The overlord and the players both have a fair amount to think about and plenty of options, and the characters have different skills and equipment loadouts which certainly affect play.

So what's next?

I decided to make some additional dice (extra dice were made available separately but are now very expensive on eBay.) Also, I'll see if I can find any fan-made or official scenarios for two heroes. There ARE a few in the core scenarios book, but hopefully there will be others online. 

Finally, to prep for those pirates, I need to paint up some new enemies - the pirate captain Zaporavo awaits!

Happy holiday gaming.

:-)

Conan board game - Painted heroes.

About the game

Created by Monolith games, Conan is a tabletop game that includes plenty of dice throwing and resource management. Originally funded via Kickstarter in 2016 the game was also released through retail channels, which was how I picked up a copy in late 2021. I was attracted by the miniatures and the cinematic action that the game promotes by not having an 'I go you go' approach - plus I'm a fan of the 1982 movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The miniatures

The amount of minis varies based on whether you purchased the base game or the "King's pledge", but even in the core box there are 74 nicely sculpted models. These are divided into three types - the heroes, the individual villains, and their henchmen (these are not the terms used in-game, but you get the point!). In this post I'll focus on the heroes.

But before that the usual disclaimer.... I'm no expert! Here I'm just trying to get the models ready to play, so they are going to be 'tabletop quality' - and that is good enough. to reflect this in the photos below I've included some images taken from further away. 

Conan the barbarian

Conan hero sheet, as shown at monolithedition.com

The game's namesake, Conan himself is a nice model. What I think is great is the simplicity - you get the muscle, the sword, and the scowl.

For Conan, I used a mix of Citadel paints from both their regular and Contrast paint range. His furs used Contrast Gore Grunta Fur, and boots were Cygor Brown. For these heroes I did all the skin from a base of Tallarn Flesh, then a Guilliman Flesh wash, and finally progressively lighter layers of Tallarn Flesh and Elf flesh mix. If you look from close up, the layers of paint have very stark lines from layer to layer, and they are not blended at all. BUT from a couple of feet away this isn't noticeable and actually makes the model stand out.

Shevatas the thief

Shevatas hero sheet, as shown at monolithedition.com

Shevatas posed a challenge in painting terms because there are different ways to paint dark skin. In the end I went with a simple approach that saved time. You guessed it - a Contrast paint. Cygor Brown worked well by adding shadows without resorting to doing a wash. This colour provided a really beautiful contrast with the (Blood Angels) red loin cloth and gold of his belt, scabbard and necklace ( IMHO ).

If I go back to add more detail, I'd add a couple of layers of highlights using normal brown paints. This would add definition to the muscles. I'll share Belit's body guards below the pirate queen towards the end of this post. (I did do a bit of layering on them and I think it looks good for relatively little extra work.)

Hadrathus the mage 

Conan hero sheet, as shown at monolithedition.com

As the model wields some kind of elemental flame, I thought this would be a good chance to try Object Source Lighting (O.S.L.) After some YouTube instructional videos I gave it a try. Overall I think it worked! To improve next time I would make the light reflect further away from the light source, as it doesn't throw far enough away in this case. Still (based on my experience) I'd recommend anyone try it. It isn't too difficult and I think the end result is really engaging.

Belit - pirate queen

Conan hero sheet, as shown at monolithedition.com

You may know that this game was launched amid some controversy due to its objectification of women. The authors decided to hold true to the Conan of the books of Robert E. Howard and, for better or worse, that has resulted in women being represented in the game art and models in less than practical clothing (not to mention lacking agency in some cases). 

As you can see that applies to Belit, here wearing the...ensemble...described in the books. (Although Belit is a powerful character in the stories, commanding ships and men - see the bodyguards below.)

I'll be honest - I didn't enjoy painting this model. The details were very small and I found it tough to get the skin tone right. Although it can't be seen easily in these photos I made a custom rose-pink wash to add some colour, but the effect wasn't as effective as I hoped it would be.

Belit's bodyguards

Similar to Shevatas, Belit's bodyguards were a great opportunity to paint some different flesh tones. Here again I went with Citadel Contrast paints - a lighter Gore Grunta Fur, and a darker Cygor Brown. As there are five of them with identical poses this gives a nice bit of variety. Although it can't easily be seen in the photos I did layer some Citadel Mournfang Brown highlights on the three darker-skinned models.

They also have really a really different vibe in terms of armor and clothes, which was a nice chance to break away from typical dull metallics. I imagined their homeland as rich in gold but with little iron or steel. As a sign of wealth and social status they have many gold items of jewellery, but for weapons and shields they use copper (Citadel Hashut Copper). I made a link with other models in the box by painting the leather of their shields as hyena hide.

So there you have it, the four principal heroes (and Belit's entourage). Now I'd just like to get them on the tabletop and adventuring in the world of Hyboria.

In my next post I'll share some of the troops/ henchmen that Conan and his allies will face on their travels. Let the adventure begin!

Mansions of Madness 2e - The Monsters

 'You can evade, but you can't hide!'

You get 28 monster models in Fantasy Flight's Mansions of Madness 2e. This doesn't include the eight different investigators that come in the box. I'm happy to say that the enemy types are varied and come in a range of sizes. The sculpts aren't up to the highest standards of more recent games, but they are fairly detailed, easy to paint, and get the job done.

In this post you'll find photos of each monster type, followed by brief notes of how they were painted. This isn't an exhaustive painting guide, so it doesn't include detailed recipes. However I've listed the colours I remember using, and that will give you a starting point for using or mixing.

Before scrolling down, please note:

1. I've put them on the bases that come with the game for now (not glued), but in the future I'm likely to use clear acrylic bases instead. Purpose-made sets of these can be found on Etsy (with holes for the feet pre-drilled) or you can buy some from Amazon.
2. All of these models were varnished for durability with at least two coats. Usually this will start with a gloss varnish (Citadel 'ardcoat) and then a matt varnish to dull down the shine and provide extra protection (Citadel Stormshield). This leave a satin finish. I don't mind that as a trade-off for the durability. As you'll see below some areas use varnish for effect too.
3. In the text I've picked out paints used in bold for your convenience. I use citadel as I already have these and they are easy to get. I use a lot of Contrast paints, but the new Army Painter speed paints would work just as well I'm sure.
4. The backgrounds in the images are shared by other bloggers. Visit the end of this post for the links. 

Child of Dagon

This chap looks to have risen from a watery grave (or a grave of some kind...) I went with a dark grey at first, but then needed to drybrush some lighter gray to bring out the detail. The boils used a Citadel Averland Sunset, and I'll add some spot touches of Technical 'ardcoat later to give them an unpleasant shine. 

His tool of the trade looks to be a mattock. The base colours here were Leadbelcher for the metal, and Mournfang Brown for the wood. To rust up the head I used a very watered-down Vermin Brown wash (quickly dabbed off so it looks irregular) and then dry-brushing/ dabbing on technical Ryza Rust for that bright orange look. 

Also, any self-respecting shambling monster wouldn't be seen dead without a faded demin sleeveless jacket, right?

Riot

Six rioters here, so they just need a bit of variation. As these are monopose models you'll want to differentiate these using colour/ fashion choices. These guys (they are all guys) look like the hard-working men of Arkham, so I went with down-to-earth colours and blue denim. 

The darker denim recipe is Citadel Contrast Talassar Blue, mixed with a small amount of Contrast Black Templar. Lighter denim is done using Aethermatic blue or just Talassar Blue. For the brown trousers I started by using a Contrast Snakebite Leather but it looked terrible, so recovered with a Wraithbone and did a more traditional Mournfang Brown with Agrax Earshade wash and Vermin Brown drybrush. (Contrast Snakebite Leather is one of the best contrast paints IMHO, but it works best on small, highly detailed parts of a model.)

For the trousers and shirts, a quick drybrush using a lighter shade works wonders at bringing out the detail. Highly recommended if you have time. Contrast Apothecary White is great for white shirts and other textured surfaces. It automatically creates blue/ grey depth or shadows. Sometimes that can be overwhelming, so a Corax White drybrush on the raised areas of the shirts will reduce that effect.

Although it adds a bit of time, I think it is worth doing a couple of the small details like belt buckles and belts. A bright steel colour like Citadel Runefang Steel makes the buckle stand out and adds a nice visual detail.

For metal tools I start with a leadbelcher, then a Nuln Oil wash, and finally Runefang steel highlights. For wood handles I use Mournfang Brown, then a Vermin brown drybrush.

Deep One Hybrid

The great things about these models is they have a LOT of texture (chunky jumpers and heavily creased trousers), which makes them perfect for Contrast paints and getting them done quickly. A single coat of Contrast paint gives you good coverage and contrast, but a drybrush will add nice highlights. I used both here. 

• Light blue jumper: Contrast Talassar Blue with Lothern Blue drybrush.
• Denim trousers/ dark blue jumper: Talassar Blue mixed with a small amount of contrast Black Templar.
  
• Grey trousers: Contrast Space Wolves Grey.
• Brown trousers: Contrast Gore grunta fur or Cygor Brown.

If you want to do details, the worms/ tentacles pushing through their clothes are a good chance for this (Moot Green), and the nails sticking out of their clubs. (You could also rust those nails up with a nice bright rust effect for more interest.)

Ghosts

I only had Ork Flesh and Moot green in my paint tray for these ghosts, so used light green (Moot Green) with progressively lighter highlights drybrushed on to bring out some detail. Chains were Citadel Leadbelcher with a home-made rust wash (heavily watered-down Vermin Brown.) I think I used a tiny bit of Ryza Rust too.

If you don't have greens, search around and you'll find fantastic looking models done with blues and whites.

Deep Ones

These denizens of the deep were a good opportunity to use a technique I've used before, where the underside of a water creature is a lighter colour than the back/ top. I think of this as a form of camouflage. Although these are quite bright due to the Contrast Aethermatic Blue, the belly is made lighter to add a bit of visual interest. Nails I left black to make a change. Their teeth stand out nicely if you drybrush any kind of white (Wraithbone, Corax White etc.)

You can see that I've only used a gloss varnish so they are shiny. This is deliberate so that they look 'wet'. Perhaps they have just left the ocean deep and crawled ashore, commanded by some unseen master or mistress?

Priest of Dagon

Along with the cultists (below) I tied together these models with variations of the same scheme: Green using Ork Flesh contrast paint. Purple trim done using Naggaroth Night. Reds were Khorne Red base with Mephiston Red highlights. The Ork Flesh didn't work out well because the robes are a flat surface - Contrast paints can pool if you aren't careful.

Highlights on the priest were painted on using Mephiston Red. To make lighter shades of red I added a Wild Rider red to lighten the Mephiston. (Using white makes the highlight too pink if you aren't careful.) 

While the priest (and cultists below) suffer from 'bendy staff' syndrome, these do offer a chance to add a nice visual highlight. Each cultist staff has an 'evil eye' motif, and the priest has a staff topped with a gem or orb set in a metal grip. When I have time I'll spot varnish the gems/ eyes.

Cultists

I've covered the paints in my notes on the Priest above, so we'll leave these guys alone. (Also, for some reason I found their faces and eyes a nightmare to paint - so much so that I suffer -1 horror just thinking about it.)

Hunting Horrors

Another model that comes up really well by just combining a coat of contrast paint with drybrushing, Hunting Horrors are a joy to paint! All those spiny ridges and torn membranes on the wings look great with contrast paints.

The wings were Ork flesh. They actually came out lighter than the images how and pop really nicely (see the Star Spawn below for a better idea of the true colour.). I gave a guick drybrush of Moot green to lighten up the raised areas, but it wouldn't be necessary if you are in a hurry. 

The skin was Contrast Space Wolves Grey, with a drybrushed highlight of Corax White with Adeptus Mechanicus Grey. I left the eyes Khorne Red, and spot of 'ardcoat varnish will make these stand out nicely. The talons were a Wraithbone with an Agrax Earthshade wash.

Star Spawn

The Star Spawn are absolutely my favourite models in the base box (I've heard that these are a later sculpt?). Although the moulds can be weird and warped (the wings don't look great) the texture in the model make these dead easy to paint (if time consuming because they are large!)

Colours here were:

• Skin: Contrast Ork Flesh (a LOT of Ork Flesh) with Caliban Green/ Moot Green drybrush highligh.
• Tentacles, bone spurs and nails: Nagarroth Night (purple) with a Corax White/ Nagarroth Night drybrush.
• Eyes: Averland Sunset with a FlashGitz yellow highlight. Pupil = Abaddon Black.

After a coat of 'ardcoat gloss varnish, I did a second coat of Stormshield to dull it down (except the tentacles, where I thought they would look nastier if wet!). However, knowing that these models would see heavy use and be picked up by the wing edges, I then did a second coat of 'ardcoat on the wing edges (only) and then a second coat of Stormshield over that same area. That should make the most-touched areas nice and durable.

I was really happy with how these came out. The three main colours work together well on a colour wheel and they look good here. The eyes really stand out! If you wanted to spend a lot more time you could do more highlights on the veins, but...there are a lot of them.

Painting notes and photo backgrouns

I've recently settled on using a combination of Contrast paints for speedy initial coverage. I then supplement this with drybrushing or highlights using regular paints if I have time. This works well if you are in a hurry or don't have the patience to spend a lot of time of multiple copies of the same mould (like cultists.) For many of these models just a single coat of Contrast paints brings them to tabletop quality.

I can't overstate the value of varnishing these models. Although I don't do this for my Warhammer armies, I do this for these smaller tabletop games for a few reasons:

1. All my warhammer armies have dedicated storage solutions that use foam to protect each model. For MoM (and Descent) I use a home-made box organiser solution that doesn't offer the same level of protection.
2. A Warhammer game might have tens of models per player, so individual models aren't going to be manhandled too often. I feel that in a game like this the models will see a lot more manhandling
3. Varnishing saves time later. You are less likely to have to do touch ups and repairs.
4. Varnishing is a painting technique. Using a 'spot varnish' on specific areas to add shine is a very simple but effective technique. Gems, polished shoes, eyes, and even bald heads (!) benefit in my opinion

You can download the photo backdrops used by visiting the following excellent blogs:

1. Blackdog Painting Studio (I think these are the ones I use!)
2. Massive Voodoo
3. Tangible Day article on taking photos of minis (see below the post to download at no cost, but must complete the checkout process.)

Final thoughts

Now that these are done I'm excited to play my next game of Mansions of Madness 2e. I hope you like them!

Cheers,