Review: Hide, Stone, and Bone - Osprey Games

 

GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!!!!

Well, at least the start of one.  One of my goals that pre-dates this blog is to own all the Osprey Blue Books.  I guess you could say, it was a goal from my own pre-history?  Huh?  Huh?  Anyway.... I have every single, currently published Blue Book and have reviewed all of them.  I have even played a few!  

It took me a bit to get my hands on a copy of Hide, Bone, and Stone due to some changes going on in my personal life at the time of publication.  I had to hunt a copy down and gather it up into my collection.  However, I have it now and am eager to take a look. This is not the only Stone-Age book by Osprey in my game collection.  I also have the RPG PaleoMythic on my shelf.  However, I am not sure I ever wrote a RPG Review of that one.  Those cam a bit later in my blogging career.  If you are interested in my thoughts on that one, drop me a comment and I will see what I can do.  

In Hide, Stone and Bone you are the leader of a tribe of early human ancestors.  You are attempting to survive the perils of the Ice Age.  The game represents the "Big Days" of a tribes life, while the campaign represents more of the day-to-day life of the tribe.  This game has options for solo, coop, and versus play.  I have to admit, I do not have any miniatures for this period but I might have some plastic critters and maybe even some cave men from a by-gone age in a pinch.  

So, let's get into the <ahem> meat of this book!   

Things I Liked

The currency in this game is not like what you see in other games.  Instead of a "cost" in resources, it is a cost in time.  This is called Moons.... i.e. how long it takes to get things done.  

You can be a tribe of Cro-Magnun Humans OR Neanderthals.  "Modern" humans are represented by two different stat lines for some variability in "tribal" lists.  No word on mixed tribes Clan of the Cave Bear style.  

To add tactical gameplay, their are combat arcs.  180 degrees for tribesman, and 270 for predator beasts!  This is for line-of-sight, but also used to determine if a model can try to "dodge" an attack.  Combat arcs like this are a simple and effective way to add Tactical Gameplay.  

There is a limited form of Pre-measuring in the game. When a model first activates, the player may measure 12 inches out from the model.  This represents what they can see clearly from their position.  After this initial measurement, no pre-measuring is allowed.  A nice hybrid version I had not encountered before.  This is another simple way to allow for Tactical Gameplay and to force a player to make Meaningful Choices on limited information.  

The game does a good job making a variety of different animals to inhabit this world from predators to prey.  They are run by a simple table-based AI using their instincts.  Predators will act differently than prey, and even herd/pack animals act different than lonely singles. This leads to different instinct tables.  Animals also can have a variety of traits to make encountering them unique to other Hominid bands.  

 Things I Do Not Like

The game tries to move away from Melee Yahtzee because you can choose to Fight, Grapple, or Throw.  Fight is a pretty standard opposed dice test with the winner causing a potential hit.  Throwing is also an opposed test but with more modifiers on both sides.  However, Grapple gets interesting as you can inflict a wound, Throw your foe 3 inches away in any direction (like off a cliff), or move out of combat.  However, I am not sure why someone would choose to grapple rather than just Fight.  It will only come up in certain situations.  However, unlike fighting, grappling does not always end decisively with a winner or loser and can go on for multiple turns. 

Toughness related tests, are the only time you roll low in the game.  Every other test is roll high.  I prefer when rolling high is always the preference.  However, based on how they use Toughness, I understand why they went low.  It can be tough to balance out all your stats to be high vs low intuitively.  However, failing to do so leads to If This/Than That rules. 

The game uses Stress Tokens that add up from various actions.  These act as modifiers to a Stress test that can impact if a model will activate appropriately.  I like the Concept, BUT the stress tokens are an unnecessary board clutter and mechanic as you could just have the model take tests as they are acted upon, and failures cause an effect, represented by facing or immediate movement instead.  Less rules and less table clutter in that scenario. 

The game uses alternate activations based on the winner of a roll-off.  However, the game uses something I hate; Action Points.  Some moves use more action points than others.  For example, most movement type actions are 1 point, so you can move multiple times an activation.  Basic combat is typically two actions so fight, grapple, throw, etc.  There are a few complex actions that take 3 such as a charge.  The game does cover a wide variety of actions with this system such as yelling at a foe, going prone, or even certain shamanic acts.  Yuck to action points!  I do not want to track action points during a game.  Hate action points.  However, others love them so now you get to see my preferences!  

Meh and Other Uncertainties

This game is written by a chap names Austin Hunt.  That seems very appropriate for the subject matter.  A Nom de Plume?  LOL

Casualties are placed face down.  There is a one turn to try to help them, but a turn they are considered dead.  They have crawled away to die in a hole or ditch somewhere and can not be found or helped further.  Now, casualties and how to treat them has become a choice.

The game uses a combination of d10s with a few d6s.  The game has Natural 1 Crit Failures for all tests.  A Natural 10 is only useful as a Critical Success for combat situations.    

The core rules are about 15 pages of how to play.  Overall pretty simple rules with enough meat to force some interesting decision making.  However, like many of these small skirmish games the focus is on the campaign.  The campaign details are the bulk of the 60 pages!  Therefore, if campaign and story-telling skirmish games are not your thing.... well..... I am not sure what to tell you. 

The campaign covers all the things you have come to expect such as injuries, experience, skills, and gearing up.  Success is based on something called "Extinction Points and when or if they run down to Zero, your band is assumed to have been scattered, disbanded, or left the area.  They have lost. Success of Failure on "Big Days" (Scenarios) leads to gains and loses of Extinction Points.  The campaign is pretty straight forward but notable absences are Base Building and story-telling events between "Big Days".     

There are additional rules to play games set in a "Pulp" Hollow Earth type setting with Dinosaurs and Pulp Adventurers interacting with your tribe.  This also includes being able to add the Pulp Adventurers to your bands as NPCs.  

The book has several scenarios with a variety of Objectives and complications to allow for a great deal of replayability.  This range from battling other tribes, hunting beasts, or gathering supplies while under duress.  A decent assortment of things to do but nothing outside of what you would expect from a game like this.    

The game does not go too in depth on solo, coop, or versus game play.  However, the rules are self-evident based on how the instinct tables for animals work.  However, facing against rival tribes in solo is not clear to me. 

Final Thoughts

This is a straight-forward and well-themed skirmish game.  It makes some efforts to add choice and tactical decision making than many skirmish games.  However, it is still a bit under-baked "on the table".  The focus is mostly on the campaign and linked games.  That is where most of the ink is spilled.  The Campaign follows the tried-and-true pattern of a solid campaign and it has a clear win/lose state.  The campaign is missing some story-beats that focuses the events to what happens on the table.  

I am sure this would be a fun game for short, club campaigns and the occasional "Big Day" or convention game.  It is well suited to multi-player scenarios.  Overall, a nice little addition to the Osprey stable and does what it says on the tin.    

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Wargaming on the Road: Travel Painting Kit

 

Look at that!  A brand new banner for the blog!  You know, I have a few of these banners now.  They cover a few topics: 

1. On the Painting Desk

These are posts that usually cover what I am painting now, techniques I am using, updates on newly finished projects, and other thoughts on painting.  It helps me keep track of what I am painting in a year.  The frequency varies based on how much painting I am doing.   

2. Wargame Design

When you see this header, the focus is on a discussion about various wargame design topics.  I try to post one of these a month, but I am not always consistent.  Some months have more, but more likely it is less.  

3. Wargaming on a Budget

These are sporadic posts.  However, they focus on how to indulge in the wargaming hobby on the cheap.  There was a long period of my wargaming career where money was absolutely a limiting factor in my wargaming life.  These are tips and tricks to make the hobby more affordable.  

4. Random

As the name implies, these cover a few different types of posts that do not fit any other category.  Random thoughts about wargaming adjacent topics, Goals and Objectives, round-ups, etc.  

Obviously, I have a lot of other content but they do not tend to have special headers. Reviews tend to have a picture of the game in question.  Battle Reports tend to have a picture of the game we are going to play.  No special headers for those.  

Now this header is going to focus on the challenges of being a wargamer in small spaces or travelling.  Since the moving to a more "mobile" environment this has become a "Hot Topic" for me.  How do I keep active in the wargaming space while living in a contained space on the road?  

Today, we are going to focus on my mobile painting station.  I have always had a relatively portable or condensed painting station.  Unlike many folks, I actually never really kept my projects out.  It was part of my painting routine to pull out my painting gear, set it all up, paint, and then store it all away when a painting session was complete.  This routine helped me get into the right mindset to paint.  Once I had everything out and set-up I was committed to paint!  This approach does NOT work for everyone but it worked well for me! 

Therefore, moving to a more mobile painting station was not a huge transition to me.  The biggest change was condensing my painting supplies into a single portable container rather than keeping them in scattered boxes of supplies in a single storage place.  Historically, I had a few boxes of paints, a container of brushes, a container of basing materials, a box of construction equipment, etc.  I kept them all in one place together but I had several, individual boxes based on the stuff that was in it.  However, I consolidated all of this material into one portable carrying case.  

Let's take a look at what's in the box!  For the case itself, I found an empty Plano tackle box that I had in my garage.  I have probably had it for at least a decade and had completely forgotten about it.  I thought it was full of miniatures!  I was wrong.  The tackle box is pretty standard with a large open middle center at the bottom, and then fold out trays, three on each side at the top.  

Pretty much looked like this one: 

Inside, I started by filling in the base with the biggest items I was going to need.  I put in 2 Grey Seer spray primer and 1 spray enamel.  I also put in my case for my magnifier glasses that I got for Christmas.  I have found the built-in lights very useful, even if my eyes are still good enough to see up close with.... for now.  On top of those I put my two green cutting mats that I use as the base for my painting projects.  Next, I made sure there was a space for my pop-and-lock palette.  With the spare space, I put in my basing materials such as some bases, washers, super-glue, and other detailing tools.  I also put in two wooden dice holders and a small case with my metal Heroforge D&D figures a friend got to represent my wife and I.  Finally, I put in a solar-powered battery pack in case I needed to charge my glasses up.    

Guess which one I am! 

From there, I had the folding trays to fill in.  In the larger trays, I started by putting in my big-box retailer brushes.  In the area next to it I put in my sculpting tools like exacto-knife, clay shapers, and dental tools.  Above those I used an area to put in my washes and another for my Metallic speedpaints.  The final rows had some individual Flesh colors and traditional armypainter paints I like to use such as Voidshield Blue and Daemonic Yellow.  

On the other side, I put in my Big-Box retailer acylics I used the most so White and Pewter Grey,  I also put in a few blacks from various manufacturers.  I then filled out the rest of the box with the rest of my speedpaints with 1 or 2 paints per slot.  Finally, I had some long slots on the top tray.  In those I put my better quality brushes.  I also put a few cutters in there.  

It all closed up tight as a drum and fit nicely under the queen-sized bed in my bus.                   

In addition, I had a small, foam lined, latched wooden case that I put all my Work-in-Progress models into.  For my initial efforts, I decided to pack my Heroquest: The Frozen Horror expansion models to paint.  The key thing is that this box lays relatively flat and actually slides right under the cupboard in my shuttle bus for easy storage.  

To test my painting kit out, I took it to a local painting social with the True Crit Gaming Guild just before I left to hit the road.  First, I made sure that all the models from The Frozen Horror expansion for Heroquest.

Then, I painted a couple of Yeti.  I painted this in a table for two, with another Guild member on the other side of the table.  My painting space was just a bit wider than my green cutting mat that I use as my base.  Then, next to it I had a small pile of brushes and my paint palette what I also used as my water dish.  I put my WIP book upright on one side of me against a wall, and the other side I put my Plano tackle box.  I tried to take out and put back any materials I was using as I went to keep my work space open and clear.  I managed to stay in a space equivalent to half-of-the-table in my bus.  Therefore, I think my efforts to condense and reduce my painting sprawl worked.  

For those interested, here are the Yeti that I painted.  

Pretty straight forward minis.  For the skin-tone I used a mix of Magic Blue, Holy White, and three drops of Medium thinner.  The horns, teeth, and claws were Pallid Bone.  The fur was watered down Sand Golem that was then dry-brushed back up with Holy White.  Then, I hit them with a Light Tone Wash, and dry-drushed them up with cheap, acylic White again.  I wanted one to be whiter than the other in case I needed to differentiate on the table top.  

Finally, their bases were a quick Runic Grey and a black rim.  The usual basing I use for Heroquest minis. 

The next things you see painted on this blog will have been painted while "on-the-road".  Until next time! 

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Wargame Design: The Osprey Wargaming Series Strikes Again!

Hello faithful readers.  I have some MOAR news to share with you all.  I know, you are still reeling from last weeks reveal.... but wait..... there is more! Most of you probably follow me because I have published a few books in the Osprey Wargaming Series.  Those books were Men of Bronze, Wars of the Republic, and Castles in the Sky.  Of course, I have also released several wargames and RPGs independently as well.  That includes supplements to those Osprey Games and original works too.  

Drumroll please.......

.... Osprey Games has decided to contract me to write a set of game rules for Late Roman Warfare from 240 CE to 480 CE.  That is the Crisis of the Third Century through the Fall of the West.  These will be part of the Osprey Wargame Series so about 28,000 words. 

These rules will feature core rules based o refinements to the nWars of the Republic which is built on the Men of Bronze engine.  Unique, period specific lines-of-battle, new special rules, new campaign rules, period specific Historical scenarios, and new Advanced/Optional rules.  If I am really lucky I can add some Solo-rules to it as well?  With the added word count, I also look forward to adding some historical detail and a Quick Reference Guide in the book.  

I need these rules completed and sent to Osprey by May of 2028.  Therefore, we have plenty of time to Playtest and develop these rules.  My Patrons have a copy of the draft rules at their fingertips.  

Going into these rules, I have some simple Design Goals that are aligned with what I have done with my Historical works in the past: 

1. Scale and Model Agnostic
2. Large Battles with Small Model Counts
3. Keep Players Engaged Through Out the Game
4. Unit vs Unit Gameplay
5. Balance between the War and the Game
6. Historical-esque Outcomes

With some added page count, I am hoping to make the design goals and objectives more explicit at the beginning of the game.  Men of Bronze and Wars of the Republic both suffered a bit from mis-alignment between expectations and the experience the rules delivered.  Therefore, I want to be as clear as possible in the opening pages about the design goals and what they mean in this book.  

Of course, if I do not need to deliver the final draft until 2028 that means this book is still a long ways off.  I do not know the exact release date, but I would think late 2029 is realistic.  That is a long time away still.  

In the meantime, I need to track down 30 pictures of Late Roman miniatures in action.  If you have a favorite range, some figures you are very proud of and want to share, etc. please let me know in the comments.  I plan on getting at least two forces painted up myself in the meantime but I would love to feature YOUR work with full attributes or at least showcase the miniatures you want to see in the book.  I am tentatively planning on 28mm Victrix and Gripping Beast plastics for my own forces but am open to suggestions. 

I plan on keeping most of the Development content on my Patreon for this one.  Therefore, if you want to follow along with the Development, try it out early, give playtest feedback, etc.  that is the place to be.  Here, I expect to keep going with my normal painting, reviews, bat reps for games and other unrelated content for these Late Roman rules going forward.  

Therefore, I will be returning to my normally scheduled content.  

Until next time! 

Become a Patron and get access to all the cool stuff, a peak behind the curtain of Blood and Spectacles, and early-access to playtest games!  

Blood and Spectacles Patreon! 

You can follow Blood and Spectacles Facebook page or Instagram for more fun! 

Check out the latest publications and contact me at our Blood and Spectacles Website

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Posted by Blood and Spectacles Publishing at 1:20 AM No comme       

       

Random: There is Going to Have to Be Changes Around Here

Greetings faithful readers!  As you look at the past few months on the blog, content has been the usual fare.  We've had some painting, some reviews, some new releases, and some battle reports.  Just another year in a long line of years at Blood and Spectacles Publishing.  However, things are going to have to change around these here parts.  I have some big news that will impact the business side of things, as well as the personal side of things.  

Many of you probably recall that last year my Skumgrod and main wargaming compatriot packed up and headed off to college.  During that time, my family and I packed up a lot of stuff and downsized our lives.  There was talk about moving the war room out of the workshop and even moving it inside.  However, as time passed my wife and I decided on an even more radical choice.  It was clear that we no longer needed a 3 bedroom and 2 bath house with a small homestead to go along with it.  I had not gone into the upper story in months!  

Mini versions of my wife and me.  A gift from my RPG group

Therefore, we decided to sell our house.  However, that was not the radical change.  We managed to do this in Mid-January and have been packing up and getting ready to move since.  The content on the blog has been steady all through March.  It is pretty normal as the content on the blog tends to lag behind what is actually happening real time by a month or two.  However, in real-life we spent all of February and early March moving.  There was almost no painting, gaming, or much of anything hobby related happening at all!  The magic of the Internet!  

Now, here comes the real radical part of the plan.  Everyone is asking me where I am moving too.  The answer is that I am not moving anywhere.  I am going mobile for a bit.  I have a converted shuttle bus.  My real, everyday corporate job is remote.  I have the luxury of working anywhere there is an internet connection.  Now-a-days, internet connections can be mobile too.  I am taking Blood and Spectacles Publishing on the road!  I plan on doing this until I get called back to an office, I get sick of roaming around and being homeless, or I find a place I want/need to settle.  I expect we will mostly be the RV equivalent of couch surfing with friends and family across the continent.   

Just an ordinary looking Shuttle Bus

Now, this means that my wargaming lifestyle will have to change considerably.  Before I had the luxury of a permanent wargaming room with an 8 by 4 table with storage space below.  I could set-it up and play whenever I had a chance.  I had plenty of room to store and display miniatures, play games, and store terrain.    

Nearby, I and a few others had started a rather successful wargaming group called the True Crit Gaming Guild.  In that time, three local stores had sprouted up to help support tabletop gaming and painting.  I also had a weekly RPG gaming session, and access to a Board Gaming Night every quarter.  Going mobile would cut me off from all of that infrastructure that I had worked very hard to build.  In fact, this would be the third or so time I had built up such a solid gaming support network local to me.  It is not easy to do! Now, all of that is gone!

Of course, this big life change leaves me and probably you with a lot of questions?  How will I continue to paint stuff?  How will I be able to make games?  How will I get to playtest and review games?  How will I be able to do battle reports?  All great questions that I do not know the answer to yet. 

My WIP bin for travelling

Well, the easiest way we can help each other is by becoming a Patron.  One of the biggest issues I will have while on the road is getting help playtesting games.  I normally had a tiered approach where my Skumgrod and Local club helped iron some of the details out.  With access to those resource reduced or gone, that leaves me in a bit of a pickle.  However, I have been posting WIPs and early releases to my Patrons.  They have been very helpful with editing, playtesting, and other post-production feedback.  Plus, I post a lot of playable games that will never get further than a draft stage for a lot of reasons.      

In addition, I put together a "Mobile Painting Station" to help me stay on the backlog.  I will probably feature that a bit more in future Blog content.  However, suffice it to say I still expect to be painting even though I will be on the road.  I also packed a few games to read and review while on the road.  Plus, I am hoping to get more time writing as I spend less time doing chores on the homestead.  We will see!   

By being Mobile, I also hope that means I can figure out how to do some Meet and Greets, do some more events. go to Conventions and maybe meet some people "in the wild" to play more games!  I would love to tour and visit various stores.  I would love to partner and meet with various war gaming and RPG groups.  If you have any suggestions as I post about where I will be, let me know!             

The War Room all packed up! 

All of <Gestures around wildly> is going to have to change and evolve as I change and evolve.  That means the blog might look a bit different as we progress and move forward.  I am not done with Wargame and RPG design, because I can't help myself.  I have to make games and will continue making games.  Exactly how I am going to be doing that and all the work around the edges will be different.  

Anyway, I look forward to your thoughts and would love to hear about anyone with experience in this sort of thing! 

Until next time!

Become a Patron and get access to all the cool stuff, a peak behind the curtain of Blood and Spectacles, and early-access to playtest games!  

Blood and Spectacles Patreon! 

You can follow Blood and Spectacles Facebook page or Instagram for more fun! 

Check out the latest publications and contact me at our Blood and Spectacles website

Or purchase all out games at the Blood and Spectacles Publishing Wargames Vault Page!    

Review: G.I. Joe: Rumble at the Rift- Renegade Studios/Avalon Hill

 

My faithful readers know that I make goals and objectives for each year.  I typically try to stay close to what those goals say as I navigate all the twists and turns that happen over the year.  They are guidelines to help keep me "On Track" because a lot of new, shiny stuff comes out that can derail me from what I am trying to do.

If you squint and look sideways, you can see that picking up the new G.I. Joe: Rumble at the Rift boxed set for Heroscape was on my Goal list.  Honest!  Right there it says that I will be picking up a new wargame!  Heroscape is a wargame..... maybe.... I guess we are going to find out!  

This is a recent colab from Avalon Hill (Hasbro) and Renegade Studios.  This was not even on my radar when 2026 started and I was watching Gundam: Assemble and Wizards of Morcar in this category more than anything else.  However, I foolishly watched a review by Ash on Guerilla Miniature Games and.... well..... I ended up buying way too much G.I. Joe. 

I justified it because: 

1. It is small game that I can play in a small space.  Right?  Right?  I am not sure. 

2. I can use it to draw in future wargamers with a simple Dudes on a Board style game

3. I love G.I. Joe and I have wanted some minis to paint that could fit into my collection for a long time

4. I can use them in Model-vs-Model skirmish games, maybe even some I am making! 

5. I have the RPG! I can use them for that!  Right!  Right!  

Ultimately, the truth is that I was weak and I caved when I saw some of my old favorites available to purchase and go pew-pew with!  The nostalgia was strong. I know nothing about Heroscape except that it is a kinda wargame/board game hybrid that is NOT Heroquest.    

Are you ready to fight for freedom wherever there is trouble?  Do you know and that's half the battle?  Can the world oppose the deadliest of foes?  Let's find out.....

Things I Liked

First off, you can get this game one of two ways.  You can pay to get it in regular unpainted plastic OR you can pay a bit more for factory pre-paints.  The exception is Serpentor (which I got for free because I ordered too much stuff) who is only pre-painted.  Generally, Heroscape is always pre-painted.  You can see a sample of the Pre-paint up above and..... it's not bad.  It is three colors and a base.  Everything seems to go where it is supposed to go.  I think I could paint it better with some washes and some highlighting BUT if I was a noob painter I probably could not.  Therefore, it could be good for non-painters to get started.  However, I am glad I got the unpainted version so I can do it myself for the rest.  

As far as I can tell, this is the full rules for Heroscape in this box.  This is not an abridged or shortened version. The game also comes with a few scenarios to represent the Rumble at the Rift. 

The interlocking hex maps are pretty cool, and I could see them being useful for other games IF you get enough of them together.  The rules also use height changes to slow characters as they move, and you do get some minor bonus for attacking from higher ground. 

The advanced game has an "Opportunity" attack mechanic.  When you leave a square adjacent to an enemy, they can attack you.  This means you can come and go in melee, but there is a cost to trying to leave before the foe is finished.   The idea of being "adjacent" to an enemy comes into play a lot in the rules.   

Trouble Bubble Sighted!

Things I Do Not Like 

Proprietary dice.  Boo!  They are similar but not exactly like Heroquest dice.  How do I replace these when they get worn or I lose them?  They have three skulls, two shields, and a blank face.  There is also a standard d20.  Skulls for attacks and shields for defense.  

The movement rates of the characters maybe too large for the size of board they provide.  For example, the board lay-out for Mission 2 is 14 hexes across, but Scarlet can move 6 per turn!  That means she can cover the whole board provided in two turns.  However, I also get the impression that you are suppose to use other Heroscape sets to make a bigger board overall.  Some players also move farther than their range!  Of course, changing heights can slow you down too.    

This game uses a hex based map with levels, but then uses True Line-of-Sight for targeting?  You do gain a +1 attack dice if you are attacking from the high ground.  I look forward to the Revenge of the Sith version of Heroscape!  

Despite my joking they do say that LOS is drawn from behind the model's head, therefore creating a subtle combat arc.  No measuring angles here, nice.  In addition, each unit has a "hit zone" that you have to be able to see to target.  Sadly, this zone is pretty much any part of the model that is not gear.... i.e. hands, feet, etc.  Therefore, you can target Duke's hand as he is pointing.  Instead, they should probably just have highighted their torsos.  That said, the base sizes may limit this.      

     

Meh and Other Uncertainties

The advanced rules add a lot of detail beyond the basics!  For example, they specify where you draw LOS from, how many stacks tall they are for hiding, order markers, special rules per models, squads, wounds, points, etc.  It is practically an entirely different game than the basic one.  The entire rulebook is 9 pages (4 Basic and 5 Master), but it packs a surprising amount into that space.   

Each model has a star-shaped card that covers everything you need to play the model.  It is even used in game by placing the activation token on the cards to dictate the activation in the game.  It is theoretically possible to have more cards in a force than activation markers, this would force you to prioritize who is doing what... in theory.  In practice, your best units would probably hog those, but I can see situations where you would have to decide who and what order.  Choices, choices, choices. 

There are special items called Glyphs that you can place on the board.  These are essentially "power-ups" that models can collect.  There are also two walls that are specified to be Height 7, so units with a height below that can use them to block LOS, bigger can not. All GI Joes are smaller than 7.   

Each model gets special rules that they can use to affect the game play.  For Example, Cobra Commander can move freely up to two spaces away from an opponent that injures him and does not kill him.  All the units seem to have some sort of "special" gotcha rule.

These nuances, special rules on each figure, and points system means that you could probably spend a decent amount of time and ink talking about combinations and "gameplay" tactics for such a simple game.  That alone could make this a very long-lived game.  Players can debate which units work best together, if something needs a nerf or is broken, and all the other chit-chat that games like D&D, Warhammer, and Battletech use to keep people engaged even if they are not playing.   

Final Thoughts

The game easily covers the 4Ms in basic ways.  Movement has some detail with adjacent squares and elevation changes.  Melee and Missile is treated exactly the same, but has some nuance due to being able to move away freely, obstruction, and wounds to avoid instant death. Morale is very basic with either being active or destroyed.  However, units with higher wounds can "stay" in a fight longer.  

In the advanced game, they add nuance with very few words.  These nuances add a surprising amount of subtlety to a relatively simple and straightforward game.  Things like activation order, LOS vs Target Zone rules, Adjacent rules are all good ways to force meaningful choices in an organic and simple way.  These rules are an exercise in KISS and all the "rules" come on the units you buy.      

Tournament ready?  No.  Good enough for mutual friends tossing dice?  Yes.  Siblings who always compete against each other to be the best?  Probably not.

I think I learned a lot as a designer from reading these rules.  I came into this review expecting to laugh the rules part of the game off but found myself impressed with the had managed to pull off in just a few pages.     

Until next time!

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On The Painting Desk: Rise of the Dread Moon for Heroquest

 

My goals for 2026 was to get caught up on my Heroquest painting backlogs.  Once those were worked down, I would have some space for other projects.  Towards the end of 2026, I got a bit crazy and piled-up on the Expansions.  I wanted to make sure I had all the Heroes, and now I have a lot of enemies and furniture that needs to be painted.  As usual, there is no time like the present to get to work.  I still had some vague ideas about a "Big" project for 2026 so I had to get to clearing my painting desk if I was ever going to get to that "Big" project. 

Therefore, my first effort was going to be to finish off the last of my Elves first.  They were a mix of male and female elves.  Half were sword and board, the other are bow armed troops.  These came from the Mage in the Mirror and Dread Moon expansions respectively.  I had held off on them so I could paint them all at once.

I followed my usual process of undercoating of Grey Seer, Dark Grey wash, and white drybrush.  From there, I base-coated them using Armypainter Speedpaints and the new Speedpaint Markers.  The Markers were a different experience, but I could see where they would have their uses.  They were a lot easier for things like trim, scroll work, and edging.  They would also be really great on large, mostly flat pieces like..... oh..... I don't know..... Space Marines?

I used Hardened Leather and Crusader Skin boots, Camo Green trousers, Orc Skin Tunic, Stormcloud Blue cloaks, Pallid Bone armor and weapons, Hardened Leather again for bracers and belts. then a mix of colors for their hair.   

Then, I gave them a wash with a Light Tone.  From there I based them with Runic Grey and a Chaos Black base-trim.  Similar to how I have based all my Heroquest models.  It looked like this....

With those done, the only "elves" I had left were the 4 Cultist models.  Like an idiot, I decided to paint each one to go along with one of the Chaos powers; Tzeentch, Khorne, Slaanesh, and Nurgle.  This was a dumb idea but I had all ready done it with my Dread Warriors anyway.  So, I followed the usual process, so let's see how it turned out. I actually was able to paint these at a social painting event.

Can you tell which Cultist is aligned with which Chaos god?  See, I knew you would know which was which!  For Tzeentch I used Highlord Blue on the robe, Daemonic Yellow on the trim, Magic Blue on the tabard, and Aztec Gold bling.  Khorne was Crusader Skin robes, Blood Red Tabard, Brass trim and bling.  Nurgle was Malignant Green robes, Fiery Orange tabard, Orc Green trim, and Graveyard Grey bling. Slaanesh was an Alchemy pink robe, Imperial purple tabard, and blood red trim with Daemonic Yellow trim.  Of course, I also gave them all a light tone wash and finished the bases the usual way of Runic Grey and a Chaos Black base rim.  It filled far too many of the pockets on my bubble palette! 

From left to right: Khorne, Slaanesh, Tzeentch, and Nurgle

At that same Painting Social I also brought the transparent Specter and Dread Spirit.  I was not sure how to paint those, so bringing them to the Social was a great idea.  The Painted Dwarf was there and he knew how to paint transparent miniatures.  He had some special Gloss paints from Reaper for just this type of situation.  We started by giving them a few coats of blue.  This was followed by a drybrush of Armypainter Warpaints Fairy Dust which gave it a bit of sparkle.   Then, we gave it a couple coats of yellow Reaper gloss, which came out with a green tint.  Finally, we gave it a thin coat of a neon green color.  After some discussion, I decided to not paint the base with the usual style and to leave them transparent.  I was happy with them and they ended up looking like this.

Since I painted the table and statues earlier, that only left an Alchemist Table and Cupboard left to be painted to finish off my Rise of the Dread Moon box.  Sadly, I ran out of time to finish it at the Painting Social, but I had painted 9 miniatures in about 4 hours with chatting, eating a delightful snack, and drinking a cup of tea.  Not bad.  However, I had to finish these last pieces of furniture at home.  

My Elf furniture uses Sand Golem as the wood color.  Therefore, I started by getting that on as the base coat.  From there I used Plasmatic Bolt on the filigree.  That also matched my previous elven furniture.  I decided to use Runic Grey on the top of the Alchemical Table, you know like the stone counter-tops you see in modern homes.  

From there it was doing the detail work on the lanterns, book, skull, and crystal ball.  I used a combination of Plasmatic Bolt, Magic Blue, and Zealot Yellow on the table covering.  The skull was a simple Graveyard Grey and Hardened Leather horns.  The book stand was Aztec Gold, the cover was Dark Wood, the pages Crusader Skin, and the book mark was Alchemy Purple.  The Orb stand was Pallid Bone with Aztec Gold details.  The Orb itself used a watered down thin coat of Wizard Orb, thinned magic Blue, thinned Zealot Yellow, and a bit of very water down Voidshield Blue.  Voidshield Blue was also used on the lantern panels.  The end result for the furniture was this.

I think that pretty much finishes off my Rise of the Dread Moon expansion and all my Heroquest elves.  Now, I can leave the Elven realms and move to a different part of the Heroquest world.  I think next I will go to the land of the Barbarians and the Frozen North.  Onto the Frozen Horror expansion.  I think I will paint all those Mercs first......

Anyway, here is the finished shot of all my Elf stuff with parts from Rise of the Dread Moon and Mage in the Mirror. 

I think that puts me at 30+ miniatures painted for 2026.  Not a terrible start, but it is the end of March all ready!  

Until next time! 

Become a Patron and get access to all the cool stuff, a peak behind the curtain of Blood and Spectacles, and early-access to playtest games!  

Blood and Spectacles Patreon! 

You can follow Blood and Spectacles Facebook page or Instagram for more fun! 

Check out the latest publications and contact me at our Blood and Spectacles website

Or purchase all out games at the Blood and Spectacles Publishing Wargames Vault Page!