Bandidos!

Bandidos!
The local Blood Bowl league runs in a 3 month on / 3 months off pattern.  In between, our commish runs Legends of the Old West.  I wasn't able to play the last time, but had worked on getting some Bandidos for the league.

I'd never played the game before, but I like Modheim, I like Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle game, and I like Clint Eastwood Westerns.. so why not?

I have already had to miss one of the first two sessions, but hopefully that'll be the last I have to miss.

I'll try to chronicle the rise to power of Frito 'El Rojo' the Bandido as he carves out a small empire for himself.


Here is the bandit posse of Frito El Rojo, pictured center.
Some say they are outlaws.  This is not true.  They make their own laws.  They are the law.
So put away your badge lawman. We don't need no stinkin' badges!
The bandidos are very much a 'speed painting' project.  Done fast & simple.
I don't get much time to paint for myself these days, so I've gone for simple & impressionistic here.

My starting Heroes, (l-r): Julio Iguana, El Rojo, Rosarita, Feliz.
After the first game Rosarita got a shoot stat increase and bought herself a rifle.
All of these are from Black Scorpion except the one on the far left, which is Reaper.

The toughs. The posse only started with 4, but I have 2 waiting to join up.
These are all from Black Scorpion: excellent sculpts.
I saved 2 miniatures to be converted later for making a couple vaqueros, if they ever make enough cash.

The peons. Cheap, barely effective and unreliable.  But I did mention cheap right?
They have their uses in-game.
These are from Foundry.  Quite a bit smaller in scale than Black Scorpion... more like 25mm. so even with the integrated bases I elevated them with some cardstock, then built up their ground to hide it.
Overall not a bad effect I think.

The Iguana.  our good luck charm. Just noticed I have to finish his eyes ;)

Battle Report:

My first conflict was against some Plains Indians.
This was a learning experience, since as I mentioned, I'd never played the game before. It was a simple 'go out and get 'em' battle, in the wilderness.  a couple small hills and a clump of forest.

The Sioux warband looked a lot like mine, but better: 12 members to my 13, but his braves seem a lot better than my peons, his shoot is higher and leader is better in hand to hand. Plus he had a repeater rifle for his leader and a mess of bows.  I had all six shooters except the peons who had machetes. So I knew range would be a problem. I figured go cheap, and buy equipment after the first game.

 Mistake #1: I'd forgotten LotRSB rules for terrain is true-sight, so the woods I was approaching behind didn't give me much cover at all. I discovered this as the Sioux opened fire on me and took out a tough. Yikes! I had to run 2 turns forward just hoping.  I took no additional damage luckily.

As the shoot out ensued I had a big problem: he could move a bit back and fire, so that he'd be out of range of my pistols. If I ran forward, I risked being charged by his superior fighters.  We 'danced some' taking about equal damage. I ran the peons forward, with toughs & heroes a bit behind- he charged the peons, then I used everyone to fan-shoot through them! Risky indeed, but why not? My peons are cheaper than his braves, and likely will die anyway in protracted brawls.  I actually got very lucky.. the peons must have known this was coming and ducked: none of my peons were hit, but I dropped a couple Sioux, evening the odds.  I got next priority so charged in with the bandits.  It was a pretty even fight, we both were past our break & run point, but I had priority first and failed my roll and headed for the hills.

Wakan Tanka was with the Sioux that day, not a single out of action lead to a death. Meanwhile, my dice weren't so good: I lost 2 peons and a tough. My leader gained a wound and Rosarita got better at shooting, and after replacing the lost men bought a repeating rifle for Rosarita, so I'd at least have one who could shoot at range. Looking forward to their next outing!