“Lxxx” and I had a great game of Xenos Rampant on Friday night.

The terrain is from a Mantic Kickstarter and the “Infinity” mat is from Deep Cut Studios.

At great thing about Xenos Rampant is that it is miniature neutral. I haven’t played 40k for nearly a decade so I decided to un-mothball my Eldar.

I chose a unit of 5 “Wraithguard”, with General, as an “elite” choice for 6 points.

The “Dark Reapers” lead by Maugan Ra, were chosen as “heavy infantry”. Alas Maugan Ra is just another grunt! They were given the “heavy weapon” upgrade (sixes count as two hits), making them 3 points.

For another heavy choice I used the “Fire Dragons” with an increased squad size for 4 points.

I was tossing up between using Howling Banshees for a “Berserk” infantry choice but decided in the end to use “The Avatar of the Bloody-Handed God”, with increased squad size (coz he is big!) and high powered blades (it is a big sword) instead, for a further 4 points. Unfortunately I forgot to use his increased squad size or his high powered blades leading to his early demise. Doh!

I gave my last “Heavy Infantry” choice of “mobile” increasing their movement by 4″. The Eldar choice was between “Swooping Hawks” and “Guardian Jet Bikes” but the bikes look cooler so won the day. The unit also cost 3 points.

Last but not least was a “Wraithlord” counting as a Greater “Xenomorph” for 4points.

We rolled for our commander traits with Lxxx choosing the “Strategic” table and rolling a one – alas he was an incompetent paper pusher having to lose 2 starting points dropping his army to 22 points. I chose the “tactical” table and rolled a three allowing me to re-roll failed move, attack, or shoot orders within 12″ of my commander. alas I also forgot to use this!

We then rolled up the Scenario Golf: Fighting retreat.

Initially things were not going well for me so I needed to just provide Lxxx with as many units to shoot at as possible in the hope that some would get through.

After loosing the Avatar, I was able to get my two faster units in the Wraithlord and Guarding Jet Bikes of the table. I then lost the Fire Dragons despite their larger squad size. At this stage the victory points were 4 to 2 in my favour.

With still three points of mine on the table A win was on the cards for Lxxx as he still had his four starting units on the table to my two.

The Dark Reapers were suffering heavily from the shooting of three enemy units. I needed to do something quickly and just kept moving the “reapers” and took on Lxxx’s commanders unit with my own.

The last surviving Dark Reaper, Maugan Ra was to become Phoenix Lord of the match by exiting the table due to some some very ordinary dice rolls from my opponent. This meant I couldn’t lose. Both sides ended up with our commanders and their units being destroyed.

The game ended with three of my units destroyed and three successfully retreating, resulting in an 8 to 3 victory for the Eldar.

Xenos Rampant and Lxxx always gives a great fun game win or lose!

When the Red Skull sought an heir for his criminal empire, he fathered Sinthea Schmidt. The girl was raised with constant indoctrination of her father’s twisted views.

Forced to undergo physical transformation in one of the Red Skull’s machines, she was gifted with superhuman powers.

With her partner Crossbones and an incarnation of the Serpent Squad by her side, Sin has rampaged across the world, coming into conflict with the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Winter Soldier.

A few more still to go.

Doctor Arnim Zola was a scientist who pursued the creation of super-soldiers for the purpose of world domination.

Performing cruel experiments during World War II, Zola worked alongside villains like Baron Zemo and the Red Skull.

The mad doctor transferred his consciousness into a synthetic body, allowing him to continue his nefarious work well into the future, using his genius intellect and scientific knowledge as weapons against all who would stop him.

Some Hydra “ladies” coming up next.

Baron Wolfgang von Strucker was born in Strucker Castle in Bavaria, Germany. He is the last known member of a long line of Prussian noblemen, all of who had distinguished themselves as military leaders. Strucker was recruited in the 1930’s by the Nazi government’s intelligence service and sent on various secret missions.

When Germany went to war, Strucker was transferred to full time service where he met with repeated successes as a military leader. He rose to become wing commander of Germany’s special Death’s-Head Squadron.

Strucker was soon ordered to destroy the bane of the Nazi army — American sergeant Nick Fury and his “Howling Commandos” squad. Strucker and Fury fought many times, always ending with Strucker’s eventual defeat.

Strucker escaped assassination by allying himself with the Gestapo villain, the Red Skull. On orders of the Red Skull, Strucker created a power base in the Far East for the Skull’s wish of eventually taking-over Germany. Once free of Germany, however, Strucker dissolved all ties with the Skull, in a bid for power for himself.

Strucker joined a secret society in Japan bent on world conquest, later known as HYDRA. Strucker rapidly rose to power and assumed leadership of HYDRA, calling himself the Supreme Hydra. Under his leadership, HYDRA also formed a scientific branch that in later years would become AIM.

Baron Strucker is one of the most arrogant and dangerous villains on Earth. Vain, proud, treacherous, and extremely cunning; Strucker’s goal was the con quest and subjugation of the human race, the absolute humiliation and destruction of anyone who opposed him.

Now that he is revived thanks to the Death-Spore virus, he is even more maniacal and ruthless. Information obtained from here.

Baron Helmut J. Zemo is a Sokovian nobleman, former Colonel of the Sokovian Armed Forces and commander of EKO Scorpion.

Following the Battle of Sokovia, Zemo then became a criminal mastermind who sought revenge against the world’s enhanced individuals, such as the Avengers after losing his family and became obsessed with destroying them.

Knowing he was no match against the Avengers, Zemo planned to have them destroy themselves, framing Winter Soldier for bombing the United Nations and killing T’Chaka, which caused Captain America to defend Barnes.

His actions caused the Avengers Civil War, in which Iron Man led the manhunt for Barnes and Zemo, allowing Stark to learn Barnes was responsible for his parents’ murder. With the Avengers in ruin, Zemo tried to shoot himself, but was captured by Black Panther and given to Joint Counter Terrorist Centre for incarceration.

“HYDRA deserves its place on the ash heap, so your death would not bother me. But I have to use this book and other bloodier methods to get what I need. I’m not looking forward to that. You’d only be dying for your pride.” ―Helmut Zemo to Vasily Karpov

“An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumbles from within? That’s dead. Forever.” ―Helmut Zemo

You guessed it – more Hydra tomorrow,

Doctor Otto Gunther Octavius is a nuclear scientist and inventor of a set of mechanical limbs to help his experiments.

Unfortunately, the tentacles fused to Octavius’ body in a lab accident, and their artificial intelligence corrupted his brain.

Nicknamed Doctor Octopus or simply Doc Ock, he clashed with Spider-Man, until eventually Doctor Octopus drowned within his reactor.

More Crisis Protocol tomorrow.

A cowardly young man, Bob was persuaded into joining the criminal organization HYDRA by his wife, Allison, who accused him of not being able to hold a steady job. The thought of a stable career with a dental plan also appealed to Bob, though he was disappointed to find out HYDRA does not offer full dental!

Bob has no superpowers and does not have training in any combat or tactical skills. The training Hydra gives its minions seems primarily focused on running away and hiding when confronted with danger, making Bob a parody of the cannon-fodder henchmen frequently seen working for evil organizations in comic books.

More Hydra on the way.

More of my “Crisis Troop Scorch”, hired mercenaries for the Black Powder Red Earth 28 modern skirmish game. This time their final and probably most dangerous support troop type the “Assault Technician” from the third supplement “Spearhead”.

The description card shows that he has many weapons in his armoury..

The figure is also from the Warlord’s Project Z range.

The red shoulder patches to represent “Crisis Troop Scorch” are also clearly present.

Finally the whole band back together.

Tomorrow back to my “Crisis Protocol” Hydra Team

More of my “Crisis Troop Scorch”, hired mercenaries for the Black Powder Red Earth 28 modern skirmish game. This time another advanced support choice from the “Phase Line” supplement.

The Assault Grenadier is another usefu; support addition to “Crisis Troop Scorch”..

The figure is again from the Warlord’s Project Z range. As they are mercenaries their uniforms are roughly the same colour but equipment is slightly different to suit their personal tastes. In this case he does not wear any headgear.

Like the others he has a distinctive red shoulder patches to represent “Crisis Troop Scorch”.

Tomorrow more the last of Crisis Troop Scorch.

More of my “Crisis Troop Scorch”, hired mercenaries for the Black Powder Red Earth 28 modern skirmish game. This time an advanced support choice from the “Phase Line” supplement.

Heavy Automatic Riflemen can cause a devastating impact on troops bunched together, and can create deadly zones of fire.

The figures are from the Warlord’s Project Z range. As they are mercenaries their uniforms are roughly the same colour but equipment is slightly different to suit their personal tastes.

They all have their distinctive red shoulder patches to represent “Crisis Troop Scorch”.

Tomorrow more “stuff”, but who knows what!