..Breaking News!.. new Gaslands competitor spotted!

Maybe it's the constant state of being inside during the virus outbreak but sometimes you have to create something bonkers just for the hell of it. Which is how a toy car from eBay bought for Gaslands last year took a turn for the bizarre.

Gaslands as I have mentioned before is a game of car mayhem where you either race or destruction derby your way around a track. Cars have guns, oil slicks, flamethrowers, rams and an assortment of other tools with which to aid in this destruction. The main cool factor is you can use any toy car you can find; Hot Wheels and Matchbox being the most common choice.

Once upon a time a child got this as a present.

This is the car I acquired from ebay for a bout 10 pence. On looking it up, it is a Woosh'n'Push matchbox toy car from the 70s. It is possibly one of the ugliest toy cars I have ever seen and has no driver.

So who is to crew this oddball car, well after discarding some vague notions of using an ork or an imperial guard model. I found shoved at the back of a cupboard this chap.

"Ey 'up there lad"

For those who don't shop in Lidl this is a Stikeez, a sort of promotional collectable plastic toy encouraging children to eat vegetables. They all have this suction cup part so they can stick to windows or flat surfaces. Our green eyed friend above I believe is meant to be a potato, although he could be something else entirely...

Encounters at a Cosmic scale!

Mwahaha!! Our evil planet conquering crusade is almost complete, this planet looks lovely, wait these natives we just encountered are so adorable we can not colonise their homeworld, let's go take over that Traders system instead.

Yes are cuteness will help us conquer the cosmos!!

Welcome to Cosmic Encounter where in the depths of space, the alien races of the Cosmos vie with each other for control of the universe.

Alliances form and shift from moment to moment, while cataclysmic battles send starships screaming into the warp as ancient tech is deployed. Players choose from hundreds of alien races, each with its own unique power to further its efforts to build an empire that spans the galaxy.

If that all sounds a bit over dramatic then blame Board Game Geek.  Over the last weekend (25th Jan) I managed to get two games of Cosmic Encounter played between 4 players. Even though I lost both games it was always entertaining and still very close. But which aliens did I encounter and who did I use to try and control the universe?

Game 1: The Fury, Ethic, Sorcerer & Will

My Alien Species

The Fury

Ah yes the very angry space archers. Did we lose an encounter or lose some ships during an alliance? Then suffer our wrath!! Although it seemed like a decent alien threat, the Fury ended up not doing a great deal as the Sorcerer ran rampant.

Game 2: Guerrilla, Trickster, Lightning & Oracle

My Alien Species

Trickster

Do you like 50-50 odds then the Trickster alien is for you. Got a terrible hand, there is still a 50% chance you might win. Got a great hand but think the opponent might have some sneaky way of winning, it's still a 50% chance for them to lose. Will we use the power will we not who knows when it comes to the Trickster.

In this game I had more success but ended up using flares more than the actual Trickster power.

Until next time when I will have actual oldhammer painting stuff to show.

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Nemesis: On the Tabletop everyone can hear you scream!

What better way to ring in 2020 than with a tabletop board game where death lurks in every room, ventilation shaft or even your own crew.

Nemesis from Awaken Realms

Welcome to the starship Nemesis. You have just woken from cryo-hibernation the ship is unknown to you, there are strange noises emanating from the corridors, an odd slime is on the floor and warning lights indicate a fire is in progress. More concerning is the dead body on the floor; she looks like she was torn apart from the inside!

After a quick debate the Captain heads to the cockpit with the soldier while the engineer (who has been oddly quiet) goes looking for tools. The Pilot heads off to check on the engines. You ease out of the hibernation pod into your motorised wheelchair, panels blink into life showing various medical charts, scientific graphs and other data. The pilot may need help as he has headed off on his own so you follow after him into the Hatch Control room... (screeesh)

It's over 10 foot tall and mucus drips from it, this alien intruder is a nightmare given life. Looking at your pistol you decide to escape rather than fight. It slashes at you but only catches the back of the wheelchair damaging various systems keeping you healthy. You race into the Comms room in panic and slam your hand on the lock door panel. The pilot doesn't believe you as he wanders off down a different corridor in search of the engine room ...

Oh no, evil car driving goblins distracted me!

Oh wow it has been a while since I made a blog post. The reason for that is (well many) but includes new video games, holidays in far flung islands off the coast of Africa & a different tabletop game that has caught my attention.

Yep this is Gaslands and it is really cool. Nothing like hitting the nitro like Vin Diesel in Fast and Furious, racing forward, only to ram into the back of a flamethrower equipped van driven by a nomadic parcel delivery worker.