Rangers of Shadow Deep Ranger and Companions

A friend introduced me to Ranger of Shadow Deep (the same friend as usual, he's a bad influence on me), a solo/co-op game from the same author as Frostgrave and Ghost Archipelago (and pretty much the same ruleset, as well, so was very quick for me to learn). As usual, it is sold as "need very few miniatures", at least as long as you have friends like mine, who can offer all the monsters. And since I have been eyeing the new Fireforge fantasy plastics for some time, this sounds like an excellent excuse to get a few (12, to be precise) and build up and paint. And since they're so few, I can try to stretch a bit further than usual for me (so more than block painting and a brown wash all over...)

First up, some villagers can always be useful, for rescuees if nothing else (although the fellow in the middle with the torch could also make a good Recruit).

Then there is Bob and Bill, the local guards (Bob serving as a Guardsman with his Spear, while Bill is more of a Man-at-Arms), as well as their boss and the local Captain, William-Roberts (Swordsman).

Few villages make do without competent hunters and Archers. The first one is Astrid, armed with a longbow (well, all bows are the same in the game, but this one is decidedly longer).

Since archery should be reasonably common (and darn useful in the game), there is also Justin, the second Archer, with a shorter hunting bow.

Of course, the Archers are still ordinary villagers when they're not hunting. If you want someone comfortable at all times in the surrounding forests, you want Gerry, the local Tracker.

Of course, with the recent unpleasantness (the catastrophe of the Shadow Deep as people less english would call it), it's not just the locals around any more.

Theobald is a Knight-Errant, always looking for enemies of mankind to slay and to prove his worth (and making his way towards them slowly, by dint of heavy armour). And, of course, a Knight in game terms, although he also makes a not half bad Ranger.

Angus might not have any need for proving himself, but is still duty bound to help out where he can, to stand between the light and the darkness, protecting the former and holding back the latter with a moderately humongous sword (and a smaller one, for more close-in work). In game terms, he's a Templar, but just as with Theobald, he can easily jump up to the role of Ranger.

Finally, the driving force that makes people march together instead of rushing away all over the place, the Kings Ranger himself, Reginald. Electing to go with an axe instead of the more common sword both to reduce how much he needs to carry, and in acknowledgement of his father the lumberjack. And, of course, with a bow, because you don't always want the gribblies to have a chance of chewing at you...

All in all, a small village's worth of companions ready to brave whatever the darkness throws at them. Although I might have to expand them with some sneaky fellows, and perhaps someone with a more arcane bent. And a dog or 5.

Of course, that does not mean they will see play any time soon. Most likely I'll be using Dreng the Dwarven Cruise Missile, and his trusty Crossbow-Dwarf Annie. They've already braved the Shadow Deep once, and are ready to do so again, with any companions brave enough to follow them. (These two are, for the record, not painted by me, but by Mattias Bergström, the same friend who got me into RoSD, and Frostgrave before that. And also, the very nice fellow who let me use his terrain for backdrop for these photos).

/Fool Out