Take Me To Church

With trees and rocks and walls and more complete, I moved on to finishing up my target scenario’s bits. This meant a rather easy paint run of the figures needed. I really cheated on this goal as what really interested me out of all the scenario options in a sea of expansions and content was something from the smallest set: the Ars Nova expansion.

I’m intrigued by it because it is likely more board game-like than the combat and narrative games. It is also one of the few purely co-op or solo scenarios and so it may appeal to a wider audience.

It also features almost exclusively drab-colored monks and damn if that ain’t easy to paint up.

Of course what is a bunch of monks to do without a house of worship so the ease of the figure painting got ratcheted up to paint up the big church scenery piece. This piece isn’t even required by the scenario but I really wanted to see how it would paint up and I wasn’t disappointed.

I airbrushed what I could but all those timbers and grey bricks took their toll. It was a lot of monotonous detail work but I really like how it came out.

With the church done, it also means I only have three smaller buildings to finish and all the core set scenery will be painted. That will really help expand what scenario options I can explore.

The Ars Nova expansion is loosely based on the novel/film The Name of Rose, a story about a series of murders at a medieval monastery and the unorthodox monk that battles medieval prejudice while trying to come to the fact-based conclusion of who is responsible for the heinous crimes.

While the expansion doesn’t follow the story exactly, it is a non-combat based deductive game.

While the players play the monk and his two young acolytes, other nefarious members of the monastery secret their dealings and hide their crimes.

Like maybe these two shady brothers, hiding in the shadow of the old church ruins.

While the oldest member of their sect visits a shrine to their patron saint.

And the new Arch Bishop attends to the needs of the monastery at large.

Perhaps the young acolyte’s curiosity will help find the clues to unravel the hidden plots and counter plots of a complex cross-section of pious individuals.

We’ll find out soon enough now that everything is complete!