MerMuse
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mermuse.bsky.social
MerMuse
@mermuse.bsky.social
220 followers 320 following 270 posts
Bird Lover. Board game obsessed.
Creative Director.
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mermuse.bsky.social
#Bretwalda
#Boardgames

I designed a new solo mode for Bretwalda that is themed around uniting the kingdoms to withstand and drive back the Danes. The rules are posted in the alt text of the images…

The solo mode that came with the game is just about racing around collecting victory points.
Solo game in progress. Halfdans army raids Dumnonia while Guthrums army faces off against Mercia in the final battle. … Rules part 1- How to win- at the final round/season all of the Kingdom capitols must still be in British control. Instant failure - at the end of any season if a Dane leader has more dalcs than the solo player you loose instantly. Setup - You will play as Mercia (blue). The setup is the same as multiplayer setup but don’t place neutral ealdormen or kings for the other kingdoms. After setup but before the first season draw one Dane lord and draw a Dane card for their placement. Place 1 ruler (from danelaw expansion), I Viking, and 1 Drakkar. Dane AI - each Danish leader has two new elements… brides and raid target. Remove the ‘no Danes arrive’ card from the Danes cards. Bribes defines what each Danish leader requires from the player in order for them to not raid during that autumn move. Bribes are usually coin, food, or dalcs. Raid target defines their decision making when deciding where to raid. Each summer a new Dane lord arrives (king/viking/drakkar)… placed randomly based on Dane raid cards. They also gain a free Dane Thegn each summer for each dalc they control. Each autumn the current Danes move/raid (if not bribed) using their target priority. Players may not use bribes to move neutral 7 its or units from other kingdoms. During the final year of the game all Danes switch their raid target to… capital > closer to nearest capital. Rules part 2 When a Danish lord captures an area with a dalc they remove the dalc token from the board and place it on their leader card. Players leave captured dalcs on the map but move the dalc VP tracker up. If the player gives a Dane a controlled dalc as a bribe then the dalc is removed from the map and placed on the Danish leaders card. Dane movement - the Danish armies land as a group and always move as a group at the speed of the slowest unit. When defeated their drakkar is also removed. If the leader is killed early (with leadership card) all the other units in the army are removed. When a Danish leader is destroyed so are the dalcs they posses. Drakkar do not move but they allow armies to move to costal areas within the same sea zone. Leadership cards- players only earn leadership cards from fighting battles against Danes! … Danish leaders: For Dane leaders use leader cards from the danelaw expansion and the following miniatures…Danish king, queen, ealderman, and the 2 berserkers. These minis represent the unique Danish leaders and use the stats from their cards. Ivar Bribe = 2 dalcs Raid target = countryside > dalc > undefended > closer to capital > capital > city Halfdan Bribe = 9 coins Raid target = port > dalc > undefended > city Guthrum Bribe = 1 region with an abby Raid target = abby > dalc > countryside > closer to capital > capital Ubbe Bribe = 6 food Raid target = city > defended > granary > dalc > closer to capital > countryside Ragnar Bribe = 20 coins Raid target = dalc > capital > city > port > defended > undefended Overview - the Danes arrive each turn and raid across the kingdom. As they collect more dalcs (fame and wealth) their armies grow. Because one army starts on the board and another arrives each summer there should always be more Danes than you can easily deal with. You must pick your fights very carefully.
February 4, 2026 at 5:39 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#Bird
#galah

I’ve always loved the way our Galah looks at sunrise. The pinks of a desert sunrise complement his pinks and grays. Momo the Galah is on of my favorite beings… i’ve never met anyone with as much endless energy and love of dancing as that crazy pink cockatoo.
Pink cockatoo (Galah) at sunrise perch on my hand after a big flight. When he flies he screams and chirps at the top of his lungs enjoying the magic of flight. He always makes me feel like I’m missing out because of my lack of wings…
February 2, 2026 at 4:47 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#Bretwalda
#TabletopGames

Bretwalda arrived. Checking out the solo rules for my first learning game. Love the look of the board and pieces… I wish the solo mode had cards for the Danes that made them more interesting. I may need to make my own cards for different Danish leaders…
Learning game in progress. King Wiglaf of Mercia attempting to unite the country to drive out the Danes.
February 1, 2026 at 9:35 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#Arcworlde
#skirmishgame

Primed my new Arcworlde minis today. The raw metal minis were so shiny it was hard to see the detail… primed they already look better. Will play my first game tonight…
Warp miniatures Imperials and Ourk minis primed and ready to be painted. Online force builder makes these great character cards. I added notes for some of the special rules and circles for marking health.
February 1, 2026 at 5:05 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#CyclesOfTheEye
#soloRPG

My favorite solo RPG of 2025 was Cycles of the Eye. I felt bad talking about it because it was out of print…

but

the second edition is up for preorder on Lost in Cult. It’s a must play if you want a solo RPG experience with real emotion.
Second edition box set is small and sleek. I love the first edition but the collectors box is huge and heavy. Loving the new direction… should make the game great for trips.
January 31, 2026 at 12:32 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#SkirmishGame
#Arcworlde
#WarpMiniatures

Arc world starter set, Battle for Troll Bridge… just arrived.

One of the things that really won me over is the movement rule ‘Legging It’ which reminded me of ‘go for it’ in bloodbowl and ‘thrusters’ in Gorka Morka. I love push your luck movement mechanics.
Imperial miniatures. These are some of the most characterful minis I’ve ever seen and I can’t wait to paint them! Ourk miniatures. Love how wild and chaotic these look…
January 30, 2026 at 5:55 AM
Reposted by MerMuse
taylordahlin.com
brass solidarity band performing “stand by me” in the streets of whittier next to alex pretti’s memorial. the crowd started chanting “the people united will never be defeated” so they incorporated it into the song. i love minneapolis
January 27, 2026 at 12:22 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#SteelRift

I built a few more mechs tonight. I’m really enjoying the death ray designs 6mm basing props… like concrete barriers and traffic cones. Without proper scale reference… giant robots are just space marines.
More steel rift miniatures with tiny soldiers, vehicles, and concrete barriers as scale reference.
January 27, 2026 at 6:58 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#FateoftheFellowship

Played another session of Fate of the Fellowship. Gollum made this game way too easy but I enjoyed the battle for Eriador. I also picked up the Two Towers Trick Taking Game. This came out just in time because we are currently on the final chapter of the previous set.
Final turn of the game. Boromir meeple was missing so we had to swap in a different meeple. The Nazgûl did almost nothing this game… the majority of them hung out near the shire having a picnic. We didn’t lose a single stronghold this game. New set in the LoTR trick taking game shown with the promo pack. I really like the stained glass window approach to the art in this game… it doesn’t really make sense for middle earth but it’s striking.
January 25, 2026 at 11:45 PM
mermuse.bsky.social
#SteelRift
#SkirmishGame

Building some mechs for Steel Rift. Enjoying the new designs (like the Cerberus and Reavers) that feel less generic. It feels like Death Ray Designs is doing some deeper world-building with the universe and factions.
Cerberus mechs and infantry… base coated dark blue. Two other starter factions glued to the base but not primed yet.
January 25, 2026 at 6:05 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#Warsenal
#SkirmishTerrain

Slowly building more of the pre-painted Warsenal terrain. I’m really loving both the interiors and the exteriors. Some of the buildings don’t have instructions yet so it can feel a bit like a large jigsaw puzzle to figure out…
Pre-painted MDF terrain - stairwell building and warehouse. Pre-painted MDF terrain - stairwell building and warehouse - with roofs removed to show off interior detail. Pre-painted MDF terrain - close up of the warehouse. The MDF car is from a different company.
January 19, 2026 at 7:30 PM
mermuse.bsky.social
#SteelRift

I’m really enjoying BattleTech but the transition from beginners box to either classic or alpha strike has left me frustrated. I really like the idea in Steel Rift that there is no roll to hit - only a roll to avoid based on mech size. I’m looking forward to trying it…
Steel rift rulebook and close quarters expansion cover. I’m looking forward to trying it and may test new rules for link structure points to systems for more detailed damage. .. I have an idea for structure damage linked to systems where normally the target picks the system hit, from behind the attacker picks, and from the side it’s random who picks. This might break the game but I really want system damage without all the complex calculations and tracking.
January 19, 2026 at 1:25 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#HobbyTime
#FateoftheFellowship
#Battletech

I didn’t get to build or paint any miniatures this week but I did find time to play these tabletop games…

Fate of the Fellowship
Battletech
LOTR 5E RPG

In LOTR I’m playing a character inspired by Carrot from Discworld…
A human raised by dwarves.
2 vs 1 arena fight in battletech. Testing out 3D scratch built walls. The mobilized rifleman was using the wall to protect his flank. When the wall section lowered the enemy flanked him and finished him off. Frodo once again makes it to Mt Doom. Tried out different characters and quests this time. We had 2 characters that could raise troops without spending extra resources which allowed us to take the fight to the enemy.
January 18, 2026 at 4:11 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#Battletech
#SkirmishGame

Made a bit more progress on my Battletech arena walls. I’m thinking of making the two center walls only level one height so they block ground movement and add cover without blocking LOS…
2 arena walls built and primed. 2 more built… Testing some ideas for the final 2 arena walls.
January 12, 2026 at 8:52 PM
mermuse.bsky.social
#LOTR
#tabletop

Got to play Fate of the Fellowship for the second time. The Gandalf vs Balrog showdown was a bit anticlimactic but otherwise the game was really fun. Sad that the game sold out before the holidays and may be unavailable for a long time…
Gandalf, Legolas, and the Ents take Isenguard to distract from the hobbits and the main army reaching Minas Tirith. As the ring reaches Mount Doom Legolas once again distracts the enemy forces away to the north.
January 11, 2026 at 11:37 PM
mermuse.bsky.social
#Battletech
#SkirmishGame

Since I’m mainly just playing in the gladiator arena map I decided to make terrain for the wall sections that raise and lower. The wall counters that come with the map don’t do a great job of giving an instant read on their state…
Test model for arena walls. Testing height and amount of detail. I may add some observation platforms with 6mm figures to help sell the scale…
January 9, 2026 at 2:44 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#Mecha
#GiantRobot

Playing Battletech recently and painting the miniatures reminded me of the time I got to help build and detail a real life giant robot.

My job was to add the details. Attach bolts, tie downs, and control panels… then paint on emblems, warning markings, rust & battle damage.
Me adding real bolts and other details to the legs of a giant robot in order to make it look more believable. Years of miniature painting really paid off… Legs and torso of giant robot assembled for the first time.
January 8, 2026 at 8:19 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#Battletech
#SkirmishGame

Over the break I decided to give BattleTech a try. I remember playing it 30+ years ago. I’m enjoying it. There’s something really addictive about tracking damage at that scale. I don’t enjoy the overall war theme but find the mech gladiator arena fights really fun.
3 mech miniatures fighting in an arena with wall sections that randomly raise and lower.
January 7, 2026 at 6:27 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
New Year’s resolution:

Stop using the term ‘generative AI’ and replace with the term…

‘Automated plagiarism machine’
January 5, 2026 at 6:29 PM
mermuse.bsky.social
#WhyWeFight
#soloRPG

Why We Fight RPG just arrived. It’s a GM-less solo/co-op game about groups of people fighting against a fascism takeover. Each player controls 4 characters and will learn about them as you play.
Core game book, direct action book, a patch, and several stickers.
January 3, 2026 at 1:34 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#warsenal
#PaintedMinis
#HolidayHobbyTime

Doing final touch up painting on pre painted Warsenal terrain. Pre painted MDF is a great timesaver but you still need to paint the unpainted edges.

Example of the same terrain with and without touch ups…
Example of the same pre painted alley terrain with unpainted and painted edges.
January 2, 2026 at 8:08 PM
mermuse.bsky.social
#Blkout
#SkirmishGame
#paintedminis

Painted up a bunch of Manticore Borz Group minis for BLKOUT. I was dreading these because of the small detail but focused on just dry-brushing and then adding 2 highlight colors. Happy with the vibes… they have an intimidating presence.
Borz group minis painted dark purple with black wash and some red and gold highlights. They have alien themed bases (blue with pink growth) to make them feel alien and intimidating.
December 30, 2025 at 9:53 PM
mermuse.bsky.social
While out at our favorite local Izakaya for Christmas Eve we ran into this little guy…
Oni statue celebrating by drinking a large bowl of Sake.
December 25, 2025 at 5:08 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#HolidayHobbyTime
#blkout
#warsenal
#SkirmishGame

Built a bunch of MDF terrain today. The space elevator set for BLKOUT and some pre painted MDF street terrain from Warsenal.
A huge stack of MDF buildings, ladders, and bridges. Pre-painted MDF terrain with a Judge Dredd figure added for scale. Loving the pre-painted look!
December 25, 2025 at 5:01 AM
mermuse.bsky.social
#GameDev
#mahjong
#TabletopGames

I’m working on a murder mystery tile matching game. There are 3 sets of tiles at the bottom of the stack that represent the suspects.
Before marching a suspect tile to ‘accuse’ you need to match general tiles to reveal clues to narrow down the suspects. 1-2 player.
Hot pot tiles used for playtest. This is a match 3 variant so there are tiles left over. Left over tiles are used to randomly pick the killer and to make a clue pile. Picked tiles go to a board (7spaces) until 3 matches are made and they are removed and scored. 3 sets of scored tiles of the same color allow a draw from the clue pile. Clue pile tiles face down. There are 3 sets of tiles at the bottom of the stack that represent the suspects. Matching sets of general tiles lets you draw tiles from clue pile. Match a suspect tiles is to ‘accuse’ that character… so you need to collect as many clue tiles as you can to narrow down the suspects. The game ends when a set of suspects tiles are matched. If you chose the correct suspect then you win. Tile placement can make it possible to lose early (no matches available) or because your tile holding spaces are all full when you have to draw.
December 24, 2025 at 1:35 AM