I’m back into an Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms vibe–which is good, because it’s one of the few games I have a constant partner for. We played last Sunday and my Dark Brotherhood walked away with a hefty 20-13 victory and… uh… 3 out of 10 models left on the board? That’s a win, right?

It was, technically. Narratively, I imagine it wasn’t a bunch of deaths but rather strategic smoke covered retreats. Strike fast, kill, and pull back out when things get too hot. Sure, we lost some initiates, but my Al’Akir swordsman will see the next battle.

I backed the campaign to get all of the Chapter 1 STL files for ES:CTA and I’ve been mulling printing a new force. Right now, I have my Imperials, who play a straightforward game where they act very much like an army: organize troops around a leader and march to victory.

I have my vampires: an elite force who use monsters, magic, and extreme capabilities to dominate the battlefield and address problems across the map with flyers.

Then, I have my Dark Brotherhood, who play a much more focused game of assassination and stealth, requiring I think through my objectives carefully to identify my path to victory. They involve a lot of planning but reward it well.

Out of Chapter 1, I have yet to do the Stormcloaks, who operate as a fairly straightforward beat-stick force, or the adventurers, who provide high flexibility and a focus on objectives. I also have not experimented with hiring adventurers into my other factions. Indeed, I’ve played many games of ES:CTA and I’ve oddly only scratched the surface of the options available. Could my Dark Brotherhood leverage a heavy shielded warrior who can maybe bodyguard my defenseless Al’Akir assassin who dies every game? Probably. Could my Imperials leverage a thief like character so they can actually interact with the chests? Definitely. Hiring adventurers makes for a good solution to many problems, even if they come with some minor drawbacks, like not getting your faction skill.

I’m printing off the adventurers right now, really, alongside the Dovahkiin. I want to start with building around the hyper flexibility provided by sheer number of options available. I like the idea of a Dovahkiin led party, where we basically deathball across the map, or perhaps a more balanced force that is jack-of-all trades in terms of objectives. There’s a lot there to explore and I’m actually pretty hyped.

And as a final bonus, I’m printing off the terrain I got from the campaign as well, so I’ll have a Skyrim styled snowy damaged fort. It’s been years since I last put together a snow themed board and I’m actually pretty hyped to do it.

I’m happy to have found my groove again–it’s been a long July and I’ve lost some of my hobby motivation. This reinvigoration is just what I needed–plus, it’s a small project. Fifteen models, maybe a terrain board, then I’ve got my next several months of varied play. I appreciate how well ES:CTA rewards investment in its systems–even if they’re a bit much in terms of prep. It’s a shame more people aren’t interested in the setting. Elder Scrolls has some of the deepest, most well thought out lore of any universe I’ve approached in gaming.

In fact, let me leave you with that. Here’s one of the shorter articles from the Elder Scrolls Wiki. Here’s a longer one. Here’s one I doubt most people, even those who played Morrowind, are aware of.

I didn’t even link the nature of the prisoner unbound, and how your hero in the games is someone who can literally transcend and rewrite fate because he not only recognizes he is imprisoned, but resolves how to escape the prison. Did you ever wonder why you always start the Elder Scrolls games as a prisoner? That’s why! Really, go read some stuff. You’ll thank me.