A New Project?

I've been rather quiet on the production front of late. I'm in one of my occasional painting slumps (of which I'm sure most of you are familiar) but I haven't been completely idle. I have, as always, continued gaming and you can see a few pics of a recent game below. I've  also been spending some time with planning, reading and research. Of particular interest to me of late has been the Mediterranean naval campaigns of WWII, specifically the Battle of Matapan in 1941 (you can see a short synopsis here). I have gamed in the WWII naval genre before using Victory at Sea but was unimpressed. In those games, we were using US and Japanese fleets and the action devolved into air power games. The naval aspect was definitely subsumed into the more uninteresting (at least to me) management of air assets. The Mediterranean campaigns between the Royal Navy and the Regia Marina seem to offer scope for capital ship engagements with limited air power resources (the Royal Navy had only one small carrier at Matapan and the Italians used only land-based bombers). The relatively small and self-contained scope of the operating theatre also appeals for campaign gaming. 

So, having (perhaps) chosen a new project, what scale? GHQ offers a comprehensive WWII range that has incredible detail and would seem to be the first choice. But I have happened upon the Hallmark range of 1:6000 ships (yes, that's three zeroes!) and I'm currently contemplating these little beauties (that you can see here to the left). While they have less detail than their larger GHQ 1:2400 cousins (duh!), they make up for that in their relative price point. The Hallmark ships are five or six times cheaper per ship than GHQ. The smaller scale has other advantages: 1) less storage space is needed; 2) a smaller playing surface is needed; 3) alternatively, the same space as needed for larger scales could be used...this would make for a more visually realistic (sic) playing surface, especially if aircraft carriers are involved.

What else is happening? The in-laws are preparing for their annual six-month Florida sojourn, leaving the basement en-suite apartment empty for the winter. I will again be transforming it into a temporary gaming room and workshop. There will be, of course, a gaming table but this time round I plan to also use the space for some larger terrain projects. Daniel plans to start on his WWI trench boards during his Christmas break and I would like to get a start on my new WWII buildings. Should make a lovely mess!

We played a 1940 scenario with Disposable Heroes on Sunday at MIGS. I hosted the game for two new and interested parties: Mark and Steve #2. Thanks guys for attending! I decided on a simple attack-defend scenario to introduce the new guys to the rules. You can see the central terrain feature in the picture above. Some of you may recognize this bridge from many WWII games in the past. Many a British paratrooper has given his all to defend (or capture) this bridge.

 

The German attack quickly received a serious blow. A French S-35 took its first shot of the game and destroyed  Steve #1's brand-spanking-new Neubaufahrzeug, a three-turreted German tank of extremely limted production-run, deployed during the Norway campaign (note: Before anyone mentions that this tank never appeared in the 1940 France campaign, it should be obvious from what I just wrote that I'm fully aware and don't really care!).

 The last moves of the game saw German panzer grenadiers assaulting the bridge under the cover of a smoke screen. The Germans eventually took the bridge in the waning moments, earning a marginal victory (there were still substantial French forces intact and nearby).

WWII Buildings

I don't usually make two posts back-to-back but I thought that since I had the camera out, I'd snap a pic of my next terrain project. While rooting around in some of my boxes at the club, I pleased to find some O-scale railroad buildings (yes it was aYule-like surprise there too!). I had bought these many years ago with the intention of adding them to my former WWII terrain collection. These are the perfect scale for 28mm skirmish gaming and will allow us to get out of the countryside and into some more urban-like game settings. The non-red and white buildings are all modular, meaning that the floors are interchangeable. They will need to be roughed up a bit and the signs changed (probably to French, given the 1940 focus of my collection). I'd also like to experiment with making them bomb-damaged. The red and white garage on top is an O-scale snap-together kit that will serve well in my French town. Anyone know where to get in-scale garage fuel pumps of the period?

I'll try and post in-progress photos of this project. Stay tuned....

The Spanish Fleet Has Arrived!

While I've bumming around between major projects, I've been trying to clean up a few other small ones that are either partly finished or never started. My 1/2400 Napoleonic naval is one of the latter. Vidal had talked me into purchasing the Spanish fleet for Trafalgar from Old Glory more than a year ago (see an earlier post for a picture of the unpainted ships). It wasn't til recently when he hosted a small game with his ships that I thought seriously of painting mine. Well, they're finished and itching to unleash the 136-gun behemoth that is Santissima Trinidad. This fleet also boasts three other first rate ships: Principe de Asturias (112), Sanata Anna (112), and Rayo (100). While these huge ships may seem impressive, the wretched state of training and seamanship in the Spanish navy at the time means that I'll have some serious trouble beating up on Vidal's Royal Navy dogs. At least my captains go into battle nattily dressed (at least in my mind's eye). The ships also tend to be somewhat more colourfully appointed than their English counterparts.

The Spanish fleet as fought at Trafalgar. The four first rates are on the right of the front line in the picture. The massive 136-gun Santissima Trinidad is farthest right.

On the WWII front, I attended MIGSCON on Saturday and was able to pick up a few accessories for my 28mm WWII forces. I found enough AGNM Opel Blitz trucks to motorize my German platoon and I also picked up two Pzkpfw IIIs with the 50mm gun. One of the latter is actually Alex's (which I will paint for him as I do my own). I also purchased a pioneer halftrack for my upcoming German engineer squad. This is only a single squad of 10 figures, meant as an add-on for my German platoon for specific scenarios.

Aside from my MIGSCON purchases, a thorough searching of various drawers and boxes in and around my painting desk yielded some other surprises. I now have in my painting queue (besides the aforementioned vehicles and engineer squad), another Pak36 37mm AT gun and 75mm infantry gun. The plan is to mount these on separate bases in limbered mode to replace my current crewed models when in towed configuration. Hiding away in one drawer was a Pzkpfw IVF2. This model has the 75mm L43 gun with the earlier conical (or ball-like) muzzle brake. Looking at the AGNM site, I noticed that this model is not listed. The model I have may be from a test batch that Vince may have run a few years ago. If that's true, it's odd that they're not offered for sale.

And maybe I could persuade Alex to take the Pz IV in exchange for his Pz III (allowing me to build the PzIIIs with short and long 50mm guns respectively...hmmmm, Alex, are you reading this? The Pz IV would go well with your later war Germans!).

My desk drawers have been a bit Yule-like of late since I also found very nice models of a Pak38 50mm AT gun and a Sig33 150mm Infantry gun, both from AGNM. The former should give my German infantry a bit of added punch should they run into any Russian armour in the future (seems likely, given Steve's armour output). The SIG33 will probably have little tactical use in our games but could make a nice scenario-driven objective or just look damned mean and dirty on the table.

Pak38 50mm AT gun from AGNM.




SIG33 150mm infantry gun from AGNM.

Two Projects Finished!

"Ha," you laugh derisively! "There is no such thing as a finished gaming project. You'll always be adding on to it."

This may be true but in the context of how I had originally planned these two projects, they are FINISHED! Besides, there's only so much room in the damn boxes. For those who don't know, my new approach is to make the project fit the box (see here). In an odd twist, I finished both projects in the same week (that was not planned). This week I was able to finish applying helmet decals to the rest of my 1940 German platoon and base them up. I also finished some reinforcements for my Carlist Wars armies. These were some add-ons to already existing units to bring them up to my standard unit sizes in multiples of six.

A couple shots of the 1940 project, as originally planned. On the left, a platoon of German infantry with support weapons and a couple platoons of armoured vehicles. On the right, their French counterparts. All figures are from Crusader (except a few gun crew figures from Bolt Action).

Although the 1940 stuff seen here is truly finished as planned, there seems to be a fair bit of room left over in the case. Hmmmm, what to do? I think that case is just calling out for some Fallshirmjaegers! Or some Tommies!

"Whoa, pardner!" you sputter. "Didn't you just get through telling me you were finished?"

"My collection, my rules!" I justify.

"Hypocrite!" spills from your gob.

"Who are you? My wife? Have another glass of wine."

The Isabellino army; cavalry in the rear, and British Auxiliary Legion to the fore.

The Carlist Army of the Centre, led by Don Cabrera (in the white coat).

Now this project can really and truly said to be finished. I have absolutely no room left in the case. And don't tell me to buy another case. Geez, that would constitute another project. Hmmmm.......

new additions

I ventured to Cambridge last night to play with Vidal's little boats. Specifically, these tiny ships were 1/2400 scale Napoleonic from Old Glory. Vidal talked me into picking up the Spanish fleet for Trafalgar some time ago (a year or more?) and they've been patiently sitting on a shelf beside my desk since then (Vidal has the British fleet). We used Kiss Me Hardy rules from Richard Clarke at Too Fat Lardies, fast becoming my favourite rule developer and publisher. The rules are pretty fast-paced and bloody (meaning we didn't have to wait long for the fun stuff to happen) and use the familiar Lardies card deck. After the game, I came home and pulled out my (as yet) unpainted Spanish ships and started the planning process. Why is it that every time I go to Vidal's house to game, I come home with a new project brewing? 28mm Carlist Wars with Sharp Practice, 28mm WWII with Disposable Heroes, and now Napoleonic ships? Damn, but I have no self-control.

The Spanish fleet straight out of the box.

These models have several redeeming qualities. First, they are one-piece castings with bases included. This cuts down considerably on preparation time. Some may see the one-piece models as a detraction because of the way the masts and rigging are solid slabs of metal. True, as seen in their naked state, they seem a little bit chunky and crude but some judicious painting can resolve this issue relatively easily. Second, as part of the one-piece casting, the base is sculpted with waves etc. This eliminates completely the need to source and apply bases and spackle for the waves. Third, the small scale makes playing larger battles feasible, even on the dining room table. So, I'm off to clean these little boats up and start painting the sides in Spanish blood red. They need to look as scary as possible cuz the Spaniards sure as hell weren't the top o' the pile!

I was also able to finish up a few support teams for my 28mm 1940 Germans. I found I had enough helmet decals left to finish these up while waiting for the next batch from Company B.

These support teams should give my German platoon a bit of extra punch: 2 x 50mm mortar teams (on the left), 2 x Anti-tank rifle teams (right and center), and 1 x 81mm mortar team. Crusader Miniatures.

A close-up of the 81mm mortar team.

1940 German infantry

After some unusual prevarication, I've finally finished up some of my 28mm 1940 German infantry. By prevarication, I don't mean I have been putting off painting them. Far from that, in fact. I have actually finished painting all 60+ figures in a fairly short time but I'm waiting on some helmet decals as the last addition (more of that anon). My hesitation or quibbling was directed upon uniform colours and details. You'd think that WWII German infantry would be fairly easy to paint. In my first first 28mm WWII collection, I had over 100 German figures; but that collection is long gone. In that attempt, I had concentrated on late WWII. This time around I've chosen 1940 and the German tunics (especially) are of a different colour than later. In fact, they were quite green compared to their other gear and later war uniform items. I spent more time than normal painting test figures and experimenting with paints and washes. I finally settled on a colour set that pleased my eye (and that's the final test, after all). I think I more closely approximated the colours in the Osprey volume on German infantry, seen here:

I also had to spend some time on the helmet decals I had acquired from Company B (see them here). In the early war, German infantry sported the tri-colour shield on the right side of the helmet and the German eagle on the other side. Strictly speaking, these had been removed or painted over by the 1940 campaign but I plan to eventually raise a Polish force for some 1939 gaming and the anomaly of tri-colours in 1940 is easily accepted (by me, at least). The Company B decals are quite small and thus fiddly to apply but I think they're worth the effort.

You can see the results of my efforts below. There are two squads and a platoon command here. Coming up (as soon as I get the next batch of decals in the mail) will be the third squad, a recon section, and some various support teams.

Platoon command and two squads, some 30 figures. All figures by Crusader Miniatures.

The platoon commander (with pistol)and his senior NCO (with SMG). I decided to model the platoon Fledwebel in peaked cap. Although unusual, NCOs sometimes did wear this headgear using this option sets him apart from the other SMG-wielding squad leaders.

The tri-colour helmet decals can be seen here. The are actually slightly over-sized but if they were in exact scale, they'd be almost impossible to apply.

And on the opposite side, the German eagle decals. There's no way in Hades I'd be able to reproduce these with a paint brush.

Carlist Wars Fight at MIGS

Last Friday I was able to rope a few friends into playing with my Carlist Wars collection at the local clubhouse (MIGS). Again we tried a more open field battle using Sharp Practice with, I think, favourable results. The game sported perhaps 160 figures and was completed in three and a half hours with four players. I think we've become relatively conversant with the rules and a mini-campaign may be on the horizon. Thanks to Steve for taking the photos below!

Initial deployments.
The Isabellino force on the left, comprised mainly of the British and French Legions, and the Carlists on the right. The French Foreign Legion in the left foreground would go on to see some heavy fighting in this battle. Most of the Carlist infantry is made up of regional battalions of 18 figures each, divided into a formed group of 12 and a skirmish group of six. Carlist cavalry can be seen in right background approaching the Isabellino left flank and the BAL rocket battery stationed there.


Initial deployments from the other flank.
The fields and trees were made (quite well) by Steve Thomson (you can see his blog here).


The Isabellino left flank was held by BAL rockets and lancers. The Carlist cavalry made a bee-line for these isolated units and drove back the lancers, seen here regrouping behind the rockets, which have just loosed another (useless) volley at their antagonists. The Carlist lancers went on to rout the rocketeers before being bounced themselves by the revived BAL lancers (led by a Level III Big Man, no less!).

The game at its midpoint.
The grain field in the center of the frame has caught alight and has become a no-man's land for all. This impassable obstruction caused a host of problems for both sides. The Isabellino gun in the left center has unlimbered and begun to fire on the Carlist infantry but the burning field has limited its range of vision and usefulness. The fight for the rocket battery can be seen in the center-left background.