Juno Beach - Rommel Battle

So this Tuesday I played a game of Rommel using the Juno Beach scenario. Few points on this; I know it is a beginner scenario, but why is it 21st Panzer counterattacking - should it not be 12th SS? Also why are the 716th's artillery deployed so far forward - seems unnecessary.

Assault Brigades Advance

The game played well albeit we forgot plenty of rules. The counterattacking forces in the form of the Panzers were very effective in their assaults although the were all fairly spent through attrition by the time we called it. I also feel that I didn't assault very well once past the frontlines and allowed myself to be caught tipped a few times.

Panzer Reinforcements

The order sheets worked nicely, with the interdiction taking out 2 of Alex's artillery batteries which hindered massively his defence.

Allied Command Board

I think this will require a few more games just to get the hang of it but all in all enjoying it.

I have got a lot more Fallschirmjager painted and will get them all posted together.

Everything That's Happened

I've more models to show including the Prussian Army of Frederick the Great as well as a few more Frostgrave minis. These will be on here soon along with the below village tiles when completed.

In the meanwhile I haven't played many wargames but myself and JT have a got a new boardgame couple in HanDan. Been playing a few goodies which we haven't been able to just between us such as Battlestar Galactica - bit of a brain spin for JT. Game of Thrones as gone down well and the mechanics are good - only issue is that by trying to stay true to the books/series - its made an uneven game.

Finally last night we had a quick run through of Lobositz - removing a few models and shrinking the battlefield. AE played Austrians and DB assisted me running the Prussians. It was like hitting my head against a brick wall - sunken roads are really powerful and Alex just kept subbing units in whenever I caused a minor breakthrough. The historical set up shouldn't be so bad as I'd shrunk the battlefield significantly which allowed the Austrians to gather tight and be a very difficult force to break.

One query I have for anyone who's done V&B for Seven Years War - is most cavalry supposed to be Linear or massed - they seemed really weak last night - other than the Austrian Horse Grenadiers who destroyed everything in front of them.

To come, more pictures, hopefully a game of Rommel next week and some more board game adventures!

Last 2 Weeks

I've been back to Lancaster Wargames Club again these last two weeks and played a couple of new rule sets (Exciting!!).

Overview of board

Last week I joined in a 6 player game of Dracula's America. Set in the post American Civil War USA,the basic rules are basically Wild West (we didn't play any undead etc). I'm not sure but it did not seem massively deadly and almost impossible to actually get an outright kill. However I think this may have been due to a misunderstanding with regards save rolls. (We were saving with fails being per hit rather than the amount below the save value).

Left Flank - Nutter running across the street - survived and ran back.

With a lot of these games (this one included) there is an error in the set up of terrain - no one wants to cross the "valley of death" (or street as in this example). So it almost just becomes dice wars.

Having said that the card mechanic by which you drew 4 cards for a turn then bid with your cards for where you were to go in the turn had a good blend of luck and game theory.

This week myself and AE played our first game of Rommel. (Unfortunately I forgot my camera so no pictures). So we felt we could judge the rules correctly we played a scenario which was half based off the Breakthrough mission and a Spearkrieg game we played a few year ago over the Battle of Prokhorovka. Scaled down we played 1st SS Panzer Grenadiers against 52nd Guards Rifle Division.

The game worked well with the Germans having to peel a way through the defensive lines (reinforced by the "Workers to the Front" event. Maybe I wasn't sufficiently aggressive early doors (new game syndrome) and it took a while to get through. Eventually a whole appeared and I was able to widen it out. By turn 15 the aggressive use of Recce, Armour and Armoured Infantry allowed me to take an objective where we called it.

Things we learned:

• Tactics and defences really help to reduce casualties; in reverse the fact that my entire force was motorised meant I could evade to reduce hits against myself. As ops dice disappear and attacks are going in by brute force, combat becomes more deadly.
• If you can lure an attack onto yourself and pinning attack has already been used and surprise attack isn't in effect then withdraw is a really good way to make your opponent burn and waste ops dice.
• Recce units with their free scout turns are really useful (even with a 50% success rate). I had a full battalion of recce as the Germans formed their Recce units as fighting battalions which really helped.
• Always plan for the worst. I attacked a single infantry company with one remaining hit in the open with 3 stands. Missed and I hadn't left enough space to retreat. Up until this point these were my only units destroyed.
• Attacking across the narrow part of the table is grim.
• All in all the rules are simple whilst giving a seemingly historical result. Could be really interesting to battle the whole campaign although we discussed it and think we'll go for an ops sheet per division. The ebb and flow of resetting etc could be absorbing as the various attacking divisions have to pause at different times.

As a side piece I also based Schy'yrk. I'm going to do the rest of Gronne Flamme like this to complete my raiding party for Frostgrave.

Schy'yrk

Operation Barbarossa Battle

So for the first time in a long time I went down to Lancaster Wargames Club and made the debut of my German Cavalry with AE. Had a good fun game - tested some hypotheses and met up with people I haven't seen in a while. It was also good to get the models out on tabletop.

Cavalry Regiment Deployed

Although I don't have a battle report I can advise of my findings:

• As expected, cavalry just can't stand up and force its way through formed infantry, but it does seem to have the mobility to exploit gaps (the scenario didn't really allow for this). They are also really susceptible to artillery.

Kradshutzen Arrive to outflank

• Early war Panzer Grenadiers mince their way through Soviet Infantry (only casualties were caused by friendly fire).

Panzer Breakthrough

• Early War Panzers are really glad they have good command - they also can't sit in front of anti-tank guns. They also don't have great guns on them and really rely on the infantry to support them. Having said that they are monstrous when overrunning infantry in the open.

KV-2

• KV-2's are scary when they fire (this one stand blew away 2 Panzer 3 platoons) but are still vulnerable to mass flank/rear fire when unsupported. If the Russians had enough command to get the infantry alongside it I don't know how I could have taken it out. On a side note Panzerjager 1B are actually quite good as tank hunters in early war (Anti-Tank 4)

If I was to play this sort of scenario I would play the cavalry as an exploitation force or mobile flank guard - asking them to break through isn't something they are going to be able to do.

I also would try to move more - my back is killing me this morning and has doubly confirmed to me that I'm not going to be able to play football against Burnley Tornadoes. Having said that I should probably let you know what happened on Sunday! 

Withdrawal Symptoms

So I've not been to Lancaster Wargames Club in quite a while now (apparently its surviving without me) and I'm starting to get withdrawal symptoms. I still think I've made the correct decision and American Football is really clicking with me (Outside Linebacker/Safety/Aceback) and my team (Morecambe Bay Storm) are coming together.

Despite this I still feel the pangs of missing battling it out on tabletop (Rome Total War only goes so far) and me and the missus seem to be playing less boardgames for whatever reason.

I had a look at my 28mm Vietnam stuff the other day but I've not got the energy to run a Tour of Darkness campaign and I don't have enough for a full company action.

So I'd like to play a WW2 game at mine - I have scenery, a table, a few ideas and models. This is an open invite to the people of Lancaster (UK) to come along and play a game which could turn into a linked campaign depending on how it goes.

If someone has early war Russians or indeed Poles - these guys want a run out.

Tour of Darkness - 1st Game Review

So last night I played a quick throw down game to practice the combat system of Savage Worlds with Alex and Jon. First thoughts; really enjoyed the rules - right balance between rapidity of play and individuality of characters. Long range combat is slow (as it should be) and close range is deadly (especially M79 grenades).

However unless we were doing something really wrong, deviation for area weapons seems ridiculous; we had grenades deviate 18" long on a long throw so effectively a grenade was thrown 102 yards! And an RPG was fired at right angles to the intended target!

Also I need to make some quick play sheets - the index/contents aren't the best (or existent) in either book so much going back and forth was going on.

The session ended with Alex and Jon making their initial characters and discussions of other things to get and do. Buildings/terrain are priorities as is some vehicular support. It will take me some time but my aim is to eventually be able to field a platoon of US Grunts having optional supports of:

M113

Jeep

UH-1 Huey

M48 Patton

M50 Ontos

M728

Anything else I need? Next week I'll be running another game - another random mission probably but this time with some actual role playing and a test run with Alex and Jon's characters.

Another Update

Lack of internet at home is really killing me on this and making it really difficult to post pictures - but I promise to get some after game tomorrow.

All the Frostgrave and all but a couple of NVA from my Vietnam models have been based and undercoated. Never really done 28mm models so any painting guides would be much appreciated!

Tomorrow, will hopefully be a practice game with a couple of the players to get used to the rules (without edges and hindrances). Models are unfinished but hey ho - they'll be done when campaign itself starts. May print off an M113 template to have a play with to - may have to buy one of these if turns out to be a bit of fun!

Flames of War M113 - Shame its 15mm!

Also for information for the players (and for anyone interested) I found a free version of the rules so people can get an idea of what is happening.

Frostgrave Models

As I've said previously, I play boardgames with my girlfriend (she really likes Pandemic, Lords of Waterdeep, Carcassonne) but I've never really interested her in miniature gaming. Then last month I read in Wargames Illustrated about Frostgrave. And after irritating her until she read the article, she seemed genuinely excited.

So I took the plunge and ordered a few bits and pieces to flesh out our forces. Initially I ordered the rules, 3 wizard packs (Enchanter, Witch and Summoner) and the soldier pack to build up the warbands. I've not got any 28mm models so this was a first step and I had nothing already painted to fill out gaps unfortunately.

Even more unfortunately, upon this lot arriving, we went about putting together our lists only for JT to demand a warhound! So I may have "had to" order some more and in turn ordered the warhound/tracker pack, demons, wolves, constructs and snow leopard/ice toad pack.

So just a little to paint up. So far I've been fairly productively putting together warband members (whilst planning a Tour of Darkness campaign and watching Supernatural from the beginning - for inspiration).

Shooters (without heads)

Thieves

Infantrymen (without heads)

Men-at-arms/Knights 

Thugs

Barbarian

Treasure Hunter

Heads/Spare Arms/Other Equipment

Sorry for quality of pictures, wanted to get an idea of where I was up to but camera though otherwise. As I said before this is going at a reasonable pace and excited to play it.

Also if theres anyone in Lancaster area who wants to be involved in my Tour of Darkness Campaign let me know - I'll get pictures on here of these figures soon too.

News of a Savage Nature

So for those in the know, I've just moved house - not been to the club in a while - but I'm back tonight. And finally have somewhere to paint! And arrange games.

First of all I've finally finished the commission I started a long time ago for a WW2 US Marine Regiment for Tarawa, really disappointed its taken so long but glad I can finally deliver it. Looking forward to games involving these in future.

For myself I  have three project running concurrently. Firstly I have fallen for Frostgrave hard! I've got a few wizards, the soldiers pack and the rules and these are starting to be put together. Its the first miniatures game I've been able to get the other half to be involved in so very excited to have some games of this.

Secondly, I have my ongoing 10mm WW2 collection growing and I'm determined to get my German Cavalry Division completed to play some early war games supporting Panzer thrusts or flexible defence through the Pripet Marshes.

And finally I have got more 28mm to paint in form of some US Grunts and Viet Cong/NVA to play Savage Worlds (/Tour of Darkness).

So, all exciting and I'll do my best to get WIP pictures on here ASAP!

Boardgames, Club News and Modelling

Only one more week til I can get back to some serious modelling and painting. Many ideas, plans and commissions to be worked upon :)

In the meantime I've been spending my game time playing and getting new boardgames, or rather trying to - I swear the dice are trying to kill me! First of all some old school monopoly where we played that you had to go around the board before you could buy properties - I WENT TO JAIL 3 TIMES!!!

Then last week bloodbowl - I rolled nye on everything below average - I mean don't get me wrong I made a horrific blunder early doors and my opponent wasn't overly lucky - until the required 6 for the interception at the end of course.

Rant over, I've now gone and purchased Arkham Horror. Really looking forward to bringing a co-op game to the Cow-Barn (our current gaming HQ :p) so I can kill everyone else with my dice, not just myself. So look out for a review of this in the near(ish) future.


The club website really seems to have started to take off with a horde of reports and TOEs from my friend AE. Loads of detail and the TOEs can be really easily converted for use in other rule sets.


Lastly, the future. As previously mentioned I have a lot of models to paint up; some for me, some to sell and some so I can dispose of on ebay. I also have continued my thinking aka Dragons - gonna buy some putty and maybe modify some existing models (beyond all recognition of course) into some basic shapes.

As per usual any comments would be appreciated - either to keep me on track or indeed to try something different - more picatures will follow once I've unpacked.