Gaming Plan 2017

Its a bit late in the day but here we go, my gaming plan for this year.

Morecambe Bay Storm

First of all training for the Storm; as of Thursday I'm going to be back on cycling to and from work. Once training proper starts will endeavour to attend 2 sessions a week (at least 1) and will make up any missed sessions with a workout.
Will also be starting on 7 minute workout (twice a day) to get trim.
As time goes on I'm sure this will evolve appropriately.

Existing Models

I have a number of units I have already got models for and need to be painted in the following priorities:

Bolt Action Fallschirmjager 28mm
Frostgrave Forces 28mm - not just for use in Frostgrave but also potentially for DnD, Lion Rampant and Evernight Campaign for Savage Worlds
Spearkrieg 10mm - got a load of stuff including completion of Airborne Division and commandos
Seven Years War 6mm
Tour of Darkness Vietnam Forces 28mm
Modern Naval Forces in 1/3000

Forces to Buy

I've got plenty to go at at the moment and I don't currently see anything likely - only possibility would be an OPFOR for either Bolt Action or Seven Years War. Gates of Antares is a thought but nothing more at the moment. Reinforcements my be bought if needed for Bolt Action but I don't see anything else anywhere at moment.

Tabletop Games to Play

Priority at the moment is to get my Bolt Action force done and a few practice games so that I can take part in a campaign at House Lancaster Gaming.

My Spearkrieg forces will definitely get a few run outs and me and JT will continue with our Frostgrave campaign. I'd like to actually play in a RPG campaign but time away from house isn't able to be on a regular set basis so I'd probably have to run myself for now - Storm takes priority on this front I'm afraid. I may have a look through the Evernight campaign and see if I have sufficient figures.

Fallschirmjager Platoon Orbat Take 2 + Rookie Day 2017

So been playing with my orbat (both with regards to points, capability and expense) for 750 point list. As such here we go (again going for historical list and none cheese). All Veteran unless noted.

Defence of Italy Reinforced Platoon Total 748, 8 Dice

Platoon HQ Oberleutnant (SMG) and Rifleman (AR) 103
Rifle Squad 1 NCO + 6 Riflemen (3 SMG, 1 LMG) 127
Rifle Squad 2 NCO + 6 Riflemen (2 SMG, 1 LMG) 124
Rifle Squad 3 NCO + 5 Riflemen (6 AR) 114
Support Squad 1 MMG 65
Support Squad 2 Medium Mortar 65
Support Squad 3 Sniper Team 65
Support Squad 4 Kettenkrad (Regular) and Panzerbusche 41 85

Image from Warlord Games Website

So this is the force I'm going with - although I am painting the extra Riflemen needed to flesh out my squads if needed.

At the same time, I need to get fitter as rookie day was last Sunday and was really good. Had a few new guys down and saw some good talent (hopefully reinforcements for our Secondary).

Also got the news that we have been accepted into the league!!!

We have a new logo, there's another rookie day this Saturday and we have a Super Bowl Party coming on the 5th February - GO PACKERS!!!

Bolt Action Force Orbat Take 1

I have stated previously that I paint more when I have a specific targeted plan in place. So at the moment I have my 1501 point boxset (as well as an extra MMG I've ordered) which I've assembled and undercoated. However I wanted to break it up a little and as such have come with an initial 750 point army (needed anyway for practicing for tourney play). I've already painted the "normal squad" and am now moving onto the assault rifle squad and support.

Generic Reinforced Platoon (Armies of Germany v13) (748pts)

Hitler's Buzzsaw, Initiative Training

• Headquarters (103pts)

  • Platoon Commander (103pts)

    • Oberleutnant (103pts)

      SMG, Veteran (90pts)

      • Veteran Soldier (13pts)

        Rifle

• Infantry (346pts)

  • Fallschirmjaeger Squad (Late War) (156pts)

    7x Veteran Soldier (91pts)

    • Veteran NCO (16pts)

      SMG (3pts)

    • Veteran Soldier with LMG (33pts)

      LMG (20pts)
      LMG Loader, Team Weapon

    • Veteran Soldier with SMG (16pts)

      SMG (3pts)

  • Fallschirmjaeger Squad (Late War) (190pts)

    Veteran Soldier (13pts)

    • Veteran NCO (18pts)

      Assault Rifle (5pts)

    • 7x Veteran Soldier With Assault Rifle (126pts)

      7x Assault Rifle (35pts)

    • Veteran Soldier with LMG (33pts)

      LMG (20pts)

• Infantry Support (234pts)

  • Anti-tank Team (104pts)

    • Panzerschreck Team (104pts)

      Veteran (104pts)

  • Medium Machine Gun Team (65pts)

    Veteran (65pts)

  • Mortar Team (65pts)

    • Medium Mortar Team (65pts)

      Veteran (65pts)

• Tanks, Tank Destroyers, Self-propelled Artillery and Anti-Aircraft Vehicles (65pts)

  • SdKfz 7/1 and 7/2 (65pts)

    Regular (65pts)

I can't recommend Battlescribe enough - has most if not all of the available units and gives all the important details (I've removed the stat lines here for space purposes). Most importantly it does all the maths without you constantly questioning yourself if you've done it right.

I get that these games are by there very nature "gamey" but I want to keep my force both historically accurate (or at least reasonably so) and so my whole infantry force is Veteran throughout rather than saving some points by making mortars regular etc. The Flakwagon is support from Corps level so I don't have a problem with this being regular. I'm also basing my force as a unit in Italy in 1943-1944 so no Panzerfausts for me as sources I've read state they weren't issued until late 1944 on that front. I'm not too bothered as at 750 I'm hoping there won't be too many vehicles too worry about as my Schreck team can't be everywhere at once.

Having said all this, I only decided on all this AFTER I put together the models so I have attached Panzerfausts as recommended on the box - A few spare sprues are going to be ordered to replace these.

Anyway we'll see how it works out.

Canucks vs Green Devils

Last night I got out and played a Spearkrieg Commander game at House Lancaster to introduce DW to the rules. He'd played Black Powder before so knew roughly the command system and we were playing a basic scenario without recce or artillery support.

View from the German lines

3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade were attacking with a Regiment of Churchill IVs in support. In defence were the 2nd Battalion of 1st Fallschirmjager Regiment (with promise of StuG support).

Canadians begin to advance

DW advanced slowly initially as he got to grasps with the rules. As indirect fire was called in and my PaK 40 screen was deployed, casualties were mounting on both sides.

PaK 40 deploys

With no artillery it was a bit of a tough ask to weedle out the dug in Germans until the Canadians whittled them away and managed to get into combat.

Canucks charge in

The 2 lead Canadian Battalions were approaching breaking whilst the German reinforcements were yet to be seen.

Hole smashed through German lines

With the removal of the forces from the hill and the eventual capture of the village sector in the centre (thank you snake eyes in combat), the Canadians pushed on and I was getting nervous. A pair of StuGs arrived but had little impact.

Canadians reach the last village.

Finally the Canadians hit morale - one routed back whilst the other held but it was enough to stop them for now.

A good game with good ebb and flow - I'm going to try and get some more games going. I also really enjoyed the feel of the club - saw some games of Warhammer 40k (and variants) with actual maneuvering going on which was  a major reason I didn't get into it at school. I have a definite reason to get my Bolt Action force finished for a potential tournament. (Anyone got a 750 point concept army for Fallschirmjagers which is historically appropriate?).

Fallschirmjager Squad 1

So I've mostly finished painting a squad of my Fallschirmjagers for Bolt Action (minus a touch of luftwaffe blue for helmets and hats as well as metallic grey for weapons. I still need to apply decals to panzerfausts as well as texturing bases but I thought I'd post them anyhoo.

I think they've come out quite well - having said that I do feel the detail on the jacket fronts could be better. I also would have preferred a few more options for the panzerfausts (say a firing pose?).

Now I've done these - I'm going to work out a 500 point list and paint up the necessaries including the platoon commander.

The squad is made up of an NCO wielding an MP40, a second man armed with an MP40, a MG42 (with a second man as loader), 3 Riflemen and 3 Riflemen with Panzerfausts.

For my records (and if you want to know);

Part	Colour	Make
Skin	European Skin	Colours of War
Hat/Webbing	Mechanised Standard Grey	Citadel
Base Uniform	Worn Canvas	Colours of War
2nd Uniform Colour	Battlefield Brown	Colours of War
3rd Uniform Colour	G. I. Green	Colours of War
Uniform Lines	Army Green	Colours of War
Bag	Wool Brown	Colours of War
Rifle	Dryad Bark	Citadel
Leather	Dark Leather	Colours of War
Boots	Abaddon Black	Citadel
Trousers	Sicily Yellow	Colours of War
Uniform Wash	Athonian Camoshade	Citadel
Skin/Trouser Wash	Agrax Earthshade	Citadel

2016 in Review

So here we are, approaching the tale end of one of the more interesting years in recent history. Mass celebrity deaths at start if year, storm recovery, politicians playing to the rule to win (gamey), unlikely sporting events (including me playing American Football) and my youngest (and last) going through her first year.

Anyhoo, with all this going on, my actual gaming time has been sporadic, with most games I've played being noted on here! Because of this, my painting tends to have been more a case of what I fancy doing at the time rather than completing projects and because of that I have multiple projects on the go at once.

Having said that; I am moving forward with getting my bolt action Fallschirmjager force complete asap (getting 500 points done first so I can play some kind of game in January). I also am slowly getting Vietnam forces done and I have got my storyline sorted for when I get this going (currently based off a 4 man campaign).

Other forces are on more of a slow burn - my SYW Prussians have no opponents yet, my 10mm WW2 (and Falkland War) forces aren't really a priority and I have enough Frostgrave models for the moment (although I intend to get what I have finished so I can tick that off).

I also hope to buy a lot of plastic boxes to hold my forces (and bigger ones for boardgames) so I can be more organised and therefore more efficient with my time.

I'm also going to try and be more interactive and attempt to go for polls and things as well as hosting more games (a lot easier now the boy can be put up to bed earlier). Alongside this I really need to build up my fitness for the new season (my core effectively doesn't exist at the moment).

Thanks for reading and I hope to share more with you in the new year.

Rogue 1 (No Spoilers)

I am not going to spoil Rogue 1 (because most people haven't seen it) and this won't be a proper review because I haven't had chance to process it all or talk it out but I do have this to say - IT WAS AWESOME!

#####Before continuing I have not written any deliberate spoilers and my opinion is based upon being born after the original films but before the prequel films. I have also watched both animated series so some comments only apply there.#####

• First of all, it is not a long film (2h12m) but it packs a lot in without feeling rushed. Scenes flow - there are no unnecessary scenes and wide lens shots are long enough to appreciate without dragging on.
• The graphics are great, makes the most of modern technology without making it seem "wrong" next to A New Hope. Some of the things they do in this film are a true nod to the original films to truly tie it in. (NOTE: Watch "A New Hope" shortly before or after "Rogue 1". Alternatively just have watched "A New Hope" a lot .
• This film ties in the whole Star Wars Universe (with an exception to Force Awakens) together with references to the original trilogy, prequel trilogy (thankfully minimal) as well as the "Clone Wars" and "Rebels" animated series.
• The 3D is good, not quite as mindblowing as Dr Strange, but not eyebreaking like "Days of Future Past".
• The storyline is what it should be. The characters have flaws and life isn't a perfect happy story.
• The Rebels are not perfectly equipped at all, its motley with all sorts of bits and pieces thrown together - exactly how it should be.

In a couple of weeks I might revisit this (more likely to when released to Blu-Ray) and actually review it properly, but for now - WATCH IT.

On a side note, I got 6 FJagers base camouflage colour on - going for a beige base followed by brown and green before a green wash, whilst the trousers shall be desert yellow.