A Final Flourish

I started June off well after a meagre May output and I have finished the month with another flourish prior to going off on another break up to Flamborough in North Yorkshire this time.

Continuing with the First Carlist War I have painted up another battalion for the Isabelinos, the Espana regiment.

Figures from Perry Miniatures.

Whilst in Black Powder period mode I have also painted two skirmishing units for the War of the Triple Alliance.

Paraguayans from Perry Miniatures.

Brazilians again from Perry Miniatures.

To keep the World War II Italian theatre project going along I have started the second British section.

AB Figures.

No games in the next two weeks as Dave and Sue will be going on their trip up north has we return.

Until next time keep cool and KBO

Top Gear

After a fairly fallow May on the painting front since returning from a week down in Cornwall I have gone up a gear. I am currently working on an Isabelino battalion of twenty figures for the First Carlist War, I have twelve completed so far.

First up I finished off four figures to complete the British infantry section for WW2 Italy action.

All AB Figures.

To break up the monotomy of painting the twenty Isabelino infantry figure I worked in these figures for an Isabelino command base. Perry Miniatures.

Also these British Auxiliary Legion staff officers, again Perry Miniatures

Some time ago probably a couple years, both Dave and I had forgot about them Dave passed these rather nifty metal palm trees onto me for the Triple Alliance scenery. I rediscovered them when searching for something else so I set to and got them painted and based up.

Our first game after our respective breaks in the South West was a French Revolutionary Wars game over at GHQ which currently features on Dave's Blog

Next week all being well over here in Darkest Rawnsley we will feature another Goth v 3rdC Romans game. On checking they last saw the table in 2024 when we thought it was only last year. Tempus Fugit so Carpe Diem and KBO.

Two For Two

World War Two that is. First more Tommies for Italy, 20mm AB Figures.

Next up Waffen-SS Jerries for Arnhem. 28mm Empress Miniatures.

I really must get on to painting something more colourful, the First Carlist War collection hasn't had anything added for a while. Perhaps a FCW game here in OHQ on Tuesday will inspire?

That's all folks, until next time KBO.

Snails Pace

A very sparse month on the painting front, the advance so far.

A Krupp Protze for the Spanish Civil War Nationalists to tow their PAK36. A Rubicon kit with a driver from Empress Miniatures with a head swap.

Next the final six figures for the F.A.R.T.S. Again figures from Empress Miniatures, these will hopefully hit the table over at GHQ next month sometime?

Lastly three test figures for the British half of the Italian campaign project. Figures from AB the acme of WWII figures in 20mm.

Off to GHQ for some early Italian Wars action tomorrow, look out for a report of the action over on Dave's blog in the coming days.

Toodle Pip, until next time KBO

Action Near Kustrin 1st to 3rd February 1945

The scenario is from the Kustrin supplement for Battlegroup rules which aims to combine a Soviet advance over three days into one scenario. The Soviet attack is split into three waves when one exceeds it Battle Rating it will be removed and replaced by the next wave.

The first wave was repulsed in turn five.

Three T34/76s lead the first wave with tank riders.

Supported by a lend-lease Valentine.

With additional support from a M3 halftrack.

The Germans well dug in await the attack supported by two Waffen-SS Tiger IIs

Turn five the first wave is repulsed.

Bring up the bad boys T34/85s supported by two SU76 assault guns.

Come along Ivan we are waiting for you.

Eeek! An off table Katyushka strike precedes the assault.

Resulting in one pinned infantry team, really!

Abandoned! While over on the other flank others are destroyed. Turn eight the second wave is repulsed.

Bring on the last wave, more T34/85s and two ISU152s the 'Cat Killers'

It soon makes an impression.

KABOOM! But it is too late losses on the T34s results in the waves Battle Rating being exceeded the attack is repulsed on turn thirteen. History is repeated although it only delayed the inevitable fall of the city.

A grand game full of drama, shocking dice rolls by both sides adding some amusing interludes for us both along the way.

Until next time KBO.

Stug Life

A little quiet on the painting front the fine weather has made way for some full scale terrain building in the garden.

Work in progress.

However a Stug III battery for my 20mm early WWII collection survives their brush with death.

The vehicles are from Early War Miniatures.

Until next time toodle pip and KBO.

Mixed Bag

Some recent painting to pootle off the desk. First up a Warlord Games Universal Carrier and crew.

Next a couple of Germans from Empress Miniatures Kampfguppe Arnheim Hickstarter (sic) which I believe will be in the shop to buy in the Autumn.

Finally more F.A.R.T.S for the fictional province of Rhanzlistan, again from Empress Miniatures Jazz Age range.

No game this week RL stuff intervenes.

Until next time toodle pip and KBO.

Whoa Mohammed!

The last figures for my British airborne platton and support are done (for now anyway 😉)

Vickers MMG team.

RAMC medic.

Empress Miniatures.

Look out for them in action in the coming weeks.

Toodle pip and KBO.

Playing The AI Generated Scenario

Dave, Will and myself set to here in Darkest Rawnsley to play the AI generated scenario I mentioned in previous posts.

It titled the scenario 'The Last Toll', a British vanguard had seized a vital bridgehead and a small ruined hamlet.

Before they can dig in a German Battlegroup supported by a lone tank emerges through the adjacent treeline.

The British set up on the table and place three objective markers in three of the four buildings. The Germans enter the table on turn one.

The scenario set the game at the standard Bolt Action six turns, has we were playing along the short edge of the proposed 6x4 table I extended that to eight turns. To win the Germans must control two of the objectives and British must control two objectives and destroy the German tank. This seems a tall order for both sides. The forces suggested are a typical Bolt Action 1000 point composition.

British Defender	German Attacker
1x Regular 2nd Lt + 1 extra man	1x Veteran 1st Lt + 1 extra man
3x Regular Infantry Sections (with Bren guns)	2x Veteran Grenadier Sections (Assault Rifles/Panzerfausts)
1x Veteran Vickers MMG Team	2x Inexperienced Volksgrenadier Sections
1x Regular 6-pounder Anti-Tank Gun	1x Veteran Panther OR Tiger I
1x Regular Cromwell OR Churchill Tank	1x Regular Sniper Team
1x Regular Forward Artillery Observer	1x Regular 81mm Mortar Team

I opted for a Cromwell as it was typically used as a recon tank and would no doubt gave been in the vanguard. For the Germans in 1945 I thought that full squads of surviving veterans would be few and far between so treated these as regular. My Tiger as yet to be painted so the Panther was allocated.

The following special rules were suggested,

• ​"Desperate Valor" (German): The German units are a mix of veterans and raw recruits. Any Heer or Waffen-SS infantry unit that is Down or Pinned may ignore one Pin marker when taking an Order Test if they are within 12" of their Officer.
• ​"Running on Fumes" (German): German vehicles cannot use "Recce" or "Outflank." Fuel is too precious to waste on maneuvering.
• ​"Heavy Artillery Support" (British): The British have superior logistics. Once per game, the British player may call in an Artillery Forward Observer strike with a +1 modifier to the "Effect" roll on the Artillery Table.
• ​Mud and Slush: All "Rough Ground" (rubble, plowed fields) counts as Difficult Terrain for wheeled vehicles and tracked vehicles alike.
  

  How did it play out, the Germans attacked on a wide front, in hindsight it would have been better to concentrate on the left and risk finding a less difficult route through the broken ground. We decided that troops wishing to enter would roll a D6, odds they would only be able advance, evens they could run. 
• 
• The assault on the right soon bogged down heavy fire pinning and causing casualties. The supporting Panther was constantly being hit by fire from the 6pdr, whilst unable to penetrate the thick armour it caused pins and the having to test and failing the Panther ended up retreating to cover.
• 
• The Germans bring mortar fire down on the Vickers MG team in the building but misses.
  
  The Germans on the right are making no headway the squads on the left switch to the centre avoiding the broken ground.
  
• The British artillery barrage hits causing pinning and halts it. It is now turn eight and with no hope of achieving their objective the attack is called off.
• Could they have achieved it? Perhaps with an advance on the left in mass, the Panther not being pinned out of the game could have changed the outcome?  Or was failure inevitable?
• What do you think?
• An enjoyable game for us none the less and I will definitely try an AI generated scenario again at some point in future.
• 
  
  
• Until next time, toodle pip and KBO

All Set

For some World War II action.

More Paratroopers

Heavy support and a command figure for them paratroop platoon. A HMG and medic are under the brush to "complete" the little side project.

Empress Miniatures figures sculpted by Paul Hicks.

Thinking about it what if some of Goerings boys turn up?🙂🤔

Until next time KBO