26 August, 2017

Hobby: Dot-Ambush camo-pattern on my 15mm Panzers

"No goggles, zey would do nahthing!"

Hey gang, painting up some Pzr IVs that are OVERDUE to be finished, like 6 or 7 years overdue.   Step by Step for doing the Dot-Ambush pattern.. which in summary is extra green to hide most of the Dunkelgelb base, and then Dunkegelb on the green and brown.   Video at the end, as usual

20 August, 2017

Flames of War Battle Report 82nd Airborne vs KG Peiper 1865 Breakthrough



Gammon Bomb

Had another Cdn Nationals Test game, this time at the 1865 points value, and at the WIP Beachburg Bunker (or so Matt calls his basement)  He was running 82nd Airborne with guards tanks support and I was running KG Peiper again.  We also used the new Win-Conditions introduced this week by Battlefront in order to cut down on the number of Draws, which are here.   We go through the lists and all the discussions in the video which as always, is at the bottom.

15 August, 2017

Flames of War Battle Report: KG Peiper vs Cdn Infantry Bridgehead 1050 pts

Sitzkrieg, 1944
A quick Late War match, 1050pt game, a tune-up for Canadian Nationals.   I used a K.G Peiper list (fearless trained stuff) vs  Rob's Canadian Mech Infantry out of Market Garden.  I think Rob was out of his element, as he had no artillery of any kind, which for him is unheard of!    The hecklers playing 40k on the next table over decreed we should play Bridgehead.  (bonus 40k pics at the end of the post, and as ever, a video as well)

Dug-in Canadians guarding the roadside supply dump objective and wrecked SPG objective.


Hard to see behind the tall trees in the back, but the transport section of Kangaroos are there.


My half-finished Puma's Spearhead to this area of trees, with plans of Fritz-Moving up, shooting at the Kangaroos, then moving back to cover if they pass the Movement Orders.


KG Peiper, when attacking, the Pzr IV platoons can Spearhead, and the King Tiger HQ and KT platoon take advantage of the expanded deployment zone.


I had successfully Blitzed, shot at the Kangaroos, then Shoot N Scoot back, but AT9 vs FA 5 plus range meant I didnt get any shots to count.   Rob now rushes his Kangaroos forward, with designs to .50 cal. my Puma's.    My armour saves were made however.


The game devolved into a waiting game.  I couldn't commit anything until his 4 x Achilles with AT15 came in, but they were in Scattered Reserve.  You can see in the background I had Skorzeny jeep trying to block that back quarter from being a viable deployment for his Achilles.  Meanwhile, my Pzr IVs had to hide in the crops, as his ambushing 6lbrs had to yet to be sprung.


With no armour to shoot at, these are just very expensive AP3 platforms... which, when needing 6s to hit infantry, were useless apart from I think one kill all game vs his Infantry


Turning point of the game:  I had elected to use Skorzeny to block once again the quarter deployment option for the Achilles' reserves, and failed.   Since I can not move when Disrupting the enemy, I was challenged by the HMG unit leader, and FAILED the challenge: "Who won the 1941 Stanley Cup?   Umm, the NY Mets???"  Firing Squad!    The Achilles come on and start workign their way up the side of the board, whilst the 6lbr AT11 x 18 shots made short work of my concealed Pzr Platoon.


Rob passes his Blitz move order to see the side armour of my HQ King Tiger.  I had to move it up to be within 16 inches of an objective or lose the game.   2 shots, two hit, 2 bails!!!!  I rolled a 2 for my remount, and we thought that was it, and I was down to one platoon In Good Spirits and lost the game.   Turns out, one of the hits could have been put on the platoon KT, and that the HQ tank can reroll on himself.   But still, this is why we are playing test games before Cdn Nationals.


The excitement is palpable in Rob's face as he exults in his Achilles winning him the game :)  Great game, and now I know a bit more that I need to keep the thinly armoured Pzr IVs hidden, since being trained and only FA6 means almost everything in LW can hit them easily.   Video and bonus 40k footage below.





Tristan and Andrew played V8 40k on Brett's phenomenal Sci-Fi board


Brett started digging out his old Forgeworld army, the Death Korps of Krieg.




09 August, 2017

Black Powder Napoleonics 2 vs 2 Brit-German alliance vs French plus Irish

"FEUER FREI!!"


Over the weekend, we had ourselves a Napoleonics game featuring Chris Caron and I running the dastardly French (and one unit of Irish allies) vs Mark and Rob's assorted British / Allies including Kings German Legion, Badeners (posing as Portuguese) and some Black Brunswickers.  We kept things reasonable and had roughly 200pts per player, and thus 400pts per side.     Laid out 2 static objectives (Lion statue and french supply cart) in the middle and would score 1 VP for each enemy unit broken.    As ever, Video Battle Report is at the end.  Enjoy!


View from the French side, you can see supply cart left middle and lion statue mid right.
We decided to deploy onto the table using orders.   Hands up if you can guess whose entire Brigade failed its command rolls?   I took a cavalry Brigade with 3 units of Horse and 2 Horse guns, and thus was not able to take advantage of 'Attack Column' Command bonuses!


Rob's splendid King's German Legion preparing to deploy in Line Formation to sort out the frenchies.


Mark's British and Light Dragoons.   He wouldn't let me take shots of half-finished Brunswickers!   Ignore the unpainted casualty markers please.


After my Brigade failed to get on the table, and Chris' 3 infantry and 2 light infantry (in attack columns) only moving one move, the Redcoats managed to get everyone in place, except the guns. Rob here has left room for the guns on the hill.


Close-up of Rob's KGL, front view


For the second straight turn, most of my army does not come on the board.  Only my 9eme Dragoons are on board near the house and obscured by my alcoholic beverage :)


Meanwhile, Chris' 2 units of Lights move up to the Supply wagon and deploy into open order, with the Irish plugging the remaining gap to the trees.    Mark already has some British in the middle and a vicious close range firefight would ensue .


Mark's Brigadier fails to inspire the troops to get into the safety of the houses, even though they would be much safer from the musketry coming from the stone walls in the background there.


Meanwhile the German's under Rob's Brigadier await the tardy french horse to arrive!!!!!   Only my guns made it on (back right) and took pot shots at Rob's limbered guns on the hill


Holding the Supply Wagon and manning the defences, Chris' Brigade has no reason to move and focuses fire on the limbered  British gun in the town square, Disordering it repeatedly so it can never unlimber and fire cannister (see below)


Mark's Brigadier would love to order the gun to fire, but its is permanently limbered with Disorders. It would eventually break off after failing a morale test.


Chris' Light Infantry command jeering the British from the supply wagon, waving the colours!


FINALLY my cavalry brigade comes on the board, but can only declare charges on the infantry and they form square.   My Horse Guns, despite being within Cannister range, only on the last turn do would they finally break Rob's KGL line infantry.    With Mark's Brigade below half strength from the town-side fire, the British -Germanic alliance would fall back and leave the field to the French.  To be fair, Chris' infantry did all the heavy lifting.   Still, great game, and it turns out we have enough models and terrain to play in Scott's absence.   Looking forward to our next game, perhaps some Colonials?



A "small" diversion...

 BATTLTECH! This was my first miniature game. As I mentioned in my last post, Battletech holds a dear place in my hobby heart. I remember do...