Other stuff

Just a last catch up post on a few other bits, Flames of War Germans, some Imperial Guard allies for my Dark Angels which are going to be used as Dark Angels fleet security detachments; I'm using Space Marine Scout bodies with Cadian Heads and a mix of weapons.

Also currently working on a set of rules for Vietnam based on Necromunda, it started as a simple rules conversion but the more I get into it the more I'm adding cool ideas. more to come on that later though

Dark Angels Fleet Security Forces

SS Panzers. As used in a Flames of War Tank Aces campaign. My tank ace (on the right) Edward Blach Hader has an impressive number of kills and maxed out his experience halfway through the campaign

A mix of SS infantry and British Paras. More to come later

Tank Aces

At the gaming club we have been playing the tank aces campaign from the flames of war Blood, Guts, Glory book. I went for an SS panzer company many for the fewer tanks needed, for the starting 500 points I get 2 fearless veteran Panthers; my 'ace' Hauptfeldwebel Edwin Blach-Hader has racked up impressive experience and kills in the first round, only having 2 tanks stops kills being spread over other tanks.

Tank Ace and company commander in Ambush

Waiting for the enemy

Edwin Blach-Hader

The first round of the campaign is coming to a close, my ace skills are a re roll one to hit roll per turn and some ambushes. For the next 200 points I will be taking a third Panther.

Flames of War

Flames of War still proves to be getting more and more popular, with the majority of my commissions being tanks!

Recently have been working on some early war Germans, and some mid war Russians.

The Germans are just an addition to an army from the states being used in a tournament later this month

Also a few late war Germans from the open fire box set heading for eBay...

And the mid war ruskies in snow mode, I've already painted a load of t34s and some t70s I must try and get some pictures of those.

Flames of War

Once again I've been busy on all front, but have been playing a fair bit of flames of war. Most recent games have been with my new late war Estonian SS. It's a list off the FoW website and took my fancy as it was a little different.

I wanted to do a winter themed army and painted the models up as a Feb/March 1945 theme. The Estonians are cut off with what German support is left, the equipment and uniforms are a mix as the stores are low so i've used lots of different camp types.

The Estonians use most German rules except storm trooper (the few German units do get it) this is replaced by extra defensive rules such as re rolls on company morale checks and and extra ambush.

Estonian SS Fusiliers dug in

German StugGs counterattacking with pioneers

Warlord Games Germans

Commision painting now..

One of my recent commissions was for some 28mm Germans, multi part plastic ones from warlord games. They are very nice figures. My client wanting something different opted to have them painted in SS style and heres how they come out. As they aren't SS figures a bit of artistic licence was used.

Late war Germans

I also started a German SS Armoured company which I didn't enjoy playing as they weren't British! so they went on ebay as well

Ok yes it has been many whiles since I last wrote anything on here, a busy summer of painting, gaming and Olympics has kept me away. So what's been going on for the last few months? All that follows...

Early War Germans and British

A client asked me to repaint his two rather tank heavy armies, the original painting was rough and I couldn't quite get all the detail out in the new layer of paint.

Early War German Armoured Company

Early War British Armour

German Infantry

British Vickers Light Tanks

British Crusier Tanks

German Armour Panzer III, IV, II and Is

More British Crusiers

Ze Germans

More Light Tanks

German Panzer IVs

Flames of War

As promised it's time for last weeks Flames of War report.

Pippin

The Paras first operation was an away mission, an early launch of the operation was interrupted by the gas safety inspection and then a call from the dog walker saying she refused to walk Pippin any more has he is a pain in the bum!

Sorry for the low quality of Pictures again, I forgot my camera and had to use my Blackberry!

We (Mike, Rod and I) played 3 battles, Paras v Germans, Germans v US Paras, and US Paras v Germans again


Battle One, Paras v Germans

2000 points. Paras: CHQ, 3 platoons of Paras, 1 Para Assault Platoon, HMG Platoon, Mortar Platoon, 8 gun Artillery Battery, 6pdr AT platoon and a flight of typhoons

2000 points Germans, CHQ, 2 platoons of panzer grenadiers, HMG Platoon, 3.7cm AA platoon, Tiger Platoon, Panzer IV platoon, Nebelwerfer battery (I think, correct me if i'm wrong mike)

We decided on the encounter battle, half our forces started off table, and were subject to (in comparison to 40k) harsh arrival rules (no attempts until turn 3) 

HMG Platoon with nice fields of fire

 The Battle Started with the Germans advancing through the corn fields, and a ineffective opening barrage from the Nebelwerfers, unfortunately for the Germans this gave away their position to the Para artillery spotters which today were on top form, one barrage from the howitzers destroyed 4 of the rocket launchers and sent the rest packing.

Next the Paras revealed their snipers hidden in the fields and started to snipe at the enemy spotters and HMG platoon, pinning them down. The Para artillery now ranged in on the Tigers but caused little damage, the Mortars proved more effective against the pinned HMG platoon.

On turn three a Para platoon arrived, but still no sign of the Typhoons that were proving to be very elusive. German Platoons also started to arrive but with no cover to hide from the now very forward Para artillery spotters they took heavy damage as soon as they arrived. and the following turn after their Panzer IV platoon took a battering from the guns (2 destroyed and 2 bailed out) the Germans decided to conserve their forces and pull back.

This game being the first proper one we played of FoW proved a learning experience for both of us, artillery is very important, both for destroying the enemy and pinning them down, even 3" mortars can take a platoon out of action and even cause tanks to worry.The only assault we tried was the para assault v the Tigers but they refused to engage, oh and I like snipers!

Game Two US Paras v Germans

While our host Mike went and made lunch (bacon and cider) I took over command of the Germans and went up against Robs Americans. we played the same battle, again 2000 points. German force the same, can't quite remember the US order of battle but I think it was CHQ, 2 platoons of Paras, Howitzer battery, sherman platoon and a flight of fighter bombers.

 So again  we started with half our forces in reserve, I decided to leave the armour and CHQ in reserve and deploy as much infantry as possible. The Americans done the reverse and had the tanks on the table to start. These raced across the table towards my line and all the sudden I wished I had something bigger than an MG42 available, then the Thunderbolts turned up, and boy! aren't AA platoons useful!

The Nebelwerfers, now not facing a massive counter battery proved much more effective than the last battle, bailing out the shermans for a turn and slowing them down.

Not for long though, they soon were on the move and machine gunning their way through a German panzer Grenadier platoon and HMG platoon. Almost reaching the objective in the German deployment area.

Now in a classic, perfectly timed and placed rescue five Panzer IVs roared into the fray right in front of the Shermans and effectively blowing them away (think 3 dead and one bailed out)

 One loss to the Germans was the AA platoon, destroyed by the US artillery before their last spotter was killed which silenced them. Now the thunderbolts had free range over the battle and destroyed and entire platoon on the right, allowing a double timing Para platoon to again threaten an objective.

Tigers! they arrived again perfectly placed in front of the American paras, machine guns blazing and cut them all down in the open

It all proved too much for the Americans and they left in a hurry!

Battle Three

My turn to watch as rob (US) and Mike (Germans) battled it out again, same forces, but this time with the free for all battle so everything started on the table.

Er oops 6pdr AT can't actually damage Tigers!

 I still have a few more bits to get for my Paras, but next I think will be a SS panzer Company!

Paras V Germans

It wasn't all Space Marines yesterday, we also gave Flames of War a go; I've been painting armies for it for 2 years and only managed to play one game (late war Germans v early war British) which was quite a while ago.

This time we tried again with some more appropriate armies (early war Brits can't damage late war panzers!) not much in a way of a battle report but lots of lessons were learnt...

a) read the rules before playing
b) make sure you listen to your opponent and don't think 2000points means 1000pts)
c) Don't try and assault a machine gun platoon
d) think before charging in, it's not 40k!

I took some pictures, the scenery is only 40k stuff so looks a bit odd. I'm going to build up the Paras to 2000points now and another game is planned on proper terrain in two weeks time.

Paras Advance Through the Marsh (sir with have the wrong bases)

Paras learn the hard way not to charge in to quickly

Ready for battle

Tigers! hide in the bushes

Germans hold fast

It was dark, the observer couldn't see anything

Paras defend radar station

A fussy pic (they moving to fast) as paras almost make it into combat

Panzer IVs watch the foolish Brits charge towards them