Giant stupid Hold Until Relieved Fight

This July 4th a few friends and I got together and do a reprise of one of those huge battles, like we did last year with overlord.

This time around we went with 4,000 points or so a side. We Germans are running 21. Panzer Div and Panzer Lehr while the Allies, joining up in this scenario to try to break through German Defenses where Omaha and Gold beaches meet, will be running a 1st ID Assault Company and a British Rifle company.

The Allies took a whopping 36 guns, which I think might be all of the guns, including full on Naval Gun support with rerolling hits and all that goodness. It hurt, it hurt real bad. Read on to check out what happened!

We ran hold until relieved, where they get everything and I get half my stuff in reserves. We had limited time to play so we went fast, but I did get some good snaps. Just like the previous report I decided to go with the action instead of the play by play. So here we go.

German Deployment

British Deployment, SO MANY DUDES

I mean... It's just a lot of guys. I fear

For some reason they decided to put all their reccee in the center (and that is indeed bocage)

 More after the break!

Assault on Sword Beach

Couple of quick bat reps for you today.

First up, an assault on Sword Beach where British Commando's seek to link up with glider and para troops operating around the Orne river area.

I'm running a 1780 point festungskompanie and Ben is running a 1780 beaches commando list.

Much thanks to our local FLGS for helping out with terrain. Sadly, we had no thing to work as a beach so we just went with blue felt. It's a little jerry rigged but it'll do.

This was a 9 turn fight. Long and bloody, instead of going blow by blow I've decided to make it a bit quicker. Focusing on key points of action instead of every roll, every move and every turn.

The Board, we're running a breakthrough mission (in retrospect I think this was a poor choice for a beach landing mission, but whaddya gonna do?)

German's mighty deployment

British step off the boats and onto the beach!

 More after the break!

First In Last Out: Pathfinders Lead the Way!

In darkest night of June 6th, 1944 American and British pathfinders landed at locations across Normandy in order to set up visual and radar beacons to guide in the paratroopers and glider borne soldiers who were soon to follow.

In some places they saw success, but across the region misdrops, equipment failures and other problems were the rule of the night.

As part of our Operation Overlord global campaign kickoff bat rep's Ben and I decided to recreate one of those attempts to set up beacons that would later guide troops into the fight. Ben is, of course, playing the Brit Pathfinders and I'm playing a Garrison of German grenadiers bivouacked in the region.

This is a bit of a special scenario we brewed up. So here's how we broke it down:

~We're each running 3 platoon of infantry. Me: 3 Platoons of C/V MG teams plus 1i and 2i. Ben: 3 Platoons of F/V Paras with 1i, 2i and 2 beacons.

~To replicate the scattered nature of both defender and attacker we rolled randomly for deployment for each half platoon.  First by long table half, then by the two tables quarters on that half of the table and finally by 1 of 4 quadrants in that table quarter. Essentially, on the 5x5 table we were playing on this created 16 possible landing sites.

~All half platoon start pinned. For Germans because they're oblivious and for Brits because they've just landed and are re-organizing.

~Half platoons must either move towards an objective, their nearest command team (Platoon, 1i or 2i) or, in the case of the brits, towards one of the two beacons.

~The entire game would be played using night rules.

~On first contact with an enemy unit it must be identified by a skill check.

~To win the Brits the must pick up each of the beacons and place one on each objective. To tie they must place one objective and they will lose if they fail to place a beacon or the Germans over run both beacons.

The Board

The deployment and fight after the cut!

Operation Deadstick: Hold Until Releived

(So, Ben and I did one of the Kick Off bat rep's for the WWPD global Operation Overlord campaign, it got posted up over at their site today! Reposting here. Thanks to Steve, The Signal and the whole WWPD for creating another excellent global campaign! If you're not already signed up head on over and do it!)

It is D-Day, June 6th 1944, 00:16 hours. The British 6th Airborne Division, including D Company of the Oxfordshire & Buckinhamshire Light Infantry, are tasked with seizing a key crossing of the Caen Canal from elements of the 752. Grenadier Kompanie in order to secure one of the few flanking routes available to Germans for counter attack.

Today, as part of the opening moves of the WWPD global Flames of War campaign we proudly present the assault on Pegasus Bridge.

I and my partner in crime Ben decided to fight it out at 1780 points. He'll be running an Airlanding Company from Turning Tide and I'll be running Grenadiers from Earth & Steel. We went with the older books because, at the time we played the scenario, the new versions weren't out yet.


To do the scenario some justice while still making it a competitive fight we decided on a few special rules:

• There are two objectives, one at each end of the bridge. To win, the British, as the attackers, must hold both objectives.
• German units on the map, other than the MG nests, will start bailed out or pinned until turn two.
• The British will start with 6 platoons deploying from the 2 Horsa gliders on their short board edge. 
• German and British reserves are both delayed. British reserves, due to the nature of the air landings, have a chance to come in on either short board edge. 
• A roll of 1, 2 or 3 will see their reserves coming on from the board edge closest to their Landing Zone. 
• A roll of 4, 5 or 6 will see the reserves coming on from the board edge closest to the Sword Beach exit. 
• German reserves come on from the Sword Beach exit table edge. 
• It is night until turn 5 when, beginning on the defenders turn, a 5+ will end night fight rules.
• The game ends on turn 10 

The Map:

The Lists:

British Airlanding company will start with 4 Airlanding Platoons, 1 Pioneer Platoon and a Recce Platoon on the table:

The German Grenadier Kompanie will begin will all units on the table except for the Panzer IV's. German Units are pinned down or bailed out until turn 2.

Both Ben and I did our best to put together some historically accurate lists and, personally, I'm chomping at the bit to try out some of those Rommel's Zirkus vehicles like the Lorraine Schlepper's and the 38H's.

Check out the whole fight after the break!

Showdown & Showcase Comics Battlefront Team Tourney AAR

Hello Philly!

This weekend Ben, Mitch, Jim and I headed on up to the fabulous Showcase Comics in Philadelphia for a hot helping of Flames of War, team style.

A few months back Battlefront posted up on the Flames website that they'd be hosting a team tournament. Mitch invited Ben and I to join him and Jim for an epic multi-day throw down. And boy howdy did we have a blast!

Here's the set up: 6 teams competed over 5 rounds of 1750 late war games, 1 fair fight, 2 mobile battles and 2 defensive battles. The team with the best score wins eternal glory, and a neat plaque. Each team could only be made up of 1 army per nationality (commonwealth Brits were different than "mainline" and all the small countries were available as well) and you could only double up on one list type (mech, tank, inf etc...).

After some tough negotiations our team decided to run the following:

Me: Panzergrenadier Lehr (Earth & Steel)
       HQ with 2x Panzerschrek
       2x Full Panzergrenadier Lehr Platoons
       Panzerpio Lehr with 5 tracks and 2 stuka zu fuss tracks
       Full Lehr Heavy Mortar Platoon
       3x PaK 40's
       6x Puma's
       3x Nebelwerfers
Ben: 51st Highlanders (from the PDF)
       2x Cmd Rifle
       2x Full 51st rifle platoon
       Full 3" mortar
       2x 4 team 6 lbr platoons
       3x Churchill Crocodiles (of righteous fire +5)
       Recce 3x Diamler 2x Humber
       8x QQF 25 Lbr. Arty
       4x BL 5.5 Arty
       AOP
Jim: Tankovy (Red Bear)
       HQ T-34 '42
       10x T-34 '42
       5x T-34 '42
       3x ISU-122 w/escorts & Rat
       4x SU-85M
       6x Hvy Mortars
       4x Katyusha's
Mitch: Canadian Armored Rifles (Market Garden)
       HQ Rifle Team
       2x Rifle Platoons w/Kangaroos with .50 cals
       3x Uni Carriers 2x .50 1x Piat
       3x 6 lbr
       Landmattress battery
       2x Sherman V 2x Firefly w/.50's
       2x Sherman V 1x Firefly w/.50
       Heavy Mortar Platoon

I'll talk through the tourney and show you a ton of pics if you click on that link!

Bat Rep! Kradschutzen v. Panhorde (Our first early war game)

My homie Ben "Loon" and I are hard at work on putting together our early war armies. As you've seen from the blog I'm doing French, and he'll be joining with a German list.

Yesterday, we decided to put the paint brushes down and get in a game.  Our first in the Early War era (well, I played a few at NOVA last year but not with an army I'd want to play :) There had been much smack talk around the hacienda recently so we decided to put our money where our mouths are.

Ben is bringing his motorcycle gang (Aufklarungschwadron to you historically minded folks) while I'm throwing down the always loveable Panhards in a 1625 point hold the line scenario with the Germans on the attack.

First off, the lists!

Weighing in at 1625 points with 8 platoons, including the fearsome Bunkerflak, Loon brings the Nazi's on motorbikes.

And in the very very French corner weighing in at 1620 points with 8 platoons are the gentlemen in their armored jalopys!

Now, on to the game! (After the break)

The rest of KG Hummel

Must. Own. This.

So the other day I posted up the pics for the Tiger 1E's from my KG Hummel list. Today you get the rest of them!

I can't remember if I ever posted the list so here it is:

HQ: 2x Tiger 1E

Plat 1: 4x Tiger 1E

Plat 2: 2x Tiger 1E

Plat 3: Full Pio's (CV)

Plat 4: 3x Nebs (FV)

Plat 5:  4x 250/9 Recce (FV)

Plat 6: 2x FlaK38 1x 88 AA Platoon (RT)

It totals out to exactly 1780 points and is a nice round 6 platoons. There are certainly some changes I'd make at this point like dropping at least 1 of the recce vehicles and picking up another Neb. And maybe dropping 1 tiger and something for some 105's or 155's.

But mostly, this is just a show and tell pic dump so... ON WITH THE PIC'S!

Pioneers:

More after the break!

Winter Tigers, A KG Hummel How To

I have no idea what that says.

Hey all, after posting up my blog yesterday I got some requests as to how I painted up my Tigers to look all winterized.

Not being one to pass up a chance to write, post pics and play a little show and tell I'll gladly share my secrets with you... But don't tell anyone else, I don't want it getting out ;)

Sadly, I don't have any WIP pics of the Tigers so I'm going to show some closeups of the tanks and explain how I got there.

First off, you need Tigers... Or any tank of your choice really... duh.

For Battlefront tanks I ALWAYS wash them in warm soapy water first. Why, well you'll occasionally see that white powdery stuff on there and that, my friends, is release agent. Release agent is a painters worst enemy, other than dropping the model it's one of the key ways paint gets chipped or rubbed off.

After the washing and drying go ahead and prime them. I use a paint on primer because I'm horrible at spray priming and I think you get a better more consistent finish with the brush on variety. Nearly all my stuff is based with a white paint-on Gesso. Gesso is a canvas primer you can find at your local Michael's, Utrecht, or other craft/art supply store for about 6 bucks a bottle. It'll last you WAY longer than spray on primer, in fact my current bottle has lasted about 3 years and I'm only about half way through it.  

 They end up like this, follow along after the break to see how I got there.

Showcase Comics 1780 Late War AAR

Look sharp... but act dumb... 

Well hey there dear reader (I imagine there's only one of you, and it's my mom). This weekend I had the opportunity to travel up to Media, PA with my homie Ben and get some great games at a most excellent location.

Showcase Comics and Games hosted a 3 round 1780 point late war tournament at their Granite Run Mall location. First off, they have a great store and if you're on the I-95 corridor here in the mid-Atlantic you are doing yourself a disservice if you don't go at least once.

They've got a great selection of comics (if you're into that sort of thing), 40k, Fantasy, Warmahordes and my baby Flames of War not to mention a slew of other games and fun. The store has great decor as well, a space marine stands guard out front while Genestealers crawl out of air ducts on the ceiling. Fun stuff.

The gaming loot is excellently sorted by army and type and they had a 20% sale on pretty much everything over the weekend, so: Wallet 0 -- Showcase 1.

But on to the gaming!

So, for the tournament I decided to get experimental and go with Kampfgruppe Hummel out of the new Bridge by Bridge Market Garden Compilation. Here's the list

HQ: 2x Tiger 1E
Combat Platoon 1: 4x Tiger 1E
Combat Platoon 2: 2x Tiger 1E
Support 1: 4x 250/9 recce
Support 2: Full Pioneer Platoon (Each round I took 3 flamethrowers)
Support 3: 3x Nebs
Support 4: 2x FlaK36 1x 88 Anti-Aircraft

It came in at 1780 exactly and 6 platoons. Here's some pics:

After the break I'll break down the rounds:

Bat Rep! 11th AD vs Panzer Lehr

Still my favorite propaganda poster of all time
It's like, "Kilroy was here, but EVIIIIL"

Ahhh, another weekend another battle against fellow WWPD Forum Pyrrhic Victory. This time he's posting up with the famous 11th Armored division. The FlamesOfWar.com website describes them as:

"A flashing rapier that cut into the heart of the German defenses." 

And yeah, they kind of did that during this bat rep as well.

I, on the other hand, will be taking a new iteration of my trusty Panzer Lehr Panzergren's.

The Run Down

Mission: Cauldron
Points: 1780
Attacker: 11 AD (From Taurus Pursuant PDF)
Defender: Panzer Lehr (From Earth & Steel)

The Lists!
11th AD:
HQ: 1IC Sherman V with .50 Cal, 2IC Sherman V with .50 Cal
Combat Plat 1: 3x Sherman V 1x Firefly with .50 Cal
Combat Plat 2: 3x Sherman V 1x Firefly with .50 Cal
Recce Patrol: 4x Stuart 5 Jalopy
Brigade Support: Rifle Platoon
Div Support: 4x M10
Div Support: 2x Daimler 1x Sawn off Daimler

Panzer Lehr:
HQ: 2x Cmd w/Track
Combat Plat 1: Full Panzer Lehr Platoon
Combat Plat 2: Full Panzer Lehr Platoon
Weap Plat 1: 4x Heavy Mortars
Weap Plat 2: 2x Pak40
Weap Plat 3: Full Panzerpio Lehr with 3 extra Half Track & 2x Stuka ZuFuss
Div Support 1: 3x Puma, 3x Puma
Div Support 2: 4x Panzerwerfer 42 w/extra Crew

German Deployment and British Objective Placement

British Deployment

Bolt Action Bat Rep: Rangers Vs. SS (Noobtastic!)

Today, we re-enter the NEWB ZONE as I am very excited to bring to you our first attempt at a Bolt Action Bat Rep. Me, and new Throck of Warfighter (and very old friend) Amok decided to throw down 750 points of SS vs. Rangers and just fight over victory points to test out the rules and the feel of the game. Bolt Action seems fun, and is certainly a lighter lift than Flames. But, after a couple of reads through the rule I'm a little worried about the abstraction of the rules.

For the uninitiated, Bolt Action is all about the "reinforced platoon" as its basic unit. That means a solid core of a couple of squads of PBI (with about 5 to 15 dudes each) with an HQ and then support elements like a tank, machine guns, mortars, armored cars etc...

For each list you pretty much need to buy an HQ (1 to 3 dudes) and the two squads of grunts and then add on whatever else your army list allows (although, no more than 1 tank per platoon). There are all sorts of ways to pimp your basic guys such as giving them SMG's, Panzerfausts, Assault Rifles etc... Also, with the new German Army book the level of vehicles to choose from runs the gamut from early war to late. I'm looking forward to the rest of the army books to get everyone on an even footing. The good news there is there isn't that long to wait. The new Wargames Illustrated has these coming out every two months between now and November 2013 with the Americans in January and the Brits in March.

I feel very much like this when ever I open a new rule set.

To be honest, I love painting in 28mm and so that is the biggest draw for me for Bolt Action. That, and you get big tanks, much bigger than their 15mm equivalent. There is something cool about pushing that Sherman or Puma around the field on the 1/48 scale.

Another great bit about the 28mm form of the hobby is that there are so many great companies making excellent mini's for the WW2 period. The BoltAction.Net forums have a good list to get you started. But today's bat rep features a Puma by Italeri, SS by Victory Force and Warlord Games and Rangers and Shermans also by Warlord.

For this first game I'll be playing the SS (why do I always get stuck with the Bosche?) and Amok will be handling the 2nd Rangers with Sherman support.

Lastly, apologies for the unpainted-ness of the models. I'm working diligently on getting both armies painted up (in fact, since this bat rep was photographed the rangers are now almost half done and the Sherman is nearly complete!) So without any more ado, the Bat Rep!

Nail Biter in Bucks! Czech Tanks roll on KG von Throck

Hey team Throck, Rotny and I just finished up one hell of a nail biter. We've got sweeping flanking movements, heroic assaults, brave last pushes and a ton of great pic's taking you through the whole thing. It's a real barn burner, I gotta be honest, I thought I had it lost by turn 3 but... well... read on to find out what happened.

Look ma, no tracks! So, for once I decided to go at it without my beloved panzergrens, instead I went for as many fausts as one could possibly hold. A veritable faust-a-palooza. For Rotny's part, he's starting to branch out! He's got some recon, 4 freaking terrifying IS-2's and more tanks than you could shake a stick at. Here we have a hold the line scenario in Buckinghamshire with KG von Throck and the defenders against a very aggressive tank Czech force at 2000 points.

Rotny's Czech Tanks Gvardeyskiy Tankovy Batalon HQ: 1x T-34/85 w Cupola & Escorts Combat Company 1: 9x T-34/85 w Cupola & Escorts Combat Company 2: 5x T-34/95 w Cupoola Corps Support 1: 4x IS-2 w/.50 Cal AA MG Corps Support 2: 3x BA-64 4 Platoons 1965

KG von Throck Sturmkompanie HQ: 2x Commanzerfaust 2x Panzerschreck Combat Platoon 1: 1x Commanzerfaust 6x Pfaust MG Team Combat Platoon 2: 1x Commanzerfaust 6x Pfaust MG Team Combat Platoon 3: 1x Commanzerfaust 6x Pfaust MG Team Reg Support 1: Heavy AT 3x PaK40 Div Support 1: 3x Tiger 1E Div Support 2: 3x Neb 41's Div Support 3: 2x 8.8 FlaK36 w extra crew 7 Platoons 1965 Pts.

SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT

Quiet British country side