Painting 1/200 and 20mm WWII British Infantry (Continued)

The 20mm "Platoon 20" British Infantry box, with the middle rank of figures now reaching the "all" under-coated phase (see below):

When I have the above figures completed I will have the 20mm "attacking infantry force" for the 'Fire and Movement: Battalion Attack" ready to Rock-N-Roll. Meanwhile I am also painting the 1/200 BEF 1940 Infantry Brigade's "third battalion" (see below, in a Spearhead battalion OrBat): 

Destined for a rearguard action somewhere in France circa 1940 against the Panzers. Courtesy of the 20mm painting guide the above 1/200 boys were the first BEF 'small guys' to receive a proper "green helmet" to go with their uniform.

Naturally I will now have to go back and 'adjust' the other two infantry battalions accordingly. Small steps but at least it is forward progress ;) 

Platoon 20: WWII British Infantry (Continued from a while back)

The Tray of Wonders: 

After getting the paints out for the Skytrex Action 200 (1/200) kit it made sense to try and finish off my British "Platoon 20" 1944-45 collection (see picture below). The top 41 figures have been painted and the middle row of seventeen remain "outstanding" on the ledger. The bottom sixteen figures are Dixon LRDP/SAS figures fro another "skirmish" project.

Thank goodness I posted this to myself:
http://exiledfog.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/note-to-self-british-infantry-painting.html

So far I an still at the putting on the base colours stage,WIP for sure.

Light (50mm) Mortar Section, the left most section (two firing and two moving) and four odds-and-sods infantrymen, rightmost section (see below):

A support stand of three engineers (left) and the ubiquitous Vickers HMG team, that spoiled many a German infantryman's day in both the First and Second World Wars (see below):

The 81mm Medium/Heavy Mortar section (see below):

These troops are also destined to play "Fire and Movement: Battalion Attack" (see Phil Sabin's Simulating War Book - WWII Tactical Gaming section). Note: Once the Platoon 20 British Infantry project is complete I also have the following (as in plenty of Vallejo paint to use up) mini-projects for my remaining HO/00, 1/72 or 1/76 British Infantry:

WWII: 

• WWII Platoon 20 (Late War WIP)
• WWII Airfix (Mid-Late War)
• WWII Revell (Late War)
• WWII Valiant (Late War:Normandy)
• WWII Plastic Soldier Company (Late War)
• WWII Caesar (Late War)
• WWII Italeri/Esci (Mid-Late War)
• WWII SHQ (BEF)
• WWII Zvezda (BEF, yet to acquire)

WWI: 

• WWI Tumbling Dice (1916-18)
• WWI (BEF) Tumbling Dice (1914-15)
• WWI Airfix (BEF: 1914-15)
• WWI Airfix RHA
• WWI Emhar (1916-18)

What is missing from the above? Italeric (ex-ESCI/ERTL) come to mind and the long lost Matchbox box, HaT must have some too. Any others in "plastic"? SHQ and Newline (although I have a few of these sneaking into the "Platoon 20" collection) are missing from "metals". Other suggestions appreciated

Trying to keep the modern interest alive, along with the Renaissance and Ancients ;)

Inspirational Footnote Link:  http://ww20mm.blogspot.co.uk/

Simulating War:Fire and Movement (WWII Battalion Attack - Rural) Game Board

Basic Considerations :

With the relatively light loading on figures front "Fire and Movement/"Battalion Attack" (certainly for the initial 1/200 figures used at least) my attention now turns to the requirements of the Game Board.

What is needed is a Game Board that is divided:

• "Hex" or off-set "Squares" (if the 1/200 kit has a 40mm square base, then logically then the hex side should be at least 40mm)
• 48 needed in total
• Width (8 Hexes)
• Depth (6 Hexes)
• Basic colour/flock green depicting rural countryside (aka Green)
• Addition terrain (cover - farm buildings, cover - trees/woods, cover - ridges) that can be easily added onto it (very similar to the portable wargames concept)
• The above "additional" terrain is to be randomly assigned before each battle, note this will be tedious to do by hand and a classic task for a computer to generate in advance
• By laws of averages there should be one terrain piece per column
  

Watch this space as I need to spend some "solo man-time" in the garage ;)

February Painting Tray: More 1/200 British Infantry (Skytrex)

These were collected some time ago now, but bless them, the little chaps have been calling at me ever since I quickly rustled up the Vickers HMG for the "Fire and Movement, Battalion Attack" game I am (still) planning. (Note: Am I the only one out there that hears 'little lead people' talking to them?)  

It may seem a tad overkill but I am using Vallejo paints (British Uniform Green 70921, Khaki Grey 70880 and Khaki 70988) to colour them up. The figures themselves had been previously painted but it is in my nature to 'unnecessarily' repaint second hand stuff when I get them,if at least just to fit in with the existing collection. The figures were became liberally splattered with the "basing brown" as I based them (cardboard 40mm squares and "tooth-brushed" modelling clay) so I applied a fairly watered down (three parts water to one part paint) Anita's Acrylic Metallic Black  to give the creases a little depth.

The plan is, "when I finish" these is to then go and pop back to complete my Platoon 20, WWII metals (A HMG , Mortar section and some odds and sods), started ages ago .. with the intention of putting a Crossfire Scenario on.Hmm, I seem to have had lots of intentions ;)

Footnote: I should add these are the final "infantry bits" (as in the third battalion) of a 1940 British BEF Infantry Brigade I am basing up for Spearhead/BGC. The 25pdr field guns, two pounder ATguns, Bofor 40mm AA guns, motorised transport and MkVI Light Tanks are patiently waiting their turn :)  
  

ARES Science Fiction Magazine (PDF Source Files) Online

Are you feeling retro?
Where were you when these "first" came out?

Thanks to http://ordinarygaming.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/vintage-gaming-magazines-in-pdf-ares.html

ARES
http://archive.org/details/ares_magazine

But wait there is MORE ... much MORE ... remember the Dragon magazine? Well there seem to be legally free electronic downloads here (gasp)

http://archive.org/details/magazine_rack

Er WOW!

Renaissance Battle: Hussites versus Maximilian (Part 4)

The Game Builds to a Crescendo ...

With the battle at a its crisis point careful choices have to be made. The great Maximilian cannon now concentrated on the killer Hussite Knights and spoke well bringing disorder to them. With their foe now vulnerable in so such disorder the call went out to "Send in the heavy Burgndian Knights (with attached General)" ...and for the first time in my Impetus wargaming career, my gloriously painted Burgundian Knights (from Redoubt Miniatures) were in the right place at the right time with the potential do a great deal of damage. The Burgundians got in without disorder, endowed with a good combat factor of eight and an impressive additional Impetus of six bringing the total number of dice to fourteen, in response the "Hussite King" threw back a mere five (see below):

The Hussite King went down fighting, but down he went.

(Hussite break points 6, Maximilian break points 9)

The fleeing routing Hussite Knights caused great devastation to their immediate friends,disordering a Wagonburg and causing a casualty, but destroying the Hussite heavy cannon.
 
(Hussite break points 7, Maximilian break points 9)

As equal of importance to the "loss of break points" of the Hussite Knight unit (with attached General) was the effect on the Hussite Army's command and control status. The uninterrupted run of initiative wins came to an end and the Maximilian army gained a valuable "flip-flop". The Hussites did however decide to continue fighting for the sake of their honour and their general's memory. A close call for the Hussites but they live to fight on, no quick win then for the Maximilian Army.  

In the immediate aftermath of the charge the momentum of the Burgundian Knights carried them through onto the Wagonburg behind. Both sides became "locked in melee", a great result for the Burgundians as they did not have to endure the deadly "bricks and bottles" attack from the Wagonburgs.

The Maximilian "flip-flop":

The Germanic Men-At-Arms positioned themselves as further insurance against the last remaining Hussite Knight unit (though in a sad blown state with a casualty so without its Impetus rating). 

The Maximilian heavy ordnance speaks with devastating effect of the far left Wagonburg and without any remaining "dice of destiny" left to spend the Hussite is powerless to stop its demise.

(Hussite break points 11, Maximilian break points 9)

One more Hussite Wagonburg or Knight unit would seal the fate of the Hussite Army, "In with the pike". Here the previously mentioned "impassable terrain" caused me much suffering. Instead of going ahread to contact the Wagonburg, the Pike Block had to perform a turn before it could get in to assist in the continuing "Knight versus Wagonburg" melee, causing it to be disordered, but at least it made it to the party (see below): 

The dice are rolled and "bad boy" wagonburg goes down, a sigh of Maximilian relief is audible and believe me  have not had many of those in my wargaming history.

(Hussite break points 15 and the army is BROKEN, Maximilian break points 9,however the game must be played to the end of the whole turn)

I have been in this situation before, one side is broken, but the win is still yet to be sealed as the Hussite has one last chance to break the Maximilian army in its death spasm. My attached Maximilian general sustains a "bricks and bottles" attack, takes a casualty and to my horror sustains a very "bad" discipline test roll (see below0. The 'six' (and what a time to roll it) means the Maximilian general goes down, but does the army fight on or rout?

I roll my "fateful dice" they decide to fight on (another Maximilian sigh of relief).

As it stood a really fantastic game of Impetus and my only second Impetus "win" (but that is not why the game was deemed good, as a game it had everything). A brilliant way to start the year's campaigning, but hats off to the Hussite wargaming general and his sense of adventure in building up such a new "project army" (with so many War Wagons to paint). He played out the rules in complete fairness and was the perfect patient player encouraging this novice to expand my Renaissance army by painting more units (with the aim of getting my current 300 point army to 400+ points).

Renaissance Battle: Hussites versus Maximilian (Part 3)

The Maximilian General gives an audible sigh of relief as finally, after what seemed to be an age of disordered movement, the Maximilian Pike finally "gets in" (see below, top middle for the 'heroic' Maximilian pike):

The odds were calculated at (the attacking Maximilian at five dice versus the defending Hussites at six [slight advantage to the defenders] - however post match analysis revealed that should have been actually eight to six [slight advantage to the attackers], but in the heat of the battle 'some things get missed', "cest la guerre"). The result was a "locked in melee" situation. Meanwhile the "better" (as in upgraded) Maximilian Pike Block was zeroing in on the Hussite "heavy ordnance" (see below,top left). Note: The terrain to the right of the heavy cannon is actually "impassable" which will cause me much grief later on (see below, top middle) as I have inadvertently aligned to clip it and unlike "other terrain" impassable is what it "says on the tin".     

In the background the Maximilian General pulled the heavy cavalry in from the wings as a backstop to the infantry attack on the center. You never know when you will need a "counter-punch" to get you out of trouble. First the Germanic Men-At-Arms (see above, bottom right) negotiated some rough ground (Note: In Impetus if you base only clips by less than half a base width you ignore its terrain effects as the troops are deemed to 'flow round' the bad bits, it puts a stop to "geometric battlefield tinkering"). Secondly the Maximilian Burgundian Knights moved up behind the engaged "Pike v Wagonburg" melee (see below, bottom middle) as an "insurance" policy against the remaining Hussite cavalry (Knights). Also "missing" from below is the left Trained Band of Harqubusiers, who have succumbed to Wagonburg "ranged fire".

(Hussite and Maximilian break points now level at three points each)

Not caught on camera before the "disappeared" were my victorious mounted crossbowmen (who 'were placed' top right in the picture below). The mounted crossbowmen closed in to the Hussite war wagon on the extreme left of the Hussite line of battle, "drawing fire" away from the Maximilian Pike Block (seen from the Maximilian left point of view below) who were closing in to engage the Hussite heavy canon. Another "bricks and bottle attack" from the war wagon and a bad dice roll on my part, despite the somewhat desperate attempt to evade, nevertheless saw them "meet their maker".

(Maximilian break points 4, Hussite 3)

Then "it" happened, a huge turning point in the game. The Hussite "King" was committed. Fearing for the sake of the Wagonburg under attack the Royal Knights jumped through a Wagonburg (that's why those armoured wagons are so nasty they allow passage of lines to friendly forces to allow these types of counterattacks) turned to angle into the flank of the Maximilian Pike Block. The "flank" being the killing factor here as if the Pike loses the combat, er it dies (alas see below):

Again after a recount I was probably two or three dice down on what I should have thrown, but my rolls were poor and the Hussite rolled good.

(Maximilian break points 8, Hussite 3)

The "Hussite King" is now in control of the battlefield (see below).

Time to call in that Maximilian Heavy Cavalry"insurance" policy" methinkds