What have(n’t) I done? (Part I)

 Unlike the last few years this current one has been pretty stressful (who’d have thought it) and I haven’t achieved as much with my hobby as I’d intended and still haven’t played any games in real life.

I participated in a training game for the Fighting Wings system which I enjoyed but came with some issues:

# The other players weren’t always very punctual, dropping in and out which made the flow difficult. This was a play by email game with players from around the world. It wasn’t always their fault necessarily but my own worries about slowing the game made me prioritise my move (above most things) making sure I responded quickly. I would spend the next evening (from it being announced as my turn) getting my move ready and sending it in (you had 24hrs from prompt). It came down from 2-3hrs of prep per turn in the first few turns to 30-45mins by turn 20.

# I spotted an issue with the rules and when I asked about this to the learning game teacher he stated “because” and thought I should accept it - this probably would have been better if I’d been in a learning game with the designer not just an experienced player. The problem involves tailing and a series of tests to see if you qualify - a simple then an advanced one. If you failed one you could see if the latter could be used but as they both had the same set of conditions: if you couldn’t meet the first you could never meet the second. Something I will have to address with the author (He is the system and I’m sure he’ll have a practical and straightforward solution) if I am to play online again.

 It isn’t really an issue with the rules that has potentially stymied my pursuit of the game but rather my own feelings about the level of commitment needed (spread over weeks at a time) if others will simply drop out. If I had a local face to face opponent I think I’d be fine. It’s definitely me but the worse I get, the less energy I have to cope with simple things. Unhelpfully the online system uses io.groups or something similarly archaic and it is nowhere near straightforward or user friendly, so simple things like trying to join a game group left me feeling bemused and frustrated - whilst everyone who already knows how to use it can’t see any issues.

I felt that I grasped the basics of flying and found the system to be relatively straightforward and enjoyable. I ended the game by purposefully straightening out and flying straight across my wingman’s nose. Until this point I’d been evading merrily and trying to stay on the wing of my leader but was being tailed tenaciously by a player (who it turned out wasn’t a beginner at all) throughout and had managed to keep the attention away from my wingman to my satisfaction. I suddenly realised the 20 turns were nearly up and I hadn’t learned about firing so I made myself a target hoping that the attackers greed at an easy tailing kill would leave my wingman with the advantage and set up to respond in kind. Well I died in a hail of bullets (very serious and deadly - which I liked) but the shooting phase was somewhat rushed past (emails of numbers and dice rolls but no step by step explanation - that said none of the other people seemed to think my stated move and thus sudden total change of behaviour was anything out of the ordinary: for some reason I’d suddenly thought that slowing down and flying straight would lose my attacker?) and I didn’t really learn anything. My flight leader positioned badly and missed the easy kill I’d sacrificed myself for………

I have since seen training game transcripts of game run by the designer and they seem incredibly thorough and more what I had expected. Fighting Wings is a thorough (some would say complicated) but understandable system (and weirdly), as it’s just cardboard counters, you really feel like you’re flying a plane (at least more so than any non computer game I’ve ever played). I would advise anyone interested in gaming aerial combat to give the FW system a try as long as they’re not put off by having to commit to learning and practicing the system to play (something not everyone enjoys) it’s not just picked up (although with the right teacher…?). It’s not cheap but if you have a dedicated opponent (or cope better online than I do) I’d say buy it (Wings over the Motherland or Buffalo Wings) as there’s enough provided to game happily for the rest of your days (It would/will work solo but the onus will be on you to learn the rules alone which is a reasonable task and you lose the unknown factor). 

I did enjoy my introduction to the Fighting Wings system and would really like to have another learning game or two but I’m not sure I’m well enough to actually achieve it. There is a WW1 version that I’m more interested in so maybe when I can afford it (it’s not much $30?) I’ll have a look at that as I have lots of Wings of Glory planes and old school kites are a bit slower and (hopefully) easier to game. I chose Fighting Wings (and now own all of it) so I could play online, with others, even when I wasn’t well enough to get up or do anything as taxing as play face to face. I haven’t given up on it but I’m not currently in a position to commit to more online games so I’ll keep looking for other possible solutions. There is another local club which I intend to investigate if I can work out which alternate Sunday they meet!

Stay safe,

Balm

15mm AT-ST for Star Wars Chain of Command

    

 One of the first things that comes to my mind when you say Star Wars is the AT-ST or chicken walker. It’s not practical or particularly well armed but it’s quintessentially Empire and as such would be vital for any SW themed tabletop game I’d want to play. The biggest draw to playing Legion was the AT-ST and how much it reminded me of my childhood toy, but the cost (and scale) helped push me into investigating any possibility in a near enough scale for 15mm. 

     Most manufacturers use 1:100 for their accompanying 15mm vehicle scales but as I didn’t intend to have too many recognisable/real world vehicles on the tabletop (who says how big this speeder is in real life) I could accept some variance around this, probably from 1:90 to 1:110 depending on the subject. Luckily all of the work had already been done for me by the previously mentioned, and frankly excellent, Rebel Scale website which has lists for all the Star Wars toys or models that are or have been available. On it I was overjoyed to find that the Micro Galaxy Squadron toys by Jazwares produced an AT-ST in 1:100 exactly. Being, accordingly, a collectors item they can go for ridiculous prices (that I don’t understand but words like chase are bandied with much reverence in the hallowed circles of fandom) but I managed to pick up two for £13 each which was reasonable.

     The plastic is hard(ish) but not brittle and comes with a weird dirty wash on them (rebelscale recommends removing this with isopropyl alcohol which worked well enough for my purposes). The details are sometimes a little soft but perfectly acceptable apart from (in my opinion) the front blasters. These are the main chin mounted weapons and had plastic filler between the two barrels (to add strength). I cut off the guns and replaced them with a plastic set (from a WW2 Flames of War American early AA Halftrack), whilst not exact and missing the barrel detail of the originals I like the look of these replacements and feel when painted they’ll fit well enough for me (field modifications if anyone quibbles).

The toy actually stands up on its own but I decided to make them a base for added stability. Luckily with a little aggressive scraping with a scalpel I managed to enlarge the gaps on the underside of the feet to perfectly fit two 5mm neodymium magnets that were partnered by a pair mounted into a 50mm Renedra round base. Hey presto a stable model that can be posed and repositioned on its base or removed entirely if needed.

I’m really happy with how it looks next to a Highlander Studios Stormtrooper and need to start the second and work out a plan for paint scheme (in classic Empire grey). I’m tempted to add some stowage and bits but I’m not sure it fits the SW look.

Thank you for taking the time to check this out I have a lot of plans for my Chain of Command Star Wars chaps and just received another two Jazwares vehicles today for scenery; which I’ll spend a few weeks getting them out of their carbonite packaging (how kids are supposed to get anything out of this packaging without breaking them is baffling - it’s almost vac-formed around it!) and get them into the production line.

Balm 

A 15mm Sullustan for Star Wars

 A quick picture of my latest 15mm GZG RANG trooper converted into a Sullustan. It’s a little rough and like any picture of something that’s only15mm high I can now see all the flaws (If you’re an aspiring gamer don’t worry about the what tiny errors you can see in your photographs, this way madness lies).

It’s only been blocked in and washed (next up highlights) but I quite like the colour scheme and will probably use the same colours across the whole force (GW Knarloc Green, Iyanden Darksun and P3 Hammerfall Khaki). I always struggle with painting during the blocking phase as I get frustrated and disheartened when it doesn’t look as imagined, but they generally turn out ok eventually. 

To anyone just starting out on your hobby journey: Don’t judge yourself too harshly or by anyone else’s ability. Painting should be an enjoyable pastime that allows you to express yourself. For example GW’s John Blanche’s miniature painting style only exists because, as he admitted, he wasn’t very good at painting and this style was easy but acceptable to his eye. Weirdly the current (YouTube) generation laud this ‘style’ (Blanchitsu - shudder) as something to work towards completely missing the original message it was meant to convey “be happy with what you can do”. 

Back in the day I painted all my local GW’s display pieces and boards (my friend ran the shop and was overworked/treated terribly so I did what I could to help him out) and when he left (not happily but we all know what GW are like) I saw a group of employees fighting over who got to keep my work (I stopped them, took everything out of the cabinet and gave them away to more deserving people). I know I can paint but I still struggle nearly every time. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this, hopefully they’ll be more actual content soon,

Balm 

My 15mm Star Wars project

 So as briefly mentioned before I’m intending to use Star Wars miniatures to lure unsuspecting friends into playing Chain of Command (or literally anything at this point) and then if they bite try and convert them to historicals.

So I’m currently busy watching various bits of the films or series and trying to get an idea for the setting and rebel composition for my vision. My rebels are GZG RANG and I’ve started trying to add some variation by removing heads and re sculpting them.

My first efforts are a Twi’lek platoon commander, a Sullustan RPG operator and a Mon Calamari driver for the lovely GZG skimmer.

I’m quite pleased with the results, although the eyes are maybe too far forward ( a thorough scouring of MC pictures however does show variance so maybe it’s okay). I now just have to decide what colour: blue or red? Cold water or warm? I’m thinking red for this one and I’ll do a couple more infantry for variety. Thank you for taking the time to read this, I apologise for the lack of pictures, I intend to get a few more done and I’ll paint up some infantry to try and rough out my colour scheme.

Stay safe,

BeneathALeadMountain 

A gift for my wife

 I’m still busy ticking over on my projects (the constant state for many wargamers) and whilst I actually seem to be making progress I had to take a short break (from my own self induced nonsense) just before Christmas to make my wife an additional, last minute present.

Now when we got married many years ago I promised her that I’d get her a pony. I know. As I’ve been retired (against my will) for ten years or so I think a pony may well be out of my financial reach. Then I had an idea (actually I had it last year but the display case I bought from Woodland Scenics was sadly rubbish) and managed to find a suitable vessel on Etsy. On the 22nd of December the display case/bowl turned up and I set to work. I didn’t sleep much during the next couple of days but I was very pleased with the end result and more importantly so was my wife. The diorama is all scratch built and based on a 50mm ply base from Warbases attached to the supplied cork with PVA. The horse and tree are procreate and the greenery is either Silflor from Mininatur or Woodland Scenics (all of which I already had in my stores).

Whilst it’s not my usual fare I thoroughly enjoyed the sculpting process (and work best under pressure) and my wife was delighted. 

Brilliantly, for Christmas, my wife bought me some 15mm Stormtroopers (Highlander Miniatures) and my brother in law bought me some GZG Tomorrow’s War RANG troopers to be my rebels. Since then I’ve been basing and re-sculpting to add some aliens (non-humans) into the mix. Hopefully soon I’ll get some pictures up and some games played using either the original Star Wars Miniature rules, Chain of Command, Spectre Operations (a very useful toolkit system) or maybe the new Tomorrow’s War ruleset that’s in development.

Stay safe

BeneathALeadMountain 

Battlegroup Westwall

 

I thought I'd share a few pictures and initial feelings about the new softback Battlegroup supplement covering the battles at Germany's border in Autumn 1944: Battlegroup Westwall.

Now Westwall is a softback supplement so is designed to be used with a couple of other Battlegroup products, these being the rulebook and the Axis and Allies lists from Overlord (or the later reprint Beyond the Beaches) so you'll need those to get the most out of it - although like all Battlegroup products the history and scenarios included can be worth the cost and this also has a mini campaign included!

So, presuming you're not like me and just slowly collecting all of WW2 (I jest but it's getting closer) is this book for you? As previously stated it covers the period after Normandy but before Wacht Am Rhein (Bulge) and Into the Reich - so September to November. Although the British were also fighting fiercely at this point their main focus was Holland (and any suitable rules found here can be used for Holland - Battlegroup is a tool kit) and this book focusses primarily on the American forces slogging their way through the dilapidated re-re-done fortifications of the Westwall: the last line protecting the Fatherland, as the remnants of the once mighty German army desperately re-arm and reform behind it. It also covers the particular misery of the fighting in "the Big Hurt" or Huertgen forest with special rules for thematic occurrences like airburst in canopy and forest floor. 

Like all Battlegroup books there is a comprehensive history overview section that covers the background events leading up to and action from Aachen to Huertgen Forest, the events around Lorraine and the fortress city of Metz. As ever its well written, has a great selection of real pictures and miniature shots and lots of interesting informational inserts with details about key events. Now you may ask why you need 26 pages of History information you could get anywhere else, but I would argue the history is so well written and focused, including giving a breakdown of the units involved and the action you're trying to portray that it is necessary and really beneficial for beginners and old hands alike (I think I have definitely forgotten more about WW2 than I'll ever know). People would definitely complain if it wasn't there (they’ll complain no matter what) and for the newcomer to WW2 gaming it is a real boon - it may even spark your interest in the historical side.

 Whilst it uses the lists from Overlord (only one full list in this book - the German Panzer Brigade Battlegroup) there are the usual additions and subtractions listed for all the necessary forces so you can tailor the Volksgrenadier Division list (Wacht Am Rhein), Germany Infantry Division 1944 (Overlord) and Armoured and Infantry Combat Engineers for the US lists (Overlord). 

The key addition present here is for the german lists in the form of the new Defense section with more detailed Westwall specific defenses including sparse minefields, flak bunkers and a comprehensive list of bunker types with new options such as defensive machineguns and flamethrower shelters. This is a really interesting section and breathes new life into any bunkers you have for already bought for those rarely played and often harrowing Normandy landing games. 

Alongside the lists and amendments is the scenario section. Battlegroup is well known for its generosity and proliferation of scenarios in its books and this one delivers with .....one. Yep just the one but it's important and not unexpected. It's an attack/defense scenario with the Axis player holding a fortified defensive line, nothing too shocking there. This isn't bad news however as many there are another 6 scenarios hidden away in the section after the army lists; the mini campaign. 

The Clipper Campaign is a 6 battle mini campaign covering Operation Clipper in late November 1944 and can be played as Americans or British (if you don’t have US) against the Germans (in reality it was the US vs Germans). There are six scenarios to be played that are squad to platoon in size (1 squad and 5 platoon sized games) with the historical forces listed or the ability to select replacement forces from your available miniatures (as usual). It's not as complicated as the Torch/Kasserine one but a nice addition that should be doable in a good, long weekend or over a few weeks at club.

As stated the full list presented here is the German Panzer Brigade Battlegroup which replaces the standard panzer Brigade from Overlord. This is a very thematic list which may admittedly seem bland to those not interested in or aware of the historical significance of the options: as it appears to simply have very few options. This list represents the armoured counter attacks (mostly the southern Lorraine front) by the new, very cut down Panzer divisions and is a welcome addition to the available stable of late war formations. The Author goes as far to state that the traditional panzers divisions of Normandy and Into the Reich aren't suitable for this period of conflict and you should look to Wacht Am Rhein if they are more your taste.

This new supplement arrived this morning (I paid for it myself and everything) and I'm really pleased to add it to my existing precious pile of Battlegroup books - I may not play much Westwall but Huertgen is on my list (when I finish my trees) and I intend to keep picking up any books The Plastic Soldier Company puts out in the Battlegroup series. 

Battlegroup:Westwall can be bought direct from The Plastic Soldier Company here.

Stay safe,

BeneathALeadMountain

I ATEN’T DEAD

Hopefully anyone seeing this will get the reference. A lack of movement or activity doesn’t mean I’m not still kicking, just struggling a little. When I look back at the time since my last post I can see I’ve actually achieved quite a lot but have tried to focus what little energy I have into my models rather than battling with blogger on a tablet. I do intend to start posting again regularly and hopefully this’ll help as an ice breaker for me.

BeneathALeadMountain 

If the title doesn’t mean anything to you I can heartily recommend checking out the brilliant books of Sir Terry Pratchett, it will not be time wasted.