40K Chaos Renegade Ogryns WIP

April 14, 2015, 8:22 am

≫ Next: Sons of Horus Land Raider

≪ Previous: Horus Heresy Painting - IXth Legion "Blood Drinkers"

$

0

0

A flurry of hobby activity over the past week included some greenstuff conversion work (I am hesitant to call it "sculpting") on two new acquisitions - some out-of-production metal Ogryns. I've given them gas masks to fit in with the rest of the Chaos Renegades. These two will fill out a squad of three models, joining the example I've converted and painted already.

This guy already had an augmetic eye fitted and I thought it would be a shame to lose that, so I gave him a half-mask.

The filters are done by making a small ball of greenstuff, setting it in place on the model, and pressing down on it with an appropriate-size circular or cylindrical object (in this case, I used some plastic rod I had around). Then, use a pin or dental pick to make the holes for the filter.

This model got a full over-the-head mask. Eye ports are made the same way as the filters.

Looking forward to painting these guys and having a squad of three models to use in the army.

---

Sons of Horus Land Raider

April 16, 2015, 10:18 am

≫ Next: Last Stand on Isstvan - Horus Heresy Battle Report

≪ Previous: 40K Chaos Renegade Ogryns WIP

$

0

0

Veteran marines from the 16th Legion on maneuvers with their new ride

It has taken over a year, but my Horus Heresy forces finally have a proper vehicle! This is a Land Raider Proteus from Forge World, painted to accompany the Sons of Horus into action against the dupes of the False Emperor. 

I took this photo to make sure I was able to mount the tracks properly for both sides

WIP progress - I was thrilled to have the tracks mounted on until I started priming...

So far, with the exception of El Booze, and Ferrum Mori, my 30k painting efforts have been concentrated on infantry - various foot slogging Marines as well as some Solar Auxilia.  But as you will see in a battle report that I expect Dallas to post here shortly, infantry alone can't always get the job done.  It's time to round out my Heresy forces with some vehicles, and the Knights and Titans are a little too unbalanced to set up for our Thursday games.

Ring mount for the sponson - one section gave way during the prep...f**k resin

The Land Raider Proteus is a wonderful model design from Forge World, a shout out to the original Land Raider plastic models from the Rogue Trader era.  When I think of the Horus Heresy games that I played with the "Space Marine" and later "Epic" games, Land Raiders were always prominent so I really wanted one to accompany the Sons of Horus and their friends on the table.

WIP - the green is down

Painting the lascannons separately is highly recommended

 A vehicle model from Forge World is always a fraught experience.  The designs are (for the most part) lovely, but the quality of the casting can be hit and miss.  Further complicating matters is the utter lack of instructions.  I have heard many horror stories in particular related to the Land-Raider-based vehicles, as the design of the model is open to rage-induction depending on how reliably the resin was cast.

Lucky for me this kit was relatively well cast. I had a problem with one of the lascannon mounting rings - it was laughably thin and a chunk came right off during assembly prep. The other challenge was the side doors - they barely fit, and it was more than a matter of a mis-cast - they were flat-out too big, and I had to do some carving to get them to sit in the recess of the side of the vehicle.

Ready to roll!

Figuring out how to mount the tracks was also a bit of a puzzle, but I was able to sort it out.  I was lucky, the tracks were straight and well-cast, and the track channels were cast properly and so the tracks fit! 

Twin lascannon sponson, ready to dish out abuse to the foolish adherents of the False Emperor

Chuffed about getting the thing put together, it wasn't until I started painting that I realized I had messed up - I should have left the tracks off for painting.  Getting the black primer into the recesses of the tracks was a huge pain in the a@@.  If I do another one of these, the tracks will wait and get a separate paint job on the side.

At least I was smart enough to leave the lascannon mounts and cow catcher aside to paint separately.

I'm sure the Sons of Horus use "green" bio fuels...

The painting results on this overall were...OK...I used the same greens and edge highlighting I have been doing on the Sons of Horus marines and while I looks alright, it's not as smooth as I would wish it to be.  I will probably have to break down and try and airbrush at some point if that is something I'm really interested in achieving...

Heavy bolter mounted on the command cupola

The decals are from the Forge World Sons of Horus decal sheet - the big "eye of Horus" symbols turned out great, but the roman numeral legion markings silvered up like crazy!  There is always something that comes up when painting a Forge World vehicle...you can still see the damn silvered reflection in some of the photos when you look at the "XVI" near the front.

Anyway, I sorted the decals as best I could, and did some hard core weathering - lots of sponge chipping, weather powder, and even some oil paint! However, I noticed that the Testors Dullcote tends to wipe out the effects of weathering powder, so I may have to go back and add a bit more. But overall it still turned out OK, well enough to roll out on to the table and get shot up in the first turn. 

Wheels are better than heels!

Of course a single vehicle still leaves my enlightened supporters of Horus short when it comes to transport - I hope to add some more conventional Rhinos, and maybe one or two more terrifying vehicle bits from the Legion armory.  But it's great to have this vehicle done and it will hopefully inspire more progress on some others.  Horus for hope!

Last Stand on Isstvan - Horus Heresy Battle Report

April 22, 2015, 11:48 am

≫ Next: 40K Chaos Renegades Update - Ogryns, Cyclops, Mechanics

≪ Previous: Sons of Horus Land Raider

$

0

0

Last week we rolled out my new IX Legion Blood Drinkers army for a game of "30K". Conscript Greg supplied the storyline:

“The Warmaster has raised his true flag at Istvaan and now his Legions turn against the very Imperium they strove to create.  Horus’ war fleets make a grim advance toward Terra while the Imperial authorities struggle to recover from the shock of the Warmaster’s betrayal.  Through the Warmaster’s own sinister designs the Loyalist forces are scattered at the outset of the war and must make what defence they can manage while awaiting further instruction.

In this setting elements of the IXth Legion are making a stand in a city called Rogsburg, hoping to hold back elements of the Sons of Horus and the World Eaters as they race through the local system.  Can a determined local defense of a critical supply depot spike the plans of the Warmaster and his minions?”

We played a straightforward game with 4 objectives, on a half-urban-half-rural board using my new mat from Barrage Miniatures. The Blood Drinkers deployed a Praetor and his Command squad, two large tactical squads, a veteran squad with missile launcher, six-man Terminator squad, and a Rapier. They were joined by two large Solar Auxilia units (19 men each) and an Auxilia Veletaris Storm Squad.

The traitors followers of the alternative Emperor rolled with a couple tactical squads and some specialized weaponeers - squads armed with multi-meltas, heavy bolters, volkite weaponry, and plasma guns. Ouch! They were lead by a Praetor with command squad and various hangers-on like a Centurion, Apothecary, Legion Champion, etc.  Points totalled about 1500 per side.

Here's a view from the Blood Drinkers' side of the table. The objectives were mainly scattered through the middle of the table, with both sides having to move on them.

Game on! Traitor Marines move towards a wood, looking to set up a firebase.

Traitor tactical squad moves up also.

Traitors deploy in the built-up area. You can see a few of the traitor characters standing just outside the building.

Roll Tide!! The followers of Sanguinius got the first turn, and the two tactical squads moved up, fronted by the Terminator squad. First objective taken - seen at centre right just behind the front-line trooper.

The Blood Drinkers were accused of using the Solar Auxilia as ablative human shields in the battle, a charge that the IX Legion strongly denied. Not even sure how anyone would get that impression.

I mean, I ask you...?

Veteran Marines squad deployed behind an Auxilia squad and moved together towards objective #2.

Rapier Laser Destroyer somehow made it up onto the second floor of the building. Some serious suspensor work there.

Auxilia fan out a bit and start taking fire from the traitors at top.

On the other side of the table, the Terminators have been thinned down a tad, and some Auxilia have rushed to the front. Their righteous zeal for the Emperor knows no bounds - it would be downright boorish for the Blood Drinkers to prevent the Auxilia getting between them and the traitors.

Traitor bolter fire takes its toll on the Auxilia but the survivors hang in there. I have to give some props to the Solar Auxilia in this battle, their lasgun fire took a toll on the traitors, especially as the Auxilia was tooled up with some buffs to their shooting.

Blood Drinkers Veterans sweep towards the objective after Auxilia absorb the shooting. There's a reason these guys survived long enough to be "veterans".

Surviving Terminators anchor the line with the Auxilia. The battle's nearing its end and the IX Legion is firmly in control.

Too many chiefs and not enough braves on the traitor side, I'm afraid ;-)

The mighty IX Legion had a weight of numbers and the excellent Solar Auxilia to back them up, and while the game went back and forth, the result was a clear win for the followers of the Emperor. I really like 30K as a gaming experience - the models are great, and the fact that there's a limited number of unit types involved means that the "special rules overload" of 40K isn't as likely to rear its head. Heresy escalation is now in full effect - we need vehicles!!

40K Chaos Renegades Update - Ogryns, Cyclops, Mechanics

April 26, 2015, 7:28 pm

≫ Next: Poll Added!

≪ Previous: Last Stand on Isstvan - Horus Heresy Battle Report

$

0

0

This weekend I interrupted 30K activity to finish off some 40K models. First up were the two metal Ogryns I'd converted to finish off a squad for my Renegades army.
 

 These guys actually went up fairly quickly.

I just love the sheer character in these old models. The gasmasks turned out rather well I think.

The Bone 'Ead squad leader has a bit of a different look to his mask, to accommodate his bionic eye. 

The sculpt, again, is great - I love the small tears in the undershirt.

Here's the completed squad!

Next up is a Cyclops demolition tank from Forgeworld. Since I had some spare Renegade torsos and bits around, I figured I'd convert an operator for the vehicle as well.

The vehicle was a snap to paint - just like a full size vehicle but in miniature ;-)

Hope you can get a peek at the screen I painted in on the remote.

Renegade Cyclops operator was painted in the standard Renegade uniform - camo pants and field-grey tunic.

Lastly, here's a couple of figures my wife got me for Christmas - some special-order Imperial Guard Astra Militarum vehicle mechanics.

I converted the models with MaxMini gasmask heads to fit into the Renegade force.

I love the 40K Fitbit the guy on the left is sporting. Or is it an iWatch???

One last shot of the Cyclops. That's it for tonight!

Poll Added!

April 28, 2015, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: IX Legion Landspeeder

≪ Previous: 40K Chaos Renegades Update - Ogryns, Cyclops, Mechanics

$

0

0

Games Workshop has introduced a long-awaited faction into its grimdark 40K lineup - the Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii. There's a basic infantry box (Vanguard/Rangers), an elite-type infantry box (Ruststalkers/Sicarian Infiltrators), a light walker (Ironstrider Ballistarius/Sydonian Dragoon) and even a walking tank (Dunestalker)!

We've added a poll (up there at top right of the page) to ask you what you think of the new Skitarii for 40K.

Do you like them, or not? Will you buy them to use for 40K games, or maybe even in another gaming system? We'd love to know!

IX Legion Landspeeder

May 1, 2015, 8:34 pm

≫ Next: Sons of Horus Assault Marines

≪ Previous: Poll Added!

$

0

0

Cracking on with IX Legion projects for the big summer game... here we have an old OOP metal Landspeeder given the Blood Drinkers treatment.

It was enjoyable to paint a vehicle, just for a change from the infantry models. But the technique was pretty much the same. Base Khorne Red, gradually build up highlights with Evil Sunz Red mix (OK, this is different - I'm using ESR because I've run out of the old pot of Blood Red), wash with Nuln Oil, highlight back up with ESR, apply decals, sponge chip and weather to taste. Done.

I decided to go with the Multi-Melta/Heavy Bolter combo for tactical flexibility ;-)

Some IX Legion and Blood Drinkers markings in addition to the tactical number "4".

The old model is all metal, weighs a ton, and looks like it means business. Looking forward to having this zoom around the table in our next Heresy game. Still waiting on the Chapterhouse conversion kits for the Land Raider and Rhinos, but the Spartan should be up next anyway. From what I've read, that'll be a challenge.

Sons of Horus Assault Marines

May 5, 2015, 5:28 pm

≫ Next: Mechani-Kon 6: Army Showcase

≪ Previous: IX Legion Landspeeder

$

0

0

Onward for Horus, humanity's last hope! Just watch that plasma pistol...

Our last outing against the dupes of the false Emperor didn't go so well, so I have been trying to add reinforcements in order to avoid further shame to the cause of Horus and his revolt against the Imperium bold plan for the future of humanity.  First step is to get some vehicles moving - a new Land Raider is just the ticket, but that was really the only tank model I had waiting around.  More are en-route from Forge World, but until then I thought I would keep going through my pile of Horus Heresy infantry.

Embossed shoulder pads - an expensive addiction

With this in mind, here is a squad of 10 assault Marines from the XVIth Legion - the Sons of Horus.  These are Legion marines in Mark IV power armour, equipped with jump packs, chainswords and bolt pistols.  Two of the marines are carrying plasma pistols.  

Veteran sergeant on the left, plasma pistol trooper on the right

Very lean jump packs by Warhammer 30k/40k standards

The officer (with the whacky comb on his helmet - I love those silly things) is carrying an extra silly weapon - a "heavy" chainsword, useful for those times where you wish you could hit your enemy with an armoured chainsaw using a two-handed strike, I guess.  It looks hilarious, and I think it fits the setting and the certain je-ne-sais-quoi of the Sons of Horus.

Lots of rivets on a few of the models - this guy looks particularly ominous

Jump packs in the Warhammer 30k/40k setting are often enormous contraptions, but these Mark IV jump packs are relatively small and efficient looking.  No doubt whatever Adeptus Mechanicus magos who came up with such an efficient design was banished and tossed into an isolated reactor furnace for his affront to the design standards of the far future... 

Something went awry with the chest decal for the fellow on the right - I have been having a lot of problems with these decals lately!

With the jump packs these troops will be able to close rapidly against the enemy.  For example, let's imagine some enemy Legion Marines are, oh, I don't know, say, hiding behind a line of Solar Auxilia - just for the sake of argument.  These fellows should be able to power over the meat shield and tangle with the foe straight away.

Stay clear of that Sergeant...

These squads can be as large as 20 models strong - I don't know if I will go that far, but I think I will try and add another five to make a 15-man unit.  The buildup towards our Heresy mega game continues...

Mechani-Kon 6: Army Showcase

May 9, 2015, 7:09 am

≫ Next: Sedition Wars Project Mini-update: Opticamo Vanguard

≪ Previous: Sons of Horus Assault Marines

$

0

0

Last month Alex and Thurston organized their sixth and final Mechani-Kon Warhammer 40k tournament. I was able to attend, and had a great time fielding a kinda retro version of my Eldar Swordwind. The TO's are not big fans of the current (7th ed.) iteration of 40k. For the event, there was no "comp" score per se. The TO's limited attendees to a single force org, so there were no allies allowed (and thus no dreaded "Tau-dar or other such ploys). The tournament was sold out, with people bringing out a lot of well-painted, themed armies.

Here follows the pictures that I was able to take of various armies. I shall post a brief batrep of my games in due course.

***

Conscript Byron deservedly won the award for Best Appearance with his Chaos army (note that the roads and signs are laser cut wood from Byron's company, SG2 Creations):





Lovely converted Helldrake flyer.









***

WesS won Best Overall while fielding a beautifully painted Dark Angels force:









***

SteveB's beautiful Chaos army.









***

CodyB's cool Tau:







***

More armies:
























































***
Asurmen's Academy

But for the Nightwing Interceptor aircraft, the Eldar force I brought was something I would have fielded in the early 2000's: Asurmen leading several squads of Aspect Warriors, supported by a Night Spinner artillery tank. At the time of the tournament, several of my units had not seen play for years, due to the vagaries of changes in the basic rules, and an aging codex. For example, I had not played with my Howling Banshees since maybe 2009.



Howling Banshees led by an Exarch. They were rock stars during the tournament, accompanying Asurmen as his bodyguards. With the recent release of the 7th Edition Codex Craftworlds, the Banshees don't even suck any more.



Asurmen, the Hand of Asuryen. This Phoenix Lord tanked shot after shot during the day, and got stuck into  close combat every game. The artillery tank also was a thorn in my opponents' sides, dropping clouds of mono-filament webs from across the table.



With Codex Craftworlds I shall be going back to fielding large (8-10 strong) Dire Avenger and Fire Dragon squads.



My Warp Spiders, painted by Conscript Brian. Always a part of my forces, they are now (in Codex Craftworlds) one of the best Eldar units.



The Nightwing, a Forge World resin model. During the tournament, half the time it was shut down by enemy anti-aircraft weapons, the other half  of the time it blew up stuff real good.



As for my placement in the standings, I won the highly coveted "First Loser" award! (Because winning second place overall with no other award is truly to be the first loser!)

This reminds me of my Astronom-con experiences, where I have placed 2nd overall 4 or 5 times...

---

Sedition Wars Project Mini-update: Opticamo Vanguard

May 9, 2015, 9:26 am

≫ Next: Has Games Workshop Gotten Its Mojo Back?

≪ Previous: Mechani-Kon 6: Army Showcase

$

0

0

 I was able to buy on eBay a few more clear resin "Opticamo" Vanguard Samaritans (like the thermo-optic camouflage from Ghost in the Shell).

I just finished three more such Opticamo female Vanguard Samaritans, all armed with laser carbines. The clear resin was slightly easier to clean up than the original restic (PVC?) models. I used super glue for assembly.



I airbrushed zenithal highlights on the lower portions of the figures, using Vallejo Black and White surface primers. I then laid in thin  glazes of GW Thrakka Green for their armour, and a little bit of Gryphon Sepia for one of the figures' carbines. Highlights were picked out with flat white. The bases were glazed with Badab Black and Vallejo Rust. The resulting effect simulates the cloaking process at different stages for each figure.



For comparison, here's what a solid resin figure looks like:



The basic rules don't use the thermoptic camouflage, so these new Opticamo figures can be used a regular troopers. With the addition of these three models, I now have enough Vanguard Samaritans, heroes, and drones to play all the basic scenarios in the main Sedition Wars rule book.



I have not been idle on the Strain side. I cleaned up and assembled 28 Strain models of various types. There are 21 Necroforms, basically human corpses animated by the dreaded nano-virus plague, There are 5 2nd-level Exoforms (evolved creatures, like in Resident Evil): 3 Stalkers (close combat types), and 2 Quasimodos (large creatures with an acidic shooting attack). Rounding them out are a pair of 3rd level Exoforms: a Scythe Witch (a kick-ass close combat expert), and a Grendlr (a big creature with a nasty gun in its chest). These are now ready for priming.



I also picked up a couple of zombie paint sets from Army Painter:
Warpaints Zombicide Core Zombie Set
Warpaints Zombicide Toxic/Prison Set

With colours such as "Brainmatter" and "Crusted Sore", I hope to give these an adequate aura of putrefaction and fear.

After this lot is done, I have in queue one each of 4th- and a 5th-level Exoforms, some strategic points from the Sedition Wars terrain set, and several corpse counters to represent both the detritus of previous battle and Samaritan casualties caused during the course of play.

***

The big cabinet in our library now has a real mix of figures and models: 1/6 scale dolls from history and fiction; various 15mm and 28mm figs that I have won awards for; some 1/7 and 1/8 scale action figures from anime, comics, and TV; and a bunch of pieces for other games like CheckYour 6!, Wings of Glory, and Coaling Stations.

Has Games Workshop Gotten Its Mojo Back?

May 11, 2015, 7:06 am

≫ Next: (More) Sons Of Horus Tactical Marines - Warhammer 30k

≪ Previous: Sedition Wars Project Mini-update: Opticamo Vanguard

$

0

0

 

We've done our share of ragging on Games Workshop over the years, and Emperor knows they've deserved it. From "new paint" debacle to retail fails (not to mention stratospheric price increases, insane managing directors and skull-itis), the so-called "Evil Empire" has come in for some stick on this blog.

But we've always been big fans of the grimdark future of Warhammer 40,000. However, despite the fact our group plays 40K regularly, I've not been excited enought about the new models to buy any but a very few at full retail (even my Imperial Knight was bought online at a discount). Make no mistake, I've spent lots on GW product - but pretty much all of it out-of-print metal models for my Blood Drinkers or OOP conversion fodder/Forge World stuff for my Chaos Renegades.

But all of that may be about to change. Because Adeptus Mechanicus.

 

Last Saturday's White Dwarf featuring the new Imperial Knight Warden (and a cool paint chart) had sold out by Sunday afternoon. This followed two weeks of Mechanicus spam - Skitarii Rangers and Ruststalkers one week, and Onager tank the next. I snapped up and devoured both these issues eagerly. With these releases, GW has recaptured (for me, anyway) the coolness and nihilism of the original Rogue Trader milieu. I love the look of the half-mechanical robed Skitarii and even their walker tank is growing on me (still not sure about the Ironstriders though). I even bought the Skitarii codex!!!

I bought this. At full retail price at a GW store. Fourth sign of the Apocalypse...

But then this week, they kicked it up another notch with the Kastelan robots. Now if there were ever a modern model influenced by Rogue Trader style it's this one...

Now this is what I'm talkin' about... see any skulls? Me neither!

Awesome innit???

Okay, maybe not quite as awesome but still quite cool...

I haven't felt this inspired by a Games Workshop new release since... the Imperial Knight in 2014? And before that, maybe... the new-look Land Raider perhaps? Forge World has been consistently knocking it out of the park for me with their Heresy stuff and before that, Chaos Renegades. But the Mothership has been pretty flat for me for a few years. Until now! I have to say that these new Adeptus Mechanicus releases have me pretty stoked. Full retail on the Kastelan maniple (two robots and Techpriest buddy/handler) is $83 CAD which... I don't find completely shocking/unreasonable. And these models will be eminently suitable for duty in the Heresy as well, which makes them an even better deal. As Greg said, now that we have the Reaver Titans, it would be irresponsible not to paint some Skitarii for ground support. Of course, the truly responsible thing to do would be to add a Robot Maniple and Onager tank, right?

And it seems that many of you agree. In our recent poll, just over a third of you (34%) said you were planning to buy some Skitarii models either for 40K or other gaming, another 53% said you liked the models but had no plans to buy, and only 12% indicated they disliked the models. At least as far as our readers go, GW's doing something right.

(More) Sons Of Horus Tactical Marines - Warhammer 30k

May 27, 2015, 7:51 am

≫ Next: Gothic Ruined Buildings from SG2 Creations

≪ Previous: Has Games Workshop Gotten Its Mojo Back?

$

0

0

Horus for hope!

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything, but "1-to-1" scale issues have prevented me from painting at my preferred pace (i.e. all the damn time).  Work has been nuts, blah blah but finally I have finished another unit - a squad of Tactical Marines from the 16th Legion, the Sons of Horus.  These are Forge World figures, Marines equipped with Mark IV power armour.

Tactical Marines in Mark IV armour from the 16th Legion

Another reason these fellows took a little longer to paint is that I have started to mess around with a new painting technique - "glazing".  I don't know much about it, other than it is something that actual artists and pro-type miniature painters seem to do.  I could never tell the difference between glazing and washing, so I just avoided it.

A mid-point in the glazing process...seems...OK

Daze of glaze...

But I have found that my general painting approach suffers a bit with the broad, curved surfaces on the Space Marine power armour.  The edge highlighting approach I was using before was OK, but I wanted to try and up my game a little - so I tried to mess around with "glazing".  I used the same GW paints, but now tried to blend them with glazing medium to build some gradual highlights on certain parts of the power armour.

Almost ready to move on to the final colours...

Comparison - old style on the right, new style on the left...kind of...the same, but the newer style does seem a little more subtle in some respects...

Did it make much a difference? It did a bit, I think. But as they say, "you're not doing it right", and this is a bit of a trial and error process.  On some of the figures it worked better than others.  One thing I am learning about glazing (and that I already hate about glazing) is that getting the mix right isn't simple, and getting it consistent across 10 models is even less simple...I hope with experience I will get better at this.  Or at least not worse.

I just love the wacky combs on the officers with 30k marines...

Tried to weather these fellows up a bit...I find that to be difficult with Space Marines...

But they'll still do fine for the gaming table!  Another set of stout lads ready to fight for Humanity's Last Hope, Horus Lupercal, the Warmaster!

The embossed shoulder plates are addictive - and the Eye of Horus is fantastically menacing and spooky warm and inviting for Horus' 16th Legion

Dallas and I continue with our arms race to load for big mega-game (or perhaps even mini-campaign-linked-to-mega-game) for sometime later this year.  Dallas' Blood Drinkers are looking excellent, and while I have a wide assortment of Legion figures painted, it is not yet a coherent force for a game, so I'm trying to catch up.

Couple of individual marines - I experimented with a metal face plate for the fellow on the right. I like how it turned out.

Worst part of these figures was the casting quality on the back packs...lots of miscast vents etc. But overall they were decent to work with.

The Sons of Horus now have two 10-man tactical squads, a 10-man assault squad, a 5-man tactical support squad and a 5-man devastator squad, along with a Land Raider.  And of course they can call out "El Booze". This is a good base of stuff to build around, and that is what I'm going to try to keep focused on this summer.

Preview model from my next unit...

The next squad is already moving along the painting desk (see above for a preview), while other goodies are waiting for primer... I hope to post some photos of another finished bunch soon...or at least at a better pace than I have managed in the past month!

Gothic Ruined Buildings from SG2 Creations

June 2, 2015, 7:31 am

≫ Next: Heresy Update - Blood Drinkers Chapterhouse "Mark I" Rhinos

≪ Previous: (More) Sons Of Horus Tactical Marines - Warhammer 30k

$

0

0

Conscript Byron leads a double triple life: IT pro by day, ace painter and gamer by night, and laser-cut MDF design maniac when it's night in some other time zone ;-)

 

So when I asked Byron to design some Gothic-looking ruined buildings for our big Heresy game/mini campaign this summer, of course he obliged, big style. Just look at these beauties!

 

Interior floors are detailed with a chequer pattern, for some added visual interest. Byron included some extra bricks to pile up on the floors, and I applied some texture after gluing them down in place.

The buildings were easy to assemble, as Byron designs the pieces to slot together. You can use wood glue or regular white glue to bond the parts. There's lots of parts to them but assembly is straightforward and quick.

Nice, eh? I spray-primed with flat black Krylon paint and then hit it from above with grey spray paint. The decorative bricks on the exterior and the chequered floor were painted with GW Rakarth Flesh acrylic. Floors and bricks were washed with GW Nuln Oil and drybrushed.

I also applied some powders to the buildings to weather them a bit.

Bits from the bits box give a bit of Imperial flavour.

This was the first one I did - before I realized I should have added the rubble before priming. No worries, I cut a few scraps of plasticard for bases, then textured on top op those. Scatter terrain for the inside of the building.

 

Just for kicks I did one building with contrasting flooring.



"Imperium Apartments"?



 



The buildings are a good size for gaming - here's an Imperial Knight and some Renegades for scale.

Byron did a fantastic job on these buildings, and there's more on the way - he's designing a longer building with a lower rise for some urban contrast, as well as some "corners" to match the ruins shown here. They may not be on the website yet, but you can visit SG2 Creations to see all of Byron's MDF wizardry for yourself. Price of the buildings is TBA but will be more than competitive. Highly recommended!

Heresy Update - Blood Drinkers Chapterhouse "Mark I" Rhinos

June 14, 2015, 8:06 am

≫ Next: Heresy Update - Blood Drinkers Spartan Assault Tank

≪ Previous: Gothic Ruined Buildings from SG2 Creations

$

0

0

Heresy escalation continues! And while we all have a "resin habit", sometimes you can satisfy the Forgeworld crack cravings with some less-expensive drugs (meth?) from an alternative supplier. Step forward, Chapterhouse Studios and their "Mark I Rhino" conversion kit.

40K modellers will be familiar with Chapterhouse, one of the first third-party companies to make resin stuff compatible with Games Workshop kits. They're also famous for their nasty legal dispute with GW over intellectual property issues associated with their business. However, all of that seems to be behind them now, and they've brought out some interesting products, including this kit to convert the current GW Rhino transport into something more evocative of the Heresy era.

 

The kit, which retails for $14, comprises nine resin parts:the four side vents, two sets of side doors, and top hatch shown above, plus front and rear fascia plates, not shown. These replace or augment the parts in the standard GW plastic Rhino kit.

Assembly was very straightforward, without instructions being required. When putting on the side vents, though, you'll note that shaving one of the sides by a millimeter or so improves the fit greatly (see pic below).

 

 The other slightly awkward element of the kit is the resin casting gates connecting the side doors to the sprue (below). You have to be VERY careful in trimming these off, because the kit part is very thin at that area and prone to snapping right off. You can fix this with a bit of plasticard, as I did, but it's something to be aware of.

The crew figures are from Forge World. Front plate fits nicely in place of the standard kit part.

"Blood Drinker" decals are from the Forge World Blood Angels decal sheet.

I fitted the rear door over top of the plastic kit part, after shaving the plastic part flat. Assembling this way allows you to maintain the opening rear door feature.
  

I'm quite pleased with how these turned out, given the cost of the Chapterhouse parts versus that of the Deimos pattern Rhino kit from Forge World, but it really only makes sense if you have access to cheap Rhino kits. At full USD retail, the Chapterhouse Rhino costs $51.25 while the Deimos is 35GBP, at current exchange this is about $54. But for me, since I had two unbuilt Rhinos that I'd picked up cheap, it was a no-brainer. Sometimes meth > crack ;-)

Heresy Update - Blood Drinkers Spartan Assault Tank

June 14, 2015, 10:13 am

≫ Next: Prairiecon 2015 Game One - Battlegroup Fall Of The Reich

≪ Previous: Heresy Update - Blood Drinkers Chapterhouse "Mark I" Rhinos

$

0

0

Part of the appeal of the Horus Heresy as a 40K milieu is the sheer immense scale of everything. Where 40K has thousand-man Space Marine Chapters, 30K has hundred-thousand-man Space Marine Legions. In 40K we have 10-man tactical squads, in 30K 20 models is de rigeur. And where in 40K the Land Raider is the Daddy, in the Heresy era the Space Marines rolled in this beast - the Spartan Assault Tank.

Sporting twin-quad lascannons, heavy bolters, and a faintly ridiculous troop-carrying capacity of 25 models, the Spartan is the preferred assault transport for the discerning Legion Praetor.

The Spartan is a massive kit, to be sure. Assembly was reasonably straightforward even if the vendor I obtained it from neglected to supply instructions. The only non-kit part I added was the sensor pod mounted above the hull twin heavy bolters - it's from the plastic Land Raider kit. The vehicle commander figure is from the Forgeworld Space Marine vehicle crew set.

The sponson weapons on this machine are just super-cool too. I magnetized them both for easy transport and painting, and because the kit parts were a bit malformed and wouldn't allow articulation without some serious work. With the magnets, the weapons can easily elevate and depress.

The tracks, a source of much pain on Internet fora, were not good, but were not as bad as I'd feared. On one side they were so bad that I had to cut out one link altogether, but this is on the bottom run that can't be seen. The other problem was with the side doors - they just didn't fit and couldn't be modified. I cut new doors out of plasticard.

Decals are from the Forge World "Blood Angels" sheet.

Doors are always a pain point for me, but this vehicle is so cool that it would be a shame to seal it up. I can never seem to make Land Raider-type doors stay shut, but I address this by adding small pin to the top door that fits in a hole drilled in the face of the bottom one.

This is a vehicle that I quite enjoyed painting, and its tabletop presence will be undeniable, even in the context of large Heresy games. At 295 points plus upgrades, it's not cheap, but to me the "looks cool factor" is off the charts.

Prairiecon 2015 Game One - Battlegroup Fall Of The Reich

June 18, 2015, 9:51 am

≫ Next: Sons of Horus Heavy Support Troops

≪ Previous: Heresy Update - Blood Drinkers Spartan Assault Tank

$

0

0

A table dotted with wrecked tanks - that's my kind of game!

Summer is (sort of) here again in the Canadian prairies.  And while the temperature projections are dismal by the standards of our usual glorious weather, there are still some excellent summer traditions and one of those is PrairieCon, the annual gaming event held in Brandon, Manitoba. "Gaming event" is probably a drastic understatement - while Prairiecon is not a huge event size-wise compared to other conventions out there, it is a long tradition in the community,  Dallas has a much longer history with PrairieCon than I do, so he is much better at explaining the event, so I will leave that to him. But as near as I can figure this is my tenth year at Prairiecon, and it continues to get better!

Commanders confer before the game - on the left side of the photo is the Russian table edge, and the German one is at the opposite end, behind the town.

The edge of Dolgelin - the train station at the upper left and and road section in the bottom right of the photo are the objectives for the Soviet attack

Soviet artillery had already hit the Germans before the battle started

The Soviet advance begins - the train station is to the right side in this photo.

Soviet advance on the left side - T-34/85s and infantry

The Fawcett Avenue Conscripts like to make a visit to Prairiecon every year to play some games and run a couple of games as well.  This year we hosted two games - a WW2 game and a Star Wars space battle game - here is the after-action report on the WW2 game: Battlegroup Fall of the Reich.

The only early break for the Germans - this IS-2 hit a mine in the road and was knocked out!

The "Battlegroup" rules are published by Iron Fist Publishing. I will say the rules overall are pretty good, but the books themselves suffer from what refer to as "British Rule Book Syndrome". Symptoms include beautiful production values, fantastic background information, baffling explanations of simple rules mechanics, quirky approaches to what should be simple rules mechanics (armour ratings expressed as a letter, while everything else is a number), odd decisions on content (the basic rule book does not provide an example of tank vs. tank combat resolution), painting tutorials that are so complex they are really useful for people who are already expert painters, scenarios suitable if you have an enormous collection of figures, and Kafka-esque layout decisions that have you swearing endlessly (case in point - the stats for the tank will mention what gun it carrier, but the stats for said gun are elsewhere in the book, on a big table of guns - ~@#@#@!!!!).

Soviet assault crosses the railway line - T-34/85s in the lead.

 "British Rule Book Syndrome" does not render the rules themselves bad - it just makes you a little insane.  Black Powder is a good example of this. That is a bloody fantastic game, but the rule book, even though beautiful, makes me bonkers at times.

This King Tiger tank missed so much we decided an appropriate token was needed to shame the crew...

A 37mm Flak gun team waits for the attack - the half track is a supply vehicle, a neat feature in the Battlegroup rules.

The scenario for Prairiecon was adopted on one presented in the "Fall Of The Reich" book - "Holding Dolgelin Station".  The battle takes place during the final Soviet offensive in 1945 on the Eastern Front, the drive on Berlin.  The Germans made a desperate and stand as the Soviet army groups crossed the Oder River.  Dolgelin is a village at the edge of the Seelow Heights overlooking the Oder river valley and here the Kind Tigers of the 502nd Battalion clashed with the Soviet spearheads looking to break through.  This is, of course, something many WW2 gamers like - an excuse to use King Tigers :)

The Soviets approach the train station, one of the key objectives.

"Battlegroup" rules are agnostic on scale, although generally driven toward 20mm.  We used 15mm figures for the game, and it works just fine.  I have been painting a lot of individually-based 15mm infantry for skirmish gaming in this scale, but I found in playing "Battlegroup" that the figures based in groups (for games such as "Flames of War") work just fine or even better, as the players find it much easier to move the blocks of infantry around.

The Soviets have blasted the train station, and prepare to mount an assault...but...

The actual scenario from the "Fall of the Reich" book is (consistent with the British Rule Book Syndrome) a very, very large game and even though I have a sizable 15mm collection I still couldn't pull it off on the scale they have suggested.  No worries, though - it's still great inspiration and we just slimmed it down for Prairiecon.

The train station continues to sustain further damage, but note the dreaded "Scottish number" and the pin token - the infantry are pinned by German MG fire and the assault doesn't go in.

The German forces comprised a Volksgrenadier platoon, an MG42 team, a PaK40, a 37mm AA gun, a lone Marder III and a panzerschrek team.  They were bolstered by three mighty King Tiger tanks, lords of any WW2 gaming table.   Their objective was grim and simple - hold to the end, break the morale of the Soviet attack and buy more time for Berlin...Conscripts Mike and Cam took command of the Germans.

This officer shamed the motherland by fleeing the battlefield - he will be shot for cowardice as an example to others...

The onrushing Soviets were suitably enormous - a platoon of IS-2 tanks, a company of T-34/85 tanks, a platoon of hard-ass veteran infantrymen and a platoon of regulars, backed by a maxim MG team and battery of 152mm guns off table.  The Soviets could win two ways - capture the train station and the crossroads at the end of the village, or just break the morale of the Germans.  Conscript Dallas and a Prairiecon visitor took command of the Soviets.

The Tiger tanks are finally finding the range...and many Russian tanks pay the price. The Volksgrenadiers in the church chipped in with a couple of panzerfaust shots as too.

The premise of the scenario is that the King Tigers of the 502nd are moving toward the front, which they still think is further east, closer to the Oder, but in fact are surprised to run into a Soviet spearhead just outside the town, where a hasty defence is organized.  The Soviets would start well on to the table, and the King Tigers would move on to the table one per turn.

The motherland avenged! The train station falls, and the IS-2s move into the village.

The Soviets started out big, hammering the Germans with artillery and suppressive fire from the 122mm guns of the IS-2s.  The Germans lost their Marder, PaK40 and panzerschrek team in short order - ouch! It looked like a walkover for the Russians. It got a little grimmer for the Germans in the next couple of turns, as the King Tigers suffered from abysmal luck on the gunnery dice, missing again and again against the Soviet tanks!  The only early success for the Germans came when they pulled a "mine strike" token, and an IS-2 was knocked out on the road.

The train station has fallen, and the IS-2s move past the objective - note the carnage on the other Soviet flank at the top of the photo

The Russians, however, got a hasty surprise when they attempted to capture the train station (which the Germans had fortified).  They blasted it with artillery from off-table and with direct fire from the IS-2s, but Mike was on fire with the saving throws, and the squad in the building refused to stay pinned down.  The Russians ultimately captured the building in a bloody close assault, but it cost Dallas an entire infantry platoon.

IS-2 blasting away at targets in the town.

Further carnage was wrought by the German MG42 team stationed in another building on the outskirts of town.  The machinegun devastated the other Russian foot platoon, while the King Tigers (for once) finally found the range, and began to knock out T-34s with ease.  The losses started piling up on the Russian side.

End of the war for this 37mm German flak team...

The Russians resorted to heavy bombardments from their off-table artillery, and they took their toll.  Finally the pin markers and casualties started to add up for the Germans, and their battlegroup ultimately broke in the end, but not before extracting a dreadful toll on the attacking Soviets.  All in all, a very suitable ending considering the setting.

The King Tigers blast away - note that one got tagged with an "out of fuel" token; these tokens are a great feature of the Battlegroup rules

Overall I found the "Battlegroup" rules to be pretty good, if maybe not as good the the hype online was making them out to be.  There are some excellent mechanics in the game, particularly the battle rating system and the random events. There also some mechanics I ignored, particularly ammunition limitations in the tanks.  This is, of course, a very realistic concept, but the game already call for enough documentation and I wasn't about to bother keeping track of ammunition in 25 tanks and anti-tank guns.  The rules can be confusing at times - in particular I find the off-table support process ponderous, and the means for organizing the off-table support in the army lists is confusing and poorly organized.  Navigating the book will make you want to scream, but overall it's worth it!  And the campaign background and presentation is excellent - even if they scenarios they offer up are not ones you will be able to put on easily, they are fantastic inspiration.

Some of the other games happening at Prairiecon 2015.

Thank you to Dallas and Mike for playing, and to Conscript Cam who came down to Brandon to join our games - it is always great to see Cam! A very special thank you here to Dallas for taking nearly all of these photos and for lending his terrain to the game, particularly his incredible warmat from Barrage Miniatures, as well as excellent grass fields and trees.  And congratulations to the Prairiecon organizers for another outstanding event! I look forward to next year.

---

Sons of Horus Heavy Support Troops

June 24, 2015, 9:08 am

≫ Next: More Random 20mm WW2 Stuff

≪ Previous: Prairiecon 2015 Game One - Battlegroup Fall Of The Reich

$

0

0

 

Heavy support for Horus, our last hope!

A little more 30k collection escalation.  Not as impressive as Dallas' recent addition to the Loyalist motor pool (see here and here), but these fellows may be able to help against them.  As Dallas has mentioned, one of the wonderful fun things about playing the 30k Horus Heresy period is the immense scale of everything, from the massive vehicles to the larger, hard-hitting squads.  There is never just one of anything, when their could be five or ten.  Embracing this spirit, here is a Devastator Squad from the 16th Legion, armed with lascannons.

The Warmaster would like to wreck your stuff...

Again, the embossed legion logos on the shoulder pads are highly addictive...once you use them on one squad, I sort of want them on every squad

Extra power cell for the cannon is hooked to the back pack

These are Forge World figures wearing Mark III marine power armour, my favourite armour set from their Heresy range of figures.  The Mark III marines have a dark, proto-medieval feel about them, particularly when armed with the heaviest "portable" (and I mean that in a relative way, as in portable for a Space Marine) weapon in the game.

"Target that Spartan over there..."

That is where that crazy sort of out-of-control aura of 30k comes in - why have just one lascannon, when you can have five?  This squad will be able to put useful dents into the heavy armoured vehicles of the duped loyalists and fools who cling to the fading light of the False Emperor.  They will also come in handy against any Terminator squads that show up out of the blue.

A lot of segmented bits on the Mark III armour...a very cool look

The squad can, in fact, round out to 10 troops with lascannons.  That sounds like fun, and is probably something I will do at one point, but there are other things that probably should be painted first.  The Sons of Horus need some more vehicles, in particular. 

I tried to use the flechette-shaped devastator squad symbol on the other shoulders, but the decals were tricky to use

I've painted about 25 models for the Sons of Horus over the past couple of months, and my painting attention is starting to wander a bit - time for some more WW2 stuff, I think.  But the overall buildup continues...

More Random 20mm WW2 Stuff

July 6, 2015, 2:58 pm

≫ Next: Battle Report - Flames of War, 15mm WW2

≪ Previous: Sons of Horus Heavy Support Troops

$

0

0

Assortment of 20mm WW2 stuff from PSC and Wargames Foundry

After a run of painting some Horus Heresy stuff, I wanted to get back to some of the WW2 stuff sitting in my rather aimless painting queue.  I started with some 20mm WW2 material - an odd collection of items from the Plastic Soldier Company and from Wargames Foundry.

Perry 20mm WW2 Panzer Grenadiers

The Foundry sculpts are part of a strangely stunted 20mm WW2 range they still offer.  I wonder if at one point in the past this collection was more established and complete.  I don't know the history of it, but when Foundry switched to its relatively newer and somewhat nicer (sounding) management, it seemed to come forward again.  You can get some 20mm WW2 stuff from Foundry again, and these figures are part of that range.

Fellow on the front right has rifle grenade - interesting sculpt

The figures were sculpted by the Perry twins, and they look really sharp, even if the range is really limited.  I thought I would try and get a few packs to put together a unit of Panzer Grenadiers in 20mm. My thought did not work out very well in practice.  The Perry sculpts are top quality, but the range is profoundly limited.  The MG34 teams are either prone (lame) or marching (terrible) - they are properly done sculpts, but one of the worst things in 20mm and 28mm WW2 gaming are prone MG teams and marching MG teams.  Panzer Grenadier squads have two MGs teams each, so I'm trying to find some more teams from other ranges.

The MG34 team are fine sculpts, but I loathe marching poses for MG teams - they look so out of place among a squad of troops otherwise ready for action

These figures are wearing camouflage smocks and pants...although I think pants can also be just straight up field grey.  I did a mix of pants: some in camo, and some in the field grey to give some variety.  I tried (again) to paint German splinter camouflage on the smocks, pants and helmet covers, but I didn't make much of a go...despite the number of helpful tutorials online, I can't really seem to get the German infantry camouflage to look right.  It's not terrible...just seems off. I hope I can get better with practice, but German camouflage makes me nuts...

251D Hanomag from PSC, 1/72 scale

You get tons of detail in these great kits

The 251D Hanomag is a 1/72 plastic model from Plastic Soldier Company.  Like their other 1/72 stuff, this is a fantastic model.  Very easy to assemble, lots of details, and paints up very quick. You get a number of extra bits as well - stowage, troops to sit inside, a gunner for the MG if you want one - it's great quality and great value.

8cm mortar team and radio man - 1/72 figures from PSC

Some other bits are also from the Plastic Soldier Company - up first is an 8cm mortar team to provide some fire support for the German infantry sections.  There is also a trooper with a radio.  The mortar team is from PSC's heavy weapon box, while the radio man is from their late-war infantry pack.

Panzerschrek team, 1/72 from PSC

Lots of nice detail on these 1/72 PSC figs

Up next is a Panzerschrek team, to try and hold off the T-34s and other scary Russian things.  Like the mortar, these figures come from the PSC German heavy weapon box.

Medic from PSC, 1/72 scale

Last but not least is a medic, another one of the extras you get from the PSC late-war infantry pack. Some rules like Battlegroup and Chain of Command have small rules that let you makes use of figures like this medic, so it was fun to paint up and we'll see if we can figure out how to work him into a game.

That's it for this bunch...up next, maybe some 15mm WW2...

Battle Report - Flames of War, 15mm WW2

July 8, 2015, 8:31 am

≫ Next: More Gothic Ruined Buildings from SG2 Creations!

≪ Previous: More Random 20mm WW2 Stuff

$

0

0

Tanks on fire during a Flames of War game played last week

It's been quiet for a while on the Fawcett Avenue gaming front, with several of the fellows making a visit to Europe for the Waterloo anniversary, and others taking up opportunities to enjoy our brief (and below standard) summer - any respite from the hell of winter on the Canadian Prairies must be enjoyed to the maximum extent possible.

Forward for the Rodina!

But we are still getting some gaming in - last week conscripts Byron and Dallas stopped by for a game of "Flames of War", the popular 15mm WW2 gaming rules. The game was set on the Eastern Front in the summer of 1944, and the scenario was "hold fast", one of the basic scenarios from the rule book.  The Germans would be hoping to hold back a Soviet tide - not very original, but basic and fun. We played it straight from the book with one modification - I left out the "ambush" for the defenders.  We don't play much Flames of War, and I was trying to keep it simple.

The Soviet tidal wave - part 1

Soviet tidal wave - Part 2 - a Maxim team in the foreground is trying to give some covering fire

The Soviet battlegroup was an infantry battalion - two big companies of infantry backed with mortars, light anti-tank guns and a whole company of T-34/76 tanks.  They had the services of a battery of 122mm guns (kept off table, because that sort of stuff should just not be on the table).  The Soviets would (of course) be the attackers - Dallas took command.

Company of T-34s roars forward

Nervous German grenadiers dug in and waiting for the Soviets to falter...is that possible?

The German battlegroup was a worn down motorised infantry company - two grenadier platoons, a section of 8cm mortars, a pair of MG42s, two PaK 40 anti-tank guns, a battery of StuGs and a platoon of Panzer IVHs.  The Germans also got some off-table fire-support in the form of a battery of 10.5cm guns, but I limited the ammo to just four fire missions. Byron took command of the German side.

Iron Crosses to be handed out...

Nobody left to award them to...the Germans knocked out one T-34 with a Panzerfaust, but the infantry are overrun!

Both battlegroups worked out to about 1400 points a side. The table was 6' x 4', with the short edges as the base for each side.  Two objectives were placed in the German half of the table, and if the Soviets could capture one of them, the jig was up and the Germans were done. Straight up, all this German stuff would mow down the Russians in short order - but the problem for the Germans was they didn't get all of this stuff at first - half of it was in delayed reserve. Byron had to decide which units he thought could hold out the best under the tide of Russian steel, and hope for the best.

StuGs arrive to even the odds for Byron

Byron put his two infantry platoons, his mortars and his PaK40s on the table. They got to start the game "dug-in", concealed and gone-to-ground.  The attack was on!  The Soviets got to pile their entire force on the table, 18" away from the centre line, and they started with the first turn.  Dallas unleashed the Russian horde!

The T-34s feel the effects of shooting from the German StuGs

It was pretty cool - scads of Russian troops roared toward the Germans, firing as they went, but having little effect as the Germans were dug in and hard to hit. Their artillery barrages did a lot of damage, however, causing a lot of pins.

Byron's commanding officer directs the battle

Byron and the Germans replied with withering fire, but the big Soviet infantry companies are difficult to slow down (one of them had 16 stands in a single mass - yikes!).  And his PaK40s could not draw a bead on the T-34s as they roared up the flank. Soviet losses mounted, but not enough to seriously stem the advance.

Remnants of a mauled grenadier platoon try and add their fire from the flank

By the fourth turn the Soviets were in position to launch assaults, and it got really bloody for the Germans, as one of the Grenadier platoons was crushed by Soviet tank treads, while the second one was mauled with point-blank fire.  One of the Pak40s was overrun.  The Soviets captured an objective, and things looked grim.  

Panzer IVs add their fire against the T-34s...suddenly the tide is turning!

But then reserves arrived for the Germans! Byron's StuG battery appeared and blasted the Soviet tank company to pieces over turns five and six.  The flaming wrecks were not able to hold the objective. Dallas' infantry horde tried to follow into the breach, but once the T-34s were gone, the Soviets could not grapple with the armour - the 45mm anti-tank guns were trailing along in the assault, but were not in position to assist, and the artillery could not get ranged in. Once the Panzer IVs showed up, that was that - a close and costly win for the Germans...the Panzers showing up to assist this company likely meant doom for some other poor force elsewhere on the line, but hey - that's the Eastern Front for you...

The Germans recapture the objective!

I'm something of a gaming snob, and many aspects of the Flames of War game cause a wrinkle in my proverbial nose - the overuse of the word "army", the hub-to-hub tanks, the easy access to rare assets like heavy tanks, air support and anti-aircraft, the presence of heavy artillery on the table, the specials rules...blah blah - many more articulate gamers than I have outlined these issues elsewhere. And yet...and yet.  You know what? It's still a fun game.  Really, really fun. More and more lately the "hey, let's just have a fun game" side of my gaming brain has been kicking the sh!t out of my "oh, this just won't do" side of my gaming brain.  For throwing down a Thursday night game, Flames of War is a good time.

Infantry race in to fill the gap, but they falter in the fact of fire from the German armour...

And from that perspective, Flames of War is a lot of fun.  I'm sure I screwed up some of the rules, but overall we had a 1400 point game in just over two hours - tons of carnage and wreckage on the table, and it was all good.  Of course this is not the complex, immersing and thoughtful experience you can get with a game like Chain of Command (which is also excellent), but I have to say the more I play Flames of War, the more fun it is (as long as I can keep it simple). 

Thanks to Byron and Dallas for coming out to play, and to Byron for helping me test out the scenario (and practice a bit with the rules) during a short game earlier in the week.  Also a big thank you to Dallas for letting me use his terrain bits again :)

More Gothic Ruined Buildings from SG2 Creations!

July 22, 2015, 1:24 pm

≫ Next: PaK 36(r) Guns for 15mm WW2

≪ Previous: Battle Report - Flames of War, 15mm WW2

$

0

0

"Building" (see what I did there) towards the big Horus Heresy mini-campaign/mega-game later this summer, it's up to me to organize the terrain. You've read here before about Conscript Byron's awesome laser-cut MDF stylings, including the fantastic Gothic ruined buildings I built and painted some weeks ago.

Well there's more - Byron's come out with a new Gothic ruined building, plus a "corner kit" of four ruined corners. I just had to pick up a set of each!

The ruined building is great. It's a bit longer than the other design and not as tall, but it's designed in a matching style so it'll look great with the others on the table. As usual in my build, I added ground texture and broken bricks for a more ruined look.

Some basic spray paint, acrylics, washes and weathering powders completed the build.

Here's the four corner pieces that come in Byron's set. Nice for completing a tabletop tableau.

Finished to match the other buildings we'll use for our games. Nice stuff as always Byron!

PaK 36(r) Guns for 15mm WW2

July 27, 2015, 2:28 pm

≫ Next: Hill 62 / Sanctuary Wood Museum, Flanders

≪ Previous: More Gothic Ruined Buildings from SG2 Creations!

$

0

0

15mm PaK 36(r) section from Battlefront

 A little more WW2 stuff from the summer painting table, this time in 15mm.  These are PaK 36(r) anti-tank guns from Battlefront.  There were two guns with crews in the blister pack.  There is also a 3-man SMG command team, but I haven't painted them yet...

Some pigment on the muzzle brake to give the barrel a "used" look

Confronted by tides of Russian tanks and the demands of the huge and extended eastern front, as well as continued fighting in North Africa, the Germans pressed a number of captured Russian guns into their own service.  The 76.2mm guns were captured from the Russians in very large numbers from the huge pockets of Red Army troops enveloped during Operation Barbarossa, and the Germans put them into the line.

I tried a camo pattern on the gun commander...not much of a result, but good to practice I guess

The gun was adjusted to take 75mm ammunition for the PaK 40 anti-tank guns, and provided German units with a decent anti-tank gun.  The same gun was mounted on the Marder anti-tank gun carriers.  I think these saw action in the North African desert and against the Red Army on the eastern front.

The crew castings have a nice animation to them

I don't know if many of these guns were still around by later 1944 and 1945, but I liked to think a few of them would have still been in the line, particularly with Volksgrenadier-type formations.  As the Allies closed in, I'm sure the Germans used whatever guns were available, particularly in the east. 

Nice crew figures, and extras like ammo boxes

I believe the Germans also used these guns in their more traditional artillery role - I think the German designation for that was FK36(r), but I start to get confused when I look into the different versions of the gun, and then the different German versions of the different Russian versions...

T-34s targeted...

These models were decent, nice ones to work with from Battlefront. You get neat little extras, like shell containers, spent shell casings and the like. These two guns will work well in games of Flames of War, Battlegroup, and even Chain of Command.

Some more 15mm WW2 stuff up next...