TFL Painting Challenge: Latest Update

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Good steady stream of entries coming in at the moment. Today, in no particular order, we have:

  • Carole with some more barbarian types
  • Chris Stoesen with three 15mm ships
  • Cold Wars West Germans from Jason Ralls
  • A large entry from the Hat: 15mm Vietnam Australians, sci-fi 'copters and some Romans from Mr Bowler
  • A large-but-small entry from Derek Hodge: who's just finished a 5-day blitz on his 6mm forces for Normandy '44
  • Mr Burt pops in some more Africans
  • And last, but by no means least, Mervyn takes a break from re-basing for GdA to send in some Austrian skirmishers and some Picts.

As always, clicking on the name of the painter will take you to their gallery, which will open in a new window.

Today's pictures are below:

IABSM Facebook Group

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For those of you who haven't spotted it yet, there's now a Facebook group devoted to I Ain't Been Shot, Mum. 

The group already has 200 members, so promises to be a good place to swap info, ask rules questions etc.

Click here to go there!

As an example of the sort of content that's on there, Paul Beccas has posted a short video report of his first game of IABSM, which you can also watch below...

It's also quite a good site on which to place mini-AAR, such as Sigur Skwarl's four pictures from his first game of IABSM, using the first scenario from the rulebook:

WW2 Polish Infantry Platoon

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Why are these infantry wearing cavalry helmets?

The observant among you may have noticed that in my recent early war battle reports, the Polish infantry have been represented on the tabletop by dismounted Polish cavalry. The Adrienne helmets and black boots would obviously have given it away!

Well that's because I hadn't got round to painting any Polish infantry yet. The thought of painting so many figures in just about the same uniform as the Soviets was very disheartening:  three platoons of thirty six men each is a lot of troops. However, I finally girded my loins and dived in, buying a couple of platoons from Battlefront.

These arrived after a very long wait (as they are not desert or Team Yankee, they are out of stock!), but my excitement at the moment of un-boxing was soon dispelled by the sight of so many badly cast blobs. I know the Poles aren't flavour of the moment, but please keep the molds as current as possible!

So I put them to one side and bought another couple of platoons from Forged in Battle. Much cleaner casts, and I like the mix of manufacturers in the same platoon that's achieved by taking what I can from the Battlefront pack and sowing them into the FiB platoons.

Here then is the first platoon, with the previously painted Big Man and light support weapons. As the squads are so big, I've chosen to mount them Flames of War stylee on the "biscuits of death": makes such big squads easier to use.

Now a quick break with some desert Chuhuac, and then on to platoon two!

Mid-War Tank Destroyers

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I don't usually buy painted figures from eBay: I kind of think that I should paint all that I need myself.

However, last week I was browsing, more seeing what was out there, and came across an auction for a couple of Hornisse/Nashorn mid- to late-war, German tank-destroyers.

I bid what seemed like a reasonable price for them (under £7 a vehicle) and won, with the two models arriving within a week.

A quick re-basing, and here they are:

I really must get an airbrush sometime soon!

TFL Painting Challenge: A Double Update

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Be careful what you wish for!

So yesterday I log all the Challenge entries and write my blog post, slightly lamenting the fact that things were so quiet.

It's all set up and ready to go when in comes the news about the publication of the Summer Special (see yesterday's post). So I bump the Painting Challenge to today in order to get the news of the Special up there in a timely fashion.

Then, of course, I open my inbox this morning to find it packed with Challenge entries, all of which I have to process quickly this morning!

So, not so slow on the Challenge...and here are the latest entries:

  • Jason Ralls rolls over the challenge with thirty cold war Soviet tanks and APCs
  • Matt Slade mixes and matches with a chimera in 28mm
  • It's the return of The Vapours as Andy Duffell goes all Japanese on us
  • Carole has been spending time with some Copplestone barbarians
  • Never one to do anything by halves, our favourite Fat Wally submits many, many casualty markers
  • Mr Hodge sends in loads of WW2 6mm and 10mm kit, plus a Spanish church
  • Risen from the dead is Mr Davenport with a host of 15mm WW2 vehicles
  • The Great Gatzemeyer goes WW1 sci-fi
  • Also going WW1, but not the sci-fi bit, is Andrew McCarthy
  • and last, but by no means least, Mr Helliwell adds yet more Thirty Years War figures to his collection. A trip to Ikea needed now!

As is usual, clicking on the name of the gallery owner, above, will take you straight to their gallery (opens in a new page),

Today's pics are below:

A close up of some of Carole's barbarians

Ikko Ikki from Andy Duffell

Hotchkiss tanks in 10mm from Derek Hodge

Keep them coming!

Summer Special 2017 Arrives

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This year's TFL Summer Special is now published and available for purchase. Here's Big Rich on what's in it:

"Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Because the Summer Special has arrived!

"So, allegedly, said W.H. Auden when we released the contents list of one of our earlier Specials and this one is just as packed with Lardy fun as any we have seen before with great scenarios, rule ideas and variants and plenty for Lardies old and new to enjoy.

"Let’s take a look at the contents:

  • Flashman and the Emperor: Give yourself top billing as you step into the shoes of Harry Flashman. Can you guide our hero to a safe outcome in this campaign-launching tale of derring-do set in Mexico in 1867.  Will Harry Save the Emperor Maximilian or will he face an untimely death at the hands of the Juaristas?
  • Holding the Line:  Internationally famous wargaming celebrity and lover of gnomes, Mike Hobbs and his chums take us to Normandy 1944 for this Chain of Command scenario with some fun rules additions to tickle your fancy.
  • Sacker of Cities: If the only Homer you know is on the Simpsons, allow “The Colonel” Dave Parker to introduce you to the excellent Trojan Wars expansion for Dux Britanniarum produced by the intellectual giant which is the Durham Wargames Club. “Beware the Wrath of the Gods” says Dave.  I have enough trouble keeping the missus happy…
  • 1745:  David Hunter leaves the safety of the Crossroads Motel and parties like it’s 1745, taking Sharp Practice for a Highland Reel north of the border with unit Rosters and rule adjustments for the Jacobite Rebellion.
  • Cracking the Westwall: Big Rich heads for the Siegfried Line and reveals all you could ever want to know and more about this vision in concrete.
  • Build a Bunker: Inspired by his research, Big Rich shares a step-by-step guide of how to turn polystyrene to concrete.
  • Achtung! Big Rich completes his West Wall trio with a bunker assault scenario for Chain of Command.  Pick your squad, choose your tools and see if you can break through the West Wall.
  • Using Field of Glory Renaissance Armies in Sharp Practice. In the first of our two articles looking at extending Sharp Practice into the age of Pike and Shot, Carole gives us some interesting rule suggestions as she expands Sharp Practice for her evil ends.
  • The Battle of Frank Sanbeans Farm:  This ACW Sharp Practice scenario from Jim Ibbotson, as seen at OML5, wins an award for the worst ever punning title for a game, but we forgive him for his wonderful brush-work.
  • Action in the Valle Delle Marie A hard fighting scenario for I Aint Been Shot Mum from the pen of Mike Whitaker as he heads for the hills and valleys of la bella Italia.
  • LRRP teams in Charlie Don’t Surf:  Charles Eckhart gives top tips on using LRRPS in CDS, plus a scenario to test your new skills.  Can you find Charlie?
  • The Attack on Sochaczew:  Robert Avery pushes his panzers to the limit with an Early War scenario for I Ain’t Been Shot Mum
  • The Bridge at Saindoux:  Fat Nick goes Commando with a scenario for Chain of Command and the outcome is, predictably, explosive.
  • Unternehmen Rollshufahren.  An German airborne assault on a critical British installation see the LDV fighting for their lives as criminal elements assist the naughty Nazis in this Operation Sea Lion scenario for Chain of Command.  Nothing if not topical!
  • Sharply Buffed:  Our second foray into Pike and Shot with rule ideas and force rosters from Nick Worthington
  • Sharpening Up I Ain’t Been Shot Mum:  Frugal Scot Wee Derek Hodge squeezes two rule sets into one Page in a remarkable fusion of ideas.
  • The Roundwood Report Sidney brings up the rear with a topical look at Command and Control the key trends in the hobby.

"At 123 pages in total this is packed with some great ideas as well as the usual mix of scenarios and other Lard-based fun.  When we first produced the Specials in 2004 we tried to make them the best value in wargaming.  Thirteen years on we are still doing the same, holding the price at just £6 for the sixth year running."

You can buy the Special by clicking here or on the picture of the front cover, above.

Q13: More Chuhuac Battlesuits

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My Chuhuac (15mm sci-fi velociraptors with guns from Loud Ninja Games) force consists of three platoons: one camouflaged for the jungle, one for the desert, and one (special ops) for the city.

Each platoon consists of a couple of large squads of infantry in APCs, a squad of grav bikes, and a squad of battlesuits. Or that was the plan, until half way through the usual massive initial paint, I got distracted by other things.

Anyway, had a bit of time to spare this weekend, so filled in one of the gaps: the battlesuit squad for the second (desert) platoon.

Film Review: Battle for Moscow aka Panfilov's 28

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Flicking through Amazon Prime last night looking for something to watch, I came across the film Battle for Moscow aka Panfilov's 28. Worth a look, I thought, so clicked to spend my £4.99 and settled down to see what was what.

Well it's a cracking bit of military movie making. Here's the summary:

USSR, Late November, 1941. Based on the account by reporter Vasiliy Koroteev that appeared in the Red Army's newspaper, Krasnaya Zvezda, shortly after the battle, this is the story of Panifilov's Twenty-Eight, a group of twenty-eight soldiers of the Red Army's 316th Rifle Division, under the command of General Ivan Panfilov, that stopped the advance on Moscow of a column of fifty-four Nazi tanks of the 11th Panzer Division for several days. Though armed only with standard issue Mosin-Nagant infantry rifles and DP and PM-M1910 machine guns, all useless against tanks, and with wholly inadequate RPG-40 anti-tank grenades and PTRD-41 anti-tank rifles, they fought tirelessly and defiantly, with uncommon bravery and unwavering dedication, to protect Moscow and their Motherland.

The film begins with some infantry in a small village, gathered around some tables in the snow being taught how to disable German tanks. There's lots of chat about duty and the Motherland, a bit of banter as we start to identify the different soldiers, and a general sense of teeth being gritted as they prepare for battle. 

There's some interesting uniforms on display, as this is a Kasakh regiment (loving the huge and bright purple collar flashes!) and, as they start to dig in, a sense that they have a tough time ahead of them. There's some more banter about Thermopylae and the Seven Samurai, and then we're straight into the trenches to await the Nazi attack.

Not a still from the film, but a group shot of the main actors

The Germans get a pre-game stonk, and then come forward with tanks and infantry...but this first assault is beaten back fairly easily as the Soviets are under hidden Blinds and inflict double Shock when firing from ambush.

There's then a bit of a pause for more chat, and then we're on to the climactic battle as the Germans first pound the Russian trenches with off-table artillery, and then come forward again with an overwhelming number of tanks and infantry committed to the assault. I won't tell you what happens, but think Rourke's Drift!

It's stirring stuff, and the German tanks (Panzer IIIs and IVCs) look amazing , especially the shots from inside the tanks. The Russians have 45mm anti-tank guns, anti-tank rifles, and anti-tank grenades...and, presumably, balls of steel!

The cinematography is excellent, the sound very good (no mumbling actors here) and, as above, the special effects are cracking too. 

For those worried about the gore factor, it's not shot in the modern grossly graphic style (the first episode of the new season of Preacher was ten times worse!) but more akin to movies such as The Longest Day or Battle of the Bulge.

In all, it's a really good, old-fashioned war movie.

Highly recommended.

Here come the Germans!

Jagdtigers from Zvezda

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One of the recent new 15mm releases from Zvezda was the Jagdtiger: joining the Sturmtiger and Elefant on the list of available German wunderwaffe.

Now I don't know why Zvezda would concentrate on such rare vehicles as opposed to, say, expanding their early war range or starting on the Polish, Italians or Japanese,  but I'm glad they did, as it means that I can add them to my collection guilt-free at about £3 a time rather than having to pay an exorbitant amount for the Battlefront equivalent.

As you can see from the photo, they paint up beautifully and are certainly not short on detail.

The Jagdtiger were a little bit more difficult to put together than some of the other Zvezda models that I have made, and I actually had to use a bit of green stuff to fill some gaps, but still the two combined took me only a couple of hours to complete from start to finish.

Highly recommended, as are all Zvezda's models.

Incidentally, if anyone is wondering, in IABSM the Jagtiger has armour 16 and gun strike 20: ridiculous!

PS  If Mr Zvezda is reading this, can we have some Polish 7TP tanks now please.

IABSM AAR: The Initiation of Dashwood-Brown

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The TFL Specials are a great source of inspiration and scenarios. Here, Charles Eckart plays through Mike Brian's scenario from the 2005 Summer Special: The Initiation of Dashwood-Brown.

It's Normandy, 1944. Suave ladies-man Captain Royston Dashwood-Brown and his men of 6th Dorsetshire Regiment are about to get their first taste of action on the battlefields of France.

Click on the map, below, to see how they did...

Xarledi Hover Tanks for the Hura Technocracy

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According to the Clear Horizons website, "the Hura Technocracy represents an alien species known as the Hura. While possessing traits of both crabs and mantis insects, the Hura are an advanced species that use their technology to give them every advantage. Not only do they have a strong chitin outer skeleton that can deflect blows almost as well as most basic Human body armor, they utilize a powerful series of miniature, close-contact forcefield generators that provide an extra layer of defense without limiting their strength and speed. Their weaponry, nicknamed “Lightning Rods’, strike out with powerful beams that can fry not only organic material but any unshielded electronics as well".

Not my Hura!

I acquired my Hura through the original Kickstarter, investing enough to get a full company of infantry plus quite a few of the cyber-support weapons too. They then sat in the lead mountain for a couple of years until the built up guilt of ignoring them became too much and they moved to the painting table.

Unable to match the skills of the painter who produced the sample figures, I decided to go aquatic, and have the Hura's basic skin colour as light blue with nicely contrasting dark grey armour. Weapons would be the same green as for the infantry of the Pelagic Dominate on the grounds that they are aquatic too, so whatever they use to build the guns will work for the Hura as well.

Clear Horizons don't produce any specific vehicles for the Hura, so when I saw Brigade Models' new Xarledi tanks for their Yenpalo range, I jumped at the chance to have the Hura using these. Lovely models. The crewman's head, btw, is from CP Models.

The tanks arrived from Brigade in a box full of polystyrene chips. I pulled out the three Xarledis that I thought I'd ordered and put the box to one side. I had just finished the third tank when it was time to put out the rubbish, so I went back to the box...and what did I find? Yes, another tank: I had ordered four but forgotten! There's nothing more annoying than looking at three finished tanks whilst you are frantically finishing the fourth.

Anyhoo, all four are done now, and I've also added a gallery of all my Hura models to the Q13 section of the website. Or you can click on the pic below to go straight there.

TFL Painting Challenge: Another Huge Update

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We've all been very busy over the last couple of weeks: lots of entries into the painting challenge.

So, in no particular order, we have:

  • Mark Luther with some more kit for Burma 1944, and the start of a microarmour WW2 Hungarian army.
  • The great Gatzemeyer has some more Anglo-Danes for his warband
  • John Haines pops in some more AWI infantry
  • Carole sends in a stronghold: a camp for her HOTT renaissance army
  • It's time to go out and get a new cabinet, as Andrew Helliwell bursts his old one at the seams with another sixty TYW foot figures
  • Chris Gilbride returns to the challenge for the first time this year with a big entry consisting of various terrain pieces and some WW2 Soviet tanks
  • Where would we be without our weekly entry from Mervyn: this time it's Numidians, Congalese and terrain
  • Matt Slade showcases the new Warbases 15mm sci-fi terrain. Lots of of pics!
  • More modern Danes from Doug Melville
  • And last, but by no means least, a big entry of African tribesmen from Jason Ralls

As per usual, clicking on the names above will take you to their gallery (opens in a new window).

Today's pictures are below:

Q13: Another 15mm Manufacturer Added to the List

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Just when you thought you had them all, up pops another. My thanks to those of you who e-mailed me.

Vanguard Miniatures are mostly a 6mm manufacturer, but have got three 15mm ranges available as well. These are the entomorphs, who are rather nice and need to be purchased asap, some space ork types known as skinnerz (any relation, Nick?) and some human types. They also stock Onslaught Miniatures ranges as well.

Here are some of the entomorphs and, yes, sigh, some space orkz too!

Loving these Entomorphs, will have to get some

Q13: Xar Flying Saucers!

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I've often complained that figure manufacturers have a habit of releasing incomplete sci-fi armies: a few infantry codes but without any support weapons, vehicles etc.

One manufacturer, however, who can never be accused of that is Ground Zero Games (GZG). If ever there was a good reason to use the word plethora, then  looking at the GZG catalogue is it!

Ralph Plowman's Xar

One of their latest releases are the Xar:  six legged aliens also known as Critters. True to form, the initial release included basic infantry types with two types of support weapons and separate officer/specialist types. That first release was soon followed by unarmed Xar in a variety of martial arts poses (just brilliant!) that could be used as such or also engineers, gun crews or other such support types, with the plethora of equipment and vehicles available elsewhere in the GZG range.

Now GZG have topped themselves again by launching the first of the vehicle codes for the Xar:  flying saucers! Each one comes as a thickish disc about 2.5cms in diameter topped by a Xar and sided by an impressive array of guns. As you'll see from the pictures below, despite my rudimentary painting technique, these are great. Highly recommended.

Must clean off the spider webs before photography!

New 15mm WW2 Figure Manufacturer

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Having sorted out the list of sci-fi figure manufacturers, I thought I'd better take a look at the WW2 list as well.

Coincidentally, just as I was doing this, a notice about a new one appeared on TMP:  Butlers Printed Models.  This is a 3D printing outfit who will print your required vehicles to order.

As it's 3D printing, the finish is a bit rougher than resin or plastic, but then tanks (especially Soviet ones!) tend to be pretty rough to the touch.

At the moment, Butler's have all the basic vehicles required at some very competitive prices. All they need to do now is a Polish 7TP and I shall be reaching for my credit card!

Click on the pic below to see all: