Felid jetbikes from Khurasan Miniatures. Absolutely fantastic figures, although I'm afraid the photo doesn't really do them justice. Paint up really nicely as well...I can't wait to get them onto the tabletop.
The next scenario pack updated for IABSM3 is "Fall of the Lion Gate". From the original press pack:
Make sure you can Banzai! with the best of them this Christmas with Robert Avery's latest pdf scenario booklet for "I Ain't Been Shot, Mum!".
An extensive history of the Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore accompanied by twenty-one unique scenarios for "I Ain't Been Shot, Mum!" including attacks, counter-attacks, encounter battles, an opposed landing, ambushes, fighting retreats, and even a last stand!
"Fall of the Lion Gate" contains the following scenarios: Kota Bahru; Ban Sadao; The Ledge; Jitra; Gurun; Grik Road; Kota Tampan; Kampar; Kuantan; Slim River; Muar; Bakri; Batu Pahat; Mersing; Layang Layang; Airstrip Road; Kranji Peninsular; Bukit Timah; Jurong Road; Nee Soon; and Pasir Panjang.
Each scenario contains a background history, maps, a full game briefing, and a full briefing for each player. Simply print out the pages you need, unpack your figures, set up the table, and away you go!
Three After Action Reports posted today, all of which have previously been posted on the TFL Yahoo Group.
First up is the report from a game held at Stockholm Spelkonvent: a thrilling tale of two iron crosses!
IABSM at Stockholm Spelkonvent
CDS at Milleniumcon 14
Then it's a Vietnam game from Brian Weatherby held at Milleniumcon 14 using the first scenario from the Surf's Up scenario pack.
Finally, Max Maxwell reports on his last game of IABSM2...before, of course, moving on to IABSM3!
Our Penguin friends report on their first game of IABSM3: a demo game at Igloo Con 2011.
The next scenario pack updated for IABSM3 is "Vyazma or Bust".
Set in Russia in the autumn of 1941, Vyazma or Bust contains over a dozen scenarios that may be played individually, or for greater enjoyment as part of a linked campaign: 126 pages of high quality wargaming.
An AAR and some photographs from Brain Cantwell: his first game of IABSM3.
I've started posting pictures of my later war Germans. I hate painting camouflage, and prefer playing the early war period, so have avoided any figures like these before...but I got tempted by the Plastic Soldier Company Panzer IVHs (pictured below) at £15 for five tanks.
Painting the pea dot camo was a bit of a pain, but I'm fairly happy with the results. Now to work out how to do the earlier stripey patterns!
Some more great Italians from Battlefront: Autocannone da 102/35 (102mm naval gun mounted on a 6-ton FIAT 634N truck)
Some photographs of their first game of Charlie Don't Surf from the Lardies of Madrid.
Following the recent release of IABSM v3, I am working my way through the seven scenario packs I have written for the game, updating them in line with the changes to the rules and terminology used. Note that the scenarios are all easily usable with IABSM v1, v2 or v3 (or indeed with any company level WW2 rules): I just want to make sure that they are as easy to use as possible.
First to be completed is The Defence of Calais: 14 scenarios centred around the BEF's ill-fated defence of Calais, France, 1940.
Another superb AAR from Richard Clarke introducing the new third edition IABSM rules.
This time it's a tank-focussed game that introduces the new Aces concept.
Some German armoured cars added to the Army Galleries.
SdKfz 231 6-rad from Battlefront
Richard Clarke describes how he put together the scenario for an Operation Charnwood game, then gives us a cracking After Action Report.
Scout Walkers for the Protolene Khanate
The Aphids were still badly in need of some air power, so I have changed my mind about them having drones, and decided that their air assets are a bit more advanced than their ground troops: they have bought in better technology than they have invented themselves. The Aphids now have two types of aircraft: Lilypad-class single-Aphid fighters (featured as part of the 2nd September update) and Tadpole-class two-seater bombers. Both models are from Spartan Games' sci-fi fleet battle game Firestorm Armada.
Here are the Tadpole-class bombers:
Richard Clarke introduces IABSM3 with two battle reports taken from the playtesting process.
I Ain't Been Lucky, Or Opportunistic, Mum!
The Fight For Amen Corner
And now for something completely different: some anti-aircraft protection for the Protolene Khanate!
James Mantos introduces a nephew to the noble art of IABSM: a great battle report proving once again that you should never wargame with children or animals.
Air power is proving an important part of the new, full-length version of the sci-fi rules based on IABSM that I'm writing. With that in mind, I thought I'd better reinforce my ground troops with a selection of aerial drones: sort of uber-Predators.
All the drones, below, come from Spartan Games' excellent range of starships for theirFirestorm Armada game. They paint up very easily, and I would highly recommend them to people looking for this kind of thing. Each of the drone models, below, is about 3-4cms long, so ideal 15mm drone size. So, for my sci-fi armies, we have...
Lilypad Drones for the Aphids:
Stalker Drones for the Felids:
And Cone Drones for the Spug contingent of the Hive:
Those of you who have followed some of the AAR on this site will know what a pain this type of drone has proved to me in the past: time to arrange a game with Neil for payback!
There's been a lot of talk recently on whether the plastic figures available from companies such as the Plastic Soldier company or Zvezda are any good. Well, I thought I would try out some of the Zvezda Katyusha rocket launchers to see what I thought. Here is a picture of four Katyushas: three of them are plastic models from Zvezda, one of them is Battlefront.
For a model that is going to be on the tabletop less than almost never, the Zvezda plastics are easily adequate. They snapped together in seconds (by the third model, I was building and gluing the kit together in under 15 minutes!) and paint up very nicely as well. Do be a little careful when dry-brushing as the thin plastic does not seem as durable as metal, but I got through without anything breaking.
The best thing? The price! I got all three plastic kits, including postage and packing, for under a tenner! I shall certainly be investigating their other stuff: especially for "tail" equipment such as trucks.
NB The infantry figures in the photo above are either Battlefront or Old Glory. The Zvezda kits come without any crew.
Vis Lardica is a website devoted to wargaming and military history, with a special emphasis on the company-sized rulesets produced by the TooFatLardies: I Ain't Been Shot Mum (WW2); Charlie Don't Surf (Vietnam); and Quadrant 13 (science fiction)
Welcome to Vis Lardica, a not-for-profit website mostly dedicated to the company-sized wargaming rules produced by the TooFatLardies, but encompassing my other gaming interests as well.
If you need to contact me, you can do so at:
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