Grav Transports for the Hauk

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Originally posted 8th November 2013

the start of my Hauk troops: avians from Khuarasan who will support Mad Robot's Harook as their airmobile arm. 

First to be finished are the Aerie grav transports. I'm particularly pleased with the cockpit canopies: carefully copied, albeit in a different colour, from the examples on Khurasan's website.

These are arriving just in time to be used in the final playtesting of my Five Planets scenario pack for Q13, which is due for publication before the start of December. Although designed for 15mm Q13, it can be used with any sci-fi rules, so start saving your pennies now!

AAR: Near Avaux II

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Originally posted 3rd November 2013

Unusually, both my usual wargaming opponents were available in the same week. Last night, Dave and I fought to an epic draw (see below), tonight was Neil's turn. As I didn't have time to set up anything new, we'd fight the same battle as before. Not only that, but I would play the Germans again, and decided to set up in almost exactly the same way as before, looking forward to seeing how the two games would differ.

Well, it was indeed a very different game...

AAR: Near Avaux

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Originally posted 2nd November 2013

Terrific game of IABSM last night. Dave and I fought Scenario #4B from the Blenneville or Bust!scenario pack: Near Avaux. A hugely entertaining clash with the fortunes of war swaying backwards and forwards each turn, and with a truly epic climax!

T-28 Tanks for the Soviets

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Originally posted 1st November 2013

More early war tanks from Battlefront: this time Soviet T-28s. Bad picture, but these are nice little models.

AAR: Rawhide Replayed

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Originally posted 30th October 2013

Benito returns to the jungles of Vietnam with an AAR from one of the scenarios from the Surf's Up! scenario pack for Charlie Don't Surf. It's time for Rawhide Replayed...

BT-7A Tanks for the Soviets

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Originally posted 26th October 2013

With Battlefront flirting with the Sino-Soviet confrontations in Manchuria just before the "official" start of WW2, they have released a whole new set of early war Soviet kit. Here are the BT-7A tanks i.e. the BT-7 tank with a howitzer rather than a normal tank gun.

SuperHeavy Tanks for the Gitungi

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Originally posted 26th October 2013

One of the problems with 15mm sci-fi is that manufacturers seem to think that everyone wants to play 28mm skirmish games using 15mm figures. This means they release a "range" of figures that isn't so much a range as a taster, with manufacturers thinking a range is complete with a few infantry types and maybe a support weapon or two. This is especially true for alien races.

No, no, no, no, no!

What you need is leg infantry; command figures at platoon and company level; support weapons like machine gun and mortar equivalents; artillery and anti-tank weapons; technical specialists and drones; recon troops; APCs to motorise your force; maybe assault troops and engineers; then scout cars or light tanks, medium tanks and heavy tanks; flyers; and maybe a drop ship. A full range!

Ranting aside, the Gitungi from Micropanzer are a prime example. Beautiful leg infantry and, now that the drones have been sold off elsewhere, that's it. 

Well my Gitungi are lucky: they have managed to get hold of some of Khurasan's Federal Army tanks. The XM-6 SuperHeavy Grav tanks to be exact. Here they are:

AAR: Operation Biting

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Originally posted 25th October 2013

Here's an AAR that's been on my to-do list for some time. John has designed and is playing an IABSM scenario around the Operation Biting raid at Bruneval, where the Paras went in to capture some German radar technology.

A great AAR currently in two parts. You can see the details of the historical raid at the beginning of part two.


AAR: West of Pierrecourt

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Originally posted 20th October 2013

As promised, here is Topi's AAR from playing the first scenario of the Blenneville or Bust! scenario book campaign: West of Pierrecourt. 

To quote his introduction: "Kicked off our Blenneville campaign this weekend. A German panzergrenadier recon unit tries to stop the American machine in the bocage country. 'Greenhorn, this is nothing compared to Kursk' was the German motto, as more and more American troops arrived. Quite a few spoilers to the scenario, so be warned."

AAR: The Battle of Ras Gaan

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Originally posted 17th October 2013

The next battle report slurped from Topi's blog covers an Italian attempt to bash through a British blocking point. It all looks a bit crowded to me!

AAR: A Missionary Man

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Originally posted 15th October 2013

The next battle report slurped from Topi's blog contains a bit more information about the background to his East Africa 1940 campaign. That's in addition to an amusing tale of a ragtag bunch of militia taking on the might of the Italian army. Proves you don't need tons of troops and Tigers on the table to have fun with IABSM!

 

US WWW2 List

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Originally posted 15th October 2013

Clockwork Goblin have released the next in their excellent range of US Weird World War II figures: the Hyena Light Jump Walkers based on the Coyote Light Walker with added flamethrower and jump pack; and the heavy infantry heavy weapons (looks like a bazooka to me).

Now all we need is the Jump Infantry to go with the Hyenas...and I'm sure there were supposed to be some medium Jump Walkers as well...Mudskippers IIRC. Anyway, when I met the Goblin at Colours recently, he said the Jump Infantry were on the way soon. He didn't mention the Mudskippers though! 

I knew I wasn't imagining things!

I knew I wasn't imagining things!

Gitungi Army Lists

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Originally posted 15th October 2013

Odd one here, as Micropanzer seems to have decided that the Gitungi will no longer enjoy the Recovery, Assault and Destroyer Drones as support weapons: these are now part of Dark Star Games' Spec-Sec range! And there was I thinking the transfer window was over! 

Anyhow, I've deleted the Destroyer Drones from the list (I didn't like them anyway!) but have kept the other two (the figures are already painted!) and added some superheavy tanks from Khurasan. These are currently weighing down one end of my painting table (they are enormous!) but will be joining the Gitungi forces soon. 

I'm also hoping Micropanzer will soon release the next wave of Gitungi infantry. Some different poses and some Specialists. Must remember to buy them as soon as they are out...before they too disappear somewhere else! 

Gitungi Assault Drones: now you see them...now you don't!

AAR: East Africa Waltzing Matilda

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Originally posted 12th October 2013

I've found a new source of After Action Reports! A gentleman named Topi, from Finland, has an excellent blog with five IABSM AARs. It will take me a few days to catch up, but catch up I will!

Here's the first: his first game of IABSM. It's East Africa, British versus Italians, and Topi's English is a lot better than my Finnish!

Lend-lease Scout Cars

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Originally posted 6th October 2013

Now that I've re-catalogued all my late war Soviets, I can clearly see where the gaps in my collection are. One such gap was transport for the Scouts. Looking at the lists, I saw that lend-lease White scout cars were an option, and as I happened to have three of them lying around in the lead mountain...

Gallery: British Air Landing Company

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Originally posted 6th October 2013

Here's the cleaned up Battle for Liberation gallery for the British Air Landing Company. Landed by glider or transport aircraft, these are better equipped than the parachutists, with anti-tanks guns, pack artillery, and even tanks.

More Gitungi Support

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Originally posted 6th October 2013

A change from I Ain't Been Shot, Mum! as the next set of the Gitungi support weapons roll off the production line. These are Assault Drones, armed with a powerful gatling-like weapon under their 'chins'. Nice looking models from Micropanzer.

Soviet Trucks

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Originally posted 30th September 2013

One thing I do like to do is to make sure my troops have enough transport: I'm a real fan of "tail". No surprise then that the latest addition to my collection are the Soviet engineer trucks from Battlefront i.e. their usual trucks with some cargo added in!