A13 MkIV Cruisers from Zvezda

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I've wanted some A13s for use with the Operation Compass scenario book for some time, but have never wanted to spend the money on metal or resin models. I've got A13s for France 1940, and they ably substituted during the booklet's playtesting.

Late last year, however, Russian manufacturer Zvezda released plastic A13s that were available at just £1.95 a model...and I couldn't resist and immediately bought a squadron from PSC.

Let's start with the downside:

  • the model released is the A13 used in France (no extra trackguard etc).
  • they are rather erroneously called Crusaders on the box, but then even I keep a special spreadsheet detailing all the different early war British tanks, so I'm quite forgiving of their mistake 
  • the models are pretty basic. A six-part snap together kit (for God's sake remember to put the tracks on the bottom of the hull before you put the top on!) with minimal detail and a very thin, snap-py looking gun.

However, the upside easily outweighs the above: ten tanks for under £20 that paint up very adequately for use on the tabletop. An absolute bargain, and I don't think they look too bad. Let me know what you think...

A bit blurred, but here's the Squadron HQ tank

A bit blurred, but here's the Squadron HQ tank

And here's No 1 Troop

And here's No 1 Troop

You can see them all in the British Desert War gallery (click here or use the navbar, above).

Here's an actual picture from the western desert. You can see that there's no divisional ID number on the front mudguard, and that there's an the 'added on' track guard along the sides...but otherwise it looks about the same. Camo scheme seems right, although I'm intrigued by the track guard colouring. Also love the tattoos on the bloke on the turret's forearms, and the pith helmets on the front deck!

TFL Painting Challenge: Tuesday Update

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A Tuesday update for a change...mainly because I spent all last night watching Band of Brothers!

Today's achievements are from:

  • Carole gets his act together and confirms the scale of his Anglo-Scottish Nine Years War Brigade from Lurkio
  • Then adds loads of tanks and halftracks...not to the same army, I'm assured
  • Mr Helliwell adds a couple of 15mm vehicles
  • Benito sends in a lovely picture of an armoured car for the Spanish Civil War
  • Mr Douglas adds some more Greeks (I'd love to repeat the joke about the elephants, but I try and keep the site as apolitical as possible!)
  • Paul Baldwin, who probably can plow, adds some nice WoR men-at-arms and lots of teeny-tiny chaps from the desert
  • Jon Yuengling with a big entry of planes and tanks in 6mm and 15mm
  • New entrant "I'm Bruce" pops in a Sidney and a Finnish tank
  • and Ashley adds some more sci-fi

Today's official pictures are from Benito (a Union Naval de Levante (UNL-35) armoured car for his Republican Army of the Spanish Civil War); newbie I'm Bruce (a Finnish tank); and Carole (the Anglo-Scottish Brigade).

Anglo-Scottish brigade.jpg

Finally, one of the list above who shall remain nameless (no, it wasn't Carole) deserves a special mention for his attempts to claim for painting his mother-in-law's bedroom.

I was tempted to give him the points for a "building greater than 28mm", but then I remembered that in the past I've disallowed a greenhouse and a biscuit tin.

I know you all want to see it, so here it is:

Lovely.

Morris CS9 Armoured Cars

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Keen to clear the painting table ready for my next major project (WW2 US Paras modelled on Band of Brothers' Easy Company), I've just finished a couple of British Morris CS9 armoured cars for the desert.

Nice little models these, from Battlefront, and with some nice detailing on the hull and crew figure. They will represent vehicles from 11th Hussars for Operation Compass.

TFL Painting Challenge: Saturday Night is the night for an update

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Another huge batch of entries this week, from participants both old and new.

Some of the point scores being racked up already are incredible. It both bodes well for the challenge as a whole and inspires me to get my own finger out and finish the ten 15mm tanks sitting on my painting table.

Today's achievements are from:

  • Regular Mr Yuengling with three Japanese tanks in 15mm
  • Mr Baldwin with some literally small pickings
  • The Mad Padre bursts onto the scene with three entries for January
  • Matt Slade also adds three entries, including some SYW figures and the Ghostbusters (no controversy here: they are all of the male variety)
  • Ralph Plowman plows on with his Fireforge knights (and yes, I'm sure he's heard that one before)
  • Doug Melville reappears with a boxful of Wallachians and Hungarians
  • Steve Burt adds a few more Makedonians
  • Mr Ralls threatens to overwhelm his gallery with three more entries:  Bavarians, Wurttemburgers and a hotel for them to stay in
  • Mr Luther adds some more of his lovely Japs and a double handful of 6mm vehicles
  • Ashley Pollard also reappears...this time with some starships
  • Newbie Andrew McCarthy adds some Italians and a KO'd T-34
  • And the rather worryingly named 'Topyob' puts in seven 15mm vehicles and some British Guards.

There's another entry but as they (no names, no pack drill) forgot to let me know what scale the figures are and, unusually, I can't tell, they will have to wait!

Today's picture is from Mr McCarthy...the aforementioned Italians :

Just Published: Kampfgruppe von Luck for Chain of Command

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Just a quick note: the TooFatLardies have just published the second of their pint-sized campaigns for the WW2 platoon-level game Chain of Command.

Here's what they say about them:

"Kampfgruppe von Luck is the second of our Pint-Sized campaigns for Chain of Command, designed to be played using the campaign handbook At the Sharp End.  

"Thirty pages long, Kampfgruppe von Luck contains an overview of the British airbrorne landings and the response of 21 Panzer Division on D-Day before then going on to present a mini-campaign covering the first counter-attack by Kampfgruppe von Luck, striking for the bridges on the Orne.   

"The campaign is a total of five game tables with the duration running between five and eight games.  Briefings are provided for both sides, along with measurable objectives, period maps, force and support option listings and everything you need to play this campaign through to its conclusion.  

"Like all of our Pint-Sized campaigns, this is available for the price of a pint in our local pub.  We're sure that you'll agree, that is great wargaming value!"

Hopefully the next Special will contain a conversion guide for IABSM!

You can order KvL by clicking here.

TFL Painting Challenge: Huge Update

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Demonstrating just how big the painting challenge is getting, here's a huge update that represents under a week's worth of entries...

So, in no particular order, we have:

  • Benito breaking his 2015 duck with some El Cid Moors
  • Mr Yuengling with some more 15mm WW1 infantry
  • Carole with a mixture of entries that include a rather nice scratchbuilt Normandy church and loads of Nine Years War Frenchies
  • Mr Plowman adds some beautifully painted knights for his Rampant Lion army
  • Fred Bloggs enters his usual mixture of weird figures: witches, dwarves and some figures who shall not be named for copyright reasons!
  • Joakim adds some more big Dusters
  • AJH eventually manages to submit some Dux B and TCHAE figures
  • Mr Douglas adds more Greek cavalry - hope they got their votes in before posing for the photo
  • Mr Ralls enters lots of monsters from the Shadows of Brimstone game
  • Mr Luther adds more 6mm aeroplanes and some more 20mm Japs
  • Mr Bax also appears in the lists for the first time in 2015, with some lovely Fallschirmjaegers and Dutch police
  • Mr Blankenship achieves 'fousands of 15mm Japs (well, 157) and a lot of tanks and anti-tank guns
  • Steve Burt builds an Airfix cafe
  • and finally Mr Helliwell adds more Germans to his autumn collection

That's entries from 14 people this week. Not bad going considering its only January!

Today's pictures? From two people I think. Let's have Carole's scratchbuilt church and Mr Bax's Dutch police:

More Gitungi Sluog Riders

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Finally managed to finish some painting: more Gitungi for Q13.

I already have a squad of eight Sluog riders with power lances. These are another eight and a Big Man, but this time with guns, charmingly known by Micropanzer as a Kill Team.

Time to write a scenario with an area of terrain impassable to all except Sluogs!

You can see the whole Gitungi gallery by clicking here.

TFL Painting Challenge: Big Monday

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Lots of lovely entries today: everyone's obviously been hard at work over the weekend!

In no particular order, we have:

  • Oodles of figures from Jason Ralls
  • And from Matt Slade, who also becomes the first person in 2015 to break the 500 point mark
  • Treadhead submits a platoon of US infantry for CoC
  • Mr Douglas puts in some pikemen
  • Mr Helliwell some anti-tank guns
  • New entrant Sapper submits loads of stuff
  • Mr Luther comes back for more
  • Mr Baldwin, of tractor-country fame, submits some very nice 28mm figures for Sharp Practice and Muskets & Tomahawks
  • And finally newbie Mr John Michael pops in some nice Westwind figures

There are two pictures today. One is of Mr Baldwin's Companie de la Marine; the other is Treadhead's platoon commander. Lovely work!

TFL Painting Challenge: Quick Update

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Great game of IABSM this morning, so to celebrate here's an update on the painting challenge.

Today's achievements are from:

  • New recruit Mr Eggman Glass, from Canada, with some Italians for CoC
  • Mark Luther makes his first appearance this year with some 20mm Japanese
  • Thomas starts his year strongly with a very nice, and very crashed, flying saucer terrain piece
  • Another Penguin, Joakim, submits some big figures for Dust
  • Carole's second entry of the year is large amounts of 15mm figures for the Anglo-Dutch Nine Years War
  • And Mr Slade also sends in his second entry of the year: some 25mm Austrians

Today's photo is from Mr Eggman Glass...it's not that bad a photo!

TFL Painting Challenge: Monster Update

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The first really big batch of entries for the new year as people get themselves into the swing of things.

Before I list the achievements, however, thanks to those who sympathised with my toothache. Dentist tomorrow, but the weekend has been...bad!

In fact, if you told me I could make the pain go away by rubbing my forehead with a badger coated in curry sauce, I wouldn't currently be doing this: I'd be out in the undergrowth with a piece of cheese in one hand (do badgers eat cheese?) and a korma in the other!

Anyway, enough of my complaining, onto the achievements:

  • new entrant AJH (who's actual name is so splendid I'm tempted to break his anonymity anyway!) has submitted a large 6mm ACW Union army to get himself going for the year
  • Mr Plowman returns triumphantly with a very nice unit of crossbowmen
  • WillieB also returns, with a massive entry of resting Napoleonic Frenchmen (but not unfortunately featuring the regimental crest of two dead Frenchmen crossed over a pile of dead Frenchmen)
  • Mr Naylor enters his second achievement of the year (already) with some WW2 US infantry
  • Paul Blankenship breaks his duck both this year and in the challenge as a whole with a massive entry of 6mm Cold War British, Americans and Soviets.
  • Treadhead got religion over the holidays and pops back with a beautiful 28mm chapel
  • Another newbie submits his second entry: Andrew Helliwell with more autumnal Germans 
  • Carole Flint smashes in a very nice late WW2 British anti-tank gun unit and Big Man
  • Mr Ralls survives Christmas and submits 28mm Napoelonics and 15mm WW2 figures
  • Newbie Tony Stapells sends in his first entry: a Welsh DBA army with Murat in command (must have taken a wrong turn in the Alps (or was that Napoleon)
  • And finally Mr Hodge submits his second entry for the year: a scratch built roof that merits being counted as a building in its own right, and two "Diddums Trucks" - don't ask!

That's not bad going for two weeks in!

Today's pictures are one of the shots of WillieB's Frenchmen and a pic of Carole's anti-tank guns:

Q13 AAR: Marauders Squashed!

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My first game of the year was an epic 15mm sci-fi clash between my newly painted Gitungi army, using figures mostly from Micropanzer’s Gitungi range, and an ‘evil vegetable’ army comprising figures from a number of different manufacturers but principally Khurasan’s Vornid plant-men and Ravenstar’s Horrids.

Click here or on the picture to see how the action unfolded...

TFL Painting Challenge: the Toothache Update

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I'm up suffering from acute toothache (a traumatised nerve apparently) so thought I might as well update the painting challenge whilst I wait for the painkillers to kick in!

Today's entries are from:

  • New entrant Andy Duffell with all sorts of bits and pieces
  • New entrant Andy Helliwell with a 15mm mortar unit that is forever autumn
  • Mr Hodge with a couple of Churchills and a nice ruined building
  • Mr Yuengling with some British and Ottomans for the Great War
  • Mr Burt with some Makedonians
  • and Mr Douglas with some Illyrians

I'm going to feature both of Mr Hodge's entries as today's pictures: two Battlefront Churchills in 15mm and a ruined house from Goldfinger:

Peter Pig Soviet "Dancing Group"

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One of my purchases at Warfare this year was Peter Pig's new 'Soviet Dancing Group': eight figures, two with accordions, two with balalaikas, and four doing the stereotypical Russian male dancing thing.

Now those of you who have read my previous post about the Gebirgsjaeger heavy mortars, and the unlikelihood that I will ever get them on the table (minimum range 76"!), must now be concluding that I have finally flipped my lid and decided not to paint anything that I will actually use ever again. I mean, when will I ever need to field musicians and dancing soldiers?

Well I'll tell you when: every time I field any Soviet MMGs.

You see, under IABSMv2, MMG teams were almost always crewed by three men; but under IABSMv3, they are almost always crewed by five men. It's a better fit with the durability of MMG teams, but does cause pain for those of us who have all their MMG teams crewed by three figures not five.

Well not any more!

Now my Soviet MMG teams will appear with their existing three crew members, but each will be accompanied by a couple of music-playing/dancing soldiers. Representation of correct crew numbers problem solved!

Here they are: both as a group and so you can see the (nicely sculpted) figures:

IABSM AAR: Arnhem Game

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Not really a full battle report, but more displaying the pictures of a recent IABSM game that tiger1arnhem posted in the Photos section of the TFL Yahoo Group.

Apparently he had written a full AAR, but lost it all due to technology issues. I feel his pain, and can only repeat the mantra "CTRL+S, CTRL+S"!

Click on the picture to see more:

Those of you who do wish to submit full AARs, whatever size or quality, for IABSM, CDS or Q13, can do so by e-mailing me at the same address as for the painting challenge: adminATvislardicaDOTcom.

Gebirgsjaeger Heavy Mortars

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I think I'm going to need a bigger table.

With a minimum range of 76", I shall need to put my new unit of German Gebirgsjaeger (mountain troops) Heavy Mortars somewhere out in the garden in order to be able to actually use them in a game!

So why did I bother to buy and paint them up?

Don't know: except for the fact that they are some of the really good Gebirgsjaeger figures from Battlefront - those of you who have read my review of the range (click here) will know that for some reason the Battlefront 15mm Gebirgsjaeger range is neatly divided into two halves: one half being some of the nicest 15mm figures I have ever seen, the other half being one of the worst!

Well, of course I do know why I bothered: it's because they're on the list.

Yes, of course the main reason I have got them is because the IABSM army lists for late war Gebirgsjaeger say that they have heavy mortars as support at Battalion and Regimental level...I've just chosen to ignore the comment that follows stating that they should always be considered as off-table and be actually represented by an FOO unit!

Maybe one day I will get a chance to field them...once the extension is finished!

Here they are: