Q13 Army Lists: Sisterhood, Brog and VOTT added

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Whilst I've been adding the tabletop stats to the Q13 army lists, I've found the time to add a couple of new ones to the list: both based on ranges of figures that I'd love to start collecting...once, of course, the lead mountain is down to manageable proportions!

The Sisterhood

Onslaught Miniatures produce some of the best sci-fi lines out there. The trouble is that the vast majority of their output is in 6mm: very frustrating for the 15mm gamer when you can see all these beautifully developed ranges and not be able to use them!

They have produced a couple of packs of 15's, however: one for the Sisterhood (sort of space nuns with guns) and one for the Tzacol (more primitive lizardy types).

So, in homage to their single pack of 15's, I've created a list for the Sisterhood for Q13 based on their much more extensive 6mm range. Perhaps this will get the rest of the range up-sized as well!

Here's a couple of pics to show you how good these figures are: one pic of the Athena squad in 15mm, and one of the 6mm command group, showing other types of Sisterhood trooper.

The Brog and VOTT (and VIPERS)

Another manufacturer who carries several ranges that I might eventually just have to buy is Rebel Minis.

Unfortunately, they fall into the category of manufacturer who produce great basic infantry squads, but no more i.e. great for platoon-level games, but not a complete enough range to create a company-plus-supports force.

Two examples of this are the Brog and the VOTT: both available as a three-squad platoon plus command, but with no support weapons or vehicles.

The two races also look quite similar, and seem to use the same weapons...so I've decided to brigade them together into one list.

As they don't have any designated support weapons or vehicles, and Rebel Minis produce a lovely range of support walkers they call VIPERS, I've also decided that, much like Critical Mass' Protolenes, the support for the Brog or VOTT will come from the VIPERS, of which there are five types, so plenty of flexibility as regards weapon loads and therefore role.

Here's a few pics showing the ranges: the Brog infantry platoon, the VOTT command, and a the VIPER with Mk3 weapon package.

Both lists, and all the others, are available from the Q13 Army Lists page. More to come!

6DW Egyptians: Company HQ

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A quick bit of painting finished: the company HQ for my Six Day War UAR/Egyptian army.

That's all of the core troops done, but I do need to add the HMG platoon and some towed AT assets...and to make things even more complete, I could add the tanks that accompanied the non-mechanised infantry: T-34s and IS-IIIs.

In the meantime, here's the company HQ: two Big Men and a couple of 82mm Recoil-less Rifles.

IABSM AAR: Fall of the Lion Gate #04: Jitra

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I umpired a tremendous game of I Ain't Been Shot, Mum! on Saturday!

Using the fourth scenario from the Fall of the Lion Gate scenario pack for Malaya and Singapore, the game focussed on the British defence against the main Japanese advance down the Malayan pennisular on 11th December 1941.

Previously the Japanese of the Saeki Detachment have chewed through the British Indian troops at Ban Sadao and The Ledge (cf) but now come up against somewhat stiffer opposition in the shape of 2/1 Gurkha Rifles...

Click on the pic below to see all:

TFL Painting Challenge: Monday Update

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Hello all, and hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Today's entries for the painting challenge are:

  • Mr Davenport with a dozen 28mm buildings (and an impressive wargames room, if I may say so!)
  • Ms Flint doesn't add any Space Orcs to her total!
  • Doug Fitch arrives on the scene with some 15mm WW2 figures
  • Mark Luther sends in an assortment of 20mm Far East types, and some of his little 'planes too
  • Treadhead turns in some terrain
  • Stumpy pops in some Zulus and lots of French Napoleonics. Re-based, but still counting half.
  • Andrew Helliwell sends in some more ACW 15s
  • Mr Yuengling gets ready for a fight around Caen with some 15mm WW2 vehicles
  • And finally Mr Ralls sends in some rather jolly 28mm figures and transport.

Today's pics? Well I think we'll have Mr Davenport's room; and the Jason Ralls boat pics (vessel and crew etc)

First stop on my world tour!

Rather large boat and crew by Jason Ralls

Scorecard will be updated tonight: promise!

6DW: Egyptian Infantry Platoon

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Finally finished the final UAR/Egyptian infantry platoon for the Six Day War. 

See the rest of the troops by clicking here.

That's just about it for the Egyptians now:  only the company HQ to go now, and that's only eight figures, including Big Men. Be good to mechanise the little blighters but, as I've said before, I'll wait until the next sale before buying loads of trucks!

Must be time to start on the opposition now. Figures are bought: I just need to work out how best to represent the rather unique colour of Israeli tanks.

 

IABSM AAR: Arnhem VC

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Superb write-up by Carojon from the Devon Wargames Group using the Arnhem VC scenario from the TooFatLardies Christmas Special 2007.

The game focuses on the action at Oosterbeck that won Lance-Sergeant Jack Baskeyfield the Victoria Cross as he tried to hold off German self-propelled guns from the flanks of the British Para's positions.

Click on the picture below to see all. Recommended!

TFL Painting Challenge: Thursday Update

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Lots of entries in this week: the challenge is really hotting up already this year.

In no particular order, we have:

  • Stumpy with a fistful of re-basing
  • Matt Slade with a huge weed monster!
  • Andrew Helliwell with some more Soviets in 15mm
  • Andy Duffell pops in a Kiwi or eleven
  • It's all Andrews today, as Mr McCarthy sends in some nice looking late war British tanks and a handful of Germans
  • Derek Hodge submits some more for Dux and Sharp Practice 2.
  • Mr Clarke has gone painting mad this year: this week sees 64 newly painted and 48 re-based 28mm troops hitting his score
  • Mervyn adds some skeletons and an awful lot of stone wall
  • Mr Gatzemeyer builds a Saxon village
  • Chris Stoesen cuts and pastes some paper terrain buildings
  • And finally Kev, of course Kev, has painted some more X-Wing ships

Today's pics?

Well, let's have a pic of some of Stumpy's later Romans, a pic of Rich's von Schtabbin, Mr Gatzemeyer's village, and a Brucie-bonus pic of Mr Helliwell's Soviets:

Stumpy's Romans

Baron von Schtabbin's Regiment by Mr Clarke

Mr Gatzemeyer's rather nice Saxon village

Andy Helliwell's SU-57s in 15mm

Q13 Army Lists Updated

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Aphid "Flycatcher" Tanks move into action

Aphid "Flycatcher" Tanks move into action

Over the last few weeks, I have been working on updating all the Q13 army lists. In addition to the usual tweaks, there are two major changes to format. These are the addition of a section for Tabletop Stats, and the addition of a section for Points.

Tabletop Stats

Tabletop Stats gives you all the info you need about the army when actually playing Q13. So each type of infantry squad has the usual figures/Actions table, but now also has how many dice and what modifiers you make when firing, its movement over different terrain types, its saves against hits, its anti-tank capacity etc. Vehicles have the same sort of info, but their firing is defined as what dice you roll vs infantry, and what dice you roll vs other vehicles, and so on and so forth.

This is in response to people saying that because Q13 covers ANYTHING that's possible in a sci-fi setting, it can sometimes be hard to remember the SPECIFICS that apply to the particular squad you're currently commanding...which is a fair point, well made!

Vornid Chitin Bio-Tank moves past a KO'd walker

Hopefully, once you've downloaded one of my lists, or built your own and filled in the Stats section, you should now be able to play without having to look anything up...perhaps even without the Quick Reference sheet provided in the rulebook.

Points

The Points section does exactly what it says on the tin: it just lists the points value for each type of infantry squad, for each vehicle etc.

Should make life easier for those people who like to use points when building their forces.

Other

On top of the above, there are all sorts of little tweaks to the existing lists. The Aphids get their wheeled APCs; the Chuhuac, their Vasseth Strike Tanks etc. As I've said many times before, the lists are designed to be updated on a regular basis as you add new units or decide that the way you've defined an existing unit needs changing.

Not all the lists are updated yet: most are, but not all. If you can click to get the pdf, then the list is updated. If you can't, then it isn't...but will be soon!  I have updated the Excel Blank.

Click here to go to the Q13 Army List page.

French Indochina AAR: Ambush in Tonkin

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A bit of a change this time: an AAR from the Stipsicz Hussars with an encounter set in French Indochina in 1951.

The game uses IABSM rather than CDS, perhaps appropriate given the period, and features a huge 6m table. A French column begins the game at either end, and heads towards a Point d'Appui in the middle. Needless to say, neither column nor PA escapes the attention of the Vietminh.

Click on the pic below to see all.

TFL Painting Challenge: Pre-Weekend Update

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A cheeky Friday update to clear the decks before a busy weekend. Today, in no paticular order, we have:

  • Chris Stoesen with a selection of paper buildings in 15mm
  • Steve Burt with a fleet of ships
  • Our glorious leader, Mr Clarke, with some more infantry and artillery
  • Mervyn switches back to 15mm with some ancient and then colonial Brits
  • Mr Plowman paints a single sci-fi tank...but then he does paint them so well!
  • Carole also goes sci-fi, with some scout vehicles and scenery
  • And finally Kev is still on his X-Wing kick: loads more ships

Today's pictures are from Steve, his ships; and Carole's sci-fi kit...

468 points' worth of Wizzkids ships

468 points' worth of Wizzkids ships

Some nice kit from Critical Mass Games via Carole

Points will be added to the scorecard tonight or tomorrow.

IABSM AAR: Royal Tanks

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I have been trying to use scenarios other than those I've written myself, so my latest game of I Ain't Been Shot, Mum! featured a game taken from the TFL Summer Special 2005 based on the Royal Tanks scenario adapted from Skirmish Campaigns by Tom Ballou.

The game was quite short:  involving me being completely tactically outsmarted and looking certain to lose until a sudden and very major reverse turned the tables on my opponent with devastating effect...on both his chances of winning and his temper!

Click on the picture below to see all:

6DW: Second UAR/Egyptian Platoon

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I'm gradually getting to the end of that section of the lead mountain devoted to the UAR or Egyptian forces for the Six Day War. Here's the second infantry platoon, leaving only one more infantry platoon, the Company HQ, finishing the recon tanks, and then what odd bits of support I decide that I need.

The only real pain is the transport for the infantry company. Getting enough of the right sort of truck is going to be expensive: so I shall have to wait until the next Battlefront 40%-off sale!

Anyway, here's another twenty-six infantrymen, painted as before: