Objective Markers from Baueda

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As previously mentioned on this blog, some of the games from my new scenario book for IABSM, The September War, covering Poland 1939, require one or more objective markers. As also previously mentioned, my first thoughts were to use Army Group North's excellent Polish Eagle crest markers, shown to the right.

They look great but, of course, are artificial:  as the name suggests, they are a 'token' rather than being something that belongs on the battlefield. I therefore thought I'd try some of Baueda's portfolio of objective markers, starting with two of what look like the easiest to paint: the fuel dump and the ammunition dump:

Well they do paint up very easily, and will certainly do the job. If you look on the Baueda website you will also see how a decent painter can turn them into mini works of art!

I must confess that I'm still not sure which I will use - the tokens or the objectives - but at least now I have the option.

PS  Another AAR from The September War appears here tomorrow.

 

Painting Challenge Update: Very Quiet

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It's been a very quiet week for the painting challenge. After a couple of months of frenetic activity, only a very few entries this week.

Come on, the rest of you, get those brushes out and start painting!

Today's entries are:

  • John Davenport with some nice modern Soviet tanks
  • Some British Paras from Carole. So, how do you feel about painting that many Denison smocks?
  • Mr Helliwell offers a couple of Gaz trucks and lots of half-Russians!
  • There's more AWI goodness from John Haines
  • And finally Ralph Plowman has some fanstasy/sci-fi 28s, and a very nice 15mm walker

So that's it:  five entrants this week. Not good!

Soviet tanks from Mr Davenport

Ralph's Walker

Some AWI infantry from Mr Haines

British Paras from Carole

Soviets from Mr Helliwell

Painting Challenge Update Number Eleven

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After a week of Poland, it's back to the painting challenge for update number eleven. I am still sure that the challenge is far busier this year than it was last year!

So, in no particular order, we have:

  • The maestro, Matt Slade, with a big red dragon (and it is big!), a giant and a scorpion
  • Mr Weathersby sends in another of his hand-rigged Napoleonic ships
  • Chris Kay finishes his vikings
  • Here comes the cavalry, courtesy of Egg
  • Mr Hodge, fresh from proof-reading The September War, sens in over a hundred little Frenchmen
  • We have some archaeologists from Carole
  • The Mad Padre has scenery and elves for us to look at and admire
  • With an all new background, Mr Helliwell sends in more ACW figures and a few bits of scenery
  • Kev, our favourite Fat Wally, also does the ACW, with a suitably Kev-like, huge entry
  • And last, but by no means least, Mervyn pops in some Dark Ages types

Today's pictures are below. Just a few, as I have to nip to the post office to pick up a package: more miniatures!

Brian's hand-rigged Napoleonic ship

More cold war goodness from egg

confederate band from kev

papped!

Polish Tankettes

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To finish off Polish week on Vis Lardica, celebrating the publication of The September War, my new scenario pack for IABSM covering the German invasion of Poland in 1939, here's a picture of some painting I completed last weekend: a unit of five Polish TKS tankettes.

These are Battlefront models and, as you can see, I have built two of them with the 20mm cannon and three of them with the standard MMG.

Now these things are small: significantly smaller than an Italian tankette or a Bren gun carrier. Although I can see that it would be nice to have a bit of protection against smallarms fire, I think you'd have to be crazy to ride one of these into battle against panzers!

Whilst I was researching The September War, I came across the fact that every year there is a big military re-enactment in Poland celebrating one of the battles of the campaign. Here's a couple of pictures of a TKS tankette from two of the re-enactment days.

As I said: these things are small!

Blinds for the September War Campaign

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Following on from yesterday's launch of The September War, my new scenario pack for IABSM covering the German invasion of Poland 1939, I've now added a set of Blinds for the campaign, downloadable free from the Poland 1939 page of the IABSM section of this website. Or click on the image to the right to get there!

There are four Blinds available: the Polish ones shown to the right, Soviet Blinds, and two sets of German Blinds: one using the historically accurate plain white cross; the other, my preferred version, using a more late war version.

I just pop a few sheets of stiff paper into the printer, print them out, then cut them out, and away you go. You can laminate them if you like, but I usually don't bother these days.

Objective Markers

And whilst we're on he topic of useful things, check out my new Polish objective markers:

These are resin disks 2-3 inches across that you can buy from Army Group North. They don't appear in the AGN webstore at the moment, but if you e-mail them on info@agnminiatures.com, Andrew will sort. They are $10 for three markers and paint up very easily.

A recommended buy, especially as many of the the September War scenario pack scenarios have two-four objectives in them.

The September War Publishes Today!

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The German invasion of Poland on 1st September 1939 precipitated the greatest conflict the world has ever known, ending the lives of some 60 million people across the globe.

Written by Robert Avery and Alexander Kawczynski, The September War is a collection of thirty-three scenarios for I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum covering the German invasion of Poland 1939. It is priced at £9.50.

Divided into eight mini-campaigns, the pack begins with the battles at the border, then covers the fight for the Polish corridor, the Polish Thermopylae at Narew, the Siege of Warsaw, the climactic battles at Bzura and Tomaszow Lubelski, and the actions of the 10th Motorised Cavalry “Black” Brigade and the Independent Operational Group Polesie. There are attacks, counter-attacks, encounter battles, desperate defences…there’s even an armoured train or two.

No need for any preparation: each scenario contains a brief background history, maps, a full game briefing, and a full briefing for each player. Simply print out the pages you need, make up the deck from the list of cards required, unpack your figures and dice, set up the table and away you go!

Click here or on the picture of the front cover to buy The September War scenario pack for IABSM.

To see a list of scenarios, click here.

To see a sample scenario briefing, click here.

The September War: #01 Chojnice...Twice

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Barring major disasters, The September War, my new scenario pack for IABSM containing 33 scenarios from the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, should be published tomorrow, Wednesday 15th March 2017.

The September War  is largely based on Alexander Kawczynski's supplement for another rule system, but with the scenarios fully adapted for IABSM. As usual with my packs, each scenario generally consists of six pages: two for the Umpire and two for each player. Once you add the background and support material, The September War comes in at 240 pages long and will cost £9.50.  

To wet your collective whistles, here is an AAR from the playtest of scenario #01: Chojnice. Will the Poles manage to blow the vital railway bridge in time? Or will the Germans manage to capture the bridge and defuse the explosives, then send their armoured train in to wreak havoc on the Polish border defences? Click on the picture below to find out more...

Polish Cavalry Conversions

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To celebrate the publication of my The September War scenario pack for IABSM*, I am declaring this week to be Polish week on Vis Lardica. All the posts through to Friday will be Polish in nature.

To start us off, here a bit of painting that I finished this weekend: a squad of Polish cavalry and a Big Man.

All the above are actually converted Battlefront Cossacks i.e. I've taken spare Cossack figures and given them new heads using Peter Pig Polish cavalry heads.

This was remarkably easy to do: snip off the old head, use a pin drill to create a hole in the decapitated torso, then pop the new head in. Takes about five minutes a time and gives you a nicely varied set of cavalry and reduces the lead mountain as I was never going to use those Cossacks.

Tomorrow's post features an AAR from the play-testing of The September War.

*The September War publishes on Wednesday  15th March 2017. It contains thirty-three scenarios from the German invasion of Poland, 1st September to 6th October 1939, and will be priced at £9.50. It is largely based on the first half of Alexander Kawczynski's Poland in Flames scenario pack for FOW, but totally adapted for IABSM.

Painting Challenge Update Number Ten

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Is it me?  Or has this year's Challenge started up at turbo speed? It certainly seems as if the entries are coming in thicker and faster than ever before.

So, in no particular order, here's this week's batch:

  • The Bowler Hat sends in an enormous entry:  lots of Romans and Luther-like numbers of little 'planes
  • Speaking of which, Mr Luther pops in a couple of photos of his previous output: some nice Japanese tankettes
  • Mr Burt sends in some Libyans of the ancient variety
  • Jon Davenport submits over 100 British Napoleonics, and a sizeable number of slightly bigger Hessians
  • We also have more sci-fi goodness from Carole
  • And some lovely moderns from Egg
  • Stumpy sends in his first entry of the year, and its enormous, even if it is only re-basing. I've labelled the ones I can.
  • Mr Helliwell is still doing the American Civil War
  • And last, but by no means least, Mr Haines has a few more buckskin-clad irregulars for us to look at

So another large entry: keep 'em coming! Today's pictures are below:

Egg's Canadians

Sci Fi Jetbikes from Carole

Mr Davenport's Hessians

Some Romans from Lloyd Bowler

Q13: New Releases from Khurasan

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As I've been a bit obsessed with Poland lately, I haven't been paying any attention to anything else:  such as Quadrant 13 and 15mm sci-fi in general.

Well, that's apart from buying and painting a whole load of Xar from GZG of course!

Anyway, and moving swiftly on, browsing around the Internet the other morning I came across the Khurasan website again, and thought I'd better check what was new...especially as I think John is still banned from publicising his miniatures on TMP (don't ask!). You can see them all on FB, but who has time these days?

There were two new ranges on here that I'm seeing for the first time, both of which are now firmly on my shopping list.

Alien Invasion

First up are a range of aliens specifically designed as invaders of the Earth. There's plenty of background that I won't repeat here, but basically you've got some science caste types who are your, er, basic greys, and then you have some absolutely wonderful warrior types:

These warrior types are supported by what are called Kalinekt Warborgs, and I quote: "these are both machines and living things -- implanted with the brain of a hunting animal long ago discovered and domesticated by the War Caste. Like earth's sheepdogs, these creatures are relentless in encirclement and pursuit, and keen for the approval of their masters. Brains now housed in a complex chassis constructed of titanium alloy, plastic and other materials, and using advanced weaponry, they are formidable foes."

Finally, and I'm afraid completely ridiculously, there are the Manoeuvre Elements which are...which are...well, see for yourself:

Yes, that is a 15mm tank squatting between its legs.

Now that is one big model. It costs $119 which, for its size is not that bad...but I can't see myself ever getting it onto the wargames table.

So I'm loving the warriors and the warborgs, and will be getting a platoon or two of them. I'll probably use the greys as Big Men.

The Tah-Sig Empire

Next up are the Tah-Sig, part of the Zantin Reconquest range. These are properly alien aliens (not just humans with funny heads!), and come complete with a detailed background as well.

Available are all the figures you'd need for a basic infantry company: sections of riflemen organised in to platoons, with platoon assets such as mortars and LSWs available as well.

So that's my Christmas money all used up now!

You can visit the Khurasan website by clicking here. Feel free to mention VL when you buy something: John might give me a discount!

Q13: Next Steps

Incidentally, I am producing a second edition of Q13 which will be a fairly radical redraft. Apparently, in an attempt to provide differences for all different types of weapon etc, I've allowed the thing to get cumbersomely complicated for tabletop play.

I can see this: after all, I myself have found it easier to produce almost a battlefield QRF sheet for all my armies (downloadable form the Q13 section of this website). So that will be simplified, with those changes running through to army construction etc.

Watch this space for more.

IABSM AAR: Valle della Marie

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Mike Whitaker, fresh from proof-reading the Poland scenario pack for me (it's out next week), presents a lovely little battle report from the first game in his club's IABSM campaign.

It's Italy, 1944, and the Allies are tasked with capturing a village from the Germans. As it's a campaign, the players get a core force and get to choose some supports. I wonder if they chose wisely...?

Click on the pic to the right to see how the game went.

You can visit Mike's blog Trouble At T'Mill by clicking here.

Revised Army Lists for Poland 1939 Now Available

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Again in preparation for the publication of my IABSM scenario book for the invasion of Poland, The September War, due on the 15th of the month (that's next Wednesday, so get your pennies ready!), I have re-vamped the army lists for both the Poles and the Germans.

These are available as FOC pdfs from the Poland 1939 page in the IABSM section of this site, or you can click on the images below.

Polish Armoured Cars

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I'm just getting the figures ready for the next playtest of one of the scenarios in my forthcoming Poland 1939 scenario pack (barring major disaster, should be due for publication next week).

Here are three wz.34 Polish armoured cars from Battlefront. Nice little models, and you get all three, i.e. a complete patrol, in one pack.

The wz.34 was apparently the main armoured car used by the Poles during the September campaign, although some wz.29 armoured cars fought around Modlin. Crew of two, with either a 37mm gun (platoon commanders only) or a 7.92mm MMG.

Egyptian Infantry Support for the Six Day War

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I picked a box of these up some time ago in one of the many Battlefront sales, but hadn't got round to painting them. A delay, however, in an order of Poles gave them the window needed to get onto the painting table and, once there, they were quickly finished.

It's a platoon of three IS-3M ex-Soviet main battle tanks now in UAR service for the Six Day War.

Something else for the Israeli's to blow to, er, Kingdom Come!

TFL Painting Challenge: Week 9

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Well the ninth update even if it isn't exactly week nine.

Another good-sized batch of entries so, in no particular order, we have:

  • Lardy stalwart Chris Stoesen rather unbelievably sends in his first entry ever for the challenge: some lovely eastern front terrain
  • Mr Naylor sends in some Germans to inhabit that terrain
  • Ever-present Matt Slade has been sowing the Hydra's teeth
  • Mr Luther is back to painting little 'planes, lots of little 'planes
  • Chris Kay has some vikings for us to admire
  • Carole might be playing some ASL, so has painted up some GZG sci-fi figures in preparation
  • Another newbie, Craig MacNeill, has some WW1 Canadians for us to see
  • And Mr Weathersby also enters for the first time: a couple of 1/1200 ships. That rigging must have taken ages...still only 12 points per ship though
  • Keith Davies prepares for Arnhem with a couple of German big cats
  • And last, but by no means least, here's John Haines with some more AWI militia

Today's pictures are:

Here's Chris Stoesen's terrain for the eastern front

One of Brian's lovely 1/1200 ships:  hand-rigged!

Chris Kay's vikings in 28mm

Carole's Space Marines in 15mm