TFL Painting Challenge: Big End-of-the-Week Update

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Well the need to do a Painting Challenge update snuck up on me today. Checked the InBox and there were suddenly masses of entries needing processing.

So, in no particular order, we have:

  • Maestro Slade with another GW abomination
  • Some recce units and re-basing from Mr Hodge
  • Chris Stoesen has some docks for his pirates to play on, and a few figures as well
  • John Haines continues his quest for bushido
  • There's a whole load of Soviet people-carriers from Egg
  • Odds and ends from Jon Yuengling
  • Mervyn smashes in a second great mass of re-basing
  • And last, but by no means least, Mr Helliwell adds figures by the score, including enough to put him at exactly 1,000 20mm ACW chaps.

As always, clicking on the name will take you straight through to their gallery (opens in a new window).

Today's pics are below...

Egg's Soviet People Carriers

Matt's Monstrosity...although I'm not sure the unit markings are quite right ;)

Loving a bit of Samurai action from Mr Haines

Keep them coming!

More Armour for the Hura

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Regular visitors will know that the Hura range from Clear Horizons suffers from the all-too-common "infantry only" syndrome: a nice range of infantry, a single type of infantry support weapon...and that's it. No heavier support weapons, no armour:  no vehicles at all.

Now whether that's because the range hasn't proved popular and it's not worth expanding or some other reason, it has still left me with a couple of platoons of unsupported infantry...something which I got around by assigning to the Hura Brigade Games' Xarledi grav tanks from their Yenpalo range.

Very nice looking grav tanks, but still only one vehicle type...that is until now, when Brigade have added a support variant.

As you can see, the Xarledi Support Tank shares the same 'body' as its AFV brothers, but has a short, fatter gun.

I must confess I'm little underwhelmed. Lovely models, don't get me wrong, and always keen to have a variant or two...but they could have made its 'support' weaponry a bit more different. Perhaps more mortar-like, or Stalin-organ-esq. Basically something other than just a shorter, stubbier gun!

Funny, isn't it, how I'm quite happy to be happy with an early Panzer IV and an F2 as contemporaries whose main difference is barrel-length (hush, rivet counters: just pipe down, you know what I mean), but unhappy when you've got effectively the same thing in a sci-fi setting.

As Rich would say: too much space-pixie dust!

Anyway, as always from Brigade, lovely models, and good back up for the Hura.

More Tah-Sig Finished

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I'm gradually working through my two Tah-Sig platoons...particularly as I need to get the infantry finished before my Darkest Star AFVs arrive to provide their support. Fresh off the workbench is a another section of grunts, and two particle cannon teams i.e. floating squad light support weapons.

I particularly like the LSW teams: the two front bases in the pic, above, as I like the way the weapons are portrayed as outlined below. 

Each two-man team consists of a gunner and a loader. Although it's not very clear in the photo, the standing loader in the nearest team has a couple of football-sized objects on a rack on his back, but the lying-down loader has one football-sized object on the ground close to his gunner's weapon, and one 'deflated' football-sized object strapped to the rack on his back. It's now obvious to me that the football-sized objects are some kind of magazine or powerpack for the gunner's gun. Neat!

Anyway, the Tah-Sig come from Khurasan, and I'm looking forward to getting them onto the tabletop when all finished.

IABSM AAR: All American #10: Neuville au Plain

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Another great after action report picked up from the IABSM Facebook page.

This time, Desmondo Darkin leads his Luftlande Grenadiers into action against the 82nd Parachute Infantry Regiment in a scenario taken from the All American scenario pack.

Click on the picture below to see all:

IABSM AAR: Breakthrough in Normandy

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In addition to four ready-to-play scenarios, the IABSM v3 rulebook contains a random scenario generator allowing you to quickly and easily build scenarios of your own. 

There are six basic types of encounter detailed in the generator, the fifth one being "Breakthrough": where a strong, fast-moving force attempts to break through an enemy position.

Here's an AAR from Carole Flint using the "Breakthrough" scenario generator, with a game set in Normandy, 1944, and detailed on her excellent blog Hippolyta's Tiny Footsteps.

A force of British tanks and their supports attempts to punch a hole in the German defensive line. Click on the pic below to see all... 

CoC: 'Citadel, the Breakthrough' Pint-Sized Campaign Released

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Although this site concentrates on the company-sized games from the TooFatLardies, I like to keep you all abreast of their other activity. Today, for example, saw the release of the Citadel, the Breakthrough pint-sized campaign for Chain of Command.

In Rich's own words:

"This Pint Sized Campaign for Chain of Command is the second covering the decisive battle of Kursk in 1943.  The action here covers the attack of the Grossdeutschland Division on the Soviet Second Defensive Line.  This key action will either see the Germans breakthrough and head onwards for Kursk, or be stopped by the Soviets; whoever wins will seize the initiative in the East for the rest of the year and possibly change the course of the war.

"Six battlefields provide a campaign which sees the Germans attacking and the Soviets but with the Russians counter-attacking to buy time.  This campaign can be fought as a stand-alone series of games or can be played as a continuation from the first Kursk Pint Size Campaign, Storming the Citadel.

"This classic Pint Sized Campaign is designed to be run using the campaign rules in At the Sharp End and with Chain of Command rules.  Can you seize the initiative and put the Soviets on the back foot while you build up your defences or can you keep up the momentum of the attacks in the East as you drive relentlessly towards Berlin?

"Thirty-two pages long, this Pint Sized campaign provides the background history to the campaign with situation maps.  Uses period maps to show the location of the actions and then provides a complete campaign with forces for both sides, support options for players to select from and full victory conditions for all six battles and the campaign as a whole."

At time of publishing, Citadel was on sale for only £3.80: actually less than the price of a pint in some of the places I go!

You can order and download your copy by clicking here. 

TFL Painting Challenge: Mid Week Round Up

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Pleased to say that enough entries have come in to make a mid-week round-up a bit of a necessity: saves me being flooded at the weekend!

All the regulars are smashing their entries in, but it would nice to see some of the less frequent contributors picking up their brushes, paints and cameras as well. As I've said before, Christmas and the end of this year's Challenge will be on us before you know it, and that lead mountain won't paint itself!

Anyhow, in no particular order, here's this week's update:

  • Steve Burt is still in Darkest Africa
  • Plenty of 15mm sci-fi goodness from Carole
  • Matt Slade is off to the Crusades, twice
  • Mr Gilbride has an accident with his pillbox and the devil of a time with his church
  • It's talk like a pirate day from Mr Stoesen
  • Mervyn has suddenly realised he can get points for re-basing...
  • And last, but by no means least, Mr Helliwell has some Austro-Hungarians, Gallowglass and a ruined building for us to see

As usual, clicking on the name above will open their gallery in a new window. I'll update the Scorecard tonight.

Here are today's pictures:

Home-made ruins from Andrew Helliwell. Click on the pic in his gallery to see the recipe.

Piratical jump-off points from Mr Stoesen

Black Tree Arabs from  Matt Slade

Darkest Africa from Steve Burt

A Pond...a Very Nice Pond

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Second piece of loot from Colours was a pond from Debris of War.

This is shown here with a couple of bases of Polish infantry for scale purposes.

Lovely bit of kit. Not on the Debris of War website, so I'm assuming it was made up just for the show. Whatever, it cost me £10.50 and I'm very happy with it. DoW also do movement trays, resin walls, the odd building: lots of different stuff really, well worth a look.

Expect to see the pond appearing in many AARs to come! 

15mm Buildings from Minibits/RedVectors

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First of the loot from Colours: some slightly different buildings to round out my Russian village.

Hadn't seen these before: they are a selection of five laser-cut MDF buildings from a company called RedVectors that market through Minibits.net.

As you can see, there are two different houses, two different open-fronted barns, and a pig pen with fence.

They go together very nicely (not quite as nicely as the 4ground or Sarissa stuff that I have already, but very nicely all the same) and are a great way of adding a bit of variety to your hamlets.

How do they directly compare? Well, I prefer the 4ground roofs, and I think that the RedVector houses look a bit gingerbread, but the open-fronted barns and big pen are just fantastic. Here's a couple of comparison shots with a 4ground Russian shack:

Yes, they look a bit different...but not enough to matter on the 15mm wargames table. I shall probably use the barns and pigpen all the time, and save the houses for when I need to represent a hetman's hut or something different to the run-of-the-mill shacks.

As regards price, the five buildings together cost me £18, or about £3.50 each. 4ground come in at a whopping £8.50 for one house, down to about £7 each for their collections. Yes, 4ground are "better" (more detailed, I prefer the roofs) but £18 for five buildings is a really, really great price.

Incidentally, the RedVector/Minibits buildings also come in a ruined variety, at £15 per pack:

In all, these get a huge thumbs-up from me: a change to the 4ground buildings; I love the open-fronted barns and pigpen; and the price is excellent.

Highly, highly recommended.

IABSM AAR: Heavy PaK Front by Mark Luther

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Another great 6mm IABSM AAR from Mark Luther. This scenario involves the Germans advancing into a hail of fire from Soviet anti-tanks guns...and then there's the JS-IIs to contend with as well. I'll play the Soviets please!

Click on the pic below to see all:

For those who are interested, I will be at Colours tomorrow, Saturday 16th September, probably for most of the morning.

For those wishing to join me, you can find details of the event by clicking here. At only £6 entry, it's got to be worthwhile, either as a shopping trip or a chance to see the demo games. I personally can't stand the venue, but the show is always good.

Rock the Casbah AAR: The Al Bass Crossroads

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Another brilliant Lebanon 1982 battle report from Anton Ryzbak's blog, Anton's Wargame Blog.

This AAR, from 2012, covers the further adventures of the Israeli column featured in his last two games, and is actually written by fellow player Justice and Rule. 

The report features vast numbers of pictures (seventy-five in all!) showing off some of the wonderful terrain they were using. Viewing is highly recommended. Click on the pic below to see all:

TFL Painting Challenge: Huge Update

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Morning all. This is what happens when I leave the Challenge for more than a week:  huge numbers of entries!

That's all good though...the more the merrier...but it would be nice to see some of the less frequent contributors upping their, er, contributions. Come on everybody: it's September already. Time to get those points totals up to record levels. All you have to do is beat what you did last year by one point...

Anyway, onto today's entries. In no particular order we have:

  • Jon Yuengling with a mix of scales and periods
  • More sci-fi goodness from Carole Flint
  • Super-painter Matt Slade pops in two entries: some Crusader-period Arabs and, in contrast, some GW tanks
  • Fresh from a night out with Yours Truly, Mr Hodge sends in more of his micro armour for Normandy
  • Mervyn falls short of expectations. Well, his entry is a unit of dwarves...
  • A colossal entry from Mr Ralls: all WW2, all 28mm
  • Sapper has more Hittites and a handful of Romans
  • Chris Stoesen sends in more pirates than would fit on a dead man's chest
  • Stumpy bases some more Frenchies
  • And last, but by no means least, Mr Helliwell has been clearing his lead mountain of Germans and Romans

As usual, clicking on the name above will open their gallery in a new window. I'll update the Scorecard tonight.

Here are today's pictures:

28mm British Softskins from Jason Ralls. Loving the windows.

Going down:  15mm Polish tanks from Jon

Continuing the descent: micro armour SdKfz's from Derek Hodge

War wagons of a different sort: Hittite chariots and infantry from Sapper

IABSM AAR: A Canadian VC Re-Visited

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You may remember that when I posted James Tree's AAR using the A Canadian VC scenario from the rulebook, I posted links to all the other battle reports using the same set up.

Well, James had a look at some of them, and decided he hadn't quite played the scenario correctly...so there was nothing for it but to play the game again.

Click on the pic below to see how it worked out this time: take two!

New/Updated Army Lists for Q13

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Just realised that some of the army lists in the Quadrant 13 section needed updating...so I've updated them.

First up is a new list covering Khurasan's Tah-Sig: some very non-human aliens for which there are figures to represent a nicely scoped out platoon. No vehicles yet, but the infantry are cracking.

Here's the particle cannon team from Khurasan's website:

Click on the pics to go to the relevant manufacturer's website

Secondly, I've updated the Xar list to take into account the relatively new Xar infantry on flying saucers, and the fact that I've equipped mine with vehicles from Critical Mass/Ral Partha's Kaamados Dominion range.

The pic on the right is a shot of the saucer chaps in the raw, as it were, straight from GZG's website.

I haven't linked here to the pdfs of the relevant army list: how boring would that be! You'll need to vsisit the Q13/Army Lists page to get them.

New Sci-Fi Manufacturer: Boon Town Metals

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It's hard to keep track of all the manufacturers of 15mm sci-fi figures: old ones keep disappearing or being acquired by other people, new ones spring up all the time.

Here's one new one whose website went live only about a week ago:  Boon Town Metals.

Describing themselves as a niche figure manufacturer, they currently have two ranges: cyberpunk orcs (with a few other bits and pieces included) and sci-fi dwarves.

I have, of course, immediately purchased some of their dwarves. As you all know, my opinion is that, whenever you see miniatures that you like, you should buy them immediately as, if you don't, they can disappear from the scene without warning (e.g. Cactus dwarves where are you now?) so we'll see what these are like in the flesh.

Anyway, good luck to Boon Town, and hopefully they will be around for a long time.

IABSM AAR: For the Honour of France...Again

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Rather than immediately clear away the rather nice set up for the For the Honour of France game played a couple of weeks ago (click here to read the AAR, opens in a new window), I decided to use the same scenario for a game that I was umpiring between John and Dave that took place last weekend.

A very different game from last time. Click on he pic below to see all: