Two Surprises

 First Surprise

I have painted not one but TWO British Line units in the past week!!!

3rd Battalion 33rd Regiment front

and rear

2nd Battalion 44th Regiment front

and rear.

A mixture of contrast and normal acrylic paints.
So three weeks and four units done, well on track for Christmas!
5 units to go in 9 weeks!  
List of figures and units.  All Pendraken figures, as are the flags.
Figure
Number    Type                                Units        Percentage completed
180            Line Infantry                   6x30            64%
32              Light Infantry                   2x12            0%
30              Rifles                               1x30            0%
15              Household Cavalry        1x15            100%
30              Dragoons                        2x15            100%
3+12          Line Artillery & crew        3            100%
3+12          Horse Artillery & Crew    3            100%
2+8            Horse Artillery                  2            100%       
5                Commanders                     5             100%
4                Wellington with aides        1             100%

Second Surprise

I went to the local wargaming convention and came away with some unexpected purchases.

First up     Vikings:   Fjord Serpents

I had seen this last year and was tempted as it is an Australian company and is 10mm and I had been to Sweden and Denmark that year, both hotbeds of Viking activity and history 😁But my sensibility intervened and I decided not to get it. This year my resolve crumbled after seeing a game played on Sparkers Wargaming so I indulged myself in a new project.

Lots of toys, 4 ships, 322 crew, rule book, etc. A good increase in the lead mountain after finishing off the Napoleonic's.

Extra Kings and Heroes plus a building.....bugger I am going to need more than one building 😂

I did start thinking about how I could expand the project with some peasants to raid, but I am trying to resist until at least I paint the starter box and play a few games

Also got a blue paint pen to test out..... so at least mildly sensible

Finally there was a bargain that could not be resisted. Half price cold war American army figures to extend my existing 1950 American army into the 1970s

10 M60 tanks and 8 M113's.   So a simple addition, bit of glue, spray olive green, black tracks, add decals and job done.  Although I might need to get some extra ATGM for the infantry as I think I only have bazookas 😂

Terrain Post Modern Victorian Jungle

My apologies for the poorly punctuated title - just a little joke.

Modern

While I was playing my WW3 games I realised that while I had plenty of city terrain I did not really have any town terrain. This was also true of my Victorian gaming.

For the modern city I needed new roads and a town area, plus I needed to vary the colours of my buildings from boring grey.

modern roads and a base for the town

Updating the colours of the buildings and adding some detail in signs and graffiti. 

Photo from the rear

Not perfect, need to add cars and other scatter terrain but much better than the town from my post earlier in the year.

Victorian

Then I decided I had to update my Victorian towns. This required the purchase of some additional buildings that I got from Outland terrain who have some nice N Scale buildings both as kits and 3D prints. The Victorian ones are all 3D prints but the modern ones (in the photo above in the middle and top right are kits usually, the silo is a 3D print.

The Victorian ones are all 3D prints and all designed very cleverly and are assembled just like a kit. Like the modern version I have to add more scatter terrain, in this case trees and bushes and barrels etc.

Here is the new town base and road. I still need to add more greenery

The wharf and light house. Just in case I decide to have a seaborne invasion. Both 3D prints. I could use them for moderns as well

A closer shot of the buildings. Top right hand corner of the town is actually a railway station that will come in handy.

Another shot of the town

When I made the roads and town bases for the modern and Victorian towns, I made the print outs. The river came from Wargames Vault that has lots of files for roads, all better than the ones I made and very cheap.

I printed everything onto 200gsm paper and then stuck to self sticking vinyl tiles that are easily cut to shape. The tiles are quite thin - about 2mm, but have enough weight to lie flat and not move about.

The tiles are $2.50 from Bunnings so the whole project is cheap.

The river looks good, much better than anything I could do. I am thinking I may experiment with adding flock to the edges so it blends with the table more. 

Jungle

Over time I have bought a lot of cheap palm trees from Aliexpress for no real reason other than they were cheap. I then decided I needed to create a jungle for Captain James T Cook to battle through so also bought some cheap bushes and Bamboo groves

Overall Jungle

dark scary jungle

More dark scary jungle

Based on CDs/DVDs. As Stalin said - quantity has a quality all of its own.  

It all looks quite ominous from side on - who knows what creatures dwell within it- certainly the Chompers from the previous post and also the various monsters painted in July last year. Captain James T Cook is going to need a lot of luck or firepower to make it through.

World War 3 - BAOR Day 2 am

The morning of Day 2 of World War 3 in northern Europe. The BAOR's defences are just managing to hold but in some sectors a hasty counter attack is required to shut down Soviet breakthroughs. Captain Suvorov's sector is one of those. He has to hold the bridge until the second echelon arrives that afternoon.

Captain Suvorov's forces consist of two T62's, four BTR's and five sections of infantry.  He hopes the British don't attack! But here they come, four Chieftain tanks, two Scimitar recon tanks and a company of infantry. They have ten turns to take the bridge before Captain Bagration arrives with his mechanised rifle company and supporting tanks.

No air support is available for either side.

The British infantry company deploys with two platoons up and one in support. All the armour is on the left.

End of turn one - The British advance and the Soviets go on overwatch.

End of turn two - A British section advancing in the open gets suppressed. The armour continues down the left flank.

End of turn three - The two recon tanks explode - they have found the Soviets! The British infantry caught in the open are destroyed and the remaining British infantry deploy into the woods.

End of turn four - The Chieftains exact revenge by destroying a T62. A BTR 60 is hit by a Carl Gustav light ATW and suppressive fire from British SAW's hit a Soviet section in the woods. But it is not all the Brit's way, a section deploying in the woods has been destroyed on the right.

End of turn five - A Chieftain explodes but so does the remaining T62. The Soviet's manage to supress the British infantry in the central woods but on the left they are being overwhelmed.

End of turn six - The central woods are clear of British as the Soviet fire forces them out. But the BTR60's retreat while Soviet infantry try to manoeuvre  to get a flank shot of the Chieftains.

End of turn seven - another two BTR60's lose the game of hide and seek. The Soviet infantry on the right embark in the remaining BTR60 and are going to make a break for it. The rest have no option but to surrender. They have no where to hide or run to.

Another fun game and the Soviet steam roller is stopped for now. I am not sure what will come next. A set piece attack by the Soviets to get back the bridge, a very silly West German counter attack, a jump into the future with city fighting in Minsk, or a US Marine beach assault or 1st Cavalry air landing.

I have decided that my changes to the FUBAR rules have not really worked fairly and have impacted the infantry too much. While I have been using elements for the infantry I have not changed the Anti-Personnel fire factors for heavy weapons. This means that the machine guns in tanks and APC's are much more effective than before.  I am going to think how best to correct this. Also the extra suppression does not really help the defenders, while they don't die, they can't do much either.

World War 3 - BAOR Day 1 pm

 The afternoon of Day 1 of World War 3 in Northern Europe. The BAOR's defences are scrambling to stop the Soviet breakthroughs.

Captain Suvorov's next objective is a vital bridge over a canal. Soviet tanks and APC's cannot use their fording ability without engineering assistance to cross canals due to the steep edges. To keep the assault continuing Suvorov must capture the bridge. 

A scratch force of the BAOR has been assembled to defend the bridge. The infantry company has been battered by Soviet airstrikes and only five sections, two light mortars, and a Milan ATGM remain. They also have a recon group of 2 Scimitar light tanks.

Suvorov's remaining Soviet forces are seven BTR60s, one BRDM-2 recce vehicles, three T62 tanks. All that is left from this morning's attack. No other support is available as all air and artillery have taken heavy losses and the remainder is employed elsewhere.

The Soviet forces moving down the road. The canal and bridge at the top of the photo.

End of turn one. The BAOR waits. Suvorov thinks "maybe the bridge is undefended"

End of turn two - Suvorov gets his hopes up.

End of turn three - "oh no - there goes the BRDM!" 

End of turn four - Suvorov is not trying to blast his way through. Dismount the infantry and attack down both sides of the road.

End of turn five - A T62 is hit by a Milan and two BTRs are hit by mortar fire. But the infantry begins its attack.

End of turn six. On the right the Soviet infantry push forward. On the left, both T62s have laid down suppressive fire on the BOAR defenders. The Scimitar tanks load their recon elements and start moving to attack the Soviets from behind.

End of turn seven - from the BAOR side of the battlefield. The Soviet attack on the left is pushing forward and overwhelming the British infantry. On the right the Milan and its section of infantry has been destroyed. Only an infantry section remains - no threat to the T62s.

End of turn seven from the Soviet side.

End of turn eight - On the right another BTR goes up in flames but the BAOR infantry are destroyed, the T62's carefully move up. In the rear the Scimitars have been left behind and will have no impact on the battle. The Soviet advance has been too fast.

 

End of turn nine - the BAOR commander tells all to break off and run or surrender. Suvorov has captured the bridge!

Suvorov reviews his remaining force. Two T62's, four BTR's and five sections of infantry. Enough the hold the bridge against any BAOR remnants  retreating from battles further east, but not enough to advance. Hopefully reinforcements will arrive early on day 2 of WW3.

Another fun game. It all seemed to work OK. I tried different tactics for the Soviets this time. I will have to see how it works with the Soviets on the defence.

World War 3 - BAOR Day 1 am

 The morning of Day 1 of World War 3 in northern Europe. The BAOR's defences are just getting ready when the Soviet steamroller hits them.

BAOR forces are a company of infantry with Milan and AA Missile support and three Scorpion light tanks. They are defending a small town and its surrounding woods that controls a road on the Soviet main line of advance.

Soviet forces are a Mechanised Infantry Company in BTR60s, two BRDM-2 recce vehicles, a company of T62 tanks and supported by two Hind Attack Helicopters. Led by Captain Suvorov his orders are to over run any opposition forces and capture the bridge over the canal by the end of Day 1.

To cover the advance of the Soviet forces, Army artillery has laid a smoke screen across the approaches.

Soviet starting positions. T62's leading the BTR60's. The Hind attack helicopters are off board which will hopefully make them harder to kill but this reduces their attacks.

End of turn 1 the leading BRDM-2 breaks through the smoke screen and is immediately destroyed by multiple LAW hits.

End  of turn 2 - The Hinds attack the infantry in the woods on the right. The BRDM2 on the left is hit but undamaged.

End of turn 3 - the Soviet forces breach the smoke screen and 3 T62's explode and one receives multiple suppressions (right hand side). One of the Hinds explodes as an AA missile hits it.

End of turn 4 - the Soviets are through the smoke screen and laying down plenty of suppressive fire, limiting their losses. On the right the Scorpion light tanks come out to see if they can get some side shots on the T62's.

End of turn 5 - Soviet forces push onwards despite their losses. Another T62 and a BTR60 explode and a Hind attack helicopter destroys a Scorpion tank while T62's destroy another one. But the British manage to hit the last Hind and it explodes on the ground.

End of turn 6 - more Soviet losses but onwards to victory! The last Scorpion tank goes up in flames, no match for a T62. On the left a BTR60 is hit but the passengers manage to escape.

End of turn 7 - both Soviet columns have reached the town, soon they will break through. 

End of turn 8 - The BAOR Milan on the left flank manages a long range hit of a T62 as it skirts the village. On the right the BAOR infantry are chasing the Soviets break through.

End of turn 9 - a final BTR60 is hit and the crew escape to be captured. Maybe they will be quickly released by follow on forces. The T62 in the bottom right hand corner is still trying to remove suppressions from multiple LAW hits. It is left behind as Suvorov makes the break through.

Suvorov has achieved his objective, breaking through the first line of resistance. But at great cost. Will he have enough soldiers left to capture the bridge? Half his force is gone!

End of game, a view from the BAOR side. The Company commander watches helplessly as the Soviet forces break through the town. Plenty of columns of black smoke show the toll taken but it was not enough. His company has been reduced to a single platoon worth of soldiers.