Fred - 2021 Painting Bits

[Techno II]

A trip down memory lane !!

Cheers - Phil.

[fred.]

Late War WWI Game

We played a WWI game set in 1918 using If the Lord Spares Us rules. This was our first try with late war, and it general worked!

The table is bit pale as I used a desert mat to give a brown colour rather than my normal green one. The overall look is very brown. Which whilst OK for some parts of WWI is also a bit visually unappealing.


Early on in the game, the British are attacking from the bottom right, some of their troops are still on Blinds, one infantry battalion supported by Mark V tanks advances


End game, the British attack has stalled. They have managed to take the village on the far side. But in the middle have lost a full battalion, and its replacement is taking heavy casualties. On the near side the British are engaged in the fire fight with the defenders in the trench.
The Germans have lost approx 2 coys of defenders from the first trench line.

The scenario was very challenging for the British. There were too many defenders, and they had too much ground to cover. The British tanks proved much slower than the infantry, mainly as the infantry were able to advance rapidly on blinds at the start of the game.

As always ITLSU gives a good game - and this one really illustrated the problems of attacking strong defences.


One of the German battalions, 9 Infantry, 3 HMG, minewerfer, MG08 and HQ
There were two of these on the table, with 3 x 77mm field guns. And another in reserve.

[paulr]

Suitably muddy

Definitely a tough nut to crack

Interesting to hear that ITLSU worked well for late war, what amendments did you make?

[fred.]

Thanks Paul

I don't think we really made any, the core rules have tanks and trenches.

I decided that MG08 where 2dice MGs when firing. Gave the British +1 dice for Lewis guns per company.
Half way through we up the Whippets to 3d Average for movement (rather than 2dAv). Each tank was on its own card.

Germans had the option to deploy as companies, but effectively deployed as battalions - but again I think that is implicit in the rules - certainly is in some of the scenarios. I think having the Germans activate as companies would have been a good idea.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Nice one Forbes! 

[paulr]

Germans had the option to deploy as companies, but effectively deployed as battalions - but again I think that is implicit in the rules - certainly is in some of the scenarios. I think having the Germans activate as companies would have been a good idea.

Having them activate by companies would 'break up' the German defense a little more, hopefully allowing some of the British to make a bit more ground

[Steve J]

That's a nice looking game and as you say, quite a tough ask for the Brits.

[Techno II]

Good one !

Cheers - Phil. 

[fred.]

Thanks both

That's a nice looking game and as you say, quite a tough ask for the Brits.

Yes it was, in scale terms they had a mile to cover to get to the first German trench line. I'd set things up fairly quickly, and had gone with what looked OK, without really thinking about the ranges and moves within the game.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Which rules Forbes ?

[fred.]

Which rules Forbes ?

If the Lord Spares Us, by TFL

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Thanks

[fred.]

Harlequins

Some more work on these figures the last couple of days. I think all that is left is the 'gems' on the flip belts

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Oh aye, they work!

[Techno II]

Certainly do !

Cheers - Phil. 

[fred.]

Thanks both - I think with a final check on these, might get them varnished today.

[fred.]

10mm Commandos and Germans

Back to 10mm and WWII - at least for this week...



Started work on some Pendraken Commandos that I undercoated aeons ago, along with Victrix Germans, who were only undercoated the other week. I do like painting WWII figures, so nice and quick to get good progress on them - everyone in the same dull coloured tops and trousers really helps with painting. Basically a heavy dry brush of the main uniform colour gets you a long way to done

These are at the final checks and tidying up stage. I might go back for a slightly light green on the British helmets

The sizing on the commandos is a little odd - the two with berets, one kneeling and one standing seem quite small compared with some of the other sculpts

Does anyone know what weapon the central guy of this group is carrying code BRF41, it seems to have a drum magazine, but the barrel is fairly thin (unlike a Lewis gun)
https://www.pendraken.co.uk/nbrf41-ncommandos-with-mixed-weapons-type-2-3515-p.asp
I can't work out how to direct link to the image on the new website?


The Victrix figures are a very different style to the Pendraken ones, much the same height (despite being called 12mm) but more slender, and also generally quite flat / 2D in their poses. They are very crisp and detailed sculpts though.

[Raider4]

Looking good!

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Looking good, definitely not a Lewis gun!

[fsn]

Vickers K?