Terrain Update-28mm

As mentioned a few posts back, I am trying to catch up on photographing some of the projects that I have been working on over the last year. My blog certainly got taken over by gaming, but I still do a lot of terrain and figure painting.

I have somehow or another got myself in 4 different gaming scales, aside from Chain of Command and yet another skirmish game that I will not mention yet, my skirmish wargaming is in 28 mm. This is as it should be. SAGA, SP2, and Muskets and Tomahawks are all games I play in 28mm. A local gamer (well in New England) Dave Valentine has recently written a set of rules called the Devil in The Wilderness. He had a kickstarter which featured figures for the game as well as the rules with cards and an online engine to play the game. I will always try to support local initiatives, so I bought into the kickstarter. I understand the game is set in a early historic New England and has some supernatural elements involved. You can read more about it on the website, but being a huge Lovecraft fan I was immediately attracted.

In the lead up to any new gaming adventure, I always focus on terrain. Some of my Muskets and Tomahawks terrain will certainly do but I knew I needed more town terrain. Since getting in 3D printing most of the terrain I use is printed by myself. The stuff is from the 3D-Print Terrain Americana sets. It has been slow going and I will need a bit more scatter and a couple of more buildings but I think I am now ready to give the game a try. I was forced to speed up my efforts as the figures for the game have finally arrived from the manufacturer and are about to be sent out.

Scatter terrain can be pumped out pretty quickly on the resin printer.

The house are done on the FDM printer, I use a lot of Citadel washes for buildings.

I find fences difficult to print but these seem OK.

Some forest creatures, yet to receive some matt.

I used Apothecary White Contrast paint for the exterior.

I suspect the houses may not be exactly accurate for the 17th century but they will do. Look forward to giving the game a go!

Gembloux Gap-Get the Guns (8)

This was the Germans 3rd attempt to take this table and the 8th turn in the campaign. To win the campaign, I have to win this table and the next 2 tables without any more loses. To win a narrow victory I have to get to win table 5. Another loss on this table was going to end up in a draw. Thus this turn was a must win for me. My biggest decision was whether to take my third platoon or not, as Platoon 2 was down a full squad. The French have been doing well with their platoon 2, which had been down a squad since the first game on table 4. I decided to take my last platoon, but I really had to be cautious with them as they had to be used in 3 games. This was going to be tough. Platoons and known supports are below.

Dice were rolled and the game started:

Germans (FM 8 (-1) (3 Schützen Regiment)

Schützen Platoon #3

Supports (14)

Jean-Claude

Red Dice

Off Table MMG

IG18

Stuka

French (FM 11 (+1) (110e Régiment d'Infanterie)

Infanterie Platoon #2 (less 10 men)

Canon de 75 m1897

Supports (5)

Entrenchment

MMG

As usual we played out the Patrol Phase on P-Y's ap. The smaller dots are the JOP's, while the numbered dots are the PM's at their final positions. The game was based on the Attack and Defend scenario from the CoC rulebook. I had 1 free move so this did little to help my rapid advance but I decided to focus on the northern part of the table. I had lost too many men in the wheat field to make it attractive.

The Action

My Stuka attack got me off to a good start, I missed the building but I got 12 shock initially on the first French squad to deploy and 9 shock on the 2nd. Unfortunately, despite opening up with my OT MMG, I was unable to to pin them, P-Y was able to get his SL's on the table and was rapidly able to remove shock. I wanted to hold off deploying my IG until I knew where he was going to place his 75mm Heavy Gun. As it turned out P-Y ended the turn with three 6's pretty quickly.

My plan was to target the weak spots on the French line with the OT MMG and Jean-Claude while advancing at least 2 squads in the northern woods while deploying my IG, Mortar team to support the OT MMG and Mortars, as they would be best to reduce cover. Timing her was everything and although I stuck to my general plan I believe my timing was off with the IG placement (my position was good as only the southern part of the French force could target it). I was slow in placing supporting teams though and it cost me. I was never able to take advantage of the initial shock that was placed on the 2 French squads and P-Y was able to recover them.

I was able to cause some morale losses with the constant fire from the OT MMG and my 3rd infantry squad which I placed on the southern margin of the woods. Although I was taking some morale hits myself I was able to move my IG out of LOS as well as the supporting 3rd infantry squad before I was destroyed. I did lose a SL as well as my Mortar team in the process. 

The French Morale was now 4 while the German morale was 5, 6 command dice versus 4. P-Y, despite only having 4 dice was able to remove almost all his accumulated shock and move his southern line off the hedge so out of LOS. I had moved all my units out LOS. I then advanced 3 squads to the west, just staying out of LOS. My OT MMG continued to fire at the French squad behind the stone wall. I felt that I was now in a good position to win the game, I just had to be patient and wait for a double phase and advance all 3 squads in a firing position (54d6) and with the IG gun (6d6) rain terror down on the French squad with a SL in the north with a high likelihood of a complete morale failure........the French withdrew! On to table 5.

The German positions targeting the southern French defensive line

Southern entrenched defensive line

The French withdrawal out of LOS

German advance

The OT MMG marker

The French northern defensive line

Butcher's Bill

Germans (platoon 3)

Final FM 5

5 dead, reduced to 4 by FM (1 man missing, 1 man dead in next game)

CO +1

MO +1

Cautious (-1 FM)

French (platoon 2)

Final FM 4

7 dead but last game for Platoon 2

CO +3 (+1 support)

MO -2

Secure

I finally get to meet Tuco in person

Last Friday, I finally got to play a game of What a Cowboy in person and I got to meet my legend Tuco. The Canadian authorities finally lifted the restriction on fully vaccinated Canadians going to Canada without a two week quarantine. I had been waiting for 6 months for this to happen, I got the Covid myself last December and have been fully vaccinated since early February. I felt my chance of transmitting the covid was infinitesimal, so I welcomed this change. I had also not visited my daughter Jane for 18 months, so the minute the change in travel was introduced, I had my plane ticket. Much to my wife's chagrin, she could not visit as well as she has the wrong passport!

Anyway enough of that, I touched down at Trudeau last Thursday, was subjected to yet another covid test, the 2nd in 48 hours (I am getting yet another test today as I am travelling back to the United States). I am Ok with the tests but I hope the authorities appreciate that the likelihood of a false positive increases with the number of tests done as recently demonstrated in the case of Joel Armia, the Canadien's forward. I was released from quarantine Friday morning and made my way to Lachine to see my friend P-Y. 

P-Y had a table set up as he was going a game of WaC the next day for VL6. We decided to go with our usual characters, but have a one-off game, playing the Rescue scenario. It was a lot of fun as we have been playing CoC recently, but the rules were still pretty clear. 

I will not go into the ins and outs of the game but suffice to say P-Y got Maybeline off the table and won the game. It was a lot of fun, and I finally got to see P-Y's cowboys and terrain in person, they looked even better in person than in their photos.

Tuco!

The Rescue

Additions to the French Armoury

 

It is funny how my blog has become completely focused on gaming over the last couple of years when it actually started off as a painting blog. Certainly during the Covid, my gaming increased markedly but I did continue to paint and put together terrain. I have just not been that good at documenting progress on my blog. I will start to try to catch up with a series of themed blog posts.

Today I took some photos of my French supports for Chain of Command which I play in 20 mm. I should note that I actually do not have a French Infantry force but have been substituting my Belgian Chasseurs Ardennais figures. I do plan to add some French figures to my force but mostly they will be supports for which I do not have Belgian figures.

I have, however, put together some French Armours and guns for the force. I already had two Hotchkiss H39 Tanks, a Souma S35 as well as a Char bis. No trucks though or armoured fighting vehicles, and no light artillery.

We have been playing the Gembloux Gap campaign so I thought it best to have some available to my opponent. Aside from the guns these new additions have all been printed on my small resin printer, which really has done an amazing job.

I have gone with my own colour scheme which is quite simple, the figures look maybe a little washed out. I believe this is because there is some slight frosting from the matt varnish. I am just going to watch this and see what happens. They certainly look vibrant on the table, which is my main goal. I primed the models black or grey and then airbrushed them with Panzer Aces Green Taillight, followed by a wash with Citadel Camoshade followed by a dry brush of VMC Olive Green. Wheels and accruements are then painted in and washed. They are not the best but they will do for the tabletop.

25 mm L/72 to the left from Ace Models. An EWM Belgian 76mm IG on the right

Two Renault R35's, these came from Thingiverse, not the best detailing. I will probably paint on the French camp scheme when I have a spare moment.

Laffly Tractors, I really like these P-Y gave me the STL, not sure where they originate.

Panhard 178 AFV's from 3D Breed

I believe, I am probably good now for French support vehicles and guns but who knows, something always pops up.

Gembloux Gap-Get the Guns (7)

I have to admit I really do not have a clear idea on how to take this table. The initial plan for my first go went OK in respect that I denied one of the houses to the French for a firing position in hard cover, but now they will get a free entrenchment to convert 1 team to hard cover and will probably add one for a single support point. They are already set up for hard cover in the north because of the stone wall. I am finding without armour the approach through the cornfield is quite treacherous. It is covered by the canon de 75 m1897 which is lobbing covering reducing 6 HE at a time. My hope was that I could move through the forest and get at the edge with 2 units on overwatch before the French could get behind the stone wall and overwhelm them.......best laid plans!

The canon de 75 was in position at the beginning of the game.

Dice were rolled and the game started:

Germans (FM 10) (3 Schützen Regiment)

Schützen Platoon #2 (less 5 men)

Supports (13)

Red Dice

Pre-game Barrage

IG18

Off-Table MMG

Jean-Claude

MO

French (FM 9) (110e Régiment d'Infanterie)

Infanterie Platoon #2 (less 11 men)

Canon de 75 m1897

Supports (7)

MMG

Entrenchment

As usual we played out the Patrol Phase on P-Y's ap. The smaller dots are the JOP's, while the numbered dots are the PM's at their final positions. The game was based on the Attack and Defend scenario from the CoC rulebook. I had 4 free moves but really did not advance my PM's through the northern forest to gain much advantage.

The Action

Unlike our previous games, P-Y's dice were quite good, he started off with a double phase and despite me having a pre-game barrage he got all his units on the table within the first few phases....all on overwatch .....before I had got any troops in position aside from the OT MMG.

Not even sure how to approach this defensive line.

I had taken an Off-Table MMG which was able to kill one of his rifle teams but solely because they were in light cover, everything else was in hard cover.

Anyway a placed a squad in the cornfield on tactical, got Jean-Claude in position. The sniper was good at scoring hits on the French leaders but every saving throw was a 1 or a 2, thus no effect. The IG18 went in the forest but really could not advance safely and the squad in the field started to get chopped up and made a run for the forest line but got pinned before they could make it and before I knew they had broke, a series of poor FM rolls brought my FM down to 3, time to withdraw. I ended up having my platoon reduced by a full squad, dropping my CO and MO, and advancing the campaign clock by one with the only gain being a single French gun team crewmen killed. A very unsuccessful game.

Jean Claude, the collaborator; you are leaving me alone!

Butcher's Bill

Germans (platoon 2)

Final FM 3

7 men killed 

(7 killed, 3 missing next game)

CO 0

MO -2

Cautious (-1 FM)

French (platoon 2)

Final FM 8

1 man killed

(10 dead next game)

CO +4 (+1 support)

MO -1

Sociable (+1 FM)

SAGA-AoM

Had my second in-person game this Monday at the Hobby Bunker at it's new location in Wakefield. It is funny how reliant and sophisticated we have come with Virtual wargaming but it is fun to get together and have a game. This was a SAGA game with my friend Adam. I actually have another in-person game coming up in Montreal at the end of next week, it will be my first trip in 18 months and I will be quite happy to be there.

Game Set-up (BoB Chaos)

Scenery-Unknown Lands

Deployment-Refused Flank

Special Rule-Hostile Land

Victory Conditions-Show of Force

Game Length-Until Dusk

The Lords of the Wild (8 SAGA Dice)

The Hunter (1)

Monster Titan (1)

Creature Flyers (1)
Ranger (4 warriors)

4 Mounted Hearthguard (1)

8 Bow Armed Hearthguard (2)
8 Bow Armed Warriors (1)

4 Warriors (1)
Sacred Ground-Primitive Totem

The Horde (6 SAGA Dice)

Warrior

Champion

Behemoth

3 Trolls
16 Hearthguard
8 Warriors
Sacred Ground-Sacrificial Stone

We were a little rusty, but the game went fairly quickly. I quickly got 4 points for getting my flying creatures on Adam's edge. We then engaged in multiple small skirmishes, some I won and some I lost. I put my Warlord in jeopardy but was able to pull him out to safety although he lost one of his companions. I took several shots at the Trolls but they were invincible. Six turns went quickly and when we tallied up the points it was a clear victory (Lords of the Wild) for myself 19-11.

SAGA is always both fun and a challenge, we are however planning something different for our next game as my Spanish fleet is going to finally sail into Salem!

Gembloux Gap-Get the Guns (6)

We had the next game in our Gembloux Gap campaign on Monday morning this week. The Germans have moved on to Table 4, this is a tough one. Speed is of essence, but no armour! The French have a free heavy artillery piece.

Here are some photos of the table.

I had a simple plan in this game, to destroy one of the houses and try to run up the table to deny one of the JOP's to the French. I expected to lose this game but I wanted to be in a good position in the next try on the table which uses the Attack and Defend scenario from the CoC rulebook.

Dice were rolled and the game started:

Germans (FM 10) (3 Schützen Regiment)

Schützen Platoon #2

Supports (12)

Red Dice

Extra Schützen Squad

Stuka

Jean-Claude

French (FM 9) (110e Régiment d'Infanterie)

Infanterie Platoon #2 (less 12 men)

Canon de 75 m1897

Supports (8)

Sniper

MMG

Entrenchments x 2 (this was in error)

As usual we played out the Patrol Phase on P-Y's ap. The smaller dots are the JOP's, while the numbered dots are the PM's at their final positions. The game was based on the Swift to Support scenario from the 1940 book. I started at the #2 arrow and had no free moves, I did as well as I could have with a JOP at the edge of the forest and one in the cornfield.

The Action

The game went as expected, maybe a little better initially. I was able to get 2 squads on the edge of the forest unscathed with 2 squads in the cornfield as well as JC and the 50mm mortar team. The Stuka attack took out the most important defensive building the large villa in the south. It caught afire. The wind blew to the west, thus the smoke had no affect on the game. The French had been able to build their defensive line to the north but still had not got a lot of units in the south. I threw my dice, I had a SL with each grouping of units, it was well set up that I was going to get 2 squads to fire at close range on the French in the north with a back up of the 2 squads in the south. Almost any combination of dice should of helped. I threw the dice and all I could fire was the one squad in the forest...amazing! I threw the dice I got 10 hits, but the French saved them all. In the next phase, the French were able to load up their defensive line and they were able to fire. I had to use an interrupt to withdraw one squad in the forest. All my squads started to come under fire from the French VB team, 2 infantry squads the MMG team and finally the canon de 75 m1897. Time to withdraw despite having a superior Force Morale. Victory to the French.

Withdrawing troops in the forest, struggling to get within 12" of their JOP.

French defensive  line

Butcher's Bill

Germans (platoon 2)

Final FM 10

7 men killed (3 killed, 2 missing next game)

CO +1

MO -1

Irritable (-1 FM)

French (platoon 2)

Final FM 8

1 man killed

1 dead, 2 missing (10 dead, 1 missing next game)

CO +3 (+1 support)

MO -2

Secure

 P-Y played quite a good game, he was patient and waited. It resulted in a win.