This Week's Painting

I got the Rebel counterparts to the recently finished T-55s finished up yesterday. Along with those T-55s, I picked up some Battlefront M113s for the MCC forces.

The kits themselves were a bit fiddly. More model than wargame miniature to be sure, but the went together easily enough and had a wonderful selection of extra bits. I used a couple of trim vanes, a cupola, a recoilless rifle and some side track covers to give the group a bit of a mix and match look. The top hatches can be modeled either open or closed. They really are solid kits. Here's a look at the accessory sprue, of which four come in the box.

There are bits for mortars, flamethrowers, miniguns, grenade launchers, etc. I'm excited about getting together a game of Sabre Squadron to give the new bits a try.

Please and Tanks

I added a few T-55s to the collection last evening, courtesy of Battlefront. I picked up them and some M113s a few weeks ago as AK47 / Sabre Squadron reinforcements. The T-55s are for President Johnson's army which is typically the one I use.

By the by, I've been shifting the brightness of my painting table pictures up a bit which results in better color translation. So I'm happy with the models except when I put them next to the QRF T-55 and Type 69s I've already got.

The Type 69 on the right looks positively anemic! Granted, it is 20cm shorter, but that shouldn't make it look like Steve Rogers before the super soldier serum compared to Captain America over there on the left! The QRF T-55 isn't quite as bad, but it is noticeable. I'm not sure who's accurate, but I am quite aware of BF's tendency to have slightly bigger models than everyone else.

First world problems for my third world Imagi-nation.

Memorial Day Weekend Game Bash Sunday

The 2016 iteration of the MDB was a damn fine time. I had a handful of guys over for a full day of gaming. I've been working on a couple of scenarios to run at this event - and chose a couple of games / themes that are a bit out of their ordinary.

First up was Sabre Squadron. It was the same scenario that Z and I tested a month or so ago with the African Imagi-Nations forces. Mike, Lee and Landon split the MCC attacking force, while David and his son Anson split the WPA defenders. I was purely a GM for this game.

Deployment happening

Early in the proceedings, one of David's PT-76es exploded the attacker's recoilless rifle jeep, leaving the infantry advancing through the woods without any heavy weapons.

The defender's helicopter unloads two pods of rockets into attacking infantry, while the MCC's air support put a couple of bombs into the workshop. The platoon in the workshop were severely rattled and ended up having to vacate the building, leaving it vulnerable to capture.

Shortly, David lands the helicopter to re-arm it. Mike says "can I shoot it through the open hangar?" I say "sure, you need to roll a ten though." He rolls a ten and the helicopter is wrecked.

Adding to their misery, the Jaguar plasters a tank with a bomb.

There was quite a bit of time elapsed between the previous picture and this one. Landon's infantry had been reduced to a single stand. That stand played cat and mouse with two government platoons until it was finally cornered in the workshop.

The destruction at the front of the base was unreal. Six wrecked tanks and a hulled-out helo! The attackers worked out how they'd attack the old Texaco station (lower right corner). The defending troops across the runway in the workshop wouldn't easily be able to assist.

But as they're forming up, preparing their assault, a few quick shots from the building and a blast from the field gun...

And the jeep infantry quit the battlefield! The attackers have lost more than 50% of their platoons and are done. David and Anson commenced with the hooting and hollering.

That was a very enjoyable game to spectate and a real nail-biter at the end. I think everyone thought the defenders were on a really short clock, but a couple of fortunate shots followed by some miserable morale test rolls (Lee literally rolled 1,2,3 in a row to send his jeep infantry death-spiralling from being in good order to "withdraw" in the blink of an eye.

After tidying up the table, we set up With Sword and Shield - some 6mm Fantasy rank-n-file for a real change of pace.

Our very open battlefield. Mike and Lee commanded the Dwarf contingent, defending the hill. Landon commanded the Dark Elves (the majority of the troops across from the hill) and I would lead the demon horde which would be joining the battle via the scary summoning circle. Us bad guys are trying to break into the cave entrance at the base of the hill.

My summoning circle and the Gatekeeper. My sorcerer hovers behind on his floating chair.

We wasted no time rushing our troops forward, towards the artillery battery. A massive circle of darkness shields the center of our formation. Later, we'd figure out a better way to use it.

Darkness be damned, the Dwarves go bonkers and my demons get wrecked. Compare the two pictures above. Two stands of green plague demons are whacked as are two stands of red blood demons. Saddest of all, my fire demons (the ones where the pink circle was) were wiped out, leaving my sorcerer exposed. A well-aimed cannon shot ended his night early. I'm here to tell you, that really sucks.

The Gatekeeper and the Wiz get some quality time together in the Pit.

My next two summons were my two massive beasties. Interestingly, the stupid Dark Elf sorcerer flubbed her casting and we got no darkness bubble. The big guys were my way of drawing fire off our troops. They'd be sacrificial monsters. You can see that far to the left my flaying demons have engaged the Dwarf infantry and the plague nasties are duking it out with more stunties just ahead of the two big monsters. Elf horsemen continue their flanking maneuver far to the right.

Poor Wumpus. We hardly knew thee. The artillery battery sends him back to Heck.

The noose tightens. I'm just not sure we've got enough gas in the tank to see this through.

From left to right... My flying demons have stalled against some chump Dwarf warriors. Big Orange and some other fliers carve up more Dwarf Warriors. The plague demons continue to be held up. Some Dark Elf warriors make a great showing against Dwarf Berzerkers.  On the other side of the road we have more Dark Elf warriors getting the best of Dwarf Veterans and furthest to the right, the Dark Elf lizard-rider cavlary finally gets in a charge, chushing a regiment of Dwarf veterans. The cavalry was, in turn, smacked into by a Dwarven Walking Fortress, while on the far side of the scrum, Elf horsemen joined in.

It was rather late in the evening - about 11:30. We'd been playing for 10+ hours. After discussing things, the writing was on the wall for the forces of evil. We were too spread out, the Dwarf guns wouldn't stop any time soon and there was no way we were going to get past the Dwarf Hero and one of those damned Walking Fortresses into the tunnel. Although we'd fought a good fight, it was just not going our way. We shook hands and gave the Dwarves the victory.

With Sword and Shield impressed everyone, including a dyed-in-the-wool GW Fantasy player. The system is solid and mechanically it's great. My troop stats took some heat, but to me the question seemed to be about how "out of balance" the two sides should be. The Dwarves are extremely strong in ranged combat while the Demons are extremely strong in melee. The Dark elves are "OK" shooters and good in melee. It was floated that both sides should be move averaged out. My feelings are that, at least with this scenario, it should have been very much like a "Starship Troopers" last stand situation in which the shooters are fine until they get pounced, at which point they're screwed. Food for thought anyway...

We all had a great time and although I'd have liked to have gotten a third game in, by midnight we were beat. Thanks to everyone for coming by, throwing dice and pushing toy soldiers around for a day. Good Gaming!

Sabre Squadron AAR - Airfield Raid (scenario playtest)

Zig and I played a rather entertaining game of Sabre Squadron on Saturday evening. It was a playtest for a game I hope to run on Memorial Day weekend. Our game featured my two African Imagin-Nations armies of Litumsia - the WPA and the MCC.

The scenario features a WPA (Worker's Party Army - loyalists) airstrip under attack by MCC (Militia Campaign for the New Congress - rebels) forces. I wanted to try out some bells and whistles, so each side gets a plane and the WPA have a helicopter.

Zig opted for the commie rebels, so I deployed my starter platoons. The popsicle sticks are chain-link fences which slow down infantry. 

Straw poll - should RPGs be allowed to fire through chain-link fences or would the rocket's fuse likely trigger when it hits the fence?

The MCC were required to capture three buildings, not including the tower.

The MiG and helo began the game grounded. They both had to take off during turn 1.

The MCC noise-makers. Four M46es, two AMX13 and a load of jeeps with infantry.

By turn two, the rebels had cut the fence and started filtering through.

My whirlybird unloads a rocket pod at the insurgents, taking out a few stands.

Insurgent fire at my nearest squad is very effective.

To make things worse, the dadgummed MCC "airforce" shows up and strafes my helo with cannon fire. My helo was forced to retreat, playing no further part in the battle. Curse those mercenary pilots!

Aha! My heavy armor arrives. Things are looking up.

The MCC tanks detour off the road, not wanting to find out how effective my Chinese surplus tanks are.

Meanwhile, the AMX13s zip across the road, into the woods. Their armor would never hold up against the big tanks' guns.

 A new entry into the book of grudges. This godforsaken recoilless rifle jeep absolutely wrecked my right flank. It had just finished off my platoon in the woods in this picture.

The Jaguar returns and puts three bombs on a pair of my PT-76es. One of my tanks explodes sadly.

Sensing doom, my platoon in the hangar reveal themselves, killing a jeep, suppressing another and killing an AMX13 with a rocket! Not terrible.

 The remaining AMX13 and jeep group go hog-wild and thrash them in return.

But things turn again as the WPA heavy tanks destroy two of the big Pattons.

An RPG takes out my last light tank. My right flank has officially disintegrated. This was the somewhat controversial "shot through the fence" mentioned earlier. Please comment if you have any real-world experience with how that shot might play out.

The WPA forces are routed and I throw in the towel. I was on the back foot much of the fight, but it was very enjoyable! I may add a couple of guns to the defenders next time to give them a bit more starch. My reinforcements arrived slowly and didn't do much, although the big tanks were quite useful. My lazy MiG driver only made one ineffective pass before heading for safer territory. I think my helo could have been a lot nastier - I think I missed an opportunity with it.

Sabre Squadron is a damn fine game and this scenario proved to be a good one. Looking forward to the re-play in a few weeks!

Probing the Defenses - Sabre Squadron AAR

Happy New Year, readers! Ziggy and I put together a game of Sabre Squadron on Saturday evening. I've been sad that my 6mm moderns sat idle in their storage except for just a few hours during 2015 so I thought they should get same play.

I put together a basic Hasty Attack scenario, a follow-on to our last mid-1980's WW3 clash on the Baltic coast. The Marines have maintained their beach head and the Soviets are probing the lines, looking for gaps and trying to reduce the defenders.

The Soviets would have three tank platoons and a BMP platoon. The USMC had four infantry platoons with attached TOW HMMWVs and a platoon of M60's. The Soviets may be a little ill-equipped for the task ahead, but this was a learning game.

A fuzzy picture of the layout. Lots of woods, but more would have been nice. My Soviets are advancing in from the table edge. Two of the USMC platoons begin deployed on the table. The other three platoons are deployed after my first bound since they're hidden in defensive positions.

My forces enter the battlefield. The T-62s moved at Transit speed, trying to get in behind the clumps of cover ahead of them.

The M60s waste no time and in a matter of moments, three of the T-62s are brewed up.

One of the T-72s hangs back and takes a pot-shot at one of the American tanks but misses the mark. The T-62s in the center drive into the woods.

The rest of the T-72s and BMPs more forward and right. The lead T-72 smashes a TOW vehicle which had fired earlier but missed. The T-72s trail smoke behind them, covering the BMPs from cross-table M60 fire.

My lead T-72 is knocked out by another TOW launcher. Grrr.

And casualties continue to mount for the Soviets as another TOW vehicle reveals itself, killing a T-62 and a Patton fires back at the "goalie" T-72 I'd left behind.

My last tank in the middle flees.

Another T-62 is taken out by a TOW. I had pulled that platoon out from behind the woods to get some shots at the Americans. I thought they were pretty safe with their positioning. I completely missed the missile vehicle in the back that claimed this tank.

FINALLY something positive. A T-72 takes out an M60.

And a BMP knocks out another Hummvee. The USMC platoon in the back begins to relocate. Their side of the battlefield has been resolved for all intents and purposes.

Needing to make some progress, I push the mechanized infantry forward and assault the Marine positions. Miraculously, I only lost one stand of infantry during the initial assault. I could havce done for better prep-fire on the American positions but I didn't have the time or resources for that at this point of the game.

A turn on and I renew the assault with the other two BMPs and better prep-fire. 

I kill a stand and didn't lose one in the process! Shocking.

But back on the other side, the Marine tankers had finally caught up with my T-62s which had been skulking. I had very purposefully been leaving those tanks there to draw Ziggy's tanks away from the assault on the far side. The plan worked rather well, all things considered.

The filthy American tanks got into good positions to finish off the T-62s and T-72s in one quick round of shooting and that was it for my company. Game over, Marines win.

I know it looks like a really one-sided beat-down, but it still a fun evening of toy-soldiers. As I said, we're learning the system and although I could have used twice as many units or a lot more cover, the game served its purpose. With the weapons we were using, hits instantly translated into kills. Only infantry had any sort of resilience to fire. Next time we'll be sure to clutter up the table more and we'll work in artillery and either helos or fixed-wing aircraft.

The system piqued Zig's interest and although Modern Spearhead is a top-shelf system, Sabre Squadron is easier to set up for and follows a more traditional game play system. I think this will be a good rule-set to bring out for a group game.