More Modern Africans, etc.

I finished up the last of the ZANLA from Eureka Miniatures. they will probably see more action as regulars in the Peoples Revolutionary Army of Timbogo (P.R.A.T.).

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):

The aforementioned ZANLA from Eureka Miniatures.

I’m not totally happy with the beret colour. Essentially I’d wanted black – but I rarely just paint something black – I usually highlight it a bit with a “Charcoal Grey”… Except I’d used the Charcoal grey to highlight their hair… So I’d tried using a really dark blue… then (as you see them now) a “Black Plum”… I think I may actually just go back and paint them straight black…

Just as I was finishing these up another parcel arrived from Eureka Miniatures USA with some modern US Marines and Taliban.

Also rolling off the workbench: a “Fat Veteran with Machinegun” from Black Cat Bases. I thought I might use him as a foreign mercenary training consultant who claimed to have past experience with the SAS (or US Special Forces… or French Foreign Legion… depending on who he was talking to… he once even claimed to be ex-Spetznaz…). He calls himself Colonel Weisz, and he only ever speaks in French – with a think Irish accent…

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

More painting… Likely modern… 

Break Contact!

Once again most of my regular Saturday Savage Worlds players ditched this week so I played another game of Force on Force, this time with Rick. This game took us back to Vietnam. I’m still trying to get my head around the rules and so wanted to stick with a regular vs. Regular battle, but Rick wanted to try out some better quality troops versus a larger number of lesser quality troops. So here’s what I came up with…

SITUATION

A team of Australian SAS has been operating with a team from the MACV Studies and Observation Group well behing enemy lines near the Laotian border; gathering intelligence on enemy troop movements and such. On their way to the take out point they bumped into and unexpected PAVN force! 

SCENARIO

Duration: 10 turns

Initiative: SAS/SOG have initiative for first two turns, then test thereafter.

Fog of War: Determined normally by Reaction Tests

Table Size: ~5’x4’

SAS/SOG MISSION

Break Contact and get to the LZ by the end of Turn 10.

SAS/SOG VICTORY POINTS

I still haven’t figured these out… probably 5 for each guy that successfully makes it out, and 1 or 2 for each PAVN killed or seriously wounded….?

SAS/SOG FORCE

Initiative Level: D10

Confidence Level: Confident

Supply Level: Normal* (see notes at the end…)

Body Armour: None

Troop Quality/Morale: D10/D10

SAS/SOG Forces

Australian SAS Team

1 Team Leader – M16

1 Grenadier – M16/M203

1 MG-Gunner – M60

1 Medic – SLR

MACV-SOG Team

SOG Team Leader – AK-47

3x SOG Operators – AK-47

PAVN MISSION

Capture the Imperialist Spies before they can escape!

PAVN VICTORY POINTS

Probably big points for each SAS/SOG team memenber killed or captured….? 5? 10!? If I were actually using the helicopters even bigger points for bringing one of those down…

PAVN FORCE

Initiative Level: D8

Confidence Level: Confident

Supply Level: Normal

Body Armour: None

Troop Quality/Morale: D8/D10

PAVN Forces

Platoon commander

3x PAVN squads, each with:

-1x Squad Leader

-1x Grenadier – RPG

- 6x Riflemen – AK-47

(3^rd Squad had an RPK Gunner instead of one of the riflemen)

THE GAME

We rolled a die and determined tha trick would play the SAS/SOG forces and I would play the Vietnamese.

TURN ONE

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)

Initial Dispositions

Rick started off with having the MACV-SOG team fire on PAVN Squad #1. PAVN Squads #2 and #3 reacted with fire. The MACV-SOG team fired first, but was entirely ineffective. PAVN Squad #1 returned fire and wiped them out!? PAVN Squad #2 lost a Fire Power die for having reacted.

The SAS team decided to fire on PAVN Squad #2 and then move to aid the MACV-SOG team. I can’t remember who fired first, but the NVA Squad wiped out the SAS…

End of Turn One – Game Over: all SF personnel are down…

So we set it up and decided to try again with the SF teams having D12 for Troop Quality. Afterwards I realized what I should have actually done – more on that after the report…

GAME TWO

TURN ONE

Here we go again.

This time Rick declared the SAS team to be on Overwatch. Then he declared the MACV-SOG team would fire on PAVN Squad #1 and then move. PAVN Squads #1 and #2 reacted with fire. The SAS (on Overwatch) reacted with fire on PAVN Squad #2.

PAVN Squad #1 rolled a one bringing out the only Fog of War card in the game – There’s Something Moving Over There! a randomly determined team ( turned out to be PAVN Squad #3!) blazed away at something they saw – another American team moving in behind to surround them! After unloading all their clips into the bush a wounded wild pig trotted out, fell over and expired…

After all the reaction dice settled the order of firing was as followed the SAS fired first at PAVN Squad #2 causing 3 casualties. PAVN Sqwuad #2 was made of pretty stern stuff – they shrugged off those wounded and laid down some serious fire on the MACV-SOG team causing one casualty. The MACV-SOG team fired on PAVN Squad #1 with no effect whatsoever. Finally PAVN Squad #1 returned fire wiping out the rest of the MACV-SOG team!?

Damn… Again!?

MACV-SOG team is down – at least the PAVN took some casualties this time and the SAS are still standing…

TURN TWO

The SAS maintained the initiative.

PAVN Squad #2 checked it’s casualties and administered First Aid. They had suffered one Seriously Wounded and one Lightly Wounded.

The SAS faded back into the jungle and moved over into cohesion with the MACV-SOG so they could administer first aid the following turn. Only PAVN Squad #2 had LOS and they could only react to fire so they made their move with no reactions.

I suppose PAVN Squad #1 could have done something…? Did I try to move them in to close assault but failed a Troop Quality test…? I can’t remember…

TURN THREE

While the Australian SAS team was administering First Aid the Vietnamese wrested initiative of the situation from the Imperialist Agressors!

Upon arriving at the MACV-SOG position to administer first aid they discovered that all of them were actually okay… All of them… Just fine…. For all their screaming and whailing not one was injured… A bullet had hit the team leaders pack exploding a tin of tomato soup within splattering it all over his neighboring team member. The Team leader had felt the jerk and saw the splattering tomato soup and though it was his own blood gushing out. The neighboring team member, on the other hand, though he himself had been hit and was bleeding profusely out his head. In their flailing about they knocked a branch into the eye of a third team member and who then also though he’d been hit. Then the remaining team member had simply wet his pants when he though all his fellow teammates had been hit, and then when he realized he was wet though he had ALSO been hit and it was actually blood pouring down his leg… Then the SAS medic arrived and calmed them down.  Doing a quick triage, they took stock of themselves and realized that in fact no one was hit, they were all just fine and had a moment of uproarious laughter, which was followed by a solemn oath to never, ever speak of this incident to anyone, ever…

Beginning their activations, PAVN Squad #2 declared their intent to fire on the MACV-SOG team. The SOG team reacted by moving away – they did so successfully – passing through the SAS and out the other end of the stand of trees and bush. NO shooting for Squad #2…

PAVN Squad #1 then decided to close assault into the woods! I’ve realized, while writing this I’m not entirely sure if I would have been able to. It says in the book that “If one or more figures in a unit are within Rapid Movement Distance of an opposing unit, the entire unit may launch a charge and attempt to engage the enemy in Close Assault…” However we had declared the stands of trees, which the unit would be starting in and ending in, to be “Dense Woods”. Infantry units may only use Tactical Movement through Dense Woods…? Which takes precedence? One would think that the tactical move only would… but the wording of the close assault rules “Starts withing Rapid Move Distance…” makes me wonder…

Also… The PAVN Squad, I’ve realized afterwards, wouldn’t have had LOS to the unit. The SAS were deeper than 1” into the dense woods and thus LOS to them would be blocked… Of course it doesn’t specifically state that the target of a Close Assault has to be within LOS at the start of the move…?

Well, whether they should have or not, The PAVN charged. The SAS did a Troop Quality test and passed so decided to stand and fire. Defensive fire took out HALF the PAVN squad… but they passed their morale test and in they went! I think the first attack took out a couple SAS, The SAS fought back taking out two more of the PAVN…

I think the two PAVN and TWO SAS went at it for a few more rounds without much of anything… Then they both lost one  and there was just the two of them going toe-to-toe…

Finally the last of the SAS took out the last of the PAVN. The four PAVN that were actually involved in the close assault were diced for and all four ended up dead. The other four I wasn’t sure about – they were shot on the way in… I figured they could be left out in the open and if anyone wanted to check on them they might still be okay…

PAVN Squad #3 did a rapid move to get to near the brush where all this was going down.

TURN FOUR

The PAVN retained the initiative!

Doing a First Aid Check, the SAS had two Seriously Wounded and the other one was fine. Unfortunately one of the Seriously Wounded was the Medic!?

PAVN# 2 decided to split the unit and sent the two Lightly Wounded to the rear with the Seriously Wounded.

PAVN Squad #3 did a rapid move to get up where they would be close to the woods where the SAS were hanging out.

In the End Phase the MACV_SOG team made for cover of a nearby stand of trees and brush.

TURN FIVE

PAVN Squad #3 decided to activate. They were to move into the wods with the SAS – not entering Close Assault – but just entering the stand of trees and shoot them up at very close range… The SAS decided to react by shooting and then running away… I can’t remember how the reactions went… I think the SAS won the reaction so they got to fire first but were ineffective. Then, I think, the PAVN went (because they get to respond to reaction fire, because they are regulars, right…?). The PAVN’s fire wiped out the SAS. They then completed their move into the woods.

PAVN Squad #2 then also moved up to the woods.

In the End Phase the MACV-SOG team moved from one bit stand of trees to antoher.

TURN SIX

While the PAVN were sorting out SAS casualties and prisoners in the woods the MACV-SOG once again seized the initiative! The two SAS troopers injured in the previous turn’s firefight were also Seriously Wounded. All were now POWs.

The MACV-SOG – completely out of LOS to anyone – moved to the far edge of the wood they were in. PAVN #3 also moved up to the edge of the wood that they were in. PAVN Squad #2 moved further into the wood and took control of the Australian SAS injured POWs.

TURN SEVEN

The SOG team retained the initiative.

The SOG team made another dash from one bit of cover to another – not that anyone had any LOS on them.

In the End Phase PAVN Squad #3 moved out of the woods and took cover behind the wood opposite.

TURN EIGHT

The SOG team still had the initiative.

The moved to the far side of the woods they were in which brought them to the edge of the LZ.

PAVN Squad #3 made a rapid move around the trees to try and get to a position where they could see part of the LZ…

Since I had only stated the SAS/SOG teams only needed to get TO the LZ by TURN TEN, we called it there as the next turn the SOG team would be into the LZ.

Once I figure out helicopters, it might be fun to do a scenario like this where they actually have to call a hovering helicopter down to pick them up in a hot LZ… Maybe have a gunship also hovering around to give support – blasting the tree line to keep heads down (and RPGs away from the LZ!?)

SAS/SOG

KIA: 0

Seriously Wounded: 4 – the SAS– taken POW

Lightly Wounded: 0

Okay: 4 – THE MACV-SOG – made it to the LZ

Red

KIA: 6

Seriously Wounded: 2

Lightly Wounded: 2

Okay: 15

I had MEANT to make the SAS/SOG teams have ABUNDANT supplies and totally forgot to give them extra Fire Power… doh…

I also realized afterwards that what I should have done was to make the SAS/SOG Stealthy or Elusive – so they could have started the fist turn hidden and just tried to fad away – forcing the PAVN to throw themselves into the SAS/SOG position to find them, allowing the SAS/SOG forces to ambush them turn after turn… that would have REALLY balanced things out a bit.

Still learning… Sometimes the more I read the rules and play the game the more confused I get… They seem so intuitive… yet I can’t get my head around some things… Maybe I’m just an idiot…?

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I’ve been working on a few 28mm vehicles the last couple days. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish them up soon-ish… 

Action In Burkadurkastan

Last Saturday I’d cancelled by Regular Saturday Night Savage Worlds game as it looked like no one was available… then Christian said he was, so I set up a quick Cold War Gone Hot Force on Force game to try out…

I’m still trying to get the rules straight in my head, so I probably made lots of mistakes… I was also really tired and wasn’t taking very detailed notes… so my memory of the game is a little hazy. I’ll try to do my best to describe what was going on in the pictures…

SITUATION

After a series of “border incidents” and a number of “terrorist bombings” within the Soviet Union, the Soviets have launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Burkhadurkastan claiming they have been harbouring and training the terrorists operation within the Soviet Union…. (It has nothing at all to do with the recently discovered vast oil reserves in the border region of Buhdurkh).

A coalition of western nations, led by the British, outraged by the Soviets brazen infringement of Burkhadurkastan territorial sovereignty have pledged support to the beleaguered Burkhadurkastanis (whether they want it or not)! (It has nothing at all to do with BP purchasing exclusive rights to exploit the recently discovered vast oil reserves in the border region of Buhdurkh).

A British rapid deployment light role brigade has been deployed to Budurkh (despite the fact that the initial Soviet invasion had been pressing further east towards the capitol of Burkhadurkabad…?)

Elements of the Black Watch have moved into the Eastern part of Budurkh and begun hastily preparing defences for the expected soviet swing toe the west.

SCENARIO

Duration: 10 turns

Initiative: Soviets have initiative for first two turns, then test thereafter.

Fog of War: Determined normally by Reaction Tests

Table Size: ~6’x5’

BRITISH MISSION

Occupy the village of Guburkh and prepare defences to hold off the advance elements of the invading Soviets.

BRITISH VICTORY POINTS
I can't remember if I worked out any... I certainly didn't write them down... shoudl have been something about denying soviets the village... Or maybe some target buildings on the far end of town... or something like that... 

BRITISH FORCE

Initiative Level: D8

Confidence Level: Confident

Supply Level: Normal

Body Armour: None

Troop Quality/Morale: D8/D8

British Forces

Lieutenant – SA-80

Medic – SA-80

Fire Team #1

Team Leader – SA-80

MG-Gunner – LSW

Grenadier – SA-80 + Grenade Launcher

Rifleman – SA-80

Fire Team #2

Team Leader – SA-80

MG-Gunner – LSW

Grenadier – Carl Gustav + SA-80

Rifleman – SA-80

Fire Team #3

Team Leader – SA-80

MG-Gunner – GPMG

Grenadier – SA-80 + Grenade Launcher

Rifleman – SA-80

SOVIET MISSION

Push through the village of Guburkh and expel any resistance you encounter there.

SOVIET VICTORY POINTS
As the British Victory Points above.. really just playing to figure out rules... haven't really got me head around designing balanced objectives and forces and whatnot. 

SOVIET FORCE

Initiative Level: D8

Confidence Level: Confident

Supply Level: Normal

Body Armour: None

Troop Quality/Morale: D8/D8

Soviet Forces

Leytenant – pistol

Serzhant – AK-74

Sniper – Dragunov Sniper Rifle

Fire Team #1

Team Leader – AK-74

MG-Gunner – PRK-74

Grenadier – RPG-7

2x Rifleman – AK-74

Fire Team #2

Team Leader – AK-74

MG-Gunner – PRK-74

Grenadier – AK-74 + Grenade Launcher

2x Rifleman – AK-74

Fire Team #3

Team Leader – AK-74

MG-Gunner – PRK-74

3x Rifleman – AK-74

BTR-80 = 3 crew (Driver, Gunner, Commander)

THE GAME

After we'd worked out who would have what, Christian decided to take the defending British and I took the attacking soviets. 

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)

Soviets deployed aproaching the outskirts of Guburkh

TURN ONE

The soviets rushed to the edge of town. No reaction from the British (or Scots, actually…).

The Scots move up to new positions in the End Phase.

TURN TWO

Soviets and British Exchange fire on the south end of the village. Both take one casualty, the Soviets are pinned.

The other soviets moved up taking cover in and around the destroyed building on the Northeast endge of the village.

In the end phase the remaining Scots move up. More fire is exchanged with Soviets; each taking one casualty. In this round of fire Christian rolled a one bringing out the first of many Fog of War cards. I can’t remember which it was… it must not have had much effect. We haven’t had many in the previous games. In fast I think there were more FOW cards drawn in this game than in all the previous Force on Force and Tomorrow’s War games…

Oh, it might have been “Brats and Schnapps” a NATO fire team that’s out of LOS of higher command takes a turn out to sample local culinary culture. No one was, so we ignored it…

TURN THREE

Two British and Two soviet teams did first aid checks to see what happened to their downed comrades… The soviets apparently had one seriously wounded soldier and the other was okay… I don’t seem to have taken note of what happened to the British.

There was some attempt at exchanging of fire in the middle of town – which brought out another FoW card – Air Strike – an Su-25 Frogtfoot operating in the area decided to help out and dropped a bomb on the building in the center of town where the British were firing from – wiping them out.

I’ve realized since playing (and having a thorough re-read of the rules – I should have done the attack against the building – which may or may not have collapsed on the British… I should make some more ruined buildings that are approximately the size and shape of the existing buildings that I could swap out in just such an occasion…

With the threat in the center of twon reduced the BTR-80n moved up.

TURN FOUR

I have noted that the soviets did a first aid check and had two more seriously wounded…? Though I’m not sure WHERE they took those casualties…?

The British Medic (along with the Lieutenant?) made it to the Team that had been bombed (perhaps they moved up in the end phase of the previous turn). The results of the bombing were one KIA, 1 Seriously wounded and the others were just fine – though they kept talking really loud and shouting “WHAAAAAT?!” every time someone tried speaking to them…

Antoher British unit apparently had a Serious Wound and a Light Wound – I’m guess this, and the Soviet mystery casualties were among the teams at the south edge of the village that were exchanging fire.

The BTR-80 fired at Brits in the building immediately to their front. The BTE fire was ineffective, but the British return fire took out the vehicle commander (who was unbuttoned)!

The soviet Sniper took out another Brit – likely one that had just gotten back up. And the other soviets at the north end of town poured fire into the bombed building

TURN FIVE

The Soviet vehicle commander turned out to be seriously wounded.

The British Lieutenant was okay, the medic Lightly wounded, and another was KIA.

I’m not sure what else was going on in the turn…?

TURN SIX

The Carl G Gunner lit up the BTR-80!

The Soviets moved up in the center and apparently shot up some more Brits… somewhere….?

Soviets on the south end of the village overran the British fire tean that had stopped returning fire (because they were all casualties)

TURN SEVEN

Among the British Casualties taken prisoner on the south end of town two were Seriously Wounded, two were Lightly Wounded.

Elsewhere There was two more Lightly Wounded British that received first aid…

I can’t remember what else went on in the last turn… Things were going very badly for the British….

Among the other Fog of War cards that were in the discard pile (that I can’t remember when they came up were: Shuffling the Stack (The Brits were no longer allowed to call on any further air strikes… had they been allowed to do so…), Fire! Fire (a building occupied by some British burst into flame and had to be abandoned), A Break In The Clouds (negating any previous weather related FoW cards), and “Should We Turn This On?” (Something to do with Ground Surface Radar - I had to make a TQ test – failure would have meant the Brits got a free Heavy artillery fire mission on one of my teams, bu,t as I passed, it just meant the Brits couldn’t use Out of contact Movement).

A Fun game. Starting to get the hang of things. After playing this I’ve had a thorough re-reading of the rules we’ve used so far… it cleared up a few things… I realized I was doing a few things wrong…

I will likely get another game in this Saturday as it looks like most of my regular Saturday night Savage Worlds players are bailing on me once again… Ah well… I’d rather play more of this at the moment anyway…

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I’m kind of prepping and priming a number of things that arrived this week and jumping around – back and forth between Africans, British SAS and a half dozen assorted vehicles in various stages of assembly and paintage…. Who knows what I’ll post next… Maybe it’ll be a report of Saturday’s game! 

I'm on the countdown to 1000 posts. This is apparently post #990. 

Expedition to Timbogo

Last week I played a little skirmish scenario with the kids set in of Timbogo; the fictional African nation that has been the setting of many more modern wargames and adventures on the “Dark Continent”.

The scenario involved the Lederhosen/Schnapps Expedition arriving in one of the last regions of Africa to be explored/claimed by Europeans. The region (now the Republic of Timbogo) had, to this point, been thought to be mostly devoid of desirable resources to plunder. Combined with the fact that the area is so far from the coast and, until recently, any trains made any exploitation of any resources that might actually be there economically unfeasible. Also the rumours of the ferocity and combative nature of the occupying tribes had thus far also served to keep Europeans at bay. But as the map was quickly gobbled up and colonies established the race for even the most desolate regions had picked up in pace…

As we played with Savage Worlds I posted the game report over on my Savage Worlds blog:

Expedition to Timbogo at Savage Timmy’s Playhouse.

I have one more game report to catch up on, then hopefully back to some painting!

Rhodesian Light Infantry and a War Correspondent

A few more modern items… I actually finished these up a few days ago, but then just didn’t get around to posting them. Which was fine because it left that post with all the pictures of John’s pretty toy soldiers at the most recent post for everyone to see. If you haven’t do have a look at them – they are quite the spectacle to behold scroll down or click “previous post”.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):

Rhodesian Light Infantry from Eureka Miniatures.

A view from the back (so you can see the pretty camouflage)

A War Correspondent/Photographer from Black Cat Bases

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I still have two more Game Reports to finish up from last week…

I have some more moderns on the workbench… Africans… SAS… Of course there were a few new Great War figures that arrived over the last week or so that I’m tempted to paint a few of…

Hopefully Thursday I’ll get to some of that… 

Napoleonic Ever Victorious Armies

Our good friend Curt was in town, so John decided to host a game of Napoleonic Ever Victorious Armies. 

(click on the pictures to see a larger version) 

His Napoleonic armies are "old school" 30mm figures - some old Scruby figures, others he's modeled and cast himself. 

Curt and I played the French and Gary and John played the Russians. I know frightfully little about the era so I couldn't tell you where or when this action was supposed to take place. presumably some place east of Paris, sometime between 1800 and 1815... 

All I know is they wore very pretty uniforms. I mean, check out these french lads in the blue coats, don't they look fabulous! Fashion-wise, we had the Russians beat from the get-go! 

The Russians are all so boring. Green... green... green... touch of red... yawn.... 

And there was just so many of them.. and all dressed the same!? Seriously, do they go to balls dressed like that? 

Of course what am I thinking... They're a bunch of uneducated, uncivilized Russian peasants... Probably never heard of balls... 

Our host and impartial umpire and Russian commander: John Bertolini

Here the game is finally underway... Gary's boring Russian cavalry came charging up the flank, so my chaps (I think they might have been Polish...?) formed square and taunted them. 

In the middle my dashing French infantry marched up the center to storm the Russian guns. Funny how the Russians had great fields of fire from their initial set up locations. I guess Poland is shaped like that... or was it Lithuania... I don't know about these things... 

Down at the other end of the line the Bold and Courageous French Cavalry storm the Russian guns on hills conveniently located in the Russian Deployment Zone. 

Our Commander-in-Chief; the spry and dashing Marschall Curt!

The Russian Cavalry halted by the fearsome and geometrically accurate Polish Squares

A fine day for a stroll through the meadows of Poland... or was it Lithuania...? Wherever it is, the wine is terrible and the women not much better. 

Why were we here again...? Ah, Napoleon. It was his idea. Clever lad. I'm sure there's a good reason for it. 

Opposing forces enter the village. It was rumoured there was a whorehouse within so some of the fiercest fighting of the day was here in the streets of this picturesque Polish village... or was it Lithuanian...?

More french lads marching about in a field.

the bold and fearless French charge the hill in the center of the field of battle and capture the guns! Huzzah! 

More guns being captured by the pretty boys in blue. 

Fierce fighting in the middle of the village. Fierce. There was hissing and scratching and slapping with gloves and I think someone's buttons even got torn off. 

The russians were so dumb they didn't even know when they were dead and just kept fighting... 

So fearsomely determined were the French in the village the Russians fled from it - leaving the whorehouse in possession of the truly better men. 

Russian cavalry can also be seen fleeing from our glorious Polish(?) allies. 

Hmmmm... I think we won. We certainly got higher points for presentation and technical performance. The Russians had all the finesse of a sledge hammer and the fashion sense of a mule. 

Big thanks to John for hosting the game and it was great to see Curt again. 

Coming soon to Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog: 

MORE game reports. It truly has been a week of mad gaming!?