Even more trees

Awhile back, I got a load of cheap Christmas village trees from someone at the club (Scott, maybe). These sat in my "future projects" pile for a long time. 

I finally got around to doing something with them on Remembrance Day. First up was a soak to get the snow off. This was 90% successful but left an inky mess in the sink.

Bruce suggested spraying them with rustoleum green. He got a pretty good effect (below) and didn't even bother with removing the snow. I didn't have any paint laying around and have been trying to avoid going out unnecessarily.

I did, however, have a bunch of Army Painter flock (for some reason) and some glue. So I flocked the trees and they looked great. Then I sealed them with more diluted glue and a lot of the flock got driven back into the tree, leaving them looking so-so. 

I think the effect is still pretty decent for basically no outlay. Not sure the extra effort gives a superior result to just spray painting, though. Live and learn. 

They are rock hard due to the glue so should wear well at the club. I reused the bases they came with: some black paint, sand, seal, drybrush and flock.

Up next: Maybe a holiday themed post.

Modifying Scharnhorst for WW3

So, with in person gaming on ice, Bruce and I have been doing some internet play. Bruce was keen to modify a map game from Blucher (called Scharnhorst) that creates a table-top battle with interesting context. So he made some changes to mesh with Rommel and we emailed moves back and forth.

This is the opening of the Arab-Israeli War, with the Suez on the north side of the map and Egyptian units in red. We initially deployed four columns each and then maneuvered. Bruce moved Column C to occupy "Chinese Farm" (which was actually Japanese) as we scrambled to both gain victory points and set up a favourable battle.

I threw a light Egyptian column (#1) south to grab some victory points, while Bruce advanced column B. At the beginning of any day, either player could declare a battle (the field being 3x2 squares with at least one of his units in the centre column or row). It looked to me like the battle would be at Chinese Farm. 

So I advanced Column 2 forward to put one of my larger columns in the battle space. Bruce then moved Column A to enter appear on the table or show up as reinforcements (depending on the eventual orientation of the battle).

I bright column 3 across to grab some Vs and put my second strong column in the battle. Bruce threw a flanking column (D) up the right side. I then brought column 4 on the table (move not show).

This was the situation at the end of Day 2. Bruce had the initiative and declared the battlefield (see red box below).

Bruce had me move first so I brought in my flanking column 1 to show up as reinforcements. Bruce then sacrificed bring on his column D to bag some more VPs. I chose to move y column 4 two squares south (not show) to appear as flanking reinforcements.

We then use this to set up  game of Rommel WW3 and I gave some basic orders for my troops. Brice played out the resulting game on the table top. His arrive follows.

TURN 1 - the Israelis spent 3 OPs dice to entrench the Chinese Farm (C6) and the area around their Supply Base (D1). As per the Israeli plan the right flank advanced BUT did not assault the Egyptians. I didn't want to be caught with repulsed, disorganized Armoured column and no OPs dice.

TURN 2 - The Egyptians played their favourite Event - Wave Assault and advanced and entered combat all across the front. They came within one HIT of destroying a whole Armoured column in hex G9. But elsewhere the Egyptians were repulsed with the Israelis taking variable amounts of casualties. Most notably, NO Israeli casualties a the Chinese Farm (C6)

TURN 3 - The Israelis attacked hexes D7 and D8 with all they had: armour, artillery and THREE Airstrikes. On the second Tactical-Move they achieved a Breakthrough and spread out to threaten the Egyptian Supply Base. This was a mistake.


TURN 4 - the Egyptians launched a counter-attack. A pincer flank-attack on the spread out Israeli columns and achieve a breakthrough to eliminate the Israeli SP Artillery in hex D4

TURN 5 - with few fresh troops, the Armoured Infantry within the Chinese Farm emerged to attack the depleted Egyptian columns. At the same time, the Paratroopers who had been held in the rear to protect the Supply Base moved on the Egyptian column who had penetrated the deepest .

TURN 6 With little strength left the Egyptians launch a "forlorn hope" assault. The Chinese Farm (C6 & D8) were attacked. The Defending units in D8 withdrew and the Armoured Infantry within the Chinese Farm held, resolutely. As reinforcements two BMP-TOWs arrived on the south-eastern corner of the battlefield. 

As a note, it looks like some recce units arrived as reinforcements but the rest of column 4 did not. Not sure that would have mattered.


TURN 7 - The Israelis took the opportunity to claim a "Re-set" and removed the spent OPs dice from their OPs File. With only three OPs dice in their OPs file, the Paratroopers advanced on the BMP-TOWs, while further north the armoured columns wipped out the remnants of the main Egyptian force. At hex C11 the Israelis achieved a breakthrough and could have advanced on the Egyptian artillery and Supply Base save for the lack of OPs dice.

With only BMP-TOWs and Artillery left. (12 strength points in total) the Egyptian commander called for a cease-fire.

Bruce's thoughts: 

You wanted a battle of attrition, Bob and you got it ! WOW was it bloody. I think it was a combination of the enhanced modern Artillery (CVs 6, instead of 4 or 5) and the lack of terrain. All that Open terrain in the desert makes a difference. In the end, I think the Israeli quality triumphed over the Egyptian quantity. Having the Armour advantage ALL THE TIME MEANS the Egyptian armour takes an extra HIT on every combat - win or lose ! There were times when the Egyptians rolled well, in combat, but still took unacceptable tank casualties. Eventually, they just ran out of Armour.

Retaining the 3 Victory Points for the Chinese Farm, plus the 2 Victory Points for the rear areas taken by the Suez canal. The final Point-count for the campaign is Israeli 10; Egyptian 5

The map game was interesting but would have benefitted from a more complex road grid and less clear victory objectives so we're going to try that again with a Cold War gone hot map game in central Germany.

Rommel WW3

Bruce and I have been playing a fair bit of Rommel lately. Great game. Bruce thought he could bring the rules forward to the Cold War so we tried a Soviet attack into West Germany. Below is the set up with a horde of Soviets facing a small NATO contingent (Canadians as it happens) from about a month back (we've suspended playing since COVID is so bad). 

The Soviets had to grab two towns to win. The Canadians had to do 12 stands of damage and prevent the Soviets from getting both towns. Any other results (e.g, two towns gained but more than 12 stands killed) was a draw. 

There were a lot (but never quite enough) Soviets. They faced off against a numerically inferior NATO force.

NATO rushed forward to take up some blocking positions. The Soviets road moved up the right side of the board to get across the river unopposed while throwing a left hook out to try and bag the first objective town.

The town was a tough nut to crack even with arty and helos. The advance on the second town got bogged down in bad going while NATO withdrew across the river to make a second stand and run down the clock.

Close quarters mayhem ensued with heavy casualties. The appears of Cobras and Warthogs made things tough for the Soviets (who could not roll worth crap).

Eventually, though, numbers started to tell and NATO was just overwhelmed by Russkies (albeit badly mauled Russkies).

We called the game with the town surrounded but a draw due to Soviet casualties. Overall, a very simple set of add ons for helos and some different national sheets.

It will be interesting to see what this is like with Arab-Israeli era weaponry.

More tree rehab

Continuing along with some tree rehab, these were a set of plastic orchard trees that also came in box of stuff I was to use or disperse. 

These were one-colour green plastic trees. Maybe dollar store, maybe expensive GW--who knows? I painted the trunk, applied some flock (poorly) and glued them to washers and textured. (No idea why this text is suddenly centred?)

Overall, they look okay. They could use some more flocking to cover up some of the green fronds. I give them one in chance in three of receiving additional time on the workbench.

Tree rehabilitation

Every year or so, a random box of gaming stuff appear on my step (someone getting out of the hobby, usually). I then sort it and pass it along to whomever seems most appropriate.

Last year, the box included a bunch of broken trees. I set them aside, thinking I would rehab them for use. And I finally got around to it. 

I removed the trunks from the old bases, attached them to washers (old bases were too light to secure the trees), then textured. Then gave the trees a dry brush to tone down the glare and give them some depth. 

While I was going that, I also finished off this one stray piece of GW fencing that has been on my table (the rest was painted five years ago.

Not a bad little project. I can always use more trees and these (despite being cheap... and free!) look the part for 28s and 54s. I have some more trees (orchard style) under way. Not sure what will follow them.

Dames and punks

I finished up a recent order or figures from Pulp Figures, including package of gangsters and some young thugs.

I like how Pulp Figures has a lot of diversity in their sculpts--with a bit of paint, it is possible to have a more diverse set of figures. Not sure why the guy below is wearing a Hawaiian shirt.

Up next: Probably some terrain I am rehabilitating.

Coppers!

With the end of Zombtober (probably my last since I'm out of figures), I'm back to whatever strikes my fancy. This week, it is some 28mm cops from Pulp Figures.

I did bunch of coppers last year (?). I spent some birthday cash this fall to buy some reinforcements. The only pack I didn't have was the heavy weapons group. Not sure Commissioner Gordon really needed these fellows (and the worry is always that he's use them to suppress the poor, rather than against super villains), but I had the cash, so... .

The machine gunner was a surprise. I see (suddenly, in this very picture) that he has a shoulder patch that none of the others have. So I will go back and paint that (argh). The crate is from a "clues" pack that I have underway.

I can't tell what this guy is supposed to be holding? Just a large calibre rifle? Doesn't look like a shotty. 

Perhaps Chief O'Hara from the original Batman TV series?

Buddy with a scoped rife.

I was trying to match these to the colours I used last year. I think I was close on the blue (chose one paint pot to the right, I think). The basing is different but I have since gone back and matched the darker grey.

I also painted up this set of "clues". This was a fun little pack of terrain. I wonder, though, if the tray wth brains was from the Frankenstein pack instead?

Up next: Maybe some lady gangsters and youthful thugs?