US Paras part 3 Guns

Firstly I am changing the page banner still trying to find one that works for what I want, please bear with me.

Ok so carrying on with my 15mm US Paratroopers for Peter Pigs PBI rules. Today I have 2 57mm Anti-tank guns and crews. These are not the best guns in the rules or in the game or even in real life. Having said that they are not bad at all and will keep tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles at a distance.

2 stands of infantry with them both as additional crew and to carry ammunition and also to swap the enemy infantry from over-running them quite so easily. While they will struggle against the "Big Cats" of the German army they should be able to knock out Panzer 4s and the like. And I have included them in my  force as they were glider bourn. Only 2 of them as they were spread throughout the regiment and would not me given in great numbers to a company command.





 Also today 4 M1a1 75mm Howitzers. Again with a very light weight chassis they were hardly ever towed but instead broken down and shipped in pieces in WW2. One of the versatilities of this gun is the ammunition. While you do tend to think of High explosive for these guns they could also fire smoke and even Mustard gas. Although I have not found any evidence of mustard gas being used in Normandy during WW2. But the more I tell my opponent about it the more terrifying these become!

I have 4 not because they were more common than the anti-tank but because Peter Pig sells them 2 to a pack so it was for economic reasons really. In reality I probably should have just bought 1 pack! Too Late now though.

All the guns are on FOW bases simply because I had some spare and they fitted on quite nicely. I still have some spare and you just never know what they may be used for next.

Next post should be my final (stop cheering) US Paratrooper PBI post as I have now completed the Engineering Platoon, Which sounds a lot more interesting than it was. So I will do a walk through of how I do the bases at the end of this week. Seriously do not expect to learn anything!

All the best have fun, paint figures and keep warm. Right I had better upholster that sofa that I have been putting off. All the best Clint.

2 More Platoons.+

Well continuing with the 15mm US Paras here are 2 more platoons.

Firstly the MG platoon. in this platoon we have 4 .30 cal machine guns a command stand, a Garand rifle stand and as usual for me a bazooka stand. While you can have too many bazookas I have not as yet reached saturation point. I will know I have when my opponent fails to take any armoured vehicles and that has only ever happened in one game! All the figures in this platoon are Peter Pig except for the Command and rifle stands.

As with models shown previously they also have the US flag patch on their arms but no regimental flash, allowing me to use them as the 82 or 101 regiment should I choose.  I have given them orange tufts as in PBI these will count as medium machine guns and not light machine guns. As opposed to the red tufts I have given them in rifle platoons shown last time. As these guys are lying down I felt they were in more of a prepared position so the change of tuft colour made sense to me.They use the same .30 cal machine guns as the second platoon but as these are lying down.  It is a just a peculiarity in the rules and besides I did want a machine gun platoon so please forgive me that small peccadillo.

Next we have a Stove Pipe platoon. In the old rules Mortars were quite deadly as they effected everything in the same square which meant I would try to use them as often as I could. Yeah I am like that. But I know they have changed the rules and it will be interesting to see these in action under the new rules.  So we have 3 medium  mortars, command stand Bazooka stand (you are not surprised by that) and a Garand rifle stand to represent some troops carrying ammunition for the mortars.

The Bazooka stand might discourage armoured attention, but probably not so I think I had best keep something close by these to deter any German big cats. It is also hoped that the rifle and command stands might stop the stove pipes from being assaulted if they get to close to the Germans. But the idea is not to get them close!

I will no doubt have to add or subtract a stand or two as the points dictate so when it comes to a battle the platoon organisation throughout the force is likely to change.


Finally for today. Yes I can see another 2 posts for this company so I hope you are not bored just yet. I have included a single sniper crawling through the reeds. As with all the Mortar platoon this is a battlefront miniature, I had 3 in the boxed company set. But think I only need 1 in the new rules. So I may well do another just in case.

Next time I will show 2 support sections. And the time out My Engineer Platoon which has not yet been on the Analogue Painting challenge so I am forbidden from showing it until it has been for at least 24 hours. And as It will go on the challenge on Monday you may have to wait a very short while for that. But as it is not greatly exciting I am sure you can wait.

That's it for today, thanks for looking have a good day or two and see you again soon I hope.

Kind regards Clint

US Paras, 15mm PBI

For the painting challenge and because Peter Pig have bought out version 3 of PBI. I have done some 15mm WW2 Us Paras. I have never mentioned which regiment these are from but I have called them dog company. All the names are made up and I will probably repaint the names if the stand of figures dies in a game.

So starting with Captain Brown the leader of Dog company. You will note the white rank marking on the back of the helmet and along with every other figure the US flag on the Right arm. Not an actual US Flag I may be quite a good painter but there is no way I will paint all the 13 stripes and all the 50 stars on a figure this small. Sorry that is just not going to happen but what I have managed on 15mm figures is close enough for me!


The Ist Platoon is commanded (in my world) by Lt Cole. Consisting of 10 stands in all. A command stand a Bazooka stand (Directly behind the command stand|) 1 smg stand, 3 Lmg (BAR) stands and 4 Garand Rifle stands. Originally they did not issure Browning Automatic Rifles (BAR) to paratroopers thinking at 48 inches it was too long a weapon for them. Each of the Bar stands has a yellow tuft on the base to clearly identify them on the table top. After all I might need all the fire power I can get, you never know it might make a difference.

 2nd Platoon Currently Under Lt Powell, but likely to change to Lt Spiers (Thanks Dave Docherty you scoundrel), is not equipped with BARs but with .30 Cal Light Machine guns. These have a higher rate of fire and need more ammunition! They are designated with red  tufts. Again so when on the table top I am able to see where they are and then attempt to use them appropriately. Despite the Battlefront miniatures showing a tripod with these figures again originally a bi pod was used for Paratroopers. As wargamers we can easily quibble over such things but as in the rules they are all treated as LMGs is there much point arguing
about it? So moving on.

3rd Platoon is of a similar make up to the first 2 platoons but this time with BARs instead of  .30's. So back to the yellow tufts. As with the other two Bazooka antitank is included in the platoon and a stand of SMGs. By keeping Bazookas in every platoon I hope to give them enough integrated anti-tank weapons that they can keep the Germans at bay. Or at least make any German tanks weary of getting too close. Well that's the idea anyway. It may now work at all.

In the next few weeks I will add extra stands to swap out the SMGs for Garand's if need be. I am not sure if it will be better in the game but it should provide all the options I need.

I will be splitting this post over several days as I am still beavering away at the Engineer platoon so I will expect to show that by this time next week.

In the Challenge I have received much high praise for my basing so if you can let me know if you would like to see a basing walk-through and I will try to do one in a couple of weeks.

Well that's part 1 done, parts 2 and 3 to follow later on. But this is the bulk of the fighting troops. Which is not to say the others don't fight just that these are in most cases the front line troops.

Thanks for looking I will post again soon all the best Clint.

Cavalier 2015

Cavalier is a good show. It is the first show of the year for me and packed full of enjoyment. Normally.  I think I must have been having an Off day. I did not enjoy it hugely. Enough to go back but not so much that I will cry if I do not!

There are very few stand out games and here they are!

 Firstly a zombie game by East Street Games which they plan to release in the spring. The figures will start flowing  at the Salute show and each survivor will get a zombified version as well so when they turn muhahahahaha! You get the idea.  Quite an open cityscape with a few randomly placed tyre barricades sure.  But it was a zombie participation game so I will forgive them that. But No you could not play the zombies they had a ref who did that part. Yeah I know spoilsport!

Next up is a game by Southend wargames club. A 10mm ACW game using a mixture of figures from various manufacturers and looking the nuts as far as I was concerned.

 Nice figures and a terrain mat embellished with fences and hedges and  woods and trees. For me it was clearly the best looking game there.

 

 Some Wild west Malarkey from the North London group. I know wild west games always look great and this is no exception and would be an excellent club game but for me on the day it left me a little meh! I feel sorry for saying that as it was easily one of the best games there maybe I am wild wested out at present. I think it is all the mdf wild west buildings that make it so for me now. It just seems to be let's throw some money at it and it will look good. Whereas time, imagination and effort will always look better to me.

What on earth is going on below? Well clearly this is a James Bond skiing game. Maidstone wargames club really do put on some very good looking games. This one did not spark my interest though. But it was interesting as it did add a 3rd dimension which many if not all games seem to miss.  There are so many "Flat" games at shows it is a joy to see something different. Again this would make a great club game to waste an afternoon with but I feel sure I will get bored of it at the next show I manage to get to. But at least they are showing something different which to my jaded tastes is always good.

 

Overall I would give the show 6/10. worth a visit but with traders and numbers down it did seem to have lost a lot of atmosphere this year. (Normally I would give it 8/10) I know I am in a hyper critical mood but I did come away with some good buys (See previous post) and I am only showing games I like and not the other 12 or so that were there. But many of the other games just seemed bland club type games that I have seen dozens of times before. So I must endeavour to make any game I put on MORE than just blah! I will try to use this to do something better than the average club game. So from that point of view inspiring and inspirational. But the games on show mostly were not. (with exceptions noted above).

 

It was a good day, and meeting the other bloggers was nice. In fact for me that was the best part. So if you were there and we talked thank you for making my day.

 

 

All the best Clint.

 



Cavalier Swag!

The time id 4:15 and I have just got back from the Wargames show in Tonbridge. "Cavalier"

So having just munched a cheese sandwich the only thing I have eaten since 7am I will now go through my list of special and very needed prizes from the day. Starting from the left and working down fro the top.

4 Bags of figures WW1 Aircraft.

1 Pack of static grass as I had run out..... the first time ever!

1 Pack of Artizan Sky Pirates..... don't ask, they were an impulse buy!

3 Packs of 10mm Samurai...... Only 2 shown, but the price was right so I snaffled them up.

1 Zveda Sdkfz 222 (I did want 2 but 1 will do for now)

2 Packs of Peter Pig WW2 US Paras. (OK that's 1 pack of DEAD paras and one pack of US Marines with flamethrowers.....Best if you don't ask!)

3 (Back to the top again) packs of 2mm round MDF bases

3 Foundry tubs of paint (Bargain they cost a pound each)

4 Packs of EMP miniatures. Not a company I had heard of but one I will be getting more stuff from. Trust me they are figures best not thought about. (I will get more at Salute though).

Well that's my loot list I will do a show report in a day or so and YES there was a zombie game.

Thanks for looking feel free to comment or not as the mood takes you,
all the best Clint

Hooker and Mc Cellan

General McCellan

Continuing the ACW figures for Matt I have finished 2 command stands. Bother are Union Generals. General Hooker and General Mc Cellan. I may have miss spelt them but you will get the idea.

They may well represent both me and Matt in the Club campaign. Neither of these generals was considered very good but that said they are definitely better than me!



General Hooker

The figures are a mixture of Peter Pig and Frei Korp aand as well as the general and flag bearer they also have an aide de camp on the 40mm by 40mm base.

Talking of bases these are clearly not in my normal style as they have been created to fit in with Matts Union Army, just like the Berdan's sharpshooters I showed a couple of days back.

Well that's it for today. I am currently working on a big submission for the analogue painting challenge. In addition I will be going to my first show of the year on Sunday. Yes of course I will take a camera (and spare batteries) so expect either a loot haul or some show pictures on Monday. Talking of loot I have no huge plans and really not much in the way of a shopping list so I am not expecting to get very much (Famous last words).

So until then take care have fun and paint some figures.

Cheers Clint


Opps!

Yes I admit it, I have neglected my blog recently. Part of it is the schedule for the analogue painting challenge which means I am only allowed to post once day a week for the challenge. But most of it is me being lazy. So I am giving myself a talking to and getting it sorted out.

Berdan's Sharpshooters!

Correct I have been painting some ACW figures for my friend Matt. So today and maybe to change our luck in the ACW campaign at the club we have a new unit.

Based for the Peter Pig rules of "Civil War Battles" on 30mm square bases there are 8 full stands. And 1 half stand (15mmx30mm). For a total of 26 15mm infantry from "Blue Moon". I have tried to emulate Matts basing style and not my own as a single look to an army is better than having everything on different bases and looking like a patchwork quilt. So the bases should fit in quite well with what he already has. I will admit I did chicken out and did not put the yellow bugle badge on the top of the kepi. That was just too fiddly for me, If I was to do them again I may attempt a simple yellow splodge but I may keep them clear of that. As trying to do it accurately and without a transfer I would personally in the "Too hard" basket. Yeah maybe that makes me a wimp but until I see anyone do better I just don't care.

Since painting these I have found out that they are well known amongst Re-enactors who all seem to want to be just that little bit different. I find that attitude very understandable as like wargamers they are in a niche hobby so to some extent value their identity and thus a "cookie cutter" unit with strikingly similar uniforms may really not be for them.

This picture swiped from the internet shows what the unit looks like when portrayed by re-enactors. Being blunt they probably have more interest in the look of the uniform than "Joe Average" wargamer.

Looking at their uniform it looks like mine are a little on the dark side but that is not a huge problem as the green will stand out on the tabletop where everything else is either blue or grey.

The Above mentioned "Civil War Battles" do require casualty markers. So these are a few by Peter Pig. Again painted in the green of the unit just for completeness.

Thanks for looking today I will strive to be more regular over the next few weeks.

All the best to you and your family.
Cheers Clint

WSS finish, or is it!

 Well I have managed to finish my WSS figures.
And here are the last batch. (Well not quite, there are always room for a few more.)

Having had a few moments to rummage in the lead mountain I found enough troops to complete 2 cavalry units. So One British and one French.


Additionally I found a couple of gentlemen officers and 4 extra foot figures so I thought it would be rude not to get these finished as well. Well I had the paint and brushes handy and Like I said it would be rude not to!

I will admit I did find an extra gun and crew, but I was missing a wheel so I thought best not at this stage. Besides "Black Hat" miniatures are usually at the Cavalier show so I can pick up a few extra bits and pieces should I need to. So other than a spare wheel if they have one, I notice they also do a sedan chair. Let's be honest who does not want a sedan chair in a game. Hell I would have one in a zombie game if I thought I could get away with it!

I did make one mistake though. I made the trumpet player British. These gives me 2 British and no French so I think it will be re-painted pretty soon. No reason the French can't make a loud noise as well. So I had better get on with it soon.

The flags for the British were in the army pack that I bought. The French were home made. I just looked at typical flags of the period and went for  something fairly generic. If I went for the flag of a specific regiment I feel that the figures would be only used for that regiment. Thus it would become a fantasy game if they were used in a different battle or region. So If they were at Blenhiem for example they could not be in Spain, but by keeping it generic they can be used anywhere even in America for Queen Anne's war if I felt like it.

So thanks for looking today I hope you liked what you saw. I will do an AAR for the game at the club next time out.So until then take care have fun and paint some figures or play a game or better yet do both.

Have fun, take care and I hope to see you soon.
All the best Clint

WBQ 3 and my contribution.

 

Yes I know "How Very unlike me!"

Well in this current edition of WARGAMES BLOGGERS QUARTERLY

I have an article! Yes this is me who most self respecting school masters

would hardly trust with a crayon.

Maybe that's another story

 and just to let you know wax crayons do not taste good.

 

Well you all know the drill.

Click the link Below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4vBkPK8I4yjRS1VXzloQk53RFE/view

 

(the Link Above!)

And it should take you straight to it.

 

Then ignore everyone else's article

BUT

Read mine and then come back here and leave

Pleasant comments or not.

You may want to just use my contribution as loo paper.

As most of you will have followed the game anyway so nothing new there.

Future game?

Looking to the future however. You will note that I am already planning the next game. It is all in my head at the moment but it is worth saying that I am thinking of WW1 air war flying among the clouds somewhere over Flanders. So If you are wanting to play start reading "Biggles" and watching films like "The Blue Max" and growing your moustache! I will start making the scenery after the challenge ends and also start getting the planes then. I will take requests about which side you would rather be on closer to the time. I envisage each player to be in control of a single plane and as there are no radios it really will be every man for himself.

 

But more of this AFTER my shopping sprees at Salute! And when I start building as you should know by now I will do a walk through of what I build.   

More 28mm Sudan

 Yes I painted these up for Matt. They are 28mm Perry Miniatures Egyptians circa 1882 ready to battle the Mahdi. The rankers are in white uniforms and officers are in Navy blue. When I say white they are actually painted cream ,then cream and white mixed and highlighted in white. Just painting them pure white would not allow for any highlights so I started with white primer and the applied the cream just so it was not patchy.

There are 2 officers, 2 musicians and 2 flag bearers each with a different flag. The flags were bought in and are paper. I made the mistake when attaching these of not making them flow the same direction. By the time I realised the glue hard dried and it was too late to change it. You can all imagine me kicking myself!


The  chip on the second flag bearers base is repaired now. So do not fret about him. They are all based on 2mm MDF round Bases and then filler is applied to get rid of the "step of the metal figure base. It takes a little longer but it really is worth doing as it gives a much more professional result.








The other 18 figures are all marching. At first look they are all the same, But a closer look reveals several differences in the figures. Simple things like a moustache or clean shaven or the tassel on the fez (You may if you wish call it a tarbush), but I will use the word Fez just because Dr WHO says that Fes's are cool, and that's good enough for me.

Thanks for looking today. And with luck I will post again soon. I am currently painting for eBay sales so it may be a mixed bag for the next week or so. But it is just as likely that I will give up and carry on with my own things but I am hoping to get a little money together for the local show in a couple of weeks.

Take care of yourself Clint

Harpies

I'll admit it was an eBay whim. Well not quite but almost. I have had the "7th Voyage" rules for a long time and the "Songs of Blades and Heroes" rules as well so It really was only a matter of time before I got some critters. They were cheap and easily available from a well known seller on that very famous internet auction site. I had never painted any before so it was a simple click and bid we all know the format. And suddenly I have 5 semi naked Harpies.

They are of course Foundry 28mm figures but these were not well cast or sculpted. I am not saying I could do better myself, I KNOW I could not. I am just saying when I think of foundry I tend to think of brilliantly cast and sculpted figure. But if the price was right I would get some more and many others from their Greek Myth range. Just not straight away.

Once I had decided on a dark purple for the wings all the fur/hair would be "Blonde" just to reinforce the contrast. I am happy with the result as the skin wings and fur all look very different without becoming dark. If I do get some more I will change the colour scheme and go for various shades of brown I think. But that may well change on the day I pick up a brush!

Of the five models 3 are clearly different species. One has their arms attached to the wings, another has human legs while the rest all have bird legs.

Now as I contemplate what I will do next I wonder should I do some stuff to sell on eBay (US Paratroops FOW 15mm Company) or even to start a completely new project (20mm Yom Kippur war). Both of which I have the figures for fo It's just a matter of selecting one and getting on with it.

That's it for today folks. I have sent 2 lots of to the Painting challenge so they should get published this evening. And WBQ should be out in about 2 weeks and my article has been accepted and I am now planning another.

SO JUST for FUN. I am thinking of doing cartoons of Wargames Stereotypes. Therefore what Cliché game players can you Name. Here are a few to get you started,

Rules Lawyer.
Painter,
Historical Know-it-all
Fantasy weirdo!
Sci Fi Geek.

And many many more.

All the best Clint