Battle Report: Bolt Action First Game

Jon L. invited me over for a game of the new Bolt Action WWII rules. Quick summary: I really enjoyed playing the rule set. I like a simple set of rules. BA is not overly complicated - it isn't even complicated. It definitely reminds me of earlier Warhammer rules. Which makes sense because there is a connection there. :)

We played Americans versus Germans. I got to use some of my Warlord Bolt Action figures that Rod Stafford had painted for me. I took the Americans and Jon took the Germans. We were playing for capture of the crossroads you see on the right of the picture.

This is the end of the first turn. I made a mistake. You can see my Airborne in the middle, flanked by an element of Rangers. I meant to run the Rangers to the right. Not sure what I was thinking.  I have my AT gun set up on the hill. I am running my Stuart forward. Both to guard the left flank.

This picture shows my right flank. Bazooka team in the building for overwatch on the crossroads. MG team was heading for that right building. In retrospect, I should have run the jeep with MG farther out to the right.

Here is a view of Jon's Germans. Infantry into the woods. His AT hiding and taking up an overwatch  position. Infantry moving up my right flank. He's got a halftrack and a 222 armored car in the back.

End of turn two: I try to correct my Ranger mistake. This too was a mistake. I should have committed. He who hesitates is lost. Rangers into the woods. Stuart pushes up the flank.

Jon brought the 222 up and the Stuart hammered it and took it out of commission.

My right flank bogs down in a hurry. Jeep was taken out by the infantry. I manage to get the MG team into the small building. Jon also has a sniper in the building in the top right of the picture.

So - Jon tried a series of charges on the Stuart. Maybe as many as five over the whole game. This one was ineffective.

The red are suppression/pin markers. Any shot that hits in an "order" results in a pin mark that has to be cleared via a morale check in the opponent's next turn. You can see the makers piling up on Jon's unit. They took fire from the Stuart, the 3 man officer unit and the Rangers.

Back to my right flank. I've managed to move my Airborne to light cover. They are taking aim at the unit in the building opposite them. My bazooka took out the motorcycle/sidecar with MG. Again...mired over here. The Airborne is just going to get whittled down by the sniper, the infantry unit and the half track which will show up soon.

The Haunted Tank as we started calling it, finally succumbs to a charge. Many panzershreks either whizzed by or stuck into the side without detonating. It finally had to give up the ghost. That Stuart did a lot of damage though.





I conceeded. I was done. Jon took out my truck, so I couldn't move my AT gun. My right flank, the infantry that was pinned had about a dozen pin markers on it. Going nowhere fast. Bazooka team didn't make it. HMG team got shot up. I had a lot of momentum and quickly lost it. I couldn't capitalize.

I look forward to playing again. I need to build out these armies/forces. I will be buying the Bolt Action rules.

WIP: Modern US Vehicles IV

I applied the first dry brush highlight. I say first because I am already thinking about a final highlight of a lighter color just to pick off the edges.

I used a 1:1 mix of Vallejo Iraqi Sand (819) and Pale Sand (837).

And I am still following (mostly) Sgt. Scream/Chris's scheme. I like it. I am not sure the pictures are doing it justice. But these models look like they belong in the desert or even Afghanistan to me. Tomorrow, I will try to hit the black. Tracks and tires. And the weaponry.

I am planning on playing some Bolt Action tomorrow! Can't wait.

WIP: Modern US Vehicles III

The second layer is a 2:1 mix of Vallejo Beige (917) and Vallejo Desert Yellow (977).

I used a heavy dry brush technique. I can already see the difference between the completed tank and these models. The heavy handed dry brush lets more of the wash show.

Again, just the first coat. I need to paint the stowage and the treads/tires. And highlight.

Next step is the first true highlight layer. 

WIP: Modern US Vehicles II

Here are some pictures of the next stage of painting these vehicles. I used the Sepia Wash from Vallejo.   Sgt. Scream recommends using an oil based paint. But I am just not ready for oil based paint. Washes are a new concept to me. Here are a couple of the tanks.

Here is a closeup of one of the turrets. I originally watered down the wash but quickly realized that I could (and should) go full strength. 

Lastly, a close up of the body of a tank.

I will confess that I was a little skeptical of how this was going to turn out. So, I finished a tank. And I am pretty happy with it. But I won't show it just yet. You will have to wait for it.

Next up: putting on the first layer of the main color.

WIP: Modern US Vehicles

I primed the QRF US modern vehicles yesterday. It took me awhile to put them all together. This is the first time in maybe 20 years that I have put together and attempted to paint any kind of miniature. It was slow going. The last time was probably some Orcs and Goblins for Warhammer.

You should be able to click to expand. The vehicles are all QRF:

M1 Abrams
M2 Bradley IFVs
Humvees

They are primed with Army Painter Desert Yellow. I am going to try to follow this painting guide from Small Scale Operations. I have just ordered some Vallejo paint. I am not going to use the oil wash. I will use just a regular wash. I'm nervous, we didn't wash 20 years ago. :)

Book Review: In Rommel's Backyard

In Rommel's Backyard: A Memoir of the Long Range Desert Group provides a first-hand and meticulously detailed look at the LRDG's activities in North Africa during World War II. Alastair Timpson of the Scots Guards provides the accounts in a very matter of fact manner. The book reads like a series of After Action Reports. That is not a negative. There is no hype here. His writing forces the reader to do a little work.

The LRDG supported the British 8th Army in a few ways: reconnaissance or "road watch" - counting trucks, supplies, tanks and men; harassing the enemy by destroying airfields, supply dumps and communcations; and providing escorts and delivery services for the SAS.

The missions described are done so without emotion. Again, the author works from his notes. The LRDG became the experts at desert navigation. These troops were truly Special Forces even though they do not get the publicity that the SAS received.

From a gaming perspective, this book offers a huge amount of detail. He provides unit composition including changes to the structure and going from full patrols to half patrols. He provides detail on vehicles and aircraft. Both British and Italian/German. Including the switch from Ford to Chevy trucks. Locations and types of missions. For example, blowing up water trucks. Terrain - including finding a cave with baby cheetahs. (Somehow, that will have to make it onto a table.)

The end of the book provides its most harrowing tale. That of being discovered inside a German camp and being chased across the desert.

There is enough information in this book to get me started on building a LRDG force. I've just started the process of mapping out a small starter force for each. The good news is that Battlefront has a great line of 15mm LRDG figures. There are also 28mm figures available from various suppliers.