Trying out the Airfix Battles game

Only a little bit of painting has occurred since the last post and a couple more Samurai bases were completed, and as I look into the boxes containing the remaining unpainted Samurai it would appear I am now two-thirds of the way complete. I certainly have enough painted now for a small one-hour wargames style game.

On wargaming front I was able to try out scenario 1 from the Airfix Battles game. Rather than use the boxed game and counters I opted to setup the tabletop. The rules are fairly straightforward with most of the information is easily at hand on the unit cards and order cards.

First game using scenario 1 to learn the basic rules

I do like the approach the game has used to activate units with Command cards. You are able to hold a number of Command cards in your hand depending upon your leader's capability. For example, a Captain can hold 4 cards and a Major 5 cards. Your leader's rank also determines how many Command cards you can play during your turn.

The Command cards can be used face down to move a unit or have it fire. The preferred option is to use Command cards face up as they provide a variety of extra movement or combat capabilities for units, while other cards provide the ability to interrupt your opponent's activities to shoot or take cover for example.

At the end of a turn player's draw a number of additional cards to refresh their hands.

For a bit of fun I tried the game using some of my Warhammer 40K figures, and I may well progress this further and create some unit cards specifically for the 40K units. The Command cards should be reusable without modification.

The post turns up earlier than expected

Just over a week ago I took the opportunity to buy the Airfix Battles game which as on sale. It was a game I have thought about buying in the past when it first came out, but just never got around to doing anything about it. It turned up on my doorstep less than ten days after ordering if from the UK which was a very nice surprise.

My latest purchase.

It is now on my list of games to play along with Zombicide, now that I have painted all the miniatures for the game, and also I must not forget the next turn of my Ancients campaign to see it the tide has turned for the Romans. Although at the moment I do have a ACW game on the tabletop which should be cleared by the weekend.

ACW game in progress on the tabletop

WW2 Burma game using Crossfire rules

This past Saturday I finally finished off all my planned WW2 Burma figures. There are not many. Each side is made up of two packets of Airfix infantry, plus an Anti-Tank gun with tow and a couple of tanks. I may yet add a couple of mortars for each side.

WW2 Burma Armies - they each fit nicely in a draw. Very useful as storage starts to become more of an issue.

This whole project was very opportunistic. Starting with a spontaneous purchase of two packets of WW2 Japanese infantry. I have always had in the back of my mind the thought of using Crossfire rules in a WW2 Burma setting. When I first purchased them a few years back, and until this weekend they have been just sitting in a draw unused.

After a quick reading of the Crossfire rules as a reminder. A 4x4 foot tabletop was set up using all the jungle terrain I made a few weeks back (jungle post here). The terrain features are marked using some dark green teddy bear fur cut into shapes and the jungle placed on top. The fur is meant to look like long grass, possible a bit too dark and needs to be lightened somehow. While the brown felt represents depressions.

Terrain all laid out for a game.

For my first game using these rules I wanted to keep it reasonably straight forwarded. The Japanese had two platoons with a company commander and machine gun with the objective of holding off the advancing Australians. Who had three platoons and a company commander with a 2 inch mortar and HMG.

Australian company.

A reduced Japanese company.

Here are some pictures of my first game. As with most first games using rules you are not familiar with, they can be frustrating affairs as you regularly re-read rules for clarifications and memory lapses. The latter do seem to be on the increase now-a-days.

Japanese squads take up position 

Two platoons and company commander take up position in a depression.

The third Australian platoon secures the other flank.

Australian sections move into the long grass and receive reactive fire from the defending Japanese. The matchsticks represent pinned and suppressed sections. One for pinned and two for suppressed.

On the other flank, Japanese sections push forward into a depression. This was a mistake, I should have moved them into  the cover of long grass.

A clear line of fire for a Japanese machine gun.

Australian move up ready to assault the Japanese. Too much rule checking on how to assault meant there are no pictures of the assault)

After successfully storming the depression the Japanese machine gun is engaged.

With the Japanese machine gun occupied on the other flank. The commander with one section are able to move around the flank.

The game is in the balance as the Japanese flank become threatened.

Another assault to clear out the Japanese defenders.

A final attack supported by the 2 inch mortar finishes off the machine gun.

So having just played my first game. I do like the rules and was starting to get in the swing of things as the game progressed. The rules certainly give that company level feel with troops rushing from one terrain feature to another.  Because I mostly use a gridded tabletop for wargaming I didn't really notice the lack of measuring, which is a notable feature of the rules where nothing is measured, movement and shooting.

WW2 Burma project second part

No wargaming this weekend, although I may be able to get a quick game later tonight. Most of my time this weekend has been on making inroads into the Commonwealth WW2 Burma forces to line up against the small but completed Japanese.

WW2 Japanese with recently completed jungle terrain

All figures are Airfix

Progress on WW2 Commonwealth forces

While waiting for paint to dry I am flicking through "Battle - Practical Wargaming" by Charles Grant.  

WW2 Burma project progress

I am hoping to complete all my WW2 Japanese forces required for a small Crossfire games this week. The infantry units are now complete. The sharp-eyed readers may notice the anti-tank gun crew are somewhat Russian in appearance. I purchased a second-hand Russian anti-tank gun and replaced the gun shield to represent a 47mm type-1 gun.

And I am now moving on to the few vehicles required. All were second-hand purchases from www.hindsfiguresltd.com. which I have used over the last year to pick up a number of less common WW2 vehicles.

Starting next project with another project in sight

My current project, which I have just started, is to begin painting up some of the Spencer Smith Napoleonic plastic miniatures I gained as part of a swap earlier in the year. Looking at pictures on the Spencer Smith website the miniatures appear to be a combination of French, Austrian and Russian troops. The good news is if I am short of any miniatures I will be able to buy additional metal ones.

Anyway, over the weekend I started painting them and finished two units. My painting approach is the same as my 19th century imagi-nations armies, quick and simple painting with a shinny finish to hide many of my painting flaws, and give them a toy soldier look.

French infantry 

Russian infantry

A possible distraction I have to this project began when I popped into my local arts and crafts shop to get some more brushes. They often stock a small range of Airfix model kits, and there on the self were two boxes of Airfix WW2 Japanese, which I have not seen for a very long time.

I have always had in the back of my mind the idea to get some miniatures for a small WW2 Burma game. I have a copy of Crossfire rules which require a lot of cover for a good game, and they would seem to be quite suited for a WW2 Burma game.

Taking this opportunity I bought them both and was able to get some more WW2 kits from other model shops. I am now in the position where I have two projects on the go at one time. This is something I generally try to avoid as I like to for the most part focus on one project and get it finished and on the table for a game.

Recent purchases 

Rules

Second bridge and 17 Pdr AT Gun gets painted

As I start to plan a mini WW2 campaign I have been chipping away at some much needed 20mm scenery which will be used in the campaign, and which now includes a second bridge. As with my first bridge its made from balsa wood and with detail painted on. (A previous post goes into more detail on painting.)

A Bren Gun Carrier crossed the balsa bridge.

My 17 Pounder AT Gun, a kit bash of a 25 Pounder and 5.5 Inch Gun, has come together. I used the 5.5 Inch Gun carriage with wheels from the 25 Pounder kit. The gun is the 25 Pounder Gun with an extended barrel from my box of leftover bits and plastic rod. The shield was extended by sticking plastic card to the back and then cutting to shape. It is by no means an accurate model, its construction is more aligned to the approach of conversions described in Operation Warboard by Gavin Lyall - simple and strong. By the time it has some figures clustered around it and scenic material added to the base it will look the part.

Plans to kit bash a 17 Pdr AT gun

Not much wargaming or modelling happening this week with a long weekend visit to Wellington, NZ, for my daughters graduation. We were very happy and very proud parents. While in Wellington I did pop into the local model store which I used to frequent when I lived there before returning to Melbourne, and purchased a Bren Gun Carrier and 6 Pdr AT Gun, 25 Pdr Gun and Quad, and Matador and 5.5 Inch Gun.

My NZ purchases

I will be using the 25 Pdr Gun and 5.5 Inch Guns to kit bash a 17 Pdr AT Gun. The Bren Gun Carrier was more of an impulse purchase as another one will always be a useful addition.

WW2 Aircraft Sortie Rules

It has been a fairly quiet week for wargaming with my Daughter visiting over last week and my Son arriving this weekend. Although I was able to get a couple of WW2 games in to use my new trees (see previous post) and worked though an aircraft sortie rule to add to my house rules.

Game in progress

Aircraft Sorties Rule
At the start of the game agree on the number of aircraft sorties allowed to occur. During the Artillery & Mortar phase the controlling player can roll 1D6. If a 5+ is rolled a sortie occurs. During each turn a player can roll for a sortie until they are all used or the aircraft is eliminated by AA fire.

During a sortie aircraft attacks occur as part of the artillery & mortar phase. Identify two adjacent squares to be attacked anywhere on the table. For each square roll a D6 and for all attacks use the direct fire artillery on the combat table. If a 1 or 2 is rolled the aircraft breaks off & the attacks cease for this sortie.

If there are enemy AA guns within 2 squares of any unit being attacked, then a score of 1 or 2 results in the aircrafts elimination & all further sorties cease.

(For non-gridded wargaming see WW2 Rules tab above -  aircraft can attack all units along a 9" straight line).

On the modelling side I have started on a couple of British motorised units using Airfix's WWII RAF Vehicle Set along with a scratch built pillbox. As my units represent companies in the rules I'm trying with my kit choices to get as much variety of vehicles as possible.

On the workbench - Trucks and Pillbox

With luck I am hoping I'll get a couple of one-hour wargames in this week with my son.

WW2 AA guns and back to squares

This week I have been gradually making and painting some WW2 anti-aircraft units using two Airfix Bofors 40mm Gun & Tractor kits and Airfix's German 75 mm PaK 40 and Truck kit, which I purchased a couple of weeks ago.

British Bofors AA Gun and German AA Gun (a Bofors) mounted on Opel truck

With one of the Tractor kits, which came with the Bofors gun, I thought I would make it similar to the Krupp Protze Tractor by changing the bonnet and keeping the back tray flat.

A slightly modified British truck to give it a look of a German truck

A comparison to a Krupp Protze (right)

With these kits finished I will be trying to get in a WW2 game this week. I will be using my house WW2 rules (page tab above) and converting them back to squares with a couple of modifications. The decision to move them back to squares is a result from a question I received from John "the Ferryman" on my post of a battle report.

John's question was "how was it playing? Any thoughts?" My immediate response was that I was happy with how the game played, but it started me thinking about the difference between measuring and grid for the game. The big difference with free movement was it allowed me to concentrate firepower by allowing a greater number of units to shoot at targets. So when I try the rules using a square grid I will allow units to shoot through squares occupied by friending units, providing they are in open terrain and only one unit occupies the square.

WW2 Rules - continuing to mess around

So far this week I completed a couple of paratroop reconnaissance unit and artillery units adding to my ever growing collection, and continued to mess around with my WW2 house rules. In recent weeks I have been merrily playing with a square grid based set of WW2 house rules, and while the game played ok, I was not been happy recently with the look of the games and they feel to lack flexibility. So I considered using hexes or moving back to a tape measure. In the end I have chosen to move to the traditional measuring approach, while trying to keep aspects of the grid approach I like, such as having one unit in a terrain feature.

My growing British Paratroop Battalion

Reconnaissance and Artillery support added (both are from the Airfix Airborne jeep kit)

Having recently read the Swatters SciFi rules (from Ganesha Games) it reminded me of using pre-cut sticks for measuring. So when moving you lay down the stick touching the unit you want to move, then move the unit ensuring the base ends up touching the stick (see picture). Its quite a quick way of measuring and minimises the delay created when measuring.

Using pre-cut measuring sticks rather than a tape measure - sticks are cut 3" less than the move allowance in the rules.

I have also simplified the combat mechanism in the rules so I use only one dice. Much happier with this approach for combat and moving (for the present anyway). Rather than update the last rule version, I thought I would have a try with creating page on this blog. So you can view the rules on the page tab above, and I even managed to get a table in.

A productive Easter weekend full of Airfix kits

This Easter weekend was very quiet and I was not feeling too well. So I was able to sit down and get through paining and basing most of my recent purchases (which always makes me feel better).

Focke-Wulf Fw 190 (Airfix)

Spitfire (Airfix)

A Paratroop Battalion (Airfix British Paratroopers and a couple of Commandos thrown in for good measure)

Now having painted up my aircraft I really need to start thinking of some rules for them, which will no doubt require the purchase of some AA equipment. A fully justified purchase - bonus!

German armour car representing an armoured reconnaissance unit, Opel truck representing motorised infantry, and a PAK 40 converted to a Nebelwerfer by adding tubes and shortening the carnage legs, which will be treated as a mortar unit.

In addition painting I played a few small WW2 games and along the way made some rule changes to the combat mechanism. These made the game feel better for me, they include:

• Having dice rolls for the effect of a hit.
• Allowing only one disruption before unit elimination, where before it was two disruptions. However, units are able to remove disruptions by reorganising by finding cover or retiring.

I am now updating the rules from my notes and scribbles, and taking a few photos to include as examples of the new rules. I plan to post them by the end of the week.

WW2 Project Continues

This Easter weekend I have a block of free time to focus on painting some recently purchased WW2 kits and try out one of two terrain items. In between paint and glue drying times I hope to fit in a couple of games to help finalised a couple of rules modifications I am trying out.

British Paratroop Battalion and Air Support units in progress

This week has been a productive modelling week, earlier I completed some kits which I had made up and just required painting. These included a Churchill tank and British Motorised Infantry units. The motorised infantry would be added to my existing single motorised unit.

All Airfix Kits

Revell's Monty's Caravan Kit - now Motorised Infantry waiting for reinforcements

Airfix Tiger and ArmourFast StulG 33B

I had purchased a StulG 33B which does not fit in with my NW European theme. I did think about the StuH 42, but went for the 33B as it looked different and I would not confuse it with the StuG III. Given that I'd thrown out any notion of historical accuracy I converted the second StulG (2 in a pack) to a self propelled artillery unit - a fantasy model.

Self-propelled Artillery unit