Bolt Action: 1st IJA Jungle Fighter Squad

Hey Folks and Merry Christmas,

After the early start and madness that was the Kids raking in there haul, eating too much (followed by the inevitable sugar crash) I managed to actually get some painting done.

I have had a game awhile ago vs Xelee's Russians (though thankfully without the T-34/85) and while we were sort of only vaguely knew the rules we had a blast. Following this the game seems short, bloody and somewhat (but not too brainfryingingly) tactical. The Initiative sequence is quite cool and unique.

I have had some Japanese Army models for a while and have decided to get them finished finally.  I have around 500pts but first up is a Veteran Jungle Fighter squad of the 第2師団 Daini shidan or 2nd Sendai Division which fought through the Dutch East Indies and Solomon's (where it lost 7000 men!) until finishing the war fighting in Burma, where it was annihilated.  Its call sign was "The Courageous Division"

NCO with the rare Type 100 SMG

"There are coming out of the trees!"

8 Veterans..., mostly with Ariska's, though also an NCO and a Type  99 LMG  Team

Type 99 LMG Gunner

And showing off the webbing

 As they are Jungle Fighters I decided to Jungle up the bases...the have 2 types of flock, silfor tufts, lichen and two different types of plastic aquarium plants I harvested form our fish tank. :)

I have a fire support squad of 6 more Experienced troops halfway done so far and plan to get the army done by end of January :)

Cheers
Jason

Conflict '89: The Defense of Latakia; Part 1

Hey Folks,

Ive been stupidly busy with work recently (hence the long delay between posts) but we managed to whip together a massive game of Moderns for Pooch's leaving game (as he is soon to depart for windier climes).  This used our work in progress rules for Conflict '89...a micro armour game set in, you guessed it the 1980's and early '90s

I was running my newest army: Bundeswher - cause Ze Germans are cool no matter what time period you are playing (I have Ancient, Napoleonic, WW2 and now Modern Germans)

In this we are playing 3000 points EACH, with half on (rounding down) for a MASSIVE 6k per side.   So my part of the force looked like;

Defence Force; (deployed)

• Full 3 Platoon Fallschirmjager Company with 3 MILAN ATGM teams and 2 Stinger MANPADS
• Raketjagpanzer Company: 8 Jaguar-2 (MILAN armed Tank Destroyers) with a Flakpanzer Gepard (as this is the coolest SPAAG ever)
• Panzermorser Battery: 4 M125 (120mm) Mortar Carriers with a Command Marder 1

The Reserve Force;

• Leopard 2 Panzerkompanie: 9 Leopard 2 MBT's with a Flakpanzer Gepard
• Panzergrenadierkompanie: 2 Platoon Panzergrenadiers (9) with Battlaion Command (2) in 11 Marder IFVs
• Aufklarungs Platoon: 5 Panzergrens in 5 TpZ-1 Fuchs
• Spahpanzer Patrol: 4 Luchs Armoured Cars

The Lufwaffe (can engage from 1st turn)

• 2 F-4E Phantoms (staging out of Turkey)

The scenario was based around the UN Defence of the port city of Latakia following a breakdown of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.  Andy whipped up an amazing table on very short notice!

The Port City of Latakia: This is two 6*4 foot boards cunningly balanced and built up with bits of wood around my garage to cobble together an L-shaped table with a diagonal harbour section.  This diagonal cut out worked really well as we could reach into the center.  There are three objectives on the approachs t the City and a Blitz on the Docks (its the chopper)

The Air Field: The other Blitz is by the bridge.

Panzaermorsers (left) and Raketjagpanzers (right) lurk in the Wadi's outside the city

6 (!) Companies of Soviet  Tanks (T-72's and T-55's with supporting ZSU-23's) and a  sole company of Infnatry form the North-East threat...

While a sole Full Company of Fallschirmjager are dug in around the objective to try and delay them

The Syrians approach from the South-West.  3 T-72 Tank Companies., Infantry, BMP Recon and supporting 120mm Mortars.  Two artillery Batteries are deployed to the rear with MiG-29's on CAP

US Navy Air Support inbound: A A6 Inturder on a Weasal mission while two F-14 Tomcats fly cover...note also a  Trafalger class Attack Sub:  This counts as a MLRS Battery and is representing a British Navy sub firing Cruise Missiles in support!

While the Soviet and Syrian forces closed on the city from two axis of advance part of a USMC MEU Tank Platoon (Abrams)and LAR (Lav-25's with Humvees) was forward deployed into the port itself and a Bundeswher Fallschirmjager (German Paratroopers) Company held the northern approachs with supporting light armour (Mortar M113's and a Jaguar -2 Raketpanzerjager Company)

You can see the Syrian Commanders bat rep here: Syrian AAR

Epic Moderns: Iranian Battalion

Hey Folks,

Long time no post as usual.  I have been gradually working away on my Iranians for our Epic Modern rules adaptation and now have just shy of 3000pts.  I like the Iranian's as its an ecletic mix of British, American, Soviet and Chinese equipment, all in various states of repair.  The army will probably prove to be pretty rubbish as all the units are small (usually around 7-8 models) but it is 14 Activations!

The Battalion is based around;

• 3 Tank Companies (Chieftians, M60's and M48/M47's)
• 2 Mechanised Infantry Companies (M113's or BMP-1s - I still need to get the BMP's)
• 1 Pasdaran "Revolutionary Guard" Tank Company (Type 69's)
• 1 Pasdaran Infantry Company
• 2 Basiji Militia Companies

This is supported by various artillery, recon units and air support.

The Full Batallion

Armoured Battalion - 3 Tank Companies with supporting ZSU's

M47 and M48 Pattons

Mk V Chieftians

M60A1's and M48A5's

Iranian Infantry

Basiji Militia armed with AK-47's and RPG's

Pasdaran Commander with a Basiji Stinger Team

Pasdaran Type 69 Tank Company 

Mechanised Iranian Infantry (sans tarnsports) with AT-3 Sagger Anti-Tank Guided Missiles 

Pasdaran/ Basiji Companies

Pasdaran 120mm Hevy Mortars

IAF Fighter Support: 2 F-14 Tomcats and 2 F-4 Phantoms

Fighters inbound!

Keen to see how the army goes tonight vs Andy's Iraqi's!

Cheers

Jason

SAGA: LotR Elves of Rivendale

Hi Folks,

This my little project when I had some leave a couple of weeks ago.  We drove down to Invercargill, which was cold, grey and rainy so perfect painting weather!

This is a warband built using Jamie's excellent SAGA adapation and is 6 points in Saga terms.  This is made up of;

• Glorfindal - Lord of the West (Warlord)
• 2 Units of 6 Noldorian Heavy Infantry with Spears and Shields (Hearthgaurd)
• 1 Unit of 4 Noldorian Heavy Archers with Bows (Hearthgaurd)
• 2 Units of 8 visiting Sindarian Archers with Bows and Eleven Cloaks (Warriors)

Some of this was painted by Andy as I picked it up in a trade, so I just finished them off and touched them up and shaded them to match the Wood Elves which are all from scratch. 

High Elven Cohort - the Banner is Free Hand :)

Wood Elven Archers

Green Cohort with Banner

Glorfindal - this was painted by Andy and he did a great job.

The whole 6 point Warband

More Woodelves - led by the a captain who looks alot like the Prince of Mirkwood...

I even managed t get a game in vs Jamie's Urak Hai and assorted Orc and Man scum.  The game was a long drawn out slug fest were I tried to use my superior archery (which isnt at all superior in SAGA) to whittle his units down while he moved a massive flanking force into position.  Refusing to split my forces across a river and then some quick spoiling attacks managed to keep the horde at bay, but only at the cost of some precious elven lives. 

The Mighty  Uruk Hai Beserkers got in to a High Eleven Cohort right at the end game and managed to kill 5 of them while they all died in return but in the end it was still a bloody draw (Jamie did give it to me but it looked too close)

Overall I found that the potential of the Battleboard is great, as its based on the Jomsviking board with its Wrath Mechanic but as Jamie refused to give me ANY wrath (or Fea in this incarnation) untill the point where I couldnt use it I was quite hamstrung.  I also should have gone more combat focused and used my movement enhancing ability to hit an isolated portion of the Uruk Battleline instead of trying to shoot them...

Overall a heap of Fun though and it was good to paint som 28mm for a change, as well as actually complete something!

Cheers

Jason

ACtA: Star Fleet - Kzinti Test Model

Hey Folks,

I have been quite busy but I have managed to get hooked by yet ANOTHER game system.


Which I blame entirely on Jamie's Children and a test game with our Star Wars fleets subbing for Star Trek in truly Geektastic fashion.

Now initially I was dead keen on Klingon's, but alas Austerity Measures (and my vast amount of other half finished projects) meant that I really shouldnt buy anything new.

Not to be deterred I fell back on my plan B: Build my Own fleet.  Now I am blessed with an extensive bits box which I have accumulated over many years and many different games systems.  I also really enjoy scratch building, like when I built my Orks for Epic

Now looking through the book apparently in the Star Fleet Battles ships have "drones", which are good old fashion Battlestar Galactica style Nuclear Missiles.  I like nukes, and so do the Kzinti;

 Now Space Tigers in Purple and Pink (apparently as the designer was colour blind and it was supposed to be Green...) are kind of silly, and alas, so are their ships;

Kind of 'meh' - the triangular wing things are the"Drone" launchers

Now I have always loved this game;

And my favourite ship is the Vaygar Destroyer as its asymmetrical - and packs a mean punch with its Anti-Ship Missiles from a off-set Vertical Launch System  - sounds perfect for Kzinti!

So Ideally I wanted this sort of style - but Trekked up so as to fit for when I am fighting Jamie's Fed's.  This meant it had to have some sort of deflector dish and warp engine nacelles - but otherwise I was pretty free.

Here is what I have come up with - my first Kzinti cruiser.  Depending on the actual size and mass of the Federation ships this will either be a Heavy Cruiser or a Battlecrusier.  Its 103mm long (so probably Battlecrusier weight)  from the prow sensors to the aft nacelles and is about 45mm wide so would mass a fair bit. The base is a 60mm base.

Spot the parts!

I'm looking forward to trying him out!

Cheers
Jason

6mm Modern's: Israeli Armoured Combat Group

Hey Folks,

Long time no post, and very little work on my Man Barbie's as well. Real Life can be a pain like that and I took a job that involved commuting to another city about 5 months ago, and have been busy ever since.

A few lads and I have been getting into 6mm Modern using lovely GHQ miniatures, which while not the cheapest have amazing detail at this scale.  We have based the rules on Games Workshops Epic:40k Armageddon rules with some tweaks and self made army lists and unit stats.  These are continually evolving btu we are up to version 2.8 of the lists and we cover pretty much every Gulf State from Israel to Iran and most of the Western powers too (and Soviet Russia!)

Pooch has been busy: http://warpooch.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/6mm%20Moderns

So has Adam: http://panzerfaustnostalgia.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/6mm

And John too: http://than-aleaiactaest.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/Epic%20Moderns

One of our mates Andy has some awesome Iraqi's, and some awesome terrain too but he isn't the blogger type :)

I originally started with Israelis, and based my force around composite Combat Group from an Armoured Battalion that has been rapidly assembled.  This mixes Regular Army units (initiative 1+) and Reserve Army units (initiative 2+) backed up by some serious IAF Air Support!

So far its at around 2000pts but I have more to add on the painting table. 

The Combat Group so far. Left to Right: Merkava IV Coy, Cobra Gunships, Mech Infantry Company in M113 Zeldas, Chapperal SAM's, M125 Mortars, F-16'sand a Magach (upgraded M60) Company 

Magach 6's and 7's: Upgraded and Up armoured M60A3's

F-16's in IAF colours on Ground Attack Missions

Mechanised Infantry in M113 Zeldas

Chapperal SAM's and M125 Mortar Carrierw

Cobras!  Super cool :)

Merkava IV Company.  These are Bad Ass so I mainly use them as Merkava III's which are a bit more tame, but look very similar.

Close up of Merkava IV

Close up of the Magach types.  Magach 6 is an M60 with ERA while the Mgach 7 has added laminate armour.  I ahev added some stowage and flags etc made out of tin foil. 

Next up I have more Infantry and Azcherzit ("Evil Bitch!) Heavy APC's as well as a few more tanks and some Recon to add to take me to 3000pts.

Played a few games so far, and on the whole they preform pretty well and are heaps of fun. 

Next up: Iranians :)

Cheers,

Jason