Flames of War 2012 Completion Challenge: Ze Germans

Hey Folks,

Pooch and I were discussing how much Flames of War models we have lying around, being all tardy and unpainted and the like.  So far he has been a machine and cracked through some Kiwi Armour of Mid and Late war as well as Early and Late war Germans.

I, truth be told have not done a whole lot, mainly focusing on Dystopian Wars as well as being diverted by SAGA.  Craig's Day of Days event has prompted me to paint up some Germans, and it was while searching through my collection I realised I had a ridiculous (though not as bad as some: I'm looking at you of the broken arm, you know who you are!) amount that needed to be built and painted...so the Challenge this year is to get this done;

 And note this doesn't include all my Transports that I need to strip/ assemble and paint.

 So for the Panzers this is;

• A full 14 Tank Tiger Kompanie (note 6 of the Forged in Battle Tigers are a mates that I will paint for him) Including two Tiger I (Porsche) that will do double duty in my 653. Schwerepanzerjager Kompanie
• Another Elefant (for 3 total) and a Jagdtiger for 653. Schwerepanzerjager
• 4 Brumbarr's, 3 Mobelwagons and 3 Hummels for the Panzer IV Panzer Kompanie (11 Panzer IV's painted so far)
• 5 StuG's to add to my 5 Painted StuG's to make a StuG Batterie
• 9 Panthers, 2 Jagdpanthers and a Bergepanther to make a Panther Kompanie
• 4 PaK 40 RSO's to go with a Speerverband

For the Infantry this is;

• 5 Grenadier Platoons, 3 with Light Mortars.  This combined with my one painted platoon will allow me to field a Grenadier Kompanie or Sperverband as well as have more than enough MG Teams to transition to a Panzergrenadier/ Aufklarungs Kompanie or Sturm Kompanie as well as Rifle Teams to field a Schirungs Kompanie
• 1 Pioneer Platoon with two goliaths. This combined with my painted Pioneer platoon, and pumped out by some Grenadiers will allow me to field a Panzerpioneer Kompanie or a foot Pioneer Kompanie
• 3 More Fallshcirmjager stands, allowing me to field two full strength squads in Fallschirmjager Kompanie
• 6 HMG Teams and 2 8cm  to add to my two painted Mortars and HMG's so I can field two full HMG platoons and a full Mortar platoon.
• A full PaK 40, Pak 36 (7.62cm)r, Pak 38 and Pak 36 Anti-Tank Gun platoons
• 3 NW42 Nebelwerfers
• Objectives

So this is an awful lot to paint, and I STILL want more (I would love a Czech and a Medium Panzerkompanie) but I really need to get all this done first...and then onto fixing/ painting replacements for my damaged Soviets and the start of some Kiwis!

So, better get cracking then!

Cheers

Jason

Epic A: Big Gunz Mob + Stupid Earthquakes :(

Hey Folks,

As you all know we had two more big aftershocks yesterday.  Once again we got off lightly and fortunately I am on leave so was home with the family already.  Kids were a bit freaked out but are fine now, they continually amaze me with how resilient they are.  Otherwise its business as usual in "Quakechurch" (nice term Pooch)

I'm now paranoid after the February earthquake wasted my man barbie collection so store all my stuff in closed lid boxes, so luckily nothing was damaged. I have even managed to finish off another Epic Armageddon unit, my Big Gunz Mob;

Big Gunz Mob with the Skud Launchas

Looks almost like a Soviet "God of War" :)

I plan to add another Nobz unit when I get some more 30mm washers

And the WIP shot.  Most of the guns are Flames of War 15mm scale German PaK36's  or Soviet 45mm Obr 1942 guns with the barrels cut off.  I have also used a standard Shock Attack gun on a FOW MG Tripod as well as a 40k Chaos Smoke Launcher as a Rokkit Launcha. The gun trails are a mix of scratch built ones and various support weapon bases from FOW.

So another unit down.

This is what I am working towards

• Big Warband (20 stands), 2 Stormboyz - Done
• Normal Warband (10 stands) inc Warlord, 1 Stormboyz, 2 Battlewagons, 2 Flakwagons, Battlefortress
• Big Big Gunz Mob (10 stands) inc 2 Oddboy Soopagunz - Done 
• Normal Blitz Brigade (4 tanks) inc 2 Flakwagons, Gunwagon and Oddboy Zzaapgun. Gunfortress - Done
• Normal Blitz Brigade as above, Mostly Done just have to build the Gunfortress (its next) and a Flakwagon
• Big Blitz Brigade (8 tanks) inc 4 Flakwagons, 2 Gunwagons, 2 Oddboy Soopaguns and 2 Gunfortress's
• Mekboy Stompa Mob inc 3 Stompas, Supa Stompa, 2 Dreadnoughts, 2 Killa Kans - Done

That's 3000pts using the Army Forge Online army Creator Official 2009 Handbook list.  Too 4K I just add;

• Gargant
• 7 Fighta Bommas

As a nice easy bump.

Its probably activation light, but given how quickly units can die, and my Ork's crappy armour I like bigger units.  Its also pretty mobile, and has a shed load of firepower, so its Shooty/ Speedy as opposed to Stompy.  It can still Stomp, but needs to be selective.

I also have taken lots of Gunfortress/ Battlefortress's as while they are, well, crap (no Reinforced Armour and a nasty Critical) I reckon that if I have heaps of them (5) plus the Supa Stompa and Gargant to draw fire they wont get obliterated straight away due to target saturation.

Quite looking forward to get these done and playing a big game!

Cheers
Jason

Earthquakes and Impetus Early Imperial Romans - Progress of a Sort

Hey Folks,

Thankfully my family and I have survived the Earthquake relatively unscathed. Our house is fine and we have power and low pressure cold water, though no hot water as yet. The kids are well and are treating the lack of school like a holiday, it amazes me how resilient they are. Compared to many, and especially those who have lost loved ones or houses (like my bother and sister in law) we are very, very lucky.

My work is buggered. I manage the Vodafone store at the Palms and the mall is currently deemed "unsafe"  We hopefully might be able to get stock and that out on Tuesday if we are lucky but we will be looking for an alternative location until the mall is repaired, however long that might be. 

Alas my model collection was not so lucky:

So that's all my War of the Ring and most of my Flames of War models in broken heaps on the ground. I'm not actually that sad, compared to those who lost their lives it seems a petty thing to be concerned about! Hopefully insurance should cover some of it. The Flames of War Russian army was worth over $1000 alone...

One thing that has been good as in between taking things to people and looking after our "old nana" (who is 87, stubborn and wont move from New Brighton even though she doesn't have power or water!) I have had a bit of time to work on the Impetus Romans.

The quake claimed the converted Equites Alares and they were smashed beyond redemption. The rest of them fared better though so I have made up some more MDF bases and got most of the 400 points army based. So far its:

• Two Generals
• 3 Units of Veteran FP Legionaries
• 3 Units of FP Legionaries
• 3 Units of FP Praetorians (either Regular or Raw Legionaries)
• 2 Units of FL Auxiliaries
• 1 Unit of T Sagitarii
• 1 Unit of S Sagitarii
• 1 Unit of ART Ballistae

So I just have the Cavalry to replace and I thinking of ordering these

Here are some pictures of my lads "in the black"

And one way to keep the kids entertained: My five year old son painting his Moria Goblins for War of the Ring - Got to get that war gaming hobby in young!

Cheers
Jason