DAK Attack - Rules from "Offensive Miniatures"

Shiny Alert! I am on a Western Desert LRDP and SAS theme at the moment (see below, I saw this mentioned between wargaming friends online, looks appealing): 

https://www.offensiveminiatures.com/product-page/dak-attack-lrdg-rule-set

But I know "nothing" of it (other than it looks appealing).

German Recon 20mm Airfix Classic (Vintage) Set

Another Airfix classic, this time a muddled box of confused spares and complete sprues with had two Kubelwagans and two 222 armoured cars. Yes the early war German classic Recon Set (see below, one twist as I left teh turrets off the armoured cars as I will be converting these to a 221 machine gun armed version and a 223 radio car version - wish me luck):   

This would mean that combined with my existing force of 222 armoured cars (good for Russia 1941 onwards to 1943 in grey), or I can either go more early war, and field the machine gun armed 221 and Hortch Kf 13 armoured cars (thinking Poland 1939 and France 1940). Either way the 223 is a good radio Command Car option. 

BBC Series - SAS Rogue Heroes (North Africa)

With some trepidation I started to watch Episode One of the new BBC - SAS Rogue Heroes series. It had come with dare I say it, surprised recommendations from fellow some wargamers whom I deeply respect for their taste and acumen, so I took a deep breath and watched (or rather binged it on iPlayer). The jury was out in parts, the legend and the lore of the SAS are so easily overdone but as the story progressed I was totally hooked (for better or worse) but would it hold up in the cold light of day? It certainly had all the trappings of a professional marketing sell, the line-up of actors had clout, a "sexy rock and roll-heavy metal" sound track to boot and a very pacey delivery! (see below, would this montage of history, fiction, rock music and brat-pack acting [in a good sense] actually work?):     

And the verdict was .. well .. after some (short) deliberation .. I thought it was bloody brilliant! Somehow it all came together and seemed to get the gist of all the madness and stupidity associated with that era of the war - spot on. The wife even watched the series all the way through with me (partly due to the link with Sex Education actor and the lad who played the strapping Irishman [despite the beard]), it was simply such gripping television. Well done BBC how you pulled this off I do not know, in my heart I was expecting a "bitter lemon". There should not be a way that 1970's and 1980's rock music [Motorhead] could work for WWII - but it did. How? I still don't know, but do not care! Previously I was an instrumental "Where Eagles Dare" soundtrack person for top war stories but heck, (Rock Music) it worked, along with racing jeeps across the desert. You would, wouldn't you? The depiction of the LRDP was superb, they could have been over easily done, but no, a taxi service with guns who could navigate the desert like nobody else could. As for the storyline: I was laughing at moments, crying at moments and literally in awe - terrified at what was going to happen next - moments when I though "don't be daft - they wouldn't would they?" It has left me rushing for Michael Asher's history of The Regiment for the back story (it has been on the bookshelf long enough waiting to be read) .. and I bet I will get an Xmas book (and there are a few of them already out there) from the supermarket book isle! Sure I will find "discontinuity errors" as bits will have been simply "ripping yarns" but I love the disclaimer .. "the most incredible and unbelievable bits are the bits that are probably true"! Spoiler alert .. the last episode ended with Stirling down (captured), but will there be a Series Two following Paddy Mayne (and perhaps shots of Stirling musing in Colditz)? Meanwhile I unpacked "Undaunted: North Africa" and took a look at my 20mm Western Desert collection (with the classic LRDP set and some Dixon SAS metals, Strelets SAS-North African figures and Italians/DAK). There is a game or two in there to be had there ;) 

Command Magazine Issue 34: Death and Destruction and Issue 10: Alexandros

I was doing a lot of rummaging around in the loft and garage and came across my boxes of zip-lock games from XTR Corporation, aka Command Magazine. In their heyday they rivalled and IMHO surpasses Strategy and Tactics. I started looking through them in more detail and ruminating. I (for some reason now lost to me) had separated the magazines from the games in different boxes. Hence I naturally spent a whole afternoon "pairing" them back up. Alas there was a missing copy. I remember having a copy of issue # 34 "Death and Destruction/Gazala" but I had that sinking feeling Ihad leant it out (and although I later asked the person in question) it was never returned - I distinctly remember the Western Desert, Rommel and Gazala being the reason for the request. I had hoped that I had merely misplaced it but alas, by the end of the evening I could see no other place it could be (the "box search" had extended to 'all other corners' of the house. Sharing the burden with my friends is the closing sessions of Ramillies, they commiserated and advised wargames shows and online searches .. so I Googled and end up visiting SecondChanceGames (see below, and came up trumps with Issue#34):

Making a "good" out of a bad I also spotted what I think is arguably Command Magazine's best game "Alexandros" from Issue #10 (it runs neck and neck with Issue #14 Midway [double blind game of the classic battle]). This was one Command Magazine missing from my collection, although I had played with a friends copy and remember the bitter taste of Persian arrows felling my attempt at being Alexander (but it was a great game). As well as a (Macadonian biased) campaign system it had an innovative little tactical battle system which I plan to use with my collection of DBA armies (see below, it seems to be a fore-runner of Phil Sabin's, Lost Battles in gridding the battlefield area - one definitely to play again, whereas Death and Destruction is the "monster game" addition to Proud Monster, aka Barbarossa 1941):

Note: Although I cannot say that I would play "all" of the Command Magazine games, there are quite a few pearls in amongst them. They were heavily criticised towards the end re: play-testing but still retained great insights into the periods they covered. I am left with one remaining "mystery" in that I have the Command Magazine and one game from Issue #44 but the Sealion game is "missing". I have the awful feeling I have put this one "somewhere safe" as part of a project - but where? The searcj parties are still out looking ;)

10mm Western Desert Project for 2019

In my WWII wanderings I have not really "dug deep" into the Western Desert but that is destined to change in 2019 as one of my local wargaming groups is "going to do it in 10mm" (Pendrakon). As background to the campaign I decided to rummage through my board game collection and found something rather interesting that I want to "take out for a spin" (see below, it was once in a box but I foolishly threw it away - it is Attackix Games dating back to the early 1990's [they also did a Normandy Waterloo, Interstellar Wars, Battle of Britain and Arnhem - would be interesting to know if anybody out there played them]): 

It has simple, intermediate and advanced levels of play. Should be fun for an evening or two then we could get some ideas for a campaign system. Lots of painting to do before the tabletop toys are ready though!

Playing Around With Bigger Stuff

While I had my 20mm Russian toys out on the painting tray, my children started circling and paying far too much interest in proceedings. Subtle hints like "What's on TV?" and "Do you want to play in the garden?" were to no avail. As a way of  'the last line of defense or rather sacrifice' I threw down my youngest son's Airfix 1/32nd infantry sets (and the Pound Store equivalents) onto the table as a "soak off" offering for them to paint. Not satisfied by just playing with the figures alone they started first PVA'ing them (copyiing me) and then going for the "full-on" painting them. So I surrendered my last few remaining Games Workshop 'wet/damp but getting gelled-up' paint pots over to them and likewise gave the kids a few of my 'larger' brushes to work with (see below, farewell GW paints at least they will be used this way):

The results were quite interesting (see below, Games Workshop Tanned Flesh undercoat, then with a PVA mixed together with a generous "Anita's Acrylic Brown of some description' splodge):

My daughter took particular interest in the classic DAK "grenade thrower" (good choice of figure) and I have to say I quite like the results in a purely "artistic sense" (see below):

At least this allowed my Russian Esci/Italeri 20mm figure to "escape" unscathed ;)

Lego Castle

During the Easter break I was left alone as my wife took the children to meet the grand parents. I was given many domestic chores but also the freedom of the house once again. Perhaps the first time in eight years. This meant "things" put down in one place did not wander away. Which included the kids Lego. Mysteriously I was drawn to my youngest son's collection that had been handed down to him. Inevitably, in my time "between chores" I casually experimented and "built a castle" I was quite ''proud of". Naturally my son's 1/32d scale Airfix figures were the first choice for the defenders (see below):

Quatro large blocks iced with a top battlement layer of Duplo, giving excellent firing positions. The "gates" were heavy duty Quatro and remained firmly closed. However the orange inner gates could be raised from inside in a 'marvelous feat of engineering' which defines the everlasting appeal of Lego across the ages (see below):

What became of my Maginot Line fortress guarded by Airfix warriors? (see below):

On their return only my children saw the the finished product (and briefly at that) as my youngest son (aged three at the time) did what all three year old's who have seen the "Hulk" in "The Avengers", would do! 

Yes, It lasted but seconds however it apparently took my wife over twenty minutes to clean up afterwards! She was not too impressed at my feat of engineering!