From AlanD: WWII Bits (169 points)

After missing a week of the challenge due to doing some extensive research into the appearance of snow basing in Serbia, I'm back this week with some WWII submissions.

Intimidated by Paul O'G's growing DAK force, I've added some Grants to my desert force. These are Forged in Battle models, and I really like the variations in stowage moulded on to the resin hulls.

Then it's back to a different type of desert to continue with my Berlin 1945 project. 

Firstly, some terrain. Two more boards of ruins from Terrains4Games, 11x8 inches each.

To help defend the ruins, here are a couple of Pantherturms. The first is a bunker with Panther turret, from Battlefront. I'm not sure if these were actually used in Berlin - there appears to be some debate.

What were certainly used, however, were half-buried Panther hulls. This is a great use of the spare turret and hull top that you get with the Battlefront plastic kit if you use the rest of the components to build a Jagdpanther. Judging from photos, the engine deck of the Panther hulls were covered over with a single flat plate of steel, so I had to do some hacking with a fairly blunt craft knife to remove the engine deck.

And then we have the attackers. This platoon of Soviet riflemen and Maxim gun is made up from the Battlefront plastic box, although I think the radio operator was a metal Skytrex figure.

Hmm. Points. Assuming the Pantherturms are counted as vehicles, and assuming the terrain boards are 20 point each, then the scoring should go like this:

• 39 x 15mm figures = 78
• 3 x half figures = 3 
• 6 x 15mm vehicles = 48
• 2x terrain boards of 11x8 inches = 40

That makes 169 points, I think, but happy to bow to the wisdom of the minion!

Der Motor des Panzers ist ebenso seine Waffe wie die Kanone*.

Generaloberst 'Achtung Panzer' Heinz Guderian

I can imagine there were more than a few unhappy panzer commanders when they were told to drive into a hole and stay there forever!

Nice work on these Axis and Allied figures and tanks, Dux. I'm enjoying the scenery- I'm curious if your 11x8" base size is for storage purposes. I've found that for me now, storing and transport of terrain is as much of a consideration as the design, details, and playability.

Barks

*The engine of the Panzer is a weapon just as the main-gun.

From AlanD: More 15mm Urban Ruins (40 Points)

More MDF buildings that I have ruined... 

These are another two terrain tiles for Battlegroup Fall of the Reich games  in 15mm, using buildings from Terrain4Games. The figures and vehicles are just there for atmosphere.

I'll leave points up to Curt. Each base is 11 X 8 inches.

And now to bed!

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Wow, these ruin tiles are fabulous Alan. Question for you: Are these 'whole' buildings that you have broken up, or are they from a ruined set they offer? I ask as I notice that they offer ruined buildings, but I don't think yours are the same (btw, a great resource to check out and a nice option to the well-known large manufacturers). Again, I like the extended curb edges and the heaps of rubble that you've added. These are going to look quite impressive when they are all arrayed en mass.

As to points, let's call them the equivalent of two scoring cubes as, naturally, there a measure of open space between the spires of ruins. So that makes it 40 points.

Great work Dux!

From Alan D: 15mm Urban Ruins (40 points)

 

Building terrain is not something that thrills me that much. However, I'm very keen to play some games of Battlegroup - Fall of the Reich, so some Berlin-esque urban ruins are mandatory. I bought a bunch of mdf buildings a while back from the Polish company 'Terrains4games', which were great value and really quite nice, and thanks to the Challenge I have an incentive to get them rubbled-up and painted.

 

This is the first of about 8 boards, and it meant for gaming, so lots of compromises have been made by not finishing the building properly and so on, but I like the result. The Hetzer and the figures are from a previous Challenge.

Not sure how many points this should be worth. The footprint of the base is about 11 x 8 inches - I will leave it up to the wisdom of the Minions!

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I have to agree with you Dux, I find terrain building a bit of a chore as well. Though I must say that it has an odd parabola effect where once you get over the apex it can be quite fun in the last stages where things just seem to fall into place. These two wrecked complexes look great and I especially like your heaped rubble amongst the ruins, something that is usually missing from many of our wargaming tables. 

The size of these sounds like two scoring 'units' of terrain, so let's put them at 40 points total.