Game tonight - Battle of the Bulge

Tonight we will be playing Spearhead. The scenario will be set in the Western Front, the Ardennes in late 1944 and the Battle of the Bulge.

I concede readily that I have not delved too deeply into the specifics of the Bulge. I purchased "Hitler's Last Gamble" over a year ago in the hopes of finding gaming inspiration. Instead, it was one of those rare military history books with almost NO MAPS, so was damn hard to follow and I never did finish it. But I think we will capture the flavour of the Bulge with tonight's game, even if the unit specifics are not exactly right.

Another point of disclosure - I have precious few parts of my 6mm collection actually painted for winter - but screw that. We'll be able to make the table look somewhat wintry, and at any rate I don't know that the US troops had much of their stuff painted white. I know the Germans probably had a lot more...but hey, it's 6mm for fr*k sakes, and I do at least have some "winter" Panthers.

Anyway, the specific scenario will feature a desperate US defence of the approaches to the town of St. Vith. US "Combat Commands", scraped together from available local resources are in place to block the German advance. The Germans, who had envisioned capturing St. Vith on the second day of the offensive, are behind schedule. They still have the advantage, but will have to deal with challenging terrain, roads and unforgiving victory conditions that will call for them to get past the Americans as soon as they can.

In looking through my collection, it occurred to me that tonight will be something of a watershed when it comes to Spearhead - it will be the first time we use Americans. In fact, while I have a significant chunk of American models, I don't think we have ever rolled with Americans on the board for either Spearhead or Modern Spearhead. So a first for tonight's game! Look forward to seeing everyone and watching the tanks get stuck in the snow and mud.

Thursday Game - III Corps vs. III Korps - This Time, It's Napoleonic

This Thursday we will return once again to Napoleonics! The scenario will be set in Bavaria, 1809. Archduke Charles has sent 140,000 troops into the Confederation of the Rhine, proving the war of the fifth coalition (Fifth? Must have been fun negotiations - "no, really, THIS time we'll get him!").



The Austrians have had a rough go of the weather, but are pushing the Bavarian troops back. Marshal Berthier, a gifted chief of staff for Napoleon, has performed poorly as an army commander for the French, and Napoleon is racing to the scene to take command himself. In the interim, Davout's III Corps has become isolated near Regensburg. The Austrians sense an opportunity to pounce and take out one of Napoleon's most experienced formations, potentially winning the war!



Austrian columns march to pin the French against the Danube. Prince Hohenzollern's III Korps encounters the lead elements of Davout's III Corps near the village of Teugen. Davout is on the move, trying to break through to the retreating Bavarians. The Prince looks to hold them back while he sends messengers to the Archduke, pleading for reinforcements. Will the Austrians hold? Will the ultra-cautious Charles even bother with reinforcements? And if he does, will they arrive in time?

Thursday Game - Epic 40k - Struggle for Sludge

Idyllic sludge production on Imperial planet Toxo IV.

On the Plant Toxo IV, the Imperial Governor marvels at just how hard it is to keep producing the toxic sludge which is vital for the Imperial war machine. First it was an air strike by Orks early in the New Year, damaging several factories and causing him to miss his first quarter quota (meaning his favourite executive assistant had to pay the price, and was now condemned to life as a fifth-class colon servitor).

No sooner had the factories been repaired, the dead workers recycled, and the investigation into the failed air defences completed, then the Tau invade the planet and capture the factories! In the ensuing weeks, terrible rumours have emerged as the Tau have taken over production, including reports of a foul collective agreement with the workers providing maternity leave, pay for overtime, and the right not to be summarily executed for missing personal daily productivity quotas. Such blasphemy can only lead to Chaos.

Now, he watches as the Imperial Guard prepare to carry out a daring joint air and ground assault to recapture the facilities from the Tau. He has shared as much intelligence as possible, and is praying the assault succeeds. The Sector Overlord has made it very clear who is next in line for “servitor conversion” if Toxo IV should fail to meet sludge production quotas for a second straight quarter…

Be sure to join us this week as I unveil my most shameful acquisition in the history of my hobbying - Epic Tau!

Toxic sludge from Imperial factories actually helps to create rations for the Tau.

This Thursday - Introducing a "complex" man

The world's most complex man: "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Lucky Lager"

Our game this week will be staged by Curt C, the original Fawcett Avenue Conscript! Here is the setting from Mr. C:

Near the border of France and Spain, July 1666…The Duc d’Urbanville, a French nobleman, is acting as an emissary for the people of his region to the king of France. He is what some people politely term “a complex man”; he is a Basque, a Huguenot, a gambler, a rake, a duelist and somehow not surprisingly, a defrocked ex-priest. Nevertheless, due to his high birth, wealth and social station he is also an extremely powerful man, and though hated by many he is courted by the elite of European society.

Though d’Urbanville carries a Royal Seal giving him security and great latitude while he makes his way to Paris, he has decided for the sake of security to travel quietly with his son, his household staff and a modest retinue of Scots mercenaries. In order to better facilitate the negotiations with the French king and his papist Cardinal d’Urbanville has brought along several Catholic relics and other gifts to present to the King’s household. D’Urbanville and his party have stopped for the night at a small village with an ancient keep, as it is the final way-stop for quite some distance.

Nonetheless, the doings of such a man as d’Urbanville has not gone unnoticed… Near to the Keep swords are being sharpened and flintlocks primed, with many men vowing that this night the Duc and his household will pay for its many sins.

Sounds pretty cool! See you all on Thursday.

And the winner of our first poll is.....

For our first poll, we asked fellow Conscripts and visitors: "what should be resuced from the Zombies during our game this week?" The winner of our first poll is....a tie, as you can see, between a person immune to the Zombie virus and, disturbingly, a supply of Iphones. Out of respect for the democratic process, we will incorporate both elements into tonight's scenario. Besides, who can pass up a chance to use Apple products take more digs at Cam?

I love the book World War "Z", but in a way, it's too bad that it arrived on the scene before I-turd mania reached current epic proportions. Had World War "Z" arrived on shelves at this moment in history, one chapter would surely have slayed the image of Itools, nattering away about their stupid apps while the Zombies destroyed the US army at Jonkers. Author Max Brooks would probably have killed a couple of birds with one stone by having the Itools represented as a bunch of stock brokers who sold mortgage-back securities and structured-investment vehicles. But I digress...



So tonight, as inspired by Mike F's comment on the poll, the factions fighting the Zombies, and each other, to survive in the World War Z universe have determined that the continued function of their Iphones will be essential to coming out on top in the Zombie apocalypse.

The factions will be looking to capture a Rogers Wireless representative who is immune to the virus AND has the necessary technical knowledge to ensure the Iphones can continue to function. This person has been located (thanks to GPS and Google Maps, still working despite the apocalypse) in downtown Toronto, and stupidly bragged about their immunity using their Facebook status and various Twitter postings ("@WarZ bit two days ago, still nothing but want nachos"). From the SAS to the Bank Robbers and Homies, survivors have determined that this guy must be captured.

And the Zombies? Well, they are just happy to have some brains to eat.

To keep with the Iphone vibe, and as inspired by Dave V and Dallas' suggestions, before every turn, players will roll to see which stupid app their faction manages to activate on their Iphones. Some might help against the Zombies - others, not so much...we've polled some of the real apps, and made up some impacts. We'll see if Cam actually has any of them too. I know he has at least one...

See you all tonight for some World War Z, Iphone-bashing mayhem. Also, welcome to stray Conscript Sean! Looking forward to seeing you.

The heat is on - time for some Cold War...

Now that balmy summer temperatures have arrived in Winnipeg, the Conscripts will cool off this week with some Modern Spearhead. The clock will be set to 1988, and our setting will change from the scenic splendour of the Fulda Gap, to northern West Germany, where the Soviet 2nd Guards Tank Army is blasting its way to the North Sea coast.

NATO doctrine calls for troops to trade space for time. The Bundeswehr don't quite agree, and a West German Panzer Division has decided to give the Russians a bloody nose. Be sure to join us on Wednesday night as the West Germans launch a sudden counter-attack. Will the Soviets be stopped? Driven back? Or chuckle at the attempted schnitzel speed bump as they roll on to the coast?

It's Thursday!

We'll be playing WW2 in 25/28mm. The scenario is set in operation Market-Garden.

Tanks of XXX Corps' Guards Armoured Division finally link up with elements of the US 504th P.I.R. for the assault on the Nijmegen bridge... but first they have to fight their way there! Can the rag-tag German defenders stop the determined attackers from achieving a breakthrough to the beleagured British in Arnhem?

See you tonight!

Thursday game - "The Devil's Cauldron"

This week we will be playing 6mm WW2 using Spearhead CR, my slightly modified (no maps!) version of Arty Contliffe's excellent divisional WW2 rules. The game will be based on a scenario "The Devil's Cauldron" from the Spearhead supplement "Where the Iron Crosses Grow".

"No problem gents - it's just a Guards Tank Brigade - everyone climb aboard..."

West of the Dnieper River, March, 1944 - Marshal Koniev’s 2nd Ukranian Front has broken through the German lines (again), trapping a number of Wehrmacht formations and creating a series of “Kesselschlatchen” – “cauldron battles” – where trapped units fight to escape and Russian forces rush to block them.

One “kessel” includes Schwere Panzer Regiment Bake, a formidable “fire brigade” which had been holding the line while other units fell back. As the Russian spearheads bite deep, Regiment Bake must now cut a path through the Soviet lines for itself and the remnants of the 361st infantry division. This is one prize the Russians don’t wish to see slip away, and elements of the 5th Guards Tank Army have been dispatched to stop this lethal German unit once and for all.

Cobbled together in 1943, Regiment Bake has been rushing from crisis to crisis as the military situation in the southern sector of the Eastern front deteriorates, racking up an impressive tally of tactical vcitories and destroyed enemy tanks. Do they have enough fight left for one more breakout?

The Sludge-Busters

The warning klaxons sounded suddenly, so loud they pierced the almost-deafening mechanical noise of an Imperial sludge-reclamation facility operating at full capacity.

Shift-Supervisor Second Class Jax Paxton checked his wrist-chrono. "Too early for midday nutrition period..." he thought. "I wonder what th-"

Paxton's thought was rudely cut short by an inch-thick bullet from an Ork Big Shoota entering, and then rapidly exiting, his temporal lobe. As Paxton's lifeless corpse dropped to the metal decking, overhead a flight of Ork Fighta-Bommerz streaked past, trailing black smoke from their overloaded turbine engines, skidding across the sky to make another strafing pass on Imperial Sludge-Reclamation Facility (Vraks Pattern) Ref. 32-Z. Looted Marauders, gaudily painted in Orkish "go-fasta" red, loosed shrieking volleys of air-to ground rockets against their targets.

Imperial ground defences sprang into action, the shining trails of anti-aircraft tracers arcing into the sky, here and there exploding into jagged black shards of flak. Thunderbolt interceptor aircraft of the Imperial Navy weaved across the sky, lascannons and heavy bolters spitting at the Ork aircraft crossing their sights. But can they drive off the attackers before the facility and its precious toxic sludge reserves are destroyed by the manic Ork Flyboyz?

Find out on Thursday as we try out Forgeworld's "Aeronautica Imperialis" rules for aerial combat in the world of Warhammer 40K. Usual time, usual place!

Thursday Game - Air War over Korea

Dave O. is bringing out his 1/144 MiGs and Sabres for some sweet Korean War aerial action

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Boris looked out the canopy at the great, vast desolation that lay below him. Since his deployment to Korea he had yet to see any REAL action. How was he supposed to serve Mother Russia by killing Americanskis if he never saw any?

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Boris caught the faint glimmer of F-84s far below... Ah, little fish, Boris thought, our first catch of the day.... "Flight lead to flight, we have Thuds below at 15, 3 kilometers ahead. Let's show these cowboys how the bear bites!" Boris nosed the MiG-15 into a dive, letting loose the fury of his twin 23mm and 37mm guns as the F-84s filled his sights. He could see the rounds strike the canopy of an F-84, splattering American Apple Pie all over the cockpit.

Boris called to his wingman, "Your turn Alexei, show our Korean friends how it's done!" As Alexei's MiG rolled into a screaming dive, a yell came over the radio - "SABRE, SABRE, SABRE!" Boris grinned to himself... "now we will see what the Americanskis can do."

Thursday Game - Operation Airbus

July 1990 – The Berlin Wall came down all right – mostly because it was blocking the advance of Russian tanks! The Soviet Union has invaded West Germany, and NATO is fighting a grudging retreat. The BAOR and Bundeswehr are defending the approaches to Hamburg, holding the Soviet spearheads while civilians evacuate, and then falling back to the next defensive point. One recently abandoned defensive position was located outside of an EADS research facility. EADS is the parent company of Airbus, known primarily for building civilian airliners. However, NATO commanders have fielded some alarmed calls form European heads of state about something important that was left behind at that facility….

“Operation Airbus” is underway. Joined by a detachment of French soldiers, a contingent of Brits and Germans mount a local counterattack to try and recover a piece of Airbus property before the Soviet spearheads cut them off!

Thursday's Game

Inspired by the recent weather in Winnipeg, we go to the North African Desert in May, 1942. The Desert Fox has unleashed “Operation Venezia” against the 8th Army’s Gazala line. Rommel’s Afrika Korps has out-flanked General Auchinleck’s defences, and is pushing north-east. The game will feature troops from the British 7th Armoured Division defending a small village in an effort to stall the advance of the 21st Panzer Division. Will the new Grant lend-lease tanks make a difference against the Germans?

Come fill the desert with burning tanks as we play Flames of War, 15mm World War II.

Thursday Game - Han Solo and the Rebels of Sollaest

"The things I do for money..." muttered Han Solo to no-one in particular. His Wookiee sidekick, Chewbacca, growled in agreement. The two, accompanied by a few surviving rag-tag rebels, crouched behind a low wall as blaster bolts ricocheted crazily around them.

"We gotta get to the Falcon - now's as good a time as any. On my mark, cover me, Chewie. Three, two, one... now!"

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Solo and Chewbacca had been attracted to the Core World of Sollaest by their usual motivation: the lure of cold, hard credits. Solo's underworld contact had set him up with a job: smuggle a few datacards off the Core planet of Sollaest, no questions asked, for a fat reward. Little did Solo suspect that, halfway through the job, a rebellion would break out! Throwing in their lot with the Rebels, Solo and Chewbacca fought and sneaked their way through the planet's main city, avoiding Imperial entanglements along the way. Finally they have reached the University sector, where they had left their ship, the Millennium Falcon. Only a few hundred metres from the ship, Solo, Chewbacca and the few Rebels left accompanying them encounter a force of Imperial Stormtroopers and Sollaestian Army troops. Can Solo and Chewie make it to the Falcon and escape to their off-world payday, or will they end up imprisoned in the Spice Mines of Kessel?

We'll use the tried-and-tested WotC Star wars rules and miniatures, along with some new terrain inspired by a post on TMP.

See you at my place, 7:30pm start.

Thursday Game

Vimeiro, Portugal... 1808.

As Napoleon holds continental Europe in thrall, the British have landed a small army in Portugal under the command of Lt. General Wellesley to try and turn the tide. The French commander on the scene, Junot, decides to attack before this trifling contingent of hooligans is reinforced further. Surely the armed forces of a nation with such an awful taste in food cannot prevail against the attack columns of the Emperor?s Grande Armee!

As the French make their move, Wellesley deploys his army in the hills near the town of Vimiero, ready to defend the disembarkation point of the British reinforcements.

We'll be rolling out the battle in 15mm, using the recently released "Shako II" rules. See you at my place, usual time.

This Thursday's Game - "Tell it to the Vistula"

This time, it's POLITICAL

This week we will play Cold War Commander in 6mm, and the scenario will continue with our imaginary (at least for now) invasion of Poland by Russia and Belarus. You may recall from our prior battles that the Russian spearheads had driven the Polish forces back towards the Vistula river, only to be checked by a joint Franco-Polish counterattack, buying time for various NATO countries to send help.


The Poles, reluctant to abandon the northeast of their country, have finally agreed to pull back. But they have waited too long, and substantial forces may become trapped north of the Vistula. A force of British Paras and surviving French and Polish armour units are holding out while NATO command has dispatched multi-national brigade anchored by the British to hold a corridor open long enough for the Poles to pull back.

Putin's generals are keen to sieze the opportunity to trap several Polish units AND give NATO a bloody nose. And they might take advantage of the situation to deploy a new tank for some "testing"...

The Russian "Black Eagle" tank - still a prototype?

The battle will mark the debut of Mike F's newly painted 6mm British figs. We all know how well his freshly painted 25mm Brits did in our former Yugoslavia game last year. Presumably, the Challengers will have a better go of it this time around...

Hope to see you on Thursday for a "Battle of Nations" as Russians, Belarussian, Poles, French, Brits and Germans engage in ballistic discussions on the Vistula!

New Years Game

Just a reminder about the cool game Dallas has planned for New Years Day. I encourage you all to join in for what will surely be an excellent game!

game WEDNESDAY

This will be the last Wednesday game for awhile, I promise.

Lord of the Rings, actually set in Middle-Earth for once ;-)

7:30pm at my place, see you there.


Dallas