Flames of War... again

Okay, the flesh is weak.  Or the mind.  Or maybe one can blame lack of resistance...

But yeah, years after I sold my Flames of War italians... I bought Flames of War italians, as you could see passing by in the haul reports from the previous weeks.

I don't actually know how it came to be.  Either when looking at the tournament calender on T3, or if it was due to painting them up in 6mm recently, but for some reason I decided for myself I had to go back and play the now 4th edition of the game.

So I hopped over to my favorite online dealer, Wayland Games, and bought the Avanti Savoia book (and "some" models), in order to get started with the Mid War period again.  Granted, it seems most tournaments these days are Late War, but there where no italians in the war anymore by then.  Nevertheless, I don't doubt mid war events will be popping up left and right as well, so it gives me ample time to paint and prepare my Compagnia Carri.

Because what is more heroic after all then going to battle with a collection of L6/40s and M14/41s "tanks".  It's like playing Halflings in Blood Bowl, defeats are normal and victories become epic stories.

Add to that that Battlefront changed from the resin and metal of the time I played to more and more plastic kits, and on the contrary to "that big industry giant" has caused to actually decrease the price of the models, and it is rather cheap to get back going in the game with a limited budget to spend on it.

So while not a goal, expect to see that force growing slowly over the coming months as I'll be painting them up as in betweeners from the more regular projects.

Avanti Savoia!

Planning an army: 53rd Welsh Division

Okay, so with the paint craze going on, I've decided to finish at last an army for my Flames of War late war, only like 5 years "after date" from when I last played the game.  I always had a soft spot for the british Cromwell tank, finding it one of the prettiest designs of WW2, so at first I was planning to go for a Villers-Bocage list.

But strolling around the Battlefront site, and the combination of having read this book in recent years, I decided to build the 53th Welsh.

Because they have the option of using armoured support in the form of Cromwell tanks, and because they have the option of taking Archer 17pdr tank destroyers.

Now the plan at first is to build a small force of only 1000 points, and try to get a game or two in before investing in any models (okay, so I need to get 2 Archers for the list, but that is barely an investment).  I have the plastic tanks from The Plastic Soldier Company, I have a box of late war british infantry from Forged in Battle, and I have the recce and some more troops and bits from Battlefront.

So the army list will look something like this:

Company HQ with a jeep transport

2 Rifle Platoons of 3 squads each

A "Skins" armoured platoon consisting 2 Cromwell IVs and a Firefly VC

A self propelled tank destroyer platoon of 2 Archers

A Recce platoon of 5 armored cars

This all tallies up to 995 points according to the briefing on the FoW website, so that should be good enough to go.

And get me to 'recycle' a lot of unopened material I still having lying around in the Man-Cave.  if this kindles off my painting again, I'll have a shot as well at my mid war italian Bersaglieri Motocyclisti force, and an early war Japanese force, all initially aimed at 1000 points.

Time to get to the brushes me thinks...

Villers Bocage: assembling the 7th Armoured Division tank squadron

Just like the Carthaginians earlier today, I finally (they only been lying in my closet for about 4 years now) assembled my Cromwell tank squadron for use in Flames of War. Better late then never I guess?



This way, I also have a view on what is going onto the Salute shopping list, namely Sextons, TD`s and some more Cromwell`s.

Now, I know that the new edition of the rules makes this Reluctant bunch not to happy with the idea of assaulting infantry, but under the new tank rules, no tank comapny is happy to do that job. Just like I ain`t happy to do the job of painting infantry for FoW anymore, did enough of that with my Italians thank you very much.

But why this list? Simple: Cromwell`s. Not because they are the uber tank of all killiness, as they are outfought by their counterpart on the german side, the Panzer IV, but because like it`s predecessor the Crusader, I just love the look and style of the tank.

Okay, so we have to haul those fat Firefly`s around to make dents in enemy armour, but we`ll at least be able to outrace most tanks and semi-indirect is a good friend of mine.

So in this 1000 points, I have two Cromwell platoons, an HQ with AA support and a recovery vehicle (you`ll never bog when you have those, but be sure Murphy will get you when you don`t), and a Stuart V recce platoon.

And I know my Nemesis is gonna love me for seeing this post appear >:D