Various Games

This post is a bit of a photo summary of the various collections and play in the past while. ("various" is a definite theme of my hobby) .

Napoleonics:

A practice game for the boys as we set up for a “One Week Campaign”.  This was a 1805 scenario from a Shako rules scenario book but readily enough converted to our home-brew set.  It was fought over the holidays period during a day our gaming group all had available.

Prussians advance

overview of the battle with French in the distance holding off the Coalition forces waiting for the Italians to come in from the flank but across a river and through a woods

Italians make their way encouraged by the commander. The small black dice represent current combat strength.

A Canadian Affair:

Not really noted for armed conflict fought on its own soil, Canada did have the Northwest Rebellion during 1885. Certainly not much of an affair, but does offer inspiration for small skirmish scenarios.  That the rebellious Metis and native Cree choose set piece battles obviously outnumbered by the Canadian Militia forces rather than ambush and hit-and-run is interesting. Solo play using “The Men Who Would Be Kings” rules with half-ish unit sizes - usually the Metis have no figures on the table at all. (as I don't have any...)

Canadian militia advance upon a suspected Metis position across the creek.  (Perry ACW plastics mostly with new headdress additions - either their Home Service helmets or my 'green-stuff' glengarries.

Northwest Mounted Police in 'full dress', cross the stream on the dry open prairie.  Perry ACW plastic cavalry converted with new arms, heads and detailing.

Sinai, 1956:

Result of an estate sale, I came in possession of 15mm T-34s and Shermans. I have no other armour of that scale and those two particular model of tanks did not fight each other during WW2….but I did discover that during the Suez Crisis, clashes occurred between Egyptian and Israeli forces using those respective vehicles. Using “What a Tanker” rules.  

Egyptian and Israeli tank forces clash near a Sinai village. The destroyed Sherman is a result of my putting on the two-part tracks incorrectly.  By the time I discovered my error the glued had melded the parts together as to create too much damage while trying to pull them apart; thus INCREASED the damage to create this terrain obstacle.

The fingers are handling my conversion of a straight up Sherman into the Israeli M-50 (Super Sherman)
I used the WW2 "Sherman Firefly" stats which I think replicate the power of the gun for the game.
Noticeably in WaT, tabletop distances between tanks become very close indeed.(note my Israeli tank colour is much less green than my camera would suggest!) 

“On Folium III”  

On a distance verdant planet, humaniods long exposed to an enzyme which turns the skin a blue hue and creates over-developed muscles, fight ‘Raptors’ a reptilian species especially deadly and aggressive. Think: Schwarzenegger as a “Rouge Trooper” in Jurassic Park.

Using new “Xenos Rampant” rules. 

old style 40K "Catachans" recently painted using inks. 

"Oh sh@t!  Where did she come from!" Raptor by Wizkids.  Some time ago I bought 2 packs of these (4 models) as they are VERY nice models BUT had no idea what I was to do with them! However in Xenos Rampant these four can form a potent 'detachment' or table-top force of 24 points by themselves!  

“The ‘Incident’ at the Outpost near Plotnaty”

During sometime in the future, the U.N. was allowed to set up observation posts in the Donbas Region.  But this peace was quickly swept away as the outpost of U.N. blue-clad soldiers were attacked by “Russian” forces.  Used the new “Xenos Rampant” rules.  The “neo-Russian”/old 40K Valhallans mortars (artillery) proved exceedingly (too) powerful but the rest works fairly well.  

After-action photo as,  in the game, the "Russian" units did not need to close assault the outpost. Old-time Valhallan 40K figures painted by me A LONG TIME AGO.

The outpost. My scenario had the three U.N. units randomly placed at tents around the fortified position so not to immediately be in position and so must activate to move or shoot.  However the rule modifications I added gave them no cover at all to oncoming artillery rounds within the outpost and so the bright blue troopers died (too) quickly.  The "U.N Troopers" are old GW Imperial Guard Cadians with symbols removed and given the characteristic United Nations bright colour with camo uniforms.  I gained these, in this case, from the local club's Door Prize winning ticket but had, at the time no need for them nor any want to expand upon them.  Having seen a photo of U.N. troops, I thought to use them as a very small, under armed (no heavy weapons) contingent. They had been sitting, thus painted, in the box for years.  Now with Xenos Rampant I can use them as a complete force.

While not used in the game, I have two fighting vehicles for the Valhallans/Neo-Russians in the form of two 1:35 scale WW2 KVs modified with the ridiculously oversized 40K weaponry.  In this case, should I ever play old style 40K I could use them as a Leman Russ and Chimera respectively.  They are given a sloppy covering of whitewash in keeping with the winter Russian-y theme.

1956 Sinai Tank Battles on the Tabletop

 Of course i am all-over the map with my painting, including doing a What a Tanker!  rendition of the Egyptian-Israeli conflict of 1956 (Suez Crisis) as had picked up cheaply some 15mm plastic kits T-34/85s and Shermans.  They did not fight against each other in WW2 but DID in the Sinai thus this joining my growing and rather eclectic collection of wargaming subjects. Only 4 tanks a side but still needed to be built and painted (and a whole lot of internet research as having very little knowledge of the conflict or the weapons!)

In the right background of the photo is my attempt at mocking up an Israeli M50 “SuperSherman” with the up gunned French 76mm high velocity  I use the Firefly or Panther fire rating for this gun. They had only a few during this war. 

M-50 Israeli Sherman

 Later the Sherman it would be up gunned yet again to a 105mm as the M51 but with the M4A1 hull not the presented M4A4. All the other ratings per the rules.  However I have the Egyptians always buttoned-up due to Soviet training doctrine and their crews 'poor' ignoring all Wild Dice but one and having extra to make hits.  This game had the Egyptians victorious over the Israelis nevertheless.  The T-34/85s are much more powerful than the Shermans within "What a Tanker" rules. 

The ‘on fire’ Sherman at left, is a result of me messing up on the two-part treads and, whilst tearing apart - after the glue had almost set - had it damaged too much…so I REALLY tore it apart!  It now becomes an obstacle on the rather featureless desert.

The second engagement at Okcorralska

While the tank fight  was going on (previous post), two German infantrymen were looting a house. Each holding an anti-tank grenade bundle, they decide to hunt down the t-34.  They move; Hans however stumbles on the flooring exiting the house [ two Move Dice and I rolling two ones!] Franz fall over him [yup, another one inch move!] but gets up and runs 6 inches further [Wild turned into a Move] and acquires the Russian tank.

Hans (right), Franz (left) 

Sensing the Germans could be near by, the Russian reverse and rotate the turret and see the German (Franz) approaching and load up the main gun.

Hans gets up and runs to a position on the other side of a low fence while Franz runs directly toward the tank fast enough that he was now within range to throw his grenade charge under the muzzle of the 85mm.

The Russian driver cleverly reveres the tank while pivoting, allowing the front face toward the element but more importantly, allowing the  hull mg to acquire the German.   The MG rounds hit  Franz wounding him [loss of two Comm, Die]

Hans, meanwhile, cautiously creep slowly to the fence [only one Move Die this time and, due on form, I again roll a 1(inch) for the move]

Franz behind the Russian t-34

While wounded, but apparently not in his legs, Franz moved to the immediate rear of the t-34.  But he forgot one critical issue - the Russian tank could reverse and crush him under their tracks. Oh, dear.

Hans, finally made his way to the fence and acquired the tank.

Hans slowly moving into position ( despite his pose!)

The Russians backed up further and aimed the big gun toward the German and aimed.

Hans looked at his options [the Command Dice] and decided on the “Heil der Fuehrer” option and would run toward the beast.  Luckily his legs cooperated ( I rolled for the distance after deciding on his course of action ).  He threw the grenade toward the Russian but it bounced off the top of the engine compartment and exploded harmlessly behind the tank.

Hans about to throw is grenade...poorly it must be said....

The Russian hull machine gun chatted again but the German avoided the stream of lead.  The main gun then fired.  The shell blew by Hans but the blast alone shook him up [ Remarkably, the 8 Russian strike dice only allowed 3 hits, 1 of which was negated. ]

But not frozen in place, Hans ran away, ostensibly to get another grenade.

Hans shown in his final moments.....

The German could still be seen by the Russian crew, so they loaded another round and fired. The shot took off poor Han’s head.  

(he rolled a very poor double 1s for savings rolls - so we can justify this outcome, what! )

Epilogue: 

In the cellar of one of the houses of OKcorralska, a father says to his little boy, you can take your hands from your ears.  Our village will again be quiet…for now….

"dog-sniffing", WaT, Early WW2 winter tank action

As mentioned in the previous post, my Early War 1941 winter Eastern Front “What a Tanker” game that evening had four players (including myself) with a very simple “us v them” shootout.

My t-26 in the foreground running from the German looking to shoot 'up my butt'

A PZIII and PZII against a T-34 and T-26. The night’s dice were fickle indeed as the one necessary die to complete the desired activity - usually shooting of course - failed to occur.  Everyone was affected. But for me, the rather exasperating failure to do anything useful from a full set of dice only happened once, so that was good.  And I got a kill, taking out the PZII with one shot. Rare indeed.  It was early in the night, so I had the defeated player bring on a PZ35 (a rather better tank and game equivalent to a PZIII.  I spend the rest of the game trying to avoid it!  All the while looking to see if the other German had a shot at me!

"dog-sniffing" In the background the German is chasing my t-26, while in the foreground, the partially-whitewashed t-34 is ready to shoot at the rear of the heavily camouflaged PzIII.  ED NOTE: This was only part-way through the battle; this would continue for quite some time.  Weird game indeed.

The game tended to resemble a “tail sniffing at a dog park” as one wit suggested, during which we circled around the snow-covered burnt-out buildings looking to shoot each other up the tail pipe (the weakest armour point) However throughout the night each of us would fail dramatically to get the relatively easily achievable 3+ on the dice, and roll lots of 1s and 2s instead. Ce la guerre!

 

Big v Small

If you are hosting a game is it very good to know ALL the rules so I wanted a practice game before hosting a “What a tanker” game that night.  But I already packed up my usual winter terrain, so I put out a very plain table of a Russian village, a couple copses of trees and my latest t34/85.  But what about an opposition?  Well I do have a 1:56 R-35…. A bit mis-matched admittedly.  Understatement no doubt as the Russian is a 8 Armour, 8 Strike beast vs the early-war two-crew 4 Armour and only 3 Strike. 

obviously the R-35 to the left and the Russian t-34/85 behind

Thus, I would have the R-35 (run by a Romanian crew being Eastern Front and all) only wanting to go back home, to cross the table and exit.  The Russians were sleeping in a village house.

Perhaps rather foolishly the Romanian commander decided to take an open pot-shot at the “sleeping” Russian hoping for a lucky shot. He failed to hit.  The Russians were slow to wake up and get active.  The Romanian’ further move past an intervening house allowed him a second shot. This too failed, but the Russians were fully awake and on the move.  They rounded the church but the dice failed them and the shot on the rear of the Romanians could not be taken.  

Yikes! the Romanian is shitting bricks!

The Romanian command dice then blessed them with a long move to - almost - off the table - and freedom.  But not quite, so allowing the Russians to get one more shot off with their big gun. They took the shot but it failed to hit the rear of the small French-built tank! (8 dice needing 3+ but getting only two hits —-I am such a terrible dice roller when needed! )  the Romanians managed to get enough saving rolls to sigh a big relief as they exited the battlefield and continue their way home…. 

The R-35's turret is facing the Russian while the vehicle is making off the table..

new WW2 tanks

Not a lot of wargaming of note lately for me.  Always piddling about on this project or that, but nothing write home blog about.

Did do up a couple of Waffenkammer resin tanks included for me in an order by WillB [link to company].  I added a late war T-34 to go against any German Kitties (Panthers or Tigers) others might have for a game of 'What a Tanker', or to be hunted by my German panzerfaust-armed lads.  

T-34/85 with a 'Bad Squiddo' female driver (used as more 1:48 scale to the Warlord plastic infantry than the provided driver) She seems to be shaking her fist in defiance . 

But of course one just MUST do all the rust and weathering!  Mind you I really don't think tanks lasted long enough to acquire such wear in reality.

The other, a rather smaller R-35 in Italian employ for support of my Italian Camicie Nere/ Blackshirt militia contingent.  A famous ‘charge’ of 12 of these caused consternation for the Americans at Gera in Sicily… for several minutes….. 

The two man crewed R-35 with the supplied commander/gunloader/gunner having a seat outside ("unbuttoned") .  He is attached by a magnet in his knee...

...to the internal magnet which allows me to remove him and....

...manually close the hatch.  I managed to drill a very small hole through the hatch's hinge to allow a thin piece of plastic rod - the type which is used to attach price tags to clothing - to be fed through and squeezed at both ends so gluing was not required.     While not partial to resin, I do like the effect of it to portray the historically rough casting of the metal turret.

This R-35 was inspired by the following images of the tanks engaged at Geta:

Another Wandering Matilda

Once again an Australian Matilda tank finds itself alone in a Japanese village in 1946 (see previous post:  link  )

The Japanese (me, playing solo) planned a coordinated three sided attack by “lunge-mine” soldiers while the Japanese sniper would force the tank commander to button up making acquisition of his compatriots more difficult.  “Ieko” one of the Japanese attackers would be stationed in the temple and ring the bell within to indicate the tank has gone beyond the building commencing the attacks.

"Village of Machikoro, 1946"

The Australian tank commander now realizing his infantry support was, well, not in support, had no intention to blithely move thru the village [ and I rolled no Move Dice! ]  While looking about above the hatch, he ordered his gunner to shoot into the nearest building. [ I did roll the appropriate dice so he could do that!]  

“THAT should bring out any skulkers!” 

Ieko, observing through a slit in the window covering, noted the turret gun turn in his direction.  He rang the bell and took cover!

Teppo, the sniper, took a position around the corner of the building and fired. But to no effect. the Tank commander did not become aware he was being shot at.  Kenso, seeing the tank stop well outside a distance he could be expected to run (and that in front of the tank! ) decided to make his way thru the paddies to a position to the flank or rear of the tank.  

Editor note: For these games, I take the situation the miniature has at hand and try to make a logical and prudent decision of action before rolling its Command Dice.  This decision is often negated as the dice do not allow such, so I go with what the dice can allow. In this case I rolled three Move Dice and having no need of a Wild Die, also turned that into his run.  As the distance to the tank was considerable  so he went the other direction.  But of course the rolls I made for the distance would have had him safely to the tanks glacis and into the attack!  But that is 20/20 hindsight!

Ieko in the damaged building was immobile with shock (I rolled no Move dice for him) 

Meanwhile, the hull gunner was alert and spotted Teppo the sniper and opened up with his hull MG.  Poor Teppo was shredded with bullets as the main gun was reloaded.

Ichiro, crouching around the building’s corner having seen Teppo become chopped suey decided to move the OTHER way to in behind the now ruined temple. However with the dust of the explosion he too had no idea of the tank’s position [ no acquisition dice were rolled] 

The commander still ‘unbuttoned’ with his head above the hatch, demanded “Gunner, fire at the next building where the body is”.   “Ah, the damned *** again!” was the reply.  No shot could be taken.  “Move ahead” the CO allowed.  “There’s a bugger. Turn right and take him” as the tank had acquired Ichiro. But perhaps slowed by some building debris (?) but the tank could only go a very short three inches.  [ I had rolled a paltry 3 on two dice!!]

Meanwhile…. in his fast pace, Kenso had gone beyond a 90 degree visual range of the tank and so failed to see it move off away from him.  However, Ieko recovered and had a chance for an attack.  My roll for the Japanese soldier was 1,1,2,3,4,4 meaning he could Move 1D, Move another 1D, Acquire the tank, Aim ("ready himself") and Fire (press the lunge mine detonator against the tank).  It is lucky he had two Move dice as I rolled two 1s but as the tank was literally at his door step….For his life , he caused one permanent and one temporary damage to the hard shell of the Matilda. 

Immediately after Ichiro plunged his weapon against the frontal glacis of the tank. The explosion blew the commander out through the open hatch and destroyed his tank….the extra strike dice from being ‘unbuttoned’ proved fatal.  

Ichiro would turn to deliver his attack on the tank while the temple continues to smoulder

Armour Rescue - WaT game

 

I really like this pic of WillB's "Cyclops" crossing my new bridge - see previous post-

Another fun battle of “What a Tanker!”  armour combat rules with WillB providing his collection of Sicily-appropriate Canadian tanks and a few German opposition.  I provided the terrain (probably more desert than Sicily but that is all I had Italian…) and, of course, using my new bridge. That did not surprise WillB.  The scenario was a ‘rescue’ of a immobile Valentine but functioning “Harry” by the intrepid C Troop of Canadians consisting of Shermans “Chief”, “Cyclops”, “Corvette” (a Firefly with a 17 lb) and “Cobault”.  Against these Allies were a PaK 35 waiting behind a stonewall, a Beutepanzer StuG M42 / Semovente 75/18, and, well, a big bad Tiger I. 

The battlefield with the PaK35 fifth in line to activate and WillB's tanks in the far corner.  "Harry" the track-missing Valentine is off-camera to the left and the Semovente to the right near the foremost clump of rocks.

C troop after 'Cobault' (left) was brewed by the Tiger.

WillB’s troop had a bit of rough time of it as the scenario had them bunched together and needing to crossing the bridge.  After the usual fits and starts and stops of WaT, the Valentine was destroyed and my Tiger finally took out a Sherman (poor “Cobault”) but “Cyclops” proved to be the star crew as it took out the PaK 35 (squish!) and distracted the Tiger.  At one point, I had positioned the Tiger for a nice close flank shot on the Sherman but had not the dice (yet) to shoot.  But “Cyclops” was in a position that, if it got initiative first, to move behind the Cat. The Kitty did not get to go first and so lost sight of the Sherman.  It was not “Cyclops” in the rear but “Corvette” and its powerful 17lb which took out the German beast.  That left the crew of the Semovente to call it a day and depart thus giving the area to the Canadians. 

The low profile Semovente tank-destroyer hull down on the hill was a hard target to hit

"Cyclops" (lower left) on the move to deal with the PaK. The other Shermans offer support.

just after 'Cyclops' moved behind the German Kitty which was unable to respond effectively and would be shortly shot....

.... and destroyed by the 17lb.   Yes, I was still "unbuttoned" but WillB had way more hits than I had armor saves! The extra had got did not matter....

"What a Tanker!" is an easy, fun game.  OK, it can be frustrating at times:

Yes, that was one of my command rolls!! For WaT it means I can REALLY aim but little else.

but of what I read and have learnt of tank combat, it is not far off the mark if you add a bit of narrative into each turn of play.  Things happen, things get FUBAR'd, commands are misunderstood, etc, etc. all this in a span of actually only several minutes of combat.  It has scratched my WW2 need in any case.

No ordinary evening, WaT with The Wife!

So we were having a nice dinner when my wife says “I know I suggested we could play cards tonight but let’s play a wargame”

I sputtered, bits of food came out of the mouth, my jaw remained slack, my brain unable to compute. I just stared at her in numb confusion. 

“Yes, really” she merely confirmed.  “But something simple.  I don’t want to spend the entire night for you setting it up.”, she said with a grin.  

The rest of the meal, I was trying to think of simple rules, simple scenario, easy set up. After finally settling on the game and stating so, she says,”Perhaps What a Tanker?”  I had not even thought of THAT one!  Brilliant suggestion. I then had an inner voice debate on how the heck she came up with that.  I thought she never listened to me as I rambled on……

Dishes cleared, I put down my ashen snow mat and a couple of terrain pieces on the table.  “Dictatorial Fascist German or Dictatorial Communist Russian?”, I ask her.  So I brought out a nice Pzkw III for her, and a rather poorer T-26 for myself.  

To compensate for her confusion about which dice are for which action, her dice rolling was very good as each turn’s rolls usually had a good combination including the always useful ‘6’ Wild.   While a bit frustrated with the jargon (“Two d six? You just said I need a seven!”)  she began to be more tactically aggressive. “Yes, I want to shoot you from the flank.  Better yes?” she would state.  “But if you do not roll high enough to reach that position, you will need to turn your Wild to a Move dice thereby not able to change it into a Reload for another shot at me”, I dutifully explain. “I will do it anyway”, she firmly confirms as she then rolls 11 on the dice gaining the position easily; fires her two shots into my side causing my Command Dice to run out and thus my crew legs it, abandoning the shot ridden Russian hunk of junk.  

Earlier in the contest, my poor T-26 had a nice flank shot but....couldn't roll enough for it.  The Wife had no problems with the dice or Command.   

Petr and Vasili go hunting...

Petr: I am wolf!

Vasili: I am cold.

Petr: Cold hard hunter?

Vasili: Neyt. Frozen.

Petr: Too frozen to take out the Fascists. We have these molotovs for them!

Vasili: Rather use to light a fire.

A long period of silence fell between them as the noise of a lone German tank became louder.

Petr: And not be a brave comrade of the Motherland?

Vasili just grunted “Time to die” as he arose from the snow and ran toward the tank.

Petr mumbled: “Bugger”

Inside the tank, they were also cold.  Cold with fear.  The wind blowing snow, so blinding, had finally gone… but so had everything else; the others of his platoon, the infantry, the sky and all a grey bleer.   The commander was still hammering on the radio and yelling into the mike: “This is Reimer! Eins, Zwei, Zwei!  But no use; static only.  He hammered his fist on the useless radio for the final time.  “OK, Hans, turn aroun….Scheis! Russki!

The game of ‘What a Tanker’  using two Russian infantry with “Molotov Cocktails”  an incendiary weapon vs. a German PzIII.  With a couple of modifications, I am using anti-tank infantry much like one would play a tank in this game. 

Tank: The commander’s yell halted them all, the tank did not move.

Vasili: Ran quickly despite the snow to a position where he could take careful aim on the tank.

Petr: Did not move but perhaps just imaged his heroic actions (rolling 5 of 6 command ‘Shoot’ Dice but of course he could do little with those)

Tank: Better composed now, the driver quickly reversed the tank but the commander nor gunner could seem to acquire the Russian.

Vasili: was now chasing the tank to get into range.

Petr: Finally could see (acquire) the retreating tank through the swirling snow and covered the space between his foxhole very quickly (now having rolled 4 ‘Move’ dice!)

Tank: The crew now completely composed, rolling a perfect 1,2,2,3,4,5.  The tank backed up further, acquired Petr (needing the extra ‘acquire’ [2] Dice to do so as Petr is a small infantry target), aimed the main gun, fired, and reloaded successfully.  The shot, however, missed Petr. The hull machine gun could not fire.

Vasili: Not having the distance to throw his incendiary, moved to the side hoping the tank would lose sight of him.

Petr: Moving nearer the tank, he lit the wick and threw.  The ball of fire struck the armour but did little else.  He reached into the deep pockets of his great for another bottle (‘Reload Dice’) and as he looked up, he did not have the time to light the wick (no ‘Aim’) and his last words may have been “Bugger” 

Tank:  The crew did not have a shot at the Russian but the one ‘move’ did the trick and the Russian fell under the tracks.

Vasili: Now ran up to the tank and threw his first Molotov and was already getting his second when the explosion warmed his face. The second one also hit.

Tank:  The tank was on fire having lost 2/3rds of their “composure” (4 of the 6 command dice temporary lost)  but the driver managed to pivot in place to face the Russian.

Vasili: Not want to just stand in front of the tank and suffer Petr’s fate, could only follow the turning tank to keep to its side.

Tank:  Panic set in and it would do little.

Vasili: Lit the last bottle, threw it, and then ran.  The bottle fell short in the snow. But he had survived.  Yet so did the Germans.