Crusades, Daemons and a Stug

 Over the last week, one thing arrived in the mail and I picked up a few things at my FLGS (Dragon's Den Games in Saskatoon!) 

Last week, I picked up the 40K Crusade: Armageddon book. I've had a hankering to play 40K again, and I do prefer playing campaigns - or at least games with some sort of narrative - so I thought I'd try out the latest Crusade Campaign book from Games Workshop. 

I'd gone to the store not entirely sure which one I'd pick up, as there have been two released so far this year - Nachmund Gauntlet and Armageddon. I didn't really look into either before I went to the store, which, in retrospect, probably wasn't the best plan... but here we are. 

I was a little familiar with Armageddon. I mean, the tales of the wars on Armageddon have been part of the narrative of 40K for decades. I mean, it was the skirmish game Shadow War: Armageddon, that seriously got me collecting and painting 40K miniatures again - and even then, Armageddon had been in the narrative a long time. 

I ended up picking up the Armageddon book because it was the only one of the two they had in stock (though they did still have the Tyrannic War and Pariah Nexus books, I passed on those, largely because I'd had it in my head I was going there for Nachmund Gauntlet or Armageddon... and the Tyrannic War and Pariah Nexus were not Nachmund Gauntlet or Armageddon... so...) 

(again, this is where checking things out to see what was available and maybe reading some of the articles on the Warhammer Community website to see what those different campaigns are all about might have been prudent... but here we are).

So the BIG THING going on at Armageddon these days is massive rift gates opening up and daemons spilling onto the planet from the warp.... and a full-scale invastion by the World Eaters (worshipers of Khorne, the blood god)... 

Ultimately EVERYONE shows up for these things (or there are ways you can work whatever force you have into the narrative and play. Space Wolves are actually mentioned to have a significant presence on Armageddon... Emperor's Children...? Not so much... but hey they could just show up to sow discord and confusion and take a few shots at both the Imperial forces AND the World Eaters! 

It's kind of fun, there are scenarios where there are wandering unbound generic daemons wandering around the battlefield! 

Which reminded me of the Chaos Daemons Combat Patrol... I'd been thinking of picking it up last year - to add to the Blades of Khorne forces (because, it's just such a ridiculous good deal...) AND I'd been thinking it might be fun to try out Combat Patrol - smaller skirmishy version of 40K with set army lists (similar to Spearhead for Age of Sigmar) but, of all the 40K forces I have stuff for, I could not fill out a single Combat Patrol!? I'd need to buy at least two units to fill out a combat patrol... for the Daemons, those two units would cost $125 CAD... the whole damed combat patrol is only $200... and contains stuff currently worth $325 - if it was all bought separately... 

Anyway, Armageddon got me thinking about that again... but when I went to check the Warhammer website, it had been removed!! the manager at the local Warhammer Store said they did have one or two in stock, but they were to be removed from the shelves soon and ultimately sent back (but that might not be for a while) checking around, I found a lot of the online stores I've bought stuff from were sold out of them... and then I happened to be in the Dragon's Den for Free RPG Day  and noticed they had one in stock... I didn't buy it right then and there... I thought about it over the weekend and went back Monday and picked it up... and the Wrath & Glory - Threat Assessment: Heretics and Daemons book, which I'd also seen they had in stock! 

And when I got home from the Dragon's Den I saw a package had arrived for me containing the Stug... which I'd ordered over a month ago and almost entirely FORGOTTEN that I'd even ordered!? 

So now I'm trying to finish up priming and prepping all those Drukhari and Corsairs... so I can put them into temporary storage so I can assemble and paint all these DAEMONS!! Largely because I know that they will be SUPER FAST to paint and it's nice having stuff DONE! 

(also, the quarter is almost done and the numbers are looking really low! Ha!) 

(this HAS... TEMPORARILY... put me back in the red - having purchased MORE than I've painted so far this year...!?) 

Bolt Action - Streets of Stalingrad!

 Orion had a free afternoon, so I set up a quick scenario in the Streets of Stalingrad (or, really, it could be any ruined city on the eastern front... Orion pointed out it would work well for the siege of Budapest when she gets enough of her Hungarians done!) 

That matt is newer, but those that have been following some time will recognize these ruins from many a battle from.. Stalingrad to post apocalypse to Frostrgrave. 

I provided both forces and, because we were using a smaller matt, built them around 500 points. 

The Germans, which Orion took, included:

Platoon Commander (Regular) + 2 men + 2x SMG + pistol = 57

First Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 9 men with LMG and SMG = 119 points

Second Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 9 men with LMG and SMG = 119 points

Third Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 9 men with LMG and SMG = 119 points

Medic (Regular) = 23 points

Sniper Team (Regular) = 52 points

Total = 489 points

The Soviets, which I played, included:

Platoon Commander (Regular) + 2 men = 50

First (Heavy) Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 7 men with 2x LMG and SMG = 114 points

Second (Heavy) Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 7 men with 2x LMG and SMG = 114 points

Third (Light) Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 8 men with LMG and SMG = 109 points

Fourth (Light) Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 8 men with LMG and SMG = 109 points

Total = 496 points

The basic scenario was that the area had been vacated by both sides during a particularly heavy bombardment and when the dust settled, both sides tasked a platoon with reestablishing control of the area. 

We used Battle Scenario rules: Seek and Destroy victory conditions, Meeting Engagement deployment type, and Long Edges deployment zones.... except we used the short edges and played across the length of the matt... but that's because the matt is HALF the size of a regular battlefield (and playing with forces half the size of a regular force) and so the distance across was essentially the same... 

Soviet forces infiltrating into the area on the first turn.. 

Teh Germans cautiously enter the mission area. 

the two sides spot each other. 

A German sniper team takes a shot at an approaching Soviet patrol and is pinned by the return fire. 

Soviets approaching in the distance

German and Soviet squads start exchanging fire as they encounter each other moving amongst the rubble. 

Advancing Soviets encounter a German squad that's fortified itself in a ruined building and begin exchanging fire

So... I needed fives to hit... 

More Soviets spot Germans across the way and begin exchanging fire with them as well. 

A general firefight ensues, mostly between squads hunkered down in the cover of the brick and concrete rubble. 

Germans attempt to maneuver closer. 

A German squad is caught in the open and... not entirely wiped out due to continued terrible dice rolls! 

Soviets taking casualties from accurate German fire. 

Germans maneuvering again. 

So the Soviets that had caught the German squad in the open, got to go first in the next round and desperately wanted to light them up before they got to cover - or assaulted their position. As they had pin markers they had to make an order test... 

FUBAR... 

...and so they ran! 

Right past the Platoon commander!?

Luckily the Platoon commander and assistants took up their positions and fired on the Germans in the open! 

Another Soviet squad moved out into the open to get a line of fire on them and light them up. 

Another Soviet squad taking serious casualties. So many that they needed to make a moral test... and failed and fled the field of battle! 

Platoon Commander continues to pour fire on the Germans in the street who'd become pinned down at this point. Flanking fire from the squad that had panicked and fled the building but rallied and returned on the pinned units flank. 

Soviet squad that had been shooting on the Germans in the street ran for the cover the wiped out platoon had been in.

The German platoon command team tried to assault the Soviet infantry squad!? The Germans did manage to take out two of the defending Soviets... but were themselves wiped out!? 

Positions at the end of the game. 

 The game ended at the end of the sixth turn. I was ahead by a victory point but not enough to win. Really could have gone either way if we'd played another turn...  

I also had a hat! 

Good fun. Fairly quick game and I didn't COMPLETELY forget ALL of the rules... (even though we hadn't played for a month and a half, so... there's that!) 

I never did finish the battle report from the last game.. and.. honestly... I'm not sure I'm going to get to it at this point!? I do plan to finish up the last three Warhammer Quest game reports (They're mostly done!) 

Not sure if we're going to get in too many more games until July... Hopefully Orion will have enough of her Hungarians done that we can play with those! 

STUG!!!

In early May, while working on those Fallschirmjägers, I got to thinking about what else I'd like to have as options for the force and I thought a Stug might be fun and I happened to find a good deal on one with reasonable shipping... and I ordered it... 

and it wasn't until TODAY, when it arrived, that I remembered THEY NEED TO BE FIELDED IN PLATOONS (of at least TWO!?)

DOH!!

Ah well... I'm probably not going to get to it for a bit... I guess I'll worry about it then. 

I know... I COULD use just about any German AFV (including a kubelwagon with a machine-gun!?) I'm not fond of not-so-historical mixed platoons. I know, scratch forces of whatever's available happen... but I feel like that should be the exception, rather than the norm... 

I haven't been doing much in the way of hobby stuff... I've been a little overwhelmed by stuff. I have spent a little time working on organizing the hobby area. Hopefully I'll get back to cranking stuff out at some point! 

WW2 Fallchirmjäger

 I've been working on Fallshirmjäger over the last week... I'm not entirely sure why...? It's a force I've had for a while... but haven't really painted many of them!? Mostly because I got stuck on how to paint them!? Early blitzkrieg or Operation Sealion - with Luftwaffe blue uniforms and plain green jumpsuits? Tan uniforms with camo jumpsuits for Operation Mercury or North Africa/Sicily/Italy!? Or feldgrau uniforms with camo jumpsuits for later war in Northern Europe... 

I've since decided to paint them for use in the Mediterranean. I even ordered ANOTHER squad for them in tropical uniforms!? 

Nineteen newly painted minis! 

Adding them to what I have painted, so far, I have a small force of 738 points... It could look like:

Fallshirmjäger Rifle Platoon 

Fallshirmjäger Platoon Command (Veteran) +2 men, +1 SMG, +1 assault rifle, + Stubborn = 78 pts

Fallshirmjäger Medic (Veteran) + Stubborn = 31 points

Fallshirmjäger Light Mortar Team (Veteran) + Stubborn = 40 pts

Fallshirmjäger Forward Observation Team (Veteran) +2 men, +SMG, + Stubborn = 125

Fallshirmjäger Squad (Veteran) +5 men, +3x SMG, +1x LMG = 167 pts

Fallshirmjäger Squad (Veteran) +1x SMG, +1x LMG = 89 pts

Fallshirmjäger Weapons Platoon

Fallshirmjäger Weapons Platoon Command (Veteran) +2 men, +2 SMG, +1 assault rifle + Stubborn = 82 pts

Fallshirmjäger Medium Mortar Team (Veteran)  + Stubborn = 60 pts 

Fallshirmjäger Medium Machine-Gun Team(Veteran)  + Stubborn = 66 pts

Enough for a small game! I could give anti-tank grenades to the two Fallshirmjäger Squads for another 30 points...? 

All the minis I have - painted and still-to-be-painted... 

When these are all painted, I'll have:

Fallshirmjäger Rifle Platoon 

Fallshirmjäger Platoon Command (Veteran) +2 men, +1 SMG, +1 assault rifle, + Stubborn = 78 pts

Fallshirmjäger Medic (Veteran) + Stubborn = 31 points

Fallshirmjäger Light Mortar Team (Veteran) + Stubborn = 40 pts

Fallshirmjäger Forward Observation Team (Veteran) +2 men, +SMG, + Stubborn = 125

Fallshirmjäger Squad (Veteran) +5 men, +2x SMG, +2x LMG = 178 pts

Fallshirmjäger Squad (Veteran) +5 men, +2x SMG, +2x LMG = 178 pts

Fallshirmjäger Squad (Veteran) +5 men, +2x SMG, +2x LMG = 178 pts

Fallshirmpionier Platoon  

Fallshirmpionier Platoon Command (Veteran) +1 man, +1 SMG, +1 assault rifle, + Stubborn = 64 pts

Fallshirmpionier Squad (Veteran) +2 men, +1x SMG, +1x LMG = 124 pts

Fallshirmpionier Squad (Veteran) +2 men, +1x SMG  = 109 pts

Fallshirmjäger Weapons Platoon

Fallshirmjäger Weapons Platoon Command (Veteran) +2 men, +2 SMG, +1 assault rifle + Stubborn = 82 pts

Fallshirmjäger Medium Mortar Team (Veteran) +SMG, +LMG + Stubborn = 60 pts 

Fallshirmjäger Medium Machine-Gun Team(Veteran)  + Stubborn = 66 pts

Total: 1314 points!? 

Yikes! I haven't even added AT grenades to any of the squads!? 

(I also have a few things en route, which will add another 235 points! Panzerschrek Team, Sniper Team, and two more pioneers with a Flame-thrower!) 

STILL TO GET?

Looking at the points for the stuff above... I don't really NEED ANYTHING at this point... but I would LIKE a few other things?!

Some riflemen to swap out a few of the assault rifles for earlier war options... or maybe just some troops with submachine-guns? And... maybe a few more of the FG-43 Assault rifles for Later War options! 

A proper command team for the Pioneers, and a few more pioneers. 

A COMPANY command team?

Also a command team for an artillery platoon and a LG40 75mm Recoilless gun and/or a sPzB-41 anti-tank gun...

Maybe some Stugs or other assault guns...? 

But considering I already HAVE over 1500 points... and the majority of them aren't even painted... I think these are all a long way off... 

Will I continue to paint Fallshirmjäger in the coming weeks...? I don't know. Maybe? There is a part of me that wants to power through and get them ALL done, now that I have some momentum... but also, I have cleared off all the Fallshirmjägers I had on the workbench and there are Gebirgsjäger still on the workbench... so... 

Also, I'd kind of like to get back to finishing up desert tanks... or the few 1940 French things I've picked up... or...? So many other things!? 

STILL MOAR STUFF!?

Over the last few weeks I have acquired... a few more things... despite really wanting to AVOID acquiring MOAR STUFF!?

It started with piggy-backing on a few orders Orion was placing to build up an army of Hungarians! That stuff is already painted! 

Then, two weekends ago, I pedaled out to the Warhammer Store to pick up this month's Free Miniature of the Month - a Death Korps of Kreig Engineer miniature... since I do actually HAVE a few... (though I've yet to FINISH painting ANY of them!?).

That same week I ended up placing a few of my own orders... 

The MAIN reason was, again, to pick up a few game mats for different environments. Because they're made in the USA, I was concerned that Canadian retailers that stock them might be raising their prices on them considerably in the not-too-distant future (because of the constant threats of a trade war and reciprocal tarrifs being announced) and wanted to just pick up two more before that happened... and... partly to get free shipping from the two places I ended up ordering from... and because both of the places had considerably discounted Bolt Action miniatures... I picked up a few other things along with them... 

The first to arrive was.... another order from 401 Games... 

Included in this order was Bolt Action: Armies of Germany 3E, French Army Weapons Teams and Casualties, Fallschirmjager Squad (Tropical Uniform), Gebirgsjäger Squad, US Marine Corps War Dog Teams, and a F.A.T. Mats 6'x4' Grassy Plains game mat (for some battles on the steppes of Russia!)! 

Next was an order from Kingdom of Titans... 

F.A.T. MATS 60"x44" Alpine game mat (for... REASONS!?), a second Chi-Ha Japanese tank, and an Afrika Korps Pak 36 light anti-tank gun and crew!  

Oh, and I got some Bersaglieri Forward Observers... from.. elsewhere... 

Okay... SERIOUSLY... I'm DONE NOW... well, for now... maybe... 

I'm definitely done with the Mats... There are a few things that I could get to finish off a few of the smaller WW2 forces... and there are a few things I'd LIKE to get for some of the others... once I've finished what I have! 

The Plan of Action to get all this (and the other WW2 stuff I have!) done is:

1. Chi-Ha Japanese tank
2. US Marine Corps War Dog Teams
3. French Army Weapons Teams and Casualties
4. Sd.Kfz 222 Armoured Car
5. Italian M14/41 Tank
6. Italian M14/41 Tank
7. Bersagieri Forward Observers
8. Panzer III
9. Panzer III
10. Panzer III
11. Matilda II
12. Matilda II
13. Matilda II
14. Matilda II
15. Cruiser MkI (A9)
16. Cruiser MkI (A9)
17. Cruiser MkI (A9)
18. Cruiser MkI (A9)
19. Cruiser MkI (A9)
20. Italian Colonial Troops 
21. British 8th Army 6-pdr Anti-tank Gun and crew
22. German Afrika Korps LeFH 18 10.5cm medium howitzer and crew
23. Italian Bersaglieri Breda 2cm AA gun and crew
24. Afrika Korps Pak 36 light anti-tank gun
25. Fallschirmjäger Squad (Tropical Uniform)
26. Fallschirmjäger Squad
27. Fallschirmjäger Squad
28. Fallschirmjäger Squad
29. Fallschirmjäger Command Squad
30. Fallschirmjäger assorted extras
31. Gebirgsjäger Squad
32. Panther
33. Panther
34. Panzer IV
35. Panzer IV
36. (assorted Heer Infantry) 
37. (assorted British Commandoes) 
38. S.A.S. Jeep
39. S.A.S. Jeep
40. S.A.S. Jeep
41. LRDG Truck
42. LRDG Truck

I THINK that's all the unpainted stuff I have for WW2 forces...?

 If I did ONE of these a week, it would take me to the end of the year!? Luckily at the moment, I seem to be working a bit quicker than that... 

I'm not 100% sure about the order of things... I put the French and Japanese and USMC stuff at the top, because ALL of those things are otherwise DONE, so it would be nice to knock those out and keep those forces DONE! 

After that I tried to keep focused on finishing up stuff for the North African campaign... Though the exact order of all the things for North Africa might switch around a bit... 

Our games will probably shift as Orion gets her Hungarians done, but I have NOTHING I need to paint for that as ALL of my Soviet Horde is complete and I have no interest in buying anything else for them!!

Of course there will be other things I'll be painting - There are SO MANY things I could paint up for the new Fantasy campaign we've started... and probably will... So they'll be snuck into the Queue, as required... but I'm going to try and stick to using things I already have painted, for the most part, so as not to get overwhelmed by it all and start to lose focus and interest when it becomes more burden than fun!!

I may even sneak a few 40K or AoS items into the queue from time to time, just to keep my toes into that... Most likely Eldar/Harlequins or Emperor's Children... but possibly some zombies or Skeletons for the Soulblight Gravelords...? 

The packaging for those two orders were fascinating... Both had a free shipping threshold. For 401 games in Toronto it was $165CAD. For Kingdom of Titans it was $199CAD

401 Games send the shipment in the GIGANTIC box! it was about 4'x1'x1'!? 

and it was just FULL of packing material!? 

kind of had to dig to find things and briefly wondered if they're remembered to put any of the order in the box!? 

Like, SO MUCH packing material!? 

I did, eventually find all the things... but in comparison to the size of the box, the order seemed rather diminutive!? The other long, skinny cardboard box within the cardboard box was the Game Mat I ordered from them all rolled up... 

Kingdom of Titans, by comparison, sent the order in a box less than a quarter of the size! barely larger than the tank box in length and width... 

And they were apparently totally okay with bending the rolled up mat to shove it into the box... 

To be clear, I am not COMPLAINING about either method. Both got my stuff to me lightning quick and without much trouble... Would totally order stuff from either in the future... 401 Games has a LOT of Bolt Action stuff and sells it for considerably less than what it would cost to order direct from Warlord Games!! 

WW2 German Spotter... for a Sniper Team

 Yeah, it's a post for ONE PAINTED MINIATURE... Wasn't sure when I was going to fit him into another post and worried I might forget.. 

I painted up this ONE kneeling German I had from Black Tree Design to go join a kneeling sniper I have, that's also from Black Tree Design, as his "spotter".

Kneeling German from Black Tree Design

...and here he is with the sniper. 

That's it... Sniper Team complete now. 

I do have more Germans - many from Black Tree Design - on the workbench - both Heer and SS. But there is a LOT of stuff on the workbench... like, and OVERWHELMING amount of stuff on the workbench... It might be time for a HARD-REBOOT-CLEAR-OFF! 

Maybe I should take before and after pics?

WW2 - German Panzer I

 I finished the first of the tanks I have for the Afrika Korps this week.. 

Pz.Kpfw. I.

I've probably had this model for a decade. Originally I'd started painting it grey for use in France, 1940... but as the focus seems to be the desert at the moment, I figured I'd add it to the Afrika Korps collection... and if ever I get to playing games in 1940 France... I'll just buy another one... or three... 

I'm not super happy with the numbers and might redo them... or maybe just paint over them and not bother... 

Other German vehicles are on the workbench. I have a late Panzer IV (that I've likewise had for many years) that I'm trying to finish up and the Sdkfz 222 Armoured Car that I picked up last month and the first of the Panzer III that arrived last week (which I'm not feeling like I SHOULD have assembled them all at the same time in a production line...). 

I also have the last two Italian tanks on the workbench that I'm trying to get together and paint up... they're a bit more fiddley... 

Plus a bunch of re-basing/touching up/finishing off projects thanks to having taken stock of the Soviets yesterday... 

Panzers Arrive!

I went on a bit of a spree a few weeks back, ordering stuff from a few different places. The three Italeri Panzer IIIs I ordered arrived today...

Panzer III from Italeri

The plan was to use them for North Africa, but it would be for the latter part of the North African campaign as these can be built as the Ausf. J/L/M/N variants - which weren't available until later in 1942...? 

While I'm doing pretty okay with the foot figures this year - 179 acquired (purchased on traded for) versus 194 painted - I am getting a bit behind on the vehicles... When all the stuff I've ordered arrives, I'll have purchased 19(!) tanks, and I have thus far only painted 7! 

As tempted as I am to crack these open and get to work, I should probably finish up the Italian tanks!