StuG IIIG

One of the most produced AFVs in Germany, the Sturmgeschütz assault gun was based on the Panzer III chassis.  After many improvements and upgunning the model G sports a long 75mm capable of taking on Soviet tanks such as the T34 and a personal favorite of mine.

(click on the pix to enlarge)

Another fine model from Warlord is this German Army AFV and assault gun: the Sturmgeschutz III aufklarung G aka the StuG IIIG. 

I love the simplicity of assembly and not too many teeny, tiny, little fricken pieces! 

I decided to leave out the side skirts to see more of the model. IMHO this is really a well designed assault gun and makes a fine infantry support weapon. 

After numerous steps of dry brushing, coloring, weathering and dipping, she's ready for the final step of matte varnishing with Testor's Dull Kote. 

Less is more and she's battle ready.

Achtung! Bereit für die Action und Kampf!!

Coming up soon: The units are coming together for an eminent confrontation using Bolt Action rules amongst 'The Streets of Stalingrad'.

Mini Tanks Part 1: The Simple and Reliable SU-76M

The SU-76M was a ubiquitous AFV that was an all around, all purpose gun for the Soviets. From self propelled artillery to tank hunting, she was able to do it all. It's always been a favorite of mine because of its simplicity in her design and I have collected this vehicle in numerous scales. Technically, it's not a tank but an Assault Gun but being built on the T70 chassis it at least fits that size category.

According to Wikipedia: 

"Crews loved this vehicle for its simplicity, reliability, and ease of use. However, the steering was also sometimes regarded as cumbersome, leading crews to also refer to the vehicle as suka ("bitch") or Suchka ("little bitch")." 

(click on the pix to enlarge)

The resin and metal castings of this model are of superior quality.
The crew is fully detailed and can be modeled inside or outside of their vehicle.
There's barely any flash on these models. Truly worth it!

Again, the quality is evident in how the parts fit
together perfectly with no time wasted on prep
(as in sanding or carving to make the pieces fit together). 

Aside from the fine detail of this model's exterior,
the same quality is extended in the fighting compartment.
There's even ammo shells molded on the insides. 

Prep consisted of washing the assembled model in water and dish washing liquid.
After drying she's mounted on nails and is ready for primer and color. 
In between these steps I usually dry brush with a Sand color before weathering.

Here she is with a StuG IIIG (also from Warlord) 
without side skirts that I'll feature in a post all her own.
After weathering and another go at dry brushing with highlights,
I applied Army Painter's Quickshade Strong Tone by brush rather than dipping.
I let it cure per directions then hit it Testor's Dull Kote and voila!

Here's the finished product ready for gaming.
I tested her out using a good combination of firepower:
my Suchka partnered with a T34/76
(this is a nice model from P.M.D. and available from Battlemart).

Here's Suchka in action trying to get a bead on a hidden SdKfz 251 HT.
Stay tuned for the next post as she and her sister (T34/76)
will be pitted against a StuGIIIG (shown above) and an SdKfz 251/10 HT. 

Going a-Viking! Part 2

Upcoming battle royal and rumble that Mikey and I were getting ready for at OwlCon 2014 held in Rice University, in Houston. That meant getting new units painted to supplement my existing Huscarls as well as getting Mikey's long ship out of mothballs, painted and weathered to transport his Vikings. While mine were at the final stages of completion he was frantically doing the same. Gotta love them shield transfers...

(click on the pix to enlarge)

More detail on the just finished units of Warriors from Black Tree Design.

My Huscarls from Wargames Factory on review and deciding which ones to make the team and get to travel. Archers on the ship stay home this time around since I'm not using missile troops.

Practice session at Mikey's where we combined our terrain on his Hexon.

A close up shot of my two scratch built hovels and attached wood shed. Wooden barrels and various trade goods from both our collections.

Mikey's Warband.

Mikey's Warband going out for a test drive.

Scratch built haystack in the background with Rune Stones from Fenris Games in the foreground to add some Viking flavor.

Mikey's round huts.

Some jockeying for position on both our parts in this practice game.

I painted Mikey's Long Ship from Old Glory.

Some weathering.

Both of our warbands with their Long Ships ready for transport to OwlCon.

Onto Rice University for OwlCon!

My Warband heading down the river for the brawl.

Mikey's Long Ship has grounded with his troops ready to disembark.

My Berserkers charging across the meadow against Welsh bowmen.

My Warriors charging a Welsh warrior unit across the street by the hedgerow.

My Huscarls springing into action and eventually eliminating the Norman Cavalry unit.

In conclusion, out of 6 Warbands, I hacked and slashed my way to a bloody second place! I lost to a Welsh unit. Mikey's unit was the third unit taken out by a combination of Welsh bow fire and Norman cavalry charges. Better luck next time, Mikey!!

Going a-Viking again! Part 1

A few months back I was getting ready to attend OwlCon 2014 at Rice University here in Houston. One of the battles I was looking forward to participate in was Saga. It promised to be a real brawl and dust up with a potential of multiple chieftains hacking and slashing away at each other.

So it was time to dust off (literally) my long ship and Vikings (Wargames Factory plastics). It turned out to be a meeting engagement of 6 chieftains with their accompanying warbands. I look at my boys and noticed that I was still lacking in the 'warriors' (i.e. non-huscarl / armored units) and 'berserker' categories.

(click on the pix to enlarge)

"A-Viking we will go..."

Hmmm, if memory serves, I have some unpainted Vikings from Black Tree Design stashed away somewhere...

Turns out that my list needed 2 units of 8 Warriors each and 1 unit of 4 Berserkers. I looked in my unpainted minis box and Voila!

I mounted them on pennies and used my slurry mix (also used in my Incursion 3d board project for creating pre-cast concrete walls) for basing. 

After the prerequisite black primer, I dry-brushed with a sand color by Anita's Craft Paint, a cost effective (read cheap) paint from Hobby Lobby. 

Apply watered downed base color.

Dip into some Army Painter Quickshade Strong Tone.

Apply dry shield transfers from Little Big Man Studios.

Spray with Testors Dull Kote.
Front row: Beserkers
Back Row: 2 units of 8 Warriors each

My Warriors in a shield wall

The full contingent: Bjorn tobe Wilde, the axe and spear wielding Viking Cheiftain with his bodyguard of 4 Berserkers,
6 units of 4 Huscarls each from Wargames Factory plastics (of which only 3 will be selected for this upcoming fight) and
2 units of Warriors (in the long ship)

Next up: the battle royal or in this case, the brawl!

The Battle of Kantpronownski, A Bolt Action Meeting Engagement

This a Batrep of the 2nd game we played of Bolt Action. We found it satisfying, easy and fun. It also helps when you play on a great table (assorted terrain, river and roads on Hexon tile system by Kallistra  https://www.kallistra.co.uk/) by my buddy and opponent, Mikey. Thanks for hosting!

Yours truly, supplied the minis (Black Tree Design) and vehicles (HT was acquired from a buddy - manufacturer unknown, so sorry and BMWs from Battle Honors in 25mm) except for all the farm animals but were painted by me.

Photos were both by Mikey and myself. I was actually using my iPhone to check the LOS from the POV of our minis. Worked great and from there I got inspired and decided to use them here on this blog post and batrep. 

(click on the pix to enlarge)

Before the opposing elements arrived at this little Polish village of Kantpronownski, a recon platoon of motorcycle troopen with a command HT drove by and seeing nothing threatening reported back to battalion that all's clear.

Alas, the peace and quiet of this sleepy, little village will soon be disrupted by two converging and unsuspecting forward elements of Soviets and Germans at its CROSSROADS.

Unit dispositions
Off camera on the left: Soviet 1st Squad and HQ

Opening moves: The HT races ahead through the village arriving at
the crossroads only to find the Soviet 1st Squad across the street.

The German HQ rushes into a cottage to direct the battle from under cover.

Then the PzGrenadier 1st Squad with an LMG team wisely dismounts as the HT performs overwatch. The HT promptly opens up with its MG on the Soviets and a fire fight ensues.

The fire fight lasts for a couple of rounds with zero casualties on both sides! 

The Soviet HQ: a Lieutenant with 2 SMGs finally gets on the
 board, moves up and orders the Maxim to sight down the street for upcoming threats.

Maxim moves up to get a bead on the barely visible HT.

Visual LOS check from Maxim POV,
"Pavel Andreievich, I still can't see the HT! We need to move."

Maxim relocates for a better angle as their lieutenant on the right directs their fire.

Panning back the camera shows the Maxim's clear shot, which they take with satisfying results! 

Maxim scores a hit causing a fire but then fizzles out.

Soviet 1st Squad, tired of getting shot at by the HT is getting psyched up for an assault.

Meanwhile, on the German right flank, the Soviet 2nd Squad runs forward.

They rush into position to support the Maxim's suppressing fire and
1st Squad's upcoming assault on the HT.

"Urrah! Urrah!" 1st squad survives the potentially lethal crossing of
the street and immediately goes in for a successful kill. "Look, Ma, no Hans!" 

PzGrenadier 1st Squad and LMG team in position for an outflanking
maneuver as their beloved battle taxi burns.

Bird's eye view of the assault on the HT with the PzGrenadier 1st Squad ready for anything the Soviets might try. "Scheise! Where the hell is my 2nd Squad!!" curses the OberLeutnant.

"On the way, Herr Oberst!" as PzGrenadier 2nd Squad races to reinforce their weakening right flank.

PzGrenadier 2nd Squad takes up the slack heading towards the fence line as 1st Squad, in turn, assaults the victorious Reds thus avenging their dead HT.

Another bird's eye view of the aftermath of the PzGrenadier's elimination of the Soviet HT killers and 2nd Squad's displacement to the fence line.

"Hello! Here comes Ivan!" as PzGrenadier 2nd Squad commence firing on the advancing Soviets.

Soviet 2nd Squad survives another hail of bullets from the German's bad shooting and make it to the other side of the stone cottage. Inside the survivors of PzGrenadier 1st Squad were licking their wounds.

Unfortunately, the rest of the story unfolds with the lack of pictures..

The German HQ charges and kills the Maxim and earns an iron cross. The PzGrenadier 1st Squad survivors gets wiped out to a man in the stone cottage by the aggressive Soviet HQ. And finally the PzGrenadier 2nd Squad kills them in turn for a costly German victory.

Since this was our second game, the focus was on the mechanics to ensure that we got the basic rules right for a better flow of the game. Next we'll use the points system and special rules army rules specific to each nation.