Last week based up the recently purchased Afghan and Indian Army troops, as well as vehicles for the BoB campaign. Relying on input from a helpful war gamer, used Noch flowers and grasses, as well as Woodland Scenics turf and talus. The bases and magnetic base bottoms were from Litko. This is a real upgrade from my usual metal DBA/DBR bases with a mix of green and brown flock. Was it expensive? Yes. Worth it? Think so, especially since this will be a low unit density game.
The PKZ-2 tender vehicle in the previous post is one of the Matchbox Models of Yesteryear series. These can be purchased cheaply (if you’re patient) on E-Bay. Bought several for the Back of Beyond Campaign, one of which is shown below.
The problem is that the series is not in a consistent scale. There are a wide variety of vehicles, in a wide variety of scales. This page summarizes them by model number, name and scale. So what scale matches up best with 25/28mm figures? This page from The Miniatures Page really helped.
Once purchased and primed, I sprayed the vehicles a military green, and then just went crazy with brown and green dry brushing. Wood blocks and barrels purchased at Hobby Lobby and mounted on bases – pallets – are cargo used either in vehicles, or on the ground as part of a supply dump. Machine gun and cannons purchased from Pulp Figures (Bob Murch) mounted as required.
I plan to interject an element of Pulp into my upcoming Back of Beyond campaign. This will include not only Bob Murch’s Zeppelin Troops and Soliders of Fortune/Adventurers, but also special equipment.
My first infernal machine is a PKZ-2 helicopter tethered to a Matchbox truck. Built in late World War One and developed in Austria-Hungary, the PKZ-2 is considered the first helicopter. It reportedly flew 36 times, always tethered, but suffered from serious technical problems that precluded operational use. The observer stood in the cupola above the rotary blades.
What if some semi-crazed revanchist brought the prototype to Central Asia? If nothing more than PUB, it might also provide special observation capabilities to the owning unit(s).
Building this Roden kit was not fun. Lots of small bits. I always fool myself that this will be a smooth process with impressive results. More likely this is glue smeared fingers, increasingly vulgar language and a product requiring way too much time and effort to look passable. Here’s a review and photos of a PKZ-2 by someone who really knows what he’s doing.
With an increasing focus on Red Actions! this month, it made sense to try out Soviet Dawn. This is a solitaire game I picked up on EBay for a very reasonable price. Originally published by Victory Games, this version was included in GMT’s C3i magazine Issue No. 27.
Was able to play four (!) games this Saturday afternoon. The back story as to why I was able to/did this would bore even the most avid reader.
This is a nice card-driven solitaire game. Easy to set up, with simple rules and plenty of replay value. A good review of the game can be found over at Web Grognards.
Game play is a real juggling act, holding off Germans, Finns, White Russians, Poles and Western Allies while trying to build international political credibility. During the first game, I lost track of the Eastern Front, and allowed Moscow to be captured in just 12 turns (cards).
The next two games featured the blitzkrieg generated by the “Denikin Unstoppable? Objective Moscow!” card. This punisher allows the White Southern Army to advance towards Moscow until defeated. A couple of bad rolls, and you are out of business, especially if you allow the Czar to be rescued when the “Czar’s Fate Decided in Ekaterinburg!” card is played. This gives the Soviets a -1 DRM on all offensive roles. Not good!
The fourth time was the charm. I was able to shut down the Poles, Southern Whites and Finns, while getting some nice rolls on the Soviet Army Reorganization Table, and Political Level Track. Was I lucky?….Sure, but it was nice to beat a very enjoyable and accessible game system.
Game play time is about 20-30 minutes, so with the easy set up, a fun game can be played very quickly in a small space. I also liked the map. Here’s an indifferent IPhone photo.
Highly recommended!
Chance Cards were not used in my first play-thrus. I was not familiar enough with the game to come to grips with how to use these cards playing solo.
I’m too artistically incompetent to put together a deck, and I missed out on the opportunity to request a custom made deck from the game’s designer. So, I put together a numeric listing of each of the cards. The listing is divided into the 26 cards that are revealed right after being drawn, and the 26 cards that are held, and played when deemed appropriate.
For solo play, the cards immediately revealed are not an issue. However, cards drawn and held for later play are problematic. How to incorporate some uncertainity/randomness?
My inital plan is to use a random number application (one that a range of numbers can be set) to “pick” the cards.
Step 1) Generate 3 numbers for 3 cards.
Step 2) If numbers are 26 or less, cross index from list to card description contained in the rules.
Step 3) If numbers are 27 or higher, that side has a random draw at the beginning of a turn whenever it chooses. This random draw will be from the cards to be played when appropriate list. Again, use the app to make the draw.
While far from perfect, I’ll see if this solo fix “works”.
Following based on several play-throughs using Portuguese and Arab forces. No cavalry, just camelry. I set up each game to be a slugfest in order to maximize repetitions through the rules. I didn’t use concealment, and line-of-sight was not an issue. Here are a few observations…
1) Shot is ineffective: Best at short range, but can be charged after firing at short range, and have a low melee strength. Have to shoot and then fall back behind melee effective units in order to reload.
2) Crossbows are semi-effective: High to hit number, but at least do not have to spend an action to reload because they use archaic weapons. Again, a low melee number, so vulnerable if melee effective units can get in close.
3) Because of 1) and 2), when opposing Europeans, get into melee as soon as possible, hopefully with a +2 charge bonus.
4) Use your native auxiliaries in rough terrain: No negative effects for movement or combat. They are particularly effective at flank attacks on pursuing units.
5) The CRT (which I like) creates situations where units are “stuck” in melee: Disengaging risks pursuit,with pursuers able to use their charge bonus.
6) Camels are ineffective against anything but horse: They’re “exotic”, and have a significant DRM for that, which is added to a charge bonus. However, their melee against foot is a lowly “2”.
Here’s what happens when you don’t aggressively charge crossbows, and allow them to skirmish, supported by native troops that can hover in rough terrain. No Arab troops? That’s right, they’ve been wiped out, and a camel unit has to now hold the left flank.
I’ll keep working with different combinations of unit types over the next few weeks.
Had time to think about projects during yesterday’s 6 hour drive. Unlike Wavell, no drastic changes.
Irregular Wars will be ongoing. However, it will be moved off the Big(ger) Table, over to the small board I built years ago for DBA. I’ll continue to consult different sources in an attempt to construct a set of solo campaign rules.
Red Actions! will move to the Big(ger) (5×5) Table. I have to finish flocking bases and paint up some figures, but can start playing in a week or so, once I get familiar with the rules. As with IW, I’ll also work on campaign rules.
My board gaming focus will be Glory/War of Resistance. Tim and I will start sometime later this month or early in November.
Other than that, maybe a one-off on a boardgame or two once the weather gets bad, and outdoor time is limited.
Finally had the rules and charts for Red Actions! printed out at a local shop. Plan to start play by the middle of the month. I have Chinese, Soviets, British, Partisan and German contingents ready to go. Some bases still need work – seems to be a theme right now.
Here’s a unit capabilities chart I threw together to help organize the first games. The cards are just too pretty to cut out.
Back from three days cycling the OC&E trail.
Finished up another play-through of Irregular Wars. Finally consistently applying the rules. One of the toughest to remember (for me) is the charge bonus.
One result was the need to rebase my Portuguese foot. I bought these Grumpy’s figures some time ago anticipating playing a DBA variant for my campaign. With the change in rule sets, the basing had to be revised. In order have enough elements for the two base depth I think is visually appealing, several elements were reduced from a DBA four to three per base. Looks better.
Here’s a photo of my setup for the next iteration. Note I’m using very small dice to keep track of resolve levels. Also notice the (lack of) tactical imagination. Want to get to it, and get comfortable with the system.
I’ll flock the bases in the next couple of days. Likewise for the palm trees I just painted (They’re part of the pirate set discussed in a previous post).
I hope to resolve a couple of questions I have about rules design during this next game. If not, will post up to the designer.
Nice song by Elvis Costello. Wargaming theme…..Falklands.
Finished up my last complete ship and pinnace last night, as discussed earlier in my New/Old Project post. Here’s a couple of photographs of the fleet.
Indifferent photos, as usual. I just can’t work up the enthusiasm for precise, dynamic pictures. Working on it.
These should be a start for the East African project. No fleet actions, but they might make for some tactical fun, or at least Pretty Up The Battlefield. Not a bad thing at all.
Also finished up the two forts, and will finish the the palm trees also included in the boxed sets.