Sprucing things up

In my efforts to make my models look as good as I can, I've been working on my Canadian armoured cars and Shermans to add both remaining markings and some weathering.

Only pics of the Humbers so far, but you'll see what's been done. The decision to use such a bright "clay" colour was mainly an artsy one - all the better to stand out and be more easily seen from the table. I used a combination of GW's Blackfire Earth textured paint with some Secret Weapon Miniatures wearthering powder on top.

(I'll get pics of the tanks up at a later date.)

I've also been gaming, quite a bit actually including my first Early War Flames of War tournament, a team event where I paired up with Wyn Robertson playing his French forces. We finished 5th out of 9 teams with two wins and a very close 1-2 loss, but considering it was crazy early war, I feel it was a fair result. Early War feels a rather unbalanced setting in this rules set where Soviet tank hordes rule supreme and more dice were thrown about than a game of Warhammer 40K. Not sure I'll be collecting an Early War force anytime soon.

I also hosted Wyn yesterday as he was visiting family in my area to give him a practice Mid War game before he jets off to Philadelphia (Or some such) for this year's Masters tournament. (He's a rather good player, you see.) We played 1485 points and he brought some sort of US Motorised infantry with large infantry platoons in 1/2-tracks supported by 3 Shermans and some 1/2-track mortars.
I put together a list from the latest updated British in Italy .pdf and made a Rifle company with 2 infantry platoons, 6pdr Portee (Mounted on flatbed trucks) AT guns, some 25pdr artillery, HMG and 3" mortar platoons and an armoured car/Universal Carrier Recce combo. I also had some Limited Hurricane air support.
The mission was No Retreat, one where we played long-ways on the table and I was the defender. It was a fun game and a frantic affair with almost all the action occuring on my right flank due to Wyn placing his objective super close to his own table half and far away from my own defensive objective.
Somehow I pulled a win off after Wyn had successive missed platoon morale checks seeing two platoons scarper in one turn and he conceding considering what remained would have swiftly been overwhelmed by my boys. A 4-3 win is nothing to sneeze at against an opponent of Wyn's class and caliber!

This is early game. I got 4 platoons on (One of which - 6pdr AT guns - was in ambush) and 4 off in reserve. My reserves didn't enter into the game until turn 3!!! And I had those damned 1/2tracks stuffed with MG's and all sorts of other nastiness rammed down my throat from turn one.

For those paying attention, my table has also been spruced up a little by the addition of new houses from 4Ground, road pieces by CGR painters and some trees! I have a couple more houses on the way and am currently hunting about for a decent looking river and bridge or two. 

Portees finally arrive on turn 3 and with succulent targets available open fire with 12 dice and..... bail one 1/2-track. *sigh*

Poor Bloody Infantry indeed! These poor sods suffered more .50 Cal and Machine Gun fire than any other platoon I've yet played or played against. Eventually after 3 or 4 turns of this beating they were down to 4 or 5 stands received an assault and scarpered, but I don't blame them. They at least did their job and held up the enemy almost single-handed long enough for reserves to come relieve them.

Believe it or not, this is not spilled ice cream nor yoghurt.

The British 8th Army wipes out the Yank invaders on the objective and pushes them back! In this picture, you'll see on the left three burning Sherman tanks, one of which was taken out by a flank shot by a Piat! My first ever kill by a Piat AT launcher! (I usually fail every firepower test with these.)

Game over man. My reserves are advancing up to add further weight to my retaliation.

Along with the above game, Densmol and I continue our fencing and I saw my 2nd only defeat to his hated Nazis for which I have declared retribution of the highest order in the very near future!

No gouging, no blows below the belt, no more drunken shirtless wargaming from here on in I think.....