Clever Hans (Part 6 - SS Squad complete, more Winter scenery and Market Garden!?)

Here's the squad in an action scene next to the cabin that I also painted up this weekend. 

The last two troopers from my Winter SS squad were finished up this long weekend - the ammo carrier for my previously previewed LMG bloke and a cheeky crouching SMG trooper. Now they just need their Half-track painted up to cart them about the battlefield! Once again, I went with Oak Leaf camo that I think turned out okay on their uniforms and Pea Dot on their rolled up thingies strapped to their back. I really like Warlord metal minis, they've got some really good sculptors making lovely dynamic poses and full of character.

I swear these pics weren't out of focus when I reviewed them last night. O well. >_<

I've since started on my Heer Grenadiers squad and the platoon medic. Far less camo on these chaps, so they should paint up for more swiftly. Hope to have a post up on those later this week.

Next up is a small cabin by Charliefoxtrot Models. Cute little mdf kit that was exceedingly simple to build. I kept the paint scheme simple as well as the snow effects. I wish I could add Icicles (To all my Winter houses infact), but they'd not be very convenient for gaming purposes. 

Saturday saw myself and the good Densmol head over to the Ogres Den LGS in Orangevale for a Market Garden event organised by Travis Heitt. Not a tournament, but 5 or 6 tables all set up to represent the airdrop of Allied paras and the bridges that had to be held at all costs until the armoured units of the XXX Corps could reinforce their positions. Densmol and I teamed up as the German defenders on the Hells Highway table where we were to cause as much damage to the XXX Corps convoy and do our best to prevent them from moving off our end of the table and on to the first bridge. The game was exceedingly fun, though we both consistently rolled abysmal dice (14 Panzerfausts, a Pak40 and a Stug fired and missed or failed to damage) and failed to kill any of the British tanks on our table and the whole column just ran on through to the next table and the 1st bridge. 

Luckily our forces were able to withdraw once the situation got untenable and then move on as reinforcements on the next table. Not that they did much more there either! In the end, XXX Corps managed to hoss on through another two tables before they were stalled and finally started taking damage to their armour. A good day of gaming, regardless of how ineffectual Densmol and mine forces ended up being.

Our initial table. The British preliminary bombardments pinned all of our deployed units into complete uselessness. This allowed the Brit column to pretty much move up at full road speed and MG the crap out of everything with little to no ability to respond. Rubbish.

Two Pak40's, set up with great lines of sight down Hell's Highway. Shame only one was able to get a (missed) shot off all game before both were Machinegunned to death.

My StuG arrived from reserve, surely this tank hunting beast can pierce the flimsy side armour of those arrogant British!? Nope. Another miss.

British Recce Jeeps speed off the table to help the paras attacking the 1st bridge quickly followed by a Sherman. (In Sicily camo I think?) 

Fearing nothing that the German defenders were throwing at them, the Allied column presses on.

Game over man. Not a single casualty on the Brit side. A lot of dead and burning germans in return. 

The next table and we try to reinforce Craig's beleaguered Fallschirmjagers defending this bridge. Densmol did manage to brew up two jeeps, but my own forces were just a miserable as they were on the last table and only managed to gun down some of the Brit paras.  

British armour press on to try to reach the next bridge! (Which they did. :/)

Targets aplenty if only my StuG would come on from reserve. Which it wouldn't. After this 2nd game, we had to leave.

 Lastly, a kind gift arrived in the mail from a papanurgle forum mate in the UK to help fill out my daemons ranks so I can have enough ready to be able to play a game of Warhammer 40k with 8th Edition. Some 2000-and-something Pestigor beastmen that will be counts-as Plaguebearers and some beautiful 1st release Nurglings, enough to make 3 bases (Meaning I'll be able to plop down 6 total.). Some of my fav Nurgle models here - can't wait to get painting on these. (After, of course, I finish my Germans!)

This coming weekend will also see my good friend Stew (Check out his blog!) coming over for some Age of Sail action. Not sure what rules we'll be  playing, but be sure to see a little write-up on the game thereafter. 

BBB

Last night Densmol came over for Beer, BBQ and Bolt Action. (Hence the post title - clever eh? Okay, probably not)

We played a 1000 points game with my Soviets versus Densmol's Germans. The mission was an objective grab and hold affair from the main rule book called "Key Positions" and we rolled for 3 objectives total. In lieu of cheesing about the place and dropping them in convenient areas of the table, we decided to stick them in nice non-preferential spots on the centerline of the board and I added some fun crates, etc to give further credence as to why our commanders would have us grab them in the first place. Once turn 6 comes around (And a potential turn seven, dice roll dependent.), who ever holds more objectives uncontested wins.

Densmol's list was (to the best of my memory) as follows *All Regulars aside from Veteran SS*:

• 2nd Lt + 2 Adjutants
• 10x Heer inc Panzerfaust and LMG 
• 10x Heer inc Panzerfaust and LMG 
• 6x SS with Assault Rifles and 4 x Panzerfausts 
• Medium Mortar
• 251/1 D half track
• Tiger 1E (!!!)

I decided to use my list I had hoped to take to the tournament last month (But never did.) *All Regulars aside from Free Inexperienced infantry*:

• 1st Lt + Adjutant
• 10x Guards with LMG and Panzerfaust
• 10x Guards with LMG and Panzerfaust
• 7x Scouts with SMG's
• 8x Tank Riders with SMG's and LMG
• 12x Free Inexperienced with rifles and Molotovs
• Sniper Team
• Medium Mortar with Spotter
• Truck with MMG
• M3 Half Track with HMG
• M3 Stuart with 5 (!!!) MMG's

So his 7 order dice versus my 11. 

The game was lots of fun with some really cinematic events and a LOT of rules referencing due to us not playing for months. We also didn't declare what all the terrain elements were so buggered up there a bit too with some silly maneuvers that wouldn't have happened if "x, y or z" were the case. Regardless it was super fun, lots of dice were thrown and models removed due to outrageous casualties!

Hope you enjoy the write-up and half-arsed pictures! :)

Here's the table layout with the three objectives highlighted with exciting stars. Germans advanced from the north side, Soviets up from the Southern edge.

For reserves, Densmol held off his half-track with his Lt+pals and a Heer squad inside. I chose to have my Scout squad come in outflank on my right side (Not available until turn 3) and my Inexperienced Squad in the truck to shore up any gaps that might appear in my lines. The rest of our stuff came on from our respective table-edges on turn one.

My Stuart with Tank Riders aboard zipped up the left flank along with my half-track and it's bussed Guards Squad. My other Guards Squad headed on foot into the trees, using them as cover to head to either the center or right most objective depending on which looked safer. Supporting them to their right and also in the trees is my sniper team. Off to the bottom left corner of this pic, my Mortar team set up behind the rocky outcrops there whilst their dedicated spotter moved up alongside the woods to the right to offer more targeting opportunities.
Densmol rolled his fearsome Tiger to sit menacingly near the center of the board. supported in the center woods by a Heer squad. His SS moved down the road next to the hovel and his own Mortar team set up behind the orchard with a nice view down the road and beyond.

A better view of Densmol's advance near the hovel.

Guards Squad (Shamefully unpainted) and Sniper team advance through the trees with Mortar Spotter hugging the hedges. 

My Mortar set up safely behind the Rocks as the Stuart and halftrack make a beeline for the left most objective. That Tiger is looking hungry out near the center!

Guards Squad dashes from their transport to claim the objective then hear a giant boom as the Tiger sights on the poor half-track and turns it into scrap with it's 88 gun. First blood to the Bosch.

In a first for me in Bolt Action, my Mortar team spots the nasty SS Vets as they dart down the road and try to range in. I needed a 6 and expected nothing of it but rolled anyway. And rolled a 6! With the nasty Nazis bunched together all of them ended under the 2" blast template and after some very nice damage rolls there were no survivors. My finest Bolt Action moment to date!

Squads on both sides move through wooded areas to keep the precious cover. Densmol's own Mortar fails to range in on my left most Guards Squad holding that objective and he manages to bring on his half-track packed with his Lt and his second Heer squad. The Tiger takes out a couple members of the same Guards Squad, but they hold firm.

On the 3rd turn, my Scouts come in on the right flank and unload into the rear of of the halftrack pinning the occupants. Off-picture, the Sniper add's another pin. In revenge, the Tiger rolled up and unloaded with it's Machineguns slaying 3 of the Onesie-wearing Scouts.

Leaving my Lt+mate to hold the left Objective, I run the remainder of the Guards Squad toward the Central one. I also brought on from reserve up the road (Even tho the stupid arrow in the pic shows otherwise.) my truck containing the Inexperienced squad to bolster them. The Guards are mercilessly shot at by the German Heer along the edge of the woods, but somehow stick around regardless of casualties taken.

The Guards Squad in the woods keep on heading up and try to shoot the Tiger with their Panzerfaust!
And miss.... With the leftmost Guards own Panzerfaust wielder now dead there's very little I can do to the horrible Big Kat except try to ignore it.

Things got nasty here. I rolled a “FUBAR” (A natural double-sixes on an order test) trying to activate the Guards Squad not in the woods. Thankfully this lead them to run away back toward from the objective. Could have been worse, they could’ve opened fire on their own troops! On the flip-side, my Tank Riders hopped off the Stuart (Which first shot at the Heer with MG 25 dice and….. killed 2.) and charged the Heer at the woods edge - They were so thorough, the hated Krauts didn’t even have an opportunity to fight back and were slain to a man! The Inexperienced squad moved to hold the Center objective. The end game is in sight.

Densmol's Heer in the half-track finally get their shit together and hop out to claim the right most objective, the Tiger takes what should be an easy shot at the Inexperienced Squad and misses! The last few members of the Scout Squad are gunned down after failing to move into cover turn after turn.

With a last ditch effort, the Tiger tries to whittle down the Squad in the woods with yet more MG fire, but fails to do any real damage and the German halftrack with the Lieutenant inside attempts to roll over to the Center objective so the Lieutenant can hop out and contest it for a draw. But he FUBAR’s and his driver has other plans, shoving the transport into reverse at top speed!!!!

At this point, it's the bottom of the 6th turn. The only way Densmol could manage to pull back a draw was if he successfully rolled for a possible 7th turn. He didn't and with two objectives in my hands to his one, the day was mine.

It was fun to finally get in a game after ages and even though we were fluffing our way through the rules and I was swearing up a storm due to his stupid Tiger and it's "Tiger Fear" rule causing me to miss multiple Orders tests, we both claimed a good time was had.

If you made it this far, well done - you win too.

The Liche Wizard's Revenge!

Not been in the mood to paint this past week so no updates for you on that, but I did manage to get in a game of Dragon Rampant in with my boy.

Bit of cheap narrative for you and then some pics of the game with the odd descriptor. :)

“And lo, the lands were awash with death. Crops withered, livestock took ill and the very life within the soil leeched away. Evil magic pollutes the very air and some say that the bodies of those recently laid to rest in the furthest-most settlements have risen from their graves, even attacking their own family members.

The Liche Wizard Roogarbito has escaped his 200 year imprisonment beneath Mount Pickle and has gathered a great undead host to wreck vengeance upon the descendants of those who left his body to rot. He marches with his unliving host toward the last great human city of Hook after already defeating the gathered armies of the nation of man.

Last remaining Lord of Man, Prince Erik, has received a report from his few remaining scouts that the evil Liche travels at the rear of his army and could be vulnerable to attack by a determined small strike force. Should he be brought down, then Prince Erik’s seers assure him that the dark magics holding together the massive undead host shall surely disappear and the threat to the living be vanquished!”

My son played the Liche and his Undead bodyguards – a unit of Skeleton Soldiers, Zombies (Held off table to be summoned in-game) and some Armoured Wights (Using Vampire rules).

I in turn played the humans using the “Northmen” army listings. Prince Erik (Chieftain), Two units of Thegns (Bellicose foot) and a Giant, who we decided was a merc of sorts that the Prince had convinced to help him out with promises of loot.

Enjoy the pics (And apologies if they come out huge, for some reason my cruddy home laptop had no way to reduce their size. I think I need to invest in MS Office :( )!

The setup - the Prince's forces know that the Liche will head towards the cross roads and array in an even spread to account for whatever the dastardly Wizard might bring to bear.

Skeletons on the road and flying armoured Wights in the trees (As they aren't affected by movement penalties)

Brave men of Hook. And a stinky giant.

Zombies held off table waiting to be magically summoned by their evil master.

Middle and Left flank units advance. My Boys on the right were cowards and spent two turns doing bugger all at the back.

Wights fly through the trees and Skeletons and Liche advance.

My son summons the zombies to deal with my left-most warriors.

Yikes, looks rather intimidating from here!

Meat, the Giant is ready to pound bones into dust!

The Evil Liche urges his zombies forward...

... to which my warriors bravely step up and bear combat!

And do a fine job of cutting down all but two of the undead rotters!

With only two  of their band left, the magic holding the zombies together dissipates and the last two crumble into fleshy puddles.

The Liche manages to shoot the Giant with a bolt of dark energy!

Enraged, the giant charges the Skeleton Shield Wall!

Back in those trees, those Wights spend three turns trying to untangle their floaty robes from tree branches. :)

The Meat swings his massive club and crushes bones, but in turn is poked and slashed at with rusty weapons....

And after yet another blast of dark energy decides that no amount of treasure is worth dying (And being added to the undead ranks) and so promtly runs orf. Sod.

The humans are now without their big hitter, but still have two large units of warriors and their Prince, they still have a chance, surely?

Prince Erik, angry at seeing his Giant bugger off, takes his fury out against the skeletons...

... and he forces them back after smashing a handful!

"Get off my Land!"

The Wights swoop down near the rightmost warriors and they charge them in kind. 

A fierce engagement ensues seeing the warriors push the ghastly unit back into the trees!

The left-most unit of warriors have a bead on the sorcerer! All they have to do is get to grips with the dead thing and they could end this madness! But no, the Sorcerer sends yet another bolt of dark energy out, blasting two of them and cause the rest to shit their pants and run for the hills! >_<

On the right, the fight becomes one of attrition.

Neither side do much damage.

The Prince tries to get to grips with the Liche, but he too suffers dark blasts.

The remaining warriors are tired and losing faith. Their prince is not able to close the gap and is being punished from afar for his efforts. 

With a final push, the Wights see off the warriors....

... and then move toward the prince to aid their dark master. (The Prince is on his last wound!)

At last! The Prince is able to rush the Liche and bring his axe of justice, could this be the moment of victory!!??

Wights move in from behind, knowing that should they reach the duel, they will easily turn the tide.

But no, the Great Liche Wizard Roogarbito has not spent all those 200 years plotting his revenge only to be thwarted by the likes of this bearded whippersnapper! With a barking laugh, the Liche takes off his horned helm and crashes it down on the head of his would-be assassin. This champion of Man will make a fine addition to his undead Horde.

My son played the game very well. He expected the zombies to do better, but really zombies are just a speed bump in this rules set. Keeping the Liche back and using his ranged attack just about every turn was perfect tactics and my humans suffered by not having any ranged attacks to shoot themselves. (He managed to roll the 7+ activation roll to shoot 9 turns in a row!!!)

Next game we play, he has decided that he wants to play the part of the humans, so now I'll have to get painting on some new fantasy figs!