Tunisian Scrap

After a while without playing BKCII, Dave and I got together to have a go at a conflict in Tunisia in early 1943. We played the counter-attack scenario, 3000 points of Germans vs 2000 points of Allies.

I based the German battlegroup on Kampfgruppe Irkens - (some background here - http://aleadodyssey.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/tunisia-1943-germans-6mm-bkcii.html ).

We were very rusty and got a few things wrong..   first shock for me was the complete Allied Air Superiority, so Dave rolls d6 +2 vs my d6 -1..  ouch, -2 to my chances of calling in an air strike, and any attack subject to 6 Anti-Air attacks. I didn't get to even try as my Forward Air Controller didn't manage to get into position.

Secondly, we got the rules wrong for reconnaissance units. So be it. The battlefield was pretty random, with plenty of dune/hills to break up line of sight. Dave kept his armour back, and infantry forward, with half-tracks (M3 with 75mm guns) in support.

After the first move, from the German right flank.

Close(r)-up

Quote of the night.. "you could win with a bunch of pygmies armed with fruit-peelers if you had high enough command values".

BKCII uses a mechanism like Warmaster, roll under the command value (CV) to issue an order - roll again at -1 with additional minuses for units depending on distance from the command unit. The German Kampfgruppe had a CO with CV = 10 and HQ = 9. Very good command and control, the Allied side was 8's and 7's.  I haven't done the maths, but with 2 dice, I would guess I was averaging at least twice as many moves as the Allies. A huge advantage. 

Allied infantry is isolated and lacking AT capability

Dave's infantry had no answer to advancing armour, and his artillery that might have helped, just kept failing command rolls.

From the German base edge

It was good to blow the dust off, and we talked a bit after the game, raw Allied troops up against the heaviest armoured assault were always going to struggle.

So after this as a practice, cobwebs gone, we are going to try another one. Next time I will use my British & Commonwealth Western Desert force. Dave gets to pick date and scenario. We shall see if I can do better vs the Panzers...

Scary Goths

So I decided I would try a different painting technique for the bazillion Goths..  so here's the main lot of mounted, cleaned up and stuck to tongue depressors. About 6 hours worth, as there is a not insignficant amount of flash on these guys.

Next step is to get out the airbrush, and then spray them all in varying shades of chestnut, brown, black etc. by stick. Once that's done, back to dabbing on various linen and earthy shades, brighter cloaks etc. Then try a brush on of wood stain. Will be interesting to see how they turn out, as it is very different from my usual paint technique.

And Vale Donald Featherstone.

Tunisia 1943 - Germans 6mm BKCII

I have been preparing a 3000 point German mechanised force for a BKCII game set in Tunisia in early 1943. Most of the models are GHQ, with the exception of the Stuka, which is Scotia (I think), I believe Raiden also now do a model which looks very nice, and the 'Diana' which is an Armstrong Model, now sold by Heroics & Ross.

The battle group has been based (loosely) on the Irkens Kampfgruppe, which was essentially a last gasp attack, using virtually all the available armour (not a lot). Nafziger list 943GMXA has it as:

Irkens Kampfgruppe: 
(Also known as the Irkens Panzer brigade, was formed on 24 April 1943. )
5th Panzer Regiment
7th Panzer Regiment
8th Panzer Regiment
501th (Tiger) Panzer Battalion
47th Grenadier Regiment
Artillery Battalion
Italian Artillery Battalion
2 Flak Battalions

By this stage the 47th Grenadier Regiment I believe had been transferred from the 22nd Infantry Division to North Africa in November 1942, and then attached to 21 Pz Div. and re-designated as 47th Panzer Grenader Regiment.

 88mm in firing position

The whole Battle Group 

'Diana' by Armstrong Models, now sold by H&R. A very nice model. Recce unit of Sdkfz 222 in the background.

I am considering whether I should do a lighter dry brush of the ground texture, as it probably should look 'dustier'.

Teeny Tiny Teensy Weensy Choppers

Been painting up some choppers for 'Shipwreck' these are Lynx from the QRF Seewulf  range, sold through TSS.

The first shot is preparation...

And here they are in all their glory...

Wintercon 2013 - Day 2

So Day 2 dawned, raining and overcast. Canberra not at its wintry best.

With two clear wins on day one, I was waiting for a good spanking to bring me back to earth. Game 3  - vs Lawrence Greaves, with Sung Chinese.

Seen from my left, the Sung Bow (X) with supporting Cavalry (S) are holding out handily vs the Sui Catapahracts, the Sui LH are coming round in support - but that's not a good match-up. The situation is very confused on my right, but numbers and quality favour the Sui. Good early manouevre let me fall on the flank of his bowmen & cavalry there, and destroy them.   

The Sui burst though on my right, and the writing is on the wall for the Sung in the longer term, although still very tight at this stage, with his 'Dare to Die' troops getting into my bowmen and artillery. My cataphract command was finally to be broken after it took out the opposing general. Final result, the centre held out long enough for me to pick up the couple I need to break his army. 19-6 to the Sui.

Game 4 - vs Karl Hamlyn, Later Muslim Indian. Karl is an excellent player, being top ranked going into this competition.

To be honest this was a game where the number of extreme dice splits was ludicrous. Karl was the first victim, as some Bw(O) worked their way round to the pink bit (rough hill) in the foreground, and after a couple of test shots managed to 6-1 his Cv(S) general,  further fighting managing to finally break this command.

Meanwhile in the centre, my Cataphracts danced in front of his elephants and Bd(F), while the artillery manouvered to try and get a shot.. never happened. Second ridiculous dice split, My cataphract general is killed one on one vs an Indian Blade, (factors 5(G) - 4, dice split...   1-6, the cataphracts count inferior versus Blades, so adjusted dice score 5-10). The remaining cataphracts are trying to kill Cv(S) to get the last element required for game, and lose another to a 1-5 result, my cataphract command is gone, but I am still otherwise looking good.

I have enveloped his left, and need to destroy one more Cv(S) to break his army, my first shot - at 3 to -1 (unable to recoil) fails with a 1-6 roll. He makes a charge into my bow on my left and kills one.. now it is starting to get very tense. I charge back into the rear, front and both flanks of his surrounded Cavalryman - the odds are again 3 to -1, and with a 1-5 - we stick. (I also had two 4-1 shots as well in this time with my Cv General vs double overlapped Indian cavalry, and failed both). Now Karl makes the Hail Mary charge again, against the Bw(O) at the end of the line…  at 4-4 I roll a 5, and Karl rolls a 6.. my army is broken. I can still break him back if I win the combat against the surrounded Cavalry…  another 1-6 Karl’s way and the game is over…  16-9 to Karl.   

Dave Turner (Tibetan) vs Anton Verster (Mongol)

Dave Quilty's Mongols vs Karl

Fortress Greaves - vs Michael Stone's Hsiung-Nu

Lawrence didn't hide in his fortress, pressing Michael back and eventually winning 25-0

John Garvey's very pretty Moluccan Malay vs Anton Verster's Mongols.

And again - this time Round 3 vs Michael Stone's Hsiung-Nu.

The final count is below, and John Garvey won the door prize draw of a DBA Mirliton Communal Italian army.



Wintercon 2013 - Day 1

So the final numbers for DBMM 2 at Wintercon were 10, and then one withdrew, so we had 9, so a bye...  which was disappointing.

Two games each day, and I took some pictures.

This is Lawrence Greaves Sung Chinese on the left..  loads of Bw(X) - some Hordes and a little bit of cavalry.  Vs Anton Verster's Mongols.

Game 1. Dave Turner's Tibetan 'Wall of Steel' advances, only to find my Sui aren't there..  note the far left where the Sui actually are...

 

 Dave's blocking force, (in the shadow of the Yak) - runs into trouble...

 And on the left where my cavalry are.. and so are not quite enough of his light horse.

Game 2 vs John Garvey -

 

How much water is there on this table? Waterway plus navigable river..

Notice the large part of his army on his right swinging at thin air as I try and concentrate all my army on his left.

My guys ride past his left (foreground), the artillery shoot down some stuff, and I have the right mix to stand up to his assault.

 Close combat Sui Bw and Kn vs Malay Warband etc..

 Jon Willacy vs Karl Hamlyn.. two Later Muslim Indian armies have at each other.

No idea what's going on here..  what is that pink bit?

And here- Michael Stone (Hsiung-Nu) vs Dave Quilty (Mongol)

 

Looks to me like Dave (left) is doing all the back-pedalling...

Last of the Sui

So the Sui showed up to Cancon last year.. 

But for some reason, I had never finished the baggage or the artillery. So I cobbled together some figures from the spares box, Chinese artillerymen, peasant horde, and leavened them with some mules and a couple of Roman engineers. I had intended to show 'Great Wall' repairs, but this didn't work out so well. Oh, and I had gone and bought an acrylic 'turquoise' colour, which I rather like.

Anyway, here they are: