New Citadel Paint Range...What the....!

Games Workshop has done it again and reworked their products. This time its the paints. Having used Citadel colour for a very long time, I was quite shocked (it must be my age?!) when I saw this announcement games-workshop. (I must be in shock, since I've decided to put an entry on the blog, not something I normally do for gaming news).  GW paints have their detractors but I like them, know the colours and what will work/not work.


With a weeks leave coming up I can see this bemused painter/gamer taking a trip to the local GW store to check out the new range. Once I've got past the obligatory greeting of 'WHAT ARE YOU PAINTING AT THE MOMENT MATE'. What I'd like to say in response 'Is none of your damn business young man' but since I'm to polite I'll probably respond with 'WW2 Fallschirmjager in splinter camo smocks actually' (Yes, I'm a sad old b******d).


Anyway GW have put up a downloadable conversion chart-old to new versions of their paints. Which will help in the mean time. Conversion chart.

Sustained fire MG42 with Fallschirmjager crew

At last some support for my small but growing Fallschirmjager platoon. A MG42 in sustained fire mode i;e; mounted on a tripod. The crew are wearing my interpretation of Water Tan camo smocks, except the team leader who is wearing a grey/green jump smock.

Figures are once again from the excellent Artizan Designs range.

The MG42 is fairly famous (infamous?) weapon from the Second World War-'Hitlers Buzz Saw'. Here is an interesting clip from the 'Lock n Load' TV show demonstrating this particular weapon.

Bocage with Trees

Following on from my previous post concerning Bocage, I have now made some more. Eleven pieces again same dimensions but this time with trees added in.

These have been constructed as before, 2mm MDF bases from Warbases, then built up by adding successive layers of cork tile, cut to fit, and then filling in the contour layers with ready mixed filler to give a smooth (ish) bank, covered in sand and then paint.

The trees are Woodland Scenic armatures which I had left over. Since they are different heights I had to cut the tile around them. The tallest is about 3" the smallest about 1". I placed them on on the appropriate level of tile, i.e. the tallest where placed on the first or second level of tile and so on for each height of tree. I wanted to give the appearance that tree was growing out of the bank. So even though this left me with a dip, the clump foliage when added could be built up around the tree. Where the tile had to be cut to be built up on either side of the tree, I made sure there was a gradient on each side leading down to the tree rather than cutting the tile the same length so I was not left with a 'sharp' and abrupt end on either side of the tree of the bank.

Now I need to make some corner pieces, some ends and gateways. Plus more lengths, to truly give that claustrophobic feel, that these Normandy hedgerows envoked. 
     

Ambush at Pa' Randalls Trading Post

The wagons creaked and groaned under the weight of the cargo, but the destination was in sight, the journey almost over.

Pa' Randalls Trading Post, a run down, collection of frontier buildings, abandoned long ago by homesteaders, know occupied by Pa' Randall, ex-scout, ex-thief, ex-drunk.

Safety and shelter were at hand. Rumours abound of Apache Renegades, who had attacked Big Jakes Ranch, scalping men and defiling women . Soon the travellers could enjoy hot coffee, a plate of beans and secure walls around them for tonight. But what was that just beyond the trees to the right? Ole' Bill shifted his rifle nervously in his hands. He glanced back to his partner. Had Nat seen it? What was that moving in the trees? Apaches.....

Victorio and his warparty rushed towards the wagons. The warriors released a volley of lead towards the white eyes . Dahana would be avenged. Victorio felt the butt of his rifle strike his shoulder, and saw the bullet strike his enemy.

Nat fell, his life blood darkening the ground. Ole' Bill panicked rushed for the scrub. His wife 'Two Barrel' Annie shouldered her twelve gauge and ran behind the wagons to seek cover.

The folks accompanying the wagons did like wise. Discretion was the better part of valour.

Victorio let out a howl of pleasure. Victory was assured. The Apache rushed to close with the enemy.

At the Trading Post Pa' Randall, ran out of the hovels he called home, alerted by the sounds of gunfire and the screams of terror. In the near distance he espied the Renegades. Hunkered down behind his wagon, he raised his rifle and took careful aim.

But Victorio was a wily old fox. He personally lead one half of the band towards the wagons, whilst Uday lead the others to cover to exchange fire with Randall.

Victorio was a man on fire. His repeater spat death towards his foe. Ole' Bill, a veteran of the war in the Black Hills, twisted and fell as the bullet ripped into his chest. 'Two Barrel' Annie urged the wagon masters to greater effort, they could still reach safety.

Uday and the other braves traded shot with Pa' Randall. Time and again the Apache cursed in frustration as their bullets tore chunks of wood from the wagon behind which the ex-scout cowered. Then.....

Uday's aim was true. The Trader collapsed behind the wagon. His throat torn through.  A cry of victory cut the air, but not from Uday...

Victorio had reached the wagons. Yuma seized the bridle of the last team, and began to turn the wagon to the South. The other Apaches poured murderous fire onto the hapless white eyes. Many of whom abandoned the wagons and fled to some dilapidated buildings. Now they had to turn to 'Two Barrel' Annie for protection.

The feisty dame stood her ground and from the scrub turned her shotgun towards the Apache. Both barrels roared. But in her haste the buckshot found only empty air. Time was running out.

Even stone was not going to save the recently widowed Annie now. Victorio's bullet found its mark. Even before she had struck the ground, Vasco's arrow hit the fleeing Pedro in the back, he was never to see Mexico again.

Yuma began to lead the captured prize way. Ulzana having looted the body of Nat would not have time to liberate Ole' Bill of any of his possessions, for in the distance could be heard the rumble of hooves.

Capt' Jack had arrived but too late, too late. Victorio's warband was going to slip away again.

But would they reap the whirlwind in their next encounter?

So ended the second part of our ongoing Wild West campaign. I must inpart a big thank you to the Secret Wargamers Friend for putting on a great game. Terrain and most of the figures (except the Apache of course) are his.

In fact here is the great man himself, contemplating the game and what to do next. Cheat maybe?

          

Medic & Radio Operator

What more can I say a medic and radio operator for the Fallschirmjager.

Both are Bolt action figures from Warlord Games. Both to be used as part of the platoon/company command section.

I must admit to have never really paid much attention to the uniform/accoutrement's of the German medical personnel. So a little bit of research.... didn't reveal many contemporary photos either (I'm sure their out there somewhere) . But there were plenty of photo's of re-enactors or miniatures of German WW2 medics. All seem to agree that white helmets were used with either a single red cross or multiple symbols on the helmet or even a single large cross painted across the whole of the helmet. (NB the white helmet does not seem to have been standard, and modern reconstruction's had images of standard uniform with the red cross arm band only). Now on the subject of the tabard I had seen in  a recent TV documentary contemporary film of a German medic running between buildings in combat and wearing such a tabard (I think it may have been about Operation Market-Garden). But I could not recall the colour of the helmet being worn or if the red cross symbol was on the reverse of the tabard. It made sense it would be, so I have painted a cross on the back.

This photo is of a Leichte Schutzenpanzerwagen U304(f), is based on a captured French chassis and this particular version was used as an armoured ambulance. Issued to units in France from 1943 on. Note personnel wearing red cross armbands only and at least one wearing a tabard (standing in passenger compartment). No white helmets though. 
Next up support weapons for the Fallschirmjager, coming soon. 

Ghost Walkers (An ongoing story of survival in the Old West)

Dawn , Texas, February 16th 1881. The cowhands, maids, and cooks start work in the pale morning sun light at Big Jake's Ranch. Another day of toil and drudgery.

Suddenly a blood curdling war cry shatters the calm. From the surrounding scrub, Victorio's renegade Apache warband race towards the homestead.

Victorio himself, leading one half of the warriors, rushes towards the corral eager to seize the horses from the white eyes. Ulzana leads the others towards the stone walled cattle pen; food is needed to feed the hungry warriors and their families. The women folk and children of the ranch scatter for cover.

The warrior Yuma takes careful aim and strikes down one of the fleeing women. The lust for revenge for the injustice heaped up his people clouds his vision, all are enemies here.

Having reached the corral a fierce gun battle enrupts across the paddock has the homesteaders fight hard to defend themselves. Then disaster strikes...
 

Yuma falls knocked senseless by a lucky shot.

Ulzana's half of the band is more successful. The warriors have seized the cattle and begin to lead them away. In the far distance the warriors Nana and Kuruk give covering fire to drive off more of the white eyes who have emerged from the buildings.

But are they to late to stop the Apaches? Meanwhile at the corral the gun fight is getting desparate. Neither side is able to gain the upper hand.

Dahana using the rail fence as cover draws closer to his enemy. Gripping his prized Winchester rifle tightly he opens fire on the enemy and one bullet flies true.

The cowhand crumples into the dust never to fight again. But then the thunder of hooves can be heard fast approaching.

Prospectors have heard the sound of gunfire and ride to the aid of the beleaguered defenders. Or perhaps they are motivated more by the chance of collecting a bounty from each Apache scalp they take? Now it is the Apaches who are under pressure.

Out numbered brave Dahana is gunned down in a hail of bullets, never to rise again. But the stubborn battle at the corral has not been in vain.

Ulzana and his warriors have taken the cattle, and retire into the surrounding scrub. Victorio mourning the loss of his brother warrior, leads his men away.

The white eyes sensing an easy victory give chase but their bravado comes too late to stop the warparty escaping.


This was the third game in which my Apache warparty have taken part in. The first saw a minor victory to the Apache, the second was a close run thing, from which Victorio and this warriors just managed to escape from a party of scalp hunters, after giving them a blood nose. My opponent 'The Secret Wargamers Friend' has decided to draw up a campaign of sorts with a certain element of role playing. He will be DM and my actions across the game map will determine the next encounter. This was the first official game using the campaign map, so the first one documented.

Rules used 'Legends of the Old West', figures by Foundry, Artizan, Dixon and others. Terrain bought and scratchbuilt. 

Interesting Question?

Stu raised an interesting question as to what rules would I use for a WW2 pulp game (from last post)? For small scale platoon sized actions I've previously used the Iron Ivan rules. 

 

Which give a good game and Iron Ivan have recently released their Pulp/adventure rule set and a squad level rule set. Though I don't really know much about either of these new sets. The blurb for 'Where Heroes Dare' says they are for 20s/30s pulp games, but I'm sure they could stretch to the 40s.

 My other choice for platoon level WW2 is the 'TOOFATLARDIES', Tactics, Weapons & Troops' (or TW&T) for short. 

Now I'm itching to give these a bash. I only need to complete a few more fallshirmjager and add a few more pieces of terrain and I'm off (at last). I've played a couple of the Lardies sets and really enjoyed the games that they give. Now with the Big Men rules, I think they could be adjusted for a small pulp style game, or would you need that little extra flavour to flesh out the characters? But then there is always the TW&T supplement 'Platoon Forward' which is designed to give a little more depth to the Big Men. At the present time I'm not sure I'd won't to be purchasing more rule sets. I've already got too many some of which I have not played, nor am I likely to play.

So to recreate 'The Eagle Has Landed' in 28mm what would you need. German fallshirmjager in Polish paratrooper kit about 16 figures. A platoon of GI's to represent the Rangers, including Larry Hagman.

I think he would be a level 1 Big Man!

A handful of civilians, including Jenny Agutter.

'DON'T CALL ME BABY'

And Donald Sutherland as Devlin.

But would you need these characters? Maybe heading into the roleplaying territory? Who would play Jenny (I can think of a few candidates).  It would depend on whether to play the game as a straight fight between the Germans and Americans or to have the main characters played by select individuals to develop a story, rather than a straight wargame.  

Throw in your quintessential English village, a few Jeeps to get shot up could be a great project/game. This is definitely a project I would like to run and one I have considered for a while, worthy of further consideration. Having never played a strictly Pulp game I can't at this stage comment to well on rules or how to run the game. Though I have been interested in the Pulp genre for a while and it is an area of wargaming a would like to try. There are other rule sets out there, besides those listed, which could fit the bill.  

Of course another 'classic' WW2 film I have considered turning into a game of some sort is...