Pictures!

I decided to post a few pictures that I took this weekend before I take a break and head on vacation.  Today I built the British Armored Platoon, Typhoons (one with an Armorcast Effect), another Sherman, Horsa glider and a British Airlanding Heavy Anti-Tank Platoon.  I want to have them ready to paint when I get back.

I am trying out a new camera, which made me discover that my lighting stinks.  So you solve one problem, but identify another.  I borrowed a few lights from work, but I need a few more to really pull it off.  I also saw that some of the more subtle painting effects just don't make it onto the camera.

Anyway, here they are:

Artillery command team and staff team.  I tried the "create a map" and this was my first attempt.  Later teams have a better map.

This is a command team from my First Special Services Force (aka Devil's Brigade).  I still need to hit it with one last dullcote layer, but I also need to make sure that left over flock is not on the teams!

One of the FSSF platoons.  I have painted a full company with 3 platoons and an HQ.

Ok.  This is a Sherman Objective marker.  I drilled a hole to make it look like the tank was shot after bogging down in mud.  I need to create some smoke to come out of the hatch.  I used MIG Wet Effects to make the road look muddy.  I also used Matte Medium and chalks to build up the mud.

Top view of my Fire Direction Center.  Maps look a little better.  Sorry for the over exposure.

One of the first tanks I painted.  I used colored pencil to highlight the turret.  From 3', it doesn't look bad, but I have stopped using that technique.

This is one of the Priests that I did and I thought I went way too far with the dried mud / dirt.



My last M10 that I painted.  I still need to finish the crew.  Unfortunately, the panle shading really doesn't show up on the pictures.

So there you go!

The British Are Coming!

I finished off the Hellcats, M10s and the single M7 Priest.  Technically, the M10s and the Priest still need their crew, but hey - close enough!

On a unrelated note, my son came in 2nd in his warmup for Adepticon tournament.  He and his partner were the youngest team and pulled off a great showing!  Way to go!

Ok, back to FoW:

My wife and I picked out a digital camera to take on our upcoming trip to Arnhem, err The Netherlands.  I am excited about the camera because of the macro function.  I took several pictures with my SLR today and they look poor.  We will pick up the camera tomorrow, so in a few days I should know how well the pictures look.




SLR - Could be better


But now I have started the British Airlanding Company!  Well, I am starting with the Armored Platoon and the Typhoons first.

I have been chatting via email with a great guy in Arnhem.  There is a LGS that sells FoW that he highly recommends.  So I have decided to do TWO British Para Companies - the first is the Airlanding group that I will model after the forces at Pegasus Bridge.  The second will be a Parachute Company that I will model after the forces in Arnhem.  As I mentioned earlier, I really want to get the troops in Arnhem.  So now I will have two distinct basing themes!  And this from a guy who really does not like to paint infantry!  I am thinking that the support platoons can be shared, so no need to duplicate that work!

And that should last me for the next 6 months.

Crazy.

As promised - Explosion Markers

Here are a few pictures that show the finished work.

Remembering that this is my first attempt at them, I can see a few "areas for improvement":

1) Don't spread the hot glue everywhere.  You can see in a few pictures that they glue is visible as globs and strands.  Painting won't hide it, so cleanup is necessary prior to painting - like putting more foliage over the exposed area.

2) Use another coat of grey.  I went black twice, then grey twice.  I am thinking another grey and maybe even a lighter grey on that third coat.

But I really do like the effect and look of the marker.  In one of my games, there was a conversation about concealment through a destroyed tank.  I had to remind my opponent about the 2" rule (sorry, don't know the cm measurement).  The marker helped illustrate that.

So without further ado, here are the pictures:

You can see the glob of glue and a strand.  The strands should be easy enough to cut out.  From an artistic view, I think a heavier airbrush at the top and lighter on the bottom would be a better look to the explosion.  In other words, show more color of the foliage at the bottom and not the top.

While the focus is a little off, I like this marker very much.  The trick is to make the marker look a little asymetical.  Of course, the marker completely overtakes my little Stewie.  But again, it does help to illustrate the 2" rule on the detroyed tank.

Final thoughts:

Ok, so they don't look like Shawn's (The Terrain Guy), but then what mere mortal's work does?!?  I have to admit I really like the look and effect.  I did see another player that had an LED flashing under his marker.  That made me think...  nahhh.  Or did it?!?!  :-)

Simple to make, but remember the hot glue!  White glue, terrain glue and even super glue will work, but I found the hot glue to be much, much easier to handle.

Good luck!

AAR - FoW Mid War Tournament - The Last Square, Madison, WI

Just finished up my second tournament ever and make a good showing.

So let me set the stage:

Mid war - 1,500 points, split into 3 task groups.  White is 1,000 points and must be a legal build.  Red and Blue are 250 points each.  No splitting of points across each task group.  3 games, random missions chosen from Encounter, Free for All, Fighting Withdrawl and one other that we didn't use and I don't remember.

I brought American armor, which is CT.

White:
2 75mm Shermans (CiC and 2iC)
4 75mm Shermans
4 M5 Stuarts
1 Recon Section (Tank), which is 2 rifle teams, command carbine, M2 Half track and 2 unarmed jeeps)

Blue:
1 Recon Section (Tank) mirrored exactly like above
1 Armored Field Artillery Battery - 3 M7 Priests

Red:
1 Armored Rifle Platoon - normal with 3 rifle teams and bazooka swapping out for 37mm gun
1 Sporadic air from Warhawks (I proxied my P-47s)


Round One:

Played Ben, who is a young player in our normal league.  He fielded a german grenadier company.  The mission was Encounter.  Ugg.  But we had all 1,500 points on the table.  I was defender, he was attacker.  He could only bring in 2 platoons and I could field 3.  He ended up putting down a platoon of 3 Marders, a Tiger e and grenadier platoon (Tiger was the CiC).  I put down armored rifle, Stuarts and Shermans.  Recons (both) and Priests were in reserve.  From my view, he went Marders on the left objective, grenadiers in the middle protecting the other objective and the Tiger on a slope with a line right down the road.  I didn't realize it then, but Tiger had a shot on my Shermans.  I had placed an objective on my end behind a river and put the armored rifles on it.  Stewies were on the other side of the river and the Shermans were in the middle.  Picture below shows the end.

Turn 1:

He moved his Marders up on a hill and killed a Stewie.  Uh oh.  His Tiger had a shot at a Sherman due to poor placement (recurring theme) and killed it.  Stormtroopered his Marders back, but due to an aggressive first move, he could only get one below the hill.

On my turn, I rolled for air and got 2 planes.  I rushed the Marders with the Stewies and I was able to get a shot in.  My CiC came along for the ride too.  I ended up bailing one of the Marders.  I moved the Shermans into the village and hid from the "big kitty."  Planes came in and...  wiped out the Marders.  Literally.  That was pivotal because the whole left side was empty.  Now it was a race to the objective and the Tiger had to pivot over.  Could I get there before reserves on 3?

Turn 2:

Race is on.  Tiger moved over.  Somewhere, he bailed my CiC from a Tiger shot by missing FP to kill.

On my turn I double timed the Stewies to contest.  I then had to aggressively move the Shermans towards the Tiger, including putting my 2iC 1 inch away.

Turn 3:

Big roll - his reserves.  No!  He took the shots at the Stewies and only managed one hit.  Bye bye Stewie.  But he could not get to the objective and he could not get enough hits on the Stewies to force a morale check.

My turn 3, I have an objective and the game is over.

6-1 Victory, but I only killed one platoon and lost zero.




End of the game



Round 2:

Up against Dave from Chicago playing Finns.  I can't tell you the specifics, but he had nasty troops with super deadly Anti-Tank rating, 2 mortar platoons (122 and 80 somethings) and 2 KV-1 or 2s.  Can't remember.

Mission was Fighting Withdrawl and we could field White group and either Red or Blue.  I went with Priest / Recon task force and kept the planes and the armored rifle platoon out of the game.  I was the attacker.

I spread out the objectives as much as possible.  He decided to place all of his infantry in the woods.  He had his nasty anti-tank infantry on my left and his KVs on my right.  What was key to this game is that he decided to defend the table length that we had placed our stuff on while getting ready.  Afterward we both agreed that he should have switched sides with me.  His second mistake was that due to terrain, I actually had a path to the KVs that limited his vision.




Start - after Recon


I don't remember the details of the game too much, but I did an "American Sherman Bull Rush" up the right flank and sent the Stewies up the middle to keep his infantry in the woods.  After two turns, I was able to close in on the KVs.  Untimely rolls (good for me) on his armor saves and by turn 4, I had both KVs destroyed.  He tried a last ditch assault, but the Sherman's and Stewie's machine guns were just too much and the resulting pin ended the game.

Another 6-1 Victory, but I only killed 1 platoon and zero lost

I do have to say that Dave was one of the nicest, most sporting people I have played against.  He made the game a pleasure.



End of Game - pinned on the assault, we did not move them back



Round 3:

Mission was Free for All and only used the White (1,000) group.  I drew Caleb from MN.  He was the best of the 7-7 group.  Since I had killed 2 platoons and lost 0 in 2 games, I was in 3rd.  Two other players were 12-2, but they had killed more platoons.  Joe made a comment that I was "too efficient in winning."  Darn!

Caleb had 2 platoons of german pioneers and a platoon of various Panzer IIIs.  By the way, how do you German players keep up with the 267 different types of tanks!!

Turned out to be a great game, but I made two massively stupid mistakes and I wish we could go again.  I had to play for the 6-1 win to stand any chance of getting the tourney win and qualify for USA Nationals.

Mistake 1:  I placed my Stewies where the Panzers could see on a long range shot.  Dorkus that I am hung my Platoon Leader out on the edge.  Gone.  Destroyed.  Now I can't move them.

Mistake 2: I am an idiot and did not remember the rule about CiC or 2iC "choosing" a new platoon leader.

So because of those two mistakes, my Stewies are pill boxes.  My Shermans made a game of it and caught 3 of the 4 panzers in the open with side shots.  All 3 gone.  Caleb failed the Platoon morale check, but the darn Company Commander saved him.  I was unable to get the last panzer.  Since I was playing for the win, I had to get aggressive with the tanks.  His pioneers were sitting on the objectives and dug in.  I got too close and learned how nasty flame throwers can be.  3 Shermans gone in the assault, but the Platoon Leader passed the Platoon morale check.  I lost the 2iC earlier in the game and by Turn 8, he was shifting the pioneer teams across the board to get his objective and along the way took out my last Shermans.  With stationary Stewies, we shook hands.

1-6 Loss.

I did not get a picture of the last game.

So, 13-8 after being at 12-2.  But not bad for my second tourney.

On a related note, I did win best painted army!!

I want to thank Joe for setting up the tourney and for Bev & Karl at The Last Square for hosting the event.

Here are a few pictures!



Mike (right) who did qualify for USA Nationals this past Fall.



Joe (center right) - Thanks for being the host and ref!!



Best painted.  Explosion markers will be on the post tomorrow!



Current and Future Forces

I currently field a USA Tank Company, usually the 2nd or 3rd Armored as found in Cobra.  I have just completed a full company of First Special Services Forces (Devil's Brigade) and I have British Airlanding about to enter the painting table.  My personal criteria for units in Flames of War is based on very personal experience and family relationships.  My wife's uncle was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in the Devil's Bridage.  I have had the honor of visiting the Normandy Beaches twice, including Pont du Hoc, Pegasus Bridge and St. Mare Eglise.  It is a trip that I encourage all to take.  So that should explain my force selections.  And I will be busy painting for the next 12 months.

Already completed:

11 M4 Shermans (75mm) to serve as CiC, 2iC, Platoons
7 M4 Shermans (76mm)
1 Armored Rifle Platoon
1 Armored Mortar Platoon
1 AOP
1 Full Section of P-47s
1 M12 155mm SP Platoon
10 Jeeps (recon, mortar, etc.)
1 M10 Tank Destroyer Platoon (full)
10 M3 Half tracks
5 M5 Stewarts
1 Armored Field Battery (M7) Platoon

In process:

1 105mm Field Artillery Battery
1 M1 Heavy Anti-aircraft Artillery Platoon
1 Armored Rifle Platoon
1 Dismounted MG crews
1 Fire Direction Center
2 2 1/2 Ton Trucks
1 DUKW Section (with a twist)

Awaiting Work:

1 Typhoon Section
1 British Airlanding Artillery
1 British Airlanding Heavy Anti-Tank Platoon
1 British Airlanding Company (Pegasus Bridge)
1 British Armored Platoon (Shermans)
Various objectives, terrain, buildings, etc.

Here are some pictures:

Armored Company

Tank Destroyers!

I admit that I have challenges getting all the mold lines off the tank barrels.  Of course, I hope no one is looking from 3 inches away during a game!