Battle Report – On the road to Stalingrad – or “Hey, what’s the chance of me rolling another double 1?” - Part 1

Saturday was another participation game, this time at Incognicon in Skarpnäck, a suburb of Stockholm.

We used the IABSM v3 rules, and our game was set in Russia in 1942, on the road to Stalingrad, and it was based on the scenario  “Nice one Kirill” from Too Fat Lardies' Summer Special 2007. We used slightly different troops, mainly to fit what we had built.

Today’s objective – take and hold the bridge

We met at 10.00, and had set up and were ready to play at about noon. As usual we had one of us playing the defenders, in this scenario the Russians, and everyone who wanted had a chance at the Germans. We immediately got a bunch of interested ‘evil nazis’ (even though they seemed very friendly) to take us on.

As usual when playing IABSM we start with an empty board. The defenders set up hidden, and has to be spotted, actively, when you’re close enough or when they shoot at you. Attackers enter the board under blinds.

The board from the German side (Yes, we know there weren’t any FW 190:s at the eastern front at this time, but it was such a nice model. We had to use it!)

Farm in the background

 First group in was a recce-unit. Vorvärts! After them a blind (which turns out to be false, i.e., not having any troops under it – it represents maybe a motorcycle, a couple of scouts or maybe a cow. False blinds can move, spot and be annoying)

The hand of God points at the first Russians.

Next in to be spotted is a platoon of grenadiers in halftracks. Oops, Russkies hidden around the downed fighter. They fire at point blank range and damages the Hanomag.

 Attack!

Counter-attack!

 Where did all the soldiers go…? that was bloody!

Back to the recce. What’s that? It points towards us…

 Uh-oh…

Back to the Hanomags – hunting Russian pigs…

…and assaulting Russians in a house…

…but the barn was also filled with commies, totally wiping out the assaulting squad. (They are really inside the barn)

Oh, there are enemies behind the fence…

To be continued!

Flatbed truck from Frontline

This truck comes from Frontline’s 20mm civilian range. I had a vague collection of having bought it, and searched the tin/plastics mountain. Yep, there it was, and it would really fit in with the factory I had just completed.

As I intended to use it in todays’ game I had to make a real rush-job, just had two evenings to finish it, and packing everything for the game. 

Wanted something that could have a dual role as both civilian and passable military use for future games, so no garish colours.

It served today as an improvised road-block.

Paints used:

Flatbed – 843 Cork Brown with a wash of Citadel Devlan Mud and brushed with Cork Brown.

Metal – Citadel Chainmail

Body – Citadel Foundation Charadon Granite

Tires – Black

Windows – Black with a gloss varnish

Load – Vallejo 819 Iraqui Sand with a wash of Citadel Devlan Mud

Rope –Vallejo 876 Brown Sand

Everything was brushed with a variety of Vallejo and Mig pigments.

Loading canned cabbages bound for the Kremlin.

20mm Factory from Metcalfe

This weekend we have another participation game going on Incognicon. It will be eastern front 1942 and based on the scenario “Nice one Kirill” from Too Fat Lardies' Summer Special 2007.

We need a factory, the Collective Cabbage Processing Plant, and had nothing really appropriate in the collections. But I had a cardboard kit from the excellent company Metcalfe just waiting to be built.

Building is easy, and I made a couple of factory-buildings a year ago, if you want some thoughts on how to build them.

Factory before it met my pigments

Nice enough as it is, but this being the worker’s paradise I wanted it to look a bit worn. How to do? Well, I have bought far too much pigments (not possible, I know) and this was an excellent project to try them out.

Now it looks more lived in. I think I’ll let the other kits have a go with the pigments also, really improves it.

Construct from Rackham

I bought this Cynwall Elves – Nova Construct 2 a while ago from Game Maniacs, on their 50% sale of Confrontation minis. Still going on if you’re interested in that mini you didn’t catch when they were widely available.

Anyway, I intend to use it as a golem/construct in D&D, so I skipped a set of arms. The original model comes with 4 arms with different weapons, and I discarded two of them, leaving the ones with a sword and an axe.

 Construct fighting a female paladin from Hasselfree, just to get a feeling for its size

Paints used:

(Vallejo unless otherwise noted)

Plume and cloth – 965 Prussian Blue with a drybrush of Citadel Ice Blue

Metal – Citadel Chainmail

Details – Citadel Shining Gold

Eye-slit – 952 Lemon Yellow

Everything but plume and cloth got a wash of Citadel Devlan Mud

Machinery under arms and on neck was painted with 955 Black Glaze to get an oily look.

Matte varnish to protect it all.

I’m still looking for Confrontation Orc Brontops Riders, lovely models I would like to have for my orcish Song of Blades and Heroes warband. If you happen to see one for sale and with a decent price then give me a call.

Rasputina from Wyrd Miniatures

“Rasputina the Ice Witch” from Wyrd Miniatures and their Malifaux range, had lived for more than a year in the tin-mountain. I didn’t have an idea of how to paint her, until I looked at my Haqqislam-fighters. A desert-theme it was going to be.

All paints are Vallejo unless otherwise noted.

Coat – 912 Tan yellow

Waist-cloth – 837 Pale Sand

Stockings – 977 Desert Yellow

Fur – Humbrol 71 Oak

Boots and gloves – 983 Flat Earth

Bag, goggles and belt – 843 Cork Brown

Skin – 955 Flat Flesh

Hair – 814 Burnt Cadmium Red with a drybrush of 818 Red Leather

Everything except the hair coated with Citadel Devlan Mud, and the skin got another coat of 955 Flat Flesh. A final coat of matte varnish, and she was finished.

Italian attack-bike

The LRDG needs some sort of opposition when they’ll attack airfields later this year. When I saw this 20mm model, “20/123 Motortricycle with troops”, from Skytrex, I knew I had worthy opponents.

Compare this tricycle with what the Space Marines drive around with in 40K... Those guys got power armour, and big-ass guns.

These guys got an unarmoured tricycle with a crummy machine gun. They do have steel helmets, and they must have balls of steel. After painting this and thinking about the guts you need to stand there shooting, not to mention sitting idly by and wait to load the MG (if you're in luck...), well, I will not make any more jokes about the Italian Army. At least not today…

I painted this in the same way I paint my 6mm Italians. It looks okay in the flesh, but a bit crude in close-up. Anyway, it will be nice to have in place when we start playing.

All paints Vallejo unless stated otherwise.

Crew

Uniform – 847 Dark Sand, wash of Citadel Devlan Mud and a wet drybrush of Dark Sand over it.

Bags – 819 iraqui Sand

Water bottle – 836 London Grey

Skin – 955 Flat Flesh

Metal – Citadel Chainmail

Shoes, belt – Humbro 62 Leather

Tricycle

916 Sand Yellow, Citadel Devlan Mud, drybrush with 976 Buff

Tyres 862 Black Grey

Filthy Scrote the Jailer from Heresy

Another gentleman to man the dungeons, this time “Filthy Scrote the Jailer” from Heresy, also discontinued it seems. Picked him up from the tin-mountain, and had to pin his hands and head in place.

Painted with Vallejo paints unless noted.

Undercoated white with a black wash – excellent to find those mould-lines that ruins the work later on…

Skin – 955 Flat Flesh

Vest – Citadel Foundation Gretchin Green

Trousers – 821 German Camo Beige

Gloves and shoes – 876 Brown Sand

Rope – 847 Dark Sand

Plate and cup – Citadel Chainmail

Cheese – 912 Tan Yellow

Bread - 912 Tan Yellow

Keys – 865 Oily Steel

Hair – 983 Flat Earth

Everything got a wash of Devlan mud, the hair was drybrushed with 843 Cork Brown and a final coat of matte varnish.

Rust Monsters from Otherworld

More 28mm goodies from Otherworld, this time rust monsters sculpted by John Pickford. They come two to a pack and are numbered DM18.

They come in four pieces each, and need a bit green stuff where the tail meets the body.

I painted their undersides with Vallejo 912 Tan yellow and the rest of the body Humbrol 113 Rust. Beak and claws Vallejo Game Colour Bone White.

Everything got a painted on coat of Army Painter Strong Tone Dip, followed by a matte coating. That didn’t really give any effect to talk of, so I followed with drybrushing with 912 Tan Yellow close to the stomach and 819 on the rest of the body. Also followed with a black wash, topped with another coat of matte varnish.

LRDG-crew

I've paintet the crew for the LRDG truck and jeep. Rather clunky figures, but they look OK from half a meter away, i.e., normal viewing distance during play.

The truck needs a dusting of pigments, but that will have to wait until the weather is a bit warmer, so I can spray-paint a fixative outdoors.