Stuff on the Table

   I have prepped a bunch of stuff for the table, if you follow that listing on here. Much of it is 15mm Deutsches Afrika Korp (DAK) for Flames of War v. 4. Of course, the same minis can be used for earlier versions as well, though possibly in different numbers per unit.

   I will soon have a decent DAK selection for North African warfare. That would include a small infantry company, two platoons of Panzer IIIs, a platoon of Panzer IVs, a battery of Lorraine Schlepper 15cm guns, a Panzer II OP, and a pair of the dreaded Flak 36 8.8cm guns. I want to add a pair of Stukas, enlarge my infantry sections, and build a second pair of Flak 36s. I may go ahead and get a pair of Tiger IEs from Schwere Panzerabteilung 501, too, but I am wavering on that. There were only like a dozen in all of Africa, after all. I own a fair number of unpainted halftrack transports, and a Kradschutzen motorcycle platoon for version 3.0, but I don't think they have rules for them in version 4. Maybe upgrade cards?

   I also took a look at what I already have for my British 8th Army forces to oppose the Huns. My infantry is solid - I have Indian troops. I have a section of India Pattern recon vehicles, too. For heavy stuff, there is a battery of 4x 25-pounders, a Honey OP tank, some Grants, some Crusaders, and a pair of Hurricanes. I have some 2-pdr and 6-pdr portees, but I have to look at how the game treats those in 4th Edition. I think there is an upgrade card for it, just like there is one for Indian infantry.

   Other than Flames of War stuff, I have a variety pack of 28mm stuff. That's basically stuff that has been sitting about, and I can use them as relaxation from the eyestrain of painting 15mm. That's getting harder these days.

The Town of Baderimschott

   I got out all of my 15mm European terrain yesterday and set up a West German town for a future game of Team Yankee. It's pretty tight quarters throughout - a tanker's nightmare! Mostly, I wanted to see what all I actually have, and what I may still need. Plus, it was fun. I took a few photos, and here is what you get: the completely fictional town of Baderimschott, somewhere in West Germany.

   All pieces are Battlefront/GF9 Battlefield in a Box unless noted otherwise. The mat underneath is from Cigar Box Battle Mats.

Das Altquartier

This is the older part of town, undamaged by the previous war.

The cobblestone roads are JR Miniatures, and the little hedges are from someone else and I can't think who right now but I got them at Historicon.

Down the High Street

On the left is Die Waffelhaus,

On the right is the offices of FabrikwerkenGeheimschellschaft.

Aerial View of Baderimschott

Ignore the mess around it. The table is 4'x6'.

The back of the Park house and the hotel (with the garden on the plaza). The flowered hedges are railroad scenery that I glued to flocked popsicle sticks, and Shazaam! Instant terrain.

Industrial Park

Town Center

Note the apartment complex on the corner. Very modern. 

(I just painted the aircon units and need to add them still)

The Orchard Farm is on the right, the petrol station to the left, across from the FuntimeGames factory.

The fields are home made, the trees are railroad trees I put on washers.

   So, I have a few things I think I need to add:

• At least one more Modern Roads Expansion. I need the crossroads and the short road pieces. I may cut some of my extra long roads down to help with that.
• A couple of packs of the cobblestone roads
• A couple of the rural roads, while I am at it. I don't have any good dirt roads for this scale
• Two more apartment buildings, maybe three
• More Cobblestone Squares, probably two sets
• The new Brick Factory
• 1 of each of the houses: Antwerp, Munich, Cherbourg, and Dieppe, especially if I can get alternate colors.
• 1 set of House Extensions
• Another Mechanic's workshop. Might paint it red to make a fire house (an idea I saw online); what's the German for firehouse?
• Another set of concrete walls. Maybe 2 of those.
• The European Farm. Again, maybe two.
• A second department store, again, especially if I can get an alternate paint scheme
• The cafe, if I can ever find one for sale now.
• More trees. I am working on some forest bases to make better area terrain.

   I do have, though I didn't put any out on this table, some of the train tracks, and the rail station and the switch house. I also have the road overpass and a couple of bridges. I have a billboard sign or two that I haven't painted up yet. I need to decide what I want to put on them.

   Finally, I have a few pieces by Miniature Building Authority, but I like the FOW European stuff better for 15mm. I didn't put them out but I could if I had to make it bigger. I also have a sawmill but thought it would look out of place, as it's more old-fashioned.

   One last note: if I wanted to make it an East German town, I would get rid of the fast food joints and the flowery shrubs and trees. I would definitely want more apartment blocks, factories, and industrial stuff. Give it a bit more of a grim feel.

More Freshly Painted Hotness

   Well, I just clear-coated a new bunch of freshly finished minis. As is becoming my habit. I took pictures while they are drying.

Overall shot. Lots of fresh goodies!

2x 15mm "long corridor" pieces from Ion Age

Also, some of the many air conditioner units for Team Yankee

A Reaper Saproling Warrior - bound for Dr. Vardu on Venus (VSF!)

And a Reaper Blacksmith. Because I want some fantasy villager NPCs, dagnabbit!

Lorraine Schleppers for Flames of War, a 15mm WW2 wargame

Closer view of the Lorraine Schlepper. I like the guy covering his ears.

The Lorraine Schlepper was a stopgap measure for the Wehrmacht. They took captured French Lorraine Schlepper tractors and added a WWI-era 15cm sFH 18 cannon to it in an armoured superstructure. It was slow and lacked an effective traverse system - you had to move the vehicle to aim the gun, basically. The extending stabilising spade is a cool touch though.

Clear Coat still drying on these

But I thought I would share anyway. Please forgive the hasty and not too-well lit photos. I'm excited that I have been making progress on some projects.

A Paneuropean "Huscarl" (Mk. V) OGRE

(Steve Jackson Games, Plastic)

German, it calls itself "Das Schwarzeritter" - The Black Knight

Why? Because it's a massive unstoppable engine of war. It can call itself whatever it wants.

Another Paneuropean "Legionnaire", this one Neo-Soviet.

KMSR-1917, aka "Kommisar"

(Steve Jackson Games, Metal)

Turrets and hulls of some DAK PzKW III and IV

15mm Battlefront

Platoon Commander for Panzer IVs (with short 7.5cm gun)

Recent Painting

Reaper Bones Gutrags, the Stitch Golem

Rear view.

Bones Lesser Stitch Golems

"Spinne" Light Armoured Walker for Konflikt '47

Pink piping for Panzer crews

28mm terrain

A Paneuropean "Legionnaire" (Mk. III) OGRE

In Papal States Colours

Two Combine "Bigfoot" Mobile Howtizers

Painted to match existing 1st Cav Div Heavy Tanks

A pair of Flak 38 88mm guns for the Afrika Korps

15mm, Battlefront Miniatures

Been quiet

Been quiet around here lately. I actually have been doing stuff. Played a game of Twilight Struggle that I bought at GenCon. It's fun!

Been doing some painting, but no photos yet. Promise I will get something posted soon-ish.

Curious as to how many people still follow this (or any) blog actively. I know I go through cycles of following and ignoring. Twitter has become more my go to for online game stuff.

So let me know if you're still out there, please, by commenting.